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☆ A Guide to Eurovision 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Elisabeth Vincentelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Finland is another favorite, with a demented entry, Kaarija’s “Cha Cha Cha,” which is basically electronic body music, set in a glittery thunderdome. For Weir, who presents Peacock’s Eurovision coverage, this all shows the daring tastes of Eurovision viewers. It’s often countries most Americans would struggle find on a map that deliver Eurovision’s most memorable performances, even if they don’t necessarily make it out of the semifinal. “The response I got last year was just how impressed people were that there was an act for Moldova that had them standing on their couches and dancing,” Weir said. Competition for the most awkward Eurovision lyrics is close, as always, but let’s give Israel’s Noa Kirel a nod of approval for coming up with a tongue-twisting rallying cry in her song “Unicorn”: “It’s gonna be phenomen-phenomen-phenomenal/Phenomen-phenomenal/Feminine-feminine-femininal.”Classic Eurovision poetry.

☆ It’s Called Eurovision. So Why Is Australia Part of It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Eurovision is usually held in the country that won the previous year, but Liverpool, England, is hosting the competition on behalf of last year’s champion, Ukraine. Voyager has a lot riding on its performance, given this is the last year Australia is guaranteed to compete in Eurovision. While Australia is not the only non-European country to compete in Eurovision — Israel made its debut in 1973 — it is certainly the most distant. Since Australia started participating in 2015, fans and commentators alike have wondered: Why does a country on the other side of the world participate in what is ostensibly a European song contest?

☆ Furyk named as third U.S. vice captain for Ryder Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY SportsMay 8 (Reuters) - United States Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, looking for leadership and experience, named Jim Furyk as one of his vice captains on Monday for this year's event in Italy. Furyk boasts a wealth of Ryder Cup experience having played in the biennial competition between the United States and Europe in nine consecutive editions from 1997 while serving as captain in 2018 and vice captain in 2016 and 2021. Johnson previously appointed former Ryder Cup captains Steve Stricker and Davis Love III as vice captains. "I've been involved in the Ryder Cup since 1997, and my passion for this event is unmatched," said Furyk, who last week was named U.S. team captain for the 2024 Presidents Cup. The 2023 Ryder Cup will be played from Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

☆ The $2 billion Rwandan airport that could help African aviation take off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the problem of connectivity presents the “biggest challenge” to the African aviation industry. Pascal Pavani / AFP via Getty ImagesSolutionsBut solutions are touching down, starting with the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). First proposed in 2018, if implemented the policy would create a single market for African aviation, facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and services. What is missing is the willingness of states to really implement it.”There is hope for a bright new future in African aviation. Because of scale, they can then open up the African continent a lot more.

☆ Howe calls on Newcastle to ignore top-four rivals in league run-in
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Newcastle United must focus on themselves as they look to navigate a complicated run-in and seal a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, manager Eddie Howe said ahead of Sunday's Premier League home game against Arsenal. "We have a tough run of fixtures but I think at the same time a great run of fixtures because every game is important. Howe said the clash was a closed chapter, adding that he had a lot of respect for the "incredible job" Arteta had done at Arsenal. Howe added that winger Allan Saint-Maximin may be available after a hamstring injury, adding: "Allan has trained. We're hoping either today or tomorrow he will but we'll wait and see," he said of the midfielder.

Shopify announced Thursday that it is cutting 20% of staff and selling off its logistics business. Shopify's CEO Tobi Lütke announced early Thursday that the company is cutting 20% of its workforce and selling the majority of its logistics business to supply chain technology company Flexport. It's the right thing for Shopify but it negatively affects many team members who we admire and love working with. Analysts and insiders had also been expecting a major change to Shopify's logistics division, Insider reported Wednesday. But 6 River Systems, a warehouse automation and robotics company Shopify purchased in 2019 for $450 million, is being sold to UK grocery firm Ocado for an undisclosed sum.

☆ Hong Kong is 'back on steroids,' says Lan Kwai Fong Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | 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 EmailHong Kong is 'back on steroids,' says Lan Kwai Fong GroupAllan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, says young travelers from mainland China are "all over Hong Kong."

☆ An Art Professor Says A.I. Is the Future. It’s the Students Who Need Convincing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lance Weiler is preparing his students at Columbia University for the unknown. “What I’m going to show you might disturb you,” he warned the class in January, at the beginning of his graduate course on digital storytelling. His classes have combined augmented reality with Edgar Allan Poe, virtual reality with Sherlock Holmes and machine learning with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Now, Weiler wants his students ready for an art world that is gradually embracing the latest digital tools. He told his class in a dramatic whisper: “I’m going to show how you can leverage these technologies in your artistic practices.”

(Reuters) - A Kirkland & Ellis partner whose clients have included General Motors Co, BP Plc and auto manufacturer Polaris Inc said he has joined the Chicago office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. R. Allan Pixton told a federal judge in Detroit on Friday that he has joined Quinn Emanuel's Chicago office. Pixton and a Kirkland spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to his defunct Kirkland profile, Pixton's litigation experience covered class actions and mass torts. In 2020, he left Kirkland to lead the new Chicago office of Hilliard Martinez Gonzalez, a Corpus Christi, Texas-based law firm.

☆ The Last Haul From Bed Bath & Beyond
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jeenah Moon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Allan Shelby, 50, left, and Brent Reno, 46, with their cake stand and other housewares. They said they expected to see bigger deals. But they said they love the store, so this might not be their last trip.

☆ Knicks vs. Heat: Brawls, Nail-Biters and a Clinging Coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Riley, who had led the Knicks for three seasons, had become the coach of the Heat, and there was bad blood over the move. The Heat eventually had to send the Knicks a first-round pick after they were found to have tampered with Riley while he was still under contract. It started when Charles Oakley of the Knicks bumped Alonzo Mourning of the Heat and was ejected. Five Knicks were suspended — Ward, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, John Starks and Larry Johnson — and only one Heat player, Brown. Because so many Knicks had been suspended, the penalties were staggered: Three Knicks were to miss Game 6 and two Game 7.

☆ Biden's reelection bid gives Democrats their best chance to win, professor says
▼ + 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 EmailBiden's reelection bid gives Democrats their best chance to win, professor saysAllan Lichtman of American University says "there is no Republican with the broad appeal of a Ronald Reagan" running for president in 2024.

☆ Factbox: What is embattled British business group the CBI?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Below is some information about the CBI and its role:WHAT IS THE CBI? Founded in 1965, the CBI is Britain's top business lobby group. A not-for-profit organisation, the CBI says it represents 190,000 businesses employing nearly 7 million people, including many of Britain's biggest companies. In his speech, Sunak called the CBI "a valued institution in this country and a powerful voice for business". A spokesperson for NatWest said the bank had no confidence in the CBI's capacity to be a strong representative voice for British business at present.

☆ What to know ahead of the Fox News and Dominion trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —A trial in a defamation suit brought against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems is set to begin this week. Here are 5 things to know ahead of the trial. Fox was trying to block Dominion from having the Murdochs on the witness stand. Fox Corporation, the right-wing news outlet’s owner, has an estimated $4 billion in cash on hand, according to its latest earnings statement. Though major figures at Fox privately acknowledged reality – that former President Donald Trump had lost to President Joe Biden in 2020 – Fox continued to air conspiracies and lies in order to keep its large audience engaged.

☆ TSX notches 6-week high as investors cheer US bank earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) rose 15.42 points, or 0.1%, to 20,579.91, its highest closing level since March 3. "Good bank earnings out of the U.S. spilled over into Canada," said Allan Small, senior investment advisor of the Allan Small Financial Group with iA Private Wealth. Canadian banks had been pressured in recent weeks by the banking stress in the United States and Europe. The Toronto market's heavily-weighted financials sector added 0.2%, while energy was up 0.3% as oil added to recent gains. Reporting by Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Newmont plumps final bid for Australia's Newcrest to $19.5 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Melanie Burton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

If successful, the deal would lift Newmont's gold output to nearly double its nearest rival Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO). Newcrest said on Tuesday it had given U.S.-based Newmont access to its books following the sweetened all-share bid that has received some support from shareholders. The latest bid is 16% higher than Newmont's initial proposal, and represents around a 46% premium to Newcrest's share price on Feb. 3 before Newmont's first bid was announced. Reuters had reported that Newmont was open to raising its offer price for Newcrest. Barrick and miner Sibanye Stillwater Ltd (SSWJ.J) have told Reuters they are not interested in bidding for Newcrest.

☆ Newmont plumps offer for Australia's Newcrest to $19.5 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Melanie Burton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Under the revised offer, Newcrest shareholders would receive 0.400 Newmont share for each share held, with an implied value of A$32.87 a share, up from a previous exchange ratio of 0.380 that Newcrest's board unanimously rejected in February. Newcrest shares rose by as much as 7% to A$30.28 but still traded below the implied offer price. The latest bid is 16% higher than Newmont's initial proposal, and represents a 46% premium to Newcrest's share price on Feb. 3 before Newmont's bid was announced, Newcrest said. Reuters had reported that Newmont was open to raising its offer price for Newcrest. The revised deal is just shy of Glencore's $22.5 billion takeover offer for Canada's Teck Resources Ltd's (TECKb.TO) that was announced earlier this month.

☆ Willock and Wilson score to lift Newcastle above Man United
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEWCASTLE, England, April 2 (Reuters) - Joe Willock and Callum Wilson scored to give Newcastle United a well-earned 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday which lifted them into third place in the Premier League standings. Their persistence was rewarded in the 65th minute when Allan Saint-Maximin's headed cross found Willock for a close-range header. Substitute Wilson put the game to bed in the 88th minute, heading in a freekick cross from Kieran Trippier. The victory was some sort of revenge for Newcastle losing 2-0 to Erik ten Hag's Manchester United in the League Cup final in February. United were missing the influence of midfielder Casemiro, who is serving a suspension, and defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to illness.

☆ Charges against Trump unlikely to keep him from being nominated by Republican Party: Professor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | 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 EmailCharges against Trump unlikely to keep him from being nominated by Republican Party: ProfessorAllan Lichtman of the American University says that's because "many rank-and-file Republicans buy into this phony narrative" but adds that it'll likely be an "anvil around his neck" when it comes to the general election — if he gets that far.

☆ Energy, industrial stocks lift TSX; Lundin Mining jumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"But here it seems the market likes the deal and is giving a thumbs up with respect to the acquisition." ET (14:10 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was up 61.34 points, or 0.31%, at 19,686.08. Energy stocks (.SPTTEN) added 0.8%, tracking oil prices amid supply disruption risks from Iraqi Kurdistan. Still, the bourse is up for the quarter underpinned by gains from January as equities bounced back from previous year's losses. Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Home prices are in their longest slump since 2012. Here's what experts think happens next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US home prices just fell for the seventh consecutive month, Case-Shiller data showed Tuesday. Here's what economists are saying about the housing market outlook. Over the last year, the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hiking campaign has helped lift mortgage rates sharply, weighing on affordability and demand. Here's what experts have said could come next for the housing market. "Long-term [the housing shortage] puts a floor under demand in this country for newly built homes," he told CNBC on Thursday.

☆ Beazer Homes CEO Allan Merrill on the current state of the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | 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 EmailBeazer Homes CEO Allan Merrill on the current state of the housing marketBeazer Homes CEO Allan Merrill explains what he's seeing in housing ahead of the spring selling season.

☆ Ukraine is getting older US Abrams tanks, but Russia's Soviet-era tanks still won't be a match for them in battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Instead of newer Abrams, Ukraine will receive older M1A1 Abrams tanks. According to some early performance reports from the first Gulf War, America's M1A1 tanks were a formidable and invaluable asset on the battlefield. Performance reports make similar arguments, noting that the inclusion of the depleted uranium boosted a round's ability to penetrate heavy tank armor. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty ImagesIn the Gulf War, the M1A1 was very successful at moving around the battlefield. During the Gulf War, tank crews complained about sand getting into the air filtration systems, as well as constant refueling, which the updated versions and the A2 improved upon.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended up 131.71 points, or 0.7%, at 19,519.43, preliminary data showed. The financial sector (.SPTTFS), which accounts for nearly 30% of the TSX, added 0.5%. Energy was up 2.9% as oil rebounded from a 15-month low. The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, gained 0.8%. Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Another Banking Crisis Was Predictable
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Mary Anastasia O Grady | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The economist Allan Meltzer liked to say that “capitalism without failure is like religion without sin. It doesn’t work.” After the 2008 financial crisis, Meltzer worried that bank bailouts were undermining public support for capitalism. He feared that politicians would steer the financial system toward more government regulation and away from the natural regulatory power of market competition. More Americans would begin to believe that only the state could protect them from the instability that comes with economic freedom. Sure enough, in 2010 Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act, which promised “to promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system, to end ‘too big to fail,’ to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts, to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices, and for other purposes.”

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