By Richa Naidu, Emma Pinedo and Emilio Parodi MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police raided three clandestine tobacco factories early this year, seizing nearly 40 million euros ($44 million) worth of tobacco leaf and illicit cigarettes. At one, in the northern town of Alfaro, they found 10 Ukrainian workers, five of them war refugees, who’d been […]
U.S. Democrats warn Biden against toughening aid for the poor
Reuters | May 19, 2023
By Richard Cowan, Leah Douglas WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democrats in the U.S. Congress expressed frustration with President Joe Biden’s willingness to engage with Republicans demanding tougher work requirements for food aid recipients as part of any deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. They have stopped short of threatening to block such moves, as talks on […]
Microsoft hits back at UK after Activision acquisition blocked
Reuters | April 27, 2023
By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) – Microsoft’s president Brad Smith said the UK regulator’s decision to prevent its acquisition of ‘Call of Duty’ maker Activision Blizzard “had shaken confidence” in Britain as a destination for tech businesses. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which operates independently from government, blocked the deal on Wednesday, saying it […]
US labor market cooling; leading indicator flashes recession
Reuters | April 20, 2023
By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, suggesting the labor market was gradually slowing as the Federal Reserve’s year-long interest rate hiking campaign dampens demand. Though measured, the loss of labor market momentum added to slumping retail sales and manufacturing activity in […]
Fox News says Carlson, Hannity, Bartiromo set to testify at defamation trial
Reuters | April 5, 2023
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – Fox News said Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo and other top on-air personalities will be available to testify as it defends itself against a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit claiming it lied about voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In a letter filed on Tuesday in Delaware […]
OPEC+ unlikely to tweak oil policy in Monday talks – delegates
Reuters | March 30, 2023
By Alex Lawler, Ahmad Ghaddar and Olesya Astakhova LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – OPEC+ is likely to stick to its existing deal to cut oil output at a meeting on Monday, five delegates from the producer group told Reuters, after oil prices recovered following a drop to 15-month lows. Oil has recovered towards $80 a barrel for […]
Huge Phillips 66 biofuels project will test the industry’s green promises
Reuters | March 21, 2023
By Laila Kearney RODEO, California (Reuters) – In the oldest refining town in the American West, Phillips 66 is promising a greener future as it moves to halt crude-oil processing and build a massive renewable diesel plant, leading a global trend. That plan, announced in 2020, was initially welcomed by residents weary from a history […]
DeSantis’ hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the first time
Reuters | March 8, 2023
By Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) – A new board controlling Walt Disney World’s special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis’ hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant’s “corporate kingdom.” What that entails is not clear. Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the […]
Novavax raises doubts about ability to remain in business, shares fall
Reuters | February 28, 2023
By Michael Erman NEW YORK (Reuters) -COVID-19 vaccine maker Novavax Inc on Tuesday raised doubts about its ability to remain in business and announced plans to slash spending as it works to prepare for a fall vaccination campaign, and its shares plunged more than 25%. The company said there is significant uncertainty around its 2023 revenue, […]
TikTok accuses EU of keeping it in the dark over staff phone ban
Reuters | February 24, 2023
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -TikTok accused the European Commission on Friday of failing to consult it over a decision to ban the Chinese short video sharing app from staff phones on cybersecurity grounds, a move subsequently followed by another top EU body. The app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is facing […]