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☆ I shot at hostile helicopters in a US Army trainer with weapons Ukraine was given to do the same, and scoring a kill is harder than it looks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taking out simulated enemy helicopters proved to be surprisingly difficult. Avenger training involves a simulator called the Institutional Conduct of Fire Trainer. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderInside a cubicle for Avenger training. AdvertisementDuring this simulation, I was once again tasked with taking out enemy helicopters. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAfter making this determination and locking on to a target, I engaged the helicopter by squeezing the Stinger's trigger.

Persons: —, Jason Epperson, Jake Epstein, Pierre Crom Organizations: US Army's Air Defense Artillery School, Service, Mobility Multipurpose, NATO, US Army, FIM, Business Locations: Fort Sill, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Crete, cubicles, Iraq, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Inside the US Army's 'Stinger Dome,' scoring a kill with the weapons Ukraine got to shoot down Russian helicopters is harder than it looks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taking out simulated enemy helicopters proved to be surprisingly difficult. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderInside a cubicle for Avenger training. AdvertisementDuring this simulation, I was once again tasked with taking out enemy helicopters. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderOutside the Stinger Dome. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAfter making this determination and locking on to a target, I engaged the helicopter by squeezing the Stinger's trigger.

☆ Analysis-West Africa's 'Brexit' Moment Spells Trouble for the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger, ruled by a junta since a coup last year, agreed to develop military ties. Russian military personnel flew into Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou last week to ensure the safety of the country's military leader. EMPTY THREATECOWAS has responded to a wave of coups in the region since 2020 with sanctions that the juntas have called "illegal and inhumane." "The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing this region," said Abba.

Persons: Bate Felix, David Lewis, Giulia Paravicini, Seidik Abba, Russia's Wagner, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Charlie Robertson, Kwesi Aning, Gilles Yabi, Adama Coulibaly, Nagnouma Keita, Abba, Tiemoko Diallo, Boureima, Silvia Aloisi, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Giulia Paravicini DAKAR, West, West African States, Reuters, Islamic, FIM Partners, European Union, ECOWAS, CFA Locations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Russia, Ivory Coast, Niger . Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Ghana, Togo, Benin, France, United States, Burkina Faso's, Ouagadougou, West Africa, United, London, Bamako, Guinea, China

☆ Unions call for one-day strike at Stellantis' Melfi plant in Italy over new models
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Stellantis sign at the entrance of the carmaker's factory in Hordain, France, July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Unions called for a one-day strike at Stellantis' (STLAM.MI) Melfi plant in southern Italy on Sept. 18 over lack of new details by the carmaker about its future production there, UILM, FIM-CISL, Fismic and Uglm said on Friday. The Franco-Italian group in June said it planned to produce five new models in Melfi - where it employs more than 5,000 workers - with the fifth one "subject to performance improvement". Marco Lomio, the local head of UILM, said Melfi workers are called to an 8 hour strike on each of Monday's three scheduled shifts, with a total halt of the facility on that day. The strike is not related to the ongoing action by United Auto Workers in the U.S. at three factories owned by General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor (F.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis.

Persons: Pascal, Melfi, Uglm, Marco Lomio, Stellantis, Giulio Piovaccari, Federico Maccioni, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Thomson Locations: Hordain, France, Italy, Italian, Melfi, U.S

☆ British commandos have trained hundreds of Ukrainian marines in the 'art' of amphibious raids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For six months, British Royal Marines have been training hundreds of Ukrainian marines in "the art" of conducting commando raids and complicated amphibious operations. The British Royal Marines Commandos are one of the best amphibious-warfare units in the world. Ukrainian marines training with British Royal Marines in March 2023. Ukrainian marines training in the UK in February 2023. Ukrainian marines could also join the shadowy fight taking place in the marshes and inlets of the Dnipro River Delta.

Persons: Mark Johnson, Ben Wallace, Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: British Royal Marines, Ministry of Defence, British Royal Marine Commandos, British Royal Navy, Royal Navy, British Commandos, UK Royal Marines, British Royal Marines Commandos, Commandos, Royal Marines, Argentine, British Marines, Naval Center of Special, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Crimean, Crimea, British, Argentina, East Falkland, Dnipro, Russian, Delta

☆ Egypt hopes BRICS entry will lure foreign cash, but analysts counsel patience
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Patrick Werr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, on Thursday invited Egypt and five other countries to join, and Egypt immediately welcomed the offer. "The group's aim of reducing dollar transactions will lower the foreign currency pressure in Egypt," the cabinet said in s statement on Thursday. Monica Malik of ADCB said BRICS membership may eventually help Egypt attract more investment. "Egypt has two deep needs - FDI and a cheaper debt burden - and BRICS membership can help with both," Robertson said. The BRICS group on Thursday also invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join.

Persons: Egypt Mostafa Madbouly, MARCO LONGARI, Abdel, Fattah, Sisi, Monica Malik, ADCB, Charles Robertson, " Robertson, Robertson, James Swanston, Patrick Werr, Nafisa Eltaher, Sarah El Safty, Giles Elgood Organizations: Rights, New Development Bank, FIM Partners, United, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Egypt, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights CAIRO, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, UAE

☆ Tumbling rouble claws back ground as central bank to meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Putin's economic adviser Maxim Oreshkin earlier said the central bank could ensure that the pace of lending drops to sustainable levels with higher rates. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future." Asked earlier whether it might make an emergency hike from the current 8.5%, the central bank declined to comment. "The central bank is not fully in control," independent Moscow-based economist Ian Melkumov told Reuters. "The central bank doesn't want to kill the economy and businesses in the same way it had to last year," he said.

Persons: Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, rouble, Putin, Maxim Oreshkin, Oreshkin, Denis Popov, Popov, Matt Vogel, REUTERS Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Vladimir Solovyev, Ivan, Timothy Ash, Ian Melkumov, Alexander Marrow, Marc Jones, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Christina Fincher Organizations: TASS, of Russia's, FIM, Moscow News Agency, Handout, REUTERS Central Bank Governor, Popular, Kremlin, Reuters, BlueBay Asset Management, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, London

Kenyan shipments of tea - its major export - have fallen by a fifth over the last year, according to the local regulator. The spike in global interest rates has already tipped Sri Lanka and Ghana into defaulting. Reuters GraphicsBLACK MARKETAlthough the dollar's share as a global reserve currency has dropped to 59% from 70% over a decade, it continues to dominate global trade. Nigeria has long had a web of multiple exchange rates which it is now trying to untangle, having also devalued its naira currency again last week. A plunge of around 70% in Bolivia's reserves has spawned queues at banks and currency exchange shops as some merchants stopped accepting local currency.

Persons: Wilson Muthaura, KTDA, Charlie Robertson, Muthaura, David Willacy, Ojo, Chaucer, Ronal, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Kristalina Georgieva, William Ruto, Duncan Miriri, Marc Jones, Macdonald Dzirutwe, Monica Machicao, Mayela Armas, David Sherwood, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank, FIM Partners, Reuters Graphics, Workers, REUTERS, La Paz, West, Reuters, JPMorgan, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LONDON, Pakistan, COVID, Russia, Ukraine, London, Islamabad, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tunisia, teetering, Nigeria, Kenya, StoneX, Nigeria's, Lagos, British, Cuba, Venezuela, Githunguri, Kiambu County, United States, Lebanon, Turkey, Ethiopia, China, India, Johannesburg, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Argentina, Nairobi, La Paz, Caracas, Havana

ABUJA, June 14 (Reuters) - Nigeria's central bank allowed the naira currency to drop as much as 36% on the official market on Wednesday, days after the central bank governor who oversaw much-criticised multiple exchange rates was suspended. The naira hit a record low of 750 to the dollar on the official market, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, down from a previous low of 477 naira to the dollar struck on Tuesday. Traders said the central bank had removed trading restrictions on the official market. Central bank governor Godwin Emefiele was suspended late last week, after new President Bola Tinubu criticised Emefiele's handling of the currency and monetary policy at his inauguration. Tinubu has called on the central bank to work towards a unified exchange rate, rather than the multiple exchange rates Emefiele oversaw to keep the naira artificially strong.

Persons: Godwin Emefiele, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, Emefiele, Charlie Robertson, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Alexander Winning, Chizu Organizations: Traders, FIM Partners, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Central, Lagos, Johannesburg, London

☆ Analysis: North Africa backslides toward swirling debt troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Making debt payments could become almost impossible. EGYPTEgypt's finances also look stretched despite it securing a $3 billion IMF rescue plan in December. The rating agency, which downgraded Egypt's credit rating again on Friday, highlights that only default-stricken Sri Lanka would need to pay more. "It would not be immaterial if it were to default" Ross said about the impact on global money managers. "These very wealthy Gulf countries have generally enhanced financial stability in the region," via their support he added.

☆ Marquez will not serve penalty for Portugal crash, says FIM
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Honda rider Marc Marquez will not serve a double long lap penalty imposed for his crash with Miguel Oliveira in Portugal, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) said on Tuesday. Marquez was granted a stay of execution last month on the penalty imposed after the six-times premier class champion locked up and barged straight into Oliveira, with both crashing out in the season-opener. "Marc Marquez is hence allowed to compete in the next race in which he will be able to participate, without any further sanction," FIM said in a statement. Marquez, who won his last title in 2019, has scored only seven points this season after finishing third in the sprint race in Portugal. The 30-year-old is targeting a return at the next round at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans, which will host the 1,000th Grand Prix in history.

☆ MotoGP cancels inaugural Kazakhstan race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - MotoGP has cancelled its first race in Kazakhstan due to the circuit not being ready and will not replace it on what is now a 20-round calendar, the sport said on Wednesday. Kazakhstan last September agreed a five year deal for the Sokol International Racetrack outside Almaty to stage MotoGP races. The inaugural race had been scheduled for July 9 as the ninth round. MotoGP is keen to expand its presence in Asia, with India also set to debut in September with a race at the Buddh International circuit near New Delhi. It also takes away a possible 37 points from the championship, with each race weekend now a double scoring opportunity thanks to a sprint race on every Saturday as well as the main Sunday event.

☆ Front-line NATO allies worry they could be next after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are getting ready for a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. More boots on the groundSome leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said.

☆ Shaq was finally served in FTX lawsuit over the weekend, after a 3-month chase
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Will Gendron | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shaquille O'Neal was finally served in an FTX lawsuit over the weekend following a three month chase. Shaquille O'Neal was served papers over the weekend in a lawsuit involving the fallen crypto firm FTX — after a three month chase, according to a law firm representing investors in the suit. "Plaintiffs in the billion $ FTX class action case just served @SHAQ outside his house," The Moskowitz Law Firm tweeted Sunday night. O'Neal had evaded getting served the lawsuit for three months, according to additional tweets from the law firm. Following the collapse of FTX, O'Neal tried to separate himself from the fiasco, noting to CNBC that he was "just a paid spokesperson."

☆ IDB Invest, Banco de Bogota announce $230 mln sustainability bond
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 17 (Reuters) - The private investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank's parent group on Friday announced alongside Colombia's Banco de Bogota the issue of a sustainability bond worth $230 million funding social and climate projects. Sustainability bonds are a form of debt instrument in which the proceeds are used to finance or re-finance a combination of both green and social projects. Banco de Bogota will use the funds to finance a portfolio of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises led and owned by women, it added, as well as low-income and priority housing. The Washington-based Inter-American Development Bank, along with its subsidiaries, is among the top providers of development finance in Latin America. IDB Invest said the funds generated by the new sustainability bond will also be used to pay for green buildings, renewable energy, energy efficiency projects, circular economy and sustainable agriculture.

☆ Russia has been sending captured US Javelins and Stingers from Ukraine to Iran, which may be able to reverse-engineer the technology: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been capturing US and NATO-provided Javelins and Stingers on the battlefield in Ukraine. It has been sending the captured weapons to Iran, which could reverse-engineer the weapons, per CNN. Russia also believes that providing the captured weapons to Iran encourages the maintenance of an alliance between the two countries, the sources said. Earlier reports have suggested that Iran is sending ammunition and military drones to Russia, with US and NATO officials telling Foreign Policy this month that Russia and Iran are increasing defense ties. In the 1970s, Iran successfully reverse-engineered the American BGM-71 TOW missile, creating a replica anti-tank-guided missile called the Toophan.

☆ Stellantis, unions agree 2,000 voluntary job cuts in Italy this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and unions signed an agreement to cut up to 2,000 workers from the carmaker's Italian operations this year through voluntary redundancies, workers' representatives said on Monday. The redundancies amount to more than 4% of Stellantis' current workforce in Italy of around 47,000 people, FIM, UILM, Fismic, Uglm and Aqcfr unions said in a joint statement. Incentives will vary based on seniority and proximity to retirement age, the unions added. Proposed packages will be smaller for younger workers, while office workers will also be offered relocation schemes, unions said. The deal adds to at least two previous accords Stellantis and unions signed last year for more than 2,500 voluntary layoffs in Italy.

☆ Stellantis, unions agree 2,000 voluntary exits in Italy this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ PE firm Bridgepoint takes a majority stake in Equativ, valuing the adtech firm at around $370 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bridgepoint Development Capital has taken a majority stake in the adtech firm Equativ. It values Equativ at 350 million euros, or $371 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. Private equity firm Bridgepoint has taken a majority stake in Equativ, the French adtech company formerly known as Smart Adserver, the pair said on Thursday. A person familiar with the matter said the deal values Equativ at 350 million euros, or around $371 million. Bridgepoint raised 1.7 billion euros for its BDC IV fund, while Croissance had raised 100 million euros.

☆ Rockefeller Capital's Greg Fleming on the $98 billion firm's plans to double assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wall Street veteran Greg Fleming founded Rockefeller Capital Management almost five years ago. Wall Street veteran Gregory Fleming launched wealth fim Rockefeller Capital Management in 2018 with the goal of hitting $100 billion in assets by 2023. If anything, the market turbulence has led to more inbound interest from clients, Fleming told Insider. He added that there is still potential to convert more wealth management clients into advisory clients and vice versa. For us, a lot of it is about the fit with the Rockefeller global family office," he said.

☆ Inside the lives of some of the most powerful people on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We're highlighting profiles we've done of some of the most powerful people on Wall Street. They are, as you will see, largely white males — a telling reminder of who still wields the power throughout most of Wall Street. Gregg Lemkau was considered a future CEO candidate at Goldman Sachs before he shocked Wall Street by leaving for Michael Dell's investment firm in 2020. Soft-spoken types can sometimes get bulldozed on Wall Street, where so-called alphas often reign supreme. Inside his strategy for turning Goldman into the Amazon of Wall Street.

☆ Italian auto groups view 8.4% pay hike request as too high, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Four auto groups believe pay increase requests proposed by Italian unions, including a 8.4% annual rise for next year, is too high, the UILM union said on Wednesday as talks got underway. The FIM-CISL, UILM, Fismic, UGLM and AQCF unions also requested wage increases of 4.5% for 2024 and 2.5% for 2025 to help workers recover purchasing power lost due to a Europe-wide spike in consumer price inflation. He added Stellantis considered the new contract it is discussing with unions a "valuable tool" to achieve its competitiveness ambitions in Italy. Unions and the companies have scheduled seven more meetings to be held between mid-November and mid-December. Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari Editing by Cristina Carlevaro, Mark Potter and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italian unions to start wage talks next week with Stellantis, Ferrari
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Giulio Piovaccari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Italy's unions will meet representatives of companies including carmakers Stellantis (STLA.MI) and Ferrari (RACE.MI) on Oct. 26 to start talks over wage increases, a senior official from the UILM union said on Thursday. On Wednesday FIM-CISL, UILM, Fismic, UGLM and AQCF unions said their delegates had approved a proposal presented last week by their leaders for new four-year contracts for most workers in Italy at Stellantis, Ferrari, Iveco (IVG.MI) and CNH Industrial (CNHI.MI). The proposal includes a request for a wage increase of 8.4% for next year to counter rising inflation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe meeting will be held next Wednesday morning in the northern city of Turin where Stellantis, Iveco and CNH Industrial have their Italian headquarters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Giulio Piovaccari Editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy unions to pursue 8.4% wage claim at Stellantis and Ferrari
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Stellantis logo is seen on the company's headquarters in Poissy near Paris, France, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesMILAN, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Italian union delegates on Wednesday approved a proposal presented by their leaders to seek a wage rise of 8.4% for next year at Stellantis, Ferrari, Iveco and CNH Industrial, setting the scene for formal talks with the industrial groups. Consumer prices rose 8.9% year on year in Italy in September and workers are seeking higher wages in response. Leftist union FIOM is not part of these talks and has presented its own separate requests. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Giulio Piovaccari; editing by Agnieszka Flak and Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Egypt seeking to push forward critical IMF deal in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Patrick Werr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Oct. 3 that Egypt and the fund were close to a deal. Egypt's newly appointed central bank governor, Hassan Abdalla, and long-servicing finance minister Mohamed Maait are leading the talks in Washington, where a number of countries squeezed by global pressures are seeking support. The central bank has been tapping into its own reserves and borrowing from local banks to support the pound against the dollar. As of the end of June, the government had a total of $155.7 billion in foreign debt. Egypt had made good progress on three likely IMF demands, said James Swanston of Capital Economics.

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