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Elon Musk has refuted claims that he spoke with Vladimir Putin before putting his recommendations for stopping Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a Twitter poll.

Ian Bremmer, CEO of the political risk consulting firm Eurasia Group, claimed that Elon Musk had personally told him about the conversation with Vladimir Putin.

However, Mr. Musk has since denied this.

Putin and I have only ever spoken once, and that was about 18 months ago. The subject was space, Mr. Musk tweeted.

The Tesla CEO asked his 107.7 million followers to vote on how to end the conflict in Ukraine last week.

One of the ideas was to hold elections in regions of Ukraine that Russia claims it has annexed and occupied. His remarks were well received in Moscow.

The multibillionaire said Russia departs if the people so choose.

Following alleged referendums that Kiev and its Western allies deemed fraudulent, President Putin has already proclaimed four Ukrainian regions to be a part of Russia. The Russian government does not have complete control over any of these four regions.

Additionally, Mr. Musk argued that Russia should be “formally” acknowledged as the legitimate owner of Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

According to Mr. Bremmer’s account in a newsletter, Mr. Musk told him that the Russian president was “prepared to negotiate,” but only if Ukraine agreed to some form of permanent neutrality, Crimea remained under Russian control, and Kyiv acknowledged Russia’s annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Mr. Bremmer claimed that the CEO of SpaceX had informed him that Mr. Putin had stated that these objectives would be achieved “no matter what” and that a nuclear attack might be launched if Ukraine invaded Crimea.

FAQ

• Who is the CEO of the political risk consulting firm Eurasia Group?

Ans. Iran Bremmer 

• What Iran Bremmer claimed?

Ans. He claimed that Elon Musk had personally told him about the conversation with Vladimir Putin 

• What was the matter on the Phone call?

Ans. He had information that Mr. Putin had stated that these objectives would be achieved “no matter what” and that a nuclear attack might be launched if Ukraine invaded Crimea.

The Noise TWS IntelliBuds have just been introduced in India after a number of smartwatches and TWS earbuds. In partnership with Bragi, the smart wearable company unveiled the new earbuds as the country’s first smart gesture-controlled true wireless earbuds. Hot voice commands, intelligent gesture control, Bragi OS, music sharing, intelligent battery optimization, and more are all features of the earbuds.

The new IntelliBuds were introduced by Noise, who claimed they offered the highest level of earbud personalization. The product was developed in conjunction with Bragi in the business’s R&D facility, Noise Lab. The earbuds allow complete audio customization and are equipped with personalized touch controls and intelligent gestures. The new IntelliBuds are available from Noise for Rs 4,999.

Price and availability information for Noise IntelliBuds TWS earbuds

The price of the Noise IntelliBuds TWS earbuds is Rs 4,999. Beginning on October 14, the earbuds will be offered for purchase in India on the company’s website and in retail locations both online and off. Black and white are the two available color options for earbuds.

Specifications for the Noise IntelliBuds TWS earbuds.

The rectangular charging case for the Noise IntelliBuds has a matte finish and a USB type-C port. The charging case weighs about 45 grams, while the earbuds themselves weigh 5.4 grams. In addition to supporting HFP, AVRCP, A2DP, and HSP, Noise provides a reliable Bluetooth 5.0 connection.

FAQ

• What is the price of earbuds at the time of release?

Ans. Rs 4,999

• When will the earbuds be offered?

Ans. 14 October 

• What is the type of charging case?

Ans. USB type-C

Following the US’s announcement of tough new measures to limit technology sales to China, shares in major Asian computer chipmakers have fallen.

According to the US, American companies will not be allowed to sell certain chips used in supercomputers and artificial intelligence to Chinese companies.

The regulations, which were made public on Friday, also target purchases made by foreign businesses using American-made machinery.

As the world economy weakens, technology companies are also witnessing a decline in demand.

On Tuesday, the stock of Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC fell more than 8%, Tokyo Electron in Japan dropped 5.5%, and Samsung Electronics in South Korea dropped 1.4%.

The declines followed the reopening of the stock markets on Tuesday in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea following their closure on Monday for public holidays.

In other parts of Asia, shares of SMIC, the largest chipmaker in China, declined by 4% in Hong Kong.

According to the rules, US businesses must apply for a license before supplying Chinese chipmakers with machinery that can produce more sophisticated chips.

According to Washington, the regulations aimed to stop Chinese military and technological advancements.

The measures signal one of the most significant changes in US policy toward technology exports to China in decades, some of which take effect right away.

The Nasdaq index, which is heavily weighted toward technology, fell on Monday in the US, dropping to its lowest level since July 2020 as shares of chipmakers Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Advanced Micro Devices declined.

Lower demand for electronic products, including computers and smartphones, has recently hurt technology shares around the world.

FAQ

• How much TSMC fell on Tuesday?

Ans. 8%

• How much Tokyo Electron in Japan dropped?

Ans. 5.5%

• How much is Samsung Electronics in South Korea?

Ans. 1.4%

According to a senior executive who spoke with ET, Artha Group is looking to close a Rs 450 crore opportunity fund to support winners from its current portfolio. The new vehicle, Artha Select Fund (ASF), has more than Rs 100 crore in commitments from current limited partners or sponsors of Artha Venture Fund (AVF), and it has a Rs 120 crore green shoe option.

Anirudh Damani-led ASF will make investments in growth rounds of businesses supported by AFV and Artha India Ventures.

ASF’s umbrella organization, the Mumbai-based Artha Group, has invested in more than 100 startups in countries like India, the UK, the US, Israel, Africa, and Africa.

Among the startups in its India portfolio are Oyo, Purplle, LeveragEdu, and Rapido. Family offices in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, Morocco, and the Middle East, ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNIs), and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) helped AVF raise Rs 225 crore in June of last year. “We’ve successfully demonstrated significant value creation to our LPs. They were aware of the level of commitment we have to our startups, Damani said. “A large portion of our team manages portfolios, so they understand what we do for those companies, so they return, and many of them have increased their investment in that portfolio.” According to him, AFV has produced returns on invested capital (the value or performance of an investment relative to its initial cost) of 3.61x and an internal rate of return (IRR) of more than 120%. IRR is a tool used in financial analysis to calculate potential investments’ profitability. ASF was established by Artha Group with the goal of supporting its category-winning startups during their subsequent funding rounds. In the Series B round and the Series C round, this winners-only fund will invest up to Rs 20 crore each.

FAQ

• How many funds are looked at by the Artha Group?

Ans. Rs 450

• What is the full form of AVF?

Ans. Artha Venture Fund 

1. What is the full form of ASF?

Ans. Artha Select Fund 

Russia brutally retaliated for the attack on the Crimean bridge this morning by launching a hail of indiscriminate missile fire across Ukraine.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was in response to an “act of terrorism” that Ukraine was responsible for.

But it was also Mr. Putin’s response to the hawks in his own camp, who have been growing more vocal and agitated as a result of Russian losses in the conflict.

Those pro-Kremlin officials and TV hosts who were depressed and dejected just a few days ago are now applauding this attack on their neighbor, gloating, and even dancing in social media posts as Ukraine mourns for its dead and sorts through the debris of multiple attacks.

It was Gen. Sergei Surovikin’s first day of work when the missile barrage began.

His appointment this weekend as head of Russia’s war effort was a concession to hardliners by Mr. Putin.

The general was already regarded as brutal due to his resume, which included the indiscriminate Russian bombardment of Syria and the deaths of pro-democracy protesters in Moscow in 1991 during the attempted coup.

His reputation was true this morning.

Russian dismay over the war’s development reached a peak after the attack on the Crimean bridge on Saturday.

The illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, a symbol of Russia’s claim to Ukraine, had gone up in flames, and the hardliners were calling for retaliation with the loudest voices in this conflict.

They had been advocating for attacks on civilian infrastructure for a while, saying that if their soldiers couldn’t be defeated on the battlefield, they should freeze the Ukrainian people into submission this winter.

Propagandist Vladimir Solovyov asked when we would actually start fighting, claiming it was better for Russia to be feared than laughed at.

FAQ

• Where does the attack take place?

Ans. Crimean bridge 

• What were the words of the President of Russia?

Ans. It was an act of terrorism, and Ukraine is responsible for it. 

• When did the illegal annexation of Crimea take place?

Ans. 2014