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☆ Russia is trying to keep its army going by raising the age for military call-ups by 5 years, with some reservists able to be mobilized at 70
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia increased its military call-up age for men who completed compulsory service by five years. It also increased the age limit for its mobilized reserves, with some 70-year-olds able to be called up. It also introduced a higher age limit for those in Russia's mobilized reserve. These are men who signed up to receive occasional military training and a stipend when their military service ends, according to Reuters. Some reservists called up to fight in September's mobilization were trained, sent to Ukraine, and killed in the span of just a month.

Persons: Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia's

☆ UK on track for most company insolvencies since 2009
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - England and Wales are on track for the highest quarterly number of company insolvencies since early 2009, as businesses struggle to repay COVID-19 loans against a tough economic backdrop, government figures showed on Tuesday. Over the three months to the end of June, there were 6,403 companies declared insolvent. If this figure is confirmed when official quarterly numbers are published later this month, it would be the highest non-seasonally-adjusted calendar-quarter total since the first quarter of 2009. As usual, most company insolvencies were creditors' voluntary liquidations - where company directors and creditors agree to wind up a company without a formal court order. "The drop is likely to come mainly from a fall in 'shut down' Creditors' Voluntary Liquidations where the catch-up from low points of Covid and Government support will largely be flushed out," Harris said.

Persons: Gareth Harris, Harris, David Milliken, Andy Bruce Organizations: COVID, Insolvency Service, RSM, Service, Bank of, Thomson Locations: England, Wales, May's, Bank of England, Covid

☆ Russia extends eligibility for military call-up by at least five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2023. It is already raising the upper age limit for men to be called up for compulsory military service to 30 from 27, and has made it much harder for young men to avoid the draft by dodging recruiters handing out call-up papers. Russia also maintains a "mobilised reserve" of men who have signed up to receive periodic military training and a stipend after their compulsory or professional service ends. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said he plans to increase the basic number of combat personnel in service - professional contract soldiers and conscripts - to 1.5 million from 1.15 million. Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pelagiya Tikhonova, Sergei Shoigu, Kevin Liffey, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Nazi, Moscow News Agency, Handout, REUTERS, State Duma, Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nazi Germany, Red, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Risking revival of unrest, Iran rulers tighten curbs on dissent
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Police on Sunday announced that the morality police force has intensified its crackdown on women flouting the compulsory dress code. Security forces crushed months of unrest during which protesters from all walks of life called for the downfall of the Islamic Republic and women took off and burned the compulsory headscarves in fury. "The Islamic Republic feels threatened. By redeploying the morality police, the regime is fuelling the people's revolution," said Atena Daemi, a prominent human rights activist in Iran. "People are very angry due to repression, rights violations and worsening economic problems.

Persons: Mahsa, Amini, Atena Daemi, Mohammad Khatami, Parisa, Michael Georgy, Angus MacSwan Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Islamic, Police, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, WANA, DUBAI, Islamic Republic, Republic

☆ Iran at odds with allied Russia after Moscow backs UAE in island dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tehran summoned Russia's ambassador on Wednesday over a Moscow-endorsed statement on three Gulf islands disputed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE joins fellow economic Middle East heavyweights Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Following a ministerial meeting in Moscow on Monday, Russia and the GCC released a joint statement that urged a diplomatic solution to the territorial dispute. Iranian officials called on Russia to correct its position on the territorial row, according to the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency. Moscow is not Iran's only key partner to wade into hot waters over the three Gulf islands dispute.

Persons: Russia's, Reem, Abu Musa, Tehran's, Nasser Kanaani Organizations: United, United Arab Emirates, UAE, State, International Co, General Assembly, International Court of Justice, Gulf Cooperation, GCC, United Nations Charter, Saudi Press Agency, of Justice, Islamic, Islamic Republic News Agency, CNBC, Kyiv — Locations: Tehran, Moscow, Iran, United Arab, Abu Musa, Tunb, UAE, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Gulf, Russia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian, Ukraine, Russian, Syria, China, Beijing, United Arab Emirates

☆ UK workers at Royal Mail accept pay deal, ending long dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Royal Mail sign is pictured on a delivery lorry at the Mount Pleasant mail centre in London, Britain, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File PhotoLONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - British postal workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a three-year pay deal with employer Royal Mail, ending a long dispute that has cost the company hundreds of millions of pounds and prompted the departure of its boss. "This has been the most challenging period in both the history of the union and the company," Communication Workers Union (CWU) General Secretary Dave Ward said in a statement on Tuesday. Simon Thompson, who took over as Royal Mail's CEO in early 2021, drew heavy criticism from the CWU over his handling of the pay dispute. Royal Mail's parent, International Distributions Services Plc (IDS) (IDSI.L), said the agreement provided Royal Mail a platform for the next phase of "stabilising the business whilst continuing to drive efficiencies and change".

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Dave Ward, Simon Thompson, Muvija, William James, Mark Potter Organizations: Mount, REUTERS, Royal Mail, Communication Workers Union, Royal, International, Services, IDS, Thomson Locations: Mount Pleasant, London, Britain

London CNN —London’s Metropolitan Police said Monday it was assessing whether there was evidence that a BBC presenter accused of sexual misconduct has committed a criminal offense. The UK broadcaster suspended “a male member of staff” at the weekend after The Sun newspaper reported Friday that a woman had accused an unnamed BBC presenter of paying her teenage child for sexually explicit photographs. In a statement, the Met said detectives from its Specialist Crime Command met virtually with representatives from the BBC on Monday morning. It is a criminal offense in the UK to take or obtain sexually explicit photographs of anyone under the age of 18. The BBC has not yet named the presenter in question.

Persons: “, ”, ” DCMS Organizations: London CNN — London’s Metropolitan Police, Sun, Met, Command, BBC, CNN, United Kingdom’s Department of Culture , Media, Sport, Twitter

☆ Opinion | Is There Any Twinge of Regret Among the Anti-Abortion Justices?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that saluting the flag or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance amounts to worshiping secular authority, they prohibit their school-aged children from engaging in the practice. The decision upheld a Pennsylvania school district’s expulsion of a Jehovah’s Witness brother and sister. A mere three years later, even though the United States itself was now at war, the court reversed itself. “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard,” he wrote in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette. The consequences of the decision were alarming, and the country paid close attention as the court took up the issue for reconsideration.

Persons: Robert Jackson, ”, Dobbs Organizations: West Virginia State, of Education, Minersville, Jackson, Health Organization Locations: Europe, United States, West Virginia

☆ ‘Past Lives’: Celine Song and the cast on love, loss and ‘inyeon’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Tom Page | Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Past Lives,” by Korean Canadian writer and director Celine Song, is broadly autobiographical. Before “Past Lives,” Song wrote the stage play “Endlings,” which debuted in 2019 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with its subsequent New York run cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. Celine Song directs Greta Lee on location during the production of "Past Lives." “Past Lives” eschews such visual literalism, using its romantic totems Hae Sung and Arthur instead. Courtesy A24In “Past Lives,” the notion of “inyeon” permeates the narrative.

Persons: Greta Lee isn’t, John Magaro, Teo Yoo, “ John, ” Lee deadpanned, Magaro, Lee, ”, –, Celine Song, Nora, Arthur, Hae Sung, ” Song, “, Greta Lee, Jon Pack, “ That’s, “ I’m, Hae, ” Lee, Netflix’s, Oscar, Evelyn, Michelle Yeoh, Arthur poignantly, ” Hae Sung, Arthur wryly, White, ” –, it’s Organizations: CNN, “, American, Theater, Apple, Sundance, US Locations: United States, American, Canadian, Korea, Canada, New York City, New York, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Seoul, Greta, Los Angeles, Korean, South Korea, China, Berlin

☆ Windrush Day: Manchester United great Andy Cole opens up about Jamaican roots and racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Darren Lewis | James Oware | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On one of the first voyages, 492 Caribbean islanders onboard the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK on June 22, 1948. That generation of immigrants became the namesake of that ship, and their arrival date is now celebrated as Windrush Day. However, Cole says racist abuse and a lack of acknowledgement for his achievements meant that in adulthood, he recognized his father was right. Speaking on the inevitability of racist abuse that Black footballers face when missing penalties Andy outlined, “I think we’re just waiting, okay, what’s happening on social media? A clinical striker in his playing career, maybe one day Andy can transfer his wealth of knowledge to the boardroom.

Persons: Andy Cole, “, Darren Lewis, Cole reminisced, ” Andy, Windrush, Cole’s, Cole, Douglas Miller, ” Cole, Norma Gregory, Lincoln, ”, Caribbeans, Mark Leech, Andy, Devante, George Wood, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Vinícius, Romelu, Tom Jenkins, Vinicius Organizations: CNN, League, Champions League, CNN’s, Commonwealth, Caribbean, Hulton, Coal Miners, Heritage, English League, Barnsley, English, England, Inter Milan, FIFA, UEFA, Italy, Real Locations: Britain, Nottingham, Jamaica, Commonwealth, Runnymede, British, England, Real Madrid, Italian, Brazil, European

☆ Australia recommends testosterone limits for transgender athletes in elite female sport
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, June 16 (Reuters) - Australia's peak sports authority has recommended testosterone limits for transgender athletes seeking to compete in elite female competitions as part of guidelines on inclusion released on Friday. The 'Transgender & Gender-Diverse Inclusion Guidelines for HP (high-performance) Sport' recommends transgender athletes have plasma testosterone levels of less than 2.5 nanomoles per litre for two years prior to competition. Transgender inclusion in female competition has become one of the most contentious and divisive issues in sport. Australia's guidelines come months after the national basketball federation rejected a transgender athlete's application to play in a semi-professional league, drawing criticism from LGBTI groups. Eligibility requirements for transgender athletes in elite female competition vary broadly in Australian sports.

Persons: Ian Ransom, Peter Rutherford Organizations: MELBOURNE, Australian Sports Commission, HP, AIS, Australian Institute of Sport, ASC, rugby, Australian Football League, Australian Rules, Cricket Australia, Thomson Locations: Melbourne

Pamela Mukalasinga, 54, a small-scale trader and mother of five, would tune in religiously to Mackenzie’s Times TV channel. “The rescued child narrated the sufferings his two siblings underwent after being starved for some time before their mother suffocated them to death,” prosecutors said. Many of those found in the forest are believed to be followers of Mackenzie. This is extremism and brainwashing of the highest order,” Walid Sketty of Kenya-based human rights group Haki Africa, which has been involved in rescue operations at Shakahola, told CNN. Shibutse recalls that his mother started to observe some of Mackenzie’s doctrines denouncing healthcare and modern education for children.

Persons: Rodgers Shibutse, Pamela, Paul Mackenzie, Pamela Mukalasinga, Shibutse, Rodgers, Mackenzie, “, Paul McKenzie, ”, Malindi, ” Mackenzie, George Kariuki, Pastor Mackenzie, ” Kariuki, Kariuki, Titus Katana, GNI, Katana, “ Mackenzie, Yasuyoshi Chiba, I’ve, ” Walid Sketty, Johansen Oduor, ” Oduor, Oduor, ” Shibutse, Robert, Mackenzie’s GNI, Gideon Mung’aro, Mackenzie wasn’t, Moses Odhiambo, Kithure Kindiki, Ezekiel Ombok Odero, ” Kindiki, Jared Magolo, “ It’s, Pastor Odero, hasn’t, Odero, Odhiambo Organizations: CNN, Mackenzie’s Times, Good News International, Kenyan Red Cross, Police, National Police, Kenyan, …, Nation . Police, Workers, Getty, Government, Digital, Times TV, Citizen Digital, Prosecutors, New, Centre Church, Kenya’s Communications Authority Locations: Kenya’s, Bungoma County, Malindi, Kenya, Shakahola, Mombasa, AFP, Africa, ”, bodybags, Kenyan, Haki Africa, “, Kilifi County, Odero

☆ Opinion | A Major Problem With Compulsory Mental Health Care Is the Medication
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Daniel Bergner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The New York City chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness — the country’s largest organization representing the mentally ill and their families — has protested on City Hall’s steps against Mr. Adams’s efforts to loosen standards for mandatory care. It is to say that the drugs shouldn’t be considered — as they tend to be now — the required linchpin of treatment. Science hasn’t made great strides in antipsychotics since the drugs were first introduced seven decades ago. Commonly, people abandon their antipsychotic drugs, whether they’re in mandatory treatment or the most sensitive, attentive voluntary programs. This is generally attributed to anosognosia and the disorganization that can come with mental illness, but it might well be seen as an outcome from the weighing of pros and cons.

Persons: —, they’re, that’s, Michelle Funk, shouldn’t, hasn’t, anosognosia Organizations: New, National Alliance, New York, New York City Bar Association, World Health Locations: New York City

☆ Opinion: A button, a love story, and an Iranian couple who will not be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Opinion Jeff Kaufman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

We were also moved by the continued defiance represented by the “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab” button that Nasrin wore on her jacket. Iranian couple Nasrin Sotoudeh and Reza Khandan, with their friend and fellow activist Farhad Meysami (center) after being released from prison earlier this year following a lengthy hunger strike. Nasrin: When Reza and I first met, we were working at a magazine that presented a dialogue on social issues. Kaufman: Nasrin, you have one of the last “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab” buttons in Iran (the government destroyed the rest). Reza KhandanFor example, when I was arrested, Reza and Farhad made the ‘I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab’ buttons in the hope that people would wear them.

☆ Soggy Cannes premiere for Turkish director Ceylan's 'About Dry Grasses'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Turkish auteur filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan returned to the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on a particularly rainy Friday with his latest competition entry, "About Dry Grasses." Ceylan and his film team gathered in front of the Palais des Festivals as rain lashed the French Riviera city and puddles formed on the red carpet and the plastic sheets covering it. Including "About Dry Grasses," Ceylan's films have been in the running for the Palme d'Or seven times, with only "Winter Sleep" taking the top prize in 2014. Ceylan said in a statement that he wanted the film to impart the gradual decline in the personal convictions of civil servants and teachers sent to remote areas at an early age. Reporting by Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A top Twitter staffer said its new encrypted DM feature was tested by a cybersecurity firm, but insiders say the company never signed a formal deal due to layoffs – report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter announced its new encrypted DMs feature last week. The project's lead said it had been audited by a cybersecurity firm; company sources disputed this, per Platformer. A Twitter engineer leading the platform's new encrypted messaging feature for paid users appeared to falsely claim that it had been audited by a top cybersecurity firm, Platformer reported. The idea is that by having DMs encrypted, text can only be read by participants of that conversation – as is the case on platforms such as WhatsApp. "I had [cybersecurity firm] Trail of Bits audit our implementation.

☆ Twitter’s new encrypted message feature criticized by security and privacy experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In addition, encrypted messages may only be sent between two individuals, not groups. Both participants must either have exchanged direct messages in the past, or the recipient of an encrypted message must already follow the sender. Twitter’s former chief information security officer, Lea Kissner, publicly pleaded with Twitter’s current engineering team to improve the feature quickly. And it announced that its goal is to provide a similar level of protection as other privacy-preserving apps that come highly recommended by security experts, such as Signal. The lack of so-called end-to-end encryption makes Twitter’s implementation largely meaningless, security experts said.

CNN —It’s a city at the forefront of modern culture. CNNYouTube sensation Jaejae is perhaps the best-qualified person in Seoul to help understand this phenomenon and how it has come to pass. It is here where US and South Korean forces maintain a major base and where former US President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2019. Yet the worries that arise from it continue to dominate Korean life, with missile tests and the threat of war never feeling that far away. This patriotism, combined with pride in all things K-Pop, K-Drama and Newtro all go towards making Seoul a city like no other.

☆ Texas lawmaker lobbies for 3rd graders to be trained to administer aid for gunshot wounds in the event of a school shooting, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Texas lawmaker has proposed a bill to ensure school children can administer emergency first aid. Senator Barbara Gervin-Hawkins has said third graders should receive this training to save lives. These stations are emergency first aid resources that can be used in times of tragedy, such as school shootings. He noted that the bleeding stations themselves aren't a bad idea but that it's sad to be discussing recruiting such young children. There have been roughly 25 school shootings in 2023 alone, with the killing of six at Covenant School shooting in Nashville seeing the most fatalities.

☆ Moscow's 'special' forces: An inside look at how Russia's famed Spetsnaz really operate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Mark Galeotti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Russia's Spetsnaz forces are often depicted as a kind of Russian super troops. Osprey PublishingMost countries' special forces emphasize physical fitness, determination and aggression. Special people, for special tasksMembers of the Russian military's 16th Separate Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in 2018. Even so, being better than most of the Soviet army's miserable and recalcitrant conscript forces did not make most of them truly special, special forces. The special operations commandMembers of Russian's 22nd Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in November 2017.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas' troubles reveal a much larger accountability issue lurking in the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing a wave of misconduct allegations in recent weeks. The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. What was your initial reaction to Monday's Bloomberg report regarding the 2004 appeals case that Justice Thomas failed to recuse himself from? Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The point is that the issue should not be punishing Justice Thomas or punishing Justice Gorsuch.

☆ Opinion: Six experts imagine an internet that women actually want
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Cnn Opinion | As Equals | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Women still have less access to the internet, with men being 21% more likely to be online than women globally. One reason for this is because being a girl, teenager, woman, trans or non-binary person makes us victims of digital violence. An internet women want is one where there is no fear to comment, to express an opinion, or publish photos of our bodies -- and where there are no limits simply because you are a woman on the internet. Women stood together internationally when Iranian women cut their hair , showing how the internet politicises women, sparks debates and builds international solidarity. Therefore, an internet that women want -- and that works for women -- needs to start by being affordable for women.

☆ Taiwan war games to focus on combating blockade, preserving forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills this year will focus on combating a blockade of the island and preserving the fighting ability of its forces, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military pressure over the past three years to try to assert its sovereignty claim. That will include using civilian airports and dispersing air assets, as well as how to disguise forces on the ground, the ministry said. The naval part will integrate sea, air and land forces to attack enemy forces and amphibious assault ships, and to protect sea lanes to counter blockade efforts, it said. Although Taiwan's military is generally well-trained and well-equipped with mostly U.S.-made hardware, China has huge numerical superiority and is adding advanced equipment such as stealth fighters.

☆ As Putin signs new law on draft, Russia says spring call-up is running as planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 15 (Reuters) - Russia's regular spring military draft campaign is proceeding as scheduled and there are no plans to send out mass electronic notices under a new system just signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, a top official said on Saturday. Biryukov said the first conscripts would be dispatched to "permanent deployment points on the territory of the Russian Federation" from April 20. The current planned cohort of spring conscripts is 12,500 bigger than the 134,500 who were called up this time last year. Putin on Friday signed new legislation introducing electronic draft papers, replacing a previous system where call-up notices had to be hand-delivered. Under the new rules, citizens who evade the draft will be banned from travelling abroad and face other restrictions including on loans and state benefits.

☆ Iran vows crack down on people who promote removing the veil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His comments come as an increasing number of women have been defying Iran's compulsory dress code, appearing unveiled in malls, restaurants, shops, streets, and other public areas. Several female celebrities and activists have also in recent months posted photos of themselves on social media without the veil. Iranian police on Saturday installed cameras in public places to identify and penalise unveiled women, Iranian media reported. He did not say what the punishments might be or what exactly entails promoting unveiling. Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media.

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