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☆ Former Fugees Rapper Pras Michel Convicted of Role in Foreign-Influence Scheme Tied to 1MDB
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Aruna Viswanatha | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pras Michel, former member of the Fugees, leaving federal court in Washington earlier this month. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg NewsWASHINGTON— Pras Michel , who rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Fugees hip-hop trio, was found guilty Wednesday of serving as the linchpin of a multimillion-dollar foreign-influence scheme that spanned two presidencies and combined celebrity with political intrigue. After a monthlong trial, a jury in Washington convicted Mr. Michel on charges he improperly injected millions of dollars in donations to then-President Barack Obama ’s re-election campaign in 2012 and, years later, illegally lobbied the Trump administration.

☆ Pras Michel found guilty in scheme to help China influence US government
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In his defense, Michel testified he never used the money at Low’s direction but instead saw it as his money which he could spend however he wanted. According to the prosecutors, Low directed over $100 million to Michel to help push the government, including Trump, to drop its investigation into Low. Prosecutors also say Michel advocated for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, on behalf of the Chinese government. Michel, however, testified he only tried to help Low find an attorney in the US and only told authorities about Guo because he thought he was a criminal. Low, who was charged along with Michel, is believed to be in China.

☆ Fugees rapper convicted in US over lobbying campaigns with Malaysian financier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Nathan HowardWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents. Low, who also faces separate federal charges in New York that he embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, remains at large. Because federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to U.S. campaigns, prosecutors said Michel masked the source of the funds. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money," Michel told the jury, describing the payment as "free money." On whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, Michel told jurors that his attorney George Higgenbotham never told him it was required by law.

☆ Fugees Rapper Pras Michel Found Guilty in Illegal Foreign Influence Scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A founding member of the hip-hop group the Fugees was found guilty in federal court on Wednesday of orchestrating a sprawling international conspiracy that used millions of dollars worth of foreign money for illegal lobbying and campaign contributions, the Justice Department said. The rapper Prakazrel Michel, known as Pras, had been accused of accepting $865,000 from Low Taek Jho, a Malaysian financier, and giving that money to a network of straw donors who used it to make campaign contributions to former President Barack Obama in 2012. Mr. Michel was also accused by prosecutors of trying to convince the Trump administration and the Justice Department to drop federal investigations into Mr. Low related to embezzlement, as well as assisting China in its efforts to have a Chinese dissident brought back to China, according to the Justice Department. Mr. Michel, who received millions of dollars for his part in the schemes, was convicted of 10 criminal counts including money laundering, illegal lobbying, witness tampering and campaign finance violations, according to court records. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.

Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File PhotoApril 25 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree establishing temporary control of the Russian assets of two foreign energy firms, signaling Moscow could take similar action against other companies if need be. The decree - outlining possible retaliation if Russian assets abroad are seized - showed Moscow had already taken action against Uniper SE's (UN01.DE) Russian division and the assets of Finland's Fortum Oyj (FORTUM.HE). Rosimushchestvo said more foreign firms could find their assets under temporary Russian control, TASS reported. Last October European Council President Charles Michel said the EU was looking at using Russian assets frozen under sanctions against Moscow towards rebuilding Ukraine. Fortum had already warned shareholders there was a risk its Russian assets could be expropriated.

NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Months after his departure from “The Daily Show" in late 2022, comedian Trevor Noah won a Webby Award for comedy in the “America’s Door Problem” segment of the late-night talk show, in which he pushes for gun control and criticizes policymakers’ response to mass shootings. In Noah's segment, he skewers the beliefs of some conservatives that books, critical race theory, video games and rap music lead to gun violence. “Yeah, that’s right, that’s how evil critical race theory is — it's only been around for like a year and it’s already caused three decades of school shootings,” Noah said. Some notable past winners include talk show host Stephen Colbert, comedian Sarah Silverman, television producer Lorne Michaels and French filmmaker Michel Gondry. Reporting by Alicia Powell and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU leaders will discuss China relation during June summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, April 24 (Reuters) - EU leaders will discuss the bloc's stance towards China and its future relations with the country during their next summit in June, EU Council President Charles Michel said on Monday. "EU-China policy will be on the agenda of our European council in June," Michel said in a post on Twitter. "Foreign affairs ministers will prepare this discussion under the leadership of the High representative Josep Borrell." EU foreign affairs ministers, speaking before a joint meeting on Monday, expressed their dismay over recent remarks by China's ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet states such as Ukraine. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Marine Strauss; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tiffany: Not Just a Shopping Destination, But a World-Class Museum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Stephen Wallis | Photography Nagi Sakai For Wsj. Magazine | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

When Tiffany & Co. reopens its New York City flagship on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street this spring, following three years of work, visitors will hardly recognize the street-level sales floor famously featured in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Where dark-green marble and teak columns once surrounded a bank of art deco elevators, a showstopping painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat now hangs. The canvas was chosen especially for the robin’s-egg-blue background that nearly matches Tiffany’s own trademarked blue. It’s an intentionally placed lure—inviting in those tourists who come to re-create Audrey Hepburn’s dreamy window-shopping scene. In the new-look Tiffany, splashy art abounds: A concave, faceted stainless-steel Anish Kapoor wall sculpture in the third-floor wedding and engagement area seems tailor-made for celebratory ring-shopping selfies.

☆ ‘Other People’s Children’ Review: True Romance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Manohla Dargis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When a woman falls in love in the sensitive French slice of life “Other People’s Children,” you may fall, too. She also has time for other pursuits, including guitar lessons, which is how she meets Ali (Roschdy Zem), a car designer. Things between Rachel and Ali progress rapidly in brief, viscerally lived-in scenes humming with cheerful energy. Just 4½, Leila is a charming pixie and, after some friction, she and Rachel take to each other. She gets stoned, goes to parties, works diligently; at school, she flirts with a colleague and supports a troubled student.

☆ Fugees star says money from Malaysian financier was for Obama photo, not campaign donation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Michel faces criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance charges for allegedly plotting with Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Michel said he used some of the funds for three friends to attend $40,000-a-plate fundraisers for Obama. "When you received the money from Jho Low, you used it to make political contributions," federal prosecutor John Keller said in a Washington court. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money." Michel is accused of involvement with Low in three schemes, for which prosecutors say he was paid millions of dollars.

☆ Fact Check-Screenshot saying Bud Light sales are down 80% stems from satire website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An article about Bud Light sales being down 80 percent and its entire marketing team being fired following the brand’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney stems from a satirical website. Mulvaney’s sponsorship with Bud Light triggered a conservative backlash. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told Reuters via email that the claim that sales were 80% down was not true. Reuters has debunked other claims related to the Mulvaney, including one saying the company CEO resigned (here), or apologized (here). A screenshot that says Bud Light sales are down 80% stem from a satire article.

☆ Pras Michel: Former Fugees rapper testifies in his own trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

According to Michel, Low had asked him in 2012 to set up a picture of Low and Obama. Michel told Low to give him $1 million and he would think about how to make that happen. “I thought that I could just give my friends” money to contribute to the campaign, Michel told the jury. A prosecutor told Michel during cross examination that funneling donations through other individuals is illegal. Prosecutor John Keller also asked Michel about funds to help Low find an attorney, which Michel contested was not illegal.

☆ Lebanon postpones local elections by a year to avoid more paralysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 18 (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday voted to extend the terms of municipal councils and other local officials, delaying elections to avoid further political paralysis in a country still in the throes of an economic meltdown. Staggered municipal and council elections had been scheduled for May but funding has not yet been secured by the state, according to caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. Some parliamentarians, including from the Lebanese Forces party boycotted the vote, saying elections were a right. Others have disputed parliament's ability to legislate at all, arguing that the constitution stipulates it should elect a president before working on laws. Lawmakers have held repeated sessions to elect a new president in recent months but no candidate was able to secure a majority.

☆ France's Macron promises government action plan in next 100 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a televised speech two days after signing into law plans to increase the retirement age by two years to 64, Macron said he wanted his prime minister to propose measures on working conditions, law and order, education and health issues. "On July 14, we must be able to take stock," Macron said, referring to Bastille Day, France's national day, often a milestone in French politics. "We have ahead of us 100 days of appeasement, unity, ambition and action for France," he said. Macron gave few details about the roadmap he wanted the government to work on but said it should improve working conditions and also tighten immigration laws. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Macron was "stuck in a parallel world".

☆ YouTuber Casey Neistat let ChatGPT direct and write one of his vlogs: 'That was the worst video I've ever made'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

YouTuber Casey Neistat, popular for vlogging about his NYC life, asked ChatGPT to write him a script. Neistat asked GPT-4 to write a vlog that takes place in downtown Manhattan, and includes his wife. YouTuber Casey Neistat asked the latest version of ChatGPT to write a script for his latest vlog, and the resulting dry dialogue is unintentionally hilarious. Neistat asked GPT-4, which is available via OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus, to write a three to four minute video that includes dialogue and a shot list for downtown Manhattan in the daytime. "Let's take a quick look inside Brookfield Place, one of my favorite spots in downtown Manhattan," Neistat reads, while shaking his head in disagreement.

[1/2] Protesters hold placards depicting French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration as part of the 12th day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, April 13, 2023. It would also need to find its way through parliament, where Macron has lost his working majority and debate has become increasingly fractious. The conservative Les Republicains' (LR) party, which the government had hoped it would be able to count on for support, has emerged deeply divided from the pension reform saga. "There are gaping wounds in the country," LR lawmaker Aurélien Pradié, who rebelled against the pro-pension reform party line on the reform, said on Twitter. So while the pension reform is on the statute books, Macron has much political capital still to regain.

☆ Macron: France favours 'status quo' on Taiwan, position unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speak at a news conference during Macron's state visit to the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Netherlands April 12, 2023. We're in favour of the status quo. This policy is constant and hasn't changed," Macron told a news conference during a state visit in the Netherlands. "So no, France does not support provocations, does not engage in fantasy politics and considers the status quo, respect and clarity are the best allies of European strategic autonomy," Macron said. The meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week - prior to China's drills - was a "provocation", the diplomat said.

☆ Macron stands by China interview - French diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 12 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron is not backtracking on comments in China urging the European Union to reduce dependency on the United States, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday. The French diplomat, who requested anonymity, told reporters that the substance of what Macron said, which focused on his pet project of European strategic autonomy, was clear, and his position on Taiwan and China has not changed. "This is something the president stands by entirely," he said of the interview. "France respects the One China principle and the president told (Chinese President Xi Jinping) that the Taiwan question should only be resolved pacifically," the French diplomat added. "No, Europe will not get dragged into that, but that doesn't mean Europe will disengage (from the Taiwan issue)."

☆ Trump accuses France's Macron of pandering to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump accused Emmanuel Macron of pandering to China leader Xi Jinping during the French president's recent closely watched visit to Beijing. "You got this crazy world is blowing up and the United States has absolutely no say. And Macron, who's a friend of mine, is over with China kissing his ass," Trump said in an interview with Fox News late on Tuesday. As president, Trump upended some tenets of America’s post-World War Two foreign policy by questioning the NATO alliance, alienating European partners and indulging autocrats. Trump himself was accused of pandering to world leaders, autocrats in particular, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un.

☆ Fact Check-Claims Anheuser-Busch CEO apologized for company’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney stem from satire article
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A spokesperson for brewing company Anheuser-Busch told Reuters that online claims its CEO apologized for its collaboration with social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney are false. “I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Reuters also could not find any credible news outlet reporting that the CEO of the company had apologized for the partnership. The claim that the company apologized appears to have originated from a satirical website called Dunning-Kruger-Times (here). The claim that Anheuser-Busch’s CEO apologized for company’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney was originally published by a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Claim about Anheuser Busch CEO resigning stems from satirical website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

“I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Anheuser Busch did once have a high-ranking executive named August Anheuser Busch III (here), (here) , who stepped down in 2011 (here). “I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Anheuser Busch did once have a high-ranking executive named August Anheuser Busch III (here), (here) , who stepped down in 2011 (here). The article claiming that Anheuser Busch’s CEO has resigned was satirical.

[1/4] Chinese President Xi Jinping and France's President Emmanuel Macron meet at the Guandong province governor's residence, in Guangzhou, China, Friday, April 7, 2023. Macron's comments came in an interview on a trip to China that was meant to showcase European unity on China policy, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also taking part, but highlighted differences within the European Union. A senior diplomat from Central and Eastern Europe, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "President Macron is not speaking for Europe or the European Union. The French foreign ministry cancelled a planned debrief on the trip for foreign diplomats in Paris on Tuesday as officials scrambled to make sure they had a consistent message and to limit any fallout with Washington. But even some of those broadly supportive of Macron's agenda lamented the handling of the China trip, in which von der Leyen received a much more muted welcome than the French president.

☆ Exclusive: Boeing targets 2025 for return to pre-crisis 737 MAX production rates -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After increasing monthly MAX production rates to 38 in June, Boeing's current plans call for 42 MAXs a month by January 2024 and 47 by June 2024, the sources, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters. Boeing, which has not provided details of its production plans, declined to comment. The U.S. planemaker further pared back MAX rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Boeing doesn't really have plans to get beyond 52 (MAXs), nor is it likely to do so. Meanwhile, Merluzeau said 737 MAX production appears to be stabilizing as Boeing's hiring bears fruit.

☆ Macron criticised for saying Europe should take independent stance on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 10 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has caused a stir by saying Europe has no interest in accelerating the conflict in Taiwan and should become a "third pole" independent of both Washington and Beijing. Political actors on both sides of the Atlantic criticised the president's position as being too accommodating of China, just as it carries out military drills around Taiwan. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. He added that the French president was "increasingly isolating himself in Europe." If Europe doesn't "pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn't be picking sides either [on Ukraine]," the Republican senator said.

☆ Macron says Europe should not follow U.S. or Chinese policy over Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 9 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments published on Sunday that Europe had no interest in an acceleration of the crisis over Taiwan and should pursue a strategy independent of both Washington and Beijing. Macron has just returned from a three-day state visit to China, where he received a warm welcome from President Xi Jinping. "The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction," Politico quoted him as saying. On Friday, an adviser to Macron told reporters in Guangzhou that Xi and Macron had a "dense and frank" discussion on the issue of Taiwan during their meetings. Macron travelled to China with a 50-strong business delegation including Airbus and nuclear energy producer EDF, which signed deals during the visit.

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