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☆ Whales use a sound similar to Kim Kardashian's 'vocal fry' to hunt deep sea prey, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Toothed whales can use vocal registers like humans to communicate and hunt. Like Kim Kardashian, whales have a "vocal fry" which can be used to find prey in deep sea. This gives them access to falsetto, which allows them to make their high-pitched whistles, and the chesty, vocal fry range, which is how they make echolocation. Christian B. Christensen, Aarhus UniversityAn affectation that shaped toothed whales' evolutionTeglberg and Elemans say this has very much influenced the way dolphins, orcas, and other toothed whales evolved a "Mona Lisa" fixed smile on their face. "While vocal fry may be controversial in humans and may be perceived as everything from annoying toauthoritative, it doubtlessly made toothed whales an evolutionary success story", Elemans adds.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid's historic multi-goal streak hits 5
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

McDavid has scored two goals in each of the past five games and has an NHL-leading 52 for the season. Klim Kostin and former Maple Leaf Zach Hyman added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who had lost their previous two games. Mitchell Marner logged a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who had a three-game winning streak end. Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton scored one goal apiece for the slumping Flyers, who have dropped four in a row. Jordan Staal and Martin Necas scored goals for Carolina, which took its second straight loss.

☆ TikTok to develop parental control tool to block certain videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

read more read moreLike other social media apps, TikTok has also faced criticism for not doing enough to shield teens from inappropriate content. Development of the parental control feature is in the early stages and the app will consult with parenting, youth and civil society organizations to design the tool, TikTok said in a blog post. It also announced new features to help users limit the amount of time they spend on the app. Accounts belonging to users under 18 will automatically have a time limit of one hour per day, TikTok said. Parents will now also be able to set custom time limits for their teens' TikTok usage depending on the day of the week, the company said.

☆ S.Korea's Yoon says cooperation with US, Japan key to overcoming N.Korea threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a ceremony of the 104th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement Day against Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul on March 1, 2023. Jung Yeon-Je/Pool via REUTERSSEOUL, March 1 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday that trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcoming North Korea's growing nuclear threats and other crises. Yoon spoke at an event commemorating the country's historic March First independence movement against Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. "Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values with us," said Yoon. Though Japan and South Korea are at times uneasy neighbours, the three countries are keen to expand cooperation in various fields in the face of increased global tensions, a more assertive China and an unpredictable North Korea.

☆ At least 16 dead, scores injured after trains collide in Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Floulis/File PhotoATHENS, March 1 (Reuters) - Sixteen people were killed and least 85 were injured after two trains collided head-on in Greece late on Tuesday, the fire brigade said, while the circumstances of the crash remained unclear. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa, collided outside the city of Larissa in central Greece, said the governor of the Thessaly region. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. "It was like an earthquake," Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT.

☆ Premarket stocks: Meme stocks have revolutionized investor days
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But they’re also bowing to pressure from retail investors to be more transparent. What’s happening: Investor days evolved from analyst days — meetings that large, public companies historically held privately for their core institutional investors and Wall Street analysts. But the recent influx of retail investors into the stock market has changed that. “A lot of these companies know they need to focus on retail investors now,” said Katie Perry, general manager of investor relations at investing platform Public. ▸ Tesla’s first-ever investor day will be live-streamed Wednesday from its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid's 49th, 50th goals can't stop Bruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Edmonton's Connor McDavid scored twice for the first 50-goal season of his NHL career. Rantanen has goals in five straight games and MacKinnon recorded at least a point in his eighth consecutive game. Andrei Kuzmenko scored the winner 48 seconds into the overtime for the Canucks, who are 3-1-1 in their past five games. Isac Lundestrom, Jakob Silfverberg and Troy Terry also scored goals for the Ducks, with Silfverberg recording his 150th in an Anaheim uniform. Tyler Johnson and Andreas Athanasiou each scored goals for the Blackhawks, who saw their season-best five-game winning streak come to an end.

☆ Blinken holds talks with Central Asian nations in wake of Ukraine anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Central Asia Tuesday to meet officials from all five former Soviet republics following the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Blinken's visit to the capitals of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is his first to the region as the Biden administration's top diplomat. The trip comes just days after the Feb. 24 anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, which has tested Moscow's influence in a region that also includes Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Blinken will meet the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in Astana on Tuesday before traveling on to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In Astana on Tuesday, Blinken told Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi that Washington supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan, which won independence from Moscow in 1991.

☆ LIV ratings trail rival PGA Tour in first CW Network broadcasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIV Golf did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LIV Golf is the first sport to broadcast on the CW Network, after the two parties agreed a multi-year deal in January. Perry Sook, the chairman and CEO of CW Network parent company Nexstar, said on Tuesday's earnings call that the three-day tournament was viewed by more than 1.4 million across the network and its digital platform. "We're very pleased with our first weekend of LIV Golf," said Sook. Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf attracted some of the sport's biggest names with the promise of supersize paydays and a truncated schedule.

☆ Hong Kong to scrap COVID mask mandate from March 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Farah Master | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The special administrative region of Hong Kong is one of the last places globally that still imposes a mask mandate. Hong Kong and Macau both followed China's zero-COVID policy for much of the past three years. Hong Kong started unwinding its stringent COVID rules last year but mask-wearing has remained constant since 2020. People wearing face masks walk through Wan Chai during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, April 14, 2022. Reporting by the Hong Kong newsroom; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine's ground forces commander visits besieged Bakhmut to talk strategy, boost morale
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Oleksandr Kozhukhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Ukrainian service members ride a tank, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alex BabenkoKYIV, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The commander of Ukrainian ground forces Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi visited besieged Bakhmut to boost morale and talk strategy with units defending the town and surrounding villages in eastern Ukraine, the military said over the weekend. Russia has made the capture Bakhmut a priority in its strategy to take control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas industrial region. Now charged with the defence of Bakhmut, Syrskyi has made a number of trips to the town, maintaining the Kyiv's forces will hold it. "Russia may start attacking from three sides from Monday," Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said in a social media video.

Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

☆ Top Delhi minister arrested in India liquor probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - India's federal investigating agency arrested a top local minister in the capital territory of New Delhi late on Sunday in connection with alleged irregularities in a liquor policy, the most high-profile arrest in the case so far. Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister in the Delhi government was arrested by India's federal crime agency, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) late Sunday night and will be produced in a local court on Monday. Sisodia was arrested in an ongoing investigation in "a case related to alleged irregularities in framing & implementation of the excise policy", the CBI said in a release. His arrest is dirty politics," Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and head of the Aam Aadmi Party said in a tweet hours after Sisodia's arrest. India's financial crime-fighting agency, the Enforcement Directorate is separately investigating French liquor major Pernod Ricard for allegedly violating the same liquor policy.

☆ Russia's Medvedev says arms supplies to Kyiv threaten global nuclear catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Russia's former president and an ally of President Vladimir Putin said in remarks published on Monday that the continued arms supply to Kyiv risks a global nuclear catastrophe, reiterating his threat of nuclear war over Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev's apocalyptic rhetoric has been seen as an attempt to deter the U.S-led NATO military alliance and Kyiv's Western allies from getting even more involved in the year-old war that has dealt Moscow setbacks on the battlefield. "Of course, the pumping in of weapons can continue .... and prevent any possibility of reviving negotiations," Medvedev said in remarks published in the daily Izvestia. "Our enemies are doing just that, not wanting to understand that their goals will certainly lead to a total fiasco. Reporting by David Ljunggren and Lidia Kelly; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A Republican congressman's court battle to protect his cellphone records has prevented federal investigators from reviewing over 2,200 documents in their investigation of then-President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 election, according to newly unsealed court documents. An investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives' Jan. 6 committee last year revealed Perry was in frequent contact with Trump White House officials in the weeks before the attack. On Thursday, an attorney for Perry asked an appellate court to reverse Judge Howell's lower court ruling that his communications were not within a "legitimate legislative sphere." A Justice Department attorney urged the judicial panel not to block the congressman's cellphone from investigators. Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Overnight, the death toll from the earthquakes, the most powerful of which struck at the dead of night on Feb. 6, rose to 44,128 in Turkey. That took the overall number of deaths in Turkey and neighbouring Syria to more than 50,000. More than 160,000 buildings containing 520,000 apartments collapsed or were severely damaged in Turkey by the disaster, the worst in the country's modern history. Many Turks have expressed outrage at what they see as corrupt building practices and flawed urban developments. Turkey and Armenia are still at odds over the 1.5 million people Armenia says were killed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey.

NEW DELHI/BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Germany will pursue a $5.2 billion deal with India to jointly build six conventional submarines in the country during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Feb. 25-26 visit, two Indian and two German sources said. Under the deal, a foreign submarine manufacturer will have to partner with an Indian company to build the submarines in India. The Indian foreign and defence ministries did not respond to requests for comment. An Indian diplomatic source told Reuters that India has asked Germany for an assurance for joint manufacturing for the submarines, not just supply-side support. Another official from the Indian foreign ministry said that “Scholz was determined to reinvigorate trade and defence ties with India”.

☆ China wants to prevent Ukraine crisis from getting out of control
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China wants to prevent the Russia-Ukraine crisis from getting out of control, noting that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable ways to resolve the conflict, a position paper from the Chinese foreign ministry released on Friday said. On the one-year anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, China called for a comprehensive ceasefire to the fighting and gradual de-escalation and easing of the situation. In its position, China said unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue and that "they only create new problems." "China opposes unilateral sanctions unauthorised by the U.N. Security Council. Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction' against other countries."

The senior source familiar with Syrian government thinking said that the UAE role in persuading Assad should not be underestimated. A Syrian source close to the Gulf said the UAE had used its "soft power" on Assad and a Turkish official also said the UAE had played a part in persuading him. Moscow has tussled with Western states repeatedly at the Security Council over cross-border aid into Syria, arguing it violates Syria's sovereignty. Other Arab states, including U.S. allies, have also moved to normalise ties with Assad. The UAE official said there was an "urgent need to strengthen the Arab role in Syria".

☆ Explainer: The probes into Lebanese central bank chief Salameh
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIRUT, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Lebanese authorities charged longtime central bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants on Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment after months of delay in the high-profile case. Top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat stopped Tannous from attending a Paris meeting last year with European prosecutors investigating Salameh, Reuters reported. In June 2022, Oueidat ordered a prosecutor to formally charge Salameh with crimes including money laundering, illicit enrichment, forgery and tax evasion. On Thursday, a newly appointed prosecutor, judge Raja Hamoush, charged Salameh with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. The finance minister said this month replacing him would be difficult, citing Lebanon's political complexities.

☆ Special counsel asks judge to compel Pence testimony in Trump criminal probe, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event to promote his new book at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on October 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. Trump previously sought to exercise executive privilege — which allows certain presidential communications to be kept confidential — over grand jury testimony in the probe, news outlets have reported. Howell on Thursday rejected an effort by media outlets to access records related to the grand jury investigation. "No vice president in American history has ever been compelled to testify against a president with whom they serve," Pence said. After Pence refused, a violent mob of Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, sending the vice president and congressional lawmakers into hiding.

☆ Blackstone's Ike leaves to start new investment firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Chibuike Oguh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Melvin Ike, a managing director in Blackstone Inc's (BX.N) tactical opportunities group, has resigned to start his own investment firm, the private equity firm told Reuters. Ike's resignation was announced during a meeting of Blackstone's tactical opportunities fund investors held last week in New York, the firm said in a statement on Tuesday. Ike's transactions for Blackstone's tactical opportunities unit include the sale of a majority stake in Wisconsin-based home improvement lender Aqua Finance for $1 billion to Apollo Global Management (APO.N) in 2021. He also led Blackstone's acquisition of a majority stake in collectibles authentication firm Certified Collectibles Group as well as the minority investments in digital marketing firm Recurrent Ventures and Cybersecurity firm Geocomply. Blackstone's tactical opportunities unit, which is run by David Blitzer, invests in assets that typically fall outside the scope of the firm's other funds, from timber and mines to oil tankers and satellites.

☆ Russia rails at UN move on Ukraine, China readies 'position paper'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The draft text would again see the General Assembly demand Moscow withdraw its troops and call for a halt to hostilities. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, but carry political weight. The United States has accused Iran and North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons and on Saturday said it was concerned China was considering providing "lethal assistance" to Russia. China said on Monday that the United States was in no position to make demands of Beijing. China and Russia announced a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine.

☆ Putin cancels decree underpinning Moldova's sovereignty in separatist conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CHISINAU, Feb 22 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin revoked on Tuesday a 2012 decree that in part underpinned Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the future of the Transdniestria region - a Moscow-backed separatist region which borders Ukraine and where Russia keeps troops. The decree, which included a Moldova component, outlined Russia's foreign policy 11 years ago which assumed Moscow's closer relations with the European Union and the United States. It is part of a series of anti-Western moves announced by Putin on Tuesday. "The decree is a policy document that implements the concept of Russia's foreign policy," Flenchea told Publika-TV. "Moldova and Russia have a basic political agreement that provides for mutual respect for the territorial integrity of our countries."

☆ Russia's parliament prepares to approve suspension of New START
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian officials on Wednesday blamed the United States and the West for President Vladimir Putin's decision to suspend Moscow's participation in the New START treaty, as Russia's parliament was set to rubber-stamp the move. "This decision was forced on us by the war declared by the United States and other NATO countries on our country. It will have a huge resonance in the world overall and in the United States in particular," Medvedev said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Russia's parliament is expected to rubber-stamp the move to suspend the treaty, possibly as early as Wednesday. The head of Russia's Duma, the lower house of parliament, also blamed the United States for the breakdown.

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