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Starmer ‘determined’ to reach a deal over US tariffs on Scotch whisky

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Starmer ‘determined’ to reach a deal over US tariffs on Scotch whisky



Sir Keir Starmer says he is “determined” to reach a deal on US whisky tariffs, but negotiations are ongoing.

The Prime Minister also said the implementation of a trade deal with India would be “very good for whisky in Scotland”.

The sector is concerned about the impact of tariffs – currently levied at 10% – on whisky exported from Scotland to the US.

The Scottish Government is also pushing for the sector to be exempted from tariffs levied by the Trump administration, with First Minister John Swinney flying to Washington DC to meet with the US president in the White House earlier this month. 

In an interview with BBC Scotland political editor Glen Campbell, the Prime Minister said he had raised the topic whisky with President Trump when they met during the state visit to the UK last week.

He said: “I absolutely understand how important it is for Scotland. It is part of our discussions.”

Asked if there is still a chance of a deal, he said: “Yes, and I want to get to the best possible outcome, and I’m determined to do so.

“Obviously, it’s a matter of negotiation. Our teams are discussing that.

“Alongside that, and separately, I want to bring forward the implementation of the India deal – which again for whisky, offers great opportunities.

“Different, of course, to the market in the US, but if we can achieve both of those things, that will be very good for whisky in Scotland.”



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AI shift: SoftBank sells Nvidia stake for $5.8 billion; focuses on OpenAI after tripling first-half profit – The Times of India

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AI shift: SoftBank sells Nvidia stake for .8 billion; focuses on OpenAI after tripling first-half profit – The Times of India


Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has sold its stake in US chipmaker Nvidia for $5.8 billion, signalling a strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence investments, particularly in OpenAI, the company said on Tuesday, AP reported. The tech conglomerate also reported that its profit nearly tripled in the first half of the current fiscal year, driven by strong returns from its Vision Funds.The Tokyo-based firm said the Nvidia shares were sold in October as part of Chairman Masayoshi Son’s broader plan to redirect resources toward next-generation AI ventures. SoftBank’s net profit for the April–September period surged to about 2.5 trillion yen (roughly $13 billion), while sales rose 7.7 per cent year-on-year to 3.7 trillion yen ($24 billion).SoftBank’s earnings tend to fluctuate sharply due to its exposure to multiple high-growth and high-risk ventures. However, its tech-heavy portfolio has seen a rebound in 2025 amid the global AI boom.Earlier this year, Son joined US President Donald Trump, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison in announcing Project Stargate — a proposed $500 billion mega-initiative to develop AI infrastructure and computing power.SoftBank has already invested tens of billions of dollars in OpenAI and plans to expand AI services in Japan through the collaboration. The sale of its Nvidia stake marks a deliberate reallocation of capital — locking in gains from Nvidia’s meteoric rise while freeing funds for direct AI ventures.Nvidia recently became the world’s first $5 trillion company, fuelled by soaring demand for AI chips. The company has also announced a $100 billion investment in OpenAI to build at least 10 gigawatts of new AI data centres to boost computing capacity.While SoftBank no longer holds Nvidia stock, it maintains ties through various portfolio companies that use Nvidia technology in AI and robotics. SoftBank also holds stakes in Arm Holdings and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), both of which have benefited from the AI-driven surge in chip demand.SoftBank’s stock has nearly doubled over the past year, rising 2 per cent in Tokyo trading on Tuesday. Nvidia shares slipped 1.3 per cent in premarket trading after climbing 5.8 per cent on Monday.The company’s latest move cements Masayoshi Son’s aggressive shift toward becoming a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence — a bet that echoes his early vision for the future of computing.





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Pine Labs IPO Day 3: Issue Gets 2.48x Subscription, Retail Quota Booked 1.27x; GMP At Zero

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Pine Labs IPO Day 3: Issue Gets 2.48x Subscription, Retail Quota Booked 1.27x; GMP At Zero


Pine Labs IPO Day 3 GMP, Subscription Status, Price, Allotment & Listing Date: Fintech firm Pine Labs witnessed the last day of its Rs 3,899.91-crore initial public offering (IPO). The IPO, whose price was fixed at Rs 210-221 apiece, has been today, November 11, at 5 pm. The IPO received a 2.48x subscription on Day 3, 13 per cent subscription on the first day of bidding on Friday and 55 per cent on Day 2 on Monday.

However, its grey market premium has further fallen to nil, compared with 1.81% on Monday.

The company raised Rs 1,754 crore from anchor investors on Thursday, a day before the IPO.

The anchor book saw participation from 71 funds, including Franklin Templeton, Nomura, Morgan Stanley Asia Singapore Pte Ltd, Amundi Funds New Silk Road, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BNP Paribas and Eastspring Investments, according to a circular uploaded on BSE’s website.

Pine Labs IPO GMP Today

According to market observers, unlisted shares of Pine Labs are currently trading at Rs 221 apiece in the grey market, which is zero premium (or GMP) over the upper IPO price of Rs 221, indicating flat or negative listing for the company.

The GMP was Rs 5.43% on Friday and nearly 16% a few days ago.

The GMP is based on market sentiments and keeps changing. ‘Grey market premium’ indicates investors’ readiness to pay more than the issue price.

Pine Labs IPO: Opening, Closing, Allotment, Listing Dates

The IPO was opened on November 7 and will be closed on November 11. Its allotment will be finalised on November 12, while the stock listing is scheduled to take place on November 14 on both BSE and NSE.

Pine Labs IPO: Should You Apply?

Brokerages have given a mixed response to the Pine Labs IPO, with views split between long-term optimism and near-term caution. While some see strong potential in its business model, others find the valuation steep given its loss-making status.

Cautious Voices

Arihant Capital advised investors to avoid the issue, citing losses at the PAT level and high employee and technology costs. Swastika Investmart also suggested avoiding the IPO for now, calling it “aggressively valued” with limited short-term visibility. Angel One rated it neutral, noting that the company remains loss-making and trades at a premium to peers on an EV/EBITDA basis, while warning of risks like regulatory uncertainty and intense competition.

Long-Term Optimism

On the other hand, SBI Securities gave a ‘subscribe for long-term’ rating, citing Pine Labs’ strong network of 9.8 lakh merchants and Rs 276 trillion market opportunity by FY29. It said the firm is well placed to deliver profitable growth. IDBI Capital also recommended ‘subscribe for long-term’, highlighting Pine Labs’ Rs 11,424.97 billion transaction volume in FY25 and its strategic acquisitions that strengthen its digital infrastructure ecosystem.



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Sensex Ends 336 Points Higher, Nifty Above 25,700; IT Shares Shine

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Sensex Ends 336 Points Higher, Nifty Above 25,700; IT Shares Shine


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Indian equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, are expected to open higher on Tuesday, tracking strong global cues.

Indian equity markets

Benchmark equity indices staged a strong rebound on Tuesday, closing higher on the back of solid gains in IT and auto stocks.

The BSE Sensex recovered 747 points from the day’s low of 83,124.03 to settle at 83,871.32, up 335.97 points or 0.40 per cent. Similarly, the Nifty50 climbed 120.6 points, or 0.47 per cent, to end at 25,694.95 after bouncing back 245.7 points from its intraday low of 25,449.25.

On the BSE, Bharat Electronics (BEL), Adani Ports and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) emerged as the top gainers, while Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and Tata Motors PV were among the biggest drags.

Across the NSE, IndiGo, BEL and M&M led the gainers’ pack, whereas Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and ONGC were the top losers.

Broader markets ended mixed — the Nifty Midcap 100 gained 0.50 per cent, while the Smallcap index slipped 0.21 per cent.

Sectorally, Nifty IT and Auto were the best performers, advancing 1.20 per cent and 1.07 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, Nifty PSU Bank was the only notable laggard, slipping 0.39 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Financial Services fell 0.7%, and Nifty PSU Bank declined 0.5%, dragging the overall market sentiment.

Global Cues

Global sentiment improved after US President Donald Trump said his administration is working on “a very different deal” with India compared with past negotiations. “They don’t love me, but they will love us again. We are getting a fair deal — just a fair deal,” Trump said on Monday.

Across Asia, markets advanced following Wall Street’s strong overnight rally. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.56%, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 2.24%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.4%.

In the U.S., equities surged on Monday, led by AI-heavyweights Nvidia and Palantir, as optimism grew over progress toward ending the record U.S. government shutdown. The S&P 500 climbed 1.54%, the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.27%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.81%.

Aparna Deb

Aparna Deb

Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More

Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More

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