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☆ India’s farmers are up in arms again. Will it hurt Modi’s reelection campaign?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Vinay Dwivedi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Narinder Nanu | AFP | Getty ImagesNEW DELHI — Farmers in India's Punjab state are raising the pitch of their ongoing protests, as the second phase of India's general elections starts Friday. Thousands of farmers continue to drum up support for their demands, foremost being a legal guarantee for minimum support prices for their produce. A Lokniti-CSDS survey earlier this month showed 59% of the respondents found the farmers' demands "genuine," while 16% deemed the protests a "conspiracy" against the government. CNBC did not immediately receive a response from India's Agriculture Ministry on queries pertaining to the farmers' demands. What India's farmers want

Persons: Narinder Nanu, Narendra Modi, Modi, Yogendra Yadav, Sanjay Kumar, Modi's, Kumar, it's, Jagjit Singh, Ayyakannu, Dallewal Organizations: AFP, Getty, DELHI — Farmers, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Modi's BJP, CNBC, India's Agriculture, Tamil Nadu, Morcha Locations: Amritsar, DELHI, India's Punjab, Punjab, Khanauri, Haryana, India, New Delhi, Delhi, Tamil, Varanasi, Tamil Nadu, Varansai, Uttar Pradesh, Samyukta

☆ Florence’s famed Ponte Vecchio to be restored to former glory with two-year makeover
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In the seven centuries since the Ponte Vecchio was first built in Florence, Italy, the bridge has watched the city changing around it, surviving floods, fires and the Nazi invasion in World War II. Now, the famed bridge itself is getting a two-year makeover, at the cost of about €2 million, to restore it to its former glory, the city of Florence and the Marchesi Antinorini winemakers announced on Wednesday. “This is a historic project because Ponte Vecchio has never had a restoration intervention of this technical complexity,” Florence’s mayor Dario Nardella told reporters on Thursday. Such is the Ponte Vecchio’s significance that it was the only bridge across the Arno River spared by the retreating German army towards the end of World War II. Previous replacement joints will be upgraded, the stone itself will be strengthened and the footpath’s stone will be restored too.

Persons: Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, ”, Dario Nardella, “, Marchesi Antinori, Piero Antinori, Tod’s Organizations: CNN, Diesel Locations: Florence, Italy, Nazi, Venice

☆ Helicopter rescues Taiwan miners as earthquake injuries cross 1,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A person walks past an area of a damaged building that is cordoned off following the earthquake on April 04, 2024 in Hualien, Taiwan. A helicopter ferried to safety six miners trapped on a cliff in a dramatic rescue after the quake cut off the roads into Hualien's soaring mountains, in footage shown by the department. People in largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien county were readyingto go to work and school when the earthquake struck offshore on Wednesday. Dozens of residents queued outside one badly damaged 10-storey building, waiting to go in and retrieve belongings. She recalled the moment the quake struck, sending the building lurching and furniture sliding, while she rushed to save the four puppies she keeps as pets.

Persons: Yu, Tian Liang, I'm Organizations: Reuters Locations: Hualien, Taiwan, Taipei

☆ Dachshund could face ban in Germany because of inherent health problems, highlighting wider dog breeding concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In that case, the legally stipulated breeding ban will affect all healthy dogs that deviate from the wolf type in their appearance," per The Times. AdvertisementDachshunds are plagued by a range of health problems relating to their "extreme body shape," according to the British Veterinary Association. Joey Hadden/Business InsiderDachshunds are not the only breed to suffer from breeding-related issues. Other dogs with significant health issues derived from selective breeding include the pug and the bulldog, both suffer from serious breathing difficulties due to their flat faces.

Persons: —, Peter Friedrich, Joey Hadden, Dachshunds Organizations: Service, German Kennel, The, Business, Times, Sky, British Veterinary Association, UK's Royal Society for, Animals, RSPCA, PETA Locations: Germany, London

Waldi, the official mascot of the 1972 Olympics, was modeled on a dachshund called Fritz (the real dog in the middle). Courtesy Kerstin Schwartz“The sausage dog is part of Germany’s cultural heritage,” Marion Michelet, chairwoman from the Deutscher Teckelklub Berlin-Brandenburg kennel club and owner of a dachshund called Pepper, told CNN Wednesday. Michelet told CNN that the “abnormalities of the skeletal system” could be seen as a ban on breeding for “any significant size deviation from wolves,” which are the ancestor of all modern-day dogs. Germany’s agriculture ministry denied that the new draft bill would amount to a ban on particular breeds, including the sausage dog. “For 136 years we have not changed our standard breeding practices.”“If the breeding ban happens it would have a significant impact” on dog breeders like her, she said, adding: “I hope it won’t come to that.”

Persons: CNN —, Snoopy, Fritz, Napoleon Bonaparte, Germany’s, Kaiser Wilhelm II, “ Erdmann, ”, Pablo Picasso, Le Chien, Germany's, Kerstin Schwartz, ” Marion Michelet, Pepper, Michelet Organizations: CNN, German Kennel, Bettmann, Olympic, Deutscher Teckelklub Locations: Germany, Brandenburg, Berlin

☆ Home renovation frozen in time reveals Roman building technique
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Rome CNN —Archaeologists excavating the site of Pompeii have uncovered an ancient building site, revealing Roman construction techniques used by builders at the time, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture. The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was home to up to 20,000 people before it was destroyed in the 79 AD eruption, which was visible from more than 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Archaeologists have found what would have been an active construction site - perhaps more accurately described as a home renovation, according to Massimo Osanna, the general director of the site, in a press statement released Monday. Archaeologists say the site reveals the secrets as to how Roman structures have proven to be so durable. Courtesy Italy Ministry of CultureThe latest findings paint a fuller picture of how ancient Romans lived.

Persons: Rome, Massimo Osanna, ” Osanna, Achilles, Skyros, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Caracalla, ”, Zuchtriegel, Gennaro Sangiuliano Organizations: Rome CNN —, Italian Ministry of Culture, Archaeologists, Italy Ministry of, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Locations: Pompeii, Italy, cocciopesto

☆ The rise of 'zombie' VCs puts startups that took funding from them in a difficult spot
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

What's on deckAdvertisementBut first, zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie. AdvertisementThat's why zombie VCs pose such a problem for the industry. Sussing out the prudent investor from the penniless one takes time and effort, two things startups can't necessarily afford when times are tough. AdvertisementIs having a zombie VC as an investor the equivalent of a scarlet letter? If a partner jumps ship from a zombie VC, startups they backed will be in a tough spot.

Persons: —, here's, Insider's Ben Bergman, Ben, it's, Alyssa Powell, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Ray Dalio isn't, Sundar Pichai, Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's, Cory Doctorow, He's, Smashmallow, they've, Jack Teixeira, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Grace Lett Organizations: Service, BI, Bridgewater, Bank of America, Trading, Google, Canadian, Singapore Locations: There's, Silicon Valley, British, Singapore, Israel, New York, London, Chicago

☆ Taylor Swift is making Singapore a mountain of money, and some of the country's neighbors are salty about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Edwin Tong, Singapore's culture minister, told local outlet Mothership on February 28 that the amount of grant given "is not what is being speculated online." As Tong, the Singapore culture minister, told Mothership, the city-state is looking "beyond just the economic impact" of Swiftonimics. Economists estimate that Swift's concerts in Singapore could contribute up to 500 million Singapore dollars, or $372 million, in tourist receipts. AdvertisementIt's a different story for spending on experiences — and it's heightened because Singapore is Swift's only stop in Southeast Asia. Mann said the people who have money to pay for flight tickets, Swift's concert tickets, and a hotel are likely to keep spending at other tourist spots.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Srettha, Edwin Tong, Swift, it's, Yun Liu, Tong, Kevin Cheong, David Mann, Mann, Coldplay, Si Ying Toh, Cheong, Joey Salceda, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno Organizations: Service, Business, HSBC, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, Nomura, Philippine Star, Bloomberg, Vegas Locations: Singapore, Southeast Asia, British, Thailand, Bangkok, Indonesia, Sands

☆ Coldplay has a request: They really, really want to play in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

He really, really wants to play in China. “I promise we’ll play in China one day,” Martin said to the screaming crowd when he invited two lucky fans up on stage. “You know, we can’t get the permission (to play in China),” he told concertgoers. Chris Martin and Coldplay aren’t alone in wanting to serenade mainland Chinese audiences. Chinese authorities have also been known to vet the content of shows, including setlists and lyrics.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Coldplay, Chris Martin, “, ” Martin, don’t, Coldplay, ”, Martin, concertgoers, “ Coldplay, China …, Paul Kane, Coldplay aren’t, Jon Bon Jovi, Jovi, Bon Jovi’s, Lama, Xi Jinping, –, Xi, Golshifteh Farahani, “ Young, Bjork, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry's, Sam Yeh, Katy Perry, Madonna, James Hetfield, we’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Coldplay, Tourism Ministry, Oasis, Communist Party, China’s Communist Party, Tibet, Municipal, of Culture, Getty, Taiwan, Chinese Culture Ministry, South China Morning Locations: Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Guangzhou, British, Asia, Tokyo, –, Beijing, Shanghai, Macao, Covid, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Worth, Iranian, Buenos Aires, Iran, Taipei, AFP, Taiwan

MADRID (AP) — Mirroring protests across Europe, thousands of farmers in Spain staged a second day of tractor demonstrations on Wednesday across the country, blocking highways to demand changes in European Union farming policies and measures to combat production cost hikes and severe drought. The protests, involving several thousand people on tractors and in other vehicles, haven't been backed by Spain´s three main farming organizations, which have called for separate protests in the coming days. Speaking in Spain's parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged to help farmers and take their case to Europe. Agriculture Minister Luis Planas Puchades met with farmers’ unions on Friday, but failed to persuade them to halt the protests. There have been other protests in countries such as France, Poland and Greece in recent days.

Persons: Efe, Spain ´, Pedro Sánchez, Luis Planas Puchades, Hadja Lahbib, Maroš Šefčovič, Raf Casert Organizations: MADRID, Agriculture Ministry, Agriculture, European Commission, Foreign Locations: Europe, Spain, Union, Castellon, Jerez, State, Barcelona's, Spain's Catalonia, Madrid, Ukraine, France, Poland, Greece, Belgium, Brussels

☆ Farmers in Europe Step up Protests Against Rising Costs, Green Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Farmers say they are not being paid enough, are choked by taxes and green rules and face unfair competition from abroad. French farmers have already won several concessions, including the government dropping plans to gradually reduce subsidies on agricultural diesel. On Wednesday, European Commissioners proposed limiting agricultural imports from Ukraine and greater flexibility on rules on fallow land in a bid to quell protests. In Italy, farmers have blocked traffic with hundreds of tractors near motorway access points near Milan, in Tuscany and elsewhere in recent days. While a deal looks possible on fallow land, the question of talks on a major trade deal with the Mercosur group is more contentious.

Persons: Marco Trujillo, Philip Blenkinsop PARIS, Adelin Desmecht, Gerald Darmanin, Bruno, Coldiretti, Le Maire, Abdul Saboor, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Gus Trompiz, Dominique Vidalon, Benoit van Overstraeten, Geert de Clercq, Charlotte van, Phil Blenikinsop, Alvise Arminelli, Ingrid Melander, Ros Russell Organizations: EU, South, Farmers, Mercosur, French Finance, European Commission, South American, Charlotte van Campenhout Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Brussels, Belgian, France, Paris, Belgium, Zeebrugge, Ukraine, Mercosur, Italy, Milan, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Amsterdam

☆ Ship Carrying 16,000 Sheep and Cattle Stranded off Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"It's very hard to imagine that that is consistent with the animal welfare standards that Australians expect to be applied to Australian animals." ROUGH WEATHERAustralia is a major exporter of live animals, shipping more than half a million sheep and half a million cattle last year. Most cattle go to Asian markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam but the Middle East is by far the biggest destination for Australian sheep. Israel is a key market, receiving 86,100 sheep worth $6.5 million and 10,848 cattle worth $14 million from Australia in the first three months of last year, trade data show. Australia's Labor government has pledged to outlaw exports of live sheep in coming years but faces angry pushback from farm groups who say this would put people out of work and destroy farming communities.

Persons: Peter Hobson CANBERRA, Yemen's, Josh Wilson, Bassem, Geoff Pearson, Canberra, Peter Hobson, Stephen Coates Organizations: Fremantle, WA Farmers, Reuters, Korkyra Shipping, Labor Locations: Australia, Israel, Africa, Red, Europe, Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, New Zealand

☆ Mass tourism has turned Florence into a ‘prostitute,’ museum boss says, sparking outrage
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Rome CNN —Mass tourism has turned the Italian city of Florence into a “prostitute,” the director of Galleria dell’Accademia has said, sparking anger and calls for her to step down. Florence mayor Dario Nardella told Florence City Council on Monday that the city deserved respect and that tourism employs thousands of people. With the Academy, for example, we have tried to enhance every extraordinary part of it,” she said in the museum statement sent to CNN Tuesday. Italy’s culture minister Sangiuliano said his ministry would look further into the matter, but called Hollberg’s words “serious and offensive” in nature. “According to the director of the museum, therefore, Florentines are the children of a prostitute and the tourists are the clients of a prostitute?

Persons: Rome, Cecilie Hollberg, ”, —, Dario Franceschini, Giorgia Meloni, Dario Nardella, ” Nardella, Petr Svarc, Matteo Renzi, “, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Hollberg, Florence, “ I’m, ‘, Sangiuliano, Alessia Bettini, ” Bettini Organizations: Rome CNN, Florence, Florence City Council, UNESCO, Accademia, Academy, CNN, “ Locations: Italian, Florence, dell’Accademia, “, Venice, Italy

☆ Russian businessman and wife believed to have been on private medical evacuation flight that crashed in Afghanistan, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Russian businessman and his wife are believed to have been on a private jet that crashed in Afghanistan during a medical evacuation, according to local reports. Russian civil aviation authorities confirmed that a Russian private jet had disappeared from radar, according to Russian news agency Tass was carrying businessman Anatoly Evsyukov, 65, and his wife Anna. Russian authorities said the Russian-registered Dassault Falcon 10 "stopped communicating and disappeared from radar screens," per the AP. Russian officials said the plane belongs to Athletic Group LLC and a private individual, according to the outlet.

Persons: —, Anatoly Evsyukov, Anna, Abdul Wahid Rayan Organizations: Service, Business, Associated Press, Transportation, Civil Aviation Ministry, Tass, Dassault Falcon, Culture Ministry, Athletic Group, AP Locations: Russian, Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Novosti, Pattaya, Thailand, Moscow, Gaya, India, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

☆ France puts country on 'high' alert for bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - France raised the risk level of bird flu to 'high' from 'moderate' on Tuesday after the detection of new cases of the disease, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus. Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions birds worldwide in recent years. France said last week that it had detected a first bird flu outbreak on a farm this season in Brittany, in the northwest of the country. The "high" risk level implies that all poultry should be kept inside on farms and additional security measures taken to avoid a spread of the disease. Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Gus Trompiz; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sybille de La Hamaide, Gus Trompiz, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Thomson Locations: France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Brittany

☆ China's big pig breeders dig in as losses and debts mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The biggest pig breeders in China, consumer of fully half the world's pork, seem to have bitten off more than they can chew. More huge losses are expected next year, putting China's pig enterprises under pressure to slim down their breeding herds and sell off farms, many of which are sitting empty. But now, especially given the companies' high debt levels, the analyst said: "It's hard for them to borrow any money from the banks." That follows a 17% surge in the first nine months of this year at China's 15 big market-listed breeders even as they reported 200 billion yuan in combined net losses. China's agriculture ministry has warned of heavier losses for the sector in early 2024 than a year ago and urged pig producers to cut output.

Persons: Lyle Jones, Hope Liuhe, they're, Flora Zhu, Dominique Patton, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Inc, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Tech - Bank, Jiangxi Zhengbang Technology, Analysts, Muyuan Foods, Foodstuff, WH, HK, Smithfield Foods, Hua'an Securities, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Fujian Aonong, Jiangxi, Beijing

☆ ‘Lost’ Botticelli masterpiece worth $109 million found in home in southern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jack Guy | Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —A painting by the 15th-century master Sandro Botticelli, recorded as missing since the 1980s, has been found at a home in southern Italy. The depiction of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ was discovered in a home in the town of Gragnano, near Naples, according to the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Naples. The painting by the artist most famous for “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” is estimated by Italian authorities to be worth at least €100 million ($109 million). “The family continues to hold the title of the work, which, however, will be preserved in a museum,” Croce added. The Somma family declined to comment when contacted by CNN.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Sandro Botticelli, Virgin Mary, Christ, Venus ”, Santa Maria la Carità, Massimiliano Croce, Croce, ” Croce, “, Botticelli Organizations: Rome CNN, Protection Unit of Naples, Primavera, Roman Catholic Church, CNN, Cultural Locations: Italy, Gragnano, Naples, Neapolitan, Santa, State

☆ A missing Botticelli masterpiece worth $109 million was hanging in an Italian family's home for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Botticelli masterpiece presumed missing for over 50 years had been hanging in an Italian family's home. Despite the painting being entrusted to the family for safekeeping, authorities had somehow marked it missing. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Botticelli masterpiece reported missing for over half a century was found hiding in plain sight: hanging in an Italian family's home. The Italian authorities estimate the lesser-known painting, one of Botticelli's last, to be worth $109 million, according to the outlet.

Persons: Botticelli, Virgin Mary, —, Sandro Botticelli, Botticelli's, Primavera, Santa Maria la Carità, Massimiliano Croce, Croce Organizations: Service, Carabinieri Command, Cultural Heritage, CNN, Roman Catholic Church, Guardian Locations: Italian, Gragnano, Naples, Santa Maria

☆ Italy Searches for Museum Leaders, With Nationalism in the Air
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ten candidates are up for each job. The final selection will be made sometime next month by Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy’s culture minister, and Massimo Osanna, the ministry’s director overseeing museums. It has been eight years since a reform granted some Italian arts institutions greater autonomy and opened up the position of museum director to people from outside the culture ministry’s ranks. The then-culture minister, Dario Franceschini, sought applications from foreigners to shake up the museum sector, even publishing the job advertisement in The Economist magazine. At the first 20 museums affected by the reform, Franceschini appointed seven foreigners and several Italians with experience abroad, who were hired for a four-year contract, that could be renewed once.

Persons: whittle, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Massimo Osanna, Dario Franceschini, Franceschini Organizations: Culture Ministry, Brera, Economist Locations: Florence, Naples, Milan

☆ Japan detects season's first bird flu case, to cull 40,000 birds - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows officials wearing protective suits cull chickens at a poultry farm where officials detected highly pathogenic H5-type bird flu, in Kashima, Saga prefecture, Japan November 25, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The local government in Saga prefecture will cull about 40,000 birds on the farm, NHK said, citing agriculture ministry officials it did not name. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will convene relevant cabinet ministers to discuss measures to prevent spreading of the virus, NHK said. The virus was detected as a result of genetic testing conducted after some poultry birds were found dead at the farm on Friday, the report said. In Japan a record 17.7 million poultry birds were culled last season, prompting the authorities to stay on high alert.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, William Mallard Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, NHK, Thomson Locations: Kashima , Saga prefecture, Japan, Saga

HWASEONG, South Korea, Nov 24 (Reuters) - As South Korea moves to ban eating dog meat, many of those involved in the centuries-old controversial practice are fighting to keep it legal. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed almost two-thirds of respondents opposed eating dog meat, with only 8% saying they had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27% in 2015. Despite its declining popularity and opposition from animal rights activists, previous attempts to ban dog meat have failed because of industry protests. With the backing of the public, and bipartisan support in parliament, there are signs that the ban could soon become law. Nam Sung-gue who has run a restaurant selling dog meat boshintang, or "restoring" soup, for the past 30 years, said the ban was unfair, even though his business is fast declining.

Persons: Lee Kyeong, I've, Nam Sung, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk Yeol, gil, Daewoung Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Miral Organizations: Power Party, Gallup, Korean Association, Edible, Minwoo, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Korea, Seoul, Gallup Korea

Agriculture has suffered losses of over $25 billion since the war began, Ukrainian grain trader association UGA estimates. Ukraine's grain exports so far in the 2023/24 season that started in July are running 28% below the year-earlier volume, according to agriculture ministry data. A new Black Sea shipping channel may offer a lifeline, like for Ukraine's depleted steel industry. An additional 943,000 tons should leave from Black Sea ports and 464,000 tons from the Danube by the month-end. A Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa on Nov. 21 added to a series of attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea and Danube grain ports.

Persons: Stringer, Jean, Francois Lepy, Dmitry Skornyakov, Denys Marchuk, Skornyakov, Yuriy Stelmakh, Roman Gorobets, Soliman, Scott Wellcome, Pavel Polityuk, Gus Trompiz, Nigel Hunt, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Agriculture, UGA, Spike, Agrarian Council, FE ASTRA, Kremlin, Mediterranean, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, PARIS, Russia, UN, Geneva, Black, Russian, Odesa, Romania's Constanta, Brazil, Egypt, GoodMills, Kyiv, Paris, London

☆ An Exhibition of Orcs and Elves Has Rome Abuzz, and Bewildered
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the opening night of Rome’s most talked-about new exhibition this week, top government ministers in sharp suits hobnobbed with Roman socialites in fur coats, and eccentric art lovers rubbed shoulders with hard-right youth group members. They all contemplated a drawing of a glam-rock Gandalf in a form-fitting wizard’s cloak, acrylic armies of orcs and other works of fan art displayed in gilded frames. Some were enthusiastic, others bewildered. But if there was any question why Italy’s Culture Ministry had staged a major retrospective dedicated to the life, academic career, and literary works of J.R.R. “I found the exhibition very beautiful,” Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, said after her personal tour of “Tolkien: Man, Professor, Author.” “As a person who knows the issue pretty well, I found many things I didn’t know.”

Persons: Frodo, Tolkien, “, ”, Giorgia Meloni Organizations: Ministry, National Gallery of Modern Locations: British

☆ President’s War Against ‘Fake News’ Raises Alarms in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | More About Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Allies of President Yoon Suk Yeol are attacking what they see as an existential threat to South Korea, and they are mincing few words. In this case, the accused is not a foreign spy, but a Korean news outlet that has published articles critical of Mr. Yoon and his government. The president, a former prosecutor, is turning to lawsuits, state regulators and criminal investigations to clamp down on speech that he calls disinformation, efforts that have largely been aimed at news organizations. Since Mr. Yoon was elected last year, the police and prosecutors have repeatedly raided the homes and newsrooms of journalists whom his office has accused of spreading “fake news.”Some South Koreans accuse Mr. Yoon of repurposing the expression as justification for defamation suits and to mobilize prosecutors and regulators to threaten penalties and criminal investigations. Many are exasperated that their leader has adopted the phrase, a rallying cry for strongmen around the world that is also further dividing an increasingly polarized electorate at home.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon Locations: South Korea, Korean

☆ Diver’s huge discovery of ancient coins off coast of Sardinia hints at shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The diver spotted some “metal remains” in shallow water near the town of Arzachena, the ministry said in a statement Saturday. These turned out to be “follis”—Roman bronze or copper coins also later used as Byzantine currency. Italian Ministry of CultureBased on their weight, the total number of coins in the find is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000, the ministry said. According to the statement, the coins date from 324 to 340 CE and were produced by mints across the Roman empire. Italian Ministry of CultureThe culture ministry said the location where the coins were found—a sandy clearing between the beach and an area of seagrass—could, theoretically, preserve a shipwreck.

Persons: Luigi La Rocca, ” La Rocca Organizations: CNN, Italian Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Locations: Sardinia, Italy, Arzachena, Seaton , United Kingdom

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