DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —When four young indigenous children were found last week after 40 days in the Colombian Amazon jungle, their rescuers noticed that the oldest, 13-year-old Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, had something hidden between her teeth. Muñoz told CNN the seeds were from a native Amazon palm tree called Oenocarpus Bataua, colloquially known as “milpesos” in Colombia. The accomplishment feels like a moment of pride for the indigenous community of the Colombian Amazon. One of the traditional tasks of indigenous women is to look after one’s siblings as if they were your own children. Traditional elders like Guerrero attempted to bridge a spiritual link with the children using traditional plants like tobacco, coca, and yagé, the sacred, hallucinogen plant also known as ayahuasca.

Persons: ”, Eliecer Muñoz, Muñoz, Eliecer Munoz, Daniel Munoz, ” Muñoz, “, –, Henry Guerrero, Lesly, Fidencio Valencia, milpesos, ” Guerrero, Ranoque Mucutuy, Nelly Kuiru, Kuiru, Manuel Ranoque, San Jose del Guaviare, Guerrero, Magdalena Mucutuy, Leslie, There’s, ” Kuiru, Ranoque, Magdalena Organizations: CNN, AFP, Getty, Army, Cessna, Colombian Military Forces, Reuters, Colombian Amazon, Colombian, Blackhawk, Colombian Amazon Institute of Scientific Research Locations: Colombian, ”, Colombia, Bogota, Caqueta, La, San Jose, Araracuara, Amazonas

☆ Ukraine counteroffensive: Is Kyiv's operation underway south of Zaporizhzhia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The attacks had been repelled, Shoigu said, adding that Ukrainian forces had suffered significant losses of both soldiers and arms. The situation facing Russian forces was very serious, he said. Breaking Russia’s land-bridge to Crimea, by rolling back Russian forces to the Sea of Azov, is clearly a central military objective for Ukraine. Ukrainian troops fire a Caesar self-propelled howitzer towards Russian forces near the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. Viacheslav Ratynskyi/ReutersCNN cannot independently verify claims made by Russian officials or those of well-sourced Russian military bloggers.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Semyon Pegov –, ” –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Alexander Kots, Vladimir Rogov, ”, Caesar, Ratynskyi Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Russian Ministry of Defence, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Defense Ministry, Reuters CNN, Russian Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Nova, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Orikhiv, Tokmak, Russian, Crimea, Azov, Melitopol, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Ukrainian

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Reuters) - Tensions between the United States and China are expected to loom over Asia's top security meeting this week, as China has declined a bilateral meeting between the superpowers' defence chiefs. The Shangri-La Dialogue, which attracts top defence officials, senior military officers, diplomats, weapons makers and security analysts from around the globe, will take place June 2-4 in Singapore. More than 600 delegates from 49 countries will attend the meeting, which opens with a keynote address by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. China's new Defence Minister Li Shangfu, however, has declined to meet U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon said on Monday. Other key issues that are likely to be discussed include ongoing tensions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Seas.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Li Shangfu, Lloyd Austin, General Li, Li, Xi Jinping, Zhang Youxia, Drew Thompson, Lee, Thompson, Chong Ja Ian, Lynn Kuok, Kuok, Xinghui Kok, Greg Torode, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Australian, Defence, U.S, Pentagon, Central Military Commission, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, NUS, International Institute for Strategic Studies, East China Seas, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, China, Singapore, Beijing, U.S, Ukraine, Taiwan, North, Korean, Russia, East, Britain, Australia, Japan, India

[1/6] People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing what it called a space satellite toward the south, in Seoul, South Korea, May 31, 2023. The launch prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan, which were then withdrawn with no danger or damage reported. South Korea's military said it was still analysing whether the launch was successful, while media in South Korea and Japan said governments there were examining the possibility that it failed. North Korea had said it would launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost monitoring of U.S. military activities. North Korea has previously attempted five satellite launches, with two satellites placed in orbit, including during its last such launch in 2016.

Persons: Kim Hong, Leif, Eric Easley, Chol, Brian Weeden, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Chang, Ran Kim, David Brunnstrom, Chris Reese, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Ji, Ewha University, Ocean, Central Military Commission, Workers ' Party, U.S, U.S . State Department, Korean, United Nations, State Department, Secure, Foundation, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, Korean, China, Pyongyang, Tokyo, Okinawa, Korea's, U.S, Washington

☆ North Korea says it will launch its first military spy satellite in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, May 30 (Reuters) - North Korea will launch its first military reconnaissance satellite in June for monitoring U.S. military activities, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. Nuclear-armed North Korea has said it has completed development of its first military spy satellite, and leader Kim Jong Un has approved final preparations for the launch. The statement did not specify the exact launch date, but North Korea has notified Japan of the planned launch between May 31 and June 11, prompting Tokyo to put its ballistic missile defences on alert. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Monday any North Korean launch that uses ballistic missile technology, including those used to put a satellite in orbit, would violate multiple United Nations resolutions. Analysts say the satellite will improve North Korea's surveillance capability, enabling it to strike targets more accurately in the event of war.

☆ China declines US request for a meeting between defense chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERSMay 29 (Reuters) - China has declined a request by the U.S. for a meeting between their defense chiefs at an annual security forum in Singapore this weekend, media reported on Monday, a new sign of strain between the powers. The Pentagon said it believed in open communication "to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict." Last week, White House spokesman John Kirby said there were discussions by the Defense Department to get talks going between Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, who was named defense minister in March. Li is a member of the Central Military Commission, China's top defense body that is commanded by President Xi Jinping.

☆ North Korea's Kim calls for more 'practical, offensive' war deterrence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, April 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country's war deterrence in a "more practical and offensive" manner to counter what it called moves of aggression by the U.S. and South Korea, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. North Korea has been reacting angrily to a recent series of the allies' joint military exercises, which KCNA said were intended to prepare for "an all-out war" and forced Pyongyang to explore "powerful practical action", including military options. Kim ordered further reinforcing the country's war deterrence with "increasing speed" and in a "more practical and offensive" manner, KCNA said. The meeting "discussed practical matters and measures for machinery to prepare various military action proposals that no means and ways of counteraction are available to the enemy," it added. South Korea and the U.S. forces have conducted annual springtime exercises since March, including air and sea drills involving a U.S. aircraft carrier and B-1B and B-52 bombers, and their first large-scale amphibious landing drills in five years.

The assessment of China's military said China's fleet of six Jin-class ballistic missile submarines were operating "near-continuous" patrols from Hainan Island into the South China Sea. Equipped with a new, longer-range ballistic missile, they can hit the continental United States, analysts say. Communications are crucial and complex for ballistic missile subs, which must remain hidden as part of their mission. The Chinese military has emphasised that the Central Military Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, is the only nuclear command authority. Russia is thought to keep most of its 11 ballistic missile submarines largely in bastions off its Arctic coasts, while U.S., French and British boats roam more widely, three analysts said.

Humanity will prevail," Zelenskiy said, leading a ceremony at which the Ukrainian flag was raised in Bucha. Zelenskiy described Bucha as a "symbol of the atrocities" of Russian occupying forces. Fighting rages on in the east and south of Ukraine, where Russian forces hold swathes of territory captured after they invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukrainian forces have dug in and held out for now in the city of Bakhmut and are expected to launch a counteroffensive soon. This is part of Russia's planned strategy to destroy Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation," he said.

☆ Russia starts exercises with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Russia has begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops, its defence ministry said on Wednesday, in what is likely to be seen as another attempt by Moscow to show off its nuclear strength. President Vladimir Putin has aimed to make the Yars missile system, which replaced the Topol system, part of Russia's "invincible weapons" and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal. During the exercises, the Yars mobile systems will conduct manoeuvres in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions. There are few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile systems, which reportedly have an operational range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles). Since launching an invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has conducted numerous military exercises on its own or with other countries, such as China or South Africa.

According to CNBC analysis of state media reports, 7.7 million people took the civil service exam in the 2023 application round, vying for more than 200,000 government jobs at the national and provincial level. Qilai Shen | Corbis Historical | Getty ImagesA record number of people in China took the civil service exam this year, as unemployment among young people soared. According to CNBC analysis of state media reports, 7.7 million people took the civil service exam in the 2023 application round, vying for more than 200,000 government jobs at the national and provincial level. China's National Civil Service Administration could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts by CNBC. However, Xi and other senior leaders did not need to take the civil service exam to gain their current roles.

☆ U.S.-sanctioned general to become public face of China's growing military
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the PLA's then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of China's space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then appointed head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's governing defence body, headed by President Xi Jinping. Some security scholars note the sanctions - while not a deal-breaker for future meetings - add a potential complication, and could provide China's military leadership with leverage. Li's term at the Central Military Commission has highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. Some scholars believe Li has close ties to Zhang Youxia, a close military ally of Xi, whom Li replaced as head of the department.

☆ North Korea decides on war deterrence measures, KCNA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Progress of the 5th Enlarged Meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea in this image released on March 11, 2023. KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, March 12 (Reuters) - North Korea decided to take important, practical war deterrence measures at a meeting of the ruling party's military commission presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, state news agency KCNA said on Sunday. (This story has been refiled to add a missing word)Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's Xi gains unprecedented third term as president
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping is pictured here on Oct. 23, 2022, after consolidating his control of the ruling Communist Party of China. BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping gained an unprecedented third term as president of the country on Friday. Xi was widely expected to stay on as president in this month's largely ceremonial parliamentary meeting, known as the "Two Sessions." Xi rose through China's political ranks, becoming president in 2013 and abolishing term limits in 2018. At the Chinese Communist Party's 20th National Congress in October, Xi consolidated his control of the ruling party by filling the highest circle of leadership with loyalists.

☆ China's Xi secures precedent-breaking third term as president
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on after casting his vote during the Third Plenary Session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, 10 March 2023. MARK R. CRISTINO/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, March 10 (Reuters) - Xi Jinping on Friday secured a precedent-breaking third five-year term as China's president as he tightens his grip as the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. The stage was set for another Xi term when he did away with presidential term limits in 2018. Xi chatted casually with Li, who was seated to his left, as delegates deposited voting slips into electronic ballot boxes. The parliament also elected Zhao Leji, 66, as the new parliament chair and Han Zheng, 68, as the new vice president.

China's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the researchers' findings. Reuters could not determine how closely the conclusions reflect the thinking among China's military leaders. A U.S. defence official told Reuters that despite differences with the situation in Taiwan, the Ukraine war offered insights for China. The conflict has also forged an apparent consensus among Chinese researchers that drone warfare merits greater investment. Beyond the battlefield, the work has covered the information war, which the researchers conclude was won by Ukraine and its allies.

☆ Kim Jong Un abruptly reappears after 36 days out of the spotlight and orders North Korea to 'prepare for war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kim Jong Un had not been seen in public for 36 days, fueling speculation about his health. But North Korea's leader attended a meeting with military officials on Monday, reports said. He was discussing war strategies as tensions rise around the Korean peninsula, the reports said. Kim's Jong Un's longest-ever break from the spotlight was in 2014, when he was not seen for 40 days. Tensions have been rising around the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang condemned planned joint military drills between its rival, South Korea, and the US in the area.

☆ North Korea calls for strengthened war readiness posture, expanded drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The meeting comes as North Korea is widely expected to stage a military parade to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces on Wednesday. Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing in formation in Pyongyang, and South Korea has also said it was monitoring increased related activities. The military meeting also follows North Korea on Thursday condemning drills by the United States and its allies, saying they have reached an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone." In Thursday's statement, the North Korean foreign ministry condemned a visit to South Korea by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies. When asked about the tensions with North Korea during a stop in the Philippines, Austin said that the U.S. goal was to promote greater security and stability and that it remained committed to defending South Korea.

☆ Russia appoints new ground forces chief despite hawks' disapproval
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Russia has appointed Colonel-General Alexander Lapin as chief of staff of the country's ground forces, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, despite fierce criticism from leading hawks over his performance in Ukraine. Lapin, previously commander of Russia's central military district, was blasted last October by hawkish allies of President Vladimir Putin after Russian forces were driven out of the city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine, a key logistics hub. On Oct. 8, Russia named Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the overall commander of its forces in Ukraine, shortly after the reported sacking of the commanders of the Eastern and Western military districts. Kadyrov said Lapin should be stripped of his medals and sent to the front with a gun to wash away his shame with blood. Prigozhin backed Kadyrov's comments, saying: "All these bastards should be sent barefoot to the front with automatic guns."

☆ North Korea's Kim sacks No. 2 military official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - North Korea has sacked Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. The party's Central Military Commission, which is headed by Kim, is considered the country' most powerful military decision-making body, above the defence ministry. In late 2020, Pak was promoted to the politburo and earned the title of marshal, the highest military rank under Kim, and became a leading voice last November against joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Like most other top military aides who went through ups and downs repeatedly under Kim, Pak was briefly demoted in mid-2021 after Kim chided some officials for their handling of North Korea's anti-coronavirus policy, before being promoted again months later. Ri, Pak's successor, is also a senior military commander who held key positions including chief of the army's general staff and defence minister.

☆ Jiang Zemin, Who Accelerated Communist Party’s Embrace of Market Principles, Dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Charles Hutzler | Jason Dean | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING— Jiang Zemin , the former Chinese leader who came to power after the quelling of the Tiananmen Square democracy protests and presided over the market-oriented changes that turned China into a global economic juggernaut, died on Wednesday, state media said. Mr. Jiang, who died of leukemia, retired as Communist Party chief in 2002, stepped down as president in 2003, and left as head of the party’s Central Military Commission, the next year. Behind the scenes, he managed to wield substantial influence within the secretive party elite. From retirement, party insiders say, he decisively backed Xi Jinping ’s ascent to party leader.

☆ Jiang Zemin Accelerated Chinese Communist Party’s Embrace of Market Principles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Charles Hutzler | Jason Dean | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING— Jiang Zemin , the former Chinese leader who came to power after the quelling of the Tiananmen Square democracy protests and presided over the market-oriented changes that turned China into a global economic juggernaut, died of leukemia on Wednesday, state media said. Mr. Jiang retired as Communist Party chief in 2002, stepped down as president in 2003, and left as head of the party’s Central Military Commission the next year. Behind the scenes, he managed to wield substantial influence within the secretive party elite, installing allies in the leadership team of his successor, Hu Jintao . From retirement, party insiders say, he decisively backed Xi Jinping ’s ascent to party leader.

☆ Ukraine shipping hub cheers as Kherson win foils Russian Black Sea hopes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That would have cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea entirely, effectively leaving the former Soviet state of 44 million landlocked. Russia no longer has forces on the right, or western, bank of Europe's third largest river that bisects Ukraine and flows into the Black Sea, a vital conduit for Ukrainian grain exports. Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia's central military district, said in April they planned to take full control of southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is Ukraine's second biggest port and home to several major grain terminals that have come under attack. Natalia Humeniuk, the Ukraine army's southern command spokesperson, has told residents to remain wary of strikes.

☆ Russia Pulls Commander in Ukraine Following Criticism Over Battlefield Losses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia removed a top military commander in Ukraine following criticism from some of President Vladimir Putin’s top allies over the officer’s responsibility for a recent chaotic retreat in the country’s northeast that underscored Russian weaknesses on the battlefield. Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin , responsible for the Central Military District, Russia’s largest, was the last of Russia’s regional commanders still in place amid Moscow’s faltering invasion. It was unclear whether he had been suspended or removed from his post.

☆ Heavily criticised Russian commander takes three-week holiday, agency says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The commander of one of Russia's five military districts, heavily criticised for the performance of his troops in Ukraine, is taking a three-week holiday, according to the regional news agency Ura.ru. The Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Russia has made sweeping changes to its military leadership in the last two months as Ukrainian forces have reclaimed thousands of square kilometres in the northeast, east and south from Russian occupation. On Oct. 8 it named Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the overall commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, shortly after the reported sacking of the commanders of the Eastern and Western military districts. Lapin's stand-in as commander of the Central District is Major-General Alexander Linkov, head of its organisational and mobilisation department, Kommersant said.

Search resuls for: "Central Military"

25 mentions found