I am speaking here. My topic is how to accelerate business growth with technology. This is the YouTube webcast
Russia Annexes Four Ukrainian Regions, Setting Up Potential Escalation of the War
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin completed his move to annex four more regions in Ukraine, defying international law and several warnings by the United States and its allies.
The annexation, which involves Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, was cemented in a grand ceremony held at the Kremlin – which was followed by a rally graced by “patriotic” Russians.
During the ceremony, Putin declared that the four partially occupied regions of his neighbor’s south and east were joining Russia forever, and that he would use all means to protect them.
“They will become our citizens forever,” Putin told officials at the Kremlin ceremony. “We will use all means available to us to defend our lands,” he said.
This comes after a referendum, which has been widely described as sham, was conducted in the regions. Pro-Russia residents of the regions were said to have voted in favor of the annexation.
Putin handed Moscow-installed leaders signed annexation documents on Friday. He demanded Ukraine stop fighting and begin talks, but ruled the territories out of any negotiation.
The United States, in response to the annexation, swiftly imposed “swift and severe costs” new round of sanctions against Russian government officials, bankers and military suppliers.
“The United States condemns Russia’s fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere.”
Biden added that the US “will rally the international community to both denounce these moves and to hold Russia accountable.”
The United Nations also denounced the annexation, calling it illegal. In his response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the annexation, rejecting Putin’s call for dialog. He said Dialog “is impossible with this Russian president,” and vowed to press ahead with his counteroffensive.
The European Union is also planning to impose its own sanctions. In a statement on Friday, the union said they “reject and unequivocally condemn the illegal annexation by Russia” which not only violated Ukraine’s rights, but also put “global security at risk.”
The latest development may introduce a new phase to the conflict. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he was submitting his country’s formal application to join NATO, praying for swift acceptance by the Western military alliance that has many other European countries as members.
NATO defends the territory of its members, setting up a potential escalation of the war if Ukraine joins the alliance. Kyiv has wanted to join the alliance for years, as it would give it the protection of collective defense that the members have.
However, accelerated accession of NATO’s membership at this time is highly a doubt. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “we strongly support NATO’s open doors, we strongly support bringing into NATO countries that seek to join and that can add to NATO’s capabilities. There’s a process for doing that and countries will continue to follow that process.”
The challenge lies on Zelenskyy’s request to fast-track Ukraine’s membership. It takes several months for the application for NATO’s membership, which must be vetted by the alliance members, to be approved.
Ukraine isn’t the only European country seeking to join NATO in the wake of the war. Sweden and Finland had earlier applied, but are still waiting for rectification by all members.
On the other side of the conflict, Ukraine is increasingly recovering captured territories from Russia, questioning the Kremlin’s ability to protect the annexed regions.
The US and its allies have vowed to continue to supply Kyiv with ammunition and other aids to defend its territory. Earlier in September, the Kremlin announced partial mobilization of 300,000 men to reinforce its depleted army. That and Putin’s threat to deploy nuclear weapons are seen as pointers that Russia currently lacks the military strength to defend the annexed region from the fortified advancing Ukrainian army.
Apple’s Top Executive Tony Blevins Departs From The Company After Crude Remark In Viral Video
Top executive at Apple Tony Blevins is leaving the consumer electronics multinational company after he appeared in a viral TikTok video where he made a crude remark.
In the viral video, Tony Blevins was approached by TikTok and Instagram creator Daniel Mac as part of a series where he goes to people at car shows in Beverly Hills and different places around the world, asking them if they drive an expensive car, and what they do for a living.
The executive was stopped by Mac while parking a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, an out-of-production sports car that fetches hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When asked what he does for a living, Blevins responded by saying, “I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off”. an apparent misguided joke off the 1981 movie “Arthur”
The video went viral and garnered more than 40,000 likes on Instagram and 1.3 million views on TikTok. After the clip was published, some members of Apple’s operations and procurement teams reported it to the human resources department, which forced the company to launch an investigation into it.
The video became a topic of discussion among Apple employees in recent weeks, with some expressing their displeasure about his comments, especially given that other executives, including Cook and Williams, have publicly championed workforce diversity and the empowerment of women.
Following the probe into the TikTok video by Apple after employees reported it to the human resources department, it has prompted the company to remove Tony Blevins as leader of several hundred employees and six direct reports.
Having come to the understanding that his statement was crude, and didn’t sit well will members at the company. Blevins confirmed to Bloomberg, stating that he strongly apologizes to anyone who was offended by his “mistaken attempt at humor”
Although when Apple was reached out to by Forbes concerning Blevins statement, the company did not respond. However Apple confirmed to Bloomberg that its top executive Tony Blevins was no longer with the company.
Before his departure, Tony Blevins was Apple’s long time vice president of procurement who is in charge of striking deals with suppliers and partners having worked at the company for 22 years.
He recently worked on the company’s satellite agreement with Globalstar Inc., led negotiations over cellular modems with Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp., and has been in charge of driving down the costs of many critical parts that go into Apple’s mobile devices.
Some described Blevins as irreplaceable given how important he was to the company, but as the saying goes “no one is indispensable”, which has seen the company part ways with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-2R-cjgW9I
New Structures in Nigeria’s Politics Are Evolving [video]
“Welcome to SS1. I will be your physics teacher. You have been used to Integrated Science where they lumped physics, chemistry and biology together. From today, you will study them as separate subjects. But let me give you a little history of how it all began. Before the end of the 18th century, the material component of the universe was studied as one aspect of culture called natural philosophy.
“But over time, natural philosophy was broken into two components – biological and physical sciences. Physical science comprises chemistry and physics with mathematics – the science of numbers – organizing everything. I will teach physics. Mr. Udeagu Jr will teach chemistry…” my recollection of my first day of physics class in secondary school as Mr Aham introduced the subject.
The central nervous system of political philosophy is the people. People are the structures just like natural philosophy which anchors the understanding of nature. For PDP, APC and LP to win in 2023, the structures must be living systems which can create disintermediation in the generation’s most OPEN election. Share with me videos from APC, PDP, LP , etc rallies. This one is from Jos* for LP’s Peter Obi.
As banks move into holding company structures to compete against fintechs, understand that Nigeria’s politics is being redesigned by technology. Ensure your structures are still relevant because disintermediation is here. This election is #OPEN
Nigerian Presidency is Wide Open As Mobile Internet Could Disintermediate Old Political Structures
Great Business Models of the 21st century – Tekedia Mini-MBA
If you look deep into the market, Boards of companies do one critical thing: hire a CEO to lead a firm. And the CEO has to do another important thing: commit to a business model or business models, arising out of its business strategy framework. In other words, you hire a CEO to commit a company to a business model! And that makes the Business Model supreme for the success of a firm.
Tomorrow (Saturday) at Tekedia Institute Live, I will discuss the Great Business Models of the 21st century. Zoom link in the Board.