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A solar energy company and a video game maker were highlighted by analysts Tuesday. Meanwhile, JPMorgan upgraded Roblox to overweight from neutral, and its new price target implies upside of more than 35%. — Pia Singh 5:43 a.m.: KeyBanc downgrades beaten-down solar stock Sunnova Energy Heading into first-quarter earnings, KeyBanc Capital Markets is cautious on residential solar names, particularly Sunnova Energy . Analyst Sophie Karp downgraded the Texas-based residential and commercial solar energy company to sector weight from overweight and removed her price target on the stock. It also raised its price target to $48 from $41, implying a 37% rally over the next 12 months.

Persons: KeyBanc, Oppenheimer, Dwight, Rupesh Parikh, Parikh, — Pia Singh, DataDog, Andrew Nowinski, Datadog, Nowinski, Yun Kim, Kim, MDB, KeyBanc downgrades, Sophie Karp, Karp, —, Cory Carpenter, Carpenter, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, JPMorgan, Loop Capital, Sunnova Energy, NOVA, SolarEdge Technologies, Enphase Energy Locations: Sunnova, Parikh, Wells Fargo Wells, Texas, U.S

☆ China’s growing love of luxury watches remains strong, despite economic headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Leona Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Despite economic challenges looming large — including prolonged downturns in both the housing and stock market — China’s fascination with luxury watches remains undiminished. Cyril Zingaro/WWGF/KeystoneCertainly at this year’s fair, well-dressed, well-accessorized Chinese customers appeared unfazed by economic uncertainties. After more than 20 years working in the region, he believes China’s economic slowdown is just a temporary phase. “The situation may be slightly (more) challenging for mid-level luxury brands (whose clients’ disposable incomes are potentially more at the whim of market forces). Collectors appreciate the craftsmanship, rarity, and heritage associated with luxury timepieces, which can hold or increase in value over time.

Persons: Matthieu Humair, Cyril Zingaro, Jackson Yee, Jaeger, Zhu Yilong, Wang Yang, Xiao Zhan, David Sadigh, Patek Philippe, Van Cleef, ” Sadigh, Valentin Flauraud, ”, Ricardo Guadalupe, “ We’ve, Pierre Albouy, Keystone Carson Chan, Richard Mille Asia, Bonhams, ” Chan, Raphael Young, Lange, Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid, Lumen, Chan, Vacheron, Young, Roger Dubuis, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci — Chanel, Hermes, Hermès, Attelé, Chanel, Mademoiselle Chanel, “ Organizations: Geneva CNN —, Federation of, Swiss Watch Industry, IWC, Digital Luxury, CNN, Keystone, Fondation, “, Berkley, Couture Locations: Geneva, China, Hong Kong, Asia, Switzerland, Chopard, Europe, “, Asia — China, Guadalupe, Swiss, watchmaking

☆ Nespresso, Keurig have new coffee pods coming designed to put an end to all the garbage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Keurig coffee sales in the U.S. reached over $4 billion last year, while Wall Street analysis pegs Nespresso sales at roughly $1.5 billion. The U.S. coffee pods and capsules market is expected to grow to $10.1 billion by 2028 up from $8.4 billion last year, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence. Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and compostable coffee pods are increasingly in demand, and have been on the market for a few years, such as NEXE, a packaging solutions supplier based in Canada, which launched a line of compostable coffee pods in the U.S. and Canada in 2021, which it markets as Nespresso-compatible. Getting customer buy-in for new products is also a challenge for companies looking to produce more sustainable coffee pods. Here's a look at what Keurig and Nespresso — the two largest makers of at-home coffee pod systems — have planned for at-home coffee drinkers as part of that push to keep the pods from filling up the garbage.

Persons: Pepper, Joe, Dillon Baxter, Nespresso, Dr, it's, Monique Oxender, Oxender, they'll, Keurig Organizations: Intelligence, National Coffee Association . Companies, Nestle, Recycling Locations: U.S, Canada, there's, North America, Europe

☆ Latin-fusion dishes like Caribbean tacos and jerk chicken with guava barbecue sauce showcased chefs' cultural pride at an Austin food festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Cat Cardenas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Chadwick Burnaw, the owner of an event company, hosted the Sazón Latin Food Festival in Austin. This article is part of "Festivals of Flavor," a series celebrating Latin festival cuisines. Festivalgoers danced to music at the Sazón Latin Food Festival in March. Cat Cardenas for BIHe'd scope out San Francisco's nightlife scene, looking for clubs that would play the merengue and bachata music he was familiar with. They served Jamaican-Latin fusion dishes alongside their kids at the Sazón Latin Food Festival.

Persons: Chadwick Burnaw, —, he'd, Burnaw, Festivalgoers, Cat Cardenas, Cardenas, Chris Burrell, Yadira, we'd, Burrell, . Cat Cardenas, they've, Tatiana French, Dejean, Mix'T, they'd, pico de gallo, it's, she's, there's Organizations: Service, Washington, Food, San Francisco State University, BI, City, aguas, Honduran, sos pwa Locations: Austin, South Austin, Caribbean, DC, San Francisco, Texas, California, Bay, America, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Samba, Clarendon, Jamaica, Honduras, ., Puerto Rican, Costa Rican, Virginia, French, Haitian, East Austin

☆ For U.S. Cuban claims holders, spy Manuel Rocha's plea deal raises fresh questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Raul Rubiera | Miami Herald | Getty ImagesWhen Carolyn Lamb saw news of Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha's arrest on the news last December, she recognized him immediately. The lower the value of the claims, the less the Cuban government would have to pay in any future negotiated settlement. Ashby assumed Rocha's paranoia about eavesdropping was in response to the George W. Bush administration's opposition to the Cuba claims buying business. But according to the Justice Department, by that point Rocha was already in his third decade as a Cuban agent. File photo of former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, talking to the press on the 11th of July 2001.

Persons: V, Manuel Rocha, Steel Hector, Davis, Raul Rubiera, Carolyn Lamb, Victor Manuel Rocha's, Rocha, Lamb, Lamb's, Castro, Justin Solomon, CNBC Castro didn't nationalize, of Rocha, Fidel Castro's, It's, Jason Poblete, Poblete, John Kavulich, Sears Roebuck, Timothy Ashby, Ashby couldn't, Ashby, George W, Bush, Little, Covert, Gonzalo Espinoza Organizations: Miami Herald, Steel, Cuban, US State Department, National Security, Cuban Telephone Company, " Beverage Company, CNBC, Pepsi, General Electric, Century Fox, Cuba Trade, Economic Council, Justice Department, Citizen, State Department, National Security Council, DOJ, Cubans, FBI, AFP, Getty Locations: America, Omaha, Bolivia, Cuba, Havana, United States, Cuban, Rocha, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Miami, Chile

☆ Opinion | How to Reduce Student Absenteeism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:“Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring” (front page, March 30) highlights the persistent challenge of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools. If pandemic-related “cultural shifts” are among the factors keeping students away from school, bringing them back may require us to rethink the culture of education itself. Despite the efforts of many visionary educators, too many schools still offer a deskbound, test- and compliance-driven experience that leaves students passive, uninspired and flat-out bored. Today, the chronic absenteeism rate among the pilot cohort of seventh and eighth graders hovers at 8 percent, in no small part because students don’t want to miss what’s on offer at school. Educators can reset school culture by being adaptive, believing in teacher leadership and recognizing that powerful learning can happen outside classroom walls.

Locations: Salem

☆ Peer inside Barely Fair, the exhibition where major artists present at miniature scale
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Roland Miller/Barely FairThat same year, the New York gallery Selenas Mountain showcased Juan Arango Palacios' canvases and woven works. Artists and their galleries are responsible for producing all of the small works, but Barely Fair’s team helps with installation as needed. Roland Miller/Barely FairBarely Fair began as a joke between the co-founders of the artist space Julius Caesar, but they quickly realized its potential as a serious art fair. “And I think that Barely Fair is much more successful at that.”For nascent galleries and artists, Barely Fair is a more accessible way to participate in Chicago’s art week, which draws curators and collectors from around the world. “(It’s) inverting the dynamics of making a monument at small scale,” she said, explaining that Barely Fair “happened to feel almost tailor-made” for her work.

Persons: Anish Kapoor, Barbara Kruger, Yoko Ono, Rebecca Morris, Roland Miller, Juan Arango Palacios, Julius Caesar, ”, Josh Dihle, Tony Lewis, Kate Sierzputowski, ” Miller, “, Ellie Rines, Henry, Daid Puppypaws, Ingrid Olson, Jonas Müller, Miller, Alice Tippit, Evan Jenkins, Julia Fischbach, Fischbach, gallerists, Al Freeman, Rines, Amanda Ross, Ho, Michiko Itatani, Kay Hoffman, Katharine Hamnett, Ross, ” Ross, Price, that’s, Tatjana Pieters, Charles Degeyter, Mae Alphonse Dessauvage, Pieters, ” Pieters, “ I’ve, — Organizations: CNN, Color, Barely, Artists, New, Los, Chicago —, NADA Miami, Miami Art Locations: Chicago, New York, New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Ross, Belgian, NADA, Ghent, Belgium

☆ Opinion | What Worries Me Most About a Trump Presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Caroline Fredrickson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

What we should fear most is Mr. Trump transforming our government into a modern-day Tammany Hall, installing a kleptocratic leadership that will be difficult if not impossible to dislodge. I do not discount the possibility of state-sponsored violence, and I worry deeply about the politicization of the civil service. Recall how Mr. Trump operated in his first term. Those interested in currying favor with the president, from foreign governments to would-be government contractors, knew to spend money at his hotels and golf clubs. According to internal Trump hotel documents, T-Mobile executives spent over $195,000 at the Trump Washington Hotel after announcing a planned merger with Sprint in April 2018.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Justice Department, Tammany Hall, Secret Service, Mobile, Trump Washington Hotel, Sprint Locations: Trump

☆ OpenAI poaches Shopify's former head of support as the e-commerce giant's support org faces a shake-up
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He's the latest among a string of leaders in Shopify's support organization to leave. Shopify's work with AI has incorporated large language models, including those developed by OpenAI. Shopify's Support organization has undergone some leadership changes in recent months. Jen Bebb, previously Shopify's director of global merchant and product support, left the company in March when Worthington left. Miqdad Jaffer, who led companywide AI initiatives as a director of product at Shopify, joined OpenAI's product staff in March.

Persons: OpenAI, Glen Worthington, Worthington, Shopify, Toby Shannan, generalists, Jen Bebb, Clovis Cuqui, Worthington isn't, Miqdad Jaffer Organizations: Business, OpenAI, Operations, Engineering, LinkedIn, WordPress Locations: Shopify, OpenAI, mstone@businessinsider.com

But a new report from Consumer Reports said it recently compared the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits served in schools and found they have even higher levels of sodium than the Lunchables kits consumers can buy in stores. The non-profit consumer group said it has petitioned the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program, to remove Lunchables food kits from school cafeterias, as a result. The introduction of Lunchables in schools came amid proposed changes to school food guidelines by the USDA, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program. The proposed changes aimed to reduce added sugars and sodium levels in school-provided lunches. Food additives are considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not everyone agrees.

Persons: Lunchables, Armour LunchMakers, Oscar Mayer, can’t, “, Brian Ronholm, Kraft Heinz, ” Kraft Heinz, Carlos Monteiro, Monteiro, ” Monteiro, Heinz “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Consumer, Natural Meat, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Agriculture, CNN, USDA, University of Sao, NOVA, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Science, Environmental, Kraft Locations: New York, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

☆ Chechnya bans all music deemed too fast or too slow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Authorities in the Russian Republic of Chechnya have announced a ban on music that they consider too fast or slow. The ban will mean that many songs in musical styles such as pop and techno will be banned. Chechnya sits in the North Caucasus region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Kadyrov has been leader since 2007 and has used his time in office to stifle any form of dissent. The pro-Kremlin leader has also subdued the Chechen separatist movement that fought for independence from Russia for almost two decades.

Persons: Culture Musa Dadayev, Chechen Republic “, Chechen Republic Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, ” Dadayev, Dadayev, Kadyrov, Mike Pompeo, ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, TASS, of Culture, United, Kremlin, US State Department Locations: Russian Republic, Chechnya, Culture, Russian, Chechen Republic, North Caucasus, Russia’s, Georgia, United Nations, Chechen, Russia

☆ How one real-estate unicorn is getting past gutting layoffs and slowing deals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Rising interest rates have slammed the brakes on deals, and many real-estate companies have cut staff as revenues slowed. Founded in 2020 by real-estate executives Ryan Stroker and William Martiner, Avenue One was profitable by early 2021, company officials told Business Insider. AdvertisementAvenue One cofounder and CEO Ryan Stroker told BI in an interview how the company is navigating the difficult business environment. "I was told that I wasn't spending enough money six months before the layoffs," Stroker said. Layoffs and Big SpendingBoth Stroker and Avenue One's followup statement said the company is financially secure and described the layoffs as prudent rather than necessary.

Persons: It's, Ryan Stroker, William Martiner, Wall, Stroker, Martiner, John Burns, Ryan, Axel Springer Organizations: Service, KKR, Global, Business, MetLife, Wall, Amherst, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, BI Locations: Manhattan, Axel

☆ As crews work to lift first piece of Baltimore bridge debris, officials eye a temporary channel around the collapse site
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Dalia Faheid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Crews are working to remove the first portion of Baltimore bridge wreckage – the starting point in a complicated, extensive cleanup process that could help open up a temporary channel to get more vessels into the water around the collapse site, officials said. In the meantime, conditions in the water make it unsafe for divers as pieces of the bridge remain submerged in the water. The port “handles more cars and more farm equipment more than any other port inside this country,” the governor said. Plus, “at least 8,000 workers on the docks have jobs that have been directly affected” by the collapse. In order to reopen the port, the Coast Guard says it will first clear debris from the deep draft channel, remove the ship, then clear debris from the bridge across the waterway.

Persons: CNN — Crews, Wes Moore, It’s, Francis Scott Key, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Moore, ” Moore, Shannon Gilreath, you’ve, ”, it’s, ” Gilreath, Al Drago, Roland L, Butler, Mark Martin, ” Martin, Martin, “ Organizations: CNN, ”, ” Maryland Gov, Authorities, Baltimore Mayor, US Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, Bloomberg, Getty, SalvOcean Locations: Baltimore, ” Maryland, Maryland, Port of Baltimore, “, Patapsco, Baltimore Harbor

☆ I thought having my own office meant I'd 'arrived,' but it was depressing. Here's why open-plan office layouts are best.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

During that time, she's worked in cubicles, open plan offices, and has had her own office spaces. There was another intern who had her own cubicle with high walls that kind of looked like a mini office. I've spent 10 years in financial services, where I worked in everything from high-walled cubicles to open office floor plans to eventually having my very own office. I also spent 10 years in B2B tech and software-as-a-service companies, where there's nothing but open office plans. Having my own office was depressing and soul-crushingHaving your own office is associated with prestige and privacy, but my first experience of this was horrible.

Persons: Jennifer Moore, she's, —, I've, Moore Organizations: Service Locations: cubicles, Salt Lake City, Wells Fargo

☆ Outspoken Cuban Priest Cries Foul as Country Marks Good Friday
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Nelson Acosta and Marc FrankHAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban Roman Catholics held public processions across the Communist-run country on Friday to mark Good Friday, but there was at least one exception in Havana where 150 of the faithful were relegated to the church parking lot. “It is not possible today to introduce Jesus Christ without introducing to him a people who are having a hard time,” he said. The Cuban government largely blames U.S. sanctions for the crisis and U.S. subversion for the unrest, charges that Washington denies. “What I have heard from the government is that there are 111 authorized processions throughout the country,” he said. Christmas and then Good Friday were recognized as holidays and religious processions are now common.

Persons: Nelson Acosta, Marc Frank HAVANA, Lester Zayas Diaz, Parish, Christ, ”, Jesus Christ, ” Zayas, Washington, Ariel Suarez, Cuba's, Zayas, Pope John Paul, Marc Frank, David Gregorio Organizations: Communist, Reuters, Facebook, U.S, Cuban, Cuba's Bishop's Locations: Cuban, Havana, Vedado, Cuba

☆ Japan’s Indy 200: Remembering the first time IndyCars raced at Fuji Speedway
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Emiko Jozuka For Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

She is the daughter of the Japanese photographer Joe Honda. Joe Honda ArchiveCommercial opportunityIn the 1960s, Japan was emerging as an advanced and high-tech nation following its defeat in WWII. “The groundwork for the Indy 200 was already laid by then, and the Japanese were ready and willing to pay for racing,” he said. Rare intimacyFive months before the Indy 200, Clark had been invited to test-drive the Fuji road course. Joe Honda ArchiveCultural shiftsIn 1966, no Japanese drivers or cars participated in the exhibition Indy 200 race.

Persons: Joe Honda, Japan CNN —, Jim Clark, Honda, Jackie Stewart, Chris Amon, Akira Jin –, –, Shingo Shiozawa, Riki Ohkubo, ”, —, ” Jackie Stewart, Nissan Sunny, Jack K, Yamaguchi, Jin –, Japan –, Shiozawa, Jack Brabham, Clark, Graham Hill, Ohkubo, Honda’s, Colin Chapman, “, ‘, ’ ”, Donald Capps Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Indianapolis, IndyCar, Fuji International, Honda, Boys, Indy, Fuji, Japan, Nissan, Prix, Suzuka, Formula, Fuji International Speedway, Bolshoi Ballet, Leningrad Philharmonic, United States Auto, Triple Crown, Motorsport, Monaco, Nippon Auto Club, Speedway, Automotive Society of Historians Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Fuji, Scotland, New Zealand, American, Asia, America, Mie, Indianapolis

☆ Russia claimed the West, Kyiv ordered the Moscow terror attack. Now it has the problem of proving it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at an expanded Prosecutor General's Office meeting on March 26, 2024, in Moscow. An investigation into the attack is ongoing, but the latest, outlandish accusations give Moscow a problem: It now has to find the evidence to back up its unsubstantiated claims. What's particularly awkward for the Kremlin is that the Islamic State militant group has already claimed responsibility for the attack. Ukraine denies any involvement in the attack, saying it was "absolutely predictable" that Moscow would look to blame it. The White House said Ukraine had "no involvement whatsoever" in the attack and that any claim to the contrary was "Kremlin propaganda."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, It's, Andrius, Putin, David Cameron, concertgoers, Alexander Bortnikov, Nikolai Patrushev, Sergei Karpukhin, Nikolai Patrushev —, —, Patrushev, Maria Zakharova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Moscow, Margarita Simonyan, Putin's, Alexander Lukashenko, Rachabalizoda, Barotovich, Muhammadsobir, Shamsidin Fariduni, Tatyana Makeyevaolga Maltseva, Max Hess Organizations: General's, Getty, Ukraine, Crocus City Hall, Islamic State, West, Kremlin, Russia's Federal Security Service, Russian Security, AFP, Security, Islamic, RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign, U.S, Kremlin's, CNBC Wednesday, Institute for, Afp, Analysts, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, CIA Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Crocus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukrainian, Europe, Russian, U.S, Kyiv, Belarusian, Belarus, Basmanny, Soviet Union

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia says U.S. defended Kyiv too quickly after terror attack; Ukraine reshuffles security chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"As for whether it is possible to say 'one way or another': you can say it any way you want. But (...) while the investigation is underway, the official authorities cannot afford to do any statements on this matter," Peskov told reporters, news agency Interfax reported. "Although I recommend that you very carefully reread President Putin's statements that he made over the last two days. Russia has presented no evidence that there was any involvement by Ukraine and Kyiv itself vehemently denies any role in the deadly attack on concertgoers. Eight suspects, nationals of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have been remanded in custody and charged with terrorism offenses ahead of trial.

Persons: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Putin, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Getty, Kremlin, concertgoers Locations: Zaryadye, Basil's, Moscow, AFP, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

☆ Putin expected to use deadly Moscow attack to Russia's advantage, whoever's to blame
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

U.S. officials and defense experts agreed that it's highly likely that IS was responsible for the attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that "what happened yesterday in Moscow is obviously just Putin and the other scum trying to blame it on someone else." Moscow openly rebuffed and ignored a warning from the U.S. earlier in March that "extremists" had "imminent plants" to attack large gatherings in Moscow. Law enforcement officers stand guard near the Crocus City Hall concert venue following a reported shooting incident, near Moscow, Russia. Just days before the attack, Putin instructed Russia's security services to focus their efforts on supporting Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Vladimir Putin's, Olga Maltseva, hasn't, Ukraine —, Putin, Ali Cura, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Maksim Blinov, Maximilian Hess, Hess, Putin's, Tatyana Makeyeva Organizations: Sputnik, Afp, Getty, Hall, Islamic State, Ukraine, West, Crocus City Hall, Anadolu, Russia's Security, NBC News, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Islamic Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Crocus, Ukraine, Kyiv, Europe, Basmanny, U.S, Chechen, Islamic State, Syria, Afghanistan

Binance faces charges of alleged non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and company income tax, failure to submit tax returns and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform, the reports said. Alongside the company, two senior executives — U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan and British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla — were both charged and remanded in custody by Nigerian authorities. "We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody. Our primary focus remains on the safety of our employees and we are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve this issue," a Binance spokesperson told CNBC. watch nowThe families of the two employees declined to comment at this time, but issued statements on March 20, following a hearing at which Nigerian authorities extended their detainment.

Persons: Budrul Chukrut, Tigran Gambaryan, Nadeem Anjarwalla —, Anjarwalla, Nadeem, Anjarwalla's, Elahe Anjarwalla, Tigran, Binance, Yuki, Samuel Alabi Organizations: Getty, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Federal High Court, —, CNBC, British, U.S ., Locals, Abuja, Afp Locations: Nigeria, Abuja, British, Binance, Nigerian, IBADAN, Ibadan

☆ Russia Charges 4 People With Terrorism After Concert Hall Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The four men suspected of carrying out a bloody attack on a concert hall near Moscow, killing at least 137 people, were arraigned in a district court late Sunday and charged with committing a terrorist act. The four, who were from Tajikistan but worked as migrant laborers in Russia, were remanded in custody until May 22, according to state and independent media outlets reporting from the proceedings, at Basmanny District Court. The press service of the court only announced that the first two defendants, Dalerjon B. Mirzoyev and Saidakrami M. Rachalbalizoda, pleaded guilty to the charges. The men looked severely battered and injured as each of them was brought into the courtroom separately. Videos of them being tortured and beaten while under interrogation circulated widely on Russian social media.

Persons: Dalerjon, Rachalbalizoda Locations: Moscow, Tajikistan, Russia, Basmanny

☆ The French have fallen in love with American fast food. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Natalie Rice | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In France, a land of fine dining, Michelin stars and high standards for cuisine, there's a surprising favorite: American fast food. Expilly oversaw Popeyes' 2023 arrival in France while serving as COO of Popeyes France for French restaurant group Napaqaro. Burger King specifically has gone aggressively after the market "given the propensity for American quick service foods and concepts in France," Charles said. In 2024, McDonald's and Burger King hold more than 40% of the market, according to Euromonitor International, and now consider it their biggest one outside the U.S. French QSRs did take a hit in 2020, but the industry bounced back quickly, earning more profits in 2021 than before the pandemic, according to Euromonitor International.

Persons: Xavier Expilly, EXPM, Expilly, Popeyes, Burger, McDonald's, Andrew Charles, Cowen, Charles, Burger King, Joel Tissier, haven't, Tissier Organizations: Euromonitor, CNBC, Restaurant Brands, Canadian, Mac, Créteil, KFC, Euromonitor International, BK Locations: France, Europe, American, Burger, Paris, United States

☆ TikTok: Is it really Chinese?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Is TikTok Chinese? In March 2023, CEO Chew was repeatedly pressed by US lawmakers on whether TikTok was Chinese. According to TikTok’s own website, its subsidiaries around the world are all structured under Bytedance Ltd.Is ByteDance Chinese? At last year’s congressional hearing, Chew didn’t directly answer any questions about whether ByteDance is a Chinese company either. That means the Chinese government now owns 1% of Beijing Douyin Information Service, which is the domestic Chinese unit of Bytedance.

Persons: TikTok, Shou Chew, Trump, Chew, Jose Luis Magana, Musical.ly, TikTok’s, ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, Liang Rubo, Zhang, Liang, Jinri, Chew didn’t, Shannon Stapleton, Zhang Fuping, Xi Jinping, Wu Shugang, Shu Yuting Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, TikTok LLC, TikTok Ltd, ByteDance Ltd, Bytedance Ltd, Tianjin’s Nankai University, ByteDance, Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, Susquehanna International Group, Reuters, Communist, Cyberspace Administration, Beijing Douyin Information Service, Chinese Communist Party, National Intelligence Law, Commerce Ministry Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, California, Los Angles, Singapore, Delaware, Culver City , California, Cayman Islands, Shanghai, Chinese, TikTok

☆ He was once hailed as the pride of China. Now nationalists are coming for this Nobel laureate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, some of China’s most zealous online nationalists have a new target in their crosshairs: the country’s first officially recognized Nobel laureate. Mo Yan receives the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden during an award ceremony on December 10, 2012 in Stockholm. He accused Wu of creating a publicity stunt by “maliciously framing” the Nobel laureate and taking his words out of context. In 2011, he was named the vice chairman of the state-run Chinese Writers Association – an appointment that could not have been made without the blessing of the party. In 2022, Sima Nan, a nationalist pundit known for his inflammatory criticism of the United States, famously accused Mo’s Nobel win of being a Western effort to smear China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — They’ve, Mo Yan, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wu Wanzheng, Mao Xinghuo, Wu, Guan Moye, –, Mo, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Jonathan Nackstrand, ” Zhang Yongsheng, Hu Xijin, Hu, ”, Murong Xuecun, “ Xi, Mao, Writers Association –, Liu Xiaobo, Liu, caricaturize, “, doesn’t, Sima Nan, Mo’s Nobel, ” Murong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Communist, Getty, Red Guards, Tongji University, Global Times, Writers Association, Chinese Writers Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, Mo, Weibo, Stockholm, AFP, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, United States

☆ Iran’s 2022 Protest Crackdown Included Killings, Torture and Rape, U.N. Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Nick Cumming-Bruce | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A U.N. fact-finding mission reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva cited as credible estimates that 551 people were killed by security forces, most of them by gunfire, as part of a widespread and systematic crackdown on the protests, which were mostly led by women. The casualties included at least 49 women and 68 children. The Human Rights Council will discuss the report next week. The use of lethal force during largely peaceful protests was unlawful and the deaths amounted to extrajudicial executions, the investigators said. But they also reported that the authorities had summarily executed at least nine young men after cursory trials on charges linked to the protests and that several people had died in custody as a result of torture.

Persons: Mahsa Amini Organizations: United Nations, Human Rights Locations: Kurdish, Geneva

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