DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Opinion | Senators Need to Stop the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

An unfortunate symbiosis has developed between pro-Israel culture warriors like Republican Representative Elise Stefanik and the most self-indulgent fringe of pro-Palestinian campus protesters. Together they are, wittingly or unwittingly, shifting attention from the urgent emergency in Gaza, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to defy the United States and invade the southern city of Rafah, to the much smaller problem of campus antisemitism. The United States has none.” Within the movement, I imagine such rhetoric functions as a sign of total commitment, a no-going-back rejection of hollow liberal pieties. Since 2016, pro-Israel politicians have pushed versions of a bill called the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which would codify, for the purpose of enforcing federal civil rights law in higher education, a definition of antisemitism that includes rejection of Israel as a Jewish state. In the past, civil libertarians were able to head such legislation off, but that’s become harder in the current fevered climate.

Persons: Elise Stefanik, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Panther, Kwame Ture, Stokely Carmichael, Israel, that’s Organizations: Palestinian, Columbia, National Lawyers Guild, United, Senate, Semitism Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Rafah, stoke

☆ Senegal sets election date after protests sparked by delay
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Mitchell Mccluskey | Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Senegalese President Macky Sall has scheduled the country’s presidential election for March 24, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. “The President of the Republic informed the Council of Ministers that the date of the presidential election has been set for Sunday, March 24, 2024,” the statement read. However, Senegal’s Constitutional Council barred his attempts to delay the election, ruling that it must be held before April 2, when Sall’s second and final term expires. In a communique from the council of ministers, Ba “reaffirmed his support” for Sall’s decisions and “reiterated his thanks and gratitude” for the president. Nineteen candidates are registered to run in the election, according to the Constitutional Council.

Persons: Macky Sall, “, Sall, Amadou Ba, Sidiki Kaba, Ba “, ” Organizations: CNN, of Ministers, Sunday, Sall, Council, Interior, Constitutional Council Locations: Republic, West African

☆ ‘Mom, You’re Not Grunge Enough’: Olivia Rodrigo Fans Thrash in the Desert
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Callie Holtermann | Molly Matalon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On Friday, just outside Palm Springs, Calif., you might have thought a strange mirage had appeared: One or two zillion tweens descended upon an arena, all wearing platform Doc Martens. Had some official communiqué been issued, at a frequency undetectable to those older than 25? Had everyone been subconsciously nudged to pair boots with fishnets and leg warmers? No one seemed to care that it was hot out. What did matter was that the boots, punky symbols of past musical rebellions, were central to the unofficial-but-conspicuously-official uniform of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour, which began that night.

Persons: tweens, Doc Martens, communiqué, Olivia Rodrigo’s Locations: Palm Springs, Calif

The two sides issued a joint communique, stating Japan's long-term support in helping Ukraine achieve economic stability. Japan hopes the conference will build momentum for international support for Ukraine as the war drags on and attention has diverted to the Gaza situation. The conference is largely about reconstruction and investment in Ukraine, but it’s also about Japan’s national security. Its support for Ukraine comes amid fear of China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japan, in cooperation with other Group of Seven members, hopes to link the Tokyo conference to a separate Ukraine reconstruction conference to be held in Germany in June.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, ” Kishida, “, Denys Shmyhal, ”, it’s, Yoko Kamikawa Organizations: TOKYO, “, Ukraine, of, Japan External Trade Organization, Russia, ”, Seven Locations: Japan, Ukrainian, Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Gaza, East Asia, States, Tokyo, Germany

Under cover of darkness a year ago Friday, someone breached a waist-high fence and slipped into the Central Park Zoo. The break-in happened steps from the shared headquarters of the New York City Parks Department and the Central Park Zoo, in the vicinity of at least one surveillance camera. Since the zoo suspended efforts to re-capture Flaco in February 2023, there has been no public information about the crime. In 2021, another beloved Central Park owl, Barry, was fatally struck by a truck after ingesting a lethal dose of rat poison that may have impaired her flying. He’s also lucky.”Flaco spent his initial months of freedom mostly in Central Park, which is loaded with wildlife, but has lately preferred more urban sections of Manhattan.

Persons: Flaco, hadn't, ”, Jacqueline Emery, “, Max Pulsinelli, Nicole Barrantes, Jerry Vlasak, we’re, Barry, Suzanne Shoemaker, “ He’s, He’s, ” Flaco, David Barrett, Barrett, “ It’s, “ We’re Organizations: Central, Zoo, Fifth, New York City Parks Department, Central Park Zoo, Parks Department, North American Animal Liberation Press Office, Wildlife Conservation Society, Manhattan Locations: York, Maryland, Central Park, Manhattan, North America

☆ Opinion: We Brits don’t need tea-brewing advice from Americans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Opinion Rosa Prince | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Almost exactly 250 years after the Sons of Liberty dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbour, a professor from Bryn Mawr College has committed a crime against the British cuppa very nearly as grave. What purports to be a nice cuppa accompanied not by good honest cow’s milk but some kind of yellow citrus thing. Or, god forbid, arrives not in a good honest tea bag, but taking the false form of — shudder — tea leaves. You’re offered a cuppa char if you’ve given birth, witnessed a murder, come home from a crappy day at work. Whether in the seas of Boston Harbour or some mad prof’s lab in rural Pennsylvania, tea and salt do not mix and that, my Yank friends, is that.

Persons: Rosa Prince, Michelle Francl, Rosa Prince Rosa Prince, …, we’ve, Rosie Lee, limey, You’re, you’ll, ” Organizations: POLITICO, CNN, Bryn Mawr College, Embassy, Brit, Tetley, Boston Harbour Locations: London, Boston, Iceland, It’s, LA, Midtown Manhattan, Bucket Indiana, New York City, British, Ribena, Sri Lanka, Pennsylvania

☆ China mourns Kissinger — ‘a most valued old friend’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Farewell, old friend of the Chinese people,” said a top comment with thousands of likes. In July 1971, Kissinger became the first high-ranking US official to visit Communist China. Long after Kissinger left office, Beijing had regarded the well-connected diplomat as a potential helping hand in navigating the increasingly hawkish views towards China in Washington. State broadcaster CCTV called him a “living fossil” who witnessed the development of US-China relations. The tectonic shift in US-China relations that was formalized some eight years later opened the door for extensive economic engagement starting from the early 1980s.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, ”, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wang, “, Kissinger, Washington –, Richard Nixon’s, Scott Kennedy, Washington . Long, Xie Feng, centenarian, ” Xie, – Kissinger, Biden, Xi, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Wang Yi, Nixon, Alfred Wu, Lee, ’, Wu, “ Kissinger, ” Wu, Zhou Enlai, Kennedy, China …, ” Kennedy Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CCTV, Xinhua, Foreign, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, Flying Tigers, CSIS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Weibo, United States, Washington, Communist China, “ China, American, selfTaiwan, Japan, Soviet Union, Moscow

☆ Henry Kissinger, the towering American diplomat, dies at age 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marty Steinberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

President Gerald Ford (left) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talk together in the Oval Office, February 19, 1975. In his 2001 book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," social critic Christopher Hitchens called him a war criminal. North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho (left) and US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger at the Paris peace talks, January 1973. Chairman Zedong of the People's Republic of China meets U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Nov. 12, 1973. On a helicopter during the period of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger talks to his wife, Nancy.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, —, Richard Nixon's, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Richard Corkery, Duc Tho, Gerald Ford, Benjamin E, Ford, Warren Burger, Kissinger's, Paula, Gene, Forte, Seymour M, Hersh bashed Kissinger, Walter Isaacson's, Christopher Hitchens, Greg Grandin, Niall Ferguson, Kant, Clausewitz, Bismarck, Barry Gewen, Gewen, Elizabeth Holmes, Nixon, George Shultz, Holmes, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Louis, Walter, Hitler, Kissingers, Fritz Kraemer, William Yandell Elliott, Spengler, Toynbee, Metternich, Castlereagh, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Mike Wallace, Wallace, Kennedy, Johnson, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Sen, George McGovern, McGovern, Nguyen Van Thieu, Reg Lancaster, Tho, Thieu, Mao, Gen, Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Nicolae Ceausescu, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Dirck, Sen, Henry Jackson, Charles Vanik, Brezhnev, Spiro Agnew, Archibald Cox, Cox, Robert Bork, White, Alexander Haig, Anwar Sadat, David Hume Kennerly, Marxist Salvador Allende Gossens, Fidel Castro's, Martin Bernetti, Allende, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Pinochet, Ann Fleischer, Elizabeth, David, Nancy Maginnes, Rockefeller, Jill St, John, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Liv Ullman, Diane Sawyer, , Napoleon, Nancy, David Rubinger, Maginnes, Moshe Dayan, Robert Dallek, Nixon's, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Paula Kissinger, Brooks Kraft Organizations: Gould, Kissinger Associates, National Security, Waldorf, Astoria, Richard Corkery | New York Daily, Forte, Soviets, State, Chief, New York, Theranos Inc, Economic, Nuremberg, George Washington High School, City College of New, Army, 84th Infantry Division, U.S ., Hesse . Harvard, Harvard, Confluence, Foreign, Eisenhower, Republican, Republican National Convention, Rockefeller and Michigan Gov, Democratic, District of Columbia, US National Security, Getty, Paris Peace, North, Nationalist, China, Bettmann, East Pakistan, of, U.S, Soviet Union ., Ballistic, Soviet, Washington, Egyptian Third Army, Department, West, Marxist, Museum, AFP, CIA, Israeli, Southern California Quaker, White, Partners, Power Locations: New York City, U.S, Connecticut, Richard Corkery | New, United States, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, Soviet Union, Communist China, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Chile, Pakistan, Theranos, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Fuerth, Germany, Bavarian, American, Nazi Germany, London, New York, City College of New York, Ahlem, Hanover, German, Krefeld, Hesse, Cambodia, Massachusetts, Haiphong, Paris, North, China, Washington, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Moscow, India, East, Bangladesh, Shanghai, USSR, Soviet, Kremlin, Dirck Halstead, Ohio, Saudi, Japan, Sinai, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, Americas, Santiago, Cuba, Chilean, America, Europe, Virginia, Southern California

☆ Jack Ma positive on Alibaba, will continue to hold shares - South China Morning Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Founder and Chairman of Chinese internet giant Alibaba Jack Ma gives a speech at Paris' high profile startups and high tech leaders gathering, Viva Tech, in Paris, France May 16, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma is "very positive" about the company and will continue to hold its shares, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday, citing a communiqué from his office. The comments from Ma's office come a day after a regulatory filing showed that his family trust was set to sell 10 million American Depository Shares of Alibaba Group Holdings (9988.HK), for about $871 million. The sale will be on Nov. 21 by JSP Investment and JC Properties, funds that are part of Ma's family trust. Ma stepped down as Alibaba chairman in 2019 but remains a major shareholder through his family trust.

Persons: Jack Ma, Charles Platiau, Alibaba, Ma, Yuvraj Malik, Saumyadeb Organizations: Viva Tech, REUTERS, China Morning Post, Alibaba Group Holdings, HK, JSP Investment, JC, Hong, Alibaba, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Hong Kong, Bengaluru

Biden and Xi try direct diplomacyThe mood music was upbeat but pragmatic after the first face-to-face meeting in a year between President Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. There was no joint communiqué after Wednesday’s talks, but both sides issued positive statements trumpeting where they found common ground, including on tackling climate change and improving communications. The leaders agreed to restart military communications that were suspended last year after Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House, visited Taiwan. Larry Fink of BlackRock and Steve Schwarzman of Blackstone reportedly sat at the Chinese leader’s table. The measure would keep the federal government funded through early next year, clearing the way for President Biden to sign the legislation.

Persons: Biden, Xi, Wednesday’s, Nancy Pelosi, —, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Steve Schwarzman, Blackstone, Tim Cook, Albert Bourla, Ray Dalio, ” Richard McGregor, DealBook, “, they’re, Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Nelson, Trian Organizations: Hyatt Regency, Apple, Pfizer, Bridgewater Associates, Lowy Institute, SpaceX, Tesla, Nvidia, Disney, ValueAct Capital, 13D, Microsoft Locations: San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Iran, Israel, Australia, Ukraine

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas militant group is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far been vague about its long-term plans for Gaza. Diplomats in Washington, the United Nations, the Middle East and beyond have also started weighing the options. The statement will present the G7's "united stance" on the Middle East situation, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. The G7 group of wealthy, industrialised nations is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating in the talks.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Eli Cohen, Hirokazu Matsuno, Netanyahu, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Foreign, Group, Wall Street Journal, Union, Gaza, Diplomats, United Nations, Reuters, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, TOKYO, Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, China, Washington, Palestinian, United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: People hold a rally to protest against Israel's attack on Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan October 16, 2023. From the beginning of the conflict, Japan has sought a "balanced" response, in part due to its diverse diplomatic interests in the region and its dependency on the Middle East for oil. A spokesperson for Japan's foreign ministry said it was expected that countries have different positions, but denied that G7 members were struggling to find common ground. A statement issued by G7 trade ministers from a meeting in Osaka late last month did not mention the war. Other group members have issued joint statements.

Persons: Issei Kato, Thomas Gomart, Koichiro Tanaka, Hideaki Shinoda, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Kunihiko Miyake, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, David Brunstromm, Steve Scherer, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Japan, European Union, French Institute of International Relations, Israel, Health, Hamas, Tokyo's Keio University, United Nations, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon Institute for Global Studies, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United, Israel, United States, Osaka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington, Ottawa

So-called frontier AI refers to the latest and most powerful systems that take the technology right up to its limits, but could come with as-yet-unknown dangers. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also scheduled to discuss AI with Sunak in a livestreamed conversation on Thursday night. One of Sunak’s major goals is to get delegates to agree on a first-ever communique about the nature of AI risks. However, in the same speech, he also urged against rushing to regulate AI technology, saying it needs to be fully understood first. A White House official gave details of Harris’s speech, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss her remarks in advance.

Persons: Google's Bard, Rishi Sunak's, Kamala Harris, who’s, Elon Musk, Ursula von der Leyen, Yoshua, Sunak, Harris, Biden’s, Jill Lawless Organizations: —, British, Safety, U.S, White, Associated Locations: BLETCHLEY, England, London, China, Bletchley

Now, frontier AI has become the latest buzzword as concerns grow that the emerging technology has capabilities that could endanger humanity. The debate comes to a head Wednesday, when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts a two-day summit focused on frontier AI. In a speech last week, Sunak said only governments — not AI companies — can keep people safe from the technology’s risks. Frontier AI is shorthand for the latest and most powerful systems that go right up to the edge of AI’s capabilities. That makes frontier AI systems “dangerous because they’re not perfectly knowledgeable,” Clune said.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, It’s, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Google’s, Alan Turing, Sunak, ”, Jeff Clune, Clune, Elon, Sam Altman, He’s, Joe Biden, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua, ” Clune, “, it's, Francine Bennett, Ada Lovelace, Deb Raji, ” Raji, it’s, shouldn’t, Raji, DeepMind, Anthropic, Dario Amodei, Jack Clark, ’, Carsten Jung, Jill Lawless Organizations: British, U.S, European, University of British, AI Safety, European Union, Clune, Ada, Ada Lovelace Institute, House, University of California, ” Tech, Microsoft, Institute for Public Policy Research, Regulators, Associated Press Locations: Bletchley, University of British Columbia, State, EU, Brussels, China, U.S, Beijing, London, Berkeley

☆ Gaza: EU stops short of calling for ceasefire ahead of UN vote as crisis escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Andrew Raine | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +34 min

Shadi Tabatibi/Reuters Relatives mourn for a family killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 21. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Palestinians inspect a destroyed area following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on October 21. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters A woman mourns over a dead man at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City on October 18. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Ramez Mahmoud/AP A plume of smoke rises in the sky over Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9.

Persons: Jordan, –, Ayman Safadi, Khan Younis, Mahmud Hams, Gilad Erdan, ”, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Daniel Hagari, Francisco Seco, Yasser Qudih, Tsafrir, Ali Mohmoud, Lifshitz, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Mohammed Abed, Violeta Santos Moura, Mai Yaghi, Mohammed Zaanoun, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Ariel Schalit, Jalaa Marey, Said Khatub, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Nir Oz, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Ali Jadallah, Belal al Sabbagh, Mohammed Saber, Khan, Rizek Abdeljawad, Ahmad Gharabli, Janis Laizans, Abed Khaled, Mohammed Dahman, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Ronen Zvulun, Belal Khaled, Abed Rahim Khatib, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brendan Smialowski, Biden, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Mustafa Hassona, Mahmoud Khaled, Samar Abu, Fatima Shbair, Dor Reder, Shir Torem, Wahaj Bani Moufleh, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Hatem Ali, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Majdi, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Oded, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Joe Biden’s, John Kirby, Mohammad Shtayyeh, ” Shtayyeh, Al Jazeera, ‘, Juliette Touma, ” Touma, Jonathan Conricus, Tamara Alrifai, Alrifai, PRCS Organizations: CNN — European Union, UN, UN Security Council, Jordan’s, United Nations Assembly Hall, Palestinian, Hamas, Palestinian Ministry of Health, United Nations, Israel Defense Forces, Qahera, Getty, Reuters, AP Rescuers, Pictures, Tel Aviv University, AP, New York Times, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Al, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, Ben Gurion International, Shifa, West Bank, Aris Messinis, Haim, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, CNN, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Rockets, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Gaza Health Ministry, Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Health, Authority, of Health, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, UNRWA, Palestine Red Crescent Society Locations: Gaza, Brussels, Israel, AFP, Tel Aviv, Shaja’iyah, Taba, Egypt, Gaza City, Ichilov, Najjar, Rafah, Kibbutz Shefayim, Israeli, Lebanon, Deir al, Anadolu, Khan Younis, Europe, Zahra City, Xinhua, East Jerusalem, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Aqsa, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Al, Ahli, Sderot, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Beit Kama, Haifa, Cyprus, Nablus, West, Kfar Saba, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Kibbutz Be'eri, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, ”, Ramallah, UN, Gaza . Israel, Palestine

☆ Ukraine suspends Black Sea grain corridor over threat from mines, warplanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis-flagged bulker TK Majestic, carrying grain under the UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Caliskan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ukraine has suspended the use of its new Black Sea grain export corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines, the Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy and a British security firm said on Thursday. Wheat futures had been pressured this week by hopes that Ukraine would expand grain exports, as well as rain relief in dry crop belts worldwide. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that he had ordered Russian warplanes with Kinzhal missiles to patrol the Black Sea. Ukraine shipped up to six million tons of grain a month from its Black Sea ports before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Persons: Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Vladimir Putin, Ambrey, Taras Vysotskiy, Gus Trompiz, Jonathan Saul, Tom Balmforth, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Barva Invest, Barva, Ukrainian Seaport Authority, Russian Air Force, Thomson Locations: Kitts, Nevis, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Ukraine, Kyiv, British, Moscow, Chicago, Russian, Snake Island, Russia, Black, Ukrainian, Paris, London

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva did not mention the new conflict at opening events. The inability to respond extended to chair's statements issued by the Group of 20 major economies and the IMF and World Bank steering committees, which failed to mention the conflict. "You know, without peace, it's hard for people to get stability, growth, look after their children, get jobs," he said. But conflicts remain the biggest challenge to the global economy, said Josh Lipsky, a former IMF official who directs the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. "Geopolitical shocks are economic shocks now and economic shocks are geopolitical shocks - and they're trying to detach the two."

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, that's, Rachel Nadelman, Joe Biden, China's Xi, Ajay Banga, Josh Lipsky, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Giles Elgood Organizations: Global, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, West Bank, Reuters, Research Center, Group, GeoEconomics, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, United States, China, Bali, Africa

The Group of 20 major economies did reach consensus on an official communique but omitted any mention of the Israel-Hamas war. Senior World Bank Group officials were more pointed in a statement to staff, saying they were "shocked and appalled by the unprecedented escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza." "We condemn terrorism in all forms, including the abhorrent targeting of innocent civilians and kidnapping," the leaders of the World Bank, the International Finance Corp and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, said in an internal statement seen by Reuters. "Geopolitical shocks are economic shocks now and economic shocks are geopolitical shocks - and they're trying to detach the two." Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Giles Elgood and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, that's, Rachel Nadelman, Joe Biden, China's Xi, Ajay Banga, Josh Lipsky, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Giles Elgood, Stephen Coates Organizations: Global, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, West Bank, Reuters, Research Center, U.S, Treasury, Bank Group, International Finance Corp, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, GeoEconomics, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, United States, China, Africa

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF/World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of debt, while talks with other official creditors are stalling. There was much talk ahead of Marrakech on revamping the IMF and World Bank to better reflect the emergence of economies like China and Brazil.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Mercy Tembon, Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Ceda Ogada, Kristalina Georgieva, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen, Kate Donald, Ahmed El Jechtimi, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leika Kihara, Elisa Martinuzzi, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Rosario, Balazs Koranyi, Mark John, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank, Finance, International Monetary Fund, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Reuters, Export, Import Bank of, World Bank, Oxfam International's Washington DC Office, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Moroccan, Marrakech, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Brazil, U.S

China, whose economy is now three times the size it was in 2010, continued to push for more IMF shares. IMFC members agreed to add a third IMF Executive Board chair to represent African countries, a key sweetener for the U.S. "equi-proportional quota plan. Pan said China supported this move but it was a separate issue from the shareholding formula. It also called for the IMF's Executive Board to propose options for changes to the shareholding formula by June 2025. This would accelerate the next five-year review of quotas and meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva's call for a deadline on adjusting its shareholding to preserve its credibility.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Kristalina Georgieva, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Kristalina, Georgieva, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher, Franklin Paul, Diane Craft Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, The U.S . Treasury, People's Bank of China, Beijing, IMF's, U.S . Treasury, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, MARRAKECH, U.S, China, CHINA, The U.S, India, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates

☆ G20 Draft Communique Makes No Mention of Middle East Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

Health News Bulletin Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Sign Up Sign in to manage your newsletters »Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.

Organizations: U.S . News, U.S News

☆ US accuses China of global media manipulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China is manipulating global media through censorship, data harvesting and covert purchases of foreign news outlets, the United States said on Thursday, warning the trend could lead to a "sharp contraction" of global freedom of expression. Chinese leaders have sought to combat the negative images of China they feel are spread by world media. It had also invested in satellite networks and digital television services in developing regions that prioritize Chinese state-backed media content. Chinese data harvesting overseas "has enabled Beijing to fine-tune global censorship by targeting specific individuals and organizations," it said. "Unchecked, Beijing's efforts could result in .... a sharp contraction of global freedom of expression," the report said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Michael Martina, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Treasury, Rights, U.S . State Department, NATO, Global, Center, Thomson Locations: United States, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Washington, U.S, .

CNN —South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned on Wednesday that his country and its allies “will not stand idly by” if North Korea receives Russian help to boost its weapons of mass destruction – just days after the leaders of the two nuclear-armed nations held a closely watched summit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia last week for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Yoon’s call to reform the UN Security council during his address at the UNGA, and accused Russia of seeking weapons from North Korea. Still, the talks signaled closer relations between the two countries, both of which face international isolation – Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. As the war drags on, Moscow is desperate for fresh supplies of ammunition – while North Korea ramps up its weapons testing program, eager to advance its nuclear ambitions.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, “, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Yoon, ” Yoon, North Korea “, Antony Blinken, Putin, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: CNN, South, Ukraine –, United Nations General Assembly, UN Security, UN Security Council, UN Locations: Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, South Korea, New York, North Korea, Ukraine, Republic of Korea

☆ Opinion: Ukraine is fighting Russia and making progress. Don’t give up on Kyiv.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Hilary Krieger | Opinion Sébastien Roblin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It’s true that the Ukrainian counteroffensive debuted with conspicuous setbacks and hasn’t advanced as much as hoped. Moreover, land seized by Russia earlier has been used to strike ever deeper into Ukraine, making restoring defensible borders an existential concern. But Kyiv got the ammunition needed to sustain the counteroffensive longer while awaiting expanded factory production of conventional shells in 2024. Putin miscalculated disastrously when he invaded in Ukraine, so he’s now hoping to outlast Western support for Ukraine to rescue what spoils he can. But failing to do so now could entail the US, Europe and Ukraine paying a much higher price later.

Persons: Sébastien Roblin, CNN —, Ukraine’s, Sebastien Roblin, wail, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t, Ukraine didn’t, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Biden, Bradley, Abrams, Putin miscalculated, he’s, Donald Trump, George McClellan, McClellan Organizations: Georgetown University, Peace Corps, CNN, Kremlin, GOP, Ukrainian, Engineers, British Royal United Services Institute, Defense, US, Lincoln Locations: China, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, Kherson, Ukrainian, Crimea, India, Robotyne, Verbove, Tokmak, Melitopol, NATO, British, Europe, Appomattox

☆ Putin and Kim meet in Russia, but what are the main takeaways?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Video Ad Feedback See moment Putin greets Kim at Russian space port 00:46 - Source: CNNAnd there’s potential of something in return for Pyongyang. Kim’s regime is heavily isolated: Multiple rounds of sanctions have targeted North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Even Russia has signed on to North Korean sanctions in the past. So we are still dealing with a major unknown when it comes to a potential technology exchange between North Korea and Russia. The US believes Pyongyang has already been a player in the Ukraine war, providing the Russian mercenary group Wagner with arms.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, ” –, Sergei Shoigu, Russia –, It’s, “, ” Putin, Mort Sahl, Wernher von Braun, Reuters Von, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, North, Vostochny, North Korean, Ukraine, Russian, NATO, North Korea “, Nazi, Reuters Locations: Amur, Russia, Russia’s Far, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korea, North Korea, England, ”, Russian, Europe

Search resuls for: "communiqué"

25 mentions found