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☆ Serbia's Vucic dissolves parliament, sets snap vote for Dec 17
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The parliamentary election will coincide with local votes in 65 municipalities, including the capital Belgrade. Experts say the vote and an absence of a working parliament, will allow Vucic to buy time and delay decisions over ties with independent and predominantly Albanian Kosovo, which Serbia still sees as its southern province. Opposition parties and rights groups accuse Vucic, the SNS and its allies of autocracy, oppressing media freedoms, election fraud, violence against political opponents, corruption and ties with organised crime. After signing the decree, Vucic said it was important for Serbia to "preserve peace, stability, and internal cohesion and (to) show democracy". "This campaign is an opportunity to present different ideas, programs, policies ... , but which must never threaten vital interests of Serbia," he said.

Persons: Aleksandar Vucic, Vucic, Ursula von der Leyen, Stata, Aleksandar Vasovic, Andrew Cawthorne, Alison Williams Organizations: EU, Russia, Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, Thomson Locations: BELGRADE, Serbian, Kosovo, Belgrade, Albanian Kosovo, Serbia, Ukraine

Now, frontier AI has become the latest buzzword as concerns grow that the emerging technology has capabilities that could endanger humanity. The debate comes to a head Wednesday, when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts a two-day summit focused on frontier AI. In a speech last week, Sunak said only governments — not AI companies — can keep people safe from the technology’s risks. Frontier AI is shorthand for the latest and most powerful systems that go right up to the edge of AI’s capabilities. That makes frontier AI systems “dangerous because they’re not perfectly knowledgeable,” Clune said.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, It’s, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Google’s, Alan Turing, Sunak, ”, Jeff Clune, Clune, Elon, Sam Altman, He’s, Joe Biden, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua, ” Clune, “, it's, Francine Bennett, Ada Lovelace, Deb Raji, ” Raji, it’s, shouldn’t, Raji, DeepMind, Anthropic, Dario Amodei, Jack Clark, ’, Carsten Jung, Jill Lawless Organizations: British, U.S, European, University of British, AI Safety, European Union, Clune, Ada, Ada Lovelace Institute, House, University of California, ” Tech, Microsoft, Institute for Public Policy Research, Regulators, Associated Press Locations: Bletchley, University of British Columbia, State, EU, Brussels, China, U.S, Beijing, London, Berkeley

☆ The UK is gearing up for a pivotal summit on AI. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Where it's being heldThe AI summit will be held in Bletchley Park, the historic landmark around 55 miles north of London. What it seeks to addressThe main objective of the U.K. AI summit is to find some level of international coordination when it comes to agreeing some principles on the ethical and responsible development of AI models. The British government wants the AI Summit to serve as a platform to shape the technology's future. They say that, by keeping the summit restricted to only frontier AI models, it is a missed opportunity to encourage contributions from members of the tech community beyond frontier AI. "By focusing only on companies that are currently building frontier models and are leading that development right now, we're also saying no one else can come and build the next generation of frontier models."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Peter Nicholls, Rishi Sunak's, ChatGPT, Getty, codebreakers, Alan Turing, It's, Kamala Harris, Saul Loeb, Brad Smith, Sam Altman, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Ursula von der, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Olaf Scholz, Sunak, —, Xi Jinping, Biden, James Manyika, Manyika, Mostaque, we're, Sachin Dev Duggal, Carl Court Organizations: Royal Society, Carlton, Getty, U.S, Microsoft, Coppin State University, AFP, Meta, Global Affairs, Global Affairs Nick Clegg U.S, Ministry of Science, Technology European, Joe Biden Canadian, Britain, Afp, Getty Images Washington, U.S ., Google, CNBC, Big Tech Locations: London, China, Bletchley Park, British, America, Baltimore , Maryland, Chesnot, U.S, Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali, EU

☆ UK AI Safety Summit: who will attend and what’s on the agenda?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain will host the world's first global artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit this week to examine the risks of the fast-growing technology and kickstart an international dialogue on regulation of it. The aim of the summit is to start a global conversation on the future regulation of AI. Currently there are no broad-based global regulations focusing on AI safety, although some governments have started drawing up their own rules. A recent Financial Times report said Sunak plans to launch a global advisory board for AI regulation, modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). When Sunak announced the summit in June, some questioned how well-equipped Britain was to lead a global initiative on AI regulation.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Justin Trudeau –, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Wu Zhaohui, Antonio Guterres, James, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Elon Musk, “, Stuart Russell, Geoffrey Hinton, Alan Turing, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Joe Biden, –, Martin Coulter, Josephine Mason, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bletchley, WHO, Canadian, European, United Nations, Google, Microsoft, HK, Billionaire, Alan, Alan Turing Institute, Life, European Union, British, EU, UN, Thomson Locations: Britain, England, Beijing, British, Alibaba, United States, China, U.S

☆ Elon Musk expected to attend global AI summit in UK - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is expected to attend a global summit on artificial intelligence in Britain this week, according to a government official. Around 100 participants will discuss subjects including the unpredictable advances of AI and the potential for humans to lose control of it, according to the agenda. While several world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are due to attend the summit, the full guest list has not been made public. "In conversation with @elonmusk after the AI Safety Summit Thursday night on @X," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Musk's social media platform X.Sunak's Downing Street office declined to comment.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, @elonmusk, Rishi Sunak, Sunak's, Andrew MacAskill, Michael Holden Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Billionaire, U.S, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Britain

☆ EU to help Western Balkans reforms with 6 billion euro package - von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with an investment of 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion), the EU executive's president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. It also urged the countries to open a common regional market, and pursue it with necessary reforms. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a press conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Fatos Bytyci, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond, Mark Porter Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia, Brussels, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia, Pristina

☆ EU to Help Western Balkans Reforms With 6 Billion Euro Package - Von Der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with 6 billion euros investment, the EU executive's president Ursula von der Leyen said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a news conference with North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour. "We have proposed a 6 billion euro ($6.34 billion) package for Western Balkan partners," she said.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia's, Western Balkan, Brussels Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia

☆ Moscow will confiscate EU assets if Brussels 'steals' frozen Russian funds, Putin ally says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc "steals" frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, a top ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Friday that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction. Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, the Russian lower house of parliament, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would be more costly to the bloc if the EU moved against Russian assets, many of which are held in Belgium. In that case, far more assets belonging to unfriendly countries will be confiscated than our frozen funds in Europe," he said. Von der Leyen said on Friday that the value of frozen Russian sovereign assets was 211 billion euros ($223.15 billion) and recalled that the bloc had decided that Russia must pay for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ursula von der Leyen, Vyacheslav Volodin, Putin, Von der Leyen, Volodin, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Union, European Commission, EU, State Duma, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Belgium, Kyiv, Europe

☆ Russia says it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones as fighting grinds on in Ukraine’s east
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows smoke billowing from Russian Black Sea navy headquarters after a missile strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 22, 2023. Russian air defense shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula overnight Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday. "The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Local authorities in the southern Krasnodar region bordering the Black Sea said that a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the early hours of Sunday, but did not specify the cause. In Ukraine, the country's air force said Sunday it had shot down five Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones launched by Russia overnight.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Russia's Defense, Telegram . Local, Russia, Russian, UK Ministry, European Union, State Duma, European, Russian Federation Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Sevastopol, Crimea, Crimean, Krasnodar, Moscow, Siversk, Donetsk province, British, Russia, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Kyiv, Belgium, Europe

☆ EU's von der Leyen to attend Britain's AI summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Vera Jourova, a vice president, will attend the summit, according to an update to their official calendars published on Friday. While Sunak hopes to secure Britain's role as a world leader in AI regulation, some have questioned what the summit will achieve in practice. Last week, Bloomberg reported a number of world leaders - including Germany's Olaf Scholz and Canada's Justin Trudeau - would not be attending. While several world leaders, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, are expected to attend the summit, the full guest list has not been made public. Matt Clifford, a tech investor and one of two chief organisers of the event, recently told Reuters the aim of the summit was to kickstart international dialogue on AI regulation.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Vera Jourova, Rishi Sunak, Alan Turing, Sunak, Germany's Olaf Scholz, Canada's Justin Trudeau, Kamala Harris, Matt Clifford, Clifford, We're, Martin Coulter, Christina Fincher, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, European Commission, British, Bletchley, Bloomberg, Reuters, Thomson Locations: England

☆ British Library looks at evolution of fantasy genre in new exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Martin’s “A Game of Thrones” to live-action role play costumes and Gandalf's staff from "The Lord of the Rings" films, a new London exhibition opening on Friday delves into the fantasy genre. "Fantasy: Realms of Imagination", running at the British Library, features more than 100 items from around the world including manuscripts, first editions, games, film props and costumes. “Fantasy has never been as exciting as it is today." "Fantasy: Realms of Imagination" runs until Feb. 25, 2024. Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Rod NickelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: George R.R, Martin’s, Lewis, Ursula K, Le, Tanya Kirk, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Rod Nickel Organizations: British, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London

☆ China's Great Wall Motor is first EV maker to respond to EU anti-subsidy probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Haval cars produced by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors are on display for sale at a dealership in Artyom near Vladivostok, Russia, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - China's Great Wall Motor said it had formally submitted responses to the European Commission's anti-subsidy investigation of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), while calling for a fair and open trade environment. Great Wall, which provided its answers to the European Commission on Oct. 11, was the first automaker to have done so, he added. Great Wall Motor plans to build a plant in Europe and Germany was one of the candidates for the site, the German publication Automobilwoche said in May. Great Wall Motor ranked eighth in terms of sales of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars in China during the first nine months of the year, industry figures show.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Mu Feng, Mu, Automobilwoche, Ursula von der Leyen, EVs, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: automaker Great Wall, REUTERS, Rights, Weibo, European Commission, Great, European, EV, BMW, Renault, World Trade Organization, HK, Wall Motor, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Russia, China, EU, Moscow, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, Brussels, China . China

☆ China's led the EV race – but it may be running out of charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's been a clear winner in the global EV race so far: China. Ford CEO Jim Farley announcing its Michigan EV battery plant in February. Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesConcern about using Chinese battery technology reflects wider global concern about China's domination of the EV battery market, with governments starting to block Chinese investment into mines and factories. AdvertisementAdvertisementAustralia is the world's biggest producer of lithium, a key material for EV batteries, and a major producer of other rare earths. AdvertisementAdvertisementChina may have led the world in the EV race – but those days could well be numbered.

Persons: —, Bill Russo, Chrysler's, CATL, Ariel Cohen, there's, Shawn Fain, Ford, Jim Farley, Bill Pugliano, Jim Chalmers, Cohen, Morgan Stanley, Mazzocco, Bernstein, he's, Biden, it's, Ursula von der, Donald Trump Organizations: EV, European Union, Service, Economic, Financial, Ford, Council's Eurasia Center, of Foreign Relations, UAW, Reuters, Michigan EV, Minerals, Publishing, Center for Strategic, International Studies, South, Japan's Panasonic, European, Benz, Bloomberg, White Locations: China, America, Europe, South Korea, Michigan, Australia, India, Nanjing, Washington ,, Hungary

☆ European Governments Welcome Aid Delivery, Call for More
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

European government officials welcomed the temporary opening of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza Saturday to allow the passage of trucks, but called for improved access for humanitarian aid. “This is an important first step that will alleviate the suffering of innocent people,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, in a posting on X, formerly Twitter. U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said the opening “cannot be a one off.”

Persons: ”, Ursula von der Leyen, James Organizations: European Commission, Twitter, Foreign Locations: Rafah, Gaza

☆ U.S. and Europe Struggle to Put Trump-Era Tariffs Behind Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among the leaders at Friday’s U.S.-EU summit in Washington. Photo: olivier douliery/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The U.S. and Europe failed to agree on a path for eliminating steel and aluminum tariffs ahead of a summit in Washington on Friday, leaving unresolved a trade dispute that risks becoming a growing irritant between the allied economies ahead of next year’s U.S. election. Officials are seeking to move beyond a spat over metal tariffs that were imposed in 2018 by President Trump on national-security grounds. President Biden paused the tariffs for most European steel and aluminum two years ago as part of a bid to reset relations between the two economies, and the U.S. and EU said they would seek a new arrangement to replace the levies and tackle concerns about an oversupply of steel on global markets.

Persons: Biden, Ursula von der, olivier douliery, Trump Organizations: EU, Friday’s, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: Washington, The U.S, Europe, U.S, EU

Michel suggested no deal was imminent when he told reporters the two sides needed to find "mutually beneficial" solutions. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday, a third source told Reuters. Michel told reporters it was a critical time for the United States and the EU to "stick together" on their shared values and commitment to democracy given the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is still to be seen if this will end the U.S. tariffs threat or just see an extended suspension. Given the EU needs such materials itself for its green transition, the positive impact for the bloc may be limited.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden, Charles Michel, Michel, von der Leyen, Katherine Tai, Valdis Dombrovskis, Donald Trump, Bernd Lange, Philip Blenkinsop, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, Trump, Commission, U.S, European, . Trade, EU, Washington, World Trade Organization, United, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Europe, North America, China, Brussels, U.S, Washington, Friday's

☆ Gaza conditions worsen by the hour as fresh wave of protests expected across Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The population of southern Gaza has swelled in recent days after the Israeli military told around one million residents to leave northern Gaza ahead of the expected Israeli ground incursion. Early Friday morning, CNN’s Nic Robertson witnessed increased military activity along Israel’s border with Gaza. Protests in the Middle EastIsraeli warplanes’ relentless bombardment has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and sparked growing protests across the Middle East. Anti-Israel protests gained momentum this week after hundreds of Palestinians were killed Tuesday in a blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. With anti-Israel protests rising across the Middle East there are fears other fronts could open up, particularly on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon where Hezbollah dominates and has increasingly clashed with Israel’s military over the last week.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, heightening, Biden, Israel, Khaled Desouki, Guillemette Thomas, Mohammed Abed, Israel’s, Hassan Yousef, Yousef, Yoav Gallant, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN’s Nic Robertson, Ursula von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen Organizations: CNN, UN, UN Human Rights, Getty, Shifa, Hamas, of Interior, National Security, Jerusalem, Israel Defense Forces, ” CNN, Health Ministry, West Bank, Palestinian Legislative, Israeli, East, Hudson Institute, Israel, Al, Ahli Baptist Hospital, United Arab Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, AFP, Palestine, Jerusalem, St, Porphyrius, Gaza City, Israel, Egypt’s, Washington ., Ahli, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Iraq

U.S. President Joe Biden attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured), as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2023. Biden noted at the start of the meeting that the EU and the U.S. were standing together to support Israel and Ukraine, but would also discuss ways to address "unfairly traded steel and aluminum imports" and talks about critical minerals. Trade negotiators had scrambled on Thursday to avoid the U.S. resuming import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imposed by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, ultimately agreeing to keep the tariffs at bay while they keep talking. "We look forward to continuing to make progress on these important objectives in the next two months," it said. The joint statement cited progress toward a "targeted" deal, and said the leaders looked forward to continuing negotiations in the coming weeks.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Evelyn Hockstein, Washington, Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, Biden, Michel, Donald Trump, Andrea Shalal, Jeff Mason, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis, Alistair Bell, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Israeli, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, White, Senior U.S, European, European Commission, Ukraine, EU, ., Trade, United Steelworkers, Biden, Trump, Washington, World Trade Organization, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, U.S, Ukraine, China, Brussels, Washington, North America, Europe

☆ Morning Bid: Bond squeeze abates as Middle East war in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A street sign for Wall Street hangs in front of the New York Stock Exchange May 8, 2013. Dallas Fed cheif Lorie Logan added overnight that recent data and bond yield moves gave the central bank space. Reactions in the market were curious, however, with implied Fed policy rates in the futures market and two-year Treasury yields easing back even as 10-year yields chomped at the 5% bit. The resulting further disinversion of the yield curve to show the gap between two and 10-year yields at its lowest in a year is some testament to that. But with another nervous weekend around the Israel-Gaza war ahead, when markets are closed or illiquid, Friday trading has shifted the focus back to short-term safety hedges.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Mike Dolan, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Lorie Logan, Huntington, Loretta Mester, Patrick Harker, Joe Biden, Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, Atlanta Federal, Dallas Fed, Bank of Japan, L'Oreal, American Express, Interpublic, Schlumberger, Cleveland Federal, Philadelphia Fed, European Council, European Commission Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Israel, Gaza, Europe, China, Comerica, Huntington Bancshares, Washington

The Oval Office sit-down comes at a moment when domestic U.S. political chaos could further destabilize an increasingly chaotic world. One day ahead of his meeting with Biden, European Council President Charles Michel expressed optimism that Biden can deliver on his promises to help arm and financially support Ukraine. But some House Republicans have questioned the value of aid to Ukraine at the levels sought by Biden. Republican lawmakers have failed to find a successor, leading to concerns that Biden's commitments with the EU could be in jeopardy. We put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel."

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Biden's, Biden, Charles Michel, “ I’m, Joe Biden’s, ” Michel, “, Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe, ”, Donald Trump's, Federico Steinberg, ” Steinberg, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen, ” Biden, There’s, Kevin McCarthy, Raf Casert Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, The, EU, European, Hamas, Israel, Center for Strategic, International Studies, U.S, World Trade Organization, Hudson Institute, Russia, Associated Press, Republicans, GOP, Republican Locations: United States, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, U.S, China, EU, Europe, Washington, Kyiv, “, Mexico, Taiwan, Brussels

U.S. President Joe Biden will host Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to show unity toward Ukraine, but with trade irritants souring ties. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday, and the two countries' trade negotiators were meeting around the clock. Michel told reporters it was a critical time for the United States and the EU to "stick together" on shared values and commitment to democracy, especially given the escalating crisis in the Middle East, which threatens to overshadow the long-planned summit. It is still to be seen if this will end the U.S. tariffs threat or just see an extended suspension. Given the EU needs such materials itself for its green transition, the positive impact for the bloc may be limited.

Persons: Charles Michel, Joe Biden, Michel, Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Katherine Tai, Valdis Dombrovskis, Donald Trump, Bernd Lange, Philip Blenkinsop, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European Union, EU, European Commission, Trump, . Trade, European, Washington, World Trade Organization, United, U.S, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, United States, Ukraine, China, Brussels, U.S, Washington, North America

That adds to tech-related tensions between the West and China, which is one of Europe’s biggest trading partners and the world’s biggest auto market. Chinese EV makers are drawn to Europe because auto import tariffs are just 10% versus 27.5% in the U.S., independent auto analyst Matthias Schmidt said. MG — owned by SAIC Motor, China’s biggest automaker — is the largest Chinese EV player in Europe. One reason Chinese companies can offer high-quality cars at affordable prices stems from the rules to enter the Chinese market. Chinese EV makers, meanwhile, are trying to stand out in a crowded field.

Persons: Laima Springe, Janssen, “, ” Springe, I’m, ”, Matthias Schmidt, John Kirkwood, —, Kirkwood, Warren Buffett, Ursula von der Leyen, Alfa, China’s EVs, Carlos Tavares, we’re, Alexander Klose, ” Klose, Schmidt, Justin Nicholls, Nicholls Organizations: Volvo, Nissan, Skoda, Union, EV, Volkswagen Passat, Kia, MG, SAIC Motor, China’s, —, Lotus, Chinese Commerce Ministry, EU, World Trade Organization, Tesla’s, Peugeot, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Global, Wall Motors Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe, China, West, U.S, British, Western, France, Germany, Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Israel

Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe first woman to be Italy's premier, Meloni "won out against Salvini and Berlusconi. Fears for Italy's democracy have proved to be “exaggerated,’’ said Franco, who noted that Italy's president serves as a guarantor of the republic's post-war constitution. Meloni contends the rulings support a long-held belief on the political right that Italy’s magistrates sympathize with the left. Since becoming premier, Meloni has topped surveys of eligible voters, hovering near 30% — compared to the 26% of votes her party garnered in the 2022 election. Currently, Italy's president asks someone likely able to command a parliamentary majority the task of forming a government.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, —, Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Meloni, Salvini, Berlusconi, Massimo Franco, ”, Tommaso Grossi, Ursula von der Leyen —, Joe Biden, ’ ’, Franco, it’s, ” Meloni, Von der Leyen, ″, Roberto Calderoli, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Meloni’s, “, ″ Grossi, nostalgists, Benito Mussolini, Di Segni, Mussolini, Raf Casert Organizations: ROME, Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Russia’s, Forza Italia, European Policy, White, Italian Rai, European Union, “, Union of Italian, Nazi, Associated Locations: Italy’s, Europe, Italy, Brussels, Rome, Hungary, Poland, Meloni, Ukraine, Lampedusa, Libyan, Tunisia, Italian, Israel, Nazi

BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - European Union leaders aim on Tuesday to settle on a united approach to the crisis triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel after days of confusion, infighting and mixed messaging. Some officials and lawmakers also criticized von der Leyen, who visited Israel on Friday, for not declaring that the EU expects Israel to abide by international humanitarian law in its response to the attack, as other EU leaders did. Von der Leyen stated that position publicly for the first time at the weekend. Commission officials have insisted von der Leyen had already conveyed the message privately to Israeli officials and defended her swift visit to Israel as an important sign of solidarity. The EU leaders are likely to task ministers with exploring potential risks in more detail, according to officials.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Von der, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, der Leyen, Michel, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Howard Goller Organizations: Union, European Council, EU, European, Von der Leyen's, Israel, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Israel, Gaza, Europe

☆ Globalisation woes create new winners and losers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Over the past seven decades, the world economy has grown 14-fold, powered by a 45-fold expansion in global trade, according to the World Trade Organization. World trade as a percentage of GDP peaked at 61% in 2008. The first is rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. The retrenchment is probably going to be gradual: global trade was still worth 57% of world GDP last year. For 2024, the WTO said growth in goods trade would pick up to 3.3%, virtually unchanged from its April estimate of 3.2%.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping “, ”, Caroline Freund, Aaditya Mattoo, Alen Mulabdic, Michele Ruta, Ursula von der Leyen, it’s, Laura Alfaro, Davin Chor, Dario Perkins, GlobalData’s Perkins, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Warehouse Union, REUTERS, Reuters, World Trade Organization, Economic, Reuters Graphics Reuters, HK, Amperex Technology, European Central Bank, GlobalData, Lombard, Companies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, ECB, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Netherlands, United States, China, Beijing, Washington, U.S, Taiwan, Mexico, Vietnam, People’s Republic, Latin America, Chile, Brazil, Ukraine, Geneva

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