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"The Taliban has nearly doubled the number of districts it controls, has captured key areas and military bases, and demoralized segments of the Afghan security forces and the government," Roggio said. We don't want to capture any province or provincial headquarters anywhere in Afghanistan by September 2021 when the U.S. forces leave our country," the Taliban commander said. "We neither imprison them nor punish the Afghan security forces who surrender peacefully. Somal Nazari left his village in Faryab province Sunday along with his young family as Taliban forces approached the city of Maymana. Afghan government forces have struggled to clear out the Taliban from districts they had captured, suffering serious casualties.

Persons: Roggio, Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Biden, Washington, Zabihullah Mujahid, Marcus Yam, Somal Nazari, Nazari, —, Dawlat Abad, Ghani, Deborah Lyons Organizations: High Council, National Reconciliation, White, NBC News, U.S, Doha, NATO, Taliban, UH, Blackhawk, Los Angeles Times, Getty, AK, NBC, Afghan, Soviet, . Security Locations: Tajikistan, Kabul, Kunduz province, United States, Afghanistan, United, U.S, Doha, Mazar, Kandahar, Faryab, Maymana, Sharif, Balkh, Faryab province, Dawlat, Afghan, Wardak, — Wardak, Logar

After U.S. President Joe Biden met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16, French President Emmanuel Macron said the first EU summit with Putin since January 2014 would be "a dialogue to defend our interests". But after late night talks at their meeting in Brussels, the 27 EU leaders failed to reach an agreement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said early on Friday. EU summits with Russia ended after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 and the West imposed sanctions. France and Germany want to be able to work with Russia on combating climate change and to find ways to stabilise relations. The EU on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on Belarus, an ally of Russia that the Kremlin sees as a buffer state between Russia and NATO.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Angela Merkel, Stefan Lofven, Klaus Werner Iohannis, Janez Jansa, Olivier Matthys, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Sebastian Kurz, Gitanas Nauseda, Krisjanis Karins, Josep Borrell, Macron, Putin, Charles Michel, Merkel, Borrell, Lithuania's Nauseda, Sergei Lavrov, Robin Emmott, Gabriela Baczynska, Francesco Guarascio, Philip Blenkinsop, Thomas Escritt, Caroline Copley, Ekaterina Golubkova, Angus MacSwan, Philippa Fletcher, William Maclean, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Slovenia's, European, Union, U.S, Putin, Austria's, Franco, Latvia's, European Commission, Russia, EU, Diplomats, Britain, Kremlin, NATO, Russian, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Romanian, Brussels, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, BRUSSELS, Baltic, Geneva, Moscow, Ukraine's Crimea, Lithuanian, Ukraine, Russian, United States, standoffs, Belarus, EU, Baltics, Berlin

☆ Russia says it may fire on warships after Black Sea incident with U.K. destroyer
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com + 0.00 time to read: +4 min

MOSCOW — Russia is prepared to target intruding warships if they fail to heed warnings, a senior diplomat declared Thursday after a Black Sea incident in which a British destroyer sailed near Crimea in an area that Russia claims as its territorial waters. Britain denied that account, insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon and said it was sailing in Ukrainian waters. Minutes later, the Defender left Russian waters, the ministry said. It insisted the ship was making a routine journey through an internationally recognized travel lane and remained in Ukrainian waters. The U.K., like most of the world, recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine despite the peninsula's 2014 annexation by Russia.

Persons: wasn’t, Sergei Ryabkov, ”, Ryabkov, ” Ryabkov, don’t, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Boris Johnson, ” Johnson Organizations: NATO, NBC, Russian Federation, Russian Defense Ministry, HMS, Russian, Royal Navy Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, British, Crimea, Crimean, Sevastopol, Moscow, Russian, Britain, Ukraine, Ukrainian, England

☆ After 'negative spiral', EU seeks new Russia strategy
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-24 | by ( Robin Emmott | ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +3 min

European Union leaders attend a round table meeting on the second day of a face-to-face EU summit in Brussels, Belgium May 25, 2021. Since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and the EU froze summits with Putin, EU policy has zigzagged between imposing economic sanctions and allowing a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to reach completion. EU leaders are now expected to build on that paper to flesh out ways to both call out covert Russian action and work with Moscow on combating climate change. "Out of a confrontational of ideas comes understanding," a senior EU diplomat said in support of the EU strategy, although the envoy doubted a sudden improvement in trust. The EU will on Thursday or Friday publish details of economic sanctions on Belarus, an ally of Russia that the Kremlin sees as a buffer state between Russia and NATO.

Persons: Olivier Matthys, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Joe Biden's, Dmytro Kuleba, Emmanuel Macron, Robin Emmott, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Union, Russia, EU, European Commission, NATO, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, COVID, BRUSSELS, Moscow, U.S, Geneva, Ukraine, Belarus, EU, Baltics, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Crimea, Russian, British, Crimea, Britain

☆ Blinken visit to pope will reset U.S-Vatican ties after Trump years
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-24 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a visit at Holocaust Memorial as a part of Holocaust Dialogue signing event in Berlin, Germany June 24, 2021. When Antony Blinken meets the pope and top Vatican officials on Monday, the new secretary of state's visit will put relations between Washington and Holy See on a new footing. It will also set the scene for a visit to the pope by Joe Biden, only the second Catholic U.S. president, expected for October. Trump said it was "disgraceful" for the pope to question his faith but later called him "a wonderful guy". Blinken and Vatican officials are also expected to discuss ways to combat human trafficking and encouraging debt relief for poor countries.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Michele Tantussi, Pompeo, Pope Francis, Mike Pompeo, state's, Joe Biden, Biden, Massimo Franco, Sera, Franco, Alberto Melloni, Donald Trump, Trump, Trump's, Biden's, Francis, John Kerry, Philip Reeker, Humeyra Pamuk, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Trump, Biden, CITY, Catholic U.S, Roman, Twitter, U.S, Reuters, NATO, European Commission, White, Vatican, United Nations, Change, U.S ., Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, U.S, China, Washington, Hong Kong, Italian, United States, Paris, Britain, Blinken

☆ After incident with British warship, Russia says it may drop bombs 'right on target' in the future
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-24 | by ( Vladimir Isachenkov | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com + 0.00 time to read: +7 min

Russia said it fired warning shots at the Royal Navy destroyer, which the British government denied. Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender on Wednesday to drive it away from waters near the Crimean city of Sevastopol. "If it doesn't help, we may drop bombs and not just in the path but right on target, if colleagues don't get it otherwise." Mikhail Khodaryonok, a retired Russian army colonel who works as a military analyst in Moscow, said the Russian warplane apparently dropped bombs miles away from the British ship. He charged that the British denial that Russia had fired warning shots and dropped bombs to chase the Defender away was an attempt to save face.

Persons: wasn't, Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Jeff J Mitchell, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Ustinov, Alexei Druzhinin, Deborah Bronnert, Adm, Nikolai Yevmenov, Ben Wallace, Wallace, Mikhail Khodaryonok, Khodaryonok, Jill Lawless, Daniel Kozin Organizations: Royal Navy destroyer, Business, Service, —, NATO, British Royal Navy, Getty, Russian Federation, Russian Defense Ministry, HMS, Russian, Royal Navy, Sputnik, REUTERS, Russian Foreign Ministry, West . UK, Russian coastguard, Associated Press Locations: Russia, Russian, British, — Russia, Crimea, Crimean, Sevastopol, Moscow, Britain, Ukraine, Ukrainian, England, Kremlin, St . Petersburg, London

☆ Telekom Austria may consider Huawei, ZTE for 5G networks-COO
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-23 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +3 min

A smartphone with the Huawei and 5G network logo is seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture taken January 29, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoSTOCKHOLM, June 23 (Reuters) - A1 Telekom Austria Group (TELA.VI), an unit of Carlos Slim's America Movil (AMXL.MX), was open to considering Chinese vendors such as Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ) for upcoming 5G networks in several countries, a top executive said. European governments have been tightening controls on Chinese companies building 5G networks following diplomatic pressure from Washington, but Telekom Austria has not seen any pressure in most of the European countries it operates in. A1 Telekom Austria Group's parent company, America Movil, called Huawei an excellent telecoms equipment provider last year. Telekom Austria has 25 million customers across Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Belarus, Slovenia, Republic of Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia.

Persons: Dado, Carlos Slim's, Alejandro Plater, " Plater, Supantha Mukherjee, Daria Sito, Ana Nicolaci da Organizations: Huawei, REUTERS, Telekom Austria Group, Telekom Austria, Reuters, Telekom Austria Group's, America, Telekom, Ericsson, Nokia, NATO, Alliance, European Technology, Telecoms, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Washington, United States, Beijing, Telekom Austria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Belarus, Slovenia, Republic of Serbia, Republic of North Macedonia, North Macedonia, Macedonia, Macedonian, Europe, European, Stockholm, Ana Nicolaci da Costa

☆ Russia says it fired warning shots and dropped bombs to drive away a UK destroyer in the Black Sea, but the UK is denying it
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-23 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com sentiment -1.00 time to read: +2 min

Russia says its forces confronted a UK destroyer in the Black Sea on Wednesday. To drive away the ship, a Russian vessel reportedly fired warning ships while an attack aircraft dropped bombs. Russia's defense ministry says that the country's forces had a showdown with the British Royal Navy near Crimea in the Black Sea on Wednesday, but the UK's defense ministry says it didn't happen. The Russian defense ministry claimed the warship sailed as far as 3 kilometers (just under 2 miles) into Russian waters, Reuters reported, citing Interfax. In response, an unidentified Russian warship reportedly fired warning shots, and a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft dropped OFAB-250 high-explosive fragmentation bombs in the path of the Royal Navy destroyer.

Persons: Sukhoi Su, Defense Ben Wallace Organizations: British Royal Navy, Russian Ministry of Defense, HMS, Zvezda TV, Royal Navy, NATO, Associated Press, British Ministry of Defense, State, Defense, UK Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Russian, Crimea, British, Ukraine's, Odesa, Georgia

☆ US leaders say China and Russia's military ties are 'phony,' but there still isn't much they can do about them
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-23 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com + 0.00 time to read: +11 min

Russia and China's growing ties and military cooperation have worried Western leaders. The 14,400-word, 79-paragraph communique released at the end of the summit expressed concern about Russia's and China's military build-ups and "assertive" behavior. 'A functional non-aggression pact'Putin at a parade during Russia's Vostok 2018 military exercises, in which China participated for the first time, September 13, 2018. They normalized ties in 1989, and security cooperation has been the most important part of the relationship between Russian and Chinese leaders since then. China still seeks advanced technologies, some of which, like jet engines, Russia has been reluctant to sell, said Fravel, an expert on the Chinese military.

Persons: Tod Wolters, Philip Davidson, Davidson, Matthew Rojansky, Rojansky, Putin, Alexei Nikolsky, Taylor Fravel, Lyle Goldstein, Goldstein, China's, Alexey Muraviev, Muraviev, Vadim Savitsky, Scott Berrier, Wolters, Michael Kofman, Kofman, Fravel, Xi, Sergei Bobylev, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Elizabeth Wishnick, Christopher Bort, Bort, Tim Brakemeier, Wishnick, Nixon Organizations: Western, NATO, US European Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Navy, Reuters, Pacific Command, Biden, Politico, Ukraine, Kennan, Wilson, Getty, MIT, US Naval War, Russian, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Australia's Curtain University, Defense Intelligence Agency, CNA, Montclair State University, stoke, US's National Intelligence Council, Getty Images Locations: Russia, China, Baltic, St . Petersburg, US, South China, East Asia, Soviet, —, Ukraine, Pacific, Japan, East, South Korea, United States, Moscow, Vladivostok, Central Asia, Beijing, Eurasia, Getty Images Russia, West

☆ Turkey says it will not send more troops to Afghanistan for airport security
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com sentiment -0.99 time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, June 23 (Reuters) - Turkey will not send additional troops to Afghanistan as part of a plan to run and secure Kabul's airport following the U.S. and NATO pullout from the country, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday. Turkey has offered to guard and run Hamid Karzai airport after NATO's withdrawal and has been holding talks with the United States on logistic and financial support for the mission. The mission could be a potential area of cooperation between Ankara and its allies amid strained ties, as the security of the airport is crucial for the operation of diplomatic missions out of Afghanistan after the withdrawal. Last week, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a meeting at last week's NATO summit that Turkey would take a lead role in securing Kabul airport after the NATO withdrawal. read moreA Taliban spokesman said this month Turkey should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan under the 2020 deal for the pullout of U.S. forces, but Washington and Ankara have said the plans will press on.

Persons: Hulusi Akar, Hamid Karzai, Akar, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Toby Chopra Organizations: NATO, Turkish Defence, NATO's, U.S, . National, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Afghanistan, Kabul's, United States, Ankara, NATO's Resolute, Syria, Libya, Kabul, Washington

Shawn Thew/Pool via REUTERSBERLIN, June 23 (Reuters) - Libya's foreign minister said on Wednesday international powers had made progress at talks in Berlin on the removal of foreign fighters from the country, although a final communique from the U.N.-backed conference specified no concrete new measures. "Hopefully within coming days mercenaries (on) both sides will be withdrawn," Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush told a news conference following the talks, without giving details. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said he believed there was an understanding between Russia and Turkey on a step-by-step withdrawal of their fighters. The two sides' October ceasefire called for the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries by January. Ankara has said that as its forces were invited by the internationally recognised government they should not be put in the same category as other foreign forces in Libya.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Shawn Thew, Muammar Gaddafi, Najla Mangoush, Heiko Maas, Khalifa Haftar's, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Russia's Wagner, Joseph Nasr, Angus McDowall Organizations: Senate Foreign, State, REUTERS, U.S . State Department, Reuters, U.S, Libyan, United Arab, Libyan National Army, State Department, Thomson Locations: Washington , DC, REUTERS BERLIN, Berlin, Libya, NATO, Turkey, Russia, Tripoli, Sirte, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Chad, Syria, Turkish, Ankara, Chadians

☆ Taliban take key Afghan district, adding to string of gains
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com + 0.00 time to read: +6 min

Fighting around Imam Sahib district began late Sunday and by midday Monday the Taliban had overrun the district headquarters and were in control of police headquarters, said Inamuddin Rahmani, provincial police spokesman said. Like Imam Sahib district in northern Kunduz, their significance often lies in their proximity to roads and major cities. Afghan security force members stand at a security checkpoint after armed clashes on the outskirts of Kunduz city. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed confirmed Imam Sahib district was in Taliban hands. In recent days, the Taliban have taken several districts across the three northern provinces of Kunduz, Baghlan and Balkh, said Mousavi.

Persons: Inamuddin Rahmani, Ajmal Kakar, Sahib, Rahmani, Zabihullah Mujahed, Imam Sahib, Syed Mohammad Mousavi, “, ”, Mousavi, Doshi, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhunzada, John Kirby, Lloyd Austin, we’ve, ” Kirby, Austin, Joe Biden, Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Jen Psaki Organizations: Pentagon, NBC, Taliban, NATO, Getty, Afghan National Army, Afghan National Security and Defense Forces, Sunday, Monday, Council, National Reconciliation, House Press Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, Afghanistan's, Kunduz, Monday, Imam Sahib, Kabul, Xinhua, Tajikistan, Central Asia, Sahib, Dasht, Mazar, Baghlan, Balkh, “, Qatar, country's, Washington, U.S

☆ Orban's challengers pledge to halt Chinese university, railway project
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-22 | by ( Marton Dunai | ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +3 min

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, June 14, 2021. Kenzo Tribouillard/Pool via REUTERSBUDAPEST, June 22 (Reuters) - Six leading candidates vying to stand against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban jointly announced on Tuesday that if elected they would repudiate two giant Chinese projects - a university campus in the capital and a railway to Belgrade. Orban's government has said in the past that the railway would secure the flow of investments to Hungary, while the university would bring cutting-edge technology and know-how. Orban's opponents have long objected to both Chinese projects, which would be financed with billion-euro loans from Beijing. read moreThe new Chinese university campus offering graduate degrees in technical subjects would be opened just a few years after Hungary's biggest private higher education institution, Central European University, decamped to Austria because of legal changes enacted by Orban.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Kenzo Tribouillard, Orban, Xi Jinping, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony, Klara Dobrev, Andras Fekete, Peter Jakab, Karacsony, Marton Dunai Organizations: Hungary's, NATO, REUTERS, Hungarian, Shanghai's Fudan University, Budapest Mayor, liberal Democratic Coalition, Momentum Movement, Central European University, Budapest, Liberal, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, REUTERS BUDAPEST, Belgrade, Western, Russia, China, Beijing, Budapest, Gyor, Hungary, decamped, Austria, Liberal Hungary

☆ Like in any other marriage, Joe Biden needs to be realistic about dealing with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-22 | by ( Robert Moore | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com + 0.00 time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden showed signs of a strategy based in realism in his meeting with President Vladimir Putin this month. Such an approach is needed for dealing with Russia if Biden wants a relationship that best serves US national interests. Doing so would lead to shedding some of the long-held and widely accepted policies in many Western capitals toward Russia and the NATO alliance. While many NATO leaders may view the organization as much more than a defense alliance, Russian leaders see it primarily as that and a direct threat to their security and interests. Biden, Putin, and their advisors during their meeting in Geneva.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Robert Moore, Joe Biden's, OLIVIER HOSLET, Putin extols, Putin, Kuznetsov, Mikhail Svetlov, Mikhail Metzel, Russia —, Sen, Mike Lee Organizations: Defense, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Getty, Russian, United States, Capitol, Senate Armed, Committee Locations: Russia, Geneva, Moscow, Russian, Brussels, Soviet Union, Warsaw, Soviet, Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Georgia, United States, Cuba

☆ Explainer: Untangling the crisis in Libya
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Goran TomasevicTUNIS, June 21 (Reuters) - Germany and the United Nations host an international conference on Libya in Berlin on Tuesday. Libya's fault lines surfaced a decade ago as local groups took different positions in the NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. Meanwhile, myriad armed groups - some led by potential candidates in the election - still hold power on the ground, raising questions about whether a vote could be free and fair. In the west, armed groups continue to jostle for position and to assert their control over local areas and some state institutions. Abuses by fighters in both east and west have underscored the armed groups' continued power.

Persons: Libya's U.N, Khalifa Haftar, Goran Tomasevic TUNIS, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, Muammar Gaddafi, Khalifa, Haftar, Mohammed al, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Dbeibeh, Angus McDowall, Aidan Lewis, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, of National Unity, NATO, Islamic, Libyan National Army, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Tripoli, Libya, Germany, Berlin, Benghazi, Europe, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Misrata, Sirte, Jufra

☆ How the US got its pilots home after 2 of its most advanced jets were shot down within weeks of each other
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-21 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com + 0.00 time to read: +7 min

During the bombing, Serbian forces shot down two of the US's most advanced jets: an F-117 and an F-16. Both US pilots got home, thanks in large part to a unique team of US Air Force special operators. When the unthinkable happensA woman dances on a US Air Force F-117 that crashed west of Belgrade, March 28, 1999. 'Start finding me, boys'The Air Force special-operations combat search-and-rescue team, composed primarily of pararescuemen and combat controllers, that rescued Goldfein. Its primary customers are Air Force pilots, special-operations troops, and the intelligence community.

Persons: Slobodan Milosevic, Darrell Patrick, Dale, Zelko, couldn't, Vega, David Goldfein, Goldfein, Jeremy Hardy, Robert Bowden, Zoltan Dani, Col, Stephan Laushine, Amy M Organizations: NATO, Serbian, US, US Air Force, Allied Force, Delta Force, Coalition, Reuters, Vega, EA, Air Force, The Air Force, 555th Fighter Squadron, Serbs, Airmen, Soldiers, Special Operations Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Recovery Agency, CSAR, US Air National Guard / Tech Locations: Kosovo, Balkans, Yugoslavia, Srebrenica, Bosnian, Belgrade, Serbian, Serbia, Italy, Minnesota

☆ Washington in talks over removal of foreign fighters from Libya - U.S. envoy
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com sentiment -0.88 time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - The United States is in talks with some of the key actors in Libya over the withdrawal of foreign forces ahead of elections planned for December, Washington's top Libya envoy said on Monday. Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland told reporters that part of the importance of Libya's elections was so a fully empowered, credible and legitimate government could push foreign actors to pull out their troops. "There are negotiations underway with some of the key actors aimed at trying to remove some of the mercenaries, the foreign fighters," Norland added. Most territory is still controlled by local armed groups, major outside powers have not pulled foreign fighters from the front lines, and key figures disagree on the management of Libya's economic resources. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Libya Richard Norland, we're, Norland, Antony Blinken's, Muammar Gaddafi, Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis, Richard Pullin Organizations: Second Berlin Conference, Thomson Locations: United States, Libya, Washington's, NATO

☆ Libyan unity PM says coast road reopened ahead of Berlin talks
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-20 | by ( Ahmed Elumami | ) www.reuters.com + 0.00 time to read: +3 min

TRIPOLI, June 20 (Reuters) - The head of Libya's unity government said on Sunday he had reopened the main coast road across the frozen front line, a gesture of progress in the fragile peace process, but eastern forces said the road remained closed. Dbeibeh removed a mound of sand blocking the road at the final checkpoint on the western side of front line, before driving eastwards with his convoytowards Sirte, held by eastern forces. "I hope the road will reopen today because it is easier, faster and cheaper for us," he said. Along the coast road, the large covered checkpoints and a burned out petrol station underscored the continued tensions despite this year's political progress. However, in Misrata, 28-year old civil servant Ali Mohamed al-Mogasbi said he though the reopening of the road would be a good step forward.

Persons: Abdulhamid Dbeibeh's, Dbeibeh, Muammar Gaddafi, Khalifa Haftar, Ali Mohamed al, Mogasbi, it's, Angus McDowall, Louise Heavens Organizations: Libyan National Army, NATO, Libyan, of National Unity, GNU, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TRIPOLI, Berlin, Libya, Sirte, Khalifa, Algeria, Mohammed, Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Reuters Libya

☆ Chris Christie says 'not much was accomplished' during Biden's trip to Europe, but 'no damage was done'
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com + 0.00 time to read: +2 min

Chris Christie says that "not much was accomplished, but no damage was done" during Biden's trip. While in Geneva, Biden had a long-awaited meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chris Christie of New Jersey on Sunday said that "not much was accomplished, but no damage was done" during President Joe Biden's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. During an appearance on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Christie said Biden didn't forge any diplomatic breakthroughs during the trip, but avoided any serious mistakes. After the meeting with Biden, Putin said that the talks were "quite constructive."

Persons: Chris Christie, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden's, George Stephanopoulos, Christie, Biden didn't, didn't, Kaitlan Collins, Putin, Read, Collins, Alexei Navalny Organizations: NATO, GOP Gov, CNN White House Locations: Geneva, New Jersey, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Pope puts Robert Schuman, a father of Europe, on sainthood path
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-19 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com + 1.00 time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneVATICAN CITY, June 19 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday put 20th century statesman Robert Schuman, one of the founders of modern Europe, on the path to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. A Vatican statement said the pope approved a decree recognising the "heroic virtues" of Schuman, who died in 1963. A devout Catholic, Schuman's role in trying to break the cycle of wars in Europe has been praised by several popes. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that only God performs miracles, but that saints who are believed to be with God in heaven intercede on behalf of people who pray to them. The France-based Institut Saint Benoît has been promoting sainthood for Schuman for several decades.

Persons: Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Robert Schuman, Schuman, European Union . Schuman, Italy's Alcide de Gasperi, France's Jean Monnet, Germany's Konrad Adenauer, Francis, Saint Benoît, Philip Pullella, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, CITY, Saturday, Roman Catholic Church, today's, European Union ., NATO, European Economic Community, European Union, Catholic, Saint, Thomson Locations: Europe, France

☆ Op-ed: In Europe, Biden laid the foundations for an alliance to preserve democracy and check authoritarians
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-19 | by ( Frederick Kempe | ) www.cnbc.com + 0.00 time to read: +8 min

Now as democratic world faces a renewed assault, it's Biden's turn to be Dr. Save-Democracy. Having repeatedly provided his diagnosis of the cancers endangering global democracies, Biden this past week accelerated the course of treatment. Like any good physician, he understands cure and recovery remain uncertain after so many years of invasive and metastasizing disease. Behind all that rests an overriding Biden administration focus on China as the challenge of our time. With the post-war liberal order threatened, the New Atlantic Charter could serve as a clarion call of a renewed international commitment to the revival of democracy.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Franklin Roosevelt, it's, Biden, Boris Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Biden's, Angela Merkel's, Macron, Johnson, Winston Churchill, Roosevelt, Churchill, Joe Biden, Frederick Kempe, Kennedy, Khrushchev Organizations: Win, NATO, British, Union, European Union, China, Boeing, Airbus, Stability, Biden, New Atlantic Charter, Atlantic, U.S, Atlantic Charter, New Atlantic, Atlantic Council, Wall Street, New York Times, Twitter Locations: Joe Biden's Europe, U.S, Brussels, Geneva, China, Europe, European, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Russia, Moscow, Beijing, States, United States

☆ Confusion in Afghanistan as U.S. cancels NATO flag-lowering ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-18 | by ( Courtney Kube | Courtney Kube Is A Correspondent Covering National Security | The Military For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com + 0.00 time to read: +9 min

WASHINGTON — The U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan planned to hold a flag-lowering ceremony on Friday in Kabul with NATO allies but the event was cancelled at the last moment amid questions over what the ceremony was meant to signify, according to three U.S. Defense officials. The flag-lowering ceremony at the Kabul headquarters for NATO’s “Resolute Support” mission, which trains and advises Afghan security forces, was called off only hours before it was due to begin, the Defense officials said. The ceremony likely would be held at another date, two Defense officials said, and would only include officers and officials already working at the headquarters due to concerns over Covid-19. U.S. troops already have handed over several bases and airfields to Afghan security forces and C-17 cargo planes are continuously flying out equipment. The Defense Department “continues to pursue, analyze and refine the best options available and will announce corresponding decisions and implementation plans as they become available and appropriate,” Lodewick said.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, Biden, ”, “, Stephanie Kostro, ” Kostro, Rob Lodewick, ” Lodewick, Defense Department “, Biden’s, Ronald Neumann, Jake Sullivan, Tayyip Erdogan, Sullivan, Hamid, Erdogan Organizations: NATO, U.S . Defense, U.S, Pentagon, “, Defense, United, Taliban, U.S ., Lawmakers, State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, Professional Services Council, Professional Services, NBC, DoD, Department of Defense, State, Department, Defense Department, The State Department, Washington Post, International Airport, Monday, American Foreign Service Association, Afghan, Coalition Locations: The U.S, Afghanistan, Kabul, Washington, Resolute, Covid, U.S, United States, “, Turkey, Brussels, American

☆ How Russian threats in the 2000s turned Estonia into the go-to expert on cyber defense
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-18 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com + 0.00 time to read: +13 min

Its capital city of Tallinn is home to NATO's cyber defense hub , the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The attack made Estonia realize that it needed to start treating cyber threats in the same way as physical attacks. It set up a "data embassy" in Luxembourg, a super secure data center that contains backups in case of an attack on Estonian territory. The country also became an early adopter of blockchain technology and established a new cyber unit within its voluntary Estonia Defense League. The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn conducts research and training on cyber security.

Persons: Angela Merkel, King, Esther Naylor, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Putin, Birgy Lorenz, Sotiris Tzifas, Tzifas, kindergarteners, Lorenz, Naylor, Merkel, Florian Marcus, Marcus, we've, it's Organizations: CNN, Cooperative Cyber Defence, of Excellence, United Nations Security, Chatham House, European Union, Wednesday, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia Defense League, NATO, Technology, Trust, Cyber Intelligence, Colonial, Estonian, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence, of, UN Security Council, Visitors Locations: German, Belgium, Estonia, Baltic, Tallinn, Europe, Estonian, Russia, Soviet, Moscow, Luxembourg, Coast, of Exellence, United Kingdom, Georgia, Belgian

☆ Macron says European defense autonomy and NATO membership are compatible
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com + 0.99 time to read: +1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks as he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel give a news statement in Berlin, Germany, June 18, 2021. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt/PoolPARIS, June 18 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that the goal of European defence autonomy could go hand in hand with NATO membership. Macron also said U.S. President Joe Biden had expressed his respect for the European Union on the political level as well as his desire to work with the EU as a partner. Merkel, who prefers to see NATO remain the centerpiece of European defence, said she was happy the U.S. had recreated a "climate of cooperation". Editing by Richard Lough Editing by GV De ClercqOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Axel Schmidt, Macron, Joe Biden, Merkel, Richard Lough Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, European Union, EU, GV, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, PARIS, United States, Atlantic, China, United States of America

Friday's agreement overcame objections from Austria, whose Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) is a big player in Belarus through its Priorbank subsidiary. They also agreed restrictions on EU purchases from Belarus of tobacco products, as well as oil and oil-related products, and a ban on importing potash, a major Belarusian export. The EU has already imposed three rounds of sanctions on individuals, including Lukashenko, since last year, freezing their assets in the EU and banning travel. EU governments now want to hit sectors that are central to the Belarus economy, to inflict real punishment on Lukashenko. Germany has said sanctions should continue until Belarus holds free elections and releases political prisoners.

Persons: Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Roman Protasevich, Belaruskali, Robin Emmott, Francois Murphy Organizations: European, Ryanair, EU, Raiffeisen Bank, Austrian, NATO, Lukashenko, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Belarus, Minsk, Austrian, Austria, Belarusian, Britain, Canada, United States, Greece, Lithuania, Russia, EU, Germany

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