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☆ Gabon coup: How France's neo-colonial empire in its former territories is disintegrating
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

A torn campaign billboard shows ousted Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba in Libreville on August 31, 2023. AFP/Getty ImagesPropping up ‘democratic dictators’Whilst the international community has condemned the coup in Gabon, it has not attracted the same vehement criticism that last month’s coup in Niger did. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said France was watching the coup d’etat in Gabon “with the utmost attention.”It presents a challenge to France. Large crowds supporting the coup gathered Sunday near the French military base in Niamey, with demonstrators displaying signs demanding French troops withdraw. “The systems of government that former French colonies have, which were imposed by Paris are no longer fit for purpose.

Persons: Leon, Charles de Gaulle, Gaulle, Bongo, jubilation, General Brice Oligui Nguema –, Bongo’s, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, ”, Ali Bongo Ondimba, ’, Oluwole, Elisabeth Borne, Chris Ogunmodede, that’s, Paul Biya, Ogunmodede, ” Ogunmodede, …, ” Ojewale, “, Ndongo Samba Sylla, Emmanuel Macron, Macron Organizations: CNN, Military, Gabonese, Agence France, Presse, Gabon, Getty, Institute of Security Studies, autocrats, Central African, CFA, Banque de France, “, Macron Locations: Gabon, France, Gabon’s, Libreville, AFP, Niger, Gabonese, West, Central Africa, Mali, Senegal, Dakar, ”, Niamey, Paris, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Switzerland, Africa, Russia, Commonwealth, Togo, Macron France, Nigeria, “ Africa

There he was in Denmark, praising the government for “helping Ukraine to become invincible” with its pledge to send 19 jets. In Athens, he said Greece’s offer to train Ukrainian pilots would “help us fight for our freedom.” Within days of returning to Kyiv, Mr. Zelensky had secured promises from a half-dozen countries to either donate the jets — potentially more than 60 — or provide training for pilots and support crew. “It is important and necessary,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway told Mr. Zelensky in Kyiv, announcing that his government would provide an undetermined number of the jets — probably 10 or fewer — in the future. It was a remarkable victory lap for a sophisticated attack aircraft that even Ukraine’s defense minister has acknowledged is unlikely to perform in combat until next spring — and then only for the few pilots who can understand English well enough to fly it. With Ukraine’s counteroffensive grinding ahead slowly this summer, Mr. Zelensky’s airy announcements of securing the F-16s signal a tacit acknowledgment that the 18-month war in Ukraine will likely endure for years to come.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Jonas Gahr Organizations: ” Locations: Ukraine, Netherlands, Denmark, “, Athens, Kyiv, Norway

This week, a reader's roommate lost her job and can't pay her half of the rent. Honestly, I can probably cover this month, but it will be a squeeze, and I certainly can't cover her half the rent indefinitely. In other words, if your roommate doesn't have the money, she doesn't have it. From the sound of your letter, it seems that up until your roommate lost her job, she paid their share of the rent reliably. Whether you cover the full rent this month or not, you need to have that conversation with your roommate ASAP.

Persons: She's, doesn't, hasn't, there's, they'll, she's Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Donald Trump's mugshot post single-handedly shows X is still the place that moves the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The former president broke his hiatus from the app formerly known as Twitter to post his mugshot. It's a tacit recognition that X is still the place that moves the internet. But Trump's decision to post his mugshot to X, there is a tacit recognition that X is still the place that moves the internet, despite all of its serious shortcomings. It's unclear if Trump will start posting more frequently to X or go back to posting as usual on Truth Social. Either way, it's clear that X remains the place that makes the internet go round.

Persons: Donald Trump's, It's, Donald Trump, Twitter, it's, Elon Musk, Trump, hasn't, X hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg's Organizations: Twitter, Elon, Trump Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, SensorTower

☆ Who is Dmitry Utkin, the Nazi-obsessed Wagner commander presumed dead in the same crash as Prigozhin?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dmitry Utkin, a close associate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, is presumed dead in Wednesday's plane crash. The Wagner Group is named after Utkin's callsign, which stems from his fascination with Nazi Germany. AdvertisementAdvertisementNonetheless, Utkin's influence is woven into the Wagner Group's origin story and its exploits. AdvertisementAdvertisementWith Moran, Utkin served in a failed operation sponsored by the Syrian government to suppress Islamic State militants, the think tank wrote. The US sanctioned Utkin along with the Wagner Group in 2017, citing activities that "threaten the peace, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine."

Persons: Dmitry Utkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Utkin, Bellingcat, Prigozhin, Utkin's, Time, Moran, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Concord Management, Consulting, BBC, Third, Nazi, Russia's, Moran Security Group, CSIS, Islamic, Radio Free Europe, US, Guardian Locations: Nazi Germany, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Japan's Kishida to meet fishermen on Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 20, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will meet fishermen as soon as Monday to seek their understanding of the government's plan to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific. He said his government would make every effort to ensure the safety of the water release and counter reputational damage. Releasing the water is a key step in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant and revitalising Fukushima, he added. The prime minister declined to say when it would begin.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Tom Bateman, Yuka Obayashi, William Mallard Organizations: Japan's, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, South Korea, China

☆ China wants to keep Russia in a 'Goldilocks' state — not too strong and not too weak
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Some analysts have likened the relationship to the tale of "Goldilocks" in which a middle ground is sought, with China wanting its ally Russia to not be either too strong, where it could challenge Beijing, nor too weak where it leaves China ideologically isolated against the West. It could also be seen to embolden the West and cause political instability in Russia, essentially China's backyard. "China, like many Europeans, will also want to avoid a total collapse of Russia, with the nuclear proliferation risks that might pose. China is seen by international observers as being one of the few countries that could exert its influence on Russia in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine. "There is no way actually for China to make Russia stronger without jeopardizing Chinese interests," he told CNBC.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Druzhinin, Etienne Soula, Soula, Xie Huanchi Organizations: AFP, Getty, U.S ., Beijing, Alliance, Democracy, German Marshall Fund of, CNBC, Russia, Xinhua News Agency, Research Locations: Russia, U.S, Beijing, Moscow, Ukraine, China, United States, Asia, Kyiv

☆ Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan told leaders of its charity to 'clarify' their work. The result was layoffs, a plan to invest in AI, and a tacit admission their big education project failed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The organization will no longer be granting money toward educational policy, a big part of CZI's work since its founding, the emails said. As part of its "refreshed strategy," CZI said it is "transitioning" how it supports Summit Learning. The new strategy, laid out to CZI's roughly 500 employees, is to find new education products. Politics was one of its founding areas of work, alongside education and the eradication of all disease. "I give it two more years," one of the people familiar said of CZI's current education work.

Persons: Zuckerberg, Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Chan Zuckerberg, CZI, Sandra Liu Huang Organizations: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Meta, Facebook, Summit, Summit Public Schools, National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado Locations: CZI, California, Washington, Boulder

☆ Russia's war is coming home as drone strikes hit Moscow. What does it mean for the conflict?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —Ukrainian drone strikes taking place inside Russia once seemed an unthinkable prospect. A string of drone strikes have peppered Russian cities including Moscow throughout the summer. A damaged building in Moscow following last weekend's drone strikes. But anecdotal accounts at least speak to the impact of drone strikes on those in the vicinity of the attacks. But after almost eighteen months of disorganization and discord, the reality that Russia’s military plans are flailing has been increasingly hard to deny.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ”, Evgenia Novozhenina, ” Douglas Barrie, Mykhailo Fedorov, ” Keir Giles, we’ve, ” Giles, Barrie, ” Barrie, Stringer, Yurii, “ There’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Yuri Kochetkov, Shutterstock, June’s Wagner, Russia –, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: London CNN, Kyiv, Kremlin, Reuters, Military Aerospace, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Transformation Ministry, “ Army, Drones, Chatham House, “, West, NATO, Getty, Russia Kyiv, Ukraine’s Air Force, Institute for Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Reuters Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, AFP, Kremlin, Russian, United States

☆ Tim Cook says he's using Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro headset daily. There are still no photos.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tim Cook wants you to know that he's using the Apple Vision Pro every single day. The Vision Pro is a major step into virtual reality, and is Apple's biggest launch since the iPhone. Tim Cook wants everyone to know he's apparently using Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset every day, though not enough to share a selfie. A quick recap: The Apple Vision Pro is, to all intents and purposes, the company's shot at a virtual-reality headset. "There's enormous excitement around the Vision Pro," Cook insisted during the firm's quarterly earnings call Thursday.

Persons: Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg's, Cook, that's, We're, Sidney Ho, Alistair Barr, Apple Organizations: Apple Vision, Apple, Vision, Deutsche Bank, Apple's, Conference, VR

☆ Niger: Africa's latest coup is a headache for the West and an opportunity for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

An important Western allyThe coup in Niger has deprived Western nations, particularly France and the United States, of a key ally in a troubled region. The largest country in West Africa, Niger had been touted as a democratic success story on the continent and Bazoum was seen as a crucial partner in the fight against Islamist jihadists in the region. Carley Petesch/AP/FileThe French military also maintains two permanent bases in the Sahel region, one of which is in Niamey. “The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa shake hands on the sideline of the Russia Africa Summit.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Putin, France ”, Emmanuel Macron, “, Bazoum, Joe Biden, Washington “, Stringer, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, jihadists, Carley Petesch, ” Maman Sani, Oluwole Ojewale, …, ” Ojewale, ” Françafrique, Remi Adekoya, ” Adekoya, ” Wagner, Prigozhin, ” Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Republic of South Africa Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, Mikhail Metzel, Ibrahim Traore, ”, ” Traore, Ojewale Organizations: CNN, West, Kremlin, ISIS, Africa Center, Strategic Studies, European Union, World Nuclear Association ., Institute for Security Studies, Central African, CFA, Banque de France, UK’s York University, Russia Africa Summit, ISS Locations: Niger, Niamey, France, Paris, United States, Western, Africa, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Mali, West Africa, Nigerien, al Qaeda, US, Agadez, Sahel, Burkina Faso, West, Central Africa, China, Ukraine, Sudan, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Libya, St . Petersburg, Somalia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa

Violence erupted in the northern state of Harayana state on Monday after a right-wing Hindu organization led a religious procession in the Muslim dominated region of Nuh. However, opposition politicians and activists have called the attack a “hate crime” that targeted India’s Muslim minority population. Increase in hate crimesThe latest communal violence come against a broader rise in hate crimes against minority groups. Last month, the BJP chief minister of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, blamed Muslims for the soaring prices of tomatoes. Some cities named after historic Muslim figures have also been renamed to reflect India’s Hindu history.

Persons: Parveen Kumar, Narendra, Modi, Yogi, Asgar Ali, Mohammed, Ali, haven’t, Police haven’t, Asaduddin, ”, Jairam Ramesh, ” Asim Ali, Deepankar Basu, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Barack Obama, “ Hussain Obama ”, Obama, Adityanath, Donald Trump’s, Rana Ayyub Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Extra, Hindustan Times, Haryana Police, CNN, ” Police, Police, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Dal, NDTV Locations: New Delhi, India, Harayana, Nuh, Gurgaon, Gurugram’s, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Haryana, Nuh Chowk, Gurugram, Hindustan, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, today’s India

☆ U.S. announces Taiwan weapons package worth up to $345 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The United States unveiled a Taiwan weapons aid package worth up to $345 million on Friday, a move likely to anger China even as the Biden administration declined to publicly provide details on the arms in the package. Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority weapons aid for Taiwan, which strongly rejects Chinese sovereignty claims, in the 2023 budget. Beijing has repeatedly demanded the United States, Taiwan's most important arms supplier, halt the sale of weapons to the island. Taiwan's defense ministry thanked the U.S. for its "firm security commitment," adding in a statement it will not comment on the package details due to the "tacit agreement" between the two sides. Taiwan had previously agreed to purchase four, more advanced, MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, made by General Atomics, which are slated for delivery in 2025.

Persons: Biden, General Atomics Organizations: United, Reuters, U.S . Air Force Locations: United States, Taiwan, China, Beijing

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - The United States unveiled a Taiwan weapons aid package worth up to $345 million on Friday, a move likely to anger China even as the Biden administration declined to publicly provide details on the arms in the package. Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority weapons aid for Taiwan, which strongly rejects Chinese sovereignty claims, in the 2023 budget. Beijing has repeatedly demanded the United States, Taiwan's most important arms supplier, halt the sale of weapons to the island. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years. Earlier this month, the top U.S. general said the United States and its allies need to speed up the delivery of weapons to Taiwan in the coming years to help the island defend itself.

Persons: Biden, General Atomics, Defense Lloyd Austin, Mike Stone, Idrees Ali, Jasper Ward, Dan Whitcomb, Yimou Lee, Richard Chang, Muralikumar Organizations: United, Reuters, U.S . Air Force, Defense, Presidential, Authority, Thomson Locations: United States, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Ukraine

☆ 'Small group' of House Republicans bringing social issues into defense bill, U.S. National Security Advisor Sullivan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at a press briefing at the White House on Dec. 12, 2022. A "small group" of House Republicans have "essentially created a trap" by loading the National Defense Authorization Act with a wide array of domestic-focused amendments, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday. "This should be an area where politics stops and national security starts." Sullivan was referring to myriad amendments put forward by House Republicans. Those include efforts that would end various diversity initiatives within the Defense Department, would limit active-duty transgender servicemembers from accessing gender-affirming care, and perhaps most controversially, would prevent the Defense Department from reimbursing or paying for abortion-related expenses for active-duty servicemembers.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan Organizations: White House, White, House Republicans, Defense, Defense Department, Department of Defense, Senate, Democratic Locations: U.S

☆ Why Biden worries about a third-party rival in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This would normally be the part of the story where I’d tell you that a third-party candidate has little chance of winning next year – and I am telling you that. It’s also true, however, that 2024 is shaping up to be the kind of election Biden could lose primarily because of a third-party candidacy. This year it’s pretty clear that such a portion of third-party voters probably already exists for a simple reason: Biden and Trump are historically unpopular. The headlines and the fears Democrats have about a third-party candidate are, at least partially, a tacit acknowledgement that Biden is unpopular. So why aren’t we hearing Republicans worry about a third-party candidate?

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden’s, ”, Cornel West’s, Joe Manchin, It’s, Biden, Let’s, Donald Trump, Democrat Al Gore, Ralph Nader’s, Gore, Republican George W, Bush, Nader, Trump, Hillary Clinton, don’t, FiveThirtyEight’s Geoffrey Skelley, We’re, Gary Johnson Organizations: CNN, ’, Democratic, Trump, Democrat, Florida –, Green Party, Republican, Biden, Republican Party, Quinnipiac University, Independent Locations: New Hampshire

"My kids — they like the Blizzards," DeSantis said, as he ordered one for himself. "They like cones, too, but that gets very messy in the car, so we try to stay away from that." Trump had visited the fast food chain and seemed unfamiliar with the famous ice cream treat, asking "What the hell is a Blizzard?" DeSantis, flanked by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, also used the campaign stop to praise the state's governor, Republican Kim Reynolds, shortly before she signed a six-week abortion ban into law. "She’s done so much, over so many different issues, to make this one of the best-governed states in the country," DeSantis told reporters.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, DeSantis, Trump, Mike Naig, Republican Kim Reynolds, Reynolds Organizations: Florida Gov, Iowa, Republican, NBC News, Des Moines Locations: BOONE , Iowa, Florida, Des Moines, Bluffs, DeSantis

☆ Outrage in Italy after court rules groping under 10 seconds is not illegal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A court ruling that found a school janitor not guilty of groping a student because the act only lasted less than 10 seconds has sparked outrage in Italy. “Love, you know I was joking,” the janitor said, according to the teenager’s testimony mentioned in the judgment. The decision caused outrage among students and sparked a viral trend on social media. A local union representing high school students, ‘Rete degli Studenti Medi del Lazio,’ said on Facebook that “this is not a joke, there is nothing funny about it.”“It is unacceptable that we cannot feel protected at school. Accompanying the media are the hashtags #10secondi and #palpatabreve (brief groping).

Persons: CNN —, Rome, “, Medi, ’, ”, TikTok, Lotus, Paolo Camilli Organizations: CNN, RAI, Facebook Locations: Italy, Lazio

☆ Student Loan Repayments Are Dwindling - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Laura Beamer | Marshall Steinbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

2013 was the first year when over half of all student loans carried a balance greater than originally borrowed. The 2020 student loan repayment pause shook up this unhealthy dynamic. But student loan repayment had been dwindling for at least a decade before the pause. But an important additional source of student loan misery is the widening and diversifying nature of the Americans who take them out. Our student debt research uses credit reports, both from an annual, representative cross-section of student borrowers and from a single group of borrowers we’ve been following since 2009.

Persons: couldn’t, Laura Beamer, Marshall Steinbaum, doesn’t, It’s, —, Biden, we’ve, they’re, “, Bill, ’ Organizations: Jain, Institute, University of Utah, White, American, Black, Women, Congress, Department of Education

☆ Explainer: What would Japanese intervention to boost the weak yen look like?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

When Japanese authorities escalate their verbal warnings to say they "stand ready to act decisively" against speculative moves, that is a sign intervention may be imminent. When Japan intervenes to stem yen rises, the Ministry of Finance issues short-term bills, raising yen it then sells to weaken the Japanese currency. That means there are limits to how long Japan could keep defending the yen, unlike for yen-selling intervention - where Japan can essentially print yen by issuing bills. Japanese authorities also consider it important to seek the support of Group of Seven partners, notably the United States if the intervention involves the dollar. Washington gave tacit approval when Japan intervened last year, reflecting recent close bilateral relations.

Persons: Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kentaro Sugiyama, William Mallard Organizations: Bank of Japan, Ministry of Finance, Market, Japan, Seven, Washington, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Tokyo, United States, Washington

But now, as Mr. Putin seeks to project an image of restored stability and control, he has been putting his defense minister on display, even if Mr. Shoigu has not addressed the public or even been heard speaking. Mr. Shoigu was also present on Monday as Mr. Putin convened a meeting of his top security chiefs. On Tuesday, as Mr. Putin praised his security forces in a grandly choreographed speech, Mr. Shoigu was again present, wearing his military uniform. Mr. Shoigu, who was a very popular minister of emergency situations before becoming defense minister in 2012, has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin may have kept both men in charge as part of his decades-long efforts to place the sprawling Russian military more under his control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergei K, Shoigu, Valery V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, ” Mr, Gerasimov, Mr, Prigozhin, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, ”, ” Andrei Guryulov, Aleksandr Dugin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Dugin, Long, General Gerasimov, It’s, Andrei Soldatov, Putin “, ” Oleg Matsnev Organizations: Putin, Cuban, National Defense Control Center of Russia, Russian military’s Zvezda, United, Defense Ministry, General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Cuba, Russian, Ukrainian, Lyman, Chechnya, United Russia, Belarus

In the war-torn Chechnya region, Mr. Kadyrov built up a private fiefdom while professing loyalty to no official but Mr. Putin himself. A judo sparring partner from Mr. Putin’s youth became a construction billionaire and built Mr. Putin’s landmark bridge to Crimea. And then there was Mr. Prigozhin, who has said that he met Mr. Putin in 2000 as a St. Petersburg restaurateur. In Ukraine, as Mr. Prigozhin tells it, Wagner troops were only called in after Mr. Putin’s initial invasion plan failed. But Mr. Putin seemed to vacillate on his own support for Mr. Prigozhin.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Putin’s, “, ”, —, “ Putin, Tatiana Stanovaya, ” Mr, Ramzan Kadyrov, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Mr, Wagner, tycoons, Boris N, Yeltsin, Kadyrov, Prigozhin’s, K.G.B, Donald J, Trump, Weeks, ’, Putin “, Andrei Soldatov, Prigozhin “, ” Mark Galeotti, ” Neil MacFarquhar, Valerie Hopkins Organizations: Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, ., Reuters, Federal Security Service, Kremlin, Television, Defense, Defense Ministry, Center for Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Chechnya, Belarus, Russia’s, Don, Ukraine, Putin’s, Crimea, St, Petersburg, United States, Syria, Africa, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Spain's watchdog lacks tools to prove collusion on deposits for savers, chair says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jesús Aguado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, June 23 (Reuters) - Spain's competition watchdog urged political parties to give this institution better tools to look into potential anticompetitive practices between banks when setting deposit rates for savers, its chair Cani Fernandez said on Friday. Spanish banks offer the lowest household deposit rates among the euro zone's large economies, igniting demands from the government, supervisors and clients to pass on higher interest rates for savers. "A tacit collusion is a hole in our system of tools to tackle (this issue) in markets with little competition," Fernandez said. She added that other European countries, such as Germany and the UK, had better tools to look into these commercial practices. On Friday, the Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos said it was up to the CNMC to look into that matter.

Persons: Cani Fernandez, Fernandez, smartly, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Jesús Aguado, Emma Pinedo, Kirsten Donovan, Louise Heavens Organizations: Bank of Spain, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Santander, Germany

☆ Wildfire Smoke Has Made Me Homesick for the Sky - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Paul Bogard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Already many of us are experiencing something previously unimaginable: We are homesick for the sky. What’s happening there mirrors what’s happening in the Western United States, where the average annual number of wildfires has more than tripled since 1970. Some 37 percent of the cumulative areas burned by forest fires in the Western United States and southwestern Canada between 1986 and 2021 have been influenced by human-caused climate change. Officials call this unprecedented, and in the Northwest Territories alone, fires have already burned more than 60 times the average for a year. It seems certain that air quality concerns will continue as more fires than normal are expected throughout the year, promising more smoke across Canada and the United States in the months to come.

Persons: Glenn Albrecht, Joanna Macy Organizations: Canada, Western Locations: Australian, Canada, Minnesota, Western United States, Northwest Territories, United States

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