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☆ NWSL's new Bay FC hope to ride World Cup wave of excitement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Nathan Frandino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN FRANCISCO, June 3 (Reuters) - The founders behind the new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team in California's San Francisco Bay Area believe this year's Women's World Cup will only add to their momentum as they kick off their inaugural season next year. Some of us are going to be calling the World Cup, so to see Bay FC involved in the World Cup and vice versa, it's only going to help build the momentum." Chastain's role at the World Cup is among the most iconic for the U.S. She scored the deciding penalty in 1999, sealing the win against China at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena. Chastain said that holding onto the World Cup excitement this year and bringing it to their games next year will be about making fans feel valued as part of the team. Roughly a third of the U.S.-based league's players are expected to feature, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said this week.

Persons: Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, Aly Wagner, Osborne, it's, Chastain, " Chastain, Jessica Berman, Sheryl Sandberg, Tom Bernthal, Rory Carroll, Daniel Wallis Organizations: FRANCISCO, National Women's Soccer League, California's San Francisco Bay Area, FC, U.S, China, Rose, Energy, Thomson Locations: California's San Francisco Bay, U.S, San Francisco, Pasadena, Australia, New Zealand, Los Angeles

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Amazon Prime versus Walmart Plus, BMW adds gaming to its luxury sedan, and Nvidia enters the trillion-dollar club
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk dances onstage during a delivery event for Tesla China-made Model 3 cars in Shanghai Aly Song/Reuters1. Amazon Prime vs. Walmart Plus. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime has more streaming content and access to its infamous Prime Day. Carnival Cruise Lines ships in Marseille. Man who went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship is still missing.

Persons: I'm, Siu, Z, Elana Klein, Elon Musk, Shanghai Aly Song, Elon, —, Nicole Miranda, Gerard Bottino, Ronnie Lee Peale Jr, Caleb Hammer, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: Tesla, Nvidia, Google, Amazon, Walmart Plus, Walmart, BMW, Cruise Locations: Tesla China, Shanghai, China, Beijing, Marseille, Jacksonville , Florida, San Diego, San Francisco, London

[1/2] The logo of Chinese carmaker Geely Auto is pictured at the second media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 17, 2019. Thailand's Board of Investment held discussions with five major Chinese EV makers including Geely during a roadshow to China in April, its Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said. "All expressed keen interest in Thailand's policy to develop a regional EV production base and an integrated EV supply chain," Narit said, without providing more details of the talks with Geely. BYD and China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd (601633.SS) are already working on building local EV production in Thailand. China's Great Wall Motor has said it is considering a research and development centre in Thailand that could work on battery-powered pickup trucks.

Persons: Aly Song BANGKOK, Geely, Narit Therdsteerasukdi, JAC Motors, Narit, Aston Martin, China's, Devjyot Ghoshal, Zhang Yan, Jamie Freed Organizations: Shanghai, REUTERS, Reuters, of Investment, BYD Co, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd, EV, Wall Motor Co, Volvo, Aston, Malaysian carmaker Proton, Toyota Motor Corp, Isuzu Motors, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Thailand, Chongqing, Geely, Swedish, Southeast Asia

☆ Shanghai breaks more than century-old heat record in sweltering May
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A person uses clothing to protect themselves from the sun, as they walk on the Bund on a hot day, in Shanghai, China May 15, 2023. The peak recorded by the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau on Monday beat the previous May record of 35.7 degrees Celsius set in 1876, 1903, 1915 and 2018, according to bureau statistics. Earlier, many localities in Sichuan province, which is home to more than 80 million people, issued high-temperature warnings, with some areas maxing out at 42 degrees Celsius, local media reported. In the next three to five days, the maximum temperature in some cities in Sichuan, located in China's southwest, will reach 38 degrees Celsius, and hit 42 degrees Celsius in some areas, according to state media. China, known for extreme weather conditions, has also been experiencing torrential rains for weeks in some regions.

If your school suspends your financial aid, you may be able to appeal the decision and get it back. Many schools require that students maintain a minimum GPA and complete a minimum number of credits per semester to qualify for financial aid." "They know that if students get less financial aid, then they will be less likely to stay and graduate." Components of a financial aid suspension appeal letterThe exact financial aid suspension appeal process varies by college, but your school may have a form you'll need to fill out to get the ball rolling. Financial aid suspension appeal letter exampleYou'll want to format your appeal letter much like a cover letter — with a header, date, and formal greeting.

No one was present when Reuters visited the Hong Kong office of Mintz during business hours, with the doors locked and lights off. China's State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The Hong Kong government said it did not comment on individual business decisions. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against mainly Muslim Uyghurs in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour. Reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong, Engen Than in Shanghai and Hong Kong Newsroom; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's domestic travel recovery marred by anti-spending 'special forces'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. To get to the ancient temples, pagodas and grottoes she wanted to visit, she walked roughly 30,000 steps a day. "I can control the expenses, to go to many places for the least amount of money, but it is really tiring." "Maybe I didn't wear the right shoes, but my feet started to hurt after walking more than 10,000 steps," she said, joking that she exemplified "the battle-scarred version of special forces travel." ($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Lincoln Feast.

These consultancies thrived by providing investors - from global hedge funds to private equity firms - access to industry experts and investigators who could obtain valuable corporate information. One private credit investor who used to join Capvision's calls with "industry experts" said clients did not want to pay top dollar for easily available public information. Many China-based consultancy firms also outsourced on the ground investigations to local contractors. Even before the latest raids on consultancy firms, some due-diligence firms were warned to stay away from Xinjiang related projects, sometimes by security authorities, according to industry sources. China denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton producer that also supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels.

Debate over the US debt ceiling puts the potential of a US Treasury default in focus. Failing to do so could lead to a US Treasury default if the government becomes unable to make payments on all of its outstanding debts. "This type of default — one that occurs due to not being able to raise the debt ceiling — would be unprecedented," Steeno says. 6 ways a US Treasury default could hurt your financesHere are some of the biggest financial impacts Americans would feel in the event of a US Treasury default:1. But a Treasury default could undo any progress they've been made.

☆ VW Taps Bentley Executive to Fix Software Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( William Boston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume says he wants software development to better line up with car launches. Photo: ALY SONG/REUTERSBERLIN— Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume named a company insider to head the automaker’s struggling software unit as part of a broader overhaul of how the company develops the software for its cars, VW said on Monday. Mr. Blume put Cariad, the unit, under review after taking up the job late last year. Set up by his predecessor, Cariad had struggled to deliver glitch-free software on schedule, causing VW to postpone the launch of several models across its brands.

REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoSYDNEY/HONG KONG, May 8 (Reuters) - Alibaba's (9988.HK) logistics arm aims to raise up to $2 billion via a listing in Hong Kong likely early next year, sources with knowledge of the matter said, bolstering hopes for a capital markets revival in the Asian financial hub. Cainiao, which has started work on the IPO, is looking to raise between $1 billion and $2 billion in Hong Kong, according to three sources. IPO PROSPECTSDealmakers hope that Cainiao's potential IPO, expected to be followed by market debuts from some of the other Alibaba units in the near-term, could help revive sluggish fundraising activities in Hong Kong. About $1.5 billion has been raised from IPOs in Hong Kong so far this year, marginally above the $1.2 billion raised in the same period last year, according to Refinitiv data. ($1 = 6.9149 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen sees growing competition ahead as revenue jumps on Europe, US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Next is debuted at an event ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, in Shanghai, China April 17, 2023. "Competition will intensify with more chips and more availability," Antlitz said on a media call after the results. Volkswagen's revenue for the quarter was 76 billion euros ($84.22 billion). Operating profit fell to 5.7 billion euros from 8 billion last year, but still beat expectations of five analysts polled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate for 5.48 billion. Excluding the valuation effect from commodity hedging, operating profit rose by 35% to 7.1 billion euros, yielding a margin of 9.3%.

☆ Volkswagen revenue jumps on growth in Europe, North America
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Aly SongBERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) posted a 21.5% gain in first-quarter revenue on Thursday, boosted by higher prices and strong growth in Europe and North America, but operating profit declined from last year when the period benefited from commodity hedging. Revenue for the quarter was 76 billion euros ($84.22 billion). Operating profit fell to 5.7 billion euros from 8 billion euros last year, but still beat expectations of five analysts polled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate of 5.48 billion euros. Excluding the valuation effect from commodity hedging, operating profit rose by 35% to 7.1 billion euros, yielding a margin of 9.3%. Volkswagen attributed the rise in group revenue largely to strong growth in Europe and North America, and said its order book in western Europe totalled 1.8 million vehicles, including 260,000 battery-electric cars.

☆ Thailand in talks with CATL, others on potential battery plants, govt official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Devjyot Ghoshal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We are talking to many companies, not only CATL but many companies in the battery industry," said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). CATL, the world's dominant battery supplier with a 37% market share, currently has no production facilities in Southeast Asia, its website shows. In the past few years, Thailand has drawn investments from EV companies, mainly Chinese, including Great Wall Motors and BYD Co (002594.SZ). Narit said the government's goal was to direct support and subsidies to land larger battery production facilities. CATL currently has 13 battery production hubs, 11 in China, one in Hungary and one in Germany.

☆ Tesla's biggest Chinese rival unveiled a ridiculously cheap electric car — see $11,000 BYD Seagull
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

This sleek little hatchback is one of the best deals on the electric-car market. But don't get your hopes up too much — you can't buy one in America. The BYD Seagull. Aly Song/Reuters

☆ China investment consensus cracks as politics fuel fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It is unlikely to be resolved quickly even if the markets keep rallying and China economy keeps global growth ticking. Data paints a murky picture, but supports brokers' analysis that the bid from long-only money managers is absent. Allocation analysis from data firm EPFR shows a broad downtrend, especially to U.S.-domiciled China funds. EPFR figures show allocation to China funds outside the U.S. has increased for two years and mainland markets' recent performance has also been encouraging. "Our reservations about China's long-term investment prospects are based on our outlook for returns to capital."

[1/5] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - China is bracing for a record-high travel rush over the Labour Day holiday, with popular sightseeing spots selling out of tickets and some cities warning would-be visitors away as domestic tourism rebounds after Beijing ended COVID curbs. Authorities are expecting 19 million trips to be made across China's vast railway network on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday, which would be the highest number of rail trips made in a single day in the country's history. Over the 40-day Lunar New Year travel period in January-February this year, 348 million trips were made in total, or about 8.7 million trips a day on average, according to the National Railway Administration. China's aviation authority said it expects air passenger trips to reach a total of 9 million over the five days.

☆ Geely's EV brand Zeekr jumps on the 'gigapress' bandwagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Norihiko Shirouzu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoApril 27 (Reuters) - Geely's EV brand Zeekr is the latest to join a growing list of automakers that have turned to the "gigapress" die casting technique pioneered by Tesla to slash the cost of electric cars. "In the future, Zeekr will use giga-casting technology on more models," Jiang said. Metal and plastic die casting has long been used in manufacturing, but its application to large aluminium underbodies in carmaking is relatively new. The front and rear sections are then connected with large under-floor battery packs to form a three-piece EV chassis. 'MEGA-CASTING'Other automakers turning to large die casting include General Motors (GM.N), which is using the technology to help design its Cadillac Celestiq electric saloon.

[1/2] A surveillance camera is seen near the logo of the China Evergrande Group at the Evergrande Center in Shanghai, China, September 24, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoHONG KONG, April 27 (Reuters) - Embattled property developer China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) said on Thursday it would extend the deadline for receiving an incentive for its debt restructuring proposal to May 18 as the company disclosed levels of support from offshore debt-holders for its proposal. Evergrande said that 77% holders of class-A debts and 30% holders of class-C debts have submitted their respective support for the restructuring proposal, among others. While some major creditors have already agreed to support the restructuring proposal, others are eager to cut ties with the debt-laden company and move on. Houlihan Lokey's Gale said the restructuring terms were more complex than other property sector deals because Evergrande had "a lot of voices and a fragmented holder base".

☆ From self-driving taxis to supercars, see the 18 the coolest cars at the Shanghai auto show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Nissan Max-Out ConceptNissan Max-Out concept car. ALY SONG/REUTERSNissan also took the opportunity to trot out the Max-Out, an all-wheel-drive sports car that the company says represents "the future of EV performance." Right now, there isn't a single convertible electric sports car on the US market. The Max-Out, if it ever actually becomes a production model, could be the first.

☆ BMW skids into ice cream melee at Shanghai auto show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A BMW booth is pictured at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China, April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 20 (Reuters) - Chinese internet users berated German automaker BMW (BMWG.DE) on Thursday, accusing it of discrimination at the Shanghai auto show amid claims workers at its Mini booth favoured foreign over domestic visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion. The controversy comes as BMW and fellow German automakers participate in the Shanghai auto show in full force as they fight to stay on top of consumer trends in a country where domestic rivals have been aggressively taking market share. One video showed two Chinese workers telling some local visitors to the Mini stand that the free ice cream had run out, only to offer a tub moments later to a Western attendee. "This has taken away my good feelings towards BMW," said one Weibo commentator.

☆ At Shanghai show, auto rivals lure drivers with in-car karaoke, crystal balls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A Zeekr X is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 20 (Reuters) - Automakers keen to make a splash at the Shanghai auto show showed off vehicles boasting features from crystal balls to in-car karaoke systems and 3D dashboards, as competition to attract drivers heats up in the world's largest auto market. Chinese automakers have been grabbing market share from foreign rivals in recent years in part by courting drivers with tailored lifestyle services and by releasing new models more quickly. "So many new vehicles, so many new Chinese vehicles looking very good," said Patrick Koller, chief executive of French auto parts supplier Faurecia (EPED.PA). This costs a fortune and it doesn't give you the time to really mature innovations and technology," Koller said.

[1/3] BMW's concept model i Vision Dee is unveiled during an event at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. While the battery-electric vehicle market share of German automakers in China is rising, it is still miniscule. The EV sales of all four German brands added up to only a quarter of BYD's in 2022. "The Chinese market is no longer as stable for German carmakers as it was," Thomas Luk, partner at management consultancy Kearney, said on the sidelines of the Shanghai show. Many are also adopting direct sales, an approach German automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also said in recent months they are moving towards.

☆ As EV costs tumble in China, an export wave builds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] People use their phones in front of the BYD Seagull that is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2023. Patrick Koller, chief executive of French auto supplier Faurecia (EPED.PA), said the entry-level EV market in Europe was an open lane for Chinese automakers. Koller said he had met with the CEO or chairman of more than two dozen Chinese automakers in Shanghai. Renault’s (RENA.PA) Dacia ships the Spring EV, an entry-level hatchback like the BYD Seagull, to Europe and ranked as the second-largest EV exporter from China last year after Tesla. BYD has not announced export plans for the Seagull, which is priced below what is now the best selling EV in China, the BYD Dolphin, which is priced from 116,800 yuan ($17,000) in China.

[1/2] People use their phones in front of the BYD Seagull that is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 19 (Reuters) - At the Shanghai auto show this week, the largest crowds can be found around an unassuming, bright yellow hatchback parked at the booth of China's largest electric carmaker BYD (002594.SZ). "This redefines the whole market in terms of a price value proposition," he said. Russo predicts the value proposition of the Seagull will be compelling to overseas customers. "Affordability is attractive to everyone anywhere, whether it's an emerging market, the United States or Europe, this kind of car with this kind of value proposition will sell," he said.

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