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☆ Niger junta says it has blocked President Bazoum's escape bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Niger’s military government said Thursday it foiled a late-night escape attempt by deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to flee to neighboring Nigeria after being held in custody for nearly three months following his ouster in a coup. The deposed Nigerien leader – who has yet to resign as president– had been placed under house arrest since the military junta overthrew him on July 27. Later that month, the junta said it had “gathered the necessary evidence” to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason.”The junta has held on to power despite pressure from Niger’s Western and regional allies. Last week, the US said it was putting a hold on its assistance programs to Niger, including funding while formally declaring Bazoum’s ouster as a coup. The military rulers said they ovethrew Bazoum because of the country’s security problems and struggling economy.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, they’ll, ”, –, Bazoum’s Organizations: CNN, Nigerien Locations: Nigeria, Niger’s, Niamey, ”, Niger

☆ American mother and daughter taken hostage by Hamas have been released, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Alex Marquardt Kaitlan Collins Oren Liebermann Michael Conte Sana Noor Haq | Alex Marquardt | Kaitlan Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, on Friday after they abducted around 200 people from Israel in a deadly attack on October 7. They are being released on “humanitarian grounds” because the mother is in poor health, the same source said. US officials have not said whether they believe any of the American hostages are dead and have previously noted that all hostages are assumed alive. Amnesty International has said Israel’s “collective punishment” of Palestinian civilians for Hamas’ attack amounts to a war crime. “The families’ headquarters welcomes the release of hostages from Hamas captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement to CNN.

Persons: Judith Tai Raanan, Natali, Daniel Hagari, Abu Obaida, Biden, ”, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Majid Al, Ansari, Joe Biden, “, “ Jill, Israel, Antony Blinken, Rishi Sunak Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Brigades, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations, Amnesty Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chicago, Nahal Oz, Qatar, ” Qatar, Israel’s, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand

☆ China’s Military Is Making Risky Moves and Adding Nuclear Warheads, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Chris Buckley | More About Chris Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Risky ManeuversSince the fall of 2021, the Pentagon report says, the United States has recorded more than 180 intercepts of U.S. aircraft by Chinese military forces in the region. Beijing has long bristled at the U.S. military aircraft and ships that operate in international skies and seas near China. Beijing did not immediately comment on the Pentagon report. The most eye-catching evidence of China’s nuclear buildup in recent years has been three clusters of missile silos that have been dug out of the deserts of northern China. The Pentagon report found that construction of the silos had been completed by last year and that “at least some” intercontinental ballistic missiles had been installed in them.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi Organizations: Pentagon, U.S, People’s Liberation Army Locations: United States, Beijing, China . China, China, Canada, U.S, Chinese, Taiwan, Russia

☆ America’s Middle East Imperative: Contain Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reuel Marc Gerecht | Ray Takeyh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When the warriors of Hamas broke out of their fiefdom in Gaza to kill and kidnap Israelis, a historic failure of imagination came painfully into view. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s government—and many in the country’s security and intelligence agencies—had seen the Palestinians as a manageable problem. Israelis were certainly aware of the growing missile threat from Gaza. The Israeli army and air force had ripped into Gaza in 2014 to destroy, among other things, missile factories. They knew that Hamas’s relations with Iran, which has developed great skill in missilery, had deepened.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu ’, —, Jerusalem, Ismail Qaani —, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard — Organizations: Iran’s Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Locations: Gaza, Iran, Beirut, Iran’s Quds

CNN —Armenia’s prime minister has called his country’s security relationships “ineffective,” in a swipe at Russia after Azerbaijan claimed the breakaway province of Nagorno-Karabakh following a swift military campaign. But this week, Azerbaijan forced the surrender of ethnic Armenian fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh, seemingly bringing to an end a conflict that has simmered for decades and raising the question whether Armenia could rely on long-term ally Russia. Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians, who make up the majority of the population, and have created their own de facto government, rejecting Azerbaijani rule. Pashinyan’s comments come as the first group of civilians arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh. One local official in the disputed region, said that the bulk of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population would leave for Armenia.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Azerbaijan’s, ” Pashinyan, ” David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, ” Babayan, Cross Organizations: CNN, Collective Security, Organisation, NATO, Armenia’s Public, Reuters, International Committee, Twitter, Armenian Locations: Russia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Armenia, Russian, “ Armenia, “, Republic of Artsakh, Artsakh

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced new U.S. sanctions Friday on “some of Iran's more egregious human rights abusers” as he marked the anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by the country's morality police. Amini had been detained for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of laws that require women in public to wear the Islamic headscarf. Her death set off protests in dozens of cities across the country of 80 million people, with young women marching in the streets and publicly exposing and cutting off their hair. Taken in coordination with the U.K., Canada, Australia, and other nations, this is the United States' 13th round of sanctions designations in response to Iran’s crackdown on protests. The U.S. has already sanctioned over 70 Iranian people and entities “responsible for supporting the regime’s oppression of its people," Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Amini, Biden, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Jon Gambrell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury’s, Foreign, Iran’s Prisons Organization, paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Press, State Department, Associated Press Locations: Islamic Republic, Iran, Fars, U.S, Canada, Australia, United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israeli academics and artists have urged U.S. President Joe Biden and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to shun Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United States next week, underlining the divide between Israel's far-right government and segments of the country's population. Netanyahu’s public itinerary so far does not feature an appointment with Biden at the White House. Proponents of the plan say the country’s unelected judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, wields too much power. Biden expressed concerns when Israel's parliament slammed through the first piece of legislation in July, calling the outcome “unfortunate.” On Tuesday, Israel's Supreme Court opened the first case to look at the legality of Netanyahu’s deeply contentious plans. The country’s academics, artists, business leaders and even military reservists have come out against the overhaul.

Persons: Joe Biden, António Guterres, Benjamin Netanyahu, David Grossman, Tamar Getter, Guterres, Netanyahu, General Assembly’s, “ Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu “, Netanyahu's ultranationalist, —, Netanyahu’s Organizations: JERUSALEM, U.S, United Nations, Biden, White, General, West Bank, Supreme, Israel's Locations: United States, Israel's, California, New York, Israel, Washington, U.S

☆ Ukrainian strikes reportedly hit bases in Russia housing supersonic warplanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Ivana Kottasová Tim Lister Svitlana Vlasova Mariya Knight Gianluca Mezzofiore Eve Brennan Olga Voitovych Sarah El Sirgany | Ivana Kottasová | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ukrainian forces appear to have stepped up their efforts to weaken Russian air superiority in the war by attacking bases that house supersonic warplanes deep inside Russian territory. Over the weekend, Russia’s defense ministry said another Ukrainian drone hit the Soltsy military airfield in the Novgorod region, also hundreds of kilometers north of Ukraine. The Shaykovka military air base operates Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers that have been used by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion last year. Degrading moraleThe attack on Monday was the second strike against a Russian air base housing powerful hardware in just three days. Ukrainian media reported that attacks on Russian bases over the past few days have destroyed several aircraft including two bombers, citing unnamed Ukrainian defense intelligence officials.

Persons: Shaykovka, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Tupolev, YURI KADOBNOV, Baza –, –, ” Mash, Vladislav Shapsha, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Tupolev, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Main Directorate of Intelligence, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Getty, Russian Telegram, Russia’s Defense, Planet Labs, for, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukrainian, Novgorod, Ukraine, Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Russia’s Kaluga, AFP, Russian, Kirov, Soltsy, Washington

☆ Women’s Rights Activists Rounded Up in Iran as Protest Anniversary Nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Leily Nikounazar | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a sweeping operation ahead of an important anniversary, the Iranian authorities have detained at least 12 rights activists, all but one of them women, over the past two days, human rights groups and Iranian media have reported. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing government crackdown, including at least 44 minors, while around 20,000 Iranians were arrested, the United Nations calculated. The arrested activists were rounded up in cities across Iran’s northern Gilan Province, according to HRANA, an Iranian human rights organization. On Thursday, Iranian officials accused the 12 detainees of planning to incite “chaos and vandalism” on the upcoming anniversary of Ms. Amini’s death, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. According to Fars, which has close ties to the country’s security agencies, the officials also accused the activists of being funded by foreign intelligence and collaborating with Iran International, an opposition television channel based in Washington.

Persons: Amini, “, ”, Sanam Vakil, Amini’s Organizations: United Nations, Chatham House, Fars News Agency, Iran International Locations: Iran, Iran’s, Gilan Province, Iranian, East, North Africa, London, Fars, Washington

☆ What Zelensky wanted from NATO – and what he got
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —At last year’s NATO summit in Madrid, the alliance formally invited Sweden and Finland to join its ranks. But NATO membership is far more significant than military hardware, and it may be some time before Kyiv’s final wish is granted. “This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. However, the ultimate goal of NATO membership looks likely to elude Zelensky for some time. Wallace reminded reporters Wednesday that before the summit the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership was still an “if.” Now, it’s a “when.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Zaporizhzhia –, Putin’s, ” Zelensky, Pavel Golovkin, Joe Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden, ” “ We’re, We’re, ”, Ben Wallace, Wallace, ” Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Dmytro Kuleba, “, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sweden’s, AP, Sunday, UK, Getty, Foreign, Twitter Locations: Madrid, Sweden, Finland, Vilnius, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Vilnius ’, Lithuania’s, United States, Russia, NATO, Zelensky, AFP, Kyiv, Vilnius –, Germany, France

☆ Boris Johnson warns US against ‘Ukraine fatigue’ as NATO summit concludes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: Laura Coates’ interview with Boris Johnson will air tonight on CNN at 10 p.m. In an interview with CNN Tonight’s Laura Coates as a key NATO summit concluded Wednesday, Johnson called on the US to continue its support of Ukraine, including the steady flow of weapons. He said that there could be “no possible excuse” to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership. “There can be no possible excuse or reason to keep faffing around and delaying,” Johnson said, adding that it was “very important” to establish that Ukraine was on the path to NATO membership. Johnson did not mention, however, the circumstances surrounding Trump’s hold up of military aid to Ukraine in 2019 that was at the heart of the first impeachment inquiry.

Persons: Laura Coates ’, Boris Johnson, CNN Tonight’s Laura Coates, Johnson, ” Johnson, “, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelensky, ”, they’ve, it’s, Donald Trump, Trump, “ Trump Organizations: CNN, London CNN — Former British, Russia, NATO, Ukraine Wednesday, Munitions, White, Ukraine, Democratic Locations: United States, Moscow, Ukraine, NATO, Europe, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kyiv, Britain, France, Germany

☆ Anger Flares in France After Police Shoot and Kill Teenage Driver
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Initial news reports, based on what were described as anonymous police sources, had suggested that the driver plowed into two officers with his car on Tuesday during the stop in Nanterre, west of the capital. But an unconfirmed video of the shooting that appeared later led to accusations that the police had acted too aggressively, and prosecutors in Nanterre have opened a manslaughter investigation. The video, believed to have been filmed by a witness, spread quickly on social networks and was picked up by the French news media. It shows two helmeted police officers on the left side of a yellow car that is stopped on the street. One of the officers leans onto the windshield and points what appears to be a firearm at the driver, and as the car starts moving away, a loud bang is audible.

Organizations: The New York Times Locations: France, Paris, Nanterre

CNN —Sierra Leone’s President Maada Bio has taken an early lead in the country’s presidential election, provisional results showed. The election is considered a two-horse race between President Bio, 59, of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and 72-year-old former cabinet minister Samura Kamara, who leads the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party. Bio has so far polled more than a million votes and currently leads Kamara with over 200,000 votes, according to ECSL. Earlier, Bio’s SLPP party said it was “greatly anticipating a landslide victory” following an internal review of its performance in the elections. Hundreds of supporters of the opposition party, APC, hold up signs calling for the Chief electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, to step down after allegations of electoral fraud.

Persons: Maada, Samura Kamara, Kamara, ECSL, Bio’s, Mohamed Konneh, John Wessels, Yvonne Aki, Sawyerr, “ Organizations: CNN, Sierra, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone People’s Party, People’s Congress, Getty, APC Party Locations: Freetown

☆ Gripped by Uncertainty After Mutiny, Russians Note Absence of Kremlin Leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Confusion and uncertainty pervaded Russia on Sunday, with neither President Vladimir V. Putin nor Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of a mutinous mercenary group, appearing anywhere in public a day after the most profound government crisis in three decades — an open military rebellion — appeared defused. And some wondered aloud why much of Russia’s leadership was being neither seen nor heard. Aside from Mr. Putin, neither Sergei K. Shoigu, the minister of defense, nor Valery V. Gerasimov, the military chief of staff, had put in a public appearance since the uprising started on Friday night. Many heads of the country’s security services also proved invisible. Could a foreign enemy, he asked, march with equal ease on the capital?

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, —, ”, Sergei K, Valery V, Yuri Kotenok Organizations: Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Russian scientists criticize arrest of hypersonic researchers in open letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Katharina Krebs | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The arrest of three Russian scientists on suspicion of treason has been criticized by members of a Russian scientific institute, who warn the move has created a chilling effect in the community. The three Russian scientists, Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev, were detained by the country’s security services in the past year, according to the open letter published this week by members of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ITAM). The letter appealed to Russian authorities to “protect Russian aerodynamic science,” and warned that staffers not understand how to “do their job” for fear of being accused. In these circumstances, it’s simply impossible for our institute to work,” the letter also said. On Tuesday, TASS also reported Zvegintsev, ITAM’s chief researcher, had been placed under house arrest, citing a statement published by the court.

☆ Israeli Lawmakers Call for Netanyahu to Delay Judicial Overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The judicial overhaul has sparked mass protests in Israel and sent the country into a monthslong political crisis. JERUSALEM—Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called on Saturday for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s judicial overhaul plan to be delayed, saying it was causing a deep rift in society that was becoming a threat to the country’s security. Mr. Gallant is the most senior member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party to call to delay passing the legislation. Three other Likud lawmakers on Saturday also called for delaying a vote on the overhaul, raising questions as to whether the prime minister has the votes necessary to pass the plan that has sharply divided the country.

☆ Moldova’s Pro-West President Accuses Russia of Planning Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said the country’s security forces stopped an initial Russian plan to topple the government last fall. Moldova’s pro-European president accused Russia of trying to overthrow its democratic system and open a fresh front in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. In a televised address, President Maia Sandu said Moldovan authorities had confirmed details of an alleged Russian plot to co-opt the former Soviet republic that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had laid out to European Union leaders in Brussels last week.

☆ Iran authorities arrest Taraneh Alidoosti, actress of Oscar-winning movie 'The Salesman'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO — Iranian authorities arrested one of the country’s most famous actresses on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country, state media said Saturday. The report by IRNA said Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning movie “The Salesman,” was detained a week after she made a post on Instagram expressing solidarity with the first man recently executed for crimes committed during the nationwide protests. Iran has been rocked by protests since the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the morality police. Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two other famous actresses in Iran, were arrested by authorities for expressing solidarity with protesters on social media. Over 18,200 people have been detained by authorities.

☆ Papua rights abuse trial: Indonesian court clears retired army major of crimes against humanity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

An Indonesian court on Thursday acquitted a retired army officer in the fatal shooting of four teenagers in Papua in 2014, crushing hopes the military would be held accountable for alleged abuses in the country’s restive easternmost region. Held in an infrequently used human rights court, the seven-week trial saw public prosecutors bring charges of “crimes against humanity” against retired army major Isak Sattu for his alleged role in ordering the fatal shooting. Presiding judge Sutisna Sawati on Thursday said the defendant had been found not guilty, and was cleared of all charges. Yones Douw, a lawyer and representative for the families of the victims, said the trial was only held to “create a good image for Indonesia”. Prosecutors, who alleged that Isak had failed in his command responsibility by not stopping his troops, had called for him to be jailed for 10 years.

☆ UK lawmakers warned of cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nina Dos Santos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —British lawmakers have been warned to be on alert for cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives, according to correspondence sent to lawmakers in both the upper and lower chambers last month. The correspondence is part of a growing chorus of warnings about the potential actions of Iranian operatives in Britain as tensions rise between the two countries. Earlier in the month, UK lawmakers received guidance on how to prevent digital snooping. Iran has sanctioned several UK lawmakers, including the country’s security minister. Iranian security forces have also allegedly threatened journalists working in Britain.

☆ TikTok makes clear European data can be accessed by China-based employees
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN Business —TikTok updated its privacy policies for European users on Tuesday, adding explicit disclosures that personal data from the app may be viewed by employees in China. The announcement, which TikTok said was aimed at providing greater transparency, applies to users in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland — not the United States, though TikTok said it does store European users’ data in the US and in Singapore. In addition to China, TikTok data may be handled by employees in countries including Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and the US, the company said. TikTok has also migrated US user data from proprietary servers in the US and Singapore to cloud-based servers hosted by Oracle. But that has not dampened criticism that user data could still be accessed by China-based individuals subject to that country’s security laws, a practice TikTok would not commit to stopping and further emphasized would continue with Tuesday’s European policy update.

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