Consumer advocates cheered a lawsuit filed Thursday by the Biden administration in a bid to block the proposed merger of two of the world’s leading video game companies, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard—a $69 billion deal the Federal Trade Commission argued would “harm competition” in the nearly $200 billion gaming industry.”Today’s action is of incredible importance in ensuring fair and open competition in gaming and across the larger digital economy.””The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to block technology giant Microsoft Corp. from acquiring leading video game developer Activision Blizzard, Inc. and its blockbuster gaming franchises such as Call of Duty, alleging…
Author: World News Intel
After more than three years without a reported case in Haiti, national authorities on 2 October reported two new confirmed cases of vibrio cholerae in the metropolitan area of the capital Port-au-Prince. As of Monday this week, the Ministry of Public Health and Population reported 8,708 suspected cases, with 802 confirmed, and 161 deaths across the country. Preventable and treatable “Cholera is a preventable and treatable disease, and based on their experience and expertise, national institutions quickly put together a response strategy with the determined support of the entire local and international humanitarian community,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator,…
In the waning hours of the year’s biggest climate change conference – COP27 – we learned of a deal to create a loss and damage fund. This is essentially a source of finance to compensate poor countries for the pain they are incurring because of climate change. An often-cited example of such suffering is the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa region, which has put some 22 million people at risk of severe hunger. While some have heralded this agreement as long overdue climate reparations, others point out that the loss and damage fund does nothing to address the…
A range of stylish Avatar backpacks hits the streetwear market thanks to a collaboration between Sprayground—a brand described as an “artistically innovative fashion house”—Disney and Lightstorm Entertainment. The capsule is comprised of three distinct backpack silhouettes. The aesthetic of the designs combines “Sprayground’s eclectic, fashion-forward style with stunning aquatic visuals of Pandora and its inhabitants.” Ideal for school, travel, and everyday use, the Avatar backpacks present nods to key elements of the film and pair them with Sprayground’s iconic shark mouth design and background patterns. This collaborative endeavor celebrates 20th Century Studios’ highly-anticipated film Avatar: The Way of Water.The collection…
Establishing gender equality is one of the founding values of the European Union, yet women are still underrepresented in decision-making positions in Europe. According to the European Institute of Gender Equality (EIGE), women represent just 32.3% of presidents, board members and employee representatives, and 21.5% of CEOs, executives and non-executives of the largest listed companies in Europe. The situation is much the same in other sectors, including governments, financial institutions and national academies of science. Beyond the importance of equal representation, our research at the AXA Lab on Gender Equality shows gender-balanced leadership has many benefits. Given that women make…
In their statement, U.S. Soccer also offered condolences to Celine and all of his family and friends. “Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us,” the organization said. “We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication to and impact on our game in the United States. His writing and the stories he told will live on.” Grant wrote for publications such as Sports Illustrated and was the author of books including The Beckham Experiment: How the World’s Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America and Masters of Modern Soccer: How the World’s…
Deaths from alcohol in the UK have risen to their highest level since records began in 2001, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2021, 9,641 people (14.8 per 100,000) died as a result of alcohol: a rise of 7.4% from 2020. The leading cause of alcohol-specific deaths (deaths caused by diseases known to be a direct consequence of alcohol) continues to be liver disease. More than three-quarters (78%) of all alcohol deaths in 2021 were attributed to this cause. The remainder of the deaths were due to “mental and behavioural disorders because of…
(Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) As the pace and magnitude of cyberattacks have increased around the world, a new survey shows that people in multiple countries think it is likely that government data, public infrastructure and elections will be targeted by future hacks. Opinion is mixed, however, on whether their nations are prepared for such events. Across the 26 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, nearly half (47%) say their country is well prepared to handle a major cyberattack, but an equal share disagrees. Attitudes vary widely by country. Two-thirds or more in Israel (73%) and Russia (67%),…
Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons have agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA also investing INR 20,585 million (S$360 million, US$250 million) in Air India as part of the transaction The deal will give SIA a 25.1% stake in an enlarged Air India group with a significant presence in all key market segments. SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. SIA intends to fully fund this investment with its internal cash resources, which stood at S$17.5 billion as of 30 September 2022. SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate…
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s election team on Thursday sued outgoing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, his running mate, and two of his sons for attacking the country’s voting system and attempting to bribe voters.Both lawsuits, filed in Brazil’s electoral court, seek to ban all four men from running for public office in the future. Lula, a Workers’ Party member who previously served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010 and takes office again on January 1, defeated Bolsonaro by more than 2.1 million votes in a runoff election in late October.Following his loss, supporters of Bolsonaro blocked hundreds of…