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☆ Rwandans vote in election expected to extend Kagame’s rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Kagame has won more than 93% of the vote at each of the three previous elections. Eight candidates had applied to run against him, but only two were retained in the final list validated by the electoral commission. The others, including Kagame’s most vocal critics, were barred for various reasons that included prior criminal convictions. At the Rwandexco polling center in the capital Kigali, people started queueing 90 minutes before polls opened. Kagame won nearly 99% of the vote in the 2017 poll, which followed a constitutional change removing term limits that would have prevented him from standing again.

Persons: Paul Kagame, Kagame, Pheneas, “, ” Pheneas, ” Kagame, Frank Habineza, Philippe Mpayimana, Karangwa Vedaste, ” Vedaste Organizations: Rwanda Reuters — Voters, Motorcycle Locations: Kigali, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ Opinion: ‘The big one’ disaster could happen in our lifetime. Can we be ready?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Opinion Jeff Schlegelmilch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority is active but relatively new in its current form, having been consolidated as a single agency only in 2009. The practice of emergency management has generally originated from the first responder community and the civil defense era, primarily with a focus on consequence management. But as emergency management agencies have been designed, emergency management systems have been shaped by laws and agreements across government bureaucracies and partners in the private and nonprofit sectors with a narrower focus on managing consequences, focused more on logistics than sociology. But disaster management in practice is still fundamentally a numbers game. Strong emergency management agencies are also important.

Persons: CNN —, Jeff Schlegelmilch Jonathan Sury, Paula Bronstein, Jeff Schlegelmilch, George Rose, Enrico Quarantelli, ”, ” Jeff Schlegelmilch, Megadisasters, Ho Organizations: CNN, Emergency Management Authority, Defense Department, Alaska Airlines, Geological Survey, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, United Nations Office, Nations, Twitter Locations: Gaziantep, Turkey, Hatay, America, Syria, Vesuvius, Patong, Phuket, Thailand, Ukraine, Mount St, Helens, Seattle , Washington, United States, Port, Prince, Haiti, Japan

☆ How Rebuilding Forests Helped Pangolins, Orangutans and People
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Cara Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The two tracts of land at the edge of the ancient forest in Borneo were relatively small: One was just 74 acres, the other 195. But starting in 2009, people from neighboring communities were hired by a local environmental group to help restore the land. They planted native seedlings, yanked out weeds, dug firebreaks and watered the area during droughts. The land bordered Gunung Palung National Park, home to endangered orangutans, pangolins, white-bearded gibbons and macaques, and researchers wanted to see if wildlife was coming back. The cameras documented 47 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, 18 of them at risk for extinction, including an endangered Sunda pangolin and two endangered Bornean orangutans.

Persons: gibbons Locations: Borneo, Gunung

☆ Hamas Official: ‘We’re Not Obstinate’ in Cease-Fire Talks on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For nearly two decades, Hamas has been in charge of governing Gaza, overseeing its border crossings, schools and hospitals. But after nine months of a ruinous war with Israel, the militant group is now expressing readiness to give up civilian governance in Gaza, albeit without dismantling its military wing. The overture by Hamas, while most likely a nonstarter for Israel, is meant to signal to the international community Hamas’s apparent readiness to make some concessions to enable the rebuilding of Gaza. It also arrives against the backdrop of ongoing cease-fire negotiations, in which Hamas has shown some flexibility on the language in a proposed deal. “First and foremost, we want the Palestinian people in Gaza to recover from this war,” Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview at an unmarked building in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Persons: Husam Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, Doha

☆ My partner and I divorced after 19 years together. It wasn't the end of the world.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Sassafras Lowrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nobody gets married planning to get divorced, and yet about half of all marriages end that way. This year I've learned even queer marriages aren't special or immune from this fate. However, this year, a few months before turning 40, I learned the life we had was no longer what my partner wanted. However, now that it has, I've learned that isn't the end of the world. I'm also learning that I like the new life I'm building — maybe even better than the one I lost.

Persons: Nobody, I've, doesn't, I'm Organizations: Service

☆ 10 states with America's worst infrastructure, and most to gain from billions in federal dollars
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

To evaluate each state's infrastructure, our Top States study considers not just roads, bridges, ports and airports. The state broadband office notes that it is the nation's ninth-largest allocation per capita. The state's power grid is among America's least reliable, according to U.S. Department of Energy data. The severe weather means power outages are frequent as well. Since then, the power outages have persisted, making Maine's grid among the worst in the nation.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Seth Martindale, Rusty, Dan Koeck, Doug Burgum, Biden, Mark Miller, Suzanne Kreiter, Jim Justice, Senators Joe Manchin, Shelley Moore Capito, Mississippi Brenda Gavin, Elnora Ross, Michael Democker, Robert Gauthier, We're, Lauren Owens Lambert, Logan —, stoplights, Brianna Soukup, Lance King Organizations: Companies, Business, CNBC, Infrastructure Law, Arkansas Turrell, Arkansas Broadband Office, Law, Arkansas Economic Development Corporation, North Dakota, Washington Post, Peace Garden State, U.S . Department of Energy, Power Company, Dakota Utilities, Montana Bison, Getty, Industrial, Rte, Boston Globe, Census, U.S . Department of Transportation, West Virginia, Gov, U.S, Senators, West Virginia Coal Association, Justice, Manchin, Virginia Economic, First Street Foundation, Hawaii, Los Angeles Times, Afp, Boston Regional Airport, Spirit Airlines, Orlando, Logan, JetBlue, White Mountain Cable, Portland Press, Portland Press Herald, Central Maine Power, Power, Energy Department, Maine Locations: States, Arkansas, Arkansas Turrell Arkansas, Turrell Arkansas, Underwood, Peace, North Dakota, Minnesota, Dakota, Buffalo, Yellowstone, Montana, Massachusetts, Canton, Bay State, Boston, Kanawha, Poca, West Virginia, Winfield, Putnam County, Mountain State, Virginia, Mississippi, Louin , Mississippi, Gulf, BroadbandNow, Lahaina , Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina, Western Maui, Hampshire, Hampton , New Hampshire, Manchester, New Hampshire, New England, Maine, Epsom , New Hampshire, Brighton, Woodford Street, Portland, Alaska, Dalton, Coldfoot , Alaska

☆ 'Blowout' in French borrowing costs still to come amid economic deadlock, veteran investor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowFrench borrowing costs still face a "blowout" over those of Germany, as political and economic reality sets in following the country's parliamentary election, according to veteran investor David Roche. Bond yields move inversely to prices and represent the change in borrowing costs for a government — also indicating long-term investor confidence in the economy. Now, my view is that it will happen," Roche told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday. watch nowAlong with economic growth prospects, a key watch-point for investors is France's hefty budget deficit and high debt-to-GDP ratio of 110%. There are about seven major pillars, they suddenly will go absolutely nowhere, which is disastrous for Europe," Roche told CNBC.

Persons: David Roche, Jean, Claude Trichet, —, Emmanuel Macron, Roche, CNBC's, shorting, Macron, " Roche Organizations: European Central Bank, CNBC, Quantum, French National Assembly, European Commission, National Locations: Germany, France, Europe, Italy, Ukraine

☆ For First Time, NATO Accuses China of Supplying Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After decades of viewing China as a distant threat, NATO on Wednesday accused Beijing of becoming “a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” and demanded that it halt shipments of “weapons components” and other technology critical to the rebuilding of the Russian military. It is a major departure for NATO, which until 2019 never officially mentioned China as a concern, and then only in the blandest of language. Now, for the first time, the alliance has joined in Washington’s denunciations of China’s military support for Russia. But the declaration contains an implicit threat that China’s growing support for Russia will come at a cost. China “cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” the declaration said, particularly calling out “its large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base.”

Organizations: NATO, Wednesday, Beijing, Ukraine, White Locations: China, ”, Russia, Europe

☆ Organizer of World Economic Forum in Davos Accused of Discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Michael J. De La Merced | More About Michael J. De La Merced | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former employee of the World Economic Forum, the nonprofit organization behind the glittery annual gathering of business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, sued the group and its founder, Klaus Schwab, on Monday, accusing them of workplace discrimination. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Topaz Smith, who is Black, said the organization embraced a “scofflaw approach to anti-discrimination laws” and oversaw a hostile atmosphere toward women and Black workers. She added that it denied her and other Black employees opportunities to advance professionally. The accusations are the latest black eye for the nonprofit, whose conferences — particularly the one in Davos in January — have become destinations for the global elite to meet and network under the auspices of saving the world. (The theme of this year’s forum in Davos was “Rebuilding Trust,” while last year’s was “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.”)An article in The Wall Street Journal last month, citing internal complaints and interviews with current and former employees, said workers had accused the organization of sexual harassment and racism.

Persons: Klaus Schwab, Topaz Smith, ” Organizations: Economic, Cooperation Locations: Davos, Switzerland, U.S, Manhattan

☆ Read Biden’s Letter to Congressional Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

I have had extensive conversations with the leadership of the party, elected officials, rank and file members, and most importantly, Democratic voters over these past 10 days or so. Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries. The voters of the Democratic Party have voted. I feel a deep obligation to the faith and the trust the voters of the Democratic Party have placed in me to run this year. The voters - and the voters alone - decide the nominee of the Democratic Party.

Persons: JOSEPH R, BIDEN, Donald Trump, I've, Trump Organizations: JR, Democratic, Democratic Party, Big Pharma, MAGA Republicans, Trump Locations: America

☆ North Korean troops could be sent to Ukraine due to their sheer numbers, not their effectiveness, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSpeculation has been growing that North Korea could send troops to Ukraine. As of now, the prospect of North Korean soldiers being deployed to Ukraine is speculative and unlikely, experts told Business Insider. "Given what we know about nutrition in North Korea, even in the army, they might have issues," he told BI. But if it does, he added that North Korean soldiers may "simply" be helping rebuild a destroyed city like Mariupol. Bennett, from RAND, said he thinks it is "fairly likely" that North Korea will send troops to Ukraine, without elaborating further.

Persons: —, Pat Ryder, Edward Howell, John Hardie, Evans Revere, Albright, Revere, George W, Bush, Bruce Bennett, Kim Jong Un, Bennett, Kim, Wallace Gregson, Benjamin Young, Young, Guns, Hardie, Howell Organizations: Service, South Korea's, Chosun, Korean, Business, Pentagon, Military Commission, Institute, North, Korea, Chatham, Programme, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Korean People's Army, Group, East, RAND, US Marine Corps, Pacific Security Affairs, Chatham House, Virginia Commonwealth University, Great Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, South, Chatham House's Asia, Korean, East Asia, Pacific, South Korea, Koreans, Howell, Chatham, Europe, Mariupol

☆ The UK used to be a European tourism hot spot. Here’s how it all went wrong
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Tax-free shopping for tourists has been axed, and EU visitors now need a passport to visit, which most don’t have. Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesAs a result of Brexit, in 2021 the UK government abolished tax-free shopping for non-EU citizens. It means the UK is now the only European country not offering tax-free shopping to visitors from outside the continent. “The impact of losing tax-free shopping is clear to see,” says Dee Corsi, chief executive of the NWEC. “Whilst the likes of Italy and France are actively leveraging tax-free shopping as a driver of growth, British businesses continue to trade at a disadvantage.

Persons: CNN —, Rishi Sunak, what’s, JC Milhet, Hans Lucas, Tom Jenkins, ”, “, ” Patricia Yates, Kayla Zeigner, Marcy Zyonse, We’ve, –, Yates, ” There’s, Zeigler, Zyonse, ’, Owen Humphreys, VisitBritain, That’s, she’s, Keir Starmer, VisitBritain's Yates, Phil Noble, ” “, Marcus Lee, hasn’t, Matt Cardy, Dee Corsi, Jenkins, “ It’ll, King Charles, John Sibley, London “, Mia, ” She’ll, Britain Organizations: CNN, UK’s Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Getty, European Tourism Organisation, VisitBritain, Destination, Tourism, New, London, ”, UK, “, China Travel, Visitors, West End Company Locations: Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, London, AFP, Europe, Caribbean, Greece, Lake, Ireland, It’s, Spain, France, New York, ”

☆ This Italian vacation hotspot is turning tourists away as it runs out of water
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist’s paradise. Sicily began enforcing water restrictions in February when the region declared a state of emergency amid a relentless drought. Tourists at the Temple of Concordia, an ancient Greek archeological site outside of Agrigento in southern Sicily, Italy. Sicily’s regional president, Renato Schifani, said the island’s losses — between crops, empty reservoirs and dying livestock — have already topped €1 billion. “The consortium used to guarantee water rotation every five or six days,” he said, referring to a farmers representative group.

Persons: Leisa Tyler, LightRocket, “, ” Giovanni Lopez, Diana Santanchè, Summers, Marco Maccarrone, ”, Maccarrone, Fabrizio Villa, Nicola Farruggio, Francesco Picarella, ” Picarella, Luca Cammarata, He’s, Alberto Pizzoli, ANBI, Renato Schifani, CNN’s Antonia Mortensen Organizations: CNN, of, Sicilian, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection, Research, Getty, Sicily’s Hotel Federation, Agrigento’s Hotel Federation, of Culture, Water Resources Locations: Sicily, Agrigento, Italy, Rome, Syracuse, Pergusa, Italian, Caltanissetta, Mount Etna, AFP

☆ Who Is David Lammy, Britain’s New Foreign Secretary?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

David Lammy, the son of Guyanese immigrants who grew up poor in working-class London, on Friday became Britain’s chief diplomat, taking the lead on British foreign policy at a time of significant challenges. Mr. Lammy, 51, has deep ties to the United States, having spent summers with relatives in Brooklyn and Queens and earning a master’s degree at Harvard Law School. He met Barack Obama 20 years ago at a gathering of Black Harvard alumni, and this year he had dinner with the former U.S. president when Mr. Obama visited London. Mr. Lammy canvassed in Chicago for Mr. Obama during his first presidential campaign, and he has developed a deep network of contacts within the Democratic Party. In an essay in Foreign Affairs magazine published in April, Mr. Lammy wrote that he would focus on rebuilding ties with the European Union, which have been strained by Britain’s decision to leave the bloc, and that his priority was backing Ukraine.

Persons: David Lammy, Lammy, Barack Obama, Obama Organizations: Queens, Harvard Law School, Black Harvard, Mr, Democratic Party, Foreign Affairs, European Union Locations: United States, Brooklyn, London, Chicago, Ukraine

☆ Peleliu: US Marine Corps rebuilds runway on site of ‘nightmare’ World War II battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Marines named the rebuilt landing strip the “Sledge” runway in honor of a veteran of the Peleliu battle, Pfc. The United States must recapitalize islands gained during World War II to form a Second Island Chain of strategic expeditionary points,” Georgulis wrote. For Washington, establishing strong ties to Pacific island states is also seen as a way to keep China from gaining footholds in the region. Along with the runway, US Marines are helping make improvements to the Peleliu Civic Center Museum, to house artifacts from the World War II battle. At an event last month marking the landing of the Marine aircraft on Peleliu, island Gov.

Persons: weren’t, Eugene Sledge, Corbis, Sledge, Grant Georgulis, ” Georgulis, Xi Jinping, Biden, Palauans, Carlos Del Toro, Del Toro, Surangel Whipps, Emais Roberts, ” Organizations: CNN, Marine Corps, Marines, KC, Heritage Command, 1st Marine Regiment, HBO, ” Troops, First Marine Division, Pentagon, “, US Air Force, US Defense Department, Marshall, Xinhua, US Coast Guard, US, Palau, Peleliu Civic Center Museum, Marine, Gov Locations: Peleliu, China, Palau, Okinawa, ”, Beijing, Japan, Philippines, United States, Marianas, Guam, China’s, Yap, Federated States, Micronesia, Pacific, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Palau’s, Koror, South Korea, Taiwan

☆ Opinion: Ukraine’s new weapon against Russia? Lego
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Opinion Roy Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Pictured in Lego miniature is Kyiv’s Golden Gate, released as part of United24's second wave of Ukrainian monument replicas. The inspiration for a Lego campaign came from these initiatives and from Lego Architecture, an adult-oriented line of sets recreating iconic landmarks. The second wave, #UKRAINEinLEGObricks, released last month, includes Kyiv’s Golden Gate, Crimea’s Khan Palace, Lviv’s Oblast’s Pidhirtsi Castle, Odesa’s National Academic Opera and Mykolaiv’s Astronomical Observatory. Mykolaiv’s Astronomical Observatory is featured in Lego's second wave of monument recreations. UNITED24All models are made from authentic Lego bricks, though the Lego company isn’t affiliated with the project nor the artists building the sets.

Persons: Roy Schwartz, Volodymyr Zelensky, Yaroslava Gres, Gres, United24, isn’t, Brick, Mark Segedie, ”, ” Eric Law, he’d, “, Law, ” Gres, there’ll Organizations: Twitter, Facebook, CNN, Russia, Deloitte, US, Council, Foreign Relations, World Bank, Lego Foundation, Lego Architecture, Opera, raffles, Velykokostromska Locations: royschwartz.com, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Chicago, Khan, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, American, Tacoma

☆ Ultra-high-net-worth investors are betting on 2 key sectors right now, and both can be purchased as ETFs, according to a global family office
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Despite the overly concentrated market that's piled into mega-cap technology stocks, the bulk of gains are still coming from that sector. While some investors fear that part of the market is too rich, they also aren't sure where else to find their gains. "So looking forward, we're somewhat concerned about the concentration right now in the market with the tech sector of the S&P, which is up 15%; the tech sector is up 27%". You want to ensure broad exposure to infrastructure, which means looking for an ETF that holds the sector's biggest names.

Persons: —, Mimi Duff, Duff, we're, it's, there's Organizations: Service, GenTrust's, Business, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Dev, Infrastructure, International Energy Agency Locations: York, Washington, Maryland

Washington CNN —American officials are hoping to gain a better understanding of Israel’s war plans in meetings this week with the country’s defense minister, who arrived in Washington as the rift widened between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will not end the war until we return all of our hostages – 120 hostages, the living and the deceased. Netanyahu said that once the “intense phase” of the Gaza conflict is over Israel will continue “mowing the grass” in Gaza, which US officials oppose. But Netanyahu ignored the demand from his defense minister, refusing to make such a public statement. And former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who resigned from a unity government with Netanyahu two weeks ago, accused Israel’s longest-serving leader of putting political considerations ahead of a post-war strategy.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, ”, —, that’s, Matt Miller, Gallant, Bill Burns, Amos Hochstein, ” Gallant, Benny Gantz, Israel’s, Israel, Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Miller, “ vexing, “ Organizations: Washington CNN —, Biden, CIA, Defense, National, State Department, White, Washington Locations: Washington, Gaza, Israel, United States, ”, Lebanon

☆ As War Stretches On, Gaza’s High School Students Put Their Dreams on Hold
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Hiba Yazbek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Karim al-Masri was supposed to start his final exams on Saturday morning, just a few weeks shy of graduating. Instead, he spent his morning filling bags of water to freeze into ice, which he sold to support his family. “I should have been studying and preparing for my final exams,” said Mr. al-Masri, 18. The war has devastated Gaza’s education system which was already struggling after several wars and escalations since 2008. All of Gaza’s 12 universities have been severely damaged or destroyed by fighting, according to the United Nations.

Persons: Karim al, Masri, “, ”, Mr Organizations: Palestinian Education Ministry, Islamic, of Gaza, University College of Applied Sciences —, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Jordan

☆ Russia’s shifting tactics put unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s already hobbled power system
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Clare Sebastian | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We are doing our best,” Deputy Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk told CNN. “I installed them so that my family would not feel uncomfortable when there is no electricity,” he told CNN. The company told CNN it’s also halted the use of air conditioning in administrative buildings, and turned off outdoor lighting. The G7, having already spent $3bn to date to support Ukraine’s energy sector, just announced another $1bn in funding in early June. Ukraine’s energy ministry says it has been building concrete shelters to protect some energy equipment from attacks.

Persons: CNN — Kateryna Serzhan, “, Keen, Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, …, Dmytro Sakharuk, DTEK, Thomas Peter, Yan Dobronosov, Svitlana Grynchuk, Denis Shmyhal, Serzhan, CNN it’s, Stepanov, Valentyn Ogirenko, Marta Trush, Igor Piddubnyi, Piddubnyi, ” CNN’s Clare Sebastian, Olga Voitovych, Svitlana Vlasova, Daria Tarasova, Markina Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Getty, Energy, Kyiv region’s, Ukraine’s, Companies, Railways, Kyiv School of Economics, “, National Bank of, Patriot, White House Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, –, Moscow, Russia, Berlin, Russian, Europe, AFP, National Bank of Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Romania, London

☆ Amazon is trying to eliminate plastic that doesn't get recycled. It's actually making some progress.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly all Amazon deliveries in North America no longer include plastic air pillows, the e-commerce giant said on TK [date] Thursday . Amazon said the change will avoid some 15 billion air pillows — the company's largest reduction in plastic packaging to date. Plastic air pillows are made with a film that's commonly found littering marine areas. It's enough to circle the Earth more than 200 times in the form of air pillows, Oceana said. Amazon's plastic packaging data reflects orders shipped through its own fulfillment centers — which some independent sellers opt for — and through its grocery business.

Persons: Amazon, Matt Littlejohn, Oceana's, Oceana, Pat Linder, That's, Linder Organizations: Service, TK, Business, Oceana Locations: North America, Europe, Oceana, Cleveland

☆ Andy Sieg Could Be Citi's Next CEO If He Can Fix a Broken Wealth Business
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

Andy Sieg shocked the finance industry last spring when he left Merrill Wealth Management. AdvertisementBank of America analyst Ebrahim Poonawala recently argued that Citi should consider selling the wealth business if it cannot improve its profitability. AdvertisementWhile Sieg has told Citi managing directors to manage up less, a former Merrill executive who worked under him said Sieg was adept at it. Former Citi managing directorAdvertisementVahid's position will be taken by Kris Bitterly, the global head of investment products, in September. Mirroring tactics that supercharged Merrill, Sieg has changed Citi Wealth's compensation scheme to prioritize asset gathering, to the consternation of several employees.

Persons: Andy Sieg, Kevin Crain, Sieg, Crain, Jane Fraser, Fraser, Morgan Stanley, Merrill, Smith Barney, Ebrahim Poonawala, Wells, Mike Mayo, Brian Moynihan, Alex Wong, Moynihan, Fraser isn't, Mayo, anoint, Jamie Dimon, Jennifer Piepszak, Marianne Lake, Viswas Raghavan, Jane, He'd, George H, Bush, Bill Schreyer, Merrill Lynch, Dave Komansky, David Komansky, YOSHIKAZU TSUNO, Phil, Doug, Lord Abbett, David Poole, Citi's, there's, That's, Poole, Glenn Schorr, Jim O'Donnell, O'Donnell, Sieg's, Andy Sieg's, Naz Vahid, David Bailin, Bailin, Naz, Phil Waxelbaum, Vahid, Kris, Don Plaus, Keith Glenfield, Dawn Nordberg, Edward Jones, They're, Ernst & Young, he's Organizations: Merrill Wealth Management, Business, Citi, Bank of America, Morgan, BI, Merrill, Bank, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Harvard, Penn State, JPMorgan Advisors, United Arab, Citi . Citi, Work, Citi lifer, Former Citi, North, Citi Alliance, Citi Wealth, Bloomberg, Ernst &, Citizens Bank Locations: Sieg, Wells Fargo, Merrill, Bellefonte , Pennsylvania, Poole, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, London, Aventura , Florida, Asia, Manhattan, North America

☆ Killings show ISIS remains a threat in Syria's desert 5 years after losing its caliphate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

ISIS killed an estimated 84 Syrian soldiers and 44 civilians in central Syria in March, making it the most violent month in the ISIS desert campaign since late 2017. Another four Syrian troops were killed in another desert attack in late April. "Over the past several years, ISIS has been able to make regular attacks in the desert," Landis told Business Insider. AdvertisementLandis noted that the Syrian military is picking up its efforts to attack ISIS in the Homs-Palmyra region. AdvertisementWhile the Syrian military does carry out combing operations in the Homs desert, ISIS remnants are far from Damascus's top priority.

Persons: —, Joshua Landis, Landis, Bashar al, Aron Lund, Lund, Assad, what's, there's Organizations: Service, ISIS, Human Rights, Business, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma, Century International, Syrian Democratic Forces Locations: United Kingdom, Homs, Syria, Iraq, Deir ez, Palmyra, Islamic State, Kurdish, Turkey, Syria's Hasakah, Damascus, State

A simple principle underpins a contentious Thursday decision by the U.S. and key allies to tap profits from Russian sovereign assets in support of Ukraine: Moscow must make reparations. Questions have also been raised over the legality of setting such a precedent: Russia has been cut off from its frozen assets, but retains their ownership. The proposal must now pass various legal hurdles and be backed by European states, where the majority of frozen Russian assets are held. Further loans secured against the interest accrued by Russian frozen assets could be forthcoming, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen signaled on Thursday. The annual summit comes as most of the G7 leaders face their own domestic upheavals including national elections and falling approval ratings.

Persons: Charles Michel, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin, we're, Biden, Michel, Janet Yellen, Yellen, We're, Russia's, Ursula von der Leyen, Georgia Meloni Organizations: U.S, West, . Security, Kyiv, Treasury, Bank, European Commission Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan . U.S, Kuwait, U.S, Borgo Egnazia, Puglia

☆ Biden leads new drive to cement the West’s Ukraine war effort against Putin – and Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden is leading the world’s richest democracies in sending a beefed-up message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the West will not forsake Ukraine despite political shocks casting doubts over its commitment. A flurry of new Western plans to help UkraineStill, the latest Western plans to help Ukraine send a strong message of intent. The sanctions target foreign financial firms aiding Putin’s war effort, restrict Russian access to some US software and information technology. Russian advances on the battlefieldThese are substantial and credible political, economic and political demonstrations of support for Ukraine. Not surprisingly, Zelensky has always chafed at the self-imposed limits of Western support for his war effort that are a symptom of Biden’s core aim of avoiding a direct NATO confrontation with Russia.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Biden, “, Donald Trump, Trump, lionizes Putin, wobbling, —, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Janet Yellen, ” — Biden, Zelensky, ” Jake Sullivan, Wesley Clark, ” Clark, they’ve, ”, Kamala Harris, Sullivan, John Kirby, Putin Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican Party, Capitol, Republican, CNN, NATO, Big, Union, Ukraine, Trump, Biden, Air Force, Hudson Institute, Kremlin, Kyiv, West, White House National Security Council Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Italy, Normandy, Europe, United States, France, Germany, George H.W ., Russia, Britain, Japan, Canada, NATO, Washington, Kyiv, Cuba, China, Iran, Israel, Ukrainian, Switzerland

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