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General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. His reported removal suggests the authorities found fault with his behaviour, but the details of his alleged wrongdoing remain unknown. Surovikin earned the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there. He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov. Afzalov was previously deputy to Surovikin and has been chief of staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years, according to British military intelligence.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov, General Valery Gerasimov, Afzalov, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, RBC, Telegram, Ministry of Defence, Russian Air and Space Forces, Main Staff of, Air Force, Reuters, Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Moscow, Syria, Gerasimov, Surovikin

☆ Factbox: Who is participating in this week's Republican presidential debate?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Susan Heavey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign stop in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., August 19, 2023. The former president dominates the field, with his indictments in four separate criminal cases boosting his popularity among Republican voters, and has said there is little political upside for him to debate his rivals. The political outsider has stoked grassroots chatter as a potential alternative to Trump and garnered 7% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. She has about 5% support among Republican voters in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. Hutchinson, 72, has touted his experience leading the deeply conservative state as proof he can deliver on policies Republican voters care about, citing tax cuts and job creation initiatives.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Brian Snyder, Donald Trump, Republican Party's, Trump, RON DESANTIS, MIKE, Pence, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, TIM SCOTT, Scott, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, Ipsos, CHRIS CHRISTIE Chris Christie, Trump's, Christie, DOUG BURGUM Burgum, Susan Heavey, Nathan Layne, Joseph Ax, Ross Colvin, Deepa Babington, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Republican, Florida, REUTERS, Rights, Republican National Committee, RNC, Twitter, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Christian, Reuters, United Nations, Biden, Republican Party, TIM, Black Republican U.S, ASA, White House, New, Microsoft Corp, Thomson Locations: Manchester , New Hampshire, U.S, DeSantis, Florida, Pence, Indiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, New Jersey

☆ Who qualifies for the Republican debate that Trump is skipping?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Susan Heavey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here is a list of 2024 Republican hopefuls who appear to be on track to qualify for the debate:DONALD TRUMPTrump dominates the Republican presidential field, and his indictments in four separate criminal cases have only turbo-charged his popularity among Republican voters. DeSantis is Trump's top rival but remains far behind the former president in opinion polls - he stands at just 13% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. The political outsider has excited a lot of grassroots chatter as a potential alternative to Trump and garnered 7% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. She has about 5% support among Republican voters in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. Christie saw no support among Republicans in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, which has a credibility interval of about 6 percentage points.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Brian Snyder, Donald Trump, Republican Party's, Tucker Carlson, Ronna McDaniel, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Trump, RON DESANTIS, MIKE, Pence, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, TIM SCOTT, Scott, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, Ipsos, CHRIS CHRISTIE Chris Christie, Trump's, Christie, DOUG BURGUM Burgum, Susan Heavey, Nathan Layne, Joseph Ax, Ross Colvin, Deepa Babington Organizations: Republican, Florida, REUTERS, Rights, Fox News, Sunday, Twitter, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Christian, Reuters, United Nations, Biden, Republican Party, TIM, Black Republican U.S, ASA, White House, New, Microsoft Corp, Thomson Locations: Manchester , New Hampshire, U.S, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Georgia, DeSantis, Florida, Pence, Indiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, New Jersey

He called the U.S. central bank's misreading of the issue "a major failure" that can mar analysis of where the economy stands. Since 2016, policies from the vastly different Trump and Biden administrations have combined in a sort of accidental complementarity to keep both job and economic growth above the Fed's estimate of potential. Median Fed policymaker projections of potential U.S. economic growth have slid from a level around 2.5% a decade ago to 1.8% as of June 2023, when the last projections were issued. Under pressure from colleagues to raise interest rates as the economy accelerated, Greenspan resisted and accommodated the expansion instead of fighting it. But it could help economic growth continue even as prices cool, another prop for the "soft landing" the Fed hopes to engineer and possible evidence of rising potential.

Persons: John Williams, Joe Biden, Adam Posen, Donald Trump, Trump's, Biden, Dana Peterson, Peterson, Jerome Powell, Board's Peterson, Alan Greenspan's, Greenspan, Jackson, John Fernald, Huiyu Li, Michael Feroli, Antulio Bomfim, Powell, Howard Schneider, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, New York Fed, San Francisco, Fed, Reuters, BlackRock, Bank of England, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Trump, Biden, Conference Board, Jackson, San Francisco Fed, JPMorgan, Trust Asset Management, Thomson Locations: U.S, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Washington

CNN —North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a missile test on Monday, days after its regional rivals held a historic summit, and as US-South Korea joint military exercises kick off nearby. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was on site to monitor the launch of strategic cruise missiles fired from a patrol ship, belonging to the North Korean Navy’s East Sea Fleet. It added that the missile test demonstrated the ship’s capabilities and prepared the sailors for “carrying out the attack mission in actual war.”Kim Jong Un speaking to members of the North Korean Navy ahead of a missile test, in photos released by state media KCNA. South Korean authorities are now working with the US military to investigate the hack attempt. A cruise missile being launched from a patrol ship belonging to the East Sea Fleet of the North Korean Navy.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, ” Kim Jong, KCNA, ” Organizations: CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Korean, Sea, “, North Korean Navy, South, East, Fleet, KCNA, North, country’s, Chiefs, Staff, South Korean Locations: South Korea, North Korea, KCNA Seoul, Seoul, Washington, Japan

☆ Republican voters think Trump is electable. They may be right
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The problem is Republican voters have been consistent in what they think about the different Trump indictments. Between 14% and 16% of Republicans believe Trump should have been charged, according to recent ABC News/Ipsos surveys. Trump is running neck and neck with Biden in general election surveys. Moreover, Trump is polling no worse against Biden nationally than his Republican rivals. More voters who disliked both Trump and Clinton went with Trump, and it won him the election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, they’re, Biden, Ron DeSantis, can’t, hasn’t, I’m, he’s, Democrat Hillary Clinton, Clinton Organizations: CNN, ABC News, Republican, Trump, Republicans, Fox News, ABC, Department of Justice, Florida Gov, Quinnipiac University, Biden, AP, Democrat Locations: Milwaukee, Fulton County, Georgia

☆ Biden nods to Camp David history by inviting Yoon, Kishida
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Most famously, President Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David accords in 1978 between Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The first foreign leader to visit Camp David, then known as "Shangri-La," was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who was there for World War Two talks with Roosevelt. Eisenhower, who named Camp David for his father and grandson, would grill steaks for family and friends. One time George W. Bush hosted Russian leader Vladimir Putin at Camp David and introduced Putin to his Scottish terrier, Barney. The seemingly mundane at Camp David can sometimes erupt into major headlines, like the time President George H.W.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, David, Camp David, Japan's Fumio, Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol, Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Anwar al, Sadat, Menachem Begin, Winston Churchill, Roosevelt, Churchill, Nikita Krushchev, Dwight Eisenhower, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat, Arafat, Clinton, ” Clinton, “, ”, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, Eisenhower, George W, Bush, Carter, Putin, Barney, George H.W, Marlin, Marlin Fitzwater, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, ., ROK, Works Progress Administration, Israeli, British, Cuban Missile Crisis, White, Camp, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Camp, Thurmont, WASHINGTON, Japan, South Korea, Maryland, U.S, Laurel Lodge, Aspen Lodge, Roosevelt . U.S, Catoctin, Soviet, Russian, Russia

☆ CVS stock plunges after Blue Shield of California drops retailer's pharmacy services to save on drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of CVS Health plunged 9% on Thursday after Blue Shield of California said it will drop the company's pharmacy benefit management services and instead partner with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy to save on drug costs for its nearly 5 million members. Blue Shield will now work with five different companies to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Blue Shield CEO Paul Markovich said the plan, which is scheduled to fully launch in 2025, could save the company up to $500 million annually. Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to low-cost medications through retail pharmacies. Blue Shield will retain CVS Caremark for its specialty pharmacy services, which provide specialized therapies and counseling to patients suffering from complex disorders.

Persons: Mark Cuban's, Caremark, Paul Markovich, Michael DeAngelis, Centene Organizations: CVS Health, Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, UnitedHealth, CVS, Abarca, Blue, CNBC Locations: New York, California

☆ IPG Mediabrands 'privacy alert' says clients should 'consider' a pause on Google ads product
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Google has disputed the Adalytics report, with a spokesperson describing it in a statement to Insider as "deeply flawed and misleading." An IPG Mediabrands spokeswoman said it was not accurate to say the agency was recommending a pause on any Google product. "What worries me about this Adalytics report is that Performance Max campaigns have allegedly been observed to run on made-for children inventory," Schreurs said. The article also refers to research undertaken by 3rd party (Adalytics) and the Adalytics report also mentions the following IPG/MB clients: 1. GAF For several of the above clients, the Adalytics report references that IPG/Matterkind placed the ad.

Persons: Max, IPG Mediabrands, Adalytics, wasn't, IPG, Ruben Schreurs, Schreurs, Edward J, Markey, Marsha Blackburn, Dyson, Matterkind, Biden's Organizations: Google, YouTube, The New York Times, Federal Trade Commission, COPPA, Republican, New York Times, Brand, Adalytics, NY Times, BMO, BMW, Nike, Intuit, Honda, FTC, United States, Association, MFK Locations: Massachusetts, Tennessee, United, MFK

☆ Maui wildfires: At least 106 were killed and identifying all of them will be difficult, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Only five of the 106 dead had been identified as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Maui County officials. Family members of missing people had provided 41 DNA samples, trying to see whether their loves ones are among the dead, county officials said. Green told CNN Tuesday he hopes “much of it will be done” by the weekend. Dominick Del Vecchio/Reuters• Some victims are named: Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both of Lahaina, were killed, Maui County officials said Tuesday. Hawaii’s attorney general will spearhead a review of decisions that officials made in response to the wildfires, her office has said.

Persons: Hawaii’s, Josh Green, Green, “ We’re, “, we’re, ”, Jonathan Greene, Dominick Del Vecchio, Robert Dyckman, Buddy Jantoc, we’ll, who’s, ” Green, • Biden, Biden, Dang, ” Dang, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Kula, Ross Hart, Maui’s upcountry, Hart, ” Hart, CNN they’ve, Jace Kennedy Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Gov, Authorities, US Department of Health, Human Services, FEMA, Reuters, •, Lahaina’s Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Maui County, Lahaina, Lahaina , Hawaii, •, Upper Kula, upcountry, Kula, Maui’s

☆ Europe space chief warns over political wavering on climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It just confirms that climate change is the biggest threat to our planet, to humankind, and will remain so for the next decades and we do need to do everything we can to mitigate the effects." Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, intense and likely to happen across seasons, not just in what were regarded as the summer months. "Acting now is much cheaper than waiting for years and then patching up the damage that has been caused," he said when asked if he saw any signs of drift in Europe's climate agenda. FUNDING GAP AND 'GLOBAL BOILING'Aschbacher is among the most senior climate-monitoring officials to voice concerns over wavering support for measures to combat climate change - a creeping negative reaction that some climate activists have labelled "greenlash". This would significantly impact Europe’s commitment to combating climate change."

Persons: Josef Aschbacher, Aschbacher, Copernicus, Rishi Sunak, Ashbacher, Antonio Guterres, ESA's Copernicus, Tim Hepher, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Copernicus Sentinel, European Space Agency, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Meterological Organization, ESA, GAP, Sentinel, European Union, Negotiations, European Commission, EU, Britain's Department for Science, Innovation, Technology, Thomson Locations: Odemira, Alentejo, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain, Paris, Europe, Britain

☆ A luxury department store in San Francisco threatens to shut up shop after 162 years, describing the city as 'unlivable' for its residents and 'unsafe' for its staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The owner of luxury San Francisco retailer Gump's warned that this holiday season "may be our last." He said San Francisco is "unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors." Gump's is located just off Union Square in downtown San Francisco. Chachas made his remarks in an open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in which he criticized their leadership, published as a paid-for ad in Sunday's edition of The San Francisco Chronicle. "Such abject disregard for civilized conduct makes San Francisco unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors from around the world."

Persons: Gump's, John Chachas, Chachas, Gavin Newsom, unlivable, San, Newsom Organizations: Service, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco, of Supervisors, San Francisco Chronicle, Census Bureau, San, City, Statistics, San Francisco's Department of Public Health, Public, Whole Foods, Navy, Supervisors, Chachas Locations: San Francisco, Francisco, Wall, Silicon, downtown San Francisco, California, New York, Texas, Florida, San Francisco's, City and County

Whole Foods temporarily closed one of its San Francisco locations due to rampant shoplifting and continued threats to workers and customers. Park Hotels and Resorts, the investment firm that owns Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 hotels, also recently revealed it would leave the city. A bus drives by the Westfield San Francisco Centre on June 14, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Downtown San Francisco has an estimated 18.4 million square feet of available real estate. While violent crime statistics in San Francisco have remained relatively low in recent years, compared to other major cities, property crimes have risen since 2020, according to San Francisco Police Department data.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN — John Chachas, Governor Newsom, ” Chachas, Chachas, San Francisco “ unlivable, Gavin Newsom, Justin Sullivan, Nordstrom, Thomas Baltimore , Jr, ” What’s Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, London Breed, city’s, San Francisco Chronicle, Chachas, Republican, London, San, Anthropologie, Whole Foods, Westfield, Resorts, Hilton San Francisco, Square, Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco Police Department, University of California Locations: San Francisco, California, Francisco, ”, Nevada, San Francisco’s, Union, San Francisco’s Union, San Francisco , California, Park, San Francisco's, U.S, Canada, Downtown San Francisco

☆ Those desperate to break the deadlock in Ukraine are hoping China will turn on Russia. They shouldn't hold their breath.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One expert said it was "naïve American diplomacy" to think something fundamental between China and Russia had changed. But the idea that China would turn on Russia anytime soon may be little more than wishful thinking. "It is clever Chinese diplomacy to keep meeting and talking, and it is naïve American diplomacy to think that this means something fundamental has changed," English said. He added threats from the West are also unlikely to turn China against Russia, as Xi knows that Europe is more dependent on trade with China than the other way around. "The West needs to stop looking at Chinese behavior through Western eyes, and start understanding it from a Chinese perspective."

Persons: Xi, Putin, Robert English, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Antony Blinken, Simon Miles, Miles, Wang Wenbin Organizations: Saudi, Service, Privacy, China, NATO, University of Southern, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Foreign, Associated Press Locations: China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, University of Southern California, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Moscow, West, Saudi Arabia, American, Europe, Soviet, Saudi

☆ The West’s ‘see no evil’ approach to Serbia’s Vucic is destabilizing the Balkans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

The result is that, despite Serbia’s professed hopes to join the EU, Vucic has continued to walk a tightrope between Moscow and western powers. A Pristina government official told CNN that they did not want to “surrender” official government buildings to protesters. A decade on, these municipalities have not been created, leaving disputes to fester over the degree of autonomy for Kosovo Serbs. After such episodes, Joseph told CNN that the “see no evil” approach to Vucic’s regime may be starting to crack. “The situation is clear who the bully of the Balkans still is,” Meliza Haradinaj, Kosovo’s former foreign minister, told CNN.

Persons: Moscow’s, Aleksandar Vucic, Vladimir Putin, Daniel Mihailescu, ” Jasmin Mujanovic, Vucic, “, Mujanovic, Alicia Kearns, ”, –, Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic, Albin Kurti, Serbia’s, you’ll, Kearns, wouldn’t, Putin, Viktor, Orban, ” Majda, you’re, Quint, ” Kurti, Kurti, Edward Joseph, Laura Hasani, He’s, Shqiprim Arifi, Arifi, Ben Kilb, ” Dusan, Milorad Dodik, Oliver Bunic, Boris Grdanoski, ” Joseph, Viktor Oban, Joseph, Biden, Aleksandar Vulin, ” “ He’s, ‘ we’re, ’ He’s, I’ve, ” Vucic, Meliza Organizations: CNN, European Union, Putin, Belgrade, Getty, Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, NATO, National Security, United Nations, Kosovo's, EU, Anadolu Agency, Gazprom, Serbian, European Council, Foreign Relations, ”, US, Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo’s, Johns Hopkins University, …, Kosovo Serb, Reuters, British, Kosovo, Kosovar Business Alliance, Kosovar, Serbs, “ Association of, Bloomberg, ASM, Russian, AP, Serbia ”, KFOR, NATO’s Kosovo Force, Red Star, Red Star Belgrade soccer Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Serbia, Europe, Belgrade, West, Kosovo, Kosovo’s, Kosovar, AFP, Russian, Balkan, Western Balkans, British, United, EU, Brussels, Belgium, Moscow, ” Kosovo, Serbs, France, Germany, Italy, Balkans, Pristina, … Serbia, Zvecan, Serbian, Presevo, Albanian, Leposavic, Republika Srpska, ” Republika Srpska, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Dayton, Banja Luka, Kurti, Ohrid, North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, appeasing Serbia

In the week ended Aug. 8, money managers established a net short position in CBOT corn futures and options of 26,656 contracts compared with the previous week’s net long of 16,741 contracts. Money managers’ net long in CBOT soybean futures and options in late July was at a seven-year high for the date, but funds have sold aggressively in the last couple weeks. Most-active CBOT wheat drifted fractionally higher in the week ended Aug. 8. Wheat futures tumbled 4.5% in the last three sessions and finished at $6.26-3/4 per bushel, their lowest settle in two months. Funds reduced their net long in Minneapolis wheat to 4,497 contracts from 7,592 a week earlier, and they slashed their K.C.

Persons: Dane Rhys, Karen Braun, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, Funds, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ravenna , Ohio, U.S, NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. The drill is the latest in a flurry of Chinese activity in the Middle East, traditionally seen as the US’ backyard. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US wants Saudi Arabia to distance itself economically and militarily from Beijing in return. Four of the top 10 importers of US arms are Gulf Arab states: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. Some of these purchases were driven by US restrictions on selling arms to Gulf states under the Biden administration, according to Alhasan.

Persons: ” Hasan Alhasan, “, Barack Obama’s, ”, Mohammed Baharoon, John Calabrese, …, ” Calabrese, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Washington, Biden, Alhasan, China’s, Xi Jinping, ” Yun Sun, ” Alhasan, ” Baharoon Organizations: UAE CNN, United Arab Emirates, American, Washington, UAE, Middle East, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Asia Experts, East ., US, Dubai Public Policy Research Center, Middle East Institute, Wall Street Journal, China Program, China, Stimson Center Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, United States, China, China’s, Xinjiang, Ukraine, Gulf, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Washington, Dubai, Russia, Saudi, Riyadh, Israel, Beijing, Europe, Arab, Qatar, Kuwait, Sun, “

☆ 4 key types of landmines, how they work, and their impact on the Russia-Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here are the four main types of mines, how they work, and how they've impacted the war. Insider has looked at the four key types of landmines — broken down into two major groups — being used in the war, how they work, and the impact they've had on the conflict in Ukraine. In July, HRW said it had unearthed more evidence that Ukraine used the banned mines and has informed the Ukrainian government. Fragmentation minesFragmentation mines can be either bounding mines or ground mines. The Russia-Ukraine war has seen a variety of anti-tank mines used, including the PTM-1 and the TM-62M.

Persons: deminers, Vitaly V, HRW, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Velyka Novosilka, Diego Herrera Carcedo, bobby, Bradley, Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny Organizations: Service, The Times, German Army Combat Training, Blast, Rights Watch, Wikimedia, Getty, Anadolu Agency, HRW, DEL POZO, Washington Post Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, PMN, Ukrainian, Brovary, Kyiv, AFP, Mine

☆ Ukrainian morgues seeing 'more or less double' the fatalities since counter-offensive began
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine began its summer counteroffensive in June, armed with Western tanks and weapons. In the time since, morgues are seeing "more or less double" the fatalities, NYT reported. US officials estimated this year that Ukraine had lost more than 100,000 soldiers since the war began. The New York Times reported morgues in the country are seeing vastly increased fatalities due to the heightened fighting. The total dead in the local morgues is "more or less double since the counteroffensive" started, added.

Persons: Taras Svystun, Ukraine doesn't, Mark A, Seth Jones Organizations: Service, Western, Russian, New York Times, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Russian Ministry of Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, International Security Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian

☆ A former BlackRock stock chief shares 3 indicators that tell him it's too early to abandon his recession call despite the economy's strength — and warns the stock market's rally is doomed for a revers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The inverted yield curve and The Conference Board's LEI are two indicators that inform his view. Instead, investors should be paying attention to indicators like the Treasury yield curve, The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index, and money growth. Here's the yield curve. And the start of a recession typically comes a bunch of of months after the yield curve inverts. The yield curve didn't invert until less than a year ago.

Persons: Bob Doll, LEI, Doll, Wall, — Bank of America's Michael Gapen, Michael Feroli —, we're, Louis, It's, Rosenberg Research's David Rosenberg, Piper Sandler's Michael Kantrowitz, Greg Boutle, Tom Lee Organizations: Federal Reserve, — Bank of America's, Crossmark Global Investments, BlackRock, Conference, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Fed, Louis Investors, Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg, BNP, Institute for Supply, Institute for Supply Management, of Labor Statistics Locations: Wells

☆ Survivor stories: Victims of Maui wildfires tell of watching Lahaina burn down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN“The smoke started getting thicker and blacker,” Kaleiopu recalled. An emergency alert soon reached him by phone, urging Lahaina residents to flee: The smoke had given way to flames. Not far away on the ocean, boat captain Christina Lovitt soon found herself on a skiff, also trying to help. Stymied from anchoring by 70- to 80-mph gusts, they drifted and eventually were pulled onto a 120-foot boat, Lovitt recalled. Aguiran watched his parents’ house burn down, one of five family homes destroyed, Tacderan said, and among more than 270 structures declared impacted so far by the fire in Lahaina.

Persons: Phena Davis, “, Dustin Kaleiopu, Hurricane, ”, ” Kaleiopu, Davis, Bryan Aguiran, ” Aguiran, Teri Lawrence, Lawrence, you’re, Christina Lovitt, ” Lovitt, Lovitt, who’d, Reza Danesh, ’ ”, Danesh, He’d, Tiffany Kidder Winn, Aguiran, Ella Sable Tacderan, Tacderan, ‘ You’ll, I’m, I’ve, grandpa, ” Davis, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, “, Coast Guard, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters, MODO Mobile Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Kaanapali, Hawaiian, That’s, “, ”, New York, Wailuku Maui, Huelo

☆ Philippines says refurbishing grounded ship an option to strengthen hold on disputed shoal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Philippine flag flutters onboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines used as a military outpost, in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea March 30, 2014. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File PhotoPUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines Aug 11 (Reuters) - The Philippines is looking at several options to strengthen its hold on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea including refurbishing a grounded and rusting warship it uses as a military outpost, a move that would likely anger Beijing. The Philippines intentionally grounded the World War Two-era warship Sierra Madre in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within its exclusive economic zone, and rotates a handful of troops through the ship. China has urged the Philippines to fulfill a "promise" to tow away the grounded vessel, but Manila denied striking any agreement to abandon the shoal, which it calls Ayungin. The Philippines won an international arbitration award in 2016 against China's South China Sea sovereignty claim, after a tribunal ruled Beijing's sweeping claim had no legal basis, including at the Second Thomas Shoal.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Alberto Carlos, Romeo Brawner, Thomas, Ayungin, Carlos, Ramsey Gutierrez, Gutierrez, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: flutters, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Marines, REUTERS, Philippine Western Command, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines, China's, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Spratly, South, PRINCESA, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Sierra, China, Manila, Japan, France, South Korea, United States, Philippine, Thomas Shoal . China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

REUTERS/Rupam Jain/File PhotoGURUGRAM, India, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Over 3,000 poor Muslims have fled a business hub outside New Delhi this month, fearing for their lives after Hindu-Muslim clashes and sporadic attacks targeting them, residents, police and a community group said. The Gurugram president of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind (Council of Indian Muslim Theologians) Mufti Mohammed Salim estimated that more than 3,000 Muslims had left the district after the violence. "Many Muslims decided it's best to leave for a while," said Sheikh, adding that some Hindu owners of shops rented out to Muslims wanted them to vacate. "No one is asking them to leave and we are providing full security in all communally sensitive areas," he told Reuters. Reporting by Rupam Jain and Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rupam, Raufullah Javed, Mufti Mohammed Salim, Shahid Sheikh, it's, Narendra Modi's, Ernst &, Anil Vij, Rupam Jain, Sakshi Dayal, YP Rajesh, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Police, Fortune, American Express, Dell, Samsung, Ernst, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, YP, Thomson Locations: Gurugram, New Delhi, India, Nuh, Haryana, Bihar, Tigra, India's, Gurgaon

☆ Russia’s Moves to Shore Up Ruble Reflect War’s Toll on Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Russian currency fell nearly 25 percent since the beginning of the year. “The ruble exchange rate is only an indicator,” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and a former Russian central bank official. The ruble plummeted to as low as 135 per dollar and the central bank took a series of dramatic measures, including capital controls, to stave off a full-blown meltdown. The most immediate concern for Russian financial policymakers is the possibility of significant inflation. The country’s central bank reacted to that risk late last month with a higher-than-expected rise in interest rates, to 8.5 percent.

Persons: ”, Alexandra Prokopenko, Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V Organizations: Bank of Russia, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Soviet Union

"Our drone base in Niger is extremely important in countering terrorism in the region," one of the U.S. officials said. FOREIGN ASSISTANCEThe Biden administration has not formally labeled the military takeover in Niger a coup, a designation that would limit what security assistance Washington can provide the country. The U.S. drone base has grown in importance due to a lack of Western security partners in the region. The drone base, known as airbase 201, was built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Wagner's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the coup in Niger and said his forces were available to restore order.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Russia's Wagner, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nusrat al, Cameron Hudson, Hudson, Terence McCulley, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Nigerien, Islamic State, Al, West African, Center for Strategic, International Studies, United States Institute of Peace, Wagner Group, ., U.S, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, United States, Sahel, Al Qaeda, France, Africa, insurgencies, Russia, China, Washington, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, Agadez, State, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Niger's, Nigerien

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