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☆ Scores of world figures urge Putin to free Navalny in open letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Scores of famous figures, including writers and actors, have signed an open letter urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to free opposition politician Alexei Navalny and to end what they called his torture in prison. Russian authorities say Navalny and his supporters are extremists with links to the U.S. CIA intelligence agency intent on trying to destabilise Russia. They have outlawed his movement and Navalny himself is facing new charges that could add years to his prison sentence. Navalny's supporters have grown increasingly worried about his health in recent weeks, saying they fear he could die in jail. The Kremlin denied trying to kill him and said there was no evidence he was poisoned with a nerve agent.

☆ Daniel Radcliffe and Erin Darke have had their first child
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Daniel Radcliffe and his long-term partner, actress Erin Darke, have had their first child. Scott Boute, a representative for Radcliffe, confirmed the birth to CNN on Wednesday, after the Daily Mail published photographs of the couple pushing a pram in New York earlier this week. The baby’s sex and date of birth haven’t been disclosed. While promoting his role in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” last year, Radcliffe told Newsweek that he would love his kids to experience “wonderful” film sets – but without the fame. He shot to instant fame with the 2001 release of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first in what became a blockbuster eight-movie franchise.

☆ Elon Musk is paying for a few of his favorite celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, even after they dissed the new blue checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said he's personally paying for several top celebrities' Twitter Blue subscriptions. Billionaire Elon Musk says he's personally paying for several well-known figures to stay on Twitter Blue after they refused to fork up $8 for a monthly subscription. "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. James received an email from Twitter offering free verification "on behalf of Elon Musk," the outlet reported. Musk on Wednesday responded to the online discussion of celebrities receiving free verification, saying he is "paying for a few personally" to keep their Twitter Blue subscriptions.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ A 'Harry Potter' TV series is in the works. Here's everything we know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warner Bros. Television is working on a scripted "Harry Potter" TV show. AdvertisementA "Harry Potter" TV show is in the works. AdvertisementThe series will be a 'faithful adaptation of the beloved original Harry Potter books'Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson starred in the "Harry Potter" films. J.K. Rowling will serve as an executive producerJ.K. Rowling is the author of the "Harry Potter" book series. The show is eyeing a release in 2026Daniel Radcliffe as Harry in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Persons: Harry Potter, —, Max, J.K, Rowling, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Casey Bloys, Evan Agostini, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley, Letts, David Heyman, Harry, David Zaslav, Zaslav, Channing Dungey, Kirsten Acuna Organizations: Warner Bros . Television, Warner Bros, Discovery, Service, HBO, Max, Business, Twitter, WB, Hollywood Locations: Los Angeles, WarnerMedia

☆ Harry Potter series, another 'Game of Thrones' prequel coming to Max streaming service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Neil Hall/File PhotoLOS ANGELES, April 12 (Reuters) - Boy wizard Harry Potter is headed to streaming television in a new series based on the beloved books by author J.K. Rowling. Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) announced the series on Wednesday as part of the company's plans for its Max streaming service, which combines HBO Max with unscripted programming from Discovery. The seven Harry Potter books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide. Harry Potter fan blogs and actors including Radcliffe objected to her remarks. Other new shows coming to Max include a new "Game of Thrones" prequel, titled "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight," with author George R.R.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing Harry Potter back as it closes in on a deal for a new TV series, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Discovery is close to a deal for a new Harry Potter TV series, per Bloomberg. The people, who asked not to be identified because the deal is yet to be announced, said Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Meanwhile, the overall Harry Potter franchise which includes books, toys, and games has earned $15 billion, Insider reported in 2021.

☆ Fact Check-J.K. Rowling tweet thanking LGBTQ community for ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ game sales is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Author J.K. Rowling did not tweet a post thanking the LGBTQ community for sales of the ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ computer game, despite a screenshot circulating online. A spokesperson for JK Rowling, Rebecca Salt, told Reuters that no such tweet was published. A Twitter advanced search via Rowling’s account did not reveal the tweet (archive.is/wip/PmBkF). Archived versions of Rowling’s Twitter account saved on Feb. 24 did not reveal the tweet either (here). No such tweet was posted by J.K. Rowling.

☆ Harry Potter video game 'Hogwarts Legacy' has done $850 million in sales so far, despite calls for a boycott after JK Rowling's anti-trans comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Discovery said "Hogwarts Legacy" has sold 12 million units so far, worth $850 million. The game's success comes despite protests over "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling's comments that many say are anti-trans. Many have called her comments transphobic, and "Harry Potter" film stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have denounced her stance. Many gamers criticized the release of "Hogwarts Legacy" in light of Rowling's comments.

☆ ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Videogame Tops Sales Charts Amid Debates About ‘Harry Potter’ Creator
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Luke Winkie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The new videogame ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ transports players to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry Potter and his friends mastered spellbooks. When the new, highly anticipated “Harry Potter” videogame “Hogwarts Legacy” made its debut earlier this month, it shot immediately to the top of the sales charts. Set in a 19th-century Wizarding World where wizards wear top hats and drive buggies, the game transports players to the school where Harry and his friends mastered spellbooks and learned how to fight against the dark arts. Game fans are captivated by its immersive open world: In the days following its release, “Hogwarts Legacy” had at one point had more than 879,000 concurrent players, according to distribution platform Steam. Developed by Avalanche Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, it marks the first time “Harry Potter” has been given blockbuster treatment by a videogame company.

☆ Fact Check-Viral tweet about Twitter employee fired after 6.5 years stems from satire account
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A satire account posting as if they were an employee who had gotten fired from Twitter is being taken seriously by some online users. The user claiming to be the employee (@jdan) routinely posts content that is satirical in nature. The account does not clearly label itself as parody or satire but has previously touted working for Apple and Twitter with comical connotations. Another indicator the account posts parody is its bio, which says, “Author of the critically-acclaimed ‘Harry Potter’ series of children's fantasy novels.” J.K. Rowling is the real creator of the series (here). The tweet originates from an account that routinely posts satirical content.

☆ The Harry Potter video game 'Hogwarts Legacy' is here, and topping sales charts — despite the JK Rowling controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Hogwarts Legacy" was at the top of the Steam PC and PlayStation Store sales charts on Friday. The early success comes despite backlash over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's anti-trans comments. The game's early success is in the face of some calls for a boycott over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's past anti-trans comments. Warner Bros. Games, which released "Hogwarts Legacy," wrote on the game's FAQ page that Rowling was "not directly involved in the creation of the game." Discovery CEO David Zaslav in November expressed an interest in doing "something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward."

☆ Hogwarts Legacy breaks record before official release, despite controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hogwarts Legacy – the new open-world video game by Avalanche and Warner Bros. Hogwarts Legacy is based on Harry Potter but is set in the late 1800s, well before the action in the Harry Potter books take place, and opens the Harry Potter World beyond Hogwarts Castle. Videogamesnewyork, a New York City store that sells modern and retro video games, is ordering just enough games to their store based on pre-orders. Some gamers also are boycotting Hogwarts Legacy over the controversy. The company says J.K. Rowling is not involved in the Hogwarts Legacy game.

☆ The upcoming Harry Potter game is already a top seller, despite JK Rowling controversy and boycott calls
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Hogwarts Legacy" is topping charts on Steam and the PlayStation Store, a month from its release. Warner Bros. has suggested it wants to cooperate with Rowling on future Potter-related content. "Hogwarts Legacy" is an open-world role-playing game set in the Harry Potter universe during the 1800s, and the player will play as a student at Hogwarts during that time. Warner Bros. Games representatives did not respond to requests for comment from Insider on whether Rowling will be compensated for "Hogwarts Legacy." But Rowling has far-reaching control over Harry Potter.

ATHENS, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - There will be no joy if countries get help for climate damage from a fund promised at COP27, but the planet still fries. Call this a country’s “above average emissions“. When you run the numbers from 1992 to 2019, America is the biggest polluter, responsible for 44% of all the “above average emissions”. DYNAMIC FORMULAIt seems fair to look at above average emissions to date when judging who should pay for a current climate disaster, such as the flooding in Pakistan. If one froze the formula on the basis of above average emissions up to now, countries wouldn’t have an incentive to cut their pollution.

☆ Helena Bonham Carter voices support for JK Rowling and Johnny Depp
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Helena Bonham Carter is coming to the defense of two fellow members of the “Harry Potter” universe. Addressing the controversy around views Rowling has expressed that have been criticized by some as transphobic, Bonham Carter called the backlash “horrendous.”“I think she has been hounded,” she said. “Everybody carries their own history of trauma and forms their opinions from that trauma, and you have to respect where people come from and their pain,” Bonham Carter said. “People will jump on the bandwagon because it’s the trend and to be the poster girl for it,” Bonham Carter told the Times of Heard and the #MeToo movement. It has become quite hysterical and there’s a kind of witch hunt and a lack of understanding.”CNN has reached out to representatives for Bonham Carter, Depp and Rowling for comment.

☆ Key takeaways from the COP27 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Egyptian Foreign Minister and Egypt's COP27 President Sameh Shoukry attends an informal stocktaking session during the COP27 climate summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 18, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanySHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 20 (Reuters) - This year's U.N. climate summit featured visits by world leaders, proposals by business leaders, and negotiations by nearly 200 nations about the future of global action on climate change. Natural gas chiefs were billing themselves as climate champions, despite gas companies having faced lawsuits in the United States over such claims. The leftist leader made the Egypt climate summit his first visit abroad since winning Brazil's presidential election last month against right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who presided over mounting destruction of the rainforest and refused to hold the 2019 climate summit originally planned for Brazil. U.S., CHINA RELATIONSHIP REKINDLEDA critical precursor for the climate talks' success happened far away from the Red Sea locale.

☆ Analysis: COP27 loss and damage fund heralds 'new dawn for climate justice'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Yeb Saño, head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the fund's approval "marks a new dawn for climate justice." While the loss and damage fund would not be enough to deal with growing climate losses, "it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust" between rich and poor nations, he said in a video statement. Their opposition was rooted in fears of being held financially liable for the impacts of their historically high greenhouse gas emissions. FOSSIL FUELS MISSINGPolitical figures had urged countries at COP27 to set aside geopolitical fights in order to keep climate action on track. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global climate and energy lead for environmental group WWF, who presided over COP20 in Peru, said leaders had missed the chance in Egypt to speed up the rapid and deep emissions cuts essential to limit climate damage.

Here's what you need to know about the agreement:WHAT IS 'LOSS AND DAMAGE'? In U.N. climate talks, "loss and damage" refers to costs being incurred from climate-fuelled weather extremes or impacts, like rising sea levels. Loss and damage funding is different, specifically covering the cost of damage that countries cannot avoid or adapt to. A few governments have made relatively small but symbolic funding commitments for loss and damage: Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Scotland, plus the EU. Some existing U.N. and development bank funding does help states facing loss and damage, though it is not officially earmarked for that goal.

☆ Germany's LNG terminals to cost more than double earlier estimate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General view of the new floating LNG gas terminal, which allows Germany to import LNG via ship from other countries, in the harbour in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, November 15, 2022. Overall, the costs are estimated at about 6.56 billion euros, the ministry said, confirming a report in Der Spiegel. That compares with 2.94 billion euros estimated in the country's 2022 budget. The ministry said the floating terminals were essential for Europe's biggest economy to compensate for a collapse in deliveries of Russian gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Germany this month completed the construction of its first floating terminal for LNG at the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven.

☆ Analysis: Climate damage fund trumps 1.5C push as COP27 summit nears end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The focus on loss and damage certainly reflects that," said David Waskow, director of the international climate initiative at the U.S.-based World Resources Institute. Since COP26, only about 30 countries have strengthened their national plans to cut fossil fuel emissions. FOSSIL FUEL OMISSION? Progress toward reducing fossil fuel use - and the resulting climate-warming emissions - was less clear in the proposed deal. "Unabated" fuels are those whose emissions are not captured in some way to prevent them entering the atmosphere and adding to climate change.

☆ COP27 draft climate deal published but gaps remain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The U.N. climate agency on Saturday published an updated draft of a proposed final agreement for the COP27 summit, fleshing out some key parts of the deal countries are struggling to reach. The document, which forms the overall political deal for COP27, would need approval from the nearly 200 countries at the climate summit in Egypt. The draft contained only a partial text on the contentious issue of "loss and damage" payments to countries hit by climate-driven disasters. It left a placeholder in the section for funding arrangements on loss and damage where text could be added later if countries reach agreement. Reporting by William James and Kate Abnett; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Janet LawrenceOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India scraps export tax on low-grade iron ore, some steel intermediates
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Neha Arora | Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Nov 19 (Reuters) - India scrapped export taxes on low-grade iron ore and on some intermediate steel products beginning Saturday, after months of complaints from miners and steel makers about loss of foreign sales opportunities. The government also reversed a May rise in export tax on iron ore concentrates other than roasted iron pyrites. The additional taxation imposed in May was intended to boost domestic supply of iron ore, a raw ingredient for making steel, and thereby hold down inflation. Major steel makers have urged the government to unwind the additional export taxation, saying it added to their problem of weakening international demand. Indian producers of low-grade ore depend largely on foreign markets, because most major domestic steel producers use high-grade iron ore.

☆ U.S. aims for zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicles by 2040
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( David Shepardson | Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The United States aims to only sell and produce zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles like school buses and tractor trailers by 2040, the U.S. energy secretary agreed at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt on Thursday. The non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) sets a target for 30% of those new vehicles - which include commercial delivery vehicles, buses and trucks - to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2040. The $430 billion climate, tax and drug policy bill passed in August includes new commercial electric vehicles tax credits, with up to $7,500 for light- and medium-duty vehicles and up to $40,000 for heavy-duty vehicles. “Decarbonizing commercial transport vehicles is critical to meeting our overall carbon emissions targets," Heinrich said in a statement. The EPA in March had proposed tighter standards for 17 of the 33 sub-categories of vocational and tractor vehicles, including school buses, transit buses, commercial delivery trucks, and short-haul tractors.

☆ High interest rates bring winter gloom to Canada's housing market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Julie Gordon | Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A for sale sign is displayed outside a home in Toronto, Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File PhotoOTTAWA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Canada's housing market has gone cold, with buyers sidelined by soaring borrowing costs and sellers holding off listing in hopes of a spring rally, while higher interest rates mean prices need to fall more before any rebound materializes, experts say. "We do have quite a bit of fundamental demand still out there ... but the market just can't clear at current prices because of where interest rates have gone," said Robert Kavcic, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. Variable rate mortgages - home loans in which the interest rate fluctuates based on market conditions - have more than tripled since March, with strict stress tests making qualification even tougher. "If investors aren't interested in buying condos, the whole market starts to slow down," he said.

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