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JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran is “very directly involved” in ship attacks that Yemen's Houthi rebels have carried out during Israel's war against Hamas, the U.S. Navy's top Mideast commander told The Associated Press on Monday. The tempo of Houthi attacks on shipping appears to have slowed for the time being as the U.S. and its allies have increased their naval patrols in the region. A series of attacks blamed on Iran and ship seizures by Tehran followed the collapse of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. However, Cooper maintained Iran had been directly fueling the Houthi attacks on shipping. There’s no secret there.”Cooper described the ship attacks striking the Mideast as the worst since the so-called Tanker War of the 1980s.

Persons: Yemen's, Adm, Brad Cooper, Cooper, ”, Houthi, that's, Israel —, they’re resourcing, ” Cooper, George Wikoff Organizations: JERUSALEM, Hamas, Associated Press, AP, United Nations, U.S ., Fleet, United, United Arab Emirates, 5th Fleet, Navy, military's, Command Locations: Iran, U.S, Tehran, Aden, Persian, Hormuz, Yemen's, Sanaa, Iranian, Suez, Asia, Europe, Saudi, Israel, Africa's, Egypt, Gulf, Gaza, Washington, America, American, Yemen, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Bahrain

Leading up to the temple’s consecration, public spaces around India were thrumming with excitement. Ram is one of the most revered gods among India’s Hindus, who make up about 80 percent of a total population of 1.4 billion. Islam does not appear in the Ramayana, having arrived in India only 1,000 years ago. But it is cast as the primary villain in the Hindu-nationalist telling of India’s history. Now, with a kind of spiritual and political homecoming for Mr. Modi, the Ram campaigners have the temple they had sought for decades.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Ram, Modi Locations: Indian, Ayodhya, India

WHO IS GUATEMALA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL? She first became attorney general in 2018 with the support of then-President Jimmy Morales, replacing Thelma Aldana. With a doctorate in law, Porras' reputation was hit by a plagiarism scandal during her first term as attorney general. During Giammattei’s time as president, Porras left many accusations against him uninvestigated, including a corruption scandal involving COVID-19 vaccines. Now, the attorney general can be removed only for a conviction for a malicious offense.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Consuelo Porras, Arévalo, Porras, Luis Almagro, Jimmy Morales, Thelma Aldana, Alejandro Giammattei, Arévalo’s, —, Claudia Paz y, ” Paz y Paz, “, Paz y Paz, Juan Francisco Sandoval, Paz y, ”, Sandoval Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, WHO, United, Organization of American, U.S, Party, Claudia Paz y Paz, Porras, Paz y Paz Locations: GUATEMALA, American, United States, Organization of American States, America, United Nations

The warning came as Yemen’s Houthis vowed retaliation, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. The U.S.-led bombardment came in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Yemen’s Houthis, “, " Biden, Lloyd Austin, Donald Trump Lt, Douglas Sims, Yahya Saree, Nikolas, Iran’s, Hussein, George W, Bush, Friday's, Nasser Kanaani, Vassily Nebenzia, Linda Thomas, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Thomas, Greenfield, ” ___ Gambrell, Ahmed Al, Haj, Bassem, Jill Lawless, Nasser Karimi, Fatima Hussein, Ellen Knickmeyer, Chris Megerian, Seung Min Kim, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Britain, Associated Press, U.S . Central Command, Navy, White, Camp, U.S . Navy, Republicans, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, . Air Forces Central Command, Tomahawk, Foreign Ministry, Brent, Food, U.S, U.S ., United Arab Emirates, . Security, Ambassador, United Nations Locations: Yemen, U.S, Sanaa, Iran, Aden, Gaza . U.S, Houthi, Gen, Red, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, United Kingdom, Bani, Abbs, Gulf of Oman, Tehran, Washington, Suez, America, Britain, Houthis, Greenfield, U.K, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Beirut, London, Emmaus , Pennsylvania

☆ ‘A hero every day’: He joined Ukraine’s Maidan protests at 16. At 24, he died fighting Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Anna Coren | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Taras Ratushnyy remembers receiving a phone call from his son Roman during Ukraine’s deadly 2013 Maidan Revolution. Both his parents were previously activists and journalists; his mother Svitlana Povalyaeva, also a writer and poet, took part in the Maidan Revolution alongside her two sons. A young Roman Ratushnyy, who joined the Maidan Revolution at just 16 years old. It was the 10th anniversary of the Maidan protests; Taras had just one day at home before he returned to the battlefield. CNNFighting for a European futureThe Maidan protests were sparked by Ukraine’s then-President Viktor Yanukovych abruptly scrapping a trade deal with the European Union.

Persons: Ukraine CNN — Taras Ratushnyy, Roman, “, ” Roman, Taras, blaring, Svitlana Povalyaeva, Ratushnyy, Volodymyr Zelensky, –, ” Taras, Taras Ratushnyy, Ukraine’s, Viktor Yanukovych, Yanukovych –, Vladimir Putin, —, ”, Efrem, Marci Shore, Molotov, Yanukovych, Roman –, Boris Dralyuk, I’ll, Genya Savilov Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, European Union, Supporters, Europe, Getty Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Kyiv’s, Europe, Russia, Crimea, Izium, Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast, Moscow, Independence, Russia’s, Maidan, ”, Ukraine’s, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian, American, AFP

☆ Pope’s Critics Feel the Sting After His Patience Runs Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jason Horowitz | More About Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Pope Francis smiled warmly at the circus performers spinning and flipping in front of him at his weekly general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, he looked every bit the grandfatherly figure who has for the last decade sought to make the church a kinder, gentler and more inclusive place. Except for the people feeling his wrath. There is a sense among some Vatican analysts and conservatives that Francis, who is suffering from a lung inflammation that forced him to pass off his readings at the event and to cancel an important trip to Dubai this weekend, is increasingly focusing his depleted energies on settling scores and cleaning house. While some have wondered whether his ailing health might be driving his actions, Francis, who from the beginning said he didn’t expect to live long in the job, has often moved with urgency. And when it comes to personnel moves, analysts said, it has always been thus.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Benedict XVI Locations: Dubai, United States

☆ Russian opposition group report says it's identified another superyacht belonging to Vladimir Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian military plant built Vladimir Putin a 71-meter superyacht, according to a new report. The report was written by the Dossier Center, a Russian opposition group funded by an exiled oligarch. AdvertisementVladimir Putin's newest known superyacht is 71 meters long, cost an estimated $50 million to build, and can carry up to 28 people, according to a new report from Russian opposition group the Dossier Center. Construction on the yacht began in 2005 at a Russian military facility that typically produces nuclear submarines, according to the report, citing unnamed sources close to Putin. Spokespeople for the Russian president and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, oligarch, Putin's, —, Vladimir, Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky –, Russia –, lina K Organizations: Dossier, Service, NATO, ust Locations: Russian, Victoria, Sochi, Istanbul, Russia

☆ Opinion: No one needed another Napoleon movie, but this one has something unexpected to say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Napoleon, played by Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, is a talented young officer whose military victories quickly vault him into influence and power. The fact that Napoleon can’t live up to his own larger-than-life image is part of what makes Napoleon larger than life. There are obvious differences between Trump and Napoleon — Trump avoided the draft and was not a successful general; Napoleon was never elected and conquered large parts of Europe; Trump’s coup attempt was unsuccessful. “Napoleon” suggests that our fascination with grotesque populist windbags is itself a source of their power. Napoleon might not love this movie, but he’d surely enjoy seeing his face blown up there on the big screen.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, Ridley Scott, Napoleon ”, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky, Scott deplores, he’s, ” Scott, Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix, glamorize Napoleon, Scott, Napoleon sententiously, Josephine, Vanessa Kirby, grunting, can’t, it’s, Scott weren’t, Scott’s, It’s, Napoleon can’t, Donald Trump, Napoleon — Trump, Scott’s Napoleon, doesn’t, Trump, “ Trump, mediaQuant, slandered, “ Napoleon ”, ”, —, — you’re Organizations: CNN, Hollywood, Waterloo, Trump, New York Times, Republican Locations: Chicago, Europe, Elba, British, Austerlitz, Republic, France, Nazi

☆ Napoleon’s hat sells for record $2.1 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —One of Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous black hats sold for more than $2 million at an auction in France on Sunday. The €1.932 million ($2.1 million) sale set a record for Napoleon’s trademark two-cornered military dress hats. The hat was part of a collection belonging to French industrialist Jean Louis Noisiez that went on sale on Sunday. According to its online listing, the hat - which sold for more than double its original estimate - was made by a furrier at the emperor’s palace. In 2018, another version of the hat sold for more than $400,000 at an auction in Lyon, France.

Persons: Napoleon Bonaparte’s, Jean Louis Noisiez, Napoleon, Jean, Pierre Osenat, ”, Helena, Ridley, Joaquin Phoenix Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Reuters Locations: France, Fontainebleau, French, Elba, “, Lyon, British, Waterloo, St

☆ ‘Murder’s Easy. We Did Something Much Worse.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Sarah Weinman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

There’s a mordant theme to this month’s column; in three of the four books, dark humor undercuts despair and sardonic wit compensates for failure. Nowhere are these traits more on display than in DEATH OF THE RED RIDER (Pushkin Vertigo, 396 pp., paperback, $16.95), the second appearance of Yulia Yakovleva’s Stalin-era detective, Vasily Zaitsev, who goes about the ordinary business of solving murders while communities around him in 1930s Russia are purged and exiled en masse. This time Zaitsev is dispatched to Novocherkassk, a Soviet cavalry school in the south of Russia, to investigate the horrifying death of a famous rider and his horse midrace. Soon he’s given an assistant he didn’t ask for, Comrade Zoya Sokolova, who arrives with her own agenda. The events — aided by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp’s nimble translation — unfold slowly, but hold the reader’s attention.

Persons: Pushkin, Yulia Yakovleva’s Stalin, Vasily Zaitsev, he’s, didn’t, Zoya Sokolova, Ruth Ahmedzai Locations: Russia, masse, Novocherkassk, Soviet

☆ Fireworks Over Bangkok’s River or Samba the Night Away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Victoria Gomelsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you have the day, you can rent a boat to visit the Princes’ Islands, a group of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara. Only four of them are open for public visits: Kinaliada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Buyukada. They have a small private beach, as well as a restaurant open to the public called Elio Sedef. Every hour of the boat rental is 500 euros [$530] plus tax, plus catering. For the Princes’ Islands excursion, you need at least seven to eight hours.

Persons: Elio Sedef Organizations: Princes Locations: ’, Marmara, Turkey

REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLVIV, Ukraine, Nov 12 (Reuters) - At least three Russian officers were killed in the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol in a blast Ukraine's intelligence said on Sunday was an "act of revenge" by local resistance groups. The blast occurred during a meeting on Saturday of Russian officers in Melitopol, a town in southwestern Ukraine that has become a hub of Russian forces after they captured it in early days of the war. Reuters could not independently verify the Ukrainian intelligence claim. The Ukraine intelligence statement said the Saturday meeting was attended by Russian National Guard and FSB intelligence service officers. Ukrainian media said an attack last week on the occupied town of Skadovsk in Kherson region also targeted Russian officers.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Ivan Fedorov, Ron Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Grant McCool, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ukrainian Defence, Reuters, Russian National Guard, National Guard, Black, Fleet, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Melitopol, Rights LVIV, Moscow, Ukrainian, Ukraine's, Crimean, Crimea, Skadovsk, Kherson

[1/5] An Israeli soldier operates amid the ongoing ground invasion against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, November 8, 2023. Hamas' armed wing on Wednesday released a video that appeared to show intense street battles alongside bombed out buildings in Gaza City. Israeli tanks have met heavy resistance from Hamas fighters using underground tunnels to stage ambushes, according to sources with Iran-backed Hamas and the separate Islamic Jihad militant group. ISRAEL BOMBS TUNNELSChief Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday that "Hamas has lost control in the north" of Gaza. The Israeli military has repeatedly told residents to evacuate the north or risk being trapped in the violence.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khalil al, Saleh al, Daniel Hagari, Colonel Ido, Hagari, U.N, Nidal al, Angel, Emily Rose, Maayan, Rami Amichay, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Cynthia Osterman, Michael Perry Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, West Bank, Jihad, Palestinian Authority, Israel's, ABC News, New York Times, Israel, Reuters, Wednesday, Journalists, 401st Brigade, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Gaza City, West, Gaza WASHINGTON, GAZA, JERUSALEM, United States, Hamas, Iran, Israel, Washington, Tokyo, Palestinian, Aqsa, ISRAEL, Gaza's, Qatar, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldovans are casting ballots in nationwide local elections on Sunday as authorities say that Russia has been conducting “hybrid warfare” to undermine the vote in the European Union candidate country. While local elections in Moldova, a country of about 2.5 million people situated between Romania and Ukraine, wouldn't usually garner much international attention, ongoing accusations of Russian meddling add a geopolitical dimension to the vote. On Friday, Moldova’s national intelligence agency published a report alleging that Russia was trying to “influence the electoral process” through the party. Shor was the head of the Russia-friendly Shor Party, which was declared unconstitutional in June by Moldova’s Constitutional Court. “Russia has always been trying to undermine democratic elections in Moldova, particularly in an effort to derail European integration aspirations,” Cantir said.

Persons: wouldn't, Dorin Recean, Recean, Ilan Shor, Shor, Maia Sandu, Anatol Mosanu, ”, Cristian Cantir, Cantir, oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc, Plahotniuc, Sandu, Moldova’s, ” Cantir, “, they’ve, ” ___ Stephen McGrath Organizations: European Union, Moldova, Russia Chance Party, Intelligence, Security Service, SIS, Chance Party, Oakland University, Associated Press, EU, NATO, Party, Moldova’s Constitutional, Russia Locations: CHISINAU, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Moldovan, Sunday's, Israel, ” “ Moldova, United States, United Kingdom, Moscow, Sighisoara

☆ Think You Don’t Like Something? Try Listening Closer - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jeff Tweedy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

And at the time that “Dancing Queen” came out, it wasn’t hard to hate a disco song, anyway — disco was despised by practically everyone I knew (with the exception of the kids who liked to roller skate). To this day, whenever I think I dislike a piece of music, I think about “Dancing Queen” and am humbled. And even then, if I don’t like something, I make a mental note to try it again in 10 years. Melodies as pure and evocative as the one in “Dancing Queen” don’t come along every day, and I mourn every single moment I missed loving this song. Playing it again as I write this, making up for lost spins, I feel overcome with gratitude for its existence.

Persons: Abba, didn’t, ”, I’d, — Neil Young, Young, “, Benny, Anni, it’s, ” don’t

☆ The Wagner Group is back, Russian regional media says — and led by Prigozhin's son
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian regional media reported this week that the Wagner Group is hiring again in two oblasts. The reports follow months of speculation that Pavel Prigozhin would lead Wagner under the Russian Guard. And the fighters are led by the young son of Prigozhin himself, Pavel Prigozhin, reported 59.RU, a regional news outlet based in Perm. A Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner, Prigozhin 2023, has also been touting Pavel Prigozhin as the organization's future leader. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Russian news site Military Review also reported on Sunday that Wagner would continue operations as a division of the Russian Guard.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Pavel, Pavel Prigozhin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Russian Guard, Service, Group, Kremlin, Getty, Wagner, Telegram, Russian Defense Ministry, New York Times, The Defense Ministry, Institute for, RU, Russian National Guard, Defense Ministry Locations: Perm ., Perm . Novosibirsk, Perm, VKontakte, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, AFP, Africa, US, Wagner Perm

☆ The Wagner Group is back, and led by a new Prigozhin, Russian regional media says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — A flurry of Israeli airstrikes Tuesday on a refugee camp near Gaza City leveled apartment buildings, leaving craters where they once stood, as ground troops battled Hamas militants across northern Gaza and attacked underground compounds. Larger ground operations have been launched north and east of Gaza City. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, called Gaza City the “center of gravity of Hamas" but said strikes continue in other parts of the territory. Hamas released its own video showing what it said was a battle in northern Gaza on Sunday. Zaki Abdel-Hay, a Palestinian living a few minutes' walk from the road south of Gaza City, said people are afraid to use it.

Persons: KHAN YOUNIS, Benjamin Netanyahu, Juliette Touma, ”, Saleh al, Ali Kaseeb, Jonathan Conricus, Conricus, Zaki Abdel, Hay, Dawood Shehab, Netanyahu, “, Megidish, ___ Jeffrey, Keath, Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, Kareem Chehayeb Organizations: Hamas, Jazeera, Associated Press, UNRWA, U.S, U.S . Navy, Red Sea, West Bank, Gaza Health Ministry, Gaza's Health Ministry, Islamic, Al, Palestinian, World Health Organization Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Gaza City's, Al, Syria, Iran, Eilat, Yemen, U.S, Egypt, Aroura, Northern Gaza, Gaza's, Palestinian, Al Jazeera, Cairo, Deir al, Beirut, israel

☆ A mob that stormed a Russian airport hunting for Jews got its marching orders from Telegram. Then the channel lost control.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Their actions seemed directed by a local antisemitic Telegram channel urging people to target Jews. AdvertisementAdvertisementA mob of protesters that ransacked a Russian airport in search of Jews on Sunday was incited by an antisemitic Telegram channel. The crowd at the airport went further than the channel asked, breaking through security cordons and storming through the airport. The identity of the Telegram channel administrator is unclear. Following the mob, Dageston Governor Sergey Melikov told reporters the Telegram channel was run from Ukraine by unnamed "traitors," according to the state-run outlet TASS .

Persons: —, Ilya Ponomarev, Putin, Sergey Melikov, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Sunday, Airport, AP, Red Wings Airlines, Telegram, Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, RIA Novosti, Ministry of Health, Financial Times, State Duma, Federal Agency for Air Transport, Israeli Locations: Russia, Israel, Dagestan, Tel Aviv, Makhachkala, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Who Decides Penn’s Future: Donors or the University?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Stephanie Saul | More About Stephanie Saul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

“The conference became a vehicle.”It is not unusual for donors, unhappy with student activism, to pull back giving. “It’s essential that the university remains independent from donor pressure or influence on the content of work that’s done in the university,” said Ms. Lieberwitz, who is also general counsel for the American Association of University Professors. “Very broadly, I am deeply committed to academic freedom,” Ms. Magill had told The Daily Pennsylvanian, the campus newspaper. Alumni Donors Push BackOne day after the Indigenous Peoples’ Day post, Ms. Magill issued her first statement condemning the Hamas assault. Some Wharton alumni had been unhappy with the university’s direction for a long time.

Persons: —, Lauder, Jon Huntsman, Dick Wolf —, Rowan, ”, Robert Vitalis, “, George W, Bush, Penn, Risa L, Lieberwitz, Magill, Ms, Amy Wax, Penn Hillel, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Israel, Roger Waters, Susan Albuhawa, Critics, ” Mr, Wharton, Jonathan S, Jacobson, Lia Thomas, Erika James, Ross Stevens, University of Chicago’s Booth, Stevens, Booth Organizations: “, East Center, University of Texas, Austin, University of Denver, Palestinian, U.N, Cornell, American Association of University, Edge, University of Virginia, Daily, university’s College of Arts and Sciences, Penn, Pink Floyd, Indigenous Peoples, Wharton, HighSage Ventures, Management, University of Chicago’s Locations: Utah, Penn, Israel, Yom Kippur, Nazi, Berlin

☆ Can anyone save the internet? Neal Agarwal is trying, one Hampster Dance at a time.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Barrett | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Internet Artifacts is the latest project from Neal Agarwal, the creative 25-year-old coder who launched neal.fun six years ago today. "I grew up at the tail end of that era of the internet," Agarwal said. Internet Artifacts has taken closer to three months. Internet Artifacts takes several touchstones of the anteplatformian internet and places them on literal digital pedestals. As delightful as Internet Artifacts is to click through, it also provides valuable context for Agarwal's larger ambition.

Persons: Neal Agarwal, Agarwal, antic, Steve Jobs, Jamie Cohen, It's, coders, he'd, —, Bill Gates, Josh Wardle, Neal, neal.fun, Brandon Chilcutt's, Jessa Lingel, Nicole He, Matthew Rayfield, Brian Moore, Wardle, what's, There's, Brian Barrett Organizations: today's, Adobe, Apple, Developers, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, CUNY, Virginia Tech, Ripley's, The New York Times, Napster, University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, Immaculate Grid, MacWorld, Wired, Yorker Locations: Queens, Fairfax , Virginia, MSCHF, New York

☆ Ukraine not afraid to take on its oligarchs - justice minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Ukraine’s Justice Minister Denys Maliuska attends an interview with Reuters in Kyiv, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian authorities feel newly empowered to prosecute the once-powerful tycoons known as "oligarchs" thanks to shifting political realities and the war with Russia, Kyiv's justice minister said. "Everyone was afraid of (the) consequences of indicting oligarchs, but this is no longer the case," he said. Ukraine had long struggled to shake off the influence of its shadowy tycoons, who used the huge industrial wealth they amassed after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union to gain political influence and power. A 2021 law aimed at curbing their political and economic influence also sent a clear signal, Maliuska said, and now oligarchs have become "quite accessible" to authorities.

Persons: Denys Maliuska, Ivan Lyubysh, Maliuska, Ihor Kolomoisky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Dmytro Firtash, Vadym Novynskyi, Novynskyi, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, Mark Potter Organizations: Ukraine’s, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Smart Holding, European Union, EU, National Security Council, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, United States, Ukrainian

☆ Once disgraced, Indonesian ex-general tipped for presidency after makeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto gestures while attending a meeting of his Gerindra Party, in Bogor, Indonesia August 12, 2022. "We are ready to move forward for Indonesia," Prabowo told a press conference. The former special forces commander has undergone a remarkable transformation since being appointed defence minister in 2019, cultivating a persona that is more charismatic statesman than fiery, pious nationalist, analysts say. An opinion poll published by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) this month showed Prabowo ahead of his two opponents with 34% support. It's a change from previous campaigns where we've seen nationalist populist Prabowo, and pro-Islamist Prabowo," said Ross Tapsell, from the Australian National University.

Persons: Prabowo, Willy Kurniawan, Prabowo Subianto, Joko Widodo's, Suharto, Lembaga Survei, Ganjar Pranowo, LSI's Djayadi Hanan, Jokowi, Prabowo's, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Suharto's, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, we've, Ross Tapsell, Najwa Shihab, Shihab, Andreas Harsono, Ananda Teresia, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Indonesian Defence, Party, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Pentagon, Australian National University ., Human Rights, Prabowo, Thomson Locations: Bogor, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Jordan, United States, Papua, East Timor, Lembaga Survei Indonesia, Europe, Middle, Paris, Beijing, Indonesian, Jakarta

He had arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Friday from Saudi Arabia after traveling there last week from London. He said Pakistan's economy and political situation both declined in recent years, according to multiple videos shared by his Pakistan Muslim League party on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In 2020, an anti-graft court in Islamabad issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to return home. Another federal court has granted Sharif bail until Oct. 24, giving him protection from arrest until then. His party became hugely unpopular after Khan's removal when Nawaz Sharif's brother Shehbaz Sharif replaced Khan, a former cricketer turned politician.

Persons: — Pakistan's, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Allah, ”, Imran Khan, Khan, Sharif's, Nawaz Sharif's, Shehbaz Sharif Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Pakistan Muslim League, Twitter Locations: ISLAMABAD, Dubai, London, Lahore, Pakistan, Islamabad, Saudi Arabia, Sharif

☆ Nicaragua sends Catholic priests to Rome after talks with Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18 (Reuters) - Nicaragua sent a dozen Catholic priests who had been "processed" by judicial authorities to Rome on Wednesday, the government said, the latest action, a critic said, in a government crackdown on the church. President Daniel Ortega has at times accused Catholic church leaders of seeking to overthrow his government, while judicial authorities have arrested priests and accused some of committing treason, among other crimes. An exiled Nicaraguan researcher who publishes records of what she describes as the persecution of the Catholic Church under Ortega said sending the priests to Rome was a "forced removal." The researcher, Martha Patricia Molina, accused Ortega of seeking to "strangle and disappear" the church with such action. Bishop Rolando Alvarez, perhaps Ortega's most prominent Catholic critic, was this year sentenced to a 26-year jail term on treason charges, but was not among the 12 priests the government sent to Rome.

Persons: Stringer, Daniel Ortega, Ortega, Martha Patricia Molina, Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Christopher Cushing, Robert Birsel Organizations: Metropolitan Cathedral, REUTERS, Catholic, Thomson Locations: Managua, Nicaragua, Rome, Italy, Nicaraguan, United States

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