September 16, 2021 By Alexander Ratz BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will not lurch to the left with a ruling coalition that includes the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), party chief Christian Lindner said on Thursday ahead of a Sept. 26 national election after which he aims to play kingmaker in coalition negotiations. Opinion polls indicate that […]
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UAE to invest $14 billion in UK industries, sovereign wealth fund says
September 16, 2021 DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates plans to invest 10 billion pounds ($13.8 billion) in Britain over the next five years, building on the two country’s long-running business ties, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund said on Thursday. The fund, called Mubadala, said the investment in Britain’s energy transition, infrastructure, technology […]
UK regulator refers Sony Music’s purchase of AWAL for in-depth probe
September 16, 2021 (Reuters) -A UK regulator referred Sony Music Entertainment’s purchase of London-based independent record label AWAL for an in-depth probe on Thursday, after the buyer refused to divest any undertakings to allay competition concerns. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said the wholesale distribution of recorded music in the UK was highly […]
Growth of NY service sector business activity slowed in September, survey finds
September 16, 2021 (Reuters) – Business activity for service sector firms in the New York region continued to grow in September but at a slower pace, according to a survey released on Thursday by the New York Federal Reserve. The New York Fed’s business activity index fell thirteen points to 14.4, the third consecutive monthly […]
Google’s R&D division experiments with newsletters powered by Google Drive
Following entries into the newsletter market from tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, Google is now experimenting with newsletters, too. The company’s internal R&D division, Area 120, has a new project called Museletter, which allows anyone to publish a Google Drive file as a blog or newsletter to their Museletter public profile or to an […]
Investors tense up as fears of post-election gridlock rise in Canada
September 16, 2021 By Fergal Smith TORONTO (Reuters) – Foreign investors are growing more worried that Canada’s federal election on Monday could result in a deadlock that hampers Ottawa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and further slows the economic recovery from the crisis. Polls show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s center-left Liberals virtually tied with the […]
U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rise in August; weekly jobless claims climb
September 16, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. retail sales unexpectedly increased in August, likely boosted by back-to-school shopping and child tax credit payments from the government, which could temper expectations for a sharp slowdown in economic growth in the third quarter. Retail sales rose 0.7% last month, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. Data for […]
Futures pare losses after surprise rise in monthly retail sales
September 16, 2021 By Ambar Warrick (Reuters) -Wall Street indexes were set to open flat on Thursday, with economically sensitive sectors likely to gain as retail sales rose more than expected, indicating resilience in economic recovery. S&P and Dow index futures pared losses after a report from the Commerce Department showed retail sales unexpectedly rose […]
VW’s Skoda to stop production at Czech plants for a week due to chip shortage
September 16, 2021 PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech car maker Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen group, will halt production at its domestic plants for a week at the end of September due to chip shortages, its union head said in a union newsletter on Thursday. From delayed car deliveries to a supply shortfall in home […]
China extends tariff exemptions on 81 products from U.S
September 16, 2021 BEIJING (Reuters) -China will extend tariff exemptions for 81 products imported from the United States by seven months, the finance ministry said in a statement published on Thursday. China has routinely made such extensions as part of an initial agreement to end a bruising trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. […]
United says about 90% staff vaccinated ahead of company deadline
September 16, 2021 (Reuters) – United Airlines Holding Inc said on Thursday 95% of its management was fully vaccinated and about 90% of all employees had uploaded proof of shots ahead of the company’s Sept. 27 deadline for staff vaccination. United has taken a tough stance on employees who decline to get vaccinated and became […]
UK’s Piers Morgan joins Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News in global deal
September 16, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) -Piers Morgan, the outspoken British journalist and broadcaster, has joined Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and Fox News Media in a global deal, including launching a new TV show in early 2022, the company said on Thursday. He will also join Murdoch’s tabloids The Sun and the New York Post as a […]
West African leaders meet to decide on Guinea after coup
September 16, 2021 By Christian Akorlie ACCRA (Reuters) – West African leaders gathered in Accra on Thursday to determine how the region’s main political and economic bloc can steer Guinea back towards constitutional rule following a coup that ousted President Alpha Conde last week. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the […]
EU must unite after U.S. pact with Australia, Britain shows, Borrell says
September 16, 2021 BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A new U.S. security pact with Australia and Britain shows that the European Union must develop its own defence and security strategies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, the EU’s top diplomat said on Thursday. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was not consulted on Wednesday’s agreement for Washington […]
Factbox-EU priorities in Indo-Pacific shift to counter China
September 16, 2021 BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union set out a formal strategy on Thursday to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific and counter China’s rising power, although Australia’s decision to cancel an arms contract with France may complicate cooperation. [L1N2QI0R7] Here are the main focus areas of the EU’s strategy: – TRADE: The […]
Kenyan court jails ex-sports minister for six years over graft
September 16, 2021 NAIROBI (Reuters) – A Kenyan court on Thursday sentenced a former sports minister to six years in prison after finding him guilty over the siphoning of funds meant for athletes in the Brazil Olympics five years ago. The East African nation enjoyed its most successful Olympics in Rio, winning six gold medals, […]
In remote Indian village, teacher turns walls into blackboards to close school gap
September 16, 2021 By Rupak De Chowdhuri PASCHIM BARDHAMAN, (INDIA), (Reuters) – In a small tribal village on the eastern tip of India, an enterprising teacher has turned walls into blackboards and roads into classrooms, trying to close the gap in learning brought on by prolonged school shutdowns in the country. Deep Narayan Nayak, 34, […]
UK sets out plans to replace and repeal regulations copied from EU
September 16, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) – Britain is to begin replacing or scrapping European Union regulations that were copied into British law before the country’s exit from the bloc, Brexit minister David Frost said on Thursday. To avoid uncertainty and confusion as Britain untangled itself from the EU after 40 years, the government automatically carried […]
Tallest teen, fastest hair skipping among 2022 Guinness World Records
September 16, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) – From the dog with the longest ears to the world’s tallest teenager, Guinness World Records reveals its latest record breakers in the 2022 edition of the popular book. The annual publication, out on Thursday, features an array of records and feats, including the fastest walking on hands and the […]
FTC says health apps must notify consumers about data breaches — or face fines
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned apps and devices that collect personal health information must notify consumers if their data is breached or shared with third parties without their permission. In a 3-2 vote on Wednesday, the FTC agreed on a new policy statement to clarify a decade-old 2009 Health Breach Notification Rule, […]