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☆ A migrant had just crossed the border when he found a scared, 9-year-old boy who needed help. The encounter changed them both
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | Thomas Lake | After Days Of Hiding Authorities | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

Chris Buchleitner and his mother, Dawn Tomko, went on many camping trips together, like the one shown here. With help on the way, Manuel could have headed on for Tucson or Phoenix. The local fire chief gave him a small stuffed horse, telling Manuel he’d been a hero in the wilderness, like the Lone Ranger. An orphaned boy moves to PennsylvaniaWhen Chris Buchleitner was still a baby, his parents made a plan for the worst-case scenario. Cordova, who now has seven children and four grandchildren, says he thought of his own children when he came across Chris Buchleitner in the Arizona wilderness.

Persons: Chris Buchleitner, van, Chris, He’d, he’d, Manuel Cordova’s, Chris doesn’t, Chris’s, Dawn Tomko, Tanner, Jade, Manuel, Manny, Magdalena de Kino, Saint Francis Xavier, Father Kino, Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes, Norma Jean Gargasz, Magdalena, Manuel burrowed, ” Manuel, “, who’d, Manuel Cordova, Jeffry Scott, Chris hadn’t, Manuel he’d, Michael M, Foster, Dennis DeConcini Port, Alma Lidia Soberanes, Cordova, Manuel finally, ” Manuel didn’t, Manuel hadn’t, Jack Buchleitner, —, Jack, Dawn, Mary Butera, Christopher, Mary, Vinny Butera, Austin Steele, don’t, Mexico Manuel, They’d, ”, that’s, Julian Rigg, Emmanuel Macron, Raul Grijalva, he’s, hadn’t, Eythan, they’re Organizations: CNN, Patrol, Border Patrol, Jesuit, Saint, Police, Arizona Daily Star, AP, Ranger, Rico Fire, Dennis, Duquesne University, UPMC, Coopers Rock State Forest, North, Facebook Locations: Arizona, Mexican, Mexico, Tucson, Phoenix, American, Rimrock , Arizona, Magdalena, Sonora, Nogales, Nogales , Arizona, manila, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, UPMC Shadyside, West Virginia, Washington, North, Magdalena’s, Mexicali, United States, France, Emmanuel Macron . Arizona, America

☆ Israel pounds Gaza as hostage release looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dozens of Palestinian women and teenagers held prisoner by Israel for periods of a few months to several years will gain their freedom under Wednesday's deal for the release of 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza by the Islamist group Hamas.

Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Britain's Hunt broadens push to unlock pension pots for growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

By 2030, the majority of workplace DC savers will have their pension pots managed in schemes of over 30 billion pounds, and by 2040, all local government pension funds will be invested in pools of 200 billion pounds or more," Hunt told parliament. Hunt said such changes could help unlock an extra 75 billion pounds ($93.46 billion) of financing for high growth companies by 2030, and improve returns for pensioners. The British Business Bank will set up a new growth fund for schemes to invest in growth companies, and there will be a consultation on giving the Pension Protection Fund a new role to help consolidate direct benefit schemes, he said. The government also wants to allow certain portions of shares - fractional shares - within ISAs. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by Huw Jones Editing by Frances Kerry and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hannah McKay, Hunt, PIMFA, William Wright, Huw Jones, Frances Kerry, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, British, London Stock Exchange's, Aquis Exchange, DC, British Business Bank, Local, ISA, Labour Party, Labour, New, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, New York, ISAs

☆ UK's Sage reports 18% rise in annual operating profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Software company Sage (SGE.L) reported a 18% rise in full-year underlying operating profit to 456 million pounds ($568 million) on Wednesday after its margin rose to 20.9%, and it said the margin would continue to increase this year. "Looking ahead, we expect organic total revenue growth in FY24 to be broadly in line with FY23," it said. "Operating margins are expected to trend upwards in FY24 and beyond, as we focus on efficiently scaling the group." The company also said it would start a 350 million pound share buyback programme which would run until next April. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Sandle, Sarah Young Organizations: Software, Thomson Locations: British

☆ 9 passenger airliners that have landed on Antarctica's rugged runways made out of blue ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These planes land on rugged, unpaved runways mostly made of blue ice and compacted snow. PrivatAir's Boeing 737 and Smartwings' Boeing 737 MAXA Smartwings 737 MAX on Antarctica in January 2022. It was the first time the jet type landed on one of the continent's blue ice runways. Another Loftleider 757 is set to ferry Antarctic Ice Marathon runners to Union Glacier this December. Loftleider Icelandic Airlines' and Titan Airways Boeing 767Titan Airways' Boeing 767 on Antarctica.

Persons: —, George Hubert Wilkins, Glenn Jacobson, PrivatAir, NPI, Tim Hewette, Troll, Fang, Patrick Woodhead Organizations: Atlantic Airways, Boeing, Service, Lockheed Vega, Airbus, Australian Antarctic, Australian, Skytraders, Australian Antarctic Program, McMurdo, AAP, Norwegian Polar Institute, Swiss, NPI, Boeing's, Airlines, Titan Airways, Antarctic Logistics, Expeditions, Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, Antarctic Ice, Russian Antarctic, Titan Airways Boeing, Norse Atlantic Airways, Emirates, White Desert Locations: Antarctica, Skytraders, Christchurch , New Zealand, Hobart, Australia's, Tasmania, Cape Town , South Africa, Czech, Chile, Russian, NPI, Norway, Cape Town, Russia's

NatWest Group bank logo and decreasing stock graph are seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. "I will explore options for a NatWest retail share offer in the next 12 months subject to supportive market conditions and achieving value for money," Hunt said on Wednesday. NatWest shares dipped on Hunt's comments and were last down 1.1% at 204.7 pence, compared with a 0.2% fall in the FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index. The stock is the worst performing FTSE 100 British bank stock this year, down more than a fifth, according to Eikon data. That investment turned sour for many and shares in the renamed holding company International Distributions Service (IDSI.L) are now worth 25% less than its 330 pence offer price.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Sid, Alasdair Haynes, Nigel Farage, Alison Rose, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, David Milliken, Sarah Young, William James, Elaine Hardcastle, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: NatWest Group, REUTERS, Companies, NatWest, Aquis, Royal Mail, Distributions Service, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson

SummaryCompanies UK business investment has lagged since Brexit"Largest business tax cut" in modern history-HuntTax break costs 11 bln stg a yearOBR forecasts 3 bln stg a year investment boostLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt made a tax break for business investment permanent on Wednesday, aiming to kickstart growth in the country's sluggish economy. Hunt hopes that by making permanent the tax break known as "full expensing", companies will spend more on new kit and technology, lifting productivity. This is the largest business tax cut in modern British history," Hunt said in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday. BT (BT.L), a beneficiary of the tax break as it is investing billions in building a new fibre network, welcomed Hunt's move. British business investment has trailed that of other developed economies, according to research from the International Monetary Fund.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Hunt's, Philip Jansen, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Stephen Phipson, Robert Forrester, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: LONDON, BT, Labour, Conservatives, Britain's, REUTERS Acquire, International Monetary Fund, Vertu, BBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, British

☆ British tax cut spells trouble in store for next government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt's big tax cut surprise could help the ruling Conservatives recover some favour among voters, but it threatens to store up budget problems for whichever party wins power after the expected 2024 election. Combined with his decision to make permanent the incentives for business investment announced earlier this year, Hunt's package of tax cuts would be worth about 20 billion pounds ($25 billion)a year by the 2028/29 tax year. "The giveaways announced today are funded by handing whoever wins the next election implausibly large spending cuts," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. Hunt is likely to remain under pressure from within his party to go further with more tax cuts in a final pre-election budget statement expected in March. "There's a material risk that those plans prove undeliverable and today's tax cuts will not prove to be sustainable," Johnson said.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Liz, Rishi Sunak, Labour Party's, Rachel Reeves, Torsten Bell, Investec, David Jones, Paul Johnson, Johnson, William Schomberg, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ I visited an indoor farm in Compton that's growing leafy greens for Walmart and Whole Foods using robots — and it gave me a peek at the future of farming
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The urban farm supplies Walmart and Whole Foods with leafy greens. The urban farm run by the Bay Area agricultural-tech startup Plenty is designed to grow up to 4.5 million pounds of leafy greens annually. Plenty launched the large-scale indoor farm in May, producing leafy greens that can go from harvest to store in 24 hours. Over my two-decade career as a food journalist, I've visited farms and processing plants that supply leafy greens for top fast-food chains such as McDonald's. Plenty, on the other hand, grows, harvests, and packages four types of leafy greens in a single facility.

Persons: —, I've Organizations: Walmart, Service, Foods, Bristol Farms Locations: Compton , California, Bay, California, Plenty, America

Investors cautioned that tax breaks would not be sufficient to raise business investment while UK interest rates stayed high. But Wednesday, equity markets focused on Hunt's business boosts, such as a move to make full expensing on investment permanent. UK stock markets have underperformed their European and U.S. peers in 2023. The FTSE 100 index 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is around 10.7, about half that of U.S. stocks, with Hunt's budget unlikely to move the dial too far. Reuters GraphicsSTERLING SOGGYThe pound struggled to gain any traction on the back of Hunt's budget.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kwasi Kwarteng, Leigh Himsworth, Simon Harvey, Philip Shaw, Thomas McGarrity, Fuller, Smith, Turner, Oli Creasey, It's, BoE, GILTS, Craig Erlam, Goldman Sachs, Naomi Rovnick, Samuel Indyk, Lucy Raitano, Amanda Cooper, Harry Robertson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Traders, Investors, Fidelity International, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, BT, Investec, RBC Wealth Management, Reuters, BREWERS, Debt Management, Reuters Graphics STERLING, Thomson Locations: U.S, Cheviot, gilts, London

☆ Nissan to make electric versions of Qashqai, Juke in Britain -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A badge is seen on the new Juke car at Nissan's car plant in Sunderland Britain, October 10, 2019. REUTERS/Phil Noble/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Nissan Motor Co Ltd FollowLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) will announce on Friday that it will build the electric versions of its Qashqai and Juke models at its plant in Sunderland, northern England, Sky News reported on Wednesday. Citing automotive industry sources, Sky reported Nissan would commit hundreds of millions of pounds to the project. While no upfront taxpayer money will be involved, the British government is expected to provide guarantees, the report added. Nissan representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Phil Noble, Kylie MacLellan, Nick Carey Organizations: REUTERS, Nissan Motor, Nissan, Sky News, Thomson Locations: Sunderland Britain, Sunderland, England

☆ Palantir Wins Major U.K. Health Contract Despite Criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Palantir, the software company founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, on Tuesday won a major contract in Britain to help overhaul the technology system of the country’s state-run health service, overcoming concerns about a firm known for its military-related work in the United States securing such a sensitive role involving patient data. The National Health Service said Palantir had been awarded the seven-year contract, worth 330 million pounds, or about $415 million, to build a new platform that integrates data from across the N.H.S. Called the Federated Data Platform, the system is intended to make it easier to share patient information and analyze wider health trends across the sprawling health service. Palantir was a controversial choice, as some doctors, civil society groups and members of Parliament had raised concerns about giving the company responsibility for building what could eventually become one of the world’s largest repositories of health data. Palantir was awarded the contract in partnership with Accenture, the business consulting firm, PwC, NECS and Carnall Farrar.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Palantir, Thiel, Donald J, Trump’s, Carnall Farrar Organizations: Tuesday, National Health Service, Federated, Accenture Locations: Britain, United States, England, Wales

[1/5] Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement, in London, Britain, November 22, 2023. "After a global pandemic and energy crisis, we have taken difficult decisions to put our economy back on track," Hunt told parliament on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement fiscal update. Hunt pointed to OBR forecasts showing the government would meet its targets for the public finances, leaving open the possibility of further pre-election giveaways to voters in his full budget statement expected in early 2024. Sunak this week promised "responsible" tax cuts, mindful of last year's "mini-budget" turmoil in financial markets triggered by his predecessor Liz Truss's plans for much bigger tax cuts. This time last year, the newly installed Sunak and Hunt raised taxes sharply to quell the bond market mayhem.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Stefan Rousseau, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Paul Johnson, we've, giveaways, Johnson, BoE, Philip Shaw, Liz Truss's, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, James Davey, Suban Abdulla, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Sumanta Sen, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Labour Party, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Gross, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, Graphics, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ SpaceX Starship: What’s next for the most powerful rocket ever built
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Mere moments after SpaceX’s Starship system — the most powerful rocket ever built — was lost in a test flight Saturday, a somewhat complicated narrative around the vehicle began to emerge. “What we did today will provide invaluable data to continue rapidly developing Starship,” SpaceX said Saturday in a statement. SpaceX's mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The Starship spacecraft was then able to ignite its own engines and break away from the Super Heavy rocket booster to continue the mission. SpaceX's Starship rocket prototypes are seen at the SpaceX Starbase in Brownsville, Texas, on August 19, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Artemis III —, Bill Nelson, SpaceX, —, Eric Gay, John Insprucker, Elon Musk, Jim Watson, Wayne Hale, they’ve, ” Hale, “, They’ve, ”, SpaceX’s, Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, Wiseman, Glover, Hammock Koch, Hansen, Artemis, Bill Ingalls, Hale, Jeff Bezos, Lakiesha Hawkins, ” Hawkins, NASA isn’t, Apollo Hale, Neil A, Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E, Aldrin Jr, ” What’s, Veronica Cardenas, Reuters It’s Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, NASA, China, Super, International Astronautical, Getty, FAA, CSA, Canadian Space Agency, Orion, Planetary Society, SLS, Origin, Blue, Kennedy Space Center, Saturn, Earth, ” CNN, Reuters, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Starbase, Boca Chica , Texas, Baku, Azerbaijian, Boca Chica, South Texas, AFP, Texas, Washington, Florida, “, SpaceX’s, Brownsville , Texas

Political Cartoons View All 1260 ImagesThe lawsuit is one of several brought by Harry in his personal mission to tame the tabloids. Another judge is currently weighing whether to award Harry damages against the publisher of the Daily Mirror for using skulduggery to dig up dirt on his life. Claimants spent 1.7 million ($2.1 million) pounds to prevail against the publisher's failed attempt to get the case dismissed, Sherborne said. The publisher is seeking up to 755,000 pounds ($945,000) in fees used to successfully block the use of the evidence from the Leveson inquiry. Other parties to the case are actor Sadie Frost, Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, anti-racism advocate Doreen Lawrence and former politician Simon Hughes.

Persons: Prince Harry’s, Duke, Sussex, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Harry, snoop, Matthew Nicklin, ledgers, Leveson, Princess Diana, Meghan, decamp, It’s, Hugh Grant, David Sherborne, Nicklin, Duke of Sussex, Sherborne, Adrian Beltrami, “, I’m, ” Nicklin, Sadie Frost, Elton John’s, David, Doreen Lawrence, Simon Hughes Organizations: Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers Ltd, Daily, The Sun, Associated Newspapers Locations: London, Paris

☆ UK's Hunt to cut taxes to boost economy and election prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Buoyed by a fall in inflation, Hunt plans to use his Autumn Statement budget update speech to parliament to shift the government's focus to fixing the long-running weak growth problem of the world's sixth-biggest economy. The Times reported that Hunt would cut the headline rates of national insurance for around 28 million people and make tax incentives for business investment permanent. After the meltdown in British financial markets last year, triggered by the huge tax cut plans of former prime minister Liz Truss, Hunt and Sunak have promised to move carefully. Hunt and Sunak announced major tax-raising measures a year ago to assuage bond investors after Truss's mini-budget. Many analysts say that in the coming years whoever runs Britain will have to raise taxes further, not cut them.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Sunak, William Schomberg, Mark Potter Organizations: Conservative, Labour Party, The Times, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: Britain

They said some battery operators are already supplying back-up power to grids at a price competitive with gas power plants, meaning gas will be used less. British independent Carlton Power dropped plans for an 800 million pound ($997 million) gas power plant in Manchester, northern England, in 2016. MODELS UNDER SCRUTINYDevelopers can no longer use financial modelling that assumes gas power plants are used constantly throughout their 20-year-plus lifetime, analysts said. Many countries world-wide, but especially in Europe, provide payments for standby power plants through capacity markets. In Europe, 40 million electric vehicles are expected by 2030, capable of displacing around one third of the region's gas power capacity, according to Kaluza.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Carlton Power, Keith Clarke, Clarke, Carlton, Nigel Scott, Banks, Simon Virley, Helen Sanders, Sanders, Carlton's Clarke, Sarah McFarlane, Susanna Twidale, Simon Webb, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Global Energy Monitor, Power Ventures, Carlton, Carlton Power, Reuters, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Investors, Electricity, KPMG, Union, Octopus Energy, Thomson Locations: Finedon, Britain, Europe, United States, New Jersey, Manchester, England, London

☆ Britain to raise minimum wage by 9.8% to 11.44 pounds an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Britain's minimum wage will increase by 9.8% to 11.44 pounds ($14.26) an hour from April 2024, making it one of the highest as a share of average earnings of any advanced economy. "The National Living Wage has helped halve the number of people on low pay since 2010," Hunt said on Tuesday. In 2022, the OECD estimated Britain's minimum wage was equivalent to 58% of full-time earnings, the third-highest in western Europe after Portugal and France. The Low Pay Commission, an expert panel which advises the government on minimum wage increases, said the arguments around the upcoming increase were "finely balanced". "As last year, businesses felt pressured to pass National Living Wage increases onto consumers.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Muvija, William James Our Organizations: Conservative Party, Bank of England, OECD, Pay Commission, Thomson Locations: Europe, Portugal, France

☆ Jeff Zucker Nears Major Deal to Re-enter the News Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After a series of financial maneuvers, RedBird IMI would assume ownership and management of The Telegraph and The Spectator. Redbird IMI said its Emirati partner would be a passive investor. Mr. Zucker declined to comment, citing the pending negotiations. Mr. Zucker does not plan to oversee day-to-day news coverage, the person said. RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird Capital, a private-equity firm, and a private investment fund that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, an Emirati royal, runs.

Persons: Barclay, Rupert Murdoch, Lord Rothermere, Zucker, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Organizations: Telegraph, London’s Daily Mail, RedBird IMI, IMI, The Telegraph, RedBird, Conservative, IMI “ Locations: Abu Dhabi, United States, London

☆ This Year, Sound Smarter at the Thanksgiving Table
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Matthew Riva | William Flannigan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro: Diet drugs have taken over AmericaAlthough these types of drugs were originally meant to treat Type 2 diabetes, they are now widely used for weight loss. Thousands of Americans inject them weekly to cut pounds—and are seeing success. Researchers are finding that this class of drugs is changing the world’s understanding of obesity. Their popularity has led to shortages, leaving some patients unable to consistently take them, which has led to the return of cravings and pounds, doctors say. And some patients are relying too much on the drugs without eating the right foods and exercising.

Locations: America

☆ Wimbledon suffers expansion plan blow after council refuses permission
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Naturally, we are disappointed by the London Borough of Wandsworth's decision," Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said in a statement. A post from the London Borough of Wandsworth on X, formerly Twitter, confirmed the decision: "Wandsworth's planning committee votes to refuse Wimbledon tennis expansion plans." In 2018 the AELTC's 65 million pounds ($81 million) bid for Wimbledon Park Golf Club was accepted by members. The tennis club argues that its expansion plans would actually return private land back to the public. Lawmaker Stephen Hammond, who represents the Wimbledon constituency, said he was pleased Wandsworth had refused the plans.

Persons: Paul Childs, Sally Bolton, Bolton, Stephen Hammond, Wandsworth, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, REUTERS, Wimbledon, England Tennis Club, London Borough, All England, Twitter, Hall, England, Project, Daily Mail, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, London Borough, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Merton, Wandsworth's

☆ Sony facing $7.9 bln mass lawsuit over PlayStation Store prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Sony Group Corp FollowLONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Sony (6758.T) must face a mass lawsuit worth up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion) over claims the PlayStation maker abused its dominant position leading to unfair prices for customers, a London tribunal ruled on Tuesday. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was sued last year on behalf of nearly nine million people in the United Kingdom who had bought digital games or add-on content through Sony's PlayStation Store. Alex Neill, a consumer advocate who has worked on previous campaigns, is bringing the case against Sony. She says the company abused its dominant position by requiring digital games and add-ons to be bought and sold only via the PlayStation Store, which charges a 30% commission to developers and publishers. The claim alleges customers have therefore paid higher prices for games and add-on content than they would have done.

Persons: Issei Kato, Alex Neill, Neill, they're, Sam Tobin, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Sony, REUTERS, Sony Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, London, United Kingdom

☆ Uranium prices top $80 for the first time in 15 years as demand for nuclear power surges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Prices topped $80 a pound as demand for nuclear power gains momentum. Uranium production has recently run into hurdles, but investor interest remains solid. AdvertisementA nuclear power renaissance is fueling investor interest in uranium, helping to drive the price of the key energy commodity to a 15-year high. Uranium futures tracking a form of uranium called "yellowcake" hit $80.25 a pound on Monday, Bloomberg reported. Prices have been on the rise this year after a decade of trading sideways, due to growing demand for nuclear power.

Persons: — Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Crux, Terra Capital, Segra, Argonaut Capital Partners, Bloomberg Intelligence Locations: Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Canadian, Niger, Europe

☆ UK borrowing figures give Hunt some room for tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Government borrowing between April and October totalled 98.3 billion pounds ($122.49 billion), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. The data meant borrowing was running about 22 billion pounds higher than in the same period last year but almost 17 billion pounds less than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast in March, giving Hunt some fiscal room for manoeuvre. The ONS said that in October alone, public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, was 14.9 billion pounds last month. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, of 12 billion pounds in the month. The figure was also higher than the OBR's forecast for borrowing of 13.7 billion pounds in the month.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Laura Kuenssberg, Isabel Infantes, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Liz, Michal Stelmach, Stelmach, William Schomberg, Kate Holton, Jason Neely Organizations: BBC Broadcasting House, REUTERS, National Statistics, KPMG, Labour Party, ONS, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

[1/5] Taiko Nakamura samples whisky barreled in the year he founded at his distillery in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan October 25, 2023. The explosion of craft whisky in Japan follows a boom and bust in the industry. Last week, Sotheby's offered what it claimed was the most valuable collection of Japanese whisky at auction, headlined by a 52-year old bottle that sold for 300,000 pounds ($373,830). Suntory, Japan's biggest and best-known whisky maker, recently invested 10 billion yen ($67 million) to upgrade its distilleries, including its Yamazaki site. "I believe we need to put all our effort into making Japanese whisky that lives up to the quality of the Japanese whiskies made by our predecessors," he said.

Persons: Rocky Swift, Suntory's, Taiko Nakamura, Long, whiskies, Sotheby's, Shinji Fukuyo, Casey Wahl, Kamui, Shizuoka's Nakamura, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Suntory, trailblazer, Nikka, Asahi Group, Japan's, Japanese distillers, Diageo, IJW Whiskey, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Yamazaki, Scotland, Hong Kong, Japanese, Komasa Kanosuke, Kentucky, Hokkaido, American, Rishiri

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