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☆ US soldier was arrested in Russia last week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An American soldier was detained in Russia last week on suspicion of theft and is currently being held in pre-trial detention, according to two US officials. “The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. The soldier was stationed in South Korea when he took leave to travel to Russia on his own, according to another US official. A State Department official confirmed that a US citizen had been detained in Russia but would not provide further details. Last July, another soldier stationed in South Korea willingly crossed into North Korea where he was immediately detained.

Persons: Gordon Black, ” “, ”, Cynthia Smith, “, Evan Gershkovich, Marine Paul Whelan, Ksenia Karelina, John Kirby, haven’t, ” Kirby, Travis King, King, CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, US Army, Army, Russian Federation, U.S . Department of State, Vienna Convention, Consular Relations, Soldier, US State Department, Street, Marine, NBC News, State Department, US, National Security, Joint Security Area, Incheon International Locations: American, Russia, South Korea, Vladivostok “, Vienna, Ukraine, Cavazos, Texas, Moscow, North Korea, United States, Incheon, Seoul

☆ American journalist Evan Gershkovich marks one year in Russian detention
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

American journalist Evan Gershkovich marked the grim milestone of one year in Russian detention on Friday as US efforts have yet to secure his release. “This has been a really difficult year for our family,” Gershkovich’s sister, Danielle Gershkovich, said at an event last week. Gershkovich is the first journalist to be arrested on such charges since the Cold War, and the Russian government has yet to provide any evidence to support its claim. “This verdict to further prolong Evan’s detention feels particularly painful, as this week marks one year since Evan was arrested and wrongfully detained,” US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said Tuesday. But it is time for the Russian government to let Evan go.”In the past several years, Russia has detained a number of other Americans.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, ”, Danielle Gershkovich, “ It’s, Gershkovich, Evan, Lynne Tracy, “, “ Evan, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Ksenia Karelina, Marc Fogel, Roger Carstens, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Carstens, Matthew Miller, Paul, Moscow, ’ Gershkovich Organizations: Street, Gershkovich, US State Department, ”, Philadelphia Inquirer Locations: Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow’s, Russia, American, Moscow

☆ Opinion: A new flag is going to fly over the White House. My dad would be proud
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Sarah Levinson Moriarty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

She is one of seven children of Robert Levinson, the longest held hostage in US history. It was the day before his 59th birthday, and I was going to see him the following weekend for a big family celebration. Sarah Levinson Moriarty Sarah Levinson MoriartyMy dad was a man who was larger than life — kind, smart and a true patriot. The flag will now fly above the White House, State Department and Capitol on this day as well as on Flag Day (June 14), the Fourth of July and any day in which Americans held captive overseas come home to our great country. Six Americans are still being held hostage by Hamas after its October 7 terror attack on Israel.

Persons: Sarah Levinson Moriarty, Robert Levinson, Sarah Levinson Moriarty Sarah Levinson Moriarty, Bobby Levinson, Levinson, Manuel Balce Ceneta, Bob Levinson, ”, —, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Ksenia Karelina, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: New, Security, CNN, FBI, CIA, White, House, State Department, Capitol, Hostage, Wall Street Locations: Kish, Iran, Florida, Israel, Russia, Russian, China, American

☆ Opinion: What is Putin afraid of?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. But in its attempt to exercise and display its strength, Putin is showing his fear. Security forces have arrested Russians questioning the war in Ukraine, let alone questioning Putin. According to rights organization Freedom House, Russia has become one of the world’s top perpetrators of transnational repression. Criticism of the war or of Putin can lead to death in a Russian prison camp.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Ksenia, Putin, Karelina, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Chris Van Heerden, didn’t, Boris Nemtsov, Anna Politkovskaya, There’s Navalny, Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, —, Gershkovich, Vadim Krasikov, ”, Maxim Kuzminov, Russia “, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Skripal, “ Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Federal Security Service, KGB, Security, US, Wall Street, House, Police Locations: Russia, Russian, Los Angeles, Ukraine, Yekaterinburg, Germany, Chechen, Alicante, Kuzminov, London, Salisbury, England, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

☆ US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina ‘didn’t have a worry in a world’ when she went to Russia. Then she was arrested for treason
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Tara John | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —When dual US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina boarded a flight from Istanbul to Russia in January, the last thing on her mind was that she would find herself behind bars weeks later on treason charges, her boyfriend told CNN’s Brianna Keilar Wednesday. She went on to Russia, while he returned to California - and that’s when he discovered she had been detained. Russian authorities took her cell phone then released her and she was able to see her family and contact him. Despite it all Van Heerden said he was hopeful the US would not give up on her. Ksenia Karelina's boyfriend said she had for years been a "semi-pro" ballerina.

Persons: Ksenia Karelina, CNN’s Brianna Keilar, Karelina “, ”, Chris Van Heerden, Karelina, Van Heerden, Ksenia, ” Karelina, Ukraine –, “, Nick Starichenko, Shutterstock, Andrei Soldatov, Evan Gershkovich’s, Vladimir Putin, Vadim Krasikov, ” Putin, Tucker Carlson Organizations: CNN, Angeles, Federal Security Service, Russia, Russia’s Federal Security Service, Court, Wall Street Locations: Russian, Istanbul, Russia, Yekaterinburg, California, Karelina, Ukrainian, Ukraine, America, Moscow, Germany, Chechen, Berlin, United States

The housing market began 2024 in the doldrums as housing starts and permits for new construction both fell, the Census Bureau reported on Friday. Starts fell 14.8%, way more than the flat reading expected by economists. “High mortgage rates, with maybe a dash of cold weather, caused starts and permits to fall from December. The optimism is a turnaround from August 2023, when 80% of small businesses surveyed said their long-term financial confidence was being negatively affected by the economy. Some 50% of small business owners said they were planning to expand in 2024.

Persons: didn’t, ”, Robert Frick, Lisa Sturtevant, Ksenia Potapov, “, they’re, Bill Dunkelberg Organizations: Census, Navy Federal Credit Union, MLS, “, National Federation of Independent Business, American Express Locations: American

☆ In Russia, Putin’s Puppets Are Coming to Life - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Mikhail Zygar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This system has existed for a long time — at least since Mr. Putin’s first re-election in 2004 — and has always worked perfectly: It maintains the facade of Russia’s imitation democracy. Mr. Putin’s puppets have begun to come to life. Mr. Kiriyenko, who was prime minister for less than a year in 1998, forswore liberal politics to become a key figure in Mr. Putin’s administration. In his role, Mr. Kiriyenko has often relied on political puppets. Friends, including me, discouraged Ms. Sobchak from taking him up on the obviously suspect offer, but she agreed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin’s, Boris Nadezhdin, Nadezhdin’s, Sergei Kiriyenko, Kiriyenko, Ksenia Sobchak, Sobchak, Kiriyenko’s, Nadezhdin, Putin Locations: St, Petersburg, Western, Russia

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Chiwetel Ejiofor had read Jeff Hobbs’ “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” years before Antoine Fuqua asked if he might consider writing and directing an adaptation. Some of the narratives chalked it up to the fact that he went back to where he came from. “I thought it was very special and very powerful,” Ejiofor told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I never felt that it was a story about somebody who was able to play a role in different places,” Ejiofor said. Ejiofor wants audiences to have a sense of hope in Rob’s story as well as to feel enriched by knowing him.

Persons: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Hobbs ’, Robert Peace ”, Antoine Fuqua, Peace’s, “, Peace, Ejiofor, Hobbs, ” Ejiofor, hadn’t, Fuqua, Rebecca, ” Antoine Fuqua, Rob Peace ”, ”, Alex Kurtzman, Rob, Jay Will, Jay, He’s, Maisel ”, Taylor Sheridan’s “, Mary J, Blige, Jackie, Camila Cabello, Naya, Skeet, he’d, Kurtzman marveled, —, ” Kurtzman, He’d, Ksenia Sereda, you’re Organizations: Yale, St, Benedict’s Preparatory School, Associated Press, Sundance, Taylor Sheridan’s “ Tulsa Locations: CITY , Utah, East Orange , New Jersey, Newark, Malawi

☆ The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Wherever they run, night trains are complicated, labor intensive and expensive to operate – one of the major reasons they went into decline in the first place. The $770 million contract could eventually see up to 370 new overnight carriages introduced to update Italy’s entire overnight train fleet. “Politicians must be clear: the night train market will be effectively closed for a very long time,” he says. So, what does all this mean for the much-vaunted night train revolution? With the honorable exception of government-subsidized Nightjet, which plans to expand rapidly over the next five years, European night train services have yet to match the hype.

Persons: Love, James Brown, David Bowie, Ray Charles, –, they’ve, Charisius, Agatha Christie, James Bond, Mark Smith, ”, “, ÖBB, “ Superliner, Kuleshova, Smith, it’s, Alex Halada, Nick Brooks Organizations: CNN, Orient Express, Austrian Federal Railways, Swiss Federal Railways, Deutsche Bahn, Italian State Railways, Amtrak, California Zephyr, European, Bloomberg, Getty, Regiojet, Compagnie Internationale des, VIA Rail, European Union, Frankfurt, Eurostar, EU Rail, EU Locations: Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Vienna, Hamburg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, France, Sweden, Milan, Sicily, Messina, Europe’s, United States, Berlin, Stockholm, Denmark, Czech, Prague, Croatia’s, London, Dresden, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Spain, Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid, Porto, Portugal, Edinburgh, Zurich, AFP, EU

☆ The CEO of UNest, a college savings app, stepped down after she said the company was 'insolvent.' Here's what customers need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UNest is a startup that makes it easier for people to save up for major life expenses like college. Ksenia Yudina, founder & CEO, stepped down last month and warned the company was "insolvent." download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . As Insider previously reported, Ksenia Yudina, founder & CEO, stepped down last month and warned the company was "insolvent." "The board, remaining management, and investors are working closely together to secure additional funding for the company," he said.

Persons: Ksenia Yudina, —, Franklin Templeton, Star Baron Davis, Laura Dern, Michael Doniger, UNest, Ben Bergman, bbergman@insider.com Organizations: Service, Artemis Fund, Anthos, Northwestern Mutual, Star, Vanguard, Blackrock, Apex Clearing Locations: Anthos Capital, Apex

☆ BlackRock is jumping into one of the hottest sectors on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter. In today's big story, we're looking at a Wall Street giant jumping into one of the hottest sectors in finance. Similarly, a Google Brain cofounder said Big Tech companies are lying about AI risks to shut down competition. It's the latest example of how Big Tech can wreak havoc on smaller players overnight. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: —, Julia Nikhinson, Arantza Pena Popo, BlackRock, Larry Fink, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino, Rebecca, It's, Blackstone, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Spencer Platt, Aaron Schwartz, that's, Charlie Munger isn't, Warren Buffett's, it's, Tyler Le, Ksenia Yudina, Gen Z's, Gen, Vegas Wendy Lee, Wendy Lee, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Street, KKR, Getty, Greenwich Economic, Xinhua, Federal Reserve, Big Tech, Market, Sin City Locations: Greenwich, Vegas, Las Vegas, Sin, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ The CEO of UNest resigned after she said the board asked her to approve an 'illegal' takeover, according to a leaked email. The company says customer accounts are safe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"This matter is very confidential and person who leaked the email can be subject to legal claims," Yudina wrote. UNest boasted 400,000 users that year and said it was on track to hit a million users in 2022. "I wasn't doing something that I perceived as illegal and unethical, therefore I stepped down from the position of CEO," Yudina wrote. "Tech industry is navigating a lot of headwinds and even strong startup founders get affected," Yudina wrote, before saying that people should be focused on supporting Israel. "As we navigate the hurdles of our daily lives, it's crucial to remember that there are people on another continent enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty," Yudina wrote in the message.

Persons: Ksenia Yudina, UNest, Yudina, I'm, Michael Doniger, Doniger, Franklin Templeton, Northwestern Mutual –, Star Baron Davis, Laura Dern, –, SVB, Ben Bergman, bbergman@insider.com Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, LinkedIn, Apex, Capital Group, Artemis, Anthos, Northwestern Mutual, Star, Business, Tech, Israel Locations: Silicon, Anthos Capital, UNest, Silicon Valley

☆ Cruise Lines Pursue Greener Journeys Ahead of New Climate Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Kim Mackrael | Photographs Ksenia Kuleshova For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/business/cruise-lines-pursue-greener-journeys-ahead-of-new-climate-rules-78a0dc4f

Persons: Dow Jones

The pace of new construction slowed in August amid high mortgage rates and weakening demand, the federal government reported on Tuesday. Housing starts fell 11.3% in August to an annual rate of 1.28 million, the lowest since the summer of 2020. Builders typically pull permits in anticipation of demand, but housing starts occur when lots are ready to be cleared following deposits on future purchases. “The combination of high interest rates, high pricing, and limited inventory has continued to plague the housing market. “And on the supply-side front, builders continue to grapple with shortages of construction workers, buildable lots and distribution transformers, which is further adding to housing affordability woes.

Persons: ”, Kelly Mangold, Alicia Huey, Ksenia Potapov Organizations: Housing, Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Home Builders, First American Financial Corp, “ Locations: Birmingham , Alabama

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Moscow, North Korea 'actively advancing' arms deal; Russian general appears to resurface for first time since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, seen here in 2021. A photo has emerged online that appears to show Russian General Sergei Surovikin, a top military figure who was regarded as an ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin, alive and in public. The rebellion was seen as the culmination of a long-running dispute between Prigozhin and Russia's defense ministry. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. The general was reportedly arrested in June and then dismissed as the head of Russia's Aerospace Forces in August, according to the Moscow Times.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Wagner, Ksenia Sobchak, Sobchak, Valery Gerasimov, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Wagner Group, NBC News, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Moscow Times, New York Times, Kremlin, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin

☆ Russia's 'General Armageddon' seen in first photo since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a couple appearing to be Russian General Sergei Surovikin and his wife Anna at an unknown location, in this undated photo published September 4, 2023. "General Sergei Surovikin is out. A second report, published by prominent independent Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel, said: "General Surovikin is at home with his family. Surovikin, who gained the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war, was briefly in charge of Moscow's war effort in Ukraine before that role was handed in January to General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff. Surovikin was widely viewed by Russian war commentators as a forceful and capable figure.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Anna, Wagner, Ksenia Sobchak, Alexei Venediktov, Surovikin, Venediktov, RIA, Viktor Afzalov, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mark Trevelyan, Nick Macfie, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Ostorozhno Media, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Kremlin, Ukraine

☆ The ruble is failing — and now more Russians are cutting back on buying basic goods like food and toothpaste as prices jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The value of the Russian ruble continues to fail, forcing Russians to cut back their spending. A recent survey found that more Russians are reducing their buying of basic goods like food. Earlier this month, the Russian ruble plunged to a 16-month low against the US dollar. "Against the backdrop of the current economic situation and rising prices, Russians are trying to save money," said Romir senior director Ksenia Paizanskaya. Earlier this month, the Russian ruble plunged to a 16-month low against the US dollar, the currency's lowest level since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine February 2022.

Persons: Ksenia Paizanskaya, Vladimir Putin, Janis Kluge, Kluge Organizations: Russian, Service, Russia, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Washington Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Russian finance minister expects 2023 GDP to grow by 2.5% or more, agencies report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Russia's economy is set to grow by 2.5% or more in 2023, while inflation is expected to be around 6%, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was quoted on Saturday as saying. The central bank forecasts GDP growth of 1.5%-2.5% this year. He forecast inflation would return to the target of 4% in 2024. The central bank has forecast it will fall to 5.0%-6.5% this year. "We together with the Central Bank will be taking all measures to bring inflation down to our targeted level," Siluanov said.

Persons: Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Ksenia Orlova, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Central Bank, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW

CNN —The Netherlands and Denmark will provide Ukraine with much sought-after F-16 aircraft in an agreement hailed by President Volodymyr Zelensky as “historic.”Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide F-16 jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority. “The Netherlands became the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after training. Conditions for the transfer include training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, it said. Out of these 42, we need planes to help training in Denmark and later on in Romania,” Rutte said. Rutte said that language training for Ukrainian service personnel was ongoing and military training in Denmark would begin soon.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Mark Rutte, Ukraine ”, ” Zelensky, ”, Rutte, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ksenia Kuleshova, ” Rutte, Zelensky, Mette Frederiksen, Oleksii Reznikov Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Zelensky, Dutch, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bloomberg, Getty, Danish, Ukraine’s Locations: Netherlands, Denmark, Ukraine, Eindhoven, Danish, Romania

☆ Her Advice to Antiwar Russians: Resistance Is Futile, So Find Ways to Cope
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Anton Troianovski | More About Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Emerging from a friend’s Maserati on southern Spain’s Mediterranean coast, Ksenia Sobchak wants the world to know: Back home in Russia, fighting for change is futile. “There is no resistance, nor can there be any,” she says. “This has to be understood.”She can point to ample proof to support her pessimism: Thousands of Russians have been arrested for protesting the war. Ms. Sobchak is one of the best-known media figures still based in Russia and the daughter of one of Mr. Putin’s first political mentors. She is able to widely communicate her call for Russians to just cope with the war, though her stance has also made her profoundly unpopular among two distinctly different sets.

Persons: Sobchak, Vladimir V, Putin’s Organizations: Maserati, Liberal Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Pregnant Ukrainian soldiers are requesting special uniforms to fit their growing bellies as they continue to serve for up to 7 months into their pregnancies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Ukrainian charity is helping to outfit the country's pregnant female soldiers. Pregnant soldiers continue to serve in non-combat roles until they're 7 months pregnant, the founders said. There are now more than 60,000 women in Ukraine's army, including at least 5,000 in combat units, members of Ukraine's Parliament have said. Pregnant women enlisted in Ukraine's army continue to serve up to seven months into their pregnancy, the couple said, necessitating uniforms that fit like "a second skin." "Imagine if we take all the men in all the armies in the world and give them female uniforms," Kolesnyk said.

Persons: Zemliachky's, Ukraine's, —, Andriy Kolesnyk, Ksenia Drahaniuk, Kolesnyk, Zemliachky, she's, Drahaniuk, Anastasia, Anastasia Zemliachky's Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Russia's FSB thwarts attempts to kill two prominent journalists, Interfax reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 15 (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said on Saturday it had thwarted alleged Ukrainian-backed plots to kill two prominent Russian journalists, Interfax news agency reported. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which in the past has denied involvement in assassinations of pro-war figures inside Russia. Two prominent pro-war Russian figures, journalist Darya Dugina and military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, have been killed in bomb attacks inside Russia in the past year. Russia blamed their killings on Ukraine, while Kyiv denied that and portrayed them as evidence of Russian infighting. In May a prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver.

Persons: Margarita Simonyan, Darya Dugina, Vladlen Tatarsky, Zakhar Prilepin, David Holmes Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russia, Russian

☆ Riikka Purra: Finnish finance minister apologizes for racist and violent comments made online in 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Finnish finance minister Riikka Purra has apologized after she made racist comments in 2008 that were recently discovered online. The leader of the far-right Finns Party said her old comments were “stupid” and that she was sorry for the harm they had caused. Purra’s Finns Party won second place in April’s elections, finishing behind Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party, before forming a coalition. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said his government was committed to combating racism. “Our immigration policy is legitimate and legal and there is nothing wrong or suspicious about it,” Purra added on Twitter.

Persons: Riikka Purra, “, ” Purra, ”, Petteri, Orpo, Petteri Orpo, Ksenia Kuleshova, ” Orpo, Purra Organizations: CNN, Finns Party, Purra’s Finns Party, Finnish, National Coalition Party, Bloomberg, Getty, Swedish People’s Party, Christian, Twitter Locations: Spain, Finnish, Finland, Nordic

☆ Ukrainian refugees: how will the economy recover with a diminished population?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

In previous refugee crises, for example in Syria, refugees' desire to return home has faded with time, UNHCR studies show. Conscription-aged men are restricted from leaving Ukraine, so working-aged women, and children, make up the majority of refugees. Ukraine's population problem goes beyond millions of refugees. A census in 2001 - the country's only so far - recorded a population of 48.5 million. Demographer Libanova estimated the population at between 28 million and 34 million at the start of 2023 in parts of the country controlled by Kyiv.

Persons: Korzh, Volodymyr Kostiuk, Kostiuk, It's, Dmytro Tsygankov, Ella Libanova, Libanova, Ksenia Karpenko, Karpenko, Corina Rodriguez, Catarina Demony, Mike Collett, White, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: United Nations, UNHCR, Kyiv, for Economic Research, Political, for Economic, MEN, National Academy of Science, European Commission's, Research, The, Economic Strategy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KYIV, Europe, Kyiv, Portugal, Ukraine, Lagoa, Syria, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, Crimea, Belarus, Russian, Tarragona, Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon

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