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Children receive first aid after they were rescued from the stranded chairlift, in Battagram, Pakistan August 22, 2023. "I can't tell you what we experienced yesterday when one cable of the cable car suddenly snapped and we were stranded in the air," said Faraz, who at 20 years old was the only adult aboard, and the only person with a cell phone. The journey by cable car usually took just a matter of minutes, whereas travelling on the rough mountain roads and tracks takes hours. "Our first priority was to secure the children," caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar said, describing the feat as "near impossible". Those prayers were answered for Faraz and the children.

Persons: Gul Faraz, Faraz, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Kakar, Mushtaq Ali n, Asif Shahzad, Simon Cameron, Moore, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Commandos, Geo, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Battagram, Pakistan, PESHAWAR, Jhangri, Battangi, Karachi, Mushtaq Ali n Peshawar, Islamabad

☆ Pakistani rescuers try to free 6 kids and 2 men in a cable car dangling hundreds of feet in the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A cable car carrying six children and two adults dangled hundreds of meters (feet) above the ground in a remote part of Pakistan after it broke on Tuesday, trapping the occupants for hours before rescuers arrived in helicopters to try to free them. Army commandos could be seen on local TV trying to lower themselves on ropes from the choppers toward the cable car. An expert warned the rescue was incredibly delicate because the wind created by the helicopters' blades could further weaken cables holding the car aloft. "Let us pray that those trapped in the cable car are safely rescued," Sultan said. In 2017, 10 people were killed when a cable car fell into a ravine hundreds of meters (feet) deep in the popular mountain resort of Murree after its cable broke.

Persons: Taimoor Khan, Haq Kakar, Tipu Sultan, Khan, Sultan Organizations: Army, Helicopters, Twitter Locations: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Battagram district, Murree

☆ The US Army is rushing to rearm its electronic warriors after watching Russia and Ukraine jam each other's drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Electronic warfare has played a prominent role during the war in Ukraine. This has put fresh impetus behind the US Army's electronic-warfare upgrades. Concern about electronic warfare, or EW, isn't new, nor is the US deficient in all EW aspects. For its part, Russia has been able to use electronic warfare to send Ukraine's GPS-guided JDAM glide bombs and HIMARS rockets off course. Most armies — or at least the high-tech ones — are vulnerable to electronic warfare, but the US military is especially vulnerable because its way of war is so dependent on electronic communications.

Persons: Douglas Bush, Simon Mictizic, Bush, Charles Brown Jr, Denis Abramov, Brown, Lockheed Martin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Army, Army's 1st Infantry Division, Staff, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy, Russian Defense Ministry, Mil.ru, Domain Command, GPS, Support Force, US, Combat, Stryker, TLS, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, China, Forbes

☆ Villavicencio assassination a ‘disturbing moment’ for Ecuador democracy, former running mate says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Rafael Romo Abel Alvarado Juan Carlos Paz Eyad Kourdi Marlon Sorto Alex Stambaugh Heather Chen | Rafael Romo | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Quito, Ecuador CNN —The assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio marks a “disturbing moment” for the region and democracy, his successor and former running mate Andrea González Náder has told CNN in an exclusive interview. “This is a disturbing moment for the whole region and for the world’s democracy,” she said. Karen Toro/ReutersVillavicencio, 59, an anti-corruption campaigner and lawmaker, was outspoken about violence caused by drug trafficking in Ecuador. Karen Toro/ReutersVillavicencio’s assassination prompted an outpouring of condemnation from inside Ecuador and around the world. Macías as well as his gang members have not yet publicly commented on the assassination.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Andrea González Náder, “, ” Náder, CNN’s Rafael Romo, ”, Náder, “ Náder, Andrea Gonzalez, Karen Toro, Reuters Villavicencio, Veronica Sarauz, ” Sarauz, –, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, “ Fito ”, Villavicencio –, Guillermo Lasso, Macías Organizations: Ecuador CNN, CNN, Villavicencio’s Movimiento, Movimiento, Reuters, Ecuadorian Army Command, Ecuadorian, La Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Guayas, La Roca

Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul and Pheu Thai Party leader Chonlanan Srikaew greet each other after a press conference about forming an alliance between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai party, in Bangkok, Thailand, August 7, 2023. Pheu Thai and its businesses allies could face similar resistance. Despite abandoning Move Forward, Pheu Thai is lobbying for the backing of its 150 lawmakers in a prime ministerial vote expected later this month. Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat said no decision had been made on whether to vote for a Pheu Thai government. "The path to government for Pheu Thai is now more about Thaksin than the people."

Persons: Anutin Charnvirakul, Chonlanan Srikaew, Athit, Cholnan Srikaew, Thai's Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pita Limjaroenrat, Veerapat, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thai, Titipol Phakdeewanich, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut, Panu, Martin Petty, Nick Macfie Organizations: Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai Party, Pheu, REUTERS, Senate, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, Ubon

☆ After watching Ukraine track down and kill Russian military commanders, the US and its allies are training to avoid the same fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian attacks on Russian commanders have undermined Russian command-and-control capabilities. They have forced Russia's military and others around the world reconsider how they set up command posts. An Australian army HX77 truck moves command-post components into place during Talisman Sabre on July 21. An Australian army engineer digs a headquarters battle hide during Talisman Sabre on July 20. Ukrainian attacks on command posts across the country have led to stunning attrition among senior Russian military leaders," the authors added.

Persons: unmasking, Benjamin McLennan, Sabre, Cpl, Nicole Dorrett, Col, Ivan Pavlenko, Greg McKenzie, McLennan, we've, Doug Organizations: Service, Russian, BBC, Combat Training, US Army, Milford Beagle, US Army Combined Arms, Royal United Services Institute, CPs, 28th Infantry Division, US Army National Guard, Staff, 1st Combat Signals Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Australia, Ukraine, Australian, Nicole Dorrett Ukraine, Kherson, Russians, Gen, British, Pennsylvania

This account of how Niger's coup unfolded is based on 15 interviews with Nigerien security officials, politicians, as well as current and former Western government officials. In his first address following the July 26 coup, Tiani said he had ousted the president for the good of the country. But in recent months, Bazoum had curtailed the size of the presidential guard, which was about 700-strong at the time of the coup, and started to scrutinize its budget. Issoufou was elected in 2011, a year after a previous military coup. Almost all the different branches of Niger's security apparatus had a member in the group, including the police, army, air force and presidential guard.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Mahamadou Issoufou, Regis, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, Keen, Issoufou, Spokespeople, swirled, Salifou Mody, Mody, Hassoumi Massaoudou, Amadou Abdramane, Ahmad Sidien, Moussa Aksar, David Lewis, David Gauthier, Michel Rose, Edward McAllister, Alexandra Zavis, David Clarke Organizations: Niger, REUTERS, Nigerien, Reuters, West African States, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Western, Niger Armed Forces, United Arab Emirates, National Guard, Thomson Locations: Sahel, French, Pau, France, NIAMEY, United States, Niamey, Diffa, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Russia, West Africa, Tiani, Nairobi, Villars, Istanbul, Paris, Dakar

CNN —A Niger general, Abdourahamane Tiani, appeared on state television as the country’s new leader following a military coup that sparked international condemnation. Tiani said in the broadcast that Wednesday’s coup was motivated by both the desire to “preserve our homeland” in a context of a “deteriorating security situation,” and poor economic and social governance. French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the coup was “deeply dangerous for Niger and the whole region,” and called for Bazoum’s release. However, a senior official loyal to Bazoum has suggested there is discord among coup leaders. The aide spoke on condition of not being identified because of the security situation.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, “, Mohamed Bazoum’s, Abdourahamane, ” Bazoum, Mahamadou Issoufou, insurgencies, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, –, Catherine Colonna, Bazoum, ”, they’ve, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Bazoum “, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Mahamat, General Antonio Guterres, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, ” Abdramane Organizations: CNN, African, AFP, Télé, Getty, Nigerien, Union, Bazoum, National Council for, ECOWAS, United Nations, African Union Commission, RIA Novosti, UN Locations: Niger, France, Télé Sahel, Sahel, AFP, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Papua New Guinea, Niamey

CNN —The Nigerien military has backed coup leaders who have reportedly seized the president of the West African country, prompting warnings from international leaders over further unrest in a region plagued by political volatility. President Bazoum was apparently taken by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown. Niger’s presidential office said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, pictured on December 13, 2022, was reportedly seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. 1,000 US troopsWorld leaders and humanitarian bodies issued stark warnings against the coup leaders.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, insurgencies, Bazoum, Evelyn Hockstein, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Abdramane, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Volker Türk, ” Türk, General Antonio Guterres, Bazoum “, African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, “ Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, Twitter, country’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, National Guard, White, US, Air Base, United Nations, Human, UN, African Union Commission Locations: West, ” Niger, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, France, Niger, Niamey, Washington, Agadez, The

ORTN/via Reuters TV/Handout via REUTERSNIAMEY, July 27 (Reuters) - Niger's army command on Thursday declared its support for a coup instigated the previous day by soldiers of the presidential guard, saying its priority was to avoid destabilising the country. President Mohamed Bazoum and Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou earlier urged democratic forces in the country to resist the power grab, as western officials said the status of the coup attempt was unclear. They earlier cut off the presidential palace in the capital Niamey, with the president inside. Massoudou also called on "democrats and patriots" to make the "attempted coup" fail, according to a posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Niamey was quiet on Thursday morning as citizens awoke to heavy rain, closed borders and a nationwide curfew imposed by the coup instigators.

Persons: Major Amadou Adramane, Mohamed Bazoum, Hassoumi Massoudou, Bazoum, Massoudou, Bate Felix, Boureima Balima, Moussa Aksar, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, John Stonestreet Organizations: Niger Army, Reuters, REUTERS, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, REUTERS NIAMEY, West, Central Africa, Sahel

☆ The man Putin wants to take over Wagner was once admitted to the hospital blind drunk with $60,000 cash, military maps of Syria, and receipts for weapons: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin wants to replace Yevgeny Prigozhin as head of Wagner, per The Telegraph. Troshev was once taken to the hospital blind drunk carrying cash, military maps, and receipts for weapons, it said. Troshev was admitted to the hospital blind drunk with some unusual items on him, per The Telegraph. Though Troshev had a placid call sign — "Grey Hair" — The Telegraph reported that he played a part in particularly brutal military operations. Troshev then worked for Omon, Russian riot police, which had the job of violently breaking up anti-government protests, The Telegraph reported.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev —, Troshev, Putin, Andrei Troshev Organizations: Service, The Telegraph, Russian Federation, Islamic, Telegraph Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Syria, Islamic State, Palmyra, St Petersburg, Soviet, Chechnya, Bakhmut, Ukraine

☆ How the Russian officer elite has been decimated in Ukraine — here are the generals and top commanders killed in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Vitaly GerasimovMaj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov became the second senior Russian commander reported to be killed after Ukrainian military intelligence claimed he was shot dead in Kharkiv. Andrey KolesnikovUkraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov. Ivan GrishinColonel Ivan Grishin, commander of Russia's 49th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, died in Ukraine, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vyacheslav SavinovLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Savinov, who headed Russian artillery intelligence, was killed in Ukraine, a Russian artillery school confirmed. A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

Persons: , Oleg Tsokov, Andrei Sukhovetsky Maj, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Sukhovetsky, Vitaly Gerasimov Maj, Vitaly Gerasimov, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Kolesnikov Ukraine's, Andrey Kolesnikov, Oleg Mityaev Russia, Oleg Mityaev, Anton Gerashchenko, Andrei Mordvichev, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yakov Rezantsev, Illia Ponomarenko, Zelenskyy, Rezantsev, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's, Dmitry Safronov, Denis Glebov, Glebov, Courage, Konstantin Zizevsky, Mikhail Vedernikov, Yuri Agarkov, Agarkov, Andrei Zakharov, Sergei Porokhnya, Gleb Garanich, Reuters Magomed, Magomed Tushaev, Putin, Vladimir Zhonga, Vladimir Zhoga, Sergei Sukharev, Sergei Krylov, Sukharev, Alexei, Alexei Sharov, Sharov, Sergey Bratchuk, Dmitry Dormidontov, Dmitry Pavlovich Dormidontov, Igor Zharov, Igor Igoshin, Zharov, Denis Kurilo, Kurilo, Anton Kuprin, Kuprin, Anton Gerashenko, Stringer, Denis Mezhuev, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov Maj, Gen, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov, Alexander Beglov, Fontanka, Miras, Miras Bashakov, Ivan Grishin, Vyacheslav Savinov, Savinov, Metin Aktas, Denis Kozlov, Kozlov, Andrei Simonov, Simonov, Roman Kutuzov Major, Roman Kutuzov, Alexander Sladkov, Tsargrad, Roman, Roman Berdnikov, Kutuzov, Volya, Kanamat, Botashev, Artem Nasbulin Maj, Artem Nasbulin, Serhiy Bratchuk, Tsokov, Михаил Ведерников Organizations: UK Defence Ministry, Service, British Defence Ministry, West, Storm, Russian, 7th Airborne Division, Combined Arms Army, Russian Federal Security Service, Arms Army, Interior Ministry, The New York Times, 8th General Army, Southern Military District of, Armed Forces, Twitter, Telegraph, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Separate Marine Brigade, Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Airborne, 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Luhansk People's, 56th Air Assault Brigade, Guardian, 12th Engineer Brigade, Russian Armoured, Carrier, Reuters, The Daily Mail, Forces, Sparta Battalion, Donetsk People's, Daily Mail, 331st Guards Parachute, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Strategic Communication, Information Security, The Independent, 810th, Zhukov Brigade, Russian Marines, Evening, Local, 200th, Rifle Brigade, Black, Fleet, Russian Federation, Ukrainian, New York Times, 1st Guards, Banner, The Times, Kremlin, 8th Army, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Armed Forces of, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, Russian Forces, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Separate Guards Engineers of Keningsbersko, Red Banner Brigade, Courage, Russian 2nd Army, Presidential, Russian Air Force, BBC, High Mobility Artillery, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chornobayivka, Kherson Airport, London, Yakov Rezantsev Ukraine, Kyiv, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Chuhuiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Pskov Region, Andrei Zakharov Ukraine, Ufa, Nova Husarivka, Chechen, Hostomel, Russia's Chechnya, Donetsk People's Republic, Volnovakha, Kostroma, Tatarstan, Pechenga, Sevastopol, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Izyum, Ukraine's Donbas, Severodonetsk, Kherson, Berdyansk

Summary Russian general says has been dismissedSays top brass betrayed Russian soldiersDefence ministry silent on general's fateSoldiers dying due to lack of artillery, general saysMOSCOW, July 13 (Reuters) - A Russian general said he had been dismissed as a commander after telling the military leadership about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine where he said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass. Popov, who commanded Russian units in southern Ukraine, explicitly raised the deaths of Russian soldiers from Ukrainian artillery and said the army lacked proper counter artillery systems and reconnaissance of enemy artillery. There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry and Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the voice message. Neither Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin nor General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, have been seen in public since the day of the mutiny. For months Prigozhin had been openly insulting Putin's most senior military men, using a variety of crude expletives and prison slang that shocked top Russian officials but that were left unanswered in public by Putin, Shoigu or Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Andrei Gurulyov, Popov, Gurulyov, Russia's, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Defence, Staff, Arms Army, Reuters, RUSSIAN ARMY Putin, Telegram, Gerasimov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Europe, Russia

☆ Ukraine's attacks on Russian commanders have the US Army worried about its own 'fat and ponderous' command posts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's military has been using its long-range weapons to attack Russian command posts. A command post set up at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California during a training exercise. A destroyed Russian army command post pictured on March 13, 2022. One is to move command posts further from the lines and fortify them against bombardment or special-forces raids. Virtual reality would enable command posts to remain in secure locations far from the front.

Persons: —, Scott Woodward, James Geelen, Michael Peck Organizations: Army, Service, Command, US Army, National Training Center, Fort, GPS, CPs, Arms Army, Milford Beagle, US, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukrainian Armed Forces, US Army CPs, Colorado . US Army, James Geelen Command, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Fort Irwin, California, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Kherson, Gen, Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, China, Taiwan, Russia, Fort Carson, Colorado, Forbes

☆ Wagner Group shooting down a Russian command plane may be gift that keeps on giving for Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During Wagner Group's revolt in June, its mercenaries shot down several Russian military aircraft. The loss of one of Russia's few Il-22M could hinder its air force's ability to operate over Ukraine. Wagner Group's abortive revolt last month didn't just end with its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, fleeing the country and its troops being absorbed into the Russian military. The airborne command posts couldn't even communicate directly with air-defense units or with Russian fighters on combat air patrols. Royal Air ForceIndeed, command and control is the Achilles heel of the Russian military, which inherited the rigid command structure of its Soviet predecessor.

Persons: Wagner Group's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, NIKITA SHCHYUKIN, Greg L, Davis, Justin Bronk, aren't, Bronk, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, NATO, British Ministry of Defense, Getty, Ukraine, Ministry of Defense, Target, Boeing, Joint STARS, US Air Force, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian, Ground Forces, CAP, RAF Typhoons, Royal Air Force, US, CNA, Russian Aerospace Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, AFP, Davis Russian, Baltic, Forbes

☆ Kramatorsk: Ukraine accuses man of treason over deadly Russian missile attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, June 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine has arrested a man suspected of committing treason by helping Russia carry out a missile strike on a busy restaurant that killed 12 people in the eastern city of Kramatorsk. Local officials said 12 people were killed and 60 hurt when a Russian missile slammed into the restaurant on Tuesday evening, reducing it to rubble. "Anyone who helps Russian terrorists destroy lives deserves the maximum punishment," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message on Wednesday. Asked about the attack on Kramatorsk, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia attacked only military targets, not civilian ones. Kramatorsk lies west of front lines in Donetsk province and would be a likely objective in any westward advance by Russia.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Twin, Vedant Patel, Pavel Polityuk, Aleksandaar, Timothy Organizations: Kremlin, Russia, Deputy State, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kramatorsk, Moscow, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk province

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says he convinced Putin not to eliminate Wagner leader Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signaled he deterred his Russian counterpart and long-time ally Vladimir Putin from eliminating failed insurrectionist and Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after his attempted coup over the weekend. "I also realized that a tough decision was taken (Putin hinted at it in his address) — to eliminate those involved. I suggested that I talk to Prigozhin, his commanders," Lukashenko said on Tuesday, in unexpectedly frank and exhaustive comments reported by Belarusian state agency Belta. Against expectations, Lukashenko on Tuesday confirmed that Prigozhin — a "dead man walking," according to Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group — reached Belarus by private plane. "No one will give you Shoigu or Gerasimov, especially in this situation," Lukashenko claims to have told Prigozhin.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, insurrectionist, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Wagner, Ian Bremmer, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov — Organizations: Russian, Belta, Prigozhin, Tuesday, Eurasia Group — Locations: Belarusian, Moscow, Belarus, Russia

☆ Twin sisters among 11 killed in Russian attack on Ukraine's Kramatorsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sisters Anna and Yulia Aksenchenko would have turned 15 in September, Kramatorsk city council's education department said in a Facebook post under a picture of the two girls smiling for the camera. Asked about the attack on Kramatorsk, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia attacked only military targets, not civilian ones. A second missile hit a village on the fringes of Kramatorsk, wounding four people. Russia has frequently hit Ukrainian cities since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. A missile strike killed 63 people at a railway station there in April 2022, one of the worst single air strikes of the war.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Anna, Yulia Aksenchenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Max Hunder, Anna Pruchnicka, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, Russia, Russia's Defence Ministry, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Russia, KRAMATORSK, Ukrainian, Donetsk province

☆ Putin’s weaknesses laid bare after 24 hours of rebellion in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Face masks depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and owner of private military company Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin are displayed among others for sale at a souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, June 4, 2023. With a so-called "24-hour coup" by Russia's mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ending in an anti-climactic pullback, Russian President Vladimir Putin was able to avoid a dramatic and bloody standoff with his one-time ally. Russia experts and political analysts characterized the uprising as "24 hours that shook the Kremlin" and the biggest challenge to Putin and the Russian elite in decades. Tensions came to a head several weeks ago when the defense ministry announced that all private military companies, including Wagner, would have to sign contracts. Putin endorsed the move but Prigozhin refused to sign — only to then lead his fighters in the ill-fated revolt last Friday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Hanna Liubakova, Prigozhin, Chris Weafer, Weafer, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner Organizations: Wagner Group, Wagner, Council's Eurasia Center, Saturday, Russian, Prigozhin Locations: St . Petersburg, Russia, Belarus, Russian, Rostov, Moscow, Ukraine, Donetsk

☆ Serbia army chief urges NATO, international agencies to protect Kosovo Serbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BELGRADE/PRISTINA, June 23 (Reuters) - Serbia's army commander urged NATO peacekeepers and other international bodies on Friday to step up measures to protect minority Serbs in Kosovo, adding that "the international community is not fulfilling its obligations." Mojsilovic in a rare public address said he had asked NATO peacekeeping mission KFOR and other international bodies to undertake urgent measures to protect ethnic Serbs there. Earlier on Friday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was "very alarmed" by the situation in northern Kosovo, citing "extrajudicial arrests" of Kosovo Serbs and the march by Kosovo Security Forces "followed by heavy rhetoric from Serbia". Ethnic Serbs, who make up the majority of the population in the region, had boycotted the vote. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population in Kosovo, while the Serbs form the majority in four northern municipalities and several enclaves inside Kosovo.

Persons: Milan Mojsilovic, Mojsilovic, Xhelal Svecla, Svecla, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, Armend Mehaj, Aleksandar Vasovic, Fatos, Andrew Gray, Hugh Lawson, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: NATO, European Union, KFOR, Belgrade, Kosovo Security Forces, Kosovo, Twitter, Kosovo Defence, Kosovo police, Serbian, Thomson Locations: BELGRADE, PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbia, Mitrovica, Mojsilovic, Zvecan, Kosovo Serbs, Serbian, Brussels, Belgrade, Pristina, Yugoslavia, Montenegro

☆ Who is Special Counsel Jack Smith in the Trump documents case?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - Jack Smith, the U.S. special counsel who has pursued criminal charges against former President Donald Trump over retention of classified government records, has earned a reputation for winning tough cases against war criminals, mobsters and crooked cops. This case is unlike any other that Smith has brought because of who is being charged. One of the two investigations that Smith took over involved Trump's handling of classified documents he retained after leaving the White House in January 2021. Trump's own attorney Evan Corcoran emerged as a key witness in the documents investigation. In 2008, Smith left to supervise war crime prosecutions at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, General Merrick Garland, Smith, Attorney Bragg, Mark Lesko, Greenberg Traurig, Trump, Joe Biden's, Evan Corcoran, Corcoran, Mike Pence, Robert Morgenthau, Morgenthau, Todd Harrison, McDermott Will, Emery, Harrison, Charles Schwarz, Abner Louima, Ronell Wilson, Salih Mustafa, Sarah N, Lynch, Andy Sullivan, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney, Attorney's, White, Harvard Law School, New, New York City, York City, Criminal, Justice Department, Kosovo Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: New York, Washington, Brooklyn, York, The Hague, Kosovo, Serbia

☆ Sudanese army suspends ceasefire talks, diplomatic source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 31 (Reuters) - Sudan's army suspended talks with a rival paramilitary force on Wednesday over a ceasefire and about enabling humanitarian access, a Sudanese diplomatic source said, raising fears of fresh bloodshed in the more than six-week-old conflict. Residents reported heavy clashes in southern Khartoum and in Omdurman across the River Nile until late on Tuesday. The RSF said in a statement late on Tuesday it was committed to the ceasefire "despite repeated violations" by the army. Before the ceasefire deal was renewed, an army source said the army had demanded the RSF withdraw from civilian homes and hospitals as a condition for an extension. After Bashir was toppled in an popular uprising, the army and RSF leaders staged a coup in 2021 before they due to hand leadership to civilians.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, RSF, Omar al, Bashir, Michael Georgy, Andrew Heavens, Edmund Blair Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, Residents, United Nations, Thomson Locations: JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Khartoum, Omdurman, United States, Darfur, Sudan's, Port Sudan

☆ China deletes 1.4 million social media posts in crackdown on 'self-media' accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator said 1.4 million social media posts have been deleted following a two-month probe into alleged misinformation, illegal profiteering, and impersonation of state officials, among other "pronounced problems". The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Friday it had closed 67,000 social media accounts and deleted hundreds of thousands of posts between March 10 and May 22 as part of a broader "rectification" campaign. Since 2021, China has targeted billions of social media accounts in a bid to "clean" its cyberspace and make it easier for authorities to control. The latest crackdown targeted accounts on popular Chinese social media apps including WeChat, Douyin, and Weibo that fall under the category of "self media," a term that broadly refers to accounts that publish news and information but are not government-run or state-approved. Some 25,000 other accounts were targeted for impersonating public institutions, such as disease and prevention control centers and state-run research institutes.

☆ Luxury Porsche converted into a high-tech military vehicle for a commander in Ukraine's army
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Ukrainian volunteers received a Porsche Cayenne to retrofit into a vehicle for the military. "When our team received this Porsche, it was quite a challenge to find the best way to utilize the luxury vehicle," said Roman Hapachylo, co-founder of Car for Ukraine. But the Porsche car was a different project. Car for Ukraine exists solely on donations of military aid, vehicles, and money. According to their website, they have distributed nearly $2 million worth of trucks to the Ukrainian military.

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Hemedti and Burhan have both excluded the idea of negotiating with each other in public comments since the fighting began. An aide to Hemedti did not respond to questions from Reuters about whether he was ready to negotiate or hold peace talks. "What are they going to talk about that wasn't on the table before the conflict started?" said the diplomat, adding that neither side could win a decisive military victory or control of all Sudan's territory. The RSF, which has bases across Sudan, has meanwhile depicted the army as "extremists", an apparent reference to the influence Hemedti says Islamists wield in the military.

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