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☆ Biden’s green light for Ukraine to use ATACMS in Russia just raised the stakes in a war Trump will inherit
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv loudly decries the refusal, and just when the request seems to have been parked, the Biden administration approves it. Is it too late for the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to make a difference if it hits targets deep inside Russia? The answer is complex and perhaps explains some of the reluctance of the Biden administration to grant permission. Secondly, Ukraine has been able to penetrate deeper inside Russia using domestically manufactured and cheaper drones. Thirdly, the permission to use US precision missiles to hit deeper inside Russia is, as it sounds, quite provocative.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, HIMARS, Abrams, Russia –, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Analysts, Institute for, United, NATO, America Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, ATACMS, United States, Moscow, Europe, Kursk

☆ Biden authorizes Ukraine to use powerful ATACMS to strike inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Katie Balevic | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementPresident Joe Biden will allow Ukraine to strike Russia with US-provided long-range missiles. The US previously restricted Ukraine from striking Russia with the powerful ATACMS. President Joe Biden has authorized the use of powerful, US-provided long-range missiles for Ukraine to strike inside Russia, according to multiple reports. Biden's decision will allow Ukraine to train its sights on some 245 Russian targets using ATACMS. Beyond the US-provided missiles, Kyiv also fields long-range cruise missiles that the UK and France provided.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, Zelenskyy Organizations: Army Tactical Missile Systems, New York Times, Kyiv's, ATACMS, Military, The Defense Department, White House National Security Locations: Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Russia's Kursk, Sunday, Kursk, Kyiv, Russian, United States, France

☆ Those bold AGI predictions are suddenly looking stretched
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The generative AI boom has inspired bold AGI predictions ranging from this happening in 2025, 2026, or maybe 2027. AdvertisementThat's the main reason for huge gains in recent years in the performance of AI models. AdvertisementHorowitz noted several factors that are holding back AI model improvements, including a lack of new high-quality human data and problems sourcing the extra energy needed to power AI data centers. AGI questionsIf the main tried-and-true method for improving AI models is no longer working, we are unlikely to get AGI anytime soon. Altman's bold AGI predictions may also be an effective rallying cry for hard-working OpenAI employees.

Persons: Sam Altman, there's, that's, Oren Etzioni, Etzioni, Ilya Sutskever, Noam Brown, Google hasn't, Marc, Ben, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Andreessen, Horowitz, we're, OpenAI, Altman, we've, AGI, Elon Musk, It's Organizations: YouTube, Allen Institute, Tech, Reuters, Orion, Bloomberg, Google, AGI, Microsoft, Intel, Computer, Artificial Intelligence Locations: Seattle

☆ How different a commander in chief will Trump be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

On the face of it, there are sizable differences in foreign policy between Trump and President Joe Biden. In October, the Biden administration again helped to intercept a barrage of around 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, which also caused minimal damage to targets in Israel. Bringing US troops homeIn 2020, the Trump administration signed a US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan with the Taliban. But after McMaster was pushed out of office in 2018, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban the withdrawal agreement of all US forces from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, the incoming Trump administration seems intent on resurrecting Schedule F, an executive order issued in the last months of the first Trump term.

Persons: sneezes, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Trump’s, shored, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Andrew Harnik, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel, Jared Kushner, Qasem Soleimani, Mike Huckabee, Israel — Huckabee, David Friedman, Reagan, JD Vance —, H.R, McMaster, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Haley, Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Florida, George W, Bush, Pete Hegseth —, Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Robert Gates, John Ratcliffe of, Tulsi Gabbard, Vladimir Putin, Basher al, Assad, Putin, Diego Fedele, Ukraine doesn’t, John Bolton, Mark Rutte, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, “ It’s, Maura Healey, Stephen Miller, CBS’s, Camp David, It’s, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, White, of, Biden, CIA, Liberation Army, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obama, Getty, West Bank, Abraham Accords, Arkansas Gov, US Defense Intelligence Agency, ISIS, McMaster, UN, GOP, Republican, Special, House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon, Fox News, Senate, Republicans, US Civil, Policy, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Policy Institute, Rep, House Intelligence, NATO Trump, US Congressional Research Service, Joint Assault Brigade, National Police, of Homeland, American Immigration Council, NBC News, US Bureau of Prisons, Massachusetts Gov, National Guard, Congress, Washington Post, H.R, North, America Locations: Paris, Russia, China, Beijing, South China, United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Washington, United States, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Yemen, Jerusalem, AFP, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Hawaii, Ukraine, Dnipro, Soviet, Toretsk, Crimea, Japan, NATO, “ Russia, Baltic, Western Europe, ”, Korean, North Korean

☆ Biden allows Ukraine to use U.S. arms to strike inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns. Russia has warned that it would see a move to loosen the limits on Ukraine's use of U.S. weapons as a major escalation. Some congressional Republicans had urged Biden to loosen the rules on how Ukraine can use U.S.-provided weapons. Russia is advancing at its fastest rate since 2022 despite taking heavy losses, and Ukraine said it had clashed with some of those North Korean troops deployed to Kursk. Despite Zelenskiy's pleas, the White House had been reluctant to allow U.S.-supplied weapons to be used to strike targets deep inside Russia for fear this could escalate the conflict.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Trump, Richard Grenell, Grenell, Biden, Zelenskiy, Alex Plitsas, Radoslaw Sikorski, Putin, Sikorski Organizations: U.S, State Department, Trump, Biden, Korean, Atlantic Council, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Abrams Tanks, White Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Korean, Washington, Ukrainian, U.S, Kursk, HIMARS

I’m tripping over their bodies,” said Sydney Seiler, the U.S. national intelligence officer for North Korea from 2020 to 2023. “Kim Jong Un is selling North Korean soldiers as cannon fodder mercenaries,” South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said last month. It’s an entirely new environment for the North Korean soldiers, who live in one of the most isolated and repressive countries in the world. The Russian military is teaching the North Korean soldiers about 100 key military terms, but “North Koreans are having a difficult time learning Russian,” South Korean lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon and Park Sun-won said last month. North Korean soldiers’ inexperience could be another point of friction and a major factor in how they are deployed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, Gavriil, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Shigeru Ishiba, Kim, “ Kim Jong, Kim Yong, hyun, John Hardie, Lee Sung, Bruce Bennett, ” Hardie, Bennett, ” Bennett, Edward Howell, “, ” Howell, Stella Kim Organizations: Ukraine, North, NBC News, U.S, The State Department, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, NBC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty Images, Economic Cooperation, South Korean Defense, Pentagon, Politico, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, North Korean, South Korean National Intelligence Service, AFP, Getty, Korean, Battalion, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, South, Sun, Rand Corp . Communication, Chatham House Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, U.S, North Korea, Russian, Kursk, Korean, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang, Getty Images North Korea, South, Asia, Lima , Peru, The U.S, California, Ukrainian, London, Seoul, Hong Kong

☆ Ukraine latest: Bad news mounts for Ukraine across the frontlines. But Russia is under pressure too
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Russia is making gains at key spots along the frontlines of eastern and southeastern Ukraine, while unleashing wave after wave of aerial terror against Ukrainian cities. … You just get boxed into a corner and you have to choose from a buffet of bad options,” Barros added. Taking over Kupiansk would make it a lot easier for Russia to push further into the Kharkiv region. Ukraine has put up a fierce fight in the area in recent months, even though it has lost some ground. Pokrovsk has been a target of Russia for months as it seeks to capture eastern Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ” George Barros, Barros, That’s, …, ” Barros, Kupiansk, Zelensky, Pokrovsk, Diego Fedele, they’ve, “ It’s, ”, that’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Geospatial Intelligence, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian Central Bank, Western Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Kursk, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s, Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, crosshairs, Avdiivka, North, United States

☆ Trump looms over Biden’s final meeting with Xi in Peru
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the end, looking backward may be more productive for Biden and Xi than trying to predict what’s next for their two nations. Biden administration officials acknowledge they have little insight into what a notoriously unpredictable leader might be planning. What Biden can do, they argue, is reiterate to Xi the value of maintaining communication, even amid the expected contention. A key counterweight could be Biden’s legacyHow Trump confronts those threats is not something he’s discussed at great length, at least as a candidate. It’s also an area his aides believe could — and should — be continued by the incoming Trump administration, though acknowledging they have little to go on when it comes to the president-elect’s intentions.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Donald Trump’s, that’s, Biden, “, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz, He’s, there’s, Xi’s, ”, Jake Sullivan, aren’t, China’s, —, Obama, he’s, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, It’s, Korea’s Yoon Suk, Shigeru Ishiba Organizations: Peru CNN —, Biden, White, APEC, Xinhua, Mar, Lima Convention Center, Trump Trump, Ukraine Locations: Lima, Peru, Chengdu, China, Washington, Beijing, United States, Bali, San Francisco, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, Seoul, East Asia

☆ During meeting with Biden, China's Xi cautions the U.S. to 'make the wise choice' to keep relations stable
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 16, 2024. Biden was expected to urge Xi to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its support for Russia's war on Ukraine. In front of the cameras Saturday, Xi spoke to Biden — but it was unmistakable that his message was directed at Trump. After he was greeted by Xi, Biden ignored shouted questions from reporters on his concerns about the incoming Trump administration as well as North Korea. Biden is looking for Xi to step up Chinese engagement to prevent an already dangerous moment with North Korea from further escalating.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Xi, Biden, haven't, We've, Trump, Warby Parker, Steve Madden, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Yoon Seok Yul, Shigeru Ishiba, Kim Jong, Pyongyang's, Kim Organizations: APEC, U.S, Economic Cooperation, U.S ., China -, Conference Center, Nike, Trump, White House, FBI, Ukraine, South, North, The North Locations: Lima , Peru, Beijing, U.S, Asia, China, North Korea, Ukraine, Lima's, Northern California, Russia, Taiwan, Moscow, United States, Russia's Kursk, Pyongyang, The, The North Koreans, Japan, South Korea, Xi, Peru

☆ America's defeat in Vietnam offers a game plan for Ukrainian victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine can defeat Russia if it and its Western backers learn from America's failure in the Vietnam War, a Ukrainian security expert argues. Danylyuk attributes America's failure in Vietnam to a "protracted multi-dimensional strategy by the Soviet Union, on whose help it was completely dependent." Crucial ways to defeat Russia's invasion can be found in the Soviet Union's multi-pronged strategy in Vietnam, analyst Oleksandr Danylyuk says. AP Photo/John T. WheelerThe first prong of this strategy would be to "stabilize the frontline and to render any successful offensive actions by Russian troops impossible." "The only explanation for the lack of a mass anti-war movement and large-scale protests is the absence of an organized and popular opposition in Russia," Danylyuk said.

Persons: Ukraine's, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Danylyuk, Johnson, Nixon, John T, Wheeler, Vladimir Putin's, Michael Peck Organizations: Ukraine, Royal United Services Institute, Ukrainian, Soviet, Communist bloc, AP, Gripen, Meteor, MiG, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Soviet, Vietnam, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, British, China, Soviet Union, Hanoi, Saigon, South Vietnam, Vietnam's, Viet, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, Russian, Kabul, Forbes

☆ Germany's Scholz discusses Ukraine with Russia's Putin in first such call in 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin leader’s first publicly announced conversation with the sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years. Scholz urged Putin to be open to negotiations with Ukraine, his office said. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Scholz urged Putin in the hour-long call to withdraw his troops and end the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. The new communication between Scholz and Putin — their first since December 2022 — comes at a time of widespread speculation about what the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump will mean for Ukraine. The U.S., South Korea and Ukraine say North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Vladimir Putin, Scholz, Putin, Steffen Hebestreit, Alexei Navalny’s, Yulia, “, ” Hebestreit, —, Donald Trump, Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ” Zelenskyy, ” Scholz, ” Putin, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Kremlin leader’s, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Kremlin, Russian Federation Locations: BERLIN, Ukraine, Russian, Berlin, Russia, Washington, Moscow, U.S, South Korea, North Korea, Germany, ”, East

☆ Protests erupt in breakaway Georgian region over deal with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A truck rammed the gates of parliament in the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on Friday as hundreds protested against an investment agreement with Moscow that some Abkhaz fear will price them out of the property market. Two people were injured in the clashes, Russia’s RIA state news agency cited local emergency services as saying. Russian media showed a truck ramming into the gates surrounding the parliament in the capital, Sukhumi. Russia recognized Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war. Other footage published by local Telegram channels showed protesters tying rope to the metal gates and attempting to tear them down.

Persons: Maxim Reshetnikov, Kristina Ozgan, Scuffles, Aslan Bzhania, Alexander Ankvab, Raul Khadzhimba Organizations: Russian Economy, Abkhazian, Telegram Locations: Russian, Georgian, Abkhazia, Moscow, Sukhumi, Russia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Soviet

☆ Kim Jong Un said to order mass production of suicide drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a test of suicide drones and ordered mass production of the aerial weapon, saying the introduction of such drones around the world requires an urgent update of military theory, state media said Friday. Kim “underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production,” state news agency KCNA said. Kim observed a test firing of what appear to be suicide drones alongside military officials at an undisclosed location. That has prompted South Korea to deploy weapons to shoot down North Korean drones. North Korea and Russia have recently ratified a comprehensive strategic partnership that their leaders signed in June, which includes a mutual defense pact.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Kim “, KCNA, ” KCNA Organizations: South Korean, Ukraine, Russian Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Korea, frontlines

☆ American fighter pilots explain how they fought an overwhelming Iranian drone swarm in total darkness
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“You feel the terrain rush, you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the ground,” Coffey told CNN. Obtained by CNNThe fighter pilots had not had much time before then to practice, said F-15 pilot Lt. Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey. Air defense systems at an undisclosed US military base in the Middle East intercept Iranian drones and missiles. “Missiles and drones are flying over base, and they’re being intercepted over base, so the alarm red goes off,” Causey said. CNNMany of the F-15 pilots, air and ground crews who took part in the operation that night received awards this week for bravery.

Persons: Benjamin “, ” Coffey, Coffey, Lacie, ” Hester, Hester, ”, Timothy “ Diesel ”, ” Causey, hadn’t, ’ ” Coffey, “, Curtis “, ” Culver, Hester’s, Timothy “ Diesel ” Causey, Clayton “, ” Wicks, Wicks, Culver, Robin Olds Organizations: CNN, Israel, US Air Force’s, Air Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Air, Royal Air Force, Patriot, Missiles, ” Troops, Silver Star, Culver, “, MiG Locations: Iran, Iranian, Syria, Suffolk, England, Vietnam

☆ North Korea to mass produce self-detonating explosive drones, state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Helen Regan | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Images published by North Korean state media show Kim and various officials at the launch site. State media reported that drones “of various types precisely hit the targets” as part of the test. Such self-detonating drones, also sometimes referred to as suicide drones, have been widely used to great effect on the battlefield in Russia’s war in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Images released from North Korean state media KCNA show what it said were self-detonating drone during a test of the unmanned aerial vehicles. KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks with officials as he oversees a test of self-detonating drones, according to state media KCNA.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim “, “, ”, Kim Jong, KCNA, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, North, US State Department, Russian, CNN North Korean, Korea’s Defense, Agency, South Locations: North Korean, Ukraine, West, Russia, Kursk, Korean, Ukrainian, Pyongyang, ” Moscow, North Korea, Russian, South Korea, Seoul, Korea’s, Ganghwa

☆ Georgia: Protesters storm parliament in breakaway region of Abkhazia over Russia deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Protesters stormed the parliament of the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on Friday and opposition politicians demanded the resignation of the self-styled president over an unpopular investment agreement with Moscow. Protesters used a truck to smash through the metal gates surrounding the parliament in the capital Sukhumi. Eshsou Kakalia, an opposition leader and former deputy prosecutor general, said the parliament building was under the control of the protesters. “We will now seek the resignation of the current president of Abkhazia,” he was quoted by Russia’s Interfax news agency as saying. Protesters also broke into the presidential administration offices located in the same building as the parliament.

Persons: Russia’s, Protesters, Maxim Reshetnikov, Kristina Ozgan, Aslan Bzhania, Alexander Ankvab, Raul Khadzhimba Organizations: CNN — Protesters, Protesters, Russia’s Interfax, Russian Economy, Abkhazian, Russian Locations: Russian, Georgian, Abkhazia, Moscow, Sukhumi, ”, Russia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Soviet

☆ A Ukrainian brigade armed with French tanks, artillery, and heavy weaponry is about to enter the fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Now they are able to fight, they are able to maneuver," a French colonel said. AdvertisementA Ukrainian brigade made up of thousands of soldiers trained in France and armed with French-supplied tanks, artillery, and heavy weaponry is about to enter the fight against Russia. It will also have 18 AMX 10 light tanks, 18 truck-mounted Caesar artillery pieces, 128 armored troop carriers, as well as anti-tank and antiaircraft missile systems, the French military said. The Ukrainian military is also training other troops for the brigade back in Ukraine, according to French authorities. The new Ukrainian brigade will enter the war at a critical time.

Persons: —, Anne, France —, Caesar, Ukraine's, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Russia, Associated Press, Western, White, Trump Locations: France, Russia, French, Champagne, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Kursk, Europe

☆ Russia needed armor so badly that its biggest film studio donated 36 Soviet-era tanks that were used as props
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mosfilm's head told Putin that it donated 28 T-55 tanks and eight PT-76 tanks to the defense ministry. Mosfilm's website says the studio has over 190 armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and self-propelled guns, though it described them as being "disguised" as equipment from various periods. Still, Shakhnazarov's statement comes as Moscow has struggled to maintain its inventory of armored vehicles amid heavy losses in the last two years. Figures from Dutch open-source tracking group Oryx say that Russia has lost 10,888 armored vehicles since the war began, including 3,558 tanks. AdvertisementThe Russian Defense Ministry and Mosfilm did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: Putin, —, Mosfilm, Karen Shakhnazarov, Vladimir Putin, Shakhnazarov Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Kremlin, Armed Forces, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Defense Ministry, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Germany's Scholz urges Putin in phone call to open talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, r) and Russian President Vladimir Putin look up after several hours of one-on-one talks at a joint press conference. Scholz met the Russian president for talks on the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare phone call on Friday to begin talks with Ukraine that would open the way for a "just and lasting peace." In a one-hour phone conversation, their first in almost two years, Scholz also demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and reaffirmed Germany's continued support for Ukraine, a German government spokesman said. "He stressed Germany's unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression for as long as necessary," the spokesperson added.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Vladimir Putin, Scholz, Germany's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin, Donald Trump's, Trump Organizations: Ukraine, U.S, Social Democrats Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, United States

☆ North Korea orders mass production of attack drones after seeing Russia's tactics up close
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kim Jong Un has ordered the mass production of attack drones, North Korean media reported. AdvertisementNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the mass production of exploding drones on Thursday, according to North Korean state media. Kovalenko also said there were plans to send Russian drone instructors to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, for further training of North Korean personnel. "North Korea may use these skills for future terrorist actions in the border areas with South Korea," he said. The partnership brings another advantage for North Korea: much-needed live combat experience and technical know-how.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, —, Kim, Kim Jong, AP Kim, Putin, Gavriil, Andrii Kovalenko, Kovalenko, Joseph S, Bermudez Jr Organizations: Service, Business, KCNA, BMW, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, Korea News Service, AP, Reuters, AFP, Ukraine's Center, North, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Korean, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Iran, AFP North Korea, Kursk, Ukrainian, South Korea, Russian, Pyongyang, Korea

☆ Germany’s Scholz calls Putin, ending Western isolation over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The conversation on Friday was the first time Scholz had spoken with Putin in two years. It comes as the German leader gears up for a snap election and Europe waits to hear US President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine. “He stressed Germany’s unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary,” the spokesperson added. Ukraine said however that phone conversations with Putin brought no added value on the path to achieving a “just peace” in Ukraine. But of course, (it is a) question about how Russia spins it.”Scholz to brief alliesThe Kremlin said Putin had told Scholz Russia was willing to look at energy deals if Germany was interested.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Zelensky, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Scholz, Donald Trump’s, Zelensky, “, ”, Trump, ” Scholz, Scholz Russia Organizations: Berlin Reuters, Kremlin, Reuters, Scholz’s Social, Ukraine, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Berlin, Germany, Baltic, North Korea, Russia’s, Kursk, United States

“President Trump is going to hit the Justice Department with a blowtorch, and Matt Gaetz is that torch,” Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist, told NBC News. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she didn't think Gaetz was "a serious nomination for the attorney general." From bitter experience, Trump knows that he needs an attorney general he can trust implicitly, and it might be worth the political capital to battle for Gaetz's confirmation. Little happened in Trump’s first term that angered him as much as Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself and appoint a special counsel to investigate whether there were links between his 2016 campaign and Russia. In Gaetz, Trump would get an attorney general who has said Trump won the election that year, as well as an iconoclast who shares his willingness to upset the status quo.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Mount Rushmore, James Mattis, Mattis, John Kelly, Kelly, who'd, Hegseth, Donald J, ”, Max Stier, Gaetz, Kamala Harris, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Kevin Cramer, Jeff Sessions, I’m, ” Trump, Robert Mueller, William Barr Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice Department, Defense, Justice, White, Department, White House, NBC News, Fox News, Democrat, Trump, South Dakota Gov, National Guard, Partnership for Public Service, Senate, Republicans, FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, NBC, Washington Locations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Alaska, Russia

☆ Pete Hegseth: Trump’s Pentagon pick aims for clash with top military leadership
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Jeremy Herb | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

A Princeton and Harvard grad, Hegseth was CEO of the conservative veteran’s advocacy organization, Concerned Veterans for America, beginning in 2006. He has 20 years’ experience in the military, having served in the Army National Guard as an infantry officer from 2002 to 2021 and leaving service as a major, according to military service records. He also worked as a guard at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from June 2004 to April 2005. Hegseth has been awarded two Bronze Stars from his combat service. In one June interview on Fox, Hegseth bemoaned the state of the US military’s procurement system and the threat posed by China’s growing military.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, CQ Brown, —, “ Fox, ”, Trump, ” John Noonan, ‘ You’ve, Hugh Hewitt, “, they’re, Shawn Ryan, you’ve, ” Hegseth, Brown, Staff —, shouldn’t, Obama, Ben Shapiro, America Allison Jaslow —, who’ve, ” Jaslow, –, Biden, neocon, Hegseth –, neocon ”, he’s, ’, they’ve, Vladimir Putin’s “, Ryan, King, warcrimes, Matthew Golsteyn, Clint Lorance –, Eddie Gallagher, Mark Esper, Gallagher, Golsteyn, Lorance, Jaslow, Tim Parlatore, “ Everyone’s, ” CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Joint Chiefs, Army National Guard, Star, Pentagon, Trump, Princeton, Harvard grad, Veterans, Republican, Defense Department, Armed, Navy, of Defense, Staff, Air Force, Army Ranger School, Army Special Forces, Naval, Warfare Command, Afghanistan Veterans, Ranger School, Defense, Iraq, Fox, United, “ Fox, ”, warcrimes CNN, United States Senate Locations: China, Ukraine, America, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Washington, United States, Washington ,, Trump, Europe, Poland

CNN —When Elisa Smithers was deployed to Iraq in 2005, there was a ban on women serving in ground combat operations. But she returned home to find she wasn’t offered the same support by the US Department of Veterans Affairs that male combat veterans were offered, Smithers said. Women account for roughly 17.5% of the Defense Department’s active-duty force, according to 2022 data from the agency. Hegseth has specifically criticized having women in roles where strength “is the differentiator,” he said on the podcast last week. She also worries any course reversal on women serving in combat will have a sweeping impact on women serving in other government jobs.

Persons: Elisa Smithers, Smithers, wasn’t, Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, –, he’s, ”, Hegseth, “, hasn’t, ” Hegseth, Shawn Ryan, ” Smithers, we’ll, Elizabeth Beggs, Let’s, ” Beggs, Beggs, who’ve, Lory Manning, “ I’m, …, ” Manning, it’s, Manning, we’ve, Brandy Cottrill, Cox, “ It’s, ‘ That’s, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Anna Moneymaker, Illinois Sen, Duckworth, MAGA, Wendy Coop, Wendy Coop Wendy Coop, ” Coop, Coop, don’t, that’s, she’s Organizations: CNN, National Guard, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Fox News, Army, Defense, Warriors, US Army, Army National Guard, Department of Veterans Affairs, Navy, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Marine, “ Seals, Rangers, Green Berets, Service, Action, American Civil Liberties Union, “, National Center for Veterans Analysis, Combat, Veterans Families, US Coast Guard, US Army Special Operations Command, US National Guard, Capitol, US Navy, US Naval Academy Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Washington , DC, Illinois, St, Augustine , Florida

☆ Wounded Russian troops had their medical payouts cut back in one swift move from the Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin introduced new restrictions on Wednesday to medical payouts for Russia's wounded troops, swiftly enacting a decree that allows only those with severe injuries to receive a promised $30,000. Related VideoBut Russian leader Vladimir Putin's new instruction on Wednesday reduces that payout to $10,000 for less severe injuries and $1,000 for other cases. Russia still holds to a law signed by Putin in March 2022 that entitles those who die in the war to about 7.4 million rubles, or $75,000, as well as 5 million rubles, or $50,000, to their families. AdvertisementThose wounded and deemed "unfit for duty" are also entitled to another 2.96 million rubles on top of their injury payout. The UK estimated that as many as 1,500 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded on average for every day of October.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Mikhail Mishustin, Putin, Anna Tsivileva Organizations: Kremlin, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine's

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