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CNN —A top commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was killed among several others in an airstrike on the country’s consulate building in Damascus, Syria, according to Iranian officials and state-affiliated media, which blamed Israel for the attack. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRCG) commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi was killed in the attack. Footage of the aftermath of the blast, published by Iranian state media Press TV, showed extensive damage, fire and smoke at the scene. Iranian embassy staff and military advisers were among the dead, he said. Zahedi, the slain commander, was previously the commander of IRGC’s ground forces, the commander of IRGC’s air force, and the deputy commander of the IRGC’s operations.

Persons: Israel, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Hossein Akbari, “, ” Akbari, Akbari, ”, Nasser Kanaani, ” Kanaani, Hossein Amir, Faisal Mekdad, Amir, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, we’re Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s, Ministry, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, Press, Zionist, Israel Defense Forces, Fars News, Iranian, Syrian Foreign, Diplomatic Relations, United States State Department Locations: Damascus, Syria, Iranian, Islamic Republic, Iran, Fars, Syrian, Vienna

☆ Netanyahu directs Israeli military to draw up plan to evacuate more than one million people from Rafah as offensive looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Amir Tal | Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the country’s military to plan for the “evacuation of the population” from Rafah, his office said in a statement on Friday, ahead of an anticipated ground assault on the southern Gaza city. More than 1.3 million people are believed to be in Rafah, the majority displaced from other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations. But it is unclear where next they could go; the city borders Egypt to the south, but the border into the country has been closed for months. The top commander in charge of Israel’s military operation in southern Gaza told CNN on Sunday that there was no plan in place yet for how to minimize civilian deaths in the city. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) meanwhile said in a press release Thursday that Rafah could soon turn “into a zone of bloodshed and destruction that people won’t be able to escape.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “, Dan Goldfuss, ”, Vedant Patel, Biden, ” Biden, “ I’ve, it’s, won’t Organizations: CNN, Israeli, United Nations, Israel Defense Forces, Prime Minister’s, IDF, United States State Department, White, Norwegian Refugee Council Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Hamas’s, Egypt, ”, Brig, Israeli

☆ U.S. Lawmakers Discuss Constituents Trapped Overseas, Hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

House lawmakers leaving a closed-door briefing with Biden administration officials on Israel and Gaza discussed how to identify the number of Americans trapped overseas--and how to get them out. Rep. Zach Nunn (R., Iowa) said that two families from his district were trapped in Israel now. “The concern here is not only are there no flights, U.S. flights, coming out of Tel Aviv, there's still an active conflict zone. So where do these individuals seek shelter? And we're looking at the United States State Department to take point on that.”

Persons: Zach Nunn, ” Organizations: Biden, United States State Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, , Iowa, U.S, Tel Aviv, there's

☆ Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh fear for future under blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. “If not for the blockade, I would be playing with my child today,” Kirakosyani told CNN. He told CNN that before the blockade he had received most of his produce from Armenia. I only have one week left until the shop closes and I am jobless,” he told CNN. Meanwhile Russia, which brokered the ceasefire in 2020, has peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor but has refrained from intervening further.

Persons: Ani Kirakosyani, Kirakosyani, ”, ” Kirakosyani, Gegham Stepanyan, Tom Lantos, Cross, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Mary Asatryan Max Mkhitaryan, Mary Asatryan, Brendan Hoffman, Ronald Suny, Azerbaijan’s, Ilham Aliyev, –, ” Harutyunyan, Peter Stano, Harutyunyan, Maria Zakharova, Artyom, Anahit, Vahe Gevorgyan, ” Gharaghazaryan Organizations: CNN, International Association of Genocide, Artsakh, Rights, International Committee, ICRC, Criminal Court, Armenian, Stepanakert Medical, University of Michigan, …, United States State Department, EU, Reuters, European Union, Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia, Hamline University, UN Security, “ Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Haterk, Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Republic, Armenia, Artsakh, Stepanakert, Soviet Union, Turkey, Baku, … Baku, Azerbaijani, Aghdam, EU, Russia, United States, Ukraine

CNN —China is making “significant progress” building the country’s fifth research facility in Antarctica after a several years-long lull in construction, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The site – a research station China has hailed as a means to expand its scientific investigation in the Antarctic – could also be used to enhance the country’s intelligence collection, according to CSIS. In February 2020, a team of US inspectors visited the station, where they were hosted by station leader Wang Zhechao of the Polar Research Institute of China. China has established four scientific research bases in Antarctica since 1984, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Under the 1959 treaty Antarctic Treaty, to which China is party, activities on the continent are restricted to “peaceful purposes.”Military personnel are allowed to conduct scientific research, but may not set up bases, test weapons of carry out maneuvers.

☆ China leads US in global competition for key emerging technology, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said its study showed that, in some fields, all of the world's top 10 research institutions are based in China. The study, funded by the United States State Department, found the United States was often second-ranked, although it led global research in high-performance computing, quantum computing, small satellites and vaccines. "Western democracies are losing the global technological competition, including the race for scientific and research breakthroughs," the report said, urging greater research investment by governments. The report called for democratic nations to collaborate more often to create secure supply chains and "rapidly pursue a strategic critical technology step-up". The study recommended visa screening programs to limit illegal technology transfers and instead favour international collaboration with security allies.

☆ Exclusive: Former U.S. military pilot arrested in Australia listed same Beijing address as Chinese hacker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Beijing address is listed in Australian company filings for the pilot and a U.S. blacklisting for the Chinese businessman, however, it was unclear whether they used the Beijing address at the same time. Another aviation source said Duggan went to Beijing to work with Stephen Su, also known as Su Bin in China. When Reuters visited the Beijing address this week the reporter was told it was a residential building and denied entry. Under Australia's extradition treaty with the United States, an extradition request must be made within 60 days of arrest. Robert Anello, the lawyer who represented Su Bin in the 2014 hacking case, declined to comment and Su Bin could not be reached for comment.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Former U.S. military pilot arrested in Australia listed same Beijing address as Chinese hacker -documents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Former U.S. military pilot arrived in Australia from China weeks before arrest - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Nov 4 (Reuters) - A former United States military pilot arrested in Australia and facing likely extradition to the United States on undisclosed charges had arrived from China weeks before and interacted with Australian intelligence agencies, his lawyer said on Friday. Consequently Reuters was unable to determine the specifics of Duggan's case, or why he may have interacted with Australian intelligence. "He denies having breached any U.S. law, any Australian law, any international law," Miralis said outside the court. He said the United States should not make an extradition request to Australia until this complaint was resolved. Under Australia's extradition treaty with the United States, an extradition request must be made within 60 days of arrest.

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