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The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.2% higher, with the DAX (.GDAXI) up 0.9%. Luxury majors LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Hermes (HRMS.PA) climbed 1.8% and 3%, respectively, further supporting the STOXX 600. Meetings of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are lined up for the week. The STOXX 600 started the year on a stronger footing compared to the S&P 500 index (.SPX) but lost steam during the second quarter due to a rise in preference for growth-oriented stocks as opposed to value stocks. Shares in SES tumbled 14.6% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after the satellite company announced its chief executive Steve Collar would step down.

Persons: BOJ, Bernstein, DAX, Lionel Messi's, Hermes, Daniela Hathorn, Sergio Ermotti, he’s, Michael Hewson, Silvio Berlusconi, Steve Collar, Shreyashi Sanyal, Bansari, Eileen Soreng Organizations: Fed, ECB, Adidas, UBS, CS, Inter Miami, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Credit Suisse, CMC Markets, MEDIAFOREUROPE, Italian, Novartis, Seattle, Chinook Therapeutics, SES, BNP, Exane, Thomson Locations: Europe, Bengaluru

☆ The alien-hunting team at SETI has a new test for humanity to decipher messages sent from an alien race
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SETI sent a message from Mars to Earth to simulate how aliens' attempts at communication may play out. The mysterious message is posted online for anyone to study and attempt to decode. This is a test conducted by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute to determine how well humanity could decipher a real message sent by aliens. But it seems that at least one group is fast-tracking their way to solving the mysterious message. But de Paulis told Wired that "if we ever received an extraterrestrial signal, scientists won't know where the noise ends and where the actual message begins.

Persons: it'll, —, Daniela de Paulis, De Paulis, Neill Sanders, Go, Sanders, de Paulis Organizations: Service, Extraterrestrial Intelligence, SETI, European Space Agency, Allen, Green Bank, Medicina, Wired, CNN Locations: California, West Virginia, Bologna, Italy, British

There are plans to open the Olari Cultural Center, a new institution on Olari Street, in September. It will showcase Horezu ceramics, host conferences and present demonstrations by potters. The cultural center was paid for by the town of Horezu and the Romanian government. Olari Street is about a 10-minute drive from the entrance to town, which is crowded with souvenir shops. Many hawk ceramics from Bulgaria that tourists mistake for local pottery, said Laurentiu Pietraru, 52, a potter and shop owner in Horezu who sells ceramics made in the town for about $2 to $54.

Persons: Constantin Popa, Georgeta Popa, ” Tim Curtis, Daniela Ogrezeanu, Nicolae Sardarescu, Laurentiu Pietraru Locations: Horezu, Romanian, Bulgaria

☆ Inside SETI’s E.T. transmission test
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Deblina Chakraborty | Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, shown here, played a key role in SETI's test by sending a message to Earth on May 24. The Allen Telescope Array in Northern California is one of three observatories that picked up the transmission. But the event also correctly simulates the fact that it wouldn’t be SETI’s role to decipher the message, just to point out its reception. However, neither SETI nor any other organization on Earth has yet picked up any intelligent signal from the stars. He composed an interstellar radio message that was sent in 1974.

Persons: It’s, ”, Daniela de Paulis, “, Seth Shostak, ” de Paulis, Wael Farah, “ It’s, Jodie Foster, ” Farrah, Frank Drake, —, Neil Hall, Drake, , Neill Sanders, they’ve Organizations: CNN, SETI, Green Bank, Medicina, Orbiter, ESA, Allen, NASA, SETI Institute, Reuters, Arecibo Locations: Northern California, West Virginia, Bologna, Italy, American, Puerto Rico, Arecibo, British

☆ What to do if you see an alligator and how to survive an attack, according to a wildlife expert who keeps pet gators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Graham Flanagan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If an alligator bites you, don't try to pry its jaws open. But, in reality, alligators don't often attack humans. Alligators don't eat peopleAlligators have been lurking in Earth's waters for tens of millions of years. Don't try to run in a zig-zag pattern, as that'll just take you longer to go farther. Don't try to pry open the jaws.

☆ You Shouldn’t Squish These Bugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Victoria Gomelsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — “Bonkers About Beetles.” “Innumerable Insects.” “Bugs: A Pop-Up Book.” The volumes that line the shelves of the jewelry designer Daniela Villegas’s home in this part of greater Los Angeles underscore what is obvious to anyone who ventures inside: She is passionate about pests. Thousands of specimens — of the six, eight- and 100-plus-leg varieties — hang in frames on the walls, are displayed in bell jars on the shelves and lie beneath the glass atop her oversized coffee table. Much of the collection was acquired at bug fairs and is shared with her husband, the furniture designer Sami Hayek (Salma’s younger brother). It is likely to make visitors think they have wandered into the entomology section of a natural history museum, or rather, its deluxe gift shop. The eccentric décor includes a stuffed armadillo adorned with its own gemstone bracelet; a wicker table in the shape of a grasshopper, topped with a crab sculpture; and a collection of Ms. Villegas’s signature Khepri rings, honoring the scarab-face god of ancient Egypt.

☆ Opinion | Not Every Pandemic Needs Someone to Blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Daniela J. Lamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Of course, health care workers frequently care for patients who are suffering, either directly or indirectly, as a result of actions they have taken. When we see patients with lung cancer, for instance, we mention whether they had a history of cigarette smoking. That’s not to say that the medicine we offer is different, not in any way that’s measurable. Which is one reason the coronavirus was so frightening to those of us in health care. There were health care workers who railed against the idea of offering advanced and scarce resources like a lung bypass or transplantation to unvaccinated patients with life-threatening disease.

☆ Volkswagen plans core brand revamp to boost returns -internal memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, May 17 (Reuters) - German carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to overhaul its core brand to increase efficiency and returns, according to an internal memo from VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer seen by Reuters on Wednesday. "We can see that our brand – despite all its strengths – is not yet on a sufficiently solid economic footing," Schaefer wrote in the memo. The Volkswagen brand must act," he wrote. Handelsblatt business daily first reported the plans, saying they involved cost savings and were designed to increase annual results by at least 3 billion euros. In the memo seen by Reuters, Schaefer wrote that details of the revamp would be worked out in coming weeks and months.

☆ Abortion Bans Can Help Make This Cheap, Accessible Birth Control Pill a Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains how over-the-counter access could affect reproductive care across the U.S. Photo: Laura KammermannAs efforts to crack down on abortion increase around the U.S., contraceptives are bound to play an increasingly important role in family planning. But for many women, cost and access are still prohibitive factors. A cheaper, over-the-counter option could help close that gap while creating a sizable market for generic drugmaker Perrigo . Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week recommended that Perrigo’s oral contraceptive, called Opill, be made available without prescription. If the recommendation is adopted by the FDA, it would help widen access to birth control around the country.

☆ The Pressure of Motherhood Is Something Else - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Daniela J. Lamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I have taken supplements and prescribed myself an anti-nausea medication that has the side effect of increasing the hormone responsible for milk production. And I know, rationally, that this had nothing to do with love, that supplementing with formula is more than OK. For all the pressure I have felt as a doctor or a writer, there is nothing that compares with the expectations placed on mothers. We are supposed to fall in love with our babies immediately, to experience motherhood as a transcendent state. Not exactly as I expected, nothing ever is — not family, not motherhood — but something beautiful.

Though investigators have yet to pin down a motive in the attack, they are probing whether Garcia was driven by extremist ideologies, a law enforcement source told CNN. Among those killed were two elementary school-aged sisters; three members of a Korean American family, including a child; a mall security guard; and a young engineer. Law enforcement does not yet feel they have a “complete picture” of Garcia’s past and are continuing to dig into his background, a law enforcement source told CNN. The child’s name and age were not given, but the Texas Department of Safety did note a three-year-old child was among those killed. Other victims included Christian LaCour, an outlet mall security guard, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, who was killed while visiting the mall with a friend, CNN affiliate WFAA reported.

Here’s what we know so far about those killed in the Texas shooting:The Cho familyCho Kyu Song, 37 (husband) and Kang Shin Young, 35 (wife) are shown in an undated photo. William, who just celebrated his birthday, lost his mother, father and younger brother in the shooting, according to the post. Daniela and Sofia MendozaSisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza were both elementary school students in the Wylie Independent School District, according to a letter sent to parents by the district. “Words cannot express the sadness we feel as we grieve the loss of our students,” the letter reads. “Please hold the Mendoza family close to your heart.

Sisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, both in elementary school, were there with their mother. Aishwarya Thatikonda had come to shop with a friend before she had to head to a job site for her work at a general contracting firm. On Saturday, it became different kind of all-American scene: the location of yet another mass shooting. By the time a police officer shot and killed the gunman, eight people had suffered fatal wounds, including three small children. It was the country’s second-deadliest mass shooting this year, indiscriminately wiping out individuals, and nearly one entire family.

☆ Metformin and Autophagy: The Cellular Recycling Process Behind Aging
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Daniela Hernandez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E37Why Fungi Are the Next Big Global Health Threat As certain fungi like Candida auris become more widespread throughout the U.S., deaths related to severe fungal infections are rising. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains what you should know. Composite: Noah Friedman

☆ Obesity Could Be Pharma’s Biggest Blockbuster Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some drugs initially approved to treat Type 2 diabetes are now being used for cosmetic weight loss. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains how they work, their side effects, and concerns over unintended consequences. Illustration: Elizabeth SmelovAs social-media hype around drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro explodes, patient testimonies have focused not only on the dramatic effect on their waistlines, but also on how quickly many seem to pack the pounds back on if they stop taking the injections. That may not be ideal for patients, but for Wall Street it is a feature rather than a bug. Nothing gets investors more hyped up than a product whose target market is massive—more than 40% of American adults are obese—and that also needs to be taken indefinitely.

☆ Paraguay president-elect commits to 'strengthen' ties with Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 - Paraguay's president-elect, Santiago Pena, said on Friday that he would continue to strengthen his country's "historic ties" with Taiwan following a call with his counterpart there after winning Sunday's election. Paraguay is Taiwan's only South American ally and the island - claimed by China as its own - has lost support from other Central American nations in recent years. We will keep strengthening the historic ties between Paraguay and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and look forward to working on mutually beneficial cooperation projects," Pena said on Twitter, referring to President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwan faces an uphill battle to keep ties with the 13 countries that currently recognize it as a sovereign nation, amid pressure from China. (This story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in paragraph 1)Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Paraguay presidential candidate Cubas arrested after post-election protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Paraguayo Cubas, who placed third in Paraguay's presidential elections last week, talks to police officers after his arrest, in Asuncion, Paraguay, May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Cesar OlmedoASUNCION, May 5 (Reuters) - Paraguayo Cubas, who placed third in Paraguay's presidential elections, has been arrested following post-election protests, authorities said on Friday. Cubas led protests to dispute Sunday's election results and call for a recount, though international organizations said there was no reason to doubt the integrity of the vote. "All the criminals in this country should be handcuffed like Paraguayo Cubas," he added as he got into a patrol car. Cubas had announced plans for renewed protests after his arrival in the capital.

☆ Why You Might Not Be Able to Start Taking Wegovy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Dominic Chopping | Peter Loftus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some drugs initially approved to treat Type 2 diabetes are now being used for cosmetic weight loss. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains how they work, their side effects, and concerns over unintended consequences. Illustration: Elizabeth SmelovThe Danish pharmaceutical giant that makes the obesity drug Wegovy said it would temporarily hold back some lower-strength starter doses in the U.S. in an effort to safeguard supplies for current patients amid soaring demand. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk , as a treatment for chronic weight management in 2021. It has since exploded in popularity.

[1/4] Paraguayan presidential candidate Santiago Pena from the ruling Colorado Party gestures next to his wife Leticia Ocampos at the party headquarters as he and his running mate Pedro Alliana won Paraguay's presidential race, according to the preliminary official count, in Asuncion, Paraguay April 30, 2023. Still, Pena will be able to keep a cool head amid the tumult, his supporters say. "I think what characterizes him is that he has infinite tranquility," said Lea Gimenez, who served as Pena's deputy when he was finance minister and was later finance minister herself. Throughout the campaign the Colorado Party candidate has vowed to extend Paraguay's decades-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan, despite pressures to open up to China and its huge consumer demand for soybeans and beef. He became finance minister in 2015.

[1/5] Cipriano Gomez and Ambrosio Pedraza share a laugh as they chat the day after the general elections, where Santiago Pena, from the ruling Colorado Party, was elected as the new Paraguayan President, in Asuncion, Paraguay May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin MarcarianASUNCION, May 1 (Reuters) - Paraguayans on Monday were mixed about the prospects of another five years of conservative Colorado party rule, but hoped President-elect Santiago Pena could reboot the country’s farm-driven economy. Pena, a 44-year-old economist, secured a 15-point lead over his opposition rival with 42.7% of the vote, cementing another five-year term for the ruling Colorado Party. "For me personally, Santiago Pena is a person who could contribute a lot to the economy of our country (by) putting things in place in macroeconomic terms,” Candia told Reuters. Resident Victor Barrios also felt Pena was the right choice: "I think Santiago Pena is the ideal president for now … five years on we’ll see what he does and how we judge him," he said.

ASUNCION, April 30 (Reuters) - Paraguayans are readying to head to the polls on Sunday in what could be the biggest electoral challenge to the ruling conservative Colorado Party in over a decade and with the country's near 70-year ties with Taiwan potentially at stake. In the streets and news debates, the political build-up has been dominated by the economy, corruption allegations and the candidates' views on Taiwan. Paraguay is one of only 13 nations to maintain formal diplomatic ties with the democratically-governed island that China claims as its own. Pena has said he would maintain ties with Taiwan. In final campaign events, Alegre took aim at corruption charges that have dogged Colorado Party leader Horacio Cartes, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury this year.

☆ Chile's lithium takeover plan faces technical, political challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] A view of a brine pool of a lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama desert, Chile, August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File PhotoSANTIAGO, April 28 (Reuters) - While Chile's plan to take control of its lithium industry has caused global shockwaves, state-led production of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries is seen by analysts as likely years away given technical and political challenges. CODELCO'S ROLEChile's state-run Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, plays a key role in Boric's lithium plan although it has no experience in producing the white metal. The report noted that Argentina currently has more lithium projects in the pipeline than any other country in the world. Albemarle has said it needs new water sources to expand in Chile's Atacama salt flat, noting a desalination project was awaiting permits and construction.

☆ Venus the Influencer? An Italian Tourism Campaign Prompts Backlash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Venus is back as an allegory of rebirth and renewal,” read a blurb on the company’s website. But some critics complained that turning the Renaissance icon into a modern-day influencer played into old stereotypes about Italy. (The campaign featured Venus as a hip fashionista, snapping selfies in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, munching on pizza on Lake Como and posing in front of the Colosseum with a bicycle.) Undaunted by the criticism, Daniela Santanchè, the tourism minister, said she stood by the campaign, which officially begins in May. The German version has been taken down.

The ruling Colorado Party has dominated Paraguayan politics for the last three-quarters of a century, in power for all but five years. "We never talked about politics before, because a win for the Colorado Party was a done deal," 40-year-old bank worker Gustavo Vera told Reuters in the capital. "There's more corruption in Paraguay than work... All I know is we have to work much harder to make ends meet." The U.S. Treasury earlier this year imposed sanctions on party chief Horacio Cartes and Vice President Hugo Velazquez, citing "rampant corruption." Alegre, on his third presidential campaign, has pulled together a broad alliance of independent parties to challenge the powerful Colorado political machine.

But Pena, who has powerful party backing, is able to keep a cool head amid the tumult, his supporters say. "I think what characterizes him is that he has infinite tranquility," said Lea Gimenez, who served as Pena's deputy when he was finance minister and was later finance minister herself. Opinion polls suggest either Pena or center-left opposition leader Efrain Alegre could triumph and most analysts predict a close race. "He matured very quickly, being a young father... he became an adult very quickly," a former colleague told Reuters. He became finance minister in 2015.

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