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☆ Eyeball to eyeball: Estonia stares down Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It sits high on the western bank of the Narva River, its 13th-century castle proudly flying the blue, black and white flag of Estonia. We think we know roughly what makes them tick.”Like parts of Ukraine, Estonia was illegally annexed and occupied by the Soviet Union. Estonians at the conference were adamant: Unless Russia is utterly defeated in Ukraine, there is no reason to expect Putin will change his strategic objective. Jill Dougherty/CNNSeveral Russians at the conference said they feel personally responsible for the horrors Russia is unleashing on Ukraine. What’s more, Vladimir Putin is winning support for the war from so-called “swing states” and nations in the Global South.

☆ How to make your own salad dressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Here are my favorite methods and tips for homemade salad dressing from my years of experimentation. Try any of these recipes to get you going:• Creamy Italian dressing with mayonnaise (regular or vegan)• Avocado green goddess dressing• Lime tahini dressing• Miso ginger dressing• Spicy cashew butter dressing, just like Trader Joe’sAs for ranch dressing, I’ll admit: Even though I have a recipe for homemade ranch in my cookbook “Classic Snacks Made From Scratch,” sometimes I can’t resist the craving for the bottled version. However, if you do want to make homemade ranch dressing, it’s not too difficult. Homemade dressing tips and tricksMake your dressing with a blender or food processor to emulsify the oil evenly with the acid. Tetiana Strilchuk/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesTo get a creamier, thicker texture for any homemade dressing, make it in a blender or food processor.

☆ Syria's Assad boosted by return to Arab fold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Tom Perry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad addresses the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria in this handout released by SANA on August 12, 2020. Now, as Arab states bring him back into the fold, the logic appears to have worked for him once again. In exchange for ending Syria's isolation, Arab states want action, notably towards ending trafficking of the highly-addictive and lucrative amphetamine captagon across Syria's borders towards the Gulf. The threat of a U.S. missile strike was averted when Moscow brokered a deal for Syria's chemical weapons to be destroyed by the following year. But while Assad remained a pariah to the West, Arab states which once backed his opponents began opening doors to him.

CNN —The Arab League has re-admitted Syria after an 11-year absence, the organization said Sunday, following an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. The Arab League is an organization of Middle Eastern and African countries and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Member states agreed during Sunday’s meeting to “resume the participation of the delegations of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in the meetings of the Council of the League of Arab States,” according to an Arab League statement. The Arab League also stressed the need to take “practical and effective steps” to resolve the Syrian crisis, the statement added. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could participate in the upcoming Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia if he is invited and if he wants to attend, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told journalists Sunday.

☆ Arab nations set to rehabilitate Syria’s pariah president in defiance of US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime. Arab states have argued that the status quo in Syria is untenable and has caused them a headache at home. Syria has over the past decade turned into a narco-state, exporting highly addictive amphetamines across the border to Jordan and to Saudi Arabia. It’s unclear if the US will stand in the way of Arab states’ efforts to bring Syria back into the regional fold. “The US will not impose a veto on their allies when it comes to normalization with Assad,” said Hellyer.

☆ Paramount wants to get moviegoers back to theaters. Here's what it has on deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"We've got a lot of work to do to get us to where we need to be," he said. "We can't create any friction that prevents audiences from coming to see our movies in your theaters. Let's listen to the consumer and give them the experience that they want and the one that they deserve." "Pave the way for more moviegoers to come to see our movies. And, of course, we want to keep up our end of the bargain, which means delivering you unparalleled big screen entertainment."

☆ Rare outing for six Shakespeare’s First Folio copies in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - Six highly rare first edition collections of William Shakespeare’s plays will go on show in London next week in what auction house Christie's says will be the largest display of the works in Britain. The exhibition, which marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio in 1623, runs in Christie's London showroom from May 2 until May 26. [1/6] William Shakespeare's First Folio on display at Christies in London, April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon 1 2 3 4 5"We don't know exactly how many copies were published, but the most likely guesstimate is 750 copies, and 235 copies survive in some form. "It's the only time that the public can see six copies of the First Folio together exhibited," Ford said.

☆ High-tech French army truck maker sees demand for low-tech artillery components
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Clotaire Achi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The logo of Arquus, a unit of Volvo AB, is pictured at the production plant in Limoges, France, April 6, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit TessierLIMOGES, France, April 7 (Reuters) - French armoured truck maker Arquus, specialised in manufacturing high-tech off-road military vehicles, has gone back to producing more low-tech undercarriages for howitzers as the ground war in Ukraine boosts demand for artillery. Arquus Chief Executive Emmanuel Levacher told Reuters that the firm had stopped producing the undercarriages because until recently there was no more demand. "There could be even higher demand, particularly for export, which motivated us to relaunch production here in Limoges," he said. Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu has asked French military equipment makers to scale up capacities to "war-time mode" and has pledged to repatriate some previously outsourced activities.

☆ Maxima, August and Aurelia: Why Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg keeps naming his kids after Roman emperors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Facebook co-founder on Friday announced the birth of his third child, revealing that he and his wife Priscilla Chan Zuckerberg have named the baby Aurelia. Zuckerberg shared the first photo of his newborn in an Instagram post, calling her "such a little blessing." His second daughter is named August in reference to the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar, who Zuckerberg has called one of the "most fascinating" figures in history. In a 2018 interview with the New Yorker, Zuckerberg said that he became interested in Ancient Rome while studying Latin in high school. Take this survey and tell us how you want to take your money and career to the next level.

☆ France is already sending one armored 'oddity' to Ukraine. Now it might send a slightly odder one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

France is reportedly considering sending AMX-10P amphibious infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. France has already sent its AMX-10RC armored vehicle to Ukraine, among other military hardware. Troops exit an AMX-10P armored vehicle in France KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesAbout 2,000 AMX-10Ps were manufactured between 1973 and 1985. It is also relatively easy to learn and operate, Péria-Peigné said, describing it as "simpler than most modern" infantry fighting vehicles. As Ukraine struggles to assimilate a plethora of Western arms quickly, an old but simple armored vehicle may be good enough.

☆ How weapons from Western allies are strengthening Ukraine's defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +15 min

In the months after, artillery ammunition came, then Western artillery and vehicles. Ground-Launched Small Diameter BombAdd a description of the graphic for screen readers. Add a description of the graphic for screen readers. Although it uses a NATO-standard calibre for its main gun--120mm--the Challenger 2's barrel is rifled, unlike the smoothbore weapons used in other Western tanks. Air defense Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including power plants and residential buildings, have come under increasing attack from Russian missiles and one-way drones, often launched from outside Ukraine's territory.

☆ Caesars CEO: We're looking at March as the best month we've ever had
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCaesars CEO: We're looking at March as the best month we've ever hadCaesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss what's coming next in Vegas, what Formula 1 in Vegas will do for Caesar's business and more.

☆ 'Business is very good, unfortunately': Arms fair spotlights bonanza year ahead for weapons companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Mohammed Zarandah | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesFew things illustrate the health of the arms industry like a massive defense fair. Indeed, many countries are ramping up their defense spending to unprecedented levels. On top of that, U.S. military spending on Ukraine alone hit nearly $50 billion in the last year. China and Saudi Arabia also set respective records for their own governments' defense spending in 2022, despite inflation, giving no indications of slowing down. France's Caesar self-propelled guns, which have been highly effective in battle for the Ukrainian military, normally take two years to make; the government aims to cut that time in half.

☆ ‘Crisis point’: Foreign policy experts and investors are divided on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Seema Mody | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Chinese spy balloon flies above in Charlotte NC, United States on February 04, 2023. Experts say their appearance has raised serious questions about Beijing's deep surveillance efforts. Top foreign policy experts expressed grave concerns about the state of U.S.-China relations at a Council on Foreign Relations meeting this week. The emergence of alleged Chinese spy balloons over the U.S. has raised serious questions about Beijing's deep surveillance efforts, leading U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to postpone his trip to China in a widely-seen setback for the countries' relations. However, strategists and fund managers on Wall Street seem less concerned by the geopolitical ripple effects and more fixated on Beijing's expected economic revival in 2023.

☆ Senior Biden official says the US can't keep doing 'anything and everything' for Ukraine in the war: The Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A senior official told The Washington Post that US aid for Ukraine may not go on indefinitely. The official said Biden's staff has told Ukraine the US "can't do anything and everything forever." Other officials told The Post aid to Ukraine might be harder to pass with a GOP-controlled House. The senior official told The Post the Biden administration has a "very strong view" that continually approving large aid packages for Ukraine will be difficult with a Republican-led House. But the senior official told The Post that Biden's undertaking did not "pertain to the amount of assistance" that the US might give Ukraine in the future.

☆ David Tepper's Appaloosa buys stakes in Disney, Caesar's Entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire hedge fund manager David Tepper built stakes in two large entertainment companies in the fourth quarter, according to securities filings . Tepper's Appaloosa Management bought 300,000 shares of Disney and 425,000 shares of Caesar's Entertainment during the fourth quarter. Those stakes were worth roughly $26.1 million and $17.7 million, respectively, at the end of December. Elsewhere in the portfolio, Tepper added to his stake in hospital chain HCA Healthcare while trimming his position in Facebook-parent Meta Platforms . It is unclear whether Tepper bought Disney shares before or after Bob Iger returned as CEO in November.

☆ Russian soldier describes turning on his country to fight for Ukraine, driven by disgust at Putin's invasion: 'I've killed a lot of them'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian soldier fighting to defend Ukraine says he's killed many of his own countrymen in the war. The New York Times gained access to the little-known Free Russia Legion in Ukraine. The units have been kept under wraps due to the sensitivity of their role, the newspaper said. I do my job and I've killed a lot of them," he told the Times. They aren't Russian," he told the newspaper.

NATO has just completed an extraordinary survey of the remaining munition stocks, a NATO official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Those NATO (munitions targets) that we set, and each ally has a specific target, those were not being met for the most part (before the Ukraine war)," the official said. "I would be absolutely gobsmacked if the targets…were not increased," said the NATO official. After the Cold War, the production of ammunition had turned "quite artisanal", said the NATO official. "I don't necessarily think that within the next year our stockpile levels will increase massively," the NATO official said.

☆ European militaries are emptying their arsenals to send heavy-duty howitzers to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US and European countries have sent scores of artillery pieces to Ukraine. Estonia has promised to transfer all 24 of its FH-70 towed 155 mm howitzers. But at least the US and large European militaries, like Britain, France, Germany, or even Sweden, have sufficiently large arsenals to send weapons to Ukraine while still retaining some equipment for their own forces. For example, the US is scrambling to boost production of 155 mm artillery shells as Ukraine fires up to 7,000 shells a day. But expanding manufacturing capacity for artillery shells may take years, while the artillery pieces themselves may not even be in production anymore.

☆ A disappointing 2022 has led some Goldman Sachs partners to ask: Is it time for a change at the top?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On tap, we've got stories on why not-so-flashy land is actually the hottest investment on Wall Street, the firms minting money by navigating FTX's bankruptcy, and the coolest houses on Airbnb. It's only February, but the Ides of March might be coming to Goldman Sachs. We've talked at length over how people are looking to pin the blame on Solomon as things have soured at Goldman. Certain issues have been easier to overlook than others, but the bank recently broke a cardinal rule of Wall Street: Don't mess with bankers' compensation. Forget beachfront, the hottest real estate for Wall Street is industrial land.

☆ Gold hits more than 9-month high after Powell strikes dovish tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $1,953.76 per ounce, as of 0206 GMT, after hitting its highest since April 2022 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures rose 1.3% to $1,967.50. However, Powell warned of further monetary policy tightening while noting the progress on disinflation, which he said was in its early stages. "Although Powell said rate hikes might continue, the market expects the Fed not to be drastic anymore, which is supporting gold. Gold tends to benefit in a lower interest rate environment, as it reduces the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

☆ George Santos' campaign spent more than $26,000 at an Italian restaurant in Queens. That's enough to buy 1,131 orders of the rigatoni bolognese.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

George Santos' campaign spent thousands at an Italian restaurant in Queens during his run for Congress. That's enough money to buy 1,131 orders of the restaurant's $23 rigatoni bolognese, or nearly 1,800 pizzas. The embattled first-time Republican congressman's campaign spent more than $26,000 in funds at an Italian joint in Queens, New York, updated financial disclosure documents from his campaign show. Santos' financial disclosures also revealed he owes the restaurant another $18,773.54 for a campaign election night event. Representatives for George Santos' campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ I followed Nancy Pelosi's diet of breakfast ice cream and hot dogs for a week, and I ping-ponged between euphoria and the depths of despair
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sophie Kleeman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

My research found that Pelosi eats ice cream for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch, pasta, and chocolate. Chocolate ice cream for breakfast, rich and creamy pasta, and lots of snacking chocolate. She claims she does not exercise; her daughter once arrived home to find her mother eating chocolate ice cream while using a stationary bike. I save the ice cream for later to avoid a massive sugar crash and start out with a cup of black tea instead. However, I don't want to slack off after the ice cream episode, so I slather it on.

☆ Zelenskiy visits southern Ukraine, meets Danish prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomes Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen before visiting Ukrainian servicemen at a military hospital, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine January 30, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERSKYIV, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the southern city of Mykolaiv on Monday during a rare visit by a foreign leader to a region close to the war front. Zelenskiy thanked Frederiksen for the assistance provided by Denmark, whose defence ministry said earlier this month that the country would donate 19 French-made Caesar howitzer artillery systems to Ukraine. "We discussed the operational situation in the south of Ukraine, the consequences of Russia's missile and drone attacks." Talks also covered the state of the region's energy infrastructure and the region's long-term recovery, Zelenskiy said.

☆ France may be the next country to send its tanks to Ukraine, but officials worry they could be 'a poisoned chalice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

France is also considering sending its Leclerc tanks to Ukraine. A French Leclerc tank during an exercise in Germany in November 2019. Some claim it performed better than the M1 Abrams tanks that Saudi Arabia has used in that conflict. The Leclerc's lighter weight may make it more maneuverable than the other Western tanks headed to Ukraine. But other than Rafale jet fighters, the most powerful weapon — symbolically and militarily — that France could provide would be Leclerc tanks.

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