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☆ Holding Bakhmut is a 'military necessity' - Ukrainian general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Zohra BensemraKYIV, March 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine's ground forces commander said on Monday his troops were continuing to repel heavy Russian attacks on the eastern city of Bakhmut and that defending it was a "military necessity". "The most intense phase of the battle for Bakhmut continues. The enemy suffers significant losses in human resources, weapons and military equipment but continues to conduct offensive actions," he said. Commander-in-Chief General Valery Zaluzhniy said on Saturday the situation was being "stabilised" around Bakhmut. Moscow sees capturing the city as vital to completing the capture of the Donbas industrial region in eastern Ukraine, one of its main war goals.

☆ Spain says world must listen to China's voice to end war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, March 24 (Reuters) - The world should listen to China's voice in order to find a way out of the war in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, ahead of his state visit to Beijing next week. "China is a global actor, so obviously we must listen to its voice to see if between all of us, we can put an end to this war and Ukraine can recover its territorial integrity," Sanchez told a news conference in Brussels following a meeting of the European Council. He is set to visit the Chinese capital on March 31 for talks with President Xi Jinping. Sanchez has publicly backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's peace proposal, which includes demands to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Reporting by Inti Landauro; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil spills and near misses: more ghost tankers ship sanctioned fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunSummary Risk of accidents in focus as 'shadow' fleet growsStirs fears of oil spills, decades after Exxon ValdezHundreds of ships carry oil from sanctioned nationsMany ship certifiers and insurers have pulled servicesLONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - An oil tanker runs aground off eastern China, leaking fuel into the water. Many leading certification providers and engine makers that approve seaworthiness and safety have withdrawn their services from ships carrying oil from sanctioned Iran, Russia and Venezuela, as have a host of insurers, meaning there's less oversight of vessels carrying the flammable cargoes. Reuters was unable to independently verify the numbers regarding the size and growth of the shadow fleet. The U.S. Treasury didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on ships carrying sanctioned oil. SHIP-TO-SHIP TRANSFERSAround 774 tankers out of 2,296 in the overall global crude oil fleet are 15 years old or more, according to data provider VesselsValue.

☆ 'Steady hand': China surprisingly retains central bank chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, March 12 (Reuters) - Yi Gang's surprise re-appointment as China's central bank governor on Sunday means a pro-market mind of high international stature will continue to represent the world's second-largest economy on the global stage. The PBOC governor has high global exposure through institutions such as the Group of 20, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and others. "The central bank governor is not a job that can be easily taken over by someone else. Under Yi, the central bank has cut the reserve ratio 14 times since early 2018, pumping more than 10 trillion yuan into the economy. "Yi has been a steady hand in managing policy and the appointment underlines the importance of policy stability," said a policy insider who spoke on condition anonymity.

Mithat Sancar, co-leader of the left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), parliament's third biggest, made the appeal late on Monday after the six-party opposition bloc announced that Kemal Kilicdaroglu would be its candidate. "The open support of the HDP would draw (negative) reactions, notably from the IYI Party and its grassroots," he said of the nationalist party, second-biggest in the alliance. "HDP support is extremely critical," he said, but added it could undermine backing elsewhere. In campaigning, Erdogan will likely play up alleged links and the HDP's opposition role, analysts say. The second official, who was not authorised to speak on the record, said some Kurdish voters would not back the opposition alliance due to IYI's involvement.

☆ Bank of America loves this under-the-radar streaming stock out of China, sees 30% gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There's plenty of upside for one streaming stock out of China, according to Bank of America. "IQ's strategy to focus on in-house content with higher quality control and lower production costs continues to benefit its subscription growth and ROI. IQ 1D mountain 1-day chart iQIYI shares are up more than 30% in 2023, following a 16% gain last year. What's more, the firm is expected to ramp up the level of in-house production. IQ is able to produce hit dramas across different genres and deliver increasing number of hit in-house content over the past several years," the note continued.

☆ China calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine, attempting to play the role of mediator days after saying its ties with Russia are 'solid as a mountain'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Friday, China released a 12-point peace plan to end the Ukraine war. The plan calls for a ceasefire and gradual deescalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. China released the plan at 9 a.m. local time on the first anniversary of the Ukraine war, calling for a "gradual" de-escalation of the war and eventually a "comprehensive ceasefire." In the plan, China also appealed to both Ukraine and Russia to avoid the use of nuclear weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he had not yet seen the peace plan, but is open to talks with Beijing, per Reuters.

☆ 'I really want to go back to fight:' A wounded Ukrainian soldier reflects on his recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The 6-foot-3-inch Ukrainian marine smiled and extended his right arm, a lightweight fusion of silicon, carbon fiber composites and thermoplastic. In a separate conversation with CNBC, Revived Soldiers Ukraine President Iryna Discipio said the effort to aid wounded soldiers "is extremely important." "I was in this sort of dark basement shelter with other wounded soldiers. "At that facility, there was one side for the [uninjured] imprisoned, another for wounded Ukrainian soldiers and a separate area for injured Russian soldiers." Russian troops staying in the hospital who could move on their own were allowed access to the open room where wounded Ukrainian soldiers were kept.

☆ Baidu says its alternative to ChatGPT is coming to the public in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sun Yilei | ReutersBEIJING — Chinese tech giant Baidu said Wednesday its artificial intelligence product Ernie bot is set to open to the public next month. "We will embed Ernie bot into Baidu search first and we'll open it to the public in March," Baidu CEO Robin Li said Wednesday during an earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Baidu 12-month share performanceDespite widespread assessments that ChatGPT is transformative for tech, businesses don't have a clear path to monetization yet. For Ernie bot, public partnership announcements include Baidu-backed video streaming platform iQiyi's plans for connecting to the bot for search and AI-generated content. Baidu-backed electric car startup Jidu — which is set to start deliveries this year — also said it plans to incorporate Ernie bot.

☆ We're having loyal Costco shoppers share their grocery lists with us. Here are their favorite things to buy there.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

Read Abigail Abesamis Demarest's full Costco shopping list: I've shopped at Costco for over 10 years. AdvertisementRead Lisa Tanner's full Costco shopping list: I'm a mom of 10 who's shopped at Costco for almost 20 years. Read Tara Zeller's full Costco shopping list: I drive 4 hours and spend $500 for every Costco trip. AdvertisementRead Majed Kassis' full Costco shopping list: I run a Costco fan account with over 390,000 followers. Read Rachel MacPherson's full Costco shopping list: I'm a personal trainer who shops for a family of 6 at Costco.

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☆ 'China's Netflix' iQiyi launches an immersive VR ride based on its own show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Human players appear as avatars in iQiyi's immersive Luoyang VR experience, which opened to the public in Shanghai in February 2023. Baidu -backed iQiyi is sometimes dubbed China's Netflix since the Chinese online video platform also sells TV series and movies to subscribers. Tickets cost 198 yuan ($29) to 398 yuan each, according to a Yelp-like entry on China's DianPing app. Zhang Hang, iQiyi vice president who heads the company's Dreamverse studio behind the VR project, previously told reporters he expected the VR experience could see about 40,000 visitors a year per store. Zhang cast the VR experience more as a movie than an interactive game.

☆ The chief executive of an AI-driven markets analytics company breaks down how to invest in the craze sparked by ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today, I'm eager to share my conversation with the CEO of a markets analytics platform that leverages the power of artificial intelligence. Jan Szilagyi is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Toggle AI. Toggle AIJan Szilagyi is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Toggle AI. Jan Szilagyi: We've seen a big increase in business and a huge spike in inquiries to Toggle AI. Ultimately, I don't think AI is going to be a fad though.

☆ Promoting FTX was their side hustle. Now they’re left to pick up the pieces
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kateryna Onyshchuk | Istock | Getty ImagesThe first time Gabriel Trompiz heard about the FTX student ambassador program was through a LinkedIn message. Trompiz promptly applied through the link he was sent and became an FTX campus ambassador shortly afterward. So you teach them about cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology and most importantly the benefits of using FTX," he told CNBC's Make It. Elsewhere in Nigeria, Imran Yahya was an FTX campus ambassador at Bayero University. I was like, I was part of the people saying FTX was too big to fail Fortunate Atueyi Former FTX Student Ambassador

One U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that a meeting between Blinken and Wang was possible at the Munich conference, which runs from Feb. 17-19. "I know there's been a report about a potential meeting in Munich, but I have nothing to announce today." U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted last week that Blinken had postponed his visit to China, not canceled it or sworn off future high-level communication with China. China's has reacted angrily to Washington's spying allegations, saying the balloon was a civilian research craft and accusing Washington of hypocrisy. "But neither side wants to handle scheduling in the glare of media attention, and both sides are dealing with the uncertainty of balloon-related drama."

☆ Chevron agrees to sell Myanmar assets and will exit country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HOUSTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) on Friday said it had agreed to sell its assets in Myanmar to Canadian company MTI, in a deal that allows it to leave the Asian country. The agreement comes one year after Chevron and other oil companies decided to leave Myanmar following a military coup in 2021. French oil producer TotalEnergies sold its assets and left the country in July 2022. Myanmar' state-controlled oil company MOGE was part of the joint venture. Before putting its Yadana stake for sale, Chevron temporarily increased its participation in the project from 28% to 41%, absorbing an interest TotalEnergies.

JAKARTA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to send a top general to Myanmar to talk to its junta leaders in the hope of showing Myanmar's military rulers how Indonesia made a successful transition to democracy, President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday. We have the experience, here in Indonesia, the situation was the same," the president, who is widely known as Jokowi, told Reuters in an interview in his offices in Jakarta. The military took over in Myanmar in 1962, isolating the country and suppressing dissent for decades until a tentative opening up began in 2011. Other members have appeared increasingly frustrated with the Myanmar military and are keen to maintain a ban on its top officials taking part in ASEAN forums. Managing rifts over Myanmar, and escalating tension in the disputed South China Sea, will be among the main challenges for Indonesia in its role as ASEAN chair.

☆ Protesters mark Myanmar coup anniversary, junta due to make statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Filipino activists stage a protest in solidarity with Myanmar citizens, two years since Myanmar's military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Makati City, Philippines, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezFeb 1 (Reuters) - Protesters marked the two-year anniversary of Myanmar's military coup with a "silent strike" in major cities and rallies overseas on Wednesday, as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called the army's "illegal power grab". Myanmar's military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by Suu Kyi's party. PROTESTS IN BANGKOKIn the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, images on social media showed deserted streets in what coup opponents said was a silent protest against the junta. State media recently announced tough requirements for parties to contest, a move that critics say could sideline the military's opponents and cement its grip on politics.

☆ UN expert warns Myanmar's military plans to seek legitimacy in 'sham' election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The independent U.N. special investigator on Myanmar warned Tuesday that the country's military rulers plan to seek legitimacy by orchestrating a "sham" election this year and urged all countries to reject the illegal and "farcical" vote. Tom Andrews also called for nations that support human rights and democracy to recognize the underground umbrella organization for opponents of military rule as the legitimate representative of Myanmar's people. "You cannot have a free and fair election when the opposition is arrested, detained, tortured, and executed," journalists are prohibited from doing their job, and it is a crime to criticize the military, Andrews said at a news conference. Andrews called for recognition and support for the National Unity Government, the main underground group coordinating resistance to the military. It was established by elected legislators who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power.

[1/2] Myanmar's military parade to mark the 72nd Armed Forces Day in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States and its allies imposed further sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday, marking the two-year anniversary of a military coup with curbs on energy officials and junta members, among others. Washington imposed sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises and energy officials, among others, according to a Treasury Department statement. It marks the first time the United States has targeted Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) officials under the current Myanmar sanctions program, a Treasury spokesperson said. Mining Enterprise No 1 and Mining Enterprise No 2, both state-owned enterprises, as well as the Union Election Commission, were also hit with sanctions by Washington.

[1/2] Myanmar's military parade to mark the 72nd Armed Forces Day in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States and its allies imposed further sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday, marking the two-year anniversary of the coup with curbs on energy officials and members of the junta, among others. Washington imposed sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises, energy officials and current and former military officials, according to a Treasury Department statement. It marks the first time the United States has targeted Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) officials under the current Myanmar sanctions program, a Treasury spokesperson said. Washington also targeted former and current Myanmar military officials, the Treasury said, accusing the Air Force of continuing to launch air strikes using Russian-made aircraft against pro-democracy forces that have killed civilians.

☆ Myanmar army set to cement rule with tough new election criteria
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Richard Horsey, senior adviser to the International Crisis Group, who was based in Myanmar for 15 years, said the rules aimed to restore a political system the military can control. Who would fund a political party right now?" The junta says it is committed to democracy and seized power because of unaddressed violations in a 2020 election won in a landslide by the ruling NLD. The NLD in November described the election as "phoney" and said it would not acknowledge it. The election has also been dismissed as a sham by Western governments.

☆ Ukraine's 'iron general' inherited $1 million from a US software developer and donated it straight to the military
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Zaluzhnyi donated the full amount to Ukraine's military earlier this month, the reports said. Stepanets was born in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia in 1938, according to the Ukrainian Pravda. He made his fortune after inventing a decoding system and selling it to Microsoft, the Ukrainian Pravda reported. A former soldier himself, Zaluzhnyi reformed Ukraine's military from a Soviet model into a modern fighting force. "His leadership enabled the Ukrainian armed forces to adapt quickly with battlefield initiative against the Russians."

☆ Zelenskiy honors Ukraine officials killed in helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A tearful Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended a memorial service on Saturday to commemorate seven senior officials killed in a helicopter crash, a fresh blow to a nation already grieving its many war dead. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy and five other high-ranking ministry officials were killed on Wednesday when their French-made Super Puma helicopter plummeted amid fog into a nursery near Kyiv. Another seven people were killed, including one child, in the crash. [1/7] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and first lady Olena Zelenska offer their condolences as they attend a memorial ceremony for Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy and officials who died in the helicopter crash near Kyiv, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 21, 2023. Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, paid their respects to the victims' relatives inside the hulking Ukrainian House cultural centre in Kyiv.

☆ Ukraine honours interior minister, other senior officials, killed in helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and first lady Olena Zelenska offer their condolences as they attend a memorial ceremony for Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy and officials who died in the helicopter crash near Kyiv, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho DoceKYIV, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A tearful Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended a memorial service on Saturday to commemorate seven senior Interior Ministry officials killed in a helicopter crash this week, a fresh blow to a nation already grieving its many war dead. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy and five other high-ranking ministry officials were killed when their French-made Super Puma helicopter plummeted amid fog into a nursery on the eastern outskirts of Kyiv on Wednesday. Another seven people were killed, including one child, in the crash. Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, paid their respects to the victims' relatives inside the hulking Ukrainian House cultural centre in central Kyiv.

☆ An average 1,600 tech workers have been laid off every day of 2023 so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On an average, at least 1,600 tech sector workers have been laid off every day of 2023 so far, per Layoffs.fyi. That's as 91 tech companies globally have axed 24,151 jobs, just 15 days into 2023. 1,023 tech companies laid off 154,256 workers in 2022, per data aggregated by Layoffs.fyi. That's as 91 tech companies globally have already laid off 24,151 workers just 15 days into 2023, according to data aggregated by Layoffs.ai. This is already about 15% of the 154,256 workers who were laid off by over a thousand tech companies in 2022.

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