Author: admin@primenews

UPS reported sharply lower earnings in the third quarter and said it expects lower revenue and thinner profit margins ahead, but it noted a slowing global economy, not its recent labor issues, is the reason. — CutC by cnn.com

A group of US lawmakers wants answers from tax preparation companies, including TaxAct and H&R Block, about whether they may be continuing to transfer sensitive taxpayer data to tech platforms like Meta for advertising purposes, following a warning of possible penalties over the practice by federal regulators. In letters to five tax prep giants dated Wednesday, the lawmakers demanded to know if the companies have heeded the warning by the Federal Trade Commission, which told the companies in September they could face billions of dollars in fines if it turns out they violated their customers’ privacy. “Americans should be able to…

“Divorce is not an option” when it comes to the world’s two largest economies, California Governor Gavin Newsom told CNN on Wednesday following his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Newsom said his meeting with Xi in Beijing had revived hope that the United States and China were at a turning point in their relations. “We’ve got to turn down the heat. We’ve got to manage our strategic differences. We’ve got to reconcile our strategic red lines,” he said. Newsom — the first US governor to meet with Xi in six years — is in…

Move over Evergrande. There is a new poster child of China’s protracted real estate crisis — Country Garden. The homebuilder, once the country’s largest, has defaulted on an international bond for the first time after failing to make payment within a grace period that expired last week, according to separate reports from Bloomberg News and the Financial Times. Country Garden has not responded to requests for comment by phone or email. Citigroup, reportedly the bond’s trustee with authority to enforce its terms, declined comment. The developer, which has $190 billion in liabilities, had dodged default on multiple occasions in the past month. But persistent…

“It’s been a great year to be a gamer.” This year has seen one of the strongest videogame line-ups in quite some time. But what if you’re a game maker about to release your most personal, ambitious project yet into the world? Sam Lake, creative director at Remedy Entertainment, says it’s a “thrilling” time but also a nervous one. The studio’s about to launch Alan Wake 2, the follow-up to its 2010 cult classic supernatural adventure about a writer whose words can reshape reality. After a few false starts, the title character is back 13 years later, with a darker…

Police in China have rescued more than 1,000 cats from being slaughtered and sold as pork or mutton, state-affiliated media report. Acting on a tip from animal welfare activists, police intercepted the truck that was carrying the felines in the eastern city of Zhangjiagang. The cats were moved to a shelter, according to a report in The Paper. The rescue uncovered an illicit trade of cat meat and raised fresh concerns about food safety, the report said. Cat meat can fetch 4.5 yuan ($0.61; £0.51) per catty, a unit of measure in China that is roughly equivalent to 600g, activists…

A 10-year-old boy with a currently incurable brain disease is feeling hopeful about a new treatment. It took three years for Olly from Andover, Hampshire, to be diagnosed with TUBB4A leukodystrophy. The condition causes disruption to the signals between nerve cells in the brain and means Olly, who was three years old when he was diagnosed in 2015, is blind and non-verbal. But Oxford-based biotech company SynaptixBio is now working on a cure. Olly’s mother, Claire, said she had a normal pregnancy, labour and birth but when her son was six months old, she noticed he could not sit up…

Several Austrians have been treated in hospital after using what was believed to be fake weight-loss drug, Ozempic. Austria’s Federal Office for Safety in Health Care, the BASG, said they had reported “serious side effects” including low blood sugar and seizures. This indicated that the drugs “falsely contained insulin” instead of Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, the BASG said. The drug has become popular as a weight-loss treatment. An investigation is under way. The Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service, the BK, said those affected had received the syringes from a doctor based in Austria. It warned that stocks of the fake drug…

Airlines have reacted with fury and warned passengers will face higher fares after the UK’s aviation regulator increased air traffic control charges. The costs, paid by airlines, come after a UK air traffic control meltdown in August which led to long flight delays and left thousands stranded. The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, an increase of 43p per passenger to £2.08 on average. Airlines said the increases “cannot be justified” given the recent disruption. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, said the hike in charges was “yet another kick in the…

South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi will start Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand after a ruling there was “insufficient evidence” he used a racial slur towards Tom Curry. England flanker Curry said he was abused during the Springboks’ 16-15 semi-final victory last Saturday. Governing body World Rugby said the case is “closed unless additional evidence comes to light”. England are “deeply disappointed” by the decision not to charge Mbonambi. South Africa face the All Blacks in the showpiece event in France on Saturday from 20:00 BST. World Rugby’s investigation had also taken into account an allegation that Curry…