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☆ Princess Charlotte turns 9! See the sweet photo from her parents to mark the occasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —A photograph of a beaming Princess Charlotte has been released by the Prince and Princess of Wales to mark her ninth birthday. The children, from left, are Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall and Mia Tindall. The Duchess of Cambridge/Getty Images The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a photo of Princess Charlotte to mark her ninth birthday on Thursday, May 2. Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images Princess Charlotte, William and Catherine's middle child, is seen in this handout photo released on May 1, 2021, a day before her sixth birthday. The Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images Princess Charlotte playfully sticks out her tongue while attending a King's Cup regatta with her mother in 2019.

Persons: Charlotte, Prince, Princess, “, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Prince Louis ’, Prince William, Kate, Kensington, It’s, Princess Charlotte, Charlotte’s, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince George, Prince Louis , Princess, Savannah, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall, Mia Tindall, Duchess, Wales, Wales Prince George, William, George, Samir Hussein, Barack Obama, Pete Souza, Carl Court, Prince George . The Duchess, Cambridge, Chris Jackson, Ben Stansall, Prince Louis, Louis, AP Prince Louis, Kate's, Catherine, Prince Harry, Meghan, Duchess of, Prince Archie, Archie, Toby Melville, Prince Archie of Sussex, Dominic Lipinski, Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice, Sienna, Prince Andrew . Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward, James, Earl of Wessex, Sophie, Lady Louise Mountbatten, Louise, Steve Parsons, Cousins Mia Tindall, Savannah Phillips, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Mia, Mike, Zara Tindall, Peter, Autumn Phillips, Max Mumby, Savannah's, Zara Tindall's, Lena, Zara, Lucas, ”, Queen Elizabeth II’s, King Charles ’, wasn’t, That’s, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Westminster Abbey, St, of England High, Getty, Kensington Palace, William, AP, Press Association, CNN’s Royal, Mary’s Locations: Wales, Windsor, Kensington, Sandringham, Norfolk, London, UK’s, Midlands, St Michael’s, Prince Louis , Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Cambridge, AFP, Duchess of Sussex, South Africa, Edinburgh, Mia, Savannah, Wellington, Charlotte, British, St

☆ India election 2024: The indelible ink behind the world’s biggest election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Dhruv Tikekar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Election Commission uses indelible ink, or “voter ink”, to prevent fraud or duplicate votes. Sujit Jaiswal/AFP/Getty ImagesMore than 960 million people are eligible to vote in India’s election, the world’s biggest. “Indelible ink serves no other purpose,” said Irfan. The company now supplies indelible ink to more than 35 countries, including to Ghana beginning in the late 1970s. However, Ghana’s election commission recently announced it would phase out the use of indelible ink, opting for biometric verification methods instead.

Persons: CNN CNN —, ”, K Mohammed Irfan, Manish Swarup, Deepika Padukone, Sujit Jaiswal, Irfan, “, Ornit Shani, Shani, ” Shani, Prakash Singh, MVPL, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Mukulika Banerjee, Rakesh Nair, Banerjee, haven’t, ‘ I’ve Organizations: CNN CNN, CNN, Getty, Universal, Bloomberg, London School of Economics, Reuters “ Locations: Neemrana, India, Mumbai, AFP, Mysuru, Karnataka, Chennai, Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, Mysore, Ghana, West Bengal

☆ Harry Potter: Original cover art for ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ to go on sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —J.K. Rowling’s 1997 novel “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was the beginning of what would become a worldwide phenomenon. Now, the original illustration for the first edition of the book is going on sale. Taylor’s cover was used for several translated versions of the book, the auction house said. The first edition of 1997 book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" -- which Taylor illustrated. The manuscript is one of six handwritten by the British author that was originally intended as gifts for people closely involved with the publication of “Harry Potter,” according to the release.

Persons: CNN —, Harry Potter, ”, Thomas Taylor, Harry Potter –, Sotheby's, “, “ Harry Potter, Taylor, Shutterstock Taylor Organizations: CNN, Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Heritage Auctions Locations: Sotheby’s, London, Dallas , Texas, New York, American, British

☆ Baltimore bridge insurer is reportedly set to write a $350 million check
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chubb, the Baltimore bridge insurer, is set to pay out $350 million, per The Wall Street Journal. The bridge's collapse in March killed six people and shut down the port of Baltimore. Chubb, the state of Maryland, and victims' families will likely sue the ship's owners, per the Journal. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe insurer of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is gearing up to issue a $350 million payout to the state of Maryland, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Persons: Chubb, Baltimore . Chubb, —, Francis Scott Key, Henry Daar, WTW, Daar, Dali, Chubb didn't Organizations: Street, Service, Barclays, Business Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, London

☆ TikTok agrees deal with Universal Music Group, bringing back the world’s biggest artists
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Ariana Grande, Adele and Rihanna will soon be back on TikTok, joining Taylor Swift after a deal with Universal Music Group ended a feud that saw one of the world’s biggest record labels pull its music from the video platform. The licensing agreement, announced Wednesday, means that within one to two weeks TikTok’s 1 billion-plus users will be able to use music by UMG artists in their videos. All videos featuring Universal artists’ music that had previously been muted because of copyright violations will be unmuted. “We are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a joint statement. Universal pulled its music off TikTok in February after the two companies failed to reach an agreement on royalty fees for Universal’s artists, who also include Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Justin Bieber.

Persons: London CNN — Ariana Grande, Adele, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Michael Nash, Shou Chew, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, TikTok, ” Organizations: London CNN, Universal Music Group, ”, UBS, Universal, TikTok, Poets Department Locations: TikTok

☆ Gen Z Status Symbol: Why Everyone Is Getting Botox Injections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The faces that hold social currency on social media — with fox-lift brows and buccal fat removed — are increasingly bleeding into real life. AdvertisementEven before the remote-work boom, writers noticed social media was shaping the way people looked. The shift from surgical procedures to minimally invasive injections has also made cosmetic work safer and more available to average people. "The gap between the identity we present on social media and the self we see in the mirror is growing," Widdows told me. As more people get cosmetic work done, the rest of us lose touch with what's normal.

Persons: it's, Z, It's, Heather Widdows, else's, Snapchat, Anne, Mette Hermans, Widdows, Gen Zers, Hermans, you've, we've Organizations: American Academy of, New Yorker, University of Warwick, American Psychological Association, Boston University School of Medicine, City University of London, Tilburg University Locations: Instagram, United States, Netherlands

☆ A Portrait Artist Fit for a King (but Not a President)
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Few famous Britons, it seems, can resist the chance to be painted by Jonathan Yeo. Yet when it came to painting his latest portrait, of King Charles III, the artist had to go to the subject. Mr. Yeo rented a truck to transport his 7.5-by-5.5-foot canvas to the king’s London residence, Clarence House. There, he erected a platform so he could apply the final brushstrokes to the strikingly contemporary portrait, which depicts a uniformed Charles against an ethereal background. The painting, which will be unveiled at Buckingham Palace in mid-May, is the first large-scale rendering of Charles since he became king.

Persons: Jonathan Yeo, David Attenborough, Yeo, King Charles III, Clarence House, Charles Locations: West London, Buckingham

☆ Saudi women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years in jail, rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Radina Gigova | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Human rights groups are calling for the release of a Saudi woman, who they say has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women’s rights and for the way she dressed. Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, was sentenced during a “secret hearing” before the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court on January 9, 2024, Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi rights organization ALQST said in a joint statement Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s authorities “must immediately and unconditionally” release Manahel al-Otaibi, as the decision to imprison her “directly contradicts the authorities’ narrative of reform and women’s empowerment,” Amnesty and ALQST said. “Manahel’s conviction and 11-year sentence is an appalling and cruel injustice,” said Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Saudi Arabia. Al-Otaibi’s sentencing comes “amid an intensified crackdown on free speech in Saudi Arabia, including online expression,” the groups said.

Persons: Manahel, ”, ALQST, Otaibi “, Al, Fawzia, “, Bissan Fakih, Otaibi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Saudi, United Nations, UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, London, Geneva, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

☆ Prince William and Kate Middleton released a new photo of Princess Charlotte for her birthday
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

To mark her birthday, Kensington Palace released a new photo of her taken by Kate Middleton. Nine years ago today, Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed Charlotte Elizabeth Diana at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London. Charlotte is the Prince and Princess of Wales' second child, and her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, are 10 and 6, respectively. Kensington Palace released a new photo of the princess on its social media channels to mark the occasion. "Happy 9th birthday, Princess Charlotte!"

Persons: Princess Charlotte, Kensington, Kate Middleton, Charlotte, —, Prince William, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Prince, Princess, Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis, jean, Kate, Louis, William, King Charles III's Organizations: Service, Mary's, Business, Mother's, Reuters, AP, Wimbledon Locations: Lindo, London, Kensington, cardigan

Banks jumped 0.8%, while oil and gas stocks retreated 1%. European stocks opened mixed on Thursday as global markets react to the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy decision and a slew of corporate earnings. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said it was unlikely that the central bank's next move will be a rate hike. Asia-Pacific markets were mostly higher overnight as traders reacted to the Fed's stance, while U.S. stock futures advanced as investors looked ahead to more corporate earnings due Thursday. Dutch bank ING was 5% higher in early deals after announcing a 2.5 billion euro ($2.7 billion) share buyback.

Persons: Banks, Jerome Powell, It's, Vestas, Hugo Boss Organizations: U.S, U.S . Federal, Dow, region's, Novo Nordisk, Shell, ING, AXA, ArcelorMittal Locations: London, U.S ., Asia, Pacific, Europe

☆ Citi just added these global stocks with over 30% upside to its ‘highest conviction ideas’ list
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. bank Citi refreshed its list of "highest conviction ideas" for Europe and recommended a specific trading strategy that investors can adopt right now. "The focus is on bottom-up ideas," Citi's analysts wrote in an Apr. The list also "highlights liquid names in which investors can build positions," the Citi analysts added. Citi's focus list delivered returns of 3.4% over the last 12 months and 5.4% in the past three months. Citi has a target price of £200 on the LSE-listed stock, giving it 34% potential upside.

Persons: —, Leonardo Citi, Leonardo, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Citi, U.K . Ministry of Defence, Revenue, London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, LSE Locations: Europe, U.S, Ireland, Australia, Italy

☆ Trade in Europe expected to be thinner on public holiday but Fed rate decision looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Light trading volumes are expected in Europe on Wednesday, with only London's FTSE index open, due to the May Day/Labor Day public holiday in the region. Nonetheless, global markets are focused on the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest interest rate announcement after the central bank's monetary policy committee concludes a two-day meeting later on Wednesday. The latest interest rate decision follows another hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation reading last Friday. S&P 500 futures slipped Tuesday night as investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's rate policy decision. In the Asia-Pacific region overnight, Australian and Japanese markets fell as investors braced for the Fed's rate decision.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: Labor, U.S, U.S . Federal Locations: Europe, U.S ., Asia, Pacific

☆ Aston Martin's losses nearly doubled on lower sales, but carmaker projects growth from new models
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Exhibition of Aston Martin DB11 during the Turin Motor Show 2018. LONDON — Luxury carmaker Aston Martin on Wednesday reported widening losses in the first quarter, as the company stopped production of its core models ahead of a launch a new range of vehicles later this year. Adjusted loss before tax nearly doubled to £110.5 million ($137.8 million) compared to a loss of £57.3 million in the previous year. Analysts had expected a £93 million first-quarter loss, according to Reuters. This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.

Persons: Aston Martin DB11, Aston Martin Organizations: Aston, Analysts, Reuters

☆ Opinion: If Trump wins, I might leave America for good
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In a growing number of cases, that reason can be traced to one proximate source — former President Donald Trump. Or more precisely — how he has torn apart America and our democracy that, for my nearly 80 years on this planet, I have cherished. To be sure, there are reasons for Americans to make the move beyond the prospects of a second Trump presidency. “There’s a feeling of safety that you have and a feeling of belonging in Mexico,” Kahn continued. But as a good American I went, ‘no, I don’t want to go to the hospital.

Persons: David A, CNN Paris CNN — I’ve, Donald Trump, Pamela, “, ‘, ’ ”, Adrian Leeds, Adrian, we’ve, ” Leeds, “ It’s, it’s, ” Patricia Casaburi, they’ve, ”, ” Tony Kahn, ” Kahn, Kahn, Gordon Kahn, J, Edgar Hoover, “ I’m, I’m, I’ve, he’s, Trump, Daniel Tostado, Skyler Schmanski, He’d, Schmanski, ’, ” Schmanski, Giorgia Meloni, you’re, Casaburi Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, CNN Paris CNN, Adrian Leeds Group, Citizen Solutions, Trump, PBS, NPR, America, Hollywood, FBI, Mexico City, Global Citizens Solutions Locations: Europe, Asia, Paris, France, Seine, Tuileries, America, London, Dubai, Mexico City, Mexico, ” Paris, Marseilles, American, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Brazilian

☆ Russia may not start an all-out war with NATO, but already has plans to destroy it from within
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Late last year, Poland's national security agency estimated that Russia could attack NATO within three years. AdvertisementBut whether Putin really does intend to attack NATO and what an attack might look like remains unclear. In March, Putin denied having any plans to attack NATO members, describing such claims as "complete nonsense." "So, his ambition in growing is not going to be that he will attack NATO and NATO countries next year. A covert war is already underwayRussia, some point out, is already engaged in a war with NATO, albeit covertly.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, NATO Putin, Philip Ingram, Ingram, Ruth Deyermond, Bryden Spurling, Robert Dover, Spurling, that's, SERGEY BOBOK, Russia's Organizations: Service, Poland's, Business, Bild, NATO, Germany isn't, Ukraine, King's College London, RAND Corporation, University of Hull, European NATO, RAND, Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Washington, Russian, NATO, European, Kharkiv, Soviet Union

☆ Some Gazans Say U.S. Campus Protests Give Them ‘Hope’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Hiba Yazbek | More About Hiba Yazbek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Thousands of miles away from the campus protests that have divided Americans, some displaced Palestinians are expressing solidarity with the antiwar demonstrators and gratitude for their efforts. “Thank you, American universities,” read one message captured on video by the Reuters news agency. “Thank you, students in solidarity with Gaza your message has reached” us, read another nearby. The protesters have been calling for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel, and some have vowed not to back down. “I’ve lived my whole life in Gaza Strip and I’ve never felt hope like now,” said Ms. Owda.

Persons: ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mohammed al, Akram al, Bisan, “ I’ve, I’ve, Owda, Nader Ibrahim Organizations: Reuters, Columbia University, Al, Azhar University Locations: Rafah, Gaza, United States, Israel, America, London

☆ Tesla axes electric vehicle charging team
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London/New York CNN —Tesla has abruptly fired the team running its electric vehicle charging business, raising doubts about the future of one of the largest US charging networks, which other carmakers, such as General Motors and Ford, have said they will also use. Tesla “has let our entire charging org go,” William Navarro Jameson, strategic charging programs lead at Tesla, wrote on X. Following an invitation by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, virtually every big automaker in the United States has committed to making EVs compatible with Tesla’s charging technology, now known as the North American Charging Standard. In response, major EV charging providers such as Electrify America and EVgo have also announced they will begin building chargers with NACS cables. “What this means for the charging network, NACS and all the exciting work we were doing across the industry, I don’t yet know,” Jameson wrote in his post.

Persons: New York CNN — Tesla, Tesla “, ” William Navarro Jameson, Lane Chaplin, Tesla, Elon Musk, ” Jameson, Musk, Dan Ives, ” Organizations: New York CNN, Motors, Ford, The, Tesla, American, EV, Wedbush Securities, CNN Locations: London, New York, United States, America

☆ Crater offers new clue near-Earth asteroid is really a piece of the moon, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The space rock, known as 2016 HO3, is a rare quasi-satellite — a type of near-Earth asteroid that orbits the sun but sticks close to our planet. Astronomers first discovered it in 2016 using the Pan-STARRS telescope, or Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, in Hawaii. Scientists call the asteroid Kamo’oalewa, a name derived from a Hawaiian creation chant that alludes to an offspring traveling on its own. Kamo’oalewa specimen: A connecting puzzle pieceStudying crater impacts on the moon can also help scientists better understand the consequences of asteroid impacts should a space rock pose a threat to Earth in the future. There’s no other place, no other planet in our solar system with a moon like our moon.

Persons: they’ve, Giordano Bruno, Yifei Jiao, ”, Erik Asphaug, Kamo’oalewa, “ You’d, Asphaug, ” Jiao, ” Asphaug, Renu Malhotra, China’s, Patrick Michel, Noah Petro, Artemis III, Petro, “, ” Petro, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Survey Telescope, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, Tsinghua University, University of, London, NASA, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, National Centre for Scientific Research, Reconnaissance, Artemis Locations: Hawaii, Beijing, “, France

☆ I moved my family to Spain where childcare is 3 times cheaper than the UK. I'm happier and healthier, and I landed a better job.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I moved with my family to Spain, where I'm from, after living in the UK for two years. I'm much happier and healthier than I was, and I can see us here for the next 10 years. Some parents can pay as little as 300 euros, which is around $320, a month for one child. Childcare was a big factor, but we also wanted to be near my family and have more of a support network. People are warmer and more caring toward children than they were in the UK, though maybe it's just expressed differently.

Persons: —, Sara Bustillo de Castro, I'd, I'm Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Madrid, Spain, Paris, France, Cambridge, London

☆ Barclays says it doesn't invest in defence firms supplying Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Palestinian flag is held by a cash machine during Dorset Palestine Solidarity Campaign's protest outside the branch of Barclays Bank, April 20, 2024 in Dorchester, United Kingdom. Barclays does not invest in companies that supply weapons used by Israel in Gaza, the British bank said on Wednesday, after one of its branches in London's financial district was targeted by pro-Palestinian activists. The bank has also faced criticism for providing financial services to defence firms that produce equipment used by the Israeli Defence Force. "We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do," the lender said on its website. We are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a 'shareholder' or 'investor' in that sense in relation to these companies," it said.

Organizations: Dorset Palestine Solidarity, Barclays Bank, Barclays, Israeli Defence Force, NATO, New York City, Columbia University campus, University of California, UCLA Locations: Dorset, Dorchester , United Kingdom, Israel, Gaza, Moorgate, London, U.S, New York, Los Angeles

☆ Interest rates staying where they are is a forgone conclusion, but the Fed's decision day still matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, what another delay to interest rate cuts means for a market banking on them. The big storyThe waiting game continuesChip Somodevilla/Getty Images; BISpoiler alert: The Federal Reserve won't be lowering interest rates today. The official announcement won't come until this afternoon, but interest rates staying where they are is a forgone conclusion. The CME FedWatch Tool, which calculates the probability of the Fed's decision based on interest rate traders, has the odds of rates staying untouched at 97.5%.) Talk of cutting interest rates has been going on for the better part of a year.

Persons: —, it's, doesn't, We'll, Chip Somodevilla, Jerome Powell, Matt Rourke, Sarah Silbiger, Alyssa Powell, CME's, aren't, Powell, Erin Schaff, Paul Krugman, Donald Trump's, Krugman, Trump, Marko Kolanovic, Rebecca Zisser, Instagram, Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Amazon, Emma Tucker's, Steve Bannon, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, Stagecoach, Trump, Tech, Investors, Bloomberg, Getty, The New York Times, Hunterbrook, JPMorgan, Adobe, Wall Street Journal, Staff, eBay, Pfizer, Google Locations: stagflation, New York, London

☆ Exclusive: 11x, a London-based AI startup that builds automated digital workers, is raising money from US fund Benchmark
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

11x, a London-based AI startup that creates automated digital workers, has raised funding from US investing giant Benchmark Capital. The company aims to provide businesses with "digital AI workers" that can complete repetitive and mundane tasks to free up employees to focus on other things. The startup has raised a Series A round of funding, led by US fund Benchmark, four sources familiar with the discussions told Business Insider. Related stories11x's deal was led by Benchmark general partner Sarah Tavel, who will join the startup's board. The startup created a digital sales worker named Alice and plans to release several other digital workers in the future.

Persons: Hasan Sukkar, Sarah Tavel, Uber, Alice, Slack Organizations: Benchmark, Business, US, Bessemer Venture Partners, Twitter, Benchmark Capital, Google, Project A, Ventures, Tiny Ventures, LinkedIn Locations: London, Syrian, Europe, Syria

☆ Musk lays off Tesla senior executives in fresh job cuts, The Information reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk reacts during an in-conversation event with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on Nov. 2, 2023. Elon Musk has dismissed two Tesla senior executives and plans to lay off hundreds more employees, frustrated by falling sales and the pace of job cuts so far, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing the CEO's email to senior managers. Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of the electric vehicle maker's Supercharger business, and Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, will leave on Tuesday morning, the report said. Musk also plans to dismiss everyone working for Tinucci and Ho, including the roughly 500 employees who work in the Supercharger group, The Information said. Tesla, which had 140,473 employees globally as of end-2023, did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Rishi Sunak, Rebecca Tinucci, Daniel Ho, Musk, Ho, Rohan Patel, Tinucci, — Patel, Drew Baglino — Organizations: British Locations: London, China, Beijing, India

☆ Volkswagen’s electric car orders double in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Volkswagen’s orders for electric vehicles shot up in Europe in the first quarter of 2024 compared with a year ago, countering suggestions that drivers may be losing interest in EVs. New orders for electric cars more than doubled in Europe, Volkswagen said in an earnings statement Tuesday. He acknowledged, however, that the pace of EV sales growth in Europe and the United States had been slower than the German carmaker had originally anticipated. As for Volkswagen’s EV deliveries, they declined 16% in Europe in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2023. “With these actions and our highly profitable combustion engine car business, we are well-prepared to continue to play a leading role in China,” Antlitz said.

Persons: London CNN —, Arno Antlitz, carmaker, ”, Antlitz, ” Antlitz Organizations: London CNN, Volkswagen, Europe’s, CNN, EV, ” Locations: Europe, EVs ., United States, China

☆ Alysia Montaño is set to be upgraded to a bronze medal after her rivals doped. That still feels like a ‘stab in the gut’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Receiving a first Olympic medal is supposed to be a momentous and exhilarating occasion for every athlete but not Alysia Montaño. “A stab in the gut, in the heart, really,” is how she describes her supposed moment of triumph. In the days after learning that she could be awarded a bronze medal, Montaño says that her emotions oscillated from joy to sadness to something akin to grief. Savinova celebrates her winning gold at the London Olympics, a title of which she was later stripped. Montaño being awarded her bronze medal from the 2013 world championships in 2019.

Persons: vacantly, “, ” Montaño, – Mariya Savinova, Ekaterina Guliyev, Ekaterina Poistogova, Pamela Jelimo, Montaño, Stu Forster, Savinova, Guliyev, Olivier Morin, huff, –, Adam Nelson, Mustafa Abumunes, ”, wouldn’t Organizations: CNN, Doping Agency, London Olympics, Getty, Athletics Integrity Unit, Turkish Athletic Federation, London, Doha, Clif, ” CNN, International Olympic Committee, US Olympic, Paralympic, New York Times, Nike Locations: Cleveland, American, London, Russia’s, Turkey, AFP, Qatar, Los Angeles, Burger, Paris

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