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☆ South Africa has failed its Black majority. Nelson Mandela’s political heirs may pay the price
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, crippling power cuts and feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind. Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation. ‘Elite enrichment’Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights. Millions of South Africans still live in such informal settlements. “The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day.

Persons: ”, Nelson Mandela’s, —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Leon Sadiki, BEE, Moeletsi Mbeki, Thabo Mbeki, White, “, Tshediso Matona, Anders Pettersson, Black, …, Kganki Matabane, Matthew Parks, Matona, Mbeki, Ricardo Hausmann, Jacob Zuma, Haroon Bhorat, Michele Spatari, ” Bhorat, hasn’t, ANC “, Zuma, Ramaphosa, Cas Coovadia, Hausmann Organizations: Johannesburg CNN, National Congress, ANC, World Bank, Oxford Economics, Harvard University, Democratic Alliance, Bloomberg, Getty, South African Institute of International Affairs, Wits University, CNN, ”, BBEE, Black Business Council, South African Trade Unions, Harvard’s, University of Cape, South Africa’s Free, International Monetary Fund, Fitch, IMF, JPMorgan, Shell, Unilever, Business, Business Unity, Harvard Growth Locations: London, Johannesburg, Sudan, Africa, Alexandra, South Africa, Leon, Isipingo, KwaZulu, Natal, South, ”, University of Cape Town, loadshedding, Namahadi, Frankfort, Business Unity South Africa

☆ China calls on foreign businesses to share their problems as investment slumps
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While the Commerce Ministry meeting did not reveal much new progress on the 24 measures to support foreign business that were announced last summer, attendees said they were able to share specific challenges about doing business in China. The ministry said representatives from more than 60 foreign businesses and 9 associations attended Wednesday's roundtable. Foreign direct investment into China has fallen to its lowest level in three years, according to official data, amid geopolitical tensions and slowing growth in the country. Hart said that it's hard for companies not yet in China to complete due diligence and approve new investments. Biden, who faces re-election this fall, has emphasized the need to compete with China while finding areas of cooperation.

Persons: Aly Song, MofCom, Jens Eskelund, Eskelund, Michael Hart, Hart, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Reuters, Reuters BEIJING — China's Ministry of Commerce, Commerce Ministry, EU Chamber of Commerce, Cyberspace Administration of, China's Ministry of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce, U.S, U.S . Transportation Department Locations: China, U.S, Yiwu, Zhejiang province, Reuters BEIJING, Beijing, Cyberspace Administration of China, San Francisco

☆ China rushes to swap Western tech with domestic options as U.S. cracks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

China spent 1.4 trillion yuan ($191 billion) replacing foreign hardware and software in 2022, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2%, according to IT research firm First New Voice. Two firms awarded the Harbin tenders were subsidiaries of China Electronics Corporation and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation - both heavily targeted by U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Department of Commerce, China Electronics Corporation and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation did not return requests for comment. Despite heavy spending on domestic substitution, however, foreign firms are still dominant suppliers for banking and telecoms database management. Non-Chinese companies held 90% of market share for banking database systems at the end of 2022, according to EqualOcean, a tech consultancy.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Kendra Schaefer, Mo Jianlei, Eric Zheng, Brenda Goh, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Beijing, Reuters, New, Trivium China, Liberation Army, Tech, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BMC, U.S, Cyberspace Security, China Telecommunications Corporation, Qualcomm, U.S . Treasury, Google, Apple, China Electronics Corporation, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Microsoft, Adobe, China Tobacco, Microsoft Windows, Chinese Academy of Engineering, European Union Chamber of Commerce, of Commerce, Shanghai, U.S . Department of Commerce, HUAWEI, Huawei, IDC, Financial, Lenovo, HK, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING, Washington, State, Beijing, Gansu province, Harbin, Xiamen, U.S, American, Shanghai

MADRID/BRASILIA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Argentina and Brazil are requesting 12.5 billion euros ($13.2 billion) in financial aid from the European Union in talks to conclude a trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc, according to a document seen by Reuters. Three EU and South American diplomats confirmed the Argentine request, which is backed by Brazil, in the rotating presidency of the four-nation Mercosur. A European diplomat involved in the talks told Reuters the 12.5 billion euros number was "floated" but that any support "would not be anything like that figure." The new aid request was made in a Mercosur counterproposal to an EU addendum proposing environmental safeguards. But the financial aid request and reopening of the public procurement chapter could prevent a final deal this year.

Persons: videoconferences, Xiana Mendez, Belen Carreño, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European Union, South America's Mercosur, Reuters, EU, South, Argentine, Mercosur, Thomson Locations: MADRID, BRASILIA, Argentina, Brazil, Mercosur, Uruguay, Paraguay, European, Brussels, Brasilia, Valencia

[1/5] A new building for earthquake survivors is under construction in Diyarbakir, Turkey August 26, 2023. With work underway on a fraction of the planned new buildings in the devastated city of Adiyaman, Kaplan fears a long wait together with his disabled wife and other survivors. One senior government official with direct knowledge of the reconstruction plan said the target could be missed, citing insufficient fresh funding to hold new tenders amid rising costs. They both said the effort had taken a blow when fewer companies bid for the reconstruction tenders after a post-election economic policy U-turn in June sent the currency plunging. "Our budget resources have been prepared for this huge, comprehensive project and can be updated when necessary," Erdogan's office said.

Persons: Stringer, Ismet Kaplan, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Kaplan, Bayir, Adiyaman, Turkey's, Mehmet Ozhaseki, Arvid Tuerkner, Mert Arslanalp, Erdogan's, Arslanalp, Mehmet Simsek, Simsek, Tahir Tellioglu, Tellioglu, Umit, Ezgi Erkoyun, Nevzat Devranoglu, Jonathan Spicer, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, Coordination Council, European Bank for Reconstruction, Erdogan's AK, Istanbul's Bogazici University, TAG, Construction, Thomson Locations: Diyarbakir, Turkey, Rights ISTANBUL, Adiyaman, Netherlands, Belgium, Syria, Hatay, Malatya, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Ankara

☆ At Taser maker Axon, ex-staff say loyalty meant being tased, tattooed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Scottsdale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +34 min

Reuters also interviewed 63 current and former Axon employees, including nine former executives. No one with whom Reuters spoke was aware of deaths or lawsuits stemming from tasings of Axon staff. Axon has faced fewer lawsuits since 2009, the year it introduced a new Taser model with a lower charge. Screenshots from an Axon promotional video show CEO Rick Smith taking a Taser hit in 1993, the year he co-founded the business. And that’s off-putting.”Gorman, the former Axon lawyer, said he “vividly” remembers an executive asking him if he was going to be tased.

Persons: Ross Blank, Blank, Steve Tuttle, Shawn Gorman, ”, Jennifer Chatman, Rick Smith, Andrea James, ” James, Axon’s, tasings, ” Blank, Tuttle, Staff tasings, “, Valencia Gibson, Gibson, Reuters –, Axon’s “, Bro, Josh Isner, Isner, James, –, Ann Rosenthal, Rosenthal, ” Rosenthal, Sigma Chi, Smith, ” Smith, ” Michael Church, Hans Marrero, Marrero, ” Marrero, “ I’m, ’ ” Smith, “ It’s, ” Gibson, ” ‘, impressionable, squinting, Keara, Rylan, Mihir Shah, ” Shah, Mario Barth, “ Willing, It’s, Isaiah Fields, Wayne Guay, Lamar Cousins, Cousins, Kevin De Rosa Jr, De Rosa, ” Isner, Smith’s, De Rosa bellowed, They’re, ” Gorman, You’re, Jeffrey Dastin, Paresh Dave Art, John Emerson, Julie Marquis Organizations: Enterprise Inc, Reuters, Haas School of Business, University of California, Staff, Scottsdale, Yorker, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, federal, Safety, Health, Labor, Sigma, Harvard, Sigma Chi, Boston Magazine, Harvard’s Sigma Chi, U.S . Marine Corps, YouTube, Employment, Los, Keara Berlin, ” Employees, Los Angeles Police Department, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, strapping, Culture Locations: Berkeley, Rome, United States, Arizona, U.S, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, “, Berlin, Sacramento, San Jose , California, tasings, Mandalay, Scottsdale, wasn’t

One well-placed Liberal source said Defence Minister Anita Anand was in the running to take over at Treasury Board, which has overall control of government spending. The Liberal source said seven ministers would be leaving the cabinet. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp, which also said seven would go, named Justice Minister David Lametti and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino as among the departees. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, 53, said he would leave the cabinet immediately and not run in the next election. Public Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek, 72, and Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, 69, said they also would not run again.

Persons: Justin Trudeau's, Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Anita Anand, David Lametti, Marco Mendicino, Omar Alghabra, Helena Jaczek, Joyce Murray, Carolyn Bennett, Alghabra, David Ljunggren, Paul Simao, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: OTTAWA, Liberal Party, Innovation, Treasury Board, Liberal, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Public Safety, Public Procurement, Fisheries, Mental, New Democrats, Thomson Locations: Jaczek

☆ Brussels to curb imports of Chinese green tech -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - The European Union is planning to introduce restrictions on the import of green technologies from China, reducing the chances of Chinese companies winning public contracts and creating additional barriers for buyers seeking subsidies, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Public procurement bids using products from a country with more than 65% EU market share would be downgraded, the report said, citing a draft of the Net Zero Industry Act seen by the newspaper. The European Commission's trade directorate is, however, concerned that the proposed revisions to the public procurement rule book may violate international law, people familiar with the matter told FT.On Tuesday, Financial Times had reported that the European Union was seeking fresh ways to monitor how European companies invest in production facilities overseas, in an attempt to limit China's ability to acquire new technologies from the West. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A post-Erdogan Turkey could come in from the cold
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The six-party coalition challenging the ruling AK Party plans to stamp out inflation, which official figures put at 58%. The six-party coalition should probably do this pre-emptively to gain extra economic credibility, though it seems unlikely to do so. These have soared following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, as some Western goods now go to Russia via Turkey. Nathalie Tocci, a former special adviser to two EU foreign policy supremos, shares this view. But it is not too early to think about how to bring Turkey in from the cold if he loses.

☆ Hungary must bolster judiciary 'very soon' to recover billions from EU, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hungary must bolster the independence of its judiciary "very soon" to stand a realistic chance of getting any of the 15.4 billion euros envisaged for Budapest from the European Union's COVID recovery stimulus, said a top official in the bloc. Hungary can get some 5.8 billion euros ($6.20 billion) in free grants and another 9.6 billion euros in cheap loans from the EU but the bloc has suspended any payments until Budapest implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption. NO TRUSTThe EU Commission has put an end-year deadline on accessing the COVID funds, though several countries have already said they need more time to spend the large emergency aid package. "Those supermilestones for the judiciary have to be done soon" for that to be realistic, said Jourova. The bloc has also long frowned at what international watchdogs say is Orban channelling EU funds to associates to entrench himself in power.

BRUSSELS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Producers of clean technologies like renewable hydrogen and batteries could receive faster permits under European Union plans to support industries facing U.S. and Chinese competition, a draft document showed on Monday. Specific projects considered important to developing clean technology supply chains could also receive speedier permits, said the draft, which could still change before it is published. Potential options include batteries, carbon capture and storage, renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, energy storage, and low-carbon construction technologies, although the EU will assess which projects to make eligible, the draft said. The EU would also set goals to expand these industries by 2030, to ensure they keep up with Europe's growing needs for clean energy and products. Brussels is looking to create more EU-wide standards for clean technologies - potentially by defining requirements for net-zero emissions products, which could then guide national governments' public procurement of such goods, the draft said.

☆ Malawi vice president arrested over corruption, says graft watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BLANTYRE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested the country's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima over graft allegations, it said on Friday. Chilima would be taken to court where he was expected to be charged with three counts of corrupt practices by a public officer, among other charges, the corruption watchdog said in a statement. The statement alleged Chilima was rewarded for assisting Xaviar Limited and Malachitte FZE, two companies connected to British businessman Zuneth Sattar to be awarded contracts by the Malawi Government. In August, the Financial Times reported that Sattar was under investigation by Britain's National Crime Agency over alleged abuse of Malawi's public procurement system. Earlier this year, Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera dissolved his entire cabinet on charges of corruption against three serving ministers.

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical companies could be made to disclose prices and deals agreed for any products they make to fight future pandemics, under new rules being drawn up by the World Health Organization and reviewed by Reuters. During the pandemic, many deals that governments made with pharmaceutical companies have been kept confidential, giving them little scope to hold drugmakers accountable. A spokesperson for the WHO said it was member states that were driving the current process towards a new agreement. "The process is open, transparent, and with the input from other stakeholders, including any interested stakeholders and public, able to submit comments at public consultations." The draft will be presented to them in full in a meeting on Friday, after being circulated earlier in the week.

Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying missiles made by MMZ Avangard against ground targets since Russia launched what it terms its "special operation" on Feb. 24. "Extreme equipment is used on Russian warships," the complaint said, "in communications systems." "It was necessary to use a cover because the Russian company is blacklisted in the U.S.," one of the people familiar with the shipments said. The executive said he had never heard of Extreme or of DEMZ buying Extreme equipment for itself or on behalf of others. Like MMZ Avangard, United Shipbuilding has been listed as a "blocked" entity by the U.S. Treasury since July 2014.

☆ EU official: Deficiencies in public procurement and corruption among Hungary's biggest challenges
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEU official: Deficiencies in public procurement and corruption among Hungary's biggest challengesJohannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration at the European Commission, discusses the remedial measures that Hungary has committed to.

☆ Hungarian government to submit anti-corruption bill to avoid losing EU funds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban waves at the audience during general session at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., August 4, 2022. Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power since 2010, has clashed with Brussels repeatedly over his policies that it sees as eroding democracy in the Central European country. He said Budapest would likely secure the pending deal but that would not resolve all the outstanding disagreements over other chunks of EU funds. Like most EU countries, Hungary last year submitted its blueprint on how it would use EU grants to make its economy more environmentally friendly and high-tech after the COVID-19 pandemic. It has yet to receive approval on that as well because of EU concerns over corruption, and the rule of law.

"It's about breaches of the rule of law compromising the use and management of EU funds," said EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn. The 7.5 billion euros in question amounts to 5% of the country's estimated 2022 GDP. Navracsics expressed hope that the Commission would be reassured by the implementation of the reforms and withdraw its proposed sanctions against Hungary by Nov. 19. The Commission is already blocking some 6 billion euros in funds envisaged for Hungary in a separate COVID economic recovery stimulus over the same corruption concerns. Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of EU funds spending in 2015-2019, according to the bloc's anti-fraud body OLAF, by far the worst result among the 27 EU countries.

☆ UNDP Moldova: Procurement Associate - UNDP Moldova Country Office
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-29 | by ( Alte Articole | ) www.civic.md time to read: +13 min

BackgroundUnder the guidance and direct supervision of the Procurement Analyst/Head of Procurement Unit, the Procurement Associate provides leadership in execution of procurement services in CO ensuring their effectiveness, transparency and integrity. CO Procurement business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Procurement and Logistics, control of the workflows in the Procurement Unit. Organizes procurement processes for CO, NIM/DIM projects and at the request of other Agencies focusing on achievement of the following results:Preparation of procurement plans for the office and projects and their implementation monitoring. Review of procurement processes conducted by projects; submissions to the Contract, Asset and Procurement Committee (CAP) and Advisory Committee on Procurement (ACP). Ensures implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools focusing on achievement of the following results:Development and update of the rosters of suppliers, implementation of supplier selection and evaluation.

Persons: • Organizations: Procurement Unit, Unit, UNDP HQs, Organization, UN, UNDP, Logistics, Procurement, ., Procurement Committee, Management Systems, Business, Administration, United Nations Locations: Moldova, Republic of Moldova

☆ The EU and the “changing” Eastern neighborhood - between “post-factum diplomacy” and realpolitik, Analysis by Dionis Cenușă
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-14 | by ( ) www.ipn.md time to read: +21 min

The EU and the “changing” Eastern neighborhood - between “post-factum diplomacy” and realpolitik, Analysis by Dionis CenușăOp-EdThe diversity of realities in Eastern Europe requires from the EU a "differentiated diplomacy" which emerges from the dynamics of local and external factors, dominant in the region ...Dionis Cenuşa, Senior ContributorThe European strategy for the Eastern Neighborhood is losing ground to the ever-changing reality. It is these shortcomings that define European diplomacy of post-factum, which remains relevant in 2020. First of all, Russia has structural levers that can influence the situation on the ground in the Eastern Partnership states. Instead, the emphasis of Westerners is on calming the political situation, without encouraging the opposition to annul the results of the parliamentary elections. Dionis Cenuşa, Senior Contributor Dionis Cenuşa, Senior ContributorAreas of research: European Neighborhood Policy, EU-Moldova relationship, EU's foreign policy and Russia, migration and energy security.

Persons: Cenușă, Dionis Cenuşa, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Maia Sandu's, Fiasco, Igor Dodon, Maia Sandu, Vladimir Putin, oligarch Bidzina, Ivanishvili, Nikol, ”, Ilham Aliyev's, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Hanns Seidel Organizations: EU, European People's Party, Social Democrats, Eastern Partnership, Eastern, Constitutional, Socialist, OSCE, Moldovan, Russian, Hanns Seidel Foundation, IPN Press Agency, Policy, Institute of Political Sciences, Liebig, Justus University, College of Europe, Twitter Locations: Eastern Europe, EU, Belarus, Nagorno, Karabakh, Brussels, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chisinau, Moldovan, Turkey, South Caucasus, Yerevan, Moscow, Baku, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Iran, Ankara, Minsk, Belarusian, Giessen, Germany

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