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☆ UBS loses bid to stop Chinese businessman's $500 mln London lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) faces a $500 million lawsuit in London brought by an exiled Chinese businessman after an appeal court on Wednesday rejected the Swiss bank’s latest attempt to have the case thrown out. UBS had previously told a lower court that the claims are denied in their entirety. Lawyers representing Guo and Ace Decade did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Judge Geoffrey Vos said in the written ruling on Wednesday that “the damage caused to Ace Decade and (Guo) occurred in London when the H-shares ... were sold by UBS London”. “UBS London significantly participated in the events which have given rise both to the claim and to the loss claimed.”Reporting by Sam Tobin; additional reporting by Kirstin Ridley.

☆ Belarusian partisans say Russian military aircraft damaged near Minsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 27 (Reuters) - A Russian A-50 surveillance military aircraft was damaged in a drone attack at an airfield near the Belarus capital of Minsk on Sunday, Belarus partisans and members of the exiled opposition said. Belsat is a Polish broadcaster focused on Belarusian news that Minsk has branded extremist. Front and central parts of the aircraft as well as the radar antenna were damaged as a result of two explosions in the attack at the Machulishchy air base near Minsk, BYPOL reported. The Beriev A-50 aircraft, which has the NATO reporting name of Mainstay, is a Russian airborne early warning aircraft, with airborne command and control capabilities, and the ability to track up to 60 targets at a time. A number of Russian warplanes and airborne early warning and control aircraft have been deployed to Belarus.

☆ Belarus group claims to have blown up an advanced Russian military aircraft, highlighting tensions within one of Putin's closest allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Opposition activists in Belarus said they destroyed a Russian military aircraft near Minsk. The head of a group opposing Belarus' dictator said those behind the attack escaped the country. The head of Belarusian opposition group BYPOL took responsibility for the attack, with its leader, Aliksandr Azarov, saying on Telegram that it was accomplished using drones. Franak Viacorka, an adviser to exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told the BBC that the attack was "creative" and "sophisticated". Belarus has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, allowing Russian troops to use the country as a transit point.

☆ Continuing Sanctions Against Russia Mark ‘Tectonic’ Shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Hundreds of companies, though, decamped, calculating that the looming threat of sanctions ratcheting up and reputational risk warranted an exit. Prof. Sonnenfeld and Mr. Tannebaum both have been personally sanctioned by Russia, which has accused critics of engaging in a “Russophobic” campaign. “Countries continue to rely on those tools for foreign policy. The Russia sanctions have functioned as a “wake-up call” to the C-suite, Mr. Smith said. The use of coordinated sanctions, both in Russia and as a broader foreign policy tool, doesn’t seem to be going away, experts agreed.

☆ A Year After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Tough Sanctions Linger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago prompted a volley of tough sanctions from the U.S. and its allies, a historic use of economic measures that will likely have lasting implications for businesses. Hundreds of companies, though, decamped, calculating that the looming threat of sanctions ratcheting up and reputational risk warranted an exit. “Countries continue to rely on those tools for foreign policy. The Russia sanctions have functioned as a “wake-up call” to the C-suite, Mr. Smith said. The use of coordinated sanctions, both in Russia and as a broader foreign policy tool, doesn’t seem to be going away, experts agreed.

☆ Time to ramp up support for Iranian people, former Shah's son says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Eight Iranian exiled dissidents, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah, discussed ways of uniting a fragmented opposition earlier this month, amid pro-government events marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution inside the country. "We are to looking at means on how we can support the movement back home," Pahlavi said. "There is a lot of discussion on maximum pressure and more sanctions, but parallel to maximum pressure there needs to be maximum support." It remains unclear how much support Pahlavi has on the ground, but there have been some pro- and anti-slogans in demonstrations. Many Iranians remember the Shah’s secret police, Savak, and Pahlavi said he condemned what had happened then.

☆ Meta allowed a Kremlin-linked oligarch to run Facebook ads calling for uprisings against pro-Western government in Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meta allowed a Moldovan oligarch, sanctioned by the US, to run paid Facebook ads, per AP. Meta removed the ads, but only after they reached an audience of millions. The paid Facebook ads featured oligarch Ilan Shor, who now lives in Israel after being convicted of massive financial fraud. In one ad, Shor, who heads the pro-Russia Shor Party, can be heard accusing Sandu's government of corruption. Moldova was rocked by mass protests late last year, which were organized by the Shor Party, the largest of which took place shortly after the ads were placed.

☆ 'Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania' reviews: The villain is good, but the movie is bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DisneyAre the pint-sized heroes of Disney's "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" enough to take on the newest — and baddest — villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" held a 53% "rotten" rating from 148 reviews, as of Wednesday afternoon. "Sometimes the weight of all this responsibility causes 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' ... to buckle at the knees," O'Sullivan wrote. Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in "Ant-Man and The Wasp in Quantumania."

☆ Voice of Democracy, one of Cambodia’s last independent media outlets, has been shut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —One of Cambodia’s last remaining independent media outlets has been shut down by Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of national elections in July, in a move condemned by rights groups as a blow to press freedom. Based in the capital Phnom Penh, Voice of Democracy (VOD), a local outlet run by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, published radio and online reports about labor and rights issues, environmental crime and political corruption. Media mainstayHun Sen has served as the country’s prime minister since 1985, making him one of the world’s longest serving leaders. Suy Se/AFP/Getty Images“The Prime Minister should immediately withdraw this heavy handed and disproportionate order,” it said. “The freedom of press in Cambodia has lost one of its last remaining independent media outlets.”

☆ Cambodia's Hun Sen orders shutdown of independent local news outlet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHNOM PENH, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the last independent local news organizations in the country on Sunday night, saying it had attacked him and his son and hurt the country. "Commentators tried to attack me and my son Hun Manet," Hun Sen wrote. The story quoted government spokesperson Phay Siphan saying the prime minister's son and presumed successor Hun Manet had signed the aid agreement. Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest-serving dictators, on whose watch political rivals have been jailed and exiled, critical media outlets shuttered and civil dissent crushed, demanded a public apology. Hun Sen said the response was unacceptable.

☆ Hunter Biden warns Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Roger Stone, and 11 others to preserve records for potential litigation following laptop scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hunter Biden's attorney sent notices to 14 people at the center of the laptop scandal. Rudy Giuliani's attorney told Insider that Biden's counsel is "acting out of desperation." The personal life and business dealings of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's middle child, have been the center of Republican criticism. Twenty days before the 2020 election, the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop became a controversial and confusing political scandal, New York Magazine reported. Rocca, Lowell, Wengui's attorneys, and an attorney for Stone, Bruce S. Rogow, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Nicaraguan Catholic bishop sentenced to decades in prison, citizenship stripped
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alvarez, bishop of the Matagalpa diocese, was convicted of treason, undermining national integrity and spreading false news, among other charges. During Friday's court hearing it was also announced that he would be fined and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. Originally scheduled for late March, the sentencing of the bishop, widely known by the Catholic honorific monsignor, was sped up without explanation. Rolando Alvarez is irrational and out of control," Silvio Baez, a senior Nicaraguan bishop exiled in Miami, wrote on Twitter after the sentence. A cameraman for a Catholic television channel was also arrested with them.

[1/2] The remains of the Ninel Hotel, a hotel taken over by Russian security officials that was hit by the Ukrainian military on October 5, are seen in downtown Kherson, Ukraine November 17, 2022. Ukraine's SBU and Russia's FSB did not respond to requests for comment on Dollar’s account or other partisan operations. Pavlo Zaporozhets served in the Ukrainian army from 2014-17 and joined Ukraine's GUR military intelligence during the occupation of Kherson, Ladin said. While some details about the FSB account were true, Ladin said, the FSB falsely accused Zaporozhets of deliberately targeting civilians as well as the night patrol. Despite the liberation of Kherson, Dollar said he and Kosatka would continue aiding the resistance until Ukrainian troops recover Crimea, where the couple owns an apartment.

☆ Protesters mark Myanmar coup anniversary, junta due to make statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Filipino activists stage a protest in solidarity with Myanmar citizens, two years since Myanmar's military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Makati City, Philippines, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezFeb 1 (Reuters) - Protesters marked the two-year anniversary of Myanmar's military coup with a "silent strike" in major cities and rallies overseas on Wednesday, as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called the army's "illegal power grab". Myanmar's military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by Suu Kyi's party. PROTESTS IN BANGKOKIn the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, images on social media showed deserted streets in what coup opponents said was a silent protest against the junta. State media recently announced tough requirements for parties to contest, a move that critics say could sideline the military's opponents and cement its grip on politics.

☆ Two years on, Myanmar coup takes a 'catastrophic toll'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

REUTERS/StaffJan 31 (Reuters) - Two years after Myanmar's military coup, a young factory worker turned resistance fighter mourns the loss of his leg in battle. The stories of four people reflect a crisis the U.N. special envoy last week warned was taking a "catastrophic toll" on the population. THE TEACHERA middle-school teacher has been living in a Thai border town since fleeing arrest in Myanmar last year. A slight woman with long black hair, she joined the civil disobedience movement (CDM) that sprang up after the coup. Her green and white uniform is safe in Myanmar, she said, neatly stored, in case of her return.

BANGKOK, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Thailand's ruling pro-military Palang Pracharat party has chosen political veteran and former army chief Prawit Wongsuwon as its prime minister candidate, a senior official said on Friday, as parties gear up for an election that must be held by May. "He is the centre of the party ... our members, parliamentarians all see him as talented and most suitable," Palang Pracharat's deputy leader Paiboon Nititawan said after a party meeting. Both are former army chiefs who often refer to each other as brothers, hailing from the elite Queen's Guard unit. In a Facebook post on Wednesday Prawit said "politicians must be able to work with all parties, compromise to reduce conflict and adhere to the public interest." A "divide and conquer" strategy might work, he added, with Prawit's party able to win votes in areas where Prayuth may not be popular.

☆ Three arrested in murder-for-hire plot targeting U.S. journalist who criticized Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Three men have been arrested for a murder-for-hire plot that targeted a U.S. journalist and human rights activist of Iranian origin who has been a prominent critic of Iran, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday. The same victim, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, had been the target of an earlier kidnapping plot, which led the Department of Justice in 2021 to obtain an indictment against four people who had ties with Iranian intelligence. Masih Alinejad, an exiled Iranian journalist, identified herself in 2021 as the target of that kidnapping plot. The latest plot began in 2022, when members of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran were enlisted to assassinate the unidentified victim, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, an indictment alleges. That group's participation in the plot was directed by a man named Rafat Amirov, the group's leader, who lives in Iran and "who was tasked with targeting the Victim by individuals in Iran," the indictment charges.

☆ Thai PM walks out of news conference over question on ex-leader Thaksin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha campaigns as the PM candidate for the United Thai Nation Party (Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party) ahead of a general election this year in Bangkok, Thailand, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The mere mention of Thailand's ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra prompted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to walk out of a news conference this week, irked by talk of the exiled political heavyweight's long-touted return. I don't like it," Prayuth said on Wednesday cutting off a reporter's question about Thaksin, before walking away from the podium and out of the venue. Paetongtarn, 36, last week declared her readiness to be prime minister with the Pheu Thai Party, which won most seats in the 2019 election but not enough to form a government. Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Finland’s top diplomat hints at joining NATO without Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Finland’s top diplomat appeared to suggest Tuesday that the country may have to consider joining NATO without Sweden after Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on the expansion of the military alliance. Haavisto later backpedaled, telling reporters in Parliament that his comment earlier Tuesday had been “imprecise” and that Finland’s ambition to join NATO jointly with Sweden remained unchanged. “But of course there have been raised concerns within NATO on how the (recent) incidents in Sweden will affect the schedule,” Haavisto said. Until now, Sweden and Finland have been committed to joining the alliance together, but Haavisto’s comment to YLE raised concerns that Finland was considering proceeding without its Nordic neighbor. “Sweden respects the agreement between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our NATO membership.

☆ Washington Post publisher slams Pompeo calling Jamal Khashoggi an 'activist' in new book, fires back that CIA 'concluded Jamal was brutally murdered'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Washington Post official blasted Mike Pompeo for his portrayal of Jamal Khashoggi in his new book. Post publisher Fred Ryan said Pompeo "outrageously" misrepresents "the life and work" of Khashoggi. "As the CIA — which Pompeo once directed — concluded, Jamal was brutally murdered on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman." The report also described that later in his life Khashoggi's ties to the group were "ambiguous." Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, Khashoggi's widow, told NBC News that Khashoggi' was never part of the group.

☆ Thousands protest in Brussels demanding release of Belgian aid worker in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] People hold pictures of Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele during a protest against his detention in Iran, as he was sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes on charges including spying, in Brussels, Belgium January 22, 2023. REUTERS/Yves HermanBRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels on Sunday to protest against the detention in Iran of Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison on charges including spying. "His life is in danger, contribute to his freedom," "#Free Olivier Vandecasteele," read banners held by protesters who included Vandecasteele's family, friends and colleagues. Belgium's constitutional court will next month hold a hearing on the legality of a Belgian prisoner exchange treaty with Iran. Reporting by Marine Strauss @StraussMarine, Clement Rossignol Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Belarus' exiled opposition leader says trial has 'nothing to do with justice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus' exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has bene put of trial for charges of treason and attempting to seize power. Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was put on trial in absentia this week on treason charges, said she has no hope that she will receive a fair trial. Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus after Lukashenko seized power in the sharply contested 2020 elections, which were followed by widespread demonstrations over alleged electoral fraud. She was put on trial Tuesday and faces a possible jail term of 15 years on charges of treason and attempting to seize power. Tsikhanouskaya's trial comes amid ongoing concerns over Lukashenko's ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the possible escalation of Belarus' engagement in the war in Ukraine.

☆ Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi channelled own experience of Iran in thriller 'Holy Spider'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] The 75th Cannes Film Festival - News conference for the film "Holy Spider" in competition - Cannes, France, May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Iranian actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who fled her home country in 2008 in fear after a private video was leaked, says she channelled her own experience in the thriller "Holy Spider", a dark tale of a serial killer in the holy city Mashhad. Amir Ebrahimi plays journalist Rahimi, who is trying to find him and suspects corruption is preventing his arrest. I'm maybe not that victim but I've been in the centre of a society judged by many people," Amir Ebrahimi said. "Holy Spider", selected as Denmark's submission for best international feature for the Oscars, won Amir Ebrahimi the best actress award at Cannes.

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Belarus put exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on trial in absentia on treason charges on Tuesday, in what the outspoken critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko said would be a "farce and a show". Tsikhanouskaya, 40, fled Belarus after running against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election which was followed by mass protests over alleged electoral fraud. Tsikhanouskaya and several others were to be tried on charges of treason and attempting to seize power, the court said before the trial. Rights activists estimate about 1,500 people are in jail in Belarus on politically motivated charges. They could face from seven to 12 years in jail on charges of financing protests and smuggling money.

☆ Russian gas will eventually return to Europe as nations 'forgive and forget,' Qatari energy minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not resume its supply of natural gas to Germany through the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a malfunctioning turbine. Hannibal Hanschke | ReutersThe European Union's rejection of Russian energy commodities following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine won't last forever, Qatar's Energy Minister said during an energy conference over the weekend. EU countries have dramatically cut down their imports of Russian energy supplies, imposing sanctions in response to Moscow's brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "But Russian gas is going back, in my view, to Europe," al-Kaabi said. Italy has dramatically reduced its reliance on Russian gas by replacing it with energy sources from alternative producers, such as Algeria.

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