Call of Duty battle over after Sony deal with Microsoft
Call of Duty will stay on PlayStation in a deal between Sony and Microsoft, ending a fight over its future.
It comes after a US judge rejected calls to block Microsoft from taking over games publisher Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft's Phil Spencer said the tech giants agreed to a "binding agreement" to keep Call of Duty on the gaming platform.
Players would have "more choice", he said.
Mr. Spencer signaled the development on Sunday, bringing to an end a protracted battle between the two companies since Microsoft announced its intended acquisition of Activision Blizzard in early 2022.
Microsoft has confirmed to the BBC it is a 10-year agreement with Sony, similar to the reported deal it struck with Nintendo.
Microsoft's proposed $69bn (£52.6bn) purchase of Activision would be the biggest of its kind in gaming industry history.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been trying to block Microsoft's buyout of Activision, in a deal that has divided regulators globally.
The decision by a US judge to reject a request by the FTC late on Thursday to temporarily halt the deal means the merger could be completed by Tuesday.
However, the US regulator, arguing the deal would reduce competition, has since asked a different court for a "temporary pause" on the deal.
But Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said she did not think the regulator would win in its case.
"The FTC has not shown it is likely to succeed on its assertion the combined firm will probably pull Call of Duty from Sony PlayStation, or that its ownership of Activision content will substantially lessen competition in the video game library subscription and cloud gaming markets," Judge Corley wrote in her decision.
It comes after the deal was approved by the European Union, while a bid to block the merger in the UK is currently under appeal.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which had initially blocked the takeover, has now said it will spend six weeks giving "full and proper consideration" to look at the "detailed and complex" submissions from Microsoft.
The CMA has given itself until 29 August, though it said it "aims to discharge its duty as soon as possible and in advance of this date".
Source- BBC
Actors' strike: Mark Ruffalo says cut out Hollywood 'fat cats'
Mark Ruffalo is encouraging fellow actors and writers to work together to cut out Hollywood's "fat cats" by making independent films and shows.
His comments follow the start of the actors' strike that last week brought the entire industry to a halt.
George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, Jason Sudeikis, and thousands of other actors joined screenwriters for Hollywood's biggest walkout in over six decades.
"How about we all jump into indies now?" tweeted Ruffalo over the weekend.
Tens of thousands of Hollywood actors have joined writers in taking industrial action because they want streaming giants to agree to a fairer split of profits and better working conditions.
The Screen Actors Guild also wants to protect actors from being usurped by digital replicas.
On Sunday, the world premiere of Disney's star-studded film Haunted Mansion became the first major Hollywood event to go ahead without its actors, which include Danny DeVito and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Avengers and Spotlight star Ruffalo went on to say that while actors and screenwriters have "made great content", the business brains behind them had "created an empire of billionaires", who are "laughing like fat cats" and "believe we are no longer of value".
In a statement shared with the PA news agency, Clooney said: "This is an inflection point in our industry. Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living.
"For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors that journey starts now."
Orange is the New Black star Kimiko Glenn posted on Instagram that she earned just $27.30 in a royalties statement for residual payments, for streaming of the hugely popular show.
Other big names like Halle Berry, Alec Baldwin, and Olivia Wilde have also expressed their support for the strike which will see actors picket US studios again on Monday.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, however, has called the action "very disruptive" and having arrived at the "worst time", while also describing the expectations of the writers and actors as "just not realistic".
The striking actors are joining writers who walked out in May, concerned about pay, working conditions, and the industry's use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Brian Cox, the lead actor on HBO's Succession, told the BBC the strike could last "until the end of the year".
Source- BBC
Twitter loses nearly half advertising revenue since Elon Musk takeover
Twitter has lost almost half of its advertising revenue since it was bought by Elon Musk for $44bn (£33.6bn) last October, its owner has revealed.
He said the company had not seen the increase in sales that had been expected in June, but added that July was a "bit more promising".
Mr. Musk sacked about half of Twitter's 7,500 staff when he took over in 2022 in an effort to cut costs.
Rival app Threads now has 150 million users, according to some estimates.
Its in-built connection to Instagram automatically gives the Meta-designed platform access to a potential two billion users.
Meanwhile, Twitter is struggling under a heavy debt load. Cash flow remains negative, Mr. Musk said at the weekend, although the billionaire did not put a time frame on the 50% drop in ad revenue.
In a tweet, he said: "Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else."
Lucy Coutts, investment director at JM Finn, told the BBC's Today program she thought Mr. Musk would be able to turn Twitter around "but it is just going to take longer".
"But unfortunately he has got $13bn of debt to pay by the end of July so we may see more pressure on the shares in Tesla if he has to sell more of his stake in that company."
Mr. Musk is also the chief executive and majority shareholder of electric car maker Tesla, which will report its latest quarterly financial results on Wednesday.
After laying off thousands of employees and cutting cloud service bills, Mr. Musk said Twitter was on track to post $3bn (£2.29bn) in revenue in 2023, down from $5.1bn in 2021.
The development is the latest sign the aggressive cost-cutting measures have not been enough to ignite a return of advertisers who fled after changes to its content moderation rules.
That is despite an interview Mr. Musk gave to the BBC in April, in which he suggested that most had returned to the site.
However, Meghana Dhar, the former head of partnerships at Snap and Meta, which owns the new Twitter rival Threads, said the company had been struggling prior to Mr Musk's buyout.
"Elon and Twitter are in a candidly tough position right now," she told the BBC's Today program. "To be fair to Elon though, we've seen that decline in Twitter revenue and growth in revenue since pre-Elon - there's been kind of a steady decline."
Linda Yaccarino, previously head of advertising at NBCUniversal, was taken on as chief executive of Twitter in June - a move suggesting advertising sales are still a priority for the company.
Ms. Yaccarino has said Twitter plans to focus on video, creator, and commerce partnerships. It is said to be in early talks with political and entertainment figures, payments services, and news and media publishers.
Source- BBC
Inter Miami unveil Argentina forward to sold-out crowd
New signing Lionel Messi has been officially presented to cheering crowds at Inter Miami's DRV PNK Stadium.
A sold-out crowd of about 20,000 waited through downpours and lightning to see the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner given a number 10 shirt.
In a brief address in Spanish, Messi, 36, thanked supporters and said he had the "same desire" he always has.
The World Cup-winning Argentina forward joins the Major League Soccer (MLS) club on a deal until the end of 2025.
He will be reunited with defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets - with whom he played at Barcelona - who has also signed for Miami until 2025.
Busquets, too, were formally unveiled during Sunday night's event.
Messi entered the pitch via a huge catwalk and was introduced as "America's number 10, the world's best number 10".
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry also welcomed him to the United States in video messages.
"I really want to start training, to compete," Messi said. "I have the same desire that I always had to compete, to want to win, to help the club continue to grow.
"I am very happy to have chosen to come to play in this city with my family, to choose this project and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it a lot.
"We are going to have a good time and very good things are going to happen."
Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, said someone of Messi's status choosing to play in the league was a "transformational moment", and he hoped the signing would "shout to the world that this is a soccer nation".
Garber added: "It's been so many years of developing this league into becoming a player on the global stage, so it's a very momentous night for us."
The DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale is Inter Miami's temporary stadium and has a capacity of 18,000, making it the joint-smallest in MLS along with San Jose Earthquakes' PayPal Park in California.
A temporary grandstand has been erected to allow more fans into the ground.
Messi left French champions Paris St-Germain at the end of the 2022-23 season after scoring 32 goals in 75 games across a two-year spell.
He turned down lucrative offers from other countries to play in the US - and this is the first time he will play for a non-European club.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham hailed Messi's signing as a "dream come true".
"Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career," he said.
Inter Miami's primary owner, American billionaire Jorge Mas, called Messi "the best player ever to don boots".
Messi is expected to be available to play for Miami against LIGA MX side Cruz Azul on 21 July in their opening match of the Leagues Cup.
He reunites with his former Barca and Argentina boss Gerardo Martino after the 60-year-old was appointed manager in June following the sacking of Phil Neville.
The arrival of Messi in the US has been met with feverish anticipation by the fans of Inter Miami, who only started playing in the Eastern Conference of the MLS in 2020.
"This is a dream come true for anybody to have the best player in the world at their home team," said one supporter. "I'm dreaming right now."
Another fan said that while she did know and care about the club, it was Argentina legend Messi who was the main attraction.
"[Messi] is everything," she said. "The emotion that he caused us when he won the World Cup is indescribable. This means everything to us."
The owners were also praised by fans for their commitment to bringing a huge signing to the South Florida side.
"They have been making promises and keeping promises," said a fan. "They promised world-class soccer and they have been able to provide it. They have been able to deliver.
"We are grateful that Messi has been able to choose Miami. A lot of naysayers and a lot of doubters, but Miami was able to make it happen."
In June, reports said Messi was offered a deal by Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal worth $1.5bn over three years.
With him opting to join Inter Miami instead, one fan felt Messi's signing could take football in America "to the next level".
He said: "Much like when Pele joined the New York Cosmos [in 1975], the same thing. Bring him up."
Source- BBC
Russia officially pulls out of Ukraine grain deal
Russia has notified the UN, Turkey, and Ukraine that it will not renew a crucial deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the agreements had reached a "de facto" end on Monday.
The deal let cargo ships pass through the Black Sea from Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi ports.
But, Moscow said it would return to the agreement if its conditions were met.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had long complained that parts of the deal allowing the export of Russian food and fertilizers had not been honored. In particular, he said grain had not been supplied to poorer countries, which was a condition of the agreement.
Russia also repeatedly complained that Western sanctions were restricting its own agricultural exports. Mr. Putin repeatedly threatened to pull out of the agreement.
The country's foreign ministry on Monday reiterated these grievances, accusing the West of "open sabotage" and of "selfishly" putting the commercial interests of the deal ahead of its humanitarian goals.
But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters he believed that Mr. Putin "wants to continue the agreement" and that they would discuss the renewal of the deal when they meet in person next month.
The grain deal is important as Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of sunflower, maize, wheat, and barley.
Following Russia's invasion in February 2022, naval vessels blockaded Ukrainian ports and trapped 20 million tonnes of grain. The blockade meant global food prices skyrocketed.
It also threatened food supplies to a number of Middle Eastern and African countries which rely heavily on Ukrainian grain.
An agreement was finally brokered in July last year with the help of the United Nations and Turkey.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country intended to continue exporting grain, highlighting that the agreement was made up of two deals that mirrored each other - one signed by Ukraine and the other by Russia.
"We are not afraid," he said of Russia's decision to withdraw from their deal.
"We were approached by companies who own vessels and they're willing to continue shipping grain if Ukraine agrees to let them in and Turkey - to pass them through."
Mykhaylo Podolyak, an advisor to Mr. Zelensky, suggested an international armed patrol force could be created to escort ships carrying grain from Ukraine and ensure their safety.
He admitted, however, that there may not be many countries willing to create such patrols.
Nikolay Gorbachev, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association, told the BBC that his members had identified alternative means of exporting grain - including through its Danube River ports.
But he conceded that the ports would be less efficient, reducing the amount of grain Ukraine can export and raising the cost of moving it.
World leaders were quick to condemn the decision, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accusing Russia of a "cynical move", while the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, described the move as an "act of cruelty".
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who heads the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Black Sea trade in food, feed, and fertilizer was "critical to the stability of global food prices" - adding that hope must be kept alive that Moscow would reconsider pulling out of the gran deal.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said the organization would look for solutions to the "rise in human suffering" that would "inevitably" follow Russia's decision.
"There is simply too much at stake in a hungry and hurting world," said Mr Guterres.
The Kremlin's announcement came just hours after an attack on a bridge in Crimea that killed two civilians. Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility but a source in the country's security service told BBC Russian it was behind the attack.
Mr. Peskov said Russia letting the deal expire was unrelated to the attack. "Before this attack, the position was declared by President Putin", he told reporters in Moscow.
Source- BBC
EU To Release €43 Million Aid Fund On Disaster Preparedness For Latin America And The Caribbean
The European Union (EU) is giving financial aid for disaster preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This announcement will be made during the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Forum, on July 17 and 18, which will host the event ‘Disaster preparedness saves lives‘, co-hosted by the EU and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
“For three decades the EU has been present in the Latin America and Caribbean region, strengthening disaster preparedness and emergency response,” Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said. “In a region that is among the world’s most disaster-prone and subjected to increasingly frequent and impactful disasters, we must act together to further preparedness and keep people safe.”
Lenarčič emphasized that this “saves lives, protects communities, and preserves development gains.”
“This is why I am confident that our new humanitarian funding will also help strengthen cooperation and risk management across the region,” he said.
Representatives from the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean countries, UN and civil society organizations, intergovernmental agencies, and disaster management bodies, among others, will attend the ‘Disaster preparedness saves lives’ event.
“The gathering provides a unique platform to enhance cooperation and showcase the evolution of the disaster preparedness and emergency response in the region, as well as the opportunity to share key achievements and lessons learned,” the official statement said.
It is a timely event since the region is in its hurricane season, and it could help several islands that have been preparing for possible onslaughts of typhoons and hurricanes be able to mitigate the impact of these rains.
Islands like Dominica have gone ahead to ramp up their disaster preparedness and have been on a roll developing infrastructure that is climate-resilient and can withstand the effects of these heavy rains. In partnership with MMC Development Ltd., Dominica has built more than 2,000 sustainable residential units for its residents.
In February this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his country is allotting $44.8 million in aid to the region, intending to focus on new initiatives such as “biodiversity, climate resilience, and disaster preparedness and recovery to support CARICOM in addressing the climate crisis.”
Source- Caribbean News Now
New York streets submerged by flash flooding
The National Weather Service in the US has issued emergency flood warnings for Orange, Putnam, and Rockland counties, north of New York City.
Police have closed roads and issued a rare flash flood emergency, telling residents to avoid travel.
Local resident Melissa Roberts, in Orange County, captured the flooding on camera - the water was up to her knees and cars were submerged.
It's been reported that one foot (30cm) of rain fell in some areas.
Steven Neuhaus, the Orange County executive, said there had been one death related to the floods, the New York Times reported.
Source- BBC
Threads app signs up 100m users in less than a week
Threads, the social media app aimed at rivaling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days, according to new data.
It means Threads, launched by Instagram owner Meta, has beat a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries last Wednesday.
It not available in Europe due to the EU's data privacy legislation.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta, which also owns Facebook, said the app had 10 million users within the first seven hours of launch and more than 30 million by Thursday morning.
Around 24 hours later, that figure had more than doubled.
At 100 million, according to figures from data platform Quiver Quantitative, Threads' base stands at less than a third of the 350 million regular users that Twitter is believed to have.
Some Twitter users have become disenchanted since billionaire Elon Musk took over. Thousands of jobs have been cut under his ownership and he has announced a number of changes to help generate revenue at Twitter.
Other rivals have emerged like Mastodon and Bluesky but have struggled without an existing user base. Threads has capitalised on being linked to Instagram which has more than one billion accounts.
Source- BBC
BBC bosses set to meet police today after presenter who ‘paid teen for sexual pictures’ is suspended
A scandal has now erupted at the BBC, with the presenter suspended and an urgent investigation launched.
The broadcaster confirmed bosses will meet with the Met Police later today to decide whether or not the unnamed presenter has broken the law.
He could face charges of causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child under the Sexual Offences Act, which carries a maximum 14-year sentence.
The presenter could also be charged with making or possessing indecent images, which has a maximum tariff of ten years.
Under the law, a child counts as someone aged under 18 even if the content was created with their consent.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk also confirmed talks would be taking place as he suggested a further probe is needed into how the BBC handled the allegations.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: "These are very serious and concerning allegations. You ask me as a parent - I would be extremely concerned about that.
"I think in fairness, I don't know precisely what was said and at what time, but certainly you would expect allegations of that nature to be dealt with very robustly and promptly.
"I think what we are now seeing today… and I understand there is going to be a meeting with the police, and that is absolutely right.
"And it may be that in the fullness of time, there will need to be an investigation about how this allegation was handled. That is quite possible.
"But right now I think it is important, in the interest of that victim, of that complainant, that this is dealt with as quickly and fairly and robustly as possible."
It comes after Scotland Yard yesterday confirmed they had been contacted by the BBC but no formal report has been made.
A spokesperson added: "We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow."
The Sun exclusively revealed the presenter was taken off air after he allegedly paid the youngster over £35,000 when they were 17.
The mum told how the teenager used the man’s alleged funds to feed a drug addiction.
She said they had gone from a “happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict” in just three years.
In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, she also claimed the family complained in May but became frustrated that the star was still on air a month later.
The family has since handed a dossier of evidence to the broadcaster’s lead investigator, ex-cop Jeff Brown.
The Government is now demanding answers from BBC chief Tim Davie as the scandal deepens.
Former Culture Minister Damian Collins said: “I think the concern will be that this was raised by the family in May this year, but what happened when the complaint was initially raised?
“Why didn’t they do something sooner, I think is a fair challenge to the BBC.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer sat down with Mr. Davie and said she was promised the firm was "investigating swiftly".
The chief later sent an email to staff saying he was taking the allegations "incredibly seriously".
Source- The Sun
Commonwealth Games: Broadbell produce world-leading 12.94 seconds in 110m hurdles
COMMONWEALTH Games gold medallist Rasheed Broadbell produced a personal best and world-leading 12.94 seconds (0.7m/s) to win the 110m hurdles in a stirring battle with Olympic champion Hansle Parchment during the Jamaica Athletics Administrative, Association (JAAA) National Championships at the National Stadium on Sunday.
Parchment was second with 13.12 and Orlando Bennett third in 13.19 — both season's best runs.
Broadbell's scintillating run bettered American Cordell Tinch's previous world lead of 12.96. It also broke the Jamaican's previous best of 12.99 set last year. A day earlier, Broadbill had run his season's best 13.06.
Jackson sizzle on the final day of national championships
Shericka Jackson served notice she is ready for the World Athletics Championships just over a month after she completed a fine sprint double, winning the women's 200m in a world-leading 21.71 seconds (-0.5m/s).
It was Jackson's second world leader of the weekend after her personal best of 10.65 to win the 100m on Friday.
Jackson took charge of the race off the curve and powered her way home, beating her previous season's best of 21.98 seconds and Julien Alfred's previous world lead of 21.91.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a season's best 22.26, beating the 22.39 she ran in Saturday's semi-finals, while Lanae-tava Thomas was third in 22.55.
Andrew Hudson retained his men's 200m title, running a season's best 20.11 (-0.2m/s) and beating Rasheed Dwyer (20.26). Tyquendo Tracey was third with a season's best 20.48.
Yohan Blake, the second-fastest man of all time over the distance, was fourth in 20.51. He will miss the World Championships.
Olympic Games women's 100m hurdles bronze medallist Megan Tapper produced a solid display of hurdling as she got off to a flying start and held off NCAA champion Ackera Nugent.
Tapper, who had run a lifetime best 12.44 in Saturday's semi-finals, won with 12.64 (-1.9m/s). Nugent clocked 12.67, while former World Champion Danielle Williams snatched the third spot with 12.82.
Sean Bailey won the highly anticipated battle with Antonio Watson to take his second national men's 400m title, running 44.48 — just off his personal best of 44.43 set earlier this season.
Watson lowered his personal best for the second time in just over a month, clocking 44.54 to take second place. Jevaughn Powell was third with 45.19.
Powell is yet to achieve the World Championships qualifying mark of 45.00 seconds, which could lead to Zandrion Barnes, who finished sixth, getting the nod along with Bailey and Watson for spots on the team to Hungary.
Bailey said while he was satisfied with the victory, there are things to fix.
"I haven't felt like myself throughout the rounds," he told the Jamaica Observer.
"I just talked to my coach about it and fixed it in the finals. I felt great the first 100 meters so I'm like, 'Okay, let me just relax.' I know Antonio Watson's a great finisher so I just wanted to have something to come home with because I know he'd be finishing strong," Bailey said.
Nickesha Pryce won her first women's title as she held off the hard-charging Janieve Russell, the 400m hurdles champion, to win in a new personal best of 50.21.
Russell also lowered her lifetime best to 50.76 while last year's champion, Candice McLeod, was third in 51.01.
Rajay Hamilton won his first national title, securing the men's 800m in 1:47.28 minutes while beating last year's champion and national record holder Navasky Anderson (1:47.67). Tyrese Reid was third in 1:48.45.
Natoya Goule-Toppin won her ninth national championships, clocking 1:58.89 and finishing comfortably ahead of Adelle Tracey who was second in a season's best 2:01.11. Jessica McLean was third in 2:05.76.
Elvis Graham won the men's javelin throw with 74.19m, finishing ahead of Zaavan Richards (70.91m) and Devon Spencer (65.78m).
Source- JamaicaObserver