Author: Press Room

Austria has blocked the accession of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen, the passport-free area that has abolished border checks between the vast majority of EU member states.The Netherlands supported Romania’s bid but opposed Bulgaria’s.Croatia, however, received unanimous backing and will join the Schengen Area as of January 2023.The votes took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon during a high-stakes meeting of interior ministers.Romania and Bulgaria “are fulfilling all the requirements. They have been waiting for a long time. The citizens of Bulgaria and Romania deserve to be fully part of the Schengen area,” Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for home affairs, said…

US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022.Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty ImagesWNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer, according to a senior administration official.President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, even though it meant leaving behind Paul Whelan, an American corporate security executive who remains jailed in Russia.”She is safe, she is on a plane, she is on her way home,” Biden said in remarks…

CNN  —  Brittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film. The US basketball star was released on Thursday from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accusers. Bout, a former Soviet military officer, was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Bout has maintained he is innocent. The Kremlin has repeatedly called for Bout’s release, slamming…

Washington CNN  —  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian detention, President Joe Biden said Thursday. Griner was released in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The exchange, however, did not include another American that the State Department has declared wrongfully detained, Paul Whelan. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said at the White House Thursday morning alongside Griner’s wife, Cherelle. “After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under untolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should…

If you’re looking for a solution for mobile devices with inferior sound that works equally well as a better sound system for portable devices that usually are desk-bound, consider the Poly Sync 20 Speakerphone. The unit I tested is the limited-edition pink version of the Poly Sync 20. The pink device has all the same features as the gray fabric and frame version, functioning as a personal speakerphone, a portable music speaker, and a smartphone charger. Aside from the unique pink fabric covering on the limited edition’s topside, the standard-color gray device pictured above will not disappoint. For every Pink…

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. It seems like you can’t go anywhere these days without colliding headfirst into another ominous prediction of imminent recession. CEOs, portfolio managers, politicians, news pundits, second cousins and even Cardi B are sounding the alarm: Hear ye! Hear ye! Economic downturn awaits all who dare enter 2023! But those predictions contradict the slew of positive economic data we’ve seen: The job market is…

Celine Dion has revealed she has a rare medical condition that has forced her to postpone dates on her European tour next year.In an emotional Instagram video in which she repeatedly fought back tears, the Grammy-winning singer announced that she has stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disease she said causes painful spasms and makes it difficult for her to walk. “Hello, everyone. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person,” Dion, dressed in a black outfit,…

A federal judge in California on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against reality TV star Kim Kardashian, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others over their role in promoting a cryptocurrency, saying it was not clear that the investors who sued actually saw the promotions. The lawsuit filed in January claims EthereumMax executives schemed with celebrity promoters to induce investors to buy the EMax token, driving up its price and allowing them to sell their own tokens at a profit. US District Judge Michael Fitzgerald in Los Angeles said that the investors may amend and refile their proposed class action. The…

U.S. prosecutor Marshall Miller (C), William Nardini (R) and Kristin Mace attend a news conference in Rome February 11, 2014.Tony Gentile | ReutersBanks and other corporations that proactively report possible employee crimes to the government instead of waiting to be discovered will get more lenient terms, according to a Justice Department official.The DOJ recently overhauled its approach to corporate criminal enforcement to incentivize companies to root out and disclose their misdeeds, Marshall Miller, a principal associate deputy attorney general, said Tuesday at a banking conference in Maryland.”When misconduct occurs, we want companies to step up,” Miller told the bank attorneys…

“Many of my workers with heavy mortgage burdens want to earn more money to have a good Chinese New Year,” said Yang Bingben, whose factory in the eastern city of Wenzhou makes valves for industrial use. Yang, who was referring to China’s biggest holiday, which falls in January next year, added that authorities had given him little guidance on what to do if his plant, with a workforce of more than 30, was hit by a mass infection. As he stockpiles medicines against such an eventuality, he has told staff to follow new guidelines to stay home if they got…