September 8, 2021 By Sayantani Ghosh and Tim Kelly (Reuters) – U.S. payments giant PayPal Holdings Inc said it would acquire Japanese buy now, pay later (BNPL) firm Paidy in a $2.7 billion largely cash deal, taking another step to claim the top spot in an industry experiencing a pandemic-led boom. The deal tracks rival […]
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China says U.S. and allies have duty to aid Afghanistan
September 8, 2021 BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said the United States and its allies have more of a duty to supply economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan than any other country, according to a statement from the foreign ministry. They should help Afghanistan’s positive development while respecting its sovereignty and independence, […]
Analysis: The West owes Qatar a favour over Afghanistan. That was the point
September 8, 2021 By Alexander Cornwell DUBAI (Reuters) – Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the world’s top diplomats have been beating a path to Qatar, long the gateway to the Taliban and now the essential go-between as the West tries to deal with the new Kabul government. This is no accident. Analysts describe Qatar’s […]
Biafran separatist sues Nigeria asking to be freed, allowed to go to UK
September 8, 2021 YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) – The detained leader of a separatist group in Nigeria has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was illegally transferred from Kenya to Nigeria and demanding he be freed and allowed to go to Britain, according to media reports citing legal documents. Nnamdi Kanu, who holds British citizenship, leads […]
Italian court seeks opinion on Berlusconi’s health due to trial delays
September 8, 2021 MILAN (Reuters) – A Milan court on Wednesday ordered an expert opinion on Silvio Berlusconi’s health as the former Italian prime minister’s trial on bribery charges has been repeatedly delayed due to his hospital visits. The trial began in 2017, with 84-year old Berlusconi charged with bribing witnesses in a previous case […]
Pakistan suggests inviting Taliban-run Afghanistan to regional forum
September 8, 2021 By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan on Wednesday suggested inviting Taliban-run Afghanistan to a regional forum of six countries to help avert a humanitarian and economic crisis in the country. The Taliban on Tuesday announced a new government and named Mullah Hasan Akhund, an associate of the movement’s late founder Mullah […]
Addi raises $75M to advance ‘buy now, pay later’ in LatAm, nearly triples valuation
Buy now, pay later is officially everywhere, and Latin America is no exception. Today, one startup in the region, Addi, is announcing a $75 million extension to its Series B, bringing the total round size to $140 million. In late May, the startup announced it had raised $35 million in an equity round led by […]
Qualcomm CEO open to working with foundry partners in Europe
September 8, 2021 By Christoph Steitz MUNICH (Reuters) – Semiconductor supplier Qualcomm is open to working with foundries in Europe if incentive programmes to boost automotive chip production on the continent attract the right partners, Chief Executive Cristiano Amon said. Foundries in Europe are now geared towards mass production of semiconductors, Amon told Reuters at […]
Oil climbs on low U.S. output, disruptions in Libyan ports
September 8, 2021 By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin LONDON (Reuters) -Oil rose more than 1% on Wednesday as U.S. Gulf of Mexico producers made slow progress in restoring output after Hurricane Ida and protesters blocked exports from two Libyan ports. Brent was up 93 cents, or 1.3%, at $72.62 a barrel, at 1125 GMT, and U.S. West […]
Worries over economic recovery shake world stocks, dollar gains
September 8, 2021 By Carolyn Cohn LONDON/HONG KONG (Reuters) – World stocks edged away from the previous session’s record highs and European stocks dropped on Wednesday on uncertainty over the pace of economic recovery, while the dollar hit one-week highs as investors reduced exposure to riskier assets. U.S. S&P futures eased 0.1% after the S&P […]
Motor insurer Marshmallow becomes one of first Black-founded UK unicorns
September 8, 2021 (Company corrects claim in headline, paragraph 1 that it was the first Black-founded UK unicorn) LONDON (Reuters) -Digital motor insurer Marshmallow has raised $85 million from investors, valuing it at more than $1.25 billion and making it one of the first British Black-founded unicorns, the company said on Wednesday. The early-stage funding […]
Applied Materials aims to improve chip production for electric vehicles
September 8, 2021 By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) – Applied Materials on Wednesday released two new tools aimed at improving the efficiency of making a new class of chips for electric vehicles. Applied is the world’s largest maker of tools for making semiconductors. The machines announced on Wednesday are designed for chips made from a material […]
EU not aiming to renegotiate N. Ireland protocol – EU’s Sefcovic
September 8, 2021 BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union and Britain can resolve problems over the trading position of Northern Ireland through the protocol agreed between the two rather than to renegotiate it, European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic said on Tuesday. “I am absolutely convinced, and I think this is clearly the position and […]
U.S. mortgage application volumes at lowest since mid-July -MBA
September 8, 2021 By Evan Sully (Reuters) – The number of applications for home mortgages decreased last week to the lowest level since mid-July, dampened by declines in refinancing activity and purchase applications as mortgage rates remained unchanged. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said on Wednesday its seasonally adjusted market composite index tracking mortgage applications […]
Dollar buoyed by U.S. yields, hits one-week top ahead of ECB
September 8, 2021 By Ritvik Carvalho LONDON (Reuters) – The dollar rose to its highest in a week against peers on Wednesday, buoyed by higher Treasury yields and a weaker euro a day ahead of a European Central Bank policy decision. The dollar index, which measures the currency against six rivals, traded 0.2% higher at […]
EU to mull changes to budget rules, debt, green investment in focus
September 8, 2021 By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union finance ministers will begin discussing on Friday how to change their budget rules to deal with a huge rise in government debt during the coronavirus pandemic and how to encourage spending needed to arrest climate change. Potential options include exempting “green” investments from calculations […]
With GameStop earnings on tap, options traders bet on muted moves
September 8, 2021 By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed NEW YORK (Reuters) -Options traders are expecting comparatively subdued moves in GameStop Inc shares around its earnings report, as the company that helped spark the so-called meme stock phenomenon prepares to report quarterly results on Wednesday. Traders are pricing a 14% swing for GameStop’s shares by Friday, according […]
Amazon’s cashierless ‘Just Walk Out’ tech is coming to Whole Foods stores
Steve Dent Contributor Steve Dent is an associate editor at Engadget. More posts by this contributor NVIDIA’s latest tech makes AI voices more expressive and realistic Sony’s ZV-E10 brings interchangeable lenses to its vlogging camera series After launching it in Go stores and then bringing it to larger Freshsupermarkets, Amazon’s cashierless “Just Walk Out” tech […]
Continental’s eco-friendly concept tire includes a renewable tread
Jon Fingas Contributor Jon Fingas is a contributing writer at Engadget. More posts by this contributor IKEA will sell clean energy to Swedish homes Uber will offer free Rosetta Stone language courses to drivers Many efforts are underway to reduce the environmental impact of cars, but what about the tires those cars ride on? Continental […]
Gaia Capital Partners in Paris rebrands as Revaia, closes first €250M growth fund
Paris-based VC fund Gaia Capital Partners has change its name to Revaia and announced the final closing of its first growth fund, at €250 million. The firm said it exceeded its initial target of €200 million, and the fund will be ‘ESG focused’. Revaia is also claiming to be Europe’s largest female-founded VC fund, although […]