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☆ Analysis: Russia's arrest of reporter deepens Biden's detainee challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/4] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, detained on suspicion of espionage, leaves a court building in Moscow, Russia March 30, 2023. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a news briefing on Thursday the Whelan and Gershkovich cases should not be compared. Russia's security service has, without providing evidence, accused Gershkovich of gathering information classified as a state secret about a military factory. Biden on Friday called on Russia to release Gershkovich. The Biden administration has secured the release of at least 25 "wrongfully detained" Americans.

☆ The next big thing in Big Tech career path is an AI-based 'bilingual' job skillset
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Microsoft unveiled new versions of its Bing internet-search engine and Edge browser powered by the newest technology from ChatGPT maker OpenAI. But the biggest one of all may be next, he says, through the combination of artificial intelligence and branches of science involved in medicine. But the opportunity won't translate into achievement without a new form of collaboration between the classic big tech talent and the medical field. One of her portfolio companies, Insitro, was founded by Stanford AI researcher Daphne Koller (Koller co-founder edtech company Coursera). "There is lots of exciting big talent opportunities coming from big tech and big cap pharma," she said.

☆ Authorities search for more victims after tornado pummels Arkansas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, April 1 (Reuters) - Arkansas first responders on Saturday will sift through debris for more possible victims after a fierce tornado sliced through the Little Rock area and northeastern part of the state, killing at least two people and injuring dozens of others. Two fatalities in Arkansas were reported in Wynne, about 100 miles (160 km) east of Little Rock, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday night. One person was killed and more than 50 people hospitalized in North Little Rock, Pulaski County spokeswoman Madeline Roberts told the Washington Post. Although more than 30 people were taken to hospital in the Little Rock area, none had died as of Friday night, said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who added that the count remained imprecise. [1/9] A view of destroyed buildings following the tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S., March 31, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media.

☆ Russia bid to 'weaponize energy' on Blinken agenda at NATO meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said on Thursday. A meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council will focus on joint efforts to "blunt Russia's attempts to weaponize energy ... (and) bolstering energy supplies for the coming winters," Dereck Hogan, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters. NATO has sent large amounts of weapons and other aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded, which has also spurred moves to expand the alliance. The top U.S. diplomat will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba in Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department said. Reporting by Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Treasury said that Mkrtychev's negotiations with North Korean and Russian officials "detailed mutually beneficial cooperation," adding that Mkrtychev confirmed Russia's readiness to receive military equipment from North Korea with senior Russian officials. Russia's embassy in Washington and North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In December, the White House said private Russian military company, the Wagner Group, took delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. In November, after the White House said Pyongyang was covertly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells, North Korea said it had never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so. Reporting By Arshad Mohammed, Daphne Psaledakis and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks during a virtual Summit for Democracy, which he is hosting from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden announced new funding to bolster democracies around the world at a meeting on Wednesday, although dozens of countries were holding back on a summit declaration laying out commitments to democratic principles. "To meet the rising challenges to democracy worldwide, we commit to strengthen democratic institutions and processes and build resilience," the declaration said. A senior administration official said the declaration remained open and additional countries could still endorse it. Biden announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event.

☆ U.S. sanctions Syrian leader Assad's cousins, others over drug trade -Treasury
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It said the trade in captagon was estimated to be a billion-dollar enterprise and the sanctions highlight the role of Lebanese drug traffickers and the Assad family dominance of captagon trafficking, which helped fund the Syrian government. Assad's government denies involvement in drug-making and smuggling and says it is stepping up its campaign to curb the lucrative trade. Also sanctioned were Khalid Qaddour, who the Treasury said was a Syrian businessman and close associate of Bashar al-Assad's brother, the head of the army's Fourth Division. Hassan Daqqou was sentenced in 2021 to seven years in prison in Lebanon on charges of captagon trafficking, according to the same source. Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Daphne Psaledakis and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The United States has determined that all sides committed war crimes during the conflict in northern Ethiopia that killed tens of thousands of people, left hundreds of thousands facing hunger and displaced millions, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. Members of the ENDF, Eritrean forces, and Amhara forces also committed crimes against humanity, Blinken told reporters, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence and persecution. Members of the Amhara forces committed the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer and committed ethnic cleansing through their treatment of Tigrayans in western Tigray, Blinken said. "In terms of what happens next in Ethiopia, including what process they establish to provide for justice, for accountability, we'll see. The United States was outspoken in its criticism of alleged atrocities by Ethiopian forces and their allies from Eritrea and the Amhara region during the Tigray war.

☆ Blinken brings U.S. aid to Sahel for fight against Islamist insurgencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NIAMEY, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for Africa's Sahel region during a visit on Thursday to Niger, a country Washington views as an important ally in the fight against Islamist insurgencies. Landlocked Niger and its neighbors Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Chad are all struggling to repel Islamist insurgents who have killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and in some cases seized control of vast swathes of territory. "They're making the right choices, we think, to help deal with the kind of threats that are common across the Sahel. Blinken said the use of Russian mercenaries had not proven an effective response to insecurity. Ghana has asserted that Burkina Faso has also hired Wagner mercenaries.

☆ Blinken brings aid and praise to Niger as it battles insurgents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blinken's visit to Niger, the first by a U.S. Secretary of State, signals its importance as a U.S. ally in the Sahel, a senior State Department official told reporters travelling with Blinken. Landlocked Niger and other countries in the Sahel, including its neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Chad, are all struggling to repel Islamist insurgents who in some cases have seized control of swathes of territory. The official praised Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum for opposing military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso and for consulting the parliament over security issues rather than deciding alone. Ghana has asserted that Burkina Faso has also hired Wagner mercenaries. "They use a lot of misinformation and disinformation to besmirch the French, I think, and the traditional French security partnership."

☆ Blinken meets Ethiopian leader to repair ties damaged by war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/11] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 15, 2023. "We have agreed to strengthen the long standing bilateral relations between our countries with a commitment to partnership," the Ethiopian leader said. While the peace deal has allowed humanitarian aid to flow into Tigray, needs remain immense after the conflict left hundreds of thousands facing starvation. Eritrean troops remain in several border areas while militia from the Amhara region, which neighbours Tigray, occupy large areas of territory in contested parts of western and southern Tigray, humanitarian workers said. A spokesperson for the Amhara regional government said it and the people of Amhara were "always ready to co-operate with peace deal process and activities".

☆ Biden says will address banking crisis on Monday morning
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW CASTLE, Delaware, March 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday he would address the banking crisis Monday morning, as the federal government announced actions to shore up deposits and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O). Asked by reporters when he would address the banking crisis, Biden said "tomorrow morning." Reporting by Moira Warburton and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden budget plan includes billions aimed at countering China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The Biden administration's budget plan put forward on Thursday includes requests for billions of dollars of funding for the Indo-Pacific region aimed at countering China through infrastructure investments and other support for U.S. partners and allies in the region. Biden's budget proposal already faces stiff opposition from Republican lawmakers, although party leaders generally support efforts to counter China. The budget proposal for 2024 includes $400 million for a fund to "counter specific problematic PRC behaviors globally," according to a State Department fact sheet. The administration is requesting mandatory spending, in addition to traditional discretionary funding, including $2 billion to support infrastructure projects and $2 billion to strengthen Indo-Pacific economies and support partners to push back against China, Bass said. The budget also includes funding to expand the U.S. presence in the Pacific Islands, a region where Washington is competing with growing Chinese influence, he said.

Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said they were sent before Russia's February 2022 invasion on Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. The U.S. move on Thursday comes after the United States has accused China of considering supplying arms to Russia and warned Beijing against such a move. Moscow and Tehran have moved to forge closer relations after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, prompting sweeping Western sanctions. Russia and Iran, which is also under Western sanctions, are among the world's largest oil exporters.

☆ UN warns of aid cuts over Taliban crackdown on women's rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The United States was the largest donor to the 2022 U.N. aid plan in Afghanistan, giving more than $1 billion. The Taliban administration, which seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, says it respects women's rights in accordance with its strict interpretation of Islamic law. "They systematically deprive women and girls of their fundamental human rights," United Arab Emirates U.N. "They say their elimination from public life is no better than fearing violent death," Otunbayeva told the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, which coincided with International Women's Day. "Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women's rights," she said.

The airport was being used to deliver aid to victims of last month's earthquake that killed thousands. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that, while he could not "speak to attribution" for Tuesday's air strike, Washington would worry about any lengthy halt to the flow of humanitarian aid. He said all U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights from Aleppo had been suspended, adding that those flights transport aid workers and life-saving supplies and must resume without delay. The Israeli military declined to comment on the Syrian state media accusation that it was behind the air strike. Foreign donors including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Algeria have flown aid into Aleppo airport since the Feb. 6 earthquake, Syrian state media has reported.

☆ 5 side hustles that can make you hundreds a month with only a few hours of work and no up-front costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur who has tried various side hustles to pass time in the winter months. But as a full-time entrepreneur whose income varies drastically month to month, I feel guilty when I'm not making money during my free time. Plus, many of these extra gigs can be done on the weekends, so they don't disrupt the flow of my work schedule. I often put the same items on both platforms to double the exposure and increase the potential of a sale. I stopped doing this once I met my partner and we started traveling more in the winter season together.

☆ Exclusive: U.S. plans $550 million aid for Ukraine, Moldova energy security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Arshad Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Firefighters work to put out a fire at energy infrastructure facilities damaged by Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region, Ukraine November 15, 2022. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSSAINT PAUL, Minn., Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United States plans to announce $250 million in aid on Friday to shore up Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the face of Russian attacks and $300 million for Moldova, partly to help Chisinau wean itself from energy dependence on Russia. The $300 million for Moldova includes $80 million in budget support to offset high electricity prices, $135 million for electric power generation projects and $85 million to improve its ability to obtain energy supplies from alternative sources, according to a second draft document. Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 2.5 million people neighboring Ukraine to the west, is one of the poorest nations in Europe and has traditionally been heavily reliant on Russian gas. The money is from a pool of $45 billion for Ukraine included in a broader spending bill passed by Congress last year.

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The United States will directly warn companies against evading U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, as Washington seeks to further squeeze Russia's economy. "We're going to go directly to their companies and make very clear to their companies that you have a choice," Adeyemo said. The comments come amid signs that Russia's economy was not hit as heavily as initially expected by western sanctions. The International Monetary Fund last month forecast that Russia's economy would expand by 0.3% in 2023 after shrinking by 2.2% in 2022. "Russia's economy is very small, relative to our coalition, and getting smaller because of the actions that we've taken."

☆ U.S. Congress members seek halt to $1 billion Nigeria weapons deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We write to express our concern with current U.S. policy on and military support to Nigeria," the lawmakers said. The United States has paired security assistance to Nigeria with training focused on compliance with international law. Nigerian military leaders denied the program has ever existed and said Reuters reporting was part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. Amid international outcry, Nigeria’s defense ministry agreed to cooperate with an investigation by Nigeria’s Commission on Human Rights, which is underway.

☆ Analysis: Washington pushes for harsher action against banks with Russia ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( John O'Donnell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We are looking at additional banks and financial institutions to see how Russia deals with the outside world. Some European banks, including UniCredit (CRDI.MI) and Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI), have large businesses there and must follow local rules to grant payment holidays to soldiers. ENFORCEMENTO'Brien said that the United States would step up enforcement, something the EU also hopes to improve. "We are now looking at how sanctions, including financial sanctions, can be most effective," he said. "While the majority of important Russian banks are sanctioned, there is a lot outside that perimeter that you could go after," said Nicolas Veron, of Washington think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

☆ U.S. deeply concerned by Cambodian government's shutdown of independent local news outlet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is deeply concerned by the Cambodian government's decision to revoke the media license for the Voice of Democracy and urged it to reverse the decision, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Monday. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the last independent local news organizations in the country on Sunday night, saying it had attacked him and his son and hurt the country. "The decision is particularly troubling due to the chilling impact it will have on freedom of expression and on access to information ahead of the national elections in July," Price told reporters. Reporting by Simon Lewis, Eric Beech, Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain, Malta sign deal covering defence, migration
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VALLETTA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Britain and its former Mediterranean colony Malta signed a wide-ranging cooperation agreement on Friday covering areas including security and defence, migration, education, health and trade. The agreement was signed during a short visit to the island by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who met Foreign Minister Ian Borg. Malta gained independence from Britain in 1964 and the two countries have traditionally enjoyed a close friendship. Britain and Malta have worked together on migration. Malta is on the main migration route across the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe, with many migrants then attempting to carry on to the UK.

☆ U.S. Treasury to crack down on Russian sanctions evasion - Adeyemo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department will focus in coming months on cracking down on facilitators and third-country providers helping Russia evade Western sanctions, Treasury said on Friday. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told a meeting of academics and other experts on sanctions and U.S. foreign policy that Treasury will increase its focus on countering sanctions evasion, including by those who may "wittingly or unwittingly" help Russia replenish supplies needed for its military fighting in Ukraine. Treasury provided no immediate details on which "facilitators and third-party providers" would be targeted. The Treasury earlier this month imposed sanctions on 22 individuals and entities in multiple countries that it accused of being tied to a global sanctions evasion network supporting Russia's military-industrial complex. Reporting by Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ White House says blog post on Nord Stream explosion 'utterly false'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday dismissed a blog post by a U.S. investigative journalist alleging the United States was behind explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines as "utterly false and complete fiction." "This is utterly false and complete fiction," said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. The pipelines are multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects designed to carry Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The United States and NATO have called the incident "an act of sabotage." On Wednesday, Russia's foreign ministry said the United States had questions to answer over its role in explosions on the pipelines.

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