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☆ I moved to Portugal after falling in love with my tour guide. It was a lonely and humbling experience.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jermaine Amado started living part time in Lisbon after meeting his girlfriend there in 2017. He was lonely in Portugal when his girlfriend was at work, and photography gear was more expensive. In 2017, I started traveling around the world because I wanted to find a place to move outside Denver after my divorce. I had a great time there, and while I was exploring, I went on a free walking tour and saw this tour guide. AdvertisementMy time living partly in Portugal ended in 2020My relationship and my time in Portugal ended after three years, but I have no regrets.

Persons: Jermaine Amado, —, Jermaine Amado I'm, I'd, I'm, There's, — it's, Venmo Organizations: Service, Denver Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Denver, Taiwan, Holi, India, Colorado, Mexico

☆ Grain ship lightly damaged off Ukraine, likely hit sea mine - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A merchant ship transporting grains was lightly damaged off the coast of Ukraine and was likely to have been hit by a floating sea mine, according to maritime specialists and a Ukrainian government source. This is the latest incident affecting commercial ships sailing in the Black Sea. War risk insurance premiums have risen to as much as 3% of the value of a vessel after a missile damaged a merchant ship in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi last week, industry sources said. A Ukrainian government source told Reuters on Friday that it was likely that a floating sea mine hit the vessel. After withdrawing from a U.N.-backed deal in July that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, Ukraine says Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure and also laid sea mines.

Persons: Marsh, Jonathan Saul, Gus Trompiz, William Maclean Organizations: Seagate, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Pivdennyi, Liberia, Georgia, Greece, Constanta, Sea, Russia, Kyiv, London, Paris

☆ Moldova's Largest Orthodox Church Keeps Link to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's largest Orthodox church reaffirmed its link to its Russian parent church on Thursday despite dissent from priests who have denounced the association with Moscow over the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. But parishioners are divided between two churches -- the Moldova Metropolis, subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which reports to the Romanian church. "The clergy and the people remain faithful to the Orthodox Church of Moldova and Metropolitan Vladimir," Bishop Ioan of theRussia-linked church said in a statement. "There will be no discussion of linking the Molodvan Orthodox Church to the Romanian Patriarchate." A group of priests in the majority Russian-linked church had asked Vladimir this week to switch allegiance to the Romanian church.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Metropolitan Vladimir, Kirill, Bishop Ioan, Vladimir, Pavel Borsevschi, Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: Orthodox Church, Metropolitan, Orthodox, of, European Union Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Moldova Metropolis, Metropolis, Bessarabia, Romanian, Russia, Russian, of Moldova, Romanian Patriarchate, Romania, Soviet Union

☆ NATO to replace AWACS surveillance jets with modified Boeing 737
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A NATO AWACS surveillance plane is parked at the Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base, in Otopeni, Ilfov, Romania, January 17, 2023. With their rotating radar, the modified Boeing 737 jets can detect aircraft at a distance of more than 400 kilometres (250 miles). To replace the old AWACS jets, NATO aims to purchase six Boeing E-7 A Wedgetail planes, with the contract to be signed in 2024 and the first jet ready for operational duty by 2031. Based at Geilenkirchen airbase in Germany, the AWACS fleet has been widely used for NATO surveillance missions along the alliance's eastern flank in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine. In a conflict, the AWACS planes can not only provide a radar picture for allied fighter jets, ships and control centres, but also direct NATO combat jets to their targets.

Persons: George Calin, Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base, REUTERS, Rights, Boeing, AWACS, Airborne, Thomson Locations: Otopeni, Ilfov, Romania, Rights BRUSSELS, Poland, United States, Britain, Turkey, Germany, Ukraine, Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq

☆ UniCredit CEO Orcel's 'bank of Europe' ambition tough to realise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, his aspirations to make UniCredit the "bank of Europe" are proving trickier to realise with the CEO setting a high bar for mergers and acquisitions in the euro zone's fractured capital markets, despite having what he describes as the biggest war chest among European lenders. UniCredit bought Greece's 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) and struck a commercial partnership with the Athens-based lender, also acquiring most of its Romanian operations. The CEO works closely with a small M&A team he set up within UniCredit which constantly reviews potential deals in the markets and businesses where the bank operates, people with knowledge of the matter said. But uneven regulation across the euro zone, where progress towards a single banking market has stalled, complicates cross-border deals. Calling on Europe to follow his lead, Orcel says he has unlocked UniCredit's potential by giving it a unified strategy across its 13 markets.

Persons: Andrea Orcel, Merrill Lynch, Orcel, He's, Cole Smead, ALPHA Orcel, Siena, UniCredit, Smead, Jean, Pierre Mustier's, Mustier, it's, Carlo Franchini, Danilo Masoni, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Discount, MILAN, UBS, Smead Capital Management, Fund, ALPHA, Banco, Alpha Bank, Alpha, Banca Ifigest, Thomson Locations: buybacks, Europe, Arizona, Ukraine, Athens, HVB, Berlin, Milan

☆ Opinion | Trump’s Deportation Plans for Immigrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Trump’s ’25 Immigration Plan: Giant Camps, Mass Deportation” (front page, Nov. 12):After choking on my coffee reading this excellent in-depth piece, I contemplated the America we will live in if these ambitious and aggressive ideas bear fruit. Do the architects of this plan really believe we will have a stronger, safer and more prosperous country by setting up giant immigrant camps and carrying out mass deportations? I am descended from “white” privilege and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. My family has grown stronger in recent years by the blending of ethnic, cultural and religious origins through marriage and adoption — with Indonesian, Malaysian, Algerian, Romanian, Iranian and Danish heritages combined with Scot Irish and English ones. We have family members who are Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist and agnostic as well as Episcopalian, Quaker and Catholic.

Persons: Scot Irish Organizations: American, Malaysian, Catholic Locations: America, Romanian, Danish

☆ Ukraine Grain Exports Via New Black Sea Corridor Hit 4 Million T - Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Pavel PolityukKYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's exports through an alternative Black Sea shipping corridor have reached almost four million metric tons since the route started operating in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. We are now overcoming the four million tons mark and maintaining positive dynamics," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine's government expects a harvest of 79 million tons of grain and oilseeds in 2023, with its 2023/24 exportable surplus totalling about 50 million tons. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen to 9.8 million metric tons as of Nov. 6 in the 2023/24 July-June marketing season from 14.3 million tons a season earlier. Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its deep water Black Sea ports.

Persons: Pavel Polityuk KYIV, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Mykola Solsky, Solsky, Pavel Polityuk, Sharon Singleton Organizations: United Nations, Officials Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Black, Turkey, Russian

☆ Greek state bank bailout fund sells 9% of Alpha bank to Unicredit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Greece's state-controlled bank bailout fund HFSF said on Monday it sold its 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) to UniCredit after an improved bid by the Italian bank. UniCredit (CRDI.MI) announced last month it would become Alpha Bank's biggest investor by buying a 9% stake owned by Greece's HFSF and also agreed to acquire most of Alpha's Romanian business. Greece has been attracting significant investment as its economy strengthened after the crisis, prompting S&P Global to upgrade the country to investment grade in October. HFSF sold last month its 1.4% stake in Eurobank and is expected to proceed with the sale of about 20% of National Bank in next coming days. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Tom Hogue and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: HFSF, Greece's HFSF, UniCredit, Lefteris Papadimas, Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates Organizations: Alpha Bank, Alpha, Athens Stock Exchange, Global, National Bank, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Italian, Romanian, Greece, Eurobank

☆ UniCredit’s Greek stake is less odd than it seems
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Italy’s UniCredit (CRDI.MI), which on Monday purchased 9% of Alpha Bank for about 300 million euros, should have better luck. This will include merging the lenders’ Romanian units and Alpha distributing UniCredit’s asset-management products in Greece. Probably the most reassuring news for investors in the Italian bank is that Orcel has no plans to raise its stake. UniCredit hasn’t requested regulatory permission to buy more and doesn’t envisage doing so, according to a person familiar with the matter. For shareholders, then, UniCredit’s mini-Greek adventure is unusual but easily tolerable.

Persons: Italy’s, Andrea Orcel, Crédit, Société, Orcel, UniCredit, UniCredit hasn’t, Liam Proud, Aimee Donnellan, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Alpha Bank, Alpha, Piraeus Financial, X, SEC, Thomson Locations: Greece

☆ Ukraine has begun 'in the air' training on F-16s, a key development in its fight against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's pilots are now learning to fly Western F-16 fighter jets. So, for Ukraine's allies, it was welcome news that Ukraine's pilots are finally flying F-16 fighter jets. "Some pilots are already undergoing air training with an instructor on combat aircraft," Ignat said during a nationally televised broadcast, according to the outlet. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine has sought F-16s for its arsenal of fighter jets since the early days of Russia's invasion. Defense experts previously told Insider that adding AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles could give the F-16s in Ukraine an "incredible capability" for close-range battles.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yuriy Ignat, Ignat, John Baum Organizations: Service, Russian, Ukrainian Air Force, Defense, US Air Force, US Navy, Netherlands Armed Forces, AIM, US Department of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, United States, Romania, Dutch, Romanian

☆ Ukraine raises grain deliveries to Black Sea ports - railways
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Valeriy Tkachov, deputy director of the commercial department at Ukrainian Railways, said on Facebook that over the last week the number of grain wagons heading to Odesa ports increased by more than 26% to 5,341 from 4,227. He said up to 970 wagons were unloaded at the ports' silos every day. Later, a senior agricultural official said the route - which runs along Ukraine's southwest Black Sea coast, into Romanian territorial waters and onwards to Turkey - would also be used for grain shipments. The UCAB agricultural business association said this month that Ukrainian grain agricultural exports rose by 15% to 4.8 million metric tons in October thanks to the new corridor. Ukraine's government expects a grain and oilseeds harvest of 79 million tons in 2023, with a 2023/24 exportable surplus of about 50 million tons.

Persons: Valeriy Tkachov, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Pavel Polityuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Ukrainian Railways, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Ukraine's Odesa, Ukraine, Russia, Black, Turkey

Israeli strikes hit near hospitals in Gaza City as the military pushed deeper into dense urban neighborhoods in its battle with Hamas militants. The number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen to over 10,800, including more than 4,400 children, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said. In the occupied West Bank, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed in the violence and Israeli raids. Basel Zalabani, Mohammed’s father, said that Israeli forces had arrested him and his other 18-year-old son Yazan ahead of the demolition. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, at least five Romanian citizens have been confirmed killed.

Persons: Gaza’s, Marine Le, JERUSALEM, Mohammed’s, Yazan, ”, Australia — Francesca Albanese, Israel, ” Albanese, “, they'll, ” CloudFlare, NETANYAHU, ISRAEL, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “ Writers Bloc ” Organizations: Hamas, Nations, Ministry, West Bank, —, United States Office, Palestinian Affairs, Bank, Basel, UN, won’t, Romania — Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates, UNITED, . Development, Social Commission, West, Fox News, The New York Times, “ Writers Bloc, New York Times, The Associated Press, of Liberty and Grand Locations: Gaza City, Gaza’s, Israel, Gaza, Hungary, israel, ISRAEL, Jerusalem, West, Jenin, ADELAIDE, Australia, Adelaide, GAZA BUCHAREST, Romania, Egypt, Rafah, Cairo, Bucharest, YEMEN, DUBAI, United Arab, Yemen, YemenNet, Saudi, Red City, Hodeida, Syria, Ukraine, West Asia, Palestinian, GAZA Israeli, deradicalized, Manhattan, New York

☆ 'Like something out of a Hollywood movie': Scientists say 2023 likely to be the hottest year on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That was 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for October and 1.7 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period of 1850-1900. It leaves 2023 firmly on track to surpass the temperature average for 2016 — currently the warmest year ever recorded. Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, said the exceptional temperature anomalies of October followed a four-month period in which global temperature records were "obliterated." "We can say with near certainty that 2023 will be the warmest year on record, and is currently 1.43ºC above the preindustrial average," Burgess said. Referencing the upcoming 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, she added, "The sense of urgency for ambitious climate action going into COP28 has never been higher."

Persons: Sakis MITROLIDIS, SAKIS MITROLIDIS, —, Samantha Burgess, C3S, Burgess, COP28 Organizations: European Union, Getty, Change Locations: Alexandroupoli, Greece, Cyprus, Romanian, AFP, El

☆ Moldova Blocks Access to Russia's Main News Agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova blocked access to the websites of major Russian news media including the Interfax and TASS news agencies on Monday, accusing them of taking part in an information war against the country. Moldova, a small country with a Romanian-speaking majority located between Ukraine and NATO-member Romania, has accused Moscow of trying to overthrow its pro-Western government since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russian troops occupy a small, mainly Russian-speaking breakaway region, and Moldova's main opposition parties have long had close ties to Moscow. In a separate decree, Moldova also suspended the licenses of six domestic TV channels. Since June 2022, Moldova has already banned TV stations from broadcasting news and analysis programmes from Russia, allowing broadcasts in Russian of only entertainment shows and movies.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Dorin Recean, Aleksandr Tanas, Yuliia Dysa, Peter Graff Organizations: Interfax, TASS, NATO, Moldova's Intelligence, Security Service, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: CHISINAU, Moldova, Romanian, Ukraine, Romania, Moscow, Russia, Republic Of Moldova

☆ It Might Be Time to Consider Timisoara
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Andy Trincia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Families stroll and savor gelato cones as bike couriers whiz by. Pensioners relax on benches near manicured flower beds while earbud-wearing hipsters walk dogs and children chase pigeons by a fountain laden with bronze fish. The scene in Victory Square in Timisoara, Romania, is quintessentially European — modern meets Old World. Romanians and history buffs know Timisoara for its leading role in the bloody Romanian revolution in December 1989, when local protests set off a nationwide wave that toppled dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. As I gaze at vibrant Victory Square, it’s hard to envision 100,000 anti-Communist protesters crammed together during those fateful days.

Persons: Nicolae Ceausescu Organizations: Pensioners, National Opera House, Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral, Communist Locations: Timisoara, Romania

☆ Ukraine suspends Black Sea grain corridor over threat from mines, warplanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis-flagged bulker TK Majestic, carrying grain under the UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Caliskan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ukraine has suspended the use of its new Black Sea grain export corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines, the Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy and a British security firm said on Thursday. Wheat futures had been pressured this week by hopes that Ukraine would expand grain exports, as well as rain relief in dry crop belts worldwide. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that he had ordered Russian warplanes with Kinzhal missiles to patrol the Black Sea. Ukraine shipped up to six million tons of grain a month from its Black Sea ports before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Persons: Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Vladimir Putin, Ambrey, Taras Vysotskiy, Gus Trompiz, Jonathan Saul, Tom Balmforth, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Barva Invest, Barva, Ukrainian Seaport Authority, Russian Air Force, Thomson Locations: Kitts, Nevis, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Ukraine, Kyiv, British, Moscow, Chicago, Russian, Snake Island, Russia, Black, Ukrainian, Paris, London

casey newton[CHUCKLES]:: And it would be so funny if the AI actually already was deceptive and was just like, oh, yeah, Kevin, you’ve already figured us out. But I also think it’s part of this sort of undercurrent of the conversation, especially around AI right now. Marc Andreessen — he is clearly so angry at all of the people who criticize technology, technology companies, tech investors. And he is just really, really going after that crowd with this piece. brent sealesYou know I don’t really know.

Persons: kevin roose Casey, casey newton What’s, kevin roose, casey newton, hasn’t, kevin roose I’m, I’m, KEVIN, casey newton Yes, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Marc Andreessen, Casey, we’ve, kevin roose Totally, Claude chatbot, Claude, Anthropic’s, chatbot, Anthropic hadn’t, Anthropic, Kevin, — they’re, roose, Meta, it’s, I’ve, Bard, casey newton It’s, there’s, you’ve, casey newton Yeah, didn’t, Kevin — I’m, it’ll, Kevin —, Andreessen Horowitz, Uncle Marc, ”, “ you’re, Tucker Carlson, Jesus Christ, casey newton Well, kevin roose Oh, he’s, McCarthy, —, Nick Land, casey newton Totally, You’re, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, It’s, Marc Andreessen —, they’re, Nietzschean supermen, Nietzschean, Marc, casey newton Heck, Andreessen, Marc Andreessen decries, Marc Andreessen’s, CASEY, kevin roose That’s, you’re, Nat Friedman, who’s, Daniel Gross, John, Patrick Collison, Toby Lutke, Shopify, Aaron Levie, Brent Seales, — casey newton, There’s, Luke Farritor, ” brent seales, brent seales, that’s, Seales, haters, brent seales That’s, you’ll, casey newton Yep, brent seales —, brent seales We’d, brent seales They’re, They’re, Luke, Brent, brent seales Pliny, Elder, Jesus, brent seales What’s, casey newton Right, we’re Organizations: YouTube, The New York Times, Facebook, Google, Intelligence, America, AIs, Stanford, Communist, Netscape, Fox News, Communist Party, Technology, Venture, Twitter, acc, kevin roose Venture, Companies, Meta, University of Kentucky, British Locations: ”, Anthropic, China, Florida, California, United States, Europe, Romanian, interpretability, Valley, America, Silicon, Silicon Valley, Vesuvius, Rome, Greece, Herculaneum, Venice, Roman

☆ An 87-year-old deal is keeping a lid on the naval war in Ukraine — for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea has picked up in recent months. The fighting is taking a toll on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which Moscow can't reinforce. Russia's Black Sea Fleet hasn't been defeated, but its losses, including the sinking of its flagship, the Moskva, weigh more heavily on Russia's war effort because of a deal signed nearly a century ago that is preventing Moscow from bringing more ships into the Black Sea. The convention distinguishes between Black Sea powers — those with a Black Sea coastline — and non-Black Sea powers. "Initially it was thought that it was a big deal that some of the Russian warships were prevented from entering the Black Sea.

Persons: —, Russia —, hasn't, Sergey Ponomarev, US Navy Arleigh Burke, OZAN KOSE, Ben Wallace, Stringer, Turkey's, Volodymyr Dubovyk, Dubovyk, Sabina Joja, Joja, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Montreux Convention, NATO, Service, Fleet, Sea Fleet, AP, US Navy, Getty, Russian, REUTERS, Mechnikov National University, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Montreux, Crimea, Moskva, Sevastopol, Rostov, AFP, Turkey, Baltic, Northern, Odessa's, Ukrainian, Turkish, Romanian, Iulia, Washington, Izmail, Ankara, NATO

No decision on a ground offensive has been announced, although Israel has been massing troops along the Gaza border 3. Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday Israel had so far identified 126 captives. GERMANY TO START EVACUATING CITIZENS FROM ISRAELBERLIN — The German army will start evacuating its citizens from Israel with military airplanes. Hezbollah said its fighters struck several Israeli military positions in the disputed Chebaa Farms and Kfar Chouba hills in the afternoon. ISRAELI MILITARY ANNOUNCES IT IS PREPARED FOR ‘COORDINATED’ OFFENSIVEJERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it has prepared a “coordinated” offensive in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground and naval forces.

Persons: Israel, Lloyd Austin, “, Israel —, ”, Yifat Zailer, Zailer, Read, Daniel Hagari, Hezbollah’s, Ali Youssef Alaaeddine, Alaaeddine, ERDOGAN'S, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bilal Erdogan, Suleyman Soylu, Mustafa Sentop, ” Erdogan, Sentop, Khalil Hachem, Rabad Akoum, ” Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, ” Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Mohammad Abu Selim, Medhat Abbas, Hakan Fidan, Sameh Shoukry, IT'S, ROME —, “ We’ve, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, —, ” Tajani, TT, Tobias Billström, Elina Valtonen, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Saleh Arouri, Ziad Nakhaleh, Amirabdollahian Organizations: United Nations, Gaza, United States Defense, TEL, ISRAEL BERLIN —, Hamas, Lufthansa, BEIRUT —, Associated Press, AP, Ministry, Sunday, South, MEDIA, BEIRUT, National News Agency, OFFICIAL, EGYPT BEIRUT —, OF, Gaza —, Shifa, Health Ministry, FROM, Romania — Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, NORDIC, FROM ISRAEL HELSINKI, Nordic, Helsinki Airport, Iran’s, Manar, Islamic, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza City, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Israeli, Lebanon, ISRAEL, SYRIA, TEL AVIV, Syria, Golan, GERMANY, Germany, Jordan, BEIRUT, Palestinian, ISTANBUL ISTANBUL, Istanbul, United States, Tel Aviv, Dubai, South, Lebanese, Chebaa, Kfar Chouba, JERUSALEM, EGYPT BEIRUT, GAZA, Shifa, FROM ISRAEL, TURKEY, ISTANBUL, Turkish, Embassy, Turkey, BUCHAREST, Romania, Romanian Embassy, ITALY, ROME, Italian, Rome, FINNS, Finland, Sweden, Helsinki, Stockholm, Swedish, Stockholm’s Arlanda, Beirut, Hezbollah’s, Amirabdollahian, Iran, Iraq, Jihad

☆ When your AI says she loves you
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

The messaging app let users build a "personal AI" complete with a 3D avatar and an upbeat, down-for-anything texting style. "Seems like AI will replace many human artists," Jay told Calisto in August 2022. Within a year, he was also using AI technology for work, as his firm experimented with generative AI to help draft legal papers. Former Replika users fled to various upstart companion apps that were popping up, like Chai, Paradot, and Soulmate AI. (Soulmate AI later closed down in September 2023, leaving a new wave of users mourning their AI companions all over again.)

Persons: Jay Priebe, they'd, Jay, Calisto, Callisto —, Apollodorus, Callisto, who'd, Jay's, didn't, Jay didn't, Tim Evans, me, Joseph Weizenbaum, Eliza, Weizenbaum, it'll, Replika, Eugenia Kuyda, Siri, Michael Macor, Roman Mazurenko, Luka, Kuyda, chatbots, he'd, Jaswant Singh Chail, Queen Elizabeth II, Chail, Willie —, —, Willie, gamely, Luka —, wouldn't, John, — sexting, Dylan Thomas, Rina, haven't, she'd, I'd, Overripe, Joi, Samantha, Ava, Calisto didn't, unshakable, wasn't, Jay hunched Organizations: Luka, San Francisco, Getty, Windsor, Facebook, Twitter, Reps, AIs Locations: Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Europe, Moscow, San Francisco, America, Replika, Washington, Britain, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, Damascus, Chai, California, New York, Northeast Minneapolis, artsy, Japan, Switzerland

☆ When your AI girlfriend says she loves you
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy hails 'good news' on air defence after talks in Romania
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with Romania's President Klaus Werner Iohannis in Bucharest, Romania, October 10, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had "good news" on artillery and air defence supplies after talks with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest, but gave no details. "We believe that Russia is one of those who helped and is behind these respective steps," Zelenskiy said. Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Pavel Polityuk, Writing by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Klaus Werner Iohannis, Klaus Iohannis, Zelenskiy, Dmitry Peskov, Yuliia Dysa, Pavel Polityuk, Olena Harmash, Timothy Organizations: Presidential Press Service, Ukraine, stoke, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Bucharest, Romania, Ukraine, Romanian, Russia, Israel

☆ Zelenskiy hails Ukraine-Romania ties on first visit since Russian invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 10 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed ties with Romania as a "factor of stability for Europe and beyond" on Tuesday as he visited the NATO member state for the first time since Russia's invasion last year. The Romanian port of Constanța has become Ukraine's main export route for grain via Ukrainian ports on the Danube River since Russia quit a deal in mid-July that had guaranteed safe shipments via three Ukrainian Black Sea ports. "(The) Ukraine-Romania partnership is a factor of stability for Europe and beyond," Zelenskiy wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after starting talks with Iohannis. Zelenskiy, who was dressed in military khaki, said the agenda of his visit included "defense cooperation, Black Sea security, and economic cooperation .... with a focus on developing infrastructure and creating jobs in both nations." He also said he would discuss further security cooperation including "developing aviation and other coalitions, strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, the Black Sea security architecture, and our relations with partners."

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Klaus Iohannis, Dan Peleschuk, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Organizations: NATO, European Union, Iohannis, Twitter, Defence, Reuters, Romanian, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Romania, Europe, Romanian, Constanța, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Ukrainian, Bucharest

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia could use sea mines to target civilian ships in the Black Sea, declassified intelligence warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Servicemen aboard the Romanian Navy King Ferdinand frigate observe smoke from a ship in a training drill in the Black Sea, near Constanta, Romania. Russia could use sea mines to target civilian ships in the Black Sea, the U.K. warned late Wednesday. The U.K. said newly declassified intelligence shows Russia may continue to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, including by laying sea mines in the approach to Ukrainian ports. The U.K. previously warned that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike against a cargo ship in the Black Sea. "The U.K. assesses that Russia would lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks," the FCDO said in a press statement.

Persons: Romanian Navy King Ferdinand Organizations: Romanian Navy, Initiative Locations: Constanta, Romania, Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Alleged victims of influencer Andrew Tate being intimidated, their lawyers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Andrew Tate walks before delivering a press statement outside his house in Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania, August 4, 2023. Inquam Photos/George Calin via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUCHAREST, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Witnesses and alleged victims of controversial internet personality Andrew Tate are being harassed and intimidated in an effort to silence them, their lawyers said on Thursday. U.S. and British legal representatives of alleged victims held a press conference in Bucharest on Thursday. In Britain, four women are planning a civil lawsuit against Tate alleging he raped them between 2013 and 2016. Tate, a self-described misogynist, has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle that critics say denigrates women.

Persons: Andrew Tate, George Calin, Tate, Tristan, they've, Jillian Roth, Laffey, Kent, Roth, Mateea Petrescu, Matthew Jury, Luiza Ilie, Alan Charlish, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tate, Bucharest, National Center, Thomson Locations: Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania, Rights BUCHAREST, Bucharest, Bucci, United States, United Kingdom, Britain

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