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BEIJING (AP) — Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars. The tech company will start taking orders for the SU7, a sporty four-door sedan, following a launch event with founder Lei Jun in Beijing on Thursday evening. Government subsides have helped make China the world's largest market for electric vehicles, and a bevy of new makers are locked in fierce competition. "I believe that one day, Xiaomi EVs will be a familiar sight on roads around the world,” he was quoted as saying in a company news release. “China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices,” President Joe Biden said when the U.S. investigation was announced.

Persons: —, Lei Jun, Lei, Xiaomi, Le, ”, automaking, “, ” Le, Joe Biden, I’m Organizations: BEIJING, Analysts, Fitch, Sino, Insights, EU, U.S, Trade Organization, U.S . Defense Department, U.S . Locations: China, Beijing, American, U.S

☆ Artists and Speakers Withdraw From SXSW Over U.S. Military’s Support of Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Emily Schmall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dozens of musicians and panelists have withdrawn from the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, to protest sponsorship by the U.S. Army and defense companies as pressure grows against the U.S. military’s support of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. More than 80 artists and panelists at SXSW had joined the boycott by Wednesday, according to one of the organizers, the Austin for Palestine Coalition. Ibrahim Batshon, a Palestinian American and the chief executive of BeatStars, a digital music-licensing platform and longtime sponsor of the music and technology festival, withdrew from SXSW after learning of the increased involvement this year of the U.S. Defense Department. The United States is the largest supplier of military equipment to Israel. Mr. Batshon, who is Palestinian American and is known as Abe, said that six of his family members were killed in a bombing in November while taking refuge at a church in Gaza City.

Persons: Ibrahim Batshon, Batshon, Abe Organizations: Southwest Conference, U.S . Army, U.S, SXSW, Wednesday, Austin for Palestine Coalition, U.S . Defense Department, Palestinian Locations: Austin , Texas, Gaza, Austin, Palestinian American, United States, Israel, Gaza City

☆ Boeing agrees to $51 million settlement for U.S. export violations, including in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Boeing said on Thursday it had reached a $51 million settlement with the U.S. State Department for numerous export violations including Chinese employees in China improperly downloading documents related to U.S. Defense Department programs. The administrative settlement covers unauthorized exports of technical data and resolves 199 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the State Department said. Boeing said it was "committed to our trade controls obligations, and we look forward to working with the State Department under the agreement." Boeing voluntarily disclosed the violations, which mostly occurred before 2020, and the government documents did not allege disclosure of classified material. The settlement includes a three-year consent agreement and $51 million civil penalty, of which $24 million will be suspended by the State Department so Boeing can use the funds for remedial compliance measures to strengthen its compliance program.

Organizations: Boeing, New York Stock Exchange, U.S . State Department, U.S . Defense Department, The State Department, Control, State Department Locations: New York, U.S, China, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon

☆ Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A vessel impaired in a mid-February Houthi attack offshore Yemen remains abandoned at sea awaiting towing to safe harbor amid growing concerns of an oil spill. The Iran-backed militant group claimed it dealt "catastrophic damage" during a Feb. 18 offensive against the Belize-flagged general cargo vessel Rubymar, which the Houthis said was "at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden." The attack caused "an 18-mile oil slick," the U.S. Central Command said in a social media update on Feb. 24, adding that the tanker is anchored, but taking on water. "The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster," Centcom said. Khoury added that, as the Rubymar's crew has deserted the ship, his company has no information on the status of a possible oil leak.

Persons: Houthis, Centcom, Roy Khoury, Khoury Organizations: U.S . Central Command, Blue Fleet Group, CNBC, U.S . Locations: Yemen, Iran, Belize, Gulf, Aden, Saudi, Jeddah, Djibouti, U.S

A 32-page lawsuit filed on Jan. 17 in U.S. District Court in Tucson, Arizona, accuses the U.S. “The San Pedro Valley will be irreparably harmed if construction proceeds,” it says. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSunZia Wind and Transmission and government representatives did not respond Monday to emailed messages. The transmission line also is being challenged before the Arizona Court of Appeals. The court is being asked to consider whether state regulatory officials there properly considered the benefits and consequences of the project.

Persons: Pedro “ Arizona’s, Joe Biden's, Work, Verlon M, Jose, SunZia, ____ Ritter Organizations: —, U.S . Interior Department, Land Management, Western Apache, Energy, San Carlos Apache, Center for Biological Diversity, U.S, U.S . Defense Department, Work, San, Tribal, of Appeals Locations: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M, Arizona, California, U.S, Tucson , Arizona, Pedro Valley, Zuni, Western, New Mexico, San Pedro Valley, Tucson, San Pedro, ”, U.S ., Redrock, Las Vegas , Nevada

☆ Top China, U.S. military leaders hold first meeting in more than a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Other Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam also claim parts of the South China Sea. "The key to developing a healthy, stable, and sustainable military-to-military relationship is ... a correct understanding of China," China's Defense Ministry said in a readout of the Brown-Liu virtual call. China has consistently maintained its claim over self-governed Taiwan and the majority of the South China Sea. The U.S. has documented more than 180 coercive and risky air intercepts against its aircraft in the region between 2021 and 2023, according to its latest China Military Power Report. This includes their bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks, and opening lines of communication between the leaders of the respective military commands in the South China Sea and the broader Pacific.

Persons: Cope, Charles Brown, Liu Zhenli, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, General Brown, General Liu, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Liu, — CNBC's Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Air Force, Clark Air Base, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Beijing, U.S ., Defense Ministry, U.S . Defense Department, People's Liberation Army, Maritime, Eurasia Group Locations: Philippines, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Asia, San Francisco, Eurasia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Singapore, Manila, South China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, United States, The Hague, U.S, South

Residents, many of whom had moved there to flee earlier attacks in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, said they could hear tank fire and feared a new Israeli ground offensive was building. The Israeli military earlier ordered people to evacuate some areas in and near the city, but made no announcement of any new southern ground assault. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) continues to extend its ground operation against Hamas centres in all of the Gaza Strip," spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters in Tel Aviv. GROUND OFFENSIVE FEAREDGaza residents said earlier on Sunday they feared an Israeli ground offensive on the southern areas was imminent. Tanks had cut off the road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip into three.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Khan Younis, Daniel Hagari, Eylon Levy, Younis, United States —, —, Kamala Harris, Isaac Herzog, Mahmoud Abbas, Harris, Israel, Osama Hamdan, Deir, Suhaib Salem, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Nandita Bose, Idrees Ali, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, David Lawder, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, Pentagon, Palestinian, IDF, Israel Defence Forces, U.S . Defense Department, Yemen's, Reuters, United, Tanks, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Khan, U.S, Sea, Pentagon Iran, GAZA, CAIRO, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, Yemen's Iran, Hamas, Rafah, Gaza's, Beit Lahiya, United States, Lebanon, Egypt, Cairo, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Washington

☆ EV maker Canoo slashes spending for second half of 2023, forecasts smaller loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the Canoo logo on a Canoo LV (Lifestyle Vehicle) electric vehicle outside a manufacturing site in Livonia, Michigan, U.S. November 29, 2022. The EV maker expects capital expenditure of $30 million to $40 million in the second half of 2023, compared with its prior forecast range of $70 million to $100 million. Canoo projects core loss to be between $85 million and $105 million for the second half, versus its previous range of $120 million to $140 million. Adjusted loss per share was 6 cents, compared with LSEG estimates of a 12-cent loss. Its cash and cash equivalents were $8.3 million as of Sept. 30, compared with $5 million in the preceding three months.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Canoo, Tony Aquila, EVs, Aquila, Samrhitha, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, Ford, General Motors, U.S . Defense Department, Walmart, NASA, Thomson Locations: Livonia , Michigan, U.S, Oklahoma, Bengaluru

☆ Five US Service Members Killed in Aircraft Crash in Mediterranean -Defense Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Five U.S. service members were killed on Friday when their aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a refueling training mission, the U.S. Defense Department said on Sunday. Search and rescue operations involving nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships immediately followed the crash and an investigation into its cause is under way, U.S. European Command said in a statement. U.S. European Command, which handles American military operations in Europe and parts of the Middle East, reported the accident on Saturday. "We can definitively say that the aircraft sortie was purely related to training and there are no indications of hostile activity," it said. Identities of the victims will not be released until next of kin notifications are completed, the command said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Katharine Jackson, Andrea Shalal, Scott Malone, Grant McCool, Sandra Maler Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Defense, U.S . European Command Locations: U.S, Israel, Europe

☆ Armed drones shot down over Iraq airport where US forces based
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Three armed drones were shot down on Tuesday in two separate attacks over Erbil airport in northern Iraq where U.S. forces and other international forces are stationed, Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said in a statement. The attacks are the latest in a series on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria as tensions soar in the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war. A group called the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" said it targeted Al-Harir military base, which is about 70 km northeast of Erbil airport. The defence system at a military base near the airport successfully defended against the drones, the statement said. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani has pledged to pursue those responsible for recent attacks on three military bases in Iraq hosting international coalition advisers, including Ain al-Asad in western Iraq, a military base near Baghdad's international airport and Harir in Erbil.

Persons: Al, Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Amina Ismail, Nick Macfie, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S . Defense Department, Coalition, U.S, Iraqi, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Erbil, Iraq, U.S, Iraqi, Syria, East, Israel, Ain, Harir

☆ Boeing struggles to steer defense unit in another year of losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker is seen before a delivery celebration to the U.S. Air Force in Everett, Washington, U.S., January 24, 2019. Despite absorbing $4.4 billion in losses in 2022 – which executives said would lower the risk of future cost overruns – the unit has seen little improvement this year. Excluding last year, losses on Boeing's defense programs in 2023 exceed those from all years since 2014, according to a Reuters review of Boeing’s regulatory filings. The latest charge for Air Force One brought total losses to $2.4 billion on a $3.9 billion contract to develop two planes. A better bet, and one Boeing's defense segment is aggressively pursuing, is inking future contracts for next-generation fighter jets and cutting-edge drones.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Lockheed Martin, Brian West, Byron Callan, ”, Seth Seifman, JP Morgan, “, NASA's, West, there's “, Richard Aboulafia, ” Aboulafia, Valerie Insinna, Rod Nickel Organizations: Boeing KC, Pegasus, U.S . Air Force, REUTERS, Rights, Air Force, Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics, Capital Alpha Partners, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, BDS, Boeing Defense Space, U.S . Air Force's KC, KC, Thomson Locations: Everett , Washington , U.S, Ukraine

☆ China's defence ministry blasts Pentagon's annual report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The flags of the United States and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry on Wednesday denounced the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on China, saying it distorts the country's security policy and military strategy. "The so-called report on China's military power released by the United States is full of all kinds of wrong content, including the statement on the Taiwan issue," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said at a media briefing on Wednesday. But he added the difficulties and obstacles facing relations between the two militaries are created by the United States. The United States accepted China's invitation after China turned down a meeting a few months ago between the two countries' defence chiefs.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Wu Qian, Wu, Defence Ministry's Wu, Bernard Orr, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Defense, Pentagon, Congress, Defence Ministry, Taiwan Affairs, Defence, United, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Chinatown, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Rights BEIJING, People's Republic of China, South, Taiwan, United, Beijing

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesOne week later, King, 23, ran across the heavily fortified border from South Korea and became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years. Officials said King was taken to the airport and escorted as far as customs. His release from North Korea was aided by Swedish officials who took King to the Chinese border, where he was met by U.S. By declaring King a deserter, the Army would have to conclude that King left and intended to stay away permanently.

Persons: Travis King, King's, Claudine Gates, “, ”, King, China Nicholas Burns, Fort Sam Houston, Sean Timmons, Snapchat, ” Timmons, Tara Copp Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Army, U.S ., Associated Press, Air Force, U.S, . Defense Department, Brooke Army Medical, Fort Locations: North Korea, United States, South Korea, Fort Bliss , Texas, Korean, Panmunjom, Pyongyang, Texas, China, Swedish, U.S, Fort Sam, San Antonio, Korea, Tully, Washington

☆ Covid-induced Nobel Prize is on brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

They realized that modifying lab-made mRNA, a molecule used for protein production, nearly stopped the body from mounting an inflammatory response. It takes, on average, about 25 years between publishing work and receiving the Noble Prize in medicine. There are exceptions: insulin was created in 1921, administered to children in 1922, and the inventors were given the prize in 1923. Contrast that to Ralph Steinman, awarded the prize in Medicine in 2011 for work done in 1973. Follow @rob_cyran on XCONTEXT NEWSKatalin Kariko and Drew Weissman were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine on Oct. 2 for their work in a paper published in 2005 in the journal Immunity on mRNA molecule modifications.

Persons: Kariko, Drew Weissman, Ralph Steinman, Germany’s, Weissman, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, University of Pennsylvania, Medicine, U.S . Defense Department, Pfizer, Moderna, Thomson Locations: Covid

☆ EV startup Canoo names board member Greg Ethridge as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Canoo Inc FollowWalmart Inc FollowAug 28 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle startup Canoo (GOEV.O) on Monday named board member Greg Ethridge as its chief financial officer, succeeding Ken Manget. The company, whose shares have fallen 57% so far this year, said this move was effective immediately. Ethridge has agreed to resign from Canoo's board of directors, a position he has held since 2020, by the end of the year. Canoo has contracts with the U.S. Defense Department for supply of advanced battery packs, Walmart (WMT.N) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for supplying electric vehicles. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Greg Ethridge, Ken Manget, Ethridge, Manget, Canoo, Jaspreet Singh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Walmart, U.S . Defense Department, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ 'Tragic' crash injures 23 US Marines in Australia exercises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Samuel Mckeith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Twenty-three U.S. Marines were injured during military exercises in northern Australia on Sunday, officials said, in a helicopter crash that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called "tragic". One marine was being operated on at Royal Darwin hospital and four others were at the hospital, said Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Some people are critically injured," Fyles told the news conference, adding there was a "wide range" of injuries. Australian personnel were not involved in the crash that occurred during Exercise Predator's Run 2023, Albanese said. Four Australian soldiers were killed last month during large bilateral exercises when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Michael Murphy, Murphy, Natasha Fyles, Fyles, Albanese, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Marines, Northern Territory Police, Australian Defence Force, U.S . Marines, Royal Darwin, The U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: Australia, Darwin, Northern, Western Australia, The, U.S, China, Queensland, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Plant-Based Plastics Gain Favor as Companies Pursue Sustainability Goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Plant-based plastic, that is. However, the environmental benefits of plant-based plastics are increasingly appealing to companies promising to use more sustainable materials by the end of the decade. Plants absorb the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide, which cuts the greenhouse-gas emissions from making bioplastics to at least half that of fossil-fuel-based plastics. A Lululemon shirt containing plant-based nylon. Only plant-based plastics that are chemically identical to fossil-fuel–based versions can enter the existing and growing recycling infrastructure.

Persons: Bioplastics haven’t, Michael Carus, “, ” Carus, Eastman, Chris Killian, bioplastics, Warby Parker, ”, Biden, Manav, olefins, Dow, bioethylene, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis, Haley Lowry, Dieter Holger Organizations: Sustainable Business, Kodak, U.S . Defense Department, European, dieter.holger Locations: China, Japan, biomanufacturing, U.S, Iowa

Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. Today, more than 4,500 Starlink satellites are in the skies, accounting for more than 50 percent of all active satellites. 53% of active satellites are Starlink.” The Starlink satellites are highlighted and are all operating in low-Earth orbit. How Starlink customers connect to the internet Starlink satellites orbit at much lower altitudes than traditional satellite internet services. “Everywhere on earth will have high bandwidth, low latency internet,” Mr. Musk predicted on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Mark, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Elon Musk, Zaluzhnyi, General Zaluzhnyi, Musk, Musk’s, ”, Starlink’s, ” Mykhailo Fedorov, Mr, Biden, ” Dmitri Alperovitch, Sir Martin Sweeting, Sweeting, Mike Blake, Patrick Seitzer, Rafael Schmall, Joe Rogan, Jeff Bezos, Starlink, Russia —, Fedorov, —, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Nancy Pelosi, Colin H, Kahl, Lynsey Addario, messaged Mr, Lloyd Austin, Gregory C, Allen, we’ve, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jason Hsu, Hsu, “ Elon, Michael McCaul of, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Audrey Tang, Mariana Suarez, Thierry Breton, SpaceX, Chérif El, Amazon Organizations: Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Mr, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, Senior Pentagon, The Defense Department, Starlink, European Union, Silverado, Accelerator, Surrey Satellite Technology, Reuters, Airbus, Earth, Getty, Satellite, University of Michigan, National Science Foundation, Rivals, Amazon, Origin, Viasat, Pentagon, CNN, The New York Times, U.S, Defense Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Elon, Harvard Kennedy School, Republican, House Foreign Affairs, OneWeb, Agence France, European, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, United States, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Starlink, Crimea, Russian, Starlinks, Europe, Taiwan, China, Beijing, British, Colorado, Cape Canaveral, Fla, —, California, Florida, Latin America, Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ukrainian, Russia, Kreminna, Aspen, Colo, Kherson's, Kherson, Dnipro, Shanghai, Taipei, Michael McCaul of Texas, del, Uruguay, European Union

VW, which relies on gallium and germanium for automotive products, said it was "ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary" but did not elaborate. The metals will play a role in future autonomous driving functions, a spokesperson for the German automaker said. Germanium is used in high-speed computer chips, plastics, and in military applications such as night-vision devices, as well as satellite imagery sensors. But if prices rise as restrictions take hold companies would have another reason to shift supply chains. NXP makes some chips for the auto and communications sectors using gallium or germanium.

Persons: Yellen, Janet Yellen, Alastair Neill, Imelda Medina, Liao Chien, Taiwan's TSMC, chipmaker, NXP, Josephine Mason, Matt Scuffham, Catherine Evans Organizations: VW, WIN, Treasury, Beijing Pentagon, Volkswagen, U.S, Critical Minerals, U.S . Defense Department, REUTERS, Capital Securities Corp, WIN Semiconductors, Reuters, Apple, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Beijing, TAIPEI, China, Puebla, Mexico, Germany, Japan, Taiwan

☆ Japan's military considers adopting Musk's Starlink satellite service -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 25 (Reuters) - Japan's military is testing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service with an eye to adopting the technology next fiscal year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, citing unnamed government sources. The Ministry of Defense already has access to communication satellites in geostationary orbit, but use of Starlink technology, operated by Musk's SpaceX, would add a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, the Yomiuri said. Japan's Self-Defense Forces have been testing Starlink since March with the system deployed in about 10 locations and in training, the newspaper said. Starlink technology is being deployed by Ukraine on the battlefield, and Russia is attempting to block its use in the region. The U.S. Defense Department said this month it had contracted to provide Starlink services there.

Persons: spokespeople, Musk, Sam Nussey, William Mallard Organizations: Elon, Yomiuri, Ministry of Defense, Musk's SpaceX, Defense Forces, Defence, SpaceX, The U.S . Defense Department, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Ukraine, Russia, The

☆ Exclusive: Lockheed raises concerns over L3Harris-Aerojet deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) has raised concerns with the U.S. Defense Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about L3Harris's (LHX.N) acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD.N), Lockheed's chief operating officer said on Tuesday. Frank St John told Reuters that Lockheed, Aerojet's biggest customer, wanted L3Harris to ensure access to rocket motors, fair pricing and IP protections, adding it had received "little response" from L3Harris over its concerns. If L3Harris continues to be unresponsive, Lockheed wants the Defense Department or FTC to put in place a mechanism to guarantee access to technology, St John said. L3Harris, Aerojet Rocketdyne, the FTC and Defense Department did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Lockheed had previously attempted to buy Aerojet in a $4.4 billion deal, but walked away from the acquisition in February 2022 after the FTC sued to block the deal, citing concerns that Lockheed could hinder competitors' fair access to Aerojet products.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Aerojet, Frank St John, L3Harris, we've, St John, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed's, Greg Hayes, Chris Calio, Valerie Insinna, Mark Potter Organizations: Lockheed, U.S . Defense Department, Federal Trade Commission, Reuters, Paris, Defense Department, FTC, Aerojet, Thomson Locations: L3Harris, Ukraine

☆ Blinken to fly to Beijing for high-stakes diplomacy after spy balloon saga
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane for travel to Berlin at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, June 22, 2021. Andrew Harnik | Pool | ReutersBEIJING — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Beijing this weekend in his first trip to China under the Biden administration. watch now"And so I think that the administration's goals are, at this point unrealistic because of the way Beijing has framed its interest in its strategy." Its appearance had forced Blinken to indefinitely postpone his Beijing trip at the time. The U.S. recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan, a democratically self-governed island.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Andrew Harnik, Biden, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Scott Kennedy, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Drew Thompson, Lee, Thompson, they're, there's, TikTok, Kennedy, Jia Qingguo, Jia Organizations: Joint Base Andrews, Reuters, Reuters BEIJING —, U.S, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNBC, U.S . Department of State, People's, U.S ., China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S . Defense Department, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Congress, chipmaker Micron, Washington , D.C, Pacific Command, Peking University, Asia Vision Locations: Berlin, Joint Base Andrews , Maryland, Reuters BEIJING, Reuters BEIJING — U.S, Beijing, China, People's Republic of China, U.S, Singapore, Washington ,, Taiwan, South China, Taiwan Strait, Asia, Russian, Ukraine

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, said: "We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station." If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, General Patrick Ryder, Jose Cabanas, Washington, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington's, House's Kirby, Bob Menendez, ”, Daniel Hoffman, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Michael Martina, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Wall Street, White House, Pentagon, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Reuters, U.S . Defense Department, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, CIA, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, U.S, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, United States, Washington, Cuban, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

☆ Weather intelligence company aims to revolutionize forecasting with a constellation of radar satellites
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Boston-based Tomorrow.io began as a software company that offered hyper-precise, street-level weather forecasting. The company recently launched Tomorrow-R1, what it claims is the world's first commercially built weather-radar satellite, via SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Tomorrow.io used proprietary software not just to predict but also to help companies plan for severe weather. The new radar satellite, however, will offer a much broader scope of data. Elkabetz said the company intends to launch more than two dozen of its own satellites over the next two years.

REUTERS/Katherine Taylor/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A former Harvard University professor was sentenced on Wednesday to six months' house arrest for lying about his ties to a China-run recruitment program, prosecutors said, in one of the highest-profile cases resulting from a crackdown on Chinese influence on U.S. research. Lieber was sentenced to two days in prison - time that he had already served following his arrest - and half a year of house arrest with a fine of $50,000, prosecutors said. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and a restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $33,600, according to prosecutors. The failed cases included another one in Boston in which prosecutors in January 2022 dropped charges against Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Gang Chen for concealing his ties to China when seeking grant money. Prosecutors said Lieber failed to report his salary on his 2013 and 2014 income tax returns and for two years failed to report the bank account.

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