Russia and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Restarting Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
Russian and U.S. negotiators held secret talks on resuming gas flows to Germany via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the German tabloid Bild reported Sunday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
The Swiss-based operator of Nord Stream 2 and other Russia-based entities linked to the $11 billion pipeline are currently under U.S. sanctions. The reported U.S.-Russia discussions on restarting the pipeline are seen as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to rebuild ties with Russia.
According to Bild, Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell made multiple unofficial visits to the headquarters of Nord Stream 2 AG — the pipeline’s operator, which is fully owned by Russia’s sanctioned energy giant Gazprom — in the Swiss city of Steinhausen for negotiations.
Grenell denied participating in the reported talks.
#TheMoscowTimes #News #Russia #US #Germany
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Canada imposes new sanctions against Russia
Canada introduced new sanctions on March 2 against 10 Russian individuals and 21 entities, including paramilitary groups.
The sanctions were announced by the Office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, following his participation the same day in the European leaders’ summit in London.
Canada’s new sanctions target leaders of post-Wagner paramilitary organizations, a senior Russian military official, and several groups operating in Ukraine and Africa, as well as entities involved in resource extraction within these networks.
"To date, Canada has imposed sanctions on over 3,000 individuals and entities complicit in Russia’s aggression – and we remain committed to working with our partners to increase economic pressure on Russia," the statement said. “Canada’s commitment to Ukraine is unwavering.”
#KyivIndependent #News
#Russia #Canada
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Trump warns Zelensky he 'won't be around very long' if he refuses peace deal with Russia
Donald Trump stepped up the pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky Monday with a stark warning: Sign up to a peace deal or risk annihilation.
The U.S. president spoke to reporters at the White House after an investment announcement, and used the occasion to further ratchet up pressure on the Ukrainian leader.
He said Zelensky should be 'more appreciative' of American aid if he wants Washington's help and made clear his frustration after their Oval Office summit on Friday descended into a slanging match.
#Trump #Zelensky #DailyMail #News
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Dow tumbles 800 points as Trump confirms tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start Tuesday
US stocks slid Monday as investors braced for President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico to go into effect by the midnight deadline.
The Dow tumbled 650 points, or 1.48%, to close at 43,191. The Dow fell almost 900 points in afternoon trading before pulling back slightly. The broader S&P 500 fell 1.76% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.64%.
The S&P 500 posted its biggest one-day decline of the year. The Nasdaq is down about 6.5% since since Trump took office on January 20.
“Tomorrow, tariffs — 25% on Canada and 25% on Mexico,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “And that’ll start. … What they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs.”
Trump said the two trading partners had “no room” left to negotiate to avoid the levies and that he was using tariffs to “punish” countries that, as he put it, were taking from the US economy without giving enough in return.
“They’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow,” he said.
Trump also signed an executive order on Monday raising tariffs on imports from China to 20%, up from 10%. Trump said the tariffs, aimed at bringing China to the table on curtailing fentanyl entering the United States, will be raised because the communist country has not done enough to stem the flow of illegal drugs.
The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, surged to its highest point this year after Trump’s comments.
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs, the stock market has erased the gains from the ‘Trump bump’ following the presidential election and the expected upward pressure on prices is giving investors pause,” said Gustavo Flores-Macias, a professor of government and public policy at Cornell University.
“For investors, 2025 can still be a positive year for stocks, but it may take all year to realize gains. And they may be modest,” said Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management Group.
“I’m still a bull,” Bolvin said.
The import taxes Trump imposed are significant — the largest in US-China history. The initial tariffs, which went into effect February 4, set in motion tariffs on $1.4 trillion of imported goods. That’s more than triple the $380 billion worth of foreign goods that were hit with tariffs during Trump’s first term, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.
Before he became president, Trump pledged a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods, so the tariff level could rise still.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said at the press conference about tariffs on Canada and Mexico that global companies can avoid tariffs if they invest into production in the United States, like TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaker at the White House on Monday to announce a $100 billion US investment.
Trump’s tariffs will raise prices of imported goods, which could boost demand for goods produced in the US, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. But they also noted that tariffs will have negative effects on some American businesses.
“Tariff increases will also raise production costs for some domestic producers and will likely prompt foreign retaliation against some US exports, both of which could hurt domestic production,” they wrote in a note.
#CNN
#Mexico #Canada #China #US #News
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Ontario will cut off U.S. electricity exports 'with a smile on my face,' Ford says
Speaking Monday at a mining convention in downtown Toronto, Ontario Premier Doug Ford doubled down on threats to cut electricity exports to U.S. border states if the tariffs go through.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford told reporters.
“They rely on our energy, they need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard.”
The United States is a major customer for Canadian electricity, with all American power grids — with the exception of Texas — interconnected with Canadian provinces.
New York, Michigan and Minnesota are Ontario’s three biggest customers of domestically-produced power.
#Canada #US #Energy #News #TorontoSun
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"Putin couldn't be happier" over Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, Trump's former national security adviser says
An Oval Office showdown between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would have been cheered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Mr. Trump's national security adviser during his first administration.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia and provided aid to Ukraine after the war began but last month, Mr. Trump flipped U.S. policy on its head. He opened peace talks with Russia, which occupies 20% of Ukraine while bombing the rest, and did not invite Ukraine. Then on Friday, he berated Zelenskyy during an explosive Oval Office meeting.
"Vladimir Putin couldn't be happier," McMaster, who is a CBS News contributor and author of "At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House," said. "Because what he sees is all of the pressure on Zelenskyy, all of the pressure on Ukraine and no pressure on him."
Trump and Russia
During his Friday Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump revealed something of a common cause with the Russian president. Mr. Trump complained that he and Putin had both been slandered for years by allegations that Russia helped Mr. Trump's campaigns, allegations the U.S. president ties to his Democratic opponents.
"Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia," Mr. Trump said.
McMaster, who was ousted by Mr. Trump in 2018, said Putin has manipulated many world leaders, including the U.S. commander in chief.
#CBSNews #News
#Putin #Russia #Trump #Zelensky
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Artificial intelligence has been applied to some of the world's most famous works of art. See the impressive result of the technology era.
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the art world by reinterpreting and recreating some of the most famous works of art. Through techniques like style transfer, AI algorithms can emulate the distinct styles of iconic artists, blending technology with creativity to produce stunning and innovative visual masterpieces. The results are a testament to the transformative power of AI in the modern era. #Art #IA Read More...
Skull and Bones’ Into the Dragon’s Wake kicks off a new season on August 22
Just when you finally got your pirate vessel fully insured, along comes a new ship and cannons to blow up your deductible. Yet look on the bright side of your sinking boat: You get a new Skull and Bones content update on August 22nd.
Into the Dragon’s Wake is about to arrive in Ubisoft’s naval combat sim next week: “Hailing from the Middle Kingdom, Li Tian Ning and Commander Zhang of the Dragon’s Claw make their prowess known to the Indian Ocean. Their arrival stirs tension between the Rempah and DMC in the East Indies, amidst a new seasonal story, world events and challenges.”
The update includes the Battle Junk juggernaut that can taunt other ships, an epic long gun named Divine Thunder, two new types of cannons, and special “immortal” armor for your vessel. Ubisoft is also introducing Imperial Jade as a trading resource, better controls, a new merchant convoy event, and a new third-person camera view.
Next up on Skull and Bones’ calendar after the patch is the Mooncake Regatta event, which is running from August 27th through September 17th.
#game #massive #preview
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NCSoft Just Announced Guild Wars 3
You know it’s a good day when you wake up and see news that one of the largest, most influencial, arguably most popular free to play MMOs get a confirmed sequel. That’s what just happened with Guild Wars 2.
When I first mentioned NCSoft were potentially developing a Guild Wars 3, people told me I was crazy, that there was no way that could be the case.
When I followed up several years later with confirmation that NCSoft were hiring programmers to create an MMO in an already pre-existing intellectual property, people said there was no way that could be Guild Wars 2. The game is too healthy, a staple of NCSoft’s roster of games, and by association, potential to make a quality game.
Yet according to multiple sources online – Inven – which documented NCSoft’s shareholders’ meeting on the 28th, and several websites that have since covered the reveal, Guild Wars 3 is already deep in development. Much further than any of us likely even thought possible after this announcement.
But what would a Guild Wars 3 look like? Will it differ from Guild Wars 2? Is it the same team working on it, and how will this ultimately affect Guild Wars 2? Especially given ArenaNet’s commitment to releasing more frequent expansions each year.
That’s what we’re going to try and find out.
The investor’s meeting began by acting chairman, Park Byeong-moo – who we’ll refer to as Park for the remainder of this video – stating that the global gaming market in 2023 is very unstable, and NCSoft has experienced difficulties both internally and externally, resulting in a decline in stock price.
With how poorly Throne & Liberty did in Korea, and NCSoft’s recent statement confirming it’s up to Amazon with the Global release to save the game, with Aion, Blade & Soul, and their mobile games all doing poorly – this was to be expected.
Park followed this up with a statement referring to the companies history over the last 20 years. “If you look back at NC’s history, there are a number of successful IPs that were developed independently in Korea.”
Which is true. Aion, Lineage, Blade & Soul. All exceptional MMORPGs that did fantastic, financially, until they were ruined by NCSoft’s mismanagement and greed.
“I am confident that NC will be able to develop its capacity for sustainable development again.” – With regards to new intellectual properties? Unlikely. Potentially, by expanding on already existing intellectual properties like Lineage, Aion or Blade & Soul because they already carry a fanbase.
He then goes on to confirm “Innovation for change has already begun,” further elaborating on NCSoft’s Global vision by stating “this year is NCSoft’s first step forward as a global game company.”
“I dare say it’s the first year,” explaining that they’re in the process currently of releasing numerous games that fill a variety of different genres – some of which haven’t been done before, like the new open-world Trailblazer game, among many others.
The CEO, Kim Taek-jin is in the process of traveling around the world at present, in an active effort to expand not only their brand, but also their scope and games by engaging in Global collaborations.
As noted, one of the most important routes for the companies’ success moving into the future, is “establishing a foundation for globalization,” along with “continuous investment to increase new IPs.”
2024 is going to be a very important year for NCSoft and its shareholders, with much of its potential success riding on how well received Throne & Liberty is Globally.
A question was asked of Park, “NC West has been running a deficit for 8 years, and I don’t understand why the person in charge remains the same.” NC West is the North American studio in charge of Lineage, Aion, Guild Wars, and Blade & Soul across America, Europe and Oceania.
Park goes on to respond to this by confirming that originally, NCSoft had six studios within the United States, and after extensive work, with likely quite substantial costs, every studio was integrated into one: ArenaNet. ArenaNet is the developer behind Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, and it’s at this point that the revelation was made concerning Guild Wars 3.
“ArenaNet are currently working on Guild Wars 3, looking at this process, we have considerable competitiveness. Although it is not completely profitable” – referring to ArenaNet – “I believe that it has increased its competitiveness.”
ArenaNet and the Guild Wars intellectual property have proven to be the continued driving force behind NCSoft in recent years, looking at their sales breakdown by region from the 4th quarter of 2023, you’ll see that “NA/EU sales grew by 15% quarter over quarter due to strong sales of Guild Wars 2.”
Park further elaborates on NC West by reiterating this is their “first year Global leap forward,” but they are also “reorganizing the Global headquarters.”
Park talked a little about he, the COO and CEO’s claims of excessive financial compensation, even in light of their continued stock price decline, but navigating further down, we see a question asked concerning NCSoft’s reputation – and how brand value has fallen recently.
I just want to point out, this isn’t a recent occurence. This is a reputation that has been deteriorating for the better half of 2 decades.
Park states that NCSoft has a “negative image among streamers in the gaming industry,” and that these creators will likely change their opinion about them after seeing the quality games they plan on releasing in 2024.
I haven’t seen a single game announced by NCSoft that screams a significant alteration in terms of quality. Or a drastic departure from what they’ve become synonymous with.
The rest of the Investor’s meeting went over topics that were unrelated to Guild Wars, but it looks as though they’re anticipating Guild Wars 3 will be a large driving force behind the studio’s expansion into the Western gaming market.
Which could very well be true. Guild Wars 2 is keeping the studio afloat right now. Guild Wars 3 could bring an entirely new audience to their games. But let’s take a look at what people have to say.
Honestly, I think Guild Wars 3 has the potential to be a phenomenal game so long as the people that made Guild Wars 2 stick to a formula that people love. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, just optimize and improve on what worked.
But at the same time, I don’t forsee this game releasing for many years. Probably sometime after 2030. So they have plenty of time to craft the perfect formula.
Until then, there’s always Blue Protocol or Throne & Liberty, right? Right?
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Vegans: We Only Eat Plants. Also Vegans: * EAT MUSHROOMS*
Vegans: We Only Eat Plants. Also Vegans: * EAT MUSHROOMS*
MUSHROOMS: I N JOKE FOR YOU?
#meme #fun #funny
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The tallest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons on Mars. It has a height of 25 km, Mount Everest is 'only' 8.8 km tall.
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