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☆ Travel news: Hotels reveal their wildest room service orders
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In travel news this week: odd room service requests, the cruise passengers stranded for months at their departure port, plus how a rogue bag of Cheetos caused havoc in a New Mexico cave. Unusual guest requestsFar be it from us to say folks are getting a little entitled, but a new report from Hotels.com has revealed the oddest room service requests made to its hotel partners around the world. There’s the separate requests that were fielded for burnt toast, fresh goat milk and 2 kilos of bananas. And finally there’s the demand for a high-five from a team member to ensure their room service request was read. The nine-month itinerary of Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise was considerably less ambitious, but at least it successfully completed its journey this week.

Persons: Hotels.com, it’s, there’s, –, CNN Anne Marie Hagerty Organizations: CNN, Service, Atlanta, Delta Airbus Locations: New Mexico, York, Carlsbad, Hawaii, Oahu, Georgia, England, Argentina, British, Italy, “

☆ The women in my family are all connected by names. We have middles names from previous generations.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Anne Roderique-Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I am Anne Marie and she is Alice Marie, named after one of her mother's eight sisters, Anna Marie. The women in my family have been named after prior generationsThis long line of sisters kicked off what would be names linking generations of women in my family. The oldest daughter of Alice and Jack was named Anne Marie after the two beloved sisters, Phyllis Anne and Alice Marie. Mary Lou had a daughter named Shawn Marie, who would become my mother's cousin and best friend–and like a second mother to me. Her hair, a natural auburn not unlike her sister's, has always been dyed blonde, not unlike Aunt Mary Lou.

Persons: Anne Marie, Alice Marie, Anna Marie, Olga Margret, Elsie Meta, Wanda May, Irene Lucille, Jean Clyde, Helen Dawn, Shirley Jean, Phyllis Anne, Phyllis, Jack, I'd, she'd, Alice, Sally Lou —, Sally Lou's, Mary Louise, Mary Louise our Grandma Louise, Grandma Louise, —, Mary Lou, Shawn Marie, –, Sally Lou, Anne Marie . Standing, She's, Roderique, John James Roderique, James Otis Roderique, James Hamlin Roderique, selflessly Organizations: Service Locations: auburn

☆ Don’t Roll Your Eyes: Looking the Part Could Land You That Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Think appearances don’t matter if you’re applying for a job online? New research shows that looking the part is very much part of the equation. Your credentials and referrals may get you on the shortlist. Even if the whole process takes place online, though, it’s rare that a hiring manager won’t check out your LinkedIn profile. Making the final cut can come down to nailing a specific professional look, according to a new study published by the Harvard Business School.

Persons: won’t Organizations: Harvard Business School

[1/7] Hota's CEO Holly Sheng poses for a photo in their factory in Taichung, Taiwan November 13, 2023. The crates of shafts and gears at the factory contain some of the more than 20 million parts Hota produces each year. Hota's factory will be near Texas, home to Tesla's headquarters, and Mexico, where Tesla plans to build a gigafactory. Most Taiwanese manufacturers seeking a North American foothold choose Mexico over the United States due to costs, Sheng said. Similarly, Hota would never be able to completely replace its established Taiwan production base.

Persons: Holly Sheng, Ann Wang, Sheng, Hota, Tesla, Sarah Wu, Anne Marie Roantree, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Mfg, Ford Motor, General Motors, Hota, Reuters, DETROIT, Hota's, Washington incentivises, Thomson Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Rights TAICHUNG, Hota's, China, North America, New Mexico, Asia, United States, Santa Teresa , New Mexico, Mexico, Detroit, U.S, Texas, American, Washington, Arizona

☆ Foxconn's electric car unit falls in market debut amid tough industry outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of a Foxtron logo on a electric vehicle on display during the company's annual Tech Day in Taipei, Taiwan, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Shares in Foxtron Vehicle Technologies (2258.TW), a unit of Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn (2317.TW), fell in their market debut on Monday, hurt by concerns over headwinds in the highly competitive electric vehicle market. Foxtron shares did recover some ground from earlier losses of as much as 9%, ending down 2.7% which gave it a market capitalisation of around $2.7 billion. Foxtron is a joint venture between Foxconn - the world's largest contract manufacturer for iPhones and other consumer electronics - and local car maker Yulon (2201.TW). Young Liu, chairman of both Foxtron and Foxconn, said, however, the company has a clear strategy for growth.

Persons: Ann Wang, Foxtron, Yulon . Young Liu, Liu, Foxconn, Terry Gou, Ben Blanchard, Faith Hung, Anne Marie Roantree, Navaratnam, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tech Day, REUTERS, Rights, Vehicle Technologies, Mega International Securities, Yulon, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, Foxconn, North America, Southeast Asia, China

☆ Reaction to Alibaba's scrapping of cloud unit spin-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Alibaba said its decision to shelve the spin-off was due to uncertainties fuelled by U.S. curbs on exports to China of chips used in artificial intelligence applications. Following are what people are saying about the decision:LI CHENGDONG, BEIJING-BASED TECH AND E-COMMERCE ANALYST:"I believe scrapping the cloud unit's IPO reflects a new development strategy implemented by the new leadership. In short, I think prior decisions to restructure and IPO certain business units will have to be reassessed based on prevailing market conditions. The international business is one of the few Alibaba units that’s growing fast, which puts it in a better position to explore external funding."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, LI, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, BRIAN WONG, CHARLIE CHAI, Eddie Wu, SERN LING, Casey, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: REUTERS, China's, HK, Cloud Intelligence, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, BEIJING, AliCloud, Alibaba, Shanghai, Yelin Mo, Beijing

The drop, potentially its biggest one-day fall in more than a year, wiped about $20 billion off the Chinese tech giant's market value. It was the first market reaction in Asia since the stunning strategy reversal was announced late on Thursday. "The cancellation of a full spin-off of AliCloud is a negative surprise," said Nomura analyst Shi Jialong in a note. The company said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September. Reporting By Donny Kwok and Josh Ye in Hong Kong, Casey Hall and Gu Li in Shanghai; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Group's, Nomura, Shi Jialong, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Joseph Tsai, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Hong, Tencent Holdings, HK, UBS, Tiger Research, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, HK, Hong Kong, Asia, AliCloud, Washington, U.S, Hangzhou, Alibaba

Alibaba Group's Hong Kong shares closed down 10%, their biggest single-day drop in more than a year. Some analysts said keeping the cloud unit could assist Alibaba's AI push. But (it) also points to the increasing importance of retaining the cloud unit given the surging demand for AI computing in China," said US Tiger Research analyst Bo Pei. Alibaba reported second-quarter revenue of 224.79 billion yuan ($31.01 billion), in line with the 224.32 billion expected by analysts, LSEG data showed. The company also said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September.

Persons: Group's, Jon Withaar, Alibaba, Joseph Tsai, Aly, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Vey, Sern Ling, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Yelin, Ankur Banerjee, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: HK, Pictet Asset Management, Tencent Holdings, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, UBS, Tiger Research, Union Bancaire, Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Asia, U.S, Singapore, Washington, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Alibaba, Union, Yelin Mo, Beijing

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn books surprise rise in quarterly profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People wear masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while passing a Foxconn office building in Taipei, Taiwan, July 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) reported on Tuesday a surprise 11% increase in third-quarter profit, boosted by strong demand for smartphones ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season in Western markets. Net profit for the July-September quarter rose to T$43.1 billion ($1.3 billion), beating market estimates for an 11% drop. Shares of Foxconn closed up 2.4% ahead of the earnings announcement, beating a 0.5% gain for the benchmark index (.TWII). ($1 = 32.3430 Taiwan dollars)Reporting by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ann Wang, Young Liu, Terry Gou, Yimou Lee, Sarah Wu, Anne Marie Roantree, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple Inc, TW, Apple, Global Times, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China

☆ The Upending of One of America’s Most Popular Professions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Realtors across the country are rethinking their jobs, and some are backpedaling from the profession, fearing that the heyday of their business is over. A court verdict last month stands to radically alter the way real-estate agents are paid for their work, and could result in far lower pay for the 1.6 million men and women who sell homes as their main job or as a side hustle.

Organizations: Realtors

☆ Reaction to Reuters report on potential Ping An rescue of Country Garden
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

EUGENE LAW, DIRECTOR OF CHINA GALAXY INTERNATIONAL:"If the central government steps in to help Country Garden, it's for easing the debt crisis and preventing a spillover to financial institutions. But it will not help the China property market, which depends on factors, including employment and consumer confidence. Homebuyers would not rush to buy property just because Country Garden gets out of trouble. For the broader property market, the key is still home sales." Country Garden may have reached a tipping point where it will need more liquidity to fulfill such a policy goal.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Ping, EUGENE LAW, Homebuyers, MICHAEL WONG, XU TIANCHEN, YAO, homebuyers, GARY NG, Clare Jim, Anne Marie Roantree, Edwina Gibbs, Kim Coghill Organizations: Ping An Insurance, REUTERS, Ping An Insurance Group, HK, Reuters, LU, OF CHINA GALAXY, Garden, Central Financial Work Conference, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, China, HONG KONG

☆ Ping An loses $2.1 billion in market value, China property rallies on Country Garden rescue report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Company logo of Ping An Insurance Group is shown at a news conference following the company's announcement of its annual results in Hong Kong, China March 16, 2016. Ping An's Hong Kong-listed shares tumbled 5.4%, their sharpest daily fall in more than a year, wiping out almost $2.1 billion in market capitalisation. "Such a move should mitigate or control the risks in the market," said Lu Wenxi, analyst at property agency Centaline. "This move is a big boost to market confidence, because now the whole real estate market, especially some major real estate enterprises are under pretty big pressure, and their bankruptcy risks triggering a chain reaction." Reporting by Anne Marie Roantree in Hong Kong.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Ping, Lu Wenxi, Anne Marie Roantree, Tom Westbrook, Edmund Klamann, Kim Coghill Organizations: Ping An Insurance, REUTERS, Ping, Ping An Insurance Group, Reuters, HK, Ping An, China, Sunac China Holdings, Wanda, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Singapore

☆ Exclusive: China authorities ask Ping An to take controlling stake in Country Garden, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ping An has "not been asked by (the) Government to takeover Country Garden. Country Garden declined to comment. Country Garden shares were up 4% in afternoon trade. The insurer had as of Aug. 11 a 4.99% stake in Country Garden, according to Hong Kong stock exchange data. Country Garden had total liabilities of 1.4 trillion yuan ($190 billion) at the end of June.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Ping, Li Qiang, Ping An, Ma Mingzhe, Ma, Peter, Yang Huiyan, Yang, Anne Marie Roantree, Antoni Slodkowski, Don Durfee, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Ping An Insurance, Global Mobile Internet Conference, National Convention Center, REUTERS, Ping An Insurance Group, HK, Council, Ping An, Reuters, Government, China, Information, Country Garden, People's Bank of China, Financial Regulatory Administration, Shenzhen Metro, Peking University Founder, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, China's, Guangdong province, Guangdong, Hong Kong, GUANGDONG, Shenzhen, Ping An

☆ The Surprising Fast Track to Your Own Corner Office
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s the career track of legends: Lowly executive assistant rises to the top from the desk outside the corner office. In reality, the assistant-to-boss trajectory has become a rarity in today’s business world as EAs slowly disappear as both a senior-executive perk and a career path. Yet among the crème of the calendar-keepers, some do climb to the highest rungs—and how they do it carries important career-building lessons.

Persons: perk

☆ They Started as Executive Assistants. Now They’re the Bosses.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: perk

☆ Vietnam's real estate woes: how much worse can they get?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HANOI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A rough year for Vietnam's real estate sector has seen developers miss interest payments on debt, amid a credit crunch spurred by ill-timed government measures, although spillover risk has been limited. Shares of the largest listed developer, Vinhomes (VHM.HM), part of the country's biggest conglomerate, Vingroup (VIC.HM), have fallen 13% this year. In September, the Asian Development Bank warned of potential spillover into banking from irregularities in corporate bonds and real estate markets, although troubled bonds made up just a small portion of total bank credit. While ill-timed government measures, companies' high debt and oversupply are responsible for the sectors' woes in both countries, conditions are different in Vietnam. Vietnam has a less acute situation of oversupply and speculation than China, he added, while real estate's contribution to its economy is also smaller.

Persons: Ho, Van Thinh Phat, Jean Xavier of S, Truong, Truong My Lan, Van Thinh, P's Xavier Jean, Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio, Phuong Nguyen, Anne Marie Roantree, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Dragon, Hung Thinh Corp, Moody's, Asian Development Bank, P Global, P, Southeast Asia Bank, Maritime Bank, Asia Commercial Bank, Vietnam Prosperity Bank, VP Bank, Bank, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Thomson Locations: HANOI, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Phu, Hanoi, Southeast, Asia, Truong My, VIETNAM, CHINA, China

[1/2] A worker looks on at a construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden, in Beijing, China August 11, 2023. Non-payment would trigger cross defaults in other Country Garden bonds as is standard in bond contracts. Country Garden reiterated on Wednesday that it expects to be unable to meet all of its offshore debt obligations and hopes to seek a "holistic" solution to its difficulties. Shares in Country Garden have lost some 70% of their value this year but gained some ground on Wednesday, rising 2.7%. "I think Country Garden offshore US dollar bond pricing speaks for itself as to the current expectations," said Real Estate Foresight co-founder Robert Ciemniak who publishes on Smartkarma.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Cedric Rimaud, Garden's, China Evergrande, Robert Ciemniak, Clare Jim, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Foresight, Data, JPMorgan, Mainland Properties, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, U.S, Hang, Hong Kong

☆ Country Garden founder Yeung, the tycoon who called himself 'dumb'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Born into a peasant family in rural China, Yeung Kwok Keung's rags-to-riches tale inspired millions across the country until his Country Garden (2007.HK) empire spiralled into crisis this year. On his home turf, Yeung and his company had many nicknames, among them "The most grassroots tycoon" and the "Universe's No.1 property developer". Born in 1955, Yeung founded Country Garden along with four others in 1992, quickly building its scale across China and transforming it into a household name by the early 2000s. Focusing on less popular, smaller cities in the world's second-largest economy was what made Country Garden successful, as the world's second-largest economy urbanised. In a company statement in August, Yeung spelt out a number of attributes that he said make "The Country Garden that I dream of", some of which will be key amid the crippling cash crisis.

Persons: Yeung Kwok, Yeung, Wu Jianbin, Yeung's, Yang Huiyan, Clare Jim, Dorothy Kam, Anne Marie Roantree Organizations: Xinhua, Volkswagen, China Evergrande, HK, Forbes, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, HK, Foshan, Guangdong, Xinhua

☆ Explainer: Country Garden: What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. A non-payment is expected after Country Garden last week warned about its inability to meet offshore debt obligations. Country Garden has appointed Houlihan Lokey, China International Capital Corporation (CICC) and law firm Sidley Austin as advisers to carry out an offshore debt restructuring. Until this year, Country Garden was the largest Chinese developer by sales. Country Garden has said repeatedly that "home delivery" is its top priority.

Persons: Aly, Houlihan Lokey, Sidley Austin, Evergrande, Clare Jim, Anne Marie Roantree, Sonali Paul Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China International Capital Corporation, WHO, China Evergrande, Evergrande, Regulators, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Beijing

☆ Country Garden: What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Evergrande shares volatile as trade resumes amid chairman probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Shares of China Evergrande (3333.HK) jumped as much as 42% in volatile trade on Tuesday, days after the embattled developer said its billionaire founder was being investigated over unspecified crimes. Evergrande's stock was suspended last Thursday after a report that its chairman and founder had been placed under police surveillance. "There is currently no other inside information in relation to the company that needs to be disclosed," Evergrande said in a statement late on Monday. The clock is ticking for Evergrande to get creditors' approval for restructuring its offshore debt. With the latest setbacks, some analysts say the debt restructuring plan now looks set to falter and that the risks of the company being liquidated are increasing.

Persons: Hui, Evergrande, Donny Kwok, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: China, HK, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Lincoln

☆ The Art of the 15-Minute Meeting and How to Run One
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/15-minute-meeting-productivity-work-c7233324

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ What If All Your Meetings Were Just 15 Minutes?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Anne Marie Chaker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ China Evergrande shares set to resume trade on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A crane stands at a construction site near the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, Sept. 26, 2021. On Thursday, trading in shares of the embattled Chinese property developer were suspended and the company later said its founder, Hui Ka Yan, was being investigated over suspected "illegal crimes". Evergrande has been working to get creditors' approval for restructuring its offshore debt. The process grew more complicated last week after Evergrande said it was unable to issue new debt due to an investigation into its main China unit. The offshore debt restructuring plan now looks set to falter and the risks of the company being liquidated are rising, some analysts said.

Persons: Aly, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Himanshi, Anne Marie Roantree, Arun Koyyur, Sharon Singleton Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Wall Street, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China's, Bengaluru

HONG KONG/BEIJING, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group's (3333.HK) founder is being investigated over suspected "illegal crimes", the embattled developer said on Thursday, as creditors become increasingly concerned about the group's prospects amid an uncertain debt revamp plan and liquidation risk. Evergrande has been working to get creditors' approval for restructuring its offshore debt. The offshore debt restructuring plan now looks set to falter and the risks of the company being liquidated are rising, some analysts said. An Evergrande sign is seen near residential buildings at an Evergrande residential complex in Beijing, China September 27, 2023. "We believe that Evergrande's debt turmoil has had a great turmoil and negative impact on the global economy, and the things behind it are not simple."

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Evergrande, Hui, Gary Ng, Ng, Florence Lo, They've, Christopher Beddor, Yan Yuejin, Saxo, Redmond Wong, Upasana Singh, Donny Kwok, Scott Murdoch, Ziyi Tang, Anne Marie Roantree, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Miral Fahmy, Susan Fenton Organizations: HK, Trading, Asia Pacific, Reuters, REUTERS, Evergrande, China Research, Development Institution, Buyers, China Market, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, China, Asia, Beijing, Evergrande, Shanghai, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, Sydney

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