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☆ Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street." LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing. The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats. "I was very pleased last night to see that we were clearly getting Tory switchers, in other words people who hadn't voted for the Labour Party before, coming out last night and voting for the Labour Party in a by-election." The Labour Party maintains a lead of more than 20 points over the Conservatives in all national polling, with a general election due no later than January 2025.

Persons: Kitchen, Peter Bone, —, Rishi Sunak's, Helen Harrison, Gen Kitchen, Chris Skidmore, Damien Egan, Keir Starmer, Tory switchers, hadn't, Boris Johnson, Robert Ford Organizations: Labour, Labour Party, Downing, Conservative, Conservatives, LONDON, Conservative Party, Kettering Leisure Village, Tamworth, Liberal Democrats, BBC, University of Manchester, CNBC Locations: Northamptonshire, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire, KETTERING, England, Wellingborough, Kettering, Kettering , England, Kingswood , South Gloucestershire, North, Kingswood, Mid Bedfordshire, West Midlands, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

☆ Opinion: A thrilling Super Bowl that was also about something more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Opinion Amy Bass | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Amy Bass Rodney BedsoleThis time around, football pundits wondered if Super Bowl LVIII would be the coronation of Chiefs coach Andy Reid and the establishment of a Kansas City dynasty with a third title in five years. This Super Bowl matchup, of course, had history. “We’re not done.”Key to any Super Bowl, of course, is the halftime show. Compared to Usher on roller skates, the commercials – which often take center stage of any Super Bowl broadcast — were relatively tame. “Taylor Swift is in Las Vegas,” commentator Ian Rappoport had assured Taylor Nation.

Persons: Amy Bass, Read, Patrick Mahomes, Mecole, ” Hardman, Tom Brady, Michael Che, ”, Donald Trump’s, Lady Gaga, Amy Bass Rodney Bedsole, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan’s, Mike, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Reid, Kelce, Shanahan, Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Swift, Taylor, Purdy, Jake Moody’s, Harrison Butker, Moody, Butker, Mahomes, “ We’re, Usher, Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Lionel Messi, Dan Marino, Jason Sudeikis shilled, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Dunkin, Robert F Kennedy Jr, ’, Kennedy, Kennedy Jr’s, Taylor —, “ Taylor Swift, Ian Rappoport, “ I’ll, —, Ashley Avignone, Joe Biden, Trump, ” Taylor, Joe Biden ”, Biden, Biden — Organizations: Manhattanville College, CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Budweiser, Denver Broncos, Chiefs, 49ers, Super, Kansas City, Verizon, PAC, “ GO CHIEFS, NFL, Truth Locations: America, Kansas, San Francisco, Japan, Las Vegas, Mahomes, Cetaphil’s, Massachusetts, Sephora

☆ US, Russia Clash at UN Over North Korea, Patriot Missiles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood traded the accusations at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine, requested by Moscow. "To date, Russia has launched DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles against Ukraine on at least nine occasions," Wood told the 15-member Security Council, using the North Korea's formal name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "Russia and the DPRK must be held accountable for their actions, which undermine long-standing obligations under UN Security Council resolutions," he said. Russian investigators said last week that they had evidence showing that Ukraine's military shot down the military transport plane with U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles. Senior Ukrainian U.N. diplomat Serhii Dvornyk accused Russia of misusing the Security Council "for disseminating fakes."

Persons: Michelle Nichols UNITED, Russia's U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, Robert Wood, Wood, Nebenzia, Serhii Dvornyk, Michelle Nichols, Ronald Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, United, U.S, Security, Democratic People's, UN, North, ., Russian Air Force, Security Council, Senior Ukrainian Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Russian, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang, North Korea, Iran, U.S

☆ For Thomas Hirschhorn, Handmade Art Keeps Us Human
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Travis Diehl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gladstone Gallery looks like a war zone, the aftermath of a Call of Duty gaming session gone bad, the virtual gunmen downing Red Bull and chain smoking over their keyboards, until a bomb came through the roof. Energy drink cans made of tinfoil and mounds of cigarettes fashioned from plastic foam litter the paper desktops. The cardboard monitors, many of them spiderwebbed with cuts, sport color printouts of screenshots from first-person shooters and photos of unnamed but real war-torn cities. The installation, “Fake It, Fake It — Till You Fake It,” features plenty of charming, even funny details, like a box of plastic foam pizza slices or a couple of “I Heart NY” mugs. Hirschhorn warns of the weaponization of artificial intelligence and social media, represented by virtual forms of war — news feeds and games alike.

Persons: Gladstone, Thomas Hirschhorn Organizations: Red Bull, Energy Locations: Swiss

☆ US warship had close call with Houthi missile in Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A cruise missile launched by the Houthis into the Red Sea on Tuesday night came within a mile of a US destroyer before it was shot down, four US officials told CNN, the closest a Houthi attack has come to a US warship. In the past, these missiles have been intercepted by US destroyers in the area at a range of eight miles or more, the officials said. But the USS Gravely had to use its Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for the first time since the US began intercepting the Houthi missiles late last year, which ultimately succeeded in downing the missile, officials said. The episode underscores the threat the Houthis continue to pose to US naval assets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, despite multiple US and British strikes on Houthi infrastructure inside Yemen. The close call also comes just days after three US service members were killed in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants at a US outpost in Jordan.

Organizations: CNN, US Locations: Red, Yemen, Iran, Jordan

☆ A Houthi missile got so close to a US destroyer the warship turned to a last-resort gun system to shoot it down: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ella Sherman | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Houthi anti-ship cruise missile fired into the Red Sea came within a mile of a US Navy destroyer on Tuesday, a report said, close enough that the American warship turned to its close-in weapons system — a last line of defense. AdvertisementFor several months, the Iran-backed rebels have relentlessly fired one-way attack drones and missiles into key waterways off the coast of Yemen. The USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the US Navy, transits during a passing exercise off the coast of Greenland. Advertisement"We're certainly taking aggressive action against the Houthis to try to defend shipping in the Red Sea," John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, said this week.

Persons: —, Centcom, Arleigh Burke, Jessica Dowell, Andrew Albin The, Aden —, John Kirby Organizations: Service, US Navy, CNN, Business, US Central Command, Raytheon, System, US, White House National Security Council Locations: American, Yemen, Iran, Greenland, Gulf, Aden, Red

☆ A Houthi missile got so close to a US destroyer the warship had to turn to a last resort gun system to shoot it down: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ella Sherman | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Houthi missile put a US destroyer's Close-In Weapon System to the test in a recent engagement. The Tuesday incident marks the latest Houthi missile attack, though not the latest exchange of fire. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementA Houthi anti-ship cruise missile fired into the Red Sea came within a mile of a US Navy destroyer on Tuesday, close enough that the American warship had to turn to its Close-In Weapon System — a last line of defense. Advertisement"We're certainly taking aggressive action against the Houthis to try to defend shipping in the Red Sea," White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said this week.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, US Navy Arleigh Burke, Jessica Dowell, Andrew Albin The, Aden —, John Kirby Organizations: Service, US Navy, CNN, US Central Command, Raytheon, System, US, National Security Locations: American, Yemen, Iran, Greenland, Gulf, Aden, Red

CNN —Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first such swap since the deadly crash of a Russian military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers. Wednesday’s exchange was the first since the mysterious crash of a Russian IL-76 plane on January 24 in Russia’s Belgorod region, which neighbors eastern Ukraine. But Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said there was still no reliable information as to who might have been on board the downed Russian plane. Speaking after Wednesday’s prisoner exchange, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IL-76 plane had been downed by a US Patriot missile system. Putin stressed that Russia would not halt prisoner exchanges despite the plane crash.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Petro Yatsenko, Kyrylo Budanov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, “, Andriy Yermak Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Social Media, Ukraine’s, US Patriot, American Patriot, Patriot, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Mariupol, Ukrainian, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Belgorod, Yablonovo, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Sumy

☆ World Court dismisses much of Ukraine’s case against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The court rejected Ukraine’s requests to order reparations for both violations and only ordered Russia to comply with the treaties. Ukraine’s representative Anton Korynevych stressed the judgment was important for Kyiv because it did establish Russia violated international law. Ukraine had filed the lawsuit at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, in 2017, accusing Russia of violating an anti-terrorism treaty by funding pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. In a hearing at the court in The Hague last June, Russia dismissed Ukraine’s allegations that it funded and controlled pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine as fiction and “blatant lies”. The court dismissed all of the claims related to the Tatars but found Moscow did not do enough to support Ukrainian language education.

Persons: Anton Korynevych, ”, Ukraine’s Organizations: Reuters, UN, Malaysia Airlines, International Court of Justice, ICJ Locations: Russia, UN, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukraine, Crimea, The Hague, Russian, Tatars

☆ It's a make-or-break week for the stock market. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, we're looking at why this is such a big week for the stock market . The big storyA week to rememberThree trends in the stock market are bound to vault equities higher in 2024, Wall Street strategists say. Getty ImagesWe're less than a month into 2024, but this week could determine the market's trajectory for the rest of the year. Tim Cook AppleThe information overload comes amid an uncertain time for Big Tech and the broader stock market.

Persons: —, Netflix's, it's, Matthew Fox, Jerome Powell's, Tim Cook, Tesla, haven't, we'll, Fundstrat's Tom Lee, Read, Jamie Dimon, Larry Downing, Jennifer Piepszak, Marianne Lake, Troy Rohrbaugh, Jeffrey Gundlach, Buckle, Mohamed El, isn't, Erian, Lyra, Maven, Tyler Le, Liquidators, Max Organizations: Service, Business, Wall, Big Tech, Microsoft, Fed, Apple, Nvidia, Meta, Google, optimist, JPMorgan, DoubleLine, Prime, Comcast, Warner Bros, Lyra Health, Hong, Alaska Airlines Locations: India, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Alaska

☆ There's an enormous financial divide among the 4 NFL quarterbacks still hoping to win the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The NFL season is down to four teams with the conference championships up next. AdvertisementFour teams are still vying for a chance to play in this year's Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Despite all four starting quarterbacks helping to take their teams to the playoffs, there is a large divide among what they make, and that can be a huge advantage for NFL teams. Purdy would earn the standard $164,000 Super Bowl bonus all players would receive for winning the championship. He is in his eighth NFL season.

Persons: Brock Purdy, —, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Jackson, Spotrac, Mahomes, Goff, Purdy, Tony Avelar, Russell Wilson, Isaiah J, Downing, Purdy's, Nick Zakelj Organizations: NFL, Service, AFC, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, NFC, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, AP, Super, Seattle Seahawks, USA, 49ers, Los Angeles Rams Locations: Las Vegas, San Francisco

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The aggressiveness that characterized the turnaround for the Detroit Lions under coach Dan Campbell backfired at the worst possible time. Detroit failed on two fourth-down tries in field-goal range in the second half, contributing to a blown 17-point halftime lead and a 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game Sunday. The result was just the fourth conference game loss for a team that held a lead of at least 17 points. A magical season for the Lions ended one game short of the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. Detroit remains the only team to play every season of the Super Bowl era without reaching the ultimate game.

Persons: Dan Campbell, Brock Purdy's, Brandon Aiyuk, Jahmyr Gibbs, Josh Reynolds, Campbell, Reynolds, Jared Goff's, Goff, San Francisco, ___ Organizations: Detroit Lions, Detroit, San Francisco 49ers, NFC, Lions, Niners, NFL Locations: SANTA CLARA, Calif, Campbell's, San

☆ Russia Says It Finds Ukraine IDs, Tattooed Body Parts at Plane Crash Site
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it had recovered Ukrainian identity documents and tattooed body parts from the site where a Russian military plane that Moscow says was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed two days earlier near the Ukrainian border. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that its forces downed the plane and said there is no proof of who was on board. On Thursday the Investigative Committee said preliminary findings showed the plane was struck by a surface-to-air missile fired from Ukraine. Ukraine has rejected a Russian assertion that it was forewarned that a plane carrying Ukrainian POWs would be flying over Belgorod region at that time. Russia state media said the black boxes from the plane had been delivered to a special defence ministry laboratory in Moscow and investigators were already working on them.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Mark Trevelyan, Alison Williams Organizations: Russian, Federal Penitentiary Service, . Security, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia's Belgorod, Ukraine, Belgorod

CNN —Ukraine says it has intelligence suggesting only five bodies were delivered from the crash site of a Russian military transport plane to a nearby morgue, a Ukraine military intelligence official told CNN, casting doubt on Moscow’s claim that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the explosion. Moscow says the plane was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kyiv says it was carrying Russian missiles to be used in further strikes on Ukraine. Ukraine’s military command said it regarded Russian military aircraft approaching Belgorod as legitimate target, but did not confirm it had fired at the plane. Traffic officers block off a road near the crash site of the IL-76 plane outside the village of Yablonovo, Russia, January 24, 2024. Russia has not yet provided evidence that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board the plane that crashed.

Persons: Andriy Yusov, ”, –, Yusov, Stringer, Dmytro Lubinets, Mykola Oleschuk, Reuters Lubinets, Cross, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian, Reuters, Ukraine, UN, International Committee, Ukraine’s Security Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Yablonovo, Russia, Belgorod, Belgorod city, Ukrainian, Kharkiv

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

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

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

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine accuses Russia of 'playing' with prisoners' lives amid suspicions over POW plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine on Wednesday suggested Russia failed to inform it of the need to create a safe airspace after a military aircraft was downed, reportedly while carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war ahead of an exchange. Earlier in the day, Russia accused Ukraine of downing the aircraft, and said 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and nine Russians were killed. Ukraine confirmed an exchange of prisoners was scheduled for Wednesday but one did not take place. It also said it was not told about the number of vehicles, routes and forms of delivery of the prisoners. "This may indicate deliberate actions by Russia aimed at creating a threat to the life and safety of prisoners," it alleged.

Persons: — Jenni Reid Organizations: Wednesday Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, Belgorod, Russia's Belgorod, Ukrainian Kharkiv

☆ Russia Seeks Emergency UN Security Council Session on Plane Crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session on Wednesday to discuss the crash of a Russian plane that Moscow says was carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange. Russia has accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to the prisoner exchange in what it called a barbaric act of terrorism that had killed a total of 74 people. Lavrov told a press conference at the United Nations that Russia had called for the Security Council meeting to be held at 3 p.m. He called the downing of the aircraft on Wednesday a "criminal" act by Ukraine and said Russia sought the session so the Ukrainians could explain how the plane went down. It said Russia's accusations that Kyiv shot down the transport plane could be "a planned action to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state."

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Daphne Psaledakis, Arshad Mohammed, David Brunnstrom, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Russian, Security, United Locations: Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, United Nations, Belgorod, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Kharkov

☆ Missiles that a UK warship has used to shoot down Houthi threats are getting the ability to battle new targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The UK is planning to upgrade the missiles that it's used to destroy Houthi drones in the Red Sea. Sea Viper, an advanced air-defense system, is getting updated missiles and a software upgrade. AdvertisementThe UK plans to upgrade the missiles that one of the Royal Navy's warships has used to shoot down Houthi drones. Shapps confirmed in mid-December that the HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile to destroy a drone targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. AdvertisementThe HMS Diamond, a UK warship, responds to a Houthi attack on Jan. 9, 2023.

Persons: —, Diamond, Chris Sellars, Handout, Grant Shapps, Shapps, HMS Diamond, Anthony Rimington Organizations: Service, Royal, UK Ministry of Defense, Royal Navy, Prosperity, REUTERS, HMS, French Navy, US Navy, Sunday, US Central Command Locations: Red, Iran, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, British

☆ 'Get on board': UK PM Sunak appeals to Lords to deliver his Rwanda asylum law
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference in Downing Street on January 18, 2024 in London, England. He spoke after seeing the Safety of Rwanda Bill pass its third reading in the House of Commons by a majority of 44 last night. Weakened by the failed rebellion that simply underlined the deep divisions in his party, Sunak repeated his mantra that it was time to "stick with the plan", that his "plan was working" and that the opposition Labour Party had "no plan". "The House of Lords must pass this bill. An opinion poll underlined his party's flagging fortunes, putting support for the Conservatives at the lowest level since former Prime Minister Liz Truss was forced from office.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Rwanda Bill, Stefan Rousseau, Sunak, Liz Truss Organizations: British, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour Locations: ENGLAND, Downing Street, London, England, Rwanda

☆ Ukraine Says It Downed Russian Surveillance Plane
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia uses its surveillance planes to identify targets and threats over a wide area. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian forces are struggling to hold back Russian troops on the ground, but they are proving adept at hitting high-value Russian targets, with the downing of a surveillance plane adding to string of recent blows to Moscow’s air force. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, said Monday on Telegram that Ukraine’s air force shot down an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft, as well as a IL-22 bomber jet, over the Sea of Azov. He offered no details about how the planes had been brought down.

Persons: Alexander Zemlianichenko, Valeriy Zaluzhniy Organizations: Associated Press Locations: Russia, Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Azov

CNN —Ukraine claimed it destroyed a Russian spy plane over the Sea of Azov on Monday, in what would be a significant strike against Moscow’s aerial capabilities. In a statement, the Ukrainian Air Forces called the special operation in the Azov Sea region “successful.”Information about the downing of two Russian military aircraft by Ukrainian forces over the Sea of Azov appeared in social media late on Sunday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the reports on Monday and referred journalists to the Russian Ministry of Defense. “The long-range radar detection aircraft A-50 was and is a priority target for us,” he added. An ambulance and fire fighters are urgently needed,” the nearby Russian jet allegedly radioed down to ground control.

Persons: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Dmitry Peskov, Yuriy Ihnat, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s, “ Warriors, Air Force of, Armed Forces, Air Force, Ukrainian Air Forces, Ukrainian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Air Force, Facebook Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Azov, Moscow, Soviet, Anapa

☆ UK inches closer to technical recession as growth is revised down
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Data due out in February will show whether the U.K. has entered a technical recession — defined as when the economy shrinks for two consecutive quarters. There was also zero growth in the prior three months, the new figures showed, down from the 0.2% growth previously calculated. LONDON — The U.K. is edging closer to recession after revised figures showed the economy shrank in the previous quarter. Certainly, Rishi Sunak's pledge to grow the economy is now severely in doubt," he said. A near-term drop in interest rates would be a win for Sunak's government, as the U.K. enters an election year.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Richard Carter, Cheviot, Rishi Sunak's, Rishi Sunak, Downing, Andrew Bailey Organizations: Office, National Statistics, LONDON, Bank of England

☆ Former PM Boris Johnson to Defend Record and Conduct at UK COVID Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Andrew MacAskillLONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a much-anticipated appearance before an inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday with his personal reputation and that of the Conservative government at stake. He was said to have asked at one point if blowing a hair-dryer up his nose could kill the virus. The inquiry is assessing decision-making through written and oral evidence from former and current ministers and officials. It has also been given access to private messages they exchanged in the run-up to, and at the height of, the crisis. In private messages seen by the inquiry, Simon Case, Britain's most senior civil servant, claimed in private messages that his boss changed "strategic direction every day" and he was unable to lead.

Persons: Andrew MacAskill, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Patrick Vallance, –, Dominic Cummings, Eddie Lister, Lee Cain, Simon Case, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Andrew MacAskill LONDON, British, Conservative, Britain, Conservatives, Labour Party Locations: COVID, Britain, Downing

☆ Russia is ramping up its use of long-range glide bombs because Ukraine keeps shooting down its helicopters, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been ramping up its use of powerful glide bombs, according to war analysts. Ukraine's tough air defense "is reportedly incentivizing" Russia to rely on the weapons, ISW said. Ukraine's military has previously sounded the alarm over Russia's use of glide bombs. AdvertisementRussia has been beefing up its use of long-range glide bombs because of Ukraine's tough air defenses along the front lines of Moscow's grinding war with Kyiv, according to war analysts. Ukraine's military has sounded the alarm over Russia's use of glide bombs — bombs modified with glide kits that allow for launches from greater distances, reducing the launching aircraft's exposure to enemy air defenses.

Persons: ISW, —, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, Hans Petter Midttun, Oleksiy Organizations: Service, The, Centre of Defence, Razumkov Center Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Washington, DC, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Britain's Sunak tries to reclaim climate narrative with $2 bln pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech during a press conference on the net zero target, at the Downing Street Briefing Room, in central London, on September 20, 2023. Running way behind the opposition Labour Party in the polls before a national election expected next year, Sunak's team believes voters will only support measures to tackle climate change when, or if, they are affordable. But the time for pledges is now over – this is the era for action," Sunak said in a statement. "The transition to net zero should make us all safer and better off. ($1 = 0.7911 pounds)For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak's, Sunak, King Charles, Elizabeth Piper, Miral Organizations: Britain's, Downing, Labour Party, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, DUBAI, Dubai, Africa, Asia

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