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☆ US military confirms that another ISIS leader has been killed in Syria, revealing that he was taken out in a raid by local forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US military revealed on Wednesday that another ISIS leader was killed recently. Earlier on Wednesday, the Islamic State's media affiliate announced that the leader of the terror group had been killed fighting recently. The terror group didn't mention who killed al-Qurayshi — or where, according to multiple reports. "We welcome the announcement that another leader of ISIS is no longer walking the face of the Earth." He added that actions by Turkey have led the SDF to suspend its operations against the terror group.

☆ China still hasn't officially addressed the anti zero-COVID protests that have swept the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mass protests kicked off in China over its strict COVID-19 policy after 10 people died in a fire. But there has been a heavy police presence, which meant some protests did not go ahead on Monday. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. China has cracked down on the protests, with a strong police presence and arrests taking place. A heavy police presence on Monday evening meant that planned protests did not take place in some locations, like Beijing, the BBC and Bloomberg reported.

☆ DeSantis praises Chinese protesters for 'finally speaking out' against 'draconian' COVID-19 lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DeSantis praised the protestors and said COVID lockdowns belong in the "ash heap of history." Chinese protestors held up blank, white pieces of paper above their heads to protest against the zero COVID policies. "Zero COVID is just a pretext for them to do what they want to do anyways. He called China's COVID policies "draconian" and said lockdowns belong in the "ash heap of history." The White House has also weighed in on the protests in China, predicting that zero COVID policy would be ineffective.

☆ Putin's 'desperation' in Ukraine is making Russia more dependent on other pariah states, top Pentagon official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Kremlin maintains close ties with China, continues to sell oil to major countries, including India, and is acquiring military hardware from Iran and North Korea. Those weapons would not necessarily be "a game changer," as Russia has already used its own missiles in Ukraine, Kahl said. Their relations have warmed amid the Ukraine war, with a record number of meetings between senior officials this year. Russia and North Korea also have longstanding ties, though Moscow has in the past kept its distance. North Korea has denied the allegations, calling it a "rumor" and saying it had no "arms dealings" with Moscow.

☆ S.Korea says it is negotiating sale of artillery shells to U.S. after report of weapons to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 11 (Reuters) - South Korea's defence ministry said on Friday it was negotiating to provide the United States - a major supplier of weapons to Ukraine - with ammunition, after The Wall Street Journal reported Seoul had agreed to sell weapons destined for Ukraine. South Korea's position of not providing lethal aid to Ukraine is unchanged, the defence ministry said in a statement. Citing U.S. officials familiar with the deal, the Journal said the agreement calls for the United States to purchase 100,000 rounds of 155mm artillery rounds that would be delivered to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on South Korea to provide weapons, which he said would be "indispensable". A U.S. ally, South Korea has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia, both for economic reasons and because of the influence that Moscow can exert with North Korea.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON Nov 11 (Reuters) - Washington wants to buy South Korean artillery shells to send to Ukraine, a U.S. official said on Friday, even as Seoul insisted that the United States must be the ammunition's end user and that its policy against lethal aid for Ukraine is unchanged. The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, confirmed that Washington wanted to send South Korean 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine. The official said that Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds could be used to purchase the ammunition, but that it was unclear whether it would be shipped though U.S. territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on South Korea to provide weapons, which he said would be "indispensable". Last month South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Seoul has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin said such a decision would destroy bilateral relations.

☆ North Korea Denies Sending Weapons to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Timothy W. Martin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL—North Korea denied providing Russia with artillery shells, days after the Biden administration alleged Pyongyang sought covert ways to supply weapons for Moscow’s war with Ukraine. The U.S. suspects North Korea of sending a significant number of artillery shells to Russia through countries in the Middle East and North Africa, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last week. He said American officials were still monitoring whether the shipments had been received. The potential artillery shipments aren’t expected to alter the course of the Ukraine war, Mr. Kirby said.

☆ North Korea denies supplying weapons to Russia for war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Tuesday it has never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so, its state media reported, after the United States said North Korea appears to be supplying Russia with artillery shells for its war in Ukraine. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said last week the United States has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells. Kirby said North Korea was attempting to obscure the shipments by funnelling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa and that Washington was monitoring to see whether the shipments are received. North Korea was one of the only countries to recognize the independence of breakaway Ukrainian regions, and it has expressed support for Russia’s proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine. “North Korea is clearly using the Ukraine war to tighten its relations with Russia,” Victor Cha, of the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a statement.

☆ North Korea denies arms dealings with Russia, says it has no plans to do so
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view shows a drill by North Korean Korean People's Army (KPA) artillery units on the front in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 2, 2016. KCNA/ via REUTERSSEOUL, Nov 8 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it has never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so, its state media reported, after the United States said North Korea appears to be supplying Russia with artillery shells for its war in Ukraine. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said last week the United States has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells. A North Korean defence ministry official called the allegations a rumour and said Pyongyang has "never had 'arms dealings' with Russia" and has "no plan to do so in the future." North Korea was one of the only countries to recognise the independence of breakaway Ukrainian regions, and it has expressed support for Russia's proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine.

Is Russian President Vladimir Putin stepping back from the nuclear ledge? Concerns over Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine had lessened recently, the sources said. Putin himself has given mixed signals over the question of Russia’s threshold for nuclear use. Russian President Vladimir Putin. “While Putin is unlikely to use nuclear weapons, that is because he is deterred by the fear of escalation, including nuclear escalation.

☆ North Korea Sending Artillery to Russia for War in Ukraine, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Vivian Salama | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A house that had been hit by Russian shelling in eastern Ukraine, where artillery barrages remain intense on the front line. WASHINGTON—North Korea is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells through indirect routes that include shipments through third countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Biden administration said Wednesday. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that while the U.S. has had indications for some time that Russia had requested artillery shells from North Korea, the administration now has information that shipments have begun.

North Korea is covertly supplying a "significant number" of artillery shells to Russia for use in Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday. Kirby said North Korea is trying to obscure the destination of the shipments by funneling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In September, North Korea denied U.S. intelligence reports that it supplied weapons to Russia and said it had no plans to do so. Kirby’s announcement came amid a period of heightened tensions between North and South Korea. North Korea fired more than 20 ballistic missiles Wednesday, a record, sending residents of a South Korean island to underground shelters.

☆ White House says North Korea supplying Russia with artillery shells
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The United States has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday. Kirby told a virtual briefing that North Korea was attempting to obscure the shipments by funneling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa. "We do have a sense on where they are going to transfer these shells," Kirby said, but declined to give any more details as the U.S. weighs its possible options. North Korea fired at least 23 missiles into the sea on Wednesday, including one that landed less than 60 km (40 miles) off South Korea's coast, which the South's President Yoon Suk-yeol described as "territorial encroachment."

☆ The White House says North Korea is secretly sending a 'significant' amount of artillery shells to Russia, but it won't fix Russia's problems
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea is secretly sending a "significant" amount of artillery shells to Russia, the US said. The National Security Council's John Kirby said this won't change the course of the Ukraine war. US officials said in early September that Russia had approached North Korea for discussions about military assistance but declined to say if there was a monetary transaction. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that Russia has tried and continues to seek ammunition from North Korea, which Pyongyang previously denied. North Korea is not the only country whose help Russia has sought throughout its unprovoked war in Ukraine.

☆ U.S. sees no indications Russia readying nuclear weapons, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The United States does not see any signs that Russia is making preparations to use nuclear weapons, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday, adding that he had no specific comment on a New York Times report about such Russian discussions. "We've been clear from the outset that Russia's comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously," Kirby said. "We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use." Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Iran may soon arm Russia with surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missiles, three U.S. and Western government officials said, in what would be significant escalation of Iranian support for President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. If delivered, they would be the first advanced, precision-guided missiles that Iran has provided Russia since the war started. Short-range ballistic missiles have a range of hundreds of miles, and could help Moscow replenish its dwindling stockpile, which have been depleted by Russia’s war in Ukraine. “We remain concerned about the potential for Iran to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles,” White House National Security Council adviser John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. Ed Ram / Getty ImagesThe Washington Post and CNN reported earlier on indications that Iran may supply ballistic missiles to Russia.

☆ North Korea says U.S.-South Korea drills 'can no longer be tolerated'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday again demanded that the United States and South Korea halt joint military exercises, saying such "rashness and provocation can be no longer tolerated," while the White House said concern remains high about the potential for a North Korean nuclear test. In denouncing the drills in a statement carried by North Korea's official news agency, Pak Jong Chon, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, warned the United States and South Korea against any attempt to attack. North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday demanded an end to the drills, saying they could draw "more powerful follow-up measures" from Pyongyang. North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war since an armistice agreement ended fighting in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

☆ Russia's anti-satellite threat tests laws of war in space
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Such an act during the war in Ukraine could sharply escalate tensions between Russia and the United States. And tens of thousands of communications devices in Ukraine rely on U.S. satellite communications giant Iridium's (IRDM.O) satellite network. "If somebody starts shooting satellites in space, I'd imagine it would quickly make space unusable," Desch said. COMPLICATED CALCULUSWhether a Russian anti-satellite strike would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, such as its prohibition on placing weapons of mass destruction in space, is debatable, lawyers say. SpaceX's Starlink network consists of roughly 3,000 satellites, and there are several dozen commercial U.S. imagery satellites eyeing Russia and Ukraine.

☆ White House vows response if Russia attacks U.S. satellites
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Any response on U.S. infrastructure will be met with a response, the White House said on Thursday after a senior Russian foreign ministry official said Western commercial satellites could become legitimate targets for Russia if they were involved in the war in Ukraine. White House spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, added that publicly available information shows Russians have been trying to pursue anti-satellite technologies. Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Susan HeaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden: Putin's talk of possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine is 'dangerous'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden expressed skepticism on Thursday about Russian President Vladimir Putin's comment that he had no intention of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. Putin, in a speech earlier in the day, played down a nuclear standoff with the West, insisting Russia had not threatened to use nuclear weapons and had only responded to nuclear "blackmail" from Western leaders. Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?" "He's been very dangerous in how he's approached this," Biden said. Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US and Saudi Arabia traded petty insults in an feud over oil after a reported secret deal fell apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US and Saudi Arabia are in a dispute over reports of an abandoned secret oil deal. Biden wants more oil output to drive down prices, but Saudi and its OPEC partners plan the opposite. The backdrop to the dispute is the decision in October by Saudi Arabia and other oil producers to cut output and keep prices high. "I think we as Saudi Arabia decided to be the maturer guys and let the dice fall," Abdulaziz told an international investors summit in Riyadh this week, according to Reuters. Biden said there will be "consequences" for Saudi Arabia over its decision to reduce oil supplies, but has not specified what they will be.

☆ U.S. preparing new $275 million package for Ukraine-source
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing a new $275 million package of military assistance for Ukraine to bolster its counter-offensive against Russian forces, a source familiar with the plan said on Thursday. The package is expected to include ammunition and more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, the source said, confirming a report by the Associated Press. Since the Feb. 24 Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", the United States has sent around $17.6 billion worth of security assistance to Kyiv. The United States is considering sending older HAWK air defense equipment from storage to Ukraine to help it defend against Russian drone and cruise missile attacks, U.S. officials say. Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ House progressives press Biden to engage in direct talks with Russia on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

A group of progressive House Democrats asked President Joe Biden in a letter Monday to directly engage with Russia in an effort to end the conflict in Ukraine. The push by progressives, which asks the president to take a more aggressive strategy on the Ukraine war, swiftly prompted pushback from fellow Democrats and some Ukrainians. The lawmakers urge the president to pair the military and financial support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a “proactive diplomatic push” that involves direct talks with Russia. It comes as Republicans threaten to cut aid to Ukraine if they retake control of the House in the midterm elections next month. “We’d all like to see this war end today, and quite frankly it could end today if Putin did the right thing and pulled his troops out.”

☆ Russian-installed authorities order evacuation of Kherson in face of Ukrainian counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Russian-installed authorities in the occupied city of Kherson on Saturday urged residents to leave immediately in the face of a looming counteroffensive by Ukraine’s armed forces that aimed to recapture the southern city. Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions and targeted supply routes across the province on Friday, inching closer to a full assault on the only provincial capital that has remained in Russian hands throughout the war. The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. Infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa had also been hit, he said. Iran sent trainers and technical support to enable Russian forces to use Iranian-made drones “with better lethality,” John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters.

The FBI has warned that an Iranian government-tied hacker group that tried to interfere in the 2020 election is currently active and a threat to the U.S. The group, which federal agencies say operates from an Iranian cybersecurity company called Emennet Pasargad, is engaged in “ongoing” operations to hack and leak material, and may target American organizations, the FBI said Thursday in an industry warning. In October 2020, the FBI announced that Iran was behind the most significant foreign attempt to influence that year’s U.S. elections. Democrats registered to vote in Florida, which makes voter information publicly accessible, received intimidating emails in the weeks before the election, instructing them to become Republicans. It was not clear what organization the FBI was referring to, and the agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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