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Persons: Price Dyson, Dyson, Price, Opal Organizations: Walmart, Amazon, Glide, Price Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Galaxy, Android, Price GE, Deal, Monitor, Amazon Prime

☆ Riikka Purra: Finnish finance minister apologizes for racist and violent comments made online in 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Finnish finance minister Riikka Purra has apologized after she made racist comments in 2008 that were recently discovered online. The leader of the far-right Finns Party said her old comments were “stupid” and that she was sorry for the harm they had caused. Purra’s Finns Party won second place in April’s elections, finishing behind Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party, before forming a coalition. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said his government was committed to combating racism. “Our immigration policy is legitimate and legal and there is nothing wrong or suspicious about it,” Purra added on Twitter.

Persons: Riikka Purra, “, ” Purra, ”, Petteri, Orpo, Petteri Orpo, Ksenia Kuleshova, ” Orpo, Purra Organizations: CNN, Finns Party, Purra’s Finns Party, Finnish, National Coalition Party, Bloomberg, Getty, Swedish People’s Party, Christian, Twitter Locations: Spain, Finnish, Finland, Nordic

☆ Biden welcomes Finland to NATO ahead of summit with Nordic leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden travelled to Finland, which shares a border with Russia, straight from this week's NATO talks in Vilnius, Lithuania to participate in a U.S.-Nordic summit with the leaders of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. He will also hold a joint news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto before heading back to Washington. Ahead of a bilateral meeting with Niinisto, Biden hailed Finland's as an "incredible asset" to the NATO military alliance. Niinisto said Finland's NATO membership heralded "a new era in our security", and applauded Biden for "creating unity" at the Vilnius summit which focused on uniting behind Ukraine. At this week's NATO summit, Biden described Finland and Sweden's push to join NATO as evidence Putin's "craven lust for land and power" had backfired, only serving to strengthen the military alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden disembarks, Finland Sauli, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Sauli Niinisto, Niinisto, Finland's, Tayyip Erdogan, craven, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Donald Trump, Putin, Steve Holland, Essi, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien, Emma Rumney Organizations: Air Force, United, Nordic, Summit, Read, NATO, Finland's, Russia, White, Ankara, White House, Thomson Locations: Helsinki, Vantaa, Finland, HELSINKI, Russia, Vilnius, Lithuania, U.S, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Washington, Soviet, Ukraine, Turkey

☆ Analysis: Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —President Joe Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit. President Joe Biden speaks at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, July 12, 2023, after attending the NATO Summit. On Wednesday for instance, Russia marked the NATO summit by launching airstrikes against Kyiv region. US President Joe Biden (R) attends a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023. That President Biden and NATO didn’t invite Ukraine to NATO because he’s afraid of Russia?” Kaleniuk asked.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, craves, “ It’s, ” Biden, Zelensky, Biden, “, ” Zelensky, Russia –, Putin, NATO’s, craven, Susan Walsh, –, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Vladimir Putin, Jeff Flake, Fumio Kishida, barnstormed, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Jake Sullivan, Daria Kaleniuk, ” Kaleniuk, Sullivan, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine –, William Burns, he’d, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poignantly, Russia, Congress, Nordic, Biden, Vilnius University, Ukraine, Capitol, Republican, Japanese, GOP, ” Ukraine, AFP, Getty, “, NATO didn’t, Kremlin, CIA Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Europe, Sweden, Finland, Kyiv, Lithuania, Vilnius, Western, Crimea, US, Ankara, Turkey, AFP, Ukrainian, NATO, Moscow, Russian

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) ended 0.7% higher, rising for the third straight session. Irish stocks (.ISEQ) jumped 2.1%, leading the advance among its continental peers. Irish stocks were boosted by gains in Kingspan (KSP.I) which jumped 15.7% after forecasting record profit for the first half of the year. Shares of China-exposed luxury firms including LVMH (LVMH.PA), Hermes (HRMS.PA) and Richemont (CFR.S) rose between 2% and 2.3% while industrial stocks (.SXNP) also sensitive to China advanced 1.0%. Mercedes-Benz Group (MBGn.DE) shares rose 0.7% after sales in the second quarter rose 6% year-on-year on the back of demand for all-electric and top-end vehicles.

Persons: Michael Hewson, Richard Flax, Matteo Allievi, Shreyashi Sanyal, Rashmi Aich, Nivedita, Emelia Organizations: Miners, U.S . Federal Reserve, LVMH, CMC Markets, tomorrow's U.S, Nordic Semiconductor, Daimler, Benz Group, Thomson Locations: China, Kingspan, Europe, U.S, tomorrow's, Britain, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares gain on hopes of end to Fed rate hikes, China stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 11 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Tuesday as investors hoped the U.S. Federal Reserve was closing in on the end of its interest rate hiking cycle, while China's policy measures to prop up its battered real estate sector also boosted sentiment. On Monday, China extended until the end of 2024 some policies in a November rescue package to shore up the real estate sector. Markets also digested comments from several Fed officials signalling the U.S. central bank was nearing the end of its rate hiking cycle. Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) rose 1.1% after the German automaker raised its profit and revenue guidance on easing of supply chain constraints. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Amruta Khandekar in Bangalore; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Matteo Allievi, Rashmi Organizations: U.S . Federal, Daimler, Nordic Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: China, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ Kremlin says Turkey should have no illusions over its EU bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Gareth Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan September 16, 2022. He has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the invasion and has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Turkey in August. Turkey had held up Sweden's accession, accusing the Nordic country of not doing enough to crack down on people Ankara sees as terrorists. He was alluding to long-standing EU resistance to admitting Turkey, a large, relatively poor Muslim country adjoining the Middle East. Turkey also helped last year to broker prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, and the Kremlin says Putin highly appreciates Erdogan's efforts to mediate in the war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Alexander Demyanchuk, Ukraine Erdogan, Dmitry Peskov, Erdogan, Peskov, Putin, Gareth Jones, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Sputnik, NATO Russia, EU, European Union, Kremlin, NATO, Russia, Russian, Nordic, Ankara, NATO's, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Moscow, Ankara, Lithuania, Kyiv, Republic of Turkey, Europe

And unlike Amazon Prime Day, Walmart+ Week sales are open to all customers, even if you don't have a Walmart+ subscription. Here are some of the best Walmart+ Week deals we've found so far from our favorite brands. And to see how Walmart+ Week compares to Amazon Prime Day, make sure to check out our best Prime Day deals live blog. During Walmart+ Week 2023, it's down to $599 for the king size, which is $30 less than Amazon's deal price. What deals should I expect from Walmart during Walmart+ Week 2023?

Persons: we've, Price, Dyson, Opal Organizations: Walmart, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Glide, Price Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Galaxy, Android, Price GE, Deal, Monitor

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

We're also in the middle of Walmart+ Week, a big sales event taking place both on Walmart's website and in stores. Here are some of the best Walmart+ Week deals we've found so far from our favorite brands. The best Walmart+ Week deals you can buy right nowDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $198.00 from Walmart Originally $499.00 Save 60%Is Walmart holding a sale during Amazon Prime Day 2023? Do I need a Walmart+ subscription to get Walmart+ Week deals?

Persons: We're, we've, Price, Dyson Organizations: Amazon, Walmart, Glide, Monitor

☆ Michelin starred hotels around the world, from Italy to Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

Courtesy CoteArgentinian maestro Mauro Colagreco was the first ever non-French chef to earn three Michelin stars in France, at Mirazur on the famed French Riviera. Gastronomic restaurant Plénitude by chef Arnaud Donckele marked an extraordinary debut by being awarded the pinnacle of three Michelin stars just six months after opening. Since 2021, they have held three Michelin stars for their cuisine, which celebrates peerless produce from their sustainable farm just seven miles away. Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hong KongLung King Heen was the first Chinese restaurant to hold three Michelin stars. Capella Hotels & ResortsFinally to Vietnam, where Michelin published its first ever guide in June 2023.

Persons: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, it’s, Heiko Nieder, carne ”, Ben Benoliel, Alex Nietosvuori, Ally Thompson, Hjem, morel, Cigliutti Enrico Crippa, Piazza, Crippa, Ferran Adrià, Mauro Colagreco, Côte, Raymond Blanc, Paul Wilkinson Chef Raymond Blanc, Lady Gaga, Queen Elizabeth II, ”, ” Blanc, Luke Selby, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc, France Plénitude, Sylvie Becquet, Blanc Paris, chef Arnaud Donckele, Chopin, Maxime Frédéric –, Aled Williams, Gareth Ward, Il Ristorante Niko Romito, Ristorante Niko Romito, Niko Romito, Romito, Giacomo Amicucci, Kyle, Katina, Michel Bras, Le Saint, Martin, Château Saint, France Le Saint, Chef Jean, Luc Lefrançois, Saint, –, sommelier Vincent Arhuro, King Heen, Hong Kong Lung King Heen, Heen, who’s, Chan Yan Tak, Rome Cavalieri, Pergola, Heinz Beck, Hatta, Ushikubo, Raby Hunt, Raby Hunt's Michelin, James Close, Maria, Chef Maria, Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Germany Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Lorenz, Young, Reto, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, John D, Waku, Ghin, Tetsuya Wakuda, There’s, Tetsuya, they’re, kinome, It’s, Denmark There's, Jean Marchal, Maria Coppy, Jakob de Neergaard, iberico, Sven Wassmer, “, Lumnezia, Douglas, Koki, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Bill Bensley, Chris Dwyer Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Duomo, Capella, Rosewood, of, Notre Dame, Resorts, Dubai Michelin, Resort Dubai, Reale, peerless, ”, Le Saint, Hong, Hong Kong Lung, Seasons Hong, Rockefeller, Sands, Royal Suite, Royal, Swiss, Koki, Capella Hotels, Capella Hanoi Locations: Bangkok, Piedmont, Hanoi, Tokyo, Zurich, Switzerland, Northumberland, Hadrian's, Swedish, England, Wall, Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy, Japan, Spanish, Capella Bangkok, Thailand, France, Mirazur, Thai, Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Chaat, Oxfordshire, ”, Cheval Blanc Paris, of Light, City of, Powys, Wales, Bulgari, Dubai, UAE, Italy’s Abruzzo, SingleThread, California, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Toya, Le, Provence, French, Vence, Marseille, Seasons Hong Kong, Yunnan, Peking, La, Rome, Eternal, County Durham, Darlington, romaine, Berlin, Germany, Brandenburg, Young Swiss, Europe, Marina, Sands, Singapore, Australia, Shizuoka, Hokkaido, d’Angleterre, Copenhagen, Denmark, Marchal, Hibana, Capella Hanoi, Vietnam

While NATO members agree Kyiv cannot join during the war, they have disagreed over how quickly it could happen afterwards and under what conditions. Negotiations have also focused on what conditions Ukraine would have to meet to join NATO and how its progress should be tracked, diplomats say. "I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year prompted Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of military non-alignment and apply to join NATO. Sweden, backed by Stoltenberg and many NATO members, said it had kept all its undertakings to Turkey on the issue.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, General Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Maria Zakharova, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Erdogan, Kristersson, Ronald Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, Alliance, Twitter, Russian Foreign, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, European Union, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Sweden, Lithuanian, Ukraine, Moscow, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States, Germany, NATO, Finland, Turkey, Ankara, Swedish

☆ Sweden is in the final stretch to NATO membership. But Turkey could yet derail it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain June 29, 2022. With much at stake for Turkey, Sweden, and the NATO alliance, whichever direction Turkey moves in will have significant consequences for them all. "Turkey's blockade on Sweden's NATO progression isn't a clear-cut ticket to economic fallout, but it is playing with fire," said Guney Yildiz, a researcher focused on Turkey and Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday. "Either Turkey approves Sweden's NATO membership at Vilnius or it risks a major break in relations with the West and at a time when Turkey's macro is on the edge.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Doce, —, Joe Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Washington, Erdogan, Biden, Ryan Bohl, Rane, Guney, Syria Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Kamal Alam, Christine Olsson, Alam, Guney Yildiz, Yildiz, Timothy Ash, Ash Organizations: NATO, Reuters NATO, Nordic, Ankara, Turkish, East, CNBC, Russia, Kurdish Workers ' Party, Atlantic Council, Kurdish Democratic Society Center, Afp, Getty, ISIS, EU, Anadolu Agency, BlueBay Asset Management, West Locations: Madrid, Spain, Vilnius, Lithuania, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, EU, Ankara, Turkish, North Africa, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Moscow, Kyiv, Stockholm, Kurdish, Europe, East Syria

☆ Biden begins three-nation tour with stop in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he is escorted to Air Force One, before departing for Britain from Dover, Delaware, U.S., July 9, 2023. Biden will travel on to Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday night and hold talks with NATO leaders there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Biden and the allies aim to show support for Ukraine and give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a sense of what he will have to do to gain NATO membership at some point in the future. A centerpiece of Biden's visit to Lithuania will be a speech that he will deliver at Vilnius University on Wednesday night. One of Biden's objectives on the trip is to show Americans back home the importance of continuing support for Ukraine as he faces re-election.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden's, Rishi Sunak, King Charles ., Biden, Queen Elizabeth, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Jake Sullivan, Steve Holland, Franklin Paul, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Air Force, REUTERS, FORCE, NATO, Russia, Kyiv, British, Downing, Ukraine, CNN, Vilnius University, White House, Reuters, Nordic, Thomson Locations: Britain, Dover , Delaware, U.S, Kevin Lamarque DOVER, Delaware, Lithuania, Ukraine, London, Windsor, Russia, China, Vilnius, Moscow, Helsinki, Finland

☆ NATO unity will be tested at upcoming summit. Ukraine's possible entry may be the biggest challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Patriot long-range air defence systems of the German Bundeswehr armed forces are deployed at Vilnius Airport ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 7, 2023. "I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview airing Sunday. More than two-thirds of alliance members have banned the weapon because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. As for Ukraine's possible entry into NATO, the alliance said in 2008 that Kyiv eventually would become a member. "That's an issue that will cause tension and dissent, and that's not what the Vilnius summit is all about," he said.

Persons: NATO's, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Douglas Lute, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Lute, Mitch McConnell, Putin, Daniel Fried, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland, Erdogan, It's, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Max Bergmann, They've, Bergmann, Viktor Orban, Idaho Sen, Jim Risch, aren't, Risch, I'm, we've, Jens Stoltenberg, who's, Mette Frederiksen, Stoltenberg, Rasmussen, Skip Davis, that's Organizations: German Bundeswehr, Vilnius Airport, NATO Summit, NATO, CNN, Republican, Kentucky, Associated Press, Putin, Atlantic Council, Ukraine, State Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Senate Foreign Relations, Danish, Center for Locations: German, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russian, Ukraine, Sweden, Eastern Europe, United States, Israel, Moscow, Finland, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Stockholm, Idaho, Hungary, Baltic, Norwegian, Danish

☆ What Biden needs to accomplish with his NATO trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

London CNN —President Joe Biden embarks on a weeklong trip to Europe on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the future of the NATO alliance. Biden makes a stop in London ahead of his attendance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, followed by meetings with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, Finland. But Biden will be a key player in determining what specific, measurable criteria or timelines, if any, are offered to Ukraine for NATO membership during this summit. Sweden’s NATO membership is “within reach,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a news briefing following a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland Thursday. And I’m really looking – anxiously looking forward for your membership,” Biden told Kristersson during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, month’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Chris Skaluba, Michael McCaul, Jake Sullivan, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Sweden’s, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, ” Biden, Kristersson, –, it’s, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, China’s “, Sullivan, King Charles III, Jill Biden, Finnegan Biden, Rishi Sunak Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Nordic, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Foreign, US House Foreign, CNN, Wall Street, Turkish, White, Eurasia Program, Stuart Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Europe, London, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, Sweden, Turkey, NATO’s, Madrid, Vilnius “, United Kingdom, Windsor, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, China

☆ Biden due to meet King Charles, PM Sunak during brief UK visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will arrive in Britain on Sunday for a brief visit during which he will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and discuss climate change issues with King Charles ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. Sunak's spokesperson said their discussions would likely include the upcoming NATO summit and Ukraine. The president and the king are due to discuss climate issues, a subject on which Charles, 74, has campaigned and spoken out about for more than five decades. When the two men met at the COP26 U.N. climate summit in Scotland two years ago, Biden praised Charles' leadership on the subject, telling him "We need you badly". Following the meeting, Biden and Sunak leave Britain for Lithuania where NATO leaders will gather for a key summit.

Persons: Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, King Charles, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Donald Trump, Biden, Queen Elizabeth, Barack Obama, Charles, Michael Holden, Muvija, Helen Popper Our Organizations: British, NATO, Downing, California's Stanford University, Biden, European Union, Trump, Nordic, Thomson Locations: Britain, Washington, Ukraine, United States, Santa Monica, Windsor, London, Scotland, Lithuania, Helsinki

Sweden broke from decades of neutrality following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year by seeking to join NATO. Mr. Erdogan has also invested himself deeply in the matter, having long insisted that Western nations do not take his concerns about Kurdish terrorism seriously enough. U.S. officials insist their support for the arms sale is not linked to Mr. Erdogan’s position on Sweden. But after a late May phone call with the Turkish leader, Mr. Biden told reporters:“He still wants to work on something on the F-16s. Analysts say it is unclear whether Mr. Biden can convince them to change their position.

Persons: Erdogan, Biden, Mr, Bob Menendez Organizations: NATO, Sweden, Bloomberg, Senate Foreign Relations, Bob Menendez of New Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Turkey, Sweden, Washington . U.S, Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey

☆ Swedish PM says Vilnius summit natural time for NATO bid finale
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson meet in the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 5, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstJuly 5 (Reuters) - Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday after meeting U.S. President Joe Biden that the two leaders agreed that the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius was a "natural time" to finalise the Nordic country's bid to join the alliance. "We both realize that the NATO summit in Vilnius in a week is a very natural time to finish this. But we both also know that only Turkey can make Turkish decisions," Kristersson told reporters at the Swedish embassy in Washington. Kristersson met President Biden in Washington to reaffirm U.S. backing for Sweden's NATO application, which is being held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ulf Kristersson, Jonathan Ernst, Kristersson, Biden, Johan Ahlander, Niklas Pollard Organizations: Swedish, White, REUTERS, NATO, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Swedish, Vilnius, Turkey, Washington, Hungary, Stockholm

☆ Biden Backed NATO Expansion, but It Won’t Be Easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden at the White House today to emphasize America’s support for the Nordic nation’s swift acceptance into NATO. Sweden’s entry into NATO would be a significant blow to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has sought to halt the alliance’s expansion. But as the alliance prepares for a show of unity at a summit in Lithuania next week, the only major barrier is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO ally. He has been able to block Sweden because acceptance requires unanimous consent. The U.S. has tried to placate the Turkish leader, including by supporting the sale of new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, but Erdogan hasn’t budged.

Persons: Biden, Ulf Kristersson, Vladimir Putin of, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of, Erdogan hasn’t budged Organizations: NATO Locations: Sweden, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, NATO, Turkey, U.S, Stockholm

[1/3] A memorial to Lord Kitchener, who died when the HMS Hampshire hit a German mine on June 5, 1916, is seen at Marwick Head on the Orkney Islands, Scotland May 3, 2014. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis/File PhotoLONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Orkney Islands, an archipelago about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland, is considering "alternative forms of governance" which could include becoming part of Norway, its council leader said on Monday. Orkney's historic Nordic connections give it options, Stockan believes. A row over funding for new ferries between the islands and Scotland has brought Orkney's situation to a head. Stockan wasn't clear about how Orkney's return to Norway, 250 miles across the North Sea, would work.

Persons: Lord Kitchener, Nigel Roddis, James Stockan, Stockan, Orcadians, Christian I, King of, Scotland's James III, Victoria Klesty, David Holmes Organizations: HMS Hampshire, REUTERS, Scottish, BBC Radio, Channel, England, Thomson Locations: Orkney Islands, Scotland, Orkney, Norway, Faroe Islands, Denmark, British, King of Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Oslo

☆ 6 Podcasts to Help You Take an Actual Break This Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Emma Dibdin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The name is a deliberate misnomer; there are no actual crimes on “Petty Crimes,” just the kinds of trivial mini-battles that inevitably arise when strangers coexist. Starter episode: “Signed, Karma”In a saturated marketplace of meditation apps, Headspace is a long-running mainstay. Hosted by Robin Hopkins, an actress and writer, “Dear Headspace” centers on listener-submitted questions about mental health, relationships, life transitions and more. In each episode, Hopkins answers questions alongside a rotating cast of Headspace meditation teachers, whose voices will be familiar to users of the app. This BBC radio program is tailor-made for those moments — immersive soundscapes from around the world, interspersed with snippets of gentle narration.

Persons: “ Adele ”, “, ”, Griff Stark, —, Cassie, Robin Hopkins, Hopkins, Kessonga, Slate’s Willa Paskin, Sherlock Organizations: Ceara O’Sullivan, BBC Locations: Ennis, America, Nashville

But officially colour-blind France has long refused to acknowledge any racial factor was at play. "From that point on, unions were involved in everything that's co-managed, including the managing of human resources," he told Reuters. But these fines are rare and rights groups say police officers often end up with light sentences, fuelling a sense of impunity. A rise in lethal police shootings over the last few years has been linked to a law reform in 2017, which broadens the circumstances in which an officer can use their firearm. "It is completely vague, and it allows to shoot much more freely," said Caille of the left-wing CGT police union.

Persons: Cedric Mas, Olivier Cahn, that's, " Cahn, Christophe Castaner, Gerald Darmanin, Franck Louvrier, Nicolas Sarkozy, Darmanin, Ravina Shamdasani, Anthony Caille, –, Sebastian Roche, Michel Rose, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Rights, Twitter, Cergy University, Reuters, Socialists, United Nations, Police, CGT Police, of, Society, CGT, Thomson Locations: PARIS, Britain, France, United States, Paris, Moroccan, – France, U.S, Nice

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.7% higher, tracking overnight gains in Wall Street. Shares of Sage Group Plc (SGE.L) gained 5.1% to a 23-year high after J.P. Morgan upgraded its rating on the stock to "overweight" from "neutral". Shares of chip equipment maker ASML Holding (ASML.AS) rose 2.3% while Nordic Semiconductor (NOD.OL) jumped 6.4%, making technology (.SX8P) among the top European sectoral gainers. Semiconductor shares were in focus after a report stated the U.S. was considering new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips to China. Also boosting the STOXX 600, Roche Holding (ROG.S) gained 1.5% after the U.S. health regulator declined to approve Regeneron's (REGN.O) Eylea drug.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, what's, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Morgan, Hewson, Roche, Morgan Stanley, Christian Klein, Matteo Allievi, Subhranshu Sahu, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sage Group, UBS, CS, . Federal, ASML, Nordic Semiconductor, Semiconductor, Carrefour, Credit Suisse, SAP, Thomson Locations: Wall, U.S, China, Swiss, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ Chip stocks smacked as U.S. mulls fresh curbs on AI access to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nvidia fell 4%, Advanced Micro Devices 3.3% and Intel 0.7%, while futures tracking the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index edged 0.5% lower. The new restrictions being considered by the Commerce Department would include a ban on the sale of Nvidia's advanced chip called A800 without a special U.S. export license. The Philadelphia chip index (.SOX) has surged more than 44% so far this year, far ahead of the benchmark index's (.SPX) 14% rise. Among other chip stocks, Marvell Technology (MRVL.O), Applied Materials (AMAT.O), Intel (INTC.O), Microchip Technology (MCHP.O) fell between 1.1% and 3% on Wednesday. Across the Atlantic, Nordic Semiconductor (NOD.OL), Dutch chipmaker ASML (ASML.AS), Milan-listed STMicroelectronics , however, gained between 1.2% and 2%.

Persons: chipmakers, Biden, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Medha Singh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Companies, Nvidia, Devices, Intel, U.S ., Commerce Department, Wall Street, AMD, Marvell Technology, Materials, Technology, Nordic Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Philadelphia, Milan, Bengaluru

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