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BAMAKO, June 18 (Reuters) - Malians will vote on Sunday in a referendum on changing the constitution that the ruling military junta and regional powers have said will pave the way to elections and a return to civilian rule. "Now is the time to confirm our commitment to the new Mali," he added, wearing his trademark beret and military fatigues. They also say the proposed constitution hands excessive authority to the president including over the legislative process. "I am for a revision of the constitution but not this referendum. Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Assimi Goita, Fousseini Ag Yehia, Alessandra Prentice, Andrew Heavens Organizations: West African, ECOWAS, Nations, West African Economic, Monetary Union, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Mali, Bamako, Saturday

☆ Met Museum Trains ‘Monuments Men’ to Save Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Twenty men and women in military fatigues huddled around a 19th-century painting of a fiery sunset at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a recent Saturday afternoon. They leaned toward the vivid picture of the Ukrainian wilderness as their tour guide spoke. The program was announced three years ago but interrupted by Covid and bureaucratic hurdles. Blake Ruehrwein, an Air Force veteran who also runs education and outreach at the Naval War College Museum in Newport, R.I., was instructing a new unit learning the ropes from some of the world’s top art experts. “Take what you learn from here and apply it,” he told the officers attending the museum workshop in early June.

Persons: ” Alison Hokanson, “, Blake Ruehrwein, ” Organizations: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 353rd Civil Affairs Command, Men, Air Force, Naval War College Museum Locations: Staten, Newport, R.I

☆ Zelenskiy: Counteroffensive actions taking place in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine, but I will not say in detail what stage they are at," Zelenskiy said, listing Ukraine's top military brass by name. Russian forces, it said, "continue to suffer heavy losses which they are trying to conceal". Ukrainian military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi reported new gains near Bakhmut. SOME PROGRESS: BRITISH MINISTRY"In some areas, Ukrainian forces have likely made good progress and penetrated the first line of Russian defences. Ukrainian military analyst Oleksiy Hetman told NV Radio the events of recent days were only initial steps.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Zelenskiy, Justin Trudeau, Oleksander Syrskyi, Serhiy Cherevatyi, We're, We've, Cherevatyi, Ukraine's, Oleksiy, Tom Balmforth, Felix Hoske, Alex Richardson, Andrew Cawthorne, Mike Harrison, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Kremlin, Sporting, Canadian, Russia's Defence Ministry, Saturday, Ukrainian, Reuters, Britain's Ministry of Defence, Kyiv, Europe's, Radio, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Donetsk, Moscow, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Crimea, Ukrainian

☆ Philippines, Japan, U.S. hold first trilateral coast guard manoeuvres
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Moments later, its crew are marched away with their hands on their heads, concluding a simulation of a counter-terrorism operation in the South China Sea between the coast guards of the Philippines, and allies the United States and Japan. Tuesday's manoeuvre is part of an inaugural trilateral coast guard exercise between the three countries, coming at a time of growing unease over China's maritime conduct in the region. The drill was a mock interception of a vessel carrying weapons of mass destruction, where Philippines coast guard personnel encounter armed resistance while boarding the vessel and are tasked with bringing the situation under control. "All the exercises we do, we help one another to prepare for anything that may possibly happen in the future," said John Ybanez, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard. The exercises in waters off Bataan province involve more than 500 coast guard personnel and also include search and rescue and counter-piracy scenarios.

Persons: BRP Melchora Aquino, John Ybanez, China's militarisation, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Adrian Portugal, Martin Petty, Mark Potter Organizations: Philippine Coast Guard, BRP, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Japan, U.S, Bataan, BATAAN, Philippine, South China, United States, China

☆ Ukraine’s cross-border tactics are aimed at destabilizing Russia. Judging by the response, they’re working
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sam Kiley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The operations of Russian citizens, carrying Ukrainian military ID, wearing Ukrainian uniforms and attacking from Ukraine, remain officially opaque. Back then, “Little Green Men” in peculiar two-tone sport-hunting uniforms – and Russian military fatigues – appeared in Crimea. The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom for Russia Legion – which fall under Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence structure – have been conducting short cross-border raids into Russia. Russia rattledIn Ukraine, it suits Kyiv to have Russians invade Russia on its behalf. Previous days with all the shelling - there was almost no response, no (Russian) military.

Persons: coy, what’s, “, fatigues –, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Sergey Bobok, for Russia Legion –, –, Putin, it’s, ”, ” Putin, Prigozhin, Wagner, “ Wagner, Yulia Morozova, you’ve, ” Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Shebekino Organizations: CNN, Fighters, Russian Volunteer Corps, of Russia Legion, Getty, for Russia Legion, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Frontline, Kremlin, Russian, Russian Federation, “ Wagner PMC, Russia, Kyiv, Reuters, Russian Telegram Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Simferopol, Soviet, AFP, South, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Pretoria, destabilization, Belgorod –, Moscow, Kursk, Smelensk, Russian, St Petersburg, Soviet Union, Belgorod, Shebekino, “

☆ Russia says Ukrainian city of Bakhmut captured
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Maxar satellite imagery comparing the before/after destruction of the Bakhmut high school and homes in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured the smashed eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war. Taking Bakhmut — which Russia refers to by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk — would represent Moscow's first big victory in the conflict in more than 10 months. The claims came after a week in which Ukrainian forces have made their most rapid gains for six months on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks. Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi, reacting to Prigozhin's comments before Russia's announcement, had told Reuters: "This is not true.

Its oil deals with Russia are seen as undermining Western sanctions by allowing Russia to continue benefiting from energy revenues. A French presidential source told reporters that Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would also meet Zelenskiy while in Hiroshima. [1/9] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. A Chinese foreign ministry statement accused the G7 of attacking China and interfering in its internal affairs, including Taiwan. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy brought his call for support against Russia's invasion to a Group of Seven (G7) summit on Saturday to Japan, where leaders agreed to tighten sanctions against Moscow and pare back exposure to China. 'MEETINGS WITH FRIENDS'[1/7] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. As well as bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, Zelenskiy will also meet the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow. Zelenskiy is due to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with the Global South attendees. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

G7 members - the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada - are grappling with the immense challenges posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, notably over Taiwan and economic security. The communique was issued shortly after the French government aircraft that brought Zelenskiy to Hiroshima touched down. Zelenskiy will hold bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, but significantly also the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow. He is due to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with the Global South attendees. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hiroshima G7 marks costs of war and welcomes Ukraine's Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023. Zelenskiy will receive a hero's welcome during the closing day of the G7 summit hosted in Hiroshima, Japan, where leaders debated how to respond to a conflict that many expect only to escalate after nearly 15 months of fighting. On Sunday, Japan and South Korea, two of China's wealthiest neighbours, will highlight their improved ties with a joint meeting. But Zelenskiy has pushed the countries to go further on both economic and military measures. "Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on Twitter as he arrived in Hiroshima.

Prigozhin made the claim in a video in which he appeared in combat fatigues in front of a line of fighters holding Russian flags and Wagner banners. "Today, at 12 noon, Bakhmut was completely taken," Prigozhin said. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut." Bakhmut has been the focus of the longest and bloodiest battle of Russia's war in Ukraine, which is nearly at the end of its 15th month. His victory claim followed fierce fighting around the city in the past week in which Ukraine said it pushed back some Russian forces.

☆ Russia's Wagner claims Bakhmut; Kyiv says situation critical
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But meanwhile, to the north and south, they have made their most rapid gains for six months in the surrounding area, seizing swathes of territory from Russian troops. "Wagner troops climbed into Bakhmut like rats into a mousetrap," Oleksander Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, told troops at the Bakhmut front this week. The battle for Bakhmut has revealed a deepening split between Wagner, a mercenary force that has recruited thousands of convicts from Russian prisons, and the regular Russian military. For two weeks, Prigozhin has been issuing daily video and audio messages denouncing Russia's military leadership, often in expletive-laden rants. Moscow has long claimed that capturing Bakhmut would be a stepping stone towards advancing deeper into the Donbas region it claims to have annexed from Ukraine.

☆ Burkina Faso interim leader hails Russia as a strategic ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, May 4 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's interim President Ibrahim Traore on Thursday said Russia had become a key strategic ally but denied that Russian mercenaries were supporting Burkinabe forces in their fight against Islamist armed groups. "The departure of the French army does not mean that France is not an ally," Traore replied. Russia, for example, is a strategic ally." Traore was asked to comment on reports Wagner forces are also on the ground in Burkina Faso. The violence has since spread into Burkina Faso and Niger and threatens to destabilise coastal countries further afield.

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a screaming, expletive-filled tirade at Putin's war chiefs as he stood next to dozens of his mens' corpses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin went ballistic on the Kremlin in an expletive-laden video on Thursday. He lashed out at Russia's defense minister and a top general, blaming them for a lack of ammo. He swore at least nine times in the video, though his press service censored the expletives. In 2022, the Wagner Group drew scandal for recruiting Russian convicts to fight in Ukraine, promising the prisoners their freedom. Russia's defense ministry press service did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

CNN —The violence that has exploded in Sudan as the country’s two top generals grapple for power has unfolded at a terrifying, breakneck speed. Hemedti uses this discourse as a bloody shirt to maintain his influence and military forces for future use,” Fareid said. Marwan Ali/APFrom a subclan of the Mahariya Rizeigat tribe, nomadic people that herded camels in Darfur, Hemedti got his start as a commander of the Janjaweed. Unlike Sudan’s former dictator, Hemedti has not faced charges from the International Criminal Court. The general’s shared sense of impunity was underlined in October 2021, when they staged a coup, arresting Hamdok and his cabinet.

☆ Sudanese army says 177 Egyptian air force troops evacuated to Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. REUTERS/StringerCAIRO, April 20 (Reuters) - The Sudan army on Thursday said 177 Egyptian Air Force troops were airlifted back to Egypt after being held in the northern Sudanese town of Merowe by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudanese army said in a statement the Egyptians were evacuated from the northern town Dongola via four Egyptian military planes. The military said the Egyptians were in Sudan to participate in joint air force exercises. The Egyptian military did not announce the evacuation but earlier said in a brief statement it was coordinating with authorities in Sudan to secure the return of the troops.

The Sudanese Doctors' Union earlier reported at least 25 people were killed and 183 wounded in battles that erupted on Saturday between the military and the RSF. The army told soldiers seconded to the RSF to report to nearby army units, which could deplete RSF ranks if they obey. The military and RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, have been competing for power as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government after a 2021 military coup. The RSF shared a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who "surrendered" to them in Merowe. Clashes also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said.

☆ Sudan's RSF says it's ready to cooperate over Egyptian troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahCAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - The head of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Saturday that his forces were ready to cooperate with Egypt to ease the return of Egyptian troops who had handed themselves over to the group in the northern Sudanese town of Merowe. Two Egyptian security sources said Egyptian officials were able to make contact with the leader of the Egyptian unit to confirm they were safe. The video showed a number of men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to members of the RSF, Sudan's main paramilitary group, in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. A mobilisation of RSF forces towards Merowe's military airport on Wednesday prompted an army statement a day later that described recent RSF moves as illegal, bringing long-bubbling disagreements to the surface. It strongly supports Sudan's army and has recently promoted negotiations with pro-army political parties, in parallel to a plan for a transition towards elections backed by Hemedti.

☆ Sudan's paramilitary force shares video they claim shows 'surrendered' Egyptian troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahCAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shared a video on Saturday that they said showed Egyptian troops who had "surrendered" to them in Merowe, northern Sudan. This occurred as clashes erupted between the RSF, Sudan's main paramilitary group, and the army on Saturday. There was no clear explanation for the presence of Egyptian troops in Merowe on Saturday, but Egyptian and Sudanese troops have periodically staged joint military exercises in the north of the country in the wake of diplomatic tensions with Ethiopia. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage and Egyptian authorities did not immediately make any public comment on the matter.

☆ Russia complains its journalists are under attack and facing 'witch hunts' just days after arresting an American reporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said its journalists face attacks and "witch hunts" after the death of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. The claims come days after Russia arrested WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage. The comments follow abuse of journalists in Russia and come just days after the widely-condemned arrest by Russian authorities of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage. In her comments on Tatarsky's death, Zakharova also assessed the international reputation of Russian journalists, making broad claims about the discrimination they face that ignore Russian actions at home. These criticisms of how Russia's journalists are treated sharply contrast with the treatment of journalists in Russia, where reporters have been killed or jailed.

☆ Russia claims its journalists are under attack and facing 'witch hunts' just days after arresting an American reporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ U.S. composer Burt Bacharach dies at age 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Bacharach and David had 30 Top-40 hits in the '60s alone. I'd hear his melodies and I'd hear lyrics. I'd hear rhymes, I'd hear thoughts and I'd hear it almost immediately." Bacharach and David scored the Neil Simon Broadway musical "Promises, Promises," which won them two Tonys and a Grammy. While star performers made his songs hits, Bacharach said he also enjoyed performing himself and making a personal connection with smaller audiences.

☆ Earthquake leaves Syrians across frontlines with shared catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s humanity," said Suleiman, who was displaced to Idlib from Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria during the war. State media say at least 812 people perished in government-held areas including Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartous. It's a country that is inhabited by death," said Hassan Hussein, from the coastal city and government stronghold of Tartous. In the rebel-held city of Atareb, Yousef Haboush lamented how the quake had forced many from their homes yet again. One of the residents, Abu Hamid, said he felt a sense of "proximity" to other Syrians, including those in rebel-held areas.

☆ A tiny-home startup has attracted 160,000 customers, including Elon Musk. But disgruntled customers, an empty factory, and a tie to an alleged Iranian agent cloud its future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

A Boxabl Casita being delivered to a SpaceX facility in Texas. Tackling the US housing crisisStamped out on an assembly line, Boxabl homes could finally begin to help quench America's perpetual housing shortage. Homeowners, meanwhile, could rent out Boxabl units as secondary dwellings in their backyards or as Airbnbs. Firooznia, Tiramani said, sometimes provided a tiebreaking vote when the father and son disagreed on business decisions. During a tour of Boxabl's factory in December, a freelance reporter for Insider saw Tiramani's wife, Shauna, arrive with their four young children.

At his funeral in the western Ukrainian town of Letychiv, friends of the 22-year-old, who volunteered for the military and was hit by shrapnel in Bakhmut last week, were vehement that Russians should be excluded from the Olympics. Fellow decathlete Dmytro Korbenko, who described himself as Androshchuk's best friend, said of Russian athletes: "It's obvious they're not supposed to be in sports, nor at the 2024 Olympic Games." As mourners laid bouquets near Androshchuk's feet or kissed his forehead, Korbenko described his friend as a strong-willed athlete. In response, Ukraine has threatened to boycott the 2024 Olympics if the year-long war is still raging and if Russians are allowed to compete. Russia, which denies committing atrocities in Ukraine, said attempts at banning it from international sports were "doomed to fail."

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