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☆ Layoffs and declining investments in foodtech aren't spooking these new VCs. Here's where they're looking to make bets in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

VC investment in restaurant tech firms, from ghost kitchens to delivery robots, slowed in the third quarter, according to Pitchbook. Despite an investment slowdown in foodtech, Crowder and Larisey believe there are massive opportunities in the sector. Another new foodtech VC firm, Rethink Food, is also looking differently at food innovation. Co-founder Shane Larisey says Redstick Ventures is looking at ag-tech companies that help increase yields in the field. Crowder and Larisey quickly point out that they are not interested in investing in marketplace meal delivery companies, which have yet to show profitability.

☆ Fanatics Hires CFO for Collectibles Business After Topps Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fanatics said this week that Greg Abovsky started as chief financial officer for the collectibles business earlier this month. As CFO, Mr. Abovsky plans to build out the division’s finance team and its trading card business as it looks to expand. Fanatics plans to expand its portfolio into culture and entertainment cards, said Mike Mahan, chief executive officer of the collectibles business. Fanatics expects its collectibles business will fare well in the coming years, despite the threat of a potential downturn. Both Mr. Abovsky and Mr. Mahan declined to comment on if and when Fanatics could list on the public markets.

☆ Deputy U.N. chief urges countries to send armed force to Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Now is certainly not the time for the world to turn away from Haiti," she told the U.N. Security Council. Ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that Washington continues "to advocate for international security support, including a non-U.N. multinational force, as requested by the Haitian government." "The United States has provided more than $90 million in security support to Haiti in the past 18 months and will continue to provide critical support bilaterally," Wood said. Russia requested the Security Council meeting on Haiti on Wednesday. A council resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, China or Russia.

☆ Female students turned away from Afghan universities after Taliban ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KABUL, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Female university students in Afghanistan were turned away from campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education. A professor at another university in Kabul who declined to be identified said staff turned female students away at the gate as they had no choice but to implement the instruction. The bar on women students is likely to complicate the Taliban administration's efforts to gain international recognition and to get rid of sanctions that are severely hampering the economy. Several Taliban officials, including the deputy foreign minister and administration spokesperson, have spoken out in favour of female education in recent months. The Taliban administration has said it is working on a plan for girls' secondary education but has not given a time frame.

☆ The foodtech falloff isn't spooking these new VCs. Here's where they're looking to make bets in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

VC investment in restaurant tech firms, from ghost kitchens to delivery robots, slowed in the third quarter, according to Pitchbook. But instead of leaning into kiosks and QR codes, Redstick Ventures and Rethink Food are entering the space with a different investing game plan. Despite an investment slowdown in foodtech, Crowder and Larisey believe there are massive opportunities in the sector. Another new foodtech VC firm, Rethink Food, is also looking differently at food innovation. Rethink Food"Our most recent investment is one of the most disruptive and exciting, and it's in cultured meat," said Rini Greenfield, a founding managing partner at Rethink Food.

KABUL, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban-run Afghan higher education ministry said on Tuesday that female students would not be allowed access to the country's universities until further notice. A letter, confirmed by a spokesperson for the higher education ministry, instructed Afghan public and private universities to suspend access to female students immediately, in accordance with a Cabinet decision. The latest Taliban restriction on female education is likely to raise concerns in the international community, which has not officially recognised the de facto administration. The decision came as many university students are sitting end of term exams. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Accident in Afghanistan's Salang Tunnel kills at least 12
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, Dec 18 (Reuters) - An accident in the landmark Salang alpine tunnel that connects Afghanistan's capital to its north killed at least 12 people and injured dozens, authorities said on Sunday. Thirty-seven people were injured in the accident in Salang Tunnel, located about 90 km (56 miles) north of Kabul, according to Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban-run administration. Local broadcaster Tolo, citing the Ministry of Public Works, said a fuel truck had overturned and caught fire in the tunnel on Saturday night. The blaze had been extinguished on Sunday but the tunnel was closed to traffic and casualties could rise, according to the Ministry spokesperson. The 2.6 km (1.6 mile) long Soviet-built tunnel is a historic engineering feat that links Kabul and Afghanistan's north, connecting the Indian subcontinent to Central Asia through a treacherous mountain pass at 3,400 metres (11,000 feet).

But other potential Chinese investors were less sure. Most investors had decided to head home ahead of Chinese New Year, said Yu. GUNFIRE, PANICNews of the hotel attack spread fast to the investors running China Town - a cluster of 10-storey blocks about 20 minutes drive away, overlooked by snow-topped mountains. After security forces secured the hotel, Yu got through to some of the guests by phone. In all, about 35 Chinese investors were in the hotel, he said - about a third of the number he estimated were in Afghanistan at the time.

From spodumene ore through lithium carbonate to lithium hydroxide, prices have more than doubled again this year after an explosive rally in 2021. Even Goldman Sachs, which outraged lithium bulls with a bearish market call in May, now thinks global supply will fall 84,000 tonnes short of demand this year. New EVs rolling off the automotive production line are the end of the lithium supply chain, but the chain itself is also expanding fast. All of them need raw materials, so their collective stock-building accentuates the rising EV demand curve. Moreover, much of lithium's supply growth is coming from new sources such as China's lepidolite deposits which come with their own new disruption potential.

☆ Iran ousted from U.N. women's rights commission amid crackdown and executions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Dan De Luce | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Abigail-Williams-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Eight members voted against the resolution and 16 abstained. “The commission is the premier U.N. body for promoting gender equality and empowering women,” she said. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, during a meeting to remove his country from membership in the Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday. Yuki Iwamura / AFP - Getty ImagesIran, which ranks 143rd among 146 countries in the World Economic Forum's global gender gap index, was voted onto the commission by secret ballot. The vote to oust Iran from the commission came days after the country carried out a second known execution of a prisoner detained and convicted amid the nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.

CNN —United Nations member states have removed Iran from a key UN women’s rights group just months after it joined. The Commission is the premier UN body for promoting gender equality and empowering women. Iran condemned the US resolution, calling it an “illegal request” and said it weakens the rule of law in the United Nations. Iran had only just begun its four-year term on the 45-member Commission on the Status of Women – which was created to advocate for gender equality globally – after being elected to the body in April. Reacting to news of Iran’s removal from the body, Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch said it was a “welcome step,” but remained a “far cry” from true accountability.

☆ Iran ousted from U.N. women's group after U.S. campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Iran was ousted from a United Nations women's group on Wednesday for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls, a move proposed by the United States after Tehran's crackdown on protests over the death of a young woman in custody. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said removing Iran was the right thing to do. "It's hugely important for the women of Iran," Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters after the vote. IRAN REJECTS EXPULSIONSpeaking before the vote, Iran's U.N. Tehran accused Western states of using the council to target Iran in an "appalling and disgraceful" move.

☆ Taylor Swift set to make her feature directorial debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Taylor Swift’s about to yell action! The singer-songwriter will make her feature directorial debut with Searchlight Pictures, the studio announced. Swift also wrote the original script for the movie, which will be produced by Searchlight. The film is also eligible for the short film category at the upcoming Academy Awards. Searchlight has made Oscar winners like Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland.”

☆ Taylor Swift to make film directorial debut with script she wrote
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Grammy award-winning singer Taylor Swift will make her film directorial debut with an original script she wrote, Searchlight Pictures said on Friday. Walt Disney Co.-owned Searchlight, known for Oscar best picture winners "The Shape of Water" and "Nomadland" as well as 2022 drama “The Banshees of Inisherin,” did not disclose the subject of Swift's film or when it would be released. “Taylor is a once in a generation artist and storyteller. She recently earned another Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, the 10-minute version of "All Too Well," which is eligible for the Best Live-Action Short category at the 2023 Oscars. Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A wave of new copper mine supply is washing through the market, with smelters reaping the benefits in higher treatment and refining charges (TCRCs). Annual benchmark copper smelter treatment and refining chargesNEW MINES, OLD PROBLEMSOnly two major copper mines were brought on stream between 2017 and 2021, according to the International Copper Study Group (ICSG). Moreover, what is not produced for whatever reason in 2022 will be deferred into 2023, when the ICSG expects the world's copper mines to produce 5.3% more metal. While mined production was up by 3.5% in January-September, refined copper production growth lagged at 2.3%, according to the latest ICSG estimates. Glencore says it can raise its copper production by around 60% to 1.6 million tonnes per year through relatively low-cost brownfield expansions.

☆ Disney realizes it needs to make streaming profitable, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDisney realizes it needs to make streaming profitable, says LightShed's Rich GreenfieldRich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss new ad-supported tiers from streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

☆ Taliban publicly execute man accused of murder, senior officials attend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KABUL, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration on Wednesday put to death a man accused of murder in western Afghanistan, its spokesperson said, in the first officially confirmed public execution since the group took over the country last year. The execution in western Farah province was of a man accused of stabbing another man to death in 2017, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, and was attended by senior officials of the group. The execution was carried out by the father of the victim, who shot the man three times, Mujahid added in a later statement. More than a dozen senior Taliban officials attended the execution, Mujahid said, including acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and acting deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, as well as the country's chief justice, acting foreign minister and acting education minister. Public lashings and executions by stoning took place under the previous 1996-2001 rule of the Taliban.

☆ Taliban acting defence minister holds talks with UAE president
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meets with Afghanistan's Acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob at Al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates December 4, 2022. Ryan Carter/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERSKABUL, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The acting defence minister of the Afghan Taliban has met the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for talks in Abu Dhabi on strengthening relations, his ministry and UAE state media reported on Monday. The acting defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob, is the son of the late supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar, and the meeting with the UAE president is a rare encounter between a senior member of the group and a foreign head of state. The UAE news agency released photographs of the talks that showed another senior Taliban figure, Anas Haqqani, was present at the talks. The meeting with the UAE president comes after the Taliban, in September, signed a final contract for running Afghanistan's airports with the UAE company GAAC Holding, which had beat out rival bids from Qatar and Turkey.

☆ Pakistan's new army chief says will defend "motherland" during visit to disputed Kashmir
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Pakistan's new army chief on Saturday said the military was ready to defend "every inch of our motherland" if attacked, during a visit to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Kashmir region, which is claimed by both Pakistan and neighbouring India. The visit came less than a week since General Asim Munir took charge of Pakistan's powerful military, and were among his strongest public statements on arch-rival India since taking up the role. The two South Asian nuclear powers both claim the Kashmir region in full, but rule only parts, and have fought two of their three wars over the area. Since early 2021, the LoC has been mostly quiet, following the renewal of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ambush claimed by Pakistani Taliban kills three police officers in northern Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Jibran Ahmad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PESHAWAR, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for a gun ambush that killed three police officers in northern Pakistan, the second attack claimed by the group just days after it announced an end to a ceasefire with the government. He said three police officers were killed on the spot and the identity of the attackers was unknown. The militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. The Afghan Taliban have been facilitating peace talks between local militants and the government since late last year. The Pakistan army has conducted several operations against the militants in their strongholds in lawless districts along Afghan border in recent months.

☆ Pakistani embassy in Kabul attacked, one injured
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A spokesperson for Kabul police said the embassy compound was targeted by gunfire from a nearby building. Pakistan's Foreign Office said the attack had been aimed at the head of mission, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani. It said Nizamani was safe, but a Pakistani security guard, Sepoy Israr Mohammad, was critically wounded in the attack while protecting the ambassador. A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign office said they had no plans to evacuate the embassy after the incident. "(The) Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the attempted shooting and failed attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul," spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Twitter, adding that Taliban security agencies would investigate.

☆ Biden's offer to talk to Putin is a trial balloon to end war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. "I'm prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he's looking for a way to end the war. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ Biden trial balloon to Putin on Ukraine appears to quickly pop
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin intended to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. Biden and his national security advisers have wondered for months what it would take to entice Putin into a diplomatic off-ramp. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ Kim Jong Un’s sister warns U.S. of ‘a more fatal security crisis’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

After the meeting, Thomas-Greenfield also read a statement by 14 countries that supported action to limit North Korea’s advancement of its weapons programs. During the Security Council meeting, the United States and its allies strongly criticized the ICBM launch and called for action to limit North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, opposed any new pressure and sanctions on North Korea. The status of North Korea’s nuclear capability remains shrouded in secrecy. Some analysts say North Korea already has nuclear-armed missiles that can strike both the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan, but others say the North is still years away from possessing such missiles.

☆ Taliban court lashes 14 in latest shift to corporal punishments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

It was the second confirmation of lashings by the Taliban this month, signalling a possible return to practices common in its hardline rule in the 1990s. The Taliban's supreme spiritual leader met judges this month and said they should carry out punishments consistent with sharia law, according to a court statement. Public lashings and executions by stoning took place under the previous 1996-2001 rule of the Taliban. Such punishments later became rare and were condemned by the foreign-backed Afghan governments that followed, though the death penalty remained legal in Afghanistan. Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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