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☆ Six dead in New Zealand hostel fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Fire and emergency crews work at the scene of a fire at the Loafers Lodge, in Wellington, New Zealand May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - A fire at a hostel in New Zealand killed at least six people on Tuesday and officials said they believe the toll could rise with 11 people still missing. The blaze broke out on the top floor of Loafers Lodge in the Wellington neighbourhood of Newtown just after midnight, police said. "It was just scary, it was really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building," he told state-owned Radio New Zealand. Investigations into what caused the fire are under way, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

Andreessen Horowitz is preparing to launch a fund of funds to invest in other startup backers. A16z has already been courting up-and-coming fund managers at events in San Francisco and LA. The venture-capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz has in recent months been in discussions to form a fund of funds focused on early-stage investing, according to multiple people familiar with the project. In recent months, the firm has started to court up-and-coming fund managers with events in San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to three sources familiar with the firm's plans. Partners at crossover fund Tiger Global tried a similar strategy in recent years, committing $1 billion to back an array of early-stage venture funds.

☆ I lived and worked in Antarctica for 5 months without WiFi or running water. Here's what surprised me.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lucy Bruzzone is one of several women who spent the last five months working in Antarctica. I've always been fascinated by ice and the polar regions and I'd been exploring opportunities to visit Antarctica for many years. At the same time, changes in Antarctica affect our lives at home, destabilizing systems we depend on for food, water, and security. Lucy Bruzzone spent five months in Antarctica. Work was more physical day-to-day, but I still spent a lot of time working at a laptop for someone in Antarctica!

☆ ‘The Mother’ Review: Are You My Sniper?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lisa Kennedy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This arrangement has kept the Mother and child safe for 12 years when Agent Cruise reaches out with news that Zoe (Lucy Paez) has been found by the Mother’s former partners: Adrian Lovell (Joseph Fiennes) and Hector Alvarez (Gael García Bernal). Lovell is a nasty-smooth piece of work. As Alvarez, Bernal basks in some candlelit cruelty when the action shifts to Cuba. Lovell trained the Mother as a sniper in Afghanistan. Apart from some deadpan exchanges between the Mother and Zoe, Lopez plays the role fierce.

CNN —A US Army sergeant who was convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday morning – even as Texas’ governor pushes to pardon him. In April, a Texas jury convicted Perry of murder but found him not guilty on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The governor can only pardon Perry if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it, according to Texas law. And in a June 1, 2020, social media comment, Perry compared the Black Lives Matter movement to “a zoo full of monkeys that are freaking out flinging their sh*t,” the documents show. CNN reached out to the governor’s office for comment on the social media posts.

☆ Pakistan: Deadly violence surges as Khan indicted
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsPakistan: Deadly violence surges as Khan indictedPostedPakistan's government cracked down on deadly unrest in the wake of the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his indictment on Wednesday. Police arrested supporters who took to the streets and the army deployed in several cities. Lucy Fielder has more.

☆ New Zealand's North Island hit by heavy rain, student missing in caves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - A high school student is missing in Northland, New Zealand after getting into difficulty on a school trip to caves on Tuesday, according to police, as heavy rain and thunderstorms cause flash flooding and landslides across the upper North Island. Local newspaper the Northern Advocate said the student was missing inside one of the caves, which is described as having a canyon-like feel. Police rescue teams are in the area, which has been hit by heavy rain this morning with further rain expected this afternoon. "Auckland is experiencing widespread flooding and torrential rain. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to drench the region into the evening and potentially through to midnight.

☆ A Minute With: Jennifer Lopez and 'The Mother' team on 'badass' moms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Netflix movie, which begins streaming on Friday, features plenty of high speed car and motorbike chases, fight scenes and gruelling training for Lopez's character, simply called 'The Mother'. Paez: "I would say the relationship of a mother and a daughter and how she'd protect her child.”Lopez: “How she would do anything to protect her child. Caro: “Badass, because she (the title character) is and mothers are.”Hardwick: "It's a movie of heart ... It really is ‘The Mother’ for a reason, cause mommas bring a different thing to life." Lopez: “Whenever you work with somebody like (Paez) who's talented and young, you remember to enjoy and ... how exciting it is ...

Musk said Tesla aimed to finish construction of the factory next year and then reach full production about a year later. We need lithium," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at the ceremony. Musk has urged entrepreneurs to enter the lithium refining business, saying it is like "minting money." The refinery is the latest expansion by Tesla into Texas after the company moved its headquarters there from California in 2021. "We are proud that he calls Texas home," Abbott said, saying Tesla and Musk are "Texas's economic juggernauts."

☆ Tesla plans to produce lithium for 1 mln vehicles from Texas refinery -Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] The Tesla logo is seen on a car in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2020. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File PhotoSAN FRANCISCO, May 8 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) expects to produce lithium for about 1 million electric vehicles at its upcoming lithium refinery factory in Texas, CEO Elon Musk said on Monday. Tesla broke ground on the lithium refining facility, as it looks to secure supply of the key component used in batteries and meet its ambitious sales target for electric vehicles. Musk said Tesla aims to finish construction of the factory next year and then reach full production about a year later. Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Ernest Scheyder Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand defence spending set to increase by around $472 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The New Zealand Defence Force will get an additional NZ$748 million ($472.14 million) over four years, as the government tries to stop the loss of military personnel and ensure the country’s military can operate alongside allies and partners. Andrew Little said in a statement that the government would invest a further NZ$419 million in defence force salaries and NZ$328 million to upgrade assets and infrastructure over four years. Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short said in an email that the new funding was the most meaningful funding allocation the military had received in many years, and was great news. In the last two years, the Regular Force - full-time military personnel - has lost 29.8% of its personnel, excluding those who have served less than two years. That number is expected to hit 32.6% by June 30 if nothing is done as the defence force has struggled to match private-sector wages.

☆ RBNZ proposes collecting more financial entity data on cyber incidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is proposing collecting financial entity data on cyber incidents to better understand cyber risks and resilience in the financial sector, it said in a statement on Monday. The central bank said it is proposing introducing mandatory reporting of material cyber incidents with 72 hours of detection, reporting of all cyber incidents periodically even if they are not material, and a regular survey on cyber resilience. The central bank is currently seeking feedback on the proposal before deciding whether to implement the new rules. RBNZ Director of Prudential Policy Kate Le Quesne said collection of this information will improve the bank's understanding of cyber resilience in the financial sector. Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK police face backlash over handling of anti-monarchy protests during coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It comes after the much-maligned Metropolitan Police force faced criticism for what many said was a heavy-handed approach toward demonstrators. Frazer said the police were tasked with balancing people’s right to protest with overseeing an international event on the world stage. Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate near the procession route for Britain's King Charles III coronation in London on Saturday. Republic, Britain’s largest anti-monarchy group, told CNN Saturday that police – without providing any reason – arrested organizers of the anti-monarchy protest. A member of the public attends a "Rally For A Republic - Not My King" anti-monarchy rally on Calton Hill in Edinburgh on Saturday.

☆ Chinese postpartum confinement, called ‘zuo yue zi,’ is gaining Western appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —You cannot carry heavy things. Chan is a “pui yuet,” also called a confinement nanny, who lives with families after a baby is born. Richard, a content creator from Canada, traveled to Hong Kong to become a model and fell in love with her husband, Tom, there. During that time, the pui yuet makes dishes catering to the mother’s physical needs and helps her with milk production and other concerns. Few entities track the pricing of nannies in Hong Kong on a consistent basis because most negotiations are directly between clients and the nannies.

☆ Anti-monarchists released from custody after King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JUSTIN TALLIS/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - The leader of anti-monarchy group Republic and other members were released from custody after hours of detention during Saturday's coronation of King Charles that raised questions over whether the police response had been proportionate. Republic said that detained members began to be released late on Saturday evening, after nearly 16 hours in custody. Tens of thousands of people turned out to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla, who rode in a state coach back to Buckingham Palace after Saturday's service at Westminster Abbey. Not everyone who came to watch was there to cheer Charles, with hundreds of republicans booing and waving banners reading "Not My King". "I think overall (the police) managed to get that balance right," Frazer told Sky News.

☆ Scientists used DNA to unlock who wore a 25,000-year-old pendant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyA deer tooth pendant has revealed details about the woman who wore it between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago. The groundbreaking analysis by a team of European researchers marks the first time scientists have successfully isolated ancient human DNA from a Stone Age artifact. Gregory BretonWith large ears and adorable faces, sand cats went viral seven years ago when their kittens were photographed in the wild for the first time. Although smaller than domestic cats, sand cats live in harsh environments with scorching heat, hunt venomous Saharan horned vipers and rely on blood from prey as a source of water. To unravel the many mysteries of sand cats, researchers tracked 22 of the felines that had been fitted with radio collars for four years.

[1/3] King Charles receives Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, have travelled to London where they are due to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday. King Charles is head of state in Australia, New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial. I want to see an Australian as Australia's head of state," Albanese said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC on Friday. Albanese said would take the oath of allegiance to King Charles at the ceremony.

☆ The trans soccer team that’s making history
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Ryan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

On the rainy evening of March 31, 2023, he captained what he says is the first ever all trans masculine soccer team in Europe in a match. “I was quite nervous before the match,” Webber told CNN. They now also aim to make soccer a more inclusive sport and connect the trans community. “After the all trans feminine team played their game and once I’d played with the all-gender team, she took me aside and said she’d been thinking about what we could do next and asked if I’d be interested in captaining an all trans masc team,” Webber said. “One day, there’ll be hundreds of trans people playing football all over the country at all levels.”

The survey also showed that 36% of the nurses plan to continue working in the sector but may change workplaces. "This really underscores the continued mental health and well-being challenges the nursing workforce experiences post pandemic," AMN Healthcare CEO Cary Grace told Reuters in an interview. The survey showed there are various changes needed, with 69% of nurses seeking increased salaries and 63% of them seeking a safer working environment to reduce their stress. This comes at a time hospital operator and sector bellwether HCA Healthcare Inc (HCA.N) indicated a recovery in staffing situation. The staffing crisis drove up costs at hospital operators, while boosted profits at medical staffing providers such as AMN Healthcare.

☆ Unique fossil site discovered in Wales reveals early life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tiny worms, starfish, sponges, barnacles and other creatures with no modern parallel discovered at a quarry in Wales are painting a picture of life on Earth 462 million years ago. The fossils come from a period of time known as the Ordovician when life was becoming more complex. Most of the 170 animals discovered so far from the fossil site were tiny (1-5 millimeters) and many were either completely soft-bodied when alive or had a tough skin or exoskeleton. It’s a completely unique site,” said Lucy Muir, study coauthor and also an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales. A crowdfunding project to buy microscopy equipment helped them identify the animals and understand the importance of the site.

☆ PlayStation, treasure hunts and natural wonders: What life is like onboard a giant oil tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The movies, which feature ambushes, looting and a drunken captain, are far from real life, according to shipping veteran Ralph Juhl. The crew on board an oil tanker operated by Hafnia. Where the ship goes depends on where the demand for oil is and Dixon has sailed to every continent bar Antarctica, he said. An aurora borealis light display in the southern part of Norway, one of the natural spectacles seen by oil tanker captain DSA Dixon during his seafaring life. Oil tanker crew prepare mooring ropes to secure a bunker barge to their vessel for refueling.

☆ Ballooning Software Prices Complicate Tech Spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Last year, Microsoft raised prices from 8% to 25%, depending on the software and subscription type, for some of its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 business software. Photo: lucy nicholson/ReutersBusiness software price hikes are outpacing the rate of inflation, according to corporate technology chiefs who say they’ve been charged increases of 20% or more for certain cloud-based software than in previous years. Amid pressure to cut costs in a sluggish economy, more IT leaders are rethinking vendor relationships. Thomas Phelps , chief information officer of Long Beach, Calif.-based software firm Laserfiche and executive chair of the nonprofit IT executive leadership group Innovate@UCLA, said some cybersecurity vendors have asked for a 30% increase to renew a three-year software contract.

☆ Ballooning Software Prices Complicate Tech-Spending Calculus for CIOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ BBC's Sharp resigns after breaching rules over Boris Johnson loan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The investigation, initiated by the public appointments watchdog, examined the way in which Sharp was selected by the government to chair the corporation in 2021. Specifically, it looked at whether Sharp fully disclosed details of his role in facilitating an 800,000 pound ($1 million) loan for Johnson before he was named chairman. The report found that, while he had breached the government's code for public appointments, that breach did not necessarily invalidate his appointment. "I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC," Sharp said in a statement. The report mentions Johnson's Downing Street office as having recommended Sharp as "a strong candidate" for the role, which attracted 23 applications.

☆ 'Not my king': Republicans to protest coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Politics'Not my king': Republicans to protest coronationPostedWhen King Charles is crowned in a lavish ceremony next week, Britain's main anti-monarchist movement will gather along the procession route next to a statue of the last British monarch ousted in favor of a short-lived republic in the 17th century. Lucy Fielder has more.

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