Category: 3. Business

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he has sued Roblox over “flagrantly ignoring” safety laws and “deceiving parents” about the dangers the online video gaming platform poses to young people.

In a social media post he said Roblox is a “breeding ground for predators”, accusing Roblox of putting “pixel paedophiles and corporate profit” over the safety of Texas children.

The lawsuit adds to the legal challenges related to online safety and internet predators faced by the gaming giant, which has tens of millions of daily active users.

Roblox told the BBC it is “disappointed” that it is being sued based on “misrepresentations and sensationalised claims”.

The company’s spokesperson said in a statement that it shares Paxton’s commitment to keeping children safe online and that it has introduced measures to remove bad actors and protect its users.

Roblox, which is especially popular with children, operates a massive online platform where users can play solo or with friends.

Users can also go in to servers and interact with strangers online – a feature that has been criticised for potentially exposing young players to dangerous individuals.

Parents and children have raised concerns about Roblox, saying that they have seen distressing content or suffered abuse on the platform.

Paxton called on the company to do more to protect children from “sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen”.

“Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law,” he said in a statement on X.

Texas joins the US states of Kentucky and Louisiana which have also sued Roblox over potential harms to children.

Dave Baszucki, Roblox’s chief executive, previously told the BBC that parents who are uncomfortable with their children playing games on the platform should not let them use it.

“That sounds a little counter-intuitive, but I would always trust parents to make their own decisions,” Mr Baszucki said.

Roblox has introduced features in recent years to tighten age verification and safety for young players.

The platform said it is rolling out technology to estimate a player’s age using video selfies and other measures before they are allowed to communicate on Roblox.

Last year, Roblox also announced it will block under-13s from messaging others on the platform unless a parent or guardian grants permission.

Roblox has been banned in some countries, including Turkey over concerns about child exploitation.

The platform came under scrutiny in Singapore in 2023 after the government said that a self-radicalised teenager had been groomed online by people on the game’s servers.

Qantas has released the “first images” of its specially configured plane that will fly Australians non-stop from Sydney to London and New York from 2027.

The A350-1000ULR is on the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse, France, with its fuselage sections, wings and landing gear now attached, the airline said on Friday.

The aircraft would soon be transferred to a new hangar where its engines and instruments would be installed for test flights in 2026, Qantas said.

The carrier has ordered a dozen of the planes for “project sunrise” – its plan to connect Australia’s east coast with London and New York via non-stop flights.

The 22-hour flights will cut up to four hours off the total travel time compared to the current one-stop services.

The airline released the imagery on Friday to coincide with its annual general meeting in Brisbane. Images of the cabin have been released previously.

“This is an aircraft that will change what’s possible when it comes to international point-to-point air travel,” Qantas’s chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, said in an advance copy of her speech to shareholders.

“Our teams are incredibly excited for the arrival of the first aircraft late next year, a landmark moment for international aviation.”

Qantas has been flying direct from Perth, on Australia’s west coast, to London using Boeing Dreamliners since 2018.

Qantas said on Friday it expected its domestic revenue to grow by about 3% in the first half, which is at the lower end of the guidance range it provided in August.

While demand for leisure travel remained strong, businesses outside the resource sector were flying less than it had expected, the company said.

Its forecast for international revenue remained unchanged at 2-3% growth, while its Qantas loyalty program growth remained strong and on track.

Qantas said on Friday it would introduce a new cabin product on domestic and short-haul flights that would offer passengers extra leg-room, priority boarding and priority access to overhead baggage space.

Qantas Economy Plus would be available for purchase beginning in February, with high-level frequent flyers receiving complimentary access.

In this first-person narrative, Nick Cheung, undergraduate researcher, tells Nevada Today about his experience in various research labs studying the microscopic world of neurons and molecules.

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The first time I stepped into Associate Professor Jenny Ouyang’s lab during my freshman year, I found myself staring at a cage of zebra finches under a glow of artificial light, thinking, ‘Okay… how much trouble can a tiny bird get into?’ Little did I know, these tiny birds would teach me more about biology and research than I ever expected. That day, I learned that curiosity can bridge the gap to experience. Sometimes the smallest creatures reveal the biggest lessons, and this was my introduction to research through the Pack Research Experience Program (PREP).

During my freshman year, a friend told me about PREP, a program designed for students with little or no research experience. Even though I doubted I’d be accepted, I decided to apply. Turns out, the application was less time-consuming than I thought. It was more like a side quest, as I didn’t have to write long essays but instead just a few paragraphs here and there. Over winter break, I opened my email and saw the word “accepted.” I was thrilled and nervous. I would be working with Dr. Ouyang, studying circadian rhythms in zebra finches. I had no prior experience, but Dr. Ouyang and her lab were incredibly kind and supportive, guiding me through experimental design, data collection and analyzing how artificial light affects gene expression. PREP not only taught me hands-on research skills but also gave me confidence, a sense of curiosity and a reminder that mentorship can make all the difference.

After getting a taste of research, I was drawn to pursue more advanced research, which led me to my current work in Associate Professor Jung Hwan Kim’s lab through the Nevada Undergraduate Research Award (NURA) program. Here, I study neurons in Drosophila, commonly known as fruit flies, focusing on Bruchpilot (BRP), a protein critical for synaptic function between the neurons that make up the brain of the creature. I’m investigating how different neurodegenerative disease models affect BRP expression and neuron length. So far, I’ve seen patterns like altered neuron length across diseases, with Huntington’s disease models showing a change in BRP expression. A major part of my project involves testing other protein’s influences on BRP localization in these disease models. This requires careful staining, imaging and quantification of expression in motor neuron cell bodies.

The work can be challenging and sometimes frustrating when nothing seems to work, but every experiment teaches me more about neurons, neurodegeneration and the research process itself. I’ve also been fortunate to have Ph.D. students in Dr. Kim’s lab guiding me. They’ve been incredibly patient and generous with their time, teaching me techniques, troubleshooting experiments and sharing tips that make the lab a place to really learn and grow.

Looking back, PREP was the push I needed to step into research, and NURA has helped me to build on that foundation. Both programs have taught me that progress isn’t always linear, mistakes are part of learning, the right mentors make all the difference and as long as you’re truly curious, you can make up for your lack of experience. If you’re considering research, I highly encourage other undergraduate students to apply for PREP or NURA; you never know where it might take you. I know for me, it started with tiny birds and a few nervous looks, and now I’m exploring neurons in fruit flies, one synapse at a time.

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Nick Cheung, undergraduate researcher, three-time Undergraduate Research awardee and biotechnology major at the University of Nevada, Reno.

About the author

Nick Cheung is an undergraduate biotechnology student at the University of Nevada, Reno, set to graduate in fall 2026. He has spent countless hours exploring the microscopic world of neurons and molecules, and plans to attend graduate school to keep asking big questions.  

The fall 2025 Wolf Pack Discoveries symposium is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 4, in the Joe Crowley Student Union Milt Glick Ballrooms. Student registration closes Nov. 23. 

Good morning. The benchmark stock indices in India have all been negative or flat most of this week, as scepticism over AI grips global markets. It’s hard to predict what the next positive trigger will be, but one must have hope, I suppose. 

Meanwhile, polls have started in Bihar, and nothing gets Indians excited more than a good election. We will know the results next Friday. Will Nitish Kumar manage to hang on to his chair for five more years? Scroll down to see how this newsletter’s readers voted. He is not going to give up without a fight, that’s for sure.

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KKR bets on India

Investment major KKR is looking at significant investments in India as part of its global expansion strategy. The firm’s co-chief executive, Scott Nuttall, who was visiting India this week, said the company was boosting investments in healthcare, financial services, consumer and technology businesses.  

Significantly, Nuttall also said the firm was planning to use its insurance arm to fund transactions in India. In June, KKR financed $600mn in Bengaluru-based healthcare and education provider Manipal Group through its insurance subsidiary Global Atlantic. This was the company’s first Indian investment through Global Atlantic, which it fully acquired in 2023. The company is looking to expand the India business to resemble its global model — moving beyond buyouts and core investments into insurance capital solutions and other financial markets. 

KKR has $9bn invested in various Indian entities, making it one of the largest private investors in the economy. The group’s optimism about India is not just based on projections of the country’s economic growth but also on account of the success of its investments. In 2022, it sold its holdings in Max Healthcare for $2bn, the largest market monetisation then by a PE investor in India. Earlier this year, it exited its holdings in JB Pharma for $1.4bn, netting fivefold returns. According to Nuttall, India and Japan are the best performing markets for the investment company in Asia, although he did not share specific numbers.

India’s share in private investments by large fund houses has been growing as China’s prospects have dipped. With slowing growth, geopolitical tensions and regulatory challenges, China is now far less attractive to foreign investors compared with a decade ago. Data from the Global Private Capital Association suggests that this year India has cornered a 41 per cent share of all private equity inflows into emerging and growth markets, beating China’s 34 per cent.

Much of this is thanks to the fact that New Delhi has rationalised the regulatory framework in many sectors. The central bank and the capital markets regulator have also loosened norms in order to welcome foreign investment. This is bearing fruit: net foreign direct investments were up more than 120 per cent in the April to August period this year compared with the same period last year. These numbers are especially impressive when contrasted with the fact that foreign portfolio investments are set for record outflows this year. A surge in patient money is some comfort in these difficult times. 

Why do you think India is more attractive to FDI than FPI now? Hit reply or email me at indiabrief@ft.com

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Mending fences

India is sending aid to Afghanistan after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the country’s north on Monday. Foreign minister S Jaishankar was one of the first to call his counterpart in the Taliban administration to offer his condolences and assure them of New Delhi’s support. 

These overtures come after Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Mutaqi’s groundbreaking (and controversial) trip to New Delhi last month. This was the first visit to New Delhi by a senior Taliban official since the group’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. A few days later, India announced its intention to reopen its embassy in Kabul, which had been shut for four years. 

In rushing to help its neighbour this week, India is trying to beat China to the punch as Afghanistan’s strategic significance in the region rises. For one, there is now a vacuum to fill after the Joe Biden-led US administration abruptly ended its engagement with the country, pulling troops and administrative resources in 2021. Secondly, India is desperately seeking allies in the region, especially after the military hostilities with Pakistan earlier this year. Afghanistan is an easy win in this regard, since Kabul’s relations with Islamabad too have significantly soured. The past few weeks have seen several clashes between the two countries on the border.

For more than a decade now China has been the region’s prominent benefactor, making big investments in all the countries in India’s immediate vicinity. But with the Trump administration shaking up geopolitical alliances all over the world, India too is looking at rewiring some of its friendships and alliances. With the Taliban, for example, India has done a full 180-degree turn from its former stance that there is no such thing as a good Taliban.

Earlier this week, a senior Indian official suggested to me that India’s strategic initiatives in foreign policy significantly revolve around being an important actor in the global south and in its commitment to the neighbourhood-first policy. Even though no one in the administration will concede to it, this does sound like a retreat from India’s aspirations to play in the big playground with western powers. Embracing the Taliban is only the first step in realigning equations in the region. There will be several others to follow.

Go figure

It’s been a year since Trump was elected to office for his second term. He has upended global trade, and despite his predilection to chicken out, the US’s de facto tariff rate is at its highest level in nearly a century.

Read, hear, watch

We did a fun thing yesterday, when Tee and I met a few of you — readers of this newsletter — for drinks at the Samuel Pepys pub near the FT’s headquarters in London. We had a fabulous time, hanging out and chatting with some wonderful people. Gossip and stories were shared, LinkedIn connections made and some warm new friendships initiated. I was especially pleased to see people brought together by India Business Briefing making plans to play tennis together! Thank you to everyone who came.

Buzzer round

What connects Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan and Don Julio?

Send your answer to indiabrief@ft.com and check Tuesday’s newsletter to see if you were the first one to get it right.

Quick answer

On Tuesday we asked if sentiment against the incumbent will affect Nitish Kumar’s chances in Bihar? Here are the results. We will know for certain in a week.

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Thank you for reading. India Business Briefing is edited by Tee Zhuo. Please send feedback, suggestions (and gossip) to indiabrief@ft.com.

A man has caught fire at Melbourne international airport after a lithium power bank in his pocket ignited, leaving him with burns to his leg and fingers.

The man, aged in his 50s, was in the Qantas business lounge on Thursday morning when the overheated power bank burst into flames, filling the exclusive area with smoke and prompting about 150 people to be evacuated.

Staff quickly helped the man into a shower before paramedics arrived to treat his injuries. He was taken to hospital in a stable condition and later released.

A witness said they saw “battery acid flying everywhere,” according to the Age newspaper. A Qantas spokesperson said the lounge was cleaned and re-opened two hours later.

Australian film producer Leanne Tonkes was in the lounge on Thursday morning when she heard the commotion. She posted an image of the burnt power bank moments after it had exploded.

“Hoping the man who caught fire holding it is ok,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge.”

Qantas is currently reviewing its policy on passengers carrying any type of lithium batteries, including portable power banks, and is expected to provide an update shortly.

Many airlines now advise passengers travelling with power banks to keep them within reach – either in their seat pocket or in a bag under the seat in front of them – and not in the overhead luggage compartment.

In July, a fire broke out on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart, with a power bank in an overhead locker to blame.

The airline is looking to update its policy and customers are asked to keep portable power banks “in sight and within easy reach” during flights.

A portable power bank was also likely the cause of a fire that engulfed and destroyed a passenger plane in South Korea in January.

Several international airlines such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Korean Air and Singapore Airlines have banned the use of power banks and the charging of them during flights.

There are also limits on how many rechargeable batteries passengers can carry based on their capacity. For instance, some airlines only allow two power banks with a capacity between 100Wh and 160Wh.