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☆ Silvio Berlusconi, the 3-time Italian leader infamous for 'bunga bunga' sex parties, dead at 86
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister of Italy, was reported dead Monday. The Associated Press reported that Berlusconi had been admitted to the hospital on Friday for checks related to chronic leukemia. He was also a dominant figure in Italian politics, serving three terms as its national leader. Berlusconi's impact on Italian politics was far-reaching. Another former Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, recalled Berlusconi's divisive legacy in a message on Twitter.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Berlusconi, —, Italy's, Berlusconi's, provocatively, Matteo Renzi Organizations: Service, della, Associated Press Locations: Italy, Italian

☆ 'What is there to be afraid of?' Ukrainians in frontline town hopeful about counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Vasco Cotovio Frederik Pleitgen William Bonnett Darya Tarasova | Vasco Cotovio | Frederik Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The town in the Zaporizhzhia region sits just five kilometers away from a frontline where Ukrainian forces have been making a recent push. “The town is shelled every 24 hours.”And with the Zaporizhzhia frontline becoming more active because of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, aid deliveries may become more rare. CNN has been able to geolocate the videos to the Zaporizhzhia region but is unable to verify when they were shot. And nothing happens around town without them being well aware of it, even if that is a top-secret Ukrainian counteroffensive. She straps the food box to the back of her bike and – just before she cycles away – Ukrainian forces somewhere outside of town are heard firing a shell towards Russian positions.

Persons: “, Olga Shumska, unfazed, I’m, ” Shumska, Vasco Cotovio, CNN “, Nina Sokol, we’ll, they’re, Vitaliy Kubushka, you’d, ” Sokol, ” Organizations: Southern, Southern Ukraine CNN, CNN, Sokol, Global Empowerment, Howard Buffet Foundation, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Journalists, Ministry of Defense Locations: Southern Ukraine, Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia, Zapoprizhzhia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kyiv, Shumska, Ukraine

☆ The Paranoid Style in Tucker Carlson’s Home Office
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Fox has ideology, of course (which has cycled through different flavors of conservatism over the decades), but it also has an aesthetic. Fox News is designed to look like it is broadcasting from the top of the world; “Tucker on Twitter” looks not unlike something livestreamed after the apocalypse. Carlson could be different; Fox News has yet to recover in the prime-time ratings from his sudden departure. But Carlson, for all his anti-elite posturing, is wholly a creature of legacy TV, having hosted shows on Fox, CNN and MSNBC. They say you’re wrong, you’re crazy, you’re a racist.

Persons: Fox, “ Tucker, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck —, Carlson, ”, Facebook proselytizer Organizations: Fox News, Twitter, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Facebook Locations: Maine, Russia, Ukrainian

HONG KONG, June 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shein is threading the world’s trickiest geopolitical needle. But rising American pressure is forcing it to tweak its business model right as it tries to list there. Last year, its top line surged 46% to $23 billion, per the Wall Street Journal, surpassing $22 billion at H&M and outpacing the 18% growth at Inditex. A Boston Consulting Group report notes that this model allows Shein to keep inventory turnover at just 40 days. That will be expensive; the company's net profit margin was a razor-thin 3.5% last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, far below bricks and mortar rival Inditex's 13%.

Persons: Shein, Bernstein, Chris Xu, Xu, Mubadala, Pete Sweeney, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, U.S ., Rivals, Street, Financial Times, Boston Consulting, Morningstar, Securities and Exchange Commission, Wall Street, ’, Singapore, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Zara, China, Inditex, Guangdong, U.S, Xinjiang, Nanjing, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, India

☆ The CIA launched a Telegram channel to get Russians to spy for them, with one former spook saying now is 'probably the best period of recruiting Russians that we've had'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CIA is attempting to recruit Russian spies with video posts on Telegram. As of Tuesday, the new CIA Telegram account had almost 5,000 followers. A screenshot from a CIA recruitment video aimed at Russians posted online on May 15, 2023. A screenshot from a CIA recruitment video aimed at Russians posted online on May 15, 2023. James Olson, a former counterintelligence chief, told CNN that this is "probably the best period of recruiting Russians that we've had."

☆ How Vodafone-Three can woo competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone (VOD.L) hopes that three will be its magic number. A merger of Vodafone’s domestic unit with Three UK, the Hong Kong conglomerate’s British business, would shrink the number of mobile operators to three from four. Mobile operators throughout Europe have long lamented antitrust authorities’ preference for keeping at least four players in a market to ensure price competition. Yet Vodafone’s case would be easier to defend if UK operators hadn’t hiked their tariffs in unison by about 11% last spring, a move they seem likely to repeat again this year. That would place the competition watchdog with a tougher choice: slick 5G networks, or four low-priced operators.

[1/4] Paraguayan presidential candidate Santiago Pena from the ruling Colorado Party gestures next to his wife Leticia Ocampos at the party headquarters as he and his running mate Pedro Alliana won Paraguay's presidential race, according to the preliminary official count, in Asuncion, Paraguay April 30, 2023. Still, Pena will be able to keep a cool head amid the tumult, his supporters say. "I think what characterizes him is that he has infinite tranquility," said Lea Gimenez, who served as Pena's deputy when he was finance minister and was later finance minister herself. Throughout the campaign the Colorado Party candidate has vowed to extend Paraguay's decades-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan, despite pressures to open up to China and its huge consumer demand for soybeans and beef. He became finance minister in 2015.

☆ Why the producers of 'Queer Eye' and Peacock's 'Swedish Death Cleaning' show believe they're 'in a really good position' to ride out a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Queer Eye" creator Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only. Joel Chiodi, head of documentaries and SVP of strategic development, contended that Scout's content "may not be broad, but we're enough in the mainstream, just pushing a little more."

☆ Father of up to 600 children banned from donating sperm over fears of accidental incest and inbreeding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A court has ruled that a man who has fathered up to 600 children must stop donating sperm. Already banned from donating his sperm in The Netherlands, Meijer must now also contact clinics abroad to have them destroy his samples. Meijer had helped father between 550 and 600 children in the 16 years he had spent donating sperm, judges said, The Guardian reported. Dutch clinical guidelines say a sperm donor should not father more than 25 children from 12 families. The Dutch News, which described Meijer as an "obsessive" sperm donor, said the Dutch gynecologists' society, NVOG, first issued a warning about Meijer in 2017.

☆ Louis Vuitton dazzles luxury-seeking Seoul with first pre-fall show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 29 (Reuters) - LVMH's (LVMH.PA) top fashion brand Louis Vuitton held its first-ever pre-fall fashion show on Saturday on a bridge in Seoul, the capital of a leading luxury market. In one of the highest profile events since chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari started at Louis Vuitton earlier this year, the runway on the lower level of the double-decker Jamsu bridge that spans the Han River was bathed in blue shadows. Models walked the 795 metre (2,608 feet) bridge, where traffic was stopped for 24 hours, wearing fitted, sporty designs with geometric patterns designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton. They strode out of a tunnel on chunky-heeled shoes in slick windbreakers, miniskirts that flared out and striped suits. On Saturday the creator and director of 2021's Netflix hit drama "Squid Game" Hwang Dong-hyuk participated in the show scenography.

The ruling Colorado Party has dominated Paraguayan politics for the last three-quarters of a century, in power for all but five years. "We never talked about politics before, because a win for the Colorado Party was a done deal," 40-year-old bank worker Gustavo Vera told Reuters in the capital. "There's more corruption in Paraguay than work... All I know is we have to work much harder to make ends meet." The U.S. Treasury earlier this year imposed sanctions on party chief Horacio Cartes and Vice President Hugo Velazquez, citing "rampant corruption." Alegre, on his third presidential campaign, has pulled together a broad alliance of independent parties to challenge the powerful Colorado political machine.

☆ Kochi, Kerala: Indian city reveals fleet of 'water metro' ferries
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The “water metro” will connect Kochi, in Kerala state, with 10 nearby islands in the Arabian Sea. Upgrading roads, railways, and metro systems has been a big initiative for the prime minister ahead of the G20, which India will host in September. As it becomes the most populous country in the world, India has made no secret of its tourism ambitions. Kochi’s water metro system is just the latest in a string of big infrastructure and travel announcements in India. Then, Kolkata’s metro system – the oldest in the country – revealed its first ever underwater line, which travels under the Hooghly River.

But Pena, who has powerful party backing, is able to keep a cool head amid the tumult, his supporters say. "I think what characterizes him is that he has infinite tranquility," said Lea Gimenez, who served as Pena's deputy when he was finance minister and was later finance minister herself. Opinion polls suggest either Pena or center-left opposition leader Efrain Alegre could triumph and most analysts predict a close race. "He matured very quickly, being a young father... he became an adult very quickly," a former colleague told Reuters. He became finance minister in 2015.

☆ From 'Queer Eye' to gay ghost hunters, Scout Productions execs reveal how they built a reality TV powerhouse that's well armed for a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Reality TV powerhouse Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. The company also revealed to Insider that it's developing an unscripted series with Janelle Monáe and her production company, Wondaland. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only.

☆ Getafe hold Barca to another goalless draw in LaLiga
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Leaders Barcelona were held to a second straight 0-0 draw in LaLiga after mid-table Getafe managed to take a point in a hard-fought game on Sunday. In the second half, Barca striker Robert Lewandowski, LaLiga's top scorer this season with 17 goals, had a header blocked while Getafe keeper David Soria also denied Raphinha with a fine save. Getafe nearly stole all three points at the other end on a counter-attack in the 87th minute when the ball fell to Borja Mayoral but the striker's shot from distance flew just wide of the post. Barcelona next host Atletico Madrid next Sunday while 15th-placed Getafe, who sit four points above the relegation zone, are away at Mallorca. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 4 crew members who were promised a role in NBC's 'Bel-Air' speak out: 'I left my son for a year for nothing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Four cast and crew members from the "Bel-Air" fan video were told they'd get hired for the TV show. Kerry Rounds, producer: 'I helped the fan trailer go viral and connected Cooper to Will Smith'I'm a film producer and social-media strategist. When the trailer was done and posted, I told Cooper I could call in some favors and get this thing seen. Cooper told me he'd pitched me for an executive role to NBC. When Kerry was still around for the project, things seemed to function more like a professional film set.

☆ Jesus at the double as Arsenal steam on towards title
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jesus, starting a league game for the first time since returning from a knee injury last month, converted a 35th-minute penalty after being clipped in the box by Luke Ayling. Ben White doubled Arsenal's advantage from Gabriel Martinelli's pass before Brazilian Jesus, signed from Manchester City last summer, struck again from close range in the 55th minute from Leandro Trossard's assist. Leeds had troubled Arsenal in the opening period but once Jesus put the hosts ahead it was relatively plain sailing as they restored their eight-point lead over champions Man City. The most important thing is that everyone that has come in has played good," Jesus said. His persistence and trickery earned Arsenal a nerve-settling penalty on Saturday as he jinked into the box and Ayling, rather unluckily, conceded the spot kick as Jesus tumbled.

☆ Alex Marquez battles fire and damp track to take pole at Argentina GP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 1 (Reuters) - Alex Marquez overcame a crash and fire on his Gresini Ducati machine in the first qualifying session to take his maiden pole position in MotoGP at the Argentina Grand Prix on Saturday, on a damp track where his tyre gamble paid off. "I did my best with the wet tyres. Later on I go in I thought there was no time to change the tyres. But we changed the tyres... and it was working, so really happy for that and looking forward to the sprint and the race." Maverick Vinales of Aprilia, who dominated Friday practice, was fifth fastest while Johann Zarco of Pramac Racing completes the second row.

☆ The Technology Skills Every Employee Should Have Today
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Seán Captain | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In today’s workplace, just knowing the basics of Word and Excel won’t cut it anymore. An explosion of analytical, organizational and communication technologies is remaking every aspect of office work. Whether people work in sales, marketing, project management, design or many other fields, employers expect them to manipulate and analyze data, and bundle it into slick presentations. And as remote work has become the norm, people must know the advanced features of online collaboration.

☆ Do not underestimate how important humans are, even as we automate, the chief technology officer of SAP says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Automation, generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT and Bard, and machine learning are pushing business leaders like never before. They deployed this app, built on SAP Business Technology Platform, and said it saves 400,000 hours per year. Maybe it's a bike company: You're interested more in road bikes or fun bikes. You talked about providing and embedding AI and machine learning and giving customers ways to solve problems in a scalable, ethical way. When machine learning arrived, first that automates a lot of capabilities, but now you have completely new jobs.

☆ Chanel takes glittering, camellia-themed line-up to Paris catwalk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A model presents a creation by designer Virginie Viard, as part of her Fall-Winter 2023/2024 Women's ready-to-wear collection show, for fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France March 7, 2023. The entire set was built around towering, white camellia sculptures that faced the audience, seated in steep risers ringing the space, a sprawling exhibition hall south of the Eiffel Tower. Most looks were black and white, paraded by models striding on shiny black platform boots, often with patterned white tights. For the finale, the massive camellia sculptures suddenly glowed red, and slowly shifted between red and a bright pink as models rounded the room. The catwalk presentation was held on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, which drew crowds of celebrities to the French capital, and featured big-name labels including Hermes, Valentino, LVMH-owned (LVMH.PA) Dior and Louis Vuitton, Kering-owned (PRTP.PA) labels Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

☆ With pails and mugs, Philippine residents clean up oil spill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

POLA, Philippines, March 7 (Reuters) - Residents of a central Philippine province affected by an oil spill from a sunken tanker endured the powerful stench of petroleum as they cleaned it up using buckets and mugs while authorities raced to contain environmental damage. Wearing personal protective equipment and masks, residents of the town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro, with the help of Philippine coast guard crew, collected debris soaked in oil and wiped thick sludge from rocks along the shore. "Here in our area the oil is really thick and the smell is strong," said 34-year-old resident Maribel Famadico while cleaning along the shore with other volunteers. "There is so much oil that we become nauseous when we are not wearing protection. [1/3] Volunteers dressed in personal protective equipment clean up the oil spill from the sunken fuel tanker MT Princess Empress, on the shore of Pola, in Oriental Mindoro province, Philippines, March 7, 2023.

☆ Louis Vuitton shows playful, French styles at Musee d'Orsay in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A model presents a creation by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere as part of his Fall-Winter 2023/2024 Women's ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit TessierPARIS, March 6 (Reuters) - Louis Vuitton (LVMH.PA) took to the Musee d'Orsay for its fall-winter catwalk show on Monday, sending a modern lineup of playful, sculptural looks down a slick, black runway designed to evoke a Paris street. Handbags were varied, including one fashioned to look like a typical blue Paris street sign, trimmed in green - with "Louis Vuitton" stamped in white letters. Paris Fashion Week, which features big-name fashion labels including LVMH-owned Dior, Kering SA-owned (PRTP.PA) Saint Laurent, Valentino and Chanel, winds up on Tuesday. Reporting by Mimosa Spencer in Paris Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philippines to deploy underwater vehicle to pinpoint location of stricken tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view of an oil spill at a beach in Caluya, Philippines March 4, 2023 in this still image obtained from social media video. A remotely operated autonomous vehicle would be deployed to help determine the exact location of the tanker, it said. Authorities want to know how much oil is inside and how to pump the remainder out and stop any leaks, experts said. The tanker's owner has contracted local agencies, Harbor Star Shipping Services and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp., for the cleanup. If sea conditions are bad, it is also unsafe for our contractors to work," Rodrigo Bella, vice president of Harbor Star, told the media briefing.

☆ Nigeria's Obi says he, not Tinubu, won presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Summary Presidential election marred by technical problemsWinner Tinubu says vote was credibleChallenger Obi vows to overturn result in courtAfter vibrant campaign, turnout was record lowABUJA, March 2 (Reuters) - Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi said on Thursday he had won Saturday's election, called Bola Tinubu's victory fraudulent and promised to claim the top job through legal means. Tinubu, the ruling party candidate, was declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation on Wednesday, having won 37% of the vote. He said the election was credible and the reported problems had had no impact on the overall outcome. "We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians," he said. While neither generated the visible enthusiasm directed at Obi, both had powerful political machines and decades of networking behind them.

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