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☆ A BRICS no-show speaks volumes about Putin's shrinking horizons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Putin will be notably absent from a key global forum this week, the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. His no-show speaks volumes about Russia’s isolation – and Putin’s shrinking horizons. Bolstering such support against the background of the war on Ukraine was a key aim of Putin’s recent Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin, of course, bristles at any implication that Putin is ducking out of the BRICS summit because of an ICC warrant. Russia, after all, is waging a war on Ukraine that Putin has justified in starkly imperial terms.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, he’ll, Alexander Lukashenko, Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Luiz Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi –, Sergey Lavrov, Omar al, Bashir –, Darfur –, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Lavrov, “ Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, South, Indian, International Criminal, ICC, Hague, Russian, UN Security Council Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Central Asia, Iran, Minsk, Belarusian, Russia, Johannesburg, Russian, Africa, St . Petersburg, Latin America, Asia, South Africa, Darfur, BRICS, United States

☆ Uzbekistan says contaminated Indian cough syrup was on market due to bribery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Three of the defendants (an Indian and two Uzbekistan nationals) are executives of Quramax Medical, a company that sold medicines produced by India’s Marion Biotech, in Uzbekistan. Pratar, who spoke in court, denied the charges but admitted to handing over the sum to officials through an intermediary as a "token of appreciation". Officials have not said why 45 deaths had remained unreported since last year. State prosecutors also said on Wednesday that Quramax had imported Marion Biotech medicines at an inflated price via two Singapore-based intermediary companies, which prompted tax evasion charges. Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Singh Raghvendra Pratar, Saidkarim Akilov, Quramax, Mukhammadsharif, Olzhas Auyezov, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Quramax, India's Marion Biotech, Central, India’s Marion Biotech, Marion Biotech, Thomson Locations: Uzbekistan, Tashkent, TASHKENT, India, Singapore

WARSAW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Polish government wants to pose questions to voters during a Oct. 15 election that will include whether Poland should take in "thousands of illegal immigrants", a move rivals say aims to swing the vote by misleading voters about opposition policies. The centrist Civic Platform (PO), the main opposition party which is running neck and neck with PiS according to some polls, says the questions are designed to sway voters by distorting the opposition's stance on these sensitive issues. PiS, seeking a third term in power, has put opposition to migration at the centre of its campaign and says the opposition would hurt the economy by selling state assets and endanger security amid Russia's war in Ukraine. "When we propose a question so that we don't sell out Poland's wealth, the opposition gets furious. The PO says it does not have an open-door migrant policy and says none of the questions represent their policies.

Persons: PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Malgorzata Kidawa, Blonska, Mariusz Blaszczak, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Edmund Blair Organizations: WARSAW, Law and Justice, European Union, Twitter, Defence, Thomson Locations: Polish, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, East, Africa, Europe

☆ Turkmenistan rebukes Russia over 'gas union' comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 3D printed natural gas pipeline is placed in front of displayed Turkmenistan flag in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoASHGABAT, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan warned Russia on Saturday against trying to extend its influence over the Central Asia-China natural gas supply chain after Moscow said more countries could join its "gas union" with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan all pump gas to China via a pipeline crossing the three countries; the lion's share of gas comes from Turkmenistan as the two other countries have faced strong growth in domestic gas demand. Russia, trying to open up new Asian markets for its gas after Western sanctions, said last year it was forging a gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that would streamline shipping and exporting gas to them and to third parties. Russia's foreign ministry said this week the gas union could be expanded as other countries were interested in joining it; it did not name any.

Persons: Dado, Marat Gurt, Olzhas, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Central, Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Turkmenistan, ASHGABAT, Russia, Central Asia, China, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ashgabat

☆ China state media says developed nations not shunning Belt and Road Forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, Shaanxi province, China May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Saturday rejected a Western claim that developed nations were shunning the country's Belt and Road Forum, while saying most of the leaders invited this year were from developing nations. Critics see the ambitious Belt and Road initiative - billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade infrastructure - as a tool for President Xi Jinping's China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. Italy, the sole Group of Seven nation in Belt and Road, said the decision by a previous government to join had been "atrocious". Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit China in October, coinciding with the Belt and Road Forum, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, Xi Jinping's, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: Central Asia Summit, REUTERS, Forum, Street, Times, Thomson Locations: China, Xian, Shaanxi, BEIJING, Xi Jinping's China, West, Beijing, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Africa, Russian

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Second Summit Economic And Humanitarian Forum Russia Africa on July 27, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is weighing whether to attend his first in-person meeting with Western leaders since his forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, a Kremlin source tells NBC News. In 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea, Putin was publicly shunned and sidelined during the G20 meeting in Australia. Next month's G20 summit is already set to be the most contentious in years and an important litmus test of many countries' true positions on Ukraine. "And some of the leaders, including President Biden, already decided to ignore President Putin and not take any picture with him."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, hasn't, Xi Jinping, Alexey Maslov, Maslov, Jonathan Eyal, Dmitry Peskov, Nirmala Sitharaman, Cyril Ramaphosa, Andrei Fedorov, Russia's, Putin's, Fedorov, Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, Modi, Eyal Organizations: Russia Africa, Summit ., Western, NBC News, Kremlin, Institute of, Studies, Moscow State University, Royal United Services Institute, International, ICC, United Nations, Washington Post, Mr Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, New Delhi, Russian, Belarus, China, Central, London, Crimea, Australia, Bali , Indonesia, France, Bali, Russia's, Johannesburg, Brazil, India, South Africa, Rome, United States, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ Educational TikTok teaches history you might not learn in school
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Scholars and educators are increasingly using TikTok to share history that’s seldom found in textbooks — and their content is finding an audience. TikTok can fill in educational gapsKahlil Greene, known as Gen Z Historian on TikTok, is one of several educators on the platform who have built up a following around sharing little-known history. While some lawmakers and officials try to limit such instruction, that knowledge can be vital for students, said Ernest Crim III, a former high school history teacher who now makes educational content for TikTok. In fact, his educational content has resonated so widely that he left classroom teaching to make social media content full-time. TikTok educational content can empower communitiesEducational content on TikTok can also provide avenues for exploring one’s identity.

Persons: weren’t, Kahlil Greene, Greene, Martin Luther King Jr, “, ” Greene, Ernest Crim III, Crim, Ernest Crim III “, ”, TikTok, Carter G, Woodson, Henry Box Brown, Bill Darden, Viola Liuzzo, Selma, Moses Fleetwood Walker, Jackie Robinson, —, Ava DuVernay, ” Crim, Aslan Pahari, he’s, Pahari, — Pahari’s, “ I’m, they’re, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, Yale University, New York Times, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, Facebook, Major League Baseball, MLB, Australian National University Locations: TikTok, —, White, California, Texas, Chicago, Black, Montgomery, Hughley, Sydney, South Asia, Central Asia, India, Afghanistan, Australia, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Pakistan, West

And his fellow veterans of the Ukraine conflict are bound to play a role in the fight for their own country. With nearly all the opposition now in jail or exile, that is no small feat. Six weeks ago, there was a brief jolt of hope for the Belarus opposition, when Russia's Wagner mercenary group launched a mutiny inside Russia. But within hours, Lukashenko himself helped bring an end to the Russian mutiny, negotiating for Wagner fighters to move to Belarus. Exactly what role the Wagner fighters will play in Belarus is anyone's guess, but for the opposition, nothing good can come of it, said Kedyshko.

Persons: Pavel Maryeuski, Alexander Lukashenko's, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Stanislava Glinnik, Belarus's, Pavel Kuhta, Tsikhanouskaya's, Sergey Kedyshko, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Weeks, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Mike Collett, White, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Reuters, Coordination, United Operational, Lukashenko's Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Minsk, Soviet, Karma, Warsaw, Belarusian, Moscow

☆ How U.S. microchips are fueling Russia's military — despite sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Murky supply chainsNot all advanced technologies are subject to Western sanctions on Russia. So, a Russian military, as well as its civilian economy, have become dependent," Sam Bendett, advisor at the Center for Naval Analyses, said. Meanwhile, sanctions on Russia are largely limited to Ukraine's Western allies, meaning that many countries continue to trade with Russia. And this is what the Russian industry as well as the Russian military and its intelligence services are taking advantage of," Bendett said. Sanctions clampdownThe burgeoning trade flows have prompted calls from Western allies to either get more countries on board with sanctions, or slap secondary sanctions on certain entities operating within those countries in a bid to stifle Russia's military strength.

Persons: Elina Ribakova, KSE, Sam Bendett, spokespeople, Bendett, Sellers Organizations: CNBC, Semiconductors, Peterson Institute for International Economics, KSE Institute, Kyiv School, Economics, United Arab, Moscow, Royal United Services Institute, U.S ., Center for Naval, Russian, Economic Security, of, CNBC Exports, Union, Russian Federation, European Union, Peterson Institute for International Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Russia's, U.S, Japan, Germany, Russian, microchips, Hong Kong, of Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan

☆ The moon is open for business, and entrepreneurs are racing to make billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

"Definitely the moon is going to be a big business," said Prachi Kawade, a senior analyst at NSR, a research-and-consulting company focused on the space market. At first, lunar missions could be limited to a couple of weeks or months in a lunar base camp. Another lead for moon mining is the rare-earth elements that millennia of meteorites crashing into the moon may have left behind. Fly me to the moonHowever, the most lucrative part of the moon market by far is rocket development, said Kawade, who leads NSR's lunar-market report. NASA built its own system for its upcoming Artemis moon missions, the Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket with its Orion spacecraft.

Persons: Artemis, Brendan Rosseau, Lockheed Martin, Prachi Kawade, that's, Rosseau, Steve Creech, Creech, Kawade, NASA We're, George W, Bush, Rousseau, landers, Per, NASA's, NASA Ames, Daniel Rutter, Elon Musk's, Artemis III, Musk, NASA isn't, Glenn, III, VIII, Bill Nelson, Svetla Ben, Itzhak, Ben Organizations: NASA, Service, Harvard Business School, SpaceX, Origin, Nokia, Lockheed, General Motors, NSR, Apollo, ESA, Payload, Astrobotic Technology, Rover, Exploration Rover, Polar Resources, Mining, Orion, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Politico, Artemis, China, Air University Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Pittsburg, Texas, California, Colorado, Japan, Russia, Latin America, Central Asia, Pakistan

[1/5] Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gives an opening speech during the New Belarus conference in Warsaw, Poland, August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Kuba StezyckiWARSAW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Exiled opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko met in Poland on Sunday, on the eve of the third anniversary of their unsuccessful post-election protests, to display unity and plan strategy including the issuance of "New Belarus" passports. Set up in August 2022 by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-declared government-in exile has opened more than 20 alternative embassies and information centres abroad. Speaking at a hotel in Warsaw to several hundred activists, including independent media and civic groups, Tsikhanouskaya urged opposition forces abroad to unite and support the creation of a "New Belarus" movement. Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron first since 1994, using security forces to intimidate, beat and jail his foes or force them to flee abroad.

Persons: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Tsikhanouskaya, Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: New, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Belarus, New Belarus, Warsaw, Poland, WARSAW, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Russia targets neighbour Kazakhstan with army recruitment ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Filipp Lebedev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to over 3 million ethnic Russians and has traditionally been one of Russia's closest allies. Clearly targeting Kazakhs, ads seen by Reuters feature Russian and Kazakh flags and the slogan "Shoulder to shoulder". The ads lead to a website that offers potential recruits a chance to join the Russian army in the Sakhalin region in Russia's Far East. Joining military conflicts abroad for pay is illegal under Kazakh law. In Kyrgyzstan, a local man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May for joining Russian proxy forces in Ukraine's Luhansk region.

Persons: Russia's, Wagner, Mariya Gordeyeva, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian, Astana, Moscow, Reuters, Human Capital Development Agency of, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Information, Social Development, Soviet Central, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakh, Russian, Sakhalin, Russia's Far, Lysychansk, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine's Luhansk, Moscow, Bishkek

☆ Rights groups seek 'credible' probe into Greece migrant shipwreck that killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for a "credible" probe into a migrant shipwreck off Greece in June in which hundreds died, saying that contrasting accounts by the Greek coastguard and survivors "were extremely concerning". Survivors have recounted a doomed attempt by the Greek coast guard to tow the trawler that caused the vessel to capsize, according to interviews and evidence seen by Reuters. The Greek coastguard and government have said no attempt was made to tow the boat and that it overturned when the coastguard was about 70 metres away. The acts of the coast guard are also under investigation.

Persons: Adriana, Judith Sunderland, Karolina Tagaris, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Amnesty, Human Rights, Greek coastguard, Reuters, coastguard, HRW, UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Europe, Central Asia, EU, Thomson Locations: Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Libya

☆ Ukraine's offensive is bearing down on Russian forces, but Chinese artillery could still bail Moscow out
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Russian military relies on artillery to compensate for other battlefield shortcomings. But its heavy use of artillery in Ukraine could outstrip its ability to make new shells and cannons. The commander of Russia's 58th Army in Ukraine was recently relieved after complaining about the state of Russian artillery, including "the lack of counter-battery fire" and "lack of artillery reconnaissance stations." Chinese artillery troops during a live-fire test in Anhui Province in October 2021. Chinese support could mean the difference between victory and defeat for Russia, but salvation from Beijing may be a long time coming.

Persons: Mao, ANDREY KRONBERG, People's Liberation Army —, China's, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Dmitri Lovetsky, Xi, Beijing hasn't Organizations: Service, War, Artillery, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Army, Russia, Publishing, People's Liberation Army, Foreign Ministry, Ukraine, Reuters, China's Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Iran, North Korea, China, British, Volgograd, AFP, Moscow, Anhui Province, St . Petersburg, Beijing, Western, Taiwan, Europe, cynically, Central Asia

☆ Saudi Arabia's economic growth slows as oil cuts, price drops bite into revenues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Arabia's economy slowed in the second quarter, as crude output cuts and a drop in oil prices reined in one of the fastest growing nations of the G20. Riyadh's GDP expanded by an annual 1.1% in the second quarter, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics said Monday, down from 3.8% in the previous quarter and 11.2% in the same period of 2022. The non-oil sector — where Saudi Arabia is directing its socioeconomic reforms under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 economic diversification program — grew by 5.5% in the second quarter. But hydrocarbon-reliant Riyadh logged a 4.2% loss in non-oil GDP in the second quarter, bearing the brunt of lower global crude prices and voluntary oil production cuts. Oil prices spiked last year, as Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and ensuing international sanctions decoupled many Western consumers from Russian crude supplies.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Brent Organizations: Saudi General Authority, Statistics, Saudi, Commodities, Organization of, Petroleum, Monetary Fund Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Ukraine, London, OPEC, Russia, East, Central

☆ Project Wild Earth: This family of four has just embarked on a 5-year adventure around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

They instantly connected and maintained a long-distance relationship for a year after his road trip ended before moving to Hong Kong to start a life together. During the project, dubbed “Project Wild Earth,” they will also share stories on their website and social media accounts about inspiring rangers, support organizations, government officials and entrepreneurs they work or come in contact with. Leah, an American, worked as a primary school teacher and helped establish a Sudbury school in Hong Kong that empowers children to direct their own education. The Priors found themselves stuck in Hong Kong, which had some of the strictest pandemic restrictions in the world due to its “zero-Covid” approach. “When these things unfolded in Hong Kong, we had to reconsider everything.

Persons: we’re, Matt, Leah Prior, Leah, Zapp, Graham, Paige, “ Leah, ” Matt, ”, “, AdventureX, Jack, Matt couldn’t, “ Jack, Sai Kung, “ It’s, Dr, Jane Goodall, Tompkins, Allen, –, Reinhard Dirscherl, Charlotte, they’ll Organizations: CNN, The Explorers Club, Sumy Sadurni, Getty, Allen Coral Atlas, Jane, Jane Goodall Institute and, Bank Locations: Charlotte, Laos, London, South Korea, Hong Kong, Europe, Central Asia, China, Southeast Asia, Asia, Pacific, Africa, Americas, American, Sudbury, British, Indonesia, Hong, New Territories, AFP, Patagonia, agroforestry

KOLPIN-OGRODNIKI, Poland, July 20 (Reuters) - People living near Poland's border with Belarus said on Thursday they could hear shooting and helicopters after Russia's Wagner Group arrived to train Belarusian special forces just a few miles from the frontier, compounding their fears the Ukraine war would reach them. Minsk posted pictures of masked Wagner instructors, their faces covered in accordance with the mercenary group's rules, training Belarusian soldiers with armoured vehicles and what appear to be drone controls. It is unclear how many fighters of the Russian mercenary group are currently training at the training ground of the 38th airborne assault brigade outside the city of Brest. In December last year, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement legalizing the permanent presence of Russian military formations on Belarus territory. Earlier this week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a law establishing combat centres for joint training for military personnel of both countries.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Agata Moroz, He's, I'm, Moroz, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Adam Ligor, Anton Motolko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Warsaw Pact, NATO, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: OGRODNIKI, Poland, Poland's, Belarus, Belarusian, Ukraine, Kolpin, Russia, Africa, Minsk, Russian, Brest, Warsaw, U.S, Moscow

☆ Abu Dhabi's Masdar eyeing acquisition targets in US, Europe expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 19 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar is in discussions with potential acquisition targets in the U.S. and is also looking to expand in Europe, Gulf Arab countries and elsewhere, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday. Masdar is in active discussions and U.S. President Joe Biden's $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act "reinforced" its view of the U.S. market, he said. "So we are already securing new capacities, so my expectation is that we are likely to come to market again in 2024," he said, adding Masdar would only issue bonds for already-secured projects. In November, the UAE and U.S. agreed to spend $100 billion on clean energy projects with a goal of adding 100 gigawatts globally by 2035. Jaber last week said countries at COP28 must face how far behind they are lagging climate targets and agree a plan to get on track.

Persons: Niall Hannigan, Joe Biden's, Masdar, Hannigan, Sultan al, Jaber, Yousef Saba, David Evans Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, U.S, Europe, Gulf Arab, North America, Balkans, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Pacific, Africa, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, UAE

☆ Putin wanted his own version of NATO. Instead he has a failing alliance that has only made him look weaker since the invasion of Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Putin wanted his own version of NATOPutin has long viewed NATO as a threat to Russia, even citing it as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that CSTO members states' desires for closer ties with the US weren't new. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Armenia in November 2022. Graham also said the invasion of Ukraine meant Putin is less and less able to deal with CSTO members' complaints.

Persons: it's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Graham, NATO Putin, Alexander Cooley, Cooley, Armenia's, Nikol Pashinyan, KAREN MINASYAN, Putin's, isn't Putin, Ilya PITALEV, ILYA PITALEV, Getty Images Graham, Russia's, ANATOLII STEPANOV, you've, Graham, CSTO, Sadyr Japarov, Stanislav Zas, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, AP Cooley, – Putin, Vladimir Voronin, Nikol, They've, Hayk Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Security, Organization, Yale, Columbia University, REUTERS, Getty Images, SPUTNIK, AFP, CSTO, Kazakh, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Collective Security, Vladimir Voronin NATO, Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, US, EU, Armenian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, East, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, The Hague, Netherlands, Yerevan, AFP, Soviet Union, Moscow, Asia, Ukrainian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, NATO, USSR, Dushanbe, tatters, Photolure, China, Turkey, United States

☆ Iran's President Raisi embarks on Africa tour to boost trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi received a red-carpet welcome from Kenyan counterpart William Ruto on Wednesday as he began a three-country tour of Africa that Tehran has touted as a “new beginning” in relations with the continent. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (C) inspects the guard of honour during his state visit at the State House in Nairobi on July 12, 2023. Raisi is expected to next fly to Uganda to discuss trade and bilateral relations with President Yoweri Museveni, and then to Zimbabwe. In June, Raisi visited three Latin American countries to shore up support with allies also saddled with US sanctions. Iran’s trade with African countries will increase to more than $2 billion this year, its foreign ministry said on Saturday, without providing a comparative figure for 2022.

Persons: Reuters —, Ebrahim Raisi, William Ruto, Simon Maina, Ruto, Raisi, Kenya’s, Yoweri Museveni, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Shoring, Donald Trump Organizations: Reuters, Kenyan, State, Getty, Ruto Locations: Africa, Tehran, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nairobi, AFP, Iran, Kenya, Central, East

☆ Uzbek leader holds early election to extend rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TASHKENT, July 9 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev holds an early election on Sunday to extend his rule for another seven years, just months after changing the constitution to lift term limits that would have required him to step aside in 2026. Foreign trade has been opened, foreign exchange controls have been lifted, and the political system has been liberalised somewhat. Like other states in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is trying to minimise collateral damage from Western sanctions imposed against its traditional trading partner Russia over the war in Ukraine. Politically, Tashkent has maintained neutrality, calling for peace in Ukraine and pledging to abide by Western sanctions while maintaining normal ties with Moscow. Officially running against Mirziyoyev are three candidates representing the Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party and the Social-Democratic party of Adolat (Justice).

Persons: Shavkat Mirziyoyev, autocrat Islam Karimov, Mukhammadsharif, Olzhas Organizations: Mirziyoyev, Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party, Social, Democratic, Thomson Locations: TASHKENT, Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan, Soviet, Central Asia, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Tashkent, Moscow, West

We like to call it the occupation of the Museum of Modern Art and the director is happy with the occupation," Krivich, 34, joked. "Many of my friends from Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Belarus feel at home here, also mentally, culturally and ideologically… We have a common past," Krivich told Reuters. The New Theatre not only gave the refugee actors a chance to perform but also helped them with accommodation and visas. "Poland is the only country where Belarusians can easily legalise their stay... All independent art initiatives that used to be in Minsk are now in Warsaw," said Dashuk. In May, a Moscow District Court arrested Vyrypaev in absentia for spreading "fake news" about the Russian army.

Persons: Yulia Krivich, Krivich, Marina Dashuk, Ivan Vyrypaev, Dashuk, Vyrypaev, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Gareth Jones Organizations: WARSAW, Soviet, Warsaw's Museum of Modern, Museum of Modern Art, Reuters, THEATRE Warsaw, New Theatre, Theatre, Teal, Ukrainian, Court, Thomson Locations: Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Russian, Moscow, Belarus, Central, Kyrgyzstan, Dashuk, Belarusian, Minsk, Warsaw, Europe

☆ India downplays SCO Summit but Putin and Xi may not be complaining
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —Last year, the world watched closely as China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi of India and other world leaders within a Moscow-friendly group gathered in the Uzbek city of Samarkand for a high-profile, two-day summit. World leaders pose for a photo during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022. It remains unknown how tight a grip Putin now has on power in Moscow, and although he attended last year’s SCO summit, he has rarely left Russia since his invasion of Ukraine. Face-to-face meetings, however, can also provide opportunity for world leaders to talk out sensitive issues or push on points of contention that may be handled less delicately in a virtual setting. Given their respective ties with Moscow, both China and India have received pressure from the West to limit their relations or even push Putin toward peace.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Putin –, Putin, Modi –, –, Modi, ”, Manoj Joshi, India didn’t, Murat Kula, what’s, Wagner, Steve Tsang, It’s, “, Moritz Rudolf, Paul Tsai, Tsang, Putin “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, “, Observer Research, Anadolu Agency, Getty, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Moscow, Paul Tsai China Center of, Yale Law School, Central, Soviet, Ukraine Locations: Hong Kong, India, Moscow, Uzbek, Samarkand, Ukraine, Eurasia, Russia, China, New Delhi, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, –, Iran, Washington, ”, Europe, Beijing, Belarus, Central Asia, Soviet Union

☆ El Niño is here and the world must prepare for more extreme heat, UN weather agency warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The WMO said there was a 90% probability of El Niño continuing during the second half of 2023 at moderate strength. Along with increased ocean warming, El Niño events are usually associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. In India, a major rice producing nation, El Niño can weaken the monsoon that brings the rainfall the country relies on to fill aquifers and grow crops. El Niño this year could also dent US economic growth, potentially impacting everything from food prices to winter clothing sales, a recent study found. The study attributed $5.7 trillion in global income losses to the 1997-98 El Niño and $4.1 trillion in losses to the 1982-83 El Niño.

Persons: El Niño, El, ”, Petteri Taalas, Niño, Chris Hewitt, “ Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, United Nations, El Locations: El, South America, United States, of Africa, Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Central America, Pacific, India, Paris, Europe, Americas

☆ Temperatures seen surging as El Nino weather pattern returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

El Nino, a warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is linked to extreme weather conditions from tropical cyclones to heavy rainfall to severe droughts. The world's hottest year on record, 2016, coincided with a strong El Nino - though experts says climate change has fuelled extreme temperatures even in years without the phenomenon. The World Health Organization said last month it was preparing for an increased spread of viral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya linked to El Nino. During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures. In the past, it has caused severe droughts in Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America.

Persons: El, Maria Neira, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Christina Fincher Organizations: WHO, El, World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, WMO, Prediction Service, World Health Organization, Environment, Health, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Pacific, Geneva, South America, United States, of Africa, Central Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Asia, Central America

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