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☆ True Religion explores a sale as maximalist, Y2K-era styles make a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The hedge fund that owns True Religion is exploring a sale of the Y2K-era jeans brand as it returns to growth and profitability after emerging from its second bankruptcy, CNBC has learned. It's unclear what valuation True Religion is seeking, but it could sell for a mid single digit multiple of its EBITDA, the people said. Farmstead Capital Management, True Religion's owner, has hired Baird to run the sale process. True Religion went public in 2003 and made headlines for its growth and profits. Buckley, who helmed the company during its 2000s heyday and returned in 2019, has transformed True Religion into a leaner machine.

Persons: Baird, Baird didn't, Juicy Couture, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Michael Buckley, athleisure, Buckley, Levi Strauss, Levi, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren Organizations: CNBC, Farmstead Capital Management, Saks Fifth, Religion, Nike Locations: Angeles

☆ Von Der Leyen Says European Commission Will Seek to Boost Defence Production - FT
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Brussels should incentivise Europe's defence industry to ramp up production and promote consolidation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times in an interview on Thursday, warning that the "world has got rougher". Proposals in the commission's plan include using the EU budget to increase financing to supplement joint contracts for weapons signed by member states, as well as guaranteeing that production will be bought, EU officials told FT."We have a very fragmented defence market and that needs to change," FT quoted von der Leyen as saying. "What is the competence of the commission? It's industry. (Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru)Photos You Should See View All 22 Images

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, der Leyen, Disha Mishra Organizations: Reuters, Financial Times, EU Locations: Brussels, Bengaluru

☆ Chinese and Indian companies are about to be hit by sanctions because of their ties to Russia, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The European Union wants to sanction three Chinese companies for supporting Russia, according to reports. This would mark the first time the bloc has sanctioned Chinese and Indian businesses since the invasion of Ukraine. AdvertisementThe European Union wants to sanction three Chinese companies due to their ties to Russia, according to reports by Bloomberg and the Financial Times . In April 2023, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Beijing to warn China’s leader Xi Jinping not to support Russia’s war efforts. "This visit is taking place in a challenging and increasingly volatile context, in particular because of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," she said in a press conference .

Persons: —, hasn’t, Ursula von der Leyen, China’s, Xi Jinping, von, Leyen Organizations: European Union, Bloomberg, Service, Union, Financial Times, EU, Kremlin, Moscow, European Locations: Russia, Hong Kong, India, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, EU, China, Beijing

☆ Bay of Mecklenburg:Stone Age megastructure found submerged in the Baltic Sea wasn’t formed by nature, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A megastructure found in the Baltic Sea may represent one of the oldest known hunting structures used in the Stone Age — and could change what’s known about how hunter-gatherers lived around 11,000 years ago. The stones, which connected several large boulders, were almost perfectly aligned, making it seem unlikely that nature had shaped the structure. The team determined that the wall was likely built by Stone Age communities to hunt reindeer more than 10,000 years ago. Hunting sites around the worldThe discovery marks the first Stone Age hunting structure in the Baltic Sea region. The Lake Huron wall’s construction and location, which includes a lakeshore to one side, is most similar to the Baltic Sea wall’s, the study authors said.

Persons: ”, Jacob Geersen, Marcel Bradtmöller, . Hoy, J . Auer, LAKD, Bradtmöller, hasn’t, Geersen, it’s, ” Geersen, Jens Schneider von Deimling Organizations: CNN, Kiel University, Office for Culture, Stone, National Academy of Sciences, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, University of Rostock, ”, Marine Geophysics Locations: Baltic, Germany, Mecklenburg, Rerik, Vorpommern, Europe, United States, Greenland, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lake Huron, Michigan, The, Huron

☆ In ‘The New Look,’ It’s Chanel Versus Dior in War-Torn Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Juliette Guéron-Gabrielle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In “The New Look,” an Apple TV+ show premiering Feb. 14, wine glasses are never empty, cigarettes are always half-smoked and everyone is thin. The series follows two titans of French fashion, Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, after all, toward the end of World War II. But this glamorous portrayal of Paris’s creative milieu is also interested in how the French elite collaborated with their Nazi occupiers during this contested period. It offers a startling throwback to a time when swastika-stamped flags hung over the streets of Paris. From 1940 to 1944, the French Vichy regime collaborated with the Nazis and deported over 70,000 Jews to death camps, sent French workers to Germany and tried to crush the French resistance.

Persons: Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Chanel, Juliette Binoche, Hans Günther von Dincklage, Claes Bang Organizations: Apple, French Vichy, Ritz, Nazi Locations: Paris, French, Germany

☆ Farmers’ protests have erupted across Europe. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This week, the farmers’ protests struck at the heart of the European Union, when they rolled into Brussels on Thursday as leaders held a major summit on Ukraine. The EU has waived quotas and duties on Ukrainian imports in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “In Germany, it was really focused on diesel, so starting to tax diesel for tractors. France this week announced a series of measures for farmers in light of the protests. This has already been seen in Germany, when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) involved itself in the protests and expressed solidarity with the farmers.

Persons: ”, Sebastien Bozon, Kay Nietfeld, Hugo Auge, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Dimitar Dilkoff, Emmanuel Mathé, “, we’re, Anger, Renaud Foucart, Sakis Mitrolidis, Stefano Guidi, Gabriel Attal, Attal, Ursula von Der Leyen, Rob Engelaar Organizations: CNN — Farmers, CNN, European Union, Toulouse, BFMTV, Getty Images Farmers, AP, Farmers, Getty, ” Farmers, EU, Lancaster University, Deal, Green, European Commission, French, Farmer, Citizen Locations: Europe, Paris, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Eastern Europe, EU, Brussels, Ukraine, Zandvliet, Meer, Lyon, Vesoul, AFP, Berlin, Thessaloniki, Spanish, Hamburg, Cologne, Bremen, Nuremberg, Munich, Eastern, Bulgaria, Yvelines, French, Noisy, Seine et Marne, England, Novara, Belgium, Arendonk, Dutch

Here's why European farmers are taking their anger to the streets:THE HISTORYPolitical Cartoons View All 253 ImagesWorld War II had spread hunger on a bountiful continent. When the war ended, Western European leaders knew that the way to people's hearts was through their stomachs. The vision of EU farming from early on was economy of scale — bigger farms, bigger holdings, setting standard rules across borders. “European farmers have found themselves under increasing pressure from many sides,” European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said. On Wednesday, the European Commission made two key proposals — one to shield EU farmers from cheap Ukrainian imports and one to sidestep an environmental measure.

Persons: Ursula, Ursula von der Leyen, —, von der, “ Ursula, ”, Jean, Francois Deflandre, Paolo Pepponi, It’s, it’s, Pepponi, Benoit Laqueue, Nicolas Abbeloos, “, Maroš Šefčovič, Šefčovič, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: HALLE, European, Agriculture, EU, European Commission, South Locations: Belgium, Paris, Brussels, EU, Ukraine, Kyiv, Halle, Lithuania, France, Spain, Italy, Rome, Europe, Sedan, New Zealand, Chile

☆ Italy's Meloni Opens Africa Summit, Promises New Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The summit, being held in Italy's ornate Senate, will last all day, with Italian ministers due to outline an array of initiatives, from energy and infrastructure to health and education, that Meloni says will be mutually beneficial. "We believe it is possible to envision and write a new chapter in the history of our relationship, a cooperation among equals, far from any predatory imposition or charitable stance towards Africa," Meloni said in an opening speech. Eni, Italy's largest importer of natural gas, has already countered lower Russian supplies by shipping increased volumes from Africa, where it has had a presence for decades. The company has said Algeria, Egypt and Libya will be Italy's main gas suppliers for the next few years. Most had departed from North African countries such as Tunisia and Libya, many fleeing poverty and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

Persons: Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante ROME, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Enrico Mattei, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Mattei, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italian, Eni, European Union, European, Energy, EU Locations: Rome, Africa, Italy, China, Russia, Gulf, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Somalia, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Europe, North, Saharan Africa

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland protested Sunday a mistake in a social media post by the head of the European Commission that wrongly suggested the World War II Auschwitz death camp was Polish. That post by Ursula von der Leyen on X, formerly Twitter, was later corrected to say that Auschwitz was a Nazi German extermination camp. In the original post, the Auschwitz camp was described only as “Poland.”Phone and text messages left Sunday with Christian Wigand, EU Commission spokesman, were not immediately returned. Beginning in 1940, the Nazis were using old Austrian military barracks in the southern town of Oswiecim as a concentration and death camp for Polish resistance members. During that time, Poland was under brutal German occupation and lost some 6 millions citizens, half of them Jews.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Christian Wigand, Radoslaw Sikorski, penalizes Organizations: —, Sunday, European Commission, Twitter, European Union, EU, Foreign Locations: WARSAW, Poland, — Poland, Auschwitz, Nazi, Germany, Oswiecim, Birkenau

☆ Moneyball-Plus: What Happens When Investors Treat Athletes Like Startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Joseph Bien-Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

What if athletes could sell a percentage of their future earnings to investors, the same way tech entrepreneurs offer a stake in their promising new ideas in return for venture capital? "We look at the game very, very differently than everyone else," Schwimer tells the pitcher. Finlete is launching a fund that allows fans to buy shares in a prospect's future earnings. What if you could sell a share of your future earnings, he asked, for $10,000? Today, he says, more than 80% of the players BLA has invested in are outside the league's top 300 prospects.

Persons: They're, Michael Schwimer, —, Schwimer, BLA, haven't, Fernando Tatis Jr, We've, it's, Daniil, David Liberman, Garrett Broshuis, he'd, He'd, Houdini, Christian Petersen, Erik Kratz, Kratz, Cole Hamels, Hamels, Sean M, Marvin Bush, George W, Bush, Paul DePodesta, bankroll BLA's, Bill Miller, Miller, HBO's, Michael, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, I'd, I'm, Steven Duncker, Goldman Sachs, Elly De La Cruz, Dylan Buell, phenom, Scott Boras, Yermín Mercedes, Francisco Mejía, countersue Mejia, Gervon Dexter, they're, Dexter, Wharton, He's, he'll, isn't, scoffing, he's Organizations: Philadelphia Phillies, Big League, San Diego Padres, Benchmark Capital, Sports, Wharton Sports Business, MLB, University of Virginia, Partners, Phillies, Getty, AAA, Arizona Fall League, Ritz Carlton, Cleveland Browns, Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Big League Advance, Chicago Bears, University of Florida, Huntsman, NCAA Locations: Maryland, Philadelphia, United States, baseball's, Latin America, America, Dominican Republic, Cleveland, Florida

☆ Analysis: In Poland, Donald Tusk is spoiling for a fight. His populist opponents are hitting back
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The country’s public television channel, TVP, which essentially became a mouthpiece for the previous government, has been ripped off the air. Omar Marques/Getty ImagesBut Tusk – a politician with a reputation for pragmatism and restraint – showed his intentions within days of taking office. “It became symbolic of the excesses of the PiS government,” Bill said of TVP’s transformation into a Hungarian-style state-captured medium. “One of the unifying forces of PiS supporters is distrust, or even hatred, of Donald Tusk,” Kucharczyk said. Nonetheless, after eight years of populist rule that hardened the battle lines of Polish politics, much of the public is spoiling for a fight.

Persons: Donald Tusk, ”, “, Jacek Kucharczyk, Tusk, ’, Kucharczyk, Stanley Bill, Bill, “ It’s, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Omar Marques, –, Duda, ” Bill, ” Kucharczyk, TVP, ” Tusk, Ursula von der Leyen, Tusk’s, Jaap Arriens, messier Organizations: CNN, Law, Justice, of Public Affairs, Polish Studies, University of Cambridge, TVP, Twitter, National Media Council, Police, European Union, “ Locations: Poland, Polish, Warsaw, Hungarian, Tusk’s, Brussels, TVP

☆ EU's Centre-Right Expects to Nominate Von Der Leyen for Second Term - EPP's Caspary
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union's main centre-right alliance will nominate Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission president at a congress in March if she wants to continue in the post, a senior EU lawmaker told Reuters. Von der Leyen, a German Christian Democrat, has not yet said publicly whether she wants a second stint at the helm of the EU executive after her current term expires later this year. "The EPP will nominate Ursula von der Leyen as its lead candidate for the European elections at its European Congress on March 6 and 7," Caspary said, adding, "If that's what she wants." Being nominated as the EPP's lead candidate would mean von der Leyen would also be its nominee for Commission president. Caspary's comments add strength to the widespread assumption among diplomats and officials in Brussels that von der Leyen will seek and receive a second term as Commission president.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Daniel Caspary, Caspary, Leyen, der Leyen, Andreas Rinke, Andrew Gray, Nette Nöstlinger, Rachel More Organizations: BERLIN, Reuters, Christian Democrat, European People's Party, EPP Locations: Brussels

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury found Friday that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D did not violate a photographer's copyright when she used his portrait of Miles Davis as the basis for a tattoo she put on the arm of a friend. “I'm obviously very happy for this to be over," Von D, who inked her friend's arm with Davis as a gift about seven years ago, said outside the courtroom. The 41-year-old Von D, whose legal name is Katherine von Drachenberg, was already a prominent young tattoo artist when she became a TV personality through her appearances on TLC's “Miami Ink” starting in 2005 on TLC. She was the central star of its spinoff, “LA Ink,” which ran from 2007 to 2011 and made her possibly the most famous tattoo artist in the country. Von D said that despite the victory, she’s not enthused about getting back to work.

Persons: —, Kat Von D, Miles Davis, Jeffrey Sedlik's, “, Von D, Davis, “ It's, ”, Von, We've, Allen B, Grodsky, Robert Edward Allen, ” Allen, “ It’s, Sedlik, ” “, Allen, Katherine von Drachenberg, she’s Organizations: ANGELES, Los, TLC, TLC's

☆ Ukraine begins EU accession talks; U.S. military aid hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine formally started the screening process to begin talks over its future membership of the European Union on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader said he welcomed the start of "substantial preparations for Ukraine's EU accession talks" in Brussels, following an agreement reached with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "The thorough work of assessing the conformity of Ukrainian legislation with EU norms, the formation of Ukraine's delegation, and our negotiating position are all ahead of us," Zelenskyy added. "I expect full engagement of Ukrainian government team and the first intergovernmental conference to be held already this spring." The White House said last week that the U.S. money supply to Ukraine has now run out, which could leave Kyiv ill-equipped to repel the Russian invasion.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ursula von der Leyen, Zelenskyy, John Thune Organizations: European Union, EU, Economic, U.S, Republican, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Davos, Switzerland

Macron's opponents are seizing on the farmers' demonstrations to bash his government's record ahead of European elections in June. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party is polling strongly, blamed free-trade agreements, imports and bureaucracy for farmers' economic woes. Roads hit Thursday morning by drive-slows included a highway west of the French capital and seat of power. “We are getting progressively closer to Paris,” farmer David Lavenant said to broadcaster BFM-TV. In recent weeks, farmers have staged protests in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

Persons: Gabriel Attal, Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le, ”, David Lavenant, Ursula von der Leyen, von der Locations: Paris, Agen, France, Brussels, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Romania

People attend the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 18, 2024. Javier MileiArgentina's President Javier Milei delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos on January 17, 2024. Sam AltmanSam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2024. He said AGI could be developed in the "reasonably close-ish future," speaking at a private gathering at the Bloomberg House in Davos, Switzerland. AI took a huge leap forward in the last year or two years," Benioff said on a World Economic Forum panel Thursday.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Donald Trump, Ursula von der, Ursula von der Leyen, Jamie Dimon Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan, Adam Galici, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Larry Fink's, bitcoin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy, Putin, Javier Milei, Fabrice COFFRINI, FABRICE COFFRINI, Fabrice Coffrini, Milei, Adena Friedman Adena Friedman, Adena Friedman, Friedman, Sam Altman Sam Altman, Sam Altman, Altman, Antony Blinken Antony Blinken, CNBC Putin, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Trump's, it's, Christine Lagarde, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Dmytro Kuleba, Arnd Wiegmann, Trump, Vladimir, Ukraine's, Kuleba, Michelle Yeoh Michelle Yeoh, Mike Coppola, Michelle Yeoh, CNBC's Tania Bryer, Yeoh, Pedro Sanchez Spanish, Pedro Sanchez, Isabel Infantes, Sanchez, Li Qiang Li Qiang, Li Qiang, Li, Isaac Herzog, Kfir Bibas, Herzog, Kfir, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Atta Kenare, Joe, Biden, Netanyahu, Amir, Sergio Ermotti, MICHAEL BUHOLZER, Ermotti, Marc Benioff Marc Benioff, Salesforce, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Marc Benioff, Benioff, Ray Dalio Ray Dalio, Bridgewater, Ray Dalio, Dalio, Mark Carney Mark Carney, DANIEL LEAL Organizations: Economic, Reuters, European, JPMorgan Chase, CNBC, BlackRock, Getty, Afp, NASDAQ, CNBC Nasdaq, Reuters OpenAI, Bloomberg, State, European Central Bank, Central Bank, Reuters Ukraine's, United Nations Development, Spanish, Getty Images, Hamas, Palestinian, Hezbollah, Turkish, AFP, Iranian, Sergio Ermotti UBS, Getty Images UBS, Credit Suisse, Bridgewater Associates, U.S, Bank of England, UN, OLIVAS Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine, Gaza, Russia, China, Moscow, WEF, AFP, OpenAI, U.S, Russian, Iran, Europe, United States, Hollywood , California, Madrid, Spain, Beijing, Washington, Lebanese, Tehran, Israel, Hiroshima

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Artificial intelligence is easily the biggest buzzword for world leaders and corporate bosses diving into big ideas at the World Economic Forum’s glitzy annual meeting in Davos. In a sign of ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s skyrocketing profile, CEO Sam Altman is making his Davos debut to rock star crowds, with his benefactor, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, hot on his heels. Illustrating AI’s geopolitical importance like few other technologies before it, the word was on the lips of world leaders from China to France. Here's a look at the buzz:OPENAI OPENING BIG AT DAVOSPolitical Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe leadership drama at the AI world's much-ballyhooed chatbot maker followed Altman and Nadella to the swanky Swiss snows. China, one of the world’s centers of AI development, wants to “step up communication and cooperation with all parties” on improving global AI governance, Li said.

Persons: OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Altman, Nadella, “, OpenAI, Klaus Schwab quizzed, Li Qiang, ”, Li, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Google's Bard, he's, can’t, Julie Sweet, Arvind Krishna, Yann LeCun, LeCun, ____ Chan, Matt O'Brien Organizations: Davos, DAVOS, Bloomberg, Microsoft, ”, European, EU, Accenture, AP Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, China, France, Swiss, percolated, afterparties, Europe, Britain, Valley, London, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ This startup has a different take on driverless cars. Now it's launching in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vay operates what's called a "teledriving" service, where a car is driven remotely by a human rather than by a computer. German startup Vay on Wednesday launched its so-called "teledriving" solution in the U.S. for the first time, putting the company into direct competition with more richly funded and valuable American firms in the mobility technology space. Vay's service will enable people to get cars delivered to them directly by drivers in remote spaces operated by Vay. When they're done with the trip, they can choose in Vay's app to let one of the company's teledrivers take over, and then park the car. The company has already conducted tests on public roads in Europe and the U.S. with remote drivers and no one behind the wheel.

Persons: Vay, they're, Vay's teledriver, Thomas von der Ohe Organizations: Wednesday, Vay, CNBC Locations: U.S, Nevada, Las Vegas, Europe

☆ Von Der Leyen Confident All EU States Will Agree on Aid Package to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Gabriela BaczynskaBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's chief executive voiced confidence on Wednesday that all 27 member states will agree to jointly extend more financial aid to Ukraine. Hungary has resisted agreement on an aid package, raising the possibility of the other 26 countries giving funds to Ukraine under separate bilateral deals with Kyiv. But Ursula von der Leyen, who heads the executive European Commission, told EU lawmakers: "I am confident that we will find a solution by 27." EU leaders last month agreed to start accession talks with Ukraine but Hungary vetoed granting 50 billion euros($54 bln) in aid for Kyiv through 2027. The prospect of 26 countries giving aid to Ukraine under separate bilateral deals with Kyiv is one alternative that is under discussion.

Persons: Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Ursula von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Tassilo Hummel, Bart Meijer, Gabriela Baczynska, Timothy Heritage Organizations: European Commission, EU, Russian, European, Commission, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Brussels, Hungarian, Budapest

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesZelenskyy is following that up with his first trip to Davos as president after speaking by video in previous years. The corporate chiefs will hear “what kind of immediate assistance is needed” and lay out how private and public sectors can help Ukraine rebuild one day, forum organizers say. The session will draw NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and U.S. envoy for Ukraine's economic recovery, Penny Pritzker, among others. While the geopolitical situation has oozed gloom, businesses appear more hopeful — in part from prospects that artificial intelligence can help boost productivity. Leading Western stock indexes shot up in 2023, and falling inflation raised hopes of a decline in interest rates.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Jordan, Premier Li Qiang, Ursula von der Leyen, Jake Sullivan, Donald Trump —, Putin —, White, Viola Amherd, Jens Stoltenberg, Robert Habeck, Penny Pritzker, Gitanas Nauseda, José Manuel Albares Bueno, Satya Nadella — Organizations: European Union, Russia, Hamas, Premier, United States, Ukraine, —, Bruins, Spanish, Microsoft Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Swiss, Davos, United States, China, Qatar, Zelenskyy, Russia, Bern, Ukraine, ”, East, Europe

☆ European markets head for lower open while Davos steps up a gear
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The annual forum steps up a gear Tuesday with special addresses by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. European stocks are heading for a lower open Tuesday as markets continue to focus on news and comments from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. A general view shows the congress centre, the venue of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 13, 2020. Asia-Pacific markets fell overnight, with Japanese stocks also halting their record-breaking rally since the start of the year. U.S. stock futures were also lower Monday night as Wall Street awaits December retail sales data due Wednesday and bank earnings that will provide a better picture of the state of the American consumer.

Persons: Premier Li Qiang, Ursula von der Leyen, Jake Sullivan, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Premier, U.S . National, Economic Locations: U.S, Davos, Switzerland, Swiss, Asia, Pacific

☆ Davos: Zelensky warns Putin’s war must not become ‘frozen’ as Ukraine faces shortage of weaponry and aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Christian Edwards | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Is the third world war possible? Putin’s war was less than a year old when Zelensky last spoke at Davos via a video link in January 2023. Zelensky said the West's fears that supplying weapons would escalate the war cost Ukraine time, lives and opportunities. Speaking at Davos shortly before Zelensky, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said only continued support for Ukraine would make Putin to relent. “And the paradox is that, if we want that to happen… the way to get there is [to send] more weapons to Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, Putin, ” Zelensky, Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, ” Von der Leyen, Ursula Von der Leyen, Gian Ehrenzeller, ’, ”, Fabrice Coffrini, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, Economic, Hamas, ”, Getty, NATO Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Pyongyang, Tehran, AFP

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The Earth is heating up, as is conflict in the Middle East. They'll be among more than 2,800 attendees, which also include academics, artists and international organization leaders. OpenAI chief Sam Altman will be in Davos along with top executives from Microsoft, which helped bankroll his company's rise. TRYING AGAIN TO SAVE THE PLANETOf all the lofty hopes in Davos, the perennial one of late has been the search for creative and promising ways to fight climate change. “Davos is a powerful combination potentially, of a lot of concern about the environment, and a lot of high-powered finance present,” she said.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, They'll, Bronwen Maddox, Israel's, Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu's, ”, Sam Altman, Vladimir Putin, Li Qiang, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Emmanuel Macron, Antony Blinken, Javier Milei, Donald Trump —, Biden, John Kerry, Chatham House's Maddox Organizations: Young Swiss Socialists, Chatham House, Intelligence, Microsoft, European Commission, Chatham, “ Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Russia, Davos, Chatham, Gaza, Yemen, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, China, U.S, Dubai, “ Davos

☆ Europe wants to Trump-proof in case of a second term. But that is not an easy task
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Former US President Donald Trump briefly returned as a central character in European politics earlier this week. Multiple EU officials and diplomats noted to CNN that his sudden recollection came at a particularly sensitive time, as the EU attempts to build its own defense capabilities outside of the US-led NATO alliance. Whether Trump actually made these comments or not is largely immaterial to European officials. And his hostility toward the Ukraine war effort has an impact even now, playing into the Republican Party’s reluctance to pass more US funding for Ukraine. Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, said only this week that Trump’s return would be a “threat” for Europe.

Persons: Donald Trump, Thierry Breton, Trump, Ursula von der Leyen, ” Breton’s, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Letitia James, Spencer Platt, ”, Joe Biden, Europe’s, Ian Bond, ” Donald Trump, Jim Watson, Angela Merkel, Jesco Denzel, there’s, Christine Lagarde Organizations: CNN, Former, European, Republican, NATO, New York, Getty, Ukraine, “, Trump, EU, Centre, Economic, European Central Bank Locations: Europe, Iowa, Ukraine, New York City, Brussels, EU, United States, America, China, Davos, AFP, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, Charlevoix , Canada, European

Political, business and other elites will gather once again Monday for the World Economic Forum’s 54th annual meeting in the Alpine hamlet of Davos, Switzerland, to tackle the thorniest of problems, from war to inequality to climate change. The forum is not without its own controversy, having been pegged over the years as a haven for globalists and ruling elites. This year’s conference comes on the heels of a report released Wednesday by think tank The Conference Board detailing findings from a survey of global business leaders, which showed a global economic downturn and inflation are among the top concerns of CEOs worldwide. With Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict raging on, global political instability also topped the list of things keeping corporate leaders awake at night. Meanwhile, global growth is expected to slow to 2.4% in 2024, according to a report from the World Bank released on Tuesday.

Persons: Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela, Jacques Yvez, Tony Blair, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Bono, Antony Blinken, Li Qiang, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Javier Milei, Antonio Guterres, “, ”, Andres Cadena, Elon Musk, Gayle Markovitz, ” Markovitz, Economists Organizations: corporate titans, McKinsey, Republican, White, Trump, World Economic, World Bank Locations: U.S, Israel, Davos, Switzerland, Argentine, China, Ukraine

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