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☆ Inspired by Ukraine war, Taiwan launches drone blitz to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

These drones range from jet-powered, long range surveillance aircraft to small quadcopters deployed by ground troops. Taiwan should accelerate mass production of a range of military drones to boost self-reliance in the struggle with Beijing, it concluded. U.S. drones range in size from two-kilogram, hand-launched drones to 14,500-kilogram long range surveillance drones. Unlike Taiwan, China began mass-producing unmanned aircraft long before the Ukraine conflict. Hundreds of technology experts, including specialists in AI, were recruited to the military, according to UCSD analyst Cheung.

Persons: Tsai Ing, ”, Tsai “, Max Lo, “, Hawk Yang, Yang, Tsai, Joe Biden, ’, Lo, Tai Ming Cheung, ” Cheung, Nancy Pelosi, ” Tsai, Chang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Cheung, ” Elsa Kania Organizations: Reuters, People’s Liberation Army, Thunder Tiger Group, “, Communist Party, Taiwan, Taiwan Affairs Office, U.S . Department of Defense, White, Pentagon ., Teal, University of California, PLA, U.S . House, Airborne, Washington -, Strategic & International Studies ., Royal United Services Institute, 20th Party Congress, UCSD, Center, New, New American Security, China's Ministry of Defense, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Taipei, Taiwan, China, Asia, United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, America, Republic of China, “ China, Kinmen, Beijing, Washington, Pentagon . U.S, U.S, University of California San Diego, Chiayi, Strategic & International Studies . Ukraine, London, Chang Kong, Today, New American

☆ Wagner suffered staggering losses in Ukraine, official says: 28% dead, a further 51% wounded, totaling 62K casualties in just over a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

28% of the Wagner Group's force sent to Ukraine was killed, according to a group official. A Wagner Group official identified as Marx said that 78,000 fighters went to Ukraine with the mercenary group, and 22,000 were killed, according to Telegram channel Razgruzka Vagnera. That means the Wagner Group had 62,000 casualties in total, according to the official's figures. The UK defense ministry on Friday also pointed to huge losses of Russian prisoners fighting in Ukraine. While the Wagner Group is not the only group that recruited prisoners for Ukraine, it was the most prolific group to do so.

Persons: Wagner, Marx, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Razgruzka Vagnrea, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Group, Moscow Times, Wagner Group, Wagner Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Bakhmut, Russian, Moscow, Africa

☆ A former Google recruiter says applicants have 'zero chance' of moving forward if their résumé is full of 'text bricks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A former Google recruiter said a common résumé mistake is when there's too much text and words. He said applicants have "zero chance" of moving forward once he spots this easily avoidable error. Nolan Church, co-founder and CEO of executive talent platform Continuum, worked as a Google recruiter from 2012 to 2015. Church said: "There's zero chance you're going to move forward," when he sees this format. Church advised applicants to use apps like ChatGPT or Grammarly to help clean up and tighten their résumé.

Persons: there's, Nolan Church, Laszlo Bock, Bock, " Bock Organizations: Service, Google, Forbes, Harvard, CNBC Locations: Wall, Silicon

Earlier Tuesday, DeSantis said that Trump “could’ve come out more forcefully” to stop the insurrection on January 6, 2021. DeSantis told Tapper on Tuesday that he has the resources to compete in the face of reports from over the weekend about his financial position. About 90 people were on the DeSantis campaign payroll during the second quarter. Over the weekend, a spokesperson for DeSantis’ campaign confirmed to CNN it let go of some staffers, after Politico reported that “fewer than 10 staffers” in event planning were cut on Thursday. “I would respect everybody, but what I wouldn’t do is turn society upside down to be able to accommodate, which is a very, very small percentage of the population,” DeSantis told CNN.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Donald Trump, DeSantis, “ They’ve, I’ve, ” DeSantis, –, Tapper, ”, “, wokeness can’t, could’ve, Trump, he’s, Jack Smith, Jason Miller, ” Miller, I’m, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, “ We’re, they’re Organizations: CNN — Gov, US Department of Defense, wokeness, GOP, Trump, CNN, Florida Republican, Pacific, Republican, University of New, South Carolina, New, New Jersey Gov, Politico, Republican Party Locations: Ukraine, Florida, ”, West Columbia, Tallahassee, Europe, Asia, China, “, Taiwan, South Carolina, University of New Hampshire, Republican New Hampshire, South, New Jersey, Granite State, Iowa

☆ The U.S. Army Expects To End Up 15,000 Recruits Short This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Why is there a crisis? After the patriotic boost to recruiting that followed 9/11, the U.S. military has endured 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan with no decisive victories. There have also been scandals over shoddy military housing and healthcare, poor pay for lower ranks that forces many military families to turn to food stamps, and rising rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.

Organizations: U.S . Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Turmoil in Florida’s New State Guard, as Some Recruits Quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Frances Robles | More About Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Of the 150 people accepted into the program, 120 had graduated, program officials said. “We are aware that some trainees who were removed are dissatisfied,” Maj. Gen. John D. Haas, Florida’s adjutant general, said in a statement. “This is to be expected with any course that demands rigor and discipline,” he added. The original plan to field 200 volunteers with a budget of $3.5 million, proposed in late 2021, grew to 1,500 people and $108 million. The first-year budget includes $50 million for five aircraft and $2.7 million for boats — equipment that many experts say is beyond the budget of most State Guards.

Persons: ” Maj, John D, Haas, Newhouse Organizations: Guards, Mr, The Times

The recruitment is being overseen by the head of Santander Corporate and Investment Banking, Jose M. Linares, also a former JPMorgan banker. As well as the United States, some new investment bankers will join Santander in Britain and Spain. "This typically has been one of the main issues for growing an investment banking business, given that the capital consumption ... is bigger." The contribution from the overall investment bank to Santander's group's earnings rose to 32% in the first quarter of 2023, from around 20% in 2019. Overall, profits at Santander's corporate and investment bank have risen since 2019 by around 60% to 2.8 billion euros ($3.2 billion) at the end of 2022.

Persons: Ana Botin, Jose M, Linares, Goldman Sachs, Amherst Pierpont, Gonzalo Lopez, Lopez, Christiana Riley, Jose Manuel Linares, Jesús, John O'Donnell, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Spain's, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Santander Corporate, Investment Banking, Santander, Wall, U.S, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: MADRID, LONDON, Santander, United States, Europe, Latin America, Britain, Spain, U.S, America

☆ Mitch McConnell says Congress can't pass an NIL bill unless universities get their act together
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mitch McConnell urged a majority of universities to get behind a single name, image, and likeness (NIL) bill. NIL has upended college athletics as states jockey to pass the most expansive law. His observation isn't surprising as some universities, governors, and lawmakers see a benefit in allowing each state to determine its own NIL standards. Having a more expansive state law is now an asset akin to a new practice facility or a massive weight room. Missouri's newly passed NIL law is regarded as one of the most expansive in the country, explicitly allowing coaches and school officials to talk about NIL with potential recruits.

Persons: Mitch McConnell, haven't, McConnell, Hugh Hewitt, I've, Charlie Baker, Republican Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, Nick Saban, Rand Paul, Paul, LIV Golf Organizations: Service, Republican, NCAA, College, Auburn University football, Democratic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, Alabama, Sen, Saudi

☆ Russia is handing out leaflets trying to recruit more women to join its army: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Leaflets in Russia's Siberia are calling on women to join the army, per independent media. Women would potentially serve in occupied Ukraine "in the same ranks as men," The Moscow Times reported. 39,000 women currently serve in Russia's army, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. That same month, Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, said that 39,000 women were currently serving in Russia's armed forces, including 5,000 officers.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu Organizations: Moscow Times, Service, Russian Defense Ministry, Omsk Civil Association Locations: Siberia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Omsk, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson

☆ Tommy Tuberville is happy Biden called him 'a good football coach' as he faces criticism for holding up military promotions and refusing to condemn white nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"I'd never dreamed in my wildest dreams to have the president of the United States call me a good football coach," Tuberville said. "It's been good," Tuberville told HuffPost's Igor Bobic when asked about his week. " "Well, that's some people's opinion," Tuberville told CNN on Monday when pressed about multiple instances where he had refused to explicitly condemn white nationalism. " He also said, "My opinion of a white nationalist, if someone wants to call them white nationalist, to me is an American." On Tuesday, Tuberville walked back his comments by saying "If people think a white nationalist is a racist, I agree with that."

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, he's, Biden, I'd, Tuberville, Republican Sen, It's, HuffPost's Igor Bobic, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Republican, —, Politico, Sugar, SEC, Tigers, Auburn, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, BYU, Alabama Republican, Pentagon, Corps, CNN Locations: United States, Wall, Silicon, Alabama, backtrack, American

☆ Freshman athlete earnings are surging as donor 'collectives' dominate. Here are 3 key takeaways from a report on NIL's second year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Collectives are a driving force in the NIL marketplace because they offer big payouts to student-athletes, said Opendorse's NIL and business insights manager Braly Keller. "There's a lot of posts and activity and work being done on the commercial side compared to collectives," Keller told Insider. NIL deals and earnings by grade level. The report says Opendorse's NIL deals have a 99% view rate on Instagram reels, compared to the influencer industry average of 40%. The TikTok metrics are even more staggering: At a view rate of 73%, Opendorse athletes perform far outpace industry standards of 13%.

Persons: Braly Keller, Keller, Opendorse, Brandon Inniss, Dre, Bronny James, Jared McCain, he's, That's, Brand, it's Organizations: Schools, NCAA, Ohio State, The Foundation, Dodge, Nike, University of Southern, Duke University, Eagle, Baseball

☆ The Saudi-back LIV golf league is moving its possible last ever championship to Trump's Doral golf course
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

LIV Golf will host its championship tournament at a Trump-owned golf course for its second straight year. The golf league moved the championship from Saudi Arabia where it was initially scheduled. The PGA has said it will merge with the controversial Saudi-backed golf league. The decision means that for the second straight year, LIV's golf championship will be held at Trump's Doral course. Before their merger, LIV and the PGA were in fierce competition to retain some of the sport's most successful golfers.

Persons: LIV, Donald Trump's Trump, Trump, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Randall Stephenson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, they're, Johnson Organizations: Trump, Service, Donald Trump's Trump Doral, Golf Club, Doral, Capitol, PGA, Golf, ESPN, Saudi, Washington Post Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Miami, Jeddah

☆ Truth Behind Tech Industry's Fake Work Problem: Bad Managers, Bosses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Hugh Langley | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

The tech employees spoke with us on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional reprisal. There's only one real culprit for the culture of "fake work," he said. The latest version of fake work emerged as part of the tech industry's pandemic-driven boom and bust. "I think COVID was an accelerator for fake work because a lot of these tech companies hired. As for Graham, he's since moved to another tech company, where he said he felt his contributions were more valued.

Persons: Graham, wouldn't, Keith Rabois, Rabois, Brit Levy, Scott Latham, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Brent Peterson, Gaylan Nielson, Rich Moran, " Moran, Melina Mara, he'd, Moran, Anna Tavis, Stewart Butterfield, Bloomberg's, LINDSEY WASSON, it's, Salesforce, What's, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Zuckerberg, Brad Glasser, Meta, Greg Selker, Stanton Chase, Jessica Kennedy, Kennedy, NYU's Tavis, Hugh Langley, Grace Kay Organizations: Amazon, Alexa, Big Tech, Google, University of Massachusetts, Washington, Getty, Meta, Microsoft, overhiring, New York University's School, Professional Studies, Slack, Command, Bloomberg, Vanderbilt University, Companies Locations: New, Salesforce, he's

Public prosecutors in Japan have not released information regarding the case and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Rina Gonoi, a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, checks old photos on her phone. “That makes it hard for people to speak out.”Rina Gonoi says she endured physical and verbal sexual abuse while she served in Japan's Self-Defense Forces. In 1992, Japan’s National Defense Academy finally began accepting women, which made it possible for them to become senior officers. “We are aware that the perpetrators of sexual harassment cases are scheduled to be punished severely.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Rina Gonoi, Gonoi, “, ”, Rina Gonoi Gonoi’s, Staff Yoshihide Yoshida, dishonorably, Rina Gonoi, Philip Fong, Japan’s, Fumika Sato, ” Sato, Sato, ” Rina Gonoi, Rina, Shinzo Abe, Richard A, Brooks, –, ” Gonoi, Gonoi’s, I’d, Yasukazu Hamada, Fumio Kishida, hasn’t, you’ve, “ I’m Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Defense Force, Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Staff, Defense Forces, NHK, Public, Getty, Hitotsubashi University, Defense Ministry, CNN, National Press Club, Japan’s National Defense Academy, Defense, Japan’s, Self - Defense Force, Ministry of Defense, ”, “, SDF Locations: Japan’s, Japan, AFP, Japan's, North Korea, China, Tokyo, Higashi, Miyagi, Fukushima

☆ Freshman athletes saw a big jump in earnings in the second year of NIL, as boosters flooded college sports with cash through 'collectives'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Freshman athletes are earning twice as much per NIL deal than other college athletes, according to Opendorse. Collectives are a driving force in the NIL marketplace because they offer big payouts to student-athletes, said Opendorse's NIL and business insights manager Braly Keller. "There's a lot of posts and activity and work being done on the commercial side compared to collectives," Keller told Insider. The report says Opendorse's NIL deals have a 99% view rate on Instagram reels, compared to the influencer industry average of 40%. The TikTok metrics are even more staggering: At a view rate of 73%, Opendorse athletes perform far outpace industry standards of 13%.

[1/7] Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wearing a sumo wrestler costume, tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama on the sumo ring before tourists from abroad, at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2023. Beneath its vaulted roof is a sumo ring and 14 tables where patrons pay 11,000 yen ($76) to eat breaded pork cutlets before watching - and joining - the action. Another former sumo wrestler, Yasuhiro Tanaka, started the restaurant after founding a company to give ex-wrestlers a second career as actors in commercials and movies. "But no, it was really, really amazing." "As sumo wrestlers, we couldn't really play around at all," said Tanaka, 47, who admitted he wasn't a particularly strong competitor.

Persons: Nadine, Towanoyama, Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka, Issei Kato, Ohtori, Yasuhiro Tanaka, Jose Aguillar, Jumbo, Aguillar, Fumio Kishida, Tanaka, Rocky Swift, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Netflix, Thomson Locations: U.S, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Koto, Monterrey, Mexico

☆ ‘Dig, Dig, Dig’: A Russian Soldier’s Story
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Thomas Gibbons-Neff | Natalia Yermak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Russian soldier was captured only days after arriving on the front line in eastern Ukraine. It takes into account the International Committee of the Red Cross’s guidance regarding publishing information about prisoners of war. After two months in prison, a man in a “green suit” from the Russian Ministry of Defense arrived, looking for recruits. They were just forced to dig, dig, dig, dig, and that was it. We were looking for a place to dig somewhere.”Merk said that when the Ukrainian attack began, there were nine soldiers digging alongside him.

Persons: Merk, “, Wagner, ’, ” Merk, ‘, ‘ You’re, Oleg Matsnev, Riley Mellen, Dmitriy Khavin, Anatoly Kurmanaev Organizations: New York Times, Kremlin, Times, United Nations, Storm, Committee, Russian Ministry of Defense, Defense Service Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Kramatorsk, ’

☆ UN recruits robots in strive to meet global development goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Set in 2015, the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) aim to improve human life and the planet by 2030 but are now widely perceived as a long shot. The two-day event will culminate with a panel of robots taking questions from journalists on Friday in the world's first human-robot press conference. The World Health Organization is working on a benchmarking system to ensure the accuracy of AI disease diagnoses. The ITU brings together 193 countries and over 900 organisations including universities and companies like Huawei Technologies [RIC:RIC:HWT.UL] and Google (GOOGL.O). It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits and is involved with setting standards for artificial intelligence.

Persons: Nadine, Frederic Werner, ChatGPT, it's, Doreen Bogdan, Martin, Emma Farge, Emelia Sithole Organizations: International Telecommunication Union, ITU Telecommunication Standardization, World Health Organization, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Switzerland, Geneva

☆ Hybrid working policies are making interns lonelier in the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hybrid working policies mean interns turn up to empty offices and feel more isolated. However, young professionals often want to be in the office to advance their careers and socialize. "[But] there were some days when I was the only member of my team in the office ... Because of this, some companies are implementing new guidance for younger employees to help them integrate into the workforce. This is severely degraded when those top performers (who are most capable of thriving WFH) are working from home.

Persons: —, Martha Storey, Mark Drury, Louise Fitzgerald, Lombard, Jake Wood Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Linklaters, HSBC, KPMG, BNP, Deloitte, New, Junior Locations: London

☆ Sudan clashes intensify with no mediation in sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - Clashes between Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified on Sunday, as the war in the country's capital and western regions entered its 12th week with no attempts in sight to bring a peaceful end to the conflict. The RSF said it brought down an army warplane and a drone in Bahri, in statements to which the army did not immediately respond. "We're terrified, every day the strikes are getting worse," 25-year-old Nahid Salah, living in northern Omdurman, said by phone to Reuters. The Sudanese Doctors Union accused the RSF on Saturday of raiding the Shuhada hospital, one of the few still operating in the country, and killing a staff member. Last week, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy on the country's Sovereign Council Malik Agar expressed openness to any mediation attempts by Turkey or Russia, though no official efforts have been announced.

Persons: Salah, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Malik Agar, Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir, Adam Makary, David Holmes Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Sudanese Doctors Union, Unit, country's Sovereign, Nafisa, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Omdurman, Khartoum, Kordofan, Darfur, El Geneina, El, South Darfur, Jeddah, United States, Saudi Arabia, East, Kenya, country's, Turkey, Russia, Dubai, Cairo

☆ Here's what could happen to the Wagner Group after the armed rebellion against Russia failed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Wagner paramilitary group attempted an armed rebellion in Russia but failed. Around 1,000 Wagner fighters have already decided to go to Belarus, the independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported, citing a source in Russia's Ministry of Defense. Putin admitted earlier this week that from May last year to May 2023, the Russian state paid more than 86 billion rubles ($940 million) to the Wagner Group. De Deus Pereira told Insider that this is where many fighters will return. Lukashenko told reporters earlier this week that he convinced Putin not to "wipe out" the Wagner chief after the failed rebellion, though some experts have disagreed.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, group's, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Joana de Deus Pereira, Belarussian, Mikhail Svetlov, De Deus Pereira, Julia Stanyard, Lukashenko Organizations: Service, The Times, Prighozin, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Guardian, Prigozhin, Press, REUTERS Russia's Ministry of Defense, Marshall Fund, Wagner, Royal United Services Institute, Ministry of Defense, Russian, Central African, Global Initiative, Transnational, BBC Locations: Russia, Belarus, Moscow, Eastern Europe, Africa, Prigozhin, British, Russian, Luhansk, Donbas, Krasnodar, North Caucasus, Concord, Europe, Sochi, Libya, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali

☆ Opinion: It’s time to bring these US military veterans home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Opinion Saúl Ramírez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Bartolomé, a US military veteran, has spent the last 15 Fourth of July holidays in Mexico. “It’s a stab in the back.”Between 2013 and 2018, 250 US military veterans were placed in removal proceedings and 92 were deported. Unfortunately, an accurate count of deported veterans is nonexistent, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not keep a comprehensive record of removed US veterans. Veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge are entitled to a military burial in the United States. As a result, the urgency in addressing noncitizen military members’ precarious situation is particularly palpable now.

Persons: CNN —, he’s, Saúl Ramírez Christopher Smith Bartolomé, ” Bartolomé, ”, “, Joe Biden, Mark Takano, Sen, Alex Padilla, “ I’m, I’m, ‘ I’m, ’, Bartolomé, ‘ Don’t, they’ve Organizations: Harvard University, CNN, US Armed Forces, Pew Research Center, United States, Judiciary, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, Immigration Services, Department of Defense, Immigration Systems, New, of State, Department of Justice, DHS, of Homeland Security, Committee, Veterans Affairs, Veterans, Los, Twitter, Facebook, Bartolomé Locations: Mexico, United States, Los Angeles

☆ What is Wagner Group doing? Operations in Africa and rest of world explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several hundred Wagner fighters were killed by U.S. forces during a confrontation in Syria in 2018. U.N. sanctions monitors reported in 2020 that Wagner had deployed up to 1,200 people in Libya and the U.S. military Africa Command said Russian military aircraft were supplying Wagner fighters there. As well as bringing in Syrian fighters as mercenaries, Wagner worked alongside foreign fighters from Sudan, Chad and elsewhere. Russian mercenaries including from Wagner intervened in 2018 on the side of the government to quell a civil war that has raged since 2012. Wagner fighters have been accused of involvement in an incident last year in Moura, in central Mali, where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, UKRAINE Wagner, BELARUS Wagner, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, LIBYA Wagner, Khalifa Haftar's, Haftar, U.N, Omar al, Bashir, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: Defence Ministry, Evro Polis, United States Department of Defense, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Africa Command, CENTRAL, Central African, Reuters, Russian, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters newsrooms, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Bakhmut, BELARUS, Belarus, Asipovichi, Minsk, SYRIA Russia, Syria, U.S, Syrian, Libya, Hmeimim, Russia, LIBYA, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Russian, Sudan, Chad, Republic, Central African Republic, States, MALI, Mali, Moura, SUDAN, Moscow, Middle East

☆ Startup studio Fractal created 130 companies in 3 years. Founders say the deal structure has led VCs to 'blacklist' them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Melia Russell | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

www.fractalsoftware.comOf the dozens of Fractal startups that have raised a seed round of funding, about half had Bienville Capital lead the deal, according to people familiar with the matter. Others say they knew what they were getting into with a venture studio, where a large ownership position is standard. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesThe biggest draw for some Fractal founders was its plug-and-play approach. The founder of one Fractal startup remembered a time when his company was struggling to grow its customer base. That firm is raising a new $325 million fund to provide additional funding to Fractal companies exclusively, according to a person familiar with the effort.

Persons: Fractal's, he'd, they'd, Andreessen Horowitz, Mike Furlong, Nate Baker, Bienville, —, Brendan Smialowski, Founders, Angela Lee, Furlong, Baker, Ezra Shaw, who'd, who's, It's, Lee, She's, 8VC, Bain, Jeff Greenberg, Omri Bloch, who've, didn't, Stephanie Palazzolo, Melia Russell Organizations: Flatiron Health, Bienville, Insight Partners, Bienville Capital, Getty, Columbia Business School, Alpha, Midwest, Science, Olympic Club, Tiger Global, Craft Ventures, Founders, Vertical Venture Partners, Zag, Crew Capital, Bain Capital, Universal, Foundation, Fifth Locations: Bienville Capital, New York, Bienville, Indio, AFP, Santa Monica , California, Miami, San Francisco, GreenSpark, Columbia, Barti, Aktos, Bessemer, 8VC

☆ There's blood in the water after Prigozhin's revolt shattered the façade of Putin's invincibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It represented the most significant affront to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year reign. It has also fed paranoia and put a spotlight on Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's ex-bodyguard turned governor. A brief and ultimately aborted attempt at a coup d'état by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin represented the most significant affront to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year reign. President Vladimir Putin (L) and Aleksey Dyumin, the governor of Tula and Putin's former personal bodyguard, in Moscow in 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Tula Governor Aleksey Dyumin visit Russian writer Lev Tolstoy's former home in 2016.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Aleksey Dyumin, Putin's, —, Vladimir Putin —, Prigozhin, Vladimir Fesenko, trundling, Sergey Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, There's Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Belarus —, defenestration, Dyumin, Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Igor Girkin, Alexander Lukashenko —, Dyumin's, Dmitry Peskov, Boris Yeltsin, Viktor Yanukoyvch, Girkin, Andrei Gurulyov, Russia's, Lev Tolstoy's, Tatiana Stanovaya, Alexandra Prokopenko, Prokopenko, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Viktor Zolotov, Zolotov, Alexander Lukashenko, Chris Weafer Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Kommersant, Angry Patriots, Russia's First Channel, Prigozhin, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Central Bank, Washington Post, New York Times, Defense Ministry, Moscow Times, National Guard, Ministry, Macro Locations: Russian, Russia, Rostov, Ukraine, Moscow, Voronezh, Lipetsk, St, Petersburg, Minsk, Belarus, Russia's Tula, Kremlin, Tula, Dyumin's Tula, St Petersburg, Prigozhin, Crimea, Berlin, Novosibirsk, Osipovichi, Africa, Syria

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