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☆ Commodity-linked stocks push FTSE 100 higher; retailers slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.6% to hover near a more than four-year high scaled on Wednesday, while the more domestically focused FTSE 250 mid-cap index (.FTMC) rose 0.9%. Retailers Tesco (TSCO.L) and Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) slipped between 0.3% and 1.6% despite strong sales, as both companies warned of inflationary pressures. Financial stocks were among the top gainers on the FTSE 100, with banks like HSBC (HSBA.L) and Barclays (BARC.L) rising 0.9% and 1.4%, respectively. The FTSE 100 has had a bright start to the year so far, rising in almost every session. Centrica (CNA.L) climbed to the top of FTSE 100, jumping 6.1% after the British Gas owner raised its full-year earnings forecast.

☆ I work in party hostels all around the world. I clean gross rooms and host all-night pub crawls in exchange for a free place to live — here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Taylor Futch works at party hostels and does everything from leading pub crawls to manning the desk. I worked at 4 hostels in 2022After Brazil, I worked at one of Europe's famous party hostels, Rising Cock Party Hostel in Lagos, Portugal, for two months and had an incredible experience. My job is to get to know the guests and host a series of nightly events like beer pong and pub trivia. You're bound to find some interesting things while cleaning inside a party hostel. My birthday fell on a Thursday, which is when my hostel has its weekly party, so I wound up DJing.

☆ A day in the life of Lisa Simonsen, an NYC luxury real-estate agent who takes calls at 3 a.m., counts Kelly Ripa as a client, and closed over $100 million in deals in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lisa Simonsen is a New York high-society fixture and a real-estate broker with Douglas Elliman. She has closed over $2 billion in deals since 2005, with over $100 million in sales in 2022. Her day starts at 5 a.m. with cycling and green juice and ends at 10 p.m. with client phone calls. These days she is among the top-selling brokers at brokerage Douglas Elliman, where she heads up the ten-member Simonsen Team. "I'm very passionate about my work," Simonsen said.

☆ An FTX exec bought $6 million of real estate and restaurants in a small Massachusetts town. The crypto giant's collapse has local officials worried about its future.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ryan Salame, a co-CEO at FTX, bought $6 million of restaurants and real estate in Lenox, Massachusetts. A local newspaper reported last year that Salame owned almost half the town's restaurants. As first reported by local news outlet The Berkshire Eagle, Ryan Salame, who was co-CEO at FTX Digital Markets, invested $6 million in restaurants and real estate in Lenox. Bankman-Fried has been accused of funneling customer funds into his trading firm, Alameda, and using some customer money to buy luxury real estate and fund political donations. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Salame vomited upon hearing about FTX's impending collapse.

☆ There Is Beer at the World Cup—if You Can Find It
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Donna Abdulaziz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—Duncan Farr, a stockbroker from Scotland, arrived at his five-star hotel here for the World Cup only to learn the establishment was dry. So he set out to build his schedule not only around soccer, but also around finding cold beer. “There’s no spontaneity,” Mr. Farr concedes. By his fourth day in the country, he was downing Stella Artois at the Irish Pub on the 14th floor of a Best Western hotel. “You’ve got to plan it,” he adds.

☆ UK's FTSE boosted higher by healthcare sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 rose 0.1%, FTSE 250 falls 0.2%GSK escapes U.S. lawsuit on Zantac allegationsMoonpig drops to bottom of FTMCDec 7 (Reuters) - UK's export-oriented FTSE 100 climbed on Wednesday as the healthcare sector was boosted by shares of GSK after the drugmaker escaped U.S. lawsuits over its heartburn drug Zantac. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) edged 0.1% higher by 0930 GMT. The pharmaceutical sector (.FTNMX201030) rose 3.3% in its biggest one-day percentage gain since late February. A nearly 10% jump in shares of GSK Plc (GSK.L) boosted the index after the drugmaker was spared thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming that Zantac caused cancer. The real estate sector (.FTUB3510) fell 0.2% and is down 34% year-to-date and is heading towards its biggest fall since 2008.

“Spoiler Alert” opened in U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “Women Talking” opened in select U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “The Whale” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 9. “Babylon” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

☆ White House to ask oil and gas execs to support Ukraine energy infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Roman Baluk/File PhotoDec 5 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is convening a virtual meeting on Thursday with oil and gas executives to discuss how the United States can support Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The meeting comes as Russia seeks to cut off Ukraine’s energy supplies and destroy infrastructure as winter approaches with missile attacks. "As you know Ukrainian energy assets are being aggressively targeted in an effort to take advantage of the winter's coldest temperatures and harshest weather conditions. Together, we can help to boost Ukrainian resilience," wrote David Turk, U.S. deputy secretary of energy, in a letter to oil and gas executives. It involves members of the Oil and Natural Gas Sector Coordinating Council, which includes 26 trade associations.

☆ Biden administration looks to oil and gas execs to help bolster Ukraine energy assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People sit in a pub lit with candles during a power outage after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian missile attacks, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Lviv, Ukraine November 24, 2022. REUTERS/Roman Baluk/File PhotoDec 5 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is convening a virtual meeting on Thursday with oil and gas executives to discuss how the United States can support Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The meeting comes as Russia seeks to cut off Ukraine’s energy supplies and infrastructure as winter approaches with missile attacks. "As you know Ukrainian energy assets are being aggressively targeted in an effort to take advantage of the winter's coldest temperatures and harshest weather conditions. Together, we can help to boost Ukrainian resilience," wrote David Turk, U.S. deputy secretary of energy, in a letter to oil and gas executives.

☆ British rail workers union rejects offer aimed at averting strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain's RMT union said on Sunday that it had rejected a pay rise offer of 4% in 2022 and 2023 from train operators aimed at heading off further strike action, which has disrupted travel for millions of rail users. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, had earlier offered the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers a pay rise of 8% over two years with a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies to April 2024. Rail workers in Britain have staged several strikes this year, including the country's biggest strike in decades during the summer, pressing demands for better pay during a cost-of-living crisis. Businesses and train companies warned of travel disruption in the run-up to Christmas from the strikes. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has said the week of the strikes planned for December is usually the year's busiest for the pub industry.

☆ Christmas vacations: 15 of the best places to go
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The Bath Christmas Market has a multitude of wooden chalets selling distinctively British handmade crafts in a quaint Georgian setting. Bogotá, ColombiaA woman dressed as Santa Claus sits next to a Christmas tree and a Christmas star at Bolivar Square in Bogota. Salzburg and Oberndorf, AustriaThe Christmas Market and associated festivities in Salzburg are really something to sing about. Dating back to 1570, Strasbourg claims to be the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe. damianalmua/Adobe StockThe traditional Christmas colors of red, green and white take on an entirely new meaning in New Zealand.

Persons: CNN —, Santa Claus, Claus, ”, Allan Baxter, Jesus, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Centre –, Austen, Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar, Roy Rochlin, Bergdorf Goodman, Wangari Maathai, Fernando Vergara, “ Ruta, John’s, Miguel de Allende, Mary, Joseph, “ posada ”, Mozart, White Organizations: CNN, Bath Abbey, Jane Austen Centre, The, Royal, Catholic, Rockefeller, Getty Images Rockefeller, New York, Radio City, Columbus Circle, Fashion’s, Saks Fifth, Macy’s Herald Square, Kenyan, Park, Nuremberg, Toy Museum, Bolivar, Downtown, Malta Toy Museum, Quebec City, Adobe, Nord Expe, Mexico Piñatas, UNESCO, ”, Santa Locations: England, Philippines, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland, Santa, Bethlehem , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, New York City, Bethlehem, Moravian, Bath, “, Fernando , Philippines, Asia, San Fernando, Catholic Philippines, Manila, of Bethlehem, Barcelona, Spain, Santa Eulalia, New York City New York, Central Park, Macy’s, Nairobi, Kenya, Nuremberg, Germany, German, Bogotá, Colombia, Bogota, Christmastime, Malta, Downtown Valletta, Quebec City, Canada, Petit Champlain, Quebec, Old Quebec, Sentier, Nord, Miguel, Mexico, posadas, ponche, Piñatas, Salzburg, Oberndorf, Austria, ” Salzburg, Bavaria, Strasbourg, France, Europe, Queenstown , New Zealand, New Zealand, Queenstown, Wakatipu

☆ Qatar World Cup lays bare environmental cost of a desert tournament
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Armelle De Oliveira | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

But as it hosts the soccer World Cup, controversy is also descending on the tiny Gulf kingdom. “The tournament has been labeled as the first ‘fully carbon neutral FIFA World Cup tournament,’ meaning its overall impact on the planet should be zero,” the letter said. People gather around the official countdown clock showing remaining time until the kick-off of the World Cup on Nov. 11. After winning the right to host the tournament, Qatar pledged to become the first carbon neutral World Cup host. “Events like the World Cup, like the football World Cup or like the Olympics bring joy and happiness to millions of people, sometimes even billions of people, right?” he said.

☆ Up, down, up again: Japan's soccer-related stocks mirror Samurai Blue's performance
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Nobuyo Saito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Japanese shares of soccer-related companies had a good day on Friday as they mirrored the national team's roller-coaster performance at the World Cup where the "Samurai Blue" delivered another shocking win, this time over global powerhouse Spain. Having also beaten four-times champions Germany in their first match last week, Japan advances to the knockout round at the top of the table. Access to the company's streaming platform hit a record of more than 10 million the day Japan clinched a surprise victory over Germany. "We're especially fielding a lot of calls about the limited-edition soccer boots that the Samurai Blue are wearing," a Mizuho spokesperson said. Pub operator Hub said COVID-19 could cloud comparisons against the last World Cup in 2018, but that "there's big hope riding" on the rest of the tournament.

☆ 'Violent Night' review: David Harbour delivers the goods by putting Santa Claus in 'Die Hard' mode
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The idea of a nasty Christmas movie is nothing new, but “Violent Night” still manages to deliver the goods, mixing “Die Hard” and “Rambo”-style action with a fair amount of hokey ho-ho-hokum. David Harbour makes a particularly good cranky, butt-kicking Santa, in a movie that offers the sort of shared experience that should bring theaters some much-needed cheer. Still, pulling off that combination of over-the-top violence, goofy comedy and (in this case) Hallmark-style meaning-of-Christmas stuff is a pretty formidable challenge, and while the setting proves slightly claustrophobic, “Violent Night” mostly overcomes it. That might not be the formula for a fun-for-the-whole-family holiday perennial, but to its credit, those sitting through “Violent Night” should rarely stay silent for long. “Violent Night” premieres December 2 in US theaters.

☆ Hate speech dramatically surges on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN Business —New Twitter owner Elon Musk declared last month that “hate speech impressions” had dramatically fallen on the platform since he took over. It was a remarkable claim, given that Musk has executed mass layoffs and chased away hundreds of employees, draining the company of much-needed resources to enforce content moderation policies, which the billionaire has also publicly criticized. On Friday, two watchdog groups published research that indicated Musk’s claim simply did not hold water, offering one of the clearest pictures to date of the surging tide of hate speech on the platform. The Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Defamation League both said in reports that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship. Specifically, the Center for Countering Digital Hate said the daily use of the n-word under Musk is triple the 2022 average and the use of slurs against gay men and trans persons are up 58% and 62%, respectively.

☆ Cameron Smith lifted aloft in pub as he celebrates home victory by watching TV replay
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Jump into the crowd, watch back the replay, have a triumphant drink; there are many ways for an athlete to celebrate a big win. If you’re Cameron Smith, you can do all three at the same time. Cam Smith celebrating his #AUSPGA win in a pub with the replay on the TV is tremendous areas! “I think two cans of beer can fit in there,” Smith told reporters at St. Andrews. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images“I can’t believe she did it,” Smith told reporters.

☆ I visited KFC's pop-up London pub, where guests can get fried chicken delivered to their table and everything is chicken-themed. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

To get a ticket, you have to sign up on Eventbrite. All the slots were booked up well in advance of the pub opening. There are still some slots available for walk-ins, though. Grace Dean/InsiderSource: Eventbrite

☆ Australian government moves to censure former prime minister over secret ministries
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Labor government said it will move a parliamentary censure motion against former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison this week after an inquiry found his secret appointment to multiple ministries undermined trust in government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said a motion of censure would be introduced to the Labor-controlled House of Representative this week by either the leader of the house or the attorney general. "This wasn't about a relationship between the former prime minister and his ministers. It's not a personal relationship between two mates over what happened down the pub," Albanese said during a news conference. Having committed to all six changes, Albanese said legislation to require public notification of ministerial appointments will be introduced this week.

☆ Wales v England clash splits border village down the middle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"If you're on the path you're in Wales, if you're in here you're in Shropshire," Jason Farr, owner of The Cross Keys, was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph. "When Wales score, people run out, shout and come back," she told the Telegraph. "Then if England score they come and give some abuse and run back. Judging by recent history things might be a little louder in the Cross Keys on Tuesday. England have won the last six meetings between the sides, and the last time Wales tasted victory was in 1984.

☆ Czech pubs tap tech in bid to save energy costs on beer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Czech pubs are turning to technology to reduce the cost of putting glasses of beer on the bar for thirsty locals. With Czechs among the biggest beer drinkers in the world, brewer Plzensky Prazdroj plans to install sensors which will collect data on beer flow, as well as tube and tap temperatures. Plzensky Prazdroj hopes that by making adjustments its pubs will save up to 30% of the energy needed for cooling and tapping their beer, a goal made more pressing by rising energy costs. The system uses Internet of Drinks solutions by start-up firm Smart Technology, which uses ultrasound metering and provides information on the amount of beer tapped, sanitation intervals and the state of the cooling system. At Prague's Katr pub, where the system is already in use, manager Michal Reznicek is hoping for an impact on rising costs, which are impacting beer, food and staff.

☆ One of Wall Street's toughest shops isn't for the faint of heart. But the rewards are plenty for those who make it to the top.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apollo Global Management; Yahoo; Brightspeed; Legendary; Alyssa Powell/Insider1. That, in a nutshell, is life at Apollo Global Management. The firm works on a points system that could most easily be described as a profit-share system, Casey told me. In other news:France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Cup REUTERS / Kai Pfaffenbach2. You're not just watching the World Cup.

Christopher Gregory/Getty ImagesDonald McGahn, Trump campaign counsel: I was at the top. Trump's 2016 campaign aides said they paid about 50 people, including part-time actors, to appear as supporters for his 2016 campaign announcement. Corey Lewandowski, Trump campaign managerCorey Lewandowski: I called my wife just as we were getting onto the plane. Stuff that would be from Mars on any other campaign was perfectly normal for the Trump campaign. Mark J. Terrill/AP photo Show less Trump at the Republican National Convention while Cruz speaks on July 20, 2016.

☆ UK pubs call for beer duty freeze ahead of tough Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 12 (Reuters) - Britain's pubs want the government's help in keeping prices of a pint affordable this Christmas, as surging inflation is driving up costs for businesses and hampering consumers' purchasing power. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), in a letter dated Nov. 11 to finance minister Jeremy Hunt, called on the government to bring back a freeze on beer duty in its budget announcement due on Nov. 17. "We need the beer duty freeze reinstated to alleviate at least some of the cost pressure on our pubs and brewers and to avoid undermining the crucial Alcohol Duty reform measures," Chief Executive of BBPA Emma McClarkin said in a statement on Saturday. The industry body warned that failing to introduce the beer duty freeze would take the tax to its highest ever for the sector, adding that a freeze would channel about 360 million pounds ($423.5 million) back into the industry. ($1 = 0.8500 pounds)Reporting by Amna Karimi and Muhammed Husain in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTSE inches lower amid global caution; M&S slips on cost warning
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 down 0.3%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Nov 9 (Reuters) - UK's blue-chip shares edged lower on Wednesday amid a cautious global mood as investors awaited the outcome of U.S. midterm elections, while Marks & Spencer fell after the retailer warned of higher costs. The export-oriented FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.3% by 0829 GMT, while the domestically-oriented FTSE 250 (.FTMC) also shed 0.3%. Global markets were subdued as investors braced for U.S. inflation data due this week and eyed results of midterm polls that could signify a power shift in Washington. Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) dropped 1.2% as it warned of a "gathering storm" of higher costs and pressure on household budgets, and reiterated full-year profits would fall. Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Heavily discounted UK Plc may have further to fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hani Redha, global multi-asset portfolio manager at U.S. investment firm PineBridge, said that UK valuations do not look cheap when looking at a multi-year timeframe and the "structural issues facing the UK economy". UK stocks (.FTAS) are already trading at a record discount to their global peers (.MIWD00000PUS), Refinitiv data shows, but investors expect new lows next year. UK discountThe domestic-orientated FTSE 250 mid-cap index (.FTMC) has broken three consecutive quarterly declines after new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dumped most of his predecessor's market-crushing fiscal plan. Half of all borrowing by UK non-financial companies is in dollars, totalling about 350 billion pounds ($399.5 billion), according to S&P Global. "Bearing in mind in what state the UK economy is right now, I would stay clear of UK small-caps," he said.

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