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Stick with us, and we'll show you how to watch the 2023 US Open with free live streams available to virtually anyone. How to watch the US Open live stream free from anywhereYou can catch most of the key US Open action using one of the free live streams available. When: August 28 - September 10How to watch the US Open in the USAESPN has the rights to the US Open live streams in the US. How to watch the US Open for free in New ZealandTVNZ is streaming the US Open free online. How to watch the US Open in EuropeMost European countries can stream the US Open through Eurosport.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, John Isner, Iga, Coco Gauff, Marketa, We've, you'll, ExpressVPN, Stan Sport Organizations: New Zealand, TVNZ, ESPN, USA ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Plus, Subscription, Australia Viewers, New Zealand TVNZ, Sky Sports, Sports Network, TSN, Bell, TSN Plus, Eurosport, Tennis, Sunday Locations: Australia, New, 9Now, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

☆ How Russia is using US tech to build cruise missiles to devastate Ukraine, despite sanctions meant to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has found new ways of obtaining US tech for its cruise missiles. Officials, experts, and media reports have laid out the routes Russia is using to import the banned or restricted technology. Ukrainian officials last Tuesday said that Russian K-100 cruise missiles used in recent attacks were built in 2023, using more than 30 foreign components, meaning that Western sanctions weren't working. The Kazakhstan back door for tech suppliesThe US sanctions include a ban on the sale of technology that could be used by Russia to build weapons. According to the Economist report, logic boards from California-made Altera Flex have been used in building the KH-100 cruise missiles Russia has used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, STRINGER, Gary Sommerville, we've, Sommerville, Mykola Danilyuk, Danilyuk Organizations: US, Service, Getty, Royal United Services Institute, Kazakhstan's, National, Russia, Kazakh, Russian, Silverado, New York Times, Free Russia Foundation, eBay, Amazon Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kazakhstan, Kazakh, US, Armenia, Ukrainian, California

☆ The resilience of Russia's stock market and its economy is a complete mirage masking deeper pain, Yale researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The functioning of Russia's stock market is an illusion, two Yale researchers told Insider. That apparently stellar performance of the Russian stock market this year is ultimately an illusion meant to mask deepening pain in the country's economy. It's a move that was intended to prop up Russia's stock market, the researchers said. "The Russian stock market performance is very misleading, It is a Roach Motel of assets," Sonnenfeld told Insider. Other experts have warned of more pain for Russia's economy as its costly war in Ukraine drags on.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian, Ukraine haven't, that's, Tian, Sonnenfeld, Putin Organizations: Yale, Investments, Service, Yale School of Management, Putin, Levada Locations: Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Baltic, Russian, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan

☆ Armenia-Azerbaijan: 'Reasonable' to believe genocide being committed, former ICC chief prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said there is “reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians” in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling over the region for decades. On Monday, UN experts urged Azerbaijan to lift a blockade on the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. An Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entry of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian-populated breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region's only land link with Armenia, on July 30. “It is essential to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical time,” they added.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Ocampo, KAren Minasyan, Vahe, Josep Borrell, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Karabak Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, UN Security, Deputy, European Union, EU Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Netherlands, UNHCR, Azerbaijani

☆ How U.S. microchips are fueling Russia's military — despite sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Murky supply chainsNot all advanced technologies are subject to Western sanctions on Russia. So, a Russian military, as well as its civilian economy, have become dependent," Sam Bendett, advisor at the Center for Naval Analyses, said. Meanwhile, sanctions on Russia are largely limited to Ukraine's Western allies, meaning that many countries continue to trade with Russia. And this is what the Russian industry as well as the Russian military and its intelligence services are taking advantage of," Bendett said. Sanctions clampdownThe burgeoning trade flows have prompted calls from Western allies to either get more countries on board with sanctions, or slap secondary sanctions on certain entities operating within those countries in a bid to stifle Russia's military strength.

Persons: Elina Ribakova, KSE, Sam Bendett, spokespeople, Bendett, Sellers Organizations: CNBC, Semiconductors, Peterson Institute for International Economics, KSE Institute, Kyiv School, Economics, United Arab, Moscow, Royal United Services Institute, U.S ., Center for Naval, Russian, Economic Security, of, CNBC Exports, Union, Russian Federation, European Union, Peterson Institute for International Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Russia's, U.S, Japan, Germany, Russian, microchips, Hong Kong, of Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan

☆ Top banks made $6 billion trading the ruble last year amid Western exodus from Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street reaped billions from ruble trading in the Ukraine war's first year, Bloomberg reports. Banks would buy dollars cheaply and sell them at a markup to Western firms fleeing Russia. Western banks turned to lesser-known peers in countries on good terms with Russia, such as Kazakhstan and Armenia. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Lenders involved in the ruble trade and those that steered clear of it declined to comment to Bloomberg.

Persons: Banks, Vali, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Vladimir Putin, June's Wagner Organizations: Ukraine war's, Bloomberg, Service, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Wall Street Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Wall, Silicon

☆ Pizza party: 14 versions of the world’s favorite food
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The solution was to fry the pizza dough, with ricotta and pork fat tucked inside, for a puffier and more substantial effect. With several locations in Miami, Rey Pizza offers Cuban pizza varieties that include chorizo, picadillo (ground beef) and platano (plantain). New York slice pizzaNew Yorkers just fold their slices to eat on the move. “New York slice pizza uses a low-moisture and low-fat mozzarella that’s dry, almost more of a provolone,” Verde says. He recommends trying authentic New York slice pizza at Amore Pizzeria in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens (for a whole pie, try the Italo-Americano New York style pepperoni pizza at Coco Pazzeria).

Persons: Fabio Errante, , “, ” Errante, ”, Nino Coniglio, ” Coniglio, Enzo Algarme, ” Algarme, ’, Henry Cunningham, Gabriele Bonci, Cunningham, Stefano Politi Markovina, Tatyana Serraino, that’s, Lisa Cherkasky, it’s, Errante, . Wood, Allen Brown, Derek Gaughan, Pala, ” Gaughan, Louis, Steve Dolinsky, there’s, Dolinsky, Lou Malnati’s, crème, Khachapuri, Maggie Rossetti, iStockphoto, Ciro Verde, Coco Pazzeria, Pazzeria, Coniglio, you’re Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Food, Netflix, Washington Post, Uno, Pizza, Americano Locations: Naples, Italy, Italian, Brooklyn, New York City, Neapolitan, Virginia, Rome, Rome’s, Prati, Rome's Trastevere, Errante, Olive, Sicily, United States, Palermo, Detroit, Michigan, Trumbull, Columbus, New Haven, New Haven , Connecticut, Chicago, Cuban, Miami, Gouda, France’s Alsace, Germany, Catalonia, Spain, Balearic, Istanbul, Yerevan, Berlin, Hamburg, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, York, Astoria , Queens, ” Verde, Flushing, Queens, Yorker

☆ Iran's drones could reach a new South American market as Bolivia expresses interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what's ahead for defense stocks "Latin American countries are of special significance in Iran's foreign and defense policy based on the importance of [the] very sensitive South American region," Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying. Iran's drones have made "considerable impact on any battlefield they have appeared in," according to Farzin Nadimi, an arms expert at The Washington Institute said. The U.S.' concerns center on Iran's deepening foreign alliances and dissemination of its lethal drones, analysts say. It added that a former Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, "boasted in October 2022 that 22 countries — including Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Venezuela — had submitted formal requests for Iranian drones." Iran has previously provided drones to African countries including Sudan and Ethiopia, which the latter used against Tigrayan rebels.

Persons: Oleksii Samsonov, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Edmundo Novillo, Novillo, Farzin, Nadimi, Novillo's, John Kirby, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Kirby, Annika Ganzeveld, Asad, Khomeini, Majid Asgaripour, Venezuela —, Raisi, ISW Organizations: Kyiv, Getty, Iran's, Bolivian, Bolivia's, CNBC, U.S . Defense Intelligence Agency, The Washington Institute, U.S . Institute for Peace, The U.S, U.S . National Security Council, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, American Enterprise Institute, Associated Press, U.S, Missiles, WANA, REUTERS, for, Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Iran, Washington, South America, Tehran, Fars, Bolivia, The, U.S, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, America, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, U.S Ayn, REUTERS Washington, Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Iranian, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia

Five hedge funds shared five trading ideas on global property markets, adding that they cannot reveal trading positions for regulatory reasons. CM REITs are companies that own mortgages of multi-family residential homes as well as commercial real estate loans. Cell phone data Litt bought to research a REIT run by Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE.N), showed that buildings which that were supposed to be almost fully occupied were only half full. Alexandria Real Estate responded pointing to public filings which said that it was the advancement of science and related intellectual property in Alexandria’s Labspace buildings, and not employee foot traffic that drove its demand for space. But Litt believes that the shift away from office working will also hurt life and sciences real estate, generally.

Persons: Jonathan Mizrachi, CMBSs, David Amaryan, Ben Hunsaker, Hunsaker, Jonathan Litt, Litt, ANSON, Moez Kassam, Vistry, Kassam, Nell Mackenzie, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alison Williams Organizations: Property, Capital, Beach, Beach Point Capital Management, REITs, Alexandria Real, Reuters, Vistry, Thomson Locations: York, Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, Armenia, Beach Point, Alexandria, Alexandria’s, London, Carolina, New York

☆ Russia's not just seeing an exodus of people — it saw a record $239 billion worth of assets being pulled out last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia saw an record $239 billion in net capital outflows — i.e. According to Investopedia, capital outflows refer to the movement of assets out of a country. Outflows this significant are even larger than Greece's GDP of $219 billion in 2022, according to World Bank data. Last year's capital outflows were four times that of 2021 and 70% more than in 2008 amid the Global Financial Crisis, according to the analysis. Money transfers from Russia to Georgia rose fivefold, from $411 million in 2021 to $2.1 billion in 2022, according to data from Georgia's central bank.

Persons: It's, it's, Martin Galstyan, Armenia's News.am, Timothy Ash Organizations: —, Service, outflows, Center, Bank, Bloomberg, Novaya Gazeta, Chatham House's Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, Investopedia, outflows, Armenia, Georgia, Chatham House's Russia, Eurasia

☆ Hundreds of thousands of people fled Russia after it invaded Ukraine — and now the countries that took them in are seeing a boost in their economies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scores of Russians fled their homeland following the outbreak of the Ukraine war. The growth of such countries surged in 2022 after the arrival of these Russians, per a new report. About six months later, there was another wave of departures after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial military mobilization for the Ukraine war on September 21. Armenia — once known as the Silicon Valley of the Soviet Union — saw its 2022 growth spike to 12.6%, per the World Bank. Meanwhile, Georgia's GDP jumped by 10.1% in 2022, per the World Bank, beating an 8.8% growth forecast.

Persons: —, Insider's Jason Lalljee, Vladimir Putin, Georgia —, Armenia —, Soviet Union —, Suren, Martin Galstyan, Oleg Itskhoki Organizations: Service, Reuters, Kremlin, Novaya Gazeta, World Bank, Bank, Armenian State University of Economics, Georgia's, University of California, Bloomberg Locations: Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union, IT, outpacing, Turkey, Kazakhstan

☆ Putin wanted his own version of NATO. Instead he has a failing alliance that has only made him look weaker since the invasion of Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Putin wanted his own version of NATOPutin has long viewed NATO as a threat to Russia, even citing it as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that CSTO members states' desires for closer ties with the US weren't new. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Armenia in November 2022. Graham also said the invasion of Ukraine meant Putin is less and less able to deal with CSTO members' complaints.

Persons: it's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Graham, NATO Putin, Alexander Cooley, Cooley, Armenia's, Nikol Pashinyan, KAREN MINASYAN, Putin's, isn't Putin, Ilya PITALEV, ILYA PITALEV, Getty Images Graham, Russia's, ANATOLII STEPANOV, you've, Graham, CSTO, Sadyr Japarov, Stanislav Zas, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, AP Cooley, – Putin, Vladimir Voronin, Nikol, They've, Hayk Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Security, Organization, Yale, Columbia University, REUTERS, Getty Images, SPUTNIK, AFP, CSTO, Kazakh, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Collective Security, Vladimir Voronin NATO, Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, US, EU, Armenian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, East, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, The Hague, Netherlands, Yerevan, AFP, Soviet Union, Moscow, Asia, Ukrainian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, NATO, USSR, Dushanbe, tatters, Photolure, China, Turkey, United States

☆ EU tries to push Azerbaijan-Armenia peace as Russia offers more talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Armenia says the proposed peace treaty should provide special rights for them and guarantee their security. As a matter of priority, violence and harsh rhetoric should stop in order to provide the proper environment for peace and normalisation talks," Michel said. He told reporters: "The population on the ground needs reassurances, first and foremost regarding their rights and security." Besides the EU, the United States has also been pushing the sides to reach a peace deal. This could be followed up with a Moscow summit to sign a peace treaty, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Persons: Charles Michel, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Jeyhun Bayramov, normalisation, Michel, Aliyev, Pashinyan, Nailia Bagirova, Philip Blenkinsop, Mark Trevelyan, Frances Kerry Organizations: European Union, EU, Armenian, Azberbaijani, Reuters, Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Brussels, Soviet Union, Nagorno, Karabakh, United States, Ukraine, Moscow

Those export controls, which "were imposed for important reasons," remain in place, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office said in statement. "The Prime Minister discussed Sweden's accession to NATO with our partners in Vilnius, including with President Erdogan," the statement said. Ahead of the NATO summit, Turkey, already seeking assurances over the F-16s in talks with Washington, asked that Canada's export controls also be rolled in to the final discussion, the person familiar with the talks said. At Vilnius, Canada outlined its position to Turkey on rules regarding uses of any exported technologies, and was awaiting a response. This means the talks on export controls are no longer frozen, a move that helped play a role sealing Erdogan's pledge over Sweden, the person said.

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan's greenlight, Justin Trudeau's, Joe Biden, Devlet Bahceli, We've, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Steve Scherer, John Irish, Tom Perry, Jamie Freed Organizations: NATO, Atlantic, Organization, Canada, Canadian, Washington, U.S, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Nationalist Movement Party, Erdogan's, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Erdogan, ANKARA, Canada, Ankara, Sweden, Stockholm, Vilnius, Washington, United States, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Finland, Turkish, Ukraine, Turkey's, Helsinki, European, Istanbul, Ottawa

☆ The US Army is looking for help from AI to predict what its enemies will do minutes or even hours before they do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Army wants help with "continuous, real-time predictive visualization" of enemy actions. The project is spurred by fears that human analysts won't be able to keep up with complex warfare. The Army wants the project to "take advantage" of emerging AI and/or machine-learning technologies. Military intelligence can't "assume an enemy whose behavior can be modeled via a doctrinal template," the Army RFI says. US Army military intelligence soldiers train at Camp Bullis in Texas in March 2019.

Persons: —, Daniel Schroeder, Melissa N, Lessard, ChatGPT, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Army, Service, Lewis, McChord, Army RFI, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, US Defense Department, RFI, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Washington, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ukraine, Russia, Bullis, Texas, Forbes

☆ Putin is facing a new threat at home while Russia's military is making itself 'vulnerable globally,' experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It comes as Russia's military is tied down in Ukraine and less able to respond to crises elsewhere. Those questions come as a Ukrainian offensive bears down on Russia's military, which since late last year has been replenishing its forces in Ukraine with aging equipment and under-trained personnel. These efforts have bolstered Russian units in Ukraine but left the Russian military more vulnerable elsewhere and undermined its ability to respond to other crises, experts say. Russia's military has tried to show it still has muscles to flex, mostly with air and naval forces that are largely undamaged by the war. Russian troops board a military aircraft on their way to Kazakhstan in January 2022.

Persons: Wagner, it's, Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Russia's, Dara Massicot, Maxym, I've, there's, Massicot, Gorshkov, Kassym, Tokayev, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, It's, Prigozhin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Angela, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Rand Corporation, Georgetown University, Getty, Russia's, Fleet, Northern Fleet, Iranian Army, Anadolu Agency, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry Press, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Center for, East European Studies, Brookings Institution, National Security Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Siberia, Norway, Georgia, Central Asia, Russia, Syria, Kazakhstan, Russia's, Armenia, Tajikistan

☆ Factbox: EU targets sanctions circumvention with 11th package against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

- The EU is banning the transit of certain sensitive goods like advanced technology or aviation-related materials, exported from the EU to third countries, via Russia. - Some companies, unable to sell sanctioned goods to Russia, sold Moscow the production rights to these goods so that Russia can produce them locally. The EU has now banned the sale, licensing, transfer or referral of intellectual property rights to Russia for the manufacture of sanctioned goods outside the EU. ENERGY MEASURES- The EU package ends the possibility of importing Russian oil by pipeline to Germany and Poland. OTHER- The EU extends a ban on Russian media broadcasting in the EU to five additional channels.

Persons: Jan Strupczewski, Susan Fenton Organizations: European, Russia, EU, United Arab, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, China, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Armenia, EU, Moscow, Russian, Germany, Poland, Japan

☆ In Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter, a controversial land deal pits a community against its religious leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jerusalem CNN —In the hushed, ornate St James cathedral in the Armenian Quarter, one of Jerusalem’s most famous photographers Garo Nalbandian is at work, straddling a ladder as he photographs a massive Armenian carpet from above. He’s also Armenian, a member of the dwindling Christian community still living in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem. The drama has pitted the Armenian community against its religious leader, the Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian. Videos from the evening show Yeretsian leaving the Armenian quarter under Israeli police protection. Because these people also have their personal trouble with the Convert, you know they want something for some reason, revenge, I don’t know,” he said.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Garo Nalbandian, scurry, ”, Nalbandian, He’s, Nourhan Manougian, Jesus ’, “, ” Nalbandian, they’ve, They’re, Danny Rothman, Baret, Yeretsian, Nourhan Manougian’s, Rothman, “ It’s, I’m, it’s, Garo, Arman Tatoyan, Manougian, James ’, Sevan Gharibian, Gharibian Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, CNN, Real, The Media, Media, Capitol, Justice, Palestinian Authority, St Locations: Jerusalem, James, Ottoman, Old City, Armenian, Old, United States, Armenia, United, Los Angeles, Republic of Armenia, Jordan

BRUSSELS, June 21 (Reuters) - European Union governments agreed on Wednesday to an 11th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at stopping other countries and companies from circumventing existing measures. The new package, tweeted by Sweden as EU president, forbids transit via Russia of an expanded list of goods and technology which might aid Russia's military or security sector. Names of such countries can be added to an annex of the EU sanctions regulation with unanimous agreement of all 27 members. The EU package extends the suspension of EU broadcasting licences of five Russian state-controlled media. Overnight, Ukraine removed the five Greek shipping firms from its list, securing the backing of Athens for the package.

Persons: Julia Payne, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski, Brenda Goh, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Union, Russia, United Arab, EU, Peace Facility, European Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Moscow, GREECE, HUNGARY, Hungary, Greece, Athens, Beijing, Hong Kong, Russian, Shanghai

☆ Russia says regional free trade pact with Iran possible by year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 19 (Reuters) - A free trade zone agreement between Iran, Russia and several countries that cover the vast Eurasian region spreading from the borders of Eastern Europe to Western China is possible by the end of the year, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Monday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told the state TASS agency in an interview that talks between the Eurasian Economic Union - which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia - and Iran are in their final stages. The regional agreement with Iran would replace and expand an interim pact that already provides a reduction in customs duties on hundreds of categories of goods. In November 2022, Russia started swapping oil products with Iran and in March, Tehran said it counts on "huge volumes" of both oil and gas swaps with Moscow. Overchuk also told TASS, without providing much detail, that negotiations among the Eurasian Economic Union countries on creating a common gas market continue.

Persons: Alexei Overchuk, Overchuk, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: TASS, Eurasian Economic, Kremlin, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Iran, Russia, Eastern Europe, Western China, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Tehran, Russian, China, Melbourne

☆ A failed US Navy experiment during World War II hinted at how exploding drones would change the battlefield 80 years later
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Loitering munitions have become a staple on modern battlefields, especially in Ukraine. The technology is not new, and a US Navy experiment during World War II hinted at its utility. Loitering munitions and armed UAVs in general are often regarded as a 21st-century development, but they have a long history. During World War II, the US Navy was behind some of the first such drone strikes during an experiment that was ultimately scrapped but hinted at what was to come. Russian forces have used domestically made Lancet loitering munitions against Ukraine's military and employed Iranian-made Shahed-136 and 131 loitering munitions in attacks on military and civilian targets.

Persons: —, it's, Oleksii Organizations: US Navy, Service, Heritage Command, US, Interstate Aircraft, Company, Schwinn Bicycle Company, Navy, Interstate, Task Air, US Naval Heritage, Command, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Banika, Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Marcus, South Pacific, Bougainville, Solomons, Russian, Kyiv, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Soviet

☆ These economies benefited from Russia's isolation — but they now risk Western retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Changing trade patterns in the region are an opportunity, but also a risk. Georgian public support for EU membership has resurged over recent months, with four-fifths (81%) of the population currently in favor joining the bloc, according to a recent poll from U.S.-founded non-profit the National Democratic Institute. Armenia, meanwhile, has never submitted an application for either membership, and other Central Asian countries would not be eligible to join the EU. The geopolitical context with which we [Georgia] are now thought of is with other Central Asia countries. But they don't have EU membership as a target — we do," Kukava said.

Persons: Armenia's, haven't, Mikheil Kukava, Subir Lall, —, Kukava, they're, Ursula von der Leyen, Armen Nurbekyan, Nurbekyan Organizations: Anadolu Agency, Getty, International Monetary Fund, Institute for Development of, CNBC, Russia Western, European Bank for Reconstruction, Development, European Union, Georgia's National Statistics Office, European Commission, of Seven, Central Bank of, EU, NATO, of Information, U.S, National Democratic Institute, Central Locations: Tbilisi, Russian, Moscow, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Russia's, Caucasus, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, East, Central Bank of Armenia, Armenia's, U.S, of Information Georgia

☆ A member of Putin's NATO equivalent said it is 'not Russia's ally' in the fight against Ukraine, further splintering the alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Armenia, a member of the CSTO, said it is "not Russia's ally in the war with Ukraine." The CSTO is Russia's equivalent of NATO, but members have snubbed Putin since its invasion of Ukraine. Experts say the alliance is crumbling as Russia's invasion exacerbated existing tensions. "We are not Russia's ally in the war with Ukraine. Some of those snubs directly related to the Ukraine war, including Kazakhstan denying Russia's request to send troops when the invasion began.

Persons: Putin, —, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin, it's, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: NATO, Service, CNN Prima, Security, Organization, Reuters Locations: Armenia, Ukraine, Czech, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Moscow

NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) surveillance aircraft will watch the skies over the summit venue through Friday, the alliance said in a statement. Missile debris from the war in Ukraine has been found in Moldova several times since Russia invaded 15 months ago. "NATO AWACS can detect aircraft, missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away, making them an important early warning capability," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. The summit will also touch on a range of strategic issues, ranging from energy to cybersecurity and migration. Reporting by John Irish, Andrew Gray and Alexander Tanas; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Nicu Popescu, Ana Revenco, Oana Lungescu, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Maia Sandu, Ursula von der, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, ” Borrell, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Alexander Tanas, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: High Representative, European Union for Foreign Affairs, Moldova's, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Control Systems, European, Kosovo, EU, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Ukraine, Kosovo, Moldovan, Romania, Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, KOSOVO, Slovakia, defusing, Serbian, Europe, Azerbaijan, Armenia

☆ Reaction: Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have reached a tentative deal to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, ending a months-long stalemate. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE TED LIU"Tonight, I have been informed that there is an agreement in principle between the White House and House Republicans. This was a House Republican manufactured crisis. REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BOB GOOD "I am hearing the 'deal' is for a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit. "If we didn't reach a deal … the average American person would clearly see a hit ... we had to reach some kind of conclusion here."

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