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☆ Factbox: What are Russia and Ukraine's positions on talks to end the war?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisNov 30 (Reuters) - Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what President Vladimir Putin described as a "special military operation". UKRAINEKyiv says peace talks are possible only if Russia stops attacking Ukrainian territory and withdraws its troops from Ukrainian soil. TerritoryKyiv has ruled out conceding any land to Russia in return for peace, and publicly demands Russia relinquish all territory. Ukrainian peace plan:In his speech to the G20, Zelenskiy laid out what he described as a 10-point peace plan. TerritoryPutin denied holding territorial ambitions at the start of the war, saying: "It is not our plan to occupy Ukrainian territory.

REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerCompanies Lockheed Martin Corp FollowBERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany and Norway said on Wednesday they would jointly ask NATO to coordinate the protection of Europe's subsea infrastructure in light of the suspected attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipeline network. European countries have stepped up vigilance around critical installations after the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, ruptured in September and spewed gas into the Baltic Sea. "We take the protection of our critical infrastructure very seriously and nobody should think that attacks would remain without consequences," he said. In an emailed statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he welcomed Germany and Norway's proposal. "We have stepped up our efforts after the recent sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, and it is vital to do even more to ensure that our offshore infrastructure remains safe from future destructive acts," he said.

☆ Explainer: Why the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act has Europe up in arms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While EU countries welcome the new commitment to energy transition, they fear the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act will put their companies at an unfair disadvantage. EU countries are worried their companies will suffer because of U.S. tax breaks for components used in renewable energy technologies like electric cars on condition they are made in North America. EU countries consider that 200 billion euros ($207 billion) out of the total is tied to locally produced content provisions that potentially violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. However, a riposte from Europe would likely face resistance from more traditionally free trade friendly nations such as the Netherlands and Sweden. France has led calls for Europe to respond with state support of its own for European companies, including through a "buy European act" and large-scale subsidies.

More than a year after Washington, London and Canberra torpedoed a big French submarine contract, pushing Franco-US relations to breaking point, the two countries are expected to put on a show of unity on common threats from Russia and China. The French leader will try to negotiate exemptions for European companies on the model of those Mexico and Canada has already got, a French presidential adviser said. Macron wants France to build more nuclear reactors but it is struggling with corrosion issues at its ageing plants. Macron will also travel to Louisiana, ostensibly to pay tribute to the state's French heritage, but also to discuss energy issues, the French presidential advisor said. "The United States produce cheap gas but sell it to us at high price," Macron told French executives on November 8.

☆ Here's what flight attendants want you to know about flying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Navigating the world of airports and airplanes at this time can be stressful, but if anyone’s an expert in holiday travel, it’s flight attendants. That said, sometimes flight attendants are only in a destination for 24 hours. Flight attendants support this kind of switching about, but will try not to interfere unless there are issues. And yes, some celebrities have a reputation for being rude, and that reputation will spread among flight attendants. I think a lot of flight attendants would agree with me on that.”What strange things do people leave behind in the cabin?

☆ JetBlue is launching service to Paris from JFK and Boston
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Brady Macdonald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

JetBlue looks to disrupt United, Delta, and American with the expanded European service. New European routes from JetBlue, United, and Delta tap into pent-up demand for overseas travel. Non-stop service between Boston Logan International Airport and CDG will be added at a later date. The move effectively doubles JetBlue's transatlantic presence following the 2021 launch of service to London from New York and Boston. In pre-pandemic 2019, the lucrative transatlantic travel market accounted for 11% to 17% of passenger revenues at United, Delta, and American airlines, according to Reuters.

☆ Why isn't Ukraine already in NATO? Here's what it takes to join the 30-country alliance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership has been cited as a key factor in Russia's invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long been vocal about his country's desire to secure both NATO membership and additional assistance. "So there were some formal reasons why the Alliance could say that Ukraine was not ready yet to join the Alliance." Will Finland and Sweden join NATO? Both countries submitted official letters of application to join NATO in May 2022 and were formally invited to join the alliance in June.

SummarySummary CompaniesCompanies Law firms Frost Brown Todd and AlvaradoSmith to merge effective Jan. 1Combined firm will have more than 575 lawyers in 17 offices(Reuters) - Frost Brown Todd is set to combine with California law firm AlvaradoSmith as the Cincinnati-founded firm continues to branch out to new regions. The combination will give Frost Brown Todd 23 additional attorneys and three California offices in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco. Frost Brown Todd, founded in 1919 as Frost & Jacobs before merging in 2000 with Louisville-founded Brown, Todd and Heyburn in 2000, has roots in the middle of America, with offices in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and other states. The AlvaradoSmith attorneys are joining the larger firm under the name Frost Brown Todd AlvaradoSmith in California through 2023, before reverting to the Frost Brown Todd name the next year. Law firm mergers dropped as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, and activity stayed at lower levels throughout 2021.

☆ An airline CEO says that airports were to blame for the summer travel chaos because they were not ready to welcome passengers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Airports are to blame for flight cancellations and delays this summer, an airline CEO said. Icelandair's CEO told Insider that some airports were not ready to welcome passengers. The CEO of transatlantic airline Icelandair told Insider that he believed the blame for the disruption rested with airports. "Some airports were not ready to welcome passengers," Bogi Nils Bogason said. Despite the challenges this summer, Bogason said he "firmly believes" that the industry should be back to normal, pre-COVID-19 levels, by next summer.

☆ Bono’s new book is more than a rock star memoir. It’s also a powerful tribute to America
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland, Bono is a global rock star, an activist and an entrepreneur who is currently touring the US to promote his memoir. Bono’s book, though, is more than a rock star’s memoir. A belief in America as an idea, not a religionAs any casual fan of U2 knows, U2 has long had a close relationship with the US. Martin Luther King Jr., with their song, “Pride (In The Name of Love).”In “Surrender,” Bono pays tribute to America itself. “The search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground,” Bono writes in the memoir.

The net effect was to catapult next year's implied Fed terminal rate well above 5%. Fed vs BoE Terminal RatesNIESR chart on UK variable mortgagesBANK "IN A HOLE"Although the BoE insisted further hikes from 3% would likely be needed, two of the nine person policymaking council voted for a smaller rate rise this week. State Street's EMEA macro strategist Tim Graf also thinks a terminal rate closer to 4% is now "the more likely end state for policy rates." The BoE needs to be super careful about the pound because another withering lurch will simply aggravate import and energy price inflation. by Mike Dolan, Twitter: @reutersMikeD; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rising tensions between 2 of NATO's biggest militaries are driving fears of the first war between alliance members
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Greece and Turkey have two of NATO's largest militaries and are in an important corner of Europe. Their tensions have escalated in recent years, stoking new fears about the first war within NATO. Greece's defense spending in 2022 was the highest in the alliance as a share of GDP. (NATO also calls for 20% of members' defense spending to go toward equipment purchases and upgrades.) Greece's defense minister said that "as long as there is a threat of territorial sovereignty, it renders futile any attempt at communication."

☆ Europe's militaries have been working together for years to keep an eye on what Russia is up to at sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in September drew new attention to maritime threats in Europe. European militaries have already been working on new ways to protect undersea infrastructure. Although the pipelines were not in use— Nord Stream 1 was shut down in March by EU sanctions against Russia, and Nord Stream 2 wasn't yet operational—the incident highlights the risks to underwater infrastructure. Even before the war in Ukraine, Western officials had grown worried about increasing activity by Russian ships and submarines around underwater cables crossing the Atlantic. "Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations' undersea infrastructure," the admiral said at the time.

☆ Czech protesters call for new government, direct gas talks with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Demonstrators take part in an anti-government protest rally advocating for the country to bypass EU-backed sanctions against Russia and purchase gas directly from Moscow, in Prague, Czech Republic, October 28, 2022. The organising group "Czech Republic First!" Protesters waved Czech flags, chanted "Resign, Resign" and carried signs calling for an exit from NATO and the EU. "This is a new national revival and its goal is for the Czech Republic to be independent," event organiser Ladislav Vrabel said. The Czech government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala has signed up to EU sanctions against Russia and taken a tough stance over the invasion of Ukraine.

That loyal inner circle has not only strengthened Xi’s hold on power – but also tightened his grip over China’s future. In the eyes of Xi, China is closer than ever to achieving its dream of “national rejuvenation” and reclaiming its rightful place in the world. What he decides to do – and how he goes about doing it – will have a profound impact on the world. Under Xi, Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, sending warplanes and conducting military drills near the island. Xi continues to back a costly zero-Covid policy that keeps borders heavily restricted and regularly sends its cities into lockdown – dragging down China’s economic growth.

☆ Ukraine's surprise attack on Putin's 'miracle' bridge is more than just a military loss for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The bridge between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula was hit by a surprise attack on October 8. Bridge over troubled waterThe Crimean bridge on October 9. Contributor/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Crimean bridge is very important to the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Vehicles wait to cross the Crimean bridge on October 9. Happy birthday, Mr. presidentUkrainians pose with a mock postage stamp depicting the Crimean Bridge on fire on October 8.

☆ How a digital nomad mom of 2 used 'geo-arbitrage' to save thousands on food and childcare while working from multiple countries
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lona Alia and her husband are digital nomads, working remotely while traveling the world with their children. They save money this way through "geo-arbitrage," living in lower-cost countries while earning a US salary. Expenses like food and childcare are much cheaper in the countries she visits than in the US, Alia said. Nearly 17 million Americans describe themselves as digital nomads, a 9% increase from 2021 and 131% from 2019, MBO Partners' 2022 State of Independence study found from a survey of more than 6,000 US adults, including 901 current digital nomads. Alia says the geo-arbitrage of living in lower-cost countries has allowed her family to save "so much money."

☆ NATO navies are teaming up for the first time to practice using drones to hunt submarines and other undersea threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The exercise, Dynamic Messenger 22, was held in the waters off of Portugal's Troia Peninsula from September 23 to September 30. NATO Maritime CommandDynamic Messenger 22 involved 1,500 personnel from 16 NATO member-states operating more than 18 ships and 48 unmanned vehicles. NATO Maritime CommandMany NATO members see unmanned maritime assets as valuable additions to their fleets, and the role of those assets in alliance naval exercises has increased in recent years. A concerted effortA drone helicopter in use during NATO exercise Dynamic Messenger. NATO Maritime CommandREPMUS — short for "Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems" — supports NATO's Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative, which was launched in October 2018 to promote the use of unmanned systems in the alliance's naval operations.

☆ U.S. carriers add transatlantic flights for travel-hungry consumers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaCHICAGO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - U.S. carriers including Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O) are betting big on American consumers' unquenched thirst for travel across the Atlantic by adding more flights to Europe. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe transatlantic is the world's most lucrative travel market. Starting this month, Delta plans to operate more transatlantic flights than it did before the pandemic. Travel website KAYAK said searches for international travel, including to Europe, from the United States are up nearly 40% from last year. United said the transatlantic travel demand has remained "incredible" into the fall.

☆ EU, NATO at heart of Italian foreign policy, says Draghi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Membership of the European Union and NATO are cornerstones of Italy's foreign policy, outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday, ahead of the formation of a new, right-wing government. "We fully share European and transatlantic values and want to continue to protect and strengthen them," Draghi told Italian diplomats in Brussels. "These principles are even more important when dealing with the crises we are going through, from the war in Ukraine to the energy emergency," Draghi added in his address. Meloni issued a statement on Wednesday saying she would not let Italy be the weak link in the West, while senior Forza Italia politician, Antonio Tajani, looked to reassure EU centre-right allies over his party's foreign policy stance. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Crispian Balmer Editing by Gareth Jones and Gavin JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nasdaq profit rises 15% as market rout fuels demand for investment products
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Nasdaq Inc (NDAQ.O) reported a 15% jump in third-quarter adjusted profit on Wednesday, driven by strong demand for the exchange operator's investment products that helped offset a slowdown in initial public offerings. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRevenue at the firm's solutions segment, which houses its technology products, jumped 8% to $584 million. Excluding one-time items, Nasdaq earned 68 cents per share in the quarter ended Sept. 30. In line with other major financial firms, Nasdaq has also battled rising costs amid decades-high inflation. The company said it repurchased $633 million in shares of its common stock in the first nine months of the year.

☆ NATO is pouring concrete to support new 'battlegroups' in 4 countries amid rising tensions with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NATO now has some 40,000 troops under its direct command in Eastern Europe — 30,000 of them in those eight battlegroups. More than a tripwireUS soldiers at a base in Latvia to support NATO's battlegroup there on February 25. Hungary had refused to accept NATO troops, with its foreign minister saying before Russia attacked Ukraine that Hungary's military could defend the country. Following Russia's invasion, Hungary was persuaded to host a few hundred NATO troops in a battlegroup that it would lead. Accommodating and integrating an influx of NATO troops is not easy, even for countries that are eager to counter Russia.

☆ A quiet US move in the Mediterranean may help put more pressure on Russia, but not everyone in NATO is happy about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US lifted its 35-year-old arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus in September. But the US decision has rankled Turkey, which is at odds with NATO ally Greece over the island. Increased cooperationThe Cypriot Underwater Demolition Team and US Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Europe train in Cyprus in September 2021. "This is a landmark decision, reflecting the burgeoning strategic relationship between the two countries, including in the area of security," Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades said after the announcement. Cyprus is one of many points of contention between Greece and Turkey, whose worsening relations have worried other NATO members.

☆ Analysis: What is Russia's policy on tactical nuclear weapons?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

WHAT ARE TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS? Academics and arms control negotiators have spent years arguing about how to define tactical nuclear weapons (TNW). The clue is in the name: they are nuclear weapons used for specific tactical gains on the battlefield, rather than, say, destroying the biggest cities of the United States or Russia. The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945 was about 15 kilotons. The president is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to using Russian nuclear weapons, both strategic and non-strategic, according to Russia's nuclear doctrine.

☆ BA-owner IAG summer profit beats expectations, no weakness in forward bookings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - British Airways-owner IAG (ICAG.L) reported better than expected results for its key summer period due to strong demand and pricing and said that future bookings were not showing any signs of weakness, pushing its shares up as much as 10%. European airline stocks have plunged over the last six months over worries that rising household bills will dampen appetite for travel, but IAG said it was confident on future demand. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Forward bookings remain at expected levels for the time of year, with no indication of weakness, and accordingly our fourth quarter expectations remain unchanged as of today," the group said in a statement. The full results statement is due to be announced on Oct. 28. ($1 = 1.0272 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru and Sarah Young in London; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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