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“I was once a kid with a dream”: Richard Branson blasts into space

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Well he finally did it. 17 years after Richard Branson first launched Virgin Galactic, the thrill-seeking billionaire has taken to the skies and reached space

In his boldest adventure yet, the 70 year old Richard Branson took off for the first stage of the flight.

On the ground, about 500 people watched on, including Richard Branson’s wife, children and grandchildren.

On board were his five crewmates from his Virgin Galactic space tourism company.

Richard Branson and his five crew mates.
Richard Branson and his five crew mates.

The space plane detached from the mother ship at an altitude of about 13km and fired its engine, reaching the edge of space about 88km up.

After a few minutes of weightlessness for the crew, the space plane is began its decent, set to end with a glide to a runway landing.

Richard Branson couldn’t contain his excitement, as he spoke on the journey back to earth.

Richard Branson’s message to children from space

He thanked his crew and remembered all those who had worked on the mammoth project.

After a decade of promises, the moment finally came for Richard Branson to unveil his spaceship for the people.

He said on board:: “To all you kids down there, I was once a kid with a dream. Now I’m up here, in a space ship!”

Customer spaceflight experience

As Branson took to space onboard Virgin Galactic, his official role for the journey will be “evaluating customer spaceflight experience”.

And that’s an important role – after all anyone who wants to rise Virgin Galactic will need to part with a quarter of a million dollars first, and that price is expected to rise.

Along with the two pilots, there is room for six passengers with a flight time of about an hour and a half.

The Virgin Galactic rocket ship detached from the mothership.
The Virgin Galactic rocket ship detached from the mothership.

The spaceship will just go over the 82 kilometres, which is where the US recognises someone as having been into space.

Then, passengers will get to experience about six minutes of weightlessness and seeing the curvature of the Earth and the darkness of space.

They will then descend, landing on a runway much like the old space shuttle or a normal passenger plane.

The new space race

Richard Branson’s adventure will pre-empt next week’s first flight for Blue Origin, as Jeff Bezos launches his space dreams.

Jeff and Blue Origin are promising a completely different experience for their customers.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard, which has no pilots and room for six passengers, reaches more than 100 kilometres high, which is the internationally recognised boundary of space.

Passengers on Blue Origin will get about three minutes to float around and feel like they are in space.

Might be half the time, but the price is 50,000 dollars cheaper than flying on Virgin Galactic.

But either way, the expensive thrill ride marks the beginning of earth’s commercial passenger trips into space.

Virgin Galactic doesn’t expect to start flying customers before next year.

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Aussie job market defies expectations with stable 4.1% unemployment rate

Australia’s unemployment held at 4.1% in May amid job loss; full-time roles surged, underemployment fell, and female participation rose to 60.9%, keeping RBA cautious despite rate cut speculation.

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Australia’s unemployment held at 4.1% in May amid job loss; full-time roles surged, underemployment fell, and female participation rose to 60.9%, keeping RBA cautious despite rate cut speculation.


Australia’s unemployment rate held firm at 4.1% in May, despite a small drop of 2,500 jobs—falling short of forecasts.

But dig deeper: full-time jobs jumped by nearly 39,000, underemployment hit post-COVID lows, and female participation reached a record 60.9%.

With labour market resilience still strong, the Reserve Bank is unlikely to be swayed—though markets see an 80% chance of a July rate cut.

The RBA remains in a balancing act, cooling inflation, without choking growth.

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#RBA #JobsData #AustraliaEconomy #Unemployment #InterestRates #LabourMarket #tickernews

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Central banks struggle with economic uncertainty and rates

Central banks face challenges amid economic uncertainty, impacting policy decisions and investor confidence worldwide.

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Central banks face challenges amid economic uncertainty, impacting policy decisions and investor confidence worldwide.

In Short:
Central banks are grappling with economic uncertainty, prompting various interest rate cuts globally to stimulate growth. Many central banks, including those in Norway, Sweden, and Japan, are adjusting rates in response to inflation and trade concerns, while others like the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England are considering future cuts.

Central banks are facing significant uncertainty concerning economic growth and inflation, making their policy decisions increasingly challenging as they approach the end of their rate-cutting cycles.

This uncertainty is also impacting investors. Recently, Norway’s central bank surprised markets with an interest rate cut, while the U.S. Federal Reserve cautioned against relying heavily on its policy projections.

The Swiss National Bank responded to decreasing inflation and economic unpredictability by reducing its benchmark rate to 0% but may consider further cuts. The Bank of Canada has maintained its rate at 2.75%, suggesting a potential future cut in light of tariffs affecting the economy.

Sweden’s central bank cut its key rate as well, aiming to stimulate growth amid weak price pressures.

In New Zealand, expectations are for rates to remain steady after a recent reduction to protect its economy from global trade uncertainties. The European Central Bank has also cut rates, considering further adjustments to meet inflation goals.

The Federal Reserve is keeping rates steady, although further cuts are anticipated due to low inflation. In Britain, the Bank of England held rates but may continue cuts in response to weak labour indicators.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is prepared for rate cuts due to weak growth data and trade tensions, while Norway’s central bank has been cautious with its recent decision. The Bank of Japan remains the only bank in a tightening phase, balancing escalating tensions and tariff concerns with its monetary policies.

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Fed signals slower cuts amid rising risks

U.S. Federal Reserve revises economic forecasts downward, expecting growth slowdown and higher unemployment, but still plans rate cuts in 2024 and 2025.

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U.S. Federal Reserve revises economic forecasts downward, expecting growth slowdown and higher unemployment, but still plans rate cuts in 2024 and 2025.


At its latest meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve revised its economic forecasts downward, with growth trimmed, inflation nudged up, and unemployment expectations now higher.

Despite this gloomier outlook, the Fed still sees two rate cuts in 2025, but just one in 2024 and one in 2026, a major dial-back from earlier projections.

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#FederalReserve #InterestRates #JeromePowell #Inflation #USEconomy #FedMeeting #tickernews

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