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☆ Inside the world of Wordle at the New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

After the New York Times acquired Wordle from its creator, software engineer Josh Wardle, in January 2022, its player base grew to tens of millions. The New York Times assigned a dedicated editor for Wordle, Tracy Bennett, in November 2022. “You’re even going to be able to play Wordles that predate the New York Times acquisition, which is really fun,” Knight told CNN. What Wordle has done for the New York TimesAside from the editorial strategy, Wordle fits perfectly into the Times’ business plans. For Donna Cona, who has played it since before the Times acquisition, Wordle has become her go-to thing each morning.

Persons: Wordle, Josh Wardle, Everdeen Mason, “, ”, Jonathan Knight, Tracy Bennett, we’re, ” Bennett, “ I’ve, Bennett, Mason, ” Mason, it’s, — Bennett, Knight, “ You’re, ” Knight, “ We’re, —, ’, Donna Cona, I’m, …, Nanny, Cona, Malia Griggs ’, they’re, Malia, Jerrold Griggs —, ” Malia, Griggs ’, Malia it’s, ADIEU, Malia Griggs, “ I’m, Wordle “ Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Times, NYT, Louis, Cities, Fulham, Bournemouth, Bradford, New York, Sydney Melbourne New York, DC Locations: North, ”, Seattle, Aberdeen, Hinsdale, Angeles, Lansing, London, Coventry, Auckland, Wandsworth, Wantage, Vancouver, Wordle, New York City, Columbia , South Carolina, Washington, DC Vermont Wyoming, Hoquiam , Washington, Willowbrook , Illinois

☆ Barclays jumps 8.6% after announcing major strategic overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON — Barclays on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter net loss of £111 million ($139.8 million) as the British lender announced an extensive strategic overhaul, boosting its shares more than 8.6% through the day. For the full year, net attributable profit came to £4.27 billion, down from £5.023 billion in 2022 and below a consensus forecast of £4.59 billion. Credit impairment charges were £552 million, up from £498 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The business will now be divided into five operating divisions, separating the corporate and investment bank to form: Barclays U.K., Barclays U.K. Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank and Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank. Barclays is targeting total gross cost savings of £2 billion and an RoTE of greater than 12% by 2026.

Persons: C.S, Venkatakrishnan, Mariva Rivas, DBRS Morningstar, Rivas Organizations: Citigroup Inc, State Street Corp, Barclays Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc, LONDON, Barclays, Reuters, Momentum, Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank, Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank, Barclays U.S . Consumer Bank, CNBC, U.S Locations: Wharf

☆ Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice: Sleeping polar bear, some sociable penguins among the images shortlisted
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Will it be a picture that reflects the pristine beauty of the natural world, or one that shows the potentially devastating impact of human beings on their surroundings? The choice is yours, as fans of wildlife photography around the world are being urged to vote for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s People’s Choice Award. These were chosen by the Natural History Museum in London - which hosts the overall exhibition - and an international judging panel. Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.

Organizations: London CNN, Wildlife, CNN Locations: London

☆ Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Detained by Police in London -Witness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) -Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by police in London on Tuesday, a Reuters witness reported, after she addressed protesters at a demonstration against oil and gas companies in the centre of the city. Thunberg, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018, has this year been detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway and Germany. Video footage showed Thunberg, wearing a badge with the slogan 'Oily Money Out' standing calmly as two police officers spoke to her. London's Metropolitan Police did not immediately provide a statement when contacted by Reuters. (Reporting by Toby Melville, wiritng by Sarah Young, editing by UK bureau)

Persons: Greta Thunberg, Thunberg, Wael Sawan, Toby Melville, wiritng, Sarah Young Organizations: London's Metropolitan Police, Reuters, Environmental, Greenpeace, Shell Locations: London, Thunberg, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Mayfair

☆ UK opposition Labour announces sweeping economic reforms in promise to 'rebuild Britain'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LIVERPOOL, England — Britain's main opposition Labour party on Monday vowed to "rebuild Britain" if it wins the 2024 General Election, as Shadow Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced a host of new economic pledges aimed at stimulating growth. The lifeblood of a growing economy is business investment," Reeves said, further cementing the party's recalibration in recent years as a centrist, pro-business alternative to the ruling Conservatives. Truss and then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng opted not to seek an independent appraisal from the OBR, breaking with traditional norms of economic policy. Labour holds around a 20-point lead over the Conservatives across most major polling, with the ruling party damaged by a string of scandals and the fallout from Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss's "mini-budget." In order to catalyze and de-risk business investment, Labour would create a new national wealth fund, Reeves also announced.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Jeremy Hunt, Reeves, Liz Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss's Organizations: Labour, Shadow, Conservative Party Locations: LIVERPOOL, England, Britain, Liverpool, France, Germany, America

☆ China to host opening two events in 2024 Diamond League
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 26 (Reuters) - The 2024 Diamond League will begin its 15-stop season with two meets in China, in Xiamen and Shanghai, in April while Brussels will stage the two-day season finale in September, organisers said on Monday. Last year's Diamond League was also scheduled to have 15 meets but the Shanghai stop was cancelled after COVID-19 restrictions caused delays in the renovation of the venue. Xiamen will host the opening event on April 20, a week before Shanghai returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019. Paris, Monaco and London will host meetings in July before the Paris Games begin later that month. Brussels will host the final for the first time since 2019 and 11th time overall when it stages the meet from Sept. 13-14.

Persons: Eugene, Hritika Sharma, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Diamond League, League, Shanghai, Prefontaine, Stockholm, Olympic, Paris Games, Thomson Locations: China, Xiamen, Shanghai, Brussels, Doha, Rabat, U.S, Eugene , Oregon, Oslo, Paris, Monaco, London, Lausanne, Silesia, Rome, Zurich, Stockholm, Hyderabad

LONDON (AP) — The British government confirmed Sunday it may scrap a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern England. The Conservative government insists no final decision has been made about the embattled High Speed 2 project. HS2 is the U.K.’s second high-speed rail line, after the HS1 route that links London and the Channel Tunnel connecting England to France. The government hailed it as a key plank in its plan to “level up” prosperity across the country. The government has also delayed work on bringing the line all the way to Euston station in central London.

Persons: Grant Shapps, ”, “, Shapps, Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, Andy Burnham, ” Burnham, Sadiq Khan, ” Khan, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative, BBC, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Labour Party, Sky, London Locations: England, British, Birmingham –, London, Manchester, Ukraine, France, Birmingham

☆ A CEO quits and the BBC apologizes to Trump ally Nigel Farage. A banking scandal erupts in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Alison Rose, NatWest chief executive, (right) departs 10 Downing Street in London, after meeting with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several members of his Conservative government issued statements condemning the bank and characterizing the termination of Farage's account as an affront to free speech. Farage was offered an alternative account at regular main street bank NatWest, but declined. His critics maintain that although frequent references are made to Farage's political profile and controversial views, the reasons outlined for allowing the banking relationship to lapse were primarily commercial, and he was not "de-banked" as he claims. Without the mortgage, the bank indicated that Farage's account value would fall below its commercial criteria.

Persons: Jonathan Bachman, Alison Rose, Nigel, Coutts, Rose, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Farage, Coutts —, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, James Manning, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage, —, DANIEL LEAL, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Frances Coppola, Coppola, Dave Rushen Organizations: Getty, LONDON, NatWest, BBC, UBS, Conservative, Brexit Party, Independence Party Leader, U.K, Independence Party, UKIP, Sky News, NatWest Group, Company Locations: London, U.K, inclusivity, Leicester, British

[1/4] An exterior view of the proposed site for the new China Embassy, near to Tower Bridge in London, Britain, June 23, 2023. That has led officials in Britain, which is trying to forge deeper economic ties post-Brexit, to fear it could also halt their own plans to rebuild its embassy in Beijing. Chinese officials told Reuters they suspected the British government had plotted to stop the embassy plans and orchestrated the local opposition. British officials, who declined to be identified, said they feared that London's plan to rebuild its embassy in Beijing would be affected. Residents say they are also worried about more local security issues.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Xi Jinping, Michael Gove, Xi, Iain Duncan Smith, Dave Lake, Martin Quin Pollard, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: China Embassy, REUTERS, of, Reuters, British, Royal Mint, Conservative Party, Uyghur, Royal Mint Court Residents Association, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Beijing London, of London, Beijing, China, Europe, Washington, United States, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Sunak

☆ British workers keep getting pay raises — despite the Bank of England urging them not to ask for more money
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Both Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday told an audience in the City of London that high wage settlements were harming their efforts to contain inflation. Much of the increase in pay has been driven by the private sector, with annual wage growth increasing to 7.6% in the three months to April. However, Bank of England Governor Bailey noted in his Mansion House speech on Monday that the British economy has proven unexpectedly resilient. Last summer saw a slew of strikes and protests as real wages, which reflect the power of a worker's pay after accounting for inflation, declined at a record rate. "No question about it, current nominal wage growth remains far too high relative to the sustainable rate of probably around 3.5-4.0% yoy.

Persons: Mark Kerrison, Andrew Bailey, Jeremy Hunt, Stuart Cole, BoE, Rishi Sunak, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Bank of England Governor Bailey, Sanjay Raja, Raja, Equiti's Cole, Bailey, Kallum Pickering, Pickering Organizations: National Education Union, Department for Education, Getty, LONDON, Bank of England, National Statistics, . Finance, City of, Equiti, Monetary, Deutsche Bank, MPC, Treasury, Bank, The, England's Locations: London, United Kingdom, City, City of London, Ukraine

☆ HSBC to ditch Canary Wharf tower in favour of central London - memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - HSBC has decided to leave its longstanding headquarters in Canary Wharf in east London in favour of a move to a much smaller office in the centre of the city, according to a memo seen by Reuters. Europe's largest bank told staff its preferred option was to move to the redeveloped former offices of telecoms firm BT, a development known as Panorama St Paul's. The switch will be seen as a blow to the Canary Wharf financial district, where a 45-floor skyscraper has been HSBC's home for more than 20 years. Panorama St Paul's is a 556,000 square foot development featuring roof gardens overlooking St Paul's Cathedral, according to the development's website, and is substantially smaller than the tower HSBC currently occupies. Canary Wharf Group, which runs the east London financial district, declined to comment.

Persons: Iain Withers, Toby Chopra, Jason Neely Organizations: HSBC, Reuters, BT, The Times, Canary, Canary Wharf Group, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Europe's, St Paul's

CNN —British author Martin Amis, best known for the 1984 novel, “Money,” and 1989’s “London Fields,” has died, his publisher Penguin Books UK announced Saturday. “(Amis) leaves a towering legacy and an indelible mark on the British cultural landscape, and will be missed enormously,” the British publishing house said on Twitter. LONDON - APRIL 5: Writer Martin Amis at home in London on April 5, 1995. His 1991 novel, “Time’s Arrow,” and 2014’s “The Zone of Interest,” explored the Holocaust. “It’s hard to imagine a world without Martin Amis in it,” his UK editor, Michal Shavit, said in Penguin’s statement.

☆ UK inflation is just not going down as cost of living crisis offers 'no respite'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — U.K. inflation remained stubbornly in double digits in March, driven largely by soaring food prices, while the country's cost-of-living crisis shows little sign of abating. The British government still provides residential energy subsidies, guaranteeing a cap on average household energy bills of £2,500 per year until the end of June, along with targeted support to certain vulnerable homes. Consulting, said that the Wednesday figures showed "there is currently no respite from cost of living pressures." "Consumers are doing their best to make savings on essentials in order to maintain discretionary spending — this fragile equilibrium is underwritten by the ongoing energy subsidies without which a tipping point might be reached," he said. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food, energy, alcohol and tobacco prices, rose by 6.2% over the 12 months, unchanged from the annual climb of February.

[1/2] Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech on his last day in office, outside Downing Street, in London Britain September 6, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKayDAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday urged allies to double down on sending military equipment to support Ukraine and speed up an end to the war with Russia. The former mayor of London was made an honorary citizen of Ukraine's capital on Wednesday night by Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko in Davos. 'HUMBLE BACKBENCHER'Johnson dismissed suggestions that his activism on Ukraine could be seen as undermining current British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as he ramps up military support. When asked whether one day he could see himself wandering the WEF again as British Prime Minister, Johnson remained diplomatic saying he was more than happy representing his constituents as a member of parliament.

☆ ECB delivers fourth straight increase but slows pace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

COMMENTS:FLORIAN HENSE, SENIOR ECONOMIST, UNION INVESTMENT, FRANKFURT”This is probably the most hawkish 50 basis points they could come up with. Everything I read in the statement press release sounds hawkish and maybe even “very hawkish” to me. However, core inflation momentum remains firm and the labour market tight.”MARCHEL ALEXANDROVICH, EUROPEAN ECONOMIST, SALTMARSH ECONOMICS, LONDON:“It (the ECB statement) is very hawkish. “The 50 bps hike was expected and the pace of QT (quantitative tightening) was in the ballpark of what folks were expecting. “Even though the ECB is now going at it a bit slower, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re also going to target a lower terminal rate.

☆ Britain's new 'winter of discontent' deepens as widespread strikes mount over festive period
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In recent weeks, upcoming strike actions have been announced by nurses, rail workers, postal workers, ambulance workers, airport staff, Border Force agents, highway workers, Eurostar staff, civil servants, bus drivers, firefighters, charity workers, meteorologists and offshore workers. For the public sector, real earnings were 5 percentage points lower, and Hollingsworth suggested that the growing gap had become "unsustainable." "I think there's clearly a lot of pressure here for some catch-up on the public sector side of things, and it's clear that there is that labor bargaining power there." "However, the gap between private and public sector pay narrowed slightly, with private sector pay up 6.9%, while public sector pay is up by 2.7%." However, with negotiations remaining fraught and unions showing no signs of backing down, he said some catch-up on public sector pay growth will likely be required to prevent further disruption.

☆ HSBC will have to share custody with JPMorgan of $52 bln in gold bars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Peter Hobson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Gold bars are displayed during a photo opportunity at the Ginza Tanaka store in Tokyo September 7, 2009. HSBC had been the sole custodian for SPDR Gold Trust, also known as GLD, since it launched in 2004. The bank currently stores about 910 tonnes of gold for GLD in London -- around a quarter of all the gold held for ETFs globally. Cavatoni said the WGC's agreement with JPMorgan allowed it to store gold in the United States and Switzerland but for the time the fund intended continue storing all its gold in London. HSBC said: "We're pleased to continue acting as a custodian for the World Gold Council's SPDR Gold Trust."

☆ Postal workers in the UK launch Black Friday strike as industrial action sweeps the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON - Strikers from the CWU Trade Union attend the picket line at Peckham Royal Mail centre on November 24, 2022 in London, England. Strikes planned for the Black Friday weekend and the run-up to Christmas will go ahead after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union ended without agreement. LONDON — Thousands of postal workers in the U.K. are on a two-day strike, disrupting Black Friday after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union fell through. Leaders of the trade union, which represents around 115,000 striking postal workers, re-entered negotiations with Royal Mail executives early last month, with talks now having spanned seven months. In a statement, the CWU warned of "the end of Royal Mail as we know it."

☆ Brits face sharpest fall in living standards on record as government tightens its belt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — As the U.K. government announces a £55 billion ($65.5 billion) program of tax hikes and spending cuts, the country faces its sharpest fall in living standards since records began. The cumulative decline of 7.1% between 2021-22 and 2023-24 would reduce RHDI to its lowest point since 2013-14, erasing eight years of growth. Average household income per head is only expected to recover its 2018-19 level in 2027-28. Unemployment is also expected to rise by 505,000 from 3.5% to peak at 4.9% in the third quarter of 2024. The OBR projected that real wages will fall by 1.8% in 2022 and 2.2% in 2023 before recovering to grow by an average of 1.3% per year thereafter.

☆ In Burnley, Britain's cost of living crisis hits home
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Natalie Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] Keelie Topping shops in the parish of the Church of St Matthew the Apostle in Burnley, England, Britain November 10, 2022. While millions in Britain face a difficult winter, the Centre for Cities think tank says the nearly 95,000 residents of Burnley are most exposed to the shockwaves ripping through the economy. Consumers in Burnley saw prices rise 11.7% in the year to September, the think tank estimates, compared with 10.1% nationally, and 9.1% in London. Britain's exit from the European Union has so far failed to yield economic dividends for places like Burnley. Adrian Pabst, at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research think tank, said the cost of supporting the poorest households did not have to be big.

"I have a feeling that we lost two points, especially with the way we started the game and the chances we had," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. Newcastle have already drawn with Manchester City and Manchester United this season and their only loss was a stoppage-time defeat by Liverpool. Sunday's win at Tottenham sent the clearest message yet that they can challenge for a Champions League berth. Harry Kane pulled one back for third-placed Tottenham in the 54th minute with his 10th goal of the season but Newcastle comfortably held on for the points. "Real pride in the players today and great to be part of those scenes," Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who took over last year with the club heading towards relegation, told reporters.

☆ UK lenders halt mortgage deals to customers after market chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oli Scarff | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON - U.K. lenders Virgin Money, Halifax and Skipton Building Society pulled some of their mortgage deals to customers after the tumult in British bond markets. Virgin Money and Skipton Building Society temporarily paused mortgage offers for new customers, while Halifax — owned by the Lloyds Banking Group — is planning to halt any mortgage products with fees where lower interest rates are usually offered. Skipton Building Society said they had paused their products in order to "reprice following the market response over recent days." Markets have begun pricing in a base rate rise to as high as 6% for next year, from 2.25% currently, raising concerns among mortgage lenders and borrowers. "Households refinancing a two-year fixed rate mortgage in the first half of next year will see monthly repayments jump to about £1,490 early next year, from £863 when they took on the mortgage two years prior."

☆ Factbox: UK retailers raising staff pay amid cost-of-living crunch
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby MelvilleSept 22 (Reuters) - Retailers in Britain are looking to increase pay and attract staff in a tight labour market, as workers are increasingly taking to strike action amid a cost-of-living crisis in the country. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMARKS & SPENCERMarks & Spencer (MKS.L) said on Sept. 21 it would pay a minimum of 10.20 pounds, up from 10.00 pounds, from Oct. 1. read moreSAINSBURY'SSainsbury's (SBRY.L) said on Sept. 13 it will from Oct. 16 pay a minimum of 10.25 pounds, up from 10.00 pounds, and 11.30 pounds in London, up from 11.05 pounds. read moreTESCORetailer Tesco (TSCO.L) in September started to offer better perks to its workers including free food and essentials. read moreMORRISONSMorrisons on June 10 said it would pay a minimum of 10.20 pounds from October, with London workers paid a minimum of 11.05 pounds.

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