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☆ Surging AI demand could cause the world's next chip shortage, research says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | Arjun Kharpal Is A Senior Correspondent For Cnbc In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The last major semiconductor shortage happened during the Covid-19 pandemic amid supply chain disruption and a rise in demand for consumer electronics as people were forced to stay and work at home. These GPUs which are housed in data centers are critical for the training of huge AI models which underpin applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Bain said demand for GPUs and AI consumer electronics could be the cause of a chip shortage. The semiconductor supply chain is spread across multiple companies. “Geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions, and multinational tech companies’ decoupling of their supply chains from China continue to pose serious risks to semiconductor supply.

Persons: Bain, Anne Hoecker, TSMC, ” Bain Organizations: Bain & Co, Technology, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Microsoft, Bain, CNBC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Samsung Electronics, Washington Locations: Americas, Taiwan, Netherlands, U.S, China

☆ Surging AI demand could cause the world's next chip shortage, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The last major semiconductor shortage happened during the Covid-19 pandemic amid supply chain disruption and a rise in demand for consumer electronics as people were forced to stay and work at home. These are often referred to as AI-enabled devices and companies from Samsung to Microsoft have released such products. Bain said demand for GPUs and AI consumer electronics could be the cause of a chip shortage. Bain & Company noted that the semiconductor supply chain is "incredibly complex, and a demand increase of about 20% or more has a high likelihood of upsetting the equilibrium and causing a chip shortage." "The AI explosion across the confluence of the large end markets could easily surpass that threshold, creating vulnerable chokepoints throughout the supply chain," the report added.

Persons: Bain, Anne Hoecker Organizations: Bain & Company, Technology, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Microsoft, CNBC Locations: Americas

☆ Opinion: Why ‘black swans’ are behind the Key Bridge and other shipping disasters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Opinion Salvatore R. Mercogliano | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The allision between the container ship MV Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday has prompted numerous questions — not only about how this tragedy occurred, but also about our global shipping processes. This marked the start of a campaign by the Houthis, in support of Hamas in their attack on Israel, against global shipping transiting the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. Now, two years later, Baltimore is closed with remains of the Key Bridge athwart the main shipping channel. No one agency has oversight of or coordinates global shipping or ports in the US. There is also no overall maritime strategy for the nation, although the US Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration has been tasked to develop one.

Persons: Salvatore R, Mercogliano, Francis Scott Key, —, Sal Mercogliano Bennett Scarborough, Dali, ”, Jennifer Homendy, Transportation Pete Buttigieg, John Garamendi of, Dusty Johnson of Organizations: Campbell University, Shipping, YouTube, CNN, MV Galaxy Leader, Baltimore, Federal Highway Administration, Transportation, Bethlehem Steel, Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, US Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation, US Department of Transportation, Federal Maritime Commission, Democratic, Republican, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Ocean Shipping Reform Locations: Baltimore, Asia, Suez, Los Angeles, Long, Yemen, Israel, Bab, Aden, China, Argentina, Largo, Dali, Sparrows, United States, John Garamendi of California, Dusty Johnson of South

☆ Opinion: What Iran wants — and fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran has backed Hezbollah’s efforts to avoid an all-out war with Israel despite consistent Israeli escalation and threats. Hezbollah doesn’t want a war with Israel and Iran agrees. The potential for such US or Israeli airstrikes is among the most significant reasons Iran wants to avoid a broader conflict. Tehran has already restrained its Iraqi proxies, is working to help Hezbollah climb down and avoid a devastating Israeli attack. And Iran is probably urging the Houthis to take great care not to kill Americans or otherwise go too far.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Hussein Ibish It’s, Biden, Israel, Kataib, Saleh Al, Wissam, Amos Hochstein, Ebrahim Raisi, Shannon Stapleton, It’s Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Washington, Radwan Force, Iranian Locations: Washington, Iranian, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Saudi, That’s, Israel, Jordan, Hezbollah’s, Beirut, Tehran, Yemeni, Suez, Strait, Hormuz, Bab, Mandab

☆ China Is Cynically Exploiting U.S. Protection of Shipping Lanes - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Isaac Kardon | Jennifer Kavanagh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There has been plenty of hand-wringing in the West about the prospect of China displacing — or at least rivaling — the United States as the world’s leading superpower. But the evolving security crisis in the Red Sea makes clear that this remains a distant prospect. China, with a trade-led economy dependent on the free flow of commerce through chokepoints like the Bab el-Mandeb strait off Yemen, relies on the United States to protect international sea lanes. Instead, it seems content to largely sit back and offer veiled criticism of the U.S. military response. Beijing is playing a cynical game, free-riding on the same American power that it holds in contempt, trying to have it both ways.

Organizations: U.S Locations: China, United States, chokepoints, Yemen, U.S, East, Europe, Red, Djibouti, Beijing

☆ Oil prices rise as US-led strikes in Yemen raise fears of wider conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen rattled energy markets on Friday, sending oil prices sharply higher. Oil prices rose sharply after US-led strikes on multiple Houthi targets in Yemen in response to repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Another concern is that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia could get hit by a retaliatory strike from the Houthis. In 2019, roughly 5% of world oil supply was briefly knocked offline in a large-scale drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. Despite Friday’s gains, oil prices remain lower than where they were before the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel due to concerns about oversupply.

Persons: Brent, “, ”, Robert Yawger, ” Yawger, John Kirby, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ” Kirby, ” Matt Smith, ” Helima Croft, Croft, ” Croft Organizations: New, New York CNN, Mizuho Securities, White House National Security Council, RBC Capital Markets, CIA Locations: New York, Yemen, East, Red, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Gulf of Oman, Hormuz

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that the U.S. may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen. On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during an hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. He noted similar task forces are used to protect commercial shipping elsewhere, including off the coast of Somalia. The Houthi attacks imperil traffic on one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesThe Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Yemen’s Houthi, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, Jon Gambrell, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Energy, Administration, ” Locations: U.S, Red, Iranian, Yemen, Israel, United States, Somalia, Gulf, Europe, China, Bab, Iran

☆ Oil is struggling this week but could be primed for a near-term bounce, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices may be due for a pop after their recent struggles, according to two analysts. International benchmark Brent is down 3.7% this week, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures have lost nearly 4%. Flynn said virtually everyone in the market right now is short oil futures. "You could easily mount a recovery here because we're probably the most oversold in a year in the market," said Flynn. OPEC+ will meet in two weeks and could take action to defend prices while there's still a low risk of regional war.

Persons: Phil Flynn, Flynn, we're, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Maximilian Layton, there's, Layton Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Price Futures, Iranian, Iran's Press, Citi Locations: Europe, China, Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Gaza, OPEC, Israel, Iran

☆ Video shows a US Navy drone boat firing off its own exploding drone in the Middle East, a first for the unmanned vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Navy said its drone boats fired lethal weaponry for the first time in the Middle East. Footage of one of the engagements shows Navy personnel operating the drone boat in the open waters. The USV then fires one of the munitions, which includes a first-person view of its trajectory into the simulated target, causing it to detonate on impact. Navy officials said the exercise was designed to advance the lethality and combat potential of drone boats, and future events could broaden the arsenal of these unmanned systems. Beyond drone boats, the Pentagon has taken other measures in recent months to boost deterrence in the region like dispatching an assortment of fighter jets and warships to the area.

Persons: —, Ray USV, Devil Ray, NAVCENT, Brad Cooper, Cmdr, Dre Johnson, Jonathan Nye, Justin Stumberg Organizations: US Navy, Navy, Service, US Naval Forces Central Command, . Naval Forces Central Command’s, Digital, Missile System, U.S . Naval Forces Central Command’s, Mass, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Pentagon Locations: Arabian, U.S, Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Persian, Iran, American

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

[1/3] A general view shows Haifa Port, which is to be sold to India's Adani Ports and local partner Gadot in Haifa, Israel July 24, 2022. Ashdod port has imposed restrictions on the transport of hazardous materials which has meant slower transits. Around 13 ships - comprising cargo, container and dry bulk vessels - were currently moored inside Ashdod port, according to MarineTraffic data. "The Suez Canal, a critical waterway for various commercial vessels, including container ships, may face disruptions," Container xChange CEO Christian Roeloffs said. The Marshall Islands registry, one of the world's top shipping flags, last week raised the security level for Israel's ports and its territorial waters to their highest.

Persons: Gadot, Ilan Rosenberg, Christian Roeloffs, Jonathan Saul, Ari Rabinovitch, David Evans, Louise Heavens Organizations: Haifa Port, Adani, REUTERS, Rights, Israel's, Port, MSC, Ministry, Marshall, Thomson Locations: Haifa, Israel, Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Port, Port of Haifa, ”, Israel's, Suez, Hormuz, United States, Arabian, Strait, Gulf of Oman and Red, Jerusalem

☆ The US Navy turned the tables on Iran, sending drones that look like speedboats to spy on its warships and troublesome gunboats
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. US Navy photoAn undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of an Iranian Navy AB-212 helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. AdvertisementAdvertisementOther images from the September operation that were released by the US Navy on Friday showed an IRGCN warship and an Iranian Navy frigate. An L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel sails in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 22, during exercise Neon Defender 23. US Navy photoA MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel operates in the Gulf of Aqaba, Mar.

Persons: —, NAVCENT, Joe Baggett, Ray USV, Brad Cooper, Cooper, Arleigh Burke, Alexus, Grynkewich, they'll Organizations: US Navy, Navy, Service, Washington, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, US Naval Forces Central Command, Iranian, Fleet, Iranian Navy, Arabian Fox, US Marines, Coast Guard, Pentagon, Bataan, Ready, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, US Air Forces Central Command, Defense Writers Locations: Tehran, Hormuz, Persian, Gulf of Oman, Iran, Arabian, Panama, Strait, Iranian Navy, Iranian, NAVCENT, Gulf, Aqaba, Mar

☆ Warren Buffett's toll roads, Elon Musk's bottlenecks, and why both men prize the same kinds of businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Buffett likes toll roads that give him monopoly power and the ability to raise prices easily. AdvertisementAdvertisementYears later, one of Buffett's companies held a 24% stake in Detroit International Bridge Co., the only public company in the country that owned a toll bridge. He also highlighted toll roads among the specific assets he wanted to buy in his Buffett Partnership letters in the 1950s. "I have said in an inflationary world that a toll bridge would be a great thing to own if it was unregulated." Shared valuesBuffett appears to like toll roads because they're a simple, safe, and reliable way to make money.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Elon, Elon Musk, Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Roger Lowenstein, Sandy Gottesman, Warren, Bill Brewster, Bill Cohan, Kara Swisher, Cohan, Tesla, Nathan Furr, Jeff Dyer, Musk Organizations: Buffett, Service, Elon, Berkshire, American, Detroit International, Co, Apple, Yorker, SpaceX, Harvard Business, EV Locations: Wall, Silicon, Detroit, Berkshire

Together, experts say, these efforts aim to enhance China’s military reach, which currently includes only one operational overseas naval base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. “It’s a question of when – not if – China will secure its next overseas military outpost,” he said. This photo taken on August 1, 2017, shows Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel attending the opening ceremony of China's new military base in Djibouti. The Hambantota commercial port in Sri Lanka has long been considered a prime candidate for a Chinese naval base. However, China’s path to developing permanent overseas bases, if indeed that is its aim, is not straightforward.

Persons: FDD, Craig Singleton, “, –, ”, Tea Banh, FDD’s Singleton, Tang Chhin Sothy, Singleton, Xi Jinping, Stringer, ” AidData, Stephen J, Townsend, ” Townsend, Bata, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Ken Ishii, ’, ” Singleton, China’s, Aaron Favila, Isaac Kardon, Kardon, ” Kardon, BlackSky Singleton, Rob Wittman, Fu Tian, Seth Moulton, ” Moulton, Martin Meiners Organizations: South Korea CNN, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Ream, Base, CNN, China’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ream Naval Base, ” Cambodian Defense, Cambodian, Getty, Fleet, Communist Party, US, Liberation Army personnel, William & Mary University, Sri Lankan Navy, US Africa Command, Gabonese, of, Xinhua, Naval Research Academy, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, East China Seas, China, Control, Organization, Force, Strategic, International Studies, Defense Department, Chinese Communist Party, ”, Virginia Republican, The Defense Department, Qingdao Port, People's Liberation Army Navy, China News Service, America, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Washington, Cambodia, Argentina, Cuba, Djibouti, of Africa, Africa, West Asia, Gulf, Thailand, United States, Preah Sihanouk, AFP, Horn of Africa, “, South, Taiwan, Virginia, —, Sri Lanka, Bata , Equatorial Guinea, Gwadar, Pakistan, Kribi, Cameroon, Ream, Vanuatu, Nacala, Mozambique, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Colombo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, West Africa, South China, East Asia, East, Asia, Washington In Washington, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shandong province, Massachusetts

☆ Brazil clears bottlenecks to oust US as top corn exporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"We celebrated a lot... when (corn export) volumes via northern ports equaled Santos," said Sergio Mendes, head of Brazilian grain exporter group Anec. "By using northern ports... you are saving 20 reais ($4.12) per ton (of corn)." Treemap with data from Cargonave show the percentage share of corn exports of Brazil ports in north and south part of the country. CHEAPER ROUTE TO CHINAThe new export capacity has helped grains shipped from Brazil's northern ports to compete on logistics costs with U.S. farmers. "The greater share of shipments through northern ports reflects cheaper freight costs compared to routes to the ports in the south and southeast," said Thome Guth, a Conab official.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Sergio Mendes, Louis Dreyfus, Brazil's, Thiago Pera, Santos, ", Thome Guth, Ana Mano, Brad Haynes, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, China, U.S, Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, TCU, Shipping, U.S . Department of Agriculture, COFCO, Santos, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Santos, Ukraine, China, U.S, Northern, Madeira, Santarem, Barcarena, Itaqui, Canada, Argentina, Mato Grosso, CHINA, Iowa, Shanghai, Itacoatiara, Chicago, Para, Norte Sul, Tocantins, Goias, Minas Gerais, Mato

☆ Major shipping routes are struggling with water shortages. El Niño could make it worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A ship navigates the Panama Canal in the area of the Americas' Bridge in Panama City on June 12, 2023. Luis Acosta | Afp | Getty ImagesAn increasing number of climate-driven extreme weather events is taking its toll on the world's major shipping routes — and El Niño could make matters worse. In drought-stricken Panama, low water levels have prompted the Central American country to reduce the number of vessels that pass through the critically important Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority, which manages the waterway, said earlier this month that the measures were necessary because of "unprecedented challenges." "Right now, we do not see that filling up of the water levels that a normal year would bring around.

Persons: Luis Acosta, El Niño, El, Peter Sands, Sands, Lars Ostergaard Nielsen, Moller, Balint Porneczi, Nielsen Organizations: Afp, Getty, Central, Atlantic, Panama Canal Authority, CNBC, Analysts, Planet Labs PBC, El, Maersk, Bloomberg, Palatinate . Locations: Panama, Panama City, Central American, Suez, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Germany, Rotterdam, Bacharach, Rhineland, Palatinate, Frankfurt

☆ Yellen upbeat on US economy, says Bidenomics is driving investment, job growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China, July 9, 2023. Yellen said China's slowing growth, Russia's war in Ukraine and climate change could still pose risks to the U.S. economy and did not rule out a recession, but she felt upbeat. "I feel very good about U.S. prospects overall," Yellen told reporters, noting that inflation and the unemployment rate had both dropped below 4%, and that the U.S. economy was continuing to expand. "These are real Americans back at work – able to put food on the table, support their families, and save for retirement." Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Las Vegas; Editing by Diane Craft, Matthew Lewis and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Thomas Peter, Joe Biden's, Yellen, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Diane Craft, Matthew Lewis, Sonali Paul Organizations: Treasury, U.S, REUTERS, Thomas, Thomas Peter Companies Ipsos, LAS, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Conference of State Legislators, Workers, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Nevada, Vegas, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Las Vegas

☆ Yellen warns of risks of over-concentration of clean energy supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"As we move away from fossil fuels, we remain concerned about the risks of over-concentration in clean energy supply chains," she said in excerpts of the speech obtained by Reuters. "Today, the production of critical clean energy inputs – from batteries to solar panels to critical minerals – is concentrated in a handful of countries." "The IRA is helping re-shore some of the production that is critical to our clean energy economy," she said. "Accelerating these transitions can mean greater demand for U.S. clean energy technologies produced by American workers. It can also bolster global clean energy supply chains.”Yellen will speak at a training center operated by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Thomas Peter, laud, Yellen, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Diane Craft Organizations: Treasury, U.S, REUTERS, Thomas, Thomas Peter Companies Ipsos, LAS, Reuters, International Energy Agency, Democratic, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, U.S, Las Vegas, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Australia, Chile, Nevada

☆ Amtrak's new high-speed trains have been delayed again because the tracks they're supposed to run on are too old and busted
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The debut of Amtrak's new high-speed trains has been delayed for a third year in a row to 2024. It's due to complications passing federal safety checks on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak said. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington are notoriously run down. The trains' manufacturer, Alstom, says the culprit isn't the trains themselves, but rather the tracks they're supposed to run on. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington, a high-traffic section known as the Northeast corridor, are notoriously rundown — with some tracks dating back 150 years.

Organizations: Amtrak, Morning, Alstom, Federal Railroad, FRA Locations: Boston, Washington, United States, Europe, Asia

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☆ Ukraine's military may not be able to retake Crimea, but it can make life hell for Russians there, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Retaking the peninsula would be tough, but Ukrainian forces can isolate it, two US experts say. Supplying Russian forces on the peninsula — including the Black Sea Fleet — would require far more airlift capacity than Russia has. "Rattled by attacks, short of supplies, and somewhat isolated, Russian forces in Crimea could become less capable." It is possible that Russia could devise some defense or countermeasure against USVs, especially if they have naval and air superiority over the Black Sea. Sapping the capabilities and morale of Russian forces by disrupting their supply lines is one thing.

☆ Surprise drone attacks hint at how Ukraine is going after Russia's missile 'chokepoints'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While its military struggles on the ground in Ukraine, Russia has leaned heavily on aerial attacks. It has also hit bases on the Crimean Peninsula that support the Black Sea Fleet and its missile-equipped warships. The Black Sea Fleet has been reinforced by ships from Russia's Caspian Flotilla, which arrived through a canal connecting the seas. Though the Black Sea Fleet has been able to blockade Ukrainian ports, Ukraine has scored significant victories against it. In December, Ukrainian drones blasted two air bases east of Moscow — hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.

☆ The US Navy is putting its submarines on rare public display in a message to Russia's growing undersea force
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US Navy has announced several visits by its subs to North Atlantic ports in recent years. Since 2020, when Norway allowed NATO subs to use a port near Tromsø, announcements of such visits appear to have increased. 'We're in your backyard'British Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute sails to the base at Faslane in November 2009. Russian Navy Yasen-class submarine Kazan at its base in Severomorsk on Russia's Arctic coast in June 2021. During the Cold War, US attack subs operated in the high north to get the Soviets to keep their attack subs close by to protect their ballistic-missile subs.

☆ China is succeeding in the Middle East because it learned from watching the US fail there for 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Natalie Armbruster | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Conversely, China is clear-eyed about its interests in the Middle East and, more importantly, their limits. In fact, most of China's Belt and Road Initiative investments in the Middle East hinge on ensuring free trade in the Middle East and a steady energy supply, not security. As international scrutiny builds surrounding the Uyghur crisis, China is particularly keen on finding partners in the Middle East who will exchange silence for investment. With Saudi Arabia, which has its own skeletons in its closet, such a trade is tempting. Instead of resorting to undue threat inflation, the United States may benefit from a corrective course on its history in the Middle East thus far.

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