DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. PROXIMITY ISN'T PATRONAGERegarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party. If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi Jinping's, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Drew Thompson, Thompson, Li's, Li, Helena Legarda, Alexander Neill, Zhang Youxia, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ja Ian Chong, Chong, Greg Torode, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Foreign, Rocket Force, Pentagon, National University of Singapore, State Council and Defence Ministry, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Hawaii's, Military Commission, Washington, U.S . Defence, Pacific ., East, South China Seas, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, India, China, Russia, Belarus, Beijing, Jakarta, Berlin, Singapore, Washington, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, South, East China, South China, Hong Kong

BEIJING, Sept 12 (Reuters) - China unveiled on Tuesday its 886-strong team and its sporting and political goals for the Hangzhou Asian Games which start this month, a year later than planned due to China's COVID situation and restrictions. The Chinese team, who have topped the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982, should repeat that feat in Hangzhou, the director of the national sports bureau, Gao Zhidan, said at the team's launch in Beijing on Tuesday, state media reported. The Asian Games, also known as the Asiad, are like an Olympics for Asian countries and usually take place every four years. There will be 40 different sports, including athletics, swimming, cricket, dragon boat racing and esports (computer games) which for the first time will be a medal-winning event. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gao Zhidan, Gao, Martin Quin Pollard, Ed Osmond Organizations: Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Xinhua, Asian, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Hangzhou, Beijing, Asia

BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Proposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that "undermine the spirit" or "harm the feelings" of the country have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily. This week, several legal scholars and bloggers wrote editorials and social media posts calling for the removal of certain articles in the draft. "Who confirms the 'spirit of the Chinese nation' and according to what procedure? wrote Tong Zhiwei, a constitutional studies scholar at the East China University of Political Science and Law, on his Weibo social media account. Many people took to Chinese social media to express their worries that the amendments could lead to more censorship.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tong Zhiwei, Tong, Martin Quin Pollard, Miral Organizations: National People's Congress, East China University of Political Science, Weibo, NPC, Global Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. More than 10 envoys from these countries stationed in China detailed to Reuters the increasing difficulty they face getting access to Chinese officials and other sources of information on the world's second-largest economy. When meetings are arranged, Chinese officials stick rigidly to scripted comments, the diplomats said, while some added they experienced hostile behaviour from nationalistic academics. However, envoys from two countries which enjoy close relations with China said they had experienced no such problems. "To Chinese officials, the benefits of such engagements have become less evident, while the political and security risks are growing."

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Ryan Neelam, Xi, Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin, COVID, Emmanuel Macron, Antony Blinken, Yun Sun, Sun, Tong Zhao, Martin Quin Pollard, Laurie Chen, John Geddie, Nick Macfie Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Lowy Institute, China Program, Stimson, Washington D.C, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, India, Beijing, Australian, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, New Delhi, Moscow, Washington

BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Vendors at Beijing's largest seafood market said they were angry and scared for their future as Japan began to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. Amidst a wave of condemnation in Chinese state and social media, and just before China announced a ban on the import all aquatic products from Japan, several traders at Beijing's Jingshen seafood market expressed their fears and criticised Japan's decision. "The online public opinion is saying that in the future, seafood won't be called 'seafood' anymore, but 'nuclear-seafood," said 22-year-old vendor, Li Yuxuan. "The earth can manage without Japan, but not without seafood," wrote a user registered in Shanxi province, a post liked over a hundred thousand times. It maintains the water release is safe, noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also concluded the impact it would have was "negligible."

Persons: Li Yuxuan, Liu, Martin Quin Pollard, Xiaoyu Yin, Lincoln Organizations: China, Tsinghua University, Weibo, International Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Japan, East, South East Asia, Shanxi province, Tokyo, China, United States, Canada, Russia, Hong Kong

A Baidu search for the question "should China be more responsible for climate change? ", or variations of it, did not produce any articles critical of China's climate policy in the first few dozen results. Instead, the results, many from state media outlets, focused on China's leadership in the fight against climate change and calls for developed countries to take more responsibility. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story, but government spokespeople have long defended China's record on climate change and press freedom. Despite the extreme weather, China has reinforced its message about energy security rather than climate change in recent months, said CREA's lead analyst, Lauri Myllyvirta.

Persons: Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Li Shuo, We're, Su, Fang Kecheng, Pan Zhongdang, Xi Jinping, Li, Lauri Myllyvirta, David Stanway, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Greenpeace, Weibo, Baidu, Chinese University of Hong, Communications, University of Wisconsin, Environmental Studies, New, Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Hebei, Chinese University of Hong Kong, United States, Madison, New York, Shanghai Campus, Shanghai

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. "Beijing will not want to be absent from other credible peace initiatives that are led by non-Western countries." China did not attend the talks in Copenhagen in late June, despite being invited and having proposed its own 12-point plan for peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Li's involvement a "considerable breakthrough", according to Ukrainian media. While China's move was good for its image, Singapore-based analyst Li Mingjiang said Beijing would be looking to fine-tune its positions.

Persons: Yun Sun, Li Hui, Xi Jinping, Qin, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Shen Dingli, Shen, China's, Li Mingjiang, Li, Geng Shuang, Moritz Rudolf, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: NATO, Stimson, Qin Gang, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, U.S, Ukrainian, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, United Nations, Security, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Denmark, Russia, China, Washington, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Singapore

Visitor numbers at Hangzhou Zoo have gone up by 30 percent to around 20,000 a day since a video of the Malayan bear, named Angela, became a trending topic on Chinese social media over the weekend, Zhejiang province-based Chao News reported. It was when Angela was standing up that some netizens said she looked like someone wearing a bear suit. The zoo has sought to refute the rumour in posts on its official WeChat account and in interviews with local media, saying that Angela is "definitely not a human". "Our zoo is government-run, so that kind of situation would not happen," a member of staff said, according to local media. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; Additional reporting by Jiawei Wang; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Angela, Chao, Qian Ming, netizens, Martin Quin Pollard, Jiawei Wang, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Hangzhou Zoo, Chao News, Hangzhou TV, Weibo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China's Zhejiang, Zhejiang province, Suzhou, Hangzhou

[1/5] Kazuyuki Tanioka, the owner of Japanese cuisine Toya restaurant, prepares a sashimi dish, during an interview with Reuters, in Beijing, China July 25, 2023. China is the biggest importer of Japanese seafood. Shortly after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake damaged the Fukushima plant, it banned the import of food and agricultural products from five Japanese prefectures. The latest import restrictions were imposed this month after the United Nation's nuclear watchdog approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water. "Our main focus is to source seafood within China or sourcing from other foreign suppliers," Tanioka said.

Persons: Tanioka, Tingshu Wang, It's, Toya, Kenji Kobayashi, Fukuoka, Duan, restaurateurs, Martin Quin Pollard, Chris Gallagher, Tom Bateman, Mariko Katsumura, Xiaoyu Yin, Justin Fung, Miral Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, United, Aomori, Aomori Chuosuisan Co, Japan, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Toya, Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Kumamoto, Japan, Aomori Chuosuisan, Hong Kong, Tokyo

BEIJING, July 4 - China has cancelled a trip by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell scheduled for next week, an EU spokesperson said on Tuesday. "We want to engage with China but we need progress and we need it this year," Toledo said. In a prepared speech for delivery in Beijing in April, Borrell had said that EU cannot trust China if it does not seek peace in Ukraine. China has said it wants to broker a peace in Ukraine but its position paper released in February was met with lukewarm responses by both Russia and Ukraine. EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who is in Beijing this week for environment talks, also failed to visit China in April because he caught COVID-19.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Nabila Massrali, Borrell, Jorge Toledo, Toledo, Frans Timmermans, COVID, Yew Lun Tian, Martin Quin Pollard, Conor Humphries, David Holmes Organizations: European Union, Reuters, Sunday, EU, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Europe, Brussels, Beijing, Ukraine, Russia, EU

☆ Opinion: You might want to rethink taking melatonin as a sleep aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Opinion Jennifer Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —You may know someone who has taken melatonin to help them sleep. Sometimes, they mention a friend who recommended a specific brand that’s supposed to be “really strong.” Then I ask them if taking melatonin has worked for them. Finally, people can become psychologically dependent on taking the supplement and become afraid of what will happen to their sleep if they stop taking melatonin. To understand how melatonin supplements work (and why they often don’t), it’s important to look at how the hormone naturally functions in the human body. This makes consulting a sleep specialist before taking melatonin all the more important.

Persons: Jennifer Martin, Australia — Organizations: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, American Academy of Sleep, CNN, JAMA, European Union, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Los Angeles, cannabidiol, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a reception at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. After securing an unprecedented third term as president earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first overseas trip to Moscow to meet his "dear friend" Putin. China "will be more cautious with its words and actions about Russia", said Shanghai-based international relations expert Shen Dingli. It was unclear if Yang's article was written before the Wagner rebellion and he did not respond to requests for an interview from Reuters. Other China-based academics, however, said Beijing would not change its stance on Russia as a result of the incident.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Shen Muhui, Alexander Neill, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Qin Gang, Putin, Shen Dingli, Yang Jun, Michal Meidan, Martin Quin Pollard, Yew, Tian, John Geddie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Moscow, U.S, Foreign, NATO, Beijing's China University of Political Science, Law, Reuters, The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, European Union, Putin's, Australian National University, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, China, Ukraine, Beijing, BEIJING, China's, Fujian, Singapore, United States, Shanghai, Japan, Putin's Russia

☆ Aston Martin strikes deal with California-based Lucid to help make EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —British ultra-luxury sports car maker Aston Martin has signed a deal with Lucid Group, the California-based electric luxury car startup. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is the largest shareholder in Lucid and the second-largest in Aston Martin, after billionaire chairman Lawrence Stroll. And Lucid will take a 3.7% stake in Aston Martin as part of the newly announced arrangement. Lucid said it was selected by Aston Martin “through a competitive process” in its Monday announcement of the deal. Shares of Aston Martin rose about 11% by midday Monday on news of the deal.

Persons: Aston Martin, Lawrence, Lucid, Aston Martin “, Aston Martin’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Lucid Group, Aston, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Volvo, Lotus, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen Group, BMW, Royce Locations: New York, British, California, Aston Martin

☆ Flying the F-35 stealth fighter can leave pilots looking 'like they are 100 years old,' says test pilot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

F-35 test pilots described how intense it is to fly the aircraft, The Jerusalem Post reported. "After some training, pilots come out looking like they are 100 years old," another test pilot said. Tony "Brick" Wilson, an F-35 test pilot for the American defense company who formerly served in the US Navy, described the "g-forces" — or gravitational force — must deal with when flying the hi-tech US fighter jets. Monessa "Siren" Balzhiser, another F-35 test pilot for the company, also addressed "g-forces" in the discussion. The F-16 has three separate screens and displays, with each screen tied to a specific sensor," she said, per The Jerusalem Post.

Persons: Lockheed Martin webinar, —, Lockheed Martin, Tony, Wilson, Balzhiser Organizations: Jerusalem Post, Lockheed, Service, US Navy, Aircraft, US Air Force, Russian, AIM Locations: Jerusalem, Russia, Ukraine

BEIJING, June 15 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi delighted Argentina fans in Beijing when he scored the fastest goal of his international career, netting after 79 seconds as the world champions beat Australia 2-0 in a friendly at a raucous Workers' Stadium on Thursday. "We always enjoy being with the national team," Messi said. Messi has been the focus of attention ever since he landed in Beijing last week. The areas around the stadium and the hotel where Messi and his team mates have been staying have been awash with people wearing replica Argentina jerseys in recent days. Hundreds queued outside the hotel each day in the hope of catching a glimpse of Messi leaving for training.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez, Messi, Graham Arnold, I've, Rodrigo De Paul, Emiliano Martinez, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Qiaoyi Li, Rohith Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: Argentina, Australia, Workers, Inter Miami, Messi, Argentine, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, American, Argentina, China, Australia, Argentine, Bengaluru

☆ A former Southwest employee was charged with selling $1.9 million in fake travel vouchers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A former Southwest employee created and sold fake travel vouchers, according to a June 5 indictment. The airline usually issues Southwest Luv Vouchers to customers affected by delays and other circumstances. Between February and June 2022, the former employee allegedly created vouchers for a value of nearly $2 million. A customer service representative for Southwest Airlines at Midway Airport in Chicago when he allegedly created and sold fraudulent travel vouchers for a value of nearly $2 million. Federal prosecutors allege that Martin, who worked at Southwest from November 2018 to June 2022, used his employee credentials to create fake customer names and generate fake travel vouchers of the kind Southwest issues to customers who have experienced delays, cancellations, and other unfortunate circumstances.

Persons: DaJuan Martin, Ned Brooks, Martin, Brooks, Mr, Jonathan Bedi, Martin's, John Legutki Organizations: Southwest, Morning, Southwest Airlines, Midway Airport Locations: Chicago

Late last month a Chinese fighter jet flew in front of a U.S. warplane over the South China Sea, drawing a rebuke from the United States. China regards the United States as an outsider interfering in a region in which it sees itself as a force for peace and stability. The United States says such patrols defend the right of all countries to sail in international waters. Some analysts say Chinese military commanders have been encouraged to act more assertively against foreign military ships and planes. And that's when the United States would eventually take the necessary measures to reduce the risk."

Persons: Xi Jinping, ”, Jennifer Parker, Derek Grossman, China's, Tong Zhao, Nancy Pelosi's, Michael Martina, Martin Pollard, Yew Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Don Durfee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, People's Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, PLA, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, RAND Corporation, Communist Party, Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, Pentagon, ., Reuters, Washington, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BEIJING, Chinese, U.S, Taiwan Strait, South China, United States, China, CHINA, Beijing, Asia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hainan

[1/3] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk stands near Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao before leaving the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. Billionaire Elon Musk has been showered with praise by the Chinese public during his trip to China and while also securing audiences with three government ministers. "Elon Musk is just great, if only China could have someone like Elon Musk," said another. Musk's unannounced trip is the latest by a major U.S. CEO to China since the country reversed its zero-COVID policy and reopened its borders. The commerce ministry also did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Elon Musk, Wang Wentao, Tingshu Wang, Ma, Billionaire Elon Musk, Zeng Yuqun, Jin Zhuanglong, hasn't, Musk, Elon, Tim Cook, JP Morgan's, Jamie Dimon, Laxman Narasimhan, CATL's Zeng, Tesla, CATL, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu, Joe Cash, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, Commerce, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Fu Yan, Twitter, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, U.S, Shanghai, United States

[1/2] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk kicked off his second day in China with visits to the country's commerce ministry and industry ministry. Musk left his hotel on Wednesday morning accompanied by Grace Tao, Tesla's China-based public affairs chief and Tom Zhu, head of global manufacturing. He next visited the Ministry of Industry and Information which has regulatory oversight of the automotive industry. Tesla and the ministries did not immediately reply to a request for comment on discussions with Musk.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tingshu Wang, Musk, Grace Tao, Tom Zhu, Wang Wentao, Tesla, Qin Gang, Zeng Yuqun, CATL, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu, Joe Cash, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Ministry of Industry, Foreign, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Shanghai, United States

Bean Smith Mills Nichols Detective Mills wields pepper spray. Bean Smith Mills Nichols Detective Mills wields pepper spray. Bean Smith Mills Nichols Detective Mills wields pepper spray. Haley Nichols Bean Mills MARTIN Detective Haley points his phone at Nichols. Haley Nichols Bean Mills Martin Detective Haley points his phone at Nichols.

☆ A teen endured taunts after reporting a sex assault, but her school didn’t help, complaint says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kate Martin | Kate Martin Is An Enterprise Reporter For Nbc News | Based In North Carolina. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“I think this situation is a perfect example of why schools have Title IX obligations,” said Chloe Neely, the lawyer representing Riley in her Title IX complaint. Riley’s Title IX complaint accuses Cherokee County Schools, which has about 2,900 students, of not properly training school staff on how to respond to a complaint of harassment. “There usually aren’t any accountability measures in place to ensure compliance with Title IX,” said Meyer, who was not referring specifically to Cherokee County. The proposed Title IX changes are currently going through a federal review process and could be finalized later this year. Cherokee County Schools only opened its own investigation in early 2022, after Marcella filed the Title IX complaint and more than three months after the alleged assault.

Doctors are calling on the public to familiarize themselves with lifesaving CPR techniques after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a football game Monday night in Cincinnati. Hamlin received CPR, which stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to restore his heartbeat on the field, the Bills said in a statement. The American Heart Association said it saw a 200% increase in web traffic to its CPR site after news of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest emerged. More than 30 states require public school students to learn CPR before high school graduation. Another possible solution, Toft said, is for the U.S. to require CPR training to obtain driver’s licenses — a strategy deployed in some Scandinavian countries.

Dr. Sheila Cannon, associate dean of the school of nursing at Fayetteville State, organized the recent training with funding from the state Legislature. That $1.5 million appropriation for Fayetteville State came on the heels of a news report last year that showed few sexual assault nurse examiners worked in rural North Carolina hospitals, which meant some patients had to travel hours from home or wait days for care. The reporting spurred a flurry of action at the state and federal level to pay for training and supporting sexual assault nurse examiners. Cornell Watson for NBC NewsIt was a struggle to get this program to Fayetteville State University at all. “I want to learn my script of how I move through things so I can be more efficient and the patient can feel more comfortable and confident in what I’m doing,” Godwin said.

As a result, political observers say, public school funding is effectively on the ballot Tuesday. “These groups have been demonizing what is being taught in public schools, and that’s the fastest way to erode faith that public schools work,” Rottinghaus said. (Abbott publicly came out in support of private school vouchers two months after winning the primary with 66.5% of the vote.) Greg Abbott in the GOP primary, campaigned in support of private school vouchers. “I will never support vouchers.”Rep. John Bucy III said he will continue to oppose private school vouchers.

Search resuls for: "Martin Is A"

24 mentions found