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☆ U.S. arrests Jack Teixeira in connection with classified defense information leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The United States arrested Air National Guard employee Jack Teixeira on Thursday in connection with transmission of classified defense information, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said. "FBI agents took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon without incident," Garland said at a brief statement at the Justice Department. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The FBI on Thursday arrested an employee of the U.S. Air Force National Guard over the leaks online of classified U.S. documents that embarrassed Washington with allies around the world. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI arrested the man, Jack Teixeira, "in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information." The FBI said its agents had made an arrest and were conducting "authorized law enforcement activity at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts." The leaks were a "deliberate, criminal act," the Pentagon said. President Joe Biden earlier on Thursday said investigators were closing in on the source of the online leaks in what is believed to be the most serious security breach in years.

☆ Inside the Online Market for Overseas Abortion Pills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Allison Mccann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

A selection of abortion pill kits available online from overseas sellers. A chart of the estimated number of abortion pills provided outside the U.S. health care system from July through December 2022. For most patients, the cost of the service remains the most important factor in deciding where to get pills online. A chart showing the minimum, average and maximum cost of abortion pills from overseas providers: Aid Access, Las Libres and for-profit online sellers. A chart showing the minimum, average and maximum delivery speeds of abortion pills from overseas providers: Aid Access, Las Libres and for-profit online sellers.

☆ Grand National: Animal rights group threatens iconic horse race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —It’s watched by more than 500 million people from 140 different countries, but the Grand National remains one of the most controversial horse races in the world. However, animal rights groups claim the race represents the “broken relationship” between humans and nature due to the potential dangers the horses face. “This April we are launching the biggest campaign to protect animals and the climate this country has ever seen,” Animal Rising added. “Already over 500 people are signed up for training to take peaceful action this summer.”The Grand National race is part of a three day festival at Aintree Racecourse every year. Animal Rising says the report won’t stop them from finishing their mission of raising awareness of what they claim are unethical practices.

☆ Big U.S. intelligence leak was by gun enthusiast in 20s -Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - The person who leaked U.S. classified documents prompting a national security investigation is a gun enthusiast in his 20s who worked on a military base, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing fellow members of an online chat group. The Post based its report, which did not name the person, on interviews with two members of the Discord chat group. The Department of Defense and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. U.S. national security agencies and the Justice Department are investigating the release to assess the damage to national security and relations with allies and other countries, including Ukraine. Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Idrees Ali Editing by Don Durfee and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Yellen pushes for 'bold action,' more reforms at World Bank this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday called for the World Bank to implement further reforms this year to expand its ability to help developing countries meet global challenges such as climate change. Yellen said the changes already approved had sharpened the mission of the World Bank to ensure it was striving to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity and build resilience, but more progress and "bold action" was needed. Yellen said the changes were aimed at enhancing the bank’s work so it could better meet 21st century challenges like climate change, fragility and pandemics. Yellen gave no specifics, but said upcoming events could be leveraged to keep momentum strong for the evolution of the World Bank. Outgoing World Bank President David Malpass, who will leave his post on June 1, said the bank had responded with "vigor and speed" to Yellen's call for reforms.

☆ Russia conscription: Putin set to make it harder for men to avoid call-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We have been expecting the second mobilization wave for a long time now, and this is the beginning,” Irina, a 51-year-old psychologist whose son is of mobilization age, told CNN from Moscow. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images“I don’t believe a word of this,” Alexey, a 41-year-old lawyer from Moscow, told CNN. Currently, conscription documents in Russia must be hand-delivered by the local military enlistment office or through an employer. The prospect of leaving Russia has been a realistic one for many who oppose the war, and who have avoided or fear a call-up. Artem told CNN he is exploring the possibility, but sees few options and fears being unable to find work abroad.

☆ Here's the 13-page pitch deck that Salt Labs, a fintech helping hourly workers build wealth, used to raise a $10 million pre-seed round
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Salt Labs is a fintech that wants to help hourly workers build wealth. Salt Labs used this 13-page pitch deck to raise a $10 million pre-seed round. "The mission of Salt Labs is to enable hourly workers to own the long-term value of their work," Jason Lee, founder and CEO of Salt Labs, told Insider. Salt Labs announced a $10 million pre-seed round on March 29, led by Fin Capital. Read the 13-page pitch deck Salt Labs used to raise a $10 million pre-seed round.

☆ UK economy set for smaller hit in 2023 than previously feared - IMF
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British gross domestic product will contract by 0.3% in 2023, the IMF said in its latest set of global forecasts, a smaller shrinkage than the 0.6% contraction the Fund predicted in January. Britain is no longer the only Group of Seven economy set for a fall in GDP this year as Germany is now expected to shrink by 0.1%, the IMF forecasts showed. But its contraction this year is set to be the biggest among the Group of 20 economies, according to the IMF's forecasts. After narrowly avoiding recession in 2022, Britain's economy has shown some signs of resilience in early 2023. The IMF said it expected Britain's economy would grow by 1.0% in 2024, weaker than most other G7 economies with the exception of Italy while matching Japan's expected growth rate.

☆ Indian startups go to court to stop Google's new in-app billing system
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Reuters) - A group of Indian startups has asked a court to suspend Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) Google's new in-app billing fee system until the country's antitrust body investigates the U.S. firm for alleged non-compliance with its directives, a legal filing showed. The 744-page filing, seen by Reuters, asks the court to "keep the implementation of Google’s UCB in abeyance" until CCI hears the complaint. The new service fee system, it says, supports investments in Google Play app store and the Android mobile operating system, ensuring it distributes it for free, and covers developer tools and analytic services. But Indian startups argue Google's UCB system still imposes a "service fee" of 11-26%, compared with the earlier in-app payment system that charged a fee of 15-30%. The new system is "cloaked as another version" of Google's earlier system, the ADIF filing stated.

☆ NATO's newest member means Russia's 'unsinkable aircraft carrier' will be even more isolated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Finland also extends NATO's border along the Baltic Sea, which has been called a "NATO lake." That further isolates Russia's Kaliningrad region, which is surrounded by NATO member countries. Kaliningrad is a major military outpost, hosting Russia's Baltic Fleet and other forces, and has been called an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" that allows Moscow to project power deep into NATO and EU territory. However, some Baltic Fleet units were redeployed to Ukraine where they have reportedly suffered very high casualties. Russia's Baltic Fleet is based in Baltiysk and is composed of warships — mostly corvettes and a number of support ships — infantry and armored units, and aviation and air-defense forces.

☆ Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes loses bid to stay out of prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has been rebuffed in her attempt to stay out of federal prison while she appeals her conviction for the fraud she committed while overseeing a blood-testing scam that exposed Silicon Valley's dark side. The judge's decision means Holmes, 39, will have to surrender to authorities April 27 to start the more than 11-year prison sentence that Davila imposed in November. Holmes could still file another appeal of the ruling Davila's latest ruling, a maneuver that her co-conspirator at Theranos – Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani – successfully used to delay his scheduled March 16 date to begin a nearly 13-year prison sentence. Davila has recommended that Holmes serve her sentence in a Byron, Texas, prison. Although they had separate trials, Holmes and Balwani were accused of essentially the same crimes centered on a ruse touting Theranos' blood-testing system as a breakthrough in health care.

☆ Elizabeth Holmes is set to report to prison later this month after a judge denied her request to remain free on bail while she appeals her conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is set to report to prison in a matter of weeks. On Monday, a judge denied her request to remain free on bail while she appeals her conviction. Holmes was convicted on 4 counts of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Late Monday, a judge denied the Theranos founder's request to remain free on bail during her appeal. Balwani is set to report to prison on April 20, and Holmes must surrender a week later, on April 27.

☆ Pakistan's finance minister opposes snap polls mandated by top court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 10 (Reuters) - Provincial snap elections are not in Pakistan's national interest given its economic turmoil and security situation, the country's finance minister said on Monday, in defiance of an order by the country's supreme court. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday put forward a financial bill to seek a vote on whether to approve the election funding. "The country's economic, security and internal conditions demand that snap polls aren't in the national interest," he said in a televised speech to parliament. He suggested holding the elections together in all provinces and national seats, saying that would reduce logistics and security expenses. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; editing by John Stonestreet and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Failed crypto exchange FTX's spectacular collapse was due to 'hubris, incompetence, and greed,' says first debtors' report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On Sunday, its debtors released their first report on the collapse of the crypto exchange. The report alleged a lack of controls including in management, governance, and accounting. Read further for the three key allegations from the debtors' report. The report alleged the management and governance of FTX were largely limited to Bankman-Fried, Singh, and Wang. The report also alleged FTX failed to put in place "basic, widely accepted" security controls to safeguard its crypto assets.

☆ Temasek buys 41% stake in India's Manipal Health for $2 bln- source
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 10 (Reuters) - Singapore-based sovereign wealth fund Temasek said on Monday that it is acquiring an additional 41% stake in India's Manipal Health Enterprises from investors including TPG, boosting its stake in one of the country's largest hospital chains to 59%. While Manipal did not specify the deal value, Temasek has paid about $2 billion for the additional stake, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Private equity firm TPG, an investor in Manipal since 2015, will fully exit its stake, though it will reinvest via a new fund. India's sovereign wealth fund, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), will also sell its full stake to Temasek, while Manipal founder Ranjan Pai's family holding will reduce from about 50% to 30%. "By re-investing through our new Asia fund – TPG Asia VIII, we look forward to continuing to support Manipal's mission of bridging the quality healthcare infrastructure gap in the country," said Puneet Bhatia, co-managing partner of TPG Capital Asia.

☆ A teacher who refused to call trans students by their preferred names because of his Christian beliefs can't have his job back, says court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US court has ruled that a high school did not violate the First Amendment rights of a music teacher. John Kluge refused on religious grounds to use transgender students' preferred names. "Kluge "stigmatized" transgender students, causing them "demonstrable emotional harm," said a judge. Music teacher John Kluge refused to use the student's preferred name and pronouns due to his Christian religious beliefs, according to a civil complaint filed in 2019, which said Kluge "believes encouraging students to present themselves as the opposite sex by calling them an opposite-sex first name is sinful." Students and fellow teachers complained, and the decision was reversed, according to court filings.

☆ The Clash of Civilizations That Heralded a Rocky Relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Abhishek Kaicker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Das, a professor of English at Oxford University, is the rare scholar who combines a sensitivity to the literature of Jacobean England with a sympathetic and nuanced understanding of the Mughal empire. In Das’s telling, Roe was not a herald of the Company Raj to come as much as a product of 17th-century England, an island nation whose commercial ambitions were beginning to overshadow its royal court. Conflicts over precedence did nothing to advance his mission of securing trade rights, which was the real reason Roe had been sent across the Indian Ocean. The Mughal emperor Jahangir suffered neither James I’s financial embarrassments nor accorded much privilege to traders. Indeed, the court’s sumptuous ceremonies led “mogul” to become a byword for fantastical wealth and overwhelming power.

☆ Pakistan parliament rejects top court order to conduct provincial snap polls - speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan's parliament on Thursday rejected a Supreme Court order to conduct provincial snap polls, in the latest move in a power struggle between the government and the top court amid political and economic instability. The top court had on Tuesday ruled illegal the government's move to delay the snap polls in two provinces where former prime minister Imran Khan had dissolved his local governments earlier this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has been saying the country's poor economic condition didn't allow spending on the snap polls and then on a general elections due later this year. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies had dissolved the provincial governments, hoping that it would force Sharif's government to hold snap polls across the country, his longstanding demand since he was ousted a year ago. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Instant View: Here’s what experts think of India's surprise rate decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

The monetary policy committee (MPC) retained the key lending rate or the repo rate (INREPO=ECI) at 6.50% in a unanimous decision. With the likely softening of CPI to the low- to mid-5% levels in the coming month, the current repo rate of 6.5% implies that India’s real policy rate will hover around 1% during 2023-24, while maintaining a policy rate differential of about 1.5% with the US. Room for additional rate hikes has been retained with MPC’s policy stance continuing to remain unchanged at ‘withdrawal of accommodation’. We believe the bar for future rate hikes has increased, especially since near-term prints of CPI will be sub 6%. Scope for further hikes is limited given our growth-inflation outlook and impact of the past rate hikes on the same.

☆ India startups call for antitrust probe of Google in-app billing fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A woman walks past the logo of Google during an event in New Delhi, India, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan AbidiSummarySummary Companies Indian startups protest Google's in-app feeLatest challenge to Google in key marketIndian startups say Google bypasses antitrust orderGoogle has said app payment fee covers services, securityNEW DELHI, April 6 (Reuters) - Top startups in India have called on the country's competition watchdog to launch an inquiry into Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) for allegedly bypassing an antitrust directive by charging a high service fee for in-app payments, a filing shows. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) filing marks the latest tussle between Google and Indian startups, which have repeatedly criticized the U.S. company for imposing unfair business restrictions that hurt smaller players. Details of the ADIF filing, which was reviewed by Reuters on Thursday, have not previously been reported. "The policy of UCB is unfair and the same would lead to unjust enrichment to Google," the filing said.

Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. KANSAS: Although Kansans voted in favor of state abortion rights on a ballot measure last year, the Republican-led state Senate has passed a prohibition on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. MONTANA: The Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill seeking to overturn a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the state constitution protected a right to abortion. SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite the fact that the state Supreme Court recently struck down a six-week abortion ban in a 3-2 vote, Republicans have introduced a near-total abortion ban and a six-week ban this year.

☆ India Asserts Itself on Global Tech Deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Megha Mandavia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tech firms such as Google look set to face heightened scrutiny if they try to expand their presence in India. India wants to have a seat at the table vetting overseas mergers and acquisitions as the country asserts itself on the global tech stage. If the country’s internet population is anything to go by, it is about time. Earlier this week, India authorized its antitrust regulator to parse global deals by approving amendments to the competition law, which includes a requirement for companies with substantial business operations in the South Asian nation to seek antitrust permissions for all deals exceeding 20 billion Indian rupees ($244 million) in transaction value. Until now, the Competition Commission of India examined deals based on companies’ asset size and turnover.

☆ Old Navy wants to solve a major bugbear of female shoppers by selling more dresses with pockets, as it looks for creative ways to boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Old Navy says it has doubled the number of dresses with pockets in its new collection. One expert said Old Navy also needs to focus on styles and freshness to win over shoppers. Old Navy, which accounts for more than half of Gap Inc's total sales, has seen sales fall in recent years. "However, adding pockets is not a solution for all of Old Navy's woes – which run much deeper than the absence of pockets. Old Navy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment asking how many dresses it currently sells that contain pockets.

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowApril 4 (Reuters) - A Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) subsidiary filed for bankruptcy a second time on Tuesday, seeking to complete a $8.9 billion settlement of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause cancer. J&J subsidiary LTL Management's first bankruptcy was dismissed earlier on Tuesday, after an appellate court ruled that the neither J&J not LTL were in the type of "financial distress" that made them eligible for bankruptcy. The new bankruptcy filing includes a proposal to pay $8.9 billion over 25 years to resolve all current and future talc claims, according to J&J. The settlement is supported by over 60,000 current claimants, J&J said in a statement. J&J said that its settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, nor an indication that the company has changed its longstanding position that its talcum powder products are safe.

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