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☆ Swedish singer Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest for 2nd time at event feting Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad "Tattoo," at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine. Loreen, 39, previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland's Johnny Logan in the 1980s. Under the slogan "united by music," Eurovision final fused the soul of the English port city that birthed The Beatles with the spirit of war-battered Ukraine. Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world's biggest music contest — an Olympiad of party-friendly pop. "Now, the music industry, the world, knows that if you appear at Eurovision, you could be in for a great thing," said Steve Holden, host of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast.

☆ New Zealand defence spending set to increase by around $472 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The New Zealand Defence Force will get an additional NZ$748 million ($472.14 million) over four years, as the government tries to stop the loss of military personnel and ensure the country’s military can operate alongside allies and partners. Andrew Little said in a statement that the government would invest a further NZ$419 million in defence force salaries and NZ$328 million to upgrade assets and infrastructure over four years. Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short said in an email that the new funding was the most meaningful funding allocation the military had received in many years, and was great news. In the last two years, the Regular Force - full-time military personnel - has lost 29.8% of its personnel, excluding those who have served less than two years. That number is expected to hit 32.6% by June 30 if nothing is done as the defence force has struggled to match private-sector wages.

London CNN —The coronation of King Charles III on Saturday was a historic day, jam-packed with events – some planned, others not. The crowning eventCharles was hidden from view for the most dramatic part of the service at London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday. King Charles III sits as he receives The St Edward's Crown during the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. Lady in bluePenny Mordaunt leads King Charles III during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey. Queen Camilla and King Charles III arrive for their coronation at Westminster Abbey.

☆ Crowds gather in London for moment in history as King Charles is crowned
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Well-wishers gather along the path that Britain's King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will travel during the procession marking their coronation along the main streets of London, Britain, May 5, 2023. His second wife Camilla, 75, will be crowned queen during the two-hour ceremony which, while rooted in history, will attempt to present a forward-looking monarchy. People, royalists and royal fans gather along The Mall in preparation for the Coronation of King Charles III on 5th May 2023 in London, United Kingdom. Much of the ceremony will feature elements that Charles' forebears right back to King Edgar in 973 would recognize, officials said. People, royalists and royal fans shelter under umbrellas and waterproofs as torrential rain arrives as people gather along The Mall in preparation for the Coronation of King Charles III on 5th May 2023 in London, United Kingdom.

☆ Why is Camilla being crowned and will she be called ‘Queen’?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Queen Camilla? On Saturday, Camilla became the 29th Queen Consort to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. Many wives of a sitting monarch have often been titled as Queen, with the most recent example being Elizabeth II’s mother, Queen Elizabeth. But the first time we saw his wife titled as “Queen Camilla” was in the elaborate coronation invitations sent out to esteemed VIPs. “The coronation is an appropriate time to start using ‘Queen Camilla’ in an official capacity,” the royal source said.

☆ The Coronation of King Charles: Order of Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +46 min

The Archbishop saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? Christopher Finney GC saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O clap your hands together, all ye people;O sing unto God with the voice of melody. The King touches the Ring and the Archbishop saysReceive this Ring, symbol of kingly dignity and a sign of the covenant sworn this day, between God and King, King and people.

☆ Charles III to be crowned in once-in-a-generation ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Britain was waking up Saturday to a once-in-a-generation royal event: the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. While Charles became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II in September last year, the coronation is the formal crowning of the monarch. In a ceremony that is expected to last at least two hours, Charles will be officially crowned, presented with an array ceremonial objects and be recognized as King by various representatives of the British state. Charles and Camilla will travel along the route to the abbey in a splendid coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry. Charles’ consort Camilla will also be crowned in a shorter, simpler part of the ceremony.

[1/5] Britain's King Charles speaks to guests during a reception for overseas guests attending his coronation at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 5, 2023. It will be the largest show of its kind in Britain since the coronation of Charles' mother. Once at the abbey, much of the ceremony will feature elements that Charles' forebears right back to King Edgar in 973 would recognise, officials said. Handel’s coronation anthem "Zadok The Priest" will be sung as it has at every coronation since 1727. After returning to Buckingham Palace, the royals will make a traditional appearance on the balcony, with a fly-past by military aircraft.

Just 21% say their views on the royal family have gotten more positive over the past decade, with another 41% saying their overall opinion has stayed the same. A CNN poll suggests attitudes towards the British royal family have worsened over the past decade, ahead of the coronation of King Charles III. Prince Harry (right) and Meghan (left) are among those members of the royal family rated most favorably by young people. Jamie Lorriman/AFP/Getty ImagesBut not all members of the royal family are viewed in the same light. The poll was conducted on March 24 through 26 among a random sample of 2,093 UK adults aged 18 and older.

Charles III has commissioned new works for his coronation, adding to the rich tapestry of pieces composed for the occasion. The first coronation music was likely sung chants, which, starting in 1603 with the coronation of James I, were refashioned into coronation anthems now with English text. Both have since become staples in the coronation service. And at the most recent coronation, comparisons between Elizabeth II and Charles III are unsurprisingly being made. Charles III’s coronation is set to usher in the new Carolean era, in the hopes that it will reflect its namesake Charles II and his contributions to art and music.

During a historic and solemn two-hour service, which dates back to the time of King William the Conqueror in 1066, Charles' second wife Camilla was also crowned queen. Charles, 74, automatically succeeded his mother as king on her death last September. GREAT AND GOOD[1/20] Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla wave on the Buckingham Palace balcony following their coronation ceremony in London, Britain May 6, 2023. Much of the ceremony featured elements that Charles' forebears right back to King Edgar in 973 would recognise, officials said. Not everyone who came to watch was there to cheer Charles, with hundreds of republicans booing and waving banners reading "Not My King".

☆ Factbox: Key moments in King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - From the religious symbolism of his anointment to the moment when the crown is placed on his head, what are the highlights to look out for during the coronation of King Charles on Saturday? It has been used at every coronation since King William IV's in 1831 and was first used by George III to travel to the State Opening of Parliament in 1762. "This is often thought to be the most sacred part of the ceremony," Charles Farris, Public Historian At Historic Royal Palaces, said. "The big moment, the big photograph moment, the big moment that everyone's going to be talking about, making memes of, making TikToks of, that's when the king is crowned, when the king has the crown put on his head". While the newly-crowned king and queen will be the centre of attention, all eyes will be on whether Charles' younger son Prince Harry appears.

WTI's session low was $67.95 a barrel, lowest since March 24. On Wednesday afternoon, the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, pressuring oil prices as traders worried that slower economic growth could hit energy demand. "The Fed going into a pause mode should be very supportive for the price of oil," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Also pressuring oil prices, government data showed U.S. gasoline inventories (USOILG=ECI) unexpectedly rose by 1.7 million barrels last week. In China, data over the weekend showed April manufacturing activity fell unexpectedly in the world's largest energy consumer and top buyer of crude oil.

Both benchmarks fell 5% during the previous session, when they also recorded their biggest one-day percentage declines since early January. "The Federal Reserve is expected to deliver another quarter-point increase later today as part of its long-running battle against inflation," PVM Oil analyst Stephen Brennock said. Oil prices extended losses after government data showed U.S. gasoline inventories (USOILG=ECI) unexpectedly rose by 1.7 million barrels last week, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.2 million-barrel drop. U.S. crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) fell by 1.3 million barrels in the week, compared with forecasts for a 1.1 million-barrel drop. China is the world's largest energy consumer and top buyer of crude oil.

May 3 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil inventories fell for a third week in a row, while gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly rose last week as demand weakened, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Crude in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve declined 2 million to 364.9 million barrels, its lowest since October 1983. Levels dropped for the third week in a row as part of a congressionally mandated sale of 26 million barrels. Gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose by 1.7 million barrels to 222.9 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with forecasts for a 1.2 million-barrel drop. U.S. crude oil futures fell $2.93, or 4.1%, to $68.73 a barrel by 11:00 a.m.

☆ What We Learned From Round 1 of the N.F.L. Draft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Mike Tanier | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Indianapolis Colts — who have relied on past-their-prime quarterbacks (Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan) or reclamation projects (Carson Wentz) since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement before the 2019 season — selected Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the fourth pick. The Seattle Seahawks possessed two first-round picks because of last year’s Russell Wilson trade, which has become like an overflowing gift basket for them. The Seahawks selected Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon fifth overall and Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba 20th overall. Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes in 2021 but battled a hamstring injury throughout last season. The Las Vegas Raiders selected Texas Tech defensive lineman Tyree Wilson with the seventh pick.

☆ The Woman Shaping a Generation of Black Thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jenna Wortham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

In her first book, “Monstrous Intimacies,” Sharpe writes extensively on Walker’s work to reveal how society is programmed to default to racist narratives. The work in Sharpe’s office, like many of Walker’s famous prints and sculptures, is devoid of color. The more time I spend with Sharpe’s work, the more it inflects my ways of seeing the world. According to Sharpe, Blackness is anagrammatical, meaning that the structures that order language, thought and society become disordered — if not destroyed entirely — when they encounter Blackness. “Her work has shown that we, as Black people, are the foils of humanity,” Frank B. Wilderson III, author of “Afropessimism,” told me.

☆ Opinion | Guns, Not Race, Are at the Root of the Wave of ‘Trespass’ Shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( John Mcwhorter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On April 13, Ralph Yarl, 16 years old and Black, rang Andrew Lester’s doorbell in Kansas City, Mo., by mistake, Yarl’s family said. According to prosecutors, Lester, 84 and white, shot Yarl at the door twice. Enlightened American wisdom suggests that race must have had something to do with this. In Hebron, N.Y., a group of young adults driving three vehicles late at night were seeking a friend’s house. But when they mistakenly drove into Kevin Monahan’s driveway, he fired shots into one car, killing a passenger, Kaylin Gillis.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationApril 24 (Reuters) - A quarter into record layoffs, investors in U.S. tech giants will scrutinize if the cost cuts boosted profits to their satisfaction, while the companies emphasize how artificial intelligence will be their next growth driver. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), Google parent Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Instagram owner Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) all report quarterly results this week. From a year earlier, profit is expected to slump nearly 16%, on average, with Microsoft expected to perform the least poorly with a 0.5% slip. These three companies, along with Amazon, said between November and March they would slash 70,000 jobs in a rapidly weakening economy, following a pandemic-led hiring boom. "There are expectations that companies could create or do even more with AI ... every tech investor is expecting those companies to be in the frontier."

☆ Opinion: What happens when you knock on a door
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In Kansas City, Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old White homeowner shot Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who rang his doorbell. And, “with Trump as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, Fox has resumed coverage of him which often veers into the free-advertisement category. Neither Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced his candidacy last week, nor Marianne Williamson represents a serious threat, Axelrod noted. “The calendar reads 2023,” wrote the Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan, “but it feels like 2016 all over again.

☆ How to put your best travel foot forward for Earth Day 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But you don’t have to totally cut out travel or stay super close to home to be a good planetary citizen. You need a city that’s dedicated to getting it right to best enjoy an urban biking vacation. Here, we've curated 30 of our favorite corners, including the Thu Bon River, which flows through central Vietnam. A maze of rivers and caves, the UNESCO World Centre is defined by its craggy limestone facades and jade green water. Bruno De Hogues/Photodisc/Getty Images Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is heaven for spelunkers.

☆ Oil rises but post weekly loss as economic uncertainty weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose 50 cents to $77.87 per barrel. Survey data from the euro zone and Britain lifted oil prices on Friday. In India, refiners' crude oil processing stayed near record peaks in March, provisional government data showed, catering to solid seasonal demand in the world's third biggest oil consumer. Oilfield services giant SLB (SLB.N) beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit, as elevated crude prices and tight supplies increased demand for its services. However, economic uncertainty and the prospect of rising interest rates continued to hang over oil markets.

April 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil inventories last week fell more than forecast as refinery runs and exports rose, while gasoline stockpiles jumped unexpectedly on disappointing demand, Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. Crude in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell 1.6 million barrels last week to just under 368 million barrels, its lowest since October 1983. Meanwhile, crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub for U.S. crude futures (USOICC=ECI) fell by 1.1 million barrels last week, the EIA said. Net crude imports (USOICI=ECI) fell by 1.74 million barrels per day, EIA said, while exports rose by 1.84 million bpd. Weaker demand allowed U.S. gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) to build unexpectedly by 1.3 million barrels in the week to 223.5 million barrels, the EIA said.

☆ Kansas City homeowner charged in shooting of Black teen to appear in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lee Merritt/via REUTERSApril 19 (Reuters) - An 84-year-old white man charged in the shooting and wounding of a Black teenager who mistakenly walked up to the man's house in Kansas City is expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday. He was also charged with armed criminal action, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Lester is scheduled to appear in a Clay County courtroom for an arraignment hearing at 1:35 p.m. local time (1835 GMT), online court records showed. But Yarl told police in an interview at the hospital where he was treated that the man told him, "Don't come around here," local media reported, citing court documents. In both the New York and Texas incidents, the shooters have been charged with felonies.

☆ Ralph Yarl shooting: Recovery of Black teen allegedly shot by White homeowner after ringing wrong doorbell is a miracle, attorney says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Saturday, he was released from the hospital,” Yarl family attorney Lee Merritt told CNN Tuesday night, calling Ralph’s recovery a miracle. The boy had gone to neighbors looking for help after he was shot, according to police. “I share the outrage and the concern of many in asking why,” Mayor Lucas told CNN Tuesday morning. While the teenager was still on the ground, the man then fired again, shooting him in the arm, Ralph told police. Merritt told CNN he doesn’t believe such a defense would apply, saying Ralph was never a threat.

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