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☆ Chuck Schumer and bipartisan group of senators unveil plan to control AI – while investing billions of dollars in it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

It also instructs multiple Senate committees to come up with guardrails for AI to address some of its biggest risks, such as AI-enabled discrimination, job displacement and election interference. “Harnessing the potential of AI demands an all-hands-on-deck approach and that’s exactly what our bipartisan AI working group has been leading,” Schumer said Wednesday. “This roadmap represents the most comprehensive and impactful bipartisan recommendations on artificial intelligence ever issued by the legislative branch,” Young said Wednesday. Schumer has described regulating artificial intelligence as a challenge for Congress unlike any other, vowing a swift timeline measured in months, not years. But policy analysts, and some congressional aides, doubt whether Congress can pass significant legislation regulating AI in an election year.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Schumer, ” Schumer, New Mexico Democratic Sen, Martin Heinrich, Republican Sens, Mike Rounds, Todd Young, ” Young, ” Organizations: CNN, European Union, National Security, Artificial Intelligence, New, New Mexico Democratic, Republican, South, Todd Young of Indiana, EU Locations: New York, New Mexico, South Dakota

☆ Europe must avoid ‘disaster’ of trade decoupling as it eyes China tariffs, EU's economics chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The European Union must avoid a harmful decoupling of global trade as it mulls tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other goods, the bloc's economic chief said Wednesday. "But this is not bringing us to a theory of decoupling of global trade, which would be a disaster for both parts of the decoupling," he said. "The characteristic of the EU economy is to be more open, more influenced by trade, and less by only internal consumption. This is the reason, the economic reason, why it is in the interest of the European Union to keep the doors of trade open." Meanwhile, several EU nations are nervous about potential Chinese retaliatory trade measures hitting important domestic industries, from German automotives to French cognac.

Persons: Paolo Gentiloni, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Gentiloni Organizations: European, European Union, CNBC Locations: European Union, Europe, China, EVs, U.S, Russia, Ukraine

☆ The US dollar has become so weaponized that central banks are snapping up politically-neutral gold
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Central banks accounted for one-quarter of gold demand in 2022 and 2023, as the institutions bought over 1,000 tons of gold each year, according to the World Gold Council in a recent report. Related storiesThe world's central banks continued buying gold, snapping up 290 tons of gold in the first quarter of this year — the strongest start to any year on record, according to the council. AdvertisementThis suggests that gold purchases by some central banks may have been driven by concerns about sanctions risk, Gopinath said. Central banks will keep buying, despite high pricesWhile China's central bank gold buying has been hogging the headlines, other central banks are also loading up on gold. The World Gold Council wrote in its recent report that other big gold buyers included Turkey and India.

Persons: —, Gita Gopinath, it's, Gopinath, IMF's Gopinath Organizations: Service, Monetary Fund, Business, World Gold, US Treasury, Agency, JPMorgan Locations: Ukraine, Central, Russia, China, Turkey, India

☆ European Union 2024 Election: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Monika Pronczuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Why does this election matter? Hundreds of millions of voters in all the 27 countries that make up the European Union are heading to polls between June 6 and 9 to choose their representatives in the European Parliament, the only directly elected institution of the alliance. The European Union is one of the world’s most ambitious political experiments, but because of its complex governing structure, it has often been criticized for a lack of transparency and democratic accountability. The European Parliament election, which takes place every five years, is the only way in which E.U. citizens can have a direct say in shaping the bloc’s policies.

Organizations: Union, European Locations: E.U

Tbilisi, Georgia CNN —Georgia’s parliament has passed a controversial “foreign agents” bill despite widespread domestic opposition and warnings from the European Union that its enactment would imperil the country’s chances of joining the bloc. Many Georgians fear their foreign agents bill will be used the same way in their country. Georgia’s parliament now has 10 days to send the bill to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has already vowed to veto it. However, EU leaders have made it clear that the foreign agents bill’s passage would jeopardize Georgia’s chances of accession. Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14.

Persons: Georgia CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, they’ve, Putin, ” Zourabichvili, Shakh, Levan Khabeishvili, “, ” Khabeishvili, ” Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s, Irakli, CNN’s Christian Edwards, Anna Chernova, Vasco Cotovio Organizations: Georgia CNN, European Union, EU, United, Getty, Soviet Union, Georgian, CNN, European Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Soviet, United States, Caucasus, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, AFP, Russian, Moscow

☆ Putin axes defense minister, replaces him with an economist
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin replaced his longtime defense minister Sergei Shoigu with an economist Andrey Belousov. AdvertisementRussian leader Vladimir Putin is replacing his longtime defense minister Sergei Shoigu, 68, with an economist. On Sunday, Putin named former deputy prime minister and economic development minister Andrey Belousov, 65, as his new defense chief. Shoigu, who served as defense minister since 2012, now runs Russia's Security Council instead, taking over from Putin ally Nikolai Patrushev. Representatives for Russia's defense ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, Belousov, —, Dmitry Peskov, Shoigu, Nikolai Patrushev, Peskov, Timur Ivanov, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Shoigu's, It's, didn't Organizations: Sunday, Service, TASS, Russian Ministry of Defense, Security, Putin, Industrial Commission, CNN, BI Locations: Shoigu, Russia, Ukraine

☆ What is Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill, and why is Europe so alarmed?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Georgia’s parliament is set to pass a highly controversial so-called “foreign agents” bill that has triggered widespread protests across the former Soviet republic nestled in the Caucasus Mountains. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed law and the uproar it has caused. The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face crippling fines. About 50,000 protesters gathered in Tbilisi to protest the proposed legislation on Sunday. The proposed law is modeled after a similar one in Russia that the Kremlin has used to increasingly snuff out opposition and civil society.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Vano Shlamov, Ivanishvili, they’ve, Georgia’s, Kobakhidze, Mirian, Jake Sullivan, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Ursula von der Leyen, Anna Chernova Organizations: CNN, Getty, European, House, Washington, Georgian, EU, “ Locations: Soviet, Caucasus, Tbilisi, Here’s, Georgian, Georgia, AFP, Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Soviet Union, European Union, Georgia’s, Didn’t Georgia, Anadolu, backsliding, George, Brussels, “ Georgia

☆ Putin replaces Russia's defense minister with civilian economist in unexpected move
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Mikhail Klimentyev | Afp | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defense minister on Sunday in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilize the defense budget and harness greater innovation to win in Ukraine. More than two years into the conflict, which has cost both sides heavy casualties, Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, to replace his long-term ally, Sergei Shoigu, 68, as defense minister. That, said Peskov, meant it was vital to ensure such spending aligned with and was better integrated into the country's overall economy, which was why Putin now wanted a civilian economist in the defense ministry job. Putin's move, though unexpected, preserves balance at the top of the complex system of personal loyalties that make up the current political system.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Andrei Belousov, Sergei Shoigu, Nikolai Patrushev, Patrushev, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Belousov, Alexander Baunov Organizations: Sputnik, Victory Day, Afp, Getty, Security, Putin, West, Defence, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union

☆ Catalan separatists lose majority as Spain’s pro-union Socialists win regional elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A pro-unity rally marches through Barcelona, Spain, on October 8, 2017, in response to last Sunday's disputed referendum on Catalan independence. This was the first time the Socialists led a Catalan election in both votes and seats won. Illa led Spain's response to the COVID-19 pandemic before Sánchez sent him back to Barcelona to lead his party. The Socialists are already in a coalition government in Madrid with the Sumar party, which now has six seats in the Catalan parliament. Separatists have held the regional government in Barcelona since 2012 and had won majorities in four consecutive regional elections.

Persons: Carles Puigdemont, Salvador Illa savored, Illa, Catalonia's, Sánchez, bode, Pedro Sánchez, Puigdemont, pardoning, Puigdemont's, Pere Aragonès, Vox Organizations: Socialist Party, Socialists, Sánchez's Socialists, Republican, Popular Party, Catalan Alliance Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Catalonia, Madrid, Catalan, France, Spain's, Spanish, Catalans

☆ Sergei Shoigu: Putin replaces Russia’s defense minister with a civilian, citing rising military costs and need for innovation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his defense minister Sergei Shoigu with a civilian, Andrey Belousov, citing the country’s rising military spending and the need for “innovation.”Shoigu had been “relieved” of his post of Minister of Defense by presidential decree and been appointed Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday night local time. Shoigu would also become Putin’s deputy in Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission, Peskov said, while Nikolai Patrushev, the previous Secretary of the Security Council, would “transfer to another job.”Belousov, who previously served as first deputy prime minister, is a civilian. “Today on the battlefield, the winner is the one who is more open to innovation,” Peskov said. Peskov added that the new appointment did not signal a shift in Russia’s current military system. In his new role, Shoigu will oversee Russia’s military industrial complex, Peskov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, ” Shoigu, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Shoigu, Peskov, Nikolai Patrushev, ” Belousov, Putin, ” Peskov, It’s, Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu’s, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Ukraine –, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Defense, Russia’s Security, Russia’s, Industrial Commission, Security, Russian Ministry of Defense, of Economic, Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House in November, NATO may fall apart, a recent wargame found. "What Donald Trump can do is just really hollow out what NATO does," Grimble told Business Insider. The UK has traditionally backed a transatlantic, America-Europe alliance rather than a purely European defense bloc. Yet in the game, it could neither persuade Trump to ease his demands, nor the European NATO members to spend more on defense. "Many NATO members — except for France mainly — thought post-Trump it could be salvageable," Grimble said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Finley Grimble, Grimble, John Bolton, —, SACEUR, Jens Stoltenberg, NICHOLAS KAMM, hadn't, I'm, Florian Gaertner, Russia doesn't, God's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, House, NATO, EU, US, Business, US National Security, Allied, Europe, Washington, Nato, Getty, European Union, Joint Expeditionary Force, Northern, —, European NATO, Trump, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, China, American, United States, Finland, Romania, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, French, America, Italy, Estonia, British, Turkey, Baltic States, Ukraine stalemated, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv . Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, European, Forbes

☆ China’s Xi Jinping highlights Europe’s divisions ahead of expected Putin visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese state media played up the warm diplomacy, with headlines proclaiming China’s “ironclad” bond with Serbia and “golden friendship” with Hungary. Both are sure to closely watch any summit between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, expected to happen soon. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is welcomed at the airport in Belgrade on May 7 for his two-day state visit. Xi also marketed a shared worldview during his meeting with Orban in Hungary, which is a member of both the EU and NATO. Chinese leader Xi Jinping talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on May 9.

Persons: Xi, Peng Liyuan, Aleksandar Vucic, Viktor Orban, China’s, Vucic, Orban –, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der, Vladimir Putin, Orban, Hungary “, ’ ”, Philippe Le Corre, ”, Putin, Le Corre, Xi Jinping, Dimitrije Goll, Xi’s, Serbia’s Vucic, ” Vucic, Bruno Le Maire, BYD, Liu Dongshu, Vivien Cher Benko, Tamas Matura, Mark Rutte, Olaf Scholz, Matura, Von der, “ Orban, Gabor Scheiring Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russia, Ukraine, China, Europe …, Asia Society, Center for, Forum, Anadolu, Getty, EU, NATO, ”, Xi, Hong Kong’s City University ., Hungarian, Central, Dutch, Georgetown University Locations: Hong Kong, France, Ukraine, China, Belgrade, Budapest, Paris, Serbian, Hungarian, Serbia, Hungary, Europe, Russia, Russian, ”, Europe … Hungary, Center for China, Beijing, United States, EU, Hong, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, Moscow, Qatar, “ Hungary

☆ Opinion: Eurovision’s slogan is ‘United by Music.’ The reality turned out very different
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Opinion Louis Staples | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Eurovision Song Contest is a glittery and eccentric spectacle that rivals the Super Bowl for its attraction to audiences. When combined with the jury vote, Israel’s impressive public vote tally saw Golan finish in fifth place overall. Despite this, the EBU has always insisted that Eurovision is an apolitical music competition between broadcasters, rather than a political competition between governments. The 2023 contest in Liverpool was a moving display of unity — so much that Liverpool’s slogan, “United By Music,” was adopted by Eurovision for all future contests. On Saturday, there was very little sense that Eurovision was “united by music.” Some fans boycotted, while others mobilized online to vote for Israel.

Persons: Louis Staples, Celine Dion, Louis Staples Louis Staples, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, Israel, —, Lasagna, Golan, Nemo, Russia —, ”, Turkey, Isaac Herzog, Bambie, Joost Klein, AVROTROS, Martin Österdahl Organizations: Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wired, CNN, Super Bowl, Hamas, European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision, EBU, “ United, Music, Israel, Ukraine, Twitter, Facebook Locations: London, Slate, Switzerland, Swedish, Malmö, Gaza, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Liverpool, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Dutch

☆ Why predicted gains for right-wing populists could make Europe vulnerable to attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Right-wing populists are set to make unprecedented gains in the elections to the European Parliament taking place next month. Polling data suggests that far-right Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) could have enough seats to, together, block the passage of European Union legislation, creating a massive headache for the union as a whole. “For some countries, that is a six-month process, in others it can take two years,” a senior European Parliament source told CNN. Britain's Nigel Farage used his seat in the European Parliament to promote Brexit. It only becomes an issue if they are working with foreign powers to advance their agenda,” an EU security source told CNN.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yiannis Kourtoglou, Reuters “, ”, James Shires, you’ll, don’t, Britain's Nigel Farage, SEBASTIEN BOZON, it’s, — Organizations: CNN, Parliament, European, Reuters, “, Brexit, Getty, British, EU, Brussels Locations: Brussels, China, Russia, Strasbourg, AFP, Britain, Ukraine, EU, Europe

☆ The US and the West are facing the blowback of sanctions against Russia, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe US miscalculated when it imposed harsh sanctions on Russia, and not only has Vladimir Putin's economy weathered the impact, but the West is facing the negative effects of the economic restrictions it imposed. Food and energy prices have soared since the West imposed sanctions on Russia, he noted partly because Russia is one of the world's largest exporters of oil and grain. Even the US dollar may end up worse off due to sanctions, Rubin said. Russia's trade with China, for instance, has nearly completely phased out the dollar, Russian officials said last year. "Sanctioning the ruble and confiscating a third of the Russian central bank's foreign reserves was supposed to cripple the Russian economy.

Persons: —, Vladimir, Jeff Rubin, " Rubin, crimp, Rubin, Putin Organizations: Service, Business, The Globe, Federal Reserve Board, Bank of Canada Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, Russian

☆ Biden administration set to revamp Trump’s tariff program after multi-year review, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The Biden administration is set to unveil a sweeping restructuring of former President Donald Trump’s trademark tariffs on Chinese imports, according to sources familiar with the matter. “The Biden administration has neutralized China as a campaign issue,” said Hodge, now a managing director at Bully Pulpit International. Tariffs are essentially a tax on US businesses and consumers, adding to the cost of imported goods. More than half of the duties have been collected during the Biden administration. The Biden administration had planned to release the results of the review in advance of the Pittsburgh speech, the sources familiar with the matter said, but ended up delaying the release.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden refines, Trump, Adam Hodge, “, ”, Hodge, –, ” Biden, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, Clete Willems, Akin Gump, Willems Organizations: Washington CNN, US Trade Representative, Biden’s National Security Council, US Trade, Treasury, Commerce, Trump, US Customs, “ Steel, Seven, European Union, National Economic Council, EU, European Commission, Treasury Department Locations: China, Pittsburgh, Italy, Puglia

The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024No Supreme Court term in recent memory has featured so many cases with the potential to transform American society. In 2015, the Supreme Court limited the sweep of the statute at issue in the case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked efforts to severely curb access to the pill, mifepristone, as an appeal moved forward. A series of Supreme Court decisions say that making race the predominant factor in drawing voting districts violates the Constitution. The difference matters because the Supreme Court has said that only racial gerrymandering may be challenged in federal court under the Constitution.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Anderson, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan, Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas, Salmon, “, ”, Mr, Nixon, Richard M, privilege.But, Fitzgerald, Vance, John G, Roberts, Fischer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Alito, ’, Moyle, Wade, Roe, Johnson, Robinson, Moody, Paxton, Robins, Media Murthy, Sullivan, Murthy, Biden, Harrington, Sackler, Alexander, Jan, Raimondo, ” Paul D, Clement, Dodd, Frank, Homer, Cargill Organizations: Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, Trump, Liberal, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative, Colorado, Former, Trump v . United, United, Sarbanes, Oxley, U.S, Capitol, Drug Administration, Alliance, Hippocratic, Jackson, Health, Supreme, Labor, New York, Homeless, Miami Herald, Media, Biden, National Rifle Association, Rifle Association of America, New York State, Purdue Pharma, . South Carolina State Conference of, Federal, Loper Bright Enterprises, . Department of Commerce, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, ”, SCOTUSPoll, Consumer Financial, Community Financial Services Association of America, Securities, Exchange Commission, Exchange, Occupational Safety, Commission, Lucia v . Securities, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Air Pollution Ohio, Environmental, Guns Garland, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, National Firearms, Gun Control Locations: Colorado, Trump v . United States, United States, Nixon, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Dobbs v, Idaho, Roe, Texas, States, New, New York, Grants, Oregon, . California, Martin v, Boise, Boise , Idaho, Missouri, Parkland, Fla, Murthy v . Missouri, . Missouri, ., South Carolina, Alabama, SCOTUSPoll, Lucia v, Western

☆ The West is freaking out that China is making too much stuff, and it looks like China might be starting to agree
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The proposal covers a range of issues, including minimum technical standards and ecological guidelines for battery production. AdvertisementChina's battery production in 2023 alone was already big enough to fill global demand, according to an analysis from BloombergNEF. China's global share of battery manufacturing capacity is expected to fallDespite the West's consternation, there is an upside for the bloc. China's global share of battery manufacturing is expected to decline in the years ahead, according to a report from the International Energy Agency, or IEA, published on Monday. AdvertisementChina now accounts for more than 80% of battery manufacturing capacity, followed by the US and the EU with around 5% each, per the IEA.

Persons: China's, —, Xi Jinping's, Louise Loo, Loo, Chim Lee, Lee Organizations: Service, China's Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, European Union, Oxford Economics, Economist Intelligence, International Energy Agency, US, EU Locations: China, Beijing, Canada, Europe, India

☆ U.S. and China trade divisions threaten a 'reversal' for global economy, IMF official warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Carlos Barria | Afp | Getty ImagesDifferences between U.S.-led Western and China-aligned economic blocs threaten global trade cooperation and economic growth, a top official with the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday. IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said in a speech at Stanford University that events such as the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have disrupted global trade relations in ways not seen since the Cold War. "Increasingly, countries around the world are guided by economic security and national security concerns in determining who they trade with and invest in," she said, adding that this has resulted in countries increasingly picking sides between China and the U.S. Trade between the China and U.S. blocs has declined compared with trade among countries within the groupings, Gopinath said. The U.S. bloc mainly includes Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, while China-leaning countries include Russia, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Gita Gopinath, Gopinath Organizations: National Committee, China Relations, China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Afp, International Monetary Fund, Stanford University, U.S, IMF, Trade, West Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, China, Ukraine, Washington, Beijing, U.S, South, Taiwan, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Syria

☆ Ukraine is getting a prototype artillery shell that can strike 3 times as far as regular rounds: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Germany plans to send Ukraine a prototype artillery shell that can travel 62 miles, Handelsblatt reported. AdvertisementGermany is gearing up to send Ukraine a prototype artillery shell that can travel up to 62 miles, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported. That would more than triple the reach of the conventional 155 mm artillery rounds Ukraine is heavily reliant on, depending on what system is used to fire it. It's not clear what the prototype munition actually is. Earlier this year, Germany announced a $5.3 million military aid package for Ukraine, including 10,000 artillery rounds from its own stocks, Politico reported.

Persons: They'd, —, It's, Handelsblatt, Russia's, Armin Papperger, Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Scholz Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Rheinmetall, Defense, Politico Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Berlin

☆ Opinion | Europe Is About to Drown in the River of the Radical Right
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Lea Ypi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Ahead of parliamentary elections widely expected to deliver gains to the hard right, European leaders can barely conceal their anxiety. What is power in contemporary Europe, and how should it be exercised by the European Union? Mr. Macron answered in princely fashion, showing awareness of both the finite nature of every political community — Europe is “mortal,” he said — and its cyclical vulnerability to crisis. Mr. Macron brushed aside the many Europeans who feel the bloc is aloof and inaccessible, describing their disenchantment as a result of “false arguments.” The dismissal was no aberration. This exclusion has changed the contours of the European landscape, paving the way for the radical right.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Lorenzo de ’ Medici, Machiavelli, ” Machiavelli, Macron, ”, — Organizations: European Union Locations: Europe, France, Florentine Republic, European

☆ China's trade war with the US is unlikely to cool down this election year, so it's working on Europe instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Xi is spending two days in France, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday before heading to Serbia and Hungary. "I'm calling for an 'aggiornamento' because China is now in excess capacity in many areas and exports massively to Europe," Macron told La Tribune Dimanche, per a Bloomberg translation. She said China's trade practices are leading to unfair trade that are "market-distorting" and "could lead to deindustrialization in Europe." China has pushed back on the West's claims of overcapacity, accusing the bloc of being protectionist and of trying to curb China's economic development. However, Europe — like China — isn't quite the same anymore, following years of economic malaise punctuated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Persons: —, Janet Yellen, Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping's, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Matt Geraci, Geraci, Ursula von der Leyen, Von, Leyen, Léonie Allard, Allard, Xi Organizations: Service, State Authority, European Union, Business, La Tribune Dimanche, Atlantic, Associated Press, European, overcapacity, Council's Locations: China, France, Serbia, Hungary, European, Germany, Europe, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Euro zone business activity grows at fastest pace in almost a year, PMI shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Euro zone business activity expanded at its fastest pace in almost a year last month as a resurgence in the bloc's dominant services industry more than offset a deeper downturn in manufacturing, a survey showed on Monday. That was its second month above the 50 mark separating growth from contraction and the highest since May last year. The services PMI leapt to 53.3 from 51.5, above the flash estimate of 52.9 and its highest reading since last May. A sister survey released last week showed factory activity in the euro zone took a turn for the worse in April, highlighting the divergence between the two sectors. The composite future output index dipped only slightly from March's 61.6 - its highest since February 2022 - to 61.6.

Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia Organizations: P Global, Service, Hamburg Commercial Bank, PMI Locations: March's, Hamburg

☆ We are 6 months from the 2024 presidential election. Here's where things stand.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewWith six months until Election Day, the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is already in high gear. In March, Biden and Trump clinched enough delegates to secure the Democratic and GOP presidential nominations, respectively, ahead of their party conventions. AP Photo/David YeazellIn 2020, Biden won the election by winning core Democratic states and every major swing state except for North Carolina, which he lost by one percentage point. AdvertisementA win in North Carolina could also give Biden breathing room as he faces challenges in other swing states. Many of these voters backed Biden in 2020 but say their support of the president is not guaranteed in November.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, RealClearPolling, David Yeazell, He's, It's, Barack Obama, Haley, Roe, Wade, Gash, Kamala Harris, Harris Organizations: Service, Trump, Democratic, Florida Gov, Business, Trump —, Biden, Harvard, NPR, Marist, AP, The Washington Post, Arizona, Republicans, Arizona —, GOP, Israel, Columbia University, Ivy League, Michigan Locations: Manhattan, — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Wilmington , North Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan , Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Gaza, Israel, New York

☆ Georgia rocked by protests as government pushes Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —After spending his days making wine in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Tsotne Jafaridze returns home to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and begins his new routine. Jafaridze, who also owns a travel business and says he receives 95% of his income from foreign sources, says he would “immediately” be listed as a foreign agent under the broadly-written law. But the government reintroduced the same bill in March and appears determined to force it through, despite protests that grow fiercer every week. Despite recent Russian aggression against Georgia, Georgian Dream has long been accused of harboring pro-Russian sympathies and its billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in the Soviet Union. Bidzina Ivanishvili addresses a rally in support of the "foreign agent" law in Tbilisi, April 29, 2024.

Persons: Jafaridze, ”, Vladimir Putin, “, Giorgi Arjevanidze, isn’t, ” Natalie Sabanadze, –, Levan Khabeishvili, Khabeishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili, ” Buziashvili, Ivanishvili, Bidzina, Shakh, Sabanandze, Irakli Kobakhidze, Kobakhidze, ” Sabanadze, Viktor Orban, Europe’s, Matthew Miller, Washington, Georgia “, Irakli Gedenidze, Viktor Yanukovych, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, European Union, Getty, EU, United National Movement, National Security Council, Soviet Army, Soviet Union, Belarus ’, Party, Georgian, Conservative Political, United, State Department, Protesters, Reuters Locations: Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia’s, Russia, Georgian, Russian, Soviet, AFP, Brussels, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, stoke, ”

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