Remote work helps Microsoft soften pandemic blow, profits up

Microsoft is giving staff $1,500 'pandemic bonus'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China was "a major threat to our economic and national security." Four Chinese nationals were charged for the hack.

A big jump in sales has prompted US grill manufacturer Weber to go public on the New York Stock Exchange — but prospects for sustained growth may not be as hot as they seem.

Shares in Sony slumped more by than 10 percent in Tokyo on Wednesday on news of Microsoft's $75 billion deal to buy the video games maker Activision Blizzard. Investors fear the acquisition could mean popular titles like Call of Duty would be moved exclusively to Microsoft platforms. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Stephen Carroll examines the consequences of the deal for the companies involved, and their rivals.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣

A slight increase in US consumer prices for the month of August has ignited fears of more Federal Reserve moves to curb inflation. An earlier drop in US markets had a knock-on effect on Asian marketplaces this Wednesday.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft's Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business.

Microsoft says it is revamping its Bing search engine and Edge web browser with artificial intelligence akin to ChatGPT, in the hopes of making inroads into Google's dominance of online searches.

The proposed deal would be the largest in tech industry history, handing popular franchises Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crash to Microsoft.

Russian security services have accused US reporter Evan Gershkovich of spying on its military. They have provided no evidence. A brief arraignment hearing was held with the case classed as "top secret," his lawyer said.

Microsoft has been trying to buy the game company Activision Blizzard with hits like "Call of Duty" since early 2022. But british antitrust regulators have blocked the deal.

European regulators have approved Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, handing the technology giant a victory at a time when the deal is being challenged in other countries.