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☆ New Zealand election: Voters goes to the polls in a narrow race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at Parliament on July 26, in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand National Party leader Christopher Luxon speaks during a National Party campaign rally on October 10 in Wellington, New Zealand. Before becoming prime minister, he was minister of education, minister of police, minister for the public service, and leader of the house. Hipkins’ main contender Luxon is a businessman and former CEO of Air New Zealand who became leader of the National Party in 2021. Voters get two votes on the ballot: one for a candidate in their local constituency and one for the party.

Persons: Jacinda Ardern, Christopher Luxon, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters, Ardern, Hagen Hopkins, demagogues, Hipkins, Sophia Ha, ” Ha, “, ” Alex Wareham, ”, It’s, Wareham, Luxon Organizations: CNN, National Party, Labour Party, Radio NZ, NZ, Labour, Zealand, New Zealand National Party, Getty, Air New Locations: Zealand, New Zealand, Hipkins ., Wellington , New Zealand, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Sydney, United States, United Kingdom, Covid, Air New Zealand, New

Students nationally are holding people in power accountable, said Jackie Alexander, incoming president of the College Media Association and director of student media at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. With growing reports of student journalists being doxxed, ostracized on campus and otherwise harassed, the College Media Association is looking into ways to help them, Alexander said. “I've never seen a better front page,” veteran editor and Columbia Journalism School professor Bill Grueskin said on social media. “So many people think of student journalists as students first,” Martin said. “But in a lot of ways student journalists are just journalists.

Persons: Stanford, “ I've, —, “, ”, Theo Baker, Marc Tessier, Lavigne, George Polk, Polk, Pat Fitzgerald, Jackie Alexander, ” Alexander, ” Charles Whitaker, ” Whitaker, Tessier, Levigne, it's, He's, ” Baker, he's, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser, Alexander, Martin, lowkey, Joe Biden, Bill Grueskin, ” Martin, Raul Reis, ” Reis, ” There's, Whitaker, there's, aren't Organizations: Northwestern University's, Stanford University, Columbia Daily Spectator, Harvard Crimson, Harvard, Foreign, Initiative, College Media Association, University of Alabama, Medill, Daily Northwestern, Stanford, The New York Times, The, University of North, Columbia Journalism, UNC, Trump, The University of Texas, Austin Locations: New York, Birmingham, University of North Carolina, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Manhattan, Morningside Heights, West Harlem, Texas

☆ I left California for North Dakota. It's obscenely cheap and there's so much to love about small-town life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Kaila Yu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Davrick Hayes left LA for Bismarck, North Dakota after he started experiencing panic attacks. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Davrick Hayes, a 31-year-old quality assurance analyst and entrepreneur based in Bismarck, North Dakota. AdvertisementAdvertisementI had a friend in Williston, North Dakota, so I chose to live in Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota — it ticked all my boxes. The cost of living in Bismarck, North DakotaIt's obscenely cheap to live here and doesn't require a roommate just to afford a place. Things to do in Bismarck, North DakotaAs far as meeting new people and finding interesting things to do, there's not much here.

Persons: Davrick Hayes, Hayes, —, It's, I've, you've, we'll, it's, I'd Organizations: Service, Jewish Locations: LA, Bismarck , North Dakota, Bismarck, Los Angeles, Williston , North Dakota, North Dakota, Bismarck , North Dakota Bismarck, Colorado, Utah

☆ Labour Party Conference: Meet Keir Starmer, Britain's likely next Prime Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

At least that’s how it felt in Liverpool, where the opposition Labour Party held its annual conference this week. In front of a packed hall, Labour leader Keir Starmer gave an upbeat speech painting the ruling Conservatives as the party of national decline and Labour as the party of stability. A protestor throws glitter over Labour party leader, Keir Starmer during the leader's speech at the Labour Party conference on October 10, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves makes her keynote speech during the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on October 9, 2023. The story Labour is telling right now isn’t just the story of Keir Starmer, leader in waiting, but Keir Starmer and his political allies, who are the government in waiting.

Persons: Keir Starmer, “, Ian Forsyth, wilder, Jeremy Corbyn, –, Corbyn’s, Starmer, Corbyn, Boris Johnson’s “, Liz, ”, Queen Elizabeth II, David Lammy, Lammy, he’d, Johnson, Rachel Reeves, Peter Byrne, Jeremy Hunt’s, won’t, Trump, Labour – Organizations: Liverpool CNN, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative, Conservative Party’s, CNN, Conservative Party, Northern, Conservatives ’, Government, University of Leeds, Oxford, Cambridge, Public Prosecutions, Labour Party Conference, Corbyn, Biden, Conservatives Locations: Liverpool, Manchester, England, Corbyn, Israel, Britain, America, Germany, Labour’s

☆ Do menopause retreats work — and why are people paying $15,000 for them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

These are some of the activities that can be found at menopause retreats, a wellness trend carving a new niche in the tourism industry. Menopause retreats are tailored to help women navigate the different stages of perimenopause and menopause, and the array of symptoms that come with them — from hot flashes and night sweats to achy joints. Wellness retreats aren't new, of course, but ever since the pandemic, more resorts are promoting menopause-focused vacations — and more women are signing up for them. So instead of just going on a spa retreat, people started going on very specific purpose-driven retreats," Lisa Starr, a spa business consultant at Wynne Business Consulting and Education told CNBC Travel. Do menopause retreats help?

Persons: Lisa Starr, Emily, Starr, Combe, Heather Hirsch Mahesh Natarajan, Heather Hirsch, Hirsch, Boston's Brigham Organizations: Consumers, Wynne Business Consulting, Education, CNBC Travel, Global Wellness, Covid, Getty, CNBC, Women's Hospital Locations: Bath, England, Combe Grove's, Maldives, India, midlife, Boston's, Mumbai

Sakran decided to work in medicine after becoming a victim of gun violence as a teenager. In the hours following the shooting, Morgan State officials canceled all remaining homecoming week events, including Saturday’s football game. It unfolded around 9:30 p.m., shortly after a coronation ceremony for this year’s Mister and Miss Morgan State in the campus auditorium. He visited the White House last month for President Joe Biden’s announcement of the first ever federal office of gun violence prevention. Sakran referenced the Morgan State shooting in a post Wednesday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he was grateful for his Johns Hopkins trauma team colleagues.

Persons: Johns Hopkins, Joseph Sakran, Sakran, he’s, ”, wasn’t, ” Sakran, “, Brady, Joe Biden’s, didn’t Organizations: BALTIMORE, Morgan State University, Associated Press, Morgan State, Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Police, Baltimore, Miss Morgan State, White, National Rifle Association, American College of Physicians, Morgan Locations: America, Baltimore, Rochester , New York

☆ Peak crude demand is fueling anger and argument in the world of oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Peak oil demand refers to the point in time when the highest level of global crude demand is reached, which will be immediately followed by a permanent decline. This would theoretically decrease the need for investments in crude oil projects and make them less economical as other energy sources take over. "Such narratives only set the global energy system up to fail spectacularly," OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais said in a Sept. 14 statement. The IEA's roadmap calls for daily oil demand to be slashed by 25% in seven years' time. 'We all strive for the same thing'OPEC leaders, meanwhile, point to continuing yearly increases in oil demand, particularly from major emerging markets like China and India.

Persons: Leonard Ortiz, It's, Haitham, Ghais, Claudio Descalzi, Steve Sedgwick, Descalzi Organizations: MediaNews, Orange, Getty, International Energy Agency, OPEC, IEA, Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference, Abu Dhabi International Progressive Energy Conference, United, Eni Locations: Huntington Beach , California, United Arab Emirates, UAE, OPEC, China, India

☆ Opinion: Paris’ bedbug bedlam
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He formerly was a foreign correspondent for The New York Times and Paris correspondent for CBS News. But conquering the city’s bedbug infestation, too, could prove to be an Olympian challenge. The deputy mayor of Paris has also asked Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne to take it on. A French government survey found that at least 11% of all French households reported having a bedbug infestation between 2017 and 2022. The tried-and-true solution to combating bedbugs is as old as Paris itself.

Persons: David A, CNN —, David Andelman, Élisabeth Borne, Borne, they’re, ”, Mathilde Panot, bedbugs, ” Panot, who’d, Anne Hidalgo, Emmanuel Gregoire, implore Borne, Gregoire, Hidalgo, they’ve, Charles de Gaulle, Jean, Michel Berenger, Dior, Mayra Peralta, “, Rue de Solferino, you’ve Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Maison, Legion, French Socialist Party, David Andelman CNN, Paris, bedbugs, Metro, Paris’s, French National, France Insoumise, Paralympic, EnVi Media, PUNAISES RUE DE, Rue de Locations: Paris, Paris’s, France, Seine, Le, “, Rue

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation entered its second phase Tuesday, with political decision-making around major developments, such as the timing of lockdowns, set to take center stage. The first phase, which concluded in July, looked at the country's preparedness for the pandemic. An array of experts and politicians are set to testify during the current phase, which is due to end on Dec. 14. The decisions of Boris Johnson, who was prime minister during the pandemic, will be in particular focus. After Hallett's introductory statement, the inquiry heard emotional video testimonies from families who lost loved ones or whose children have suffered long-term physical and mental effects of the virus, so-called long COVID.

Persons: —, Lorelei King, Vincent Marzello, “, ”, Heather Hallett, Hallett, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Alan Organizations: Britain’s Locations: London, United Kingdom

☆ Hosts are eager for more support after Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says 'we need to get our house in order'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky called out his own company in an interview with Bloomberg published Monday. AdvertisementAdvertisementAirbnb CEO Brian Chesky says it's time for the company to "get our house in order," in an interview with Bloomberg, and short-term rental hosts are thrilled. Airbnb host Ric Kenworthy, who manages over 90 properties in Arizona, says Chesky's comments were a long time coming. Chesky's site is a marketplace that connects hosts and travelers, and the CEO is struggling to keep both sides happy. As travelers continue to book short-term rentals, Chesky acknowledged the company "never fully built the foundation" needed for the current size of the company.

Persons: Brian Chesky, —, Ric Kenworthy, Jen Kelman, that's, Chesky, Airbnb, Melinda Johnson, Johnson, Kelman, Katie Kay Mead Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Airbnb Locations: Arizona, Airbnb, Tennessee, , Arizona, Arrowhead , California

☆ How Florida became America's 2nd-most-valuable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Florida beat out New York to become the country's second-most-valuable housing market, Zillow said. Of the top six markets that gained the most value since the onset of COVID-19, four are in Florida. The market boom is driven by an influx in new residents putting more demand on the housing stock. Florida welcomed 655,000 new residents since the start of the pandemic, according to Census estimates reported by Insider in March. Stefanie Mortenson traded her life in Virginia for a $159,000 tiny home near Tampa, Florida.

Persons: Zillow, —, Stefanie Mortensen, Stefanie Mortenson, Noelle Lane, Nicole Panesso, There's, David Triana Organizations: Florida, Service, Sunshine, Bloomberg, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Tampa, North, Coral, Lakeland, Cape Coral, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University Locations: New York, Florida, California, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Virginia, Tampa , Florida, North Port, Palm, Gulf Coast, Naples, Cape, Georgia, Tennessee, Nicole Panesso South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Chattanooga , Tennessee, Clermont , Florida

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Miami Marlins' improbable September push will carry into October. Puk (7-5) and seven other relievers kept the Pirates in check, rendering any scoreboard-watching pointless. Miami began the day with its magic number whittled to one following another late comeback victory on Friday night. Miami used a 17-9 September surge to vault over San Francisco, Chicago and surprising Cincinnati in the standings. It's unclear whether the Marlins will have to return to New York on Monday to finish a suspended game against the New York Mets.

Persons: Jazz Chisholm, Josh Bell, Tanner Scott, “, Skip Schumaker's, Marlins —, Chisholm, Little, Jon Berti, Quinn Priester, Garrett Hampson bunted, Nick Gonzalez, Jacob Stallings, Berti, Liover Pegeuro's, Jorge Soler, Bell —, Miami —, Soler, Endy Rodriguez, Jared Triolo, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, Priester, Luis Arraez, ___ Organizations: PITTSBURGH, The Miami Marlins, Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami, National League, Pirates, Marlins ”, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, San, MLB Locations: Bahamas, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, San Diego, Cleveland, New York

☆ The CEO of a Vietnam-based company explains why his team has a hybrid schedule when most companies in the country are back in the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A CEO in Vietnam offers his team hybrid work, unlike many other companies in the country. AdvertisementAdvertisementDaan van Rossum's company is quite different from many other companies in Vietnam: It offers hybrid work. Neither Japan nor South Korea imposed a full national lockdown, so many workers never needed to adjust to remote work. In many ways, Singapore mirrors the US in that many companies offer remote work, given the country's more advanced digitization. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt the end of the day, van Rossum said there's still no answer on whether in-person or hybrid work is best.

Persons: —, van Rossum, Van Rossum, Jones Lang LaSalle, Van Rossum's, Daan van Rossum, it's, Vietnam —, there's Organizations: Service, Center for Creative Leadership Locations: Vietnam, Asia, Netherlands, Ho Chi Minh City, Americas, Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore

☆ Nike misses on revenue for first time in two years, but stock pops as earnings, margins beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Nike reported revenue Thursday that fell short of Wall Street's sales expectations for the first time in two years, but it beat on earnings and gross margin estimates, sending its stock soaring in after-hours trading. Revenue for the quarter was just shy of the $12.98 billion analysts had expected, according to LSEG. For the second quarter, Nike expects revenue growth to be up slightly versus the prior year and gross margins to grow by about 1 percentage point versus the prior year. During the previous quarter ended May 31, Nike saw China sales jump 16% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts had expected sales to be about $660 million, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Matthew Friend, They're, John Donahoe, he's, Friend, Jefferies, doesn't bode, It's Organizations: Nike, LSEG, Revenue, Investors, Reuters, Asia Pacific, Converse, Sporting Goods, Footlocker Locations: China, North America, Europe, East, Africa, America, Asia

☆ I'm a Gen Zer living and working in England. Getting on the housing ladder feels impossible here, and not buying Starbucks won't help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Adam England | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementFor British students in the UK, tuition fees are currently capped at £9,250 a year. In 2006, tuition at a UK university cost an average of £3,000 a year, according to the House of Commons Library . Go back a decade, to 2013, and the average house price in this area was £250,911. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe average house price in 1995, when my parents moved in together, was around £56,000. However, if you compare the average house price in 1995 to the average house price in the UK in June 2023 — £287,456 — it's increased by more than 413%.

Persons: Adam England, Zers, —, I'm, Gen, I'd, they've, They've, They're Organizations: Economic, Service, Commons, Deloitte, Price Index, Bank of Locations: England, Britain, Ukraine, Bath, North East Somerset

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Rivian, Apple, Domino's, Levi's, Meta, Micron & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

UBS reiterates Levi Strauss as buy UBS said Levi Strauss' earnings will be less bad than feared in early October. Oppenheimer names Domino's a top pick Oppenheimer named Domino's as a top pick and said the downward revision cycle has "bottomed." Bank of America reiterates Meta as buy Bank of America said it's bullish heading into Meta's annual Connect conference event on Wednesday. "Given Meta's increased focus on integrating Al across surfaces, and CEO commentary on AI Agents on prior earnings calls, we believe the event may also include announcements on new AI/ML products." Citi reiterates Micron as buy Citi said its bullish heading into Micron earnings on Wednesday.

Persons: Baird, Levi Strauss, LEVI, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Domino's, Stifel, it's, Tesla, TSLA, Jefferies, Edwards, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Organizations: UBS, Barclays, Bank of America, Meta, Agents, JPMorgan, Apple, Nike, Citi, Micron, RBC, HSBC, AMC, ~$ Locations: Greater China, China

☆ Sterling hits fresh multi-month lows on dollar and euro
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pound Sterling notes and change are seen inside a cash resgister in a coffee shop in Manchester, Britain, Septem,ber 21, 2018. Sterling, on Monday, dropped as much as 0.25% to $1.2213 its lowest since March 2023, though later steadied to trade flat on the day at $1.2242. The euro on Monday briefly touched 87.03 pence, its highest since May, and was last flat a touch below that level. "What we’re seeing today is the Chinese real estate worries bleeding into the European session, weighing on equity markets and then on the euro and sterling," said Nick Rees, FX market analyst at Monex Europe. "That builds on what happened last week with the Bank of England," said Rees, "Markets are now thinking about what the Bank is seeing in the economy."

Persons: Pound Sterling, ber, Phil Noble, BOE, Liz, Nick Rees, Rees, Alun John, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, FX, Monex, Global, China, HK, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain

☆ Rupert Murdoch has been watching too much 'Succession,' Brian Cox — the actor who played Logan Roy — joked as he weighed in on the media tycoon stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brian Cox spoke with the BBC about his thoughts on Rupert Murdoch stepping back from chair of News Corp.Cox recounted how Murdoch's son-in-law once asked if the "Succession" writers could "be a bit nicer." Cox, who played a character inspired by Murdoch, criticized the tycoon's ability to "manipulate" politics. Murdoch announced last Thursday he was stepping down from running Fox and News Corp, and handing the reins to his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch. "I think he's been watching too much 'Succession,' clearly," Cox joked of Murdoch's decision, in the BBC interview. "He's probably the most tenacious human on God's earth," Cox said of Murdoch.

Persons: Brian Cox, Rupert Murdoch, Cox, Murdoch's, Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, didn't, Jerry Hall, ‘, Logan Roy, Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Rishi Sunak, He's Organizations: BBC, News Corp, Service, Fox, 9AM, Daily Telegraph, Corp Locations: Wall, Silicon, Scottish

☆ China's economic situation isn't as dire as it seems, and policymakers in Beijing were just expecting too much, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's economy isn't doing as bad as it seems, according to economist Nancy Qian. But Beijing has been disappointed due to outsized expectations for economic growth. Though it's weighed down by a bloated property sector and looming demographic problems, China's economic growth actually clocked in at 6.3% year-over-year over the second quarter, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That's the second-highest projected growth rate among countries tracked by the OECD, with the US, by comparison, slated to grow just 2.2% this year. AdvertisementAdvertisement"But is China's economy really in dire straits?

Persons: Nancy Qian, it's, That's, Qian Organizations: Service, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, Northwestern University, Northwester's, Research Lab, China Econ, Syndicate, Japan Locations: Beijing, Wall, Silicon, China, Italy, Spain, Sweden

☆ Opinion: It doesn’t take an Agatha Christie detective to work out something’s up in Xi’s China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The latest to vanish from view is China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu. But anti-corruption campaigns are an ideal vehicle for political crackdowns, and in the opaque world of China’s regime, with no official explanation, there’s much that doesn’t meet the eye. (Rahm Emanuel, dripping with sarcasm, joked that the unemployment rate among Xi’s ministers might exceed that of China’s young people.) But China, of course, still promotes its system as a superior alternative to western-style democracy; tries to pretend that it’s not a dictatorship.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Li Shangfu, “ I’m, Nobody, Rahm Emanuel, ”, Xi’s, Agatha Christie’s, Li, China’s, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Qi, Xi, Mao Zedong, didn’t, Joe Biden, “, Hu Jintao, Hu, chastened, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, China’s Defense, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Twitter, Qin, Street Journal, PLA’s, Force, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party Congress Locations: China, Japan, Denmark, Vietnam, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Germany

The preliminary reading of the UK S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the services sector sank to its lowest since the pandemic lockdown of January 2021 and below all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists. PMIs for the euro zone picked up a little but still suggested a recession was approaching. Official data showed retail sales rose in August, partially recovering from a rain-induced plunge in July, and a measure of consumer confidence climbed to its highest since January 2022. However, data company S&P Global said its survey was consistent with a drop in quarterly economic output of 0.4%. "The disappointing PMI survey results for September mean a recession is looking increasingly likely in the UK," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global.

Persons: Molly Darlington, BoE, Sterling, Martin Beck, Beck, Chris Williamson, Samuel Tombs, Andy Bruce, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, P, CBI, Bank of England, P Global, U.S, Confederation of British Industry, PMI, Pantheon, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

☆ France's services sector contracts sharply in September - flash PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Eric Gaillard Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - France's dominant services sector contracted at an even sharper pace in September, a monthly survey showed on Friday, as falls in demand and new orders weighed on the euro zone's second-biggest economy. The flash September manufacturing PMI number came in at 43.6 points - also much lower than the 46.0 points in August and way off a Reuters poll forecast of an unchanged level. The August composite flash PMI number comprising both the services and manufacturing sectors stood at 43.5 points, down from the final 46.0 August composite number and well below a Reuters poll forecast of 46.0. Business activity has fallen sharply in both the service and manufacturing sectors in September, mainly due to a slump in demand for French products and services. It is important to note however that this will be almost entirely driven by the public service sector," Liebke added.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Norman Liebke, Liebke, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, P Global, Commercial Bank, French National Bank, Thomson Locations: Nice, France

☆ Scooter company Bird delisted from NYSE after stock collapse, will trade over the counter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bird raised over $500 million, and was valued at $2.5 billion in a 2019 round led by Sequoia Capital. The onset of Covid in 2020 brought the business almost to a halt as cities went into lockdown. That year Bird went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the economics continued to deteriorate. That's after a 1-for-25 reverse stock split meant to get the stock trading back above $1. Earlier this week, Bird acquired scooter startup Spin for $19 million, including $10 million in cash.

Persons: Bird, Travis VanderZanden, Michael Washinushi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Sequoia Capital, Revenue, Company, NYSE, Bird

☆ China's economic troubles have left some cities so cash-strapped they're resorting to bizarre fines, skipping bills, and slashing health coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Chinese cities are majorly cash-strapped as the economy grapples with debt and deflation. Local governments have resorted to handing out bizarre tickets and shirking bills to make money. That's led some cities to start imposing bizarre fines in the hopes of scraping together enough cash to meet their obligations. The state-funded China's Endangered Species Fund, for instance, says it hasn't received cash from the government for about half a year. Experts have warned of a bleak future ahead for China's economy, which is straddled with big debt loads, a deflation problem, and still-sluggish demand from its two-year COVID-lockdown.

Persons: shirk, That's, hasn't Organizations: Service, CNN, Yuekai Securities, Species Fund, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Guangdong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Weibo, Wuhan

☆ Australia to hold independent inquiry into handling of COVID pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Loren Elliott/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Australia's centre-left Labor government on Thursday said it would hold an independent inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to better prepare for future health crises. Australia closed its international borders and locked down cities among other pandemic restrictions that helped keep infections and deaths far below levels in other comparable developed economies such as the United States and Britain. A three-member panel, which includes an epidemiologist, public service expert and economist, will conduct the inquiry, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a media conference. "We need to examine what went right, what could be done better with a focus on the future," Albanese said. "Because the health experts and the science tells us that this pandemic may ... not likely to be the last one that occurs."

Persons: Loren Elliott, Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, Albanese's, Peter Dutton, Renju Jose, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Labor, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, United States, Britain, Victoria, Melbourne

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