Europe fantasises about an 'Airbus of everything!' Can it fly?
What do fertilisers, artificial intelligence, small cars, microchips, vaccines, nuclear plants, streaming platforms, cloud computing, satellites and green technology all have in common? Trick question, to which the answer is not that the European Union would like to regulate them to oblivion (though there may be that, too). What links them together is that they are all sectors some in Europe think could be transformed by One Neat Trick: to create an 'Airbus of'. Merging lots of subscale European companies so they stopped competing against each other and took on Boeing instead worked wonders in the 1970s; from a standing start Airbus went on to outsell its jetmaking American rival. Could the same strategy be used to help Europe in the 2020s take on the likes of Google, Nvidia, SpaceX and Chinese carmakers? Politicians in Brussels and beyond want to believe. As the pilot of a wayward Airbus might exclaim: 'Brace for impact!'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Steven Gerrard's massive net worth, model wife and daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son
Steven Gerrard's massive net worth, model wife and daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son The Liverpool legend is on punditry duty for TNT Sports' coverage of the Champions League final Gerrard and his wife Alex Curran will celebrate 18 years of marriage next month (Image: Dave J Hogan/Dave) The biggest prize in European club football is up for grabs tonight as Paris Saint-Germain take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich. Inter are looking to seal their fourth Champions League title after overcoming Barcelona in a thrilling semi-final contest, while PSG are determined to finally get their hands on the trophy that has eluded them throughout their history and win it for the first time, having beaten a string of English sides - Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal - to make it to the final. Millions will tune in from around the world to watch the eagerly-anticipated clash, with TNT Sports broadcasting the game in the UK. The coverage will be fronted by Laura Woods, with a stacked punditry line-up featuring Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Karen Carney and Owen Hargreaves. Gerrard, of course, knows a thing about winning the Champions League, having lifted the trophy as captain of Liverpool after their remarkable comeback win against AC Milan in the 2005 final in Istanbul. An Anfield legend, the former midfielder hung up his boots in 2016 as he brought the curtain down on a career that also saw him win countless individual awards as well as two FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Super Cup. Since retiring from playing, Gerrard has moved into management, taking charge of Rangers, Aston Villa and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq. However, he left the Saudi Pro League club in January. As he prepares to give his take on Saturday night's action, here's what you need to know about the Liverpool icon's life away from football. Huge net worth After a lucrative playing career, Gerrard has a huge estimated net worth of around £75 million, according to 888Sports. He is believed to have earned around £22.5 million over the course of his career which saw him spend 17 years at Liverpool before hanging up his boots at MLS side LA Galaxy. The 45-year-old has also earned a pretty penny in management, having been on a reported £15.2 million-a-year salary while manager of Al-Ettifaq. That figure made Gerrard the fourth-highest paid manager in the world at the time, with only Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone ahead of him. His huge net worth has also been boosted by several different sponsorship deals over the course of his career, having endorsed the brands including Adidas, Jaguar and Lucozade. Model wife Gerrard will celebrate 18 years of marriage with his wife Alex Curran next month, having tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony in Buckinghamshire in June 2007. Funnily enough, the couple - who first got together in 2002 - married on the same day as the weddings of his England team-mates Gary Neville and Michael Carrick. A former nail technician, Curran later moved into modelling and worked as a fashion columnist for the Daily Mirror and OK! Magazine. Together, the couple have four children together - Lilly-Ella, Lexie, Lourdes and Lio. During Gerrard's time at Al-Ettifaq, Curran and the children chose to live in Bahrain rather than Saudi Arabia and lived a glamorous lifestyle in a luxury villa. While he was manager at Rangers, the former Liverpool ace admitted his wife would see him quit football management "tomorrow" due to the pressure it puts on their family life. He told the High Performance Podcast: 'There are times when it dominates your life and you can't control that. That's what it is. 'But there will be a stage in my life where I have to give it up, for the sake of my family and for myself. To cut it, and live life with a bit of peace. There's got to be a stage of your life where you have calm and peace, but at the moment I don't feel ready for it. 'I do still feel full of energy. I do think I can help players. I do see opportunities to have more highs, and buzzes, and adrenaline rushes. 'For Alex and the kids, at some stage, I'm going to have to give me self to them, 100%. When that will be, who knows? Alex would take it tomorrow. She'd take it tomorrow.' He added: 'Alex is the one who brings me down, when I've come in, and think I'm fantastic. If I've scored a goal, or we've won a game, she pipes me down. 'And when you're on the floor, and you're staring at the wall, she's the one who helps pick you up." Daughter's baby with jailed criminal's son In January, Gerrard's eldest daughter Lilly-Ella revealed that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Lee Byrne. The 20-year-old revealed the news on social media as she shared a photo of her positive pregnancy test and added the caption: "Our little secret. "The best news," she added. "Mini us is on the way." Her partner Lee is the son of notorious Dublin criminal Liam Byrne, who was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons charges in October 2024. Meanwhile, Lee's grandfather, James 'Jaws' Byrne, who died last year at the age of 77, was a career criminal. Article continues below However, LBC reports that Gerrard treats Lee "just as he would anyone else', while he was also thrilled to hear that he was becoming a grandfather at the age of 45. In response to Lilly-Ella's announcement, he wrote: 'We can't wait, great news and congratulations - we love you."
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bulgarian nationalists protest over government plans to adopt euro currency
Thousands of Bulgarians have taken to the streets of the capital Sofia and other major cities to protest against government plans to adopt the euro and to demand a referendum on the new currency. The protesters, led by civic groups and nationalist parties, sang patriotic songs and shouted slogans like 'Freedom for the Bulgarian lev' and 'The future belongs to sovereign states'. The anti-euro rally came four days before the Balkan country is expected to receive the green light from Brussels to enter the eurozone. Demonstrators in Sofia carried flags of the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party and a huge banner that read 'The battle for the Bulgarian lev is the last battle for Bulgaria'. A protester holding a Russian flag (Valentina Petrova/AP) An increased police presence kept the protest peaceful. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 and remains one of its poorest members, plagued by years of instability which has fuelled Euroscepticism among its 6.4 million citizens. Disinformation campaigns from home and abroad have added fears of economic changes that could bring more poverty. President Rumen Radev encouraged the anti-euro voices by proposing earlier this month a referendum on the currency, citing public concerns over inflation and purchasing power. The proposal was turned down by the pro-European majority in parliament, which accused him of acting in favour of Moscow with his last-minute attempt to sabotage the euro adoption, which is aimed at deepening European integration amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Brighton jump ahead of Man Utd and Arsenal in £34million transfer race for Greece wonderkid Babis Kostoulas, 18
Brighton may sign the Man Utd and Arsenal target by Wednesday WORTH THE KOST Brighton jump ahead of Man Utd and Arsenal in £34million transfer race for Greece wonderkid Babis Kostoulas, 18 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRIGHTON have moved ahead of Manchester United and Arsenal as well as a raft of other suitors for Olympiacos wonderkid Babis Kostoulas. And the Seagulls could sign the teenage sensation as early as Wednesday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Brighton could sign Olympiacos wonderkid Babis Kostoulas by Wednesday 2 Kostoulas has also been targeted by Manchester United and Arsenal MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from Old Trafford Kostoulas, 18, burst onto the scene this season, which saw him amassing six goals and one assist in 21 league appearances with the Greek champions. The versatile striker played a crucial role in the Piraeus outfit winning the Double and making it to the Last 16 of the Europa League, where they finished in the top eight during the league phase. That came after another stunning 2023-24 campaign that saw the Greece Under-21 international leading the club's Under-19s to Uefa Youth League glory, which marked the first ever European trophy won by a Greek team. SunSport reported the forward's stunning performances have led to interest from a number of Premier League clubs, such as Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa. United even made contact with Olympiacos but have also been facing competition from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, AC Milan and clubs from Spain - while there were also links with Real Madrid. But it is Brighton who have stolen a march on all of the above and are willing to splash the cash on the young prospect. SunSport can reveal Wednesday will be "crucial" regarding Kostoulas' future and the Seagulls' hopes of landing him. Olympiacos won't sell on the cheap and will insist on a major resale clause for their star player, who has a contract until 2030. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Negotiations have reached a fee of €40million (£34m), which Fabian Hurzeler's side are currently not willing to meet despite their willingness to pay good money. SunSport, though, understand Kostoulas' fee could climb even higher to €50-55m (£42-46m). That would make Kostoulas the most expensive Greek transfer of all time as he would eclipse Kostas Manolas' £30m move from Roma to Napoli in 2019. Brighton recently completed the second most expensive Greek transfer of all time when they landed Stefanos Tzimas from Nuremberg following a £22m deal. That would see the Seagulls continuing their impressive run of snatching some of the world's best young talent after signing the likes of Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and more. Kostoulas is among Olympiacos' biggest wonderkids along with Konstantis Tzolakis and Christos Mouzakitis, who is also targeted by Brighton as SunSport recently reported. But Brighton face competition from Arsenal, Man Utd, Villa, Dortmund, Milan, Juventus, Wolves, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid for midfielder Mouzakitis, 18. Tzolakis, 22, on the other hand, has been ranked as the goalkeeper that's most ready for a top-five league competition under the age of 23 following stunning performances in the Europe League and last season's Conference League.
