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☆ This Asian MMA promotion wants to crack the US market -- without the blood and trash-talking
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Could 2023 be the year mixed-martial arts (MMA) in the United States finally returns to its pure, humble beginnings nurtured in Asia nearly 5,000 years ago? “I can’t wait for the US fans to be exposed to true martial arts. Fighting on American soil, it’s amazing to be able to headline this landmark event,” said the former longtime UFC champion, who joined One in 2018. Courtesy Aaron Pan/ONE ChampionshipWhat “true martial arts” means in new-era combat sports is certainly up for interpretation. That’s more true to the spirit of martial arts and its traditional values.

☆ FDA approves GSK's RSV vaccine for older adults, world's first shot against virus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved an RSV vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline for use on adults ages 60 and older. London-based GSK during an earnings presentation last week said it has "millions" of doses of the RSV vaccine ready to ship. In March, an independent panel of advisors to the FDA recommended GSK's RSV vaccine based on data from a phase three trial on older adults. A 78-year-old woman in Japan was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome nine days after receiving GSK's vaccine, according to an FDA briefing document. The FDA flagged the disorder as a potential safety issue with Pfizer's RSV vaccine for older adults.

Aftter dropping dramatically in March and early April, mortgage rates have been inching back up the last two weeks. Mortgage rates are rising in anticipation of this increase. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control.

☆ For a Bride With Chronic Illness, a Wedding Cut Short
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Fortesa Latifi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I didn’t picture us getting married as much as I pictured us being married. In that picture, Alex wasn’t stopping by the pharmacy on his way home from work to pick up my medications. I wasn’t rationing pills depending on my pain level, and he wasn’t holding my hand when I cried over yet another failed intervention. The future I saw was spotless, unmarred by chronic illness — but our union was imminent and I was still sick. My internal monologue in the weeks leading up to our wedding was filled with my fears and, therefore, exhausting.

The company forecast revenue in its main segments for the current quarter would match or top Wall Street targets. Those results and Microsoft's helped boost shares of Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), another major cloud operator, 4.8% in after hours trading. Microsoft revenue rose 7% to $52.9 billion in the quarter ended March, inching past analyst estimates of $51.02 billion, according to Refinitiv. The bulk of Microsoft sales still come from selling software and cloud computing services to customers. The sales drop in the segment was less severe than analysts expected, with Microsoft reporting revenue of $13.3 billion versus analyst estimates of $12.19 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Kim Kardashian reveals the ‘magic’ of her success to CNN’s Poppy Harlow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Just a few years ago, Kim Kardashian was dyeing her own shapewear in a sink with teabags. Skims is valued at a reported $3.2 billion and was named one of Time’s most influential companies for 2023. Kim Kardashian and Poppy Harlow speak onstage at the 2023 Time 100 Summit. Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIMEKardashian told Harlow that she “absolutely” trusts her gut over data when it comes to finding companies for SKYY to invest in. As she gets older, the 42-year-old Kardashian realizes she now has the luxury of choosing people she wants to surround herself with.

☆ China walks back ambassador's claim that ex-Soviet states aren't real countries, a position that played strongly into Putin's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's foreign ministry walked back ambassador's comments dismissing ex-Soviet states' sovereignty. Other former Soviet Union countries include Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Central Asian countries that Russia has retained closer ties to. And Lu's comments seemed to suggest that China's foreign policy was inching closer to that of Russia. The Baltic countries have already questioned China's efforts to play peacemaker in Ukraine, and Lu's comments appear to have made them even more concerned. Estonia's foreign minister said Lu's comments were "false and a misinterpretation of history," and Latvia's foreign minister called them "completely unacceptable."

☆ Opinion | China’s Lending Practices Are Not a Good Look
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This is undoubtedly a factor in China’s diminished standing in the world. Playing ball really would promote “peace and development for all humanity” while winning China some badly needed friends in the world. The explanation for China’s tough stance is discouraging for the short term but possibly encouraging for the long term. But there are signs that China’s leaders will eventually come around to seeing the value of working with the I.M.F. “In more and more countries, Suriname and elsewhere, we’re starting to see more coordination between the People’s Bank of China, the I.M.F.

☆ Elon Musk holds the keys to the moon because SpaceX's Starship megarocket launch is crucial to NASA's return
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The rocket, which NASA has tagged for upcoming missions, is crucial to NASA's return to the moon. The highly anticipated Starship launch will determine whether NASA's Artemis moon program is on track for success. NASA's SLS relies on Starship for the moon landingA Starship prototype being launched. NASA's SLS rocket, by contrast, has a high price tag for the taxpayer: The project has cost $50 billion in development since the program's inception in 2006. All of this makes NASA's SLS a poor competitor to SpaceX's shiny new rocket.

REUTERS/StaffApril 12 (Reuters) - World stocks and bond yields stalled on Wednesday as markets anticipated crucial U.S. inflation data which could give signals on how soon the Federal Reserve will end its aggressive rate hikes. Markets were in wait-and-see mode ahead of the data, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index inching up 0.3% by 0820 GMT, while Britain's FTSE (.FTSE) was up 0.6%. Government bond yields were also little moved with benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields unchanged on the day at 3.43%. "We do not assume that the discrepancy between Fed and market expectations will end today or in the near future," Reichelt said. With oil prices rising again and labour market cooling only gradually, risk remains tilted for core inflation to remain elevated for longer," they said.

☆ Boeing delivers 130 planes in Q1, beating Airbus by 3 jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) on Tuesday announced 130 airplane deliveries over the first quarter of 2023, inching past rival Airbus (AIR.PA), which delivered 127 jets. The U.S. planemaker delivered 64 aircraft in March, 36% more than the 41 jets transferred to customers in the same month last year. The 737 MAX made up 52 of that sum, with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines each taking ownership of 12 MAX jets. Boeing is on track to meet its 737 MAX delivery target, having delivered 113 jets so far this year. But with only 11 787s delivered so far, the company will have to pick up the pace to meet that goal.

☆ ‘We’re at a tipping point:’ What to expect from the jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minneapolis CNN —The US labor market has kept trucking right along even as other areas of the economy have slowed. ET Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics drops the heavily anticipated jobs report for March. On Wednesday, the latest private-sector jobs report from payroll processor ADP came in at 145,000 for March, landing below expectations. There still remains uncertainty about the extent to which those and other layoffs may ripple through the broader labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release its March jobs report at 8:30 a.m.

☆ How Russia’s Offensive Ran Aground
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Josh Holder | Marco Hernandez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

But within months of the invasion, Russia’s rapid advances ran out of steam, even as it narrowed its ambitions and focused on eastern Ukraine. No Russian gains No Russian gains No Russian gainsIn September 2022 Grid of cities taken by Russia in the Donbas in September 2022. No Russian gains No Russian gains No Russian gainsIn October 2022 Grid of cities taken by Russia in the Donbas in October 2022. Russia captured the small salt-mining town. Kurdiumivka Soledar Kurdiumivka Soledar Russia captured the small salt-mining town.

☆ ‘We’re at a tipping point:’ What to expect from the jobs report on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minneapolis CNN —The US labor market has kept trucking right along even as other areas of the economy have slowed. Just how much of a shift there is could become even clearer on Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics drops the heavily anticipated jobs report for March. On Wednesday, the latest private-sector jobs report from payroll processor ADP came in at 145,000 for March, landing below expectations. There still remains uncertainty about the extent to which those and other layoffs may ripple through the broader labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to release its March jobs report on Friday at 8:30 a.m.

☆ China brokering a deal between the Saudis and Iran is a message for the US: Change your strategy or get left behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hassan El-Tayyab | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced they had normalized relations in a deal brokered by China. Hassan El-Tayyab is legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. By mediating the Saudi-Iran deal, China has demonstrated its ability to play a constructive role in resolving conflicts impartially, rather than relying on arms sales to keep nations in America's corner in geopolitical disputes. There have been some positive signs for diplomacy in Yemen since the Saudi-Iran deal was announced. Hassan El-Tayyab is the legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

☆ Private payrolls rose by 145,000 in March, well below expectations, ADP says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Private sector hiring decelerated in March, flashing another potential sign that U.S. economic growth is heading for a sharp slowdown or recession, payroll processing firm ADP reported Wednesday. Company payrolls rose by just 145,000 for the month, down from an upwardly revised 261,000 in February and below the Dow Jones estimate for 210,000. The ADP report serves as a precursor to Friday's nonfarm payrolls report from the Labor Department. ADP changed its methodology last year, and its count on average was about 100,000 less per month than the government's in 2022. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect Friday's report to show payroll growth of 238,000 in March and the unemployment rate holding at 3.6%.

☆ Futures edge higher as tech and growth stocks gain; focus on jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday, with investor attention shifting to demand trends and the impact of higher prices on the global economy. Energy firms Chevron Corp (CVX.N), Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) were set to extend gains, rising between 0.5% and 0.9% premarket. Among stocks, Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc (VORB.O) tanked 25% after the satellite launch company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on failing to secure long-term funding. Etsy Inc (ETSY.O) gained 3.8% after Piper Sandler upgraded the consumer e-commerce platform's stock to "overweight". Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 4 signs you need to check in on your friends, according to a Harvard-trained psychologist
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

People who have five or more friends are 60% happier than people with fewer than five friends, according to a recent study. Here's how to know when your friend is in a bad place, and how to effectively check in, according to Bryant. 4 signs you need to check in on your friendDisappearing. will elicit a scripted response, Bryant said. You can say, "I know you're working a lot and your oldest kid has been giving you a hard time.

Mortgage rates have fluctuated somewhat over the past couple of weeks but have overall been inching down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. If the Fed acts too aggressively and engineers a recession, mortgage rates could fall further than what current forecasts expect.

But rates are still relatively low compared to earlier this month, when 30-year mortgage rates were inching up toward 7%. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.42%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.68%, a small decrease from the prior week, according to Freddie Mac data.

☆ Private equity finds silver lining in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s hard working in Asia-Pacific private equity these days. On Monday Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and MidOcean Energy agreed to take Australia’s Origin Energy (ORG.AX) private for A$18.7 billion ($12.5 billion). A few days earlier Toshiba’s (6502.T) board tentatively backed Japan Industrial Partners’ $15.3 billion offer. Origin’s buyers, which plan to split the business in two, had already made three offers before Origin accepted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Mortgage rates have been inching down over the past couple of weeks and are nearing 6%. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. If the Fed acts too aggressively and engineers a recession, mortgage rates could fall further than what current forecasts expect.

☆ Column: India's coal + renewables mix makes for messy energy transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | 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

While China also added record solar and wind capacity in 2022 to widen its overall renewables lead, India's record build out of solar capacity last year has been widely celebrated by energy transition advocates. But even with such rip-roaring green energy momentum, India's utilities still struggled to keep up with the country's voracious energy demand growth, and had to crank coal use to record highs alongside the breakneck growth in renewables. Only 2.2% of total India's electricity was produced from gas in 2022, according to Ember - the lowest in over 20 years. COAL CONUNDRUMSuch low utilisation of natural gas for power generation forced utilities to burn through coal at a record pace, straining the country's domestic coal supply system and pushing coal imports to historic highs. On paper, such conflicting government stances on power sector priorities may appear to be counterproductive, and may potentially undermine India's energy transition efforts.

☆ Wall Street rallies on hopes of Fed policy pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today the market is bouncing back on what was a dovish Fed hike yesterday," said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird in Louisville, Kentucky. "Powell did a good job sticking to the party line on inflation and continued to jawbone hawkish even though the hike leaned dovish." Comments from the Bank of England that inflation will probably quickly fade also helped fuel hopes of light at the end of the central bank tightening tunnel. Among the 11 sectors of the S&P 500, communication services (.SPLRCL) and tech (.SPLRCT) led the percentage gainers. The S&P 500 posted four new 52-week highs and 14 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 45 new highs and 197 new lows.

☆ NBA roundup: Spurs overcome 24-point deficit, down Hawks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 22 points in his return to San Antonio after being traded by the Spurs in the offseason. Onyeka Okongwu added 17 points, with Clint Capela racking up 15 points and 12 rebounds. Bam Adebayo supplied 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks for Miami. Tyler Herro had 19 points and six rebounds, Caleb Martin tossed in 13 points and Kevin Love added 12 points and eight rebounds. Fred VanVleet's 23 points led four Raptors scoring at least 18.

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