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☆ Factbox: Flurry of US-India deals on AI, defense as Biden, Modi meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The following is a roundup of the major announcements:VISASThe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is opening a new consulate in Seattle this year and will soon announce two new consulates in the United States. The MQ-9Bs will be assembled in India, a joint statement said, and U.S. manufacturer General Atomics will also establish new facility in India. ADVANCED COMPUTINGIndia and the United States established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Biden, Katherine Tai, Vikram Solar, Electric's, General Atomics, Atomics, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Indian, U.S, The State Department, United, INDIA, Micron Technology, Micron, United States Trade, World Trade Organization, Minerals Security Partnership, European Union, India’s Epsilon Carbon, VSK Energy, JETS, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Air Force, GE Aerospace's, Tejas, GE, Reuters, SPACE, Artemis Accords, NASA, International Space Station, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, India, Seattle, Gujarat, US, Colorado, China, SPACE India

“The main purpose of this aircraft is to support our ground forces at the front,” he explains. “I think we increase the morale of our ground forces too.”One of the main issues Kyiv’s ground forces have faced as the counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back. "Juice" says the Ukrainian air force would be much more capable of protecting advancing ground forces if it had better aircraft. But the US now says it will train Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft, and the UK and Denmark have been pressing for more. But while Russia maintains technological superiority in the air, it’ll be very difficult for Ukrainian pilots to push Moscow’s pilots out of their skies.

Persons: Russia’s Su, Su, Oleksyi, ”, “, ” Pumba, “ They’re, it’s, Vasco Cotovio, ” Juice, Juice, they’re, Pumba, Oleksyi Reznikov, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ It’ll Organizations: Southern, Southern Ukraine CNN —, ”, Territorial Defense Brigade, NATO, CNN, Defense Locations: Southern Ukraine, Soviet, Ukraine, Russia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Europe, Ukrainian, Moscow, “, United States, Denmark

☆ The future of travel: 10 concepts that will change the way we experience the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Concepts that feel plucked from sci-fi novels and films are quickly making their way into mainstream travel, shaping every step of the journey. Seamus PayneLike air travel, eco-conscious hotels are paving the way for more sustainable travel in the future. HyperloopTTUS entrepreneur Elon Musk has been talking about hyperloop technology – an ultra-high-speed transport system in a low-pressure vacuum tube – for years. Meanwhile, Toronto-based TransPod hopes to bring hyperloop technology to Canada with its eponymous tube-based transportation system powered by renewable energy. By 2025, the company plans to build a 620-mile-per-hour TransPod link between Calgary and Edmonton, connecting the two cities in 45 minutes.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Indira Gandhi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Austin Farmer, we’ll, don’t, David ”, you’ll, Alexander the Great, ” Michael Breer, KAWS, collectables –, Breer, ” Breer, You’ve, ” Jetson, Peter Ternstrom, Apollo, Cruise, ”, what’s, Boom’s, –, Seamus Payne, room2, Marcel Breuer, Tesla, charades, Yusaku Maezawa, Elon Musk, hyperloop, Virgin Hyperloop, HyperloopTT, Hardt Hyperloop Organizations: CNN, Travel, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Bloomberg, Getty, Dubai International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Indira, Indira Gandhi International, European Union, Emirates, Dubai International, American Airlines, United, Delta, Bluetooth, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Specterras Productions, CNN Travel, VR, Aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration, Baidu, Hyundai, Las, CNN Travel ., Alphabet Inc, Beta, International Civil Aviation Organization, Alice, DHL, Air New, Concorde, Japan Airlines, Bauhaus, CEH Technologies, Origin, SpaceX, International Space, NASA, Galactic, Space Training Academy, Nastar Center, Boring Company, Virgin, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, China Morning Post, China Aerospace Science, Industry Corporation, European Hyperloop Center Locations: Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Delhi, London Heathrow, Paris, Dutch, Europe, Florence, Palmyra, Machu Picchu, New York, Ehang, China, Boston, Las Vegas, Motional, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, North America, Austin, Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mexico, Air New Zealand, Denver, New York City, Frankfurt, LA, Sydney, London, New Haven , Connecticut, Hungarian, Norway, Red, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Shanxi province, Netherlands, Toronto, Canada, Calgary, Edmonton

Where can a Chinese buyer purchase top-end Nvidia (NVDA.O) AI chips in the wake of U.S. sanctions? A model similar to OpenAI's GPT would require more than 30,000 Nvidia A100 cards, according to research firm TrendForce. Nvidia's more advanced H100 chips, only on the market since March, appear much harder to come by. He added the premiums currently commanded by Chinese vendors for A100 and H100 chips could collapse in the future as many of the Chinese AI startups that were driving purchases would eventually withdraw from the market. ($1 = 7.8307 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Josh Ye in Hong Kong, David Kirton in Shenzhen and Chen Lin in Singapore; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore; Editing by Brenda Goh and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, OpenAI's, Ivan Lau, Hong, ByteDance, Vinci Chow, Charlie Chai, Josh Ye, David Kirton, Chen Lin, Fanny Potkin, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Nvidia, SEG, Reuters, supercomputing, HK, U.S . Department of Commerce, China's, Information, Tencent Holdings, Taobao, Chinese University of Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, SHENZHEN, China, U.S, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ In Rush to Arm Ukraine, Weapons Are Bought but Not Delivered, or Too Broken to Use
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Justin Scheck | Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine has paid contractors hundreds of millions of dollars for weapons that have not been delivered, and some of the much-publicized arms donated by its allies have been so decrepit that they were deemed fit only to be cannibalized for spare parts. Ukrainian government documents show that as of the end of last year, Kyiv had paid arms suppliers more than $800 million since the Russian invasion in February 2022 for contracts that went completely or partly unfulfilled. Two people involved in Ukraine’s arms purchasing said that some of the missing weapons had eventually been delivered, and that in other cases brokers had refunded the money. But as of early this spring, hundreds of millions of dollars had been paid — including to state-owned companies — for arms never materialized, one of these people said. “We did have cases where we paid money and we didn’t receive,” Volodymyr Havrylov, a deputy defense minister working on arms procurement, said in a recent interview.

Persons: “, ” Volodymyr Havrylov Organizations: Kyiv, ” Locations: Ukraine

☆ UK's Labour vows to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - Britain's main opposition Labour Party will pledge on Monday to turn the country into a clean energy superpower by 2030, with a promise to cut bills, create jobs and to overturn a ban on new onshore wind farms. However on Monday, Labour leader Keir Starmer will set out pledges for 100% clean and affordable power by 2030; to establish a publicly-owned energy company, GB Energy; to create a National Wealth Fund to invest in green technologies; and to upgrade poorly insulated homes. The party would also overturn the ban on new onshore wind farms which Labour says has added 5.1 billion pounds to energy bills, or 182 pounds per household, because Britain has been forced to turn to more expensive power. "We can cut bills, create jobs and provide energy security for Britain – that's what a Labour Government will deliver," Starmer will say in a speech according to remarks released by Labour. "We're going to throw everything at this: planning reform, procurement, long-term finance, R&D, a strategic plan for skills and supply chains."

Persons: Britain's, Keir Starmer, Michael Holden, David Evans Organizations: Labour Party, Labour, GB Energy, Wealth Fund, Britain –, Labour Government, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain

Lockheed and Airbus will tout their LMXT tanker at the Paris Airshow this week, bringing U.S. reporters onboard the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport on which the new plane is based. In 2011, Boeing won the first of a three-phase procurement to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, securing a contract for 179 KC-46s. But Larry Gallogly, Lockheed’s director of LMXT business development, said Lockheed and Airbus "are most definitely still in this competition." Lockheed and Airbus sought a program of at least 120 aircraft, but “the business case can certainly close below that,” Gallogly said. Boeing Defense CEO Ted Colbert said the KC-46 "has proven to be highly capable" and is ready for the threats of the 2030s.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Larry Gallogly, ” Gallogly, Ted Colbert, Jerry Carl, Carl, Valerie Insinna, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Pentagon, Aerospace titans Airbus, Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, U.S, U.S . Air Force, Air, KC, Capitol, Air Force, General, Armed Services, Alabama Republican, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, PARIS, U.S, United States, Alabama, Georgia, American

☆ Gavin Newsom Wants to Build. Everyone Is Not on Board. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ezra Klein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the time I talked to Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, he was clearly frustrated. More than 100 environmental groups — including the Sierra Club of California and The Environmental Defense Center — are joining together to fight a package Newsom designed to make it easier to build infrastructure in California. My father was on the board of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund for more than a decade,” he told me. That was the what; this is the how.”The environmental movement is dealing with a bit of dog-that-caught-the-car confusion these days. That’s particularly true in California, which has committed to being carbon neutral, and to running its electricity grid on 100 percent clean energy, by 2045.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ”, Newsom, it’s, That’s Organizations: Sierra Club of California, Environmental Defense, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund Locations: California

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with African leaders on June 17 in Russia. The Black Sea grain deal: Putin also claimed "the crisis on the global food market is not a consequence of conflict in Ukraine." “Ukrainian grain supply to the world’s markets doesn’t solve the problem of world hunger,” he said. “Countries in need should not suffer, so Moscow went to great lengths to ensure the supply of Ukrainian grain to African countries,” Putin said. Ramaphosa also pushed for "opening up of the movement of the grains across the Black Sea so whatever blockages there are should be released."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, ” Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramaphosa, Maria Lvova Organizations: United Nations, “, Initiative, African Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, ”, Turkey, Africa, Russian

☆ Britain's Covid inquiry has become a political farce
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Britain’s Covid inquiry was supposed to give closure to people who lost loved ones in the pandemic. It’s instead become a political circus that could hurt both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Johnson undercut Sunak by directly handing his own information to the inquiry. This is the committee’s investigation into the infamous Partygate scandal, which led to Johnson being fined by police for breaking Covid rules. Johnson had initially told parliament that all rules were followed at all times.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Johnson, Sunak, Deborah Doyle, ” Boris Johnson, Dan Kitwood, Sunak’s, ” Jack Rodgers, Christina Pagel, Pagel, “, Peter Summers, Lorelei King, ”, Baroness Hallett, ” King Organizations: London CNN, Justice, CNN, University College London’s, Research Unit, Conservative, “ Locations: Sunak, Britain, Covid

☆ Top EU official urges more countries to ban China's Huawei, ZTE from 5G networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A top European Union official has called on more EU countries to ban Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE from their 5G networks, ramping up tensions with Beijing. That came as several countries, including the U.K., were deciding to ban Huawei over security fears. "I can only emphasize the importance of speeding up decisions to replace high-risk suppliers from their 5G networks. To date, only 10 EU countries have restricted or banned Huawei from their 5G networks, Breton said. Breton's comments follow news that Germany is considering whether to ban Huawei and ZTE from its 5G network because of alleged national security risks.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton Organizations: Huawei, European Union, ZTE, EU, Reuters, CNBC Locations: Europe, Germany, Beijing, EU, States, China

NEW DELHI, June 15 (Reuters) - India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters on Thursday. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. India’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The defence ministry's initial clearance for the procurement comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for a state visit to the U.S. next week. The U.S. government approved the sale of 30 drones to India more than two years ago, but the Indian defence ministry had been sitting on the decision.

Persons: General Atomics, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Ajit Doval, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Modi, Lloyd Austin, Krishn Kaushik, Jan Harvey Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Modi, . National, Modi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, U.S, India, China, Pakistan, New Delhi, Delhi, Russia

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - The top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday he was blocking a $735 million arms sale to Hungary because its government has refused to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO. "Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon," he said. Under U.S. law, major arms deals are reviewed by the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Sweden applied last year to join NATO as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Objections from Turkey and Hungary have delayed the bid and Sweden now hopes to join by a NATO summit in Lithuania next month.

Persons: Jim Risch, Jens Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Patricia Zengerle, Gergely Szakacs, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, U.S . Senate Foreign Relations, NATO, U.S, Republicans, Senate Foreign Relations, Representatives Foreign, Committee, Washington Post, Hungarian Defense Ministry, White, Thomson Locations: Hungary, Sweden, Washington, U.S, Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, Budapest

☆ Commonwealth Fusion has raised $2 billion to make energy like the sun and stars — here's a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Bob Mumgaard, the CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems Photo courtesy Commonwealth Fusion SystemsYou don't need to be a nuclear physicist to follow this race. The Commonwealth Fusion Systems campus in headquartered in Devens, Mass., which is between 35 and 40 miles outside of downtown Boston. The 50-acre campus is where Commonwealth Fusion System's corporate headquarters, advanced manufacturing facility and demonstration fusion device are all located. What it looks like to spend $2 billion to build a fusion machineIn the race to deliver fusion, Commonwealth is a frontrunner. The Commonwealth Fusion Systems' SPARC facility under construction in Devens, Mass.

Persons: Cat Clifford, Mumgaard, Wright, Bob Mumgaard, We've, haven't, Andrew Holland, Brandon Sorbom, Sorbom, Ally Yost, Yost, Alex Creely Organizations: Commonwealth Fusion Systems, CNBC, Commonwealth Fusion, United, Commonwealth, Fusion Industry Association, SPARC, ARC, Boeing Locations: Devens , Mass, Boston, Germany, Fukushima, Commonwealth

☆ China's Changan denies arbitrarily cutting payments to suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 7 (Reuters) - China's Chongqing Changan Automobile (000625.SZ), in a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday, denied allegations reported in local media that it had arbitrarily cut payments to suppliers by 10%. The state-owned automaker said it was normal to negotiate prices regularly with suppliers due to changes in raw material costs, demand, and supply and product innovations. It also denied it had received a letter from suppliers complaining about cutting payments to them. One of the sources said the amount by which Changan was asking suppliers to reduce their prices varied, with some bigger suppliers asked to absorb cuts of less than 10%. Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Changan, Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill Organizations: Chongqing Changan Automobile, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, Chongqing

☆ Analysis: Boeing, Northrop face obstacles in commercializing flagship US rocket
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with its Orion crew capsule perched on top, is shown on its launch pad as it is prepared for launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. November 12, 2022. NASA's SLS vision has its skeptics. NASA currently manages SLS production, with Boeing and Northrop its top contractors, each having contracts under which the space agency bears any delay costs. Boeing and Northrop executives have declined to discuss plans for cutting SLS costs under the proposed commercial contract. Boeing has said the SLS program has created 28,000 jobs.

Persons: Joe Skipper, Colonel Douglas Pentecost, Glenn, Jeff Bezos's, Cristina, Jim Free, Artemis, Amit Kshatriya, Kshatriya, Joey Roulette, Will Dunham, Ben Klayman Organizations: Orion, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Pentagon, Northrup, U.S . Department of Defense, DoD, U.S, military's Space Force, NASA, SLS, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Office, U.S . Congress, Northrop, Artemis, Space, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida, U.S, Florida

☆ UK to remove Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Britain has committed to the removal of Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites as part of its latest plans to address national security concerns related to China. Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has cast China as the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity, the government told its departments last year to stop installing Chinese-linked surveillance cameras at sensitive buildings. In an announcement setting out a proposed tightening of procurement rules, the government said:"We will also commit to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. Beijing has said it "firmly opposes" overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese enterprises. Some U.S. states have banned vendors and products from several Chinese technology companies.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Hikvision, Muvija Organizations: China’s National Intelligence, Government, Huawei, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Beijing, U.S

☆ US slaps sanctions on Iranian, Chinese targets over Tehran's missile, military programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York and China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China has been a major buyer of Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions designed to choke off these exports. Washington targeted centrifuge sales to Parchin Chemical Industries (PCI), dual-use metals sales to its intermediary, P.B. Co., Ltd, which the Treasury accused of selling centrifuges and other equipment and services worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to PCI with P.B. Sadr and PCI, as well as the other companies, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Davoud Damghani, Brian Nelson, Sadr, Zhejiang Qingji, Daphne Psaledakis, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Arshad Mohammed, David Brunnstrom, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: . Treasury, Armed Forces Logistics, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, United Nations, Parchin Chemical Industries, PCI, Zhejiang Qingji, P.B, Treasury, Hong, Hong Kong Ke.Do International Trade Co, Qingdao Zhongrongtong Trade, Co, Thomson Locations: United States, Iran, China, Hong Kong, Beijing, U.S, Washington, Tehran, New York, . Sadr, Zhejiang, Zhejiang Qingji Ind, Sadr, Qingdao

HONG KONG, June 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shein is threading the world’s trickiest geopolitical needle. But rising American pressure is forcing it to tweak its business model right as it tries to list there. Last year, its top line surged 46% to $23 billion, per the Wall Street Journal, surpassing $22 billion at H&M and outpacing the 18% growth at Inditex. A Boston Consulting Group report notes that this model allows Shein to keep inventory turnover at just 40 days. That will be expensive; the company's net profit margin was a razor-thin 3.5% last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, far below bricks and mortar rival Inditex's 13%.

Persons: Shein, Bernstein, Chris Xu, Xu, Mubadala, Pete Sweeney, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, U.S ., Rivals, Street, Financial Times, Boston Consulting, Morningstar, Securities and Exchange Commission, Wall Street, ’, Singapore, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Zara, China, Inditex, Guangdong, U.S, Xinjiang, Nanjing, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, India

“We call this one Vidsyich (Ukrainian word for ‘repel’).”The Vidsyich is what Borovyk calls a combat drone, designed to attack Russian positions. Valeriy Borovyk as his Vidsyich drone -- one of several he's developed -- is catapulted into the sky. Fedorov and Shchyhol observe a drone competition with the view of procuring more equipment for the Ukrainian military. Valeriy Borovyk's Vidsyich (Ukrainian for 'repel') drone can fly 40 km and carry a warhead with up to three kilograms. Vasco Cotovio/CNNOne longer-range Ukrainian drone is the UJ-22, made by Ukrjet and with a reported range of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles).

Persons: Borovyk, Vasco Cotovio, CNN Borovyk, “, ” Borovyk, Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, ” Fedorov, Fedorov, ”, ” Denis Sega, Yuriy Shchyhol, ” Shchyhol, Serhiy Prytula, Borovyk's Vidsyich, Anton Gerashchenko, Putin Organizations: CNN, Moscow, Ministry of Digital, Digital Transformation, “ Army, Drones, Sega, country’s, Service of Special Communications, Kremlin, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Brig, Moscow, Ilysk, Kuban

[1/2] Ukrainian artillery fires towards the frontline during heavy fighting amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 13, 2023. Following Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Japan during the Hiroshima G7 leaders summit last month, Kishida agreed to donate jeeps and trucks. Japan is one of dozens of friends and allies that Washington is asking to help arm Ukraine as it wrestles with stretched military supply chains. Reuters contacted 22 explosives makers listed on the Japan Explosives Industry Association's website. The only one that said it made industrial TNT was Chugoku Kayaku, an Hiroshima-based firm that supplies Japan's military.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Lloyd Austin, Washington, Fumio Kishida, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Kishida, Tsuneo Watanabe, Austin, Akihisa Nagashima, Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Idrees Ali, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, TNT, Russian, Reuters, Panasonic, Defense, U.S, Japan's Ministry of Trade, Industry, Technology, Logistics Agency, U.S . State Department, Ukraine, TNT Washington, Japan Explosives Industry, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, TOKYO, United States, Japan, Washington, U.S, Tokyo, China, Taiwan, East Asia, Kyiv, Hiroshima, Sasakawa, South Korea, Chugoku, Japan's, Russia, Seoul

☆ US imposes sanctions on companies tied to Sudan forces as fighting rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. Sudan's army and the RSF did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. said late on Thursday they were suspending the talks, a day after Sudan's army announced it was halting its participation. They target Sudan's largest defence enterprise, Defence Industries System, which the Treasury said generates an estimated $2 billion in revenue and manufactures arms and other equipment for Sudan's army. The companies, all key to the business and procurement activities of both forces, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Nadir Ahmed, Joe Biden, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Antony Blinken, Omar al, Bashir, El, Cindy McCain, Cameron Hudson, Hudson, Khalid Abdelaziz, Tala, Nafisa Eltahir, Simon Lewis, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Gladwys, Aidan Lewis, Christina Fincher, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, REUTERS, Darfur Saudi, U.S . Treasury Department, Residents, U.S, Defence Industries System, Treasury, Technology, United Nations, Food, Army, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Khartoum North, Sudan, Khartoum, Darfur, Jeddah, KHARTOUM, WASHINGTON, United States, U.S, Nile, Omdurman, Bahri, Thawra, Saudi Arabia, Washington, El, Zalingei, Port Sudan, El Obeid, Russia, Dubai, Nafisa, Cairo, Oslo

SYDNEY, May 31 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of Australia will not sign any new contracts with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia until a scandal over the firm's misuse of confidential government tax plans is sorted out, the central bank's governor said on Wednesday. The "big four" firm is on the defense after a former Australian tax partner who was consulting with the government on laws to prevent corporate tax avoidance shared confidential drafts with colleagues to drum up business around the world. As of May 16, the government had committed to contracts worth A$255 million ($173 million) with PwC in the current financial year alone, a finance department official told a parliamentary hearing last week. "(We) have taken the decision to enter no new contracts with PwC until a satisfactory response has been forthcoming," Lowe said. APRA had also spoken with major Australian banks about their ties to PwC, as recently as last week, added Lonsdale.

Persons: Philip Lowe, " Lowe, John Lonsdale, Lonsdale, Steven Kennedy, Kristin Stubbins, PwC, Lewis Jackson, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of Australia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, Prudential Regulation Authority, APRA, prudential, Thomson Locations: Australia, Australian

☆ Xiaomi partners with Dixon Technologies to make mobile phones in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, May 31 (Reuters) - Contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd (DIXO.NS) on Wednesday said it is partnering with Xiaomi Corp's (1810.HK) Indian arm to make and export phones for the Chinese firm. The news, which boosted Dixon's shares by 4%, comes after Xiaomi India revealed plans to start making wireless audio products in the country by partnering with electronics manufacturer Optiemus. India has been encouraging global companies to invest more in local manufacturing as a part of its efforts to become a powerhouse in the global electronics supply chain. Earlier in March, Xiaomi India President Muralikrishnan B. told Reuters that the company will open more stores beyond its current network of 20,000 retail partners and boost local procurement of mobile phone parts, in an effort to reduce costs. Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xiaomi Corp's, Muralikrishnan, Navamya Ganesh, Savio D'Souza, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Dixon Technologies, Optiemus, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, HK, Bengaluru

The upcoming national strategic fund for "Made in Italy" products will have an initial endowment of 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) in state cash, the statement said, adding it would also aim to boost procurement of "critical raw materials." A draft seen by Reuters showed that the new vehicle was also entitled to invest in domestic, listed firms not operating in the financial sector. The scheme will aim to raise at least an additional 500 million euros from private investors, according to the document. Run by the state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Patrimonio Rilancio fund was originally intended to provide some 40 billion euros of financing, but has so far invested just around 1 billion. Once the bill is approved by parliament, the government will issue a decree defining how the fund will work.

Persons: Rome, Giorgia Meloni, Adolfo Urso's, Italy's, Alison Williams, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, United Arab, Industry, Patrimonio, InfraVia Capital Partners, Paris, Equity, Thomson Locations: ROME, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Norway, France

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