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The San Francisco skyline is seen behind a self-driving GM Bolt EV during a media event where Cruise, GM's autonomous car unit, showed off its self-driving cars in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 28, 2017. Cruise had in recent months touted ambitious plans to expand to more cities, offering fully autonomous taxi rides. GM lost more than $700 million at Cruise in the third quarter and more than $8 billion since 2016. Cruise has operations in Phoenix and Austin, where regulators have been more accommodating. As part of its previous expansion plans, Cruise had last year asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Kyle Vogt, Daniel Kan, Cruise, Paul Jacobson, Mary Barra, Morgan Stanley, Adam Jonas, Waymo, Samrhitha, David Shepardson, Joe White, Sayantani Ghosh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: San, GM Bolt, REUTERS, General Motors, Cruise, GM, Reuters, United Auto Workers, FRANCISCO GM, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, San Francisco , California, U.S, California, United States, Washington, Phoenix, Austin, Bengaluru, Detroit

☆ GM Cruise cofounder, senior exec Dan Kan quits day after CEO exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - General Motors' (GM.N) Cruise co-founder and chief product officer Daniel Kan has resigned, the company told Reuters on Monday, a day after Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt quit. A spokesperson for Cruise said Kan announced his resignation in a Slack message. In his message to employees, seen by Reuters, Kan noted that Cruise had been serving 10,000 rides per week. GM shuffled leadership at Cruise including naming general counsel Craig Glidden as chief administrative officer, bringing in a third-party safety officer and appointing co-presidents. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters on Monday the federal government will do everything it can using existing regulatory powers to ensure that Cruise and other autonomous vehicles are deployed safely.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Cruise, Daniel Kan, Kyle Vogt, Kan, Vogt, Kan didn't, Craig Glidden, Pete Buttigieg, Greg Bensinger, Chizu Nomiyama, Chris Reese, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: GM Bolt, REUTERS, General Motors, Reuters, Cruise, GM, U.S . Transportation, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, United States, San Francisco

☆ US transport chief aims to ensure Cruise, other self-driving vehicles safe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt resigned on Sunday, a day after apologizing to staff as the company undergoes a safety review of its U.S. fleet. Cruise pulled all of its vehicles from U.S. testing after an Oct. 2 accident in San Francisco that involved another vehicle and ended with one of Cruise's self-driving taxis dragging a pedestrian. "We're going to do everything we can with the authorities we do have, which are not trivial," Buttigieg told reporters. The unit had in recent months touted ambitious plans to expand to more cities, offering fully autonomous taxi rides. Cruise competes with Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Waymo in deploying autonomous vehicles and had been testing hundreds in several cities across the United States, notably its home of San Francisco.

Persons: Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Leah Millis, Pete Buttigieg, Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Buttigieg, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Chizu Organizations: Transportation, South, REUTERS, Rights, . Transportation, Motors, Traffic Safety Administration, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Transport Workers Union of America, Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Auto Workers, NHTSA, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, San Francisco, Buttigieg's, United States

☆ CEO of GM's Cruise robo-taxi unit resigns amid US safety review
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 19 (Reuters) - - Kyle Vogt, the CEO of General Motors' robot-taxi unit Cruise, has resigned from the company a day after apologizing to staff as the company undergoes a safety review of its U.S. fleet. The Cruise board met on Nov. 13 and the next day named GM general counsel Craig Glidden as Cruise's chief administrative officer. The board also said it would retain a third-party safety expert to assess safety operations and culture. Former Tesla President Jon McNeill, a GM director since 2022, was named vice chairman of the Cruise board alongside Barra, who is the chair. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in October opened an investigation into pedestrian risks at Cruise and the Cruise board hired law firm Quinn Emanuel to review Cruise management's responses to regulators investigating the Oct. 2 accident.

Persons: Kyle Vogt, Vogt, Cruise, Vogt's, Craig Glidden, Stephen Lam, Mary Barra, Glidden, Mo Elshenawy, Jon McNeill, Barra, Quinn Emanuel, Greg Bensinger, David Shepardson, Kenneth Li Organizations: General Motors, Reuters, GM, Cruise, Honda, REUTERS, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Traffic Safety Administration, Thomson Locations: United States, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco

☆ GM's Cruise robo-taxi CEO resigns from company
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kyle Vogt, chief technology officer, president & co-founder of Cruise, a Honda and General Motors self-driving car partnership, speaks on stage at the launch of the Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle in San Francisco, California, U.S. January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 19 - The CEO of General Motors' robot-taxi unit Cruise, Kyle Vogt, has resigned from the company a day after apologizing to staff as the company undergoes a safety review of its U.S. fleet. "The last 10 years have been amazing, and I'm grateful to everyone who helped Cruise along the way," he wrote in the email. Cruise in recent months had touted ambitious plans to expand to additional cities offering fully autonomous taxi rides. Cruise competes with Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Waymo in deploying autonomous vehicles and had been testing hundreds in several cities across the U.S., notably its home of San Francisco.

Persons: Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Stephen Lam, Vogt, Greg Bensinger, Kenneth Li Organizations: Honda, General Motors, Cruise, REUTERS, Reuters, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Vogt, San Francisco

☆ We have to talk to everyone, including China, to understand the potential of AI technology, Google DeepMind CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe have to talk to everyone, including China, to understand the potential of AI technology, Google DeepMind CEO saysDeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Google’s SVP of Research, Technology & Society, James Manyika, discuss international cooperation of AI regulation and the UK as a hub for innovation for the technology.

Persons: Demis Hassabis, James Manyika Organizations: Google, Research, Technology & Society Locations: China

☆ Two killed, 18 injured in Florida shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Raja Razek | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Two people are dead and 18 others were injured in a shooting after a “fight between two groups” broke out in the street early Sunday morning in Tampa, Florida, police said. Officers were present when the incident happened in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood just before 3 a.m., Lee Bercaw, Tampa’s police chief, said in a Sunday morning news conference. It’s three o’clock, the bars let out, there’s hundreds in the street,” Bercaw said. It’s not yet clear whether all 18 people injured in the incident suffered gunshot wounds or other injuries. “It is tragic what happened here, that families have to wake up and see on the news what happened here tonight,” Bercaw said.

Persons: ”, Lee Bercaw, ” Bercaw, “, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, “, Authorities Locations: Tampa , Florida, Ybor City

That happened Sunday when Trump posted on social media, in capital letters, that Powell “was not my attorney, and never was." Smith's indictment notes Trump privately told others that he thought her election fraud ideas sounded “crazy." Campaigning in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump appeared to refer to Powell and Cheesbro as “good people” and said prosecutors worked to “hound” and “scare” them. Steve Sadow, Trump's lead attorney in the Georgia case, expressed confidence that Powell’s plea wouldn’t hurt Trump, saying last week that any truthful testimony offered would be "favorable to my overall defense strategy." The Georgia indictment accuses Powell in a plot to illegally access a county's voting equipment.

Persons: — Sidney Powell, Donald Trump, Kenneth Chesebro, Trump, Joe Biden, —, “ It's, it’s, John Fishwick, Powell, “ She's, — Powell, Chesebro, That's, Fani Willis, winnow, ”, Anthony Michael Kreis, Jack Smith, Smith, “, Jessica Roth, “ They're, Jack Smith's, Powell “, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, ” Kreis, she'd, Giuliani, Ellis, Hugo Chavez, Biden, Kreis, Cheesbro, Steve Sadow, Trump's, he's, John Eastman, Randall Eliason, you've, ___ Tucker, Jill Colvin Organizations: ATLANTA, White, Trump, Western, of, Georgia State University, Cardozo School of Law, Twitter, Fulton County, Biden, Georgia Republicans, George Washington University, Associated Press Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, U.S, of Virginia, Fulton County, Georgia, Germany, New Hampshire, Washington, Derry , New Hampshire

[1/2] Attorney Sidney Powell speaks at a press conference on election results in Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S., December 2, 2020. The lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, a misdemeanor charge. Powell admitted to plotting to unlawfully access secure election machines in rural Coffee County in southeastern Georgia in January 2021. Powell was scheduled to be tried alongside Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer who assisted Trump following the election. If Chesebro goes ahead with trial, Trump could gain a strategic advantage in preparing for his own upcoming Georgia trial, since his attorneys would get a preview of much of the case against him.

Persons: Sidney Powell, Elijah Nouvelage, Donald Trump, Trump, Powell, Joe Biden, Powell's, Fani Willis, Prosecutors, Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro, Andrew Goudsward, Kanishka Singh, Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Trump, Democratic, Fulton, Voting Systems, Thomson Locations: Alpharetta , Georgia, U.S, Georgia, Fulton County , Georgia, Coffee, Fulton County, Coffee County

☆ How ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ reimagined one of America’s most heinous crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Killers of the Flower Moon” also called on him to exorcise its demons. The adaption of David Grann’s 2017 book of the same title recounts one of America’s most heinous crimes. The family of Mollie Burkhart (second left, played by Lily Gladstone) are targeted for their wealth in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon." Lily Gladstone talks with Martin Scorsese inside a church on location for "Killers of the Flower Moon." “Killers of the Flower Moon” is released in cinemas on October 20.

Persons: Jack Fisk, “, Terrence Malick, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Lynch, Fisk, Martin Scorsese, ”, Rita Smith, ” Fisk, Osage, David Grann’s, White, ” —, Grann, Mollie Burkhart, Lily Gladstone, Martin Scorsese's, Ernest, William Hale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Scorsese, Terrence Malick’s “, he’s, Malick, Terence Malick's, Wallace, “ I’m, Sissy Spacek, Marianne Bowers, Addie Roanhorse, Gray, Mollie, Lizzie Q Kyle, Maggie Burkhart, he’d, Marty, Lilly, ” Scorsese, Rodrigo Prieto, Fairfax, Pawhuska’s, Bill, There’s, Hale, Robert De Niro’s Bill, Leo, Rita Smith’s Organizations: CNN, Osage, Cannes Film, Osage Nation, Kihekah Locations: Oklahoma, Fairfax, Osage, America, guardianships, Virginia, Jamestown, Algonquin, Powhatan, Alberta, Canada, Texas, New, Pawhuska, Fairfax , Oklahoma, Illinois

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Plans by the Port of South Louisiana to purchase what was once a major New Orleans area shipyard for construction of military vessels have been delayed. The port announced in January its intent to purchase the old Avondale Shipyard site from the current owner, port terminal operator T. Parker Host. However, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported Wednesday that the purchase has been put off after port officials faced questions last month from the state Bond Commission. Host bought the site in 2018, roughly four years after the shipyard that once employed thousands was shuttered. The proposed purchase would require more than $400 million in public financing.

Persons: Parker, Paul Matthews, Tony Ligi, Bond Commission “, John Schroder, Jay Dardenne, Matthews, hasn't Organizations: ORLEANS, Port, Avondale Shipyard, The Times, New, New Orleans Advocate, Bond Commission, Host, “, Treasury, ”, Administration, Avondale Locations: Port of South Louisiana, New Orleans, Avondale

☆ Israel has frozen crypto accounts belonging to Hamas, with Binance helping to locate them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Israel Police announced the freezing of cryptocurrency accounts belonging to Hamas. It said it worked with Binance to locate and freeze the accounts. AdvertisementAdvertisementIsrael froze cryptocurrency accounts belonging to Hamas, with the cooperation of Binance, Israeli police announced on Tuesday. It is also unclear how many accounts were frozen or what the value of the cryptocurrencies in them was. A spokesperson for Binance told Insider in a statement that its team had been "working in real time, around the clock, to support ongoing efforts to combat terror financing."

Persons: Binance, — Organizations: Israel Police, Service, Israel, . Israel Police, Cyber, Ministry of Defense, Israeli Security Agency, Reuters, Street Journal, BitOK Locations: Israel, cryptocurrency

☆ Congress is in shambles and failing America when it needs it to function most
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

War broke out in the Middle East with one of the US' closest allies, but Congress can't do a thing. Without a House speaker, very little additional aid can be approved to aid Israel or even Ukraine. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe United States Congress is tragically failing when the world — not just the country — needs it to function most. While President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that some aid has already been sent, sending more will likely depend on the cooperation of Congress.

Persons: —, gridlock, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Israel isn't, there's, McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, George Santos, Santos, Matt Gaetz, Tommy Tuberville, Justin Sullivan, Sen, Bob Menendez, he's, GOP Sen, Chuck Schumer, Democratic Sen, Dick Durbin, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, Biden, Cruz isn't Organizations: Service, United, United States Congress, Democratic Caucus, Hamas, Republican Party, Republicans, Representatives, GOP, Biden, Foreign Relations, Democratic, Senate, Republican, Counterterrorism, Politico, Biden White House Locations: Israel, Ukraine, United States, New York, Minden, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday formally declared the ousting of Niger's democratically-elected president a coup d'etat, more than two months after mutinous soldiers seized power. The coup designation comes with the suspension of counterterrorism assistance and military training as well as the pausing of certain foreign assistance programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Under U.S. law, a formal determination of a coup — the unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected government — typically results in a suspension of all non-humanitarian assistance, particularly military aid and cooperation, to the country concerned. The bases are a critical part of America’s overall efforts in West Africa and Niger, hosting more than 1,000 troops in the country. While a sizeable footprint remains in the country, those troops are not conducting either partnered training or counterterrorism missions, administration officials said, raising questions as to why they were staying.

Persons: Niger's, it’s, we’ve, they've, ”, Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon, Mohamed Bazoum who’s, Bazoum, —, Biden, Peter Pham, ___ Mednick Organizations: WASHINGTON, National Council for, U.S, Islamic, Atlantic Council Locations: United States, U.S, West African, Ambassador, Niger, Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali, West Africa, Niamey, Agadez, West Africa’s, Cotonou, Benin

But in an about turn, Macron announced on Sunday that the ambassador would return to Paris and French troops would leave. Two security sources in Niger said Itte had flown out of the country. Demonstrators hold placards and Niger's flags as they gather outside Niger's embassy in support of the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum in Paris, France, August 5, 2023. Crowds of junta supporters have spent days camping outside a French military base to demand the troops' departure. Some analysts have expressed concern that the withdrawal of French troops from Niger could further hamper Western efforts to stem the violence, which has risen since the coups, and bolster Russian influence in the region.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Macron, Itte, Catherine Colonna, Yucouba Abdou, Abdou, Niger Mohamed Bazoum, Stephanie Lecocq, Paris, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Moussa Aksar, Michel Rose, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Toby Chopra, Estelle Shirbon, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Niger, Quai, French, Nigerien, Reuters, REUTERS, France, Thomson Locations: Niger French, NIAMEY, Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, French, N'Djamena, Niger's, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sahel

So from that perspective, if I’m DOJ, I’d much rather have a Miami jury pool than a Fort Pierce jury pool,” he added. Given its sprawling geographic size, the district has five courthouses — in Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce. “The bigger issue is going to become, can the Fort Pierce courtroom handle this case? “And if they send it to Miami, how are they going to get the jurors there because technically it’s not a Miami case." In St. Lucie, home to Fort Pierce, he won by only 50.4%, but Republicans have continued to gain ground there, and Florida Gov.

Persons: Donald Trump, boastfully, Trump, ”, Richard Kibbey, “ It’s, Jack Smith's, —, It’s, you’re, Michael Sherwin, “, Fort Pierce, Cannon, David Weinstein, Lucie, Martin, Ron DeSantis, Richard Serafini, ___ Tucker Organizations: MIAMI, Trump, Southern District of, Attorney, DOJ, Fort, Associated Press, Southern, Highlands . Trump, Republicans, Florida Gov, Justice Department Locations: Beach, Florida, Stuart , Florida, Fort Pierce district, Washington, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Miami, Fort Pierce, Key West, Fort Lauderdale , West Palm Beach, Fort, West Palm, Mar, St, Indian, Okeechobee, Highlands

☆ Amazon used 6 friendly 'tenets' to woo its rival Shopify into a partnership such as 'better together,' leaked document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Amazon and Shopify launched a new Buy with Prime app for Shopify last week. This was true for its partnership with Shopify, a company that Amazon views as a major ecommerce rival. The Amazon "Prime bar" shoppers expect from Amazon.com is maintained on Shopify. We believe we can build a "better together" shopper and merchant experience with Shopify. We lean in to the key differentiators each company has to offer (e.g., Prime, MCF, Amazon App, Shop App) to "grow the pie."

Persons: Shopify, Jeff Bezos Organizations: Shopify, Amazon, Prime, Amazon.com Locations: Santos

☆ Mar-a-Lago IT worker struck cooperation agreement with special counsel, his former lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Mar-a-Lago IT worker Yuscil Taveras has struck a cooperation agreement with the special counsel’s office in the federal case over former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, Taveras’ former defense attorney said in a new court filing. Taveras struck the deal with prosecutors after he was threatened with prosecution, defense attorney Stanley Woodward wrote in the filing dated Tuesday. According to the terms of the deal explained in the filing, Taveras agreed to testify in the classified documents case and in exchange will not be prosecuted. Woodward wrote in the filing Wednesday that he “played no role” in Taveras’ cooperation and said that prosecutors did not offer Taveras the cooperation deal until after Taveras got a different lawyer. Those allegations include efforts by Trump, de Oliveira and Nauta to delete incriminating security footage from the club.

Persons: CNN —, Yuscil Taveras, Donald Trump’s, Taveras, Stanley Woodward, “, Jack Smith, Trump, Walt Nauta, Carlos de Oliveira, Woodward, de Oliveira, Nauta Organizations: CNN, “ Trump, Prosecutors, Trump Locations: Lago, Taveras

☆ Inside the clash between Amazon and Shopify over Buy with Prime
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Amazon and Shopify announced a new Buy with Prime app for Shopify on Wednesday. Buy with Prime let merchants offer Prime benefits, such as fast shipping and free delivery, on websites beyond Amazon.com. Amazon had no choice but to let Shopify merchants view Buy with Prime-related metrics on its own backend console, not within the unified Shopify Admin tool, according to the internal Amazon document from April. If Buy with Prime data wasn't smoothly integrated into Shopify Admin, Shopify merchants might not use the Amazon feature much. Constant delaysThe internal Amazon document described a Shopify-native Buy with Prime app as a "flagship" goal for Amazon's top leadership because it would make Buy with Prime more appealing to Shopify merchants.

Persons: Shopify, Santos Jeff Bezos Kevin Mazur, Jeff Bezos, Tobi Lütke David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile, Harley Finkelstein, Finkelstein, Mark William Lewis, Andy Jassy, they've Organizations: Amazon, Amazon.com, Prime, Project Santos, Getty, Amazon Logistics, Netalico Commerce, Web, Associated

FILE PHOTO-Former Indonesian education minister Anies Baswedan talks to reporters after voting in the Jakarta governor election in Jakarta, Indonesia April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Beawiharta/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on Saturday named the chairman of Indonesia's largest Islamic party as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, a move aimed at boosting his popularity in this Muslim majority country. His vice presidential pick, Muhaimin Iskandar, leads the National Awakening Party (PKB), which has strong ties with Indonesia's biggest Islamic organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), that boasts 40 million members. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, a senior member of Prabowo's Gerindra party, said the announcement "automatically ended the political cooperation of Gerindra and PKB" but added his party respected Muhaimin's decision. Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; editing by Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anies Baswedan, Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo Subianto, Joko, Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo, Anies, Djayadi Hanan, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Muhaimin, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Prabowo's, Ananda Teresia, Gayatri Suroyo, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Former Jakarta Governor, Saturday, Central Java, Defence, National Awakening Party, Indonesia's, Ulama, PKB, NU, Anies, Thomson Locations: Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Surabaya, East Java

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Friday elevated the federal prosecutor investigating President Biden’s son Hunter to the status of special counsel after negotiations to revive a plea agreement on tax and gun charges foundered. The move raised the possibility that Mr. Biden could be tried in the politically charged case, which seemed resolved until a few weeks ago. The prosecutor, David C. Weiss, has since 2018 investigated a wide array of accusations involving Mr. Biden’s business and personal life, including his foreign dealings, drug use and finances. But as special counsel, Mr. Weiss, who is also the U.S. attorney in Delaware, can pursue charges in any jurisdiction he chooses without seeking the cooperation of local federal prosecutors. Mr. Weiss, who has been roundly criticized by Republicans over the terms of the deal, asked Mr. Garland on Tuesday to be named special counsel.

Persons: Merrick B, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Biden, David C, Weiss Locations: Delaware

“The appointment of Mr. Weiss reinforces for the American people the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters,” Mr. Garland said. Mr. Clark and the Justice Department prosecutors overseeing the case had distinctly different understandings of the immunity Hunter Biden would receive from the deal. House Republicans quickly signaled the special counsel appointment would not alleviate their criticism of the investigation into Hunter Biden. agents was that Mr. Weiss had sought to bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington and California but was rebuffed after prosecutors in those jurisdictions declined to partner with him. House Republicans have also issued subpoenas to six banks, detailing millions that were paid to Hunter Biden and his business partners from overseas companies.

Persons: General Merrick B, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Justice Department’s, David C, Weiss, Hunter Biden, Biden, —, Garland scoffed, Weiss —, “, Mr, Jack Smith, Donald J, Trump, Robert K, Hur, Trump’s, Hunter Biden’s, Christopher Clark, ” Mr, Clark, ”, Russell Dye, Jim Jordan, “ Weiss, Kevin McCarthy, Biden’s D.O.J, couldn’t, Devon Archer, Archer, Chris Cameron Organizations: Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Mr, Republican, Republicans, Justice Department, House Republicans, Biden, Congress, Department, Trump Locations: Washington, U.S, Delaware, Delaware , Washington, Wilmington, Del, Ohio, Washington and California

"Our drone base in Niger is extremely important in countering terrorism in the region," one of the U.S. officials said. FOREIGN ASSISTANCEThe Biden administration has not formally labeled the military takeover in Niger a coup, a designation that would limit what security assistance Washington can provide the country. The U.S. drone base has grown in importance due to a lack of Western security partners in the region. The drone base, known as airbase 201, was built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Wagner's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the coup in Niger and said his forces were available to restore order.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Russia's Wagner, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nusrat al, Cameron Hudson, Hudson, Terence McCulley, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Nigerien, Islamic State, Al, West African, Center for Strategic, International Studies, United States Institute of Peace, Wagner Group, ., U.S, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, United States, Sahel, Al Qaeda, France, Africa, insurgencies, Russia, China, Washington, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, Agadez, State, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Niger's, Nigerien

☆ Thousands protest against Germany's far-right AfD party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MAGDEBURG, Germany, July 29 (Reuters) - Thousands took to the streets to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Friday and Saturday as the party held a convention to choose its candidates for European parliamentary elections next year. Polling at 22% behind the opposition conservatives, the AfD denies it is a Nazi party. [1/5]People gather on the day of the European election assembly 2023 of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Magdeburg, Germany, July 29, 2023. Germany's main opposition leader Friedrich Merz was on Monday forced to row back from comments suggesting he could work with the AfD at a local level. Vocal among the protesters in Magdeburg were "Grannies against the far-right" calling for an end to racism and far-right politics.

Persons: Alice Weidel, Friedrich Merz, Merz, Maria Martinez, Oliver Denzer, Alvise Armellini, Giles Elgood Organizations: Protesters, Nazi, Analysts, Repubblica, REUTERS, Christian Democrats, CDU, Vocal, Thomson Locations: MAGDEBURG, Germany, Magdeburg

☆ Mexico Ayotzinapa students: military obstructed probe into disappeared students, says UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Karol Suarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico City CNN —The United Nation’s human rights commissioner on Thursday accused Mexico’s military of obstructing an expert investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in a bloody incident that shook that country nearly nine years ago. Last August, a Mexican truth commission report concluded that the students, who disappeared en route to a demonstration in Mexico City, had been victims of “state-sponsored crime.”The students, from a teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, were intercepted by local police and federal military forces while traveling through the southwestern city of Iguala in September 2014. Survivors from the original group of 100 students said police officers and soldiers suddenly opened fire. But dozens of students on the buses disappeared that night, and their fate remains unknown. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks at a morning conference on July 26, 2023 in Mexico City.

Persons: Mexico’s, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Carlos Santiago Organizations: Mexico City CNN, United Nations, Human Rights, Armed Forces Locations: Mexico, Mexican, Mexico City, Ayotzinapa, Iguala

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