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☆ Activists bombard British Museum’s social media with calls for return of Easter Island statue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The British Museum is facing renewed calls to return a huge moai statue to Easter Island, sparked by a social media campaign by Chilean activists. “Comments were only deactivated on one social media post,” a museum spokesperson told CNN in a statement Monday. The social media campaign is the latest stage in efforts to get it back to Easter Island. A museum spokesperson told CNN that other initiatives involving representatives from Easter Island had taken place at the British Museum in 2022 and 2023. The British Museum, like other cultural institutions across the Western world, is facing calls to return many artifacts to their place of origin.

Persons: Mike Milfort, “, ”, Neil Hall, el, Gabriel Boric, Adrian Dennis, ” Boric, Queen Victoria, Rapu, London’s Victoria Organizations: London CNN, British, Islanders, British Museum, CNN, Radio Chiloé, Getty, London’s, Albert Museum, Asante Locations: Easter, Chilean, Rapa, Pascua, Eastern, AFP, Chile, London, Rapa Nui, Ghana, Manhyia, Kumasi

☆ Walmart shrunk by at least 101 locations last year — a smart move for what's next
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart quietly reduced its store count in 2023 even though the company was doing really well. In addition to closing underperforming stores, the retailer sold at least 79 small-format locations. Given what Walmart has planned for the next few years, the move away from smaller locations makes sense. "Walmart has always struggled with smaller stores," Saunders said. In addition to new stores, many existing locations are being upgraded to Walmart's "store of the future" concept, including 650 projects this year.

Persons: —, spokespeople, Doug McMillon, Scot Ciccarelli, Ciccarelli, Neil Saunders, Saunders, it's, Walmart's Organizations: Walmart, Service, BI, Goods, Truist Securities

☆ BAFTA Award winners list
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Christopher Nolan-directed award season favorite led the nominees with 13 nods this year and won seven awards, including director, lead actor and the coveted best film award. “Poor Things” was the other stand-out winner of the ceremony with five wins, including Emma Stone’s award for lead actress. “The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph continues to dominate the supporting actress category through this award season cycle. Thanking her co-star Paul Giamatti while accepting her BAFTA, Randolph said, “Gosh, I cry every time I say your name. See below for a full list of BAFTA nominees and winners.

Persons: CNN — “ Oppenheimer ”, Christopher Nolan, Nolan, ”, Emma Stone’s, “, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Giamatti, Randolph, “ Gosh, Jonathan Glazer, Barbie, Maestro ”, Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Michael J, Fox, Prince William, Catherine , Princess of Wales, King Charles ., “ Oppenheimer ”, Napoleon ” “, Wonka, Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer, Melinda Sue Gordon, Andrew Haigh, Justine Triet, Alexander Payne, ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Christopher Nolan, Cord Jefferson, ” –, “ Oppenheimer, Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, “ Barbie ” David Hemingson, Josh Singer, “ Maestro ” Celine Song, Barry Keoghan, Saltburn ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Cillian Murphy, “ Oppenheimer ” –, Colman Domingo, “ Rustin ” Paul Giamatti, ” Teo Yoo, Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, “ Maestro ” Emma Stone, Fantasia Barrino, Margot Robbie, “ Barbie ” Sandra Hüller, Vivian Oparah, Dominic Sessa, Jacob Elordi, Saltburn, Paul Mescal, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr, Ryan Gosling, “ Barbie, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Claire Foy, Danielle Brooks, Emily Blunt, Rosamund Pike, Sandra Hüller, Robbie Robertson, Ludwig Göransson, Jerskin Fendrix, ” Anthony Willis, “ Saltburn ” Daniel Pemberton, Jacqueline Durran, “ Barbie ” Jacqueline West, Dave Crossman, Janty Yates, “ Napoleon ” Ellen Mirojnick, Holly Waddington, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa, Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora, Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper, Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke, Henry Badgett, Charley Henley, Ewen Martin, “ Napoleon, Tim, Simon Hughes, Dean Koonjul, Jane Paton, Hair Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy, Bell, “ Maestro ” Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon, “ Napoleon ” Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston, Laurent Sénéchal, Thelma Schoonmaker, Jennifer Lame, Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ” Paul Watts, Rodrigo Prieto, Matthew Libatique, Maestro ” Hoyte van, Robbie Ryan, Kahleen Crawford, Susan Shopmaker, Isabella Odoffin, Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes, Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser, “ Ferrari ” Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic, Maestro ” Chris Burdon, James H, Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor, Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A, Rizzo, Johnnie Burn, ” “ Gorka, Phoebe Dynevor Ayo, Jacob Elordi Mia Mckenna, Bruce –, Sophie Wilde Organizations: CNN, Royal Festival Hall, Universal, BAFTA, Screen, Netflix, BBC, “ Society, Fox, Universal Pictures, Searchlight, “ Guardians, “ Locations: London, England, British, “

☆ Free Shipping and Free Returns From Online Shopping Are Dying. Good.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Well, if you’ve ever bought stuff online and received free shipping or returns, you’ve also been a little bit of a jerk — and now it’s time to pay up. Fast, free shipping and easy, no-cost returns have become a baseline expectation in the modern online shopping experience. Instead of fighting for market share by offering free shipping and no-hassle returns, retailers are trying to squeeze more money out of every transaction. Free shipping is not actually free . Returns are a necessary and inevitable part of online shopping.

Persons: you’ve, —, ASOS, ” Neil Saunders, hasn’t, Emily Stewart Organizations: National Retail Federation, Appriss, Urban Outfitters, Saks, Amazon, Retailers, Business Locations: Zara, J.Crew, what’s

☆ At Rally in Michigan, Trump Lashes Out at Judge Who Fined Him $355 Million
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump vented about his latest legal defeat to freezing supporters at a Michigan rally on Saturday night, a day after a New York judge fined him nearly $355 million plus interest in his civil fraud case. The Republican front-runner for his party’s presidential nomination, Mr. Trump denied that he had conspired to manipulate his net worth, which he was found liable of by Justice Arthur F. Engoron in a ruling that could wipe out Mr. Trump’s entire cash stockpile. “This judge is a lunatic,” he said in his opening salvo at his rally, held inside an airport hangar in Oakland County about 30 miles from Detroit. Mr. Trump used a similar line of attack against Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, who had accused him of exaggerating his wealth in the lengthy case. Barred by the judge for three years from serving in top roles at any New York company, including portions of his own Trump Organization, Mr. Trump cast aspersions on the justice system and said he had been persecuted.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Justice Arthur F, ”, Letitia James Organizations: Republican, Trump Organization, Mr Locations: Michigan, York, Oakland County, Detroit, New, New York

☆ Election 2024 As Trump heads to Michigan, the state G.O.P. is in disarray.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

“We are the Michigan G.O.P.,” Mr. Hoekstra said in an interview on Friday. On Thursday night, Ms. Karamo sought to address her leadership status at a Republican gathering in Oakland County near Detroit. A video recorded by The Detroit News showed her being heckled as party leaders elected delegates for next month’s state convention. At the Karamo-aligned event, a projector displayed a logo for the county’s Republican Party. did not immediately respond to requests for comment about what would happen if rival slates of Michigan delegates showed up at the convention.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Pete Hoekstra, Kristina Karamo, Hoekstra, ” Mr, “ Kristina Karamo, Mr, ” “, ”, Karamo, “, Ole ’, we’ve, ” Ms, Patrick Van Katwijk, Fred Krymis, Rod Halcomb, Emily Elconin, Kelly Sackett, Matthew DePerno Organizations: Republicans, Trump, Republican National Committee, Republican, Democratic, Republican Party, Republican National, Agence France, Michigan, The Detroit News, Baptist Church, county’s Republican Party, Michigan Republicans, The New York Times, Kalamazoo, Republican National Convention Locations: Michigan, Waterford Township, Detroit, Western Michigan, Netherlands, Oakland County, Kalamazoo County, Scotts, Mich, Kalamazoo

☆ With Prison Certain and Death Likely, Why Did Navalny Return?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

There was one question that Russians repeatedly asked the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, who died in a remote Arctic penal colony on Friday, and he confessed that he found it a little annoying. Why, after surviving a fatal poisoning attempt widely blamed on the Kremlin, had he returned to Russia from his extended convalescence abroad to face certain imprisonment and possible death? Even his prison guards, turning off their recording devices, asked him why he had come back, he said. “I don’t want to give up either my country or my beliefs,” Mr. Navalny wrote in a Jan. 17 Facebook post to mark the third anniversary of his return and arrest in 2021. If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them.

Persons: Aleksei A, “, ” Mr, Navalny, ” Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Russia

☆ New moon mission will attempt to make a historic landing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Relying on his ace piloting skills, Armstrong manually navigated to a safe landing site, with only 30 seconds of fuel left. NASAAfter launching early Thursday morning, the Odysseus lunar lander, or “Odie,” is on a historic journey to the moon. The mission, developed by NASA and Houston-based Intuitive Machines, will aim to land near the lunar south pole on February 22. Ocean secretsResearchers created a 3D model of the submerged stone wall as it appears on the seafloor in Germany’s Bay of Mecklenburg. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: CNN —, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Armstrong, it’s, Odie, ”, Jeff Koons, Artemis III, Charles Darwin, Dr, John van Wyhe, Darwin, . Hoy, J . Auer, LAKD, “, Gaurav, Gaurav Ramnarayanan, Uma Ramakrishnan, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Darwin, National University of Singapore, University of Rostock, Wildlife, National, for Biological Sciences, Space Station, CNN Space, Science Locations: United States, Houston, Germany’s Bay, Mecklenburg, Bay, Baltic, SS Arlington, Superior, Denmark, Lincoln , Nebraska, British Columbia

☆ J.Lo's director breaks down the wildest details in 'This Is Me...Now,' from casting actors as her exes to that cameo-laden 'zodiac council'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

For Meyers, Lopez's "emotional journey" is the connective thread, transforming a series of eclectic events into a complete story arc. Later, Jane Fonda (Sagittarius) compares Lopez's love life to a 4 a.m. "Vanderpump Rules" marathon. AdvertisementIn this scene, Lopez ties the knot with three different men at identical wedding ceremonies. In fact, Meyers said he and Lopez were careful to cast actors who didn't "accidentally depict" a real person from Lopez's life. She's unapologetic about what she's been through, and she's very happy where she is now."

Persons: —, Jennifer Lopez, She's, Shakira, Ben Affleck, Dave Meyers, Lopez, Ja, Pink Floyd, Jen, Fat Joe, Meyers, Variety, Affleck, couldn't, You've, Jen's, we're, Keke Palmer, Malone, Leo, Jane Fonda, Trevor Noah, Libra, Neil deGrasse Tyson, " Meyers, there's, scoff, They're, Tony Bellissimo, Derek Hough, Trevor Jackson, she's Organizations: Service, Super, Business, Zodiac Council, Zodiac, Love AA Locations: Bolivia

☆ Despite Japan’s economic recession, Asian stocks rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Diksha Madhok | Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong/New Delhi CNN —Japan’s stock market defied gloomy economic data to rally Friday, lifting broader Asian shares and ending the week on a buoyant note. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed above 38,000 points for the second day in a row, just a whisker off its historic peak reached in December 1989. “If anything, the window of opportunity created by the weak yen is encouraging international investors, as they suspect it will close soon,” he added. The MSCI’s broadest index of Asian shares excluding Japan closed more than 1% higher. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 closed at a record high of 5,029.73 Thursday as US stocks bounced back from steep losses earlier this week.

Persons: ”, Neil Newman, Stephen Innes, Austan Goolsbee, Innes, Korea’s Organizations: Hong Kong / New Delhi CNN, Analysts, Japan, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Fed, Chicago Fed Locations: Hong Kong / New Delhi, Tokyo, United Kingdom, Asia, Pacific, New York, China

Mr. Biden, who promised to visit soon after the disaster, has faced criticism from Republicans and some residents for not going sooner. “The town is still very divided,” said Misti Allison, a 35-year-old resident of East Palestine, a small town in a conservative state. Even the invitation for Mr. Biden to visit from the mayor of East Palestine, Trent Conaway, carried a hint of the division. Mr. Conaway has also criticized Mr. Biden for allowing former President Donald J. Trump to visit the community of about 5,000 before him. “We’re getting tired,” said Jami Wallace, who formed the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment to keep track of the response and the community’s concerns.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, ”, Misti Allison, ” Mr, Mr, ” Karine Jean, Pierre, Ms, Jean, Barack Obama, Trent Conaway, Conaway, Donald J, Trump, ” Mike Young, “ You’re, Timothea, Deeter, “ That’s, “, ” Ms, Pierre said, “ We’re, Jami Wallace Organizations: Trump, Mr, Norfolk Southern, Environmental Protection Agency, White House, Unity Council, East Locations: East Palestine , Ohio, “, East Palestine, Norfolk, Ohio, Flint, Mich, America

The news of Mr. Navalny’s death shocked many at the conference and could add new urgency to the discussion. Ms. Harris said at the start of her address to the conference — which had already been expected to focus on Russia — that the United States was still trying to confirm the reports of Mr. Navalny’s death, but that it held Russia’s government responsible. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Mr. Biden told reporters after meeting with Mr. Putin in Geneva in 2021. “What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?” Mr. Biden continued. “I saw Yulia Navalnaya and Leonid Volkov last night here in Munich,” said Michael McFaul, a former American ambassador to Moscow.

Persons: Aleksei A, Yulia Navalnaya, clampdown, Navalnaya, Leonid Volkov, Kamala Harris, Antony J, Blinken, Vladimir V, Putin, Navalny’s, Harris, ”, Mr, Biden, Navalny, “, ” Mr, it’s, Ms, Michael McFaul, Aleksei, ” Edward Wong Organizations: Munich Security Conference, ” Locations: Munich, Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, United States, Geneva, American

Maxar Technologies Visual Investigations The $2.8 Billion Hole in U.S. Sanctions on Iran A Times investigation reveals how lax government oversight allowed shadowy oil tankers, covered by American insurance, to fund Iran’s regime. The American Club is one of only 12 major insurers of its kind, and the only one based in the United States. By then, the tankers had transported at least $2.8 billion in crude oil, based on the lowest reported prices of Iranian oil in 2023. The Treasury office has publicly enforced sanctions on the American Club only once in the past 20 years. Ultimately, the office said the American Club did “not appear to have been willful or reckless” and the case was settled.

Persons: Biden, ”, penna gabrielle toyomi, penna selene gabrielle, gabrielle, selene, lisa marianne selene, Samir Madani, Maggie Hassan, Daniel Tadros, “, Mr, Tadros, Shipowners, ” Mr, Madani of TankerTrackers.com, David Tannenbaum Organizations: Maxar, Maxar Technologies, Sanctions, U.S, White, New York Times, Times, Treasury Department, American Club, Treasury, cathay kirin, Copernicus, Planet Labs, Star, American, The Times, Revolutionary Guards Corps, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Club’s, Hamas, Bloomberg, United Against Nuclear, Nuclear, Glory, United, National Iranian Tanker, Labs, Copernicus Sentinel, Club, International Maritime Organization, AIS, Spire Locations: Gulf of Oman, American, U.S, Iran, New York, New Hampshire, United States, Hong Kong, Kharg, Kpler, China, Israel, Yemen, United Against Nuclear Iran, Nuclear Iran, United Arab Emirates, Asaluyeh, Dubai, of Oman, Persian, Oman, Cuba, Sudan, MarineTraffic, SynMax, TankerTrackers.com

☆ Jane Fonda cameos in Jennifer Lopez’s ‘This Is Me… Now’ alongside Sofía Vergara, Kim Petras
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Fonda’s “Council” also contains other stars in cameo appearances, including Post Malone, Kim Petras, Sofía Vergara, Keke Palmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jay Shetty, Jenifer Lewis, Sadhguru and Trevor Noah. Lopez and Fonda starred together in the 2005 comedy “Monster In Law,” a crowd-pleasing rom-com costarring Wanda Sykes that heralded Fonda’s return to making movies after a prolonged absence. Courtesy Prime VideoOther stars featured in the movie include Fat Joe and Lopez’s husband Ben Affleck. Lopez will also release an accompanying documentary, titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” on the streaming platform on February 27. If that weren’t enough, the star also announced an upcoming tour this week, to kick off this summer.

Persons: CNN —, Jennifer Lopez’s, ” Jane Fonda, Fonda’s, ”, Post Malone, Kim Petras, Sofía Vergara, Keke Palmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jay Shetty, Jenifer Lewis, Sadhguru, Trevor Noah, Lopez, Fonda, Wanda Sykes, ” Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Joe, Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford Organizations: CNN, Zodiacal, Post

☆ Egypt Setting up Area at Gaza Border Which Could Be Used to Shelter Palestinians-Sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

One of the sources said Egypt was optimistic talks to clinch a ceasefire can avoid any such scenario, but is establishing the area at the border as a temporary and precautionary measure. War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 ImagesThree security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step. Israel has said its army is drawing up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other parts of the Gaza Strip. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said: "The president has been clear that we do not support the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. The Gaza war has piled pressure on relations between Egypt and Israel, which signed a peace deal in 1979.

Persons: Jordan, Martin Griffiths, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Avi Dichter, Dichter, Al Mawasi, General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Sameh Shoukry, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair, Neil Fullick Organizations: Reuters, United, Egypt's, Service, Sinai Foundation, Human Rights, Israeli, U.S . State Department, ABC News, Israel's Army, Arab League Locations: Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, Cairo, Sinai, United States, Israel, ISRAEL, U.S, The U.S, Jordan

☆ Target creates its cheapest in-store brand as spending dips
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Target is taking aim at budget-conscious customers with a new value brand with prices for everyday basics that start at less than $1. Most of the items cost less than $10, with the cheapest coming in under $1. The entrance of Dealworthy means a shakeup of two other Target budget-focused brands that it produces: Smartly and Up&Up. The former, which largely focused on household essentials like soap and trash bags, will be discontinued and replaced by Dealworthy items. Up&Up, another affordably priced Target brand, is getting a redesign and will be priced slightly higher than Dealworthy.

Persons: Rick Gomez, ” Neil Saunders, ” Saunders, “, Smartly Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target, Walmart, GlobalData, CNN, “ Locations: New York

☆ Russia Hides Its War Toll. We Pieced Together the Clues.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | More About Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The true casualty toll in Russia from its invasion of Ukraine is an enduring secret of the war. The Kremlin maintains a policy of silence, and many Russians do not speak publicly for fear of repercussions. But the number of Russians wounded in combat is believed to be staggering. What Russians sayOne senior Russian official estimated that amputees represented more than half of those seriously wounded. The New York Times interviewed five wounded Russian soldiers and the relatives of others to learn more about what happens to the vast numbers of injured, coming home to inconsistent treatment and little discussion of them.

Persons: amputees Organizations: Pentagon, U.S, Russian, New York Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine

Clarkson about “Madame Web” was that this was a superhero who did not have superhuman strength. Clarkson had long admired Dakota Johnson as an actor and was thrilled to get the chance to direct her. “It was important to me that we didn’t sort of, like, take ourselves too seriously. It really was a bit like clairvoyance for her in that she didn’t actually get to see it,” Clarkson said. But for Johnson and Clarkson, the ultimate goal to was to create something fresh.

Persons: S.J, Clarkson, ”, couldn’t, Cassandra Webb, ” Clarkson, Nicolas Roeg’s “, ” Christopher Nolan’s, “, Venom, Morbius, Dakota Johnson, she’s, ” Johnson, Johnson, It’s, didn’t, Sydney Sweeney, “ Dexter, Netflix’s, she’d, Marvel’s “ Jessica Jones, ” She’s, Marvel, Madame Web’s, Denny O’Neil, John Romita Jr, that’s Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, ”

☆ UK economy slipped into technical recession at the end of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — The U.K. economy slipped into a technical recession in the final quarter of last year, initial figures showed Thursday. Though there is no official definition of a recession, two straight quarters of negative growth is widely considered a technical recession. Across the whole of 2023, the British GDP is estimated to have increased by just 0.1%, compared to 2022. "These factors affected the performance of the services and construction sectors, which are the main drivers of the U.K. "Over the coming months, we expect inflation to fall, potentially easing the pressure on U.K. households, and supporting the recovery of the consumer-driven economy," Brookes added.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Marcus Brookes, Brookes, Neil Birrell Organizations: National Statistics, Reuters, Finance, Bank of England, Bank of England's, Quilter Investors, Premier Miton Investors Locations: British

☆ How Russia Depicts Wounded Soldiers: As Heroes, or Not at All
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | Milana Mazaeva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. How Russia Depicts Wounded Soldiers: As Heroes, or Not at AllTroops with amputated limbs or serious injuries return home to find a patchwork system of treatment and, often, efforts to keep them out of the public eye. Share full articleA concert for wounded soldiers at a military hospital in Rostov-on-Don, southwestern Russia, in March 2022. Credit... Sergey Pivovarov/ReutersNeil MacFarquhar and

Persons: Sergey Pivovarov, Neil MacFarquhar Organizations: All Troops Locations: Russia, Rostov

☆ South Korean researchers develop beef-infused rice as sustainable meat alternative
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Imagine eating a delicious, nourishing bowl of beef rice. No, not beef on rice – beef rice. That’s what a team of South Korean researchers are hoping to plate up with their newly developed hybrid rice, grown in a lab with cow muscle and fat cells inside the rice grains. The meat cells then grow on the surface of the rice grain and inside the grain itself. Lean beef currently costs about $14.88 per kilogram, and rice costs $2.2 per kilogram – whereas the beef rice, if commercialized, could cost just $2.23.

Persons: Sohyeon Park, “ Rice, Park, ”, ” Neil Ward, “ Organizations: CNN, South, University of East Locations: University of East Anglia

☆ Philippines Committed to South China Sea Code of Conduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Karen LemaMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is firmly committed to negotiations for a code of conduct between China and Southeast Asian countries to avert confrontations in the South China Sea, its foreign minister said on Thursday. Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo also said tensions in the South China Sea were not all about a rivalry between superpowers the United States and China, and the Philippines, and others, had legitimate rights and interests to uphold. The idea of a code of conduct was hatched more than two decades ago but parties only committed to begin the process in 2017. China has chided the Philippines for encroaching on what it says is its territory. Manalo said a high-level "2+2" meeting of the defence and foreign ministers of the Philippines and United States was planned and dates not yet been finalised.

Persons: Karen Lema MANILA, Enrique Manalo, Manalo, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: Beijing Locations: Philippines, China, Southeast, South China, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Manila

☆ Election 2024 Trump is set to rally in South Carolina, as polls show him with a wide lead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Maggie Astor | Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A Winthrop University poll released Wednesday shows Nikki Haley losing badly in South Carolina, her home state, with a little more than a week before the state’s Republican primary. Nearly two-thirds of likely Republican primary voters, 65 percent, said they supported former President Donald J. Trump, and only 29 percent said they supported Ms. Haley. Those numbers are very close to the average results of recent polls of South Carolina. But he benefits from a huge 81 percent favorability rating among Republicans, and unlike Ms. Haley, he is getting more popular over time. She has hammered Mr. Trump for those comments.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald J, Trump, Haley, Winthrop, Haley’s Organizations: Winthrop University, Republican, NBC, Republicans, Mr, National Guard Locations: South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Russia, Djibouti, Nevada

☆ Strong Winds Cause Power Outages, Fan Bushfires in Australia's Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of residents across Australia's Victoria state remained without power on Wednesday after wild weather knocked down transmission lines, forcing a major power plant to disconnect from the grid, while strong winds fanned bushfires. AGL's Loy Yang A power station, responsible for about a third of the state's power, had to shut down on Tuesday afternoon impacting half a million properties, which officials said was one of the largest outages in Victoria's history. Some properties were completely destroyed by fire with the exact number to be confirmed after fire crews finish their rescue efforts. Firefighters are battling to contain three bushfires, but better weather conditions could help crews to contain the fires quickly, Heffernan said. Australia's weather bureau forecast milder conditions on Wednesday with temperatures in the low to mid-20 degree Celsius (68°F) and moderate winds, but warned the risk was not over yet.

Persons: AGL's Loy Yang, Clare O'Neil, We've, O'Neil, Jason Heffernan, Heffernan, Renju Jose, Bill Berkrot Organizations: SYDNEY, Mobile, Federal Home Affairs, ABC, Firefighters Locations: Australia's Victoria, Melbourne, Hotham, Victoria's, Victoria, Sydney

The long-awaited indictments marked the latest development in what has been labeled the largest corruption case in Ohio history. In July 2021, Yost asked a judge in Columbus to add Jones, Dowling and Randazzo to his office's lawsuit against FirstEnergy. It identified 84 phone contacts between Jones and Householder and 14 phone contacts between Dowling and Householder. FirstEnergy admitted to its role in the bribery scheme as part of a July 2021 deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. A statement of facts signed by then-FirstEnergy CEO and President Steven Strah, who retired in 2022, detailed the involvement of Jones, Dowling, Randazzo and others in the bribery scheme.

Persons: Chuck Jones, Michael Dowling, Dave Yost, Sam Randazzo, Larry, Matt Borges, Jones, Dowling, Susan Baker Ross, Randazzo, Baker, Columbus, FirstEnergy, Mike DeWine, Carole Rendon, ”, Matthew Meyer, Richard Blake, Borges, Juan Cespedes, Jeffrey Longstreth, Neil Clark, Householder’s, Bill, Yost, Steven Strah Organizations: FirstEnergy Corp, Republican, Public Utilities Commission, Summit, FBI, Republican Gov, GPS, Industrial Energy, Randazzo, Sustainability, of Ohio, FirstEnergy, U.S . Department of Justice Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, Ohio, Akron, Naples , Florida, FirstEnergy, U.S, Cincinnati, Columbus

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