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(Reuters) -Electronic Arts' "Battlefield 6" has hit all-time highs for franchise sales during the first three days of its launch, selling over seven million copies, the video game publisher said on Thursday. EA was betting on the latest "Battlefield" title to restore the franchise's reputation and loosen the dominance of "Call of Duty," published by Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard, in the first-person shooter genre. "Battlefield 6" was launched on October 10, weeks after EA agreed to a $55 billion sale to a Saudi-backed investor group in a deal fueled by its prized gaming portfolio. The game had over 172 million matches played online and accumulated over 15 million hours watched on streaming services over the three-day weekend, EA said in a statement. It recorded the highest number of concurrent players ever for "Battlefield." "Battlefield 6's" Season 1 will be released on October 28. Seasonal content will be rolled out regularly, with the next two phases of the season arriving later this year. EA's other shooter games such as "Apex Legends," "Titanfall" and "Star Wars Battlefront" have lost steam, forcing it to rely on one of its best-known franchises to attract consumers who are sticking with proven titles amid tariff-led economic worries. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Shreya Biswas)

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(Reuters) -The chair of the House Select Committee on China said Thursday that a licensing agreement for use of the TikTok algorithm as part of a deal by Chinese-based ByteDance to sell U.S. assets of the short video app would raise "serious concerns." Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican, is waiting for briefing to get more details on the deal that White House officials said previously would include the new owners of TikTok's U.S. assets licensing the algorithm. "I think anytime you have (China) with leverage over the algorithm, I think that's a problem," Moolenaar said at a forum. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 25 declaring the plan to sell TikTok's U.S. operations to a consortium of U.S. and global investors meets the national security requirements set out in a 2024 law. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Alexandra Alper, Editing by Franklin Paul)

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By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday urged member countries to keep trade as an engine of growth for the world economy despite President Donald Trump's steep new tariffs, warning that a larger-scale trade war could have negative consequences. Georgieva, speaking to reporters at the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, mapped out a sober view of a global economy that was doing better than feared when IMF and World Bank members last gathered in Washington in April, but still faced many risks, including inflation, high debt and growing unrest in countries around the world. The IMF is predicting global real GDP growth of 3.2% for 2025, down from 3.3% in 2024, but up slightly from a July forecast of 3.0% and a more severe April forecast of 2.8% that came after Trump imposed tariffs on nearly every country in the world, triggering a tit-for-tat escalation with China. The relative calm of recent months was shattered last week when China imposed new export controls on rare earth metals needed for the technology sector, and Trump responded by imposing new 100% duties on Chinese imports. Georgieva, the IMF's managing director, noted that so far only three countries – the United States, China and Canada – had raised tariffs, and she was urging countries to exercise restraint to avoid fallout such as higher inflation, lower growth and employment effects. "If there is a flare-up of trade tensions, that would, of course, have a negative impact," Georgieva said. "This is why we are saying … please don't do that. It is not a healthy action." "The largest economy in the world has chosen to use tariffs as an instrument in relations with partners," Georgieva said of the U.S. "Here is the interesting fact today, the rest of the world has not followed so far." MOST IMF MEMBER STATES HAVE NOT RAISED TRADE BARRIERS Georgieva said out of 191 IMF member countries, 188 have chosen not to retaliate and are trading more among themselves. "India has still maintained some barriers to trade. There are tariffs that India imposes, there are some restrictions. And it is good to think about, where do we want to go? Do we want to go in the direction of maintaining and increasing these restrictions, or do we want to go the other way?" She said India's relations with the European Union seem to be signaling a desire to trade more with other countries. Georgieva said in the briefing that countries with large external surpluses like China need to rely more on domestic consumption than exports, while countries with big fiscal deficits, like the United States, need to reduce them, to help the overall economy. Georgieva also addressed the two-edged sword of artificial intelligence, noting that booming investment in the technology, concentrated mostly in the U.S., could contribute between 0.1% and 0.8% to global growth, but could also cause more divergence between rich and poor countries. "If we were to extract that kind of boost of growth, that would be very significant for the world," she said. "The risk is that we may end up in a world where there is increasing productivity, but it is also a source of divergence within countries and across countries," she said. Georgieva said public debt is at near-record highs and still climbing and excessive imbalances were plaguing many countries, with uncertainty rising and triggering social unrest in many places. "The force of change is making the global economy less predictable, and it is impacting people. People are anxious, They're taking to the streets to demand better opportunities," she said. (Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Toby Chopra and Andrea Ricci)

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(Corrects pronoun of expert in paragraph 4 to she from he) By Savyata Mishra (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of additional 100% tariffs on Chinese imports has sounded alarm bells among retail and trade experts, who caution it could lead to more price increases and squeeze demand. The fresh levies, set to take effect November 1, would come as shoppers and retailers enter the holiday shopping season – a period that typically accounts for a major chunk of annual retail sales – and dampen consumer sentiment, particularly among lower-income households.   The tariff threat could prompt a "pull-forward of shipments" as retailers try to beat implementation timelines, said Blake Harden, managing director at Washington Council EY. But she cautioned that accelerated imports might still be hit by duties upon arrival, leading some firms to delay orders or hold shipments in China. "This will have ripple effects throughout the supply chain," Harden said.  The trade spat this year between the U.S. and key trading partners has clouded the economy, weighed on forecasts for this fiscal year and stoked uncertainty for American consumers and companies alike.   Prices for everything from clothes to TVs have gone up in recent months as manufacturers and retailers struggle with the ever-changing tariff environment while also trying to offset rising commodity and supply-chain costs. "This will add another layer of anxiety to an already anxious retail sector. Retailers have shown they can manage tariffs, but what's far harder to manage is volatility in tariff rates," CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram said. "The good news is most holiday inventory is already in the U.S., so this latest escalation shouldn't disrupt the crucial shopping season. However, we could see prices increase next year if this escalation continues." Retail stocks, including Abercrombie, Best Buy and Nike, fell on Friday after Trump's remarks. But on Sunday, Trump posted on the Truth Social network: "Don't worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment."  So far this year, retailers have issued mixed outlooks ahead of the holiday season. Target and Best Buy maintained their annual forecasts, while Walmart and Macy's raised theirs. Toymaker Mattel, however, reduced its expectations. "A lot of companies were expecting this. The surprise is in the timing this close to holiday season," said Ram Reddy,  chief technology officer and head of retail, life sciences & enterprise solutions of Nagarro, a global digital engineering and consulting firm. "I feel the holiday season this year would be a good test of the diversification strategies that companies have tried to do over the last six months."  (Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru, writing by Aishwarya Venugopal; Editing By Peter Henderson and Anil D'Silva)

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BEIJING (Reuters) -China's commerce minister, Wang Wentao, said "intensive U.S. restrictive measures" rolled out after talks in Madrid in September seriously harmed China's interests and undermined the atmosphere for bilateral trade consultations. In a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Wang blamed the U.S. measures as the main reason for "recent fluctuations in China–U.S. economic and trade relations," his ministry said in a statement. "It is hoped the U.S. will work with China … to find ways to address issues through dialogue and consultation on an equal footing, and to provide more stable expectations and conditions for enterprises from both countries to cooperate," Wang was quoted as telling Cook. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom)

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(Reuters) -Chobani has raised $650 million in its latest funding round, the company said on Thursday, as the yogurt maker looks to fund its plant expansion plans in the United States. Earlier this year, the 20-year-old company said it would invest $1.2 billion in building its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York and a $500 million expansion plan in Idaho. Following the equity raise, the company now has a valuation of $20 billion, the New York Times DealBook reported, citing sources on Thursday. The report also added that Chobani was expecting to generate $3.8 billion in net sales this year, a 28% increase from the prior year. Private food brands, including Chobani, Mike’s Amazing and Duke’s, have been taking away market share in the U.S. from some of the larger conglomerates, including Unilever , as they expand across the U.S. Chobani has been expanding beyond its core yogurt business to attract a broader consumer base. The company also launched other high-protein products like protein shakes in 2024. The privately held firm acquired coffee brand La Colombe for $900 million in 2023, and earlier this year, it bought plant-based food maker Daily Harvest. (Reporting by Anshi Sancheti in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Anil D'Silva)

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(Reuters) -CNN is taking another shot at streaming with a $6.99-a-month subscription service that will launch on October 28, three years after its parent Warner Bros Discovery pulled the plug on the costly CNN+ platform within 30 days of debut. The "all access" subscription tier will roll out in the U.S. and offer users live and on-demand video programming along with all CNN.com articles, the news network said on Thursday. It will also come with a library of CNN Originals, including its latest content. CNN's renewed push into streaming comes as parent Warner Bros Discovery seeks to offset declining cable TV revenue and focus on expanding its streaming unit in a crowded market dominated by few big players such as Netflix. WBD is also working on a spin-off that would move CNN into a cable-focused firm, while its studios and streaming businesses would form a separate company. CNN CEO Mark Thompson, a former New York Times top boss credited with turning the Gray Lady into a digital content giant, has been trying to reverse the news network's sagging ratings and falling profits by focusing on new initiatives.  The new offering builds on CNN's existing subscription product, the Basic tier, that was launched in October last year and provides unlimited access to CNN.com and app articles and subscriber-only content. Current pay-TV subscribers will be able to log in to the new streaming product at no additional cost, while a subscription to the Basic tier will be required for unlimited article access. Consumers can sign up for the $69.99 annual plan by January 5 at an introductory price of $41.99 for the first year, CNN said. "It's an essential step in CNN's evolution," said Alex MacCallum, executive vice president for digital products and services at CNN Worldwide. Rival Fox Corp had launched Fox One subscription-based streaming service in August for $19.99 per month. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

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By Sukriti Gupta and Twesha Dikshit (Reuters) – Wall Street's main indexes rose on Thursday, boosted by a strong quarterly update from TSMC that reinforced investor optimism around AI and extended a rally in chip stocks. TSMC, the world's biggest producer of advanced chips, raised its full-year revenue forecast on a bullish outlook for spending on artificial intelligence.  U.S.-listed shares of the company fell 1.1% in choppy trading after rising more than 2% before the opening bell. Shares of some major U.S. chipmakers also advanced, building on gains from Wednesday when ASML's solid quarterly results and a $40 billion data center deal by BlackRock and a Nvidia-backed group fueled optimism around AI. Nvidia rose 1.2%, Micron Technology added 2.7% and Broadcom gained 1.3%. The S&P 500 tech sector rose 0.5%. "AI, the demand and the euphoria around it has been fueled by the megacap and the hyperscaler spending for it," said Joe Mazzola, head trading & derivative strategist at Charles Schwab. "Now we're in kind of that second season … where investors are maybe moving away just from investing in the chip makers and the hyperscalers and looking for some adjacent plays." The AI-driven momentum and optimism around U.S. rate cuts have helped markets in recent months. AI-related tech stocks were among the biggest boosts to markets this week. Robust earnings from major U.S. banks also grabbed attention this week, offering fresh signs of economic resilience at a time when official macroeconomic reports remain delayed due to an ongoing government shutdown. At 10:02 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 83.57 points, or 0.18%, to 46,336.88, the S&P 500 gained 19.62 points, or 0.29%, to 6,690.68 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 115.74 points, or 0.51%, to 22,785.82. The S&P 500 communication services advanced 0.7%, while financials declined 0.9%. Meanwhile, China accused the U.S. of stoking panic over its rare earth controls and rejected a White House call to roll back the curbs. Top U.S. officials on Wednesday blasted China's major expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains, stressing that Washington did not want to escalate the conflict. President Donald Trump's threat to cancel the U.S.-China meet and impose an additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods capped investors' risk appetite last week. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that Trump is ready to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month. Data showed the Philadelphia Fed Business index for October declined 12.8, compared with a rise of 8.5 estimated by the economists polled by Reuters. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he supported an additional interest rate cut in October due to mixed readings on the state of the job market.  Among other moves, Salesforce rose 7.1% as the company said it expects revenue of more than $60 billion in 2030, above Wall Street estimates. Hewlett Packard Enterprise slumped 8.6% after it forecast annual profit and revenue below Wall Street expectations. J.B. Hunt shares jumped 17.7% after a higher third-quarter profit. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.15-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.17-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 27 new 52-week highs and five new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 85 new highs and 33 new lows. (Reporting by Sukriti Gupta and Twesha Dikshit in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. homebuilder sentiment jumped to a six-month high in October amid hopes that declining mortgage rates would stimulate demand for housing and help reduce an inventory overhang that has hampered new housing construction. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index increased five points to 37 this month, the highest reading since April. It, however, remained below the 50 breakeven point for the 18th straight month. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index edging up to 33. Higher mortgage rates have dampened housing demand, resulting in a glut of unsold new homes on the market. Though mortgage rates have eased as the Federal Reserve resumed cutting interest rates, growing economic uncertainty amid a lackluster labor market is keeping prospective buyers on the sidelines. "While recent declines for mortgage rates are an encouraging sign for affordability conditions, the market remains challenging," said NAHB chairman Buddy Hughes. "The housing market has some areas with firm demand, including … ongoing solid conditions for the luxury market. However, most home buyers are still on the sidelines."  The survey's measure of current sales conditions increased four points to 38 this month, while its gauge of future sales jumped nine points to 54. A measure of prospective buyer traffic posted a four-point gain to 25. Builders continued to reduce house prices to lure buyers. Thirty-eight percent reported cutting prices. The average price reduction rose to 6%, the largest cut in a year, after averaging 5% for several months. The use of sales incentives was unchanged at 65%. New housing inventory decreased in August after hovering for several months at levels last seen in late 2007. A shutdown of the government amid a standoff over funding has suspended the collection and publication of economic data. The NAHB estimated new single-family building permits rebounded in September after plunging in August to the lowest level in more than two years. "Based on modeling of historical data, the October increase for the HMI suggests an approximate 3% increase for the September single-family permit data on a seasonally adjusted annual rate basis," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz.  (Reporting By Lucia Mutikani, Editing by Franklin Paul)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. homebuilder sentiment jumped to a six-month high in October amid hopes that declining mortgage rates would stimulate demand for housing and help reduce an inventory overhang that has hampered new housing construction. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index increased five points to 37 this month, the highest reading since April. It, however, remained below the 50 breakeven point for the 18th straight month. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index edging up to 33. Higher mortgage rates have dampened housing demand, resulting in a glut of unsold new homes on the market. Though mortgage rates have eased as the Federal Reserve resumed cutting interest rates, growing economic uncertainty amid a lackluster labor market is keeping prospective buyers on the sidelines. "While recent declines for mortgage rates are an encouraging sign for affordability conditions, the market remains challenging," said NAHB chairman Buddy Hughes. "The housing market has some areas with firm demand, including … ongoing solid conditions for the luxury market. However, most home buyers are still on the sidelines."  The survey's measure of current sales conditions increased four points to 38 this month, while its gauge of future sales jumped nine points to 54. A measure of prospective buyer traffic posted a four-point gain to 25. Builders continued to reduce house prices to lure buyers. Thirty-eight percent reported cutting prices. The average price reduction rose to 6%, the largest cut in a year, after averaging 5% for several months. The use of sales incentives was unchanged at 65%. New housing inventory decreased in August after hovering for several months at levels last seen in late 2007. A shutdown of the government amid a standoff over funding has suspended the collection and publication of economic data. The NAHB estimated new single-family building permits rebounded in September after plunging in August to the lowest level in more than two years. "Based on modeling of historical data, the October increase for the HMI suggests an approximate 3% increase for the September single-family permit data on a seasonally adjusted annual rate basis," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz.  (Reporting By Lucia Mutikani, Editing by Franklin Paul)

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