A year ago it was the hot topic, but business owners have seen there’s a limit to the president’s royal decrees
In two weeks, I’m speaking to a group of companies in the packaging industry about issues affecting their businesses this year. I’m going to discuss the economy, navigating higher costs, leveraging new tax legislation, AI and what companies are doing to find and retain workers in a volatile job market.
The circular noted that recent developments in the Gulf region, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, have resulted in multiple security incidents involving merchant...
Keir Starmer ready to overrule Ed Miliband after warnings manufacturers would be penalised and jobs put at risk
The UK government is poised to water down its 2030 targets for electric vehicle sales after intensive lobbying by the car industry and unions.
The government is preparing to consult on less ambitious targets for the transition to fully battery-powered electric cars over the rest of the decade after carmakers and unions warned that they would penalise manufacturers and put jobs at risk.
Leadership hopeful also wants tax revenues from new North Sea oil and gasfields used to cut energy bills
Wes Streeting’s pitch to be the next Labour leader will include a plan to increase high-skilled immigration to the UK, arguing that Donald Trump is telling scientists and AI experts they are not welcome in the US.
In a speech this coming week, the former health secretary will also say that tax revenues from new North Sea oil and gasfields should be used to cut energy bills.
Poolbeg Pharma to test the treatment in NHS hospitals and says it is also developing a GLP-1 weight loss pill
A London-based startup is about to trial a drug at six NHS hospitals that could stop people on cancer immunotherapy getting a life-threatening side-effect.
Poolbeg Pharma said its oral drug POLB 001 could make treatment for blood cancer safer by preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS), when the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the body, leading to organ damage.
Amazon currently lists a selection from over 20 brands across electric, premium and commuter segments, including Triumph, KTM, Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto, Ather Energy and Hero MotoCorp, supported by...
Kate Dearden says reforms such as enhanced sick pay simply bring UK into line with other big economies
Labour’s radical workers’ rights reforms have simply put the UK on a “level playing field” with other big economies, the employment minister, Kate Dearden, has said.
The government’s Employment Rights Act became law last year, with specific provisions being implemented this year and next.
Some of India's largest refining hubs recorded notable increases in Russian crude arrivals. Unloaded volumes at the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat rose 36 per cent from April levels, while deliveries to...
The Senate will deliver its report from the NDIS inquiry on Tuesday. Butler doesn’t directly answer a question about whether or not he is willing to make any significant changes to the legislation the government has put forward.
He says:
Look, the direction of travel I think is an important one for us to follow through. This largely reflects reviews and insights that we’ve gathered over the last three years since the independent review was done of the NDIS in 2023 and endorsed by all governments at national Cabinet later that year.
I’m utterly convinced this is the right plan for the NDIS… I’m not saying there won’t be any change. We heard ideas from the crossbench in the debate in the House of Representatives. I’ve very much heard that people want greater reassurance about what won’t change because of the reforms we’re putting in place.
We have to constrain that growth. Without reforms it would grow to $20 billion by the end of the decade and that’s simply not a sustainable position.
It’s also allowed us, as I said, to protect the core supports people rely upon for that safety that was part of your introduction.
SpaceX’s historic IPO turned Elon Musk into the world’s first trillionaire. Credit: NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs / Public Domain
Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on Friday after SpaceX closed the biggest stock market debut in history. Bloomberg put his net worth at $1.11 trillion at the end of trading.
SpaceX began trading on the Nasdaq at $150 per share, above the set offering price of $135. The stock reached $176 before closing at $160, a gain of more than 19%, pushing the company’s valuation to $2.1 trillion.
Executives rang the opening bell as Elton John’s Rocket Man played on the exchange floor. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said that the company has a history of making history and confirmed a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station that morning with 29 Starlink satellites.
Musk, speaking at headquarters, said that the startup he built in a warehouse is now behind the largest IPO ever and remains committed to making humanity multiplanetary.
SpaceX IPO made Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire
Musk holds a 42% stake in SpaceX and a 12% stake in Tesla, valued at about $1.5 trillion. SpaceX itself encompasses Starlink, xAI, and social media platform X. Less than 0.1% of his net worth is held in cash, he has said, and several holdings have been pledged as collateral for loans.
Musk journey to world’s first trillionaire. Credit: GR Archive
He also holds stakes in The Boring Company and Neuralink. He is nearly four times wealthier than Google co-founder Larry Page and more than five times richer than Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
SpaceX used a fixed price of $135 with no range for investors to consider, closing orders two days before trading. Demand was four times the available supply. The company sought $75 billion but may have attracted up to $250 billion in interest.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to delay the listing over concerns about potentially misleading accounting.
SpaceX burns cash while employees strike it rich
SpaceX reported revenue of $18.7 billion last year against an operating loss of $4.3 billion. For comparison, Meta posted more than $200 billion in revenue with net income above $60 billion. Musk controls about 85% of SpaceX voting shares, a level analysts say adds risk to the stock.
More than 4,400 current and former employees are expected to become millionaires, with about 400 set for $100 million or more each. SpaceX shares are expected to enter index funds faster than most newly public companies, potentially giving retirement savers indirect exposure.
OpenAI and Anthropic have also filed to go public this year at valuations near $1 trillion each. Gabriel Zucman, a French economist who studies extreme wealth, warned that the AI boom is concentrating capital rapidly and said there is a fundamental tension between extreme wealth and a functioning democracy.
Statue of Leonidas of Sparta, Greece. Credit: Dmpexr/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
It was in 480 BC during the second Persian invasion of Greece, when King Leonidas of Sparta ahead of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae responded by the phrase “Molon Lave” (‘Come and Take Them’ in ancient Greek) to Persian King Xerxes’ demand that the Spartan army lay down their weapons and surrender to his army. The outnumbered Greeks were eventually annihilated, though they held Thermopylae for three days and inflicted serious damage to the Persians, while delaying them from reaching Athens.
That’s how the story ended back then. But little did King Leonidas know that over 2,500 years later, his “Molon Lave” phrase (also spelled “Molon Labe” by many) would not only become immortalized through the centuries but moreover, it would thrive as a global marketing tool -linked to the sale of weapons, wine, olive oil, expensive watches and even cigars.
King Leonidas I reigned the ancient city-state of Sparta, a warrior society, from 489 to 480 BC. Subjected to military drills since early manhood, the Spartans had become one of the most feared and formidable military forces in the ancient Greek world, attaining legendary status in their wars against Persia. At the height of Sparta’s power, between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, according to Peter Connolly, a British historian and the scholar of the ancient world, other Greeks commonly accepted that “one Spartan was worth several men of any other state.”
“The appeal of Molon Lave comes from its Spartan origins,” Effie Delimarkos-Fletcher, a Greek-American communications expert and marketing strategist tells Greek Reporter. “Spartans themselves have come to symbolize power, strength, resolve, and defiance, which was catapulted into the mainstream with the debut movie of ‘300.’ As a result, aligning with the phrase “Molon Lave” is a distinct way for a brand to signal strength and prowess in an area worth defending.”
Moreover, there are few other phrases like “Molon Lave,” where two single, short words are able to convey all that, perhaps the most famous military last stand of all time, embodies -defiance, strength and resolve. Spartans were expected to be men of few words, famous for using “laconic phrases,” named after Laconia, the region of Greece, including the city of Sparta, whose ancient inhabitants had a reputation for verbal austerity. A laconic phrase was used for efficiency (as during military training and operations), for emphasis or to deflate a pompous speaker.
The company has applied for and successfully registered the ‘Molon Lave’ brand in Greek, as seen on the handle of the knife. Credit: Panther WholesaleAnother Florida-based company named “Molon Labe” is selling high-quality cigars, spirits and coffee, and as with most other businesses, is also using a Spartan helmet on its logo. Credit: Molon Labe Official Instagram Account
Military, the industry where Molon Lave has the largest appeal as a brand
From tactical patches and other military paraphernalia sold online, to assault rifles sold in stores across the United States, the phrase “Molon Lave” graces thousands of military-related products.
According to Delimarkos-Fletcher, Molon Lave and its English translation “Come and Take Them” has been present in the country’s early DNA as it is said to have been used as far back as the Revolutionary War. Even so, it is better known for its connection to the Texas Revolutionary War, when the phrase was stitched onto a flag that has come to be associated with the defiant spirit of the state. In more recent times, many U.S.-based militia groups and paramilitary organizations have taken the phrase “Molon Lave,” and often the depiction of a Spartan helmet, signaling defiance for gun regulations.
“Because Molon Lave has been adopted by militia-type groups in the United States, securing the Molon Lave trademark is done by companies looking to appeal to that target,” Delimarkos-Fletcher says.
And that’s exactly what at least one US.-based company had done. A short Greek Reporter investigation revealed that, while there are hundreds of knives and weapons with the phrase “Molon Lave” appearing on them in different variations, in 2015 this one company has gone as far as to apply for and successfully register a year later a trademark for the original Molon Lave phrase in Greek (ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ) for one of its knives selection. The company, advertises the knives on its website by stating “It takes a bold individual to make a statement of defiance like ‘Come and Take Them (Molon Labe),’ we provide the knives that re-enforce the bravado.”
But can a company apply and secure a trademark for the use of a common, ancient phrase like Molon Lave, that seems almost free for anyone to use?
According to Pamela Koslyn, a Los Angeles-based attorney specializing in intellectual property law, U.S. legislation allows a company to successfully apply for a trademark for a brand new phrase, or an “ancient” phrase or an invented word/phrase, with the age and origin of the phrase being irrelevant.
“A trademark isn’t a monopoly on a phrase, it’s a source identifier of some phrase associated with some goods or services. Like knives. Or olive oil. Or wine. These are all actual “live or pending marks of Molon Lave…There’s also a Chinese textile seller called Molon Lave,” Koslyn tells Greek Reporter. “If a user has a registered trademark on a phrase in a particular class, e.g. knives, that means the user own the exclusive right to use their mark in association with their goods or services and can theoretically successfully sue and enjoin any competitor who infringes those rights by using the same or confusingly similar mark for the same or confusingly similar goods or services.”
Still, Koslyn notes, that one in two trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fail not only because they’re not viable or available but moreover because of the complexity of the law and the time needed to find out if an application has been approved by USPTO -a process that could take months if not years.
On its website, the restaurant says that it’s “based on the Spartan epic saying Molon Lave, which means ‘Come and Get Them,'” and has a mission “to celebrate and share Greek cuisine and culture.”Credit: Molon Lave Taverna Official Instagram Account
The famous ancient Greek phrase many want to own
But few actually register the phrase in order to enhance their branding or make their products stand out more. Given the enormous competition among companies to win the hearts of consumers, proper branding and marketing could mean the difference between life and death for a company. And given its global fame, that’s exactly what “Molon Lave” does.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the United States, the beating heart of global consumerism. A family-owned farm winery in Virginia was established in 2009 under the name “Molon Lave.” Aside from informing its customers that it also produces “kokkineli,” a traditional Greek style rose, the winery fully explains on its website the origins of its name, noting that “‘Molon Lave’ is a phrase that has inspired throughout the centuries a sense of dignity and pride, and a unique perception of life.”
Another Florida-based company named “Molon Labe” is selling high-quality cigars, spirits and coffee, as with most other businesses, also using a Spartan helmet on its logo. Moreover, the cigars are wrapped in paper bearing the phrase in Greek. The company on its website gives no explanation as to why it chose the specific name.
A consumer browsing the handmade watches of the UK-based company. Credit: Greek Reporter
Greek Reporter’s investigation also found a watch company with the name “Molon Labe” based in the UK, selling handmade, military watches inspired by the phrase, with some having a price tag of over $1,500. There’s also a global security company named “Molon Lave,” an information technology service activity company in the UK and a gym in Cyprus, featuring on its premises the bust of a muscular Spartan soldier alongside the “Molon Lave” phrase, which is showcased in ancient Greek type. The list goes on.
With a fortitude reminiscent of the very people it once represented, the phrase “Molon Lave” survived to this day as one of the few expressions that so efficiently evoke an immediate connection not only to power but also to Greece.
It is no wonder the phrase has also been adopted as the name of a “small, Greek authentic restaurant” in Ontario, Canada, which on its website says that it’s “based on the Spartan epic saying Molon Lave, which means ‘Come and Get Them,'” and has a mission “to celebrate and share Greek cuisine and culture.”
At the same time, a thriving Greek olive oil brand named “Molon Lave” based in Sparta, the place where King Leonidas and his Spartan warriors once lived, is probably one of the more successful examples using the phrase as a marketing tool.
Delimarkos-Fletcher says many using the phrase may not even know its true origins so it is refreshing to see Greek-related businesses reclaiming Molon Lave as they “seek to evoke a connection to the best known story of Greek strength and prowess.”
“Other brands are just using ‘Molon Lave’ as shorthand for having something powerful enough that others want for their own,” Delimarkos-Fletcher tells Greek Reporter.
The winery explains on its website the origins of its name, noting that “‘Molon Lave’ is a phrase that has inspired throughout the centuries a sense of dignity and pride, and a unique perception of life.”Credit: Molon Lave Vineyards Official Instagram Account
Tata had been releasing wastewater into a rainwater harvesting pond within the premises, which eventually overflowed and polluted groundwater in the surrounding agricultural land
The ruling holds that a company that designs, trains, operates, and manages an AI system must assume legal liability for any damages caused by the responses it generates.
Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor ‘serious’ about taking over ‘essentials of life’ if he becomes PM, a move critics say could cost taxpayer billions
A decade-long project to bring water and energy into public control will lie at the heart of Andy Burnham’s agenda should he become prime minister, according to sources close to the Greater Manchester mayor.
Several close allies of Burnham have said he wants to take over broad swathes of UK utilities in an effort to improve performance and potentially reduce bills for consumers.
Change in viewing habits offered by match times at 2026 tournament could mean using cheaper off-peak power
Watching late-night or early hours football could provide UK households with a practical opportunity to cut their energy bills, as even just doing the washing when cheaper electricity rates apply can net a decent saving.
At a time when energy costs are back at worrying highs, research by E.ON Next shows the potential to save money on a time-of-use tariff – in this case, its Next Smart Saver deal, which has three rates: peak, off-peak and super off-peak.
Other western acts have attempted to crack country’s music scene since singer’s breakout success in 2018
One week after announcing she was “cancer free”, the British pop star Jessie J did what any recovering patient would do and travelled thousands of miles around the world to perform for an audience of more than a billion people.
On 29 May, the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, belted out a stage-rattling rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way on the stage of Singer, a hugely popular Chinese singing competition similar to The Voice. She also performed her new song, California, briefly adapting the lyrics to change California to Changsha, the Chinese city where Singer is hosted.
A group of state attorneys general, led by California, have also been probing the transaction, which would combine two of the five largest Hollywood studios.
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