DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

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

☆ How Jimmy Carter helped to practically wipe the horrific Guinea worm parasite off the face of the earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former US President Jimmy Carter played a major role in nearly wiping out the Guinea worm disease. Since 1986, the Carter Center has led the global campaign to annihilate Guinea worm disease. Since 1986, The Carter Center, a non-profit organization founded by Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, has led the international campaign to annihilate Guinea worm disease in people. While Guinea worm infections have nearly been eradicated in humans, animals are still getting infected. Guinea worm disease is on track to become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated.

☆ Portugal's Galp posts record profit in 2022 on soaring oil prices, wider refining margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Galp Energia SGPS SA FollowLISBON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Portuguese oil and gas company Galp Energia (GALP.LS) on Monday reported a record adjusted net profit for 2022, due to soaring oil prices and wider refining margins in the fourth quarter. Galp said its adjusted profit almost doubled to 881 million euros ($940.03 million), surpassing the previous record of 707 million euros set in 2018. Its fourth-quarter bottom line more than doubled to 273 million euros, compared with 130 million euros a year earlier. The average forecast of 20 analysts polled by the company was 225 million euros. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 48% to 951 million euros in the fourth quarter, in line with the average forecast.

☆ Why Processing Sweden’s Rare-Earth Haul Won’t Be Easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The find is adjacent to the company’s Kiruna iron-ore mine, an operation that would eventually be expanded to extract the rare earths plus phosphorus, a critical mineral for fertilizers. The company said it would take 10 to 15 years to start recovering the rare earths. LKAB facilities in Kiruna, Sweden. Also, LKAB reported that its find has a total rare-earth oxide level of 0.18%, a low level of concentration. U.K.-based Pensana PLC aims to mine rare-earth concentrates in Angola, before separating and processing them in the north of England.

If China's physical demand does accelerate from March, it may prove Aramco made the correct call in raising its OSP. Saudi crude is sold under long-term contracts that typically allow for variations in the volumes sought by refiners, or offered by Aramco. It's likely that Chinese refiners will first turn to Russian crude if they are boosting imports, as will refiners in India, Asia's second-biggest oil importer. This is set to be surpassed this month, with Kpler tracking seaborne arrivals of Russian fuel oil in China at 6.75 million barrels. It appears that China is already buying more Russian crude and fuel oil.

☆ Pope Francis says he wants to go to Mongolia in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he expected to continue travelling despite his knee ailment, joking that "weeds never die" and adding that he hoped to go to Mongolia in September. The trip would be the first ever by a pope to the Asian country. Speaking of his health, Francis, who became pope nearly 10 years ago, said "You know that weeds never die. Last August Francis named Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, an Italian, the first cardinal to be based in Mongolia, where he is the Catholic Church's administrator. Francis, who was on his way home from his 40th foreign trip as pope, also said he would probably go to India next year.

☆ Russia, South Africa and a 'redesigned global order': The Kremlin's hearts and minds machine is steaming ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pretoria as part of an African tour, his second since the invasion, which will also reportedly take him to Botswana, Angola and Eswatini. On Feb. 24 2022, shortly after the Ukraine invasion, South Africa urged Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine. South Africa was one of 15 African nations to abstain from the subsequent U.N. vote in March to condemn Russia's war of aggression. watch nowShe emphasized the multilateral responsibilities of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of leading emerging economies in a changing global landscape. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that "the United States has concerns about any country … exercising with Russia as Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

[1/4] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana attend bilateral talks, at the treasury offices in Pretoria, South Africa, January 26, 2023. Nevertheless Lavrov made a stopover after visiting South Africa, which his counterpart Thulisile Dladla described as a "profound honour." Eswatini relies on the United States for aid, but its absolute monarchy has suffered U.S. criticism on human rights. South Africa, alongside Russia and China, is pushing for a "multipolar" world in which geopolitical power is less concentrated around the United States. "It hasn't delivered the kind of benefits South Africa was hoping to get."

[1/2] A woman takes pictures of the China Development Bank booth at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 3, 2021. Commitments made to 100 developing nations by the Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank) and the China Development Bank (CDB) have fallen every year since hitting a record in 2016 as the lenders scaled back financing even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. "We expect an overall shift toward lower volume, higher quality investment from China," Kevin Gallagher, director of the university's Global Development Policy Center, told Reuters. Reuters GraphicsWORLD BANK STEPS INWhile Chinese lending has been waning, World Bank lending has ramped up, the study found. Overall, China's commitments were 83% of the $601 billion lent by the World Bank from 2008-2021.

☆ Analysis: Investors snap up record $39 bln emerging market sovereign bond splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The scale of borrowing dwarfs the previous record of $26 billion raised in the same period in 2018, data from Morgan Stanley shows. ROARING STARTWhile emerging bond markets are off to a roaring start, that might not translate into a bumper year overall. That is well above last year's multi-year low of $95 billion, but well short of 2020's record $233 billion. "The blessing for 2023 is that we haven't got a huge spike in Eurobonds maturities for the frontier," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, referring to what are perceived as the riskiest of emerging markets. "Kenya and Angola will need to tap the market, while South Africa is staying away completely this year," she said.

☆ Africa should not be arena for international competition, says Chinese foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang addresses delegates at the inauguration of the new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, which China is building and equipping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 11, 2023. REUTERS/Tiksa NegeriADDIS ABABA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Africa should not be an arena for competition between world powers, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday, opening a new headquarters for a pan-African health body at the start of five-country Africa tour. "Africa should be a big stage for the international cooperation, not an arena for major countries competition," Qin said at a news conference with AU Commission chair Moussa Faki. A trusted aide of President Xi Jinping and former ambassador to the United States, Qin was appointed foreign minister last month. Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said the choice of countries reflected China's diversity of interests in Africa.

☆ Italy's Eni sets up sustainable transport services company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Italian energy group Eni (ENI.MI) said on Monday it had set up a new company dedicated to sustainable transport, which would develop bio-refining, biomethane and offer mobility products and services in Italy and abroad. Last year the Italian group successfully listed its Norwegian oil and gas spin-off Vaar Energy. Eni Sustainable Mobility is directly controlled by Eni, which holds 100% of its share capital, the group said. Eni Sustainable Mobility will be the second lever supporting the group's energy transition strategy together with Plenitude, Descalzi added. Stefano Ballista, former Sustainable Mobility Director at Eni Energy Evolution, is the CEO of Eni Sustainable Mobility.

☆ 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.

☆ Angolan court orders seizure of dos Santos's assets - Lusa news agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dos Santos has faced corruption accusations for years. In 2019, Angola's Supreme Court ordered the seizure of her assets for allegedly steering state funds to companies in which she held stakes during her father's presidency, including oil giant Sonangol. Dos Santos's father, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, died in July. A spokesperson for dos Santos did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The order comes after global police agency Interpol issued a red notice for dos Santos last month, asking global law enforcement authorities to locate and provisionally arrest her.

☆ Portugal approves windfall tax on energy firms, food retailers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Portugal's parliament on Tuesday approved a 33% tax on the windfall profits that energy companies and food retailers may be bringing in with inflation at a near three-decade high. Tax affairs chief at the Finance Ministry, Nuno Felix, said the new "exceptional and strictly temporary" tax was in line with that approved by the European Union for the energy sector. In Portugal, this tax targets the excess profits of companies operating in the crude oil, natural gas, coal and refinery sectors, but also those of food retailers. In Portugal, the standard rate on corporate profits is 21%. Portugal's second-largest retailer Jeronimo Martins (JMT.LS) posted a 29% rise in January-September net profit, as soaring inflation drove sales figures higher.

☆ Fact Check-‘Catastrophic Contagion’ video is fictional and does not support claims about pandemic preparedness exercises
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Baseless claims that pandemic preparedness exercises are proof that disease outbreaks are “planned” by authorities have been a recurring narrative since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. These fictional scenarios go beyond infectious diseases, as such exercises also exist for natural disasters or nuclear events, for example. These rules, that are binding for WHO members, set out countries’ obligations when handling public health events and emergencies that could potentially cross borders (here) (here). Otherwise, we will be unprepared for the next infectious disease event. Experts told Reuters that preparedness exercises like “Catastrophic Contagion” have been a part of pandemic preparedness for at least the last two decades.

☆ Viktor Bout praises Putin, enjoys celebrity status after Griner exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

He has since given high-profile interviews to state media and on Monday appeared on stage at a political event as he joined an ultranationalist party. Viktor Bout on a plane in Abu Dhabi before departing for Russia on Thursday. Russian media also showed him walking off a plane in Moscow, where relatives waiting with flowers embraced him. AFP - Getty ImagesSince his return home, Bout has given a pair of interviews to Maria Butina on the state-run TV channel RT. Like Butina, who was elected to the State Duma last year, Bout spared no time kicking off a potential political career.

☆ Pentagon fears Viktor Bout, the so-called 'Merchant of Death' the US swapped for Brittney Griner, could restart his old arms business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was released from US custody on Thursday. He gained notoriety during the 1990s for fueling deadly conflicts in various African countries. The Pentagon is concerned that with his release, he could return to his old business. Now, US officials worry the arms dealer could return to fueling deadly conflicts around the world. Bout fueled widespread death & destruction by arming UN-sanctioned regimes & groups in the #DRC, #Liberia, #SierraLeone, & beyond."

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

In the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War,” the character loosely based on Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout evades his American law enforcement pursuers, apparently saved by the CIA. Now he is on his way back to Russia after a high-profile prisoner exchange that saw WNBA star Brittney Griner free early Thursday. Under federal sentencing rules, Bout could have been released from prison in five years. Bout, a former Soviet military officer who became rich as an arms dealer, has always maintained his innocence. His U.S. lawyer, Steve Zissou, says the whole operation was unfair, because Bout had been retired and living in Moscow.

☆ Viktor Bout: The Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Brittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film. On Thursday, a source told CNN that the US basketball star had been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accuser. Viktor Bout is pictured in a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at a court in Bangkok in August 2010. Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images“His early days are a mystery,” Douglas Farah, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center who co-authored a book on Bout, told CNN in 2010. He said that Bout graduated from the Military Institute on Foreign Languages, a well-known feeder school for Russian military intelligence.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Viktor Bout, the arms dealer Russia has swapped for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was freed from jail in Russia on Thursday in exchange for the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer jailed in the United States, according to U.S. and Russian officials. He became notorious for his willingness to arm almost anyone, from militias in Sierra Leone, to Charles Taylor's brutal Liberian regime, to the Taliban. He has said he attended a Moscow language institute that serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. - In 2012, he was given a 25-year prison sentence by a U.S. court on multiple charges related to his arms dealing career. Russia has always proclaimed his innocence, describing his case as a glaring injustice and attempting to secure his release.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

Saudi crude is mainly sold under long-term contracts, but these usually contain clauses that allow for variations in volumes delivered, either at Aramco's behest or the request of the clients. This dynamic can be seen in China this year, with the world's biggest crude importer dropping imports from Saudi in November, but boosting those from Russia and Angola. China imported 1.72 million barrels per day (bpd) from Saudi Arabia in November, down from 1.87 million bpd in October, according to data compiled by Refinitiv Oil Research. However, China's imports from Russia rose to 1.90 million bpd in November from October's 1.82 million bpd, while those from Angola jumped to 680,000 bpd from 480,000 bpd the prior month. Russian crude will have to be offered at a discount, possible to the point where the $60 a barrel price cap becomes irrelevant.

☆ A Lufthansa Airbus A350 was forced to emergency land in Angola leaving some passengers stranded in the country for days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Lufthansa Airbus A350 diverted to Luanda, Angola, after suffering an engine issue on Saturday. Passengers were stuck on the plane for hours after landing, and their passports were confiscated. Lufthansa told Insider it sent a team of technicians to inspect the aircraft. The airline told Insider the passengers were given a hotel room, where they "were looked after around the clock by Lufthansa staff." However, NTV reported some passengers were offered flights for days or even weeks later, but Lufthansa told Insider that all passengers will have left by Monday — three days after the diversion to Luanda.

Search resuls for: "Angola"

25 mentions found