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☆ Lebanon's Hezbollah sees Israel on path of 'collapse'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, July 24 (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Monday its arch-foe Israel was on a "path of collapse and fragmentation," referring to divisions in Israeli society over a contested overhaul of its judiciary. "Today, in particular, is the worst day in the history of the entity, as some of its people say," Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech, referring to Israel. "This is what puts it on the path of collapse, fragmentation, and disappearance, God willing," he added. Shi'ite Hezbollah has fought numerous conflicts with Israel since being established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982. Reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Netanyahu, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Monday, Iran's, Guards, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Iran, Lebanese, Israel, Beirut

☆ Second US submarine arrives in South Korea amid North Korea tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrived in South Korea on Monday, only days after the first U.S. nuclear armed submarine made port in the country in four decades, as the two allies seek to boost American strategic assets to deter North Korea. The USS Annapolis entered a naval base in South Korea' southern island of Jeju, to load military supplies while on an unspecified operational mission, the South Korean navy said. The USS Kentucky, a U.S. ballistic missile submarine, made port in South Korea last Tuesday. It was the first visit since the 1980s of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and coincided with the launch of talks between the U.S. and South Korea to coordinate responses in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea. North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on Wednesday hours after the USS Kentucky's visit, and again fired several cruise missiles on Saturday.

Persons: Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Michael Perry Organizations: USS, South Korean, U.S, trilateral, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, U.S, South Korea, North Korea, USS Annapolis, Jeju, USS Kentucky, Japan

☆ Cambodia's ruling party says it won a landslide victory in elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We didn't just win the election but we won it in a landslide," said CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan. Hun Sen, 70, has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, with an increasingly heavy hand in recent years that has all but wiped out the opposition. Last week, Hun Sen signalled that Western-educated military general Hun Manet "could be" prime minister by next month. A group of parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia said the election was a "coronation for Hun Sen and his cronies". PM Hun Sen called on them to "confess" or face legal consequences.

Persons: Hun, Hun Manet, Sok Eysan, Hun Sen, Matthew Miller, Washington, Hun Sen's, Miller, Eva Kusuma Sundari, Prak Chan Tul, Chanta Lach, Simon Lewis, Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Perry Organizations: Cambodian People's Party, Candlelight Party, Pro, State Department, ASEAN Parliamentarians, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: PHNOM PENH, United States, Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Southeast Asia, Washington

☆ A conservative PAC is committing $20 million to back Lauren Boebert and GOP representatives who voted against Kevin McCarthy for speaker: Politico
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A conservative PAC is pledging $20 million to back representatives who voted against Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker. A memo from the group published by Politico explains how the PAC plans to spend its money. It says the PAC will defend its members from "moderate donors and candidates" in the primary. Once the general election comes around, McIntosh promised to financially support any of the "Patriot 20" whose seats have been targeted as vulnerable by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. These representatives include Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, David McIntosh, McIntosh, Scott Perry, Anna Paulina Luna of, Lauren Boebert, Adam Frisch, Boebert's Organizations: House, Politico, Service, Republican, Growth, Club, Growth's, Democratic Congressional, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Federal Elections Commission Locations: Wall, Silicon, Scott Perry of, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Colorado

☆ Mattel accused by health expert of 'stealth marketing' to children by placing free Barbie dolls in schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Some health experts are angry over a project the firm funded in schools, per The BMJ. One criticized the decision to give dolls to UK schools as "stealth marketing." But some experts in the health sector are concerned about how far Barbie maker Mattel's marketing really goes. Several experts told the British Medical Journal they took issue with the company's decision to supply 700 UK schools with Barbie dolls as part of Mattel's "Barbie School of Friendship" program. But critics are questioning whether potential negative effects, such as gender stereotyping in Barbie dolls and Mattel's heavy use of branding, were considered.

Persons: Barbie movie's, Barbie, Ken, van Schalkwyk, Philippa Perry Organizations: Mattel, Service, British Medical, Cardiff University, BMJ, Cardiff Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Casey DeSantis hits back at reports calling her 'Walmart Melania': 'I do shop at Walmart'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An opinion piece published by The Daily Beast referred to Casey DeSantis as "the Walmart Melania." In a "Fox & Friends" interview on Thursday, Florida's first lady brushed off the criticism. In Thursday's interview, "Fox & Friends" host Ainsley Earhardt asked Casey how she deals with the criticism. Ron DeSantis, his wife, Casey DeSantis, and their children Mason, Madison, and Mamie during his inauguration ceremony outside the Old Capitol on January 3, 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida. Lynne Sladky/AP"One thing that the corporate media did get right about me, I do shop at Walmart," Casey DeSantis said.

Persons: Casey DeSantis, Florida's, Karen, Ron DeSantis, Katie Baker, Melania, Jonathan Capehart, David Jolly, Casey, Earhardt, Mason, Mamie, Lynne Sladky, Alex Perry, DeSantis, Trump, Dior, Jackie Kennedy, haven't Organizations: Daily, Walmart, Fox, Service, Florida Gov, Fox &, MSNBC, GOP Florida Rep Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, Madison, Tallahassee , Florida

CLAREMONT, N.H. — Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is laying out plans to shut down a number of federal government agencies if elected, starting with the FBI, Department of Education and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Ramaswamy says his plan does not require rebuilding anything, but rather reorganizing. “In many cases, these agencies are redundant relative to functions that are already performed elsewhere in the federal government,” Ramaswamy said in an interview with NBC News. Eliminating federal agencies has become a recurring talking point in Republican primaries for years — most famously when then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a 2011 GOP debate that he would eliminate three agencies but couldn’t remember one of them.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, ” Ramaswamy, ”, Rick Perry Organizations: CLAREMONT, N.H, Republican, FBI, Department of Education, Nuclear Regulatory, “, NBC News, Secret Service, Defense Intelligence Agency, Texas Gov, GOP

The protester didn't follow through with his plan to burn the Koran in Stockholm, but he still kicked and partially destroyed one. Iraq told the Swedish ambassador to leave and recalled its own envoy to Stockholm. This led Sadr to declare last August that he was withdrawing from politics, leaving the Iran-backed Shi'ite groups in the driving seat of government. Sadr has mostly laid low since announcing his departure from politics, engaging supporters in religious events rather than calling them to the streets for protests. That has changed after the burning of a Koran in Sweden last month, when Sadr called on supporters to engage in mass demonstrations at the Swedish embassy and other parts of Iraq.

Persons: Sadr, Muqtada al, Mohammed Shia Al, Ahmed Younis, Mohammed Sadeq al, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Baqir, Saddam, Sudani, Renad Mansour, Tom Perry, Michael Georgy, William Maclean Organizations: U.S, Iraq, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iraq BAGHDAD, Baghdad, Sweden, Stockholm, Iraq, Swedish, Iran, Europe, Sadr, Tehran, Washington

☆ Who is the Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The demonstration was called by supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, 48, an influential Shi'ite cleric who commands the loyalty of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. He led two anti-U.S. revolts, prompting the Pentagon to call his Mehdi Army militia the biggest threat to Iraq’s security. In Iraq's sectarian 2006-2008 civil war, the Mehdi Army was accused of forming death squads that kidnapped and killed Sunni Muslims. In 2008, after clashing with the Iraqi army, he disbanded the Mehdi Army, renaming it the Peace Brigades. - Sadr has opposed Iranian influence in Iraq, setting him apart from other Shi'ite leaders who have close ties to Tehran.

Persons: Muqtada, Mehdi, Sadr, Mohammed Sadeq al, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Baqir, Saddam, sayyid, Prophet Mohammad ., Sadr's, Tom Perry, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Protesters, Pentagon, Mehdi Army, Brigades, Sweden, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Swedish, Baghdad, Sweden, Muqtada al, Sadr, U.S, Iraq, Tehran, Iran, Stockholm, Iraqi

☆ Russia strikes Ukraine's Odesa port in 'hellish' attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Children's bicycles are seen among debris in an apartment building damaged during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Odesa, Ukraine July 19, 2023. The attack was "very powerful, truly massive," Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts on and off starting soon after midnight on Wednesday, with Russia striking other places, including a drone attack on Kyiv. It was a much lower success rate than Ukraine usually reports for countering Russian air attacks. Telegram channels linked to Russian security services and Ukrainian media said an ammunition depot was on fire at the base after a Ukrainian overnight air attack.

Persons: Stringer, Serhiy Bratchuk, Odesa, Serhiy Popko, Sergei Aksyonov, Bratchuk, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Russia's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Gleb Garanich, Lidia Kelly, Ron Popeski, Philippa Fletcher, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, Kyiv, United Nations, Telegram, Russia's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Odesa, Crimea, Kyiv Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, Crimean, ., Turkey, Kyiv, Kyiv's, Kirovske, Russian, Crimea's Kirovske, Africa, Asia, Ukrainian, Melbourne, Winnipeg

☆ A former Salesforce DEI director is suing the company claiming racial discrimination. She's not the first Black employee to complain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A former DEI leader at Salesforce is now suing the company for race discrimination. It's not the first time a Black woman has claimed she was discriminated against at Salesforce. In November 2021, the complainant was moved to the Office of Equality at Salesforce, where she reported to the company's Chief Equality Officer. This complainant is not the first Black woman to complain of biased and unfair treatment at Salesforce. In 2022, Salesforce reported that 5.2% of its workforce identified as Black or African-American, up from 3.5% in 2020.

Persons: It's, Andy Kofoid, Salesforce, Tom Nesbitt, Michael Shaunessy, Nesbitt, Shaunessy, Cynthia Perry, Perry's, Tony Prophet, Prophet, Marc Benioff, Ellen Thomas Organizations: company's, Equality, Salesforce, North, Court of Locations: Salesforce, Austin , Texas, North American, Databricks, Court of Texas, Austin

☆ A Texas town is trying to solve the US physician shortage with 'homegrown' clinicians — a possible answer to the primary-care drought plaguing 100 million Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

El Paso is among the 95% of Texas counties that have some shortage of primary-care physicians. The hope is they will stay and practice medicine in El Paso after medical school and residency. El Paso County, which includes the city of the same name, is among the 95% of Texas counties that have a shortage of primary-care physicians. The idea, he added, is that those participants will have a higher likelihood of staying after medical school and residency. Makena Piñon is one of five El Paso high school seniors accepted into MedFuture's first cohort.

Persons: Piñon, They're, Atul Grover, —, Grover, we've, hasn't, Dr, Richard Lange, Paul L, Lange, Makena, TTUHSC, Cynthia Perry Organizations: Healthcare, Morning, El Paso, National Center for Education Statistics —, Association of American Medical Colleges, Research, Action Institute, Office, University of Texas, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El, El, Foster School of Medicine, Association of American Medical, Texas Higher Locations: El Paso, Texas, El, Houston, El Paso County, —, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TTUHSC El Paso, , Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said staff at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad were safe but Iraqi authorities had failed in their responsibility to protect the embassy. Thursday's demonstration was called by supporters of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to protest at the second planned Koran burning in Sweden in weeks, according to posts in a Telegram group linked to the influential cleric and other pro-Sadr media. He stood by the embassy storming on Thursday, telling a press conference the U.S. "has no right to condemn the burning of the Swedish embassy but should have condemned the burning of the Koran". "Yes, yes to the Koran," protesters chanted. Sweden has seen several Koran burnings in recent years, mostly by far-right and anti-Muslim activists.

Persons: Tobias Billstrom, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mohammed Shia Al, Billstrom, Muqtada al, Moqtada al, Read, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Timour Azhari, Anna Ringstrom, Supantha Mukherjee, Johan Ahlander, Marie, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ahmed Rasheed, Tom Hogue, Tom Perry, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum, William Maclean, Alison Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: NATO, Sweden's Ericsson, State Department, Telegram, Turkish, Sweden's, Islam, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: Iraq, BAGHDAD, STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Stockholm, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Tehran, Turkey, Washington, Sadr, Copenhagen

The 42-year-old, U.S.-educated liberal Pita Limjaroenrat needs the backing of more than half of the bicameral parliament to be endorsed as Thailand's next prime minister, but must overcome fierce resistance from a military at odds with his party's anti-establishment ambitions. In a post on Twitter as parliament convened, Pita appealed to his rivals to vote according to the will of the people. In the first vote last week, Pita was 51 votes short and was backed by only 13 of the 249 senators, many of whom abstained or were no-shows, effectively votes against him. Move Forward believes many were pressured to deny him and Pita is hoping some could change their minds. They pledged to vote for Pita ... that's a sizable bloc."

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, Pita's, We're, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu, Martin Petty, Michael Perry, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, that's

☆ Biden's age is his 'superpower' in 2024, Jeffrey Katzenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Katzenberg, in a telephone interview, described Biden as "energetic" and "effective," and suggested Republican attacks on his age will backfire. "President Biden's age is, in fact, his superpower," Katzenberg said. Some Democrats expect such attacks on Biden's age and family will increase in 2024. Former Disney executive Katzenberg's opinion is likely to be reflected in Biden's campaign in the months to come. Biden's campaign had four members on the payroll and spent a total of $1.1 million in the first three months since launch.

Persons: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Katzenberg, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris's, Biden's, Donald Trump, Simon Rosenberg, Barack Obama, Reid Hoffman, it's, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Michael Perry Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Trump, Democratic, Disney, Katzenberg, Linkedin, Biden, Fund, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ A long-shot candidate is trying to qualify for the Republican presidential debate by raffling off tickets to Messi's first MLS game
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Long-shot GOP presidential candidate Mayor Francis Suarez is campaigning off of international soccer superstar Lionel Messi's Major League Soccer debut. He's raffling off front-row tickets to the game to anyone who donates to his campaign. He's one of several GOP candidates utilizing creative tactics to increase their donor numbers. In order to make it to the GOP presidential debate stage, the Republican National Committee stipulates that a candidate must have received at least 40,000 unique donations with at least 200 unique donors coming from 20 or more states. Suarez's ticketing raffle isn't the first creative stunt that GOP presidential candidates have used this go-around to try and qualify for the GOP debate.

Persons: Francis Suarez, Lionel Messi's, He's, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who's, Suarez, Doug Burgum, Perry Johnson's, he'll Organizations: Lionel Messi's Major League Soccer, Service, Miami Mayor, Republican, MLS, Committee, RNC, Federal Elections Commission, GOP, North Dakota Gov Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Remote work has made downtown DC a ghost town as federal office buildings sit mostly empty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But unlike many other US cities, much of DC's downtown office space is controlled by a single landlord: the federal government. There are three major issues when it comes to empty federal building space, Marroni said. Many congressional Republicans have also demanded that the Biden administration both restrict telework and get rid of unused office space. The White House Office of Management and Budget asked federal agencies in April to "substantially increase meaningful in-person work" by limiting telework. But there are concerns — including from employee unions — that restricting remote work could hurt the recruitment and retention of federal workers.

Persons: Muriel Bowser, hasn't, —, David Marroni, Marroni, She's, Biden, Scott Perry, they've Organizations: Office, DC, Service, Republicans, Transportation, Infrastructure, GAO, Pennsylvania Republican, White, Office of Management, Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, Post, Trump International Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, DC's, Pennsylvania

Weeks later, Mr. Trump is the former President Trump. Instead, in a brief televised address shortly before 2:30 a.m., Mr. Trump furiously laid down his postelection lie. For weeks, Mr. Trump had been peppering him with tips of fraud that, upon investigation by federal authorities, proved baseless. The cavalry “is coming, Mr. President,” Kylie Kremer tweeted to Mr. Trump on Dec. 19. On Jan. 15, Mr. Trump acquiesced to an Oval Office meeting with Mr. Lindell, who arrived with two sets of documents.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Joseph R, Biden, Justin Clark, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Clark, Weeks, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Jared Kushner, McConnell’s, Biden’s, William P, Barr, Mr, Trump’s, Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, sleuths, MyPillow, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, Stephen K, Bannon, Michael T, Flynn, platformed, Jared Taylor, Enrique Tarrio, Doug Mills, Eric, “ We’re, ”, Fox, Eric Trump, Newt Gingrich, Joe Biden’s, Kevin McCarthy, Laura Ingraham, Obama, Dennis Montgomery, Thomas McInerney, McInerney, John McCain, Bannon’s, “ it’s, Paul Gosar, Doug Ducey, Roy Blunt of, Roy Blunt, Anna Moneymaker, —, “, ” Mr, Mark Meadows, Josh Holmes, Kushner, — Mr, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Lindsey Graham, Sean Hannity, Lindsey Graham of, Sean Hannity’s, — I’ve, Let’s, Graham, Pat A, Axios, Brendan Smialowski, “ Hannity, Thomas, Jenna Ellis, Matt Morgan, Al Gore, George W, Bush, Brooks, Stefan Passantino, Powell, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Gore, William H, Rehnquist, Giuliani —, Kris Kobach, Mark Martin, Lawrence Joseph, Kobach, Uncle Sam, Mr . Biden, Ken Paxton, Jeffrey M, Landry, Paxton, Kyle D, Hawkins, Jacquelyn Martin, Joseph, Richard L, Chris Carr, Carr, Mike Johnson of, Mike Johnson, McCarthy, Privately, Ted Cruz of, John Sauer, ’, ” James E, Nicolai, North, Wayne Stenehjem, Stenehjem, Wayne, Tasos Katopodis, MAGA, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Marsha Blackburn of, Ms, Blackburn, Amy Kremer, Ann Stone, Roger Stone, Amy Coney Barrett, Kremer’s, Kylie Jane Kremer, Jennifer Lawrence, Dustin Stockton, Lawrence, Stockton, I’ve, Lindell, they’d, Taylor, Greg Locke, Covid, Michael McKinney, Tucker Carlson, Carlson’s, “ Donald Trump, ” Ms, Meadows, Georgia runoffs, Byrne, Cipollone, he’d, Martin, Mike Pence, reconvene, ” Kylie Kremer, James Yeager, Kylie Kremer, Yeager’s, Lawrence whooped, John Kennedy, James Lyle, Josh Hawley, “ You’ve, Lyle, Couy Griffin, Kennedy, Pete Marovich, Kremer, Julie Jenkins Fancelli, Alex Jones, Caroline Wren, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr, Katrina Pierson, Brad Raffensperger, Jeffrey A, Rosen, Department’s, Jeffrey Clark, Scott Perry, Hawley, Cruz, Year’s, Tom Cotton of, Cotton, Cindy Chafian, Chafian, Jones, Stone, Locke, Jan, “ You’ll, Gosar, Griffin, Robert O’Brien, I’m, ’ ”, Kenny Holston, Donald Trump, ” Mark Walker, Ben Margot, Stefani Reynolds, Samuel Corum, Erin Schaff, David J, Ted Cruz, John Bazemore Organizations: Twitter, Dominion Systems, Trump, Biden, Dominion, New, New York City, The New York Times, Senate, New York, Republican Party, Capitol, White, Times, The Times, America News Network, Fox, America, Boys, New York Times, American, Air Force, Electoral College, Republicans, Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, Republican, Facebook, Democrats, Associated Press, “ Fox & Friends, White House, West Wing, “, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Veritas, Justice Department, Postal Service, York Daily, Agence France, Zignal Labs, Amistad, Thomas More Society, Mr, Electoral, Supreme, Lawyers, General Association, Associated, State, University of California, Republican House, Women, Tea Party, Trump -, Breitbart, of, Credit, SPAN, Tea Party Express, Republican National Committee, Internet, Army, Des Moines Register, Marine, General Services Administration, Swedish, Cowboys, Capitol ., Street Journal, Save, General Association ., Law Defense Fund, Freedom, Coalition, Proud Boys, Willard, Homeland Security, Party, Getty, Georgia Electoral College Locations: Detroit, Arizona, Georgia, New York, America, China, Trump, Grand Rapids, Mich, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Santa Cruz ,, Arizona —, Russia, North Vietnam, United States, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Kentucky, Utah, Alaska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Erie, Pa, Pennsylvania, Long, Bush, Florida, tightest, Kansas, North Carolina, Ken Paxton of Texas, Texas, State of Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Irvine, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Ted Cruz of Texas, Missouri, Washington, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Trump’s, Hudson, Stockton, Tennessee, Des Moines, Meadows, White, fistfights, Nashville, West Monroe, La, Louisiana, drumbeating, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Delaware

Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Speaking after another round of talks on arms for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's now nearly 17-month invasion, Milley said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast. Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine defence minister, said after the Tuesday talks that "supply of weapons and equipment urgently needed" is a priority for Ukraine.

Persons: Mark Milley, Russia's, Milley, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Michael Perry Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, European Union, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Reznikov, Melbourne

☆ Motor-biking dog and owner cruise Brazil's streets to help hungry pups
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Leonardo Benassatto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leonardo BenassattoSAO PAULO, July 17 (Reuters) - Miguel Pereira de Souza and his dog Ruby zoom through Brazil's sprawling metropolis Sao Paulo on a motor-bike on a mission: hand out free dog food to less fortunate pooches. "I said from today every time I see a dog going hungry, I will donate a portion of food," Souza said, wiping away tears. Once Souza posted videos and pictures on social media of his food deliveries and the street dogs, donations started to flood in. "I had more than 700 kilograms (1,543 lb) of dog food in my living room," said Souza, who has Ruby's name tattooed on his forearm. "This help from Miguel - donating food, water, time and encouraging others to donate - I think is very cool," she said.

Persons: Miguel Pereira, Leonardo Benassatto, Miguel Pereira de Souza, Souza, Ruby, Raja Vidya, Steven Grattan, Brendan O'Boyle, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Leonardo Benassatto SAO PAULO, American, Thomson Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Paulo, Miguel

☆ Crimea Bridge: why is it important and what happened to it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A cargo ship sails next to the Crimea bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, March 14, 2023. The RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that explosions were heard on the bridge, with Russian military bloggers reporting two strikes. The bridge is a crucial supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine. In October, the bridge was damaged in a powerful blast, with Russian officials saying the explosion was caused by a truck that blew up while crossing the bridge, killing three people. CRIMEA AND RUSSIA LINKThe 19-km (12-mile) Crimea Bridge over the Kerch Strait is the only direct link between the transport network of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in2014.

Persons: Alexey Pavlishak, Sergei Aksyonov, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin, Arkady Rotenberg, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, RBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Crimea, Kerch, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, CRIMEA, RUSSIA, Moscow, Sevastopol, Ukraine's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Melbourne

☆ Russia launches drones, missiles on Ukraine's south and east - Ukraine's Air Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Gleb Garanich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, July 18 (Reuters) - Russia launched overnight air attacks on Ukraine's south and east using drones and possibly ballistic missiles, Ukraine's Air Force and officials said early on Tuesday. "It's quite serious," Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said on the Telegram messaging app of the fire, adding that more detail will come in the morning. Air raid alerts blared in many Ukrainian regions for hours, before being called off at around 04:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT). Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region's military administration, said air defence systems there were engaged in repelling several waves of Russian drone attacks. Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Odesa military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app that details of the attack will come later in the morning.

Persons: Oleksandr Senkevich, blared, Oleh Kiper, Serhiy Bratchuk, Gleb Garanich, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill, Lincoln, Michael Perry Organizations: Ukraine's Air Force, Air Force, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Odesa, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Crimean, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Melbourne

BEIJING/TAIPEI, July 17 (Reuters) - China reacted with anger on Monday to a planned visit next month to the United States by "separatist" Taiwan presidential frontrunner Vice President William Lai, as the government in Taipei said it saw no reason to overreact to mere transit stops. Such transits infuriate China, which views them as covert support by the United States for Taiwan's separateness from China and challenge to Beijing's territorial claims. "China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, resolutely opposes sneaky visits by Taiwan independence separatists in any name or for any reason, and resolutely opposes any form of connivance by the United States to support Taiwan independence separatists," she said. Speaking to reporters, Taiwan Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Yui declined to give details on Lai's U.S. transits, saying details would come later. Pena visited Taiwan last week and met both Lai and Tsai, who cannot run for office again after serving two terms.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Santiago Pena, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Kevin McCarthy, Mao Ning, Pena, Alexander Yui, Yui, Liz Lee, Ben Blanchard, Kim Coghill, Lincoln, Michael Perry Organizations: Central America, Foreign Ministry, Taiwan, Foreign, U.S, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, TAIPEI, China, United States, Taiwan, Taipei, U.S, Taiwan's, Los Angeles, Central, Beijing, Paraguay, Republic of China

CNN —After months of probing and multiple investigations, authorities in northwestern Oregon now believe the mysterious deaths of four young women are connected, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. “The last known area that Perry was known to frequent was downtown Portland … at the beginning of March,” the sheriff’s office said. The body of Bridget Leann (Ramsey) Webster was found on April 30 near Mill Creek, which is about 50 miles southwest of Portland, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. “The last known area that Webster was known to frequent was the Portland metro area, particularly Portland, Oregon City, and Milwaukie,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. Real had been reported missing to Portland police on April 4, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

Persons: Kristin Smith, Ashley Real, Lynn Perry, Bridget Leann, Ramsay, Webster, ”, Melissa Smith, “, Perry’s “, Perry, Diana Allen, ” Allen, Ramsey, Real Organizations: CNN, Attorney’s, Authorities, Portland Police Department, KPTV, Multnomah County Sheriff’s, Portland …, KATU, Sheriff’s Office, Portland police, Attorney’s Office Locations: Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland, Mill, Polk, Portland , Oregon City, Clackamas County

☆ Russia says Ukrainian attack on Crimea Bridge kills two, orphaned daughter injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Blasts were reported before dawn on the 19-km (12-mile) road and rail bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia blamed Ukraine for an attack on the bridge last October, saying it was organised by Ukrainian military intelligence and its director, Kyrylo Budanov. After the October attack, Russia launched strikes against Ukrainian cities including power supplies in retaliation. Crimea was transferred from Soviet Russia to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and recognised by Russia in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR. Footage taken from a train crossing the bridge showed passengers gasping as they saw the damage to the road.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Kyrylo, Sergei Mironov, Arkady Rotenberg, Nikita Khrushchev, Vladimir Saldo, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Kim Coghill, Michael Perry, Lincoln, Nick Macfie Organizations: UN, Ukraine's Security Service, Mercedes, Russia, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, KERCH, Crimea, Belgorod, Kyrylo Budanov, Russia's, Moscow, Soviet Russia, Soviet Ukraine, Soviet, USSR, Russian, Kherson, Melbourne

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