The US has relaunched its military cooperation alliance under a new name “the Squad”, but with the same goal: to counter and “contain” China
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The US has relaunched its military cooperation alliance under a new name “the Squad”, but with the same goal: to counter and “contain” China
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Inside Mnuchin’s far-fetched plan to rebuild TikTok from scratch
Mnuchin said he has discussed his pitch with an assortment of billionaires and big businesses, including the tech giant Oracle and the former head of the Activision Blizzard video game empire Bobby Kotick, the two people said.
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Dan Wang*, a visiting scholar at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center who studies Chinese tech and policy, said Mnuchin’s proposal would probably hit a dead end in China, which has shown no interest in consenting to a forced sale and could use its “highly discretionary” political system to block the deal.
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Controversial former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could buy TikTok with help from Sam Altman
Bobby Kotick spent 33 years as CEO of Activision, during which time he faced plenty of controversy. His departure from the company in December following Microsoft’s acquisition was met with celebrations from gamers and developers. There were tales of his interference with the development of Activision games over the years and his role in killing off Blizzard titles in China.
Kotick was also accused of leaving a voicemail threatening to kill an assistant in 2006 and was the subject of a flight attendant’s sexual harassment lawsuit in 2007. He faced allegations of incidents involving rape and harassment stretching from the mid-2010s through 2021, and Kotick and Activision had to pay a $35 million settlement last year after failing to maintain adequate controls to report and address misconduct within the company. Activision Blizzard also paid $54 million in 2021 to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit in California.
The alleged $15 million golden parachute Kotick received upon leaving Activision did little to endear him to the public, too.
Indonesia’s feared ex-general Prabowo claims victory in presidential election
But the likely victory of Prabowo — an ex-general who was kicked out from the army and subjected to a two-decade ban from the U.S. over human rights violations — raises fears of the world’s third-largest democracy sliding backward into authoritarian rule.
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3 things you should know about Indonesia’s presidential elections
Continuity and its risks
Prabowo is expected to largely continue the policies of President Widodo, or “Jokowi,” as Indonesians call him. President Widodo is not up for reelection as he’s serving his final term.Through his two five-year terms, Indonesia’s economy — Southeast Asia’s largest — has grown at about 5% a year. His infrastructure building, cash and food assistance to the poor and health and education policies have been popular.
Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel, used in making electric vehicle batteries, and Jokowi has barred the export of raw nickel, to help Indonesia move up the value chain from mining to manufacturing.
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Prabowo is Suharto’s son-in-law. He received training in the 1980s from the U.S. military at Fort Benning, Ga. (now Fort Moore) and Fort Bragg, N.C. (now Fort Liberty).
Indonesia’s presidential election emerges as key battleground in US-China rivalry
Read More »China is prohibiting the export of some technologies to process rare earth elements to protect its national security as the race for critical minerals supply intensifies.
China Bans Exports of Rare Earth Tech as Critical Minerals Race Heats Up
The Libyan parliament on Wednesday demanded the departure of ambassadors from countries that “support” Israel as it fights Hamas in Gaza, taking specific aim at the United States, Britain, France and Italy.
Libya orders out ambassadors from US, UK, France, Italy over support for Israel
US tightens rules on AI chip sales to China in blow to Nvidia
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang told the Financial Times earlier this year that the 2022 controls had left the Silicon Valley company with its “hands tied behind our back” by barring sales of its most advanced chips to China. He has said further restrictions could seriously harm US chipmakers by eating into their ability to finance investment.
H/T: Jason Hunt
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China ups export curbs on key EV battery component, safeguarding graphite amid US tensions
President Biden on Thursday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced a new tranche of US military aid for Ukraine that includes more cluster bombs, which are notorious for killing and maiming civilians.
Biden Gives Ukraine More Cluster Bombs During Zelensky Visit
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Pentagon Exempts Ukraine Operations from Potential Government Shutdown
Elon Musk has been scrambling to defend his decision to block Ukraine’s access to Starlink in 2022 near Crimea — and his latest explanation involves blaming the US government.
Elon Musk says Joe Biden and the US government are the ones to blame for the Crimea Starlink debacle, not him
Previously:
Musk Comes Under Fire for Preventing Ukraine Attack on Russia
STUTTGART, Germany — NATO nations have agreed to a new action plan for bolstering the alliance’s industrial base, as governments scramble to restock their weapon arsenals while simultaneously sending military aid to Ukraine.
NATO prepares industry plan to boost arms production
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