DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The Ballad of Flaco, the Outlaw Who Learned to Fly
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Michiko Kakutani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Times’s longtime literary critic says that like all great outlaw-heroes, the escaped Eurasian eagle-owl tapped into our desire to see an underdog claim his freedom. “The Ballad of Flaco” began with a tear in the fence of a small Central Park Zoo enclosure the size of a bathroom, and then, after nearly 13 years in captivity, in the memorable words of the late-night host Seth Meyers, “Flaco shawshanked out of that cage.”As Flaco embraced his new freedom, New Yorkers marveled at the ability of this bird — whose entire existence had been scripted since he hatched at an avian breeding center in 2010 — to achieve that very American feat of writing a second act to his life. Flaco’s jailbreak and new life on the lam cast him in the role of outlaw — a beloved figure in American movies from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” to “The Fugitive” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Persons: Flaco ”, Seth Meyers, “ Flaco, Flaco, —, Flaco’s, Butch Cassidy, ” Organizations: Sundance

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

☆ The Himalayan mountains are growing — but Tibet could be splitting apart in the process
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly collide, the Himalayan mountains continue to rise. However a new study suggests the Indian plate may be peeling apart, causing a slab tear. AdvertisementAn eons-long collision that created the Himalayas, the world's tallest mountain range, may also be splitting Tibet apart into two pieces, new research suggests. The edge of the Eurasian plate crumpled upward as India pressed into it, thrusting the Himalayas into existence. But scientists haven't been sure where exactly the Indian plate was going.

Persons: —, Gongga, haven't, Stringer, van Hinsbergen, Utrecht University geodynamicist, Simon Klemperer, it's Organizations: Service, China News Service, Reuters, American Geophysical Union, Utrecht University, Stanford University, Science Locations: Tibet, India, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, Utrecht

☆ Icelandic Volcano Calms Down but Risk Remains
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Live video footage on Tuesday morning no longer showed signs of molten rock erupting from the ground, even as experts warned that new fissures could emerge at short notice. Grindavik resident Hrannar Jon Emilsson watched his almost-finished house burn down on live TV after the volcano erupted on Sunday. "You sit and watch the news showing everything go up in smoke," Emilsson told Icelandic independent broadcaster Channel 2. It was the second eruption on the peninsula of Reykjanes in four weeks, and the fifth since 2021. The Icelandic Civil Defence, the IMO and other experts are due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

Persons: Hrannar Jon Emilsson, Emilsson, Gerhard Mey, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Tom Little, Terje Solsvik, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Channel, Icelandic Meteorological, Icelandic Civil Defence Locations: REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Grindavik, Reykjanes, Reykjavik, Copenhagen

☆ Top diplomats meet in Davos on Ukraine 'peace formula'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania's President (not in picture) in Vilnius, Lithuania, on January 10, 2024. Ukraine pushed ahead with its peace formula to end nearly two years of war with Russia with a meeting of national security advisers from around the world in Davos on Sunday. Switzerland, which hosted the NSA representatives, said the Ukraine peace talks aimed to finalise principles "for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine" at the level of national security advisers. The role of the Global South in Ukraine's peace formula talks has come into focus in Davos. It is unclear, however, if countries in the Global South agree with that as a peace formula.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Andriy Yermak, Penny Pritzker, James O'Brien, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Nuhu Ribadu, Yermak Organizations: Lithuania's, Sunday, Economic, U.S, State, Eurasian Affairs, National, NSA Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Africa, Latin America, East, Asia, Swiss

☆ Volcano erupts in southwest Iceland
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Icelandic authorities are near to finnish building protective walls around the geothermal power plant in the country's southwest to protect it from lava flows, as officials hope to protect the Svartsengi plant. A volcanic eruption began on Monday night in Iceland, south of the capital Reykjavik, following an earthquake swarm, Iceland's Meteorological Office reported. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP) (Photo by HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP via Getty Images)A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Sunday, the country's meteorological office said, making it the fifth eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021. A coast guard helicopter has been sent to assess the situation and the exact location, the Civil Protection agency said. Lying between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, two of the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions.

Persons: Halldor KOLBEINS, HALLDOR KOLBEINS, RUV, Grindavik Organizations: Meteorological, Getty, Civil Protection Locations: Grindavik, Iceland, Reykjavik, AFP, Grindavik's

☆ Multiple sclerosis is more common among white Europeans. Researchers studying ancient DNA may have figured out why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewGenes that may have once helped ancient herders fight infectious parasites could contribute to autoimmune diseases today, like multiple sclerosis. For example, rates of MS are twice as high in the northwest of Europe, including in Scandinavia, compared to southern Europe. AdvertisementThey analyzed teeth and bones from Europe and Western Asia, adding to an ancient DNA database of about 1,600 genomes. Northern Europeans are also more susceptible to MS than in southern Europe, where Yamnayan ancestry is less common. AdvertisementFor some people, this inflammatory response can go overboard and start attacking the body's own cells, as with MS, Iversen said.

Persons: —, it's, Rasmus Nielsen, Nielsen, Matthew Dunham NMB, immunologist Dr, Astrid Iversen, haven't, Iversen Organizations: Service, Business, University of Copenhagen, University of Cambridge, University of California, BBC Locations: Europe, Scandinavia, Western Asia, Berkeley, Northern

☆ Close-up Photographer of the Year: Images show the hidden wonders of nature
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mesmerizing photos of ants firing acid, a shrimp floating over a rainbow-colored mosaic sea star, and a butterfly peering in at a wedding party are among the winning images of the Close-up Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. The contest, in its fifth year, celebrates micro and macro photography, striving to show the hidden wonders of the natural world, from microscopic fungi to majestic animals. Micro is the term used for taking photos of tiny subjects that require magnification, while macro involves capturing close-up images of larger subjects. The title of young close-up photographer of the year went to 17-year-old Spaniard Carlos Pérez Naval for his image of a Moorish gecko on a wall covered with pyrolusite crystals. While many other photo awards feature close-up categories, they believed there was a need for an entire competition dedicated to macro and micro photography.

Persons: Tracy Calder, ”, Csaba Daróczi, Carlos Pérez, “, –, Calder, Daniel, “ There’s Organizations: CNN Locations: Hungarian, Calamacha, Spain

☆ Ukraine and Russia say they want the war to end. But military and political experts say they're nowhere near peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting remains intense in southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russian units are deeply entrenched, preventing Ukraine's forces from making significant advances. They note that neither Russia nor Ukraine seems to be at a point where a political resolution is palatable, however. 'Red lines' firmly drawnBoth Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they want the war to end — but on their terms. For its part, the Kremlin said in December that it saw no current basis for peace talks, and called Kyiv's peace plan an "absurd process" as it excluded Russia. One big stumbling block in any potential peace talks now is their respective positions on territorial integrity.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, It's, Sam Greene, Pierre Crom, Stephen Twitty, Vladimir Putin, Sam Cranny, Evans, Putin, there's, Zelenskyy, Mario Bikarski, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Bill Clark Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Economic, King's College London, CNBC, U.S, Army, U.S . European Command, Economic Forum, Royal United Services Institute, Kremlin, Kherson —, Anadolu Agency, CIS, Senators, Capitol, Cq, Inc Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Switzerland, Davos, Kyiv, Malta, China, Crimea, Avdiivka, Europe, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Ky

"We have decided to unanimously declare unconstitutional the entire law 406 of October 20, 2023," Supreme Court President Maria Eugenia Lopez said. First Quantum acknowledged the ruling and affirmed its "unwavering commitment to regulatory compliance in all aspects of our operations within the country." Panama President Laurentino Cortizo said the country will abide by the court ruling. For First Quantum, the Panama ruling would be a repeat of its decade-old experience in the Democratic Republic Of Congo. The company exited DRC in 2012 after it filed an arbitration procedure against the African country for cancelling its mining contract.

Persons: Aris Martinez, Maria Eugenia Lopez, Quantum, Laurentino Cortizo, Morgan, Ricardo Martinelli, Leonardo Di Caprio, Elida Moreno, Valentine Hilaire, Natalia Siniawski, Denny Thomas, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter Organizations: Minerals, REUTERS, PANAMA CITY, Reuters, Panama, London Metal Exchange, Central, RBC, Democratic, Natural Resources Corporation PLC, Cobre, Thomson Locations: Panama's, Panama, Panama City, PANAMA, Central American, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Hollywood, Cobre Panama

☆ Lawrence Hylton photographs Hong Kong’s creatures of the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong is home to more than 1,000 animal species, including this giant shield mantis. Lawrence Hylton Snakes are Hylton's favorite animal to photograph, but getting close enough can be a challenge. Lawrence Hylton Hylton started photographing wildlife at the age of 17. Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong has over 245 species of butterflies including the fish-line silkworm, pictured here. Lawrence Hylton Here, Hylton gets a close-up view of a local stag beetle.

Persons: Lawrence Hylton’s, Hylton, “ I’m, ”, Lawrence Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Here, “, ” Hylton, Bosco Chan, WWF Hong Kong, Chan Organizations: CNN, WWF Locations: They’re, Hong Kong, British, China, Hong, Kong, Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong, WWF Hong

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, on November 27, 2023, as he travels to a NATO foreign ministers' meeting. "We've always said that this is a matter for Ukraine to decide," O'Brien said. At a press conference in Brussels on Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expected alliance foreign ministers to "reaffirm NATO’s long-term support" for Ukraine. Turkey has informed NATO that its parliament will not complete ratification of the bid ahead of the meetings, sources told Reuters last week. Blinken will also represent the United States at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Skopje, North Macedonia, this week, O'Brien said.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, James O'Brien, Blinken, we've, O'Brien, Biden, We've, Jens Stoltenberg, O, Brien, Stoltenberg, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Andrew Gray, Lisa Shumaker, Chizu Nomiyama, Deepa Babington Organizations: Brussels, NATO, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, State Department, Biden, State, Eurasian, U.S . Congress, Germany's, Reuters, Washington, Organization for Security, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Europe, Gaza, Israel, Washington, Ukraine, United States, Taiwan, Germany, Kyiv, Moscow, Belgian, Turkey, Hungary, U.S, Western Balkans, Kosovo, Skopje, North Macedonia

☆ An invasive species of feral Canadian 'super pigs' could spread into the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An invasive species of Canadian wild hogs is threatening to spread into the US. AdvertisementResidents of the northern US may soon have to worry more about what was a once-ridiculed concept: warding off feral hogs. Free-roaming super swine may seem trivial — hence the 2019 "feral hogs" Twitter spectacle — but the species poses a serious problem, according to the US Department of Agriculture. AdvertisementLegit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? AdvertisementNow, feral hogs have been found in 35 states, and have an estimated population of 6 million, the site states.

Persons: —, Willie McNabb 🐗, orth Organizations: AP, Service, US Department of Agriculture Locations: Canadian, Montana , North Dakota, Minnesota, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

In Canada, the wild pigs roaming Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba pose a new threat. Wild pigs already cause around $2.5 billion in damage to U.S. crops every year, mostly in southern states like Texas. Eradication of wild pigs is no longer possible in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Brook said. “The question is: What will be done about it?”Brook said Montana has been the most serious about keeping wild pigs out. It banned raising and transporting wild pigs within the state.

Persons: Ryan Brook, they've, Brook, They've, “, ” Brook, Gary Nohrenberg, Mike Marlow, ” Marlow Organizations: University of Saskatchewan, Canada -, state’s Department of Natural Resources, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA Wildlife Services, Wildlife Services, USDA, Feral Swine Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North America, Texas, Canada - North Dakota, Vermont , New York , Pennsylvania, New Hampshire , Wisconsin, Washington

☆ Iceland shields geothermal plant from risk of volcanic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Streetworks continue, after cracks emerged on a road due to volcanic activity near Grindavik, Iceland obtained by Reuters on November 14, 2023. Iceland's Justice Minister Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir told state broadcaster RUV that a large dike has been designed to protect the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, located just over six kilometers from Grindavik. A spokesperson for HS Orka, operator of the power plant, told Reuters that the plant supplies power to the entire country although a disruption would not impact power supply to the capital Reykjavik. Seismic activity in southwestern Iceland decreased in size and intensity on Monday, but the risk of a volcanic eruption remained significant, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a statement. As of late Monday evening, the volcanic hazard assessment in and around Grindavik was unchanged from Sunday.

Persons: Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Johannes Gotfredsen, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Administration, Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Iceland's, RUV, HS, Icelandic Meteorological Office, Thomson Locations: Grindavik, Iceland, Reykjavik, Icelandic

☆ Risk of volcanic eruption in Iceland remains high
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

COPENHAGEN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Seismic activity in southwestern Iceland decreased in size and intensity on Monday, but the risk of a volcanic eruption remained significant, authorities said, after earthquakes and evidence of magma spreading underground in recent weeks. Thorvaldur Thordarson, professor in vulcanology at the University of Iceland, said most recent data indicated a smaller risk of an eruption in the area around the town of Grindavik. [1/5]A view of cracks, emerged on a road due to volcanic activity, near Grindavik, Iceland November 13, 2023. Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months that year, prompting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to visit the scene. In August 2022, a three-week eruption happened in the same area, followed by another in July of this year.

Persons: Matthew James Roberts, Thorvaldur Thordarson, Grindavik, Hans Vera, Vera, It's, Louise Rasmussen, Tom Little, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Johannes Birkebaek, Ilze, Essi, Alex Richardson Organizations: Icelandic Meteorological, University of, Administration, Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Iceland, Reykjavik, vulcanology, University of Iceland, Grindavik, Belgian, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

In Jajarkot district, close to the quake’s epicenter, 92 people were confirmed dead and another 55 injured. Army personnel carry an injured person on a stretcher after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023. Jajarkot district has a population of 190,000 with villages scattered in remote hills. A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023 Nepal Prime Minister Office/Handout/ReutersIndia’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the earthquake. “Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal,” Modi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Kuber Kadayat, Kadayat, Harish Chandra Sharma, ” Sharma, Narendra Modi, ” Modi Organizations: Kathmandu CNN, United States Geological Survey, CNN, Reuters, Jajarkot . Army, Nepal Army, AFP, Reuters India’s Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Jumla, Karnali province, New Delhi, Jajarkot, Rukam West, Reuters Earthquakes, India

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — For months after Ukraine's Western allies limited sales of Russian oil to $60 per barrel, the price cap was still largely symbolic. That time has now come, putting the price cap to its most serious test so far and underlining its weaknesses. But most of that, economists say, stems from Europe's ban on Russian oil, which cost Moscow its main customer. They're accused of carrying Russian oil priced at $75 and $80 per barrel while relying on U.S.-connected service providers. “The price cap is working,” says Nataliia Shapoval, vice president for policy research at the Kyiv school.

Persons: —, Benjamin Hilgenstock, Vladimir Putin, ” Hilgenstock, P Global Platts, It's, They're, “, ”, Viktor Katona, haven't, Alexander Novak, Putin, Novak, Europe —, Craig Kennedy, doesn't, Nataliia Shapoval, Shapoval, Josh Boak Organizations: Kyiv School of Economics, International Monetary Fund, U.S . Treasury Department, Stanford University, ”, Russia ”, Research, Energy, Clean, P Global, Russia, U.S . Treasury, United Arab Emirates, Treasury, Radio Business, Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian, Studies, Kyiv, Stanford, Tanker Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Ukrainian, U.S, Moscow, Helsinki, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Kozmino, Turkey, India, Russian, Asia, Washington, russia, ukraine

☆ A price cap on Russian oil aims to starve Putin of cash. But it’s largely been untested. Until now
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

For months after Ukraine's Western allies limited sales of Russian oil to $60 per barrel, the price cap was still largely symbolic. That time has now come, putting the price cap to its most serious test so far and underlining its weaknesses. But most of that, economists say, stems from Europe's ban on Russian oil, which cost Moscow its main customer. The U.K. Treasury says it is "actively undertaking a number of investigations into suspected breaches of the oil price cap." "And there's a reason why the shippers haven't really complained or haven't flagged any issues with the oil price cap — because it's very easily circumvented."

Persons: —, Hilgenstock, P Global Platts, It's, Benjamin Hilgenstock, Vladimir Putin, They're, Viktor Katona, haven't, Alexander Novak, Putin, Novak, Europe —, Craig Kennedy, doesn't, Nataliia Shapoval, Shapoval Organizations: Salym Petroleum, U.S . Treasury Department, Stanford University, Research, Energy, Clean, P Global, Kyiv School of Economics, International Monetary Fund, Russia, U.S . Treasury, United Arab Emirates, Treasury, Radio Business, Harvard's Davis Center for Russian, Studies, Kyiv, Stanford, Tanker Locations: Salym, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, Moscow, Helsinki, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Europe, Kozmino, Turkey, India, Russian, Asia

☆ China to host Belt and Road forum in Beijing Oct 17-18
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman walks in front of a sign at the "Belt and Road" summit in Hong Kong, China September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBeijing, Oct 11 (Reuters) - China will host its third Belt and Road Forum next week, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, a President Xi Jinping signature event that President Vladimir Putin is due to attend on a rare trip abroad. The conference in Beijing on Oct. 17-18 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by Xi, with representatives from many developing countries, notably from Latin America and Africa, expected to attend. But critics see the plan - billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade - as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. China had signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, the foreign ministry said.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Ethan Wang, Lidia Kelly, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Initiative, Kremlin, Court, ICC, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Rights Beijing, Beijing, America, Africa, Hague, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Asia, Europe, Russian, Italy, Melbourne

☆ Wild beavers return to west London for first time in 400 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Callum Sutherland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Wild beavers have returned to London’s Ealing district after an absence of 400 years. A family of five Eurasian beavers – a breeding pair and their three offspring – were transported from Scotland and released today at the Paradise Fields wetlands area, in Ealing, west London. The Ealing Beaver Project hopes the beavers can help reduce the risk of flooding, as well as engaging people in nature. “It’s good for humans, it’s good for nature, it’s good for our city.”His Rewild London Fund provided almost £40,000 ($49,000) in funding for the project. In March 2022, beavers were released in Enfield, north London, and last month it was announced that a baby beaver had been born there, the first beaver birth in London for hundreds of years.

Persons: London ., Sadiq Khan, “, James Stacey, Sean McCormack, ”, McCormack Organizations: London CNN, Ealing Beaver Project, London, Beavers, Fund, Ealing Wildlife Group, “ Beavers Locations: Ealing, Scotland, London, ”, Greenford, “ Greenford, Devon, England, Enfield

Deadly earthquake hits Afghanistan Earthquake impact mapPowerful earthquakes struck northwestern Afghanistan on October 8, killing more than 2,400 people, the Taliban administration said, in the deadliest tremors to rock the mountainous country in years. A boy cries as he sits next to debris, in the aftermath of an earthquake in the district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan, October 8, 2023. For example, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 is ten times larger than a magnitude 6 earthquake. Afghanistan’s five highest magnitude earthquakes (7.4 to 7.8 magnitude) have occurred along the Hindu Kush mountain range in the country’s north-east region. A man carries the body of his child, in the aftermath of an earthquake in the district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan October 8, 2023.

Persons: Zinda Jan, Stringer Afghanistan’s, Damage Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey, REUTERS, Stringer Poor, Diplomats, International Committee, World Health Organization, WHO Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, U.S, Turkey, Syria, Zinda, Pakistan, South Asia, Kabul, Herat province

☆ She fled Ukraine and found belonging with her Russian boxing coach in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Akimova found her footing in a boxing gym run by a Russian trainer who became a grounding force. A Ukrainian refugee named Anzelika Akimova enters her fighting stance at the Eastern Block Boxing gym in Los Angeles. At the Eastern Block Boxing gym in Los Angeles, Russians and Ukrainians alike come to train. Before their paths aligned at Eastern Block Boxing, Poddubnov fought as an amateur boxer in Russia. Salman Poddubnov opened the boxing gym after a stint in prison, where he trained fellow inmates.

Persons: Anzelika Akimova, Arina, Akimova, Joe Biden's, Stella Kalinina, Salman Poddubnov, —, hadn't, ached, didn't, LIRS, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, we've, Vignarajah, Poddubnov, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Eastern, Karate, Lutheran Immigration, Refugee Service, Department of Homeland Security, TPS, Soviet Union Locations: Ukraine, Los Angeles, Russian, Ukrainian, California, Russians, Odesa, Kyiv, Akimova, Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, That's, Moldovan, Romania, Czech, Prague, Mexico, Tijuana, Mexicali, Calexico, Russia, Volzhsky, Stalingrad, Eastern, Poddubnov, Soviet, Soviet Union

☆ 'Loyalty alone is not enough': Kremlin reveals the qualities Russia's Vladimir Putin values the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link in Saint Petersburg on October 10, 2022. "But for Vladimir Putin, loyalty alone is not enough. Russia's president Vladimir Putin (R) and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov (L) attend the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting at the Congress Hall in Bishkek on December 9, 2022. Contributor | Getty ImagesDuring Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, as it calls its invasion, questions have been raised about the strategy and competency of Russia's military leadership. FILE - Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, around his factory which produces school meals, outside St. Petersburg, Russia on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, Andrei Kondrashov, it's, Dmitry Peskov, Vyacheslav Oseledko, —, Sergey Lavrov, Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Lavrov, Nikolay Patrushev, Mikhail Mishustin, Sergei Sobyanin, There's, Vladimir Solovyov, Nikolai Patrushev, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Sergei Medvedev, Dmitry, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Alexander Ermochenko, Sergey Shoigu, Shoigu, Prigozhin, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Prigozhin Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexei Druzhinin Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Economic, Kremlin, Security, Moscow, SVR, Russian Security Council, Ukraine, West ., Kyiv, Russian, Luhansk People's, Reuters, Wagner Group, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Saint Petersburg, Bishkek, Russian, Yerevan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic, Crimea, Moscow, Belarus, Prigozhin, St . Petersburg

Search resuls for: "Eurasian"

25 mentions found