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☆ Germany's Baerbock Joins Chorus Criticizing EU Migration Deal With Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Gabriela BaczynskaUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of critics of the European Union's new migration deal with Tunisia, saying human rights and procedural faults ruled it out as a blueprint for the future. Her letter to the EU executive European Commission highlights the EU's inner conflict between those pursuing ever-tougher policies to stop illegal immigration and others who emphasize humanitarian considerations and labor market gaps. But in her letter dated Aug. 2, Baerbock expressed "incomprehension" at what she said were insufficient consultations with other countries in the 27-nation bloc. 'SERIOUS VIOLATIONS AND ABUSES'Asked to comment on the letters, a European Commission spokeswoman said the EU executive consulted member states enough. On Friday, the EC announced 60 million euros ($64 million) in support for the Tunisian budget and a further 67 million euros ($71 million) in assistance on migration.

Persons: Gabriela Baczynska, Annalena Baerbock, Kais, Giorgia Meloni, Baerbock, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Oliver Varhelyi, Viktor Orban, Meloni, Howard Goller Organizations: Gabriela Baczynska UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, EU, Commission, European Commission, EC, Human Rights Locations: Tunisia, Italy, Netherlands, EU, Tunis, Africa, Egypt, Hungary, East, Geneva, Ukraine

☆ Germany's Baerbock joins chorus criticizing EU migration deal with Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Migrants rescued at sea walk after disembarking from a vessel, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 18, 2023. "Democracy, human rights and the rule of law must guide us in our cooperation - something that was not given suitable consideration, in the agreement with Tunisia," she wrote. "The MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Tunisia cannot become a template for further agreements," she added. 'SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND ABUSES'Asked to comment on the letters, a European Commission spokeswoman said the EU executive consulted member states enough. On Friday, the EC announced 60 million euros ($64 million) in support for the Tunisian budget and a further 67 million euros ($71 million) in assistance on migration.

Persons: Yara, Annalena Baerbock, Kais, Giorgia Meloni, Baerbock, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Oliver Varhelyi, Viktor Orban, Meloni, Gabriela Baczynska, Howard Goller Organizations: Migrants, REUTERS, UNITED, EU, Commission, Reuters, European Commission, EC, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Germany, EU, Tunisia, Netherlands, Tunis, Africa, Egypt, Hungary, East, Geneva, Ukraine

“Green Border” won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Government officials in Poland have harshly criticized the film for weeks, although most of them acknowledge not having seen it. He said he believed that Poland's border guards, army and police “were portrayed shamefully." Polish officials say security personnel have risked their lives to protect Poland from an attack they view as directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. She and producer Marcin Wierzchoslawski issued a statement Friday saying “Green Border” shows that all humans, whether uniformed officers, refugees or helpers, can behave in different ways in different situations.

Persons: Agnieszka Holland, “, Border ”, Holland, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Vladimir Putin, Kaczynski, Putin’s, ” Holland, Marcin Wierzchoslawski, Wierzchoslawski, Kaczynski's, Zbigniew Ziobro, Andrzej Duda, Ziobro, Poland, Russia's Organizations: Border, Venice Film, Government, Roman Catholic, Interior Ministry, European Union, EU, of America Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Belarus, Venice, France, Russian, “, Holland, Asia, Africa, Nazi, East, Polish

Three producers listed in the customs data confirmed to Reuters they had shipped coal from the two regions to Turkey during that period. Reuters was unable to find any information in customs data about deliveries of coal produced in the DNR to Turkey or other countries in 2022. Customs data shows Nedra-06 made two shipments of coal to Turkey totalling 1,600 tonnes in May and June. The buyers were Belize-based Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD of Hong Kong, the customs data showed. Coal bought at Russian ports by Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD was taken to Turkey, the data showed.

Persons: Vitaliy Khotsenko, Adzhmal, Vostokugol, Anton Nadeyev, Nadeyev, I'm, Denis Karashchuk, Karashchuk, Filipp Lebedev, Gleb Stolyarov, Humeyra Pamuk, Tom Balmforth, Julia Payne, Jose Sanchez, Mike Collett, White, Daniel Flynn Organizations: NATO, Reuters, European, British Virgin Islands, Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Ministry of Energy, Federal Customs Service, Luhansk People's Republics, European Union, United, Ukraine, U.S . State Department, UN, Assembly, Florance, Management, Hong, Brig Management, Rabbit, Belize Companies, Corporate Affairs, Green Rabbit, Coal, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Turkey Ankara, Russia, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, United States, European Union, Moscow . Washington, Moscow, Ankara, Ukrainian, Hong Kong, UAE, Belize, British Virgin, East, Africa, Russian, Rostov, Novorossiisk, Turkey . U.S, Antratsyt, Yasynuvata, Tbilisi, Washington, Kyiv, Brussels

Three producers listed in the customs data confirmed to Reuters they had shipped coal from the two regions to Turkey during that period. Turkey, a major coal consumer and importer, is bucking the global trend by increasing coal's share in electricity generation. Customs data shows Nedra-06 made two shipments of coal to Turkey totalling 1,600 tonnes in May and June. The buyers were Belize-based Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD of Hong Kong, the customs data showed. Coal bought at Russian ports by Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD was taken to Turkey, the data showed.

☆ A sneaky move at a Kremlin meeting may show why Putin took his time in eliminating Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If so, the process of removing Prigozhin may have begun at a Kremlin meeting days after his uprising. On June 29, five days after the rebellion was called off, Putin gathered Prigozhin and his commanders in the Kremlin, according to a report in the Russian outlet Kommersant. "Reports of the meeting — and the lack of notable cases of dissension following Prigozhin's death — suggest that the meeting likely achieved its goals," Orr said. Chekalov, a senior deputy to Prigozhin, oversaw logistics, coordinating numerous Wagner activities and operations in Libya and Syria. ALEXEY DANICHEV/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesUnder Prigozhin, Wagner amassed a business empire using lucrative concessions from governments and backers in the countries where it operated.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Alexei Troshev, nodded affirmatively, Matthew Orr, RANE, Orr, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Anton Mardasov, Mardasov, ALEXEY DANICHEV, Prigozhin's, Pavel Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Kommersant, Reuters, French Army, Associated Press, Russia's Ministry of Defense, PMC Convoy, PMC Redut, Russian, Ministry of Defense, Getty, Belarusian Defence Ministry, Wagner PMC, SVR Locations: Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Tver, Eurasia, Prigozhin, Libya, Syria, Mali, Africa, East, Russia, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Saharan Africa, Ukraine, Osipovichi

Peter Orszag, incoming CEO of financial advisory Lazard, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Two weeks before Peter Orszag takes the helm as CEO of Lazard (LAZ.N), he is already setting an ambitious goal for the investment bank to double its revenue by 2030. Orszag outlined his plans for the 175-year-old firm in a memo to employees on Thursday, including a raft of personnel changes. The revenue aspirations are being locked in at a time when sluggish dealmaking has weighed on earnings and prompted Lazard to eliminate 10% of its workforce. Boosting revenue in asset management will require better distribution, improved investment performance and potentially an acquisition, Orszag wrote in the memo.

Persons: Peter Orszag, Lazard, Mike Blake, ”, Orszag, Alexandra Soto, Chris Weideman, Lananh Nguyen, Varun Organizations: Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, Lazard, Reuters, Apollo Asset Management, U.S, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Europe, East, Africa

WARSAW, Poland (AP) —Poland's President Andrzej Duda said Thursday he was awaiting the results of an investigation into allegations that Polish consulates sold temporary work visas to migrants for thousands of dollars, just weeks before the strongly anti-migration ruling party seeks re-election for a third term. Media reports allege Poland’s consular sections issued some 250,000 visas to migrants from Asia and Africa since 2021 in return for bribes. Prosecutors and the state Anti-Corruption Office said Thursday that seven people — none of them state officials — had been detained on suspicion of corruption in the process of issuing a few hundred temporary work visas. According to Onet.pl, a news website, Wawrzyk personally insisted that temporary work visas be issued to groups of people from India, who posed as crews working for the Indian movie industry, popularly known as Bollywood. The allegations could seriously hit the conservative ruling party ahead of next month's parliamentary elections.

Persons: —, Andrzej Duda, Duda, “, ”, Piotr Wawrzyk, Donald Tusk, Poland's, Wawrzyk, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Mateusz Morawiecki, Onet.pl Organizations: Media, Prosecutors, Law, Justice Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Asia, Africa, India, Belarus, East, Ukraine

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) said on Thursday it has hired two senior bankers for its financial sponsors group to oversee relationships with private equity clients. The British lender appointed Tom Vignon as a managing director in the financial sponsors group for the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, it said in a statement. Christian Oberle also joined Barclays as the head of its financial sponsors group in the Americas, the bank said. Oberle previously worked as a senior managing director at JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), where he served clients including Apollo Global Management and Advent International. In recent months, the bank has appointed new leaders from within its ranks, including global co-heads of capital markets, debt capital markets and equity markets and a sole head of equity capital markets.

Persons: Tom Vignon, Vignon, Christian Oberle, Oberle, Jean, Francois Astier, Taylor Wright, Cathal Deasy, Lananh Nguyen, Rashmi Organizations: Barclays, Credit Suisse, Christian, Reuters, JPMorgan Chase, Apollo Global Management, Advent, UBS, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, Americas, New York

☆ The timing is 'quite right' for IPOs, says Nasdaq's EMEA head of listings
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe timing is 'quite right' for IPOs, says Nasdaq's EMEA head of listingsAdam Kostyál, head of listings for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Nasdaq, discusses the significance of Arm's initial public offering and Instacart's upcoming one.

Persons: Adam Kostyál Organizations: EMEA, Nasdaq Locations: Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ Citigroup's business heads in revamped structure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Citigroup Inc (Citi) logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. He is an alum of the London Business School and the London School of Economics. In 2021, he became the global head of Citi's treasury and trade solutions arm. ANDY SIEG, WEALTH The incoming head of Citi's wealth management unit starts on Sept. 27, after running Bank of America's powerhouse Merrill Lynch Wealth Management division since 2017. He was previously the head of the consumer bank in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Jane Fraser, SHAHMIR, Khaliq, Fraser, ANDREW MORTON, Morton, Lehman, PETER BABEJ, ANDY SIEG, Merrill, GONZALO LUCHETTI, Niket, Lananh Nguyen, Chizu Organizations: Citigroup Inc, Citi, REUTERS, Citigroup, London Business School, London School of Economics, Morton, Heath, Lehman Brothers, Citi Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank, Lazard, of America's, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, JPMorgan Chase, Bain & Company, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Fraser, Jarrow, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Bengaluru

☆ Goodyear Tire to cut around 1,200 jobs in restructuring drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. flag flies at a Goodyear Tire facility in Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S., July 25, 2017. The decision comes after activist investor Elliott Investment Management in May criticized Goodyear for mismanagement and lagging behind rivals Michelin and Bridgestone (5108.T). Elliott, which holds a 10% stake in the tire company, had also pushed Goodyear for an operational review and sale of its stores. The Ohio-based firm forecast total pre-tax charges of between $210 million and $230 million by 2025 due to the restructuring. Last month, Goodyear swung to a loss of 73 cents per share for the second quarter, from a profit of 58 cents per share a year earlier.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Goodyear, Elliott, Pratyush Thakur, Devika Organizations: U.S, Goodyear Tire, REUTERS, Goodyear Tire &, Elliott Investment Management, Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Thomson Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, U.S, Europe, East, Africa, The Ohio, Bengaluru

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Film director Agnieszka Holland demanded an apology from Poland's justice minister after he compared her latest film, which explores the migration crisis at the Poland-Belarus border, to Nazi propaganda. Holland said Wednesday that she planned to bring defamation charges against Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro unless she receives an apology within seven days. Holland’s feature film, “Green Border,” explores a migration crisis that has played out along Poland’s border with Belarus over the past two years. Holland said the comparison to Nazi propaganda was offensive because of what Poland suffered under Nazi occupation during World War II and given her own background. Holland's film dramatizes the migration tragedy that unfolded in the “green border” of swamps and forests between Belarus and Poland.

Persons: Agnieszka Holland, Holland, Zbigniew Ziobro, Ziobro, ”, Poland, ” Holland Organizations: —, Reich, Venice Film, Nazi, Law, Justice Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Belarus, East, Africa, Russia, Venice, Warsaw, Polish, Ukraine

☆ UK to declare Russia's Wagner a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A flag with the logo of Wagner private mercenary group is attached to a car during an automobile rally at a patriotic festival marking Russia's National Flag Day in the Moscow region, Russia, August 23, 2023. Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman described the Wagner Group as "violent and destructive", adding it "acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia overseas". "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law," she said. The Wagner mercenary group has operated in Syria, Libya and a number of countries across northern and western Africa. Lawmakers on parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in July urged more targeted sanctions on what it said were a "web of entities" beneath the Wagner Group.

Persons: Wagner, Yulia Morozova, Suella Braverman, Vladimir Putin's, David Lammy, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lavanya, Sarah Young, Peter Graff, William Schomberg Organizations: REUTERS, Wagner Group, Labour, Twitter, Britain, Prigozhin, Central African, Lawmakers, parliament's Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, British, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Ukraine, East, Africa, Syria, Libya, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Bengaluru, London

☆ The generative AI boom should have been Appen's time to shine. Here's what went wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

For Appen, that would mean finding specialists in particular types of information that can bolster generative AI systems. Even before the generative AI transition, wages for Appen's data labelers were a sticking point. Kim Stagg, Appen's vice president of product, said the work required for generative AI services was different than what the company has needed in the past. "With generative AI, we see a different demand." The company's plunging stock price suggests that investors don't see the company's business offerings transferring to the generative AI space.

Persons: Jonathan Raa, Mike Monegan, he'd, Appen, it's, Armughan Ahmad, Mark Brayan, Ahmad, Monegan, he's, Appen's, Helen Johnson, Fab Dolan, Sujatha Sagiraju, Elena Sagunova, Jen Cole, Jukka Korpi, Still, OpenAI's, Google's Bard, didn't, Bard chatbot, Ed Stackhouse, raters, Erik Vogt, Vogt, hadn't, Kim Stagg, we've, Stagg, Lisa Braden, Harder, Canaccord Organizations: Nurphoto, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Revenue, CNBC, Australian Securities Exchange, Adobe, U.S . National Labor Relations Board Locations: Seattle, Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ Christie’s cancels auction of jewelry linked to Nazi-era fortune
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The sale of over 400 pieces of jewelry once owned by late art collector Heidi Horten broke records at a series of auctions earlier this year. But amid ongoing criticism from Jewish advocacy groups and human rights organizations over the source of the Austrian billionaire’s wealth, Christie’s auction house announced Thursday that it has canceled the final part of the controversial sale. (Christie’s had initially predicted that Horten’s entire collection, featuring over 700 jewels, would sell for over $150 million.) Prior to May’s sales, the American Jewish Committee had called for the auction to be put on hold until “a serious effort” was made to investigate the Hortens’ wealth. The Heidi Horten Collection did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Persons: Heidi Horten, Helmut, ” Christie’s, ”, ” Anthea Peers, Christie’s, Van, Helmut Horten, Forbes Organizations: CNN, American Jewish Committee, Twitter, Washington D.C, ” Locations: Austrian, Nazi Germany, German, Europe, East, Africa, Geneva, Switzerland, Nazi, Washington, Vienna, Austria

☆ Harrowing migrant drama puts spotlight on Europe border cruelty
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Zielona Granica" (Green Border) in competition - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 5, 2023. "Green Border", which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, tells the story of refugees, charity workers, activists and border guards, whose lives intersect in the cold, swampy forests between the two east European countries. Migrants started flocking to the border in 2021, after Belarus, a close Russian ally, opened travel agencies in the Middle East offering a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis. "If we go further on this road ... the European Union, Europe, the continent of freedom, democracy (and) human rights will disappear. "Green Border" is one of 23 movies competing for the Golden Lion award at the Venice festival, which runs until Sept. 9.

Persons: Jalal Altawil, Dalia Naous, Mohamad Al Rashi, Maja Ostaszewska, Agnieszka Holland, Behi Djanati Atai, Tomasz Wlosok, Marcin Wierzchoslawski, Fred, Holland, Crispian Balmer, Nick Macfie Organizations: Migrants, European Union, Nazi Holocaust, Golden, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, Polish, Belarus, Russian, Europe, Poland, Syria, Afghanistan, Holland, East, Africa, Ukraine

The "Made in Italy" fund, which was approved in May, will have an initial endowment of 700 million euros ($756 million) in 2023 and an additional 300 million next year in state cash. Saudi Arabia will focus on energy, sustainability, supply chains and sport to expand its presence in Italy, Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said at the same event. Italian exports to Saudi Arabia totalled just over 4 billion euros in 2022, much from manufacturing, while imports totalled more than 7.4 billion euros, the bulk from oil products. Also at the Milan event, leading Italian energy company Eni (ENI.MI) and Saudi Acwa Power (2082.SE) agreed to jointly develop a green hydrogen project in the Middle East and Africa. Saudi Arabia has a well advanced project dubbed NEOM to produce green hydrogen at home while Italy so far has not developed yet any plan to produce it in significant quantity.

Persons: Adolfo Urso, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, shrugging, Urso, Khalid al, Falih, Power, De Nora, Giuseppe Fonte, Keith Weir, Angus MacSwan, Alexander Smith Organizations: Energy, Italy's Industry, Reuters, Italy's, Investment, European Union, EU, Saudi, Eni, Saudi Acwa, Thomson Locations: Italy, MILAN, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Rome, Riyadh, Milan, Kingdom, Meloni, East, North Africa, Russia, Africa

☆ Keep an eye on 'blue' bonds, a little-known income alternative tied to clean water
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"Blue" bonds, securities focused on protecting bodies of water, are popping up with increased frequency with the help of nonprofits. Earlier this month, Denmark's renewable energy producer Ørsted said it would become the first energy company to issue blue bonds. But he said there likely won't be more options until there is wider demand for those blue bonds already available. Because of this, he recommends investors look beyond blue bonds to green bonds that have some focus on water issues. The primary investment thesis behind blue bonds, Atkinson said, is understanding the risk of ignoring the need for healthy oceans and clean water.

Persons: Kris Atkinson, Nomura, Ørsted, Fidelity's Atkinson, Atkinson, Aya Kawamoto, Morgan Stanley, Simon Waever, Waever, Green, Kawamoto, We're, Michael Bloom Organizations: The World Bank, Fidelity International, Nature Conservancy, United Nations, AXA, Inter, American Development Bank, Life Insurance, Conservancy, Treasury Locations: Seychelles, Fiji, Portugal, Europe, East, Africa, Barbados, Belize, Gabon

☆ Rumors and Misdirection Keep Crowds Away From Prigozhin Burial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Valerie Hopkins | More About Valerie Hopkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

All that could be seen of the grave from a bridge over the cemetery were a large Russian flag, a Wagner flag, and the top of a wooden cross. Then in June he led a brief mutiny against the Russian military leadership, leading to widespread speculation that his days were numbered. On Aug. 23, a business jet carrying Mr. Prigozhin fell, smoking, from the sky northwest of Moscow. All ten people aboard were killed, including the three top figures in Wagner, leaving the group’s future in doubt. The confusion about his burial and heavy security presence at Porokhovskoye ensured that the throng of supporters expected to attend never materialized.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Times Locations: Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Moscow

☆ Wagner Group may be absorbed by the Russian Defense Ministry, which Prigozhin rallied against before his death. The mercenary group's current arrangement could 'disappear rather soon,' former GRU capt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The fate of the Wagner Group is in the hands of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. The New York Times reported the Russian Defense Ministry was considering absorbing the group. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The Wagner Group will disappear rather soon," Boris Volodarsky, a former captain in Russia's Spetsnaz GRU special forces and a fellow with the Royal Historical Society in London, told Insider. As tensions mounted between Wagner and Putin this summer, the Kremlin mandated that Wagner recruits sign contracts with the Russian army — which Prigozhin resisted. In his tirade, Prigozhin said the ministry "must be stopped" and the people responsible for the death of Wagner fighters must be punished.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Boris Volodarsky, Russia's, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Volodarsky, —, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Wagner, Kremlin, The New York Times, Russian Defense Ministry, Service, Wagner Group, New York Times, Institute for, Royal Historical Society, Defense Ministry, Times, Central African, Associated Press, Russia's Defense Ministry, Belarusian Locations: Wall, Silicon, East, Africa, Russian, London, Tver, Moscow, Belarus, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Mali, Russia, Rostov

☆ Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if 'critical incident' occurs -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a "critical incident" involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister said on Monday, amid rising tensions on NATO's eastern flank. EU and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. "If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told media that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure. Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Andrius, Conor Humphries, Nick Macfie Organizations: WARSAW, EU, NATO, Wagner Group, Lithuanian, Thomson Locations: Poland, Baltic, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Minsk, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russia, Europe, East, Africa, Warsaw, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius

☆ With Prigozhin dead, Putin has traded low-budget global reach for safety at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. AdvertisementAdvertisementThose files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, he'd, —, Putin, grandiosity, they'd, Alexander Lukashenko, James, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wednesday, Wagner Group, Saint, Kremlin, Group, Central African, YouTube, Google, Wagner, Saint Petersburg, ISIS, Russia, Wall Street Journal, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Central African Republic, Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Saint, China, Belarus, Russia's

☆ Prigozhin was scrambling to salvage his business empire from Kremlin control in the days before his death, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin flew across African trying to salvage contracts there, the WSJ reported. Per the WSJ's investigation, Prigozhin was racing to stop the Kremlin dismantling his empire. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementPer the WSJ's account, the plane crash cut short an effort by Prigozhin to maintain his sprawling network of mercenary deals. Per The Journal, other sources of income for Prigozhin include gold from Sudan, and diamond and timber from the Central African Republic.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Central African Republic, Russian, Wagner, Dossier, Central African Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Africa, Kremlin, Russian, St . Petersburg, Sudan, Mali, East, Central African Republic

☆ What happens to the Wagner Group after Yevgeny Prigozhin plane crash?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - A day before mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash, a Russian official visited Libya to reassure allies that fighters from the Wagner Group would remain in the country -- but under Moscow's control. In Africa, Wagner may stay more or less intact under new management or be subsumed by another Russian mercenary group. 'REPLACE A DEAD LEADER'After the June mutiny, Prigozhin intensified his efforts to bolster Wagner's presence in Africa. In countries where Wagner operates through an official agreement with Moscow, analysts do not expect much to change - for now. But as Wagner was there through a state-level agreement with Russia, "nothing will affect the presence of these instructors" he said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Khalifa Haftar, Jalel, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, John Lechner, Haftar's, Harchaoui, Faustin, Fidele Gouandjika, Gouandjika, Ousmane Pare, Evro, Filip Lebedev, Ed McAllister, Tiemoko Diallo, Suleiman al, Angus McDowall, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Libyan, Royal United Services Institute, Central African, Wagner PMC, Human Rights Watch, Russian, Russia's Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Africa, Libya, Benghazi, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Europe, East, Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Belarus, U.S, Tripoli, Burkina Faso, Evro Polis, Reuters Libya, Tblisi, Dakar, Judicael Yongo, Bangui, Thiam Ndiaga, Ouagadougou, Bamako, Khalidi, Amman

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