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☆ How a 23-year-old influencer is helping Ukraine attack Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lilian Manansala | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine enlisted the help of the 23-year-old influencer Igor Lachenkov to produce the new long-range "Beaver" drone. The exploding drone is believed to be the weapon involved in recent airstrikes in Russia.

Persons: Igor Lachenkov Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Here's the 14-page pitch deck that 40Seas, a fintech looking to bring "buy now pay later" to the trade industry, used to raise $16 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It raised an $11 million seed round in January and raised an additional $6 million in an extension. Here's the pitch deck the startup used to fundraise, which attracted investors like QED Investors. Even though his startup 40Seas only launched seven months ago, for Eyal Moldovan, the business has been decades in the making. 40Seas raised its seed round in January as investors funneled $11 million into the fledgling startup. Here's the 14-page pitch deck 40Seas used to raise its seed and seed extension.

Persons: Eyal, Igor Zaks, Gil Shiff, Suki Gao, Camila, Saruhashim, 40Seas Organizations: QED, Eyal Moldovan, Moldovan, ZIM, Eminence Ventures Locations: Israel, China, India, Tel Aviv, Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Moldovan

☆ How Russia is evading sanctions to keep $10 billion worth of seized Boeing and Airbus planes flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia seized some 500 leased Boeing and Airbus airliners after invading Ukraine. Western sanctions against Russia have taken a toll on the country's aviation sector — forcing the country to get creative to keep its planes flying. This included closing US, EU, and other allied airspace, preventing planemakers like Boeing and Airbus from sending spare parts to Russia, and stopping countries like Turkey from refueling Russian planes. But, the illegal import schemes are not the only methods keeping Russia's airlines alive. Buying off seized jets using rainy-day moneyAn Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER parked at the gate at Los Angeles International Airport before the war.

Persons: It's, Vladimir Putin, Denis Kabelev, lessors, Fabrizio Gandolfo, —, Igor Chalik, Russia's NWF Organizations: Boeing, Airbus, Russia, Reuters, Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Aeroflot Boeing, Los Angeles International Airport, Getty, TASS, Wealth Fund, lessors . Leasing, Airlines, Ural Airlines, Aerotime, country's Ministry of Finance Locations: Russia, Ukraine, EU, Turkey, Iran, China, Russia's, Kremlin, lessors, Russian

☆ Russian embassy in Moldova to suspend consular appointments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, July 30 (Reuters) - Russia's embassy in Moldova has announced it will temporarily stop providing appointments for consular matters in what Moldovan officials say is a situation linked to the order by the country's authorities to reduce staff. A statement issued by the embassy late on Saturday said consular appointments would be suspended from Aug. 5 "for technical reasons." Moldovan officials say the order to reduce staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from the current level of more than 80, to take effect from Aug. 15, will establish parity with Moldova's embassy in Moscow. Much of the embassy's consular work concerns the pro-Russian separatist enclave of Transdniestria, which broke away from Moldova before the collapse of Soviet rule and where 200,000 Russian passport holders live. Embassy staff were previously able to travel to the enclave on the Ukrainian border to conduct consular affairs, but authorities in the separatist region say the reductions will make that arrangement much more difficult.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Igor Zakhahrov, Maria Zakharova, Ron Popeski, Chris Reese Organizations: Russian Foreign, Embassy, Thomson Locations: CHISINAU, Moldova, Soviet Moldova, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Transdniestria

The task facing the advancing Ukrainian troops is monumental. Since seizing Ukrainian territory in last year’s invasion, Russia has built a dense defensive web of minefields, trenches, bunkers, tank traps and other obstacles. Other American officials said that the most recent Ukrainian attack might be preparatory operations for the main thrust or reinforcements to replenish war-weary units. American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said on Wednesday that most of those reserves had been committed. Local occupation officials reported fierce battles raging south of Orikhiv, involving brigades of foreign-trained troops and armor donated by the United States and Germany.

Persons: David Guttenfelder, Igor Konashenkov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, “ Organizations: 47th Brigade, The New York Times, Tass, Pentagon, “ Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Orikhiv, Robotyne, Tokmak, Russian, United States, Germany, Ukraine

Ukraine has launched the main thrust of its counteroffensive, throwing in thousands of troops held in reserve, many of them Western-trained and equipped, two Pentagon officials said on Wednesday, hours after Russian officials reported major Ukrainian attacks in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. A spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said the Ukrainians had mounted a “massive” assault with three battalions, reinforced with tanks, south of the town of Orikhiv, and then another a few miles farther south near the village of Robotyne, according to the state news agency Tass. Both were repelled, the ministry said. Other American officials cautioned that the latest Ukrainian attack might be preparatory operations for the main thrust or perhaps just reinforcements to replenish war-weary units. The challenge for the Ukrainians, since they began their counteroffensive in early June, has been to blast open a gap in the deep Russian defense network, and then try to pour through a much larger force.

Persons: Igor Konashenkov Organizations: Pentagon, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Ukraine, Orikhiv, Robotyne

☆ 2nd high-profile Russian businessman dies in the space of 48 hours as tech tycoon found dead from 'medical gas,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian tech tycoon Anton Cherepennikov, 40, was found dead in his Moscow office, per local reports. A Moscow law enforcement source claimed the businessman overdosed on "medical gas." Anton Cherepennikov, 40, the founder of Russian IT company ICS Holding, was found dead on July 22, his company said, according to the Russian outlet RBC. However, a Moscow law enforcement source said that the businessman overdosed on "medical gas," according to Russian channel RTVI, The Times of London reported. Igor Kudryakov, another high-profile Russian businessman, was also found dead in his Moscow apartment on Friday, The Times reported.

Persons: Anton Cherepennikov, Putin, overdosed, Vladimir Putin, Cherepennikov, Igor Kudryakov Organizations: Service, Russian, ICS Holding, RBC, Citadel, ICS, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Putin, Novaya Gazeta, Cherepennikov, The Times Locations: Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russian, London, Radio Free Europe, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Cuban high jump king Sotomayor holds onto crown after 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Cuba's high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor reacts during an interview beside a sculpture of himself leaping over the bar at his Restaurant & Bar in Havana, Cuba, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, July 25 (Reuters) - Records are made to broken, world high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor said, smiling behind dark glasses as the fierce Caribbean sun beat down on Havana's Pan-American Stadium. At 55 years old, however, the lanky, unassuming Cuban athlete is now celebrating the third decade that his record-breaking 2.45-metres leap over the outdoor high jump bar in Salamanca, Spain, in 1993, remains unmatched. Including his prior 2.43m indoor world record in Budapest five years earlier, Sotomayor counts 35 years as world record holder, though the weather-sensitive outdoor title carries more weight internationally. Sotomayor first hurled himself to the world's top high jump spot in 1988, before beating this with a 2.44m spring in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the following year.

Persons: Javier Sotomayor, Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Sotomayor, Sweden's Patrik Sjoberg, Igor Paklin, Charles Austin, Ukraine's Bogdan Bondarenko, Jaxier, Jose Godoy, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Ken Ferris Organizations: Bar, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Cuban, Salamanca, Spain, Budapest, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Brussels, New York

CNN —The United Nations has said that Russian accounts of a rocket attack on a camp holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in July 2022 are not supported by the evidence. More than 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed in the strike that year on a detention center in the town of Olenivka. An extensive CNN investigation published in August last year demonstrated that the Russian narrative that the camp had been hit by a Ukrainian HIMARS rocket did not stand up to scrutiny – a finding now supported by the findings by the UN Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR). There is almost no chance that a HIMARS rocket caused the damage to the warehouse where the prisoners were being held.”Experts consulted by CNN discounted a HIMARS strike on Olenivka – but could not say definitively what killed and wounded so many prisoners. “Our office has met with the families of the victims and heard their pleas for truth and justice – and indeed, they have a right to truth, justice and reparations.

Persons: Andrey Lazarev, Igor Konashenkov, “, Volker Türk, –, ” Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN Human Rights, Donetsk People’s, US, Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda, Russian Defense Ministry, ”, UN, Russian Federation, United, UN Human Locations: Olenivka, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, United Nations, Ukraine

☆ The 'taboo' of criticizing Putin has been 'significantly weakened,' which is why an influential pro-war blogger trashed him, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A pro-war Russian ultra-nationalist was arrested for criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin. The UK MoD said he made the comments as the "taboo" around criticizing Putin is weakened. Ivor Girkin, a Russian ultra-nationalist, was arrested on extremism charges on Friday after he called Putin a "cowardly mediocrity." Girkin, like many other Russian war bloggers, has been critical of Russia's military performance in Ukraine. The UK MoD noted that Girkin had "long been a critic" of Russia's military performance but that, in recent days, his comments had turned to criticizing Putin himself.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Wagner, Ivor Girkin, Girkin's, Russian Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Igor Girkin, ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Insider's Erin Snodgrass, Girkin Organizations: MoD, Service, Wagner Group, Getty, MOD, Guardian Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian Donetsk

☆ Russian ultra-nationalist who has gotten away with criticizing the Kremlin for years is arrested after calling Putin a 'cowardly mediocrity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A prominent Russian war blogger was arrested on Friday after months of criticizing Putin. Igor Girkin, a former FSB operative, had long flouted Russian laws forbidding wartime criticism. But the pro-war blogger was detained this week after calling Putin a "cowardly mediocrity." But for all his critiques of the conflict in Ukraine, Girkin is decidedly pro-war, suggesting that Putin and his generals haven't gone far enough, and calling for the full mobilization of Russia's population. In a June 25 Telegram post, Girkin suggested that if Putin can't win in Ukraine, "he needs to legally transfer his powers."

Persons: Putin, Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin, Girkin's, haven't, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Girkin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, YouTube, Financial Times Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Girkin, Donetsk, Russia

☆ Russia Arrests Militant Right-Wing Critic Igor Girkin in Widening Crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Alan Cullison | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-arrests-militant-right-wing-critic-igor-girkin-in-widening-crackdown-3b6308

Persons: Dow Jones, igor Locations: russia

☆ Russian investigators detain pro-war nationalist and Putin critic Igor Girkin, his wife says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - Russian investigators have detained prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, his wife said on Friday, a move which suggests authorities may have wearied of his criticism of how Moscow is running its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Girkin, who is also known as Igor Strelkov, helped Russia annex Crimea in 2014 and then organise pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine. In a message posted on Girkin's official Telegram account, his wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, said:"Today, at about 11.30, representatives of the Investigative Committee came to our house. Soon, according to the concierge, they took my husband out by his arms and in an unknown direction." She said friends had told her that Girkin had been charged with extremism.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Girkin, Igor Strelkov, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Miroslava Reginskaya, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Federal Security Service, Defence, Investigative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Crimea

☆ Pro-war Putin critic and nationalist Girkin detained in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, helped Russia annex Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then organise pro-Russian militias who took control of part of eastern Ukraine from Kyiv. Girkin's lawyer told the state news agency TASS that it was not clear why his client had been detained. RBC, citing two unnamed law enforcement sources, said Girkin's Moscow home was being searched and that he had been detained over a complaint against him made by a former Wagner employee. Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik analysis firm, said the men who run Russia's law enforcement and power ministries had long wanted to arrest Girkin. Stanovaya said Girkin's detention was a signal that any of the bitterest critics of Moscow's approach to the war could face prosecution.

Persons: Putin, Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Igor Strelkov, Girkin, PUTIN, Miroslava Reginskaya, Girkin's, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: RBC, Malaysia Airlines, Federal Security Service, of Angry Patriots, Kremlin, Telegram, Investigative, TASS, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, Crimea, Kyiv, Girkin's Moscow

CNN —Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian military blogger and former official in the separatist so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in Ukraine, has been arrested in Moscow, according to a message attributed to his wife and posted on his Telegram account and in Russian news reports. Girkin, also known by the nom de guerre Igor Strelkov, was reportedly taken from his apartment by Russian security officials Friday morning. Russian state news agency TASS said Reginskaya informed them about the extremism charge, and that law-enforcement agencies confirmed Girkin’s detention. Girkin is a former colonel in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and served as defense minister in the DPR in eastern Ukraine. According to the court, Girkin participated in the conflicts in Chechnya, Transnistria and Bosnia.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Girkin, Igor Strelkov, ”, Miroslava, “, ” Reginskaya, Reginskaya Organizations: CNN, Donetsk People’s, Investigative, Federal Security Service, DPR, Malaysia Airlines Flight Locations: Russian, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Ukraine, Moscow, Chechnya, Transnistria, Bosnia

☆ Opinion: In tough times, Russia turns to a Cold War comrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Opinion Jeremi Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —After decades of somewhat distant relations, Russia and Cuba are working closely together again — this time, as part of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, meet in Havana on April 20, in a show of deepening ties between the countries. In addition to deepened connections with Russia, Cuba has allowed China to build a secret espionage facility on the island. Washington will respond to Russian military escalation in Cuba with its own escalating force, as it already has done with the recent deployment of a nuclear submarine. Military escalation around Cuba is a dangerous temptation for Russia and a difficult trap for the US.

Persons: Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown, America’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Jeremi Suri Korey Howell, Nikolai Patrushev, Igor Sechin, Rosneft, Sergey Lavrov, —, Manuel Marrero Cruz, Putin, Alvaro Lopéz Miera, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, ” Shoigu, ”, Gerardo Peñalver, Bruno Rodriguez, Ramon Espinosa, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Obama, White, Nikita Khrushchev, John F, Kennedy, Khrushchev, Biden, — Khrushchev Organizations: Leadership, Global Affairs, University of Texas, History Department, LBJ School, Democracy, CNN, Russian Security Council, Cuban, Russian, Cuba's, Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign, Getty Images, year’s, Russian Navy, Caribbean Military, Trump, Biden, Soviets, Pentagon, US, USS, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Navy, West, Washington, Hulton, Getty, White, Republican, Russia, Ukraine, Twitter, Cuban Missile Locations: Austin, Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, Russian, Havana ., — Venezuela, Nicaragua, Moscow, Caribbean, Washington, Havana, Getty Images Cuba, America, China, Lourdes, USS Pasadena, Guantanamo, American, Soviet, West Berlin, Europe, Putin, Florida, Afghanistan, Turkey

☆ Putin ordered 2 Western corporate giants to be seized after Kremlin-friendly businessmen expressed an interest in them: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin ordered Danone and Carlsberg seized after Kremlin-friendly businessmen expressed interest, per the FT.A Chechen leader and a businessman close to Putin have taken over the companies' assets in Russia. Russia seizing the local operations of Danone and Carlsberg was not the first time the country took control of Western firms. Managers from Rosneft, a state energy company headed by Putin ally Igor Sechin, took over both energy companies. Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported on Thursday, Russian businessmen bought the assets of 110 Western companies "that have fully or partially left Russia" at bargain-bin prices. Danone said in a Sunday statement it was "preparing to take all necessary measures to protect its rights as shareholder."

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Yakub Zakriev, Ramzan Kadyrov —, Taimuraz, Igor Sechin, Ekaterina Kurbangaleeva, Kurbangaleeva, Hassan Malik, Loomis Sayles, Danone, Carlsberg Organizations: Danone, Carlsberg, Kremlin, Observers, Service, Financial Times, Vedomosti, Rosneft, Analysts, Russia's, Independent Russian, Novaya Gazeta, Carnegie Endowment, International, Boston Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

"The missile was equipped with prohibited cluster munitions. Reports from outside organizations: Cluster munitions have been used on civilian targets in the northeastern Kharkiv region as well, a CNN investigation from last year found. In a report published on August 25, 2022, the UN-partnered Cluster Munition Monitor civil society group said Russian forces had “repeatedly” used cluster munitions since the start of the war. Ukraine's own use of the weapons: The same report by the Cluster Munition Monitor group found that Ukrainian forces had also used cluster munitions "several times" and "mostly" in populated areas. Cluster munitions have killed at least 215 civilians and injured 474 people overall since the start of the war, according to the monitoring group's report.

Persons: Igor Ovcharruck, Clodagh Kilcoyne, —, Vladimir Putin's, General's, Michelle Bachelet, “, CNN's Uliana Pavlova Organizations: US, United Nations, General's, CNN, UN Locations: Ukraine's Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Dnipropetrovsk, Rih, Russian, Kharkiv, Syria

☆ How the Russian officer elite has been decimated in Ukraine — here are the generals and top commanders killed in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Vitaly GerasimovMaj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov became the second senior Russian commander reported to be killed after Ukrainian military intelligence claimed he was shot dead in Kharkiv. Andrey KolesnikovUkraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov. Ivan GrishinColonel Ivan Grishin, commander of Russia's 49th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, died in Ukraine, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vyacheslav SavinovLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Savinov, who headed Russian artillery intelligence, was killed in Ukraine, a Russian artillery school confirmed. A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

Persons: , Oleg Tsokov, Andrei Sukhovetsky Maj, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Sukhovetsky, Vitaly Gerasimov Maj, Vitaly Gerasimov, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Kolesnikov Ukraine's, Andrey Kolesnikov, Oleg Mityaev Russia, Oleg Mityaev, Anton Gerashchenko, Andrei Mordvichev, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yakov Rezantsev, Illia Ponomarenko, Zelenskyy, Rezantsev, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's, Dmitry Safronov, Denis Glebov, Glebov, Courage, Konstantin Zizevsky, Mikhail Vedernikov, Yuri Agarkov, Agarkov, Andrei Zakharov, Sergei Porokhnya, Gleb Garanich, Reuters Magomed, Magomed Tushaev, Putin, Vladimir Zhonga, Vladimir Zhoga, Sergei Sukharev, Sergei Krylov, Sukharev, Alexei, Alexei Sharov, Sharov, Sergey Bratchuk, Dmitry Dormidontov, Dmitry Pavlovich Dormidontov, Igor Zharov, Igor Igoshin, Zharov, Denis Kurilo, Kurilo, Anton Kuprin, Kuprin, Anton Gerashenko, Stringer, Denis Mezhuev, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov Maj, Gen, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov, Alexander Beglov, Fontanka, Miras, Miras Bashakov, Ivan Grishin, Vyacheslav Savinov, Savinov, Metin Aktas, Denis Kozlov, Kozlov, Andrei Simonov, Simonov, Roman Kutuzov Major, Roman Kutuzov, Alexander Sladkov, Tsargrad, Roman, Roman Berdnikov, Kutuzov, Volya, Kanamat, Botashev, Artem Nasbulin Maj, Artem Nasbulin, Serhiy Bratchuk, Tsokov, Михаил Ведерников Organizations: UK Defence Ministry, Service, British Defence Ministry, West, Storm, Russian, 7th Airborne Division, Combined Arms Army, Russian Federal Security Service, Arms Army, Interior Ministry, The New York Times, 8th General Army, Southern Military District of, Armed Forces, Twitter, Telegraph, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Separate Marine Brigade, Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Airborne, 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Luhansk People's, 56th Air Assault Brigade, Guardian, 12th Engineer Brigade, Russian Armoured, Carrier, Reuters, The Daily Mail, Forces, Sparta Battalion, Donetsk People's, Daily Mail, 331st Guards Parachute, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Strategic Communication, Information Security, The Independent, 810th, Zhukov Brigade, Russian Marines, Evening, Local, 200th, Rifle Brigade, Black, Fleet, Russian Federation, Ukrainian, New York Times, 1st Guards, Banner, The Times, Kremlin, 8th Army, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Armed Forces of, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, Russian Forces, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Separate Guards Engineers of Keningsbersko, Red Banner Brigade, Courage, Russian 2nd Army, Presidential, Russian Air Force, BBC, High Mobility Artillery, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chornobayivka, Kherson Airport, London, Yakov Rezantsev Ukraine, Kyiv, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Chuhuiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Pskov Region, Andrei Zakharov Ukraine, Ufa, Nova Husarivka, Chechen, Hostomel, Russia's Chechnya, Donetsk People's Republic, Volnovakha, Kostroma, Tatarstan, Pechenga, Sevastopol, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Izyum, Ukraine's Donbas, Severodonetsk, Kherson, Berdyansk

CNN —An “emergency incident” has been reported on the Crimean Bridge, halting traffic on the only link between the annexed peninsula and Russia, a Moscow-backed official said Monday. Sergey Aksenov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, did not specify the nature of the incident. Last October, a huge blast partially damaged the bridge, causing parts of it to collapse. The nearly 12-mile bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, is the longest in Europe and carries both road and rail traffic. It holds huge strategic and symbolic importance for Russia, which built the 19-kilometer bridge at a cost of around $3.7 billion after Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Persons: Sergey Aksenov, Russian Federation Vitaly Savelyev, ” Aksenov, Igor Mikhailichenko, Aksenov, Vladimir Putin’s, Hanna Maliar Organizations: CNN, Transport, Russian Federation, Ministers Locations: Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Republic of Crimea, Kerch, Europe, Crimean, Ukraine

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. 1. hortatory — aiming to urge or encourage:“Comedy Punks” is in some ways a typical hortatory rise-and-fall-and-rise promotional narrative. — The Kids in the Hall Have Gotten Old. It was “Godwhacker,” from the band’s 2003 album, “Everything Must Go” (Reprise), and the lyrics blithely gestured toward a tale of vengeance, pursuit and, well, deicide. The problem usually starts about halfway through a pregnancy, though it can also occur after childbirth.

Persons: hortatory —, hamate, Andrew Benintendi, Yankees ’, Oswaldo Cabrera, tacet, Marina Abramovic, Igor Levit’s, ‘ Goldberg, deicide, Steely Dan uncorked, eidetic, Avery, — Stacey Abrams’s, diffidence, Deneen, dietetic, Vanessa Rissetto, —, Dionysus Organizations: Yankees, Beacon, New York University, Giants Locations: United States, Northeast, Stockholm

☆ Exclusive: Russia sets plans for oil export cuts in August - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Moscow this month pledged to cut exports by 500,000 bpd in August, while Saudi Arabia extended its 1 million bpd output cuts. Russia exports oil and products via the Pacific and a direct pipeline to China as well as its European ports. Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Russia had instructed oil companies to reduce supply plans for the next month. Russian offline primary oil refining capacity is seen rising by 40% in August from July, making additional oil export cuts next month even tougher for many. If Russia wants to cut oil exports in August from July, companies may postpone some planned works to autumn months to increase domestic oil consumption, or cut oil production, traders said.

Persons: Alexander Novak, Novak, Igor Sechin, Rosneft, Jan Harvey Organizations: Pacific, Reuters, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Ust, Luga, Baltic, China

☆ Elon Musk launches AI firm xAI as he looks to take on OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a Twitter Spaces event Wednesday evening, Musk explained his plan for building a safer AI. Rather than explicitly programming morality into its AI, xAI will seek to create a "maximally curious" AI, he said. Musk in March registered a firm named X.AI Corp, incorporated in Nevada, according to a state filing. The firm lists Musk as the sole director and Jared Birchall, the managing director of Musk's family office, as a secretary. Dan Hendrycks, who will advise the xAI team, is currently director of the Center for AI Safety and his work revolves around the risks of AI.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, xAI, that's, Igor Babuschkin, DeepMind, Tony Wu, Szegedy, Greg Yang, Jared Birchall, Google's Bard, Microsoft's, Bing, Bard, Dan Hendrycks, Tesla, Akash Sriram, Chavi Mehta, Yuvraj Malik, Aditya Soni, Anna Tong, Shailesh Kuber, Leslie Adler Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Microsoft, Google, X.AI Corp, Center, AI Safety, X Corp, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Nevada, San Francisco Bay, Bengaluru, Anna, San Francisco

☆ Ukraine receives cluster munitions, pledges limited use
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"They will not be used on Russian territory...They will be used only in areas where Russian military forces are concentrated in order to break through enemy defences." Cluster munitions typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area. Human Rights Watch says both Moscow and Kyiv have used cluster munitions. Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. have not signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans production, stockpiling, use and transfer of the weapons. "I think cluster munitions will expand the capabilities of our troops."

Persons: Igor Ovcharruck, Read, Valeryi, Sergei Shoigu, Shershen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleskander Musiyenko, Musiyenko, Hanna Maliar, Anna Pruchnicka, Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Pentagon, Defence, Russian, U.S, Radio Liberty, NATO, Human Rights Watch, Cluster Munitions, Democratic, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, KYIV, United States, States, Moscow, Russia, Bakhmut, Russian, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Spain, Canada, Britain, redeploy, Donetsk

☆ The brain drain at tech companies is already bad and as Elon Musk's poaching of AI experts shows, it's only going to get worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A brain drain among tech companies brain is underway right now, driven by the popularity of AI. Tech firms are pretty obsessed with AI right now. Even before ChatGPT's launch, Google workers seemed fed up and decided to jump ship to OpenAI to help launch ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Musk's somewhat modest ambition for his new AI company to "understand the true nature of the universe" could prove alluring to tech bros who think that's what AI should be used to accomplish. Tech firms will want to ensure their AI projects make them the top pick.

Persons: Elon, xAI, Elon Musk, Google –, Igor Babuschkin, Manuel Kroiss, Guodong Zhang, Yuhuai Wu, Zihang Dai, Christian, Kyle Kosic, chatbot Bard, OpenAI's, haven't, Shona Ghosh, isn't, there's Organizations: Workers, Elon Musk's, Morning, Tech, Google, ChatGPT, Microsoft Locations: Silicon, America

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