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☆ Disney asset sales won't break the bank, but they will move legacy media forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney 's motivation to potentially sell ABC and its owned affiliates, linear cable networks and a minority stake in ESPN isn't predicated on what these assets will fetch in a sale. It's about signaling to investors the time has come to stop thinking about Disney as old media. Rather, a sale of ABC and linear cable networks would be a message to the investment community: The era of traditional TV is over. "Disney almost has a good bank and a bad bank at this point," Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall said in a CNBC interview. Nexstar has held preliminary conversations with Disney to acquire ABC and its owned and operated affiliates, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Persons: Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, Mickey Mouse, that's, Bob Iger, Wells, Steven Cahall, Disney, Byron Allen Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, ABC, ESPN, Disney, CNBC, Nexstar, Bloomberg, . Media, Geographic Locations: New York City

☆ Oracle founder Larry Ellison makes first-ever trip to Microsoft headquarters for cloud announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Ellison, the co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle , has been going up against Microsoft to in database software for more than 30 years. He has also had to deal with clients looking to connect their Oracle and Microsoft products. Putting the Oracle equipment in Azure data centers means that applications will be able to quickly access data from the databases. Nadella said the new collaboration might help companies more quickly move their workloads from their existing data centers to the public cloud. But Ellison controls 42% of Oracle's outstanding shares, while Gates owns just over 1% of Microsoft stock, according to FactSet.

Persons: Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Monfils of, Alexander Zverev of, Satya Nadella, Ellison, It's, Nadella, haven't, Paul Allen, Gates, McNamee Organizations: Oracle, Microsoft Co, BNP, Microsoft, Bing, Sun Microsystems, Windows, U.S . Justice Department, Bloomberg, Partners Locations: Alexander Zverev of Germany, Indian Wells, Calif, Seattle, Redmond, Washington

☆ New Zealand's National Party looks to cement lead 30 days out from election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party, attends the New Zealand National Party’s election campaign launch in Auckland, New Zealand, September 3, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Thirty days out from New Zealand’s general election, recent polls show the opposition party National cementing its lead, as both parties are on the campaign trail trying to win over voters with proposed tax cuts and funding for infrastructure. A 1News Verian poll released late on Wednesday saw support for centre-right National up 2 percentage point to 39%, while the ruling Labour Party saw support fall 1 percentage point to 28%. The poll gives National and likely partner ACT a majority in parliament following the Oct. 14 election. “When farmers are strong, New Zealand is strong, and national understands that and that's why we back farmers so strongly,” National leader Christopher Luxon said at the launch of the policy.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Chris Hipkins, ”, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Party, New Zealand National, REUTERS, Rights, National, Labour Party, ACT, Labour, Zealand, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, New, New Zealand

☆ Opinion: Thanks to Coco Gauff, we can dream big
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kirsi Goldynia | Opinion Roxanne Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Coco Gauff has been crowned America’s new tennis darling after her amazing US Open championship win against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Like Serena, Gauff is unafraid to speak out on social issues or speak up after a bad call from the umpire. “[Venus and Serena] are the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest,” Gauff told media after her US Open win. Growing up there weren’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport. Despite the many obstacles, Black tennis thrived back in the early 1900s.

Persons: Roxanne Jones, Jones, ”, CNN — Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Serena Williams, Serena, she’d, Coco Gauff, She’s, That’s, Gauff, Coco, Serena —, Venus —, ” Gauff, Williams, ’, you’ll, Lucy Diggs Slowe, Slowe, Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Lori McNeil, Zina Garrison —, Gibson, Lucy Slowe, Lindsay Davenport, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Zina Garrison Organizations: ESPN The Magazine, ESPN, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, US, “, United States Tennis Association, USTA, tennis, American Tennis Association, Black, Wimbledon, Twitter, Madison Locations: Belarus, Serena

☆ Greek rescue teams move into worst-hit flood villages
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Rescue teams took people out of floodwaters in inflatable boats and in bulldozers on Saturday as they moved into villages hit hardest by a sweeping rainstorm that killed at least 10 people in central Greece this week. Authorities, who have struggled to evacuate people from flooded areas, raised the death toll to 10 people on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, rescue teams were moving into villages near the city of Larissa and close to the River Pineios. Extreme weather events have struck across the globe in recent weeks, with floods in Scandinavia, southeast Europe and Hong Kong. Reporting by Stamos Prousalis, Renee Maltezou, Lefteris Papadimas and Michele Kambas Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Alexandros Avramidis, Stamos Prousalis, Renee Maltezou, Lefteris Papadimas, Michele Kambas, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, pummelled, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Greece, Palamas, pummelled Greece, Larissa, Thessaly, Karditsa, Athens, Thessaloniki, Scandinavia, Europe, Hong Kong, India

☆ S&P Global raises reinsurance sector view to stable from negative on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Carolyn Cohn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P Global logo is displayed on its offices in the financial district in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - S&P Global has raised its view of the global reinsurance sector to stable from negative, it said on Tuesday, due to higher reinsurance rates and increasing investment income, while rival Moody's kept its outlook for the sector stable. The COVID-19 pandemic, war, inflation and climate change-fuelled natural catastrophes have put upward pressure on reinsurance rates in recent years. S&P Global said this "resulted in the hardest market in decades" in some lines of business. "Challenges such as elevated natural disasters, increasing cost of capital, financial market volatility, and inflation risk persist," S&P Global added.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Moody's, Gallagher Re, reinsurers, Laline Carvalho, Neff, Re, Carolyn Cohn, Jason Neely, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Global, P Global, P, reinsurer, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, California, Florida, Monte Carlo

☆ Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if 'critical incident' occurs -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a "critical incident" involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister said on Monday, amid rising tensions on NATO's eastern flank. EU and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. "If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told media that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure. Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Andrius, Conor Humphries, Nick Macfie Organizations: WARSAW, EU, NATO, Wagner Group, Lithuanian, Thomson Locations: Poland, Baltic, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Minsk, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russia, Europe, East, Africa, Warsaw, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius

☆ Fact Check-High temperatures in the early 20th century don’t disprove climate warming
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An inaccurate table of record-high temperatures in Europe circulating online shows that a handful of records set before 1950 still stand, but also that most records in specific cities were set after 2000. !” to imply that recent heat records set in Europe are not new. However, the post’s implication that record-high temperatures disprove climate warming is unsupported by further evidence. Temperatures for Europe as a whole show long-term warming trends with several countries having revised their all-time heat records over the past few years. Historical local heat records are not evidence for or against overall climate warming.

Persons: “, Belgium’s, Copernicus, Read Organizations: State, Reuters Locations: Europe, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, England, Ventspils, Daugavpils, Begijnendijk, Uccle, Slovenia, Netherlands

A man walks past a sign of Geely's new premium electric vehicle (EV) brand Zeekr at its factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China April 15, 2021. Geely in December said Zeekr had confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, without detailing size or listing date. If successful, a $1 billion IPO would be the largest U.S. listing by a Chinese firm for over two years since ride-hailing giant Didi raised $4.4 billion in mid 2021. Geely, formally Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GEELY.UL), established Zeekr in April 2021 to tap into increasing Chinese demand for high-end EVs. ($1 = 7.2883 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Julie Zhu in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: HONG KONG, Geely, Zeekr, Didi, Andy, Julie Zhu, Scott Murdoch, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Yilei, U.S, Zhejiang Geely Holding, Thomson Locations: Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, HONG, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, London , New York, Boston , California, U.S, Zhejiang, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Kazakhstan, Sydney

☆ China EV maker Zeekr to start investor tour ahead of $1 billion U.S. IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Zeekr 001 electric vehicle (EV) by Geely is seen displayed at the Zeekr booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. Geely in December said Zeekr had confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, without detailing the size or listing date. If successful, a $1 billion IPO would be the largest U.S. listing by a Chinese firm for over two years since ride-hailing giant Didi raised $4.4 billion in mid-2021. Geely, formally Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, established Zeekr in April 2021 to tap into increasing Chinese demand for high-end EVs. ($1 = 7.2883 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Persons: Geely, Zeekr, Didi, Andy Organizations: Auto Shanghai, U.S, Zhejiang Geely Holding Locations: Shanghai, China, Zeekr, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, London , New York, Boston , California, U.S, Zhejiang, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Kazakhstan

☆ Infillion emerges as buyer for bankrupt adtech company MediaMath
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Adtech company Infillion is set to acquire the assets of bankrupt adtech firm MediaMath. US-based adtech company Infillion has emerged as the highest bidder for the assets of MediaMath, the high-profile adtech firm that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June, according to court filings. A sale hearing is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 8.30 a.m. Eastern Time in the Delaware bankruptcy court. London-based Genius Sports, a sports data and video-streaming company, made the second-highest bid for the MediaMath assets, according to the court filings. Infillion was formed in 2022 after Disney sold its video adtech asset TrueX to the location-focused adtech firm Gimbal in late 2020.

Persons: Infillion, couldn't, Sports didn't, MediaMath, Xandr, TrueX, Gimbal, Joe Zawadzki Organizations: MediaMath, Sports, Google, Disney, TrueX, Street, Amazon, Bank of America, Mobile, Phoenix Locations: Delaware, London

Economists say China needs measures to boost consumption and business confidence, such as tax cuts or government-funded consumption vouchers, but add that unlike previous slowdowns, there is no quick fix. Wang's comments came after weak economic activity data on Tuesday fuelled concern that China is heading for a deeper, longer slowdown. The private sector accounts for 60% of gross domestic product and 80% of urban employment, officials say. But there is a growing disconnect between officials calling for investment and a sweeping national security crackdown that is denting business confidence, diplomats in China say. One example was a recent anti-espionage law, accompanied by raids on some foreign consultancy firms, that sent waves of anxiety through the foreign business community.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tingshu Wang, Joe Biden, Biden, Xi, Christopher Beddor, Wang Wenbin, Wang's, Lee Smith, Baker Donelson, Xu Chenggang, Xu, Laurie Chen, Yew Lun Tian, Martin Quin Pollard, John Geddie, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, GAP, State, U.S . Department of Commerce, Stanford University's Center, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, U.S, loggerheads, Taiwan

The new legislation will limit the amount of cannabis young adults can buy to 30 grams a month, compared to 50 grams for older adults. Scholz's government had already watered down original plans to allow the widespread sale of cannabis in licensed shops after consultations with Brussels. Instead, it said would launch a pilot project for a small number of licensed shops in some regions to test the effects of a commercial supply chain of recreational cannabis over five years. Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use in late 2021. The legislation presented on Wednesday includes strict rules for growing weed - cannabis clubs of up to 500 associates must have burglar-proof doors and windows, with greenhouses fenced off.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Karl Lauterbach, Lauterbach, Armin Schuster, Kristine Luetke, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Scholz's Social Democrats, Free Democrats, Thomson Locations: Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany, Europe, Saxony, Brussels, Netherlands, Switzerland, Malta

SEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - North Korea's claim on Wednesday that U.S. soldier Travis King fled racism and abuse in America comes as Pyongyang pushes back on Washington's criticism of the North's human rights record. King has not been directly heard from, but an uncle in United States told media this month his nephew said he experienced racism during his military service. During the protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, North Korean officials cited "extreme racists" in America and criticised authorities' response for threatening to "unleash even dogs for suppression". North Korean state media has its own history of issuing racially charged statements. A landmark 2014 U.N. report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly leader Kim Jong Un himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.

Persons: Travis King, King, Lim Eul, Donald Trump, George Floyd, Harrison Kim, Eldridge Cleaver, ”, Barack Obama, gaunt, Obama, Kim Jong Un, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S . Army, United Nations Security, U.S, North, Korea's Kyungnam University, University of Hawaii, NK News, Black Panther Party, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, America, Pyongyang, Korea, United States, North Korea, U.S, Charlottesville , Virginia, Seoul, North Korean, African, China

☆ MediaMath founder Joe Zawadzki's 'Project Phoenix' looks to raise at least $10 million to help buy back the bankrupt adtech company
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Project Phoenix" is seeking to raise at least $10 million in a SAFE financing. Project Phoenix is being operated by team members of Zawadzki's VC fund AperiamVentures. Project Phoenix, registered as Phoenix Project Acquisition Inc., is raising the investment with a "post-money valuation cap" of $20 million — the maximum price at which investors can convert their SAFE investment notes into equity. A person familiar with the matter said it was likely Project Phoenix would need to raise further funds if it wins the auction. Correction: August 11, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the date of bankruptcy auction.

Persons: Joe Zawadzki, Jeffrey Hirsch, Zawadzki, Hirsch didn't, MediaMath, MediaMath's Organizations: Phoenix, Inc, Google Locations: AperiamVentures, Delaware, York

New Zealand's Defence Minister Andrew Little poses for a picture in Wellington, New Zealand, March 30, 2023. Launching the country's first national security strategy, Defence Minister Andrew Little said New Zealand faced more geostrategic challenges than it had in decades. The inaugural security strategy underscores how China's rise is upending old norms and behaviours even 9,000 kilometres (5,592 miles) away in Wellington. Chinese state-sponsored actors had exploited cyber vulnerabilities in ways that undermined New Zealand's security, said another document that did not provide further details. "The changes in the domestic and international security environment mean our response and preparedness must change too," Little said.

Persons: Andrew Little, Lucy Craymer, Little, Kevin Short, Lewis Jackson, Simon Cameron, Moore, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Zealand's, REUTERS, Defence, Zealand, New, Labour, New Zealand Defence Force, Thomson Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington, China, New, Australia, U.S, Vietnam

CNN —The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap, a mountainous rainforest region that connects South and Central America, has broken a new record, according to immigration officials in Panama. The Panama migration authority’s deputy director Maria Isabel Saravia told media that 2022’s already-high number of crossings was surpassed on Monday. “With today and yesterday’s crossings of 1,869 people, there have been 248,901 crossings,” Saravia said Monday. As the figures anticipated, we exceeded last year’s number (…) The last three years have been much higher than the last 11 years in crossings,” Saravia added. The 60-kilometer (37 mile) hike through the Darien Gap brings migrants from Colombia to Panama and is a crucial passage for those hoping to reach the United States and Canada.

Persons: Maria Isabel Saravia, Saravia Organizations: CNN, Central America, “, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Darien, South, Central, Panama, Colombia, United States, Canada, Mexico, Texas

☆ It's official: The battery crunch is the new chip shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The chip shortage has ailed the auto industry since early in COVID, but a bigger issue is surfacing. Automakers are starting to see the impacts of the electric vehicle battery crunch. It's official: The battery crunch is the new chip shortage. The chip shortage is still impacting vehicle supply, experts say, but automakers are now having to reckon with the battery supply chains as an even bigger headwind. Challenges surrounding electric vehicle production and the battery supply chain are finally materializing for legacy automakers and impacting their bottom lines.

Persons: Jim Farley, Elon Musk, Tesla, Mary Barra, Barra, Oliver Blume Organizations: Ford, Morning, GM, Porsche, Tesla, Battery Locations: COVID, Canadian, EVs

☆ Cheddar News was meant to be a digital-media darling that could rival Bloomberg and CNBC. Now it's reportedly considering a sale — here's how the network was pushed to the brink.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The owner of embattled network Cheddar News is reportedly considering selling the seven-year-old startup. NYT's DealBook reported on Monday that Altice USA tapped Goldman Sachs to explore a possible sale. NYT reporters Lauren Hirsch and Ben Mullin noted a sale isn't a foregone conclusion and Altice USA could decide not to proceed. Spokespersons for Altice USA did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Monday morning and a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs had no comment. Check out Insider's exclusive coverage of the chaos at Cheddar News:Are you a Cheddar News or Altice USA insider?

Persons: DealBook, Goldman Sachs, Lauren Hirsch, Ben Mullin, Altice, —, I'd, Baker Machado, Chloe Aiello, Read, I've, Jon Steinberg, Steinberg, Reed Alexander Organizations: News, Telecom, Altice USA, Cheddar News, New York Times, USA, Insiders, Mail, Cheddar Locations: USA, Cheddar, Portugal

☆ Colombian children who survived five weeks in jungle released from hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, July 14 (Reuters) - Four Colombian Indigenous children who survived a plane crash in the country's Amazon region and lived for more than five weeks in the jungle have been released from hospital after a 34-day stay, the government said on Friday. The children, aged 1 through 13, survived the May 1 crash that killed their mother and two other adults and were found last month. The Indigenous children's knowledge of the jungle, as well as the eldest sister's courage, have been credited by officials with saving their lives. "They have recovered size and weight, really they are very well," Astrid Caceres, the director of the country's child welfare institute, told journalists. Both the father of the two youngest children and their mother's family have told media they want custody.

Persons: Astrid Caceres, Caceres, Carlos Vargas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Deepa Babington Organizations: Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Colombian

☆ China's youth unemployment is so dire that it's inspired recent college grads to post pictures of themselves sprawled on the ground in 'zombie-style' poses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.8% in May. On June 13, the Radii media outlet tweeted a photo collage of some of these graduating students donning black or purple graduation gowns in various poses. While this particular pose is trending this year, this graduation season's posts were often accompanied by other happier pictures of the graduating students. It also isn't the first time graduates in China have taken unusual graduation photos, according to posts seen by Insider on Xiaohongshu. These trending poses of despondence come as China's youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.8% in May, according to official statistics.

Persons: —, despondence, Nomura, Brenda Lu, Lu Organizations: Service, CNBC, Washington Post Locations: China

☆ Travel news: Living in lighthouses, delivering during a flight and touring Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This week has been rough for air travelers in the United States, but we have flight attendants’ secrets for surviving summer travel. Waterfront real estateThe US General Services Administration is giving away or auctioning lighthouses in New England. Like the small towns in Italy selling off houses for just 1 euro, these lighthouses come with stipulations. Written in stoneAnd while we’re on the subject of summer travel peak season, this period is often tourists-behaving-badly season. Dr. Sij Hemal was on a flight from Paris to New York when a fellow passenger reported severe abdominal pains.

Persons: CNN — It’s, you’ve, Ivan, Haley, ”, Sig Hemal, Susan Shepherd, Sij Hemal, Chelsea Dickenson, Dickenson, Richard Quest, Beckham Organizations: CNN, General Services Administration, Police, Cleveland, Asahi Shimbun Locations: United States, New England, Italy, Rome, United Kingdom, Paris, New York, Japan, Tottori Sand, Tokyo, Nagoya, Tottori, British, Macao, Vegas of Asia

LAHORE, June 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan's finance minister said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund was "very close" and expected in the next 24 hours. "We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF," minister Ishaq Dar told Reuters late on Thursday. A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme. A representative for the IMF in Pakistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear what portion of the funds would be released in the announcement he expected in the next 24 hours.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Charlotte Greenfield, Andrew Heavens, Alison Williams Organizations: International Monetary, IMF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAHORE, Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore

☆ The 'Wolf of Airbnb' made nearly $2 million through the pandemic running 'mini-hotels' in NYC. He just pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Konrad Bicher began renting Manhattan apartments in 2019, before subletting them out. On top of violating lease agreements, Bicher obtained nearly $600,000 in Covid relief loans. The self-proclaimed "Wolf of Airbnb" now faces prison time after pleading guilty to fraud. Prosecutors said he failed to make rent payments required by the lease agreements and refused to leave the apartments after the leases expired. When Bicher was indicted in October, Williams said Bicher operated at least 18 apartments in Manhattan "as mini-hotels" while using the pandemic as an excuse not to pay landlords.

Persons: Konrad Bicher, Bicher, Wolf, Airbnb, Prosecutors, Damian Williams, Williams Organizations: Prosecutors, US Small Business Administration Locations: Manhattan, Hialeah , Florida

☆ Icon of the Seas: The world's biggest cruise ship is almost ready
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas is a mammoth 365 meters long (nearly 1,200 feet) and will weigh a projected 250,800 tonnes. Royal Caribbean InternationalIt’s being built at Meyer Turku shipyard, one of Europe’s leading shipbuilders, in Turku, Finland. At an on-site press panel earlier this year, Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Michael Bayley told media that the vessel was on track to join the Royal Caribbean fleet on October 26, ahead of its 2024 debut. The Icon completed its first set of sea trials on June 22, according to a Royal Caribbean statement. Royal Caribbean InternationalThe ship promises more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained, many of which are included in the cruise fare.

Persons: Michael Bayley, ” Bayley Organizations: CNN, Royal Caribbean, CN, Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Locations: Finland, Turku, Royal Caribbean, Caribbean, Western, Miami, CocoCay, Beach

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