CNBC International

Sushi, onigiri and yakitori don — Japanese rice is a key staple in many of its iconic dishes, but the country is facing its biggest shortfall in decades. CNBC’s Lee Ying Shan delves into the factors behind this crisis and its effect on the economy. Read the full story here: https://cnb.cx/3Bv6Clv

In this week's edition of the 'Beyond the Valley' newsletter: ➡️ India to fabricate its first chip within two years ➡️ Klarna CEO says European tech brain drain is ‘number one risk’ ahead of IPO ➡️ Google to invest $1 billion in Thailand to accelerate AI growth ➡️ Robinhood launches crypto transfers in Europe ➡️ Listen: What's China doing in AI? Read more and subscribe at the link below.

The oil price rally, which puts crude futures on track for gains of around 8% week-to-date, has surprised many market observers in that it appears to be somewhat subdued given what’s at stake. ➡️ For some analysts, the reason crude prices have yet to move even higher is because the oil market is short. “We’ve never seen these levels of record shorts before,” Energy Aspects’ Amrita Sen told CNBC. ➡️ SEB’s Bjarne Schieldrop, meanwhile, described oil’s recent move higher as “very meager,” especially given the “potentially devastating scenarios in the Middle East.” Read more: https://cnb.cx/4dDW00W

First it was a lounge at the airport. Then, robes in first class. Later menus curated by a big-name chef. Now, Starlink Wi-Fi is emerging as the latest “it” product to have on board flights. Air New Zealand's CEO Greg Foran told “Squawk Box Asia” Friday that fast and reliable Wi-Fi will be “ubiquitous” on full-service carriers. He said he met with representatives of Starlink and its owner, SpaceX, two hours prior to speaking to CNBC. “We’ve made terrific progress with this,” he said. “We’re well down this path … I think it’s going to be a fantastic offering.” #Wifi #airlines

He’s the tenth and current Prime Minister of Malaysia and his government is about to outline its economic vision for the year ahead. John Patrick (JP) Ong sits down for an exclusive interview with Anwar Ibrahim in this new #CNBCConversation. Catch it this weekend, only on CNBC. Saturday, 5 October, 1830 SIN/HK Sunday, 6 October, 1930 SIN/HK

The U.S. has added two new Chinese companies to a Xinjiang trade blacklist over forced labor accusations. The move comes just one week after Beijing retaliated against claims of human rights violations in the region and related “discriminatory measures” from American companies. ➡️ The list, which now includes 75 entities, bans imports that are made in full or in part in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Region, based on the assumption that forced labor of China’s Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities was used in their manufacturing. Read more: https://cnb.cx/3zKqGjc

5 big stories we were watching today #CNBCEconomy Sterling plunges 1% after BoE governor's comments on rates Sterling plunges more than 1% against the dollar after Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey's comments on rates. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/3TXuCnM #CNBCTech Klarna CEO: European tech brain drain ‘number one risk’ ahead of IPO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said unfavorable share-based compensation rules in Europe could cause employees to flock to U.S. tech companies. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/4eFFoH8 #CNBCRealEstate UK house sales rise as lower mortgage rates boost activity Lower mortgage rates are sparking an uptick in the U.K. housing market, new data shows. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/3zK0BRi #CNBCOil Oil prices could soar if Israel targets Iran's energy infrastructure Oil markets are being too complacent given the risk of major supply disruptions in the Middle East, analysts told CNBC. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/3NbqRan #CNBCMarkets Europe markets close higher European stocks closed lower as conflict in the Middle East weighed on regional investor sentiment. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/3YbJlxX

Why do we try to make robots more human? Despite it being more difficult and expensive, there are a number of benefits to making our machines more like us - from making them more practical for a human-designed world to lending them greater credibility. CNBC's Arjun Kharpal finds out more in the latest episode of CNBC Tech: The Edge. Watch the full video here: https://cnb.cx/4dzbq6K

I sat down with Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski in a wide-ranging interview yesterday. During our chat, he told me that he's concerned about Europe's ability to attract top tech talent, calling it the "number one risk" the company faces ahead of its upcoming IPO. Internal company stats shows that Klarna's publicly-listed peers offer six times the amount of equity that it does. The main issue, according to Siemiatkowski? Unfavourable rules on employee stock options in Europe. In Europe, there’s “unfortunately a sentiment that you shouldn’t pay that much to really talented people,” especially when it comes to people working in the financial services industry," Klarna's longtime co-founder told me. “There is more of that sentiment than in the U.S., and that is unfortunately hurting competitiveness." He added that, "if you get approached by Google, they will fix your visa. They will transfer you to the U.S. These issues that used to be there, they’re not there anymore.” This has become all the more easy to do in a hybrid work environment, he said, as today people can work from a region that’s outside their company’s physical office space. More here in my story on CNBC - and more to come on the interview with Sebastian, soon! #klarna #bnpl #fintech #ipo #klarnaipo #europe #tech #technology #techipos #ipos #banking #buynowpaylater

Lower mortgage rates are sparking an uptick in the U.K. housing market, with home sales rising last month at the fastest pace since the post-lockdown boom, new data shows. ➡️ Agreed home sales rose by 25% year-on-year in the four weeks to Sept. 22, while new buyer inquiries increased 26%, property portal Zoopla (part of Houseful) said Thursday. ➡️ Speculation over possible tax changes in the Treasury’s Oct 30. Autumn budget could see more property come to the market, analysts said. Read more: https://cnb.cx/3Y7yeWt