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British homebuilder shares hit seven-month high ahead of spending review

British homebuilder shares hit seven-month high ahead of spending review

Yahoo3 days ago

LONDON (Reuters) -British homebuilder shares rose sharply on Wednesday, ahead a public spending announcement from the UK finance minister that is expected to confirm 39 billion pounds ($52.54 billion) of funding for affordable homes in the next decade.
An index tracking British homebuilder shares was last up 2.36% at its highest since November, building on Tuesday's 5.4% gain.
Vistry shares rose nearly 9%, and topped the broad European STOXX 600 share index. Peers Crest Nicholson and Bellway rose 5.2% and 2.5%.
($1 = 0.7422 pounds)

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Vietnam parliament approves hiking tax on alcoholic drinks to 90% by 2031
Vietnam parliament approves hiking tax on alcoholic drinks to 90% by 2031

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Vietnam parliament approves hiking tax on alcoholic drinks to 90% by 2031

HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's National Assembly on Saturday approved a proposal to raise the special consumption tax on alcoholic beverages to 90% by 2031 from the current 65%, a move that will add to challenges facing the industry even though the top rate won't be as high as first flagged. Under the legislation, the tax rate on beer and strong liquor will rise to 70% by 2027, a year later than initially proposed, before reaching 90% in 2031. Vietnam currently imposes a 65% tax on these products and the initial proposal last year had the tax rising to as high as 100%. The finance ministry has said the aim of the higher taxes is to curb alcohol consumption. Vietnam is Southeast Asia's second-largest beer market, according to a report by consultancy KPMG in 2024. Vietnam's beer industry, led by Dutch brewer Heineken, Denmark's Carlsberg, and local brewers Sabeco and Habeco, has already faced challenges from stringent drink-driving laws introduced in 2019, which set a zero-alcohol limit for drivers. The country's Beer and Alcoholic Beverage Association chief has said industry revenue has declined for the past three years. In response to weakening demand and the initial proposal for the tax hike, Heineken last year suspended operations at one of its Vietnam breweries. On Saturday, the lawmakers also approved a new levy of eight percent on sugary drinks exceeding 5g/100ml of sugar that will take effect in 2027 and rise to 10% in 2028.

Longtime spokesperson Tom Bodett sues Motel 6
Longtime spokesperson Tom Bodett sues Motel 6

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Longtime spokesperson Tom Bodett sues Motel 6

The Brief Tom Bodett filed a federal lawsuit against Motel 6, claiming the chain used his voice and name without authorization after their contract ended. The dispute stems from a missed $1.2 million payment and the breakdown of a nearly 40-year partnership between Bodett and the motel brand. Motel 6's parent company, G6 Hospitality, said it was surprised by the lawsuit but expressed appreciation for Bodett's contributions. Tom Bodett, whose warm baritone and iconic line "we'll leave the light on for you" made him the voice of Motel 6 for nearly four decades, is suing the motel chain and its parent company for alleged unauthorized use of his name and voice. According to a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, Bodett said he ended his relationship with Motel 6 after its new owner, India-based travel firm OYO, failed to make a $1.2 million annual payment due on Jan. 7. Their contract was set to expire in November. The backstory Despite the contract lapse, Bodett claims Motel 6 continued using his voice and name on its national reservation phone line. The lawsuit alleges violations of both his contract rights and federal trademark law. Bodett said he attempted to reach a confidential settlement that would honor his legacy and protect Motel 6's reputation and franchisees, but accused the company of responding with "misrepresentations, obfuscations, and delay tactics." The lawsuit seeks $1.2 million in owed compensation, along with additional damages and a share of profits. What they're saying A spokesperson for G6 Hospitality, the parent company of Motel 6, said the company was "surprised" by Bodett's lawsuit but indicated it hoped for an amicable resolution. "We appreciate Mr. Bodett's contributions over the past years," the spokesperson said. "Of course, we will continue to advertise keeping the lights on for you." Bodett, when contacted by email, told Reuters: "The complaint says all there is to say." Tom Bodett became Motel 6's lead spokesman in 1986 and said he coined the phrase "we'll leave the light on for you" during an unscripted ad-lib. His voice became synonymous with the brand's down-to-earth identity and was featured in both radio and TV campaigns for decades. In addition to his advertising work, Bodett is known for his appearances on National Public Radio and for narrating several Ken Burns documentaries. What's next The lawsuit, Bodett et al v G6 Hospitality LLC et al, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It could set a notable precedent for voice usage and contract rights in long-term brand relationships, especially as companies change ownership. The Source This report is based on original reporting from Reuters, which first detailed the lawsuit filed by Tom Bodett against Motel 6 and its parent company G6 Hospitality. The article includes direct quotes from legal filings and statements provided to Reuters by both Bodett and Motel 6.

Inside VivaTech: LVMH Spotlights AI and Sustainability at Innovation Awards
Inside VivaTech: LVMH Spotlights AI and Sustainability at Innovation Awards

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Inside VivaTech: LVMH Spotlights AI and Sustainability at Innovation Awards

PARIS — Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, was working his second job Thursday morning, missing the annual Innovation Awards at the VivaTech fair. LVMH's head of communication, image and environment, Antoine Arnault, stepped into his father's shoes to apologize to the crowd and congratulate the winners. More from WWD Magic vs. Logic: Analysts Get Creative and Start to Weigh In on Designer Appointments Louis Vuitton Is the New Official Partner of Real Madrid Shoppers Are Investing in Luxury Handbags Over Stock 'You might have noticed that, on top of his multiple hats, he also became recently a diplomat, and his diplomacy skills made him unable to attend today,' said the younger Arnault of his father's whereabouts. 'But it's nothing more than that, and he's very sad that he couldn't be here,' he added, heading off any speculation at the pass. The winners were selected from LVMH's Maison des Startups and judged on new criteria this year, including the ability to collaborate with brands and capability to scale quickly. Real-time predictive audience segmentation AI Kahoona, partnered with Dior, took the best business prize for its ability to read the 'digital body language' of anonymous site visitors; soil health measurement system Genesis, collaborating with Moët Hennessy, took the Impact Prize; and digital twin 3D AI content creation studio OMI, partnering with Guerlain, took the Most Promising prize. Tiffany & Co. stepped in for the first time to create the trophy, and on stage, representatives from each winning team asked Arnault a question on business leadership. 'You need a little bit of craziness sometimes, and you need to take crazy decisions once in a while,' he said, citing the decision of Bernard Arnault hiring John Galliano to head the house of Christian Dior when he was just a 'young British [designer] with a bit of a bad reputation.' Imparting the lessons he's learned from the luxury business, Arnault said that when Amazon started growing into the shopping behemoth it is today, his father went against the grain and opened bigger, flashier retail spaces to transform shopping into entertainment. 'He tried to prove that you needed temples — not to worship luxury products — but at least to have a great experience, and to go in there and meet people, drink a glass of Champagne, take your time, and then maybe take a crazy decision on buying very expensive products,' he said. After the ceremony, winners were treated to a live engraving of their name on the trophy, Oscars-style. Other heavy hitters made their way to the convention center in the south of Paris, including French President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister François Bayrou. The newly minted superstar speaking slot went to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Overall, this year's programming bid bye-bye to blockchain and adios to AR — the exhibitor and speaker lineup was heavy on companies with an AI angle. However, this is a generational shift and not just another trend, said LVMH chief information officer Franck Le Moal. 'AI and genAI are definitely a strong transformation,' he told WWD. 'It will not be a kind of buzz word, a bit like 'metaverse' was. It's really becoming part of the day-to-day processes' integrated throughout systems across the company, he said. Le Moal said LVMH is supporting its workforce in learning AI as a tool and has created two academies within the conglomerate to educate staff at all levels on a 'new way of working.' He highlighted several use cases being tested at LVMH, including using AI in marketing to adjust content for different countries and social platforms, and using generative AI to create photo-realistic content. The company also renewed its partnership with Google Cloud, focusing on developing new AI, including an internal version of Google's Gemini called MaIA, and is developing AI agents for retail sales and client outreach. AI is already deployed in supply chain forecasting and inventory optimization. 'We can use technology to adjust and make our supply chain even more efficient in a very unpredictable context,' he said, framing production within the current climate and geopolitical challenges. 'We are facing agility, being able to answer very quickly to the context in China, in the U.S., in Europe, being able to adjust our production and distribution.' Kahoona's tech uses what cofounder Gal Rapoport called 'digital body language,' finger size, movements, and signals that can be analyzed by AI to identify and understand the personality of an anonymous shopper. Rapoport said research shows that 96 percent of visitors to a website are anonymous, and only 0.5 to 3 percent of those visitors convert to a sale. Early data demonstrates that the hyper-personalization and segmentation that comes along with personality detection drives engagement up over 10 times. Advertising is now in the hands of the brands, which can create product campaigns or use virtual models that can be ordered up in minutes. Most Promising Prize winner OMI's tech makes a digital twin of any item, which can then be used inside an 'endless photoshoot,' manipulating positioning, light reflecting, and altering ratios for platform compatibility. OMI's rendered images are photorealistic and give the power to the brands to create their own ads and media, be it the design, marketing or e-commerce team — pretty much any team in an organization — with the same 3D model at the core. 'The main advantage is that it's a non-technical skills-related solution,' said OMI product manager Swen Hueber. Without need for an engineer, it significantly reduces ad production costs and time down to a few hours. Elsewhere, brands can now mix-and-match model features, much like shopping online, with AI photo studio Veeton. The start-up's tech can replicate a full photoshoot within two hours, said cofounder and CEO Flore Lestrade. Fashion brands have been working with existing tech like Midjourney to create images, but they can still wander in the uncanny valley. 'That's something fashion brands are actively working on — de-AI-ifying those images,' said Lestrade. Veeton offers a menu of virtual models to select from, adjustable for body types, pose, race, style and age. Users can upload flat pack shots, and the AI will create a look from its dataset of over 50 million fashion images. Subtleties such as facial expressions or posture can be adjusted with prompts to match creative direction without the need for engineers or editors, she said. Veeton has already worked with Showroomprivé and will roll out to more fashion brands and retailers soon. EssilorLuxottica CEO Paul du Saillant and Publicis Groupe Chair Emeritus Maurice Levy took the stage to tout the eyewear maker's partnership between its Ray-Ban brand and Meta to create connected glasses. Du Saillant said Google's attempt at connected glasses didn't work a decade ago because they 'did not address the style element.' Levy said he doesn't go into a meeting these days without wearing a pair of the glasses — which can record video and audio, amplify sound, and alert wearers of emails and text messages in real time. The eyewear company is preparing to 'expand aggressively' and will roll out more styles and possibly partnerships with other brands soon. EBay France general manager Sarah Tayeb and Vestiaire Collective chief impact officer Dounia Wone both addressed the apparent contradiction of using AI, which consumes significant amounts of energy and water, to simplify resale or refurbished goods shopping. Both use tech that can help create and translate listings, as well as assist with search to help nudge consumer behavior. 'We need to take a step back,' said Wone. AI can help these businesses 'grow in an industry that is very much a huge polluting industry,' she said, and help create a circular economy. By adding ease, AI support enables more people to enter the resale ecosystem and has helped double sales of suggested items. 'It's an opportunity, because sustainability tech needs to be aligned with growth,' she said. Sustainability data management platform Sweep works with fashion brands including Burberry, Lacoste, and The Kooples, and beauty brands such as Caudalie, to collect and monitor environmental and carbon data throughout their supply chains, as well as build transition plans. Sweep cofounder and CEO Rachel Delacour emphasized that companies should see sustainability as a key driver of transformation, as it helps break down departmental silos and establishes sustainability as a core business pillar. It's a tricky global moment with the new Trump tariffs upending global trade and the EU potentially rolling back some sustainability reporting regulations, but Delacour said that while fashion brands are becoming more cautious, they aren't abandoning sustainability altogether. 'The fashion brands we are talking with are telling us, 'We can't waste four years of data collection,'' she said. Instead, the uncertainty is acting as an accelerator for companies to make a stronger business case for sustainable supply chains. Regardless of how the regulations play out, both European and U.S.-based companies see sustainability as necessary to future-proofing their businesses. 'It has actually accelerated the sustainability understanding and how they must engage with their value chain and [demonstrate] the ROI of all this for the CEO and the board members,' she said. 'There are finite resources on this planet. There will be winners and losers. The ones who are not able to transition to a low carbon economy in their business and in their value chain, they won't be here in the next 10 years.' 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