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☆ Belarus Holds an Election, but the Outcome Is Not Hard to Predict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amid a number of high-stakes elections to be held around the world this year, the East European nation of Belarus on Sunday offered an alternative to the unpredictability of democracy: a vote for Parliament without a single candidate critical of the country’s despotic leader. For the government, the election on Sunday — the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which neighbors Belarus to the south — is important as an opportunity to show Moscow, its ally, that it has snuffed out all domestic opposition and survived economic and other strains imposed by the war. Russia, which has in the past had doubts about Mr. Lukashenko’s durability and reliability, launched its invasion in February 2022 in part from Belarusian territory. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an exiled opponent of Mr. Lukashenko, said: “These so-called elections are nothing more than a circus show. It’s not even entertaining.”

Persons: Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Mr, It’s Organizations: East, Sunday Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ Volkswagen puts off east European gigafactory amid sluggish EV demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. It said earlier this year it was in no rush to make a decision. Czech officials said on Wednesday they would start offering their proposed site for Volkswagen's battery plant to other investors, saying they could not afford to wait any longer for a decision. "We cannot continue to hold the land for this project," Fiala told a news conference. Industry minister Jozef Sikela said talks were happening with five investors, with two of those projects on a similar scale to Volkswagen's plans.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Oliver Blume, BEV, Blume, Petr Fiala, Fiala, Jozef Sikela, Jason Hovet, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter Organizations: New York, REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, Volkswagen's, Skoda Auto, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Europe, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Salzgitter, Germany, Valencia, Spain, St, Thomas, Canada, Volkswagen's Czech, Czech

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia faces a tough fight to regain a seat in the U.N.’s premiere human rights body in Tuesday’s election in the General Assembly, which voted last year to suspend Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine. The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the U.N.’s five regional groups. Human Rights Watch said last week that Russia and China are unfit to serve on the Human Rights Council. The New York-based watchdog said China’s rights record should also disqualify it from the Human Rights Council. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members’ poor rights records.

Persons: ’, Moscow’s U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, ” Nebenzia, Felice Gaer, Jacob, Russia’s, Ferit Hoxha, Robert Wood, ”, Louis Charbonneau, U.N, Vladimir Putin Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General Assembly, Rights, Albania, East European, Human Rights, Russia, Jacob Blaustein Institute, Advancement of Human, Human Rights Council, Security Council, United Nations, General, Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, International, Court, The Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Geneva, Bulgaria, United States, Russian, Ukrainian, U.S, America, Caribbean, Cuba, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Peru, China, Japan, Kuwait, Indonesia, Burundi, Malawi, Ghana, Ivory Coast, France, Netherlands, “, The New York, Xinjiang, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, South Korea, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Sudan

☆ A Theater Troupe That’s Also a Support Network for Exiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the two founders of the renowned Belarus Free Theater claimed political asylum in Britain in 2011, they found themselves homeless, with few possessions and facing a bureaucratic labyrinth before they could work. Twelve years later, the company’s founders, Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, are using that experience to help other artists fleeing political repression. The Belarus Free Theater’s political productions have often criticized Lukashenko’s authoritarian leadership and its troupe was long at risk of arrest. But as repression increased, the company decided it was no longer feasible for its other members to remain in Minsk. Since then, Kaliada said, she and Khalezin had been helping the actors to find housing, therapy and visas.

Persons: Natalia Kaliada, Nicolai Khalezin, Ukraine —, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Vladimir V, Putin, Kaliada, Khalezin Organizations: Belarus Free Theater, Skype, Belarus —, Belarus Free Locations: Belarus, Britain, British, Minsk, Belarus’s, East, Russia, Ukraine

☆ A close Russian ally snubbed Putin by announcing military exercises with the US — the latest in a series of embarrassments for the president
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Armenia will host a joint military exercise with the US later this month. The country is a longtime Russian ally but has repeatedly expressed its frustration with it. This includes threatening to leave the Russia-led CSTO and refusing to host its military drills. A US military spokesperson told Reuters that 85 US soldiers and 175 Armenian soldiers will take part in the exercise. Armenia also hosts a Russian military base.

Persons: CSTO, Vladimir Putin, didn't, Nikol, Pashinyan, Putin, Thomas Graham, Jaroslava Barbieri, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, Reuters, NATO, Soviet, Yale, University of Birmingham Locations: Armenia, Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, East, tatters .

☆ China is eroding Russia's influence over old allies as the alliance it leads crumbles over Ukraine, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian influence is waning despite formal alliances and the old ties of the Soviet Union. It is also home to most members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Russian President Vladimir Putin's equivalent of NATO. Russia's influence on them is also being weakened by more countries competing for their attention, Graham said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that "Russia's operation in Ukraine is undermining, eroding its ability to maintain its influence across the former Soviet space." "You're seeing the slow erosion of Russian influence."

Persons: Thomas Graham, Vladimir Putin's, Graham, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Stanislav Zas, Nikol Pashinyan, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rakhmon, Anton Novoderezhkin Organizations: Service, Yale, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Moscow REUTERS, Russia, Armenian, Kazakh, Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Central, AFPTV, Getty Locations: Central Asia, Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, China, Turkey, East, Caucasus, Moscow, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Central, Europe, Iran, Russian, Belarusian, Bakhmut, AFP, Azerbaijan, Soviet

☆ ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ knew the cure for loneliness
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Racial and class segregation have also long shaped and limited access to public places. "The fundamental rule of public space is that what attracts people most is other people." So it's counterproductive to stop responsible drinkers from enjoying themselves in parks, at street fairs, and in other public places. There are an average of eight public toilets for every 100,000 people in the US, but access to facilities varies widely. By contrast, countries like the UK and Switzerland have many more public toilets per capita.

Persons: Sara Hoy, Hoy, she'd, I've, Erin Boyd, Culdesac, We're, —, Severance, Vivek Murthy, millennials, Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, Tina Smith, Smith, Leslie Kern, Kern, Mitchell Reardon, Reardon, Eid, Kristen Ghodsee, who's, Ghodsee Organizations: Central Pennsylvania, Peace Corps, today's, Seneca Village, Dodger, Connecticut Democrat, Minnesota Democrat, Soho House, Social, Centers for Disease Control, East European Studies, University of Pennsylvania, National Association of Realtors Locations: Central, Moldova, Korea, Sweden, Phoenix, Arizona, New York, Seneca, Washington, Rock Creek, Los Angeles, Connecticut, America's, Wethersfield , Connecticut, Minnesota, Soho, America, Seattle, York City, Rochester , Minnesota, Europe, Germany, It's, Switzerland, Homebuyers, Houston, Austin

☆ Harrowing migrant drama puts spotlight on Europe border cruelty
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Zielona Granica" (Green Border) in competition - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 5, 2023. "Green Border", which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, tells the story of refugees, charity workers, activists and border guards, whose lives intersect in the cold, swampy forests between the two east European countries. Migrants started flocking to the border in 2021, after Belarus, a close Russian ally, opened travel agencies in the Middle East offering a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis. "If we go further on this road ... the European Union, Europe, the continent of freedom, democracy (and) human rights will disappear. "Green Border" is one of 23 movies competing for the Golden Lion award at the Venice festival, which runs until Sept. 9.

Persons: Jalal Altawil, Dalia Naous, Mohamad Al Rashi, Maja Ostaszewska, Agnieszka Holland, Behi Djanati Atai, Tomasz Wlosok, Marcin Wierzchoslawski, Fred, Holland, Crispian Balmer, Nick Macfie Organizations: Migrants, European Union, Nazi Holocaust, Golden, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, Polish, Belarus, Russian, Europe, Poland, Syria, Afghanistan, Holland, East, Africa, Ukraine

Instead, the student population at West Virginia University has dropped 10% since 2015, while on-campus expansion continued. Lawmakers recently approved a higher education funding formula rewarding schools for degree attainment, workforce outcomes and graduate wages. Mary Manspeaker, an English Ph.D. student, said she left her home state at 18 because she didn't see opportunity in West Virginia. He said the conflict reflects the fundamental question in higher education right now: How do we assess value? "And it might be in cash, endowment and buildings, but it could arguably be in other things.”___Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia.

Persons: Jim Justice, “ We’ve, ”, Gordon Gee, “, Gee, Joey Demes, Demes, Craig Blair, Marshall, hasn’t, Eric Tarr, Lisa Di Bartolomeo, Di Bartolomeo, ’ ”, Mary Manspeaker, Peter Lake, Lake, ” ___ Raby Organizations: West Virginia's, Gov, Marshall University, West Virginia University, Lawmakers, Marshall, WVU, —, American Federation of Teachers, ”, GOP, Republican, Center, Excellence, Higher Education Law, Florida's Stetson University Locations: MORGANTOWN, W.Va, West, East Coast, Morgantown, U.S, West Virginia, Appalachia, Charleston , West Virginia

☆ The 5 deadliest Western-provided weapons Ukraine is using to fight Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The West has been sending Ukraine weapons and armed vehicles since the start of the war. Now, as Ukraine is in the midst of its counteroffensive to regain crucial territory from Russia, many of these weapons are proving useful. Insider spoke to three military experts about which of the Western-provided weapons have been the most effective for Ukraine in the war. Only time will tell how useful the weapons really areIt is still unclear how Ukraine's counteroffensive will unfold, and how long the Western weapons will hold until Ukraine will need more. A top Ukrainian general told the BBC on Thursday that because Russia has littered the frontlines in south Ukraine with multi-layered minefields, Western tanks are proving ineffective.

Persons: Serhii, Ben, that's, Zelenskyy, Fabrizio Bensch, Oleksii Reznikov, Huseyn Aliyev, Javelin, of, Cave, Lewis Joly, Marina Miron, Bradley, Hanna Maliar, Aliyev, Alivey, Alivey said.It, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Tarnavskyi Organizations: Shadow, Service, Leopard, US, Patriot, Challenger, Ukraine, High, Artillery, Getty, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, RAND Corporation, Patriot Missile Systems, Army MIM, Defense, Research Center, East European Studies, Patriots, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, Javelin, AP, Military Times, Kyiv, Paris Air, Department of, King's College London, Soviet, Bradley Infantry Fighting, Bradley, BBC Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Germany, Russia, Donetsk Oblast, Ben Caves, Russian, Kherson, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Moscow, of Ukraine, Le Bourget, Paris, France, Ukrainian, Europe

☆ Putin wanted his own version of NATO. Instead he has a failing alliance that has only made him look weaker since the invasion of Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Putin wanted his own version of NATOPutin has long viewed NATO as a threat to Russia, even citing it as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that CSTO members states' desires for closer ties with the US weren't new. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Armenia in November 2022. Graham also said the invasion of Ukraine meant Putin is less and less able to deal with CSTO members' complaints.

Persons: it's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Graham, NATO Putin, Alexander Cooley, Cooley, Armenia's, Nikol Pashinyan, KAREN MINASYAN, Putin's, isn't Putin, Ilya PITALEV, ILYA PITALEV, Getty Images Graham, Russia's, ANATOLII STEPANOV, you've, Graham, CSTO, Sadyr Japarov, Stanislav Zas, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, AP Cooley, – Putin, Vladimir Voronin, Nikol, They've, Hayk Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Security, Organization, Yale, Columbia University, REUTERS, Getty Images, SPUTNIK, AFP, CSTO, Kazakh, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Collective Security, Vladimir Voronin NATO, Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, US, EU, Armenian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, East, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, The Hague, Netherlands, Yerevan, AFP, Soviet Union, Moscow, Asia, Ukrainian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, NATO, USSR, Dushanbe, tatters, Photolure, China, Turkey, United States

☆ Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Experts break down Putin's motivations and excuses for launching his war.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Insider spoke to three experts about why it happened, and the motives behind President Putin's move. AP Photo/Evgeniy MaloletkaPutin blamed the WestTaylor said the invasion of Ukraine reflects Putin's "grievances that have been brewing for a long time." For Putin, "Russia has a right to rule Ukraine. At the start of the invasion, Putin blamed NATO's expansion into eastern Europe for forcing his hand, echoing a criticism he has made for years. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with war correspondents in Moscow, June 13, 2023.

Persons: Putin's, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Felipe Dana, it's, George W, Bush, Stephen Hall, Hall, Alexander Ermochenko, Brian Taylor, Thomas Graham, Graham, Evgeniy Maloletka Putin, West Taylor, Taylor, Lithuania — Taylor, NATO didn't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Omar Marques, They've, Russia's, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Stalin, Zelenskyy, Viktor Medvedchuk, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, GAVRIIL Organizations: Service, AP, University of Bath, Kyiv, REUTERS, Slavic, of, West, Syracuse University, Yale, NATO, NATO doesn't, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Getty, Nazis, Nazism, Putin, SPUTNIK Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Bucha, Kyiv, Russian Ukraine, Soviet Union, USSR, Russian, Moscow, Luhansk, Belarus, Asia, of Russia, East, Avdiivka, Europe, Ryazan, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Zelenskyy, Afghanistan, Germany

☆ Gunman kills two at Moldova's main airport before being arrested - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, June 30 (Reuters) - A foreign national shot dead two people at Moldova's main international airport on Friday after being denied entry into the country, police and the interior ministry said. Police detained the man after the incident at Chisinau International Airport, the east European country's largest airport. Moldova's Newsmaker website cited unnamed officials saying the man had seized a gun from a border police officer after being taken to an area to be barred entry. Moldova, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a population of 2.6 million and is pushing to join the European Union. Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Writing by Olena Harmash and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Moldova's, Alexander Tanas, Olena Harmash, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: Police, Chisinau International Airport, Facebook, European Union, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: CHISINAU, Chisinau, Turkey, Moldova, Soviet Union, Romania, Ukraine

☆ Putin is facing a new threat at home while Russia's military is making itself 'vulnerable globally,' experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It comes as Russia's military is tied down in Ukraine and less able to respond to crises elsewhere. Those questions come as a Ukrainian offensive bears down on Russia's military, which since late last year has been replenishing its forces in Ukraine with aging equipment and under-trained personnel. These efforts have bolstered Russian units in Ukraine but left the Russian military more vulnerable elsewhere and undermined its ability to respond to other crises, experts say. Russia's military has tried to show it still has muscles to flex, mostly with air and naval forces that are largely undamaged by the war. Russian troops board a military aircraft on their way to Kazakhstan in January 2022.

Persons: Wagner, it's, Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Russia's, Dara Massicot, Maxym, I've, there's, Massicot, Gorshkov, Kassym, Tokayev, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, It's, Prigozhin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Angela, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Rand Corporation, Georgetown University, Getty, Russia's, Fleet, Northern Fleet, Iranian Army, Anadolu Agency, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry Press, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Center for, East European Studies, Brookings Institution, National Security Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Siberia, Norway, Georgia, Central Asia, Russia, Syria, Kazakhstan, Russia's, Armenia, Tajikistan

☆ Analysis: Poland is a key Western ally. But its government keeps testing the limits of democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A clear sign that Poland was still a key ally – despite accusations that its government is undermining democracy and the rule of law. Law and Justice has so far struggled to take a decisive lead over the opposition Civic Platform grouping. Then on Wednesday, the European Commission announced it was suing Poland over a new law that sets up a special commission tasked with investigating Russian influence in Polish politics. The Commission said the law violates the principle of democracy and could be used to silence opposition. Law and Justice has justified the law by saying the dependence on Russian gas has hurt Poland’s interests.

Persons: Joe Biden, –, it’s, ” Aleks, Biden, ”, Agnieszka Kubal, “, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Andrzej Duda, ” Kubal, Szczerbiak, you’re Organizations: CNN, NATO, Russia, University of Sussex, Law, Justice, of Slavonic, East European Studies, University College London, Ukrainian, European Commission, US State Department, Gazprom, EU Locations: Poland, Ukraine, Warsaw, United States, Germany, Russia

☆ Macron tells Eastern Europe - we should have listened to you over Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Wednesday that France should have paid more attention to Eastern European nations, which warned about a belligerent Russia before Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine. Macron told a security forum there should be no division between "Old Europe" and "New Europe", referring to enduring divergences between eastern and western European Union members over matters such as Russia. "Let's be grateful and say thank you to the United States. Macron said Russia had suffered clear setbacks in the war, including Finland's accession to NATO and losing legitimacy on the global stage. We can see that what was supposed to be a 'special operation' is already a geopolitical failure," Macron said.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Jacques Chirac, EU's, Vladimir Putin, Let's, Donald Trump, Michel Rose, Mark Heinrich, Jon Boyle Organizations: PARIS, Eastern, European Union, Russia, NATO, Thomson Locations: France, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Slovak, Bratislava, United States, Britain, Iraq, Germany, Paris, Poland

☆ Wagner's chief says his army isn't strong enough to topple Putin, responding to rumors he is planning a coup: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin denied planning a coup. Kremlin ally Igor Girkin had claimed that Prigozhin may be preparing to topple Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin instead implied that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu could stage a coup because he has access to the Russian Special Forces, the ISW added. Wagner, Prigozhin said on Telegram, simply wants reforms in Russia, according to the report. Girkin said insults Prigozhin has made about top Russian officials in expletive filled videos indicate he is planning to seize power.

☆ Russian parliament chief proposes Polish truck ban, says Warsaw owes Moscow billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, May 21 (Reuters) - Russia's top lawmaker on Sunday called for a ban on Polish trucks transiting Russian territory and for Poland to compensate Moscow financially for what he said was the Soviet rebuilding of the east European country after World War Two. He said Poland should also hand back territory it received after the war. Volodin said a parliamentary committee would begin considering a ban on Polish trucks entering Russian territory as soon as Monday. Strained Russian-Polish relations have deteriorated further since the war in Ukraine - something Moscow calls "a special military operation" with Warsaw positioning itself as one of Kyiv's key allies. In March 2022, Poland said it was expelling 45 Russian diplomats suspected of working for Moscow's intelligence services.

☆ Leaked details of Wagner boss Prigozhin's dealings suggest he was ready to throw Russia's war 'under the bus' just to win a battle, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Wagner Group has frequently feuded with Russia's military leadership over its war in Ukraine. A new report suggests the group leader took it farther than previously known, offering to give Ukraine Russian troop locations. The report indicates that Yevgeny Prigozhin was ready to derail Russia's war for his own aims, an expert told Insider. And according to a new report, amid these tensions, Prigozhin attempted derail Russia's battlefield operations in a major way. Ukrainian soldiers walk in the position close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

☆ Moscow's 'special' forces: An inside look at how Russia's famed Spetsnaz really operate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Mark Galeotti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Russia's Spetsnaz forces are often depicted as a kind of Russian super troops. Osprey PublishingMost countries' special forces emphasize physical fitness, determination and aggression. Special people, for special tasksMembers of the Russian military's 16th Separate Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in 2018. Even so, being better than most of the Soviet army's miserable and recalcitrant conscript forces did not make most of them truly special, special forces. The special operations commandMembers of Russian's 22nd Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in November 2017.

☆ Saudi Arabia's TAWAL to buy European towers from United Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, April 20 (Reuters) - TAWAL, a unit of Saudi Telecom Company (stc) (7010.SE), agreed to buy tower infrastructure worth 1.22 billion-euros ($1.34 billion) from United Group in its first foray into Europe's telecoms market, the southeast European firm said on Thursday. TAWAL, a tower infrastructure unit that STC carved out in 2018, will buy the mobile infrastructure unit of United Group in Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia, which has more than 4,800 towers, United Group said in a statement. United Group, backed by private equity firm BC Partners, said it was TAWAL's first investment in Europe's telecoms sector. "Upon completion, TAWAL's operations in the European market will be rebranded as "TAWAL Europe" and will serve as TAWAL's platform for any future expansion in Europe," stc said. ($1 = 0.9119 euros)Reporting by Yousef Saba; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia is facing stagnating innovation, more dependence on China, and will become a state-led economy as war in Ukraine drags on, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Experts weighed in on how Russia's war effort is impacting its economy a year after the invasion of Ukraine. The longer the conflict persists the more likely Russia is to depend on China for resources, experts said. Economists says the country will be facing a myriad of obstacles, including a slowdown of productivity and diminished innovation. A more state-led economyAs sanctions weigh on its economy, Russia has been undergoing a structural transformation to become self-sufficient. Nichols added: "I firmly believe that someday Russia will be a productive member of the global community and global economy.

☆ Czech group PPF takes 9.1% stake in Germany's ProSiebensat.1
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE/BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Czech investment group PPF has taken a 9.1% stake in ProSiebensat.1 (PSMGn.DE), PPF said on Tuesday, becoming the German broadcaster's second-largest investor behind Italy's MFE-MediaforEurope (MFEB.MI). "PPF believes the digital transformation of ProSieben will create value for all shareholders," privately-owned PPF said in a statement. "PPF is looking forward to liaising with the management and supervisory board of ProSieben in this digitalization process." The group, which also owns the CME group that operates dozens of channels in six central and east European markets, is now controlled by Kellner's widow, Renata Kellnerova. Reporting by Jan Lopatka, Klaus Lauer and Christoph Steitz Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moldova closes airspace, one day after warning of Russian coup plot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Moldova temporarily closed its air space on Tuesday, one day after the tiny east European country's president accused Russia of plotting to bring down its government. "Dear passengers, at this moment, the airspace of the Republic of Moldova is closed. We are waiting for the resumption of flights," Air Moldova, Moldova's main airline, said on Facebook. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week his country had uncovered a Russian intelligence plan "for the destruction of Moldova". Moldova said last Friday that a Russian missile had violated its airspace during an attack on Ukrainian infrastructure and summoned the Russian ambassador to protest.

☆ Is it time to start paying stay-at-home parents?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

As populations decline and Americans rethink work, it could be time to start paying parents. Like many of the stay-at-home parents Insider spoke to, Carpenter began his work in reaction to an economic reality. As workers across industries rethink what they want out of work, parents could be the final frontier. That leaves both working and stay-at-home parents to create their own economic models, and perhaps dissuades some Americans from ever becoming parents. The idea of paying parents in order to boost birth rates and ensure better outcomes for those children isn't new.

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