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☆ Agtech valuations were crushed in 2023. But food security concerns will keep it on the agenda.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Agtech Unicorn Index, which tracks venture-backed startups in the sector worth over $1 billion, recorded a 20% decline in 2023, according to the Morningstar Unicorn Market Monitor Q4 2023 update. Advertisement"There are more software companies that have sprouted over the past decade, but it traditionally requires fairly technical knowledge about plants and biology." London’s vertical farming unicorn InFarm also struggled and shuttered in Europe . Indeed, PitchBook’s Frederick anticipates agtech will outperform the broader VC ecosystem in the near term due to issues around food security, per PitchBook’s Agtech Q4 2023 report. More broadly, the number of companies hitting unicorn status was at its lowest level since 2017, with 81 new unicorns entering the Morningstar PitchBook Global Unicorn Index in 2023.

Persons: —, Alex Frederick, Frederick, Po Bronson, Bronson, PitchBook’s Frederick, agtech, ” Frederick Organizations: Service, Business, Morningstar, US, Farmers Business Network Locations: cybersecurity, Europe, Ukraine, India, California, Spain

☆ How to choose the best Christmas tree, according to science
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Some aspects of choosing a live Christmas tree, like shape, color, and aroma, are subjective. Two Christmas tree experts explain how to choose between the many types of fir, pine, and spruce. Unlike fir and spruce trees, pine tree needles are clustered in groups instead of individually attached to the branch. The National Christmas Tree Association has a map for finding farms and other retailers that sell live Christmas trees. AdvertisementWhich Christmas tree has the best aroma?

Persons: —, there's, Fraser, Douglas, Noble, There's, Justin G, Whitehill, Bert Cregg, It's, Cregg, Chris Keane Whitehill, it's, Frasers, he's, Jason Reed Douglas, Mel Melcon, Jerry Holt, Bert, they'll, Alex Wong, Andrew Matthews, Tim Leedy, Paul J, Richards, Robert Nemeti, Jens Kalaene, you'll, Cesar L, Laure Organizations: Service, US Department of Agriculture, North Carolina State University, of Horticulture, Michigan State University, Northwest, REUTERS, White, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Star Tribune, MediaNews, Anadolu Agency, Call, Tribune Locations: Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Nobles , North Carolina, Douglas, Frasers, Fraser, Pacific Northwest, Europe, Canaan, Allentown

☆ I moved to the US from Italy and it's been a rollercoaster. Here's what has shocked and disappointed me the most about America.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Oana Adamopoulos moved to Washington, DC, in 2012 and then to Sarasota, Florida, in 2017. She was also shocked by the lack of maternity leave and the cost of healthcare. He was offered a job in policy at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC, and we decided to move to the United States. In Romania, new moms get 18 weeks of maternity leave paid at 85% of income, which is not taxed. We moved to Sarasota, Florida, in 2017We moved to Florida in 2017, shortly after our daughter was born, to try to improve our quality of life.

Persons: Oana Adamopoulos, —, There's, it's, I've Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, DC, Florida Locations: Washington, DC, Sarasota , Florida, Europe, Romania, Italy, Greece, Washington ,, United States, America, Florida

BRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Seven EU countries have ordered ammunition under a landmark European Union procurement scheme to get urgently needed artillery shells to Ukraine and replenish depleted Western stocks, according to the EU agency in charge. The scheme was set up as part of a plan worth at least 2 billion euros, launched in March with the aim of getting a million shells and missiles to Ukraine within a year. "Seven Member States have already placed orders for 155mm ammunition through the EDA’s fast-track procedure," the agency said in response to questions from Reuters. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Kyiv on Thursday that the alliance now had overarching framework contracts for 2.4 billion euros' ($2.5 billion) worth of key ammunition, including 1 billion euros of firm orders. The EDA said the EU deals were for both complete shells and for components such as fuses, projectiles, charges and primers.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, France’s CAESAR, Poland’s, Germany’s, Andrew Gray Organizations: EU, European Union, European Defence Agency, States, Reuters, NATO, Peace, Andrew Gray Our, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, EU, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Kyiv, Europe, Ukrainian

NEW YORK, July 27 (Reuters) - Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said U.S. authorities need to be careful when implementing new capital requirements of the Basel III accord to avoid reducing the ability of U.S. banks to compete globally. ... We're talking about a $30 or $40 billion bank, or a $100 billion bank, not being able to compete for a middle market loan because a bank or a supplier in Europe ... is getting a lower cost of capital", Moynihan added. U.S. banking regulators are expected to unveil on Thursday a sweeping proposal for stricter bank capital requirements. While the precise details aren't yet known, regulators have said the rules will apply to banks with $100 billion in assets or more. Bank of America expects a "slight" recession in the first part of next year and predicts the first interest rate cut will happen by mid-2024.

Persons: Brian Moynihan, Moynihan, JPMorgan, Jonathan Stempel, Tatiana Bautzer, David Goodman, Chizu Organizations: YORK, Bank of America, Basel III, Fox Business, Pacwest Bancorp, JPMorgan Chase, Thomson Locations: Basel, U.S, Europe, Banc, California

Even if the whole world stands with him, we will bring him to justice," said Houaida Muhi Aldeen, a 49-year-old Syrian living in France and a former political detainee in Syrian prisons. Muhi Aldeen and other workshop attendants are among millions of Syrians displaced by the 12-year war. They found Assad's reintegration into the Arab League after more than a decade of isolation frustrating, but not surprising. "This is the goal of this (normalization) step, to sow despair and frustration among Syrians," said Anwar al-Bunni, a lawyer helping prosecute Syrians suspected of war crimes in Germany. Arab normalisation with Assad would make it more difficult for Syrian refugees to return, said Muhi Aldeen.

☆ Borrell urges EU to crack down on imports of Indian fuels made with Russian oil -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India has emerged in the past year as a top buyer of Russian oil following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and top Indian refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) have also signed a term deal to substantially increase and diversify oil grades delivered to India. According to ship-tracking data from Kpler, Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) and Nayara Energy were the key exporters of refined fuels and buyers of Russian oil. However, that has increased to 200,000 bpd after the EU banned Russian oil products imports from Feb. 5 this year, data from Kpler shows. Any mechanism to stem the flow of Russian oil would need to be implemented by the national authorities, Borrell told the FT, suggesting that the EU could target buyers of Indian refined fuels which it believes are derived from Russian crude.

Stellantis shares were down 2.1% by 0720 GMT, the worst performers within Italy's blue-chip index (.FTMIB). Jefferies analysts said in a note that while revenues were improving, the inventory situation was to be monitored. CHIP FULFILMENTIn the first quarter, Stellantis' net revenue rose to 47.2 billion euros ($52 billion), topping analyst expectations of 45.5 billion euros in a Reuters poll, while consolidated shipments were up 7% to around 1.48 million units. "A better fulfilment of semiconductor orders is slowly but surely improving our capacity to produce vehicles," Palmer said. Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) rose 22% in the first quarter, Stellantis said, adding it would add nine new BEV models this year.

☆ Here's what history indicates is in store for U.S. and global stocks in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to CNBC Pro's analysis of S & P 500 index data on FactSet dating back to 1928, if there is a rebound in the first quarter following a down year for S & P 500, the index rises 78% of the time in April. Historically, when the S & P 500 does rise under these conditions, it delivers an average return rate of around 3%. Global stocks The MSCI World Index , which captures over 1,500 large and mid-cap stocks across 23 developed countries, tends to perform very similarly to its large U.S. benchmark peer in the month of April. However, the index offers lower volatility compared to the S & P 500. — MSCI derived data for the World index before 1986 by calculating how the index might have performed over that period had the index existed.

The euro was down 0.12% against the dollar at $1.088, just off the $1.093 level reached on Friday, which was the highest since early May. Meanwhile, the dollar was up 0.1% against the yen , at 130.28 yen per dollar, having hit an 8-month low of 127.22 on Jan. 16. Those expectations have caused the dollar index , which surged on the back of Fed rate hikes last year, to fall more than 11% from September's 20-year high of 114.78. Expectations of further rate increases by the European Central Bank have also aided sentiment and supported the euro. The U.S. dollar was little changed against its Canadian counterpart ahead of the Bank of Canada's latest rates decision on Wednesday, buying C$1.337.

☆ Aussie jumps, kiwi slumps after inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Australian dollar jumped to a more than five-month high on Wednesday after inflation data came in hotter than expected, while the kiwi slipped after New Zealand's fourth-quarter inflation rose less than what its central bank had forecast. The euro held near a nine-month peak against the dollar, as traders weighed a rosier growth outlook for the euro zone sagainst growing signs of a looming U.S. recession. Meanwhile, the kiwi slid nearly 0.6% to $0.6469, after New Zealand's annual inflation of 7.2% in the fourth quarter came in below its central bank's 7.5% forecast. Data on Tuesday showed that euro zone business activity made a surprise return to modest growth in January, indicating the downturn in the bloc may not be as deep as feared. Policymakers are committed to taming inflation, but are split on the size of moves beyond February's likely half-a-percentage point increase.

☆ Denmark's PM to explore broad coalition after narrow election win
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COPENHAGEN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Denmark's Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who narrowly won Tuesday's general election, handed in her resignation on Wednesday and said she would begin exploring a coalition across the political middle. The prime minister had campaigned on the need for a broad coalition across the traditional left-right divide, arguing that unity is needed at a time of international uncertainty. The talks are expected to be lengthy as both friends and foes of Frederiksen have expressed scepticism about such a coalition, making the outcome uncertain. The left-leaning bloc, which includes the Social Democratic party, won 90 seats, the slimmest possible majority in the 179-seat parliament, while the right-wing bloc won 73 seats and a newly formed centrist party secured 16. Frederiksen could begin negotiations with former prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his new non-aligned centrist party, the Moderates, which have also campaigned for a coalition of mainstream parties.

And demand for the greener fuel has dried up, according to Reuters interviews with nine LNG market analysts, industry officials and traders. Several gas drillers, including in the world’s top gas producer the United States, told Reuters they have invested in finding and plugging greenhouse gas emissions associated with production, transport and processing. Since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, gas prices have soared about 25% in the United States and 32% in Europe . To export gas, the fuel must be supercooled into LNG and then shipped across the sea, a process that produces substantial additional greenhouse gas emissions. Other U.S. LNG suppliers, like Cove Point LNG and Cameron LNG, also told Reuters they are not certifying their cargoes.

☆ EU crisis opens opportunity for Australian green energy exports -Fortescue
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The energy crisis in Europe presents a huge opportunity for Australia to export more green energy, the chief financial officer at Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) said on Thursday. European nations are pushing to boost renewable energy resources amid an energy crisis to move away from Russian gas. read more"There is a huge opportunity for us to export green energy into Europe ... They are absolutely demanding it," said Guy Debelle, chief financial officer at Fortescue Future Industries, at the Citi Annual Investment Conference in Sydney. Fortescue signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany's largest energy group E.ON (EONGn.DE) earlier this year to explore shipping green hydrogen.

☆ Сколько платит Запад за победу проевропейских сил на выборах в Молдове? – Цензура МД
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-05 | by ( ) cenzura.md time to read: +11 min

Политика Сколько платит Запад за победу проевропейских сил на выборах в Молдове? 11, главной про-евроатлантической партии Молдовы – Партии действий и солидарности, в которую также входит новый президент Молдовы Майя Санду. Недавно в Берлине был организован пышный визит Майи Санду, которую принял президент Германии Франк-Вальтер Штайммайер, а также другие высокопоставленные лица. Еще одна рубрика с точки зрения финансирования, но по которой не приводится подробностей – «Источники», на которые запланировано 35 000 евро. Это еще и почти любопытная колонка «Стимулирование некоторых членов избирательных бюро за рубежом», на которую выделено 65 000 евро.

Persons: Tik, Майя Санду, ФранкВальтер Штайммайер, Ангела Меркель, Кондрад Аденауэра, Президентством, Сорос Organizations: PAS, European Endowment Democracy, USAID, IREX, IRI, New, –, Партия действия и солидарности, Через партии, Христианскодемократический союз, Европейская народная партия, Европейский парламент, Фонд Кондрада Аденауэра, Фонд, Профессиональные ассоциации, Силовая группа, Источники, СМИ, НПО, Одноклассники Locations: Europe, New Europe, –, . New Europe, – New Europe, Запад, Молдова, Республика Молдова, Европа, Кишинев, ЕС, Украина, Крым, Россия, Новая Европа, Германия, США, Румыния, Польша, Чехия, Швеция, Великобритания, Италия, Берлин, Канада, Беларусь, Франция

☆ Trump claimed that the California wildfires were fueled by trees that 'explode'
▼ + stars: | 2020-09-15 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Donald Trump said during a briefing on Monday that "explosive trees" may have helped fuel the record-breaking wildfires. Trump has argued that wildfires could be eliminated if forests were cleaned of dead trees, leaves, and debris. AdvertisementPresident Donald Trump said during a briefing on Monday that "explosive" trees helped fuel California's record-breaking wildfires. He claimed that dry trees can "just explode" — part of a longtime argument he's made that wildfires could be eliminated if forests were cleared of dead trees and debris. With — as they say — more explosive trees than we have in California."

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, —, he's, we're, Wade Crowfoot, Chris Field Organizations: Service, Fox, Trump, Stanford Woods Institute for, Associated Press Locations: Europe, California, West Coast, Washington

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