Mercedes-Benz is perhaps the biggest name in luxury cars globally, and for countless buyers around the world, it is a car brand to aspire to own. The German automaker has a reputation for superb build quality, excellent engineering, and the bragging rights that its founder Carl Benz invented the first production automobile.
Today, Mercedes-Benz faces a new class of challenges as Tesla has become the aspirational brand for younger consumers. There is a slew of other EV hopefuls vying for the next generation’s aspirational vehicle’s mantle. Automakers have had to sink billions into new technologies and contend with a new crop of competitors in the critical Chinese market and around the world.
Online pet retailer Chewy has seen a surge of growth over the past year as millions adopted new pets. WSJ spoke with Chewy’s CEO to learn how the company handled the pandemic pet boom. Illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ
Five stories to know for April 6: Minneapolis Police Chief testimony, Iran nuclear talks, Biden and COVID variant, vaccine passports and Alexei Navalny is sick.
1. Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo testified against Derek Chauvin, saying he violated policy on respecting the “sanctity of life” during the deadly arrest of George Floyd last May. “I agree that the defendant violated our policy, in terms of rendering aid,” Arrandondo said. Watch the Derk Chauvin trial live: https://youtu.be/oFmtjMMdc9Q
2. Iran and the U.S. begin indirect talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria. Washington abandoned the deal three years ago.
3. President Joe Biden will deliver an update on COVID vaccinations as U.S. cases are rising in younger adults due to highly susceptible variants. Stay tuned for a White House COVID briefing.
4. The British government is assessing the ethical implications of vaccine passports. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed proof of vaccination will not be needed for shops or pubs. “And on Monday 12th, I will be going to the pub myself and cautiously, but irreversibly, raising a pint of beer to my lips,” Johnson said. In the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci said vaccine passports will not be mandated.
5. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was moved to a sick ward. He has symptoms of a respiratory illness and has been tested for the coronavirus.
OTHER TOP STORIES: -Global COVID-19 death toll surpasses 3 million amid new infections resurgence -Biden to speed up eligibility for vaccine as U.S. hits milestone -Skeptical president invites Netanyahu to form next Israeli government http://www.reuters.com
I live in a faded seaside town called St. Leonards-on-Sea, in Sussex, on the south coast of England. If you’ve not heard of it, you’re in good company. It’s not on anybody’s list of celebrated English beauty spots. Indeed, most of my riding is across flat coastal marsh or down-at-the-heel seafront promenades.
A year ago, as a travel photographer grounded by the pandemic, I started bringing a camera and tripod with me on my morning bicycle rides, shooting them as though they were magazine assignments.
It started out as just something to do — a challenge to try to see the familiar through fresh eyes. Soon it blossomed into a celebration of traveling at home.
Itri is a small city and comune the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy. Itri is an agricultural centre divided in two parts by a small river, the Pontone. It lies in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the sea, not far from the Gulf of Gaeta.
Nishijin-ori textiles are known for their exquisite detail, and have been made in the Nishijin area of Kyoto, Japan for over 1,200 years. Follow the intricate process involved in creating obi (the sash worn with traditional Japanese clothing), using a specialised technique called hikikaku – weaving with precious metallic thread. From the making of the thread itself, to the weaving on the loom, watch as three obis are made – one from 100-year-old silver foil, one from mother of pearl, and one from the semi-precious stone, lapis lazuli.
Processes: Silver foil obi: 1:26 Mother of pearl obi: 4:17 Lapis lazuli obi: 6:35
Originating in Heian-kyōto over 1200 years ago, Nishijin weaving is known for its highly-decorative and finely-woven designs, created through the use of tedious and specialised production processes. It is well-regarded for the high quality and craftsmanship of the resulting fabrics, commonly used for high-quality obi and kimono.
Pressure on the king’s half-brother may represent a mere family feud, but Prince Hamzah’s complaints resonate with the country’s people. We ask what will happen next.
Study the fast-growing list of India’s billionaires: who has joined it and who has left are signs of the country’s shifting economy. And an indigenous group’s tall order in Vancouver’s property market.
Greece and Portugal are beginning to reopen parts of their countries and economies, even while other European countries enforce stricter lockdowns. Small retailers in most of #Greece reopened on Monday, with a limit of 20 people indoors at a time. Critics say it is a paradox to reopen shops while Covid-19 cases continue to rise and hospitals remain under pressure. Meanwhile in #Portugal, café terraces, gyms and secondary schools are opening.
NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including Georgia’s new voting law, the resulting corporate fallout, and what President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign donation refunds say about U.S. election fundraising laws.
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