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☆ North Korean athletes to participate in the Asian Games in China, KCNA reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 16 (Reuters) - North Korean athletes have left Pyongyang for the Asian Games on Thursday that will take place in China, marking the first international, multisport event that North Korea has participated in since the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. The Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, a year after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. KCNA did not mention the size of the team or athletes' travel routes. North Korea closed its borders to nearly all travel in early 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics due to coronavirus concerns. In August, North Korean taekwondo athletes participated in the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) World Championships in Kazakhstan, the first appearance by the country's athletes at an overseas competition since the start of the pandemic.

Persons: KCNA, Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith, Sandra Maler Organizations: Asian Games, Tokyo, North, International, International Olympic Committee, Beijing Winter Games, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Pyongyang, China, Korea, Indonesia, Hangzhou, North Korea, North Korean, Kazakhstan, Tokyo

☆ Soyuz spacecraft with US astronaut, two Russian cosmonauts docks at ISS
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Acquire Licensing RightsSept 15 (Reuters) - A Russian spacecraft blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome on Friday carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station (ISS), live TV images showed. At 1853 GMT the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with American Loral O'Hara and Russians Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on board docked at the ISS, Russia's Roscosmos space agency said. They will join the current crew of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Frank Rubio, Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin, Konstantin Borisov and Sergei Prokopyev, as well as Denmark's Andreas Mogensen and Japan's Satoshi Furukawa. The ISS is one of the few international projects on which the United States and Russia still cooperate closely.

Persons: Loral O'Hara, Oleg Kononenko, Maxim Shemetov, Nikolai, Jasmin Moghbeli, Frank Rubio, Dmitry Petelin, Konstantin Borisov, Sergei Prokopyev, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa, Luna, William Maclean, Mark Porter Organizations: NASA, International Space, Baikonur, REUTERS, Kazakhstan's Baikonur, Soyuz, Washington, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Russian, Kazakhstan's, U.S, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) — One American and two Russian space crew members blasted off Friday aboard a Russian spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub lifted off on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft at 8.44 p.m. local time. O’Hara will spend six months on the ISS while Kononenko and Chub will spend a year there. Neither O’Hara nor Chub have ever flown to space before, but they will be flying with veteran cosmonaut and mission commander Kononenko, who has made the trip four times already. Later in September, three of the ISS crew will depart, including NASA astronaut Frank Rubio who will have been there for more than a year.

Persons: Loral O’Hara, Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai, O’Hara, Kononenko, Frank Rubio Organizations: MOSCOW, Baikonur, International Space Station, NASA, ISS Locations: Kazakhstan, U.S, Russia, Denmark, Japan

☆ As Apple launches new phone, key facts on titanium
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man check his phone near an Apple logo outside its store in Shanghai, China September 13, 2023. China's titanium producers said they expect stronger demand after the launch of the new Apple models. Titanium minerals are used to make titanium sponge which can be turned into metal for industrial applications. China was the second largest importer of titanium sponge with more than 13,000 tons last year, followed by South Korea with 9,000 tons, according to TDM. WHAT IS TITANIUM USED FOR?

Persons: Aly, Pratima Desai, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, United States Geological Survey, WHO, Trade Data Monitor, Titans, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, United States, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, vaping

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Vostochny space launch facility where President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday reflects an ambitious attempt by Moscow to burnish its scientific glory that faded after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The new spaceport has a troubled history tarnished by construction delays and widespread corruption. DIFFICULT CONSTRUCTIONVostochny’s location in an unexplored and sparsely populated area in Russia’s far east has added to the cost and length of construction works. The first launch from Vostochny initially had been planned for 2015 but was pushed back until the following year. In 2018, an inspection revealed cavities in the ground under the launch pad that were blamed on shoddy construction works and required additional funds to fix.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Vostochny, Luna Organizations: MOSCOW, North, Soviet Union, Baikonur, Soyuz Locations: Moscow, Soviet, Soviet Union, Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia’s, Tsiolkovsky, Vostochny

☆ Vostochny Cosmodrome: What is Russia’s space launch facility in Amur?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows flags of Russia and North Korea ahead of the meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsVLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 13 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin met North Korea's Kim Jong Un, possibly at Russia's most modern space rocket launch site, on Wednesday amid the forests of the eastern Russia. What is the Vostochny Cosmodrome? * Putin ordered the construction of the cosmodrome to reduce reliance on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which gained independence after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. * Meeting Kim, cast by former U.S. President Donald Trump as the "rocket man", at Vostochny puts a spotlight on Western concerns about the development of North Korea's missile capabilities.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Smirnov, Putin, Kim, Donald Trump, Luna, Guy Faulconbridge, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North, Baikonur, U.S, Soyuz, Thomson Locations: Russia, North Korea, Amur, Rights VLADIVOSTOK, Russia's, Russian, China, Vladivostok, Kazakhstan, Soviet Union, Soviet

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio now holds the record for the longest U.S. spaceflight. Rubio surpassed the U.S. space endurance record of 355 days on Monday at the International Space Station. But their stay was doubled after their Soyuz capsule developed a coolant leak while parked at the space station. By then, Rubio will have spent 371 days in space, more than two weeks longer than Mark Vande Hei, the previous U.S. record holder for a single spaceflight, Russia holds the world record of 437 days, set in the mid-1990s. “Your dedication is truly out of this world, Frank!” NASA chief Bill Nelson said via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Frank Rubio, Rubio, Mark Vande Hei, Frank !, Bill Nelson Organizations: NASA, Space, Twitter, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education, AP Locations: Russia, Kazakhstan

☆ Violeta Mitul: Moldova soccer player dies aged 26 in hiking accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Moldovan soccer player Violeta Mitul has died aged 26 in a “tragic accident,” European soccer’s governing body UEFA announced on Friday. Violeta Mitul was playing club soccer in Iceland. Ettore Griffoni/LiveMedia/ShutterstockMitul joined Icelandic club Einherji earlier this year but had previously played for clubs in Spain, Italy, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Moldova did not qualify for this year’s Women’s World Cup but Mitul played in all 10 of her country’s qualifying matches. CNN has reached out to her club Einherji and the Moldovan Football Association.

Persons: Violeta Mitul, “, ”, Ettore Griffoni, Shutterstock Mitul, Mitul Organizations: CNN — Moldovan, UEFA, ” UEFA, Einherji, Moldovan, Tiraspol, Vasas, CNN, Moldovan Football Association Locations: Europe, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Romanian, Moldova

☆ Danilina and Heliovaara win U.S. Open mixed doubles title
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakhstan's Danilina and Heliovaara of Finland randomly teamed up ahead when they happened to be at the sign-in table at the same time. It was an amazing run," Danilina said during her on-court interview. Heliovaara and Danilina remained in control as they opened the second set with another break before the Americans got the set back on serve in the fourth game. But Heliovaara and Danilina refused to let the Americans back into the match and went on to break at love for a 5-4 lead before closing out victory. Heliovaara initially forgot to mention Danilina when he addressed the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd during the trophy presentation but quickly requested the microphone back.

Persons: Finland's Harri Heliovaara, Anna Danilina, Austin Krajicek, Jessica Pegula, Mike Segar, Harri Heliovaara, Kazakhstan's, Danilina, It's, Heliovaara, Arthur Ashe, Anna, Frank Pingue, Ed Osmond Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Heliovaara, Finland, Toronto

☆ Cuba arrests 17 for allegedly helping recruit some of its citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Cuban authorities have arrested 17 people in connection with what they described as a network to recruit Cuban nationals to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Cuba's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the government had detected a network operating from Russia to recruit Cuban citizens living both in Russia and in Cuba to fight in Ukraine. "Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry said in a news release. Russian law allows foreign nationals to enlist in its army, after signing a contract with the Defense Ministry. It also noted that there have been online adds seeking recruits for the Russian army in Armenia and Kazakhstan.

Persons: César Rodríguez, José Luis Reyes, Marilin Vinent, Dannys Castillo, Vinent, Sergei Sobyanin Organizations: Cuba's Interior Ministry, Cuba's, Foreign Ministry, U.S . State Department, Russia, Defense Ministry, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry, British Defense Ministry, Twitter, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Russian, Ryazan, Moscow, Cuba Republic, Havana, Central Asia, Armenia, Kazakhstan

☆ Cuba says its citizens were recruited to fight with Russia in Ukraine — but the government is only cracking down now 'because they got caught,' former counterintelligence officer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Lauren Steussy | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Cuban government says it's cracking down on efforts to recruit citizens to fight with Russia. But Cuba experts say it's likely that Cuba, a longtime Kremlin ally, was involved in these efforts. AdvertisementAdvertisementAndrés Albuquerque, a Miami-based political analyst, said it's also possible Russia worked alongside the Cuban government to recruit citizens. The recruitment in Cuba — as well as similar efforts in June in Kazakhstan — comes as Russia faces a manpower crisis. Just this past June, Cuba's Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera met with his Russian counterpart, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in Moscow.

Persons: Chris Simmons, Simmons, they've, Cuba didn't, it's, Putin, Albuquerque, Cuba —, Fidel Castro, Álvaro López Miera, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu Organizations: Service, Cuban, Russia, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense Intelligence Agency, NPR, Defense, Western Military District, New York Times, Times, Kazakhstan —, Cuba's Army, Russian Locations: Cuban, Russia, Cuba, Kremlin, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Albuquerque, Miami, Kazakhstan, Soviet Union, War, Moscow

☆ China is eroding Russia's influence over old allies as the alliance it leads crumbles over Ukraine, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian influence is waning despite formal alliances and the old ties of the Soviet Union. It is also home to most members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Russian President Vladimir Putin's equivalent of NATO. Russia's influence on them is also being weakened by more countries competing for their attention, Graham said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that "Russia's operation in Ukraine is undermining, eroding its ability to maintain its influence across the former Soviet space." "You're seeing the slow erosion of Russian influence."

Persons: Thomas Graham, Vladimir Putin's, Graham, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Stanislav Zas, Nikol Pashinyan, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rakhmon, Anton Novoderezhkin Organizations: Service, Yale, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Moscow REUTERS, Russia, Armenian, Kazakh, Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Central, AFPTV, Getty Locations: Central Asia, Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, China, Turkey, East, Caucasus, Moscow, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Central, Europe, Iran, Russian, Belarusian, Bakhmut, AFP, Azerbaijan, Soviet

☆ Cuba Says Its Citizens Were Lured to Fight in Russia’s War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Valeriya Safronova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Cuba has been a close ally of Russia since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Álvaro López Miera, the head of Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, visited Moscow in June. He was received by his Russian counterpart, Sergei K. Shoigu, who said that Cuba was Russia’s “most important ally” in the Caribbean. About 70,000 Russian tourists visited Cuba in the first half of 2023, according to Russian state media, and about 11,000 Cubans visited Russia in 2022, according to the Russian Association of Tour Operators. It is not the first time that a country has claimed that its citizens were being recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

Persons: Elena Shuvalova, Álvaro López Miera, Sergei K, Shoigu, Russia’s, ”, ” Mr, Ukraine ” Organizations: Moscow Times, Russian Army, Cuban Foreign Ministry, Cuba’s Ministry, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Tass, Russian Association of Tour Locations: Moscow, Cuba, Russia, Cuban, Caribbean, Ukraine, Russian, Kostanay, Kazakhstan, Kazakh

☆ Pope, quoting Buddha, urges religious dialogue to fight fundamentalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pope Francis speaks during an ecumenical and interreligious meeting at the Hun Theatre, during his Apostolic Journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia September 3, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsULAANBAATAR, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Calling himself one of the "humble heirs" of ancient schools of wisdom and quoting the Buddha, Pope Francis on Sunday urged all religions to live in harmony and shun ideological fundamentalism that foments violence. But the pope repeated on Sunday that he put great importance in "ecumenical, inter-religious and cultural dialogue". "There can be no mixing, then, of religious beliefs and violence, of holiness and oppression, of religious traditions and sectarianism," Francis said. Several of the leaders, including the rabbi and the shaman, imparted a special blessing from their religions on the pope, wishing him health and a long life.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Francis, Jesus, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Philip Pullella, Lincoln Organizations: Hun, REUTERS, Sunday, Catholic, Mongolian, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, ULAANBAATAR, Mongolian, China, Beijing, Soviet, Kazakhstan

☆ North Korea hints at tourism reopening, but doubts remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

When North Korea slammed its already tight borders closed in 2020, he was one of many travel industry professionals left out in the proverbial cold. One of Cockerell’s business concerns, he says, is that a lack of search engine interest in North Korea trips could hurt his website’s visibility on Google. In 2017, the United States banned its passport holders from traveling to North Korea and has renewed this ban through at least 2024. The 2017 ban on American travel to North Korea came shortly after the death of Otto Warmbier, a recent college graduate from Ohio who participated in a Young Pioneer Tours group trip to North Korea. Warmbier was detained in North Korea in 2016 for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster and held for 17 months.

Persons: Simon Cockerell, ” Cockerell, ”, Cockerell, Kim, Otto Warmbier, Warmbier, CNN’s Paula Hancocks, Irene Nasser, Kate Springer, Yoonjung Seo Organizations: CNN, Air Koryo, of Tourism, United, DPRK, Tours, North Koreans, North Korean Locations: North Korea, North, Pyongyang, Beijing, China, Vladivostok, Russia, Koryo, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tourism, United States, Ohio

☆ Russia dominated the first space race, but now it can't even land on the moon. Photos show the US and China are way ahead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

China, Russia, and the US (with its international allies) are all plotting huge new moonshots. Photos of the space efforts of the US, China, and Russia reveal how far behind the former space power has fallen. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US and China are innovating, while Russia's space tech agesNASA's Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Berger cited other underlying issues that are stifling Russia's space ambitions, like budget cuts, quality control, and corruption. Western sanctions have harmed Russia's space program in other ways, limiting its access to high-quality microchips, the AP reported.

Persons: Artemis, Russia isn't, hasn't, Russia's Luna, Bill Nelson, Luna, NASA’s, —, Tingshu Wang, Sergei Markov, Russia's, Steve Seipel, Yuri Borisov, Borisov, Bill Ingalls, Eric Berger, Vladimir Putin's, Berger, Xue Lei, landers, Roscosmos, Victoria Samson Organizations: Service, NASA, AP, Soviet Union, Operation, Space Corporation, Politico, New York Times, China National Space Administration, Vostochny, Luna, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Arizona State University NASA, Orion, NASA NASA, SpaceX, National Museum, Reuters, Kremlin, Kennedy Space Center, CNN, Russian Soyuz, Baikonur, Future Publishing, Getty, European Space Agency, ESA, Secure, Foundation Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Russia, Soviet, Soviet Union, China National Space Administration Russia, Russia's Far, India, Russian, Beijing, Ukraine, Florida, Kazakhstan, Washington

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Friday to discuss grain ahead of the Erdogan meeting. "It turned out that it is more difficult to do this than to build new corridors, new ground routes," said Shoigu, who attended the signing ceremony for the Black Sea deal in Istanbul in 2022. Turkey's foreign minister said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday that reviving the deal was important for the world. U.S. wheat prices rose on Friday, though Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia saw no sign that it would receive the guarantees needed to revive the grain deal. Lavrov said he had discussed Putin's initiative to supply up to 1 million tonnes of Russian grain to Turkey at reduced prices for subsequent processing at Turkish plants and shipping to countries most in need.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Putin, Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, Dmitry Peskov, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, it's, Russia's, António Guterres, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey, Conor Humphries, Alison Williams Organizations: Sputnik, Erdogan, UN, United Nations, United, Kremlin, Turkish, Russian, Central African, Initiative, Qatar, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Sochi Turkey, Russia, MOSCOW, Black, Sochi, Ankara, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, Moscow, Istanbul, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, EU, Odesa

☆ US Open order of play on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Order of play on the main show courts on the fifth day of the U.S. Open on Friday (play starts 1500 GMT/11 AM ET unless stated, prefix number denotes seeding):ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1600 GMT/12 PM ET)14-Tommy Paul (U.S.) v 21-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain)Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) v Jennifer Brady (U.S.)32-Elise Mertens (Belgium) v 6-Coco Gauff (U.S)32-Laslo Djere (Serbia) v 2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Taylor Townsend (U.S.)1-Iga Swiatek (Poland) v Kaja Juvan (Slovenia)22-Adrian Mannarino (France) v 10-Frances Tiafoe (U.S.)Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) v 9-Taylor Fritz (U.S.)4-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) v 30-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)Compiled by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Mike Segar, ARTHUR ASHE, Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Caroline Wozniacki, Jennifer Brady, Elise Mertens, Coco Gauff, Laslo Djere, Novak Djokovic, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, Karolina Muchova, Taylor Townsend, Swiatek, Adrian Mannarino, Frances Tiafoe, Jakub Mensik, Taylor Fritz, Elena Rybakina, Sorana, Janina Nuno Rios, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Serbia, Czech Republic, U.S, Poland, Slovenia, France, Kazakhstan, Romania, Mexico City

☆ Hans Niemann reinstated by Chess.com, vows to become ‘best chess player in the world’ after alleged cheating scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has been reinstated by Chess.com following the conclusion of a legal dispute between Niemann, Magnus Carlsen and the online platform, among others. In June, a US judge dismissed a $100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Niemann against Chess.com, five-time world champion Carlsen, and popular streamer and player Hikaru Nakamura. This followed an alleged cheating scandal surrounding Niemann which rocked the sport last year. “I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com,” Niemann said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. According to Niemann’s dismissed lawsuit, the dispute began in September 2022 when then world champion Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

Persons: Hans Niemann, Niemann, Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, ”, Hans, ” Chess.com, “, ” Niemann, Magnus, Niemann’s, José Mourinho, ” Carlsen, Pavel Mikheyev, Julius Baer, Nakamura Organizations: CNN, Chess.com, Niemann, Louis Chess Club, YouTube Locations: American, Chess.com, St, Louis , Missouri, Kazakhstan

☆ Hundreds of Russian soldiers are going AWOL and refusing to fight as morale plummets, UK intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's conviction rate for AWOL soldiers soared to 100 a week, UK officials said. Mediazona, citing data from the websites of military courts as of July 19, reported a dramatic increase in cases of Russian soldiers absent without official leave (AWOL) since March 2023. By June, Russian military courts were handing out 100 sentences per week, the outlet said. "Although some soldiers have refused to fight and attrition rates remain high, Russia highly likely mitigates their loss by committing a mass of poorly trained soldiers to the frontline." In addition to low morale, the respected Institute for the Study of War think tank stated last week that the Russian military is suffering from infighting and shortages.

Persons: Mediazona Organizations: Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Army, Russian, MoD, Central, New York Times Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moscow

☆ Meta pins pro-China influence campaign on Chinese law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Facebook parent company Meta said on Tuesday it had uncovered links between people associated with Chinese law enforcement and a long-running but largely ineffectual operation to positively influence people on social media about China. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. China’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of the findings, but added that individuals and institutions have often launched campaigns against China on social media platforms. Truly identify what lies and rumours are, what is the truth, and effectively eliminate false information related to China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said when asked about the matter at a news briefing on Wednesday. The “Spamouflage” network first started out posting on large platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, now called X.

Persons: Meta, Yves Herman, ”, Wang Wenbin, Ben Nimmo, Nimmo Organizations: YORK, Facebook, REUTERS, Meta, YouTube, Twitter, Global, Intelligence Locations: China, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Beijing, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan

☆ Shady export leaks suggest Russian sanctions work
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That may be true, but the cracks mostly demonstrate the sanctions’ impact, and why they can be tightened. EU exporters did ship nearly 17 billion euros’ worth of goods to Kazakhstan in the 18 months starting in January 2022. And if exports had grown at the 17% pace of previous years, some 6 billion euros would remain unexplained. Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to circumvent a G7 price cap on its oil shipments are another sign of Western sanctions’ overall effectiveness. EU exports to Russia declined by 30% to 75.7 billion euros over the same period.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Western, Union, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Soviet, Moscow, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China, India, Europe, United States, Central Asia, EU

☆ Chess-Carlsen and Niemann settle dispute over cheating claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Magnus Carlsen of Norway sits in front of a chess board during a game. Chess.com banned Niemann and later published a report saying he had likely cheated more than 100 times in online games. Niemann has admitted to cheating online when he was 12 and 16-years-old, but denied any wrongdoing while contesting over-the-board games. Weeks after the Sinquefield Cup, Carlsen refused to play in an online game against Niemann, opting instead to resign after just one move. "I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together."

Persons: Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Pavel Mikheyev, Norway's Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, Niemann, Carlsen, Chess.com, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus, Weeks, Hritika Sharma, Peter Rutherford Organizations: FIDE, REUTERS, Sinquefield, American, Thomson Locations: Almaty, Kazakhstan, U.S, St, Louis , Missouri, Hyderabad

☆ Russia more than doubled salaries of some soldiers but is still struggling to recruit people to fight in Ukraine, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia, which has struggled to recruit soldiers, likely still won't get as many as it wants, the MoD said. Russia has done one major mobilization of fighters since the invasion began, declaring a "partial mobilization" of 300,000 reservists in September. It said in May that Russia likely wants to delay the announcement of any obvious mandatory mobilization "to minimize domestic dissent." And it said Russia was focusing on recruiting Central Asian migrant workers that are in Russia to go and fight in Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia also tried to recruit from neighboring country Kazakhstan, offering a sign-on bonus of 495,000 rubles, which is around $5,200.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: UK's Ministry of Defence, MoD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Armed Forces, Russian, Central Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kazakhstan

☆ Meta pins 'Spamouflage' influence campaign on Chinese law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Facebook parent company Meta (META.O) said on Tuesday it had uncovered links between people associated with Chinese law enforcement and the long-running but largely ineffectual pro-China "Spamouflage" influence operation. The "Spamouflage" network has engaged in spurts of activity over the last several years pushing positive narratives about China and negative commentary about the United States, Western foreign policies and critics of the Chinese government. With the latest activity detected, Meta executives said they believed that "Spamouflage" had become the largest known cross-platform influence operation to date, with a presence on at least 50 services. The "Spamouflage" network first started out posting on large platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, now called X.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Ben Nimmo, Nimmo, Katie Paul, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Meta, YouTube, Twitter, Global, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, United States, Beijing, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan

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