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☆ Putin says some Western weapons for Ukraine are ending up in the Taliban's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with members of the country's Civic Chamber in Moscow, Russia, November 3, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that some Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were finding their way to the Middle East through the illegal arms market and being sold to the Taliban. Well of course they are because they are being sold," Putin said. Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, Western powers have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons in an attempt to defeat Russian troops. In June 2022, the head of Interpol, Jürgen Stock, warned that some of the advanced weapons sent to Ukraine would end up in the hands of organised crime groups.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Bradley, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Chamber, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Interpol, Jürgen, Global, Transnational, United, Kiel Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, East, Russian, United States, Africa, Europe

☆ Refusing to fly cost him his job. Here's why this 'slow traveler' says it was a price worth paying
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Gianluca Grimalda, a climate researcher and environmental campaigner, intends to "slow travel" back to Europe from Bougainville off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The ultimatum effectively required Grimalda, a climate researcher and self-styled "slow traveler," to promptly board a flight back to Europe. Gianluca Grimalda Climate researcherEmissions from air travel are a significant contributor to climate change and aviation is known to be one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize. Grimalda spent several months conducting fieldwork into the social impact of climate change on the island of Bougainville. These are people that experience climate change on a daily basis," he added, noting that the coastal communities he'd interacted with had been forced to relocate inland in light of the rising sea level.

Persons: Gianluca Grimalda, Gianluca Grimalda Gianluca Grimalda, Grimalda, he'd Organizations: Kiel Institute, CNBC, Economy Locations: Europe, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Germany, Pacific, East New Britain, Singapore, Papua

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Gale-force winds and floods struck several countries in Northern Europe as the region braced for more heavy rain on Friday. In Scotland, at least two people were reported dead and authorities searched for a man thought to be trapped in his vehicle. On Friday, the Met Office issued a new “red” warning for parts of eastern Scotland for further flooding throughout Saturday. Water levels were expected to begin dropping again on Saturday morning, Swedish meteorologists said. On Germany’s North Sea coast, the high winds had the opposite effect to the flooding on the Baltic coast, pushing the water further out and leading to very low water levels.

Persons: — Gale, van, ”, Scotland’s, Humza Yousaf, —, Skanetrafiken, ” Skanetrafiken, Pan Pylas, Geir Moulson Organizations: Met Office, Met, Danish Meteorological Institute, ” Police, Denmark —, Bergens Tidende, Swedish Transportation Authority, Ferries, Associated Press Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Northern Europe, Scotland, Denmark's Jutland, Danish, Baltic, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Angus, Marykirk, Brechin, England, Norway’s, Ferries, Flensburg, Kiel, Wismar, Gedser, Rostock, London, Berlin

CNN —President Joe Biden plans to make a direct appeal to the American people to continue funding Ukraine and Israel amid their war efforts in an Oval Office address Thursday, according to two administration officials. The Biden administration in August delivered its last so-called supplemental funding request, which encapsulates unique requests beyond traditional government programs. The proposal requested $24.1 billion to aid Ukraine through the end of the year, but Congress failed to approve it during a process to greenlight short-term federal funding. By contrast, support to sustain aid to Ukraine has waned significantly since Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022. An August CNN poll found 55% of respondents said Congress should not pass more funding to aid Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, “ He’s, –, Janet Yellen, ”, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden scoffed, “, Benjamin Netanyahu –, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, White, Hamas, US, Ukraine, White House, Kiel Institute, Sky News, Russia, Officials, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israeli Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Mexico, Washington, Gaza, Amman, Jordan, Tel Aviv, Egypt, United States

☆ Zelenskyy advisor says slow Western weapon deliveries put Ukraine 6 to 9 months behind in its fight back against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian official said his country is up to nine months behind in its pushback against Russia. Mykhailo Podolyak told Channel 24 that Western approvals delayed weapons by three to four months. AdvertisementAdvertisementA top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country's military efforts against Russia are six to nine months behind schedule because of delays in Western weapons deliveries in the fall of 2022. "If Ukraine had received weapons faster, we could have defended ourselves better and launched a counterattack," Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainian Channel 24 news outlet, per the Kyiv Post . Weapon deliveries to Ukraine were delayed by three to four months due to the logistics and approvals of Western nations, Podolyak said, which "seriously" hampered its defense capability.

Persons: Mykhailo Podolyak, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Podolyak, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainska, Christoph Trebesch Organizations: Russia, Service, Ukrainian Channel, Kiel Institute, CNN, EU, Kiel Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kherson, Ukraine's

☆ Rep. Lauren Boebert is signaling that the fight over the speakership could get bogged down over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert made it clear Ukraine aid will hang over the House speaker race. "For the first time, we saw that Ukraine funding alone does not have a majority of the majority's support," Boebert told Steve Bannon on Friday on his "War Room" show. Boebert was pointing to a vote last week where $300 million to fund Ukraine passed thanks to House Democrats' massive support. The two current leading candidates for House speaker appear to be split on the subject. "We are not going to allow them to leverage our Southern border in Appropriations bills with more funding for Ukraine," Boebert said.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, it's, —, Boebert, Steve Bannon, Mitch McConnell, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, Jordan Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Republicans, Democrats, Pentagon, Senate Republicans, House, Kiel Institute Locations: Ukraine, Colorado, United States, German, Southern

Nearly $100 billion in military aid to UkraineIndividual countries around the world have committed nearly $100 billion in direct military assistance to Ukraine. The US Congress has approved around $46.6 billion in direct military aid to Ukraine since NATO countries began organizing support for Ukraine a month before the full-scale invasion, data shows. This is part of a total $113 billion aid budget for both defense and civilian needs – though not all of it is meant to go directly to Ukraine. The United Kingdom has pledged more than $7 billion in direct military aid. Around 78% of Poland’s direct support for Ukraine goes to refugee costs – $17 billion out of nearly $22 billion.

Persons: CNN —, that’s, –, Kevin McCarthy, Joshua Berlinger Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Republicans, Kiel Institute, NATO, Union, European Union, Russia —, Latvia —, United Nations, UN, US Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russia, Germany, Denmark, Poland, United Kingdom, Kiel, Norway, Baltic, Russia — Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia

☆ A climate researcher risks losing university post for refusing to fly home
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Climate researcher Dr. Gianluca Grimalda says that he risks losing his post at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany for refusing to use a plane as a means of transport back from Papua New Guinea. However, he said the institute gave him three days notice to return by October 2 which would have forced him to fly, according to a statement issued by climate group Scientist Rebellion. The Kiel Institute told CNN that it “doesn’t comment on internal personnel matters in public. As an alternative, climate activists such as Greta Thunberg have modeled greener ways to travel such as by ship or train. “I am prepared to face all the legal and economic consequences of this decision,” Grimalda said in a statement.

Persons: Gianluca Grimalda, Grimalda, ”, Greta Thunberg, ” Grimalda, it’s Organizations: CNN, Kiel Institute, Institute Locations: Germany, Papua New Guinea, Kiel, Bougainville, “, Singapore

That's despite Congress recently passing a short-term funding package that averted a U.S. government shutdown but dropped $6 billion in aid to Ukraine. Political Cartoons View All 1199 ImagesOfficials from the Washington-based IMF also said Ukraine’s economy was showing surprising resilience despite widespread damage from Russia’s war. Ukraine is “making good progress” on passing legislation on a specialized anti-corruption prosecutor, said IMF Ukraine mission chief Gavin Gray. IMF loan agreements with Ukraine before the war had stalled due to lack of progress in curbing corruption and the influence of politically influential business moguls. ___This story has been corrected to show that the IMF loan package is over four years, not three.

Persons: It's, “, Biden, Uma Ramakrishnan, Gavin Gray, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nathan Epstein, ___ McHugh Organizations: —, International Monetary Fund, Institute, IMF, Ukraine, Bills Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, United States, U.S, Kiel, Germany, Kyiv, Washington, Ukrainian, Frankfurt

The measure didn't include the $6 billion in military assistance that Ukraine said it urgently needed. They argue that if Russia's invasion is not stopped in Ukraine, other nations — including NATO allies — could be endangered. That faction was pivotal in getting Ukraine funding stripped from the last-minute 45-day funding bill that prevented a shutdown. Likewise, some European allies, including Poland, have begun to pull back on their support for the war, citing the need to prioritize their own defenses. Britain, which is no longer in the EU, has pledged nearly $6.6 billion worth of military support for Ukraine.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Biden, John Hardie, Mark Cancian, ” Cancian, Hardie, ”, John Herbst, Herbst, Jamey Keaten Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Pentagon, White, NATO, Patriot, U.S, Republican, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Center for Strategic, International Studies, ., Ukraine “, Atlantic Council, Kiel Institute, EU Locations: — Ukraine, Ukraine, U.S, Brussels, Russia, Poland, United States, Union, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Britain, Western, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Geneva

☆ Only 0.2% of Ukraine's landmass has changed hands in 2023, report says, despite thousands dead and billions of dollars spent
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Less than 500 square miles of Ukrainian land has changed hands this year, per a New York Times analysis. AdvertisementAdvertisementOnly 0.2% of Ukraine's landmass has changed hands this year, according to an analysis by The New York Times, based on data from the Institute for the Study of War. 188 square miles is about the size of Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, which has a total area of 189.5 square miles, according to the US Census Bureau. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn contrast, Ukraine has a total landmass of about 233,030 square miles. The report shows Russia capturing about 100 square miles per month earlier this year, coinciding with its winter offensive campaign to capture the eastern Donbas region.

Persons: —, Marina Miron Organizations: New York Times, Russia, Service, The New York Times, Institute for, Census, US, Kiel Institute, King's College London, Times Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Albuquerque , New

☆ Western-made armor isn't working in Ukraine because it wasn't designed for a conflict of this intensity, Ukrainian analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Western armor isn't cutting it in Ukraine, a military analyst told The Wall Street Journal. Taras Chmut said Western-made tanks are not designed for an "all-out" war of this intensity. Western allies should instead ramp up deliveries of simpler and cheaper systems, he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementWestern-made armor is failing in Ukraine because it was not designed to sustain a conflict of this intensity, a military analyst told The Wall Street Journal. According to a July report compiled by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Ukraine's allies have only delivered about half of the heavy weapons that have been promised.

Persons: Taras Chmut, —, Chmut, Christian Freuding, Zelenskyy, Christoph Trebesch, Rustem Umerov, Sergej Sumlenny Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Service, Foundation, Kiel Institute, Resilience Initiative Center Locations: Ukraine

☆ German GDP expected to contract by 0.6% this year, economic institutes say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Business sentiment has recently deteriorated again and overall, the indicators suggest that production fell noticeably in the third quarter of 2023, the economic institutes said. GDP is expected to shrink by 0.4% in the third quarter, following stagnation in the second quarter. For 2024, the institutes - four German and one Austrian - forecast GDP growth of 1.3%, down from 1.5% previously. In the following years, a decreasing potential growth rate due to the shrinking labour force will become more and more apparent, the economic institutes said. The Joint Economic Forecasts are prepared by the Ifo Institute, the Halley Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Oliver Holtemoeller, Maria Martinez, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Halle Institute for Economic Research, Ifo Institute, Halley Institute for Economic Research, Kiel Institute, Institute for Economic Research, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany

Growth of 0.3% had been expected in the institutes' spring forecasts. The so-called Joint Economic Forecasts are to be presented in Berlin on Thursday. The economics ministry usually updates its forecasts incorporating the results of the Joint Economic Forecasts. For 2024, the institutes - four German and one Austrian - forecast GDP growth of 1.3%, down from 1.5% previously. The Joint Economic Forecasts are prepared by the Ifo Institute, the Halle Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.

Persons: Annegret, Christian Kraemer, Rene Wagner, Maria Martinez, Rachel Armstrong, Kirsti Knolle, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Ifo Institute, Halle Institute for Economic Research, Kiel Institute, Institute for Economic Research, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany

☆ Never ‘insult Poles again,’ Poland’s prime minister tells Ukraine’s Zelensky
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Maija Ehlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has told Volodymyr Zelensky never to “insult Poles again” after the Ukrainian president suggested his neighbor was putting on a show over their disputes on grain exports. “I want to tell President Zelensky never to insult Poles again, as he did recently during his speech at the UN,” he said. “The Polish people will never allow this to happen, and defending the good name of Poland is not only my duty and honor, but also the most important task of the Polish government,” the Polish prime minister added. Most Western military equipment and other supplies get to Ukraine through Poland and the country is hosting 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees, according to the United Nations. According to the Kiel Institute’s tracker on how much nations have donated to Ukraine, Poland has pledged 4.27 billion euros (about $4.54 billion), in a combination of military, financial and humanitarian aid.

Persons: CNN —, Mateusz Morawiecki, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Morawiecki, Zelensky, “, Slovakia –, Zelensky’s, Andrzej Duda, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Poland’s, United Nations, UN, EU, Eastern, Ukrainian, Kiel Locations: Polish, Zelensky, Poland, Europe, Swidnik, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukrainian, Warsaw, United States, Soviet

☆ Surprising jellyfish finding challenges what’s known about learning and memory
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Jenna Schnuer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Caribbean box jellyfish, animals that may appear to float through life aimlessly and don’t have a central brain, still have the ability to learn rapidly and retain information, new research has found. Caribbean box jellyfish, also known by the scientific name Tripedalia cystophora, have 24 eyes — six in each of four visual sensory centers called rhopalia. How jellyfish learnTo test the animals’ ability to learn, the researchers lined the inside of a round tank with gray and white stripes. The gray stripes would appear to the jellyfish’s 24 eyes as dark as a faraway mangrove root does in their natural habitat. “The scientists devised a very convincing experimental paradigm to quantify associative learning in this box jellyfish.

Persons: Anders Garm, “ We’ve, ”, Jan Bielecki, Bielecki, ” Bielecki, “, Michael Abrams, Abrams, ” Abrams Organizations: CNN, University of Copenhagen, Denmark —, Physiology, Kiel University, University of California, California Institute of Technology Locations: Denmark, Germany, Kiel, Caribbean, Berkeley

CNN —Poland said Wednesday it will stop providing weapons to Ukraine amid a growing dispute between the two countries over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports. “We no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on social media. The ban on Ukrainian grain was initially put in place earlier this year by several European Union nations, to protect the livelihood of local farmers worried about being undercut by low prices of Ukrainian grain. But three nations – Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – said they intended to defy the change and keep the restrictions in place. Polish President Andrzej Duda also urged greater unity and action on Wednesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

Persons: CNN —, Mateusz Morawiecki, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Slovakia –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gleb Garanich, ” Zelensky’s, Pawel Jablonski, Morawiecki, ” Morawiecki, “, Andrzej Duda, ”, ” Duda Organizations: CNN, Eastern, European Union, EU, UN, Assembly, NATO, Ukrainian, United Nations, Kiel, UN Security Council Locations: Ukraine, Poland, Polish, Kyiv, Warsaw, Hungary, Slovakia, Europe, Bilohiria, Moscow, Ukrainian, United States, Soviet, Russia

According to Maiboroda, Mykytas used Tatarov for difficult tasks, including bribe payments on behalf of Ukrbud Development. "He knew about law enforcement and warned us to be careful about saying almost anything on the phone," Maiboroda told Reuters. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said experts would need to study the material to verify it. "The main thing is that a person is honest," Zelenskiy told reporters several days after Tatarov's appointment. Zelenskiy told Ukrainian television network ICTV in October 2021 that the offshore arrangement was to protect his TV production business from political pressure by the Yanukovych government.

Persons: Oleh Maiboroda, Maiboroda, Oleh Tatarov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Tatarov, Maiboroda's, Ukraine's, Zelenskiy, Kyiv pollsters, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Daria Kaleniuk, Nicola Mirto, Mirto, Viktor Yanukovych, Yanukovich's, Maxym Mykytas, Mykytas, Maiborada, NABU, Yanukovych, –, General Iryna Venediktova, Artem Sytnyk, Sytnyk, didn't, Oleksiy Symonenko, Symonenko, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Denys, Dmytro Shtanko, Liudmyla, Sergey Shefir, Shefir, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, Zheleznyak, Zelensky, Ihor, Kolomoisky, Semen Kryvonos, Kaleniuk, ”, Stephen Grey, Dan Peleschuk, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Ukrbud, Prosecutors, Ukraine's, European Union, International Monetary Fund, Kyiv, Kyiv Independent, Tatarov, Ministry, Interior Ministry, Virgin Islands, ICTV, National Agency for, Ministry of Defence, Kiel Institute, NATO, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, KYIV, Vienna, Ukraine, Tatarov, Russia, Europe, European, Kyiv, Italian, Ukrainian, Soviet Ukraine, Zelenskiy's, Switzerland, Spain, Soviet, United States, Irpin

"Unless Zelenskiy gets rid of Tatarov, he won't be seen as serious in purging the country of corruption," she told Reuters. "He knew about law enforcement and warned us to be careful about saying almost anything on the phone," Maiboroda told Reuters. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said experts would need to study the material to verify it. "The main thing is that a person is honest," Zelenskiy told reporters several days after Tatarov's appointment. Zelenskiy told Ukrainian television network ICTV in October 2021 that the offshore arrangement was to protect his TV production business from political pressure by the Yanukovych government.

☆ Russia 'seems to be rejoining the world trade,' after its 3 largest container ports neared their highest level of activity since the Ukraine war: think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia appears to be rejoining the world trade despite sweeping sanctions, a German think tank said. The volume of goods unloaded at Russia's three largest container ports in August approached pre-Ukraine war highs. However, the report attached a graph that shows the year-on-year percentage change in container load arrivals to the three major Russian ports. A Kiel Institute for the World Economy graph shows the year-on-year percentage change in container load arrivals to the three major Russian ports. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: FleetMon, Vincent Stamer, Mikhail Mishustin Organizations: Service, Kiel Institute, Novorossiysk —, Bloomberg Locations: Russia, German, Ukraine, China, Wall, Silicon, St . Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novorossiysk, Western, institute's Kiel, Russia's, Beijing

☆ Germany is struggling to move away from its ‘sick man of Europe’ image
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Germany was first described with that moniker in 1998 as the country navigated the costly challenges of a post-reunification economy. The issues weighing on Germany's economy can be separated into "two very separate battles," Stefan Kooths, research director for business cycles and growth at the Kiel Institute for World Economy, told CNBC. "It is a different sickness [compared to] 20 years ago," Brzeski told CNBC. Energy obstaclesLike most of Europe, Germany's energy prices have been volatile following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Many Germany-headquartered businesses are doing well globally, but they are struggling with operations in their own country," Siegfried Russwurm, head of the German Industry Federation, told CNBC in June.

Persons: DANIEL ROLAND, aren't, it's, Holger Schmieding, Schmieding, Jasmin Groeschl, Stefan Kooths, Carsten Brzeski, China's, Brzeski, Groeschl, Joerg Kraemer, Kooths, Siegfried Russwurm Organizations: Frankfurt Cathedral, AFP, Getty, International Monetary Fund, Berenberg, CNBC, Europe, Allianz, Kiel Institute, World, ING Research, German Industry Federation Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe, France, China, Kiel, Ukraine

Here are some details of the impact:* DEATHThe war has caused death on a level not seen in Europe since World War Two. The war has left nearly 500,000 troops either dead or injured, according to the New York Times. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sept. 21 that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of the war. When added to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russia now controls about 17.5% of Ukraine, an area of about 41,000 square miles (106,000 square km). Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, international oil prices spiked to their highest levels since the records of 2008.

Persons: Chasiv Yar, Violeta Santos Moura, Sergei Shoigu, Julie Kozack, William Burns, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Human Rights, New York Times, Russian, Reuters, Belfer, Harvard Kennedy School, International Monetary Fund, CIA, European Union, Kiel Institute, Thomson Locations: Chasiv, Ukraine, Donetsk, Europe, United States, Ukraine's, Russia, Crimea, Russian, UNHCR, UKRAINE Russia, Massachusetts , New Hampshire, Connecticut, wastelands, RUSSIA, Moscow, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Germany, Japan

☆ An arms dealer says he sold 49 secondhand Leopard 1 tanks to an undisclosed EU country to send to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An arms dealer said he sold 49 Leopard 1 tanks to an unnamed EU country to send to Ukraine. German newspaper Handelsblatt, meanwhile, reported that the Leopard 1 tanks were bought by German arms maker Rheinmetall for use in Ukraine, and that the deal involved 50 tanks. Ukraine began receiving deliveries of Leopard tanks from its allies in February 2023, after months of asking for advanced armored vehicles. Older tanks, once discarded as obsolete, are now in high demand, The Guardian reported, given battlefield needs. Experts say that the West's hesitancy to send tanks to Ukraine gave Russia the time to build up its defenses.

Persons: Freddy Versluys, Versluys, Handelsblatt, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Handelsblatt, Rheinmetall, Service, OIP, Systems, Guardian, Leopard, Reuters, Ukraine, Russian, Kiel Institute Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Belgium, Germany, Russia

☆ Analysis: China's importance to German exporters on the wane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's emergence as a market economy in the 2000s provided a massive boost to German companies and has proved a big contributor to the overall health of the German economy since. That China is increasingly able to produce goods it previously bought from Germany is weighing on German exports, Brzeski noted. However, the dependence of many companies on the Chinese market will no longer be so visible in export figures, but in their balance sheets," Stamer said. For example, many German carmakers are increasingly producing locally for the Chinese market. Weaker demand from China has had a strong impact on the German manufacturing sector.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Joerg Kraemer, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Vincent Stamer, Stamer, Rene Wagner, Maria Martinez, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, ING, Reuters Graphics Germany, Kiel Institute, PMI, Thomson Locations: Bremerhaven, Germany, China, BERLIN, Berlin, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ Drought threatens major European river trade route with ripples across the continent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Barges of coal at the inland harbor in Duisburg, on the river Rhine in Germany, on Thursday, July 20 2023. The river Rhine, an important trade route that runs through Germany via European cities to the port of Rotterdam, has become shallower at critical points. As water levels go down, a vessel's capacity reduces and shipping costs rise, with prices increasing as rivers become shallower. Water levels at Kaub are closely followed, and if they fall too low, vessels have to sail with reduced loads. Ben Kilb | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesFalling water levels can "significantly impair" manufacturing output, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IFW).

Persons: Ben Kilb, Lloyd, Tim Beckhoff, we've, Marc Schattenberg, Schattenberg, Beckhoff, Goarshausen Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Maersk, Hapag, McKinsey, CNBC, Deutsche Bank ., Deutsche Bank, Kiel Institute Locations: Duisburg, Germany, Europe, Rotterdam, Kaub, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, St

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