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☆ The Discreet Thrill of Lurking Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Elise Craig | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Four years into the practice, I discovered I was lurking: Aside from sharing snapshots with friends on a private Instagram page, I was consuming strangers’ social media content without ever posting or commenting myself. I’ll hit a heart icon and contribute to a like count, but I find the public nature of social media participation to be too performative for me. In the online world, where anyone can put themselves onstage, I’m happy to sit in the audience and clap. Alongside tools used to track diet and exercise was something that I didn’t expect: a sort of in-app Instagram, open only to members. By that point, the shine of social media had worn off for me.

☆ Jeremy Renner is sharing an update on his recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Jeremy Renner is exercising like a champ following a snowplow accident that nearly killed him. He recently shared an update on his recovery in an Instagram video, where he is using his legs to work out. Renner captioned the video, “UPDATE: I’ve decided to push through the pain of progress (this damn shattered tibia) and take the new parts for a tiny test drive. He has been documenting his recovery process, which includes an anti-gravity treadmill and a bone growth stimulator. !”Renner appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” recently, where he detailed the accident.

☆ How These Budding Entrepreneurs Won $20,000 for Their Start-Ups
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Winnie Hu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Teaching remotely, Ms. Adams put the money that she saved by not commuting toward trying out recipes for vegan muffins, reduced-sugar cookies and low-carb pizzas. A few months ago, Ms. Adams received a newsletter from her landlord, the New York City Housing Authority, which announced a new competition for entrepreneurs living in public housing. It offered cash prizes of up to $20,000 and free business development classes. “I thought it was fake,” Ms. Adams said. She called the housing authority to make sure it was real.

☆ China says Myanmar's sovereignty should be respected
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, May 2 (Reuters) - China supports Myanmar in finding its own path to development and urges the international community to respect its sovereignty and help it achieve peace and reconciliation, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. "China supports Myanmar in exploring a development path with Myanmar characteristics that suits to its national conditions," Qin's ministry cited him as saying in the talks. The international community should respect Myanmar's sovereignty and play a constructive role in helping it achieve peace and reconciliation, he said. On economic development, Qin said China would accelerate investment linked to a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and implement projects on agriculture, education and health care. China also supported Myanmar on improving its relations with its western neighbour, Bangladesh, the Chinese foreign minister said.

☆ ‘Oliver!’ Returns, With Darker Twists Intact
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sarah Bahr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was 10 a.m. on a recent morning in a rehearsal room at New York City Center, and nine boys scurried around the space, clutching parasols of red and white lace, tin cups and jaunty pocket squares. “OK, everyone!” said Lorin Latarro, the choreographer of the show, a new staging of “Oliver!,” the Lionel Bart musical opening at City Center on Wednesday for a two-week run as part of the Encores! “Would you risk the ‘drop’?” he sang, his eyes bugging as he grabbed his scarf and mimed a noose tightening around his neck. (Translation: Are you willing to go out and commit robbery and possibly face the gallows if you’re caught?) All nine pickpockets in training nodded enthusiastically.

☆ From caviar to cardboard cutouts, businesses hope for coronation boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A view of souvenirs designed for the Coronation of Britain's King Charles in Windsor, Britain, April 29, 2023. Mugs, plates, tea towels, magnets, cushions and teddy bears are staple memorabilia for royal occasions and an array of these to mark King Charles' coronation on May 6 are already filling shop windows. Others are selling coronation varieties of the games pass the parcel, bingo and charades. John Lewis Partnership, the owner of the eponymous department stores and supermarket chain Waitrose, said last week searches for coronation products on its website had risen more than 262% on the previous week. “Our royal family selection of cardboard cut-outs have always been a favourite of our customers, with King Charles proving himself to be a top seller," an Argos spokesperson said.

☆ The U.S. Wants a Rare-Earths Supply Chain. Here’s Why It Won’t Come Easily.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

MP Materials efforts to build a local supply chain demonstrate the challenge for American producers. Challenging China’s dominanceWhile the 60% might not sound that concentrated, the dependence on China is even more pronounced further down the supply chain. James Litinsky, CEO of MP Materials, stands in front of the Mountain Pass mine in 2018. But if you miss one step then you do not have a supply chain that’s secure,” Mr. Litinsky said. Defense Metals’ Ms. Moreno said that little knowledge exists outside of China in building the whole supply chain.

☆ I increased a property's value by $78,000 with DIY renovations that cost under $2,000. See the before-and-after pictures, plus how I stayed on budget.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Salina Jivani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A friend asked for Juliff's help to refresh her London apartment on a tight budget of under $2,000. Here's how she increased the home's value by $78,000, as told to Salina Jivani. During this time, my husband and I decided to sell our apartment in London and purchase anotherOur apartment sold in January 2021, but our purchase fell through. Upon hearing our dilemma, a close friend reached out to another person in her network who had an empty apartment in London. Once the remodeling was over, my friend got the apartment appraisedThe real-estate agency valued the home at $78,000 more than before.

☆ Ima Keithel: The world’s largest women-run market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —At first glance, Ima Keithel is much like any other market. Priya Kharaibam, for example, is the third generation of her family’s pottery traders at Ima Keithel, following on from her grandmother. The creation of Ima Keithel dates back to the 16th century Kangleipak Kingdom, when it began as a makeshift, open-air market for bartering crops. An overhead shot of a busy afternoon at Ima Keithel. We want to be responsible mothers.”These days Ima Keithel is a microcosm of Manipur’s egalitarian society.

☆ Factbox: Chile lithium move latest in global resource nationalism trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Chye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Chile's President Gabriel Boric announced on Thursday he would nationalise the country's vast lithium industry to boost the economy and protect the environment. Chile is the world's second largest producer of lithium, a key component in batteries used in electric vehicles. Myanmar accounted for 77% of China's tin ore imports last year, Chinese customs data showed. INDONESIA* A resource powerhouse, Indonesia is tightening controls over various materials in a push to develop local downstream operations and extract greater value. More export bans will also be announced in the coming years in order to develop resource processing industry onshore, he said, speaking at an economic forum.

☆ Healthy breakfast ideas: Start your day with these quick meals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Because of the versatility and hands-off aspect of the preparation, these are some of my favorite breakfast options for road trip vacations and camping adventures — but they work for busy at-home mornings, too. Overnight oats are one of the most versatile breakfast options out there — and can easily be taken on the road or enjoyed at home. NelliSyr/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesTartines, AKA open-faced sandwiches — or as I like to call them, “things on toast” — comprise a catchall category of breakfast options that can skew savory or sweet. When I have a few minutes and am feeling famished, my go-to move is to grab eggs and tortillas for breakfast tacos or burritos. Eggs and tortillas pair well in the morning to make breakfast tacos or burritos.

But it serves to highlight the importance of one of the most inaccessible parts of southeast Asia to the global tin supply chain. Imports from Myanmar grew from 30,000 tonnes in 2012 to 89,000 tonnes in 2013 and mushroomed to almost 500,000 tonnes in 2016. CHINESE DEPENDENCEThe Myanmar tin boom occurred at the right time for China's tin smelters, many of which were struggling to bring on new mining capacity as Beijing steadily tightened environmental controls on the mining sector. However, the threat alone underscores the fragility of tin supply at a time when Indonesia, the largest exporter of the metal in refined form, is mulling an export ban to stimulate the build-out of downstream processing capacity. This is probably not going to be the last time tin gets spooked by unexpected news from Myanmar.

[1/2] An Airbus A320neo aircraft is pictured during a news conference tin Colomiers near Toulouse, France, October 17, 2017. Airbus' defense portfolio includes the A400M and the C295, which are respectively larger and smaller than Embraer's KC-390. De La Vela said he sees potential collaborations emerging in areas such as unmanned aircraft and space technologies, including for new products, adding that he would like to hear from Embraer before elaborating. De La Vela said Airbus expects the Brazilian MRTTs to open the Latin American market for the aircraft, noting talks with four other undisclosed countries in the region were underway. Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Man gets prison time after feds discover $3.4 billion in stolen Bitcoin hidden inside a Cheetos popcorn tin and underground safe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man convicted of stealing around 50,000 Bitcoin was sentenced Friday to a year in prison. At the it was seized, the Bitcoin was worth over $3.4 billion. Prosecutors said the crypto-currency was stolen from the Silk Road dark web marketplace. There investigators recovered more than 50,000 Bitcoin, split between "an underground floor safe and on a single-board computer that was submerged under blankets in a popcorn tin stored in a bathroom closet." A photo shared by the department shows that the crypto tin originally contained Cheetos-brand popcorn in both Flamin' Hot and Cheddar flavors.

LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) - A year on from the nickel crisis the London Metal Exchange (LME) is still struggling to regain trading momentum. Volumes dropped sharply after the controversial decision to suspend nickel trading and cancel trades. In this subdued metals trading landscape there are currently two unlikely star performers: London lead and Shanghai tin. The Shanghai nickel contract took a big collateral hit from the LME's crisis and volumes remain depressed, down by half year-on-year in the first quarter. ShFE volumes year-on-year change in Q1 2023LEAD GETS INDEX BOOSTERThe two metallic stand-outs in terms of first-quarter trading activity were LME lead and ShFE tin.

☆ Apple to use only recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 13 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Thursday it would use only recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025 as a part of its efforts to make all its products carbon neutral by the end of the decade. Magnets in Apple devices will use recycled rare earth elements, and in-house designed printed circuit boards will use recycled tin soldering and gold plating, the company said. Apple is pushing to become carbon neutral through its entire supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. A quarter of all cobalt used in Apple products came from recycled material in 2022, up from 13% a year earlier, Apple said. It now sources over two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95% of all tungsten in its products from recycled material.

☆ Japan aims to treble sales of domestically made microchips by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 3 (Reuters) - Japan's industry ministry said on Monday it aimed to treble sales of semiconductors made in Japan to 15 trillion yen ($112.55 billion) by 2030 as Tokyo strives to boost domestic microchip production following global supply chain snarls. Japan sees microchips as strategic products to strengthen its economic security and is providing hefty subsidies to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) and others to build plants tin o Japan or have them expand existing facilities. The ministry plans to put the sales target in Japan's semiconductor and digital industry strategy, which will be updated by the middle of the year. Japan has seen its share in the global microchip market tumble from 50% in the late 1980s to around 10%, outperformed by nimbler rivals with deep pockets such as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS). ($1 = 133.2700 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy's Illycaffe aims to make a bigger splash in the U.S. market, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Elisa Anzolin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

North America already accounts for one fifth of the Italian group's revenues and reported a 27% increase in sales last year. Illycaffè reported a 14% increase in revenues to 568 million euros ($615 million) last year. Operating profit grew to 71.4 million euros, despite a 43 million euro increase in costs, mainly linked to increased prices for raw coffee beans, energy and logistics. Scocchia expects an increase in revenues and profitability this year, but the sales growth could be slower compared to last year. The group plans 270 million euro in investments by 2026, with 120 million euros earmarked to enlarge its plant in Trieste in northeast Italy which will double its production capacity.

☆ The High Seas Treaty, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Haphazard Authority On Ocean Resources | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Global News Changing Tides The first international agreement to protect the world's oceans aims to create “international parks” in the high seas. The high seas represent 95% of the world’s total habitat by volume, but the nautical world remains largely unexplored. “A sentiment we often encountered was that there’s not much in terms of biodiversity out there in the high seas,” he said. MPAs that already exist mostly occupy exclusive economic zones and only make up about 3% of the high seas. A 2016 Pew study on mapping governance in the high seas showed 19 governing bodies with a high seas mandate.

☆ 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.

Soldering demand from the electronics sector remains weak and investors in London and Shanghai continue to play the market from the short side. Surging purchases of electronic goods during lockdown were followed by sharply reduced spending as many Western consumers were hit by a cost-of-living squeeze. LME positioning reports show both investment funds and other financial players are currently net short of the London tin contract after the early-year rally went into reverse. LME tin price, stocks and cash-3s spreadSHANGHAI STOCKS UP, LONDON STOCKS DOWNReasons to be negative are more obvious in China. ShFE registered tin stocks have risen by 60% to 8,745 tonnes since the start of January.

[1/5] Locals in the Chiradzulu district look at the damage on a road after mudslides and rockfalls in the area caused by the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi, March 15, 2023. Most people heeded the warnings, knowing from bitter experience the damage such storms could inflict: 600 people had died in Cyclone Idai in 2019. The storm was far more deadly in neighbouring Malawi, where at least 447 were killed as Freddy tore through the country's southern tip and inundated the main commercial hub of Blantyre. Mozambique and Malawi are among the poorest 8% of countries in the world, according to United Nations data. In the case of Freddy, this extra energy allowed the storm to pick up strength again and circle back to strike again.

☆ Tin mining is big business in Indonesia. Here's why miners risk their lives for $13 a day.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Ryan Flynn | Olivia Nemec | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of tin, and more than 90% of the country's supply comes from the islands of Bangka and Belitung. But the deposits on land are almost gone, so unlicensed miners risk their lives to search for the precious metal on the seafloor. Makeshift pontoons gather in the Indonesia Sea to form an illegal tin mine. Ibnu Hadi RachmatSource: The Guardian

[1/3] Branches of trees sway as cyclone Freddy hits, in Quelimane, Zambezia, Mozambique, March 12, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. It pummelled central Mozambique on Saturday, ripping roofs off buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane, before moving inland towards Malawi with torrential rains that caused landslides. At least six people died in Mozambique's Quelimane, which was struck hard by the storm, authorities told the public broadcaster on Monday. The total number killed by storm Freddy in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar since it first made landfall last month is now nearing 100. Malawi has been battling the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, and U.N. agencies have warned the situation could now get worse.

☆ In Peru's Andes, scars of protest deaths cut deep as families seek justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Alexander Villegas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Relatives mourn victims during a mass after the deadliest clashes in anti-government protests against Peru's President Dina Boluarte, in Juliaca, Peru February 9, 2023. Brayan died of his wounds three days later on Jan. 12 in hospital after surgeons tried to clear a blockage in the brain. For Peru I'm willing to fight. Boluarte has said there will be no "impunity" when it comes to protest deaths, but families say they've seen little progress. Our dead aren't worth anything," said Dionisio Aroquipa, whose 17-year old daughter, Jhamlith Nataly, died on Jan 9.

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