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☆ An ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee says he still remembers Ron DeSantis smiling at him from behind a fence while he was being force-fed: 'You cannot forget that'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-Gitmo detainee said Ron DeSantis smiled at him as he was being force-fed, per The Daily Beast. The remarks come from an unaired documentary transcript detailing DeSantis' time as a Navy lawyer. Ron DeSantis smiled at him from behind a fence while watching him get force-fed, per the Daily Beast. This stands in stark contrast to a 2018 CBS interview, during which DeSantis told a reporter that JAG legal advisers told Guantanamo Bay commanders that people "can force-feed" and laid out the "kind of the rules for that." In the Al Jazeera piece, Adayfi said DeSantis wasn't the person who ordered that the hunger strike be broken violently — he just watched.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Mansoor Adayfi, Adayfi, DeSantis, I'm, Al Organizations: Navy, Service, Guantanamo, Florida Gov, Daily, Florida Republican, US Navy, Showtime, Hollywood, CBS, Washington Post Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, Qaeda, Serbia, Guantanamo, Al Jazeera

☆ Russian soldiers sent their families a desperate video, saying they were being led by a 'drunk' commander and without the supplies to survive
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Matthew Loh | Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new video shows Russian troops raising the alarm about their treatment by commanders in Ukraine. The 50 or so mobilized soldiers said they weren't given food or ammo, and weren't being paid on time. They warned that they were being led by a "drunk commander" to reinforce positions in Bakhmut. A man in the video added that the commander from another unit "said that for us it would be a suicide mission." The Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, was stationed in Bakhmut in the spring, before being replaced by the Russian army.

Persons: weren't, they'd, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Al Organizations: Service, Russian, 85th Brigade, Astra, Russian Defense Ministry, Drones Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, Wall, Silicon, Svetlodarsk, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, what's, Russia, Al Jazeera

☆ Nearly half the world's population lives in countries where the government spends more on debt than education or healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Almost 40% of the developing world is in serious debt trouble, especially in Africa. In addition to the growing debts, developing countries are also facing higher interest rates. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, 3.3 billion people live in countries where the government spends more on debt interest payments than education or health. According to the UN report, countries facing "high levels of debt" more than doubled from 22 in 2011 to 59 in just 11 years. Another issue is that more and more debt in developing countries is held by private lenders who charge much higher interest rates.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Al Organizations: Service, UN Locations: Africa, Wall, Silicon, Al Jazeera, skyrocketing, Nigeria, States, Europe

☆ Putin denied that Storm Shadow missiles are doing 'critical' damage to Russia, despite them likely taking out a top general and other key targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin said Ukraine's Storm Shadow missiles have caused some damage, but nothing "critical." The UK-supplied missiles have reportedly killed a key Russian general and hit other strategic targets. The UK's defense minister, Ben Wallace, last month described Storm Shadow missiles as having been accurate "almost without fault" in Ukraine. The Storm Shadow, also known as SCALP, is plane-launched and designed to fly low to evade detection. The UK announced in May that it was sending Ukraine an undisclosed number of Storm Shadow missiles.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, aren't, Al, Al Jazeera, Ben Wallace, Michael Clarke, Insider's Mia Jankowicz, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Storm Shadow, Storm, Royal United Services Institute, Agence France, Presse Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Al Jazeera, Berdyansk, Ukraine's Kherson, Crimea, France

☆ The anti-Putin Freedom of Russia Legion says it has 'ambitious plans' for more cross-border raids into Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Freedom of Russia Legion comprises defectors from the Russian army and other volunteers. The anti-Putin group launched two cross-border raids into the Belgorod region in May and June. Its commander told The Observer it's planning more attacks, bolstered by the dissolution of Wagner. "There will be a further surprise in the next month or so," the Freedom of Russia Legion's spokesperson and commander, Caesar, told the newspaper. The Freedom of Russia Legion is based in Ukraine and comprises a few hundred soldiers, who are defectors from the Russian army and other volunteers fighting against their homeland.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Caesar, Caesar —, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Russia Legion, Putin, Observer, Service, Legion, Guardian, Russian, Wagner Group Locations: Belgorod, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Shebekino, Al Jazeera, Moscow

☆ Families of Wagner mercenaries killed fighting for Putin are given $60,000 compensation – and the number of payouts may be affecting Russia's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner soldiers' families receive about 5 million rubles (about $60,000) when a relative is killed. That means more than $1 billion in cash may now be in circulation, affecting Russia's economy. In an audio comment published last month by his company Concorde, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said the families received "black cash" payments. The payments for so many deaths would equal 100 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) of cash flowing into Russia's financial system. In January, the Daily Beast reported that some families had yet to receive payments from Wagner.

Persons: Wagner, Bloomberg they'd, —, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Al Jazeera, Putin Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Wagner Group, German Marshall Fund, Concorde, Central Bank, Daily Beast, Kremlin, intel Locations: Al, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Moscow

☆ Defiant Wagner chief Prigozhin claims he has 25,000 'patriot' soldiers who will not surrender despite Putin's demands. 'All of us are ready to die.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wagner Group's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has defiantly responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin had said that the "armed mutiny" was a "betrayal" and vowed that Russia would defend itself. Prigozhin said the Russian president was "deeply mistaken" and that he and his men were "patriots" in a voice note posted to his Telegram channel on Saturday. All 25,000, and then another 25,000," he said about his troops in a social media post, per an Al Jazeera translation. The UK Department of Defense said on Saturday that Wagner forces are now "almost certainly" aiming to march to Moscow.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin's, mutinying Wagner, Prighozin Organizations: Service, Russian Ministry of Defense, UK Department of Defense Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Jazeera, Moscow

☆ Footage appears to show Russian attack helicopter bombing one of its own oil depot to deny Wagner mercenaries fuel supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Footage appears to show an explosion at an oil depot in Voronezh after strikes by a Russian helicopter. It comes as Wagner fighters seized military facilities in the city, Russian sources told Reuters. Other unverified footage appears to show Russian air forces deflecting a Wagner group anti-aircraft missile system. Local sources reported that the mercenary fighters had tried to seize the oil depot to supply their convoys with fuel, according to a report by Defense Blog. On Saturday, Putin called the actions of the Wagner group a "betrayal" and vowed the country would defend itself and punish those involved in the insurrection.

Persons: Wagner, —, Don —, Putin, Yevegny Prigozhin Organizations: Reuters, Don, Service, Defense, Wagner Group Locations: Voronezh, Russian, Rostov, Al Jazeera, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Fact Check-Al Jazeera-branded report on Ukrainians complaining about Titan submersible victims is a fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An online video carrying Al Jazeera’s logo and reporting that Ukrainians are complaining about the Titan submersible’s crew wasting money is a fake report, according to a spokesperson for the Qatari state-owned broadcaster. The 90-second clip, seen by more than a hundred thousand people here, copies Al Jazeera’s branding, colour patterns, and reporting style on social media. Text captions on the fake report claim Ukrainians reacted with “indignation” to the June 18 disappearance of the Titan submersible, which went missing during a deep dive in the North Atlantic to the wreck of the Titanic. A spokesperson for Al Jazeera told Reuters that the video report is a fake. A search through Al Jazeera’s website did not find any similar report archive.ph/toDEF.

Persons: Al, ”, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera’s, Read Organizations: Titan, Al, Reuters, Facebook Locations: Qatari, Ukraine, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera’s

☆ Sudan: Testimonies detail atrocities by Wagner-backed militia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Nima Elbagir Tamara Qiblawi Barbara Arvanitidis Gianluca Mezzofiore Pallabi Munsi Ingrid Formanek Saskya Vandoorne | Nima Elbagir | Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

“I sat next to her in the car,” said Butheina Nourin, describing her perilous escape from Sudan’s Darfur region alongside the dead woman. A months-long CNN investigation uncovered an increase in Wagner supplies to the RSF that began in the run-up to Sudan’s conflict. Reports of atrocities committed by RSF fighters and their allied militias, clearly identified by their uniforms, are consistent across dozens of testimonies. Then-President Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court in 2010 with crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in relation to the Darfur conflict. “Nobody in Sudan has more blood on their hands than Hemedti,” said Sudan analyst Eric Reeves.

Persons: wailed, “, ”, Butheina Nourin, Fatima, I, Nourin, Zohra Bensemra, Abdul Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Wagner, General Burhan, entrenching, –, Omar al, Bashir, Hemedti, Sergey Lavrov, Hussein Haran, ” Haran, Khamis Abbakar, Kholood Khair, ” Khair, Gen, Mahmoud Hjaj, Hala, SIHA, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalos, Hussein Malla, ” “, Gueipeur Denis Sassou, Eric Reeves, Al Jazeera, Karib, “ It’s, RSF –, Wagner –, Yeveny Prigozhin, Sudan ”, Hussein Organizations: CNN, ” Fighters, Sudanese, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Central African, Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, Strategic Initiative, Women, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Arab, United Nations, SIHA, Getty, European, US State Department, State Department Locations: Chad, Sudan, Sudan’s Darfur, Darfur, Borota, Latakia, Libya, Bangui, Central African Republic, Moscow, Ukraine, Khartoum, el, Geneina, Horn of Africa, State, Sudan’s, Yemen, Saudi, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Daman, AFP, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Europe, EU, ”, Africa

☆ A Russian general was killed overseeing efforts to stop Ukraine's counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian occupation official in Zaporizhzhia announced Goryachev's death on Tuesday. The general's killing suggests Russian senior military officials are on the front lines, analysts said. Zaporizhzhia has seen fierce fighting as Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive and push against Russian defenses, Al Jazeera added. A senior US defense official told Insider in March 2022 that Russian senior officials stay near the front as part of Moscow's military organization and structure. Those mid-level roles are missing in the Russian military, the official said.

Persons: Sergei Goryachev, —, Vladimir Rogov, Rogov, Al Jazeera, Goryachev, wasn't, Zaporizhzhia Organizations: Zaporizhzhia, Service, Russia's, Army, Ukrainian, The Institute, Russian Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Al, Ukraine

☆ In Japan, you can pay a startup $144 to quit your job on your behalf
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese startup Exit will quit your job and confront your boss for you for $144. Employers "try to make you ashamed and guilty that you quit your job in less than three years," the cofounder told Al Jazeera. Japanese culture — with deep-rooted practices for lifetime employment — sees success as a long-term commitment. That's the exact sentiment one company is capitalizing on: For 20,000 Japanese yen, or $144, a Japanese startup called Exit will quit your job for you. Exit's story began in 2017 when cofounder Toshiyuki Niino was trying to quit a job he was unhappy at, Al Jazeera reported.

Persons: Al Jazeera, —, Toshiyuki Niino, Niino, Yuichiro Okazaki Organizations: Employers, Service Locations: Al, Al Jazeera, Japan

☆ An Air India plane flying to San Francisco was forced to land in a remote town in Siberia after an engine failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Air India plane heading to San Francisco was forced to land in Siberia, Russia, on Tuesday. The plane had to make an emergency landing after an engine failure, Air India said. An Air India plane flying to San Francisco was forced to land in a remote town in Siberia after developing engine problems, according to multiple reports. The Boeing 777, carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew, was forced to land in Magadan, Russia, on Tuesday, Air India said in a statement. Air India said the flight from New Delhi is expected to leave for Magadan on Wednesday evening.

Persons: Vedant Patel, Girvaan, hadn't, Scott Kirby, Al Organizations: Air, An, Boeing, US State Department, Associated Press, United Airlines Locations: Air India, San Francisco, Siberia, Russia, An Air India, Magadan, Okhotsk, Moscow, New Delhi, Ukraine, Al Jazeera, Gulf

☆ Video from Ukraine shows an entire house washed away in floods after a crucial dam was destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video shared online shows a house being washed down the Dnipro River. An expert told Insider the dam explosion is a "disaster" and will cause catastrophic flooding. The video, which was first published on Telegram and has since been verified by the BBC, shows the red roof of the large house as it is flushed down the Dnipro River. The house in the video was later identified by BBC reporter Adam Robinson, who shared aerial pictures of it from June 2020. Dr. Stephen Hall, a politics lecturer at the University of Bath, told Insider that the explosion is a "humanitarian disaster" that will have several implications in the weeks to come.

Persons: —, Adam Robinson, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov, Al Jazeera, Stephen Hall Organizations: Service, Reuters, The Guardian, BBC, Kremlin, University of Bath, Dnipro Locations: Russian, Kherson, Dnipro, Ukraine, Nova, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ US senator presses for declassified report on Al Jazeera reporter's killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Chris Van Hollen called on Monday for declassifying a government report on the death of Al Jazeera's Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was shot and killed while covering an Israeli army raid last year. The U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) conducted an investigation, but the report remains classified. In a statement, Van Hollen, a Democrat on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said the report contains important insights into her death. In December, Al Jazeera made a submission to the International Criminal Court over Abu Akleh's killing. Israel insists that its soldiers do not deliberately target journalists and has refused to identify the soldier who may have shot Abu Akleh.

Persons: Chris Van Hollen, Al Jazeera's Shireen Abu Akleh, Abu Akleh, Abu Akleh's, Van Hollen, Al Jazeera, Biden, Rami Ayyub, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: declassifying, West Bank, U.S . Security, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Democrat, Senate's Foreign Relations, Israel Defense Forces, U.S . State Department, International Criminal, Thomson Locations: Palestinian, American, Jenin, Israel

☆ Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world, a study found. See which others made the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com. Air New Zealand has been ranked the best airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com, a website for airline safety and product reviews. Air New Zealand was ranked first for best economy class; Qatar Airways took the lead for business class; and Singapore Airlines was ranked the best first-class airline. Air New ZealandSafety: 7/7Product: 7/7Air New Zealand, or Air NZ, is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. Korean Air has an average score of 7.8/10 based on 60 AirlineRatings.com reviews.

Persons: Geoffrey Thomas, Taylor Rains, Johannes P, Virgin Atlantic Sir Richard Branson, Steve Parsons, Richard Branson, Emirates Yursi Abu Barak Organizations: Morning, Air New, Qatar Airways, Air, Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Delta, US, Ryanair, New Zealand, Air New Zealand Air, Air New Zealand, Air NZ, . Air NZ, Qatar Airways Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Airbus, Etihad, UAE, Korean Air Korean, Airlines, Korean Air, Christo, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, SIA, Qantas Qantas, Qantas Media Safety, Qantas, Virgin, Virgin Atlantic Boeing, Heathrow Airport, Virgin Atlantic, Delta Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay, Boeing, Cathay, Nikkei, Emirates, Dubai . Emirates, UAE . Emirates Locations: Zealand, Air New Zealand, Europe, Air, Auckland , New Zealand, Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Seoul, South Korea, Bali , Indonesia, Singapore, Asia, Mascot, Australia, Virgin Australia, Crawley , England, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, East Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong, Nikkei Asia, Dubai ., Emirates, Dubai

OSLO, June 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. will open its northernmost diplomatic station in the Norwegian Arctic town of Tromsoe, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, at a time when cooperation among the Arctic nations has been hit by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "For us, the presence post in Tromsoe is really an ability to have a diplomatic footprint above the Arctic Circle," he said. It comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. Cooperation between the Western Arctic states and Moscow on the Arctic body is frozen since the invasion of Ukraine. "Our entire approach is to make sure that the Arctic remains an area of peaceful cooperation," he said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, Sriraj Kalluvila, Mark Potter Organizations: Arctic Council, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: OSLO, U.S, Norwegian, Tromsoe, Ukraine, United States, American, Oslo, Norway, Russia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Moscow

☆ Qatar’s prime minister met with top Taliban leader in Afghanistan earlier this month, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Qatar’s prime minister met secretly with the Taliban’s top leader earlier this month in Afghanistan, two sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to CNN. The meeting happened in the southern city of Kandahar on May 12, between the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. The meeting, first reported by Reuters, is believed to be the first between Akhundzada and a foreign leader. Despite American warnings to the Taliban not harbor terrorists, Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri took up residence in Kabul before being killed in a US drone strike last July. Qatar serves as the US protecting power in Afghanistan, where it does not have a diplomatic presence.

Persons: CNN —, Haibatullah, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Antony Blinken, Qatar’s, ”, Qatar’s Al Jazeera, Thani, Al Qaeda’s, Ayman al, Zawahiri Organizations: CNN, Taliban, Qatar’s, Reuters, State Department, ” CNN, US State Department, Qatari Embassy, US Locations: Afghanistan, Kandahar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al, Thani, Qatar, Washington, Al, Doha, Kabul, Kabul –

☆ Ex-aide to 1MDB fugitive Jho Low dies weeks after questioning
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Reuters) - A former aide to Malaysian fugitive Jho Low - wanted for his central role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB corruption scandal - has died weeks after being questioned by Malaysian authorities on Low's whereabouts, his lawyers said on Wednesday. He was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on arrival and had his house searched, media reported. Malaysian authorities have previously said Low was believed to be in China, though Beijing has denied that. Low has been charged in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly masterminding the theft of $4.5 billion from now-defunct fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who co-founded 1MDB, was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year for graft linked to the scandal.

Persons: Jho, Kee Kok Thiam, Valen, Kee, Al Jazeera, Al, Low, Najib Razak, Hasnoor Hussain, Rozanna Latiff, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Malaysian, Partners, Malaysian Anti, Corruption, 1Malaysia Development, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysian, U.S, Malaysia, Macau, 1MDB, China, Al Jazeera, Beijing, United States

☆ Asiana Airlines will stop selling exit row seats on some of its Airbus A321 jets after a man opened an emergency door during flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines has stopped selling certain exit row seats on its A321-200 planes. Window exit row seats 26A and 31A will no longer be bookable, according to Asiana. The carrier said the move was out of precaution after a passenger opened a door during landing on Friday. South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines said it will no longer sell certain exit row seats on all of its Airbus A321-200 jets after a passenger opened an emergency door in flight, Al Jazeera reported. On both planes, certain exit row window seats on the left-hand side of the cabin will no longer be bookable.

☆ Egypt unearths tombs and workshops where humans and sacred animals were mummified in the age of the pharaohs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Archaeologists found ancient mummification workshops and tombs in the Saqqara necropolis. The workshops were used to embalm humans and sacred animals to prepare them for the afterlife. The tombs of two priests dating back to the 24th and 14th centuries BC were also found. Amr Nabil/AP PhotoThe excavations also uncovered the tombs of two priests dating back to the 24th and 14th centuries BC. The new discoveries were unveiled by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in a high-profile press conference on Saturday.

☆ Ukraine claims that Russia plans to fake a major nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia power plant and force a ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine claims Russia is planning to stage an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "Russians are preparing massive provocation and imitation of the accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the nearest hours," the Ukrainian defense ministry's intelligence directorate said on social media on Friday. Fighting has continually raged around the power plant, and both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for dangerous incidents of shelling hitting the site. The UN International Atomic Energy Agency has previously warned about the risks of "a severe nuclear accident" at the plant due to ongoing fighting. It was reported last week that Russian military forces had been enhancing defensive positions around the power plant ahead of the expected counteroffensive.

☆ Zelenskyy says images of Hiroshima annihilated by the atomic bomb remind him of Bakhmut — and give him hope that Ukraine can rebuild
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

While in Hiroshima for the G-7 summit, Zelenskyy likened the city's destruction in WW2 to Bakhmut. The Ukrainian president made the comparison after visiting the atomic bomb museum, the NYT reported. At a press conference, the Ukrainian president said the atomic bomb's explosion in 1945 produced imagery and memories that evoke the mass destruction seen across Ukraine today, Politico reported. The children, little babies, before their death, and we have similar pictures unfortunately" in Ukraine," he said, according to Politico. Zelenskyy and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb.

☆ Analysis: Qatar takes diplomatic back seat as Saudi flexes political muscle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Qatar has been steadily mending ties with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Qatar cast the Syrian National Coalition as a government-in-exile, handing them Syria's Arab League seat and opening the Doha mission in a villa nearby other embassies. Several Gulf states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began backing rebel groups fighting to oust Assad from power. As Syria's anti-Assad movement lost ground, "Saudi Arabia and the UAE shifted their policy most dramatically but Qatar has not," Kamrava said. Qatar initially opposed efforts this spring by Saudi Arabia to galvanise support to readmit Syria to the Arab League following its 2011 suspension.

[1/3] Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. "It's been four days without electricity and our situation is difficult," said 48-year-old Othman Hassan from the southern outskirts of the city. Despite multiple ceasefire declarations, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) appeared to be fighting for territory ahead of proposed talks. The army and RSF, which had shared power after a coup in 2021, have accused each other of breaching a string of truces. The U.N. has pressed the warring sides to guarantee safe passage of aid after six of its trucks were looted.

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