DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Al Qaeda's new leader Adel has $10 million bounty on his head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Michael Georgy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Zawahiri's death piled pressure on the group to choose a strategic leader who can carefully plan deadly operations and run a jihadi network, experts on al Qaeda say. The department’s Rewards for Justice programme is offering up to $10 million for information on Adel, whom it says is a member of "al Qaeda’s leadership council” and heads the organisation’s military committee. He and other Al Qaeda leaders were placed under house arrest in April 2003 by Iran, which released him and four others in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped in Yemen. OPERATIVE TO LEADERAdel, one of the few remaining al Qaeda old guard, has been close to the central command for decades, experts say. Adel gained more jihadi credentials after he joined other Arab militants fighting Soviet occupation troops in Afghanistan, where he eventually headed a training camp before becoming a senior figure in al Qaeda.

☆ Italy's Meloni expected to sign major gas deal as she starts Libya visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the head of Libya's Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah attend a joint news conference in Tripoli, Libya. TRIPOLI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Tripoli on Saturday where she is expected to agree a major gas deal aimed at boosting energy supplies to Europe despite the insecurity and political chaos in the North African country. Meloni is meeting Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of Libya's three-man Presidency Council, and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Insecurity and lawlessness has made Libya a major, but dangerous, route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, often via the Italian island of Lampedusa. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees much of the migration issue for Rome, flew to Libya with Meloni.

☆ Italy's Eni signs $8 billion Libya gas deal as PM Meloni visits Tripoli
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deal, signed during a visit to Tripoli by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, aims to increase gas output for the Libyan domestic market as well as exports, through the development of two offshore gas fields. Output will begin in 2026 and reach a plateau of 750 million cubic feet per day, Eni said in a statement. "This agreement will enable important investments in Libya's energy sector, contributing to local development and job creation while strengthening Eni's role as a leading operator in the country," said its chief executive, Claudio Descalzi. Meloni met Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli for talks that also focused on migration across the Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees the migration issue for Rome, accompanied Meloni to Libya, as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

☆ Bank of America announced a new class of managing directors — here are all 87 names in corporate and investment banking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bank of America has announced a new class of 360 managing directors. Insider has the list of the 87 new MDs for the firm's Global Corporate and Investment Bank. It's managing director promotion day at Bank of America. On Thursday, the class of 360 managing directors across the firm were announced internally, up 15% from the 314 promoted in 2022.Insider has the list of the 87 employees who were promoted in the firm's Global Corporate and Investment Bank — the division responsible for dealmaking. That's down 17% from 105 new MDs last year in the division, likely a reflection of a difficult year in investment banking across Wall Street that saw revenues drop in excess of 50%.

☆ King Abdullah meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in surprise Jordan visit, royal court says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMMAN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, who the royal court said underlined the need for Israel to respect the status quo of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which Jews revere as the Temple Mount, under heavy security this month. It is hopeful that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will pressure Israel to preserve the status quo in the Al-Aqsa mosque, whose upkeep is paid for by Jordan. Officials told Reuters that King Abdullah is expected to visit Washington at the end of January. Blinken underscored the importance of preserving the historic status quo at the site, according to a statement by the State Department.

☆ King Abdullah meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in surprise Jordan visit -royal court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ CIA chief makes rare visit to Libya
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TRIPOLI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns made a rare trip to Libya on Thursday, meeting Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah in Tripoli, the Libyan government said. Dbeibah's Government of National Unity announced the visit on its Facebook page, posting a picture of Burns and Dbeibah together. Two sources close to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, who is based in Benghazi, said Burns had also met with him. The United States has previously said it is worried about the role played by Russia in Libya's conflict, and fears continued instability in the OPEC member could impact global energy supply and give space to Islamist militant groups. The detention of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi and his transfer to the United States prompted anger inside Libya, which has no extradition treaty with Washington, and led to recriminations from Dbeibah's political foes.

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The succession of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. raid last year, remains unclear, a U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday. "The question for Al Qaeda, that it has not answered for itself, is who follows (Zawahiri)," Christine Abizaid, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, said in an event organized by the Washington Institute when asked about Al Qaeda's "center of gravity" after Zawahiri's death. Al Qaeda has not named a successor. Saif al-Adel, a mysterious, low-key former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of Al Qaeda, is seen by experts as the top contender. The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Joe Biden's biggest successes and failures in his second year in office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

His second year in office was marked by historic legislative achievements despite Democrats' razor-thin majority in Congress. Here are some of the highs and lows from Biden's second year:Success: UkrainePresident Joe Biden talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the White House. Conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens in September called the "staggering gains" by Ukrainian forces "a victory for Joe Biden, too." Universal pre-K was included in a sweeping spending plan passed by House Democrats until their Senate colleagues cut that out too. Failure: InflationPresident Joe Biden arrives for an event focused on inflation and the supply chain at the Port of Los Angeles in June.

Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison Wednesday, more than what was meted out to a co-defendant. “I do think of Mr. Croft as the more seriously culpable … more so than even Mr. Fox," Jonker said. “I think he was the person who gave Mr. Fox something to grab on to." Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said Croft needs to go away for an extended period of time to protect the public. I say all of this to say that Mr. Croft needed some intervention."

☆ Al Qaeda releases video it claims is narrated by leader al-Zawahiri who was believed dead -SITE
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda has released a 35-minute recording the group claims was narrated by its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. raid in August 2022, SITE intelligence group said on Friday. The recording was undated and the transcript did not clearly point towards a time frame for when it could have been made. Al Qaeda has not named a successor. But Saif al-Adel, a mysterious, low-key former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of Al Qaeda, is seen by experts as the top contender. Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Nadine Awadalla, Chris Reese, Michael Georgy and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ USMNT’s youth and talent at Qatar 2022 bodes well for 2026 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

The Netherlands knocked the USMNT out of the Qatar World Cup on Saturday. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Qatar is the first Islamic country to host a World Cup.

☆ England vs. Senegal: Euro 2020 finalist faces African champion for place in World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Sunday’s round of 16 fixtures feature the 2018 World Cup winner, the current African champion and one of the Euro 2020 finalists. Euro 2020 finalist England comes in as heavy favorites having reached the World Cup semifinals in 2018. England has faced African opposition 20 times, including seven World Cup matches, and has yet to lose. Although African nations have lost eight of their nine World Cup knockout round games against European sides, the lone exception was one which featured Senegal’s current manager, Aliou Cisse. “They’ve had to defend a lot in the group stage and they defended very well.

☆ Energy crisis highlights need to broaden renewables' supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Enel CEO Francesco Starace speaks during the Reuters NEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The global energy crisis sparked by war in Ukraine has underscored how parts of the renewables supply chain might face similar struggles if not quickly diversified, energy executives told the Reuters NEXT conference this week. "Out of this crisis, you learn that there are many other things that might follow this same pattern," said Francesco Starace, CEO of Italy's Enel (ENEI.MI), speaking at the conference on Thursday in New York. Starace noted how solar panels are produced overwhelmingly in China, saying that, and the manufacture of other energy components critical to transitioning from fossil fuels, are potential problem areas. South Africa, the most industrialized country in Africa, will need to add more than 50,000 megawatts (MW) of new power generation capacity to help meet demand and stabilize its grid, Brian Dames, chief executive officer of African Rainbow Energy & Power, said at a Reuters NEXT panel on Wednesday.

☆ Day before FIFA World Cup, Qatar faces overcrowding troubles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

He and his friends had got a rare day off from Hamad Port to walk 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the fan zone before being turned away. “There’s nothing we can do.”Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, said in a statement to The Associated Press it was “absolutely delighted” with the opening of the Fan Zone. People dance at the Souq Waqif marketplace ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022. Just after 8 p.m., however, crowds thronged the Fan Zone, hoping to attend a concert featuring Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and Colombian singer Maluma. But as hundreds squeezed inside a holding pen, thousands more waited outside the venue.

☆ Jordan seeks more coordination with Russia to bring stability to southern Syria
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMMAN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Jordan and Russia have agreed to step up coordination in tackling instability in southern Syria, which Amman blames on Iran-linked militias and multi-billion dollar drug smuggling across its border, Jordan's foreign minister said on Thursday. Ayman al Safadi was speaking after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that centered on south Syria to "neutralise the potential dangers of instability" in the area. The danger of drug smuggling to Jordan and across its territory by hostile militias," Safadi told a news conference. The growing influence of Iranian-backed militias including Lebanon's Hezbollah group in southern Syria in recent years has already alarmed both Jordan and Israel. "With the continued situation in the south (Syria), the kingdom will do what is needed to preserve its national security," Safadi said.

☆ CIA reveals model used to plan strike against Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The CIA on Saturday unveiled the model of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s safe house in Kabul used to plan the U.S. drone strike that killed the Al-Qaeda leader last month. The scale model of Zawahiri’s house was shown to reporters as part of a tour of a newly refurbished museum at the agency's headquarters. “This was the model that was used to brief President Biden on the Zawahiri mission,” said Janelle Neises, deputy director of the CIA museum. Zawahiri was struck by a Hellfire missile as he stood on the balcony of the house, U.S. officials say. “He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats and American interests,” Biden said.

☆ CIA Unveils Model of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Safe House in Revamped Museum
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Warren P. Strobel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LANGLEY, Va.—The CIA’s newly refurbished museum tells the story of some daring spy schemes that were successful, others that worked only partially or for a while, and some flat-out failures. Its newest exhibit is from the first category. The model of the Kabul safe house where the CIA located al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and killed him on July 31 in a drone strike remained a secret until a few days ago, when it was declassified and took its place alongside spy cameras, expendable one-shot pistols and hundreds of other artifacts in the museum at the Central Intelligence Agency’s suburban Virginia headquarters.

☆ U.S. CIA's in-house museum adds new spy exhibits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LANGLEY, Va., Sept 24 (Reuters) - They like to call it 'the greatest museum you'll never see.' Tucked away in the corridors of its Langley, Virginia, headquarters, the revamped Central Intelligence Agency museum – while still closed to the public – is revealing some newly declassified artifacts from the spy agency's most storied operations since its founding 75 years ago. The hundreds of museum items, some of which have been on display since the 1980s, are all declassified. Neises said the agency does from time to time loan some to presidential libraries and other non-profit museums. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Michael Martina Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Langley Files': CIA launches podcast to ‘demystify’ its spy work
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The CIA launched its own podcast Thursday, saying it wanted to step out from the shadows to “demystify” its spy work and to help Americans understand the intelligence agency’s role. During Burns’ tenure, the CIA and other intelligence agencies have broken with past practice and declassified intelligence about Russia’s war effort in Ukraine as part of an information war with the Kremlin. Burns also said the agency had placed a priority on China and set up a new center focused on the country. The CIA was trying to devote more resources to that effort and was recruiting more Mandarin speakers, he said. “It’s a tally of the lives of stranded American citizens and Afghan partners, partners who had fought and bled with us over two decades in Afghanistan.

☆ Western nations concerned by presence of extremist groups in Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTaliban fighters celebrate the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul on a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Ali KharaWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Some western countries expressed grave concern about the presence and operations of extremist groups in Afghanistan and said the Taliban were not meeting their counter-terrorism commitments. Special envoys and representatives for Afghanistan of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States met last week and released a joint communiqué on Thursday in which they said the presence of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was recently killed in a U.S. strike, showed the Taliban was not keeping its commitment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Costas Pitas, writing by Kanishka Singh; editing by Chris GallagherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Navy veteran Mark Frerichs is free after two and a half years of captivity in Afghanistan under a prisoner swap personally approved by President Joe Biden, a senior administration official told NBC News. The Taliban announced the deal overnight and Noorzai appeared at a news conference in Kabul. “This is a painful decision for any president to make,” the administration official said. In recent years, it has become clear that the Taliban wanted Noorzai’s freedom as a condition of releasing the American. “We are working very hard as a government not just to resolve current cases, but also to punish, and by punishing, deter future cases,” the senior administration official said.

☆ Blinken to host 'Blue Pacific' event amid competition with China
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Campbell said circumstances for the Pacific islands countries were "much more dire" than in the past. We're going to seek to do that as we go forward, building on the existing institutions and engagements of the Pacific." The Blue Pacific event, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, will come ahead of a Sept. 28-29 summit U.S. President Joe Biden plans to host with Pacific island leaders, which Campbell said reflected "a desire to demonstrate clearly our larger commitment to the Pacific going forward." U.S.-China competition for influence in the Pacific islands has intensified this year after China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands, prompting warnings of a militarization of the region. read morePacific island leaders said this month Washington should accept their priorities, making climate change - not superpower competition - the most urgent security task.

☆ O nouă serie de atacuri aeriene puternice asupra Gaza City: Circa 200 de oameni au fost ucişi de la începutul ostilităţilor
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-17 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +4 min

Armata israeliană a spus că a atacat casele a nouă comandanţi Hamas din Gaza. Nu au fost deocamdată raportate victime şi nici nu a fost făcută o evaluare a pagubelor create luni. Ministerul Sănătăţii din Gaza a spus că 16 femei şi 10 copii s-au numărat prin cei ucişi duminică, iar 50 de oameni au fost răniţi. Purtătorul de cuvânt al armatei israeliene a declarat că ţinta atacurilor a reprezentat-o „infrastructura militară subterană” a Hamas. În urma loviturii, unitatea subterană a fost distrusă, făcând ca fundaţiile caselor de deasupra să cadă, ducând la victime neintenţionate, a explicat el.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Ostilităţile, ., Abu, -, Mohammed Abu Selmia, Sally Buzbee, Hamas, Wennesland Organizations: Hamas, AP, Armata, Apărării, The Associated Press, ONU, Securitate, Norvegiei Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israelului, Ierusalim, Orientul Mijlociu, Tunisiei, SUA

Search resuls for: "Ayman"

25 mentions found