DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Iran official says 50 police killed in protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Around 50 police have been killed in the protests shaking Iran since September, the deputy foreign minister said on Thursday, giving a first official death toll amid an intensified crackdown on Kurdish areas in recent days. U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said on Thursday Iran faced a "full fledged human rights crisis" with 14,000 people arrested so far, including children. "Around 50 police officers were killed during the protests and hundreds were injured," said Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, in an interview on Indian television. He gave no figure for the number of protesters killed but said the Interior Ministry had formed a panel to investigate the deaths. Iranian state media reported last month that 46 security forces had been killed but without citing officials.

☆ Hungary to provide $195 mln in financial aid to Ukraine - govt decree
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Hungary will provide 187 million euros ($195 million) in financial aid to Ukraine as its contribution to a planned EU support package worth up to 18 billion euros in 2023, according to a government decree published late on Wednesday. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has said that it was willing to pay its share of support for Ukraine but would rather pay it bilaterally than through the EU's joint borrowing. "The government continues to be committed to take part in financial support to war-gripped Ukraine," the government said in the decree. "So it calls on the finance minister to make sure to provide the 187 million euros that would be Hungary's share in the 18 billion euros EU loan to be granted to Ukraine." The decree, signed by Orban, also says that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto should start talks with Ukraine to work out an agreement needed for the financial assistance.

☆ UK government borrows less than expected in October, but worse to come
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said headline public sector net borrowing totalled 13.549 billion pounds ($16 billion) last month. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a higher reading of 22 billion pounds, largely because the figures were expected to show large first payments under the government's energy bill support to households and energy suppliers. Tuesday's data showed a relatively modest 3.4 billion pounds of "other" subsidies - an initial indicative estimate of the energy bill support measures. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the full cost of these measures would show up in the coming months. ($1 = 0.8447 pounds)Reporting by Andy Bruce, Editing by Kylie MacLellan, Paul Sandle and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ G7 calls for 'significant' U.N. response to North Korea missile launches
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations' Security Council needs to take "significant measures" in response to the latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch by North Korea, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations said on Sunday. The Security Council is set to discuss North Korea in a meeting on Monday at the request of the United States, following the latest in a series of missile test launches this year. "(North Korea's) actions demand a united and robust response by the international community," the ministers of the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Britain, France and Italy said. The G7 statement said Friday's test was a "reckless act" and "another blatant violation" of U.N. resolutions. "The unprecedented series of unlawful ballistic missile launches conducted by (North Korea) in 2022 ... pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security," the G7 statement said, adding that the country "cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state".

☆ France's Macron accuses Russia of 'predatory' influence in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda in Africa to serve "predatory" ambitions in troubled African nations, where France has suffered military setbacks and a wider loss of influence over recent years. "This perception is fed by others, it's a political project," Macron told TV5 Monde in an interview. France, the former colonial power in most of Western and central Africa, has longstanding military ties across Francophone Africa and French troops were stationed in Mali for a decade as part of a counter-terrorism operation. It has also been jockeying for influence with Russia in recent years, with the deployment of private military contractor Wagner Group in several countries, including in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Mali. "It's done with the complicity of a Russian military junta," he said.

☆ Five dead, 18 injured in shooting at gay nightclub in Colorado, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Kevin Mohatt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A police officer lifts barricade tape while in their vehicle as they respond to a mass shooting at the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., November 20, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin MohattCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov 20 (Reuters) - Five people were killed and 18 injured in a shooting at a gay nightclub on Saturday night in Colorado Springs, Colorado, police said. A suspect was in custody and was being treated for injuries after the attack at Club Q, Colorado Springs police Lieutenant Pamela Castro told a news conference. In 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, before he was shot dead by police. Reporting by Kevin Mohatt in Colorado Springs and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK comedian shreds 10,000 pounds over David Beckham Qatar World Cup deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A British comedian shredded 10,000 pounds ($11,900) in bank notes after giving the former England soccer captain David Beckham an ultimatum to pull out of his role as an ambassador for Qatar at the World Cup. Beckham, who played for Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, is working for Qatar, which has been criticised for its treatment of foreign workers, LGBTQ+ rights and restrictive social laws. Joe Lycett said last week he would donate the money to charity if Beckham agreed to cut ties with the World Cup host or he would shred the money before the tournament began. Lycett earlier said Beckham was a "a gay icon" who was working for Qatar, which is "one of the worst places in the world to be gay". Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and the country's organisers of the World Cup have warned visitors against public displays of affection but say that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome at the event.

☆ Iran protests: Social media videos show flames at home of late leader Khomeini
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters verified the location of two video clips using the distinctive arches and buildings that match file images. The semi-official Tasnim news agency, however, denied Khomeini's house was set on fire, saying a small number of people had gathered outside the house. The social media videos show dozens of people cheering as a flash of fire is sparked in a building. Two intelligence agents were killed in clashes with protesters on Thursday night, according to the Revolutionary Guards' news site. Iranian media said two Revolutionary Guards members were killed during unrest in the northwestern city of Bukan and a police colonel died in Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan province late on Thursday.

☆ Russia 'concerned' by situation on Korean peninsula - foreign ministry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Russia is "concerned" by the situation on the Korean peninsula and has called for the parties involved to move away from confrontation, Russian news agencies quoted the deputy foreign minister as saying, after North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday. Japanese officials said the missile had sufficient range to reach the mainland of the United States and landed just 200 kilometres (130 miles) off Japan. Reporting by Reuters Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to meet with Ford CEO, UAW Friday on economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The White House meeting, which will be in-person and virtual, will also include the presidents of the Service Employees International Union and United Food and Commercial Workers union, the official said. Attendees will discuss the economy and meeting participants' perspectives on the economy "and ideas they have to continue bringing inflation down," the official said. The White House has often cited a shortage of semiconductor chips as a key factor in higher prices for cars and trucks and overall inflation. Also attending is White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. In May, Biden, in a trip to South Korea, expressed support for workers seeking to unionize joint venture battery plants.

☆ Greeks march to commemorate 1973 student uprising
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] People march during a rally marking the 48th anniversary of the 1973 student uprising against the military dictatorship that was ruling Greece, in Athens, Greece, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Costas BaltasATHENS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Thousands of Greeks marched through central Athens on Thursday to mark the anniversary of a violently quashed student uprising in 1973 that helped topple the military junta which then ruled the country. Brief tension broke out between police and protesters before the march reached the heavily guarded parliament on Syntagma square. At the front of the procession, youths held a blood-stained flag that belonged to the students engaged in the 1973 revolt. Earlier, people laid wreaths and carnations at the Athens Polytechnic, site of a bloody clamp-down on Nov. 17 1973 when tanks smashed through the gates to crush the revolt that heralded the end of the junta.

☆ North Korea's internet temporarily knocked offline, researcher says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - North Korea's internet was hit by the largest outages in months on Thursday, a cybersecurity researcher told Reuters, after similar service interruptions in January were blamed on suspected cyber attacks. Internet access is strictly limited in North Korea. "This isn’t like a single web server is being taken offline," he said, citing monitoring records that he shared with Reuters. "The network stress is so great their Domain Name System (DNS) servers have been taken offline and eventually the key routers allowing traffic in and out of the country entirely." North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and Naenara, which is the official portal for the North Korean government, appeared to see the brunt of the suspected attack, before it became so great the entire internet was taken offline, Ali said.

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The pound rose for a third day against the dollar on Thursday ahead of finance minister Jeremy Hunt's new budget full of "tough but necessary" measures to control inflation. Against the euro , sterling has only risen by around 6% since late September and by 9% against the yen. Benchmark 10-year gilts are around 3.3%, their lowest since mid-September, just before Truss and Kwarteng released their budget. Typically, this would have dragged on the pound, given the lower yield advantage it affords investments in sterling. Adding an extra element of risk on Thursday, are the economic forecasts of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which did not release any kind of breakdown of the impact of Truss' budget in September.

☆ Nigerian designer takes on fast fashion with eco-friendly brand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Angela Ukomadu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aladimma, 28, says he launched the eco-friendly Azach brand in February to fight against fast fashion in Africa's most populous nation by using second-hand clothes to produce durable street-wear popular with young adults. "All the materials that we work with are the materials that we can use for a long time... An engineering graduate who found his calling in eco-fashion, Aladimma wants to do more to help the environment. He hopes to make furniture using denim one day. Reporting by Angela Ukomadu in Lagos; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Both Russia and Ukraine tortured prisoners of war, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.N.'s Ukraine-based monitoring team based its findings on interviews with more than 100 prisoners of war on each side of the conflict since April. The interviews with Ukrainian prisoners of war were conducted after their release, since Russia did not grant access to detention sites, it said. Matilda Bogner, head of the monitoring mission, told a Geneva press briefing that the "vast majority" of Ukrainian prisoners they interviewed held by Russian forces reported torture and ill-treatment. Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, denies torture or other forms of maltreatment of POWs. Other Russian prisoners reported poor and humiliating conditions of transport and of being packed into trucks or vans naked, with their hands tied behind their backs.

☆ Palestinian kills three in West Bank as Israeli politics veer rightward
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Members of an emergency response team and Israeli forces work at the scene of an attack, at the Ariel Industrial Zone in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 15, 2022. Much of the focus is on the West Bank, which Israel - in the face of foreign censure - has peppered with Jewish settlements, deeming the land a biblical birthright and security bulwark. The Religious Zionism party, led by hardline West Bank settlers, placed third in Israel's Nov. 1 election, making it the likely no. "Only an iron fist will cut down terrorism," Religious Zionism co-head Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted about the Ariel attack, adding that he would demand looser open-fire rules for soldiers. He was licensed to work in the industrial zone and had no known militant affiliations, according to Israeli officials.

☆ Sledgehammer execution of Russian mercenary who defected to Ukraine shown on video
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - A video purportedly showing the sledgehammer execution of a former Russian mercenary who switched sides to back Ukraine was circulated on Russian social media on Sunday, with pro-Russian bloggers saying it was revenge for his alleged treachery. In an unverified video distributed on Telegram channels which Russian media said were linked to the Wagner mercenary group, the man identified himself as Yevgenny Nuzhin, 55, and said he had changed sides to "fight against the Russians". Wagner group, originally staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and Ukraine, among other countries. Wagner has been recruiting convicts in Russian jails in recent months, according to a video which showed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, speaking to convicts in a Russian jail. Asked to comment on the execution video, Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, said in remarks released by his spokeswoman that the video should be called "A dog receives a dog's death."

☆ South Korea's Yoon says North Korea's provocations becoming more aggressive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Sunday that North Korea is conducting more "aggressive" provocations based on confidence over its nuclear and missile programmes, calling for strong cooperation with the United States and Japan. "North Korea is conducting more hostile and aggressive provocations based on confidence over its nuclear and missile capabilities," Yoon said in remarks broadcast on South Korean television. In a separate bilateral meeting with Biden, Yoon stressed the need to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea's growing threats, and said they should show Pyongyang that it would gain nothing with its nuclear and missile programmes, according to Yoon's office. Biden said South Korean companies' large contribution to the U.S. economy should be considered when implementing the new rules, according to Yoon's office. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by William Mallard and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden discusses security pact, Taiwan Strait with Australian PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and discussed their security pact and issues surrounding the Taiwan Strait, the White House said. The AUKUS security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia is seen as an effort by the Western allies to push back against China's growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea. The two leaders met on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and also discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said in a statement. "The leaders recognized the imperative of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," the White House said. Beijing staged war games in August after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and has since continued military activities nearby including almost daily fighter jet crossings of the sensitive median line in the narrow Taiwan Strait.

☆ Tsunami warnings issued after 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Tonga region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - The government of Tonga issued a tsunami warning on Friday after an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck in the sea around 207 km (128 miles) from the capital, and warned residents to move inland to higher ground. A tsunami advisory was also issued for American Samoa, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake are possible within 300 km of the epicentre along the coasts of Niue and Tonga, it said. Tonga's meteorological service warned residents to move inland. "An urgent tsunami advisory is now in force for all of Tonga due to a strong earthquake being felt in the Kingdom tonight.

☆ Wall Street surges, dollar plunges as inflation data boosts Fed slowdown hopes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Stephen Culp | Margaryta Chornokondratenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"This is welcome news," Cardillo added, suggesting that "there's a possibility the Fed raises interest rates by 50 basis points in December and then takes a pause." Signs that decades-high inflation growth is beginning to ebb sent U.S. Treasury yields lower, supporting expectations that the Fed could ease its foot from the rate-hike accelerator. The dollar lost ground against a basket of world currencies as sunny economic data lured investors away from the safe-haven greenback. The dollar index fell 1.96%, with the euro up 1.55% to $1.0166. Gold prices jumped as the dollar dropped, reflecting hopes that the inflation data could rein in the Fed's hawkish stance.

☆ Shares jump, dollar falls after cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] U.S. Dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration picture taken June 14, 2022. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasuries dropped 23 basis points after the data to 3.9137%, S&P futures rose 3% and Nasdaq futures rose 4%. In currency markets the dollar sold off sharply, falling 1.75% against the rate sensitive Japanese yen to 143.64, while the euro climbed 1.2% to $1.016 a two-month high. Sky-high inflation has caused the Fed to raise rates aggressively this year, a process that has boosted the dollar and caused U.S. Treasuries and shares around the world to sell off sharply. U.S. crude oil futures were 0.1% higher at $85.93 per barrel, while Brent crude futures gained 1% to $93.58.

☆ Exclusive: Jersey police admit unlawfully searching premises linked to Roman Abramovich
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Police on Jersey have admitted they conducted unlawful searches at premises allegedly linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and have agreed to pay damages and apologise, according to a legal document seen by Reuters. Jersey police were granted search warrants and searched premises allegedly linked to Abramovich in April 2022, seizing documents and devices, according to a legal document signed in a Jersey court. In a consent order dated Nov. 9 and confirmed by two sources, Jersey police acknowledged that "the search warrants were obtained unlawfully" and agreed "that the search warrants should be quashed," according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. Jersey police did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. "Mr Abramovich has always acted in accordance with the law, we are pleased that the Jersey Police have conceded in relation to these unlawful and unfounded searches," Abramovich's spokeswoman said.

The former English teacher was charged with assault last year for attacking her partner with a knife during a domestic dispute in which he received light facial injuries. A human rights activist involved with the case said she acted in self-defence. At Thursday's hearing she said it "shocked my world" when she was placed in a penal colony where she was put to work making artificial flowers for cemeteries and mortuaries. It was forced labour," she said, complaining no medical treatment was available except for headache tablets. Writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China reaffirms zero-COVID stance, city of Guangzhou on edge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Tony Munroe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A boy gets tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a nucleic acid testing site, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 9, 2022. "As things stand, it is hard to tell whether Guangzhou will repeat the experience of Shanghai in spring this year. If Guangzhou repeats what Shanghai did in spring, it will lead to a new round of pessimism on China," Nomura analysts wrote in a Thursday note. Mason Long, who works for a Guangzhou gaming company, said some residents were bracing for a lockdown, with many leaving the city or planning to. BE MORE TARGETEDIn Beijing, residents of some areas have been asked to get COVID tests every day this week.

Search resuls for: "Raissa"

25 mentions found