DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Swiss Court Convicts Ex-Gambian Minister of Crimes Against Humanity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Nick Cumming-Bruce | Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former interior minister and enforcer for a violent and autocratic Gambian president was convicted of crimes against humanity on Wednesday for the torture and executions of civilians and sentenced to 20 years in prison by Switzerland’s federal court. The verdict, which one plaintiff called a “milestone” for victims, came after a landmark trial that was followed closely by victims of the government’s repression. The former minister, Ousman Sonko, 55, was found guilty of multiple counts of intentional homicide, torture and false imprisonment that were committed, the court said, as “part of a systematic attack on the civilian population” of the West African country. His lawyer said he would appeal the verdict. The case was tried in Switzerland under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows states to prosecute serious crimes regardless of where in the world they were committed.

Persons: Ousman Sonko, Sonko Locations: West, Switzerland, Geneva, Gambia

☆ The US Air Force is teaching AI to navigate aircraft in case GPS gets taken out in a future fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a future war, electronic warfare and anti-satellite weapons could leave the US military without GPS, a critical tool for navigation and targeting. That challenge has prompted the US Air Force to experiment with using artificial intelligence as an alternative navigation method. Related storiesA potential solution being developed by the US Air Force instead relies on AI for navigating in GPS-denied environments. The potential for AI to be used as an alternative to GPS navigation speaks to the growing concern around GPS denial in a future fight. AdvertisementAI creates new opportunities, and the Air Force's navigation alternative isn't the only project looking into how to integrate AI into military systems.

Persons: Col, Garry Floyd, Floyd Organizations: Service, GPS, US Air Force, Business, Department of Air Force, MIT, Intelligence, Associated Press, Air Force, AP, Pentagon, Air Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Geneva

☆ Middle East Crisis U.S. Criticizes Israel for Failure to Protect Civilians in the Gaza Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

The report also did not find that Israel had intentionally obstructed humanitarian aid into Gaza. Such a finding would have triggered a U.S. law barring military aid to countries that block such assistance. They argue that Israel has indiscriminately killed civilians with American arms and intentionally hindered U.S.-supplied humanitarian aid. Either would violate U.S. laws governing arms transfers to foreign militaries, as well as international humanitarian law, which is largely based on the Geneva Conventions. The United States provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid, and Congress last month approved an additional $14 billion in emergency funding.

Persons: Biden, Israel “, —, President Biden, Israel, Israel’s, Israel ”, Brian Finucane, Finucane, “, Chris Van Hollen, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, ” “, ”, Josh Paul, Biden’s, John F, Kirby Organizations: State Department, Israel Defense Forces, President, Crisis, United, U.S ., Biden Administration, Israel, The State Department, Central Kitchen Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, U.S, Rafah, Congress, Geneva, Maryland, ”

☆ A new crop of startups wants to help solve loneliness among millennials and Gen Z. Here's how they're connecting strangers and making money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Plus, the pandemic and the shift to working from home have made millennials and Gen Z lonelier than ever, thanks in part to doomscrolling. "I believe the conventional 'make friends' apps too closely mimic the dating model, which can feel awkward and high-pressure for making friends," he said. The group hosts "reading parties" at bars and event spaces with the goal of helping people connect through reading. Dinner With Friends, a group that throws dinner parties, has worked on sponsored events with brands like Bumble and Geneva. Dinner With Friends founder Anita Michaud said brands typically either sponsor entire dinners or provide products — like canned cocktails — for the dinner parties.

Persons: —, they've, Danial Hashemi, Sydney, Z, millennials, Cliff Lerner, Lisa Oreshkina, Saneblidze, Tom Worchester, Andreessen Horowitz, Victor Pontis, Luma, Liz Chick, Gen, Mira Hobbs, ReCreate's Chick, Anita Michaud, Peter Boyce II, Boyce, Maitree Mervana Parekh, Marlon Nichols, they're, it's, Ben Bradbury Organizations: Service, Business, Sydney Bradley, Big Tech, Tech, Timeleft, Reading, Facebook, VC, Wine, Bumble, New, Acrew, MaC Venture, Reading Rhythms Locations: New York City, Los Angeles, New York, Brooklyn, Squarespace, Lisbon, Amsterdam, London, San Francisco, Geneva

☆ Lucid CEO says Chinese automakers are still 'years and years behind' Elon Musk's Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewChinese EV makers are challenging Tesla — but one of the company's rivals still thinks they're years away from overtaking Elon Musk's firm in one respect. Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said that despite their success, Chinese automakers are still some distance behind Tesla when it comes to the underlying technology that powers EVs — but warned that they could catch up quickly. Related storiesHowever, Rawlinson warned that Western car makers must not "underestimate" the ability of their Chinese rivals to quickly catch up on core EV technology. After once laughing off Tesla's Chinese rivals, Musk now seems a lot more worried, telling investors that Chinese EVs are likely to "demolish" the competition if trade barriers aren't put in place. The company has slashed prices on its high-end Lucid Air sedan to compete with Tesla, and produced less than 10,000 vehicles last year.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Peter Rawlinson, EVs, they're, Tesla, Rawlinson, they've, They're, Warren Buffett Organizations: Service, Elon, Business, Financial Times, Geneva, Tesla, Saudi Public Investment Fund Locations: London, China

CNN —Israel’s attack in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has expanded from airstrikes to ground operations, new satellite images obtained by CNN from Planet Labs show. Satellite images suggest these strikes are continuing, with one picture showing smoke still rising from one location. Palestinians arrive at Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, after Israeli air strikes on May 8. Planet Labs, PBC Satellite images from May 6 and May 7 show damage in Rafah, Gaza. Planet Labs, PBC Satellite images show Rafah, Gaza, before and during an airstrike.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Tal, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gazans, “, Jens Laerke Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Al Kuwaiti, Al, PBC, ”, 401st Brigade Combat, Hamas, Food Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al Kuwaiti, Tal Al Sultan, ”, Geneva . Northern Gaza

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, eastern Rafah evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Adam Renton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Israel Defense Forces say that evacuation of residents and displaced people in eastern Rafah is "not a wide-scale evacuation of Rafah this is a limited-scale operation in the area of Eastern Rafah." Colonel Nadav Shoshani, IDF's international spokesperson, said in a press briefing Monday they were "calling on people of Eastern Rafah to move north." When asked about how long residents would have to leave, Shoshani said,"People have days at least to move," he said when asked about how long residents would have to leave. Shoshani would not be drawn about whether this evacuation was linked to an attack on IDF soldiers yesterday. "I don't want to go into specific of our operational ideas and plans and timing," he said.

Persons: Nadav Shoshani, Shoshani, Yoav Galant, Jens Laerke Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Israeli, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Locations: Rafah, Eastern Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Geneva

☆ A New Diplomatic Strategy Emerges as Artificial Intelligence Grows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

American and Chinese diplomats plan to meet later this month to begin what amounts to the first, tentative arms control talks over the use of artificial intelligence. A year in the making, the talks in Geneva are an attempt to find some common ground on how A.I. will be used and in which situations it could be banned — for example, in the command and control of each country’s nuclear arsenals. The fact that Beijing agreed to the discussion at all was something of a surprise, since it has refused any discussion of limiting the size of nuclear arsenals themselves.

Locations: Geneva, Beijing

☆ Rafah evacuation: Israel’s IDF tells Gazans in parts of eastern Rafah to ‘evacuate immediately’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Helen Regan | Sophie Jeong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Northern Gaza is already experiencing a “full-blown famine” which is rapidly spreading across the strip after almost seven months of war, the World Food Programme warned over the weekend. Three IDF soldiers were killed and three critically injured in the rocket attack which was claimed by Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. It was not clear whether the call for evacuation was in response to the attack at Kerem Shalom, and the border crossing remained closed on Monday. The IDF would also not put an exact timeframe for how long people in eastern Rafah have to evacuate or offer assurances that the area they would move to would not be shelled. As I said, we’re having real-time situational assessments and assessing the situation,” said the IDF’s Shoshani.

Persons: CNN —, ”, ” Avichay Adraee, Adraee, Salam, Tiba Zaraa, Jens Laerke, Nadav Shoshani, Israel, Yoav Galant, Al, we’re, Shoshani, “ Organizations: CNN, IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Defense Army, Food, Israeli, IDF, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Rafah, Gaza, “, Al, Geneva . Northern Gaza, ”, Egypt, Israel, Kerem Shalom

☆ Thousands of Ukrainians have been sent to Russian prisons. Ukraine says they’re being held as bargaining chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

The Ukrainian government says there are thousands of people like Dima, civilians arrested by Russia who have been held in arbitrary detention for years. In the early weeks of the war, Russian troops took over their home, parking their tank in the garden and stealing anything of value. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia opened a second pre-trial detention facility in Simferopol, SIZO No. Detained civilians, however, are stuck in limbo. Mariana Checheliuk's photos were among those displayed by relatives of detained civilians at a recent protest in Kyiv.

Persons: Ukraine CNN — “, ”, Vasyl Khyliuk, Dmytro Khyliuk, Dima, –, Ivana Kottasova, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, ” Achille Després, Cross, it’s, Vasyl, ” Vasyl, Halyna, “, Dmytro Khyliuk’s, Russia —, Khyliuk, Anastasiia, MIHR, Pantielieieva, CNN “ We’ve, ” Pantielieieva, Yulia Khrypun, Serhii, ’, Serhii Khrypun, Yulia, ” Yulia, Mariana Checheliuk, Mariana, Natalia Checheliuk, ” Natalia, ’ ” Natalia, Alexander Ermochenko, Mariana –, Mila, Natalia, Volodymyr, Zelensky, Mariana Checheliuk's Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Independent, Agency, Kyiv, CNN, Russian Federation, International Committee, Ukrainian, Organization for Security, Getty, Media Initiative, Human Rights, Penal, Russian Investigative Committee, Russian Prison Service, ICRC, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service, Russian National Guard, Directorate, General Staff, Serhii, Crimean Human Rights, Maxar Technologies, Volunteers, Russia, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Information Bureau, Ministry, “, Headquarters Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Dima, Ukrainian, Kozarovychi, Russia, Geneva, Europe, Novozybkov, Russia’s Bryansk, Russia’s Vladimir, Mordovia, Russian, Moscow, Bryansk, Nove, Tokmak, Melitopol, Olenivka, Kursk, Crimea, Kamensk, Russia’s Rostov, Yulia Khrypun Russia, Chonhar, Kherson, Crimean, Crimean Tatars, Simferopol, SIZO, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, ‘, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, Bezimenne, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azovstal, Donetsk, Taganrog, Kamyshin, Russia’s Volgograd, Qatar

☆ How to buy your first luxury watch
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Learn the lingoJust like buying a car, there are some technical terms prospective watch buyers can benefit from knowing. Parts of the watchCrown: Small knob found on the side of the watch used to change the date and time. Automatic movement: A mechanical watch that does not need a battery to move, it relies on movement from the wearer to wind. Buy a watch for the right reasons and consider what you need from itDon’t get sucked into hype around a watch. See if the designer made any othersWhile on the lookout for a watch to wear to his wedding, Pang saw a six-figure Audemars Piguet watch.

Persons: you’ve, it’s, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Sotheby Asia’s, Joey Luk, Charles Frodsham, “, ”, Johnathan Chan, you’re, Helbert Tsang, Tim Stracke, don’t, Luk, Carlos Pang, Pang, Gerald Genta, Chan, … Organizations: CNN, Rolex, Horology, Facebook, IWC, ” Locations: haute, Hong Kong, Geneva

☆ Saudi women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years in jail, rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Radina Gigova | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Human rights groups are calling for the release of a Saudi woman, who they say has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women’s rights and for the way she dressed. Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, was sentenced during a “secret hearing” before the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court on January 9, 2024, Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi rights organization ALQST said in a joint statement Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s authorities “must immediately and unconditionally” release Manahel al-Otaibi, as the decision to imprison her “directly contradicts the authorities’ narrative of reform and women’s empowerment,” Amnesty and ALQST said. “Manahel’s conviction and 11-year sentence is an appalling and cruel injustice,” said Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Saudi Arabia. Al-Otaibi’s sentencing comes “amid an intensified crackdown on free speech in Saudi Arabia, including online expression,” the groups said.

Persons: Manahel, ”, ALQST, Otaibi “, Al, Fawzia, “, Bissan Fakih, Otaibi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Saudi, United Nations, UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, London, Geneva, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

☆ Rare Editions of Pushkin Are Vanishing From Libraries Around Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Rachel Donadio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In April 2022, soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, two men arrived at the library of the University of Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city. They told the librarians they were Ukrainians fleeing war and asked to consult 19th-century first editions of works by Alexander Pushkin, Russia’s national poet, and Nikolai Gogol. Police are now investigating what they believe is a vast, coordinated series of thefts of rare 19th-century Russian books — primarily first and early editions of Pushkin — from libraries across Europe. Since 2022, more than 170 books valued at more than $2.6 million, according to Europol, have vanished from the National Library of Latvia in Riga, Vilnius University Library, the State Library of Berlin, the Bavarian State Library in Munich, the National Library of Finland in Helsinki, the National Library of France, university libraries in Paris, Lyon and Geneva, and from the Czech Republic. The University of Warsaw library was hardest hit, with 78 books gone.

Persons: Estonia’s, Alexander Pushkin, Russia’s, Nikolai Gogol, Eager, Krista Aru, “, ”, Pushkin Organizations: University of Tartu, Police, National Library of Latvia, Vilnius University Library, State Library of Berlin, Bavarian State Library, National Library of Finland, National Library of France, The University of Warsaw Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Europe, Riga, Munich, Helsinki, Paris, Lyon, Geneva, Czech Republic

☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Court to Issue Decision on Arms Sales to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Marlise Simons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Members of Germany’s delegation during hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in early April. The judges are set to issue an interim decision in a case brought by Nicaragua against Germany. Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and second only to the United States in providing it with arms. Unlike Germany, which has given the court full jurisdiction, the United States has shielded itself and has to consent to a case. It has protected itself even further from the Genocide Convention, signing the convention but exempting itself from any obligations, such as intervening to stop a genocide or paying reparations if it were found to be complicit.

Persons: Israel, ” Israel Organizations: Germany’s, International Court of Justice, Court, Justice, United Nations ’, Hamas Locations: The Hague, Israel, Gaza, Nicaragua, Germany, Europe, United States, ”, South Africa, Geneva

☆ Keith Siegel: American-Israeli hostage appears in Hamas video for first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Izso | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Hamas on Saturday published a video of two hostages, American-Israeli Keith Siegel and Israeli Omri Miran. In the video, Siegel, who appears to be speaking under duress, pleads for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a hostage release deal with Hamas. This is the first video released of Siegel since he was kidnapped by Hamas alongside his wife from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. Former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel wears a T-shirt showing a her husband Keith during her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 28, 2024. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty ImagesThis is the second hostage video released by Hamas in recent days.

Persons: Keith Siegel, Omri Miran, Siegel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Miran, “, Aviva Siegel, Keith, Fabrice Coffrini, Hersh Goldberg, Polin, Goldberg, “ Keith, ”, Ilan, Israel Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Minister’s, UN Human Rights, Nova, Hostages Families, Aviva, Independence Locations: Kfar Aza, Israeli, Geneva, AFP, Israel, Egypt, Gaza

☆ The pre-owned luxury watch market is thriving
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Fawnia Soo Hoo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Granted, the pandemic-induced second hand luxury watch boom peaked back in March 2022, but the market is still going strong, and price levels remain higher than pre-Covid times. “(They’re) a crucial demographic for the growth and evolution of the pre-owned and vintage luxury watch industry,” added Paul Altieri, founder & CEO of multi-brand online luxury marketplace Bob’s Watches. Don't be shy," said Dimepiece's Brynn Wallner of new buyers' potential nerves when it comes to luxury watch stores. How can you tell if a luxury pre-owned watch is the real deal? “Luxury watches of this caliber will go from one generation to the next to the next to the next,” he explained.

☆ Here are the top 10 smartest cities in the world — and none are in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ernestine Siu | In Ernestinesiu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

These are the ten smartest cities in the world, according to IMD. This year's index was produced by the IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Observatory in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) that's based in Seoul, South Korea. Smart cities in Europe and Asia are gaining ground globally while North American cities have fallen down the ranks, according to the 2024 Smart City Index released April. Here are the top 10 smart cities, according to the 2024 Smart City Index. While European cities dominated the list, Asian cities are gaining ground too.

Persons: Bruno Lanvin, Lanvin Organizations: IMD, Smart, Smart Sustainable Cities Organization, United Arab Emirates, Washington DC, San, U.S, Boston, CNBC Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Europe, Smart, Asia, Zurich, Switzerland Oslo, Norway Canberra, Australia Geneva, Switzerland Singapore Copenhagen, Denmark Lausanne, Switzerland London, England Helsinki, Finland Abu Dhabi, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Singapore, Beijing, Taipei City, Shanghai

The World Food Programme (WFP) will support distribution of aid from the pier following weeks of diplomatic wrangling, the organization said Saturday. The US role in the effort has been complex, with the military carrying out a high-stakes construction mission in a warzone and diplomats helping to organize a dangerous and highly politicized aid distribution operation. US military and commercial ships will be able to transport aid to the US military pier, a defense official said, but only the US military will be allowed access to the causeway. “Everyone is wary of being too close to the IDF” for both security and political reasons, one humanitarian official told CNN. Fogbow is willing to use the US military pier to get aid onto shore, the sources said, but also won’t need to use it in order to carry out its operations.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, CNN –, ”, Joe Biden, “, Bashar al Masri, Masri, Scott Paul, ” Paul, Kerem Shalom, ” Fogbow, Cameron Hume, Fogbow, Paul Organizations: CNN, UN, Food Programme, US, Israel Defense Forces, WFP, United Nations, Food, Palestinian, Palestine Development, Investment Company, IDF, Oxfam, Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation, Qatari, Fogbow Locations: Gaza, American, Israel, Cyprus, Israel’s, Palestinian, Rafah, Kerem, Geneva, Algeria, South Africa, Indonesia, Qatar, Gaza’s

☆ Legendary Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher’s watch collection is going on sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Eight of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher’s luxury and personalized watches are going up for auction – and they could sell for more than $4.8 million in total. The Rolex stainless steel Paul Newman Daytona watch was named after the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, according to auction house Christie's head of Watches Remi Guillemin. Christie's Images LTD. 2024The collection will form part of Christie’s traditional rare watches auction, consisting of vintage and modern pieces of high-caliber watchmaking from brands such as Audemars Piguet, F.P. Christie's Images LTD. 2024The platinum Vagabondage 1 watch was also a gift from Todt, but for the following Christmas. “These watches (are) for people who are following Formula One, who have followed, like I have, Michael Schumacher when he was racing.

Persons: Michael Schumacher’s, ”, Remi Guillemin, “ We’re, Paul Newman Daytona, Journe, Paul Newman, Guillemin, Jean Todt, chronograph, Schumacher, Christie’s, Michael Schumacher, Todt, Ferrari, ” Guillemin, Corinna, Michael Organizations: CNN, Miami Grand Prix, Daytona, Rolex, Paris Brain Institute, Foundation, Netflix Locations: New York, Geneva, Switzerland, Florida

☆ WHO chief scientist calls for increased monitoring and preparation for highly pathogenic bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The bird flu spreading through cattle in the United States is an “enormous concern” the chief scientist of the World Health Organization said Thursday as he called for more tracking and preparation for the virus. So far, there is no evidence that the highly pathogenic H5N1 flu virus can spread from person to person. Though H5N1 doesn’t spread from person to person, humans can catch it when they’re exposed to infected animals. They are only the second documented case of human H5N1 in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while the current risk to public health from H5N1 is low, it is monitoring the situation carefully.

Persons: Dr, Jeremy Farrar, “, Richard Webby, ”, hasn’t, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, WHO, Research, Get CNN, CNN Health, US Department of Agriculture’s, Plant Health, Services, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC Locations: United States, British, Geneva, Texas, Colorado, St, — Texas, New Mexico , Kansas, South Dakota , Idaho , Michigan , Ohio, North Carolina

☆ China’s growing love of luxury watches remains strong, despite economic headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Leona Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Despite economic challenges looming large — including prolonged downturns in both the housing and stock market — China’s fascination with luxury watches remains undiminished. Cyril Zingaro/WWGF/KeystoneCertainly at this year’s fair, well-dressed, well-accessorized Chinese customers appeared unfazed by economic uncertainties. After more than 20 years working in the region, he believes China’s economic slowdown is just a temporary phase. “The situation may be slightly (more) challenging for mid-level luxury brands (whose clients’ disposable incomes are potentially more at the whim of market forces). Collectors appreciate the craftsmanship, rarity, and heritage associated with luxury timepieces, which can hold or increase in value over time.

Persons: Matthieu Humair, Cyril Zingaro, Jackson Yee, Jaeger, Zhu Yilong, Wang Yang, Xiao Zhan, David Sadigh, Patek Philippe, Van Cleef, ” Sadigh, Valentin Flauraud, ”, Ricardo Guadalupe, “ We’ve, Pierre Albouy, Keystone Carson Chan, Richard Mille Asia, Bonhams, ” Chan, Raphael Young, Lange, Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid, Lumen, Chan, Vacheron, Young, Roger Dubuis, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci — Chanel, Hermes, Hermès, Attelé, Chanel, Mademoiselle Chanel, “ Organizations: Geneva CNN —, Federation of, Swiss Watch Industry, IWC, Digital Luxury, CNN, Keystone, Fondation, “, Berkley, Couture Locations: Geneva, China, Hong Kong, Asia, Switzerland, Chopard, Europe, “, Asia — China, Guadalupe, Swiss, watchmaking

☆ A U.N. panel says Israel is obstructing its investigation of the Oct. 7 attack.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Nick Cumming-Bruce | More About Nick Cumming-Bruce | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Members of a United Nations commission said on Tuesday that Israel was obstructing their efforts to investigate possible human rights violations on Oct. 7 and in the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas. But they said the commission had still shared large amounts of evidence with the International Criminal Court. “We have faced not merely a lack of cooperation but active obstruction of our efforts to receive evidence from Israeli witnesses and victims” related to the Oct. 7 attack, Chris Sidoti, one of three members of the commission, told a briefing for diplomats in Geneva. The commission was formed in 2021 to investigate human rights violations in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israel has accused the commission of bias, and has said it would not cooperate with what it described as “an anti-Israeli, antisemitic body.”It has not allowed the commission to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories, and in January it instructed Israeli medical personnel who treated released hostages and victims of the Oct. 7 attack not to cooperate with the panel, which is led by Navi Pillay, the former United Nations human rights chief.

Persons: Israel, Chris Sidoti Organizations: United Nations, International Criminal, Navi Pillay, United Locations: Israel, Geneva, Palestinian, United Nations

☆ Power Grids Are Obvious Military Targets. There’s a Way to Deter That. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Peter Fairley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In late March, after two years of withering attacks on Ukraine, Russia knocked out half of Ukraine’s power supply. Up to that point, Russia’s missiles and kamikaze drones had mostly targeted the Ukrainian substations that push electricity from power plants to consumers. But the global community must now draw bright lines for combatants in future conflicts — and strengthen the hand of future prosecutors — by codifying specific protections for power grids. The international community already attempts to do that for select infrastructure, including hospitals, dams and nuclear power plants, via the Geneva Conventions. It’s time to add power grids to that privileged roster.

Persons: grinds, Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, — Organizations: Criminal Locations: Ukraine, Russia, The Hague, Russian, Geneva

☆ UK Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs dies aged 94
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London —Physicist Peter Higgs, whose theory of an undetected particle in the universe changed science and was vindicated by a Nobel prize-winning discovery half a century later, has died aged 94, the University of Edinburgh said on Tuesday. Higgs described himself as “incompetent” in the physics laboratory at school and at first preferred maths and chemistry. What came to be known as the Higgs boson would solve the riddle of where several fundamental particles get their mass from: by interacting with the invisible “Higgs field” that pervades space. That interaction, known as the “Brout-Englert-Higgs” mechanism, won Higgs and Belgium’s Francois Englert the Nobel prize in physics in 2013. CERN’s massive Large Hadron Collider finally proved to be the sledgehammer needed to crack the nut, and in 2012 two experiments there independently found the Higgs boson.

Persons: Peter Higgs, Higgs, “ Peter Higgs, ”, Sir Peter Mathieson, Paul Dirac, Belgium’s Francois Englert, Robert Brout, “, Rolf Heuer, welling, theoreticians, Jody Williamson, ’ ”, Robert Evans, Tom Miles, Farouq Suleiman, Pravin Char, Mark Heinrich Organizations: London, University of Edinburgh, CERN, Reuters, “, Edinburgh University, Fermilab, Collider, chuckling Locations: Geneva, Chicago, American, Edinburgh

☆ Watches and Wonders 2024: The best women’s watches on show
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Sarah Royce-Greensill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Women’s watches have undergone something of a transformation in recent years, moving beyond an outdated “shrink it and pink it” design school of thought. Courtesy HermèsThe Cut is Hermès’ first new, in-house-designed women’s watch for 20 years — and it’s worth the wait. It also comes in rose gold, diamond-dusted white gold, and in two seriously special High Jewelry iterations which feature stripes of coloured hardstones. Courtesy ChopardBaby blue seems to be the hue for women’s watches this year, and Chopard’s new Happy Sport is a delicious example. Continuing the blue theme, it eschews razzle-dazzle for a confidently chic combination of white gold and lustrous lacquer, in a newly slimmed-down silhouette.

Persons: Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chanel, Couture, Boyfriend Couture, Chanel Chanel’s Couture, Coco Chanel, Van Cleef, Van, you’d, Carrera, Piaget Piaget, They’re, Vacheron Constantin Grand Lady Kalla Vacheron Constantin Grand Lady, Constantin Vacheron Constantin, Kalla Organizations: CNN, Chopard, TAG, IWC, Schaffhausen Locations: Geneva, Switzerland

Search resuls for: "Geneva"

25 mentions found