Newsletter Feb 9, 2023

Showman Zelensky wows England's ancient seat of power

Ukraine's leader pressed at British heart strings when he evoked "the so few" pilots defending his skies from Russia's invasion.

Syria's White Helmets: war responders leading quake rescue

The group has received funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States.

Britain takes aim at Microsoft's $69 billion 'Call of Duty' deal

Britain placed another hurdle in the way of Microsoft's $69-billion mega purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard, saying it could harm gamers by weakening the rivalry between Xbox and Sony's PlayStation.

European shares hit nine month high, dollar wobbles after Powell remarks

Global shares jumped and most currencies rose against the dollar on Wednesday as investors discerned a dovish tone in comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, though a policy tweak by the ECB meant European bonds sat out the rally.

Church of England explores gender neutral God

The Church of England will look into the use of gender neutral terms to refer to God in prayers, but the centuries-old institution said on Wednesday there were no plans to abolish current services.

Zelensky asks allies for fighter jets on UK visit

President Volodymyr Zelensky used a visit to London on Wednesday to urge allies to send combat aircraft to his war-torn country as Britain promised to train Ukrainian fighter pilots.

UN aviation body sees recovery to pre-pandemic air travel in 2023

The body projected that 2024 air passenger demand would be four percent above the level in 2019.

Shoppers to face fresh price hikes as stores, suppliers pass on costs

Shoppers around the world will pay even more for groceries this year than they did in 2022, according to retailers, consumer goods firms and investors, unless commodity costs decline or the shift to cheaper store-brand products accelerates.

Canadian dollar to rise later in 2023 on more favorable global outlook

The Canadian dollar is set to rise later this year as the global economic outlook turns more favorable for commodity-linked currencies and investors bet central banks will cut interest rates in 2024, according to a Reuters poll released on Wednesday.

Wall St set for lower open, Microsoft climbs on AI push

U.S. stock indexes looked set to open lower on Wednesday as investors worried the Federal Reserve would keep hiking interest rates this year, while Microsoft rose after laying out its AI push.

Citi's high deposit betas to squeeze interest margins - Moody's

Citigroup Inc may see more net interest margin (NIM) pressure than the other four big U.S.

Disney lays off 7,000 as streaming subscribers decline

Disney is also going to look at the volume of content it makes and the pricing of its streaming services.

Twitter service stumbles as paying users get more room

Reports of Twitter troubles spiked at website Downdetector early afternoon in Silicon Valley, and continued for about two hours.

Mattel expects 2023 profit below estimates as inflation dampens demand

Mattel Inc projected 2023 earnings below expectations on Wednesday, as stubbornly high inflation is likely to impact consumer spending on its Fisher-Price toys and Barbie dolls.

Michael Kors owner Capri cuts forecasts as demand slows, shares plunge 24%

Michael Kors owner Capri Holdings Ltd on Wednesday cut its annual profit forecast and provided a dour outlook for 2024, blaming a slowdown in demand from department stores for its luxury handbags and apparel and sending its shares tumbling 24%.

U.S. House votes to end foreign air traveler COVID vaccine requirement

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to end a requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the few remaining pandemic travel restrictions still in place.

Swiss give 2,500-year-old stone sculpture back to Peru

The Swiss on Wednesday handed a large stone-carved head back to Peru, where it was sculpted around 2,500 years ago by one of the country's earliest civilisations, the culture office said.