News Headlines - 04 June 2018

▽Howard Schultz to step down as Starbucks executive chairman

Schultz is seen as the architect of the modern Starbucks, having overseen its expansion from a single coffee shop that opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. He joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of operations and marketing. Over time he grew it into the iconic brand it is today, with more than 28,000 locations globally.
Schultz's latest leadership transition sparked speculation about his potential political plans: He has been a supporter of former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton during her bid for president. Some have already questioned whether he would pursue his own presidential run.

▽UniCredit seeks merger with SocGen

Italy’s UniCredit is plotting to merge with French rival Société Générale in a bold move that would see two of Europe’s big banks join forces, leading the way for an expected round of banking mergers on the continent... Senior figures on both sides stressed discussions were at an early stage and Italy’s volatile political situation had pushed back the timetable for a deal from the original plan of 18 months.

▽U.N.'s poverty and human rights special rapporteur finds U.S. policies reward wealthy, punish poor

Philip Alston, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, published a damning report this week on poverty in the United States, condemning President Trump’s administration for exacerbating the problem of inequality by rewarding the rich and punishing the poor... Alston, who toured the United States at the end of last year, condemned the “dramatic change of direction” in U.S. policies as the Trump administration pursues high tax breaks for the rich and slashes welfare benefits for the poor.

▽3 astronauts, including Japan's Kanai, return from ISS after nearly 5-month mission - The Mainichi

Three crew members of the International Space Station returned to Earth on Sunday after completing a five-and-a-half month mission, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration said... A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, Norishige Kanai of Japan and Scott Tingle of NASA landed in the Kazakhstan countryside around 6:40 p.m., three-and-a-half hours after detaching from the station.

▽Free New Pokemon Game For Switch, Pokemon Quest, Now Available - GameSpot

The Pokemon Company has announced a new game for Nintendo Switch, Pokemon Quest, and it's out now. The spin-off game, which is free to start, features a blocky art style and top-down, real-time action-RPG gameplay in which "face off against wild Pokemon and embark on many exciting expeditions," according to the company. You can download it for free right now on the Eshop.