Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, apologized Thursday for his "choice of language" after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labeled his comments about the UK being "colonized by immigrants" as "wrong and offensive," according to BBC Business. Elsewhere, a Ukrainian skeleton racer was banned from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet honoring athletes killed since Russia's invasion, as reported by Sky News. In other news, Mercedes-Benz announced a significant drop in operating profits for 2025, and xAI, Elon Musk's AI lab, revealed its product roadmap and organizational changes in a publicly released all-hands meeting.
Ratcliffe, ranked seventh on the Sunday Times Rich List, made the controversial remarks, prompting calls for an "open debate" on migration, skills, and investment, as stated by BBC Business. The apology came after widespread criticism of his initial statements. The Ukrainian athlete, Vladyslav Heraskevych, was banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for violating rules against political statements during competition, according to Sky News. Heraskevych stated he would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Mercedes-Benz's operating profits plummeted by 57% in 2025, with a 9% decrease in turnover, Euronews reported. This decline was primarily attributed to poor sales figures in China, the company's most important market. The German car manufacturer's operating profits for 2025 were significantly lower than predicted.
xAI, formed just 30 months ago, released a 45-minute all-hands meeting video on X, detailing its product roadmap and ties to the X platform, according to TechCrunch. The meeting also revealed layoffs resulting from a changing organizational structure.
In related news, Germany's defence minister emphasized the need for NATO to become "more European" during a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, as reported by Sky News. The US Secretary of War was absent from the meeting.
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