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☆ As Ukraine marks two years since Russia’s invasion, Europe is facing difficult questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Arguably most important among those questions: How long can it practically sustain such draining financial support for Ukraine? The United Kingdom, arguably the major security player in the region, has also pledged more than $15 billion to Ukraine since 2022. This is an alarming prospect for European officials who already believe Putin is digging in and trying to wait out the West. In the run-up to the US presidential election, the question of what happens to European security without America will inevitably be asked. Europe simply doesn’t have the manufacturing heft right now to independently serve Ukraine over the next 12 months.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Money, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden, Stefan Rousseau, Donald Trump, White, Trump, Putin, Thomas Peter, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Bakhmut, European Union, NATO, EU, Kiel Institute, US, Parliamentary, Getty, White House, DC Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine, Europe, Ukraine, Avdiivka, United States, Kyiv, EU, Kiel, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, AFP, NATO, America, Kramatorsk, Brussels, China, Beijing

China detained the executive, named in several media reports as Hiroshi Nishiyama, on suspicion of espionage in March, and he was formally arrested last month. Japan's then foreign minister protested the executive's detention with his Chinese counterpart on a visit to Beijing in April. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Half the respondents in a recent survey of Japanese companies doing business in China said they would cut investments this year. It's a very difficult point in time to be navigating that as a decision maker, in business or politics," he said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Rahm Emanuel, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Japan's, Xi, Masashi Mizobuchi, Nishiyama, Takeshi Niinami, Niinami, Stefan Angrick, Yukiko Toyoda, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Francis Tang, Laurie Chen, Antoni Slodkowski, Andrew Silver, Lincoln Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Kyodo, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, APEC, Reuters, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japan Association of Corporate, Suntory, Moody's Analytics, Thomson Locations: Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, TOKYO, BEIJING, China, San Francisco, Tokyo, U.S, Japan, Beijing, officialdom, Shanghai

☆ ‘The Canceling of the American Mind’ Review: Shut Up, They Said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Meghan Cox Gurdon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Alamy Stock PhotoWe’re in a terrible spot, and everybody knows it. Americans on the right and left detest each other, excoriate each other and, with every flaring of rage, move further from any sense of pluralistic common cause. Citizens have lost confidence in officialdom. Fashionable ideologies that brook no good-faith dissent have surged into every corner of life. Make a minor demurral, even a joke, and you risk being subjected to the ghastly nullification rituals of what is called cancel culture.

Organizations: Citizens Locations: officialdom

☆ In New Zealand, defence and security become election issues amid China’s Pacific push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“Foreign policy, defence, our relationship with the Pacific - all of that will be far more relevant and the public will be more conscious of it compared to other elections, where it's been pretty much non-existent,” said Josie Pagani, a political commentator and host of the pre-election foreign policy debate. Sixty-three percent of voters say inflation and the cost of living are a most important issues of the election, a poll by the Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor released in June said. A second survey released last week by the country’s national intelligence and security board found increasing levels of concern about defence, security and foreign policy. Foreign policy doesn't usually play in New Zealand elections, said Jason Young, an associate professor of international relations and politics at Victoria University. The opposition National party, which polls indicate will win control of the government, hasn’t released its defence policy and said it needs more detail about AUKUS.

Persons: it's, ”, Josie Pagani, Andrew Little, “, Chris Seed, Jason Young, Helen Clark, Nanaia Mahuta, hasn’t, Gerry Brownlee, Lucy Craymer, Gerry Doyle Organizations: WELLINGTON, ”, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Victoria University, Washington, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Solomon, Ukraine, Pacific, Zealand, United States, Australia, Britain, “, AUKUS, Zealanders

☆ Dollar eases as China deflation lures investors into risk assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The dollar eased on Wednesday after data showed the Chinese economy slipped into deflation last month, which upped the chances for the government to roll out extra stimulus measures and nudged investors into risk assets. Dollar selling by state-owned Chinese banks helped the yuan rally from a one-month low, dealers said. The Chinese central bank's stronger-than-expected exchange-rate fixing at 7.1588 per dollar before the open signalled its discomfort with the yuan's recent declines. The dollar index - which measures the performance of the U.S. currency against six others - eased 0.1%, paring some of Tuesday's 0.47% rise. "Chinese inflation data showed that consumer prices have barely moved in July, confirming that the world’s second-largest economy is stalling and may be moving into deflation," he said.

Persons: There's, Ray Attrill, Ricardo Evangelista, Chris Scicluna, Patrick Harker, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Kevin Buckland, Brigid Riley, Simon Cameron, Moore, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: National Australia Bank, Federal Reserve, Daiwa Capital, ECB, Bank of England, Philadelphia Fed, Atlanta Fed, Fed, Thomson Locations: China, Tokyo

☆ Dollar firm on safe-haven demand as markets fret over China, banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The employee of a currency exchange shop counts U.S. dollar banknotes in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico July 27, 2023. The Chinese yuan, however, got some respite after the central bank set a stronger official rate than expected, signalling its discomfort with recent declines. Worries about the global economy flared again after data on Tuesday showed Chinese imports and exports contracting faster than expected in July. U.S. Treasuries also saw a surge in demand from haven-seeking investors, with 10-year yields briefly dipping back below 4%. Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Additional reporting by Brigid Riley; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez TOKYO, Treasuries, Ray Attrill, there's, Attrill, Patrick Harker, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Bart Wakabayashi, Kevin Buckland, Brigid Riley, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, New Zealand, U.S, Bank of New York Mellon, US Bancorp, National Australia Bank, People's Bank of, Federal Reserve, Philadelphia Fed, Atlanta Fed, Fed, State Street Bank, Trust, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Asia, Rome, China, People's Bank of China, Tokyo

☆ Anti-Kremlin rebels are back marauding inside Russia and triggering fears Putin's forces can't defend the homeland
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A small group of anti-Kremlin Russians with armored vehicles crossed into the Belgorod region of Russia. Images captured the damage they caused inside Russia, and triggered debate and skepticism of Putin's regime. The melee adds to fears that Russia's troops are not up to the task of stopping a looming Ukrainian counter-offensive. But their operation has succeeded in one critical aspect: Creating images of wreckage inside Russia's borders that are reigniting debates among hardliners deeply skeptical of Russian officialdom. —Novaya Gazeta Europe (@novayagazeta_en) June 2, 2023According to Russia's TASS state-run news agency, Ukraine's military "repeatedly shelled" Shebekino, injuring more than 10 people and Russian troops had stopped them from entering the village.

Persons: —, Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin, that's Organizations: Kremlin, Service, of Russia Legion, Novaya Gazeta Europe, Russia's TASS, Institute for Locations: Belgorod, Russia, Ukrainian, Shebekino, Ukraine, Russian, Western, Belgorod Oblast

"When you are in a punishment cell and don't have much entertainment, you can always amuse yourself by corresponding with the prison administration," Navalny said. The letters showed that Navalny asked for an eclectic range of items, including, variously, a bottle of moonshine, a balalaika, a staff, two pouches of cheap tobacco, a kimono and a black belt. "The question of awarding eastern martial arts qualifications is not handled by the administration," the prison wrote back on April 28. In response to Navalny's request for a permit to keep a kangaroo, the prison wrote: "The animal identified in your request relates to the double crested-marsupial... The prison wrote coldly that massage chairs were not provided.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Nikolai Gogol, Guy Faulconbridge, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: IK, Karate, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Melekhovo, Moscow

☆ Russia arrests WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Russian FSB says it arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter. The reporter, Evan Gershkovich, has been accused of espionage. The Wall Street Journal issued a statement denying the allegations and demanding Gershkovich's immediate release. According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural mountains. The headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in central Moscow on February 25, 2021.

☆ U.S. imposes cyber-related sanctions on Trickbot hacking gang
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Raphael Satter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The United States has imposed sanctions against seven leading members of a notorious Russian hacking gang known as Trickbot, the Treasury announced on Friday. The Treasury said the sanctions applied to Trickbot's senior figures and managers. Targets of such sanctions are generally barred from holding U.S. assets or transacting with American organizations. However the measure is often largely symbolic given ransomware operators tend to operate well out of reach of U.S. officialdom. Reporting by Susan Heavey Editing by Mark Porter and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Biden has said he intends to run for re-election but has not confirmed plans to do so. The hundreds of party faithful who gathered for the president's address shouted "four more years," as Biden took the stage. 'DON'T RUN JOE'At the DNC meeting, members are expected this weekend to overwhelmingly approve a reshaped 2024 primary calendar selected by Biden. The expected approval shows Biden's grip on the party and would make it even harder for a rival Democrat to mount a campaign to unseat Biden. Trump has already launched his 2024 campaign but is expected to face a primary challenge, including from his former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.

PHILADELPHIA/WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Establishment Democrats gathered this weekend in Philadelphia have one message for U.S. President Joe Biden as he weighs running for a second term: Run, Joe, run. Biden has said he intends to run for re-election but has not confirmed plans to do so. At the DNC meeting, members are expected this weekend to overwhelmingly approve a reshaped 2024 primary calendar selected by Biden. "Joe Biden has repeatedly said he plans to seek renomination," RootsAction political director Sam Rosenthal said. Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a competitive state Biden won in 2020, said that while there were "no divisive issues" in the party, Democrats needed to do a better job of talking to voters.

☆ 'One of the best', Kyrgios ready for tilt at Australian Open title
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tennis great and compatriot Rod Laver said after the U.S. Open that only self-belief was preventing Kyrgios from joining the Grand Slam winners' club. "I'm definitely going to go into any tournament, the Australian Open, with confidence, and I think I've proven I can go deep at a Grand Slam. 47-YEAR DROUGHTHis best run at his home major was seven years ago when he reached the quarter-finals, with fourth-round appearances in 2018 and 2020 his other ventures into the second week of the Australian Open. Ash Barty last year rode a tidal wave of support to end the long wait for a homegrown singles champion at the Australian Open - a drought that stands at 47 years for the men's title. Unlike the now-retired three-times Grand Slam champion, Kyrgios has not always been popular with all of his compatriots as a result of his frequent clashes with officialdom and fans.

Vindman first joined Twitter while working in the Trump administration because it was often the way his then-boss, the president, made policy. His wife, liberal activist and podcaster Rachel Vindman, has almost 400,000 followers, making them a progressive Twitter power couple. In a clubby city obsessed with status and information, Twitter delivers both, all from the comfort of one’s mobile phone. No one wants to leave Twitter until everyone else does, but there’s no obvious place to go next. Some think Musk will kill Twitter regardless of whether there’s a mass exodus of its users.

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