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☆ Bangalore water crisis: India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ is running dry as residents urged to take fewer showers, use disposable cutlery
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

As layers of tarmac swept through the city, Bengaluru lost its ability to absorb water, Ramachandra said. One woman begins to hit the vessel to check its water levels. No one sparedWhile the city’s poorest are bearing the brunt of Bengaluru’s water crisis, it hasn’t spared the upper middle class either. Activists and BJP members hold empty water pots during a protest against the state government over the severe water crisis, in Bengaluru on March 12, 2024. Idress Mohammed/AFP/Getty ImagesYet, for the city’s residents, the tit-for-tat arguments mean little as they experience the worst of the shortages.

Persons: ”, Ram Prasat Manohar, Ramachandra, “, Karnataka Raj Bhavan, Arijit Sen, D.K, Shivakumar –, Vishwanathan, Idrees Mohammed, Kumkum, Idress Mohammed, Geeta Menon, hasn’t, India’s, Maher Taj Organizations: India CNN, Infosys, Wipro, Ecological Sciences, Bengaluru –, “, Hindustan Times, Getty, Private, Authorities, Susheela, CNN, Management, won’t, Reuters, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Congress Locations: Bengaluru, India, India’s, Bandepalya, Bengaluru –, Bangalore, ”, Karnataka Raj, Karnataka, Whitefield, AFP

☆ Greece's S-300 missiles could bolster Ukraine's air defenses at a critical moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewGreece is reconsidering sending Ukraine its Russian-made S-300 air defense missiles, a turnabout that comes after a Russian military struck close to its leader during a visit to Ukraine. The conversation around the Greek S-300 is changing, said George Tzogopoulos, a senior fellow at the Centre International de Formation Européenne. As long as Greek defense needs are satisfied, the policy of swap deals will continue. A Russian missile exploded a mere 500 meters from the convoy he was traveling in with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky. "If radars and spare interceptors are also included in the package, that would be a significant addition to Ukraine's air and missile defense," Borsari said.

Persons: —, George Tzogopoulos, Tzogopoulos, Frederico Borsari, Borsari, Ukraine's Odesa, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Service, Business, Center for, Patriot PAC, Patriot, Russian, Patriots, Greek, Ukrainian, Kyiv Locations: Greece, Ukraine, Russian, Cyprus, Crete, Turkey, Athens, Russia, United States, Germany, Netherlands, Pokrovsk, Mar, Ukrainian

☆ Explainer-What's Next After Portugal's Inconclusive Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The centre-left Socialist Party (PS) won 77 seats, down sharply from its absolute majority of 120 in the previous legislature, after the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa amid a corruption investigation. Failure to approve a budget usually means the government's collapse and a new election. Portugal's constitution sets out that a new general election cannot happen earlier than six months after a new legislature first convenes, nor in the six months before a presidential election, which is due in January 2026. AD'S POLICY PROPOSALSThe newly-formed AD is led by the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) - the Socialists' main traditional rival. Investors do not expect much divergence from established fiscal prudence and economic growth from an AD government.

Persons: Andrei Khalip LISBON, Antonio Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Luis Montenegro, Andre Ventura, Rebelo de Sousa, Chega, Ventura, Sergio Goncalves, Aislinn Laing, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Democratic Alliance, Liberal Initiative, Socialist Party, Socialist, Conservative, Social Democratic Party, PSD, Socialists, Investors Locations: Montenegro, Portugal, Brussels

☆ India says its citizens were 'duped' to serve in the Russian army. Now it wants them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

India is seeking the release of its nationals who have been "duped" into serving in the Russian army, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Friday, in a rare rift from Moscow. "Several Indian nationals have been duped to work with the Russian army. He appealed to Indian nationals to "not be swayed by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian army. "It has been ascertained that some of these victims also got grievously injured in the war zone," the agency said. It comes amid a domestic labour crisis that has incentivized Indian nationals to seek jobs abroad.

Persons: Randhir Jaiswal Organizations: Indian Ministry, External Affairs, Indian, Central Bureau of, CBI, Centre, Monitoring Locations: India, Russian, Moscow, Delhi, Russia, Ukraine

☆ TikTokers are enthusiastically joining the app's call to wage war on Congress over a potential ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The proposed bill would force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban. AdvertisementTikTokers have enthusiastically answered the app's call to bombard members of Congress with calls and messages in an effort to prevent the platform from being banned in the US. AdvertisementA TikTok spokesperson told Business Insider the legislation has a "predetermined outcome," which is a total ban of TikTok in the US. The state of Montana, for instance, banned TikTok entirely in 2023. An increasing number of states have also made the decision to ban TikTok on government-issued devices.

Persons: ByteDance, —, TikTokers, Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Trump, TikTok, Jamaal Bowman, Ben Stanley, Mary Miller, Shira, Meta Organizations: Service, Republican Rep, Democratic Rep, Energy, Commerce, New, YouTube, Centre for Digital Citizens, Northumbria University, Facebook, Universal Music Group Locations: Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, Austin, China, Cambridge, Brexit

☆ British neobank Monzo raises $430 million in Alphabet-led round to relaunch in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

British digital bank Monzo on Tuesday raised $430 million in fresh capital from investors to help it relaunch its services in the U.S.Monzo raised the money in a new funding round led by CapitalG, the independent venture arm of Google parent company Alphabet . HongShan, the Chinese venture capital firm that split from Sequoia Capital last year, also backed the round, alongside existing backers Tencent and Passion Capital. Monzo, which is one of the U.K.'s most popular app-only banks, said the fresh cash would be used to accelerate its expansion plans, including a renewed attempt at expanding its service to the U.S."With backing from global investors, we have the rocket fuel to go after our ambitions harder and faster, building Monzo into the one app that sits at the centre of our customers' financial lives," Monzo CEO TS Anil said in a statement. "Each milestone we've reached to this point has given us more strength and speed to make strides towards our mission — now we'll scale to even greater heights and seize the huge opportunity ahead."

Persons: Monzo, CapitalG, Tencent, Anil Organizations: Google, Sequoia Capital, Passion Locations: U.S

☆ India approves three chip plants with over $15 billion in investments to realize semiconductor ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Researchers inside the semiconductor fabrication lab at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, at the Indian Institute of Science, in Bangalore on June 30, 2018. India has approved building three semiconductor plants with investments of more than $15 billion as the country aims to become a major chip hub. With these units, our country will develop capabilities in chip fabrication. Advanced packaging technologies will be indigenously developed in India," according to a government statement on Thursday. The factory will focus on the mature 28-nanometer technology, namely in industries such as automobiles, consumer electronics and defense.

Persons: Taiwan's Organizations: Nano Science, Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, U.S ., Tata Electronics, Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, Tata Semiconductor Assembly Locations: Bangalore, India, U.S, Taiwan, South Korea, Dholera, Gujarat, Morigaon, Assam

☆ A frog was found with mushroom sprouting from its side, leaving scientists baffled
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A tiny frog baffled scientists by growing a mushroom on its side. Whether the frog continued to live with the mushroom on its side will remain a mystery. Rao's intermediate golden-backed frog is a small frog that is endemic to India. "When I first observed the frog with the mushroom, I was amazed and intrigued by the sight," Lohit told CNN. "To the best of our knowledge, never has a mushroom sprouting from the flank of a live frog been documented," the authors said in their paper.

Persons: Lohit, C Maliye, Matthew Smith, Smith, he'd, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Kaganer Organizations: Service, CNN, New York Times, University of Florida, Times, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory, Centre, Cellular Locations: India, Telangana

☆ A frog in India has a mushroom sprouting out of it. Researchers have never seen anything like it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The prognosis of the frog with the mushroom hitchhiker is unknown, but there are a handful of theories as to the cause of its condition. Therefore, something like this is interesting and should be followed up with observations and screening of frogs,” Vasudevan said in an email. Initially, Vasudevan had thought the mushroom was stuck on the frog’s skin rather than a growth, but photos of the critter convinced him otherwise. “It is indeed the case of a live mushroom on a live frog,” Vasudevan said. The disease has been observed in low levels in all the frog hotspots across India, the authors of the new note wrote.

Persons: —, ”, Lohit, mycologists, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, Kaganer, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Vasudevan, ” Vasudevan, it’ll Organizations: CNN, World Wildlife Fund, India, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory, Centre, Cellular Locations: Karnataka, India, Bengaluru, Kerala, Telangana

☆ Ultraprocessed foods linked to 50% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and developing other health conditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Eating ultraprocessed foods raises the risk of developing or dying from dozens of adverse health conditions, according to a new review of 45 meta-analyses on almost 10 million people. All the studies in the review were published in the past three years, and none was funded by companies involved in the production of ultraprocessed foods, the authors said. “People who are having depressive symptoms or anxiety may seek out ultraprocessed foods for various reasons such as self-comfort,” she said. jenifoto/iStockphoto/Getty Images“Two-thirds of the calories children consume in the US are ultraprocessed, while about 60% of adult diets are ultraprocessed,” Zhang said. In addition, it’s nearly impossible to avoid temptation, as over 70% of the US food supply is made of ultraprocessed food.

Persons: ”, Wolfgang Marx, Heinz Freisling, Freisling, “, Melissa Lane, “ It’s, Fang Fang Zhang, Zhang, Mathilde Touvier, Touvier, Carlos Monteiro, Monteiro, ” Monteiro, nutritionists, ” Zhang, it’s, Marx, Lane Organizations: CNN, Centre, Deakin University, Health Organization’s International Agency for Research, Cancer, Deakin, Tufts University, French National Institute of Health, Medical Research, Health, Nutrition, University of São Paulo, NOVA Locations: Geelong, Australia, Boston, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Canada

Analyst Mike Mayo assigned an overweight rating and $70 price target, which suggests more than 25% upside for shares. Analyst Bill Katz raised his price target by $14 to $128 on the outperform-rated company, which has seen roughly 74% share price growth over the past year. He upped his price target by $25 to $350, implying roughly 19.5% upside for the company, which will report fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. "While LT debates around monetization and competition have yet to be resolved, we think risk-reward now skews attractive given an improving cloud demand backdrop." It also raised its price target to $86 from $75, but the new forecast still implies downside of more than 13% going forward.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, HashiCorp, Wells, Mike Mayo, Mayo, — Pia Singh, TD Cowen, Cowen, Bill Katz, Katz, Jefferies, Brent Thill, Thill, Salesforce, bode, Sanjit Singh, Singh, Yifeng Liu, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, HSBC, Moderna, Citigroup, Citi, Discover Financial Services, KKR, Salesforce, HSBC downgrades Moderna, Merck & Co Locations: Wells, monetization

☆ Space nukes are raising tensions between Moscow and Washington. Here’s what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Kari Bingen director of the aerospace security project and senior fellow in the international security program at the Centre for Strategic International Studies. Space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapons — or so-called space nukes — are a type of weapon designed to damage or destroy satellite systems. "It's an indiscriminate weapon," Bingen said. The deployment of a space-based nuclear weapon would mark a major advancement of Russia's military capabilities and a serious escalation of geopolitical tensions. Kari Bingen director of the aerospace security project and senior fellow in the international security program at the Centre for Strategic International Studies.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Ryumin, Mike Turner, Joe Biden, It's, Kari Bingen, Bingen, Juan Barreto, Putin, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Organizations: Sputnik, Chelyabinsk, Afp, Getty, U.S, White, CNBC, . House Intelligence, Bloomberg, Centre, Strategic International Studies, Analysts, Strategic International, United Nations Office, Outer Space Affairs, Elon Musk, Reuters, U.S ., Space Foundation, The, NATO, General, Saturday, Munich Security Conference Locations: Russian, Chelyabinsk Region, Chelyabinsk, Washington, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, China, Bogota, U.S, The U.S

☆ Psilocybin: These athletes suffered life-changing injuries. Then, they turned to psychedelics.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Last year, Australia became the first country in the world to legalize clinical prescribing of MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, and psilocybin for certain mental health disorders. Elite athletes experience mental health disorder symptoms and psychological distress at similar, if not higher, rates to the general population, researchers pointed out in a study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. Researchers in the field say that psychedelics are shown to work when treating some mental health conditions. Later, he founded Wesana Health, a biotechnology company which focuses on developing psychedelic medicine for mental health, the most recent being a CBD and psilocybin-based drug. Since her retirement as a professional athlete, Symonds explains that she uses psychedelic drugs for clarity, though not under the direction of a doctor.

Persons: CNN — Daniel Carcillo, Carcillo, ”, Jeff Gross, “, –, Aaron Rodgers, ayahuasca, Dustin Satloff, ” Rodgers, Mike Tyson, Dana White, Courtney Walton, ” Walton, Jeff Novitzky, White, Novitzky, Johns Hopkins, we’ve, ‘, ’ ”, Chris Unger, ” Robin Carhart, Harris, Ralph Metzner, University of California San Francisco, psychedelics, ” Carhart, Carhart, psychedelics aren’t, ” James Rucker, ” Rucker, I’ve, Jonathan Daniel, Lucy, Anna Symonds, Symonds, James MacDonald, Rucker, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, Canadian, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, CNN Sport, ” Sporting, Harvard Health, Oregon, UFC, Elite, Applied Sport Psychology, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Athlete Health, University of Miami, Neurology, Psychiatry, University of California San, Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Imperial College of London, Getty, Wesana Health, US Food and Drug Administration, NASDAQ, Lucy Scientific, Former US, Addiction Center, US National Institutes of Health, Numinus Bioscience, Bloomberg, Prevention, Befrienders Locations: Denver, Colorado, psychedelics, Australia, “, Nanaimo

☆ The Kremlin has never been richer – thanks to a US strategic partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | Florence Davey-Attlee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It amounts to US strategic partner New Delhi stepping in to replace crude purchases by Western buyers, reduced by sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the analysis said. The United States led a coalition of countries in late 2022 that agreed to a “price cap,” undertaking not to buy Russian crude above $60 a barrel. Those nations also forbade their shipping companies and insurance firms – key players in global shipping – from facilitating the trade of Russian crude above that price. “The price cap was the real trigger for the creation of the shadow fleet,” said Viktor Katona, head of crude oil analysis at trade research firm Kpler. It will be $150.”India’s complex role in global oil trade is also reflected in the fate of the oil products Russian crude is turned into.

Persons: they’re, ”, David Tannenbaum, Viktor Katona, Tannenbaum, ” Ami Daniel, Vladimir Putin, Howard Shatz, Singh Puri, Rosneft, Daniel, I’m Organizations: CNN, Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Star, Pole Star, US Treasury, United, Pole Star Global, European Union, RAND, India’s, Petroleum, Natural Gas, CNBC, Nayara, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, India, United States, Delhi, Moscow, Laconian Gulf, Greece, Suez, Russian, Kyiv, Vadinar

☆ Navalny's Death Leaves Despair and Apathy in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"Navalny's death is terrible: hopes have been smashed," Nikitin said. The West, including U.S. President Joe Biden, blamed President Vladimir Putin for the death. "Navalny's death is very beneficial to Putin's opponents," said Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. WEST 'NOT OUR FRIEND'At "Patriki", or Patriarch's Ponds, the centre of Moscow nightlife, many young Russians revelled away Friday night just hours after news of Navalny's death. "It is sad of course when anybody dies," Olga Kazakova, a Russian, told Reuters in central Moscow on Saturday.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, carnations, Vladimir Nikitin, Nikitin, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Navalny's, Africa's Nelson Mandela, Kira Yarmysh, Yulia, Sergei Markov, revelled, Olga Kazakova, Boris Nemtsov, Guy Faulconbridge, Frances Kerry Organizations: KGB, Reuters, CIA, DEATH, Munich Security Conference, Putin, Kremlin, Ukraine, WEST Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russia's, St Petersburg, Navalny, Avdiivka, West, Ukraine, Kremlin, Basil's

☆ Why young men are 'starvemaxxing' to look like their chiseled, masculine idols
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Rachel Hosie | Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But the 32-year-old, who has 2.1 million Instagram followers, had no idea he’d come to be idolized by a subset of teenage boys and young men known as looksmaxxers . Advertisement“Hardmaxxing,” meanwhile, includes “more extreme ways of going about the way you look,” Shami said, such as getting fillers, botox, and plastic surgery, which he denies having. Young men are becoming more body-consciousIt’s unclear why looksmaxxing has suddenly become popular. The rise of looksmaxxing and starvemaxxing could reflect how such concerns are on the rise among young men, too. All the while, lost young men are left to work out what’s real and what’s trolling.

Persons: chiseled jawline, Francisco Lachowski, Jordan Barrett, Brad Pitt, ” Lachowski, TikTok influencers, Looksmaxxing, Kareem Shami, looksmaxxing, —, “, ”, ” Shami, TikTok, Shami, Starvemaxxing, Starvemaxxing isn't, ” Kareem Shami, Clare Thornton, Wood, Elizabeth Daniels, Johan Drumev, Drumev, ” Johan Drumev, Johan Drumev Lachowski, it’s, Young, Daniels, gaunt, ” Thornton, Lachowski Organizations: Business, BI, TikTok, British Nutrition Foundation, Pediatric, University of the, University College London Locations: looksmaxxing, Brazil, Brazilian, San Diego, England, Dubai

☆ Russian Prosecutors Warn Citizens Against Mass Rally in Moscow After Navalny's Death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian prosecutor's office has warned Russians against participating in a mass protest in the centre of Moscow after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "Please note that this mass event has not been coordinated with the executive authorities of the city in accordance with the procedure established by law," the prosecutors said. According to videos and photos on social networks, people in other Russian cities were paying their respects to Navalny after news of his death spread. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images(Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Alison Williams)Photos You Should See View All 33 Images

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Maxim Rodionov, Alison Williams Organizations: Russian Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow

☆ Why Singapore is quickly becoming the choice location for firms to support global carbon markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Carbon credits continue to play an important role in the global transition towards net zero. As an innovative financing mechanism, carbon credits allow corporates to mobilize capital to support emission-reduction projects. The decision to anchor CAD Trust in Singapore stems from acknowledging that transparency and governance are rooted in its DNA. Why Singapore is a prime location for firms to support global carbon marketsSingapore has successfully attracted more than 100 carbon market and services players to establish the city-state as their home base in Southeast Asia. Singapore's expertise in carbon services and its trailblazing move implementing Southeast Asia's first carbon tax in 2019, also appealed to Calyx Global.

Persons: — Dinesh Babu, Grace Fu, Duncan van Bergen, Van Bergen, — Duncan van Bergen Organizations: Reuters, Singapore, for Nature, National University of Singapore, Data Trust, Government of, Emissions Trading Association, Singapore's, Sustainability, Meta, Trust, Insider Studios, Singapore Economic Development Board Locations: Dubai, Singapore, Government of Singapore, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Africa, Paris, Bhutan, COP28, Asia

☆ Why a rare ‘golden’ tiger photographed in India is worrying conservationists
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But golden tigers — also known as golden tabby tigers or strawberry tigers — are not a subspecies: they’re the result of a genetic mutation that changes the color of their fur. Ramnarayanan spotted the golden tiger, which came within 100 meters of the group, while guiding a safari in the wildlife reserve. The big cat is one of four "golden" tigers in Kaziranga, according to the park's official social media. If Kaziranga’s tiger population becomes more isolated, issues like inbreeding will threaten the population, said Sharma in his post on X. For photographer Ramnarayanan, Kaziranga’s golden tiger was his first sighting of these unusually colored big cats.

Persons: Gaurav Ramnarayanan, Ramnarayanan, “ I’ve, —, Uma Ramakrishnan, There’s, ”, that’s, Gaurav, Mayuresh Hendre, Rabindra Sharma, Sharma, Kota Ullas Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Heritage, National Center for Biological Sciences, Centre for Wildlife Studies Locations: India’s, Assam, Kaziranga, Mumbai, ”, India

☆ Outside the US, teens’ social media experiences are more tightly controlled
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Here’s a closer look at how child safety is regulated on social media platforms in other parts of the world. “It will take a couple of years until the first round of the audits of social media companies mandated in the DSA are published,” he said. Can social media companies be sued in the EU? At the same time, however, China’s government also largely blocks access to social media platforms as part of its efforts to monitor and censor the internet. And in Brazil, a data protection law includes special protections for children’s data, including consent to share personal data.

Persons: Here’s, Apple –, what’s, haven’t, Fernando Hortal Foronda, ”, “, Asha Allen, Brian Fung, Clare Duffy Organizations: CNN, European, Meta, Apple, Digital Services, Companies, Big Tech, EU, European Consumer Organisation, DSA, ” Tech, European Commission, EU’s Digital Service, Centre of Democracy and Technology, Justice, European Union, Minor Protection Locations: EU, Centre of Democracy and Technology Europe, China, India, Brazil

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

☆ In Bid to Curb Immigration, France to Scrap Birthright Citizenship in Mayotte
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Located close to the impoverished Comoro islands off the East African coast, the former French colony has become the centre of fierce social unrest, with many residents blaming undocumented immigration for the deteriorating conditions. Much poorer than mainland France, Mayotte has been shaken by gang violence and social unrest for decades. Since January, island residents have been staging strikes and erecting roadblocks to protest against what they say are unacceptable living conditions, paralyzing large parts of local infrastructure. It comes less than three weeks after France's highest court scrapped large parts of a new immigration law designed to toughen access to welfare benefits for foreigners and curb the number of new arrivals into the country. Immigration is a hot-button issue in France, one of Europe's strongholds for far right anti-immigration parties.

Persons: Gerald Darmanin, Darmanin, Emmanuel Macron, Tassilo Hummel, Sophie Louet, Bernadette Baum Organizations: PARIS Locations: Mayotte, Madagascar, France, Republic

☆ Finland's New President Sees No Limit to NATO Ties, Ukraine Support
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

He said he agreed with his predecessor Sauli Niinisto "who said that we need a more European NATO". He would be "a Western president in many ways" and lean towards the United States, Britain and Nordic neighbours when it came to setting the tone of foreign policy, he told Reuters. "My starting point is, paraphrasing (European Central Bank President) Mario Draghi, whatever it takes," Stubb said. During his election campaign Stubb said Finland should be an active NATO member and seek to have some NATO troops stationed on its territory. Stubb is a keen amateur athlete and triathlon champion - though he has said he will cut down on sport once he becomes Finland's 13th president.

Persons: Anne Kauranen, Alexander Stubb, Sauli Niinisto, Mario Draghi, Stubb, Johanna Vuorelma, Vuorelma, Markku Jokisipila, Suzanne Innes, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, NATO, Reuters, European Investment Bank, European University Institute, Nordic, Ukraine, Central Bank, Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland's Centre, Parliamentary Studies, National Coalition Party Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Europe, Florence, United States, Britain, British

Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound — and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesBiden, in contrast, has made support for Ukraine a key priority and moral imperative. But many of America's European NATO allies are worried that with or without Trump, the U.S. is becoming less reliable. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “currently on the phone a lot with my colleagues and asking them to do more” to support Ukraine. Dalton, a former U.K. ambassador to Iran, said prospects for the Middle East would be “slightly worse” under Trump than Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron’s, Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s Theresa May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán “, ”, Biden, Richard Dalton, Olaf Scholz, “, Scholz, Macron, ” Macron, Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, Putin, Johnson, ” Bronwen Maddox, ” Trump, hasn't, —, Dalton, implore Biden, Itamar Ben, Israel, Turkey’s Erdogan, Sergey Lavrov, George W, Zhao Minghao, ” “, Jiwon, Kirsten Grieshaber, Dasha, Suzan Fraser, Nomaan Merchant Organizations: U.S, Trump, NATO, Congressional Republicans, Centre, Politics, University College London, Mail, Associated Press, Hamas, White, Russian, CBS, Biden, Fudan University Locations: U.S, gridlock, Congress, Ukraine, Europe, United States, British, German, Germany, ” Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Tehran, Dalton, Israel, Gaza, Turkey, Shanghai, Seoul, South Korea, Berlin, Dasha Litvinova, Tallinn, Estonia, Ankara, Washington

☆ US Special Envoy on North Korea to Visit Tokyo, Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, Julie Turner, will travel to Tokyo and Seoul from Monday, the State Department said. On the visit through Feb. 22, Turner will meet with government officials, activists and North Korean defectors, the department said in a news release on its website on Friday. "Special Envoy Turner's trip will underscore the U.S. commitment to promoting human rights in North Korea, increasing access to uncensored information within the closed country, and empowering survivor voices advocating for concrete change," the release said. President Joe Biden, however, had vowed on taking office that human rights would be at the centre of his foreign policy. (Reporting by Kevin Buckland in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard and Tom Hogue)

Persons: Julie Turner, Turner, Joe Biden, Kevin Buckland, William Mallard, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S, State Department, North Korean, State Department's Office, East, of Democracy, Human Rights, Labor Locations: TOKYO, North, Tokyo, Seoul, North Korea, United States, Pyongyang, East Asia

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