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☆ Opinion: Russia can lose this war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Opinion Timothy Snyder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And far too many of us, during Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, have believed that. Of its three most consequential foreign wars, the Red Army lost two. And the Russian army of today is not the Red Army. It was disproportionately Ukrainians who fought their war to Berlin in the uniform of the Red Army. Russia can lose this war, and should, for the sake of Russians themselves.

Persons: Timothy Snyder, Richard C, Levin, “, ”, Read, Leonid Brezhnev, Putin, Alexander Nemenov, Brezhnev, Vladimir Putin, Robert Nickelsberg Organizations: Global Affairs, Yale University, CNN, Russia, Getty, Red, Red Army, Soviet, Lease, Russian Empire, Russo, Fascism Locations: Nazi Germany, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Poland, Afghanistan, USSR, Soviet Ukraine, Berlin, United States, Russian, Crimean, Japanese, Europe, Pacific, Kabul, Soviet Union, Crimea, Japan, Soviet, Ukrainian

☆ A Week of Pomp to Project Putin’s Confidence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With his army on the offensive in Ukraine and all forms of dissent inside Russia firmly suppressed, President Vladimir V. Putin is set to take center stage this week at two major events that will showcase his dominance over the country’s politics and his determination to win in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Mr. Putin, 71, will formally begin his fifth term as Russia’s president in a highly choreographed inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin. On Thursday, he is to preside over the Victory Day parade in Red Square, an annual demonstration of military might that in the last two years sought to symbolically link Russia’s war in Ukraine with the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The Kremlin is also expected to nominate a prime minister and five key ministers, including foreign and defense, though the officials in those six posts may simply be renominated. The shape of the next Russian government will provide signals to the country’s course in the coming years.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Nazi Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kremlin, Red Square, Nazi Germany

☆ Biden’s antisemitism speech leaves no doubt he’s standing by Israel despite tension with Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —The political rawness of the moment, as Israel pounds Gaza and outrage rocks American college campuses, means President Joe Biden’s big speech Tuesday condemning antisemitism is most notable for what he left unsaid. The speech was closely watched given the turmoil in the Middle East and its stunning political reaction in the US. “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. While praising the right to free speech as a fundamental American value, he condemned reported instances when some Jewish students have faced antisemitic taunting. Understanding history and preventing it from being manipulated for political gain was a major focus of Biden’s speech, which was delivered on the 79th anniversary of VE Day, when the allies defeated Nazism in World War II.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, movingly, you’re, ” Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Joe ”, We’re, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, “, ” Johnson, Netanyahu, —, Mike Johnson, ’ Organizations: CNN, Jewish, Hamas, Holocaust Memorial, Capitol, Arab, Israel, Gaza Health Ministry, Democratic, Trump, Republicans, Republican, Louisiana Republican, White, GOP, Nazism Locations: Israel, Gaza, Nazi, Rafah, Michigan, Manhattan, Nazi Germany, United States, Louisiana, Charlottesville , Virginia, Gestapo

☆ Russia to Hold Drills on Tactical Nuclear Weapons in New Tensions With West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia said on Monday that it would hold military exercises with troops based near Ukraine to practice for the possible use of battlefield nuclear weapons, ratcheting up tensions with the West after two European leaders raised the prospect of more direct Western intervention in the war. Such weapons, often referred to as “tactical,” are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than the “strategic” nuclear weapons meant to target cities. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that President Vladimir V. Putin had ordered an exercise for missile, aviation and naval personnel to “increase the readiness of nonstrategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions.”Russian officials claimed the order was in response to comments from the West about the possibility of more direct Western involvement in the war in Ukraine. And it came at the start of a week of extensive publicity for the Russian leader, with his inauguration scheduled for Tuesday, followed on Thursday by the annual Victory Day celebration, which commemorates the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. The announcement of the exercise was Russia’s most explicit warning in its more than two-year invasion of Ukraine that it could use tactical nuclear weapons there.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Nazi Germany

☆ Trump says Democrats are ‘running a Gestapo administration’ at Republican National Committee’s annual retreat
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Alayna Treene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hundreds of people attended the event, and several attendees gave $40,000 or more, sources familiar with the fundraiser told CNN. Trump also touted efforts to prevent cheating in the upcoming election by RNC chairman Michael Whatley, the attendees told CNN. During the remarks, Trump stated he would need an attorney general with “courage” while simultaneously mocking his former attorney general, William Barr, according to the New York Times. Barr, who has been a fierce critic of Trump since leaving his administration, recently endorsed the former president. Blagojevich told CNN he considers himself a “Trumpocrat,” which he described as a Democrat who supports Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump ramped, ”, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Trump, Jack Smith, Lara Trump, Michael Whatley, William Barr, Barr, Rod Blagojevich, Blagojevich, Ronny Jackson Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Republican National Committee, Billboard, New York Times, Trump, Illinois Gov, Mar, Texas Rep Locations: Nazi Germany, Palm Beach, Lago

☆ Opinion: I’ve seen too many young journalists pay the ultimate price. It’s them I’ll be thinking of today
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Opinion Jon Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

When a journalist is killed, it is not just their voice that is silenced: Press freedom is your freedom. Over 30 years ago, the United Nations recognized May 3 as World Press Freedom Day: a global reminder of the importance of press freedom and an opportunity to assess its health around the world. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found that at least 100 journalists and media workers have been killed since we last marked World Press Freedom Day. Tragically, on this World Press Freedom Day, our work is needed more than ever. On this World Press Freedom Day, the fallen who gave their lives for the truth should serve as a reminder as to why press freedom is really your freedom.

Persons: Jon Williams, Rory Peck, Read, Jon Williams Rory Peck, Bayeux, ”, Simon Cumbers, Simon, Al, Louise, Cumbers, Johnny Green, Thomas Jefferson, ” Jefferson, it’s, Dom Phillips, Phillips, Aldeia Maloca, Bruno Pereira, Joao Laet, don’t Organizations: Rory Peck Trust, BBC News, ABC News, CNN, 1st Cavalry, Canadian, BBC, The Washington Post, United Nations, Protect Journalists, Getty, United, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Bayeux, Northern France, France, Omaha Beach, Europe, Nazi Germany, Normandy, Paris, “, Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda, Saudi, Riyadh, Ireland, London, South, Indonesia, Turkey, India, Madrid, Irish, Kabul, Afghanistan, Gaza, Ukraine, Honduras, Sudan, Philippines, Brazil, Aldeia, Roraima, AFP, Britain, United States, Israel, Egypt

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —As the US prepares to transfer significant military aid to Ukraine following the Senate passing funding legislation worth $61 billion, reports from eastern Ukraine continue to highlight Kyiv’s sliding fortunes on the battlefield. Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers on the front lines have spoken of being badly outgunned by Russian forces. A Ukrainian military blogger, Bohdan Myroshnykov, wrote, “In Novobakhmutivka, the enemy made progress in the village, advancing up to 400 meters in depth. Meanwhile, around Chasiv Yar, about 40 kilometers to the north, both Ukrainian and Russian reports suggest Ukraine has succeeded in stopping Russian advances, at least for the moment. Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters“In the Chasiv Yar direction, the offensive of the Russian forces ‘stalled’ on the eastern outskirts,” a Russian military blogger, Wargonzo, reports, though fierce fighting continues, the site adds.

Persons: DeepState –, –, Biden, Joe Biden, Charly Triballeau, Volodymyr Zelensky, Bohdan Myroshnykov, “, DeepState, Ukraine’s Eastern Command –, Oleksandr Ratushniak, ‘, Ukraine’s DeepState, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Vladimir Putin, Chasiv Yar Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Russian, Wednesday, Senate, Scranton Army, Getty, 100th, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, CNN, Reuters, 92nd Brigade, Nazi Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Israel, Taiwan, Scranton, Scranton , Pennsylvania, AFP, Russian, Russia, Novobakhmutivka, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, ”, Ivanivske, Bakhmut, Nazi Germany

☆ ‘Our artillery is starving:’ Ukraine holds its breath as US set to approve $60bn of military aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Andy Carey | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Ukraine aid bill, passed in the United States’ House of Representatives on Saturday, is now due to go to the Senate on Tuesday. At the top: artillery shells and air defense systems. “To win, we need ammunition… our artillery is starving,” an artillery reconnaissance commander with the 110th mechanized brigade, callsign “Teren,” told CNN after the vote on Saturday. While Ocheretyne itself is of no strategic value, it sits on a ridge, making it a desirable military target. “We need front-line air defense as much as we need protection for our cities and villages,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Teren, Velyka, Patrick Ryder, we’ve, Mark Warner, Chasiv Yar, Rob Lee, Russian Su, Anatolii Stepanov, ” Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, CNN’s Andy Carey, Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova, Svitlana Vlasova Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, United States ’, 110th, CNN, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, Pentagon, US Department of Defense, Senate Intelligence, CBS News, Sunday, –, Kremlin, Nazi, Getty, Patriot, Tactical Missile Systems, Warner, US, Ukrainian Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, United, Russian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Germany, Poland, Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, Chasiv, Nazi Germany, AFP

☆ Russia's military is allergic to the deep reforms it needs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Can the Russian military can be reformed to better achieve Putin's revanchist aims? Yes, but the drastic changes will not be easy, an expert on Russia's military says. AdvertisementWhatever the outcome of the Ukraine war, one thing seems certain: the Russian military needs drastic changes. Indeed, Russia's tendency to seek top-down structural reforms matched with enduring characteristics of the Russian military suggest that a transformation of the Russian military will be difficult." Given that observers so misjudged Russian military capabilities prior to the Ukraine war, how can the West accurately determine whether reforms are occurring?

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Katherine Kjellström Elgin, Putin, Elgin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Center for Strategic, National Guard Service, Nazi, NATO, Elgin, Business, Russo, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Washington ,, Elgin, Moscow, Russia, Crimean, Soviet, Nazi German, Turkish, Forbes

☆ Opinion: Shaking off the Trump effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —“We are most deeply asleep at the switch,” wrote Annie Dillard, “when we fancy we control any switches at all. When the Senate voted to send new aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan two months ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson took no action. With the help of Democrats, the House approved aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Saturday. Writing for CNN Opinion, he emphasized that there are legal principles that require universities to prohibit expressions of antisemitism.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Annie Dillard, “, time’s, —, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Sleepy Joe ”, Israel, Johnson, MAGA, Julian Zelizer, Walt Handelsman, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, Kevin McCarthy’s, Clay Jones, Fareed Zakaria, Alejandro Mayorkas, “ Biden, ” Zakaria, Bill Clinton, ” Trump, Jack Ohman, Agency Donald Trump’s, dozed, Elliot Williams, Patrick T, Brown, …, ‘, ’, Attorney Alvin Bragg, ” Will, Jeffrey Abramson, ” “, Norm Eisen, Stormy Daniels, ” Eisen, Michael Cohen, Elie Honig, Frida Ghitis, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com Peter Bergen, Daniel R, DePetris, Dean Obeidallah, Susanne DeWitt, ” David Schizer, ” Schizer, Danielle Campoamor, Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, Campoamor, Latika Bourke, John Howard, Justin J, Pearson, Winston Churchill, Holly Thomas, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak’s, It’s, ” Thomas, YouGov, ” Don’t, Drew Sheneman, Agency David M, Perry, Frankie de la, Angel Reese, Roy Schwartz, Joni Mitchell —, Raul A, Reyes, Sonia Sotomayor, Jules Boykoff, Jaime M, Valiathan, Ed Manning, Sara Stewart, Noah Berlatsky, Taylor Swift Amy Bass, Taylor Swift, Swift, Department ”, ” Bass, “ Swift, Joe, Alwyn, Diana, they’re, Clara Bow, Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith — Organizations: CNN, Republicans, MAGA Republicans, Agency, Congress, Biden, Homeland, National Guard, ‘, Manhattan, Attorney, New York Democrats, Twitter, Facebook, New York Times, Trump, Berkeley, Nazism, Columbia, Nike, Team USA, Sydney, Port, Conservative, Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Central Press, Hulton, National Health Service, WNBA, Ungentlemanly, Department Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Manhattan, Iran, Russia, China, ‘, New, CNN Iran, “ Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Damascus, Iraq, America, Dearborn, Nazi Germany, Berkeley , California, Berkeley, East Bay, Sydney, Port Arthur, Tennessee, Surrey, Croydon, Quebec, Britain, Vancouver, London, Welsh

☆ By passing Ukraine aid, the accidental speaker became an unlikely Churchill
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showed political courage that is rare in Washington and notable legislative skill for an inexperienced leader in forcing a long-delayed $60 billion aid bill for Ukraine through the House of Representatives on Saturday. And 112 Republicans — a majority of the conference — voted against the Ukraine bill. And any Republican speaker propped up by Democrats might hemorrhage support among GOP lawmakers and be forced to resign. “As we deliberate on this vote, you have to ask yourself this question: Am I Chamberlain or Churchill?” he said. The accidental speaker makes an unlikely Churchill, but on Saturday he proved to be a far more daring and substantial figure than many of his Republican and Democratic critics previously believed.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Reagan, Joe Biden’s, “, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, ” CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen, Putin, —, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Johnson —, Kevin McCarthy’s, Marc Molinaro, CNN’s Manu Raju, Trump, Zelensky, Trump’s, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike Quigley, It’s, ” Quigley, Chuck Schumer, Jeffries, Mike McCaul, ‘, it’s, McCaul, Chamberlain, Churchill Organizations: CNN, West, GOP, America, MAGA, United States House, Representatives, Ukraine, Republican Party, Trump, Republicans, Georgia, Mar, Democratic, Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Illinois Democrat, Foreign, Texas Republican, Republican Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Russian, Louisiana, United States, Russia, Europe, Iran, China, Israel, Taiwan, Mexico, Georgia, New York, Kyiv, Texas, Nazi Germany

☆ ‘Ghostly’ city: How Russia’s war in Ukraine is taking a toll on its own Belgorod region
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In recent weeks, the Belgorod region has been subject to almost daily shelling and drone attacks. Russian authorities blame Ukraine and report having repelled the attacks, while also admitting destruction and casualties caused by them. The Belgorod region has borne the brunt of the war compared to more distant Russian regions, which have been relatively untouched. The governor of Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on March 23 that 24 people had been killed and 152 injured in the span of less than two weeks. Following a major air attack on Ukraine by Russia overnight into December 29, Kyiv retaliated a day later by targeting the Belgorod region.

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, ‘, Timur Khaliullin, ” Khaliullin, “, Khaliullin, Natalia Izotova, ”, Izotova, Gladkov, Kyiv's, Emil Leegunov, we’ve, It’s, ” Elizaveta, Yevhen Titov, Vasily, we’re, ” Vasily, Vladimir Putin, ” Izotova Organizations: CNN, Belgorod Philharmonic, Kyiv, Getty, Victory, Nazi, Reuters, Belgorod Locations: Belgorod, Russia’s, Ukraine, Russia, ”, Russia, Russian, Anadolu, Elizaveta, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s, St, Petersburg, Bryansk, Makhachkala, Grayvoron, Nazi Germany, Ukrainian

Ahead of the encroaching Russian forces, Ukrainian volunteers have been evacuating civilians from Ocheretyne and other villages, posting videos on social media showing older residents leaving badly destroyed apartment buildings, along with their pets, and with belongings packed into cardboard boxes. A photograph taken on April 11, 2024, near the town of Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk region, shows smoke rising from fires after bombing. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty ImagesAbout 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ocheretyne, on another piece of higher ground, the town of Chasiv Yar is also firmly in Russian sights. “The situation around the town of Chasiv Yar is difficult,” Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ “Khortytsia” operational-strategic group, told CNN. Ukraine’s vulnerability in the face of the FAB threat highlights another huge need for Kyiv – more air defenses.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Novokalynovo, Boris Rozhin, Anatolii Stepanov, Velyka, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Mike Johnson, Jake Tapper, “, Vladimir Putin doesn’t, Lloyd Austin, Chasiv Yar, ” Nazar Voloshyn, Yurii Fedorenko, Yar, Chasiv, ” Voloshyn, Zelensky, Victoria Butenko Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Russian, Getty, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, ” Artillery, US, House Defense, House, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kremlin, Nazi, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Separate Assault Brigade, Reuters, Ukrainian Telegram, FAB, Kyiv, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Novokalynove, Donetsk, Ocheretyno, AFP, Tonenke, Pokrovsk, Europe, Russia’s, Chasiv, Nazi Germany, Kalynivka, Ivanivske, Zaporizhzhia region, Chasiv Yar, Kharkiv

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine says it downed Tu-22M3 bomber for the first time; 8 killed in major attack by Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk on Friday said the country shot down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber for the first time, destroying a warplane capable of using long-range missiles. "During today's attack, two such missiles were destroyed for the first time. Ukraine needs more means, more missiles, in order to better protect the frontline territories from Russian terrorism," he added. Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said the bomber crashed over the southern Stavropol region when it was flying back to its home airfield, state news agency RIA reported via Telegram. The Stavropol region is located in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia, hundreds of kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Persons: Mykola Oleschuk, Oleschuk, Sam Meredith Organizations: Tupolev, Kremlin, Nazi, Ukrainian Air Force, Air Force, Main Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, CNBC, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Moscow, Nazi Germany, Russian, Ukraine, Stavropol, North Caucasus, Russia

☆ Ukraine must win back the battlefield initiative to have a chance to stop Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Victory in the Ukraine war may come down to a simple question: which side has the initiative? If Russia can retain the initiative, it can launch constant offensives with its larger forces that will drive Ukrainian defenders to the breaking point. For Ukraine, gaining the initiative has become existential: it has to keep Russia off balance, or its forces will be worn down responding to Russian offensives. Ukraine simply cannot afford to go on the defensive and expect this will stop Russia, Barros said. To seize the initiative, Ukraine needs to know that it will receive a steady and reliable stream of Western aid, rather than sporadic deliveries.

Persons: We've, George Barros, Napoleon, Barros, they're, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukraine, U.S, Staff, NATO, British Challenger, Ukrainian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Israel, Russian, Nazi Germany, Soviet, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ Russia's former president is calling for a 'maximum reward' bounty to be put on the heads of any NATO troops sent to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewFormer Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched a scathing verbal attack against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Thursday, calling for a bounty on any Western troops that may enter Ukraine. The Russian official said any NATO forces in Ukraine would be considered part of the "regular forces" fighting against Moscow. Key to that rhetoric has been Russia amplifying the idea that NATO may escalate tensions by sending troops to Ukraine. Advertisement"We don't have any plans of having any NATO combat troops inside Ukraine," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday. AdvertisementOn March 8, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said that NATO troops were "already present in Ukraine" but did not say how many were deployed or for what purpose.

Persons: —, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Emmanuel Macron —, Jens Stoltenberg, Radek Sikorski, Sikorski, Maria Zakharova, shouldn't, Sinead Baker, Tony Soprano's, Edward Lucas Organizations: Service, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia's Security, Business, NATO, Moscow, Hitler's, Kremlin, Nazi, Russian, Hague, Security, Pentagon, Polish, Center for Locations: Ukraine, Western Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Nazi Germany, Nazi, Russia, Russian, Kyiv, France

☆ ‘It felt so wrong’: Chumbawamba wants New Zealand politician to stop playing ‘Tubthumping’ at rallies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Dhruv Tikekar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But those headlines were soon eclipsed by Chumbawamba publicly condemning Peters’ use of its song. “Everything that Peters stands for is counter to Chumbawamba’s world view,” the band’s founding member and former vocalist, Dunstan Bruce, told CNN. Chumbawamba, which broke up in 2012, has asked its former record company, Sony Music Publishing, to issue a cease-and-desist letter to New Zealand First. In response to CNN’s request for comment, New Zealand First Party President Julian Paul said the party had nothing further to add. “As we rise, the dirt will start all over again,” he said during a party convention in July, according to a transcript published by New Zealand First.

Persons: Winston Peters strode, Peters, ” Peters, Chumbawamba, Dunstan Bruce, Winston Peters, Hagen Hopkins, ” Chumbawamba, “ Tubthumping, ”, Bruce, “, Peter Dungate, ” It’s, Eminem, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Nigel Farage, Hutton Supancic, Julian Paul, Emmanuel Heisbourg, Heisbourg, “ tubthumping, You’re, — Peters, ‘ Organizations: CNN, New Zealand First, Labour, New, National, ACT, New Zealand, General Motors, Sony Music Publishing, APRA, NZ, New Zealand’s National Party, rapper’s, Republican, Independence Party, UKIP, Southwest, SXSW UKIP, University of Montreal Locations: Palmerston, British, Nazi Germany, New, New Zealand

☆ Adidas is banning the number '44' on German soccer team jerseys over concerns that the design looks like the Nazi SS flag
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

People say it looks like a lightning bolt from the SS, a Nazi unit in World War II. Adidas said it's blocked fans from making jerseys with the "44," and an alternative design is being developed. AdvertisementAdidas has removed the option for fans to customize their soccer jerseys with the number "44" amid concerns that a design for the German national team resembles a Nazi symbol. Known widely as the SS, this unit was responsible for many of the war crimes and atrocities committed by Nazi Germany in World War II. DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty ImagesAdidas told the BBC that the jerseys were designed by the German Football Association and weren't intentionally made to look like the SS logo.

Persons: it's, —, Adolf Hitler, Michael König, DAMIEN MEYER, weren't Organizations: German, soccer, SS, Nazi, Adidas, Service, German Football Association, Schutzstaffel, Getty, BBC, Union of European Football Associations, Nike, Business Locations: Nazi Germany, Germany, Nazi SS, Ploeuc, Saint, France, Herzogenaurach

☆ ‘Oppenheimer’ finally opens in Japan, the only nation to experience horror of nuclear war
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Chris Lau | Moeri Karasawa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The three-hour biopic has broken several records since its release last year, becoming the highest-grossing movie set during World War II, according to Universal. As part of its promotional campaign, Universal sought the views of atomic bomb survivor Tomonaga Masao, who is the president of a Nagasaki-based “hibakusha” group — the name survivors call themselves. Oppenheimer’s invention was first used with devastating effect on August 6, 1945, when a US B-29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, another B-29, named Bockscar, dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The bombings finally prompted Japan to surrender, bringing an end to World War II.

Persons: “ Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Barbie ”, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Kogyo, Tomonaga Masao, Masao, Oppenheimer, ”, Hiraoka Takashi, ” Cillian Murphy, Melinda Sue Gordon, Enola Gay, Barbie, “, Rishu, he’s Organizations: CNN, British, Universal Pictures, Universal, Former Hiroshima, US Department of, Manhattan Project, Social, Warner Bros . Film Group, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Reuters Locations: American, Japan, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nazi Germany, Tokyo, “ Hiroshima

☆ Trump posts video that shows image of Biden tied up in the back of a truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Kate Sullivan | Shania Shelton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump on Friday posted a video that featured an image of President Joe Biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck. The video shows two trucks with flags and decals expressing support for Trump; the image of Biden was on the back of the second truck. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, “That picture was on the back of a pick up truck that was traveling down the highway. Trump warned earlier this month that if he were to lose the 2024 election, it would be a “bloodbath” for the US auto industry and the country. The real threat is from the radical left, and it’s growing every day.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Jonathan Diller, Biden, Steven Cheung, lunatics, President Trump, ” Biden, Michael Tyler, ’ Trump, —, Vladimir Putin, ”, ” Trump Organizations: CNN, Trump, Capitol Police Locations: ‘, Mexico, New Hampshire, Nazi Germany

☆ This US state is not covered by the NATO treaty. Some experts say that needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Because in a quirk of geography and history, Hawaii is not technically covered by the NATO pact. Mengshin Lin/AP“People tend to assume Hawaii is part of the US and therefore it’s covered by NATO,” he says. The exception is spelled out in the Washington Treaty, the document that established NATO in 1949, a decade before Hawaii became a state. It also says any island territories must be in the North Atlantic, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan and North KoreaSome experts say times have changed in the decades since the Washington Treaty was signed – and argue today’s political situation in the Indo-Pacific might require a rethink.

Persons: “, ”, David Santoro, Mengshin Lin, ” Santoro, –, China’s, Xi Jinping, —, Joe Biden, John Hemmings, ” Hemmings, Hemmings, Forum’s Santoro, Amy Picard, Luis Simon, Simon, ” Simon Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hawaii, Pacific Command, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Aloha, Pacific Forum, Sailors, USS Arizona Memorial, USS, 82nd, Treaty Organization, Washington Treaty, Tropic, Cancer, US State Department, United, Argentine, South Atlantic, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, White, Center, New, New American Security, Foreign, USS Arizona . US Navy, Interim, Andersen Air Force Base, Korean, . Air Force, 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Force, . Air Force ‘ Coalition, Research Centre, Security, Brussels School, Governance, NATO Command, Union Locations: Sweden, United States, Hawaii, Pearl, Honolulu, USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu , Hawaii, California , Colorado, Alaska, North America, Washington, Europe, Argentina, Falkland, British, South, Guam, Taiwan, North Korea, New American, China, Beijing, Oahu, USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, France, Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Korean, Soviet Union, Belgium, Ukraine

☆ An MIT professor devised a 'Fortress Ukraine' plan in 1994 that proved remarkably right about the Russian invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An MIT professor envisioned a defensive strategy in 1994 for Ukraine to survive a Russian attack. AdvertisementIn 1994, an American professor came up with a plan for Ukraine to defend against Russian invasion. Rather than seizing all of eastern Ukraine, Russia currently occupies about 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, mainly in the southeast and along the Black Sea coast. AdvertisementA member of 120th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine takes part in training exercises on March 16. "The Ukrainian force can cover about 60 percent of the front with no reserves.

Persons: Barry Posen, —, Posen's, Posen, Vladimir Putin, Gian Marco Benedetto, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, envelopments, didn't, Ukraine hadn't, George Barros, Barros, Michael Peck Organizations: MIT, Service, Russia —, NATO, Ukraine —, 120th Independent Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces, Russia, Mechanized, Russian, Institute for, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, American, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Dnipro, Posen, Soviet Union, Soviet, Moscow, America, Britain, Crimea, Donetsk, Nazi Germany, Washington ,, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Forbes

☆ Trump former advisers sound the alarm that he praises despots in private and on the campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“He views himself as a big guy,” John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under Trump, told me. Trump lamented that Hitler, as Kelly recounted, maintained his senior staff’s “loyalty,” while Trump himself often did not. “He truly believed, when he brought us generals in, that we would be loyal — that we would do anything he wanted us to do,” Kelly told me. ‘Shocked that he didn’t have dictatorial-type powers’Trump’s former advisers say he most consistently lavished praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin. At a town hall organized by Fox News in July 2023, Trump said, “Think of President Xi: central casting, brilliant guy.

Persons: Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Adolf Hitler “, Putin, Kim, ”, John Kelly, “, Putin wouldn’t, Orbán, CNN's Jim Sciutto, ” Trump, he’s, autocrats, Trump, Powers, Kelly, ” John Bolton, Erdogan, anybody’s, ” Kelly, Hitler Trump, Hitler, ’, ‘, ’ ” Kelly, Mussolini, Hitler’s, Steven Cheung, “ John Kelly, John Bolton, Vladimir Putin, Bolton, ’ ”, Xi, Reuters “ Trump, Matthew Pottinger, Xi —, authoritarians, Joe Biden, ” Bolton, Biden Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hungarian, Mar, Republican, Trump, Nazi, North, KCNA, Reuters, Fox News, Fox, Russian, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Hungarian, North Korea, Europe, Turkey, Nazi Germany, Panmunjom, South Korea, Hollywood, France, Osaka, Japan, Anadolu, NATO, Ukraine

☆ Israeli President Herzog opens Holocaust museum in Amsterdam amid domestic protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the opening of the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam on Sunday amid pro-Palestinian protests demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Human rights group Amnesty International put up detour signs around the museum to direct Herzog to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Demonstrators protest against Israel's President Isaac Herzog attending the opening of the new National Holocaust Museum. Peter Djeong/APPeople protested with signs and Palestinian flags near the museum. The museum told media that it had invited Herzog before the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, “, Herzog, Peter Djeong, Mouneb, Erev, Herzog’s, ”, Israel, ” Herzog Organizations: Reuters, National Holocaust Museum, ” Health, Hamas, Amnesty, International Court of Justice, AP, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Palestinian Community, Socialists International, Court of, Israel, Labor Locations: Amsterdam, Israel, Gaza, The Hague, South Africa, Nazi Germany

☆ The incredible story of how POWs played golf at the ‘Great Escape’ prison camp
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

In comparison to other POW camps under German control, captives at Stalag Luft III received “excellent” treatment for the majority of the war, according to a 1944 US Military Intelligence Service (MIS) report. The rubber from such items would wrap around the core and then be cased within leather stripped from shoes — a process eerily reminiscent of “featheries,” some of the earliest post-wooden golf balls ever made. Immortalized in a book and then a film of the same name, what became known as the “The Great Escape” wasn’t even the first breakout at Stalag Luft III. When three prisoners made a successful escape, suspicious German eyes homed in on the golf course and its sprawling mounds and greens. In 1979, he donated two balls he made while in Stalag Luft III to the USGA Golf Museum, artifacts that headline its exhibit on golf during the Second World War.

Persons: — “, Stalag Luft, —, “, ”, John Strege, Pat Ward, Thomas, Victoria Nenno, ” Nenno, Tee, Sydney Smith, Smith, Ward, John Mummert, Thomas ’, Sagan, Stalag, Roger Bushell’s, Tom, ” “ Dick, Harry ” —, Adolf Hitler Organizations: CNN, Luftwaffe, British Royal Air Force, RAF, United States Army Air Force, Military Intelligence Service, Geneva Convention, USGA Golf, PGA, Stalag Luft, USGA Museum, Ward, Thomas, USGA, RAF Squadron, Guardian, USGA Golf Museum Locations: Nazi Germany, Berlin, Zagan, Poland, Norway, New Zealand, Geneva, Netherlands, New Jersey, Ward, Germany, —, England

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