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☆ North Korea's next nuke test a matter of 'when,' not 'if,' US Army general says, warning its on the way to a key nuclear capability
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top US Army general warned that North Korea is on its way to developing a key nuclear capability. Gen. Paul LaCamera also said this week that Pyongyang's next nuclear test is only a matter of time. LaCamera also said North Korea is slated to carry out a seventh nuclear test at some point in the future. North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, and each underground test produced explosive yields progressively larger than the one before it. Ju Ae has become a regular figure at North Korea's military-oriented events in recent months after spending years cloaked in mystery.

☆ EU simplifies procedures for merger reviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, April 20 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday said it would simplify its procedures for reviewing mergers, in a bid to reduce reporting requirements for companies by 25%. The new procedures will allow the Commission, the bloc's anti-trust watchdog, to treat more mergers under the so-called simplified procedure. It will also streamline the review of cases and optimise the transmission of documents to the Commission, it said in a statement. The new rules will be applicable from Sept. 1. Reporting by Bart Meijer, editing by Tassilo HummelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macron, Biden talk, but statements differ on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday, but statements the two leaders released differed over Taiwan just 10 days after Macron had drawn criticism with allies over the issue. A readout from the French presidency made no direct mention of Taiwan, merely saying that both sides desired to "support international law, including freedom of navigation, throughout the Indo-Pacific region." The White House statement was in stark contrast, saying the two leaders "had reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." The French presidency also said it had presented "results obtained" from the China trip to Biden, although it did not elaborate on what those results were. Contrary to the White House statement, the French presidency said China had a role to play in the medium term to ending the war in Ukraine.

NEW YORK, April 20 (Reuters) - The co-head of the private equity firm that owns Dominion Voting Systems said the company's $787.5 million settlement with Fox Corp (FOXA.O) held Fox accountable for spreading lies even if it did not apologize or admit wrongdoing. The settlement came with no apology or admission of wrongdoing on behalf of Fox, just an acknowledgement of the court's rulings finding some claims about Dominion to be false. Dominion and Staple Street achieved their goals by exposing the truth and Fox News' "offensive" actions and getting the media company to pay for them, Yaghoobzadeh said. In a statement following Tuesday's settlement, Fox said it was committed to the highest journalistic standards. Dominion funded the litigation through its own resources, without Staple Street or a third party providing financial backing, Yaghoobzadeh said.

☆ R. Kelly is appealing his 2021 sex trafficking and racketeering convictions in New York and wants a new trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is appealing one of his two federal convictions – his September 2021 guilty verdicts on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in New York – and is seeking a reversal of that conviction or a new trial, court documents show. In a brief filed Wednesday, the singer’s attorneys argue at least four seated jurors in the New York case were already familiar with the sex trafficking accusations raised against R. Kelly prior to trial, with some having seen a documentary series about him. R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in a New York federal court after a jury convicted him of nine counts, including one charge of racketeering and eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law. His attorneys allege the prosecution failed to show there was a “collective of individuals who shared any common purpose other than to promote” R. Kelly’s music. The singer’s attorneys are also seeking to vacate those orders and return the funds confiscated from his trust account.

Photo illustration: Madeline MarshallFederal prosecutors are expected to outline more of their evidence Wednesday against Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman charged with taking and sharing highly classified intelligence documents that exposed significant vulnerabilities in the way the U.S. protects some of its most closely held secrets. Airman Teixeira, 21 years old, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston for a detention hearing, where prosecutors are set to argue that he should remain detained while his criminal case proceeds. The Justice Department charged him Friday with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material, charges that combined carry a potential 15-year prison sentence upon conviction.

☆ An economic crisis in Pakistan means many are going hungry during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Javed IqbalIn Karachi, Pakistan’s financial center, 13 women and children died in March when hundreds of people caused a stampede in the rush for free food. Nine were killed in late March at separate government run flour distribution sites in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at what it called “mismanagement” that caused stampedes at wheat flour distribution centers set up by the government. Khan said a shortage of basic imports such as animal feed and other raw materials essential for food production contributed further to the food crisis and widespread hunger. Ramadan is a period of thanksgiving and shared meals, but the festivities have been overshadowed by the economic crisis.

☆ Elon Musk joked that if aliens came to earth he would get the most-liked tweet of all time, and that he's 'very familiar with space stuff'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk spoke to Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Tuesday about extraterrestrial life. The SpaceX CEO said "if anyone would know about aliens on Earth it would probably be me." "I think if anyone would know about aliens on Earth it would probably be me," Musk said in the interview. As Musk met with Twitter staff last June, Insider reported that Musk also said he hadn't seen any evidence of aliens as he discussed the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. The billionaire told Carlson he does hope that there is alien life in the universe, and that any aliens are peaceful.

☆ Premarket stocks: The earnings recession is here. There could be worse to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Earnings reports are coming thick and fast, showing how companies fared in the first few months of the year. But even as earnings are forecast to slump to their lowest level in three years, investors fear the worst is yet to come. This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Judge delays hearing for accused US intel leaker Jack Teixeira because his defense says it needs 'more time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A 21-year-old charged with leaking secret US military documents had his detention hearing delayed. Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, appeared briefly in federal court Wednesday. A judge had granted a motion to delay the detention hearing because the defense needs more time. But earlier on Wednesday, Hennessy granted a request by attorneys to delay Teixeira's detention hearing by around two weeks. Jack Teixeira, 21, has been charged in connection with the leak of secret Pentagon documents.

☆ Fox's $787 million settlement won't restore damage to US democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Fox News will pay $787.5 million for transmitting lies that a small voting technology firm helped steal the 2020 election. And Trump himself is facing several criminal probes related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the run-up to the January 6, 2021, insurrection. And is there any chance that Fox’s humiliation can repair some of the damage from the disastrous election aftermath in 2020? That missing moment of accountability will be important because claims that the 2020 election was corrupt are not some artifact of recent history. No single case can repair the damage of 2020The extent to which Trump’s falsehoods and conspiracy theories harmed democracy is open to debate.

[1/2] The new GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday said it had reached a settlement with General Motors Co (GM.N) to resolve the department's allegation that the automaker discriminated against non-U.S. citizens. Under the terms of the agreement, the Detroit-based company will pay $365,000 in civil penalties to the United States, the Justice Department said in a statement. GM in a statement said it had cooperated with the investigation and was committed to a discrimination-free workplace. The agreement reached on Tuesday requires GM to train its personnel on the law's requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to monitoring and reporting requirements.

☆ From 'Queer Eye' to gay ghost hunters, Scout Productions execs reveal how they built a reality TV powerhouse that's well armed for a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Reality TV powerhouse Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. The company also revealed to Insider that it's developing an unscripted series with Janelle Monáe and her production company, Wondaland. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only.

☆ J&J's 2025 drug sales forecast should not be tripping up investors. There's so much else like
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) before-the-bell Tuesday reported a strong first quarter, with sales up more than 5.5% and earnings eking out an annual increase. We're leaning toward the second reason: Management's 2025 Pharmaceutical sales target because J & J's results would have exceeded estimates even without strong vaccine sales. On the post-earning call, management said they see Pharmaceutical sales in 2025 closer to $57 billion than the $60 billion forecast two years ago. While we understand the Street's desire to dig into the 2025 Pharmaceutical sales dynamic, we believe weakness in the stock represents a buying opportunity. That's thanks to increased prices and strong consumer demand, the combination of which speaks to the pricing power of the Johnson & Johnson, soon-to-be Kenvue, brand.

☆ Credit Suisse limited investigations into Nazi-linked accounts, Senate Committee alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. The bipartisan Senate investigation follows a March 2020 report by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) that linked Credit Suisse accounts to a list of 12,000 Nazis in Argentina. Credit Suisse has thus far failed to meet that standard,” said Sen. Grassley in a statement. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Man accused of applying to RentAHitman.com and taking money from an undercover agent for a contract killing is arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Tennessee man was arrested this week, charged with accepting money from an undercover FBI agent to kill someone. Authorities say Garcia was given opportunities to back out, but said he wanted to do it to make money. Josiah Garcia was arrested this week and charged with using interstate facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, authorities announced Friday. On April 3, an undercover FBI agent used the number Garcia provided to Innes, and the two spoke several times on the phone and by text before meeting in person. Authorities said they discovered an AR-style rifle upon searching Garcia's home, and that he had told the undercover agent he was planning to buy a handgun.

☆ EU's Dombrovskis sees some progress on steel, battery minerals talks with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dombrovskis, the EU's top trade official, told reporters that he could not provide any details on timing for reaching a U.S.-EU deal after Washington and Tokyo's quick agreement in late March. "We're making some progress, but also we're seeing that those are not easy discussions," Dombrovskis said of the minerals talks, adding that the EU was pursuing its own competing subsidies for clean energy technologies. That deal included new U.S. import quotas for specific duty-free volumes of EU steel and launched talks on a global arrangement to combat "dirty" metals production aimed at excluding Chinese capacity. Dombrovskis said, however, that the key parameters from the EU side was that the agreement would have to result in "complete withdrawal" of U.S. tariffs on EU metals as well as the quota arrangement. Creation of a green metals club would also need to be compliant with World Trade Organization rules, he added.

A Massachusetts Air National Guardsman arrested in connection with a leak of purported highly classified intelligence documents was charged Friday as federal prosecutors offered new details about how they think some of the government’s most closely guarded material ended up online. Prosecutors charged Jack Teixeira with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material, in a brief hearing in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

BOSTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air Force National Guard suspected of leaking highly classified military intelligence records online will make his initial appearance before a federal judge in Boston on Friday. Jack Douglas Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was arrested by the FBI at his home on Thursday without incident. Anyone convicted of willfully transmitting national defense information can face up to 10 years in prison. Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret," but has not independently verified their authenticity. The U.S. is still fighting to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from London to face criminal charges in connection with the 2010 leak.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene defends suspected Pentagon leaker, saying he is 'white, male, Christian, and anti-war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene defended the suspected Pentagon leaker, saying he is "white, Christian, and anti-war." Greene said, "He told the truth about troops being on the ground in Ukraine and a lot more." download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended the man suspected of leaking top-secret Pentagon documents, saying he is "white, male, Christian, and anti-war." Greene said, "He told the truth about troops being on the ground in Ukraine and a lot more. Teixeira was sitting on his porch reading when he was arrested at his home and taken into custody by FBI agents.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges at a news conference in Washington, alongside Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram and other top federal prosecutors. The fentanyl trafficking, weapons and money laundering charges in three indictments involved a total of 28 defendants: 23 of whom are based in Mexico, four in China and one in Guatemala. A senior administration official on a call with reporters on Friday called the reward offers “unprecedented.”“These targets traffic fentanyl from around the world including from Mexico, (China) and Guatemala. These reward offers are part of a government wide attempt to put a halt to trafficking in illicit fentanyl and its precursor,” they added. And in late March, the US Food and Drug Administration approved an over-the-counter version of the opioid overdose antidote Narcan for the first time.

☆ Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira was reading a book on a porch when the feds showed up to arrest him
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested in connection with the recent leak of secret military documents. Teixeira is a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who worked in the 102nd Intelligence Wing. He was reading a book on a porch when federal agents arrived to arrest him. Teixeira worked in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. The secret military documents that were leaked on various social media platforms exposed US spying on allies and adversaries alike.

☆ Jack Teixeira, the alleged top secret documents leaker, searched his government computer for 'leak' to see if investigators were onto him: prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Alleged leaker Jack Teixeira searched his government computer for "leak," prosecutors say. Teixeira was arrested Thursday in connection with the top secret military document leak. According to the criminal complaint, Teixeira, 21, completed the search on classified networks on April 6. The documents contain secret information about US allies, like Israel, Egypt, and South Korea, as well as adversaries, like North Korea, China, and Russia. That clearance would have given him access to the classified documents leaked online.

CNN —The suspect in the leak of classified Pentagon documents posted on social media has been charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials. According to charging documents, Teixeira held a top secret security clearance and allegedly began posting information about the documents online around December 2022, and photos of documents in January. Investigators narrowed in on the potential members of the chat group with evidence collected following the discovery of the classified documents online. Four Discord users active in a different Discord chatroom where the documents later appeared told CNN the documents began circulating on Thug Shaker. Several former high school classmates of Teixeira’s told CNN Thursday that he had a fascination with the military, guns and war.

☆ World Bank steering committee, Yellen urge more reforms at lender this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"They expect the Board of Executive Directors and World Bank Group management to finalize a work plan with detailed actions to be taken," the committee's chair said in a statement. Members underscored their commitment to "ensuring that the World Bank Group has adequate financial capacity to respond to development challenges and support its expanded mission." Yellen said upcoming events could be leveraged to keep momentum strong for the evolution of the World Bank. Malpass told the committee he felt the bank had responded with "vigor and speed" to Yellen's call for reforms. Development Committee members thanked Malpass for his leadership of the WBG during a historically challenging period, including an unprecedented surge in financing in response to multiple crises.

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