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☆ Authorities search for more victims after tornado pummels Arkansas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, April 1 (Reuters) - Arkansas first responders on Saturday will sift through debris for more possible victims after a fierce tornado sliced through the Little Rock area and northeastern part of the state, killing at least two people and injuring dozens of others. Two fatalities in Arkansas were reported in Wynne, about 100 miles (160 km) east of Little Rock, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday night. One person was killed and more than 50 people hospitalized in North Little Rock, Pulaski County spokeswoman Madeline Roberts told the Washington Post. Although more than 30 people were taken to hospital in the Little Rock area, none had died as of Friday night, said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who added that the count remained imprecise. [1/9] A view of destroyed buildings following the tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S., March 31, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media.

☆ John McEnroe Is Playing Pickleball for $1 Million? You Cannot Be Serious
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

We will now discuss pickleball, because pickleball is the only thing that matters now. Pickleball, pickleball, pickleball. The Final Four, Opening Day, new NFL rules—none of it stands a chance against a good old racket-borne Tupperware fight. By media edict, I am required to mention pickleball at least 20 times per day, or there is a penalty, which is having to mention pickleball 40 times a day. On Sunday, April 2, former pickleball hater John McEnroe —“I think it sucks,” Mac said last September—will compete against fellow tennis geezers Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang in a tournament at a Florida casino with a purse of $1 million.

BRASILIA, March 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who never conceded defeat in last year's election, returns from self-imposed exile in Florida on Thursday to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. His return to Brazil is eagerly awaited by the party's leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Bolsonaro to become the leader of the opposition to the Lula administration and lead the PL into municipal elections next year. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's liberal values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office.

CNN —Tennis great Boris Becker says he’s grateful just to be alive as he reflected on spending time in prison in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Soon after his release, Becker told German broadcaster Sat 1 that a prison “inmate tried to kill” him during his incarceration. “It feels great [to be out],” Becker told Amanpour. “Prison life is a very dangerous place. In tennis, as in life, thing were “never easy” and “always a bit of a struggle,” Becker recalls.

☆ Brazil's Americanas faces more debt, asset sales as it restructures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sources with knowledge of the situation, however, told Reuters that the company shoulders a higher debt load than previously disclosed. Americanas presented the first draft of a legal recovery plan to a court in Rio de Janeiro state, O Globo newspaper reported. In January, the company entered bankruptcy protection after disclosing accounting "inconsistencies" worth 20 billion reais ($3.78 billion). The company said in early March it had offered a 10 billion reais capital injection to its creditors that will come from top shareholders. Sources close to the matter said the company holds debts of more than 50 billion reais, which exceeds the 42 billion reais previously acknowledged during the bankruptcy proceedings.

☆ Shares of Indonesia's GoTo fall more than 4% as 2022 loss swells to $2.6 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

GoTo Group posted a wider full-year 2022 net loss of 40.4 trillion rupiah ($2.63 billion) in its latest earnings report. Shares of GoTo Group fell as much as 4.62% on Tuesday after the Indonesian tech giant's annual net loss for 2022 widened. The full-year net loss came in at 40.4 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($2.63 billion) last year, according to its latest earnings report. Here are the key takeaways:Net revenue: 11.3 trillion rupiah, vs. 5.2 trillion rupiah in 2021Adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization: 16 trillion rupiah, vs. 16.5 trillion rupiah in 2021Net loss: 40.4 trillion rupiah, vs. 25.9 trillion rupiah in 2021And in the fourth quarter of 2022:Net revenue: 3.4 trillion rupiah, vs. 4.5 trillion rupiah in the third quarterAdjusted EBITDA loss: 3.1 trillion rupiah, vs. 3.7 trillion rupiah in the previous quarterGoTo, the combined entity between ride-hailing giant Gojek and e-commerce marketplace Tokopedia, went public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange last April. "This strategy enabled us to reduce incentives and product marketing in fourth quarter 2022 by 34%, or 2.8 trillion rupiah, year-on-year.

☆ NHL roundup: Streaking Rangers blow by Predators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

They have scored 15 unanswered goals in their last three games, the longest streak in the NHL this season. Goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped all 22 shots he faced one night after Igor Shesterkin recorded the shutout with 33 saves. Kirill Marchenko and Liam Foudy scored goals and Patrik Laine had two assists for Columbus, which suffered its seventh loss in eight games. Daniil Tarasov made 24 saves on 29 shots before being pulled with 3:03 left in the second period. Hofer made 33 saves in his second game filling in for Jordan Binnington, who completed his two-game NHL suspension Sunday.

☆ NCAA Tournament roundup: Fairleigh Dickinson makes history against Purdue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Kobe Johnson supplied 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while the Trojans' usual leading scorer, Boogie Ellis, was held to six points. Vermont (23-11) was led by Robin Duncan, Dylan Penn and Matt Veretto who each scored 11 points. Jamarius Burton added 11 points and Greg Elliott had 10, as the Panthers advanced to face No. Jordan Hawkins chipped in 13 points, Donovan Clingan posted 12 and Andre Jackson Jr. supplied 10. Adrian Baldwin Jr. paced the Rams (27-8) with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

☆ Brazilian securities watchdog launches new probes into Americanas accounting fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian securities watchdog CVM said on Friday it has launched two new probes into retailer Americanas SA's (AMER3.SA) accounting scandal and the firm's reorganization process. CVM said it launched an administrative proceeding to analyze "failures to disclose relevant information by (Americanas) regarding proposals for capitalization and the renegotiation of debts with creditors and the assessment of the sale of assets." Americanas entered bankruptcy protection in January shortly after disclosing accounting inconsistencies worth 20 billion reais ($3.78 billion) and overall debt of more than $8 billion. Earlier this month, the retailer said it had offered a capital injection to its creditors of 10 billion reais ($1.93 billion) which would come from top shareholders. The launch of the probes comes a day after Americanas' former CEO Miguel Gutierrez testified before CVM.

☆ Credit Suisse sees central bank cash as buying time for overhaul- executive tells SRF
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, March 17 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) sees its access to 50 billion Swiss francs ($53.98 billion) of central bank funding as "precautionary liquidity" to allow the embattled lender to continue its revamp, the head of its Swiss business said. Following a crisis of confidence that wiped 25% off the value of Credit Suisse shares on Wednesday, the bank sought an emergency liquidity line from the Swiss National Bank in the first such move for a global lender since the financial crisis of 2008. "We see it as precautionary liquidity so that we can carry out the transformation of Credit Suisse and continue to work well in this turbulent situation," Andre Helfenstein, CEO of Credit Suisse's Swiss bank, told broadcaster SRF in an interview published late Thursday. "Of course 50 billion francs is a big number. Helfenstein said Credit Suisse was working hard to stem customers outflows, although this could take time.

☆ MercadoLibre to invest $3.6 billion in Brazil this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, March 16 (Reuters) - MercadoLibre Inc. (MELI.O) said on Thursday it expects to invest 19 billion reais ($3.60 billion) in Brazil in 2023, 11.5% more than the amount invested in the previous year. The South American e-commerce and financial services giant, which in 2018 had invested one billion reais in the country, has upped its bet in Brazil in recent years, especially after a surge in demand for online shopping caused by the COVID pandemic. The goal, he said, is to service more cities and increase deliveries made within one day - which currently represent about 50% of the total. MercadoLibre does not disclose how much will be invested in each area of the company. ($1 = 5.2710 reais)Reporting by Andre Romani; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Corporate Sustainability Becomes a Team Sport
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Rochelle Toplensky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Chief sustainability officers have historically been technical experts focused on helping companies decode their carbon footprint. Today’s CSOs are business-transformation specialists who run point for companies in their sustainability efforts, supported by a team of experts. “You have to start thinking in 2022 about the demands that are going to be a trending topic in 2025.”Judith Wiese, chief people and sustainability officer at Siemens. His team includes experts in technology, industrial processes, financial markets, sustainability frameworks and reporting standards. Agustin Delgado Martin, chief innovation and sustainability officer at Iberdrola.

☆ Inflation isn't dampening people's desire to travel — but travel companies may be missing a trick
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Inflation and higher living costs may be weighing on consumers' wallets, but there's one area where many are unwilling to cut back: their desire to travel. The number of people willing to fork out more on travel could be even higher, as costs rise. Inflation and higher living costs may be weighing on consumers' wallets, but many are unwilling to cut back on travel. Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty ImagesThe disconnect could mean travel companies might fail to provide consumers with the deals they're looking for. The United Nations World Tourism Organization said that it expects the global tourism market to recover 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels this year.

☆ Jamaican court convicts gangster in landmark case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KINGSTON, March 7 (Reuters) - Jamaica's Supreme Court convicted a well-known crime boss on Tuesday in a landmark trial, marking a win for the Caribbean island's recently reformed anti-gang laws. The ruling follows a series of judicial reforms aimed at reining in rampant gang violence. Dozens of other defendants are also on trial alongside Bryan, part of a 25-count indictment made up of charges including arson and murder. Five others have been released due to insufficient evidence since the trial began in 2021, while another suspect was killed. Recent judicial reforms allow judges to convict defendants based on a wider range of offenses, which could increase the length of prison sentences.

☆ NBA roundup: Joel Embiid (42) guides Sixers past Pacers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Mar 6, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tyrese Maxey made six 3-pointers and scored 24 points for Philadelphia, and James Harden contributed 14 points, 20 assists and nine rebounds. Boston got 32 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists from Jaylen Brown. Trail Blazers 110, Pistons 104Damian Lillard recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as visiting Portland handed Detroit its eighth consecutive loss. Cory Joseph had 14 points, Jaden Ivey contributed 13 points and 13 assists and Alec Burks also scored 13 points.

As parenting researchers, we've seen this happen often with highly sensitive kids. But psychologists and neuroscientists have found that, in the right environment, kids with highly sensitive brains have rare advantages. The empathy advantage of highly sensitivity kidsNot only do highly sensitive kids show more creativity, awareness and openness than less-sensitive kids, but they possess an underappreciated trait: empathy. Here are the most common signs of highly sensitive kids: They notice subtle details, such as a teacher's new outfit or when furniture has been moved. Highly sensitive kids have an entirely different approach to their environment, and that is a strength.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins become fastest to 100 points
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

With their ninth consecutive win, the Bruins improved to 48-8-5 on the season and became the fastest team in NHL history to record 100 points, doing so in 61 games. Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and David Krejci each recorded two assists while Patrice Bergeron and Connor Clifton also scored goals. Casey Mittelstadt scored the lone goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves for the Sabres, who dropped their second straight. The Lightning are 2-3-3 in their past eight games and have lost three straight for the first time. The Stars gave goalie Matt Murray his NHL debut, and he finished with 19 saves for the win.

UFC 285 will stream live on March 4, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. Jon Jones will face Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title. How to watch UFC 285You can watch the main event of UFC 285 on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 285 pay-per-view priceIf you're signing up for ESPN+ to stream UFC 285, you can snag a special discounted package. Here's the fight card for UFC 285: Jones vs. GaneESPNEarly Prelims — 5:30 p.m.

☆ The energy CEO poisoned with cyanide-laced coffee plans to 'lay low' and 'watch out for who invites me to coffee' after losing access to his bodyguard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Eskom's former CEO plans to "lay low" and go abroad for a while after cyanide poisoning. De Ruyter alleged corruption in South Africa's government in an explosive interview last week. He described the incident in greater detail in his TV interview, saying his personal assistant had served him instant coffee because the coffee machine at Eskom's headquarter was being repaired. Since De Ruyter was appointed as CEO in 2019, he has tried to clamp down on corruption in the energy sector. He also pointed to South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress, for the power shortages saying "it's a little bit like a Venn Diagram."

☆ Brazil central bank greenlights Meta's WhatsApp merchant payment system
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A smartphone with a displayed Meta logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoSAO PAULO, March 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank on Thursday approved Meta Platforms' (META.O) payments launch for small and medium-sized business in Brazil via its messaging application WhatsApp, building on the app's existing local peer-to-peer payment system. WhatsApp users in Brazil have been able to make payments between users through the application since 2021, but the new development clears the way for merchants to receive payments. "Soon, WhatsApp users will be able to pay for products and services directly in a conversation with Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards," Guilherme Horn, head of WhatsApp Latin America, said in a Linkedin post. Shortly after the central bank's greenlight, Meta's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on his Instagram broadcast channel that "people will be able to pay small businesses right on WhatsApp".

[1/2] Customers shop at a mall ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in Beijing, China January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoLONDON/MILAN/FRANKFURT/NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - The world's top consumer and luxury goods companies have seen sales of everything from cosmetics to condoms grow in China since Beijing ended strict COVID-19 curbs, another sign that the world's No. Tourism from China was helping sales in neighbouring Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Japan, he added. Reckitt Benckiser, which makes Nurofen tablets, cold remedy Lemsip and Durex, saw a pick-up in China after a decline in volumes because of lockdowns. U.S. retailer Walmart Inc (WMT.N), which operates nearly 400 retail and wholesale stores in China, reported strong traffic in its stores since reopening.

☆ New spy series 'Citadel' is Amazon Studios' most ambitious — and riskiest — bet ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Citadel," Amazon Studios' ambitious spy series, is on track to be one of the costliest series ever made. Amazon Studios early on was known for prestige shows like "Transparent" and "Maisel" as well as action hits like "Jack Ryan." Amazon Studios' Head of Global Television, Vernon Sanders, told Insider that "Citadel" is new territory for the company. Inside and outside of Amazon Studios, there are concerns about a lack of clear creative direction as well as the division's future role in the larger Amazon ecosystem. Insider spoke to 21 current and recently departed Amazon Studios executives, Hollywood agents, and other industry insiders about the opportunities and challenges.

☆ NHL roundup: Wild's Kirill Kaprizov caps hat trick in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sabers 7, Capitals 4Dylan Cozens delivered his first career hat trick, and Buffalo defeated visiting Washington. Vinnie Hinostroza had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, while Cozens added an assist for the first four-point game of his career. T.J. Oshie scored his fourth goal in three games and added an assist, and Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist, and Shayne Gostisbehere also scored a goal for Arizona. Trocheck added an assist, and Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin each had a goal and an assist.

☆ I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a vacation. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is intriguing. I went to the developer's website, clicked on the word "ChatGPT," registered for an account — and started chatting. "All of the places I recommended have great online reviews," ChatGPT replied, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel. But ChatGPT couldn't show photographs of the hotels or help book them — although it did provide ample instructions on how to do both. Every city I asked ChatGPT about resulted in the bot praising the local food scene.

☆ Grapefruit League roundup: Pete Alonso hits first HR for Mets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Daniel Vogelbach had two hits with an RBI and Abraham Almonte went 2-for-2 with two RBIs for the Mets. Justin Dirden went 2-for-2 with a homer and a key single in the seventh-inning uprising. Bobby Dalbec also went 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBIs and two runs for Boston. CJ Abrams went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Erick Mejia singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning for the Nationals. Phillies 7, Yankees 4Weston Wilson went 2-for-2 with four RBIs to help host Philadelphia defeat New York in Clearwater.

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