October 6, 2021 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis said on Wednesday he was saddened and shamed by the Catholic Church’s inability to deal with sexual abuse of children in France and that the Church must make itself a “safe home for everyone”. “I would like to express to the victims my sadness, sorrow for […]
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Temples underwater as floods hit historic Thai city
October 6, 2021 AYUTTHAYA, Thailand (Reuters) – Several temples in Thailand’s historic city of Ayutthaya were underwater on Wednesday, as heavy monsoon rains flooded provinces across the country. More than 40 temples in Ayutthaya, home to ancient Buddhist temples, ruins, and monuments, have been affected by the floods, the city administration said. At one of […]
German Greens say want to pursue coalition talks with SPD, FDP
October 6, 2021 BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Greens said on Wednesday they wanted to move to three-way talks with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and liberal Free Democrats (FDP) on forming a new coalition government following a national election late last month. Greens co-leader Robert Habeck told reporters his party “is proposing to the FDP […]
Wayve, the Lidar-free self-driving startup, raises $13.6M from Ocado
Wayve, a U.K.-based self-driving startup that is notable for its use of deep learning and cameras rather than more-costly Lidar and other sensors to guide vehicles, is gearing up for its next stage of development with a strategic backer in its pocket. Today Ocado — the online grocer that also powers online grocery systems for […]
Chari, a Moroccan startup digitizing mom and pop stores, raises $5M at $70M valuation
If there’s a sector that has seen the biggest uptick in the number of startups and venture capital in emerging markets since the start of last year, it has to be the digitization of mom and pop stores. Today, a new activity takes us to Morocco, where YC-backed company Chari just raised a $5 million […]
Ireland says final global tax text due on Wednesday, hopes to sign up
October 6, 2021 DUBLIN (Reuters) – A final text of a global corporate tax overhaul is due to be circulated to negotiating countries later on Wednesday, Ireland’s foreign minister said, adding that the Irish government hoped to sign up. An updated draft this week dropped “at least” from a proposed minimum global corporate tax rate […]
Gaming apps block access in India’s Silicon Valley state as ban takes effect
October 6, 2021 BENGALURU (Reuters) – Sequoia Capital-funded Mobile Premier League (MPL) was among the first few gaming startups that began blocking access to users in the Indian state of Karnataka on Wednesday following a ban on online gaming. The law, which came into effect late on Tuesday, bans online games involving betting and wagering, […]
Cambodia PM seeks barring of duel citizenship for holders of top posts
October 6, 2021 PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Wednesday ordered the justice ministry to amend the constitution to bar holders of the country’s top posts, including the prime minister, from being citizens of other nations. On his Facebook page, Hun Sen said the prime minister, upper and lower houses speakers and […]
Marketmind: Hunker down, it’s going to be one of those days
October 6, 2021 A look at the day ahead from Dhara Ranasinghe. U.S. and European bond yields are up sharply, stock market futures are deep in the red and oil is holding near multi-year highs. Yes, it’s going to be one of those days. Inflation angst continues to grip world markets with U.S. and German […]
Stablecoins to face same safeguards as traditional payments
October 6, 2021 By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) – Stablecoins would have to comply with the same safeguards as their more traditional competitors in payments under proposals from regulators on Wednesday as authorities get to grips with a rapidly evolving sector. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable value relative to traditional currencies, or […]
Cambodia PM seeks barring of duel citizenship for holders of top posts
October 6, 2021 PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Wednesday ordered the justice ministry to amend the constitution to bar holders of the country’s top posts, including the prime minister, from being citizens of other nations. On his Facebook page, Hun Sen said the prime minister, upper and lower houses speakers and […]
Tesco raises outlook and will buyback shares after strong first half
October 6, 2021 By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) -Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, raised its full-year outlook as it reported a 16.6% rise in first-half core retail profit and increased sales despite labour and supply chain disruption and tough COVID-19 related comparisons a year ago. The group said on Wednesday its strong first-half performance had enabled […]
Google wants to use AI to time traffic lights more efficiently
October 6, 2021 By Paresh Dave (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google cut fuel use and traffic delays by 10% to 20% at four locations in Israel by using artificial intelligence to optimize signal lights and it next plans to test the software in Rio de Janeiro, the company said on Wednesday. The early-phase research project […]
GN Store Nord buys gaming company Steelseries in $1.25 billion deal
October 6, 2021 COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Danish hearing aid and headset maker GN Store Nord said on Wednesday it would acquire gaming gear company Steelseries from Nordic private equity company Axcel in a deal worth 8 billion Danish crowns ($1.25 billion). “We have for some time searched for the right way for GN to enter the […]
TUI to raise 1.1 billion euros in equity after summer bookings boost
October 6, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) -Travel company TUI Group said it would raise 1.1 billion euros ($1.27 billion) in equity to help pay down its pandemic debt, as it reported a jump in holiday bookings in late summer. Germany-based TUI has taken on loans of over 4 billion euros and been bailed out multiple times […]
European stocks skid on inflation angst as oil jumps
October 6, 2021 (Reuters) – European stocks tumbled more than 1% on Wednesday as a surge in oil prices intensified concerns over higher inflation, while investors moved out of high-growth tech stocks into banking shares. After a late-session rally on Tuesday, the pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 1.2%, with the tech sector down more than […]
Kering, Cartier launch environmental pact for watches, jewellery
October 6, 2021 PARIS (Reuters) – French luxury group Kering, Richemont’s Cartier, and the Responsible Jewellery Council have teamed up to set environmental targets for watches and jewellery activities, challenging labels in the industry to commit to them too. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of environmental issues among consumers, especially from the younger generations, […]
Despite French push, EU leaders divided over common defence strategy
October 6, 2021 By Robin Emmott and Sabine Siebold BRDO, Slovenia (Reuters) – European Union leaders failed to overcome divisions over whether to develop an independent defence force despite anger at the chaotic withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan and new impetus from France after it was excluded from a U.S. geostrategic pact. Leaders meeting […]
a16z backs CoinSwitch Kuber in first India investment
Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase Ventures have minted a new unicorn in India: CoinSwitch Kuber. The two firms have co-led a $260 million investment in the Bangalore-based cryptocurrency trading startup, valuing the young firm at $1.9 billion, they said on Tuesday. This is a16z’s first investment in India. TechCrunch reported last month — twice — that […]
Google Maps launches eco-friendly routing in the US
Google today announced that eco-friendly routes, a feature it first talked about earlier this year, is now live for iOS and Android users in the U.S., with support in Europe launching in 2022. And while this new routing option, which gives drivers the choice between the fastest and most fuel-efficient route, is clearly the highlight […]