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☆ Russia is dusting off antique tanks from the 1940s, monitor group says, as its losses mount in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia appears to be dusting off its T-54 tanks, first deployed more than 70 years ago. Images from a monitoring group showed the tanks moving through Russia closer to Ukraine. While other old tanks have been used by Russia in Ukraine, none have been as old as the T-54, the group said. Ukraine claimed that Russia lost 21 tanks in a single day earlier this month. And, as Russia faces these struggles, Ukraine is expecting deliveries of modern tanks from Western allies, including Leopard-2 tanks from Europe, Britain's Challenger 2 tanks, and Abrams tanks from the US.

☆ Trump’s Third-Party Play in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

William McGurn is a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board and writes the weekly "Main Street" column for the Journal each Tuesday. Previously he served as Chief Speechwriter for President George W. Bush. Mr. McGurn has served as chief editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He spent more than a decade overseas -- in Brussels for The Wall Street Journal/Europe and in Hong Kong with both the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review. Bill is author of a book on Hong Kong ("Perfidious Albion") and a monograph on terrorism ("Terrorist or Freedom Fighter").

☆ A Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sadanand Dhume | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sadanand Dhume writes a biweekly column on India and South Asia for WSJ.com. Mr. Dhume is also a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Mr. Dhume is the author of “My Friend the Fanatic: Travels with a Radical Islamist,” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009), which charts the rise of the radical Islamist movement in Indonesia. Mr. Dhume holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Delhi, a master’s degree in international relations from Princeton University and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, and travels frequently to India.

☆ Biden’s Social Security Trap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Don’t Blame Karine Jean-Pierre
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels, despite global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions, according to a new report released Monday. The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, when the first index was released. In recent years, governments around the world have announced policies to reduce the volume of single-use plastic, banning products like single-use straws, disposable cutlery, food containers, cotton swabs, bags and balloons. Many countries have banned single-use plastic plates and cutlery. In the developing world, it’ll lead to people who would not otherwise have any work, having work making sure there’s no plastic waste going into the ocean, there’s no plastic waste on streets, there’s no plastic waste poisoning wildlife,” he said.

☆ Joe Biden, the El Paso Kid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Let an FBI Agent Lead the FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ It’s Joe Biden’s Border Now
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Russia bans oil sales to countries that accept price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of oil tanks in the Transneft-Kozmino Port near the far eastern town of Nakhodka, Russia. Russia announced on Tuesday it would ban oil sales to countries that abide by a price cap imposed this month by the West, giving its long-awaited response to the most dramatic step taken so far to limit Moscow's ability to raise funds for its war in Ukraine. Under the price cap, which took effect on Dec. 5, oil traders must promise not to pay above $60 per barrel for Russian seaborne oil to retain access to Western financing for such crucial aspects of global shipping as insurance. The Kremlin ban would halt crude oil sales to countries participating in the price cap from Feb. 1-July 1, 2023. Some analysts have said that the cap will have little immediate impact on the oil revenues that Moscow is earning, as the price for Russian oil has already fallen close to it.

☆ Russia's Transneft receives Polish and German requests for oil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EU has pledged to stop buying Russian oil via maritime routes from Dec. 5, with Western nations also imposing price caps on Russian crude oil, but the Druzhba pipeline remains exempt from sanctions. And now we have received requests from Polish consumers: give us 3 million tonnes next year, and 360,000 tonnes for December, and Germany has already submitted a request for the first quarter," Transneft head Nikolay Tokarev said on Tuesday. Transneft, which handles more than 80% of total oil produced in Russia, has cranked up oil exports by a fifth this year, he added. Tokarev also said that oil supplies via the southern spur of Druzhba, which transports oil through Ukraine to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, will remain unchanged next year thanks to a ssanctions exception. Exports via the far eastern port of Kozmino are expected to total 42 million tonnes this year, exceeding usual annual capacity of 30 million tonnes, Tokarev said.

☆ Russia and China to hold joint naval drills this week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Russia and China will hold joint naval drills between December 21-27, Russia's defence ministry said on Monday. The joint naval exercises, which have taken place annually since 2012, will involve missile and artillery firing in the East China Sea, Russia's defence ministry said. "The main purpose of the exercises is to strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China, and maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region." Russia said four of its vessels would take part in the drills - including the Varyag missile cruiser - while six Chinese vessels would take part, along with aircraft and helicopters from both sides. Russian ships set sail on Monday from the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok to take part in the week-long exercises, which start on Wednesday.

☆ Russian oil selling at $79/barrel in Asia on Monday, well above price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Russia's ESPO oil blend from the Far Eastern port of Kozmino was selling for around $79 a barrel in Asian markets on Monday - almost a third higher than the price cap imposed on Russian oil by the G7 and European Union - according to Refinitiv data and estimates from industry sources. Russia exports up to 65 million tons of ESPO Blend oil per year via the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline, including up to 35 million tons through the port of Kozmino. Reporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As Ukrainian forces recaptured a key town, another elite Russian unit appears to have gone through 'the meat grinder'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russian troops in Lyman and those who retreated took heavy losses, including an elite GRU unit. In just a few days, Ukrainian forces liberated hundreds of square miles of territory and scores of villages. Its cadre of Spetsnaz commandos is among the best in the Russian military. Competent special operators require years of basic and advanced military training, as well as training tailored to their mission sets. The Russian military as a whole is taking a battering in Ukraine, though casualty estimates vary widely.

☆ Factbox: What's known about the Russian volcano that may be about to erupt?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula may be gearing up for its first powerful eruption in 15 years, scientists say. It has become extremely active, threatening a powerful eruption, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team said on Sunday. "A growth of the lava dome continues, a strong fumaroles activity, an incandescence of the lava dome, explosions, and hot avalanches accompanies this process," the observatory said. The volcano's last most powerful eruption took place in 2007, according to NASA. This state of the dome is observed, as a rule, before a powerful paroxysmal eruption," he said.

☆ Russian soldiers say leaders threw them into 'incomprehensible battle' where they lost 300 men and half their equipment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian soldiers say hundreds of men died in "incomprehensible battle" in eastern Ukraine. The letter also accused Russian officials of "hiding these facts and skewing the official casualty statistics for fear of being held accountable." A second soldier told The Guardian that "hundreds" of Russian reservists had died in the battle. Accusations of heavy Russian losses prompted a rare response from Moscow. Many of these soldiers were drafted as part of Russia's mass mobilization of 300,000 reservists, per a report from Insider's Matthew Loh.

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry took the rare step on Monday of denying allegations that a naval infantry unit had suffered disastrous losses of men and equipment in a futile offensive in eastern Ukraine. It was addressed to Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the far eastern Primorye region, thousands of miles from Ukraine, where the unit is based. Kozhemyako appeared to acknowledge the letter was genuine but said it exaggerated the scale of the true losses. The defence ministry statement, quoted by state-owned RIA news agency, rejected the assertion that the marines unit had suffered "high, pointless losses in people and equipment". I am sure that in any case the situation will be analysed and the competent authorities will give their assessment," he said.

☆ Explainer: Russia and North Korea forge closer ties amid shared isolation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown, it has seen increasing value in North Korea. North Korea was heavily reliant on Soviet aid for decades, and when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, it helped spark a deadly famine in the North. UKRAINE WAR SUPPORTNorth Korea has reciprocated with public support for Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea have denied claims by the United States that Russia has sought to buy millions of rounds of ammunition and other weapons from North Korea. ECONOMIC TIESRussia and North Korea recently restarted train travel for the first time since railway journeys were cut during the COVID pandemic with an unusually opulent cargo - 30 grey thoroughbred horses.

☆ Russia turns to Japan for used car imports as domestic production slumps
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Gleb Stolyarov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New car imports were well below February levels in August, data from Russian analytical agency Autostat showed, but those of used cars more than doubled to 23,117 from 11,055. The vast majority, 76%, of used cars were imported from Japan, with Belarus distant second with a 5.3% share, the data showed. Almost 70% of the 10,257 new cars imported in August came from China, the data showed. "One dealership, due to a lack of deliveries of new cars, has pivoted to selling and leasing used cars," the central bank said. In January-September, new car sales were down almost 60% to 506,661 units.

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (0293.HK) will resume using Russian airspace on some flights, the Hong Kong-based airline said on Sunday, restarting flights it had stopped after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February. Cathay Pacific will begin flying from New York to Hong Kong using the popular "Polar route" from Tuesday, the company told Reuters in an emailed statement. Citing strong headwinds and payload issues affecting its flights from the East Coast of North America to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific said it will overfly the far eastern part of Russia. Cathay Pacific said in March that it was not routing flights through Russia's airspace, avoiding the area after the invasion of Ukraine despite longer flight times. Russia this year closed its airspace to European and U.S. airlines, forcing some long-haul flights to Asia to take longer routes.

☆ Cathay Pacific to resume some flights using Russian airspace - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (0293.HK) will resume using Russian airspace on some flights, becoming the first major airline to do so since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. Cathay Pacific will fly from New York to the Asian financial hub using the so-called 'Polar Route' from Nov. 1, the report said citing an emailed response from the airline to the agency. Cathay Pacific said in March that it was not routing flights through Russia's airspace, avoiding the area after the invasion of Ukraine despite longer flight times. Russia earlier this year, had closed its airspace to European and U.S. airlines, forcing some long-haul flights to Asia to take longer routes. Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian oil supplies to China up 22% on year, close second to Saudi - data
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The amount, equivalent to 1.82 million barrels per day (bpd), eased from 1.96 million bpd in August and compared to the record high of nearly 2 million bpd in May. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterImports from top supplier Saudi Arabia reached 7.53 million tonnes, or 1.83 million bpd, versus August's 1.99 million bpd and were 5.4% lower than a year earlier. Russian volumes rose nearly 9% to 64.26 million tonnes, a close second. That surpassed the previous record set in August of 3.37 million tonnes. China also received about 795,000 tonnes of U.S. crude oil in September, after zero imports in August.

☆ Russia protests over Japan's firing of HIMARS in exercise with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia said it had protested to the Japanese embassy on Wednesday over joint Japan-U.S. military exercises this week in which it said HIMARS rocket systems were fired close to Russia's borders. "The Japanese side was also warned about the inevitability of adequate response measures in order to block military threats to Russia," it added, without elaborating. HIMARS are the same rocket systems that the United States has supplied to Ukraine, which Kyiv has put to effective use in attacking Russian command nodes and supply lines. Japan has joined Western countries in imposing sanctions on Russia in response to its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Relations have further worsened in recent weeks, with Russia expelling a Japanese consul for alleged espionage and Tokyo responding in kind.

☆ Cuba slowly begins to restore power after Hurricane Ian knocks out grid
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, Cuba, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Cuba had slowly begun to restore power across the eastern end of the island, the state electricity provider said early on Wednesday, after Hurricane Ian caused the country's grid to collapse, turning off the lights for more than 11 million people. But officials said Hurricane Ian had proven too much, knocking out power even in far eastern Cuba, which was largely unaffected by the storm. By early morning Wednesday, officials said some power had been restored to the areas with the least storm damage. Further west in Cuba, nearer the capital Havana, the process would be slower and more "complicated," the generator said. Ian, which left a swath of destruction and at least two dead across western Cuba, has now strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

☆ Hurricane Ian strengthens as millions urged to evacuate Florida Gulf Coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

By late Tuesday night, tropical storm-force winds generated by Ian extended through the Florida Keys island chain to the southernmost shores of the state's Gulf Coast, the NHC said. U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Deanne Criswell said she worried that too few Florida residents were taking the threat seriously. 1/6 A hurricane evacuation route sign is displayed as Hurricane Ian spins toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge, in Punta Gorda, Florida, U.S. September 27, 2022. If Ian strikes the Tampa area, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall there since the 1921 Tarpon Springs storm. But officials said Hurricane Ian had proven too much, knocking out power even in far eastern Cuba, which was largely unaffected by the storm.

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