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☆ Zara's website is a confounding headache — but it's also the secret to its success
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Maria Noyen | Nora Redmond | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Zara's website is often ridiculed for being confusing. This helps Zara target aspirational shoppers who can't afford to splurge on high fashion. Luxury giants such as LVMH and Kering have seen sales slow in recent months, in part because aspirational shoppers are being squeezed. Zara stores have a minimalist look. It's reminiscent of the experience of browsing luxury brands online, she says, where customers looking to add a ready-to-wear item to their basket often have to find a boutique where the product is available first.

Persons: —, Zara, Kering, it's, Rober, Tariro Makoni, Makoni, Burberry, Gucci, Carlotto, Omer Messinger, Yves Saint Laurent's, Stefano Pilati, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber, Mike Marsland, Sokolova, Zara ., Crawford, Kaia —, Saint Laurent Organizations: Service, Europa Press, Getty, Business, Sotheby's Institute of Art Locations: Zara, Instagram, Paris, Saint

☆ These mid-tier brands are winning in fashion while luxury struggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewTanking share prices, excess stock flooding outlets, a slowdown in once-reliable China: 2024 has been a tough year for luxury brands. AdvertisementTo find relief from high luxury prices, those consumers are turning to midlevel brands like clothing store Zara and jewelry brand Pandora, which are thriving. "It is acceptable for people to buy accessories with luxury brands and then buy apparel at Zara." Advertisement"With these other product ranges apart from charms, they think they are benefiting from the downtrading of consumers," Sokolova said. The trick for both Zara and Pandora will be maintaining their appeal when aspirational consumers can once again spend on luxury.

Persons: —, Gucci, Claire Tassin, Tassin, Levato, Kering, Louis Vuitton, LVMH, TK, Jelena Sokolova, Michael Kors, Zara, Pandora, it's, Sokolova, It's, Pamela Anderson, Tiffany Organizations: Service, Business, Morning, Brands, Bain & Company, Gucci, Morningstar, Cartier Locations: China, Spanish, Danish, Paris, Morocco, Portugal, Turkey, Europe, Zara

☆ These diets may reduce cancer, heart disease and early death, according to a 20-year review
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Eating a vegan, vegetarian or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet significantly reduces the overall risk of developing cancer, heart disease and dying early from cardiovascular disease, according to a new “umbrella” analysis of more than 20 years of research. “Plants have more fiber (animal foods have zero), less saturated fat and zero cholesterol (all animal foods have cholesterol),” Gardner said in an email. However, vegetarian diets limiting but not completely excluding certain types of meat and fish, such as pesco- or pollo-vegetarian diets, were excluded, he said. “Strictly vegan diets can be deficient in vitamin B12,” Gardner said. “Iron is another nutrient that is harder to get from a fully vegan diet,” Gardner added.

Persons: ”, Dr, Angelo Capodici, Federica, Guaraldi, David Katz, ” Katz, Christopher Gardner, Gardner, ” Gardner, “, Davide Gori, ” Gori, It’s, Wesley Soares Ferracini Organizations: CNN, Scuola Superiore, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, True Health Initiative, Stanford Prevention Research Center, University of Bologna, Mayo Clinic, B12 Locations: Pisa, Italy, Bologna, Palo Alto , California

☆ I was born and raised in Italy. Here are 7 things I wish tourists would stop doing when they come here.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Federica Bocco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Tourists often come here with wrong expectations about how things work in Italy. Italy isn't a perfect place — but that doesn't make it any less special. In other cases, visitors are disappointed Italy doesn't operate exactly like their country does back home. Either way, when you visit Italy, balance your expectations and ditch the need to compare our country to your home. Tourists should keep an open mind and understand that cultural differences might take them by surprise.

Persons: I've Locations: Italy

Mickey Todiwala | CNBC Make ItShe first learned about the program from her husband, who'd read about it online. Mickey Todiwala | CNBC Make ItRubia Daniels says her background in construction is helpful to envision what her final space will look like. On one recent visit to Mussomeli, Daniels brought along two fellow Californians, Alfredo Ramirez and his mother, Elena, to tour the houses. Meredith Tabbone 1-euro homeowner from ChicagoTabbone flew to see her new home for the first time in June 2019. Mussomeli, Sicily, has seen its population decline from roughly 16,000 in the 1950s to less than 10,000 today.

Persons: Rubia Daniels, Daniels, who've, Vittorio Sgarbi, Mickey Todiwala, Toti, who'd, didn't, she's, Alfredo Ramirez, Elena, Meredith Tabbone, Tabbone, Chicago Tabbone, I've, Danny McCubbin, who's, Jamie Oliver, McCubbin, Mussomeli, Prezioso, Natalie Milazzo, Milazzo, Nigrelli, Martina Giracello, Gianluca Militello, Giracello, It's, Meredith Tabbone Tabbone Organizations: CNBC, realtors, U.S Locations: Sicily, Berkeley, Calif, Italy, Salemi, Towns, Sicily's, Palermo, Belgian, Mussomeli, California, Petaluma , Calif, Sambuca, Sicilia, Chicago, United States, Australia, London, Mussomeli's, Milan, Cammarata, Caltanissetta, Europe, Africa, Airbnbs

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — Marta Bassino edged out Federica Brignone for an Italian one-two finish in a tight opening run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom Saturday. Mikaela Shiffrin sits out this weekend’s races to nurse a left knee injury and the American star could lose her lead in the overall World Cup standings to Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss skier won the previous GS and trails Shiffrin by 95 points. In Saturday's race, Bassino showed glimpses of her best as the Italian skier looked for her first podium result of the season. She won the World Cup title in the discipline in 2021 but has won just one World Cup race over the last three years.

Persons: — Marta Bassino, Bassino, Alice Robinson, Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund, Mikaela Shiffrin, Lara, Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova, Canada's Valerie Grenier, ” Organizations: Swiss, Cortina d’Ampezzo Locations: SOLDEU, Andorra, Italy, France

☆ Italy's Banca Generali lifts NII target after Q3 profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Italian asset manager Banca Generali (BGN.MI) raised its annual net interest income (NII) forecast on Monday after its third-quarter profit jumped nearly 35%, excluding one-off expenses. The group, controlled by Italy's top insurer Generali (GASI.MI), sees NII of around 300 million euros ($320 million) in 2023, up from a previous guidance of 250-280 million, CEO Gian Maria Mossa said in a post-earnings call with analysts. The bank reported a net profit of 80.1 million euros in the three months through September, beating a company-provided consensus estimate of 78.9 million, driven by a strong increase in NII and higher net recurring fees. Quarterly NII came in at 76.6 million euros, up from 36 million in the same period last year, while recurring fees rose by 2.1% to 114.4 million euros over the same period. The group also said it would set aside 26.6 million euros as non-distributable reserves in lieu of paying the windfall tax on net interest income introduced by the Italian government.

Persons: Gian Maria Mossa, NII, Federica, Milla Nissi Organizations: Banca Generali, Thomson Locations: Italian

☆ Swiss Gut-Behrami clinches narrow win in giant slalom World Cup opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Giant Slalom - Soelden, Austria - October 28, 2023 Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami celebrates on the podium with teammates after winning the women's giant slalom REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Acquire Licensing RightsSOELDEN, Austria, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami narrowly won the women's giant slalom, edging out Italy's Federica Brignone, while the favourite, U.S. Mikaela Shiffrin, finished sixth at the opening event of the 2022-23 World Cup season in Soelden on Saturday. Gut-Behrami had a mediocre first run, finishing in fourth place, but she beat the entire field in her second run, when she was 0.75 faster than Brignone. And I paid for that a little bit in the first run," Gut-Behrami said. "The second run, I felt again that everything was normal and I could do what I wanted." "A little messy in some spots, but I liked my mentality going into the second run better," Shiffrin said.

Persons: Lara, Leonhard Foeger, Behrami, Italy's, Mikaela Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin, Tommy Lund, Aadi Nair, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Austria, Soelden, Austrian, Slovakia, Gdansk, Bengaluru

☆ A 21-year-old won $40,000 for using AI to read the first word on a 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll buried by Mount Vesuvius
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The scrolls can't be unrolled so the Vesuvius Challenge was launched to find alternative methods. Why the Herculaneum scrolls can't be read like normalWhen Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, Pompeii wasn't the only town it obliterated. Those ancient scrolls then lay buried in mud for 1,700 years until they were finally excavated in 1752. AdvertisementAdvertisementAny attempts to unfurl the Herculaneum scrolls, which now resemble charcoal logs, would damage them beyond repair. Seth Parker and Brent Seales of the Digital Restoration Initiative project scan a replica of the Herculaneum scroll.

Persons: —, Luke Farritor, Farritor, Seth Parker, Brent Seales, University of Naples Federico, there's, University of Oxford Seales, it's Organizations: Service, University of Nebraska, University of Kentucky, University of Naples, Bodleian, University of Oxford Bodleian Library, University of Oxford Locations: Herculaneum

[1/2] Grape leaves damaged by fungus favoured by a combination of drought followed by torrential spring rain are pictured in San Paolo di Civitate, Italy July 18, 2023. That means Italy is set to lose its position as the world's top wine producer to France, which had ceded the crown nine years ago. "Early in May we realised there would be no harvest, we cultivate organically and experienced the (fungus) attack sooner," he told Reuters. Italian output is forecast to fall to below 44 million hectolitres this year, according to the wine lobbies and ISMEA, from 50 million last year. Thanks to heavy rains and humidity, the fungus was able to attack the vines during these vulnerable periods, he added.

Persons: San Paolo di Civitate, Romolo, DI CIVITATE, Paolo Niro, di Civitate, Plasmopara, Andrea Luvisi, Niro, Fazil Dusunceli, Dusunceli, Gavin Jones, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, DI, Reuters, University of Salento, United Nations Food, Agriculture Organisation, FAO, Thomson Locations: San Paolo, Italy, France, Americas, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, San, Rome

☆ Nothing to toast as Italy loses wine-making leadership to France
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Wine output in Italy looks set to fall 12% this year to below 44 million hectolitres after extreme weather and fungal diseases severely hit vineyards, Italian wine lobbies UIV and Assoenologi said on Tuesday. The tumble means Italy will lose its position as the world's largest wine producer, with France set to reclaim the number one spot for the first time in nine years. In a joint statement with food and agriculture institute ISMEA, the lobbies said that northern Italian regions were set to register a small 0.8% growth in output. "From the 2023 harvest we will certainly obtain good quality wines, with peaks of excellence," he said. Reporting by Federica Urso and Romolo Tosiani editing by Federico Maccioni/Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergio Zingarelli, Jennifer Lorenzini, Assoenologi, grapevines, Riccardo Cotarella, Livio Proietti, Federica Urso, Federico Maccioni, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Chianti, Greve, Italy, France

☆ Closure of Mont Blanc tunnel between Italy and France postponed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the French-side entrance to the Mont Blanc road tunnel which links France and Italy beneath the Alps December 17, 2013. The 11.6 kilometre Mont Blanc tunnel had been due to close from next Monday for 15 weeks for works to be carried out. The closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel would be delayed for a few days at least, Beaune added. A decision on the rescheduling of the Mont Blanc tunnel work is expected next week. The Mont Blanc and Frejus tunnels are key to Italy's exports to France, and there were concerns that their double closure would come at heavy economic cost.

Persons: Mont, Robert Pratta, Matteo Salvini, Federica Urso, Armellini, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Mont Blanc, France, Italy, Beaune, Frejus, Italian, Mont, Rome, Paris

☆ ‘Extremely rare’ Roman temple discovered on supermarket building site
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s because workers at the site on the outskirts of town in December 2022 unearthed the ruins of an ancient Roman temple — or ‘capitolium’ — dating back to the first century BC. The excavation site in Sarsini has yielded ruins on top of ruins, literally. MiBac“We have unearthed three separate rooms, likely dedicated to the triad of gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva,” lead archaeologist at the excavation site Romina Pirraglia told CNN. The discovery of the temple has pushed local authorities to revise their building plans. “The temple is an incredible finding that sheds light on how ancient Roman towns rose and fell across time.”What makes the discovery exceptional is the temple’s unique state of preservation.

Persons: Plautus, Jupiter, Minerva, ”, Pirraglia, …, Sarsina, Federica Gonzato, ” Gonzato, Gonzato, Romina, MiBac Gonzato Organizations: CNN Locations: Italy’s Emilia Romagna, Roman, Sarsini, Savio, Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì, Cesena, Sarsina, Italy

☆ Here’s what it takes to become an ‘It Girl’ today
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Diana Pearl | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Today, it’s a job in and of itself — one that, to do successfully, requires a team behind you. Richie Grainge had been working as a model for years, and was also known as the little sister of 2000s It girl Nicole Richie. Madison McGaw/BFA.com/ShutterstockGetty has all the makings of a classic It girl — famous family, beautiful looks, a distinct sense of style. “It takes a different kind of confidence to be a little more quiet and still be noticed,” said Baruch. “Even if you have the tools and are following all the calculations of what it takes to be an It girl, it still might not pop,” said Delmonte.

Persons: aren’t, they’re, Clara Bow —, it’s, Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, Bianca Jagger, Carolyn Bessette, Kennedy, Alexa Chung, Jagger, ”, Jeni Rose, That’s, Sofia Richie Grainge, she’s, Jo Malone, Richie Grainge’s nuptials, Liat Baruch, Richie Grainge’s, that’s, We’ve, Anne Hathaway, Erin Walsh, Valentino minidress, Richie Grainge, Nicole Richie, Robyn DelMonte, Ivy Getty, J, Paul Getty, Madison McGaw, Shutterstock Getty, Savannah Engel, —, “, ” Getty, Engel, Federica Parruccini, ” Parruccini, Getty, Hailey Bieber, Rose, John Springer, It’s, influencers, Baruch Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, Cannes Film, Vogue, San, &, Cannes, Rhode Locations: South, France, Maybelline, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Savi, “

☆ Milan records hottest day since 1763
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People use umbrellas to hide from the sun, as they queue to enter the Milan's Duomo Cathedral, during a heatwave, in Milan, Italy, August 21, 2023. It was the hottest day since the Milano Brera weather station started recording temperatures in 1763. ARPA statement that Aug. 23 and 24 have been the hottest days of the summer across the whole of the Lombardy region which surrounds Milan, with several towns registering peak temperatures above 40 C.It added that "intense and abnormal" temperatures also hit the Italian Alps. The heatwave is about to end though, the agency said, giving way to heavy thunderstorms and a sharp drop in temperatures of up to 10-15 C early next week. Reporting by Federica Urso, editing by Gavin Jones and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Federica Urso, Gavin Jones, Emelia Organizations: Cathedral, REUTERS, Rights, Milano, ARPA, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Milano Brera, Rome, Europe, Lombardy, Italian

☆ ECB to write to Italy raising objections over windfall tax on banks - press
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The building of the European Central Bank (ECB) is seen amid a fog before the monthly news conference following the ECB's monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt, Germany December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank (ECB) is preparing to send a letter to Italy raising objections about the government's windfall tax on banks' profits, the Corriere della Sera daily wrote on Friday. The letter will criticize the fact Rome announced the tax last week without previously informing either the Bank of Italy or the ECB as it is supposed to do under EU rules, the newspaper wrote, without citing sources. The tax risks weakening Italy's banks and its economy in general, the ECB will say in the letter to be sent within "a couple of weeks" at the latest, the article said. Reporting by Stefano Bernabei, writing by Federica Urso, editing by Gavin JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Rome, Stefano Bernabei, Federica Urso, Gavin Jones Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Rights, della Sera, Bank of Italy, ECB, EU, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy

ROME, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Italian authorities on Wednesday said forty-one migrants are thought to have died in a shipwreck last week in the central Mediterranean, according to accounts by survivors who have been taken to the island of Lampedusa. Local public prosecutor Salvatore Vella confirmed media reports that four people who survived the shipwreck told rescuers they were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children. They were then transferred onto an Italian coast guard vessel and disembarked in Lampedusa, where they shared their story. The Italian coast guard did not respond to a request for comment. A source with knowledge of the matter said it was unlikely that the shipwreck experienced by the survivors was one of two the coast guard had reported on Sunday.

Persons: Salvatore Vella, Tunisia's, Vella, Federico Maccioni, Federica, Keith Weir, Crispian Balmer, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Watch, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa . Local, Italian, Lampedusa, Sfax, Italy, Europe

☆ Heatwave caused higher than normal death rate in southern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A homeless woman who did not want to give her name takes shade from the sun with an umbrella as she sits near Termini train station during a heatwave across Italy in Rome, Italy July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File photoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The central and southern regions of Italy recorded 7% more deaths than normal in July after a baking heatwave, health ministry data showed, while firefighters on Monday battled fires on Sardinia and hailstones and floods battered the northeast. In its latest monthly data, Italy's ministry of health noted the effects of extreme temperatures on the country's mortality rate in July compared to the average rate recorded in the same period from 2015 to 2019. The increased mortality rate was particularly evident in southern cities such as Bari, Catania, and Reggio Calabria. On the contrary, the mortality rate in cities in the north of the country, which was less exposed to the heatwave, was lower than expected, down 14% on the past trend.

Persons: Guglielmo Mangiapane, Federica, Keith Weir, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Friuli Venezia Giulia, hailstones, Sunday, Firefighters, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, ROME, Sardinia, hailstones, Europe, Bari, Catania, Reggio Calabria, Nuoro, Cagliari, Friuli, Slovenia

☆ UNESCO recommends adding Venice to list of world heritage sites in danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Gondoliers row their gondolas through the Venice Canal as the city prepares for the Redentore Festival celebrations in Venice, Italy, July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri/File PhotoJuly 31 (Reuters) - UNESCO experts have recommended that Venice and its lagoon be added to its list of World Heritage in Danger as Italy is not doing enough to protect the city from the impact of climate change and mass tourism. UNESCO World Heritage Centre experts regularly review the state of the UN cultural agency's 1,157 World Heritage sites, and at a meeting in Riyadh in September, a committee of 21 UNESCO member states will review more than 200 sites and decide which to add to the danger list. Other sites recommended to be put on the danger list this year are the cities of Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine. A spokesperson for the Venice municipality told Reuters the city "will carefully read the proposed decision published today by the Center for UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and will discuss it with the government".

Persons: Manuel Silvestri, Geert De Clercq, Augustin Turpin, Federica Urso, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, UNESCO, Heritage Centre, UN, Reuters, Center, World Heritage, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, Danger, Riyadh, Odessa, Ukraine, Timbuktu, Mali, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Kyiv, Lviv, Paris, Rome

☆ ‘We Are a Romantic Country’: On the Set of a Steamy Hit in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Jason Horowitz | More About Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Before dawn, the teenage girls convened outside the Naples Navy base where the wildly popular Italian television show “Mare Fuori” is filmed. “Ti Amo Carmine,” read one rectangle. “Ti Amo Rosa,” read another. Other fans have dived from nearby piers and swum to the back of the set, vexing gate guards charged with keeping them at bay. During the day, their screams have ruined takes.

Persons: ”, Federica Montuori, Ti Amo Carmine, Amo Organizations: Naples Navy Locations: Naples

☆ Australia's O'Callaghan shatters world record in women's 200m freestyle
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 26 (Reuters) - Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan set a world record in the women's 200 metres freestyle, capturing the gold medal with a time of one minute, 52.85 seconds at the swimming world championships on Wednesday. O'Callaghan broke the performance-enhancing bodysuit era mark of 1:52.98 set by Italian Federica Pellegrini at the 2009 worlds in Rome, and was 0.16 seconds ahead of silver medallist Ariarne Titmus of Australia. Summer McIntosh of Canada took the bronze. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mollie O'Callaghan, O'Callaghan, Italian Federica Pellegrini, Ariarne Titmus, Summer McIntosh, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Jason Neely Organizations: Canada, Thomson Locations: FUKUOKA, Japan, Italian, Rome, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's O'Callaghan smashes 14-year-old record to win world title
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 26 (Reuters) - Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan finished with a flourish to break the longest-standing world record in women's swimming, claiming the 200 metres freestyle title in a time of one minute, 52.85 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships on Wednesday. Summer McIntosh of Canada was 0.80 seconds behind to take bronze in a world junior record time. Olympic champion Titmus had blazed to the 400m freestyle title on Sunday to erase 16-year-old McIntosh's mark and was well placed to go for another record after topping the semi-final time sheet. Hungary's world record holder Kristof Milak was absent from the men's 200m butterfly that followed, as the Olympic and world champion skipped the meet saying that he was not physically or mentally in a position to compete. The mixed 4x100m medley relay concludes the fourth day of swimming with the Americans tipped to win their third title.

Persons: Mollie O'Callaghan, O'Callaghan, Italian Federica Pellegrini, Ariarne Titmus, Summer McIntosh, Titmus, China's Yang Junxuan, Kristof Milak, Frenchman Leon Marchand, Poland's Krzysztof Chmielewski, Tomoru Honda, Qin Haiyang, Nic Fink, Adam Peaty, Matthew Richards, Ahmed Hafnaoui, Sam Short, Bobby Finke, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis Organizations: Wednesday, Channel, Marine Messe Fukuoka, Thomson Locations: FUKUOKA, Japan, Italian, Rome, Australia, Canada, Budapest, Tunisia, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Italy's doValue spells out cost savings from AI adoption
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, July 20 (Reuters) - Italy's biggest debt recovery firm doValue (DOVA.MI) expects the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its non-performing loans (NPLs) repayment business to reduce its servicing costs by between 8% and 11% from next year. Exploiting AI will also increase by 4% the annual NPL recovery rate per asset manager, the group said in a statement on Thursday. Its new AI solution will be implemented in Spain in the third quarter of the year and in the rest of the group by the end of 2023, doValue told Reuters in an emailed comment. DoValue also said it had already fully implemented in Italy a search engine based on text mining which will save the company 35-40% of the time needed to recover soured loans. The firm manages about 120 billion euros of assets under management across Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.

Persons: doValue, DoValue, Federica Urso, Keith Weir Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus

☆ Italy's antitrust investigates inflated prices for Colosseum tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, July 18 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authorities are going into combat over Rome's Colosseum, opening an investigation into ticketing operations that have seen tourists paying inflated prices to visit the ancient Roman arena where gladiators once fought. The antitrust authority said tickets were being bought "en masse through the use of automated purchasing systems". A ticket normally costs 18 euros ($20) but the official website on Tuesday showed there were just three places left until Aug. 7. Carlo Rienzi, the head of consumers rights body Codacons, said "secondary ticketing" was costing Italy millions of euros. "We ask the government to introduce new provisions capable not only of blocking secondary ticketing, but also of imposing very heavy penalties on those sites," Rienzi said in a statement.

Persons: Carlo Rienzi, Codacons, Rienzi, Federica Urso, Elvira Pollina, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Thomson

Zuppi will meet Biden on Tuesday at the White House where they will discuss the suffering caused by the war, humanitarian aid and "the Papal See’s focus on repatriating Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russian officials," the White House said. The Kyiv government estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Earlier in June, he visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The plan calls for restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders.

Persons: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis, Joe Biden, Zuppi, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Grigory Karasin, Francis ., Kirill, Russia's, Maria Lvova, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Philip Pullella, Costas Pitas, Federica Urso, Grant McCool Organizations: CITY, U.S, White, Criminal Court, ICC, Federation Council, Church, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Crimea, Kherson, Russian, Ukraine's, Zuppi, Moscow, Kyiv

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