Start Up No.2657: The Challenge for John Ternus, What Tim Cook Missed, Lufthansa Cancels Flights, Biology’s Motor, and More

Key Takeaways

• John Ternus to succeed Tim Cook as Apple CEO
• Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights, saving ~40,000 t fuel
• Amazon emails allege coordinated price‑inflation tactics
• UK plans home EV charging via pavement gullies
• Met Police facial‑recognition use upheld by High Court

Pulse Analysis

Apple’s leadership shuffle places hardware veteran John Ternus at the helm, ending Tim Cook’s decade‑long tenure. While Ternus brings deep product expertise, analysts note Apple’s AI roadmap remains vague, especially as rivals pour billions into generative models. Investors reacted modestly, with shares slipping under 1%, suggesting confidence in Apple’s cash flow but lingering concerns about its next wave of innovation.

In the aviation sector, Lufthansa’s decision to scrap 20,000 short‑haul flights reflects the shockwave of soaring jet‑fuel costs, which have roughly doubled since the Iran conflict. The airline estimates a fuel‑savings of 40,000 metric tonnes, a move that trims operating expenses but also reduces capacity by about 3% of its summer schedule. Across Europe, the UK’s new EV‑charging legislation aims to remove the off‑street‑parking barrier by allowing power cables in pavement‑embedded gullies, potentially accelerating home‑charging adoption and lowering consumer energy taxes compared with public‑charging rates.

Regulatory scrutiny intensifies elsewhere. California’s lawsuit against Amazon reveals internal emails detailing three schemes to pressure rivals into raising prices, spotlighting antitrust risks for the e‑commerce giant’s $2.66 trillion empire. Simultaneously, the UK’s High Court upheld the Metropolitan Police’s live facial‑recognition deployment, clearing the way for broader rollout despite privacy concerns. On a positive health note, the Carter Center announced only ten human Guinea‑worm cases in 2025, a 33% drop from the previous year, bringing the disease within striking distance of eradication and marking a historic public‑health milestone.