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☆ Pretty Yende, South African opera star will perform at King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gertrude Kitongo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —“Pretty, are you sitting down?” South African soprano Pretty Yende was performing in Vienna last December when she received a call from her manager. She had just been booked for the biggest gig of her life: a performance at the coronation of King Charles III. As one of three soloists at the ceremony, it’s thought that Yende is the first African to be invited to perform solo at a British coronation. The coronation will not be the first time King Charles has watched Yende perform; he saw the soprano sing at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75th anniversary gala, held at Windsor Castle in April 2022. Pretty Yende performs in "Lucia Di Lammermoor" at the Bastille Opera House in Paris in October 2016.

☆ 'Death zone' queues feared on Everest as Nepal grants record climbing permits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A general view of the Everest base camp taken from a drone, in Nepal April 24, 2023. So far, Nepal has handed out a record 463 permits to climb Everest between March and May, beating 2021's 409. Climbing is a key earner for the poor country, where about 500,000 people are employed in tourism, including climbing, and the number of permits has been rising steadily. So far this year, Nepal has granted permits to 1,046 climbers for 24 peaks, earning the government $5.6 million, of which $5 million came from Everest alone. He said the government was considering introducing a requirement for climbers to scale at least one 6,000-metre peak in Nepal before attempting Everest.

☆ Russia should not take temporary control of foreign banks' units, central-bank governor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree placing the Russian assets of Finland's Fortum (FORTUM.HE) and Germany's Uniper (UN01.DE), which both operate power plants in Russia, under Moscow's control. "Such decisions should be made with very good reasons, connected to the stable functioning of the Russian economy," Nabiullina said when asked whether Russia could do the same with banks. Foreign banks have stepped in to take business from Russian lenders hit by sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Moscow despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022. Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI), earned more than half of its profit last year from Russia. Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alexander Marrow and Jake Cordell; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Where to watch free Azerbaijan F1 live stream: sprints and full race viewing details
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Brendan Griffiths | Senior Commerce Director | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There's a bunch of extra F1 live stream action to enjoy this weekend thanks to this season's first sprint events. We can show you how to watch the Azerbaijan F1 sprints online for free from anywhere too. Watch a free Azerbaijan F1 Sprint live streamThis weekend's simplest option for a free F1 live stream is using a VPN to tune into one of the free European streams mentioned above. How to watch the Azerbaijan F1 live streams with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't have one. Turn it on and set it to a country with a free live stream.

☆ Hungary’s Habsburg Ambassador to the Pope, With an Offbeat Résumé
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Pope Francis lands in Budapest on Friday, Eduard Habsburg, Hungary’s ambassador to the Holy See and a descendant of the defunct Habsburg dynasty that once ruled much of Europe, will greet him on the tarmac with a gag gift. “Begin now or do you want to wait for eternity?” Mr. Habsburg, 56, said he planned to ask Francis. But after a career as a zombie-movie screenwriter, cartoon producer, love-triangle novelist, anime enthusiast, sci-fi geek and media personality with monarchic sensibilities, the Hungarian government came calling. OK. That’s the same question I asked,” the amiable diplomat said over coffee in his residence last week in Rome. “You will find respect in the Vatican if you go to Rome, because the Vatican still respects traditional families.”

☆ Naked sunbather: German landlord wins right to keep sunbathe nude
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Nadine Schmidt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Berlin CNN —A German landlord has won the right to sunbathe naked in the courtyard of his Frankfurt building, in spite of complaints from his tenants. The landlord, who has not been named, resorted to taking legal action after a human resources company that rented premises in the building withheld payments because of his fondness for sunbathing nude in a common courtyard area, according to Frankfurt’s highest regional court. The firm, which has also not been identified, had reduced and partially withheld payments that it owed for its office space in the residential building in an upscale neighborhood of the city. “On the contrary, the plaintiff had credibly stated that he always wore a bathrobe, which he only took off directly in front of the sunbed,” it said. There are about 600,000 Germans registered in more than 300 private nudist or FKK clubs and a further 14 affiliated clubs in Austria.

☆ Arnold Schwarzenegger says his father was among millions ‘sucked into a hate system’ by lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday spoke out against antisemitism and hate, pointing to his family history in the hope it would stand as an example for others. “My father was, and so many other millions of men were, sucked into a hate system through lies and deceit. How many millions of people had to die and then they ended up losers … in the Confederacy, losers, as they all have, this just doesn’t work. A report released by the Anti-Defamation League last month found that antisemitic incidents in the US at their highest level since the organization began recording them in 1979. Data released by the FBI in March shows that the number of hate crimes reported in the US also increased in 2021.

☆ 34-year-old ditched the U.S. for Europe and now spends just $1906/month—raising 3 kids: 'I'm saving more money than ever'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Dr. Alison Opalko-Berry | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

I'm an adjunct professor, content creator, and happy mother of three kids — a 13-year-old, 2-year-old and 18-month-old. Some semesters were so packed that I had to drop my son off at daycare at 5:30 a.m. Even with three kids and higher housing costs, I'm saving more money than ever. Any money that we have left goes into saving up for our first house. The benefits of raising kids in Germany

☆ Mexico's America Movil quarterly profit dips as peso appreciates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company, controlled by the family of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, said currency gains dropped about 40% to 13.7 billion pesos from 22.5 billion pesos in the year-ago period. From January through March, the Mexican peso appreciated against several other currencies, the company said in a statement. Revenue rose about 2% to nearly 209 billion pesos, above a Refinitiv forecast of 191.84 billion pesos. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), or core earnings, totaled 82.7 billion pesos in the three-month period, up 3.2% from a year ago. As of the end of March, net debt totaled 365.1 billion pesos excluding leases, down 16.4 billion pesos from the end of 2022.

☆ U.S. shares with European banks ways Russia is evading sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. on Sunday said it shared information with European bankers, government officials and business leaders to clamp down on Russia's tactics to try to skirt Western sanctions. Brian Nelson, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, held briefings last week in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy to promote more effective policing of sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Treasury said in a statement. Nelson shared details on some of the most critical military goods that Russia is trying to acquire, including optical devices, electronics and manufacturing equipment, the Treasury said. Other warnings signs include frequent or last-minute changes of end-users or payees, or redirection of goods to third countries that have limited or no restrictions on re-exports to Russia, the department said. Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Embraer to build NATO-approved aircraft in Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Embraer, which holds 65% of OGMA's capital, makes several types of planes, including a light attack aircraft called "Super Tucano". Embraer also manufacturers the KC-390 military cargo aircraft and it aims for more international deals to sell it. In 2019, the Portuguese government said it would buy five of Embraer's KC-390 military transport aircraft and a flight simulator for 827 million euros. Two sources familiar with the matter said on last week that Austria was looking to advance in talks with Embraer on purchasing four or five KC-390 military cargo aircraft. "President (Lula) wants to encourage the Brazilian defence industry and increase investment in the defence industry," Mucio said.

☆ These are the 10 best destinations in the world for an eco-friendly vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rotterdam, Netherlands, is the best city for a sustainable vacation, according to a 2023 report from Kayak. Rotterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands Graz, Austria Trondheim, Norway Munich, Germany Helsinki, Finland Stockholm, Sweden Zurich, Switzerland Gothenburg, Sweden Vienna, AustriaRotterdam and Amsterdam, both in the Netherlands, took the No. The Netherlands city is the second-largest in the country and Europe's largest seaport. The city, known as "the Venice of the North," is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its iconic canal district. The channels' design is considered an example of town planning that influenced the world for centuries, according to UNESCO.

April 21 (Reuters) - Demand for the Chinese yuan is growing in Russia, the CEO of Sberbank (SBER.MM) said on Friday, adding that the lender has made use of central bank currency swaps providing yuan liquidity. CEO German Gref said Sberbank was gradually raising its interest rates on yuan deposits and had resorted to borrowing from the Russian central bank in yuan several times. Gref said shareholders at the bank's annual general meeting on Friday had supported the board's recommendation to pay a record 565 billion roubles ($6.94 billion) in dividends. Gref said the bank would take advantage of an early payment option and direct around 10 billion roubles to the budget. Gref said Sberbank was not engaged in any talks with Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) over an asset swap.

☆ Deutsche Bank Russian profits leapt in 2022, even as assets dropped
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) Russian subsidiary's profits jumped by almost six times in 2022 to 5.4 billion roubles ($66.42 million), Russian audit documents showed, the latest example of a foreign lender booking strong earnings in the Russian market. Deutsche Bank said it would wind down its business in Russia in March 2022, joining other foreign lenders in leaving the country. Profit for the period leapt by more than 480% to 5.4 billion roubles. However, total assets dropped 36.3% to 81.6 billion roubles. Net interest income jumped more than 10 times to just over 7 billion roubles.

☆ Haas F1 boss Steiner plays it by the book
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - Haas boss Guenther Steiner has famously not watched the Netflix 'Drive to Survive' docu-series that made him a cult hero for a new wave of Formula One fans, but he has read every word of 'Surviving to Drive'. If they feel happy, I’m happy for them," said Steiner. He came back in 2005 when Red Bull bought the Jaguar team but then moved to NASCAR, returning to F1 when Haas debuted in 2016. RARE EXAMPLEThe book is a rare example of an active F1 boss putting his thoughts into print, however forthright and uncomplimentary. Ralf Schumacher, brother of seven times world champion Michael and uncle of Haas's dropped former driver Mick, is unlikely to enjoy it.

☆ Opinion: The untold story about Anne Frank’s hiding place
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Opinion Roy Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

British actors Bel Powley and Joe Cole play Miep and Jan, with Liev Schreiber as Otto Frank. Only Otto Frank survived. Anne Frank's (1929-1945) world famous diary charts two years of her life from 1942 to 1944, when her family were hiding in Amsterdam from German Nazis. Anne Frank has particularly been in the zeitgeist in recent years, with the 2021 French animated film “Where Is Anne Frank,” a magical retelling of her story loosely based on the 2018 graphic novel; the 2022 Dutch Netflix movie “My Best Friend Anne Frank,” based on the book “Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend”; the controversial, eventually pulled 2022 book “The Betrayal of Anne Frank”; and “After the Annex: Anne Frank, Auschwitz and Beyond,” coming out in May. While 89% have heard of Anne Frank, 32% don’t know she died in a concentration camp.

☆ Analysis: Why is UK inflation so high?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Annual consumer price inflation (CPI) in Britain fell to 10.1% last month but defied forecasts for a bigger drop from February's 10.4%, according to data published on Wednesday. "Inflation in the UK has risen further and stayed higher than elsewhere as the UK has experienced the worst of both worlds: a big energy shock like the euro zone and labour shortages - even worse than the U.S.," said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at consultancy Capital Economics. British consumer energy prices were 79% higher in March than their level two years earlier, the biggest increase in western Europe. Britain's high rate of energy inflation reflects its heavy reliance on gas for power generation and home heating as well as the poor energy efficiency of its housing stock. But domestically generated price pressures are likely to slow the pace of decline in headline inflation.

Inflation, which hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October, continued to eat into the spending power of workers whose pay is rising by less. Britain's headline inflation rate is now the highest in western Europe and compares with an average of 6.9% in the euro zone and 5.0% in the United States. Austria recorded a higher inflation rate than Britain in February. Reuters GraphicsPOLITICAL PRESSUREHigh inflation is a problem for Britain's government as well as the BoE, which forecast in February that inflation would be below 4% by the end of the year. Producer price inflation - which measures changes in prices charged and paid by manufacturers and often leads changes in CPI - tumbled in March due to lower oil prices.

REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Britain now has western Europe's highest rate of consumer price inflation after it fell by less than expected in March to 10.1% from February's 10.4%, official data showed on Wednesday. Despite falling in March, Britain's inflation rate was the highest in western Europe and the only country in the region to post a double-digit number for last month, after Austria recorded a higher inflation rate in February. Last month the BoE said it expected inflation to "fall significantly" in the second quarter. In February, the BoE had forecast March inflation of 9.2%. Inflation in prices charged by manufacturers fell sharply in March to its lowest since October 2021 at 8.7%, down from 11.9% in February, largely reflecting a drop in oil prices.

☆ McDonald's is going after one of Starbucks' crown jewels and testing cold brew
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's is testing new cold brew options in select Southern California restaurants. The fast-food chain is testing two cold brew options at some Southern California locations, Restaurant Business reported. McDonald's is piloting traditional cold brew, served black over ice, as well as a marble cold brew, which contains syrup and cream. More recently, the chain has added four new McCafé menu options in Australia, including a banana and blueberry loaf, according to the Daily Mail. McDonald's reported 12% global comparable-store sales growth in the fourth quarter, compared with 5% growth for Starbucks.

☆ Where to watch Bayern Munich vs. Man City live stream for free from anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Brendan Griffiths | Senior Commerce Director | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Looking to watch a Bayern Munich vs Man City live stream for free tonight? Where to watch Bayern Munich vs. Man City in CanadaSoccer fans in Canada will need to stump up some extra cash to enjoy a Champions League live stream of Bayern Munich vs. Man City tonight, as DAZN Canada holds the local viewing rights. Bayern Munich vs. Man City free live streamThere are two free options available today. Another option to watch Bayern Munich vs. Man City for free online is to tune into the Austrian channel, ServusTV, as it's showing a live stream free of charge. How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Man City with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't have one.

☆ US looking forward to Sweden becoming NATO member before July summit: Austin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Swedish Minister for Defence Pal Jonson and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hold a news conference at Musko Naval Base, Sweden April 19, 2023. Sweden's accession has been held up by Turkey and Hungary, who have yet to ratify Sweden as a member. "We look forward to soon welcoming Sweden as the 32nd (member of NATO). To be clear, we look forward to that to happen before the summit in July," Austin told a news conference. Austin was in Sweden to hold talks with Defence Minister Pal Jonson about the war in Ukraine and Sweden's NATO application.

☆ Hydrogen, fully electric, or both? Heavy-duty trucking has some big decisions to make
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In Sept. 2022, it said it would begin testing fuel cell electric trucks in what it called "commercial traffic" from 2025. It's therefore no surprise that alongside hydrogen, battery electric vehicles are also being considered for trucking. Other companies like Scania and DAF are also operating in the battery electric space. "Which zero-emission technology out of battery electric and hydrogen will prevail in the long-haul segment is less certain," T&E adds. Within the EU, for example, efforts are being made to create the conditions that would enable hydrogen trucks to travel long distances.

☆ U.S. finishes Billie Jean King Cup qualifying unbeaten
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Each best-of-five series consists of two singles matches on the first day, then the reverse singles matches followed by a doubles match on the second day. The doubles match pitting Juvan and Zidansek against Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu was suspended at 3-3 in the first set. Jule Niemeier posted a three-set win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, and then Anna-Lena Friedsam lost only one game in defeating Laura Pigossi. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina handed Poland's Magda Linette her second loss in two days to clinch the 3-1 series win in Astana, Kazakhstan. After Fernandez's three-set win over Ysaline Bonaventure, Belgium's Greet Minnen again knotted the match with a three-set win over Katherine Sebov.

☆ Sweden, Colombia interested in Embraer's KC-390, says Brazilian minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Mucio said late Thursday that countries such as Sweden and Colombia had expressed interest in buying Embraer's (EMBR3.SA) KC-390 military cargo aircraft. But the concept of the KC-390 is very big with all the countries," he told Reuters. "Sweden itself has talked about the KC-390, others have also talked about it and it's a big success. Sweden was expected to give an answer and Colombia is also interested in making an acquisition," he added. Earlier this week, Reuters reported, citing sources, that Austria was looking to advance in talks with Embraer on purchasing four or five KC-390 aircraft.

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