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☆ Michael Bloomberg apologises for Boris Johnson speech criticising China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg speaks with participants prior to a meeting with Earthshot prize winners and finalists at the Glasgow Science Center during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Michael Bloomberg apologised last week at a business forum hosted by the news agency he founded for remarks by British former Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticising China as autocratic. "Some may have been insulted or offended last night by parts of the speaker’s remarks referencing certain countries and their duly elected leaders," Bloomberg said in remarks posted on Twitter. A spokesman for Bloomberg LP, which includes Bloomberg News and where Michael Bloomberg is the CEO, declined to comment to Reuters. Johnson, who stepped down as Britain's leader in September, had sharply criticised China's and Russia's political system and leaders in his Wednesday speech.

☆ U.S. says Russia's Ukraine invasion offered preview to potential global tyranny
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Phil Stewart | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 19 (Reuters) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has offered a preview of "a possible world of tyranny and turmoil," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday in a speech to a security forum in Canada. Moscow hopes to exhaust Ukraine's missile defenses, and buy time to reset its forces, Pentagon officials say. The United States and its allies have helped provide arms, intelligence and training to Ukrainian forces, while stopping short of directly intervening in a war against nuclear-armed Russia. And they could well conclude that getting nuclear weapons would give them a hunting license of their own," Austin said. Austin said the United States was drawing on the lessons of Ukraine to "bolster the self-defense capabilities of our Indo-Pacific partners."

☆ Russia raised a record $13.6 billion in one day as the cost of Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine keeps mounting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia raised more than $13 billion in a day as the cost of Putin's war in Ukraine keeps mounting. Britain's Defence Intelligence said it was the largest amount Moscow had raised in a single day. Russia's defence spending for 2023 is estimated to be 40% higher than previously forecast. The true cost of Russia's invasion of Ukraine remains unclear. The government estimated in the summer that it needed $5 billion a month to maintain essential services, and some $750 billion for reconstruction.

☆ Splits emerge among Ukraine allies over whether Ukraine should negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON — A split appeared to be opening this week among Ukraine's supporters over whether its government should sit down for peace talks with Russia. He was summing up the feelings of many in the countries bordering Ukraine or Russia. In a separate interview with The Times of London, Lipavský accused Russia of behaving like a 19th century colonial empire. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, in Brussels this week, said the West should not dictate the terms on which Ukraine should negotiate. Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said that while many would back the idea of peace talks, not everyone would believe Putin would "negotiate in good faith."

☆ Russian troops are building new defensive positions nearly 40 miles behind current front lines, a sign they're planning for more retreats, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian troops are making new defensive positions miles behind the front lines, the UK said Friday. British intelligence said that these new positions suggest the Russian military is planning for more retreats. Ukrainian troops last week entered the southern city of Kherson after Russian President Vladimir Putin's defense chief ordered a retreat across the Dnipro (also called Dnieper) River. A Ukrainian tank is seen as Ukrainian Armed Forces' military mobility continue toward Kherson front in Ukraine on November 9, 2022. According to a recent assessment by the Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces have continued to attack Bakhmut, though Ukrainian forces have so far managed to repel the assaults.

☆ 2 little-known intel agencies are helping US partners keep an eye on Russia's and China's frontline forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Two little-known US intelligence agencies have made significant contributions to countering Russia in Ukraine. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office have gathered and distributed valuable information about Russian activity. Little-known intel agenciesA National Reconnaissance Office payload is launched into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base in September 2017. US Air Force/Senior Airman Ian DudleyThe US response to Russia's war in Ukraine has pulled the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office out of the shadows. NRO satellites have many customers, but the NGA is probably the most reliant on the satellites operated by the NRO.

☆ An American teacher in Ukraine, who spent 8 months hiding from Russian secret police, pretended to be an Irishman and said he only escaped because 'they weren't the cleverest people in the world'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An American teacher recounted his eight months hiding in Kherson to The New York Times. Timothy Morales told secret police he was an Irishman named Timothy Joseph when he was questioned. Morales told the Times he hid from Russian soldiers and secret police, including the KGB successor agency FSB, during the entire occupation. In September, many months into hiding, an FSB patrol showed up to question him, Morales told the Times. "That sort of changed my perspective," Morales told the Times.

☆ Russia's economy has finally fallen into recession, 8 months after it invaded Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's GDP fell 4% on-year in the third quarter of 2022 — its second straight quarterly decline. This followed a 4.1% year-on-year decline in its second-quarter GDP — meaning the country has fallen into a technical recession after two straight quarterly contractions. Nabiullina's assessment of the economy followed months of intensifying sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. And while firm energy prices had propped up Russia's economy for a while, the tide seems to be turning — in part, due to President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization order that sent many fleeing the draft. Russia's central bank expects the country's economy to contract by 3% to 3.5% in 2022, Nabiullina said on Tuesday, according to an official transcript.

☆ Russian colonel involved in Putin's mobilization campaign found dead in office, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian colonel was found dead in his office on Thursday, according to multiple reports. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA Russian colonel involved in President Vladimir Putin's mobilization campaign was found dead in his office, multiple reports say. The independent Russian media outlet Baza challenged the reports of suicide, reporting instead that Boyko was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. Boyko was responsible for working with Russian soldiers who were drafted under Putin's partial mobilization order in September, Baza reported. Last month, a military commissar for the eastern Primorysky region was found dead, with local authorities saying that his "heart stopped."

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says he met CIA head Burns in Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

On Monday, Burns met President Vladimir Putin's spy chief in Turkey for the first known high-level, face-to-face U.S.-Russian contact since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Burns visited Kyiv as Russia attacked the city with missiles. Zelenskiy said the CIA head had spent time in a bomb shelter before the two men met. In Washington, a U.S. official said Burns had traveled to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian intelligence counterparts and Zelenskiy following his meeting in Ankara. Polish President Andrzej Duda met Burns in Warsaw on Wednesday, the head of Poland's National Security Bureau said.

Leaders from the Group of Seven nations as well as Spain and the Netherlands, who are all on the Indonesian island of Bali for the G20 summit, held an emergency meeting in response to the missile strike in Poland. The G20 leaders' meeting on Wednesday will be important to raise their awareness of the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Tuesday after reports of the blasts in Poland. G20 leaders were due to visit a site in Bali to plant mangroves on Wednesday morning, although the schedule of the meeting hosted by Indonesia has not always run to plan. As at other recent international forums, the United States and its allies were seeking a statement from the G20 summit against Moscow's military actions. A 16-page draft declaration seen by Reuters, which diplomats said was yet to be adopted by leaders, acknowledged the rift over the Ukraine war.

☆ Ukraine's over-the-top response to a fatal missile explosion in Poland could hurt its credibility at a crucial moment in the war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine rushed to claim the incident was a deliberate Russian attack, while the US and others urged caution. On Tuesday, Zelenskky called the strike in Poland a Russian "attack on collective security." And in a Wednesday morning speech, he called the incident a Russian "missile attack" and said separately that Polish citizens were killed because of "Russian missile terror." "Ukrainian forces, countering a massive Russian attack, launched their missiles yesterday to shoot down Russian missiles. Kyiv's forces have executed successful counteroffensives in the northeast and south, and they recently captured Kherson — an early Russian war win which had been under Russian occupation for most of the war.

☆ Russian missiles struck NATO ally Poland and killed 2 people as Putin's forces barraged Ukraine, a US defense official told the AP
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | Charles R. Davis | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two people were reportedly killed after Russian missiles landed in an eastern Polish village. The missiles landed in the village of Przewodów, which is located in eastern Poland a short distance from Ukraine's western border. The US and its Western allies have warned Russia repeatedly that an attack on NATO territory would trigger a strong response. "We are aware of the press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland near the Ukraine border. Criminal Russian regime fired missiles which target not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland.

☆ Treasury sanctions firms, individuals involved in the transfer of drones from Iran to Russia in Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions against three firms and two individuals involved in the production and transport of drones from Iran to Russia to aid in Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. The sanctions come as the U.S. and its allies look to punish individuals and organizations supporting Russia's war efforts. In addition, the Treasury issued sanctions against two individuals — Abbas Djuma and Tigran Khristoforovich Srabionov — for facilitating Wagner Group's acquisition of drones. State Department spokesman Ned Price also said Russian officials received training on the UAVs in Iran. The U.S., Britain and France said Iran violated U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 by providing the weapons to Russia.

☆ G20 starts in Bali as Ukraine war, raging inflation top agenda
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Angie Teo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/10] China's President Xi Jinping greets Indonesia's President Joko Widodo as he arrives for the G20 leaders' summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, November 15, 2022. "We hope the G20 summit can deliver concrete partnerships that can help the world in its economic recovery," President Joko Widodo said after a bilateral meeting with Biden. But Xi and Putin have grown increasingly close in recent years, and reaffirmed their partnership just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. A statement from the Chinese foreign minister said Xi told Biden nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear wars cannot be fought. G20 leaders will denounce the use of, or any threat to use, nuclear weapons, according to an early draft of a G20 statement seen by Reuters.

☆ NATO could invoke Article 4 after Russian missiles struck Poland. Here's what that means.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The incident could invoke NATO Article 4, which allows any member to call for a consultation when threatened. Several NATO countries previously invoked Article 4 after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Such defiant language ostensibly appeals to the collective defense principle at the heart of NATO Article 5. As such, NATO and its members have no binding obligation to defend Ukraine against Russia's attacks. Biden has made clear that US troops thus far deployed to Eastern Europe are there to bolster NATO member countries wary of nearby Russian aggression.

☆ Why isn't Ukraine already in NATO? Here's what it takes to join the 30-country alliance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership has been cited as a key factor in Russia's invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long been vocal about his country's desire to secure both NATO membership and additional assistance. "So there were some formal reasons why the Alliance could say that Ukraine was not ready yet to join the Alliance." Will Finland and Sweden join NATO? Both countries submitted official letters of application to join NATO in May 2022 and were formally invited to join the alliance in June.

As at other recent international forums, the United States and its allies were seeking a statement from the two-day G20 summit against Moscow's military actions. But Russia, whose forces pounded cities and energy facilities across Ukraine even as the G20 met, said "politicization" of the summit was unfair. [1/12] Leaders gather during the G20 leaders summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. China and Russia are close, but Beijing has been careful not to provide any direct material support for the Ukraine war that could trigger Western sanctions against it. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed concern for the health of other world leaders - including Biden - after a positive COVID-19 test forced him to return home early.

☆ Russia denies Lavrov was taken to Bali hospital and treated for heart condition ahead of G-20 summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's foreign ministry on Monday denied a report that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was taken to hospital after he arrived in Bali on Sunday for the G-20 meeting. AP, citing four Indonesian government and medical officials, reported that 72-year-old Lavrov had been taken to the hospital after landing in Bali, where he is set to attend the summit that begins on Tuesday, and had been treated for a heart condition, with no further details provided. Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told Reuters that Lavrov had visited hospital, for what he said was a check-up, and that the minister was in good health. She then posted a video of Lavrov dismissing reports he had fallen ill, saying Russia was used to similar reports speculating on the state of President Vladimir Putin's health. Images showed him arriving at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Sunday and being greeted by officials.

☆ China wants Putin to stop threatening nuclear war over Ukraine, according to the White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Biden of the US and Chairman Xi of China met for more than three hours on Monday morning. The two leaders opposed the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened, according to the White House's account. Xi reportedly took the same position on Russia's nuclear threats during a meeting with the German chancellor earlier this month. China took a hard line against an independent Taiwan while the US criticized China for "coercive and increasingly aggressive actions." "I do not think there's any eminent attempt by the part of China to invade Taiwan," he said.

☆ UK's Sunak extends support to Ukraine, awards $4.9 bln contract to BAE Systems
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday extended his support for Ukraine at the G20 summit while confirming a long-planned order for warships from BAE Systems (BAES.L). Sunak also announced a 4.2 billion pound ($4.94 billion) contract to BAE Systems (BAES.L) to build five ships for the Royal Navy, a government statement said. Sunak arrived at the summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Monday and is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In support to Ukraine, Britain said last week it would soon complete delivery of 1,000 additional surface-to-air missiles to the Ukraine's armed forces. ($1 = 0.8508 pounds)Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio and Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ For host Indonesia, a G20 summit dogged by Russia-Ukraine rancour
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of its southern neighbour sparked calls by some Western leaders for a boycott of the G20 summit and for the withdrawal of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation. Russia confirmed at almost the last minute that Putin would not attend the summit with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov taking his place. Indonesia will breath a sigh of relief as the summit opens but key issues remain unresolved. "We have to make sure that Russia's war is mentioned in the G20 declaration in one way or another. A traditional G20 "family photo" of leaders also appears to be off the table this year, sources say.

☆ Ukrainian special forces commander says Russia doesn't like waging war at night, so his troops need gear to fight in the dark
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian forces don't like waging their war against Ukraine at night, said a Ukrainian commander. The commander said on a podcast that Ukrainian troops need gear to fight in the dark. Gen. Viktor Khorenko said his troops need gear while appearing on an episode of the "War on the Rocks" podcast published on Monday. But Khorenko said that Ukrainian troops could use advanced technology like night vision devices from the West to increase their night fighting capabilities. "Night vision capability is a precious commodity, further exacerbating the unwillingness to fight at night," British intelligence noted.

☆ Russia's Lavrov dismisses AP report that he was taken to hospital at G20
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Stanley Widianto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies Lavrov dismisses AP reportAP said Lavrov had been treated for heart conditionBali governor: Lavrov had checks in hospital, in good healthNUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday dismissed an Associated Press report that he had been taken to hospital with a heart condition, scolding Western journalists for what he cast as false reporting. Associated Press, citing Indonesian officials, said that Lavrov had been taken to hospital after arriving on the island of Bali for a Group of 20 summit. Zakharova posted a video of Lavrov, President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister since 2004, sitting outdoors on a patio, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and reading documents. "Western journalists need to be more truthful - they need to write the truth." Lavrov said Western media routinely took a partial view of events and ignored Russia's point of view.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg warns against underestimating of Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the newly recaptured southern city of Kherson in what marked Russian President Vladimir Putin's third major setback since the start of the war in February. "We should not make the mistake of underestimating Russia. Echoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments over the weekend, Stoltenberg said it was up to Ukraine to decide when and how it wanted to negotiate with Russia to end the war. So it is for Ukraine to decide what kind of terms are acceptable for them," he said. "What happens around the table is fundamentally linked to the situation on the battlefield," Stoltenberg said.

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