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☆ Archibald leads British hopes as unique worlds begin on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 1 (Reuters) - The first edition of the combined UCI Cycling World Championships begins in Glasgow on Thursday with 11 days of high-octane action across virtually every discipline. Archibald, whose first ventures in track cycling were at the Glasgow velodrome, will be part of a British track team looking to flex their muscles ahead of the Paris Olympics. Britain were only fifth in the medals table at last year's track world championships in Paris with three golds -- the men's team pursuit, men's omnium and women's points race. Track world championships ahead of an Olympic Games can be cagey meetings, with the big nations sometimes reluctant to play their hands -- although the British team will be airing their cutting-edge Hope-Lotus track bike. Other events at the world championships include indoor cycling and a full para road and track programme.

Persons: Chris Hoy, Katie Archibald, Rab Wardell, Rab, Archibald, men's, Harrie Lavreysen, Filippo Ganna, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Jasper Philipsen, Tadej Pogacar, Mads Pedersen, Mathieu van der, Demi Vollering, van Vleuten, Lotte Kopecky, Lizzie Deignan, Beth Shriever, Charlotte Worthington, Tom Pidcock, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: UCI, Glasgow, BBC, Paris, Olympic, Tour de France, de, Belgian, Femmes, Grenadiers, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Glasgow, Scottish, omnium, madison, British, Britain, Paris, Italy, Sunday's, Edinburgh, Tokyo

☆ Manchester United sign $1.1 bln Adidas kit deal for 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Manchester United's Mason Mount in a preseason friendly, Manchester United v Olympique Lyonnais, in Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 19, 2023 Action Images via Reuters/Lee SmithJuly 31 (Reuters) - Manchester United (MANU.N) signed a 900 million pound ($1.1 billion) deal with Adidas (ADSGn.DE) on Monday, renewing the English soccer club's partnership with its official kit supplier for 10 more years. Manchester United, whose U.S. owners have been considering selling the Premier League club, will return to the lucrative UEFA Champions League this year after securing a top-four finish in the domestic league last season under manager Erik ten Hag. "The new deal increases the focus on the Manchester United women's team since their reintroduction in 2018," United said in a joint press release with Adidas. The new deal with Adidas, ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season starting next month, will continue the partnership until June 2035, the northwest England-based club said. The original agreement with Adidas links a part of the yearly payments to the club's participation in the Champions League, according to the company's latest annual report.

Persons: Manchester United's Mason, Lee Smith, Erik ten Hag, Glazer, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Jim Ratcliffe, Bjorn Gulden, Yadarisa, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Potter Organizations: Manchester, Manchester United, Olympique Lyonnais, Adidas, soccer, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Nike, Manchester United women's, Champions League, Champions, United, Thomson Locations: Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland, Thani, British, England, Bengaluru

NEW YORK, July 31 (Reuters) - Shares of SoFi Technologies Inc (SOFI.O) rose by more than 22% on Monday, hitting highest level in more than a year, after the financial services provider reported second quarter results that beat analyst expectations. That result exceeded the average analyst estimate of $476.2 million and $261.3 million for SoFi's revenue and NII, according to Refinitiv data. SoFi's shares rose as high as $11.70, the highest level since March last year, before closing at $11.45 on Monday - a nearly 20% gain from the previous session. "(Second quarter) results beat expectations and were largely positive with continued rapid member and deposit growth," Jefferies analysts, led by John Hecht, said in an investor note. "We highlight that results were more from net interest income and less from fair value marks relative to our forecast, which represents recurring revenues," the analysts added.

Persons: John Hecht, Jefferies, Chibuike Oguh, Medha Singh, Nick Zieminski, Susan Heavey Organizations: YORK, SoFi Technologies, JPMorgan, Jefferies, Wall, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, New York, Bangalore

The move brings the BOJ more into line with other major central banks, which have been aggressively hiking rates to reduce inflation. The MSCI All Country stock index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in nearly 50 countries, rose 0.79% to 705.65 points. U.S. Treasury yields weakened after hitting two-week highs for most maturities the previous session, with yields on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes down at 3.967% while two-year yields fell to 4.8952%. The yen whipsawed in its most volatile trading session in months following the BOJ's move while the dollar fell against a basket of its major peers. The dollar index fell 0.157%, with the euro up 0.51% to $1.1029.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, It's, Garrett Melson, We're, Melson, Brent, Chibuike Oguh Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, of, Bank of Japan, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Commerce, Investment, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, ECB, U.S, West Texas, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Boston, New York

☆ UK university marking strike leaves thousands of students stuck in limbo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Kylie Maclellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A spokesperson for Britain's Home Office said international students without results can request a letter of confirmation from their sponsor or return to their home country and apply for another student visa. The University of Edinburgh said 27% of final year students had not received their degree at the time of graduation. International students pay much more, providing a vital source of income. Research published by Universities UK International in May found the 2021/22 intake of international students contributed 41.9 billion pounds to the UK economy. "Every year, universities in the UK are depending more and more on the finances of international students," said Hendricks.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, Amelia Dias, Dias, Anna Hendricks, Ailsa Watt, Watt, Gillian Keegan, Hendricks, Kylie MacLellan, Jan Harvey Organizations: London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, REUTERS, University of Edinburgh, Colleges Employers Association, University and College Union, National Union of Students, University of Cambridge, University, Scottish, International, British Council, Times Higher, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Universities UK International, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Edinburgh, British, Florida, Spanish, Shanghai

The rate hike, which was in line market expectations, took the benchmark overnight interest rate to between 5.25% and 5.50% - the highest level since around the global financial crisis in 2007-2009. [1/3]Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. "Powell and the committee are taking a very data-dependent approach to future rate hikes," said Angelo Kourkafas, investment strategist at Edward Jones. U.S. Treasury yields slipped in choppy trading after the Fed's rate decision. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was down at 3.865%, while the two-year yield, which typically reflects interest rate expectations, fell to 4.8433%.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Lamar Villere, Villere, Brendan McDermid, Powell, Angelo Kourkafas, Edward Jones, Chibuike Oguh, Sinead Carew, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Global, Federal Reserve, Fed, Villere, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Treasury, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Europe, Germany, France, New York City, U.S, New York

☆ Australia’s $2.5 trln pension stash is one to envy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Sure, mining giant BHP (BHP.AX) has its headquarters in Australia’s second-most populous city, it’s a self-anointed coffee capital and boasts top-notch restaurants. Two other factors have capital-hungry institutions knocking on super funds’ doors. This is especially true of so-called industry funds that are mutually owned and initially catered to specific sectors such as higher education employees or hospitality workers. Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria, has earmarked industry super funds as minority investors in a state-run plan to build renewable energy plants. Recent ructions in real estate have prompted some super funds to reassess whether the risk and complexity are justified.

Persons: dwarfing, AustralianSuper, California’s CalPERS, London’s, Paul Schroder, Hostplus, Anthony, Daniel Andrews, Breakingviews, outsized, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Australian Stock Exchange, Association, Retirement, Canada, Plan Investment Board, Prudential Regulation Authority, APRA, Coal, IFM, Vienna Airport, KPMG, Reuters Graphics, Australian, Trust, Macquarie, Victorian State Department of, UniSuper, Sydney Airport, Victoria, Blackstone, CVC, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Melbourne, Australia’s, it’s, Australia, Heathrow, Edinburgh, Europe, United States, Indiana, New York, London

☆ A passenger was tasered and removed from a flight after his 'disorderly' behavior caused a plane to divert to a Portuguese island
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Jet2 passenger was reportedly tasered by police and removed from the plane for "unruly" behavior. He prompted the plane to land unscheduled on a Portuguese island 330 miles from its destination. A passenger on a flight to a Spanish holiday destination has been arrested and detained by Portuguese police for "disobedience" after being accused of "disorderly" behavior on a flight, The Scottish Daily Express reported. A Jet2 spokesperson told the MailOnline that the plane was diverted to "offload a disruptive passenger," which "subsequently delayed" a later flight from Tenerife to Edinburgh. Earlier this month, a "drunk" British Jet2 passenger had to be restrained by plane staff after threatening to open the aircraft door, the MailOnline reported, causing an emergency landing in Bulgaria.

Persons: Diário de Organizations: Morning, Scottish Daily Express, Porto, Madeira Regional Command, Public Security Police Locations: Spanish, Edinburgh, Scotland, Porto Santo, Madeira, Tenerife, Bulgaria

☆ Train fares are up to 30 times more expensive than planes in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —As Europe swelters in a heat wave, and the climate crisis accelerates, many travelers are looking towards trains rather than polluting planes. According to a new report, taking a long-distance train in Europe can cost nearly 30 times as much as flying. The report, compiled by environmental campaign group Greenpeace, compared the cost of flight and train tickets on 112 European routes on nine different dates. Train tickets were double the cost of flying, on average, while train journeys from the UK to Europe, which involves taking the often-expensive Eurostar to the continent, were four times the price of flying on average. “Governments must remove airlines’ tax exemptions, such as from fuel taxes and VAT, as well as reduce rail tracks tolls.

Persons: Matteo Mirolo, Lorelei Limousin, ” Victor Thévenet Organizations: CNN, Greenpeace, Eurostar, Ryanair, European Environment Agency, Airlines, Transport, Environment, Transport & Environment, “ Airlines, International Air Transport Association Locations: Europe, Spain, London, Barcelona, Belgium, France, Italy, Edinburgh, EU, Greece

NEW YORK, July 20 (Reuters) - Blackstone Inc (BX.N) said on Thursday its second-quarter distributable earnings slumped nearly 40%, owing to a sharp drop in asset sales mostly from its real estate and credit businesses. Distributable earnings, which represent cash used to pay dividends to shareholders, fell to $1.2 billion from nearly $2 billion a year earlier. A major share of the reduced asset disposals came from Blackstone's real estate unit, where its net profit sank 94%, while that of its credit division dropped 46%. Its private credit funds gained 3.3% while hedge fund assets grew 1.9%. Opportunistic real estate funds were flat.

Persons: Blackstone, Chibuike Oguh, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: YORK, Blackstone Inc, London Stock Exchange, Gates Industrial Corporation, Thomson Locations: New York

July 19 (Reuters) - The shares of Northern Trust (NTRS.O) jumped by more than 14% on Wednesday after the asset and wealth manager reported a smaller-than-expected drop in second quarter net interest income underpinned by higher interest rates and slower deposit losses. Analysts were, however, expecting a bigger drop in Northern Trust's quarter-on-quarter NII just like State Street. Northern Trust's shares were trading at $82.14, on track for its biggest one-day percentage gain since March 2020. Total revenue fell 1% to $1.77 billion in the quarter as Northern Trust generated fewer fees from its custodial, investment, and wealth management businesses. Northern Trust said its total assets under custody increased 5% to $14.48 trillion, while total asset management also rose 5% to $1.37 trillion.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Alexander Blostein, NII, Sri Hari, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Northern Trust, Street Corp, Trust, Sri, Thomson Locations: Northern Trust's, Northern, Bengaluru

☆ Some San Francisco Safeway stores added gates barring shoppers from leaving unless they scan a receipt. It's an anti-theft measure that has spread across the UK.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Safeway has installed receipt-scanning gates at some supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area. The technology has already been rolled out at multiple UK retailers, and shoppers are skeptical. A Reddit post from this spring, meanwhile, showed the gates at another Safeway location in San Francisco. Security gates at self checkouts is more common in the UKAcross the Atlantic in the UK, a handful of retailers already use the receipt-scanning gates at self-checkout areas. Some people have compared the security gates to Costco's receipt-checking system.

Persons: that's, Primark, Betty Yu, Alex Bitter Organizations: Safeway, San Francisco Bay Area, Service, California Safeway, San Francisco Chronicle, University of California, Daily, Morrisons, Costco, Sun, Twitter, Walgreens, CBS, KPIX, Area Locations: San Francisco Bay, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Berkeley, San Francisco ., Edinburgh, San Francisco

Analysts at Citigroup and JPMorgan both lowered their recommendations on AT&T shares in recent days. The shares hit a low of $13.68 in Monday's session, the lowest since March 1993. "We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue,” a U.S. Telecoms spokesperson said in a statement. Shares of Verizon were also down on Monday, falling 5.5% to $32.14, a nearly 13-year low. Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Lance Tupper and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michael Rollins, Rollins, ”, Philip Cusick, Michael Hodel, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, T Inc, U.S, Verizon, Citigroup, JPMorgan, U.S ., Citi, U.S . Telecom, Morningstar, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York

☆ The Mediterranean 'island of cats' is facing disaster as 300,000 felines are estimated to have died from COVID, say animal advocates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An outbreak of feline coronavirus is killing off cats on a Mediterranean island known for its strays. In Cyprus, it is estimated that there are as many cats as there are humans, and it issometimes called the 'island of cats.' But 300,000 have died after a coronavirus outbreak that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), per media reports quoting Dinos Ayiomamitis of animal rights groups Cat Paws Cyprus and Cyprus Voice for Animals. A new strain of feline coronavirus, Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) -- which is not transmittable to humans -- is wreaking havoc on the cat population of Cyprus, known by some as the "island of cats." Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023.

Persons: issometimes, felines, Dinos, CHRISTINA ASSI, Ayiomamitis, Demetris Epaminondas, Kostis Larkou, Danièlle Gunn, Moore, Nicholas of Organizations: Service, Animals, Cornell University, Getty, Pancyprian Veterinary Association, Daily Mail, University of Edinburgh Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cyprus, Southern Europe, Nicosia, AFP, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, St

☆ FBI finds stolen human remains in Kentucky man's home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Lauren Mascarenhas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —When FBI agents arrived at James Nott’s Kentucky apartment with a search warrant on Tuesday, they asked if anyone else was home. Nott has not been charged with crimes connected with the body parts. It all started last summer, when the police in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, received a tip about possible human remains located at the home of a man named Jeremy Pauley, according to the complaint. Officers searched his home in Enola, Pennsylvania, and found organs and skin, among other human remains, the FBI said. During the FBI investigation, Pauley told agents about a network of people buying and selling stolen human body parts.

Persons: James, ” Nott, That’s, Nott, Aaron Dyke, Jeremy Pauley, Pauley, Cedric Lodge, Lodge, William Burke, “ William Burke, William Hare, Burke, Hare, Robert Knox, “, ” Pauley, Caroline Branum Organizations: CNN, FBI, “, Harvard Medical School, Court, Middle, Middle District of, Anatomy Department, University of Edinburgh, WGAL, AK, WLKY Locations: James Nott’s Kentucky, East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, Enola , Pennsylvania, Middle District, Middle District of Pennsylvania, ”, Edinburgh, Mount Washington , Kentucky

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had accused Ripple Labs and its current and former chief executives of selling unregistered securities when conducting a $1.3 billion offering for XRP, which was created in 2012. Shares in Coinbase, which is also embroiled in litigation with the SEC over its trading of crypto tokens, surged 24.5% on Thursday following the decision, finishing at $107. Coinbase said it would allow trading of the XRP token again on its platform in line with the court ruling. Bitcoin , the world's largest cryptocurrency, was last up 4.1% at 31,584 while Ethereum , the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, rose 6.43% to $1,993.3. Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; editing by Michelle Price and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coinbase, We've, Analisa, Torres, Paul Grewal, Chibuike Oguh, Michelle Price, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Coinbase Global Inc, Ripple Labs, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Labs, Inc, Marathon Digital Holdings Inc, Microstrategy Inc, Mining Corp, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Coinbase, New York

The satellite, which was launched onboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket on April 30, is a key part of Viasat's plan to expand its broadband business in the Americas. The stock was on course for its biggest one-day percentage decline on record, surpassing a 27.7% drop in April 2001, per Refinitiv data. The company said it is working to minimize the economic impact of the faulty satellite by redeploying other satellites from its fleet. Viasat in May completed its $7.3 billion acquisition of British satellite rival Inmarsat after securing approval from European Union regulators. Viasat owns and operates four geostationary earth orbit satellites while Inmarsat has 15.

Persons: Inmarsat, Chibuike Oguh, Will Dunham Organizations: YORK, Viasat, U.S, ViaSat, European Union, Thomson Locations: Americas, California, British, New York

☆ The Genesis Scottish Open Rises in Stature
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Paul Sullivan | More About Paul Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Renaissance Club, the site of the Genesis Scottish Open that begins on Thursday, looks like it’s been there for hundreds of years, like so many other great links courses in Britain. Like all true links courses, it winds along the coast with few trees; wind, rain, heat and cold become issues for players. It has firm fairways that can kick a well-hit drive forward an extra 50 yards or punish an equally well-struck shot with an unlucky bounce. Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and regular host of the British Open, abuts the course. And down the road is North Berwick Golf Club, where the sport has been played since 1832.

Organizations: Renaissance, Genesis Scottish, Honourable Company, Edinburgh Golfers, North Berwick Golf Club Locations: Britain, North Berwick

☆ Pension funds reform: Britain is banking on this $3 trillion cash cow to revive its economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —The UK economy badly needs a boost — and the government hopes the nation’s vast pension savings might deliver one. All UK workplace pension plans offer default funds, which savers who don’t choose their own investment strategy are automatically enrolled into. Measures to tap pension fund cash come at a crucial time for an economy suffering from stubbornly high inflation, depressed investment and feeble growth. UK pension funds’ exposure to domestic stock markets has fallen even more sharply: from 53% in 1997 to 6% in 2021. The combination of measures is likely to have “far-reaching” effects on the types of assets pension funds invest in, easing companies’ access to the capital they need to grow, he added.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Mercer, ” Hunt, Hunt, “, ”, Nicholas Lyons, Julia Hoggett, Nigel Peaple Organizations: London CNN, Aviva, London, European, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, EU, chipmaker ARM, House, of London Corporation, City of, Financial, New Financial, Pension, Lifetime Savings Association Locations: London, Britain, Frankfurt, Paris, New York, United States, United Kingdom, Edinburgh, City of London

Rivian said on Monday it delivered 12,640 vehicles in the second quarter on steady demand from customers, beating market estimates. That result was in line with that of market leader Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), which on Sunday reported record quarterly vehicle deliveries fueled by incentives such as prices cuts and U.S. federal credits. The shares of several EV makers have risen since last week on market expectations of strong quarterly delivery reports. Multiple analysts have raised their price targets for Rivian's stock as the EV maker is seen as having overcome production and supply chain challenges that restricted deliveries. Twenty-three Wall Street brokerages covering Rivian on average recommend buying the stock and set a median price target of $24, Refinitiv data showed.

Persons: Rivian, Chibuike Oguh, Richard Chang Organizations: YORK, Rivian Automotive, Tesla Inc, Thomson Locations: Rivian, Irvine , California, New York

☆ Royal destinations you need to visit in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A version of this story appeared in the July 7 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Research in 2011 by Visit Britain found that around 60% of tourists to the UK are likely to visit places associated with the royal family, according to Ross Bennett-Cook, a visiting lecturer at the School of Architecture and Cities at London’s University of Westminster. While there is no more recent data on royal sites specifically, in 2022 Visit Britain found that history and heritage were the biggest pull factors for tourists. Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesCornwall: Dear to local and international tourists alike, Cornwall, on the southwestern tip of the UK pointing out into the Atlantic Ocean, is also a special destination for the royal family. The medieval parish church of St Mary Magdalene is regularly used as a place of worship by members of the royal family and dates back to the 16th-century.

Persons: Ross Bennett, Cook, we’ve, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, William the, Edward III, Prince Harry, Prince Philip, Peter Titmuss, Duke of Cornwall, Prince William, Mary Magdalene, Bauer, Griffin, Queen, King George VI, Queen Victoria . Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, Andrew Milligan, Prince Albert, daytrippers, Mary Queen of Scots, It’s, Peter Byrne, King Charles, Prince of Wales, Work, wasn’t, King Edward I, Wales, Edward II, Tim Rooke, King George IV, Albert, There’s, shouldn’t Organizations: CNN’s Royal, CNN, Wimbledon, School of Architecture, London’s University of Westminster, Guard, Getty, Radcliffe, Sandringham, Sandringham House, Queen, Highlands, Scottish, Caernarfon, Royal Palaces Locations: Europe, London, Windsor, St, George’s, Duchy, Cornwall, Lostwithiel, UK, British, England, Scilly, Sandringham, Norfolk, Royal Parkland, Scotland, Cairns, Edinburgh, Holyroodhouse, Scottish, Caernarfon, Wales, Menai, Anglesey, Prince, Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, Brighton, Isle of Wight, Osborne

☆ Scotland proposes making all drug possession legal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Scotland outlined proposals on Friday to decriminalise the possession of all drugs for personal use saying it would help it tackle the worst drug death rate in Europe. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out any change, saying: "There are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs." The governing Scottish National Party, which wants Scotland to be an independent country, has also clashed with the British government over a proposed gender recognition reform law. With 327 deaths per million population, Scotland had Europe's highest drug death rate in 2020, dwarfing the next highest rate of 85 in Norway, official statistics showed. While narcotics are illegal in much of the world, some countries have decriminalised various forms of drug possession, with health experts arguing it would allow compulsive drug users to be treated as patients rather than criminals.

Persons: Elena Whitham, Rishi Sunak, dwarfing, Sachin Ravikumar, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Drugs, British, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: Scotland, Europe, Edinburgh, British, London, Westminster, Norway

☆ Douglas Stuart Doesn’t Need 3 People at His Dream Dinner Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I’ve been itinerant lately, so I tend to carry my reading everywhere I go. Right now, I’m trying to make sense of the forces that misshaped me, so I’m reading “The Reformation: A History,” by Diarmaid MacCulloch, and “The Scottish Enlightenment,” by Arthur Herman. What’s the last great book you read? Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how). A great book can make any reading experience ideal.

Persons: I’ve, Diarmaid MacCulloch, ”, Arthur Herman, I’m, Pam Zhang, Catherine Lacey, David Hare, Michael Cunningham’s, Alan Bennett, John Lahr’s, Joe Orton, Sebastian Barry, Tomasi di Lampedusa, Maria McCann’s Organizations: Scottish Locations: Edinburgh, “

☆ King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation marked in Scotland with day of pageantry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Scotland has concluded a day of festivities celebrating British monarch King Charles III’s recent coronation. King Charles III is presented with the Crown of Scotland at St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh on July 5, 2023. Jane Barlow/ReutersThe service was preceded by a “people’s procession” and a royal procession to the cathedral, and rounded off with a gun salute. Danny Lawson/Getty ImagesCharles arrived at the cathedral in the royal procession in the state Bentley, accompanied by Queen Camilla. King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the service Andrew Milligan/ReutersCamilla wore a long white dress by British designer Bruce Oldfield.

Persons: King Charles III’s, Chris Jackson, Elizabeth, ” –, Queen Elizabeth II –, James IV, Pope Julius II, King Charles III, Giles, Jane Barlow, Royal Air Force flypast, Cruachan IV, “, ”, Danny Lawson, Charles, Bentley, Queen Camilla, Andrew Milligan, Camilla, Bruce Oldfield, Oldfield, Prince William, Catherine, Duke, Duchess of, Royce, Giles ’, Charles ’, William, Kate, John Linton, CNN’s Max Foster Organizations: London CNN, Combined Cadet Force, Getty, Cathedral, Royal Air Force, Royal Regiment of, Police Scotland, Protesters, Royal Navy, Thistle, Edinburgh Castle, King’s, Guard, Royal Company of Archers, RAF, 12th Regiment Royal Artillery, Holyrood Locations: Edinburgh, Scottish, St, Royal Regiment of Scotland, British, Scotland, Duchess of Rothesay, Gordonstoun, AFP

☆ With the Stone of Destiny and Mary’s Crown, Scotland Names Charles King
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But not for King Charles III, sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. On Wednesday, he took part in a second ceremony in Scotland that bore all the regal trappings of a coronation, if not the same legal status. Charles was presented with a scepter, sword of state and the crown first worn at a coronation by Mary Queen of Scots in 1543. He and Queen Camilla participated in a solemn religious service at St. Giles’ Cathedral, gazing at the ancient Stone of Destiny, used in the inauguration of Scottish kings. Scotland has not been a kingdom since 1707, when the Act of Union brought it together with England.

Persons: King Charles III, Charles, Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Camilla, Giles ’ Organizations: Royal Air Force, of Union Locations: United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland, St, England, Scottish

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