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☆ Cirstea beats Bencic to reach first Grand Slam quarters in 14 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Sep 3, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Sorana Cirstea of Romania serves against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland (not pictured) on day seven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Now Cirstea becomes the oldest woman to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the first time. "Unfortunately in tennis, not all the work you've put in is always rewarded," said Cirstea. "So it's nice to work hard and also get the reward. "Sooner or later if you put in the hard work, it comes."

Persons: Sorana, Belinda Bencic, USTA Billie Jean King, Geoff Burke, Cirstea, you've, Elena Rybakina, Karolina Muchova, China's Wang Xinyu, We've, I'm, Steve Keating, Pritha Sarkar, Toby Davis Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, USA, U.S ., Flushing, Wimbledon, Indian Wells, Miami, Muchova, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Romania, Switzerland, Flushing Meadows, Romanian, Czech, Dubai, Montreal, Miami, New York

☆ Murray, Isner come up short at U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm aware what I'm doing, it's unbelievably challenging to play at the highest level as I am now. And yeah, some days it's harder than others," Murray said. Isner, 38, won the longest professional tennis match in history against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and took place over three days. The third seed has played second fiddle to Alcaraz and 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows but put the field on notice with a first-round demolition of Attila Balazs. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andy Murray, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Brendan Mcdermid, John Isner, Aryna Sabalenka, Briton Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Ashe, Murray, Isner, Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, Michael Mmoh, Jack Sock, Jodie Burrage, France's Clara Burel, Carlos Alcaraz, Lloyd Harris of, Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula, Romanian Patricia Maria Tig, Ashe, Sloane Stephens, Russian Daniil Medvedev, Louis Armstrong, Australian Christopher O'Connell, Novak, Attila Balazs, Amy Tennery, Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond Organizations: U.S, Wimbledon, New, Australian, Flushing, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Belarusian, Flushing Meadows, Lloyd Harris of South Africa, Romanian, New York, Russian

☆ One person dead, 46 injured after explosions at Romanian gas station
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Flames rise after an explosion at a LPG station in Crevedia, near Bucharest, Romania, August 26, 2023. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBUCHAREST, Aug 26 (Reuters) - One person died and 46 were hospitalized after two explosions at a liquefied petroleum gas station in the Romanian town of Crevedia, near the capital Bucharest on Saturday. A second explosion took place at the LPG station on Saturday evening injuring 26 firefighters, Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat who is in charge of the emergency response unit told reporters. Of the 46 injured, eight were intubated after suffering severe burns, the government said. Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Luiza Ilie; editing by Christina Fincher and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ganea, Raed Arafat, Marcel Ciolacu, Arafat, Marek Strzelecki, Luiza Ilie, Christina Fincher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Flames, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Thomson Locations: Crevedia, Bucharest, Romania, Rights BUCHAREST, Romanian, Italy, Belgium

☆ Russia attacks grain facilities in Ukraine's Danube region - military
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The enemy hit grain storage facilities and a production and transhipment complex in the Danube region. Firefighters continue to work," the Ukrainian military said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. The damage includes grain storage facilities," Kiper said on Telegram. The Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia pulled out of the deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in July. Global grain prices rose earlier this month, when Russia attacked Izmail - Ukraine's main inland port across the Danube River from Romania, and the port of Reni.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Moscow, Oleh Kiper, Kiper, Reni, Izmail, Pavel Polityuk, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Firefighters, Russia, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Romanian, Constanta, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Romania, Reni

☆ Vlad the Impaler, the terrifying ruler and inspiration behind Dracula, may have cried actual tears of blood, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists have analyzed letters written by Vlad the Impaler in the 15th century. Traces of protein on the letters suggest he suffered from hemolacria, which causes blood to be present in tears. There are a wide variety of disorders that can cause blood tears, ranging from blood clotting issues to unusual menstruation. Analysis of the proteins found traces of a bacteria that causes plague, but this disease is not linked to blood tears. "To our reckoning, this is the first time such research has been carried out and has helped to bring to the limelight the health status of Vlad Dracula the Impaler," the authors said in the study.

Persons: Vlad, Dracula, Vlad III, Vlad Drăculea, Pittalá, Maria Gaetana Giovanna Pittalà, Vincenzo Cunsolo, —, Vlad the, Alexandreea Alexandru, Bram Stoker, Stoker, Vlad Dracula Organizations: Service, University of Catania Locations: hemolacria, Wall, Silicon, Italy

☆ Ukraine is closer to having F-16s, but don't expect them to suddenly start 'taking down' Russia's formidable air defenses, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In addition to anti-radar missiles, Ukrainian jets have employed US-made guided bombs, which Russia has countered with electronic warfare. While F-16s would allow Ukraine to better employ those weapons, Hecker said Russia's military will continue to adapt and adjust. "It allows us to follow through on the training of Ukrainian pilots. Although the timeline has been somewhat unclear, Denmark — one of 11 countries in the coalition — announced on Friday that it would start training pilots later this month. But training and equipping Ukrainian airmen to operate F-16s and other sophisticated jets will be a long-term project, Hecker said Friday.

Persons: Ukraine's, James Hecker, " Hecker, JOHN THYS, Hecker, It's, you'll, Beata Zawrzel, Kajsa Ollongren, Wopke Hoekstra, Antony Blinken, Pat Ryder, Yasuo Osakabe, US Air Force Hecker, they're, that's, it's Organizations: Service, US Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Siauliai, NATO, Getty Images, SA, NATO Summit, Defense, —, Pentagon, Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Alpha Jet Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Romanian, Lithuania, AFP, Russia, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Japan, France

☆ As Russia Threatens Ships in the Black Sea, a Romanian Route Provides a Lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Andrew Higgins | More About Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Grindeanu said Romania “is not trying to make money” out of Ukraine’s pain. “We invested a lot of money in Galati,” the minister said in an interview in Bucharest. “But they don’t use it. A move to Romanian ports would mean that Ukraine would forfeit considerable loading fees and other revenue. With entry to the Sulina channel so congested, Ukraine has sought to open a second route to the north by dredging the Bystroye Canal, a Ukrainian waterway connected to another branch of the Danube.

Persons: Grindeanu, Romania “, Oleksandr Kubrakov, ” Organizations: Ukraine — Locations: Romania, Galati, Ukraine, Ukraine — Romania, ”, Bucharest, Romanian, Ukrainian

Analysts said it tests President Tayyip Erdogan's resolve to maintain good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has invited to Turkey this month to discuss resuming the UN-brokered deal that had protected grain exports from Ukraine. "Ankara's silence is strange but shows it is still counting on Putin to visit and return to the grain deal." It wants the West to accept some Russian demands, and for Russia to drop others, to restart Ukraine grain exports under UN and Turkish oversight. A Turkish defence ministry official, requesting anonymity, said Ankara was looking into the Black Sea raid but gave no more details. "Therefore Erdogan should negotiate and try to convince Western countries, not Putin, for the reinstatement of the grain deal," he said.

Persons: Mehmet Bey, Umit, Erdogan, Putin, NATO's, Tayyip Erdogan's, Vladimir Putin, Yoruk Isik, Grynspan, Sezer, Huseyin Hayatsever, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Coordination Centre, REUTERS, Ankara, Analysts, UN, Bosphorus Observer, United Nations Conference, Trade, Development, Thomson Locations: Yenikapi, Istanbul, Turkey, ISTANBUL, Ukraine, NATO, Moscow, Russia, Ankara, Odesa, Turkish, Palau, Russian

☆ Ships backed up in Black Sea lanes as Russia warning shots raise tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel. After an inspection, the vessel continued its journey towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail along the Danube river, Russia said. Palau-flagged vessel Sukru Okan transits Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey August 13, 2023 this screen grab from a video. Romania on Monday said that it aimed to double the monthly transit capacity of Ukrainian grain to Constanta to 4 million tonnes in the coming months. Sunday's incident cast a pall over plans announced by Ukraine last week for a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea to release cargo ships trapped in Ukraine's ports since the outbreak of war.

Persons: Vasily Bykov, Kviv, Izmail, Gard, Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Schulte, BSM, Jonathan Saul, Conor Humphries Organizations: Merchant, Insurance, REUTERS, UN, Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Palau, Izmail, Musura, Romanian, Constanta, Istanbul, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Odesa

☆ Romania deploys ship, chopper to find stray Black Sea mines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Romania's navy said it deployed a ship and a helicopter on Monday to scout for stray mines on the country's Black Sea coast, after a pier in the seaside resort of Costinesti was lighly damaged in an explosion. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and mines have since then been laid in the Black Sea by the combatants. Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams have been defusing those that have drifted into their waters. The sea is crucial for shipments of grain, oil and oil products and is shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia. Romania's navy said its divers were still investigating whether the explosion at the pier, which claimed no victims, was caused by a mine.

Persons: Luiza Ilie, John Stonestreet Organizations: European Union, NATO, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Costinesti, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgarian, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Turkey, Mangalia, U.S

☆ Russia fires warning shots and boards cargo ship in Black Sea, says Russian MoD
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Darya Tarasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Russian warship fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship it claims was headed to Ukraine in the Black Sea on Sunday, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. Russia said the warship fired warning shots when the captain of the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship failed to respond to a request to stop for an inspection. “The Russian warship opened warning fire from automatic small arms fire to forcefully stop the vessel,” the statement said. Marine traffic websites currently shows the cargo vessel’s destination as the Romanian port of Sulina which is close to Izmail. “Following radio conversations, the ship stopped its course and the boarding team landed on the bulk cargo ship,” the statement said.

Persons: –, Vasily Bykov, Dmytro Pletenchuk, ” Pletenchuk Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Defense Ministry, UN, Ukrainian Navy, “, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Turkish, Palau, Izmail, Romanian, Sulina, Kyiv, Ukrainian

Russia in July halted participation in the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea and Moscow cautioned that it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons. "To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministry said. BLACK SEA AT WAR? Since Russia left the Black Sea grain deal, both Moscow and Kyiv have issued warnings and carried out attacks that have sent jitters through global commodity, oil and shipping markets. Ukraine also attacked a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, next door to a major grain and oil port.

Persons: Vasily Bykov, Okan, Guy Faulconbridge, Nick Macfie Organizations: UN, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, MOSCOW, Russian, Black, Ukraine, Moscow, Palau, Izmail, Bulgaria, Sulina, Turkey, Kyiv, Novorossiysk

☆ After Russian Attack in Ukraine, Broken Glass and Rattled Nerves in Romania
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Andrew Higgins | More About Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

His thatched-roof shack on the bank of the Danube River just 200 yards from Ukraine has no running water, and getting to it involves waiting for a ferry and a bumpy ride on dirt roads. Last week, however, the farmyard home of Gheorge Puflea, 71, became a piece of attention-grabbing real estate thanks to its unwanted status as the first property in NATO territory damaged in a Russian attack aimed at Ukraine. The drone missile assault, carried out before dawnlast Wednesday, hit a Ukrainian cargo port across the river, but it was so close that shock waves from the explosions shattered windows in Plauru, a tiny hamlet with just a dozen tumbledown homes on the Romanian side of the Danube. The sound of the blasts and breaking glass woke Mr. Puflea from his sleep and sent him rushing outside in a panic to see what was going on.

Persons: Gheorge Puflea, Puflea Organizations: dawnlast Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Plauru, Romanian

☆ Romania cancels 1.2 bln euro warships deal with France's Naval Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Romania's defence ministry said late on Tuesday it has cancelled a long-delayed deal to buy four warships from French firm Naval Group after the company and a junior partner failed to meet a deadline to sign a contract. Defence firm Naval Group won the contract to build four Gowind navy corvettes for Romania and renovate two existing frigates for 1.2 billion euros ($1.32 billion) in 2019 in partnership with Romanian company Santierul Naval Constanta. But the deal was held up, first by legal challenges and then by the two companies failing to reach an understanding concerning rising costs. The country, a NATO state since 2004 and EU member since 2007, has ramped up its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP this year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ($1 = 0.9110 euros)Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiza Ilie, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Naval Group, Defence, Santierul, NATO battlegroup, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Romanian, Santierul Naval Constanta, NATO, Ukraine, France

☆ WTA roundup: Nao Hibino upsets Linda Noskova for Prague title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Venus Williams (USA) waves to the crowd after her loss against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAugust 8 - Japan's Nao Hibino ended a four-year title drought Monday with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of No. 4 seed and home favorite Linda Noskova at the Livesport Prague Open in the Czech Republic. After taking the opening set rather easily, Keys needed nine match points to put Williams away. "You have to find that balance between playing risky, aggressive, but not too risky, not too much, because then (Swiatek's) not going to give you many points," Pliskova said.

Persons: Venus Williams, Eric Bolte, Nao Hibino, Linda Noskova, Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, Hibino, Noskova, Keys, Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Lin Zhu of, Pliskova, Katie Boulter, Belinda Bencic, Cirstea, Victoria, Italy's Jamine Paolini, Marie Bouzkova, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady Organizations: Madison Keys, IGA, Livesport, WTA, Hiroshima, Omnium Banque, Venus, Iga, Victoria Azarenka of, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Tashkent, Omnium, Czech, Lin Zhu of China, Switzerland, Romanian, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus

☆ As War Grinds On, It Expands Beyond Old Battlefields
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Vivek Shankar | More About Vivek Shankar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian strikes on Russian ships in the Black Sea. A Russian attack on a Ukrainian port on the Danube river near the Romanian border. With these strikes, both sides have opened a new dimension to the 17-month-old war, which until now had largely been fought in grinding battles in Ukraine. And they are taking the war to people and areas that may have been spared the brunt of the fighting. For Ukraine, the increasingly bolder attacks are part of a stated objective to try to force ordinary Russians to reckon with the toll of the war.

Locations: Moscow, Romanian, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa

☆ James McBride’s Latest Is a Murder Mystery Inside a Great American Novel
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Danez Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE, by James McBrideA few weeks ago, around the same time I was working on this review, I visited the Guggenheim with my fiancé. Her work speaks to a deep curiosity about the interrelation of shapes, things and the dimensions created by those relationships. “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” the latest novel from the best-selling, National Book Award-winning author James McBride, moves with the precision, magnitude and necessary messiness of some of Gego’s most inspired structures. The book is a murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel. The identity of the corpse is unknown but the few clues found (a belt buckle, a pendant and a mezuza) lead authorities to question the only Jewish man remaining from the town’s formerly vibrant Jewish community.

Persons: James McBride, Gego, Moshe Ludlow, Chona, Moshe Organizations: Guggenheim, Jewish Locations: Venezuelan, Nazi, Europe, Venezuela, America, Pottstown, Pa, Chicken, It’s, Romanian

☆ Russia is playing risky games with its exploding drones, attacking Ukrainian ports only a couple hundred meters from NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have been routinely attacking Ukraine's southern cities and ports in recent weeks. Western intelligence says Russia has "evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near" NATO. But these attacks have also crept toward NATO territory, something Western officials have warned of since the 17-month-long war began. It added that the Iranian-made drones have landed as close as 650 feet from the Romania border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory." Meanwhile, the bombardment near Romania comes as some NATO countries worry that Russian allies are encroaching on NATO territory to the northwest of Ukraine.

Persons: Nina Liashenko, Reni, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Wagner, John Kirby, We're Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian, Twitter, AS, REUTERS, White, National Security Locations: Romania, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukraine, Romanian, Izmail, China, Israel, russia, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Minsk, Poland, Lithuania

☆ Romanian court releases influencer Andrew Tate from house arrest pending trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Andrew Tate, escorted by bodyguards, leaves the Bucharest Tribunal in Bucharest, Romania, June 21, 2023. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS/File PhotoBUCHAREST, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Bucharest court ruled on Friday to release internet personality Andrew Tate from house arrest where he is awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, placing him under judicial control, a lighter restrictive measure. Under the new measure, the four suspects can leave the house, but not the capital Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county. The Tate brothers, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, have been under house arrest since April pending an investigation into abuse against seven women, whom prosecutors say were lured through false claims of relationships. Tate, a self-described misogynist, has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle that critics say denigrates women.

Persons: Andrew Tate, Ganea, We've, Tate, Tristan, Luiza Ilie, Sharon Singleton, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Bucharest, Tate, Thomson Locations: Bucharest, Romania, BUCHAREST, Romanian, Ilfov

CNN —Controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been released from house arrest in Romania ahead of their trial on charges of human trafficking and rape, Bucharest’s Court of Appeals announced on Friday. The Tate brothers and two Romanian female accomplices were released from house arrest and put under judicial control for a period of 60 days from August 4 to October 2, according to a court statement. The suspects were under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women, accusations they have denied. Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage. Andrew Tate (right) and his brother Tristan (left), pictured in Bucharest on August 1, 2023, were released from house arrest on Friday.

Persons: Andrew Tate, Tristan, Tate, Andreea Alexandru, Jayne Butler, “ Organizations: CNN, Appeals, Prosecutors, American, Wales Locations: Romania, Romanian, Bucharest, British, England, Ilfov

☆ Romania bids to clear Danube logjam after Ukraine attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Romanian authorities managing the waterway still expect a "peak" in traffic in August, despite the attack, an official said. Before Russia pulled out of the safe passage corridor, the Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of Ukraine's grain exports. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Russia's attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure on the Danube amounted to war crimes. "We will clear around 30 ships in two days, at least 12 today, if not 14, and the rest tomorrow." Industry sources have told Reuters war risk cover for Ukraine's ports that were part of the previous grain deal had already been suspended.

Persons: Klaus Iohannis, Florin Uzumtoma, Uzumtoma, Izmail, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Mykola Solsky, Luiza Ilie, Jonathan Saul, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Conor Humphries Organizations: United, Reuters, underwriters, Industry, Insurance, NATO, Thomson Locations: Romania, Ukraine, BUCHAREST, KYIV, Izmail, Ukrainian, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Romanian, Constanta, Musura, Bucharest, London, Kyiv

☆ Danube Ports, a Lifeline for Ukraine, Come Under Russian Threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Marc Santora | More About Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Russia blockaded Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea after its full-scale invasion last year, grain that could feed millions worldwide piled up in silos. Roughly half the world’s supply of the neon used in lasers to make chips was taken off the market. But while Russian ships menaced off the Ukrainian coast, the small ports in the Danube river on the Romanian border kept working, offering a small but vital lifeline. Now, two weeks after the collapse of that deal, the small Danube ports are the only shipping outlet for millions of tons of grain once again trapped in Ukraine — and Russia has made clear they, too, are under threat. “The Danube is our gateway at sea to Europe and the world,” Stanislav Zinchenko, chief executive of GMK, a Kyiv-based economic think tank, said in an interview.

Persons: ” Stanislav Zinchenko Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Romanian, Ukraine —, Europe, Kyiv

☆ Europe’s listless IPOs are red flag for big floats
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And so far, the performance of the floats that have got away has been relatively poor. It’s a major red flag for larger IPO candidates, like CVC Capital Partners or EQT’s (EQTAB.ST) Galderma. Only 65 companies decided to brave choppy stock markets in Europe, raising $6.6 billion in overall proceeds, according to Dealogic data. Italian betting group Lottomatica (LTMC.MI) and German web-hosting company IONOS (IOSn.DE) priced at the bottom of their initial ranges. Dealogic data shows that IPOs in the region raised a total of $6.6 billion between the start of 2023 and July 20.

Persons: Breakingviews, Thyssenkrupp, Nucera, Hidroelectrica, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Capital Partners, underwriters, Bankers, Swiss, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Europe, Romanian, Saudi, Swedish

The attack is the closest Moscow has come to hitting the military alliance’s territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The port strike came amid two drone attacks in central Moscow on Monday morning that Russian officials blamed on Ukrainian forces. At least two nonresidential buildings were hit about 4 a.m. local time, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of Moscow said on the Telegram messaging app. He added that there had been no “serious damage or casualties.”Ukrainian and Romanian officials denounced the port strike, with President Klaus Iohannis of Romania condemning the attack on Ukrainian infrastructure close to his country’s borders. He said on Twitter that the “recent escalation poses serious risks to the security in the Black Sea,” as well as affecting Ukrainian grain shipments and global food security.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Klaus Iohannis Organizations: Monday, NATO, Twitter Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Romanian, Ukrainian, United States, Reni, Romania, Moscow, ”

Port infrastructure on the Danube river is the target this time," regional governor Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Global wheat and corn futures rose sharply on concern that Russia's attacks and more fighting, including a drone strike on Moscow, could threaten grain exports and shipping. "Russia has in the past months not attacked Ukraine's overland and inland waterways grain infrastructure," one European trader said. Another European grain trader said: "It’s clearly an attack on additional Ukrainian grain export infrastructure. "Russia hit another Ukrainian grain storage overnight," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Reni, Odesa, Dmytro Kuleba, Valentyn Ogirenko, Michael Hogan, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: Press Service, Operational Command, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russia, Ukraine KYIV, European Union, Romania, Police, Maersk Group, Twitter, Ukraine's National Security, Defence Council, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa Region, Russia, Kyiv, Port, Moscow, Reni, NATO, Romanian, Africa, Asia, Hamburg

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