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☆ Italy narrows asylum rights in new clampdown on immigration
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill, which still needs the approval of the lower house to become law, was drawn up after a shipwreck off southern Italy in February that killed more than 90 migrants. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said the legislation, which includes tougher jail terms for human smugglers, is intended to dissuade people from putting their trust in traffickers and trying to reach Italy illegally. Among the most contested measures is a decision to eliminate "special protection" residency permits that authorities can offer migrants who don't qualify for asylum, but who face humanitarian risks back home, or have family ties in Italy. The government said the system was being abused, noting that in 2022 authorities had handed out 10,506 special protection permits against 7,494 permits offering refugee status and 7,039 that granted a separate form of international protection. The bill also halts state-funded Italian language courses and eliminates legal advice services for migrants hosted in official reception centres.

☆ 19 Unique Gifts for Women Who Have Everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

“There’s something a little decadent about wearing a matching cashmere set when you’re traveling by plane, for example,” Deyette notes. Note: The earrings can also be purchased as singles if you or your recipient like to mix and match. Constructed of 100% Australian sheepskin upper and footbed, they feel incredibly luxe and confer the benefit of breathable, moisture-wicking materials. “I love lighting this candle when I take a bath or just want to relax with a good book,” she says. It comes with a 72-ounce pitcher and an ice-crushing blade, as well as two single-serve blender cups for beverages on the go.

☆ Top Wall Street analysts expect these five stocks to fetch attractive returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Meta PlatformsWeakness in digital ad spending due to macro pressures has hit social media giant Meta Platforms (META) over the recent quarters. SoFi TechnologiesNext on our list is fintech firm SoFi Technologies (SOFI), which offers digital financial services to over 5.2 million members. The acquisition is expected to drive SoFi's mortgage growth and operational efficiencies and broaden its mortgage product offerings. (See SoFi Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks)PVHApparel company PVH (PVH), which owns popular brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, delivered better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The analyst sees "an attractive risk reward profile" in PVH stock based on the company's earnings growth potential and current valuation.

☆ A.I. could drive $7 trillion in global growth in 10 years, Goldman estimates. Here's how to play it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Within that, generative AI has a total addressable market of $150 billion, Goldman said. We believe Generative AI can streamline business workflows, automate routine tasks and give rise to a new generation of business applications," Goldman analysts wrote in a recent research report. But generative AI is able to produce new content such as text, video, images or computer code — putting it a step ahead. "Generative AI tools have far-reaching implications across industries, from enterprise software to healthcare, financial services and more," Goldman said. With the tech giants already incorporating it into their products, Goldman sees generative AI boosting sales, productivity and product innovation.

☆ Sanofi, Regeneron unveil 'blow-out' smoker's lung drug data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ludwig Burger Jubabu | Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sanofi and Regeneron said in a statement on Thursday a Phase III trial involving 939 current or former smokers also showed improvements in lung function, quality of life and COPD respiratory symptoms. JP Morgan analyst Richard Vosser said the trial update had "blow-out data" in store for investors, and that market consensus for 2027 Dupixent sales of 15.7 billion euros would likely be topped-up by between 1 and 2 billion euros. The anti-inflammatory drug accounted for 8.3 billion euros, or more than 19% of the French group's overall sales of 43 billion euros, last year. Sanofi reports combined global Dupixent sales from its alliance with Regeneron. Sanofi and Regeneron on Tuesday announced the European Commission had approved Dupixent to treat severe atopic dermatitis in young children.

☆ Sanofi, Regeneron's Dupixent shows promise as 'smoker's lung' drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ludwig Burger Jubabu | Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a late stage trial Dupixent, jointly developed with Regeneron (REGN.O), led to a 30% reduction in moderate or severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a potentially deadly disease marked by progressive lung function decline. Sanofi previously forecast Dupixent would generate up to 13 billion euros ($14.2 billion) in sales in its best year as it seeks to widen its use across several inflammatory conditions. The anti-inflammatory drug accounted for 8.3 billion euros, or more than 19%, of the French group's overall sales of 43 billion euros last year. Sanofi reports combined global Dupixent sales from its alliance with Regeneron. Dupixent was also approved by the EC to treat eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition that damages the esophagus, in January.

☆ Sanofi, Regeneron shares pop more than 6% after data shows asthma drug Dupixent may also treat COPD
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of Sanofi and Regeneron both jumped by more than 6% on Thursday after the pharmaceutical companies released promising data showing their jointly developed asthma drug Dupixent also shows promise in treating COPD patients. New data from a phase three clinical trial shows Dupixent reduced bad bouts of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, by 30% compared with a placebo over 52 weeks. The trial enrolled COPD patients with type 2 inflammation — an allergic response that can result in decreased lung function. The companies said a second phase three trial of Dupixent in COPD is ongoing, with data expected in 2024. He added that J.P. Morgan expects to see new COPD patients adding $1.5 billion to $2 billion in new sales for Dupixent.

☆ Microsoft adds OpenAI technology to Word and Excel
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Photographer: Charles Pertwee/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesMicrosoft is bringing generative artificial intelligence technologies like the popular ChatGPT chatting app to its Microsoft 365 suite of business software. features, dubbed Copilot, will be available in some of the company's most popular business apps like Word, PowerPoint and Excel. The Copilot technology is built upon a type of artificial intelligence software known as a large language model, or LLM. Microsoft executives demonstrated some of the capabilities of its Copilot tool on Thursday during an online presentation. In February, Microsoft debuted a new version of its Bing search engine that included a chatbot powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 language technology.

☆ Snap stock surges on report that Biden may ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in social media companies Snap and Meta jumped in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the Biden administration was reported to be considering banning TikTok in the U.S. unless Chinese tech giant ByteDance divests its stake. Snap shares surged nearly 7% while Meta shares rose more than 2% after The Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok faces a possible ban in the U.S. if ByteDance fails to comply with the Biden Administration's proposition. Both Snap and Meta face fierce competition for user attention from TikTok, and have introduced their own short-form video products to compete. Last week, the White House voiced support for a recent Senate bill that would grant the Biden Administration the ability to ban TikTok in the U.S.U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok, by virtue of its Chinese ownership, poses a potential national security threat, with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., recently saying that "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward."

☆ ChatGPT is being used to automatically write emails: Microsoft, Salesforce, and TikTok creators are hopping on the trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The analysts estimated Microsoft's recently announced generated AI sales features could help it take market share and potentially add over $768 million in annual revenue. Microsoft announced on Monday that it would integrate generative AI based on ChatGPT into a set of tools for business called CoPilot. One of its primary features is using AI to generate emails. Microsoft says that its AI email writer can take important context from the email thread, like the price that was previously discussed, and stick it in the response drafted by AI. Microsoft's feature is currently in beta testing, but will be released to customers of Microsoft's Viva Sales feature on March 15, the company said on Monday.

☆ Salesforce to add ChatGPT to Slack as part of OpenAI partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - Salesforce Inc (CRM.N) said on Tuesday it was working with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to add the chatbot sensation to its collaboration software Slack, as well as bring generative artificial intelligence to its business software generally. ChatGPT also would integrate with Slack to help users summarize conversation threads and handle other queries. Clara Shih, a general manager at Salesforce, said in a press briefing that the announcement responded to demand by businesses for the nascent technology. Salesforce's generative AI tools would help companies “completely reimagine how they engage with their customers,” she said. Salesforce also announced a fund to invest in generative AI startups.

☆ Binance CEO reaffirms support for Voyager deal amid SEC pushback
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance, at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit TessierMarch 3 (Reuters) - Binance Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao on Friday reiterated support for the exchange's U.S. partner to acquire Voyager Digital, after an earlier tweet indicated he was weighing walking away from the offer. Voyager, a crypto lender which went bankrupt last year, signed an agreement to be acquired by Binance.US in December. But the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the New York Department of Financial Services later opposed the deal. "We are still in support of the deal and helping returning funds to users as quickly as possible, if allowed to do so," Zhao tweeted.

☆ Colombia's Viva Air grounds fleet after Avianca merger hold-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Viva Air said it has temporarily suspended operations as the indebted low-cost carrier awaited a ruling by Colombia's civil aviation authority on its proposed merger with Avianca (AVT_p.CN). Viva Air said late on Monday it had halted ticket sales and grounded its entire fleet after the regulator allowed five other airlines including Aerolineas Argentinas and JetSMART to take part in the merger process. Low-cost carrier JetSMART and regional giant LATAM Airlines have both expressed an interest in buying Viva Air. LATAM, Avianca and local airline Satena will offer alternatives to stranded passengers on some routes at no additional cost, the civil aviation authority said. Colombia's superintendency of transportation will open an investigation against Viva Air, which could result in possible sanctions, it said.

☆ KPMG reaches settlement with liquidator of Carillion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierLONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - KPMG said on Friday it has reached a confidential settlement agreement with the liquidator of Carillion, the builder it audited before it collapsed. Carillion collapsed in 2018 under 7 billion pounds ($8.40 billion) of debt, with thousands of jobs lost, leading to government-backed reviews which recommended a shake-up in auditing standards. Liquidators of Carillion last year sued KPMG for 1.3 billion pounds for missing "red flags" during its audits of the construction giant. Carillion was an extreme and serious corporate failure, and it is important that we all learn the lessons from its collapse," KPMG's UK chief executive Jon Holt said in a statement. Britain's auditing watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has yet to announce the outcome of its investigation in KPMG's audits of Carillion.

Prime Trust made $650 million in wire transfer deposits into the Binance.US account during the quarter, the bank records show. The Binance global exchange, Binance CEO Zhao and Prime Trust did not respond to detailed questions about the transfers. Among the dealers on Binance.US was Merit Peak, according to company messages, the trading firm managed by CEO Zhao. From January to March 2021, the account records show that Merit Peak received 89 transfers from the Binance.US SEN account totalling $404 million. These transfers often immediately followed a deposit into the Binance.US account by Prime Trust, the crypto custodian firm for Binance.US client funds.

☆ Colombian airline Viva Air weighs local restructuring process
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Low-cost Colombian airline Viva Air has voluntarily started a local debt restructuring process, the company said late on Friday, as it awaits authorization of its merger with Avianca (AVT_p.CN) airlines. "Viva accepts this voluntary recovery process that lasts 90 days, in order to restructure its debts through negotiation with its main creditors to continue operating under sustainable conditions," it added. The airline said it entered the process after much consideration, as it awaits a decision on the Avianca merger. The announcement came after ultra-low-cost airline JetSMART Airlines also announced its intention to buy 100% of Viva Air. The airlines filed an appeal and in January the aviation governing body annulled the merger process citing procedural irregularities, and restarted it.

☆ Google to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierSTOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) said on Wednesday it would soon integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capable of generating text and other content in search results, as it battles to answer the challenge of Microsoft's (MSFT.O) popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. At a launch event in Paris on Wednesday, Google executive Prabhakar Raghavan said so-called generative AI would enable users to interact with information in "entirely new ways". "As we continue to bring generative AI technologies into our products, the only limit to search will be your imagination." Generative AI is used to make human-like creations through code, drawing on vast amounts of data to produce new pieces of text, video, or audio. Google said it would soon allow more developers and partners to test Bard.

☆ Airbus deliveries fell to 20 jets in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) deliveries fell to 20 airplanes in January compared to 30 in the same month last year, the company said on Tuesday, confirming an earlier Reuters report. Detailed Airbus data showed that the cancellation came from Viva Air Colombia, a subsidiary of Irelandia Aviation. Airbus eventually lowered then abandoned that goal in 2022 as supply chain and industrial pressures began to bite harder than expected. It made 663 industrial deliveries for the year or 661 after a Russia sanctions-related adjustment. Industry sources have said the shallower "hockey stick" recovery would allow Airbus' COVID-hobbled supply chain to reset and prepare a more reliable catch-up from mid-decade.

☆ Microsoft to infuse software with more AI as Google rivalry heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft is staking its future on AI through billions of dollars of investment. Working with the startup OpenAI, the company is aiming to rival Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and potentially claim vast returns from tools that speed up all manner of content creation, automating tasks if not jobs themselves. “This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category," said Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, in a briefing for reporters at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. "Microsoft is looking to win this AI battle," he said in a research note on Monday. Last week Microsoft announced the startup's AI will generate meeting notes in Teams, its collaboration software, as well as suggest email replies to vendors using its Viva Sales subscription.

☆ Microsoft packs Bing search engine, Edge browser with AI in big challenge to Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft is staking its future on AI through billions of dollars of investment as it directly challenges Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google. “This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category," Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella told reporters in a briefing at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. On Monday it unveiled a chatbot of its own called Bard, while it is planning to release AI for its search engine that can synthesize material when no simple answer exists online. PRACTICAL USESAt the event, Mehdi demonstrated how the AI-enhanced search engine will make shopping and creating emails much easier. For the quarter ending Dec. 31, Alphabet reported $42.6 billion in Google Search and other revenue, while Microsoft posted $3.2 billion from search and news advertising.

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) deliveries fell by a third to 20 airplanes in January compared to 30 in the same month last year, the company said on Tuesday, confirming an earlier Reuters report. Detailed Airbus data showed that the cancellation came from Viva Air Colombia, a subsidiary of Irelandia Aviation. Airbus eventually lowered then abandoned that goal in 2022 as supply chain and industrial pressures began to bite harder than expected. It made 663 industrial deliveries for the year or 661 after a Russia sanctions-related adjustment. Industry sources have said the shallower "hockey stick" recovery would allow Airbus' COVID-hobbled supply chain to reset and prepare a more reliable catch-up from mid-decade.

☆ Factbox: Renault, Nissan detail joint projects to revive alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LATIN AMERICAThe four projects to be considered in Latin America include:A new half-ton pick-up, developed by Renault Group and shared with Nissan in Argentina. Renault Group would produce the pick‑ups in Cordoba (Argentina) for both Renault and Nissan. In Mexico, Nissan would produce a new model for Renault Group, making it the first Renault vehicle to be produced there in 20 years. INDIAFor India and export, Renault Group and Nissan would collaborate on several new vehicle projects including new SUVs shared by both Renault Group and Nissan, and a New Nissan car derived from the Renault Triber. Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure: Renault Group and Nissan are considering jointly deploying charging infrastructure in Europe at both Renault Group and Nissan dealerships.

☆ Microsoft plans to start using AI tech to write emails for salespeople, and it's not hard to see why
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Microsoft plans to use artificial intelligence from ChatGPT maker OpenAI to write emails for people. This new tech is to be deployed in Viva Sales, Microsoft's sales app launched in October, that manages customer information and uses AI to scan calls and emails with clients. My company needs 20,000 reams next month, and we have a budget of $100,000. ChatGPT responded like so:Dear Jerry, Thank you for your interest in ordering paper from Dumble Muffin. Best regards, Mike WazowskiSales Representative, Dumble MuffinWe had "Jerry" respond by adding a few more details and a request for a suggestion.

☆ Snap shares plunge on weak revenue as digital ad struggles continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's the third disappointing earnings report in a row for Snap investors. The day after the company's Q3 earnings report in October, shares fell 28% on disappointing revenue. Snap shares slid more than 14% in extended trading on Tuesday after the social media company reported fourth-quarter revenue that trailed analysts' estimates. In a letter to investors, Snap called it a "challenging year" that was marked by "macroeconomic headwinds, platform policy changes, and increased competition. It's an ominous start to fourth-quarter earnings season for ad-supported internet companies.

☆ VIEW Nissan, Renault agree to overhaul alliance, putting themselves on equal footing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We understand Renault is able to ring fence its own technology within the alliance allowing the firm to collaborate also with other external partners beyond the Renault Nissan alliance. "Overall we welcome this step which will enhance the industrial collaboration within the alliance." JEFFERIES"A re-sized capital structure should help keep the Alliance viable, maintaining synergies and opening up strategic opportunities on both sides. Ultimately it means that a disorderly unwind of the alliance has been avoided which is a positive. "Over the short term, it's possible there may be selling (of Nissan shares) due to a worsening of supply and demand.

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