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☆ Australian Cardinal Pell's funeral marked by arrival of protesters, mourners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People queue to enter the pontifical requiem Mass for Cardinal George Pell at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, February 2, 2023. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Protesters gathered and mourners began to arrive in Sydney on Thursday ahead of the funeral service of Australian Cardinal George Pell, a former top Vatican official who was acquitted in 2020 of sexual abuse accusations. Australian police said it had dropped a court bid to block the gathering after protesters agreed to change their initial protest route and gather in a road adjacent to St Mary's Cathedral, the venue of the funeral service. On Thursday morning, protesters gathered in a park opposite the cathedral, some holding signs reading "Pell Burn In Hell". The ribbons symbolised the pain inflicted on child sexual abuse victims, the protesters said.

☆ Roomster must face lawsuit by U.S. FTC, six states over fake reviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday ordered the roommate matching service Roomster to face a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission and six states claiming it used fake listings and reviews to take millions of dollars from people struggling to find affordable housing. In seeking a dismissal, the defendants said they had ceased the alleged improper conduct in 2018, that the FTC lacked power to sue, and the user reviews were not deceptive under state laws. The lawsuit sought civil penalties and an injunction against violations of federal and state unfair trade laws. In October, the FTC sought public comment on whether to adopt a rule to combat deceptive or unfair endorsement practices, such as by using fake reviews, suppressing negative reviews and paying for positive reviews. The case is FTC et al v Roomster Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ Chelsea shrugs off cost-of-living crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The cost-of-living crisis has yet to reach soccer players. Chelsea Football Club, owned by a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly, spent a record 330 million euros in the January player transfer window, according to Transfermarkt. It brings total spending on footballers since the Los Angeles Dodgers owner acquired the club last May to over 600 million euros. It also brings total spending by Premier League clubs this season to a record 2.8 billion pounds, beating the 1.86 billion pounds spent in the 2017/18 season. The Boehly-led consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for 2.5 billion pounds, equivalent to a toppy 5.7 times trailing sales.

"Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered," Francis said. [1/9] Pope Francis sits next to Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi as he attends the welcoming ceremony at the Palais de la Nation on the first day of his apostolic journey, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, January 31, 2023. The pope criticised rich countries for ignoring the tragedies unfolding in Congo and elsewhere in Africa. On Wednesday, Francis will celebrate Mass at a Kinshasa airport that is expected to draw more than a million people.

Downing Street referred requests for comment to the business ministry, which oversees Companies House, Britain’s public registry of companies. And, in most cases, if foreign companies purchased the property before 1999 or hold UK property in a trust they don’t need to publicly disclose the beneficial owners. The Cyprus-based company, A. Corp Trustee Limited, wasn’t listed on Britain’s new property register as of Tuesday morning. A listing on the UK’s new property register for Hanley Limited identifies the beneficial owner as a Swiss company called Pomerol Capital Sa. Ravellot also wasn’t on the new property register.

☆ I followed Nancy Pelosi's diet of breakfast ice cream and hot dogs for a week, and I ping-ponged between euphoria and the depths of despair
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sophie Kleeman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

My research found that Pelosi eats ice cream for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch, pasta, and chocolate. Chocolate ice cream for breakfast, rich and creamy pasta, and lots of snacking chocolate. She claims she does not exercise; her daughter once arrived home to find her mother eating chocolate ice cream while using a stationary bike. I save the ice cream for later to avoid a massive sugar crash and start out with a cup of black tea instead. However, I don't want to slack off after the ice cream episode, so I slather it on.

☆ More Russian forces moved to Kursk region on Ukrainian border -governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Russia has moved additional forces and equipment to the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine to protect the frontier and ensure security, regional governor Roman Starovoit said on Monday, according to Interfax news agency. Local authorities say that the region has repeatedly been subjected to Ukrainian shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. Some of Russia's troops entered from the Kursk region, although the areas of northeastern Ukraine that they seized have since been retaken by Kyiv's forces. Starovoit told a meeting of the regional government that a solid contingent of personnel from the armed forces, border guards and law enforcement agencies had already been formed in Kursk, but that "it is necessary to provide comprehensive support for the reception, deployment and arrangement of additional forces". Writing by Kevin Liffey Editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Moscow's forces make incremental gains in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* Ukraine's general staff said Russia had carried out air strikes and three missile strikes in the past 24 hours, one of them on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. It is also continuing offensive operations in the areas of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, it said. * Ukraine said it had repelled assaults on Vuhledar and Blahodatne, a village just north of Bakhmut. * Russia has moved additional forces and equipment to the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine to protect the frontier and ensure security, regional governor Roman Starovoit said. QUOTES"The more defence support our heroes at the front receive from the world, the sooner Russia's aggression will end and the more reliable security guarantees will be for Ukraine and all our partners after the war," President Zelenskiy said.

☆ Congo revivalist churches draw in Catholics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi KambaleBENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Congolese event organiser Deo Malela was born to Roman Catholic parents and identifies as such. But like more and more Catholics in the central African nation, 28-year-old Malele also regularly attends an evangelical church where he says he finds solutions to everyday problems. Pope Francis is expected to visit Congo from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, the first visit of a pope since 1985. Today there are over 30,000 revivalist churches in Congo, where they also known as "churches of awakening", according to the association representing them. The Catholic church still gives him a stronger sense of community and "political protection", he explained.

☆ Relics found in 23 lead boxes in Mexico City cathedral
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY — Experts restoring the interior of Mexico City’s Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral said Friday they found 23 lead boxes containing religious inscriptions and relics like small paintings and wood or palm crosses. The lead containers are about the size of a mint box, and had written inscriptions dedicated to particular saints. The National Institute of Anthropology and History said they may have been placed there to provide divine protection for the cathedral or the city. The institute said that once they were catalogued, the boxes and their contents would be returned to their niches and re-covered with plaster. A perfectly preserved parchment found in the box described the time capsule’s contents, including 23 medals, 5 coins, and five small crosses made of palms.

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☆ Military tech is racing towards a dangerous AI future, and Russia's war in Ukraine is paving the way, drone experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Currently, the drones are guided at launch by a human operator, according to independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. But more advanced drone technology is enabling what Rogers calls "on" the loop of control. "In the case of the systems that we have seen used, there's still a human operator authorizing the use of force," she said. Under pressure and potentially under fire, a drone operator may take the machine's prompt less as a suggestion and more as an infallible instruction. In a fully autonomous future of drone warfare, he asked, will drone AI be programmed "to avoid those who are waving a white flag?"

☆ NHL roundup: Pens' Kris Letang plays hero in return vs. Panthers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Letang, who was activated from long-term injured reserve earlier in the day, finished with two goals and two assists. Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk a goal and an assist apiece and Colin White one goal. Fiala also had an assist, while Anze Kopitar scored two goals and Samuel Fagemo contributed one goal for the Kings. Avalanche 3, Capitals 2Artturi Lehkonen, Alex Newhook and Andrew Cogliano scored goals, Alexandar Georgiev had 37 saves and Colorado beat Washington in Denver. Logan O'Connor had two assists for Colorado, which has won six straight despite Cale Makar missing his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

CNN —The US could be approaching a 2011-style debt ceiling market meltdown, but worried investors shouldn’t abandon ship, Wall Street analysts say. That means that if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling by then, the US could default on its debt. But lawmakers remain in a deadlock about whether to lift their self-imposed borrowing limit: Democrats want Congress to pass a debt ceiling increase without conditions but Republican leadership says that any debt limit increase should be accompanied by spending cuts. Wall Street’s response: A debt ceiling meltdown creates serious risk for investors. Even if the debt ceiling debates are resolved, it’s not a bad idea to have some money invested abroad just in case of upheaval.

☆ 3M to cut 2,500 jobs as demand weakens, profit drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) said on Tuesday it would cut 2,500 manufacturing jobs after reporting a lower profit, as the U.S. industrial conglomerate faces a demand slowdown in its unit that sells products including notebooks, air purifiers and respirators. Additionally, a cut back from U.S. retailers dealing with elevated inventory levels also dampened demand. "As demand weakened, we adjusted manufacturing output and controlled costs, which enabled us to improve inventory levels," he added. Excluding items, the company reported a profit of $2.28 per share compared to $2.45 per share a year earlier. Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Water spoils archaeological quest for 'queen' of Roman roads
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Medieval coins that have been found during excavations, looking for the "first mile" of the Appian Way, the first and most important highway of ancient Rome, are seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters. Appius Claudius Caecus, a magistrate, started the Appian Way in the 4th century BC. Valenzani explained that pumps are working 24/7 to clear water from the digging site and allow exploration, but would not be powerful enough if the excavation were to go deeper. In a last bid to find traces of the Appian Way's founding stones, archaeologists will extract samples of what remains unexcavated via a core drill before covering up the site. Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy welcomes home looted ancient artworks from the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Some of the antiquities worth an estimated $19 million are seen after being returned to Italy by New York City, in Rome, Italy, January 23 2023. REUTERS/Remo CasilliROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italy on Monday celebrated the return of 60 looted archaeological artefacts worth more than $20 million, many of which had been on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art before their illicit origin was discovered. The items, which U.S. authorities handed over to Italian counterparts in September, include "The Marble Head of Athena," worth an estimated $3 million, and a fresco stolen from Herculaneum, an ancient Roman city near Pompeii. Italy has long had a problem with the looting and smuggling of its artistic and archaeological heritage, but the Carabinieri insist they are becoming more effective in tracking down and recovering stolen art. Reporting by Cristiano Corvino, writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine's battlefields look like World War I but with a new and terrifying addition that leaves troops with almost nowhere to hide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conflict in Ukraine has emerged as the first major war involving drone use on both sides. By the late 1990s, Predator drones were being used by the US and NATO for reconnaissance missions in the Kosovo War. Ukraine has in many ways emerged as a guinea pig for drone warfare. Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesLater in the war, Russia began launching swarms of Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones, striking targets across Ukraine. Drones have significantly shortened the so-called kill chain, Cancian explained, helping troops swiftly locate targets and provide coordinates for artillery.

☆ Hundreds more Canada-made armoured vehicles to arrive in Ukraine by summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Kyaw Soe Oo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A Canadian company supplying battle-ready armoured vehicles to Ukraine plans to deliver the 200 vehicles Ottawa promised to Kyiv before summer, the firm's Chief Executive Officer Roman Shimonov said on Thursday. Ontario-based Roshel Inc builds armoured vehicles for government and commercial organizations, including the U.S State Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Senators can be used be used as a medical evacuation vehicle or as a tactical combat vehicle, he said. The company has established a "sophisticated" secure supply chain and has been shipping a few armoured vehicles every day, Shimonov said in an interview at Roshel's assembly plant in Mississauga. Shimonov declined to share details, but said Ottawa's order of 200 armoured vehicles for Ukraine is expected to be delivered by summer.

☆ Teachers are adapting to concerns about a powerful new AI tool
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Some teachers said they’ve also heard of students being required to film short videos that elaborate on their thought process. Public schools in New York City and Seattle, meanwhile, have already banned students and teachers from using ChatGPT on the district’s networks and devices. Reid, the professor at Coastal Carolina University, believes teachers should work with ChatGPT and teach best practices in the classroom. Reid said teachers could encourage students to plug an assignment question into the tool and have them compare that result to what they personally wrote. “Like with other new technologies, this could be a tool instructors use to help students express their ideas,” she said.

☆ French city asks Madonna to lend it a painting lost during WW1
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The “Diana and Endymion” painting by Jerome-Martin Langlois. Amiens, where French President Emmanuel Macron was born, is a candidate to be European Capital of Culture in 2028. “We do not dispute in any way the legal acquisition that you have made but we are candidates to be European Capital of Culture in 2028. So I would like that on this occasion, this year, you could lend us your painting,” Amiens mayor Brigitte Foure said in a video posted on Facebook. Foure said the painting was probably lent to the Amiens museum by the Louvre before World War One, after which Amiens lost trace of it.

☆ Italy’s Friuli region is one of Europe’s best kept secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

With 13 natural reserves and the pristine park of the Friuli Dolomite Mountains, the region lures tourists seeking to connect with nature or explore the outdoors. There’s also the spellbinding Grotta Gigante, or Giant Cave, one of the world’s largest tourist caverns. Golden beachesThe Grotta Gigante is one of the world's largest tourist caverns. Trieste boasts an unusual segregated beach, with origins dating back several centuries. “Residents are very fond and proud of this place,” says Trieste local Maria Bonacci.

☆ A 2,000-year-old rune stone found in Norway could be the oldest ever, and give a glimpse into ancient writing systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scandinavians likely developed Runic writing after first meeting ancient Romans, but it's not clear how old it is. It is covered in primitive runic writing, and archaeologists believe it dates back to between AD 1 and AD 250. However, one word, that can be made out clearly on the stone, could give the stone another meaning. That's when, inspired by Latin writing, early Scandinavians might have started developing their own alphabet, archaeologists say in the press release. By analyzing the stone, Zilmer thinks archeologists can learn more about the early development of runic writing and how they have evolved over time.

☆ French city asks Madonna to lend it a painting lost in 1918
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The "Diana and Endymion" painting by Jerome-Martin Langlois, which depicts Roman goddess Diana looking lovingly at the handsome Endymion, was once on display in an Amiens museum but was lost after Germany bombed the city in 1918. Amiens, where French President Emmanuel Macron was born, is a candidate to be European Capital of Culture in 2028. "We do not dispute in any way the legal acquisition that you have made but we are candidates to be European Capital of Culture in 2028. So I would like that on this occasion, this year, you could lend us your painting," Amiens mayor Brigitte Foure said in a video posted on Facebook. Foure said the painting was probably lent to the Amiens museum by the Louvre before World War One, after which Amiens lost trace of it.

☆ ‘Demetrius’ Review: Aiming for Empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Peter Thonemann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nominations, please, for the title of Most Confusing Historical Period Ever. The third-century crisis of the Roman Empire? The Thirty Years’ War? The half-century after the death of Alexander the Great still beats all comers. But the intervening period was, frankly, a nightmare.

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