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☆ Jake Sullivan met in-person with representatives of countries whose citizens Hamas took hostage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Mj Lee | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan convened for the first time this week an in-person meeting of ambassadors and chiefs of mission representing countries whose citizens were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, CNN has learned, as a ceasefire and hostages release deal remains stalled. Those 17 countries, along with the United States, have citizens whom Hamas took captive at the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting comes at a critical moment when the efforts to secure the release of hostages and Gaza ceasefire appear to have stalled once again. Multiple US diplomats have told CNN in recent weeks that they are consistently hearing those concerns from their counterparts abroad. Still, the White House has also been clear that the US remains a steadfast supporter of Israel, including its right to defend itself.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Israel, “, ” Sullivan, Biden, ”, CNN’s Erin Burnett Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Hamas, Qatar –, United Nations, Israel, White Locations: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Qatar, Rafah

☆ Reopen the NYC-Dublin livestreaming portal, you cowards! It was an example of tech bringing humans together.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The portal between New York City and Dublin — a giant video installation livestreaming between the two locations — has been shut down due to bad behavior. In fact, we should have portals all over the country, all over the world — connecting two random places. Currently, there's a portal between cities in Lithuania and Poland, but let's dream even bigger. Related storiesBut the portal is a case of technology that's just pure joy. The situation is what makes it different — video chatting technology is usually personal, used at home or in your office conference room.

Persons: It's, Yorkers, OnlyFans influencer, Ava Louise, Addison Rae's, Antonio Brown, Ye, Jeffree Starr, Phil Organizations: Service, Dublin, Business, Google Locations: New York City, Miami, Tokyo, Florence, Dubai, Delhi, Stockholm, Lithuania, Poland, Dublin, NYC, Covid

☆ NATO should use its air defenses to shoot down Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, says former alliance chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewNATO countries should use air defenses based in eastern Europe to take down Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukraine, a former NATO chief said. And the military alliance could do "exactly the same" to help Ukraine shoot down incoming Russian drones and missiles, Rasmussen told the outlet. Related storiesMost NATO members have so far balked at sending troops to Ukraine or targeting Russian airstrikes from their own territory. AdvertisementEven so, Ukraine's air defense interception rate dropped from 46% over the last six months to 30% last month, according to The Wall Street Journal. In response, the Pentagon said it would "rush" Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine as part of its latest military package, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months begging for them.

Persons: —, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Rasmussen, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: Service, NATO, NATO's, Business, Wall Street, Pentagon, Washington Post Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, France, Ukraine's, Russia, Spain

☆ Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ could be worth almost $1 billion to British economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Taylor Swift’s smash-hit “Eras Tour” is set to boost spending in the United Kingdom by nearly $1 billion, according to estimates by Barclays. The concerts sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale, with fans spending £206 ($260) on average on a single ticket, Barclays said. While the price tag may seem hefty, it’s much less than many Americans will pay to see the “Eras Tour” back home. “For ‘Eras Tour’ ticketholders, every pound they spend is an investment in the memories they’ll create,” he added. The European leg of the “Eras Tour” includes concerts in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria this year.

Persons: London CNN — Taylor Swift’s, Swift, Peter Brooks, Taylor Swift, Elvis, Beatlemania, ” Brooks, That’s “ Organizations: London CNN, Barclays, Barclays ’, “ Locations: United Kingdom, United States, England, Wales, Scotland, Europe, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Austria

☆ Portal project: ‘Inappropriate’ behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City connection
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, “inappropriate behavior” in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown. The creators of the sculptures are now “investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people in front of the Portal,” according to a statement from the Dublin City Council. “Dublin City Council had hoped to have a solution in place today, but unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory,” the City Council said late Tuesday. The Dublin-New York city pairing isn’t the first real-time bridge between cities through these sculptures. The first Portals, according to the organization’s website, linked Vilnius, Lithuania, with Lublin, Poland, in 2021.

Persons: Niall Carson, ”, Benediktas Gylys, Daithí, de Róiste, “, De Róiste Organizations: CNN, New York City, Dublin City Council, City Council, Dublin, AP Organizers, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, Flatiron, Public, Broadway, Fifth, Dublin’s, Mayor, Róiste’s, Smart Locations: Dublin, Ireland, New, New York, “, York, Poland, Brazil, Lithuania, City, Vilnius, Lublin

☆ Behind the curtain of the global arms trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Momo Takahashi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In his new book, "Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War," photographer Nikita Teryoshin lifts the veil on the global arms trade, capturing defense exhibitions worldwide. Closed to the public, his series offers a rare inside look into the lucrative global arms industry. Guests, politicians, and traders watch a live demonstration of warfare at the International Defense Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. After the construction and the oil and gas sectors, the global arms trade is one of the most corruption-prone sectors in the world, according to Transparency International. By contrast, the international trade of bananas is more tightly regulated than the arms trade, according to the introductory note of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

Persons: Nikita Teryoshin, Teryoshin, Rafael, KAI, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Business, International Defense, Bofors, International Defense Industry, International Defense Exhibition, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, United Nations Arms, Black Eagles, Nikita, Kalashnikov, Lockheed Locations: East, Ukraine, France, Paris, United States, China, Abu Dhabi, Russia, India, Poland, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Peruvian, Lima , Peru, Korean, Seoul

☆ Facing an Endless Barrage, Ukraine’s Air Defenses Are Withering
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Josh Holder | Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Facing an Endless Barrage, Ukraine’s Air Defenses Are WitheringThis is what a year of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine looks like. Ukrainian air defenses used to intercept most missiles, but in recent months, more and more have made it through. Ukraine has made increasingly desperate pleas for more air defenses from its Western allies. But it could be months before enough weapons arrive to significantly bolster Ukrainian air defenses. Ukrainian air defenses downed the first seven — but had no choice but to let the next four pass, he said.

Persons: Jan, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ”, Tom Karako, Maj, Ilya Yevlash, Konrad Muzyka, Odesa, Yevlash, Justin Bronk, Mr, Bronk, Barber Organizations: Russian, New York Times, Ukrainian Air Force, Patriot, United, Kremlin, PBS, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Ukrainian Air, Patriots, Rochan Consulting, Kyiv Kharkiv Dnipro Odesa, Kyiv Kharkiv Dnipro Odesa Kyiv, Kyiv Kharkiv Dnipro Kyiv, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Washington, Poland, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Texas, London

☆ SoftBank's Arm to reportedly launch AI chips by 2025 to capture explosive demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank Group subsidiary Arm is planning to launch artificial intelligence chips by next year, according to a Nikkei Asia report, as the battle for AI chip dominance intensifies. SoftBank is in discussion with contract manufacturers including Taiwan's TSMC to produce the AI chips, the report added. Arm designs the fundamental architecture upon which the chips are built. The company will bear the initial development costs of the AI chips, which could reach "hundreds of billions of yen," according to the report. After a mass-production system has been set up, Arm's AI chip business could be "spun off and placed under SoftBank."

Persons: SoftBank, Taiwan's Organizations: SoftBank, Nikkei, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Nasdaq Locations: Krakow, Poland, Nikkei Asia

☆ A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House in November, NATO may fall apart, a recent wargame found. "What Donald Trump can do is just really hollow out what NATO does," Grimble told Business Insider. The UK has traditionally backed a transatlantic, America-Europe alliance rather than a purely European defense bloc. Yet in the game, it could neither persuade Trump to ease his demands, nor the European NATO members to spend more on defense. "Many NATO members — except for France mainly — thought post-Trump it could be salvageable," Grimble said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Finley Grimble, Grimble, John Bolton, —, SACEUR, Jens Stoltenberg, NICHOLAS KAMM, hadn't, I'm, Florian Gaertner, Russia doesn't, God's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, House, NATO, EU, US, Business, US National Security, Allied, Europe, Washington, Nato, Getty, European Union, Joint Expeditionary Force, Northern, —, European NATO, Trump, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, China, American, United States, Finland, Romania, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, French, America, Italy, Estonia, British, Turkey, Baltic States, Ukraine stalemated, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv . Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, European, Forbes

☆ Taylor Swift's Eras Tour might be about to do for Europe what it did for America
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The European leg of Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour kicked off on Thursday. The Eras tour is the first concert tour to gross over $1 billion, estimates showed. AdvertisementThe European leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour kicked off in Paris on Thursday. Estimates showed that the Eras tour is the first concert tour to gross over $1 billion. Hotel booking statistics also help to capture the sense of how in-demand Eras Tour tickets are.

Persons: Taylor, —, Dara Khosrowshahi, Swift, Beyoncé, AirDNA Organizations: Service, Department, Uber, Federal Reserve, Associated Press, Swift, Liverpool, Ireland, Miss Americana Locations: Paris, Singapore —, —, Australia, Stockholm, Cardiff, Vienna, Austria, Warsaw, Poland, Europe, Ukraine

☆ Trump is spending most of his court-free days without public campaign events
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Daniel Dale | Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But a review of his activities over the trial’s first four weeks shows that he has done little campaign travel, and held few public campaign events, on days off from court. Trump held no public events on seven of the 12 court-free days. But he has let the majority of the 12 off days pass without doing any public campaign events. No public events; attended Republican National Committee fundraising luncheon at Mar-a-LagoMay 5: Day off court. No public events; attended dinner with NFT buyers at Mar-a-LagoMay 9: CourtMay 10: CourtMay 11: Day off court.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ” Trump, baselessly, Joe Biden, It’s, Trump, Andrzej Duda, New Jersey CNN’s Kate Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, Democratic, Republican National Committee, New, Trump Tower, Bedminster, Republican National, Mar, Miami Locations: Manhattan, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina , Georgia, Ohio , New Hampshire, South Carolina, New York , New Jersey, Georgia, South Carolina , Ohio, New Hampshire, Ohio, Poland, New York City, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Miami, Bedminster, New York

☆ Eurovision is back, but will Baby Lasagne or Nemo triumph? Your complete guide
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“People are like ‘OK, Sweden is the spiritual home of Eurovision’ – I see Eurovision as this moving entity,” she tells CNN. “The whole product, ABBA, is a vibe, isn’t it?”ABBA sing "Waterloo" at Eurovision 50 years ago. But ABBA are the past; Baby Lasagne, Windows95Man and Nemo – a person, not a fish – are very much the present. This year’s slim favorite is Baby Lasagne, whose arena-pounding anthem “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” describes a brain drain affecting Croatian towns. He credits his fiancée with helping him launch his career – “She’s the lasagne, and I’m just the baby,” he tells CNN.

Persons: Paul Anka, Abba –, Loreen, –, “, Loreen –, they’ve, ” Loreen, Olle Lindeborg, Lasagne, Nemo, Sarah Bonnici, aga, you’d, Music ”, Dominic Lipinski, Marcus, Martinus, ”, – “, I’m, Switzerland’s Nemo, ” Nemo, ” Joost Klein's, Jens Büttner, Joost Klein, Teemu Keisteri, he’s, Windows95Man, it’s, Belgium’s Mustii, Bonnie Tyler’s, Sanjin, Marina Satti, Hera Bjork, ” Saba, Slimane, who’s, ” Poland’s Luna, Jeff Spicer, ” we’re, Luna “, doesn’t, we’re, ” Portugal’s, … “, Alyona Alyona, Jerry Heil, Jens Bittner, ” Joost Klein, bro, airdropped, Angelina, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, audibly, they’ll, oddballs gunning Organizations: CNN, Waterloo, Malmo, Eurovision, Getty, Pulitzer, aga … aaa, aaa, United, Music, MAG, San, ” “ Hurricanes, Israel, European Broadcasting Union Locations: Sweden, AFP, Malmo, Europe, Armenia, wail, Gaza, Israel

“They have chased down Jewish students. They have screamed at those who bear the Star of David.”Former President Donald J. Trump chimed in. Jewish students have been shouted at to return to Poland, where Nazis killed three million Jews during the Holocaust. There are chants and signs in support of Hamas, whose attack on Israel sparked the current war. A leader of the Columbia protests declared in a video that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, ”, jeers, David . ”, Donald J, Biden, “, Israel, don’t Organizations: Columbia University, Trump, Truth, Republicans, Columbia Locations: Gaza, Poland, Israel

☆ Interactive art installation lets New Yorkers communicate with people 3,000 miles away
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A new interactive art installation in New York City is allowing viewers to communicate with people 3,000 miles away in Dublin, Ireland. The brainchild of Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, “the Portal” was unveiled on Wednesday and allows people on either side of the Atlantic to interact with each other via a video link. The idea was “conceived as a testament to the power of art to transcend physical barriers,” reads the press release from Gylys and officials from New York City and Dublin. The Dublin portal will also connect with other installations in Lithuania and Poland from July onwards, said de Róiste in the statement. This is not the first time that an artist has brought New Yorkers closer to people across the Atlantic.

Persons: Benediktas Gylys, Brendan McDermid, ”, Daithí de Róiste, de Róiste, Paul St, George Organizations: CNN, Flatiron South Public, Broadway, Reuters Locations: New York City, Dublin, Ireland, Gylys, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Polish, Lublin, Lithuania, Poland, British, London, New York

☆ The US dollar is so strong that China's central bank, among others, just keeps loading up on gold
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Central banks are on a gold-buying spree, contributing to record-high spot gold prices. Other central banks are also snapping up gold to diversify their assets on the back of a strong greenback. Other central banks are also loading up on gold. Emerging market central banks that bought gold in the first quarter of the year include Kazakhstan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland. There are political motivations for central banks to diversify their assets, too.

Persons: —, it's, bode Organizations: Service, People's Bank of China, greenback, Gold, JPMorgan, Allianz Locations: China, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, United States

☆ Opinion: Russia can lose this war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Opinion Timothy Snyder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And far too many of us, during Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, have believed that. Of its three most consequential foreign wars, the Red Army lost two. And the Russian army of today is not the Red Army. It was disproportionately Ukrainians who fought their war to Berlin in the uniform of the Red Army. Russia can lose this war, and should, for the sake of Russians themselves.

Persons: Timothy Snyder, Richard C, Levin, “, ”, Read, Leonid Brezhnev, Putin, Alexander Nemenov, Brezhnev, Vladimir Putin, Robert Nickelsberg Organizations: Global Affairs, Yale University, CNN, Russia, Getty, Red, Red Army, Soviet, Lease, Russian Empire, Russo, Fascism Locations: Nazi Germany, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Poland, Afghanistan, USSR, Soviet Ukraine, Berlin, United States, Russian, Crimean, Japanese, Europe, Pacific, Kabul, Soviet Union, Crimea, Japan, Soviet, Ukrainian

☆ Zelensky assassination plot: Two Ukrainian security officials detained over plan to kill president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Olga Voitovych | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Two Ukrainian security officials have been detained for planning to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the country’s State Security Service (SBU). Two Ukrainian government protection unit colonels have been detained and are accused of leaking classified information to Russia, the SBU said Tuesday, after it “exposed a network of agents” belonging to Russia’s state security service (FSB). A woman from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv was arrested in August 2023 in connection to a plot to assassinate Zelensky. She was accused of gathering intelligence about Zelensky’s planned visit to Mykolaiv in order to plan a Russian airstrike to kill him. The plot was uncovered by Ukrainian authorities and the man was later detained and charged in Poland.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, Kyrylo, Zelensky’s, Prosecutors, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis Organizations: CNN, country’s State Security Service, State, Ukrainian, Defence Intelligence Locations: Russia, “, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mykolaiv, Russian, Polish, Republic of Poland, Jasionka, Poland, Odesa

☆ Biden to call for a fight against antisemitism at a precarious moment in Israel’s war in Gaza and amid protests on campus
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Betsy Klein | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden on Tuesday aims to issue a clarion call to fight a swiftly rising tide of antisemitism amid a precarious moment in Israel’s war against Hamas and as protests have swept American college campuses, laying bare Biden’s trouble with some young voters. Biden’s longtime and stalwart support for Israel has come under intense pressure as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows. The president plans to address the long history of antisemitism and issue what one senior administration official familiar with the remarks described as a “call to action” on combatting antisemitism. The protests are not expected to be a major part of the speech, the official added. However, Biden does not intend to use his speech on Tuesday to delve into Middle East policy or the current situation in Israel or Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden’s, Israel, Biden, White, “ recommit, ” Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Jonathan Greenblatt, John Kirby, Biden “, Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s, Jean, ”, “, Miguel Cardona, Doug Emhoff, Yom HaShoah, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Adolf Hitler “, CNN’s Dana Bash Organizations: Washington CNN, US, White, CNN, Defamation League, ADL, Hamas, National Security, Qatari, White House, Education’s, Civil, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Department’s Office, Institute of Politics, Harvard University’s Kennedy Locations: Israel, Gaza, Cairo, Doha, Qatar, Gazan, Rafah, America, Poland

☆ Russia's former president threatened nuclear attacks on Western capital cities if NATO sends any troops to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dmitry Medvedev is at it again, threatening Western leaders with nuclear attacks if they cross a line. Medvedev says no leaders in Washington, Paris, and London won't "be able to hide" if they send troops to Ukraine. AdvertisementFormer Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday threatened nuclear strikes on Western leaders who want to send their troops to Ukraine, doubling down on his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Related storiesStrategic nuclear weapons are those typically launched via intercontinental ballistic missiles. But such threats have also been categorized as bluffs by Western leaders, who say the Kremlin hopes to scare Ukraine's allies off.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, —, nonstrategic, Vladimir Putin, Putin, isn't, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Sinead Baker, Tony Soprano's, Edward Lucas Organizations: London, Service, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Capitol, Monday, Russia's, Hague, Center for, Russia's Security Locations: Washington, Paris, Ukraine, Russian, France, Baltics, Poland, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine's, Elysee, Downing Street, Moscow

☆ UBS swings back to profit and smashes earnings expectations for the first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

UBS logo is seen at the office building in Krakow, Poland on February 22, 2024. UBS on Tuesday reported a swing back to profit after two quarterly losses as it smashed first-quarter expectations, with results bolstered by higher wealth management revenues. Lower expenses and consolidation benefits following the takeover of Credit Suisse in June 2023 also helped the bank post a net profit of $1.8 billion in the first quarter, ahead of a consensus forecast in an LSEG poll of $721.4 million. The Swiss banking giant is continuing to process the mammoth integration of its former rival. The firm said Tuesday that it expects to complete the merger of UBS AG and Credit Suisse AG into a single U.S. intermediate holding company in the second quarter, and the merger of its Swiss entities in the third quarter.

Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, UBS AG, Credit Suisse AG Locations: Krakow, Poland, Swiss, U.S

☆ Ahead of retail earnings, here's what we know about the consumer so far
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Robert Hum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There are signs that the U.S. consumer is still spending, especially on experiences. But stubbornly high prices are squeezing consumers with lower incomes, pressuring everyday purchases and corporate profits. Broadly speaking, credit card companies like American Express, Visa and MasterCard have described spending trends as "relatively strong," "relatively stable," and even "healthy." Priceline parent Booking Holdings told analysts there are no signs consumers are taking shorter vacations or trading down in their hotel choices. McDonald's added that "the consumer is certainly being very discriminating in how they spend their dollar."

Persons: Brandon Bell, Morgan Stanley's Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley, Mike Stocker, Stanley Black, Decker, —, Anton Pinsky, Beata Zawrzel, Laxman Narasimhan, Shack, Domino's, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Getty, Home Depot, Walmart, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Booking Holdings, Las, Port, Tribune, Service, Consumers, Whirlpool, Corp, Starbucks Corp, Nurphoto, Lightrocket Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Las Vegas, Port of Miami, Krakow, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills to deter the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's defense ministry said it would hold military drills including practice for the preparation and deployment for use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. "During the exercise, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the ministry said. Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the world's 12,100 nuclear warheads. No power has used nuclear weapons in war since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Major nuclear powers routinely check their nuclear weapons but very rarely publicly link such exercises to specific perceived threats in the way that Russia has.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Danichev, Natalia Kolesnikova, Joe Biden, Andriy Yusov, Sergei Shoigu, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ludovic Marin, David Cameron, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Abrams, Sean Gallup Organizations: Federal Assembly's Council, Reuters, Missile, Southern Military District, Military, Victory Day, Afp, Getty, Russian Federation, Federation of American Scientists, CNN, Ukraine, Kremlin, U.S . Senate, AFP, British, NATO, U.S . Army, British Amphibious Engineer Battalion Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Reuters Russia, Moscow, France, Britain, United States, Ukraine, U.S, China, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russian, Paris, London, Soviet Union, Gniew, Poland

☆ Gallows Humor and Talk of Escape: Trump’s Possible Return Rattles Capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has become the topic of the season at Washington dinner parties and receptions. It’s a gallows humor with a dark edge. Much of official Washington is bracing for the possibility that former President Donald J. Trump really could return — this time with “retribution” as his avowed mission, the discussion is where people might go into a sort of self-imposed exile. Whether they mean it or not, the buzz is a telling indicator of the grim mood among many in the nation’s capital these days. The “what if” goes beyond the normal prospect of a side unhappy about a lost election.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, ” Locations: Washington, Portugal, Australia, France, Poland

☆ Star Wars was the first Lego license — 25 years later, it's stronger than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Star Wars Lego models are seen at the Bricks & Figs museum in Krakow, Poland, on April 15, 2023. A design director at the Denmark-based Lego company, he has spent the past 25 years creating Lego Star Wars sets. Now, Lego Star Wars has become a blueprint for the company's other brand deals — think Harry Potter, Batman and Marvel's Avengers. The Lego Star Wars collaboration came at a time of financial turmoil for Lego. Lego Icons, Lego Technic, Lego City and Lego Harry Potter also performed well.

Persons: Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Frederiksen, Darth Vader, Harry Potter, Jill Wilfert, Wilfert, It's, Paul Southern, Shirlaine Forrest, " Frederiksen, we're, Southern, We've Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Star, CNBC, Disney, Epic Games, Lego Star, Lego, Force, Manchester Central, Imperial, Star Wars, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Company, Lego Star Wars, Warner Bros, Games Locations: Krakow, Poland, Denmark, Lego, Manchester, England

☆ NATO says Russia is carrying out 'malign activities' like sabotage on its member states and will address them
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO is accusing Russia of "malign activities" in its member states, including Germany and the UK. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Thursday singled out Russia in a statement condemning "recent malign activities" in its member states. The treaty organization said these individuals' actions were part of an "intensifying campaign of activities" carried out by Russia. Amid the heightened tensions, NATO members have increasingly highlighted what they say are Russian clandestine activities in their own governments and institutions.

Persons: —, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: NATO, North Atlantic Council, Service, Atlantic Treaty Organization, North Atlantic, Moscow, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Business Locations: Russia, Germany, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Kyiv, Russian, London, China

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