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☆ Ancient Maya cities, 'super highways' revealed in latest survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is the latest discovery of roughly 3,000-year-old Maya centers and related infrastructure, according to a statement on Monday from a team from Guatemala's FARES anthropological research foundation overseeing the so-called LiDAR studies. All of the newly-identified structures were built centuries before the largest Maya city-states emerged, ushering in major human achievements in math and writing. LiDAR technology uses planes to shoot pulses of light into dense forest, allowing researchers to peel away vegetation and map ancient structures below. Among the details revealed in the latest analysis are the ancient world's first-ever extensive system of stone "highways or super-highways," according to the researchers. Reporting by Sofia Menchu and David Alire Garcia, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Azarenka prevails over Kenin in battle of former champions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I also thought she was coming in with nothing to lose so I knew she was going to play well, play freely. Kenin will perhaps have been encouraged by her fighting display on Margaret Court Arena after three years blighted by injuries, illness and off-court issues. Kenin fought gamely to hold serve for 5-4 but Azarenka made no mistake when serving for the set. The second set was much tighter with the key moment coming in the tiebreak when Azarenka boomed down her fifth ace and Kenin responded lamely with a double fault. "The off season is full of blood, sweat and tears so we can go out there and do our best.

☆ Ghana extends domestic debt exchange deadline for third time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Ghana has again extended the deadline to register for its domestic debt exchange, this time to Jan. 31, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Monday. The crisis-hit nation launched the debt swap plan at the start of December, days before clinching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion rescue package. "Building consensus is key to a successful economic recovery for Ghana," Ofori-Atta wrote on Twitter, adding that registration for the debt exchange would be extended "pending further stakeholder engagement". The IMF has said its board will approve the deal only if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring. The deadline for the debt swap, initially set for Dec. 19, had previously been extended to Dec. 30 and then to Jan. 16.

☆ Bulgarians ward off evil spirits in ancient winter festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The festival, held every January in the village of Kosharevo, is known as "Surva" and is a mixture of Christian and pagan rituals that can be traced back to Thracian times. Some of the dancers, known as Survakars, or kukers (mummers), wear hand-made wooden masks decorated with feathers, which can be up to two metres high. The loud clanging of the bells on their belts is believed to ward off evil and diseases. During the two-day festival, the village, 50 km west of the capital Sofia, is brimming with life as extended families gather to greet the Survakars and offer them traditional dishes. Determined to pass the tradition on, he makes masks and outfits not only for himself, but for his young children too.

☆ Nadal launches title defence as Australian Open ushers in new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will kick off his Australian Open title defence on Monday with a first round test against rising Briton Jack Draper as a new era begins on the blue hardcourts of Melbourne Park. The top seed has had only one win since September's U.S. Open and admitted his title defence was vulnerable to an early shock after two straight defeats in the lead-up. The reigning French and U.S. Open champion opens her campaign against Jule Niemeier in the first evening match at Rod Laver Arena, the German who gave Swiatek a huge scare in the U.S. Open fourth round. With American tennis looking for a new champion in the post-Serena era, Coco Gauff will open the day session at Rod Laver Arena against Czech Katerina Siniakova. Medvedev, the men's seventh seed, will return to the scene of last year's final heartbreak when he faces unseeded American Marcos Giron in the late match at Rod Laver Arena.

☆ Bulgaria clears way to take control of Lukoil oil refinery if needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 196,000 barrel per day refinery, the biggest fuel producer in Bulgaria, has switched to processing only Russian crude after the country was granted an exemption from the European Union's ban on imports of Russian oil over the invasion of Ukraine. Under the exemption to the end of 2024, the refinery cannot export fuels or oil products from Feb. 5 - with exception of deliveries to Ukraine. The refinery can also export by-products that cannot be safely stored in Bulgaria and could pose an environmental hazard. Lukoil Neftochim has previously said it could be forced to shut down if it cannot export its output. A special representative can also be appointed if the refinery breaches competition rules or European Union sanctions.

☆ Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding. DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONSwiatek was thrashed 6-4 6-1 by Danielle Collins at Melbourne Park last year in her first hardcourt Grand Slam semi-final, and the American looms this year in the last 16 if the seedings hold. Charismatic American teenager Coco Gauff would be a popular champion, not least in the Australian Open marketing department. Last year's French Open finalist is in form, having opened the season with the title at the Auckland Open. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's big serve gives her a chance of a second Grand Slam title, while world number four Caroline Garcia is enjoying a late-career renaissance and won the WTA Finals on hardcourt last year.

☆ Four accused in Bulgarian probe of crypto lender Nexo -investigators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Investigators looking into crypto lender Nexo on Friday said that four citizens of Bulgaria had been accused of participating in an organised crime group for money laundering as well as tax and computer fraud. Nexo had said after Thursday's operations that the raided office was not customer facing but has only back office functions. Some 35 artworks, including from Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, had been seized from one of the accused, investigators said. According to Bulgarian prosecutors $94 billion has gone through the Nexo platform in the past five years. Crypto lenders act like banks for the crypto world, offering customers interest on cryptocurrencies they deposit with the platform.

☆ Djokovic faces Carballes Baena, Swiatek meets Niemeier at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Second seed Casper Ruud - twice a runner-up on the Grand Slam stage last year - plays Tomas Machac. A pre-tournament practice match between Nick Kyrgios and Djokovic saw tickets sold out in 58 minutes and the pair could potentially meet in a blockbuster quarter-final. Five-times runner-up Andy Murray plays Matteo Berrettini while fifth seed Andrey Rublev meets wildcard Dominic Thiem in other first-round matches. The Polish player could face seventh seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals and third seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. Women's world number two Ons Jabeur will begin her latest attempt to become the first Arab player to claim a Grand Slam singles title when she plays Tamara Zidansek.

☆ Bulgaria launches probe of crypto lender Nexo, raids sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Bulgarian prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged illegal activities conducted by cryptocurrency lender Nexo, they said on Thursday, raiding more than 15 sites in the capital Sofia. Prosecutors said Nexo has been operating through many companies, many of which were just "post boxes". Crypto lenders act like banks for the crypto world, offering customers interest on cryptocurrencies they deposit with the platform. According to Bulgarian prosecutors $94 billion has gone through the Nexo platform in the past five years. The firms grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as crypto markets slumped last year various crypto lenders froze withdrawals, leaving customers with large losses.

☆ Former King of Greece Constantine II dies at 82
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie arrive at Fredensborg Castle in Denmark to a dinner given to celebrate the 75th birthday of Queen Margrthe II of Denmark on April 16th, 2015. Ritzau Scanpix 2023/Thomas Lekfeldt via REUTERSATHENS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Greece's former King Constantine II, whose nine-year reign coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in the country's political history, died on Tuesday aged 82, state website ERT news reported. Constantine II, the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, ascended to the throne in 1964 after his father died but his reign was marred by political instability which culminated in a military coup on April 21, 1967. With his wife Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, the former king, a sailor whose team won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, had five children. Constantine, Prince William's godfather, and his family had lived in London for years, before returning to Greece.

☆ French minister says France still committed to Burkina Faso despite tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierOUAGADOUGOU, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A French minister said on Tuesday her government would not stop supporting Burkina Faso in its fight against Islamist militants and wished to remain involved despite growing anti-French sentiment and diplomatic tensions. Relations between France and Burkina Faso, a former French colony, have deteriorated following two military coups this year that were partly spurred by local authorities' failure to protect civilians from jihadist attacks. Tensions flared last month, when the Burkina Faso government requested the replacement of France's ambassador. Protests by opponents of the French military presence surged this year, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to improve security. Zacharopoulou said French troops would remain in Burkina Faso "as long as their presence is desired".

☆ Italian soccer great Gianluca Vialli dies at 58
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Gianluca Vialli, the former Italian soccer forward who helped Sampdoria and Juventus win Serie A and European trophies before becoming player-coach at Chelsea, has died. Vialli and Mancini also helped Sampdoria reach the 1992 European Cup final, which it lost to Barcelona at Wembley Stadium. Mihajlović also played with Mancini at Sampdoria after Vialli left the club for Juventus. Vialli won another Serie A title at Juventus and also raised the Champions League and UEFA Cup trophies with the Bianconeri. He ended his playing career while also managing Chelsea, leading the London club to FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup titles.

☆ This app will save me $1,235 by helping me cancel unused subscriptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

I spent about 30 minutes using one app to cancel a bunch of subscriptions I no longer use. I used the Rocket Money app to see all of my subscriptions. Rocket Money might also help you discover and cancel subscriptions to streaming services you no longer use or other recurring bills you've long forgotten about. There are other features of Rocket Money, like budget tracking, and savings tools that may make a monthly fee worth it for you. I just needed it to aggregate all of my subscriptions in one place so I could cancel the ones I haven't been using.

☆ Tennis roundup: Novak Djokovic advances in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

January 5 - Top seed Novak Djokovic fended off an upset bid from World No. 64 Quentin Halys to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5) on Thursday at the Adelaide International 1 in Adelaide, Australia. 6 seed, Jannik Sinner of Italy, who posted a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over home-country favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis. Sinner will meet American Sebastian Korda, who ousted Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4. ASB ClassicTop seed Coco Gauff ousted fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand.

☆ Raducanu suffers injury scare ahead of Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"So to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, in the first week as well. The Australian Open begins on Jan. 16. AZARENKA THROUGHAt the Adelaide International 1 WTA 500 event, twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka saw off Zheng Qinwen 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals alongside unseeded duo Irina-Camelia Begu and Linda Noskova. China's Zheng, who was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022, sent down 10 aces and 34 winners but also made 35 unforced errors at the Australian Open warm-up event. Belarusian Azarenka next faces Czech teenager Noskova, who followed up her first-round upset of Daria Kasatkina with a 6-2 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Clair Liu.

☆ Sabalenka survives scare to reach Adelaide quarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Having received a bye into the second round, second seed Sabalenka started sluggishly to find herself in trouble trailing by five games to one but the 24-year-old roared back to save six set points and claim the opening set in the tie-break. After the pair traded breaks other early in the next set, Sabalenka showed her mental toughness again in the tie-break to seal her first win of the season in two hours and 15 minutes. "She's an incredible player with a huge serve, so it was a tough match and I'm super happy with this win." Sabalenka will next face former French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, who handed Kaia Kanepi a bagel en route to a 6-0 6-4 victory. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"As counterintuitive as it may sound, this layoff left me in a really good position," the 24-year-old said. U.S. tech giants including Meta, Microsoft (MSFT.O), Twitter and Snap (SNAP.N) have purged more than 150,000 staff, according to Layoff.fyi, which tracks technology job losses. Day One Ventures, an early stage venture fund in San Francisco, launched a new initiative in November to fund startups founded by people who had been laid off from their tech jobs, touting the slogan "Funded, not Fired". Silicon Valley investor U.S. Venture Partners and Austrian VC firm Speedinvest have meanwhile earmarked a similar amount for newly founded companies. Fong told Reuters that experience in Big Tech firm gave founders a "strong brand that can be leveraged to meet investors, potential customers, and recruit team members".

☆ Bulgaria expects fiscal deficit of 1% of GDP for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Bulgaria expects to end 2022 with a fiscal deficit of 1.5 billion levs ($821.11 million), equal to 1.0% of economic output, outperforming a revised target of 3.4%, the finance ministry said. Bulgaria, rattled by political instability, has decided to extend its 2022 budget into the new year until a new government is formed and comes up its own fiscal plans for 2023. Bulgaria often loads its state spending toward the end of the year. It forecast expenditures to have jumped to 62.9 billion levs from 54.6 billion levs a year ago, mainly due to compensation paid to businesses to shield them from surging energy costs and increases in some state salaries and pensions. Fiscal reserves, held under a currency regime that pegs the lev to the euro, were 12.8 billion levs by the end of November, data showed.

☆ Bulgaria summons Russian envoy over Bellingcat journalist Grozev
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's foreign ministry said it would summon on Thursday the Russian ambassador to Sofia "for explanations" after Moscow put Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian citizen and the executive director of investigative news outlet Bellingcat, on a wanted list. Grozev, Bellingcat's chief investigator on Russia, is "wanted under an article of the Criminal Code," according to information published on Russia's interior ministry website earlier this week. "The Russian ambassador will be summoned for explanations," a foreign ministry spokesperson said, after leading Bulgarian political parties called for official support for Grozev. Grozev "focuses on security threats, extraterritorial clandestine operations, and the weaponisation of information" according to Bellingcat's website. Grozev said he has been offered help by the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and Austria, where he has been living in recent years.

☆ Shiffrin completes giant slalom double for 79th World Cup win
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - American Mikaela Shiffrin secured a giant slalom double in Semmering, Austria on Wednesday to claim her 79th World Cup victory, moving her within three wins of compatriot Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82. Shiffrin clocked a combined time of two minutes and 3.51 seconds to beat Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.10 seconds. It was back-to-back victories for Shiffrin who also won on Tuesday. The 27-year-old will have a chance to complete a treble on Thursday, in the slalom race at the same location. She leads the overall World Cup standings by 305 points from Italy's Sofia Goggia.

☆ Shiffrin claims 78th World Cup win, closes on record
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 27 (Reuters) - American Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 78th World Cup victory in the giant slalom in Semmering, Austria on Tuesday, taking her to within four wins of compatriot Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82. Shiffrin clocked a combined time of two minutes 7.18 seconds to beat Slovakia's Petra Vlhova by 0.13 and Italian Marta Bassino by 0.31. "You hope that you're in the right shape, and you can bring the right intensity from the start, and I felt really good today. Shiffrin's last win in the discipline came just over a year ago, in Courchevel, France in the build-up to the Beijing Olympics. The 27-year-old has racked up four wins this season and leads the overall World Cup standings by 205 points from Italy's Sofia Goggia.

☆ You got the AirPods Pro for the holidays. Here are some of the coolest features you need to know about
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sofia PittIf you were received Apple 's new second-generation AirPods Pro as a holiday gift, you made out well. Here are some AirPods Pro tips and tricks to get you started. How to find your AirPods Pro if you lose themThere's a built-in speaker in the new AirPods Pro that plays a sound so you can locate them. Tap the name of your AirPods (mine say Sofia's AirPods Pro). Ways to charge your new AirPodsThe new AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe charging case.

☆ You got a new iPhone for the holidays. Here's the ultimate guide to getting the most out of it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

In this article AAPL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTiPhone 14 Sofia Pitt | CNBCYou may have gotten Apple's iPhone 14 as a gift for the holidays. How to customize your lock screenApple iPhone lock screen Source: AppleThere are some new cool lock screens on the iPhone 14. Use Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 ProApple's new Dynamic Island feature on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Instead of that blank notch that used to house the selfie camera and microphone, there's a new interactive pill display that has the ability to shape-shift on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. How to turn off the always-on display on iPhone 14 ProAlways-on display toggled off on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

☆ U.N. says Burkina Faso has no grounds to expel senior official
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Saturday said Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior U.N. official Barbara Manzi to leave the country and that the doctrine of "persona non grata" could not be applied to her. "Only the Secretary-General... has the authority to decide, after careful investigation, with respect to the withdrawal of any United Nations official." Reuters was not immediately able to verify whether Manzi, an Italian national, was still in Burkina Faso in Saturday. The U.N. provides some essential services in Burkina Faso, including supplying food to thousands of malnourished children as insecurity has crippled local economies, caused mass hunger, and restricted access for aid organisations. The Secretary-General reiterated the U.N.'s commitment to continue engaging with Burkina Faso's transitional authorities and support the country.

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