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☆ EU's Michel calls for 'stable and constructive' cooperation with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday it was in the EU's interest to maintain "stable and constructive" cooperation with China, as the Group of Seven countries met to consider China's "economic coercion" and other concerns. The EU wants to "de-risk to reduce over-dependencies and diversify to address unfair practices", Michel told a briefing in Hiroshima. "Stable and constructive relations with China is in our mutual interest," he said. Michel called on China to use its influence over its neighbour to end the war in Ukraine. "We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression," Michel said.

☆ Europe wants to ban Russian diamond imports. What comes next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Russian diamonds are not forever,” European Council President Charles Michel said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday. Tatyana Makeyeva/ReutersA ban on Russian diamonds could inflate prices for European consumers, especially if diamond production elsewhere doesn’t ramp up. The biggest task facing Europe is how to design an air-tight ban that prevents Russian diamonds from arriving in the bloc through circuitous routes. “There are a lot of Russian diamonds that still get sold within the American economy,” he said. “If you really want to close loopholes, you need to find a system that prevents [Russian] diamonds going to the G7 market,” Neys said.

☆ Russia-Ukraine War: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Smoke rises from the side of the Ilsky Oil Refinery manufacturing complex in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. For the past several days, Russian infrastructure near Ukraine’s border and in Russian-controlled Crimea has been targeted repeatedly. But it has usually maintained ambiguity about involvement in attacks on Russian territory. Russian officials reported strikes on train lines in Russia’s Bryansk region on Monday and Tuesday. Four drones also attacked storage facilities on Thursday at one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Territory, according to Tass, the Russian state news agency.

☆ Fugees rapper convicted in US over lobbying campaigns with Malaysian financier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Nathan HowardWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents. Low, who also faces separate federal charges in New York that he embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, remains at large. Because federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to U.S. campaigns, prosecutors said Michel masked the source of the funds. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money," Michel told the jury, describing the payment as "free money." On whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, Michel told jurors that his attorney George Higgenbotham never told him it was required by law.

Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File PhotoApril 25 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree establishing temporary control of the Russian assets of two foreign energy firms, signaling Moscow could take similar action against other companies if need be. The decree - outlining possible retaliation if Russian assets abroad are seized - showed Moscow had already taken action against Uniper SE's (UN01.DE) Russian division and the assets of Finland's Fortum Oyj (FORTUM.HE). Rosimushchestvo said more foreign firms could find their assets under temporary Russian control, TASS reported. Last October European Council President Charles Michel said the EU was looking at using Russian assets frozen under sanctions against Moscow towards rebuilding Ukraine. Fortum had already warned shareholders there was a risk its Russian assets could be expropriated.

☆ EU leaders will discuss China relation during June summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, April 24 (Reuters) - EU leaders will discuss the bloc's stance towards China and its future relations with the country during their next summit in June, EU Council President Charles Michel said on Monday. "EU-China policy will be on the agenda of our European council in June," Michel said in a post on Twitter. "Foreign affairs ministers will prepare this discussion under the leadership of the High representative Josep Borrell." EU foreign affairs ministers, speaking before a joint meeting on Monday, expressed their dismay over recent remarks by China's ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet states such as Ukraine. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Marine Strauss; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fugees star says money from Malaysian financier was for Obama photo, not campaign donation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Michel faces criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance charges for allegedly plotting with Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Michel said he used some of the funds for three friends to attend $40,000-a-plate fundraisers for Obama. "When you received the money from Jho Low, you used it to make political contributions," federal prosecutor John Keller said in a Washington court. "Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it's my money." Michel is accused of involvement with Low in three schemes, for which prosecutors say he was paid millions of dollars.

☆ Pras Michel: Former Fugees rapper testifies in his own trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

According to Michel, Low had asked him in 2012 to set up a picture of Low and Obama. Michel told Low to give him $1 million and he would think about how to make that happen. “I thought that I could just give my friends” money to contribute to the campaign, Michel told the jury. A prosecutor told Michel during cross examination that funneling donations through other individuals is illegal. Prosecutor John Keller also asked Michel about funds to help Low find an attorney, which Michel contested was not illegal.

☆ Banksy's migrant rescue ship seized by Italy's coast guard in Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, March 26 (Reuters) - A rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy was seized in Lampedusa on Sunday after Italy's coast guard said the boat had disobeyed its instructions to head to Sicily after carrying out a migrant rescue operation. The coast guard said it had ordered the MV Louise Michel ship to dock in Trapani in Sicily after it performed an initial rescue operation in Libya's Search And Rescue area. The coast guard added that it was already on its way to assist the three other boats at the time. It ordered the Louise Michel to dock in accordance with a new law passed in Italy this year establishing a code of conduct for migrant charity ships, the coast guard said. The coast guard said it wanted to prevent the ship from taking too many people on board, thereby putting their safety at risk.

That will be discussed over lunch with Guterres before the U.N. secretary-general takes his leave and EU leaders get an update on the war from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via video link, officials said. "We will, as always, reaffirm our unwavering commitment to assist Ukraine," declared Charles Michel, president of the European Council of EU leaders. Diplomats involved in preparing the summit of the 27 national EU leaders were sceptical of an imminent breakthrough. AMMUNITIONBeyond food security and sanctions, the leaders will also discuss bringing those responsible for the 13-month war to justice, as well as providing more military aid to Ukraine. "We will need to take measures to boost the manufacturing capacity of the European defence industry," Michel said in his letter inviting fellow EU leaders to the summit.

☆ Georgian protesters rally in Tbilisi after violent clashes with police
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jake Cordell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ruling Georgian Dream party say it is modelled on U.S. legislation dating from the 1930s. In violent clashes on Tuesday evening, protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police, who used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds. Critics say Georgian Dream is too close to Russia and has taken the country in a more repressive direction in recent years. Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze defended the bill again on Wednesday, saying it would help root out those working against the interests of the country and the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church. He criticised Georgia's "radical opposition" for stirring up protesters to commit "unprecedented violence" during Tuesday's rallies, according to Georgian news agencies.

☆ EU leaders will discuss gas price cap for power generation, Michel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will discuss putting a cap for the price of gas used to generate electricity - over which member states are divided - when they meet for a summit at the end of this week, European Council President Charles Michel said on Tuesday. "We must intensify our three lines of action: reducing demand, ensuring security of supply and containing prices," Michel said in his invitation letter to leaders for the Thursday-Friday meeting in Brussels. "This includes: jointly purchasing gas, developing a new benchmark that more accurately reflects conditions on the gas market, and examining a temporary dynamic price limit," Michel said. "I also expect us to address other short and long-term market interventions, such as an EU framework to cap the price of gas for electricity generation." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Bart Meijer and John ChalmersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The measure must not affect EU security of gas supply, cause an increase in gas use, or disrupt the functioning of gas markets, it said. The move to curb TTF gas prices would require a separate proposal from Brussels and require approval from EU countries. The EU package includes other measures aimed at lessening the impact of high prices on consumers and businesses. The EU package is unlikely to placate all 27 EU countries - whose leaders will discuss the proposals at a summit on Oct. 20-21. Most EU countries have urged the Commission to urgently propose a gas price cap, but disagree on its design.

☆ Ukraine's Independence Day darkened by deadly missile strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-23 | by ( Tara John | Yulia Kesaieva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The day was darkened by a missile strike on an eastern Ukrainian train station which killed at least 22 people -- fulfilling warnings by Ukrainian officials. On the eve of Independence Day, crowds of people were seen in Khreshchatyk, inspecting the display. "I don't feel festive about (Independence Day), I rather feel sad," she added. International solidarityUS President Joe Biden marked Ukraine's Independence Day Wednesday by reiterating the US' commitment to Ukraine with a new $2.98 billion investment in security assistance. Daria is also worried about an attack on Independence Day.

☆ AI made these stunning images. Here’s why experts are worried
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-30 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

OpenAI and Google have pointed to a few ways the technology might be commercialized, such as for editing images or creating stock images. An image created by an AI system called Imagen, built by Google Research. GoogleThe bias in these AI systems presents a serious issue, experts told CNN Business. It’s not what we see in the movies.”An image created by an AI system called DALL-E 2, built by OpenAI. Some researchers are thinking about how it might be possible to reduce bias in these types of AI systems, but still use them to create impressive images.

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