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☆ France's Kurds gather to protest after Paris killings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A gunman carried out the killings at a Kurdish cultural centre and nearby cafe on Friday in a busy part of Paris' 10th district. Friday's murders caused particular dismay in the Kurdish community as it prepared to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the killings of three Kurdish women in Paris. "The Kurdish community is afraid. It needs answers, support and consideration," David Andic, a lawyer representing the CDK-F told reporters on Friday. Paris' police chief was due to meet members of the Kurdish community on Saturday morning ahead of the afternoon protest.

☆ Chile fires hit port and coastal city, two dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Residents pick up debris amid the remains of a burned house during a wildfire in Vina del Mar, Chile December 22, 2022. Meanwhile, a separate forest fire south of Ventanas near the coastal tourist city of Viña del Mar raged, killing at least two people while destroying some 200 homes, according to an interior ministry official. The government also declared a state of emergency in the Viña del Mar area on Thursday night. Codelco's smelter near the Ventanas port was already shut down due to maintenance, while the refinery is operating normally, according to Codelco, the world's top copper producer. No injuries were reported from the port fire, the company that administers the port said in a statement earlier on Thursday.

☆ Mexican journalists, cultural commentators demand president end provocations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gustavo GrafMEXICO CITY, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A cross-section of Mexican journalists, columnists and cultural commentators demanded in an open letter on Wednesday that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stop harassing critical media, arguing he fans the flames of violence with his rhetoric. The open letter accused Lopez Obrador of being "politically responsible" for the attack on Gomez, adding that "practically all the expressions of hate against journalists, are born, incubated and spread" from the president's office. Lopez Obrador immediately condemned the attack, but then quickly pivoted to attacking elite journalists he dismissed as conservative pundits, including Gomez. According to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Mexico is the world's deadliest country for journalists with 11 killed so far this year. The open letter, also signed by well-known figures in Mexican film and magazine publishing, warned that even more violent attacks on media are likely if the president refused to exercise more "self-control."

☆ Venezuela opposition vote to remove Guaido's interim government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Acting as congress chief and interim president following Nicolas Maduro's disputed re-election as president in May 2018, Guaido in 2019 appointed the board of Citgo, a subsidiary of state oil firm PDVSA. While mostly powerless at home where Maduro's government exercises control over nearly all institutions, including security forces, Guaido's interim government has supervised the foreign assets and runs many embassies. If approved next week, opposition lawmakers will then choose five representatives for the board of directors that will head assets held abroad, and Guaido's interim presidency, along with his government, will be removed. Guaido has been the face of Venezuela's opposition abroad since he declared himself interim president in 2019. Talks between the opposition and Maduro's government hosted by Mexico ended earlier this month with no further negotiations scheduled.

☆ Ex-academic forges a new career denying Trump's 2020 election loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +27 min

“The war is just getting started,” Clements told his 100,000 Telegram followers on Nov. 16. His rise in the movement began in January 2021, when a dispute with his employer, New Mexico State University, over the U.S. Capitol riot went public. ‘I will not take the jab’Clements’ swift rise in election-denier circles caused a stir at New Mexico State, where he continued to teach. Flynn co-founded the America Project, a well-capitalized right-wing group that has financed lawsuits and campaigns challenging the 2020 election results and the integrity of U.S. voting systems. One of their roles is to certify election results, which until the Trump era was typically a rubber-stamp formality.

CARACAS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition parties are seeking to remove Juan Guaido as head of Citgo, the country's most important asset abroad, and block his interim government from extending its mandate by another year, spokespeople from the country's main opposition parties said on Wednesday. But opposition political parties propose instead to replace Guaido with a commission of five parliament-appointed members to govern Citgo's assets, and block the one-year extension. Parties looking to replace Guaido have proposed delegating the functions of the interim government to the new commission. Three of Venezuela's largest opposition parties support the motion, Marquina said, while the fourth - which Guaido belongs to - supports the interim government. Guaido's failure to extend his leadership may spell trouble for the boards controlling those assets, whose legitimacy rests on the recognition of Guaido as Venezuela's interim leader.

☆ Mexico's AINDA seeks $600 mln to kickstart fund, Colombian business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its foray into Colombia seeks to collaborate with the government's infrastructure plans, with AINDA set to open offices in the South American country by next year's second quarter, Rodriguez said. In Mexico, Rodriguez emphasized potential investments in logistics, citing the Pacific ports of Manzanillo and Mazatlan, but declining to go into detail. Rodriguez added that the ESG-focused fund will continue to evaluate other Mexican energy projects, citing possible investments in electricity transmission, without being more specific. But Rodriguez said he nonetheless sees opportunities to invest in "green efforts" that can compliment the government's energy priorities. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top government ethics officer was late disclosing his personal finances on multiple occasions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The attorney, Office of Government Ethics General Counsel David Apol, missed deadlines to report at least 12 different bond transactions since 2015. Improperly reporting purchases and sales of bonds or stocks is a violation of the 2012 Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act. Officials are only required to report transactions in broad ranges. Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has been one of the lead proponents in Congress of reforming the STOCK Act. Congress this year discussed changes to the STOCK Act and the US House even held a hearing following the publication of "Conflicted Congress."

☆ Mexican president laments attack on journalist, then bashes media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Just days after condemning an assassination attempt on a prominent journalist, Mexico's president on Monday criticized the media for allegedly protecting special interest groups, even singling out the targeted news anchor. "Now they play victim," added Lopez Obrador. "(But) they are the elite, from the most select media," he said, claiming well-paid media figures seek to protect interest groups he did not name. Lopez Obrador on Monday denied using his regular news conference to "stigmatize" perceived opponents, including the media. Mexico is the world's deadliest country for media with 11 journalists killed so far this year, according to Reporters Without Borders.

☆ Couples are proposing to each other by writing 'marry me' on Ukrainian artillery shells to be fired at Russians
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A US supporter of Ukraine proposed to his girlfriend with a message on a Ukrainian artillery shell. They used a Ukrainian service that offers customized notes on munitions in exchange for a donation. "When we first started dating, I made an offhand comment one night," 38-year-old Emily Knight told Insider. A few months later that's more or less what her partner David did, using a then-burgeoning Ukrainian service known as SignMyRocket that the couple had been browsing. Her mother, who was ready to foot the bill for a white wedding, has been told to send the equivalent cash to Ukraine, Emily said.

☆ Boies law firm makes odd moves in FTX case against Tom Brady, celebs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

That was apparently not what the Boies and Moskowitz firms were hoping. In mid-November, the firms filed the first of their three FTX lawsuits in federal court. On Nov. 21, the Boies and Moskowitz firms filed a second FTX class action, this time on behalf of non-U.S. FTX customers. The day after Bloom’s assignment to the case, the Moskowitz and Boies firms voluntarily dismissed the two previously-filed FTX class actions before Moore and Gayles. “As we got more cases, we filed more cases,” Moskowitz said.

Citing the cool-off, Argentina's central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 75% later on Thuesday, extending a pause on hikes after one of the world's most aggressive tightening cycles. The official INDEC statistics agency said rolling 12-month inflation in November hit 92.4%, with prices up 85.3% during the first 11 months of the year. The monthly rate, though, was the lowest since February and well below analyst forecasts of 5.9%. "It is difficult to manage a budget from one month to the next," Natalia Jones told Reuters on the streets of Buenos Aires shopping for vegetables. Eduardo Ortega, manager of a grocery shop in Buenos Aires, said it meant people were cutting back on the amount of food they could buy.

☆ Biden releases most JFK assassination records — but withholds thousands
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

“We’re 59 years after President John Kennedy was killed and there’s just no justification for this,” said Judge John H. Tunheim, who from 1994-98 chaired the Assassination Records Review Board that was established Under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which Biden voted for when it passed Congress unanimously. Many of those Joannides records were never put in the National Archives' JFK collection, according to the foundation's lawsuit, so the lion's share of the suspected records were not released Thursday. CIA officials dispute the number of Joannides records in their possession, but they confirmed two were scheduled to be released Thursday. Under the JFK records act, all documents related to the assassination were supposed to be released by 2017. His poll also showed that 71% of voters thought Biden should release all of the JFK records, regardless of agency opposition.

The official INDEC statistics agency said on Thursday that rolling 12-month inflation through November hit 92.4%, with prices up 85.3% during the first 11 months of the year. The monthly rate was the lowest since February and well below analyst forecasts of 5.9%. Despite the monthly slowdown, Argentines are still battling one of the highest inflation rates in the world, which eats away at wages and saps earning power. "It is difficult to manage a budget from one month to the next," Natalia Jones told Reuters on the streets of Buenos Aires shopping for vegetables. Eduardo Ortega, manager of a grocery shop in Buenos Aires, said it meant people were cutting back on the amount of food they could buy.

☆ As more men leave the workforce, women are stepping in to fill those jobs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And that is reflective of new trends developing both for men and women in the labor force. In recent months, more men aged 30-44 have been dropping out of the workforce, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although more men are stepping out of the workforce to take care of children post-pandemic, it’s still only in the single digits, according to economist Richard V. Reeves. The data showed that the total number was skewed more towards women than men, since so many women assumed caretaker roles at home when daycare centers and schools closed during lockdowns. Since then, men and women have gained back all the jobs lost.

☆ Peru diplomatic spat grows as envoys in Mexico, Argentina summoned home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Supporters of Peru's former President Pedro Castillo gather outside the police prison where he is being held, in Lima, December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sebastian CastanedaLIMA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A diplomatic spat over Peru deepened on Thursday as the new foreign minister formally summoned ambassadors home from countries including Mexico and Argentina, which have criticized the recent ouster of former president Pedro Castillo. On Monday, four nations led by leftist presidents - Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico - signed onto a joint statement declaring Castillo "a victim of undemocratic harassment." Gervasi wrote in a post on Twitter that the consultations "relate to interference in the internal affairs of Peru." Boluarte's week-old administration, which she has said will be a transition government, has been recognized by Chile's leftist president, plus by Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Canada and the United States.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' review roundup: See it on the biggest screen possible, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"The Way of Water" follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) who are now the parents of four Na'vi children. Read more: "Avatar: The Way of Water" could be headed for a $175 million opening weekend Critics are adamant that audiences should watch "The Way of Water" on the biggest screen possible, lauding the film for its you-won't-believe-this-is-computer-generated visuals and bombastic sound design. Here's what critics thought of "Avatar: The Way of Water" before its Friday release. Avatar: The Way of Water Courtesy: Disney Co.Ma did note that "The Way of Water" is "jaw-droppingly beautiful," likening it to watching a David Attenborough documentary rather than a CGI feature. Avatar: The Way of Water Courtesy Disney Co.Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reported that the charges against Bankman-Fried include wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Neither the Attorney General of the Bahamas nor the Royal Bahamas Police Force would confirm the nature of the charges against Bankman-Fried. "I didn't ever try to commit fraud," Bankman-Fried said. The CFTC and lawmakers have begun their probes into FTX and Bankman-Fried, who told Sorkin he was down to his last $100,000. Failed lender BlockFi sued Bankman-Fried in November, seeking unnamed collateral that the FTX founder provided for the crypto lending firm.

☆ Peru's Castillo faces criminal charges as new president Boluarte takes helm
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LIMA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Peru's former President Pedro Castillo faced a first court hearing on Thursday over his arrest on charges of rebellion and conspiracy, as his successor issued her first pronouncements from the presidential palace. Castillo was ordered to be detained for seven days as the investigation into the charge that he orchestrated a rebellion proceeds. The former president attended the hearing via teleconference from a penitentiary center in Lima where he is being detained. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has indicated he would be open to granting asylum to Castillo, a fellow leftist. BOLUARTE TAKES OFFICEDina Boluarte, Castillo's vice president, was sworn in as the South American country's new president on Wednesday, making her the sixth president in five years and the first woman to lead the nation of some 33 million.

☆ Explainer: What happens to Peru's former president Castillo now?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LIMA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Peru's former president Pedro Castillo was ousted from power on Wednesday in an impeachment vote after failing in his bid to stay in power by dissolving Congress. Vice President Dina Boluarte was swiftly sworn in to replace him and Castillo was arrested. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a fellow leftist who has expressed sympathy with Castillo in the past, made clear on Thursday that he is open to offering the former leader asylum. Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard posted on Twitter that the Mexican ambassador in Lima met with Castillo on Thursday afternoon. He said Mexican officials have begun consultations over the asylum request with Peruvian officials, pledging to offer updates later.

EARLY WARNING SIGNSAfter years of tame inflation, Fed officials and other central bankers say they have faced a chain of disruptive events beyond their control ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Ukraine war. The central bank has made conservative estimates on inflation despite Russia cutting gas supplies to Europe in response to Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Even as some economists say an inflation peak could now be in sight, central bankers remain far from taming inflation. The concern among some central bankers is that politicians will respond by raising public spending and so aggravate the inflation pressure that their rate-hike cure is intended to heal. If that were to happen, central bankers “would have to reverse course to prevent the debt market from becoming more disorderly," Goodhart told Reuters.

☆ Ashton Kutcher and twin Michael talk health, guilt and rift between them
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —In a rare interview, twin brothers Ashton and Michael Kutcher talked about both their bond and their rift. “I go in the room and I’m like ‘Whoa,’” Ashton Kutcher said, fighting back tears. “He looked at me and he said, ‘Every time you feel sorry for me, you make me less,’” Ashton Kutcher said. Ashton Kutcher said during the interview that he was not aware that his brother had been keeping it a secret. Michael Kutcher is now an advocate for the disabled.

☆ Inside the stunning unraveling of Bright Health, a health-insurance upstart that rocketed to an $11.2 billion valuation and then cratered as it grew too fast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Bright Health Group grew fast. "We're just starting to realize the full potential of our differentiated model, and we're excited about the future of Bright Health Group," Bright CEO G. Mike Mikan told analysts at that investor event. Bright Health is one of a handful of upstarts trying to take on the health-insurance industry. Clover Health; Bright Health; Oscar Health; Olivia Reaney/Business InsiderBreaking into the health-insurance industry is tough. Bright moves to cut expensesAs losses mounted in 2021, Bright scrambled to raise capital.

Bankman-Fried could face a host of potential charges – civil and criminal – as well as private lawsuits from millions of FTX creditors, legal experts told CNBC. There are three different, possibly simultaneous legal threats that Bankman-Fried faces in the United States alone, Levin told CNBC. He told CNBC, "prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bankman-Fried or his associates committed criminal fraud." (Carter was not an FTX investor, and told CNBC that his fund passed on early FTX rounds.) "People should not jump to the conclusion that something is not happening just because it has not been publicly disclosed," Levin told CNBC.

☆ Read the memo Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield wrote to staff announcing his departure from Salesforce
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield announced Monday that he's leaving Salesforce, Slack's corporate owner. The news comes days after Salesforce announced its CEO Bret Taylor is also stepping down. Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield announced Monday morning that he is leaving Salesforce in January, according to an announcement Butterfield posted to a company Slack channel that was viewed by Insider. Slack will have a new CEO: Lidiane Jones. He's going to keep the bar high, and then keep pushing it higher.

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