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☆ Top Russian general not seen since mutiny is 'resting', lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 12 (Reuters) - General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine who has not been seen in public since last month's armed mutiny by mercenary fighters, is "resting", a lawmaker from the ruling party said on Wednesday. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, is heard saying in a video posted on social media: "Surovikin is currently resting. Surovikin, dubbed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syria conflict, was last seen publicly when he issued a video appeal urging a halt to the June 23-24 mutiny by fighters of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group while it was still underway. A New York Times report based on a U.S. intelligence briefing said last month that Surovikin had advance knowledge of the mutiny and that Russian authorities were checking whether he was complicit. Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Surovikin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: State Duma Defence Committee, Staff, New York Times, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Syria

Prigozhin had reportedly traveled to Belarus as part of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the failed uprising, but Lukashenko told CNN’s Matthew Chance that the Wagner leader is now in Russia. Prigozhin has not been seen in public since June 24 when he left Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. “I don’t think that Wagner will rise up somewhere and turn its guns against the Belarusian authorities and the Belarusian state,” Lukashenko said. Until recently, Russian state television lionized Wagner’s operations in Ukraine, but the outlets now appear to be vilifying the founder of the private military company following the failed uprising. Russian state television often airs dramatic footage of what are described as raids by security services and foiled terrorist plots.

Persons: Belarus CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, CNN’s Matthew Chance, Wagner, ” Lukashenko, ”, Prigozhin’s, Were Wagner Organizations: Belarus CNN, CNN, Weapons, “, Kremlin Locations: Minsk, Belarus, Belarusian, Russia, Rostov, Vesti, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Adani case threatens watchdog’s rising credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In June the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the country’s markets regulator, disciplined two media tycoons for alleged wrongdoing and strengthened disclosure norms for foreign investors. Going all-in on the Adani case would entail working with other law enforcers, such as the Directorate of Enforcement and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. Unless Buch’s team pulls out all the stops, the regulator’s toughest test under her leadership so far is a threat to its rising credibility. The markets regulator on June 12 barred Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Goenka and Chair Emeritus Subhash Chandra from holding key managerial positions in any listed company. In a separate order dated June 22 Sebi barred Eros group Managing Director Sunil Arjan Lulla and three group entities including Eros International Media from the securities market, citing accounting irregularities.

Persons: Puri, Gautam, Punit Goenka, Subhash Chandra, Breakingviews, Sebi, Sunil Arjan Lulla, Antony Currie, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Eros International, Reuters Graphics Reuters, of Revenue Intelligence, Securities, Exchange Board, India, Eros International Media, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI

☆ Prince Harry seeks up to $400,000 in phone-hacking lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, departs the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoLONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Prince Harry is seeking damages of up to 320,000 pounds ($405,000) from Britain's Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), court documents released on Friday revealed as the trial of the royal's phone-hacking lawsuit nears its end. MGN, owned by Reach (RCH.L), is fighting the lawsuit and says there is no evidence for the accusations. The publisher argues Harry should receive no more than 37,000 pounds, even if he wins on all 33 articles, according to the documents released on Friday. MGN said Harry should receive a maximum of 500 pounds in damages for that one incident.

Persons: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Toby Melville, MGN, Harry, Green, Sam Tobin, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Court, REUTERS, Britain's Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday, MGN, Reach, Buckingham, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Harry's

☆ Harry was 'prime target' for phone-hacking, prince's lawyer tells court
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Prince Harry was a "prime target" for the tabloid press and must have been a victim of phone-hacking, his lawyer told London's High Court on Wednesday as the trial in the British royal's lawsuit against a newspaper publisher nears its end. MGN, owned by Reach (RCH.L), is fighting the lawsuit and says there is no evidence for the accusations. The claimants' lawyer, David Sherborne, told the court on Wednesday that the case against MGN was "inferential", stressing that phone-hacking and other unlawful information gathering was a covert practice. But, he added, the court could find that Harry was a victim of phone-hacking because of the prevalence of the practice at MGN newspapers and the level of press interest in the prince. "The newspapers regarded him as a prime target, perhaps one of the most prime targets, in the sense of royal stories drive newspaper sales," Sherborne said.

Persons: Prince Harry, David Sherborne, MGN, Harry, Sherborne, Andrew Green, Rupert Murdoch's, voicemails, Piers Morgan, Morgan, Duke of Sussex, Green, Sam Tobin, Alex Richardson Organizations: London's, Group, Daily, Sunday, MGN, Reach, Buckingham, Thomson Locations: British

They claim senior editors and executives at MGN knew about and approved of the wrongdoing. MGN, owned by Reach (RCH.L), is fighting the lawsuit, saying there was no evidence for the accusations. The claimants want the judge to rule on whether Morgan and other senior figures were involved in unlawful acts. MGN's failure to call Morgan and other journalists "leaves enormous holes, we say fatal holes, in the defendant's case," he said. At the start of the trial in May, MGN did admit on one occasion a private investigator had been engaged to unlawfully gather evidence about him.

Persons: Prince Harry's, Piers Morgan, David Sherborne, MGN, Morgan, Prince Harry ", Sherborne, Mr Morgan, Duke of Sussex, Duke, Sussex, Michael Holden, Ed Osmond Organizations: Group, Daily, Sunday, MGN, Reach, London's, Thomson Locations: British

☆ French Sunday newspaper on strike over fears of far-right turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The newspaper’s owner, French media group Lagardere (LAGA.PA), on Friday named Geoffroy Lejeune as JDD's new editor-in-chief, succeeding Jerome Begle who left for Paris Match. Lejeune is the former head of magazine Valeurs Actuelles, which has courted controversy with anti-immigrant covers and was fined for racist insult in 2022. The company already owns news channel CNews, which has taken a conservative turn since Bollore took control. In a statement, Arnaud Lagardere said Geoffroy Lejeune was a "raw talent of journalism" that he could not pass up. "Under Geoffroy Lejeune, Valeurs Actuelles spread hateful attacks and fake news.

Persons: Geoffroy Lejeune, Jerome Begle, Lejeune, Vincent Bollore, Bollore, Rima Abdul Malak, Arnaud Lagardere, Valeurs, Michel Rose, Juliette Jabkhiro, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday, Paris Match, European Commission, Lagardere, Vivendi, U.S, Fox, Twitter, Thomson

☆ The ultra-wealthy have dangerous pastimes. Who pays when they need saving?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This past spring, five people, including 56-year-old Czech billionaire Petr Kellner, died in a crash while heliskiing in Alaska. And when people need saving in some of the world’s most unforgiving places, those rescue costs can add up, fast. Canadian Forces/Handout/ReutersAfter an especially deadly season, Furtenbach says, demand for the following season tends to spike. Should people be prevented from taking on such incredible risk if it raises the possibility of an expensive rescue? “No one talks about people spending thousands of dollars to go to amusement park destinations or other tourist locations,” Vescovo said.

Persons: —, Petr Kellner, Everest —, ”, Lukas Furtenbach, Furtenbach, Jon Krakauer, ” Furtenbach, Sebastien Berger, Philippe Brown, Brown, ” Brown, “, haven’t, Philip Stone, ” Stone, Victor Vescovo, Vescovo, ” Vescovo Organizations: New, New York CNN, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Forces, Reuters, Getty, OceanGate, Titan, US Coast Guard, French, Institute for Dark Tourism Research, University of Central, Coast Guard, National Park Service Locations: New York, Mount Everest, Czech, heliskiing, Alaska, Hudson, University of Central Lancashire, United States, New Hampshire, Oregon

☆ Ukraine repatriates three POWs from Russia via Hungary - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, June 20 (Reuters) - Kyiv repatriated three Ukrainian prisoners of war from Hungary after a group of POWs was transferred there from Russia without coordination with Kyiv, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "The Embassy of Ukraine in Budapest managed to bring back three Ukrainian prisoners of war from Hungary," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on his Facebook page. Ukraine said on Monday that Hungary has been ignoring its requests for contact with the prisoners of war. It has cast the transfer of the POWs to Hungary as a publicity stunt by Orban. Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv newsroom; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Orban, Gergely Gulyas, Anna Pruchnicka, Tom Balmforth, Alison Williams Organizations: Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Hungary, Russia, Moscow, Budapest, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine says Hungary ignores requests for contact with transferred prisoners of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Monday that Hungary has been ignoring requests for contact with prisoners of war that Kyiv said had been secretly transferred from Russia and called the move an act of self interest on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's side. Hungary, which under Orban has forged strong political and economic ties with Russia and has not cut them since Moscow invaded Ukraine 16 months ago, said on June 9 that it had received a group of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia. "All attempts by Ukrainian diplomats over recent days to establish direct contact with Ukrainian citizens have failed," Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on his Facebook page. Hungary's foreign ministry has not immediately responded to Reuters' requests for a comment. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the operation to transfer the prisoners was carried out solely in the political interests of Orban.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Orban, Oleg Nikolenko, Gergely Gulyas, Gulyas, Dmytro Kuleba, Viktor Orban, Kuleba, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Melbourne

☆ Sudan: Testimonies detail atrocities by Wagner-backed militia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Nima Elbagir Tamara Qiblawi Barbara Arvanitidis Gianluca Mezzofiore Pallabi Munsi Ingrid Formanek Saskya Vandoorne | Nima Elbagir | Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

“I sat next to her in the car,” said Butheina Nourin, describing her perilous escape from Sudan’s Darfur region alongside the dead woman. A months-long CNN investigation uncovered an increase in Wagner supplies to the RSF that began in the run-up to Sudan’s conflict. Reports of atrocities committed by RSF fighters and their allied militias, clearly identified by their uniforms, are consistent across dozens of testimonies. Then-President Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court in 2010 with crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in relation to the Darfur conflict. “Nobody in Sudan has more blood on their hands than Hemedti,” said Sudan analyst Eric Reeves.

Persons: wailed, “, ”, Butheina Nourin, Fatima, I, Nourin, Zohra Bensemra, Abdul Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Wagner, General Burhan, entrenching, –, Omar al, Bashir, Hemedti, Sergey Lavrov, Hussein Haran, ” Haran, Khamis Abbakar, Kholood Khair, ” Khair, Gen, Mahmoud Hjaj, Hala, SIHA, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalos, Hussein Malla, ” “, Gueipeur Denis Sassou, Eric Reeves, Al Jazeera, Karib, “ It’s, RSF –, Wagner –, Yeveny Prigozhin, Sudan ”, Hussein Organizations: CNN, ” Fighters, Sudanese, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Central African, Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, Strategic Initiative, Women, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Arab, United Nations, SIHA, Getty, European, US State Department, State Department Locations: Chad, Sudan, Sudan’s Darfur, Darfur, Borota, Latakia, Libya, Bangui, Central African Republic, Moscow, Ukraine, Khartoum, el, Geneina, Horn of Africa, State, Sudan’s, Yemen, Saudi, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Daman, AFP, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Europe, EU, ”, Africa

☆ Inside the UK training camp where Ukrainians learn to destroy Russian tanks and survive on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Mandoline Rutkowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukrainian soldiers are crouching in a dug trench, while two men stand at the edge. Ukrainian soldiers at a British training camp. Since 2015, after Russia annexed Crimea and began the war in the east of the country, London has been training Ukrainian soldiers. Among empty residential buildings, Ukrainian soldiers learn how to liberate an occupied building. Alina, the 28-year-old soldier, and the other newly trained Ukrainian forces at the military base are ready for their return.

Persons: —, Mandoline, Alina, Putin, Rishi Sunak, James, London, Dmitry Medvedev, Alexei Leonkov, Truton, Truton Mandoline, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: London, Service, Nine, German Armed Forces, Command, EU, Patriot, Challenger, NATO, Twitter Locations: United Kingdom, Ukraine, WELT, England, Britain, Russian, British, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Germany, Berlin, Crimea, London, Ukrainian, Moscow, United States, Great Britain, Kyiv

Indian and international media have previously reported that a possible malfunction in the automated signalling system may have led to the crash. However, details of the frequent malfunctions at the nearby rail-road barrier and its possible connection to a manual bypass of the signalling system are reported by Reuters for the first time. A spokesman for Indian Railways said "repair works keep happening as per requirements" but tampering with the automated system is not allowed. "(Indian) Railways believes the system was tampered with," said the second source, who has access to briefings on the investigation. The Indian Railways spokesman did not directly address the authorisation issue and only said it is not allowed under Indian Railways rules.

Persons: Amitabh Sharma, Sharma, Soubhagya Ranjan Sarangi, Narendra Modi's, Jaya Varma Sinha, Sinha, Sandeep Mathur, Mathur, Sudhanshu Mishra, Krishn Kaushik, Jatindra, Sarita Chaganti Singh, YP Rajesh, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Railways, Reuters, of Railway Safety, CRS, Railway Board, Railways Ministry, Indian Railways, police’s Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Coromandel Express, Express, YP, Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, Bahanaga Bazar, Balasore, Odisha, Bahanaga, Niranjan, Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi

☆ Boris Johnson: How Britain's once most popular prime minister fell out of favor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For decades, his carefully honed media persona – part pseudo-intellectual; part loveable-but-out-of-touch-poshboy – won Johnson fans beyond the traditional Conservative base. Johnson attended a Parliament's Privileges Committee hearing, where he gave evidence on whether he deliberately misled parliament over Partygate. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesThat same day, Johnson’s dwindling influence was further underscored as he led a futile rebellion against Sunak’s new Brexit deal, something Johnson has publicly criticized. Johnson delivered Brexit in 2016, but it was now Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who received praise from US President Joe Biden for fixing the issue Johnson's deal created with Northern Ireland. And living in denial might be the kindest thing that Johnson could possibly have done for himself and his legacy.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Downing, Sir Winston Churchill, Johnson, poshboy –, Kois Miah, Johnson’s, Liz Truss, it’s, tutted, Adrian Dennis, Sunak, “, ” Johnson, Brexit, Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Dan Kitwood, won’t Organizations: CNN, Johnson, Conservative, London Olympics, Getty, Brexit, EU, Brits, Northern Ireland Locations: British, London, Beijing, Victoria Park, Partygate, AFP, Britain’s, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Kyiv, Northern, Europe

☆ China to clamp down on AirDrop and Bluetooth file sharing for national security reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s cyberspace regulator plans to issue new rules clamping down on the use of wireless file sharing functions such as Bluetooth and Apple’s AirDrop on national security grounds. The move comes after protesters in China used AirDrop during anti-government protests in October 2022 to share content, bypassing strict internet censorship. Weeks later, Apple moved to limit the use of the AirDrop function on devices in China. The aim of the regulation is to “maintain national security and social public interests” by regulating the use of close-range wireless communication tools such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other technologies, it said. Other than AirDrop, Google’s Nearby Share allows users to transfer data between Android and Chrome OS devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Persons: Weeks, Apple, Xi Jinping, Oppo, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Bluetooth, Cyberspace Administration, The New York Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ Fact Check-Sweden did not officially declare sex a sport
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An application submitted to the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF by its initials in Swedish) to introduce a group called “The Swedish Sex Federation” as a sport was denied, contrary to claims shared online that Sweden has declared it would hold championships for sex. One post (here) reads, in part, “Sweden has officially declared sex as a sport and finalized arrangements to launch its maiden sex tournament on Thursday, June 8.”Other examples can be seen (here) and (here). Swedish publication Goteborgs-Posten reported on April 26, 2023 (here) that Dragan Bratic, a man who formed “The Swedish Sex Federation,” submitted an application for the organization to become a part of the RF in January 2023. “It is false information with the aim of smearing Swedish sports and Sweden.”“There is no Sex Federation that is a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation,” Setzman added. Sweden did not declare sex an official a sport.

Persons: Posten, Dragan Bratic, ”, “, ” Anna Setzman, ” Setzman, Read Organizations: Swedish Sports Confederation, Swedish, Goteborgs, Swedish Sex Federation, Reuters Locations: Sweden, “ Sweden, Swedish

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ Former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker Has a New Job at RedBird IMI. What Is It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since leaving CNN a year ago, Jeff Zucker, the network’s former president, has been on the hunt for deals, flush with $1 billion in backing from big investors in the worlds of media and finance. In addition to Mr. Zucker, the key players in the new venture, known as RedBird IMI, are Gerry Cardinale, the chief executive and founder of RedBird, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, an Emirati government minister who has spearheaded many of IMI’s investment conversations in the United States. Mr. Cardinale is the chief investment officer of RedBird IMI, and Mr. Al Jaber is chairman. RedBird is committing $250 million to the venture, and IMI has agreed to commit the remaining $750 million. The men gathered to discuss business last fall in a suite overlooking a Formula 1 racetrack in Abu Dhabi.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Gerry Cardinale, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Cardinale, Al Jaber, RedBird Organizations: CNN, RedBird Capital Partners, International Media Investments, United Arab, IMI Locations: United Arab Emirates, United States, Abu Dhabi

☆ Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker's $1 billion venture is reportedly considering a big investment in former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter's media startup Air Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zucker's firm, RedBird IMI, is reportedly one of three investors circling a majority stake in Air Mail. Jeff Zucker's media venture, RedBird IMI, is exploring a majority stake in Graydon Carter's startup Air Mail, The New York Times reported. It is one of three investors circling Air Mail, according to the Times. Carter, who spent 25 years leading Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, launched Air Mail — "a lively digital weekly for the world citizen," per its website — in 2019. In May 2021, as he was seeking investors for the series B, Carter told Insider he expected Air Mail to reach profitability in three years.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, Zucker, Jeff Zucker's, Carter, Condé, Axios, RedBird, Zucker's, Chris Licht, David Zaslav, Licht, Donald Trump, Zaslav, Carter cohosted Organizations: CNN, IMI, Air Mail, Morning, RedBird IMI, The New York Times, RedBird Capital Partners, Abu, Media Investments, Air, Times, Standard Investments, TPG Growth, Warner Bros, Discovery, Cannes Film Locations: Abu Dhabi, Zaslav

☆ Fighting in Khartoum as mediators seek end to Sudan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Zohra BensemraKHARTOUM, May 7 (Reuters) - Fighting could be heard in south Khartoum on Sunday as envoys from Sudan's warring parties were in Saudi Arabia for talks that international mediators hope will bring an end to a three-week old conflict. While mediators are seeking a path to peace, both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. The conflict started on April 15 following the collapse of an internationally backed plan for a transition to democracy. Prior to the fighting, Hemedti had been taking steps like moving closer to a civilian coalition that indicated he had political plans. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi leaders.

[1/3] A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. Riyadh and Washington earlier welcomed the "pre-negotiation talks" between the army and the RSF, and urged them to actively engage following numerous violated ceasefires. But both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. Turkey's foreign minister said Turkey would move its embassy from Khartoum to Port Sudan following the attack. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi leaders.

☆ Sudan on edge as warring parties to hold talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Riyadh and Washington welcomed the "pre-negotiation talks" between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and urged them to actively engage following numerous violated ceasefires. But there were early signs that both sides remain unwilling to make compromises to end the bloodshed. In the city of Bahri across the Nile from Khartoum, warplanes were heard overnight and explosions startled residents. "We don't leave the house because we're scared of stray bullets," said a local who gave his name as Ahmed. The warring sides have previously said they will only discuss a humanitarian truce and not an end to the fighting.

☆ Jailed, deported and blacklisted: Qatar's outspoken World Cup guards
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar's international media office confirmed that approximately 200 employees of Stark Security, which hired Maganga, were involved in a protest in January. Labour rights charity Equidem has documented the deportation of 38 former Stark Security guards to Kenya, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Qatar's media office said Stark would be penalized for violating the labour law. Rights groups had warned that security workers were especially vulnerable during the World Cup. Qatar's media office said the state has established "new channels for reporting grievances," which labour activists criticise as favouring employers.

☆ Freya, the Walrus Killed by Norwegian Officials, Is Immortalized as a Sculpture
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Lauren Mccarthy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When a 1,300-pound walrus showed up in Oslo last summer, lounging on piers and eating mussels, she became a beloved local delight and an overnight international media sensation. The walrus, a rare guest for Norway’s capital, was named Freya, after the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war — all of which she inspired to varying degrees. Freya spent time in highly populated areas, where some people ignored warnings from officials to keep their distance, and would help herself onto boats, some of which she threatened to sink because of her weight. Norwegian authorities declared Freya a threat to human safety last August and killed her in a move that critics argued was too hasty. Her death divided a country that is associated with diplomacy and a love of nature.

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