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☆ Putin arrives in Vietnam as Russia seeks support in face of Western isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Considered a pariah by the West, Putin is looking to boost economic ties with friendly countries and show that Western isolation is not having an impact. Vietnam was among several Southeast Asian countries that abstained from joining a global summit on Ukraine in Switzerland last week. Last week, Vietnam sent a delegation led by its Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Russia. Analysts say Russia is likely to get more out of the visit than Vietnam, and Hanoi may even suffer reputational damage by hosting Putin following his trip to North Korea. “If no substantive deals are made, the visit will mainly be symbolic and a means for Putin and Russia to show the world that Western sanctions against Russia are not working,” said Le.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Nguyen Phu Trong, Lam, Minh, Yury Ushakov, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, ”, Le Hong Hiep, – Yusof, Le, ” Putin, Xi, –, John Kirby, Anwar Ibrahim Organizations: CNN, West, US, Reuters, Communist Party General, Vietnam’s, Vietnam News Agency, ” TASS, TASS, ”, Vietnam Studies, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Arab, Foreign Ministry, Foreign Affairs, ’ Summit, Analysts, Putin Locations: Hanoi, North Korea, Ukraine, Vietnam, Moscow, United States, China, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, Soviet, India, US, South China, Switzerland, Beijing, Kazan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt, Malaysia, BRICS, “

☆ Putin and Kim Jong Un's relationship is a marriage of convenience: Here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Pyongyang, early on June 19, 2024. What can North Korea get from Putin? In return, Russia is likely providing North Korea with food, fuel and military technology for its satellites and submarines, analysts say. Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving to North Korea with a two-day visit. As such, North Korea offers Russia another source of military hardware.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Anthony Wallace, Vladimir Putin's, Kim Jong, Putin, KCNA, Kim, Putin's, —, Gavriil Grigorov, Rodger Baker, James Brady, Victor Cha, Pyongyang's, Putinon, Brady, Cha, Putin hasn't Organizations: Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, Afp, Getty, North, Sputnik, Applied, CNBC, North Koreans, Putin, . Workers, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Pyongyang, Seoul, Korean, North Korea, Russia, North, Koreans, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Korea, China, USSR

☆ Why Is Putin Traveling to Vietnam?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia wrapped up a state visit to one ally, North Korea, and moved on to another, Vietnam, arriving early Thursday local time hoping to shore up crucial partnerships in the region as he wages a protracted war in Ukraine. Mr. Putin’s war in Ukraine has left him isolated from the West, and his need for munitions to fight that war has pushed him closer to North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un. In Vietnam, by contrast, Mr. Putin — who landed in Hanoi, according to Russian state media — will meet with officials who have recently forged deeper bonds with Washington. But Moscow has long been Hanoi’s main source of weapons, and Mr. Putin is keen to hold on to that position. It is Mr. Putin’s fifth visit to Vietnam and follows trips last year by President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China, two leaders who sought assurances from Hanoi that it was not taking the other’s side.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, Putin —, Putin’s, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Washington Locations: Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Ukraine, United States, Hanoi, Moscow, China

☆ Supreme Court Ruling on Bump Stocks Could Open Door to More Lethal Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Jack Healy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bump stocks were banned by the Trump administration after that mass shooting. But when the Supreme Court last week struck down that ban, which had been a rare victory for gun-safety advocates in recent years, it had the potential to open the door not just to bump stocks. The devices are replacement triggers known as “forced-reset triggers” or “wide-open triggers” that allow shooters to fire more than 900 rounds in a minute with one continuous squeeze, federal officials say. In March 2022, four years after the ban on bump stocks was issued, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also imposed restrictions on some of these trigger devices. The agency said in a letter at the time that the devices effectively turned semiautomatic weapons into prohibited machine guns.

Persons: Trump, Biden’s Organizations: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives Locations: Las Vegas

A Massacre Threatens Darfur — AgainDarfur SUDAN El FasherA civil war is ripping apart Sudan, one of Africa’s largest countries. Yet a New York Times examination of satellite imagery and video from El Fasher make one thing clear:The assault is intensifying. DARFUR R.S.F. Whole neighborhoods were razed, similar to the destruction in parts of southern and eastern El Fasher in recent months. “The videos from El Fasher could become critical evidence in future trials for crimes in Darfur.”

Persons: Sudan’s, Al Salam, Abu Shoak, El Fasher Al Salam, Abu, Mohamed Zakaria, Thomas van Linge, —, Mellit, El Fasher, ”, El, El Geneina, Janjaweed, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Ali Yagoub Gibril, Al Zeer Salem, Fasher, Matthew Gillett, “, ” Mr, Gillett Organizations: Fighters, Rapid Support Forces, . Security, New York, El, Sudanese, Al Salam Camp, Camp, Reuters Fighters, Yale, Research, —, Times, Centre, Information Resilience, Mellit El, Support Forces, Google, ”, Islamic Relief, United Nations, The Times, U.S . Treasury, Broadcasting, University of Essex Locations: Darfur, SUDAN El Fasher, Sudan, El, DARFUR, El Fasher, East Darfur, Sudan’s, Chad, El Geneina, American, Spain, Central Darfur

☆ Path Is Cleared for One of the Largest U.S. Arms Sales to Israel in Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Mr. Meeks said that the sale would take years to deliver and that he supported the Biden administration’s plans to hold up the sale of other munitions. The department declined to comment on the arms orders, including on whether it would soon give that formal notification. Congressional sign-off on arms sales has almost always been a foregone conclusion when it comes to Israel. “I don’t want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilized, to have more death,” Mr. Meeks said in an interview with CNN in April. Both of the top Republicans on those panels, Senator Jim Risch of Idaho and Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, immediately approved.

Persons: Gregory W, Meeks, Mr, Benjamin L, Cardin, Haiyun Jiang, Biden, ” Mr, “, ”, Jim Risch of, Michael McCaul of, Edward Wong Organizations: Biden, Democratic holdouts, Foreign Affairs Committee, White House, National Security Council, Democrat, Foreign Relations, Republicans, The New York, State Department, Hamas, CNN, The State Department, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Israel, New York, Gaza, Maryland, United States, Jim Risch of Idaho, Michael McCaul of Texas

☆ Putin arrives in North Korea for first visit in 24 years as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin is scheduled to travel to Hanoi in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Putin’s trip to North Korea will have a “very eventful” agenda, his aide Yuri Ushakov said during a press conference Monday. One image was of a grandstand being constructed on the eastern side of Kim Il Sung Square, the site where all major parades in North Korea are held. Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, June 18. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, Yuri Ushakov, Ushakov, Kim Il, John Kirby, Biden, wasn’t “, ’ Kim, ” Kim, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping, Michael Mitsanas, Katharina Krebs, Mariya Knight, Yoonjung Seo, Betsy Klein, Paul P, Murphy Organizations: CNN, TASS, Putin, Planet Labs, Maxar Technologies, US, North Korean, North, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, West, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, Kremlin, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korean, Korea, Hanoi, Russia, United States, Asia, Moscow, North, Zarubinreporter, South Korea, South, Russia’s, Eurasia, Italy, Kyiv, Russian, Vietnam, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ French Court Strikes Down Ban on Israeli Companies at Weapons Show
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A court in Paris ruled on Tuesday that France’s decision to bar Israeli companies from one of the world’s largest weapons shows was discriminatory and ordered the ban to be rescinded. Eurosatory, an exhibition for the defense and armaments industry held every two years northeast of Paris, opened on Monday without any Israeli representatives. The organizers had complied with a French government order to cancel their invitations because of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The government’s decision, which has prompted legal challenges, was made last month after an Israeli strike killed dozens of Palestinians in a tent camp in Rafah, in southern Gaza. More than 2,000 exhibitors from over 60 countries are at Eurosatory, where military and security officials from around the world rub shoulders with manufacturers showcasing drones, missiles, and other weapons and technologies.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, ” Organizations: French Defense Ministry Locations: Paris, Gaza, Rafah, France, Eurosatory, “, ”

☆ Opinion: Putin’s North Korea visit comes at a crucial moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and senior columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, it will kick up yet another gust in the recent swirl of diplomatic activity surrounding Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The allies have good reason to believe Putin aims to outlast Western support. South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has delivered as many as 5 million artillery rounds, along with ballistic missiles and other ammunition. Putin, meanwhile, will visit one-party ruled Vietnam later this week, not exactly a military powerhouse, but at least one country that is not backing Ukraine.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Read, Vladimir Putin, Moscow –, Ukraine’s, –, Putin, Donald Trump, Putin’s, Putin –, Trump, wouldn’t, he’d, Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Mark Rutte, ”, Volodomyr Zelensky, Hitler, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Ukraine, Frida Ghitis CNN, North, Kyiv, White, European, Dutch, Peace, Biden, Trump acolytes, Republican, Zelensky, NATO Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine, Putin’s Russia, Iran, Russia, China, Europe, Cuba, Russian, Normandy, Western, Italy’s Puglia, Switzerland, Korea, Germany, Ukrainian, Puglia, “, Washington, Vietnam

☆ China could soon have to choose between fueling the Ukraine war and its access to Europe's economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week warned China it faces a stark choice if it continues backing Russia's Ukraine invasion. "But the reality is that China's fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. In response, China has said it is not a party to the Ukraine war and that there should be no interference with trade between China and Russia. AdvertisementChina-Europe tensions increaseIt's not just China's support for Russia that appears to be focusing European minds on the potential threat it poses. Both have taken a critical stance towards Ukraine and appear keen to do more business with China, in defiance of EU policy.

Persons: —, Jens Stoltenberg, Xi, Stoltenberg, Emanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Publicly, Business, West, European Commission, US, European Union, Financial Locations: China, Ukraine, Europe, Beijing, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia

Beirut CNN —Israel warned Hezbollah on Tuesday of the prospect of “all-out war” after the Lebanese militant group published a 9-minute video, purportedly taken by a drone, showing Israeli military and civilian locations in several Israeli cities. “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed, and Lebanon severely beaten,” he added. Those locations include a number of sensitive areas, including at least two military installations: a base in northern Haifa and the port of Haifa. The drone also flew over the oil tanks that sit north of Haifa, the Haifa airport and several residential areas. Hezbollah has said in the past that it will only stop firing on Israel if Israel stops the war in Gaza.

Persons: Beirut CNN — Israel, Israel Katz, ”, Rafael –, Katz, Hassan, Nasrallah, Wim Zwijnenburg, AlMayadeenNews, Yona Yahav, ” Yahav, ” Ibrahim Mousawi, Israel, Amos Hochstein Organizations: Beirut CNN, Hezbollah, Iron, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, PAX, Reshet Bet, Haifa “, Haifa ”, Northern Command, US Locations: Beirut, Lebanese, Lebanon, Haifa, Israel, Gaza, “, China, India, Iran, Haifa Port

☆ The US military is 'alarmingly slow' at delivering new weapons, making it tougher to keep its edge against top threats, watchdog finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe Department of Defense continues to struggle to quickly deliver new technologies, a watchdog agency argued in a new report published Monday. Additionally, the Department of Defense's acquisition programs have had difficulties hiring and retaining a sufficient workforce, especially in software-focused fields. And "Russia is increasing its military capability and seeks to expand control over portions of the former Soviet empire." Advertisement"DOD concurred with the software workforce recommendations and partially concurred with the remaining recommendation," the agency said.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, of Defense, DOD, Office, Business, Pentagon, GAO, US Navy, Department of Defense, Department of Locations: China, Russia, Soviet

☆ Putin may need arms from North Korea’s Kim for Ukraine war, but what is he willing to give in return?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

North Korea launched its first spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November. The arrangement may also enable North Korea to gain real-world intel on the functioning of its weaponry and help it ramp up exports more broadly. Such satellites can help North Korea improve its ground-based military capabilities, for example enabling it to more accurately target opponents’ forces with its own missiles. Both countries in recent years have blocked movement in the council related to North Korea as they grew skeptical of US-backed sanctions. He pointed to his experiences during the former US President Barack Obama administration working on nonproliferation efforts related to North Korea and Iran.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin ramped, Kim Jong, Putin, ”, Edward Howell, Xi Jinping, Kim, ” Putin, “ Kim Jong, he’ll, Ankit, Sofiia Gatilova, Putin –, “ Putin, –, John Erath, Erath, Xi, it’s, Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, ” McFaul, … we’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Oxford, KCNA, intel, South, United Nations, North, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Kremlin, UN Security Council, Center for Arms Control, Observers, UN, National Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Hong Kong, North Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, Eurasia, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Washington, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Kharkiv, Kyiv, China, Iran

While she is not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Gamblin said, she is an ally. Aldrich had expressed an open hatred for the LGBTQ+ community and had indicated an interest in mass shootings before, the document said. Some patrons hid or played dead as Aldrich moved though the club, shooting indiscriminately. Anderson Lee Aldrich, center, sits during a court appearance in Colorado Springs in November 2022. The shooter agreed in January to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from the Club Q shooting.

Persons: Anderson Lee, Aldrich, Charlotte Sweeney, Sweeney, ”, “, ” Ashtin Gamblin, Gamblin, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, Kelly Loving, Raymond Green Vance, Aldrich –, Stephanie Clark, Paugh’s, ” Clark, ” Wyatt Kent, ” Kent, ” Aldrich, Anderson Lee Aldrich, Anderson Lee Aldrich’s Organizations: Denver CNN, Prosecutors, US Department of Justice, Pride, Q, Justice Department, Court, Colorado Springs, CNN Locations: Colorado, Wyoming, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Orlando , Florida, Aurora

☆ Weapons from longtime foes North and South Korea have been fueling opposite sides of the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewNorth Korea and South Korea have been fueling opposite sides of the war in Ukraine, positioning themselves as players in this conflict. Coming out of pandemic lockdowns, North Korea is navigating international relations to find the situations that are most advantageous for it. The agreement details are not clear, but it appears that South Korea sent ammo to replenish US stockpiles, which was then sent to Ukraine. STR via Getty ImagesBoth North Korea and South Korea also have ideological reasons to be involved in the war in Ukraine. South Korea has long had close trade relationships with China in particular and remains concerned about how Russia could influence or empower North Korea, risking war on the peninsula.

Persons: —, aren't, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Yoon, Chris Park, Burke, it's, Caesar, LIONEL BONAVENTURE, Getty Images Kim, Putin's, Kim, Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Putin, Wolfgang Schwan, Mark Cancian, Cancian, Kim Il, Park Organizations: Service, Business, North, Arleigh, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, South, Getty Images, Russia, Getty, Marine, Korean Central News Agency, North Korea — Locations: Korea, South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, United States, North Korea, Europe, Ukrainian, Tarbes, France, North, Hanoi, China, Taiwan, Moscow, Korean, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Park, Iran

☆ Opinion | The Supreme Court Dials Down the Chaos on Guns
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Jesse Wegman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Violent people who pose a clear and immediate threat to the physical safety of others should not be allowed to possess firearms. That seems like a statement any reasonable person living in a self-governing society can readily agree with. And yet on Friday morning, it took the United States Supreme Court 103 pages of opinions, concurrences and dissent to work it all out. The good news is that eight members of the court landed on the right conclusion, agreeing that the Second Amendment permits laws like the one that stripped weapons from Zackey Rahimi, a domestic abuser and general public menace who shoots guns the way regular people shake hands. The spectacle of judges role-playing as amateur historians is embarrassing to watch, and yet the court chose to put itself in this position with its gobsmacking 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which required that any gun law be “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

Persons: concurrences, Zackey Organizations: United States Supreme, New York, Inc Locations: New

☆ Trump's ex-national security advisor wants to restart US nuke testing. Nuclear experts warn that's not a good idea.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewDonald Trump's former White House national security advisor is arguing that a second term in office should involve restarting US nuclear testing for the first time in over 30 years. No one wins a nuclear arms race, he said. Kimball called out the difference between O'Brien's argument for the resumption of nuclear testing with the Biden administration's current policy, which remains dedicated to the status quo. "Resuming nuclear testing would reduce US technical superiority over Russia and China because they would immediately follow and have much more to learn," he said. O'Brien's push for resumed testing shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, That's, Robert O'Brien, Trump, O'Brien, Jon B, Obama, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Brendan Smialowski, Wolfsthal, Daryl Kimball, Strangelove, Kimball, Biden, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, We've, Maxim Zmeyev, Jeffrey Lewis, Hans Kristensen, John Bolton Organizations: Service, White House, Business, Foreign Affairs, United, Russian, Getty, US, Arms Control, Joe Biden's National, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Federation of American, US State Department Locations: Russia, China, United States, Washington, US, AFP, PRC, People's Republic of China, Moscow, Monterey

☆ The Gun Lobby’s Hidden Hand in the 2nd Amendment Battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Mike Mcintire | Jodi Kantor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That finding has been deployed by gun rights activists to notch legal victories with far-reaching consequences. He has been cited in a landmark Supreme Court case that invalidated many restrictions on guns, and in scores of lawsuits around the country to overturn limits on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and the carrying of firearms. His findings were also offered in another Supreme Court case this term, with a decision expected this month. Dr. English seems at first glance to be an impartial researcher interested in data-driven insights. He has said his “scholarly arc” focuses on good public policy, and his lack of apparent ties to the gun lobby has lent credibility to his work.

Persons: William English Organizations: Georgetown University, Dr

☆ China now has 500 warheads and is building its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China increased its nuclear warheads from 410 in 2023 to 500 this year, per SIPRI. The European think tank says China's nuclear arsenal is growing "faster than any other country." China could have over 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030, per the Pentagon. AdvertisementChina has beaten its fellow superpowers when it comes to growing its stockpile of nuclear warheads, a European think tank said in a report on Monday. According to SIPRI, China has increased its nuclear warheads from 410 in 2023 to 500 at the start of this year.

Persons: —, Hans M Kristensen, Kristensen, that's Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Peace Research Institute, Business Locations: China, European, Stockholm, SIPRI

☆ World’s nuclear powers strengthening arsenals as geopolitical tensions grow, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —Nuclear-armed countries are strengthening their arsenals and several have made ready new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapons systems amid rising geopolitical tensions, a new report has found. “While the global total of nuclear warheads continues to fall as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled, regrettably we continue to see year-on-year increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads,” the institute’s director Dan Smith said. “Accordingly, there is a growing concern that North Korea might intend to use these weapons very early in a conflict.”Protesters against nuclear weapons outside the US mission to the UN. Moscow has continued to make threats involving the use of nuclear weapons in light of Western aid for Ukraine, and in May 2024 carried out tactical nuclear weapons drills close to the Ukrainian border, SIPRI said. “We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War,” said Wilfred Wan, the director of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program.

Persons: Israel –, “, Dan Smith, Jung Yeon, ” SIPRI, ”, Hans M, Kristensen, Matt Korda, Erik McGregor, SIPRI, Wilfred Wan Organizations: London CNN —, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, ”, Korean, Getty, “, SIPRI’s, Ukraine, Hamas, Conference, Nuclear Weapons Locations: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Stockholm, Seoul, South Korea, Swedish, Ukraine, saliency, ”, “, “ China, Korea, Gaza, Moscow, Ukrainian, Iran, Iraq, Syria

☆ Blinken confirms US is still pausing a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel as Netanyahu increases pressure on admin
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That remains under review,” Blinken said at a news conference at the US State Department. The administration is committed, however, to making sure that “that Israel has what it needs to effectively defend itself,” Blinken said. The announcement of the hold on the weapons shipment was met with mixed reactions, including strong condemnation from Israeli officials and some US lawmakers of both parties. It is unclear what other weapons Netanyahu was referencing. On Tuesday, CNN reported that key Democratic lawmakers had lifted holds on an expected $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, ”, ” Blinken, Joe Biden, Israel, Netanyahu –, Blinken, Netanyahu, “, Israel won’t, CNN’s Michael Conte, Eugenia Yosef, Vasco Cotovio Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Israel, Democratic Locations: Israel, Israeli, Rafah, Gazan

☆ 'A threat like no other': The West watches on concerned as Putin visits North Korea for the first time in years
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ties between Russia and North Korea have deepened in recent years with the countries — which are both heavily sanctioned by the West — hailing their strategic cooperation in the spheres of defense and trade. North Korea has not been shy in its outpourings of reverence for Putin, describing him as a "comrade-in-arms" in the battle against what both countries see as Western hegemony. Analysts say the deepening relationship between Russia and "rogue" state North Korea is increasingly hazardous for the West. This aspect of the relationship not only destabilizes security on the peninsula and in Asia; it also heightens the direct threat posed by North Korea to the [U.S.] homeland." It is unclear what further strategic cooperation between North Korea and Russia could entail.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, North, Kim Jong Un, Teneo, Kim, Putin, Kim Jong, Matthew Miller, Miller, Victor Cha, Cha Organizations: Vostochny, UN, West, Kremlin, Democratic People's, U.S . State Department, U.S ., Reuters, Analysts, Center for Strategic, International Studies, National Security Council, Ukraine, North Locations: Amur, Russia, North Korea, Russian, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Korea, Ukraine, Pyongyang, U.S, Iran, Europe, Asia, Gaza, Moscow, North Korean, Eurasia

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea in rare trip as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Hanoi Wednesday for another two-day trip, in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. The Kremlin has said that Russia hopes to build a partnership with North Korea “in all possible areas,” according to Russian state media. Putin’s move to bolster North Korean ties has also been a boon for Kim, who remains unbowed by years of international sanctions over his illegal nuclear weapons program. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, ” Kim, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ”, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, North Korean, Pyongyang –, North, North Korea “, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Hanoi, Russia, United States, South Korea, Moscow, Korean, Russia’s, Italy, Kyiv, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ US sounds alarm over Chinese and North Korean support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But the reality is that China’s fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II,” Stoltenberg said at The Wilson Center. The idea of an anti-US front among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran has long preoccupied foreign policy experts in Washington. In March, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress that Russia’s need to replenish its military supplies had forced it to grant “long-sought concessions” to North Korea. “What is Russia going to provide in exchange to North Korea, hard currency? So, we know that they are using DPRK ammunition to threaten Ukraine and kill Ukrainians,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Zelensky, Xi Jinping, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, “, Xi, ” Stoltenberg, Putin, Kremlin, Kim Jong Un, of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Kurt Campbell, Kim, ” Campbell, Matthew Miller, John Kirby, ” Kirby, “ We’re, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Washington, “ Publicly, The Wilson, “, of National Intelligence, Stimson, ”, House Locations: Ukraine, Russian, China, Ukrainian, Italy, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, Europe, North Korea, Iran, Washington, Pyongyang, Korea, Northeast Asia, Korean, North

☆ Plummeting fertility rates are making Asian countries worry about running out of soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewEast Asia has some of the world's lowest fertility rates, forcing countries in the region to think hard about how to maintain their military strength. This is particularly concerning given the rise in tensions between North and South Korea, and between China and the US. China, Japan, and South Korea have fertility rates below the global replacement rate — resulting in declining populations. South Korea's fertility rate was 0.72 in 2023, the lowest in the world, compared to the global average of 2.2, according to The Lancet. Hughes said that, like South Korea, Japan has been left thinking about how automation and AI can mitigate the worst effects of a shortage of an army-age population.

Persons: —, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Pardo, Chris Hughes, Hughes, They've, it's, China's Organizations: Service, Business, KF, VUB, Brussels School, Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, South Korean, North, - Defense Forces, University, Warwick, Self - Defense Forces, Japan Times, Liberation Army, Nikkei Asia Locations: Asia, North, South Korea, China, Japan, Korea's, VUB Korea, Vrije, North Korea, Korea, Israel, Pardo, Ukraine, Russia

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