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☆ 3 men were just given life sentences over the downing of passenger jet MH17 and the murder of 298 people, but they may never be caught
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Dutch court sentenced three men to life in prison over the downing of passenger jet MH17 in 2014. The plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made missile, and nearly 300 people were killed. Two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist were convicted, but they're fugitives. Given that the convicted are currently fugitives, the three men may never be apprehended and serve their time in prison, the report said. The missile was provided by Russia's military to pro-Moscow separatist forces, the Dutch court confirmed.

☆ Dutch court convicts 2 Russians, 1 Ukrainian of murder in 2014 Malaysian jet downing over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

President of the court Steenhuis (2ndL) talks prior to verdict in the trial of four men prosecuted for their involvement in the MH17 downing case, in Badhoevedorp on November 17, 2022. A Dutch court on Thursday convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist in absentia of the murders of 298 people who died in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Outside the court, planes could be heard taking off and landing nearby on a cold, gray day. Oleg Pulatovis the only one of the suspects who was acquited represented by defense lawyers at the trial. They accused prosecutors of "tunnel vision" in basing their case on the findings of an international investigation into the downing while ignoring other possible causes.

☆ Judges to rule in murder trial for 2014 downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MH17 was a passenger flight shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. At the time, the area was the scene of fighting between pro-Russian separatist and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of this year's conflict. Moscow denies any involvement or responsibility for MH17's downing and in 2014 it also denied any presence in Ukraine. They were charged with shooting down an airplane and with murder in a trial held under Dutch law. Judges will begin reading the verdict at 1:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) at the high-security court next to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

☆ Ukraine dismisses push to compromise with Putin after Kherson retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Ukrainian servicemen accept no talks, no agreements or compromise decisions,” Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny wrote on Telegram late Monday after a telephone conversation with Milley. Lavrov attended the G-20 leaders' summit in Bali instead of Putin. “They clearly have plans to keep the offensive going,” said Rajan Menon, a director at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. “It makes perfect sense” for Ukrainian forces to reach the Kinburn Peninsula south of Kherson, gaining a tactical advantage around the Black Sea, he added. “Hard fighting does remain for Ukraine as they seek to liberate occupied territory,” a senior military official said, adding that the U.S. and its allies would “ensure that they have what they need to succeed on the battlefield.”

☆ Alphabet must cut headcount and trim costs, activist investor TCI says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

TCI's stake represents 0.27% of outstanding Alphabet shares, according to Factset data, a position that the hedge fund has steadily accumulated since 2017. TCI noted that headcount has "increased at an annual rate of 20% since 2017," the year that TCI first disclosed their Alphabet position. TCI argued for an increase in share buybacks and the establishment of an EBIT margin target for Google Services. Significantly, TCI argued that Google's "Other Bets" category – their Moonshot division – demanded immediate attention, singling out self-driving vertical Waymo as a unit that failed to justify "its excessive investment." Alphabet shares are down more than 30% year-to-date.

☆ G-20 nations to condemn Russia's Ukraine invasion as Foreign Minister Lavrov watches on
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NUSA DUA, INDONESIA - NOVEMBER 15: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov arrives at the formal welcome ceremony to mark the beginning of the G20 Summit on November 15, 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images,)G-20 nations on Tuesday will issue a joint statement condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying "today's era must not be of war." The communique has been agreed upon by the highest public servants of all the G-20 nations and is expected to be approved by the heads of state later on Tuesday. At the time of writing, it was unclear whether China was among the nations condemning Russia's war in Ukraine. The joint statement Tuesday also said "the peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital.

☆ ISS: American spacewalkers Cassada and Rubio ventured outside the space station Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The first in a series of end-of-the-year spacewalks kicked off Tuesday morning outside the International Space Station. First-time spacewalkers and NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio began their excursion outside the space station at 9:14 a.m. 🔧🌏 pic.twitter.com/kM1tw7ng50 — International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 15, 2022The hardware was delivered to the space station on November 9 aboard a Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, which safely delivered its cargo despite only one of its two solar arrays deploying after launch. This hardware will allow for the installation of more rollout solar arrays, called iROSAs, to give the space station a power boost. The thin orange pieces have been placed in different parts of the helmet, which has already been tested on orbit by the astronauts inside the space station.

☆ Russia's Lavrov went to hospital for 'checkup': Indonesia official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited and later left a Bali hospital ahead of the Group of 20 summit being held on the island, Indonesian authorities said Monday. Four Indonesian government and medical officials earlier told The Associated Press that Lavrov was treated at the hospital in the provincial capital, Denpasar. Lavrov is Russia’s longest-serving foreign minister since Soviet times, when Andrei Gromyko, nicknamed “Mr Nyet” in the West for his uncompromising approach, held the post for 28 years. Before becoming foreign minister, Lavrov served as Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Lavrov repeatedly dismissed U.S. and British assertions that Putin was preparing to order an invasion.

☆ Amidst the layoffs at Amazon, the company's ultra-secretive research lab is at risk of being shut. It's a sign things are changing 'dramatically' at the company.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Early last month, members of Amazon's secretive in-house research lab, Grand Challenge, were called into an unexpected video meeting. Weibel announced 3 of the 5 projects Grand Challenge was working on would shut down, effective immediately. When other team employees wanted to collaborate with the team, they needed additional approvals from its leadership. Amazon Glow was among the Grand Challenge projects to be discontinued at the end of this year. Getting support promoting Grand Challenge projects was a challenge too.

☆ Russia denies Lavrov was taken to Bali hospital and treated for heart condition ahead of G-20 summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's foreign ministry on Monday denied a report that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was taken to hospital after he arrived in Bali on Sunday for the G-20 meeting. AP, citing four Indonesian government and medical officials, reported that 72-year-old Lavrov had been taken to the hospital after landing in Bali, where he is set to attend the summit that begins on Tuesday, and had been treated for a heart condition, with no further details provided. Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told Reuters that Lavrov had visited hospital, for what he said was a check-up, and that the minister was in good health. She then posted a video of Lavrov dismissing reports he had fallen ill, saying Russia was used to similar reports speculating on the state of President Vladimir Putin's health. Images showed him arriving at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Sunday and being greeted by officials.

☆ The G-20 summit kicks off Tuesday. Here's what to expect.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani (C front) attends the G20 Finance Ministers Meeting in Nusa Dua, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, on July 16, 2022. Nineteen countries and one economic region, the European Union, will attend this year's two-day G-20 meeting. This year's in-person attendee list has been in the spotlight as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his unprovoked war in Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping ahead of the G-20. He highlighted China's stance on the war in Ukraine as one of many signs of eroding relations between the U.S. and China.

☆ US tech billionaires made a record $59 billion after Thursday's market rally, granting respite from a very bad year for tech stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US tech billionaires made a record $59 billion after Thursday's market rally, per Bloomberg. Thanks to this, 32 tech billionaires collectively added $59 billion to their net worth on Thursday, per Bloomberg, as much of the billionaires' fortunes is tied to their share holdings in listed tech companies. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos came in at pole-position, netting the biggest one-day jump in net worth, as his fortune soared by $10.5 billion to $119.6 billion. About 80% of Bezos's net worth is derived from his stake in Amazon, per Bloomberg. Despite the one-day rally, tech stocks have been in a funk this year.

☆ Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend G-20 summit in Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia next week, an Indonesian government official said Thursday, avoiding a possible confrontation with the United States and its allies over his war in Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders are to attend the two-day summit in Bali that starts Nov. 15. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the Chief of Support for G-20 events told reporters in Denpasar, Indonesia, that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will lead the Russian delegation. Biden will attend ASEAN and the G-20 while Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to APEC. Putin’s decision not to attend the G-20 comes as Russia’s forces in Ukraine have suffered significant setbacks.

☆ Russia is adding military training to its school curriculum, marking a reversion to a Soviet-era practice that teaches students how to handle rifles and perform first aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian schools are adding a basic military training course to their curricula, per TASS. The course is a Soviet-era practice that teaches students first aid and how to use rifles. Mironov and deputy defense minister Valery Gerasimov have vocally supported reinstating military training in schools, with Gerasimov suggesting that students in the 10th and 11th grades be given 140 hours of training, per Izvestia. When we were engaged in military training at school, it worked only as a plus," said Adalbi Shkhagoshev, the deputy chairman of the United Russia party, per the outlet. The basic military training program was retired in 1993, two years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, per independent Russian news outlet The Moscow Times.

☆ Kremlin declines to comment on reported Ukraine talks with Biden aide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan September 16, 2022. Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev/Pool via REUTERSNov 7 (Reuters) - The Kremlin declined to comment on Monday on a Wall Street Journal report that Washington had held undisclosed talks with top Russian officials about avoiding further escalation in the Ukraine war. According to the report, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held talks with aides to President Vladimir Putin in the hope of reducing the risk that the war in Ukraine spills over or escalates into a nuclear conflict. "We have nothing to say about this publication," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that while Russia remains "open" to talks, it is unable to negotiate with Kyiv due to the latter's refusal to hold talks with Russia.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine rages on without a clear end in sight. Here are 6 ways the conflict could play out.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, there does not appear to be a clear end in sight. Russian victoryWhen it began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia's goal was to take over the country completely. Rather than taking more territory, Russia's objectives in the current stage of war seem to be to weaken Ukraine's resources, economy, and army. Nuclear war and/or NATO interventionPutin has repeatedly made nuclear threats since he began the invasion of Ukraine and, in September, claimed that it was "not a bluff." One senior official previously said that a Russian nuclear strike could trigger a "physical response" from NATO itself.

☆ At least 13 killed in Russian nightclub fire, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a cafe in Kostroma, Russia November 5, 2022. Russian Emergencies Ministry in Kostroma region/Handout via REUTERSNov 5 (Reuters) - At least thirteen people have died in a fire at a nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma, the region's governor said on Saturday. "According to preliminary information, 13 people were killed in the fire. The information is being updated," governor Sergey Sitnikov said. Reporting by Caleb Davis Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Self-driving cars were supposed to take over the road. What happened?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesGeneral Motors bought a self-driving company in 2016. Big talk, smaller resultsUrmson, while leading Google’s self-driving car project before founding Aurora, talked of his preteen son never needing to get a driver’s license. A self-driving car, without a steering wheel or pedals, would have to be able to drive itself in literally every situation possible. “It’s really, really hard,” Waymo’s then-CEO John Krafcik said in 2018 of self-driving technology. Companies developing lidar, widely seen as a key component for self-driving vehicles, as well as self-driving companies, have seen their stocks plummet recently.

☆ How Russia Pays for War
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Lazaro Gamio | Ana Swanson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Invasion –84% Imports from Russia –20% Germany Current total trade $4.8 billion Since invasion –3% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –51% Imports from Russia +38% The Netherlands Current total trade $2 billion Since invasion +32% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –52% Imports from Russia +74% China Current total trade $15 billion Since invasion +64% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion +24% Imports from Russia +98% India Current total trade $3.3 billion Since invasion +310% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –19% Imports from Russia +430% Turkey Current total trade $6.2 billion Since invasion +198% Exports to Russia Avg.

☆ Russia says an upgraded version of its struggling Su-57 stealth jet finally made its debut flight
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Peter Suciu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet first debuted a decade ago. Russian officials now say that an upgraded Su-57 made its debut flight this month. Despite those setbacks, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of the state-owned tech conglomerate Rostec, has continued the fighter's development — and this week announced that an upgraded Su-57 made its debut flight earlier this month. "On October 21, the upgraded Su-57 fifth-generation plane performed its debut flight at the Gromov Flight Testing Institute's airfield. The aircraft was flown by the Sukhoi Design Bureau test pilot, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan.

☆ Elon Musk owning Twitter should give everyone pause
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Seth Fiegerman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk, the mercurial billionaire, had agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion the month before only to begin raising doubts about the deal soon after. Now, Musk joins the list of rich, white men who single-handedly control social platforms that collectively reach and shape the lives of billions of people around the world. And Musk, who will reportedly have “absolute control over Twitter” according to a shareholders’ agreement, promises to be uniquely disruptive. To those in the first camp, Musk serving as the sole decider at Twitter may be cause for celebration. Elon Musk is a conglomerate, and each arm of his empire potentially gives him more leverage, real or imagined, in advocating for the others.

☆ Elon Musk's fortune has fallen by $110 billion in less than a year, but he's still the world's richest person
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Despite his wealth taking a hit, Musk is $80 billion better off than Bill Gates and $71 billion ahead of Jeff Bezos. Last year he sold $31 billion worth of stock in Tesla to help pay for his $44 billion Twitter takeover. Forbes included the $31 billion in his net worth, excluding taxes, as the deal has not yet completed. His wealth shrunk from $302 billion in April to $216 billion in June, but recovered to $279 billion in August. He is seeking help from investors and may need to sell Tesla shares worth between $5 billion to $10 billion next week.

☆ Russia could be about to withdraw its troops from another part of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A damaged military vehicle is seen after the withdrawal of Russian forces in Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 13, 2022. As Russian authorities continue a mass evacuation of civilians from occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine, defense analysts believe that the movement of people is setting the scene for Moscow to withdraw its troops from a significant part of the region. Residents were told to leave Kherson after Russian-installed officials warned them that Ukraine is preparing to launch a large-scale offensive. On Thursday, he claimed Russian forces had repelled four attempts by Ukrainian troops to "break through in the Kherson direction." For its part, Ukraine has disputed that preface to the evacuations, saying Russia was trying to scare civilians and was using the evacuation as "propaganda."

☆ In internal meetings and leaked documents, Amazon dreams of taking on Google's DeepMind by using machine learning to revolutionize drug discovery, genomics, clinical trials and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amazon held an internal machine learning conference last week. The deployment of machine learning across healthcare was a major topic. The event was all about machine learning, a powerful type of artificial intelligence that has already transformed Amazon's business and those of other tech giants. He was joined at last week's Amazon Machine Learning Conference by Amazon's chief medical officer Taha Kass-Hout. One of the workshops was about machine learning for "human health."

☆ U.S. Defense secretary speaks with Russian counterpart as war in Ukraine enters ninth month
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a news briefing at the Pentagon on July 20, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. The call comes as the war enters its ninth month and as Ukraine continues a stunning counteroffensive to retake more of Russian-occupied territory in the east and south. "Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," according to the Pentagon. WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Friday morning, the second known call since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traded barbs last month with his Russian counterpart during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

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