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Khan’s office has opened an investigation into potential war crimes by Israel in Gaza in the 2014 war. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN KILLED IN THE CONFLICT SOARSThe number of children killed in the blockaded Gaza Strip since the start of the Hamas-Israel earlier this month has exceeded the number of children killed in armed conflict every year globally since 2019, international charity Save the Children said Sunday. It also mentioned the deaths of 33 children in the occupied West Bank and 29 children killed in Israel. The militant group Hezbollah, Hamas’ allies in Lebanon, has clashed with Israeli troops along the Lebanon-Israeli border since the Gaza war erupted on Oct. 7. PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT SAYS ISRAEL ORDERS GAZA HOSPITAL TO EVACUATEJERUSALEM — A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent says Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City received two calls from Israeli authorities Sunday morning demanding it evacuate.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “ ‘, ”, Israel, Karim Khan, Khan, “, Jason Lee, ” U.N, António Guterres, Guterres, Hamas ’, ” Guterres, Rishi Sunak’s, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, “ Let’s, ” Francis, Ibrahim Faltas, Jonas Gahr Støre, U.N, Israel’s, ” Tedros Adhanom, Tarik Jasarevic, Nebal Farsakh, ” Thomas White, ” Mahmoud, Abdallah Sayed Organizations: Saturday, Health Ministry, Hamas, West Bank, ICC, Criminal, Gaza, Gaza Health Ministry, Country, MINISTER, LONDON, UN, UNIFIL, VATICAN CITY, ISRAEL HELSINKI — Norway’s, NRK, “, United Nations, MINISTRY, FIRE, WHO, World Health Organization, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, Pentagon, UNITED NATIONS, . Security Council, United Arab Emirates Locations: Gaza, Israel, EGYPT, GAZA, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Kathmandu, ISRAEL, ”, LEBANON BEIRUT, Lebanon, Houla, Naqoura, Ukraine, Palestine, St, NORWAY'S, Norwegian, Norway, “, UN, FIRE KATHMANDU, Nepal, GAZA CAIRO, PALESTINIAN, Al, Quds, Gaza City, SYRIA DAMASCUS, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, U.S, Assad, GAZA'S, CAIRO, Gaza’s

A damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia is pictured in this undated handout picture in the Baltic Sea. Tallinn is investigating the cables incidents. In the case of the Estonia-Finland cable damage, it is also focusing on the Hong Kong vessel, and on Thursday evening Kallas said all three incidents were likely connected. The NewNew Polar Bear sailed over the Estonia-Sweden cable 133 kms (82 miles) before reaching the pipeline damage site. It then crossed the Estonia-Finland cable 32 kms (20 miles) after the gas pipeline, according to MarineTraffic.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Gasgrid, Kallas, Janne Kuusela, Andrius Sytas, Anne Kauranen, Nerijus Adomaitis, David Evans, Hugh Lawson, Emelia Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, REUTERS, Estonian, National Emergency Supply Agency, Lithuanian, Reuters, NATO, Norwegian Navy, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, VILNIUS, HELSINKI, Sweden, Hong, Kong, Tallinn, Hong Kong, Estonian, Russia, MarineTraffic, China, Vilnius, Helsinki, Oslo

☆ Three Baltic Pipe and Cable Incidents 'Are Related', Estonia Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Finnish police have named the Chinese-owned and Hong-Kong-flagged container carrier NewNew Polar Bear as the prime suspect in damaging the Balticconnector Finland-Estonia gas pipeline early on Oct. 8. NewNew Polar Bear sailed over the Estonia-Sweden cable 133 kilometres before reaching the pipeline damage site. It then crossed the Estonia-Finland cable 32 kilometres after the gas pipeline, according to MarineTraffic. NATO has stepped up patrols in the Baltic sea after the incidents, and Norwegian navy has shadowed NewNew Polar Bear as it sailed over country's key pipelines. China is willing to provide necessary information in accordance with international law regarding an investigation on damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday at a regular press briefing.

Persons: Andrius Sytas, Kaja Kallas, Nerijus, David Evans Organizations: Nerijus Adomaitis, Reuters, Estonian, NATO Locations: Nerijus, Nerijus Adomaitis VILNIUS, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Hong, Kong, Helsinki, Tallinn, Estonian, Russia, MarineTraffic, Baltic, China, Vilnius, Oslo

☆ Two strangers moved into an apartment in Prague. Then they fell in love
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Marcus was studying in his bedroom in the Prague apartment when Mandy’s message popped up on his laptop. “It was a super-nice apartment in one of the coolest neighborhoods in Prague,” Marcus tells CNN Travel. Arriving in PragueMandy moved into Marcus' apartment in Prague's vibrant Vinohrady area. Here's one of Marcus and Mandy's first photos together, taken in their Prague apartment in 2020. “The night before he left, I’m crying and I’m like, ‘Oh, gosh, you’re leaving and I’m so sad,’” recalls Mandy.

Persons: Mandy Sanchez, Mandy, She’d, Marcus Wecksten, Marcus, Boris, ”, “, ” Marcus, ” Marcus –, Prague’s Charles University –, they’re, ’, that’s, you’re, ’ ”, Prague Mandy, Mandy Sanchez Mandy, who’d, ” Mandy, Mandy’s Uber, Uber, Mandy “, ’ ” Mandy, decamped, she’d, Mandy's, couldn’t, Marcus “, they’d, Marcus didn’t, Let’s, Mandy’s hesitations, Mandy couldn’t, Kemal Onur Ozman, coronavirus, They’d, ” Mandy wasn’t, ” Boris, Marcus wasn’t, I’ll, Mandy –, I’ve, I’m, Charles, –, phoning, hadn’t, Mandy’s, Here's Mandy, Marcus ’, – Marcus wouldn’t, “ He’d, ” “ We’ve, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Texas, M University, Facebook, Prague’s Charles University, CNN Travel, Midway, Uber, Google, Pilsner, ”, Prague Locations: Texas, Prague, Prague ”, Europe, Vinohrady, –, Germany, Finland, Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary, Albania, Helsinki

☆ Finland says gas pipeline likely broken by ship dragging anchor
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investigators said they had now retrieved a lost anchor from the seabed location where the pipeline ruptured on Oct. 8, and were investigating whether it belonged to a Chinese container vessel. Police have previously said damage to the Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline and two Baltic Sea telecoms cables was cause by external mechanical force and were investigating whether this was a case of sabotage or caused by accident. Broad drag marks were seen on the seabed leading up to where the pipeline was broken, and the anchor was lying immediately after the damage spot. China called on Monday for an "objective, fair and professional" investigation into the pipeline damage. The incident cut pipeline gas supplies to Finland, although the country expects to manage with imports of liquefied natural gas via ship deliveries to its Inkoo port.

Persons: Investigators, Robin Lardot, Essi Lehto, Terje Solsvik, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Hong, Police, Baltic, Bureau of Investigation, NATO, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Finland, HELSINKI, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, China, Germany, Russia

☆ Estonia has linked Baltic cable, pipeline damages, Sweden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Simon Johnson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea was damaged, in the Gulf of Finland, October 10, 2023. Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Estonia believes that damage to a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia is related to damage to a pipeline and cable between Estonia and Finland, Sweden's government said on Monday. On Oct. 8 a subsea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged, in what Finnish investigators believe may have been deliberate sabotage. Bohlin added that Estonia had assessed that "the damage to the gas pipeline and communications cable between Finland and Estonia is related to the damage to the communications cable between Sweden and Estonia". NATO has said it is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following the incidents, which have stoked concerns about the security of energy supplies in the wider Nordic region.

Persons: Sweden's, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Bohlin, Triinu Olev, Sevmorput, Simon Johnson, Andrius, Jan Harvey, Emelia, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Civil Defence, NATO, National Bureau of Investigation, Andrius Sytas, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Helsinki, Tallinn, Estonian, Russia, Germany, Stockholm, Vilnius

☆ Swedish Govt Says Estonia Has Linked Baltic Cable, Pipeline Damages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Estonia believes that damage to a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia is related to damage to a pipeline and cable between Estonia and Finland, Sweden's government said on Monday. On Oct. 8 a subsea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged, in what Finnish investigators believe may have been deliberate sabotage. Helsinki is investigating the pipeline incident, while Tallinn is probing the cable incident. Last week, Sweden said a third link had been damaged at roughly the same time as the other two. Bohlin added that Estonia had assessed that "the damage to the gas pipeline and communications cable between Finland and Estonia is related to the damage to the communications cable between Sweden and Estonia".

Persons: Sweden's, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Bohlin, Sevmorput, Simon Johnson, Jan Harvey, Emelia Organizations: Civil Defence, NATO, National Bureau of Investigation Locations: STOCKHOLM, Estonia, Baltic, Sweden, Finland, Helsinki, Tallinn, Russia, Germany

Acquire Licensing RightsVILNIUS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Estonia has contacted Chinese authorities as part of its investigation into how two Baltic Sea telecom cables were severed, the Estonian foreign ministry said on Monday. Early on Oct. 8, a gas pipeline and a telecoms cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea were broken, in what Finnish investigators say may have been deliberate sabotage. The incidents have stoked concerns about energy security in the wider Nordic region, prompted NATO to increase patrols in the Baltic Sea and Helsinki to contact Moscow and Beijing via diplomatic channels about the incidents. Earlier on on Monday China called for an "objective, fair and professional" investigation into the gas pipeline damage. Any threats against Russia were "unacceptable", he said in response to Latvian President's Edgars Rinkevics call for NATO to shut the Baltic Sea to shipping if Moscow were found responsible.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Andrius Sytas, Terje Solsvik, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Baltic, Reuters, NATO, China, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Finland, Rights VILNIUS, Estonia, Estonian, Finland, Baltic, Sweden, Hong, Kong, Russia, MarineTraffic, Helsinki, Moscow, Beijing, Tallinn, Latvian, Latvia

☆ A price cap on Russian oil aims to starve Putin of cash. But it’s largely been untested. Until now
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

For months after Ukraine's Western allies limited sales of Russian oil to $60 per barrel, the price cap was still largely symbolic. That time has now come, putting the price cap to its most serious test so far and underlining its weaknesses. But most of that, economists say, stems from Europe's ban on Russian oil, which cost Moscow its main customer. The U.K. Treasury says it is "actively undertaking a number of investigations into suspected breaches of the oil price cap." "And there's a reason why the shippers haven't really complained or haven't flagged any issues with the oil price cap — because it's very easily circumvented."

Persons: —, Hilgenstock, P Global Platts, It's, Benjamin Hilgenstock, Vladimir Putin, They're, Viktor Katona, haven't, Alexander Novak, Putin, Novak, Europe —, Craig Kennedy, doesn't, Nataliia Shapoval, Shapoval Organizations: Salym Petroleum, U.S . Treasury Department, Stanford University, Research, Energy, Clean, P Global, Kyiv School of Economics, International Monetary Fund, Russia, U.S . Treasury, United Arab Emirates, Treasury, Radio Business, Harvard's Davis Center for Russian, Studies, Kyiv, Stanford, Tanker Locations: Salym, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, Moscow, Helsinki, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Europe, Kozmino, Turkey, India, Russian, Asia

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — For months after Ukraine's Western allies limited sales of Russian oil to $60 per barrel, the price cap was still largely symbolic. That time has now come, putting the price cap to its most serious test so far and underlining its weaknesses. But most of that, economists say, stems from Europe's ban on Russian oil, which cost Moscow its main customer. They're accused of carrying Russian oil priced at $75 and $80 per barrel while relying on U.S.-connected service providers. “The price cap is working,” says Nataliia Shapoval, vice president for policy research at the Kyiv school.

Persons: —, Benjamin Hilgenstock, Vladimir Putin, ” Hilgenstock, P Global Platts, It's, They're, “, ”, Viktor Katona, haven't, Alexander Novak, Putin, Novak, Europe —, Craig Kennedy, doesn't, Nataliia Shapoval, Shapoval, Josh Boak Organizations: Kyiv School of Economics, International Monetary Fund, U.S . Treasury Department, Stanford University, ”, Russia ”, Research, Energy, Clean, P Global, Russia, U.S . Treasury, United Arab Emirates, Treasury, Radio Business, Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian, Studies, Kyiv, Stanford, Tanker Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Ukrainian, U.S, Moscow, Helsinki, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Kozmino, Turkey, India, Russian, Asia, Washington, russia, ukraine

☆ Swedish govt says Estonia has linked Baltic cable, pipeline damages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Sweden's, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Bohlin, Sevmorput, Simon Johnson, Jan Harvey, Emelia Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Civil Defence, NATO, National Bureau of Investigation, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Helsinki, Tallinn, Russia, Germany

☆ Chinese, Russian vessels in vicinity of Baltic Sea links damage -vessel tracking data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Early on Oct. 8, a gas pipeline and a telecoms cable connecting Finland and Estonia were broken, in what Finnish investigators say may have been deliberate sabotage. The ships are: the NewNew Polar Bear, a Chinese container ship travelling between China and Europe via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic, and the Sevmorput, a nuclear-powered cargo vessel transiting between Murmansk and St. Petersburg. Based on vessel tracking data, Reuters matched the ships' path with the locations where the damage occurred at all three sites. The time the NewNew Polar Bear crossed the pipeline matches the time when Norwegian seismologists registered a small seismic event in the pipeline's vicinity. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed as "rubbish" the idea that Russia damaged the Finnish-Estonia gas pipeline.

Persons: Elisa, Vladimir Putin, Nerijus Adomaitis, Marie, Gwladys Fouche, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Reuters, Estonian Navy, NewNew Shipping, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: Paldiski, Estonia, Handout, Rights OSLO, Russian, Gulf, Finland, Sweden, Stockholm, Tallinn, Baltic, Helsinki, Moscow, Beijing, MarineTraffic, China, Europe, Murmansk, St . Petersburg, Gulf of Finland, Swedish, Estonian, Russia, Finnish, Oslo

"We have identified that during the incidents, the vessels NewNew Polar Bear and Sevmorput were in the area. 'HEAVY OBJECT'Finland's NBI said "a heavy object" was found on the seabed near the pipeline damage and were investigating whether this was linked to the incident. NewNew Shipping, the owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The Finnish foreign ministry, in a statement to Reuters said it had contacted China to seek help to get in touch with the NewNew Polar Bear. Russia's Rosatom said the Sevmorput had no link to any of the pipeline damage.

Persons: NBI, Risto Lohi, Lohi, Russia's Rosatom, Rosatom, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Gwladys Fouche, Alex Richardson, Jonathan Oatis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, National Bureau of Investigation, Reuters, NewNew Shipping, NATO, Thomson Locations: Paldiski, Estonia, Handout, HELSINKI, VILNIUS, Finland, Sweden, Stockholm, Tallinn, Hong Kong, China, Russia, Finnish, Russian, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Beijing, Moscow

☆ Want to move your family abroad? These are Europe’s most family-friendly cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Rent makes up a significant portion of this, with the average cost of a home with at least three bedrooms being £1,356.69. But it is Germany that has the most cities in the top twenty family friendly cities: Nuremberg in sixth, Munich in thirteenth, Hamburg in fifteenth and Hanover in twentieth place. The monthly cost of family life there is £3,184.80 on average, just a few hundred pounds higher than Vienna. London does not even make it into the top twenty most family friendly cities in Europe, instead placing a distant sixty-ninth. The report notes that the average cost for childcare alone is £1,599.49 in England's capital.

Organizations: Hamburg, Hanover, Rome, Finland's Helsinki Locations: Europe, Vienna, Austria, European, Prague, Rome, Czech, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Italy, Trieste, Slovenia, Germany, Nuremberg, Munich, Paris, London

As demand has slowed in countries such as the United States, Nokia and rival Ericsson (ERICb.ST) have tried to offset some of the weakness with higher sales to India, a low-margin market. Nokia is targeting savings of between 800 million euros ($842 million) and 1.2 billion euros by 2026, its deadline to deliver a long-term comparable operating margin plan of at least 14%. Nokia expects at least 400 million euros of savings in 2024, and a further 300 million euros in 2025. Quarterly comparable net sales fell to 4.98 billion euros from 6.24 billion last year, missing an estimate of 5.67 billion euros according to a LSEG poll. "There are signs here and there that demand would start to pick up again but it's too early to call it a broad-based trend," Lundmark said.

Persons: Albert Gea, Pekka Lundmark, Lundmark, it's, Supantha Mukherjee, Anne Kauranen, Anna Ringstrom, Clarence Fernandez, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Mobile World Congress, REUTERS, STOCKHOLM, Nokia, Ericsson, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, American, HELSINKI, Finnish, United States, India, North American, China, Stockholm, Helsinki

HELSINKI (AP) — Telecom gear maker Nokia said Thursday that it is planning to cut up to 14,000 jobs worldwide, or 16% of its workforce, as part of a push to reduce costs following a plunge in third-quarter sales and profit. The company said it is aiming to slash 800 million euros ($843 billion) to 1.2 billion euros in costs by the end of 2026. That is expected to lead to a reduction from 86,000 employees to between 72,000 and 77,000 over that time period. Nokia’s third-quarter sales plummeted 20%, to 4.98 billion euros from 6.24 billion in the same three-month period last year. The company’s biggest unit by revenue — the mobile networks business — declined 24% to 2.16 billion euros, driven mainly by weakness in the North American market.

Persons: it's, Pekka Lundmark, Lundmark, China’s, ” Lundmark, — Organizations: HELSINKI, — Telecom, Nokia, Ericsson, China’s Huawei, South, Samsung, “, North, North America nosedived Locations: Finnish, North American, North America, India

☆ Opinion: The people Olympic host cities don’t want you to see
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Opinion David Goldblatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A Japanese policeman checks the signs to be used during the opening parade at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 1964. Police officers stand guard at the rowing and kayak competitions venue at Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia, ahead of the 1996 Olympic Games. Helsinki, which built the first permanent Olympic Village in 1952, created a successful and architecturally distinguished neighbourhood of social housing. Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic Village became the epicentre of a process of beachside gentrification and soaring house prices. Until that changes, we can expect the staging of future Olympic Games to look the same.

Persons: David Goldblatt, Read, David Goldblatt David Goldblatt, Douglas Miller, Charles Platiau, dockets, Buda Mendes, Barcelona’s, Urman Lionel, Denis Organizations: CNN, Olympic, Hulton, Getty, LAPD, Atlanta, Police, Housing Rights, Pan American Games, Rio de, City Council, Melbourne Olympic Games, Asahi Shimbun, City, Games, International Olympic Committee, Olympic Games Locations: British, Paris, Berlin, Roma, Tokyo, Moscow, Los Angeles, Lake Lanier, Gainesville , Georgia, Atlanta, Seoul, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Brazil, Buda, Helsinki, Melbourne, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Athens, Portakabins, London

☆ Little-known life of Moomins creator Tove Jansson explored in new exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Aurore Laborie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Paris CNN —The Moomin characters may be internationally famous, but a new exhibition in Paris shows a lesser-known side to the Finnish artist who created them. The show takes an intimate look into the life of Tove Jansson, both as a prolific artist and an advocate for female independence. Courtesy The Community and Moomin Characters Ltd. Using illustrations, cartoons, photography, music, writings and letters, the exhibition shows Jansson as a multifaceted character who could — and did — make art out of almost anything. Tove Jansson's Moomin character "Little My" paper doll.

Persons: Tove Jansson, ”, Sini, ” Tove Jansson's, Jansson, “, Thomas Zambra, —, Signe Hammarsten, Viktor Jansson, Tove Jansson’s, Tove Jansson's, Summers, Hitler, Stalin, “ Garm, Lewis Carroll’s, Alice, Tuulikki Pietilä, Tuukka Laurila, Pietilä, Zambra, Tove Jansson ”, Louis Organizations: Paris CNN, CNN, des Beaux Arts, Nature, Espace Mont Locations: Paris, Finnish, Kanto, Tuukka, Stockholm, Scandinavia, Finland, “, Helsinki, Wonderland, Espace

The NewNew Polar Bear is a container ship travelling between Europe and China via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic. On Monday, it left the Baltic Sea and entered the North Sea to head north along the Norwegian coast. The KV Sortland followed the NewNew Polar Bear at a distance of 1 nautical mile, or about 1.8 km, for about 15 hours. NewNew Shipping, the owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Oslo is closely monitoring the progress of the probe in the Baltic Sea incident.

Persons: Christian, Nerijus Adomaitis, Anne Kauranen, Gwladys Fouche, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Norwegian Navy, KV, KV Sortland, NewNew Shipping, Reuters, Navy, Andrius, Thomson Locations: Nord, Mukran, Ruegen, Rights OSLO, HELSINKI, Norwegian, Gulf of Finland, Norway, Russian, Baltic, Europe, China, Bergen , Marine, NewNew, Oslo, Helsinki, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius, Beijing

STOCKHOLM/HELSINKI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A Baltic Sea telecom cable connecting Sweden and Estonia was damaged at roughly the same time as a Finnish-Estonian pipeline and cable were earlier this month, but remains operational, Sweden's civil defence minister said on Tuesday. The damage to the Swedish-Estonian cable was sustained outside the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Sweden, the country's civil defence minister, Carl-Oskar Bohlin said, and the cable had continued to function since then. VESSELS IN AREAEurope and NATO have become increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure around and under the Baltic Sea. The latest incidents follow explosions in September 2022 that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe's supply of Russian gas. Finland said on Oct. 8 that the Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia had been damaged in what may have been a deliberate act.

Persons: Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Arelion, Ewa Skoog Haslum, NBI, Atomflot, Ulf Kristersson, Nerijus Adomaitis, Niklas Pollard, Simon Johnson, Marie, Gleb Stolyarov, Andrew Gray, Gwladys, Bill Berkrot, Mark Potter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Estonian Economic Affairs, Communications Ministry, NATO, Reuters, National Bureau of Investigation, NewNew Shipping, Sweden's, Joint Expeditionary Force, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, HELSINKI, Sweden, Estonia, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Swedish, Finland, Hiiumaa, NATO, Baltic, Europe, Rosatom, Oslo, Stockholm, Brussels

However since parliament opened on Oct. 1, its foreign affairs commission, which would debate the NATO bid, has received almost 60 international agreements to review - excluding Sweden's, official data shows. A second person familiar with U.S.-Turkish talks said a rough proposal - in which each side would take steps toward ratifying the NATO bid on the one side, and the F-16s purchase on the other - had been delayed. IN NO RUSHTurkey, NATO's second-biggest military, is still expected to ultimately endorse Sweden's bid and could rapidly move on it. Addressing the drone incident, which occurred near U.S. troops on Oct. 5, Erdogan said last week: "Isn't Turkey a NATO ally of the U.S.? Finnish membership was sealed in April, marking an historic expansion of the Western defence bloc, but Sweden's bid remains held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Yves Herman, Joe Biden, RUSH Turkey, NATO's, Sweden's, Erdogan, Yasar Guler, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Johnson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Washington, State Department, AK Party, U.S, U.S . State Department, RUSH, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Turkish Defence, Swedish, U.S . Senate, White House, Lockheed Martin Corp, Palestinian, Hamas, aircraft, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Vilnius, Lithuania, Rights ANKARA, Turkey, Sweden, Ankara, United States, Syria, U.S, NATO, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Brussels, Stockholm, Helsinki, Iraq, Gaza, Riyadh

☆ Finnish Nobel Peace laureate and former president Ahtisaari dies at 86
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari poses with his medal and diploma during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo December 10, 2008. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHELSINKI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Nobel Peace laureate Martti Ahtisaari, who served as Finland's 10th president between 1994 and 2000, died on Monday at the age of 86, the Finnish president's office said in a statement. Ahtisaari was celebrated around the world for brokering peace in conflict zones in Kosovo, Indonesia and Northern Ireland. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal," Ahtisaari said when he accepted the Nobel award in 2008. Several months afterwards, the Nobel committee gave him the peace prize, citing work on multiple continents over more than three decades.

Persons: Martti Ahtisaari, Ints, Ahtisaari, Mara, Martti, Finland's, Slobodan Milosevic, Eeva, Marko, Anne Kauranen, Ritsuko Ando, Sonya Hepinstall, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Soviet, Social Democrats, Finland's European Union, NATO, Finland's Ministry, Foreign Affairs, EU, Yugoslav, Crisis Management, Free Aceh Movement, Nokia, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Rights HELSINKI, Finnish, Kosovo, Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Finland, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Viipuri, Russia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, Aceh, Balkans

No decision on a ground offensive has been announced, although Israel has been massing troops along the Gaza border 3. Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday Israel had so far identified 126 captives. GERMANY TO START EVACUATING CITIZENS FROM ISRAELBERLIN — The German army will start evacuating its citizens from Israel with military airplanes. Hezbollah said its fighters struck several Israeli military positions in the disputed Chebaa Farms and Kfar Chouba hills in the afternoon. ISRAELI MILITARY ANNOUNCES IT IS PREPARED FOR ‘COORDINATED’ OFFENSIVEJERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it has prepared a “coordinated” offensive in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground and naval forces.

Persons: Israel, Lloyd Austin, “, Israel —, ”, Yifat Zailer, Zailer, Read, Daniel Hagari, Hezbollah’s, Ali Youssef Alaaeddine, Alaaeddine, ERDOGAN'S, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bilal Erdogan, Suleyman Soylu, Mustafa Sentop, ” Erdogan, Sentop, Khalil Hachem, Rabad Akoum, ” Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, ” Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Mohammad Abu Selim, Medhat Abbas, Hakan Fidan, Sameh Shoukry, IT'S, ROME —, “ We’ve, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, —, ” Tajani, TT, Tobias Billström, Elina Valtonen, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Saleh Arouri, Ziad Nakhaleh, Amirabdollahian Organizations: United Nations, Gaza, United States Defense, TEL, ISRAEL BERLIN —, Hamas, Lufthansa, BEIRUT —, Associated Press, AP, Ministry, Sunday, South, MEDIA, BEIRUT, National News Agency, OFFICIAL, EGYPT BEIRUT —, OF, Gaza —, Shifa, Health Ministry, FROM, Romania — Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, NORDIC, FROM ISRAEL HELSINKI, Nordic, Helsinki Airport, Iran’s, Manar, Islamic, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza City, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Israeli, Lebanon, ISRAEL, SYRIA, TEL AVIV, Syria, Golan, GERMANY, Germany, Jordan, BEIRUT, Palestinian, ISTANBUL ISTANBUL, Istanbul, United States, Tel Aviv, Dubai, South, Lebanese, Chebaa, Kfar Chouba, JERUSALEM, EGYPT BEIRUT, GAZA, Shifa, FROM ISRAEL, TURKEY, ISTANBUL, Turkish, Embassy, Turkey, BUCHAREST, Romania, Romanian Embassy, ITALY, ROME, Italian, Rome, FINNS, Finland, Sweden, Helsinki, Stockholm, Swedish, Stockholm’s Arlanda, Beirut, Hezbollah’s, Amirabdollahian, Iran, Iraq, Jihad

☆ Trump’s turn against Israel offers stark reminder of what his diplomacy looks like
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“With President Trump back in office, Israel, and everyone else, will be safe again!” he said. Trump’s original grievance-based analysis reflects a transactional, unorthodox approach to foreign policy that often prioritizes his own personal goals over a standard understanding of the national interest. Trump’s comments were not the first time he has appeared to seek a political benefit from his foreign policy and his positions on Israel especially. They also show Trump’s quintessential contempt for the rules of politics, foreign policy and even basic human decency, which explain why he horrifies many Americans and foreign governments. “He’s simply not expressing, and his imitators in his primary, are not expressing the same muscular American foreign policy that we lived out every day,” Pence said on a local New Hampshire radio.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, he’d, they’d, Netanyahu, Qasem Soleimani, –, he’s, “, Chris Christie, ” Christie, ”, Israel ”, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu –, Critics, Netanyahu Trump, America’s, ” Trump, Trump’s, nobody’s, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin –, Putin, Israel, Soleimani, “ I’ll, Bibi Netanyahu, pounced, Ron DeSantis, “ Now’s, Donald Trump, ” DeSantis, Mike Pence, Pence, “ He’s, ” Pence Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Republican, Trump, GOP, New, New Jersey Gov, “, Fox News, Ukraine –, Putin, ABC News, Florida Gov Locations: Israel, American, Iraq, Lebanese, New Jersey, Gaza, Iran, Islamic Republic, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, U.S, Florida, Korean, Ukraine, Helsinki, Russia, Lago, Australian, New Hampshire

☆ Seismologists detected blast-like waves near broken Baltic Sea pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea was damaged, in the Gulf of Finland, October 10, 2023. Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOPENHAGEN, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Nordic and Baltic seismologists said that they had detected blast-like waves on Sunday when a Baltic Sea gas pipeline ruptured but that the data was not strong enough to determine whether explosives were involved. Waves measured after explosions tend to leave different signals to those sent out by earthquakes, the seismologists said. But processing the data had separated the seismic waves from the background noise even though stormy weather in the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea stretching eastwards into Russian waters, had complicated the analysis, seismologists said. In 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany were damaged by explosions that authorities have determined were caused by deliberate acts of sabotage.

Persons: Baltic seismologists, Anne Strommen Lycke, NORSAR, seismologists, seismologist Bjorn Lund, Seismologist Jari Kortstrom, Heidi Soosalu, didn't, NORSAR's Lycke, Johannes Birkebaek, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ilze, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, Sweden's University of Uppsala, University of Helsinki, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights COPENHAGEN, Finland's, Russia, Germany, Nord

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