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☆ Pope Francis says Africa’s criticism of same-sex blessing a “special case”
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Pope Francis has addressed criticism over his consent to priests to bless same-sex couples, saying the pushback from African bishops was “a special case” influenced by culture. African Catholic bishops said in a letter the pope’s endorsement “caused a shockwave” on the continent and “has sown misconceptions and unrest in the minds of many”, including pastors. Kazakhstani bishops Tomash Peta and Athanasius Schneider jointly described blessings for same-sex unions as a contradiction to the age-long practice and doctrine of the Catholic Church. “To bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples is a serious abuse of the most Holy name of God,” said the preachers who head the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in the country’s capital Astana. French Archbishop Hervé Giraud said last month he could bless a gay couple as he believed such a blessing was not an acceptance of a same-sex union.

Persons: Pope Francis, “, Francis, ”, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Tomash Peta, Athanasius Schneider, of Saint Mary, Hervé Giraud, ” Giraud Organizations: CNN, Italian, Stampa, Catholic Church, of, “, Catholic, La Croix Locations: Africa, Madagascar, Uganda, Asia, of Saint, Astana, Europe, France, Austria, Germany, Sens

☆ China earthquake: Powerful 7.1 quake strikes Xinjiang region near Kyrgyzstan border
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The quake struck Wushi county, also known as Uqturpan county, in Aksu prefecture near the Kyrgyzstan border shortly after 2 a.m. local time, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Strong tremors caused two houses to collapse and downed two major power lines near the epicenter, though electricity was quickly restored, according to Xinhua. The Xinjiang railway authority immediately sealed off routes in areas affected by the quake and suspended 27 trains, Xinhua reported. Nearly 200 rescue workers have been dispatched to the quake zone, and hundreds more are being assembled, Xinhua reported. The tremors were also felt across the border in Kyrgyzstan, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Persons: ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Xinhua, CCTV, China Earthquake Networks, United States Geological Survey, Reuters, Residents, United Nations Locations: Hong Kong, China’s, Xinjiang, Central, Aksu prefecture, Kyrgyzstan, Xinhua, Wushi, Kashgar, Hotan, Kazakhstan, Almaty, Uzbekistan, China, Beijing, Gansu, Qinghai

☆ Why ISIS has unleashed its suicide bombers against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

By the day's end of the day, scores of supporters of the rulers of Iran were dead, and hundreds were injured in a twin suicide bombing. AdvertisementHe was considered a hero, she said, by many in Iran for driving ISIS out of Iraq and helping to defeat them in Syria. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty ImagesIt was the latest in a string of attacks by the ISIS affiliate that has been targeting Iran for five years. The Iranian intelligence ministry sought to blame its old enemy Israel for the atrocity and said one of the bombers had Israeli citizenship, the Times of Israel reported. AdvertisementThey will continue to attempt attacks against Iran "no matter what," Washington Institute for Near East Policy expert, Aaron Zelin, told the VoA.

Persons: Qassem, —, Qassem Soleimani, Kerman, Barbara Slavin, Soleimani, Stringer, Khomeini's, Abdollah Tajiki, Slavin, It's, it's, White, John Kirby, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Saudi King Salman, Prophet Mohammed, Salvin, Donald Trump, Aaron Zelin Organizations: Sunni, Service, Revolutionary, Reuters, The Stimson Center, Iran Initiative, Asia Center, ISIS, Anadolu, Getty, Iranian, Ministry of Intelligence, Revolutionary Guard, Saudi, US, UK, Red, Quds Force, The Stimson, Washington Institute for Near East, VoA Locations: Kerman, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Asia, Kerman City, Tehran, Tajik, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hormuz, Soleimani, Iranian, Fars, Republic, Yemen, Iran's, United States, al Qaeda, American

☆ Ancient DNA reveals genetic roots of multiple sclerosis and other diseases
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

These genetic variants may have subsequently proved beneficial to European populations in making the shift from hunting and gathering to farming. “DNA from hunter-gatherers is present at higher levels in Northeastern Europe, which means the region has an elevated genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Barrie said. Similarly, the ancient genetic information shed light on the evolutionary history of traits such as height and lactose tolerance. And for most traits, MS included, the genetic effects are the result of multiple genetic variants,” he said. “Ultimately, we can’t say that MS came from Bronze Age populations, but these populations’ movements and environments contribute to differences in MS risk today.”

Persons: “, ”, Rasmus Nielsen, It’s, William Barrie, Astrid Iversen, ” Iversen, ε4, ” Barrie, Samira, Asgari, Tony Capra, Capra, wasn’t Organizations: CNN —, University of California, Danish National, University of Cambridge’s, University of Oxford, Icahn School of Medicine, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute Locations: Western Europe, Central Asia, Europe, Berkeley, Kazakhstan, Northeastern Europe, Mount Sinai, New York, Bakar, San Francisco

U.S. officials, after learning about the plot in late July, demanded that India investigate, a senior administration official said. High-level meetings and pledges of closer cooperation have continued, with Biden's secretaries of state and defense visiting Delhi this month. A senior U.S. administration official called the assassination plot a "serious matter" and said Washington expects India to stop such activities, even as the Biden administration pursues "an ambitious agenda to expand our cooperation" with India. Biden has made a priority of nurturing ties with India, hoping to counter China’s ambitions in Asia while drawing India away from Russia as the U.S. seeks to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. "Both the U.S. and India realize that they need each other, perhaps the U.S. a bit more than India."

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Nikhil Gupta, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Lisa Curtis, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada’s, Happymon Jacob, Richard Rossow, Ashley Tellis, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Krishn Kaushik, Jonathan Landay, Trevor Hunnicutt, Don Durfee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Eisenhower, White, REUTERS, Rights, Federal, New, New York City, Indian, White House, CIA, Washington, South, National Security Council, Canada, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Biden Administration, Carnegie Endowment, International, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, India, Washington , U.S, U.S, China, Manhattan, New York, New Delhi, Delhi, The U.S, Central Asia, Asia, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, York, Canada, Vancouver suburb, Gujarat

☆ Russia has a 'high tolerance' for losses after losing 100s of aircraft, 1000s of tanks, and more than 300,000 men in Ukraine, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Since the invasion, Russia has become "weaker politically, militarily, and economically," he said. But Jens Stoltenberg warned that this doesn't mean Russia will stop. And more than 300,000 casualties," Stoltenberg said. AdvertisementBut Stoltenberg warned against thinking that Russia would stop its invasion as a result of all this, stating that "we must not underestimate Russia." AdvertisementThis could include getting some territory from Ukraine, something Ukraine said it is not willing to accept and that's unlikely to actually stop Russia.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, —, Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Putin's Organizations: Service, NATO, Russia, Ukrainian, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Moscow, Beijing, Russian, Ukrainian

Helping these countries, which face some of the biggest risks from climate change, access these will be a key aim during the COP28 climate talks underway in Dubai. Ambitions for results at COP28 got off to a good start on the opening day on Thursday when countries approved plans for the climate disaster fund, after months of negotiations. About 60% of low-income countries are either in or at high risk of debt distress, the CDP said. The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, for example, aims to agree a disaster relief bond issuance and a regional risk transfer facility, the ADB's Principal Disaster Risk Insurance and Finance Specialist, Thomas Kessler, told Reuters. "We are ready to scale up climate protection through early warning systems, anticipatory cash, climate insurance and community-based resilience projects," said Gernot Laganda, director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction at the United Nations World Food Programme.

Persons: COP28, Ekhosuehi Iyahen, IDF's Iyahen, Michèle Plichta, Lydia Poole, Odile Renaud, Basso, Thomas Kessler, Otis, Gernot Laganda, Alessandro Parodi, Simon Jessop, Libby George, Karin Strohecker, Susan Fenton Organizations: Insurance, Forum, PAF, Disaster, European Bank for Reconstruction, Global, Swiss, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, Finance, Reuters, UN, University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership, United Nations, Food, Thomson Locations: GDANSK, LONDON, Dubai, London, Mexico

☆ OSCE Meeting Causes Rift Over Whether to Share Stage With Russia's Lavrov
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies are seeking to simultaneously keep the OSCE alive and hold Russia to account over its invasion of Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters at a meeting with his counterparts from other NATO member states. Estonia had been due to take over the annually rotating OSCE chairmanship but Russia spent months blocking it. A last-minute deal for neutral Malta to take over the chairmanship must also be formally approved at Thursday and Friday's OSCE meeting in Skopje, hosted by the current chair North Macedonia. I think that is simply wrong," Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters at the NATO meeting.

Persons: Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy, Ingrid Melander, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Tsahkna, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Vladimir Putin, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, William Maclean Organizations: Organization, Security, Cooperation, OSCE, Central Asia, Ukrainian Foreign, AS, United, U.S, Macedonian, United Nations General Assembly, NATO Locations: Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Balkans, Central, United States, Estonian, Estonia, Malta, Skopje, Macedonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

☆ As global rates turn, banks in India and Indonesia set to win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Loan growth at Asian banks is estimated to rise from 4.5% this year to 10% next year, LSEG data shows, with banks in India and Indonesia leading with 15% and 11% growth, respectively. Ng likes banks in India and Indonesia, given the better economic growth in those economies and ability of banks to sustain margins. LSEG data shows profits at banks in India and Indonesia will grow 13% and 11% respectively next year, nearly double the 6% average rise across Asia-Pacific banks. That compares to price-to-book ratio for MSCI's index for all-country Asian banks (.dMIAS0CB00PUS) of 0.9. Banks in Australia are estimated to see a drop of 5% in profit in 2024 while profits at Singapore banks will be flat.

Persons: Frederic Neumann, Neumann, Morgan, Yao Ng, abrdn, Ng, Vinay Agarwal, Agarwal, Morgan Stanley, Ankur Banerjee, Gaurav Dogra, Patturaja, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: U.S . Federal, Fed, HSBC, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, FSSA Investment Management, Indonesia's Bank Central Asia, BCA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Asia, Japan, J.P, Pacific, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Banks, Australia, China, Bengaluru

☆ Neutral Malta to Chair OSCE After Moscow Blocks NATO Member Estonia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

OSCE countries' foreign ministers meet on Thursday and Friday in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje to discuss the chair role and renewing four senior OSCE officials in their posts at the Vienna-based organisation. Small, neutral European Union member state Malta was acceptable to all sides. The deal "brings with it the guarantee of another year of functionality and a legitimate chair," one senior Western diplomat said. Russia and staunch ally Belarus have still not backed the renewal of four senior OSCE officials in their posts, including veteran German diplomat Helga Schmid as OSCE secretary-general, diplomats said. "We do care about the top four but the chair is existential - the organization cannot operate without it," the Western diplomat said.

Persons: Francois Murphy VIENNA, Bujar Osmani, Helga Schmid, Francois Murphy, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Organization for Security, Cooperation, OSCE, Macedonian, Twitter, European, NATO, Union Locations: Europe, Malta, Russia, Estonia, Macedonian, Skopje, Vienna, United States, Canada, Central Asian, European Union, Britain, Ukraine, Belarus, Western, Moscow, Washington

☆ Russia is wrestling with a labor crisis — and is making it even worse by sending highly-skilled workers to war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But contradictory policies are worsening the situation, a think tank said. Russia is deterring potential workers by trying to send them to fight in Ukraine. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussia is wrestling with a labor crisis — but making it even worse by sending highly-skilled workers to war, a think tank said. AdvertisementRussia has experienced steep casualty rates in Ukraine, with reports saying that it's lost around 300,000 soldiers.

Persons: —, Vyacheslav Volodin, Vladimir Putin, they'd, it's Organizations: Service, RFE, European Council Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Washington, DC, Central

☆ Three Camel Lodge gives travelers rare opportunity to experience the Gobi, Mongolia’s famed desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jane Sit | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

How the Three Camel Lodge was bornThe Three Camel Lodge was the brainchild of 68-year-old Mongolian-American businessman Jalsa Urubshurow. In 2002, Jalsa decided to build something more permanent in the Gobi, and the Three Camel Lodge was born. Despite being in the desert, it’s one of just a few regions in the Mongolian Gobi that’s covered in mounds of sand. Considered a pioneer in sustainable tourism, the Three Camel Lodge today follows three main pillars: sustainable stewardship, preservation and community empowerment. Getting thereGetting to and from the Three Camel Lodge isn’t for the travel-weary – did we mention it’s remote?

Persons: Khan, Mongolia CNN —, Jalsa Urubshurow, ”, Jalsa, “ I’ve, “, Roy Andrews, Buyandelger, Andrews ’, Moltsog Els, –, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Mongolia CNN, Mongolian, ”, herder, Nomadic Expeditions, American Museum of, Expeditions, CNN Travel, birdlife, Investment, Dalanzadgad Locations: Khan khongor, Mongolia, Khan konghor, Central Asia, gers, Kalmykia, Russia, New Jersey, Bayanzag, Ulaanbaatar

☆ ‘Turkey’: The Thanksgiving Icon Named for the Wrong Country
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Ben Zimmer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illustration: James YangThanksgiving is so intimately connected with eating turkey that Americans have long dubbed the holiday “Turkey Day.” But the bird on the Thanksgiving table has had some unexpected geopolitical ramifications, with the country of Turkey in recent years seeking to distance itself from the avian name. The connection between “turkey” the bird and “Turkey” the country is rooted in an old misapprehension. The ethnic designation “Turk” dates back to 8th-century inscriptions naming a nomadic confederation that migrated from central Asia to the Anatolian peninsula, eventually home to the Ottoman Empire.

Persons: James Yang, Turk ” Locations: Turkey, Asia, Ottoman Empire

☆ She Once Won Eurovision. Now She’s on Russia’s Wanted List.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | More About Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a popular uprising ousted a Russia-leaning president in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Jamala won the Eurovision song contest in 2016 with a song dedicated to the Crimean Tatars who were deported in the 1940s after they were accused of cooperating with Nazi Germany. Her ancestors were deported to Central Asia, where she was born. “It happened in 1944, and then in 2014, and now again,” she said. In 1954, the peninsula was transferred from Russian to Ukrainian authority within the Soviet Union.

Persons: Jamala, ” Jamala, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Organizations: Tatars, Soviet Union, Ukraine — Locations: Ukrainian, Crimean, Soviet Union, Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, Kyiv, Nazi Germany, Central Asia, Russian, Soviet, Moscow

☆ Russian artist receives seven-year sentence for anti-war protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko, who had replaced price tags with anti-war messages in a St. Petersburg grocery store as an act of protest, was sentenced to seven years in jail by a court in the Russian city on Thursday. “Today, scientists and doctors around the world are fighting to increase human life expectancy and find cures for deadly diseases. Therefore, I don’t understand: what is (this) war for? War is death,” she added, according to a courtroom correspondent for the independent news outlet Mediazona. “Her persecution has become synonymous with the absurdly cruel oppression faced by Russians openly opposing their country’s criminal war.”

Persons: Alexandra Skochilenko, Skochilenko, Skochilenko “, “, ”, Marie Struthers, Struthers, ” Skochilenko “, ” Struthers Organizations: CNN, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, Novaya Gazeta, “, Amnesty, Central Asia Locations: Russian, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Ukraine, Eastern Europe

☆ Iraq becomes EBRD shareholder, Senegal and Ghana apply to join
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past the new headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Canary Wharf, London, Britain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Alishia Abodunde/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Iraq has become the 74th member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the multilateral lender said on Thursday, while Ghana and Senegal have also applied to join. Iraq first submitted its request to join the bank in 2018, and its shareholder status enables it to apply to become a recipient economy, which would unlock EBRD finance and policy support. "When the time comes, we are looking forward to starting work in Iraq, applying our expertise to developing its economy," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said in a statement. Renaud-Basso told Reuters that Senegal and Ghana had submitted applications to join the bank in the latest sign of its push into sub-Saharan Africa.

Persons: Alishia, Odile Renaud, Basso, Renaud, Libby George, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, REUTERS, Reuters, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, Iraq, Ghana, Senegal, Saharan Africa, Benin, Ivory Coast, Europe, East, North Africa, Asia

☆ Taliban minister raises issue of refugee assets during Pakistan visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister met Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, an Afghan embassy statement said on Tuesday, discussing trade and how the thousands of Afghan citizens Pakistan is expelling could take cash and other assets back to their homeland. Taliban officials say militancy is an internal matter for Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to halt its deportation of Afghan citizens. Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan have said there are restrictions on the transfer of cash and property to Afghanistan from Pakistan, where many had built businesses and homes for decades. Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Pakistan's foreign office said the Taliban acting commerce minister would also undertake a trilateral meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Haji Nooruddin Azizi's, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Afghan, Karachi, Western, Uzbekistan, South, Central Asia

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia claims Kyiv attacked 3 nuclear power plants; Putin says post-Soviet space is being weakened
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN - OCTOBER 13 Russian President Vladimir Putin speeches during his press conference at the Commonwealth of Independent States's Head of States Meeting at the Ala-Archa State Residence, October 13,2023, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that a number of countries are acting in a way that is "directly aimed" at weakening power the post-Soviet space. Russia called on the CIS, a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia, to beef up collective security. Putin said Russia and its neighbors faced common threats of terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal migration, as well as radicalism and extremism. The CIS includes Russia and former Soviet republics including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, formely Pishpek, Putin, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Commonwealth, Independent, Indendent, CIS, Commonwealth of Independent States, RIA Novosti, EU, Georgia Locations: BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, formely, Frunze, Central Asia, Commonwealth, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Eurasia, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Baltic, Moldova, Ukraine

☆ An Ohio-class submarine, possibly equipped with ballistic missiles, has arrived in the Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CENTCOM on Sunday confirmed an Ohio-class submarine has traveled to the Mediterranean Sea. Ohio-class submarines can be equipped with advanced ballistic or Tomahawk missiles. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Ohio-class submarine, a type of vessel which can be equipped with advanced ballistic or Tomahawk cruise missiles, has arrived in the Mediterranean as the US continues to bolster its defensive posture amid the Israel-Hamas war. Israel news outlet Ynet reported the submarine newly deployed in the region is the largest of the 14 ballistic submarines controlled by the US Navy and comes equipped with ballistic munitions. AdvertisementAdvertisementLast month, the Pentagon dispatched two US Navy carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean — the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Anthony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Dwight D, Gerald R Organizations: Sunday, Red Seas, Service, Department of Defense, . Central Command, US Navy, State, Pentagon, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Ford Carrier Strike Locations: Ohio, . Ohio, Suez, Egypt, Red, Israel, East, West, Central Asia, Jordan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Qatar, Gaza, Iran

☆ Russia fumes at the West's charm offensive in its backyard, saying it's 'luring' its friends away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One top official in Moscow was fuming as he claimed the West was "luring" its "neighbours, friends, and allies" away from Russia. Moscow's disdainThe French leader's comments are likely to have enraged Moscow, which is already watching Western efforts to court Central Asia with suspicion and disdain. "Look at how Western powers are wooing Central Asia," Lavrov told the BelTA news agency, in comments published by Russia's Foreign Ministry. "They have created numerous formats such as 'Central Asia plus' involving the United States, the EU, and Japan ... On top of the Central Asia plus EU format, the Germans have created their own format. China's roleThere's certainly a tussle for influence that's taking place in Central Asia, with China also "courting" the region to a certain extent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kassym, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, we've, Ed Jones, There's, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Alexander Titov, Russia's, Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Organizations: Getty, Ukraine, Kazakh, CNBC, Russian, Central, Russia's Foreign Ministry, EU, Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Asia's, West, General, Afp, Georgia —, Queen's University of Belfast, U.S, Analysts, of, Forum, International Cooperation, Xinhua News Agency Locations: 13,2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moscow, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Soviet, Astana, France, Uzbekistan, United States, Japan, Turkmenistan, Russian, London, Europe, China, Central, Ukraine, Central Asian, Tajikistan, New York City, Belarus, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Beijing, People's, of Turkmenistan

☆ Kazakhstan welcomes France's Macron under Moscow's disapproving gaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan November 1, 2023. Press service of the President of Kazakhstan/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. At a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Macron complimented Astana for refusing to side with Moscow on Ukraine and said the two countries planned to sign significant business deals. In addition to oil, Kazakhstan is a major exporter of uranium, and France's Orano already operates a joint venture with its state nuclear firm Kazatomprom. "We can call your visit historic, very important," Tokayev told Macron.

Persons: Kassym, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Sergei Lavrov, France's, Tokayev, Tamara Vaal, Olzhas, Jason Neely Organizations: Press, Rights ASTANA, Kazakh, Astana, United Nations, Soviet Central, Foreign, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Astana, Kazakhstan, Handout, Central Asia, Ukraine, China, Europe, Russia, Moscow, Uzbekistan, Western, France

☆ Turkey is celebrating 100 years as a republic. But today’s nation is a long way from 1923’s secular state
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Zara Khan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Today’s Turkey, however, is starkly different from the secular, Westernized state envisioned by Ataturk 100 years ago. The Turkish republic as imagined by Ataturk was firmly rooted in the West and a quick succession of reforms sought to modernize a population decimated by war. People often express such justification through religion, Murat Somer, a professor of political science at Ozyegin University in Istanbul, told CNN. What Ataturk may have been most proud of in today’s Turkey, however, is its growing influence on the world stage, analysts say. In 1926, after an assassination plot against him was discovered, Ataturk told his new nation: “One day my mortal body will turn to dust, but the Turkish republic will stand forever.”

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ataturk, Hagia Sofia, Ataturk’s, weren’t, Ozel, Murat Somer, ”, Somer, “, Ayse, Ismet Inonu, Power, Ataturk “, ” Somer, Adem Altan, “ I’m, ” Zarakol, ” Ozel Organizations: CNN, Turks, Ataturk, Hagia, Ottomans, Hulton, International Relations, Kadir Has University, Ozyegin University, Republican People’s Party, University of Cambridge, Anitkabir, Sunday, Getty, NATO, East, Central Asia Locations: Istanbul, Turkish, Ottoman, Today’s Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Europe, Russia, Anatolia, Ankara, The Turkish, West, fez, Hagia Sofia, Turkey, Hagia, Kasimpasa, “, Ataturk, Turkish Republic, AFP, today’s Turkey, Ukraine, Central

☆ Life in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia oblast, from an expert who just visited the front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Ukrainian soldiers, go away." And there were Ukrainian soldiers chit-chatting with the older ladies there buying food. I spoke with Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhzhia. The same set of Ukrainian soldiers that's been serving has been serving for more than 600 days. When you talk to actual Ukrainians, they're not getting caught up in, "Is it Crimea?

Persons: Melinda Haring, Haring, —, It's, There's, Mykola Vinnichenko, Andrey Liscovich, it's, They're flinty, haven't, that's, there's, they're, What's, would've, I'm, Nobody, we've, Putin, let's, He'll, he'll, — you've, you've, Ukraine —, We're, They're Organizations: Atlantic Council, Service, Eurasia Center, Ukraine doesn't, NATO, CNN Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Orikhiv, Kyiv, Orkihiv, Washington, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, There's, Crimea, Russia, Poland, Baltic, United States, NATO, Taiwan

☆ Russia moved one of its satellites uncomfortably close to a French one, possibly to spy on it: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia moved close to a satellite which some think is Eutelsat's 3B craft, analysts said. It follows a pattern of Russian behavior in space that has prompted security concerns. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia moved one of its satellites uncomfortably close to France's Eutelsat 3B communications satellite, possibly to spy on it, according to reports. AdvertisementAdvertisementEutelsat's 3B satellite provides broadband, data, telecom, and video services across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South America. Luch-5-X/Olymp K-2 isn't close enough to crash into the unnamed commercial satellite.

Persons: —, Audrey Schaffer, TJ Kouri, Schaffer, it's, spacenews.com, Olymp, Michael Clont Organizations: Service, intel, Aerospace, Breaking Defense, Airbus, National Security Council, Analysts, Intelsat, Strategic International, Space Locations: Russia, Russian, France, Europe, Africa, East, Central Asia, South America, Eutelsat's, Ukraine

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