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☆ Dutch election: what's at stake for markets after far-right Wilders' victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dutch politician Geert Wilders, the leader of the PVV party, speaks during the final debate between the lead candidates in the Dutch election before polls open on Wednesday, in The Hague, Netherlands, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A shock win for Geert Wilders's far-right, anti-EU Freedom Party in Dutch elections has set the stage for months of uncertainty. However, Wilders took a more pragmatic approach during the campaign and he will need to collaborate with pro-EU parties if he wants to govern. Opponents of a critical pension fund reform, which went into effect in July, now have a majority in parliament. There is broad support for raising taxation on banks, including from Wilders' party, which also backs taxing lenders' windfall profits from higher interest rates.

Persons: Geert Wilders, de, Geert Wilders's, Mark Rutte, Wilders, Marcel Klok, Klok, WILDERS, Rutte, van Zanden, Rabobank's van Zanden, Banks, ING's Klok, Joost Beaumont, Yoruk, Amanda Cooper, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, EU, Party, ING, European Union, Rabobank, ABN AMRO, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Dutch, Europe

A pedestrian looks at his phone as he walks past a logo for Australia's Westpac Banking Corp located outside a branch in central Sydney, Australia, November 5, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), Australia's third largest bank by market capitalisation, said on Monday it would raise A$750 million ($488.1 million) in an Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital transaction. The AT1 bonds are used by banks to stabilise cashflow in periods of stress, according to APRA. Under that deal, holders of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds received nothing, while shareholders, who usually rank below bondholders in terms of who gets paid when a bank or company collapses, received $3.23 billion. ($1 = 1.5366 Australian dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Stephen Jones, Scott Murdoch, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Westpac Banking Corp, Westpac, prudential, Credit Suisse, APRA, Credit Suisse AT1s, Commonwealth Bank, Credit, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ ESPN's VP of sports betting shares his keys to success for ESPN Bet and an inside look into the partnership with Penn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In other words, ESPN Bet has arrived. The companies announced in August their collaboration, with the operator selling its stake in Barstool Sports to rebrand Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet. Screenshots from the ESPN Bet app. Providing easy transitions between the ESPN and ESPN Bet apps is a key focus to drive that metric, he added. — ESPN BET (@ESPNBet) November 10, 2023The move has given ESPN Bet an advantage on social media with 5.4 million followers on X, 2.7 million on Facebook, and 2.4 million on Instagram.

Persons: It's, Jay Snowden, Mike Morrison, Morrison, Scott Longley, DraftKings, Penn, Snowden, Jimmy Pitaro, Pitaro, I'm, cohesively we've, Keys, Fubo Sportsbook, Maxim Bet, it's Organizations: ESPN Bet, ESPN, Penn Entertainment, Sports, Business, Apple, Caesars, Penn, ESPN Penn, TheScore, Fox, Maxim, Yahoo, Walt Disney Company, ESPN BET, Facebook Locations: Penn, Las Vegas

☆ Ruzwana Bashir Is Quietly Connecting the Tech World
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Story by Melia RussellPhotography by Lelanie FosterRuzwana Bashir is ransacking her kitchen cabinet for just the right tea. Bashir wears an Erdem floral-printed bra top, Erdem skirt, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Old Jewelry earrings along with her own bracelet and ring. "Part of building a business was going out and sharing what you were doing with the world," Bashir says. For years Bashir's startup had been building muscle around these capabilities; now it had an eager audience. Eating at acclaimed restaurants is fine, but Bashir prefers the more-intimate affairs at tech executives' homes because, she says, "you can stay longer."

Persons: Melia Russell, Lelanie Foster Ruzwana Bashir, Peek, She's, she's, Andy Warhol, Picasso, Bashir, I'm, Andreessen Horowitz, Jack Dorsey, Eric Schmidt, Goldman Sachs, Giuseppe Zanotti, Lelanie Foster, Bashir isn't, Elon Musk, Ronan Farrow, Roelof Botha, Mustafa Suleyman, we've, Bennett Miller, Capote, " Miller, —, doesn't, didn't, Madeleine Albright, Tom Ford, Jared Cohen, Oskar Bruening, Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg, I've, Bashir wasn't, Travis Kalanick, Adam Neumann, Ty, Emily Weiss, Bashir refashioned, Donald Trump, Bruening, Laurence Tosi's, Miller, Beyoncé, shrugs, Anna Wintour, Anna, we're, Taylor Swift, Katie Haun, Marc Benioff, Reid Hoffman, Marissa Mayer, Dick Costolo —, Cohen, Katherine Maher, Maher, Daniel Kahneman, It's, Radel, Becky Akinyode, Elaine Winter, Tiffany Bloomfield, Dela, Chad Hilliard, Enmi, Kenny Aquiles Ulloa, Cyrenae, Madison Perez, Aidan Lapp, Bashira Webb, Bryan Erickson, Jinyoung Chang, Rodriguez, Rebecca Zisser, Claire Landsbaum, Emma LeGault, Joi, Marie McKenzie, Conner Blake, Kyle Desiderio, Victoria Gracie, Nicole Forero, Virginia Alves Organizations: Google, Museum of, Business, Elon, Vogue, Roelof, Oxford University, Oxford Union, Blackstone Group, Harvard Business School, Studios, Web, Young, Organization, Dela Revoluciøn, Enmi Yang Digital Tech Locations: Manhattan, SoHo, Bahamas, United States, Balthazar, England, Israel, Petra, Istanbul, Elle, Utah, COVID, Salt Lake City, Costa Rica, Atlanta, WestCap

☆ ‘Rustin’ Review: A Crucial Civil Rights Activist Gets His Due
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Manohla Dargis | More About Manohla Dargis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Every so often an actor so dominates a movie that its success largely hinges on his every word and gesture. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pacifist, ex-con, singer, lutist, socialist — Bayard Rustin had many lives, but he remains best known as the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was Rustin who read the march’s demands from the podium, remaining near King’s side as he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Several activists have asked King to lead a mass protest against the forthcoming Democratic National Convention. The protest, Rustin explains, will send a message to the party and its nominee, the front-runner John F. Kennedy.

Persons: Colman, “ Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr, lutist, Bayard Rustin, Rustin, “ Rustin ”, George C, Wolfe, Julian Breece, Dustin Lance Black, King, John F, Kennedy, Roy Wilkins, Chris Rock, Adam Clayton Powell Jr, Jeffrey Wright Organizations: Jobs, Lincoln, Democratic, Convention, U.S, Representative, Harlem Locations: ”, Washington, Rustin

Killing an all-but-completed movie would alienate the people Zaslav — or at least Hollywood — needed most: the people who made the movies. Under fire, Zaslav defended the decision in an earnings call with analysts, saying he shelved “Batgirl” to protect the DC brand. More quietly, Zaslav also sought cover in the authority of Bryan Lourd, the powerful co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency and a leading arbiter of Hollywood mores. As Zaslav told it to several associates, Lourd had supported the decision, observing that it wasn’t in the interest of C.A.A. “We have made unpopular decisions because they were necessary.”Hollywood was in trouble before David Zaslav came to town.

Persons: Zaslav, Wiedenfels, Batgirl ”, Michael Keaton, ”, Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Walter Hamada, Courtenay Valenti, Bryan Lourd, Lourd, Leslie Grace, “ Bryan Lourd, ’ ”, David Zaslav, “ Organizations: DC Comics, Hollywood, DC, Warner Brothers, Creative Artists Agency, Discovery, McKinsey, W.B.D Locations: Scotland, New York, Hollywood, W.B.D

☆ Staffing and Technology Woes Threaten Aviation Safety, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Mark Walker | More About Mark Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of outside experts appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration called on Wednesday for “urgent action” to address safety risks in the nation’s aviation system, highlighting issues like staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and outdated technology. announced the formation of the group, the National Airspace System Safety Review Team, in April after a string of close calls at airports across the country, and the panel released a 52-page report on Wednesday laying out its findings. to address the shortage of air traffic controllers and improve its aging technology, the report also recommended changes in how the agency is funded, such as more broadly shielding it from government shutdowns. “The current erosion in the margin of safety in the N.A.S. caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable,” the report said, referring to what is known as the National Airspace System.

Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, National

☆ E-Flight Challenge pitched a car against a plane -- and the car won
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Members of the E-Flight Challenge team lined up to watch the battery-powered airplane gracefully descend on the island of Norderney, just off the northwest coast of Germany. The long road ahead for electric aviationYou could say that the E-Flight Challenge takes its inspiration from the early days of aviation. The Elektra Trainer used in the E-Flight Challenge, for example, can carry a maximum of two people. Miquel RosIn this context, the E-flight Challenge served as an illustration of the challenges of electric flight – but also of its promise. The progress compared to just three years ago has been astonishing!” explains Morell Westermann, one of the E-Flight Challenge initiators.

Persons: Louis, Charles Lindbergh’s, Heart Aerospace –, –, Miquel Ros Italy’s Tecnam, China’s, Cuberg, ” Robin Riedel, Riedel, Norbert Werle, Tesla, Werle, ”, John Langford, Miquel Ros, Morell Westermann, Westermann Organizations: CNN, Lucid Motors Air, Louis Blériot’s, Channel, Heart Aerospace, United Airlines, Royce, Norwegian, Widerøe, Airbus, Boeing, Aerospace, McKinsey, Alamy, “ Aircraft, Lucid Motors Locations: Norderney, Germany, Gelnhausen, Frankfurt, Norway, Swedish, California, Berlin, The Virginia, “, Swiss

☆ Australia's CBA Q1 profit flat as competition in home loan market intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Even though rate hikes since last year have boosted interest incomes and margins at Australian banks, rising cost of repayments has intensified competition in the home loan market, capping profit margins and hindering credit growth. Australia's biggest lender said cash net profit after tax was A$2.50 billion ($1.59 billion) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, same as the year earlier. CBA dominates Australia's A$2 trillion mortgage industry, which benefited from a property boom through COVID-19 restrictions. That had prompted Australia's "Big Four" banks to start offering cash payments for mortgage refinancing to lure borrowers. CBA's rivals National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), Westpac (WBC.AX) and ANZ Group (ANZ.AX) all posted higher annual profit earlier this month despite inflationary headwinds.

Persons: Edgar Su, CBA's, Matt Comyn, Australia's, Himanshi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's, Citi, CBA, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australia's, COVID, Bengaluru

CBA said cash profit was A$2.5 billion ($1.6 billion) for the quarter, which was 3% better than a consensus estimate for the period, according to data aggregator Visible Alpha. "Home lending margins stabilised in the quarter," it added, without giving figures. Shares of CBA rose as much as 1% in morning trading, in line with the broader market (.AXJO) as analysts welcomed the better-than-expected margin outcome and a smaller-than-expected provision for potential loan impairments. Commenting on the bank's stabilising home loan margins, E&P Financial analyst Azib Khan said that "it would be helping on this front that CBA has been willing to forgo market share". For the year to September, CBA said it grew its mortgage book at 0.7 times the rate of the overall mortgage industry.

Persons: Brendan Sproules, Azib Khan, Himanshi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of, ANZ, Westpac, National Australia Bank, CBA, Citi, P, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Chinese fast fashion retailer Temu overtakes Shein to dominate Japan and South Korea apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Similarly, in South Korea, Temu ranked No. Among the top shopping apps in South Korea, Temu was the fastest to reach 2 million downloads at around 88 days. Shein took 382 days while AliExpress took 366 days to hit the same milestone. Shein sued Temu in December over intellectual-property infringement while Temu accused Shein in July of threatening and forcing manufacturers into exclusivity agreements. Temu made its foray into Asia through Japan and South Korea in July.

Persons: Nikos Pekiaridis, Shein, Temu, Goldman Sachs, Mercari, Alibaba, AliExpress, Bernstein Organizations: Getty, Nurphoto, PDD Holdings, CNBC, iOS, Google, Nasdaq, Holdings, Citi, U.S, Committee Locations: Japan, South Korea, China, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Boston , Massachusetts, Asia, Philippines, Malaysia

☆ To Matthew Perry, God Was a Bunch of Drunks in a Room - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Hank Azaria | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In fact, Step 5 in the program is you admit to God — there’s that word again — and to yourself and another human being the exact nature of your wrongs. Tragically, I think he had a lot more compassion for me and for everybody else than he did for himself. Because I think it’s really valuable for people to hear that folks like Matthew can struggle and that they can find help. And there’s no shame in getting help for feeling that bad. I was unfortunate to have needed his help — or fortunate, depending on how you want to look at it.

Persons: Matthew, you’re, ”

☆ Opinion | Are We Looking at George H.W. Biden?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Frank Bruni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It breaks your heart, but as Carly Simon sang, there is more room in a broken heart. And yet here we are, atoms with consciousness, each of us a living improbability forged of chaos and dead stars. Flagg’s highlight mixtapes are downright gratuitous — look at him reducing these poor kids into piles of gristle and bone! It should honestly come with a content warning.” (Matthew Dallett, Brooklin, Maine)In The Wall Street Journal, Jason Gay rendered a damning (and furry!) Maybe the dog lies down and chews a big stick.” (Paul Shikany, the Bronx)

Persons: Anne Lamott, Carly Simon, ”, Melissa France, Steve Aldrich, Maria Popova, “, “ Oppenheimer, Jo Radner, James Bennet, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Trump, Romney, bankrupting bender, Roger Tellefsen, Luke Winkie marveled, Cooper Flagg, Flagg, Matthew Dallett, Jason Gay, Paul Shikany Organizations: Washington Post, Times, Republicans, Duke basketball, Street Locations: Washington, Flemington, N.J, Minneapolis, Bulgarian, Lovell , Maine, Berwyn, Pa, Brooklin , Maine, Bronx

☆ Aussie 'big four' banks hike home loan rates after RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People use Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) bank ATMs in Sydney, Australia May 3, 2018. The National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), ANZ Group Holdings (ANZ.AX) and Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), the other three of Australia's "big four", had hiked their home loan rates on Wednesday by 0.25%. The rate hike by the National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) and ANZ Group Holdings (ANZ.AX) would be effective from Nov. 17, while Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) would raise rates from Nov. 21, the lenders said in separate statements on Wednesday. CBA said its home loan variable rate change would be effective from Nov. 17. Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee and Upasana Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Edgar Su, Rishav Chatterjee, Upasana Singh, Savio D'Souza, Rashmi Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Thursday, National Australia Bank, ANZ Group Holdings, Westpac Banking Corp, Reserve Bank of Australia, Wednesday, CBA, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

SYDNEY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Millions of Australians were left without a phone or internet connection on Wednesday after the country's second-largest telecommunications provider experienced an unexplained nationwide outage. "Our teams are working urgently to restore services. The government had sought further information from Optus including when they expected to restore services. Melbourne's train networks were forced to shut down for about 30 minutes due to the outage, resulting in delays during the morning rush, media reported. A cyber breach last year hit Optus, exposing personal details of millions of its customers, including their home addresses, driver licence and passport numbers.

Persons: telco, Michelle Rowland, Rowland, Renju Jose, Praveen Menon, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Optus, Singapore Telecommunications, Commonwealth Bank, CBA, Reuters, Federal Communications, ABC Radio, Thomson Locations: Sydney

The results show how Australia's retail banks are leaning into businesses outside their traditional earnings engine of mortgages as higher interest rates raise the cost of repayments, spurring competition which has flattened profit margins. Sydney-listed Westpac said profit from its consumer division, which has just over one-fifth of Australian mortgages, shrank 7% in its full-year to end-September. Westpac gave no profit forecasts but said April-to-September trading was "more challenging" than the previous six months and "this is expected to continue into 2024". "If that does eventuate, interest rates will probably need to be higher than what we're thinking," he said on a call with analysts and media. Westpac declared a final dividend of 72 Australian cents per share, up from 64 Australian cents a year earlier.

Persons: David Gray, Azib Khan, Peter King, We've, Byron Kaye, Roushni Nair, Upasana Singh, Andrew Heavens, Josie Kao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, ANZ, Sydney, midsession, P Capital, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Walter Davis, Basketball Star With a Velvet Touch, Dies at 69
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Richard Sandomir | More About Richard Sandomir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Walter Davis, whose smooth shooting propelled him to basketball stardom with the University of North Carolina and the Phoenix Suns, but who late in his career struggled with drug addiction, died on Thursday while visiting family in Charlotte, N.C. Davis, a 6-foot-6 forward, played at North Carolina from 1973 to 1977 for Dean Smith, one of the most successful coaches in college history. In one of Davis’s signature games, in March 1974, North Carolina was losing to Duke, 86-78, with 17 seconds left. North Carolina went on to win in overtime, 96-92. “I wasn’t trying to bank it in,” Davis, then a freshman, said afterward.

Persons: Walter Davis, Davis, Dean Smith, Bobby Jones, Phil Ford, Mitch Kupchak, “, ” Davis, ” Organizations: University of North, Phoenix Suns, North, Tar Heels, Duke, After North Locations: University of North Carolina, Charlotte, N.C, North Carolina, After, After North Carolina

The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) logo is seen outside of a branch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Wattie Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The chief operating officer of Bank of Nova Scotia's (BNS.TO) Canadian banking unit, Kevin Teslyk, has left the company, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the latest in a series of management changes under CEO Scott Thomson. James Neate, president of corporate and investment banking and Shawn Rose, chief technology officer have also left Scotiabank, the memo said. Canadian banks, including Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO), Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), have announced job cuts due to higher costs forcing. Neate, who has held senior executive roles in retail banking, commercial banking and wealth management, among others, will leave the bank at the end of December, according to the memo.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Kevin Teslyk, Scott Thomson, James Neate, Shawn Rose, Aris Bogdaneris, Dan Rees, Thomson, Mike Rizvanovic, Rose, Nivedita Balu, Kirsten Donovan, Louise Heavens Organizations: of Nova, REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, Bank of Nova, Reuters, Scotiabank, ING Group, Aris, Scotia, Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, Thomson Locations: of Nova Scotia, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, California, Toronto

☆ Trudging Through Sobriety and Other Challenges, One Step at a Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Alix Strauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In March 2018, Morgan Olivia Hartman, who was new to Alcoholics Anonymous, attended the Miami district annual A.A. banquet dinner. Phillip Xavier de Amezola, who had been sober for four years at the time, was also there, seated at another table. Though the two had been attending the same local morning meetings since the previous October, they had not truly connected. Until, that is, each observed the Swedish ivy plants serving as centerpieces on the banquet tables. “Part of what makes the plant special and significant is that people are supposed to cut the leaves off, replant them, and let the plant continue to grow.”

Persons: Morgan Olivia Hartman, Phillip Xavier de Amezola, “, W, Ms, Hartman Organizations: Anonymous Locations: Miami, A.A

☆ This Yahoo spinout uses AI to help companies store and search data instantly. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck Vespa.ai used to raise $31 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Vespa.ai, a startup that spun out of Yahoo last month, has raised $31 million in Series A funding from Blossom Capital. The Norway-based startup has created an AI-powered platform that gives companies access to its search engine and vector database. A key problem that many companies face is having the infrastructure to store extensive amounts of data, and accessing it efficiently. The startup's cloud service and search platform can tap into this data in real time, giving companies responses or decisions almost immediately after a query has been put in. With the cash injection, the startup will ramp up its engineering functions, as well as its cloud services.

Persons: Jon Bratseth, We've Organizations: Yahoo, Blossom Capital, Fortune, Spotify Locations: Norway, London, Blossom

☆ CIMB, J Trust among suitors for Indonesia's Bank Commonwealth -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Malaysian bank CIMB (CIMB.KL) and Japanese finance company J Trust (8508.T) are among firms vying to buy Indonesia's PT Bank Commonwealth, a deal that could value the lender at $400-$500 million, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Bank Commonwealth, which is 99% owned by Australia's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) (CBA.AX), focuses on retail lending as well as corporate banking services for small and medium enterprises. 2 bank, and J Trust have expressed interest and are looking at submitting binding bids, the sources said. CIMB, J Trust, CBA and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Bank Commonwealth did not respond to a Reuters request seeking comment.

Persons: Bazuki Muhammad, Morgan Stanley, Yantoultra Ngui, Anton Bridge, Kane Wu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: CIMB, REUTERS, Rights, J Trust, Indonesia's PT Bank Commonwealth, Bank Commonwealth, Australia's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CBA, Bank International Indonesia, China's, China's Bank of, SS, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Rights SINGAPORE, Malaysian, Indonesia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, China's Bank, China's Bank of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, Singapore, Tokyo

☆ Brookfield’s climate deal may run out of energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Australian energy company Origin is pictured in Melbourne, Australia, July 3, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Oct 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Australia’s top pension fund has aptly chosen Halloween to try to scare Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and co-bidder MidOcean Energy to dig deeper in their pursuit of Origin Energy (ORG.AX). AustralianSuper said on Tuesday it intends to vote its near-14% stake against the current A$18.7 billion ($12 billion) offer next month. On that score, the pension fund’s intervention may frighten the deal to death. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jason Reed, AustralianSuper, Antony Currie, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Asset Management, MidOcean Energy, Origin Energy, X, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, –, Brookfield, MidOcean, Spain

☆ Why Israel's push into Gaza is killing so many children
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Lila Hassan | Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Children account for a startlingly high share of Palestinians killed in Gaza — roughly 41%. The overwhelming majority of the children — a reported 3,542 as of October 30, as compared to more than 30 children reportedly killed on the Israeli side — have been Palestinians living in Gaza. On Sunday, international humanitarian organization Save The Children said that the number of children killed in Gaza in three weeks surpasses the total number of children killed in all global conflict zones since 2019. 'A growing stain on our collective conscience'Children constitute 41% of the 8,525 Palestinians killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry. Since 2019, the court has had an open investigation into potential Israeli war crimes.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Omar Shakir, Shakir, Mohammed Abed, Israel, Brian Finucane, Finucane, HuffPost, Al, HRW's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Isaac Herzog, Herzog, Karim A.A, Khan, Khan's, Tahani Mustafa, Mustafa, Lila Hassan, hassan.com Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Service, Palestinian Health Ministry, Hamas, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Health Ministry, United Nations, World Health Organization, UN, Human Rights Watch, Palestinian, Getty, State Department, Crisis, ISIS, UNICEF, Department, Israel Defense Forces, Law, IDF, Military, of Defense, ICC, New York Times, Israeli Air Force Locations: Israel, Gaza, Al, Ahli, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Northern Gaza, Al Jazeera, HRW's Israel, Cairo, Lila@lila, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Vodafone will struggle to get clean exit in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone’s (VOD.L) boss Margherita Della Valle is cleaning up the sprawling 21 billion pound telecom group, but it’s a tough job. A potentially messy exit in Spain illustrates the point. Della Valle lacks an obvious partner in the country: local giant Telefónica (TEF.MC) is too big, while rivals Orange (ORAN.PA) and MásMóvil are merging with one another. As a result, Vodafone may have found itself a potentially problematic counterparty for the Spanish business, which Della Valle has put under strategic review. Investors might be reassured that Della Valle is making things happen, but a clean break in Spain looks increasingly unlikely.

Persons: Toby Melville, Margherita Della Valle, Della Valle, Eamonn O’Hare, Expansión, Zegona, Pamela Barbaglia, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: Vodafone, REUTERS, Reuters, Orange, Zegona Communications, Virgin Media, Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank, ING, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Spain

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