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☆ Smuggled note exposes violence against women in Myanmar jail - lawyers, activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The junta has previously denied holding political prisoners, saying people in jail broke the law and were sentenced after due legal process. "During that incident, more than 100 female political prisoners were seriously injured including a broken arm, eye injuries and facial bruises," the note said. The activists, lawyers and family members interviewed by Reuters asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions as they are working inside Myanmar. "As these people are women prisoners, they have to be handled by women prison guards. The anti-junta group and two Mandalay-based lawyers who work with political prisoners said those involved in the violence were also denied medical care.

A DB spokesperson told Reuters that under current IT security legislation it did not have to run network components by Germany's cybersecurity office, the BSI, unlike public telecoms network operators. A BSI spokesperson said it was not aware of any law that determined the DB IT systems as "critical components". A Huawei spokesperson said the firm would never harm any nation or individual. The December contract with Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is for Huawei tech like switches and routers. A government source said it had detected some operators had already built in Huawei critical components without waiting for a BSI green light and could be required to replace those.

☆ How the U.S. Spent $1.4 Trillion in Debt Last Year, Explained With Pennies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Weapons Pledge to Ukraine Exposes Cracks in Defense Supply Chain U.S. defense contractors’ inability to quickly replenish weaponry such as missiles and munitions for Ukraine has led Pentagon officials to argue that industry consolidation has gone too far and raised questions about how prepared America is for conflict. Illustration: Adele Morgan

☆ U.S. judge rules Missouri state gun law is unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge ruled that a Missouri state law aimed at invalidating many federal gun regulations was unconstitutional, handing the U.S. Justice Department a victory on Tuesday in its bid to get the law tossed out. "SAPA’s practical effects are counterintuitive to its stated purpose," Wimes wrote. Spokespeople for Missouri Governor Michael Parson did not have an immediate comment on the ruling. The Justice Department has previously said that HB85, which was signed into law in June 2021, has harmed partnerships between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and state and local law enforcement. A Justice Department spokesperson did not have any immediate comment on the judge's ruling.

☆ Democrats are venting over Biden's 'very infuriating' position on DC crime law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democrats are "disappointed" and angry with Biden's position on a GOP move to block a DC crime law. "If the President supports DC statehood, he should govern like it," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. "If the President supports DC statehood, he should govern like it," she tweeted. The resolution's passage would mark the first time the federal government has voted to overrule DC legislation in decades and undermines the campaign for DC statehood. Asked about Biden's decision, Bowman said police unions are powerful.

☆ Resumes including 'they/them' pronouns are more likely to be overlooked, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But unfortunately, nonbinary job seekers are facing clear biases during their job search. The only difference between the test and control resumes was the presence of gender pronouns on the test version," McGonagill said in the report. "The test resume included "they/them" pronouns under the name in the header." The phantom resume including pronouns received 8% less interest than the one without, and fewer interview and phone screening invitations. According to the report, over 64% of the companies that received these resumes were Equal Opportunity Employers, something that made the results even more "worrisome."

☆ 4 ways to use body-language to make yourself more likable, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Don Weber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The role of body language is often overlooked as a useful tool in persuasion. Likability is the key to persuasion: a study showed that juries believe likable experts more than less likable ones. The results were conclusive: less likable experts were considerably less persuasive than likable experts. Lucky for you, you can change many straightforward things about your body language that will automatically enhance your likability. You might be surprised to discover what your body language communicates to those around you.

☆ This India ETF is the only one among its peers that's risen this year — and pros see more upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The VanEck Digital India ETF is the only India-focused stock exchange-traded fund listed on Western exchanges to have posted gains this year. The emerging market fund tracks the MVIS Digital India Index. "We suspect this will remain the dominant theme setting the direction for Indian markets in the near term." However, the short-term turmoil in Indian markets hasn't upset long-term bulls on the Indian economy, according to Dutch bank ING. CNBC Pro did not include the Canada-listed iShares India Index ETF and BMO MSCI India ESG Leaders Index ETF and U.S.-listed VanEck India Growth Leaders ETF owing to a lack of price targets from FactSet.

☆ U.S. Weapons Pledge to Ukraine Exposes Cracks in Defense Supply Chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How Ukraine’s Growing Military Has Changed Over One Year of War When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Western allies held strict red lines around the type of aid they’d provide. But as the war shifted, so did the type of aid. The Wall Street Journal examines the policy u-turns of Ukraine’s allies to illustrate how the war has progressed over the last year. Photo: Andoni Lubaki/Sipa/Reuters

Worldwide boy-band sensation BTS may be on hiatus, but refreshing new financial acts threaten to upend the world of K-pop, and perhaps South Korea. The battle over 28-year-old SM Entertainment, the $2.3 billion force behind Girls' Generation and EXO, is at heart a family feud. It helps, too, that K-pop has turned into one of South Korea’s strongest exports, thanks largely to “Butter” and “Dynamite” singers BTS. "We oppose all aggressive outside mergers and acquisitions, including Hybe," SM said in a statement, according to Reuters. Separately, internet conglomerate Kakao said on Feb. 7 it would acquire a 9.05% stake in SM via 112 billion won of new shares and 105 billion won of convertible bonds.

☆ Russia’s New Offensive in Ukraine Exposes Blunders, Poor Training
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Isabel Coles | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MAKSYMIVKA, Ukraine—Drone footage taken by the Ukrainian military panned across the icy battlefields of the eastern Donbas area to reveal demolished tanks and a Russian soldier lying face down in a pool of blood. Other footage captured nearby showed a smoldering Russian tank trampling two soldiers—it is unclear if they are dead or wounded—while trying to maneuver. In a third video shared by Ukrainian commanders, a Russian soldier, his clothing on fire, flees a tank moments before it explodes.

☆ One year on, Russia's war in Ukraine ramps up fears over Europe's next security 'soft spot'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski said that, aside from Kyiv, he believed that the Western Balkan region was the "soft spot" of Europe's security architecture. For sure, the Western Balkans is a second battleground for Russia in terms of foreign interference and information manipulation. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesĆerimagić said Russia's war in Ukraine provides Europe with a clear opportunity to cement stability in the Western Balkans. "For sure, the Western Balkans is a second battleground for Russia in terms of foreign interference and information manipulation. watch nowNorth Macedonia's Pendarovski last month described the U.S. as a "key player" in supporting Western Balkan countries through Russia's war in Ukraine.

"High spot LNG prices and dwindling domestic production will mean that Pakistan will continue facing issues with ramping up gas-fired power generation," said Poorna Rajendran, LNG consultant at FGE. Despite LNG prices having fallen from last year's record highs, the superchilled fuel is still expensive for South Asian buyers as their currencies have weakened sharply, making it hard for them to boost LNG imports this year. Ship tracking data from Kpler shows Pakistan's LNG imports in 2022 fell 17% from the previous year to a five-year low. Bangladesh's LNG imports in 2022 fell 14% from the previous year, according to Kpler, which drove down power output while demand was rising. LNG prices are unlikely to ease enough to help Bangladesh and Pakistan, with analysts expecting a rebound in Chinese purchases to push prices up in 2023.

☆ Billionaire Charlie Munger: Cryptocurrency is 'crazy, stupid gambling,' and 'people who oppose my position are idiots'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's just ridiculous that anybody would buy this stuff," Munger, 99, told CNBC's Becky Quick during a livestream of the event, adding: "It's totally absolutely crazy, stupid gambling." "I think the people who oppose my position are idiots, so I don't think there is a rational argument against my position," he said. Munger's comments come amid an avalanche of problems for crypto investors over the past year. He's previously urged the U.S. government to ban cryptocurrencies, and may partially get his wish as the crypto industry faces rising regulatory crackdowns. "In other words, an adviser may custody crypto assets at a bank, but banks are cautioned by their regulators not to custody crypto assets," Uyeda wrote.

"We call on the Sudanese government to exercise all available legal means to reverse this decision and to re-arrest Abuzeid," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. Officials met with the Sudanese ambassador to the United States on Thursday and the U.S. ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, is engaging Sudanese officials at the highest levels on the issue, Price said. Peter Lord, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa, Sudan and South Sudan will also take up the issue and demand action when he travels to Khartoum next week, Price said. Abuzeid's brother said on Monday that his sibling was released by Sudan's high court based on a multimillion dollar 2020 settlement between Sudan and victims of attacks including the one that killed Granville. "In no way did (the settlement) say that that money was going to release any of these men that killed John," Jane Granville said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., effusively praised Twitter owner Elon Musk Wednesday for "being transparent" about the tech platform. "God bless Elon Musk," Comer said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box." Comer's comments came just days after Musk visited Washington and met with House Republican leaders for over an hour, a group that included Comer. So while McCarthy and Republicans met with Musk for over an hour, Jeffries literally just "met" him. WATCH: Elon Musk polls Twitter users over whether he should remain as CEO

☆ 3 men arrested after attempting to kidnap an Iranian-American journalist and activist who is critical of the country's human rights abuses, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Three men were indicted on charges of money laundering and murder-for-hire, the DOJ said. The target, Masih Alinejad, told The Associated Press the FBI read her the messages the men exchanged. The indictment did not say if the Iranian regime was directly involved in the murder order. Alinejad told The Associated Press that the FBI read her the messages the men exchanged,"I'm not scared," Alinejad told the AP. While the man behind the plot is in Iran, the DOJ indictment did not say whether the Iranian government was behind the plot.

☆ 'Fast-track' talks are underway between Ukraine and Western allies for missiles and planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in "fast-track" talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said Saturday. Orban has refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid. Amid news of the coordinated effort, Russia bombarded Ukraine with missiles, exploding drones and artillery shells. The attacks continued Saturday when Russian missiles struck the city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province. In a separate Telegram post earlier Saturday, Kyrylenko reported that Russian attacks in the province killed four civilians in all and wounded seven others in 24 hours.

☆ McDonald's is testing strawless lids in the US after uproar over paper straws in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2018, it rolled out paper straws in the UK, but admitted the alt-materials were not recyclable. The chain recently began testing strawless lids for cold beverages in select US markets. A few years after Starbucks launched strawless lids, McDonald's is testing out its own in select US markets, the company confirmed. In 2018, McDonald's pledged to recycle food and beverage packaging in 100% of McDonald's restaurants by the end of 2025. The new lids come after McDonald's restaurants in the UK rolled out paper straws in 2018.

☆ Airbus has changed the design of its A350 flagship jet amid its dispute with Qatar Airways over peeling paint
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Airbus has changed the copper foil used on its A350 aircraft, which protects from lightning strikes. In 2021, Qatar Airways sued Airbus over chipped paint that exposes the copper mesh, citing a safety risk. According to Airbus, the company started "progressively" using PCF on A350 aircraft "fuselage section by fuselage section," starting with deliveries in late 2022. The change is significant considering Airbus' ongoing battle with Qatar Airways over the old copper foil — a dispute worth $2 billion, per Reuters. An undated image shows what appears to be paint peeling, cracking and exposed expanded copper foil (ECF) on the fuselage of a Qatar Airways Airbus A350 aircraft.

[1/3] Mexico City's Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum speaks near Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (not pictured) during a news conference at the Old City Hall (Antiguo Palacio del Ayuntamiento), in Mexico City, Mexico January 20, 2023. "If accidents continue, like a cable or the signal system breaks, the National Guard is not going to detect that or make a difference," Miranda said. A school collapse that killed 19 children in a 2017 earthquake happened on her watch as a district mayor of Mexico City. She filed a criminal complaint accusing two prior attorneys for the district of failing to enforce the law after discovering illegal construction, and became Mexico City Mayor in 2018. Now, Lopez Obrador has backed her decision to use the National Guard, in a clear sign of support for her.

The lessors took a hit of almost $10 billion when Russia barred airlines from returning planes hit by Western sanctions to their owners in the West. This has turned the spotlight on other risky markets, most prominently China and Taiwan, where some fear future conflict could cause a similar seizure on a much larger scale. When discussing the Russia losses, most executives speaking at the conference, also touched on China risks. Several executives said the loss of aircraft to Russia would simply feed into risk management models and encourage lessors to be careful about spreading their exposure rather than withdrawing from markets altogether. "Lessors aren't going to be able to abandon higher risk areas because that is what they do," he added.

☆ A spat over whether Russian troops can grow beards is a telling clue about the state of Putin's forces at a critical moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Reports suggest Russia's defense ministry is trying to enforce rules on facial hair and smartphones. The spat is a telling clue about the dysfunction in Russian ranks as a new general tries to regain the momentum. It's unclear if that played a role, but Ukraine has geolocated the cellphones of Russian troops and used that information in attacks. Prigozhin at times has promoted Wagner's efforts against Ukraine while ripping into Moscow's inability to secure any notable achievements. It also exposes a consistent dysfunction and communication issue that has plagued Russia's war efforts since launching the large-scale invasion nearly a year ago.

Japanese investors hold a lot of foreign bonds - some $4.3 trillion in various debt instruments, of which $2.085 trillion is "portfolio investments." Around half of that is in U.S. assets such as Treasuries, agency debt and corporate bonds, and around a third in euro zone securities. Wholesale liquidation of Japanese investors' foreign bond holdings is unlikely barring a "very substantial" rise in Japanese yields from here. chartLast year, Japanese investor selling picked up pace as U.S. and euro zone borrowing costs rose. Hedged investors have cut back their exposure to foreign bonds, particularly banks and now life insurers, according to Setser and Etra.

☆ Jordan truckers' strike exposes woes of impoverished south
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Diesel is my lifeline," said 54-year-old Abu al-Zait, who has seen his livelihood thrown into jeopardy by high fuel price rises since Russia invaded Ukraine. The month-long sit-in cost Jordan tens of millions of dollars in losses when it paralysed unloading at the Red Sea port of Aqaba, according to officials and industrialists. It was the latest bout of unrest in Maan, a poor tribal stronghold about 250 km (156 miles) south of the capital. Fuel price rises, combined with high taxes and spiralling food costs in a nation that imports most goods, has made life unaffordable for many. Like many Arab states, Jordan has in the last decade seen widespread unrest as it reduced food and fuel subsidies.

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