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China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the strong objections of the island's government. "This is a serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces colluding with external forces to provoke," it said. China has a particular dislike of Lai for his previous comments that he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. China has over the past three years ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, including sending military aircraft and warships near the island.

Persons: William Lai, Nancy Pelosi, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Lai, Deb Haaland, King Felipe VI, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Casey Hall, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: Joint Staff Office, Defense Ministry of Japan, Reuters, Eastern Theatre Command, U.S . House, U.S, Beijing, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Okinawa, Miyako, SHANGHAI, TAIPEI, Taiwan, United States, Taipei . Lai, Paraguay, China, Taipei, California, South, Asuncion

☆ US urges China to cease military pressure against Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screen broadcasts news footage of an Air Force aircraft taking part in military drills by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan, in a shopping area in Beijing, China August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. urged China on Saturday to stop pressuring Taiwan, after Beijing launched military drills around the democratically governed island in response to Taiwan Vice President William Lai's U.S. visit. "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan," a State Department spokesperson told Reuters in a statement. The U.S. would continue to monitor the exercises closely, the department statement said. Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, William Lai's, Michael Martina, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Air Force, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, PLA, REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan, State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, China, U.S

☆ In Warning to Taiwan, China Announces Military Patrols
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Amy Chang Chien | More About Amy Chang Chien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China’s military said it would stage “joint combat readiness” patrols around Taiwan on Saturday, sending a warning gesture to the island democracy soon after a leading candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election finished an overseas trip that Beijing had denounced. Vice President Lai Ching-te, the candidate, had flown to Paraguay — one of 13 states that keeps diplomatic relations with Taipei, and not Beijing — making stops in the United States on his way there and back. The Chinese government is trying to curtail the international activities of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory. It especially objects to Taiwanese leaders’ visits to the United States, the island’s most important political and military supporter. He is the presidential candidate of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which favors asserting Taiwan’s distinctive identity and sovereignty — a position that Beijing condemns as threatening its claim to the island.

Persons: Lai Ching, ’, Lai’s, Taiwan’s, Lai, Shi Yi Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, Eastern Theater, People’s Liberation Army Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, Paraguay, Taipei, United States

☆ Rep. Mike Gallagher: Americans are unwittingly funding China's People's Liberation Army
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | 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 EmailRep. Mike Gallagher: Americans are unwittingly funding China's People's Liberation ArmyHouse Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss rising U.S.-China tensions, why he believes President Biden's executive order restricting U.S. investments in Chinese high tech sectors didn't go far enough,

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Biden's Organizations: People's Liberation Locations: China

CNN —A Russian general who reportedly served as the top military commander for Ukraine last year has died, according to Russian state media. Army General Gennady Zhidko died at 58 “after a long illness” on Wednesday, according to the state news agency TASS. Zhidko served as Russia’s Eastern Military District Commander between May and October last year. He was reportedly the overall theater commander in Ukraine during Moscow’s offensive against Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in the summer of 2022. Russia’s Ministry of Defense named General Sergey Surovikin as its new overall commander for operations in the war on October 2022.

Persons: Gennady Zhidko, Zhidko, Mikhail Degtyarev, “, ”, Sergei Shoigu, ISW, Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin hasn’t, Wagner Organizations: CNN, Army, Eastern Military, Tass, Intelligence Team, Russian Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Defense, Russia, Staff, Russian Federation, Eastern Military District, Russia’s Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Russia’s Khabarovsk, Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Syria, Kharkiv

Heavy artillery fire prevented entry into the village, as Russian forces shelled Ukrainian troops holding the area. Drone footage of the intense fight for the village has emerged in which dozens of Russian troops can be seen fleeing to the village’s south. More than 100 countries have banned the use of cluster weapons via treaty, though the Ukraine, Russia and the United States are not signatories to that international treaty. By comparison, Russian cluster weapons, also said to be in use during their invasion of Ukraine, are claimed by Western officials to have a dud rate of 30%. CNN was unable to confirm the devices identified by experts as likely cluster munitions in the videos from Urozhaine were US-supplied weapons.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, treelines, Dykyi, ” Dykyi, Biden, “, Harry Potter, ” Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Marines, Western, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters Locations: Urozhaine, Ukraine, Mariupol, Russia, United States, Russian

Consider classical music a late bloomer. A concert in May doesn’t look so different from one in January. But then comes summer. Around early June, orchestras and opera companies close out their seasons, and music making begins to take on new, liberated forms. Instruments that seem so precious onstage make their way outdoors, suddenly looking as casual as the artists wielding them, who sometimes swap their formal concert attire for, well, whatever they want.

Locations: bloomer, New York

☆ Ukraine claims gains on southeastern front, fighting rages in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"In the direction south of Urozhaine they (Ukrainian troops) had success," military spokesman Andriy Kovaliov said on national television. Kovaliov also reported fierce fighting in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and around an eastern village not far from Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after a bloody months-long struggle. "The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Senkivka in Kharkiv region and Bohdanivka in Donetsk. "In the Bakhmut direction, defensive forces (Ukraine) continue to conduct offensive actions to the south of Bakhmut." Kyiv says its counter-offensive is progressing slower than it wanted because of vast Russian minefields and heavily-fortified Russian defensive lines.

Persons: Andriy Kovaliov, Urozhaine, Kovaliov, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ukrainian, Russian, Kupiansk, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Urozhaine, Donetsk, Azov, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Senkivka, Bohdanivka, Russia, Lyman, Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv

☆ South Korea's Yoon says summit with US, Japan a milestone in trilateral ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. Lee Jin-man/Pool via REUTERSSEOUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that an upcoming summit with the leaders of the United States and Japan will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. The summit "will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation contributing to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo Pacific region," Yoon said. Japan says the issue was resolved under a 1965 treaty that normalised relations, but the strained ties have hindered U.S.-led efforts to bolster trilateral cooperation to curb North Korea's weapons programs. Yoon has taken steps to compensate the victims with South Korean money, instead of Japanese funds, and visited Tokyo in March in the first such trip by a South Korean leader in 12 years.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Lee Jin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Camp David, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, KCNA, Hyonhee Shin, Ed Davies Organizations: South, Korean, REUTERS, Washington, U.S, Japanese, Camp, North, United, Thomson Locations: South Korean, Seoul, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, United States, Japan, Tokyo, Indo Pacific, Maryland, Korea, China, Russia, Washington, North Korea, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Moscow

☆ Taiwan will not back down to threats, Taiwan VP says on US trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Taiwan's Vice President William Lai speaks during a luncheon in New York City, New York, U.S., in this handout picture released on August 14, 2023. Lai told a supporters lunch in New York on Sunday that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful", according to Taiwan's presidential office. China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, which is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier. Lai's speech was attended by Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. China carried out war games around Taiwan in April after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from California where she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while also on a transit on her way back from Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Ingrid Larson, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ben Blanchard, Lincoln Organizations: Taiwan Presidential, REUTERS, American Institute, U.S, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Taiwan, Central America, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Taiwan, REUTERS TAIPEI, Beijing, China, United States, Paraguay, San Francisco, New York, Washington, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, Taipei, California, Central

CNN —At least 26 people have been killed in an explosion in the town of Finote Selam in northwestern Ethiopia, amid heavy fighting between government forces and a local militia group. Tenaw told CNN that people reported hearing only one explosion, the cause of which is unclear. The Ethiopian government declared a six-month state of emergency in the Amhara region on August 4 after days of clashes. The United Nations “called on all sides to respect human rights and take steps to deescalate the situation,” noting that “previous states of emergency have been accompanied by violations of human rights” in a statement Friday. CNN has reached out to the federal government, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and the Amhara regional government for comment.

Persons: Manaye Tenaw, Tenaw, EHRC, ” “ EHRC, Finote Selam, ”, United Nations “, Antony Blinken, “, I’ve, ” Blinken Organizations: CNN, Human Rights, Ethiopian, Dar, United Nations, Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Amhara, Eritrean Defense Forces, Front, State Locations: Finote, Ethiopia, Fano, Amhara, Debre Birhan, Gondar, Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, America, Tigray

CNN —An attack on Chinese engineers in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan was thwarted by Pakistan’s military, leaving two militants dead and the Chinese workers unharmed, police say. In a statement to CNN, the Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said it strongly condemned the attack and urged the Pakistani authorities to punish the perpetrators and do all it could to prevent further attacks. But in recent years terrorist attacks targeting Chinese nationals and their interests in Pakistan have alarmed Beijing. More than a dozen people were killed after a bus carrying Chinese engineers fell into a ditch following a “fiery explosion,” according to local police.

Persons: Chakar Baloch Organizations: CNN, Baloch Liberation Army, Embassy, Pakistan Economic, University of Karachi’s Confucius Institute, Confucius Locations: Balochistan, Chakar, Gwadar, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Beijing

☆ Militants attack Pakistani military convoy escorting Chinese nationals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Gul Yousafzai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUETTA, Pakistan, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar on Sunday as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project, the military and China's consulate in Karachi said. China's consulate in the southern city of Karachi condemned the attack, adding in a statement that there were no casualties among its citizens on the convoy. The attack targeted Chinese passengers travelling from Gwadar airport towards a construction site in the port area, the source said. The BLA and other militant groups say Pakistan exploits the province's natural resources and have targeted Chinese interests in recent years for supporting that. Gwadar is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea, and is being developed under Chinese management.

Persons: Ethan Wang, Gibran Peshimam, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Initiative, Terrorists, Separatist, Balochistan Liberation, Thomson Locations: QUETTA, Pakistan, Gwadar, Karachi, China, Balochistan, China's, Hormuz, Beijing

☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

☆ China-Philippines tensions: Is a maritime militia Beijing says doesn't exist causing chaos in the South China Sea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Most of the Chinese ships involved are marked “China Coast Guard,” but among the flotilla are also at least two blue-hulled vessels that resemble fishing boats. After the confrontation last weekend, China claimed the Philippines had violated its sovereignty by grounding the ship on the shoal. That symbiotic relationship became even clearer in 2021 when the China Coast Guard came under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Central Military Commission effectively making it part of Beijing’s military. The Chinese vessels “physically blockaded the supply ship. Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty ImagesChina’s waiting gameAnalysts say they don’t see any appetite in Beijing for actual combat over Second Thomas Shoal, but they also say China can afford to play a waiting game.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Jay Tarriela, Thomas, “, ”, China’s, People’s Liberation Army –, Lyle Morris, CNN ‘, doesn’t, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Morris, ” Powell, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Lionel Fatton, ” Washington Organizations: CNN, China Coast Guard, United, “, Philippine Coast Guard, Hague, People’s Liberation Army, PLA Navy, Chinese Central Military Commission, Asia Society, Center for China, National Security, Stanford University, Central Military Commission, US Navy, US Coast Guard, Getty, Webster University Locations: Philippine, South, Philippines, Spratly, United States, Beijing, China, Palawan, Sierra Madre, ”, South China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Washington, Manila, Sierra, AFP, Switzerland

☆ Ukraine border guards remind Russia Snake Island is again theirs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian service members install a national flag on Snake (Zmiinyi) Island, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Odesa region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released July 7, 2022. Tiny Snake Island became synonymous with Ukrainian resistance in the first hours of the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, when Russian officers on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender or die. The strategic island overlooks sea lanes to Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port. On April 14, 2022, two Ukrainian missiles struck the Moskva, the biggest warship sunk in combat for 40 years. On June 30, Russia abandoned Snake Island after taking heavy losses trying to defend it.

Persons: Serhiy Deineko, Deineko, Maria Starkova, Elaine Monaghan, Sandra Maler Organizations: Press, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Facebook, Black Sea Fleet, Snake, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Odesa region, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Crimea, Moskva, Russia, Kyiv, Washington

Vice President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan rose to prominence as a pugnacious opponent of Beijing’s claims over the island. But now, as a leading candidate in Taiwan’s presidential race, he is likely to present a more muted persona when he visits the United States starting Saturday. Expect restraint, not rousing speeches, Taiwanese officials and scholars say. Nonetheless, his stops in New York and San Francisco will be closely watched — in Taiwan, in Beijing and in Washington — for clues to how he might handle crucial relations with the United States and China as president, a top issue in Taiwan’s intense presidential race. And his visit, however low-key, is also likely to prompt an escalation of Chinese military flights and naval maneuvers near Taiwan, bringing into focus the risks of real conflict over its future.

Persons: Lai Ching, Beijing’s, Washington —, there’s, ”, Shu Hsiao, huang, ” Mr, Lai, William Organizations: United States, People’s Liberation Army, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Democratic Progressive Party Locations: Taiwan, New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, United States, China, Taipei

☆ Video calls are coming to X as part of Elon Musk's transformation of Twitter into an everything app, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Gabriel Rivera | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

X, formerly known as Twitter, is getting a new feature: video calls. CEO Linda Yaccarino said the update is part of Elon Musk's rebrand of Twitter into an everything app. "Even when we announced that I was joining the company, I was joining the company to partner with Elon to transform Twitter into X," Yaccarino told CNBC. Musk's vision for an everything app named X dates back to his days at PayPal at the turn of the millennium. After ending the video, Musk posted that X's live video feature "now works reasonably well."

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, you'll, Yaccarino, Elon, Andrea Conway, Enrique Barragan, X, We'll, —, Musk, livestreamed Organizations: Twitter, Elon Musk, CNBC, PayPal Locations: Elon Musk's

☆ Taiwan steeling itself for Chinese drills over VP's US visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United States has described the stopovers as routine and no reason for China to take "provocative" action. Neither Taiwan nor the United States have given details of Lai's schedule on his stopovers. That includes the prospect of a visit to the United States by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taiwan believes the scale of the exercises could be smaller than those in April, the Taiwanese official said. Chinese state television this month ran an eight-part series on the People's Liberation Army, some of which focused on Taiwan.

Persons: William Lai's stopovers, Lai, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, China, Jeff Liu, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Liz Lee, Michael Martina, Robert Birsel Organizations: United, House, Taiwan Affairs Office, People's Liberation Army, China's Eastern Theatre Command, Reuters, Chinese Foreign, American Institute, The U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, China, Taiwan, United States, U.S, Beijing, Los Angeles, Taiwan Strait, New York, Paraguay, San Francisco, stoke, Virginia, The, Taipei, Washington

☆ Fact Check-Video of Burkina Faso leader being welcomed by people dates to 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Army captain Traore was named the country’s transitional president on Oct. 14, two weeks after he seized power in Burkina Faso's second coup of 2022, Reuters reported (here). “The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, received a hero's welcome on his return from Russia. #BurkinaFaso #Niger #Mali #Guinea #Russia #Africa #panafricanism,” reads a Facebook post sharing the video (here). But the clip can be traced back to October 2022 when it was uploaded to AFP’s YouTube channel with the title: “Burkina Faso military captain parades in Ouagadougou” (here) (timestamp 0:11). Video does not show people welcoming Burkina Faso leader following his return from the 2023 Russia-Arica summit.

Persons: Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Traore, “, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Read Organizations: Reuters, YouTube Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Burkina, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Guinea, Ouagadougou ”, Arica

☆ Linda Yaccarino was pressed about the chaos on Elon Musk’s X. Her answers were detached from reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

During a lengthy sit-down interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen, Yaccarino described the one-time bird platform as if everything were not only swell, but in a better position since Musk’s chaotic takeover and reign. But perhaps an even more preposterous claim from Yaccarino came when Eisen pressed her on brand safety and hate speech appearing on the platform since Musk’s takeover. Yaccarino celebrated Coca-Cola and State Farm marketing their products on Twitter/X, as she underscored the platform’s commitment to brand safety. Under Musk’s watch, the platform has welcomed back white nationalists, conspiracy theorists, anti-vaccine activists, and various other extremists with open arms. Alas, it is no wonder that conspiracy theories and hate speech are flourishing on the platform.

Persons: CNN — Linda Yaccarino, CNBC’s Sara Eisen, Yaccarino, Yaccarino fantastically, Eisen, ”, “, Musk, Eisner Organizations: CNN, Elon Musk, Twitter, Defamation League, Center, Strategic, Secure Community Network, State Farm, Media Locations: Yaccarino

☆ X is ‘close to breakeven’ says CEO Linda Yaccarino
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —X CEO Linda Yaccarino, leader of the platform formerly known as Twitter, said the company is keeping an eye on new competitor Threads, despite the sharply slowing growth of the rival app from Meta. Musk, who is now the company’s chief technology officer, has also been preparing for a cage fight with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Yaccarino joined the company after months of turmoil caused by Musk’s takeover, including mass layoffs, controversial policy decisions and various legal battles. Yaccarino, a former marketing executive with NBCUniversal, was brought on to Twitter in part to help revive its advertising business. And she said on Thursday that the company is “close to breakeven.”“Coca Cola, Visa, State Farm is a huge partner, they’re coming back — the last bunch of weeks, continued revenue growth,” Yaccarino said.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, it’s, ” Yaccarino, they’ll, ”, Yaccarino, we’re, Staving, Elon Musk, WeChat, Mark Zuckerberg, “, Musk, they’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Meta, CNBC, Fidelity, Visa Locations: New York, breakeven, Coca Cola

☆ X CEO Linda Yaccarino explains reason for getting rid of Twitter name
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

X CEO Linda Yaccarino told CNBC on Thursday that the company's decision to get rid of its Twitter branding reflects owner Elon Musk's vision for the app. "Elon has been talking about X, the everything app, for a very long time," Yaccarino said in an interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen. "Even when we announced that I was joining the company, I was joining the company to partner with Elon to transform Twitter into X, the everything app." Yaccarino, who started the job in June, said Musk has been working up to this since buying Twitter late last year. "If you stay Twitter, or you stay whatever your previous brand is, change tends to be only incremental.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, Elon, Yaccarino, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Musk, you'll, Eisen, Johnson Organizations: CNBC, Twitter

☆ Colombia AG's office says ELN plotting to attack top prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Francisco Barbosa, Colombian Attorney General speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File PhotoBOGOTA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Colombia's attorney general's office is investigating an alleged planned attack by National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels against top prosecutor Francisco Barbosa, it said on Tuesday. Barbosa has publicly opposed many of Petro's peace promises, including a pending law which would reduce prison sentences for crime gangs who surrender, recognize their crimes and offer reparations to victims. According to three sources, "In July there took place a meeting in Venezuela between five high commanders of the ELN...to produce an attack with snipers," the attorney general's office said in a statement. The attorney general's organized crime division is investigating and corroborating the information, the statement added.

Persons: Francisco Barbosa, Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, Barbosa, Rolo, general's, Julia Symmes Cobb, Deisy Buitrago, Leslie Adler Organizations: Colombian, Reuters, REUTERS, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, BOGOTA, Venezuela, Venezuelan, Caracas

☆ Taiwan reports second large-scale China air force incursion this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoTAIPEI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Ten Chinese air force aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Wednesday accompanying five Chinese warships engaged in "combat readiness" patrols, the island's defence ministry said, the second such incursion this week. Those aircraft were acting in coordination with five Chinese warships engaging in "combat readiness" patrols, it said. China staged war games around Taiwan in April after President Tsai Ing-wen returned home from a visit to the United States where she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Taiwan Vice President William Lai leaves for the United States this week on his way to Paraguay on what is officially only a transit but which has angered China. It was China's "priority" to stop Lai from visiting the United States, Beijing's ambassador to the U.S. said last month.

Persons: Aly, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi, William Lai, Lai, Taiwan's, Ben Blanchard Organizations: Liberation Army, PLA, REUTERS, U.S, Taiwan, Thomson Locations: China's, Taiwan, Pingtan, Fujian province, China, TAIPEI, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, United States, Taipei, Paraguay

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