Image of the week: Emergency blossoms
Cherry blossom season came early in Japan this year, with these trees in the Meguro district of Tokyo in bloom almost two weeks ahead of schedule. The arrival of one of nature's prettiest glories coincided with the lifting of a state of emergency in the country last Sunday, but in bad news for friends, families and the companies that like to use them as staff get-togethers, the annual cherry blossom parties – or hanami – remain off for the second year. The most popular spots in usually packed parks have been roped off, and instead of picnicking beneath the sakura, millions of blossom fans are restricted to masked walks by, with the occasional pause for a quick selfie. Well, anything's better than watching a live stream of the bloom.
In numbers: Evergreen problems
400
Length in metres of the container ship Ever Given, operated by shipping company Evergreen Group, which ran aground in the Suez Canal on Tuesday after being blown off course by “a suspected gust of wind”.
100
At least this number of vessels trying to make the canal transit between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean were caught up in the resulting pile-up, as the 220,000-tonne Ever Given was wedged across the entire width of the canal.
12 per cent
Proportion of global trade that passes through the canal each day (alongside huge volumes of oil and natural gas), making Ever Given’s contribution to the already snarled state of global shipping less than ideal.
Getting to know: The Brexit jet
The Brexit jet – or, if you like, the “Brexjet” – is Boris Johnson’s new pair of wings. To be precise, it is the British government’s latest aircraft acquisition, which will serve as a kind of back-up to Johnson’s primary aircraft, the RAF Voyager. Because a certain strand of the political culture at Westminster is even more obsessed with flags than it was before, the Airbus A321 has – like its predecessor – been painted in the colours of the union flag, or “Global Britain livery” as it is optimistically known. This will, apparently, promote a strong image of the role the UK plays on the international stage. Hmm, if that’s the aim, maybe best cancel Johnson’s next flight and reserve the aircraft for Marcus Rashford, Judi Dench and Paul McCartney instead?
The list: Working to the Sachs
David Solomon, chief executive of investment bank Goldman Sachs, says it's "great" that a group of young analysts complained about "inhumane" working conditions. But he also believes in the value (to the company) of employees going an "extra mile" for clients, "even when we feel that we're reaching our limit". So what does an "extra mile" look like at Goldman?
1. A 95-hour working week. And sometimes 120-hour ones. “I didn’t come into this job expecting 9am-5pm’s, but I also didn’t expect consistent 9am-5am’s either,” said one analyst.
2. Five hours of sleep. Like the 95-hour work week, five hours of sleep was the average for 13 first-year analysts surveyed, not the exception.
3. Unrealistic deadlines. The “I want that yesterday” approach had been suffered by all.
4. Blanking. Being ignored or shunned in meetings was also a common experience, though when you’re sleep deprived, who really knows what’s going on?
5. No showering. It’s important to go that unhygienic, unhealthy extra mile: “There was a point where I was not eating, showering or doing anything else other than working from morning until after midnight.”
