DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ In Afghanistan Report, White House Blames Donald Trump for Lack of Planning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Andrew Restuccia | Sabrina Siddiqui | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby defended the decision to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. WASHINGTON—The Biden administration signaled Thursday that it should have sounded the alarm earlier about the risks that Afghanistan’s government could collapse as the war came to a close, and the White House partially blamed the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal on a lack of preparation by President Donald Trump. “First and most critically, the president’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan was the right one,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters Thursday at the White House. “The United States had long ago accomplished its mission to remove from the battlefield the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.”

A different report containing classified material will be shared with members of Congress, which comes in response to requests from congressional committees, the White House said. "President Biden's choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor," the report said. But the Trump administration "provided no plans for how to conduct the final withdrawal or to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies," the White House said. "No agency predicted a Taliban takeover in nine days," Kirby told reporters at the White House press briefing. Many critics of the withdrawal — including lawmakers from both parties — faulted the Biden administration for how it handled the pullout.

☆ Biden report on Afghanistan blames Trump for degraded US operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden inherited a depleted operation in Afghanistan from Trump that crippled its response, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, told reporters in a press conference on Thursday. Biden was left with a stark choice - withdraw all U.S. forces, or resume fighting with the Taliban. The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August 2021 as the former Western-backed government in Kabul collapsed with surprising speed and the last U.S. troops withdrew. Under Biden's Republican predecessor Trump, the U.S. made a deal with the Islamist Taliban to withdraw all American forces. Reporting by Nandita Bose and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Tim Ahmann, David Gregorio and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Premarket stocks: What the OPEC cuts mean for Putin and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

OPEC+ was formed in 2016 to coordinate and regulate oil production and stabilize global oil prices. What it means for Putin: OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production could have big implications for Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the United States and United Kingdom immediately stopped purchasing oil from the country. Higher-priced oil could help Russia pay for its war on Ukraine and also boosts revenue in Saudi Arabia. Current regulations, Dimon argued, could actually lull banks into complacency without actually addressing real system-wide banking issues.

☆ Jailed WSJ reporter in Russia files appeal as U.S. pushes for his release
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, detained on suspicion of espionage, leaves a court building in Moscow, Russia March 30, 2023. A Moscow court last Thursday remanded the Wall Street Journal reporter in pre-trial detention until May 29 on charges that carry a prison term of up to 20 years. The Wall Street Journal has "vehemently denied" the charges against Gershkovich, labelled them a "vicious affront to a free press" and called for his immediate release. The case is the most serious move against an American reporter in Russia since the end of the Cold War. Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker told The Times on Monday she was "hopeful" Gershkovich would be able to speak to a lawyer "sometime next week".

☆ Analysis: Saudi crown prince acts to realign Mideast dynamics amid concern over US support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"Saudi Arabia is moving from disengagement towards engagement to allow it to focus on pushing ahead on Vision 2030," said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager. A Saudi official said the United States and China are both very important partners for Riyadh. Washington and Riyadh are working on addressing common security challenges, he said. "The Saudis don’t want to be in a shooting war between Iran and the United States. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution in Washington said Saudi Arabia's view that the U.S. is increasingly disengaged from the region is not entirely wrong.

☆ Janet Yellen says OPEC+ production cut is an 'unconstructive act'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the surprise OPEC+ oil production cut announced Sunday was an "unconstructive act," which could hurt U.S. efforts to lower inflation. "I think it's a regrettable action that OPEC decided to take. "We don't think cuts are advisable at this moment, given market uncertainty — and we've made that clear," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday. He added that the United States received advance notice of the OPEC announcement. The OPEC cut follows Russia's recent decision to trim oil production by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023.

☆ White House got 'heads up' on OPEC cut plans, disagreed with move - US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“We don't think that production cuts are advisable at this moment, given market uncertainty. U.S. officials were notified about OPEC's plans to cut oil production before a Sunday announcement that surprised markets but they do not know why the decision was made, a White House official said. Kirby sought to downplay any tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which pushed for production cuts last autumn that angered the White House and prompted the administration to call for a review of its relationship. One big difference now is that global oil prices are around $80 per barrel, compared with $110 and $120 last year, he said, while adding that the White House is focused on consumers, not barrels. Reporting by Jarret Renshaw and Moira Warbuton; Writing by Heather Timmons; Editing by David Gregorio and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Biden administration on Thursday condemned the detention of an American Wall Street Journal reporter in Russia for what Moscow described as espionage, the first such case of an American journalist detained for allegations of spying since the Cold War. President Biden was briefed on the detention of reporter Evan Gershkovich, National Security Council Strategic Coordinator John Kirby told reporters. He reiterated earlier U.S. State Department warnings that Americans are urged to avoid traveling to Russia or to leave immediately.

☆ Russia seeking munitions from North Korea, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The United States has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid, the White House said on Thursday. "We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support to Russia's military operations against Ukraine," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "And we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea." "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," Kirby said. Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

☆ Russia is offering North Korea food for a bunch of weapons it needs to wage war in Ukraine, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is once again seeking weapons from pariah states like North Korea to fuel its war in Ukraine. North Korea has battled food shortages in recent years while Moscow faces weapons shortages. The US has previously accused North Korea — and other isolated countries like Iran — of backing Russia's campaign by providing it with military assistance. "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," Kirby said, according to multiple reports. Earlier this year, the White House revealed intelligence that it said showed North Korea providing rockets and missiles to the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group, a notorious paramilitary organization.

☆ White House to China: Don't use Taiwan visit as 'pretext'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The White House urged China on Wednesday not to use a "normal" stopover in the United States by Taiwan's president as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's arrival soon in the United States is the latest in a series of routine transits. "The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any activity around the Taiwan strait," he said. It would be the first meeting on U.S. soil between a House speaker and a Taiwanese leader, and the prospect has angered Beijing. China responded to a visit last August to Taiwan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with large-scale war games around the democratically ruled island.

☆ U.S.-China relations are going downhill with ‘no trust’ on either side, Stephen Roach says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

US President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping (L) shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 14, 2022. "Right now, there is no trust," he told "Squawk Box Asia" on Tuesday, who is currently attending the China Development Forum in Beijing. watch now"The balloon was a spark that really put us on a swift downhill descent," Roach added. The office did not provide details of her itinerary while in the U.S. On Taiwan, China has repeatedly said the issue is an internal affair. Every single Taiwan president in recent memory has done this," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, said at a press briefing last week.

☆ Putin has made so many nuclear threats since he invaded Ukraine that people are increasingly shrugging them off
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Putin has made a lot of nuclear threats since the war in Ukraine began. Putin's latest threat involves moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. Over the weekend, Putin announced a plan to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders members of the EU and NATO, by summer. Tactical nuclear weapons (also known as battlefield nukes) are generally intended for use on a smaller scale at shorter ranges and are less powerful than strategic nuclear weapons. That said, tactical nuclear weapons still have the capacity to wreak havoc and kill tens of thousands of people.

☆ NATO, world leaders condemn Russia's 'dangerous and irresponsible' nuclear rhetoric
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

NATO condemned Russia's "dangerous and irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric Sunday after President Vladimir Putin shared plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The NATO spokesperson added that there have not been changes in Russia's nuclear posture that have caused NATO to adjust its own. He added that Putin has not suggested any intention to use nuclear weapons, "period," but that the U.S. is continuing to monitor the situation closely. He called Russia's announcement an "irresponsible escalation" and a threat to European security. "Making a statement about tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he admits that he is afraid of losing & all he can do is scare with tactics," he wrote.

[1/2] People walk with their luggage on Roxham Road before crossing the US-Canada border into Canada in Champlain, New York, U.S., February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File PhotoOTTAWA, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck a deal aimed at stopping asylum seekers from traversing the shared U.S.-Canada land border via unofficial crossings, an official U.S. document showed on Friday. Biden will address parliament on Friday, after an introduction by Trudeau, and the two leaders will hold a joint news conference afterward. Canada has been pushing the U.S. to extend the deal for a while. In recent months, there has been a sharp increase in asylum seekers entering Canada through unofficial border crossings.

Just a day after the deadly attack on U.S. personnel in Syria, which Washington blamed on a drone of Iranian origin, sources said a U.S. base in Syria's northeast was targeted with a new missile attack. The U.S. strikes were in response to an attack earlier on Thursday by an attack drone against U.S. personnel at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria. Three service members and a contractor required medical evacuation to Iraq, where the U.S.-led coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State has medical facilities, the Pentagon said. NEW ATTACK INEFFECTIVEA U.S. base at the Al-Omar oil field in Syria was targeted with a missile attack on Friday morning, according to Lebanese pro-Iranian TV channel Al Mayadeen and a security source. U.S. forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration's campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

☆ Ukraine's getting depleted-uranium tank rounds that can punch holes in Russian armor, and Moscow's not happy about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The UK has indicated that it'll provide Ukraine with tank shells consisting of depleted uranium. When used in tank shells, the material is particularly effective because its bulk allows the munitions to penetrate through enemy armor. Cody Bialcak, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, safely remove over 500 depleted uranium rounds on June 23, 2022 at Tooele Army Depot, UT. US officials have said repeatedly that Russia has likely lost half its tank force in Ukraine, if not more. And depleted uranium shells in the hands of Ukrainian tank operators may make life harder for Russia's armor forces.

☆ Xi's visit to Russia was humbling for Putin and showed how much China is dominant, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China appears to have cemented its dominance over Russia in a summit this week. China kept buying Russian oil — albeit at a hefty discount — and so helped keep the Russian economy afloat. Russia was offered no comparable stake in the far larger Chinese economy in return. The US has accused China of planning to send weapons and lethal aid to Russia to stem battlefield losses in Ukraine. China will likely seek to exert its new leverage over Russia to expand its global power, said Wyne.

☆ White House says Russian pilot who ran into a US drone and broke it was, at best, 'an idiot'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian pilots who intercepted and harassed a US drone last week were presented with awards. When asked at a briefing about the awards, a top White House official ripped into the pilots. "I don't know of another military in the world — another air force in the world — that would award a pilot for smashing into a drone," Kirby said. But State Department spokesperson Ned Price last week also said that the incident was indicative of "a lack of competence." He added that "we've known they were unprofessional," but the incident really "demonstrates how poorly trained" their pilots are.

☆ Photos from Putin's big meeting with China's Xi show no absurdly long tables but feature unexpectedly giant flags
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, he was photographed with China's President Xi next to weirdly tall flags. But for Chinese President Xi Jinping, Moscow broke out long red carpets and massive flags. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Photo by PAVEL BYRKIN/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with leaders of the countries of the CTSO Monday at a new long table, but this one is round.

☆ Ukraine is betting big on a bloody battle for a ruined town, but the gamble could break its ability to drive Russia back
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The bloody battle of Bakhmut continues to wage as Russia and Ukraine both face mounting losses. Ukrainian losses in Bakhmut could hinder a more strategically critical counteroffensive in the future. Yet, despite the resources committed to the battle from both sides, Bakhmut remains a minimally-important city, strategically speaking. "The best estimates we have are that the Russian military and Wagner Group are a spent force," D'Anieri said. A tank carrying Ukrainian soldiers who have returned from the frontline passes along a street in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine.

☆ At a key moment in the war, the US is rushing to get powerful Abrams tanks to Ukraine faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is rushing to get Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine ahead of schedule, US officials say. But Kirby also acknowledged that their troops need modern, powerful Abrams tanks as soon as possible — a weapon that can help them shatter Russian lines when they launch a counter-offensive. Washington's original plan was to provide Ukraine with 31 of the M1A2 Abrams, a newer variant, which would have taken "over a year or so" to reach Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Nicolas Armer/Getty ImagesThe M1 Abrams tanks have a history tracing back to the Gulf War. Meanwhile, US announcements on the Abrams tanks come at a critical time for Ukraine and its tank force.

☆ Putin has 'aggressively' tried to make China his ally because Russia is running out of ammo in Ukraine, a White House official said
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Putin is "aggressively" trying to make China his ally, a White House official said. John Kirby told MSNBC that Russia needs China because he is "running out of ammunition" in Ukraine. "President Putin needs President Xi because he's running out of ammunition," John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications for the National Security Council at the White House, told MSNBC. Kirby echoed a similar sentiment in his White House briefing on Monday. Earlier this year, US analysis suggested that Russia was running out of munitions, losing as much as half of its tanks, and suffering high casualties.

☆ China doesn't want Russia to 'go down in flames' in Ukraine because they need Putin to 'foil' US power, White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China doesn't want Russia to "go down in flames" in Ukraine, a White House official told MSNBC. John Kirby said China needs Putin to help "push back" against US leadership and power. Xi visited Putin this week in Moscow, with both parties praising each other as a "dear friend." They would like to see this war end, too," John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications for the National Security Council in the White House, told MSNBC. Russian media said Xi and Putin warmly praised each other as a "dear friend," Reuters said.

Search resuls for: "JOHN KIRBY"

25 mentions found