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☆ Migrant’s drowning in Mediterranean prompts criticism of Malta's rescue policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Reade Levinson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

Details of the incident, described to Reuters by humanitarian groups MSF, Sea-Watch and Alarm Phone, haven’t previously been reported. By the next morning, June 23, survivors told MSF, they had run out of food and water. [1/5]Handout image obtained by Reuters, October 12, 2023 shows a Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) rescue boat near a rubber boat carrying migrants from the Middle East and Africa, in the Mediterranean Sea, June 24, 2023. At 12:46 p.m., Alarm Phone called the Malta Search and Rescue Coordination Centre to report that one person was in the water. The passengers told the men they were scared and didn’t want to remain on the boat, survivors told MSF.

Persons: Africa –, ’, Ainhoa Campàs Velasco, Sabrina Borg, “, ”, Tommaso Foti, Foti, Oliver Kulikowski, Neil Azzopardi Ferriggi, Skye McKee, Handout, Kulikowski, Byron Camilleri, Camilleri, Jean, Pierre Gauci, Reade Levinson, Janet Roberts Organizations: Reuters, Sea, MSF, Geo, University of Southampton, “, EU, REUTERS Acquire, Passengers, Coordination, Watch, Reuters ., Maltese, Armed Forces of, Armed Forces, -, United Nations, Refugees, Amnesty International, European, of Human Rights, Home Affairs, European Union, British Institute of International, Comparative, La Spezia, Thomson Locations: East, Africa, Malta, Maltese, Italy, Europe, Italian, “ Malta, Sirte, Libya, Syria, South Sudan, Sea, Armed Forces of Malta, Malta's, Laconia, Gabon, ”, London

☆ Russia's Lancet drone is its most effective weapon in Ukraine, and it's only getting deadlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( David Hambling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Rise of the lancetA Russian Lancet loitering munition shot down in the Zaporizhzhia region in July 2022. At first only a handful of Lancet strike videos were posted each month. Target setUkrainian soldiers shoot at what Ukraine said were Russian Lancet drones in a still image from a video released in May. AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to Lost Armor, as of October 3 there are 667 Lancet strike videos. These are typically kept several miles back from the front line, but not far enough to be out of Lancet range.

Persons: —, Samuel Bendett, 19FortyFive, Yuriy Sak, Dmytro Smoliyenko, Crews, Bendett, Zala, David Hambling Organizations: Service, Russia, Strategic Communications, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Zala Aero Group, Special Operations Forces, CNA, CNAS, Lancet, Reuters, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Analysts, Publishing, Getty, Artillery, Oryx, Russia's RIA, Telegram, Vostok, Volunteer, Aviation, Forbes, The, New, Popular Mechanics, WIRED Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Syria, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, German, Kyiv, Lancets, London

[1/5] Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, speaks at their Rouge Visitor Center in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. October 16, 2023. "We can stop this now," Ford said of the strike that expanded last week to shut down the Kentucky Truck plant. The UAW's walkout at Kentucky Truck, Ford's largest and most profitable assembly operation globally, "harms tens of thousands of American workers," Ford said. On Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain accused Ford of trying to game the talks with inadequate offers and insisted Ford sharply boost compensation. On Thursday, a senior Ford executive said the automaker was "at the limit" of what it can spend on higher wages and benefits for the UAW.

Persons: Bill Ford, Jeff Kowalsky, Ford, Henry Ford, Shawn Fain, Jim Farley's, Fain, Farley, Harley Shaiken, Stellantis, Joseph White, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Franklin Paul, Grant McCool, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Ford Motor Company, Rouge Visitor, Ford Motor Co, REUTERS, Acquire, Rights, Monday, United Auto Workers, UAW, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Kentucky, University of California, GM, Thomson Locations: Dearborn , Michigan, U.S, Rights DEARBORN , Michigan, Kentucky, University of California Berkeley, Dearborn

☆ Funeral for slain Palestinian boy to be held outside Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The funeral will be held in a community known as "Little Palestine" for its heavy concentration of Palestinian Americans. The conflict has put Jewish and Palestinian Muslim communities in the United States on edge and fearful of a potential backlash against them. Iman Negrete, a Palestinian American who lives in Plainfield, is from the same town in the occupied Palestinian territories as the mother. The boy celebrated his sixth birthday just weeks ago, CAIR's Rehab told a press conference on Sunday. The boy's mother came from the West Bank to the United States 12 years ago and his father immigrated nine years ago, Rehab said.

Persons: Wadea Al, Wadea, ”, Ahmed Rehab, Hanaan, Iman Negrete, Joseph Czuba, Oday, Czuba, Fayoume, Rehab, Merrick Garland, Brendan O'Brien, Bernadette Baum, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, CAIR, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Services, Council, Islamic Relations, Chicago, Police, West Bank, Daily, Sunday, U.S . Justice, Czuba, Thomson Locations: Israel, Chicago, Bridgeview , Illinois, Gaza, United States, Hanaan Shahin, Plainfield Township, Palestinian American, Plainfield, Will, Czuba

☆ Russia launches overnight missile, drone attacks on Ukraine - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Rescuers work at the site of vegetable oil factory destroyed by Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Poltava region, Ukraine August 28, 2023. Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Russia launched five missiles and 12 kamikaze drones at Ukraine in an overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said early on Monday, with officials reporting further artillery and air strikes. The governor of the eastern region of Poltava, Filip Pronin, said the region had been attacked by drones and missiles, and that three civilians had been hospitalised as a result. However, missile fragments damaged several private homes," he wrote on the Telegram messaging service. Russia also carried out artillery shelling and air strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region, damaging several residential buildings and infrastructure and injuring one elderly woman, the governor there said.

Persons: Andriy, Filip Pronin, Max Hunder, Lidia Kelly Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Poltava region, Russia, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia

[1/5] Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, speaks at their Rouge Visitor Center in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. October 16, 2023. "We can stop this now," Ford said of the strike that expanded last week to shut down the Kentucky plant. UAW President Shawn Fain replied with a statement warning Ford that the union could "close the Rouge" with a strike. The UAW's walkout at Kentucky Truck, Ford's largest and most profitable assembly operation globally, "harms tens of thousands of American workers," Ford said. On Friday, Fain accused Ford of trying to game the talks with inadequate offers and insisted Ford sharply boost compensation.

Persons: Bill Ford, Jeff Kowalsky, Ford, Shawn Fain, Fain, We’ve, Henry Ford, Jim Farley, Harley Shaiken, Shaiken, Stellantis, Joseph White, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Franklin Paul, David Gregorio, Grant McCool Organizations: Ford Motor Company, Rouge Visitor, Ford Motor Co, REUTERS, Acquire, Rights, Monday, United Auto Workers, UAW, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Detroit Three, Anderson Economic Group, AEG, Toyota, Honda, U.S, Kentucky, University of California, GM, Thomson Locations: Dearborn , Michigan, U.S, Rights DEARBORN , Michigan, Kentucky, American, Stellantis, East Lansing , Michigan, University of California Berkeley, Dearborn

Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Unions at Chevron's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia reaffirmed their plan to resume strikes this week as mediated talks continued on Monday, sparking angry comments from the company saying workers were being unreasonable. Australia's industrial arbitrator, the Fair Work Commission, mediated three days of talks last week and asked the Offshore Alliance to withdraw the strike plan while talks continued, Chevron said. The Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chevron said unions continued to introduce new matters into the dispute and were withholding agreement on other issues pending member votes. Chevron said late on Sunday it was "extremely disappointed" by the vote to stick with the strike plan, against the arbitrator's request.

Persons: Chevron, Lewis Jackson, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Offshore Alliance, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia

☆ Russia is using missiles designed for high-value targets like warships and airfields to hit Ukraine's grain exports, UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's grain production since its invasion, hurting global food supplies. It's using AS-4 Kitchen and AS23a Kodiak missiles to hit targets like grain silos, the UK MOD said. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is using missiles that are designed to be used on "high-value targets" to hit Ukraine's food supply and hurt global food prices, the UK Ministry of Defence said. The MOD said Russia is now using both kinds of missiles to "de-stabilise world food prices and disrupt Ukraine's grain industry." AdvertisementAdvertisementGlobal food prices have risen as a result, and experts warn of famines in some countries if Ukraine's food exports fall far enough.

Persons: —, Insider's Ryan Pickrell Organizations: AS, MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, for Strategic, International Studies, ISIS, Operational Command, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, UN Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine's Odesa, REUTERS Ukraine

☆ Russia aims to break through Ukraine defences in northeast - Ukrainian general
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Commander of the Ground Forces colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi reports to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a position near the front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Russia is aiming to break through Ukrainian defences in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the front line in northeastern Ukraine after a sharp increase in fighting there, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces said on Monday. The Ukrainian military reported in its daily update that fighting was raging along the eastern front, particularly around Kupiansk, and near Avdiivka and Mariinka in the Donetsk region. A strategically important town with a large coking plant, Avdiivka is located in the northern outskirts of the Donetsk region, much of which has been occupied by Russia. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said Ukrainian troops are holding their positions in the east.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Syrskyi, Yuliia Dysa, Olena Harmash, Timothy Organizations: Ground Forces, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS, Rights, Lyman, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Russia, Lyman, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Avdiivka, Donetsk

Joseph M. Czuba poses for a police booking photograph after being arrested by the Will County Sheriff's Office in Illinois, U.S., in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on October 15, 2023. Will County Sheriff/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 15 (Reuters) - An Illinois man was charged with hate crimes for stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy to death and wounding his mother in an attack that targeted them for their religion and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, officials and Muslim rights activists said on Sunday. The boy was stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife with a 7-inch (18-cm) serrated blade, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The suspect, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the sheriff's office said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) identified the boy as Wadea Al-Fayoume and said the woman, Hanaan Shahin, was his mother.

Persons: Joseph M, Joseph Czuba, Czuba, Wadea, Hanaan Shahin, Christopher Wray, we've, Wray, Daniel Trotta, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, Will County Sheriff, REUTERS Acquire, Czuba, Islamic Relations, FBI, International Association of Chiefs, Police, Thomson Locations: Will, Illinois, U.S, Will County, An Illinois, Israel, Plainfield Township, Chicago, San Diego, Carlsbad , California

☆ More aid flights arrive in Egypt's Sinai, awaiting passage to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Trucks carrying aid are seen near the Rafah border in Gaza after entering from Egypt, October 10, 2023. Egypt says its side of the Rafah crossing that connects Sinai with the Gaza Strip remains open, though traffic has been halted for several days because of Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States had been working with Egypt, Israel and Qatar to open the crossing on Saturday. The crossing is the main exit point for the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents that is not controlled by Israel. Israel's military spokesperson said on Saturday that the border remains closed and any crossing to Egypt needed to be coordinated with Israel.

Persons: . Washington, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Yusri Mohamed, Humeyra Pamuk, Aidan Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Mike Harrison Organizations: Human Rights, REUTERS, WHO, U.S . State Department, Hamas, Gaza, Israel, Red Cross, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Sinai, Sinai's Al Arish, CAIRO, United States, Israel, Qatar, ., Palestinian, Turkey

☆ Top Ukraine general says fighting in northeast has 'significantly worsened'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Commander of the Ground Forces colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi reports to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a position near the front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Fighting along the northern portion of Ukraine's eastern front has "significantly worsened" in recent days, the commander of Kyiv's ground forces said on Saturday. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was visiting Ukrainian troops in the area, said Russian forces had regrouped after suffering losses and were attacking around the village of Makiivka and towards the city of Kupiansk. Syrskyi added that Russian forces were carrying out "dozens" of assaults each day, but that Ukrainian troops had been ready and were holding their ground. Reporting by Dan Peleschuk Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dan Peleschuk, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Ground Forces, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS, Rights, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukrainian, Makiivka, Kupiansk, Avdiivka, Bakhmut

☆ Seismologists detected blast-like waves near broken Baltic Sea pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea was damaged, in the Gulf of Finland, October 10, 2023. Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOPENHAGEN, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Nordic and Baltic seismologists said that they had detected blast-like waves on Sunday when a Baltic Sea gas pipeline ruptured but that the data was not strong enough to determine whether explosives were involved. Waves measured after explosions tend to leave different signals to those sent out by earthquakes, the seismologists said. But processing the data had separated the seismic waves from the background noise even though stormy weather in the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea stretching eastwards into Russian waters, had complicated the analysis, seismologists said. In 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany were damaged by explosions that authorities have determined were caused by deliberate acts of sabotage.

Persons: Baltic seismologists, Anne Strommen Lycke, NORSAR, seismologists, seismologist Bjorn Lund, Seismologist Jari Kortstrom, Heidi Soosalu, didn't, NORSAR's Lycke, Johannes Birkebaek, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ilze, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, Sweden's University of Uppsala, University of Helsinki, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights COPENHAGEN, Finland's, Russia, Germany, Nord

☆ US Nobel-winning poet Louise Gluck dies at 80
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

American poet Louise Gluck, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature, poses outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on December 7, 2020. © Nobel Prize Outreach/Daniel Ebersole/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 13 (Reuters) - Louise Gluck, a renowned poet who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020, has died at age 80, according to media reports in the United States on Friday that cited her editor. Drawing comparisons with other authors, the Academy said Gluck resembled 19th-century U.S. poet Emily Dickinson in her "severity and unwillingness to accept simple tenets of faith." She served as Poet Laureate of the United States in 2003-04 and was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barrack Obama in 2016. Born in New York, Gluck became the 16th woman to win a Nobel Prize for Literature, the literary world's most prestigious award.

Persons: Louise Gluck, Daniel Ebersole, Nobel, Gluck, Emily Dickinson, Jonathan Galassi, Farrar, Straus, Giroux, Iris, Barrack Obama, Rich McKay, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Swedish Academy, Yale University, National, Literature, Thomson Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, U.S, Handout, United States, America, New York

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took his first phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as Riyadh tries to prevent a broader surge in violence across the region. "Normalisation was already considered taboo (in the Arab world) ... this war only amplifies that," Saudi analyst Aziz Alghashian said. Asked about Raisi's call with the crown prince, a senior U.S. State Department official said Washington was in "constant contact with Saudi leaders". "The Saudis are still convinced the region, and Saudi Arabia itself, needs to shift toward regional cooperation and economic development.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel, Normalisation, Aziz Alghashian, Abraham, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Antony Blinken, Alex Vatanka, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Tom Perry, Michael Georgy, Edmund Blair Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, U.S, Hamas, normalisation, Saudi, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, U.S . National Security, White, Saudi Foreign, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Middle East Institute, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Iran RIYADH, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, Riyadh, U.S, East, Gaza, Gulf, Iranian, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanese, Tehran, Washington

A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Negotiations over a stalled pay and conditions deal between Chevron and unions at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia made progress on Friday, but fell short of sealing an agreement to end months of labour disputes at the major export sites. Friday's talks are the second round being mediated by the FWC within the past month. The unions halted weeks of strikes in late September at the facilities that supply around 6% of the world's LNG after an earlier round of talks produced a deal. Weeks later, however, the unions accused Chevron of reneging on certain commitments and said they would resume strikes on Oct. 19.

Persons: Friday's, Weeks, Lewis Jackson, Susanna R, Alasdair Pal, Miral Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia, Chevron, reneging, Europe, London

The UAW said that 8,700 union members at Ford's Kentucky truck plant went on strike after the union said the No. [1/4]United Auto Workers (UAW) members strike outside of Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. October 11, 2023. Even with Wednesday's walkout, only about 22% of the 150,000 UAW workers at the Detroit Three automakers are on strike. The walkout in Kentucky will put stress on Ford UAW members beyond the sprawling factory near Louisville. Workers at a dozen other Ford plants that supply engines, transmissions and other components to the plant could be furloughed.

Persons: Shawn Fain's, Fain, Ford, leadership's, UAW bargainers, Harley Shaiken, Shaiken, Wednesday's Ford, walkouts, David Shepardson, Joe White, Abhirup Roy, Heekyong Yang, Peter Henderson, Sayantani Ghosh, Jamie Freed Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three automakers, UAW, Ford, Duty, Lincoln Navigator, Ford Expedition, Kentucky, Detroit, Motors, Chrysler, Plant, Handout, Detroit Three, Ford UAW, Workers, University of California, GM, Stellantis, BlueOval SK, South Korea's SK, Thomson Locations: Ford's Kentucky, U.S, Kentucky, Arlington , Texas, Stellantis, Sterling Heights, Warren , Michigan, Detroit, Ford's, Louisville , Kentucky, Louisville, Berkeley, South, Tennessee, Washington, San Francisco, Bengaluru, Seoul

☆ Fierce fighting rages around Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Anna Pruchnicka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A view shows grain warehouses heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a compound of a port in Odesa region, Ukraine October 12, 2023. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were holding their ground on the third day of battle, but municipal officials said the Russian attacks were relentless. It is Ukrainian courage and unity that will determine how this war will end," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app alongside photos of Ukrainian troops and of Avdiivka's entrance sign. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had inflicted damage on Ukrainian forces in areas including Avdiivka but gave few details. In other fighting, Ukraine said it had thwarted an attempt overnight by a Russian eight-member saboteur group to cross its northeastern border in the Sumy region.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Oleksandr Shtupun, Andriy Yermak, Olena Harmahs, Alex Richardson, Timothy Organizations: Press, REUTERS Acquire, Moscow, Special Operations Forces, Russian, Russia's Defence Ministry, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa region, Handout, Russia, Ukraine Ukraine, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Kyiv, Moscow, Donetsk, Crimea, American, Odesa, Sumy

☆ US must be ready for simultaneous wars with China, Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The report from the Strategic Posture Commission comes amid tensions with China over Taiwan and other issues and worsening frictions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. A senior official involved in the report declined to say if the panel's intelligence briefings showed any Chinese and Russian nuclear weapons cooperation. The report contrasts with U.S. President Joe Biden's position that the current U.S. nuclear arsenal is sufficient to deter the combined forces of Russia and China. "The United States and its allies must be ready to deter and defeat both adversaries simultaneously," the Strategic Posture Commission said. It should also extend the operational lives of ballistic missile submarines and deploy more tactical nuclear weapons in Asia and Europe.

Persons: Ian Dudley, Madelyn, Jon Kyl, Joe Biden's, Jonathan Landay, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Minuteman, Daylight, Vandenberg Air Force Base, . Air Force, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: California, U.S, Handout, United States, Russia, China, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russian, Asia, Europe

☆ After treatment at US military hospital, volunteers for Ukraine return to fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

US COMMITMENT TO UKRAINETreating the wounded volunteers at Landstuhl represents another level of U.S. commitment to Ukraine. Thousands of foreign volunteers headed to Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion and are now fighting with regular Ukraine army units and a foreign legion. Dozens of foreign volunteers are wounded each month, according to the four fighters interviewed by Reuters. Of 20 Ukrainian Army patients admitted so far, nearly all since August, 16 have been foreign volunteers, according to Marcy Sanchez, a spokesman for the hospital. "The bureaucracy is just horrendous," said Craig Borthwick, lead medic for ReactAid, explaining the many layers of military, medical and government authorizations required.

Persons: Jumbo, directionless, Biden, Rachel Jamison, Meaghan Mobbs, Marcy Sanchez, ReactAid, Craig Borthwick, David Bramlette, Nathan Chan, we're, Andrew Hay, Phil Stewart, Donna Bryson, Diane Craft Organizations: Landstuhl Regional Medical, Ukrainian Army, . Military, U.S, Marine, RT Weatherman, Jumbo, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, United State's, Reuters, Russia, Marines, Landstuhl, Kyiv, Russia’s, Ukraine, Weatherman, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, U.S . Army, Green Beret, Thomson Locations: Germany, United States, Russian, Ukraine, U.S, UKRAINE

☆ Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart accumulates 19.9% stake in Albemarle target Liontown
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Gina Rinehart poses in Western Australia in this undated handout photo obtained January 23, 2018. Hancock Prospecting/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart has taken a 19.9% stake in lithium miner Liontown Resources (LTR.AX), her company Hancock Prospecting said on Wednesday, potentially hindering a takeover bid launched by U.S. mining giant Albemarle Corp (ALB.N). Hancock has steadily built its stake since September, when Albemarle Corp lodged its bid for Liontown. The U.S. miner needs 75% support from Liontown investors who vote on the deal to succeed with its bid. Under Australian takeover rules, a single shareholder must declare its intention if its stake moves above 19.9%.

Persons: Gina Rinehart, Hancock, Albemarle's, Scott Murdoch, Jacqueline Wong, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Corp, Albemarle Corp, Liontown, Australian, Thomson Locations: Western Australia, U.S, Albemarle

A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Chevron and unions representing workers at its two liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia made progress in talks over pay and conditions on Wednesday and would meet again on Thursday, a union representative said. With workers threatening to resume strikes from next week at the facilities that supply around 6% of the world's LNG, Chevron and unions were holding negotiations before Australia's industrial arbitrator, the Fair Work Commission. Unions halted weeks of strikes at Chevron's sites in late September after an earlier round of talks produced a deal. However, unions subsequently accused Chevron of reneging on certain commitments and said on Monday they would restart strikes on Oct. 19.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, AS, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia, Chevron, reneging

☆ Australian journalist Cheng Lei back home after China release
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Australian journalist Cheng Lei poses for a selfie at an unknown location in this undated picture obtained by Reuters on August 11, 2023. Nicholas Coyle/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained in China on national security charges for more than three years, returned home on Wednesday after being released, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Cheng, who was tried in secret in March 2022, arrived in Melbourne and has been reunited with her two children and family, Albanese told a press conference. Albanese said he expected to visit China this year and told reporters dialogue with China was "a good thing". Albanese said Australia "continued to advocate" for another detained Australian journalist, Yang Hengjun, who has been held since January 2019.

Persons: Cheng Lei, Nicholas Coyle, Handout, Anthony Albanese, Cheng, Albanese, Penny Wong, I've, Xi Jinping, Ryan Neelam, " Albanese, Yang Hengjun, Yang, Adam Ni, Kirsty Needham, Laurie Chen, Alasdair Pal, Clarence Fernandez, Miral Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's, Lowy Institute, Independent, Thomson Locations: Australian, China, Melbourne, Australia, Beijing, Independent China, Canberra, Sydney

☆ Jordan's king says no stability in region without Palestinian state
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks at the opening of a new parliamentary session in Amman, Jordan October 11, 2023. Royal Hashemite Court/Handout via Reuters Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Wednesday no peace was possible in the Middle East without the emergence of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. A two-state solution was the only option, the monarch told deputies in a speech at the opening of a new parliamentary session. "Our region will never be secure nor stable without achieving just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution," the monarch said. Jordan's peace treaty with Israel is widely unpopular among many citizens who see normalisation as a sellout of the rights of their Palestinian brethren.

Persons: King Abdullah II, King Abdullah, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, King Abdullah said, Amman, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Alison Williams, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Royal Hashemite, Reuters Acquire, Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Amman, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian, Western, Jerusalem, Gaza, East Jerusalem

Donations purchased by a Brooklyn synagogue community to aid military and humanitarian relief efforts in Israel are seen being loaded into a car in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. October 10, 2023. Some 5.8 million Jews live in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. While there is no sign that Israel is short on basic supplies like granola bars, the donations underscore the concern and connection Jews in the United States feel toward Israel. Elan Kornblum, the Brooklyn-based head of Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies, has turned his company's Facebook page of 91,000 members - who usually discuss favorite kosher restaurants - into a forum for coordinating Israel aid efforts. Legacy aid organizations have also leapt to raise money for lifesaving support in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the wake of the attack.

Persons: Rabbi Jonathan Leener, Jonathan Leener, Leener, Yuri Milner, Mike Bloomberg, Magen David Adom, Elan Kornblum, Kornblum, Chayal el, Mordy Botnick, Botnick, el Chayal, Gabriella Borter, Paul Thomasch, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Israel Defense Forces, Pew Research Center, Billionaire, Jewish Agency for, Facebook, Newark Liberty International, IDF, Palestine Children's Relief, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Israel, Brooklyn , New York, U.S, Handout, United States, Jewish Agency for Israel, New York City, Palestine, Gaza, Washington

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