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CEO caught on TV singing ‘We’re in the Money’ after takeover

LONDON (AP) — The CEO of British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has apologized after being caught on camera singing ‘We’re in the Money’ following the purchase of Walmart’s British unit, Asda.

Mike Coupe was preparing for an ITV interview to discuss the $10 billion deal when caught on microphone singing a song from the musical ’42nd Street,’ which is based on a movie made during the Great Depression.

As he composed himself for the interview, Coupe sang “we’re in the money, the sky is sunny, let’s lend it, spend it, send it rolling along.” He later described it as “an unguarded moment” on a stressful day.

“It was an unfortunate choice of song, from the musical 42nd Street, which I saw last year, and I apologize if I have offended anyone,” he said.

The Unite union, which is worried about job losses resulting from the takeover, posted a video of Coupe’s song on its Twitter feed.

“What’s his true motive for the merger? Sainsbury’s boss sings ‘We’re in the Money’ before TV interview,” Unite tweeted.

The value of Coupe’s 1.28 million shares in Sainsbury’s rose over half a million pounds ($750,000) Monday after the deal’s announcement.

Cypriot fishermen battle invasive lionfish and turn them into a tavern delicacy

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — Photis Gaitanos’ rough fingers adroitly untangle the venomous spikes of a lionfish from a net, throwing the exotic-looking creature into an ice-filled rubber bin along with other fish from the day’s catch. Unlike a few years ago when he would have mostly caught local staples as sea bream, red mullet or bass, the veteran fisherman now hunts for the invasive species that made its way from the Red Sea to the warming waters of the Mediterranean, Lionfish, with their red and orange-hued stripes and antennae-like barbs that menacingly ward off enemies, threaten to decimate indigenous fish stocks, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of the roughly 150 professional fishermen in Cyprus. The prickly fish has even made its way as far north as the Ionian Sea, where Italian authorities have asked the public to photograph and report sightings.
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