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☆ The ultimate wedding gift? Newlyweds want cash for a down payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoNEW YORK, Aug 10 (Reuters) - When Valentina Valentini was putting together gift ideas for her wedding, the freelance journalist quickly realized that a traditional registry would not work. While asking for cash gifts makes financial sense, it is tricky. "Put a few traditional gifts on it, which they can purchase for you. PUT IT TO WORKWhatever does get donated to your down payment fund, it likely will not be enough to pull the trigger on a purchase right away. "This is a very practical idea for wedding gifts – and one that we have chosen for my sister-in-law's upcoming wedding."

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Valentina Valentini, Clare Trapasso, Realtor.com, Valentini, Realtor.com's Trapasso, Randy Bruns, –, Lauren Young, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, National Association of Realtors, invitees, Thomson Locations: Long Island , New York, U.S, London, California, New England, Realtor.com, Naperville , Illinois

☆ How Saudi Arabia and UAE learned to stop worrying and love Turkey's Bayraktar drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have signed multibillion-dollar deals for Turkish drones in recent months. Azeri Ministry of DefenseSaudi Arabia previously showed interest in procuring Turkish drones and securing rights for local production. Bakir told Insider that Turkish drones have gained "global recognition" due to their "affordability, efficiency, and lethal capabilities" and documented successes over modern battlefields. "Moreover, Saudi Arabia could use such capabilities to balance Iran's drone technology in the long run," Ozeren said. Ozeren said the Saudi deal could help Baykar "monopolize" drone technology in Turkey but noted that crucial details about the agreement remain unknown.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Baykar, Abu Dhabi's, Loong, Loongs, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Ali Bakir, Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman, Murat Kula, Bakir, Suleyman Ozeren, It's, Ozeren, Ali Atmaca, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Murat Centinmuhurdar, Bashar Assad, Paul Iddon Organizations: UAE, Service, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkey's Baykar Defense, Ministry of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Dassault Rafales, Ibn Khaldon, NATO, European Union, American University, Orion Policy Institute, Ataturk Airport, Security Initiative, Atlantic Council Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, United Arab, Turkish, Riyadh, East, North Africa, South Caucasus, Ukraine, Armenian, Ministry of Defense Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, Istanbul, Yemen, Libya, Abu, Turkey, China, France, Qatar, Jeddah, Anadolu, Nahyan, Abu Dhabi

A general view shows parts of the structure of flight terminal at an abandoned construction site of a Mexico City airport that was scrapped at Texcoco on the outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico September 3, 2020. "The finance ministry asked for everything to stay the same, so that's what's going to happen," Deputy Transportation Minister Rogelio Jimenez Pons told reporters. Jimenez had previously said that the finance ministry was considering an earlier payback schedule, as the funds used to pay off the bonds for the canceled airport currently come from a usage tax generated by the existing Mexico City International Airport (AICM). Once the Navy runs the AICM, which Jimenez said he expects to happen later this year, it may decide to renegotiate a buyback with the finance ministry, he added. Lopez Obrador opened the farther-away Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) last year as an alternative to the Texcoco airport on an active military base.

Persons: Henry Romero, Andres Manuel Lopez, Rogelio Jimenez Pons, Jimenez, Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Kylie Madry, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico City International, Navy, Felipe Angeles International Airport, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Texcoco, Mexico, MEXICO

☆ A Rich Stranger Wants to Give You All His Money. There’s a Catch.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Anakwa Dwamena | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ANANSI’S GOLD: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World, by Yepoka YeeboStop me if you’ve heard this one: A stranger needs to retrieve money stuck in a bank. And to meet this and other administrative costs necessary to unlocking this fortune, would you kindly help him with a little investment? This is known as the advance fee fraud, or “419.”These days, the scams generally target the elderly and the net-illiterate. “They saw Blay-Miezah, in his chief’s finery, spinning a tale about darkest Africa, untold wealth and a corrupt leader,” Yeebo writes. “And because the story — and the man — fit their preconceptions like a dovetail joint, they made up the rest of the story for themselves.”

Persons: Yepoka, you’ve, John Ackah Blay, Henry Kissinger, “, ” Yeebo, ” Locations: Outfoxed Washington, Ghana

Bimbo cut its annual sales forecast to low-to-mid single-digit growth, Chief Financial Officer Diego Gaxiola said in a call with analysts, down from a previous projection of mid-to-high single-digit growth. "Compared to our initial sales guidance, we have an impact of more than six percentage points" due to the strength of the peso, Gaxiola said. Earlier on Tuesday the firm, which sells buns, cakes, cookies, bagels and tortillas across 34 countries, reported that revenues increased 4% to a second-quarter record of 100.37 billion pesos ($5.86 billion) following price hikes, which were also offset by the peso's strength. The strong peso also partially contributed to a nearly 30% drop in quarterly net profit, falling to 4.30 billion pesos, Bimbo said. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter rose 7.8% to 14.00 billion pesos.

Persons: Bimbo, Diego Gaxiola, Gaxiola, Kylie Madry, Aida Pelaez, Fernandez, Brendan O'Boyle, Sonali Paul Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S, Thomson Locations: Canada, MEXICO, U.S, Mexico

SummaryCompanies Order intake down 8% in April-June periodQ2 EBITA 453 mln eur vs forecast 394 mln2023 EBITA margin now seen at upper end of provided rangeShares fall 5%July 24 (Reuters) - Health technology group Philips (PHG.AS) posted a fourth straight drop in order intake on Monday and warned that it expects global market conditions to remain highly uncertain, sending its shares down 5% from a recent 12-month high. The Amsterdam-based group, a former industrial conglomerate that now focuses on medical technology, said order intake had decreased 8% in the April-June period, the fourth quarterly fall in a row. Philips generates 15% of group sales in the People's Republic. New licensing requirements for its healthcare products in Russia were responsible for half the quarterly order decline, Jakobs said. ($1 = 0.8992 euros)Reporting by Diana Mandiá; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roy Jakobs, Jakobs, Philips, Abhijit Bhattacharya, Diana Mandiá, Kirsten Donovan, David Holmes Organizations: Health, Philips, European Union, ING, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, United States, China, East, Turkey, Latin America, People's Republic, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Russia and Iran's 'unprecedented' military ties worried the US, but it's starting to look like Russia can't hold up its end of the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Iran has supported Russia by providing it with arms to use in Ukraine. Kirby said "support is flowing both ways," with Moscow providing Tehran "an unprecedented level of military and technical support." As part of this burgeoning partnership, Iran expected to receive an unspecified number of Russian Su-35 jets, along with helicopters and even advanced S-400 air-defense systems. REUTERS/FARS NEWS/Ali ShayeganWhile Iran has never armed Russia to the extent it has in recent months, Moscow has sold Tehran considerable military hardware in the past. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: John Kirby, Kirby, Russian Su, Saeed Azimi, Hassan Rouhani, Azimi, Putin, Alexei Nikolsky, Abu, Russia's, Richard Moore, Ali Shayegan, haven't, Tehran weren't, Iranian Su, ATTA KENARE, Moore, William Burns, Burns, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, National Security, Iranian MiG, Army Day, REUTERS, Sputnik, Gulf Cooperation Council, United Arab, GCC, Intelligence Service, Tehran, Soviet Union, Getty, UN, CIA Locations: Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Tehran, Wall, Silicon, Iranian, Egypt, Aktau, Kazakhstan, Kremlin, United Arab Emirates, Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Persian, Hormuz, British, UAE, FARS, Iraq, Soviet, Islamic Republic, AFP

MEXICO CITY, July 20 (Reuters) - Mexico's Grupo Financiero Banorte (GFNORTEO.MX) reported on Thursday a 14% increase in second-quarter net profit, hitting 13.09 billion pesos ($764.68 million) on better results in its insurance and annuities and trading units. Revenue for the group, which owns one of the country's largest banks and pension funds, totaled 33.06 billion pesos in the quarter, up 19% from a year earlier. The bank's performing loan book saw a 12% bump from the year-ago period, with double-digit growth in nearly all divisions. Loan-loss previsions, however, also jumped 66% from the year-ago period to 4.04 billion pesos, with cost of risk shooting up to 1.66% from 1.13%. Banorte will also grow by some 1,300 account managers in the next few months in its business and corporate sectors, Ramirez said.

Persons: Banorte, Marcos Ramirez, Ramirez, Carolina Pulice, Kylie Madry, Stephen Coates Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Financiero, Thomson Locations: MEXICO

MEXICO CITY, July 18 (Reuters) - Precursor chemicals used by Mexican cartels to make the deadly opioid fentanyl do not come from China, its embassy in Mexico said on Tuesday, rejecting U.S. officials' accusations. China had denied the illegal trafficking of fentanyl to Mexico in an April statement, though it did not address precursor chemicals. The embassy on Tuesday said China was "actively coordinating and strengthening" supervision of drug-making substances with Mexico. The U.S. embassy in Mexico and Mexico's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last week, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 10 people with suspected ties to the Sinaloa Cartel's fentanyl network, as well as a company accused of importing chemicals from China.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Mexico Ken Salazar, Salazar, Kylie Madry, Isabel Woodford, Robert Birsel Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Drug, Administration, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, China, Mexico, U.S, United States, Canada, The U.S, Sinaloa

☆ Opinion: ‘A nasty smell that lingers in the nostrils.’ What it’s really like inside Italy’s hellish heatwave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Opinion Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But this year the usual “solleone” (an Italian term used to indicate the hottest summer days) is overwhelming. The dizzying heat is expected to peak early this week, with temperatures climbing above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). It’s not just Italy suffering, with the giant oven of hot air blasting other parts of southern Europe, like Greece and Spain. Experts are warning temperatures might even break the continent’s record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit), set two years ago. A sign outside a pharmacy in Rome displays 45 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures as Italy -- and southern Europe -- braces for even higher numbers this week.

Persons: Silvia Marchetti, Read, it’s, Silvia Marchetti Silvia Marchetti, It’s, Guglielmo Mangiapane, –, Riccardo De Luca, ’, Dante, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Italy CNN, Anadolu Agency, Twitter, Facebook, Housewives Locations: Rome, Capena, Italy, Europe, Greece, Spain, Italian, Roman, UAE

☆ 4 major fighter-jet deals could reshape the Middle East's biggest militaries for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Middle Eastern countries have for decades been major buyers of advanced fighter jets. Four potential deals involving Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that the trend will continue. Four looming acquisitions by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that this trend will not change any time soon. Egypt's EaglesEgyptian Air Force MiG-29s during an exercise in Sudan in May 2021. While the Russian jets couldn't exchange data with Egypt's US-made aircraft, Cairo hoped they could operate as an "air force within an air force" and partially redress its limited air-to-air capabilities.

Persons: Cuneyt, MURAD, Erdogan, Mehmet Kaman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Biden, Sen, Bob Menendez, hasn't, Iran's, Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK, it's, —, Iran hasn't, ATTA KENARE, Mohammed Reza Ashtiani, Iraq's, KARIM SAHIB, Saddam Hussein's, Ali Mohammed, KARI, ASHRAF SHAZLY, Derek Seifert, Frank McKenzie, Israel, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Dassault Rafales, Dassault, Vipers, NATO Air Policing, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Getty Images, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, SPUTNIK, Army Day, Iranian Parliament's National Security, Foreign, Iranian Defense, Rafale, ISIS, Getty Images Iraq, Thales Ground, AIM, Meteor, Egypt's Eagles Egyptian Air Force, Eagles, US Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Poland, Ankara, Syria, Greece, Samarkand, Getty Images Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, US, Tehran, AFP, Iranian, Persian, Baghdad, France, South Korea, Czech, Iraqi, Balad, Sudan, Qatar, Cairo, Derek Seifert Egypt

She also accused Lopez Obrador of using "the full apparatus of the state" against her. Lopez Obrador cannot run again because Mexican law restricts presidents to a single six-year term. It is not the first time Lopez Obrador has published financial information about a political adversary. Last year, Lopez Obrador released the purported earnings of journalist Carlos Loret de Mola, a prominent critic of the president. Lopez Obrador touted the amount of business Galvez had supposedly won during a regular press conference earlier on Friday, prompting Galvez to challenge him to back up his claims.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador, Xochitl Galvez, Galvez, Lopez, MORENA, Carlos Loret de Mola, Kylie Madry, Dave Graham, Will Dunham Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Twitter, Regeneration, Thomson Locations: MEXICO

☆ Why Crack Became the 1980s ‘Superdrug’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Jonathan Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

WHEN CRACK WAS KING: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era, by Donovan X. RamseyCrack erupted across America’s marginalized urban neighborhoods in the 1980s like a biblical plague torn from the pages of Revelation. It was the perfect “superdrug,” and Black communities, redlined in concrete city blocks, were neglected as their wealthier white neighbors escaped crack’s worst embrace. Donovan X. Ramsey came of age in a crack-era neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, where it was better not to ask questions. “It was like growing up in a steel town where nobody talked about steel,” he writes in “When Crack Was King,” his panoramic social history of the rise and fall of the epidemic. His book offers a needed corrective to the period’s biased media coverage and tropes — “crackhead,” “crack baby,” “superpredator” — the impetus behind some of the country’s most draconian drug legislation.

Persons: Donovan X, Ramsey, Richard Nixon’s, H.R, Haldeman, Nixon “, ” Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Len Bias, Reagan Organizations: Nixon’s, Blacks Locations: Black, Columbus , Ohio

MEXICO CITY, July 5 (Reuters) - Mexican airline Viva Aerobus has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 90 Airbus A321neo aircraft, the carrier said on Wednesday, in a deal likely worth several billion dollars. The companies did not name a price for the aircraft, and Airbus no longer publishes catalog prices. The agreement brings Viva's order book up to 170 Airbus aircraft, the carrier said in a statement, all part of the A320 family. In April, Viva signed an agreement with SAF producer Neste (NESTE.HE) to purchase 1 million liters of the fuel. Viva said the aircraft order would drive both domestic and international growth plans, taking into account that Mexico is expected to recover a U.S. air safety rating in coming months.

Persons: Pratt, Whitney, Viva, Neste, Aeromexico, Volaris, Kylie Madry, Raul Cortes, Tim Hepher, Bill Berkrot Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Viva Aerobus, Airbus, Paris Airshow, Whitney, Pratt, SAF, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, U.S, Allegiant, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, U.S

☆ F-22 stealth fighter jets are back in the Middle East as a US commander warns of 'buffoonery' by Russian pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets were redeployed to the Middle East in mid-JuneTheir redeployment comes amid repeated cases of aggressive flying by Russian air force pilots. Grynkewich spoke shortly after the US Air Force redeployed F-22s to the Middle East. The US planned to compensate by deploying A-10 attack planes, which are designed to strike ground targets, to the Middle East. A US Air Force A-10C refuels from a KC-135 over the Middle East in April. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: —, Alexus Grynkewich, Äzzeddin Kasim, Grynkewich, you've, Devin Boyer, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Al, DELIL SOULEIMAN, There's, Bohl, Nicholas Heras, Christopher Ruano, Heras, Su, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Air Force, Russian, Service, Air Force's, US Air Forces Central Command, Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Pacific, KC, Tech, East, Getty, New Lines Institute, UAE, Russia, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Syria, Russian, Ukraine, Idlib, East, Europe, North Africa, Al Tanf, AFP, United States, Moscow

MEXICO CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - Mexico brought in close to $5.7 billion in remittances in May, central bank data showed on Monday, breaking a monthly record that analysts cautioned was softened by the recent strength of the peso versus the dollar. While Mexico records remittances in dollars, as most of the funds come from the United States, "a strong peso hurts remittances," said Goldman Sachs analyst Alberto Ramos. Given the peso's appreciation against the dollar, when measured in local currency, remittances actually declined 2.2% year-on-year, Ramos said. Last year, remittances to Mexico from abroad hit a record high of $58.5 billion, making Mexico the No. Despite the blow from the "super peso," the dollar amount of remittances sent in May rose almost 11% year-on-year.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Alberto Ramos, Mexico's, Ramos, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Monex, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Christina Fincher, Hugh Lawson Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S, Monex, BBVA, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States, Mexican, India

MEXICO CITY, June 28 (Reuters) - Mexico may repurchase about $4.2 billion in outstanding bonds issued to finance a partly built Mexico City airport that was later canceled, a senior official said on Wednesday. His government bought back $1.8 billion of $6 billion in bonds issued to pay for the airport. The project was meant to alleviate pressure on the capital's hub, Mexico City International Airport (AICM). Lopez Obrador now wants the Mexican Navy to take charge of AICM. To repay the outstanding bonds, the government has pulled revenue from the AICM usage tax.

Persons: Rogelio Jimenez Pons, Andres Manuel Lopez, Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Jimenez, Kylie Madry, Gerry Doyle Organizations: MEXICO CITY, International, Felipe Angeles International Airport, Mexican Navy, Navy, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Mexico City, AICM

☆ A.I. and TV Ads Were Made for Each Other
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Mac Schwerin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Some of the people who make commercials today are worried that A.I. to make fake ads gives it a job it already excels at: assistant ethnographer, media-studies expert, unbiased auditor of cultural tropes. In “Synthetic Summer,” the partygoers seemingly don’t know how to drink: They hold cans a few inches from their faces or latch their lips to the sides. “Synthetic Summer,” for instance, has the DNA of a 20-year-old Bud Light commercial; it bears little resemblance to the brand’s latest Super Bowl spot. As far as brands are concerned, that’s fine: They need not train A.I.

Persons: A.I, —, ”, you’ve, Mac Schwerin Organizations: Bud, Companies, YouTube, Mac Locations: Washington

The Mexico City International Airport (AICM) currently sits under the transportation ministry, though the navy has already taken over security operations, including customs. "There's more security, more certainty, the rules are followed better, there's more discipline," with the navy in charge of the airport, Velazquez told reporters on Tuesday. The money currently goes to a fund to pay off bondholders who financed the construction of an airport canceled by Lopez Obrador in favor of building the Felipe Angeles airport on the outskirts of the capital. The little-used, one-year-old Felipe Angeles airport, one of the president's largest public works projects, is also on an active military base. In May, the AICM moved nearly 4 million passengers, according to data from the national aviation authority, while Felipe Angeles airport's passenger numbers were almost 95% lower.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Carlos Velazquez, Velazquez, Benito Juarez, Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Kylie Madry, Jamie Freed Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Mexico City International, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Felipe Angeles

☆ The US's biggest arms buyers are looking elsewhere for a next-generation fighter jet, but it won't be easy to find
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But Washington has proved to be wary of selling those countries US-made stealth fighter jets. That leaves the Gulf states with various non-US options, which don't look all that promising — at least not any time soon. A prototype of Russia's Su-75 fighter jet at the MAKS-2021 air show outside Moscow in July 2021. AP Photo/Alexander ZemlianichenkoIn 2021, shortly after unveiling its Su-75 fighter, Russia offered to co-produce the jet, which is still in development, with the UAE. While China may eventually offer its FC-31/J-35 stealth fighter for export, it must first demonstrate the jet's effectiveness to attract serious buyers.

Persons: —, Sebastien Roblin, Chris Thornbury, Abraham, Abu Dhabi, FCAS, Roblin, Russia's Su, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Abu Dhabi's, Emily Hawthorne, RANE, Hawthorne, isn't, JOHANNES EISELE, Paul Iddon Organizations: Qatar —, Service, United Arab, —, US Air Force, Al Dhafra, Base, Staff, Abraham Accords, Reuters, AP, East, Korea's KF, Yonhap, Cooperation Council, KF, FC, Getty Locations: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Washington, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Chris Thornbury But Washington, Israel, Riyadh, British, France, Germany, Turkey, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Abu Dhabi, Russian, North Africa, Sacheon, South Korea, Seoul, Korea, Zhuhai, AFP, China

☆ Overlooked No More: Dolores Alexander, Feminist Journalist and Activist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nina Siegal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. Dolores Alexander had a few distinct careers throughout her life. She was executive director of the National Organization for Women, working alongside its president and co-founder, Betty Friedan. And she was a founder of the organization Women Against Pornography. This was a women’s club.

Persons: Dolores Alexander, Betty Friedan, Mother Courage, Jill Ward, ” Lucy Komisar, ” Organizations: The New York Times, Newsday, National Organization for Women Locations: Times, United States, Manhattan’s meatpacking

June 19 (Reuters) - Costs of the first phase of construction at American Lithium's (LI.V) Falchani lithium mine in Peru likely have risen some 20% from an original estimate to $700 million, the chief executive of the firm said in an interview. "If you think about the post-COVID world and inflationary pressures, that bill (of $580 million) is probably more like $700 million today," CEO Simon Clarke said. Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, is vying for a piece of the pie in the booming lithium market. Nearby Chile, Argentina and Bolivia form a so-called "lithium triangle," with massive deposits, but the Canadian-owned Falchani project is currently the only one under way in Peru, where deposits are estimated to be much smaller. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin at Falchani by late 2024 or late 2025, Clarke said, to begin production in late 2026 or early 2027.

Persons: Simon Clarke, Clarke, Kylie Madry, Marco Aquino, Sandra Maler Organizations: Peruvian, Thomson Locations: Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Canadian, Falchani

Sodexo, which is benefiting from the cost-of-living crisis as employers look for ways to support staff without hiking wages, announced in April a plan to spin off and list its voucher unit on the stock exchange in 2024, betting on the good performance of the business. Smaller French rival Edenred (EDEN.PA), which joined France's blue-chip index CAC 40 (.FCHI) on Monday, posted in April first-quarter operating revenue growth as employers used its meal tickets and fuel cards to help staff cope with inflation. Pluxee, which employs 5,000 in 31 countries, targets full-year organic revenue growth of close to 20% and an underlying operating profit margin of around 32%. Sodexo's voucher business reported a core profit of 162 million euros ($177 million) in the first half of 2023. Reporting by Federica Mileo and Diana Mandiá in Gdansk, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aurelien Sonet, Pluxee, Sonet, Edenred, Federica Mileo, Diana Mandiá, Louise Heavens Organizations: Thomson Locations: Gdansk

PARIS/MEXICO CITY, June 18 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) is in advanced talks over a major new order from Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus, industry sources said on Sunday. "We currently have an ongoing order of A321neo with Airbus with deliveries until 2027," a spokesperson for Viva Aerobus said. "Whilst Viva is a leading and growing ULCC in the Americas, we have not signed any new order with any (manufacturer)." In 2013, it defected from Boeing to Airbus with an order worth up to $4 billion for 40 Airbus A320-family jets after a bitterly fought contest between the two plane giants. Reporting by Tim Hepher and Allison Lampert; Editing by Andrew Heavens Editing by Andrew Heavens and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Viva Aerobus, Tim Hepher, Allison Lampert, Andrew Heavens, Mark Potter Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Airbus, Viva Aerobus, Viva, Boeing, Paris, Thomson Locations: PARIS, MEXICO, Mexican, Americas

☆ Train review: What it’s like to ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to Matthieu Ollier, manager of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, who said the train's Grand Suites cost 24,000 euros ($25,850) for a one-night trip from Venice to London. A train steward on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The ensuite bathroom in the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' Budapest Suite. The bar car on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Source: Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Persons: Matthieu Ollier, Willy Wonka's, Chris Dwyer, Ollier, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Wes Anderson, Agatha Christie's, Christie, Champagne —, Austria's Brenner, Chef Jean Imbert, Jean Imbert, —, serenaded Organizations: Orient, Express, Orient Express, Athénée, Venice Locations: Venice, London, Belmond, United States, Paris, Bucharest, Munich, Istanbul, —, Budapest, Murano, Tsar, Austria's, Switzerland, France

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