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The top US diplomat landed in Shanghai where he is expected to meet local officials and business leaders, and he will then travel to Beijing for meetings with senior Chinese officials. “We are in a different place than we were a year ago when the bilateral relationship was at an historic low point,” a senior State Department official said. “Russia is no longer kind of on its back foot,” a second senior State Department official said. Blinken will make the case that China should weigh in “more directly” with Iran to be less provocative in the region, the second senior State Department official said. “In both cases the Chinese have taken some early steps,” said the second senior State Department official, adding that there is still “much more” that needs to be done on both fronts.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Janet Yellen, Biden, Xi, ”, “, ” Blinken, Matthew Miller, Leah Millis, China’s, ” Xi, Blinken, ” Miller, it’s, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: CNN, State Department, Ukraine, US, Foreign Ministry, of, People, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing, Party, Taiwan, Communist, Taiwan Relations, White Locations: China, Ukraine, Shanghai, Beijing, California, Russia, Moscow, Italy, “ Russia, ”, Europe, United States, South China, Philippine, Washington, Philippines, South, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, East, Iran

☆ How Azzi Glasser uses fragrance to help Hollywood celebrities tell a story
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Susan Griffin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Her character was a chain-smoking alcoholic psychiatrist, but Bonham Carter hadn’t gone “method”; she had simply spritzed herself with a bespoke fragrance created specifically for her by fragrance designer Azzi Glasser. Now, a bespoke fragrance from Glasser can cost up to £15,000 ($19,000), though she also offers a lower-priced collection of fragrances to enable people to discover their own fragrance DNA. To play King Henry VIII in upcoming movie Firebrand, actor Jude Law told Azzi Glasser he wanted to smell exactly like the king would have, despite knowing it would be repulsive. “As actors know, fragrance can transform you and take you on a journey. It opens up passages and doors in the brain, working through the olfactory system to bring out emotions,” noted Glasser.

Persons: Helena Bonham Carter, Bonham Carter hadn’t, Azzi Glasser, Enid, Glasser, ”, Bonham Carter, Enid Blyton, Harry Potter ”, “ Alice, Miss Havisham, Azzi “ Helena couldn’t, Alicia Vikander, Noomi Rapace, Damian Lewis, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, Kylie Minogue, Adam Lambert, Johnny Depp, ” Depp, Barnabas, “ Azzi, “ We’ll, I’ll, Jude Law’s, ulcerated Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Jude Law, Jude, “, Pope, ‘, Henry, ’, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Austin Butler, Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, David Linley, Princess Margaret, Antony Armstrong, Jones — Glasser, Cindy Crawford's, Azzi “ David Organizations: CNN, Azzi Locations: London, ”, Wonderland, India

☆ Opinion: A new flag is going to fly over the White House. My dad would be proud
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Sarah Levinson Moriarty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

She is one of seven children of Robert Levinson, the longest held hostage in US history. It was the day before his 59th birthday, and I was going to see him the following weekend for a big family celebration. Sarah Levinson Moriarty Sarah Levinson MoriartyMy dad was a man who was larger than life — kind, smart and a true patriot. The flag will now fly above the White House, State Department and Capitol on this day as well as on Flag Day (June 14), the Fourth of July and any day in which Americans held captive overseas come home to our great country. Six Americans are still being held hostage by Hamas after its October 7 terror attack on Israel.

Persons: Sarah Levinson Moriarty, Robert Levinson, Sarah Levinson Moriarty Sarah Levinson Moriarty, Bobby Levinson, Levinson, Manuel Balce Ceneta, Bob Levinson, ”, —, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Ksenia Karelina, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: New, Security, CNN, FBI, CIA, White, House, State Department, Capitol, Hostage, Wall Street Locations: Kish, Iran, Florida, Israel, Russia, Russian, China, American

☆ Amazon, Microsoft, and Google say cloud cost-cutting is waning. Customers say cost controls are still a major barrier.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The major cloud service providers are saying their customers are winding down last year's optimization efforts. While the optimization outlook from the cloud service providers is rosy, it doesn't quite match what customers are reporting. Google Cloud revenue grew 26% year-over-year, up from the quarter before. Customers and cloud companies tell a different storyExecutives at all three major cloud companies said that the impact of cloud cost-cutting was behind them. 35% reported cloud cost overruns in the last 12 months, nearly half of which were over $100,000 or $500,000.

Persons: Brian Olsavsky, Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, Bryan Woodworth, Woodworth, Olsavsky, Pichai, David Linthicum, Linthicum, Ellen Thomas Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Business, Amazon Web Services, Companies Locations: ethomas@insider.com

Democratic Senator Ben Cardin wrote to Biden to push for immediate freedom for Mark Swidan, Kai Li and David Lin, whom the U.S. government has classified as wrongfully detained in China. Families of Americans the U.S. government has classified as wrongfully detained in China have also repeatedly urged the government to prioritize the release of their loved ones in talks with Chinese officials. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns about her son Mark over the weekend, but called the conversation "disappointing" because Burns would not say whether Biden would raise Mark’s name with Xi. A State Department spokesperson commented that the department has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens and noted that it continually raises wrongfully detained U.S. nationals during engagements with senior Chinese officials. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ben Cardin, Craig Hudson, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin, Xi, Cardin, Katherine Swidan, China Nicholas Burns, Mark, Burns, Patricia Zengerle, Michael Martina, Stephen Coates Organizations: Senate Foreign, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Senate Foreign, Reuters, Democratic, Economic Cooperation, State, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Asia, San Francisco, United, United States, U.S

☆ Republicans demand Biden challenge China's Xi on fentanyl, prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Michael Martina | ) 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. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have offered sometimes different approaches for countering China's growing economic and military might despite bipartisan consensus on the need to do so. But they asked Biden to present Xi with a list of 10 demands to improve relations, much like Beijing did to U.S. officials in 2021. "It is clear that competitive actions have been sacrificed to advance aimless, zombie-like engagement," they said. Reporting by Michael Martina and Patricia Zengerle; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Mike Gallagher, Biden, Mark Swidan, American Kai Li, David Lin, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Beijing, Biden, Economic Cooperation, Republicans, Democrats, Treasury, Industrial, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Chinatown, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, San Francisco, Asia, Beijing, Philippines, South China, South, Taiwan, China's Xinjiang, Texas, American

That is true both for the two countries at the national level, and for state-level engagement. California has a steady and long working relationship with China. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican governor, started the formal relationship with China over climate cooperation a decade ago, Jaros said. State regulators also have banned the sale of most new gas-powered cars in California by 2035. Meanwhile, the California family of a Christian pastor who has been detained in China since 2006 said Newsom should take any possible opportunity to argue for his release.

Persons: Gavin Newsom’s, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, China “, ”, Alex Wang, Trump, Kyle Jaros, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jaros, Democrat Jerry Brown, “, Wang, Newsom, he’s, Jinping, Alfred Wu, David Lin’s Organizations: —, China -, U.S, Economic Cooperation, UCLA, University of Notre Dame, Republican, Democrat, UCLA’s Emmett Institute, Democratic, National University of Singapore Locations: BANGKOK, — California, China, San Francisco, Asia, California, Hong Kong, U.S, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ Blinken 'actively talking' about three Americans detained in China - CBS News
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States and China were continuing to discuss the release of three U.S. citizens who are detained in China. "I don't want to get into the details, but we are very actively talking about that," Blinken said in an interview with CBS News. Blinken said the United States has a commitment to continue to work on resolving all three cases. "I not only raised, but talked some length about the individual cases of the detained Americans," he said in the interview, held as he finished a rare trip to Beijing. "It (their release) would, regardless of anything else be a very important and positive development and we're working intensely," Blinken said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, David Lin, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, Patricia Zengerle, Sandra Maler Organizations: United, CBS News, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Texas, Washington, Beijing

I think neither side wants to look as if they’re accepting or acquiescing to the other’s actions,” she said. But hope might not turn into reality, and relations might become worse after the visit,” he added. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”Blinken would not predict whether his visit would pave the way for continued high-level engagements between the US and China. “As to what comes next, let’s see how the visit goes,” the top US diplomat said Friday, referencing comments from his Singaporean counterpart. “This is an important but, in a sense, insufficient step because there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe, Biden, Xi, ” Blinken, Vivian Balakrishnan, Blinken, “, Daniel Kritenbrink, “ we’re, ” Patricia Kim, ”, ’ Blinken, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, David Lin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Shen Dingli, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Shen, ” Shen Organizations: CNN, senior State Department, Singaporean, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Brookings Institution, Saturday, Defense, Chinese Defense, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: Beijing, United States, China, Bali, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vienna, Washington, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Blinken to travel to China this weekend as US looks to reset relations after spy balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend, the State Department announced on Wednesday – a significant trip that comes as the Biden administration navigates its complicated relationship with China. Blinken was originally set to travel to Beijing in early February, but postponed his trip due to a Chinese spy balloon transiting the US. Blinken will be the first Cabinet official to travel to China under the Biden administration, and the first since 2019. Blinken will ‘advocate strongly’ for military to military communicationsPrior to the public announcement of the trip, Blinken spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Campbell told reporters that Blinken will “advocate strongly” for the need for appropriate military to military communications.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, “, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, ”, Jake Sullivan, Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell, Matthew Miller, Xi Jinping, Campbell, Qin Gang, Qin, ” Kritenbrink, ” Campbell, National Defense Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, “ We’ve, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: CNN, State Department, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, National, “, Foreign, Ministry, China’s, National Defense, Defense Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Singapore

☆ Unscripted or Not, the Tonys Were Mostly Predictable
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jesse Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

No writers’ names crawled up the screen at the end of Sunday night’s telecast of the Tony Awards, and though the writers might not like to hear it, their absence made little difference. The names of the show’s producers and director were the same as always, and in television as in the theater, they call the game. Mostly those things bore out the predictions, and many people’s predilections too. “Kimberly Akimbo,” the sweet, intimate, tragicomic “nerdical” by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, won the most musical prizes, including one for its star, Victoria Clark, and one for the show itself. “Some Like It Hot” followed with a reasonable haul, and though “Parade” picked up just two, they were good ones: best direction of a musical and best musical revival.

Persons: Awards, —, “ Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori, David Lindsay, Abaire, Victoria Clark, ” Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Paramount, Broadway

☆ Tony Awards 2023: Highlights and winners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/25] The cast of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" perform onstage at the 76th Annual Tony Awards in New York City, U.S., June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EJ6C05QLC2See pictures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater. BEST MUSICALKimberly AkimboBEST PLAYLeopoldstadtBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYPrima Facie: Jodie ComerBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYGood Night, Oscar: Sean HayesBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Victoria ClarkBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: J. Harrison GheeBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Bonnie MilliganBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALShucked: Alex NewellBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYThe Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window: Miriam SilvermanBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brandon UranowitzBEST BOOK OF A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: David Lindsay-AbaireBEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICALParadeBEST REVIVAL OF A PLAYSuzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/UnderdogBEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICALParade: Michael ArdenBEST DIRECTION OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Patrick MarberBEST CHOREOGRAPHYSome Like it Hot: Casey NicholawBEST ORIGINAL SCOREKimberly Akimbo: Jeanine Tesori for music and David Lindsay-Abaire for lyrics. BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brigitte ReiffenstuelBEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: Gregg BarnesBEST ORCHESTRATIONSSome Like it Hot: Charlie Rosen and Bryan CarterSee picotures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater.cNew York, New York: Beowulf BorittBEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim Hatley and Andrzej GouldingBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Natasha KatzBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim LutkinBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Carolyn DowningBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Nevin SteinbergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sweeney Todd, Barber, Tony, Brendan Mcdermid, Tony Awards, Kimberly Akimbo, Jodie Comer, Sean Hayes, Victoria Clark, Bonnie Milligan, Alex Newell, Miriam Silverman, Brandon, David Lindsay, Lori Parks, Michael Arden, Patrick Marber, Casey Nicholaw, SCORE Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori, Abaire, Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Gregg Barnes, Charlie Rosen, Bryan Carter, Tim Hatley, Andrzej Goulding, Natasha Katz, Tim Lutkin, Pi, Carolyn Downing, Nevin Steinberg Organizations: REUTERS, Prima, Victoria Clark BEST, Michael Arden BEST, SCORE, theater.c, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, York , New York

☆ American jailed for spying by China rubbed shoulders with senior Chinese officials, CNN reporting shows, CNN reporting shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“He’s a very famous person, known by many overseas Chinese in the southern US,” Tang said. Reports published by Chinese-language media in Texas and China’s state media show Leung’s long-running access to senior Chinese officials. In 2014, he met with the director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office during a visit to Nanjing, the provincial capital. This photo shows John Leung with Wang Hua, the former director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It also comes as American and Chinese officials are resuming high-level engagements since a dispute over a suspected Chinese spy balloon shattered efforts to mend ties earlier this year.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Chinese-American citizen Kai Li, jailed in China on spying charges he denies, received a rare in-person visit last week from the U.S. Burns met Li on March 16 in a Shanghai prison, Li's son Harrison said. Li, a businessman, has been held in China since 2016 and was handed a 10-year jail sentence in 2018 for espionage. Burns wanted to shake Li's hand but Chinese authorities did not allow that, Harrison Li said. Burns has accompanied consular officers on prison visits to U.S. citizens held in China, a State Department spokesperson said.

Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November with that goal in mind and both leaders pledged more frequent communications. He has also sidelined some of his "wolf warrior" diplomats whose strident rhetoric alienated many of China's trade partners. Despite such pragmatic rhetoric, China's actions - especially its military activity around Taiwan and in the South China Sea - have not moderated, analysts said. Washington hopes for incremental progress on more specific but vital matters such as securing China's cooperation on fentanyl, global health, climate change and the cases of U.S. citizens detained there. That ... is more than deeply frustrating," said another source familiar with the administration's thinking, adding that China has rebuffed Washington's "very specific" proposals.

☆ NatWest CEO to face UK lawmakers on savings rates after U-turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - NatWest (NWG.L) CEO Alison Rose will face a grilling by British lawmakers next Tuesday over whether lenders are passing on enough of central bank interest rate rises to consumers, after initially saying she was too busy to attend. "Following further discussions with the Treasury Committee on the vital issues at hand, Alison Rose will be attending next week's Committee hearing," a spokesperson for NatWest said. Lloyds boss Charlie Nunn and executives from Barclays and HSBC are also set to attend the hearing held by the powerful Treasury Select Committee next week. NatWest had initially said its retail bank boss David Lindberg was an appropriate boss to represent the bank at the hearing. Reporting by Iain Withers; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"My message for Blinken is: say their names," said Katherine Swidan in a phone interview from her home in Luling, Texas. They've been wrongfully detained. And, unlike Griner, the U.S. citizens held in China are not well known to the American public. Families of detained Americans say the freedom of their relatives should not be bundled up with challenging policy issues and should instead be addressed in a separate track focused on humanitarian matters. There have been talks in recent months, Li said, between Washington and Beijing over the Americans detained in China but they did not go anywhere.

One year and billions of dollars later, the so-called metaverse still feels years away, if it ever manifests at all. And Meta’s flagship social VR app Horizon Worlds can feel like a ghost town (albeit a ghost town with laser tag). Meta’s latest headset, the Quest Pro, is its first effort at combining the immersiveness of VR with the real world. The VR headset market is still tiny compared to, say, an established gadget market like console video games. A visitor to the 2022 Tokyo Game Show tests the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

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