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☆ Ukraine says it advances on Bakhmut's flanks to entrap Russians
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Moscow says capturing Bakhmut now opens the way to further advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says its advance on the Russian forces' flanks was more meaningful than its withdrawal inside the city, and Russian reinforcements sent to hold Bakhmut will weaken Moscow's lines elsewhere. Ukrainian forces were still advancing, particularly south of Bakhmut, Maliar said, though she said the intensity of fighting on the northern flank had subsided for now. "Wagner Group mercenaries likely secured the western administrative borders of Bakhmut City while Ukrainian forces are continuing to prioritise counterattacks on Bakhmut’s outskirts," the Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Monday. In the latest Russian attack, some 15 blasts were heard overnight in the southern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, a frequent Russian target lately.

☆ Japan's G7 refugee balancing act: door open for Ukrainians, but not many others
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The generosity towards Ukrainian evacuees, however, will highlight the stark contrast against Japan's track record with asylum seekers, experts and advocates say, with hopes for broader refugee policy reform still distant. Ukrainians have entered Japan under a framework set up specifically for them and are referred to as evacuees rather than refugees. "We want the world to know how bad Japan's refugee recognition system is," said Keiko Tanaka, head of Osaka-based refugee assistance group Rafiq, noting the group would hold a press conference on Sunday when the G7 summit wraps up. Private charity Nippon Foundation gave her 1 million yen ($7,400)- an annual grant it extends exclusively to Ukrainian evacuees. Advocates are guardedly hopeful the Ukrainian presence could change Japan's overall refugee policy, but Temple University Japan's political science professor James Brown thought it unlikely.

☆ Ukraine's Supreme Court chief justice was detained on suspicion of taking a $2.7 million bribe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vsevolod Kniaziev, Ukraine's head of the Supreme Court, was detained. Kniaziev was removed from his position as head of the court on Tuesday, The Financial Times reported. Zhevago told the Financial Times that the allegations were "incorrect" and "politically motivated." The anti-corruption unit also released photos of piles of US dollars it says were found by detectives during their investigation into Supreme Court judges. Money found in an undisclosed location in Ukraine by National Anti-Corruption Bureau detectives during their investigation into a corruption case involving Supreme Court judges.

☆ Ukraine Supreme Court chief dismissed after being detained in bribery case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"At this time, the head of the Supreme Court has been detained and measures are being taken to check other individuals for involvement in criminal activity," Omelchenko told a joint briefing with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). [1/4] Money found by detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau during investigative actions in a corruption case involving judges of the Supreme Court is depicted in an unknown location in Ukraine in this handout picture released May 15, 2023. Press Service of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3 4An emergency Supreme Court plenary meeting hours later voted no-confidence in Kniaziev and then voted for his dismissal as head of the court. In a statement, NABU said the Supreme Court head was suspected of taking a $2.7-million bribe. The agency's chief, Semen Kryvonos, told Tuesday's briefing it was the most high-profile case involving Ukrainian agencies fighting corruption.

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin is going off the rails in Ukraine, and Putin may not have much choice but to let him, war expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Though he strikes hardest at the defense ministry, he has seemingly aimed his frustrations at Putin as well. During the intense fighting in Bakhmut, where the mercenaries have suffered tremendous losses, simmering tensions between the Russian defense ministry and the Wagner boss have boiled over. With the replacement of Gen. Sergei Surovikin, an infamous Russian leader pushed by ultranationalists like Prigozhin, in January, the Russian defense ministry retook control. The situation got so bad for Wagner at one point that expert observers speculated that the Russian military was purposefully decimating the group. Prigozhin said he was threatened with treason over his assertions that Wagner forces would pull out of Bakhmut.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wave of attacks ahead of Russian holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CONFLICT* Ukraine's top military command said its forces destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia had launched overnight at targets around the country. * Russia's Wagner mercenary group appeared to ditch plans to withdraw from Bakhmut, saying it had been promised more arms and suggesting it may keep up the assault on what Russia sees as a stepping stone in the Donbas region. * At least five people were wounded by Russian strikes on Kyiv, officials in the Ukrainian capital said. Press service of "Concord"/Handout via REUTERSEU WEIGHS SANCTIONS ON CHINA* The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russia's war machine, the Financial Times said. RECENT IN-DEPTH STORIES* ANALYSIS-Russia's mercenary boss deepens fog of Ukraine war while deflecting blame* INSIGHT-Ukraine's nuclear deal with Canada's Cameco carries big risks, rewards* ANALYSIS-Kremlin incident gives Putin cover to deepen war* COLUMN-Global ammunition race may decide Ukraine warEditing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wave of attacks ahead of Victory Day holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Russia carried out drone, missile and air strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities through the night, escalating attacks in the run-up to its cherished Victory Day holiday that celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany. CONFLICT* Ukraine's top military command said its forces destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia had launched overnight at targets around the country. * Kyiv's mayor said at least five people were wounded in the capital amid damage to a fuel depot, cars, buildings and infrastructure. * Russia has intensified shelling of Bakhmut hoping to take it by Tuesday - Russia's Victory Day holiday, Ukraine's top general in charge of the defence of the besieged city said, vowing to do everything to prevent it. EU WEIGHS SANCTIONS ON CHINA* The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese firms accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russia's war machine, the Financial Times said.

☆ Ukrainian media report explosion in Odesa, widespread air raid alerts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A firefighter works at the site of a resort area hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region, Ukraine May 8, 2023. Press Service of the Operational Command South of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERSMay 7 (Reuters) - An explosion was heard following a missile attack that hit the Black Sea city of Odesa overnight, a local Ukrainian official said, while air raid alerts rang out in other regions of the country including the capital, Kyiv. "There has been an enemy missile attack," Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on his Telegram channel. "Stay in the shelters until the air raid alarm goes off!" Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne also reported an explosion followed by a fire in Odesa and the sound of explosions in Kherson in the south.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wagner group appears to do U-turn on withdrawal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CONFLICT* Russian forces are evacuating residents from the town that serves the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said. * Russian missiles targeted an industrial site in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, while Ukrainian and Russian media reported multiple explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea. * Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight. * Air raid alerts blared for several hours overnight into early Sunday over roughly two-thirds of Ukraine, with officials saying air defence systems shot down a number of drones. * The head of the U.N.'s nuclear power watchdog warned on Saturday that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become "potentially dangerous" as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Wagner Group threatens to exit Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WAGNER* Standing in a field of corpses, Russian Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin published an expletive-ridden video personally blaming top defence chiefs for losses suffered by his fighters. * However, Ukraine said Russia was bringing Wagner fighters from other parts of the front line to fight in Bakhmut. * Former Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev has joined the Wagner Group as a deputy commander, Russian pro-war social media channels reported. * Technical personnel from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations will meet on Friday to discuss the renewal of the deal, the Turkish Defence Minister said. QUOTES* "Because of the lack of ammunition, our losses are increasing exponentially every day," Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said.

☆ Russia's air force has taken a beating, but its jets could still turn the tables in Ukraine, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's air force has had a limited role in Ukraine, despite numerical and technological advantages. Russia has held its air force back largely because of Ukraine's effective air-defense network. Which raises the question: If Ukrainian air defenses fade, will the Russian Air Force — known as the VKS — finally become a decisive factor in the war? Ukraine's small but resourceful air force put up spirited resistance that mitigated Russia's numerical and technological superiority, however. "So the air force, I think, would definitely be committed much more heavily if they had a chance."

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

☆ Russia kills 17 in biggest Ukraine air strikes for nearly two months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sergiy Karazy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Russia carries out new wave of air attacksUkraine's president condemns 'Russian terror'The attacks are the first on such a scale for weeksKYIV, April 28 (Reuters) - Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept early on Friday, killing at least 17 people in the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months. Hours after the pre-dawn attacks, Kyiv said it was finishing preparations for a counteroffensive to try to take back territory occupied by Russian forces in 14 months of war. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians, but air strikes and shelling have killed thousands of people and devastated cities across Ukraine. Kyiv says strikes on cities far from the front lines have no military purpose apart from intimidating and harming civilians, a war crime. The war is coming to a juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far.

☆ Nine killed in Russian strike, rescue teams sift through wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kai Pfaffenbach | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Emergency services in eastern Donetsk Region, in a statement on Facebook, said the death toll stood at nine at midnight (2100 GMT), including a two-year-old child. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk Region, told national television earlier that seven Russian S-300 missiles had been fired. Rescue teams searching for victims sifted through rubble through the night, using cranes, ladders and other heavy equipment in the shells of apartments and stairwells. [1/5] A man stands next to a residential building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine April 14, 2023. "The evil state once again demonstrates its essence," Zelenskiy wrote in a separate post accompanied by footage of a damaged building.

☆ Top Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russian invasion appears in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The hearing was adjourned to Monday after the cleric, Metropolitan Pavlo of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), complained of ill health. The court appearance came after Pavlo was questioned by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which presented the cleric with a series of accusations on the same issue shortly before. The UOC has been accused of maintaining links to the pro-invasion Russian Orthodox Church, which used to be its parent church but with which the UOC says it all broke ties in May 2022. The UOC is Ukraine's second-largest church, though most Ukrainian Orthodox believers belong to a separate branch of the faith, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, formed four years ago by uniting branches independent of Moscow's authority. In a video posted to the UOC website earlier in the day, Pavlo said he condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russia invasion given house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv is cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) on the grounds it is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow, a charge the church denies. In a statement, the UOC said a Kyiv court also ordered Metropolitan Pavlo to wear an electronic bracelet. The Interfax Ukraine and Ukrinform news agencies said Pavlo had been given 60 days of house arrest. Prosecutors said the house arrest and electronic bracelet were precautionary measures and that the case against Pavlo would continue. Moscow said last month that Ukraine was "illegally attacking" the UOC, adding this confirmed the need for its military operations in Ukraine.

☆ Huawei touts camera on latest premium smartphone without 5G
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Huawei, also a major supplier of equipment used in 5G telecommunications networks, has been the target of successive rounds of U.S. export controls since 2019. The company's former budget unit Honor claimed 18% of the market last year, with 30% annual growth, Canalys said. Huawei sold Honor to a consortium of over 30 agents and dealers to keep it alive in late 2019. Huawei also launched the more premium P60 Pro and foldable Mate X3, with prices starting at 6,988 yuan and 12,999 yuan respectively. ($1 = 6.8230 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by David Kirton; editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Starbucks is bringing olive oil-infused coffee to a few locations in the U.S. this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After launching olive oil-infused coffee in Italy, Starbucks is bringing its Oleato line stateside, starting Thursday. He, too, began drinking olive oil alongside his daily coffee and decided that Starbucks should try to mix the two together. The initial Oleato lineup of drinks infuses olive oil into Starbucks' Caffé Latte, Iced Shaken Espresso and cold foam. CNN Business said the olive oil "felt like too much," while the New Yorker said the drink "tasted like a large spoonful of olive oil in coffee." The coffee giant plans to bring the Oleato drinks to Japan, the Middle East and the United Kingdom later this year.

☆ Four killed in Russian drone strike on Kyiv region, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sergiy Karazy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Rescuers work at a site of building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Rzhyshchiv, in Kyiv region, Ukraine March 22, 2023. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSRZHYSHCHIV, Ukraine, March 22 (Reuters) - At least four people were killed early on Wednesday in a Russian drone strike near Kyiv which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said showed Moscow was not interested in peace. State emergency officials said the search for survivors was continuing after attacks that the Ukrainian military said involved Iranian-made Shahed drones. "Over 20 Iranian murderous drones, plus missiles, numerous shelling incidents, and that's just in one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 16 of the 21 drones launched at Ukraine overnight from the north.

"This is all a bit of a mess," Krishna Guha, vice chair of ISI Evercore and a former New York Federal Reserve official, wrote ahead of a Federal Open Market Committee meeting that has veered from a dead-certain jump in interest rates two weeks ago to a speculative morass. The yield on the 2-year Treasury note - particularly sensitive to Fed policy expectations - rose steadily through the day, adding roughly a quarter of a point from the overnight low and approaching 4%. Analysts trying to parse what recent bank stress might mean said a coming credit contraction could be the equivalent of an additional quarter point Fed rate increase, or as much as a recession-inducing 1.5 percentage points, rendering further rate hikes obsolete. "The emergence of financial stress is likely to indicate to the committee that monetary policy is closer to being 'sufficiently restrictive' than some may have thought previously," BOA economists wrote. "At the very least, stress in financial markets suggests that the Fed should proceed with caution."

☆ UK to help Kazakh exports bypass Russia, seeks critical minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shakes hands with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan March 18, 2023. Cleverly said London valued the position of Astana - which has traditionally been closely allied with Moscow - on the Ukrainian conflict. Kazakhstan has refused to support Russia's invasion or recognise its annexation of Ukrainian territories. Cleverly and Kazakh diplomats said they have signed a memorandum on critical minerals such as rare earth metals, but provided no details about it. But since the invasion Tokayev has been careful to keep his distance from Moscow and keep relations open with the West.

☆ A decorated former US F-16 pilot says he would fly fighter jets for Ukraine: 'You can count on me,' he told a VoA interview.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A decorated former US Air Force pilot said he would fly fighter jets for Ukraine if necessary. Retired Lt. Col. Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton discussed the potential of the US F-16 in the war over Ukraine. "I'll even go myself, you can count on me," the retired lieutenant colonel told a VoA interview. The highly decorated pilot, known as "Two Dogs," spent 20 years in the Air Force, fought in the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, and Iraq wars, and is a New York Times bestselling author for his memoirs from his time in the military. Meanwhile, a US Air Force official said that fighter jets were "worthless" over Ukraine earlier this week because both sides of the conflict have mastered long-range missile defense, Insider previously reported.

[1/6] Pills are pictured at a fentanyl pill manufacturing center and a methamphetamine lab seized by the Mexican Army, in Culiacan, in Sinaloa state, Mexico February 14, 2023. Reuters GraphicsThe hiked up figures are not credible, say two former senior law enforcement figures in Mexico and the United States, as well as two serving Mexican security sources. The description of the drugs the Mexicans say they seized in the labs also raises questions about the accuracy of the lab data, said two of the security sources. Laboratory busts, often in hard-to-reach mountainous areas, have historically been a key metric for how active Mexican security forces have been in targeting drug trafficking groups. In 2022, FGR reported 18 lab raids by all security agencies, compared to the army's count of 492 raids.

☆ Fighter jets are 'worthless' over Ukraine, and it's a sign of what US pilots and troops may face in future battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As a result, neither side is able to provide close air support to its troops on the front line. US pilots and ground troops may face a similar situation in future wars, US Air Force leaders say. They're not doing a whole lot because they can't go over and do close air support," Hecker said. "Close air support in a contested environment, that's not what we do, no matter who you are," Brown added. William GreerSince taking over as the top Air Force officer in August 2020, Brown has stressed that future battlefields will be more complex and deadly for the Air Force.

☆ The Justice Department investigated Jeffrey Epstein's death. Then it went silent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Jeffrey Epstein's death in a federal jail was seen as a shocking Justice Department failure. But more than three years later, the office still hasn't released its report into the circumstances of Epstein's death. "We all took it by surprise," Mark Epstein told Insider. Barr tasked the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, and the FBI with investigating "the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death." Mark Epstein told Insider that he spoke to his brother about once a month in the years before his death.

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