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[Misc] (HL-20190616~20190622) Weekly Headlines
최고관리자  |  19-06-17 00:52


(Mon) Amazon says drone deliveries are on their way
아마존, 수 개월내 드론 배송 시작할 것

Amazon has been teasing us about using drones to delivery our packages for years. But after all the hype, Amazon packages still arrive on wheels. That could soon change. The e-commerce giant said on Wednesday that it's developed this new drone and it'll be delivering packages to customers in 30 minutes or less in the coming months. The company isn't saying where it will debut. It made its first customer delivery by drone in the UK in 2016. The announcement came at Amazon's re:MARS conference in Las Vegas - an event for Machine learning, Automation, Robotics and Space. Jeffrey Dastin is there. "For years Amazon has promised to send packages to customers by a drone. But the hype around that service has outpaced the reality. The challenge is manifold. First it is technologically difficult to make sure that the drone does not trip up on some wires that are hard to see in the sky. And then separately there is the regulatory hurdles that the company faces around the world to make sure that it appeases those in government that its package will be via drones will not harm customers in any way." Amazon's electric drones can fly up to 15 miles and carry goods under five pounds-which represents the majority of items it sells. And Amazon says it's adding facilities closer to urban areas. Amazon has been pushing hard to automate more and more of its processes not just in delivery but also in picking and packing at its warehouses. 

(Tue) KuToo no more! Japanese women take a stand against high heels
하이힐에 반기를 든 일본 여성들

Thousands of women in Japan are taking a stand against high heels. Nearly 20,000 people have signed a petition railing against work dress codes that make high heels mandatory. The campaign is called #KuToo - a play on the Japanese words for "shoe" and "pain." It was all started by Yumi Ishikawa, who submitted the petition to the health ministry on Monday. "Many people need to realize there is a fundamental sexual discrimination. We need to be angry about this. But we've been taught to live with it for many years. I think it is very important for us to be aware that we are not treated fairly, and we have to be angry about it." Ishikawa's tweets about being forced to wear heels at a part-time job at a funeral parlor nonetheless went viral, striking a chord among women who feel her pain. "I feel free and relaxed after I come home and take off my high heels. They hurt my feet." While many companies may not explicitly require high heels, many women wear them because of tradition and social pressure. Japan ranks low among the World Economic Forum's index of gender equality: 110 out of 149 countries. That's despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "womenomics," a policy designed to empower working women. For Ishkawa though, a leg-up for gender diversity starts with a step down. 

(Wed) Tiffany sees lower Chinese tourist sales
티파니, 중국 관광객 대상 매출 하락 전망

Luxury jeweler Tiffany Tuesday cut its profit outlook for the year, blaming dramatically lower spending by tourists at its stores around the world. Spending by tourists fell 25 percent from a year ago, with sharper declines from visitors from China. As a result, the luxury retailer's quarterly same-store sales fell for the first time in nearly two years. Chinese tourists account for a third of global sales of luxury goods. But Relations between the U.S. and China have nose-dived in recent months due to a bitter trade war. In fact, the number of Chinese visitors to the U.S. dropped last year for the first time in 15 years. AND on Tuesday, China's foreign ministry reportedly warned Chinese tourists they could be subject to robbery or gun violence while visiting the U.S. There were some bright spots. Tiffany also highlighted new products and a new marketing effort. The jeweler tapped model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner to star in its Spring 2019 brand campaign, while adding more affordable items like pendants and earrings to appeal to millennials. Despite the profit warnings, Tiffany's shares rose on the day. 

(Thu) Global airlines slash profit forecasts on trade war fears
국제 항공산업, 무역 긴장 고조로 수익전망 하향 조정

2019 doesn't look so good for the world's airlines. Global industry body IATA says its members' profits will be a fifth lower than forecast earlier. About 28 billion dollars instead of the 35.5 billion predicted back in December. The IATA chief revealed the downgrade at the body's annual conference, which wrapped up Monday in Seoul. "First of all, we have seen the consequences of trade wars and protectionist measures, particularly on our cargo business from a microeconomic standpoint. You see that the international trade is now at zero growth rate, so immediate impact on our cargo business." Higher oil prices are hurting too. Then there's Boeing's 737 MAX 8. The jets still grounded after two fatal crashes. And it's still unclear when they might fly again. Over the weekend airlines called on global regulators to work together on a plan. They fear different decisions around the world could just sow confusion. IATA didn't cite the jets in its outlook, but said the grounding put the industry's reputation in question. And it's costing airlines a fortune. Some are seeking compensation from Boeing, or changing their plans. On Monday airlines in Azerbaijan and Malaysia said they were in talks about delaying delivery of the MAX jets they ordered. 

(Fri) Amazon interested in buying Boost
아마존, 부스트 모바일 인수에 관심보여

Amazon once sold its own branded smartphone but scrapped that business a year later. Now some four years later, it's considering getting back into the wireless arena again. Sources tell Reuters the online retailer is interested in buying the prepaid cellphone service, Boost Mobile. That's one of Sprint's brands. Sprint is merging with T-Mobile US, and the two companies plan to reduce their share in the prepaid wireless business in a bid to get regulators to bless their marriage. Reuters reporter Sheila Dang helped break this story. "They might be interested in getting into the wireless business, but on the other hand, they obviously do a lot in cloud. They have a lot of Internet of Things solutions, so having access to a 5G wireless network would really help build that out." Sources say Amazon is also interested in any wireless spectrum the two companies may divest. Potential bidders are valuing Boost at up to $3 billion. Cowen analysts estimate a deal that also includes wireless spectrum could add another $1.5 billion to that tab. Shares of Amazon, T-Mobile US and Sprint all fell Friday morning amid a broad sell-off in the markets led by the telecom sector. 

===========================
* S. Korea finish 2nd after loss to Ukraine

It was close but no cigar. South Korea finished in second place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup following a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz on Saturday. Lee Kang-in converted a penalty in the fifth minute to give South Korea an early lead, but Ukraine scored three unanswered goals for their first title.

* LG CNS, Microsoft to develop cloud-based business platform

LG CNS, the information technology services unit of South Korea’s LG Group, said Sunday it will work with Microsoft to develop advanced business platforms to improve its working environment. The company said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to develop cloud-based business platforms. The agreement was reached on Friday at Microsoft’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The new platforms are designed to incorporate Microsoft’s advanced software and cloud computing technologies into LG CNS’s business infrastructure. Starting with LG CNS and other subsidiaries, the solutions will be introduced as early as later this year.

* S. Korea's Lee Kang-in wins Golden Ball as tournament MVP

South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-win earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday. The 18-year-old playmaker helped lead South Korea to the runner-up finish, the country's best showing ever at the biennial tournament. Lee scored South Korea's lone goal in their 3-1 loss to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz earlier in the day. Lee, who plies his trade with Valencia CF in Spain, had two goals and four assists in seven matches during the country's unexpected championship run.

* Pompeo again blames Iran for tanker attacks but insists 'we don't want war'

The United States does not want to go to war with Iran, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said on Sunday, following an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week. Pompeo reiterated that the US believes it was “unmistakable” that Iran was responsible for the attacks, in an interview with Fox News Sunday. He stressed a need for diplomacy and said American officials are reaching out to their foreign counterparts. “President Trump has done everything he can to avoid war. We don’t want war,” he added. The president has been accused of beating the drum of war with recent inflammatory statements against Iran.

* Pete Buttigieg wants to start a family with his husband, Chasten

The Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg wants to start a family with his husband, Chasten, and says that could happen if he makes it to the White House. “I don’t see why not,” the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said in a Father’s Day television interview that also marked his first wedding anniversary. Buttigieg was little known nationally before he began his campaign for president earlier this year, but has seen his star rise in recent months, ranking alongside Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in one Iowa poll last week.

* Federal minimum wage sets record with no increase since 2009

The US federal minimum wage has gone a record length of time without an increase, with the $7.25-an-hour base, remaining unchanged for nearly a decade as of Sunday. For minimum-wage workers who have a 40-hour work week, and work 52 weeks without having any unpaid time off, this equates to just $15,080 annually, according to a CNN calculation. Twenty-one states reportedly use the federal minimum wage as their base. Lawmakers approved the last increase on 24 July 2009. The number stands in sharp contrast to what some researchers believe is an average living wage. Two working parents in a family of four would need to earn $67,146 to cover expenses. That equates to $16.14 an hour for each parent, CNN reported.

* Korea’s nuclear reactor technologies allegedly leaked to UAE, US

The South Korean government is reportedly looking into allegations of leaks of key nuclear reactor technologies to other countries. According to multiple local news reports Tuesday, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and the National Intelligence Service are verifying the authenticity of a tipoff delivered to the NSSC through a nuclear safety ombudsman system. Based on the tipoff, one retiree from state-run nuclear operator Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has allegedly leaked “critical” nuclear reactor technologies to the US and the United Arab Emirates. The retiree had reportedly moved to the UAE’s Nawah Energy Company in 2015. He is alleged to have provided blueprints, production technologies and detailed documents of an APR-1400, an advanced pressurized water nuclear reactor designed by the Korea Electric Power Corp., according to the reports.

* What is Libra? All you need to know about Facebook's new cryptocurrency

On Tuesday, Facebook announced a digital currency called Libra that will roll out for use in 2020 and allow the platform’s billions of users across the globe to make financial transactions online. The new technology threatens to change the landscape of banking and is already the subject of scrutiny, as Facebook faces increasing calls for regulation and antitrust measures. But regulatory questions aside – how soon can you use Facebook’s new digital coin to buy coffee? Here’s what you need to know.