Horror Club offers Friday movie scares

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The moon illuminated students’ faces as they descended to a chamber hidden beneath the library for their sinister gathering to discuss morbid tales of past and present.
South Campus’ Horror Club is not for the faint of heart, but if one dared to join them during a Friday night fright they’d be greeted by Hannah Paden with a smile and popcorn.
“Face those fears and watch a horror movie, dang it,” Paden said.
She is president of the club and works alongside officers Luke Armendarez and Jay Anderson. Every Friday, they meet and transform the Writing Center into a theater dedicated strictly to horror movies.
The club chooses a theme for each week’s double feature, and members can make recommendations as to which films are shown.
Dedicated member Daniel Green will hang around South until 5:30 p.m. when the club meeting commences. He has been a part of the group since its beginning in 2022.
“Getting scared is the best part of Horror Club,” Green said.
Before starting any frightful film, the officers provide a brief warning of its content. They strive for their members to feel safe when watching scary movies and have guidelines listed that must be followed.
“One of the big things we like to do here is have discussion after we watch the movies,” Armendarez said. “So be openminded to other people’s opinions and just be respectful.”
During their black-and-white movie night, the 1931 rendition of “Frankenstein” was shown. While members laughed at some of the outdated scenes, the analysis afterward gave insight to the importance of the film.
Armendarez and Paden began by explaining how “Frankenstein” was foundational to the horror genre and started the path for future spooky stories to be created.
But as the conversation developed, members began to contemplate how long a person created from stitched-together human remains could last before decomposing.
“I’ve never really been a horror movie person, actually,” said newcomer A’jahn Kimble. “But [I’ve] met some cool people and socialized a bit.”
Kimble stumbled upon the club’s poster while in the Writing Center for class and decided to come back for the M. Night Shyamalan feature that week.
Since then, he has come to every Friday movie night.
“Never give away the ending or spoil anything from a movie,” Armendarez said.
Since the club has new members like Kimble, who aren’t as knowledgeable about scary movies as others in the club, Armendarez and Paden made this a very important rule.
“Even though [some] of these movies are, like, older than all of us, don’t spoil anything,” Paden said.
On Oct. 25, the Horror Club hosted a movie marathon to showcase members’ favorite films. First on the list was “Scream,” which almost everyone agreed was on their top five favorites list.
The club sat in the room decorated with spider webs, skeletons and ghoulish figures until late in the evening, watching eerie movies with pizza in hand.
“It’s a great place to make good friends,” Paden said. “Make good memories and watch scary stuff.”

The business leaders that Kamala Harris could recruit for her Cabinet

Business News

Politics

The business leaders that Kamala Harris could recruit for her Cabinet

Geoff Weiss

2024-10-30T11:07:01Z

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Kamala Harris has many powerful business ties to assemble a potential Cabinet.Mark Cuban and her brother-in-law, Uber’s Tony West, may be out of contention.But these are the candidates Harris could be considering if she prevails.

Hugh Grant says the scenes he’s most proud of in new horror movie Heretic took him 40 years to achieve

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Even though he’s been in the industry for decades, Hugh Grant still believes that he’s learning as an actor. Best known for a string of roles in much beloved romantic comedies such as Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’ Diary, over recent years the British star has been branching out, taking on parts that would be considered against-type.He played multiple characters in sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas and stole every single scene in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen as the shady Fletcher. Plus, who could forget his phenomenal performance as the dastardly Phoenix Buchanan in the wonderful Paddington 2. However, his most recent role in A24’s latest horror movie Heretic sees Grant push himself like never before.For his performance as the sinister Mr. Reed, a mysterious stranger two Mormon missionaries are attempting to convert, Grant has been receiving universal acclaim – in fact, some critics are even saying it’s one of the best performances of his long career. Chuckling in an interview with GamesRadar+, Grant says the praise is “music to my ears” before admitting that he’s very happy with the work he has done in Heretic, believing that he has improved as an actor over the years. He explains: “I’ve got better, I’ve got a better technique now for how to do film acting and I enjoy it a bit more. And I can do stuff now that I couldn’t do 20 years ago!”Continuing, Grant reveals that the scenes he’s most proud of in the new horror film are ones he has long dreaded over the past 40 years of his career: As he concludes: “In this film, a lot of it is talking and I’ve always been quite good at talking, those have been easy scenes for me.”But I also have some long close-ups without speaking and I’ve always dreaded those, as I grow self-conscious. But for me, that’s odd enough the thing I’m most proud of in this film. There are some close-ups of me where my face is totally free and that’s taken me a mere 40 years to get to that point.”Heretic releases in UK cinemas on November 1, before opening in US theaters on November 8.Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inboxFor more, check out the other upcoming horror movies that are soon heading your way.

The team behind Apple TV’s Silo vow not to drag it out beyond Hugh Howey’s book trilogy: “This is not Outlander. This is not a long science fiction series”

Science and Health

Since Silo is based on a trilogy of books, you might assume the Apple TV Plus show would run for three seasons. That theory, however, has already been tested, thanks to season 1 only covering about half of Hugh Howey’s novel Wool, which kicks off the series. Showrunner Graham Yost is very wary of the hit sci-fi drama outstaying its welcome, though, and has assured fans that he and the creative team won’t “drag it on too long.””We’ve got plans for how the series would play out if we get to do the whole thing,” he tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Wicked on the cover and hits newsstands on November 1. How many seasons were they thinking, then? “That number’s between me and my friends at Apple TV Plus,” Yost laughs. “The books are a trilogy. This is not Outlander. This is not a long science fiction series. It’s a trilogy. We’re not going to extend it beyond that. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to be three seasons, but it’s not going to be 10,” he confirms. “It is our goal to answer questions and not frustrate the audience, but deliver things in a logical time, so that when our characters find something out, that’s when the audience finds out.”(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!Starring Common, Tim Robbins, and Rebecca Ferguson, Silo follows engineer Juliette, who discovers terrible secrets about the shelter’s beginnings – and those in charge, too – as she investigates her lover’s mysterious death. In a bid to keep her in line, the powers that be recruit Jules as the silo’s new sheriff, which only prompts her to dig deeper into the underground chamber’s dark history.Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!Before long, Jules becomes convinced that the rule forbidding the silo’s occupants to go outside is based on lies – a hypothesis she puts to the ultimate test in the nail-biting last few moments of the finale. We can’t wait to see what happens next.Silo season 2 releases on November 15. Season 1 is streaming on Apple TV Plus now. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Wicked on the cover and will be available from Friday, November 1. For even more from SFX, sign up to our newsletter, which delivers all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox. Check out the covers below…Fellow Ozians! Let us rejoicify at the announcement of our exclusive #WickedMovie issue, on sale from 1 November with two thrillifying covers to collect! pic.twitter.com/z8ywneNWdbOctober 28, 2024

Tourists in Spain warned of heavy rain, lightning and hail after deadly flash floods

Travel

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreHalf-term holidaymakers have been warned by the Met Office to expect heavy rain in Spain’s east coast tourist destinations this week.The national meteorological service said that a risk of “significant flash flooding”, “frequent lightning” and “large hail” will continue through to the end of the week following heavy showers and thunderstorms.In a post on X/Twitter on Monday (28 October), the Met Office said: “Torrential rain and thunderstorms could bring flash flooding, landslides and significant disruption to parts of eastern Spain this week.“A further 250-350mm of rain is possible by the weekend in a few places – the average for the whole of October is closer to 50-100mm!”Popular holiday hotspots on the east coast, including Valencia, Malaga, Madrid and Alicante, are among the worst affected areas by the wet weather.The regional leader of Valencia, Carlos Mazon, said that “lifeless bodies” had been found in the area swept with flash floods.According to Spanish security and emergency bodies, the provisional death toll is 51 people and “the process of collecting and identifying victims is beginning”.Locals have been advised not to travel by road, both in the province of Valencia and in Castellon.In Alora, Malaga, cars were filmed being swept away due to a surge in the Guadalhorce River, and a high-speed train with nearly 300 passengers derailed in the heavy rain on Tuesday. No passenger injuries were reported from the incident.Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency, issued a heavy rain weather alert for the Spanish peninsula and the Balearic Islands yesterday that forecast “intense storms” and “persistent rainfall” until 31 October due to a DANA (isolated depression at high altitudes) around the Gulf of Cadiz.It said: “Instability will continue in the Mediterranean area, with probable showers and storms that would affect the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community and Catalonia during the weekend and that could be locally strong and persistent.”A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “The worst conditions in this event occurred on Monday and Tuesday. However, river levels will remain high through the rest of Wednesday and into Thursday. We will continue to see heavy showers and thunderstorms across parts of Spain through to Saturday, but with increasing area of dry conditions developing with time.”For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

Talking to dead people through AI: the business of ‘digital resurrection’ might not be helpful, ethical… or even legal

Business News

Earlier this year, a Spanish TV programme showed several people listening to digital recreations of the voices of their deceased relatives that had been generated by artificial intelligence from real audios. It sparked widespread debate in both public and professional spheres, as these recreations not only mimicked loved ones’ voices, but also asked poignant, evocative questions, provoking intense emotional reactions.

This phenomenon, which has been dubbed “digital resurrection”, involves using advanced AI technology to recreate certain aspects of deceased individuals, such as their voice or physical appearance. While it may offer momentary comfort, such a practice opens a raft of profound debates on ethical, philosophical and legal fronts.

The risk of creating false memories

Chief among the philosophical implications of digital resurrection is that it calls into question what it really means to “be”. By recreating the voice or likeness of someone who has passed away, we might believe we are extending their existence in some way, or perhaps that we are simply creating a shadow of them, lacking in substance.

However, the essence of a human being is undoubtedly more than a set of programmed responses or an image on a screen, and it seems unlikely that a digital simulation can capture the depth and uniqueness of a person’s lived experience, emotions and thoughts.

Memory plays an important role here. Digital resurrection can be seen as an attempt to preserve memory, to maintain the presence of those we have lost. But human memory is not static – it selects, changes, shifts and adapts, and by digitally recreating a person, we run the risk of altering our own authentic memories of them. Is it ethical to hold on to an artificial representation of someone, instead of letting the memory of them evolve and transform over time?

True identity

A person’s identity is a complex web of experiences and relationships. When we try to recreate someone, we might think we are trying to capture their identity. However, we are more likely to create an idealised version of them, one that conforms to our own expectations and desires.

These technological advances also raise questions about grief itself. Death is a natural part of life, and mourning is essential for coming to terms with this loss. By trying to maintain a connection with the deceased through digital resurrection, we interfere with this vital process, which could prevent us from moving forward and finding peace in the acceptance of loss.

Ultimately, digital resurrection also opens serious debate on the subject of consent and ownership. Who has the right to decide whether a person should be digitally recreated? And how can you handle the consent of someone who can, for obvious reasons, no longer express their wishes?

Exploiting grief for profit

We have to remember that technology is a business, and the prospect of companies making a profit by meddling with something as profoundly human and painful as the loss of a loved one raises further philosophical, ethical and moral questions.

From an ethical point of view, this kind of business seems to transgress the fundamental principles of respect and dignity that should guide our human interactions. Grieving is an intimate and sacred process, a path to acceptance and inner peace after a significant loss. Commercial intrusion into this process could therefore be seen as a form of emotional exploitation, taking advantage of people at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

Business of this sort could also distort the natural grieving process. Grief and loss are essential experiences of the human condition, and dealing with them helps us to grow as people. If commercially marketed digital resurrection prevents people from moving through this process in a healthy way – offering an illusion of a person’s presence rather than helping to accept the reality of their absence – it offers little by way of benefit.

From a moral perspective, the intentions and purposes of such businesses would be questionable. In principle they seem to have the aim of providing comfort and a way of remembering loved ones. However, where do we draw the line between offering solace and exploiting grief for profit?

Digital resurrection exacerbates grief

At the heart of “digital resurrection” lies a profound and disturbing paradox. In its attempt to bring us closer to those we have lost, technology confronts us with the inescapable reality of their absence, leading us to question not only the nature of existence, but also the essence of what it means to be human.

By attempting to make up for the absence of a loved one or fill the void they have left, these technologies deepen both our desire to hold on to what we have lost, and our own personal struggles to cope with and process grief in the face of the inescapable reality of death.

The paradox is further extended when we consider that, in our effort to preserve the memory and essence of loved ones, we resort to simulations that, by their artificial nature, can never fully capture the complexity and depth of real human experience. Thus, we are faced with an imperfect, digitised representation that, while comforting in some ways, struggles to do justice to the true essence of someone we have loved and lost.

Best business card printing service of 2024

Business News

We list the best business card printing services, to make it simple and easy to get the best quality print services for your cards at the best price.We may all have address books and social media apps sitting on our phones – but the business card remains one of the quickest, easiest, and most impactful ways to swap contact information. There are loads of tools out there, whether you’re a skilled designer or new to the game. You can work from templated designs, but the very best business card printing services give you more creative control over branding, letting you add company colors, logos, even QR codes, even if you’ve never produced a business card before. It’s worth pairing the best graphic design software or best logo makers to create an ultra-professional impression. We’ve tested the best business card printing services. As part of our review process, we’ve explored how easy it is to make a business card on each platform, as well as assessing the template library size, extra design tools, materials range, delivery speed, print quality, and pricing. So, all you need to think about is whether you want Eggshell with Romalian type.We’ve also listed the best business networking apps.The best business card printing services of 2024 in full:Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.Best business card printing service overall(Image credit: Vistaprint)1. VistaprintBest business card printing service overallReasons to buy+Excellent print quality+Great online design tools+QR code generator on cardsReasons to avoid-Maybe too much choiceVistaprint offers some of the best business card printing services, accommodating just most needs. A range of existing business card templates are provided for you to use, but you can also upload your own designs as required. If you’re not sure what design you would like to use and would prefer something more unique than the templates, and can’t design your own, then Vistaprint can also offer you the chance to work with one of their designers on the business card design and format to give you what you want.Vistaprint also offers a range of different paper thicknesses, from 14pt to 32pt paper stock, with a number of different finishes available.  Finishes include foil, embossed gloss, plastic, and pearl, on top of the traditional matte or gloss finishes. There are also different shapes available, too, from rounded corners to square business card designs.If you’re not sure which type you prefer, you can request a free sample kit, which allows you to check our the print quality and designs available.Best business card printing service for creativity(Image credit: Moo)2. MooBest business card printing service for easy creativityReasons to buy+Easy to use+Excellent templates+NFC optionReasons to avoid-Smaller range of products-No free shipping outside of promotionsMoo is one of the easiest printing services for business cards – you don’t even have to register an account as you can log in through Facebook. Moo also offers some of the most stylish templates of any of the printing card services we tested. They also offer an NFC business card option, which allows your contacts to tap your business card against their smartphone (or other NFC-enabled device) to bring up your website or LinkedIn Profile.As with Vistaprint, Moo allows you to use their existing templates, upload your own design, or get help designing your own business card online. Once you have a design set there are a range of different formats and finishes available to you.In terms of size, as well as the standard business card size Moo also offer a larger version for increased impact, as well as cards with rounded corners, square-shaped business cards, or even mini-business cards.The range of finishes includes some impressive gold and silver foil options, as well as embossed, and embossed glass. Another plus for Moo is that for a lot of customers Moo can promise next day delivery, so it’s worth checking your ZIP code to see if you qualify.Best business card printing service for same day service(Image credit: Staples)3. StaplesBest business card printer for same day serviceReasons to buy+Fastest delivery service+Great print quality+Easy-to-use design interfaceReasons to avoid-Fewer card material options than rivalsStaples business card printing is the best option when you don’t want to wait long for delivery. It gives you the option to have cards sent the same day to pick up from your nearest Staples store. The company’s online card creator is incredibly straightforward to use, allowing you to upload a card design from cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox and in a range of file formats – from JPG to PNG. However, if you would rather use an existing template there are plenty of options to choose from, with a number of suggestions provided by profession – though these tend to be more functional than stylistic than some of the other providers in this list. However, don’t let that put you off as some of the designs are great, they just don’t have the extra flourish than some others, such as Zazzle, put into theirs.There are also a number of different formats to choose from, such as standard, raised print, executive (with linen effect), and ultra-thick business cards. All in all, this means you should be able to get a good and eye-catching design printed out and picked up from your local Staples within a day.Best business card printing service for designs(Image credit: Jukebox)4. JukeboxBest business card printing service for complex designsReasons to buy+High-end business cards+Wide range of card materials+Price competitiveReasons to avoid-High quality means high prices for some designs-Longer turnaround timesJukebox provides a number of premium business card templates, with the focus on high-end designs for maximum impact. One way they do this is by offering business cards made from different materials than are commonly provided by other business card printing services.For example, you can have business cards printed on bamboo, hemp, cork, cotton, or even wood.  Additionally, there are a range of gold foil designs available, as well as exclusive and very effective premium black business cards available for really making an impression.This means that a number of the business card designs offered by Jukebox Print are a lot more expensive than standard business card printing from other providers – but that’s part of the point of offering stunning card designs.However, it’s not all aimed at the exclusive end of the market, and there are design options available that are reasonably price-competitive compared to other providers, especially when you factor in that Jukebox Print can offer a range of different print runs, from anywhere between 50-500 cards at a time.Overall, Jukebox Print offers high-end business cards that aim to be attention-grabbing, so if this is something you think may help with your business, introductions, and sales, it’s a service well worth considering.Best business card printing service for templates(Image credit: Zazzle)5. ZazzleBest business card printing service for template rangeReasons to buy+Huge range of templates+Stylish designs+Search by keyword or filterReasons to avoid-Premium option compared to some-Not so office focusedZazzle offers an impressive range of different business card templates, which you can explore by profession of style. While you also have the option to upload your own design, you’re really going to get the most out of Zazzle if you use one of their own templates.The range of options look very professional, and in terms of size and shape you can choose standard business card size, large, square, mini, as well as Euro and Oceania which are also bigger than the standard size.Zazzle also makes it easy to pick your business card by profession, with a number of design templates suggested specifically for areas such as make-up artists, photographer, real estate agent, hair stylist, bakery, DJ, dentist, and personal trainer, among others.You can also do a keyword search through the design templates to help drill down to something more to your tastes according to the keywords you use. There are also a number of search filters such as by size, format, orientation, material, and price.Also consider these business card printing services:When it comes to professional business card printing there is a competitive market, with various companies offering anything from free to cheap business card designs and printing, while others focus on a printing service that can deliver the same day.Business cards have also changed, and nowadays don’t be surprised if you find yourself offered digital business cards as well as the traditional paper form, or even plastic business cards – or even have yours scanned by a business card scanner.Either way, if you do need business cards printing, there are a lot of businesses out there offering modern and professional cards, that allow you to be creative and customize your design, to ensure you get the personal business card look that you want.Here then are a few additional companies worth looking out for, according to the type of business cards you need:Instantprint could be an option worth considering if you live in the UK. A number of design templates are provided for you to use if you don’t have your own design. What probably makes instantprint stand out more is the fact that the pricing is really competitive.Clubcard Printing is a Canadian company that offers a wide variety of card options, types and finishing options – from coated to uncoated, kraft (cards that have speckles or grains, lending them a homemade feel), foil-coated, laminated, die-cut and plastic. They’re competitively priced, and you can work with Clubcard’s design team on designing custom business cards to meet your needs.Primoprint offers competitive pricing on its cards, fast turnaround time and (according to its customers) excellent customer service. Print quality is also excellent, wit3h bright and vivid images printed onto cards. The company offers real-time order tracking, business cards with painted edges that come in a wide variety of specialty card stock options (and in a range of thicknesses and weights), and 15 default designs to choose from. Printrunner offers several tools for design cards making it one the most convenient platforms for printing business cards on our list. It lets you work with a number of file formats, allowing users to create new card designs or modify a number of default template options. The company can cover 90% of the US with 1-2 business day shipping.Uprinting offers high-quality business cards in a snip. The company also offers a selection of due-cut cards that can be printed in full color on one side, or on both sides using duplex printing. Uprinting offers its users an online service for designing cards, and a ‘Free proof’ option ensures that all cards will be individually checked before being printed, which adds a delay but ensures peace of mind. 48HourPrint is one of the fastest ways to get business cards delivered to your door. It offers a wide selection of business cards – from classic styles to brochures and even full magazines. Its features include a free online design tool, a free sample kit, custom printing and a number of template designs to get you going. Handily for designers, 48HourPrint.com offers integrations with Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign tools.We’ve listed the best free logo maker.Best business card printing service FAQsHow to choose the best business card printing services for youWhen deciding which business card printing service is best for you, first consider if you have any specific needs, such as multiple colors to be used, the thickness of the paper or card required, and same-day delivery.While most online card printing services will offer a range of options sometimes, these are provided as addons so it can be difficult to make a direct comparison between different printing services. Make sure you have a relatively clear idea of what you think you might need when comparing services.You’ll also want to check the variety and quality of the templates they offer, the pricing plans, and the card material, among other aspects. What is a business card printing service?A business card printing service is an online service that lets users design and print business cards and stationery. These services provide diverse templates for users to conveniently and swiftly build their business cards and get them delivered (sometimes within the same day).When choosing the best business card printing service for you, ask yourself these questions: Do I have to design my own card or use a template? How many cards do I need? How many can be shipped at once? How long will delivery take? What is the quality of the card and materials? How thick is the card? What coating can be applied? What is the cost? How we tested the best business card printing serviceTo test for the best business card printing service, we set up an account with the relevant printing service, then we ordered a range of business stationary, not least cards, letterheads, and something miscellaneous, to gauge the different print options and quality features available.The aim was to get an idea of how each business card printing service compared across a range of services so we could better evaluate them in comparison.Get in touchYou’ve reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^

Raiffeisen Group’s results in Romania for the first 9 months of the year: solid growth across all business segments and 5 times more customers enrolled 100% digitally

Business News

Raiffeisen Bank continues to redefine the banking experience in Romania. The results of the first 9 months of the year support personal financial planning performance through Raiffeisen Smart Finance tablet, as well as significant developments in daily banking activities. We have continued investments to develop easy, intuitive, and secure digital experiences for customers’ interactions with the bank. The new 100% digital flow in the Smart Mobile banking app has led to a 5-fold increase in digitally enrolled customers within just a few months of launch compared to the same period in 2023. All these customers have become holders of “The Yellow Card that Does Good”, a new financial tool through which Raiffeisen Bank donates, from its own funds to Dăruiește Viață Association for the construction of a medical campus with every POS or online transaction made by customers, regardless of the amount.We have continued diversifying solutions to support businesses, and in the Mid-Corporate segment, MoonshotX is currently underway. This is the most ambitious program for the international scaling of Romanian companies with turnovers between 5 million and 50 million euros, created by Raiffeisen Bank Romania in partnership with InnovX, aimed at accelerating growth and driving innovation in this vital segment of the economy.

“In the first 9 months of the year, we have continued our mission to support clients in building a stable financial future, whether through savings products, investments, pensions, or insurance products. The number of clients who benefited from financial planning, simulated directly on a tablet, has increased nearly fourfold compared to the same period last year. We also have excellent results in mobile banking. We have accelerated the development of a complex ecosystem of fully digitalized services and products designed to make our clients’ lives easier, and the number of clients enrolled 100% digitally has increased 5 times compared to the first three quarters of last year.” – Zdenek Romanek, President & CEO, Raiffeisen Bank Romania.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2024

Raiffeisen Bank Romania’s assets exceeded 74.3 billion RON in the first 9 months of the year, marking an increase of 10% compared to the same period last year. The bank’s financial performance remained solid, with a profit of 1,265 million RON, while operating expenses increased by 12% year-over-year due to significant investments in staff training and retention, as well as expanding the team in key areas and modernizing infrastructure.

The liabilities stock continued to consolidate, registering an 8% increase, with positive variations across all customer segments. Deposits from individuals grew by 11%, and those from SMEs by 10%. This significant growth underscores customers’ confidence in the safety and attractiveness of Raiffeisen’s savings products.

The loans stock granted to customers increased by 3% compared to the previous year. Loans for individuals grew by 2%. Meanwhile, legal entities loans stock increased by 3%, fuelled by corporate clients and our participation in government programs such as IMM Invest and Invest EU.

In the Mid-Corporate segment, the loan balance grew by 13% in the first three quarters of the year as compared to the same time span last year, demonstrating Raiffeisen Bank’s commitment to supporting the development of Romania’s business sector.

The total balance of loans granted in the SME segment in the first 9 months of the current year is 7% higher compared to the same period last year. New loan volumes under the IMM INVEST PLUS program granted in the first quarters of the year amount to 143 million euros, while new loan volumes granted under the EIF Microfinance and Competitiveness program in the SME segment have reached approximately 90 million euros.

At the end of the third quarter, financing provided through the program for start-ups, factory by Raiffeisen Bank, exceeded 30 million euros.

Digital Solutions for SMEs

Digital lending continues to support the growth of the SME loan portfolio, with over 1,100 Micro clients benefiting this year from quick and easy access to loans worth more than 20 million euros, without additional documents or trips to the bank.

A further step towards digitizing local companies was the successful implementation of the “3rd party integration” solution, which integrates the RaiPOS solution with the client’s ticketing application. This solution provides a safe and fast experience, significantly reducing the time needed for transactions.

Nearly four times more financial plans

The number of clients who received financial planning in 2024, simulated directly on the Raiffeisen Smart Finance tablet, increased by more than 3.7 times compared to the same period last year.

The subscription process for investment funds has been fully digitized, providing clients with a seamless experience for savings or investment products. New clients and those who transfer or receive their salary at Raiffeisen Bank benefit from preferential interest rates on savings products. Additionally, the insurance portfolio has been expanded, with life insurance attached to mortgage loans doubling.

At the same time, the insurance portfolio increased, with the main achievements including the doubling of the portfolio of life insurance on mortgage loans.

Five times more clients enrolled 100% digitally

In Q3, over 50% more new individual clients chose Raiffeisen Bank compared to the first two quarters of the year.

In July, Raiffeisen Bank launched an improved remote enrollment solution through Smart Mobile. The new design and simplified process allow enrollment and opening of a current account package in less than 8 minutes, with 100% digital documentation. This launch resulted in 5 times increase in digitally acquired clients in Q3 compared to the same period last year (Q3 2023). This process is also available for in-branch colleagues to assist clients who opt for assisted enrollment.

App usage and Loyalty Program

Over 1.4 million clients log into their Smart Mobile app monthly, with approximately 80% logging in at least five times each month. In Q3 2024, over 70,000 individual clients chose to update their data using the digital flow in Smart Mobile.

The Smart Market loyalty app recorded over 900,000 new users two years after its launch, with 90,000 joining in the last three months alone. Through the app, individual clients were rewarded in Q3 with cashback and points worth 130,000 euros and over 450,000 discount vouchers from more than 150 partner merchants.

1 billion euros in investment products in The Private Banking segment

Raiffeisen Private Banking has reached 1-billion-euro milestone in investment products. Additionally, at the beginning of last year, the Raiffeisen Private Banking Division also started overseeing the Premium Invest client segment, which involves clients with personal assets of at least 60,000 euros under management. These clients now have access to dedicated services, a wide range of financial products, and high-level investment expertise through a new team of personal bankers. The total value of assets managed in the two client segments, Private Banking and Premium Invest, exceeded 3.1 billion euros in the first nine months of the year.

Raiffeisen Private Banking continued to expand its offering of financial instruments this year, attracting significant interest from clients. This year, Raiffeisen Bank Romania’s Private Banking Division added U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds, and two new international investment funds focused on sustainability:

Raiffeisen Smart Energy: A euro-denominated equity fund that invests globally in companies providing smart energy solutions or products aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions or classified as sustainable.
Raiffeisen Dollar-ShortTerm: A U.S. dollar-denominated international short- to medium-term bond fund.

Awarded multiple times by some of the most prestigious international publications, Raiffeisen Private Banking once again received the confirmation of its status as Romania’s Best International Private Bank at the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2024.

Raiffeisen Leasing: doubling of new business volumes and stable portfolio performance

From January to September 2024, Raiffeisen Leasing IFN SA saw a 110% increase in new business volumes compared to the same period last year. The main categories of financed assets contributing to this growth were those for domestic and international transport activities, as well as vehicles and equipment in the “green” assets category, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable financing. Furthermore, the non-performing loan rate remains low, reflecting the stability of the financed portfolio.

By the end of Q3 2024, Raiffeisen Leasing achieved total assets of over 385 million euros, and the financing portfolio granted to clients grew by 35% compared to the level recorded on December 31, 2023.

RAM: Over 1 billion euros in assets

SAI Raiffeisen Asset Management (RAM), the investment fund management company of the Raiffeisen group in Romania, has surpassed 1.06 billion euros in total assets under management. Of this, the Raiffeisen Romania Dividend fund, which primarily invests in local stocks listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, exceeded 134 million euros.

*This is a press release.

Best Linux distro for small business of 2024

Business News

We list the best Linux distros for small business, to make it simple and easy to set up a simple, secure and stable alternative to Windows to power your computers or servers.Linux has become increasingly friendly for use by individuals and businesses, partly as an attempt to lure users away from Windows, but also because Linux has come to power not just the wider internet but also most cloud services.This means while Linux may seem like an intimidating option at first, it could actually be helpful in the longer run for those who need to develop their wider IT skills without proving so much of a challenge as initially feared.As Linux is free it means you don’t have to worry about licensing fees, and there are a number of virtual machine software platforms that will allow you to install different Linux (or other operating systems) on your existing computer. In fact, Windows 11 can now run most Linux programs via WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). However, if you would prefer to avoid virtual machines you could instead use an older desktop PC and simply install a Linux distro as the main operating system. Most Linux distros have low resource needs, but do watch out that any hardware drivers you need are provided.So what’s the best choice for your small business? We’ve tested these distros with a few criteria in mind. We looked at how stable they are and their uptime. We considered how easy they are to deploy, configure, and manage. We also considered the distro’s support provision, among other aspects.  Here therefore are the options we think are best Linux distros for small business users.We’ve also featured these Linux guides:The best Linux distros for small business of 2024 in full:Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.Best Linux distro for small business desktops(Image credit: Ubuntu)1. UbuntuBest Linux distro for small businesses wanting well-documented distrosReasons to buy+Very well supported by community+LTS gives you long-term stability+Option of paid tech supportAs the most popular desktop distribution of Linux, Ubuntu’s reputation might lead you to think that it’s best suited to home users. While Ubuntu’s stability and flexibility for end users is very solid, there’s also a free-to-use Ubuntu Server version to handle your backend tasks. One of Ubuntu’s strongest features is the level of support it benefits from. The vast user base means there’s a raft of technical documentation available, and its generous community has answered just about every question you might have.Ubuntu is released twice a year in April and October. The April releases, after every two years, are tagged LTS which stands for Long Term Support, and unlike the regular release, the LTS releases are maintained for five years. For greater control and management, small businesses can buy a subscription to the Ubuntu Pro program. All Pro plans give you an additional five years of support and access to over 2,000 packages in Ubuntu’s “Main repository (for a total of 10 years). You can also benefit from additional features such as kernel live patching, the Landscape on-prem systems management tool, and more.A full Ubuntu Pro subscription also gives you access to both the Main and Universe repositories, allowing you to install and receive support for up to 23,000 extra packages for up to 10 years. Read our full Ubuntu review.Best Linux distro for IT(Image credit: Debian)2. DebianBest overall for small businessReasons to buy+Stable and reliable+Vast software repository+Excellent Community SupportReasons to avoid-Doesn’t have latest versions of packages Debian was first developed in 1993 and is one of the most popular and widely used Linux distros today. This is partly due to its famous reputation for stability. All packages are thoroughly tested by the Debian community, whereupon they move from the “testing” to the “stable” version. This process can take years but makes for very reliable server software. The community also continues to quality-test “stable” versions and provide updates for 3-5 years after release.There are currently over 59,000 “stable” software packages, so it’s likely Debian can perform any operations your business server needs. If you want to install newer software versions though, you’ll need to use the “unstable”/”testing” versions of Debian or manually add other sources. Best Linux distro for small business for interface(Image credit: ClearOS)3. ClearOSBest Linux distro with a full web interfaceReasons to buy+Graphical administration interface+Ample documentation+Commercial support optionsReasons to avoid-Lack of up-to-date documentationClearOS is a CentOS-based distro that’s designed as an alternative to commercial options like Red Hat Enterprise Server or Windows Small Business Server. There are several editions of ClearOS including a community-supported edition that is offered as a no-cost free download.  You can use the community edition of ClearOS to roll out all kinds of network services including a content filter, firewall, an intrusion detection system, a bandwidth manager, domain controller, mail server, and more. Additionally you can also purchase additional server functionalities from its marketplace.The community edition contains untested code and participates in updates testing. This means if you choose this version your server software may not be as stable as with the “Home” or “Business” editions. The best thing about ClearOS is its ease of deployment. You can use the distro to rollout complex network servers and services from a web-based management interface. Not only is the interface intuitive to use, it’s designed to help you conduct regular maintenance and administration tasks with a few clicks. Still, the project has ample documentation and in fact you can access module-specific help from within the administration interface itself.Best Linux distro for small business servers(Image credit: Univention)4. Univention Corporate ServerBest for supported serversReasons to buy+Lots of servers+Online demo+Virtual imagesBased on Debian, Univention Corporate Server (UCS) too offers the convenience of an easy-to-use web-based administration panel to easily deploy and manage servers, without dropping down to the command-line. However, unlike the other distros, where possible, UCS uses Docker containers to deploy the different servers and services.UCS also provides a pretty comprehensive list of servers, boasting of supporting over 90  different modules separated into over a dozen categories, such as identity management, infrastructure, collaboration and groupware, security, virtualization, and more. Thanks to its comprehensive nature, you’ll have to spend some time familiarizing yourself with its peculiarities. However, the distro has ample documentation and videos to ease the process.The distro is available in multiple editions including a freely available Core edition, which doesn’t differ from the paid editions in terms of features. The paid editions however include support and other benefits. In addition to an installable image, UCS also provides the choice of pre-installed images for VMWare, VirtualBox, Hyper-V and KVM for easier deployment. Best Linux distro for small business for networks(Image credit: Zentyal)5. Zentyal Great Linux distro for rolling out pre-configured serversReasons to buy+Appealing interface+Free and paid editions+Optional certified trainingReasons to avoid-Relatively limited compared to rivalsZentyal is in the same league as ClearOS and Univention, in that it allows you to rollout and administer services across your network from the convenience of a graphical interface, although its offering isn’t as wide as some of its peers.  Zentyal is based on Ubuntu Server. The latest version (7.0) is based on Ubuntu LTS 20.04, so will be supported until 2025. If you choose a paid subscription, the cost includes upgrading to the latest version of Zentyal during your subscription. Alternatively you can download the Development Edition for free, provided you feel comfortable deploying it yourself. Zentyal can also be installed directly on top of Ubuntu Server or Desktop. Using the Development Edition means you’re using newer versions of packages, which might make it less stable than paid versions of Zentyal. That said, the Development Edition ships with a wide variety of Gateway, Mail, Infrastructure, and Directory and Domain functions. Once installed, you can configure these services from the web interface itself. Zentyal’s dashboard is visually appealing and is made up of several widgets that you can reposition as per your requirements. Zentyal’s dashboard also provides quick links to the Documentation and other useful material for an administrator, such as Certified Training.Read our full Zentyal review.We’ve also featured the best Linux laptops.Best Linux distro for small business FAQsHow to choose the best Linux distros for small businesses for you?Different Linux distros serve different purposes, so not every one of them will be ideal for your business needs. When selecting the best Linux distro for small businesses for yourself, you’ll want to ensure the distro is stable, up-time is critical. Since we are talking about small businesses here, the distro should also be easy to deploy, configure and manage. Solid support provision comes a close third. And if you’re on a budget, it’ll be helpful to choose something that’s low-priced or free.How we tested the best Linux distro for small businessTo test and find the best Linux distros for small business, we considered numerous aspects across distros. We looked at their hardware requirements, how well they ran on both old and new hardware, the ease of setup, and the overall out-of-box experience. We analyzed how stable they were, whether they offered pre-configured servers, the interface and visual appeal, and their pricing. We looked at the documentation they offered and checked for online forums that were active. We also noted whether there was a graphical user interface and options to roll out servers from a web-based interface.Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.Get in touchYou’ve reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^