Reuters Financial News

Amazon.com on Friday announced it is trimming jobs at its Alexa voice assistant unit, citing «shifting» business priorities and a greater focus on generative artificial intelligence. The cuts affect «several hundred» employees working on Alexa, according to the email. A spokeswoman declined to elaborate on exactly how many were affected.

The ECB's Enria has encouraged international standard-setters within the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to bring order to this market.

Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas's cross-border attack on Oct. 7, has brought upheaval and destruction to the Palestinian territory on a scale never before seen in the enclave. Here are latest estimates from international organisations on the socio-economic impact of the conflict. Housing The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), quoting data from the Palestinian public works and housing department, said Israeli attacks had destroyed more than 41,000 housing units and damaged more than 222,000 housing units. In all, it said at least 45% of Gaza's housing units had reportedly been damaged or destroyed. It was impossible to independently verify the numbers, but Reuters reporters in Gaza say the destruction is on a huge scale.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel's attempts to minimise civilian casualties were “not successful", and he further accused Hamas of preventing civilians from moving to safer locations. As reported by Reuters, during an interview with US television's CBS News on Thursday, Netanyahu faced inquiries regarding the possibility that the actions of Israel, which have led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, might sow seeds of animosity in a new generation. “Any civilian death is a tragedy.

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) — China's central bank asked some lenders to cap interest rates on an interbank debt instrument this month, people with knowledge of the matter said on Friday, referring to the rising short-term yields on bank debt and strains in funding markets.

Taliban security forces rollerblading through Kabul streets has gone viral. In the video, masked and camouflaged Taliban fighters were seen speeding through central Kabul on rollerblades and directing directing traffic. The security forces were also seen holding AK-47 automatic rifles.

By Zeba Siddiqui

By James Pearson

By Paritosh Bansal

Adani Group for alleged overvaluation of coal imports, according to a report published by the news agency Reuters. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has been attempting to obtain Singaporean authority's transaction documents pertaining to Adani's business dealings since 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) — Malaysia's economy grew 3.3% in the third quarter from a year earlier, above expectations and recovering from two-year lows in the previous quarter, as strong private consumption offset weak exports, the government and central bank said on Friday.

By Anton Bridge and Miho Uranaka

By Wendell Roelf

Semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials is under US criminal investigation for potentially evading export restrictions on China's top chipmaker SMIC, according to three people familiar with the matter. The largest US semiconductor equipment maker is being probed by the Justice Department for sending equipment to SMIC via South Korea without export licenses, the sources said. Hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment is involved, one of the people said. Reuters is reporting details of the probe for the first time.

OpenAI is taking significant steps to integrate its ChatGPT technology into educational settings. This move comes after initial concerns that the AI tool could be misused for cheating in academic work. OpenAI's chief operating officer Brad Lightcap revealed at the INSEAD Americas Conference in San Francisco that the company was forming a dedicated team to explore educational applications for ChatGPT.

Thrasio Holdings, which acquires third-party sellers on Amazon, is preparing to file for bankruptcy as it grapples with a post-pandemic slump in online spending, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Thrasio has been advised by New York-based consulting firm AlixPartners in recent years and their retail turnaround professional Holly Etlin is currently working with the company, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

US Federal Reserve will not hike interest rates further and pivot to a rate cut in early 2024, seems to be waning. Moreover, with the conclusion of the earning season, domestic investors will now shift the focus to global as well as domestic cues. The Indian benchmark indices ended higher for the second consecutive session on Thursday amid mixed global cues.

Gaza's biggest hospital. Reuters could not immediately verify the video that showed a deep hole in the ground, littered with and surrounded by concrete and wood rubble and sand. The army said its troops also found a vehicle in the hospital containing a large number of weapons, according to a report published by Reuters. 1) Hamas on Thursday said claims by the Pentagon and US State Department that the group uses Al Shifa for military purposes "is a repetition of a blatantly false narrative, demonstrated by the weak and ridiculous performances of the occupation army spokesman." 2) White House spokesperson John Kirby said the United States is confident in an assessment from its own intelligence agencies on Hamas activities in Al Shifa hospital and will neither share nor elaborate on it.

Google. The company is accused of monopolistic practices in the online search sector. The U.S.

In August, B. Riley Financial Inc., which provides services ranging from investment banking to wealth management, said it had invested $216.5 million as part of the $2.8 billion management-led acquisition of Franchise Group Inc.

By Karen Freifeld