DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

"The public in West African countries has become increasingly wary of hosting a Western military presence," said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at London-based risk firm Verisk Maplecroft. "The French exit from Niger will push Western troops further away from the central Sahel." The U.S. has refused to call the Niger takeover a coup, meaning it can avoid severing ties for now. Unlike France, American forces do not actively engage with Niger forces against Islamist militants and could be open to working within a transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the French military base in the capital calling for the troops' departure.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk, Emmanuel Macron, Russia's, Washington's, Defence Lloyd Austin, Washington, Nathaniel Powell, Joe Biden, Macron, Aissami Tchiroma, It's, Oxford Analytica, Paris, Jalel Harchaoui, John Irish, Edward McAllister, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Andrew Gray, George Obulutsa, Andrew Heavens Organizations: French Army, REUTERS, London, Russia's Wagner, Defence, Oxford, Protesters, France, Military, Royal United Services Institute, Thomson Locations: France, Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger PARIS, DAKAR, West Africa, West, Russia, United States, Libya, The U.S, Nairobi, American, West African, Afghanistan, AFRICA, French, Africa, It's, CHAD, GUINEA France, Chad, Paris, Sahel, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, London, Brussels

☆ CreditNinja, which has charged loan customers an interest rate of 447%, is complaining that their $1 million PPP loan forgiveness request was rejected
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Short-term lending company CreditNinja is mad about the SBA denying them loan forgiveness. The company charges interest rates as high as 447% in Texas, per KHOU. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. According to Forbes, Kanye West's fashion company Yeezy received over $2 million in PPP loans. Artist Jeff Koons, also notably rich, received a $1.1 million PPP loan in April 2020, according to ProPublica.

Persons: Seamus Hughes's CourtWatch, CreditNinja, CreditNinja wasn't, —, Kanye, Yeezy, Jeff Koons Organizations: SBA, Service, Court, Southern Division, Small Business Association, Relief, Economic, Forbes Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Illinois

☆ Xi's economic policies are leaving many China watchers perplexed and confused
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Why is a nation with ambitions to become the dominant economic power in the world doing so many things to blunt that potential? Xi vs. the CCPMost, though not all, China watchers point to Xi himself as the instigator of those recent changes. "China's private sector, previously the growth engine of the Chinese economy, is paying the consequences," he told CNBC. In addition, he said "in recent months, China's National Development and Reform Commission has set up a bureau especially for private sector development." They cite external factors for weakness in the Chinese economy, including U.S. tariffs, trade restrictions, sanctions, and the sluggish post-pandemic global economy.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Lintao Zhang, Orville Schell, Schell, Jinping, Yasheng Huang, Xi, Ryan Hass, Kevin Rudd, Rudd, Anne Stevenson, Yang, Stevenson, Jack Ma, Mikhail Gorbachev, Liu Pengu, Yang Fan, Zhang Xinyu, Liza Tobin, Eric Schmidt Organizations: Political, CPC Central Committee, of People, Getty, Center, U.S, China Relations, The Asia Society, CNBC, Chinese Communist Party, Communist, MIT Sloan School, CCP, China Center, Brookings, Foreign Policy, Oxford University, J Capital Research, Communist Party, Party, U.S ., Soviet Union, National, Reform, Marxist Locations: Beijing, China, New York, U.S, Australia, United States, U.S . Congress, USSR, Soviet Union

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a presentation of a Haval F7 SUV produced at the Haval car plant located in Russian Tula region, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2019. Nikolai Patrushev, a close Putin ally and the secretary of Russia's Security Council, said Russia and China should deepen cooperation in the face of the West's attempt to contain them both. Putin will attend the third Belt and Road Forum after an invitation by Xi during a high-profile visit to Moscow in March. Putin has pivoted towards China, and Xi has stood by him. Putin last visited Beijing in February 2022, days before the invasion, where he and Xi announced a 'no limits' partnership.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Maxim Shipenkov, Putin, China's Xi Jinping, Putin's, Nikolai Patrushev, Wang Yi, Xi, Maxim Reshetnikov, Reshetnikov, William Burns, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey, Christina Fincher Organizations: Kremlin, ICC, Security, Criminal Court, Cuban Missile Crisis, CIA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian Tula, Moscow, Russia, China, MOSCOW, Beijing, Ukraine, CHINA, RUSSIA, Russian, United States

☆ With outlaws for allies, is Russia becoming another 'rogue state'?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Vladimir Smirnov | Afp | Getty ImagesUnder President Vladimir Putin, Russia has occupied an often contradictory and increasingly unsettling position on the global stage in recent years. Some close followers of Russia believe Moscow, operating outside international law, is increasingly acting like a "rogue state" itself, particularly in its desire to challenge and subvert the West's dominance in global affairs. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia November 20, 2017. "Russia is increasingly a rogue state: Its core relations are with countries outside a rules-based global order: Belarus, Iran, Syria, and North Korea," Ian Bremmer, the president and founder of Eurasia Group, told CNBC Monday. Friends, with benefitsRussian political analyst Anton Barbashin rejected the label of "rogue state" for Russia, however, saying Moscow continues to hold power and influence in a more global geopolitical sphere.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Smirnov, —, Bashar al, Assad, Mikhail Klimentyev, South Korea —, Ian Bremmer, Bremmer, Kim, Kim Jong, Putin, Edward Howell, Anton Barbashin, Barbashin, Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Mikhail Svetlov Organizations: North, Vostochny, Afp, Getty, . Security, Sputnik, Kremlin, Eurasia Group, CNBC, NATO, Ukraine, Russian, Oxford University, UN Security Council, UN, Democratic People's, UNSC, Indian Locations: Amur, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Syria, Ukraine, Moscow, China, India, Black, Sochi, U.S, South Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Russian, Tsiolkovsky, Korea, Beijing, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Turkey, OSAKA, JAPAN, Osaka, Japan

☆ Russian manufacturers are making up to 7 times as much ammunition as Western arms makers, Estonian defense official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian military production is exceeding pre-war levels thanks to smuggling tactics. The US and other Western countries have tried to slash Russia's military strength with sanctions. Western officials worry increased Russian artillery could mean a dark and cold winter for Ukraine. Such smuggling has allowed Russian military production to not only recover but increase beyond pre-war levels. Before the country invaded Ukraine, a senior Western defense official told The Times that Russia could make 100 tanks a year; now they're averaging 200.

Persons: Matthew S, Axelrod, Russia's Organizations: Service, New York Times, The Times, Times, Estonian, ., Commerce Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Kyiv, Moscow, Western, Europe, West, North Korea

☆ Some workers are super commuting to avoid relocating amid a push for employees to return to offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Instead of relocating to be near their office, some workers are super commuting a few days a week. But some workers, forced to appear in person at the office, have taken commuting to the extreme — super commuting to the office hours away by plane. For some workers, especially ones who were hired remotely, a return to office would ostensibly mean relocating. AdvertisementAdvertisementBoeing CEO David Calhoun set an extreme — and much-criticized — example of extreme commuting. Are you being affected by return-to-office policies and considering an extreme commute?

Persons: David Calhoun, LOGAN CYRUS, Brian West, —, Frank Croasdale, Sophia Celentano, Celentano Organizations: Boeing, Ogilvy, Get, Service, Meta, Apple, Google, Employees, Wall Street Journal, Getty, Wall Street Locations: Wall, Silicon, Virginia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Connecticut, Calhoun, West, California, Austin , Texas, Texas, Austin, Charleston, New Jersey

☆ Putin signals he expects long war in Ukraine, is not betting on Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia April 7, 2022. For there to be any chance of talks, said Putin, Ukraine would first have to cancel its self-imposed legal ban on peace talks and explain what it wanted. "The will be no fundamental changes in the Russian direction in U.S. foreign policy, no matter who is elected president," Putin said. The West's decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions was a crime, he said. He also criticised the West's decision to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets and any possible U.S. supply of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin Putin, Putin, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Biden, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Security, Sputnik, REUTERS, rearm, Russian, Kremlin, U.S, North, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Kyiv, China, VLADIVOSTOK, Ukraine, rearm, Washington, Pacific, Vladivostok, Russian, Ukrainian, Crimea, United States, U.S, Asia, Beijing

☆ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A file photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un on April 25, 2019 in Vladivostok, Russia. Citing unidentified Russian regional officials, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported that Kim's train crossed the border and arrived in the border town of Khasan. North Korea has possibly tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could potentially give a huge boost to the Russian army, analysts say. Based on North Korean state media photos, Kim's delegation possibly includes Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and Navy Admiral Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable submarines. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Svetlov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, KCNA, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Peskov, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service didn't, Adrienne Watson, Matthew Miller, Song, Kim Myong Sik, Jo Chun Ryong, China — Organizations: North Korean, Getty, Korea's Defense Ministry, Korean People's, Korean Central News Agency, TBS, TASS, Associated Press, Chosun Ilbo, South, South Korea's Presidential, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service, White, National Security, North, Democratic People's, Department, Washington, Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk —, . Security Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Ukraine, North, Pyongyang, Korean, Japanese, Khasan, Russian, North Korea, South Korea's, Korea, United States, Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, South Korea, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, Syria, China

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas high school football team paid tribute to their longtime photographer following her death Friday, four days after an accidental hit on the sidelines of a junior varsity game she was photographing. Linda Gregory died a few hours before Friday's game, her husband Mel Gregory announced on Facebook. The 69-year-old woman had fallen backward and struck her head on concrete while taking pictures Sept. 4 at the junior varsity matchup between Wichita Northwest High School and rival Bishop Carroll High. “I was back on the sidelines tonight to watch Linda Gregory being honored with many tributes. Prayers out to you and your wonderful wife, Mel Gregory,” Hall posted on Facebook.

Persons: Linda Gregory, Mel Gregory, Bishop Carroll High, “, ” Mel Gregory, “ Linda, ”, Steve Martin, Linda, Mel, Joanna Chadwick, Chadwick, I’ll, ” Chadwick Organizations: Facebook, Wichita Northwest High School, Heights High School, Wichita Eagle, “ LG, Northwest, ” Former Northwest, Breece, New York Jets, NFL Locations: Kan, Kansas, Northwest, ”

☆ U.S. airlines flag high fuel costs, Southwest's August bookings disappoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mehr Bedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Southwest Airlines aircraft flies past the U.S. Capitol before landing at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) on Wednesday flagged softer August leisure bookings and joined two other U.S. airlines in warning of higher fuel costs in the third quarter due to a jump in crude prices. United Airlines (UAL.O) and Alaska Air Group (ALK.N) also warned of higher fuel costs in the current quarter as crude oil prices rose for a third straight month in August, amid signs of tightening supply. In a regulatory filing, United said jet fuel prices have climbed over 20% since mid-July. U.S. airlines do not generally hedge against fuel costs, making them vulnerable to price swings.

Persons: Joshua Roberts, Gerald Laderman, Stephen Trent, Mehr Bedi, Abhijith, Aishwarya Jain, Pooja Desai Organizations: Southwest Airlines, U.S, Capitol, Reagan National Airport, REUTERS, United Airlines, Alaska Air Group, United, Cowen Transportation Conference, Alaska Air, Citi Research, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Denver, Chicago, Southwest, Bengaluru

☆ JPMorgan says the biggest risk of de-dollarization isn't a rival currency — it's that the US could lose a key tool it's used to fight past economic crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The biggest risk of de-dollarization is that the US could lose a key tool it's used to fight past crises, JPMorgan said. De-dollarization risks mostly relate to inflation and debt burdens, strategists said. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Instead, the key de-dollarization risk that Western economies face is mostly related to inflation and their debt burdens, they explained. Bu while JPMorgan expects "marginal de-dollarization," to take place, the pace is not expected to be rapid.

Persons: —, Marko Kolanovic, dollarization Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, West, AA, AAA Locations: Western, Wall, Silicon, East, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says troops 'moving forward', rebuffs critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, August 21, 2023. Theodore Manolopoulos/Greek Presidency Press Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 2 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Kyiv's troops were "moving forward" in their counteroffensive against Russian forces, rebuffing Western officials who say that Ukraine is gaining ground too slowly. The White House said there had been "notable success" by Ukraine in the area, although Maliar warned that Kyiv's troops had reached even more heavily fortified positions on the other side after breaking through. It reported 45 combat clashes on the frontlines in the past 24 hours and said fighting raged in the east where Ukrainian troops had repelled multiple Russian attacks. Russia has already described the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a failure.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Theodore Manolopoulos, Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Olena, Tom Balmforth, Ros Russell Organizations: Press, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Melitopol, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Russia

[1/2] Russian service members walk near a burnt car following recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Friday its troops had broken through Russia's first line of defences in several places, though they have then encountered even more heavily-fortified Russian positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv's troops, in a much-vaunted counteroffensive against Russian forces, were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. Washington also said on Friday that Kyiv had made notable progress on the southern front in the last 72 hours. "They have achieved some success against that second line of Russian defenses," Kirby said, adding it was up to Ukraine on how to capitalize on that success.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, John Kirby, Kirby, they've, Mykhailo Podolyak, Tom Balmforth, Trevor Hunnicitt, Susan Heavey, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Deputy, Russian, White, National Security, Kyiv, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Washington, United States, Robotyne, Kyiv, Moscow

"Boarding is one of the most difficult parts of air travel and frustrating to a lot of passengers," said Leslie Josephs, CNBC's airline reporter. In the 1970s, Southwest Airlines' average turn time, from the moment a plane arrives at the gate to the time it leaves, was only 10 minutes. Flight delays cost airlines and passengers about $33 billion each year, according to government data. But experts say speeding up the boarding process is not really a priority for airlines — they've monetized everything about it. "The different boarding groups that we see today have emerged because people value their priority in boarding," said Kerry Philipovitch, former senior vice president of customer service at American Airlines.

Persons: Leslie Josephs, Chris Parks, Josephs, Kerry Philipovitch, Kerry Organizations: Southwest Airlines, American Airlines

☆ China's yuan is displacing other top global currencies in trade, but not the US dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's share of global payment transactions on the SWIFT system grew to 3% in July. But that hasn't come at the expense of the dollar, which had a record high 46.5% share on SWIFT. A greater role of BRICS and other emerging markets in global trade may create more natural demand for alternatives to USD, but this has not happened so far. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor its part, the dollar's share of SWIFT transactions is holding relatively steady, accounting for 46.5% in July and 42% in the first half of 2023. As an example, China has been steadily building an alternative to the Western-dominated SWIFT system, with the Cross-border International Payments System, or CIPS.

Persons: BRICS, China's Organizations: ING, SWIFT, Service, FX, dollarization Locations: Wall, Silicon, China

Here are some details of the impact:* DEATHThe war has caused death on a level not seen in Europe since World War Two. The war has left nearly 500,000 troops either dead or injured, according to the New York Times. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sept. 21 that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of the war. When added to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russia now controls about 17.5% of Ukraine, an area of about 41,000 square miles (106,000 square km). Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, international oil prices spiked to their highest levels since the records of 2008.

Persons: Chasiv Yar, Violeta Santos Moura, Sergei Shoigu, Julie Kozack, William Burns, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Human Rights, New York Times, Russian, Reuters, Belfer, Harvard Kennedy School, International Monetary Fund, CIA, European Union, Kiel Institute, Thomson Locations: Chasiv, Ukraine, Donetsk, Europe, United States, Ukraine's, Russia, Crimea, Russian, UNHCR, UKRAINE Russia, Massachusetts , New Hampshire, Connecticut, wastelands, RUSSIA, Moscow, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Germany, Japan

☆ How Russia is using US tech to build cruise missiles to devastate Ukraine, despite sanctions meant to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has found new ways of obtaining US tech for its cruise missiles. Officials, experts, and media reports have laid out the routes Russia is using to import the banned or restricted technology. Ukrainian officials last Tuesday said that Russian K-100 cruise missiles used in recent attacks were built in 2023, using more than 30 foreign components, meaning that Western sanctions weren't working. The Kazakhstan back door for tech suppliesThe US sanctions include a ban on the sale of technology that could be used by Russia to build weapons. According to the Economist report, logic boards from California-made Altera Flex have been used in building the KH-100 cruise missiles Russia has used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, STRINGER, Gary Sommerville, we've, Sommerville, Mykola Danilyuk, Danilyuk Organizations: US, Service, Getty, Royal United Services Institute, Kazakhstan's, National, Russia, Kazakh, Russian, Silverado, New York Times, Free Russia Foundation, eBay, Amazon Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kazakhstan, Kazakh, US, Armenia, Ukrainian, California

☆ Russian oil still relies heavily on Western-backed ships despite breaching the price cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But there's been little decline in the amount of Western-backed vessels servicing Russia, Bloomberg reports. In recent days, the Urals crude oil price has eased from a $73-per-barrel peak, but still remains significantly above the West's threshold. Under the restriction, the Kremlin should not be able to rely on G7, EU, or US services when the price cap is surpassed. Part of the issue stems from how the price cap is designed to work in practice, Bloomberg said. The country may have also profited in other ways through the price cap.

Persons: there's, That's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Financial Times Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, that's

☆ BRICS expansion hopefuls seek to rebalance world order
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] People walk past the Sandton Convention Centre, which will host the upcoming BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa August 19, 2023. The wealthy West's domination of international bodies, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. DEVELOPING WORLD DISCONTENTWhile BRICS has not divulged a full list of expansion candidates, a number of governments have publicly stated their interest. Others want changes at the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Its BRICS trade has indeed increased steadily since it joined, according to an analysis by the country's Industrial Development Corporation.

Persons: James Oatway, Rob Davies, South, bode, Vladimir Putin, Steven Gruzd, BRICS, Ramón Lobo, Gruzd, Lucinda Elliott, Deisy, Yousef Saba, Gustavo Palencia, Lamine Chikhi, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Sandton, REUTERS, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, BRICS, Observers, South African Institute of International Affairs, U.S ., Reuters, United, Emirates, World Trade Organization, Argentine, New Development Bank, Russia, Industrial Development Corporation, South, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG, Iran, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, Venezuela, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, United Nations, United States, Montevideo, Caracas, Dubai, Tegucigalpa, Lamine, Algiers, Rabat

☆ 'Neutral' China is supplying Putin's forces with helicopters, drones, and crucial raw materials, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China is providing Russia with helicopters, drones, and crucial raw materials. China claims it has remained neutral and has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But The Telegraph's investigation found that the country has delivered tens of thousands of shipments to Russian military equipment manufacturers. With the outbreak of the war, the aid ramped up, with Chinese firms Hems999 and Tianjin Huarong Aviation dispatching helicopters to Russia. China's actions provide Putin with a vital lifelineChina has also utilized loopholes to send non-lethal but militarily useful equipment to Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xie Huanchi, Samson, Qin Gang, Sergey Radchenko, Putin Organizations: Telegraph, Service, Privacy, George's, Getty, Russia, The Telegraph, Tianjin Huarong Aviation, PBS, Politico, New York Times Locations: China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, St, Kremlin, Xinhua, Tianjin, Yiwu, Shanghai

☆ BRICS nations to meet in South Africa seeking to blunt Western dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An attendant is stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a plenary session of BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China September 4, 2017. South Africa will host Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BRICS summit from August 22 to 24. Russia needs friends to counter its diplomatic isolation over Ukraine, and so is keen to bring in new members, as is its most important African ally, South Africa. BRICS nations are keen to project themselves as alternative development partners to the West. Officials in Brazil, China and South Africa said climate change may come up but indicated it wouldn't be a priority.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, S.Africa, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Naledi Pandor, BRICS, Breton Woods, disbursing, Laurie Chen, Lisandra, David Stanway, Carien Du Plessis, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: BRICS, REUTERS, Tyrone, Global, Indian, New Development Bank, World Bank, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Xiamen, China, India, Brazil, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Ukraine, . South Africa, United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, AFRICA, BRICS, Russia, Africa, Beijing, Brasilia, Singapore, Johannesburg

☆ American Airlines is suing Skiplagged, accusing the travel site of being a 'classic bait and switch'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Taylor Rains | Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

American Airlines filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged.com on Thursday. Both United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have sued Skiplagged.com in the past. American Airlines has had enough of Skiplagged.com. Then, Southwest Airlines filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged in 2021 after it showed the airline's ticket prices. United Airlines and travel booking Orbitz accused Skiplagged of costing them $75,000 in their 2014 lawsuit.

Persons: Skiplagged.com, Orbitz, Aktarer Zaman, Zaman, d3sign, Skiplagged, Dan Gellert, United, Charlotte —, Gellert Organizations: American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Morning, American, His North, Skiplagged, Delta Air Lines Locations: The Texas, Texas, Florida, New York, Charlotte, His, His North Carolina, American, Chicago, New York City, Southwest

☆ Russia's top general Sergei Shoigu bragged that the Kremlin's war in Ukraine has 'debunked many myths' that NATO weapons and military standards are superior
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sergei Shoigu says the war is "debunking many myths" that NATO military standards are superior. He bragged that even Russia's Soviet-era weapons fared better in some cases than Western equipment. Shogiu said Russia would share findings about the "weaknesses" in NATO weapons with its partners. "The Russian army debunked many myths about the superiority of Western military standards," Shoigu said at a security conference attended by Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu. Shoigu added that through the war, Russia has obtained data on the destruction of weapons systems like German tanks, US armored vehicles, British long-range missiles.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shogiu, Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Bradley Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian Defense, Chinese Defense, Russia's Defense Ministry, New York Times, Shadow, UK Defense, Western Locations: Soviet, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Niger junta says open to talks as Putin, US stress peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Souleymane Ag Anara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 15 (Reuters) - Niger's junta on Tuesday said that it was open to talks to resolve a regional crisis caused by last month's military coup, while Russia and the United States called for a peaceful resolution. Singh declined to call the takeover a coup but said it "certainly looks like an attempted coup." Military leaders in Mali and Burkina Faso have kicked out troops from former colonial power France and strengthened ties with Moscow. Putin has called for a return to constitutional order in Niger, while Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin welcomed the army takeover and offered his services. Support for Russia has appeared to surge in Niger since the coup, with junta supporters waving Russian flags at rallies and calling for France to disengage.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Mahamat Deby, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Assimi Goita, Sabrina Singh, Joe Biden's, Singh, Bola Tinubu, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Felix Onuah, Mahamat Ramadane, Idrees Ali, Nellie Peyton, John Stonestreet, Estelle Shirbon, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, West, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Islamic, Twitter, Military, Thomson Locations: Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Russia, United States, Ghana, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West, Central Africa, Russian, West Africa's, Central Africa's, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, France, Moscow, Bazoum, Western, U.S, Germany, Italy, Paris, Abuja, Chad, Washington

Search resuls for: "West's"

25 mentions found