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☆ Haiti: Machete-wielding militias battle gangs in Port-au-Prince as elites vie for power
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Caitlin Stephen Hu | David Culver | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN —The wide road that passes in front of Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport has a post-apocalyptic stillness these days. But leaving the city isn’t an option this time; the airport, under siege by gangs, has been forced to close. Evelio Contreras/CNNPort-au-Prince’s gangs are still choking off the supply of food, fuel and water across the city. Gangs have long haunted the residents of Port-au-Prince, but their reach has dramatically expanded over recent years, covering 80% of the city today, according to UN estimates. Marie Suze Saint Charles in a hospital, Port-au-Prince March 17 Evelio Contreras/CNNThe proliferation of police, gang and civilian checkpoints meanwhile is fracturing Haiti’s capital into wary and anxious fiefdoms.

Persons: Haiti’s Toussaint, Ariel Henry, Evelio Contreras, ”, Marie Maurice, they’ve, Maurice, Prince, –, Marie Suze Saint Charles, Marie, Suze Saint Charles Organizations: Haiti CNN, National Penitentiary, CNN, Haiti’s National Police, Transnational, Refugees, Argentine, Armored, International Organization for Migration Locations: Prince, Haiti, Port, Haitian, Canapé, Swiss, Argentine Bellegarde, ”

☆ Now It’s Germany’s Turn to Frustrate Allies Over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( David E. Sanger | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First it was France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who angered his NATO allies by suggesting that soon the West could be forced to send troops to Ukraine, portending a direct confrontation with Russian forces that the rest of the alliance has long rejected. Then Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany took his own turn exposing new divisions. Trying to justify why Germany was withholding its most powerful missile, the Taurus, from Ukrainian hands, he hinted that Britain, France and the United States may secretly be helping Ukraine target similar weapons, a step he said Germany simply could not take. While neither Britain or France has commented officially — they almost never discuss how their weapons are deployed — Mr. Scholz was immediately accused by former officials of revealing war secrets. “Scholz’s behavior has showed that as far as the security of Europe goes he is the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time,” Ben Wallace, Britain’s former defense minister, told The Evening Standard, a London daily.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, portending, Olaf Scholz, Germany, Scholz, ” Ben Wallace, Tobias Ellwood, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: NATO, Russian, Conservative Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Britain, France, United States, Europe, London, Washington

☆ Finland, which shares a border with Russia, plans to build 300 new shooting ranges as interest in national defense surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Finland plans to open new shooting ranges due to a surge in interest following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish government aims to increase the number of civilian shooting ranges from 670 to about 1,000 by 2030. Since existing shooting ranges also cater to other users like hunters and the police, more facilities are required due to heavy usage. AdvertisementThere are about 670 shooting ranges for civilians in Finland — down from over 2,000 before the year 2000. Meanwhile, the Finnish defense ministry plans to "safeguard the activities of Finland's shooting ranges and promote the establishment of new shooting ranges," a spokesperson told the Guardian.

Persons: —, Russia —, People shouldn't, Jukka Kopra Organizations: Nordic, NATO, Service, Yle, Finns, People, National Coalition, Guardian, Helsinki, US, Kremlin Locations: Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Finnish

☆ The high-profile failure of a $3.7B aircraft carrier shows how Britain is struggling to keep up with first-rate militaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Years of underfunding have left the UK's navy in a threadbare state, according to a report. AdvertisementThe high-profile failure of the UK's flagship aircraft carrier over the weekend has shown how Britain is struggling to keep up with first-rate navies around the world. AdvertisementThe Prince of Wales and the HMS Queen Elizabeth have only been in service for around three years. Having two aircraft carriers means that HMS Prince of Wales can quickly prepare to deploy in place of HMS Queen Elizabeth," said a spokeswoman. Advertisement"HMS Prince of Wales will deploy soon on NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, carrying out her duties to keep the nation and our allies safe."

Persons: underfunding, —, Elizabeth, Wales, Tom Sharpe, Lord Houghton, of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth, Prince, Sir Richard Barrons Organizations: NATO, Service, Britain's Royal Navy, US Navy, Navy, The Times, Britain's, Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, Financial Locations: Britain, East Asia, Russia, Ukraine, Red, Bahrain, Wales

☆ Another mysterious Russian plane crash raises more questions than answers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Analysis Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Russian Defense Ministry said the plane was destroyed by an anti-aircraft missile system deployed in the area of Liptsy in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from where the plane came down. Another Ukrainian military source was quoted as claiming that the plane was carrying Russian missiles, not prisoners. Another puzzling element is that according to the Russian version of events, the Ukrainian PoWs were guarded by just three Russian personnel on board the plane (besides the crew.) But a large Russian military aircraft without anti-missile defenses approaching Belgorod – itself a frequent target of Ukrainian drones – would have been a tempting and valuable target for Ukraine. There’s been no visual evidence of the wreckage, and the Russian Defense Ministry has not responded to the claim.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Andrey Kartapolov, Maksym Kolesnikov, Dmytro Lubinets, “, There’s Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Russian Defense Ministry, Defense Ministry, Duma Defense, IRIS, Patriot, Ukrainian PoW Locations: Belgorod, Ukraine, Liptsy, Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Sumy, Russian, Moscow, US, Russia, Bryansk, Olenivka, Donetsk, Belgorod –, Azov

☆ White House warns Israel against reoccupying Gaza as Netanyahu signals what a post-war Strip could look like
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The president still believes that a reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces is not good. In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” last month, Biden said it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to occupy Gaza. Israeli government officials have not yet elaborated on how Gaza would be governed should they succeed in eliminating Hamas. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday that Israel will “retain complete freedom of action to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip” once the war ends. That hasn’t changed since October 7 and it’s not going to change going forward,” Kirby said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, It’s, ”, John Kirby, Antony, Blinken, Netanyahu, we’ve, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Michael Herzog, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, ” Gallant, Kirby, We’re, hasn’t, it’s, ” Kirby, CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Hagi Cohen, Boland, Stephanie Halasz, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Oren Liebermann, Kareem El Damanhoury, Mitchell McCluskey Organizations: Washington CNN, Security, CNN, ABC News, CBS, Hamas, Israel’s Foreign Affairs, Defense Committee, Israel Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States

Israel has deployed overwhelming aerial firepower since the Oct. 7 attack, which saw Hamas gunmen burst out of the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 Israelis and taking 239 hostages. Israeli airstrikes hit a crowded refugee camp in the Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander. In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added. The plan offers Israel peace treaties with full diplomatic ties in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state. Muasher, the former Jordanian minister at Carnegie, said Hamas' attack had ended any possibility that Middle Eastern stability could be reached without engaging with Palestinians.

Persons: U.N, Marwan Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Danny Danon, It's, Ziadeh, they're, Ali Baraka, Baraka, Osama Hamdan, Netanyahu, Jordan, –, Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, James Mackenzie, Samia Nakhoul, Angus McDowall, Pravin Organizations: Reuters, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, HAMAS, Qatar University, Washington, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Authority, U.S, Bank, United Arab, Carnegie, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Jerusalem, Washington, Israeli, United States, Hamas, Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Palestinian, Oslo, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian

☆ Israel Aims to End Its Responsibility for Gaza Strip -Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - One Israeli objective of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip is to end Israel's responsibility over the Palestinian coastal enclave, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday. Gaza has no access to the outside world except through Israel, which controls 90% of its land and sea boundaries, and Egypt, which has a narrow land border to the south. The Israeli defense minister, briefing parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said the Gaza campaign that was launched after a deadly Hamas rampage on Israeli towns on Oct. 7, would have three phases. "The third phase will require the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza strip, and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel," the minister said, according to a statement from his office. Israel has previously looked to oversee imports into Gaza to prevent military materials from reaching Hamas.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Ari Rabinovitch, Christina Fincher, Crispian Balmer Organizations: Islamists, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Hamas Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Egypt

☆ Israel aims to end its responsibility for Gaza Strip -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant meets soldiers in a field near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 20 (Reuters) - One Israeli objective of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip is to end Israel's responsibility over the Palestinian coastal enclave, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday. The Israeli defense minister, briefing parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said the Gaza campaign that was launched after a deadly Hamas rampage on Israeli towns on Oct. 7, would have three phases. "The third phase will require the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza strip, and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel," the minister said, according to a statement from his office. Israel has previously looked to oversee imports into Gaza to prevent military materials from reaching Hamas.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Ronen, Gallant, Ari Rabinovitch, Christina Fincher, Crispian Balmer Organizations: Israel's, REUTERS, Rights, Islamists, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Gaza, Israel, Egypt

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan lawmakers said Wednesday that parliamentary approval is required before the deployment of police to the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti to combat gang violence that was approved by the U.N. Security Council this week. Opposition lawmaker Anthony Oluoch told a session of Parliament's lower house that the conditions for foreign deployment hadn't been met under the National Police Act. The Kenya-led mission would be the first time in almost 20 years that a force would be deployed to Haiti. The upcoming mission would be led by Kenya, with Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda also pledging personnel. The non-U.N. mission would be reviewed after nine months and be funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. pledging up to $200 million.

Persons: Anthony Oluoch, hadn't, ”, Junet Mohamed, William Ruto, “, Joe Biden, Ruto, Nelson Koech, ” Koech, Kimani Ichung’wah, Alfred Mutua, Mutua Organizations: —, . Security, National Police, Kenyan, Security, Multinational Security, Kenyan Constitution, Associated Press, U.S, Kenyan Foreign Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Haiti, East Africa, Shabab, Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda

☆ Putin is forming mysterious private armies across Russia to protect himself from Wagner soldiers, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is forming private militias across Russia. The plans for the private military companies, or "special enterprises," were noted in a new bill that raises the draft age for the Russian military. It comes weeks after the mutiny by Russia's Wagner mercenary group, which exposed gaps in Putin's defenses. According to the report, Putin's militias would be under the command of regional governors, operate at Putin's behest, and would be armed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. "They are a tool to enhance security [important given very active clandestine actions by Ukrainian military intelligence], and can, as necessary, help against any new mutiny," said Sokov.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Andrey Kartapolov, Russia's Wagner, Putin, Nikolai Sokov Organizations: Service, Daily Beast, Fighters, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense, Barents Observer, Daily Locations: Russia, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Rostov, Moscow, Norwegian, Ukraine

☆ One of Russia's most senior generals in Ukraine said he was fired for questioning the Kremlin's war management, and accused his bosses of backstabbing his men and 'decapitating' the army
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top Russian general in Ukraine is accusing the Kremlin of "decapitating" the war effort. Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov said he was giving honest feedback to his bosses, and was immediately fired. In his voice note, Popov said he was faced with the choice of either telling his bosses what they wanted to hear or to "call a spade a spade." As of Wednesday evening, neither the Russian state media nor the Defense Ministry has commented on Popov's remarks, whether he has been fired, or on the circumstances of such a dismissal. Gurulyov, the state duma member who published Popov's voice note, confirmed to Russian state TV on Wednesday that Tsokov was killed.

Persons: Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulev, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Popov's, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, Gerasimov, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Defense, Arms Army, Telegram, duma, CNN, Defense Ministry, Russia's Defense Ministry, Reuters, Kyiv's, Russia's, Army, The New York Times, Times Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Balakliya, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Berdiansk

☆ A Missing Russian General Is ‘Taking a Rest’ a Top Lawmaker Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Paul Sonne | More About Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gen. Sergei Surovikin of Russia, a onetime ally of the Wagner chief who hasn’t been seen publicly since a short-lived mutiny last month, is “taking a rest,” one of the country’s top lawmakers said Wednesday, when pressed by a reporter. “He is unavailable right now,” the lawmaker, Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Russian Duma’s defense committee, added in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app before hurrying away from the reporter. General Surovikin, the chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was considered to be an ally of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary company, whose forces mounted the brief insurrection in June aimed at toppling Russia’s military leadership, before standing down in a deal with the Kremlin. In the days since then, intense speculation has surrounded General Surovikin, who skillfully pulled out Russian forces from Kherson amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year and has often been dubbed “General Armageddon” for his ruthless tactics.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, hasn’t, Andrei Kartapolov, General Surovikin, Yevgeny V, Surovikin, ” Organizations: Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Russia, Russian, Kherson

☆ Opinion: The election that couldn’t happen in high school
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —In the classic 1999 film, “Election,” the high school student government vote has everything: naked ambition, campaign poster shredding, ballot manipulation, infidelity and more. But what the gifted writer Tom Perotta likely couldn’t imagine was an election in which two unpopular candidates square off for president. That doesn’t happen in high school, even in a satirical movie. The president supports stripping that state of its first-in-the-nation primary status in favor of South Carolina, the state that energized Biden’s 2020 campaign. “In the runup to the 2024 elections, Democrats plan to put the Supreme Court on trial,” wrote David Mark.

Persons: Reese Witherspoon, Tracy Flick, ” Matthew Broderick, Jim McAllister, Tracy, Tom Perotta, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Harry Enten, “, Julian Zelizer, ” Biden, Biden, specter, … ” Dana Summers, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, — Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, George H.W, Bush —, Kennedy, ”, MAGA, Sen, Lindsey Graham’s, Trump’s, Dean Obeidallah, Graham, Michael Flynn, Flynn, Peter Bergen, Erik German, Bill Bramhall, ” “ Flynn, ‘, America’s, …, Geoff Duncan, Drew Sheneman, Roe, Wade, David Mark, … ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com, Biden romped, Jack Ohman, Kara Alaimo, Coles Whalen, ’, Alice Driver, Clay Jones, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Meta, David Zurawik, Victoria, Olesya Khromeychuk, Victoria Amelina, Andrei Kartapolov, Sharp, ” Khromeychuk, ” Don’t, Sheikh Mohammed Al, Issa, David A, Nicole Hemmer, Jill Filipovic, Sonia Pruitt, Lynda Lin Grigsby, Sara Stewart, Jharrel Jerome, Boots Riley, Holly Thomas, Phoebe Waller, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, He’s, goddaughter Helena, Archimedes, Jones, Waller Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Biden, Agency, Republicans, RFK Jr, New, ”, FBI, Economic, Republican National, Republican Party, GOP, Democratic, McKinsey & Company, Twitter, Facebook, Russian Duma Defense, Hollywood, “, Indy Locations: New Hampshire, South Carolina, ” Bergen, German, Davos, Georgia, California, “, Russian, Ukrainian, Kramatorsk, Ukraine, New York, Donetsk, Auschwitz, Here’s, Oakland , California

☆ Israeli government lifts ban on return to West Bank settlements
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, March 21 (Reuters) - The Israeli parliament on Tuesday paved the way for Jewish settlers' return to four settlements in the occupied West Bank by amending a 2005 law that ordered their evacuation, a move condemned by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union. The repeal of certain clauses in a previous disengagement law would allow Jewish residents to return to four West Bank settlements they were ordered to vacate in 2005 on condition of approval by the Israeli military. Since the 1967 war, Israel has established around 140 settlements on land Palestinians see as the core of a future state, where more than 500,000 settlers now live. Besides the authorized settlements, groups of settlers have built scores of outposts without government permission. "We call on Israel to revoke this law and take actions that contribute to de-escalation of an already very tense situation," an EU spokesperson said in a statement.

☆ Russian missiles struck NATO ally Poland and killed 2 people as Putin's forces barraged Ukraine, a US defense official told the AP
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | Charles R. Davis | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two people were reportedly killed after Russian missiles landed in an eastern Polish village. The missiles landed in the village of Przewodów, which is located in eastern Poland a short distance from Ukraine's western border. The US and its Western allies have warned Russia repeatedly that an attack on NATO territory would trigger a strong response. "We are aware of the press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland near the Ukraine border. Criminal Russian regime fired missiles which target not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland.

☆ Putin's military chief Shoigu under fire as Russia retreats in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

After weeks of battlefield setbacks, criticism of Moscow’s military leadership has burst into the open — heightening the sense of domestic discontent and posing a rare challenge to the Kremlin. The search for a scapegoat appears to have settled on Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a close associate of the man who unilaterally launched the invasion: Russian President Vladimir Putin. Appointed defense minister in 2012, Shoigu, 67, had served as the minister of emergency situations, often dispatched to deal with natural disasters and security emergencies, earning him public approval. With Russian forces on the retreat, its military leadership is under fire. Still, such stinging public rebukes of the country’s leadership are extremely rare in Putin’s Russia, where any dissent, especially against those aligned with the Kremlin, is prohibited.

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese fighter jets or drones that intrude into Taiwan’s territorial airspace will be regarded as a “first strike,” Taiwan’s Defense Minister warned Wednesday, as the island seeks to step-up its defenses in response to Beijing’s military pressure. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that “reunification” between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest they’ve been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island. For decades, the median line had served as an informal demarcation line between the two, with military incursions across it being rare. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

☆ German lawmakers break Europe's silence on suspected Nord Stream pipeline saboteur to point the finger at Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two senior German lawmakers have pointed the finger at Russia over suspected sabotage of Nord Stream. European lawmakers had previously left open the question about who the suspected Nord Stream saboteur could be. On Monday, Danish and Swedish authorities detected three severe leaks affecting the four Nord Stream pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Nord Stream was intended as the main artery for natural-gas exports from Russia to Europe. The US Central Intelligence Agency warned Germany weeks ago about potential attacks on Nord Stream, German magazine Der Spiegel reported Tuesday.

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