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☆ Second Man Jailed in Moldova's 'Fraud of the Century'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - A Moldovan court jailed a banker for 10 years on Monday, the second man to be sentenced in connection with the ex-Soviet state's "fraud of the century" in which $1 billion was removed from the banking system and taken out of the country. The country's anti-corruption prosecutor announced the sentence handed down on Viorel Birca in connection with the 2014-2015 fraud on charges of mass fraud and "acting in the interests of a criminal group". Moldova's Constitutional Court subsequently outlawed a political party bearing his name. The fraud case continues to reverberate in Moldova's politics a decade after the events. Moldova's parliament last month dismissed central bank chief Octavian Armasu for failing to act to recover the money lost in the scandal.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Birca, Ilan Shor, Shor, Maia Sandu's, Vlad Plahotniuc, Octavian Armasu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Stephen Coates Organizations: Moldovan, Journalists, Prosecutors, Banca de Economii, Birca Locations: Soviet, Moldova, Israel, Northern Cyprus

☆ Moldovan Negotiator Rules Out Moscow Role in Solving Separatist Issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian made his comments on national radio as Moldova's pro-European government pressed ahead with its drive to secure European Union membership. "Returning to that format for a peaceful settlement depends on improved relations between Moscow and Kyiv," he said. Prime Minister Dorin Recean on Saturday announced in a video presentation that Cristina Gherasimov, previously foreign ministry secretary of state, would serve as European integration minister and chief negotiator in negotiations on EU membership. Gherasimov will also head a new European Integration Bureau dedicated to proceeding with those talks. Her appointment, and that of new Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi, followed the resignation last week of Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Oleg Serebrian, Serebrian, Maia Sandu, Russia's, Transdniestria, Dorin Recean, Cristina Gherasimov, Gherasimov, Mihail Popsoi, Nicu Popescu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, European Affairs, EU, Saturday, Integration Bureau Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Kyiv, Romania, Moldova

☆ Sam Altman wants to solve the great AI chip shortage himself
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to a report from Bloomberg , which stated that Altman had been busy pitching heavyweight investors to back a new AI chip venture that would give his company a lot more control over its chip supply. AdvertisementBut a bunch of tech companies have started designing their own. In November, for instance, Microsoft unveiled its new Azure Maia AI chip , designed with large language model (LLM) training in mind. Despite this, Altman's plan has already won fans. "Building the best AI assistants, AIs for creators, AIs for businesses and more – that needs advances in every area of AI."

Persons: —, Sam Altman doesn't, Altman, Maia, Jensen Huang, Altman's, It's, Adam Niewinski, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Service, Business, Microsoft, Nvidia, Bloomberg, Intel, NVIDIA, Getty, Altman, OTB Ventures, AIs Locations: AFP

☆ Pain Management Tests the Limits of Drug Addiction Recovery - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Maia Szalavitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Beyond fear of pain and temporary disfigurement from missing teeth, I had another major concern: I was addicted to heroin in my 20s. As an expert on addiction, I knew that a return to compulsive drug use wasn’t inevitable with medical opioid exposure. As a result, some languish in extreme pain because they believe that drug exposure will cause them to lose control and immediately return to active addiction. There is much misinformation about how opioid pain treatment affects people in recovery and those at high risk of addiction. Understanding how psychoactive drugs and addictions really work is crucial for better managing medical opioid use — and ending policies that interfere with both prevention and recovery.

Persons: I’d, ”, Sarah Wakeman, Dennis Bohlin Organizations: Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School

☆ Moldova Says Latest Talks With Separatists 'Difficult'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - A senior official of Moldova's pro-European government said on Wednesday that his latest talks with the pro-Russian separatist Transdniestria region had been "quite difficult" as tension rises in the three-decade-old standoff. The region split from Moldova before the collapse of Soviet rule and fought a brief war against the newly independent state lying between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova's deputy prime minister, Oleg Serebrean, said the latest talks between the sides on Tuesday, in Transdniestria's main town of Tiraspol, had focused on the new tax regime. One-on-one talks with Transdniestria are held under the auspices of the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which has been mediating for decades. They replaced a longstanding "5+2" format in which Russia, Ukraine and the United States participated, along with observers from the EU and the United States.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Transdniestria, Oleg Serebrean, Serebrean, Maia Sandu, Moldolva, Sandu, Moldova's, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, EU, Russian, Transdniestria, Organisation for Security, United Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Russian, Transdniestria, Soviet, Transdniestria's, Tiraspol, Chisinau, Moscow, Cyprus, Russia, Europe, United States

☆ Opinion | Treating Pain and Those Who Suffer
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “We’re Thinking About Pain All Wrong,” by Maia Szalavitz (Opinion guest essay, Dec. 26):Millions of people suffer from pain, which is by far the major symptom about which patients complain. Despite the fact that most pain can be effectively controlled, too many suffer unnecessarily, many intolerably, because of the undertreatment of pain. The vast majority of schools, inexplicably, do not have elective courses in pain management, and only a small percentage have required courses. Our health care system has failed to provide the good pain management to which patients are entitled. Ms. Szalavitz’s article should be another call to action to the federal and state governments, medical and nursing schools, and health care systems to make urgent, major improvements.

Persons: Maia Szalavitz Organizations: of Medicine, Prevention, Education, Research, ” Locations: United States, Pain, America

☆ Moldova Denounces New Russian Ban on Fruit Imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - Pro-European authorities in Moldova on Friday dismissed as groundless a ban imposed by Russia on imports of its fruit and vegetables, the latest display of deteriorating relations between Moscow and the ex-Soviet state. Russia's farm goods oversight agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Thursday it was reinstating restrictions last imposed in 2022. It cited "continuous, systematic observation of elements subject to quarantine" and said Moldovan authorities had taken no action to right the situation. "The decision by the Russian authorities contradicts phytosanitary principles and is in no way grounded in real arguments," it said in a statement. We ship to 28 countries," Iurie Fala, Executive Director of the Moldovan Fruit Producers Association, told Reuters.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, ANSA, Maia Sandu, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Fala, Alexander Tanas, Ronald Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: Moldovan, European Union, Moldovan Fruit Producers Association, Reuters Locations: Moldova, Russia, Moscow, Soviet, Ukraine, Romania, Russian

☆ Moldova denounces new Russian ban on fruit imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCHISINAU, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Pro-European authorities in Moldova on Friday dismissed as groundless a ban imposed by Russia on imports of its fruit and vegetables, the latest display of deteriorating relations between Moscow and the ex-Soviet state. Russia's farm goods oversight agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Thursday it was reinstating restrictions last imposed in 2022. It cited "continuous, systematic observation of elements subject to quarantine" and said Moldovan authorities had taken no action to right the situation. "The decision by the Russian authorities contradicts phytosanitary principles and is in no way grounded in real arguments," it said in a statement. We ship to 28 countries," Iurie Fala, Executive Director of the Moldovan Fruit Producers Association, told Reuters.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Maia Sandu, Charles Michel, Valentyn, ANSA, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Fala, Alexander Tanas, Ronald Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: European, REUTERS, Rights, Moldovan, European Union, Moldovan Fruit Producers Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Rights CHISINAU, Moldova, Russia, Moscow, Soviet, Romania, Russian

☆ Amazon announces new AI chip as it deepens Nvidia relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It led to a shortage of Nvidia's chips as companies raced to incorporate similar generative AI technologies into their products. Amazon's own Trainium2 chips are built for training AI models, including the sort that AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and its competitors run on. More than 50,000 AWS customers are already using Graviton chips, Amazon said. Finally, as part of its deepening relationship with Nvidia, AWS said it will operate more than 16,000 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, which contain Nvidia GPUs and Nvidia's Arm-based general-purpose processors. AWS didn't announce release dates for virtual-machine instances with Nvidia H200 chips, nor instances relying on its Trainium2 silicon.

Persons: Maia, Grace Hopper Superchips, Deepwater's Gene Munster Organizations: Services, Nvidia, Microsoft, Big, Intel, AMD, AWS Locations: Las Vegas, Graviton

☆ Russia vows retaliation over Moldova decision to join EU sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The state flag of Moldova (L) flies outside the country's embassy in central Moscow, Russia December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Russia views Moldova's decision to join EU sanctions against it as a hostile step aimed at destroying ties with Moscow and will retaliate, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday. Among its provisions are regulations concerning action to be taken against individuals and institutions subject to sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with the Kremlin's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sandu has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of trying to oust her in a coup. Moscow denies the allegations and says Sandu is infusing anti-Russian sentiment in the country lying between Ukraine and Romania.

Persons: Maxim, Maia Sandu's, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Maxim Rodionov, Andrew Osborn, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, EU, European Union, Moldovan, Maia Sandu's Party of Action, Solidarity, Socialist Party, of Europe, European Commission, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moldova, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Moldovan, Chisinau, Ukraine, Venice, Romania

[1/6] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with President of the European Council Charles Michel, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine November 21, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European Council chief Charles Michel warned on Tuesday that a European Union meeting next month to decide whether to begin formal accession talks for Kyiv would be difficult. I think this is the decision which will help Ukraine to believe that there is justice...," Zelenskiy told reporters. "All these are big challenges for everyone and already not only for Ukraine, but a challenge for preserving the unity of the European Union," he said. "It will be a difficult meeting but I do not intend to give up," Michel said, adding that the world needed a strong European Union to ensure stability and prosperity.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Charles Michel, Michel, Maia Sandu, Zelenskiy, Michel's, Sandu, Boris Pistorius, Tom Balmforth, Yuliia Dysa, Dan Peleschuk, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Union, Zelenskiy, Moldovan, European Union, Kyiv, ACT AS ONE, EU, German, IRIS, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moldova, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Moldova, Brussels, Soviet Moscow, Crimea

☆ Russia Bars Moldovan Nationals, Summoning Ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia barred entry to a number of officials from Moldova on Monday and complained about moves by its pro-European government to block Russian media outlets ahead of local elections earlier this month. A Russian foreign ministry statement said Moldovan Ambassador Lilian Darie was summoned to be told of the decision. Moldovan foreign ministry spokesperson Igor Zaharov told Moldova-1 television that the government stood by protecting its media from interference regardless of Moscow's moves. Moldovan news outlet newsmaker.md said the Russian list barred 11 parliamentarians -- all members of Sandu's pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity. Ahead of the election, Moldova suspended licences and barred access to 30 media sites - some based in Russia, others in Moldova - on grounds of spreading disinformation.

Persons: Maia Sandu's, Lilian Darie, Igor Zaharov, Zaharov, newsmaker.md, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Moldovan, European Party of Action Locations: Russia, Moldova, Soviet, Russian, Moscow, Moldovan, Ukraine, Chisinau

☆ Moldovan president's allies score well in local polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sandu warned before the election that pro-Russian forces in the country, particularly fugitive business magnate Ilan Shor, had funnelled money into Moldova to "buy" voters. Shor's allies were barred from running two days before the first round and he complained from exile in Israel that the ruling had cost him electoral success. An independent won in Comrat, a town in the south where one of Shor's allies had won a regional vote earlier this year. Ion Ceban, running under a party he founded, was re-elected mayor of the capital Chisinau in the first round, though the president's supporters suggest he may hold pro-Russian sympathies. Reporting by Alexander Tanas; Editing by Ron Popeski and Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maia Sandu, ZAK BENNETT, Maia Sandu's, Sandu, Ilan Shor, Shor's, Ion Ceban, Igor Grosu, Shor, Arina Korsicova, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Will Dunham Organizations: USAID, Democracy, Ford Foundation Center, Social Justice, 78th United Nations General, Rights, Sunday, European Union, Sandu's Party of Action, Solidarity, Socialist Party, PAS, Constitutional, The Organization, Security, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights CHISINAU, Moldova, Russian, Ukraine, Romania, Israel, Moldova's, Balti, Russia, Comrat, Calaras, Chisinau, Europe

☆ Here are three key takeaways from Microsoft's bullish AI event
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

During Microsoft's Ignite conference in Seattle this week, the software giant announced its foray into the AI processor market with two new chips , a deepening partnership with leading AI chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), additional features for AI assistant 365 Copilot and more. Shares have since notched all-time highs , boosted by startup OpenAI — whose technology powers several of Microsoft's AI offerings — announcing its most powerful tool to date at the start of November. Here are the Club's top-three takeaways from Microsoft's Ignite conference, along with what Wall Street's saying about the event . The chief executive said generative AI could one day be " bigger than the internet, by far ," while announcing joint AI projects with Microsoft. Microsoft stock has been the best."

Persons: Maia, Jeff Marks, Jensen Huang, Jim Cramer, Jefferies, Goldman Sachs, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Microsoft, Club, Microsoft's Ignite, Nvidia, Foundry Service, CNBC Locations: Seattle, OpenAI, San Francisco , California

☆ Why Nvidia's outlook will command the spotlight during next week's earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Wall Street expects Nvidia (NVDA) to deliver another strong quarterly report Tuesday, as its cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips remain a hot, hard-to-get commodity. The recent trading in Nvidia's stock reflects that optimism, with shares up nearly 20% in November alone. "I don't like the so-called setup," Jim Cramer said, referring to the huge run-up in shares ahead of earnings. It's one piece of evidence behind investors' belief that Nvidia's upcoming earnings report will clear the high bar that's been set. Microsoft hasn't officially disclosed how the Maia 100's performance compares with Nvidia's top-end AI chip and AMD's MI300.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jim, he's, —, Goldman Sachs, LSEG daa, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, workloads, Maia, Microsoft hasn't, BofA, Jim Cramer's, Hsun Huang, Patrick T Organizations: Nvidia, LSEG, Investor, Microsoft, Big Tech, Goldman, Street, Financial Times, Micro Devices, Wednesday, Google, Web Services, Bank of America, AMD, CNBC, Nvidia Corp, Mobile, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: China, Los Angeles , California

☆ Safe Injection Sites Don’t Lead to More Crime, New Study Finds - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Maia Szalavitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over 100,000 Americans now die from drug overdoses annually. Upon taking office, Mayor Eric Adams, Mr. de Blasio’s successor, has continued to support the sites’ work. Some neighbors, politicians and media have claimed that the centers — one in East Harlem and one in Washington Heights — are increasing crime and public drug use in neighborhoods already burdened with poverty. But an important new study published this week refutes these claims. It shows that violent and property crime rates near the two overdose prevention centers (sometimes referred to as safe injection or safe consumption sites) did not increase any more than crime in similar neighborhoods elsewhere in the city.

Persons: Bill de Blasio, Eric Adams, de Blasio’s, ”, Brandon Del Pozo Organizations: Brown University, New York Police Department Locations: New York City, East Harlem, Washington Heights, Burlington , Vt

Thursday's early calls featured a retail upgrade and an EV charging stock downgrade. The analyst reiterated his buy rating and $450 price target on the stock. Microsoft's AI cybersecurity solution Security Copilot, which was only recently expanded through an early access program on Oct. 19, already has tons of pent-up interest, Thill said. The firm downgraded shares from neutral to underperform and lowered its price target on the stock by $17 to $43. He gave the stock a $50 price target — $13 higher from the previous one — which implies 23.1% upside for shares since Wednesday's close.

Persons: Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Kash Rangan, Rangan, Maia, Brent Thill, Thill, Vivek Arya, Arya, Raimo, Microsoft's, — Pia Singh, Elizabeth Suzuki, Vijay Rakesh, Rakesh, Vikram Bagri, Bagri, Fred Imbert, Edward Kelly, Kelly Organizations: CNBC, Citi, Microsoft's Ignite, Jefferies, Microsoft, Bank of America, Nvidia, Devices, Barclays, Advance, AAP, Mizuho, Intel, Mizuho Securities, Foundry, Foundry Services, Sapphire, Sierra, AMD, Wells Locations: Seattle, U.S, Wells Fargo, Wednesday's

☆ Moldova's Largest Orthodox Church Keeps Link to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's largest Orthodox church reaffirmed its link to its Russian parent church on Thursday despite dissent from priests who have denounced the association with Moscow over the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. But parishioners are divided between two churches -- the Moldova Metropolis, subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which reports to the Romanian church. "The clergy and the people remain faithful to the Orthodox Church of Moldova and Metropolitan Vladimir," Bishop Ioan of theRussia-linked church said in a statement. "There will be no discussion of linking the Molodvan Orthodox Church to the Romanian Patriarchate." A group of priests in the majority Russian-linked church had asked Vladimir this week to switch allegiance to the Romanian church.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Metropolitan Vladimir, Kirill, Bishop Ioan, Vladimir, Pavel Borsevschi, Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: Orthodox Church, Metropolitan, Orthodox, of, European Union Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Moldova Metropolis, Metropolis, Bessarabia, Romanian, Russia, Russian, of Moldova, Romanian Patriarchate, Romania, Soviet Union

☆ Microsoft introduces its own chips for AI, with eye on cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft said it does not plan to sell the chips but instead will use them to power its own subscription software offerings and as part of its Azure cloud computing service. Microsoft and other tech giants such as Alphabet are grappling with the high cost of delivering AI services, which can be 10 times greater than for traditional services such as search engines. The Maia chip, they said, is optimized for that work. Microsoft also said that next year it will offer its Azure customers cloud services that run on the newest flagship chips from Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Advanced Micro Devices. He said the Maia chip would allow Microsoft to sell AI services in the cloud until personal computers and phones are powerful enough to handle them.

Persons: Maia, OpenAI, Scott Guthrie, Ben Bajarin, Bajarin, Microsoft's Guthrie, Guthrie, Rani Borkar, Borkar, Stephen Nellis, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Ignite, Nvidia, Devices, Amazon Web Services, Arm Holdings, Amazon, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Thomson Locations: Redmond , Washington, Seattle, San Francisco

☆ Microsoft announces custom AI chip that could compete with Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A custom-built rack for the Maia 100 AI Accelerator and its "sidekick" inside a thermal chamber at a Microsoft lab in Redmond, Washington. The first, its Maia 100 artificial intelligence chip, could compete with Nvidia's highly sought-after AI graphics processing units. In addition to designing the Maia chip, Microsoft has devised custom liquid-cooled hardware called Sidekicks that fit in racks right next to racks containing Maia servers. Moving from GPUs to AWS Trainium AI chips can be more complicated than migrating from Intel Xeons to Gravitons, though. WATCH: Nvidia notches tenth straight day of gains, driven by new AI chip announcement

Persons: Maia, Nvidia's, Rani Borkar, Borkar, OpenAI, OpenAI's, We've, they've, Colette Kress, Steve Tuck, Tuck, Graviton, Dave Brown, Brown Organizations: Microsoft, Intel, Google, CNBC, Amazon, Services, Nvidia, AMD, Computer, Companies, SQL, AWS Locations: Redmond , Washington, Seattle, New York, Gravitons

☆ Philippine central bank likely to hold rates at 6.5% on Thurs, may hike again in Dec: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Veronica Dudei Maia Khongwir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: A security guard stands beside a logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) posted at the main gate in Manila, Philippines April 28, 2016. “We do not rule out any possibility of further rate hikes unless there is consistent improvement in the successive months’ inflation prints. Median forecasts showed rates at 6.75% until mid-2024, with a first rate cut seen as coming in Q3 - later than predicted in a poll taken before the recent surprise hike. “To maintain the strength of the peso, the BSP needs to ensure a healthy interest rate differential with the U.S. Therefore, a pause by the U.S. Fed adds to a case that BSP will do likewise,” said Sarah Tan, economist at Moody’s.

Persons: Romeo Ranoco, Eli Remolona, ”, Debalika Sarkar, “, Sarah Tan Organizations: ng Pilipinas, Central Bank of, REUTERS, Reuters, ANZ, U.S Locations: BENGALURU, Philippine, Philippines, Manila

☆ Fugitive Moldovan Businessmen Returns to Israeli Base, Interpol Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Fugitive pro-Russian Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, accused of "buying" voters to sway an election in the ex-Soviet state, has returned to his exile base in Israel, an Interpol official said on Sunday. Tentiu had earlier said that Shor left Israel on Nov. 6. Moldovan officials accused Shor of channelling the equivalent of 50 million euros ($53.5 million) into Moldova for "buying" voters. Tentiu said all Interpol member-states had been asked to report if he was on their territory. Russia dismisses Sandu's allegations and accuses her of waging an anti-Russian campaign and infusing an anti-Russian atmosphere in Moldova.

Persons: Ilan Shor, Viorel Tentiu, Shor, Tentiu, Maia Sandu's, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Grant McCool Organizations: Interpol, Moldovan, Constitutional Court, European Union, Moldova Locations: CHISINAU, Russian Moldovan, Soviet, Israel, Moldova, Ben Gurion, Ukraine, Moscow, Romania, Russia

☆ Fugitive Moldovan businessmen returns to Israeli base, Interpol says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHISINAU, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Fugitive pro-Russian Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, accused of "buying" voters to sway an election in the ex-Soviet state, has returned to his exile base in Israel, an Interpol official said on Sunday. Tentiu had earlier said that Shor left Israel on Nov. 6. Moldovan officials accused Shor of channelling the equivalent of 50 million euros ($53.5 million) into Moldova for "buying" voters. Tentiu said all Interpol member-states had been asked to report if he was on their territory. Russia dismisses Sandu's allegations and accuses her of waging an anti-Russian campaign and infusing an anti-Russian atmosphere in Moldova.

Persons: Ilan Shor, Viorel Tentiu, Shor, Tentiu, Maia Sandu's, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Grant McCool Organizations: Interpol, Moldovan, Constitutional Court, European Union, Moldova, Thomson Locations: CHISINAU, Russian Moldovan, Soviet, Israel, Moldova, Ben Gurion, Ukraine, Moscow, Romania, Russia

If accepted, EU officials expect formal accession talks with Kyiv to start next year. A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would not support Ukraine's EU integration unless Kyiv changes its laws on minorities, in particular as regards education. "Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal," the country's president, Maia Sandu, said in welcoming the move. The Commission said the EU should also begin membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina once a long list of extensive conditions are met. In 2020, Britain was the first country to ever leave the EU, a major setback for European integration following World War Two.

Persons: Yves Herman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Maia Sandu, von der Leyen, enlargements, Andrew Gray, Yuliia, Olena, Alexander Tanas, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Moldova, Bosnia, Georgia, BRUSSELS, KYIV, Hungary, Kyiv, Hungarian, Budapest, EU, Moscow, Tbilisi, Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Netherlands, Britain

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Voters in a small Iowa city narrowly decided not to support giving their City Council more power over their local library. Just over half the voters in Pella rejected an advisory vote on whether the City Council should have more power over how the library spends its money and whether it pulls certain books from shelves, the Des Moines Register reported Wednesday. Opponents of the Pella measure persuaded voters that it's better to keep the library somewhat insulated from politics. Like in many Iowa communities, the City Council-appointed library board has control over spending, who to hire as director and whether to remove books that are challenged. A group of residents asked the library board in late 2021 to either remove “Gender Queer” or put it behind the checkout counter where kids can't get it.

Persons: Maia Kobabe’s, Donald Trump, ”, Anne McCullough Kelly, “ It’s, equitably Organizations: — Voters, Council, Des Moines Register, American Library Association, City Council Locations: PELLA , Iowa, Iowa, Pella, City

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