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In 2013, two years before he began running for president, Mr. Trump — Mr. Kushner’s father-in-law — told a top Serbian government official that he wanted to build a luxury hotel on the site. Associates of the Trump Organization traveled to Belgrade to inspect the location. The project did not come together before Mr. Trump’s election in 2016, and after being sworn in he vowed to not do any new foreign deals. But developing the site would again draw interest from Mr. Trump’s circle. Richard Grenell, whom Mr. Trump had appointed as a special envoy in the Balkans, pushed a related plan during the Trump administration that Serbia and the United States jointly work to rebuild the Defense Ministry site.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, Kushner, Kushner’s, —, Richard Grenell Organizations: Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, NATO, The New York Times, Serbian, Associates, Trump Organization, United, Defense Ministry Locations: Belgrade, Serbian, Balkans, Serbia, United States, American

☆ I tried the AI robot massage table coming to Equinox. It's impressive, but I still prefer a human.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Equinox is getting an AI massage table this summer and it's the first of its kind to launch in the US. So naturally, I had to test out the new Aescape AI massage that Equinox is adding to its New York City locations in June. It's the first fully automated, customizable massage experience available commercially in the US, with two long robotic arms that massage you in tandem. The table is located in a dimly lit room with a large dresser, mirror, and robotic massage table in the center. Beider also said Aescape's massage table isn't an option for everyone.

Persons: —, I've, It's, Eric Litman, Rachel Beider, Aescape, Ana Altchek, Litman, Molly O'Connor, Frank Sinatra, Beider, didn't, We've, you'll Organizations: Service, Massage, PRESS Locations: Paris, New York City, Colombia, COVID

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald J. Trump, confirmed on Friday that he was closing in on major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia, the latest example of the former president’s family doing business abroad even as Mr. Trump seeks to return to the White House. Mr. Kushner’s plans in the Balkans appear to have come about in part through relationships built while Mr. Trump was in office. Mr. Kushner, who was a senior White House official, said he had been working on the deals with Richard Grenell, who served briefly as acting director of national intelligence under Mr. Trump and also as ambassador to Germany and special envoy to the Balkans. One of the proposed projects would be the development of an island off the coast of Albania into a luxury tourist destination. A second — with a planned luxury hotel and 1,500 residential units and a museum — is in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, at the site of the long-vacant former headquarters of the Yugoslav Army destroyed in 1999 by the NATO bombings, according to a member of Parliament in Serbia and Mr. Kushner’s company.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, Kushner’s, Kushner, Richard Grenell Organizations: Mr, White House, Yugoslav, NATO Locations: Albania, Serbia, Germany, Balkans, Belgrade

☆ Geely-backed car tech company takes aim at Nvidia's growing auto business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — Companies from Nvidia to Huawei are chasing the market for in-vehicle tech as the electric car industry booms, with Ecarx emerging as a new contender. Since 2017, Chinese car conglomerate Geely's founder and chairman, Eric Li, has been building Ecarx that provides software and chip systems for digital car cockpits and driver-assist. The company on Wednesday reported its fourth-quarter revenue surged 22% from a year earlier to $263 million. Geely's car brands, such as Lynk and Co, made up 70% of that revenue. "We can't compete with them in this area," he said, but noted there's still about 70% or 80% of the car market that doesn't need such advanced tech, and can buy simpler driver-assist tech focused on safety.

Persons: Geely, Eric Li, Jensen Huang, Orin, Li, Ecarx, Ziyu Shen Organizations: BEIJING — Companies, Nvidia, Huawei, CNBC Locations: Berlin, BEIJING

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicU.S. officials have acknowledged a growing fear that Russia may be trying to put a nuclear weapon into orbit. Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains that their real worry is that America could lose the battle for military supremacy in space.

Persons: Eric Lipton Organizations: Spotify, Amazon Music U.S, The Times Locations: Russia, America

☆ Grigory Rodchenkov: ‘The Russian flag and anthems have become symbols of murder and rape,’ says doping whistleblower
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Molly Stazicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Much like Mark Twain, Russian doping whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov says that reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated. “There is no question that – if the IOC wants to have any credibility – it would ban them [Russian athletes] for 10 years, no less,” Rodchenkov said. Michel Euler/AP/FILEInternational sporting federations have the first say on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can even attempt to qualify for the Olympics. “The only way to bring it to an end is to prosecute the organizers under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act. Lira is the first person to be charged and convicted under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act.

Persons: Mark Twain, Grigory Rodchenkov, Rodchenkov, –, Grigory Rodchenkov ”, Jim Walden, Oscar, Russia’s, Rodchenkov’s, ” Rodchenkov, That’s, ” Grigory Rodchenkov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Michel Euler, it’s, doesn’t, Walden, “, didn’t, ‘, “ It’s, haven’t, Matthieu Reeb, WADA, Eric Lira, Lira, who’s, Dewayne Barrett, Wright –, Barrett’s, Wright didn’t Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Netflix, International Olympic Committee, IOC, Paris, Russian Olympic, Olympic, Athletics, BBC, Weightlifting, Doping Agency, Tokyo Games, Liberian, Tokyo Olympics Locations: Sochi, Russia, Russian, Paris, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet, Ukrainian, Bucha, Belarusian, ’, Texas, Walden, Nigeria, Switzerland, United Kingdom

☆ From Land Mines to Drones, Tech Has Driven Fears About Autonomous Arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Swarms of killer drones are likely to soon be a standard feature of battlefields around the world. That has ignited debate over how or whether to regulate their use and spurred concerns about the prospect of eventually turning life-or-death decisions over to artificial intelligence programs. Here is an overview of how the technology has evolved, what types of weapons are being developed and how the debate is unfolding. Eventually, artificial intelligence should allow weapons systems to make their own decisions about selecting certain kinds of targets and striking them. tech have intensified the discussion around such systems, known as lethal autonomous weapons.

☆ As A.I.-Controlled Killer Drones Become Reality, Nations Debate Limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But while the U.N. is providing a platform for governments to express their concerns, the process seems unlikely to yield substantive new legally binding restrictions. The result has been to tie the debate up in a procedural knot with little chance of progress on a legally binding mandate anytime soon. The debate over the risks of artificial intelligence has drawn new attention in recent days with the battle over control of OpenAI, perhaps the world’s leading A.I. company, whose leaders appeared split over whether the firm is taking sufficient account over the dangers of the technology. And last week, officials from China and the United States discussed a related issue: potential limits on the use of A.I.

Persons: “, ” Konstantin Vorontsov Organizations: United Nations Locations: United States, Russia, Australia, Israel, China, New York

☆ The US government won’t quit Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Condemning Elon Musk is easy. On Friday, the White House joined the uproar over Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. On Monday, the White House announced it would be joining X rival Threads, which is owned by Meta, as backlash to Musk intensifies. Musk faced backlash a year ago when he had complained about the cost of that service. The White House bragged early this year that after months of negotiations, Tesla would open up part of its charging network to non-Tesla EVs.

Persons: Elon, Andrew Bates, Bates, Musk, ”, David Sanger, Eric Lipton, ” John Kirby, ” Kirby, Kirby, CNN’s Kristin Fisher, Pat Ryder, Lloyd Austin, He’s, CNN’s Chris Isidore, Tesla Organizations: CNN, NASA, Pentagon, Twitter, White House, Warner Bros, Meta, New York Times, White, SpaceX, National Security, House, Reliant, SpaceX The, Starlink, ” Locations: Ukraine

And the White House and Pentagon both know that. Mr. Musk, rather than apologize, has threatened lawsuits. But SpaceX is privately held, entirely controlled by Mr. Musk. (Tesla, his electric vehicle company, is publicly held.) And so far, while the White House has been outspoken, the Pentagon has been silent.

Persons: Musk, Lockheed Martin —, Tesla, ” Walter Isaacson, Musk’s, ”, Lockheed Martin Organizations: House, Pentagon, Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed, IBM, Apple, Warner Bros, Twitter, SpaceX, Mr, White, U.S, United Launch Alliance Locations: United States

☆ Europe should brace for U.S. Treasury clearing rules, says industry body
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Europe has nowhere to hide from U.S. plans to mandate clearing of U.S. Treasuries transactions that will need to be carefully introduced over time, a global derivatives industry body said on Tuesday. A clearing house is backed by a default fund, ensuring that a transaction is completed even if one side of a transaction goes bust. Regulators began mandating the use of clearing more widely in derivatives markets after the global financial crisis in 2008 to improve stability and transparency. "It's something that you need to look at carefully and at this stage I think we still have more questions than answers as to how the actual process of clearing Treasury cash and Treasury repo will play out," Litvack said. Much will hinge on the details in the final rules that determine who will be within scope, O'Malia said.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, It's, Eric Litvack, Litvack, Scott O'Malia, O'Malia, Huw Jones, Chizu Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Regulators, International, Association, Financial, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Europe, U.S, Treasuries, United States, repos

He brought that question to his brother Ryan, a tech whiz who had invented a type of wireless cellphone charger when he was in college. After Brandon Tseng left the military, he joined with his brother to find ways to apply technology to national security challenges and quickly had what he remembers as his “aha” moment. Even fighter jets could perhaps be turned into A.I.-controlled robot drones. The company the Tseng brothers created in 2015, named Shield AI, is now valued by venture capital investors at $2.7 billion. The firm has 625 employees in Texas, California, Virginia and Abu Dhabi.

Persons: Brandon Tseng, Ryan, Tseng Organizations: Navy SEAL, aha, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Afghanistan, A.I, Texas , California, Virginia, Abu Dhabi

☆ The Adidas team working with Kanye West was given subscriptions to a meditation app and regularly had group-therapy-like sessions to deal with the stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Alex Bitter | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kanye West was reportedly so difficult to deal with that it took a toll on the Adidas team working with him. A New York Times investigation found that the team had to have group therapy-like sessions to deal with the stress. AdvertisementAdvertisementMembers of the Adidas team working with Kanye West were given a subscription to a meditation app and regularly had group therapy-like sessions to deal with the stress of working with the rapper, a New York Times investigation found. They were also given a subscription to a meditation app and regularly held group therapy-like sessions, the outlet reported. In 2013, the year that Adidas and Ye unveiled their partnership, the brand's sales in North America were down 1%.

Persons: Kanye, —, Ye, Hitler, Eric Liedtke, Liedtke Organizations: Adidas, New York Times, West, Service, Kanye, Times, TMZ Locations: North America

☆ Middle East War Adds to Surge in International Arms Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just days after the assault by Hamas ignited a new war in the Middle East, shipments of American weapons began arriving in Israel: smart bombs, ammunition and interceptors for the Iron Dome missile-defense system. When President Biden meets in Israel on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, more military aid is a likely topic. The conflict between Israel and Hamas is just the latest impetus behind a boom in international arms sales that is bolstering profits and weapons-making capacity among American suppliers. The surge in sales is providing the Biden administration with new opportunities to tie the militaries of other countries more closely to the United States, the world’s biggest arms exporter, while also raising concerns that a more heavily armed world will be prone to careen into further wars. The surge in sales is also being driven by the rapid pace of technological change in warfighting, pressuring even well-armed nations to buy new generations of equipment to stay competitive.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Locations: Israel, United States, Ukraine, China, warfighting

☆ Fishing startups are making the industry more sustainable by repelling bycatch, recycling nets, and tackling dredging — but they need more cash to stay afloat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But overfishing has left some fish stocks depleted, while destructive fishing practices like dredging have harmed ecosystems . Ocean tech has the additional challenge of "dealing with this chemically rich liquid that basically eats everything that goes into it," Watson said of the ocean. Blue Ocean Gear's data-collecting buoy. Blue Ocean GearFishing for fundingBut Falconer is competing with buzzy tech sectors in the pursuit of venture capital. Without cash flowing in, fishing tech could face a brain drain.

Persons: Daniel Watson's, SafetyNet, Daniel Watson Dan, Eric Li, James Dyson, Enki, Watson, Ed Phillips, Phillips, Dado Ruvic, Kortney Opshaug, Opshaug, it's, Ava Ocean, Maren Hjorth Bauer, Ava Ocean's, Hjorth Bauer, Ian Falconer, I'm, Falconer, haven't Organizations: Venture, Service, SafetyNet Technologies, European Union, Future Planet Capital, Aquaculture, REUTERS, NASA, Ocean, Investors, multibillion, Strategic Locations: London, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Bering, Cornwall

☆ Faced With Evolving Threats, U.S. Navy Struggles to Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One, the T-38 Devil Ray, which can reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour — faster than just about any other vessel in the Navy — was awaiting its next assignment. Alongside it was the Ocean Aero Triton, whose solar-power system allows it to operate for three months at a time without any need to refuel. He said he found enormous enthusiasm for the idea among frontline commanders in the Pacific and the Middle East. “We are trying to improve Navy power, but we need to do more than that: We need to reimagine Navy power,” he said in an interview this summer, just after retiring from the Navy. It is vital that we throw off old conventions.”

Persons: Ray, Navy —, Devil Ray, Admiral Selby, ” Organizations: Navy, Triton, Naval Research Locations: Asia, Persian, Bahrain, San Diego, Pacific

☆ Pentagon Vows to Move Quickly to Buy More Drones, Citing China Threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The commitment came from Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary. The Pentagon, Ms. Hicks conceded, is “too risk averse” as “our system was built for the industrial age, not the information age, let alone the age of A.I.,” referring to artificial intelligence and citing criticism she has raised or heard from others. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said, according to a transcript of her prepared remarks before the National Defense Industrial Association in Washington. As one of the world’s largest organizations, it’s often hard to see ourselves clearly, and get out of our own way. So I’m far from satisfied that everything is working as it should.”

Persons: Kathleen Hicks, Hicks, “ I’ll, ”, “ Organizations: Pentagon, National Defense Industrial Association Locations: China, Russian, Washington

☆ A.I. Brings the Robot Wingman to Aerial Combat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is powered into flight by a rocket engine. It can fly a distance equal to the width of China. It has a stealthy design and is capable of carrying missiles that can hit enemy targets far beyond its visual range. Its mission is to marry artificial intelligence and its sensors to identify and evaluate enemy threats and then, after getting human sign-off, to move in for the kill. On a recent day at Eglin Air Force Base on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Maj. Ross Elder, 34, a test pilot from West Virginia, was preparing for an exercise in which he would fly his F-16 fighter alongside the Valkyrie.

Persons: Ross Elder Organizations: U.S, Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base Locations: China, Florida’s Gulf Coast, Maj, West Virginia

☆ Pacific Seabed Mining Delayed as International Agency Finalizes Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Eric Lipton | More About Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The effort to postpone the start has been led by nations including Costa Rica, Chile and France. The three nations urged other countries that are members of the Seabed Authority’s governing council to agree that no permit authorizing mining in international waters should be granted until regulations are finalized. “We are on the side of the ocean,” said Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica’s representative to the Seabed Authority who has helped lead the opposition to seabed mining. While the Seabed Authority continues its work to determine environmental standards, as well as a royalty rate that will be paid by the mining contractors, among other matters, the Metals Company will continue to lobby other nations, Mr. Barron said. The Metals Company and Nauru, along with the delegation from China, which also has been aggressively pursuing seabed mining, pushed unsuccessfully at last week’s meeting for the Seabed Authority to set a goal of finalizing the regulations by 2024.

Persons: ”, Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa, ” Gerard Barron, Barron, Mr Organizations: Metals, Metals Company, The Metals Company Locations: Costa Rica, Chile, France, Nauru, Indonesia, Congo, China

☆ Geely, Renault strike deal to develop gasoline engines, hybrid technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Geely logo is seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongJuly 11 (Reuters) - China's Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK) and French car maker Renault SA (RENA.PA) on Tuesday said they will invest up to 7 billion euros ($7.71 billion) in a new equally held joint venture to develop gasoline engines and hybrid technology for automobiles. The JV aims to have an annual production capacity of up to five million internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines and transmissions, Renault added. Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), which signed a letter of intent with Renault and Geely in March, is evaluating a strategic investment in the new company, Renault said. Big oil firms have worked with automakers to develop sustainable fuels and hydrogen engines in recent years.

Persons: Aly Song, Eric Li, Harish Sridharan, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Eileen Soreng Organizations: REUTERS, Geely Automobile Holdings, HK, Renault SA, Geely Holding, Renault, Volvo, Proton, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors, Torino, JV, Reuters, Saudi Aramco, Geely, Aramco, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Saudi, Bengaluru

☆ Why the US ‘does not get to assume that it lasts forever’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government,” Greene said in a tweet on President’s Day this year. Blue state governors, legislatures and mayors might respond to such an offensive in forceful ways difficult to predict today. The Republican-appointed majority on the US Supreme Court has encouraged the red state social offensive with decisions that stripped away national rights – most prominently on abortion and voting. “Given the make-up of the courts, it’s difficult for blue states to be hopeful about this,” says Kettl. “The United States does not get to assume that it lasts forever.”

Persons: we’ve, ”, Donald Kettl, Donald Trump, I’ve, ’ “, Trump, Daniel Cox, Alan Wolfe, Wolfe, ” Wolfe, “, Joe Biden, Trump –, Abraham Lincoln, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, ” Greene, Susan Stokes, Stokes, he’s, Biden, Jim Crow, Cox, Michael Podhorzer, what’s, MAGA, Eric Liu, Liu, Richard Nixon’s, Liu’s, ” Liu Organizations: CNN, America, University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Republican “, American Enterprise Institute, Boston University, Republican, Democratic, Chicago Center, Democracy, University of Chicago, CBS, Trump, National Guard, Fugitive, “, US, GOP, White House, AFL, Citizen University Locations: United States, States, America, Black, Confederate States, Georgia, Midwest, Heartland, Great, New York, Memphis, Austin, Blue, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona

☆ How Julie Byrne’s Astral Folk Music Took Flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Quinn Moreland | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In the winter of 2020, Byrne had recently moved to Chicago from California to be closer to Eric Littmann, her longtime creative collaborator. After a first attempt at recording “Not Even Happiness” in Brooklyn, where they struggled to capture a tranquillity amid the chaos, Littmann and Byrne relocated to her childhood home in Buffalo for four months. But in June of that year, Littmann died suddenly at 31. Byrne declined to speak to the circumstances of his death, which remains a profoundly destabilizing loss. “He was a truly brilliant person, he had so much faith in me and what we had set out to do together — that never wavered,” Byrne said.

Persons: Byrne, Eric Littmann, Littmann, Steve Sobs, Emily Yacina, tinker, ” Byrne, Wings ”, ” Organizations: Greater Wings, Wings Locations: Chicago, California, South, New York, Brooklyn, Buffalo

☆ Trump Real Estate Deal in Oman Underscores Ethics Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It’s too hot — too hot,” said Mathan Mp, 38, who is from Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, said as he took a break from supervising dozens of workers at the project site. Executives at DarGlobal, Dar Al Arkan and the Trump Organization declined to comment. The few remaining residents do not know a great deal about Mr. Trump, having only a general impression of him as a rich businessman and politician. “Trump — he is your king from America,” Mr. Talbi said, after inviting a visitor to his village inside to an air-conditioned room to sit on the floor and share a pot of tea. “Welcome to Oman.”

Persons: “, ”, Dar Al Arkan, Trump, Htim Talbi, “ Trump, ” Mr, Talbi Organizations: Mathan, Trump Organization, Trump, Mr Locations: Tamil Nadu, India, DarGlobal, Yiti, America, Oman

☆ Through Ties to Saudis, Golf Deal Promises Benefits to Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The surprising deal on Tuesday ending a civil war in the world of professional golf stands to produce benefits for former President Donald J. Trump’s family business by increasing the prospect of major tournaments continuing to be played at Trump-owned courses in the United States and perhaps abroad. The outcome is the latest example of how the close relationship between Mr. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and Saudi Arabia, whose sovereign wealth fund is the force behind the upheaval in the golf world, has proved beneficial to both sides even as it has prompted intense ethical scrutiny and political criticism. Even as it has injected new money and competition into professional golf, Saudi Arabia has been accused of using its wealth to buff its global reputation and obscure its human rights record through sports. That campaign now seems to have yielded business opportunities and a higher profile in the golf world for Mr. Trump as he seeks another term in the White House. Since the establishment of LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway professional golf circuit, Mr. Trump and his family have aligned themselves with LIV against the PGA Tour at a time when the golf establishment in the United States and Britain had moved to shut Trump courses out of major professional competitions, a trophy that the Trump family had long sought.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, LIV Golf, LIV Organizations: Trump, Mr, PGA Locations: United States, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Britain

After two years of sniping, lawsuits and ill will, the major men’s golf tours agreed to merge on Tuesday. The PGA Tour, which runs golf in North America; the PGA European Tour, which is known as the DP World Tour and holds events in much of the rest of the world; and the upstart LIV Tour agreed to merge their operations. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which spent billions to launch the LIV Tour, will invest in the new company, and the governor of that fund will become its chairman. The LIV Tour started last year and offered big-name players from the other tours huge sums to jump ship. Many players and officials of the PGA Tour were sharply critical of LIV, both for dividing the golf world and for associating with the Saudi government and its poor human rights record.

Persons: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, LIV, ” Organizations: PGA European, LIV, PGA Locations: North America, Saudi

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