DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Alexey Navalny: Jailed Russian opposition figure dies aged 47, prison service says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Anna Chernova | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who made global headlines when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020, has died aged 47, the Russian prison service said. Russia’s prison service said it was investigating the “sudden death” of Navalny. Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, said his lawyer is traveling to Kharp, where Navalny has been held since December. The White House at the time said it was “deeply concerned” about the reports of Navalny’s disappearance. “Navalny has never been hidden for so long,” Navalny’s team said in a Telegram post.

Persons: CNN —, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalnvy, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Kira Yarmysh, “, ” Yarmysh, Navalany’s, he’d, “ Navalny, ”, Ivan Zhdanov Organizations: CNN, United, Novosti, Navalny’s, IK Locations: Russian, United Russia, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Navalny, Kharp, Moscow

☆ Aleksei Navalny Outspoken Putin Critic Is Dead, Russian State Media Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ETAleksei A. Navalny, the most outspoken domestic critic of President Vladimir V. Putin, has died in prison, Russian state media said on Friday. Mr. Navalny’s death was reported by Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, according to Russian state media. In a statement carried by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, the penitentiary service said that Mr. Navalny, 47, lost consciousness on Friday taking a walk in the Arctic prison where he was moved late last year. “The facility’s medical staff immediately arrived and an ambulance brigade was called,” the penitentiary service’s statement said. The ambulance doctors confirmed the death of the convict.” Mr. Putin’s spokesman said that the death had been reported to Mr. Putin, according to the Tass state news service.

Persons: Aleksei, Vladimir V, Putin, Navalny’s, Navalny, ” Mr, Putin’s, Mr Organizations: Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, RIA Novosti, Tass

☆ Elon Musk says the US should stop sending aid to Ukraine as there's 'no way in hell' Putin will lose
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Musk said Putin risked being "assassinated" if he were to back off the fight in Ukraine. The world's richest person told US Republican senators during an X Spaces "there is no way in hell" Vladimir Putin was going to lose the war with Ukraine. Musk said Putin risked being "assassinated" if he were to back off the fight in Ukraine. Musk provided access to the SpaceX satellites to allow civilians retain internet access amid Russia's attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. In October, Musk tweeted his idea for restoring peace in Ukraine , which parroted Kremlin talking points and suggested Ukraine cede territory to Russia.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Sen, Ron Johnson, JD Vance, Mike Lee, Vivek Ramaswamy, wasn't, Reid Hoffman Organizations: Republican, Service, Bloomberg, SpaceX, Kremlin, RIA, Paypal, Representatives, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Elon

☆ Russia Suspends Annual Payments to Arctic Council, RIA Agency Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia has suspended annual payments to the Arctic Council until "real work" resumes with the participation of all member countries, Russia's RIA state news agency reported, citing the country's foreign ministry. "At the moment, Russia's payment of annual contributions to the budget of the Arctic Council has been suspended until the resumption of real work in this format with the participation of all member countries," the ministry told RIA. Cooperation between the Western Arctic states of the intergovernmental body and Moscow came to a freeze after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions. For now, Russia does not consider leaving the Council, the foreign ministry told RIA.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Lidia Kelly, Jacqueline Wong, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Arctic Council, RIA, Cooperation, Arctic, Council, TASS, Duma, Organization for Security Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, United States, Melbourne

☆ Russia Downs 9 Ukraine-Launched Drones, RIA Agency Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia's air defence systems destroyed nine Ukraine-launched drones over Russia's Belgorod and Voronezh regions, as well as over the Black Sea, RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian defence ministry. Two of the drones were downed over the Belgorod region and one over the Voronezh region, RIA reported. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on social media that one woman was hospitalised with injuries as a result of the attack. There was no information from Gladkov or the Russian defence ministry on potential damage. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesReuters was not able to independently verify the reports.

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Belgorod, Voronezh, Russia's, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Bitcoin, AI and Magnificent 7: The emerging ETF trends as industry gathers for big conference
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

To grow, the ETF industry has to expand the offerings of active management and devise new ways to entice investors. The big topics in 2024: Bitcoin, AI, Magnificent 7 alternativesIn 2024, the industry is betting that the new crop of bitcoin ETFs will pull in billions. Financial advisors are divided on whether to jump inTen spot bitcoin ETFs have successfully launched. Inflows into bitcoin ETFs to date have been modest, but bitcoin ETFs are being viewed by some advisors as the first true bridge between traditional finance and the crypto community. Jason Pereira, senior partner & financial Planner, Woodgate Financial, is speaking on how financial advisors are using artificial intelligence.

Persons: Matt Hougan, Steve Kurz, David LaValle, Ric Edelman, Edelman, Gary Gensler's, bitcoin, Jason Pereira, Pereira, Roundhill's, Alex Zweber, Eric Veiel, Rowe Price, Brian Portnoy, Neil Bage, feely Organizations: ETF, LIV, Miami, Super, Advisors, JPMorgan, bitcoin, Galaxy, Edelman, Digital Assets, Financial Professionals, SEC, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, China ETF Locations: Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, China, bitcoin

☆ Putin references Russian hitman in German jail as he suggests ‘agreement can be reached’ on detained US reporter Gershkovich
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested “an agreement can be reached” with the United States to release detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich, as he brought up the conviction of a “patriotic” Russian hitman in Germany. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested last March while on a reporting trip in the country. When Putin said Gershkovich was working with US special services, Carlson did push the Russian president, saying: “This guy is obviously not a spy, he’s a kid. In fact, journalists have repeatedly been requesting interviews with Putin, but the Russian President had declined to grant access. The Russian President suggested that the path to ending the war in Ukraine was through direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Evan Gershkovich, Tucker Carlson, Putin’s, Carlson, Putin, “, ” Putin, ”, Natalia Kolesnikova, Gershkovich’s, “ He’s, Evan, ” Danielle Gershkovich, Biden, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, He’s, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Viktor Bout, Brittney Griner, Whelan, “ Evan, ” “ Evan, “ We’re, Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Putin, railroaded Tucker Carlson, Jill Dougherty, Dougherty, Armin Wolf, Joe Biden, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Street Journal, Federal Security Service, Novosti, US State Department, Getty, White, Russian, Street, Big Tech, International Criminal Court, Rights Watch, Russia’s, Kremlin, NATO, Republicans Locations: United States, American, Russian, Germany, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Russia, US, AFP, Berlin, Chechen, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Austrian, Washington, Poland, Belarus, Israel

☆ Here are 3 ways the labor market is showing concerning deterioration underneath strong headline numbers — meaning a recession and stock-market sell-off could sneak up on investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThe labor market smashed expectations in January, adding 353,000 new jobs, far above economist forecasts of 187,000. Despite the strong headline number, however, there are signs that the job market is deteriorating beneath the surface. For one, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' household survey is showing some divergence from its payroll survey. "High labor and credit costs are beginning to materially impact corporate profits, which impacts both the labor market and (eventually) the default rate." Still, while there are signs of weakening, there are also signs of improvement in the labor market.

Persons: —, Jeff Schulze, today's, Shulze, Louis Fed, Lance Roberts, Ian Shepherdson, Lauren Goodwin Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Business, of Labor Statistics, BLS, of Labor, ClearBridge Investments, RIA Advisors, National Federation of Independent Business, Pantheon, Bank of America's Global, New York Life Investments, ClearBridge

☆ Lawyer for Russian Dissident Navalny Put on Wanted List - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Russia's interior ministry has put a lawyer for jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on its wanted list after charging her in absentia with extremism, the RIA news agency reportedThe lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, said last month she had already left Russia at the time when the charges were announced. Three other Navalny lawyers were arrested in October on suspicion of belonging to an "extremist group". Navalny's supporters say the authorities are going after his lawyers in order to deepen his isolation in jail, where he is serving sentences totalling more than 30 years. Navalny himself was moved to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle located in Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region about 1,900 km (1200 miles) northeast of Moscow. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by John Davison and Christina Fincher)

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Olga Mikhailova, Navalny's, Navalny, John Davison, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters Locations: Russia, Kharp, Moscow

☆ Factories in developing Asia may have seen the worst of manufacturing slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Photographer: Linh Pham/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMost developing economies in Asia might have left the worst of the broad manufacturing slowdown behind in 2023, according to a series of private surveys released Thursday. South Korea's S&P manufacturing purchasing managers' index recorded its first expansionary reading since June 2022 at 51.2 in January, up from 49.9 in December. "The health of the South Korean manufacturing sector registered a renewed improvement at the start of 2024. Growth was reportedly reflective of increased domestic and international orders, particularly for new products," Bhatti added. These private PMI surveys are typically seen as one of several leading indicators of economic activity in the respective economies.

Persons: Linh Pham, Usamah Bhatti, Bhatti, Annabel Fiddes Organizations: Wind Corp, Vung, Renewables, International Energy Agency, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, P Global Market Intelligence, Vietnam, ASEAN, PMI, International Monetary Fund, IMF, " Companies Locations: Tan Thanh, Ba, Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, Asia, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand

☆ Russia and Ukraine Say They Have Completed a Prisoner Exchange
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine said on Wednesday they had completed a prisoner exchange, the first since the crash last week of a Russian military transport plane that Moscow says was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers ahead of a similar swap. The Russian Defence Ministry said each side had got 195 soldiers back and that its own soldiers would be flown to Moscow to receive medical and psychological treatment. In return, exactly 195 prisoners from the armed forces of Ukraine were handed over," the defence ministry said in a statement. Russia says Ukraine shot down the plane carrying prisoners for last week's swap with a ground-to-air missile and that all 74 people on board were killed. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that it downed the plane, and has demanded proof of who was on board.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Russian Defence Ministry, United Arab Emirates, United, Reuters Moscow Locations: MOSCOW, KYIV, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson, Snake, United Arab Emirates

☆ Russia Destroys 21 Ukraine-Launched Drones Over Crimea and Russian Regions -Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian air defence systems destroyed or intercepted 21 Ukraine-launched drones over the Crimean Peninsula and several Russian regions, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday, citing Moscow's defence ministry. Russia's systems downed 11 of the drones over Crimea, RIA state news agency reported. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned by Kyiv's Western allies as an illegal land grab. Bryansk, Kaluga and Tula regions, Russian agencies reported. Kyiv has intensified its air attacks in recent months, in what it says are strikes targeting Russian military infrastructure to undermine Moscow's war efforts.

Persons: Kyiv's, Mikhail Razvozhayev, Vladislav Shapsha, Lidia Kelly, Tom Hogue, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reuters, Telegram Locations: Ukraine, Crimean, Crimea, Russia, Moscow, Sevastopol, Crimea's, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Tula, Kyiv, Melbourne

“The group participants remain detained at the immigration center in a shared cell with 80 people,” the post said. The seven band members were arrested last Thursday after playing a concert on the southern resort island of Phuket, reportedly for not having proper working papers. After paying a fine, the band members were sent to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok. The detained musicians “include Russia citizens as well as dual nationals of Russia and other countries, including Israel and Australia,” the group Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday. Andrei Lugovoi, a member of the lower house of Russia's parliament, called the band members “scum” for their criticism of Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

Persons: Ilya Ilyin, “, ”, Elaine Pearson, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Gudkov, Gudkov, Andrei Lugovoi, ” Lugovoi, Alexander Litvinenko Organizations: —, Facebook, RIA Novosti, Immigration Detention, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, AP, Kremlin, Russian Foreign Ministry, YouTube, Spotify Locations: BANGKOK, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Russian, Phuket, Bangkok, Australia, Asia, ”, Britain, London

☆ Kamila Valieva: Russian figure skater banned for four years by Court of Arbitration for Sport
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( George Ramsay | Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been found guilty of an anti-doping violation by Switzerland’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and has received a four-year ban from competitions. In Beijing, Valieva’s Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team had finished first ahead of the US and Japan – with Canada finishing fourth – and no medals were subsequently awarded due to the doping controversy. CNN Sport has contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the ISU, the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Russian Olympic Committee for further comment. RUSADA had changed its initial stance and sought a punishment that “may include or be limited to a reprimand” for Valieva, CAS announced in February last year. Russian athletes were competing as neutral athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing due to a previous ban for doping non-compliance.

Persons: Kamila Valieva, Valieva, Catherine Ivill, Ms Valieva, Travis Tygart, Sarah Hirshland, RUSADA, ”, Alexander Kogan, WADA, “, ” CNN’s Jill Martin, Thomas Schlachter, Anna Chernova Organizations: CNN, Switzerland’s, Sport, Valieva, Russian Olympic Committee, Canada, International Skating Union, ISU, Winter Games, CNN Sport, International Olympic Committee, Japanese Olympic Committee, Canadian Olympic Committee, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic, Team USA, ”, IOC, RIA Novosti, Skating, Swiss Federal Locations: Russian, Beijing, Japan, US

☆ Russia Ready to Discuss Gas Supplies With EU as Ukraine Transit Deal Expires -Agencies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to hold talks with the European Union on natural gas supplies as a transit deal with Ukraine expires at the end of 2024, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying by several news agencies on Saturday. Under a five-year deal agreed between Moscow and Kyiv in 2019, Russia is exporting gas to Europe via Ukraine and pays Ukraine for the usage of its pipeline network. The arrangement has continued despite the start of Russia's war in Ukraine in February 2022, although Russian gas deliveries to Europe have plummeted since then. A European Union official on Friday declined to speculate on whether the Ukraine transit deal would be extended beyond the end of 2024, but said the bloc was assessing all scenarios to ensure its preparedness. But the Kremlin-controlled gas pipeline exporting monopoly Gazprom still continues shipping gas via Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Novak, Novak, Clelia Oziel Organizations: European Union, RIA, Gazprom Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Europe

The U.S. State Department reported it in December, without offering details, and said Russia rejected it. In Russia, espionage trials can last for more than a year. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Analysts have said that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared when Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

Persons: —, Evan Gershkovich, General Stuart Wilson, Gershkovich, “, Vladimir Putin, Paul Whelan, Putin, Biden, ” Putin, Nicholas Daniloff, Brittney Organizations: MOSCOW, Wall Street, United States, Ria Novosti, Russia’s Federal Security Service, U.S, Kremlin, U.S . State Department, Russian Foreign Ministry, U.S . News Locations: Moscow, Russian, American, Yekaterinburg, United States, Russia, Ukraine, U.S

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's science and higher education ministry has dismissed the head of a prestigious genetics institute who sparked controversy by contending that humans once lived for centuries and that the shorter lives of modern humans are due to their ancestors' sins, state news agency RIA-Novosti said Thursday. Although the report did not give a reason for the firing of Alexander Kudryavtsev, the influential Russian Orthodox Church called it religious discrimination. He also claimed that children “up to the seventh generation are responsible for the sins of their fathers,” according to the Russian news website Meduza. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“We have already gone through Soviet times, when genetics was long considered a pseudoscience,” Lukyanov said. The Soviet Union under Josef Stalin suppressed conventional genetics in favor of the theories of Trofim Lysenko, who contended that acquired characteristics could be inherited by offspring.

Persons: Alexander Kudryavtsev, Fyodor Lukyanov, “, ” Lukyanov, Josef Stalin, Trofim Lysenko Organizations: MOSCOW, Novosti, Russian Academy of Science's Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, RIA, Soviet Locations: Russian

☆ NATO's Largest Exercise Since Cold War Kicks Off
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy dock landing ship Gunston Hall left port on Wednesday to mark the first movement for the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, officials said. The drills will rehearse NATO's execution of its regional plans, the first defence plans the alliance has drawn up in decades, detailing how it would respond to a Russian attack. But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to NATO members' security. The exercise comes at an important moment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine started the deadliest war on European soil in more than 70 years. RUSSIAN RESPONSEThe scale of NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises mark an "irrevocable return" of the alliance to Cold War schemes, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the state RIA news agency in remarks published on Sunday.

Persons: Matthias Eichenlaub, Alexander Grushko, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Navy, Gunston Hall, NATO, Twitter Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Atlantic, Europe, Norfolk

☆ Ukraine war latest updates: Russia's punishing strikes on Ukraine leave dead and injured, cars ablaze and buildings destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DONETSK, UKRAINE - JANUARY 21: A view of the damage after the shelling in the market place in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, which is currently under Russian control, ongoing Russian and Ukrainian war on January 21, 2024. At least 25 people were killed and 20 others injured on Sunday due to shelling in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, which is currently under Russian control. (Photo by Leon Klein/Anadolu via Getty Images)The number of people killed or injured in a missile strike on a market in Donetsk city on Sunday has risen, a Russian-installed official said Monday. Pushilin blamed the attack on Ukraine, saying it had resorted to targeting civilians as a result of failures on the battlefield. Pushilin also claimed Ukraine had used cluster munitions in the strike, which the Kremlin described as a terrorist attack.

Persons: Leon Klein, Denis Pushilin, Pushilin, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Donetsk, RIA Novosti, Russian Locations: DONETSK, UKRAINE, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian, Donetsk People's Republic, Ukraine

☆ Russia is threatening to retaliate against the West in equal measure if it confiscates Moscow's frozen assets to help Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewRussian state RIA news agency reported on Sunday the country would retaliate against the West in equal measure if it confiscates Moscow's frozen assets to help Ukraine. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 29 that Russia has a list of foreign assets that it would seize in retaliation if the West were to move on Russia's frozen assets. It has called the notion of seizing Russian assets "outright theft." Meanwhile, there are international concerns about the legality of seizing the frozen Russian assets.

Persons: —, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, West, Business, European Union, RIA, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Australia, Switzerland, Russia

☆ Four survive charter jet crash in Afghanistan but condition of two others unclear, Russia says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Two Taliban provincial officials said four survivors were now with Taliban administration officials who had reached the remote, mountainous site of the crash. The Taliban administration’s top spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the pilot of the plane was among four who had survived. The Russian-registered charter plane with six people on board disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan a day earlier, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Sunday, after Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash. The pilot then reported that one engine had stopped, and then that the second one had also stopped, SHOT reported. Afghanistan police had received reports of a plane crash in a remote, mountainous region of Badakhshan in Afghanistan’s far north, a provincial police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Persons: Zabiullah Mujahid, ”, Rosaviatsia, “, Zabihullah Amiri Organizations: CNN, Taliban, Thailand’s Utapao, Dassault Aviation, Falcon, Reuters, Russia’s, Athletic Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, Islamic, Thailand’s, Pattaya, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russian, Indian, Thailand’s Pattaya, Bangkok, “, Russia, Badakhshan, Afghanistan’s, Fayzabad

☆ Russian businessman and wife believed to have been on private medical evacuation flight that crashed in Afghanistan, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Russian businessman and his wife are believed to have been on a private jet that crashed in Afghanistan during a medical evacuation, according to local reports. Russian civil aviation authorities confirmed that a Russian private jet had disappeared from radar, according to Russian news agency Tass was carrying businessman Anatoly Evsyukov, 65, and his wife Anna. Russian authorities said the Russian-registered Dassault Falcon 10 "stopped communicating and disappeared from radar screens," per the AP. Russian officials said the plane belongs to Athletic Group LLC and a private individual, according to the outlet.

Persons: —, Anatoly Evsyukov, Anna, Abdul Wahid Rayan Organizations: Service, Business, Associated Press, Transportation, Civil Aviation Ministry, Tass, Dassault Falcon, Culture Ministry, Athletic Group, AP Locations: Russian, Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Novosti, Pattaya, Thailand, Moscow, Gaya, India, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

☆ West Stands to Lose at Least $288 Billion in Assets if Russian Assets Seized -RIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia's state RIA news agency said on Sunday it had calculated that the West stood to lose assets and investments worth at least $288 billion if it confiscated frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine and Moscow then retaliated. After President Vladimir Putin sent forces into Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and finance ministry, blocking around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West. It said EU nations held $223.3 billion of the assets, of which $98.3 billion was formally held by Cyprus, $50.1 billion by the Netherlands and $17.3 billion by Germany. It said the top five European investors in the Russian economy also included France with assets and investments worth $16.6 billion and Italy with $12.9 billion. It said the United States had $9.6 billion worth of Russian assets at the end of 2022, Japan $4.6 billion and Canada $2.9 billion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, RIA, Andrew Osborn, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Seven, Kremlin, European Union, RIA Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, U.S, West ., Belgium, Russia, Europe, Australia, Switzerland, Russian, Cyprus, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, United States, Japan, Canada, Norway

☆ NATO's Steadfast Defender Exercises Mark Return to Cold War Schemes, Russia Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The scale of NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises mark an "irrevocable return" of the alliance to Cold War schemes, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the state RIA news agency in remarks published on Sunday. "These exercises are another element of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against Russia," Grushko told RIA. "An exercise of this scale ... marks the final and irrevocable return of NATO to the Cold War schemes, when the military planning process, resources and infrastructure are being prepared for confrontation with Russia." But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to NATO members' security. Moscow, and its chief diplomat Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have since often accused "the collective West" of conducting a "hybrid war" against Russia by backing Ukraine through financial and military aid.

Persons: Alexander Grushko, Grushko, Sergei Lavrov, Lidia Kelly, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reuters, NATO, West, Russia Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Melbourne

☆ Two Russian Nationals Were Passengers on Jet Which Went Missing Over Afghanistan - TASS
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Two Russian citizens were passengers on a charter flight bound for Moscow that disappeared over Afghanistan, Russia's state-run TASS news agency said on Sunday, citing a source "in the operational services". A manifest list for the plane which named everyone on board and which was published by the SHOT news outlet appeared to show that the crew were Russian nationals too. Russian aviation authorities said on Sunday a Russian-registered plane with six people thought to be on board had disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan the previous night, after local Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash. Russia's RIA news agency said the flight was a medical evacuation from Thailand to Moscow. Russian investigators said on Sunday they had opened a criminal investigation to determine whether there was any violation of safety rules.

Persons: Maxim Rodionov, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Reuters Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, Russian, Thailand

Search resuls for: "ria"

25 mentions found