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TOKYO – Just over two years after former Nissan boss Carlos Gon fled Japan to avoid criminal charges, a Japanese court on Thursday convicted his former U.S. deputy of helping him hide some of his compensation from regulators.

A judge sentenced Deputy Greg Kelly to six months in prison for his role in evading Mr. Gonn’s pay in one fiscal year, but released him from participating in similar efforts in other periods spanning nearly a decade. The sentence will be suspended for three years, which will effectively allow Mr Kelly to walk free. Prosecutors demanded two years.

The verdict – in fact, rejecting much of the government’s case – is likely to be the last in Japan’s long-running battle with Mr Gon, a titanic clash that many critics say illustrates serious shortcomings in Japan’s legal system.

Mr Weirham, Mr Kelly’s US lawyer, called the verdict an attempt by the Japanese government to save the person in light of the lack of evidence against his client.

In December 2019, Mr Gon fled Japan to Lebanon to avoid what he called the unjust Japanese legal system, leaving Mr Kelly behind to face what many saw as a proxy for the senior former boss of Nissan.

Mr Gon has long argued that his arrest was part of a coup by Nissan executives and top Japanese officials to prevent the carmaker from merging with French partner Renault.

Following Mr Gon’s escape, Japanese prosecutors came under strong pressure to win a conviction against Mr Kelly and to justify their decision to make arrests in one of the most notorious white-collar criminal cases in Japanese history.

The decision to detain Mr Gon and Mr Kelly at the end of 2018 was severely criticized both at home and abroad, with critics saying Japan relied on so-called hostage justice, with prosecutors try to extract confessions from detainees by holding them for long periods in inhospitable conditions without bail.

The case shocked the international business community, tarnishing Japan’s reputation among foreign leaders. This has had serious consequences for Nissan, one of Japan’s largest carmakers, struggling to recover from reputational damage and chaos among its executive ranks created by the sudden arrest of its former leader.

Updated

March 3, 2022, 4:04 p.m. ET

Prosecutors have accused Mr Kelly of helping to conceal agreements that would effectively increase Mr Gon’s already substantial compensation without sharing this information with shareholders or regulators.

In their defense, Mr Kelly’s lawyers claim that the agreements were never final and that, since Mr Gon never received the compensation in question, he was not obliged to report it.

Apart from Mr Kelly, Mr Gon has faced three additional charges, including one allegation of misappropriation of corporate funds. He denies any wrongdoing.

He fled Japan in 2019, sneaking into a private plane in a box and then flying first to Turkey and then to Lebanon. This country does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, which means that as long as he stays there, he is actually outside the scope of Japanese law.

Two Americans who helped him escape were subsequently arrested in the United States and extradited to Japan, where they were sentenced to prison for their caper roles.

Mr Gon said he had fled Japan after he was convinced the country would not give him a fair trial. He spent his time after his escape, campaigning to rehabilitate his shattered image and drawing attention to the shortcomings of the Japanese judiciary.

While Mr Kelly’s sentence determines the likely end of Japan’s criminal case against Mr Gon, the civil cases resulting from his arrest are likely to last for years.

Sweetgreen banner of the NYSE, November 18, 2021

Source: NYSE

Sweetgreen on Thursday reported growing losses, but strong sales growth in the fourth quarter and a promising performance in its restaurants in its first quarterly report since its initial public offering.

The salad chain has also issued strong sales forecasts for 2022, although it still does not expect a profit.

The company’s shares jumped 20% in expanded trading. After a strong debut in public markets in mid-November, stocks are struggling as investors question the company’s lack of profitability, which is rare for publicly traded restaurants.

Shares of Sweetgreen fell more than 50 percent since its debut in the public market, moving to a market value of approximately $ 2.2 billion. Shares closed about 11% on Thursday before jumping into extended trading amid results.

The chain reported a net loss for the fourth quarter of $ 66.2 million, or $ 1.14 per share, compared to a loss of $ 41.1 million, or $ 2.49 per share, a year earlier. The company registered an increase of $ 21.5 million in share-based compensation. Sweetgreen also said that raising prices and abolishing the loyalty program have helped restaurant-level margins, although higher salaries and employee bonuses outweigh the end result.

Net sales rose 63% to $ 96.4 million, exceeding expectations of $ 84.7 million, according to a study by Refinitiv analysts.

The chain reported sales growth in the same store of 36% for the quarter. In the period a year ago, the company noted that its sales in the same store shrank by 28% as the pandemic affected demand for hot bowls and salads.

Most of the credit for the quarterly jump in sales at the same store comes from an increase in orders, although the chain also reported a 4% benefit from price increases.

Sweetgreen said 65% of its sales come from digital orders. Although impressive compared to the wider restaurant industry, this has declined for the company, as more than three-quarters of its transactions come from online orders from a year ago.

During this quarter, more customers chose to order through third parties such as DoorDash and Grubhub, which charge higher fees for pick-up and delivery orders and can dig into Sweetgreen’s margins.

Looking ahead to the first quarter, Sweetgreen said it expects revenue of between $ 100 million and $ 102 million and sales growth in the same store from 30% to 33%. He also expects adjusted losses before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization between $ 18 million and $ 20 million.

For the full year, Sweetgreen expects revenue from $ 515 million to $ 535 million and sales growth in the same store from 20% to 26%. Wall Street expects the chain to report net sales of $ 513.1 million in 2022, although analysts’ coverage of the stock is weak.

The company expects to see adjusted losses before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization from $ 33 million to $ 40 million by 2022. In addition, it plans to open at least 35 new locations during the year.

Read the full revenue statement here.

This is breaking news. Please check again for updates.

ISSAQUAH, Washington, March 3, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq: COST) today announced its operational results for the second quarter (twelve weeks) and the first 24 weeks of fiscal 2022, ended February 13, 2022

Net sales for the quarter rose 16.1 percent to $ 50.94 billion from $ 43.89 billion last year. Net sales for the first 24 weeks rose 16.4 percent to $ 100.35 billion from $ 86.23 billion last year.

Comparable sales for the second quarter and the first 24 weeks of fiscal 2022 were as follows:

* Excluding the effects of changes in gasoline and currency prices.

Net income for the quarter was $ 1,299 million, $ 2.92 per discounted share. Net income for the second quarter of last year was $ 951 million, $ 2.14 per share at a reduced value, which includes $ 246 million before tax, $ 0.41 per share at a reduced value, at expenses incurred primarily from premium salaries of COVID-19. Net income for the first 24 weeks was $ 2.62 billion, or $ 5.90 per discounted share, compared to $ 2.12 billion, $ 4.76 per discounted share, last year.

For the four-week reporting month of February, ending February 27, 2022, the company reported net sales of $ 16.29 billion, an increase of 15.9 percent from $ 14.05 billion last year. Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year occurred on February 1, 11 days earlier this year. The change had a negative impact on sales of other international and Total Company in February by approximately 4% and 0.5%, respectively. For the twenty-six-week period ended February 27, 2022, net sales were $ 108.39 billion, an increase of 16.3 percent from $ 93.16 billion last year.

The comparable sales for February and the periods from year to date ended on 27 February 2022 are as follows:

* Excluding the effects of changes in gasoline and currency prices.

The story continues

Costco currently operates 828 warehouses, including 572 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 105 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 30 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 16 in Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 13 in Australia, four in Spain. two each in France and China and one each in Iceland. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 14:00 (PT) today, March 3, 2022, and is available through a webcast at www.costco.com (click Investor Relations and “Play Webcast”).

Some of the statements contained in this document are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements relating to activities, events, conditions or developments, which the Company expects or expects may occur in the future. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “may”, “judge”, “expect”, “intend”, “probably”, “may”, “May”, “plan”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “seek”, “must”, “goal”, “will”, “would” or similar expressions and negatives of these terms. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties that may give rise to material differences in actual events, results or performance from those stated in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, financial market uncertainty, patterns of consumer and small business costs and debt levels, the security or confidentiality of information about members or businesses, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital expenditures, sellers’ actions, rising staff costs (usually including healthcare costs), energy and certain goods, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs and the conflict in Ukraine), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to climate change, and COVID-19-related factors and challenges, including (inter alia) the duration of the pandemic, the unknown debt acute economic impact, reduced shopping due to illness, travel restrictions or financial difficulties, changes in product demand, reduced workforce due to illness, quarantine or government mandates, temporary closure of shops or operational restrictions due to government mandates or supply chain disruptions , capacity limitations of third party logistics service providers and other risks identified from time to time in the Company ‘s public statements and reports submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements relate only to the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements unless required to do so by law.

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
(dollars in millions, excluding share data)
(unaudited)

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(amounts in millions, excluding face value and share data)
(unaudited)

Subject to reclassification

The sale signs are displayed in the windows of a Gap store.

Scott Mill CNBC

Shares of Gap Inc. rose in after-hours trading on Thursday after the clothing retailer offered an optimistic forecast for its profits in 2022, despite rising inflation and logistical challenges.

The weak in the supply chain still remain a headache for the retailer, which also owns the Banana Republic and Old Navy brands. Gap CEO Sonia Singhal said in a press release that the retailer was facing short-term disruptions in its fourth quarter fiscal, which “muffled” the overall performance.

Holiday sales fell below pre-pandemic levels, and Gap sees its first-quarter revenue fall more than analysts expected on an annual basis. However, investors sent shares higher on Thursday night, as they made a long-term bet on the improvements of the clothing company and for more American consumers who want to update their wardrobe.

Gap’s comments on its first-quarter forecasts reflect shared sentiment among other clothing retailers, including American Eagle Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch, Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret, which are facing winds from heaven. inflation to a protracted labor crisis to global unrest caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Each of these companies spoke this week about recent problems with providing goods during the holiday season due to supply chain constraints. They also warned that pressure on shipping and rising prices would continue for at least the first half of the year. But then they expect to turn, as evidenced by Gap’s annual forecast.

In the first quarter, however, Gap’s revenue shrank by a medium to high single-digit rate from the previous year. Analysts were looking for a smaller decline of 3.8%.

Here’s how Gap did in its fourth quarter compared to what Wall Street expected, according to a study by analysts at Refinitiv:

• Loss of share: 2 cents adjusted to expected 14 cents
• Income: $ 4.53 billion against the expected $ 4.49 billion

Gap made a loss in the three-month period ended Jan. 29 of $ 16 million, or 4 cents a share, compared to a net profit of $ 234 million, or 61 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding fees related to strategic changes in European business, Gap lost 2 cents a share, less than the 14-cent loss analysts were looking for, according to Refinitiv.

Revenue rose about 2% to $ 4.53 billion from $ 4.42 billion a year earlier. This exceeds the forecast of 4.49 billion dollars. However, compared to 2019 levels, Gap said its sales fell 3%. This is partly due to the current and planned closure of stores.

Sales in the same store – a key indicator that tracks revenue in stores open for at least 12 months – rose 3% year on year, slightly less than the 3.7% increase analysts were looking for. On a two-year basis, sales in the same store also increased by 3%.

Gap said its gross profit fell 33.7 percent in the fourth quarter, below analysts’ estimates of 35.2 percent, according to StreetAccount. Gap said the figure was under pressure from higher air travel costs, which were partially offset by the company selling more hoods and denim at full prices.

Here is a breakdown of sales by brand:

• Gap said Old Navy had suffered in part due to supply chain complications, with sales at the same store equal to 2019.
• With the Gap banner of the same name, sales in the same store rose 3% on a two-year basis, fueled by double-digit growth in North America. The company said the brand is ready to grow in the coming months thanks to a recent relationship with Walmart for home goods, as well as its collaboration with rapper Kanye West.
• Banana Republic’s sales in the same store fell 2% from 2019 levels, in part due to the continued closure of stores, the company said.
• Sales at the same store in Athleta, Gap’s growing line of women’s athletic clothing, rose 42 percent over two years. The company said Athleta was still on track to reach $ 2 billion in annual sales by 2023.

The retailer said it expects stocks to rise by mid-20% by the end of the first quarter from a year ago because it booked commodity orders earlier than normal to try to offset -longer time frames for transportation.

For the full year, Gap expects to earn between $ 1.85 and $ 2.05 per share, on an adjusted basis, with sales growing at a low single-digit rate from 2021. Analysts forecast annual adjusted earnings per share of $ 1.86, with sales increasing by 1.6% compared to the previous year.

Gap shares have fallen about 45% in the last 12 months since the market closed on Thursday. The company has a market value of $ 5.3 billion.

Find the full Gap financial press release here.

A 3D printed oil pump jack can be seen in front of the graphic shown in this illustration, April 14, 2020. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration

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• Brent rises to its highest level since 2012, WTI the highest since 2008
• Exports of Russian oil and gas have so far been exempt from sanctions
• The nuclear deal with Iran is nearing completion – analysts say
• The analyst says the deal with Iran cannot replace the unrest in Russia

Houston, March 3 – Oil fell 2% on Thursday after reaching unprecedented prices as sellers jumped in hopes that the United States and Iran would soon agree on a nuclear deal that could added barrels to the tight world market.

Trade was volatile, with crude oil prices jumping early to multi-year highs over concerns about Russia, which exports 4 to 5 million barrels a day (bpd) of crude oil, the world’s second-largest after Saudi Arabia. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, companies are now avoiding Russian supplies and fighting for barrels elsewhere.

Oil markets are in an “explosive mood” due to growing outrage against Russia, said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. “People around the world do not want to deal with a country that commits these atrocities in Ukraine.”

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Brent futures fell $ 2.47, or 2.2 percent, to $ 110.46 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $ 2.93, or 2.6 percent, to $ 107. $ 67.

Both benchmarks rose to multi-year highs during the session, with Brent rising to $ 119.84, the highest level since May 2012, and WTI reaching its highest level since September 2008 at 116, $ 57.

Washington and its Western allies have imposed sanctions on Russia, but measures have so far not targeted Russia’s oil and gas exports. A new round of sanctions announced by the White House on Wednesday banned the export of specific refining technologies, making it difficult for Russia to modernize oil refineries. Read more

Traders remain wary of Russian oil. At least 10 tankers failed to find buyers on Wednesday, market sources said. Read more

Canada has said it will remove Russia and Belarus’ most-favored-nation status as trading partners and provide additional military assistance to Ukraine. Read more

Brent’s global benchmark jumped nearly 25 percent after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, an action Moscow calls a “special operation.” Brent’s six-month spread peaked at a record high of over $ 21 a barrel, indicating very limited deliveries.

Media reports suggest that the United States and Iran have almost completed a deal that could return more than a million barrels a day of oil or about 1% of global supplies back to market.

Negotiations to renew the pact have been under way in Vienna for 10 months. Diplomats are believed to be in the final stages of negotiations. Read more

But a report Thursday by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear supervisory body, found that enriched uranium reserves accumulated by Iran violate its 2015 nuclear deal, with the country close to its ability to Make a Nuclear Bomb | Read more

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi will visit Tehran on Saturday in a bid to resolve outstanding issues. Read more

“Grossi’s trip increases the chances of resuming the (nuclear deal) to 70% from 60%,” said Eurasia Group, a consultant, noting that “the deal is likely this month and immediately in the next few days.”

This easing of supplies can fill only part of the gap left by buyers restricting purchases of Russian oil, which accounts for about 8% of world oil exports.

“We expect Russian oil exports to fall by 1 million barrels per day from the indirect impact of sanctions and voluntary actions by companies,” said Rystad Energy CEO Jarand Ristad. “Oil prices are likely to continue to rise – potentially over $ 130 a barrel.”

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia, and their allies, a group known as OPEC +, on Wednesday stuck to an existing plan to gradually increase production by 400,000 barrels a day, ignoring consumer calls for more. Read more

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Additional reports by Scott DiSavino in New York, Shadia Nasrallah in London and Florence Tan and Sonali Paul in Singapore; Edited by Margerita Choi, Kirsten Donovan and David Gregorio

Our standards: ‘ principles of trust.

The US Government’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), also known as the Five Star Safety Assessment, has received major updates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday a set of new proposals for a federal program aimed at curbing the increase in pedestrian deaths.

For the first time, NHTSA will consider the inclusion of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS – sorry for all the acronyms!) Features such as automatic emergency stop, dead zone detection and lane saving assistance. These ADAS features, which are fast becoming the standard in most vehicles today, could become a major benchmark for a five-star government safety rating.

Traditionally, NHTSA assigns safety assessments to new cars and trucks by placing several crash test dummies inside the vehicle and driving it into a wall at high speed. But this system really only assesses the risks to passengers in the car, not the danger to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

NHTSA recognizes that this is no longer a resilient system

NHTSA recognizes that this is no longer a resilient system. “For the first time in history, the NCAP includes technology recommendations not only for drivers and passengers, but also for off-road users, such as pedestrians,” said Stephen Cliff, NHTSA’s deputy administrator.

The European Union version of NCAP is different and obviously better. Vehicles receive a five-star rating only if they can demonstrate the ability to stop completely – or at least slow down – before colliding with a pedestrian or cyclist. Under President Obama, NHTSA has begun the process of revising the NCAP to address the safety of those outside the vehicle; under President Trump, that effort was abandoned.

But President Joe Biden resurrected him through a two-party infrastructure plan signed last year. In addition to requiring passenger cars to include frontal collision warnings, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance, he also ordered the Ministry of Transport to revise the NCAP to include these features in its safety assessment criteria.

The idea is to assess the car safety of many new technologies that can stop risky driving behavior before it even happens. As a result, NCAP tests will become more stringent and vehicles that do not include these features are likely to receive a lower rating. As David Zipper, a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School and an active advocate for car safety, wrote in Bloomberg last year:

From the beginning, NCAP has been a consumer education program designed to help Americans understand the relative safety of new cars before making a purchase. Carmakers can ignore NCAP if they choose, but federal law requires that its ratings be affixed to car window stickers at car dealerships … Carmakers are looking forward to the best five-star NCAP ratings and bragging when they receive them.

However, new NHTSA proposals may not go far enough. As Zipper notesthe agency says it will “carry out tests” to determine whether to include an automatic emergency stop for cyclists, as its European counterparts have done.

The new proposals come amid a tragic – but completely predictable – increase in the number of people killed in trafficking. Although fewer Americans traveled the road during the pandemic, nearly 39,000 people were killed in 2020 – the highest number of deaths since 2007. And 2021 is set to be another record year, with nearly 32,000 people dying from January to September. (NHTSA still collects data from the last three months of the year.)

These were particularly bloody years for pedestrians and cyclists

These were particularly bloody years for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2020, cyclist deaths increased by more than 9 percent, reaching their highest level since 1987. Urban deaths increased by almost 9 percent, and pedestrian deaths approached 4 percent, the most the highest number since 1989

“There is a crisis on America’s roads: 3,000 people are dying every month, and the numbers have only gotten worse in recent years,” said US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigig in a statement. “These important changes will help save lives on our roads by ensuring that consumers have the necessary information about the latest safety technologies when buying a new vehicle.

The link between vehicle design and pedestrian deaths is quite clear. The most popular types of vehicles, jeeps and pickups, are usually the most dangerous. While people driving SUVs are a little safer, the number of pedestrians killed by those drivers has risen 81 percent in the past decade, according to a report released several years ago by the Road Safety Insurance Institute.

This is mainly due to the way SUVs are designed: larger bodies and taller carriages mean that pedestrians are more likely to suffer fatal blows to the head and torso. Higher ground clearances mean that victims are more likely to be trapped under an accelerating SUV instead of being pushed onto the hood or side.

A revised NCAP can penalize vehicles that are designed in this deadly way. This could have a huge impact on the current design of SUVs and trucks – but only if NHTSA sticks to its weapons and accepts these proposals.

Ukraine has announced it will issue irreplaceable tokens to fund its armed forces as cryptocurrency becomes an increasingly popular means of supporting the government in Kyiv.

Mikhail Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, said on Twitter on Thursday that the government would soon issue an NFT to help pay for the army.

NFT provides ownership of a unique digital item – with works of virtual art that are proving to be particularly popular – to its buyer, even if that item can be easily copied. Ownership is recorded in a digital, decentralized register known as a blockchain.

Fedorov did not elaborate on the NFT, but said the government had canceled earlier plans to reward cryptocurrency donors with airdrop, a free digital token commonly used by the crypto community to encourage participation in a project.

After careful consideration, we decided to cancel the airdrop. Every day there are more and more people willing to help Ukraine fight aggression. Instead, we will soon announce the NFT in support of the Ukrainian armed forces. We have NO plans to issue replaceable tokens

– Mikhail Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 3, 2022

The move comes after Ukraine’s call for donations of cryptocurrencies exceeded $ 50 million (£ 38 million) after Fedorov posted a request for donations in bitcoins, ethereum and theater on Twitter last week.

Stand with the people of Ukraine
He now accepts donations of cryptocurrency. Ethereum. Bitcoin and Tether (USDTtrc20)

BTC – 357a3So9CbsNfBBgFYACGvxxS6tMaDoa1P

ETH – 0x165CD37b4C644C2921454429E7F9358d18A45e14

USDT (trc20) – TEFccmfQ38cZS1DTZVhsxKVDckA8Y6VfCy

– Mikhail Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022

The appeal has already raised $ 54.7 million for the Ukrainian government and a Ukrainian NGO, according to Elliptic, a blockchain data and analysis company. Most of the money went to the government, with a smaller amount sent to Come Back Alive, an organization that funds “real-time needs to protect Ukraine.”

According to Elliptic, there have been more than 102,000 donations of cryptocurrencies since the invasion began last week, including a $ 5.8 million donation from Gavin Wood, the British co-founder of the blockchain platform Polkadot. Elliptic added that a $ 1.86 million donation appears to come from the sale of NFT, originally intended to raise money for Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. CryptoPunk NFT worth $ 200,000 has also been sent to the Ukrainian government.

“Most of the donations received so far have been in bitcoin and ether, although stable US dollar coins contribute a significant share,” Elliptic said this week. However, the company added that fraudsters also appear to be raising funds by luring consumers who are trying to donate to Ukrainian causes.

NFT’s global market reached $ 25.5 billion last year, according to DappRadar, a company that tracks sales, rising sharply from just $ 100 million in 2020. The rising value of NFT has sparked warnings from skeptics that token obsession carries everyone distinctive features of a speculative bubble. DappRadar’s head of finance and research, Modesta Masoyt, said Ukraine’s move was a “turning point” in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

Ukraine has also raised significant sums through conventional means. Last week, she raised £ 200m from the sale of military bonds and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to raise additional funds.

Former Senator Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Discusses Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat and whether NATO should take a more practical approach to Ukraine, saying the conflict will “define how secure the world is” in the future.

The same American companies that are in a hurry to sever ties with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine have nothing to say about China’s position against Taiwan or the persecution of the Uighurs.

Apple said Tuesday it had stopped sales and other services such as Apple Pay in Russia, saying it was “deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine” and “with all the people who are suffering as a result of the violence.”

APPLE STOPPED SALES IN RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE

Apple also said that state-owned Russian media outlets such as RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside of Russia.

Woman cries in front of houses damaged by Russian air strike, according to locals in Gorenka, outside the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022 (AP Newsroom)

Apple has not taken such action against China, which is increasing its presence near Taiwan, an island that the communist country claims is part of its own territory, despite the island’s claims to independence since 1949. The United States does not officially recognize Taiwan, but maintain an informal relationship and support their democratic government.

China is sending dozens of fighter jets to Taiwan’s air defense zone, in line with calls by Chinese President Xi Jinping to bring the island to China as part of a “peaceful unification.” Taiwan has said it must warn nine Chinese planes that entered its defense zone on February 24, the same day Russia invaded Ukraine.

Uighur, Tibetan and Hong Kong communities gather in front of the Chinese Embassy in London, October 1, 2021 (Hasan Esen / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Although Apple is taking a stand against Russia and its state media, Chinese state media such as Xinhua, China Central Television (CCTV) and People’s Daily are still available for download from the App Store.

Apple is also silent about China’s human rights abuses against Muslims, especially Uighurs, in Xinjiang, which the United States has declared genocide. In fact, the company removed the Koran application from its App Store in October following requests from the Chinese government.

Apple CEO Tim Cook makes an elevator gesture as he arrives to speak during a week-long antitrust trial in a federal court in Oakland, California, May 21, 2021.

In March last year, Apple complied with the Chinese government’s request to remove H&M stores from Apple Maps in the country after the Swedish-based retailer spoke out against human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party.

“We are required to abide by local laws, and sometimes there are complex issues on which we may disagree with governments,” said Apple’s human rights policy.

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Apple did not respond to a request from Fox News Digital for comment on the Uighur genocide or whether it would take similar action against China, which it did with Russia in the event of an invasion of Taiwan.

Similar requests for comment from many other companies that have moved to sever ties with Russia but not China, including Twitter, Google, Nike, Disney and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have remained unresolved.