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Google is immediately releasing a standalone Gemini app for smartphones running on its Android software. Photos You Should See View All 15 ImagesThe Gemini app initially will be released in the U.S. in English before expanding to the Asia-Pacific region next week, with versions in Japanese and Korean. Besides the free version of Gemini, Google will be selling an advanced service accessible through the new app for $20 a month. Google is offering a free two-month trial of Gemini Advanced to encourage people to try it out. In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Puchai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest people when tackling many complex topics.

Persons: Bard, Siri, “, Sissie Hsiao, ”, Sundar Puchai, —, ” Pichai, Satya Nadella, ” Nadella, It’ll Organizations: FRANCISCO, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Gemini, Samsung, Inc, OpenAI Locations: U.S, Asia, Pacific, View , California, Mumbai, India, Europe

“What we’ve seen with the Taylor Swift tour is something that we’ve not really seen before,” said Richard Clarke, an analyst at investment firm Bernstein. Taylor Swift performs at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2015. From Taylor Swift On her birthday in 2019, Swift shared this photo of herself as a child. From Taylor Swift A 13-year-old Swift sings the National Anthem before an NBA game in Philadelphia in 2002. John Mabangalo/Pool/Getty Images Swift performs during a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden in 2009.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Taylor, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, we’ve, ”, Richard Clarke, Bernstein, “ It’s, TikTok she’d, curating, Kane Ishiyone, Swift, –, Ishiyone, Richard A, Brooks, Clarke, “, that’s, Christopher Polk, Scott, Andrea Swift, Jesse D, Tim McGraw, Kevin Winter, John Mabangalo, Chad Batka, Bryan Bedder, Larry Busacca, Miley Cyrus, Lucas Till, Hannah Montana, Sam Emerson, Everett, Jonas, Frank Masi, I'm, West, Beyoncé, Jeff Kravitz, Lucy Nicholson, Christopher Morris, Josh Haner, Kevin Mazur, James Taylor, Charles Sykes, Matt Sayles, Mark J, Terrill, Invision, Jimmy Fallon, Douglas Gorenstein, Nicholas Harvey, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Laraine Newman, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, Kristen Wiig, Keenan Thompson, Fred Armisen, Kerry Washington, Betty White, Bradley Cooper, Dana Edelson, Andrea, Ethan Miller, Tim Boyles, Selena Gomez, Jordan Strauss, Mike Coppola, John Shearer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Brandon Urie, Katy Perry, Republic Records Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Will Heath, Seth Wenig, Terence Rushin, David Eulitt, Mitsumasa Etou, Akazawa, haven’t, It’s, Michele Bullock Organizations: Tokyo CNN, People, Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor, Getty, Super Bowl, Chicago Bears, dateline, Vegas, Staples Center, NBA, of Country, Garden, New York Times, New York's Rockefeller Center, Walt Disney Co, Kanye, Madison, MTV, NBC, ACM, Academy of Country, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Universal Pictures, Coachella, Republic Records, New York University, Arrowhead, Chiefs, NET, Tokyo City University, Fuji, Tokyo, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Las Vegas, Philippines, Fukuoka, Japan, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Shibuya, AFP, Asia, Washington, Las Vagas, Los Angeles, West Reading , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, New York, Auburn Hills , Michigan, Newark , New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Frankfurt, London, Arlington , Texas, Tampa, Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City , Missouri, Asia Pacific, Singapore, Australia, East Coast

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan Senate deal intended to curb illegal crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico faced almost certain defeat Tuesday as Senate Republicans signaled their opposition, stranding President Joe Biden with no clear way to advance aid for Ukraine through Congress. He offered to delay a key test vote on the package until Thursday, but dared them to vote against border security — an issue they have long championed. He made no mention of the need for border security — a piece of the supplemental package that he last year insisted on including. The longtime Republican leader has not been able to convince his conference to warm to the compromises on border security after Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has excoriated it. Even GOP senators who had been supportive of the border policies under discussion came out against the bill on Tuesday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sen, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, —, Donald Trump —, Schumer, “, Leader McConnell, ” Schumer, Vladimir Putin's, McConnell, Biden, ” McConnell, Mayorkas, Thom Tillis, Mike Johnson, ”, Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar, MAGA Organizations: WASHINGTON, Senate, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, United States Senate, Russia, Kentucky Republican, Trump, North Carolina Republican, House Democratic Locations: U.S, Mexico, Ukraine, Israel, Asia, Gaza, New York, Europe, Russia, Kentucky, East

☆ House rejects Israel aid bill amid fight over bipartisan border package
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Megan Lebowitz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The House failed to pass a standalone bill to provide aid to Israel amid congressional infighting over a bipartisan Senate border bill that also included foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The Senate released the text of the bipartisan border bill Sunday, which combines Israel and Ukraine with a package of stricter border security and asylum laws. The standalone Israel bill includes $17.6 billion in military aid to the country "as well as important funding for U.S. The Israel aid bill comes as Republican hard-liners try to thwart the $118 billion bipartisan Senate border bill. House Democratic leadership came out against the stand-alone Israel bill Tuesday morning.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Amir Ohana, Jim Himes, Donald Trump, Ken Calvert, Johnson, Kay Granger, Joe Biden, Biden, — Johnson, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, Elise Stefanik, ", Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark of, Pete Aguilar, MAGA, Israel Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Minnesota Democrat, Democratic, House Intelligence, Intelligence, Republicans, Saturday, Senate, U.S . Forces, Israel, United States, Management, Republican, GOP, House Republicans, Freedom Caucus, Caucus Locations: Washington , U.S, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, R, Texas, United, Johnson's speakership, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, United States, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, Pete Aguilar of California, East

☆ Biden Threatens Veto of U.S. House's Standalone Israel Aid Bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Patricia Zengerle(Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's admninistration said on Monday he would veto a standalone bill backed by House of Representatives Republicans that would provide aid to Israel, as it backs a broader bill providing assistance to Ukraine and Israel and providing new funds for border security. Officials from the Democratic president's administration have been working for months with Senate Democrats and Republicans on legislation unveiled on Sunday combining billions of dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, with an overhaul of U.S. immigration policy. Republican House leaders said days before its release on Sunday night that they would reject the bipartisan Senate bill, and instead vote on a bill proiding aid only to Israel. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesThe Republican-majority House passed an Israel-only bill in November, but it was never taken up in the Democratic-led Senate, as members worked on Biden's request for Congress to approve the broader emergency security package. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Eric Beech and Costas Pitas; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Persons: Patricia Zengerle, Joe Biden's admninistration, Eric Beech, Costas Pitas, Stephen Coates Organizations: Republicans, Emergency National Security, Management, Democratic, Democrats, Republican Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Gaza

☆ Estee Lauder to cut jobs on delayed China recovery; shares surge 16%
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pedestrians walk past the American multinational skincare, and beauty products brand, Estée Lauder (Estee Lauder) logo seen in Hong Kong. Shares were up 16% in early trading after the company also handily beat second-quarter profit estimates. Estee also cut its annual profit forecast for a second time as its U.S. business slowed down, with a post-pandemic spending spree sputtering. Organic net sales in the Americas fell 1% in the quarter, compared to the 6% growth in the prior quarter. Estee now expects full-year 2024 adjusted profit per share between $2.08 and $2.23, compared with $2.17 to $2.42 earlier.

Persons: Estée Lauder, Estee Lauder, Richemont, Bernstein, Callum Elliott, Estee, Javier Gonzalez Lastra Organizations: MAC, Cartier, Burberry, Tema Locations: American, Hong Kong, China, Asia, Pacific, Americas

☆ Estee Lauder stock soars as CEO calls 'inflection point' — why we remain guarded
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Shares of Estee Lauder popped more than 13% Monday after the cosmetics company delivered better-than-expected results for its fiscal second quarter. That represents a sizable miss versus the greater than 70% growth expected by analysts. About that inflection point: On the post-earnings conference call, Freda said the company is positioned to return to organic sales growth for the total company in the third quarter and organic sales growth to sequentially accelerate in the fourth quarter. The Asia/Pacific region had a 7% organic sales decline on continued weakness in Mainland China. More specifically, a decline in online sales more than offset sales growth in brick-and-mortar locations.

Persons: Estee Lauder, Fabrizio Freda's, Freda, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, lipsticks, Lauder, Shen Organizations: Revenue, LSEG, Management, Street, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Asia, China, East, Africa, Israel, Pacific, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Americas, North America, America

☆ Israel-Hamas War and Middle East Crisis News: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Vivek Shankar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Speaker Mike Johnson has said that the Senate package would be dead on arrival in the House. Mr. Johnson’s announcement to members of his conference came as senators were scrambling to finalize and vote on a bipartisan national security bill that has taken months to negotiate. attempt to force a vote on an earlier Israel aid bill that was backed by the House. But it does not include any funding for humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, which many Democrats have insisted must accompany any military aid for Israel. The $17.6 billion House measure would direct $4 billion to replenishing Israel’s missile defense systems known as Iron Dome and David’s Sling, as well as $1.2 billion to counter short-range rocket and mortar attacks.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Donald J, Trump, Alejandro N, —, ” Mr, Chuck Schumer, ”, House appropriators, Biden Organizations: Louisiana Republican, Republicans, Democratic, House, Internal Revenue Service, Israel Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Louisiana, Mexico, Gaza, New York, United States

☆ India to Replace Troops in Maldives With Civilians by May
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The roughly 80 soldiers stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago will be replaced by civilians, officials from both countries said. As global powers jostle for influence in the Indo-Pacific region, India and China have wooed the Maldives, which has traditionally been close to neighbour India. New Delhi's ties with Male have under strain since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president of the Maldives last year, pledging to end the country's "India First" policy. The Indian troops manage those operations. The next bilateral meeting will be in Male in the last week of February, the Maldives foreign ministry said.

Persons: Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd NEW, Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Junayd, William Mallard Organizations: May, Maldivian Foreign Ministry, Dornier Locations: Mohamed Junayd NEW DELHI, India, Maldives, China, New Delhi, Delhi

☆ US Navy warships are getting their first combat experience against the kind of threats China is banking on in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US Navy in recent weeks has been shooting down Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles. Washington has also conducted preemptive strikes in Yemen, destroying anti-ship ballistic missiles before the rebels are able to launch them. CENTCOM has not specified which anti-ship ballistic missiles have been used in the attacks on international shipping lanes. AdvertisementChina has a formidable arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles, like the DF-21D and DF-26, and is increasingly expanding it. Advertisement"It doesn't matter what's coming at them, really," said Macy, the retired admiral who served aboard multiple US Navy warships.

Persons: —, Archer Macy, it's, Joe Biden, Jonathan, Bryan Clark, Mohammed Hamoud, Andy Wong, Clark, Shaan Shaikh, Shaikh, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Macy Organizations: US Navy, Pacific . Experts, Service, Pentagon, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Hudson Institute, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Military, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Navy, Combat System Locations: China, Pacific, Iran, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, Washington, Tehran, CENTCOM, Gaza, Jan, Sana'a, Western, Beijing, Tiananmen, Red

☆ Your next plane ride could be powered by used cooking oil. Here's how a refinery in Singapore is already helping to make it happen.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sustainable aviation fuel is an alternative to fossil-based jet fuel made from refining used cooking oil and waste animal fats. Further expansion efforts happening at Neste's renewable refinery in The Netherlands are anticipated to boost capacity to a whopping 2.2 million tons by 2026. The results indicated the company's readiness to incorporate renewable fuel into its fuel mix. The Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA), comprising 14 member airlines, including Singapore Airlines, pledged to use up to 5% SAF by 2030. In 2024, Singapore plans to launch the Singapore Sustainable Hub Blueprint, aiming to bolster the market for SAF.

Persons: Kris LeBoutillier, he's, Sami Jauhiainen, Jauhiainen, Neste Organizations: SAF, Virgin, Neste, Aviation, Renewable Aviation, Research, ASTM, Jauhiainen, Innovation, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air France, KLM, All Nippon Airways, The Association of Asia, Pacific Airlines, Insider Studios, Singapore Economic Development Board Locations: Finland, Singapore, Asia, London, New York City, Emirates, Tuas, Buffalo, Netherlands, Changi, Neste

☆ Meta's continued rally could hinge on the fortunes of upstart retailers Temu and Shein
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Temu is owned by PDD Holdings , a Chinese company that moved its principal office to Ireland last year. Meta is expected to report revenue growth of 22% for the quarter to $39.2 billion, according to analysts surveyed by LSEG, formerly Refinitiv. JMP analysts estimated that Temu and Shein spent roughly $600 million and $200 million, respectively, on Facebook and Instagram ads in the third quarter. In December, Temu sued Shein, alleging questionable business practices and a "mafia-style intimidation of suppliers," according to legal documents. Meta isn't the only U.S. internet company effected by the speedy growth from Temu and Shein.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Ma, Shu Zhang, Victor Lee, Lee, who's, Shein, Meta, Pavlo Gonchar, Temu, didn't, Susan Li, data.AI, It's, Chris Mack, Harding Loevner, they've, Mack, Shein confidentially, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Brian Wieser, Josh Silverman, Silverman Organizations: Alibaba, China Development Forum, Reuters, Facebook, Hasbro, Unified Commerce, Amazon, PDD Holdings, U.S, Mobile, Meta, LSEG, Getty, CNBC, Cyberspace Administration, China, Street Journal, Google Locations: Beijing, China, Ireland, Singapore, UKRAINE, U.S, United States, Wall, Asia, Pacific, Temu, Meta

BEIJING (AP) — As the U.S. presidential campaign moves closer to a Donald Trump-Joe Biden rematch, China is watching uneasily. While Biden has looked for areas of cooperation with China, Beijing is concerned about his efforts to unite allies in the Indo-Pacific in a coalition against China. “For China, no matter who won the U.S. presidential election, they would be two ‘bowls of poison’,” said Zhao Minghao, a professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai. When Biden and Trump squared off in 2020, U.S. intelligence agencies reported before the election that China viewed Trump as “unpredictable” and opposed his reelection. “Trump is by nature volatile and cruel and is a person hard to be familiar with,” said Shi Yinhong, international relations professor at Renmin University of China.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, uneasily, Biden, It’s, hasn’t, ”, Zhao Minghao, Sun Chenghao, Trump, Chuan Jianguo, “ Trump, Sun Yun, Sun, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Xi, Miles Yu, China's, ” Yu, Deng Xiaoping, Shi Yinhong, Shi, Wang Yiwei, ” Wang, ” Shi, ___ Tang, Yu Bing, Chen Wanqing, Eric Tucker Organizations: BEIJING, U.S, China, Trump, “, Fudan University, Center for International Security, Tsinghua University, Stimson Center, Hudson Institute, Communist Party, Renmin University of China, White, Institute of International Affairs, Associated Press Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan, Shanghai, Asia, Pacific, Sun, Washington, Lago, Florida, City, United States, U.S

☆ Pacific Islands Need to Boost Digital Security to Join Undersea Cable, Says US Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Pacific Islands nations that want to connect to U.S.-funded undersea cables will need to secure their digital ecosystems to guard against data risks from China, a senior U.S. State Department official said. The United States pledged last year to jointly fund two undersea cables, to be built by Google, connecting the U.S. territory of Guam with hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia, and further branching out across remote Pacific Islands. The proposed intra-Pacific cable project has offered to branch out to Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna and the Federated States of Micronesia. China and the U.S. are jostling for influence in the Pacific Islands with competing offers for infrastructure. The Solomon Islands, which struck a security pact with Beijing, is rolling out a Chinese-funded mobile network built by Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Nathaniel Fick, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Pacific, U.S . State Department, United, Google, Futuna, Federated, The U.S . Department of, Washington, Sydney, Huawei, Telstra, Microsoft, U.S Locations: U.S, China, Guam, Fiji, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, The, Solomon, Beijing, Australia, Asia, Pacific

BERLIN (AP) — Efforts to fight public sector corruption are faltering around the world, in part because a “global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016," according to a corruption index released Tuesday. Transparency International, which compiles the annual Corruption Perceptions Index, found 23 countries at their worst level since the global ranking began almost three decades ago, including both high-ranking democracies and authoritarian states. The global average was unchanged at 43 for the 12th consecutive year, and more than two-thirds of countries scored below 50. Arab countries’ average score on the index hit an all-time low of 34, and sub-Saharan Africa remained stagnant at 33. Transparency International said that the government's “pervasive control of public institutions facilitates the widespread abuse of power without accountability" while judicial independence is eroding.

Persons: ”, François Valérian, party's Organizations: BERLIN, Transparency, World Bank, Economic, European Union Locations: Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, Britain, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, United States, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, North Korea, Nicaragua, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean, Saharan Africa, Europe, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine

☆ Danaher shares hit a 1-year high after earnings and we're increasing our price target
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

DHR 1Y mountain Danaher 1 year Shares of Danaher rose as much as 5% to a 52-week high of $245.40 each. Core sales, not shown on the table, were down 22.5%. Core sales were down 4% year over year as strength from academic and life science research customers was more than offset by weakness from pharma and biopharma customers. Core sales fell about the same as strength in clinical diagnostics, driven by Beckman Coulter Diagnostics was more than offset by lower respiratory revenue at Cepheid. In this photo illustration, Danaher Corporation logo is seen displayed on a smartphone and PC screen.

Persons: we've, Danaher, Beckman Coulter, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Revenue, LSEG, JPMorgan Healthcare, Sciences, Diagnostics, Biotechnology, Management, pharma, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, CNBC, Getty Locations: Danaher, China, Biotechnology, North America, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Cepheid

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit on April 10, with the goal of strengthening a critical alliance as the United States has sought to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, told reporters aboard Air Force One that the visit will include a formal state dinner. As president, Biden has visited Japan twice, most recently going to the city of Hiroshima last May for the Group of 7 summit among major industrialized nations. Kirby declined to say whether the government's review of that potential merger would be a subject at the state visit. He said that Biden and Kishida will likely discuss a range of issues in Asia, including how to improve cooperation with South Korea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, John Kirby, Biden, Kirby, Kishida Organizations: WASHINGTON, Japan's, White House, Air Force, Group, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S . Steel Locations: United States, Japan, Hiroshima, Pittsburgh, Asia, South Korea

☆ How chaos in the Red Sea is putting the U.S. Navy to the test
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Brad Howard | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Navy is encountering a tenacious threat in the Red Sea. "That's one of the things [that] the Red Sea sort of demonstrates ... we never know where the maritime threat might come up," said Bradley Martin, a senior policy researcher at Rand, in an interview with CNBC. As the U.S. encounters attacks by armed drones, cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles and other weapon systems in the Red Sea, the data gleaned from these encounters could prove invaluable in the Indo-Pacific region. China's rocket troops can potentially field thousands of missiles that can reach across wide swaths of the Pacific. That means the U.S. could be facing overwhelming odds in intercepting any mass missile attack against American ships and bases.

Persons: Bradley Martin, Rand, Steve Wills, Tom Shugart, Brad Bowman Organizations: U.S . Navy, CNBC, Navy, Aegis, Center for Maritime, Army Rocket Force, PLA, Center, New, New American Security, Military, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Locations: Red, Iran, U.S, New American, United States, China

☆ YouTube Cuts 100 Employees as Tech Layoffs Continue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Nico Grant | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Google will cut 100 employees at its video platform, YouTube, on Wednesday, continuing piecemeal layoffs after shedding more than a thousand jobs in the past week. The tech giant notified workers from YouTube’s operations and creator management teams that their positions had been eliminated, according to an email reviewed by The New York Times. YouTube, the world’s most popular video service, employed 7,173 people on Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the total said. “We’ve made the decision to eliminate some roles and say goodbye to some of our teammates,” YouTube’s chief business officer, Mary Ellen Coe, wrote in a note to employees at the organization. The layoffs, which were earlier reported by the blog Tubefilter, primarily affect groups of employees who offer support to YouTube’s millions of content creators, two people with knowledge of the cuts said.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Mary Ellen Coe Organizations: Google, The New York Times, YouTube Locations: Americas, Asia

☆ Pacific Nations Meet in China to Discuss Naval Issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The three-day talks among 70 representatives from 30 countries come amid heightened tension in the South China Sea, particularly sea encounters between China and the Philippines. This week's working group meeting lays the groundwork for a biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium set for the eastern city of Qingdao in April. Since 2002, China and Southeast Asian nations have tried to establish a framework to negotiate a code of conduct for the South China Sea, but progress has been glacial. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration said China's South China Sea claims had no legal basis, in a ruling rejected by Beijing. The concerns of members of the Pacific naval symposium go beyond the South China Sea, however.

Persons: Ryan Woo, Albee Zhang, Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Naval, South China, U.S ., Pacific, South Locations: BEIJING, Japan, Russia, United States, China's, Nanjing, South China, China, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Manila, South, U.S, Qingdao, Southeast, Beijing, South Korea, North Korea

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Down to Davos
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Asia markets fell, led lower by declines in Hong Kong stocks, as Japan shares cooled off from their record-breaking rally. Georgieva told CNBC on the sidelines of Davos that the world's second-largest economy is facing both short-term and long-term challenges. [PRO] Morgan Stanley picks 'alpha' stocksAlpha stocks are those that can beat the benchmark index, and Morgan Stanley picked its favorite plays in Asia.

Persons: Martin Luther King Day, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Robert Holzmann, it's, Mario Centeno, Georgieva Organizations: CNBC, ECB, European Central Bank, Economic, International Monetary Fund, Alpha Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, Japan, Davos, Switzerland, China, Pacific

Despite having cut official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, the U.S. remains the island's chief diplomatic ally and source of military hardware and intelligence. Lai's victory was a setback for China’s efforts to bring Taiwan under its control. It goes against the expectation of global democratic communities and goes against the will of the people of Taiwan to uphold democratic values. Lai’s victory means the Democratic Progressive Party will hold the presidency for a third four-year term, following eight years under Tsai. Lai won a three-way race for president with 40% of the vote, less than the clear majority Tsai won in 2020.

Persons: —, Tsai Ing, “, Stephen Hadley, Lai Ching, James B, Steinberg, Tsai, ”, Antony Blinken, Lai, Johnson Lai Organizations: U.S, Saturday, Taiwan “, Communist Party, Democratic Progressive Party, United Nations, Nationalists, Kuomintang, KMT, China's, Chinese Foreign Ministry, ___ Associated Press Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Hadley, U.S, Asia, Pacific

☆ Unofficial US delegation says support for Taiwan remains ‘rock solid’ after voters defied China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —Former senior US officials reaffirmed “rock solid” American support for Taiwan in a visit Monday after the self-ruled island defied threats from China by electing a new president loathed by Beijing. “And we hope that the United States will continue to support Taiwan to deepen our cooperation in this area,” he said. An unofficial US delegation meets with Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei on January 15, 2024. Since then, the US has maintained close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Asked by reporters to comment on Taiwan’s election results Saturday, US President Joe Biden said: “We do not support independence.”

Persons: Lai Ching, Biden, Tsai Ing, Stephen Hadley, ” Hadley, ”, James Steinberg, Lai, Hsiao Bi, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: Taipei CNN — Former, Taiwan, Saturday, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's, China’s, Ministry Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, China, Beijing, Taiwan, United States, Washington, Taiwan Strait, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Tokyo, Japanese, Kuomintang

☆ China skeptic Lai Ching-te wins Taiwan's presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te (left) gestures beside his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after winning the presidential election. The outcome of the presidential election on Saturday riled Beijing, which has repeatedly labeled Lai as a "stubborn worker for Taiwan independence" and a dangerous separatist. Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesDPP's Lai — Taiwan's current vice-president — won more than 40% of the popular vote in Taiwan's eighth presidential election. DPP is the first party to win the presidential office three times in row since direct presidential elections were introduced in 1996. This year, 71.9% of all eligible voters cast their ballots for the presidential election, according to preliminary data from Taiwan's Central Election Commission.

Persons: Lai Ching, Hsiao Bi, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Lai, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Annabelle Chih, DPP's Lai, Taiwan's, —, Beijing's, Hou, Ko Wen, Chen Binhua, Chen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ko, Wei, Ting Yen Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Saturday, Beijing, Chinese Communist Party, DPP, KMT, Chinese Communist Party officials, Democratic Progressive, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council, CNBC, Franklin, Marshall College, Taiwan's DPP Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, U.S, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Taiwan —, Republic of China, Xinhua, United States

☆ Asia’s year in review: Who had it good — and who had it bad — in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Curtis Chin | Jose B. Collazo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at the year that was in Asia and the Pacific region. But who had it good and who had it bad in 2023? Bad year: China's property marketWith millions of Chinese citizens still waiting for homes they put down payments on — but might never be built — 2023 was a particularly bad year for China's property market. A newly built property is seen from the air in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Dec 15, 2023. Chinese families and individuals who once saw homes as more than somewhere to live but also as investments have reason to fear 2023 won't be the last bad year they face.

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