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- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
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- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
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- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
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- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
Microsoft's Activision bid gets a boost in UK
Microsoft's $69-billion takeover bid for US video game giant Activision Blizzard scored a victory on Friday as Britain's competition regulator narrowed the scope of its probe to cloud gaming.
Xbox-owner Microsoft launched last year its bid to create the world's third biggest gaming company by revenue with the takeover of Activision, owner of hit games "Candy Crush" and "Call Of Duty", triggering European antitrust concerns.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had stated in provisional findings last month that the deal could hurt competition in cloud gaming and gaming consoles.
However, it declared Friday that the "transaction will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in relation to console gaming in the UK", citing new evidence from a consultation with interested parties.
As a result, the CMA's investigation will now focus only on cloud gaming.
Prior CMA analysis assumed Microsoft would seek to make "Call of Duty" exclusive to the Xbox console, at the expense of Sony's PlayStation.
However, the CMA has now concluded that "this strategy would be significantly loss-making under any plausible scenario".
Microsoft welcomed the news and offered to work with regulators to resolve outstanding concerns.
Prior to Friday's update, Sony requested that the CMA block the transaction on grounds it could give Microsoft the ability to "foreclose its rivals" from the Call of Duty franchise.
The UK regulator is due to present its final report by April 26.
Friday's news comes one week after Microsoft offered formal commitments to the European Union as it bids to persuade the bloc to approve the deal.
T.Morelli--CPN