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☆ Ex-employees from Europe’s 60 biggest fintech unicorns like Revolut and Klarna spawned 310 new startups, new data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The biggest fintech startups in Europe are producing a large chunk of new founders in the industry. It's a sign that Europe's tech ecosystem is maturing, according to VC firm Accel. Europe's fintech boom is solving one of the biggest problems in the region's tech ecosystem, according to a new analysis: experienced founders. "Fintech has played a core role in the growth of the European tech ecosystem," Accel partner Luca Bocchio told Insider. The biggest producer of new startups, according to Accel, is N26.

CNN —US Men’s National Team (USMNT) forward Christian Pulisic has been taken to hospital due to an abdominal injury he suffered while scoring the game-winning goal for the United States in its crucial 1-0 win over Iran. During post-match coverage, FOX Sports broadcaster Rob Stone provided an update on the condition of Pulisic, saying: “An update on his condition. Pulisic lay injured on the pitch after scoring his side's opening goal and only goal during the match against Iran. Pulisic soon re-entered the pitch, but was clearly still struggling with the knock. As Group B runners-up, the United States will face Group A winners Netherlands on Saturday.

☆ Disney is in an animation slump after 'Strange World' and 'Lightyear' flopped. Bob Iger may have the magic touch to turn it around.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's "Lightyear" and "Strange World" have flopped at the box office this year. Its latest animated movie, "Strange World," opened over the Thanksgiving weekend with $18 million over the five-day holiday in the US. This year was the first real test of the pandemic era to see if Disney's animated films could attract large swaths of consumers to theaters. In 2020 and 2021, Disney's animated movies either went straight to Disney+ or received a hybrid release on streaming and in theaters. But this year, Disney's movies have typically been released in theaters for 45 days before debuting on the streaming service.

☆ Rescue divers search for missing after landslide on Italy's Ischia island
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Rescue team members remove a car from the water following a landslide on the Italian holiday island of Ischia, Italy November 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ciro De LucaCASAMICCIOLA TERME, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Emergency workers stepped up efforts on Sunday to find 11 people missing on the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia a day after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated a small town. Densely populated, Ischia is a volcanic island which lies some 30 km (19 miles) from Naples. Two families, including some children, were believed to be among the missing, according to local officials. "People must understand that they can't live in some areas and buildings in risky areas must be torn down", Campania governor Vincenzo De Luca told state broadcaster RAI on Sunday.

☆ The Sinister Logic of Hidden Online Fees
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Michael Luca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Airbnb recently announced that it would start offering more upfront information about prices on the platform. CEO Brian Chesky tweeted: “I’ve heard you loud and clear—you feel like prices aren’t transparent.”Until now, Airbnb has used a pricing strategy that is informally known as “drip pricing,” in which a company lures in customers by showing a low price and then tacks on fees as they go along, in the hope that customers will focus their attention on the low initial price rather than the total. An Airbnb customer who tries to book a $300 room for a night can easily end up spending $600 after fees and taxes are tacked on. Hidden fees are good for Airbnb but bad for customers.

☆ Now at a Theater Near You: Cannibalism, Vomit and Severed Fingers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( John Jurgensen | Ellen Gamerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

At first, film programmer Ben Delgado felt a little squeamish about the picture he’d selected to open a new festival in Iowa City. On one hand, the coming-of-age story was being praised for its beauty and had already won awards at the Venice Film Festival. On the other hand, would the flesh-eating in “Bones and All” be a deal breaker for older-skewing cineastes in his area? “That’s not exactly the audience you expect to come out to a cannibal love story,” said Mr. Delgado, programming director of the FilmScene nonprofit cinema. The movie ended up being the talk of the inaugural Refocus Film Festival, he said.

Airlines’ service cuts that ramped up this summer show no sign of relenting this holiday season, leaving more travelers likely to pay higher fares for fuller planes at crowded airports. And while dozens of small cities receive federal subsidies to support air travel through the long-running Essential Air Service program, Malarkey Black said even 29 of those communities are facing potential cutbacks due to pilot shortages. For the regional flights that do remain, “fares are up markedly as a result of service cuts,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights. Major U.S. carriers have cited pilot shortages for their cuts at regional airports, with some of them saying the labor crunch would take years to resolve. “Commercial air service is an expected amenity to both businesses and residents alike,” Grover said, promising to work “relentlessly, tenaciously” to restore it.

☆ 'Bones and All' review: Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell star in Luca Guadagnino's tale of fine young cannibals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A road movie about youthful flesh-eaters finding love (the title “Fine Young Cannibals” comes to mind), it’s a strange and intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying stew. There’s an unavoidably episodic quality to the pair’s travels, and strictly in terms of screen time, Chalamet plays a significant but relatively modest role. It’s that rare movie that despite its flaws leaves you wanting more, where the limited series version would potentially be more rewarding. Russell nevertheless delivers a breakthrough performance, anchoring the movie in Maren’s uncertainty and vulnerability, which provides necessary ballast given the florid nature of the characters around her. “Bones and All” just takes that dynamic more literally than most, while narratively speaking, feeling more like an appetizer than a meal.

☆ Good luck finding an iPhone 14 Pro before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max were also unavailable for pickup in most locations. Earlier this month, Apple released a statement that noted it is experiencing “strong demand” for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models but it expects lower shipments than anticipated. While it’s unclear whether the higher-end iPhone 14 models will be available in time, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max showed availability in many locations for same-day pickup in CNN’s test on Thursday. Apple released its new smartphone lineup in September, including the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus model and an updated iPhone 14 Pro that rethinks the much-maligned notch. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus start at $799 and $899, respectively, while the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1099.

☆ Vivendi representative Frank Cadoret resigns from Telecom Italia's board
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationROME, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) (TIM) said on Wednesday that Frank Cadoret, one of two board members representing top investor Vivendi (VIV.PA), resigned from the post. Vivendi has clashed with Rossi, a former Bank of Italy official, over corporate governance issues on a number of occasions. The other Vivendi representative on TIM's board is the French media conglomerate's chief executive, Arnaud de Puyfontaine. Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Elvira Pollina, editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The company will be a preferred long-term partner for Credit Suisse, the bank has said. Credit Suisse declined to comment beyond Lehmann's remarks Oct. 27 when the bank unveiled the restructuring. The investment bank spin-off and the sale of the securitized products unit to Apollo are key planks of the reorganization. Klein, a 59-year-old former Citigroup rainmaker who runs advisory boutique M. Klein & Co, has been a Credit Suisse board member since 2018. Klein and Credit Suisse also have discussed combining M. Klein & Co into CS First Boston, according to one source familiar with the discussions.

☆ Analysis: Separation anxiety over Renault's five-way split
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Gilles Guillaume | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The main plank of the strategy is the separation of its combustion engine business from its electric vehicle (EV) operation. ELECTRIC PUSHAn early mover in electric cars, Renault has fallen behind newer, more agile rivals such as Tesla (TSLA.O). By teaming up its new businesses with the best available partners, "Renault hopes to win medals in those different sports instead of remaining at an average level in all five", he said. "This contrasts with what some other automakers have said, notably Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Mercedes (MBGn.DE), and Stellantis (STLA.MI), who do not believe in (electric vehicle) business separations," he said. Reporting by Gilles Guillaume Writing by Nick Carey Editing by Silvia Aloisi and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Every World Cup 2022 squad announced: USMNT, Germany, Belgium and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —‘Tis the season for wall charts and fans gathering around to pick their starting teams for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. “It’s always difficult when a guy helps you get to the World Cup, he scores three goals in World Cup qualifying and isn’t going to be a part of the program. Again, it’s more about who we did add that we felt good about.”All but one of the 26 will be making their World Cup debut at this year’s tournament and, according to the USMNT, it will be the youngest team to qualify for the World Cup. Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesGhanaManager: Otto AddoThe final squad has not been announced yet. READ: Meet Otto Addo, the coach responsible for guiding some of Europe’s brightest young talents (2021)—–PortugalManager: Fernando SantosThe final squad has not been announced yet.

HONG KONG, Nov 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - As automakers hesitate to invest in legacy motors, China’s Geely and France’s Renault (RENA.PA) are teaming up to supply gas guzzlers and more to rivals. Founder Li Shufu wants new-energy vehicles to account for 50% of Hong Kong-listed Geely Automobile’s (0175.HK) sales next year. Renault boss Luca de Meo says European car sales at the company he leads will be 100% electric by 2030. By hitching itself to Renault, Geely can shift gears faster to make the most of the window of opportunity. Together, they sold nearly 5 million cars last year, most of which were internal combustion engines.

An early mover in the electric car race, Renault has fallen behind newer, more agile rivals like Tesla. But big question marks remain on its strained relationship with long-standing Japanese partner Nissan, as Renault looks for other outside investors for each of its divisions. Nissan (7201.T) is expected to take a stake in the EV venture, codenamed "Ampere", alongside other investors, though Renault will keep a majority stake. Renault CEO Luca De Meo said the group wanted to give the alliance a strong future and a "new chance". Aside from the Ampere EV unit and the combustion engine division, Renault will have an additional three businesses - the Alpine sports-car brand, financial services and new mobility and recycling activities.

Renault's joint venture with Geely will employ 19,000 people at 17 powertrain factories and three research and development hubs, the companies said, adding they expect to reach a final agreement and launch the new company in 2023. Renault and Geely will each hold 50%, the companies said in a statement that did not detail other financial terms. Nissan has said it is considering an investment in the Ampere electric venture. Renault and Geely said they expect their new joint venture would supply internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains to both Nissan and the junior partner in Renault's existing alliance, Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T). Renault and Geely have an existing joint venture in South Korea.

☆ Renault raises planned operating margin goal, but Nissan deal elusive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Nov 8(Reuters) - French car maker Renault (RENA.PA) said it aimed for an 8% operating margin by 2025 thanks to a plan to split its combustion engine activities from its electric vehicle business, though such a plan still needs the go-ahead from its alliance partner Nissan (7201.T). Renault, ahead of a long-waited investor presentation on Tuesday, set the 8% goal for 2025, with this then raising to more than 10% in 2030, from 5% expected this year. On one hand, it is aiming to revamp its alliance with Nissan and convince the Japanese automaker to invest in a new electric car unit called Ampere. But details have been sketchy so far, and Renault's statement on Tuesday morning only said discussions with Nissan were ongoing. Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As yen tumbles, gadget-loving Japan goes for secondhand iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Miho Uranaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Salaryman Kaoru Nagase wanted a new phone but couldn't justify the price of a iPhone 14, which starts at 119,800 yen ($814). Instead, he bought a used iPhone SE 2 in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district for less than a third of that. "At more than 100,000 yen the iPhone 14 is too expensive and I just can't afford it. But in an annual regulatory filing last month, it said Japan sales fell 9% in the year ended September 24 due to the yen's weakness. With Japan open again to foreign tourists, the secondhand iPhone market is getting another boost.

☆ Renault raises profitability targets in business overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Gilles Guillaume | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Renault's long-standing partner, Japan's Nissan (7201.T) is expected to take a stake in the EV venture, codenamed "Ampere", alongside outside investors, though Renault will keep a majority stake. Shares in Renault fell more than 4% as it gave no details on the state of play of talks with Nissan on the future of their partnership. Aside from the Ampere EV unit and the combustion engine venture, called "Horse", Renault will have an additional three businesses - the Alpine sports-car brand, financial services and new mobility and recycling activities. Using a sports metaphor, he compared the "old" Renault to a pentathlon athlete who would struggle to win gold medals in all five sport specialties. Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Renault, Geely clinch deal for internal-combustion joint venture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Norihiko Shirouzu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The joint venture will employ 19,000 people at 17 powertrain factories and three research and development hubs, the companies said, adding they expect to reach a final agreement and launch the new company in 2023. Renault and Geely will each hold 50%, the companies said in a statement that did not detail other financial terms. Renault and Geely said they expect their new joint venture would supply internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains to Nissan and the junior partner in Renault's existing alliance, Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T). They said it would have the capacity to supply about 5 million engines and hybrid systems per year once operational. Renault and Geely Automobile also have an existing joint venture in South Korea.

☆ Renault, Google expand ties in automotive software
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Google is pictured during the Viva Tech start-up and technology summit in Paris, France, May 25, 2018. REUTERS/Charles PlatiauPARIS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Renault (RENA.PA) and Google (GOOGL.O) said on Tuesday that they are expanding their partnership in software services for future Renault vehicles, adding that Google will become the preferred cloud supplier to the French automaker. The partnership with Google will also help Renault accelerate its "end-to-end digital transformation, from the design of the car to its market launch through its production," Renault Chief Executive Luca de Meo said in a statement. Automakers and technology companies including Sony (6758.T), Apple (AAPL.O) and Google, have been working to develop ways to build future cars into platforms more like smartphones, with billable services where key updates are wireless. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING/TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co's (7201.T) concerns about technology transfers have complicated its partner Renault's (RENA.PA) plans to sell a large stake in its gasoline-engine business to China's Geely (0175.HK), three people familiar with the talks said. Nissan's concerns about technology rights have also been one reason why it has yet to reach a preliminary agreement to invest in Ampere. Renault has a 43% stake in Nissan while the Japanese automaker has a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. People with knowledge of the talks have said the two sides have been discussing a reduction in Renault's stake in Nissan, potentially to 15%. Uchida also said Nissan wanted to see a “fair treatment” of its interests in any new partnership Renault strikes with Geely.

☆ Why Apple raised the price of the iPhone, but not in the U.S. and China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Apple 's newest iPhones, the series 14 models, come with better displays, cameras, and satellite messaging, among other features and updates. For example, the base iPhone 14 model starts at $799 in the U.S., the same price that the company charged for the iPhone 13 at its release last year. In the U.K., the base iPhone 14 costs £849, or roughly $975. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max in the U.K. is £150 more expensive than the equivalent last year's model. The reason Apple took the step to increase the price of phones in those markets has to do with currency fluctuations.

TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co's (7201.T) talks with Renault SA (RENA.PA) are focused on optimising their investment in electric vehicles and strengthening their competitiveness as equal partners, the Japanese automaker's CEO told Reuters on Friday. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida declined to comment on whether an agreement could be reached this month. But he said he was talking with Renault Chief Executive Luca de Meo every weekend and the talks would be "ongoing for the future." Nissan is also considering investing in Renault's planned electric vehicle unit, the companies said. "We want it to be an equal partnership," Uchida said, adding that an "equal partnership would make sense and that would speed up the collaboration even more."

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’Even before making its way to theaters, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman — has birthed some of this fall’s biggest pop culture moments, including a Rihanna song drop. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 11. “The Inspection” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 18. “Bones and All” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23. “Strange World” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23.

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