DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ White House says it sees no change in U.S.-China relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday brushed off bellicose rhetoric from China that the United States risked a confrontation with Beijing, saying Washington was not seeking a conflict and saw no change in U.S.-Chinese relations. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, responded to China's foreign minister's warning to Washington to change its "distorted" attitude or risk conflict. We do not seek conflict," Kirby told reporters. Kirby said the United States respected the "one-China policy" and did not want to see a change to the status quo pertaining to Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province. Kirby also urged China not to provide military assistance to Russia in support of its war with Ukraine.

☆ Put that out! Italy ministers fume over proposed smoking ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Electronic cigarette firms in Italy say a new levy that doubles the price of e-liquid refills unfairly helps tobacco giants and will hurt their industry. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File PhotoROME, March 6 (Reuters) - The Italian health minister's proposals to extend a smoking ban include the outdoor areas of bars and parks, according to details reported by local media, drawing the ire of right-wing cabinet colleagues who labelled him a "communist." Minister Orazio Schillaci, a technocrat with no party affiliation, said in January he would crackdown on smoking, including of e-cigarettes, which are being widely used by teenagers. The government passed a ban on smoking indoors in 2003, which came into force two years later. Health association Fondazione Umberto Veronesi estimates at least 43,000 people die in Italy every year for smoke-related reasons.

☆ EX-UK leader Boris Johnson nominates father for knighthood - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Times said Johnson had put forward as many as 100 names for awards. The newspaper did not specify what service Stanley Johnson's nomination was in acknowledgement of. All departing British leaders are entitled to draw up a "resignation honours" list that bestows knighthoods and other titles. Opposition Labour's health policy chief Wes Streeting told the BBC: "I think (his resignation honours list) speaks to a pattern of Boris Johnson's behaviour around cronyism." As prime minister, Johnson in 2020 elevated his brother Jo Johnson to the House of Lords, the upper chamber of parliament, where he has a seat for life.

☆ Netanyahu tries to calm outcry over minister's remarks on Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Smotrich said last week that while he opposed vigilantism, he believed "that Huwara needs to be erased" by Israel. The U.S. State Department called the comments "irresponsible," "repugnant" and "disgusting" and said Netanyahu should reject and disavow them. Netanyahu has said that he - and not coalition partners like Smotrich - calls the shots on Israeli diplomacy. "I am still waiting to hear a condemnation from the Palestinian Authority for the murder of the Yaniv brothers," Netanyahu added. At least 62 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed since the start of 2023, the Palestinian health ministry said.

☆ Major fears are sweeping into Israel's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesNew concerns about Israel's economy are leading global investors to question the money they have in the country. The law would alter Israel's judicial system by giving sitting governments full control of judicial appointments. A drop in Israel's credit rating would increase the cost of borrowing and hurt fundraising. A major part of the Israeli economy is tied to the value of the Israel shekel against the U.S. dollar. That in turn hurt critical parts of Israel's economy including real estate, as companies and individual citizens moved their money into U.S. dollars or other currencies.

☆ Brexit deal could resurface Britain's 'healthy fundamentals' if EU relations strengthen, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at a news conference, Sunak described the new agreement — known as the Windsor Framework — as "the beginning of a new chapter" for the relationship between the U.K. and the EU. Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — The new Brexit deal between the U.K. and the EU may help bring Britain's "healthy fundamentals" back to the fore, providing relations with Brussels continue to improve, analysts suggest. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday announced the agreement of the Windsor Framework, which aims to fix the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol. The Protocol had been a long-standing bugbear for unionist pro-Brexit parties in Northern Ireland, and had brought the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly to a standstill over the past year, after the Democratic Unionist Party resigned in protest. "If this comes to an end, we expect the U.K.'s healthy fundamentals — well capitalised banks, cash flush households and firms, and well-regulated markets — to re-assert themselves."

☆ Israeli minister's call to 'erase' Palestinian village an incitement to violence, US says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rami Ayyub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's call for a Palestinian village to be "erased" amounted to incitement to violence and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must publicly disavow it, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday. Asked about a weekend settler rampage through the Palestinian village of Huwara, which an Israeli general on Tuesday described as a "pogrom," Smotrich said: "I think that Huwara needs to be erased". Price continued: "And just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence, we condemn these provocative remarks that also amount to incitement to violence." On Wednesday, Israeli forces killed one Palestinian and arrested six others suspected of involvement in the fatal shooting of an Israeli American in the West Bank on Monday. After making the Huwara comments, Smotrich issued a statement saying the media had misinterpreted them, without retracting his call for the village to be erased.

☆ 'Huge uncertainty' for investors and economy as Israel's government pushes for controversial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands of Israeli protesters rally against Israeli Goverment's judicial overhaul bills in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on February 25, 2023. Gili Yaari | Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesPrime Minister Netanyahu has labeled the protests — which are now approaching their third month — an attempt "to create anarchy" and trigger another election. In short, the proposed judiciary overhaul will severely limit the Israeli Supreme Court's ability to review and strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. The Knesset — Israel's parliament — voted last week to advance a major part of the reforms. The prime minister himself is currently under investigation on numerous counts of corruption and other charges, meaning he would likely benefit from a weaker judiciary.

☆ Dozens of migrants, including a baby, killed after their overloaded boat was shipwrecked off the coast of Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

45 migrants have died trying to reach Italy in a small boat. Up to 180 people are believed to have been aboard when the wooden boat hit rocks. The boat, carrying between 150 and 180 people, broke in half after crashing into a rock in rough seas as it approached Crotone, southern Italy. According to a statement from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the boat was just 20 meters (65 feet) long. Earlier this month, a small boat crossing in Italy o the small island of Lampedusa and carrying a mother and baby among a group of 10 people was lost at sea, Reuters reported.

☆ Montenegro's long-ruling Djukanovic launches bid for third presidential term
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Milo Djukanovic, Montenegro's incumbent president who has held high-ranking political posts in the Adriatic country for the last 30 years, launched his bid on Saturday to run for a third term in a presidential election next month. The office of president is largely ceremonial in Montenegro, but a Djukanovic victory could trigger an early parliamentary election after the presidential vote because he has so far rejected proposed candidates for the prime minister's job. "I am entering the election race with the intention to win quickly and convincingly," Djukanovic, who heads the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), said on Saturday as he submitted his bid with electoral authorities. Opponents accuse Djukanovic and the DPS of corruption, links to organised crime and of running the country of some 620,000 people as their personal fiefdom - charges Djukanovic and his party deny. The state election commission has already approved two other presidential candidates - Andrija Mandic from the ethnic Serb party New Serb Democracy and Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic of the Social Democratic Party.

Adani argued the plants were "unviable" at the trucking rates it wanted to slash by around half. Truckers rejoiced, with a union leader in a street address labelling it as a victory after late-night talks with Adani. After the Hindenburg report, Congress has renewed its claims that Modi for years has unduly favoured Adani. The Adani group wanted freight rates to be lowered to around 6 rupees ($0.0725) per tonne per km, from around 11 rupees. "The Hindenburg report was a gift that saved our businesses."

☆ Iran to shun India's Raisina Dialogue over mention of protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will not attend the Raisina Dialogue in India, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, criticising a video posted by the conference organisers showing protests in the Islamic Republic. "The foreign minister's attendance was on the agenda ... but we witnessed an unprofessional action by the organisers in the form of a clip," Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference. "Iran and India are committed to non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Kanaani said. Anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for flouting the hijab rules, have damaged the clerical establishment's legitimacy at home and abroad. Many Western states have imposed sanctions following a harsh state crackdown on protests.

☆ Former Qatari prime minister's son bids for Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton standing outside Old Trafford, home of Manchester United in Manchester, England. Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, a son of Qatar's former prime minister, on Friday launched a bid to buy Premier League soccer club Manchester United, whose American owners launched a formal sale process late last year. Sheikh Jassim is the son of Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who is one of the richest men in the Gulf state. However, Qatari state investors, who own a stake in French champions Paris Saint-Germain, could face challenges structuring a takeover of Manchester United, as rules forbid two clubs with the same owner taking part in the lucrative Champions League. Sheikh Hamad is the owner of PSG and it is unclear how the Qatari bid will be structured.

☆ Britain's Sunak touts EU protocol progress in Northern Ireland, no deal yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Amanda Ferguson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

After weeks of intense London-Brussels talks, momentum has been building towards a deal to revise the Northern Ireland Protocol - the arrangements agreed to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland when Britain exited the EU in 2020. "I had positive conversations with political parties in Northern Ireland," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters. In Belfast, Sunak focused his attention on the Democratic Unionist Party, whose opposition to the protocol must be overcome to make any deal work. The other political parties that met Sunak on Friday said detail from the prime minister on a potential deal was "scant". Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the militant Irish Republican Army that wants Northern Ireland to split from the UK and unite with Ireland, became the province's largest party for the first time at elections last year.

☆ Jamaica PM will not face corruption charges, despite 'evidence'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Jamaica's anti-corruption agency said on Thursday that the prime minister will not face any charges after investigating a potential conflict of interest around government contracts awarded to a construction company between 2006 and 2009. The prime minister's office could not be reached for comment about the latest development that he had been cleared. Holness said yesterday that he "strongly disagree(d) with the findings of the Integrity Commission regarding conflict of interest based on mere associations." He previously presided over the Ministry of Education, which awarded 10 contracts totaling almost JMD$22m ($140,000) over a two-year period to Westcon. Reporting by Isabel Woodford in Mexico City and Kate Chappell in Kingston; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adani's fall reignites scrutiny of billionaire's close ties with Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ashok Swain Uppsala UniversityHindenburg's report has further sharpened the focus on the billionaire mogul's close ties with Modi. After Modi became prime minister, Adani continued to benefit from the relationship but on a much larger scale, said Swain. In his address to parliament last week, the prime minister seemed unfazed by the opposition's criticism and made no mention of Adani. "And you can never breach this safety shield with the weapons of abuse and lies," he said, as opposition lawmakers chanted "Adani, Adani." "Prime Minister Modi and I are from the same state.

☆ Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Kazuo Ueda is the best fit to lead Bank of Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office on July 14, 2022 in Tokyo. Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor nominee Kazuo Ueda is the best fit to lead the central bank as he is a well known economist globally and has high expertise in financial field. The appointment of Ueda was made after taking the market impact as well economic and wage growth and price stability targets into consideration, Kishida told a parliamentary committee, adding that internal and external communication skills were also a factor in the decision. "We expect the BOJ to continue to conduct appropriate monetary policy operations in coordination with the government, taking into account economic, price and financial conditions," Kishida said. The government named academic Ueda as its pick to become next central bank governor Tuesday.

☆ India, soon world's most populous nation, doesn't know how many people it has
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Students come out after appearing in the Bihar Board class 10th examination at Bankipur Girl's High School on Feb. 14, 2023 in Patna, India. Santosh Kumar | Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesIn two months, India is projected to become the world's most populous country with over 1.4 billion people. "In the absence of latest census data, the estimations are based on data that is one decade old and is likely to provide estimates that are far from reality," Sharma said. The office of the Registrar General of India, which is responsible for the census, did not respond to a request for comment. Teachers' travailsThe United Nations has projected India's population could touch 1,425,775,850 on April 14, overtaking China on that day.

☆ 'A crane, for God's sake': Inside the struggles of Turkey's earthquake response
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Many in Turkey say more people could have survived the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the south of the country and neighboring Syria a week ago if the emergency response had been faster and better organized. Two experts consulted by Reuters partly blamed the delays on the centralisation of emergency response under AFAD by President Tayyip Erdogan's government. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths, speaking in Kahramanmaras on Saturday, called Turkey's disaster response "extraordinary" given the quake's historic size. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said he commissioned the report precisely to improve Turkey's disaster response. But they have generally seen the state's emergency response as effective.

☆ Cambodia's Hun Sen orders shutdown of independent local news outlet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHNOM PENH, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the last independent local news organizations in the country on Sunday night, saying it had attacked him and his son and hurt the country. "Commentators tried to attack me and my son Hun Manet," Hun Sen wrote. The story quoted government spokesperson Phay Siphan saying the prime minister's son and presumed successor Hun Manet had signed the aid agreement. Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest-serving dictators, on whose watch political rivals have been jailed and exiled, critical media outlets shuttered and civil dissent crushed, demanded a public apology. Hun Sen said the response was unacceptable.

☆ Albanian opposition protests against corruption, poverty
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] People take part in the Albanian opposition anti-government protest in Tirana, Albania, February 11, 2023. Protesters, led by opposition leader Sali Berisha, hurled firecrackers at the entrance of government offices where hundreds of police officers in anti-riot gear blocked protesters from entering the building. Berisha, a former president and prime minister, is banned from entering the United States over alleged corruption. During the protest Berisha accused Prime Minister Rama of corrupting U.S. officials to lobby against him and against opposition parties. Rama, who is in his third term as prime minister, has denied all accusations of corruption.

☆ Pakistani PM approves IMF deal, Geo reports, without giving details
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Faisal MahmoodKARACHI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and all matters related to the bailout programme are settled, broadcaster Geo said on Thursday, citing sources. To release the funds, the IMF needed to reach a staff level agreement with Pakistan. Analysts say the money is necessary to prevent Pakistan from defaulting on external payment obligations, and an IMF deal also paves the way for other organisations and governments to provide funds. The IMF mission arrived in Pakistan late last week for talks aimed at releasing an overdue tranche of $1.1 billion from the bailout programme, leaving $1.4 billion remaining. The fiscal adjustments demanded by any deal, however, are likely to fuel record high inflation, which hit 27.5% year-on-year in January, analysts say.

☆ Biden played the State of the Union perfectly, but the raucous GOP proved he's dealing with a whole new kind of opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tuesday's State of the Union address was an at times raucous affair. Tuesday night showed that this is no longer your father's State of the Union address. Parts of Biden's second State of the Union resembled the United Kingdom's raucous "Prime Minister's Questions" sessions that C-SPAN nerds delight in. The State of the Union is not supposed to resemble the real-time grilling of a world leader though. To be clear, opposition party members have long trolled the president during the State of the Union.

☆ India's stock market crisis isn't just the Adani Group's problem — it's a political issue for Prime Minister Modi too
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Indian tycoon Gautam Adani's companies have lost over $110 billion in market value since a US short seller attack in January. Even Modi has been dragged into the kerfuffle — since both he and Adani are from the western Indian state of Gujarat. The prime minister's political opponents say that the leader favors Adani — a claim the Modi government has rejected, per Reuters. "The Hindenburg scandal is the perfect weapon for the Indian political opposition against PM Modi. On its part, the Adani Group has been troubleshooting hard.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says stop 'rumours' as defence minister remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Tuesday for an end to the spread of "rumours or any other pseudo-information" that could undermine unity in the war against Russia. David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker and ally of the president, said on Sunday Reznikov would be replaced after a corruption scandal at the ministry. "We are taking personnel and institutional steps at various levels in the defence and security sector that can strengthen Ukraine's position," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app, citing his speech to parliament. Zelenskiy offered thanks to all who help preserve the unity of Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia nearly 12 months ago. The questions over Reznikov were the first public sign of serious disarray in Ukraine's wartime leadership.

Search resuls for: "minister's"

25 mentions found