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☆ Russian prisoners sent to Ukraine must now fight until the end of the war rather than for 6 months, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussian prisoners who are sent to fight in Ukraine are now being made to serve until the war ends instead of just for six months, the BBC reported. Russia has sent tens of thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. AdvertisementOthers who have family members in Storm V units also say their relatives will have to stay until the war is over, the report said. AdvertisementSome of the recruited prisoners were convicted of violent crimes, and some of those pardoned have been accused of crimes since returning to Russia. Some Storm V soldiers get just three to five days of training before they are despatched to Ukraine, the BBC reported.

Persons: —, Sergei, Storm, SERGEY SHESTAK, Wagner, I've Organizations: Service, BBC, Business, Storm, Getty Images, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Transbaikal, Russian, Bakhmut, AFP, Getty Images Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Jeff Bezos is just $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's wealthiest person once more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Bezos is not far off overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's richest person once more. AdvertisementJeff Bezos is only about $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk as the world's wealthiest person following a surge in Amazon stock — and a slump for Tesla — this year. Meanwhile, Musk holds about 411 million Tesla shares, or a roughly 13% stake in the automaker, worth about $76 billion. It's certainly striking that Musk's net worth has crashed from about $340 billion at its peak in late 2021 to about $200 billion today. However, Tesla stock is still up more than six-fold since the start of 2020, while Amazon shares have less than doubled.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, —, Tesla, Bezos, Musk, Mark Zuckerberg's, Buffett, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Brin Organizations: Elon, Bloomberg, Service, Tesla, Amazon, SpaceX, Twitter, Big Tech, Meta, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: Delaware, Berkshire

☆ 23andMe is low on cash and its stock is worth pennies. The CEO wants another chance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Just three years ago, DNA testing company 23andMe was the golden child of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. In 2018, 23andMe agreed to a five-year exclusive drug development partnership with GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline). Genetic testing company 23andMe, once valued at $6 billion, is facing the possibility of delisting from NASDAQ. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesSo far, the partnership between GSK and 23andMe has produced more than 50 new drug targets. But drug discovery is a very long process and it can be anywhere from 10 to 15 years on average from target discovery to an FDA-approved drug.

Persons: New York CNN —, 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, ” Wojcicki, “, Susan Wojcicki, Sergey Brin, Kyle Grillot, Wojcicki, they’ve, ”, we’re, “ We’ve, Steven Mah, TD Cowen, Mah, they’re, Justin Sullivan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, CNN, Stanford, Palo Alto High School, YouTube, Google, 23andMe Inc, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, P Biotech ETF, GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, NASDAQ, Big Pharma, it’s Locations: New York, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles , California, U.S, London, Sunnyvale , California, United States

☆ Google cofounder Larry Page quietly bought a Puerto Rico island for $32 million, records show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Google cofounder purchased Cayo Norte, a large private island in Puerto Rico, in 2018, according to documents reviewed by Business Insider. Cayo Norte sits about 20 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico and just northeast of Culebra, another island that forms an archipelago. Cayo Norte is known for its white sandy beaches, surrounding coral reefs, and preserving a refuge for endangered sea turtles. Google cofounder Larry Page bought Cayo Norte, an island in Puerto Rico. Page purchased the Lollik islands, which sit 23 miles east of Cayo Norte, in 2014 for $23 million, BI previously reported.

Persons: —, Larry Page, Page, Lucinda Southworth, Cristina Rosado, Southworth, Dan Shelley, Hugh Langley, Shelley, Louis Padrón, Richard Gautier, Wayne Osborne, Great Hans Lollik, Hans Lollik, Osborne, Lucinda Southworth C, Mary Ann Lucking, Lucking, Sergey Brin, Kimberly White, Sundar Pichai, Brin, Kitty Hawk Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Virgin Island Properties, US Virgin, BI, LLC, Area, Cayo Norte, SVI Investments, Virgin Islands Locations: Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, US, Puerto Rico's Fajardo, Cayo, Culebra, SVI, Padrón, Virgin, Great, Conservation, Kimberly White Cayo

☆ ‘We Are Not Very Far From an Explosion’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Roger Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Sergey Ponomarev for The New York TimesAs the world focuses on the war in Gaza, pressure is mounting on the West Bank. Israelis and Palestinians live worlds apart, separated often by a single road — or roadblocks. They are united only by a sense of growing anger and resentment.

Persons: Sergey Ponomarev Organizations: The New York Times, West Bank Locations: Gaza

☆ Front-line Ukrainian soldier says the Russians basically 'have it all' when it comes to weapons, but tanks are probably among the more terrifying
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. One front-line soldier said that enemy tanks are, at least for him, particularly unnerving. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Ukrainian military, on the other hand, has been struggling with weapon and ammunition shortages lately, especially as crucial support from the US remains hung up in Congress. AdvertisementThe Russian military has ramped up its industrial capacity, as well as its recruitment.

Persons: —, Dmytro, SERGEY SHESTAK, Patrick Ryder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Business, Ukrainian National Guard, Bureviy Brigade, CNN, Artillery, Russian, AFP, Getty, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, AFP

☆ Former NATO commander says the Ukraine war could end just like the Korean War, with Russia clinging on to parts of Ukrainian land
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewThe end of the Ukraine war could look a lot like that of the Korean War, with parts of Ukraine remaining occupied by Russian forces, says a former NATO supreme allied commander. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The long-drawn conflict has seen Russia grappling with the West's crippling sanctions and Ukraine leaning on Western support for their war efforts. Representatives for Stavridis did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, James Stavridis, Stavridis, John Catsimatidis, John, we've, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: Service, Business, US, NATO, Business Insider Locations: Ukraine, NATO, Russia, Crimea

☆ Russian man who flew from Denmark to LAX without a ticket or passport is found guilty of being a stowaway
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Tina Burnside | Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Russian man who flew from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Los Angeles International Airport without a ticket, passport or visa has been found guilty of being a stowaway on an aircraft, authorities said Friday. The case unfolded last November after Ochigava arrived at LAX on a Scandinavian Airlines flight, according to the attorney’s office. Ochigava – who held both Russian and Israeli passports – was arraigned on December 5 and pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the attorney’s office. The following day, Ochigava passed through the boarding gate undetected and stowed away aboard the Scandinavian Airlines flight to Los Angeles, the release stated. Scandinavian Airlines flight crew members said most of them noticed Ochigava “because he wandered around the plane and kept changing his seat.

Persons: Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, Ochigava, “, Ochigava –, –, ”, hadn’t Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles International, US, Office, Central District of, LAX, Scandinavian Airlines, Customs and, FBI, Copenhagen Airport Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Central District, Central District of California, United States, Los Angeles, Russia

☆ Flying attack helicopters low on risky runs the way they do in Ukraine is far from easy, former Super Cobra pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewUkraine's attack helicopter pilots are flying low and fast, navigating a dangerous battlefield where almost anything in the air is at risk. Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters attack Russian positions with the use of unguided rockets. And then, of course, there is the serious threat of Russian surface-to-air missiles and other weapons, to include Russian aircraft. AdvertisementThe General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed footage of the combat operation of the Mi-24 attack helicopter. Part of the larger problem facing Ukrainian helicopter pilots is identifying where threats are coming from in combat environments.

Persons: —, lew mede, eli, Hunter, ely, NIEL, IHAILE, e, orde, ines, Sergey Organizations: Service, Business, US Marine Corps, aff, kr, unt Locations: Ukraine, ain, sion, gilan, it use

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia’s top diplomat accused the United States, South Korea and Japan on Wednesday of preparing for war with North Korea. The Russian minister said the U.S., South Korea and Japan have also been talking about developing their cooperation. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesLast week, the three countries conducted combined naval exercises involving an American aircraft carrier in their latest show of strength against nuclear-armed North Korea. Lavrov compared Kim’s recent announcement that North Korea would not reunify with South Korea to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement saying there will be no Palestinian state after the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. “It’s terrible when, instead of unity, we have trends which divide us,” the Russian minister said.

Persons: — Russia’s, Sergey Lavrov, “, ”, Lavrov, North Korea's Kim, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin’s, Kim, Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, DPRK, Democratic People’s, Kremlin, Israeli, West, United Arab Locations: United States, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, U.S, North, Seoul, Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Tokyo, Russia’s Far, Korea, Israel, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea soon, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Kim Jong Un soon, North Korean state media reported Sunday, the latest sign of increasing cooperation between the two authoritarian leaders as war rages in Ukraine and military tensions increase in East Asia. Putin thanked Kim for an invitation to visit Pyongyang and pledged to go there “at an early date,” the report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the dates for Putin’s visit to North Korea were still being discussed through diplomatic channels and would be announced later, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported. During that visit, Kim praised Russia for standing up to “hegemonic forces” with its war in Ukraine, while Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite programs. According to the US Defense Department, Russia has twice in the past month fired North Korean-made missiles at targets in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Choe Son Hui, Sergey Lavrov, ” KCNA, Kim Jong, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Foreign, Russian, TASS, CNN, North Korean, US Defense Department, South, US, People’s Assembly Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korean, Ukraine, East Asia, Pyongyang, North Korea, Russian, Moscow, Northeast Asia, Russia, Korea, United States

stressing that the war could end tomorrow if Moscow withdrew hundreds of thousands of troops in Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. Russia called the council meeting to again sharply criticize Western military aid to Ukraine. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya who read a joint statement underscoring Russia’s “hypocrisy” in criticizing lawful arms transfers to help Ukraine defend itself. But the Chinese ambassador criticized Ukraine for seeking to join NATO and warned Kyiv, without naming Russia, that this would deepen Moscow’s security concerns. “The negative impacts of the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have added snow to the icy cold global economy,” Zhang said.

Persons: —, Sergey Lavrov, ”, Robert Wood, Lavrov's, Vladimir Putin, that's, ” Wood, Sergiy Kyslytsya, underscoring, Ukraine’s, “, U.N, Zhang Jun, ” Zhang, Zhang, Lavrov, Wood, Malta's, Vanessa Frazier, ” Frazier Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Kyiv, . Security Council, North Korea —, NATO, Russia, Palestinian Locations: United States, Moscow, China, Russia’s, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, London, Paris, Brussels, Ukraine’s, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, U.S

The idea of using Russia's frozen assets is gaining new traction lately as continued allied funding for Ukraine becomes more uncertain and the U.S. Congress is in a stalemate over providing more support. Bipartisan legislation circulating in Washington called the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act would use assets confiscated from the Russian Central Bank and other sovereign assets for Ukraine. Belgium, which is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union bloc for the next six months, is now leading the talks on whether to seize Russia's assets. Belgium is also the country where most frozen Russian assets under sanctions are being held. Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that if Ukraine's immediate needs aren't met, “no amount of seized Russian assets is unfortunately going to compensate for what may happen."

Persons: — It's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “ Putin, ”, ” Biden, Penny Pritzker, “, Nicholas Mulder, Vladimir Putin, Shalanda Young, ” Young, ” Sergey Aleksashenko, Treasuries —, Konstantin Malofeyev, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, Maria Snegovaya, aren't, Ellen Knickmeyer, Lisa Mascaro, Seung Min Kim, Zeke Miller, Aamer, Sam Petrequin, Jamey Keaton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Russian Central Bank, U.S ., U.S, ., ”, Ukraine, Russia, Cornell University, Washington, Russia's Central Bank, White, Management, Russian Central Banker, Russian, Justice Department, State Department, European Union, Belgian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Associated Press Locations: United States, Ukraine, Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Washington, “, America, Russia, Russian, U.S, China, Frankfurt, Belgium, Brussels

☆ Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +70 min

Fatima Shbair/AP Mourners collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 24. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/picture-alliance/AP Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 16. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images Israeli soldiers form an honor guard at the funeral of Israeli reserve soldier Master Sgt. Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Children use candles for lighting in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Friday, October 20. Maya Alleruzzo/AP A boy carries salvaged belongings from the wreckage of his family's home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

Persons: UAE CNN —, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, ”, “, “ There’s, ” Prince Khalid bin Bandar, ” Ali Shihabi, Shihabi, Israel, Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Abraham, Biden, Yousef Al Otaiba, Israel “, ” Otaiba, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Firas Maksad, Abir, Prince Khalid, Maksad, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, ” Prince Khalid, Isaac Herzog, Oded, Abed Rahim Khatib, Noam Galai, Majdi, Sufian Dagash, Ohad, Abed Zagout, Harel Ittah, Ariel Schalit, Khan Yunis, Stringer, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, Mount Herzl, Maja Hitij, Fatima Shbair, Ahmad Hasaballah, Mohammed Salem, Yaacov Elian, Boris Dunavetski, Amir Levy, Mohammed Abed, Mahmud Hams, Alon Lulu Shamriz, Ilia Yefimovich, Abu Daqqa, Khan, Khan Younis, Ben Shelly, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Eviatar Cohen, Mostafa Alkharouf, Mohammed Dahman, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Atef Safadi, Gal Meir Eisenkot, Eisenkot, Gadi Eisenkot, Leo Correa, Alexi Rosenfeld, Alleruzzo, Amir Cohen, Gil Cohen, Menahem Kahana, Sergeant Aschalwu Sama, Tsafrir, John MacDougall, Ahed Tamimi, Nasser Nasser, Viktor, Helena Brodski, Kiril Brodski, Ammar Awad, Jack Guez, Jabel Mukaber, Mahmoud Illean, Alexander Ermochenko, Younis, Mustafa Hassona, Asher, Raz, Doron, Schneider, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Majed Al, Ansari, Mohammed Hajjar, Said Khatib, Jalaa Marey, Victor R, Liron Snir, James Oatway, Ashraf Amra, Ahmad Gharabli, Rizek Abdeljawad, Major Jamal Abbas, Shir Torem, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Christopher Furlong, Hatem Ali, Avraham Fetena, Sgt, Raz Abulafia, Fadel Senna, Nasser, Matan Meir, Haitham Imad, Roni Eshel, Eshel, Kenzo Tribouillard, Sadi Berek, Salah al, Varda Goldstein, Nir Oz, Bernat, Tomer Appelbaum, Mohammad Abu Elsebah, Khaled Ibn Al, Walid, Ya'akov Ozeri, Ronen Zvulun, Mohammed Alaloul, Neil Hall, Saeed Jaras, Mohammad Abu Hattab, Mohammed Talatene, Ditza Heiman, Salman Habaka, Yuval Zilber, Jalaa Merey, Ahmad Salem, Ali Jadallah, Anas al, Yosef Vahav, Kiryat Shmona, Albert Miles, Ilan Rosenberg, Manna, Tamar Chaya Torpiashvili, Abed Khaled, Tamir Kalifa, Yoav Gallant, Jehad Al, Kafarnah, Teddy, Dan Kitwood, Dima Vazinovich, Sagiv Ben Zvi, Omar El, Yasser Qudih, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Ali Mohmoud, Mai Yaghi, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Khaled Joudeh, Samar Abu, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Belal al Sabbagh, Janis Laizans, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Belal Khaled, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Mahmoud Khaled, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Sergey Ponomarev, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Agha, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Tali Touito, Ahmad Hasballah, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Lana Nusseibeh, “ That’s, Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash, ” Gargash Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, BBC, CNN, Palestinian, West Bank, Reuters, United Arab, Abraham Accords, Israel, UAE, Arab League, Saudi, Fox News, Washington Institute for Near East, Middle East Institute, Israeli, Getty, of Health, Congressional, Republicans, United Nations Security, AP, European Hospital, Mount, Rockets, UN, Anadolu, Museum of Art, Security, Nova, Magen, Getty Images, Kiryat, Islamic Jihad, Red, Tel, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical, Young, AP People, Schneider Children's Medical, Sisters, Schneider Children's, Ofer, Cross, Foreign, Artillery, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al, Unicef, AP Journalists, Israel Defense Forces, Modern, Nasser Hospital, Nasser Medical, Najjar, Israel Defence Forces handout, Shutterstock, Reuters United Nations, Shifa, Palestine, Pictures, Bloomberg, Israeli Apache, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, IDF, EyePress, New York Times, Nasser Medical Hospital, Deir Al, Tel Aviv University, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Ben Gurion International, Aris Messinis, Haim, Puma, Mount Herzl Military, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Wall, Shihabi Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi, United Kingdom, Gaza, United States, ”, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Al Ula, Reuters Israeli, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Washington , DC, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, AFP, Turkey, Gulf, Tel Aviv, Israeli, Rafah, Maghar, Anadolu, Netanya, Khan, Khan Younis, Shaul, Shefayim, Jazeera, Kidron, Kfar Saba, Nahal Oz, Herzliya, Ashkelon, Petah Tikva, Ramallah, Egypt, Ofakim, Jabel, Khezaa, Gazan, Sisters Aviv, Beitunia, Gaza City, Galilee, Lebanon, Al, Aqsa, Al Bureij, Deir Al Balah, Xinhua, Pekiin, Mavki'im, Haifa, Sderot, Beit Hashmonai, Europe, Rishpon, Odem, Gaza's Al, Deir Al, Balah, Bureij, Kfar Aza, Meron, Jerusalem's, City, Jerusalem's Old City, Deir Balah, Mahmud, Southern Israel, Yanuh Jat, Netaim, Golan Heights, Shareef, Beit Guvrin, Kiryat, Al Aqsa, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ashdod, Holon, Najjar, Ichilov, Kibbutz Shefayim, Deir, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Deir al, Kibbutz Kissufim, Zahra City, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Ahli, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Beit Kama, Cyprus, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Modiin Maccabim, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Dhabi, Dubai, Al Arabiya

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday claimed it flight-tested a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead as it pursues more powerful, harder-to-detect weapons designed to strike remote U.S. targets in the region. There are also concerns about an alleged arms cooperation between North Korea and Russia as they align in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. The Biden administration said it has evidence that missiles provided by North Korea to Russia had been used in the war in Ukraine. In a joint statement last week, the U.S., South Korea and their partners said the missile transfer supports Russia’s war of aggression and provides North Korea with valuable technical and military insights. North Korea earlier this month fired a barrage of artillery shells near the disputed western sea boundary with South Korea, prompting the South to conduct similar firing exercises in the area.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, ” KCNA, Kim, Choe Sun Hui, Sergey Lavrov, Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: South, Korean Central News Agency, North, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, U.S, Russian Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, North, Korean, Pyongyang, Guam, Japan, Pacific, United States, Seoul, Tokyo, Russia, Washington, North Korean, U.S, Korea, Ukraine

☆ U.S. slams 'meritless' Israel genocide suit, reigniting tensions with South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest legal body, will this week hear a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinian people during the assault on the Gaza Strip. Ambassador Reuben Brigety accused South Africa of running guns for Russia via a mystery merchant ship, a South African inquiry found no evidence of the alleged arms shipment, but ties between the two historical allies remained taut. "Over the past two years a succession of frustrations, including South Africa feeling it is being pushed on Russia-Ukraine, the U.S. Ambassador's statements on South African domestic security and on its relationship with Russia, and U.S. policy on China in Africa, have all contributed to the worsening of this relationship," Vandome said. 'Solidarity against apartheid oppression' South Africa's close relationship with Russia is based on a multitude of factors past and present.

Persons: John Kirby, Kevin Lamarque, Israel, Reuben Brigety, Cyril Ramaphosa, Chris Vandome, Vandome, Sergey Lavrov, Naledi Pandor Organizations: White, Reuters, U.S, Court of Justice, Palestinian, . National Security, Chatham, CNBC, South, Russian, African Foreign, Pretoria Ihsaan Haffejee, Anadolu Agency, Getty, United States Trade, Solidarity, Congress, ANC, Party Locations: Washington , U.S, South Africa, Gaza, Israel, Washington, Pretoria, Russia, China, African, Ukraine, Africa, U.S, Palestine, PRETORIA, Pretoria Ihsaan

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A small western Pennsylvania water authority was just one of multiple organizations breached in the United States by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted a specific industrial control device because it is Israeli-made, U.S. and Israeli authorities say. The group targeted the Unitronics devices at least since Nov. 22, it said. The advisory notes that Unitronics devices ship with a default password, a practice experts discourage as it makes them more vulnerable to hacking. It says the hackers likely accessed affected devices by “exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses, including poor password security and exposure to the internet.”Experts say many water utilities have paid insufficient attention to cybersecurity. Americans must know their drinking water and other basic infrastructure is safe from “nation-state adversaries and terrorist organizations,” U.S. Sens.

Persons: Matthew Mottes, CISA, Unitronics —, John Fetterman, Bob Casey, Chris Deluzio, Av3ngers, Sergey Shykevich, Unitronics, Biden Organizations: FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, Infrastructure Security Agency, Directorate, Associated Press, Municipal Water Authority, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, ”, U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Rep Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, United States, Iran, Israeli, Aliquippa, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Sens, Missouri , Arkansas, Iowa

The Aliquippa water authority's chairman, Matthew Mottes, said federal officials told him that hackers also breached four other utilities and an aquarium. The device breached in Pennsylvania was made by Israel-based Unitronics, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Known as a programmable logic controller, it is used across a wide spectrum of industries including water and sewage-treatment utilities, electric companies and oil and gas producers. Experts say many water utilities have paid insufficient attention to cybersecurity. In Pennsylvania, the hack prompted the water authority to temporarily halt pumping Saturday in a remote station that regulates water pressure for customers in two nearby towns.

Persons: John Fetterman, Bob Casey, Chris Deluzio, ”, ” Fetterman, Casey, Deluzio, General Merrick Garland, “, ‘, Israel ’, Matthew Mottes, We’ve, that’s, ” Mottes, Sergey Shykevich, Unitronics, Crews, Biden Organizations: U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Rep, Municipal Water Authority, Twitter, U.S, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pittsburgh, Sens, Pennsylvania, United States, Israel, Aliquippa , Pennsylvania, Iran, hacktivism, Gaza, U.S, Missouri , Arkansas, Iowa

☆ Morning Bid: Waller to Wall St, Fed's on the turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. But back in the markets, the Fed's policy pivot was all the rage as Treasury yields and dollar plunged anew. New York Fed chief John Williams said long-term inflation expectations were anchored, reassuring and "remarkably stable". Fed futures now have the first Fed rate cut of a quarter point fully priced for May and 110bps of rate cuts by year-end. Two-year Treasury yields plunged more than 15 basis points to four-month lows of 4.66% on Wednesday, with 10-year yields hitting their lowest since mid-September - a startling drop of more than 75bps in little over a month.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Wall, Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway's Munger, Warren Buffett, Christopher Waller, Jerome Powell, Waller, John Williams, Austan Goolsbee, Michelle Bowman, Powell, Stocks, smartly, Hong, Thomas Barkin, Loretta Mester, Andrew Bailey, BoE, Andrew Hauser, Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Jane Merriman Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Waller . New York Fed, Chicago Fed, HK, Austria's, Holdings, Richmond Fed, Cleveland Fed, Bank of England, London, Russian, Foods, Intuit, Petco, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York, U.S, Berkshire, Waller ., China, Europe, Vienna, North Macedonia

☆ Russia says it has got lots of requests for meetings with Lavrov at OSCE meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto in Moscow, Russia, November 16, 2023. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had received a lot of requests for one-on-one meetings with Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's top diplomat, on the sidelines of an OSCE meeting in North Macedonia. "I can confirm that there are a lot of requests for bilateral meetings," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, told reporters. "There will be multilateral meetings in multilateral formats, and bilateral meetings are planned as well," she said. She said that the foreign ministry will provide details on Lavrov's schedule in Skopje later.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, Yvan Gil Pinto, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Maria Zakharova, Lavrov's, Dmitry Antonov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Venezuela's, Rights, OSCE, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Moscow's, North Macedonia, Europe, Skopje, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania

☆ Russia's fraught rupee oil trade is a warning for countries trying to abandon the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But trading in alternative currencies like the Indian rupee and the Chinese yuan has its own issues. Russia's oil trade best exemplifies the problems it has with alternative currency trade, as it accounts for about a quarter of Russia's budget. AdvertisementThe international oil trade is typically denominated in the dollar, but due to sanctions, less than 10% of Russia's daily oil trade is sold in the dollar and the euro, five traders told Reuters on Monday. Risks and complications of alternative currenciesRussia's oil trade with India is particularly problematic. To be able to buy Russian oil, India insisted on settling trades in the rupee earlier this year.

Persons: —, hasn't, Vladimir Putin, It's, Sergey Ivanov Organizations: Service, Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, India, China, Africa, Turkey, Delhi, Beijing, United Arab, UAE, Russian

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that he plans to travel to North Macedonia later this week to attend a conference, a trip that would mark his first visit to a NATO member country since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine. North Macedonia, which holds the group's rotating chairmanship, last week invited Lavrov to an OSCE meeting that starts Thursday in Skopje, the capital of the small, landlocked Balkan country. NATO members banned Russian flights after Moscow launched its military action in Ukraine in February 2022. To reach North Macedonia, Lavrov's plane would need to fly through the airspace of Bulgaria or Greece, which also belong to the Western military alliance. Speaking at a foreign policy conference in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said Bulgaria apparently has given permission for an overflight.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, Lavrov, ”, “, “ They’ve Organizations: MOSCOW, NATO, Organization for Security, Cooperation, OSCE, Moscow Locations: Russian, North Macedonia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Skopje, Balkan, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, “, Soviet Union, U.S, Israel, Ukrainian, rearm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is turning his attention to Ukraine, NATO and the Western Balkans after weeks of intense focus on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Now, amid signs that a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas due to expire on Monday may be extended, Blinken is departing for Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said he plans to attend the OSCE meeting, possibly setting the stage for a U.S.-Russia confrontation over Ukraine. The NATO meeting in Brussels will also address the situation in the Western Balkans where there are calls for NATO to increase its military presence amid concerns that hostility between Serbia and Kosovo could escalate to outright conflict. Blinken will underscore U.S. and NATO support for democracy and regional stability in the region, including a commitment to back all countries’ aspirations to join the European Union, O’Brien said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Jim O’Brien, O’Brien, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, NATO, eventual, “, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Russian, OSCE, Kosovo —, Serbia —, European Union, NATO's Locations: Ukraine, Western Balkans, Gaza, Israel, Brussels, Kosovo, Serbia, Russia, Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, U.S, Balkans, Washington

CNN —Russia has foiled at least 20 Ukrainian drone attacks over the past day, including on the capital, Moscow, officials said Sunday, a day after it launched its largest drone attack against the Ukrainian capital. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, 11 drones were destroyed over the territories of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk oblasts over Saturday night, adding later on Sunday that nine more were also destroyed over the same regions. A municipal service worker sweeps up debris on the playground of a drone-damaged preschool in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 25, 2023. Global Images Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine/Getty ImagesThe attacks follow Russia’s largest drone attack against Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv since the start of its full-scale invasion, according to local officials. A Telegram post from Ukraine’s Air Force said it had intercepted 71 Shahed drones across six regions of Ukraine, with the vast majority in Kyiv region.

Persons: Sergey Sobyanin, Alexey Dyumin, Denis Pushilin, ” Pushilin Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Moscow, Donetsk People’s, DPR, Ukraine’s Air Force, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, Russian, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azov, a.m, Solomianskyi, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ A 2-year-old girl who was seized from a Ukrainian orphanage was adopted by a Putin ally: BBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The child was stolen from a Ukrainian orphanage, according to the BBC. Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children, says the UN. AdvertisementA political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin adopted a girl who was taken from an orphanage in occupied Ukraine, according to a BBC investigation. AdvertisementAccording to the Ukrainian government, around 20,000 children have been taken by Russian authorities since the war began. The International Criminal Court in the Hague earlier this year issued arrest warrants for Putin and his children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Persons: Sergey Mironov, —, Vladimir Putin, Mironov, Inna Varlamova, Margarita Prokopenko, Marina Sergeevna Mironova, Putin, Maria Lvova Organizations: BBC, UN, Service, Criminal Court Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Kherson Oblast, Kherson, Podolsk, Moscow, Hague

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