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☆ Japan's Kishida to order assessment on wage outlook by govt, BOJ- Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, May 14 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will issue an order on Monday for the government and the central bank to conduct an assessment on whether recent wage hikes would be sustainable, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday. The assessment will focus on whether wealth is distributed in a way that allows households to weather the rising cost of living, and help sustainably achieve the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target, the paper said without citing sources. Kishida will issue the order at a meeting of the government's key economic council on Monday, and will consider having the council conduct a regular assessment on the wage outlook, the Nikkei said. The assessment will seek to clarify the role the government and the BOJ must play in achieving 2% inflation, and how they should respond when inflation accelerates, the paper said. Japan's core consumer inflation hit 3.1% in March, well above the BOJ's 2% target, as companies pass on rising raw material costs to households.

☆ Citi's guide to trading the debt ceiling: Beware companies with high revenues from U.S. government
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors looking to trade the showdown over the U.S. debt ceiling should focus on stocks that are tied most to government spending, according to Citigroup. Lawmakers have been trying to find a way to raise the debt ceiling so the government can pay its bills on time. On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that failing to raise the debt ceiling will cause a " steep economic downturn ." As the fight over the debt ceiling — and talk of spending cuts — ramp up, some stocks will trade down, Citi pointed out. He believes the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense , SPDR S & P Aerospace & Defense , and Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETFs "could be useful off-the-shelf trading tools to consider."

UFC 288 will stream live from Newark, New Jersey, on May 6, with bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling set to defend his title against Henry Cejudo. The main card of UFC 288 will be a pay-per-view event, and you can order it to watch on ESPN+ for $80. How to watch UFC 288 in the USYou can watch the main event of UFC 288 on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 288 pay-per-view priceIf you plan on signing up for ESPN+ to watch UFC 288, you can snag a discounted package. How to watch UFC 288 in CanadaIn Canada, UFC 288 will be available to watch from multiple pay-per-view TV providers, including Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Telus.

☆ Gen Zers say they need an average salary of almost $125,000 to feel like they've 'made it,' a survey of young workers found
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen Zers say they need a salary of almost $125,000 to feel like they've made it, a new study found. The study of 1,000 workers showed that 58% of young professionals are unhappy with their current salary. Although Gen Z wants more money, they also tend to prioritize work-life balance. Invoice software platform Skynova conducted a short survey of 1,004 respondents in the US between the ages of 21 and 42 from 2020 to December 2022 to find out about their salary expectations. Gen Z workers surveyed said that to feel like they had "made it" they would need a salary of almost $125,000, while their millennial counterparts say they only need an average income of $121,000.

☆ Walmart keeps grocery prices steady amid inflation, antitrust claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

During the period, while U.S. inflation averaged 7.5% Walmart kept prices steady, the Dataweave analysis shows. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThis was during a time when world food prices hit record highs and U.S. food-at-home prices rose in the double digits. Food-at-home prices, or prices of food bought at grocery stores and supermarkets, are expected to rise a further 6.6% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The data set, which included batteries in the basket of goods, showed that Walmart sold Energizer batteries at a significant discount to rivals. Similarly, at least two different types of Energizer coin batteries sold at Walmart were found to be between 30% and 35% cheaper than the next lowest priced rival.

☆ Here's why Rolex watches are so expensive and how the brand gained its luxury status
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With their precision manufacturing, specially sourced materials, and exceptional craftsmanship, Rolex watches have never come cheap, but neither were they out of financial reach for 1960s working professionals in search of perfect timekeeping and technical innovation. "Back then, anybody could afford a Rolex," Hess told Insider. Dealers would buy luxury watches in Switzerland to carry across the border and sell in Italy. That reputation has helped Rolex crush the competition with a quarter of the luxury watch market — more than double that of runner-up Omega. "They all buy the little wannabe Rolex brands in the beginning and finally, when they achieve success, they buy that Rolex."

☆ Top Republicans Balk at WinRed’s Plan to Charge More for Online Donations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A battle over a threatened price increase has exposed growing tensions between top Republican Party officials and the company with a virtual monopoly on processing Republican campaign contributions online. Party leaders have risen up in opposition to the plan to raise prices, which would siphon millions of dollars from G.O.P. campaigns less than 20 months after the company, WinRed, had said its finances were robust enough to forego an extra fee on every transaction. Mr. Lansing’s company, a private for-profit firm responsible for processing almost all online Republican political donations, charges 3.94 percent of almost every donation made online. But he said it wasn’t enough, citing an unforeseen slowdown in online G.O.P.

☆ Target rolls out curbside returns as retailers hope convenience will boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The company hopes convenient perks like curbside returns will boost customer loyalty and jolt sales. Neither company would quantify the use of curbside pickup or returns, but Walmart said it has seen nearly double the volume of customers using curbside returns from its launch across the chain last fall compared with this month. At Target's investor day in late February, Citibank analyst Paul Lejuez asked if the retailer would ultimately miss out on purchases by adding curbside returns. He said allowing curbside returns also helps the retailer get unwanted items back on the sales floor faster and lowers the cost of mail-in returns. For Target, curbside returns could serve as a differentiator and a complement to the merchandise mix it sells, Hoyler said.

☆ Schools are beginning to throw out expired Chromebooks, creating 'piles of electronic waste,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US PIRG is suggesting Google extend software support for Chromebooks to make them last longer. Chromebooks, the budget laptops running Google software, are creating a lot of e-waste, according to a report from the US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) Education Fund. The report also points to how finding replacement parts for Chromebooks from different manufacturers, like HP, can make repairs more difficult. "Moving forward, these companies should design Chromebooks to last by improving device durability, repairability and sustainability," the US PIRG report says. Gutterman told Insider that, "we just can't afford to keep churning out technology at this rate, whether it's Chromebooks or laptops or phones."

☆ Russian jet almost shot down a British surveillance plane flying near Ukraine, and only failed because the missile malfunctioned: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian jet tried to fire on a British spy plane last year, but the missile malfunctioned, NYT reports. In their telling, the Russian fighter jet pilot misheard the radar operator on the ground as conveying permission to fire, locked on to the British aircraft, and only failed because the missile didn't launch properly. One of the Russian jets "released a missile" in the "vicinity" of the UK plane, which he described as "potentially dangerous." Following the incident, the UK temporarily ceased surveillance patrols, later sending them out with an armed escort. A Russian Su-27 fighter jet seen approaching a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023, in video released by the US military.

☆ Former NSC official Matthew Miller named as U.S. State Dept spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday appointed former National Security Council and Justice Department official Matthew Miller as his department's new spokesperson. Miller had joined the White House to lead the "whole of government communications and outreach" after Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Blinken said in a statement. "Having previously served as Director of the Office of Public Affairs and spokesperson to Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice, Matt is no stranger to navigating and communicating on complex, global challenges like those we face today," Blinken added. Previous spokesperson Ned Price stepped down from the role last month to take up a new position within the State Department reporting to Blinken. Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

UFC 287 live stream quick links US: ESPN+ ($80 plus $10/month membership)UK: BT Sport (£30/month)Main card start time: 10 p.m. How to watch UFC 287 in the USYou can watch the main event of UFC 287 on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 287 pay-per-view priceIf you plan on signing up for ESPN+ to watch UFC 287, you can snag a special discounted bundle. How to watch UFC 287 in CanadaIn Canada, UFC 287 will be available to watch from multiple pay-per-view TV providers, including Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Telus. Here's the fight card for UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2ESPNEarly Prelims — 6 p.m.

☆ White House says Russian pilot who ran into a US drone and broke it was, at best, 'an idiot'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian pilots who intercepted and harassed a US drone last week were presented with awards. When asked at a briefing about the awards, a top White House official ripped into the pilots. "I don't know of another military in the world — another air force in the world — that would award a pilot for smashing into a drone," Kirby said. But State Department spokesperson Ned Price last week also said that the incident was indicative of "a lack of competence." He added that "we've known they were unprofessional," but the incident really "demonstrates how poorly trained" their pilots are.

☆ Fact Check-Lawyer’s speech mistaken for official U.S. response to Nigeria’s presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An online claim that the United States has not officially congratulated Nigerian president-elect Bola Tinubu on his election win is not true. It is based on a speech by a U.S. lawyer that is being misrepresented as reflecting an official U.S. position. “Vote rigging, vote buying and bribery marred Nigeria's presidential elections. But neither the lawyer nor the Nigerian pro-democracy group speak for the U.S. government, which officially congratulated Tinubu on March 1. The U.S. has officially congratulated Nigerian president-elect Bola Tinubu.

UFC 286 will stream live on March 18, with the main card starting at 5 p.m. How to watch UFC 286You can watch the main event of UFC 286 on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. Ways to save on the UFC 286 pay-per-view priceIf you're signing up for ESPN+ to watch UFC 286, you can take advantage of a special discounted bundle. New members can buy a year-long ESPN+ membership with access to UFC 286 included for a total of $124.98. Here's the fight card for UFC 286: Edwards vs. UsmanESPNEarly Prelims — 12:30 p.m.

☆ Stripe’s $50 bln reset is relative sign of health
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Stripe’s valuation cut is arguably still a relative sign of strength. The newly attained price tag is a 53% cut from its 2021 valuation of $95 billion. And by some metrics Stripe seems to be valued at a discount relative to its publicly listed peers. Stripe’s $50 billion is 3.5 times last year’s gross revenue, while Dutch payment firm Adyen (ADYEN.AS) trades on a multiple of 4.7 times. The valuation cut reflects the reality of how an economic slowdown affects fintech businesses like Stripe.

☆ Moscow was likely trying to send a message by harassing a US drone, but officials say the Russian pilot ran into it because they're bad at flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Russian fighter jet harassed a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea this week. But US officials said the fighter pilot demonstrated a "lack of competence" by clipping the drone. On Tuesday, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying in international airspace above the Black Sea. A composite image showing the rear of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone before and after the US military says a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with it. The report consists of empirical research completed in 2020 that analyzes years of Russian military activity like intercepts and other engagements.

☆ The White House is 'not sure' the US can recover the drone a Russian warplane ran into over the Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian fighter jet hit a US military drone on Tuesday, forcing it to crash into the Black Sea. It's unclear if the US will be able to recover the aircraft, a White House official said Wednesday. I mean, where it fell into the Black Sea, very, very deep water. During the Tuesday incident, two Russian Su-27 jets conducted what US European Command described was an "unsafe and unprofessional intercept" of the Reaper drone as it flew in international airspace over the Black Sea. It was also the latest in a string of provocative and aggressive Russian actions against NATO militaries around the Black Sea, where intercepts, including unsafe intercepts, are fairly common.

☆ Blinken meets Ethiopian leader to repair ties damaged by war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/11] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 15, 2023. "We have agreed to strengthen the long standing bilateral relations between our countries with a commitment to partnership," the Ethiopian leader said. While the peace deal has allowed humanitarian aid to flow into Tigray, needs remain immense after the conflict left hundreds of thousands facing starvation. Eritrean troops remain in several border areas while militia from the Amhara region, which neighbours Tigray, occupy large areas of territory in contested parts of western and southern Tigray, humanitarian workers said. A spokesperson for the Amhara regional government said it and the people of Amhara were "always ready to co-operate with peace deal process and activities".

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact. Milley said the United States had already taken measures to guard against a loss of sensitive intelligence if the drone were to be recovered by Russia. The State Department on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to express U.S. concerns over the encounter. Antonov after the meeting said the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving toward Russian territory with transponders turned off."

☆ US State Dept says Black Sea drone incident likely unintentional from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. military surveillance drone's crash into the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian jets was likely an unintentional act from Russia's side, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told MSNBC on Wednesday. The U.S military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 jet struck its propeller, the Pentagon said, the first such incident since Russia's invasion of Ukraine over a year ago. The U.S. State Department spokesperson also confirmed there is surveillance video of the incident and that the Department of Defense was determining whether to release it to the public. The Russian and U.S. defense ministers held a phone call on Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said. Russia has said it will try to retrieve the remains of the drone while White House spokesman John Kirby said the drone may never be recovered.

☆ Russian plane that took out US drone was 'out of control' and flying like it's 'amateur hour,' US official tells PBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US says a Russian jet clipped a US drone over the Black Sea, forcing it to crash. A US official told PBS the Russian pilot seemed out of control, calling their actions "amateur hour." Schifrin further described what the official told him on "PBS NewsHour," saying "this was not a controlled tap. The Russian pilot was barreling toward the drone, out of control, tried to pull away from the from the drone, and that's when the Russian jet actually hit the back of it." Russia also denied that any contact was made between the jet and the drone, saying the drone crashed after "sharp maneuvering".

[1/8] A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone sits in a hanger at Amari Air Base, Estonia, July 1, 2020. On the diplomatic and economic fronts, talks continued to extend a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports that is due to expire this week, the United Nations and Turkey said. DRONE CRASHTwo Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone while flying in international air space. The accounts of the incident in the Black Sea, which is bordered by Russia and Ukraine among other countries, could not be independently verified. RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SUMMONEDRussia's Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov was summoned by the U.S. State Department to discuss what happened over the Black Sea, said spokesperson Ned Price.

☆ US summoning Russian ambassador over downing of drone over Black Sea -State Dept
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - The United States has summoned Russia's ambassador to Washington on Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 fighter jet downed a U.S. military drone over the Black Sea, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. "We are summoning the Russian ambassador to the department where we will convey this message." The meeting of Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov with senior U.S. officials at the State Department will take place this afternoon, Price said, without saying who from the U.S. side he would be meeting. He referred reporters to the Department of Defense when asked about the effort to recover the downed drone. Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone before one of them collided with it.

☆ Russia suggests renewing Black Sea grain deal for shorter term
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Black Sea grain initiative, brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blockaded by Russia's invasion to be safely exported from three Ukrainian ports. Russia, he said, "does not object to another extension of the 'Black Sea Initiative' after its second term expiration on March 18, but only for 60 days." 'CRITICAL MOMENT'The United Nations said it noted the Russian position and that it remained "fully committed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as well as to efforts to facilitate the export of Russian food and fertilizer." "The UN Secretary-General has confirmed that the UN will do everything possible to preserve the integrity of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and ensure its continuity," it said in a statement. "To extend it for 60 days, you have to amend the deal."

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