DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —CIA Director Bill Burns secretly traveled to China last month, a US official told CNN Friday, amid efforts by the United States to reset relations with Beijing after a year of extremely heightened tensions. The specific intelligence matter that Burns discussed in Beijing is unclear. “Our assessment at CIA is that I wouldn’t underestimate President Xi’s ambitions with regard to Taiwan,” Burns said earlier this year. National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese official Wang Yi in Vienna for “candid” and “constructive” talks in mid-May. A US senior administration official said the meeting was an attempt to put communications back on track after the spy balloon incident.

Persons: Bill Burns, Burns “, Burns, Antony Blinken, Biden, Burns –, Xi’s, ” Burns, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu “, Austin, of National Defense Li Shangfu, Pat Ryder, “, ”, Tan Kefei, John Aquilino, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, We’re, we’ve, Gina Raimondo, Katherine Tai, Wang Wentao, Wang, ” Raimondo Organizations: CNN, CIA, Financial Times, Taiwan, Defense, Pentagon, “, of National Defense, PRC, China’s Defense Ministry, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, US Trade, Chinese Commerce, D.C Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Ukraine, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Vienna, Sweden

☆ These may be the world’s best warships. And they’re not American
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

A challenger for China’s world-beating Type 055sThe Pentagon estimates China’s navy to have around 340 warships at present, while the US has fewer than 300. Take China’s Type 055, in many eyes the world’s premier destroyer. The three Sejongs, which cost about $925 million each, are the pride of the South Korean fleet. All these Japanese and South Korean vessels are designed to incorporate US technology, weapons, spy radars and the Aegis command and control system. But then if the US, Japanese and South Korean ships use similar technology and can operate together, why does the law prevent the US from building some of its ships in Japanese and South Korean shipyards?

Persons: South Korea CNN —, China’s, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, ”, Blake Herzinger, Carl Schuster, –, Schuster, Herzinger, it’s, Arleigh Burke, ., Kim, Sejong, ” Kim, Alessio Patalano, Arleigh Burkes, ” Patalano, Japan’s, ” Schuster, It’s, Travis Callaghan, “, Nick Childs, There’s, Childs, ” Herzinger Organizations: South Korea CNN, United, US Navy, US, CNN, Beijing doesn’t, United States Studies Center, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, South Korea’s Sejong, South Korean, South Korean Navy, country’s Defense Media Agency, South, Korea Association of Military Studies, King’s College, Arleigh, Aegis, Maritime Administration, US Coast Guard, Shipbuilding, USNI News, Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, South, Taiwan, Singapore, Austin, Washington, Beijing, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Xianyang, South Korea’s, London, Asia, Washington’s, United States, America

☆ At the height of the Cold War, the US Navy used a historic round-the-world operation to show off its new nuclear force
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

On July 31, 1964, three US Navy ships set off on a mission to sail around the world. Construction began on USS Long Beach in 1957 and it entered service in 1961, becoming the world's first nuclear-powered surface warship. USS Bainbridge, front, and USS Long Beach sail behind USS Enterprise in 1964. USS Bainbridge sails behind USS Enterprise during Operation Sea Orbit in August 1964. Nuclear navyNuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers USS California, USS South Carolina, USS Virginia, USS Texas, USS Mississippi, and USS Arkansas in February 1981.

Persons: —, Bainbridge —, Bob Haswell, US Navy Long, SCANFAR, Bainbridge, Theodore Roosevelt's Great, Bernard Strean, USS Bainbridge, PH1 Anthony A, Alleyne Afterward, Strean, Nimitz, Admiral Nakhimov, Pyotr Velikiy Organizations: US Navy, Service, USS Enterprise, US, Daily, Nautilus, Navy, RIM, Long, Westinghouse, Enterprise, Fleet, Nuclear, USS Locations: Mallorca, Long, —, Bainbridge, Karachi, India, Indonesia, Australia, Fremantle, Long Beach, Melbourne, Sydney, USS, Wellington, Cape Horn, Rio de Janeiro, Charleston, Norfolk, Perth, San Juan, California, USS South Carolina, USS Virginia, USS Texas, USS Mississippi, USS Arkansas, Soviet, Kirov

☆ On its first deployment, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier makes historic visit near NATO's northern frontline with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in Oslo for a port call on Wednesday. The Ford is the first US aircraft carrier to visit Norway in 65 years, according to the US Navy. During a major NATO exercise in late 2018, USS Harry S. Truman became the first US aircraft carrier to sail into the Arctic in nearly 30 years. Rick Burgess, called it "an honor, joy, and thrill to visit Oslo and show our cherished partner the Navy's newest class of aircraft carriers." USS Gerald R. Ford in the Oslo fjord with Norwegian navy vessels on May 24.

☆ The US Navy has its eyes on a new submarine base that will help it keep track of China's growing undersea fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

As part of the AUKUS agreement, US and British subs will operate out of western Australia by 2027. The deal on the base comes as rivals, mainly China, increase their submarine activity in the region. Ray Mabus, then US navy secretary, departs a Chinese Yuan-class submarine in Ningbo in November 2012. The Defense Department report also says China's six operational Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile subs are likely already conducting "near-continuous at-sea deterrence patrols," a sign that China's submarine force continues to improve its operational capabilities. For the US Navy, those developments make the ability to base subs closer to the Western Pacific a greater priority.

☆ Cyclone Mocha: Myanmar junta travel restrictions are holding up vital aid to cyclone-hit communities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Myanmar’s military junta is holding up humanitarian access to some cyclone-hit communities in western Rakhine state after Cyclone Mocha devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the poorest parts of the country. Storm damage has hampered efforts to access rural and hard-to-reach areas while pre-existing travel restrictions imposed by the junta have delayed the delivery of vital aid to communities in urgent need. “It seems that many agencies haven’t even been able to conduct needs assessments, let alone deliver aid, because SAC (junta) officials have not granted travel authorization. This is extremely worrying.”A girl draws water from a pump at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha. A Rohingya woman stands in her damaged house at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 following Cyclone Mocha.

☆ 'Cannibalized' parts show how the British navy is struggling to keep its 2 new aircraft carriers in fighting shape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Royal Navy is taking parts from one of its aircraft carriers and using them on its other one. New warships often have problems, especially complicated vessels like aircraft carriers. HMS Prince of Wales, which was commissioned in 2019, has been sidelined since August because of a broken propeller shaft. HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales sail together for the first time in May 2021. (HMS Queen Elizabeth's escorts during its maiden deployment included a US Navy destroyer and a Dutch navy frigate.)

☆ Opinion: What Trump gets right on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Opinion Daniel R. Depetris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For many political pundits and politicians, his observations on the war in Ukraine were no exception. Asa Hutchinson, who is challenging Trump for the 2024 nomination, declared that “Trump reminded everyone tonight of his support of Russia and his willingness to sell out Ukraine. The major difference between the Biden administration and Trump on the Ukraine question seems to be not whether talks should happen, but when. Another point Trump gets right is the vast disparity between the US and its European allies on the issue of assistance to Ukraine, even if his grossly exaggerates the amount of US aid. Join us on Twitter and FacebookTo be clear, some of what Trump said at the town hall about Ukraine was incorrect.

☆ Israel-Gaza violence: Islamic Jihad targets Jerusalem for the first time in current conflict as it fires barrage of rockets at Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Elliott Gotkine Ibrahim Dahman Abeer Salman Richard Allen Greene Alex Stambaugh Sana Noor Haq | Elliott Gotkine | Ibrahim Dahman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The al Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad said in a statement shortly after the rocket fire: “The launching towards Jerusalem is a message, and everyone should understand its purpose. Talks to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza are “on ice right now,” a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations told CNN Friday. One command center was used by senior Islamic Jihad operative Muhammad Abu Al Ata for “the planning and command of terrorist activity against Israel,” the IDF said. The Israel Defense Forces said that IDF fighter jets also struck four military posts belonging to Islamic Jihad. ‘Shield and Arrow’The IDF began unleashing waves of airstrikes on Tuesday on what it says are Islamic Jihad operatives and infrastructure along the strip.

☆ A Navy jet just landed on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time, but the famous flattop's days are numbered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A fighter jet landed on the USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time — a historic milestone. The aircraft carrier became the first in active service to hit that mark after 48 years in the Navy. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has recorded 326,600 arrested landings, the next highest total. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr.

☆ Russia's navy is flexing its muscles around the world, but it may end up paying for Moscow's losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia's navy has had little involvement in Ukraine, losing only one major warship so far. Russia's military closed off parts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan to practice firing torpedoes, missiles, and artillery. Russia's navy received heavy investment in the 2000s, as President Vladimir Putin rebuilt the military after a decade of post-Soviet decay. While it still struggles with its larger ships, Russia's navy now has dozens of frigates and corvettes armed with effective long-range weapons. Russian navy corvette Gremyashchiy, front, and the frigate Admiral Kasatonov in St Petersburg in July 2019.

The suspects on Wednesday were traveling to a rocket launch site in the city of Khan Younis, the IDF said. A CNN producer in Gaza reported explosions in Khan Younis, Rafah and northern Gaza. Shortly after, he saw at least six rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel. Smoke billows following renewed Israeli military strikes launched into Gaza on May 10, 2023. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty ImagesMedics transport a victim to Shifa Hospital following the deadly Israeli airstrikes launched into Gaza on Tuesday.

☆ After a 35-year break, the US Navy is building frigates again, and it has a lot of catching up to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Fincantieri plans to lay the keel of that ship, USS Constellation, this August. It will be the US Navy's first frigate since the retirement of its last Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in 2015. FrigatesUS Navy first-in-class frigate USS Oliver Hazard Perry in late 1977. Though not intended to operate alone against enemy capital ships, frigates are now primarily used to support destroyer squadrons and carrier battle groups by performing escort, anti-submarine, anti-air, and limited anti-surface missions. US Navy guided-missile frigate USS Curts in a dry dock at a shipyard in California in January 1982.

☆ After 35 years in flight, the US military says it's done buying one of its most unique and controversial aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since its first flight in 1989, the V-22 Osprey has provided a unique capability to the US military. One of them is the V-22 Osprey, a unique and controversial aircraft that has carried conventional troops and special operators around the world for two decades. US Navy/Vernon PughIn the three decades since its first flight, the V-22 Osprey has brought a distinct capability to the US military's aviation fleet, despite its troubled development. Conventional and special-ops missionsUS Air Force special tactics operators fast rope from a CV-22B during an exercise in the UK in April 2021. In August 2022, Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its CV-22s over issues with its clutch, which had caused several "safety incidents."

Bunge reaffirmed its full-year 2023 outlook of adjusted earnings of $11 per share, citing likely weaker results from its Agribusiness and Milling divisions but improved profits in its Refined and Specialty Oils unit. Bunge and other supply chain middlemen, including Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM.N) and Cargill Inc (CARG.UL), have generally benefited from strong global crop demand and tightening supplies, with record profits last year. The worst drought in decades has slashed grain and soy harvests in Argentina, depriving Bunge of the crops it needs to process. First-quarter adjusted profit in Bunge's Agribusiness unit, its largest in terms of revenue and volumes, dropped 18% on the year. Bunge said results were strong in all regions in its Refined and Specialty Oils division, with notable strength in North America and South America, reflecting favorable food and fuel demand trends.

☆ A downed US jet, a bombed embassy, and 25 years of rumors about how China built its first stealth fighter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China continues to expand its fleet of J-20 stealth jets and to operate them farther from home. On March 24, 1999, NATO began airstrikes against Serbian military targets in response to Serbian atrocities in Kosovo. On May 7, 1999, US B-2 stealth bombers hit the Chinese embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, killing three Chinese citizens. ReutersUnder the circumstances, there would seem to be little connection between the destruction of an American warplane and the bombing of the Chinese embassy. The US detected signals from the debris and bombed the embassy but failed to destroy the F-117 wreckage there, the articles claimed.

☆ 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.

☆ These strange-looking turtles in Hong Kong could soon be extinct
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of the world’s most densely populated cities might seem an unlikely refuge for endangered wildlife. While in Hong Kong, the unlikeliness of the setting has enabled them to fly largely under poachers’ radar. Professor Sung Yik-hei with a Big-headed turtle at a lab at Lingnan University in Hong Kong on April 13, 2023. Courtesy Sung Yik-hei Professor Sung Yik-hei monitors an area near a river in Hong Kong on April 13, 2023. A few hundred are left in Hong Kong, and perhaps even fewer in its other homes of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

☆ Stocks and gold cheer U.S. inflation picture, while dollar slides
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 10, 2023. The annual 5% headline rise for U.S. inflation was the smallest since May 2021 and down from 9.1% last June. The dollar index was down 0.2%, near its lowest in two months, while U.S. stock futures , rose 0.1-0.2%, suggesting a modest rally at the open. The Aussie dollar rose 0.6% on the back of surprise surges in both Chinese exports, which rose 14.8% compared with last March, and domestic Australian jobs. Alibaba shares (9988.HK) fell by as much as 5% at one stage, but later pared losses to close 2% lower.

☆ The newest US aircraft carrier is heading for deployment after a decade of hard lessons the Navy says it should 'never' do again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, will deploy in early May. USS Ford is the first carrier of its class and has an array of new and advanced technology. 'We should never do that again'An aviation boatswain's mate (handling) directs an F/A-18E aboard USS Gerald R. Ford in October. The final weapons elevator was completed in December 2021, with Rear Adm. James Downey, program executive officer for aircraft carriers, calling it "a significant milestone." "She's earned every certification she needs to deploy, and I fully believe that the aircraft carrier, her air wing, and her battlegroup are capable of defending themselves."

☆ Moscow is trying to play it cool, but its military moves hint at growing concern over NATO's newest member
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Finland's admission this month doubles the length of NATO's border with Russia and does so in a region with important Russian military outposts. But Putin's invasion of Ukraine scared not only Finland into joining NATO but also Sweden, which hasn't fought a war since Napoleon was alive. This boosts the alliance's military, political, and economic power considerably and confronts Russia with the prospect of even more NATO forces on its border. There is the possibility of NATO forces and infrastructure being deployed to those countries. Russia's Arctic forces also field an array of powerful weapons, including submarine- and land-based cruise missiles and air-launched hypersonic weapons.

☆ Another SEAL parachuting death highlights the inherent danger of US special operators' go-to infiltration method
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Deadly accidentsNaval Special Warfare operators perform a free-fall jump in Alaska in September. The incident, which likely happened during as part of a pre-deployment workup, is still under investigation, according to Naval Special Warfare Command. Despite that danger, however, free-fall parachuting is also extremely valuable as an insertion method for special-operations units. The Navy SEAL community — especially the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6 — is well-versed in free-fall operations. Most US special-operations units have recognized the value of free-fall parachuting and have incorporated it into their training.

☆ The US Navy's newest supercarrier is underway with all its available airpower for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Navy's newest supercarrier, USS Gerland R. Ford, is underway with all its airpower. Johnson said the Ford's carrier strike group includes staff from Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 8, and Destroyer Squadron 2. "Now, the strike group is initiating its final step in fully certifying as a combat-deployable warship. COMPTUEX will further demonstrate that our carrier strike group is a combat-ready naval force capable of conducting a full spectrum of integrated maritime, joint, and combined operations," he added. The Ford Carrier Strike Group is expected to deploy on its first full-length deployment sometime later this year.

Some living above Navigator's proposed sequestration site are also worried that carbon dioxide stored 5,800 feet underground could seep upward and contaminate their groundwater with carbonic acid, which is formed when carbon dioxide meets water. This came two months after a senior ICC engineer recommended that the commission deny the company's application because it had not secured the necessary sequestration site, the commission's docket shows. The company did not share the number or percent of easements it has secured over its proposed sequestration sites. The two other major carbon pipeline projects are working to secure underground carbon storage space. Summit has negotiated easements with landowners for more than 85% of its sequestration site in North Dakota, the company told Reuters.

☆ Meet 6 trailblazers in the NFL, Coast Guard and more: 'Success isn't being the first,' it's having 'many others follow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Morgan Smith Gili Malinsky Ashton Jackson Jennifer Liu | Morgan Smith | Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"There was something about the Coast Guard, the missions, seeing the small boats that just spoke to me," she says. Fagan ended up attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and her first tour of duty in 1985 took her to Antarctica. From there, the Coast Guard would offer a new assignment every couple of years. Of all 32 teams in the NFL, less than 10 have a Black or female president. "To me, the definition of success isn't being the first — it's to have many, many others follow behind you."

Search resuls for: "adm"

25 mentions found