Saudi Arabia Raises Minimum Wage for Citizens by 33%

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Saudi Arabia will raise its minimum wage for citizens by a third to 4,000 riyals ($1,066), according to a statement by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

The ministry said the decision will be applied five months from Wednesday, without giving an exact date.

The higher minimum wage must be paid for a worker to be counted as part of a company’s quota of citizen employees, the ministry said. Workers paid between the previous minimum wage of 3,000 riyals and 4,000 riyals will be counted as half of a Saudi employee.

Live Updates: All eyes on Georgia amid Senate races, recount

Graham pushes back on claims he pressured Georgia to throw out legal ballots

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., joins ‘Hannity’ to discuss the upcoming runoff elections

National attention is on Georgia amid its twin Senate runoff races and statewide recount that shows President-elect Joe Biden leading President Trump by less than 13,000 votes, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue must excite Republican voters so that they turnout Jan. 5 and fend off Democratic challengers Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

The Republicans must also hold their own as a host of California residents and California-based political organizations prepare to descend on Georgia to campaign for two Democrats, whose victories would have profound implications for the direction of the country.

Follow below for updates on the Georgia Senate races. Mobile users click here. 

U.S. Business Inventories Climb More Than Expected In September

Partly reflecting a jump in retail inventories, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing U.S. business inventories increased by more than expected in the month of September.

The report said business inventories climbed by 0.7 percent in September after rising by 0.3 percent in August. Economists had expected inventories to increase by 0.5 percent.

The Commerce Department said retail inventories spiked by 1.7 percent in October after rising by 0.5 percent in September.

Wholesale inventories also rose by 0.4 percent in October following a 0.5 percent increase in September, while manufacturing inventories were unchanged for the second straight month.

Meanwhile, the report said business sales increased by 0.6 percent in October after climbing by 0.9 percent in the previous month.

Retail sales surged up by 1.5 percent in October following a 1.1 percent jump in September. Manufacturing and wholesale sales also inched up by 0.3 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

With inventories and sales both rising, the total business inventories/sales ratio in October was unchanged from September at 1.32.

UPDATE 1-Deutsche Boerse aims for more big M&A after ISS deal

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FRANKFURT, Nov 18 (Reuters) – Deutsche Boerse said on Wednesday that it was aiming to clinch more big deals as part of its medium-term strategy after it announced a $1.8 billion purchase for an 80% stake in Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).

The German stock exchange operator said in a presentation to investors that it was explicitly targeting larger deals of more than 1 billion to 5 billion euros ($1.2 billion-5.9 billion).

Spire Inc. Posts Narrower Economic Loss In Q4 – Quick Facts

Spire Inc. (SR) reported a fourth quarter net economic loss of $0.37 per share compared to a loss of $0.54, a year ago. On average, nine analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a loss per share of $0.41, for the quarter. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

Fourth quarter operating revenues increased to $251.9 million from $225.6 million, a year ago. Analysts expected revenue of $298.07 million, for the quarter.

Spire Inc. has increased its long-term NEE per share earnings growth target to 5-7%. The company projects fiscal 2021 NEE per share to be in the range of $4.00-$4.20.

Desperate Measures Taken During a Desperate Time in Zimbabwe

The residents of Hopley, a large settlement in the south of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, have had to take drastic measures to ensure they have access to water. As community wells dry up, people have been forced to use a well situated in a nearby graveyard. Contamination, from embalming fluids and decomposition, poses risks, but with experts saying rainfall will reduce a further 20%, water sources like this might be the community’s only choice.

Election 2020 Live Updates: Biden staffs up as Trump fires top election security official

Fox News Flash top headlines for November 18

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

President-elect Joe Biden began staffing up this week, announcing the hiring of nine senior White House officials, including top members of his campaign and longtime aides, as he pushes ahead with the transition process. 

President Trump has refused to concede the election, and on Tuesday night, announced in a tweet that he had fired Chris Krebs, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director. Trump claimed that a recent statement by Krebs that the election was the "most secure in American history" was "highly inaccurate."

Follow below more updates on the 2020 election. Mobile users click here.