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☆ Americans are falling behind on their payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Americans are already struggling to keep up with their credit card payments. Strong consumer spending has buoyed the US economy through the Fed’s aggressive hiking cycle that has brought interest rates to a 23-year high. Economists say that Fed officials look closely at Americans’ ability to make their payments. Nunes, himself a former Republican congressman from California, pointed to how Trump Media has been among the most expensive stocks to borrow. “This is particularly troubling given that ‘naked’ short selling often entails sophisticated market participants profiting at the expense of retail investors,” the Trump Media CEO wrote.

Persons: New York CNN —, Austan Goolsbee, ’ ”, ”, Ramon Laguarta, Matt Egan, Devin Nunes, ” Nunes, Nunes, Read, Hanna Ziady, Colm Kelleher, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Chicago Federal, Society for, New York Fed, ISI, PepsiCo, Commerce Department, Atlanta Fed, Social, Trump Media, Trump Media & Technology Group, Truth Social, Financial Services, Republican, Traders, UBS, Credit Suisse Locations: New York, California, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ Meta stock plunges on ‘aggressive’ AI spending plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Shares in Meta plunged in premarket trading Thursday as the Facebook owner’s plans to “invest aggressively” in artificial intelligence spooked investors. The company is competing head-to-head with Microsoft and Google to unlock the enormous potential of AI. Meta (META), which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, said Wednesday that first-quarter profit more than doubled year-on-year, while revenue was up 27%. Meta said full-year capital expenditure would be in the range of $35-40 billion — up from previous guidance of $30-37 billion — as it continues to accelerate infrastructure investments to support AI. Meta has forecast revenue of $36.5-39 billion, versus analyst expectations of $38.2 billion.

Persons: —, ” Sophie Lund, Yates, Hargreaves Lansdown, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, ”, Stephen Innes Organizations: London CNN —, Meta, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, ”, Management

☆ Switzerland says UBS may need more cash. The bank is fuming
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now, the giant Swiss lender is hitting back, saying its finances are robust and warning that the proposal could harm Switzerland’s standing as a global financial center. “There can be no regulatory solution for a broken business model,” he continued, referring to Credit Suisse. UBS bought its stricken rival last March in a government-orchestrated rescue aimed at preventing a global financial crisis. It was not too-low capital requirements that forced Credit Suisse into the historic weekend rescue,” he added. But that leaves the stock more vulnerable to declines as a result of “execution risk in the Credit Suisse integration,” suggested Citi analyst Andrew Coombs.

Persons: London CNN —, Colm Kelleher, “, ”, Kelleher, Pascal Mora, Karin Keller, Keller Sutter, Anke, Andrew Coombs, ” Kelleher, Sergio Ermotti’s, Ermotti Organizations: London CNN, Credit Suisse, UBS, Bloomberg, Getty, RBC Capital Markets, Citi, Reuters Locations: Swiss, Switzerland, Europe

☆ The electric car revolution is on track, says IEA
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The continued momentum behind electric cars is clear in our data, although it is stronger in some markets than others,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement. Last year, global EV sales grew 35% to almost 14 million. “Intensifying market competition and improving battery technologies are expected to reduce (EV) prices in the coming years,” the IEA said. “Growing electric car exports from Chinese automakers, which accounted for more than half of all electric car sales in 2023, could add to downward pressure on purchase prices,” it added. By 2030, almost one in three cars on the roads in China is set to be electric, according to the IEA.

Persons: —, Tesla, “, Fatih Birol, China’s BYD, Brandon Bell, EVs, ” Birol Organizations: London CNN — Global, International Energy Agency, IEA, Li, Getty, European Union, EV, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW Locations: China, Chinese, Germany, United States, Austin , Texas, EVs, Europe

☆ Google fires 28 employees for protesting Israel cloud deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Google has fired more than two dozen employees who protested this week against the company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers were dismissed after an investigation found that they had staged protests inside Google’s offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. In Sunnyvale, they entered the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, according to a post on X by the group that organized the demonstration, No Tech For Apartheid. Physically impeding other employees’ work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and completely unacceptable behavior. After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety,” the spokesperson added.

Persons: Thomas Kurian, ”, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Google, Apartheid, CNN, Tech Locations: New York, Sunnyvale , California, Sunnyvale

☆ Taylor Swift fans lose at least $1 million to Eras Tour scams in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Thousands of Taylor Swift’s UK fans have been duped into buying fake tickets for her upcoming Eras Tour concerts, according to a major British bank. With all UK dates now sold out, desperate fans are more likely to turn to resale sites and social media for tickets. Lloyds said it expects to see “many more fans fall victim to ticket scams in the coming weeks and months,” leading up to the first concert in Edinburgh, Scotland. According to UK Finance, a financial services industry association, Brits lost more than £40 million ($50 million) to “purchase scams,” including sales of fraudulent tickets, in the first half of last year. In November, the bank warned customers over ticket scams relating to Glastonbury, the popular outdoor music festival held annually in England in the summer.

Persons: Taylor Swift’s, —, Swift, ”, you’re, Liz Ziegler, you’ve, nothing’s, they’ve, Kirsty Adams, Taylor Swift Organizations: London CNN, Lloyds Bank, “, Lloyds, Ticketmaster, UK Finance, HSBC, Europe’s, CNN, Barclays, Glastonbury, Olympics Locations: British, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Edinburgh, Scotland, Glastonbury, England

☆ America’s debt problem could spell higher interest rates in the rest of the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The IMF said Wednesday that increased government spending, growing public debt and elevated interest rates in the United States had contributed to high and volatile yields — or interest rates — on Treasuries, raising the risk of higher rates elsewhere. “Loose fiscal policy in the United States exerts upward pressure on global interest rates and the dollar,” Vitor Gaspar, director of the IMF’s fiscal affairs department, told reporters. Higher interest rates make it more costly for households and businesses to service their loans, which can lead to defaults that cause losses at banks and other lenders, increasing financial instability. That means that even if the Fed cuts interest rates later this year — the IMF’s central scenario — US government funding costs may not fall by the same margin, he added. The IMF expects US public debt to continue rising, helping drive government debt worldwide to close to 100% of global gross domestic product by 2029, from 93% last year.

Persons: ” Vitor Gaspar, ”, Jerome Powell, ” Tobias Adrian, Gaspar, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, That’s Organizations: London CNN, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, Treasury, US, Federal Locations: United States, Washington

☆ US economy: IMF raises growth forecast and urges caution on rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The IMF upgraded Tuesday its forecast for US economic growth to 2.7% this year — 0.6 percentage points higher than it predicted as recently as January. The Washington-based IMF expects the 20 countries that use the euro to grow just 0.8% this year, a downgrade of 0.1 percentage points from its January forecast. The global economy, meanwhile, is seen expanding by 3.2%, 0.1 percentage points more than predicted in January. China’s economy, the second-largest in the world, is forecast to grow 4.6%, while India is expected to notch growth of 6.8%. In contrast to the United States, “there is little evidence of overheating” in the euro area, according to Gourinchas.

Persons: Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, ”, Gourinchas, it’s, …, ” Gourinchas, “ Organizations: London CNN, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Federal Reserve, UBS, European Central Bank, Reuters Locations: United States, Washington, China’s, India, Europe, China

☆ Brazilian President Lula indirectly calls out Elon Musk on climate crisis, further fueling tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Heather Law | Julia Vargas Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva indirectly called out Elon Musk on the climate crisis on Tuesday, further increasing tensions between the country’s leaders and the billionaire businessman. Lula published the same comments in a post on X, the social media platform that Musk owns, further adding, “He will have to learn to live here. Lula’s comments come as tensions between Musk and Brazil steadily escalate. Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes also announced he would open an inquiry into Musk. We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds,” the team wrote.

Persons: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Elon Musk, Lula, Jorge Messias, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, @Alexandre de Moraes, Musk, Moraes, “ brazenly, ”, Javier Milei, Jair Bolsonaro, Manuel Adorni, CNN’s Hanna Ziady, Duarte Mendonca, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, Union, Municipalities, Brazilian, Brazil ” Locations: New York, Mars, Brazil, Brazilian, Argentine, Texas, Brasilia, United States

☆ Europe launches subsidies probe into Chinese wind turbine suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The European Union has launched an investigation into China’s state support for its wind turbine companies, intensifying a push to protect Europe’s industry from a flood of cheap Chinese imports. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition chief, said Tuesday that the probe would look into the development of wind farms in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria. The country’s global trade surplus in goods has soared in recent years and is now approaching $1 trillion. Vestager’s announcement as part of a speech in Princeton, New Jersey, comes just days after the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, opened a separate subsidies probe into Chinese companies bidding for a solar farm contract in Romania. In October, the European Commission launched an investigation into China’s subsidies for electric vehicle makers, which it suspects may be enabling these firms to keep prices super-low, creating unfair competition with European rivals.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, ” Vestager, Vestager Organizations: London CNN, European Union, European Commission Locations: Spain, Greece, France, Romania, Bulgaria, China, Princeton , New Jersey, Europe, Beijing, United States

☆ Clash with Elon Musk prompts calls for social media controls in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes announced Sunday that he would open an inquiry into the billionaire businessman who owns X. Musk suggested that Moraes was behind the ban, writing Sunday on X that the judge had “brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. “As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. X has faced criticism for accommodating government censorship demands in the past, with Musk saying the company has no choice but to comply. For example, it blocked some X accounts in Turkey at the behest of the government ahead of the country’s elections last year, while at the same time contesting the orders in court.

Persons: London CNN —, Elon Musk, Jorge Messias, Alexandre de Moraes, ”, Orlando Silva, Suamy, Jair Bolsonaro, Musk, Moraes, “ brazenly, “, X Organizations: London CNN, Elon, Sunday, Brazil ” Locations: Brazilian, Brazil, Brasilia, United States, Turkey

☆ A glut of cheap Chinese goods is flooding the world and stoking trade tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The oversupply of Chinese goods in key industries is stoking tensions between the world’s biggest manufacturer and its major trading partners, including the United States and the European Union. From clothes to carsChina’s exports of low-priced goods got a boost after it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. “What China exports is advanced production capacity that meets the needs of foreign customers,” Xinhua News Agency wrote. US President Joe Biden recently pledged to investigate whether imports of Chinese vehicles pose a national security threat. “But perhaps more importantly, persistent oversupply and low prices of Chinese goods will add to geopolitical tensions and keep the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs alive,” she wrote in a recent note.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ” Jens Eskelund, Xi Jinping, Huang Jingwen, ” Eskelund, Brad W, ” Markus W, Voigt, China’s BYD, Warren Buffett, Setser, Li Qiang, “, ”, Joe Biden, Jennifer McKeown, Shawn Deng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, European Union, European Union Chamber of Commerce, Zero, of, People, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Council, Foreign Relations, World Trade Organization, Aream Group, Tesla, Getty, China Development Forum, Xinhua, Agency, ., EV, European Commission, WTO, Capital Economics Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Europe, Beijing, Xinhua, China's Shandong, . Washington, Brussels

☆ US debt: Is America at risk of a Liz Truss-style market meltdown? The CBO thinks so
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with the Financial Times, CBO director Phillip Swagel said US government debt — which the Treasury Department puts at nearly $35 trillion — is on an “unprecedented” trajectory. UK government bonds, or gilts, and the pound sold off sharply, partly in response to plans by Truss to issue more debt in order to pay for tax cuts. Mortgage rates and other borrowing costs soared as investors demanded much higher premiums for owning UK debt. He has promised to extend his 2017 tax cuts and has also spoken about reducing the corporate tax rate from the current 21% to 15%. “I will make the Trump tax cuts the largest tax cut in history,” he said last month at the Black Conservative Federation’s Honors Gala in South Carolina.

Persons: Phillip Swagel, Liz, ”, Truss, ” Swagel, Dave Ramsden, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Fitch, “, Trump Organizations: London CNN, Congressional, Financial Times, Treasury Department, CNN, Bank of England, Democrats, Trump, Black Conservative, US Treasury, Federal, CBO Locations: United States, United Kingdom, South Carolina

☆ Cars, sugar and cruises: How the Port of Baltimore closure could hurt the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Mark Thompson | Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Port of Baltimore said in a post on X that vessel traffic was suspended until further notice, but trucks were still being processed at its terminals. It said it would discharge cargo destined for Baltimore in other ports nearby, but Maesrk warned customers that could mean delays. Closer to the Midwest than any other port on the East Coast, Baltimore is a major hub for vehicles, containers and commodities. Baltimore ranks first among US ports for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. While many of the 30,000 to 35,000 cars and trucks that used the Key Bridge daily can be rerouted through the two nearby tunnels, that will cause traffic delays.

Persons: Dali, Judah Levine, ” Maersk, “, VW, Oren Klachkin, Levine, Mark Zandi, ”, Zandi, Wes Moore, Joe Biden, Francis Scott Key, Tasos Katopodis, — Moore, Emily Stausbøll, Matt Lupoli, Hanna Ziady, Peter Valdes, Rob North, Sugam Pokharel Organizations: New York CNN, Baltimore, Atlantic, Nationwide Financial, US, Moody’s, Maryland Gov, Rebuilding, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Domino, Company, Royal Caribbean, Cruises, Cruise, Cruise Lines International Association, Royal Locations: London, New York, Port, Baltimore, East Coast, Singapore, East Coast , Baltimore, Philadelphia, Norfolk, of New York, New Jersey, Asia, Africa, Suez, Maryland, Patapsco, Rebuilding Baltimore, Baltimore , Maryland, Tasos, “, Norway, Royal Caribbean

☆ Unilever: Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum will form the core of an $8 billion ice cream company
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The world’s biggest ice cream business is about to go it alone. The newly minted firm will boast five of the 10 best-selling ice cream brands worldwide, namely Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Walls and Cornetto. “The future growth of Unilever and ice cream is best served by separating the business,” Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher told journalists. Philippe Wojazer/ReutersThe origins of Unilever’s ice cream business can be traced back to the summer of 1913, when Thomas Wall started selling ice cream from his family butcher shop in London. But its ice cream sales took a hit last year as cash-strapped consumers cut back on non-essential spending.

Persons: Jerry’s, “, Hein Schumacher, ” Schumacher, Miko Carte, Philippe Wojazer, Thomas Wall, Matt Britzman, Hargreaves, ”, —, Schumacher Organizations: London CNN, Unilever, ” Employees, Schumacher Locations: Saint, France, London, €

☆ Uber: Taxi drivers in Australia win $179 million from ride-sharing giant
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Uber will pay more than 8,000 taxi and hire car drivers in Australia almost 272 million Australian dollars ($179 million) in compensation for losses they suffered after the ride-sharing giant entered the country in 2012, lawyers representing the drivers said Monday. It has also made “significant contributions to various state-level taxi compensation schemes” in Australia since 2018, according to the company. Uber now teams up with taxi drivers in many countries. “This caused loss of income to authorized taxi drivers and operators, and hire car operators. In a statement on its website, Uber Australia said ride-sharing regulations did not exist anywhere in the world when it launched more than a decade ago.

Persons: London CNN — Uber, Maurice Blackburn, Uber, ” Maurice Blackburn, “, ” Uber, —, ”, Elizabeth O’Shea, Letitia James, Lyft, Dhruv Tikekar Organizations: London CNN, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, New York Locations: Australia, — Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, United States, United Kingdom, York

☆ Premarket stocks: This investor predicted the dot-com bust. He thinks AI is a bubble that will ‘deflate’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York (CNN) — Is the artificial intelligence boom on Wall Street a bubble primed to burst or the real deal? That’s the question investors have wrestled with since the Magnificent Seven tech stocks began turbocharging a powerful market rally last year. “A new bubble within a bubble like this, even one limited to a handful of stocks, is totally unprecedented,” he wrote in a Monday blog post. “The long-run prospects for the broad US stock market here look as poor as almost any other time in history,” he wrote. Still, the notorious market bear sees some areas of opportunity in the stock market.

Persons: —, Jeremy Grantham, ”, Grantham, Granthan, “, Hanna Ziady, Abu, Adnoc, NewMed Energy’s, Gan, Marc Stewart, Wayne Chang, ByteDance, ” Wang Wenbin, Wang Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, ” Tech, Monster, Nvidia, Boston, Federal Reserve, ChatGPT, BP, UAE, United Arab Emirates, NewMed Energy, Energy, Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, CNN Wednesday Locations: New York, Grantham, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, China, America, American, Beijing

☆ BP and UAE suspend $2 billion gas deal in Israel as Gaza war drags on
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —BP and an oil company owned by the United Arab Emirates have shelved talks to buy a 50% stake in Israel’s leading natural gas producer, judging the $2 billion deal too risky as the war in Gaza rages. “There can be no certainty that discussions will resume or that an agreement will be reached in the future, nor as to the terms of an agreement should one be reached,” NewMed Energy said. But the war has strained those ties, and the UAE has repeatedly called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza. Separately, BP was one of six companies awarded licenses by Israel’s energy ministry in October to explore for natural gas off the country’s Mediterranean cost. Last month, they announced a joint venture to develop natural gas assets in Egypt.

Persons: Abu, Adnoc, NewMed Energy’s, Delek Organizations: London CNN, BP, United Arab Emirates, Energy, Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, NewMed Energy, Reuters, NewMed, Chevron Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, UAE, Egypt

☆ Vinyl records are now so hot they move UK inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The prices of vinyl records will feed into UK inflation statistics for the first time since 1992, highlighting a surge in their popularity among British consumers driven in part by Taylor Swift. UK inflation has slowed from 11.1% to 4% but remains above the central bank’s 2% target. LPs — which dropped out of the UK inflation basket more than three decades ago, owing to the rise of CDs and cassettes — have made a huge comeback in recent years. Last year, 6.1 million vinyl records were sold in Britain, the highest number since 1990, according to data from the British Phonographic Industry, an association of UK record companies and labels. Air fryers, rice cakes reflect healthier habitsOther new items in this year’s inflation basket highlight the wider adoption of healthier lifestyles.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Matt Corder, ”, Taylor Swift’s, Jo Twist, fryer, sanitizer, “ Organizations: London CNN, National Statistics, Bank of England, British Phonographic Industry, BPI Locations: Britain

☆ Fatal Houthi rebel attack may be a ‘red line’ in Red Sea shipping crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The deadly strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and and comes despite a US-led naval coalition to protect the crucial waterway. Fewer ships appear to be transiting through the Red Sea and adjoining Suez Canal after the latest attack, according to maritime risks analytics company Windward. According to Windward, the number of bulk carriers anchoring outside ports to the north and south of the Suez Canal surged 225% Wednesday compared with the previous day. Windward data shows that last month the number of bulk carriers in the Red Sea was already at its lowest level in two years. Just 30% of the usual shipping capacity — including container ships, bulk carriers, car carriers, and tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas — is still passing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, according to Sand.

Persons: Ami Daniel, ”, Peter Sand, “, Hapag Lloyd —, Christine Lagarde, CMA CGM, Stephen Cotton, Cotton, David Ashmore, Reed Smith, John Stawpert, ” Maisie Linford Organizations: London CNN, Liberian, ” Windward, CNN, Maersk, MSC, European Central Bank, Drewry, CMA, International Transport Workers ’ Federation, International Chamber of Shipping Locations: Red Sea, Iran, Suez, Africa, Windward, Red, Norway, Sand, “, London, Good, Gulf, Aden and Red, Aden

☆ Premarket: Investors are obsessed with this AI stock you may never have heard of
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Nvidia isn’t the only stock capturing the attention of AI enthusiasts these days. Nvidia closed above a $2 trillion market cap on March 1, joining an elite cohort including Apple and Microsoft. Supermicro’s stock gained even more momentum in January, after the company reported second-quarter results that blew past expectations and raised its full-year revenue forecast. Supermicro’s stock was one of the most popular names bought by Charles Schwab clients in February, according to the firm’s latest trading activity index. New York Community Bank gets $1 billion ‘lifeline’Beleaguered regional lender New York Community Bank is receiving a more than $1 billion equity investment, reports my colleague Elisabeth Buchwald.

Persons: Charles Schwab, ChatGPT, “, ”, Supermicro, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Elisabeth Buchwald, Steven Mnuchin’s, NYCB, ” David Chiaverini, Joseph Otting, Alessandro DiNello, DiNello, Read, Jeremy Hunt, Hanna Ziady, Hunt, ” Hunt, Rishi Sunak’s Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Micro, Devices, Federal Reserve, Victoria Bills, Banrion Capital Management, Bank of America, Goldman, New York Community Bank, New, Community Bank, Liberty Strategic Capital, Citadel Global, Street Journal, Wedbush Securities, CNN, Bank of England, International Monetary Fund, Hunt’s Conservative Party, Labour Party Locations: New York, San Jose, United States, Hudson Bay, NYCB

☆ UK Budget: Jeremy Hunt set to cut taxes for workers as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A cut to national insurance — a levy paid by people who work — costing around £10 billion ($12.7 billion) is likely, according to multiple UK media reports. But soaring government debt, crumbling public services and a lackluster economy leave the chancellor with very little room for further substantial giveaways. Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesOther so-called “unprotected” areas of the national budget, such as social care and the police force, are also at risk. “That seems unlikely when public services are creaking,” they added. OBR chair Richard Hughes said in January that the government had provided no detailed breakdown of departmental spending plans beyond March next year, giving only headline figures.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak’s, Hunt, ”, Laura Kuenssberg, Jeff, Christopher Furlong, “, Richard Hughes, ” Hughes Organizations: London CNN —, Bank of England, Treasury, “ Conservatives, ” Hunt’s Conservative Party, Labour Party, Reuters, Office, National Statistics, Local Government Association, House, National Health Service, Capital Economics, ” Locations: Ukraine, Birmingham, England

☆ Church of England urged to build a $1.3 billion fund to tackle its legacy of slavery
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The Church of England has welcomed a report that calls for it to spearhead the establishment of a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) fund to address its historical ties to slavery. The Church Commissioners group, which manages the church’s £10.3 billion ($13 billion) investments, has accepted the report “in full,” the church said in a statement. The report also calls for the Church Commissioners to build up the value of the fund by bringing in co-investors while also increasing its own allocation. The Church of England is the established church in the United Kingdom. It also urged the Church Commissioners to deliver the full sum committed to the fund sooner than over the nine years originally envisaged.

Persons: ”, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Bishop Rosemarie Mallett, Canterbury Justin Welby, Toby Melville, Welby, George Floyd Organizations: London CNN, of, “, for, Commissioners, South Sea Company, REUTERS, National Archives, Bank of Locations: of England, Black, United Kingdom, Barbados, London, REUTERS Britain, Historic England, Caribbean, Bank of England, United States

☆ Red Sea cables have been damaged, disrupting global internet traffic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea is disrupting global telecommunications networks and forcing internet providers to reroute as much as a quarter of traffic between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Cables belonging to four major telecoms networks have been “cut” causing “significant” disruption to communications networks in the Middle East, according to Hong Kong telecoms company HGC Global Communications. HGC estimates that 25% of traffic between Asia and Europe as well the Middle East has been impacted, it said in a statement Monday. Among the networks affected is the Europe India Gateway, spanning 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) between Europe, the Middle East and India. Asia-Africa-Europe, a 25,000-kilometer cable system connecting South East Asia to Europe via Egypt, has also been damaged.

Persons: ” HGC, Abdel Malek al, Houthi, Wayne Chang, Celine Alkhaldi, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, Cables, HGC Global Communications, Globes Locations: Asia, Europe, Hong Kong, Iranian, Red, Europe India, East, India, Africa, South East Asia, Egypt, Taipei, Abu Dhabi

☆ Premarket stocks: Retailers warn Wall Street to expect less shopping this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Lowe’s: The home improvement giant projected total sales of $84 billion to $85 billion for 2024 in fourth-quarter results reported on Tuesday. Mortgage rates edge closer to 7%, dampening start of spring homebuying seasonUS mortgage rates climbed for the fourth week in a row, inching closer to 7% just as peak homebuying season gets underway, reports my colleague Anna Bahney. “Mortgage rates continued their ascent this week, reaching a two-month high and flirting with 7% yet again,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, in a statement. Since reaching a 20-year high of 7.79% in October, mortgage rates have been slowly falling. But in recent weeks, as the market absorbs expectations that the Federal Reserve will not cut its benchmark lending rate until later this year, mortgage rates have trended higher.

Persons: they’re, ”, Marvin Ellison, Macy’s, Tony Spring, Corie Barry, ’, ” Barry, Diksha Madhok, Hanna Ziady, “, Thamashi De Silva, Knight Frank, Read, Anna Bahney, Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Khater Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN — Companies, Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, United States’s, Gross, Capital Economics, “ Locations: New York, That’s, India

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