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☆ Greece PM laments lack of progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, British, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ India's Tata Technologies' IPO garners bids worth over $18 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Rama Venkat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Tata sign is seen outside their offices in London, Britain March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Toby Melville//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - India's Tata Technologies' 30.43 billion rupee ($366 million) initial public offering (IPO) remained the most oversubscribed domestic IPO this week, signalling robust demand for the Tata group's first public float in nearly two decades. Investors bid for about 3.13 billion shares worth 1.56 trillion rupees ($18.74 billion) by the close of subscriptions on Friday, compared with the 45 million shares on offer, with institutional investors showing the most interest. This is the first Tata group company IPO since Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) in 2004. Tata Technologies, which provides engineering and technology services to auto, aero and heavy machinery makers, will be valued at 202.83 billion rupees at the top-end of its price band of 475-500 rupees.

Persons: Toby Melville, Arun Kejriwal, Rama Venkat, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Tata, REUTERS, Rights, India's Tata Technologies, Tata group's, Kejriwal Research, Investment Services, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Technologies, Fedbank Financial Services, Flair, Industries, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, Gandhar Oil, Kejriwal, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, India, Bengaluru

A sign is seen at the arrivals passport control area of Terminal 5, at Heathrow Airport, London, Britain, March 23, 2023. High levels of legal migration have for more than a decade dominated Britain's political landscape, and will be a key battleground again in the vote which is expected next year. For the year ending December 2022, the ONS revised up the net migration figure to 745,000, a new record high and up 139,000 on its previous estimate. It also said the net migration number for the year ending June 2023 was 672,000, up from 607,000 a year earlier. "The government remains completely committed to reducing levels of legal migration," he said in a statement.

Persons: Toby Melville, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, James, Simon Clarke, Labour Party's, Yvette Cooper, Muvija M, Sarah Young, Kylie MacLellan, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Heathrow Airport, REUTERS, ONS, EU, Labour, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Ukraine, Hong Kong

☆ The sperm whale attack that inspired the novel 'Moby-Dick' may have also involved some aggressive killer whales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Maiya Focht | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This story is said to have inspired the novel "Moby-Dick," and was adapted into a 2015 film. In fact, killer whales may have been key characters in the infamous incident that inspired Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick." "Moby-Dick" is inspired by a sperm whale, not a killer whale, sinking the whaling boat "Essex" in 1820. From there, the sailors had to fight off the conditions of the open ocean and follow up attacks by possible orca whales. The novel that resurfaced the story of the EssexPhilbrick's book is a historical recount of what happened to the real sailors that inspired Melville's tale.

Persons: Moby, Dick, —, Herman Melville's, Nathaniel Philbrick's, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, Cillian Murphy, Moby Dick, Essex, Hanne Strager, Philbrick, Melville, Owen Chase's, George Pollard Jr, Pollard Organizations: Service, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Smithsonian, Cruising Association, Business, New York Times Locations: Strait, Gibraltar, Essex, Nantucket, Polish, Moroccan, Danish

☆ LSEG names Publicis finance chief Michel-Alain Proch as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Signage for the London Stock Exchange Group is seen outside of offices in Canary Wharf in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L) on Monday named Michel-Alain Proch as its new finance chief, starting March 1, 2024. Proch, who currently serves as group CFO of advertising group Publicis <PUBP.PA>, takes on the role from Anna Manz, who stepped down in May. Last week, LSEG, which owns London's 300-year old stock exchange, raised its mid-term growth guidance to "mid-to-high single" digits and said it would return a billion pounds to shareholders in 2024 as it looks beyond the integration of data and analytics company Refinitiv. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Michel, Alain Proch, Proch, Anna Manz, Eva Mathews, Sonia Cheema Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Britain to launch South Korea trade talks as president visits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

King Charles greeted President Yoon Suk Yeol with a royal guard of honour following his arrival in London, and then rode with him by carriage to Buckingham Palace. He will hold talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, and sign an accord on closer diplomatic ties. Under the accord, the countries will agree to work closely on areas such as semiconductors - of which South Korea is an important producer - and artificial intelligence. [1/4]Members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee, as they arrive at Stansted Airport, near London, Britain, November 20, 2023. "REFRESHED, MODERNISED DEAL"Under Yoon, South Korea has focused on strengthening economic, political, and military ties with the U.S. while seeking to maintain trade with China and working to overcome historical disputes with Japan.

Persons: Yoon, King Charles Yoon, King Charles, Yoon Suk, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Toby Melville, David Beckham, Son Heung Min, Kemi Badenoch, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Josh Smith, Alistair Bell, Stephen Coates, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: LONDON, British, Accord, Trade, Downing, North, Royal Air Force, South, Stansted Airport, REUTERS, Trans, Pacific Partnership, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, Korea, London, Buckingham, United Kingdom, Downing, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, China, Japan, Seoul

☆ British author A.S. Byatt, who won Booker prize for 'Possession' dies aged 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Man Booker Prize shortlisted authors Adam Foulds (L), Hilary Mantel (2nd L), A S Byatt (2nd R) and Simon Mawer pose for photographers in London October 5, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Booker-prize winning British novelist Antonia Susan Byatt, known most commonly as A.S. Byatt, has died aged 87, her publisher said in a statement on Friday. Byatt, whose career spanned nearly 60 years, was best known for her 1990 novel "Possession: A Romance". Seven years later came her breakthrough with Possession, which became a bestseller and won the coveted Booker Prize for Fiction the same year. Byatt won a number of awards and titles including a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) and DBE (Dame of the British Empire).

Persons: Booker, Adam Foulds, Hilary, Simon Mawer, Toby Melville, Antonia Susan Byatt, Byatt, Margaret Drabble, Antonia, Charles, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Mike Collett, White, Kylie MacLellan, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Chatto & Windus, Penguin Random, Quaker, Cambridge, Oxford, Thomson Locations: London, British, English, Sheffield, York

☆ UK's Hunt offers incentives, penalties to get more people into work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt during Britain's Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2023. The "Back to Work" plan, billed as a way to help people "stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work", will form part of the Autumn Statement that Hunt will present next Wednesday. Anyone choosing to coast on the hard work of taxpayers will lose their benefits," Hunt said of the "Back to Work" plan. "This sort of language just pushes people away – alienating those who could benefit from support, alienating employers and alienating partners like GPs and voluntary services," Wilson said. Labour said Hunt's plan was "more of the same".

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Toby Melville, Hunt, Tony Wilson, Wilson, Hunt's, Liz Kendall, Andy Bruce, Susan Fenton Organizations: Britain's Conservative, REUTERS, Institute for Employment Studies, Labour Party, Conservative, IES, Labour, Tories, Confederation, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, British

[1/2] The logo of Barclays bank is seen on glass lamps outside of a branch of the bank in the City of London financial district in London September 4, 2017. The SEC central clearing rule, first proposed in September last year, would apply to the cash Treasury and repurchase agreements (repo) markets, where banks and other players such as hedge funds borrow short-term loans backed by Treasuries. "This creates a potential single-point of failure risk as recent events illustrate," he said, referring to the ICBC hack. Abate also flagged cybersecurity risks for direct members of the FICC, as well as clients they sponsor to access the clearing platform, saying mandatory central clearing could make FICC "a fortress with many doors." The SEC is expected to finalize the rule early next year, said Barclays, but it is unclear how much time the industry would have to implement it and whether central clearing will occur simultaneously for Treasuries and repo transactions.

Persons: Toby Melville, Joseph Abate, ICBC, BNY Mellon, Abate, DTCC, Treasuries, Davide Barbuscia, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Barclays, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Commercial Bank of China's, SEC, Treasuries, Corporation, Depository Trust, Clearing Corporation, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: City, London, Commercial Bank of China's U.S, U.S

☆ Britain's Ocado secures first deal beyond grocery retail
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Ocado grocery delivery van is driven along a street in London, Britain, March 25, 2023. It also holds a 50% share of Ocado Retail in the UK in a joint venture with Marks & Spencer (MKS.L). The deal with McKesson will see Ocado receive upfront fees during the construction process with the final payment upon final installation. Ocado said the impact of the deal will be minimal on cash flow and earnings in its current financial year. In July, the group reported a return to first half underlying profit.

Persons: Toby Melville, Canada Ocado, McKesson, Tim Steiner, we're, Spencer, Ocado, James Davey, Prerna Bedi, Shilpi Majumdar, Kirsten Donovan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Kroger, Casino, Marks, Times, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Canada, Ocado, United States, Japan, France, U.S, Bengaluru

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. Following the data, yields on short-term UK Gilts, reflecting near-term interest rate expectations, slid, aiding a 7.0% surge in rate sensitive real estate investment trusts (.FTNMX351020). "It may well be due to potential sentiment coming ahead of tomorrow's UK CPI data, with the hope that it comes in lower as well," said Christopher Peters, trading floor manager at Accendo Markets. UK October CPI data, due on Wednesday, could throw further light on the outlook for domestic monetary policy. Reporting by Khushi Singh and Johan M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Christopher Peters, Jefferies, Tim Clark, Khushi Singh, Johan M Cherian, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Alex Richardson Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Vodafone, Federal, tomorrow's, Accendo Markets, Investors, Entain, Royce, Emirates, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Teck, U.S, Italy, Bengaluru

The figure represented a slight slowdown in regular pay growth from 7.9% in the previous two ONS reports, the highest since the data collection began in 2001. "The labour market remains very tight and businesses are still struggling to hire the people they need," Alexandra Hall-Chen, a policy advisor at the Institute of Directors, said. Including bonuses, which are typically volatile, pay growth slowed to 7.9% from 8.2% in the three months to August. "While there is some uncertainty around the accuracy of this data release, other indicators also suggest the labour market is gradually cooling, not collapsing," Jake Finney, an economist at PwC UK, said. Hunt said his Nov. 22 update on the budget and economic count would include "plans to get people back into work and deliver growth for the UK."

Persons: Big Ben, Toby Melville, Alexandra Hall, Chen, BoE, Sterling, Jake Finney, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, David Milliken, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, of, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Institute of Directors, U.S, ONS, Labour Force Survey, PwC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

A rebound in Asia is especially important for airlines where long-haul travel makes up a bigger mix of revenue. Travel spending in Asia Pacific is set to grow 41% this year to $567 billion, and rise to $800 billion by 2027, according to data from the Global Business Travel Association. The planned capacity, which has not been previously reported, is a strong rebound from 2022, when the carrier's Asia-Pacific traffic was 33% of 2019 levels. Travel to Asia is also a source of high-margin revenue at a time when soaring labor and fuel costs are pressuring profit and domestic fares are declining. Across the border, Air Canada said the increase in Asia Pacific capacity would more than double its overall system growth.

Persons: Toby Melville, Andrew Nocella, Mark Galardo, Galardo, Raymond James, Savanthi Syth, Allison Lampert, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Heathrow Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Carriers, Business, Global Business Travel Association, Air, Reuters, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Asia Pacific, United, Delta, Tourism Economics, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Rights MONTREAL, CHICAGO, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Asia Pacific, U.S, United States, Atlanta, Manila, Philippines, San Francisco, New Zealand, Chicago, Air Canada, Air Canada's Vancouver, Canada, North America, Ukraine, Hong Kong, East Coast, Newark , New Jersey, Toronto, China, Montreal

☆ David Cameron: Why Rishi Sunak has brought the former UK PM back to frontline politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Peter Wilkinson | Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Ever since he became British prime minister a little over a year ago, Rishi Sunak has tried to bring calm to the chaotic government he inherited. That might all have changed on Monday when Sunak surprised the Westminster establishment by appointing former Prime Minister David Cameron as his new foreign secretary. He was very much from the center of the Conservative Party and led the campaign to remain in the European Union. David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street after being appointed foreign secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on November 13, 2023. British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street in 2016.

Persons: London CNN —, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson’s, Sunak, David Cameron, Suella Braverman, Cameron, Cameron’s, Carl Court, Braverman, Johnson, Toby Melville Toby Melville, Braverman’s, Matt Cardy, shouldn’t, it’s, don’t Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, European Union, Conservatives, Conservative, Britian's, REUTERS, Downing, European Liberal Democrats, Liberal Democrats, CNN Locations: British, Westminster, Brexit, London, Britain, Rwanda

Sustainability-linked loans (SLL), which were first used in 2017, offer slightly cheaper borrowing, typically around 2.5-10 basis points less, if companies meet goals such as cutting their carbon emissions or improving board diversity. These let banks strip the sustainability-linked label from the loans if targets are no longer deemed appropriate. The banks' tougher standards are discouraging some borrowers from using SLLs entirely, bankers and lawyers told Reuters. The Engie spokesman said the utility would not agree to linking an event of default to sustainability targets. "We have stated our willingness to walk away when sustainability targets were too soft," said Brittany Agostino, vice president in the environmental, social and governance group at Los Angeles-based Ares.

Persons: Toby Melville, Banks, Constance Chalchat, Pascale Forde Maurice, Elliot Beard, Simmons, Beard, I've, David Milligan, Norton Rose Fulbright, Gemma Lawrence, Pardew, Brittany Agostino, Fredrik Altmann, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Isla Binnie, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Simon Jessop, Alexander Smith Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, LONDON, BNP, Corporate, Institutional Banking, Reuters, JPMorgan, Ford Motors, SLLs, CIB's, European, Sustainable Investment Banking, Simmons, Norton Rose, Market Association, BMW, Porsche, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, North America, Asia, Los Angeles, New York

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex looks on outside the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Prince Harry, singer Elton John and five other high-profile British figures can have their lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper alleging widespread unlawful behaviour heard at trial, the High Court in London ruled on Friday. Publisher Associated Newspapers (ANL) had sought at hearings in March to have the case thrown out, saying the claims that were brought in October 2022 were outside a six-year time limit for legal action. Harry, the younger son of King Charles, along with Elton John, and the other five claimants accuse ANL, which publishes the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, of phone-hacking and other serious privacy breaches dating back 30 years. Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin; Editing by Kate Holton and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Toby Melville, Prince Harry, Elton John, Harry, King Charles, ANL, Matthew Nicklin, Nicklin, Hamlins, John, David, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence, Simon Hughes, David Sherborne, Murdoch, NGN, Michael Holden, Sam Tobin, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: Court, REUTERS, Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, Mail, Sunday, Rupert Murdoch's News Group, Group, Mirror Group, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ London stocks slip on sluggish GDP data, Diageo's profit warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Khushi Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. The exporter-focused FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 0.9% at 0932 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dropped 2.2%, on track for the biggest one-day fall since early July. The broader beverages index (.FTNMX451010) fell 11.0%, touching the lowest levels since March 2021 and was on track for its biggest one-day decline in over 36 years. Meanwhile, data showed the British economic output failed to grow in the July-to-September period, but at least managed to avoid the start of a recession. Reporting by Khushi Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Johnnie Walker, Khushi Singh, Eileen Soreng Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, FTSE, Diageo, Bank of England, Bank of, Victoria, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, America, Caribbean, Bengaluru

☆ Spurs' Richarlison to return in 'coming weeks' after groin surgery
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Soccer Football - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur - Selhurst Park, London, Britain - October 27, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has undergone groin surgery that will rule him out of action for a few weeks, the Premier League club said on Thursday. Richarlison said on Monday that he had struggled with health problems the past eight months and decided to go under the knife. "The Brazil international will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately, before returning to training in the coming weeks," Spurs said in a statement. He joins a long injury list at Spurs which includes Ivan Perisic, James Maddison, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven and Manor Solomon. Spurs are second in the standings, a point behind Manchester City, and next play away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Persons: Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison, Toby Melville, Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, James Maddison, Ben Davies, Micky van de, Rohith Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: Soccer Football, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Selhurst, Tottenham, Brazil, Spurs, Manor Solomon, Manchester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Manor, Bengaluru

☆ M&S echoes UK peers on early Christmas demand, Ahold looks to loyalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A logo of food and clothes' retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) is seen at a branch in London, Britain March 10, 2022. "We are definitely seeing good sales performance in our Christmas ranges," CEO Stuart Machin told reporters after M&S reported much better-than-expected first half results. BIGGER FAMILY CHRISTMASM&S's Machin said research showed about 20% of its customers wanted to stock up on Christmas food products "slightly earlier" this year, with most of those customers planning for a bigger family Christmas. Still, the retail bosses are hopeful of strong demand for food, drinks and presents from now until the end of December. Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Sarah Young, Kate Holton and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marks, Spencer, Toby Melville, Ahold, Stuart Machin, S's Machin, I'm, Machin, James Davey, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Major, British Retail Consortium, Marks, Tesco, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Europe, United States

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. MSCI's gauge of global stock performance (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.05%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) lost 0.06%. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar index rose 0.332% to 105.61, with the euro down 0.31% to $1.0682. Treasury yields slid, having unwound some of their rally last week after the Fed left rates unchanged following a policy meeting. The two-year's yield, which reflects interest rate expectations, fell 1.3 basis points to 4.928%, while the 10-year slipped 7.5 basis points at 4.587%.

Persons: Toby Melville, Jerome Powell, Neel Kashkari, Austan Goolsbee, Rick Meckler, we've, Michael Hewson, Brent, Tom Wilson, Tom Westbrook, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln, Kim Coghill, Christina Fincher, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, NEW, Federal Reserve, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cherry Lane Investments, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Reserve Bank of Australia, Treasury, Fed, CMC, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Europe, U.S, New Vernon , New Jersey, Asia, Pacific, Japan, London, Singapore

The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, fell 0.4%. Earlier, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) slipped 1.2%, snapping three straight days of gains. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (.HSI) fell 1.7%, while mainland China blue chips (.CSI300) fell 0.4%. The index fell 1.3% last week, its steepest decline since mid-July, part of the wider risk-on mood in markets. The euro slipped 0.4% to $1.067, down from an eight-week peak of $1.0756 hit on Monday.

Persons: Toby Melville, Michael Hewson, Nicholas Chia, HSI, Tom Wilson, Tom Westbrook, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln, Kim Coghill, Christina Fincher Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Nasdaq, CMC, Standard Chartered, Fed, Reserve Bank of Australia, Brent, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, London, Singapore

[1/2] File photo: Heavy traffic as seen on the M3 motorway heading towards the English coast, near Southampton, Britain, August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Britain will make the makers rather than the owners of self-driving cars legally liable for any crashes under a framework for developing autonomous vehicles (AV), the government said on Tuesday, in a move welcomed by insurers and AV startups. King Charles said the government would bring forward an Automated Vehicles Bill as he set out the government's legislative agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session, after one promised last year did not materialise. "My ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles," Charles said in a speech to lawmakers. The bill will establish processes to investigate incidents and improve the safety framework, and will also set the threshold for what is classified as a self-driving car.

Persons: Toby Melville, King Charles, Charles, Tara Foley, Alex Kendall, Paul Newman, Alistair Smout, Nick Carey, William James, Kate Holton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Ireland, AXA, Companies, Microsoft, Motors, Oxford, Thomson Locations: Southampton, Britain, U.S, California

☆ Britain says self-driving car makers liable for incidents in new framework
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

File photo: Heavy traffic as seen on the M3 motorway heading towards the English coast, near Southampton, Britain, August 7, 2020. King Charles said the government would bring forward an Automated Vehicles Bill as he set out the government's legislative agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session, after one promised last year did not materialise. "My Ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles," Charles said in a speech to lawmakers. "The Bill gives people immunity from prosecution when a self-driving vehicle is driving itself, given it does not make sense to then hold the person sat behind the wheel responsible." The bill will establish new processes to investigate incidents and improve the safety framework, and will also set the threshold for what is classified as a self-driving car.

Persons: Toby Melville, King Charles, Charles, Alistair Smout, Nick Carey, William James, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, Motors, Thomson Locations: Southampton, Britain, AVs, U.S, California

☆ UK house prices rise in October for first time since March: Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - British house prices ended six months of consecutive falls in October, reflecting a lack of homes being put up for sale, but prices are still lower than a year ago, mortgage lender Halifax said on Tuesday. Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), said house prices in October were 1.1% higher than the month before, the first increase since March on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a 0.3% monthly drop in September. This is likely to have strengthened prices in the short-term, rather than prices being driven by buyer demand, which remains weak overall," Kim Kinnaird, director of Halifax Mortgages, said. Compared with a year earlier, house prices in October were 3.2% lower versus a 4.5% annual decline in September, leaving the average house price at 281,974 pounds ($347,279), nearly 10,000 pounds lower than a year earlier. Halifax said it expected further falls in house prices, and a return to growth in 2025.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kim Kinnaird, Kinnaird, David Milliken, Sarah Young, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, Halifax

☆ UK house prices end six-month losing streak - Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Compared with a year earlier, house prices in October were 3.2% lower versus a 4.5% annual decline in September, leaving the average house price at 281,974 pounds ($347,279), nearly 10,000 pounds lower than a year earlier. British house prices surged during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low interest rates, greater demand and temporary tax breaks. Halifax's house price index is still 18% higher than it was in February 2020, despite a 4% fall since its peak in June 2022. Halifax said it expected house prices to fall further this year, with a return to growth in 2025. "The high cost of borrowing alone is not sufficient to trigger the leg down in house prices we predicted," Capital economist Andrew Wishart said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kim Kinnaird, Huw Pill, BoE, Kinnaird, Andrew Wishart, David Milliken, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, The Bank of England, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, Halifax, British

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