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July 5 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Traders will also have Japanese, Australian and Indian services PMIs to digest, as well as the latest inflation data from Thailand and the Philippines, and can expect trading volume to return to more normal levels after the July 4 U.S. holiday. Service sector activity, however, has held up reasonably well and has expanded every month this year, according to the PMI data. This comes ahead of a planned visit to Beijing by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this week. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Janet Yellen, Alistair Bell Organizations: Service, PMI, U.S, Treasury, Reserve Bank of Australia, PMIs, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Thailand, Philippines, Beijing, Tokyo, Japan, China, India, Australia

☆ Ghost of Silicon Valley Bank turns up in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The rapid collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this year was largely down to an ill-advised bond portfolio and liabilities that were less sticky than assumed. While Italy’s Eurovita isn’t a bank, its demise has some similarities with events across the Atlantic. Eurovita, whose 2022 balance sheet was only about 15 billion euros, chiefly offered life insurance products that guaranteed policyholders’ invested capital and a fixed annual return. Follow @LJucca on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSItaly’s top four insurers and Germany’s Allianz have agreed a multibillion-euro rescue deal for ailing life insurer Eurovita, industry supervisor IVASS said on June 30. The deal also involves banks that sold the insurance products through their networks.

Persons: policyholders ’, Cinven, Intesa, redemptions, Eurovita, Marco Sesana, weren’t, IVASS, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Banco, Reuters Breakingviews, Allianz, Germany’s Allianz, Thomson Locations: Silicon, Eurovita

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturers reported another widespread decline in business activity during June, which continued to weigh down industrial energy consumption and prices. Chartbook: U.S. industrial energy useThe forward-looking new orders component rose to 45.6 (9th percentile) in June up from 42.6 (6th percentile) in May but was still down from 49.2 (19th percentile) a year ago. ENERGY CONSUMPTIONIndustrial energy consumption is closely correlated with the manufacturing and freight cycle. Softness in diesel and electricity consumption is consistent with the moderate but persistent downturn in manufacturing evident in ISM surveys since the middle of 2022. It has helped take some of the pressure off diesel and electricity supplies and reversed the previous upward trend in prices.

Persons: John Kemp, David Holmes Organizations: Institute, Supply, Business, Institute for Supply Management, Manufacturers, U.S . Energy Information, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, United States, doldrums

☆ The sun has produced a record number of sunspots — and it could mean power outages, grounded flights, and beautiful auroras
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists are paying close attention to this number because it can help predict if powerful solar flares may cause problems for Earth. Because we're seeing more sunspots than expected, we're likely to see a much stronger solar maximum than had been anticipated. A solar maximum is on its wayThe sun follows a solar cycle, whereby its activity grows and wanes approximately every 11 years. The latest solar cycle was particularly quiet and may have lulled us into a false sense of security, he added. Still, if the sun peaks at 200 sunspots, it will be far from the biggest solar maximum on record.

Persons: —, Auroras, Keith Strong, Mathew Owens, Owens Organizations: Service, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, NASA, Federal Aviation Administration, Riverton, Twitter, Royal Observatory, University of Reading Locations: North America, Central America, South America, Arizona, Riverton, Belgium

☆ Summer cooking hack: Ways to grill with campfires or firepits
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Start with a few key itemsAs with an indoor kitchen, you’ll need a few crucial tools to make your outdoor cooking expeditions a success. Metal cutlery are staples of outdoor cooking. Simple to prepare in advance, foil packets are among the easiest meals for a campfire cooking newbie to whip up. For skillet cooking, you can experiment with some of your usual one-pan meals transferred to the outdoors. One note: High-sided stainless steel firepits, such as Solo Stoves, aren’t the best option for cooking in coals.

Persons: they’re, I’ve, Helmut Feil, •, ”, Dani Meyer, you’re, Harlan Schwartz, ” Meyer, Meyer, Casey Barber Organizations: CNN

☆ Do Yoga Pants Qualify as Real Pants?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I feel great when working out and love yoga pants. But as the return to work has picked up at least some steam, so has the debate about the actual “pants-ness” of yoga pants. This is in part why they are sometimes known as “boot-cut leggings” or “flared leggings” instead of “yoga pants.” By borrowing the language of pants, they edge closer to that category. But let’s be honest: Yoga pants are not pants. Yoga pants, on the other hand, are much more about revealing the body in some of its glory.

Persons: Mary Locations: Raleigh, N.C

☆ UBS shares 9 charts that show global stocks are barreling towards a sell-off as recession fears flare
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

But UBS analysts are expecting that global equity valuations will sell off later this year. Stocks may be riding the ongoing bull rally back to all-time highs, but that doesn't mean Wall Street's fears of an economic downturn have completely dissipated. In fact, even prominent investors such as Evercore founder Roger Altman have called for a recession by the end of 2023. And according to analysts at UBS investment bank, a potential market sell-off wouldn't be solely concentrated in the technology sector. In the note, Baweja and his team also shared nine "essential" charts showing why they expect equities to sell off this year.

Persons: Roger Altman, Joe Mazzola — Charles Schwab's, —, Bhano Baweja, Baweja Organizations: UBS

☆ Wildfire Smoke Is Damaging Our Children’s Lungs - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Alexander Rabin | Lisa Patel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When smoke from Canadian wildfires was descending upon parts of the Midwest and Eastern United States in early June, children and parents gathered in the courtyard of Burns Park Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., for a picnic celebrating the last week of school. Shannon Hautamaki was loath to cancel end-of-school activities for her 5-year-old son, Ian. But Ian has severe asthma and had been to the emergency room five times over the last two years, and she anticipated a flare-up from the smoke. As physicians who specialize in respiratory health and children, our first thought last week as wildfire smoke again engulfed parts of the United States was of little ones Ian’s age and younger because their developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to smoke inhalation. This new recurring threat of terrible air quality from wildfire smoke is one big reason we believe that for a child born today, climate change may be the single greatest determinant of health over the course of their lives.

Persons: Shannon Hautamaki, loath, Ian Organizations: Midwest, Eastern Locations: Eastern United States, Ann Arbor, Mich, United States

☆ Smoke will keep pouring into the US as long as fires are burning in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Massive fires burning in remote areas – like some of those currently burning in northwestern Quebec – are often too out of control to do anything about. Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the view of the Statue of Liberty on Friday in New York. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Smoke and haze is seen from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, June 27. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images Smoke from Canadian wildfires obscures the visibility in Pittsburgh on June 8. Another issue is the increase in the wildfires are caused by climate change, and are simultaneously making climate change worse.

Persons: ” Robert Gray, you’ve, they’re, “ There’s, don’t, ”, Daniel Perrakis, ” Gray, Shiraaz Mohamed, Gray, “, ” Perrakis, Ed Jones, David Dee Delgado, Gary Hershorn, Haze, Gene J, Jim Watson, Megan Smith, Kamil Krzaczynski, Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, Drew Angerer, Shannon Stapleton, Ronald Reagan, Saul Loeb, Matt McClain, Emmalee Reed, Hannah Beier, Mandel Ngan, New York City, Timothy A, Clary, Mike Segar, John Minchillo, Shanita Hancle, Seth Wenig, Matt Rourke, Ting Shen, Matt Slocum, Amr Alfiky, John Meore, Leah Millis, George Washington, Peter Carr, Yuki Iwamura, Kareem Elgazzar, Carlos Osorio, Frank Franklin II, Merrily Cassidy, Spencer Colby, Jason Rock, BJ Fuchs, Anne, Sophie Thill, we’ve, it’s Organizations: CNN, Canadian Forest Service, Firefighters, Getty, ” “, Nature Conservancy, Rockefeller Center, North, Corbis, PNC Park, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Traffic, Chesapeake, Lincoln Memorial, USA, People, Canadian Forces, Reuters, BC, Service, Xinhua, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Capitol, Trade, AP Transit, T, Alberta Wildfire, New, New York City, Getty Images Workers, Citizens Bank, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Empire, George Washington Bridge, New York State Thruway, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cape Cod Times, Anadolu Agency, Canadian Press, AP, Wildfire Service, Communications, Space, NASA, Reuters Firefighters, Kamloops Fire Rescue, Shining Bank Locations: Wisconsin, Vermont, North Carolina, Canada, Quebec, Canadian, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, France, AFP, New Jersey, Manhattan, New York, North America, New, Pittsburgh, Stevensville , Maryland, Washington ,, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Mistissini, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, Washington, Philadelphia, Elmont , New York, Baltimore, Evansburg , Alberta, Brooklyn , New York, Piermont , New York, Fort Lee , New Jersey, George, West Nyack, New York's, New York City, Cincinnati, Rock Harbor, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Ottawa, Fort Nelson, Shelburne County , Nova Scotia, Communications Nova Scotia, Shelburne , Nova Scotia, Fort St, John, Kamloops, Shining Bank , Alberta, Lytton

☆ From George Washington to Donald Trump, America’s obsession with secret societies is a mainstay of our democracy — and it resurfaces whenever there’s a renewed push for civil rights, author of new boo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Multiple presidents, from George Washington to Donald Trump, have endorsed conspiracy theories. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln both openly espoused conspiracy theories of various kinds. It was important for me early on to make a distinction between actual conspiracies and conspiracy theories. And those tend to be a specific cover-up around specific things, there's an identifiable group of actors and once you start doing basic journalism, these things tend to unravel pretty quickly. So I think that's, unfortunately, where we're heading.

Persons: Colin Dickey's, George Washington, Donald Trump, —, Colin Dickey, Dickey, Trump, Abraham Lincoln, Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein Organizations: Freemasons, Service, American, United, Civil Rights Movement, People Locations: United States, —, America, Iran, Salem

☆ A Photographer’s Self-Portraits of Multiple Sclerosis and Medical Care - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Sara J. Winston | Photographs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chronic illness is well hidden from society. Before I had a name for what ailed my body, I thought of myself as dehydrated and out of shape. At that time, I looked at chronic illness as an outsider. In the fall of 2015, under the care of a neurologist, I began a monthly intravenous treatment of medication that blocks immune cells from entering the brain and spinal cord. I travel 65 miles to a site in the Hudson Valley for the infusion therapy.

Organizations: NewYork, Presbyterian Hospital Locations: Hudson

☆ Powerful solar flares have been causing radio blackouts on Earth — here's a time-lapse video of 4 years of intense storms on the sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The sun is about to enter a peak activity period, letting off space weather-causing solar flares. These solar flares aren't dangerous but have caused sporadic radio blackouts on Earth. A few powerful solar flares have already sent space weather towards our planet in recent months. NOAA/InsiderHere's what this looks like:In the time-lapse video, solar flares appear as an intense brightening of a region on the sun. How solar flares can lead to radio blackoutsDuring certain space weather events, such as solar flares, solar energetic particles travel down geomagnetic field lines in the polar regions.

Persons: —, Mathew Owens, We're, aren't Organizations: Service, NOAA, NASA, University of Reading, Federal Aviation Administration, Riverton Locations: Riverton , Utah, New Mexico, Belgium

Oanda analyst Craig Erlam said prices were mainly at the mercy of "the ever-changing expectations for interest rates". European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday that stubbornly high inflation will require the bank to avoid declaring an end to rate hikes. Higher interest rates can weigh on economic activity and oil demand. But the upbeat data suggested the Federal Reserve will likely have to continue raising interest rates to slow demand in the overall economy. The U.S. central bank, which has raised its policy rate by 500 basis points since March 2022, signaled this month that two additional rate hikes were warranted this year.

Persons: Brent, Craig Erlam, Christine Lagarde, Phil Flynn, Wagner, PVM's Tamas Varga, Saudi Arabia's, Li Qiang, Stephanie Kelly, Shadia Nasralla, Trixie Yap, Jan Harvey, David Goodman, Ed Osmond, Deepa Babington, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, European Central Bank, Price Futures, Reserve, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Saudi, Thomson Locations: contango, Europe, United States, U.S, Russia, China

SummarySummary Companies Oil price structure implies demand bulls are retreating2-mth Brent spread in contango, implying oversupply concernECB poised for further rate hikesLONDON, June 27 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Tuesday ahead of data shedding light on U.S. appetite for fuel during the summer driving season, with the Brent benchmark's price structure indicating bulls are retreating. U.S. inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute industry group is expected after 2000 GMT, followed by government data on Wednesday. For the two-month spread , the market is in shallow contango, the opposite price structure, indicating traders are factoring in a currently slightly oversupplied market. The oil market has shrugged off a clash between Moscow and Russian mercenary group Wagner which was averted on Saturday. Russian oil loadings have kept on schedule.

Persons: Brent, Craig Erlam, Christine Lagarde, Wagner, PVM's Tamas Varga, Saudi Arabia's, Premier Li Qiang, Trixie Yap, Jan Harvey, Louise Heavens Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Central Bank, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Saudi, Premier, Thomson Locations: contango, U.S, Moscow, Russian, China

☆ The sun's activity could peak 2 years early, frying satellites and causing radio blackouts by the end of this year, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The sun is becoming more active and may reach peak activity sooner than expected. We're currently approaching solar maximum, when the sun reaches peak activity, which experts have previously predicted should happen in 2025. NASAFor example, already this year a powerful solar flare caused widespread radio blackouts that disrupted high-frequency radio signals in North America, Central America, and South America. In the past, powerful solar storms have surged the Quebec power grid, causing blackouts that lasted up to eight hours. Why experts think solar maximum will hit soonWhen the sun's magnetic field is weak, its surface gets a lot more interesting to look at.

Persons: —, We're, Alex James, that's, NASA Goddard, Joy Ng Organizations: Service, University of College London, NASA, YouTube, Dynamics, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, CME Locations: North America, Central America, South America, Quebec, Arizona

☆ Russian jets said to step up strikes on Syrian rebel enclave
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

White Helmets/Handout via REUTERSAMMAN, June 25 (Reuters) - Russian jets bombed villages and towns near the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Sunday, killing at least nine civilians and wounding dozens in a major flare-up of violence in the country's last opposition stronghold, witnesses and rescuers said. No immediate comment was available from Russia or its allies in the Syrian army, whose artillery pounded rebel areas in the countryside west of Aleppo. During past outbreaks of fighting, Damascus and Russia have said they only target insurgent groups and deny indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Damascus has in recent rounds of Russian-brokered talks with Ankara demanded that Turkey withdraw a formidable military presence in the last foothold of the Syrian rebellion. Turkish troops based in the region have held back Russia and Damascus from a final assault to wrest back control of the enclave.

Persons: Sham, jihadists, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Russian Sukhoi, Ankara, Thomson Locations: Russian, Jisr, Shughour, Syria, REUTERS AMMAN, Syrian, Idlib, Jabal al, Russia, Turkey, Aleppo, Damascus, Turkish, Hayat, Qardaha, Latakia, Moscow

☆ Investors look to next week's key inflation data after rally in stocks stumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Dow Jones Industrial Average , the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq lost more than 1% each for this holiday-shortened week. This coming week will feature some key inflation data to keep an eye on. On Tuesday, the May housing starts report was released, coming in much stronger than expected, at a 1.63 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), versus 1.39 million SAAR expected. Building permits were also above expectations at a1.49 million SAAR versus 1.43 million SAAR expected. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Jim Cramer, he's, Jefferies, JEF, Mills, HB Fuller, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: Federal, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Constellation Brands, Corp, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Micron Technology, Gross, Aid, McCormick &, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Getty Locations: U.S, SAAR

☆ Summer transfer window: The biggest moves so far as Saudi Arabia becomes major factor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —European soccer’s summer transfer window is in full swing, with several household names already moving to pastures new. Karim Benzema – Real Madrid to Al-IttihadIn the first major coup of the summer for the Saudi Pro League, Karim Benzema has agreed to join Al-Ittihad once his contract expires with Real Madrid. After a disappointing season, Real Madrid will be hopeful that Bellingham will be a star midfielder for years to come once the ageing Luka Modric and Toni Kroos depart. The 32-year-old midfielder has signed a contract worth around £86 million ($109.8 million) a year, according to UK media. Rice, who was in the youth ranks at Chelsea and then West Ham, was voted Conference League player of the season.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo’s, Al Nassr, Karim Benzema –, Karim Benzema, Ittihad, Benzema, Frenchman, Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid Jude Bellingham, Florencia Tan Jun, Bellingham, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, N’Golo Kanté, Ittihad N'Golo Kanté, Justin Tallis, Kanté, Christopher Nkunku –, Chelsea Christopher Nkunku, Annegret Hilse, Germain, Chrisopher Nkunku, Nkunku, Todd Boehly, Kai Havertz, Germany's, Maja Hitij, Kai Kavertz, Mikel Arteta, Havertz, Boehly, Declan Rice –, Declan Rice, Richard Heathcote, Rice, West Ham’s, Mateo Kovačić –, Mateo Kovačić, Pep Guardiola’s, İlkay Gündoğan, Bernardo Silva, Alexis Mac Allister, Alex Pantling, Lionel Messi, Mac Allister, Jurgen Klopp, Mac, Roberto Firmino’s, Rúben Neves, Al Hilal Rúben Neves, Naomi Baker, Al Hilal, Neves Organizations: CNN, Super League, CNN Sport, Saudi Pro League, Al, Real Madrid, League, La Liga, Real, Champions League, Borussia Dortmund, Birmingham City, English, Ittihad N'Golo, France, Getty, Benzema, Chelsea, Premier League, FA, Europa League, UEFA Super, Leicester, Leipzig, RB Leipzig, Bundesliga, Reuters, Paris Saint, Arsenal, Ukraine, Gunners, Manchester City, football’s, Europa Conference League, Gent, Manchester United, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Manchester, Argentina, Brighton, Liverpool, Anfield, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves, Everton, Molineux, Portugal Locations: England, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Portuguese, Saudi Arabian, Karim Benzema – Real Madrid, Al, Ittihad, Bellingham, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Leicester, Paris, Leipzig, Bremen, Germany, Declan Rice – West Ham, West Ham, Mateo Kovačić – Chelsea, Madrid, Spain, Croatian, Brighton, Argentina, Qatar, Barcelona

☆ New Zealand PM disagrees with Biden, says Xi Jinping not a 'dictator'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 22 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, ahead of his official trip to China at end of this month, said on Thursday he did not agree with U.S. President Joe Biden's remark that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a dictator. "No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," Hipkins told reporters. Hipkins is scheduled to visit China from June 25 to 30, leading a trade delegation that includes some of New Zealand's biggest companies. He will meet Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, Zhao Leji. China hit back on Wednesday after Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, an unexpected flare-up following attempts by both sides to reduce friction.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Joe Biden's, Xi Jinping, Hipkins, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Biden, Renju Jose, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, Zealand, National People's Congress, Thomson Locations: China, Sydney

☆ 'We do not want only a ceasefire': EU chief calls for lasting peace in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A ceasefire in Ukraine is not enough for European officials, who want lasting peace in the region, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNBC. So it has to be a real peace," von der Leyen said on the sidelines of a conference on reconstruction efforts for Ukraine. Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, von der Leyen said that China can nevertheless be a crucial player in the peace process. Her comments come as western governments seem to be stepping up their efforts for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Von der Leyen said the two-day meeting in London was about governments coordinating their aid to Kyiv, but also about convincing private investors to join in.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Steve Sedgwick, Rishi Sunak, Von der Leyen Organizations: CNBC, Military, Kyiv, UN, Wednesday, European Union, World Bank, European Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Crimea —, China, Crimea, London, Nova

☆ Water wars: Afghanistan and Iran's deadly border flare-up spotlights scarcity crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Kajaki Hydroelectric Dam in Kajaki, Afghanistan in the Helmand province on June 4, 2018 in Kajaki, Afghanistan. Iranian and Afghan border guards clashed on May 27, exchanging heavy gunfire that killed two Iranian guards and one Taliban soldier and wounded several others. A dangerous borderThe 580-mile border between Afghanistan and Iran is porous and crawling with crime, predominantly coming from the Afghan side into Iran. "Iran's Afghan border has always been its most vulnerable," said Kamal Alam, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center. In the 1950s, Afghanistan built two major dams that limited the flow of water from the Helmand river into Iran.

Persons: Maplecroft, Wakil Kohsar, Soltvedt, Kamal Alam, Alam, Ryan Bohl, Rane, Ebrahim Raisi, Yamil Lage Organizations: Orbital, Copernicus Sentinel, Getty Images, CNBC, Taliban, Afp, Getty, Asia Center, East Locations: Kajaki, Afghanistan, Helmand, Getty Images Iran, Iran, Tehran, destabilization, East, North Africa, Afghan, Zaranj, Iran's, Khuzestan, Nimruz, Helmand Province, Sistan, Baluchistan, Havana, Cuba

☆ Pentagon chief expresses optimism over eventual China talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed optimism on Friday that he would eventually hold talks with his Chinese counterpart after being snubbed by Beijing during an event in Singapore earlier this month. Relations between the United States and China are increasingly acrimonious, with friction over issues from Taiwan and China's military activity in the South China Sea to U.S. efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry. Austin said he has not reached out since China declined to hold formal talks with him at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security summit, in Singapore. And we will continue to work to make sure that we have open lines of communication," Austin said. Reporting by Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Phil Stewart Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, we're, Austin, Austin's, Antony Blinken, Biden, Jake Sullivan, China's, ramping, I've, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Phil Stewart, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Defense, NATO, U.S, House, Tokyo . Relations, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Beijing, Singapore, Brussels, China, Tokyo, United States, Taiwan, South, U.S

☆ From rockets to recruitment, Israel's military refocuses on AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the next flare-up, Colonel Eli Birenbaum, chief of the military's operational data and applications unit, has plans to use artificial intelligence aggregation to predict the salvoes. Currently, he said, there are "many hundreds" of personnel dealing broadly with AI-related projects, and who constitute 20% of military technologists. He has government backing, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu increasing the defence budget and pledging to make Israel an AI "powerhouse". During their mandatory service - two years for women, 32 months for men - military technologists earn a monthly $335. For Israel, AI target-acquisition will not spell automated target-destruction, Birenbaum stressed.

Persons: Nir Elias RAMAT, Eli Birenbaum, Birenbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dan Williams, Supantha Mukherjee, Nick Macfie Organizations: IDF, REUTERS, Reuters, Google, Thomson Locations: Ramat Gan, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv

☆ A brilliant cosmic burst 100 times as bright as our galaxy came from 2 black holes circling each other, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Chris Panella | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Huge cosmic bursts are coming from two black holes circling each other in a distant galaxy. In this case, the flare came from a binary system consisting of two black holes trapped in a rapid dance. A cosmic burst 100 times brighter than our galaxyThe recorded burst, which astronomers observed in February 2022, occurred when the smaller black hole crashed into a disk of gas surrounding the larger black hole, the study's scientists said. Up to this point, its presence was only predicted through observations of its gravitational influence on the larger black hole. An illustration of the binary black hole system, OJ 287, showing the massive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk.

Persons: —, Mauri Valtonen, Valtonen, Swift, Cruz, they've Organizations: Service, Royal Astronomical Society, ESO, ESA, Hubble, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, NASA, OJ, University of Turku Locations: OJ287

☆ Virginia Tech’s Bias Response Team and the First Amendment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's worst and best from Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, Mary O’Grady and Dan Henninger. Images: AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyThe advertising catchphrase “see something, say something” calls to mind suspicious packages that might be bombs. At Virginia Tech, that slogan applies to the school’s official Bias Intervention and Response Team, or BIRT. Hokies are encouraged to report one another’s ill-considered opinions or crass jokes. On May 31 the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to end this, but a dissent by veteran Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III is a persuasive signal flare for the Supreme Court to take the case and defend free speech.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, Mary O’Grady, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, BIRT, Judge J, Harvie Wilkinson Organizations: Getty, Virginia Tech, Hokies

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