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☆ At Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic Aims to Clean Up on the Grass
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( David Waldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Novak Djokovic, bent over with a towel in hand, delighted the Centre Court crowd during a rain delay at Wimbledon on Monday when he mopped some moisture from the grass. Djokovic has not lost a match at Wimbledon since 2017, and with a victory over Pedro Cachin of Argentina in their first-round meeting Monday, he extended his record over the last five Wimbledon tournaments to 29-0. He has won the last four men’s singles titles, and one more this year would set him up to eclipse even more names in the record book. Djokovic would also tie Roger Federer for most Wimbledon men’s singles titles (eight) and tie Bjorn Borg for the most consecutively (five). (Court won 13 majors before 1968, during a time when professionals were not allowed to play in the majors.)

Persons: Novak, Djokovic, Pedro Cachin, Rod Laver, Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg Organizations: Wimbledon, All England Club, Laver Locations: Argentina

☆ Djokovic centre stage again as Wimbledon gets under way
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 36-year-old Djokovic, who has only lost twice at Wimbledon in a decade, tops the bill on Monday when he begins the Centre Court programme against Argentina's Pedro Cachin. Following Djokovic on to the hallowed turf, five-times women's champion Venus Williams, aged 43, will try and roll back the years as her 24th Wimbledon appearance begins against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. Rain showers are expected throughout the opening days although that will not impact those with tickets for Centre Court and Court One, both of which boast retractable roofs. Political slogans of any sort are banned around the grounds with Wimbledon organisers determined the focus should remain firmly on the tennis. All 17 players from those two countries, including men's third seed Daniil Medvedev, are competing as neutrals.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Hannah Mckay LONDON, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Djokovic, Federer, Bjorn Borg's, Argentina's Pedro Cachin, Venus Williams, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, Williams, Iga, Swiatek, China's Zhu Lin, Suncream, Putin's, Daniil Medvedev, Martyn Herman, Ed Osmond Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon REUTERS, Wimbledon, Court, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, Serbian, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Wimbledon 2023: The favorites to win the championships, the main challengers and how to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite struggling for form in the lead up to the French Open, Djokovic found his A-game when it mattered most in Paris and looked largely unstoppable. Lisi Niesner/ReutersRybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a grand slam title after beating Ons Jabeur in three sets in last year’s Wimbledon final, catapulting her to stardom overnight. Belarussian Sabalenka and Poland’s Iga Świątek are joint favorites to win the title alongside Rybakina, according to bookmakers. Sabalenka has three titles to her name this year, including that maiden grand slam in Australia, and has matched her career-high of No. Iga Swiatek is a four-time grand slam champion but is yet to win Wimbledon.

Persons: Novak, Roger Federer’s, –, Björn Borg –, Djokovic, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Garros, Carlos Alcaraz, Susan Mullane, Reuters Alcaraz, Alcaraz, – Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe, Julian Finney, Francis Tiafoe, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, Elena Rybakina, Donna Vekić, hadn’t, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Lisi Niesner, Reuters Rybakina, Belarussian, Iga, Rybakina, Sabalenka, Aryna Sabalenka, agains Karolina Muchova, Veronika Kudermetova, Świątek, Tatjana Mariana, hasn’t, Joaquim Ferreira, Coco Gauff, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Madison Keys Organizations: CNN — Tennis, All England Club, Wimbledon, Roland, Queen's, USA, Sports, Reuters, Queen’s, Getty, Stuttgart, Eastbourne International, Czech, Stade Roland, Bad, Junior Wimbledon, Bernarda Pera, BBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel Locations: London, Paris, Germany, Wimbledon, Kazakhstan, Australia, United Kingdom

☆ Australia job vacancies fall 2% in May qtr, still historically high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 29 (Reuters) - Job vacancies in Australia fell in the three months to May, the fourth straight quarter of decline, but were still far above pre-pandemic levels as demand for labour remains strong. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) out on Thursday showed vacancies in the May quarter fell 2.0%, from the previous quarter, to 431,600. "This May saw businesses continuing to report difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff," said Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics. "This highlights the impact of a tight labour market on a broad range of businesses," said Jarvis. Thursday's data showed vacancies in the private sector fell 2.3% in the May quarter, while the public sector saw a rise of 0.3%.

Persons: Bjorn Jarvis, Jarvis, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Swede Lundqvist headlines Hall of Fame's Class of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Swedish hockey goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist announces that he will quit as a hockey goalkeeper due to his congenital heart defect, in Gothenburg, Sweden August 20, 2021. Lundqvist, who was the face of the National Hockey League's most valuable franchise during his 15-season run with the team, earned the nod in his first year of eligibility. While with the Rangers, Lundqvist set 50 franchise records, including the all-time mark for wins, appearances by a goalie, shutouts, playoff appearances and playoff wins. Lundqvist last played in the 2019-20 season and was forced to retire because of a heart ailment. The induction celebration for the Class of 2023 is scheduled for Nov. 13 in Toronto.

Persons: Henrik Lundqvist, Bjorn Larsson Rosvall, Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, Mike Vernon, Pierre Turgeon, Caroline Ouellette, Ken Hitchcock, Pierre Lacroix, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: TT, Agency, TORONTO, NHL's New York Rangers, Hockey Hall of Fame, National Hockey, Rangers, Vezina, NHL, Dallas Stars, Stanley, Colorado Avalanche, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Gothenburg, Sweden, American, Toronto

☆ Paul McCartney says A.I. got John Lennon's voice on 'last Beatles record'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Beatles star told the BBC he has finished a new song using AI to recreate John Lennon's voice. LONDON — Beatles singer-songwriter Paul McCartney told the BBC that artificial intelligence was used to "extricate" and clean up the vocals of former bandmate John Lennon from an old recording, allowing them to feature in an upcoming track. It's something we're all sort of tackling at the moment and trying to deal with," McCartney told the BBC's "Today" program when asked about AI. AI was used to identify Lennon's vocals as distinct from instrumentals and background interference. "There's a good side to it and then a scary side, and we'll just have to see where that leads," McCartney told the BBC.

Persons: Paul McCartney, John Lennon's, John Lennon, McCartney, Peter Jackson —, —, John, Lennon, ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, we'll Organizations: Glastonbury Festival, Beatles, BBC, Industry, CNBC Locations: Pilton, Glastonbury , England, Glastonbury

☆ ABBA's Bjorn and Benny dismiss Eurovision reunion in Sweden next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) - ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have dismissed a reunion at next year's Eurovision Song Contest in their native Sweden, which will also mark the 50th anniversary of when the supergroup won the competition with "Waterloo". Sweden's Loreen won Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, northern England, this month, meaning the Nordic country will host next year's contest. "We can celebrate 50 years of ABBA without us being on stage," Ulvaeus added. Formed in 1972, ABBA won legions of fans around the world after triumphing at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, with their enduring hits such as "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando". Last year they launched a London concert residency as digital avatars - versions of themselves from their 1970s heyday thanks to motion-capture technology.

☆ Adidas will sell existing Yeezy items, donate some revenues
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Adidas said Friday that it will start selling Yeezy products later this month for the first time since it ended its relationship with rapper Ye in October. The apparel company cut ties with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after he made a string of hateful, antisemitic comments. "Selling and donating was the preferred option among all organizations and stakeholders we spoke to," Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said in a statement. Adidas' most recent earnings beat expectations, but were weighed down by Yeezy inventory piling up. Prior to the split, Adidas had said their partnership with Yeezy was one of the most successful collaborations in the history of the industry.

☆ Earth-sized alien planet gripped by widespread volcanism
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In our solar system, Earth and Venus are volcanically active, as are some of Jupiter's moons. Planets beyond our solar system are called exoplanets. Here, water from the nightside glacier can melt and possibly form liquid surface water. In addition, there is likely volcanism all around the planet, even under the ice on the nightside and possibly under the water near the terminator," Benneke said. The planet is located in the Milky Way about 86 light-years away from our solar system in the direction of the constellation Crater.

☆ Earth-size exoplanet may be covered in volcanoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Instead, the exoplanet, called LP 791-18 d, is likely covered in volcanoes and may experience eruptions with the same frequency as Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active place in our solar system, according to researchers. LP 791-18 d is located about 90 light-years from Earth in the Crater constellation, where it orbits a small red dwarf star. And astronomers believe the massive planet LP 971-18 c might be contributing to the newly detected exoplanet’s possible volcanism. As the two objects orbit their star, LP 971-18 c and the newfound exoplanet LP 791-18 d closely pass each other, allowing the gravitational pull of the larger planet LP 971-18 c to tug on planet d and reshape its orbit. The discovery of LP 971-18 d points to the importance of data collected by space telescopes.

☆ Adidas will sell some leftover Yeezy inventory instead of burning it, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Adidas intends to sell part of its leftover Yeezy inventory and donate the money to charities that were harmed by Ye's anti-Semitic comments, the company's chief executive said Thursday. Gulden took the helm of Adidas on Jan. 1, following CEO Kasper Rorsted's departure. Adidas' most recent earnings beat expectations but were weighed down by Yeezy inventory piling up. The company parted ways with Ye in October following months of bizarre behavior and antisemitic comments from the hip hop artist. The split left Adidas with inventory levels of $500 million worth of sneakers, with selling value of over $1 billion, according to the company.

☆ Adidas says it won't destroy its mountain of unsold Yeezy stock but plans to sell these items and donate profits to charity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It was left with over $1 billion of Yeezy stock. Adidas CEO Björn Gulden told investors Thursday that it wouldn't destroy these items. Gulden spoke in German at the meeting; a translated version of his comments was shared with Insider by an Adidas spokesperson. Gulden then went on to say that Adidas plans to donate the profits from the sale of these items to organizations representing people who "were hurt" by West's comments. Earlier this week, the FT first reported that a top shareholder was demanding answers over Adidas' investigation into West.

☆ Adidas runs harder, but also stands still
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That beat analyst expectations of 15 million euros, and was aided by double digit sales growth in Latin America and Asia. The good cheer partly reflects the low expectations of Adidas’s investors. They hold shares worth about half their mid-2021 level, and while sales globally didn’t fall 4% as forecast, they still dipped 1% year-on-year. Meanwhile, CEO Bjorn Gulden has to decide what to do with stacks of Yeezy trainers in storage ever since the company severed ties with the musician. Although certain products like Gazelle and Sambo are doing well, the 40% margins on Yeezy sales were ten times Adidas’s overall level.

☆ Adidas expects bumpy year despite sales beating forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Helen Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Shannon StapletonLONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Adidas (ADSGn.DE) on Friday forecast "a bumpy year with disappointing numbers" ahead after a dip in first quarter sales for the German sportswear giant. Despite the 1% sales drop, operating profit of 60 million euros ($66 million) beat analyst expectations of 15 million euros for the company, which last year ended a partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Losing the highly profitable Yeezy line hit sales in the quarter by around 400 million euros, Adidas said, mainly hitting revenue across North America, Greater China and EMEA. Sales were 5.274 billion euros, down from 5.302 billion euros in the first quarter of 2022. Adidas' gross margin fell to 44.8% due to the loss of Yeezy sales, higher supply chain costs and discounts.

☆ Adidas shares gain on earnings but CEO warns of ‘bumpy year’ after end of Yeezy deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Losing the highly profitable Yeezy line hit sales in the quarter by around 400 million euros ($441 million), Adidas said, mainly denting revenue across North America, Greater China and Europe, Middle East and Africa. CEO Bjorn Gulden told reporters Adidas has narrowed down the options for the shoes, and it is getting closer to a decision. Quarterly operating profit of 60 million euros ($66 million) beat analyst expectations of 15 million euros. North America was the worst hit by the loss of Yeezy, with currency-neutral sales down 20% from last year. The “terrace” shoe style is doing well in all markets, and Adidas has started to make more Samba, Gazelle, and Campus shoes, Gulden said.

☆ Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 5, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his semi final match against Croatia's Borna Coric REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday by storming into the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Friday to stay on track for his fourth title of the season. "It means a lot to me, playing a final again here in Madrid. I have great memories since I came here to play Under-12s," Alcaraz said. After wrapping up the first set on serve, Alcaraz grabbed an early break and raced to a 4-2 lead in the next, dictating terms against a fading Coric. Russia's Karatsev later plays German Struff 10 days after easing past him in the final round of qualifying.

☆ Adidas quarterly sales beat expectations despite Yeezy crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Yeezy crisis hit sales in the reported quarter by around 400 million euros ($441.56 million), Adidas said, mainly affecting revenue across the North America, Greater China and EMEA regions. North America was the worst hit by the Yeezy debacle, with currency-neutral sales down 20% from last year. Sales in Greater China fell by 9%, while EMEA sales increased 4%. Adidas reported an operating profit of 60 million euros, beating analysts' expectations of 15 million euros. Its gross margin fell to 44.8% due to the loss of Yeezy sales, higher supply chain costs and discounts.

☆ As sales decline, Adidas faces pressure to find Yeezy fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Helen Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Gulden in March said the company could donate the proceeds of the Yeezy sale to charities, but Adidas has given no updates since. The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish non-governmental organisation based in New York, told Reuters it "stands ready and prepared to work with Adidas". The American Jewish Committee met with Adidas executives in December to discuss their commitment to reject antisemitism. Shareholders want Adidas to draw a line under the Yeezy episode and develop ways to reboot the brand. "Being successful with Yeezy probably made Adidas lazy on finding other growth drivers," said Cedric Rossi, nextgen consumer analyst at Bryan Garnier in Paris.

☆ ABB CEO: Saw highest first-quarter performance in company's history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailABB CEO: Saw highest first-quarter performance in company's historyBjörn Rosengren, CEO of ABB, lauds the company's highest first-quarter performance in history and weighs in on potential IPOs and the outlook for the rest of the year.

☆ Australian job vacancies fall 1.5% in Feb quarter, still high historically
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, March 30 (Reuters) - Job vacancies in Australia eased in the three months to February, the third straight quarter of decline, but still far above pre-pandemic levels in a sign of a still tight labour market. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) out on Thursday showed vacancies in the February quarter fell 1.5%, from the previous quarter, to 438,500. "There is still a very high demand for labour from employers across Australia and across all industries," said Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics. Thursday's data showed vacancies in the private sector dipped 1.5% in the February, while the public sector saw a drop of 1.4%. The number of vacancies was highest in public administration followed by the accommodation and food sector, health care and education.

☆ Adidas adds risk by tripping over its sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Adidas (ADSGn.DE) is having a hard time keeping its feet out of its mouth. On Wednesday, the $28 billion sneaker maker withdrew a trademark objection to Black Lives Matter over its use of three stripes in its logo 48 hours after filing it. The timing of Adidas’s objection looks tin-eared. It could have devised a partnership arrangement with Black Lives Matter that featured both brands. Trying to pick a fight with an organisation popular with young consumers shows that Adidas’s biggest risk is its mouth.

☆ Windies skipper smashes his side to T20 win over South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Cricket - First Twenty20 - South Africa v West Indies - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, South Africa - March 25, 2023 South Africa's Anrich Nortje and Aiden Markram after the match REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoPRETORIA, March 25 (Reuters) - West Indies captain Rovman Powell smashed a quickfire 43 not out to propel his side to a three wicket victory over South Africa in a rain reduced Twenty20 international clash on Saturday. Powell’s knock came off only 18 balls as the West Indies reached their target of 132 with three balls to spare to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. The game was reduced to 11 overs each with South Africa scoring 131-8 and then the tourists replying with 132-7. After a two-hour delay, Powell put South Africa into bat in damp conditions and got immediate returns as key batsmen Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw departed cheaply. West Indies went on the attack from the start of their innings, scoring 17 runs off their opening four balls before South Africa snagged Kyle Mayers with the next delivery.

☆ Australia employment rebounds in Feb, jobless drops back to near 50-yr lows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 16 (Reuters) - Australia employment rebounded strongly in February after two months of declines, while the jobless rate fell back to near 50-year lows, suggesting the country's labour market remained tight amid a slew of interest rate hikes by the central bank. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Thursday that net employment rose 64,600 in February from January, when they fell a revised 10,900. The jobless rate dropped to 3.5%, from 3.7%, when analysts had looked for a dip to 3.6%, while hours worked jumped by 3.9% in another signal of resilience. Full-time employment soared by 74,900 jobs in February, compared with a drop of 43,300 the previous month. That prompted investors to price out any chance of another rate hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

☆ Kanye West blunder puts Adidas in play
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After a disastrous breakup with the musician formerly known as Kanye West, the $28 billion sneaker maker is slashing dividends and heading for the first loss in decades. Last year, Adidas spent 12.3% of its 22.5 billion euros of revenue on marketing and similar expenses. If it were to return to the 13.9% it allocated in 2015, it would add 2 billion euros of extra costs over the next five years, Breakingviews calculations show. Swooping on Adidas would allow the U.S. athleisure giant to dominate sportswear by servicing women and men across a wide spectrum of categories. Shares in Adidas were down 2.4% at 144.50 euros by 0859 GMT on March 15.

Gulden said Adidas was still deciding what to do with its stock of unsold Yeezy footwear. One option could be for Adidas to donate proceeds from the sale of repurposed Yeezy stock to charity, Gulden said. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 1 2 3The split cost Adidas 600 million euros ($632 million) in sales in the fourth quarter of 2022, and Yeezy shoes would have brought in an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue this year. Inventories came in at just under 6 billion euros at the end of December, up 49% from the previous year, including 400 million euros of Yeezy products. That, along with $200 million of one-off costs, would bring Adidas to a $700 million loss this year.

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