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☆ Southwest, pilots' union nearing preliminary labor deal - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Southwest airline pilots approach to land at San Diego International airport in San Diego, California, U.S., May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) and its pilots' union were nearing a new labor deal ahead of the holiday season, a person familiar with the negotiations said on Friday. The company remains committed to reaching a deal that rewards its pilots and places them competitively in the industry, it added. Earlier this year, major carriers American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines successfully reached agreements with their respective pilot unions. CNBC first reported that Southwest was nearing a new contract with the union.

Persons: Mike Blake, Pratyush Thakur, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Arun Koyyur Organizations: San Diego International, REUTERS, Southwest Airlines, Southwest, Transport Workers Union Local, American Airlines, United Airlines, CNBC, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Delta, Bengaluru, Chicago

To be sure, China is still Walmart's biggest country for importing goods. "We want the best prices," Andrea Albright, Walmart's executive vice president of sourcing said in an interview. Walmart has been accelerating growth in India since 2018, when it bought a 77% stake in Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart. Its rapidly growing workforce and technological advancement were a draw for Walmart, Albright said. The rising cost of shipping goods from China has also contributed to the switch to India, supply chain experts say.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Andrea Albright, we're, Albright, Doug McMillon, Narendra Modi, Modi, McMillon, Rajesh Kharabanda, Chris Rogers, Shekhar Gupta, Devgiri, Richa Naidu, Siddharth Cavale, Casey Hall, Manoj Kumar, Matthew Scuffham, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Companies Walmart, Reuters, Flipkart, Walmart Global Tech India, Indian, Amazon, Freewill, P, Thomson Locations: Teterboro , New Jersey, U.S, India, China, United States, Washington, Beijing, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangalore, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mundra Port, Gujarat

☆ 'Like Brothers': Rescued Indian Tunnel Workers Stayed Hopeful Through Ordeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

They went for daily walks and did yoga in the 2-km (1-mile) stretch of the highway tunnel in which they were trapped. But many said knowing they were not forgotten, and would be soon pulled out, was what really kept them hopeful and strong. "For the first day or so, everyone inside was very hopeless and sad," worker Birendra Kishku, 39, told Reuters. "We lived like brothers," Saba Ahmed, a worker of the private firm contracted to build the tunnel, told Modi. "My son was consoling me, telling me not to worry and assuring me that they would soon come out."

Persons: Saurabh Sharma CHINYALISAUR, Doctors, Birendra Kishku, Subodh Kumar Verma, Narendra Modi, Saba Ahmed, Modi, Sukanti Nayak, Raju, consoling, Jatindra, YP Rajesh, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Authorities, YP Locations: India, Rishikesh, Sukanti, Bhubaneswar

☆ 'Like brothers': rescued Indian tunnel workers stayed hopeful through ordeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

One of the trapped workers is checked out after he was rescued from the collapsed tunnel site in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 28, 2023. They went for daily walks and did yoga in the 2-km (1-mile) stretch of the highway tunnel in which they were trapped. But many said knowing they were not forgotten, and would be soon pulled out, was what really kept them hopeful and strong. A rescue mission is currently underway at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand to free 41 workers who are stuck inside following a landslide. "We lived like brothers," Saba Ahmed, a worker of the private firm contracted to build the tunnel, told Modi.

Persons: Doctors, Birendra Kishku, Subodh Kumar Verma, Narendra Modi, Saba Ahmed, Modi, Sukanti Nayak, Raju, consoling, Jatindra, YP Rajesh, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Authorities, YP, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India, Rishikesh, Sukanti, Bhubaneswar

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to exceed $12 billion, a record, as bargain hunters snap up deals on items including Barbie dolls, Lego sets, headphones and smart watches, according to preliminary estimates from Adobe Digital Insights. The estimate projects U.S. shoppers will spend $12 billion-$12.4 billion on Cyber Monday, the biggest U.S. online shopping day. At the top end, this would represent an 9.7% increase compared to the $11.3 billion spent on Cyber Monday last year. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days. On Monday, Walmart stepped up discounts on some clothing to 60%, up from the 50% it offered on Black Friday.

Persons: Barbie, Nancy Tengler, Eduardo Munoz, Matthew Katz, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis, Lincoln Organizations: Adobe Digital, Retailers, Adobe Analytics, Investments, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, SSA & Company, Walmart, Sizemore Capital Management, Target, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - ChatGPT owner OpenAI is not expected to offer Microsoft (MSFT.O) and other investors including Khosla Ventures and Thrive Capital seats on its new board, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. In a few tumultuous days last week, OpenAI ousted its CEO and founder Sam Altman without any detailed cause, setting off alarm bells among investors and employees. Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, is one of the biggest backers of OpenAI that operates ChatGPT, its viral generative AI chatbot. In response to a question on the OpenAI board, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We will wait until the board officially says something." OpenAI and Thrive did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Khosla declined to comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Thomas Hayes, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Satya Nadella, Khosla, Zaheer Kachwala, Mary Varghese, Kenneth Li, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Khosla Ventures, Reuters, CNBC, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru

☆ Indian rescuers say very close to reaching 41 men trapped in tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rescue operations continue as evening approaches, where workers got trapped in a tunnel construction collapse in Uttarkashi, northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 27, 2023. The men, low-wage workers from India's poorest states, have been stuck in the 4.5 km (3 miles) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it collapsed on Nov. 12. "Sure, 100%," he said when asked if the men could be reached on Tuesday. Rescuers on Monday brought in the "rat miners", experts at a primitive, hazardous and controversial method used mostly to get at coal deposits through narrow passages. Authorities have not said what caused the cave-in but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Deepak Patil, Narendra Modi's Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, YP Rajesh, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

☆ 'The most taboo topic I've ever seen': Inside Microsoft's war over the war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Viva Engage, Microsoft's slick message board designed to compete with Slack, is often touted as "Facebook for work." In October, according to internal messages viewed by BI, a Microsoft employee shared a post praising child tax credits as a way to reduce poverty. Employees with pro-Palestinian views have also used inflammatory language in their posts on Viva Engage. It has cut off the comments to Viva Engage posts it considered too incendiary. "It's important to recognize the pain and suffering of so many people, including our colleagues, as the events in Israel, Gaza, and the surrounding region continue to unfold," Nadella wrote.

Persons: Slack, —, Sandy Hook, chimed, George Floyd, Satya Nadella, Roe, Wade, Kathleen Hogan, Israel, Nadella, Benjamin Netanyahu, Charlie Bell, Scott Guthrie, Rajesh Jha, Microsoft's, Cherry, Davis Polk, Israel's, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Viva Engage, Facebook, Microsoft, Business, Engage, BI, Employees, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Harvard, Hamas, Wardwell, Ivy League, New York Times, Apple, Amazon Web Services Locations: Israel, Gaza, Uvalde, Columbia, Silicon Valley, America, Haifa, Herzliya , Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Palestine, Gaza . Harvard, Tel Aviv, Seattle

Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to reach as much as $12.4 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks data through Adobe's Experience Cloud service for e-commerce platforms. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST alone, it said. Other firms use different measurements to gauge purchases on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Salesforce, which tracks data flowing through its Commerce Cloud e-commerce service, said online sales on Cyber Monday were up by 4% by 4 p.m. EST, hitting $7 billion by late afternoon. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Salesforce, Eduardo Munoz, Brian Yacktman, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Adobe Digital, Adobe, Commerce, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, YCG Investments, Nike, Black, Sizemore Capital Management, Walmart, Amazon, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein files for U.S. IPO - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The fast-fashion giant has been working with at least three investment banks about a potential IPO and was in talks with the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, Reuters reported in July. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have been hired as lead underwriters on the offering, which could happen in 2024. the WSJ report said. Shein declined to comment to Reuters on the report. Fast-fashion has been gaining popularity in the United States with Shein partnering with SPARC Group, a joint venture between Forever 21 owner Authentic Brands (AUTH.N) and mall operator Simon Property (SPG.N), as the online fashion retailer and its rivals look to expand their market reach. Reporting by Pritam Biswas and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Shein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Didi Global's, Simon Property, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Reuters, JPMorgan, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Bengaluru

☆ After machines fail, 'rat miners' to help rescue 41 men stuck in Indian tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SILKYARA, India, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Rescuers on Monday brought in "rat miners" to drill through a narrow pipe and help pull out 41 construction workers trapped in a tunnel in the Indian Himalayas for more than two weeks after high-powered machines failed, officials said. The men, low-wage workers from India's poorest states, have been stuck in the 4.5km (3 miles) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it collapsed on Nov. 12. The men have been getting food, water, light, oxygen and medicines through a pipe but efforts to dig a tunnel have run into a series of snags with machines. "Rat mining" is a primitive, hazardous and controversial method used in India mostly to remove coal deposits through narrow passages. Mishra visited the site and spoke to the trapped men through a communication link.

Persons: Rakesh Rajput, Francis Mascarenhas, Harpal Singh, Mahmood Ahmad, Narendra Modi's, P.K, Mishra, Sakshi Dayal, YP Rajesh, Ed Osmond Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Government, Organisation, Authorities, YP, Thomson Locations: SILKYARA, India, Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi, Char, New Delhi

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have been hired as lead underwriters on the offering, and Shein could go public sometime in 2024, the sources said. Shein has been planning to go public for the last few years, but halted plans almost twice since then. The fast-fashion giant's decision now comes at a time when the broader market for new issues remains laggard. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles and trendier clothing. Shein's confidential IPO was first reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Monday.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Shein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Didi Global's, Simon Property, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Rishabh Jaiswal, Arun Koyyur, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, JPMorgan, chipmaker Arm Holdings, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Singapore, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Drilling snag delays rescue of 41 men stuck in Indian tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hindu priests pray at a makeshift shrine outside the entrance of a tunnel where workers are trapped after the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi, in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 23, 2023. The men, low-wage construction workers, have been confined in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12. Attempts to pull them out by drilling through the debris of rock, stones and metal and pushing through an evacuation pipe have been slowed by snags. The collapsed tunnel is on the Char Dham pilgrimage route, one of the most ambitious projects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. It aims to link four key Hindu pilgrimage sites with 890 km (550 miles) of two-lane road, at a cost of $1.5 billion.

Persons: Shankar Prasad Nautiyal, Rescuers, Deepak Patil, Narendra Modi's, YP Rajesh, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, snags, Reuters, National Highways Authority, YP, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

☆ Collapsed Indian tunnel had no safety exit, was built through geological fault - panel member
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Rahul Grover Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A tunnel which collapsed, trapping 41 workers in the Indian Himalayas this month, did not have an emergency exit and was built through a geological fault, a member of a panel of experts investigating the disaster said on Friday. Rescuers are still struggling to reach the construction workers 12 days after the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel caved in. Preliminary findings indicated the collapse may have been caused by a geological fault, known as a "shear zone", a member of the panel told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to the media. "Once the rescue operations are over, we will conduct detailed investigations to find out loopholes in the construction," the panel member said. The tunnel was being built by the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation which is under India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Persons: Rahul Grover, Vishal Chauhan, Narendra Modi's, Hemant Dhyani, Manoj Kumar, YP Rajesh, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Media, REUTERS, Highways, Infrastructure Development Corporation, India's Ministry of Road Transport, National Highways Authority of India, Supreme, Reuters, YP, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India, DELHI

☆ Indian rescue effort for 41 trapped in tunnel breaks through steel obstacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An ambulance arrives at the tunnel where workers are trapped after the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 23, 2023. Once the drilling is completed, officials plan to send rescuers through the evacuation pipe with stretchers on wheels to bring out the trapped men, they said. Authorities have not said what caused the tunnel collapse, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods. Efforts to bring the men out have been slowed by snags in drilling in the mountainous terrain. The collapsed tunnel is located on the Char Dham pilgrimage route, one of the most ambitious projects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Persons: Shankar Prasad Nautiyal, Bhaskar Khulbe, Khulbe, Narendra Modi's Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Wednesday, National Highways Authority, YP Rajesh, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

☆ Indian rescuers hope to reach 41 trapped in tunnel on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SILKYARA, India, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Rescuers in India hope to finish drilling through debris on Thursday and free 41 men trapped in a highway tunnel in the Himalayan region after a metal obstacle slowed progress, officials said. The men began the twelfth day of their ordeal confined in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12. Once the drill breaks through, officials said they plan to send rescuers through the evacuation pipe, using stretchers on wheels, to bring out the trapped men. [1/2]An ambulance arrives at the tunnel where workers are trapped after the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Shankar Prasad Nautiyal Acquire Licensing RightsA rescue mission is currently underway at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand to free 41 workers who are stuck inside following a landslide.

Persons: Atul Karwal, Bhaskar Khulbe, Shankar Prasad Nautiyal, Pushkar Singh, Gabbar Singh Negi, Saba Ahmed, Narendra Modi's, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Authorities, Force, Rescuers, REUTERS, National Highways Authority, YP, Thomson Locations: SILKYARA, India, Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi, Pushkar

☆ Macy's workers in Washington state to strike for three days from Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Macy's logo is pictured on the side of a building in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - More than 400 Macy's (M.N) workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website. The strike would be at three of Macy's busiest stores and the workers are expected to return to duty from 3 a.m. PT on Monday. As of Jan. 28, excluding seasonal employees, Macy's had 94,570 full-time and part-time employees, of which about 8% are represented by unions, a regulatory filing showed. The UFCW Local 3000 represents more than 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, healthcare, meat packing, cannabis and other industries in Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho.

Persons: Mike Blake, Macy's, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Seher, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Washington, Tukwila, Washington , Oregon, Idaho, Bengaluru

☆ Recalled WanaBana puree still on Dollar Tree shelves - US FDA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - The WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree, a product potentially contaminated with lead, was still being sold at Dollar Tree (DLTR.O) stores despite a recall that began last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday. In response to the FDA's Wednesday announcement, Dollar Tree said it had already instructed stores to remove the product from shelves and that they no longer sell that flavor on its website. The product was available nationally through multiple retailers including Amazon, Dollar Tree and other online outlets, the FDA said. Wanabana LLC, the maker of the product, and Amazon.com (AMZN.O) did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The FDA on Oct. 31 shared the results with Wanabana, which then initiated a voluntary recall.

Persons: Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Devika Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, North Carolina Department of Health, Human Services, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

The Nordstrom store is pictured in Broomfield, Colorado, February 23, 2017.REUTERS/Rick Wilking Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Nordstrom (JWN.N) missed Wall Street targets for third-quarter revenue on Tuesday as sticky inflation pressured consumer spending in the months leading up to the all-important holiday shopping season. "The consumer is phasing out their shopping ... they are shopping cheque to cheque," Jane Hali & Associates senior analyst Jessica Ramirez said. Nordstrom executives said in a post-earnings call that the active, beauty and accessories segments were leading sales growth. "They did not do as much discounting as expected, but that may have hurt the top-line sales ... especially at Nordstrom," said Morningstar analyst David Swartz. Best Buy and Kohl's had trimmed their annual sales expectations to account for difficult-to-predict consumer demand in an uncertain economy, but Nordstrom maintained its forecast.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Jane Hali, Jessica Ramirez, David Swartz, Nordstrom, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Devika Organizations: Nordstrom, REUTERS, Associates, Thomson Locations: Broomfield , Colorado, Nordstrom, Bengaluru

"In the more recent macro environment, consumer demand has been even more uneven and difficult to predict," Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said. U.S. holiday sales are expected to rise at its slowest pace in five years, according to data from the National Retail Federation, as Americans are likely to pull back on holiday shopping. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLast week, industry bellwether Walmart (WMT.N) warned of cautious consumer spending as the holiday shopping season gets underway. Retail executives said higher interest rates, inflation and a resumption in student loan repayments will keep consumer wallets under pressure. Still, some investors expect holiday sales starting Black Friday to hold "some positive surprises."

Persons: Corie Barry, Bing Guan, Fitch, David Silverman, Marvin Ellison, Thomas Hayes, Rachel Wolff, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Savyata Mishra, Granth Vanaik, Juby Babu, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: National Retail Federation, REUTERS, Walmart, Retail, Apparel, Abercrombie, Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, SoHo, New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Safety of Defence Personnel 'Utmost Priority', Australia Says After China Warship Incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The safety and wellbeing of Australian defence personnel is Canberra's "utmost priority" and Australia expects all countries to operate militaries in a safe and professional manner, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday. Wong's comments came a week after an incident involving a Chinese warship and an Australian navy vessel in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which an Australian military diver was injured. HMAS Toowoomba - a long-range frigate - was conducting a diving operation on Nov. 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner, Australia has said. India's relations with China have deteriorated since a 2020 border clash between their militaries in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed. Australia, she added, "will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must, and we will engage in our national interest".

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong's, Anthony Albanese's, Wong, Subrahmanyam, Richard Marles, YP Rajesh, Krishn Kaushik, Sharon Singleton Organizations: PLA Navy, Liberation Army Navy, PLA, Defence, Indian, YP Locations: DELHI, Australian, Japan's, New Delhi, Toowoomba, Australia, Beijing, Canberra, Ningbo, China, India

☆ Labor group seeks three board seats at Starbucks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the Starbucks Workers Union and other labor organization picket and hold a rally outside a company owned Starbucks store, during the coffee chain's Red Cup Day event in New York City, U.S., November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Starbucks Corp FollowNov 21 (Reuters) - The Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of North American labor unions, is seeking three board seats at Starbucks (SBUX.O), people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Workers at several Starbucks stores had walked off their jobs last week in a strike organized by the Workers United union during a key promotional event demanding improved staffing and schedules. It is affiliated to Service Employees International Union, which owns a small Starbucks stake and is part of the Strategic Organizing Center, the Wall Street Journal reported. The WSJ first reported about the Strategic Organizing Center's push for board seats.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Bayliss, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Starbucks Workers Union, REUTERS, Companies Starbucks Corp, Organizing, North, Reuters, Tuesday . Workers, Workers United, Service Employees International Union, Strategic Organizing, Wall Street Journal, Starbucks, ., U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, WSJ, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, North American, Bengaluru, Svea, New York

☆ First images from Indian tunnel show workers trapped for nine days
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SILKYARA, India, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The first images emerged on Tuesday of 41 men trapped for more than a week in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas, showing them standing in the confined space and communicating with rescue workers. Efforts to bring out the 41 men have been slowed by snags in drilling through the debris in the mountainous terrain. A rescue mission is currently underway at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand to free 41 workers who are stuck inside following a landslide. The trapped men are low-wage workers, most of them from poor states in India's north and east. "He said he is doing fine," Sunita Hembrom, the sister-in-law of one of the workers trapped in the tunnel, Surendra Kisko, told reporters after she spoke to him.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Abhishek Sharma, Sharma, Prem Pokhriyal, Sunita Hembrom, Surendra Kisko, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Authorities, YP, Thomson Locations: SILKYARA, India, Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi, India's

☆ Southwest, other US airlines face holiday travel test after 2022 blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Southwest Airlines planes are show at San Diego International airport in San Diego, California, U.S., May 18, 2023. The chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) found himself in the eye of a storm after a blizzard last December forced the company to cancel almost 17,000 flights, disrupting travel plans for about 2 million customers. With this week's U.S. Thanksgiving holiday kicking off the holiday travel season, Watterson can ill afford another fiasco. Airlines have taken measures to beef up winter operations including investments in weather forecast technology and de-icing equipment, and increased staffing and training. To make its winter operations more resilient, Watterson said Southwest invested in de-icing trucks and de-icing pads across its network.

Persons: Mike Blake, Andrew Watterson, Watterson, Constance von Muehlen, David Seymour, von Muehlen, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola Oladipo, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Southwest Airlines, San Diego International, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Transportation Department, Alaska Airlines, University of Washington, United Airlines, American Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, U.S, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Southwest, Seattle, Alaska, Newark , New Jersey, Congress, New York, Washington

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