Exclusive-Netflix expands toy business with ‘Stranger Things’ licensing deal

By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine (Reuters) – Netflix is expanding its presence in the toy business, striking its first master licensing deal with the company behind the popular Squishmallows plush toys to develop a product line inspired by its hit science-fiction series “Stranger Things.” The streaming giant granted toymaker Jazwares the right to develop…

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Helion raises $425 million from SoftBank’s venture arm, hits $5.4 billion valuation

By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) – Helion, a startup working to generate electricity from nuclear fusion, on Tuesday said it has raised $425 million in venture funding from a group of investors including SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund 2. The Everett, Washington-based Helion said the funding will help it speed up the development of its next generation…

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Amazon Prime Video shifts focus to live sports to boost profits, The Information reports

(Reuters) – Amazon’s Prime Video has shifted its strategic focus towards live sports and away from original television shows and movies, seeking to meet internal corporate profit targets, The Information reported on Friday. Amazon’s reported move marks a pivotal moment for the tech giant as it looks beyond its traditional focus on original content for…

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Shein tells UK lawmakers it does not allow Chinese cotton in products sold in US

By Helen Reid and James Davey LONDON (Reuters) -Online fast-fashion retailer Shein requires its contract manufacturers to only source cotton from approved regions, which do not include China, for products it sells in the United States, its biggest market, the company said on Friday. Approved cotton sources include Australia, Brazil, India, the United States and,…

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Facebook removes, then reinstates, page of British anti-racism organisation

By Catarina Demony LONDON (Reuters) – One of Britain’s biggest anti-racism organisations, Stand Up to Racism, said on Wednesday its Facebook page had been shut down for allegedly breaching the social media platform’s community standards on impersonation, though it was later reinstated. Facebook’s owner, Meta Platforms, said the page had been removed in error and…

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