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☆ Georgia’s Ruling Party Secures a Contentious Law on Foreign Influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Georgia’s Parliament overrode a presidential veto to give final approval on Tuesday evening to a contentious bill that has plunged the country into a political crisis and threatened to derail the pro-Western aspirations of many Georgians in favor of closer ties with Russia. The law will require nongovernmental groups and media organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as organizations “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The country’s justice ministry will be given broad powers to monitor compliance. Violations could result in fines equivalent to more than $9,000. The passage of the bill is likely to represent a pivotal moment for Georgia, which has been one of the most pro-Western states to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union. The bill has already unsteadied Georgia’s relationship with the United States and the European Union, and it could upset the fragile geopolitics of the Caucasus, a volatile region where the interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran and the West have long come into conflict.

Organizations: Soviet Union, European Union Locations: Russia, Georgia, Soviet, United States, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran

☆ Qatar Airways: 12 people injured during turbulence on Doha-Dublin flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Twelve people were injured after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin was hit with turbulence on Sunday. According to a statement from Dublin Airport, six passengers and six crew members were injured in the incident, eight of which were taken to hospital following assessment. The Qatar Airways flight QR017 experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey, the statement said. It is not yet known what kind of turbulence the Qatar Airways plane experienced. An earlier version also misstated the number of the Qatar Airways flight that experienced turbulence.

Persons: ”, Paul Williams, ” Williams Organizations: CNN, Qatar Airways, Dublin Airport, Singapore Airlines, University of Reading Locations: Doha, Dublin, Turkey, London, Singapore, United Kingdom

☆ European banks in Russia face 'awful lot of risk', Yellen says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Kent Nishimura | Getty ImagesU.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters that European banks face growing risks operating in Russia and the U.S. is looking at strengthening its secondary sanctions on banks found to be aiding transactions for Russia's war effort. "We are looking at potentially a tougher stepping-up of our sanctions on banks that do business in Russia," Yellen told Reuters in an interview, declining to provide specifics and not identifying any banks at which they could be aimed. Speaking on the sidelines of a G7 finance leaders meeting in northern Italy, Yellen said that sanctions related to banks' dealings in Russia would only be imposed "if there was a reason to do so, but operating in Russia creates an awful lot of risk," she added. European Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta had clear instructions for Italian banks on Saturday telling reporters that lenders must "get out" of Russia because staying in the country brings a "reputational problem." Raiffeisen is the largest European lender doing business in Russia, followed by UniCredit.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Kent Nishimura, Yellen, Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta, Joe Biden's Organizations: Treasury Department, Getty, Treasury, Reuters, Bank International, Central Bank, UniCredit, United Arab Locations: Washington , DC, Russia, U.S, Italy, Ukraine, China, United Arab Emirates, Turkey

☆ She kissed a woman on the Trans-Siberian Railway 32 years ago. Then she flew across the world to find her
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The bus was ferrying travelers to the train station to board the Trans-Siberian railway. Like Marie-Claire, Elaine had been working in Japan for a while, teaching English. Flirting in MongoliaMarie-Claire and Elaine were strangers who happened to be both traveling via the Trans-Siberian railway. She also shared the news with her extended network of New York friends. Elaine, Marie-Claire and their son Marcello have a family motto, based around their shared initials, EMC.

Persons: CNN — Marie, Claire Martineau couldn’t, Elaine Comerford, Marie, Claire, Elaine, ’, Elaine broached, they’d, “, Claire couldn’t, ” Marie, they'd, Claire Martineau Marie, who’d, ”, she’d, That’s, ” Elaine, “ Marie, Wolfgang Kaehler, we’d, Steve, ” Here's Marie, Claire Martineau, you’ve, Elaine didn’t, weren’t, Diane, “ Diane, ‘ Let’s, She’d, Claire’s, –, Marie Claire, Marcello, Here's Marie, “ We’ve, We’ve, we’ve, Anna Maria, Cliare, it’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Queens, Maison Internationale, EMC Locations: France, Japan, Europe, Eastern Europe, Budapest, Vienna, Boston , Massachusetts, Boston, New York City, Marie, New York, Beijing, China, Moscow, Mongolia, Russia, Asia, Mongolia Marie, Siberia, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, ”, Austria, Manhattan, Queens, Midtown, –, Provincetown , Massachusetts, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Anna Maria Island , Florida, Florida

☆ Turkish markets are 'on the verge of a renaissance moment,' Citi says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After more than half a decade of dramatically depreciating currency, burning through FX reserves and unorthodox monetary policy, Turkey's economy is battle-scarred. New economic and central bank team appointments since roughly a year ago appear dedicated to reversing Turkey's fortunes, no matter how painful the process. The central bank oversaw an aggressive cumulative rate increase of 3,650 basis points between May 2023 and January 2024. It said at the time that "tight monetary stance will be maintained until a significant and sustained decline in the underlying trend of monthly inflation is observed." "The authorities' shift towards policy normalization has galvanized investor interest in Turkish assets," according to a Citi report published Thursday.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Organizations: Citi Locations: Turkey

☆ She was the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force. Now this trailblazing pilot is getting ready for her final flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“To still impart that knowledge on young people, and particularly young black women, that they can do this.”Becoming a pilot was something Claiborne, originally from Virginia, could never have imagined for herself as a young girl. When asked about the transition to flying commercial planes, Claiborne stresses that “a pilot is a pilot.”“You’re in different type organizations, but you’re still a pilot,” she adds. So this is an opportunity for her to really enjoy herself.”Increasing diversityClaiborne is committed to increasing pilot diversity and will continue to mentor young women. It’s estimated that there are less than 150 Black women pilots in the US, and Claiborne feels a huge responsibility as one of them. While this may be the end of her commercial flying career, Claiborne isn’t necessarily saying “goodbye” to piloting forever, and would love to fly a World War II aircraft one day.

Persons: CNN — She’s, Theresa Claiborne, “ I’ve, ” Claiborne, Claiborne, “, ”, I’d, ” “, Caliborne, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you’re, I’ve, Bessie Coleman, she’s, “ I’m, it’ll, they’d, Claiborne isn’t, ‘, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Newark Liberty International, Air Force Reserve, Corps, US Air Force, California State University, KC, United Airlines, United, ”, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, It’s, Tuskegee Airmen Locations: New Jersey, Lisbon, Portugal, Virginia, Turkey, Sacramento, Claiborne, United States, Newark , New Jersey, Paris, Newark

☆ Raisi’s funeral is about a lot more than the late Iranian president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Unlike previous Iranian presidents, Raisi seemed content to serve as an empty vessel that carried out the reactionary policies of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the final arbiter on policymaking. So, when foreign dignitaries from a whopping 68 countries gathered for Raisi’s funeral on Thursday, they may not have been preoccupied with thoughts of the late president. Iranians follow a truck carrying the coffins of the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions during a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran. “This (funeral) is a way for countries to show the progress they have made in repairing relations with Iran,” said Parsi. He could also decide to change tack, opening it up so that Iran’s next president enjoys broad popular support.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi’s, Raisi, Ali Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad –, Qassem Soleimani, Quincy Institute Trita Parsi, –, Ismail Haniyeh, Ebrahim Raisi, Majid Saeedi, Donald Trump, ”, Khamenei, “, ” Mohammad Ali Shabani, Amwaj.media, CNN’s Becky Anderson, that’s Organizations: CNN, Quincy Institute Trita, United Arab, Getty, Obama, country’s Guardian Council, Supreme Locations: East, Iran, ” Washington, Gaza, Tehran, Israel, Damascus, Turkey, India, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Kuwait, Europe, Islamic Republic, country’s

☆ Konya: Turkey’s ancient city of whirling dervishes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Robert Iddiols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Konya, Turkey CNN —When most people think of Turkey bucket list destinations, a few obvious ones spring to mind - Istanbul, Turquoise Coast hotspots like Bodrum or the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia. As well as being a renowned Islamic scholar, Rumi launched the Mevlevi Order of the Whirling Dervishes. And while they can be seen in various locations across Turkey, Konya is the beating heart of their activities. Abdullah Çetín, a photographer based in Konya, says the city and region’s history is also what puts it on the map. Murat Oner Tas/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesKonya is also a jumping off point for Lake Tuz, a large hypersaline lake that lies about two hours’ drive northeast of the city.

Persons: –, it’s, Celaleddin Rumi, Rumi, Maulana, ”, Kerem Polat, Adem Altan, Polat, “, ” Polat, Abdullah Çetín, Çetín, Murat Oner Tas, Fahri Tunç, Tunç, ’, ‘, ” Tunç, he’s Organizations: CNN, Turkey CNN, Getty, ”, Mevlana Museum, Anadolu Agency Locations: Konya, Turkey, Istanbul, Turquoise, – Konya, Adem, AFP, Sultanate of Rum, Balkh, Afghanistan, Mecca, Medina, Anatolia, mycan, Sille, Gevale, Rumi, Konya “, Lake Tuz, Salt, Tuz

☆ I'm a 42-year-old pregnant nutritionist. I eat plenty of protein, love spicy foods, and snack on nuts.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I always had a passion for health and fitness, but this time, I felt even more empowered with knowledge about how to eat healthy during pregnancy. AdvertisementI focus on healthy foods that are easy to makeI make sure that I eat plenty of filling foods with a lot of flavor each day. Related storiesAlthough I'm health-conscious, I'm also tired. If I'm eating eggs, I'll combine 2-3 egg whites with one whole egg to load up on plenty of protein. Often, I eat a wrap here, too — it's just such an easy and delicious way to incorporate protein, vegetables, and whole-wheat carbs.

Persons: —, Melissa Pfeister, I'm Organizations: Service, Stanford Medicine, Business

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo set to play in 11th international tournament after 39-year-old makes Portugal’s Euro 2024 squad
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in his 11th international tournament for Portugal later this year, after the 39-year-old was named in his nation’s squad for Euro 2024. It seemed as though Ronaldo might have made his last appearance in a major international tournament at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo made his first tournament appearance for Portugal at Euro 2004. Darren Walsh/Action Images/ReutersHowever, Ronaldo will not be the oldest player in the Portugal squad. “His communication, his positioning mean that, when he’s fit, he’s a very important player.”Portugal will play Turkey, Georgia and Czech Republic in Group F at Euro 2024.

Persons: CNN — Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or, Roberto Martinez, “ Cristiano, It’s, who’s, ” Martinez, Ronaldo, “, Fernando Santos, Darren Walsh, Pepe, ” Organizations: CNN, Portugal, Saudi, Portugal’s UEFA Nations League, Al, UEFA, Porto, European, Champions League, Sporting Lisbon, Czech Republic, Czech Locations: Europe’s, Saudi Arabian, Portugal, Greece, Portugal’s, Qatar, ” Portugal, Turkey, Georgia, Czech, Czech Republic

☆ European leaders are planning a $4.3 billion Iron Dome-style defense system
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewEuropean countries are preparing to reveal plans for a $4.3 billion Iron Dome-style air and missile defense system, Poland's prime minister announced on Monday. The European Sky Shield Initiative, or ESSI, is conceived as a means to jointly procure ground-based interoperable air defense systems. There is no reason for Europe not to have its missile defense shield," Tusk said, per The Telegraph. Related storiesIsrael's Iron Dome has long been seen as one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, protecting the country's skies from rockets and other projectiles. AdvertisementWhile a direct hot-war attack by Russia on NATO Europe is not considered an immediate likelihood, many countries — particularly those that border Russia — are deeply alarmed.

Persons: —, . Donald Tusk, Tusk, ESSI, Olaf Scholz, It's, Andrzej Duda Organizations: Service, AVN, European Council, Kyiv Post, Business, Sky Shield Initiative, Telegraph, NATO, Patriots, IRIS Locations: Kyiv, Israel, Europe, Russia, Iran, NATO Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, German, ESSI

☆ Raisi helicopter crash: Some in Iran claim US sanctions to blame but the truth may be more complicated
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Even before Iran’s army chief Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the helicopter crash that cost the Islamic Republic the lives of two of its top politicians, blame was being laid at America’s door. People mourn the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash the previous day, at Valiasr Square, on May 20, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. The next question might be, knowing the weather was bad and having three helicopters on the journey, why put both president and foreign minister in the same aircraft? Former Foreign Minister Zarif would want the world to believe Iran’s technological core has been hollowed out by US sanctions, but that allegation too is tainted by hubris. Iran’s presidents are not idle, they need to go places.

Persons: Mohammad Bagheri, Ebrahim Raisi, Javad Zarif acidly, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Raisi –, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Malek Rahmati, Mohammed Ali Alehashem –, Ilham Aliyav, Majid Saeedi, Yemen’s Houthis, AKINCI, Ali Khamenei, –, Russia –, Zarif, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Islamic, Bell, Turkish Transport, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Former Locations: Islamic Republic, America’s, United States, Iran, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Tabriz, Tehran, Turkish, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey

☆ Iran President Raisi: Days of funeral ceremonies begin as investigators probe helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Funeral ceremonies are set to begin on Tuesday for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, as authorities probe what caused the aircraft to smash into the side of a remote mountainside during foggy weather on Sunday morning. A helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi takes off on May 19, 2024, before the crash took place. There is no indication what might have caused the crash – and why so many senior Iranian government officials were traveling in a single, decades-old helicopter. A high-ranking delegation will go to the crash site in Eastern Azerbaijan, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Inside Iran, where many of the country’s restive youth population have grown tired of rule by conservative clerics, Raisi had a much more polarizing legacy.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohsen Mansouri, Ali Hamed Haghdoust, Mansouri, Reza, Khamenei, “, ”, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Uraloglu, Iran’s, ’, Ayatollah Khamenei —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Xi, Raisi’s, Azin, ” Xi, Putin, Russia, ” Raisi, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Wana News Agency, Reuters, Mehr, Iranian, Turkish Transportation, Infrastructure, TRT, Moj News Agency, AP, Kremlin, US Locations: Tabriz, Iran, Qom, Tehran, Mashhad, Turkey, Turkish, Eastern Azerbaijan, Israel, Korean, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Russia, Iranian

☆ Sam Altman's self-own with ScarJo reveals a troubling question about OpenAI: What's with these clowns?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewOpenAI's fight with Scarlett Johansson isn't just a PR disaster (and a big one at that). Most of all, it shows there's just really, really bad judgment going on at the highest levels of Sam Altman's company. But everyone immediately noticed that the "Sky" voice that ended up on ChatGPT reminded them of ScarJo. And then Sam Altman, in one of the greatest self-own moves of the generative AI era, tweeted out "her" during the product demo last week. The OpenAI team used a Scarlett Johansson sound-alike voice — also completely avoidable.

Persons: —, Scarlett Johansson isn't, there's, Sam Altman's, ScarJo, Johansson, OpenAI, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Altman, wasn't, Johansson's, Altman, it's, Ilya Sutskever Organizations: Service, Business, Hollywood, SAG, CNN, Reuters, Marvel, tech's, Facebook, Microsoft, eventual Locations: Turkey

An aide to Mayor Eric Adams who served as his longtime liaison to the Turkish community and whose home was searched by the F.B.I. has been cooperating with the corruption investigation into the mayor and his 2021 campaign, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Originally from Azerbaijan, Ms. Abbasova, 41, had worked for Mr. Adams for about four years in the Brooklyn borough president’s office before he became mayor. agents and federal prosecutors conducting the corruption investigation in the weeks after her home was searched on Nov. 2. On the same day, agents also searched the homes of the mayor’s chief fund-raiser and a former Turkish Airlines executive.

Persons: Eric Adams, Rana Abbasova, Adams’s, Adams, Abbasova Organizations: —, Fire Department, International Affairs, Mr, Turkish Airlines Locations: Turkish, New York, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Brooklyn

☆ Iran's President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian killed in helicopter crash, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a meeting with the cabinet in Tehran, Iran, October 8, 2023. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in a helicopter crash, state media reported Monday. Iranian state television reported there was "no sign of life" at the crash site of the helicopter that carried Raisi, Amirabdollahian, and others. "All the passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred," semi-official news agency Mehr News reported. "The overall outline of Iranian foreign policy is not likely to change significantly."

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ali Ahmadi, CNBC's, Raisi, Malik Rahmati, Affairs Mohsen Mansouri, Pirhossein Koulivand, Ayatollah Khamenei Organizations: Mehr News, FARS News Agency, Geneva Center for Security, Communication, Affairs, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Tehran, Iran, FARS, Azerbaijan Republic, Iran's, East Azerbaijan's, Tabriz, Turkey, Russia

☆ He had strict instructions from the groom: ‘Stay away from the bridesmaid.’ Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —Ariff Hassan arrived at the wedding under strict instructions: “Stay away from the bridesmaid.”It was August 2018. “Listen,” said Ariff’s friend. But Ariff’s friend’s warning was ringing round his head. Because Liliya was – of course, inevitably – the bridesmaid Ariff had been warned to stay away from. Ariff Hassan and Liliya DauletaliyevaLiliya and Ariff Kazakhstan wedding celebration incorporated a number of Kazakh traditions.

Persons: CNN — Ariff Hassan, “, Ariff, They’d, “ I’d, ‘ I’ve, ”, Ariff’s, –, Liliya Dauletaliyeva, Lili, Liliya, ” Ariff, Ariff Hassan, She’d, she’d, fiancé, who’d, ” Liliya, He’d, “ I’m, ’, ’ ”, he’d “, ’ ” Ariff, ’ ” Liliya, – she’d, he’d, ‘, that’s, they’re, hadn’t, Ariff shrugged, – Ariff, he’s, you’ve, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Kazakhstan –, Kuala Lumpur –, CNN Travel, Facebook, Liliya, Malaysian, University of Oxford, Oxford Locations: Singapore, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Kazakhstan’s, Almaty, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Liliya, Kazakh, Astana, Iceland, Cappadocia, Turkey, Bangkok, London, ’, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

☆ EasyJet shares fall on profit miss, CEO departure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

EasyJet Plc passenger aircraft on the tarmac at London Southend Airport in Southend-on-Sea, UK, on Friday, May 3, 2024. Shares of EasyJet fell more than 7% on Thursday after the low-cost airline posted a slightly larger-than-expected loss in the first half of the fiscal year and announced the forthcoming departure of its CEO. Pre-tax losses came in at £350 million ($443 million) for the six months to March, higher than the £340 million expected by analysts, according to a LSEG poll cited by Reuters. The company also announced that CEO Johan Lundgren will be stepping down in January 2025 after seven years at the helm of the business. EasyJet shares pared losses slightly to trade down 5.9% by 10:53 a.m. London time.

Persons: Johan Lundgren, Kenton Jarvis, EasyJet, Lundgren Organizations: Southend Airport, Reuters, CNBC Locations: Southend, London, Spain, Portugal, Turkey

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah invasion looms, Gaza aid crisis worsens
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A damaged United Nations vehicle is seen in front of a hospital after a UN employee was killed in an attack on a vehicle in Gaza, according to Israeli media. The White House believes an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would be a mistake and is “urgently” working toward a ceasefire, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The Biden administration is urging Israel to connect their military operations to a “clear” end game for the war, Sullivan told reporters. Hamas treated in Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "more than 1,000 Hamas members are currently under treatment" in Turkish hospitals. Aid ransacked: Israeli activists opposed to helping Palestinians in Gaza intercepted and ransacked an aid shipment.

Persons: Ali Jadallah, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Sullivan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Organizations: United Nations, UN, Getty, Israel, American, CNN, National, State Department, Hamas, enclave's Health Ministry, West Bank, Palestinian Authority . United Nations Locations: Gaza, Anadolu, Gaza's, Rafah, Israel, Palestinian, Turkey, Turkish, Jordan

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

☆ 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

☆ Biden to increase tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports in a new warning to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden is increasing tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports across a handful of sectors deemed strategic to national security – an attempt to cripple Beijing’s development of critical technologies and instead prioritize US production. The increases will apply to imported steel and aluminum, legacy semiconductors, electric vehicles, battery components, critical minerals, solar cells, cranes and medical products. That same trade law also requires the effectiveness of such tariff programs to be evaluated every four years, and the Biden administration decision is the result of that study. “China can’t be the only country that produces clean technology for the world we need,” a senior administration official said. The Chinese government, Biden argued, is providing state money to Chinese steel companies to make more steel than the economy demands, pushing down the price and making it impossible for other companies to compete.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, ”, Lael Brainard, “ China’s, Donald Trump, Biden, Wang Wenbin, Trump, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, “ They’re, ” Biden, Sam Fossum Organizations: Washington CNN, White, National Economic Council, CNN, Biden, Trade Organization, Brookings Institute, United Steelworkers, Trump, China’s Ministry, Commerce Locations: China, Beijing, Europe, Brazil, Turkey, Pittsburgh, Midwest

Members of gang Kraze Baryé in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in April 2024. Stopping the flow of guns to Haiti would likely have an immediate impact on the bloodshed, according to police and human rights experts. “We have to cut the gangs’ weapons supply lines. Vitel'homme Innocent walks with armed members of Kraze Baryé in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in April 2024. CNNAn ‘iron river’ from the United StatesThe guns Haiti’s gangs wield are a mix of stolen and smuggled, and the United States is by far the main source of the latter, according to UN experts.

Persons: Prince, Prince CNN —, they’ve, don’t, ”, Pierre Esperance, William O’Neill, Ariel Henry, ” Sylvie Bertrand, Innocent, Vitel'homme Innocent, Kraze, UNODC, Joly Germine –, Mawozo –, Mariani, Izo, Andre Johnson, ” Esperance, Bertrand Organizations: Prince CNN, ”, CNN, Human Rights Defense Network, Kenyan, UN, Rights, Drugs, United, US, of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Miami, ATF, Haitian National Police, Customs, Cap Haitien . Drugs, Episcopal, ” CNN, Homeland Security Investigations, US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Commerce’s, Export Enforcement, National Police, Haiti’s, Customs Administration Locations: Port, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Caicos, British, Florida, Haiti, Prince, Caribbean, ”, Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Brazil, United States, Latin America, Texas , Louisiana, Georgia, Gonave ., South America, Jamaica, Haiti’s, Cap Haitien, Haitian, Esperance

☆ 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

☆ 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.

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