DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Opinion | Iran and Israel Weren’t Always Enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Karim Sadjadpour | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“History is littered,” the British writer and politician Enoch Powell said, “with the wars which everybody knew would never happen.”A full-blown conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel once seemed implausible. Iran and Israel are not natural adversaries. In contrast to other modern conflicts — between Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan — Iran and Israel have no bilateral land or resource disputes. Their national strengths — Iran is an energy titan and Israel is a tech innovator — are more complementary than competitive. Iran was the second Muslim nation, after Turkey, to recognize Israel after its founding in 1948.

Persons: Enoch Powell, specter, King Cyrus the Great Locations: Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, United States, Iran, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, Turkey

☆ Zelensky assassination plot: Two Ukrainian security officials detained over plan to kill president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Olga Voitovych | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Two Ukrainian security officials have been detained for planning to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the country’s State Security Service (SBU). Two Ukrainian government protection unit colonels have been detained and are accused of leaking classified information to Russia, the SBU said Tuesday, after it “exposed a network of agents” belonging to Russia’s state security service (FSB). A woman from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv was arrested in August 2023 in connection to a plot to assassinate Zelensky. She was accused of gathering intelligence about Zelensky’s planned visit to Mykolaiv in order to plan a Russian airstrike to kill him. The plot was uncovered by Ukrainian authorities and the man was later detained and charged in Poland.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, Kyrylo, Zelensky’s, Prosecutors, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis Organizations: CNN, country’s State Security Service, State, Ukrainian, Defence Intelligence Locations: Russia, “, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mykolaiv, Russian, Polish, Republic of Poland, Jasionka, Poland, Odesa

☆ A Chinese fighter jet popped flares in the path of an Australian military helicopter in an 'unsafe' Yellow Sea intercept, Canberra says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Australian government said Monday that a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet released flares dangerously close to an Australian Defence Force helicopter over the weekend. The PLAAF jet intercepted the Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter attached to HMAS Hobart in the Yellow Sea and "released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter," the Australian government said in a statement. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said a Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft popped flares about 300 meters in front of the helicopter and about 60 meters above it, per reporting from the AP. Related stories"This was an unsafe manoeuvre which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel," the statement said. This isn't the first incident involving a Chinese jet engaging in troubling behavior in the vicinity of an Australian aircraft.

Persons: —, Operation, Richard Marles Organizations: Service, Liberation Army Air Force, Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, ADF, Business, Australian Defense, China, of Defense, Military, Security, U.S Locations: Hobart, North Korea, Chinese, Canberra, Beijing, Australian, China, People's Republic of China

☆ China has a lot more missiles — with US warships and bases in its sights
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

American warships and bases in the Pacific are within reach of an increasingly worrying threat, a missile force unlike anything the US has faced in combat. With these missiles, China is signaling that it could attack US bases and ships in the region with little to no warning, Clark said. TK Department of DefenseThere's a lot more to the Chinese Rocket Force than these weapons, though. AdvertisementThat said, the US and its allies can't afford to assume the Rocket Force won't be ready should conflict come. In other words, how the US prepares itself and adapts to the Chinese Rocket Force gives it the best shot at avoiding a fight altogether.

Persons: China's, Andersen, Thomas Shugart, Bryan Clark, John Aquilino, Kevin Frayer, Harry Harris, Harris, Clark, Shugart, Gerald R, Kendall Warner, Byrd, US Defense Department Harris, Robert Peters, Peters, Ronald Reagan, Andrea Rosembert, Cpl, Ryan Little, Charles Flynn, I'm, Flynn, it's, Andy Wong Organizations: Business, Army Rocket Force, Pentagon, China's Rocket Force, Department of Defense TK Department of Defense, Center, New, New American Security, US Navy, PLA, Hudson Institute, Pacific Command, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Eastern Theater Command, People's Liberation Army PLA, Getty, Rocket Force, Liberation, TK Department of Defense, Chinese Rocket Force, US Defense Department, Ford, Virginian, Tribune, Service, Japan, Self, Defense Force, Misawa Air Base, Pacific, US, Defense, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, Army, Heritage Foundation, Aegis, Guam, Area, Ronald, Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense, Department of Defense, US Air Force, Marine Corps, Andersen Air Force Base, Marine, Combat, US Army Pacific, Stealth, Force, Military Locations: Beijing, China, American, Guam, South, Washington, Japan, New American, People's Republic of China, South Korea, Taiwan, South China, AFP, U.S, Marshall, Pearl, Pacific, PLARF, Tiananmen

☆ Turkey halts trade with Israel over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Turkey has halted all import and export transactions with Israel in protest over the war in Gaza. “All import and export transactions related to Israel, including all products, have been stopped,” Turkey’s trade ministry said in a statement Thursday. Thursday’s measures by Turkey follow the introduction last month of restrictions on its exports to Israel after the Turkish foreign minister accused Israel of denying a request to airdrop aid to Gaza. Turkey is one of the biggest donors of aid to Gaza, according to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 34,600 Palestinians as of May 1, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.

Persons: “, ”, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel Katz, Katz, Israel, Turkey’s, Eyad Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamas, territory’s Ministry of Health Locations: Turkey, Israel, Gaza, “ Turkey, “ Israel, Territories, Republic of Turkey, Gaziantep

☆ Urris: Irish moonshine and the village that declared itself an outlaw republic
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Yolanda Evans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Back in the 19th century, however, this county was at the center of an illegal trade in poitín – or Irish moonshine. Inishowen in particular was such a hive of illegal activity that the area was jokingly referred to as the Urris Poitín Republic. Fed up with the heavy fines, the people of Urris declared themselves the independent nation of the “Urris Republic of Poitín” and sealed themselves in by collapsing the pass in 1812, McLaughlin-Doherty explains. The townspeople were able to be self-sufficient because of their farmlands and fishing, thus allowing the Urris Republic of Poitín to last for three years before the coup was ended in 1815. The Catholic Church, a stronghold in Ireland, was instrumental in the eventual curbing of illegal poitín production.

Persons: there’s, Malin, –, uisce, Innis Murray, Martin Hegarty, Jennifer McLaughlin, Doherty, “, Urris, McLaughlin, Poitín, ”, Pat Doherty, poitín, Clara Molden, Aengus King, Pádraic Ó Griallais, Poitin, Ó Griallais Organizations: CNN, Donegal, distillers, Irish Ancestral Tours, Research, “, Catholic, Camera, Drinks, Micil Distillery, Revenue, Department, Agriculture Locations: Inishowen, Ireland’s, There’s, Clonmany, Lenan, poitín, Republic, Ireland, Sligo, Urris, Poitín Republic, Poitín, Urris Republic, Republic of Urris, Ireland’s Shannon, Dublin, Drinks Ireland, Galway, “, Britain

☆ China is an enemy of the U.S. for a growing number of Americans, Pew poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the Republic of China. Americans overwhelmingly hold an unfavorable view of China, with an increasing number labeling the nation as an enemy of the United States, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday. Half the respondents identified China as a competitor, while 6% saw it as a partner to the U.S. The polling results come at a contentious time between the world's top two economies and ahead of the U.S. presidential elections. The survey also found that those who say the current U.S. economic situation is bad are more likely to blame China and hold unfavorable opinions of the country.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ByteDance, Pew Organizations: Pew Research Center, D.C, U.S, Democratic Locations: United States, America, Republic of China, China, Washington, U.S

☆ First British royal visits Ukraine since Russian invasion began
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. The duchess is a champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Sophie met survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture, as well as children who were allegedly forcibly separated from their families by Russia, according to Buckingham Palace. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh lights a candle as she visits Saint Andrew's Church on April 29, 2024 in Bucha, Ukraine. In March 2023, Prince William visited the Ukrainian-Polish border to meet British and Polish troops and learn more about their collaboration in supporting Ukraine.

Persons: Duchess, Buckingham, Sophie, Edinburgh, Prince Edward , King Charles ’, “, ” “, ”, Anatolii, Volodymyr Zelensky, Olena Zelenska, ” Buckingham, Prince William Organizations: CNN, United Nations, CNN’s Royal, Ukraine, Andrew's Church, Democratic Locations: Edinburgh, Ukraine, Russia, Buckingham, Bucha, Kyiv, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of, Congo, Colombia

☆ As the U.K. Tries Moving Asylum Seekers Offshore, Ireland Pushes Back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s newly ratified plan to put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda has drawn objections from human rights groups, British and European courts, the House of Lords and even some members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The Irish government said last week that asylum seekers in Britain who fear being deported to Rwanda are instead traveling to Ireland. Irish officials estimate that 80 percent of recent applicants for asylum crossed into the country via Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and with which the Republic of Ireland has an open border. That suggests that Britain’s vow to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is already having something of a deterrent effect, which was Mr. Sunak’s sales pitch for the policy. On Sunday, Ireland’s prime minister, Simon Harris, said, “This country will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges.”

Persons: Rishi, Simon Harris, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, Northern Ireland Locations: Rwanda, Ireland, Britain, Northern, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine

They call it an encirclement of their nation and say the United States is trying to constrain its main economic and military rival. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95-billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. A swarm of Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Yuri Gripas, ” Ely Ratner, Xi, ” Kurt Campbell, Joseph Wu, ”, “, Samuel J, Paparo Jr, Mr, Paparo, Carl Vinson, Richard A, Brooks, Trump, Lloyd J, Austin III, Chen Jining, Jes Aznar, David H, Berger, Obama, Tony Mcdonough, United States —, Admiral Paparo, China’s “ revanchist, we’re Organizations: Australian, U.S, Marines, United, Pentagon, Corps, Mr, White House, White, The New York Times, American, Marine, Green, China’s, Liberation Army, Seoul SOUTH, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, Agence France, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Defense, Communist Party, Tokyo Okinawa, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, Philippines Luzon Partner, Australia Darwin Potential, NATO, Tomahawk Locations: Beijing, United States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Shanghai, South China, South Korea, Guam, Washington, Manila, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Palau, West Papua, Seoul, Tokyo JAPAN CHINA Taipei TAIWAN Hong Kong, GUAM philippines MALAYSIA INDONESIA JAPAN CHINA TAIWAN, philippines GUAM, INDONESIA Seoul, GUAM philippines, MALAYSIA INDONESIA, Philippine, Moscow, Tokyo, Ryukyu Islands, South, Philippines Luzon, Luzon, Spratly, Australia, Canberra, Singapore, Darwin, Australia’s, . North Carolina, Virginia, Perth, United Kingdom, Navy’s, America

☆ US court sentences Chinese citizen to prison for threatening person who promoted democracy in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Rob Frehse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Xiaolei Wu, 26, who attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, was convicted in January of one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication, prosecutors said. Wu is no longer enrolled as a student at Berklee College of Music, the school told CNN Wednesday. CNN previously reported that Wu allegedly sent threatening messages to a person who posted a flier on or near the college campus supporting Chinese democracy, according to the complaint. “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off,” Wu reportedly said on WeChat, a Chinese messaging app. Charging documents allege Wu reported the person to the Chinese government and told them its representatives would “greet” their family members.

Persons: Xiaolei Wu, Wu, ” Wu, Joshua S, Levy, Wu’s, ” Levy, “ Mr, ” Organizations: CNN, US, Berklee College of Music, Federal Public, Office, “, United, People’s, Berklee, Department, Justice Locations: China, Massachusetts, Boston, People’s Republic of China

☆ Opinion: Right now, I’d rather raise my child in Taiwan than America
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Opinion Clarissa Wei | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

My dad still remembers the anxiety that engulfed the island when the United States cut off diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of the People’s Republic of China in 1979. My parents considered America a safe haven and wanted me to grow up with all its comforts. Of course, comparing the United States and Taiwan this way without acknowledging the nuanced socio-political contexts can be misleading. Clarissa WeiThe biggest shift, then, has been how the people of Taiwan perceive the United States. The United States, on the flip side, is the 131st.

Persons: Clarissa Wei Editor’s, Clarissa Wei, “, ”, Annabelle Chih, there’s, Tyrone Siu, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ Wei, Ting Yen, I’m, nodded, Billy H.C, Kwok, It’s, Republican —, Xi Jinping, “ Trump Organizations: Taipei CNN, CNN, America, Metro, Trump, Taiwan, Franklin & Marshall College, 131st, San Francisco Bay Area, China’s Communist Party, Republican Locations: Taiwanese American, Taipei, Taiwan, China, United States, People’s Republic of China, America, Los Angeles, Taiwanese, Kaohsiung, San Francisco Bay

☆ China's latest supersonic spy drone looks a lot like the Lockheed D-21 that crashed there in 1971
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The aircraft, shaped like a dart and painted black, was a D-21 supersonic reconnaissance drone. Ultimately unsuccessful, the drone would be relegated to the annals of aviation history if not for the appearance of a strikingly similar Chinese drone unveiled at a recent military parade. AdvertisementThis is what we know about the high-flying Chinese spy drone and the D-21 upon which it could be based. High altitude, high speedLockheed's solution was to create an unmanned high-altitude high-speed reconnaissance aircraft with similar capabilities as the A-12, but much smaller. A WZ-8 reconnaissance drone is on display at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition on September 28, 2021 in Zhuhai, China.

Persons: —, Francis Gary Powers, Dwight Eisenhower, Marquardt, Bill, Ray Torrick, Chen Xiao, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Air Force, 4200th Support Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Business, Lockheed Corporation, Soviet, White House, CIA, Central Intelligence Agency, Lockheed's, Works, Redesignated, Navy, US Air Force, Chinese Aviation Museum, Davis, Monthan Air Force Base, 13th China International Aviation, Aerospace, US National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, 29th Air Regiment, People's Liberation Army Air Force's 10th Bomber, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Modern, Institute Locations: Guam, China, Soviet Union, Soviet, Yunnan, Beijing, Tucson , Arizona, United States, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China, Liuan, Korean, Taiwan, Pacific, West

☆ Washington wrestles with ‘new equation’ of direct attacks between Iran and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Throughout the week, US officials had urged Israel not to retaliate for Iran’s unprecedented attack five days prior, when hundreds of missiles and drones were fired from inside Iran at Israel. US intelligence has long assessed that neither Iran nor Israel has any appetite for an outright war. Iranian officials have stated publicly that Iran’s policy toward Israel has changed. Then, on April 1, an Israeli strike on what Iran claims was an embassy in Syria killed seven officials, including two senior Iranian commanders. “Israel and Iran are going to be starting higher on the escalatory ladder for every future moment of conflict and that is incredibly dangerous,” said Panikoff.

Persons: Biden, ”, Hossein, Israel’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Israel, Bill Burns, George W, “, Frank McKenzie, ” McKenzie, Maher Al Mounes, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Jonathan Panikoff, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Karim Sadjadpour, Qassem Soleimani, Iran —, Iran messaged, Donald Trump, stridently, —, McKenzie Organizations: CNN, Israel, Iran, US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CIA, Bush Presidential Center, Iranian, US Central Command, Getty, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran’s, Carnegie Endowmernt Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran, Tehran, ” Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dallas, Syria, Syria's, Damascus, AFP, Lebanese, Iran’s, Iraq

☆ A US Navy transport ship deployed to help operate the floating port in Gaza returned home after an engine fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Konstantin Toropin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A US Navy ship deployed to help build a floating pier in Gaza returned home after an engine fire. USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo deployed to transport equipment to operate the temporary port. AdvertisementAn M1A1 Abrams tank is off-loaded from the USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo off the shore of Pohang, Republic of Korea. AdvertisementUSNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo and USNS Pililaau anchor off the coast of Pohang, Republic of Korea. Australian dock workers secure USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo while members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force begin offloading.

Persons: John P, Bobo, —, Pat Ryder, Cpl, Mark W, Stroud, MV Roy P, Baldomero Lopez, Sal Mercogliano, Military.com, Frank S, Besson, Joshua Fulton, Mercogliano, horrendously, I've, You've, Scott Reel, Ryder Organizations: US Navy, USNS, Service, Navy, Pentagon, Army, MV, sealift, Naval Beach, USNI News, U.S . Navy, Marine Corps, Australian Defence Force, Defense Department Locations: Gaza, Jacksonville , Florida, Pohang , Republic of Korea, Tenerife, Africa, Azores, Souda, Greece

☆ Opinion | How to Be Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli and Pro-Iranian
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend was a game-changing escalation that requires some game-changing rethinking on the part of Israel and its most important ally, the United States. I call it “the three-state solution.”It begins with the recognition that there is probably zero hope for any resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the Israel-Iran conflict without leadership change in Tehran, Jerusalem and Ramallah. “This region won’t see any meaningful peace or stability so long as this current government is in power in Tehran,” explained Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. To paraphrase Shimon Peres about prospects for change in Iran, the good news is there is light at the end of that tunnel. The bad news is that today there is no tunnel.”

Persons: ”, Karim Sadjadpour, Shimon Peres Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Israel, United States, Iran, Tehran, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanese, Yemenis

☆ Ex-CIA director says Israel could use 'covert' operations to retaliate against Iran's drone strikes without escalating the conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA former CIA director says Israel could take a covert, rather than an overt, response against the Iranian drone strikes that took place on Saturday. They can pursue asymmetric attacks, cyberspace, and so forth," former CIA director and retired general David Petraeus told CNN on Sunday. The airstrike had reportedly killed several top Iranian military commanders. AdvertisementAnd that, Petraeus told CNN on Sunday, isn't something that Iran wants to see. Representatives for Petraeus did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Israel, David Petraeus, Petraeus, BI's Rebecca Rommen, Mossad's, Brent Crude Organizations: Service, CIA, CNN, Business, United Nations, UN, NY, Atlantic Council, New York Times, Business Insider Locations: Washington, Iran, Israel, Jordanian, Iranian, Syria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Damascus, Tehran, Iraq's Kurdistan

Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran's response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute,” Ambassador Iravani added. Citing self-defense against repeated Israeli military aggressions, Iravani said the strikes were specifically in retaliation to an Israeli attack on April 1 against what Iran says were diplomatic facilities in Damascus. Iran claims the attack violated international law and led to the death of seven Iranian military advisors, including key commanders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The statement also criticizes the United Nations Security Council for “failing to uphold international peace,” allowing Israel to “breach” established international norms and “escalate” regional tensions. However an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN that their intelligence showed the building was not a consulate and was instead “a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iravani, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, ” Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, Representative, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations Security Council, Revolutionary Guards, Israel Defense Forces, CNN Locations: Ashkelon, Israel, Reuters Iran, Tehran, Syria's, Damascus, “, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iranian, Quds

☆ US shoots down Israel-bound drones fired from Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US military remains poised to provide "defensive support" to Israel, the official said. AdvertisementThe US military on Saturday shot down drones fired by Iran and headed toward Israel amid Iran's retaliatory strike on the country. Advertisement"The matter can be deemed concluded," the official statement read. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!"

Persons: —, Adrienne Watson Organizations: Israel, Saturday, BI, Service, Business, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Nations Locations: Iran, Israel, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Islamic Republic of Iran, United States

☆ China is giving Russia significant support to expand weapons manufacturing as Ukraine war continues, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese and Russian entitles have also been working jointly to produce drones inside of Russia, one of the officials said. And Russia’s rapidly expanding production of artillery rounds is due, in large part, to the nitrocellulose coming from China, officials said. The support from China is compensating for the significant setbacks that Russia’s defense industry experienced early in the Ukraine war due to US sanctions and export controls. The US has not seen any interruption to the ongoing Chinese support since that Biden-Xi phone call, though sometimes it takes time to see changes come to fruition. Earlier this month Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivered China a warning of “significant consequences” if Chinese companies provide support to Russia for the Ukraine war during her trip to the country.

Persons: ”, Chris Cavoli, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Biden, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Janet Yellen, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Biden, People’s, European Command, Russia Locations: China, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Kyiv, “, People’s Republic of China, reconstituting, Europe

☆ Fact checking Trump and Johnson’s election integrity announcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Facts First: The system, as it is currently set up, is working, and effectively prevents mass voting by non-citizens in US elections. Despite Johnson’s focus on this topic, it is extremely rare, according to decades of voting data and nonpartisan experts. In federal and state elections, where voting by non-citizens is illegal, it occurs on a microscopic level. This system, as shown from decades of data, is very effective at stopping non-citizens from registering and voting in federal elections. Further, from a common-sense perspective, there’s little to gain for an undocumented immigrant who theoretically wants to vote in a presidential election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, ”, Johnson, ” Johnson, David Becker, Brennan, There’s, they’d, Rick Hasen, you’re, Trump, Hillary Clinton, CNN’s Marshall Cohen, ” Trump, Trump’s, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Daniel Dale Trump, Biden, Trump baselessly, “, Matthew Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Colangelo, Joe Biden, Gainor Trump, ’, Roe, Wade, Roe V, Wade ”, Read, Daniel Dale Organizations: CNN, Election Innovation, Research, Brennan Center for Justice, UCLA School of Law, Trump, Democratic, Mar, Manhattan District Attorney, Biden, Justice Department, US Customs Locations: United States, Venezuela, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, York, Manhattan, Mar

☆ China is worried about overcapacity, too — but it sees the problem differently than the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US treasury secretary raised concerns about China's overproduction in her recent visit to the country. China has hit back at her concerns, but it's also concerned about overcapacity, an economist says. Just like the US and all of China's trading partners, Chinese authorities are concerned about industrial overcapacity and want to curb it. She added that China's trade surplus with the world meant there might be fewer incentives for Beijing to tackle the issue. AdvertisementAnalysts expect the US debate over its trade issues with China to heat up heading into the presidential election season.

Persons: it's, —, Yue Su, Su, Janet Yellen, Janet Yellen's, Yellen, Li Qiang, Mao Ning, Mao Organizations: Service, Economist Intelligence Unit, European Union, EU, Commerce Department Locations: China, Beijing, People's Republic of China, Thailand, EU, —

☆ Ukraine isn't the only country Russia is trying to topple
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even as Russian bombs pound Ukraine, Moscow's mercenaries and spies are busy trying to set much of the rest of the world afire. To Russia, the conventional warfare waged in Ukraine, and unconventional "gray zone" warfare waged around the world, are two sides of the same coin. Human intelligence operations are used to attempt elite capture through the offer of assistance to politicians who support Russian interests. "As the war in Ukraine protracts, Russia has an interest in creating crises further afield," said RUSI. "As a lot of Russia's unconventional operations are self-defeating, countering Russian unconventional warfare must be premised on careful, selective, and intelligence- driven targeting," the study emphasized.

Persons: —, RUSI, Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds, Britain —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Business, Kremlin, Soviet Union, NATO, Directorate, Staff of, Armed Forces, Getty, Russian, Central African, Wagner, GRU Expeditionary Corps, Convoy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Soviet, Montenegro, Moscow, Moldova, Russian, Britain, Ukraine protracts, Balkans, Russia's, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chechnya, Forbes

☆ China’s Xi to host former Taiwan president in Beijing, in rare meeting echoing bygone era of warmer ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Joint concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness under Xi, including toward Taiwan, are a key driver of that summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping shakes hands with then Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou before their meeting in Singapore on November 7, 2015. Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou speaks to reporters ahead of his visit to China at the Taoyuan International Airport on April 1, 2024. Ma Ying-jeou” or former chairman of the KMT, with no mention of his former role as the president of Taiwan. Reaction in TaiwanMa’s itinerary – and his meeting with Xi – has been closely watched in Taiwan.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Ma Ying, Xi, Chiang Kai, Eric Chu, Ma, ” Chu, Lai Ching, Joe Biden, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Roslan Rahman, Amanda Hsiao, “, underscoring, ’ ”, Tsai Ing, –, Lai, Lai’s, fixating, ”, ” Sung, China –, Ma’s, Hsiao, Yan Zhao, Mr, Sun, Xi –, Sung, ” Ma, James Chen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, Kuomintang, KMT, China’s, shek’s Nationalists, –, Democratic Progressive Party, CNN Beijing, Japanese, Getty, International Crisis, Atlantic, “, Taoyuan International Airport, Communists, Nationalists, Atlantic Council, Taiwan’s Tamkang University, DPP Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Singapore, Washington, Japan, Philippines, AFP, Taoyuan, Guangzhou, Republic of China, Shaanxi, United States, China . Washington

☆ Nijole Sadunaite, Lithuanian Nun Who Opposed Soviet Rule, Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Nijole Sadunaite, a fearless but forgiving Roman Catholic nun and anti-Soviet Lithuanian nationalist who was inspired by Pope John Paul II and publicly hailed by President Ronald Reagan, died on March 31 in Vilnius. Her death was confirmed by Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, laureate of the Freedom Prize of the Republic of Lithuania, which was also given to Sister Sadunaite in 2018 for her defense of democracy and human rights. In 1975, Sister Sadunaite (pronounced sah-DOO-nay-teh) was arrested by K.G.B. agents who had stormed an apartment where she was writing an underground newspaper, The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, which documented abuses against Christians in the Baltic state. “I had typed six pages when I was caught, so I effectively got one year for every page,” she told The Atlantic in 1994.

Persons: Nijole, Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, Sadunaite, “, ” Organizations: Catholic Church Locations: Soviet Lithuanian, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania, Baltic

Search resuls for: "Republic of"

25 mentions found