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☆ Relics of Huge Primordial Collision Reside in Earth's Deep Interior
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seismologists have recognized since the 1970s that two mysterious continent-sized blobs reside in the deepest part of Earth's mantle, one under Africa and the other under the South Pacific region. Based on these simulations, they proposed that most of Theia was absorbed into Earth, forming the blobs, while residual debris formed the moon. If the study's conclusions are correct, these blobs would represent the first direct evidence of the hypothesized moon-forming collision. "It is incredible because we can uncover relics of another planet - Theia - if we dig deep enough in Earth's mantle," added planetary scientist and study co-author Hongping Deng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. Asimow said that if their conclusions are correct some volcanic rocks that reach Earth's surface may provide samples of a vanished planet.

Persons: Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Qian Yuan, Paul Asimow, Hongping Deng, Yuan, Asimow, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Caltech, Chinese Academy of Sciences Locations: Africa, South Pacific, Theia, Shanghai

☆ Carlos Alcaraz: World No. 2 suffers shock defeat to Russia’s Roman Safiullin at Paris Masters
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Ben Church | Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —He may have developed into one of the best players in the world, but Carlos Alcaraz is not immune to an off day. The reigning Wimbledon champion suffered a surprise defeat to Russia’s Roman Safiullin in the Paris Masters on Tuesday, the first time the 20-year-old has lost an opening round match at a tournament this year. There’s only one tournament left, but these losses hurt a lot.”Roman Safiullin produced a brilliant performance to peg back the world No. “For Carlos, it was not his best performance, but still I’m happy that I can win,” Safiullin said after the match. The Serb is set to start his Paris Masters campaign against Argentina’s Tomás Etcheverry on Wednesday as he looks to win his seventh title at the event.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, “, ” Alcaraz, Safiullin, Stephanie Lecocq, Reuters Safiullin, Carlos, ” Safiullin, he’s, I’m, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, Argentina’s Tomás Etcheverry Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Paris, Reuters, Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters Locations: Switzerland

☆ Biggest Chinese Antarctic fleet sets off to build research station
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Work on the first Chinese station in the Pacific sector began in 2018. China has four research stations in the Antarctic built from 1985 to 2014. The two icebreakers, Xuelong 1 and Xuelong 2, the name means "Snow Dragon" in Chinese, set sail from Shanghai with mostly personnel and logistics supplies on board. The cargo ship "Tianhui", or "Divine Blessings", taking construction material for the station, set off from the eastern port of Zhangjiagang. The mission, China's 40th to the Antarctic, will also cooperate with countries including the United States, Britain, and Russia on logistics supply, state media said.

Persons: China's, Stringer, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Arnhem Space, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, China's, Ross, Pacific, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Arnhem, Zhangjiagang, Amundsen, United States, Britain, Russia

☆ Baidu launches paid version of ChatGPT-like Ernie Bot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Baidu sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu launched on Wednesday a paid version of its ChatGPT-like product Ernie bot, charging 59.9 yuan ($8.18) per month. Ernie bot, which like ChatGPT is powered by generative artificial intelligence, was the first of many Chinese AI-powered chatbots to be unveiled this year. ($1 = 7.3191 Chinese yuan)Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Ernie bot, Eduardo Baptista, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Baidu, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ For China’s Jobless Young People, Hostels Are the Place to Be
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Why can’t I, a college graduate, find a job?” Mr. Yi lamented as he sat in the hostel’s common room after a day of unsuccessful interviews. “Why is it only jobs that pay just $400 or $500 a month that want me? Sometimes I wonder, how can it be this hard?”That is the question being asked in hostels across China. As joblessness among young Chinese has reached record highs, hostels have become refuges for young people trying their fortunes in major cities, who need a place to crash between back-to-back interviews, to strategize on their next networking meeting or to fire off yet another résumé. They have become concentrated hubs for people’s anxiety, hopes, despair and ambitions, all packed into bunk beds that go for a few dollars a night.

Persons: Ethan Yi, Mr, Yi Locations: Shanghai, China, strategize

But there were also walking memes, rare public expressions of queer life, wry commentary on the state of China and at least one bipedal cucumber — a colorful burst of pent-up energy and emotion in Shanghai’s first big Halloween celebration in years. In Shanghai, revelers have embraced Halloween, turning what started as a Western tradition into something distinctly Chinese. Over four days, they celebrated many of the things that Chinese censors normally suppress: elements of L.G.B.T. life, political and social criticism, or simply appearances that mainstream Chinese society might consider too flamboyant or strange. “It was a sea of joy from Huaihai Road all the way to Nanjing Road,” said Eric Ding, a 23-year-old tech worker.

Persons: ”, Eric Ding Locations: China, Shanghai, Nanjing

☆ Apple's holiday-quarter forecast faces threat from Huawei, weak China market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

People stand outside an Apple Store as Apple's new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China, in Shanghai, China September 22, 2023. Apple's (AAPL.O) own iPhone 15 line-up has gotten off to a slow start in the crucial international market. Counterpoint estimates China sales of the latest series were nearly 5% lower compared with the iPhone 14 in the first 17 days after launch. Reuters GraphicsWall Street analysts expect iPhone sales to rise about 6% in the October-December period, according to LSEG data. The segment has often outpaced growth in Apple's hardware business in recent years and now accounts for nearly a quarter of its total revenue.

Persons: Aly, Bernstein, Jefferies, Yuvraj Malik, Aditya Soni, Saumyadeb Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Huawei, Data, Wall, IDC, Thomson Locations: China, Shanghai, Bengaluru

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday after Wall Street advanced to claim back some of the ground it gave up in another losing month. The overwhelming expectation is that the Fed will keep its overnight interest rate steady. Pinterest jumped 19% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Most big U.S. companies have reported stronger profit for the summer than expected, and Caterpillar also joined them. The Fed has already pulled its main overnight interest rate above 5.25% to its highest level since 2001.

Persons: Pinterest, It's, Brent Organizations: Wall, Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Arista Networks, Caterpillar, VF Corp, Vans, Treasury, Fed Locations: BANGKOK, U.S, Hong Kong, Shanghai

But areas of the market dominated by small stocks and frequented by the country's retail investors have done surprisingly well. Scores of retail investors are dabbling in micro-cap stocks - stocks whose market capitalisation is tiny - operating under the radar of big funds and investors and their massive market-moving flows. Strategies such as Cui's stand out this year in a stock market depressed by China's wobbly economy, heightened geopolitical risks and surging overseas interest rates. Some brokerages are starting to recommend micro stocks to clients. GF Securities said in an October strategy report that buying micro stocks is part of a new investment paradigm in a stock market suffering from anaemic growth, and global decoupling risks.

Persons: Aly, horribilis, Joseph Cui, Cui, Yuan Yuwei, Helen Wu, Wu, Yi Huiman, Lu Deyong, Seres, Lu, Huang Yan, Jason Xue, Samuel Shen, Summer Zhen, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Huawei Technologies, Regulators, Wisdom Asset, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Huawei, Security Technology, TRS Information Technology, Automotive, Seres, Securities, Shanghai QiuYang, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, ChatGPT, Ningbo, Summer, Hong Kong

Antara Foto/Jojon/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The bears are out in force on the London Metal Exchange (LME) nickel market. The global nickel market is entering a period of massive oversupply thanks to an Indonesian production boom. INSG assessed monthly nickel supply-demand balanceBIG SURPLUSThe big short is a bet on a big surplus. The global nickel market moved into supply-demand surplus in May last year and has been there ever since, according to the International Nickel Study Group. The exact timing of that tipping-point is still unknown, which means the big short is still a big bet that the supply chain can close the nickel product gap sooner rather than later.

Persons: Antara, aren't, it's, It's, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: PT Vale Indonesia, REUTERS Acquire, London Metal Exchange, Fund, Investment, Study, EV, Shanghai Futures, GAP Indonesia, Jingmen, New Energy Science, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sorowako, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Indonesian, London

☆ Li Keqiang: Death of China’s former premier offers glimpse into discontent with Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The sudden death of China’s former Premier Li Keqiang has spurred an outpouring of grief and mourning across the country. But for many, it also appears to offer a rare opening to air pent-up discontent with top leader Xi Jinping and the direction he has taken the country. His death, just months after his retirement, shocked the Chinese public. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang review a guard of honor prior to a meeting at the Chancellery on July 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits a hospital in Wuhan on January 27, 2020, days after the city was placed under a complete lockdown to curb the raging Covid-19 outbreak.

Persons: Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping, Li, Xi –, ”, Alfred Wu, Lee, “, Xi, Angela Merkel, Sean Gallup, Zhang Lun, Mao Zedong, Zhang, “ I’ve, Wu, Li Tao, Zhou Enlai, Mao, Hu Yaobang, Fish Leong, ” Zhang Organizations: CNN, Communist, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Getty, Studies, University of Cergy, Peking University, Li, AP Party, Communist Party, Xinhua, CPC, Party Locations: Shanghai, China, Singapore, German, Berlin, Germany, Pontoise, France, Communist China, Wuhan, AFP, Yunnan province, Weibo, Malaysian, Hefei, Anhui, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday he will raise the plight of a detained democracy blogger with Chinese leaders during a state visit to China. Albanese said he had approved a draft letter to the sons of Yang Hengjun, who has been detained in China since 2019. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesThey said they had just last week received the first letter Yang had been allowed to send from detention. Feng said Albanese becoming the first Australian prime minister in seven years to visit China created an opportunity for Yang. They hoped Australian authorities could “achieve a second miracle by saving our father.”Asked about Cheng’s case, Albanese told reporters: “Every case is ... different.”

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Yang Hengjun, “, ” Albanese, Yang, ” Yang, Feng Chongyi, Feng, “ It’s, ” Feng, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Cheng Lei, Xi, Cheng, Yang’s, ” Organizations: —, China’s Ministry of State Security, China Locations: CANBERRA, Australia, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Indonesia

☆ There was nothing good about Estee Lauder's quarterly earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

That made the horrendous downward revision delivered by Estee Lauder's management team extremely disappointing. Estee Lauder did offer up a new "Profit Recovery Plan," but the impact is not expected to kick in until fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Organic sales are expected to decline 10% to 8%, below the 3.6% estimate. Profit recovery plan Management attempted to mitigate investor frustration by announced a turnaround strategy. Quarterly commentary Skin care — Estee Lauder's highest-margin category — remained under pressure, primarily due to ongoing efforts to reduce and rebalance inventory levels in the Asia travel retail business.

Persons: Estee Lauder, Estee, Fabrizio Freda, we've, Tom Ford, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Revenue, Outlook Management, Management, CNBC, daimaru, Getty Locations: China, Israel, Asia, Americas, Pacific, Europe, East, Africa, North America, United States, America, Mexico, Brazil, Nanjing, Shanghai

☆ Relics of huge primordial collision reside in Earth's deep interior
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/NASA/Handout/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Seismologists have recognized since the 1970s that two mysterious continent-sized blobs reside in the deepest part of Earth's mantle, one under Africa and the other under the South Pacific region. Based on these simulations, they proposed that most of Theia was absorbed into Earth, forming the blobs, while residual debris formed the moon. If the study's conclusions are correct, these blobs would represent the first direct evidence of the hypothesized moon-forming collision. "It is incredible because we can uncover relics of another planet - Theia - if we dig deep enough in Earth's mantle," added planetary scientist and study co-author Hongping Deng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. Asimow said that if their conclusions are correct some volcanic rocks that reach Earth's surface may provide samples of a vanished planet.

Persons: Qian Yuan, Paul Asimow, Hongping Deng, Yuan, Asimow, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, Rights, Caltech, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Thomson Locations: Africa, South Pacific, Theia, Shanghai

☆ The Latest Tech Caught in the U.S.-China Trade War: Lasers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Heather Somerville | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hesai Group , a Shanghai-based maker of laser sensors used for next-generation vehicles, celebrated a Nasdaq stock offering in February that was heralded by some as a comeback for Chinese listings in the U.S.Less than nine months later, Hesai has become an example of how the U.S.-China battle over technology is roiling the business world. Its stock is down more than 50%, and the company is on the back foot, hiring lobbyists and defending its reputation.

Persons: Hesai Organizations: Hesai, Nasdaq, U.S . Locations: Shanghai, U.S, China

☆ Asian stocks waver, yen wobbles as BOJ takes centre stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Passersby walk past an electric monitor displaying the Japanese yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan October 4, 2023. On Tuesday, the 10-year JGB yield jumped 6.5 basis points to 0.955%, its highest since May. "Markets seem to assume that the ceiling will be lifted by another 50 basis points, but I think the possibility of another doubling (i.e. The dollar index , which measures U.S. currency against six rivals, rose 0.104%. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 1.1 basis points to 4.888%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up 0.7 basis points to 5.042%.

Persons: Issei Kato, Nicholas Chia, Chia, Sterling, Hong, HSI, Jerome Powell, Gary Dugan, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of, Nikkei, Standard Chartered, Japan's Nikkei, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, BOJ, Federal Open Markets, Dalma, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Shanghai, U.S, Singapore

☆ Renault had 'friendly' discussions with Chinese investment bank - spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Renault is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) had "friendly" discussions with Chinese investment bank CICC about potential cooperation, but nothing has been signed or decided so far, a company spokesperson said, confirming media reports. "A meeting took place between CICC and Renault Group for friendly discussions about China's market," a spokeswoman told Reuters. Chinese media outlet Cailianshe reported on Friday that Renault and CICC had reached a preliminary intention agreement to jointly invest to establish an investment fund to focus on the NEV industry chain, citing people familiar with the matter. Cailianshe added that Renault CEO Luca de Meo was in China for a week long visit.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, carmaker, CICC, Luca de Meo, Gilles Guillaume, Brenda Goh, Roxanne Liu, Tassilo Hummel, Marine Strauss, Louise Heavens Organizations: Renault, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, carmaker Renault, Renault Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, CICC, China, Shanghai, Beijing

December Brent crude futures , set to expire on Tuesday, rose 36 cents, or 0.41%, to stand at $87.81 a barrel by 0305 GMT. "If this evolves into a full-scale invasion and there is involvement from Iran, tighter supply worries could resurface." In a note, ING analysts said, "Disruptions to Iranian oil flows remain the most obvious risk to the market." Such lost supply could range between 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 1 million bpd if the United States strictly enforces sanctions once again, they added, although Middle East developments had yet to affect oil supply. Weaker-than-expected manufacturing and non-manufacturing activity data from China stoked fears of slowing fuel demand from the world's No.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Brent, Leon Li, China stoked, CME's, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Federal Reserve, Markets, ING, U.S, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, China, Wednesday's U.S, Gaza, Iran, Shanghai, Israel, United States, Venezuela, riven

☆ Samsung expects memory chip demand to improve, as operating profit beats expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

First quarter operating profit plummeted 85.15% from the fourth quarter of 2022, while second-quarter operating profit saw only 4.68% improvement from the first quarter. Here are Samsung's third-quarter results versus estimates:Revenue: 67.4 trillion Korean won (about $50 billion), vs. 67.8 trillion Korean won expected by analysts polled by LSEG. 67.4 trillion Korean won (about $50 billion), vs. 67.8 trillion Korean won expected by analysts polled by LSEG. Operating profit: 2.43 trillion Korean won, vs. 2.3 trillion Korean won expected by LSEG analysts. Earlier this month, Samsung estimated third-quarter revenue would be 67 trillion Korean won and operating profit to be 2.4 trillion won.

Persons: Ying Tang, Samsung, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Samsung, Getty Images, Samsung Electronics, LSEG, Korean Locations: Shanghai, China

☆ Some Chinese institutions borrow at 50% rate as liquidity squeezed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The highest overnight rate for pledged repo - a short-term financing business - hit 50% on Tuesday, according to official interbank data, although the average rate remains modest at roughly 3.6%. Two-day repo rates jumped to as high as 30%, and the highest rate for seven-day repos was 12%. Several traders at small lenders were still seeking to borrow money in later afternoon trading when contacted by Reuters. The brokerage attributed the cash shortage to a "record supply" of government bonds, as well as restricted channels for banks to borrow money. The average seven-day repo rate - a widely watched indictor of short-term borrowing costs in China - remained modest at 2.0765% on Tuesday, meaning many institutions can still borrow money at relatively low rates.

Persons: Thomas White, repos, Fan, Ming Ming, Ed Osmond, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Guolian Securities, Reuters, Caitong Securities, Citic Securities, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Chinese authorities crack down on dogs after a Rottweiler mauls a toddler. But some say they’ve gone too far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —A shocking video of a Rottweiler mauling a 2-year-old girl in China has prompted a crackdown by local authorities on stray dogs that some argue has now gone too far. Since then, local authorities in a raft of provinces including Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui have stepped up law enforcement, some more heavy-handed than others. Stray dogs are the main targets, but pets who are unleashed can also be subject to control measures. The country is home to 40 million stray dogs, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper. In defense of stray dogsThis is not the first time Chinese authorities have been accused of being heavy-handed with animals.

Persons: netizens, ”, Kevin Frayer, Xiao Huang, Shepherd, Cya Liu, “, Bo Ai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Authorities, Weibo, Industry, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bo Ai Animal Protection Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongzhou, China’s, Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui, Beijing, Yanzhou, Chongqing, Weibo, Shanghai, Guangyuan

☆ Chinese tech giant Alibaba launches upgraded AI model to challenge Microsoft, Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba called Tongyi Qianwen 2.0 a "substantial upgrade from its predecessor," which was introduced in April . China's biggest cloud computing and e-commerce player announced Tongyi Qianwen 2.0, its latest large language model (LLM). A LLM is trained on vast amounts of data and forms the basis for generative AI applications such as ChatGPT, which is developed by U.S. firm OpenAI. Tongyi Qianwen 2.0 "demonstrates remarkable capabilities in understanding complex instructions, copywriting, reasoning, memorizing, and preventing hallucinations," Alibaba said in a press release. The Hangzhou-headquartered company also announced the GenAI Service Platform, which lets companies build their own generative AI applications, using their own data.

Persons: Alibaba, Tongyi Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, U.S, Tuesday, Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon Locations: Shanghai, Hangzhou, China

☆ Morning Bid: Yield curve control morphs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It will keep buying bonds, but time will tell whether and how tenaciously it will impede yields rising beyond 1%. After touching an almost 10-year low in morning trade, Japanese government bond futures rallied following the announcement. For the meantime the sense that some sort of anchor remains also spread some cheer to Treasury trade, sparking a brief rally. Falls in Hong Kong and Shanghai led MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan 0.9% lower (.MIAPJ0000PUS). Meanwhile, outside of markets, Hamas said its militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israel's invading forces in Gaza early on Tuesday as the conflict intensified.

Persons: Tom Westbrook, DAOU, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Treasury, Bond, Federal Reserve, U.S . Treasury Department, Samsung Electronics, Brookfield consortium, Treasury Wine Estates, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Bouygues, BASF, BP, Pfizer, Caterpillar, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, U.S, Europe, Asia, Falls, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pacific, Japan, Australia, Gaza

Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall Group did not respond to a request for comment. This year's Singles Day event is also the first since Alibaba Group split into six business units. This view is supported by recent polls on social media where the majority of respondents said Singles Day was no longer necessary. Meara He, a 21-year-old student from Wenzhou, says she often shops using Douyin live-streams and this year, "doesn't care" about Singles Day as much. "In the past I would wait for Double 11 (Singles Day) and do some shopping, but this time I just plan to buy products that I need," she said.

Persons: Alibaba, Pinduoduo, Josh Gardner, Alibaba's, Ashley Dudarenok, AlixPartners, Douyin, Melody Zhao, Casey, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh Organizations: PDD Holdings, Kungfu, Tmall, Administration, Market, ByteDance, Alibaba, Suisse, Industry, Hua Gui Food Group, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, HK, China, Wenzhou, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ China's smog-covered north on highest pollution alert as visibility drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Northern province Hebei launched an anti-pollution emergency response, listing traffic safety controls for when necessary including suspending flight takeoffs and landings, temporarily closing highways and suspending ferries, China's meteorological bureau said in a notice. Authorities also warned road users to stop in safe parking areas when conditions required and asked people to stay indoors. Beijing said it would implement traffic control measures if the capital activates its highest air pollution warning. Experts said weak cold air currents from the north pole were a key factor behind the unusual weather. Cold air currents are forecast to stream in the north from Thursday night, creating conditions that could weaken and dissipate the haze, the weather forecaster said.

Persons: Liz Lee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Authorities, National Meteorological Center, NMC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Northern, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan province, Shandong, Jiangsu province, China's, Shanghai

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