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☆ Royal wedding showpiece highlights Jordan's role as West's stable ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prince Mohammed last visited Jordan a year ago following years of tensions, also prompting hopes then that warmer ties would unlock more fulsome economic support. KING-IN-WAITING[1/10] Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif are seen together at their royal wedding ceremony, in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video. At the Arab League summit in Jeddah last month, he walked alongside his father to greet Crown Prince Mohammad. Washington's desire for a stable ally in an otherwise volatile region meant it too has often turned a blind eye to Jordan's slow democratic reforms and mixed human rights record. It's the prince's wedding, not ours," said Abdullah al-Fayez, a retired servicemen living on slim savings on the outskirts of Amman.

Persons: Prince Hussein, Rajwa Al Saif, Britain's William, Kate AMMAN, King Abdullah, Jordan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Lady Jill Biden, Britain's Prince, Princess of Wales, William, Kate, Prince Mohammed, Hamza, Hussein, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammad, Prophet Mohammed, Alia Ibrahim, Abdullah al, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, John Stonestreet Organizations: West, Saudi, U.S, Royal Hashemite, REUTERS, Georgetown, Sandhurst, League, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Saudi, West, U.S, Amman, Jordan, Jeddah, Mecca, Iraq, Syria

☆ How to Lower Deaths Among Women? Give Away Cash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The pandemic drove 97 million additional people into extreme poverty in 2020, according to a World Bank estimate, prompting more countries to start cash transfer programs. Direct cash transfers have been shown to improve school attendance, nutrition and use of health services. The new study is the first to examine the effect of cash transfers on death rates worldwide, the researchers said. The findings suggest that cash transfers may be helpful not just to women, but to families and entire communities. Cash transfers are often accompanied by improvements to health care services or other infrastructure that helps communities, he noted.

Persons: ”, Harsha Thirumurthy, Thirumurthy, Audrey Pettifor, Pettifor, ” Berk Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, University of North, Chapel Hill Locations: Saharan Africa, Africa, Asia, Pacific, America, Caribbean, U.S, University of North Carolina, South Africa

☆ Opinion | If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +83 min

You’re probably very weird, and not just for all the obvious reasons you’re thinking of. Because, obviously, there’s going to be some overlap in the curve here. How you’re going to behave with your professor is quite different than how you’re going to behave with your friends. But it’s really kind of faceless, and you’re not really helping anybody you know. I think things are dynamic, and directions are changing, and that sort of thing.

☆ Milk prices in the world's dairy powerhouse India have spiked 15%
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

India is facing an increase in milk prices, and it's not expected to ease up until November. Matthew Lloyd | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIndia, the world's dairy powerhouse, is facing an increase in milk prices, and it's not expected to ease up until November. India, the world's leading producer of milk, accounts for 22% of global milk production and followed by the U.S. China, Pakistan and Brazil. Higher feed costsHigher cattle feed prices that coincide with the peak demand season are feeding into the spike in milk prices. India is facing an increase in milk prices, and it's not expected to ease up until November.

☆ How Scorsese, DiCaprio and De Niro Made ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | More About Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

His latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” took around seven years to come together, Scorsese and his collaborators explained on a sunny Cannes terrace the day after the Apple-financed project premiered there to glowing reviews. (It will be released in theaters this October, then debut on the streaming service at a later date.) Still, the finished film is very different than the one Scorsese and his star, Leonardo DiCaprio, originally intended to make: The material couldn’t be cracked until they were willing to throw out every notion of what they first thought “Killers of the Flower Moon” should be. There, the Osage Nation is the country’s most prosperous tribe; indeed, the discovery of oil on their land has turned them into the wealthiest people per capita in all of America. "I think Marty and I just looked at each other and we felt there was no soul to it,” DiCaprio said.

Persons: ”, Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Grann, Tom White, William Hale, Robert De Niro, White, Ernest, Eric Roth, Marty, ” DiCaprio, Niro, Hale, you’re Organizations: Apple Locations: Cannes, Oklahoma, Osage, America

☆ Floods ruin crops and drown livestock in one of Italy’s gastronomic heartlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The water then slides away, destroying everything.”What also slid away were orchards, vineyards and crops ready to harvest. A tractor goes off road after flooding outside Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Emilia Romagna is one of the richest regions in Italy. Firefighters come to rescue people and recover their belongings after flooding hit the Fornace Zarattini district of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Extreme weather such as what has happened this month in Emilia Romagna is perplexing even to experts.

☆ ‘A problem in the political culture": Serbians call for more than disarmament to end violence after mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Despite having one of the world’s highest rates of gun ownership in the world, mass shootings like this are extremely rare in Serbia. Most people simply inherited weapons from their parents and grandparents – remnants of the sort of violence that no longer plagues the region. While the two “gratuitous” acts of violence that shocked the country this month were without precedent, O’Donnell said, other types of violence are more banal. ‘Serbia against violence’Since the shootings, tens of thousands of Serbians have taken to the streets in opposition-led “Serbia against violence” marches, demanding the resignation of several government ministers. Against this public demand for a mellowing of the political culture, Vučić has seemed unsure how to respond.

☆ Turkey economy: Erdogan vows to keep cutting rates to bring inflation down
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has promised to continue with his unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to reduce sky-high inflation if he is re-elected on May 28. “I have a thesis that interest rates and inflation, they are directly correlated. The lower the interest rates, the lower the inflation will be,” Erdoğan told CNN. “In this country, the inflation rate will come down along with the interest rates, so that we will come to a point where people will be relieved. This is not an illusion.”Soaring pricesIn late 2021, as price rises started to accelerate around the world, Erdoğan ordered Turkey’s central bank to slash interest rates.

☆ Column: World can't afford US-style home energy consumption habits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

HOMES RULEA key driver behind America's outsized electricity consumption is the preference for single family homes over all other types of residences. For many in the United States, owning your own home is a key part of the so-called American Dream. According to the EIA's latest Residential Energy Consumption Survey 57% of electricity used by detached households is used for space heating, and 64% for air conditioning. OTHER WAYS OF LIVINGThe United States is not alone in facing rising living costs while trying to improve the efficiencies of buildings. Similarly, a vast majority of China's population lives in apartments, and apartments are more popular than individual houses in the cities of India, Japan and Southeast Asia.

☆ Here's how rich you need to be to be among the wealthiest 1% in the US, UK, and China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New data from Knight Frank shows how rich you need to be to make the top 1% in 25 countries. Monaco tops the list. It's $3.3 million in the UK, $1.6 million in the UAE, and $960,000 in mainland China. The highest-ranking Asian country is Singapore, where you need $3.5 million to be in the wealthiest 1%, just ahead of Hong Kong at $3.4 million. In Japan you need $1.7 million to make the cut, whereas in mainland China it's $960,000.

Electric vehicles sales are already trending up, accounting for 8% of all car sales in April, up from 1.1% a year earlier. DEMAND UNCERTAINTYDespite the government's EV push, uncertainty remains over how tough its vehicle emission standards will be. The challenge is the expansion of public chargers, especially in regional areas, where the power infrastructure to support fast chargers is often scarce or absent. The country's public chargers tend to be underpowered, with 0.5 kilowatts of public charging per EV versus an average 2.4 kw worldwide. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsExpansion of public chargers is slow as operators face long delays connecting to the grid.

☆ Gun-loving Texas, where most households own a firearm, has become an epicenter of mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as a shooting that injures or kills four or more people, not including the shooter. They argue that more firearms and higher gun ownership increases public safety – a stance that continues to be at odds with gun violence experts and data. The area around the Robb Elementary School signs has become a memorial dedicated to the victims of the May 24 mass shooting. Mass shootings are just a piece of that, and the strategies that we’re laying out will impact mass shootings. They’ll also impact a lot of other types of gun violence and that’s absolutely critical to saving lives,” Horwitz said.

☆ Ukraine rebuilding would be small wager for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The irony is that effort had started when Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, thus ensuring that Ukraine would firmly aspire to belong to Europe. The war inflicted severe damage on Ukraine, with GDP down 30% last year according to the International Monetary Fund. Rebuilding Ukraine will require help, expertise and guidance – and a lot of time and money. And the United States, Japan and multilateral organisations such as the IMF will continue to flank Europe in its efforts to rebuild Ukraine. Nevertheless, it is in Europe’s interest to play a major part in Ukraine’s reconstruction before the country is accepted as a formal candidate member of the EU.

☆ These are the top 3 cities for new grads to launch their lives and careers: 'I can afford the house I want and the life I want'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

1 best metro area for new grads in 2023 is the area surrounding Lubbock, Texas. Data is one thing, but what is it actually like to be a young person living in these areas? "Other cities did great in one or two areas max, but Lubbock offers the whole package," DeJohn says. Many of the clients Douglas works with are young homebuyers around her age and just out of college or grad school. "Here, I know I can afford the house I want and the life I want," she adds.

☆ Cyber hack to cost UK outsourcer Capita up to $25 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - British outsourcing company Capita (CPI.L) warned it would take a 15 million pound to 20 million pound ($25 million) hit after its systems were hacked in a cyber incident earlier this year. Capita, which provides business support services to government and companies, said in a statement on Wednesday the incident had compromised some data from less than 0.1% of its server estate and it was taking steps to recover and secure its systems. The up to 20 million pound cost of the incident was a result of specialist professional fees plus investment to reinforce its cyber protections. "Capita is working closely with all appropriate regulatory authorities and with customers, suppliers and colleagues to notify those affected and take any remaining necessary steps to address the incident," the company said. ($1 = 0.7923 pounds)Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thailand election: Campaign freebies may be a 'band-aid solution' with fiscal risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A Thai protester with a sign calling for equal workers' rights and a fair election at a Labor Day rally in Bangkok in 2023. Experts widely agree that pro-democracy groups are expected to perform strongly in light of deep-seated discontent with the current military-affiliated administration. Contenders can be divided into two categories: parties that support the pro-military establishment and a pro-democracy camp of opposition factions. Few details have been provided about funding, worrying economists who say those policies would weigh on already stretched public finances after significant fiscal support during the pandemic. Only the Move Forward party has campaigned on changing the defamation law, while Pheu Thai previously said it will consider discussing it in Parliament.

☆ Geopolitics is shrinking India’s risk premium
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

They are lured by a country whose potential as an alternative investment destination to China increasingly outweighs the local challenges of doing business. India’s $3 trillion economy is forecast to grow by 6.5% this fiscal year, continuing to outpace the rest of the world. Executives and investors also see a business-friendly government that is likely to remain in power for the next half-decade. Morgan Stanley analysts and strategists expect India to become the world’s third-largest economy and stock market before the end of the decade. The India risk premium is rapidly disappearing.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wave of attacks ahead of Victory Day holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Russia carried out drone, missile and air strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities through the night, escalating attacks in the run-up to its cherished Victory Day holiday that celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany. CONFLICT* Ukraine's top military command said its forces destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia had launched overnight at targets around the country. * Kyiv's mayor said at least five people were wounded in the capital amid damage to a fuel depot, cars, buildings and infrastructure. * Russia has intensified shelling of Bakhmut hoping to take it by Tuesday - Russia's Victory Day holiday, Ukraine's top general in charge of the defence of the besieged city said, vowing to do everything to prevent it. EU WEIGHS SANCTIONS ON CHINA* The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese firms accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russia's war machine, the Financial Times said.

☆ Analysis: In Turkey, an election reckoning for the rise and fall of Erdogan's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jonathan Spicer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The May 14 vote, which lands during the Turkish Republic's centenary year, is Erdogan's biggest test yet. At the same time, a global reversal in market liquidity left Turkey and other emerging markets starved for funding. But the economic crisis was damaging. This trend accelerated in 2013, wiping out big gains made in 2006-2010 during Erdogan's first decade in charge. "If Erdogan wins the election and continues his economic policy it will come to a complete crash at one point.

☆ Texas congressman says people who think 'prayers aren't cutting it' as a solution to gun violence 'don't believe in an almighty god who is absolutely in control of our lives.' 9 people died in a mass
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At least nine people were killed after a mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, mall on Saturday. Rep. Keith Self told CNN that prayer is "powerful" for families devastated by mass shootings. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. During an interview with CNN, Rep. Keith Self called for prayer in light of the mass shooting, which included injured victims as young as 5 years old. When a CNN reporter asked what his response was to people who feel "prayers aren't cutting it," the congressman said, "Well, those are people that don't believe in an almighty god who is absolutely in control of our lives."

☆ How on-demand delivery services hobbled America's biggest city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But even the largest city in the country isn’t designed to handle the rise of online ordering and the influx of delivery workers. The way New York City handles these issues will shape the response in other major cities. “People view delivery workers as dirty, smelly and taking up too much space,” said Wood, a member of Workers Justice Project, an advocacy group for delivery workers in New York City. The growing dependency on e-bikes has been driven by demands on delivery workers, including faster delivery and bigger areas to cover. “But delivery workers are on the front lines of this and it’s even more necessary for them.”

But with flights remaining limited after China's border reopening in January, European luxury stores will need to wait longer for the return of masses of tourists they once depended on for growth. The average transaction value by Chinese travellers in Europe in March was 28% above 2019 levels, UBS said, citing data from VAT refund provider Planet. Cartier-owner Richemont (CFR.S), Hermes (HRMS.PA) and LVMH were best placed to benefit from wealthy Chinese shoppers, UBS added. As wealthy Chinese return to Europe and other foreign destinations, the appeal of China's Hainan Island, a duty free shopping hotspot, appears to be waning among top luxury spenders. China's "higher income, top luxury spenders (are) already travelling abroad again," she said, leading to an observable lower per-capita spend in Hainan.

☆ Der Spiegel cartoon of India reopens old wounds in world's new most populous country
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The illustration, published last month in German news magazine Der Spiegel, shows a throng of jubilant Indians on an old and overcrowded locomotive – many standing on the roof – as it overtakes a sleek Chinese bullet train. But more than three quarters of a century later, critics of the Der Spiegel cartoon say it is unfair to view India through the lens of poverty. CNN has reached out to Der Spiegel for comment. Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto/Getty Images‘Suck up to China’The Der Spiegel cartoon “plays with very old fashioned clichés,” Germany’s ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, told Indian news agency ANI. “Der Spiegel caricaturing India in this manner has no resemblance to reality,” Gupta, the senior government adviser wrote on Twitter.

☆ Capita warns some pensions data likely taken in cyber attack -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - British outsourcing company Capita (CPI.L) has confirmed to pension clients that some data it processed was likely to have been hacked during a recent cyber incident, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. A large team of staff at Capita had searched the affected servers and identified that some pensions data that Capita processes on behalf of its clients "is likely to have been exfiltrated", the newspaper reported, citing correspondence sent to trustees. "Capita is working closely with specialist advisers and forensic experts in investigating the incident to provide assurance around any potential customer, supplier or colleague data exfiltration," a company spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters. Among its clients, the company provides the British government with services to connect with citizens including managing tax and I.T. The report added that there was "no evidence" that Capita pensions data was available on the dark web and that it had a third-party specialist checking on a regular basis.

☆ European Economies Are Finding New Ways to Pay for War on Their Doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( David Luhnow | Sandra Kilhof | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Danish lawmakers have canceled a 300-year-old religious public holiday to recoup the additional tax revenue. Photo: epa-efe/ShutterstockCOPENHAGEN—Denmark, a founding member of NATO, has no artillery, submarines or air-defense system. The small Nordic nation didn’t think it needed them because a ground war in Europe seemed far-fetched—until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The conflict in its neighborhood has set it and similar European nations scrambling to plug gaps in their armory. Denmark, one of the richest nations per capita in the Western world, has pledged to boost military spending from about 1.4% of gross domestic product to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s target of 2% by 2030.

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