Latest news with #Akon
India Today
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Singer Akon offers wild theories on Coldplay row, internet bursts out laughing
It looks like not just the internet, but also singer and rapper Akon has jumped on the bandwagon of those enjoying the Coldplay concert drama. After tens of thousands of memes and jokes flooded social media following Astronomer CEO Andy Byron being caught with HR rep Kristin Cabot, the 'Smack That' hitmaker has quite literally smacked the hilarity out of the viral added his own satirical spin with the help of AI-generated video. The 'Bananza' singer imagined three alternate scenarios of how Byron and Cabot could've handled the moment - and the internet couldn't handle how ridiculously funny they context, the original video showed Byron and Cabot caught off guard on the jumbotron during Coldplay's Boston concert - Byron ducking in panic while Cabot covered her face in sheer embarrassment. In Akon's version, the first imagined scenario involves Byron throwing Cabot off the railing and sprinting down imaginary stairs. The second shows the duo bolting as soon as the camera lands on them. The third? A quick celebration followed by Byron ditching Cabot and running off the video shared by Akon here: Though obviously AI-generated, all three scenarios feel absurdly plausible given the social media frenzy that followed. Akon's video added to the already-overflowing sea of parodies, spoofs, and memes online. Fans flooded the comments section, admitting they were in splits over the creativity and the clip, Akon captioned it: 'What he should've done (laughing emojis) (sic),' and in the comments added, 'Man, I am crying (laughing emojis) (sic).' Fans chimed in with their own wild suggestions for what Byron and Cabot could have done to dodge the attention, making it clear the saga is far from video began going viral on Thursday. At the concert, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin had seen the couple on the jumbotron and, reacting to their petrified expressions, quipped, 'Oh look at these two! Oh what?' He followed it up with, 'They're either having an affair or they're just very shy.'Meanwhile, Coldplay continues its Music of the Spheres tour, which is set to wrap up in September at London's Wembley Stadium. But thanks to a jumbotron mishap and Akon's perfectly timed parody, this Boston concert might go down as one of the tour's most talked-about moments.- EndsMust Watch
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Copper Tariffs Set to Include Products for Power Grids, Data Centers
(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump's plans to impose 50% import tariffs on copper imports are set to include the kinds of materials used for power grids, the military and data centers. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Why Did Cars Get So Hard to See Out Of? Are Tourists Ruining Europe? How Locals Are Pushing Back Can Americans Just Stop Building New Highways? How German Cities Are Rethinking Women's Safety — With Taxis Plans involve including semi-finished products, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named as discussions are private. That comes as few details of Trump's plans for copper tariffs have been revealed so far. The tariff measures haven't yet been formalized and they could change. It has been widely expected that refined copper would be tariffed, but it was unclear what would happen with semi-finished products — a category that includes wires, sheets, tubes and plates. Including semi-fabricated goods would ramp up the impact of the levies. Copper on Comex in New York rose as much as 1.3% in early Asia trading on Friday. The levies, which Trump said will come Aug. 1, will have far-reaching impacts for the US. The move is expected to raise costs across a swath of the US economy due to the myriad of industries and applications reliant on the metal. Copper is used in everything from consumer electronics and automobiles to construction and the military. Trump is pursuing the tariffs as part of his effort to bolster America's copper supply chain, which encompasses mining, refining and processing, recycling and making semi-finished goods and end products. Explainer: US Copper Tariffs - What's the Idea, and Can It Work? The biggest category imported by the US is refined copper, which has a metal content of more than 99.993%. The US imported 908,000 metric tons last year, with that raw material consumed by fabricators to make rods, cables and alloys. North America's biggest fabricator is Southwire Co., which supplies wires for US military installations and naval vessels. Southwire didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Copper Development Association describes copper semi-products as the key link in the US military-industrial supply chain in its March 31 submission to the US Commerce Department for this year's copper investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The industry group presented its comments on behalf of 90% of US copper semi-producers. Domestic copper production isn't enough for the US — forcing the country to source a significant amount of semi-finished copper from abroad. An estimated 800,000 tons of copper and copper alloy semi-fabricated products were imported last year, on top of refined copper, according to MM Markets, a consultancy working with American fabricators and recyclers. Krisztina Kalman, the co-founder of the firm, expects the 50% tariff to extend to semi-products for security reasons. Any disturbance in foreign supply of copper and semi-finished products could expose the US to significant issues in delivering electricity, she said. Imposing tariffs on semi-finished copper could also bring disruption to fabricators, since wire rod mills rely on primary imports and levies would drive up their costs. 'The local fabricators will not be able to produce 800,000 tons more semi-products with current capacity, and it could take up to seven years to install new capacity,' Kalman said. (Adds prices in third paragraph) Trump's Cuts Are Making Federal Data Disappear Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions 'Telecom Is the New Tequila': Behind the Celebrity Wireless Boom Soccer Players Are Being Seriously Overworked ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bond Traders Cast Doubt on September Fed Cut Before Key CPI Data
(Bloomberg) -- For much of this year, bond investors were all but certain that the Federal Reserve would resume cutting interest rates by September. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Why Did Cars Get So Hard to See Out Of? How German Cities Are Rethinking Women's Safety — With Taxis Philadelphia Reaches Pact With Workers to End Garbage Strike Lately, that confidence has been wavering. And those nascent doubts add to the focus on inflation data this week that will help set expectations for the Fed's next steps. It will also dictate whether Treasuries can extend their solid first-half performance, which was the best in five years even after stretches of dizzying swings. The CPI figures 'could set the tone for the direction of the Fed and risk sentiment for the second half of the year,' said Zachary Griffiths, head of investment-grade and macroeconomic strategy at CreditSights. A batch of strong jobs figures in early July led traders to rule out a rate cut at the Fed's gathering this month. They also now see about a 70% chance that officials ease at the central bank's September meeting, whereas a reduction by then was viewed as a lock as recently as late June. That backdrop raises the stakes for Tuesday's release of the June consumer price index, which according to Barclays Plc strategists has averaged the biggest absolute surprise of any month in recent years. Signs that price pressures are building amid President Donald Trump's tariff rollout would risk raising further questions around a September cut, and may buoy those positioning for higher yields. Conversely, a tame report could re-energize wagers on near-term monetary easing. 'We should be able to see the effect of the tariff war' in the coming inflation reports, said Tracy Chen, a portfolio manager at Brandywine Global Investment Management. 'I don't see how the Fed can cut in September. The resilience of the job market and the frothy risk asset market do not justify the cut.' Her view is that the yield curve is likely to steepen, given longer maturities' vulnerability to a pickup in inflation, the prospects of government spending and changes in foreign demand. Tariff Divide The Fed will get two further CPI releases before its September decision. Chair Jerome Powell has said that officials need more time to gauge the impact of tariffs before cutting rates, signaling patience in the face of Trump's relentless pressure on him to lower borrowing costs. The levies have driven an emerging divide among policymakers, and getting clarity around the issue has become even tougher after the president delayed the deadline for punitive tariffs on trading partners until Aug. 1. The upshot is that traders have little conviction about where the world's biggest bond market goes next, leading them to unwind big bullish bets over the past week. That sense of limbo leaves yields range-bound for now, with rates on two-year notes, the maturity most sensitive to Fed expectations, fluctuating between roughly 3.7% and 4% as they have since early May. A measure of expected volatility in Treasuries, meanwhile, has tumbled from its tariff-fueled April heights to the lowest in more than three years. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the CPI report to show annual core inflation accelerated to 2.9% in June, the highest since February. What Bloomberg strategists say... 'Treasury yields are at the midpoint of the 2025 range' ahead of this week's inflation and consumer data. 'Anticipation of those data sets is likely to keep bond rates traversing a familiar range with dips being bought and rallies sold for now.' — Alyce Andres, FX/Rates strategist, Markets Live For the full analysis, click here. Those worried about an extended Treasuries slump on hot inflation data may take solace from last week's 10- and 30-year auctions, which showed solid demand, suggesting buyers may step in and limit any selloff. Since easing in December, policymakers have held borrowing costs steady. Powell has called the current level of rates 'modestly restrictive,' and the median forecast in the Fed's so-called dot plot unveiled last month was for two cuts by year-end. However, seven officials saw no reductions in 2025, while 10 saw two or more. Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman have signaled a desire to resume cutting as soon as this month. 'We remain concerned clearer signs of tariff pressure on consumer prices will emerge, forcing a repricing of the path of Fed policy in the near-term, pushing Treasury yields higher across the curve in a modest bear-flattener,' said Griffiths at CreditSights. Even if the next cut comes after September, it doesn't necessarily derail the path of easing, said John Lloyd, global head of multi-sector credit at Janus Henderson. That notion may also curb any bond declines, he said. 'We have two cuts priced in through December,' he said. 'Could one of those come out? Yes, but it probably just gets moved into the first quarter of next year.' What to Watch Economic data: July 15: Empire manufacturing; consumer price index, real average hourly earnings July 16: MBA mortgage applications; producer price index; New York Fed services business activity; industrial production; manufacturing (SIC) production; capacity utilization; Fed Beige Book July 17: Retail sales; import/export price indexes; initial jobless claims; Philadelphia Fed business outlook; business inventories; NAHB housing price index; net long-term TIC flows July 18: Housing starts; building permits; University of Michigan sentiment and inflation expectations Fed calendar: July 15: Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman; Governor Michael Barr; Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin; Boston Fed President Susan Collins; Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan July 16: Barkin; Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack; Barr; New York Fed President John Williams July 17: Governor Adriana Kugler; San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly; Governor Lisa Cook; Governor Christopher Waller Auction calendar: July 14: 13-, 26-week bills July 15: 6-week bills July 16: 17-week bills July 17: 4-, 8-week bills 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions Trump's Cuts Are Making Federal Data Disappear Soccer Players Are Being Seriously Overworked Trade War? No Problem—If You Run a Trade School Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Search for Texas Flooding Victims Suspended Amid New Heavy Rains
(Bloomberg) -- Emergency crews in central Texas suspended their search for victims of recent catastrophic flooding as another night of heavy rain touched off new flash flood warnings. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Why Did Cars Get So Hard to See Out Of? How German Cities Are Rethinking Women's Safety — With Taxis Philadelphia Reaches Pact With Workers to End Garbage Strike The Kerr County Sheriff's Office ordered volunteers, equipment and vehicles to vacate the area around Guadalupe River as water is expected to rise, it said on its Facebook page. Highway 39 in the area has been closed to all vehicles except residents and emergency personnel. 'This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation,' the sheriff's office said in a post. 'Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.' The latest round of storms comes just over a week after the area was devastated by a July 4 deluge that killed at least 120 people and left many more missing. A wide swathe of the region got between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10cm) of rain overnight, with some spots getting more than 8 inches as thunderstorms continue to pound the area, said Scott Kleebauer, a forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. More storms are forecast later in the day. 'It is one of those set ups; there will definitely be heavy rainfall again tonight,' said Kleebauer. 'Those areas down there are so sensitive, so that any type of heavy rainfall could cause a problem.' The area north and west of Austin, the state capital, was hit by devastating floods on July 4, when heavy downpours caused river levels to rise with startling speed. Kerrville, a small town about 55 miles (85 km) northwest of San Antonio and the seat of Kerr County, was particularly hard hit. Among other things, the swollen Guadalupe River struck a girls' summer camp, killing at least 27 children and counselors. Local, state and federal officials have been under scrutiny since the event over their initial response, particularly how a county prone to floods lacked warning sirens when forecasts warned of the danger of flash floods. President Donald Trump visited Kerrville on Friday. The Guadalupe River in Kerrville is forecast to rise by nearly 6.8 feet by Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, the San Saba River in the city of the same name, northwest of Austin, has already risen more than 2 feet and is forecast to rise another 20 feet by Tuesday. Flood watches extend from southern Texas on the Mexican border to eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas. The area northwest of Austin is covered by flash flood warnings through Sunday morning as radar picked up thunderstorms drifting through the area dropping rain at rates of 2 to 4 inches on top of what was received overnight. (Updates with searches suspended, from first paragraph.) 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions Trump's Cuts Are Making Federal Data Disappear Soccer Players Are Being Seriously Overworked Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? Trade War? No Problem—If You Run a Trade School ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
UK Plans New Measure to Boost EV Sales, Transport Secretary Says
(Bloomberg) -- The UK plans to introduce new incentives to make it cheaper for people to buy new electric vehicles as the Labour government attempts to phase out the sale of polluting cars. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Why Did Cars Get So Hard to See Out Of? Can Americans Just Stop Building New Highways? How German Cities Are Rethinking Women's Safety — With Taxis Philadelphia Trash Piles Up as Garbage Workers' Strike Drags On Speaking on Sunday, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed she will be announcing new measures to boost sales of EVs this week but declined to directly address reports in the Telegraph and the Times that the incentives will include up to £700 million ($948 million) in new subsidies and grants to buyers to help offset costs. 'We will be making it cheaper for those who do want to make the switch to electric vehicles,' she told the BBC in an interview. As part of those efforts, Alexander's office on Sunday announced plans to invest £63 million in building charging points at homes and logistics depots around the UK, including funds for charging points at residences without driveways. Her department also outlined a £2.5 billion program to support automakers in the transition to zero-emission vehicle manufacturing. The investments are part of the government's efforts to boost new sales of EVs, which are on average more than twice as expensive as their petrol counterparts. The UK is Europe's biggest EV market and the government has set a 2030 deadline to fully phase out sales of petrol- and diesel-powered automobiles and a 2035 cutoff for hybrids. Sales statistics show automakers are falling short of government-mandated targets to increase the proportion of EVs sold ahead of those deadlines. Automakers have blamed the shortfall on consumer anxieties about the high cost of EVs and lack of charging stations. Trump's Cuts Are Making Federal Data Disappear 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions Soccer Players Are Being Seriously Overworked Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? Trade War? No Problem—If You Run a Trade School ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
