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☆ Kashmir: This disputed region of India has bread that rival France’s
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Smitha Menon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

While rice is the staple that’s cooked in households across Kashmir, bread is what drives the local community and economy. With so much traditional knowledge guarded and passed down through generations, Kashmir’s bread culture could qualify for a UNESCO intangible heritage listing and possibly rival France’s boulangerie tradition. Her father hailed from Kashmir so for her, summertime equals Kashmir, and Kashmir equals a warm, pillowy girda. When she returned years later, to learn more about Kashmir’s bread culture from her neighborhood baker, she was promptly told off. “Bread is really sacred in Kashmir and that relationship that a family has with their local kandurwan is really special.

Persons: Emperor Jehangir, Faisal Khan, Mukhtar Khan, France’s, Altaf, “, Mehvish, ”, AP Dal, Muzamil, Marryam, Reshii, roth, it’s, that’s, rogan josh, Roth, Jasleen Marwah, girda, I’d, Marwah, Tauseef Mustafa, Varun Totlani, tzir, Hussain Shahzad, morel, Vanika Chaudhury, Vanika, scoffed, Douglas McMaster, Chaudhury Organizations: India CNN, Silk, Anadolu Agency, Getty, UNESCO, CNN, AP, Folk, Silo Locations: Srinagar, India, Kashmir, Srinagar’s, Pakistan, kandarwans, Europe, East, Asia, Central Asia, pillowy, New Delhi, Goa, Portuguese, chai, “, Indian, Mumbai, AFP, India’s Himachal Pradesh, Masque, Mumbai’s, Lower Parel, London

☆ Uzbekistan targets growth with expansion to its capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —About five million people live and work in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, making it the largest city in the country, and one of the most populous cities in Central Asia. The capital expansion, dubbed New Tashkent, could play an important role in helping the country create new jobs, draw investment and boost its economy. Growth through urbanizationIn 2017, Uzbekistan’s new president Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched an ambitious economic and social reform program. Sunset over Amir Temur Square in the center of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, September 15, 2016. Purpose-built innovation clusters are intended to catalyze the growth of target industries, while tourism areas aim to attract visitors.

Persons: ” Christine P, Chan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, it’s, Amir Temur, ” Chan, Zaha Hadid, Hakan Agca, Agca, ” Organizations: CNN, Urban, Asian Development Bank, ADB, Getty, Economist Intelligence, Scientific Research, Amsterdam, London Locations: Tashkent, Central Asia, New Tashkent, Amir, Uzbekistan, “, ”, Tashkent Twin

☆ NASA’s only visit to Uranus happened during a rare cosmic occurrence
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, researchers shared fascinating new findings on Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, and the far side of the moon. Other worldsIllustrations depict how Uranus' magnetosphere, or protective bubble, was behaving before Voyager 2's arrival (left) and during the spacecraft's flyby (right). An unusual cosmic occurrence during the Voyager 2 spacecraft’s 1986 flyby might have skewed how scientists characterized the ice giant, new research suggests. In particular, the spacecraft’s observations of Uranus’ protective magnetosphere were wildly different from astronomers’ expectations. Fortunately, sending a dedicated mission to study Uranus in the future is a priority for NASA, according to a 2022 report.

Persons: Jamie Jasinski, paleoanthropologist Don Johanson, what’s, Lucy, Johanson, ”, afarensis, doesn’t, Bathydevius, Bruce Robison, —, Marvel, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt, Jackie Wattles Organizations: CNN, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nature Reserve, WWF Tigers, Fund, Nature, Aquarium Research, CNN Space, Science Locations: Pasadena , California, Afar, Central Asia, Turkey, Russia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Caspian, Netherlands, Kuma, Kazakhstan’s Ile, California, Mt, Everest, Monterey, what’s, Iraq

☆ Who’s Attending COP29, the International Climate Summit?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Over 50,000 people are gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations climate conference known as COP29. This is the second largest of the annual gatherings in their history, according to official estimates and recently published data. Diplomats from nearly 200 member countries will seek a deal on climate financing to support the clean energy transition in developing economies. Recent years have seen a spike in the number of guests, particularly from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Politicians started to take more interest in the climate talks in 2009, when they were held in Copenhagen.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, COP6, Keir Starmer, ”, Richard Kinley, they’ve, They’ve Organizations: Climate, United Nations, Diplomats, Paris Copenhagen, Berlin, COP3, Dubai, New York, Paris Copenhagen Official, CENTRAL, NORTH, NORTH AFRICA EAST, NORTH AFRICA Official, EAST ASIA, COP1, CENTRAL ASIA, EAST, PACIFIC, Copenhagen COP15, United, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan Russia United Arab, Swarthmore, Ivory, Ivory Coast Democratic Locations: Baku, Azerbaijan, United States, Europe, Saharan Africa, COP28, Dubai, Paris, Copenhagen, United Kingdom, China, SAHARAN AFRICA, NORTH AFRICA, NORTH AFRICA EAST ASIA, Berlin, ASIA, EUROPE, EAST ASIA, AFRICA, Russia, United Arab, Qatar, Doha, Azerbaijan Russia, Azerbaijan Russia United Arab Emirates Qatar, Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast Democratic Republic of Congo Senegal Ghana

☆ How Trump could exploit a looming global struggle for rare-earth minerals
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The power grab over rare-earth minerals in Central Asia could be among the issues he will seek to exploit. AdvertisementA power struggle over rare-earth mineralsAt stake for the US in Central Asia is not just political power but access to the region's reserves of rare-earth minerals such as uranium, lithium, and tantalum. Rare-earth minerals are needed to make all sorts of products, from F-35 stealth fighters and smartphones to internet fiber-optic cables and MRI machines. It produces around 60% of the world's rare-earth minerals and processes nearly 90%, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "There are rare-earth minerals worth exploring/exploiting, and if the US/EU could strike a major deal with [Kazakhstan's capital] Astana, this would certainly contribute to breaking China's monopoly," said Wolff.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin, he'd, Wilder Alejandro Sánchez, ALEXANDER RYUMIN, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, John Herbst, Stefan Wolff, Wolff, Herbst, Trump Organizations: Service, Putin, The Republican, Biden, Getty Images, Center for Strategic, International Studies, University of Birmingham, BI, Trump, EU, Astana, Central Asia Summit, Getty Images Central, Central, China Locations: Russia, China, Central Asia, Mongolia, Saudi, Getty Images China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Xian, Shaanxi, FLORENCE, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Washington, Moscow, Beijing

☆ Young Chinese are ditching planes to travel long distances by train and bus. Meet the ‘iron butt’ travelers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Chris Lau | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A growing group of Chinese travelers are now turning to extreme forms of transportation for their vacations. They call themselves “iron butt” travelers – inspired by the amount of time they spend traveling on uncomfortable seats that make flesh start to feel like metal. Iron butt travel lets me visit more places for less money,” another self-identified “iron butt” traveler, 27-year-old Peng Fei, told CNN. But that doesn’t mean he and his fellow “iron butt” travelers have to compromise the fun. Now, though, iron butt travelers are redefining – or perhaps gentrifying – this form of travel.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Lin En, Lin, isn’t, Lin En, Peng Fei, ‘, ”, I’d, “, Lin En's, Lin En, Peng, “ I’ve, They’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Tibet Autonomous, United Arab Emirates Locations: Hong Kong, Xinjiang, China’s, Astana, Kazakhstan’s, China, Kazakhstan, Laos, Kunming, Huay, Thailand, Myanmar, megacities, Beijing, Shanghai, Lhasa, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, Guangzhou, Central Asia, Europe, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tibet Autonomous, Egypt

☆ Almaty, Kazakhstan: How a drab Soviet metropolis became Central Asia’s capital of cool
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Almaty, Kazakhstan CNN —Several cities around the globe have reinvented themselves in recent years, but none more successfully than Almaty. Since the collapse of the USSR, Kazakhstan’s largest city (population 2.2 million and growing) has evolved from a drab, run-of-the-mill Soviet metropolis into the urban star of Central Asia. “It’s an incredibly livable city,” says long-time American resident Dennis Keen, a historic preservation advocate and founder of Walking Almaty. Over and underground artThe Abilkhan Kasteev State Art Museum is filled with more than 20,000 works of art. Other good collections include the Ihlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments (in a Russian-style wooden mansion built in 1908) and the ethnographic artifacts of the Almaty Museum.

Persons: It’s, “, ”, Dennis Keen, ” Keen, “ It’s, Jama Nurkalieva, Charles O, Cecil, Alamy, Auyl, James Talalay, Lukas Bischoff, Keen, Roshcha Organizations: Kazakhstan CNN, Walking, Central, Cathedral, Astana, Tselinny Center of Contemporary, Dynamo, Prix Versailles, Park, Art, Louvre, Art Museum, Ihlas Museum, Folk, Almaty Museum, Eiffel, of Contemporary, Academy of Science, Turkish Airlines, Air Astana, Ritz, Carlton Locations: Almaty, Kazakhstan, USSR, Kazakhstan’s, Central Asia, Walking Almaty, “, Central Asian, China, Europe, Russian, Soviet Union, Shan, Lower Kolsai Lake, There’s, Soviet, Zholy, Almaty Metro, Almaly, Auezov, Istanbul, Beijing, Seoul , New Delhi, Bangkok, Arasan, Otrar, Lanzhou, Novotel, Darejani, Ascension

☆ Trump said he will divide Russia from China. It's a tough bromance to break.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

President-elect Donald Trump claims he can split the alliance between Russia and China. "The one thing you never want to happen is you never want Russia and China uniting," Trump said. These are potentially all things that Trump could use to drive a wedge between Russia and China." The Trump effectAnother factor likely to draw Russia and China closer together is Trump himself. In East Asia, Trump has accused allies of freeloading off the US, a source of tension Beijing will likely seek to exploit.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Tucker Carlson, Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin of, Xi, China's, Putin, Stefan Wolff, Carlson, Wolff, Paul Cormarie, Jonathan Ward, Vladimir Putin, they'd, Robert Dover, Zhiqun Zhu, Cormarie Organizations: Service, Trump, University of Birmingham, Pentagon, Trade, Anadolu, Getty, Central, RAND Corporation, BI, Hudson Institute, Kremlin Press, Anadolu Agency, International Security, Hull University, NATO, Bucknell University Locations: Russia, China, Ukraine, Glendale , Arizona, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Taiwan, Russian, Bering, European, East Asia

☆ US citizens caught in Virginia’s voter purge aimed at noncitizens speak out
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Rene Marsh | Danya Gainor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Glenn Youngkin’s effort to purge 1,600 people he says are suspected noncitizens from the state’s voter registration rolls using records from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Nadra Wilson was also listed as a noncitizen and was purged from Virginia’s voter rolls. She also didn’t realize she had been purged from Virginia’s voter registration rolls until she received a call from CNN. She said she is still undecided but “I have the right to vote.”Saule Bohoney was also wiped off of Virginia’s voter registration rolls. She became aware she had been taken off Virginia’s voter rolls after receiving mail from the state informing her.

Persons: Glenn Youngkin’s, they’d, Noncitizens, Youngkin, ”, Christian Martinez, ” Martinez, Rachel Xu, “ I’m, Xu, Nadra Wilson, Wilson, she’s, ” Fatima Bashir, ” Bashir, ” Saule Bohoney, Bohoney, “, haven’t, Jill Stein, Abdullah Al Mosawa, ” Al Mosawa, Al Mosawa, ” Ryan Snow Organizations: CNN, Republican Gov, Department of Motor Vehicles, Virginia, Noncitizens CNN, George Mason University, Trump, Northern Virginia College, cybersecurity, Green, Lawyers ’, Civil Locations: Georgia, Virginia, China, Brooklyn , New York, Pakistan, Asia, Alexandria , Virginia, Yemen

☆ Federal Reserve rate cuts could prove to be a boon for Southeast Asian economies
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Shafi Musaddique | Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates in September, with further reductions expected, could prove to be a boon for the emerging economies of Southeast Asia. David Sumual, chief economist of Bank Central Asia, said Indonesia is one such country that could take advantage of both short-term and long-term Fed policy. Higher rates in the U.S. have traditionally been a negative for emerging markets as U.S. investors typically send their dollars home in search of decent yields. But on the flipside, when U.S. rates ease, it can boost emerging markets who see renewed flows into their economies. Global commodities (a cornerstone of many emerging markets) also tend to rise in price as the U.S. dollar drops on a more dovish outlook by the Federal Reserve.

Persons: Saurabh Agarwal, Warburg Pincus, CNBC's, David Sumual Organizations: U.S, Federal, Warburg, Bank Central, CNBC, Federal Reserve Locations: Southeast Asia, Asia, Bank Central Asia, Indonesia, U.S

☆ Top U.S. commander in Middle East being investigated on allegations of shoving a subordinate
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Army Criminal Investigation Division is looking into allegations that Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla shoved an airman while traveling on a C-17 several weeks ago, the officials said. The Army Criminal Investigation Division said in a statement that it is "aware of an alleged incident and is currently looking into it. The Army Criminal Investigation Division is an independent federal law enforcement agency responsible for felony criminal investigations and operations. For now, he remains in the job and is currently traveling in the Middle East, according to a senior administration official. Kurilla has been at the helm of CENTCOM, the combatant command in the Middle East and Central Asia, since April 2022.

Persons: Michael “ Erik ” Kurilla, Kurilla, It’s Organizations: Army, U.S . Central Command, Army Criminal, Army Criminal Investigation, Defense, 75th Ranger Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, Operations Command Locations: U.S, CENTCOM, East, Central Asia, Israel, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Mosul, Iraq

☆ IMF's Jihad Azour discusses reasons behind the decline in growth in the MENA region
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Dan Murphy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIMF's Jihad Azour discusses reasons behind the decline in growth in the MENA regionJihad Azour, the IMF's director of Middle East and Central Asia, says prolonged regional conflict and the extension of OPEC+ cuts led to the downgrade in growth in the Middle East.

Persons: Azour Organizations: Middle Locations: MENA, Jihad, Middle East, Central Asia

☆ Georgia's election forces voters to choose between a future with Russia or Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party at the party's final campaign rally in Tbilisi on Oct. 23, 2024, ahead of the Oct. 26 parliamentary elections. Despite its increasingly anti-Western rhetoric, Georgian Dream insists it still wants Georgia to join the EU and its election posters feature the party's logo along with the symbol of the EU. People walk past campaign posters of the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi on Oct. 22, 2024, ahead of the Oct. 26 parliamentary elections. Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili attends the final campaign rally of the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi on Oct. 23, 2024, ahead of Oct. 26 parliamentary elections. Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili, staunchly critical of the ruling party, addressed crowds of supporters last weekend, telling them that the vote would "demonstrate people's will for freedom, independence, and a European future."

Persons: Giorgi Arjevanidze, There's, Bidzina Ivanishvili, —, oligarch Bidzina, Salome Zurabishvili's, Vano Shlamov, Ivanishvili, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Salome Zurabishvili Organizations: Afp, Getty, Center for, NATO, European Union, EU, Western, Russia, Party, Institute for, Kremlin Locations: Georgian, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Moscow, Washington, Europe, Western Ukraine, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia, European

☆ Lost for centuries, Silk Road cities are revealed by drone technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Hannah Peart | Hannah Peart Is An Intern In The Nbc News London Bureau. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Traversed centuries ago by camel-back traders, two long-lost medieval cities that once thrived along the ancient Silk Road have been uncovered by drones sent searching for their secrets. This groundbreaking research in southeastern Uzbekistan could shift our understanding of the Silk Road, a vast network of trade routes that spanned from China to the Mediterranean. But the new research shows the Silk Road network was larger than previously predicted. Although many large urban centers have been discovered in Central Asia, the vast majority of archaeologically documented cities are in lowland riparian settings. The research indicates the two cities produced iron or steel to sell, as well as providing fuel for Silk Road travelers, with the region being surrounded by dense juniper forests.

Persons: Michael Frachetti, Louis, Farhod Maksudov, Frachetti, Tim Williams, ” Organizations: Washington University, Uzbekistan’s National Center of Archaeology, NBC News, University College London Locations: Central Asia, Uzbekistan, China, St, Tashbulak, England, Tugunbulak

☆ The Caspian Sea, the planet’s largest lake is shrinking fast. Experts fear it may never recover.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —There’s a spot on the shoreline from where Azamat Sarsenbayev used to jump into the brackish, blue-green Caspian Sea. Azamat SarsenbayevThe Caspian Sea is the planet’s largest inland sea and it’s largest lake, an enormous body of water roughly the size of Montana. NASAOver many thousands of years, the Caspian Sea has swung between highs and lows as temperatures fluctuated and ice sheets advanced and retreated. Their pupping sites in the shallower northeastern Caspian Sea are shifting and disappearing, as the animals also struggle against pollution and overfishing. Scientists counted 25,000 at one haul-out site on the Durnev Islands in the northeast Caspian Sea in 2009.

Persons: CNN —, Sarsenbayev, ”, Javanmardi, Azamat, Vali Kaleji, Matthias Prange, ” Prange, Joy Singarayer, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, Hossein Beris, University of Tehran’s Kaleji, ” Singarayer, ” Wesslingh, It’s, Kazbek Basayev, Reuters It’s, Assel Baimukanova, Kaleji, Aziz Karimov, Ilham Aliyev Organizations: CNN, NASA, Central, Caucasian Studies, University of Tehran, University of Bremen, University of Reading, Getty, University of Tehran’s, Reuters, Institute of Hydrobiology, “, Caspian, United Nations Locations: Aktau, Kazakhstan, Iranian, Rasht, Montana, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Central Asia, Aral, Uzbekistan, Germany, Anadolu, Galugah, Mazandaran province, Makhachkala, Baku, COP29, ”

☆ Centcom Chief Data Officer Michael Foster Uses AI to Impact Defense
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Foster is the chief data officer of the US Central Command. Centcom, which heads US military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia, has been testing out AI and computer-vision applications for the Department of Defense and adding tech talent to support its missions. Foster, part of Business Insider's 2024 AI Power List, previously helped develop big data and AI applications at several technology companies with US defense contracts, including CrowdAI and Maxar Technologies. He's also served as an intelligence officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and as an officer in the Air Force. See Business Insider's full AI Power List

Persons: Foster, He's Organizations: US Central Command, Department of Defense, Maxar Technologies, National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, Air Force Locations: East, Central Asia, South Asia

☆ Lost Silk Road cities mapped using LiDAR remote sensing
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Lost for centuries, two cities lay buried, nearly 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart, underneath grassy pastures in the mountains of Uzbekistan. “It’s a really different environment up there,” Frachetti said of the newly discovered Silk Road settlements. However, the newfound highland cities were too big to simply be trading posts or Silk Road stopovers, Frachetti and his colleagues believe. The research marked the first time that light detection and ranging (LiDAR) equipment had been used in the region for archaeological purposes. Using drone-borne light detection and ranging equipment, archaeologists have mapped two abandoned cities in the mountains of Uzbekistan.

Persons: Michael Frachetti, Tugunbulak, ”, Frachetti, “, ” Frachetti, Michael Frachetti “, Farhod Maksudov, Zachary Silvia, ” Silvia, Tashbulak, It’s Organizations: CNN, Washington University, —, National, of Archeology, Academy of Sciences of, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology, Brown University Locations: Uzbekistan, —, It’s, St . Louis, Machu Picchu, Peru, Republic of Uzbekistan, ”, Tugunbulak, Tashbulak, Central America, Rhode Island, Samarkand, Kashgar, China

☆ The IMF just raised its growth forecast for the US economy this year — but expects a slowdown in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The International Monetary Fund raised its growth forecast for the US economy to 2.8% this year. AdvertisementThe International Monetary Fund raised its growth forecast for the US, projecting the world's largest economy would expand by 2.8% this year instead of the 2.6% it predicted in July. However, they predicted GDP growth would slow to 2.2% in 2025 as the US government curbs its spending and the labor market cools, sapping consumption. The IMF projected global growth of 3.2% in both 2024 and 2025, virtually unchanged from its previous prediction. They underscored their latest forecast for global growth over the next five years of 3.1% was "mediocre" compared with the pre-pandemic average.

Persons: — Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, Service, UN Locations: China, East, Central Asia, Africa, Asia

☆ Gulen, the powerful cleric accused of orchestrating a Turkish coup, dies
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who built a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond but spent his later years mired in accusations of orchestrating an attempted coup against Turkish leader Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, has died. Since the failed coup, his movement has been systematically dismantled in Turkey and its influence has declined internationally. Soon after the 2016 coup, Erdogan described Gulen’s network as traitors and “like a cancer”, vowing to root them out wherever they are. The Turkish government said its actions were justified by the gravity of the threat posed to the state by the coup. Gulen had travelled to the United States for medical treatment but remained there as he faced a criminal investigation in Turkey.

Persons: Fethullah Gulen, Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen, Erdogan, ”, Erdogan’s Organizations: U.S, AK Party, Prosecutors, Gulen, Reuters Locations: Turkey, U.S, United States, Turkish, Erzurum, Edirne, Izmir, Turkey’s, Central Asia, Balkans, Africa, Gulen, Ankara, Pocono

☆ Whelan says he fed information to Western officials that he received from fellow prisoners fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Paul Whelan, the American who spent five and a half years wrongfully detained in Russia, revealed Sunday that he had passed to Western officials information he received from fellow prisoners who were fighting for Russia on the frontlines in Ukraine. “The prisoners from the camp that went to the frontline, they had communication. Whelan added that he and others were able to communicate with former prisoners through “burner” phones that they could acquire even while at the Russian labor camp in Mordovia. “Yeah, we had burner phones.”Whelan added that the guards “looked the other way” in exchange for goods such as cigarettes. His camp was primarily made up of young men from central Asian countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Whelan said.

Persons: CNN — Paul Whelan, “, ” Whelan, Whelan, ”, Putin, CNN’s Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, CBS, Wagner Group Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Mordovia, “, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, United States, Germany

☆ The West is trying to starve the wrong part of Russia's war machine, defense experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian artillery depends on a complex supply chain vulnerable to sanctions, defense experts say. Each company has its own supply chain of subcontractors, such as factories that make special steel. Current Western sanctions tend to be too broad and sporadic to cripple Russian defense production. A better approach would be a mixture of economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure focused on Russia's artillery supply chain, concluded the report. AdvertisementNonetheless, sanctions might ultimately prove to be a more effective approach than trying to destroy Russian artillery in combat.

Persons: —, Charly TRIBALLEAU, RUSI, NIMI Bakhirev, Reich, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Scranton Army, Plant, Getty, Burevestnik Research, NATO, Allied, Germany, Central, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, British, Soviet, Scranton, Pennsylvania, AFP, China, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kazakh, Turkey, Forbes

☆ Myanmar’s internet freedom is now as bad as China’s, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —For the past decade, China has consistently ranked last in the world for internet freedom due to its all-pervading online surveillance and content control system dubbed the “Great Firewall.”But a new report out Wednesday shows that internet freedoms in China’s neighbor Myanmar are now just as lacking. The report from Freedom House, a US government-funded NGO, found that global internet freedom has declined for the 14th consecutive year. In a record 43 countries, people were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities, the report found. The Central Asian nation Kyrgyzstan showed the biggest drop in internet freedoms, according to the report, as President Sadyr Japarov ramped up efforts to silence digital media and suppress online organizing. The report also covers online disinformation campaigns and political interference in the run-up to elections, including harassment of independent researchers and fact checkers.

Persons: ”, Mao Ning, Sadyr Japarov, Kloop, “ Organizations: CNN, Freedom, Trust, United Nations, UN, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ”, Central, US Locations: China, China’s, Myanmar, Central Asian, Kyrgyzstan, Iceland, United States, ’

☆ Spanish police seize Russia-bound chemicals, including possible weapons material
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Police in Spain have seized 13 tons of banned chemicals, including “possible” chemical weapons precursors, that were bound for Russia despite the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, they said on Tuesday. “During the investigation, it was proven that internationally sanctioned chemicals, some of them possible precursors for chemical weapons or nerve agents, had been exported in the past using this company structure,” national police and the tax authority said in a joint statement. The statement did not say which chemicals were seized in the latest operation. The Spanish company had established a sophisticated logistical and financial network to export internationally sanctioned chemical products to Russia, police said. However, Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters in May that Moscow remained bound by its obligations under the treaty that bans chemical weapons.

Persons: Sant Feliu, Santa Perpetua, Mogoda, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: police, European Union Locations: Spain, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, “, Sant, del Valles, Santa, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, United States, Britain, London

☆ Airfares to this glamorous beach destination just got cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In travel news this week: fat bears, hungry raccoons, an R-rated flight movie mishap and the best-value air travel destinations for Americans in the year ahead. Top of the list is the Mediterranean resort city of Nice, a much-loved playground for visitors to the French Riviera. Fares to the city fell by 27% in the first half of 2024, compared with the same period the year before. Fares to its capital, Rabat, have dropped by 24%, meaning you’ll have more to spend when you get there. Rounding out the top five is a US domestic destination: Fargo, North Dakota (-24%).

Persons: It’s, Hurricane Helene, Lucia, Alaska’s, Taylor Swift, ” Organizations: CNN, Southeastern, Boeing, Flames, Frontier Airlines, Atlanta’s Hartsfield, Jackson International, Qantas Airways, Spirit Airlines, US Army Locations: Southeastern United States, Hurricane Milton, Hurricane, United States, Nice, Castries, St, Bridgetown, Barbados, Morocco, Rabat, Fargo , North Dakota, Argentina, Washington, Thailand, New York, Bangkok, Sydney, American, Las Vegas, Tokyo, South Korea, Nepal, Canada, Soviet Central Asia

☆ Putin hails ‘very close’ links with Iran at landmark first meeting with president, as Middle East tensions soar
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Lauren Kent | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Iran has supplied thousands of “Shahed” attack drones to Russia, and according to US officials, built a drone factory in Russia. “We are actively working together in the international arena and our assessments of events taking place in the world are often very close,” Putin said during the landmark meeting, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. In a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Tehran last week, the Iranian leader called for accelerating joint projects. Meanwhile, Russia expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation as well as diversifying its bilateral trade with Iran. “But, of course, the situation in the Middle East will not be ignored, it will also be on the agenda.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Masoud, “, ” Putin, ”, Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Bashar al, Assad, Bassiri Tabrizi, Ebrahim Raisi, Mikhail Mishustin, Pezeshkian, Dmitry Peskov, Viktor Bout, Brittney, Bout, ” CNN’s Gianluca Mezzofiore, Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, Central, Ukraine, Moscow, Analysts, Russian, TASS, Street, Chatham House Locations: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, “, Moscow, Tehran, Syrian, Russian, Yemen

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