Latest news with #RIA
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Business
- Straits Times
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 22, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for greater momentum in negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Zelensky says new peace talks in Turkey on July 23 Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia - the first in seven weeks - are planned for July 23 in Turkey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quoted a senior Kyiv official as saying on July 21. Mr Zelensky appealed earlier in the day for greater momentum in negotiations. Russia's state Tass news agency quoted a source in Turkey as saying the talks would take place on July 23. The RIA news agency, also quoting a source, said they would take place over two days, July 24 and 25. The Kremlin said it was waiting for confirmation of the date of the talks but said the two sides were 'diametrically opposed' in their positions on how to end the war. READ MORE HERE UK, France and 23 other nations condemn Israel PHOTO: AFP A group of 25 Western countries including Britain, France, and Canada said on July 21 Israel must immediately end its war in Gaza and criticised what they called the 'inhumane killing' of Palestinians, including hundreds near food distribution sites. The countries in a joint statement condemned what they called the 'drip feeding of aid' to Palestinians in Gaza and said it was 'horrifying' that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act? Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, which the United States and Israel backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. READ MORE HERE Italy cancels concert with pro-Putin conductor PHOTO: AFP Italian authorities have cancelled a classical concert scheduled for July 27 following criticism over the attendance of a top Russian conductor shunned in the West since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Mr Valery Gergiev, who is widely regarded as close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been expected to lead an Italian orchestra and soloists from St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, which he heads, on July 27. The Reggia di Caserta, a grand 18th-century palace near Naples which had been due to host the concert, said in a short statement on July 21 that the event had been called off. It gave no reason. READ MORE HERE Arsenal's Martinelli welcomes new signings ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG In a summer where transfer speculation has circled largely over Arsenal's front three and what it may look like come the start of the season in August, winger Gabriel Martinelli has instead extended a warm welcome to the club's new signings and vows to do his best for the team. The Gunners are in town for this week's Singapore Festival of Football where they will play friendlies against AC Milan on July 23 and Newcastle United on July 27 at the National Stadium. Arsenal have been busy in the ongoing summer transfer window. Noni Madueke, their fourth and most recent acquisition from city rivals Chelsea, will offer star player Bukayo Saka some much-needed competition on the right wing. READ MORE HERE Star of The Cosby Show dies by drowning at 54 PHOTO: REUTERS American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Bill Cosby's son Theo Huxtable on the 1980s groundbreaking television hit The Cosby Show, died at age 54 on July 21 by drowning, a law enforcement source confirmed to Reuters. Warner was vacationing in Costa Rica with his family, media reported. The Central American nation's judicial investigation department (OIJ) confirmed that a US citizen with the last name Warner had drowned after being pulled out to sea by a rip current.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Russian President Vladimir holds nuclear talks with senior advisor to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with a senior advisor to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over Tehran's nuclear program and conflicts in the Middle East. Iran's nuclear program has been the subject of intense scrutiny following its 12-day with Israel, which culminated with the United States launching a series of strikes against Tehran. US officials have since insisted Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated" in the attacks, although reports have since raised doubts over that claim. In the aftermath of the conflict, Russia has offered to act as a mediator between the US and Iran with regard to Tehran's nuclear ambitions, although US President Donald Trump has said he is not interested in holding talks. In the meantime, Iran has rejected pleas from the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, for inspectors to visit sites struck by the US and assess the state of its nuclear program. The lack of cooperation has done little to dispel fears Tehran could still posses highly enriched uranium which could be used to produce a bomb or that the regime could soon restart production of nuclear materials. Sunday's (local time) meeting between President Putin and Ali Larijani is likely to raise further concerns, especially given the nature of the talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state outlet RIA the pair discussed Iran's nuclear program, as well as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Russia has previously been accused of assisting Tehran with developing its nuclear program, including the potential manufacture of weapons, although Mr Peskov said President Putin favoured a political resolution to the current situation. The conversation and any resulting actions are nonetheless likely to be closely monitored by Israel, which has suggested it would not hesitate to break the current ceasefire with Iran should a new threat arise. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared earlier this month Israel would employ "greater force" against Tehran if it threatened its sovereignty or citizens than the attacks its launched during the two nations' brief conflict. "Israel's long arm will reach you in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and anywhere you try to threaten or harm Israel. There is no place to hide," he said. "If we must return, we will do so with greater force." It was not immediately clear what Mr Katz defined as a threat to Israel, although it is likely any resumption of Tehran's nuclear program would likely be deemed worth of a response. Estimates over how far back Tehran's uranium enrichment program and other nuclear goals have been set back continues to be a subject of debate. US officials claim Iran's nuclear ambitions have been set back years, possibly decades, while others, including the IAEA, have suggested a timeline of months. With Reuters
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Putin meets top Iranian adviser Larijani, discusses Middle East tensions, nuclear issues
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Sunday with Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The two discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East and issues surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the region and pursuing a political resolution to matters related to Iran's nuclear activities, Peskov said.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Putin meets top Iranian adviser Larijani, discusses Middle East tensions, nuclear issues
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the Middle East region. MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on July 20 with Mr Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The two discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East and issues surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Mr Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the region and pursuing a political resolution to matters related to Iran's nuclear activities, Mr Peskov said. REUTERS
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Referrals Are Still King, Even In the Era of AI
RIA growth is showing no signs of slowing down. Both revenue and number of clients continue to rise across the industry, according to Schwab's annual RIA benchmarking study, which surveys more than 1,000 firms representing more than $2.4 trillion in AUM. A major part of that success has been AI, which is now being used for everything from administrative support to marketing content. However, human referrals still remain a primary method of lead generation, proving that prospects still trust human beings over ChatGPT. 'One [change] that I always look at every single year is, 'Where's the growth coming from?' And it's remarkable that it's still client referrals … making up about 69%,' said Lisa Salvi, whose team at Schwab leads the study. 'So that really hasn't changed, even with all this digital marketing, all the podcasts people are doing. That is really interesting.' READ ALSO: Vanguard Made a Single Acquisition. Now, It's Getting Sued and Defense ETFs Surge Amid Wartime Buildups Upping the AI Ante That's not to say AI hasn't made huge impacts on the industry, with nearly 70% of reporting firms using the tools in some way last year. What's more, 'top-performing' firms — those that rank near the top of Schwab's index, which accounts for factors like AUM growth, client and staff attrition, and compound annual growth rates — outsource operational duties to AI and spend more time on client service. Salvi said this happens because as firms reach certain benchmarks, like moving from $750 million to $1 billion in AUM, tech stacks need to keep up. 'When you're really small, you have all this room. Your systems have plenty of capacity, and your office space is great, and your website's looking good,' Salvi said. 'But then you keep growing, and you need to think of those things a little bit differently to get ready.' According to the study: 43% of firms reported using AI for administrative support, like notetaking and drafting emails. 38% of firms said they used it to generate marketing content, including digital ads, email campaigns and social media posts. 31% of the surveyed respondents said they used AI to correspond with their clients. More CRM, Please. Portfolio management systems and CRMs were reported to have the greatest impact on returns, with nearly 100% of respondents selecting them as having had the highest ROI, per the report. Top performers also used CRMs more than everyone else. 'One of my key observations is that firms are signaling some capacity constraints,' Salvi said. 'So technology and operational improvements are really important.' This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials, subscribe to our free Advisor Upside newsletter. Sign in to access your portfolio
