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☆ Europe has shown it's less afraid of calling Putin's bluff than the US and getting Ukraine what it needs to fight Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Many European countries have also given more as a proportion of their GDP than the US has. AP Photo/Peter DejongIn early 2023, France became the first Western country to promise to send Ukraine Western armored combat vehicles. European countries have also led in letting Ukraine use Western weapons to hit military targets in Russia. But there are still hangups, and some European countries want partner support for Ukraine to go much further. He said that for most Americans, "if you ask them to name five European countries, they probably wouldn't be able to do it."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, George Barros, Russia doesn't, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peter Dejong, Bradleys, Abrams, Davis Ellison, John Hamilton, Russia didn't, Ellison, Donald Trump, Mark Cancian, Kaja, Andrew Kravchenko Barros, Ingrida Šimonytė, Putin, Barros, It's, forwardness, Philip Ingram, Ingrida Simonyte, Denys Shmyhal, it's, Getty Images Ingram, Biden, JD Vance, it'll Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Business, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Mirage, AP, Ukraine Western, US, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Storm Shadows, The Hague, Strategic Studies, Army Tactical Missile, Russian, NATO, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Eastern, Estonia's, Lithuanian, REUTERS, British Army, Ukrainian Governmental Press Service, Anadolu, Getty Images, Republican, America, GOP, Ukraine, Prosecutor's, Getty, White Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Europe, United States, Russian, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, European, Sweden, France, Paris, Kharkiv, Poland, Germany, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Borodianka, Ukraine's Kyiv, Ukrainian

☆ I live in Lithuania, the happiest place on earth for under 30s. As a very happy 28-year-old, here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Lauren Crosmedlicott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with a digital marketer Aivaras Vilutis, about being a 28-year-old living in Vilnius, Lithuania. I've lived here most of my adult life. Vilnius is an affordable location for young peopleWhile working in Vilnius, I've earned more than my parents did in their small town. I prefer Vilnius to other places I've lived as a young personI love my country. I don't think people in old age would classify Lithuania as one of the happiest places in the world.

Persons: —, Aivaras, I've, I'd, didn't, We're, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, NASA, Nord Security Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Lithuanian, neurophysics, America, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Italy, it's, Soviet, Portugal

☆ Prosecutors say neo-Nazi ‘murder cult’ leader plotted to give poison candy to Jewish kids in NYC
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old man from the Republic of Georgia, was indicted on four charges, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a “mass casualty event” for New York City on New Year’s Eve, prosecutors said. “The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn,” the Department of Justice statement said. He “drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme” and shared with the undercover officer “detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases,” the statement said. “For example, and among other things, the handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities,” the Justice Department statement said.

Persons: Santa Claus, Michail, Chkhikvishvili, Butcher, ‘, ’, Matthew G, Olsen, Breon, Robert R, Wells, Eve, “, Prosecutors, ” Chkhikvishvili Organizations: Nazi, US Department of Justice, Justice Department’s National Security Division, Eastern, of, FBI’s National Security Branch, New York, Jewish, Department of Locations: Europe, New York City, Republic of Georgia, Nazi, of New York, New, Brooklyn, United States

☆ NATO allies are discussing reclaiming some Chinese-owned infrastructure in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Kayla Tausche | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —NATO officials are discussing taking action to reclaim some Chinese-owned infrastructure projects in Europe should a wider conflict with Russia break out in the east of the continent, three officials involved in the discussions told CNN. A decade ago, when Europe was still crawling out of the economic crater caused by the global financial crisis, the promise of infrastructure funding from Chinese-owned investment firms seemed like a major windfall. The fear, according to one US official, is that Beijing could use the infrastructure it owns in Europe to provide material assistance to Russia if the conflict were to expand. The discussions reflect an increasing focus on China by the NATO alliance. A NATO official said that if a war erupted, the infrastructure “would almost certainly be nationalized, or nations would temporarily assume operating control, under emergency security measures.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Kishida, ” Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, NATO, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Initiative, Helsinki Shipyard –, US, Ukraine, European Union Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, China, NATO, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Finland, Canada, Japan, East Asia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, France, Washington

For more than six months, Russia has been carrying out a sabotage campaign across Europe, largely by proxy. “We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. Russia’s sabotage campaign has, at times, smacked of a shotgun approach carried out by amateurs. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Fabian Bimmer, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, “ Russia’s, Oliver Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Donald Tusk, Papperger, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Reuters “, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Rheinmetall, NATO, National Security, NATO Allies, Embassy, intel, US, Reuters, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Germany, Berlin, Russia, West, Moscow, Papperger, Unterluess, United States, Washington, Russian, Polish, Lithuania, Poland, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw

Diplomats and officials who spoke with CNN said Rutte is seen as a staunch trans-Atlanticist and a consensus builder. “He is really a seasoned political official, and this is essential to keep the cohesion of the alliance,” a European official said. “It was just a very polite, slightly humorous way of dealing Trump, and Trump appreciated it,” Hoekstra recalled to CNN. “We are not there yet, but it is better than when Trump left,” the official told CNN. Biden likes Rutte personally, they get along well, and the US president sees them as sharing the same values, the official told CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Mark Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg, Rutte, ”, “ Trump, Pete Hoekstra, ” Hoekstra, ‘ Touche, ’ ”, “, ” Rutte, Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Biden, “ Rutte, Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Dutch, Diplomats, Trump, Kyiv – Locations: Washington, NATO, Russia, Netherlands, European, Europe, Ukraine, China, US, ”

☆ While much of Europe embraces hard-right parties, the UK has swung wildly to the left. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Francois Lo Presti | Afp | Getty ImagesLONDON — A somewhat strange and ironic political shift has gripped Europe over the last few years. "There's an anti-incumbency mood again in Europe," Dan Stevens, professor of politics at Exeter University, told CNBC. Shared concernsThe U.K. is not alone in looking for a political change of scenery. A similar shift has been observed in much of western and eastern Europe in recent years, with hard-right populist and nationalist parties upsetting and unseating the old political establishment. Political analysts point out that, although far-right political parties in France, Germany and Italy made gains in the recent European Parliament elections, they also did not perform quite as well as expected.

Persons: Jordan Bardella, Francois Lo Presti, Dan Stevens, Stevens, Christopher Granville, leaderships, they've, Granville, Sofia Vasilopoulou Organizations: Union, Afp, Getty, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Europe —, Exeter University, CNBC, Conservative, Party for Freedom, EMEA, TS Lombard, King's College London Locations: France, Henin, Beaumont, Europe, euroskeptic, Ukraine, Italy, Netherlands, Germany

☆ China and Russia are in a bad marriage that the West shouldn't try to break up
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Already, Russia's military and China's People's Liberation Army have held around 25 joint exercises since 2005, involving ships, aircraft and ground troops. Equally important is that China has become a key enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine. Advertisement"Policymakers and planners should avoid overestimating the state of military cooperation and operational integration that exists between Russia and China," RAND warned. AdvertisementDespite boasting of their military ties, Russia and China don't have much faith in each other's military prowess. In their 2001 friendship treaty, China and Russia did agree to consult with each other should either nation be attacked.

Persons: Mladen Antonov, Russia's, Mark Cozad, Cozad, Hitler, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Communist, Business, NATO, RAND Corp, Liberation Army, British, RAND, PLA, People's, Army, Russian, Grand Alliance, Western Allies, Central, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Soviet Union, China, Beijing, Moscow, U.S, Russian, Europe, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Britain, South Korea, America, Vietnam, Korea, Syria, West, Central Asia, United States, Forbes

☆ What to know about the massive car dealership outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s what you need to know about the massive software outage. Its systems are used by roughly 15,000 car dealerships across the United States and Canada. Under normal circumstances, the CDK software allows the dealership to register a vehicle almost instantaneously, but now the process faces heavy delays. It said it was able to bring a “small initial test group” of car dealerships back online. But the next morning, the company told dealerships another incident had happened.

Persons: CDK, aren’t, they’ve, Scott Campbell, CNN they’ve, Don Aycock, “, ”, Robbie Jacob, Jacob, Michael Deveney, Katelyn Salvato, hasn’t, Salvato, …, Callahan, We’ve, ” Callahan, it’s, Lisa Finney, ” Finney, ” Eric Noonan, John Dwyer, “ There’s, ” Noonan, Ryan Callahan, Tom McParland, McParland Organizations: New, New York CNN, Auto, CNN, Capital City Buick GMC, Buick, Diego —, Kia, Midway Automotive, Massachusetts, of Motor Vehicles, Pride Motor Group, “, DMV, Bloomberg, Binary Defense, Mazda, Automatch Consulting Locations: New York, North America, United States, Canada, Berlin , Vermont, Clay County , Florida, Diego, Lynn , Massachusetts, Eastern Europe, Seekonk , Massachusetts

☆ Markets unfazed as Donald Trump has much better debate night than Joe Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —President Joe Biden had a shaky performance in last night’s presidential debate, triggering panic in the Democrat camp. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, repeated multiple falsehoods while doubling down on his record of cutting taxes and hiking tariffs during his first presidential term. If repeated in a second Trump term, many economists fear that kind of agenda could stoke inflation at a critical moment and add to America’s rapidly growing debt mountain. That could pull the typical year-end election relief rally forward, said Ed Clissold, chief US strategist at Ned Davis Research. The US dollar has also been reactive — it edged higher as initial CNN polling found that Trump was viewed as the winner of the debate.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, shrugged, ”, Keith Lerner, Barack Obama, Trump, Lerner, Ed Clissold, Ned Davis, Antonio Ernesto Di Giacomo, “, Goldman Sachs ’ Scott Rubner, Jonas Goltermann, Emmanuel Macron, Katie Nixon, France’s, CDK, Ramishah Maruf, Eva Rothenberg, aren’t, they’ve, Scott Campbell, CNN they’ve, Jordan Valinsky, Tim Wentworth Organizations: London CNN, Democrat, Trump, “, Biden, Ned, Ned Davis Research, Investors, Capital Economics, CNN, Renaissance, Northern Trust Wealth Management, CAC, CDK, Auto, Capital City Buick GMC, Bloomberg, Walgreens Locations: France, “, North America, United States, Canada, Berlin , Vermont, Eastern Europe, America

☆ Russia is flooding Europe with discounted gas to win back Western buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discounted Russian gas is hitting European markets, the Center for European Policy Analysis said. AdvertisementRussia has unleashed discounted gas onto European markets, working to keep countries hooked on its energy supply, the Center for European Policy Analysis said. Although the Ukrainian route has continued supplying Western markets through the war, its January expiration would likely be enough to risk a Gazprom bankruptcy. Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria are among examples CEPA cited as customers for Russian gas. AdvertisementAlready, Southern European traders are profiting by buying cheap Russian gas pumped through a Turkish pipeline and then selling it at a premium in Western European markets, she suggested.

Persons: —, It's, Aura Sabadus, CEPA, Sabadus Organizations: Center for, Kremlin, Service, Ukraine —, Moscow, Gazprom Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Eastern, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Gazprom's, Southern, Turkish, Poland

☆ America's oldest man relied on daily walks, unprocessed food, and hobbies to stay lucid until 110 years old
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewBefore becoming the oldest man in America, Morrie Markoff technically died — but not for long. But not only was he revived, Markoff went on to live more than a decade more, authoring a book and passionately pursuing his lifelong love of learning. At 110 years old, he was the oldest living American man prior to his death in early June. AdvertisementNow, he's set another record, this time as the oldest healthy brain donation on record. America's oldest living man Morrie Markoff, pictured with his grandson, was 110 when he died in early June.

Persons: —, Morrie Markoff, Judith Hansen, Markoff, he's, Hansen, Betty, " Hansen Organizations: Service, Business, LA Times, Pan Locations: America, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Japan, China

☆ Ukraine, Moldova and the EU begin formal negotiations. But neither country will join the bloc soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X: “Congratulations to Moldova and Ukraine on opening accession negotiations. This is very good news for the people of Ukraine, Moldova, and the entire European Union. There are 35 chapters in total, all of which must be agreed by all negotiating parties, including the 27 EU member states. Expanding the bloc to the east of Europe will have consequences for the rest of the EU member states. Perhaps more importantly, accepting Ukraine and Moldova to the bloc would mean adding around 40 million new EU citizens from Eastern Europe.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Orban Organizations: CNN, European Union, Soviet, EU, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Hungary, Hungarian, Moldovan, Transnistria, Europe, Poland, Eastern Europe, Western

☆ CDK Global says it won’t be able to come back online until June 30 after massive hack
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

A systems outage caused by a cybersecurity incident has paralyzed nearly 15,000 car dealerships across North America since last Wednesday. In an automated voice message to clients, CDK said it is making “significant progress” in restoring its core application. Auto dealerships use CDK’s software to manage everything from scheduling to records, said Saturday it has begun restoring its software. Other services, such as state inspections, repairs and parts deliveries, have come to a standstill in some parts of the country. CDK has said it is working to investigate the shutdown after two cyber incidents brought down its systems.

Persons: CDK, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, CDK, Auto, Bloomberg Locations: New York, North America, Eastern European

☆ A return to the roots of presidential debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —CNN’s presidential debate will feel like something new for most Americans, but it is actually a return to the roots of presidential debates. J. David Ake/AFP/Getty Images Monica Moorehead, a presidential candidate from the Workers World Party, disrupts a presidential debate in Washington, DC, in 1996. Gerald Herbert/AP Barack Obama, right, and John McCain shake hands at the start of a presidential debate in 2008. Joseph Kaczmarek/AP Obama hugs his wife, Michelle, as Romney kisses his wife, Ann, after their third presidential debate in 2012. Ultimately, the commission was formed to create a nonpartisan framework for presidential debates – something that has been exported to other countries.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Sen, John F, Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Nixon, Howard K, Smith, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Carter, Jerry Mosey, Betty, David Hume Kennerly, John B, Ronald Reagan, Anderson, AP Carter, Reagan, Walter Mondale, George H.W, Bush, Michael Dukakis, Dennis Cook, Ross Perot, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Ron Edmonds, AP Clinton, Bob Dole, J, David Ake, Monica Moorehead, Joe Marquette, Mark Penn, Lorenzo Alvarez, Angelica, George W, Al Gore, Joe Raedle, Jim Lehrer, Gore, John Kerry, Gerald Herbert, Barack Obama, John McCain, Charles Dharapak, Obama, Mary Jackson's, Mitt Romney, Joseph Kaczmarek, Michelle, Romney, Ann, David Goldman, Hillary Clinton, Patrick Semansky, Salwan Georges, Biden, Chip Somodevilla, Alan Schroeder, ” Kennedy, Schroeder, “, Ford, John Anderson, sidestep, Trump, ” Schroeder, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Douglas, Read, haven’t, “ They’re, ” Organizations: CNN, Commission, CNN’s Atlanta, CBS, Getty, State University of New, Ford, Anderson, Cleveland Convention Center, AP, Music, Bettmann, Bushnell, Theater, Workers World Party, AP Workers, Hofstra University, AP Trump, Washington Post, Trump, Northeastern University, House, Republican, Republican National Convention, Biden, Lincoln, White, Illinois Senate, ABC News Locations: Los Angeles, New York, State University of New York, Albany, Cleveland, Hartford , Connecticut, Washington , DC, San Diego, El Paso , Texas, Hempstead , New York, Detroit, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Lincoln, Illinois

☆ World’s best airline for 2024 named by Skytrax
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Barry Neild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

We look forward to more wins in the future.”Close-run contestSaudia was named by Skytrax as winner of the World's Most Improved Airline award. Singapore also won for Best First Class service and Best Airline in Asia. ANA, meanwhile, picked up the accolade for World’s Best Airport Services, as well as Best Airline Staff Service in Asia. Saudia was named World’s Most Improved Airline, beating Taiwan’s Starlux and Iceland’s Play into second and third places. Delta Air Lines was declared the Best Airline in North America, also picking up the award for Best Airline Staff Service for the region.

Persons: weren’t, ”, Edward Plaisted, Badr Mohammed Al, Meer, Saudia, Skytrax, Nicolas Economou, Tan, Tan Pee Teck, Taiwan’s Starlux, Singapore’s Scoot, Tony Fernandes, “, ISMOYO, Vistara, airBaltic Organizations: CNN, Qatar Airways, Hamad International, Dubai, Boeing, Airbus, Singapore Airlines, Dubai’s Emirates, ANA All Nippon Airways, Hong, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Swiss International Airlines, Singapore, Best, ANA, World’s Best, Services, Best Airline Staff Service, AirAsia, Airline, Airasia, Rai International, Getty, Bangkok Airways, Fiji Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China . Delta Air Lines, Airlines, Emirates, Cathay, Air, Swiss International Air Lines, Korean, British Airways, Iberia, Virgin, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Saudi, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Garuda, Cathay Pacific Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Transavia, Vueling Airlines, Ryanair, SKY, JetSMART, Aegean Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Rex Airlines, Azul, Royal Air Maroc, Porter Airlines, . Alaska Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air Locations: Qatar, London’s, Abu Dhabi, Qatar’s, Tan Pee, Asia, Denpasar, Bali, AFP, India, Australia, Pacific, Eastern, China ., North America, Singapore, Air France, Saudi Arabian, Garuda Indonesia, Transavia France

☆ CDK Global says software outage will take several days to resolve
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Retail software provider CDK Global says it will likely take several days for its software to be back online and operational, as the company grapples with a system outage that has paralyzed nearly 15,000 car dealerships across North America since Wednesday. The data provider’s software, which dealerships use to manage everything from scheduling to records, said Saturday it has begun restoring its software. Car manufacturer Ford told CNN it is working with dealers to set up alternative software systems and other workarounds. Several dealerships on the East Coast told CNN on Sunday they are manually filling out forms to process sales. One used car dealership told CNN it has been filing paperwork by hand and sending runners to the car registry with the paperwork.

Persons: CDK, Mike Stanton, Ford, they’re Organizations: New, New York CNN — Retail, CDK, CNN, Bloomberg, Dealers, National Automobile Dealers Association, East Coast, Sunday, Securities and Exchange Commission, Penske Automotive, Premier Trucking Group, Penske, SEC, Sonic Automotive, Premier Truck Locations: New York, North America, Eastern European, CDK, United States

☆ Opinion: My uncle Nate was lost on D-Day. At last, he is being buried with honor
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Opinion Samantha Baskind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Uncle Nate was Jewish. German war records told a different story: Nate was taken prisoner and died of his wounds at a German Airforce hospital. “Did they find Uncle Nate’s femur yet, Mom?” my daughter Naomi would ask while eating her salad. And after the match: “Have you picked Uncle Nate’s coffin yet?” Asher wants to know. Uncle Nate fought for our freedoms, and his death reminds us that freedom is never free.

Persons: Samantha Baskind, Nathan B, –, – –, Nate, ignobly, Uncle Nate, Baskinds, Abe Baskind, Colonel W.E, Campbell, “, ”, Nathan Baskind, Philip Baskind, Benjamin – –, Benjamin, David, Operation Benjamin, Rudolf Bauer, Leonhard Aumüller, Nate’s, Naomi, Asher, ” Asher, Nathan Baskind’s, Baskind Organizations: Cleveland State University, Art, CNN, US Army, Jewish, Eastern, American, German Airforce, Army, Commission, US Mortuary Service, US, Monuments Commission Locations: Warsaw, Normandy, Pittsburgh, Auschwitz, Cherbourg, Virginia, German, Texas, Northwest Africa, Tunisia, Italy, England, France, Utah

☆ Dutch PM Mark Rutte set to be next NATO secretary-general after rival withdraws from race
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives to attend the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, southern Spain on October 5, 2023. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday rescinded his bid for the leadership of the NATO military alliance and threw his support behind the favorite contender for the post, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The move effectively clears the path for outgoing Dutch PM Rutte to assume the top position of the 32-member U.S.-led NATO military coalition, when incumbent Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg finishes his mandate on Oct. 1 after 10 years in the job. Iohannis, 65, is ending his second five-year round at the helm of Romania, which will hold national elections in September. Two weeks ago, Budapest conceded not to block the NATO alliance's deepening military support for Ukraine, in exchange for nonparticipation.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Netherland's, Palacio, Congreso, NATO, Dutch, Supreme, of National Defense, CNBC, U.S, Ukraine Locations: Granada, Spain, Romanian, Romania's, Ukraine, Iohannis, Romania, Rutte, Hungary, Russia, Budapest

The eventual language issued by the alliance about Ukraine during July’s summit in Washington is critical. Vague commitment in 2008It was back in 2008 at a NATO summit in Budapest that Ukraine was first offered a vague commitment of an invitation to join in the future. “Of course we’d be for ‘irreversible,’” a third Eastern European official said. Generally, throughout the conflict, British officials, the closest US allies in NATO, have consistently hoped the White House would take a more aggressive stance. “When the text is on the table and the countries start to negotiate we can see the full picture,” the Eastern European official said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, we’ll, Antony Blinken, Biden, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, ” Stoltenberg, ”, doesn’t, It’s “, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, NATO, Central, “, US, Biden, European, ”, US State Department, NATO Alliance, Eastern, Eastern European Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Washington, Russia’s, Ukraine, July’s, Russia, Prague, Hungary, Central European, Kyiv, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Budapest, Russian, ”, Kharkiv, London

☆ Ukraine's peace summit lacks clout as Russia, China and others stay away
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a military honour ceremony on June 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Marc Piasecki | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUkraine's leadership has been talking about this weekend's peace summit in Switzerland for months, desperately trying to drum up international enthusiasm for — and investment in — Kyiv's peace plan. watch nowRussia has repeatedly slammed the gathering, saying a peace summit without its participation is meaningless. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia and China of working together to sabotage the summit and pressurizing other countries not to attend. Dubovyk dismissed the absence of countries like China and Saudi Arabia, saying their presence at previous, similar meetings had not helped to bring peace closer.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Marc Piasecki, wasn't, Russia —, What's, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Zelenskyy, Putin, Shelby Magid, Viola Amherd, Ignazio Cassis, Volodymyr Dubovyk, Dubovyk Organizations: Getty, Peace, Kremlin, CNBC, Kyiv, House, Omaha Beach, Anadolu, Council's Eurasia, Ukraine, Swiss, Democratic, Center for Locations: Paris, France, Switzerland, Peace, Ukraine, Swiss, Bürgenstock, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, cyberattacks, Central, Eastern Europe, U.S, California, Hollywood, Moscow, Normandy, Ukrainian, Bern, Russian, Kharkiv

☆ A couple headed to Spain on vacation was instead flown 1,500 miles away to Eastern Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementPassengers with disabilities or reduced mobility are legally entitled to special assistance without an additional charge when flying from the UK, the US, and many other countries. "We have been away lots of times and always had special assistance, so this was nothing new to us," Victoria told the BBC. AdvertisementIn a statement sent to Business Insider, a Ryanair spokesperson said special assistance is "provided by Bristol Airport's special assistance provider — not Ryanair." "We sincerely apologise to these passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of Bristol Airport's special assistance provider's error and have assured that they will be fully compensated by Bristol Airport," the statement concluded. AdvertisementA spokesperson for Bristol Airport told BI that the situation is being investigated, and the couple will be contacted to "direct their complaint to the correct business partner for resolution."

Persons: —, Victoria Gore, Andrew, Victoria Organizations: Service, BBC News, Ryanair, Business, Bristol Airport, Bristol Airport's, BBC, Kaunas Airport, Department of Transportation, Bristol, BI, ABM Locations: Spain, Andrew, Barcelona, Victoria, Lithuania, England, Bristol, Kaunas, Riga, Latvia

☆ A Jewish woman adopted as a baby after World War II lost hope of finding her father. This year she gained a whole new family
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —When Elana Milman published an autobiography last year about her lifelong quest to find her birth parents, she had accepted she would never know the identity of her father. Courtesy Elana MilmanIt was only in her 30s that Milman finally discovered her birth certificate, which – after some meticulous research – led her to her birth mother in Canada. It showed she was 50% Ashkenazi Jewish and 50% Eastern European and revealed a match with a Polish woman living in France. Elana Milman is pictured at the Warsaw Ghetto monument during her recent visit to Poland. From left to right: Juliusz Gorzkoś, Elana Milman, their sister Ewa, her husband Wladek (kneeling), Gorzkos' wife Ania, Milman's granddaughter Yhali and Gorzkos' sons, Radek and Hubert.

Persons: Elana Milman, ”, Milman, “, Eliezer, Hulda Rosenfeld, –, Helena Lewinska, Franziska Lewinska, Palestine –, Elana, Eugeniusz, Milman –, Little, Gilad Japhet, Roi Mandel, Lewinska, MyHeritage, ” Mandel, Mandel’s, Juliusz, Shocked, Franziska, Franka, Yoseph Bursztajn, Diane, ” Gorzkoś, Gorzkoś, Ewa, Milman “ shivers, Juliusz Gorzkoś, I, Wladek, Gorzkos, Ania, Yhali, Radek, Hubert, Elena, Mandel Organizations: CNN, Nazi, MyHeritage, Armia Krajowa, Home Army, Technology Locations: Bergen, Belsen, Poland, Israel, Canada, Polish, Palestine, Europe, Kibbutz Merhavia, Haifa, Warsaw, Treblinka, France, Blizno, Germany

☆ War, what war? Putin looks to woo new business partners willing to overlook its invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen while visiting the Lakhta Center on June 5, 2024, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Vladimir Putin visited a newly built Lakhta Center, a skyscraper of Gazprom, prior to his meetings at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum SPIEF 2024. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRussia's annual economic forum in St. Petersburg used to be known as the country's "Davos" in a nod to the World Economic Forum that's held in Switzerland every year. A view of the stand of the Russian private bank Alfa-Bank during the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 05, 2024. Guests from foreign countries seen during the first day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, SPIEF, Max Hess, Peter Szijjarto, There's, Vladimir Putin's, Yuri Ushakov, Putin, anders Pettersson Organizations: Lakhta Center, Saint Petersburg, Economic, Getty, St ., Economic Forum, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Hungarian Foreign, Alfa, Bank, Anadolu, West, International Monetary Fund, U.S, Brics Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Gazprom, St . Petersburg, Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine, Asia, Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Slovakia, Hungary, Hungarian, St, Moscow, Russian, Germany, France, India, China, Johannesburg, South Africa

☆ NATO is making plans for surging US troops into Europe in case Russia invades
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewNATO is busy setting up land corridors that US soldiers and military vehicles would use in the case of a Russian invasion of Europe, The Telegraph reported, citing unnamed officials. AdvertisementPlans are also being developed to move troops through ports in Sweden, Finland, and the Balkans, the outlet reported. AdvertisementLast year, NATO leaders agreed to keep 300,000 soldiers in a state of high readiness, The Telegraph reported. Last week, the Financial Times reported that NATO had less than 5% of the air defenses needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe, citing people familiar with NATO's defense plans.

Persons: —, Vaidotas Urbelis, Donald Tusk, Poland's, Alexander Sollfrank Organizations: Service, NATO, The Telegraph, Business, The, Telegraph, Financial Times, Command Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Norway, Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Sweden, Finland, Balkans, Germany, Poland, Russia, Baltic States, Central, Eastern Europe

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