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The military has for decades invoked its duty to defend the monarchy to justify intervention in politics, and used the lese majeste law to stifle dissent, critics say. Much depends on whether Move Forward's main ally, second-place winner Pheu Thai, sticks with it or seeks other coalition partners if Pita's bid looks doomed. King Vajiralongkorn, 70, who has no role in choosing a government, has remained silent on the lese majeste issue since the election. In the last election in 2019, no party would have dared suggest amending the lese majeste law. Pheu Thai, which has 141 seats to Move Forward's 151, could nominate its prime ministerial candidate with the eight-party alliance intact.

Persons: Maha Vajiralongkorn, Suthida, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, Seri Suwanpanon, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Prayuth Chan, Pheu, King Vajiralongkorn, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Thaksin Shinawatra, Titipol Phakdeewanich, Amarat Chokepamitkul, Panu, Kay Johnson, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Royal News, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, Senate, Ubon Ratchathani University, Royal Household Bureau, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thai, Handout, BANGKOK, Pheu

☆ Zelenskiy says he understands Ukraine will be in NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Oleksandr Kozhukhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, July 10 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on the eve of the NATO summit that Ukraine will be part of the alliance and expects from the meeting an "algorithm" for Kyiv to officially join it. "We are still working on the wording, that is, on the specific words of such confirmation, but we already understand the fact that Ukraine will be in the alliance," Zelenskiy said late on Monday in his nightly video address. Zelenskiy said the Vilnius summit must confirm Ukraine is already 'de facto' a member of NATO as it has its weapons and shares values with the alliance. "Even if different positions are voiced, it is still clear that Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance," Zelenskiy said. "Not now - there is a war, but we need a clear signal.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Oleksander Kozhukhar, Ron Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Mark Porter, Stephen Coates Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Vilnius, Lithuania, Canada, Japan, Lincoln

☆ Sleep Better at Every Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +47 min

Sleep training, the process of teaching babies how to soothe themselves at night and sleep independently, can start when infants are 3 to 4 months old. While sleep training can be taxing for everyone involved, it can lead to better sleep for the whole household. If your child is struggling to sleep through the night at this age, consider talking to a pediatrician about possible solutions. The problem: Insomnia can strike at any age: Around 20 percent of children have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Plus, the older we get, the harder it is to bounce back from a night of poor sleep, Dr. Roth said.

Persons: ”, Craig Canapari, Canapari, Naptime, Tell, “, aren’t, Roth, Dr, Shannon Sullivan, Sullivan, Indira Gurubhagavatula, we’re, Gurubhagavatula, You’re, doesn’t, you’re, Sabra Abbott, Aric Prather, It’s, you’ll, Perimenopause, Abbott, Prather, don’t, — Organizations: Yale University ., Stanford Medicine, Yale University, Penn Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, University of California Locations: San Francisco, midlife, United States

☆ Google Pixel Watch vs. Fitbit Sense 2: The Pixel Watch has the smarts but the Sense 2 is the better fitness tracker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Alexander Johnson | Rick Stella | Tech Updates Editorial Fellow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Despite taking over a wearable lineup that included premium smartwatch lines like the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa, Google released its own namesake wearable in 2022 called the Google Pixel Watch. Google Pixel Watch vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Smartwatch performanceRick Stella/InsiderThe Pixel Watch relies on Wear OS for most day-to-day tasks, which makes it about as good of a smartwatch as you can get. Google Pixel Watch vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Health and fitness trackingRick Stella/InsiderWhen it comes to health and fitness tracking, the Sense 2 is the clear winner. The Fitbit app is also available for use with the Google Pixel Watch, but functionally, the Pixel just can't beat Fitbit at its own game. Google Pixel Watch vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Battery lifeThe Google Pixel Watch's battery life isn't anything special for a smartwatch, requiring a nightly recharge with regular use.

Persons: Fitbit, Rick Stella, It's Organizations: Google, Watch, Apple, Steel, Pixel Watch, Amazon Alexa, GPS, Pixel Locations: Fitbit

☆ Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is set to earn a record-breaking $1 billion in sales—here are the 10 highest-grossing tours
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Exactly how much Swift's tour has earned is unclear, as it hasn't been reporting nightly grosses to Billboard Boxscore, which tracks concert tour data. Last December, Billboard estimated that Swift's tour would gross $590 million based on 52 tour dates. This suggests that over $1 billion in total gross revenue is likely. With the added dates, another estimate has Swift taking in a total of $1.4 billion in gross revenue, according to concert data tracker Pollstar. Based on the survey's findings, total spending on Taylor Swift's tour in 2023 is expected to be around $5 billion.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Elton John's, Elton John —, Ed Sheeran, Roger Waters, Harry Styles —, Taylor, Warren Buffett Organizations: Wall Street, Billboard, Coldplay, Ticketmaster Locations: America, Asia, Australia, Europe

☆ Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of plotting imminent attack on nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, long the subject of mutual recriminations and suspicions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, about Russian "dangerous provocations" at the plant in southeastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy tweeted that he had told Macron in a telephone conversation that "the occupation troops are preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhzhia (nuclear plant)." "But in any case, the world sees - and cannot fail to see - that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia. Zelenskiy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainian television that Grossi had proved ineffective in trying to uphold safety at the plant.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron, Renat, Zelenskiy, Macron, Rafael Grossi, Mykhailo Podolyak, Grossi, Podolyak, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Mark Heinrich, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, flipflopping, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Russian drones kill two, Ukraine's Zelenskiy seeks better air defences
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Images posted by Ukraine's state emergency service showed mangled buildings and courtyards scattered with debris as rescue workers tackled a fire. "Unfortunately, our country does not yet have a sufficient number of high-quality air defence systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "We will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defences the strongest." Ukraine, he said, needed to protect its own territory and "in future become the basis of a European air shield. He said Ukrainian air defences had downed more than 3,000 targets of various types over the 16 months of war.

Persons: Read, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Dan Peleschuk, Timothy Heritage, Andrew Heavens, Ron Popeski Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Sumy, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, KYIV, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia

☆ Frank Field, Who Brought Expertise to TV Weathercasting, Dies at 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Richard Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Frank Field, who as a meteorologist brought a groundbreaking credential to his job as a television weather forecaster in New York, and who also had a long career presenting network programs on science and medicine, died on Saturday in Florida. His death was announced by WNBC-TV in New York, where Dr. Field began his broadcast career in 1958. Dr. Field, a presence on New York and network television for more than 40 years, was not the city’s first popular TV forecaster. Ms. Reed signed off her nightly reports on WCBS-TV with a cheery “Have a happy.” Both enjoyed long runs on television. “Weather forecasting used to be in a class with reporting real estate transactions for the newspaper,” Dr. Field told The New Yorker for a 1966 profile.

Persons: Frank Field, Field, Tex Antoine, Carol Reed, Mr, Antoine, Wethbee, Reed Organizations: WNBC, NBC, ABC, WCBS, New Yorker Locations: New York, Florida

☆ Yes, concert tickets really are getting more expensive – and Taylor Swift might be to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tickets for Taylor Swift shows have more than doubled since 2018, per a Bloomberg analysis. The pop superstar is making more than $13 million from each date on her "Eras" tour, per Pollstar. Taylor Swift's Eras tour is on track to set a new record – but it's also a reminder of just how expensive it can be to see a concert by the world's biggest acts. Data from Pollstar, a music industry trade publication, shows Swift has already generated more than $300 million from the first 22 dates of her highly anticipated Eras tour. Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesStill, the average cost doesn't reflect the huge prices being charged on the resale market.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor, it's, Swift, It's, Elton John's, Jason Kempin, Paige, Scott, Merrill Lynch, Boaz Weinstein Organizations: Bloomberg, Wall Street, Billboard, she's Locations: London, That's

☆ Serious threat remains at Ukraine nuclear plant, Zelenskiy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Rescuers and police officers attend an anti-radiation drill in case of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoKYIV, July 1 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on Saturday that a "serious threat" remained at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and said Russia was "technically ready" to provoke a localized explosion at the facility. Zelenskiy called for greater international attention to the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest civil nuclear facility, and urged sanctions on Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom. Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear power authority, said on Friday it had conducted two days of exercises simulating the effects of an attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant. Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, suffered the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, when clouds of radioactive material spread across much of Europe after an explosion and fire at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

Persons: Stringer, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Pedro Sanchez, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, Sanchez, Olena Harmash, Tom Balmforth, David Holmes, Ron Popeski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Spanish, Thomson Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Rivne, Belarus, Spain, Enerhodar, Soviet Union, Europe

☆ France violence: Is it safe to visit Paris and other cities right now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Barry Neild | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Merzouk’s death appears to have become a flashpoint for anger about racial inequality in France and claims of police discrimination. Yves Herman/ReutersLimited curfews have been imposed in two towns close to Paris at the center of some of the worst violence. Several buses were torched in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. The violence and protests erupted after police shot dead a teenager in a Paris suburb. The central areas of Paris, home to the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower have been almost totally unaffected.

Persons: –, Nahel Merzouk, Merzouk, Emmanuel Macron, Trappes, Yves Herman, Nicolas Tucat, it’s Organizations: CNN, Elite, Eurostar, London —, Reuters, Ministry of, Metro, Louvre Art Museum, Eiffel, US State Department, State Department, Foreign, Commonwealth Office Locations: Paris, France, Bus, Parisian, Nanterre, Montreuil, Neuilly, Clamart, ”, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, London, Roubaix, Aubervilliers, Préfecture, Nicolas, AFP

☆ Kramatorsk: Ukraine accuses man of treason over deadly Russian missile attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, June 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine has arrested a man suspected of committing treason by helping Russia carry out a missile strike on a busy restaurant that killed 12 people in the eastern city of Kramatorsk. Local officials said 12 people were killed and 60 hurt when a Russian missile slammed into the restaurant on Tuesday evening, reducing it to rubble. "Anyone who helps Russian terrorists destroy lives deserves the maximum punishment," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message on Wednesday. Asked about the attack on Kramatorsk, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia attacked only military targets, not civilian ones. Kramatorsk lies west of front lines in Donetsk province and would be a likely objective in any westward advance by Russia.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Twin, Vedant Patel, Pavel Polityuk, Aleksandaar, Timothy Organizations: Kremlin, Russia, Deputy State, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kramatorsk, Moscow, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk province

☆ Twin sisters among 11 killed in Russian attack on Ukraine's Kramatorsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sisters Anna and Yulia Aksenchenko would have turned 15 in September, Kramatorsk city council's education department said in a Facebook post under a picture of the two girls smiling for the camera. Asked about the attack on Kramatorsk, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia attacked only military targets, not civilian ones. A second missile hit a village on the fringes of Kramatorsk, wounding four people. Russia has frequently hit Ukrainian cities since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. A missile strike killed 63 people at a railway station there in April 2022, one of the worst single air strikes of the war.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Anna, Yulia Aksenchenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Max Hunder, Anna Pruchnicka, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, Russia, Russia's Defence Ministry, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Russia, KRAMATORSK, Ukrainian, Donetsk province

☆ Putin pays tribute to Russian pilots killed fighting mutineers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

There has been no official information about how many pilots died or how many aircraft were shot down. Some Russian Telegram channels monitoring Russia's military activity, including the blog Rybar with more than a million subscribers, reported on Saturday that 13 Russian pilots were killed during the day-long mutiny. Among the aircraft downed were three Mi-8 MTPR electronic warfare helicopters, and an Il-18 aircraft with its crew, Rybar reported. It was also not clear in what circumstances the aircraft were shot down and pilots killed. Putin met on Monday night with the heads of Russian security services, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, IFX reported, citing a Kremlin spokesperson.

Persons: Putin, Prigozhin, Biden, West, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Rybar, Sergei Shoigu, IFX, Shoigu, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Josep Borrell, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates, Grant McCool, Rosalba O'Brien, Lincoln Organizations: Telegram, Reuters, Russia's Defence Ministry, Kremlin, Defence Ministry, Belarus, White House, West, NATO, Union, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Luxembourg

☆ Russian missile hits restaurant in Ukraine's Kramatorsk killing at least eight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine, June 27 (Reuters) - A Russian missile struck a restaurant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding 56, emergency services said, as rescue crews combed the rubble in search of casualties. A second missile hit a village on the fringes of Kramatorsk, injuring five, but the main casualties were at the restaurant, where at least three children were among the dead. A Russian missile also hit a cluster of buildings in Kremenchuk, about 375 km (230 miles) west in central Ukraine, exactly a year after an attack on a shopping mall there that killed at least 20. In Kramatorsk, a city frequently targeted by Russian attacks, emergency workers scurried in and out of the shattered restaurant as residents stood outside embracing and surveying the damage. [1/9]A view shows a building of a restaurant heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in central Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 27, 2023.

Persons: Pavlo Kyrylenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Chizu Nomiyama, Leslie Adler, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Police, Reuters, Donetsk Regional, Civil, Facebook, Thomson Locations: KRAMATORSK, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Kramatorsk, Kremenchuk, Donetsk region, Donetsk, Russia, Donetsk province, town's

☆ Live updates: Putin slams rebels as criminals; Zelenskyy lauds military advances 'in all directions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The eyes of the world remain on Russia after Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's attempted mutiny on Saturday posed what many regard as the greatest challenge yet to President Vladimir Putin's two-decade grip on power. In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Putin called the organizers of the uprising "criminals" and vowed to bring them to justice. The revolt raised questions about President Vladimir Putin's grip on power and what could be next for the country. Stateside, President Joe Biden clarified on Monday that the United States was not involved in the aborted weekend rebellion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, called for further support from Western leaders to repel the Russian invasion.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Prigozhin, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Wagner Group, Kremlin, NATO Locations: Russia, Belarus, United States, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Live updates: Kremlin says deal reached to end Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Wagner fighters pull out of the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday night. It followed an intervention by the Belarusian government, according to the Kremlin, who said a deal had been reached that would see the Wagner boss leave for Belarus. Prigozhin on Friday accused Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge amount” of his men. Wagner troops then took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and some fighters advanced toward Moscow. The Wagner boss has agreed to leave Russia for neighboring Belarus, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s, Prigozhin, What's, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak Organizations: Southern Military District, Don, Reuters, Kremlin Locations: Rostov, Moscow, Belarusian, Belarus, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine: Chaos in Russia works to our advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Lidia Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 25 (Reuters) - Chaos in Russia works to Kyiv's advantage, Ukraine officials said on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his army can capitalise on the disorder caused this weekend as mercenaries marched towards Moscow. "Today the world saw that the masters of Russia do not control anything. Just complete chaos," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, urging Ukraine's allies to use the moment and send more weapons to Kyiv. "Any chaos behind the enemy lines works in our interests," State-run Ukrinform news agency quoted Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying on Saturday. Putin called Prigozhin's actions a "blow to Russia", but there were no immediate signs his rule was threatened.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Zelenskiy, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Kuleba, Antony Blinken, Oleksiy Danilov, Lidia Kelly, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S, U.S . State Department, Kyiv, National Security, Defence Council, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Kyiv, Washington, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk, Melbourne

☆ Chaos in Russia works to Kyiv's advantage, Ukrainian officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the Wagner Group prepare to depart from the Southern Military District's headquarters and return to their base on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Chaos in Russia works to Kyiv's advantage, Ukraine officials said on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his army can capitalize on the disorder caused this weekend as mercenaries marched towards Moscow. Just complete chaos," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, urging Ukraine's allies to use the moment and send more weapons to Kyiv. "Any chaos behind the enemy lines works in our interests," State-run Ukrinform news agency quoted Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying on Saturday. Putin called Prigozhin's actions a "blow to Russia," but there were no immediate signs his rule was threatened.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Zelenskiy, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Kuleba, Antony Blinken, Oleksiy Danilov Organizations: Wagner Group, Southern Military, U.S, U.S . State Department, Kyiv, National Security and Defense Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Chaos, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Kyiv, Washington, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

☆ It's a cruel, unpredictable summer for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts — but it also might be the new normal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Americans are still booking short-term rentals for the summer at record rates, beating expectations. But the growing pool of Airbnb and Vrbo hosts means some hosts are seeing revenue drop up to 18%. Americans are still voraciously booking short-term rentals, despite economic uncertainty — and are even outpacing expectations. In January, analytics site AirDNA forecasted demand for short-term rentals, as measured by nights booked, would grow by 5% in 2023. "Travel brands and the service economy have outperformed expectations, and short-term rentals are no different," said Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA.

Persons: —, Jen Kelman, Jamie Lane, Katie Kay Mead, Mead, it's, Kelman, Melinda Johnson, We're, Johnson, She's, she's, I'm Organizations: Service, Phoenix, AirDNA Locations: Arizona, Arrowhead , California, Tennessee, Smoky

☆ Rebel Russian mercenaries halt advance on Moscow, Kremlin says fighters to face no action
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday night, they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, a Reuters witness said. EX-CONVICTS IN WAGNER RANKSThe fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails. Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.

Persons: Prigozhin, Belarus Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Wagner, Dmitry Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Peskov, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Mark Milley, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, Tarnavskiy, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel, Giles Elgood, Frances Kerry, Alexander Smith, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Belarus, Defence Ministry, Russia's Southern Military District, Residents, Deputy, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Rostov, ROSTOV, VORONEZH, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, France, Germany, Britain, East, UKRAINE, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

☆ Bhutan reducing its daily tourist fee for visitors who stay longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Effective this month until the end of 2024, tourists paying the daily fees for four days will be allowed to stay an extra four days. Those paying SDF for 12 days can stay for a full month. “If more tourists stay longer in Bhutan, tourism can help our economy to grow faster,” said Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism. The incentive applies only to tourists who pay in dollars, and not to visitors from neighboring India who pay in rupees. Dhradhul said Bhutan wanted to gradually raise the contribution of tourism to 20% to its $3 billion economy from about 5% now.

Persons: ”, Dorji Dhradhul, Dhradhul Organizations: Authorities, Department of Tourism Locations: Bhutan, Nepal, India

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTIt's been 17 years since my last trip to Disney World. But if you're an infrequent visitor, traveling with young kids or uninterested in diving into the world of Disney blogs, buying access to shorter lines is your best bet. You may be on vacation, but a trip to Disney World is no time for a digital detox. Jonathan Alder called VIP tours at Disney World "the greatest thing." Buy the bandsMagicBands are part of the ever-growing list of formerly free items that are now chargeable at Disney World.

Persons: Rafael Henrique, —, Peter Pan, Jonathan Alder Organizations: Disney, CNBC, Lightning, Jonathan's

☆ What Wheel of Fortune can do, Wall Street can, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - “Wheel of Fortune” is finally going to get a new host. The charade that unfolds nightly on traditional American television has similarities to Wall Street. And earlier this year Sajak’s daughter replaced White as the letter-turner for one game where White became a contestant. And while “Wheel of Fortune” fans and behind-the-scenes crew may feel as if the wheels won’t turn in quite the same way without their leading man around, it’s likely that Sajak – and his Wall Street counterparts – can step aside knowing the game will still go on. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSPat Sajak, host of gameshow "Wheel of Fortune," plans to retire at the end of his upcoming record 41st year, he said on June 12.

Persons: ”, Pat Sajak, He’s, Sajak, Vanna White, Jamie Dimon, Larry Fink, White, –, I've, It's, John Foley, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Entertainment, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, gameshow’s

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukrainian forces say chunk of Donetsk has been liberated; Zelenskyy's hometown hit in massive attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian servicemen take part in a military training exercise not far from front line in the Donetsk region on June 8, 2023. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's counteroffensive is proving tough for its forces but progress is being made, with Ukraine retaking a number of settlements in Donetsk. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Monday that "seven settlements were liberated" in the last week of fighting in Donetsk. "Seven settlements were liberated: Lobkovo, Levadne, Novodarivka, Neskuchne, Storozheve , Makarivka, Blagodatne," she said. Defense analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted that Russian forces had reportedly launched a counterattack on June 12 in western Donetsk and that some Russian sources reported that Russian forces had recaptured Makarivka.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Hanna Maliar, Makarivka, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Ukraine's Defense, Troops, Defense, Institute for, CNBC Locations: Donetsk, Ukraine

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