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☆ WPP slashes outlook again as China slowdown adds to tech woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Branding signage for WPP, the largest global advertising and public relations agency at their offices in London, Britain, July 17, 2019. "But I do think in the long run that will correct itself and those companies will become drivers of growth." Read said it was also a tougher quarter in China, where consumer spending had not returned as expected. Analysts at Citi said it was striking that the step down was "not necessarily caused by an intensification of the pressures in the second quarter but by a broadening of pressure". WPP said this month it would merge Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to create the industry's largest creative agency.

Persons: Toby Melville, Mark Read, Read, Wunderman Thompson, Paul Sandle, William James, Jason Neely Organizations: WPP, REUTERS, Tech, Technology, Citi, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, GroupM, United States

☆ UK's Sunak says AI risks must be addressed, ahead of key safety summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, October 18, 2023. Sunak wants Britain to be a global leader in AI safety, carving out a role after Brexit between the competing economic blocs of the United States, China and the European Union in the rapidly growing technology. The UK government will also publish a report on "frontier" AI, the cutting-edge general-purpose models that the summit will focus on. The report will inform discussions about risks such as societal harms, misuse and loss of control, the government said. China is expected to attend, according to a Financial Times report, while European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova has received an invitation.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Clodagh, Sunak, Kamala Harris, Demis Hassabis, Vera Jourova, Paul Sandle, Mike Harrison Organizations: British, REUTERS, Safety, European Union, Google, Financial Times, European, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bletchley, United States, China, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Hiroshima

The BoE is monitoring the labour market closely as it considers whether it needs to resume raising interest rates, having kept them on hold in September after 14 hikes in a row. Under the previous methodology, the unemployment rate had been reported as 4.3% for the three months to July rather than 4.2%. Still, the new data showed more slack in the labour market than the BoE had predicted in August, when it forecast an unemployment rate of 4.1% for the third quarter as a whole. "It is probably only a matter of time before the recent loosening of the labour market feeds through into significantly slower wage growth," Pugh said. The latest ONS estimate showed employment fell by 133,000 in the three months to July, compared with 207,000 in its previous estimate.

Persons: BoE, Thomas Pugh, Pugh, Tony Wilson, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Paul Sandle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Office, National Statistics, Bank of England, Labour Force Survey, RSM, ONS, Financial, Institute for Employment Studies, Thomson

☆ Missile fired from Gaza caused hospital blast, Britain's Sunak says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media after landing at Ben Gurion international airport in Lod, Near Tel Aviv, Israel October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The explosion at a hospital in Gaza City was most likely caused by a missile fired from within Gaza, and not by a rocket from Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday. "The British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile, or part of one, that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel," Sunak told parliament. Palestinian officials said 471 people were killed in the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital on Tuesday. Gaza's health ministry blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by militants.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Ronen, Sunak, Israel, Alistair Smout, Farouq Suleiman, Paul Sandle Organizations: British, Ben, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Ben Gurion, Lod, Near Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza City, Gaza, British, Al, Ahli, Arabi, United States, France, Canada

☆ Pro-Israel Protesters in London Demand Hamas Release Hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - About 20,000 people rallied in London's Trafalgar Square on Sunday to demand the release of more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during their Oct. 7 incursion from Gaza into Israel in which 1,400 Israelis were killed. Waving the blue and white Israeli flag adorned with the Star of David, several participants wept as the names of hostages were read out to the crowd. Ayelet Svtizky described how Hamas had entered her mother's home as she was speaking on the phone to her. "The third picture they uploaded to my mum's Facebook story with a Hamas gunman in the background. The rally followed a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday in which an estimated 100,000 people marched through the centre of London.

Persons: David, Ayelet Svtizky, Yann Tessier, Paul Sandle, Nick Macfie Organizations: Star, Hamas, London's Metropolitan Police Locations: London's, Gaza, Israel, London

☆ Pro-Israel protesters in London demand Hamas release hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A demonstrator waves the Israeli flag as thousands pack London's Trafalgar Square, Britain October 22, 2023 to demand the liberation of the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas in its incursion into southern Israel on October 7. REUTERS/Yann Tessier Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - About 20,000 people rallied in London's Trafalgar Square on Sunday to demand the release of more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during their Oct. 7 incursion from Gaza into Israel in which 1,400 Israelis were killed. Ayelet Svtizky described how Hamas had entered her mother's home as she was speaking on the phone to her. "The third picture they uploaded to my mum's Facebook story with a Hamas gunman in the background. The rally followed a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday in which an estimated 100,000 people marched through the centre of London.

Persons: Yann Tessier, David, Ayelet Svtizky, Paul Sandle, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Star, Hamas, London's Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: Britain, Israel, London's, Gaza, London

☆ Madonna shines in 'Celebration' tour after near-fatal illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Singer Madonna performs during her concert at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France, December 9, 2015, on her Rebel Heart Tour. The 65-year-old's greatest hits show was pushed back from its original July start date after she was hospitalized in intensive care for a serious bacterial infection. "There's a lot of really crazy things happening in the world that are so, so painful to witness," she said. With more than 40 songs in the show, some like "Papa Don't Preach" were dispatched in seconds, but all of her re-inventions, from Catholic Madonna to Country Madonna, featured. The seven-time Grammy Award winner has rescheduled the tour's North American leg to start in December after her European concerts.

Persons: Singer Madonna, Benoit Tessier, Papa Don't, Paul Sandle, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, O2, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, London, New York

The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Activision Blizzard said: "The CMA's official approval is great news for our future with Microsoft, and we look forward to becoming part of the Xbox Team." The European Commission said the new commitments given by Microsoft to the CMA did not interfere with its EU commitments.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa Shabong, Aditya Soni, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Activision, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, REUTERS, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The deal was blocked in April by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which said it could give the U.S. computing giant a stranglehold over the nascent cloud gaming market. The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission opposed the deal but after failing to stop it, the CMA was left standing alone.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, CMA, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, Sony, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

☆ UK's easyJet agrees deal with Airbus to expand fleet beyond 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An easyJet Airbus A320neo aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, in Madrid, Spain, June 22 2022. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - British airline easyJet (EZJ.L) said on Thursday it had reached a proposed deal with Airbus to expand its fleet by up to 257 additional aircraft, plotting its growth beyond 2028, with bigger and more fuel efficient planes. EasyJet announced the order after forecasting annual profit of 440 million to 460 million pounds ($542-$567 million), and said it would restart its dividend, signalling that its recovery from the pandemic was now in full flow. The airline said the terms of the deal with Airbus were attractive and it gave the airline certainty of aircraft supply. EasyJet, which only flies Airbus planes, said it considered Boeing as part of a competitive process.

Persons: Adolfo Suarez, Isabel Infantes, EasyJet, Johan Lundgren, Bernstein, Alex Irving, Irving, Stelios Haji, Ioannou, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle Organizations: Airbus, Adolfo Suarez Madrid, Barajas Airport, REUTERS, Europe's, Ryanair, British Airways, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain

☆ UK's BBC, ITV among TV firms investigated over freelance contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The BBC logo is displayed above the entrance to the BBC headquarters in London, Britain, July 10, 2023. "ITV is committed to complying with competition law and to cooperating with the CMA's inquiries," it said in a statement. The probe also includes Hartswood Films, Red Planet Pictures and Sister Pictures, the CMA said. In July the regulator said it was investigating suspected breaches of competition law in relation to the purchase of services from freelancers in sports content by the BBC, BT Group, ITV, Sky UK and others. Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate Holton and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, James Davey Organizations: BBC, REUTERS, ITV, Markets, CMA, Hartswood, Red Planet Pictures, Sister Pictures, BT Group, Sky, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Viasat says it will not replace satellite that malfunctioned
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Satellite model is placed on Viasat logo in this picture illustration taken April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Viasat (VSAT.O) said it expects to recover less than 10% of the planned throughput on ViaSat-3 F1, its satellite that malfunctioned during deployment in July, but it was confident it could meet the needs of its customers without replacing it. It also said it now expects to reach sustainable positive free cash flow during the first half of the 2025 calendar year rather than the second half, excluding the positive impact of satellite insurance proceeds. Viasat, which bought its British rival Inmarsat in May, said it had insurance coverage of $420 million in place for ViaSat-3 F1 and it would finalize its claim before the end of the year. Shares in the group have lost as much as two-thirds of their value since the malfunction in July.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Inmarsat, Paul Sandle, Mark Porter Organizations: Viasat, REUTERS, ViaSat, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ London Luton Airport suspends flights after car park inferno
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Britain's London Luton Airport suspended all flights until 1400 GMT on Wednesday after a car fire triggered a wider blaze that led to a partial collapse of one of its multi-storey car parks. There were no known fatalities in the fire, which was first reported to emergency services late on Tuesday evening. "Our priority remains supporting the emergency services and the safety of our passengers and staff. [1/5]Flames are seen as emergency services respond to a fire in Terminal Car Park 2 at London Luton airport in Luton, Britain, October 10, 2023. Britain's easyJet (EZJ.L), whose flights operate from Luton airport, said "airlines are currently experiencing some disruption to their flying programmes."

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Britain's, Baranjot Kaur, William James, Mrinmay Dey, Chris Reese, Sonali Paul, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle Organizations: Luton Airport, London, REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, Ryanair, Wizz, Thomson Locations: London Luton, Luton, Britain, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Bengaluru, London

☆ Vodafone to create Open RAN chip sets with Intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L) underlined its commitment to Open RAN networks on Monday by confirming it would create purpose-built chipset architecture for the nascent technology with Intel (INTC.O). Open RAN allows mobile operators to mix and match equipment from various suppliers, potentially increasing flexibility. Vodafone agreed in 2022 to work with U.S. chipmaker Intel on the potential to design its own chip architecture. Vodafone and Orange said on Monday they had successfully made 4G calls over a cluster of sites in a rural area near Bucharest based on Open RAN technology. In Italy, Vodafone said a pilot with Nokia aimed to prove that Nokia's Open RAN solution could achieve the same functionality and performance as its purpose built RAN.

Persons: Toby Melville, Santiago Tenorio, Tenorio, Paul Sandle, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Vodafone, REUTERS, Intel, RAN, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, Orange, Samsung, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Romania, Italy, Malaga, Spain, Madrid, Bucharest, Dell

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. The CMA welcomed the move, saying effective competition in the 7.5 billion pound ($9.1 billion) UK market was essential. Google Vice President Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dan Ridsdale, Edison, Dado Ruvic, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Foo Yun Chee, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey, Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Ofcom, Amazon Web Services, Google, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Markets, REUTERS, Cloud Infrastructure Services, Amazon, MICROSOFT, Activision Blizzard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, France, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea, China, EU, Europe, Bengaluru, London, Brussels

Ofcom said it had identified features that made it more difficult for UK businesses to use multiple cloud suppliers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft had a combined 70-80% share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market in 2022, Ofcom said. Microsoft said it was committed to ensuring the UK cloud industry remained innovative and highly competitive. UK businesses told Ofcom they were concerned it was too difficult to switch or mix and match cloud providers. Google vice president Amit Zavery said Ofcom's referral demonstrated the need to create an open cloud market with no vendor lock-in.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ofcom, Fergal Farragher, Amit Zavery, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Lincoln, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, CMA, Ofcom, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, Markets, AWS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ UK's GB News sacks activist Laurence Fox over sexist comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Candidate Laurence Fox arrives for the results of the London mayoral election, at the City Hall in London, Britain, May 8, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Britain's GB News channel sacked actor-turned-political activist Laurence Fox on Wednesday after it said comments he made about a female journalist on air were "completely unacceptable". Evans said on social media the comments had made her feel "physically sick". GB News said it had ended its "employment relationship" with Fox and presenter Calvin Robinson, who had supported Fox online. The populist political party Reclaim he leads said on social media he had been arrested.

Persons: Laurence Fox, Henry Nicholls, Britain's Fox, Dan Wootton's, Ava Evans, Evans, Fox, Calvin Robinson, Paul Sandle, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: City Hall, REUTERS, Britain's, Fox News, Fox, Metropolitan Police, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S, British, Wootton

☆ London Tube strikes on Wednesday and Friday cancelled, RMT says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A woman looks at the tube map at the Waterloo underground station during a tube strike, in London, Britain, November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Strikes planned by RMT members working for London Underground on Wednesday and Friday have been cancelled after the union said it had made "significant progress" in talks with the rail operator. Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Writing by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Nicholson, Sachin Ravikumar, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young Organizations: REUTERS, London Underground, Thomson Locations: Waterloo, London, Britain

☆ HMD starts making Nokia phones in Europe, launches 5G smartphone
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - HMD Global, which makes Nokia-branded phones, has become the first major smartphone company to manufacture devices in Europe with its first made-in-Hungary 5G model, aimed at data security-conscious customers, now available for purchase. "We are thrilled to be manufacturing the Nokia XR21, our signature rugged 5G smartphone, in Europe," HMD Global co-founder, chairman and CEO Jean-Francois Baril said on Tuesday. Before HMD opened its Hungarian operations, Europe had no large-scale smartphone manufacturing as major companies like Apple and Samsung make their phones in Asia to keep costs down. HMD signed an exclusive 10-year licensing agreement with Nokia Oyj (NOKIA.HE), once the world's largest phone maker, in 2016 to make Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets. The Nokia XR21 European edition is priced from 649 euros, or 549 pounds, the company said.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jean, Francois Baril, HMD, Baril, Paul Sandle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Nokia Corporation, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nokia, Apple, Samsung, U.S ., European Union, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, Hungary, Asia, China, Finland

☆ BBC updates social media rules for star presenters like Gary Lineker
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's BBC said its top stars such as Gary Lineker could opine on political issues on social media but must stop short of campaigning, in new guidelines prompted by a row over the sports presenter's comments about immigration policy earlier this year. He was reinstated after a public backlash and near mutiny at the broadcaster, which has struggled to balance impartiality with its employees' ability to speak to millions of people on social media platforms. Lineker said on X, formerly know as Twitter, that the new guidelines were "very sensible". The BBC's journalists and others working in news and current affairs will continue to have to abide by the strictest rules on impartiality, the guidance said. Other BBC staff or freelancers will not be required to uphold the BBC's impartiality, but they must be civil and not bring the broadcaster into disrepute.

Persons: Gary Lineker, Lineker, John Hardie, Paul Sandle, Alison Williams Organizations: BBC, Thomson Locations: Germany

☆ Candy Crush Saga hits $20 billion revenue milestone, maker King says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Mascots dressed as characters from the mobile video game "Candy Crush Saga" pose outside the New York Stock Exchange ahead of the IPO of Mobile game maker King Digital Entertainment Plc March 26, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Candy Crush Saga, the matching game played by millions on their commute, has reached $20 billion in revenue since its 2012 launch, maker King said, adding that it would soon release levels up to 15,000 for the most dedicated players. King President Tjodolf Sommestad said Candy Crush Saga and its other titles like Farm Heroes Saga showed that mobile games could have enduring appeal. Todd Green, Candy Crush general manager, said the game was constantly updated to make it more satisfying, from optimising the tiny bounce when candies land in the grid to adding new levels, including the 15,000 milestone. "Candy Crush took us a few months to build but we added 10 years of development after that."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, King, Tjodolf Sommestad, Candy, Sommestad, Todd Green, Candy Crush, Crush, Paul Sandle, Bill Berkrot Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Mobile, King Digital Entertainment, REUTERS, Facebook, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Aldi UK to increase investment as profit rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The UK arm of German discount supermarket Aldi said on Monday it would increase its investment in the period to end-2024 to 1.4 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) as it reported a rise in profit in 2022. Aldi UK, Britain's fourth largest supermarket with a 10.1% market share and along with rival Lidl GB its fastest growing, said it would continue to expand its store and distribution networks, revamp existing stores and invest in technology. Earlier, this month Aldi UK opened its 1,000th store and raised its target to 1,500. Aldi UK said 2022 sales rose almost 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) to 15.5 billion pounds as its appeal grew during a cost of living crisis. Operating profit increased to 178.7 million pounds, versus 60.2 million pounds in 2021, representing a margin of 1.2%.

Persons: James Davey, Paul Sandle Organizations: Aldi, Lidl, Thomson Locations: COVID

☆ Britain says may clear restructured Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 - Microsoft's (MSFT.O) restructured acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) "opens the door" to the deal being cleared, Britain's antitrust regulator said on Friday. The Ubisoft divestment "substantially addresses previous concerns," the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said in a statement. "While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues," the regulator said. The CMA said there were "residual concerns" that certain provisions in the Ubisoft deal could be circumvented, terminated or not enforced.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Varun, Jason Neely Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Markets Authority, CMA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru, London

☆ UK says grounds to clear Microsoft's Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Friday said there were grounds to clear Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard. "The CMA now gives notice ... to the Parties that it considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered, or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA ... and that it is considering the offer," the CMA said in a document published by the British government. Reporting by William James; Editing by Paul SandleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Activision Blizzard, William James, Paul Sandle Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, CMA, Thomson Locations: British

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. "While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues," the regulator said. The European Union waved the deal through in May after accepting Microsoft's commitments to license Activision's games to other platforms, the same remedies that Britain had rejected. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also opposes the deal, but it has failed in its attempts to stop it. The CMA said there were "residual concerns" around the Ubisoft deal, but Microsoft has offered remedies to ensure the terms of the sale were enforceable by the regulator.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith, Sarah Cardell, Sophie Lund, Yates, Hargreaves Lansdown, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Varun H, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Ubisoft UK's CMA, CMA, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft, Union, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: U.S, Britain, Bengaluru, London

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