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☆ Meet these unintentional ASMR celebrities
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jack Hillcox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

ASMR videos come in all shapes and sizes. Although the content of ASMR videos varies tremendously, what remains consistent is the physical impact they have on viewers who are susceptible to them. Despite the work these creators put into their videos, accidental ASMR is one of the most popular sub-genres for viewers. The dominance of this setup amongst ASMR fans may all be down to the legacy of one man who is a legend among fans of accidental ASMR, but was, for a very long time, completely unaware of ASMR’s existence. Scroll through the comments section of most ASMR videos, and it won’t be long until you find people referencing a line spoken by Kelly.

Persons: James Gill, Bear Grylls, Gill, nonchalantly, “, ASMR, Giulia Poerio, Bob Ross, Acey Harper, Ross, Billie Eilish, Zoë Kravitz, Dr, ” Gill, James Kelly, Pat LaFontaine, LaFontaine, Kelly, ” Kelly, – Kelly, Dr Kelly, he’s, Ieuan Rees, Rees, ”, I’ve, I’d, influencers clamoring Organizations: CNN, Warwick University Medical School, YouTube, Sensory, University of Essex, Marcus Institute, Brain Health, University of Colorado, Artisan Media Locations: TikTok, ASMR, Brainline

☆ US crude inventories post surprise draw, fuel stocks rise, EIA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) fell by 3.8 million barrels to 463.3 million barrels in the week to June 16, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 300,000-barrel rise. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub (USOICC=ECI) fell 98,000 barrels, EIA said. U.S. crude oil exports climbed to 4.5 million barrels per day last week, while imports fell about 50% to 1.6 million barrels per day. "A rebound in crude exports, dip in imports, and ongoing strength in refining activity have encouraged a draw to crude inventories," said Matt Smith, a lead oil analyst at Kpler. Refinery crude runs (USOICR=ECI) fell by 116,000 barrels per day in the last week, EIA said.

Persons: Andrew Lipow, Matt Smith, Arathy Somasekhar, Stephanie Kelly, Jan Harvey Organizations: Energy Information Administration, Cushing, . West Texas, Brent, Lipow Oil Associates, EIA, Thomson Locations: Oklahoma, Houston . U.S, U.S, Houston, New York

[1/2] Choices at the gas pump including ethanol or no ethanol gas are seen in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., January 29, 2020. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize biofuel blending volumes at 20.94 billion gallons in 2023, 21.54 billion gallons in 2024 and 22.33 billion gallons in 2025, the sources said. That compares with the initial proposal announced in December of 20.82 billion in 2023, 21.87 billion in 2024, and 22.68 billion in 2025. But the finalized volumes include just 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol in all three years, plus a 250 million-gallon supplemental amount for 2023, the sources said. Ethanol producers and corn farmers like the mandates because they provide a market for their products, while the oil industry finds the requirements too pricey.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Biden, Emily Skor, Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, The, Environmental Protection Agency, Congress, Growth Energy, EPA, U.S . Renewable, EV, Thomson Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, U.S, The U.S, New York, Philadelphia

☆ Russia launches overnight air attack on Ukraine from east to west
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichJune 20 (Reuters) - Russia launched a widespread overnight air attack on Ukraine targeting the capital and cities from east to west as most of the country spent the night with air raid sirens blasting for several hours. "Another massive air attack on the capital," Popko said. Yuriy Malashko, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region in southeast Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia's raid targeted telecommunication infrastructure and agriculture and farming properties. The top military command said that Russia launched seven missiles in the attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to preliminary reports.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Serhiy Popko, Popko, Yuriy Malashko, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, General, of Ukraine's Armed Forces, NATO, Russia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Lviv, Poland, Zaporizhzhia, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine says Hungary ignores requests for contact with transferred prisoners of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Monday that Hungary has been ignoring requests for contact with prisoners of war that Kyiv said had been secretly transferred from Russia and called the move an act of self interest on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's side. Hungary, which under Orban has forged strong political and economic ties with Russia and has not cut them since Moscow invaded Ukraine 16 months ago, said on June 9 that it had received a group of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia. "All attempts by Ukrainian diplomats over recent days to establish direct contact with Ukrainian citizens have failed," Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on his Facebook page. Hungary's foreign ministry has not immediately responded to Reuters' requests for a comment. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the operation to transfer the prisoners was carried out solely in the political interests of Orban.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Orban, Oleg Nikolenko, Gergely Gulyas, Gulyas, Dmytro Kuleba, Viktor Orban, Kuleba, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Melbourne

☆ GE stops servicing gas power turbines in Russia - Kommersant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - General Electric (GE.N) has stopped servicing gas turbines at thermal power plants in Russia, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday, citing sources in power generating companies. General Electric suspended its operations in Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine, with the exception of providing essential medical equipment and supporting existing power services in the region. Kommersant reported that General Electric "without explanation" stopped servicing gas turbines at Russian thermal power plants on Monday. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill Organizations: General, Kommersant, General Electric, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Melbourne

☆ Russia says regional free trade pact with Iran possible by year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 19 (Reuters) - A free trade zone agreement between Iran, Russia and several countries that cover the vast Eurasian region spreading from the borders of Eastern Europe to Western China is possible by the end of the year, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Monday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told the state TASS agency in an interview that talks between the Eurasian Economic Union - which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia - and Iran are in their final stages. The regional agreement with Iran would replace and expand an interim pact that already provides a reduction in customs duties on hundreds of categories of goods. In November 2022, Russia started swapping oil products with Iran and in March, Tehran said it counts on "huge volumes" of both oil and gas swaps with Moscow. Overchuk also told TASS, without providing much detail, that negotiations among the Eurasian Economic Union countries on creating a common gas market continue.

Persons: Alexei Overchuk, Overchuk, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: TASS, Eurasian Economic, Kremlin, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Iran, Russia, Eastern Europe, Western China, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Tehran, Russian, China, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine says 'biggest blow' in offensive is yet to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Oleksandr Kozhukhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, June 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said the "biggest blow" in Kyiv's military campaign is yet to come, but admitted the operation is difficult as Russia throws all it can to stop the offensive. "The ongoing operation has several objectives, and the military is fulfilling these tasks," Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app. And the biggest blow is yet to come." Maliar said that despite Ukraine's forces advancing in multiple directions in the south, Russia's forces push to advance in the east, concentrating its efforts there. "Therefore, it is hot both in the east and in the south right now," Maliar said.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Vladimir Putin, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Lidia Kelly, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Ukrainian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine says it destroys ammunition depot in Kherson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 18 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces destroyed a "significant" ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern region of Kherson, Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on Sunday. "There was a very significant ammunition depot. Ukrainian media posted videos showing a vast plume of smoke rising far on the horizon with sounds of blasts. Rykove is about 20km (12 miles) from Henichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine, which has been occupied by Kremlin forces since the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Serhiy Bratchuk, Bratchuk, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Henichesk, Kherson, Rykove, Russia, Ukrainian, Azov, Ukraine, Melbourne

☆ Death toll rises from flooding after Ukraine dam breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 18 (Reuters) - The death toll from flooding following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam has risen to 16 in Ukraine, Kyiv officials said, while Russian officials said 29 people have died in territories that Moscow controls. The breaching of the Kakhovka Dam on June 6 unleashed floodwaters across a large swath of land in southern Ukraine and in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine, destroying farmland and cutting off supplies to civilians. Andrei Alekseyenko, chairman of the Russian-installed administration in the Moscow-occupied parts of the Kherson region, said on the Telegram messaging app the death toll had risen to 29 people. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Soviet-era dam, under Russian control since early days of its invasion in 2022. A team of international legal experts assisting Ukraine's prosecutors in their investigation said in preliminary findings on Friday it was "highly likely" the collapse in Ukraine's Kherson region was caused by explosives planted by Russians.

Persons: Andrei Alekseyenko, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: Telegram, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Russian, Ukraine's Kherson, U.S, Great Salt, Crimea, Melbourne

☆ Evidence suggests Russia blew Kakhovka dam in Ukraine: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 18 (Reuters) - Evidence suggests this month's destruction of the huge Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine resulted from an inside explosion set off by Russia, the New York Times said. "The evidence clearly suggests the dam was crippled by an explosion set off by the side that controls it: Russia," the Times said. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Soviet-era dam, under Russian control since early days of its invasion in 2022, unleashing floodwater across a large swath of the battleground, destroying farmland and cutting off water supplies to civilians. The Times cited engineers as saying only a full examination of the dam after the water drains from it can establish the sequence of events leading to the destruction. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: New York Times, Times, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's Kherson, U.S, Great Salt, Crimea, Melbourne

☆ Russia's Yandex fined for refusing to share user information with security services
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 19 (Reuters) - A Moscow court fined Nasdaq-listed Yandex (YNDX.O) 2 million roubles ($24,242) for repeatedly refusing to provide the Federal Security Service, or FSB, with information about its users, Russia's state TASS news agency reported early on Monday. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the search engine Yandex, while not itself under sanctions, has struggled to balance domestic pressure with the interests of its Western investors, and is now divesting its main revenue-generating businesses inside Russia and developing four newer units internationally. ($1 = 82.5000 roubles)Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Diane Craft Organizations: Nasdaq, Federal Security Service, TASS, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Melbourne

Data on Thursday showed China's oil refinery throughput rose 15.4% in May from a year earlier, hitting its second-highest total on record. In the United States, data released on Thursday showed retail sales unexpectedly rose in May, along with higher-than-expected jobless claims last week. A weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for holders of other currencies, which could boost demand. Still, a weak economic outlook looms over market sentiment, as China's industrial output and retail sales growth in May missed forecasts. Higher interest rates ultimately increase borrowing costs for consumers, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Edward Moya, OANDA, Stephanie Kelly, Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: China, Kuwait, United States, Saudi Arabia, New York, Singapore

☆ North Korea fires two short-range missiles after warning of response to allied drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, June 15 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast on Thursday, the South Korean military said, less than an hour after Pyongyang warned of an "inevitable" response to military drills staged earlier in the day by South Korean and U.S. troops. The latest action by North Korea came as U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, was in Tokyo for meetings with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts. The government was due to hold a National Security Council meeting, Kyodo news reported separately. North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that have sanctioned the country. South Korea sued North Korea on Wednesday for $35 million in compensation for a liaison office that North Korea blew up in 2020, in a case highlighting the breakdown of ties between the neighbours as the North presses on with its weapons programmes.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Cho Tae, Takeo Akiba, Yoon Suk, Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith, Tim Kelly, John Stonestreet, Alex Richardson, Chizu Organizations: South Korean, Korean, South, National, National Security Council, Kyodo, North Korea's Ministry of National Defence, United Nations, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, Tokyo, Japan, Hegura, Ishikawa prefecture, South Korea, Korea, Seoul

☆ Russia urges 'transparent' investigation into Nord Stream blasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - A "transparent and objective" international investigation in the blasts at the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines is needed, a high-ranking Russian diplomat to the United States said early on Wednesday. Commenting on reports that the U.S. reportedly warned Ukraine not to attack the pipelines under the Baltic Sea, Andrey Ledenev, minister-counsellor at the embassy, said the role of the United States in the blasts should also be "clarified". "It would be useful to think about the reasons for the stubborn unwillingness of the collective West to launch a transparent and objective international investigation under the auspices of the U.N. Security Council in the terrorist attacks in the Baltic Sea," Ledenev was quoted as saying in a post on the embassy's Telegram messaging channel. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrey Ledenev, Ledenev, Lidia Kelly, Muralikumar Organizations: . Security, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, U.S, Ukraine, Baltic, Melbourne

Summary Lukashenko says he already has Russian tactical nuclear weaponsIndicates delivery process is ongoingSays their use can be swiftly agreed with MoscowJune 14 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country has started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia, which will retain control of the tactical nuclear weapons, would start deploying them in Belarus after special storage facilities to house them were made ready. The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the U.S deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades. Earlier on Tuesday, he had said separately that the Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be physically deployed on the territory of Belarus "in several days" and that he had the facilities to host longer-range missiles too if ever needed. No one has so far fought against a nuclear country, a country that has nuclear weapons."

Persons: Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, didn't, Lidia Kelly, Andrew Osborn, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: United, NATO, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russia, Soviet Union, Belarusian, Russian, Belarus, United States, China, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Soviet, Melbourne, London

The deployment is Moscow's first move of such warheads - shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia, which will retain control of the tactical nuclear weapons, would start deploying them in Belarus after special storage facilities to house them were made ready. The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the U.S deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades. Earlier on Tuesday, he had said separately that the Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be physically deployed on the territory of Belarus "in several days" and that he had the facilities to host longer-range missiles too if ever needed. No one has so far fought against a nuclear country, a country that has nuclear weapons."

Persons: Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, didn't, Lidia Kelly, Andrew Osborn, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: United, Press Service, REUTERS, WE, NATO, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russia, Soviet Union, Belarusian, Russian, Belarus, United States, China, Ukraine, Minsk Region, Republic of Belarus, Handout, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Soviet, Melbourne, London

☆ Russian missile attacks on Odesa and Donetsk region kill at least six, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Emergency services personnel work to control a fire at a business centre and the warehouse of a retail chain, caused by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine in this image released June 14, 2023. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSKYIV, June 14 (Reuters) - Russian missiles struck civilian buildings in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa and eastern Donetsk region overnight, killing at least six people, Ukraine's military and local officials said early on Wednesday. Russia launched four cruise missiles on the city of Odesa, the South command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said. The three people killed were working at a retail chain's warehouse when a missile hit, setting it ablaze, the military added. In a separate missile strike, Russian forces killed three civilians in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Facebook.

Persons: Serhiy Bratchuk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Lidia Kelly, Pavel Polityuk, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Emergency Service of, REUTERS, Russia, Ukraine's Armed Forces, Facebook, Ukrainian Air Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa, Emergency Service of Ukraine, Handout, REUTERS KYIV, Ukraine's Black, Donetsk, Ukraine's, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Russia, Melbourne, Kyiv

☆ New US military aid to Ukraine pushes Washington deeper in conflict - Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - The new $325 million U.S. military aid package for Ukraine pushes Washington deeper into the "abyss" of the conflict, Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said early on Wednesday. The package, which includes munitions for air defence systems, ammunition and vehicles, comes as Ukraine is shaping its long-expected counter-offensive. "The United States is getting deeper and deeper into the abyss of the Ukrainian crisis," Antonov was quoted as saying in a post on the embassy's Telegram messaging channel. "Apparently, the strategists from the United States somehow do not understand that no amount of weapons, whatever involvement of mercenaries, will be able to turn the tide in the course of (Russia's) special military operation." Russia refers to its actions in Ukraine as a "special military operation", rather than a war.

Persons: Anatoly Antonov, Antonov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: European Union, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Washington, United States, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Melbourne

☆ State of emergency around fuel tanker crash site in Russia's Irkutsk region - governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - A state of emergency was introduced around the area where two fuel tankers collided on the Lena River in southeastern Russia's Irkutsk region, damaging a container and spilling gasoline into the water, the region's governor said early on Tuesday. The situation was complicated as other vessels were still traveling on the river, Kobzev said. He said that emergency services were working to prevent the diversion of water from the river. The Lena River, the world's 11th longest, originates near Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk region in southeastern Siberia and flows into the Arctic Ocean. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Igor Kobzev, Lena, Kobzev, Lidia Kelly, Sonali Paul Organizations: Thomson Locations: Russia's Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk, Siberia, Melbourne

☆ Russia launches 'massive missile' attack on Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine - officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, June 13 (Reuters) - Russia launched a "massive missile" attack overnight on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing and wounding people and damaging civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said early on Tuesday. "There are dead and wounded," Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said on the Telegram messaging app. "A massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih." It was not immediately clear how many missiles hit Kryvyi Rih and where the Russia-launched drones struck their targets. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war which Russia launched on its neighbour nearly 16 months ago.

Persons: Serhiy Lisak, Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, Vilkul, Lisak, Valentyn Origenko, Serhiy Karazy, Lidia Kelly, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Russia, Telegram, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Kryvyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Kharkiv, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine reports small gains in early stages of counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It does not provide similar detail about fighting on the southern front where the main counteroffensive is expected. However, some prominent Russian military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian forces had taken Blahodatne and Neskuchne, although they said fighting for Makarivka was continuing. It is almost certainly far too early to draw conclusions about the fate of the counteroffensive from early skirmishes that may be more about testing Russian defences than pursuing a major advance. "When we see large, armoured formations join the assault, then I think we’ll know the main attack has really begun." But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the increasing recalcitrant and voluble leader of the Wagner militia, which captured Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces after almost a year of attritional fighting, said on Sunday he would refuse to sign.

Persons: Read, Makarivka, Ben Hodges, Vladimir Putin's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Akhmat, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Bakhmut, Sergei Shoigu, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Anna Pruchnicka, Lidia Kelly, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff Organizations: Ukrainian, Reuters, Brigade, Marines, Washington -, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, KYIV, Kyiv, Storozheve, Azov, Crimea, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Bilohorivka, Moscow, U.S, Europe, Washington, Russia, Chechnya, Caucasus, Maryinka, Gdansk, Melbourne

☆ UN nuclear watchdog concerned over water levels at Ukraine plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 12 (Reuters) - The U.N. atomic watchdog said on Sunday that it needs wider access around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to check "a significant discrepancy" in water level data at the breached Kakhovka dam used for cooling the plant's reactors. Both the Kakhovka hydropower dam and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have been occupied by Russia since the early days of its invasion in February 2022. "But we will only be able to know when we gain access to the thermal power plant." Grossi said the thermal power plant "plays a key role for the safety and security of the nuclear power plant a few kilometres away," hence the need for access and independent assessment. The agency has said earlier that the Zaporizhzhia plant can fall back on other water sources when the reservoir's water is no longer available, including a large cooling pond above the reservoir with several months' worth of water.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Gross, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Melbourne

☆ China aircraft monitored US, France, Canada, Japan navy drill - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, June 12 (Reuters) - China deployed a reconnaissance aircraft over Pacific waters east of Taiwan last week that Chinese media said monitored and gathered intelligence on an exercise involving the navies of the United States, Japan, France and Canada. The islands separate the East China Sea from the Philippine Sea, and dot the West Pacific between Japan and Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. The Japanese defence ministry reported a sighting of a Y-9 reconnaissance variant in the Pacific on Thursday. A spokesperson for the Japanese ministry said on Monday it was analysing a piece of equipment attached to the undercarriage of the Y-9 variant that had not been seen before. Days before the quadrilateral exercise, the coast guards of the Philippines, United States and Japan held their first trilateral exercise off the coast of a western Philippine province.

Persons: USS Nimitz, Ronald Reagan, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Tim Kelly, Gerry Doyle, Robeert Organizations: Global Times, U.S, USS, U.S ., U.S . 7th Fleet, Military, South China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Taiwan, United States, Japan, France, Canada, Ryukyu, Philippine, Beijing, East, Pacific, U.S, South, Philippines, Tokyo

☆ Ukraine says heavy battles ongoing after first counteroffensive gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Sunday, Ukraine said its troops had made advances on three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka. Some prominent Russian military bloggers indicated that while Ukrainian forces took Blahodatne and Neskuchne, fighting for Makarivka was going on. While staying largely silent over the past week about its counteroffensive, Ukraine's military has reported daily battlefield successes. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Kyiv wanted to discuss details of the "aircraft coalition" with its allies at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on June 15 in Brussels. "At this stage, we are talking about training of pilots ... and our technicians and engineers," Ukraine's Military Media Centre quoted Reznikov as saying.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, Makarivka, Vladimir Putin, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Pavel Polityuk, Anna Pruchnicka, Lidia Kelly, Robert Birsel, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Brigade, Marines, Reuters, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Defence, Kyiv, Ukraine Defence Contact Group, U.S, Military Media, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Bilohorivka, Luhansk, Storozheve, Ukraine, Blahodatne, Donetsk Region, Russian, Brussels, Zelenskiy, Kyiv, Gdansk, Melbourne

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