IKEA plans new US stores in $2.2 billion push to challenge Walmart and Wayfair

The company's logo is seen outside of an IKEA Group store in Saint-Herblain near Nantes, France, March 22, 2021. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

IKEA stores owner Ingka Group will spend 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) expanding in the United States over the next three years, its biggest investment in a single country, in a bet to win American customers as other big-box retailers close stores.

Sweden's IKEA, which opened its first U.S. store in 1985, near Philadelphia, is seeking to win market share in the U.S. as cash-strapped consumers look for more affordable products.

"It is in all the states across the U.S. where we see opportunities, but I would say in particular the South, where we see big demand that we have not so far been able to respond to," said Tolga Öncü, head of IKEA Retail at Ingka Group.

Ingka plans to open eight new big IKEA stores and nine smaller stores as well as upgrading existing stores in the U.S., which is IKEA's second-biggest market by sales after Germany, the company said on Thursday.

Öncü said specific locations for the stores had not yet been decided. The new stores, including nine "plan and order points", smaller stores where customers can get advice and order furniture for delivery, are in addition to already planned IKEA openings in downtown San Francisco and in Arlington, Virginia.

As consumers spend less, big-box retailers Walmart and online furniture retailer Wayfair are cutting jobs and shutting stores, creating an opportunity for IKEA to pick up cheaper store and warehouse space. The IKEA expansion will create 2,000 jobs, Ingka said.

"There are locations available that have not been available before, there are opportunities for us to speed up investments in acquiring land and existing locations to bring IKEA closer to the many people," Öncü said.

The planned stores would increase the number of IKEA locations in the U.S. by around a third, from 51 stores and two "plan and order points". Ingka Group had revenues of 5.5 billion euros ($6.03 billion) in the U.S. in its 2022 financial year.

($1 = 0.9130 euros)

($1 = 0.9126 euros)

Elon Musk's SpaceX set to launch first test flight of Starship rocket system

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People wait before the planned brief uncrewed test flight of SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket from the company's Boca Chica launchpad near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

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A view of the SpaceX Starship on its Boca Chica launchpad following a postponement in its launch date due to a frozen valve, after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted a long-awaited license allowing Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch the rocket to orbit for the first time, near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

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SpaceX workers are shown next to the company's Starship near their Boca Chica launchpad before launch on an orbital test mission, near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

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Crews prepare for the launch of the SpaceX Starship, near Brownsville, Texas, U.S., April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Steve Nesius

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US Has Stopped Flying Global Hawk Surveillance Drones Over Black Sea - Flight Tracker

The US has completely stopped flying its Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea, following the incident with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Black Sea waters off Russia's Crimea, data from the Flightradar24 tracker website and analyzed by Sputnik, has shown.

In mid-March, the US government alleged that a Russian fighter jet dumped fuel on and collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone flying near Crimea, eventually leading its operators to bring the unmanned aircraft into the Black Sea. Russia denied attacking the drone in any way, saying the drone operators' poor and sharp maneuvering resulted in the aircraft falling into the Black Sea.

According to Flightradar24's archive of tracks, the last time a US Global Hawk drone flew over the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea was on March 21. Since then, US unmanned surveillance aircraft based in Italy's Sicily have not entered the airspace over the Black Sea.

Before that, since the launch of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US military had been making an average of 8-10 reconnaissance flights per month over the sea.

From March 21 to April 20, US Global Hawks drones made only three flights from the airbase in Sicily, according to the tracker website. However, these flights have been made within the boundaries of the Romanian airspace at a distance of over 400 kilometers (248 miles) from Crimea — outside the range of drones' radar systems, which are capable of receiving radar images of an area at a maximum range of 200 kilometers.

A source familiar with the matter has confirmed to Sputnik that the last time a US Global Hawk surveillance drone flew over the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea was on March 21.

"Following the incident with the American Reaper drone, which fell into the waters of the Black Sea on March 14, Global Hawks made only two more flights over the Black Sea — on March 17 and March 21 — both at a range no closer than 140 kilometers from the southern coast of Crimea," the sources said.

"Apparently, the US command considered further flights in this area impractical. On the one hand, the amount of information received by a drone at such a range is sharply reduced; on the other hand, after March 14, the American side faced the danger of losing such equipment, and a Global Hawk is several times more expensive than a Reaper and is loaded with the most advanced equipment."

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude unmanned surveillance aircraft operated by the US Air Force as a high-altitude long-endurance platform to collect intelligence and support forces in worldwide military operations. Global Hawks are capable of flying for up to 36 hours at a distance of up to 22,000 kilometers. The drones are equipped with various reconnaissance equipment, including radars, optical tracking systems, and infrared sensors.

Any weapons supplies to Ukraine to be considered as anti-Russian move — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova
©Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation/TASS

Moscow considers any supplies of weapons to Ukraine as an openly hostile anti-Russian move, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, commenting on South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol‘s statements on possible deliveries of South Korean weapons to Ukraine.

"Russia is conductive defensive military operations against the collective West, which has chosen the puppet regime in Kiev as an instrument of its hybrid proxy war against us. In this situation, we will consider any supplies of weapons to Ukraine, wherever they might come from, as an openly hostile anti-Russian move," she stressed.

"Such steps will negatively impact bilateral relations with those states that take them and will be taken into account when elaborating Russia’s positions on issues concerning core security interests of the relevant countries. As for South Korea, it might be about the approaches to the settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula," she said.

She recalled that Russian forces deliver high-precision strikes solely at military targets, not at civil infrastructure facilities. "As for concerns about victims among civilians, regrettably, this is a reality Donbass residents were faced with back in 2014 as a result of the aggression by the junta which seized power in Kiev. It was one of the key causes of the current crisis. We have seen no compassion for these numerous victims from the collective West, including Seoul," Zakharova stressed.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, the South Korean president said that South Korea could begin weapons supplies to Ukraine in case of serious threats to civilians in that country.

Conversation with summoned Western ambassadors took harsh tone — Foreign Ministry

The conversation with the US, British and Canadian ambassadors summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday took a harsh tone, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"They were summoned to the Foreign Ministry and everything was explained to them, in a tough tone, without any desire to soften things or soft-pedal the situation," the diplomat told Radio Sputnik on Wednesday.

Zakharova stressed that, if Western diplomats continue to act this way, such behavior would be deemed inconsistent with their declared status.

On Monday, Zakharova slammed the statements made by the UK, US and Canadian ambassadors following the sentencing of journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza (designated as a foreign agent) as constituting direct meddling in Russia’s internal affairs. The diplomat said that Moscow regarded UK Ambassador Deborah Bronnert’s remarks, which she made following the sentencing of Kara-Murza, as unacceptable and warned London against politicizing international human rights issues. Zakharova also stated that the demands of the US and Canadian ambassadors to free Kara-Murza were "the height of cynicism" at a time when their home countries were shamelessly violating human rights and persecuting dissenters.

The Moscow City Court on Monday sentenced Kara-Murza to 25 years in a maximum-security prison and a fine of 400,000 rubles ($4,880), banned him from engaging in journalism for seven years, and ruled that his freedom be limited for six months after his release from incarceration. According to the court ruling, he was found guilty of crimes stipulated under Part 2, Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code (RCC) ("Public Dissemination of Knowingly False Information About the Deployment of the Russian Armed Forces"), Part 1, Article 284.1 of the RCC ("Execution of Activities of a Foreign or International Organization Whose Activity Has Been Declared Undesirable on the Territory of the Russian Federation"), and Article 275 of the RCC ("High Treason").

US Supreme Court extends block on abortion pill curbs until Friday

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday extended by two days a temporary block on limits set by lower courts on access to the abortion pill mifepristone in a challenge by anti-abortion groups to the drug's federal regulatory approval.

The decision to keep the matter on hold gives the justices a bit more time to consider requests by President Joe Biden's administration and the pill's manufacturer Danco Laboratories to block an April 7 preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas that would greatly limit the availability of mifepristone while the litigation proceeds.

Alito's order extended the pause on the dispute until Friday at 11:59 p.m. EDT (0359 GMT on Saturday). He had previously halted the lower court rulings until the end of Wednesday.

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

The administration is seeking to defend mifepristone in the face of mounting abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican-led states since the Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized the procedure nationwide. Alito authored that ruling.

The White House is prepared for a long legal fight on the issue, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

"We're clearly keeping a close eye on this. ... We are prepared for any outcome the Supreme Court may issue," Jean-Pierre said.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. agency that signs off on the safety of food products, drugs and medical devices, approved mifepristone in 2000. The current case could undercut federal regulatory authority over drug safety.

"We will continue to stand with FDA's evidence-based approval of mifepristone," Jean-Pierre added. "... And we will continue to support FDA's independent expert authority to review, approve and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs."

Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortions, which account for more than half of all U.S. abortions.

The administration and Danco told the justices in their filings that mifepristone might not be available for months if the restrictions were allowed to take effect.

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on April 12 declined to block the curbs ordered by Kacsmaryk. The 5th Circuit did halt a part of Kacsmaryk's order that would have suspended the FDA approval of the drug and effectively pull it off the market.

The restrictions, if enacted, would roll back actions taken by the FDA in recent years to make it easier to access mifepristone after confirming the pill's safety and efficacy.

Those actions include in 2021 allowing mifepristone to be distributed by mail, and in 2016 approving its use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy instead of seven weeks, reducing the dosage required and cutting the number of in-person doctor visits from three to one.

Current drug labels for mifepristone would have to be adjusted to account for the restored limits on its use, a process that the Justice Department and Danco previously said could last months, complicating access to the pill.

The restrictions would also suspend the approval of the pill's generic version made by GenBioPro Inc, which accounts for two-thirds of the mifepristone used in the United States for medication abortions.

Nevada-based GenBioPro on Wednesday filed a lawsuit naming the FDA as a defendant seeking to ensure that it can continue selling its pill amid the ongoing legal challenges. GenBioPro named the FDA as a defendant so that it can ask a court to order the agency to keep the drug on the market.

A majority of Americans - some 68%, including 46% of Republicans - oppose Kacsmaryk's decision overturning FDA approval of mifepristone. Some 56% of respondents said they have an unfavorable view of the Supreme Court.

Kericuhan di Kupang, Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT Diserang OTK, Mobil Polisi Dibakar

Dokumen video viral Mobil polisi milik Satuan Lalu Lintas dibakar di Kupang, NTT

Rumah dinas Kepala Kepolisian Daerah (Kapolda) Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Inspektur Jenderal (Irjen) Polisi Johni Asadoma dilempari orang tak dikenal (OTK), hari Kamis tengah malam, 20/04/2023.

Selain menyerang dan merusak rumah dinas Kapolda NTT, OTK juga membakar satu unit mobil patroli milik Satuan Lalu Lintas dan satu unit sepeda motor.

Tak hanya itu, OTK juga merobohkan Pos Pengamatan Idul Fitri dan dua Pos Polisi yang berada di Kanaan dan Lai Lai Besi Kopan.

Hingga saat ini, belum diketahui penyebab penyerangan serta pembakaran kendaraan itu. Begitu pun pelakunya belum diketahui.

Informasi yang berhasil dihimpun, kelompok yang menyerang menggunakan sepeda motor itu melempari rumah dinas Kapolda NTT.

Melihat hal itu, petugas kepolisian dan Brimob yang menjaga rumah dinas Kapolda NTT sempat mengeluarkan tembakan peringatan.

Komandan Satuan Brimob Polda NTT, Kapolresta Kupang Kota, dan Dandim 1604 Kupang langsung melakukan pemantauan dan berusaha mengamankan kondisi.

Ruas Jalan Herewila ditutup sementara usai kejadian penyerangan Rumah Jabatan Kapolda NTT.

Diduga, penyerangan itu buntut dari kericuhan yang terjadi saat pertandingan futsal yang digelar di Gelanggang Olahraga Oepoi Kupang.

Salah seorang anggota Polisi Militer Angkatan Darat didorong oleh pria berpakaian preman yang diduga anggota polisi.

Kepala Bidang Hubungan Masyarakat Kepolisian Daerah NTT Komisaris Besar Polisi Ariasandy membenarkan kejadian itu.

"Dari pihak Polda dan Korem 161 Wira Sakti Kupang sudah meredam konflik tersebut. Sementara kita dalami apa yang menjadi penyebab permasalahan," kata Ariasandy. Rencananya, pada pukul 10.00 Wita, akan digelar konferensi pers oleh TNI dan Polri di Markas Polda NTT.

Terkuak! Pelaku penyerangan Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT: Ada pesan berantai mengarah ke oknum ini

Pelaku penyerangan Rumah Dinas Kapolda Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) perlahan mulai terkuak.

Sebelumnya, pelaku penyerangan Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT dikira orang tak dikenal (OTK), namun muncul pesan berantai sebelum penyerangan yang ternyata mengarah ke oknum (kelompok) ini.

Adapun pesan berantai itu diterima media ini melalui pesan WA dalam bentuk tangkapan layar (Screenshot) WA grup pada pada Kamis pagi, 20/04/2023.

"Piket semua merapat ke gudang se****a", demikian perintah dalam WA grup yang diduga pimpinan kelompok itu.

"Piket, Angkutan, bawa semua kunci mobil merapat ke gudang sen****, mobil semua, truk, str***, bis, ambulans, kat***," tulis pimpinan dalam perintah lanjutan.

Terpantau dalam percakapan WA grup yang menginstrusikan untuk siaga setelah Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT diserang sekira malam sekira pukul 23.00 WITA, pada hari Rabu malam tadi, 19/04/2023.

Selanjutnya, instruksi yang diberikan oleh pelaku dijawab;

"Siap ***** izin," ujar anggota grup yang menduga bawahan dari kelompok itu.

Sebelumnya, aksi pelaku bukan hanya menyerang Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT.

Lebih dari itu, pos penjagaan dan kendaraan kepolisian Kepolisian Daerah (Polda) NTT juga ikut dirusak dan dibakar.

Pelaku yang tergabung dalam satu kelompok kelompok beraksi di Kota Kupang dengan menyerang dan merusak rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT dan merobohkan Pos PAM Idul Fitri.

Selain itu pelaku amukan juga membakar satu unit mobil patroli milik Satlantas dan satu unit sepeda motor. Kaca Pospol Kanan dan LLBK pecah.

Adapun kejadian terjadi tepat tengah malam sekira pukul 23.00 WITA, pada hari Rabu malam tadi, 19/04/2023.

Hingga kini penyebab dan pelaku penyerangan belum diketahui.

Namun dari isi percakapan yang beredar di grup WA bisa dipastikan pelaku penyerangan Rumah Dinas Kapolda NTT mengarah ke oknum ..