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☆ How a U.S. spy tapped into Russian communication lines
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Olson, who served more than 30 years overseas, had been intercepting sensitive Russian information that was being sent over microwave transmissions. For this series, Eamon Javers spent nearly a year investigating a criminal network and exploring how wealthy Russian hackers stole millions from U.S. investors. Javers interviewed FBI agents, prosecutors — and even spies like Olson — to reveal the shocking details of a massive criminal enterprise. Javers asked Olson what it feels like to go on such a mission, something he called "Mission Impossible stuff." "It's humbling because you have this sense that your country put that much trust in you to carry out that mission," Olson said.

Persons: Jim Olson, Olson, Eamon Javers, Javers, —, we're Organizations: CIA, CNBC Senior Washington, FBI Locations: Moscow, Russian

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Under heavy Russian fire, Ukraine withdraws troops from parts of besieged Kharkiv region
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) performs "Rockin' in the Free World" with members of The 1999 band at the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv on May 14, 2024. The United States will back Ukraine until the country's security is "guaranteed," Blinken said in a speech in Kyiv on May 14, 2024. The band's singer told the crowd he had a "secret guest" for them as he invited "the biggest friend of Ukraine, Antony Blinken" onstage, to cheers from the crowd. But they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you," he said. "They're fighting not just for a free Ukraine but for the free world, and the free world is with you too," he added.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Neil Young's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Ukraine, Ukraine's Foreign Locations: Kyiv, United States, Ukraine, Kharkiv

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Blinken visits Kyiv to boost morale as Ukrainian forces battle Russian onslaught in northeast border region
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's security services on Monday said they had prevented "terrorist attacks" by alleged Russian agents in Kyiv that were meant to take place on May 9. Explosive devices were meant to be detonate in several locations in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, including shops, the country's security services said in a Google-translated Telegram post. Explosives were allegedly also meant to be installed in a car that was to be parked near a popular cafe, the security services said. Ukrainian security services used counter-intelligence to identify the man behind the planned attack, they said in another Telegram post. The alleged Russian agent had also planned an attack that was meant to take place in February, which was also thwarted by Ukrainian security services, they said.

Persons: — Sophie Kiderlin Organizations: Explosives, Ukraine's, Monday Locations: Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Moscow

☆ US forces shot down over 75 Iranian missiles and drones in its biggest air-defense battle of the Middle East crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUS forces engaged and shot down more than 75 of the missiles and drones that Iran fired at Israel this weekend, marking its biggest air-defense battle of the six-month-long Middle East crisis. Iran and its proxy militias launched a barrage of 170 attack drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles at Israel in a massive and unprecedented attack on Saturday night local time, according to the Israel Defense Forces. A few of the ballistic missiles entered Israeli territory and struck targets, including an IDF base, causing minor damage, the military said. US fighter jets also shot down more than 70 Iranian one-way attack drones, the American military official said. For now, Israel appears to be calibrating a response to the Iranian attack, although it is unclear at this time what that may look like.

Persons: —, Arleigh Burke, Carney —, Israel's, Joe Biden, Scott Pittman, Lloyd Austin, Grant Shapps, Japan — Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Business, US Navy, IDF, American, US, Hamas, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Iran, Israel, Iraq, US, Syria, Gulf of Aden, Yemen, Iranian, Tehran, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan

☆ Belarus' leader undermined the Kremlin's dubious claims that Ukraine backed ISIS attackers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Lukashenko claims Belarus and Russian security prevented Moscow shooting suspects from entering Belarus. AdvertisementBelarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said his country's security, with the help of Russia's Federal Security Service, tried to prevent Crocus City Hall shooting suspects from entering Belarus. "There was no chance they could enter Belarus," Lukashenko said, reported the state-run Belarusian Telegraph Agency. Lukashenko's statements on the concert hall terror suspects fleeing towards Belarus undermine the Kremlin's claims that the suspects tried to escape to Ukraine first, in an attempt to link Ukraine to the attack. No credible evidence has emerged to suggest that Ukraine was involved in the attack that killed at least 139 people.

Persons: Lukashenko, Putin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Maria Zakharova, Crocus Organizations: Service, Federal Security Service, Crocus, Belarusian Telegraph Agency, ISIS, Russian Ministry of Foreign Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Washington

☆ US special operations forces are searching for a new extreme long-range rifle for their next big fight as Ukraine shows the damage that snipers can do
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A New Sniper RifleIn December, US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, released a solicitation for offers for a new sniper rifle. SOCOM also wants its new sniper rifle to be significantly lighter than the ones it will be replacing. The MK-22 Precision Sniper Rifle sights view a target on the range at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 22, 2023. As for its durability, SOCOM wants the new sniper rifle to have a barrel life of between 1,200 and 1,500 rounds. A view from the viewfinder of a Ukrainian sniper rifle at a shooting range amid Russia and Ukraine war in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on August 09, 2023.

Persons: —, Barret, MK15, SOCOM, Michael Schwenk, Norma Mangum, Ignacio Marin, wasn't, Vyacheslav Kovalskiy Organizations: Service, Army Rangers, Navy, Marine Raiders, Green Berets, Operations Command, Base McGuire, Dix, U.S . Army National Guard, Spc, Command, Department of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Army Green Beret, National Guard, Special Forces, British, South, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Lakehurst , New Jersey, Ukrainian, Russia, Donetsk Oblast, Canadian, Iraq, Afghanistan, South African, Democratic Republic of Congo, China

☆ New report says the IDF's elite intelligence unit saw signs Hamas was preparing a terror attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A new report says an elite IDF intelligence unit warned that Hamas was practicing for a big attack. AdvertisementAn elite intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saw signs that Hamas was preparing for a massive terror attack, but early warnings ultimately went ignored, according to a new report. Unit 8200 is part of the IDF's decades-old Military Intelligence Directorate, which is responsible for collecting and processing intelligence from enemy groups like Hamas. Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesAccording to Channel 12's reporting, the NCO's colleagues did not ignore the warnings, and they even collected intelligence on additional Hamas training a few days later. For example, Israeli intelligence was focused on other threats, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, and downplayed the dangers of Hamas.

Persons: —, Chris McGrath, Paul, didn't, Benjamin Netanyahu, Haim Zach, Handout, it's, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Hamas might've, Alisa Kaff Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Military Intelligence Directorate, Hamas, IDF, West Bank, Quincy Institute, Responsible, Government Press Office, REUTERS Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Bani Suheila, Gaza City, Kibbutz Be'eri, Lebanon, Washington, Tze'elim, what's

☆ Jordan says it beefs up army presence along borders with Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour. The Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. "This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan," Khasawneh added. Jordan, the second Arab country after Egypt to sign a peace accord, has had strong security ties with Israel. "The peace treaty would be a piece of paper on a shelf covered with dust if Israel did not respect its obligations and violated it," Khasawneh said.

Persons: Bisher, Mohamed Azakir, Jordan, Bisher Khasawneh, Khasawneh, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Jordanian, REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Rights AMMAN, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Washington

☆ China's defence ministry blasts Pentagon's annual report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The flags of the United States and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry on Wednesday denounced the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on China, saying it distorts the country's security policy and military strategy. "The so-called report on China's military power released by the United States is full of all kinds of wrong content, including the statement on the Taiwan issue," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said at a media briefing on Wednesday. But he added the difficulties and obstacles facing relations between the two militaries are created by the United States. The United States accepted China's invitation after China turned down a meeting a few months ago between the two countries' defence chiefs.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Wu Qian, Wu, Defence Ministry's Wu, Bernard Orr, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Defense, Pentagon, Congress, Defence Ministry, Taiwan Affairs, Defence, United, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Chinatown, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Rights BEIJING, People's Republic of China, South, Taiwan, United, Beijing

☆ Blinken says U.S. has 'not yet seen' evidence of Iran involvement in Hamas attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that it is not clear there was any involvement by Iran in the weekend attack by Hamas on Israel. Iran has long been a supporter of Hamas, the group designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, whose attack on Saturday left at least 250 in Israel dead. "We have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a long relationship," Blinken said on CNN's "State of the Union." Israel has since struck back at Hamas, including strikes in Gaza, and the country's Security Cabinet officially approved a "war situation." "Our first focus is to make sure Israel has what it needs to deal with the situation in Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Michael McCaul, Biden, Israel Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Republican, CNN, country's Security Locations: Iran, Israel, unfreeze, U.S, Gaza, Lebanon

The issue has exposed deep divisions between his nationalist-religious supporters and more liberal and secular sections of Israeli society, posing major questions about the constitutional foundations of Israel and its future direction. Over 2,600 Israelis including Zwebner's brother were killed, the largest loss of life Israel has ever suffered in a single war. For many front-line soldiers, the war remains a traumatic event but the feeling many express five decades later is pride in having helped save their country. "I had a meeting with my friends this week which really made me emotional, but you feel very much like you saved the existence of Israel," Zwebner said. For Zwebner, who himself opposes the judicial overhaul, a lesson of the 1973 war was that people had to be prepared to think for themselves rather than blindly accepting what leaders of any kind said.

Persons: Uzy, Yonti, Amir Cohen, Uzy Zwebner, Golda Meir, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Herzi Halevi, Israel, Jordan, Abraham, Zwebner, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Labour Party, ISRAEL, U.S, Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Sinai, Kippur, Tel Aviv, Israel, Yom Kippur, Golan, Soviet Union, Egypt

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan lawmakers said Wednesday that parliamentary approval is required before the deployment of police to the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti to combat gang violence that was approved by the U.N. Security Council this week. Opposition lawmaker Anthony Oluoch told a session of Parliament's lower house that the conditions for foreign deployment hadn't been met under the National Police Act. The Kenya-led mission would be the first time in almost 20 years that a force would be deployed to Haiti. The upcoming mission would be led by Kenya, with Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda also pledging personnel. The non-U.N. mission would be reviewed after nine months and be funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. pledging up to $200 million.

Persons: Anthony Oluoch, hadn't, ”, Junet Mohamed, William Ruto, “, Joe Biden, Ruto, Nelson Koech, ” Koech, Kimani Ichung’wah, Alfred Mutua, Mutua Organizations: —, . Security, National Police, Kenyan, Security, Multinational Security, Kenyan Constitution, Associated Press, U.S, Kenyan Foreign Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Haiti, East Africa, Shabab, Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda

RAW Chief Ravi Sinha, the only serving official publicly affiliated with the agency, did not return messages seeking comment. All six officials denied that RAW engages in targeted killings, noting that the agency has no mandate for such operations. Fallout from the Vancouver incident has also raised concerns that RAW will come under greater global monitoring, Indian intelligence officials and analysts said. "The current developments have undoubtedly increased global curiosity about RAW," said Dheeraj Paramesha Chaya, an expert on Indian intelligence at Britain's Hull University. "Our footprint is growing in parts of the world which were not important earlier," a recently retired senior RAW official said, without providing specifics.

Persons: Blair Gable, Justin Trudeau's, Hardeep Singh, RAW's, Narendra Modi, Ravi Sinha, Sinha, Ajit Doval, Paramesha, Trudeau, David Headley, Headley, Adrian Levy, Levy, Modi, Krishn Kaushik, Sanjeev Miglani, Katerina Ang Organizations: High Commission of, REUTERS, Canadian, Reuters, RAW, National, Britain's Hull University, Ottawa, Washington Post, MUMBAI RAW, Indian Foreign Ministry, Indian, Islamabad, American Embassy, Intelligence Bureau, Hull, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, India deniability, South, CIA, U.S . Council, Foreign Relations, PRS, Thomson Locations: High Commission of India, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, DELHI, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vancouver, India, Ottawa, Mumbai, West, Delhi, China, Washington, U.S, MUMBAI, Islamabad, North America, Chicago, United States, London, Britain, Australia, South Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Delhi

☆ Lula government's approval rating dips nine months into office in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The CNT/MDA poll said 40.6% of the people surveyed said the performance of the Lula government was "great" or "good" compared with 43% in the previous poll in May. Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff election last October and took office in January. Still, 46% of those polled say the new government is better than Bolsonaro's, which had a 12-percentage-point lower approval rating after nine months in office. Approval of Lula's own performance as president has also dipped, to 54.9% from 57%, with disapproval rising to 39% from 35%. MDA, commissioned by the national transport lobby CNT, polled 2,002 people across Brazil between Sept. 27 and Oct. 1.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Marcelo Souza, Bolsonaro, Anthony Boadle, Steven Grattan, Rod Nickel Organizations: CNT, MDA, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, Brasilia

☆ Armenia warns of 'ethnic cleansing' as thousands flee the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Armenian police officers walks near refugees as they queue in vehicles near the border town of Kornidzor, arriving from Nagorno-Karabakh, on September 26, 2023. Thousands of ethnic Armenians on Tuesday fled their homes in the breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, as Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly blamed Russia for failing to ensure the country's security. The U.S. has called for Azerbaijan to maintain a ceasefire and "take concrete steps" to protect the rights of civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The landlocked territory of Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1991 and, with the support of Armenia, has fought two wars with Azerbaijan in the space of 30 years. As of Tuesday morning, at least 13,350 people were estimated to have entered Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the Armenian government.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan Organizations: Tuesday, Armenia's Locations: Kornidzor, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus, Europe, Asia, The U.S, Armenia

☆ The Nagorno-Karabakh crisis raises serious questions for Russia — and the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The contested mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been under de-facto Armenian control since the early 1990s. It follows an abrupt 24-hour offensive by Azerbaijani forces on Tuesday that swiftly broke through ethnic Armenian lines, seized strategic positions and resulted in the surrender of separatist forces. Armenia, which has typically looked to Russia as a security guarantor, said Azerbaijan's military operation was an attempt to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge Baku has denied. Armenian authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azerbaijan of violating a cease-fire agreement, with Reuters reporting gunfire could be heard in the region's capital on Thursday. Armenians attend a rally in Yerevan on September 21, 2023, following Azerbaijani military operations against Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Persons: Karen Minasyan, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Japaridze, Pashinyan, Karabakh, Kusa, Pashynian's Organizations: Government, Armenian, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Eurasia Group, Kremlin, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Anadolu Agency, Ukrainian Institute, Russian Embassy Locations: Yerevan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Caucasus, South Caucasus, Russia, Baku, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London

[1/2] Vehicles of Russian peacekeepers leaving Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region for Armenia pass an Armenian checkpoint on a road near the village of Kornidzor, Armenia September 22, 2023. Images of fleeing Armenians at Russia's own peacekeeping base at an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh have been harder for them to watch. But its handling of the Karabakh crisis has forced it into a blame game with Armenia and obliged it to defend its foreign policy in the region. It now accuses him of triggering the crisis by saying - after Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh in 2020 following Armenia's defeat in a 44-day war - that he recognised Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Baku has long argued that Karabakh falls within its own borders, but Karabakh Armenians wanted Pashinyan to recognise their independence and unify them with Armenia.

Persons: Irakli, Alexander Baunov, Russia's, Sergei Markov, Pashinyan, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Margarita Simonyan, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Armenian, Soviet, Carnegie, Karabakh, Protesters, Kremlin, Russian, Security Council, NATO, Thomson Locations: Karabakh, Armenia, Kornidzor, Russia, Azerbaijan Moscow, Kabul, U.S, Afghanistan, Nagorno, Turkish, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, South Caucasus, Stepanakert, Russian, America, Baku ., Yerevan, Baku, Pashinyan

☆ Evidence suggests errant Ukrainian missile caused market deaths - New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Press service of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Evidence suggests a deadly explosion at a busy market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka this month was caused by an errant missile fired by Ukraine, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Ukraine has said the Sept. 6 blast, which killed at least 16 people, was caused by a Russian missile. "Evidence collected and analyzed by The New York Times, including missile fragments, satellite imagery, witness accounts and social media posts, strongly suggests the catastrophic strike was the result of an errant Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk launch system," the newspaper reported. The New York Times quoted a spokesperson for Ukraine's armed forces as saying the country's security service was investigating the incident, and under national law could not comment further. A spokesperson for Ukraine's military command referred Reuters to that comment cited in the New York Times story.

Persons: Anna Pruchnicka, Timothy Heritage, Gareth Jones Organizations: Police, Press, Interior Ministry of, REUTERS, New York Times, The New York Times, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Interior Ministry of Ukraine, Handout, Ukrainian, Druzhkivka, Russia

☆ Panama announces new measures to curb record migration through Darien Gap
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Deportation flights for irregular migrants with criminal records are set to double with the help of the country's security ministry, Panama's immigration institute chief Samira Gozaine said. Official data shows some 352,000 people have crossed the dangerous stretch this year by Sept. 8, already surpassing the record high of nearly 250,000 seen for all of 2022. Panama will also increase financial thresholds at its checkpoints, requiring people expecting to stay 90 days to show proof of funds of at least $1,000, rather than the $500 it previously expected. The United Nations expects crossings through the jungle to surpass 400,000 this year. Reporting by Elida Moreno: Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Samira Gozaine, Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland Organizations: Nicanor Air Base, PANAMA CITY, Authorities, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Choco, Panamanian, Colombia, Darien, Panama, PANAMA

☆ Ukraine arrested the oligarch who owns the TV station that aired Volodymyr Zelenskyy's show before he became president
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine has detained Ihor Kolomoisky, a prominent oligarch, as part of an anti-corruption drive. Kolomoisky owns the TV station that showed Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "Servant of the People." The country's security service said on its Telegram channel that oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky would be held in custody for two months on fraud and money laundering charges. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky appeared in court on Saturday. Kolomoisky owns the TV station 1+1 that broadcast "Servant of the People," in which Zelenskyy played a comedian who becomes president.

Persons: Ihor Kolomoisky, Kolomoisky, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Forbes, Vladyslav Musiienko, Reuters Zelensky, Zelenskyy, they'd, oligarch, Petro Poroshenko Organizations: Reuters, BBC News, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kolomoisky

☆ Russia signs 280,000 for contract military service this year -Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows a billboard promoting military service under the contract in Russian Armed Forces and containing information about payments, on a road in the Leningrad Region, Russia July 4, 2023. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 3 (Reuters) - Some 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia's military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, said on Sunday. Visiting Russia's Far East, Medvedev said he was meeting local officials to work on efforts to beef up the armed forces. "According to the Ministry of Defence, since Jan. 1, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces on a contract basis," including reservists, state news agency TASS quoted Medvedev as saying. Some Russian lawmakers suggested Russia needs a professional army 7-million strong to ensure the country's security - a move that would require a huge budget allowance.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: Russian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Russian Security Council, Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Leningrad Region, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Lebanon seeks to reassure Gulf, Germany after travel warnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Germany and Britain updated their travel warnings amid clashes between rival armed groups in the Palestinian camp of Ain el-Hilweh in Lebanon's south. The Saudi embassy on Friday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon quickly and avoid areas where there have been armed clashes. The Saudi statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon". Last week, Germany warned citizens not to travel to Palestinian camps in Lebanon, among other areas. Reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut and Vera Eckert in Germany; editing by Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Najib Mikati, Mikati, Abdullah Bou Habib, Fatah, Ain, Maya Gebeily, Vera Eckert, Giles Elgood Organizations: Saudi, Saturday, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Britain, Ain el, Lebanon's, Lebanon, Saudi, Palestine, Beirut

☆ Indonesia buys drones worth $300 mln from Turkish Aerospace
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia has bought 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace worth $300 million, its defence ministry said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of purchases aimed at modernising the country's ageing military equipment. Indonesia in February also bought 42 Rafale fighter jets for $8.1 billion, which will be disbursed in phases over several years. At 134.3 trillion rupiah ($8.89 billion), the defence ministry has the biggest allocation from the country's total budget this year, according to government data. The deal with Anakara-based Turkish Aerospace was finalised in February and the drones are expected to be delivered within 32 months of the signing. It also includes training and flight simulators, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Ananda Teresia, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Turkish Aerospace, Defence, Rafale, Anakara, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia

☆ Drones target Russian capital on eve of military parade attended by Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early on July 30, 2023, Russia's defence ministry said, in an attack that briefly shut an international airport. While one of the drones was shot down on the city's outskirts, two others were "suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)Russian officials say they shot down three Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow early Sunday, hours before the start of a major military parade attended by President Vladimir Putin. "There is always something flying in Russia, including in Moscow," Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukrainian national television. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has become Russia's top military supporter, selling self-detonating "Shahed" drones and unmanned UAVs to Moscow.

Persons: Alexander NEMENOV, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Vladimir Putin, Yurii Ihnat, Putin, Shahram Irani, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev Organizations: Moscow International Business, Moscow, Getty Images, Vnukovo International, TASS, Ukrainian, country's Security Locations: Moskva City, Moscow, city's, AFP, Russian, —, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, St . Petersburg, U.K, Iran

☆ Israel's Netanyahu taken to hospital for a heart procedure and placed under sedation as hundreds of thousands march in protest of his plans to overhaul the judiciary
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Sunday he was going to the hospital for an emergency procedure to receive a pacemaker, but vowed to press ahead with his controversial judicial overhaul plan. Netanyahu's office made the announcement as Israel faces widespread street protests over Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul plan. Levin is the mastermind of the overhaul plan. The signatories included Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, and Moshe Yaalon, a former army chief and defense minister. In a speech Thursday, Netanyahu doubled down on the overhaul and dismissed as absurd the accusations that the plan would destroy Israel's democratic foundations.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Yariv Levin, Levin, throngs, Monday's, Joe Biden, Ehud Barak, Moshe Yaalon, Israel Katz, Yoav Gallant Organizations: Israeli, National Institutes of Health, Likud, Channel, West Bank Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jerusalem, Israel's, Beersheba, Haifa, Netanya

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