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Citi taps HSBC veteran to lead corporate banking for MNCs in China
Citi taps HSBC veteran to lead corporate banking for MNCs in China

Reuters

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Reuters

Citi taps HSBC veteran to lead corporate banking for MNCs in China

Aug 7 (Reuters) - Citigroup (C.N), opens new tab has appointed Luen-Yuan (Lenny) Chu as the head of China Global Network Banking (GNB), effective August 11, the bank said on Thursday. Chu, who spent nearly two decades with Europe's largest bank HSBC, will oversee corporate banking services for multinational companies operating in China, a critical segment for Citi's global operations. The move comes just months after sources told Reuters that Citi is cutting up to 200 information technology (IT) contractor roles in China, as part of a broader effort to internalise such operations to improve risk management and data governance. Citi currently serves around 70% of the Fortune Global 500 companies with operations in China, underscoring the importance of its GNB business in the region. "China is one of our key GNB franchises and Lenny will be responsible for delivering business growth in collaboration with internal partners and stakeholders," said Chris Wen, Citi China's corporate banking head. Chu's appointment adds to a series of high-profile hires at Citi as it expands several business lines, including investment banking. Earlier this week, the bank named industry veteran Aashish Dhakad as the head of its private credit origination division in North America while beefing up its investment team with the key hires of Vikram Chavali and Deepak Dangayach as managing directors.

Nicaragua's first lady is nothing to celebrate: She's a step backward for women
Nicaragua's first lady is nothing to celebrate: She's a step backward for women

Miami Herald

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Miami Herald

Nicaragua's first lady is nothing to celebrate: She's a step backward for women

It's been six months since Rosario Murillo became Nicaragua's co-president, but it's nothing worth celebrating. In fact, it's a major step backward for Nicaraguan women. Just look at what's happened in Nicaragua since Murillo officially joined her husband, Daniel Ortega, as — let's be frank — co-dictator. The regime has arrested hundreds of opponents and violently repressed protests, killing more than 300 people. It has systematically dismantled civil society, canceling the registration of more than 5,600 NGOs since 2018. A significant number of the organizations targeted by this female-fronted authoritarian regime are women's groups. Of the 26 Catholic congregations stripped of legal status, all but four were led by women. Reports show at least 7,000 cases of aggression against women human rights defenders. Of the thousands of shuttered civil society organizations, at least 212 focused on women's rights. And yet, here's the disturbing part: the regime has effectively used superficial 'gender inclusivity victories,' like Murillo's rise to co-president, to boost its international image and gain diplomatic cover. This tactic is working — materially sustaining tyrannies under the guise of progress. When more women hold leadership roles — and only 20 countries in the world currently have a female head of state — people in wealthy democracies tend to perceive those governments as more democratic than they actually are. As a result, public support for sending foreign aid increases — aid that can be vital to the survival of these regimes. Autocrats know this and use it to their advantage. That's why gender representation in authoritarian governments is rarely a reflection of genuine progress. It's part of a broader strategy to cling to power. And let's be clear: Murillo's position as co-president is not a sign of advancement for women. When Edipcia Dubón, a Nicaraguan pro-democracy and women's rights advocate, was asked what Murillo's presidency means for women, her response was blunt: 'Absolutely nothing.' Nicaragua isn't the only dictatorship using gender for legitimacy. In June, under orders from the general commander of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), female military personnel posted videos attacking opposition leader María Corina Machado. They called her a 'fascist' and a 'sociopath,' among other insults. Military commanders amplified the videos, praising the women as 'strong' and 'victorious.' But Machado represents more than the opposition — she is a symbol of hope for Venezuelans who have endured decades of crimes against humanity: enforced disappearances, more than 900 political prisoners, systematic persecution of dissenters, torture, transnational repression and widespread human rights abuses. The video campaign aimed to weaken her standing and boost the regime's legitimacy. It failed. If anything, the campaign highlighted Machado's strength — and how threatening her image is to Nicolás Maduro's grip on power. The regime was forced to weaponize gender in an attempt to discredit its most prominent critic. Autocracies exploit the global push for women's rights to deflect attention from their abuses. The regimes of Maduro and Ortega-Murillo want the world to see Murillo and Venezuela's female military figures as feminist icons. But these are the same women who prop up brutal governments that have done nothing meaningful to improve the lives of women in a region still in dire need of gender justice. The real heroes are those risking their freedom to fight back. Women like Angélica Chavarría Altamirano, Eveling Carolina Matus, Fabiola Tercero, Lesbia Gutiérrez and Carmen Sáenz have been arrested for speaking out against the regime since 2024. Others — including Dora María Téllez, Cristiana Chamorro, Suyen Barahona and Ana Margarita Vijil — were imprisoned, held in solitary confinement, exiled and stripped of their citizenship. These women are doing more for democracy and women's rights than Murillo — or any other authoritarian figurehead — ever could. Mariana Atala is a legal and policy fellow at the Human Rights Foundation in New York.

GNB: A Carnatic vocalist who thought ahead of time
GNB: A Carnatic vocalist who thought ahead of time

The Hindu

time13-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Hindu

GNB: A Carnatic vocalist who thought ahead of time

In a hall resonant with reverence, rare echoes from the bygone era of Carnatic music came alive. At Narada Gana Sabha, in the presence of Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, veteran Carnatic vocalist Trichur V Ramachandran paid a heartfelt tribute to his guru, the inimitable G.N. Balasubramaniam (GNB), on the maestro's 60th Memorial Day. The event, a lecture-demonstration, became a deeply immersive homage, part historical resurrection, part emotional reminiscence, anchored by archival recordings and personal anecdotes. Significantly, this was the first time GNB's rare recordings, painstakingly revived, were presented in a public setting. These were not mere performances; they were windows into the very soul of an artiste who revolutionised Carnatic music. Trichur V Ramachandran opened the evening with a profound declaration: 'To me, GNB was Isai Deivam, a musical deity.' 'The last century had many maha vidwans, but GNB came like lightning,' Ramachandran said. 'As Semmangudi once remarked, he came like a tsunami'. This dramatic arrival shook the conventions of Carnatic music, not by defying tradition, but by illuminating it with unparalleled clarity, voice, and vision. His shariram (voice), his swarajñānam (intuitive grasp of notes), fearless manodharma, innovative presentations, and innate gayaka lakshanam captivated both the scholar and the common rasika. One story stood out as a glowing testament to GNB's genius. After listening to the arohanam and avarohanam of raga Gowda Malahar, composed by Muthiah Bhagavatar, GNB came up with such an evocative raga elaboration that the composer, who happened to listen to it, was moved to tears and gifted GNB a tampura and invited him to teach at Annamalai University. Such was the transformative quality of GNB's music. It didn't just adhere to the shastras; it expanded their expressive potential. 'Our music is shastriya sangeetham,' said Ramachandran. 'GNB stayed true to its core while enlarging its boundaries.' GNB stood at a rare confluence of tradition and innovation. His crystal-clear brigas, delivered at lightning speed, paired with a calm and steady madhyama kala pacing, became the defining hallmark of the 'GNB bani'. His voice could navigate three octaves with precision, intertwining technical dexterity with emotional depth. He wasn't just a vocalist. He was a composer, thinker and teacher, who drew Hindustani ragas into the Carnatic fold with elegance. His ragamalikas sparkled with these influences, producing sonic textures that were at once surprising and satisfying. In his compositions too, he ventured into unexplored ragas. GNB composed varnams and kritis in rare ragas such as Andolika, Udayaravi Chandrika, Narayani, Malavi, and more. For GNB, alapana was architecture, not abstraction. His approach flowed through four stages: an initial sweep of the raga, a stepwise development emphasising key notes and gamakas, expansion into the upper registers, and a final return to the raga's emotive centre. He once told Ramachandran, 'When I sing, I see swara devatas. The swaras emerge naturally for me.' His manodharma was intuitive, yet grounded. The recordings played during the evening were drawn from Mysore, Pudukkottai, and Kolkata, some dating back to the 1940s. The event opened with the dynamic 'Jaya janaki kantha' in raga Nattai, with Chowdiah on the violin, setting a majestic tone. This was followed by an alapana in Hindolam that flowed into 'Samajavaragamana', with an extraordinary 40 avartanam kalpanaswara that explored every facet of the raga. A spellbinding Shankarabharanam followed, a masterclass in meditative manodharma. The 1964 Shanmukhapriya recording from Pudukkottai was another gem, showcasing GNB's application of dashavidha gamakas with mastery. GNB's tanam bore his unmistakable stamp — brisk, clear, rhythmically sharp and marked by layajnana and swarasuddham. His gift was not just in the execution but in the revelation. The evening reached a crescendo with a Bhairavi RTP, where GNB explored melkala brigas and built his improvisation like a sculptor. His traversal of the gandharam, a segment many vocalists avoid was seamless and inspired. From the early 1940s came a Kambhoji tanam in trikaalam and the Saveri RTP was a rhythmic marvel, weaving together tisra and chatusra nadais with ragamalika swaras and electrifying melkala swaras. Beyond performance, GNB was a Sri Vidya upasaka. Even in his last days, he called Ramachandran to his side and taught him every sloka and ritual, ensuring the spiritual tradition continued. 'He asked me to carry on the puja,' Ramachandran said. 'For the past 15 years, we've been organizing this tribute,' said Subashree Ramachandran, vocalist and daughter of Trichur V Ramachandran. Legacy is not merely remembered. It is relived, each time music is not just heard, but seen and felt too.

Births, marriages and deaths: May 1, 2025
Births, marriages and deaths: May 1, 2025

Times

time01-05-2025

  • General
  • Times

Births, marriages and deaths: May 1, 2025

'I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.' John 17.20-21 (GNB) Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society O'DUFFIN on 26th April 2025 to Greta and Seumas, a son, Ruairidh Allan Tearlach, brother to Struan. MR M. W. BARRETT AND MISS N. P. PETTMANThe engagement is announced between Michael Wesley Barrett, eldest son of the late Mr and Mrs WH Barrett, and Nichola Phyllis Pettman, elder daughter of the late Mr LO Pettman and

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