DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West formed what looked like an overwhelming global coalition: 141 countries supported a United Nations measure demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraw. South Korea Indonesia Israel Thailand Japan Saudi Arabia Philippines Afghanistan CambodiaBy contrast, Russia seemed isolated. Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus Syria Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus SyriaBut the West never won over as much of the world as it initially seemed. But like many other African countries, South Africa appears careful to balance its growing ties with Russia against maintaining a relationship with the West. Others that provided Ukraine with military support have declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

☆ Three Years Into Covid, We Still Don’t Know How to Talk About It
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jon Mooallem | Photographs Ashley Gilbertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

It will play out and reverberate for years or decades, Hagen told me. “The pathological normal,” Hagen calls it: a patchwork of homespun, bespoke realities, each one invested in a different story about what exactly happened when Covid ruptured the story of our lives. garb.”More than once, life seemed to be attaining “an uncanny resemblance to normal life,” as one man put it. But because we don’t totally understand where that experience has delivered us, we don’t know the right gloss to give it. “The days are strange,” one public-school teacher told Milstein toward the end of his first interview, in May 2020.

☆ Cuba suffers third major blackout in a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Cuba on Tuesday suffered its third major blackout in little more than a week, leaving a vast swath of the center and east of the island without power, energy officials said on state-run TV. The blackout Tuesday spanned 430 miles (700 km) from Cienfuegos province in south-central Cuba to Guantanamo, on the far southeastern tip, leaving more than half of the country´s population of 11 million without power. On Saturday, another blackout cut power for millions of people from Matanzas, east of Havana, to Guantanamo, an outage power officials attributed to a "human operation error." The Minister of Energy and Mines said last week that rolling blackouts would resume and last until May while the country overhauls decades-old oil-fired power plants ahead of the summer season. Cold War-era embargo on Cuba, which complicates financing and purchase of parts, fuel and capital investment.

☆ Lindsey Graham said it would be incredibly stupid of China to give Vladimir Putin lethal weapons to use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lindsey Graham said it would "dumber than dirt" of China to support Putin with weapons. Graham's comments came after Antony Blinken said China might want to give Putin lethal weapons. Don't do this," Graham told host Martha Raddatz on Sunday's episode of ABC's "This Week." Graham was commenting on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's warning on Sunday that the Chinese might be on the brink of giving Russia "lethal support" in the Ukraine war. Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine," Blinken told NBC.

☆ Hotels in St Petersburg told to offer noodle stations as part of Russia's plan to lure more Chinese tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is trying to lure more Chinese visitors to support its struggling tourism industry. They want to attract more tourists from China by encouraging hotels to provide traditional cuisine and offer things like noodle stations at breakfast. The first post-pandemic Chinese tour group is expected to arrive in St Petersburg from Guangzhou on February 25, per TASS. Chinese tourists were big pre-pandemic business for St Petersburg. In 2019, there were 957,000 Chinese visitors to the city, accounting for 9.2% of the total, according to data from its tourism development committee, cited by TASS.

☆ Ron DeSantis styles himself a culture warrior for God. But his push to expand the death penalty is 'deeply concerning' to the Catholic Church.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Catholic Church is speaking out against a GOP push to expand the death penalty. Making it "easier to impose death is deeply concerning," Michael Sheedy of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops told Insider. 'Deeply concerning'Any effort to expand the death penalty in Florida will face obstacles: the state and US constitutions. "An execution represents a judgment by fallible human beings that a person is beyond redemption – a judgment the Catholic Church rejects," they said. Tony Argiz, right, recalled how the Catholic Church helped him when he came to the US from Cuba as an unaccompanied minor.

☆ DeSantis signs bill into law to expand a controversial program that would ship migrants to 'sanctuary cities'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"I can't have people all across the border coming into Florida," DeSantis said Wednesday. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law Wednesday to expand the state's ability to move migrants to Democratic-led states. Under the expanded law, Florida could move migrants from any state and keep the details of the transportation companies secret. DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard move was viewed by critics as a cruel stunt that misled vulnerable migrants. So-called "sanctuary cities" limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities by refusing to report or hand over certain undocumented immigrants for deportation.

☆ Shut out from their top destinations, Chinese travelers are turning to other places
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese travelers favored Southeast Asia for trips during the Lunar New Year holidays, which ended in early February, according to Trip.com Group's Chinese language booking website, Ctrip. Overseas hotel bookings by mainland Chinese travelers quadrupled from last year too, Ctrip said. He said of the 30 million tourists Thailand is expecting this year, 12 million to 15 million may come from China. South Korea announced last week it would resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese travelers, according to Reuters. Visas aside, Chinese travelers are also worried about getting sick, said Lee.

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Christine Wilson, the sole Republican on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), said on Tuesday she will resign soon, blaming the move on the agency's top official, Lina Khan. "Much ink has been spilled about Lina Khan's attempts to remake federal antitrust law as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission," Wilson wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Wilson said in the piece that she would resign "soon" but gave no date. "I dissented on due-process grounds, which require those sitting in a judicial capacity to avoid even the appearance of unfairness," wrote Wilson. Wilson accused the Biden administration FTC of overstepping by being too aggressive in stopping mergers and banning most noncompete clauses.

☆ The US economy needs immigrants. A rising share of both Democrats and Republicans don't want them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But a growing share of both Democrats and Republicans wants less immigration. This sentiment could be in response to the rise of migrants at the southern border in recent years. But a rising share of both Democrats and Republicans want the country to reduce immigration. After plummeting during 2020 due to the pandemic, the US Border Patrol reported a record-high nearly 1.7 million encounters with migrants at the US-Mexico border in 2021. Last year, a new record was set with over 2 million encounters.

HAVANA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Cubans suffering long lines for food, fuel and medicine now have a new problem: painfully slow internet. "The internet keeps getting worse and worse and we're reaching the point where getting online is becoming impossible for the average Cuban," he said. But getting online can still be a touchy subject. Global internet watchdogs have also said Cuba has restricted internet access during recent protests to suppress coverage of the demonstrations and limit their spread. Cuba's government has since announced another cable project, called Arimao, which aims to connect Cuba to the Caribbean island of Martinique by April.

It was created by OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), and made available to the public for free. Its ubiquity has generated fear that generative AI such as ChatGPT could be used to spread disinformation, while educators worry it will be used by students to cheat. A second congressional aide described the discussions as focusing on the speed of changes in AI and how it could be used. In an interview with Time, Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, said the company welcomed input, including from regulators and governments. "The whole value proposition of these types of AI systems is that they can generate content at scales and speeds that humans simply can't," he said.

☆ Hiring a marachi band for my husband's first-ever birthday party wasn't in my budget, but I did it anyway — and I've never been more sure of my approach to money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Julie Schwietert Collazo | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I barely had any money, but I wanted to give my husband a nice birthday surprise even if it was hard. It marked another trip around the sun for my husband, Francisco. In fact, I learned after we started dating, he'd never had a birthday party — ever. I realized I needed to ignore the financial adviceMost financial advice consists of a single, sacrosanct maxim: SAVE. "I've never had a birthday party," Francisco told Gerardo and his fellow musicians.

☆ U.S. officials prepping legislation to revamp asylum system
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"It's a total rethink of the approach and is not constrained by current laws," one of the DHS officials said. Blas Nunez-Neto, a top DHS policy official, is one of the people leading the legislative effort, according to one of the DHS officials and another person familiar with the matter. The new Biden asylum bill could also potentially incorporate a requirement that migrants seek asylum in countries they pass through if protections are available elsewhere, the third person familiar with the effort said. The Biden administration has said it wants to end Title 42 and replace it with a more established rapid deportation process known as "expedited removal." U.S. officials since last year have pressed Mexico to accept non-Mexicans via expedited removal once Title 42 terminates, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

☆ A Cuban fishing village ponders its options as U.S. policy shifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ana Maria Mederos, 59, sells cups of coffee for 10 pesos (8 cents) off her front porch, as her husband Jose Luis Gonzales, 56, repairs his keychain, in Isabela de Sagua, Cuba, January 28, 2023. Isabela de Sagua long ago became known in Cuba as a jumping-off point for maritime migrants, tempted by its proximity to U.S. territory and rules that were formerly lenient on Cubans who arrived by water. Now a U.S. "parole" program announced in early January will allow 30,000 migrants from Cuba, as well as other countries, to enter the United States monthly provided they apply online, find a financial sponsor and pay airfare. "Those who can leave under this new program will, but there are many who won't have the possibility (of sponsorship) and will keep taking their chances by sea, over land, whatever." REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniClose

☆ North Korea's antique fighter jets are still keeping the US and South Korea on their toes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Even with an aging fleet, Pyongyang has been able to catch the attention of South Korea and the US. On October 6, 12 North Korean jets were detected practicing air-to-ground attacks near the DMZ, prompting South Korea to scramble 30 of its fighters. On November 4, 80 South Korean fighters were scrambled after 180 North Korean planes were detected on South Korean radar. The activity and scale is unusual given North Korea's air force is widely regarded as the weakest branch of North Korea's military. South Korean troops guard a MiG-19 used by a North Korean pilot to defect to South Korea in May 1996.

☆ Top lawmakers want answers from Meta on documents which show that 245,000 developers in 'high risk' countries like China may have been able to access user data pre-2014
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Roughly 245,000 developers in "high risk" countries could have accessed Facebook users' data pre-2014, unsealed documents show. The Senate Intelligence Committee has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking for more details. Last December, Meta agreed to pay $725 million to settle the lawsuit, which accused it of sharing users' data with the political consulting firm. A Meta spokesperson told Insider: "These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time. Many years ago, we made substantive changes to our platform, shutting down developers' access to key types of data on Facebook while reviewing and approving all apps that request access to sensitive information."

How to earn Southwest pointsCompare Southwest credit cards Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit CardSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit CardSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit CardSouthwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit CardSouthwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Transfer points from Diners Club or hotel loyalty programsDiners Club members can also transfer Club Rewards points to Southwest — 1,500 Club Rewards points, for instance, would convert to 1,200 Southwest points. It's also possible to redeem points earned through participating hotel loyalty programs if you'd rather put them toward flights than hotel stays, though redemption rates are pretty low:5,000 Best Western Rewards points = 1,200 Southwest points6,000 Choice Privileges points = 1,800 Southwest points2,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 200 Southwest points50,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 5,000 Southwest points100,000 Radisson Rewards America points = 10,000 Southwest points9,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 3,000 Southwest points30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Southwest points60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 20,000 Southwest points90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 30,000 Southwest points120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 40,000 Southwest points5,000 World of Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest points50,000 World of Hyatt points = 24,000 Southwest pointsNote that World of Hyatt throws in an additional 6,000 Southwest points as long as you're a member, while Marriott Bonvoy adds 5,000 Southwest points for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. For instance, a $220 Business Select fare would yield 2,640 Southwest points, while a $200 Anytime ticket would yield 2,000 Southwest points, and a $100 Wanna Get Away ticket would yield 600 Southwest points. Earn Southwest points by taking online surveysYou can earn points by taking online surveys through E-Rewards — $15 worth of E-Rewards yields 300 Southwest points, $25 worth of E-Rewards yields 600 Southwest points, $50 worth of E-Rewards yields 1,200 Southwest points, and $100 worth of E-Rewards yields 2,400 Southwest points.

☆ US senators seek answers from Meta on whether user data was accessed by China, Russia and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, Sens. The findings are “especially remarkable given that Facebook has never been permitted to operate in [China],” they added. “These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone. Hostile governments could seek to use Americans’ personal information to spread disinformation or identify intelligence targets, US officials have said. But the lawmakers’ letter highlights how worries about data access by foreign adversaries extends beyond TikTok and encompasses some of the largest social media platforms.

☆ Judge could take months to decide case of Castro-era Cuban debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The trial ended last week, but it could be months before the judge, Sara Cockerill, renders judgement in the case of CRF vs Banco Nacional de Cuba & Cuba. Her decision is central to whether Cuba may finally be forced to pay back billions of dollars in unpaid debts. At one point the barrister for CRF cited a British property case regarding the lease of a fried fish shop. The question before the judge is of whether the fund has the right to sue Cuba. No matter how the judge rules, the Cuban government will still owe the money.

☆ A tiny-home startup has attracted 160,000 customers, including Elon Musk. But disgruntled customers, an empty factory, and a tie to an alleged Iranian agent cloud its future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

A Boxabl Casita being delivered to a SpaceX facility in Texas. Tackling the US housing crisisStamped out on an assembly line, Boxabl homes could finally begin to help quench America's perpetual housing shortage. Homeowners, meanwhile, could rent out Boxabl units as secondary dwellings in their backyards or as Airbnbs. Firooznia, Tiramani said, sometimes provided a tiebreaking vote when the father and son disagreed on business decisions. During a tour of Boxabl's factory in December, a freelance reporter for Insider saw Tiramani's wife, Shauna, arrive with their four young children.

☆ Haitians seen crushing into migration centers seeking passports to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Haitians gather outside an immigration office looking for turns to apply for a passport days after Haiti police blocked streets and broke into the airport during a protest demanding justice for fellow police officers killed by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoPORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Haitians desperate for passports to apply for a U.S. migration program crowded local migration centers, according to videos shared on social media on Friday, crushing through small doorways and scaling the outside of stairways. Videos from Haiti's Lalue migration office and an improvised center at a sports facility in the capital Port-au-Prince show people climbing on railings of stairs and being crushed as they fight their way through crowds, clutching document envelopes. The move comes as the country expands Trump-era restrictions to rapidly expel migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on foot. Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - China's flight of a suspected surveillance balloon over the United States appears to mark a more aggressive - albeit puzzling - espionage tactic than relying on satellites and the theft of industrial and defense secrets, security experts said. Both the United States and China have for decades used surveillance satellites to keep an eye on each other from the air. The uproar over the balloon comes as China has been building up its military capabilities and challenging America's military presence in the Pacific. The United States also believes Beijing routinely seeks to capture proprietary information and knowledge from U.S. companies. It has previously rebuffed accusations of espionage and said the United States holds a Cold War mentality and hypes up the 'China threat.'

☆ U.S. transfers Pakistani Guantanamo Bay detainee Khan to Belize
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There were 40 detainees at Guantanamo when President Joe Biden, a Democrat, took office in 2021. The federal government is barred by law from transferring Guantanamo detainees to U.S. mainland prisons. Khan told of being beaten, subjected to the simulated drowning technique called waterboarding and raped anally by objects. This went on for three years, from the time of his arrest in Karachi in 2003 until his 2006 Guantanamo transfer, Khan said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin notified U.S. lawmakers about his intent to transfer Khan last year, the Pentagon said.

[1/2] An oil tanker is docked while oil is pumped into it at the ships terminal of PDVSA's Jose Antonio Anzoategui industrial complex in the state of Anzoategui April 15, 2015. It reinforces measures implemented last year after several buyers skipped out on payments for oil, which provides most of the South American country's income. After taking the helm, Tellechea launched an extensive audit of supply contracts, according to a written order to PDVSA seen by Reuters. The new terms narrow a wide variety of contract modalities to a few requiring prepayment of cargoes entirely in cash or allowing payment via goods and services to Venezuela, but they must be received before Venezuela will release the oil, according to the documents. Even long-term buyers must abide by the new rules that require payment in full by cash before each oil delivery.

Search resuls for: "Cuba"

25 mentions found