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☆ Analysis: China says it wants peace in Ukraine, but is it only on Russia's terms?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But Li’s trip has also laid bare the divisions between China and Europe when it comes to how peace can be reached — and served to underline Beijing’s close alignment with Moscow. As such, that’s “not on the table for China,” Tsang said. That stance has horrified much of Europe, and Li’s tour comes as China has been attempting to repair relations there. “No one will do anything against us behind Ukraine’s back, because we have built trusting relationships with all our key partners,” he added. “The crucial question is what message from Europe — Kyiv, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, and Brussels — Li will deliver in Moscow and Beijing,” he said.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia bolsters attack on Kyiv; Putin congratulates 'dear friend' Erdogan on reelection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Black Sea grain deal will no longer be operational if its current state of implementation continues, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. The Black Sea grain deal will no longer be operational if its current state of implementation continues, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday, according to a Google translation of comments carried by Russian state news agency Tass. Reuters reported that Lavrov added that less than 3% of the grain exported under the agreement had reached the world's poorest countries. The U.N.-brokered agreement was set up to allow Kyiv's grains to be shipped through Black Sea ports, staving off the risk to global food security that was worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly complained that restrictions imposed on Russia prevent it from fulfilling its agricultural and fertilizer exports.

Tensions have risen in the past week after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted. NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) said the recent developments prompted them to increase their presence in northern Kosovo on Monday morning, which they later said turned violent. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her sympathy for the Italian KFOR soldiers injured in the clashes, adding in a statement, “What is happening is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible. But Serbia still considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory as do the Serbs living in northern Kosovo. NATO has troops stationed in Kosovo to maintain peace, with tensions often flaring between Serbia and Kosovo.

☆ Russia's being more cautious with its tanks and trying to hide them after heavy losses in battle, but it's shooting itself in the foot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Heavy Russian tank and armored vehicle losses have led Russia to change its tactics, according to a new report. A Ukrainian soldier checks a wrecked Russian tank outside of the village of Mala Rogan, east of Kharkiv, on April 1, 2022. "It is pretty rare to find a Russian tank that hasn't blasted ERA on every single surface they can conceivably get it on, including somewhere it's really counterproductive," Watling said. While ERA is quite effective, the Ukrainians know where the weak points are to one-shot kill a Russian tank, though it's not always easy to get a clean shot off. Destroyed Russian tank is seen outside of Izyum district of Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on October 13, 2022.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ Russia is selling Zelenskyy's penthouse apartment in Crimea to fund its war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is selling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apartment in Crimea to fund its war in Ukraine. Russian state media said the sale would go towards Russia's so-called "special military operation." The sale was announced Wednesday, according to Russian state media agency TASS. The sale of Zelenskyy's apartment will go towards funding Russia's war in Ukraine — or "special military operation," as Russian media and officials have repeatedly referred to it. Russian media estimated the apartment to be worth about $800,000.

SummarySummary Companies OpenAI CEO reverses earlier threat to leave EuropeSays had productive week of conversations about regulating AIEU lawmakers were critical about OpenAI's threat regionMay 26 (Reuters) - OpenAI has no plans to leave Europe, CEO Sam Altman said on Friday, reversing a threat made earlier this week to leave the region if it becomes too hard to comply with upcoming laws on artificial intelligence. "We are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave," Altman said in a tweet on Friday. His threat of quitting Europe had drawn criticism from EU industry chief Thierry Breton and a host of other lawmakers. He called his tour a "very productive week of conversations in Europe about how to best regulate AI!" OpenAI first clashed with regulators in March, when Italian data regulator Garante shut the app down domestically, accusing OpenAI of flouting European privacy rules.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov both blamed the West for creating global insecurity and instability. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, Putin said Wednesday that the world was becoming increasingly unstable and that "new centers of tension are emerging." The Kyiv regime is being used as an anti-Russian battering ram, which is being pumped up with NATO weapons. Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago in a bid to overthrow the pro-Western government in Kyiv and regain its influence over the former Soviet republic. Western countries rallied around Ukraine to provide it with military and financial aid to help it defend itself against its neighbor.

☆ Russia is seeking allies to shift trade away from the greenback and quicken the pace of de-dollarization, deputy prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is seeking partners to quicken the pace of de-dollarization, Russia's deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk said. The nation could create an independent financial system with Islamic countries. We are talking about processes of de-dollarization and the creation of an independent financial system," Overchuk said at an economic forum on Friday, per a report from Russian news agency Tass. Ties between Russia and Islamic countries also have a "positive future," Overchuk said, given Russia's alignment on issues like energy, food, and de-globalization. The shift away from the US dollar is already beginning to take place, Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said, though experts have argued de-dollarization fears are largely overblown.

☆ One of Putin's closest friends built him a $3.2 million fishing villa in Finland, then had to scrap it when the Russian leader showed up and wasn't keen on fishing in the country: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $3.2 million fishing villa built for Vladimir Putin sits abandoned in Finland, The Insider reported. A friend built it for Putin, but stopped when he realized the leader wasn't keen on Finnish fishing, per The Insider. The villa was funded by Viktor Khmarin, an old classmate of Putin's at Leningrad State University who now lobbies for the Russian leader, per The Insider. Khmarin had built the Finnish cottage in a bid to get Putin to spend more time with him, according to the outlet. The reported location of Khmarin's fishing villa puts it close to the Villa Segren, another property in the Gulf of Finland that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed is used by Putin as a holiday retreat.

The European Union is at the forefront of drafting new AI rules that could set the global benchmark to address privacy and safety concerns that have arisen with the rapid advances in the generative AI technology behind OpenAI's ChatGPT. "If it's about protecting personal data, they apply data protection laws, if it's a threat to safety of people, there are regulations that have not been specifically defined for AI, but they are still applicable." Data protection authorities in France and Spain also launched in April probes into OpenAI's compliance with privacy laws. 'THINKING CREATIVELY'French data regulator CNIL has started "thinking creatively" about how existing laws might apply to AI, according to Bertrand Pailhes, its technology lead. "We are looking at the full range of effects, although our focus remains on data protection and privacy," he told Reuters.

☆ Russia and China hit back at a G7 that saw them as a threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Moscow and Beijing lashed out against the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, where leaders of major democracies pledged new measures targeting Russia and spoke in one voice on their growing concerns over China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday slammed the G7 for indulging in their “own greatness” with an agenda that aimed to “deter” Russia and China. G7 member countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Concern about such incidents was reflected in the G7 statement on ensuring economic security and countering economic coercion, which did not explicitly mention China. “The bottom line is that the G7 has shown it will increasingly focus on China and will try to maintain a coordinated policy approach.

☆ Exclusive: Paul Whelan tells CNN he's 'positive and confident' the 'wheels are turning' toward release
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Paul Whelan, an American who is wrongfully detained in Russia, told CNN on Sunday that he feels confident that his case is a priority for the United States government but wishes it could be resolved faster. “I remain positive and confident on a daily basis that the wheels are turning. I just wish they would turn a little bit more quickly,” said Whelan, who called CNN exclusively from his prison camp in remote Mordovia. However, Whelan said Sunday he has more confidence in the US efforts to get him home than he did when he spoke to CNN in December following Griner’s release. Medical care, dental care is provided privately,” he told CNN.

CNN —Police in Georgia have removed protesters from outside a hotel where relatives of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are allegedly staying, according to the public broadcaster First Channel. According to First Channel, the opposition United National Movement party held a protest outside the Kvareli Lake Hotel in northeastern Georgia on Saturday to express their anger following Georgian media reports that Lavrov’s relatives were staying in the hotel. Reporters on the ground said the situation outside the hotel had grown “tense” on Saturday after protesters pelted eggs at a minibus that left the hotel carrying Russian tourists. ‘Tense’ protest scenesVideos posted on social media showed violent scenes of police officers roughly grabbing protesters gathered outside the hotel. The protests came after Georgian media reported that Lavrov’s relatives had traveled to Georgia for the wedding of the brother of Lavrov’s son-in-law, Alexandre Vinokourov.

CNN —Former United States President Barack Obama, late night television host Stephen Colbert, and CNN’s Erin Burnett are some of the “500 Americans” Russia has banned from entering the country. The list includes Obama, former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, several US senators and the next expected chairman of the joint chiefs Charles Q. The rambling list of names also includes American late night TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, and Seth Meyers. Friday’s list also includes CNN Anchor Erin Burnett and is an update of a previously published longer list of sanctioned individuals that includes CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, CNN contributors Bianna Golodryga and Timothy Naftali. While the list was labelled, “500 Americans,” Paton Walsh is a British citizen.

☆ US says Wagner Group is trying to use third countries to obscure weapons shipments to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group has been working to obscure its efforts to acquire military equipment for use in Ukraine, including by trying to source the materials from Mali, where the group has a strong foothold, a US official told CNN. That document also said that Wagner was likely trying to use weapons procured from Turkey for use in its operations in Mali. The White House has also previously accused North Korea of supplying Russia’s Wagner Group with missiles and rockets for use in Ukraine. “Wagner is directly supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, and we oppose efforts by any other country to assist Russia through Wagner,” the US official said. We will continue to identify, expose, and counter these efforts by Wagner to procure military equipment for use in Ukraine.”

☆ Billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly had 'several meetings' scheduled with Jeffrey Epstein, according to email records
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Peter Thiel had "several" meetings scheduled with Jeffrey Epstein, The New York Times reported. Peter Thiel likely met with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "several" times in 2014, according to a recent report from The New York Times. The email records were obtained through an information request in the US Virgin Islands lawsuit against Epstein's estate, according to the Times. Thiel was also on a list of people that Epstein should try to make time for while in New York, according to the report. Thiel did not respond to a request for comment from Insider and a spokesperson for the billionaire declined to comment for the Times.

☆ How the U.S. and South Africa ended up in a dispute over Russian gunrunning allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON, D.C - Sep. 16, 2022: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (L) in the Oval Office of the White House. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesRelations between the U.S. and South Africa frayed last week, when U.S. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), released a rather different interpretation of the conversation in its readout. RICHARDS BAY, South Africa - Feb. 22, 2023: Russian military frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" docked at the port in Richards Bay on February 22, 2023. South Africa drew criticism from the U.S. and Europe for holding 10 days of joint naval exercises with Russia and China.

☆ Embarrassed by Ukraine downing its 'unstoppable' missiles, Russia is now scrambling to attack its air defenses, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This comes after Ukraine shot down Kinzhal missiles that Russia bragged were unstoppable. Russia claimed it destroyed one Patriot air defense system, but US officials said it was still operational. KILLJOY is NATO's term for Russia's advanced Kinzhal missiles, which Russia has previously described as unstoppable. Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that a Russian missile destroyed one Patriot air defense system in Kyiv. The US decided to give Ukraine the Patriot defense system last year, after Ukraine asked allies for air defense help to repel Russian attacks.

☆ Elon Musk subpoena in Epstein-JPMorgan lawsuit can be served to Tesla, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ghislaine Maxwell and Elon Musk attend the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. The Virgin Islands is suing JPMorgan in U.S. District Court in Manhattan for allegedly enabling and financially benefiting from Epstein's sex trafficking of young women. Rakoff, in his order Wednesday, authorized the USVI to "arrange alternative service of its Subpoena to Produce Documents by serving Elon Musk via service upon Tesla Inc.'s registered agent." A Tesla spokesperson told The Times, "It is incorrect to say that Epstein ever advised Elon on anything." Epstein killed himself in August 2019, a month after federal authorities arrested him on an indictment charging him with child sex trafficking.

☆ Elon Musk denies taking financial advice from Jeffrey Epstein, following US Virgin Islands' decision to subpoena the Twitter chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk has denied taking financial advice from Jeffrey Epstein. Elon Musk has denied taking financial advice from Jeffrey Epstein after he was subpoenaed in a lawsuit over JPMorgan's ties to the convicted sex offender. "The notion that I would need or listen to financial advice from a dumb crook is absurd," Musk tweeted. It makes Musk the latest high-profile person to be subpoenaed in a series of lawsuits revolving around JPMorgan's ties to Epstein. Earlier this month, it was reported that the US Virgin Islands couldn't find fellow Google cofounder Larry Page to serve him a subpoena.

☆ Ukrainian troops used 'wedding drones' and Google Maps to batter Russian forces during the war's chaotic early days, commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the days after Russia's invasion last year, Ukrainian forces need help targeting Russian troops. One Ukrainian artillery unit relied on help from Ukrainian civilians to guide their strikes. Ukrainian and Russian drones prowl the skies constantly, looking for enemy positions and movements, as well as for artillery batteries, supply depots, and command posts. SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty ImagesSometimes Ukrainian forces would get indications that Russian troops were in a village, but not their precise location. Ukrainian troops fire an 2S7 Pion howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut in March.

☆ US Virgin Islands subpoenas Elon Musk as part of lawsuit into Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The US Virgin Islands has subpoenaed Elon Musk, requesting documents from the billionaire for the government’s lawsuit alleging JPMorgan Chase benefited financially from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The Virgin Islands’ government issued the subpoena on April 28 but had difficulty obtaining an address for Musk to locate and serve him, even hiring an investigative firm. The subpoena is requesting all communications between Musk and JPMorgan regarding Epstein or any role the disgraced financier played in the Tesla CEO’s financial management. It also requested any documents regarding fees paid to Epstein or JPMorgan, or any documents regarding Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. In 2022, the US Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, alleging the Wall Street giant benefited financially from Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and failed in its duty to report suspicious financial activity.

☆ How to make your own salad dressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Here are my favorite methods and tips for homemade salad dressing from my years of experimentation. Try any of these recipes to get you going:• Creamy Italian dressing with mayonnaise (regular or vegan)• Avocado green goddess dressing• Lime tahini dressing• Miso ginger dressing• Spicy cashew butter dressing, just like Trader Joe’sAs for ranch dressing, I’ll admit: Even though I have a recipe for homemade ranch in my cookbook “Classic Snacks Made From Scratch,” sometimes I can’t resist the craving for the bottled version. However, if you do want to make homemade ranch dressing, it’s not too difficult. Homemade dressing tips and tricksMake your dressing with a blender or food processor to emulsify the oil evenly with the acid. Tetiana Strilchuk/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesTo get a creamier, thicker texture for any homemade dressing, make it in a blender or food processor.

☆ Elon Musk was just subpoenaed by the US Virgin Islands in its Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit against JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Grace Kay | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk was subpoenaed as part of a lawsuit against JPMorgan over its ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Elon Musk was subpoenaed by the US Virgin Islands in its lawsuit against JPMorgan over the bank's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The US Virgin Islands offered only a glimpse into why it was pursuing answers from Musk. The lawyers are asking for the judge to approve their request to subpoena Musk over email as a result. For its part, JPMorgan has hit back that it was inaction by the US Virgin Islands that enabled Epstein.

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