Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

Ratings downgrade adds to pressures

The government came in for more criticism on Thursday over its handling of the nation's economy, with major ratings agency Fitch changing its credit outlook from "stable" to "negative". The rating, which institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank can use when determining the risk involved in lending money, is a major indicator of the confidence the world has in a country.

UNITED STATES

Judge gives Twitter, Musk time to end row

A judge on Thursday suspended litigation in the saga over Elon Musk's proposed $44 billion takeover of Twitter, giving the parties until Oct 28 to finalize the on-again, off-again megadeal. Delaware Judge Kathaleen McCormick, ruling on a Musk request to freeze the case that had drawn a biting retort from Twitter, said a trial originally scheduled to begin in 11 days could be rescheduled for next month if a deal is not finalized. The move buys time for a potential reconciliation between two parties that began squabbling as soon as the technology billionaire sealed an agreement in April to purchase the influential social media site for $54.20 a share.

Agencies - China Daily