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The audit has not changed the U.S. Treasury's view that the bank must make reforms before the department will support disbursements from the Afghan Fund to Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB, as the central bank is known, said a U.S. Treasury official on condition of anonymity. It also must prove that it has "adequate" controls against money-laundering and terrorism financing and install a "reputable" independent monitor, said the Treasury official. A Taliban administration spokesman and a spokesperson for the Afghan central bank did not respond to request for comment. Afghanistan remains mired in grave humanitarian and economic crises that some experts say has been worsened by U.S. restrictions hampering DAB's ability to perform key central bank functions, such as ensuring stable exchange rates and prices. Calling the audit a "preliminary assessment," the Treasury official said its "limitations" suggested that "more comprehensive third-party assessment efforts may be needed."

Persons: ”, disbursements, Shah Mehrabi, Mehrabi, Anwar ul, Haq Ahady, Jonathan Landay, Charlotte Greenfield, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S ., Afghan, Da, Da Afghanistan Bank, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of New, DAB, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, U.S, Afghan Fund, State Department, The State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, ISLAMABAD, U.S, Da Afghanistan, Swiss, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Afghan, Washington, United States, Afghanistan, American

☆ 'Many may die' warns UN after end of Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Russia quit the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, saying that demands to improve its own food and fertilizer exports had not been met, and that not enough Ukrainian grain had reached the poorest countries. The Black Sea grain deal was brokered a year ago by the United Nations and Turkey to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion. The impact of the grain deal in terms of provisions of Ukrainian grain to global markets is "essentially not very significant," he said. Before Russia withdrew from the Black Sea deal on Monday, the U.N. had "brokered a concrete proposal" with the European Commission to connect a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT. "We remain open to explore solutions with the U.N. that would contribute to the resumption of the grain deal," EU envoy to the U.N. Olof Skoog told the council.

Persons: Martin Griffiths, Mikhail Khan, Sergei Vershinin, Rosemary DiCarlo, Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Olof Skoog, Michelle Nichols, Sybille de La, Doina Chiacu, Conor Humphries Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Security, United, Security Council, U.S, Russia's Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, European Union, Russia, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Chicago, United Nations, Turkey, Afghanistan, Djibouti Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Moscow, Crimea, Russia's, Paris

☆ How Netflix can end the Hollywood strike in a way Disney, Paramount can't afford
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"The strike is not something we wanted," said Sarandos, whose company is negotiating jointly with competing movie studios like Disney and Paramount whose parent companies also own streaming services. Some big-media companies that own streaming services, like Paramount and Disney, have seen their shares drop even in the renewed bull market of the past year. LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield says Netflix made $6.5 billion last year excluding interest, taxes, and non-cash charges, while rival streaming services at Paramount, Disney and NBC lost more than $8 billion. That's a relatively small number for an industry with revenues topping $70 billion, $31.6 billion of it last year at Netflix. Paramount Global's Paramount+ service lost $1.8 billion last year, but saw losses shrink in the first quarter.

Persons: Mike Blake, Mark Mahaney, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, Michael Pachter, Robert Iger, Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Max, Rich Greenfield, Mahaney, hasn't, Jake Urbanski, Jamie Lumley, Peters, Spencer Neumann Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Wednesday, Writers Guild of America, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon, Wedbush Securities, Television Producers, CNBC, Walt Disney Co, Sun, Paramount, Warner Bros, LightShed, NBC, Hollywood, Moody's Investors Service, Writers ' Guild of America, WGA, Twitter, Hulu, Comcast, Apple Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

Investment in the critical minerals pipeline grew by 20% in 2021 and by 30% in 2022, led by lithium, copper and nickel. Although prices of some critical minerals such as copper have eased over the last year due to recession in the "old economy", prices for most critical minerals remain well above historical averages as supply struggles to catch up with demand. Production trends for nickel and cobaltLIMITED DIVERSIFICATIONThere has been only limited success in diversifying the geographical sourcing of critical minerals in recent years, the IEA said. China, which already dominates lithium processing, accounts for half of the world's planned new lithium chemical plants. Moreover, China's move to control exports of gallium and germanium underlines the concentration of supply in a host of smaller, esoteric metals that feed into the critical minerals landscape.

Persons: China's, IRENA, David Evans, Mark Potter Organizations: International Energy Agency, Investment, IEA, International Renewable Energy Agency, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Canada, Australia, China, Indonesia, United States, Europe, South America

☆ Everything in Hollywood is shutting down other than reality TV, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEverything in Hollywood is shutting down other than reality TV, says LightShed's Rich GreenfieldRich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the state of Hollywood production after contract negotiations with actor's union SAG-AFTRA collapsed late last night, and more.

Persons: LightShed's Rich Greenfield Rich Greenfield, AFTRA Organizations: Hollywood, LightShed Partners, SAG Locations: Hollywood

☆ NextDecade shares fall 23% as LNG project funding disappoints investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies NextDecade Corp FollowJuly 13 (Reuters) - NextDecade Corp shares (NEXT.O) fell 23% on Thursday on investor worries over the terms of $18.4 billion financing the U.S. liquefied natural gas developer obtained to go ahead with the long-delayed Phase 1 of Rio Grande LNG export facility. NextDecade said its financial partners and TotalEnergies combined will hold stake that could fetch them at least 79.2% of the cash flow generated from Phase 1 of the project. It also said the lump-sum turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contracts of $12 billion were lower than its forecast of $12.5 billion. "Investors are looking at the huge portion of cash flow that the new project level investors get relative to the equity holders and don't love that," said Sean Morgan, an analyst at Evercore. NextDecade is expected to produce 27 million tonnes of LNG a year from the facility.

Persons: NextDecade, TotalEnergies, TD Cowen, Sean Morgan, Arshreet Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: NextDecade, NextDecade Corp, Evercore, Thomson Locations: Rio Grande LNG, United States

☆ Russian veto signals end of Turkey-based UN aid operation in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia suggested that the council mandate for the aid operation could not be salvaged. Security Council votes on the issue have long been contentious - in both 2022 and 2020 the mandate expired, only to be renewed a day later. The Security Council initially authorized aid deliveries in 2014 into opposition-held areas of Syria from Iraq, Jordan and two points in Turkey. 'UTTER CRUELTY'Russia and Syria have argued that the aid operation violates Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China abstained on the vote for the nine-month compromise renewal of the aid operation authorization drafted by Switzerland and Brazil, while the remaining 13 Security Council members voted in favor.

Persons: Vassily Nebenzia, Nebenzia, we're, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Bashar al, Assad, Bassam Sabbagh, Sabbagh, Thomas, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Nations, . Security, Russia U.N, Security, United, United Nations, Reuters, Ten Security, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, Turkey, Syria, United States, Damascus, Moscow, Iraq, Jordan, China, United Nations, Switzerland, Brazil, Britain, France, Washington

☆ Taliban halt Swedish activities in Afghanistan after Koran burning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, July 11 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration said on Tuesday all activities by Sweden in Afghanistan must stop after the burning of the Koran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital last month. The order was likely to affect the Swedish non-governmental organisation, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which has thousands of aid workers at work throughout the country in health, education and rural development. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Koran outside a Stockholm mosque last month, causing outrage in the Muslim world. The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Taliban order. The Taliban administration did not provide details on which organisations would be affected.

Persons: Zabiullah Mujahid, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Swedish Committee, United, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Sweden, Afghanistan, Swedish, Emirate, Iraqi, Stockholm

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Lightshed Partners' Rich Greenfield
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Lightshed Partners' Rich GreenfieldRich Greenfield, Lightshed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss news of a federal judge restricting Biden administration officials from having contact with social media companies, the potential on social media at large, and more.

Persons: Rich Greenfield Rich Greenfield Organizations: Lightshed Partners, Biden

☆ Taliban administration orders beauty salons in Afghanistan to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, July 4 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has ordered beauty salons to close within a month, the morality ministry said, in the latest shrinking of access to public places for Afghan women. Foreign governments and U.N. officials have condemned growing restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a U.S.-backed government as foreign forces withdrew. Many public places including bathhouses, gyms and parks have been closed to women. Western government and international organisations have signalled that restrictions on women are hampering any possible progress to international recognition for the Taliban administration. The administration says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs.

Persons: Mohammad Sadiq Akif, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte Greenfield, Robert Birsel Organizations: Ministry, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, U.S, Kabul, United States

☆ Automaker Stellantis signs battery metals offtake deal with Australia's Kuniko
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 3 (Reuters) - Australia's Kuniko (KNI.AX) said on Monday it had signed an offtake and equity investment agreement with automaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI) to support the development of its Norwegian battery metals projects. Stellantis would invest 5 million euros ($5.45 million) at an issue price of A$0.467 per share in the battery metals miner in return for a near 20% stake, Kuniko said. Kuniko shares rose as much as 58.1% to A$0.680, their highest level since Oct. 31. Under the deal, announced by Stellantis on Friday, the carmaker will also get 35% of the nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate produced from Kuniko's Norway exploration projects for nine years. The funds from the Stellantis' equity investment will be used to advance Kuniko's brownfield and greenfield battery metals exploration projects in Norway, the company said.

Persons: Stellantis, Kuniko, Himanshi Akhand, Rishav Chatterjee, Rashmi Aich, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Thomson Locations: Norway, Bengaluru

☆ Stellantis signs deal with Kuniko for supply of battery materials
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, June 30 (Reuters) - Stellantis (STLAM.MI) has signed an offtake and equity investment agreement with Australia-listed Kuniko (KNI.AX), the latest of a string of deals aiming to give the carmaker stable supply of key materials for vehicle batteries. The funds provided by Stellantis will help support Kuniko's brownfield and greenfield battery metals exploration projects in Norway, which include nickel, cobalt and copper. Stellantis' Chief Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer Maxime Picat said the world's third largest carmaker by sales was on an "aggressive path" to securing raw materials needed to meet its electrification targets. "With Kuniko, we are adding another lever to support our European battery needs with a local and environmentally conscious solution from its Norwegian projects," he said. The completion of the offtake agreement and of the share subscription with Kuniko are subject to conditions, including regulatory approvals, the two companies said.

Persons: Stellantis, Maxime Picat, McEwen, Giulio Piovaccari, Gavin Jones Organizations: MILAN, Purchasing, Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot, PSA, Vulcan Energy, Resources, Thomson Locations: Australia, Franco, Italian, Norway

[1/2] Hsiao-Wei Lee, Afghanistan country director for World Food Programme (WFP), speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 20, 2023. "It's five million people we are able to serve for another couple of months but then beyond that we don't have the resources," WFP Afghanistan Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters. Around 15 million Afghans in danger from lack of food are in need of assistance, according to WFP. WFP needs $1 billion in funding to provide food aid and carry out planned projects between now until March, Lee said. WFP would stay in Afghanistan and carry out its other work such as nutrition projects, Lee said, even if the projected cuts took place.

Persons: Hsiao, Wei Lee, Sayed, Lee, it's, Charlotte Greenfield, Andrew Mills, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Food Programme, Reuters, REUTERS, United Nations, WFP, Afghanistan, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Kabul, Islamabad, Doha

LAHORE, June 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan's finance minister said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund was "very close" and expected in the next 24 hours. "We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF," minister Ishaq Dar told Reuters late on Thursday. A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme. A representative for the IMF in Pakistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear what portion of the funds would be released in the announcement he expected in the next 24 hours.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Charlotte Greenfield, Andrew Heavens, Alison Williams Organizations: International Monetary, IMF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAHORE, Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore

☆ Pakistan hopes for bailout decision in day or two as IMF seeks deal 'quickly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends a summit on climate resilience in Pakistan, months after deadly floods in the country, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, January 9, 2023. "The IMF team continues discussions with Pakistani authorities with the aim of quickly reaching an agreement on financial support from the IMF," mission chief Nathan Porter said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier in the day that he hoped consensus over the IMF programme's points "will lead to a decision in a day or two". The statement from the prime minister's office added that Sharif spoke to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva about the country's bailout funds, stalled since November. The IMF funds subject to approval by its board promise respite for Pakistan, which is battling its worst economic meltdown, with an acute balance of payments crisis and falling reserves of foreign exchange.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Denis Balibouse, Ishaq Dar, Nathan Porter, Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Ariba Shahid, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Shivam Patel, Charlotte Greenfield, Krishna N, Das, William Maclean, Mark Potter Organizations: Pakistan's, United Nations, REUTERS, Pakistan, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Geneva, Switzerland, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Paris

[1/3] Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson listens to U.S. According to legal scholar Adam Feldman, who tracks court data, Jackson spoke more during oral arguments than any of the other current justices during their first terms. "She's just showed up from day one," said Terry Maroney, a Vanderbilt Law School professor who studies judicial decision-making and behavior. "She knows what she's doing, she's not shy, she's posing uncomfortable hypotheticals - and she's not afraid to do those things even if it's causing discomfort." Last year, rulings powered by the conservative justices ended recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and widened gun rights.

Persons: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Frantz, Jackson, Lorie Smith, Smith, Santa Claus, Kristen Waggoner, Joe Biden, Adam Feldman, She's, Terry Maroney, she's, Stephen Breyer, Kent Greenfield, Greenfield, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Roman Martinez, John Roberts, Jackson's, Neil Gorsuch, Martinez, " Maroney, Andrew Chung, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S . Senate, U.S, Supreme, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic, Vanderbilt Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Boston College, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Colorado, United States, California, New York, Washington

☆ Over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed in blasts, violence since August 2021 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Over a thousand Afghan civilians were killed in bombings and other violence since foreign forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021, according to a report by the U.N.'s mission to Afghanistan released on Tuesday. Between Aug. 15 2021 and May this year 1,095 civilians were killed and 2,679 wounded, according to the U.N. Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), underscoring the security challenges even after the end of decades of war. Though armed fighting has fallen dramatically since the Taliban took over in August 2021 as the NATO-backed military collapsed, security challenges remain, particularly from the Islamic State. The militant group was responsible for the majority of attacks, according to the UNAMA, which also noted that the deadliness of attacks had escalated despite fewer violent incidents. Just over 1,700 casualties, including injuries, were attributed to explosive attacks claimed by Islamic State, according to UNAMA.

Persons: Charlotte Greenfield, Stephen Coates Organizations: Taliban, NATO, Islamic, Security, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Mission, Islamic State, Emirate

☆ Pakistan summons US deputy mission chief over US-India statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LeT is the Islamist group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which more than 160 people were killed, while Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a 2019 bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops. Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught for years. India says Pakistan has helped Islamist militants who have battled Indian security forces in its part of Kashmir since the late 1980s. Pakistan denies the accusation and says it only provides diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris seeking self-determination. Additional reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Matt Miller, Washington, Mohammad, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Charlotte Greenfield, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, Indian, White, . State, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, U.S, Pakistan, United States, India, Mumbai, Kashmir, Britain, Washington

☆ Legacy media companies enter dark times as failures mount and Netflix rises again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Netflix vs the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Disney vs. the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Warner Bros. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Paramount Global vs the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Comcast vs the S&P 500 over the past five months.

Persons: Bob Iger, David Zaslav, Bob Bakish, Wells Fargo, Warren Buffett, It's, dethroning, Donald Trump's, Mario, Zaslav, Greenfield, there's, There's, Simon & Schuster, Mark Read Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, Paramount Global, Getty, Companies, Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, CNBC, Fox Corp, Comcast, MSNBC, dethroning Fox, Mario Bros, Boston University, Hollywood, Activision, Simon &, WPP, Cannes Lions Locations: Cannes, France

☆ Taliban official letter reinforces bar of female aid staff in southern Kandahar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KABUL, June 23 (Reuters) - Taliban authorities in Afghanistan's Kandahar province ordered female aid workers this week to stop work on a refugee project, according to an official letter, reinforcing rules against women working despite exemptions sought by some organisations. The letter underscored the uncertainty of the operating environment in Afghanistan for aid agencies who say they intend to stay and deliver aid during a humanitarian crisis but seek exemptions to let female staff work, to reach female beneficiaries and avoid breaching UN charter principles. The Taliban administration signalled in January it would work on a set of written guidelines that could allow aid groups to operate with female staff in some cases, but it has not yet done so. The Norwegian Refugee Council, an international NGO, in May said it had received exemptions for many of its operations in Kandahar and was resuming work with female staff. The Taliban's restrictions on women aid workers and access to education have been widely criticized by the international community.

Persons: Haibatullah Akhundzada, Charlotte Greenfield, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Department of Refugees, United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan's Kandahar, Kandahar, Spin, Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States

☆ Factbox: Flurry of US-India deals on AI, defense as Biden, Modi meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The following is a roundup of the major announcements:VISASThe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is opening a new consulate in Seattle this year and will soon announce two new consulates in the United States. The MQ-9Bs will be assembled in India, a joint statement said, and U.S. manufacturer General Atomics will also establish new facility in India. ADVANCED COMPUTINGIndia and the United States established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Biden, Katherine Tai, Vikram Solar, Electric's, General Atomics, Atomics, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Indian, U.S, The State Department, United, INDIA, Micron Technology, Micron, United States Trade, World Trade Organization, Minerals Security Partnership, European Union, India’s Epsilon Carbon, VSK Energy, JETS, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Air Force, GE Aerospace's, Tejas, GE, Reuters, SPACE, Artemis Accords, NASA, International Space Station, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, India, Seattle, Gujarat, US, Colorado, China, SPACE India

In the face of an unprecedented semiconductor shortage, Europe is offering billions of euros in subsidies to reduce its dependence on Asia. In return, Intel is committing big sums and with Germany already bagging a 30 billion euro investment, Poland decided to crash the party. Poland initially impressed Intel executives with the speed in which it responded to queries and addressed concerns, Intel said. "When we began the process, we hadn't considered Poland," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told Reuters. But when Intel announced its European investments in March 2022, Germany was awarded a major factory in Magdeburg while Intel told Poland it would only expand its existing facility in Gdansk.

Persons: chipmaker, hadn't, Pat Gelsinger, Gelsinger, Marcin Fabianowicz, Fabianowicz, Sroda Slaska Adam Ruciński, TSMC, Jakub Mazur, Karol Badohal, Supantha Mukherjee, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Wroclaw, Intel, Reuters, Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Industrial Development Agency, PepsiCo, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, Thomson Locations: WROCLAW, Poland, STOCKHOLM, Europe, Asia, Germany, U.S, Wroclaw, Polish, Magdeburg, Gdansk, Sroda Slaska, Wrocław, Taiwan, Stockholm

The facility in Poland will employ 2,000 workers and create several thousand additional jobs during the construction phase and hiring by suppliers, the company said in a statement. "Poland was just a little bit hungrier to win this site," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a news conference. Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday that the German government and Intel were close to an agreement for 9.9 billion euros ($10.83 billion) in subsidies, up from a previously agreed 6.8 billion. The level of any subsidy offered to Intel by Poland was not made public during Friday's announcement. Mateusz Morawiecki, prime minister of Poland, called Intel's factory "the largest greenfield investment in the history of Poland".

Persons: chipmaker, Pat Gelsinger, Gelsinger, Olaf Scholz, Mateusz Morawiecki, Karol Badohal, Supantha Mukherjee, Jason Neely, Conor Humphries Organizations: Intel, Labour, AMD, Nvidia, Samsung, Thomson Locations: Poland, WROCLAW, STOCKHOLM, Wrocław, Europe, U.S, Germany, Ireland, France, Berlin, Wroclaw, Stockholm

☆ Taliban's central-bank governor meets Chinese envoy to discuss banking ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ali Khara/File photoJune 16 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting governor of the Afghan central bank met China's ambassador this week to discuss banking relations and business, the bank's spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. Afghanistan's banking system has been severely hampered by U.S.-led sanctions, a drop in liquidity from frozen central bank assets and a cut in development spending. Regulatory risk concerns of international banks have also largely cut off the country's formal banking sector from the global financial system. "China has always supported the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan, provides sincere help to Afghanistan, and welcomes Afghanistan to join the Belt and Road Initiative," it said. Badri is a senior Taliban figure who became acting head of the central bank in March after stepping down as acting finance minister.

Persons: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Wang Yu, Ali Khara, Hassibullah Noori, Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, Badri, Charlotte Greenfield, Laurie Chen, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Afghan, REUTERS, U.S, Reuters, Initiative, Thomson Locations: China, Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghan, Beijing, Taliban, Islamabad

☆ Explainer: What is Russia's problem with the Black Sea grain deal?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Putin said he would discuss the future of the grain deal with visiting African leaders on Saturday. THE PACKAGE DEALThe United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative last July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and blockade of its Black Sea ports. Under the Black Sea grain deal, more than 625,000 tonnes of grain has so far been shipped by the WFP for aid operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. Until the ammonia pipeline is restarted, Moscow has said it will limit the number of vessels allowed to travel to Pivdennyi port under the Black Sea grain deal. RUSSIAN GRAIN, FERTILIZER EXPORTSWhile exports of Russian wheat and some fertilisers have risen since the war, exports of Russian ammonia and potassium-based fertilizers have plummeted.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Stephane Dujarric, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, JPM.N, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, United Nations, Food Programme, The United Nations, Democratic, Agricultural Bank, European Union, EU, JPMorgan Chase, reassurances, U.S ., African Export, Import Bank, Reuters, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Africa, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, United States, America, SWIFT, Russia's Togliatti, Ukraine's, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, East

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