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☆ Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida dies at age 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

ROME (AP) — Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida, who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies, died in Rome on Monday, her agent said. Lollobrigida also was an accomplished sculptor, painter and photographer, and eventually essentially dropped film for the other arts. Lollobrigida was born on July 4, 1927 in Subiaco, a picturesque hill town near Rome, where her father was a furniture maker. Lollobrigida began her career in beauty contests, posing for the covers of magazines and making brief appearances in minor films. On her website, Lollobrigida recalled how her family lost its house during the bombings of World War II and went to live in Rome.

☆ Britain's M&S to invest $587 mln in store estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

M&S's move shows the continuing importance of physical stores to retailers despite the rise of online shopping over the last two decades. Last October, M&S set out plans to accelerate what it calls its store rotation programme, delivering what was an initial five-year plan within three years by 2025-26. "Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space," said Machin. Twelve new M&S food halls are also planned. In addition to its owned store investment, M&S plans to extend its franchise model to expand its convenience stores offer, building on partnerships with BP, Moto, SSP and Costa.

☆ We asked House lawmakers about scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos. Most Republicans want nothing to do with him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

But Santos is clearly a problem for House Republicans. But three days later, Miller — who actually represents Ohio's 7th district — became the eighth House Republican to publicly call for Santos to resign. said Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, who said that Santos "seems nice" even as he appeared unaware of the extent of his controversies. At a press conference on Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointedly declared that Santos was "an issue that Republicans need to handle." Santos and Ocasio-Cortez briefly spoke on the sidelines of a gaggle of GOP lawmakers on the House floor on Wednesday, January 4.

LISBON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - In a fresh blow to Portugal's government, tens of thousands of Portuguese teachers and school staff poured into the streets of the capital Lisbon to demand higher wages and better working conditions in one of the biggest protests of recent years. During the peaceful demonstration, organised by the Union of All Education Professionals (STOP), protesters held banners and shouted slogans as they urged Education Minister Joao Costa to step down. Teachers on the lowest pay scale make around 1,100 euros ($1,191.08) per month and even teachers in the top band typically earn less than 2,000 euros monthly. Protesters say current wages are too low, particularly given the cost of living crisis. The education minister said on Friday he might force some teachers back to work by decreeing minimum services.

☆ Analysis: Investors snap up record $39 bln emerging market sovereign bond splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The scale of borrowing dwarfs the previous record of $26 billion raised in the same period in 2018, data from Morgan Stanley shows. ROARING STARTWhile emerging bond markets are off to a roaring start, that might not translate into a bumper year overall. That is well above last year's multi-year low of $95 billion, but well short of 2020's record $233 billion. "The blessing for 2023 is that we haven't got a huge spike in Eurobonds maturities for the frontier," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, referring to what are perceived as the riskiest of emerging markets. "Kenya and Angola will need to tap the market, while South Africa is staying away completely this year," she said.

[1/2] Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, outside Brazil’s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. The battalion of troops assigned to guard the presidential palace did not respond either until rioters had entered and trashed the palace, according to a Reuters witness. Four on-duty staffers from the National Security Adviser's office (GSI) were quickly overwhelmed inside the presidential palace and their office ransacked. Presidential Chief of Staff Rui Costa said the government now faces the challenge of undertaking a "decontamination" of the security forces and holding those responsible accountable. "This excessive participation of the military and military police in politics is progressively leading to ideological contamination of the forces," Costa said.

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The government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva bolstered security measures nationwide as flyers appeared on pro-Bolsonaro social media calling for mass demonstrations in Brazilian cities to "retake power." Ricardo Cappelli, the federal official in charge of public security in the capital since Sunday, said all security forces had been mobilized to prevent protests and that there would be no repeat of rioting. So far, 727 of the over 1,500 involved in Sunday's riots have been imprisoned. The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Moraes's arrest warrant for Anderson Torres, Bolsonaro's former justice minister who oversaw public security in Brasilia during Sunday's riots. The former president, whom Lula has blamed for inflaming the protests, did not mention Sunday's riots.

BRASILIA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The leader of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro's political party said on Wednesday that any member identified in videos taking part in the ransacking of government buildings on Sunday would be immediately expelled from the party. Valdemar Costa Neto, president of the right-wing Liberal Party, said his party, the largest in Brazil's Congress, condemned the rampage on Sunday in which Bolsonaro supporters vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace. While the PL party has recognized the election result, Bolsonaro has suggested without any evidence that the election was stolen by manipulating Brazil's electronic voting system. Bolsonaro, whose nationalist populism sharply polarized Brazil's electorate during his four-year term, has been named honorary president of the PL. He and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro will have offices at party headquarters with paid salaries.

☆ Amazon workers press company on climate change response after Pakistan floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The employees say the aid is a way for Amazon to take greater responsibility for its role in producing the greenhouse emissions that cause climate change. Scientists have said the flooding that killed more than 1,700 people and displaced millions in Pakistan was much more likely to occur because of climate change. And it is attracting some Amazon workers not previously involved in workplace activism. One letter received 8,700 signatures from Amazon employees. “It definitely had an effect on people,” said Eliza Pan, a former program manager at the company who left in 2019 to go work on climate change issues, but is still involved with Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $275.52Average trip cost: $5,652.66Average trip length: 16 daysWhat is travel insurance? Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Policy type Average days between purchase to trip Average trip length (days) Average trip cost Average cost of travel insurance Cancellation 53 13 $5,652.66 $363.74 Non-cancellation 16 21 N/A $95.86Source: SquareMouthAverage cost of travel insurance by ageA traveler's age is a significant factor in determining the cost of travel insurance. When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Travel Insurance Rates FAQsHow much does travel insurance cost?

Speaking to reporters, Rui Costa, also a minister in Lula's cabinet, said government meetings were scheduled for Tuesday and the Finance Ministry and Management Ministry will announce measures this week. Hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and vandalized the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace on Sunday. The attacks on state institutions are considered the worst since the country's return to democracy in the 1980s. The minister participated in emergency meetings with Lula and others on Monday. Reporting by Bernardo Caram; Editing by Steven Grattan, Andrea Ricci and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Global leaders condemn assault on Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE"We strongly condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress, Palace and Supreme Court by anti-democratic groups. A return to normality is urgently needed and we express solidarity with Brazilian institutions. We categorically condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress and make a call for the immediate return to democratic normality."

☆ California braces for 'parade of cyclones' after storms kill 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Fred Greaves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] A drone view of a tree that fell during a winter storm with high winds in Sacramento, California, U.S. January 8, 2023. Forecasters warned on Sunday that northern and central California was still in the path of a "relentless parade of cyclones," promising little relief for the region until the middle of the week. The latest storms vividly illustrated the consequences of warmer sea and air temperatures caused by climate change. At least seven people have died from weather-related incidents in California since the New Year's weekend, including a toddler who was killed by a redwood tree that fell and crushed a mobile home in northern California. Another severe storm was supposed to hit on Monday.

☆ A teacher in Wisconsin who missed her $4,000 honeymoon cruise after Southwest canceled her flight still hasn't gotten her luggage back after 11 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were among thousands to have Southwest flights canceled. Marcus and Andrea Grasenick said they missed their honeymoon cruise after a canceled flight. Eleven days later, Andrea Grasenick was still waiting on her two suitcases to be returned. "I could see our bags outside in the snow from inside the airport," Andrea Grasenick told Insider. The airline canceled over 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about half of all canceled flights across the world that day.

☆ Meet a 36-year-old broker who rents luxury vacation villas to tech billionaires and celebrities paying up to $25,000 a night
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Now, she manages a private portfolio of luxury villas in Greece that cost up to $25,000 a night. Categorized by five, six, and seven-star properties, Kennedy's multi-million dollar villas are not your typical vacation rental — and you won't find them on Airbnb. Nightly rates for her portfolio of ten villas in Greece range, for example, from $4,000 to $25,000. A spokesperson said Elon Musk has also stayed in one of the Mykonos villas, but declined to share documentation or additional details regarding his trip, citing NDA restrictions. Not all rich people are made equalTesla CEO Elon Musk was photographed on board a luxury yacht this July in Mykonos, Greece.

☆ I work in party hostels all around the world. I clean gross rooms and host all-night pub crawls in exchange for a free place to live — here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Taylor Futch works at party hostels and does everything from leading pub crawls to manning the desk. I worked at 4 hostels in 2022After Brazil, I worked at one of Europe's famous party hostels, Rising Cock Party Hostel in Lagos, Portugal, for two months and had an incredible experience. My job is to get to know the guests and host a series of nightly events like beer pong and pub trivia. You're bound to find some interesting things while cleaning inside a party hostel. My birthday fell on a Thursday, which is when my hostel has its weekly party, so I wound up DJing.

Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $298.10Average trip cost: $5,844.48Average trip length: 16 daysWhat is travel insurance? Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Policy type Average days between purchase to trip Average trip length (days) Average trip cost Average cost of travel insurance Cancellation 53 14 $5,844.48 $371.67 Non-cancellation 16 21 N/A $96.17Source: SquareMouthAverage cost of travel insurance by ageA traveler's age is a significant factor in determining the cost of travel insurance. When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Travel Insurance Rates FAQsHow much does travel insurance cost?

☆ MTG tears into the 19 Republicans who voted against McCarthy, calls their rebellion 'the worst thing that could possibly happen'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed Kevin McCarthy's ailing bid to become House Speaker. "If the base only understood that 19 Republicans voting against McCarthy are playing Russian roulette with our hard earned Republican majority right now. This is the worst thing that could possibly happen," Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote on Twitter. McCarthy is opposed by 19 Republicans from the hard right of the party, who are seeking sweeping concessions in return for their backing. The battle over the Speaker role has exposed deep divisions between Republican moderates who back McCarthy and the party's hard right.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

Jailed for graft in 2018 - the year right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro was elected - Lula's convictions were overturned in 2019, allowing him to oust Bolsonaro in October's election. The more ideological Lula who emerged from jail in 2019 should not be a cause for concern, friends and allies said. Lula's spokesman Jose Chrispiniano said the president supported fiscal responsibility and believes that strengthening the economy is the best way to combat poverty. "Good morning, President Lula," his devotees would chant as the day began, followed by "Good night, President Lula," as he went to bed. From his 15-square-meter cell on the third floor of the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, Lula set about reorganizing the PT and managing his legal defense.

☆ Time travel is theoretically possible, calculations show. But that doesn't mean you could change the past.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Susie Neilson | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Time travel is possible based on the laws of physics, according to researchers. Put simply: It's theoretically possible to go back in time, but you couldn't change history. Thomas Peter/ReutersThe grandfather paradoxPhysicists have considered time travel to be theoretically possible since Albert Einstein came up with his theory of relativity. The most famous example is known as the grandfather paradox: Say a time-traveler goes back to the past and kills a younger version of his or her grandfather. Applied to the grandfather paradox, then, this would mean that something would always get in the way of your attempt to kill your grandfather.

☆ U.S. Treasury says consumer leases can qualify for EV tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The announcement is a win for South Korea and some automakers that earlier this month sought approval to use the commercial electric vehicle tax credit to boost consumer EV access. The $430 billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in August ended $7,500 consumer tax credits for purchases of electric vehicles assembled outside North America, angering South Korea, the European Union, Japan and others. Treasury said it was using "longstanding tax principles" to determine consumer leasing could qualify for the EV tax credit. The commercial credit does not, however, have the sourcing restrictions of the consumer credit. That law lifts the 200,000-vehicle per manufacturer cap that had made Tesla (TSLA.O) and General Motors (GM.N) ineligible for EV tax credits starting Jan. 1.

The average cost of travel insurance has increased over the past week, according to travel agency Squaremouth. Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $188.33Average trip cost: $4,778.06Average trip length: 16 daysWhat is travel insurance? Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Travel Insurance Rates FAQsHow much does travel insurance cost?

☆ The world's in a 'polycrisis' — and these countries want to quash it by looking beyond GDP
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Mostly led by women, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all members of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership. "Which I think is why we're seeing such growing interest in the well-being economy approach, both here in Scotland and around the world." A post-growth society is one that resists the demand for constant economic growth. Mostly led by women, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all members of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership. 'GDP is not a way to measure richness'The push to look beyond economic growth comes at a time of growing calls to end fossil fuel production worldwide.

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