Author: LoveWorld UK

MICROSOFT OVERTAKES APPLE AS WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE COMPANY – Apple shares made a weak start to the year on growing concerns over demand Microsoft briefly overtook Apple as the world’s most valuable company for the first time since 2021 after the iPhone maker’s shares made a weak start to the year on growing concerns over demand. Microsoft’s shares have risen sharply since last year, thanks to the early lead the company has taken in generative artificial intelligence through an investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Microsoft’s stock closed 0.5% higher, giving it a market valuation of $2.859 trillion. It rose as much…

ISRAEL REJECTS GENOCIDE ACCUSATIONS AT WORLD COURT – Israel Called on judges to dismiss South Africa’s request to halt its offensive Israel rejected as false and “grossly distorted” accusations brought by South Africa at the U.N.’s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. It called on judges to dismiss South Africa’s request to halt its offensive, saying it would leave it defenceless. South Africa, which filed the lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December, asked judges to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.…

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON’S NEW GOVERNMENT – Rachida Dati named new French culture minister and Sejourne becomes foreign minister French President Emmanuel Macron poached former Nicolas Sarkozy minister Rachida Dati to join his new government, a surprise move that will further weaken his conservative opponents and signals his desire to bring political experience to his cabinet. Dati, a vocal former justice minister who enjoys strong name recognition in France, was named culture minister in Macron’s new government, which also confirmed heavyweights Bruno Le Maire and Gerald Darmanin for the finance and interior portfolios. The first batch of ministers announced by…

POST OFFICE SCANDAL – Investigator denies claims of ‘mafia’ behaviour as he gives evidence to Horizon inquiry Ex-Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw has denied he and colleagues behaved like “mafia gangsters” towards wrongly accused sub-postmasters. Mr Bradshaw was involved in the criminal investigation of nine sub-postmasters and was giving evidence to the Post Office inquiry. He denied intimidating or misleading the sub-postmasters he investigated. Hundreds were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after being falsely accused of stealing money. Mr Bradshaw – who joined the unit tasked with investigating sub-postmasters in 2000 – was questioned for several hours on Thursday.…

QATAR AND LEBANON TO KICK OFF ASIAN CUP –  With two new coaches at the helm  The 2023 Asian Cup kicks off with defending champions and hosts Qatar taking on Lebanon in Group A on Friday but preparations have been far from ideal for both teams after they appointed new coaches barely a month before the continental tournament. Qatar appointed ‘Tintin’ Marquez Lopez last month after Carlos Queiroz parted company while Lebanon hired former Montenegro coach Miodrag Radulovic to replace Croatian Nikola Jurcevic. However, both coaches are not strangers to the two squads. Lopez coached Qatari side Al-Wakrah for five…

UK TO BRING IN NEW LAW TO QUASH WRONGFUL POST OFFICE CONVICTIONS – Prime Minister speaks out in the wake of national outrage over the scandal The UK will seek to use new legislation to overturn the wrongful convictions of hundreds of Post Office managers, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in the wake of renewed national outrage over the scandal. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of self-employed sub-postmasters at branches of the state-owned Post Office were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting because faulty software wrongly showed thousands of pounds missing from branch accounts. A TV dramatisation of the…

ARGENTINA AND IMF REACH DEAL – Key funds unlocked to salvage debt program Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finalised the details of an agreement over the country’s embattled $44 billion loan program, unlocking a more-than-expected $4.7 billion, the fund has said. Argentina, battling annual inflation heading toward 200% and net foreign currency reserves in negative territory, needed to revamp its huge IMF deal after the previous government missed various economic targets linked to the program. The new government of libertarian President Javier Milei had been locked in talks with IMF officials in Buenos Aires since late last week,…

TESCO RAISES PROFIT FORECAST – M&S also reports strong Christmas sales Tesco has raised its annual profit forecast while joining Marks and Spencer (M&S) in reporting strong Christmas sales. Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, said comparable sales growth over six weeks to 6 January was 6.8% higher compared to the same period last year. The figure rose to 7.5% over the 19 weeks also covering its third quarter. Tesco said its performance was aided by price cuts on almost 2,700 products and, despite the discounting, it now expected adjusted operating profit, its headline measure, to come in at £2.75bn for…

MARUTI SUZUKI ANNOUNCES PLANS TO INVEST BILLIONS IN GUJARAT – 350 billion rupees to be invested to build a second car plant in western Gujarat state India’s top carmaker Maruti Suzuki will invest 350 billion rupees to build a second car plant in western Gujarat state and will add a new production line at an existing plant, the president of its parent company has said. The carmaker will also invest 32 billion rupees to add a new production line in the state, Toshihiro Suzuki said at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which was attended by several heads of state including…

BARCLAYS AND SANTANDER CUT RATES –  Some lenders now have better options for those remortgaging Competition has intensified among mortgage lenders for people who are searching for a new deal, bringing some relief to those facing higher bills. Brokers say that some lenders now have better options for those remortgaging than for those buying a property. This will help people whose relatively cheap fixed-rate deal is coming to an end and are looking for a new one. Two major lenders, Barclays and Santander, have announced further significant cuts. The firms said they would reduce rates on some of their products…