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☆ Vanguard sells stake in joint venture with Ant - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Ant Group is pictured at the headquarters of Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 29, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - U.S. asset management giant Vanguard Group has sold its 49% stake in a joint venture with Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. An increase in geopolitical tensions recently, however, has prompted some investing giants to split off their China arms. Vanguard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Ant did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours.

Persons: Aly, Jack Ma, Ant, Niket, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Ant Group, REUTERS, Vanguard, Ant, Bloomberg, BlackRock, Fidelity, Thomson Locations: Alibaba, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' box office gives theaters a sugar rush. What they need is a steady drip of hits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

So while the this fall harvest is surely welcome, as is so often true, a Swift solution isn’t likely to be an enduring one. Advance sales for “The Eras Tour” left little doubt that the event would be a major success, leaving only the precise numbers in doubt. In that sense, the next blonde hero flying to the rescue might be more important: Brie Larson, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, whose sequel “The Marvels” hits theaters on November 10. Still, there aren’t many artists with the kind of followings that Swift and Beyoncé command.

Persons: Taylor Swift’s, “ Taylor Swift, “ Barbie ”, ”, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, Swift, –, Brie Larson, a.k.a, Captain Marvel, underwhelming, “ Indiana Jones, “ Barbie Organizations: CNN, Hollywood, “, Marvel, Guardians, Galaxy Locations: North America

CNN —Taylor Swift was clearly ready for some more football on Sunday, as were Deadpool, Wolverine and Ant-Man. As was highly expected/speculated, Swift was in the crowd at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night to cheer on tight end Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs as they play on the road against the New York Jets. After the game, the “Cruel Summer” singer was spotted leaving the stadium with Kelce. Anticipation the 12-time Grammy Award winner would make another appearance at this weekend’s game sent ticket prices surging more than 40%, according to TickPick, an online marketplace. Last weekend’s game was the “highest among female demographics across” various age groups, according to Variety.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Swift, Travis Kelce, Blake Lively, Lively’s, Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool ”, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, ree, J ackman, unday, inger, ake Organizations: CNN, Marvel, MetLife, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, NBC, ets Locations: New Jersey

☆ China enforces new filing rules on smartphone app stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, Sept 27 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator on Wednesday released the first batch of mobile app stores that have completed filing business details to regulators as it enforces a new set of rules to expand oversight on mobile apps. A total of 26 app stores operated by companies including Tencent (0700.HK), Huawei (HWT.UL), Ant Group(688688.SS), Baidu (9888.HK), Xiaomi (1810.HK) and Samsung (005930.KS) have submitted filings to the authority, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Notably, Apple's App Store is not among the app stores on the list. This comes after the CAC issued a new rule last June requiring mobile app distribution platforms to submit business details to the government as it expands oversight on mobile apps in the country. Reporting by Josh Ye; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josh Ye, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Wednesday, HK, Huawei, Ant, Baidu, Samsung, Cyberspace Administration of China, CAC, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, KS

☆ World Bank chief sees $100 bln-plus lending boost from capital moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ajay Banga, World Bank president, participates in global infrastructure and investment forum in New York, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. They would include U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed $2.25 billion supplemental budget request for the World Bank, along with expected contributions from Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Nordic countries, he said. The bank is also examining other ways to expand lending, including providing more loan guarantees, lending against callable capital that is pledged but not paid-in, and special bonds that can serve as hybrid capital. China, India and Brazil got larger shareholdings in the bank in a 2018 capital increase and would likely want more say in a future capital increase, Banga said. "That is a pimple on a dimple on an ant's left cheek compared to what we need in the world," Banga said.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Seth Wenig, Banga, Joe Biden's, I'm, David Lawder, Paul Grant, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: World Bank, Bank, Foreign Relations, International Development Association, MasterCard, CFR, Bank for Reconstruction, Development, Thomson Locations: New York, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Marrakech, Morocco, United States, China, India, Brazil

"The public in West African countries has become increasingly wary of hosting a Western military presence," said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at London-based risk firm Verisk Maplecroft. "The French exit from Niger will push Western troops further away from the central Sahel." The U.S. has refused to call the Niger takeover a coup, meaning it can avoid severing ties for now. Unlike France, American forces do not actively engage with Niger forces against Islamist militants and could be open to working within a transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the French military base in the capital calling for the troops' departure.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk, Emmanuel Macron, Russia's, Washington's, Defence Lloyd Austin, Washington, Nathaniel Powell, Joe Biden, Macron, Aissami Tchiroma, It's, Oxford Analytica, Paris, Jalel Harchaoui, John Irish, Edward McAllister, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Andrew Gray, George Obulutsa, Andrew Heavens Organizations: French Army, REUTERS, London, Russia's Wagner, Defence, Oxford, Protesters, France, Military, Royal United Services Institute, Thomson Locations: France, Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger PARIS, DAKAR, West Africa, West, Russia, United States, Libya, The U.S, Nairobi, American, West African, Afghanistan, AFRICA, French, Africa, It's, CHAD, GUINEA France, Chad, Paris, Sahel, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, London, Brussels

☆ Strange ‘earthquake lights’ explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —I once felt the immense force unleashed by an earthquake in 1999 when I was living in Taipei, Taiwan. It was a feeling I was reminded of again this week when writing about a mysterious seismic phenomenon witnessed during Morocco’s recent devastating earthquake. Force of natureReports of multicolor “earthquake lights,” such as the ones seen in videos captured before Morocco’s 6.8 magnitude quake on September 8, go back centuries to ancient Greece. Researchers are beginning to understand the different forms the lights take and where they might appear. One 2014 study found the mystery lights could result from certain rocks when put under stress, but there is still no consensus on exactly what causes these outbursts.

Persons: CNN —, James Webb, Rhea Seddon, Anna Fisher, Judy Resnik, Shannon Lucid, Sally Ride, Kathy Sullivan, dryly, Arabella, Anita, Miss Baker, wasn’t, Jesse Rorabaugh, ”, Mattia Menchetti, Frank Rubio, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, United, of Evolutionary, CNN Space, Science Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Greece, Mexico City, Thailand, Africa, Guam, North America, United Nations, Europe, Italy, Spain

☆ Marvel visual effects workers unanimously vote to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Marvel Studio’s VFX workers unanimously voted to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, marking the first time visual effects workers have unionized with IATSE, the union announced Wednesday. A still from Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which kicked off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel StudiosThe National Labor Relations Board oversaw the election, and the count was held Tuesday after the Marvel employees first filed for this election on August 7. Though this union only includes Marvel’s in-house VFX workers, its parent company Disney’s visual effects crews filed for their own election to unionize with the NLRB, and backed by IATSE, at the end of August. Now, the Marvel VFX workers will engage in collective bargaining negotiations with their employer to draft a contract.

Persons: Mark Patch, IATSE, “, Aladdin ”, ” Sarah Kazuko Chow Organizations: New, New York CNN, Marvel, International Alliance, IATSE, Marvel Studios, National Labor Relations Board, “, NLRB, Walt Disney Pictures, “ Pirates, ”, Disney’s, Writers Guild of America, SAG, CNN Locations: New York, Caribbean

☆ Solenopsis invicta: Red fire ants, an invasive species with a painful sting, have spread to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The red fire ant, one of the world’s most invasive species, has been found in Europe for the first time, according to a new study. Institut de Biologia EvolutivaResearchers said they had identified 88 red fire ant nests spread over 5 hectaresnear the city of Syracuse in Sicily, Italy. While red fire ants had been discovered in imported products in Spain, Finland andthe Netherlands, a colony had never been confirmed before this study, theauthors said. The study suggested that wind could have transported flying queen ants fromthe northwest of Syracuse, where the commercial port is located. Genetic analysis of the ants revealed that they had most likely spread from the United States or China, where Solenopsis invicta is also an invasive species.

Persons: Evolutiva, “, alarmingly, ”, Mattia Menchetti, ” Menchetti, Paris — Organizations: CNN, invicta, Institut, of Evolutionary, Solenopsis invicta, Paris, United Locations: Europe, South America, United States, Mexico, Caribbean, China, Australia, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy, Spain, Finland, Netherlands, Barcelona, Rome, London, United Nations

☆ Taylor Swift could change the movie theater industry with her Eras Tour concert film — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Despite placing her previous documentaries and concert films on streaming services in the past, the iconic pop star opted to deliver her Eras Tour film directly to cinemagoers this October. Of course, the theater company will generate significantly more than that in concession sales, perhaps the real upside to Swift's film release. "Taylor Swift, being a cultural powerhouse and shaper of new business models, may have a hand in bringing back the old-school style concert film." Swift's concert film seems destined to overtake the current record holder for a theatrical concert film. Miley Cyrus' "Best of Both Worlds" concert film tallied $31.1 million during its opening weekend back in 2008, appearing in around 680 locations.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Shawn Robbins, Swift, Oppenheimer, They're, Cinemark —, It's, Robbins, Beyonce, Adele, Mario, Michael O'Leary, Paul Dergarabedian, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Organizations: T, Fort Worth Star, Tribune, Service, Getty, BoxOffice.com, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, National Football League, Sony, Disney, Warner Bros, AMC, Universal, Swift, Mario Bros, National Association of Theatre Locations: Arlington , Texas, Cincinnati , Ohio

☆ China's Ant Group unveils finance AI model as race heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ant Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Ant Group unveiled a finance-specific artificial intelligence (AI) model on Friday and started testing consumer and professional apps for the product, joining a crowded race to deploy AI in heavily regulated China. The foray by Ant into financial AI is notable as the company founded by billionaire Jack Ma is China's biggest fintech firm, with more than 1 billion users worldwide for its Alipay payment app. Ant follows AI announcements by tech giants Tencent (0700.HK) and Xiaomi (1810.HK) on Thursday and Ant's affiliate Alibaba (9988.HK) in April. The Zhixiaobao 2.0 app, designed to give consumers financial tips, can match the average financial professional in market analysis and reasoning capability, Ant said.

Persons: Aly, Ant, Jack Ma, OpenAI's, Josh Ye, William Mallard Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Ant Group, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG

☆ DeSantis is taking aim at 'zombie studies' on the campaign trail. It's a real thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Her course lessons include chemical zombification, bacterial zombification and fungal zombification. Lauro, the University of Tampa professor, is scheduled to give a talk in Frankfurt, Germany, this month called, "Who's Afraid of Zombie Studies?" "The talk is pretty much entirely about this DeSantis nonsense, as well as what DeSantis is doing to education in Florida," Lauro said. Since DeSantis has taken aim at Black history, I think we can connect the dots on why the idea of 'zombie studies' gets under his skin so much. The first wave of zombie fiction hit the U.S. in the late 1920s, during the time of the Great Depression.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Paul Hennessy, Lightrocket, Eric Smaw, DeSantis, Smaw, automatism, Tatiana Tatum, Tatum, Gino Del Guercio, Del Guercio, Lauro, Sarah Juliet Lauro Organizations: Florida Gov, Rollins College, Rollins College In, Saint Xavier University in, Getty, Harvard Magazine, University of Tampa, Studies, Florida's Department of Education Locations: Florida, Auburndale , Florida, Winter Park , Florida, Canadian, Saint Xavier University in Chicago, tetrodotoxin, pufferfish, Haiti, Frankfurt, Germany, Africa, Caribbean, Hollywood

☆ Invasive species cost the world $423 billion every year and are causing environmental chaos, UN report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Scroll through the gallery to see more of the planet's most problematic invasive species. Sarefo / Wikimedia Commons In pictures: Invasive species around the world Prev Next‘Prevention, prevention, prevention’Along with invasive species, other key drivers of biodiversity loss include destruction of land and sea habitats, exploitation of organisms, climate change and pollution. As well as flammable invasive plants sparking and spreading wildfires, climate change is enabling invasive species to move north – even to remote areas such as high mountains, deserts and frozen tundra. Preventing the arrival of new species into new regions is the best way to manage threats from invasive species, according to the report. For invasive species that have already taken hold, eradication has been a useful tool, especially on islands, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Helen Roy, ” Roy, David Gray, Peter Stoett, Anibal Pauchard, Ian Hitchcock, Starling, MENAHEM KAHANA, Phil Mislinski, Jeff J Mitchell, SANJAY KANOJIA, MUNIR UZ ZAMAN, ” Stoett, Stoett, –, ” Pauchard Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Services, billabong, Nile Virus, Ontario Tech University, Chile’s Institute of Ecology, Pacific, World Wildlife Fund, US Department of Agriculture, USA, Studies, New Zealand Government, European, Starlings, AFP, Getty, North, Wikimedia Locations: Darwin, Australia, Africa, Caribbean, Guam, North America, Hawaii, Maui, Antarctica, Pacific, North, South America, Azov, China, Japan, Europe, Bermuda, New Zealand, New York, USA, Australasia, South Africa, United States, AFP, East Africa, Western Asia, Americas, Kenya, India, Puerto Rico, Kunming, Montreal

☆ Alibaba's cloud division eyes state firms for up to $3 bln fundraising- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (9988.HK) cloud division is weighing raising funds via a private round from Chinese state-owned enterprises ahead of the business' market debut in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The tech giant is working with advisers on a potential fundraise by its Cloud Intelligence unit that could mop up about 10-20 billion yuan ($1.38-$2.75 billion), the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Earlier this year, Alibaba announced plans to restructure into six units following a two-year regulatory crackdown on China's tech sector. It approved a full spinoff of the Cloud Intelligence Group via a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, aiming to complete the public listing within the next 12 months.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Shivani Tanna, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Cloud Intelligence, Cloud Intelligence Group, Ant, Thomson Locations: HK, Hong Kong, Alibaba, Bengaluru

☆ The world's most valuable oil company may launch the biggest stock offering in history
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Arabia is considering offering $50 billion in Aramco shares, the Wall Street Journal reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. A potential deal would list Aramco stock worth $50 billion, which would make it the biggest offering in capital markets history. The likelihood of a blockbuster offering is by no means certain as previous attempts to list Aramco shares hit obstacles. Saudi Arabia is highly dependent on the oil giant, with Aramco's returns a key source of funds for the government.

Persons: Ant, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Aramco's Organizations: Aramco, Wall Street Journal, Service, Saudi Aramco Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Riyadh, Aramco

☆ Falling in Love With the Avengers, America’s Most Toxic Work Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Leigh Bardugo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

236, Spider-Man does indeed try to join the Avengers — and he does it because he finds out the Avengers make $1,000 per week. If the Fantastic Four represent a fantasy of an actual family, and the X-Men represent a fantasy of found family, maybe the Avengers represent a fantasy of adult life and, well, work. The story lines they follow offer comics fans another kind of twist and a different kind of team. This establishes a pattern we’ll see again and again with the Avengers of new hires that do and don’t work out. The atmosphere among the Avengers is less league of heroes bound by honor than Earth’s most hostile work environment: a constantly shifting, conflict-generating story machine.

Persons: I’m, Phantom, —, He’ll, Cap, Tony Stark, huff, Powers Organizations: Guardians, Galaxy, Wasp, Marvel

A record 38 QDII funds had been launched this year until August 17, outpacing the 31 funds launched in 2022, Morningstar data shows. Tianhong, which is planning new QDII products, obtained a $120 million fresh QDII quota in July, less than it had hoped for. Rather than foreign capital selling China equities, this time it's Chinese investors’ outbound investment,” Liu said. HUGE DEMANDThe QDII program, launched in 2006, remains a key outbound investment channel for mainland Chinese investors, alongside the Qualified Domestic Limited Partnership (QDLP) programme. Tracy Liu, an individual investor working in the information technology industry, invested in an India-focused QDII fund in March.

Persons: Aly, Ivan Shi, Liu Dong, Becky Liu, Liu, ” Liu, Desiree Wang, Tracy Liu, Summer Zhen, Samuel Shen, Jason Xue, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: REUTERS, Morningstar, Domestic Institutional, Nasdaq, Ben Advisors, Connect, Bond, U.S, Dow Jones, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Tianhong, Management, Ant Financial, Standard Chartered Bank, Reuters, Qualified Domestic Limited, Asset Management Association of China, Guangfa NASDAQ, Technology, Morgan Asset Management, Morgan Asset Management China, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Shenzhen, China, U.S, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, outflows, Japan, Russia

☆ Scuffle in the sauce: Inside the World Gravy Wrestling Championships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[6/11]Competitor Ant McGinley, fighting as "The Champ", takes part in the World Gravy Wrestling Championships at the Rose 'N' Bowl pub in Stacksteads, Britain, August 28. REUTERS/Phil NobleSTACKSTEADS, UNITED KINGDOM

Persons: Ant McGinley, Phil Noble STACKSTEADS Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED Locations: Stacksteads, Britain

☆ The Real Problem With China’s Economy: Xi Jinping’s Government - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Eswar Prasad | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The numbers portray a stalling economy, but there is a far more profound concern. Chinese consumers and businesses are losing confidence that their government has the ability to recognize and fix the economy’s deep-seated problems. If President Xi Jinping’s government doesn’t tackle this fundamental issue, any other measures will have little impact in arresting the downward spiral. This confidence problem is apparent in the tepid private investment and weak household consumption over the past year. The worrying cognitive dissonance between the government and entrepreneurs became apparent during a recent trip I took to China.

Persons: Xi Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Technology, Ant, Entrepreneurs Locations: China, United States, Beijing

☆ 'Barbie' faces DC's 'Blue Beetle' in a late summer box office showdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article WBD Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTXolo Mariduena stars ase Jaime Reyes in Warner Bros.' "Blue Beetle." Warner Bros. As "Barbie" continues a historic run in theaters, a little-known superhero called "Blue Beetle" is looking to take the top spot on the charts this weekend. "Blue Beetle" arrives in theaters after several DC Comics-based films have flopped at the box office and while the studio undergoes a major creative regime change. Fury of the Gods," "The Flash," "Blue Beetle" and the upcoming "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

Persons: Jaime Reyes, Barbie, Robert Thompson, Thompson, haven't, Paul Dergarabedian, Will, Knight, Shawn Robbins, Robbins Organizations: Warner Bros, DC, Syracuse University, Warner Media, Disney's Marvel Studios, Galaxy, Marvel, Justice League Locations: U.S, Canada

The one unanimous conclusion they came to was that Beijing wants a greater state presence in these sectors. Kroeber says the crackdowns are about "defining what the state does, what the private sector does, and creating a more limited sandbox for the private sector to play in." That has left investors now picking the state over the private sector. The CCP's July Politburo meeting reinforced the message, with the top policymaking body pledging to put a floor under the property sector, help indebted local governments heal and boost consumer demand. Huang Yan, general manager of private fund manager Shanghai QiuYang Capital Co, said Beijing will crack down on any sector seen as increasing people's economic burden.

Persons: Aly, Jack, Arthur Kroeber, Kroeber, Zhang Kexing, Xi Jinping, Mao Zedong's, Thomas Masi, Masi, Xi, Nuno Fernandes, Fernandes, Huang Yan, Huang, Kumar Pandit, Pandit, Jason Xue, Ankur Banerjee, Vidya Ranganathan, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ant Group, CSI Medical Services, Beijing Tongrentang, HK, Poly, Beijing Gelei Asset Management, Communist Party's, Investors, Mao Zedong's Marxist, Boston, K Investment Management, Shanghai QiuYang, Somerset Capital, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONGKONG, Beijing, New York, London, Singapore

☆ BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition 2023 reveals nature's more obscure side
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A photo of a bright orange fungus growing on deadwood, with its striking color resplendent against the darkness, has been crowned winner of this year’s BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition. The image competition showcases the “intersection between art and science,” organizers said, in all its weird and wonderful forms. An image depicting an embryonic dinosaur developing within an egg between 72 million and 66 million years ago won the Paleoecology category. It was submitted by Jordan Mallon from the Candian Museum of Nature and created by Wenyu Ren from Beijing, China. A selection of the winning and runner-up images can be viewed in the gallery above.

Persons: Cornelia Sattler, palaeontologists, Roberto García, João Araújo, Victor Huertas, Jordan Mallon, Wenyu Ren Organizations: CNN, BMC, Macquarie University, University of Lund, New, Botanical Garden, James Cook University, Australia, Coral, Candian Museum of Nature Locations: deadwood, Australia, Roa, Sweden, Guinea, Beijing, China

☆ Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of August 13
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A scene from ‘Boogie Nights’ Photo: New Line CinemaFilm• “Blue Beetle” (Aug. 18): Marvel might be queen bee when it comes to bug-based heroes (Spider-Man, Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp), but DC also has its own stable of creepy-crawly characters. See Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña ), who becomes host to the Scarab, a piece of alien biotech that turns him into the Blue Beetle. Susan Sarandon and George Lopez are the bigger names in a cast that also includes Raoul Max Trujillo , Bruna Marquezine , Damián Alcázar , Harvey Guillén and Adriana Barraza .

Persons: Jaime Reyes, Xolo Maridueña, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Raoul Max Trujillo, Bruna, Damián Alcázar, Harvey Guillén, Adriana Barraza Organizations: Marvel, DC

☆ A supermarket experimented with AI to generate meal ideas for leftovers. It suggested drinking bleach and eating ant-poison sandwiches.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A New Zealand supermarket chain created a meal-planning bot using AI. Other users reported being recommended a "fresh breath" mocktail containing bleach and a "bleach-infused rice surprise," according to The Guardian. The bot even recommended ant-poison-and-glue sandwiches, as well as "methanol bliss" — made with methanol, glue, and turpentine. When Insider attempted to input the same hazardous ingredients into the bot, a message read: "Invalid ingredients found, or ingredients too vague. But while the potentially deadly recipes may be out, the supermarket's bot still recommended some unusual creations, including a "toothpaste beef pasta."

Persons: PAK'nSAVE, — Organizations: Service, Guardian, FMCG Locations: Zealand, Wall, Silicon

☆ Ant group quarterly profit rises 17.5% on year to 13.37 bln yuan - Alibaba filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A booth of Ant Group is pictured at the Singapore FinTech Festival, Singapore, November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Anshuman DagaSHANGHAI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group made net profit of 13.37 billion yuan ($1.85 billion) in the three months to March 31, up 17.5% from a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations from Alibaba Group Holding's (9988.HK) earnings report released Thursday. The e-commerce giant reports profit from Ant one quarter in arrears. Chinese authorities in July announced a fine of 7.12 billion yuan ($984 million) for Ant Group for violating laws concerning consumer protection and corporate governance, ending a years-long regulatory overhaul of the fintech company. ($1 = 7.2097 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ant's, Casey Hall, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Alibaba, HK, Ant Group, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SHANGHAI

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