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☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says War Not in 'Stalemate', More Air Defence Help Needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denied on Saturday that the war with Russia had reached a "stalemate", and said more work with allies was needed to strengthen air defences. But this is not a stalemate," Zelenskiy said during a news conference with visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Zelenskiy acknowledged there had been difficulties in the war, now in its 21st month, and that Kyiv had yet to achieve any major successes in its counteroffensive. But he said Ukrainian troops had no other alternative but to keep fighting and required more support from Western allies, especially with air defences. Russian troops were mounting numerous attacks near Avdiivka, Lyman and Mariinka in the eastern Donetsk region, the Ukrainian military said in its daily update.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, General Valery Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Lyman, Mariinka, Olena Harmash, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Ukraine's, European Locations: Russia, Moscow, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Azov

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —For many Ukrainians, a recent somber assessment of the battlefield by Ukraine’s military chief was not a surprise. On Saturday, Igor Zhovka, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, slammed Zaluzhny for his comments. The situation may be better now but the truth of where the war stands “must be accepted, whatever it is,” he told CNN. But now even as the war moves into what Zaluzhny described as “positional warfare,” Shevchuk is convinced it will remain on everyone’s minds. Kyiv resident Natalia Kovalchuk believes everyone in Ukraine will have to join the war effort in the long run.

Persons: Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny, Igor Zhovka, “, ” Zhovka, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ursula von der, Vitalii Shevchuk, CNN Vitalii, ” Shevchuk, Shevchuk, Alexander Ermochenko, Zaluzhny’s candor, ” Lyuba Shipovich, Zelensky, Maxym, Iryna Avramets, ” Iryna, “ Zelensky, Oksana Yarosh, don’t, Natalia Kovalchuk, CNN Natalia Kovalchuk, ” CNN’s Gul Tuysuz Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Economist, ”, European, CNN, Russian, Reuters, Dignitas, Getty, Kyiv, Spain Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, ” Ukraine, Hostomel, Ukraine’s Crimean, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Moscow, Saltovka, Kharkiv, Crimea

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian attacks in Ukraine wounded at least 14 civilians over the past day, officials said Saturday, as the president of the European Union's executive arm returned to the Ukrainian capital to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Overall, 26 cities and settlements in the region came under attack over the past day, he said. He said that attacks in the region came from artillery, mortars, drones, warplanes and tanks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Saturday morning and was met by Zelenskyy at the train station. This is impressive to see,” von der Leyen said after the meeting with Zelenskyy.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Malashko, Oleksandr Prokudin, Serhii Lysak, Ursula von der Leyen, Zelenskyy, von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen, “ Organizations: Gov, EU Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Russian, Zarichne, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, russia, ukraine

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends an in-conversation event with Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Risks around rapidly-developing AI have been an increasingly high priority for policymakers since Microsoft-backed Open AI (MSFT.O) released ChatGPT to the public last year. "It was fascinating that just as we announced our AI safety institute, the Americans announced theirs," said attendee Nigel Toon, CEO of British AI firm Graphcore. China’s vice minister of science and technology said the country was willing to work with all sides on AI governance. Yoshua Bengio, an AI pioneer appointed to lead a "state of the science" report commissioned as part of the Bletchley Declaration, told Reuters the risks of open-source AI were a high priority.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Tesla, Elon Musk, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Sam Altman, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, China –, Sunak, Finance Bruno Le Maire, Vera Jourova, Jourova, Harris, Nigel Toon, Wu Zhaohui, Musk, you’ve, Martin Coulter, Paul Sandle, Matt Scuffham, Louise Heavens Organizations: British, Elon, U.S, European Commission, Microsoft, of, Finance, EU, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, Bletchley, U.S, South Korea, France, United States

China's delegate to the meeting, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Wu Zhaohui, was present on Thursday, his ministry said on Friday. The Chinese technology ministry declined to say why China did not agree to the proposal, which was about AI model testing. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired Thursday's meeting that comprised "a small group of like-minded senior representatives from governments around the world", Britain said, including the U.S. vice president and the EC president. Some British lawmakers had criticised China's participation in the inaugural AI summit. Sunak told reporters: "Some said we shouldn't even invite China, others said we would never get an agreement with them.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Kamala Harris, Rishi Sunak, Giorgia Meloni, Antonio Guterres, Yoshua Bengio, Mila, Microsoft Brad, Technology Wu Zhaohui, Wu, Oliver Dowden, Sunak, Paul Sandle, Brenda Goh, Alistair Smout, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Italy's, UN, Quebec AI Institute, Microsoft, Safety, Science, Technology, Bloomberg, U.S, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, SHANGHAI, LONDON, China, Britain, Beijing, Bletchley Park, England, United States, Bletchley, London, Shanghai

Sunak organized the first-ever AI Safety Summit as a forum for officials, experts and the tech industry to better understand “frontier” AI that some scientists warn could pose a risk to humanity’s very existence. Sunak has said that the U.K.'s approach should not be to rush into regulation but to fully understand AI first. Political Cartoons View All 1230 ImagesShe announced a new U.S. AI safety institute to draw up standards for testing AI models for public use. Sunak had proposed his own AI safety institute, with a similar role, days earlier. Musk is among tech executives who have warned that AI could pose a risk to humanity's future.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, “, Harris, Antonio Guterres, Ursula von der Leyen, He's, Elon Musk, Musk, ” Musk, ” Sunak Organizations: — U.S, British, Safety, United Nations, European Union, U.S Locations: BLETCHLEY, England, London, China, South Korea, France, U.S, United Nations

AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Britain's technology minister Michelle Donelan said "the right people with the right expertise" would be around the table to discuss how to mitigate the risks of AI. China will be a key participant, given the country's role in developing AI technology, although questions have been raised by some lawmakers in Britain about its presence. The U.S. ambassador to Britain, Jane Hartley, said the AI conversation should be global, but added that the invitation to China had come from London. Reporting by Paul Sandle and Martin Coulter Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rishi Sunak, Sam Altman, Sceptics, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Guterres, Michelle Donelan, Jane Hartley, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Paul Sandle, Martin Coulter, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Safety, European Union, Elon, Bletchley, European, U.S, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States, China, European Union, U.S, London

☆ Serbia's Vucic dissolves parliament, sets snap vote for Dec 17
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The parliamentary election will coincide with local votes in 65 municipalities, including the capital Belgrade. Experts say the vote and an absence of a working parliament, will allow Vucic to buy time and delay decisions over ties with independent and predominantly Albanian Kosovo, which Serbia still sees as its southern province. Opposition parties and rights groups accuse Vucic, the SNS and its allies of autocracy, oppressing media freedoms, election fraud, violence against political opponents, corruption and ties with organised crime. After signing the decree, Vucic said it was important for Serbia to "preserve peace, stability, and internal cohesion and (to) show democracy". "This campaign is an opportunity to present different ideas, programs, policies ... , but which must never threaten vital interests of Serbia," he said.

Persons: Aleksandar Vucic, Vucic, Ursula von der Leyen, Stata, Aleksandar Vasovic, Andrew Cawthorne, Alison Williams Organizations: EU, Russia, Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, Thomson Locations: BELGRADE, Serbian, Kosovo, Belgrade, Albanian Kosovo, Serbia, Ukraine

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — People younger than 18 have been barred from visiting this year's World Press Photo exhibition in Budapest, after Hungary's right-wing populist government determined that some of its photos violate a contentious law restricting LGBTQ+ content. The prestigious global photo exhibition, on display in Hungary's National Museum in Budapest, receives more than 4 million visitors from around the world every year. Showcasing outstanding photojournalism, its mission is to bring visual coverage of a range of important events to a global audience. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesJoumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo, called it worrisome that a photo series “that is so positive, so inclusive,” had been targeted by Hungary’s government. “How the LGBTQ minority lives is not the biggest problem in the world,” Duro told the AP.

Persons: Hannah Reyes Morales, El Zein Khoury, ”, Khoury, Viktor Orbán, Ursula von der, ” Dora Duro, ” Duro, ” Reyes Morales, “, Tamas Revesz, Morales, ” Revesz Organizations: —, World Press, Associated Press, European Union, AP, Press Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Budapest, Philippines, Europe, Ukraine

So-called frontier AI refers to the latest and most powerful systems that take the technology right up to its limits, but could come with as-yet-unknown dangers. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also scheduled to discuss AI with Sunak in a livestreamed conversation on Thursday night. One of Sunak’s major goals is to get delegates to agree on a first-ever communique about the nature of AI risks. However, in the same speech, he also urged against rushing to regulate AI technology, saying it needs to be fully understood first. A White House official gave details of Harris’s speech, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss her remarks in advance.

Persons: Google's Bard, Rishi Sunak's, Kamala Harris, who’s, Elon Musk, Ursula von der Leyen, Yoshua, Sunak, Harris, Biden’s, Jill Lawless Organizations: —, British, Safety, U.S, White, Associated Locations: BLETCHLEY, England, London, China, Bletchley

☆ The UK is gearing up for a pivotal summit on AI. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Where it's being heldThe AI summit will be held in Bletchley Park, the historic landmark around 55 miles north of London. What it seeks to addressThe main objective of the U.K. AI summit is to find some level of international coordination when it comes to agreeing some principles on the ethical and responsible development of AI models. The British government wants the AI Summit to serve as a platform to shape the technology's future. They say that, by keeping the summit restricted to only frontier AI models, it is a missed opportunity to encourage contributions from members of the tech community beyond frontier AI. "By focusing only on companies that are currently building frontier models and are leading that development right now, we're also saying no one else can come and build the next generation of frontier models."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Peter Nicholls, Rishi Sunak's, ChatGPT, Getty, codebreakers, Alan Turing, It's, Kamala Harris, Saul Loeb, Brad Smith, Sam Altman, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Ursula von der, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Olaf Scholz, Sunak, —, Xi Jinping, Biden, James Manyika, Manyika, Mostaque, we're, Sachin Dev Duggal, Carl Court Organizations: Royal Society, Carlton, Getty, U.S, Microsoft, Coppin State University, AFP, Meta, Global Affairs, Global Affairs Nick Clegg U.S, Ministry of Science, Technology European, Joe Biden Canadian, Britain, Afp, Getty Images Washington, U.S ., Google, CNBC, Big Tech Locations: London, China, Bletchley Park, British, America, Baltimore , Maryland, Chesnot, U.S, Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali, EU

Now, frontier AI has become the latest buzzword as concerns grow that the emerging technology has capabilities that could endanger humanity. The debate comes to a head Wednesday, when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts a two-day summit focused on frontier AI. In a speech last week, Sunak said only governments — not AI companies — can keep people safe from the technology’s risks. Frontier AI is shorthand for the latest and most powerful systems that go right up to the edge of AI’s capabilities. That makes frontier AI systems “dangerous because they’re not perfectly knowledgeable,” Clune said.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, It’s, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Google’s, Alan Turing, Sunak, ”, Jeff Clune, Clune, Elon, Sam Altman, He’s, Joe Biden, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua, ” Clune, “, it's, Francine Bennett, Ada Lovelace, Deb Raji, ” Raji, it’s, shouldn’t, Raji, DeepMind, Anthropic, Dario Amodei, Jack Clark, ’, Carsten Jung, Jill Lawless Organizations: British, U.S, European, University of British, AI Safety, European Union, Clune, Ada, Ada Lovelace Institute, House, University of California, ” Tech, Microsoft, Institute for Public Policy Research, Regulators, Associated Press Locations: Bletchley, University of British Columbia, State, EU, Brussels, China, U.S, Beijing, London, Berkeley

☆ UK AI Safety Summit: who will attend and what’s on the agenda?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain will host the world's first global artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit this week to examine the risks of the fast-growing technology and kickstart an international dialogue on regulation of it. The aim of the summit is to start a global conversation on the future regulation of AI. Currently there are no broad-based global regulations focusing on AI safety, although some governments have started drawing up their own rules. A recent Financial Times report said Sunak plans to launch a global advisory board for AI regulation, modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). When Sunak announced the summit in June, some questioned how well-equipped Britain was to lead a global initiative on AI regulation.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Justin Trudeau –, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Wu Zhaohui, Antonio Guterres, James, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Elon Musk, “, Stuart Russell, Geoffrey Hinton, Alan Turing, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Joe Biden, –, Martin Coulter, Josephine Mason, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bletchley, WHO, Canadian, European, United Nations, Google, Microsoft, HK, Billionaire, Alan, Alan Turing Institute, Life, European Union, British, EU, UN, Thomson Locations: Britain, England, Beijing, British, Alibaba, United States, China, U.S

☆ EU to Help Western Balkans Reforms With 6 Billion Euro Package - Von Der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with 6 billion euros investment, the EU executive's president Ursula von der Leyen said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a news conference with North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour. "We have proposed a 6 billion euro ($6.34 billion) package for Western Balkan partners," she said.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia's, Western Balkan, Brussels Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia

☆ EU to help Western Balkans reforms with 6 billion euro package - von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with an investment of 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion), the EU executive's president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. It also urged the countries to open a common regional market, and pursue it with necessary reforms. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a press conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Fatos Bytyci, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond, Mark Porter Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia, Brussels, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia, Pristina

☆ Elon Musk expected to attend global AI summit in UK - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is expected to attend a global summit on artificial intelligence in Britain this week, according to a government official. Around 100 participants will discuss subjects including the unpredictable advances of AI and the potential for humans to lose control of it, according to the agenda. While several world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are due to attend the summit, the full guest list has not been made public. "In conversation with @elonmusk after the AI Safety Summit Thursday night on @X," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Musk's social media platform X.Sunak's Downing Street office declined to comment.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, @elonmusk, Rishi Sunak, Sunak's, Andrew MacAskill, Michael Holden Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Billionaire, U.S, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Britain

☆ Russia says it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones as fighting grinds on in Ukraine’s east
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows smoke billowing from Russian Black Sea navy headquarters after a missile strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 22, 2023. Russian air defense shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula overnight Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday. "The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Local authorities in the southern Krasnodar region bordering the Black Sea said that a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the early hours of Sunday, but did not specify the cause. In Ukraine, the country's air force said Sunday it had shot down five Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones launched by Russia overnight.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Russia's Defense, Telegram . Local, Russia, Russian, UK Ministry, European Union, State Duma, European, Russian Federation Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Sevastopol, Crimea, Crimean, Krasnodar, Moscow, Siversk, Donetsk province, British, Russia, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Kyiv, Belgium, Europe

☆ Moscow will confiscate EU assets if Brussels 'steals' frozen Russian funds, Putin ally says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc "steals" frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, a top ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Friday that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction. Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, the Russian lower house of parliament, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would be more costly to the bloc if the EU moved against Russian assets, many of which are held in Belgium. In that case, far more assets belonging to unfriendly countries will be confiscated than our frozen funds in Europe," he said. Von der Leyen said on Friday that the value of frozen Russian sovereign assets was 211 billion euros ($223.15 billion) and recalled that the bloc had decided that Russia must pay for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ursula von der Leyen, Vyacheslav Volodin, Putin, Von der Leyen, Volodin, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Union, European Commission, EU, State Duma, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Belgium, Kyiv, Europe

☆ EU's von der Leyen to attend Britain's AI summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Vera Jourova, a vice president, will attend the summit, according to an update to their official calendars published on Friday. While Sunak hopes to secure Britain's role as a world leader in AI regulation, some have questioned what the summit will achieve in practice. Last week, Bloomberg reported a number of world leaders - including Germany's Olaf Scholz and Canada's Justin Trudeau - would not be attending. While several world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, are expected to attend the summit, the full guest list has not been made public. Matt Clifford, a tech investor and one of two chief organisers of the event, recently told Reuters the aim of the summit was to kickstart international dialogue on AI regulation.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Vera Jourova, Rishi Sunak, Alan Turing, Sunak, Germany's Olaf Scholz, Canada's Justin Trudeau, Kamala Harris, Matt Clifford, Clifford, We're, Martin Coulter, Christina Fincher, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, European Commission, British, Bletchley, Bloomberg, Reuters, Thomson Locations: England

☆ China's Great Wall Motor is first EV maker to respond to EU anti-subsidy probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Haval cars produced by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors are on display for sale at a dealership in Artyom near Vladivostok, Russia, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - China's Great Wall Motor said it had formally submitted responses to the European Commission's anti-subsidy investigation of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), while calling for a fair and open trade environment. Great Wall, which provided its answers to the European Commission on Oct. 11, was the first automaker to have done so, he added. Great Wall Motor plans to build a plant in Europe and Germany was one of the candidates for the site, the German publication Automobilwoche said in May. Great Wall Motor ranked eighth in terms of sales of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars in China during the first nine months of the year, industry figures show.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Mu Feng, Mu, Automobilwoche, Ursula von der Leyen, EVs, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: automaker Great Wall, REUTERS, Rights, Weibo, European Commission, Great, European, EV, BMW, Renault, World Trade Organization, HK, Wall Motor, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Russia, China, EU, Moscow, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, Brussels, China . China

☆ China's led the EV race – but it may be running out of charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's been a clear winner in the global EV race so far: China. Ford CEO Jim Farley announcing its Michigan EV battery plant in February. Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesConcern about using Chinese battery technology reflects wider global concern about China's domination of the EV battery market, with governments starting to block Chinese investment into mines and factories. AdvertisementAdvertisementAustralia is the world's biggest producer of lithium, a key material for EV batteries, and a major producer of other rare earths. AdvertisementAdvertisementChina may have led the world in the EV race – but those days could well be numbered.

Persons: —, Bill Russo, Chrysler's, CATL, Ariel Cohen, there's, Shawn Fain, Ford, Jim Farley, Bill Pugliano, Jim Chalmers, Cohen, Morgan Stanley, Mazzocco, Bernstein, he's, Biden, it's, Ursula von der, Donald Trump Organizations: EV, European Union, Service, Economic, Financial, Ford, Council's Eurasia Center, of Foreign Relations, UAW, Reuters, Michigan EV, Minerals, Publishing, Center for Strategic, International Studies, South, Japan's Panasonic, European, Benz, Bloomberg, White Locations: China, America, Europe, South Korea, Michigan, Australia, India, Nanjing, Washington ,, Hungary

☆ European Governments Welcome Aid Delivery, Call for More
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

European government officials welcomed the temporary opening of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza Saturday to allow the passage of trucks, but called for improved access for humanitarian aid. “This is an important first step that will alleviate the suffering of innocent people,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, in a posting on X, formerly Twitter. U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said the opening “cannot be a one off.”

Persons: ”, Ursula von der Leyen, James Organizations: European Commission, Twitter, Foreign Locations: Rafah, Gaza

☆ U.S. and Europe Struggle to Put Trump-Era Tariffs Behind Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among the leaders at Friday’s U.S.-EU summit in Washington. Photo: olivier douliery/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The U.S. and Europe failed to agree on a path for eliminating steel and aluminum tariffs ahead of a summit in Washington on Friday, leaving unresolved a trade dispute that risks becoming a growing irritant between the allied economies ahead of next year’s U.S. election. Officials are seeking to move beyond a spat over metal tariffs that were imposed in 2018 by President Trump on national-security grounds. President Biden paused the tariffs for most European steel and aluminum two years ago as part of a bid to reset relations between the two economies, and the U.S. and EU said they would seek a new arrangement to replace the levies and tackle concerns about an oversupply of steel on global markets.

Persons: Biden, Ursula von der, olivier douliery, Trump Organizations: EU, Friday’s, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: Washington, The U.S, Europe, U.S, EU

Michel suggested no deal was imminent when he told reporters the two sides needed to find "mutually beneficial" solutions. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday, a third source told Reuters. Michel told reporters it was a critical time for the United States and the EU to "stick together" on their shared values and commitment to democracy given the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is still to be seen if this will end the U.S. tariffs threat or just see an extended suspension. Given the EU needs such materials itself for its green transition, the positive impact for the bloc may be limited.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden, Charles Michel, Michel, von der Leyen, Katherine Tai, Valdis Dombrovskis, Donald Trump, Bernd Lange, Philip Blenkinsop, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, Trump, Commission, U.S, European, . Trade, EU, Washington, World Trade Organization, United, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Europe, North America, China, Brussels, U.S, Washington, Friday's

The Oval Office sit-down comes at a moment when domestic U.S. political chaos could further destabilize an increasingly chaotic world. One day ahead of his meeting with Biden, European Council President Charles Michel expressed optimism that Biden can deliver on his promises to help arm and financially support Ukraine. But some House Republicans have questioned the value of aid to Ukraine at the levels sought by Biden. Republican lawmakers have failed to find a successor, leading to concerns that Biden's commitments with the EU could be in jeopardy. We put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel."

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Biden's, Biden, Charles Michel, “ I’m, Joe Biden’s, ” Michel, “, Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe, ”, Donald Trump's, Federico Steinberg, ” Steinberg, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen, ” Biden, There’s, Kevin McCarthy, Raf Casert Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, The, EU, European, Hamas, Israel, Center for Strategic, International Studies, U.S, World Trade Organization, Hudson Institute, Russia, Associated Press, Republicans, GOP, Republican Locations: United States, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, U.S, China, EU, Europe, Washington, Kyiv, “, Mexico, Taiwan, Brussels

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