Latest news with #CAR
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Korea supplied Russia with 9 million shells and 100 ballistic missiles – international report, photos
Russia received up to nine million artillery and rocket munitions from North Korea in 2024, including 122 mm and 152 mm calibres. Source: the first report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), established by 11 UN member states Quote: "The munitions were then sent via rail from Russian Far East ports to ammunition depots in southwestern Russia, for use by Russian military forces against Ukraine." Routes taken by Russian-flagged vessels delivering arms and related matériel between North Korea and Russia from 1 January 2024 to mid-December 2024. Photo: An MSMT participating state Details: In 2024 alone, North Korea transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia, which were later launched against Ukrainian territory with the aim of destroying civilian infrastructure and intimidating the population, including in cities such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia. North Korea also supplied Russia with: self-propelled artillery systems of 170 mm calibre produced in Korea for long-range use; 240 mm multiple rocket launcher systems; over 200 pieces of equipment, including self-propelled guns, MLRS units and vehicles for reloading both types of weapons. North Korea also supplied Russia with anti-tank missiles. Quote: "Upon examining the North Korean weapons recovered from the battlefield, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence concluded that the weapons North Korea supplied to Russia included Bulsae-4 anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) anti-tank rockets." North Korean 170 mm self-propelled gun transported through Russia. Photo: An MSMT participating state Details: Media reports suggest that the accuracy of North Korean ballistic missiles is improving due to the data the country receives from the use of these missiles by Russian forces against Ukraine. The previous analysis conducted in January–February 2024 showed that the remains of a ballistic missile documented in Kharkiv were of North Korean origin. This conclusion was based on distinctive features such as "unique jet vane actuators, the bolt pattern around the igniter and the presence of Korean (Hangul) characters on the barometers". During a subsequent investigation in August 2024, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based research organisation, documented the remains of four more missiles retrieved in Bila Tserkva, Vitrova Balka and Rozhivka (Ukraine), further confirming the use of North Korean-made missiles on the battlefield. Front end of the rocket motor of a DPRK missile (left) and the rocket motor documented by CAR in Ukraine on 11 January 2024 (right). Photo: Conflict Armament Research Quote: "One of these missiles contained components marked with the figure '113', possibly referring to the year 2024 in the Juche calendar (official dating system of North Korea), indicating its production in 2024." Numerical mark stamped on the jet vane actuator per CAR analysis. Photo: Conflict Armament Research Details: All missiles examined by CAR were identified as Hwasong-11A or Hwasong-11B. The findings indicate that newly manufactured North Korean ballistic missiles were used against Ukraine, with a minimal interval between their production, transfer and deployment. Moreover, CAR's detection of recently manufactured components that were not of North Korean origin indicates that the country continues to attempt to bypass UN sanctions by acquiring foreign parts through third-party suppliers. According to information from one of the MSMT member states, Russia supplied North Korea with air defence systems. Since November 2024, it is believed that Russia has provided North Korea with short-range air defence systems and electronic warfare systems. Russia also transferred to North Korea at least one Pantsir-class combat vehicle. This is a mobile air defence system designed to target aircraft and helicopters, cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles. Background: On 20 May, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) registered a draft resolution proposing to recognise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as an aggressor state due to its military cooperation with Russia in the war against Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Sabre Files - Reinhart Injured In Panthers Win Over Canes
The Florida Panthers appear to be an unstoppable juggernaut, as the reigning Stanley Cup Champions have won their last three playoff games by a combined score of 16-3. The Panthers destroyed the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the second round 6-1 on Sunday, and in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final, they have jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Carolina with a 5-2 win on Tuesday and a 5-0 shutout in Game 2 on Thursday. Florida's momentum may be slowed by the growing number of injuries to key players. Matthew Tkachuk has been hampered by what is suspected to be a groin injury suffered at the Four Nations Face-Off in February, center Anton Lundell is battling an unspecified injury, and on Thursday the Panthers lost forward Sam Reinhart to a knee injury. Other Sabres Stories Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday? Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change Reinhart collided with Carolina's Sebastian Aho late in the first period, which appeared to be knee-on-knee contact. The former Sabre led the Panthers with 39 goals this season and has 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 14 playoff games. Florida head coach Paul Maurice said that the 2014 second-overall pick will be looked at by the Panthers' medical team on Friday, but his status for Game 3 on Saturday is in doubt. How other Sabres did in the playoffs on Thursday: Florida - 5, Carolina - 0 William Carrier(CAR) 15:03 TOI, 3 Hits Eric Robinson(CAR) 10:46 TOI, 1 SOG, 4 Hits Taylor Hall(CAR) -1, 15:27 TOI, 1 SOG, 1 Hit Mark Jankowski(CAR) 12:14 TOI, 1 SOG, 2 Hits Sam Reinhart(FLA) 5:37 TOI, 1 Hit Evan Rodrigues(FLA) 2A, 16:38 TOI, 2 SOG Dmitri Kulikov(FLA) 17:27 TOI, 1 SOG, 4 Hits Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
Kuwait Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Online or on stage, C.African comics try to break through
Under a mango tree in a residential area of Bangui, the filming of "Problem Booth" is under way, a series of skits imagined by Lemuel Luther-King Godonam and a few fellow comedians. Filming, then uploading the videos to build a following is an uphill struggle in the Central African Republic, a war-scarred country that is one of the world's poorest and where internet penetration is just 15.5 percent. But Godonam, a 19-year-old high school student, is undeterred. As "Luther LG" he leads the troupe, playing the harassed owner of a shop dealing with problem customers and the girl selling peanuts next door. He just wants to make a name for himself. "It's a new thing for us," he said, explaining the lack of scripts and dialogue, and the use of a simple sign as scenery. "You can count comedians here on the fingers of one hand," he added. 'People need this' A few curious locals stopped to see how it was all done. "I thought they just did this on the phone but there's real effort behind it," said 21-year-old student Kharl Malibangar, marveling at the booms, mics and cameras. "I want to encourage them, like their channels, subscribe and give them likes," he added. "Humor helps a lot of people. We've been through war and people need this to escape and relax." Actress Manuella Koula, known as Poutine, talks into a microphone ahead of the filming of a comedy sketch on the outskirts of Bangui. Director Luther Lemuel Godonam (center) poses for a photograph with the rest of the team after filming a comedy sketch on the outskirts of Bangui. Gervais Symphorien Kpignonin (center), a member of the Bangui Parrots, performs during their comedy sketch at the Missy Momo cultural center as part of an event marking the beginning of the cultural season in Bangui. The Bangui Parrots perform a comedy sketch at the Missy Momo cultural center during an event marking the beginning of the cultural season in Bangui. Godonam said he wants to take comedy from the CAR "to another level" and win fame outside the country. That is why the young performers, aged between 19 and 24, speak in French rather than Sango, one of the country's official languages. "It's not just Central Africans who follow me," said Godonam, who dreams of being as popular as Cameroonians, Ivorians or Beninese on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram. "Foreigners also need to understand what's being said, so I have to do it in French." Posting the videos online however is a challenge. "There isn't good internet connection here, which stops me from posting on certain networks," said one of the other comedians, Jessie Pavelle. "It stops me from getting noticed." Sometimes, the 2,000 CFA francs ($3.40) that 19-year-old Pavelle puts on her phone as credit is used up even before her video is online. Such problems mean they cannot rely on an online presence alone. Professionalize But the Central African capital is sorely lacking in the kind of comedy venues or events that Ivory Coast, a launchpad for comedians, enjoys. Niger's Mamane, whose "very, very democratic Republic of Gondwana" mocks dictatorial tendencies in Africa, has run the "Abidjan: capital of laughter" festival for the last 10 years. Ivory Coast's economic capital also boasts filming locations, where production companies create comedy shows, bars where stand-up nights are held regularly -- and even, in recent years, comedy schools. "Ivory Coast is the country of comedy," Mamane told AFP as he recorded his "Parliament of Laughter" show, broadcast on French channel Canal+. "You've just got to arrive at the airport in Abidjan and get off the plane... the Ivorian sense of humor is everywhere, it's become legendary and spread across west Africa and all of central Africa." Mamane said he could have spent his career in France. But he wanted to come back to help develop professional comedy in Africa. Next generation The Central African Republic is not quite there yet, said Gervais Symphorien Kpignon, from the famous Bangui Parrots troupe. Comedy spots are often limited to official political ceremonies or events organized by NGOs where the aim is to "raise awareness, sensitize and educate the population" through humor, he said. That's a far cry from the new wave, which is focused on more lightweight topics such as romantic relationships. To bridge a gap and ensure the future of Central African comedy, Yvon Cyrille Gone -- also known as Dr Mandjeke -- created the "Bangui Laughs" festival seven years ago. He also trains a new generation of young Central African comedians. "The young people who are coming up are good but they don't have enough experience so I decided to give them a hand," he said. That night, he added Jessie Pavelle's name at the last minute to perform alongside more experienced comedians. It was only her second time in front of an audience. The white plastic chairs at the Missy-Momo cultural space in Bangui were all taken and the audience burst out laughing when she joked about big guys being generous and skinny ones being stingy. "I really want to become the best-known Central African comedian in the world," she said after finishing her set. - AFP
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is SPDR S&P Transportation ETF (XTN) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Designed to provide broad exposure to the Industrials ETFs category of the market, the SPDR S&P Transportation ETF (XTN) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 01/26/2011. The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment. A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns. However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta. Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics. Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns. Because the fund has amassed over $200.99 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Industrials ETFs. XTN is managed by State Street Global Advisors. Before fees and expenses, XTN seeks to match the performance of the S&P Transportation Select Industry Index. The S&P Transportation Select Industry Index represents the transportation segment of the S&P Total Market Index. Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for XTN, making it one of the least expensive products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.99%. Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. For XTN, it has heaviest allocation in the Industrials sector --about 100% of the portfolio. When you look at individual holdings, Avis Budget Group Inc (CAR) accounts for about 4.48% of the fund's total assets, followed by Uber Technologies Inc (UBER) and Skywest Inc (SKYW). The top 10 holdings account for about 31.17% of total assets under management. The ETF has lost about -8.90% so far this year and was up about 0.56% in the last one year (as of 05/20/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $62.77 and $95.17. The fund has a beta of 1.40 and standard deviation of 26.11% for the trailing three-year period, which makes XTN a high risk choice in this particular space. With about 45 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers. SPDR S&P Transportation ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Industrials ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. IShares U.S. Transportation ETF (IYT) tracks Dow Jones Transportation Average Index and the U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) tracks U.S. Global Jets Index. IShares U.S. Transportation ETF has $745.48 million in assets, U.S. Global Jets ETF has $850.10 million. IYT has an expense ratio of 0.39% and JETS charges 0.60%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Industrials ETFs. To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SPDR S&P Transportation ETF (XTN): ETF Research Reports Avis Budget Group, Inc. (CAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) : Free Stock Analysis Report iShares U.S. Transportation ETF (IYT): ETF Research Reports U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS): ETF Research Reports Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Central African Republic Implements the Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS)
With the successful launch of the new data portal— the National Summary Data Page (NSDP) — the Central African Republic has implemented a key recommendation of the IMF's Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) to publish essential macroeconomic and financial data. The e-GDDS is the first tier of the IMF Data Standards Initiatives that promote transparency as a global public good and encourage countries to voluntarily publish timely data that is essential for monitoring and analyzing economic performance. The launch of the NSDP is a testament to the Central African Republic's commitment to data transparency. It serves as a one-stop portal for disseminating various macroeconomic data compiled by multiple statistical agencies. The published data include statistics on national accounts, prices, government operations, debt, the monetary and financial sector, and the external sector. The launch of the NSDP was supported by an IMF technical assistance mission, financed by the Government of Japan through the Japan Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities (JSA), and conducted in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) from May 12 to 16, 2025. The mission was hosted by ' Institut Centrafricain de Statistique et des Études Économiques et Sociales,' in close collaboration with the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the Ministry of Finance and Budget. With this reform, the Central African Republic will join 75 countries worldwide and 33 countries in Africa using the e-GDDS to disseminate standardized data. Mr. Bert Kroese, Chief Statistician and Data Officer, and Director of the IMF's Statistics Department, welcomed this as a major milestone in the Central African Republic's statistical development. He went on to express that the country would benefit from the improvement in data transparency and that the IMF stood ready to 'continue supporting the authorities in further developing their statistical systems.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).
