DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Factbox: Key facts about the BRICS 2023 summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some key facts about the summit. It will be the first in-person BRICS summit since the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps the most important and controversial issue the leaders are expected to discuss is BRICS expansion by adding new members, including the admission criteria and guiding principles. But divisions among BRICS members over criteria for admitting new members may preclude any major announcements at the summit, as the bloc operates by consensus. Twenty three countries have formally applied to become new BRICS members, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Luiz Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Naledi Pandor, Wendell Roelf, Olivia Kumwenda, Alistair Bell Organizations: WHO, Indian, International, Russian, South African Foreign, United Nations, African Union Commission, New Development Bank, Business, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Johannesburg, Africa, Ukraine, Moscow, Latin America, Asia, Caribbean, South, United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about his plans for continued student debt relief after a U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking his plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt, at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 30, 2023. The rule is separate from Biden's more sweeping student debt relief plan. The Supreme Court in June blocked his administration from canceling $430 billion in student loan debt for 43 million borrowers. The Democratic president has since announced plans to provide relief for student loan borrowers using a different approach. CCST sued in February after the Education Department in October finalized a rule changing a "borrower defense to repayment" program that allows students to seek debt relief if their schools mislead them.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah Millis, Biden, Edith Jones, Kyle Duncan, Cory Wilson, CCST, The Biden, Nate Raymond, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Supreme, White, REUTERS, ITT Educational Services, Circuit, Colleges, Schools of Texas, Democratic, Republican, U.S . Department of Education, Education Department, Corinthian Colleges, ITT Technical Institute, The, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Orleans, Boston

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visit an exhibition of armed equipment on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 27, 2023. The fact North Korean hackers may have obtained information about the Zircon does not mean they would immediately have that same capability, said Markus Schiller, a Europe-based missile expert who has researched foreign aid to North Korea's missile programme. Last month, North Korea test-launched the Hwasong-18, the first of its ICBMs to use solid propellants. "North Korea announced that it was doing the same thing in late 2021. If NPO Mash had one useful thing for them, that would be top of my list," he added.

Persons: Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, ScarCruft, Lazarus, Tom Hegel, SentinelOne, Hegel, Obama, Nicholas Weaver, Matt Tait, Weaver, Vladimir Putin, Markus Schiller, Schiller, Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, James Pearson, Christopher Bing, Chris Sanders, Alistair Bell Organizations: Russia's, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, NPO Mashinostroyeniya, Pyongyang LONDON, Reuters, North Korean, United Nations, Soviet Union, NPO, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, Mash, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Korea, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, WASHINGTON, Russian, Reutov, Moscow, Russia, Washington, New York, North Korea, Soviet, United States, Crimea, Korean, Europe, London

☆ Berkshire posts record operating profit, rising rates boost Buffett's returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The earnings impact of higher interest rates on investment income is offsetting the economic softness caused by those same rates," he added. Investors closely watch Berkshire because of Buffett's reputation, and because results from the Omaha, Nebraska-based company's operating units often mirror broader economic trends. NOT LOVING VALUATIONSQuarterly operating profit rose 7% to $10.04 billion, or about $6,938 per Class A share, from $9.42 billion a year earlier. Berkshire repurchased $1.4 billion of stock in the quarter, down from $4.4 billion from January to March. Overall profit from Berkshire Hathaway Energy, where Berkshire has a 92% stake, was little changed at $785 million.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Rick Wilking, Berkshire Hathaway, Jim Shanahan, Edward Jones, Buffett, Cathy Seifert, Seifert, PacifiCorp, Jonathan Stempel, Ira Iosebashvili, Angus MacSwan, Jan Harvey, Alistair Bell, Diane Craft Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Omaha , Nebraska U.S, REUTERS, Berkshire, Berkshire's Clayton Homes, Profit, BNSF, Forbes, Berkshire repurchased, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Occidental Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, Berkshire, Alleghany, Oregon, An Oregon, Occidental, New York

☆ Canada guarantees up to $2.2 billion in fresh loans to Trans Mountain expansion project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Kinder Morgan Inc FollowAug 5 (Reuters) - A Canadian government agency has guaranteed fresh commercial loans of up to C$3 billion ($2.2 billion) to the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project that has suffered repeated cost overruns. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government bought the Trans Mountain pipeline in 2018 from Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI.N) to ensure the expansion project got built and provided a C$10 billion loan guarantee to TMC. It is meant to unlock Asian markets for Canadian oil, which is mostly exported to the United States now. TMC had received a up to C$3 billion loan guarantee between late March and early May this year and had received a C$10 billion loan guarantee in 2022 from the federal government. Canada's finance ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the fresh loan guarantee.

Persons: Justin Trudeau's, Chrystia Freeland, Anirudh, Alistair Bell Organizations: Kinder Morgan, Canadian, Export Development Canada, Justin Trudeau's Liberal, Kinder Morgan Inc, TMC, Finance, Liberal, Thomson Locations: United States, Burnaby , British Columbia, Bengaluru

☆ Berkshire posts record operating profit, $35.9 billion of net income
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Quarterly operating profit topped $10 billion for the first time but grew just 7%, in part from recent purchases of the Alleghany insurer and Pilot truck stop operator. Second-quarter operating profit rose to $10.04 billion, or about $6,938 per Class A share, from $9.42 billion a year earlier. Net income totaled $35.91 billion, or $24,775 per Class A share, compared with a year-earlier $43.62 billion loss. Pilot added $114 million to operating profit. Overall profit from Berkshire Hathaway Energy, in which Berkshire has a 92% stake, was little changed at $785 million.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Rick Wilking, Berkshire Hathaway, Cathy Seifert, Seifert, Buffett, PacifiCorp, Jonathan Stempel, Angus MacSwan, Jan Harvey, Alistair Bell Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Omaha , Nebraska U.S, REUTERS, Berkshire, Clayton Homes, BNSF, Berkshire repurchased, Apple, Occidental Petroleum, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Forbes, Thomson Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, Berkshire, Alleghany, Occidental, An Oregon, New York

☆ Canada govt body guarantees up to $2.2 bln fresh loan to Trans Mountain expansion project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is meant to unlock Asian markets for Canadian oil, which is mostly exported to the United States now. Critics have also slammed the ownership of a pipeline project by the Liberal government, which they argue runs counter to Trudeau's ambitious climate goals. TMC had received a up to C$3 billion loan guarantee between late March and early May this year and had received a C$10 billion loan guarantee in 2022 from the federal government. Canada's finance ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the fresh loan guarantee. In June, a finance ministry spokesperson said the loan guarantee was "common practice" and did not reflect any new public spending.

☆ Teen charged with hate crime in death of dancer in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 5 (Reuters) - A 17-year-old male has been charged with murder as a hate crime in the stabbing death in New York City of a man who was dancing at a gas station when confronted by a group hurling anti-gay and anti-Black slurs, a police official said on Saturday. Kenny said the suspect, who was not named, is a Brooklyn resident who surrendered to police on Friday. He was charged with murder as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon, Kenny said. The suspect is the only person that has been charged in the case, Kenny said. Beyonce wrote "Rest in Power O'Shae Sibley" on her website and Lee on Instagram said: "Deadly Hate Crime Here in Brooklyn.

Persons: O'Shae Sibley, Beyonce, Spike Lee, Sibley, Joe Kenny, Kenny, Power O'Shae Sibley, Lee, Instagram, Eric Beech, Alistair Bell Organizations: New York Police, Thomson Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, Power, Washington

Fitch told the U.S. Treasury about its ultimate decision about 24 hours ahead of the announcement. Fitch's recent talks with the Treasury did not include the actual downgrade decision, Francis said, because it had not yet been made by the agency's ratings committee. On Monday, Fitch's credit committee met, made a decision, and Treasury officials received the Fitch press release of the downgrade. "The timing of the committee was pure coincidence," Francis told Reuters on Friday, noting the date was set weeks ago. Debt ceiling votes have been "acrimonious for decades," one U.S. official complained, referring to a long history of standoffs.

Persons: Dylan Martinez WASHINGTON, Biden, Donald Trump, Harvard's Larry Summers, Jamie Dimon, Fitch, Joe Biden, Richard Francis, Fitch's, Francis, Mark Sobel, Sobel, Alexander Hamilton, David Lawder, Davide Barbuscia, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Fitch, REUTERS, White House, Reuters, U.S . Treasury, Republicans, Congress, U.S, AAA, Treasury, Social Security, Capitol, Trump, longtime Treasury, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, U.S

☆ Prosecutor, defense request house arrest for son of Colombian president
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Defendant and son of Colombian president Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro attends a hearing in Bogota, Colombia August 3, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. Colombian Prosecutor's Office/Handout via REUTERSBOGOTA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Both the prosecution and the defense in a money laundering and illicit enrichment case against Nicolas Petro, the eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on Friday requested house arrest for the younger Petro. Petro, 37, was arrested last weekend in the city of Barranquilla alongside his ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, who is being held on similar charges. Both prosecutor Burgos and Petro's defense attorney David Teleki supported a house arrest measure in a morning hearing, with Teleki citing the impeding birth of Petro's child with his current partner. According to the charges, Nicolas Petro received money from accused drug traffickers in exchange for including them in the president's peace plans.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro, Petro, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, Mario Burgos, Burgos, David Teleki, pained, Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb, Alistair Bell Organizations: Colombian Prosecutor's, REUTERS, Teleki, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, REUTERS BOGOTA, Barranquilla, Atlantico province

☆ Adidas turnaround gathers pace as Yeezy boosts margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Adidas has to manage Yeezy drops very carefully, Gulden said, adding that the company's guidance was conservative. Adidas' 2023 outlook does not include the second Yeezy release, which is being sold through retailers as well as Adidas' own channels. JD Sports (JD.L) said it had started selling Yeezy shoes from the second drop on Wednesday. Citi analysts expect further Yeezy drops to generate 1.5 billion euros ($1.64 billion) in revenues and 700 million euros in earnings after Adidas' planned charity donations. Adidas donated 10 million euros in the second quarter and set aside 100 million euros for further donations to charities including the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and the Anti-Defamation League.

Persons: Bjorn Gulden's, Ye, Gulden, Harm Ohlmeyer, Kanye West, Shannon Stapleton, Zuzanna Pusz, Pusz, Liu Qingyi, Shuting Qiu, Helen Reid, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey, Alistair Bell Organizations: FX, Adidas, JD, Citi, Foundation, Combat, Defamation League, ADIDAS, REUTERS, UBS, North, Thomson Locations: Garden City , New York, U.S, Greater China, China, Shanghai, North America

[1/3] Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., July 28, 2023. China is mentioned daily at campaign stops, in digital ads and in policy speeches by the various Republican candidates. Some 50% of Americans identify China as the greatest threat to the United States, according to a Pew Research poll released in late July. On the stump, they have said the United States must stand by Ukraine. If the United States does not confront Russia, they say, China will feel emboldened.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Scott Morgan, Democratic Biden, DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Tim Scott, Trump, Terry Sullivan, Marco Rubio's, Joe Biden, Pew, Haley, Scott, Jamieson Greer, King, Wendy Cutler, Mike Pence, Gram Slattery, David Lawder, Michael Martina, Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell Organizations: Florida Governor, Republican, Republican Party of Iowa's, REUTERS, Democratic, East, Newsweek, Justice Department, Pew Research, Trade, Spalding, U.S . Trade Representative, Trump, Heritage Foundation, Russia, China, American Enterprise Institute, Thomson Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, U.S, ROCHESTER , New Hampshire, China, United States, America, Communist China, Russia, Iran, Beijing, Washington, Ukraine

☆ Brazil police violence reignites after deadly Rio, Sao Paulo raids
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Police in Rio de Janeiro killed at least nine people in a raid on Wednesday, in the latest example of deadly violence by Brazil's security officials after 16 people died at the hands of Sao Paulo state police earlier this week. Police in Rio said they were attacked by armed assailants during Wednesday's operation in the Penha neighborhood. Lopsided death tolls have become a common occurrence in Rio raids, leading critics to allege excessive force or even summary executions by the police. REUTERS/Pilar OlivaresSao Paulo, Brazil's wealthiest and most populous state, has been less blighted by police violence than neighboring Rio. Among those killed in the Rio operation were "Fiel" and "Du Leme," two alleged gang leaders in the impoverished Juramento and Chatuba neighborhoods, police said.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Pilar Olivares Sao, Santos, Tarcisio de Freitas, Freitas, Du Leme, Marco Andrade, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Eduardo Simoes, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang, Alistair Bell Organizations: RIO DE, Police, REUTERS, Paulo, Thomson Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rio, Penha, Guaruja

REUTERS/Souleymane Ag Anara/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The United States ordered the evacuation of some staff and families from its embassy in Niger after military officers seized power there, the State Department said on Wednesday, even as the mission will remain open and senior leadership will continue working from there. "The United States remains committed to our relationship with the people of Niger and to Nigerien democracy. The State Department is advising Americans not to travel to Niger. There are about 1,100 U.S. troops in Niger, where the U.S. military operates from two bases. Washington evacuated all government personnel from the U.S. embassy in Khartoum and suspended operations there due to the security risks.

Persons: Matthew Miller, Miller, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis, Eric Beech, Lisa Shumaker, Alistair Bell, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, United, State Department, Department of State, U.S, Embassy, Department, The State Department, Islamic, ., Rapid Support Forces, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, United States, Nigerien, U.S, France, Germany, Italy, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Sudan, . Washington, Khartoum

☆ Harris rejects invite to debate slavery with Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday rejected an invitation from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to discuss the state's new Black history curriculum and said she will not be debating the topic of slavery with him. DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on Monday invited Harris to Florida to discuss the state's new Black history curriculum after the vice president criticized it for backing guidelines that taught "revisionist history" about slavery in the United States. On Tuesday, Harris said, "I will tell you, there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: There were no redeeming qualities of slavery." Harris flew to Orlando to deliver remarks at an African Methodist Episcopal Church event. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Reverend Wheeler Parker, Jr, Emmett Till, Mamie Till, Elizabeth Frantz, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Harris, Biden, Nandita Bose, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, White, REUTERS, Florida Governor, Monday, African Methodist Episcopal, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Illinois, Mississippi, Washington , U.S, Florida, United States, Orlando, Iowa, Chicago, Washington

"It seems like they do a lot to try to make it seem like they are the party for young Black men or Black men as a whole, but they don't back it with anything. The vast majority of Black voters, including men, are still expected to choose Biden over a Republican. Black men and women under the age of 50 voted Republican in similar numbers, the poll showed. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted July 11-17 found 18% of Black Americans would pick Trump over Biden in a hypothetical matchup, compared to 46% who favored Biden, including about one in four Black men, compared to about one in seven Black women. Compared with Black women, Black men were more likely to say they would back a presidential candidate that supported abortion restrictions and increased police funding to fight crime.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, lurch, Mekonnen, Biden's, I'm, LeLann Evans, Evans, Michael McDonald, Republican Donald Trump's, Trump, Terrance Woodbury, Woodbury, Julian Silas, Silas, Kamala Harris, Jaime Harrison, Harris, Tracy King, Andre Russell, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Jason Lange, Eric Cox, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Army, White House, Democratic Party, Democratic, White, Reuters, U.S, Republican, Black, Biden, Nashville City Council, Democrats, Pew Research, University of Florida, Republicans, HIT, Edison Research, Federal Reserve, Democratic National Committee, Culture, NAACP, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Black, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Atlanta , Milwaukee, Detroit, Pennsylvania , Michigan, Washington, Chicago, U.S, New Orleans

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi poses as he meets Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (not seen) in Ankara, Turkey, July 26, 2023. Stringer/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The United States has formally invited China's newly reappointed foreign minister, Wang Yi, to Washington, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, after Wang's predecessor was abruptly removed from his post by Beijing. "In the meeting yesterday, we extended the invitation that had previously been made to foreign minister Qin Gang and made clear that invitation did transfer over," Miller said. The U.S. State Department said then they held "candid, substantive, and constructive" talks, and Blinken invited Qin to Washington to continue discussions. Wang, 69, served as foreign minister from 2013-2022 as ties frayed with the United States to a point Beijing described as an all-time low.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hakan Fidan, Stringer, China's, Wang, Qin Gang, Qin, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Yang Tao, Matthew Miller, Miller, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Sandra Maler, Alistair Bell Organizations: Turkish, United, U.S . State Department, State Department, U.S, East, Pacific Affairs, North, Oceania Affairs, China's Foreign Ministry, State, Washington, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, United States, Washington, Beijing, China, East Asia, North American, U.S, Jakarta, Qin's

☆ Vice President Harris rejects DeSantis invite to debate slavery curriculum
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vice-President Kamala Harris participates in a political event with reproductive rights groups at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday rejected an invitation from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to discuss the state's new Black history curriculum and said she will not be debating the topic of slavery with him. DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on Monday invited Harris to Florida to discuss the state's new Black history curriculum after the vice president criticized it for backing guidelines that she said taught "revisionist history" about slavery in the United States. On Tuesday, Harris, made a previously-scheduled speech in the state, telling the audience, "Well, I'm here in Florida. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Harris, Biden, Nandita Bose, Alistair Bell, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Mayflower, REUTERS, Florida Governor, Monday, African Methodist Episcopal, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Florida, United States, Orlando, Iowa, Chicago, Washington

Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.3% on a quarterly basis between April and June and was up 0.6% year-on-year, national statistics bureau ISTAT said. ISTAT gave no numerical sector breakdown of its preliminary second-quarter GDP estimate, but said industry and agriculture output decreased whereas services grew marginally. The 0.3% contraction left Italy with so-called "carryover" growth of 0.8% this year, assuming GDP would be flat in the remaining two quarters. "Italy is an advanced industrial country and the weakness in industry is much more important than the tourism sector for the economy's health," said Lorenzo Codogno, head of LC Macro Advisors and former chief economist at Italy's Treasury. ISTAT also said annual inflation slowed to 6.4% in July from 6.7% in June, on a EU-harmonised consumer prices.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Franziska Palmas, Intesa, Lorenzo Codogno, Alvise Armellini, Elvira Pollina, Sharon Singleton, Alistair Bell Organizations: Gross, Reuters, Capital Economics, ISTAT, LC Macro Advisors, Italy's Treasury, Thomson Locations: ROME, Italy, Rome, Milan

☆ Putin says Russia does not reject talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sergei Bobylyov/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERSJuly 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented," he said. Putin said that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. On the question of starting peace talks, he said, "We did not reject them...

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylyov, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Alistair Bell Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Moscow

☆ Musk's X social media platform reinstates Kanye West's account
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 29 (Reuters) - Social media platform X reinstated account of Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, on Saturday, after it was suspended nearly eight months ago because the rapper had violated the platform's rules prohibiting incitement to violence. Ye's account now shows his last post from Dec. 1, a day prior to when his account was suspended on platform X, the new name owner Elon Musk has given Twitter. Ye won't be eligible to monetize his account on X, and advertisements won't appear next to his posts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing the social media platform. The social media platform did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. After Ye went on a string of antisemitic rants in interviews and on social media he lost his partnership with Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Gap (GPS.N) for Yeezy products.

Persons: Ye, Elon Musk, David . X, Musk, Donald Trump's, Trump, Baranjot Kaur, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wall Street, Reuters, Twitter, Adidas, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Russian missile kills 2 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine, July 29 (Reuters) - A Russian missile attack killed two people and blew out apartment windows in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of the city council, said. "An enemy missile hit an open area," Kurtiev said on Telegram. Men in uniforms examined pieces of shrapnel and stood beside a crater in the earth several meters wide. Kurtiev said the blast wave broke windows in 13 high-rise buildings and an educational institution. Reporting by Vladyslav Smilianets in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anatoliy Kurtiev, Kurtiev, gesticulating, Vladyslav Smilianets, Alistair Bell Organizations: Thomson Locations: ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Energy minister says he is confident Ukraine will keep lights on this winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine's energy minister, reflecting on Saturday on what he has portrayed as the largest repairs campaign to a power system in modern history, expressed confidence the country could meet its generation needs during the cold months. He said he could not give details now but that the country was adding power in ways it had never done before. Missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure following Russia's full-scale invasion last year caused sweeping blackouts and water outages for millions of Ukrainians during the winter. Galushchenko said that while the scale of any new Russian attacks were hard to predict, Ukraine would be able to carry out repairs. Reporting by Nick Starkov in Kyiv and Elaine Monaghan in Washington; Writing by Elaine Monaghan; Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Galushchenko, Nick Starkov, Elaine Monaghan, Alistair Bell Organizations: Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Kamala Harris embraces new attack role, draws fresh Republican fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The high-profile speeches are part of an expanded role for U.S. President Joe Biden's much-scrutinized governing partner ahead of the election, senior Democrats say. Biden credits Black voters for his 2020 victory, with exit polls showing he carried 87% of the vote. Senator Tim Scott, the most high-profile Black candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential race, of accepting Harris's "lie" about Florida's new slavery curriculum requirements. His campaign accused another Black Republican who criticized the changes, which include teaching that slavery had possible benefits to the enslaved, of being a Harris supporter. Voters wary of the president's advanced age of 80 are expected to take a much harder look at the vice president.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Harris, Joe Biden's, reacquaint Harris, burnish, Biden, Al Sharpton, it's, DeSantis, Tim Scott, Kamala Harris that's, Joe Biden, Nikki Hailey, Roe, Wade, ”, Bruce Thompson, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: BOSTON, Florida Governor, Republicans, Black, National Action Network, Reuters, NBC, Republican, Black Republican, Biden, Fox News, mojo, Democratic National Committee, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Chicago, Boston, United States, –, North Carolina

☆ Morocco wants normal ties with Algeria, king says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RABAT, July 29 (Reuters) - King Mohammed VI said on Saturday Morocco hopes for a return to normality and open borders with Algeria amid severed diplomatic ties. Algeria unilaterally cut ties with Morocco in 2021 and halted the flow of a gas pipeline to Spain via Morocco. The Western Sahara dispute has been at the heart of worsening ties between the two countries. Morocco considers the territory its own, but the Algerian-backed Polisario front wants to establish an independent state there. "I should like to tell the leaders and people of our sister nation, Algeria, that no evil will ever be done to them, nor will any harm ever come to them from Morocco," king Mohammed said.

Persons: King Mohammed VI, Mohammed said, Abdelmedjid Tebboune, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Alistair Bell Organizations: Morocco, Moroccan, Polisario, Thomson Locations: RABAT, Algeria, Maghreb, Morocco, Spain, Algerian, Western Sahara, Rabat, Tel Aviv

Search resuls for: "Alistair Bell"

25 mentions found