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☆ King Charles' III property empire includes 7 McDonald's, a Victoria's Secret, and an Apple store
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Crown Estate owns properties worth $17.6 billion, including farmland and seabeds. It also owns retail parks with stores including McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, and Victoria's Secret. The Crown Estate, which generates profits for the UK Treasury, is owned by the reigning monarch and control was passed down from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III upon her death in September. Lingerie and sex-toy shop Ann Summers also has a store at the Westgate shopping mall in Oxford, as does Victoria's Secret. Regent Street in central London, which is owned by the Crown Estate.

☆ Jim Cramer likes these 7 consumer discretionary stocks for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday offered investors a list of seven stocks he believes could be great additions to investors' portfolios. The consumer discretionary sector is down about 37% for the year. But "while most consumer discretionary stocks have been horrendous this year, we've had some pools of strength, too, and many of them can work in 2023," according to Cramer. Here are his picks:Genuine Parts , O'Reilly Automotive and AutoZoneCramer highlighted these three auto parts stocks as potential buys, stating that AutoZone is his favorite. He added that because TJX operates discount retailers, its stock is a winner during times of recession, when consumers tend to trade down.

☆ Restaurants open on Christmas Day 2022: McDonald's, IHOP, Denny's, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Benihana: Open Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Bar Louie: Open Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. May be open Christmas Day, depending on location or franchiseGolden Corral: Some locations will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Closed Christmas Day, but open Christmas EveTaco Bell: Restaurants are open on Christmas Eve. Friendly's: Open on Christmas Eve until 6 p.m.In-N-Out: Open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

☆ The best food marketing stunts of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“The Big Cheez-It Tostada and Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap are in such Big demand that our limited offer is no longer available,” the chain said. Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Fancy FeastOver the summer, Fancy Feast invited people to answer the question: What does cat food taste like? The restaurant dishes drew inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys, cat food that is itself inspired by human food like salmon primavera and turkey florentine. The restaurant’s menu was created by Amanda Hassner, in-house chef for Fancy Feast, as well as restaurateur Cesare Casella, a Michelin star winner, according to a Fancy Feast press release. Papa JohnsAs a permanent addition to the Papa Johns menu, the no-crust, toppings-only Papa Bowls are technically not a stunt.

☆ Core Scientific files for bankruptcy as crypto winter bites
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Core Scientific said in a statement the bankruptcy filing was necessitated by a decline in the company's operating performance and liquidity amid the prolonged decrease in the price of bitcoin. Core Scientific said its creditors have also agreed to provide up to $56 million in debtor-in-possession financing. One of the largest creditors of Core Scientific, B. Riley Financial Inc (RILY.O), had offered $72 million last week to avoid the bitcoin miner's bankruptcy. In its bankruptcy petition, Core Scientific said it has $1 billion to $10 billion in assets and liabilities, and creditors between 1,000 and 5,000. Core Scientific went public in 2021 through a merger with a blank-check company in a deal that at the time valued the miner at $4.3 billion.

☆ Taco Bell may add fries to its menu permanently to compete with McDonald’s
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

To compete with rivals such as McDonald’s during lunchtime, the chain is considering permanently adding fries to its menu, Taco Bell CEO Mark King said during an investor event Tuesday. Taco Bell has put nacho fries, its take on French fries, on the menu periodically as a limited-time offering since the item launched in 2018. Taco Bell is considering adding fries to the menu permanently. Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Taco BellBut by keeping fries on the menu year-round, Taco Bell could potentially steal some of its rivals’ customers. In the past, Taco Bell has tested nacho fries topped with steak and ranch sauce, and is currently offering seven-layer nacho fries loaded with beef, black beans, guacamole and more.

☆ In Nigeria's long war, a young woman is brutalised by both sides
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

It was a pleasant evening in the summer of 2014, in her Nigerian village near the Cameroon border. Reuters could not reach representatives of Boko Haram or its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, for comment. But by October 2014, the militants were enforcing extreme sharia law in her village, Aisha said. Boko Haram men often came looking for them, knocking on their door and forcing them to hide. But she did not believe she could do so with Bana, as boys were particularly valued in the Boko Haram community.

☆ Taco Bell's latest plan to take on McDonald's includes keeping fries on the menu forever and committing to breakfast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Yum Brands, the parent of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, hosted an investor day conference Tuesday. Taco Bell CEO Mark King spoke about competing with McDonald's at breakfast and lunch. His playbook: make fries a forever menu item, and "commit" to breakfast. During the pandemic, Taco Bell lost momentum at breakfast when it temporarily paused the morning meal offering as offices shut down. Six years later, the Southern California-based chain, known for its Millennials and Gen Z appeal, added Nacho Fries to its menu.

☆ I tried Taco Bell's Beyond Meat quesadilla at the only place it's available in the US. The meatless 'steak' could've fooled me, and I now want to try it on everything.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Cassy Crabtree | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I tried Taco Bell's Beyond Meat quesadilla at the only place it's available in the US. Cassy Crabtree tried Taco Bell's Beyond Carne Asada Steak Quesadilla. Cassy Crabtree On October 13, Taco Bell introduced its new Beyond Meat Carne Asada Steak Quesadilla. Taco Bell I visited my local Taco Bell in Tipp City, Ohio (a suburb of Dayton). I tried Taco Bell's Beyond Carne Asada Steak Quesadilla.

☆ 'The White Lotus': The show's most cringeworthy moments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

(“White Lotus” and “Enlightened” are from HBO, which like CNN is part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Tanya usurps a boat ride to NOT spread her mother’s ashesJennifer Coolidge (center) in 'The White Lotus' Season 1. Valentina gives Isabella a lavish (and hideous) brooch as a giftSabrina Impacciatore (L) and Eleonora Romandini in 'The White Lotus' Season 2. With White Lotus Sicily manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), White has beautifully constructed a driven and capable employer who nonetheless has quite a huge blindspot. Kai gets caught stealingKekoa Scott Kekumano in 'The White Lotus' Season 1.

New Delhi CNN —At the Bhalswa landfill in northwest Delhi, a steady flow of jeeps zigzag up the trash heap to dump more garbage on a pile now over 62 meters (203 feet) high. India creates more methane from landfill sites than any other country, according to GHGSat, which monitors methane via satellites. Ragpickers at the Bhalswa landfill site on April 28, 2022, in New Delhi, India. In May, CNN commissioned two accredited labs to test the ground water around the Bhalswa landfill. And according to the results, ground water within at least a 500-meter (1,600-foot) radius around the waste site is contaminated.

☆ The uber-wealthy are paying for an easier Ironman experience, from on-call mechanics to $30,000 bikes and stocked minifridges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rich business executives pay up to $16,200 to compete in the Ironman XC challenge. "I'm sure you have noticed we are spoiled kids," one of the athletes told the NYT. Ironman XC, short for Ironman Executive Challenge, is an exclusive track within the competitive Ironman triathlons, in which participants swim 2.4 miles, run 26.2 miles, and bike 112 miles. XC athletes often get top accommodations close to the race start, which makes the early morning take off easier. Many of the business executives told the Times they were drawn to the mental and physical challenges the race provides.

☆ Sweetgreen is among the 12 chains Taco Bell owner, Yum Brands, could buy as the company's CFO tells investors it's hunting for an acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A Yum Brands exec said the company was "scanning categories" that don't compete with its brands. Analyst Mark Kalinowski identified 12 chains Yum Brands could target, including Sweetgreen. Habit was Yum Brands' latest acquisition — it purchased the fast-casual chain in March 2020 in a deal valued at $375 million. Zoe's Kitchen could be a buy target for Yum Brands, a veteran analyst wrote in a research note last week. "It has a market cap bigger than I would have expected, so it'd be an expensive purchase for Yum Brands."

☆ China rocket taking 3 to space station to blast off Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING — A rocket carrying three astronauts to finish building China’s space station will blast off Tuesday amid intensifying competition with the U.S., the government said Monday,The crew includes a veteran of a 2005 space mission and two first-time astronauts, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Previous missions to the space station have taken about 13 hours from liftoff to docking. The permanent Chinese station weighs about 66 tons — a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day find itself the only space station still running if the International Space Station adheres to its 30-year operating plan. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its program’s military ties.

☆ A 27-year-old learned how to build his tiny home by watching YouTube videos
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A 25-year-old built a tiny home using skills learned from YouTube videos after losing his job. He used to live on a Dutch barge – a small houseboat – and learned to carry out minor repairs and improvements by watching YouTube videos. "I used recycled timber to build the tiny home and the kitchen cabinet doors were made using leftover cedar wood. "I'm quite proud of the tiny house – the process of building something with your hands is very rewarding." "The process is complicated because I applied to change the use of land for tourism purposes and to rent out more than one tiny house."

☆ UK strikes: Nearly 200,000 British workers are striking on Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Postal workers are planning further strike action for November 30 and December 1, following walkouts in August and September. “Customers should expect delays to items posted just before, during or just after strike action,” Royal Mail said in a statement. Amid worker strikes, Royal Mail vehicles remain parked at the Tonbridge Delivery Office in Kent, England on November 24, 2022. Strike action will also add to losses facing companies and could prompt further job cuts. Royal Mail says it has not yet been formally notified of these dates.

☆ Qatar 2022: World Cup fans acclimatise to desert accommodation -- in tents and portacabins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —As fans trickle into Qatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup. But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history? Container living in the desert ... World Cup style. Some World Cup visitors, however, were less impressed with what was on offer. With just two days to go until the first match, the nation is putting the final touches to its preparations as it braces itself for a World Cup like no other.

☆ US Secret Service protection would follow Donald Trump to the slammer if he ever ended up there, former agents say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Robin Bravender | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"If Donald Trump gets sent to prison, what's the role of the Secret Service in that case?" Federal law entitles Trump and all other ex-presidents to Secret Service protections for life — although it didn't always. "Geez, the fact that we're thinking about him going to jail kind of scares me," said the former Secret Service official. While former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection, they can opt to decline it — just as Nixon did after leaving office. They did so under the Clinton administration, when a law was passed that would afford ex-presidents 10 years of Secret Service security, rather than lifetime protections.

☆ KFC's Middle East and North Africa franchisee sets price range for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, is set to raise as much as $1.8 billion from its initial public offering after the company disclosed an indicative price range on Monday. The price range was set at 2.50 dirhams to 2.62 dirhams per share, the company said in a statement, implying an equity value for the group between $5.73 billion to $6.01 billion. The final price will be disclosed on Nov. 23, the company said. Retail investors in the UAE will be allocated 5% of the offering, while retail investors in Saudi Arabia will be offered 10%. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This startup just hired a former DoorDash exec to bring robotic restaurant delivery to the masses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

When it comes to amassing a large food-delivery footprint, the startup has hired a ringer in the delivery sector — the former DoorDash executive Prahar Shah. Serve's robots have the potential to be ubiquitous in our everyday lives, he said. This is "very similar to part of the playbook that we ran at DoorDash," Shah said. Most of Serve's restaurant partnerships have been with local restaurants in Los Angeles, such as Bossa Nova and Lala's Grill. As he approaches restaurant chains in his new role, he said most understand the necessity of automation.

☆ Cryptocurrencies slide as worries about FTX fester in latest crypto liquidity scare
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto assets tied to Alameda, the trading company also owned by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, were suffering steeper losses. FTX Token (FTT), the native token of the FTX trading platform, has fallen 23% in the past 24 hours. The token tied to Ethereum competitor Solana , of which Alameda is a big backer, has lost 12%. Binance is the largest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume and was an early backer of FTX. Those revelations refer to rumors about the solvency of FTX, the second-biggest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume.

☆ China vows commitment to growth as investors bet on easier COVID policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Even though case numbers are rising and disruptive lockdowns continue with no clear exit strategy in sight, investors latched on to hope that China may ease its strict COVID policy in the coming months. Renewed COVID lockdowns are weighing heavily on China's business activity and consumer confidence. read moreOPEN-DOOR POLICYYi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said China will continue to deregulate its markets. While other countries have been tightening policy to battle rising prices, China has implemented an accommodative monetary policy to shore up sputtering growth, raising concerns about capital flight. With China's zero-COVID policy expected to remain in place through at least the winter, or longer, its near-term growth outlook is bleak.

☆ China vows commitment to growth as pressure on economy mounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Renewed COVID lockdowns are weighing heavily on China's business activity, consumer confidence and financial markets, adding to a sharp downdraft on the global economy from surging inflation and rising interest rates. OPEN-DOOR POLICYYi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said China will continue to deregulate its markets. With China's zero-COVID policy expected to remain in place through at least the winter, or longer, its near-term growth outlook is bleak. After surprisingly high gross domestic product growth of 3.9% in the third quarter, Nomura expects growth to drop again, with zero or even negative sequential growth from the previous quarter. "We maintain our GDP growth forecast of 2.8% year-on-year for the fourth quarter with a corresponding sequential growth forecast at 0.0%."

☆ KFC's Middle East and North Africa franchisee plans dual listing in UAE, Saudi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, said it planned to launch an initial public offering (IPO), followed by a dual listing in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Adeptio Investments, an investment vehicle jointly-held by Dubai businessman and founder of Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU) Mohammed Alabbar and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, is offering about 2.53 billion existing ordinary shares, representing 30% of the company, Americana said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The IPO would start from Nov. 14 to Nov. 21 for retail investors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Nov. 14 to Nov. 22 for institutional investors in both the countries. Following its public share-sale, it expects to list on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Saudi Exchange on or around Dec. 6, it said. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ From Apple to Disney, China's Covid curbs are again hurting business Apple to Disneyland, everyone is suffering under China's draconian Covid curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New Delhi CNN Business —It has been almost three years since Covid-19 first hit China, but the country’s relentless adherence to lockdowns continues to hobble business and the economy. On Wednesday, authorities imposed a seven-day lockdown of the area that houses China’s biggest iPhone assembly factory, in the central city of Zhengzhou. State media has said that many Foxconn workers are among those walking miles on the highways to escape the factory. On Wednesday, Chinese state media outlet National Business Daily said that electric carmaker Nio (NIO) shut down two factories in the eastern city of Hefei because of Covid curbs. Authorities have ramped up Covid restrictions after Xi’s sweeping power grab at the Communist Party Congress last month, and cases are rising.

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