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☆ China-bashing throws Vodafone a curveball
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone's (VOD.L) M&A ambitions in Britain are falling prey to anti-China rhetoric. Parliamentarians are also fretting over the security impact on contracts with government departments once the deal goes through. Vodafone may face similar scrutiny, leading to inevitable delays. The fact that CK Hutchison has retained the right to appoint the chief financial officer may be a red flag. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: CK Hutchison's, Li Ka, Franco, Patrick Drahi, Hakan Koc, Pyrros Koussios, Roman Abramovich, CK Hutchison, Pamela Barbaglia, Aston Martin, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, HK, Vodafone, BT, UK's National Security and Investment Act, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Hong Kong, Canada

☆ Rossi sees Reynolds' winning touch boosting Alpine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ENSTONE, England, June 27 (Reuters) - Renault-owned Alpine believe Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has the Midas Touch to help get the team back to the top in Formula One. "Most of you were probably expecting Ryan Reynolds," Otro Capital founder and partner Alec Scheiner jokingly told analysts at Alpine's Enstone factory for a strategy presentation. Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi pointed to Reynolds' track record in business. Rossi said the investors, who have paid 200 million euros ($218.88 million), would develop revenues through merchandising, licensing and hospitality. The deal values Alpine Racing at around $900 million and Rossi said the numbers were only going up.

Persons: Ryan Reynolds, Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Alec Scheiner, Laurent Rossi, Rossi, Otro, Goldman Sachs, Gerry Cardinale, RedBird, Scheiner, Luca de Meo, Alan Baldwin, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Renault, Formula, Wrexham soccer, Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, Aviation, Mobile US, Ka'ena Corp, Mint Mobile, Diageo, Gin, Wrexham, English Football League, RedBird, Fenway Sports Group, Premier League, Liverpool, Boston Red Sox baseball, Toulouse, Milan, Liberty Media, Thomson Locations: ENSTONE, England, Wrexham, RedBird, Americas, Las Vegas, U.S

☆ Wagner Group shot down 6 Russian helicopters and a plane during its mini rebellion, Ukraine says, weakening Putin's air force at a time when it could prove critical
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner forces destroyed six Russian helicopters and a plane amid its short rebellion, Ukraine says. It's too soon to see how the chaos between Wagner and the Russian military establishment will affect things on the ground, she said. In one year of defending against Russia, Ukraine had shot down about 30 of Russia's helicopters, Forbes reported in February. At that time, Russia had about 300 helicopters — around half of them attack helicopters — based near its western borders, The Kyiv Post reported. As the recent chaos unfolded in Russia, Ukraine said it had managed to push forward in its counteroffensive.

Persons: Wagner, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Yurii, Ihnat, Prigozhin, Hanna Malyar, It's, Nazar, Forbes, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin Organizations: Service, Group, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, Kremlin, Associated Press, Agence France, Russia, Kyiv Post, Guardian, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Belarus, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Footage appears to show Russian attack helicopter bombing one of its own oil depot to deny Wagner mercenaries fuel supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Footage appears to show an explosion at an oil depot in Voronezh after strikes by a Russian helicopter. It comes as Wagner fighters seized military facilities in the city, Russian sources told Reuters. Other unverified footage appears to show Russian air forces deflecting a Wagner group anti-aircraft missile system. Local sources reported that the mercenary fighters had tried to seize the oil depot to supply their convoys with fuel, according to a report by Defense Blog. On Saturday, Putin called the actions of the Wagner group a "betrayal" and vowed the country would defend itself and punish those involved in the insurrection.

Persons: Wagner, —, Don —, Putin, Yevegny Prigozhin Organizations: Reuters, Don, Service, Defense, Wagner Group Locations: Voronezh, Russian, Rostov, Al Jazeera, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Prigozhin's Wagner mercenaries appear to be on the march towards Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Wagner paramilitary forces appear to be headed toward the capital, Moscow. Photos and videos now appear to show Wagner forces and their armored vehicles in the region of Lipetsk, which is a roughly eight-hour drive from Rostov-on-Don — and less than six hours from Moscow. He later confirmed that Wagner forces were moving through the area, state media reported, and urged civilians to stay in their homes. The "march" began Friday after Prigozhin accused Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, of ordering an air strike on Wagner forces in Ukraine. He has repeatedly accused Shoigu and other military leaders of undermining Wagner forces in Ukraine.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Don —, Igor Artamonov, Prigozhin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Sergey Sobyanin, Igor Girkin Organizations: Service, New York Times, Russian, British Ministry of Defense Locations: Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Ukraine, Russia, Vorenezh Oblast

☆ Russian attack helicopters showed up in force on the front lines and have been putting dents in Ukraine's armored assaults
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

These activities are a detriment to the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Kyiv's forces appear to be adapting. In this situation, "Russian forces deployed aviation in a way they haven't recently, to front-line positions, and were able to use it more successfully than they have in the past," he said. Russian Air Force Mil Mi-8 and Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter Leonid Faerberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images"We haven't seen Russian forces really use aviation super extensively on the front line," Bailey said, adding "they have been concerned about having aviation losses." "Ukrainian forces are having to adapt to how Russian forces are employing these in southern Ukraine," he said, noting that they are seeing signs of that as the Ukrainians set the stage for their main attack. Ukraine hasn't committed the bulk of its dedicated counteroffensive forces to a major assault operation, and, as ISW's George Barros said recently, "big fireworks are still to come."

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Riley Bailey, Bailey, Kamov, Leonid Faerberg, it's, VITALY TIMKIV, Wagner, Karolina Hird, It's, Ukraine hasn't, George Barros Organizations: Service, Senior Ukrainian, BBC Wednesday, Institute for, Russian Air Force, Getty, Operations, Ukraine, Bakhmut, CNN, Fox News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia's Krasnodar, AFP, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Oblast

☆ Attack helicopters are giving Russia the edge in the skies over southern Ukraine, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK Ministry of Defence said Russia's attack helicopters gave Putin's forces "a temporary advantage." Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used. According to the latest UK Ministry of Defence briefing, Russian troops have reinforced its attack helicopter forces, allowing them to gain "a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially with attack helicopters employing longer-range missiles against ground targets." Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used. Featuring an unusual coaxial rotor design and a side-by-side crew seating arrangement, Insider reported that it has been on the frontline and involved in the thickest fighting more than any other Russian attack helicopter since Russia's attack began in February 2022.

Persons: —, h. Organizations: UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Air, Service, — Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine

☆ Russia says it hits Leopard tanks, U.S. Bradley vehicles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"During the past day, the armed forces of Ukraine continued unsuccessful attempts of offensive actions in the Donetsk, southern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions," it said. Russian military bloggers said Ukrainian forces had smashed through a section of the Russian lines south of the town of Velyka Novosilka, briefly taking several villages as Russian forces retreated to higher ground. Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official in the part of the Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Russia, said Russian forces had then taken the village back. Ukraine has said it made gains near Bakhmut, which fell to Russia last month. Russia's defence ministry published several videos and pictures over recent days showing numerous strikes on Ukrainian-manned armoured vehicles and tanks from Ka-52 attack helicopters and drones.

Persons: Read, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Velyka Novosilka, Vladimir Rogov, Guy Faulconbridge, Frances Kerry, Jan Harvey Organizations: Bradley, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, MOSCOW, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Velyka, Bakhmut, Mala Tokmachka

☆ Russia awards medals after claiming hits on Leopard tanks, U.S. Bradleys in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown on state television awarding the "Hero of Russia gold star", Russia's highest military honour, to soldiers who said they had destroyed enemy tanks and armoured vehicles. The soldiers did not identify the tanks in public. In footage released by the ministry on Saturday, drones were shown striking tanks in the Zaporizhzhia region where Kyiv's forces have so far focused their counteroffensive. Ukraine's attack is focusing on several points in southern Ukraine, Russia says. Pass that on to Putin," Zelenskiy said to reporters, standing alongside visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Persons: Bradley, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin, Zelenskiy, Justin Trudeau, Guy Faulconbridge, Frances Kerry Organizations: Russia, The Defence Ministry, Reuters, Canadian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Mala Tokmachka, Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ 31-year-old mom started her CBD business from home in Hawaii—3 years later, it brings in $100,000 annually
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A friend recommended she try CBD oil, which is derived from hemp plants, the non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana. Young continued to take CBD oil on a regular basis and welcomed her second daughter, Ho'olehua, in 2019. In May 2020, Young was ready to sell her first product, a CBD oil that blends hemp flower and coconut oil, online. Now, 'Āina Organics is sold in 25 stores, in both California and Hawaii. After deducting the operating costs to maintain the business, Āina Organics's profit stands at about $50,000, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Persons: Grace Young, Young, Keith Andrade, Ka'auwai, Andrade, Ho'olehua, Meleana, Alexandra Masihy, daydreaming, they'd Organizations: Omao Labs, USDA, Hawaii, Young, CNBC Locations: Kauai, Hawaii, California

☆ The Russian navy's biggest warships are becoming its biggest headaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Ongoing problems with the Russian navy's biggest warships illustrate that trend. This seems most evident with Russia's largest surface warships: its Kirov-class nuclear-powered battlecruisers, Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Velikiy, and the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's sole aircraft carrier. Admiral Kuznetsov in a floating dry dock in a shipyard in Murmansk in August 2010. Other Russian navy sources quickly denied the report to another state media outlet. Izvestia has also reported that the Russian navy is reforming the Kuznetsov's crew, which was mostly disbanded when the ship began its refit.

☆ Shareholders of Evergrande's EV unit agree on restructuring deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Xie Yu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, May 13 (Reuters) - Shareholders of China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK) accepted a proposal to dispose of two subsidiaries in a restructuring, according to a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday night. More than 50% of the votes under the EV company, a unit of embattled property developer China Evergrande (3333.HK), were cast at a Friday general meeting in favour of a proposal raised in late April, the filing said. The EV unit on April 25 announced the plan to sell two debt-laden companies to another unit under China Evergrande as part of the auto firm's restructuring. The EV unit was expected to book a $3.6 billion gain from the transfer, while the two companies to be sold held 47 property projects altogether, said a previous stock filing by the EV unit. The deal would help the EV unit focus on the new energy vehicle segment and could help improve its valuation and eventually "may help to attract investors to Evergrande Auto and raise funds", said a separate filing by the group company.

☆ Explainer: What's next for China Evergrande after restructuring proposal?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, April 27 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) will get a signal on Thursday of the level of creditor backing for its offshore debt restructuring proposal, with investors to be given an incentive for early support. While some major creditors have already agreed to support the restructuring proposal, others are eager to cut ties with the debt-laden property developer and move on. WHAT DOES THE OFFSHORE DEBT RESTRUCTURING PROPOSAL OFFER? The equity-linked instruments will be backed by the group and its two Hong Kong-listed companies, Evergrande Property Services Group (6666.HK) and Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK). Evergrande established a risk-management committee in December 2021 that included officials from state companies to assist in its debt and asset restructuring.

☆ Here’s Why This Clever Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner Is a Professional Reviewer’s Favorite
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

By Liam McCabeEvery spring for five years, it was my job to test and review window air conditioners. When the Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner arrived in 2020, seemingly out of nowhere, it upended everything I hated about this staid, stale category since I began my reviewer gig in the 2010s. For people who have to rely on window ACs to cool a scorching home, I’d argue that it’s the biggest summertime quality-of-life improvement in decades. The biggest advantage of the U-shaped Air Conditioner is it’s so much quieter than a typical window unit, thanks to its namesake, weird-looking chassis. It looks like a standard air conditioner has been split in two, with just a short band of plastic holding the halves together along their bottom edge.

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

Yet congenital syphilis is easily preventable if an infected person gets access to penicillin during their pregnancy. There were 2,677 cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 for a population of 332 million, according to preliminary CDC data. Canada had 96 cases for a population of 38 million, according to Health Canada. Health Canada told Reuters it has dispatched epidemiologists to help provinces contain the increase in congenital syphilis. The province had an incidence of 185 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,00 live births in 2021.

☆ Alibaba hands parched dealmakers a glass half-full
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Then New York- and Hong Kong-listed Alibaba (9988.HK) revealed it was creating six independently run businesses. That will keep dealmaking teams busy for months if, as CEO Daniel Zhang envisions, multiple listed companies emerge from the $250 billion parent. And if a breakup is good for Alibaba, they can dust off pitchbooks for its domestic rivals. Follow @AntonyMCurrie on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSAlibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said on March 29 that he hopes multiple listed companies will emerge from the group. “I hope there will be multiple listed companies emerging from the Alibaba system, and that they will continue to nurture their own sons and daughters, and cultivate more listed companies”, Zhang said, according to the South China Morning Post.

☆ T-Mobile to Buy Ryan Reynolds-Backed Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile will bolster the company’s offering of prepaid wireless plans. T-Mobile US Inc. said it has agreed to buy Mint Mobile, a budget wireless provider backed by actor Ryan Reynolds, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at up to $1.35 billion. T-Mobile said Wednesday that it would pay 39% in cash and 61% in stock for Mint Mobile’s parent company, Ka’ena Corp. The total value of the deal is dependent on Ka’ena’s performance during certain periods, both before and after the deal closes.

☆ T-Mobile scoops up owner of Ryan Reynolds-backed Mint Mobile for $1.35 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 15 (Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.O) said on Wednesday it would buy Ka'ena Corp, the owner of Ryan Reynolds-backed budget service provider Mint Mobile, for up to $1.35 billion, as the telecom operator looks to maintain growth in a competitive market. The deal will allow T-Mobile to tap a larger share of the pay-as-you-go customer base, whose numbers are expected to swell as credit-challenged people shy away from hefty monthly bills. The purchase will add slightly to T-Mobile's core adjusted earnings, but is not expected to affect its outlook for the year. "Over the long term, we'll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile," said Mike Sievert, Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Uttaresh VenkateshwaranOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ T-Mobile to buy Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile in a $1.35 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

T-Mobile announced Wednesday that it’s buying budget wireless provider Mint Mobile in a larger deal for up to $1.35 billion. “I never dreamt I’d own a wireless company and I certainly never dreamt I’d sell it to T-Mobile,” Reynolds wrote on Twitter Wednesday. Mint Mobile was created in 2016 with the goal of delivering an “affordable, premium wireless” service direct to consumers, according to its website. In his 2019 statement, Reynolds said he was “excited to champion a more practical approach to the most essential technology.”T-Mobile hopes to boost its own prepaid services with the acquisition of Mint Mobile. “Over the long-term, we’ll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile.” wrote Sievert.

☆ Japan is ditching its attack helicopters in another sign that one of the most important modern military weapons is losing its luster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Japan's attack helicopter fleet currently comprises 12 AH-64 Apaches and 50 AH-1 Cobras, as well as an observation helicopter fleet of 37 Kawasaki OH-1s. Nonetheless, Japan's decision to junk its attack helicopters has other nations thinking what to do with theirs. "Now we have the judgement of Japan, a close friend, that attack helicopters are not worthwhile even for its capability requirements, which include land fighting to defend territory." Christopher BroomeJust as helicopters replaced many of the functions once performed by aircraft, now drones may replace helicopters for attack and scouting missions. Rather than attack helicopters being replaced by drones, it seems more likely they will team up with drones.

HONG KONG, March 9 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) is aiming to unveil some debt restructuring terms before the next winding-up court hearing on March 20 in order to seek another adjournment, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Once China's top-selling developer, Evergrande has been at the centre of a property debt crisis that has seen multiple developers default on offshore debt obligations over the past years, forcing many to enter into debt restructuring talks. Evergrande is due to appear in a Hong Kong court on March 20 for hearing on a winding up petition filed by a creditor. The developer told the court at that time it aimed to win creditors' approval for its debt restructuring proposals by as early as the end of February. Reporting by Clare Jim and Xie Yu in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This startup has developed an operating system for GPs that cuts down on admin. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Doctorly used to raise $10 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

German health tech startup Doctorly has raised $10 million in Series A funding. The startup, founded in 2018, offers practice management software for healthcare providers. A German health tech startup that has developed an operating system for medical practices has raised $10 million in fresh funds. The startup wants to "re-digitize" practices and make it easier for them to adapt to external innovations in health tech. Doctorly is one of the very few regulated health tech startups in Germany and it believes its technology can help cut the time spent by practitioners on administration in half.

☆ A first-of-its-kind fighter jet landing shows India's big ambitions for its growing aircraft carrier fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two fighter jets landed on and took off from India's new aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, this month. The continued growth of India's carrier fleet reflects New Delhi's ambitions in the region. Indian carriersA naval variant of India's Tejas fighter jet lands on INS Vikrant on February 6. Indian navyThough Vikrant is India's first domestically built carrier, it is actually the fourth to enter service with the Indian Navy. The third carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is a modified Kiev-class carrier India purchased from Russia in 2004.

☆ China has U-turned on almost all major policies it put in place in the last 3 years — and it's not surprising, given the state of its economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But the country reversed some major policies in response to the abysmal GDP growth. China's GDP grew by 3% in 2022 — the worst since the chaotic Cultural Revolution ended. Most recently, after three years of pandemic lockdowns and isolation, China abruptly reversed course and abolished its zero-COVID policy — leaving the world guessing why. China's GDP grew only 3.0% in 2022 — the worst in nearly half a century since the chaotic Cultural Revolution ended. China's GDP growth is vital because it is the world's second-largest economy after the US, so it's a driving force for global investment and trade.

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