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☆ A War on the Nile Pushes Sudan Toward the Abyss
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Declan Walsh | Ivor Prickett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The national film archive was blown open in battle, its treasures now yellowing in the sun. Artillery shells soar over the Nile, smashing into hospitals and houses. Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and one of the largest cities in Africa, has been reduced to a charred battleground. Another nine million have been forced from their homes, making Sudan home to the largest displacement crisis on earth, the United Nations says. Fueling the chaos, Sudan has become a playground for foreign players like the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Russia and its Wagner mercenaries, and even a few Ukrainian special forces.

Persons: Wagner Organizations: Nations, United Arab Locations: Khartoum, Sudan, Africa, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Russia

☆ French military instructors in Ukraine would be a 'legitimate target' and may already be active, says Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's foreign minister said French military instructors in Ukraine would be "legitimate targets." Sergey Lavrov said he had reasons to think some were already active in Ukraine. Russia has threatened nuclear strikes on countries that are considering sending troops to Ukraine. AdvertisementFrench military instructors operating in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target" for Russia, Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Tuesday. Lavrov was speaking at a press conference in the Republic of the Congo when he was asked about reports that French instructors would shortly be sent to Ukraine.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, —, Lavrov Organizations: Service, French Army, Russian Armed Forces, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Business Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Republic of, Congo

☆ Russia will increase the number of military instructors in Burkina Faso, foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Anneclaire Stapleton | Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Russia will increase the number of military instructors in Burkina Faso, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday during a trip to the West African nation. “Here, Russian instructors are working; their number will increase.”Russia furthermore intends to supply Burkina Faso with military products to strengthen the country’s defense capability, he said. Burkina Faso is currently under military rule after a junta staged a coup d’état in July 2022. Engulfed in violence, Burkina Faso has been named the world’s most neglected displacement crisis for the second year, by the NRC. Burkina Faso was the first country to do this quickly and effectively,” he said.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, ” Lavrov, Lavrov, Ibrahim Traoré, Yevkurov, Traoré, Thomas Waldhauser, ” Organizations: CNN, Russian, Russian Federation, Russian Deputy Defense, Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, US Africa Command, Africa Command Locations: Russia, Burkina Faso, West African, Russian, Ouagadougou, “, China, Africa, Ukraine, ”

☆ Ukraine sent special forces to Syria to attack Russians there, revealing a new front to the war: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine has deployed special forces to Syria to fight Russian mercenaries there, per the Kyiv Post. They are backing Syrian rebels in fighting the Assad regime in the southwest, per the outlet. Ukraine is also fighting Wagner mercenaries in Sudan, the outlet previously reported. AdvertisementUkraine has deployed special forces units to Syria to combat Russians there, according to the Kyiv Post. Ukrainian special forces are fighting side by side with Syrian rebels against Russian mercenaries and Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime in the Middle Eastern country, the outlet reported.

Persons: Assad, Wagner, —, Bashar Assad's Organizations: Kyiv Post, Service, Russian, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, Business Locations: Ukraine, Syria, Kyiv, Sudan, Ukrainian

☆ Russia's pulling combat forces from another continent to fuel its latest offensive push in Ukraine, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRussia has moved some combat forces from Africa to help support its latest offensive efforts in northeastern Ukraine, according to a new Western intelligence assessment. The Russian defense ministry created the Africa Corps last year as a way to expand its footprint on the continent and also in the Middle East. Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty ImagesRussia's defense ministry "almost certainly redeployed detachments from the Africa Corps to the Ukrainian border during April 2024 in preparation for this offensive," the defense ministry said. Other Africa Corps detachments are believed to have deployed to Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the UK said. French Army via APThe recent deployment of certain Africa Corps units to the Kharkiv region appears to underscore Russia's commitment to its new offensive.

Persons: —, Wagner, Kostiantyn Liberov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Africa Corps, Business, Nazi, French Army, AP, Libkos, Staff of, Armed Forces, Facebook Locations: Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Moscow, Vovchansk, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali

☆ How $65 billion Marshall Wace is turning into the hedge funds it's criticized
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There's a split internally at $65 billion Marshall Wace. The 27-year-old London-based hedge fund, founded by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace, has prided itself on its collaborative culture. Multi-strategy mightThe culture shift at Marshall Wace is just the latest ripple effect to come from the vast expansion of power, assets, and clout of the largest multi-strategy hedge funds. For Marshall Wace, that looks like a charge that can be up to 0.75% of the $22.4 billion Eureka fund's value — more than $150 million — on top of the set management fees and variable performance fees the firm already charges. A person close to the firm said that certain people still have access to aggregated positions, but the restriction helps Marshall Wace manage "complexity and confidentiality" as the manager continues to grow.

Persons: Marshall Wace, Paul Marshall, Ian Wace, Marshall, George Soros, It's, Marshall Wace's, You've, Dan Schatz, Ruchit, Jaime Brandwood, Derek Rosenthal, Marshall's Organizations: Business, BNP, Eureka, Citadel, Ruchit Puri Locations: London, Citadel, New York, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Eureka

CNN —Vladimir Putin has formally begun his fifth term as Russia’s president in a carefully choreographed inauguration ceremony, in a country he has shaped in his image after first taking office nearly a quarter of a century ago. Putin won Russia’s stage-managed election by an overwhelming majority in March, securing for himself another six-year term that could see him rule until at least his 77th birthday. Attendees wait in the Kremlin as Putin arrives for his inauguration ceremony. Putin waves during his inauguration ceremony. To ensure it has enough drones and missiles to bombard Ukraine, Russia has also entered into deeper partnerships with Iran and North Korea.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Putin, – Putin, “, Matthew Miller, Putin’s, Maxim Shemetov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ”, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, US State Department, Reuters, US Embassy, Presidential Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Iran, North Korea

☆ Ukraine isn't the only country Russia is trying to topple
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even as Russian bombs pound Ukraine, Moscow's mercenaries and spies are busy trying to set much of the rest of the world afire. To Russia, the conventional warfare waged in Ukraine, and unconventional "gray zone" warfare waged around the world, are two sides of the same coin. Human intelligence operations are used to attempt elite capture through the offer of assistance to politicians who support Russian interests. "As the war in Ukraine protracts, Russia has an interest in creating crises further afield," said RUSI. "As a lot of Russia's unconventional operations are self-defeating, countering Russian unconventional warfare must be premised on careful, selective, and intelligence- driven targeting," the study emphasized.

Persons: —, RUSI, Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds, Britain —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Business, Kremlin, Soviet Union, NATO, Directorate, Staff of, Armed Forces, Getty, Russian, Central African, Wagner, GRU Expeditionary Corps, Convoy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Soviet, Montenegro, Moscow, Moldova, Russian, Britain, Ukraine protracts, Balkans, Russia's, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chechnya, Forbes

☆ As Russia tests for weak spots, Ukraine is banking on enemy mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Tim Lister | Victoria Butenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —It generated little attention: another Russian assault in eastern Ukraine, across barren, pock-marked fields, met by determined, nimble resistance. But these frequent mechanized ground attacks by the Russians are like sand-blasting – eroding Ukrainian defenses in multiple spots along the frontlines. Yusov told CNN that recruitment in Russia continues, for contract soldiers, prisoners and international mercenaries. The Ukrainians won’t acknowledge such attacks but Yusov told CNN cryptically that refineries are military targets and “damage there is quite natural. Matthew Schmidt told CNN: “Whatever NATO can get to Ukraine is enough to stabilize its position, not to change it meaningfully.

Persons: Kateryna Stepanenko, Russia’s, ”, Narciso Contreras, Andriy Yusov, Kurt Campbell, Yusov, Matthew Schmidt, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine “, –, Nazar Volosyn, “, Roman Pilipey, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Trump, what’s, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, Andriі Kovalenko, Petr Pavel, Stepanenko, ” Stepanenko Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Russian, Anadolu, Getty, “, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, UK’s Defense Ministry, National Security Department, New Haven University, NATO, Ukrainian, Congress, National Security and Defense Council, European Union Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Tonenke, Donetsk, Washington, Karlivka, Russia, North Korea, Ukrainian, Chasiv Yar, Kyiv, AFP, Rostov, Czech, Europe

The intensifying military cooperation between Russia and Niger is central to the dispute between the US and the Nigerien junta, officials said. Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen their military ties in January, Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the time. If the US were forced to withdraw, counterterrorism efforts across the region could take a hit, officials said. In return, Russia is profiting off the region’s natural resources, another official said, including the gold mines in Niger. Several European countries shared this goal, offering a measure of support to the junta, the official noted.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Langley, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, what’s, Nusrat al, “ Organizations: CNN, US Africa Command, Air Base, American, Nigerien, Russia’s Defense, EU, Pentagon, Kremlin, West, Russian Federation, National Council, Wagner, US Locations: Africa, Russia, Africa . Niger, Niger, United States, America, Nigerien, Sahel, stoking, China, Russian, Central Africa, ”, Niamey, US, Agadez, Mali, Burkina Faso, Abdramane, Western Africa, Northwest Africa

☆ The pope raises eyebrows after saying Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pope Francis said Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia. AdvertisementPope Francis has sparked controversy after saying Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. "You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Istanbul March 8, 2024 Ozan Guzelce/dia images via Getty ImagesBut Russia and Ukraine continue to speak at cross purposes.

Persons: Pope Francis, —, Edgers Rinkēvičs, Matteo Bruni, Bruni, Zelenskyy, Darya, Alexander Dugin, Dugina, Dmytro Kuleba, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peter the Great, Catherine II, Oleh, " Bruni, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ozan Organizations: Service, RSI, Catholic Church, Ukrainian Foreign, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kremlin, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swiss, Turkey, Visegrad, Latvian, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Istanbul, Turkish, Crimea

☆ ‘Dune: Part Two’ can inspire you to revisit these other timeless sci-fi sequels
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Twentieth Century Fox/Courtesy Everett CollectionWhat better way to start off than with one of the greatest sequels – and sci-fi films in general – ever made, with a screenplay that’s been taught in film schools. ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)DeForest Kelley, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014)Andy Serkis in 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." ‘Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)"Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980). “Dune: Part Two” is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, which, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros.

Persons: Denis Villeneuve’s, there’s, Sigourney Weaver, –, James Cameron’s Oscar, Ridley Scott’s, Ellen Ripley’s, Carrie Henn, Khan ’, DeForest Kelley, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Khan, Everett, ”, Ricardo Montalban, “ Khan ”, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, he’s, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, Linda Hamilton, Sarah Connor –, Andy Serkis, Caesar, “ Dawn ”, Max, Thunderdome, Mel Gibson, Warner, Mad Max, George Miller’s, Tina Turner’s, Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Miller, Theron’s Furiosa, Anya Taylor, Joy, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, Peter MacNicol, Howard Huntsberry, George Lucas Organizations: CNN, Rotten, Century Fox, Paramount, “, TriStar, Columbia, ‘, Lucasfilm Ltd, Wars, Warner Bros . Pictures, Warner Bros . Locations: Ripley, ‘, “ Kingdom

☆ Analysis: Two years of war has been a disaster for Russia with no end in sight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Matthew Chance | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Moscow CNN —Two years ago, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I was among the many long-time observers of the Kremlin who got it wrong. Even if the war ends tomorrow, it is likely to take many years for its strength and numbers to recover. And the past two years of brutal war have twisted and distorted Russia internally too. Even President Putin has been indicted for war crimes at the Hague. I was in Chechnya when, in 2000, a newly installed President Putin brought that rebellious Russian region to heel, unleashing a relentless Russian military.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Putin, Inna Varenytsia, Reuters Russia’s, toting Wagner, – Alexey Navalny –, Anna Politikovskaya, Anatoli Stepanov, Putin miscalculated, Rather Organizations: Moscow CNN —, Kremlin, Russian, Reuters, Hague, Getty Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Europe, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Chechnya, Russian, Avdiivka, AFP, Georgia, Georgian, Crimea, It’s

☆ Avdiivka: Ukraine’s defeat darkens the mood in the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Traveling from the Munich Security Conference towards Ukraine’s frontlines, the polite frustration and manicured pleas of Western leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky feel yet more desperate. Ukrainian soldiers of Brigade 71 fire artillery in the direction of Avdiivka on February 18, 2024. Latvia’s president spoke of “murder,” Germany’s defense minister of how the death showed Russia was “willing and able to provoke” the West. Tobias Schwarz/ReutersIn and of itself, the Ukrainian defeat Avdiivka does not herald a sea change in Kyiv’s fortunes. Instead they may face larger existential questions about providing a lot more help, very urgently, to stop Ukraine’s war becoming Europe’s.

Persons: Ukraine’s frontlines, Volodymyr Zelensky, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Alexey Navalny, Putin, ”, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Zelensky –, –, Tobias Schwarz, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Oleksandr Syrsky —, Zelensky, ’, Tucker Carlson, Kostiantyn, Zaluzhnyi Organizations: CNN, Munich, Ukraine’s, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Brigade, Getty, Trump, NATO, Republican, Reuters, European Union Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Russia, West, Munich, Germany, Moscow, Kyiv, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Russian, Poland, frontlines, North Korea

☆ Putin is tightening his grip over what's left of the Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe military formation has been actively recruiting former Wagner Group mercenaries and soldiers who fought in Ukraine for combat operations in Africa. The Kremlin is likely using the Africa Corps to take over many of the functions of the Wagner Group, Parens added. Last week, in a video obtained by the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian special forces were shown interrogating captured Wagner mercenaries in Sudan. "Ukrainian special services have acquired considerable experience of waging non-linear warfare against the Russian side and especially against the Wagner Group," he said. The fate of the Wagner Group, it seems, still hangs in the balance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, he's, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergey Sukhankin, Raphael Parens, Parens, Sukhankin, Russia Alessandro Arduino Organizations: Kremlin, Jamestown Foundation, Wagner, Volunteer Corps, Africa Corps, Wagner Group, Fighters, Foreign, Research, Eurasia Program, Military Companies, Africa, Kyiv Post, Russia, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, Sudan, Russian

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

“The Russian government must have the data of how many foreign fighters have joined the Russian army and how many Nepalis are fighting for Russia,” she said. The Russian foreign ministry has not responded to CNN’s questions about the number of Nepalis recruited by the Russian army and how many of them have died so far. She thought her husband, Shukra Tamang – a retired Nepali army soldier fighting for Russia – was the person calling. A photo shows Shukra Tamang, a retired Nepali army soldier, training in Russia. Bonuses paidNepali men who want to join the Russian army first travel to Russia on a tourist visa.

Persons: Nepal CNN — Ramchandra Khadka, Khadka, “, ” Khadka, Ramchandra Khadka, ”, Bimala Rai Paudyal, Nepalis, Kritu Bhandari, Russia haven’t, Bhandari, ‘, Januka Sunar’s, hasn’t, Sunar, …, Januka Sunar, it’ll, Tamang, Shukra Tamang, Shukra, –, Russia –, Shishir Bishwokarma, Avangard, Suman Tamang, ” Tamang, “ It’s, It’s, Binoj Basnyat, Ram Sharma, Sharma, ” Sharma, Saud, Nepalis haven’t, Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri, hadn’t, ” Khatri, Basnyat Organizations: Nepal CNN, Russia, Ukraine, CNN, Russian, Henley & Partners, Bank, Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist, CNN CNN, YouTube, AK, Moscow Oblast, Avangard, United Arab, Agents, Moscow, CNN Kathmandu, World Bank Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Bakhmut –, Bakhmut, North Korea, Januka, Nepali, Avangard, Indian, United Arab Emirates, India, Dubai, UAE

BEIRUT (AP) — A drone attack on a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, in the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias that have been targeting its forces in the region. The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Monday the attack hit a training ground at al-Omar base in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour and accused “Syrian regime-backed mercenaries” of carrying out the attack. In late January, a drone attack by the same group killed three U.S. troops and wounded dozens more at a desert base in Jordan. The U.S. military launched dozens of retaliatory strikes targeting Iran-backed militant groups in western Iraq and eastern Syria and also struck the Houthis in Yemen. The attack late Sunday came two days after the U.S. military carried out strikes against militant targets linked to Iran in Syria and Iraq.

Persons: Omar, “, Sunday’s, Samy Magdy Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, Human Rights, SDF, Sunday, U.S, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, Britain, Associated Press Locations: BEIRUT, Syria, Kurdish, Iraq, U.S, Iran, The U.S, al, Deir el, Jordan, Yemen, Israel, Britain, Red, Cairo

☆ Sylvester Stallone gives ‘incredible credit’ to ‘Rocky’ costar Carl Weathers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The late star also appeared in the third and fourth installments of the franchise through 1985. His character’s son, played by Michael B. Jordan, is the central figure in the popular “Creed” sequel franchise that started in 2015. Carl Weathers, Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan at the 'Creed ' film premiere, Los Angeles, in November 2015. He spoke to the camera while standing in front of a painting that depicted a scene the pair shared in one of the “Rocky” movies. “He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life,” Stallone said.

Persons: Carl Weathers, Pedro Pascal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, “, Rocky ’, ” Weathers, Rocky ”, Michael B, Stallone, Weathers, ”, ” Stallone, Jordan, Chelsea Lauren, Weathers –, Arnold, Sly, “ I’ll, Matt Luber, “ Mandalorian Organizations: CNN, Variety, Penske Media Locations: “, Los Angeles

☆ SOCOM is after new tech to help special operations forces spot, track, and take out urban threats without being seen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US special operations forces on the island join their Taiwanese comrades in major urban centers, getting ready for intense urban combat. Looking toward potential future fights like this, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is after new tech that would help its special operators survive and thrive in urban warfare. Modern Urban WarfareThe ongoing conflict in Ukraine has shown that urban warfare remains as deadly as ever. Advertisement"When I hear the words 'urban warfare' I think of buildings, close ranges, challenges in fires support, CAS [close air support], or MEDAVACs [medical evacuations]. During the industrial counterterrorism campaign against al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Iraqi insurgency, US special operations forces got a good taste of urban warfare and its complexities.

Persons: —, SOCOM, Justin Moeller, isn't Organizations: Service, Business, Operations Command, 5th Special Forces Group, US, Staff, Urban, Wagner Group, Delta Force, Green Berets, Islamic Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, Beijing, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Afghanistan, Qaeda, Iraq, Islamic State, Syria, Mosul

☆ Ex-Wagner mercenaries may be heading back to Ukraine, but this time with Russia's National Guard, intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFormer Wagner Group fighters are being absorbed into Russia's national guard and may soon be deployed to Ukraine, according to Western intelligence, as Moscow continues to assume control over the ruthless mercenary organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin in late-December authorized the country's National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia, to create its own volunteer arrangements. AdvertisementMembers of the Wagner Group prepare to depart from the Southern Military District's headquarters and return to their base in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24, 2023. Some in the West observed this as an effort to strengthen the national guard. AdvertisementRussian police and National Guard (Rosgvardia) servicemen patrol Red Square in central Moscow on Oct. 20, 2021.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Arkady Budnitsky, Vladimir Putin's, Viktor Zolotov, Rosgvardia, Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Moscow, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, country's National Guard, Volunteer Corps, Business, Southern Military, Anadolu Agency, Getty, National Guard, Institute for, Bakhmut, Kremlin, Africa Corps, Nazi Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Africa, Russia, Rostov, Don, Red, AFP, Africa —

☆ Odawara: Japanese castle town invites travelers to become ‘daimyo’ for a day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Simon Celestine arrived at Odawara castle as a tourist from France but he is now lord of one of the most impressive feudal-era fortresses in Japan – if only for a day. Odawara Tourism AssociationOdawara has been selected as one of the first recipients of government assistance to tell its story and local tourism authorities have been busy devising initiatives that play on its strengths. Five generations of the Hojo clan made Odawara castle one of the most formidable in the country and it was never successfully stormed in battle. Odawara Tourism AssociationThe innermost courtyard is across another bridge over a moat, up a flight of steep steps and through a gate set into a two-meter-thick wall. The “Lord of the Castle” experience can be booked through the official Odawara Tourism Association website.

Persons: Simon Celestine, Hojo, Naoya Asao, ” Celestine, ”, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi, Meiji, Celestine, Tomomi Iwayama, Iwayama, sashimi Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Odawara Tourism, Odawara, Odawara Tourism Association, CNN Travel Locations: Odawara, Japan, France, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Izu, Sagami Bay, Mount Fuji, Edo, Kanto

☆ Russian military blogger Igor Girkin sentenced to four years in prison on extremism charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian pro-war blogger who criticized President Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war on Ukraine, has been found guilty on extremism charges and sentenced to four years in prison by a Moscow court. Moscow City Court convicted Girkin, also known under his pseudonym, Strelkov, of inciting extremism – a charge he denied. Girkin was an influential blogger and critic of Putin. The court in 2022 found Girkin guilty of mass murder for his role in the incident and he was sentenced in absentia to life in prison. According to the court, Girkin participated in the conflicts in Chechnya, Transnistria and Bosnia.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin’s, Girkin, Strelkov, Putin, Wagner, Natalia Kolesnikova, ” Organizations: CNN, Court, Federal Security Service, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Getty, Angry Patriots Club, Reuters, Donetsk People’s, DPR Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Crimea, Donbas, Russia, AFP, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Netherlands, Chechnya, Transnistria, Bosnia

☆ Russian Parliament to Ask French Counterpart if It Knew of 'French Mercenaries' in Ukraine - Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, plans to formally ask France's National Assembly if it is aware that French mercenaries have been fighting on Ukraine's side, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Duma's chairman, said on Friday. France rejected the allegations, saying it was helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity but had no mercenaries in Ukraine "unlike certain others". "In France, the mercenary trade is forbidden by law," Volodin wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Duma would consider its address to the French parliament at the next meeting of the lower chamber of parliament which is scheduled for Jan. 23, he said. Russia announced on Thursday it had summoned the French ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over the mercenary allegations.

Persons: Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Vladimir Putin, Andrew Osborn Organizations: State Duma, Russian Defence Ministry, Duma, Foreign Ministry, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Kharkiv, France, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Nepal urges Russia not to recruit its citizens into army; says six killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nepal government said in a statement that six of its nationals, who had been serving the Russian army, were killed, without providing any details. Diplomatic efforts were underway to get one Nepali citizen serving the Russian army and captured by Ukraine released, the statement added. Nepal also urged its citizens not to join the army of any war-torn country. English daily, The Kathmandu Post, quoted Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal's ambassador in Moscow, as saying that 150-200 Nepalis were working as mercenaries in the Russian army. Millions of Nepali nationals are employed in civilian work mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites in South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East.

Persons: Phil Noble, Milan Raj Tuladhar, Gopal Sharma, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: Brigade, Catterick Garrison, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Richmond, Britain, Nepal, Moscow, India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Kathmandu, Russian, South Korea, Malaysia, Lincoln

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