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☆ Britain readies for King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

King's Bodyguards for Scotland and members of Royal Company of Archers Alex Baillie-Hamilton and Paul Harkness stand guard by the Stone of Destiny at Westminster Abbey during a welcome ceremony, in central London, Britain, April 29, 2023. The stone, an ancient symbol of Scotlandis monarchy, will play a central role in the Coronation of The King in the Abbey on Saturday 6th May. In 1296, King Edward I brought the stone to Westminster. He placed it within the Coronation Chair, the oak seat he commissioned in 1300-1301 and which has been the centre piece of coronations for more than 700 years. In 1996, the UK government announced that the stone would return to Scotland, but would come back to the Abbey for coronations.

☆ Alaska Air Readies for Busy Travel Season—and Volatile Fuel Costs and Weather Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An Alaska Airlines plane at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Photo: DANIEL SLIM/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesAlaska Air Group Inc. is preparing for a busy travel season this summer, as airlines generally continue to benefit from a healthy appetite for travel after the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the industry. But with uncertainties remaining, including the potential for travel pullback due to fears of a recession, slowed business travel as companies look to cut costs and weather that disrupts flights, Alaska Air Finance Chief Shane Tackett is readying for what may come.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies export of Model Y to Canada from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Model Y is the electric vehicle (EV) maker's best-selling model globally. Tesla's website showed that customers in Canada could take delivery of the new version of the Model Y between May and July. Tesla Shanghai began production of the Canada-bound version of Model Y earlier this month, the person with knowledge of the development said. The introduction of the cheaper Model Y for Canada qualified both it and Tesla's C$69,900 long-range Model Y for the incentive as of Friday, Transport Canada said on its website. Tesla’s Shanghai plant uses lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for the Model Y version produced there for sale in China and for export to Europe and other markets.

☆ South African teen dreams of becoming first Black racer in MotoGP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, April 21 (Reuters) - As 14-year old Oratilwe Phiri whizzes past his father on a black and turquoise motorcycle at a racetrack east of Johannesburg, he has one goal in mind: to one day be the first Black person to race in MotoGP. Ora - as he is known - has been racing since he was four, thanks to an interest ignited by his motorcycle enthusiast father Thabiso Phiri. Grand Prix motorcycle racing historically has been dominated by European racers. The teenager's idol Brad Binder - who he met last month - is the first and only South African to win a race in MotoGP. "(To) be the first Black person to be racing overseas, in the series MotoGP...

☆ SpaceX readies for another attempt to launch Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Starship spacecraft, which stands at 164 feet (50 meters) tall, rides atop the rocket. The Starship rocket sits on the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 15, 2023. In the lead-up to the first launch of the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which held the title of most powerful rocket before NASA’s Space Launch System took flight last year, Musk foresaw only a 50-50 chance of success. “People (came) from all around the world to see what will either be a great rocket launch or the best fireworks display they’ve ever seen,” Musk told CNN at the time. The inaugural Falcon Heavy launch in 2018 was ultimately successful.

☆ Vendée Globe: History-making sailor Clarisse Crémer wants to be an 'example' to her daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For Crémer, the fastest solo woman to complete the around-the-world Vendée Globe race, assuming such a role was never part of the plan. “I had made that promise to myself during the previous Vendée Globe that I wanted to be back.”Return to sailingA lifeline was quick to arrive. On Thursday, Thomson announced that Crémer would skipper the team in its bid to qualify for next year’s Vendée Globe. Thomson celebrates finishing second at the Vendée Globe in January 2017, a few hours after French sailor Armel Le Cléac'h. The next Vendée Globe, which takes place between November 2024 and March 2025, will be the 10th edition of the race.

☆ With Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, NATO Readies for Combat on Its Borders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the costliest conflict in Europe since World War II, has propelled the North Atlantic Treaty Organization into a full-throttled effort to make itself again into the capable, war-fighting alliance it had been during the Cold War. The shift is transformative for an alliance characterized for decades by hibernation and self-doubt. After the recent embrace of long-neutral Finland by the alliance, it also amounts to another significant unintended consequence for Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, of his war. NATO is rapidly moving from what the military calls deterrence by retaliation to deterrence by denial. They note that in the first days of the Ukrainian invasion, Russian troops took land larger than some Baltic nations.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — Elon Musk's SpaceX is attempting to launch its towering Starship rocket to space for the first time Monday from a private facility in Texas along the Gulf Coast. SpaceX had hoped to conduct the first orbital Starship launch as early as summer 2021, but delays in development and FAA approval pushed back the timeline. Starship is designed to carry cargo and people beyond Earth and is critical to NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon. Two years ago, SpaceX won a nearly $3 billion contract from NASA to use Starship as a crewed lunar lander. Watch the run-up to the launch below and follow along for live updates from South Texas.

☆ Ugandan LGBTQ activist readies for the fight of his life
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Since then, as Mugisha has emerged as the country's most prominent LGBTQ rights activist, the perils have multiplied. "The Ugandan population has been radicalised to fear and hate homosexuals," Mugisha, 38, told Reuters during an interview outside the capital, Kampala. "I guess I am going to be in trouble a lot because I am not going to stop," Mugisha said. [1/5] Ugandan LGBTQ activist Frank Mugisha poses for a photograph after a Reuters interview in Makindye, suburb, of Kampala, Uganda March 30, 2023. In 2007, Mugisha took over leadership of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an advocacy group he had earlier joined as an activist.

The body camera footage opens with an image of the console of the police cruiser as it pulls up to the downtown building. The steering wheel veers wildly from side to side as rookie officer Nickolas Wilt drives the car and his partner, Cory Galloway, shouts directions off camera. After more gunfire, Galloway - who is himself injured - hits the gunman, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, from his position out on the steps. "Suspect down," Galloway shouts as he walks into the building. "What you saw on that video was absolutely amazing," Humphrey said after displaying the body camera video from both officers as well as a bystander.

☆ Starbucks new CEO wants senior leaders to work in stores. Every leader should follow suit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Walmart CEO Greg Foran used to visit stores every week to observe factors like customer service, inventory levels, in-stock levels, and assortment. Fewer retail CEOs got their start working in storesLowe's CEO Marvin Ellison started his retail career as a Target security guard. Others went through management-training programs operated by department stores. As department stores started facing stiff competition from specialty stores, they scrambled to cut costs. These days, finding a qualified retail CEO seems like one of the hardest jobs to fill, with many companies looking outside the retail industry.

☆ Fox News settles lawsuit with Venezuelan businessman it accused of helping rig the 2020 US presidential election, as it readies for $1.6 billion Dominion trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fox News has settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Venezuelan businessman Majed Khalil. Khalil was accused on air of rigging the 2020 presidential election by then Fox host Lou Dobbs. The former Fox host also accused Khalil and other Venezuelans of being involved in a scheme to oust former president Donald Trump. Khalil filed a $250 million lawsuit against Dobbs, Fox News, and former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell in December 2021. Dominion's mammoth $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox Corp, which it filed after Fox accused the company of using its voting machines to aid Joe Biden's victory, has garnered the most attention.

☆ As Ukraine Readies Counteroffensive, Russia Steps Up Campaign Against Partisans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Matthew Luxmoore | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia is deepening a crackdown on dissent in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said Sunday, as Kyiv’s forces launched fresh attacks aimed at weakening Moscow’s hold in the south. In occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, Russian security forces were raiding homes and checking local residents’ phones for prohibited photos and videos, Ukraine’s general staff said in its daily briefing.

☆ U.S. Readies ‘Wrongfully Detained’ Label for Reporter Held in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Vivian Salama | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The State Department is preparing to designate as “wrongfully detained” a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested by Russian security services last week during a reporting trip and accused of espionage, a designation that would rev up the U.S. government’s efforts to win his release. With the official designation, supervision of Evan Gershkovich ’s case would shift to a State Department section known as the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which is focused on negotiating for the release of hostages and other Americans classified as wrongfully detained in foreign countries. The designation is expected as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter.

☆ Australian mayor readies world's first defamation lawsuit over ChatGPT content
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The lawyers said they sent a letter of concern to ChatGPT owner OpenAI on March 21, which gave OpenAI 28 days to fix the errors about their client or face a possible defamation lawsuit. OpenAI, which is based in San Francisco, had not yet responded to Hood's legal letter, the lawyers said. If Hood files a lawsuit, it would accuse ChatGPT of giving users a false sense of accuracy by failing to include footnotes, Naughton said. "It's very difficult for somebody to look behind that to say 'how does the algorithm come up with that answer?'" ($1 = 1.4850 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Starbucks' new CEO plans to spend time working at his company's coffee shops. Here's why every retail leader should take a shift on the sales floor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Walmart CEO Greg Foran used to visit stores every week to observe factors like customer service, inventory levels, in-stock levels, and assortment. Fewer retail CEOs got their start working in storesLowe's CEO Marvin Ellison started his retail career as a Target security guard. David Swanson/ReutersOf course, times have changed — in the past, many retail CEOs got their start at the store level. As department stores started facing stiff competition from specialty stores, they scrambled to cut costs. These days, finding a qualified retail CEO seems like one of the hardest jobs to fill, with many companies looking outside the retail industry.

The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions. The Arctic Council comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. Russia's possible degree of involvement with the Council once Norway takes over is still unclear. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had earlier extended an invitation to Arctic officials to attend a transition ceremony in Salekhard, Siberia. Russian Arctic Ambassador Nikolay Korchunov, chair of the Senior Arctic Officials on the council, told Reuters the transition would "presuppose active and responsible participation of all Arctic Council member states in this preparatory process."

☆ How TikTok’s CEO prepared for his first grilling on Capitol Hill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Shou Zi Chew is getting ready for his inaugural trip to Congress. In prep sessions, which have taken place in Washington, D.C. ahead of the high-stakes hearing, TikTok personnel have worked to sharpen and polish Chew’s presentation. The Biden administration demanded earlier this month that the company’s Chinese owners divest from the company or be exiled from the country. The app has raised bipartisan national security concerns and growing worries that its sophisticated algorithm poses a danger to young people. “Americans deserve to know the extent to which their privacy is jeopardized and their data is manipulated by ByteDance-owned TikTok’s relationship with China,” McMorris Rodgers said.

☆ At a key moment in the war, the US is rushing to get powerful Abrams tanks to Ukraine faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is rushing to get Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine ahead of schedule, US officials say. But Kirby also acknowledged that their troops need modern, powerful Abrams tanks as soon as possible — a weapon that can help them shatter Russian lines when they launch a counter-offensive. Washington's original plan was to provide Ukraine with 31 of the M1A2 Abrams, a newer variant, which would have taken "over a year or so" to reach Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Nicolas Armer/Getty ImagesThe M1 Abrams tanks have a history tracing back to the Gulf War. Meanwhile, US announcements on the Abrams tanks come at a critical time for Ukraine and its tank force.

☆ HSBC turns Silicon Valley Bank calamity into gold
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A crisis can be an opportunity for the prepared. That’s what HSBC (HSBA.L) may find with its acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank’s UK arm (SVBUK), announced on Monday morning. The Bank of London, a young clearing bank that also submitted a bid, said on Monday that the HSBC deal was a missed opportunity to promote competition. On that theory, the UK government and Bank of England should have handed SVBUK to a financial-technology startup or a challenger bank, rather than strengthening an established player. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ China central bank punts its succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That may be because Zhu Hexin, his mooted successor, is known mostly for his stint heading state-owned financial conglomerate CITIC – not a household name outside China - has no detectable international experience. In contrast, Yi is a respected known quantity for domestic and international investors alike, comfortable parleying with global institutions like the World Bank and IMF. Beijing might be keeping Yi for the painful parts of the reorganisation – including massive pay cuts – before retiring him. The so-called sea turtles – Chinese people with overseas market experience and foreign language skills – have been migrating out of government for years. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ CATL’s battery ram is losing power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, March 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ) posted earnings growth of 61% for the quarter ended December on Thursday. The company led by Robin Zeng boasts unrivalled economies of scale, allowing it to drive down costs for clients including Tesla (TSLA.O). Alas, in China, which accounts for four fifths of CATL’s top line, such dominance is drawing unwanted attention. On Monday, during a meeting between Zeng and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Party leader expressed mixed feelings about CATL’s 37% global market share. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ SVB found old concentration risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Silicon Valley Bank’s closure on Friday by California authorities is a reminder of an old lesson: Don’t put too many eggs in one basket. The bank, owned by SVB Financial (SIVB.O), counted half of all U.S. venture capital-backed startups as clients. When tech took a disproportionate hit from the recent inflationary downturn, clients burned through savings, pulling out their deposits. SVB focused on tech, but its downfall is an old story of concentration risk. The eggs in the basket cracked, and in 1988 alone, 175 Texan banks, accounting for 25% of the state’s banking assets, failed.

☆ Bolloré Jr. readies Vivendi for asset purge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But the markdown gives Yannick more latitude to end his father’s ill-fated Italian foray while continuing to play hardball to raise the price tag. Here again, the move will give Bolloré junior more freedom to consider offers from potential buyers, which the European Commission will have to approve. At 70, the elder Bolloré, who remains in charge of the family holding that owns a 30% stake in Vivendi, is gradually implementing his succession plan. At 9.8 euros, Vivendi’s stock fails to capture the value of its various investments and trades below an analysts’ target of between 12 to 15 euros. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ WWE girds for insider-betting fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Want to bet on a match where the outcome is fixed in advance? The league is in talks with U.S. state gambling regulators to legalize bets on its staged matches, according to CNBC. For WWE the number of insiders may be bigger: Writers, trainers and wrestlers might be among those with an idea of what’s in store. Overseas bettors can already wager on an upcoming six-woman tag WWE team match, the Eurovision Song Contest and Love Island 2023. Meanwhile, the WWE has put itself up for sale, so some theatrical limbering up for future revenue opportunities is a smart way to juice the price.

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