Re-branded as Stars Coffee, the successor of Starbucks welcomed its first visitors in Moscow on Friday after the Seattle-based coffee shop chain withdrew from the Russian market over the conflict in Ukraine.. Starbucks temporarily closed its 130 coffee shops in Russia at the start of Moscow's February military intervention in Ukraine, later announcing that it will permanently leave the Russian market after nearly 15 years.
Public transport workers in London held fresh strikes Friday over pay and conditions, cutting services on almost all underground and overground rail lines that link up the UK capital.. A spokesperson for Transport for London, responsible for most of the capital's network, told AFP there were "almost no tube (Underground) services" with only a couple of lines functioning with "very reduced services".
Dozens of people queue under monsoon drizzle for subsidised cooking oil in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon, waiting for one of the many commodities that have become scarce as economic misery strikes the city.. "People can't spend much of their income on food because of higher commodity prices," said 55-year-old housewife Khin Khin Than as she waited to fill her plastic bottle with oil sold by a local association.
A provincial capital in southwest China has dimmed outdoor advertisements, subway lighting and building signs to save energy, official announcements said, as the area battles a power crunch triggered by record-high temperatures.. And Chengdu metro said in a video on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform that it would also turn off advertisement lights and "optimise" the temperature in stations to save energy.
Stocks swung in Asia on Friday as investors tried to assess the Federal Reserve's plans for lifting interest rates to fight inflation, with mixed data and differing opinions by bank officials providing little clarity.. That was followed by a drop in inflation, which lifted markets, but was followed by several officials reasserting the need to continue to tighten monetary policy to get inflation down from four-decade highs.
Apple is warning of a flaw that is allowing hackers to seize control of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, and is urging users to install emergency software updates.. Patches were released for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers running on operating systems with the vulnerability. gc/bfm
Japan's Rui Hachimura and France's Killian Hayes will have the chance to play before their home-nation fans with the NBA Global Games resuming next month after a two-year layoff due to the Covid-19 pandemic.. "For Killian Hayes to play in his home country is going to be tremendous," Tatum said.
Facebook-owner Meta said Thursday it had kicked one of the most influential US anti-vaccination groups off the social media network for spreading Covid-19 misinformation.. The anti-vaccine group has appealed a lower court ruling against it in the litigation, according to legal filings. gc/bgs
"Forever chemicals" used in daily items like nonstick pans have long been linked to serious health issues –- a result of their toxicity and extreme resistance to being broken down as waste products.. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were first developed in the 1940s and are now found in a variety of products, including nonstick pans, water-resistant textiles, and fire suppression foams.
Oil prices have dropped by a quarter since June and could fall further if a nuclear deal is reached with Iran as it would bring more crude to the market, yet inflation remains stubbornly high.. - Iran wildcard - The market, however, could fall again if Tehran reaches a nuclear deal that would allow the country to raise its exports, which are currently restricted by sanctions.
