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☆ BlackRock unveils active fund that aims to track changing AI trade over time
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Kim, head of the fundamental equities technology group at BlackRock , is helming a new AI-focused fund launching on Tuesday. The top holdings in the ETF at launch are some of biggest names in the AI trade, including Nvidia and Microsoft . The AI Trade The excitement around the AI trade may have recently lost some of its luster for short-term traders. The valuations of some of the trendy AI stocks have also been a worry for some investors since AI took off with the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022 . BlackRock is launching a similar fund in an ETF wrapper on Tuesday, the iShares Technology Opportunities Active ETF (TEK), with Kim as one of the managers.

Persons: Tony Kim, Kim, What's, —, TEK Organizations: BlackRock, Innovation, Tech, ETF, Nvidia, Microsoft, Astera Labs, Hitachi, Nasdaq, Apple, BlackRock Technology, Fund, BAI Locations: BlackRock

☆ Armies will be able to maneuver on battlefields again, but it's going to be difficult and bloody
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Ukraine war raises a difficult question: Can armies maneuver to win anymore? Advertisement"Firepower kills," warned the French General Philippe Pétain just prior to the First World War. By temporarily suppressing the defensive drone-artillery combo that has proven so devastating in the Russo-Ukraine War, armies can again maneuver to defeat their enemies. ISW sees three problems with trying to maneuver in Ukraine, lessons that broadly apply to modern battlefields. AdvertisementArtillery and machine guns were so deadly in World War I that armies fought from trenches.

Persons: it's, —, Philippe Pétain, Pétain, ISW, That's, Michael Peck Organizations: Artillery, Service, Getty, Ukraine, Air Force, BAI, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russo, Washington, Russia, Russian, Kursk, Ukrainian, Russians, Forbes

☆ Wimbledon day 8: Will Rybakina break cycle? Did we see the most chaotic match-up?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Charlie Eccleshare | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

Follow live coverage of Wimbledon 2024Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. On day eight of Wimbledon 2024, Elena Rybakina stepped up to her new billing, the ATP made a germy decision, and there was chaos on Court One. Elena Rybakina is one of three players left in the women’s field who has won a Grand Slam title before. Rybakina plays with a big serve and with flat power that keeps her ball low. More importantly, do we too often discount the data point of winning a tournament on grass the week before Wimbledon?

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Rybakina, Julian Finney, ”, Anna Kalinskaya, “, Elina Svitolina, She’s, Jelena Ostapenko, Barbora, Krejcikova, It’s, “ it’s, ” Matt Futterman, Yulia Putintseva, Ostapenko, Putintseva’s, Putintseva, 😂😂, ould, Fritz, ryo, aylor Fritz, Finney, Getty, bea, Rafael Nadal,, ” “Th, is ano, bec, hird, D., 🇪, 🇦 L., 🇸 A., Alves (Q, 🇹, B., Marte, J, Choi, 🇵, Nishiok, Goff, iva, J., 🇸 R., 🇷 L., 🇸 J., rin, Safi, T omlj, R, 🇸 R. M, Gade, 🇧 H., Tom o, 🇸 M., Zhan, 🇸, 🇳, Wang, 🇧, 🇦 28 D. Y, Bouzas, Su, D. Y, 🇷, ina, vito Organizations: Wimbledon, ATP, All England, Getty, WTA Tour, rte, acc, 🇨🇱, 🇬, 🇷, avon, 🇸, ritz, 🇺, ub, 🇧, (Q), 🇴 I. Begu, 🇴, Collins, Saville, Keys, uc Locations: Wimbledon, Ukraine, French

☆ Wimbledon recap day 7: Carlos Alcaraz’s highlight reel and Lulu Sun’s story
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Charlie Eccleshare | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. On day seven of Wimbledon 2024, Carlos Alcaraz showed off his tennis diet, Lulu Sun kept building her story, and Daniil Medvedev set up a rematch. To really feel good on a tennis court, Carlos Alcaraz needs to play points that get the crowd off their seats. He lost the third set 6-1 and went on a run of losing four service games in a row. Even in an international sport like tennis, Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun has quite some heritage.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Lulu Sun, Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert, Alcaraz, Humbert, Spaniard, Tommy Paul, — Charlie Eccleshare, Emma Raducanu, Sun, She’s, Julian Finney, Donna Vekic, Zhu Lin, Charlie Eccleshare Will Daniil Medvedev, Jannik, hadn’t, We’ll, Sinner, Medvedev, Adam Pretty, Grigor Dimitrov, Ben Shelton, he’ll, — Charlie Eccleshare Will Jasmine Paolini’s, Keys, Rob Newell, Camerasport, Paolini, Emma Navarro, — James Hansen, Paula Badosa’s, 🇷 F., Paul, 🇸 P., 🇪, 🇷 M., 7 🇦🇷 F, Dani e, C. O, A. T, 🇸 J. Muna, Du, L. N, J, 🇵 Y, Cobo, Mun, i tz 🇩, 🇧 F. J, Ker, B., C. Tau, Carl e, 🇸, Fernandez, 🇳 10 O. J, Golub, Boult e r 7 7 🇩, Mari, 🇴, eva, 🇷, 🇿 26, 🇷 16 E. J, Maia, 🇿, Wang, 🇧 E. R, ina, LL, odon, K, M., D., 🇸 19 E., Coll, Ry Organizations: Wimbledon, Getty, Madison Keys, Shelton, 🇬, Monfils, rgs, Walton, 🇰, 🇺, 🇸, Alcaraz 6, 🇷, 🇱 A. Rus, Navarro Locations: —, Croatian, New Zealand, Switzerland, Devon, Melbourne

☆ Wimbledon recap day one: Coco Gauff joined by lucky losers in women’s draw, Tiafoe rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Charlie Eccleshare | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. For world No 2 Coco Gauff, the draw at this year’s Wimbledon has been more than kind: It’s been positively loving. There are no Wimbledon champions in this half of the draw, but there is still a four-time slam winner. (Glyn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images)Can Frances Tiafoe make this the first day of the rest of his tennis life? Tiafoe came back from two sets down for the first time in his career, winning 6-7(5), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

Persons: Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka, Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud’s, Ruud, Alexander Zverev, Alex Bolt, Henry Nicholls, I’m, ”, Swiatek, you’ve, Coco Gauff, Victoria, Zheng, Lulu Sun, Mirra, —, Brenda Fruhvirtova, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Gauff, Caroline Dolehide, Naomi Osaka, Diane Parry, Glyn Kirk, Tiafoe, Mateo Arnaldi, ” Tiafoe, He’s, Roland Garros, craves, Borna Coric, — Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Stansall, Erika Andreeva, Britain’s Sonay Kartal, Aryna, Linda, Erika, Donna Vekic, rika, ade, ound, hird, Ber, G, 🇦🇷 18 S. Baez, 🇿 J., Kor, Borge, Dan, 🇪 E., Diaz, Hurkacz 🇲🇩 R, 🇸 J., . Ju, Kar, J, Fearnley, 🇹 1, Nakashima 🇦 🇺 J., F. J, 🇷 P., eva 🇩🇪, 🇦, A. Pot, Colli, 🇸, . Wozniacki, Bro, Fer, U vardy, Tomova 🇺 🇸, 🇴, K, 🇿 K., Yastrems, 🇷, Wang, 🇹, Danilo, eva, 🇯, Nava Organizations: Wimbledon, London, Getty, Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, U.S, 🇬, Monfils, ritz, emi, eni, Sta Locations: Wimbledon, Halle, Germany, Queen’s, London, Norway, Swiatek’s, Italy, AFP, Roehampton, Russian, Croatia, novi, Bou, Ste

☆ In a new round of 'panda diplomacy,' China sends giant bears to the U.S. after two decades
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Four-year-old Yun Chuan, a male panda, and Xin Bao, a female panda who's turning four in July, departed from Bifengxia Giant Panda Base, in China's Sichuan province on Wednesday. The pair will reside at the San Diego Zoo for the next 10 years, according to a press release from the zoo. The Chinese team will spend about three months in San Diego to help the pandas settle in, state media China Daily said. Yun Chua, the male panda, is the son of Zhen Zhen, who was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007. The zoo has not had residing pandas since 2019, after a 27-year-old female giant panda, Bai Yun, and her 6-year-old son, Xiao Liwu, returned to China.

Persons: Yun Chuan, Xin Bao, Todd Gloria, I'm, Paul Baribault, Huang Shan, Yun Chua, Zhen Zhen, Bai Yun, Xiao Liwu Organizations: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, NBC News Locations: China, San Diego, U.S, Beijing, China's Sichuan, San, United States

☆ San Diego Zoo: First panda pair to enter the US in 21 years take off from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

They were given a celebratory farewell at the Chinese base, attended by American and Chinese dignitaries, including performances and a gift exchange, according to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. China loans pandas to more than 20 countries under a program often referred to as “panda diplomacy.” Its panda loans with Washington stretch back to 1972 – though the number of loans have decreased in recent years as US-China relations have worsened. The San Diego Zoo, one of the world’s most renowned, was the first American institution to carry out cooperative research on giant pandas with China. Yun Chuan’s mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao, according to a press release issued by San Diego Zoo in April. Grandmother Bai Yun was born in China in 1991, and arrived at the San Diego Zoo in 1996.

Persons: Yun Chuan, Xin Bao, Xi Jinping, –, Yun Chuan’s, Zhen Zhen, Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Grandmother Bai Yun, Xi, Joe Biden, “ Organizations: CNN, Diego’s, China Conservation and Research Center, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Washington, World Wildlife Fund, Smithsonian National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Economic Cooperation Locations: China, California, Beijing, United States, Sichuan province, Ya'an City, Sichuan, Washington ,, Asia, San Francisco

☆ An ex-banker was sentenced to death in China for taking $151 million in bribes even after he gave tip-offs to authorities
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A court in Tianjin sentenced a former executive for a state-owned firm to death for bribery on Tuesday. Bai Tianhui was found guilty of accepting bribes worth $151 million. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA former senior banker for a Chinese state-owned asset management firm has been sentenced to death for bribery, a court in Tianjin said on Tuesday. Bai Tianhui, an ex-general manager of China Huarong International Holdings, was found guilty of taking bribes worth $151 million from 2014 to 2018, the court wrote in an announcement.

Persons: Bai Tianhui, wouldn't, —, Bai Organizations: Service, China Huarong International Holdings, Authorities, Business Locations: Tianjin, China

☆ Amid pomp and propaganda, Russia holds Victory Day military parade as war rumbles on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. Mikhail Metzel | Sputnik | ReutersRussia kicked off its 79th "Victory Day" military parade on Thursday as the war with Ukraine rumbles on into a third year. Russian paratroopers march during the Victory Day Red Square Parade on May 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. He said participants in the "special military operation" — code for the Russian war against Ukraine — are also marching this year. The Yars ballistic missiles take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Suvorov, Sergei Shoigu, Ukraine —, Bai Xueqi, Alexander Lukashenko, Anatolii STEPANOV, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Stepanov Organizations: Nazi, Sputnik, Reuters, Kremlin, Getty, Youth Army, Russian Defense, Ukraine, Russian Air, Xinhua News Agency, West, NATO, Afp Locations: Nazi Germany, Red, Moscow, Russia, Reuters Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, China, Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, AFP

☆ China's Xi meets U.S. executives as businesses navigate bilateral tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The forum this year coincided with other efforts to attract foreign business. However, a combination of geopolitical tensions, regulatory uncertainty and slower economic growth have made it more challenging for foreign businesses in China. ... foreign companies share the same lack of confidence and worries about an uncertain future that is felt amongst much of China's domestic industry. Looking for economic clarityFor businesses considering China investment plans, the country's near-term growth outlook is another factor. He emphasized China's large market, industrial supply chain, and pointed out how China has worked on issues such as data exports and equal market treatment for foreign businesses.

Persons: Tim Cook, Management Dean Bai Chong, Xi Jinping, Stephen Schwarzman, Cristiano Amon, Mark Carney, Rajesh Subramaniam, Joe Biden, Carlos Gutierrez, Sean Stein, Gutierrez, Biden, Scott Kennedy, Peter Bachmann, Bachmann, Kennedy, Stephen S, Roach, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, he's, China's, Han Zheng, Amin H, Nasser Organizations: Apple, China Development Forum, Tsinghua University School of Economics, Management, China News Service, Getty, U.S . Blackstone, Qualcomm, Bloomberg, FedEx, China, Cyberspace Administration, U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, of Commerce, Scott, Scott Kennedy Center for Strategic, Studies, China Centre, University of Applied Sciences, Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China, Communist Party, Invest, CNBC, Aramco Locations: China, BEIJING, U.S, San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, Washington ,, Saudi

☆ Xi Jinping's high-rank purges show a 'systemic rot' in China's military that could threaten its readiness for war: senior US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's latest military purge shows that it's suffering from more than just graft, a senior US official said. It's likely the PLA's corruption had a material effect on its war capabilities, said Ely Ratner. But, according to Ratner, Xi's latest military purge indicated a more serious problem. Xi's anti-corruption sweep last year extended as high as China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, who was replaced in October. Several top commanders were also fired from China's Rocket Force, a branch that Xi has emphasized as key to Beijing's strength.

Persons: It's, Ely Ratner, Ratner, —, Ryan Evans, Xi Jinping, ", Xi's, Li Shangfu, Xi, hotpot Organizations: Service, Pacific Security Affairs, People's Liberation Army, Communist Party, China's, Force, Bloomberg, PLA, Radio Free, Defense, China Task Force, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Beijing, China, Switzerland

☆ A fascination with the so-called 'white girl aesthetic' of Stanley cups and Lululemon fits is taking over Chinese social media
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese social media users are into the "white girl aesthetic" and crafting guides on the look. AdvertisementChinese social media has found a new, fascinating trend to follow — the "white girl aesthetic." One Xiaohongshu user posted what she called a "starter pack" for the "white girl aesthetic." Her checklist — apart from Lululemon gear and the Stanley cup — included items such as Apple Airpods Max headphones and Tiffany jewelry. XiaohongshuThe reason athleisure like Lululemon is important for the "white girl" aesthetic, the social media said, is because clothing that's too fancy throws the aesthetic off and doesn't fit the vibe.

Persons: —, Max, Tiffany, gaga, Stanley, Stanleys, isn't, it's, commenter, influencers Organizations: Service, Apple Locations: West

☆ Pigeon suspected of spying for China released in India after PETA intervention, group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Heather Chen | Sania Farooqui | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A pigeon suspected of spying for China and held for eight months was released by Indian officials this week after intervention from animal rights organization PETA, the group said in a statement. “After learning that a pigeon was held at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel as case property for an astonishing eight months, PETA India sprang into action to secure the bird’s freedom from captivity,” PETA said. The animal’s ordeal began in May last year, when it was captured near a port in Mumbai. There was a message written on the pigeon’s wings in words that appeared to be Chinese, PETA added. B. Kulkarni, Chief Medical Superintendent of the BSDPHA,” PETA said.

Persons: Dinshaw, ”, Mumbai’s, Narendra Modi, B, Kulkarni, Bombay SPCA, Hvaldimir Organizations: CNN, Indian, PETA, Hospital for Animals, ” PETA, ” CNN, Bombay Society for Locations: China, Parel, PETA India, Mumbai, Bombay, Russian

☆ A pigeon detained for 8 months on suspicion of spying for China has finally been set free
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A pigeon detained in India for eight months was released on Tuesday after police cleared it of suspicions that it was a spy bird for China, the news agency Press Trust of India reported. It was taken to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals because police suspected it was used for spying, per the outlet. Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsPETA contacted police and obtained a certificate for the bird's release, the organization said. The pigeon was later discovered to be a racing bird from Taiwan that escaped and flew to India, according to the AP. Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsIndian authorities have detained other pigeons on similar suspicions before.

Persons: Dinshaw, Narendra Modi Organizations: Press Trust of, Associated Press, Hospital for Animals, People, Animals, PETA, Bombay Society for, AP, Pigeon Racing, Taiwan News Locations: India, China, Press Trust of India, Mumbai, Taiwan, Taipei, Kashmir, Pakistan

☆ 15 home trends you'll probably regret in a few years, from interior designers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alyssa Towns Swantkoski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

People who like to cook and spend time in the kitchen shouldn't choose marble countertops. Marble is easy to chip and stain. "They're beautiful, but they also chip and stain easily," he said. They have options that look just like marble. Or if you want a natural look, choose granite."

Persons: Bai, Joe Cangelosi

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police cleared a suspected Chinese spy pigeon after eight months' detention and released it into the wild Tuesday, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Police suspected it was involved in espionage and took it in, later sending it to Mumbai's Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals. Eventually, it turned out the pigeon was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and made its way to India. It is not the first time a bird has come under police suspicion in India. In 2016, another pigeon was taken into custody after it was found with a note that threatened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Persons: Mumbai's Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw, Narendra Modi Organizations: DELHI, Press Trust of, Police, Hospital for Animals, Bombay Society for, Indian Locations: Press Trust of India, Mumbai, Taiwan, India, Kashmir

☆ 12 tricks to make your cheap furniture look more expensive, from interior designers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sophia Mitrokostas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Business Insider spoke with interior designers about hacks for upgrading cheap furniture. AdvertisementBusiness Insider asked interior designers to share their favorite ways to make cheap pieces look more expensive. Reupholster your cheap furniture in a nicer fabricReupholstering is a fairly simply DIY project. "You can swap out those generic handles or pulls with more aspirational options that will cost less than an entirely new piece of furniture," Stransky told BI. AdvertisementPaint your old furniture for a fresh lookA fresh coat of paint can elevate a piece of furniture.

Persons: —, Alexandra, Kim Depole, Xi Bai, Depole, Kateryna, Shutterstock Anthony Stransky, Anthony Charles, Nataliia, Stransky, Andy Dean Organizations: Service, Harper, Anthony Charles Interiors

On Nov. 18, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced that authorities in northern Myanmar had handed over some 31,000 suspects. The Kokang Self-Administered Zone and the Wa Self-Administered Division both share a border with China and are heavily influenced by their bigger neighbor. The Ming family are not the only powerful Kokang families caught up in the drive. Wa police handed 194 Chinese nationals to Chinese authorities on Nov. 28, according to Wa's state media, Voice of Wa State. Others say that China is showing it won't tolerate the scams anymore, regardless of how powerful are the people behind them.

Persons: ”, Lu Jiantang, Jason Tower, Ming, Hu Xijin, ” Hu, Wei Qingtao, they’ll, ” Wei, Liu Zhengqi, Ming Xuechang, Kokang, Yin Masan, MNDAA, cyberscammers, Richard Horsey, “, Bai Suocheng, Li Kyar Wen, It’s, Wanqing Chen Organizations: China’s Ministry of Public Security, U.S . Congress, United States Institute of Peace, Communist Party, China’s Communist Party, CCTV, Global Times, of Public Security, Fully, Wa Construction Ministry, Wa Communist Party, Brotherhood Alliance, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army, International Crisis Locations: BANGKOK, China, Myanmar, “, Wa, Kokang, Yunnan, Wa State, Shan, Arakan, cyberscams, Beijing

☆ Sierra Leone information minister says weekend attack was a failed coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Umaru Fofana | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sierra Leone's Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh visits the central Pademba Road prison after unidentified gunmen attacked a military barracks and the prison, following which inmates escaped, in Freetown, Sierra Leone November 27, 2023. We will try to capture them and bring them to the full force of the laws of Sierra Leone." And some were military officers, either retired or serving," army chief of defence staff Lavahun told the news conference. Sierra Leone's main opposition All People Congress of the former president, condemned the attacks in a statement. Sierra Leone, which is still recovering from a 1991-2002 civil war in which more than 50,000 were killed, has been tense since Bio was re-elected in June.

Persons: Sierra, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Umaru, Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, Chernor Bah, General Patrick Lavahun, Koroma, Bah, Lavahun, Umaru Fofana, Cooper Inveen, Nellie Peyton, Bate Felix, Alison Williams, Christina Fincher, Tomasz Janowski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Sierra Leone's, REUTERS, U.S . State Department, European Union, Thomson Locations: Freetown, Sierra Leone, FREETOWN, Sierra, West, United States

[1/6] A man sings for customers touring the Erhai lake on a sightseeing bus, in Dali, Yunnan province, China November 10, 2023. Many are former city-dwellers in search of an elusive prize in authoritarian China: Space for open discussion and exchange of ideas. POLICE OVERSIGHTThe local government has sought to attract young tech talent and in September asked digital nomads for input on policies, two community organisers told Reuters. Many digital nomads who use co-working spaces are involved with technologies like blockchain, according to organisers, which they say has drawn scrutiny from local authorities. Since digital nomads, unlike university students, "are not subject to structured discipline, they are harder to manage", she said.

Persons: Florence Lo, DALI, Trump, Xi Jinping, Minhua Ling, Dali, Xi's, Bai Yunxi, Xi, Bai, Chen Zhengyun, Chen, Ling, Laurie Chen, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Geneva Graduate Institute, Reuters, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Dali, Yunnan province, China, China's, Israel, Gaza, Yunnan, Beijing

☆ Chasing a Different China Dream, Young Digital Nomads Head for the Hills
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Many are former city-dwellers in search of an elusive prize in authoritarian China: Space for open discussion and exchange of ideas. POLICE OVERSIGHTThe local government has sought to attract young tech talent and in September asked digital nomads for input on policies, two community organisers told Reuters. Many digital nomads who use co-working spaces are involved with technologies like blockchain, according to organisers, which they say has drawn scrutiny from local authorities. "We are more low-key and don't emphasise digital nomads in our marketing anymore," one co-working space staffer told Reuters, adding that conservative local governments in rural towns like Dali are "cautious of emerging technologies". Since digital nomads, unlike university students, "are not subject to structured discipline, they are harder to manage", she said.

Persons: Laurie Chen DALI, Trump, Xi Jinping, Minhua Ling, Dali, Xi's, Bai Yunxi, Xi, Bai, Chen Zhengyun, Chen, Ling, Laurie Chen, Katerina Ang Organizations: Geneva Graduate Institute, Reuters, Communist Party Locations: China, China's, Israel, Gaza, Dali, Yunnan, Beijing

☆ Vietnam ramps up South China Sea island expansion, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Vietnamese naval soldier stands quard at Thuyen Chai island in the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea on January 17, 2013. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim territory in the sea, which covers important shipping routes and is thought to hold untapped oil and gas reserves. China claims sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea, including the areas where Vietnam has been building up islands. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have lodged competing claims for some or all of the Spratly Islands. In August, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam rejected a map released by China that denotes its claims to sovereignty including in the South China Sea.

Persons: Thuyen, Khanh Vu, Robert Birsel Organizations: Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CSIS's, Transparency, Thomson Locations: Thuyen Chai, Spratly, South, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, HANOI, South China, U.S, Spratly Islands, CSIS's Asia

New York is the $1.35 trillion fund's only office outside mainland China besides Hong Kong. CIC asked Bai Xiaoqing, who was in charge of some of its private equity investments from Beijing, to move to New York for the North America head role, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced. U.S. authorities have been especially suspicious of investments originating from entities close to China's communist government, like CIC. CIC is also a significant investor in U.S. private equity funds, as so-called alternative assets comprise almost half of its portfolio. One of its most prominent investments has been a $2.5 billion Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) private equity fund aimed at investing in companies that can benefit from closer U.S.-China ties.

Persons: Bai Xiaoqing, Zhang Hong, Bai, Zhang, Peng Chun, Larry Fink, Milken, Echo Wang, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Greg Roumeliotis, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: China Investment Corp, North America, CIC, Foreign Investment, American Enterprise Institute, Public, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, China -, China - U.S . Industrial Cooperation Fund, Britain, BlackRock Inc, BlackRock, China's Ministry of Finance, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: North, New York, China, Hong Kong, Washington, Beijing, United States, U.S, China - U.S, BlackRock

☆ Singapore’s Changi Airport fully reopens Terminal 2 following huge expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Karla Cripps | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Singapore’s Changi Airport has fully reopened Terminal 2 following a massive 3.5-year expansion project. But it was the introduction of some previously unheard-of amenities that really got the world’s travelers to take notice. Changi Airport Terminal 3 – which now has a 12-meter-high mega slide and a butterfly garden – entered the picture in 2008. Featuring a dramatic, doughnut-shaped exterior framed in steel and glass, the 135,700-square-meter space is a multi-use complex that connects three of Changi Airport’s four terminals. Meanwhile, airport officials have already revealed plans for Terminal 5, which is expected to open to travelers in the mid-2030s.

Persons: ”, Lye, Tang, Li Bai’s, Li Bai, Nam Kee, what’s Organizations: CNN, Group’s, Lotte, Harry’s, CNN Singapore Changi Airport, Hamad International Airport, Changi, HSBC Locations: Changi, Lye Teck, Singapore, Doha, Qatar, Forest

☆ Vietnam rare earths arrests include key figure in bid to build industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Luu Anh Tuan, Chairman of mining company VTRE in his Hanoi office with samples of rare earth oxides in Hanoi, Vietnam September 7, 2023. REUTERS/Francesco Guarascio/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHANOI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Police in Vietnam have arrested six people accused of violating mining regulations, including the chairman of a company at the heart of efforts to develop Vietnam's rare earth industry, seizing 13,715 tons of rare earths ores. VTRE has partnered with Australian mining companies Australian Strategic Materials (ASM) (ASM.AX) and Blackstone Minerals LTD (BSX.AX), which were not involved in the investigation. ASM signed a binding agreement in April with VTRE for the purchase of 100 tons of processed rare earths this year, and committed to negotiating a longer-term supply deal. Vietnam is planning to organise auctions for concessions at its largely unexploited rare earths mines, which are considered to contain the world's second biggest deposits of the critical minerals used in electric cars and wind turbines.

Persons: Anh Tuan, Francesco Guarascio, Yen Bai, VTRE, Blackstone, Dong Pao, Tuan, Doan Van Huan, Khanh Vu, Edmund Klamann, Martin Petty Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Police, Earth JSC, Duong Group, Ministry of Public Security, Strategic Materials, Blackstone Minerals LTD, Blackstone, ASM, Australian, Thai Duong Group, Thomson Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Rights HANOI, Vietnamese, Yen, Lai Chau, Yen Bai

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