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☆ Deputy Russian army corps commander is killed in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Commander of Russia's Kantemirovskaya Tank Division Vladimir Zavadsky delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the unit's foundation in Naro-Fominsk in the Moscow region, Russia, June 28, 2020. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, deputy commander of Russia's 14th Army Corps, has been killed in Ukraine, a top regional official said on Monday. "Special military operation" is the term that Russia uses to describe the war in Ukraine, now approaching the end of its second year. Deaths of senior Russian officers, which military analysts have attributed in some cases to Ukrainian success in intercepting lax communications, have become rarer as the war has progressed. Zavadsky was a much-decorated officer and a former tank commander, said Gusev, adding that his death was a heavy loss that caused "transfixing pain".

Persons: Russia's, Vladimir Zavadsky, Alexander Gusev, Zavadsky, iStories, Gusev, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, 14th Army Corps, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Naro, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russia's Voronezh

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Russia" forum and exhibition celebrating the country's major achievements in Moscow, Russia, December 4, 2023. Putin was given an explanation of a Soviet nuclear bomb design and shown a mock control panel for launching a nuclear test, before observing images of a blast and mushroom cloud through a viewing window. Since the start of the Ukraine war, Putin has frequently reminded the West of the size and capabilities of Russia's nuclear arsenal, saying anyone who tried to launch a nuclear attack against it would be wiped from the face of the earth. Supporters of Putin dismiss that analysis, pointing to independent polling which shows he enjoys approval ratings of above 80%. They say that Putin has restored order and some of the clout Russia lost during the chaos of the Soviet collapse.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Voskresensky, Putin, Oleg Saitov, Boris Yeltsin, Josef Stalin, Catherine the Great, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kremlin, State, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Soviet, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet Union, Putin's Russia, London

☆ Israel wants 'security envelope', no Hamas on border after war, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Israeli soldier holds up an Israeli flag, near the border with Gaza, during a temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel, November 29, 2023. Asked whether Israel was indeed seeking such a buffer zone, senior adviser Mark Regev told reporters: "Israel will have to have a security envelope. We can never again allow terrorists to cross the border and butcher our people the way they did on October 7." "That is not Israel taking territory from Gaza," said Regev. They also said Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war erupted on Oct. 7, had been informed.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mark Regev, Regev, Maayan Lubell, James Mackenzie, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, U.S

☆ Israel Wants 'Security Envelope', No Hamas on Border After War, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will seek a "security envelope" with special zones and arrangements that will prevent Hamas from being positioned on its border after the war in Gaza is over, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. Asked whether Israel was indeed seeking such a buffer zone, senior adviser Mark Regev told reporters: "Israel will have to have a security envelope. We can never again allow terrorists to cross the border and butcher our people the way they did on October 7." "That is not Israel taking territory from Gaza," said Regev. They also said Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war erupted on Oct. 7, had been informed.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mark Regev, Regev, Maayan Lubell, James Mackenzie, Gareth Jones Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Israel Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, U.S

☆ Swiss have frozen $8.8 billion of Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Switzerland has frozen an estimated 7.7 billion Swiss francs ($8.81 billion) in financial assets belonging to Russians, the government said on Friday, under sanctions designed to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the agency overseeing sanctions, said the 7.7 billion francs figure was only its latest estimate and was subject to change. Bern has also blocked the movement of 7.4 billion francs in foreign currency assets belonging to the Russian central bank. SECO declined to comment on which individuals have had their assets frozen. Still, the frozen assets are only a fraction of the total wealth held by Russians in Switzerland, with the country's banks holding 150 billion francs, according to estimates by the Swiss Bankers Association.

Persons: Alain Berset, John Revill, Gareth Jones, Alison Williams Organizations: Secretariat, Economic Affairs, Swiss Bankers Association, Ukraine, European, Thomson Locations: BERN, Switzerland, Moscow, Ukraine, European, Swiss, Bern, Russian

MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree putting St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport under the temporary management of a Russian company, wresting control from investors from Germany, Qatar and other Gulf states. The airport's management company has 14 co-owners. The rights of foreign shareholders will pass to two different Russian entities. Russian shareholders will retain their rights. The decree stated that airport's foreign shareholders would be able to restore their rights to stakes in the new company if they apply and conclude corporate agreements that comply with Russian laws on foreign investment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Fraport, VTB, Ramzan Kadyrov, Taimuraz, Carlsberg's, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Ilona Wissenbach, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Petersburg's Pulkovo, Qatar Investment Authority, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Baring, Baltika Breweries, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Germany, Qatar, St Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Ukraine Says One Killed as Russia Launched 25 Drones Overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Russia launched 25 drone attacks on Ukraine overnight, killing one person and damaging a warehouse and farm equipment, the Ukrainian military said on Friday, adding that it had downed 18 of the drones, all but two of them in southern Ukraine. One civilian was killed and another injured in attacks on the southern Kherson region, where a culture centre was damaged, Ukraine's Southern Military Command said on the Telegram messenger app. In the neighbouring region of Mykolaiv, a warehouse, a hangar and agricultural machinery were damaged, it said. The Ukrainian Air Force said the drones had been launched from southwestern Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as two missiles from the occupied part of Kherson region. (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Tom Hogue and Gareth Jones)

Persons: Dan Peleschuk, Yuliia, Tom Hogue, Gareth Jones Organizations: Southern Military Command, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Russian, Crimea

Unlike most of its Western allies and some Gulf states, Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist group and hosts some of its members. Nelson said Turkey was connected to Hamas' past efforts to raise funds from donors, investment portfolios, charities and non-profit organisations. Even if Turkey sees Hamas as legitimate, he said the group could still violate domestic laws, though he gave no specific example of this happening. "There is sufficient opportunity for Turkey to address this problem under its own domestic legal authorities irrespective of U.S. sanctions," he said. Turkey says sanctions will not be circumvented on its soil and that nothing transiting is used in Russia's war effort.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Nelson, Tayyip Erdogan, RUSSIA Nelson, We're, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson, Gareth Jones, Emelia Organizations: Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Turkish, United Arab, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey, Israel, Istanbul, Gaza, United States, Washington, Sudan, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, RUSSIA, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ French economy contracts in Q3, inflation eases further
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The French economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter of the year, revised data from the statistics office INSEE showed on Thursday, while November inflation eased more than expected. The inflation was down from 4.5% in October, helped by easing price pressure in energy and in the services sector. Food prices rose 7.6% in November, versus 7.8% in October while the increase in energy prices slowed to 3.1% after seeing an increase of 5.2% last month. Month-on-month, prices declined by 0.2% as falling transportation and energy prices offset a month-on-month rise of food prices, especially fresh produce. Reporting by Piotr Lipinski, Zhifan Liu, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Bruno Le Maire, Piotr Lipinski, Zhifan Liu, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Gareth Jones Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Montesson, Paris, France, EU

☆ Italy's Parliament Approves Crackdown on Teenage Migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ROME (Reuters) - Italian lawmakers on Thursday approved a government decree that allows migrants aged 16 or 17 to be held in adult reception centres and gives police stronger powers to check that migrants are not falsely claiming to be under age. Under Italian and European legislation, unaccompanied young migrants are entitled to more favourable treatment. For example, they cannot be expelled and should have access to more extensive welfare and support services. It allows minors aged 16 or 17 to be held in adult migrant reception camps when places for underage migrants are not available, and says they can be held there for up to 150 days. Earlier this month, Meloni announced Italy would build migrant identification and reception centres in Albania, saying she hoped they could host as many as 36,000 sea migrants per year.

Persons: Giorgia, Meloni, Angelo Amante, Gareth Jones Organizations: Senate, Unicef Locations: ROME, Italy, Albania, Africa

☆ Back to a War Zone: Stranded Palestinians Head Home to Gaza During Truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ibraheem Abu MustafaRAFAH, Gaza (Reuters) - About 1,000 Palestinians who were stranded outside the Gaza Strip when war broke out between Israel and Hamas have returned home during the seven-day truce, braving the prospect of renewed bombardment, a Palestinian border official said on Thursday. The war began three days later, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. Abu Nader flew to Egypt on Oct. 24 but could not return to Gaza as the Rafah crossing was closed. All Palestine is my home, not just Gaza or the house in al-Nasser, the whole nation is my home," he said. The truce was initially agreed for four days but has repeatedly been renewed, for 24 to 48 hours at a time.

Persons: Nidal, Abu, Abu Nader, Nasser, MOONSCAPE, Intisar Barakat, Fadi Shana, Estelle Shirbon, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hamas, Reuters, Hospitals, United Nations Locations: Abu Mustafa RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Rafah, Egypt, Turkey, Nasser, Gaza City, Palestine, al, Cairo

☆ Two Palestinians open fire at Jerusalem bus stop, killing three - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The terrorists arrived at the scene by car in the morning, armed with an M-16 rifle and a handgun," police said. The shooters came from East Jerusalem and were stopped by off-duty soldiers and another civilian who was nearby, police said. Israel's Shin Bet security agency identified them as 30 and 38-year-old brothers who were affiliated with the Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza. A white car is seen stopped beside a crowded bus stop. A large number of first responders and security forces converged on the area that was crowded with morning commuters.

Persons: Israel's Shin, Ronen, Benny Gantz, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Antony Blinken, Ari Rabinovitch, Bernadette Baum, Gareth Jones Organizations: Attackers, Hamas, Reuters, REUTERS, National, U.S, Tel, West Bank, Troops, Thomson Locations: Gaza, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ India's ruling BJP, opposition Congress in tight race to win state elections-exit polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Three of the five states in contention have witnessed a tough battle between Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party. BJP has been in power in one of the states, Congress in two, and regional parties in the remaining two. At least nine exit polls predicted Congress party's victory in mineral-rich Chattisgarh and Telangana state. A regional party was set to win again in the northeastern state of Mizoram, according to two exit polls. Politicians and analysts also note that state elections do not always influence the outcome of the general elections or indicate national voter mood.

Persons: Stringer, Narendra Modi's, Rupam, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India Today, Thomson Locations: Rajasthan, Ajmer, India, DELHI, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram

[1/2] A worker pushes a luggage cart with belongings of Palestinians who are trying to get back into Gaza, at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah, Egypt, November 30, 2023. Acquire Licensing RightsRAFAH, Gaza, Nov 30 (Reuters) - About 1,000 Palestinians who were stranded outside the Gaza Strip when war broke out between Israel and Hamas have returned home during the seven-day truce, braving the prospect of renewed bombardment, a Palestinian border official said on Thursday. The war began three days later, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. Abu Nader flew to Egypt on Oct. 24 but could not return to Gaza as the Rafah crossing was closed. All Palestine is my home, not just Gaza or the house in al-Nasser, the whole nation is my home," he said.

Persons: Abu Nader, Nasser, MOONSCAPE, Intisar Barakat, Fadi Shana, Estelle Shirbon, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hamas, Reuters, Hospitals, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, RAFAH, Palestinian, Turkey, Nasser, Gaza City, Palestine, al, Cairo

☆ Kremlin warns of tensions if Poland sends troops to Finnish-Russian border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Closed Vaalimaa border station between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland on November 29, 2023. Finland closes temporarily its sole remaining border crossing with Russia. "A team of military advisers will provide on-site knowledge on border security, also in operational terms," he said. Finland's Border Guard and the interior ministry both said they were unaware of any plan to bring Polish military advisers to Finland's eastern border. Finland infuriated Russia earlier this year when it joined NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment, due to the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Lehtikuva, Lauri Heino, Jacek Siewiera, Dmitry Peskov, Sauli Niinisto, Andrzej Duda, Anne Kauranen, Felix Light, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Kremlin, Polish National Security Bureau, NATO, Finland's Border Guard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Finland, Russia, Virolahti, MOSCOW, HELSINKI, Moscow, Poland, Helsinki, Finnish, Warsaw, Ukraine

☆ Portugal extends tax breaks for foreign residents despite house price concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

View of the Portuguese parliament on the day of the vote on the 2024 state budget bill on final reading amid Prime Minister Antonio Costa's resignation, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Portugal's parliament on Wednesday extended tax breaks for foreign residents until the end of next year despite criticism that the scheme has stoked housing prices to levels unaffordable to many Portuguese. Official data showed that over 74,000 people had benefited from the scheme by the end of 2022. Last year the tax exemptionscost the state budget more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.65 billion), an annual increase of 18.5%. ($1 = 0.9106 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves Editing by Catarina Demony and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antonio Costa's, Pedro Nunes, Antonio Costa, Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Socialist Party, Socialists, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Rights LISBON

☆ Israeli, U.S. spy chiefs meet Qatari PM to discuss 'building on' Gaza truce - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The outcome of the talks, which were also attended by Egyptian officials, was unclear, the source added. Health authorities in Gaza say Israel's bombardment of the tiny, densely populated territory has so far killed more than 15,000 people, around 40% of them children. During the first four days of the truce, Hamas fighters released 50 Israeli women and children who had been taken hostage. As part of the two-day truce extension Hamas has agreed to release an additional 10 Israeli women and children each day. So far, there is no indication that Hamas is willing to release any Israeli men or military personnel among those taken captive.

Persons: William Burns, Burns, David Barnea, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Barnea, Sheikh Mohammed, Andrew Mills, Doina Chiacu, Nadine Awadalla, Alison Williams, Gareth Jones Organizations: U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Palestinian, Hamas, Reuters, Egyptian, U.S, Qatari, Qatar, Israel, Health, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Doha, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Washington

The court ruling has called into question Germany's traditionally strict fiscal policy and sparked warnings that German companies could be starved of support to keep them globally competitive. HANDS TIEDThe crisis has sparked calls for reforming the debt brake. "With the debt brake as it is, we have voluntarily tied our hands behind our backs and are going into a boxing match," he said. A poll by broadcaster ZDF suggested only a minority of Germans supported suspending the debt brake. Some 57% wanted the budget shortfall from the court ruling to be covered by spending cuts, 11% favoured tax increases and 23% wanted the state to take on additional debt.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Christian Lindner, Scholz, Lindner, Habeck, Steffen Hebestreit, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Miranda Murray, Rene Wagner, Matthias Williams, Toby Chopra, Gareth Jones, Deepa Babington Organizations: Climate, Finance, BERLIN, Greens, Social Democrats, Free Democrats, FDP, ZDF, Thomson Locations: Germany, Europe's, East Germany, China

☆ Finland shuts all passenger border crossings with Russia but one
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Finnish Border Guards escort the migrants at the international border crossing at Salla, northern Finland, November 23, 2023. Having last week closed four border stations, Finland overnight closed all remaining passenger crossings except its northernmost one, Raja-Jooseppi located in the northern Arctic region, for a month. Separately, the Finnish Border Guard said on Friday it expects dozens of officers from the European Union's Frontex border agency to help patrol the 1,340 km (833 mile) border with Russia from next week. "Their task will primarily be to patrol the land border under the supervision of the Finnish Border Guards and to support them," Border Security Expert Arttu Maaranen told Reuters. Estonia, like Finland, has accused Moscow of sending migrants to its border with Russia in what its interior minister called "a hybrid attack operation".

Persons: Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, Jooseppi, Maaranen, Frontex, Jonas Gahr Stoere, Gahr Stoere, Anne Kauranen, Victoria Klesty, Anna Ringstrom, Gareth Jones Organizations: Finnish Border Guards, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Nordic, Kremlin, Finnish Border Guard, Reuters, Estonian, NATO, Thomson Locations: Salla, Finland, Russia, Moscow, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Helsinki, Norway, Finland's, Norwegian, Tallinn, Estonia, Oslo

[1/2] Ukrainian trucks are parked near the Poland-Ukraine border, near the village of Korczowa, Poland November 19, 2023. They launched their blockade on Nov. 6, protesting that Ukrainian truckers are exempt from requiring permits to cross the Polish border, a policy change put in place during the war. The Polish protests coincide with concerns in Ukraine that the European Union may not agree next month to launch formal accession talks for it to join the 27-member bloc, a key objective for Kyiv. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhiy Derkach said late on Thursday that Ukrainian truckers were suffering in bitter, sub-zero temperatures and that there were no food supplies, basic sanitary conditions or ambulances at the scene. The truckers union says two Ukrainian truckers have died in their vehicles since the beginning of the blockade.

Persons: Yan, Leonid Kostiuchenko, Kostiuchenko, Serhiy Derkach, Derkach, Tom Balmforth, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ukrainian Association of International Carriers, European Union, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Poland, Ukraine, Korczowa, Polish

☆ Egypt president says future Palestinian state could be demilitarised
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Palestinians stand among the rubble of houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A future Palestinian state could be demilitarised and have a temporary international security presence to provide guarantees to both it and to Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday. A political resolution which requires a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, has remained out of reach, Sisi added. Arab nations have rejected suggestions that an Arab force provide security in the Gaza Strip after the end of Israel's current military operation there against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. Reporting by Aidan Lewis, Writing by Clauda Tanios Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Pedro Sanchez, Alexander De Croo, Ayman Safadi, Aidan Lewis, Clauda, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, United Nations, Spanish, Belgian, Palestinian, Hamas, Jordanian, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rights CAIRO, Palestinian, Cairo, East Jerusalem, London

[1/2] Ukrainian trucks are parked near the Poland-Ukraine border, near the village of Korczowa, Poland November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Yan Dobronosov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top truckers union said on Friday its hopes of a rapid end to Polish trucker protests at the border were fading, as Kyiv prepared to evacuate its hauliers stranded in Poland. They launched their blockade on Nov. 6, protesting that Ukrainian truckers are exempt from requiring permits to cross the Polish border, a policy change put in place during the war. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhiy Derkach said late on Thursday that Ukrainian truckers were suffering in bitter, sub-zero temperatures and that there were no food supplies, basic sanitary conditions or ambulances at the scene. The truckers union says two Ukrainian truckers have died in their vehicles since the beginning of the blockade.

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session of the Artificial Intelligence Journey 2023 international AI and machine learning conference in Moscow, Russia November 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Putin to approve new AI strategy soonChina and U.S. lead on AI currentlyRussian AI has been set back by Ukraine war, sanctionsPutin calls Russia to up its game on AIMOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of artificial intelligence (AI), and said that a much more ambitious Russian strategy for the development of AI would be approved shortly. "In all spheres of our life, humanity is beginning a new chapter of its existence," Putin said of AI, adding that Russia needed to up its game on AI both in ambitions and execution. Russia, he said, would have to change laws, boost international cooperation, and ensure much more investment for the development of AI. He told Putin in June that Sberbank was making around $3 billion annually from $1 billion in AI investments.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Gref, Sberbank, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Artificial, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, MOSCOW, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, China, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, United States, India, Israel, South Korea, Japan

The court ruling has called into question Germany's traditionally strict fiscal policy and sparked warnings that German companies could be starved of support to keep them globally competitive. The debt brake, introduced after the global financial crisis of 2008/09, was first suspended in 2020 to help the government support firms and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. HANDS TIEDThe crisis has sparked calls for reforming the debt brake. "With the debt brake as it is, we have voluntarily tied our hands behind our backs and are going into a boxing match," he said. A poll by broadcaster ZDF suggested only a minority of Germans supported suspending the debt brake.

Persons: Christian Lindner, Fabrizio Bensch, Scholz, Olaf Scholz, Lindner, Robert Habeck, Habeck, Steffen Hebestreit, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Miranda Murray, Rene Wagner, Matthias Williams, Toby Chopra, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, BERLIN, Finance, Greens, ZDF, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe's, East Germany, China

☆ Kremlin says NATO's desire for a 'military Schengen' zone in Europe ratchets up tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that NATO's desire to have a military analogue of the Schengen Zone in Europe to allow the alliance's armed forces to move around freely to counter Russia had ratcheted up tensions and was a cause for concern. NATO is actively supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and Kyiv hopes one day to join the alliance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would respond if 'the military Schengen' proposal became a reality. This (statement) is nothing more than about fuelling tensions in Europe which has consequences," Peskov told reporters. He said talk of building a 'military Schengen' showed once again that Europe was unwilling to listen to Moscow's legitimate concerns and was ready to boost its own security at Russia's expense.

Persons: Alexander Sollfrank, Joe Biden, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: Reuters, NATO, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Warsaw, Poland, Baltic

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