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☆ Martha Stewart could function on 3 hours of sleep as she built her business empire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Anneta Konstantinides | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Martha Stewart started her catering business in 1973 from her basement in Westport, Connecticut. Her former catering staff said Stewart could function on three hours of sleep. AdvertisementBefore she became a cookbook author , a business mogul, and the first self-made female billionaire in America , Martha Stewart was a caterer. Stewart in her kitchen in 1976, where she launched her catering business. AdvertisementStewart, now 82, said at a recent MasterClass event that she still wakes up "really, really early" — as soon as the sun rises.

Persons: Martha Stewart, Stewart, —, Alexis, Susan Wood, Martha, Carla Hall, Louise Felix, Felix, Dolly Parton, Parton, I've, it's Organizations: Service, CNN, Wall Street, Westport News, Revlon, Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art Locations: Westport , Connecticut, America, Connecticut, Westport, Turkey, Fairfield County, New York City, Bedford , New York

☆ Hungarian Opposition Seeks Extraordinary Session of Parliament on Sweden NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Boldizsar GyoriBUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian opposition parties submitted a motion on Monday calling for an extraordinary session of parliament on Feb. 5 to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO. Hungary is the only country in the 31-member Atlantic alliance yet to ratify Sweden's application. Turkey completed its approval last week, some 20 months after Stockholm applied to join NATO following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But parliamentary speaker Laszlo Kover said there was no urgency for any extraordinary move to ratify Sweden's NATO accession and suggested that opposition attempts at an extra session would be likely to fail. Hungary's parliament is not currently in session, but NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said last Friday he expected the assembly to ratify Sweden's accession at the end of February after it reconvenes.

Persons: Zita Gurmai, Gurmai, Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, Laszlo Kover, Jens Stoltenberg, Orban, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Timothy Heritage Organizations: Gyori, NATO, Atlantic, Reuters, Fidesz, Christian Democrat, Sweden's, Union Locations: Gyori BUDAPEST, Hungary, Turkey, Stockholm, Ukraine, Hungarian, Brussels

☆ Istanbul church shooting victim was a Muslim, says local official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Scott Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The lone victim of Sunday’s ISIS-claimed shooting at the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul was a Muslim, according to a local official. “During the attack, a citizen from Bayburt at the entrance, a Muslim citizen, lost his life,” said the mayor. A funeral ceremony for Tuncer Murat Cihan, the victim of the shooting, is held on Monday. Dilara Senkaya/Reuters“According to the priest, he was constantly going to church and the priest knew this person and referred to him as ‘a good person,’” added Genc. ISIS has claimed responsibility for a shooting, according to a statement from the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency, citing a security source from the terror group.

Persons: Sukru Genc, ”, Ali Yerlikaya, Tuncer Murat Cihan, Dilara Senkaya, ” Genc, BirGün, Genc, Witold Lesniak, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, “, ” Erdogan, Davut Gul, Anadalou Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Santa Maria Catholic Church, Turkish, Reuters, Polish Locations: Istanbul, Sariyer, Bayburt, Turkish, Tajikistan, Russia, Turkey

☆ Canada Drops Weapons Export Controls to Turkey, Including Drone Technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada on Monday said it had dropped weapons export controls to Turkey, including drone optical technology, according to a notice posted online, saying that from now on it would review all exports on a case-by-case basis. Canada had linked resolving the export freeze with Turkey's welcoming of Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which it did last week. Canada will examine each export on case-by-case basis and said it can cancel permits at any time if there is misuse, the statement said. The notification process, which is standard under the international arms trade, covers Wescam sensors used in Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drones and other dual-use goods and arms-related exports. "The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) condemns the recent decision by the Government of Canada to lift its longstanding arms embargo on Turkey," the group said in a statement online.

Persons: Steve Scherer, Ismail Shakil, Marguerita Choy Organizations: OTTAWA, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Armenian National Committee of Canada, Government of Locations: Canada, Turkey, Turkish, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Baku, Sweden, NATO, Ukraine, Government of Canada

☆ Superpunchy One-Pan Eggplant Adobo
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Melissa Clark | More About Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you have the energy for one extraordinary dinner this week, it’s well worth investing it in Genevieve Ko’s homemade spinach-filled dumplings with chile crisp. Her version, both steamed and fried, is a symphony of crackling, crunchy undersides with chewy-tender tops. Springy ramen noodles meet nubby ground chicken and crunchy peanuts, which are seasoned with a sesame-orange-soy mixture that’s been sizzled in hot oil. More traditional youvarlakia recipes use ground beef for the meatballs, and I’ve also made this soup with ground turkey. For something both sweet and light — for either breakfast or dessert — you could make my broiled grapefruit with brown sugar and flaky salt.

Persons: Genevieve, dill, I’ve, you’ve Organizations: New York Times Locations: Ali, cookingcare@nytimes.com, hellomelissa@nytimes.com

☆ Russia boasts it is beating sanctions, but its longer-term prospects are bleak
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Far from buckling under their weight, the Russian economy is in fact 1% larger than it was on the eve of the invasion. India and China now account for 90% of Russian oil exports, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Noemi Cassanelli/CNNThere’s little sign that ordinary Russians have been drastically impacted by Western sanctions. Sanctions will have a long-term impact on the Russian economy, according to the European Commission. Nabiullina said the Russian economy was like a car trying to go too fast.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Chemezov, ” Chemezov, Scott Peterson, Alexander Novak, Christine Abely, “, ”, SWIFT, Alexei Mordashov, Noemi Cassanelli, Geoffrey Pyatt, Rachel Lyngaas, —, Alexander Nemenov, Elvira Nabiullina, Nabiullina, Natalia Kolesnikova, ” Abely Organizations: CNN, Atlantic Council, Russia, West ., Shipping, Windward, Reuters, US Treasury Department, United Arab Emirates, Crime Agency, US Treasury, “, Bank of, European, US, Financial Times, Russian Central Bank, Getty, Producers, International Energy Agency Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Western, Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, Asia, West, West . India, China, India, Volgograd, Turkey, UAE, Bank of Finland, Hong Kong, Europe, Egypt, Thailand, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Soviet Russia, AFP, Beijing

☆ Israeli dossier details UNRWA workers’ alleged involvement in October 7 attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Of the 13 UNRWA employees alleged to have been associated with the attack, the Israeli document alleges 10 were Hamas operatives, two were Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives and one is unidentified. It also alleges that at least one UNRWA employee supplied logistic support to the attack. In a statement Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said nine UNRWA staff members at the center of the allegations had been fired. At least 152 UNRWA staffers have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, according to the agency. Israel has strongly opposed calls for a ceasefire, maintaining that it needs to press on with its aim of eliminating Hamas.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Israel, Jack Lew, David Satterfield, Stephane Dujarric, UNWRA, Philippe Lazzarini, António Guterres, ” Guterres, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Organizations: CNN, United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Islamic Jihad, Middle East, UN, UNRWA, Assembly, UN’s, Hamas, of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia

☆ Istanbul shooting: One person killed after masked gunmen attack church in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Gul Tuysuz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —One person was killed after two masked gunmen attacked a church in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. The incident occurred in the district’s Büyükdere neighborhood around 11:40am local time (3:40aET) while the Santa Maria Church was holding a Sunday service, Yerlikaya said. “We strongly condemn this vile attack,” the minister said. Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned the attack and said the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor and two other public prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the incident. “Efforts continue to identify and capture the suspects who carried out the attack.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Yerlikaya, Yilmaz Tunc, Tunc Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Santa Maria Church, Turkey’s Locations: Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey’s

California poultry farms are implementing strict biosecurity measures to curb the spread of the disease. So we’ve got to be as vigilant as possible to protect our birds,” said Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation. Climate change is increasing the risk of outbreaks as changing weather patterns disrupt the migratory patterns of wild birds, Pitesky said. For example, exceptional rainfall last year created new waterfowl habitat throughout California, including areas close to poultry farms. “I’m very concerned because this avian flu is transmitted by wild birds, and there’s no way I can stop the wild birds from coming through and leaving the disease behind,” Peterson said.

Persons: Mike Weber, “, ”, Weber, Annette Jones, we’ve, Bill Mattos, Maurice Pitesky, Pitesky, Rodrigo Gallardo, Gallardo, Ettamarie Peterson, I’m, ” Peterson, Weber’s, ” Weber, they’ve, “ We’re Organizations: —, Sunrise, California Poultry Federation, San Francisco Bay Area, U.S . Department of Agriculture, University of California, USDA . Industry, UC Davis Locations: PETALUMA, Calif, Sonoma County, San Francisco, Petaluma, California, Midwest, Merced County, Central California, San Francisco Bay, U.S, Turkey, Australia, Davis, North Coast, Central Valley

☆ Opinion: Martha Stewart is a feminist icon in ways you may never have imagined
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Opinion Sarah Archer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new CNN Original Series “The Many Lives of Martha Stewart” premieres Sunday, January 28 at 9pm ET/PT. CNN —It’s rare to meet someone who’s totally indifferent to Martha Stewart. For women who remember the “Martha Stewart Living” media empire at the zenith of its influence — the 1990s — she can inspire a feeling of inadequacy. American media mogul and businesswoman Martha Stewart stands in a kitchen in August 1976. Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart at a private table in the kitchen of Nice Guy in West Hollywood, Calif., Oct. 25, 2016.

Persons: Sarah Archer, ”, Martha Stewart ”, who’s, Martha Stewart, Sarah Archer Sarah Archer, she’s, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Martha, Martha I, steely perfectionism, homekeeping, Julia Child, doughty, “ Martha Stewart, Jadeite, Marc Morrone, Susan Wood, —, Anna Wintour, Nice Guy, Kendrick Brinson, Dobbs, they’ve Organizations: New York Times, Vox, Washington Post, Culture, CNN, Comedy Central, Sports Illustrated, Reading, Vogue Locations: Philadelphia , PA, Japan, Las Vegas, Turkey, Nice, West Hollywood, Calif, America, California

☆ Meloni Looks to Reset Italy's Relations With Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

"What needs to be done in Africa is to build cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals, not predators," Meloni told a news conference this month. Founder Mattei expanded Italy's presence in Africa, presenting his company as a friendly alternative to U.S. and French oil majors. But climate change experts question the wisdom of sinking significant new investments into gas infrastructure when existing projects already guarantee Italy's energy security. Meloni is not the first Italian leader to seek better ties with Africa and draw a veil over Italy's fraught colonial legacy, which Rome has never wanted to confront. "My goal is to work in Africa and block the departures in Africa," she said this month.

Persons: Crispian Balmer ROME, Giorgia Meloni, Enrico Mattei, Meloni, Arturo Varvelli, Mattei, Crispian Balmer, Alison Williams Organizations: Eni, United Arab, European Council, Foreign Relations, Union, European Commission Locations: Rome, Italian, Italy, Africa, Europe, China, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Meloni, Ukraine

☆ She was fleeing with her grandson, who was holding a white flag. Then she was shot
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Clarissa Ward | Eliza Mackintosh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Istanbul CNN —Sara Khreis replays the last day she spent with her mother over and over in her mind. Suddenly, they heard their neighbors outside screaming that an evacuation route had been organized: “Come on, get out, come on, get out!”Sara with her mother, Hala. Then they were on the street outside, joining a wave of other people holding white flags aloft: a universal symbol of surrender. The clip of Hala’s killing is one of a growing number that show unarmed civilians holding white flags being shot dead in Gaza. His father, holding a white flag, could be seen crying over his body.

Persons: Istanbul CNN — Sara Khreis, “, ” Sara, Hala, Sara, –, Tayem, Hala Khreis, ” Sara Khreis, Ramzi Abu Sahloul, Ahmed Hijazi, Hijazi, Sahloul, Hala’s, Cross, Hala didn’t, Mohammad, Faisel, ” Nour, Nour, ” Mohammad, Mohammad wasn’t, ‘, Heba, ” Heba, Youssuf Abdel A’atti, ” Abdel A’atti, Sara Khreis, …, ” CNN’s Scott McWhinnie, Gianluca Mezzofiore Organizations: Istanbul CNN, CNN, Human Rights Monitor, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Turkish, International Committee, ICRC, Palestine Locations: Istanbul, Gaza, Hala, The Geneva, Gaza City, al, Palestinian, Turkey, Rafah

☆ Mental Acuity Questions Catch Up With Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Susan Milligan | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

"Some people at Biden's and Trump's age are in a nursing home. Still, questions about the mental capacities of both Biden and Trump have been an issue in the campaign. How could they go after Trump's mental state without drawing attention to Biden's age – a factor polls show is one of his greatest vulnerabilities? Her youth and GOP membership make her a good person to challenge Trump on his mental acuity, but it's "too little, too late," he says. "The reason Trump's age has generally not been an issue is [because of] the energy around his supporters and the energy directed at him from his supporters.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, It's, Steven Austad, Biden's, …, Joe, missteps, He's, Viktor Orban, Orban, Barack Obama, Obama, you'd, John Gartner, Trump's, Gartner, Trump –, Goldwater, Barry Goldwater, Donald Jurivich, Jurivich, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Nikki Haley, Nancy Pelosi, Haley, I’ve, ” Haley, let’s, Donald, Basil Smikle, Smikle, Melody Crowder, Meyer, " Crowder Organizations: United Nations, Capitol, ABC, Washington Post, Biden, University of Alabama, Conservative, Fox News, New York Post, New Hampshire, Johns Hopkins University, Gartner, American Psychiatric Association, Donald Trump View, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, GOP, Democratic, Columbia University, Davidson College, Trump Locations: Biden's, Hungarian, Turkey, Baltimore, United States, South Carolina

☆ Turkey Moving Swiftly Toward Final Step on Sweden's NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is expected to send the final instrument of ratification for Sweden's NATO membership to Washington within days, now that President Tayyip Erdogan signed it off, in a move Ankara hopes will clear the way to its purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets. A source familiar with the issue said the document could be deposited as early as Friday, marking the last step in a process that began in 2022. After 20 months of delay, Turkey moved rapidly this week to ratify the Swedish bid, with parliamentary ratification coming on Tuesday and President Tayyip Erdogan signing off on the approval on Thursday. As per formal NATO rules, the final document in the process - the instrument of ratification - needs to be deposited in the U.S. State Department archives in Washington. Both Erdogan and members of the U.S. Congress had previously linked Ankara's final approval of Sweden to the $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16s and modernization kits to Turkey.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Lockheed Martin, Joe Biden, Jonathan Spicer, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: NATO, U.S, U.S . State Department, U.S . Congress, Lockheed, Turkish, Reuters, Congress, State Department Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Washington, Ankara, Hungary, Sweden, NATO, Ambassador

☆ Biden administration tells Congress it intends to sell Turkey F-16s after Erdogan approved Sweden’s NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The State Department also sent Congress a formal notification of its intent to sell $8.6 billion worth of F-35s to Greece. Blinken, in turn, told the Turkish president multiple times that members of Congress would not approve the sale of jets until Turkey allowed Sweden to join NATO. The Turkish Parliament finally voted in favor of Sweden’s NATO accession Tuesday, and Erdogan signed off on the instruments of ratification Thursday. The US official said this was to assure Congress there was no way for Turkey to back out of the deal. Hungary still must approve Sweden’s NATO bid for the nation to finally become a member.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Robert Menendez –, Turkey –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Menendez, Sen, Ben Cardin Organizations: CNN, NATO, The State Department, Turkish, Foreign, The New, Greek, House Foreign Affairs Committee, State Department Locations: Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Vilnius, Lithuania, London, The New Jersey, Turkish, Hungary

☆ Exclusive-Canada to Re-Start Turkey Arms Exports After Sweden NATO Backing -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Jonathan SpicerISTANBUL (Reuters) - Canada and Turkey have reached a deal to restart Canadian exports of drone parts in exchange for more transparency on where they are used, and it would take effect after Ankara completes its ratification of Sweden's NATO bid, two sources told Reuters. A second person familiar with the plan said the sides agreed it would take effect after Sweden's ratification was complete. U.S. leaders have said Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership clears the way for Ankara's long-sought purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets. Ottawa halted talks on lifting them in 2022 when Ankara raised objections to both Finland and Sweden's NATO bids. But it re-started talks after a NATO leaders summit in July last year, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Jonathan Spicer ISTANBUL, Charlotte MacLeod, Jonathan Spicer, Steve Scherer, Toby Chopra Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Canadian Foreign Ministry, U.S, Ottawa Locations: Canada, Turkey, Ankara, Hungary, Washington, Ottawa, NATO, Stockholm, Turkish, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Baku, Finland, Istanbul

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank raised its key interest rate by another 2.5 percentage points on Thursday, pressing ahead with a series of hikes aimed at combating inflation that reached nearly 65% in December. Erdogan is a longtime proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation, which runs contrary to mainstream economic thinking. The European Central Bank is expected to keep its record-high benchmark rate steady at its meeting Thursday, following a rapid series of hikes over more than a year. Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former U.S.-based bank executive, took over as central bank governor in June, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Turkey. Previously, Erdogan had fired central governments who reportedly resisted his push to cut interest rates.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Merrill Lynch, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, ” Organizations: European Central Bank, Turkish Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Sweden’s Leader Says He Will Meet With Orban to Advance NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Andrew Higgins | More About Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bowing to a Hungarian demand for negotiations over the expansion of NATO, the prime minister of Sweden on Thursday agreed to hold talks with Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orban, the last obstacle blocking the Nordic nation’s admission to the military alliance. A vote by Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday to accept Sweden as a member of the alliance, however, left Hungary as the only holdout and strengthened Mr. Orban’s leverage. It also intensified accusations abroad that he was effectively holding Sweden’s membership for ransom. In a sign that Mr. Orban intended to use his leverage, Laszlo Kover, a close ally of the Hungarian prime minister and the speaker of Parliament, indicated Thursday that he was in no hurry to put the matter to a vote. Parliament is in recess and is not scheduled to return until Feb. 15.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Ulf Kristersson, Orban, —, Laszlo Kover Organizations: NATO, Nordic, Budapest Locations: Sweden, Swedish, United States, Hungary

☆ US Envoy Sees Rapid F-16s Sale to Turkey After Sweden NATO Bid Sign-Off
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Ambassador Jeff Flake said that once the formal ratification document is received in Washington, the U.S. State Department will immediately send Congress notification of the F-16s sale. Turkey's parliament ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, clearing a major hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance after 20 months of delay. "So I would expect as soon as that is conveyed to Washington, then congressional notification (of the F-16 sales) will happen." "The president here needs to sign it and then the instrument needs to be conveyed to Washington," he told Reuters by phone. Both Erdogan and members of the U.S. Congress had tied Turkey's backing of Sweden's NATO bid with congressional approval of the $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey.

Persons: Jonathan Spicer ISTANBUL, Tayyip Erdogan, Jeff Flake, Erdogan, Lockheed Martin, Joe Biden, Jonathan Spicer, Mark Potter Organizations: NATO, U.S, Congress, U.S . State Department, Gazette, Republican, Reuters, U.S . Congress, Lockheed Locations: U.S, Turkey, Ankara, Washington, Sweden, NATO

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has agreed to meet with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán, who invited Kristersson to Budapest to discuss Sweden’s accession into NATO, Swedish media reported Thursday. Orbán's invitation comes as Hungary and Turkey remain the only NATO members not to have ratified Sweden’s bid to join the defense alliance. Turkish legislators have endorsed Sweden’s NATO membership, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country’s entry into the military alliance. Lawmakers ratified Sweden’s accession protocol 287 to 55, with ruling party members saying the country’s tougher stance on Kurdish militants was key to winning approval. Finland joined the alliance in April, becoming NATO’s 31st member, after Turkey’s parliament ratified the Nordic country’s bid.

Persons: Ulf Kristersson, Viktor Orbán, Kristersson, ” Kristersson, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin Organizations: STOCKHOLM, NATO, Lawmakers, Sweden’s, Nordic Locations: Swedish, Budapest, Hungary, Turkey, Brussels, Ankara, Ukraine, U.S . Turkey, Stockholm, Sweden, Finland

☆ Erdogan, Eyeing More Trade With Iran, Says Turkey Weighing Opening New Border Crossings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is considering opening new border crossings with eastern neighbour Iran, President Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday after talks with his Iranian counterpart, as they seek to revive sagging economic relations. Trade between Turkey and Iran peaked in 2012 at nearly $22 billion but has since fallen. Efforts to establish trade centres in border (areas) to increasing the economic development of our border provinces continue," he said. Turkey, a NATO ally, and Iran currently have four border crossings between them. Turkey, which has also been hit with U.S. sanctions for acquiring Russian defence systems, opposes what it calls unilateral economic sanctions as a policy.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Ebrahim Raisi, Omer Bolat, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: Turkish Trade Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Iran, Tehran, NATO, Ankara

☆ AI deepfakes threaten to wreak havoc with the world's year of elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementRecent advances in generative AI, spurred by OpenAI's ChatGPT , mean the technology is now a much bigger problem. In the UK, research by Fenimore Harper Communications found more than 100 deepfake video ads impersonating Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Facebook. Though it's not clear exactly who is behind the deepfakes in the US and UK, the recent proliferation of AI means almost anyone with internet access and an AI tool can cause some havoc. Earlier this month, OpenAI unveiled its plans to prevent the misuse of AI ahead of this year's elections.

Persons: —, Ethan Mollick, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Joe Biden, Deepfake robocalls, Joe Biden's, Drew Angerer, Biden, Rishi Sunak, Leon Neal, Fenimore Harper's, Meta, it's, Mollick, OpenAI, Lisa Quest, Oliver Wyman, Spriha Srivastava Organizations: Service, Business, Voters, Wharton, NBC News, PLOS, Fenimore Harper Communications, Facebook, UK, Ireland Locations: Britain, India, Mexico, New Hampshire, Turkey, Malaysia, Philippines, United States, Davos

☆ Turkey hikes interest rate again to 45% after inflation nears 65%
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Residents waiting at a bus stop under a large Turkish flag in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday, April 30, 2023. Turkey's central bank on Thursday hiked its key interest rate by another 250 basis points to 45%. The hike to the benchmark one-week repo rate was in line with economists' expectations. It comes amid an ongoing battle against double-digit inflation for Turkey's monetary policymakers, with the rate hike the latest step in that effort. The last several years of high inflation are in large part the result of stubbornly loose monetary policy by the Ankara government.

Organizations: Turkish, U.S, greenback Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey's, Ankara

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Turkey approves Sweden's NATO bid, putting pressure on Hungary; death toll rises in Russian strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Turkish lawmakers finally approved Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, clearing a major obstacle for the country to enter the military alliance after 20 months of delays. After decades of military nonalignment, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, several months after Russia invaded Ukraine. After Ankara's decision to approve Sweden's entry to the defense bloc, Hungary is now the only NATO member yet to ratify Sweden's accession. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Turkish parliament's decision yesterday, and called on Hungary to follow suit. In other news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian missile strikes on major Ukrainian cities on Tuesday killed 18 people and injured more than 130.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: NATO, Sweden's, Turkish Locations: Sweden, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Russian

☆ US Says It Is Looking Forward to Turkey Finalizing Sweden's NATO Process
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Humeyra PamukWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish parliament's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid this week and urged Ankara to formally finalize the process. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing that Washington was looking forward to Hungary, which has yet to approve Sweden's NATO bid, moving along in the process. Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO bid and the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey have become linked over the past years. The Biden administration has said it supports the sale but kept urging Ankara to approve Sweden's NATO bid saying Congress might be connecting the two issues. When asked on Wednesday if the State Department would send the formal notification for the jets once Sweden's NATO process is fully formalized, Patel did not commit to a timeline.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Vedant Patel, Washington, Tayyip, Erdogan, Patel, Biden, Blinken, I'm, Jasper Ward, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wednesday, NATO, State Department, Finland's Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, United States, Ankara, Hungary, Washington, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, U.S, NATO, Turkey's, Jasper

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