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☆ OpenAI says it thwarted malicious state actors out of China, Russia, and North Korea, and one of them's called Salmon Typhoon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The company named the five actors — China-affiliated "Charcoal Typhoon" and "Salmon Typhoon," Iran-affiliated "Crimson Sandstorm," North Korea-affiliated "Emerald Sleet," and Russia-affiliated "Forest Blizzard." The Chinese mecha in the film was named "Crimson Typhoon," while the Russian mecha was called "Cherno Alpha." Adjectives are then added at the front to distinguish between threat actors within the same family. Besides "Crimson Sandstorm," Iran is also affiliated with "Lemon Sandstorm" and "Marigold Sandstorm." Besides monitoring and disrupting threat actors, the company said it has been working with industry partners to exchange information.

Persons: —, Guillermo del, OpenAI, Sandstorm, Sam Altman, Altman Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Business, Warner Bros Locations: — China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Guillermo, Russian, China

☆ The 13 best things to stream this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Caralynn Matassa | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Check out new movies like "Orion and the Dark" this weekend. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Ryan Murphy's hit FX anthology series "Feud" finally returned for its second season, this one chronicling writer Truman Capote's fallout with his "swans." Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.

Persons: Smith, —, It's, Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan's, Ryan Murphy's, Truman, Farmer Organizations: Service, Disney

☆ The 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' showrunner enlisted her father-in-law, who happens to be Ron Perlman, to play a 'baby man' on the show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read preview"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" showrunner Francesca Sloane brought on her father-in-law, Ron Perlman, to appear in the series opposite Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. Perlman guest stars in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" as Toby, a man with an almost certainly unethical past who's being pursued by assassins. AdvertisementMaya Erskine, Donald Glover, and Francesca Sloane at the premiere of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" in New York City. "We wanted for that individual part to be somebody who plays badass roles all the time and is always the scarier, on-their-feet character," Sloane told BI. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" premieres on Prime Video on Friday, February 2.

Persons: —, Smith, Francesca Sloane, Ron Perlman, Donald Glover, Maya Erskine, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Glover, Erskine, Perlman, Toby, John, Jane, Guillermo del Toro's, Clay Morrow, Hannibal Chau, Sloane, Marion Curtis, StarPix, Video Perlman, Ron, — Sloane Organizations: Service, Business, New, New York City, BI Locations: Toro's, New York City, New York

☆ US commerce secretary says closed three 'pillars' of Indo-Pacific talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo addresses the media during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework meeting in Detroit, Michigan U.S. May 27, 2023. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ministers meeting on Tuesday had completed three of four "pillars" in the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim leaders summit. Raimondo, made the remark at a bilateral meeting with Japan, one of the 14 IPEF countries in the U.S.-led talks. We had an excellent ministerial earlier today, closing out the three pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework." U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday the trade pillar negotiations will "require further work".

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Rebecca Cook, Raimondo, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Yoko Kamikawa, May, Biden, Janet Yellen, Xi Jinping, David Lawder, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Commerce, Detroit , Michigan U.S, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, . Commerce, Biden, Pacific, Commerce Department, Economic Cooperation, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Japan, U.S, Asia, China . U.S, Lincoln

☆ Russia relishes divisions between China and the U.S., pouring cold water on Xi-Biden talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference at the Konstantin Palace on July 29, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian media have already reveled in pouring cold water on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit where Xi and Biden are due to meet Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited due to U.S. sanctions so Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is representing Russia at the summit. A range of Russian newspapers including Kommersant, Izvestia, Argumenty i Fakty, Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda did not feature any news on the APEC summit or Xi-Biden talks. China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden at the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Konstantin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Katherine Tai, Tai, David Paul Morris, Xi's, Alexei Overchuk, Dmitry Peskov, Kamala Harris, Kent Nishimura, Komsomolskaya, Putin, — Xi, Sergei Guneyev, Ian Bremmer, Saul Loeb Organizations: Getty, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Novosti, APEC, U.S . Trade, Russian Federation, San Francisco International Airport, American, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Israel, Kremlin, SAN FRANCISCO, Merchant Exchange Club, Tass, Kommersant, Izvestia, Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Sputnik, AFP, West, Analysts, Eurasia Group, China's, Afp Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, San Francisco, China, Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Asia, United States, San Francisco , California, Ukraine, Pacific, U.S, CALIFORNIA, Taiwan, Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday ahead of potentially market-moving developments, including a U.S.-China summit and data releases from the U.S., Japan and China. “Asian stocks gained ground as investors awaited U.S. inflation figures, hoping to confirm that interest rates have peaked. But worries remain about whether it can stay solid as the full effects of rate hikes make their way through the system. Economists expect the report to show that consumers paid prices that were 3.3% higher in October than a year earlier, down from September’s inflation rate of 3.7%. General worries about big deficits and the inability of the two parties to work together have helped push Treasury yields higher.

Persons: Australia's, Seng, ” Stephen Innes, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Jerome Powell, Powell, It's, it's, Moody’s, Brent Organizations: TOKYO, Nikkei, U.S, Management, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Walmart, Federal Reserve, Big Tech, Apple, Microsoft, AAA, New York Mercantile Exchange Locations: U.S, China, Japan, Hong, Shanghai, California

☆ Biden preparing to discuss Israel and Ukraine wars with Xi – and make case to Beijing for containment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Mj Lee | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The global unrest ratchets up the stakes of Biden’s sit-down with Xi, their first face-to-face meeting in a year. As Biden confronts two presidency-defining conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, he is eager to improve ties with Beijing and prevent another crisis from exploding on his watch. Still, US officials believe there might be a limited role Beijing can play in the Ukraine war, notwithstanding China’s deep economic alliance with Russia. Since the earliest stages of the Ukraine war, Biden has sought to convince Xi to withhold support for his ally in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin. Like Iran, Russia shares China’s aims of reshaping what they see as an American-led world order hostile to their aims.

Persons: San Francisco CNN —, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, ”, Beijing’s, Wang Yi, week’s Biden, Wang, Jake Sullivan, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: San Francisco CNN, US, United, San, Pacific Rim, Hamas, Saudi, “, White Locations: San, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, San Francisco Bay, Iran, Beijing, East, Europe, United States, San Francisco, California, China, Chinese, Washington, Gaza, Moscow, American, North Korea

☆ Yellen calls on APEC finance ministers to boost growth potential sustainably
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on Pacific Rim finance ministers on Monday to boost the productive capacity of their economies while working to finance the transition to low-carbon energy and provide more opportunities for the poor. Opening a meeting of finance ministers of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation countries, Yellen said the group's economic dynamism meant that the actions they take matter for addressing global challenges. A day after the APEC Secretariat issued new forecasts for slowing growth next year amid a continued inflation fight and U.S.-China tensions, Yellen said the group needed to increase potential output. And we need to leverage emerging technologies to drive innovation while maintaining safe financial markets," Yellen added. The APEC finance ministers meeting comes just ahead of the APEC leaders' summit later this week and a high-stakes meeting between U.S.-President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at easing tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Treasury, APEC, Economic Cooperation, Pacific Rim, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California, Pacific, China, Ukraine, Vietnam, Indonesia

☆ APEC's growth to slow as persistent inflation, US-China tensions weigh-report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The APEC GDP growth rate will average 2.9% in 2025 and 2026, below the global average of 3.2% and 3.5-3.6% in the rest of the world. Taming inflation could require more monetary policy tightening, slowing growth further. Trade volume growth for goods is set to rebound next year among APEC countries after a largely flat 2023 due to China's sluggish growth, rising to 4.3% for goods exports and 3.5% for goods imports. The data shows "how important it is to re-engage, de-risk and avoid decoupling" of the U.S. and Chinese economies. "I think a stable relationship within U.S. and China is a win-win situation for everyone," Kuriyama said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Carlos Kuriyama, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kuriyama, David Lawder, Stephen Coates Organizations: Treasury, Lifeng, FRANCISCO, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, Unit, U.S, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Asia, San Francisco, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and China are the two global economic heavyweights. The meeting will bring together 21 Pacific Rim countries, which collectively represent 40% of the world’s people and nearly half of global trade. Indeed, imports of Chinese goods to the United States were down 24% through September compared with the same period of 2022. Xi, too, has reason to try to restore economic cooperation with the United States. “This will not be an easy sell.’’Complicating matters is that the tensions between Washington and Beijing go well beyond economics.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi, Eswar Prasad, “, Prasad, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Chad Bown, Janet Yellen, Lifeng, —, ” Yellen, ’ ’, Wendy Cutler, Raja Krishnamoorthi, ’ ’ Krishnamoorthi, ’ Organizations: WASHINGTON, International Monetary Fund, “, Cornell University, Economic Cooperation, Biden, World Trade Organization, U.S, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Prosperity, Trump, Group, Bain & Co, Micron, IMF, United, Asia Society Institute, Chinese Communist Party, Republicans, Pew Research Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Rep, Illinois Democrat Locations: United States, China, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Ukraine, Gaza, Asia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, India, Philippines, South China, Taiwan, Chinese, Kenya, Nigeria, Illinois

☆ Race to finish Indo-Pacific trade deals hit snags ahead of APEC summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A sign advertising the upcoming APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in see as the city prepares to host leaders from the Asia-Pacific region in San Francisco, California November 8, 2023. Instead it promised cooperation on supply chains and clean energy along with higher standards for labor, environment and regulatory practices and digital trade. Negotiations on digital trade standards -- once seen as a marquee feature of the IPEF trade pillar -- are largely frozen as the Biden administration has suspended discussions on key rules after reversing longstanding U.S. positions on e-commerce. By adopting these fringe views on digital trade, USTR really brings the main substance on digital trade to a halt," said John Murphy, senior vice president for international policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. One of the sources familiar with the talks said that early enthusiasm on the IPEF trade pillar -- which excludes India -- has given way to frustration over the difficulty and complexity of issues involved.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Biden, Joe Biden, IPEF, Wendy Cutler, Cutler, Trump, USTR, John Murphy, David Lawder, Sharon Singleton Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Pacific, Prosperity, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asia Society Policy Center, Commerce Department, U.S . Trade, Big Tech, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, San Francisco , California, San Francisco, U.S, China, Washington, IPEF, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, United States, TPP

☆ Janet Yellen to host China’s top economic official ahead of expected Biden-Xi talks in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Bryan Mena | Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Yellen’s talks with China’s new economic tsar will set the stage for the high-stakes potential meeting expected between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco. The United States is the host for this year’s summit, which is an annual gathering of top leaders in government and business of the 21 economies in the Pacific Rim. The United States is the host for this year’s summit, which is an annual gathering of top leaders in government and business of the 21 economies in the Pacific Rim. US and Chinese officials are seeking to shore up diplomatic ties and cooperation on economic issues. The International Monetary Fund recently upgraded its forecast for China’s economic growth based on Beijing’s policies aimed at propping up the country’s ailing property sector.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Yellen’s, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Gina Raimondo, Wang Yi, “, Biden, Xi, ”, Mattie Bekink, Yellen, ” Yellen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Economic Cooperation, Washington, Economist Intelligence, Network, Treasury Department, Biden, CNN, Monetary Fund Locations: China, Washington, Hong Kong, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Rim, Beijing, Shanghai, decouple

☆ U.S. suspends Indo-Pacific talks on key aspects of digital trade -lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The halt comes after the U.S. Trade Representative's office last month reversed longstanding U.S. digital trade demands at the World Trade Organization -- no longer insisting on rules that protect free cross-border data flows and prohibit national requirements for data localization and reviews of software source code. The U.S. Trade Representative's office said it withdrew its position to give Congress room to enact stronger technology regulations. "We thank you for suspending negotiations on aspects of the IPEF digital text that can be used to frustrate privacy, AI, civil rights and liberties, anti-monopoly, gig worker and other digital safeguards that Congress and the administration seek," the lawmakers wrote. People familiar with the talks say that discussions on the digital trade chapter have largely ground to a halt because the U.S. position is now unclear and being reevaluated. A USTR spokesperson declined comment on the IPEF digital talks.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Julia Nikhinson, Biden, IPEF, Amy Klobuchar, Pramila Jayapal, David Lawder, Leslie Adler Organizations: Intelligence, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, U.S . Trade, World Trade Organization, Representatives, Commerce Department, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Tech, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Mexico, Canada, IPEF, San Francisco, Asia, China

Gloom over worse-than-expected export data offset any positive momentum from an upgrade to China's growth forecast by the International Monetary Fund. It raised its GDP growth forecast for 2023 to 5.4% from 5% but forecast that growth will slow next year. Earlier in the summer, a swift rise in Treasury yields sent the stock market reeling. High rates and yields hurt stock prices, slow the economy and raise the pressure on the entire financial system. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 150.69 Japanese yen from 150.37 yen.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Janet Yellen, Korea’s Kospi, Australia's, TripAdvisor Organizations: TOKYO, Economic Cooperation, White, Treasury, APEC, International Monetary Fund, Nikkei, Moody’s, Service, Big Tech, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Emerson, Federal, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: China, U.S, Asia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Japan, Israel

☆ Morning Bid: Rates buzz sustained before Fed loan data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields have fallen about 50bps from October's peaks and the drop last week was the biggest recoil since March. For now, S&P500 futures are pointing to further slight gains on Monday - which if realized on the cash market later would make for the sixth straight gain and the longest daily run since June. Undermined by the retreat in Treasury yields, the dollar (.DXY) slipped back to the lowest since Sept 20. The backdrop of an easier dollar and Treasury yields provides significant relief for emerging markets, with MSCI's emerging market stock index (.MSCIEF) hitting its highest since Sept 20 too.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Jerome Powell, underscoring, Janet Yellen, Lisa Cook, Huw Pill, Bernadette Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Treasury, U.S, Pacific Rim, South, Ryanair, Europe's, Goodyear Tire &, Aspen, Conterra Energy, Constellation Energy, Diamondback Energy, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, NXP Semiconductors, Bank of England, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Gaza, China, Western, San Francisco, South Korean, Asia, Europe, Telesat

☆ U.S. Treasury's Yellen to meet Chinese vice premier ahead of APEC summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discusses "U.S.-China Economic Relationship" during a forum hosted by the Johns Hopkins University at the Nitze Building in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in San Francisco this week to try to deepen a fledgling economic dialogue between the world's two largest economies ahead of a U.S.-hosted summit of Pacific Rim leaders. The Treasury said the Nov. 9-10 meetings will also convene the new economic and financial forums launched in October by the Treasury and China's finance ministry and central bank. Yellen also is keen to discuss what steps Chinese officials are contemplating to support their flagging economic growth, and what circumstances might change their policy path. Instead, Yellen said she was "focusing on specific, high-priority economic topics on which we can make tangible progress."

Persons: Janet Yellen, Sarah Silbiger, Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, David Lawder, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: . Treasury, Johns Hopkins University, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific Rim, Treasury, San, Biden, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: China, Washington , U.S, San Francisco, U.S, Beijing

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco police are set to provide new details Thursday on their fatal shooting of a man who crashed a car into the Chinese Consulate earlier this month, including releasing new video from the incident. San Francisco police typically host such town halls within 10 days of fatal police shootings. It took place as San Francisco prepared to host next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a gathering of world leaders from Pacific Rim nations. The San Francisco consulate has been targeted a number of times before. Among the most serious was a fire set by a Chinese man on New Year’s Day 2014 at the main entrance.

Persons: —, Zhanyuan Yang, Yang, Molchanov, Tony Xin Organizations: FRANCISCO, Consulate, Police, San Francisco, Associated Press, Chinese Communist Party, White, Economic Cooperation, Pacific, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: — San Francisco, San, San Francisco, Francisco, Asia, San Francisco Bay

☆ Australia 'hopeful' on China wine breakthrough as deadline nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bottles of Australian wine are seen at a store selling imported wine in Beijing, China November 27, 2020. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday he remained "very hopeful of a breakthrough" in a trade dispute with China over wine tariffs, as a deadline for the publication of a World Trade Organization ruling nears. "I'm very hopeful of a breakthrough that removes the impediments when it comes to wine," Albanese told reporters on Tuesday, noting Australia's wine industry had substantial exports to China before the tariffs were imposed in 2020. Officials are unable to publicly comment on a WTO report until it is published. Australia last month rejected China's proposal for a "packaged solution" that would tie the wine dispute to those about duties on Australian imports of Chinese steel.

Persons: Florence, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Don Farrell, Farrell, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian, World Trade Organization, WTO, Trade, Sky News, COVID, Trans, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Australia

☆ Protests mount in South Korea over Japan's plan to release Fukushima water
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol's government has come under criticism as it defended the position that its own assessment found no problems with the scientific and technical aspects of Japan's plan. Democratic Party members and Foreign Minister Park Jin clashed in parliament over the possibility of direct impact to South Korea. [1/5]A woman holds up a placard during a protest against Japan's plan to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, in central Seoul, South Korea, August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Acquire Licensing RightsJapan has said that the water release is safe. South Korea said it accepted IAEA's conclusion.

Persons: Japan's, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Lee Jae, myung, Park Jin, Kim Hong, Lee, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Democratic Party, pollster Media Research, South, Foreign, REUTERS, Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, assailing, Korea Federation, Environmental, Fisheries, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Korea's, Seoul, Korea, China, assailing Tokyo, Pacific

☆ What it’s like to be a theme park designer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Back then, it definitely wasn’t cool to be into theme parks, but I was obsessed,” Jeffs, 39, tells CNN. Jeffs points to the immersive “Pacific Rim: Shatterdome Strike” ride at Trans Studio Cibubur, part of Indonesia’s largest theme park chain, as an example. “When I was growing up, theme park design was often dismissed as a rinky-dink, second-class artistic discipline simply because it was rarely well done. “That first summer, we drove 10,000 miles and hit up virtually any theme park that had managed to re-open,” he says. Courtesy Taylor JeffsAnd though he’s ridden over 600 roller coasters and explored theme parks worldwide, Disneyland in California remains his all-time favorite park.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain had agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in a move his office said was the biggest trade deal since Brexit. Britain has been looking to build global trade ties following its departure from the EU in 2020 and has looked to pivot toward geographically distant but fast-growing economies. The overall impact of the trade deal is set to be modest. Japan has asked the U.S. to return to the trans-Pacific trade pact after Washington in 2017 formally withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, the predecessor to the CPTPP. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was "desirable" for the U.S. to rejoin the trade pact and Tokyo would persist in pressing Washington to become a member.

☆ Explainer: Why is Britain joining a trans-Pacific trade pact?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some details of the agreement as Britain seeks post-Brexit trade wins in geographically distant but faster growing economies. HOW MUCH DOES BRITAIN TRADE WITH CPTPP? Britain says that exports to CPTPP countries were worth 60.5 billion pounds in the twelve months to end-Sept. 2022. David Henig, Director, the UK Trade Policy Project, said that only Malaysia and Brunei weren't covered by existing FTAs, and they only account for 0.33% of UK trade. GEOPOLITICAL FACTORSWhile the long-term benefit for Britain's economy is set to be modest, Britain has other reasons for joining the bloc.

☆ Moving species emerges as last resort as climate warms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Moving species to save them — once considered taboo — is quickly gaining traction as climate change upends habitats. Concerns persist that the novel practice could cause unintended harm the same way invasive plants and animals have wreaked havoc on native species. “Climate change is causing a greater need for this — for taking a species outside its known historical range.”A pending change to the U.S. “In the future, some species’ ranges may shift due to climate change, or their current habitats might become unsuitable due to invasive species encroachment,” Armstrong said in an email. Humanity has been moving species around for centuries, often inadvertently and sometimes causing great harm.

☆ Analysis: Vietnam's anti-graft crackdown chills supply chains, investment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Francesco Guarascio | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"If you don't do anything, you cannot do a mistake," Walde said of the current licensing paralysis caused by the bureaucratic anxiety. Germany is the second-largest exporter of drugs to Vietnam after France, according to 2020 data. SUPPLY SHOCKSThe negative economic consequences of the crackdown come on top of other challenges that Vietnam and other countries in Asia face, namely a weakening local currency, global supply constraints and declining world demand. "The crackdown won't be able to root out the widespread corruption if implemented without complete transparency and rule of law," said Hop. Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; Additional reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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