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☆ Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni dies age 68
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Jack Sonni, former guitarist for British rock band Dire Straits, has died, the group announced on social media. “#JackSonni Rest In Peace” the band wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday alongside a black and white photograph of the guitarist. Sonni, who was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, met founding Dire Straits members and guitarists David and Mark Knopfler while working in a guitar shop in Manhattan in 1978, according to a post on the Dire Straits Blog, which was shared by the band on social media. “So sorry to hear the sad news that Jack Sonni has died, we loved having him with us on the Brothers in Arms tour, fond memories,” Illsley wrote in a post on Facebook Thursday. Alongside his musical career, Sonni was also a writer and hosted a podcast, “The Leisure Class with Jack Sonni.”

Persons: Jack Sonni, Sonni, David, Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Pick Withers, ” –, – Sonni, “, ”, ” Illsley Organizations: CNN, Dire Straits, Arms, Billboard, Facebook Locations: British, Indiana , Pennsylvania, Manhattan

☆ T-Pain in your living room: Are virtual concerts the future of live entertainment?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Samantha Bresnahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

T-Pain is performing songs that will become a virtual reality (VR) concert, delivered directly to fans via VR headsets. “(Virtual reality) is a very big shift,” says Kyung Kuk Kim, vice president and head of production for AmazeVR. (AmazeVR says it plans to launch the T-Pain concert this Fall.) According to AmazeVR, pricing is currently per concert; it will cost $6.99 for one year of access to the T-Pain concert, for example, after that content launches. It is also producing and releasing mixed reality (MR) concerts – a combination of virtual and augmented reality – by overlaying virtual elements onto live, real-world video.

Persons: ”, I’m, Faheem Rashad Najm, “ I’m, AmazeVR, Megan Thee, “, Kyung Kuk Kim, Kim, Lance Drake, Drake, Mel Slater, Slater, ‘, ’ ”, ” Slater, ’ ” Slater, Jamie McCarthy, they’re, Taylor Swift’s, don’t, AmazeVR’s Kim, it’s, you’re, ” CNN’s Leif Coorlim Organizations: CNN, Florida -, Apple, VR, Dire, YouTube, University of Barcelona, Neuroscience, Technology, UN, Apple Vision Locations: Culver City , California, American, Florida, New York City

☆ It’s not just crime: What’s really going on with San Francisco’s shrinking retail district
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mapping the exodusUnion Square has historically been a major commercial hub in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown. A complicated decline in downtownThe reasons for downtown San Francisco’s economic troubles are multi-faceted. In addition, San Francisco’s downtown has experienced a rise in its unhoused population. As San Francisco’s downtown area has emptied over the last three years, property crimes and retail thefts have risen, according to San Francisco Police Department data. Travel to San Francisco has yet to recover fully to pre-pandemic levels, according to data from San Francisco International Airport.

Persons: —, ”, Elon Musk, Tesla, Francisco, “, Lori Lincoln, San Francisco —, Lincoln, Breed, Alexander Quinn, Breed’s, Sarang Peruri Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Lease, Google, city’s, Nordstrom, CNN, Westfield, San Francisco Centre, KGO, University of California, San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco International, San Francisco Travel, Tourism, San, Oxford Economics, Asia hasn’t, San Francisco Mayor London, Francisco’s, Oxford Capital Group, Ikea, IKEA Locations: Francisco’s, United States, San Francisco’s, Union, Westfield, San Francisco, San, California, Redfin, Palo Alto, Asia, Americas, Europe, Pacific, San Mateo, Lincoln, China, Downtown, Chicago

The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, Taiwan's defence ministry has said. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed port in Basco. Cayco confirmed the visit, saying they came "one time to assess" the proposed alternative port. Marcos has said the bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) could prove useful if China attacked Taiwan. Jay Batongbacal, maritime affairs expert at the University of the Philippines, said the proposed port "would certainly be needed for the island’s defence in a worst case scenario."

Persons: Marvin Licudine, Andres Centino, Heather Variava, Noel Beleran, Eric Austin, Marilou Cayco, Batanes, Cayco, Kanishka, MARCOS, Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Jay Batongbacal, Poppy McPherson, Karen Lema, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Philippine Military, Embassy, Staff, Education, U.S, Reuters, China, Washington, U.S . Army, ., Enhanced, Security, University of the, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Philippine, U.S, MANILA, Taiwan . U.S, Taiwan, China, Washington, Pacific, Manila, Basco, Asia, Beijing, Batanes, South China, University of the Philippines, Luzon

☆ She Rose From Poverty as China Prospered. Then It Made Her Poor Again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Li Yuan | More About Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years ago, as she walked through a hospital hallway in handcuffs and shackles to get tested for Covid, Sun Junli felt ashamed and defeated. The poor village girl in northwestern China had become a successful businesswoman. In 2018, state-owned banks abruptly stopped lending to her business, a chain of cafe restaurants, and the pandemic destroyed her cash flow. By May 2021, Ms. Sun had lost her restaurants, and she was serving 16 days in detention for owing her employees about $28,000 in wages. “We all came from nothing and worked hard to create wealth,” Ms. Sun said.

Persons: Sun Junli, Sun, Weeks, “, ”, Ms Organizations: Toyota Camry Locations: China, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province

☆ Western defense officials urge Ukraine to focus counteroffensive resources on southern push — even if it means heavy troop and equipment losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Western officials think Ukraine misallocated its counteroffensive resources, The New York Times reported. Defense strategists want Ukraine to focus its efforts on pushing toward the south. But a southern push could result in troop and equipment losses, the outlet reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. But Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe, cautioned against counting Ukraine out too soon.

Persons: Ben Hodges, Hodges, Mark, Ukraine's Organizations: New York Times, Defense, Service, US Army, Ukrainian, Times, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Crimea materializes Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Crimea, Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhia, US Army Europe

☆ WeWork plunges another 11% after announcing reverse stock split to try and keep NYSE listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WeWork , the office-sharing company once valued at $47 billion, said Friday it will undergo a 1-for-40 reverse stock split to try and keep its stock from being delisted. "The Reverse Stock Split is being effected to regain compliance with the $1.00 per share minimum closing price required to maintain continued listing on the New York Stock Exchange," WeWork said in a filing with the SEC. The reverse split will take effect after the close of trading on Sept. 1, the company said. The move will do nothing to improve the company's financials or valuation but, based on Friday's close, it would lift the stock price to $5.60. With or without a higher stock price, WeWork is in dire straits.

Persons: WeWork, Masayoshi Son's SoftBank, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Adam Neumann Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, SEC, NYSE

Analysts said it tests President Tayyip Erdogan's resolve to maintain good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has invited to Turkey this month to discuss resuming the UN-brokered deal that had protected grain exports from Ukraine. "Ankara's silence is strange but shows it is still counting on Putin to visit and return to the grain deal." It wants the West to accept some Russian demands, and for Russia to drop others, to restart Ukraine grain exports under UN and Turkish oversight. A Turkish defence ministry official, requesting anonymity, said Ankara was looking into the Black Sea raid but gave no more details. "Therefore Erdogan should negotiate and try to convince Western countries, not Putin, for the reinstatement of the grain deal," he said.

Persons: Mehmet Bey, Umit, Erdogan, Putin, NATO's, Tayyip Erdogan's, Vladimir Putin, Yoruk Isik, Grynspan, Sezer, Huseyin Hayatsever, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Coordination Centre, REUTERS, Ankara, Analysts, UN, Bosphorus Observer, United Nations Conference, Trade, Development, Thomson Locations: Yenikapi, Istanbul, Turkey, ISTANBUL, Ukraine, NATO, Moscow, Russia, Ankara, Odesa, Turkish, Palau, Russian

☆ Philippines sees risk of conflict over Taiwan as a 'major concern'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Filipino soldiers stand at attention near a Philippine flag at Thitu island in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. "Major concern is also seen in the Cross-Straits relations that has the potential to be the flashpoint in the region," the government said in the document, published by the National Security Council, referring to the Taiwan Strait. The plan also covered government food and energy security priorities and noted that the South China Sea "remains a primary national interest". To achieve energy security, the government said it would explore development of offshore reserves, including in the South China Sea, to help reduce dependence on imports. Ties with China have grown tense under Marcos, as the Philippines pivots back to traditional ally the United States.

Persons: Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Security Council, Mutual Defense, U.S, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, China, Philippines, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Japan, South, South China

☆ Qantas unveils new livery in support for Indigenous referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Qantas (QAN.AX) on Monday unveiled plans for some aircraft to carry special livery supporting recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Island people in Australia's constitution, stepping into the divisive debate on Indigenous rights. Australians will vote in a landmark referendum later this year on whether they support altering the constitution to include a "Voice to Parliament", an Indigenous committee to advise parliament on matters affecting First Nations people. Support for the proposal has been dipping in recent months, according to opinion polls. The national carrier said livery featuring a 'Yes23' logo, asking Australians to vote Yes in the referendum, will be carried on three aircraft: a Qantas Boeing 737, a QantasLink Dash 8 Turboprop and a Jetstar Airbus A320. In addition to the Yes livery, Qantas will support the Yes23 campaign teams with travel so they can engage with regional and remote Australians ahead of the referendum, the company said in a statement.

Persons: Alan Joyce, Anthony Albanese, Praveen Menon, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Qantas, Torres Straits, Qantas Boeing, Jetstar Airbus, Nations, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ A survivor made a desperate dash into the sea to escape an inferno.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Orlando Mayorquin | More About Orlando Mayorquin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lisa Francis was trying to drive home from her job at a bank in Lahaina when the firestorm caught up to her. It was 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and she was trapped in traffic near the ocean. Whipped by bruising winds, the firestorm was raging its way west toward her and others in similar straits. They clambered onto the slippery rocks, Ms. Francis said. The fire roared through the cars and buildings along the street above, unleashing a choking wall of thick smoke.

Persons: Lisa Francis, Francis said Locations: Lahaina

☆ Singapore downgrades GDP outlook, avoids recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Goss domestic product (GDP) expanded a seasonally-adjusted 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in April to June, slower than 0.3% growth seen in the government's advance estimate. Manufacturing will remain weak, dampened by a protracted downturn in electronics, while finance and insurance sectors will likely be subdued, MTI said. The ministry narrowed its GDP growth forecast to 0.5% to 1.5% this year from 0.5% to 2.5% previously. Analysts are expecting no change to monetary policy at MAS's October meeting, despite cooling momentum. MAS left its policy settings unchanged in April, after tightening five times in a row since October 2021, reflecting concerns over the city-state's growth outlook.

Persons: Feline, Goss, MTI, Yong Yik Wei, Brian Tan, Chen Lin, Tom Westbrook, Kanupriya Kapoor, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Port, REUTERS, MAS, Ministry of Trade and Industry, The Straits Times, Monetary Authority, Singapore's, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Port of Singapore, MTI, SINGAPORE, Singapore, Asia

☆ With Each Indictment, Trump Solidifies His Base - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Rich Lowry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump is the most-indicted front-running presidential candidate ever. Indeed, it’s not that he’s winning despite the indictments; it’s almost as though he’s winning because of the indictments. Before this, the presumption in contemporary politics has been that a serious presidential candidate would have to withdraw if indicted. If the time and resources necessary to fight criminal charges didn’t dissuade him or her, the voters would leave the candidate no other choice. Why hasn’t this happened to Mr. Trump?

Persons: Donald Trump, Mr, it’s, Alvin Bragg, Daniels, Trump, he’s Organizations: Republican, Republicans Locations: Manhattan

☆ Saudi Arabia and Turkey are emerging as the new peace brokers of the Russia-Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Ankara, Turkey, on June 22, 2022. "We thank the Crown Prince and Government of Saudi Arabia for facilitating [the prisoner exchange]," Sullivan wrote in a separate post. "Saudi Arabia and Turkey are good examples of such mid-level powers now helping shape international realities in a way they rarely did during the Cold War." And Turkey, like Saudi Arabia, refuses to partake in sanctions against Russia, irking its Western allies. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2023.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Mustafa Kaya, Russian –, Vladimir Putin, –, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jake Sullivan, Putin, Sullivan, Hussein Ibish, Russia's Putin, Vilius Semeska, Selcuk Bayraktar, Haluk Bayraktar, Ibish, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman, Ryan Bohl, Rane, Ayham Kamel Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Crown, Getty, Crown, Russia, Handout, Anadolu Agency, Twitter, Ukraine –, Prince, Saudi, Gulf States Institute, CNBC, NATO, Defence, Baykar, Saudi Arabian Crown, Saudi Foreign Ministry, Getty Images, Ukrainian, Arab, Russo, East, Global, Eurasia Group Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Xinhua, Russian, Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Saudi, Jeddah, U.S, China, India, Brazil, Washington, Turkey's, Lithuanian, Istanbul, Turkish, , Washington, North Africa, Riyadh, Middle East

☆ Saving Lives at the Grand Canyon, One Salty Snack at a Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Rowan Moore Gerety | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Watching weary day hikers start the long uphill hike from Phantom Ranch, a ranger station at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Jeff Schwartz has learned to look for telltale warning signs. “They’ve got the salt stains all over their shirt, and clearly have a day pack on, and you’re like, ‘let’s prevent some search and rescue by talking with these folks,’” said Mr. Schwartz, a paramedic and backcountry park ranger who has worked at Grand Canyon National Park since 2012. After a dozen summers on the trail, he also knows what to offer: a comfortable seat in the shade of the ranger’s office, maybe something salty to eat. An unplanned overnight at the Ranch may be in order for those in truly dire straits. At least seven have died in recent weeks from apparent heat-related causes — including one at the Grand Canyon, one in Death Valley and two at a state park in Nevada — as extreme temperatures this year have met increased visitation at national and state parks.

Persons: Jeff Schwartz, “ They’ve, ’ ”, Schwartz, ”, It’s Organizations: telltale Locations: Death, Nevada

☆ U.S. to help Australia develop guided missiles by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We are pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with Australia's defence industry, and these include a commitment to help Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems... by 2025," Austin told a press conference. Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in Queensland state for the annual Australia-U.S. The U.S. will help Australia produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by 2025, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, after the two nations' top officials pledged to engage with China but also oppose it if needed. U.S Secretary of State Blinken said "chief" among Saturday's high-profile talks with Australia was a shared commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region. The games, however, were put on hold after an Australian military helicopter participating in the exercises crashed into the ocean, with at least four people onboard feared dead.

Persons: Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Lloyd Austin, Marles, Blinken Organizations: Australian, Defense, Conference, Queensland Government House, Austin, . Ministerial, Labor, U.S, Australia, Talisman Sabre Locations: Brisbane, U.S, Australia, Queensland, China, Taiwan, Australian, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing

☆ US to help Australia develop guided missiles by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. will help Australia produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by 2025, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, after the two nations' top officials pledged to engage with China but also oppose it if needed. Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in Queensland state for the annual Australia-U.S. "We are pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with Australia's defence industry, and these include a commitment to help Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems... by 2025," Austin told a press conference. U.S Secretary of State Blinken said "chief" among Saturday's high-profile talks with Australia was a shared commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region. The games, however, were put on hold after an Australian military helicopter participating in the exercises crashed into the ocean, with at least four people onboard feared dead.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken, Austin, Richard Marles, Marles, Blinken, Praveen Menon, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Austin, . Ministerial, Australian, Labor, U.S, Australia, Talisman Sabre, Thomson Locations: U.S, Australia, China, Queensland, Taiwan, Australian, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing

☆ How China is threatening U.S. GPS dominance with Beidou
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is the oldest and most widely used satellite navigation system in the world with 6 billion users. But the U.S. is not the only country with its own global navigation satellite system. The latest entrant is China's Beidou constellation. But experts say China's Beidou system is about more than just military might. To find out more about China's Beidou satellite navigation system, what implications it may have for the world, and how the U.S. is working to bolster its own GPS constellation, watch the video.

Persons: Mikie Sherill, Galileo, Sarah Sewall, Sewall Organizations: GPS, U.S, Space Force, U.S . Air Force, House GPS Caucus, European Union, Galileo, State, Civilian Security, Human Locations: U.S, Russia, China, Taiwan

☆ How Serious is No Labels? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Katherine Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

No Labels is this last refuge, a resting place inside and outside the two parties and a half-finished Washington dreamscape. This fact is the firm but vibrating floor beneath the No Labels project and the panic it has produced — the recognition that we’re approaching a 2024 election that will make American voters unhappy. Unhappy enough to vote for a mystery unity ticket, only on the principle of their unhappiness? I don’t know that the electoral effects of No Labels are as clear as people say. And No Labels is here to take advantage of that sadness with a half-finished idea.

Persons: Brad Schneider of, “, Brad Schneider, ”, Huntsman, I’ve, They’re, That’s, ’, ‘ I’ve, there’s, Manchin, Larry Hogan, Biden Organizations: U.S . Rep, Washington dreamscape, Republican, Republican Party, Biden, Trump, Mr Locations: Brad Schneider of Illinois, China, Russia, New Hampshire, Atlanta, Colorado, Maryland, America

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The S&P 500 may hit a record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors around the 'Charging Bull' statue near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, June 29, 2023. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Excluding food, energy and trade services, the core producer price index rose 0.1%, lower than the forecasted 0.2%. Celsius chargesFormer Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky was arrested Thursday on federal securities fraud charges, a source told CNBC. CNBC Pro searched for companies that analysts are bullish on, and which are due to report earnings next week.

Persons: Michele Bullock, Bob Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Iger, Alex Mashinsky Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, U.S, Singapore's Straits Times, Reserve Bank of Australia, Disney, ABC, ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, SEC, CNBC Pro Locations: New York, Asia, Pacific, Australia

☆ From a failed $20 billion joint venture to stalled projects, India's dreams of becoming a chipmaking powerhouse are off to a bad start
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Foxconn said Monday it's scrapping a $20 billion JV with Indian conglomerate Vedanta to make semiconductors. Other plans to boost India's chipmaking sectors are also progressing slowly. The two companies signed an agreement in February 2022 to form a joint venture, or JV, to manufacture semiconductors in India. Apart from Foxconn abandoning its JV with Vedanta, two other chipmaking ventures are also in limbo. A $3 billion venture under global consortium ISMC — which counts Israel's Tower Semiconductor as a partner — has stalled, as Tower is in the process of being acquired by tech bigwig Intel, Reuters reported on June 1.

Persons: Foxconn, Narendra Modi's, Taiwan's Foxconn, Apple —, Narendra Modi, —, hasn't, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, editorializing abt, Modi Organizations: Vedanta, Indian, Morning, Apple, JV, Hai Technology Group, Taiwan Stock Exchange, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, ISMC, Semiconductor, Intel, Reuters, Micron, JV Vedanta, India Locations: India, Taiwan, China, Gujarat, Taiwan Straits, Singapore, Indias

☆ A Global Warming Book for the Streaming Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Zoë Schlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Lipsky’s book is a project of maximum ambition. He retells the entire climate story, from the dawn of electricity to the dire straits of our present day. We usually think of global warming as a modern malady, Lipsky writes, one that began in our lifetimes. Of course, all the modern climate graphs show that the red line had crept up by then. The book takes its title from two moments in time.

Persons: David Lipsky, David Lipsky’s, Lipsky, David Foster Wallace, Roger Revelle Organizations: The New York Times Locations: Swedish

☆ The huge blob of seaweed headed for Florida has shrunk by 75%
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Florida vacations are back on, sans stinky seaweed. In April, the seaweed set a record, with scientists identifying 3 million tons of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea. The sargassum that lands on Florida beaches originates in the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean, Hu went on. Small amounts of the seaweed may still land on Florida beaches, but not in large enough quantities to present a problem, according to Hu. But while Florida enjoys clean beaches, in the eastern Caribbean, “they’ll still see a lot of sargassum,” Hu noted.

Persons: Chuanmin Hu, ”, Hu, “ they’ll, ” Hu, Sargassum, sargassum Organizations: CNN, University of South, Oceanography, Florida beachgoers, Sunshine, Optical Oceanography, Central West Atlantic Locations: Florida, Gulf, Mexico, West Africa, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Straits, University of South Florida, of Mexico, Lesser, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico

REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday marked one year since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down during an election speech by a man angry at his links to the Unification Church. The death of Japan's longest serving prime minister, which was caught on video, rattled a nation unused to gun violence. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other senior officials and lawmakers joined Abe's widow, Akie, at a private memorial service at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Among them was Tsuu Ogawa, 49, a hotel worker, who celebrated her birthday the day that Abe was assassinated. In social media posts before the shooting, he blamed the Unification Church for leaving his mother in financial straits.

Persons: Shinzo Abe, Issei Kato TOKYO, Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Akie, Tsuu Ogawa, Abe, Critics, Atsuhiro Ueda, Kishida, Tetsuya Yamagami, Daishiro Yamagiwa, Tim Kelly, Irene Wang, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Unification Church, Liberal Democratic Party, Unification, Korean, Economic, Thomson Locations: Zojoji, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Bachelors in Asia are so desperate to attend Taylor Swift's concert that they are offering themselves up as dates to a bank's cardholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Singaporean bank's cardholders have exclusive access to presales for Taylor Swift concert tickets. Swiftie bachelors are going viral as they jokingly search for dates who happen to be cardholders. Over 300,000 fans are expected to attend the concert's Singapore dates, per The Straits Times. Dozens of other Taylor Swift fans are racking up thousands of likes with tweets in the same format. Over 300,000 fans are expected to attend the concert's Singapore dates, per the report.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift's, UOB, Keen, Swifties, that's, Swift, cardholders Organizations: Straits Times, Twitter, United Overeas Bank, Wall Street Locations: Singapore, Taylor Swift's Singapore, Japan, Malaysian, Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam

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