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☆ Why North Korea’s Latest Nuclear Claims Are Raising Alarms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Pablo Robles | Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

North Korea has a track record of showing mockups of weapons still under development for the sake of propaganda. So far, North Korea has released photos of three nuclear devices, and the latest one — dubbed Hwasan-31, or “Volcano-31” — is by far the smallest. CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREASince 2019, North Korea has launched missiles from locations scattered across the country. Satellites can help North Korea collect data from such long-range missile tests to improve its ICBM technology. If North Korea conducts another nuclear test, its seventh, it may be to show that its new and smaller Hwasan-31 nuclear warhead works.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Kim’s, Donald J, Trump, Hwasan, James Martin, Dr, Markus Schiller, Lee Jong, ” Mr, Lee Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Agence France, Presse Korean Central News Agency, Presse, North Korean, Washington, European Pressphoto Agency, Associated Press, European Pressphoto Agency Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press Korean Central News Agency, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Institute for Science, International Security, Japan Ministry of Defense, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, U.S, SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH, US Department of Defense, ST Analytics, South Korean Defense Ministry, CHINA NORTH, Seoul CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KOREA, NORTH, KOREA CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH, Seoul SOUTH, Reuters, North, South Korean, ”, South Locations: North, North Korea, Korea, Japan, Washington, Seoul, United States, Northeast Asia, U.S, South Korea, RUSSIA CHINA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN, CHINA RUSSIA, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH KOREA, Kaesong, Presse, CHINA, CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, Seoul CHINA, Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA, KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA, Pyongyang, NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Presse North Korea, North Korean

☆ New North Korean space rocket features engine from ICBMs, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. "It appears to make use of an engine that appeared in an earlier North Korean intercontinental-range ballistic missile." The Chollima-1 appears to be a medium-lift space launch vehicle intended for delivering small satellites to low earth orbit. "In this case we do have a fairly large payload fairing compared to the earlier North Korean space launch vehicles," Panda said. South Korea said it was working to recover parts of the North Korean rocket, releasing photos that showed what analysts said appeared to be a section designed to join two stages, and a liquid propellant tank inside.

Persons: Joseph Dempsey, Panda, Korea's, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Carnegie Endowment, International, North Korean, International Institute for Strategic Studies, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Cholsan County, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, U.S, Korea's, Soviet, United States, Korea, South Korea, South

☆ Forty Cannes film festivals viewed through one photographer's lens
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Eric Gaillard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The 76th edition of the festival, taking place from May 16 to May 27, has seen Cannes' usual population triple to 230,000 people to watch films, rub shoulders with celebrities, and - in some cases - compete for the coveted Palme D'Or. Gaillard, who is retiring after this festival, was there for Reuters, snapping Michael Douglas pointing at the camera with a cheeky grin and a besuited Harrison Ford receiving an Honorary Palme D'Or. He was there in 1997 when Michael Jackson was in attendance, in 2008 when Diego Maradona showed off soccer tricks, and in 2018 when Kristen Stewart kicked off her heels on the red carpet. A shot from the 48th edition of the festival in 1995 shows a disarmingly young Johnny Depp, while a black-and-white photo from 1987 depicts a tanned, bejeweled Liz Taylor with one-time flame George Hamilton.

☆ Exclusive: Olympics-Paris 2024 hoping for Olympic flame on Eiffel Tower -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - Paris 2024 organisers have been planning to install the Olympic flame on the Eiffel Tower, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday. "It's been a work in progress for the last two years now," the source said. The flame cannot be at the top of the tower because of the antennas already installed there, they added. "The venue for the lighting of the flame on the Opening Day of the Olympic Games has not yet been decided," a Paris 2024 spokesperson told Reuters. They did not deny working on installing the flame at the Eiffel Tower and would not disclose when any announcement would be made.

☆ Inside the Barbecue City That Is China’s Hottest Tourist Destination
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The flame-shaped neon archway was visible from miles away, which was good since there was little other reason for anyone to be in that part of town, an expanse of fields outside an industrial city in eastern China. The lights flickered between icy blue and red-hot, leaping toward the night sky beside a jumbo sign: “Zibo Barbecue Experiential Ground.”And what an experience awaited. Inside this Coachella for barbecue, visitors could pose with a mascot dressed like a meat skewer. They could watch a concert against an LED backdrop of radiating flames. Zibo, a once-obscure chemical manufacturing city in Shandong Province, has suddenly strangely — thanks to, of all things, barbecue — turned into China’s hottest tourist destination.

☆ Opinion: A cerebral rock star is dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Opinion John Avlon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He is the author of “Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.” The views expressed in this essay are his own. These celebrated writers were the subject of long-form profiles and occasional tabloid scandals, treated as cerebral rock stars and voices of their generation. They were a post-punk crew that migrated from the UK to the US, including Hitchens, Tina Brown and Salman Rushdie. In his final book, “Inside Story,” part memoir and part novel, Amis returned to his friendship with Hitchens in the 1970s, prior to their becoming famous. It chronicles a doomed affair, flashing forward at times to the decline of their friend Saul Bellows from dementia, as well as Hitchens’ death.

☆ Opinion | There’s No Escape From Wildfire Smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This season so far, the total is already more than 1.5 million — which would make it the province’s third-worst annual result, just a few weeks into May, with months more of wildfire season still to burn. In the United States, by contrast, those who live in fear of wildfire are probably breathing a bit easier. Last year was a relatively light one, with fewer than eight million acres burning across the country — close to the two-decade average and well below the damage of several especially scarring recent seasons. But a new lesson from the evolving science of wildfire is about how far its toxic smoke spreads and how widely its noxious impacts are distributed. In fact, according to one not-yet-published study led by Stanford researchers exploring the distribution of wildfire smoke, an estimated 60 percent of the smoke impact of American wildfire is experienced by those living outside the states where the trees are in flames.

☆ Opinion: The banned Russian landmine with a deceptively poetic name
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Opinion Sasha Dovzhyk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A great deal of eeriness is due to the highly explosive Russian “petals.” “Petal” — or, “lepestok,” in Russian — is the poetic name of an internationally banned Russian-made anti-personnel landmine. The Russian wish for Ukraine appears to be death: to render Ukrainian land uninhabitable, to maim and kill those who live on it. But as one learns from Kataev’s tale, the Russian petals travel far and know no borders. In November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 200,000 hectares (almost 50,000 acres) of Ukrainian land were contaminated with unexploded mines and shells. The rusted remains of a tank in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, pictured during a PEN Ukraine trip in April 2023.

☆ Bill Gates says he wishes his younger self knew 'there is more to life than work'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Gates said he wishes his younger self knew that "there is more to life than work." Bill Gates said he didn't realize until he got older and became a father that "there is more to life than work." "When I was your age, I didn't believe in vacations," Gates told graduates of Northern Arizona University in a commencement speech on Saturday. "You are graduating at a time of immense opportunity to help people," Gates told the graduates. Read Gates' full commencement speech on his blog.

☆ ValueAct loses its temper in 7-Eleven
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, May 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - ValueAct Capital’s chief Mason Morfit prefers to chide undervalued conglomerates behind closed doors. In its latest 151-page presentation, ValueAct took its case directly to shareholders, the second time it has seen fit to do so in its history. That highlights the U.S. fund’s frustration from its two-year long campaign calling for Seven & i to spin off its 7-Eleven convenience stores, among other things. That implies a standalone 7-Eleven could be worth 10 trillion yen, roughly a quarter more than its parent today. He may have a point, and in truth ValueAct has far more experience turning around technology companies than food retailers.

☆ Republicans dismiss fears that their debt ceiling bill would make the housing crisis worse for 1 million families as 'scaremongering'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

House Republicans' debt ceiling bill would cut significant funding from federal housing services. HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said the agency would suffer "the most devastating impacts in HUD's history" if the funding cuts in the bill are made law. He went on, "It's being positioned as congressional Republicans are heartless because they want to pass these spending cuts. "The House bill reduces spending to the levels we had in 2022. The last I checked, 2022 was not a horrid apocalypse sweeping across our country," Cruz told Insider on Wednesday.

☆ Donald Trump: Fresh January 6 convictions raise the stakes for the former president
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The first scene of his reelection announcement video released last month showed smoke rising over the US Capitol and rioters with Trump flags. The legal complications facing Trump and GarlandGiven the fraught situation, the Justice Department’s next moves will be hugely significant. Thursday’s Proud Boys convictions are among the most significant of hundreds of successful Justice Department prosecutions of people linked to the US Capitol riot. So while a prosecution of Trump and his closest political associates over January 6 could be tough, it may not be impossible. So for now, at least with GOP primary voters, what doesn’t convict Trump, makes him stronger.

☆ Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels. Wali wa kukaanga, KenyaWali wa kukaanga is Kenya’s answer to fried rice, and translates to just that in Swahili. So it’s no surprise that the Polynesian island country’s most popular rice dish, alaisa fa’apopo, has ties to the coconut, too. Thai fried rice (Khao Pad), ThailandThai fried rice uses the layering of flavors that's characteristic of the country's cuisine. ArenaCreative/Adobe StockWhen it comes to fried rice, the Chinese version tends to steal the spotlight.

☆ These Are the Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +16 min

By Lisa LombardiIf you’re a stomach sleeper, you’ve likely shopped for squishy, soft pillows in the past. That’s why finding the ideal pillow for stomach sleepers can prove to be difficult. It cushioned my head without allowing it to collapse into the mattress, like some other soft pillows do. Best upgrade pillow for stomach sleepersCozy Earth Silk Pillow $224 at Cozy Earth $ 299 Save $ 75 Silk-filled with a breathable bamboo cover, this pillow is a luxe pick for stomach sleepers who tend to overheat while they sleep. This flexibility proves particularly helpful for stomach sleepers, since getting the right loft is important to avoiding neck discomfort.

☆ Restaurant Brands beats quarterly estimates on higher pricing, traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Restaurant Brands International Inc (QSR.TO) beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter revenue and profit on Tuesday, boosted by higher prices and increased traffic at its Burger King and Tim Hortons chains. Restaurant Brands' Burger King chain has been able to attract younger customers to its restaurants through a newly released viral "Whopper Whopper" jingle. Restaurant Brands in February named its chief operating officer, Joshua Kobza, as CEO in a turnaround plan for its struggling Burger King brand. According to location analytics firm Placer.ai, Burger King saw positive week-over-week visit growth for the majority of weeks since January 2023. Excluding items, Restaurant Brands earned 75 cents per share, compared with estimates of 64 cents, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

☆ ‘Succession’ Season 4, Episode 6: Cool New Rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Noel Murray | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Roman’s initial response is to troll, by making a snide comment about the “incredibly evolved, ruthlessly segregated” community of Los Angeles. But Kendall is excited about them putting their own stamp on Waystar, and thinks these two firings may impress the markets. It’s a reasonable assumption too, because Kendall is in full Icarus mode throughout this episode. There are few things more entertaining in “Succession” than Kendall in a boss groove, tossing out big ideas and buzzy business jargon at a rapid clip. (“Numbers aren’t just numbers, they’re numbers,” Pete sputters.)

☆ California's fire season under way weeks after heavy rain and snow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Reuters) - Barely five weeks after the last bout of heavy rain and snow in California's historically wet winter, firefighters on Friday battled the state's first large wildfire of the year in rugged foothills east of Los Angeles. The blaze posed no immediate threat to populated areas as it burned steep terrain deep in the forest, agency spokesperson Lyn Sieliet said. Still, it marked the first blaze of the 2023 season measuring 100 acres or more, signaling the potential for extreme wildfire activity this summer and fall. Forecasters said a warming trend hastened a spring thaw following a spate of Pacific storms that pummeled California with torrential rains and mountain snow from late December until late March. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A year in Azerbaijan: From the Grand Prix to the ski slopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Words Cnn Staff | Photo Illustrations Woojin Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Anyone who has tuned in to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has seen a tantalizing glimpse of what the capital Baku has to offer. This year’s Grand Prix comes at the height of spring, often said to be Azerbaijan’s most beautiful season. Juan Vilata/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in spring Prev NextSummers in Azerbaijan are hot, so getting out of the city is a good idea. Alexander Melnikov/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in fall Prev NextWrap up, because even at its coldest Azerbaijan still has plenty to offer. You’ll learn much more at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

☆ Photos show SpaceX's Starship rocket blew a crater into its launchpad and flung concrete chunks hundreds of feet during liftoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SpaceX's Starship blew a huge hole in its launchpad during takeoff last week and scattered debris. Members of the public walk through a debris field around the Starship launchpad at SpaceX's facilities near Boca Chica, Texas. It was also missing a water-deluge system, which helps further reduce energy blast around the launch site during liftoff. Rocks and other debris fly around remote cameras as SpaceX’s Starship lifts off atop its Super Heavy booster for the first time. Last week's flight was the first time SpaceX launched a Starship rocket on top of it its Super Heavy booster.

☆ Burger King’s secret weapon against McDonald’s is the Whopper
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The plan is still in early stages: Burger King has invested $40 million as of the end of last year. At US Burger King locations open at least 13 months, sales jumped 5% in the quarter, thanks in part to the burger. “I don’t know what his place might be in the future.”The fast food war heats upFor Burger King, the Whopper is more than just a burger. But even if the Whopper isn’t all that different from other fast food burgers, it’s the one Burger King has got. For Burger King, “the challenge is you’re competing against McDonald’s, and McDonald’s is really good,” said Senatore.

NASA chief Bill Nelson tweeted: "Congrats to @SpaceX on Starship’s first integrated flight test! Looking forward to all that SpaceX learns, to the next flight test — and beyond." Musk, the founder, chief executive and chief engineer of SpaceX, said on Twitter that the next Starship test launch would be "in a few months." "Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months," he tweeted.

The pad and surrounding area were cordoned off well in advance of the test, SpaceX said. [1/7] SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft, atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket, explodes after its launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on a brief uncrewed test flight near Brownsville, Texas, U.S., April 20, 2023. "Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch," he tweeted. Still even a textbook test flight would have by design ended with crash landings of both portions of the spacecraft at sea.

☆ Everyone was wrong about how the pandemic would change shopping — here's how experts are betting on e-commerce now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The idea that e-commerce will keep growing forever, and betting on it will lead to an almost inevitable rising tide, didn't survive the pandemic. Public flame-outs of entire categories of startups, like ultra-fast deliveries and Amazon seller aggregators, have further demonstrated the boom-and-bust nature of pandemic e-commerce investing. Apple's recent moves to give consumers more online privacy has had ripples through the e-commerce ecosystem, leading investors to take a beat. E-commerce logistics — fulfillment and last-mile delivery — said Sloane is fairly well-saturated at this point, he said. For many retailers, the pandemic offered a harsh lesson in how integrated their stores and their websites weren't, she said.

NEW YORK, April 18 (Reuters) - Burger King is banking on its viral "Whopper Whopper" jingle to lift sales as part of the flagging fast-food chain's turnaround plan, as broader economic uncertainty pushed two big franchisees into bankruptcy. "I'm optimistic about the trajectory of sales in 2023," said U.S. and Canada Burger King president Tom Curtis in an interview, adding that the jingle's fervent success was "unanticipated." Unlike other fast-food chains like Subway that are consolidating restaurant ownership among fewer franchisees, Burger King is expanding the number of owners in its system. This year, two large U.S. Burger King franchisees that run more than 200 locations across at least 10 states have filed for bankruptcy, citing poor sales atop surging costs for labor and goods. "We don't want to diminish the importance of this crisis, but we also will leverage it to bring in new operators," Curtis said.

☆ This 1977 Nike memo that calls personal ambition a 'danger' and urges workers to 'fight the law' is getting renewed attention thanks to 'Air'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 1977, Nike executive Rob Strasser typed a list of 10 company "principles." The raw and unfiltered list captures the irreverence and combativeness of early Nike employees. It was republished after the April 2023 release of "Air," a movie about how Nike signed Michael Jordan. The list, which captures the irreverence and competitiveness of early Nike employees, once again is making the rounds on social media. One of them: "Be on the offense, always," a direct nod at Strasser's list, and a phrase that remains a favorite of Nike executives.

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