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☆ Mastercard, Binance launching prepaid card in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in front of displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoSAO PAULO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Mastercard Inc (MA.N) and Binance said on Monday they are lauching a prepaid card in Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, as part of the crypto giant's efforts to "broaden the connection between traditional finance and crypto". According to a statement, the so-called Binance Card is currently in beta testing and should be widely available in the next few weeks, making Brazil the second country in Latin America to receive it after Argentina. Brazil is one of Binance's ten-largest markets, the crypto said, adding that the prepaid card will all new and existing Binance users in the country to shop and pay bills with cryptocurrencies at Mastercard merchants. Reporting by Andre Romani; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Panthers rally late, nip Bruins in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Barkov also assisted on Brandon Montour's goal, and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers. Anders Lee also scored for New York, which won its second straight game and prevailed for just the third time in 13 games (3-7-3). Carrier scored the only goal for Vegas, which lost its fourth straight game (0-2-2) and fell for the seventh time in eight games (1-5-2). Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Phillip Danault scored goals for the Kings, whose three-game winning streak ended. Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin sat out for the second straight game with an upper-body injury.

☆ France produced 2 of the world's oldest people: Here's what the French do differently to stay healthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most people are lucky to live to 100, but two women lived far beyond that, joining the ranks of the world's oldest people — and they're both from France. Jeanne Calment is believed to be the world's oldest person on record, gracing the Earth for 122 years. And recently, a French nun named Sister André was the oldest person in the world until Jan. 17, when she passed at the age of 118. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly helps people live beyond age 100, considering the varying behaviors of supercentenarians, says Jean-Marie Robine, an expert demographer who studies the relationship between health and longevity. Here are some reasons why people from The Hexagon tend to have some bonus years.

☆ Djokovic battles Tsitsipas in high stakes Australian Open final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Never beaten at Melbourne Park after reaching the semis, fourth seed Djokovic is rated an unbackable favourite to triumph again under the floodlights at Rod Laver Arena. It offers a rematch of the dramatic 2021 French Open final, in which Djokovic came back from two sets down to snatch the title and leave Greek Tsitsipas heartbroken. "I think he (Tsitsipas) has never played a (Grand Slam) finals, am I wrong?" At 35, Djokovic needs one major title to draw level with 36-year-old Nadal's 22 in the all-time Grand Slam race. He buried his semi-final hoodoo at Melbourne Park against Russian bruiser Karen Khachanov in four sets on Friday after falling three times previously at the hurdle.

☆ NHL roundup: Hot at home, Lightning stop Bruins' road run
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Blackhawks 5, Flames 1Boris Katchouk, Jason Dickinson and Sam Lafferty scored in the second period as visiting Chicago collected four unanswered goals and beat Calgary. Jaxson Stauber made 34 saves, 18 in the third period, in his second NHL start. Travis Boyd and Barrett Hayton also scored for the Coyotes, who won for just the third time in 15 games. St. Louis' Robert Thomas was knocked out of the game midway through the second period when he absorbed a slap shot in his midsection. Noah Cates and Tony DeAngelo each scored one goal for the Flyers, who dropped their third game in a row (0-1-2).

☆ Djokovic targets 10th Australian Open final, Paul looks to flip the script
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Fourth seed Djokovic, seeking a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, has been in dominant form in his return to the country, a year after being deported on the eve of last year's tournament for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. "I feel good on court, better and better as the tournament progresses," Djokovic said. "I've been in this situation so many times in my life, in my career, I've never lost a semi-final at the Australian Open. "It's important to me," said Paul, the first American man to reach the Australian Open semis since Andy Roddick in 2009. CROWD FAVOURITEStefanos Tsitsipas will make his fourth appearance in the semi-finals at the Australian Open when he takes on revitalised Russian Karen Khachanov.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy this entrepreneur left Wall Street to start a restaurantAndre McCain left his job on Wall Street to follow his entrepreneurial dreams. He is now the founder of Half Smoke, a fast casual restaurant that started in Washington, D.C. focused on sausages.

☆ As fighting rages in Ukraine, the US is sending drones to keep an eye on another tense corner of Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones deployed to Greece during the final weeks of 2022. Operating from Larissa air base, the drones will keep an eye NATO's borders in southeastern Europe. The deployment comes as NATO grapples with the war in Ukraine and with tensions between Turkey and Greece. Predator in the skiesUS Air Force airmen do pre-flight checks on an MQ-9 at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in May. A US Air Force F-15C at Larissa Air Base in May 2021.

But when it comes to Black success stories in his neighborhood, McCain is not alone. Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is a hub of upward mobility for Black families. One pillar of his success, McCain said, was attending Woodrow Wilson High School, a vocational school located in one of the area's higher-end neighborhoods. Through HalfSmoke, McCain is able to give back to the community that built him. Watch the video to learn more about one of the many Black success stories that began in Washington, D.C.

☆ Fashion figure Andre Leon Talley collections up for auction at Christie's in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A royal blue, pink and red silk satin shawl-collar kimono by Tom Ford is displayed during the exhibition of the Couture collection of late fashion icon Andre Leon Talley in the showroom of Christie's auction house in Paris, France, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Silk caftans, exotic leather coats and monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage sets are among items from the late American fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley set to go under the hammer this week at Christie's in New York. "His work could really make or break any designers," added Seigel. The auction house estimates the lots will fetch more than a million dollars, funds that will go to two Baptist churches that played a key role in Talley's life. Talley, a former U.S. Vogue editor at large and creative director, died on Jan. 18, 2022, at age 73.

☆ Analysis: Lula confronts Brazil military's pro-Bolsonaro lean with carrot and stick
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But at a Friday meeting the commanders of the armed forces, Lula did not bring up the attack, according to a government official who witnessed the meeting. The armed forces' strategic plans to modernize its equipment included developing a nuclear-powered submarine contracted with France's Naval Group, a subsidiary of defense contractor Thales (TCFP.PA). GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLEWhether a splurge on military hardware will help tamp down pro-Bolsonaro sentiment in the armed forces is open to question. "Lula wants this to go away as soon as possible," he added. "Starting to punish members of the armed forces for what happened may be legally the right thing to do but politically it would open a Pandora's box."

☆ NBA roundup: Celtics run win string to nine by edging Raptors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Reserves Grant Williams and Malcolm Brogdon added 25 and 23 points for the Celtics. Gary Trent Jr. added 22 points, Precious Achiuwa had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Scottie Barnes scored 10 points. Jrue Holiday led Milwaukee with 28 points and 10 assists, while Bobby Portis Jr. had 23 points and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 20 points, Paolo Banchero notched 15, and Wendell Carter Jr. went for 11 points and nine rebounds. Montrezl Harrell had 17 points and seven rebounds and Georges Niang also scored 17 points for the 76ers.

☆ Korda hands early birthday present to dad Petr with 4th-round win
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - American Sebastian Korda said Sunday's fourth-round Australian Open win over Hubert Hurkacz was an early birthday present for his father Petr, who won his only Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in 1998. After the win, Korda said he spoke to his family back home in the United States. They're going to try to go to bed. I think that really helped me, especially in the last match with Medvedev, closing out that tiebreaker. "I think all those little moments that I've gone through, kind of learning from them, staying patient, staying positive, going through the process I think have really helped me going forward.

☆ South Africa's Eskom says worst power cuts over for now but urges less use
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But outgoing CEO Andre De Ruyter also re-affirmed that power cuts would continue for two more years at least. South Africans were braced for worse, with the risk of "stage 8 load shedding" - more than half a day with no power. "We would really urge South Africans to plan (evening) consumption such that ... we have reduced demand," he said. Creaking coal-fire power stations, corruption in coal supply contracts, criminal sabotage and failure to ease up regulation to enable private providers to swiftly bring renewable energy on tap have all left South Africa in a deep power deficit. Eskom's Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer said that by the end of March the firm should be able to bring 1,862 megawatts back online, and that it would focus on keeping its top six power stations running smoothly.

☆ South Africa Seeks State Power Chief After CEO Says He Was Poisoned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alexandra Wexler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

JOHANNESBURG—One Monday last month, the chief executive officer of South Africa’s state-owned power company Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., André de Ruyter , woke up for his 5 a.m. gym routine, then headed to an off-site meeting with the chairman of the board. Hours later, he lay shaking in a clinic bed. Blood tests viewed by The Wall Street Journal showed that he had ingested cyanide. Now, the South African government is looking for a successor to Mr. de Ruyter, who says he handed his resignation to the Eskom board chairman hours before he started feeling nauseous and confused in his office on Dec. 12. Mr. de Ruyter says he suspects the cyanide was added to a cappuccino he drank from his personalized mug at his office.

☆ NBA roundup: Lakers rally, end Grizzlies' 11-game win streak
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Ja Morant scored 22 points while Brandon Clarke and Tyus Jones added 20 points each for the Grizzlies. Paul George chipped in 16 points and 12 assists, Marcus Morris Sr. scored 15 points and Ivica Zubac racked up 12 points and 16 rebounds. Murray finished with 29, going 14-for-25 from the field and adding 12 assists to record his sixth double-double of the season. Domantas Sabonis contributed 18 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds as Sacramento notched its sixth straight victory, one shy of its season high. Gilgeous-Alexander also had seven assists but couldn't prevent the end of the Thunder's four-game winning streak.

☆ Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez shares 5 of his favorite books, including one that 'changed my financial life'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alex Rodriguez is just as interested in Prince Harry as the rest of the world. The New York-born Rodriguez — who over the course of his 24-season playing career earned $455 million, according to Spotrac — called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" the book "that changed my financial life." Rounding out his list, Rodriguez recommended a trio of memoirs all written by the same ghostwriter: J.R. Moehringer. In addition to Prince Harry's "Spare", Rodriguez liked Moehringer work on 2009′s "Open" for American tennis star Andre Agassi and 2016′s "Shoe Dog" for Nike founder Phil Knight. Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletterDon't miss: Prince Harry's 'Spare' ghostwriter wrote these 3 other bestselling memoirs

Increasingly, they said conversations in C-suites and with financiers had turned to the risks that climate change presented to businesses. Climate activist Greta Thunberg made the journey up the Swiss Alps to call on the global energy industry and its financiers to end all fossil fuel investments. Suni Harford, the president of UBS's asset management arm who leads the bank's sustainability efforts, said her conversations at Davos suggested no let up in focus on climate, despite the shorter-term pressures. "Clients are becoming ever more informed on the energy transition, demand for sustainable and green products has held up well, and clients are increasingly looking to measure the impact of their portfolios." "Put forward credible and transparent transition plans on how to achieve net zero – and submit those plans before the end of this year," Guterres said in a speech.

☆ Brazil's Americanas mulls filing for bankruptcy, shares tank as markets see move as imminent
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Gabriel Araujo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Americanas said its current cash position stands at 800 million reais ($154.25 million). "The bankruptcy protection is unavoidable and might be one of the largest ever in Brazil, as complex as Oi's one." Oi SA (OIBR4.SA), a telecom firm, filed in June 2016 for Brazil's then-biggest ever bankruptcy protection and only exited it in December 2022. Last week, chief executive Sergio Rial resigned less than two weeks after taking the job citing the discovery of "accounting inconsistencies" totaling 20 billion reais. "Filing for bankruptcy protection is imminent and necessary," said Fernando Ferrer, an analyst at Empiricus Research, noting there could be a "cascade effect" of banks requesting to withhold money from the firm.

☆ Blackstone is predicting steady growth for its real-estate business, which could be bad news for its tenants
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Now imagine if your landlord wasn't just some mom-and-pop family that owned your building, but the world's largest private-equity firm. And while it's received a fair share of scrutiny over it, the performance of one of its real-estate funds has reignited criticism. But the Blackstone executives' comments indicated the firm could also be planning to raise rent and evict tenants, which includes those in affordable housing and student housing. Click here to read more about how Blackstone's real-estate strategy is setting the stage for an ugly battle with tenants. Top executives at Davos share their thoughts on how bad things might get in 2023.

☆ Billionaire-backed Americanas files for bankruptcy protection, shares tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Gabriel Araujo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SAO PAULO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Brazilian retailer Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) on Thursday filed for bankruptcy protection, days after uncovering nearly $4 billion in accounting inconsistencies and amid a legal feud with creditors. In the filing, Americanas asks to exclude fintech Ame from the bankruptcy protection, as it is regulated by the central bank, and for authorization to increase its capital. Chief Executive Sergio Rial resigned last week, less than two weeks after taking the job, citing the discovery of "accounting inconsistencies" totaling 20 billion reais. Andre Luzbel, head of variable income at SVN Investimentos, said the bankruptcy protection was unavoidable, noting it would be one of the largest ever in Brazil, "as complex as Oi's one." Oi SA (OIBR4.SA), a telecom firm, filed in June 2016 for Brazil's then-biggest ever bankruptcy protection and only exited it in December 2022.

☆ P&G raises sales forecast on price hikes, sees volumes fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Tide detergent maker Procter & Gamble Co (PG.N) raised its full-year sales forecast on Thursday and said it plans to continue raising prices despite a drop in sales volumes, warning that high commodity costs were pressuring profits. While the price hikes have been met with less pushback compared to discretionary products, customers have still bought fewer of its products. P&G said organic sales in China, its second largest market, were down 7% due to COVID lockdowns and weaker consumer confidence. P&G said net sales fell 1% to $20.77 billion in the quarter, hurt by the impact of a stronger dollar on overseas revenue but beating Wall Street expectations. It's the first fall in quarterly net sales in a little over five years, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Procter & Gamble revenue and profit fall as company looks to higher prices to offset declining sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Procter & Gamble reported year-over-year declines in revenue and profit on Thursday, as higher prices struggled to offset declining sales volumes. All of the company's divisions reported declining sales volume in the quarter, despite seeing increases in organic sales as a result of higher pricing. P&G executives noted in a call with media that consumer demand is responsible for at least half the 6% sales volume decrease. But it warned those headwinds would continue to squeeze P&G's gross margins, which saw a 160-basis-point decrease during the second quarter versus a year ago. P&G is doubling down on its price hiking strategy even as shrinking consumer demand continues to erode sales volume.

☆ Centenarian nun thought to be the world's oldest person dies at 118
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS — French nun Sister Andre, the world’s oldest person, passed away at 118 in France, her retirement home told Reuters on Tuesday. Lucile Randon, who took the name of Sister Andre when she joined a Catholic charitable order in 1944, survived Covid last year. She was born on Feb. 11, 1904, and was the world’s oldest living person according to the Gerontology Research Group’s (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List. Earlier this month, the woman believed to be the oldest person in the United States died at the age of 115. The Gerontology Research Group reports that Hendrick’s death leaves 114-year-old Edie Ceccarelli of California as the country’s oldest living person.

☆ South Africa energy blackouts: Ramaphosa skips Davos to tackle crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced this week to cancel a trip to Davos by an escalating energy crisis that is inflicting rolling blackouts on the continent’s most developed economy. At peak times, demand in South Africa averages between 28,000 MW and 34,000 MW. Electricity theft, including by impoverished townships in South Africa, and non-payment by municipal customers have made matters worse. Despite an abundance of sunshine and wind, South Africa still derives about 80% of its electricity from coal. South Africa’s National Energy Crisis Committee, a body run out of Ramaphosa’s office, has proposed several measures to ease the crisis in the short term, including importing energy from neighboring countries and buying excess energy from private producers.

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