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☆ American economic power is potent but unstable
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Peter Thal Larsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For the past 15 years, the iPhone has been a totem of U.S. economic power. If the country is cooling on the $2.8 trillion company, it’s a potent indicator of increasingly frosty relations with the United States. Perhaps most significantly, the U.S. government realised it could use the internet to spy on adversaries and the financial system to subdue them. The tendency of capitalism to produce a handful of giant companies, many of them headquartered in the United States, helped successive administrations exert their authority. A complete severing of economic links between China and the United States is hard to imagine.

Persons: Norman Angell, Thomas Friedman, Vladimir Putin, Edward Snowden, Henry Farrell, Abraham Newman, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Putin, Biden, ”, Farrell, Newman, Donald Trump, ” Farrell, Allen Lane, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Apple, World Trade Organization, New York Times, National Security Agency, U.S . Treasury, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown University, WTO, Huawei, BNP, Biden Administration, Intel, U.S ., European, United, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, United States, France, Russian, U.S, North Korea, Iran, New York, Washington, Sudan, Cuba, Ukraine, America, Russia, Germany, United, Europe

☆ TIFF 2023: What to watch at the Toronto Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jenna Zucker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is seen in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is back for its 48th edition, welcoming movies from around the world to premiere in Canada. The event comes right after the Venice Film Festival, where actor Adam Driver slammed the streaming sites for their lack of flexibility over the demands of writers and actors guild. Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson are expected at the festival to promote their film "Daddio." Last year, German film "All Quiet on the Western Front" premiered at TIFF and won four Oscars, including best international feature film.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Cameron Bailey, Adam Driver, Driver, Ferrari, Roy Thomson, Peter Street, Nickelback, Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, Paul Giamatti, Hayao Miyazaki, Patricia Arquette's, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anna Kendrick's, Chris Pine's, Michael Keaton's, Knox, Lil Nas, Rustin, Pedro Almodovar, Jane Campion's, Campion, Jenna Zucker, Divya Rajagopal, Denny Thomas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Toronto, Film, REUTERS, Hollywood, Venice Film, Roy Thomson Hall, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre, Wales Theatre, King, University, SAG, TIFF, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Venice, Toronto's, Spanish

☆ Why Taylor Swift might have chosen theaters for the Eras Tour film's debut, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Taylor Swift’s fans know the greatest films of all time were never made, but that could be called into question come October 13, when her Eras Tour concert movie is set for release in North America. Experts say that choosing movie theaters for the Eras Tour film’s debut over the small screen is a move fitting of both Swift’s business acumen and relationship with her fans. Unlike her previous concerts, the Eras Tour has become a cultural phenomenon. Others seemed to have their own reasons for concern about the Eras Tour film release’s timing. The “Exorcist: Believer,” originally scheduled to be released on the same day as Swift’s film, moved it up a week.

Persons: New York CNN — Taylor Swift’s, Swift, “ Taylor, “ Taylor Swift, Fearless ”, ”, wouldn’t, Jonathan Kuuskoski, Ralph Jaccodine, Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, that’s, “, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, Michael O’Leary, O’Leary, “ You’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, AMC Theaters, Netflix, Disney, Apple Music, Warner Bros, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, Ticketmaster, Berklee College of Music, CNN, National Association of Theater Owners, AMC Locations: New York, North America, France

☆ Rolling Stones launch new album 'Hackney Diamonds'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Rolling Stones band members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood attend a launch event for their new album "Hackney Diamonds", at Hackney Empire in London, Britain, September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones announced "Hackney Diamonds", their first album of original music for 18 years and first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts, at the Hackney Empire theatre in east London on Wednesday. The album, whose title refers to broken glass after a robbery, will be the first since Watts' death in August 2021. Watts, the Stones' original drummer, plays on two of the album's 12 tracks. “I don’t want to be big-headed, but we wouldn’t have put this album out if we hadn’t really liked it," he said.

Persons: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Toby Melville, Charlie Watts, Jimmy Fallon, Jagger, Sydney Sweeney, Watts, ‘ we’ll, we’re, Andrew Watt, Paul Sandle, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Hackney Empire, Thomson Locations: Hackney, London, Britain, Los Angeles, Nassau

☆ Pope, quoting Buddha, urges religious dialogue to fight fundamentalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pope Francis speaks during an ecumenical and interreligious meeting at the Hun Theatre, during his Apostolic Journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia September 3, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsULAANBAATAR, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Calling himself one of the "humble heirs" of ancient schools of wisdom and quoting the Buddha, Pope Francis on Sunday urged all religions to live in harmony and shun ideological fundamentalism that foments violence. But the pope repeated on Sunday that he put great importance in "ecumenical, inter-religious and cultural dialogue". "There can be no mixing, then, of religious beliefs and violence, of holiness and oppression, of religious traditions and sectarianism," Francis said. Several of the leaders, including the rabbi and the shaman, imparted a special blessing from their religions on the pope, wishing him health and a long life.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Francis, Jesus, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Philip Pullella, Lincoln Organizations: Hun, REUTERS, Sunday, Catholic, Mongolian, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, ULAANBAATAR, Mongolian, China, Beijing, Soviet, Kazakhstan

☆ Lebanon approves 'Barbie' film for release after bid to ban it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A boy stands near an advertising billboard of the movie 'Barbie' at a cinema theatre, as Lebanon approved the film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it, in Beirut, Lebanon September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Acquire Licensing RightsBEIRUT, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Friday approved the "Barbie" film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it by its culture minister over claims it contradicts conservative values. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi in turn asked General Security's censorship committee to review the film and give its recommendation. Kuwait has banned "Barbie" and supernatural horror film "Talk to Me" to protect "public ethics and social traditions", the state news agency said last month. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) Barbie doll on an adventure into the real world.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Mohammad Mortada, Bassam Mawlawi, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Nour Hajjar, Maya Gebeily, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, General Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Rights BEIRUT, Kuwait, Lebanese

☆ China hones anti-submarine capabilities amid South China Sea tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 31 (Reuters) - China's military said it had recently held intensive anti-submarine exercises in the strategically important South China Sea as part of efforts to hone its capabilities amid rising maritime tensions with its neighbours and their allies. It was one of several such drills this year and was part of broader activities the Chinese military has conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States and its allies have also stepped up military activities, especially in the South China Sea, most of which is claimed by Beijing. Last week, the U.S. and Indonesian defence chiefs said China's territorial claims in the South China Sea were "inconsistent with international law". "Japan and the United States have frequent submarine activities in the region," said Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping, but those activities were not disclosed.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Song Zhongping, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Community Emergency, Team, REUTERS, Rights, Southern Command Theatre, China's, Liberation Army, Beijing, U.S . Navy, Seventh Fleet, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Rights BEIJING, South China, United States, U.S, Philippine, Japan, Australia, Britain

☆ Tiananmen musical: Broadway star quits US show during China tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Broadway star has withdrawn from a musical about the Tiananmen Square protests weeks before its debut in the US – while he is on a concert tour in China. “I have withdrawn from the musical Tiananmen,” Piser said in a brief signed statement on Instagram. His manager Dave Brenner told CNN “there was a creative difference” that caused the actor to back out of the Tiananmen musical. Piser’s announcement came a day after his role in the Tiananmen musical was reported by Playbill, an American magazine for theater fans. The rehearsals for the Tiananmen musical start in Phoenix on September 5, according to Rose, the lead producer.

Persons: Zachary Noah Piser, “, ” Piser, Piser, –, Dave Brenner, Wu’er, ”, Jason Rose, ” Rose, Wu'er, Nicholas Kamm, Evan Hansen, Rose, Xi Jinping, Kaixi Organizations: CNN, Tiananmen, “, The Phoenix Theatre Company, Playbill, Getty, Broadway, Communist Party Locations: China, Phoenix , Arizona, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Phoenix, American, Washington , DC, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shaanxi, Taiwan

☆ A massive Iranian missile attack on a US base offered a glimpse of the long-lasting injuries US troops will face in a war with Russia or China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In January 2020, Iran fired nearly a dozen ballistic missiles at an Iraqi base housing US troops. The hundreds of US troops at the base experienced what has been described as "the largest ballistic attack against Americans in history." The troops only received a few hours of warning, and the base had no air defenses capable of intercepting the missiles. US soldiers inspect damage from Iranian missiles at Al Asad air base on January 13, 2020. The Al Asad attack was a relatively small-scale demonstration of the lethal dangers that US troops will face on the battlefields of the future.

Persons: Qassem, Al Asad, Saddam Hussein, John Davison, Robert Hales, TBIs, Sarah Mattison, Kenneth McKenzie, McKenzie, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Reuters, US, American College of Surgeons, Iranian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US Air National Guard / Tech, Marine Corps, Senate Armed Services Committee, US Central Command Locations: Iran, Wall, Silicon, Iranian, Iraq, Baghdad, Erbil, Al, Handout, Ukraine, Vermont

☆ $4.2 Million Homes in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Angela Serratore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Los Angeles | $4.188 MillionA 1929 Spanish-style house with four bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms, on a 0.4-acre lotThis house is near the top of a winding street, just south of Griffith Park, in Los Feliz. Driving to Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles or Studio City takes about half an hour. Burbank is 10 minutes away, on the other side of Griffith Park. Size: 4,991 square feetPrice per square foot: $839Indoors: A paved path leads from the street to the house, stepping up to a covered entrance framed by an arch lined in original tile. The foyer inside has hardwood floors, a decorative niche and a stained-glass window; a home office and a full bathroom are off this space.

Organizations: Griffith Observatory, Greek Theatre, Studio City, Griffith Locations: Los Angeles, Spanish, Griffith, Los Feliz, Italian, Brazilian, Hollywood, Burbank

☆ National Cinema is back on August 27 with $4 movie tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Sunday is the second annual National Cinema Day. At more than 3,000 participating theaters across the country the price of a movie ticket is just $4. National Cinema Day could give the theater business a boost. Last year’s Cinema Day, when tickets were only $3, drew 8 million participants and raked in $23.8 million at the box office, a 103% jump from the day before. The Cinema Foundation, the non-profit spearheading the initiative, says Cinema Day propelled long-term theater attendance.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Barbie, ” “ Oppenheimer, ”, Barbie Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Association of Theatre Owners, AMC, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, Hollywood, Cinema Foundation, Warner Bros . Locations: New York

☆ Warner Bros delays 'Dune,' 'Lord of the Rings' films due to strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, promoting the movie "Dune: Part Two", attend a Warner Bros. presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. April 25, 2023. "Dune" was one of the most anticipated films on the late 2023 schedule. "Dune: Part Two" will now debut on March 15, a date that had been reserved for Warner Bros film "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." As a result, an animated "Lord of the Rings" film that had been set for April was moved to December. Other major films on the 2023 schedule at the moment include Walt Disney's (DIS.N) "The Marvels," a Lionsgate (LGFa.N) prequel to "The Hunger Games," and "Wonka," another Warner Bros film that also stars Chalamet.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Frank Herbert’s, Oppenheimer, Walt Disney's, Wonka, Chalamet, Lisa Richwine, Chris Reese, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Warner Bros, National Association of Theatre Owners, REUTERS, Hollywood, AMC Entertainment, SAG, Sony Pictures, GameStop, Lionsgate, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, New York, Los Angeles

☆ Zara's billionaire founder – one of the world's richest people – has just bought a $232 million luxury Chicago apartment tower
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amancio Ortega has purchased a 45-story Chicago apartment tower. Ortega, founder of Zara parent company Inditex, splashed out $232 million on the property. Pontegadea, Ortega's family office, bought the 45-story 727 West Madison property, a company spokesperson told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementPrices start at $2,166 a month for a studio, rising to $6,083 for the most expensive apartment available, a three-bed. Ortega is the world's 14th richest person, with an estimated net worth of around $75.2 billion, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows.

Persons: Amancio Ortega, Ortega, there's, Charles Koch, Michael Dell, Walton, Inditex Organizations: Seattle HQ, Toronto's Royal Bank, Service, Madison, Chase Bank, Bloomberg, Pontegadea, Meta's Seattle, Royal Bank Plaza Locations: Chicago, Zara, Manhattan, Wall, Silicon, Cook County, Meta's, Toronto

☆ Bank of America forecasts more than 30% upside for this live entertainment stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of America thinks Madison Square Garden is one of the best plays in the live entertainment sector, and investors need to capitalize on it. The firm initiated the stock on Tuesday with a buy rating, accompanied by a $41 per share price target. "Post its spinoff from Sphere, we view MSGE—owner of iconic venues including Madison Square Garden and The Chicago Theatre—as an attractive opportunity to own a growth-oriented, pure-play live entertainment company," Henderson said. Madison Square Garden stock has slipped nearly 19% in the past three months alone, according to FactSet. MSGE YTD mountain Madison Square Garden Entertainment in 2023.

Persons: Peter Henderson, Henderson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: of America, Madison, Garden, Chicago Theatre, Madison Square Garden, Garden Entertainment Locations: New York City, Madison

☆ Taiwan details China drills, VP says election not China's to call
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai waves at Taoyuan International Airport following his trip to the United States and Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 18, 2023. "My position is that Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China. China has demanded that Taiwan's government accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of "one China", but it has refused. LOWER-KEY DRILLSChina's Saturday drills were much more low-key than two rounds of war games around Taiwan last August and again in April this year. Taiwan's military also released pictures of one of its fighter jets taking off and a pilot checking a missile underneath an aircraft.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Su, It's, That's, Taiwan's, Alexander Neill, Neill, lambasting Lai, Tian Dan, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, James Pomfret, William Mallard, Kim Coghill, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Democratic Progressive Party, APEC, Hawaii's, Eastern Theatre Command, Sunday, Taiwan, State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, New York, People's Republic of China, San Francisco, Singapore, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ Video captures the terrifying moment a Russian ballistic missile slammed into a theatre in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv killing 7, wounding 144
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian missile struck a central square in Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram said that most victims were crossing the road, returning from church, or in vehicles when a missile hit the city's landmark Drama Theatre. A video posted by UNITED24Media shows the terrifying moment the powerful Russian Iskander ballistic missile hit the civilian building. A view shows an ambulance near the site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv, Ukraine August 19, 2023. "I understand that their aim was a military event taking place in the building of the drama theatre and that it was their target," he said.

Persons: Sofia, Ihor Klymenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksandr Lomako, Savenok Lomako, Denise Brown Organizations: Service, Russian, Telegram, UNITED24Media, REUTERS, BBC, UN Locations: Russian, Chernihiv, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Seven killed, 90 wounded in Russian missile strike on Ukrainian city of Chernihiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Seven people including a 6-year-old child were killed and 90 wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the interior ministry said on Saturday. "A Russian missile hit right in the centre of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was on a working visit to Sweden, posted on Telegram. [1/5]A view shows a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv, Ukraine August 19, 2023. Chernihiv is a city of leafy boulevards and centuries-old churches about 145 km (90 miles) north of the capital Kyiv.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dan Peleschuk, Toby Chopra, Frances Kerry Organizations: National Police, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the strong objections of the island's government. "This is a serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces colluding with external forces to provoke," it said. China has a particular dislike of Lai for his previous comments that he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. China has over the past three years ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, including sending military aircraft and warships near the island.

Persons: William Lai, Nancy Pelosi, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Lai, Deb Haaland, King Felipe VI, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Casey Hall, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: Joint Staff Office, Defense Ministry of Japan, Reuters, Eastern Theatre Command, U.S . House, U.S, Beijing, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Okinawa, Miyako, SHANGHAI, TAIPEI, Taiwan, United States, Taipei . Lai, Paraguay, China, Taipei, California, South, Asuncion

☆ US urges China to cease military pressure against Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screen broadcasts news footage of an Air Force aircraft taking part in military drills by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan, in a shopping area in Beijing, China August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. urged China on Saturday to stop pressuring Taiwan, after Beijing launched military drills around the democratically governed island in response to Taiwan Vice President William Lai's U.S. visit. "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan," a State Department spokesperson told Reuters in a statement. The U.S. would continue to monitor the exercises closely, the department statement said. Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, William Lai's, Michael Martina, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Air Force, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, PLA, REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan, State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, China, U.S

☆ China launches drills in angry response to Taiwan vice president's trip to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. says it's closely monitoring China's drills around Taiwan after Beijing began three days of military exercises around the island. Greg Baker | AFP | Getty ImagesChina launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday as a "serious warning" to separatist forces in an angry but widely expected response to Vice President William Lai's visit to the United States, drawing condemnation from Taipei. Taiwan's government strongly condemned the drills, with the defense ministry saying it had the ability, determination, and confidence to ensure national security. "The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign country and has a legitimate and legal right to conduct normal diplomatic interactions with friendly countries," it added in a statement, using the island's formal name. Taiwan's defense ministry released a short video of undated footage showing Taiwanese forces at sea, on city streets and across the countryside.

Persons: Greg Baker, William Lai's, Joseph Wu, Joe Biden Organizations: PLA Navy, Beijing, AFP, Getty Images China, Eastern Theatre Command, Mainland Affairs Council, U.S, Taiwan Locations: Taiwan, China's, Fujian, U.S, United States, Taipei . Lai, Paraguay, China, Beijing, Republic of China, South Korea, Japan

☆ BRICS nations to meet in South Africa seeking to blunt Western dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An attendant is stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a plenary session of BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China September 4, 2017. South Africa will host Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BRICS summit from August 22 to 24. Russia needs friends to counter its diplomatic isolation over Ukraine, and so is keen to bring in new members, as is its most important African ally, South Africa. BRICS nations are keen to project themselves as alternative development partners to the West. Officials in Brazil, China and South Africa said climate change may come up but indicated it wouldn't be a priority.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, S.Africa, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Naledi Pandor, BRICS, Breton Woods, disbursing, Laurie Chen, Lisandra, David Stanway, Carien Du Plessis, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: BRICS, REUTERS, Tyrone, Global, Indian, New Development Bank, World Bank, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Xiamen, China, India, Brazil, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Ukraine, . South Africa, United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, AFRICA, BRICS, Russia, Africa, Beijing, Brasilia, Singapore, Johannesburg

Alchemation, known for the international hit "SIX," is among an increasingly established presence of musical theatre at the Fringe, which takes over the Scottish capital for the month of August. The company's "Hello Kitty Must Die," based on the novel by Hong Kong-born, U.S.-based writer Kate Kamen (formerly Angela S. Choi) is playing at Edinburgh's Pleasance until Aug. 27. It transferred to London's West End, where it was spotted by Alchemation, which took it to Broadway and beyond. It is the first time one of its diversity grants has supported a musical as the genre cements its presence. The Pleasance alone has 16 musicals this year, its most yet, it said, out of roughly 140 across the Fringe as a whole.

Persons: Lucas McMahon, Kitty, Kate Kamen, Angela S, Choi, Edinburgh's Pleasance, Anthony Alderson, Henry VIII, Alderson, Levi Roots, Ray Shell, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Mills, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Edinburgh Fringe, SIX, Scottish, Reuters, Edinburgh's, Pleasance Theatre Trust, Broadway, Thomson Locations: York, Hong Kong, U.S, Edinburgh, Cambridge, New York, London

☆ AMC Entertainment to effect 10:1 reverse split on Aug. 24
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniAug 14 (Reuters) - AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC.N) said on Monday its 10-to-1 reverse stock split will take place on Aug. 24 and its preferred shares "APE" will be converted to common stock on Aug. 25. The common shares of the theatre chain operator fell 38% to $3.25 in premarket trading, while its preferred shares rose 18% to $2.09. AMC aims to increase its Class A common stock to 550 million from about 524 million, it said in a regulatory filing. The company would make a settlement payment of one Class A common stock for every 7.5 Class A shares to the entitled shareholders after the reverse stock split. AMC was sued in February for allegedly rigging a shareholder vote that would allow it to convert preferred stock to common stock and issue hundreds of millions of new shares.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Chavi Mehta, Arun Koyyur Organizations: AMC, REUTERS, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Delaware, Bengaluru

☆ Taiwan will not back down to threats, Taiwan VP says on US trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Taiwan's Vice President William Lai speaks during a luncheon in New York City, New York, U.S., in this handout picture released on August 14, 2023. Lai told a supporters lunch in New York on Sunday that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful", according to Taiwan's presidential office. China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, which is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier. Lai's speech was attended by Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. China carried out war games around Taiwan in April after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from California where she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while also on a transit on her way back from Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Ingrid Larson, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ben Blanchard, Lincoln Organizations: Taiwan Presidential, REUTERS, American Institute, U.S, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Taiwan, Central America, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Taiwan, REUTERS TAIPEI, Beijing, China, United States, Paraguay, San Francisco, New York, Washington, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, Taipei, California, Central

☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

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