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☆ Zelenskyy's new T-shirt riffs on Trump — and annoyed the Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zelenskyy wore a T-shirt saying 'Make Russia small again' during a nightly address. AdvertisementPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed up to his evening video address in an unusual T-shirt and got a scathing reaction from the Kremlin. Emblazoned on the black T-shirt, in red and white lowercase letters, was the phrase: "Make Russia small again." It included territory in modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia, with its center in Kyiv, Ukraine's modern-day capital. As of Thursday, a copycat "make Russia small again" T-shirt was for sale on at least one e-commerce site, but it's unclear whether it will catch on.

Persons: Zelenskyy, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Maria Zakharova, Rus, Kyivan Rus, MAGA, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Wednesday, Kyiv Independent Locations: Russia, Kursk, USSR, Russian, Kievan Rus, Kiev, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyiv

☆ Nearly all Chinese banks are refusing to process payments from Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Fearful of the US' secondary sanctions, nearly all Chinese banks are refusing payment transfers from Russia. Russia has used smaller banks and non-US dollar currencies to bypass sanctions since the Ukraine invasion. AdvertisementThe impact of the West's sanctions just seems to be getting worse and worse for Russia. Now, 98% of Chinese banks — even small regional ones — are refusing to accept direct Chinese payment transfers from Russia, Alexey Razumovsky, the commercial director of payments company Impaya Rus, told the pro-Kremlin Izvestia media outlet. Such issues appear to have intensified over the last three weeks, because smaller Chinese financial companies were still processing Russian payments in May and June, per Izvestia.

Persons: —, Alexey Razumovsky, Impaya Rus Organizations: Service, Impaya, Kremlin, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ ‘Alphabet’ of sounds reveals complexity of sperm whale communication, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They’ve identified previously unknown complexity in whale communication by analyzing thousands of recorded sequences of sperm whale clicks with artificial intelligence. What sperm whales are saying with their clicks remains a mystery to human ears. “This work builds on a lot of prior work focused on understanding the calls of sperm whales. For the new study, the researchers used machine learning to detect patterns in audio data collected by The Dominica Sperm Whale Project, a repository for observations of sperm whales that inhabit the Caribbean Sea. The study authors defined four features in codas: rhythm, tempo, rubato and ornamentation.

Persons: They’ve, ”, Daniela Rus, ” Rus, Luke Rendell, Andrews, Rendell, “, it’s, Rus, ” Rendell, Brenda McCowan, McCowan, ” McCowan, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN —, Nature Communications, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, MIT, University of St, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Scientific Locations: United Kingdom, Dominica, Eastern, Caribbean, Alaska

☆ Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin captivated some GOP lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin was greeted with some interest on Capitol Hill. "Putin is a studied man of resolute spirit," said GOP Rep. Clay Higgins. AdvertisementWhen former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, at least a few Republicans on Capitol Hill tuned in with interest. Conservative on one hand, rapidly changing on the other,” said Putin, according to Carlson’s translator. “And we have to be smarter.”AdvertisementAnd Higgins had little time for criticism of Carlson’s interview.

Persons: Tucker Carlson's, Vladimir Putin, JD Vance, Ron Johnson, Putin, Clay Higgins, —, Tucker Carlson, he’s, ”, Higgins, “ Putin, ‘, ’, Troy Nehls, Texas —, Tucker Carlson’s, Nehls, Donald Trump, “, Vlad, Mike Johnson, Sen, Ron Johnson of, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s, Johnson, Tucker, ” Johnson, Carlson, Ukraine can’t — Putin, He's, Evan Gershkovich, Victoria Spartz, Anna Rose Layden, Ukraine’s, Victor Yanukovich, ” Spartz, Ohio, ” Vance, Abigail Spanberger, Putin spouted, ” “ Organizations: Capitol Hill, Service, Fox News, Republicans, Capitol, Caucus, Business, Milwaukee ”, America’s, Ukraine, Wall Street, Conservative, GOP, NATO, CIA, Victoria, Twitter, Democratic Locations: Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Texas, Chicago, Ukraine, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Kyiv, Russian, Colorado, Ukrainian, Eastern Europe, Russia, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Rus, Kyiv Rus, Moscow, Virginia

☆ Skeletons with buckets on their feet and rings around their necks discovered in a Dark Ages graveyard, say reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewHuman remains found in a 1,000-year-old cemetery were ceremonially adorned with buckets on their feet and rings around their necks, archaeologists discovered, say reports. The mass grave holding over 107 skeletons in what is believed to be a pagan-era cemetery were discovered near Kyiv, Ukraine. AdvertisementResearchers Vsevolod Ivakin and Vyacheslav Baranov, who led the excavation, described the weapons typical for Kyivan Rus and northeastern Europe. Vyacheslav Baranov | National Academy of Sciences of UkraineA stone altar found at the site could have been used for pagan or early Christian rituals. AdvertisementThe ongoing research is a collaboration between several research centers, with funding provided by the German Research Foundation, alongside other organizations.

Persons: —, Vsevolod Ivakin, Vyacheslav Baranov, Baranov, Volodymyr the Great Organizations: Service, Business, National Academy of Sciences of, Archaeological Institute of America, Independent, Research, German Research Foundation Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Roman, Italian, Rus, Europe, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Chicago, Pomeranian, Masovian, Baltics, Eastern Europe

☆ WTA roundup: Zheng Qinwen advances at Zhengzhou Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She will face Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, who posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Russian qualifier Vera Zvonareva. Hana Bank Korea OpenBelgium's Yanina Wickmayer seized a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia to move on to the quarterfinals in Seoul. Wickmayer will meet Russian Polina Kudermetova, who breezed to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kathinka von Deichmann of Liechenstein. Fifth-seeded Anna Blinkova of Russia coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Australian Priscilla Hon to advance to the third round. Third-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium had little difficulty in her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Daria Saville.

Persons: China's, Zheng, China's Zhu Lin REUTERS, Kim Kyung, Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, Kalinina, Vera Zvonareva, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Caroline Garcia of, Ukraine's, Tsurenko, Donna Vekic, Wickmayer, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Kudermetova, Kathinka von Deichmann, Claire Liu, Arantxa Rus, China's Yuan Yue, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Anna Blinkova, Russia coasted, Priscilla Hon, Elise Mertens, Daria Saville Organizations: Tennis Centre, Russian, Caroline Garcia of France, Hana Bank, Hong, Belarus, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Greece, Zhengzhou, Croatia, Hana Bank Korea, Russia, Seoul, Wickmayer, Arantxa, Netherland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Belgium

☆ New Vatican letter suggests Pope Pius XII knew about the Holocaust as early as 1942
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A newly-uncovered Vatican 1942 letter suggests that then-Pope Pius XII likely knew about Nazi genocide. Pope Pius XII had already been scrutinized for his negotiations with Nazi Germany. Pope Pius XII was afraid Hitler would winGalerie Bilderwelt/Getty ImagesThe relationship between Pope Pius XII and Nazi leadership, especially Adolf Hitler, has long been uncovered and brought Pius under scrutiny, suggesting the pontiff was probably aware of Leiber's correspondence with König. "Pius XII was afraid of, certainly in the first years of the war, that the Nazis were going to win. The beatification process for Pius XII, which started in 1967, has been delayed because of his controversial choices during World War II.

Persons: Pope Pius XII, Sera, Pope, Pius, David Kertzer's, Giovanni Coco, Corriere, Robert Leiber, Lothar König, Hitler, Adolf Hitler, Pius XII, Mussolini, David Kertzer Organizations: Nazi, Service, The Guardian, Nazi Jesuit, Galerie, PBS Locations: Nazi Germany, Wall, Silicon, Germany, German, Polish, Rava, Ukraine, Belzec, Nazi, Poland, Auschwitz, Dachau, There's, Europe

☆ US Open: Home crowd favorites Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys make the perfect start
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Home crowd favorite Jessica Pegula made the perfect start to her US Open campaign, beating underdog Camila Giorgi in straight sets. Pegula made light work of her Italian opponent, breezing to a 6-2 6-2 opening-round victory in just an hour and 22 minutes. Pegula impressed winning 6-2 6-2 in straight sets. Elsewhere on the women’s side of the draw, Pegula’s compatriot Madison Keys was also able to make her way into the second round. Buoyed by the home crowd, Mmoh stormed to a 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory to march onto round two – matching his best ever US Open result.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Camila Giorgi, breezing, Pegula, Giorgi, Sarah Stier, ” Pegula, “, Madison Keys, Keys, Arantxa Rus, Manu Fernandez, Patricia Maria Țig, Rebecca Marino, Belgium’s Yanina, Michael Mmoh, Karen Khachanov, Khachanov, Mmoh, John Minchillo, John Isner, breezed, Facundo Diaz Acosta, Isner Organizations: CNN, US, Madison, Arantxa, U.S ., Argentinian Locations: Flushing Meadows

☆ Americans Pegula, Keys cruise into U.S. Open second round
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Third seed Jessica Pegula and former finalist Madison Keys each punched their tickets into the second round of the U.S. Open with routine victories on Tuesday that bolstered hopes for a homegrown winner at the year's final Grand Slam. Pegula, whose U.S. Open tune-up included a triumph in Montreal just over two weeks ago, earned a 6-2 6-2 victory over Italy's Camila Giorgi shortly after 2017 runner-up Keys beat Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-2 6-4. "I think we are all hoping that we hit the right form going into a slam, especially if you get through the first week trying to hit that stride in the second week," Pegula said during her on-court interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tennis is so day-to-day, you can feel great one week and then you can feel terrible the next. So you are just tying to really get through the first few rounds and try and get better each match."

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Pegula, Italy's Camila Giorgi, Dutchwoman, Sloane Stephens, Keys, Giorgi, Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: U.S, Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus, Louis, Thomson Locations: Montreal, American, Toronto

☆ VW cuts 2023 deliveries outlook, aims to boost cash flow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Supply of key components such as semiconductors had improved but transport and logistics delays weighed on the first half, Volkswagen said. Still, it expected significantly shorter waiting times in the second half and said demand was stable with order books full at 1.65 million vehicles. Reuters GraphicsWorldwide, the Volkswagen Group delivered 2.3 million vehicles in the period from April to June, 18% more than in the same period last year. The focus for the second half is now on strengthening net cash flow," said Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz. In May, Volkswagen said it had sold its shares in Volkswagen Group Rus to Art-Finance, which is supported by autodealer group Avilon.

Persons: DAX, Arno Antlitz, Cupra, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, David Goodman Organizations: VW, BERLIN, Volkswagen, Benz, Renault, Graphics Worldwide, Volkswagen Group, VW Commercial Vehicles, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ducati, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Rus, Art, Finance, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Kaluga

☆ Volkswagen Seeks to Regain Edge in China as It Cuts Delivery Forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But overall revenue increased 18.2 percent as the company stemmed some of its losses in China, where deliveries were down 1.2 percent. Western Europe provided the company with its strongest business, with 1.65 million vehicles ordered in the first half of the year, and 200,000 of them — or 12 percent — were electric vehicles, the company said. Volkswagen hopes that its investment in XPeng will help advance the German automaker’s electric vehicle software to the standards produced by Chinese manufacturers. Some analysts interpreted the move as a concession that Volkswagen was unable to compete with Chinese companies on the latest technology. But Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s chief executive, expressed confidence that VW customers, including those in China, want more variety in their vehicles.

Persons: ”, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Oliver Blume, Mr, Blume, “ Organizations: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Group Rus, China, BYD, Audi, SAIC, British, Center for Automotive Research, “, Tesla, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Lamborghini, VW Locations: China, Western Europe, Russia, Avilon, Moscow, XPeng, Duisburg, Germany

☆ VW completes sale of Kaluga plant in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, May 19 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has completed the sale of its Kaluga production plant in Russia and its local subsidiaries, the German carmaker said on Friday, ending months of wrangling with Russian authorities over the deal. Volkswagen has sold its shares in Volkswagen Group Rus LLC to Art-Finance LLC, which is supported by autodealer group Avilon, VW said in a statement. Volkswagen is pictured during the 63rd Annual General Meeting of Volkswagen AG in Berlin, Germany May 10, 2023. According to a source familiar with the matter, the deal is valued at 125 million euros ($138 million). Work at the plant in Kaluga, south of Moscow, has been furloughed since March 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Western countries to sanction Moscow leading to a breakdown in supply chains.

☆ Volkswagen Sells Its Russia Operations, Including an Assembly Plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Volkswagen has sold its assembly plant and other operations in Russia to a local auto dealership, more than a year after the German carmaker ceased production in the country following the invasion of Ukraine, the company said on Friday. Under the deal, which required approval from the Russian government, a Moscow-based dealership called Avilon acquired the assets of Volkswagen Group Rus, the carmaker said. Neither company specified a sales price, but Russia media citing local records said Avilon paid about 125 million euros ($135 million). But outrage over Moscow’s brutal war in Ukraine, combined with the difficulties coping with tough economic sanctions aimed at punishing Russia, have made the Russian market less attractive. Mercedes-Benz announced last month that it had sold its Russia division, including an assembly plant, to Avtodom, a Russian investor, roughly a year after it had suspended local manufacturing and the export of passenger cars and vans to Russia.

☆ Fact Check-Ukrainian coat of arms predates use of trident symbol by far-right nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainian coat of arms, a trident, is an official symbol of the country and dates back over a thousand years. The blue shield with a gold trident-like symbol is seen on the Military of Defense of Ukraine site and is currently listed as the country’s official coat of arms (here). FAR-RIGHT NATIONALISTS ADOPTED THE SYMBOLFar-right Ukrainian nationalists during the pre-WW2 era “naturally used symbols that were historically associated with Ukraine,” Mark Pitcavage, senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center on Extremism said, including what is now the Ukrainian coat of arms. The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), was founded in 1929 to “liberate Ukraine from Soviet rule and create an independent Ukrainian state,” according to Reuters reporting from 2015 (here). While far-right Ukrainian nationalists have used the trident symbol, the symbol is from a millennium earlier, is on Ukraine’s coat of arms, and is not proof Zelenskiy is connected to extremists.

☆ Russia’s battered wartime economy is still chugging along as it taps its wealth fund, raises taxes, and ramps up imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Shares of First Republic dropped more than 40% in pre-market trading today, while JPMorgan stock ticked 2.9% higher. Let's check in on Russia's wartime economy. To the surprise of many forecasters, Russia's economy has held up better than expected as it carries on into the second year of its war on Ukraine. And leaked documents, first reported by the Washington Post, suggest that Russia can fund its war for at least another year. Specifically, US intelligence says Moscow can rely on its sovereign wealth fund to help pay for its war efforts, as well as higher corporate taxes and ramped-up imports.

☆ Fact Check-Footage from film production resurfaces false claims the war in Ukraine is staged
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video showing armed men in uniforms entering a building while a camera crew film the scene was taken from the production of a film about the war in Ukraine filmed in Latvia. Some users seemingly believe these rumors (tinyurl.com/mreua8vu), while others pointed out the video was taken from a film (tinyurl.com/yhr37xwd). One example is an explosion that takes place around timestamp 0:16 in the clip circulating online and 0:36 in the YouTube video. Claims the war in Ukraine is “staged” are false. Reuters has previously debunked similar claims involving the war in Ukraine (here), (here), (here).

☆ Mercedes includes buyback option as Russian assets sale given official approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tatyana MakeyevaApril 19 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) has agreed on a buyback option for its Russian assets, the sale of which has now been granted official approval, the German carmaker said on Wednesday, bringing its exit from Russia one step closer. Deals to leave Russia by Western companies from so-called unfriendly countries - those that imposed sanctions against Russia - need approval from a government commission. Mercedes said it intended to withdraw from the market and that the sale of shares in its subsidiaries to Avtodom had now been granted approval. "The completion of the transaction is now particularly subject to the implementation of the contractual agreements," Mercedes said in a statement. "We have agreed an option with the buyer, according to which we could buy back the shares in companies if the sanctions are lifted again."

One Feb. 23, 2023 assessment, titled "Battle for the Donbas Region Likely Heading for a Stalemate Throughout 2023", says Russia is unlikely to be able to take that part of east Ukraine. WARY OF STIRRING CHINAOne U.S. document posted on Russian Telegram channels had the casualty figures crudely altered to reduce Russian casualties and increase Ukrainian casualties. The document on casualties is embossed with emblems of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defence Intelligence Agency. The documents show that while Russia has overall numerical superiority in some areas, Ukraine has more tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) in theatre than Russia. Ukraine has 802 tanks and 3,498 APCs fielded, while Russia has 419 tanks and 2,928 APCs in theatre.

☆ Medvedev aims to build new streak after falling to Alcaraz
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Mar 19, 2023; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Daniil Medvedev (RUS) hits a shot in the men’s final match against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsMarch 20 (Reuters) - Daniil Medvedev suffered double disappointment on Sunday after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final and seeing his 19-match winning run snapped, but the Russian said the only thing to do now was embark on another streak. That's actually disappointing," Medvedev said. "This would be cool to try to beat it and maybe try to prolong it as long as possible. I'm proud of it, and now it's time to try to build a new streak.

☆ ChatGPT is the Myspace of AI: It's fun, but it's far from taking your white-collar job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Despite excitement around ChatGPT and GPT-4, there are concerns about AI tools taking jobs. "Artificial intelligence may have a role in displacing, or at least reducing, the need for less skilled workers," Lee said. Hope Bradford, senior director of digital transformation at Kelly, a staffing and workforce company, told Insider that AI tools help HR professionals screen candidates. Are white-collar workers' jobs at risk of being cut because of AI tools? While people have found success and the pros of AI tools, there's still uncertainty about their future and fears still loom.

☆ HQ Trivia imploded fast but its legacy lives on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But like HQ Trivia, these efforts rarely seem to last. Video Ad Feedback What is HQ Trivia 02:32 - Source: CNNThe short life of HQ TriviaTwice a day, for 30 minutes, the world stopped as players watched one or more people receive what could be a significant amount of money instantaneously on HQ Trivia – and viewers had their own shot at the pot, too. Unlike HQ Trivia, however, Wordle does not require its users to share that experience at the exact same moment in the day. BeReal may arguably be HQ Trivia’s most lasting legacy, despite it not being a trivia game. The aim is different – creating authenticity – but like HQ Trivia, it prompts users to be in the moment.

☆ Putin approves sale of Mercedes-Benz Russian finance arm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mercedes-Benz suspended production at its factory in Russia and halted exports to the country last March, and said in October it would fully quit the Russian market, selling stakes in its Russian assets to a local investor. Its exit is part of a exodus of global companies from Russia after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine last February. Under Russian law, Putin is required to approve the sale of stakes in Russian finance or energy ventures, while approval from a separate government commission is required for deals involving firms from so-called "unfriendly" countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia. Putin signed an order on Monday approving the sale of Mercedes-Benz Bank Rus - the auto company's financial services arm in Russia - to Avtodom, which specialises in sales of premium vehicles. Several Western companies sold their Russian operations for symbolic sums, such as one rouble ($0.01) or one euro ($1.08), with some adding buy-back clauses to facilitate a possible return to Russia in the future.

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