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☆ Russia's top general has inherited a poisoned chalice in Ukraine, after his predecessor lasted just 3 months. This could lead to an escalation in the war.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia appointed a new general in charge of Ukraine war, replacing predecessor after just 3 months. The ministry described Gerasimov not as a simple replacement, but as occupying a new role with even greater oversight over Russia's war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 2020. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "is definitely a commitment to keep fighting. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "leaves him in an impossible situation and one that is only likely to get worse."

☆ UK PM Sunak seeks ‘constructive’ union talks as government readies contentious anti-strike laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan. 6: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media as he visits Harris Academy in Battersea. LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to meet union leaders this week for what he hopes will be "constructive" talks as he seeks to halt nationwide industrial action, even as his government prepares controversial anti-strike legislation. His comments came just a day after his government announced new anti-strike laws in a bid to "enforce minimum service levels" across key public services, including the National Health Service, schools, rail networks, nuclear commissioning and the fire service. The legislation, which Sunak's government plans to introduce in Parliament within the next few weeks, would allow bosses to sue unions for disruption and sack employees who participated in industrial action. The full details of the plan may be laid out as soon as Thursday, according to The Times newspaper, but the initial announcement was met with outrage by union leaders.

☆ NFL roundup: Eagles lock down No. 1 seed in NFC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

1 seed in the NFC with a 22-16 win over the visiting New York Giants on Sunday. Hurts led six scoring drives and the Eagles never trailed the Giants (9-7-1), who had already sewn up the No. 6 seed and opted to rest quarterback Daniel Jones, Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and other starters. Smith finished the regular season with 4,282 yards passing, surpassing Russell Wilson's team record of 4,219 set in 2016. Baltimore's Anthony Brown was 19-of-44 passing for 286 yards and two interceptions in his first career NFL start.

☆ Congolese artist paints politicians' portraits in plastic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Congolese artist Patrick Cikuru Cirimwami applies finishing touches on portrait images of Congolese leaders, made from plastic waste, which he melts after collecting it near the banks of the Ruzizi I hydroelectric plant, in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Near the banks of Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, artist Patrick Cikuru Cirimwami wades knee-deep through a mountain of plastic bottles, scooping as many as he can carry into a large sack. Later he will melt down the plastic to make a thick liquid which he uses to paint portraits of politicians - intended to be a condemnation of what he says is their inaction in protecting the environment. As a Congolese artist, I can send a message," said the 26-year-old. Congo, like other African nations, has insisted on its right to develop its economy by exploiting its vast natural resources.

☆ Analysis: Iraq's mercurial Moqtada Sadr risks isolation with political retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pro-Sadr clerics, former legislators and analysts say Sadr has no clearly defined political role for the first time since 2005, leaving him at his weakest since entering Iraqi politics. Sadr officials, pro-Sadr Shi'ite clerics and religious sources in the sacred Iraqi city of Najaf told Reuters they believed Tehran was behind the pronouncement. Haeri told Sadr's followers to seek future guidance on religious matters from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a scholar who is Iran's Supreme Leader. Ghazi Faisal, chairman of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies think-tank, said Haeri gave "momentum to Iranian efforts to consolidate the powers of its allies in Iraqi politics." Human rights groups accused Sadr militiamen of kidnapping and killing Sunnis at the height of Iraq's civil war.

The free food programme, however, cost the government around $47 billion, worsened the fiscal deficit and reduced wheat stocks in government warehouses to multi-year lows. The government expects to save nearly $20 billion a year by ending the COVID free food scheme. MODI TRUSTED BY VOTERSSome economists had wanted the food programme gone months ago as COVID curbs eased. Had the trust not been there, and for any other leader, it would have been difficult to end such a food programme ahead of elections." But senior BJP leader and former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the decision to reduce food aid should not be linked to elections or politics.

☆ Morocco's round of 16 success is no fluke
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Atlas Lions had roared to stun 2010 World Cup winner Spain and reach the quarterfinals of Qatar 2022. “Now it is the Africans and Arabs.”For many, it was the shock of the tournament, as the North Africans won their first ever knockout game at a World Cup. Many Moroccans thought that it could be after the World Cup or in a few years, but none were unhappy when it was announced he would take over the national side less than 100 days before their first game at the World Cup. In African football, Regragui has often been compared with José Mourinho thanks to his tactical discipline and stellar man-management skills. Morocco’s success at the World Cup may be best story of the tournament so far, but it is not the not the result of luck and grit, but rather expertise and planning.

☆ NFL Thanksgiving Day previews: Bills, Cowboys, Vikings in action
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hannah Brewitt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. To see if history repeats itself with a Cowboys win, or if the Giants can pull off the upset, tune in on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Bill Belichick’s team could be on the cusp of a hot streak and are hitting the Vikings game at just the right time.

☆ Elon Musk fired Twitter's head of sales after she refused to sack more employees. He had previously begged her not to resign.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk sacked Twitter exec Robin Wheeler after she refused to fire more staff, sources said. Wheeler was sacked despite Musk persuading her to stay after she tried to resign, per Bloomberg. Some Twitter sales staff found out over the weekend and on Monday they were fired, per Platformer. Two sources said Wheeler was fired on Friday after she refused to cut the headcount of Twitter's ad sales team — a department that was already depleted. Chris Riedy, Twitter's former vice president of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, replaced Wheeler at the weekend, per multiple Insider sources.

☆ Third Japanese cabinet minister in a month resigns in blow to PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japan's internal affairs minister resigned on Sunday in connection with a funding scandal, becoming the third cabinet member to leave in less than a month in a severe blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's already shaky support. Internal affairs minister Minoru Terada tendered his resignation to Kishida after media reports the premier was preparing to sack him. Kishida said he had accepted Terada's resignation in order to prioritise parliamentary debate, including discussions on a second extra budget for the fiscal year ending in March. Asked about the fact that three ministers have resigned since Oct. 24, Kishida said he would like to apologise. Hanashi and Terada's resignations are likely to be especially painful because they were members of Kishida's faction in the LDP.

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans to sack internal affairs minister Terada, Yomiuri reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to sack internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, the third cabinet minister to leave in under a month in a fresh blow for Kishida's battered support ratings. Kishida told a news conference in Bangkok on Saturday he would make a decision on Terada as needed, adding "cabinet ministers must fulfill their obligations to explain." The suspected killer has said his mother was bankrupted by the church and has blamed Abe for promoting it. The LDP has acknowledged many lawmakers have ties to the church but that there is no organisational link to the party. Further damage came from the resignation of justice minister Yasuhiro Hanashi last week for comments seen as making light of his work responsibilities, specifically signing off on executions.

☆ EXCLUSIVE India mills renegotiate, default on sugar export deals to catch rising prices -dealers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The renegotiations and defaults by mills in India, the world's second biggest sugar exporter, could support global prices . Mills started selling sugar to trade houses in late August and signed deals to supply around 2 million tonnes of sugar for export even before New Delhi approved an export quota of 6 million tonnes earlier this month. They are threatening to default unless buyers are ready to renegotiate at higher prices," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. The defaults by mills in Maharashtra are forcing trade houses to make purchases from mills in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, dealers said. Indian mills have so far signed contracts to export 4 million tonnes of sugar during November to February, they said.

☆ Japan's PM Kishida plans to sack justice minister - media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has firmed up his intention to sack his justice minister, media reported on Friday, raising the possibility of a second minister leaving the cabinet because of a scandal in less than a month. Hanashi has come under widespread criticism over comments reported in the media in which he made light of his duties, specifically signing off on executions, which he referred to as "tedious". Hanashi's office declined to comment when asked about the media reports that the prime minister was preparing to sack him. Kishida has struggled to overcome revelations of deep and longstanding ties between the ruling party and the church in following the July assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Economic revitalisation minister Daishiro Yamagiwa resigned on Oct. 24 due to his ties to the religious group.

☆ India and climate change: Can Modi deliver what the world needs?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

By 2030, Modi wants half of India’s energy to come from renewables. The state is fast becoming a hotbed of solar energy, yet is also home to at least seven coal-fired power plants. “Even during Covid it hasn’t stopped.”At COP26, Modi outlined a series of targets for India’s efforts to combat climate change. It’s also a question of funding – investing in renewable energy and other climate change mitigation efforts is expensive. And your other burning questions answered 03:37 - Source: CNNIf India doesn’t receive the financial support it needs, maintaining its pace on developing renewable energy will be difficult.

☆ A Twitter software engineer who created cartoons poking fun at his own company says he was fired because he's a 'troublemaker'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Twitter software engineer said he was fired on Tuesday, just days after Elon Musk took control. Twitter HR last year asked him to take down cartoons he tweeted and published internally. Emmanuel Cornet, who is also known as Manu, joined Twitter last year as a software engineer after leaving Google, where he spent a decade poking fun at the company with his satirical cartoons. Cornet believed it was very unlikely that Twitter fired him for poor performance: "I hope those never come or remain minimal, but the 'poor performance' layoffs haven't started yet." The software engineer gave his cartoon to Elon Musk, to which the billionaire reportedly responded: "Well I bought it anyway."

☆ UK still faces 40 billion pound budget hole - Resolution Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Britain still faces a 40 billion pound ($46 billion) budget hole that will need to be filled by tax rises as well as spending cuts, despite recent U-turns on measures proposed during Liz Truss's short-lived premiership, a think tank said on Tuesday. Previous finance ministers had also left a minimum of 12 billion pounds of leeway to achieve their budget goals, the think tank added. The government is reviewing a previous promise to raise pensions and welfare benefits in line with inflation, which will cost around 9 billion pounds. Around 17 billion pounds of Truss's tax cuts remain in place, largely the reversal of a 15 billion pound rise in payroll taxes introduced by Sunak when he was finance minister. "This reality means that the Autumn Statement is likely to involve tax rises, not just spending cuts."

[1/2] A woman pays tribute near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The initial shock from a deadly crush among Halloween party-goers in South Korea is turning into public outrage over the government's planning missteps, as business owners say police were more focused on crime and COVID than crowd safety. The crush on Saturday night killed 156 and injured 152 as revellers flooded narrow alleyways. Many South Koreans said they were in shock over how a casual night out had turned deadly. I am so sad that I can't even express my sorrow," Kim Keun-nyeo, 54, said an altar near Seoul city hall.

☆ Elon Musk tweeted 'let the good times roll' after buying Twitter. His first day instead saw heads roll, emboldened trolls, and inspired hoaxes.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter staffers feared mass layoffs after Musk fired several top execs. It also didn't take long for speculation to begin about possible layoffs at the company — and for far-right trolls to celebrate with racist tweets. The world's richest man and Tesla CEO tweeted "let the good times roll" on Friday, his first full day as Twitter owner. Needless to say, the first day of Twitter's Musk rule was chaotic. Musk didn't rein in far-right response, nor were fears of mass layoffs tempered within the company.

☆ Fake Spirit Halloween costumes meme parodies pop culture knockoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Spirit Halloween, the iconic costume and prop store, has inspired a slew of memes related to their costumes. Twitter users are now parodying knock-off costumes by adding various pop culture icons to Spirit Halloween packaging and slapping on an absurd (yet usually accurate) name. And the "Our Flag Means Death" version of the ruthless Captain Blackbeard was reduced to "Leather Clad Middle Aged Sad Sack." Spirit Halloween has not yet publicly addressed its widely memed costumes. In a response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the store said, "Stay tuned to our Twitter and Instagram accounts this evening."

☆ St. Louis school shooter obtained a gun after his family worked with police to have one removed from their home, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Months before a 19-year-old shooter opened fire Monday inside a St. Louis high school, his family told police he had a gun, and had it removed from the home, officials said Wednesday. "Every building has weakneses," Sack said, adding that sharing the specifics of how the shooter entered the school could adversely impact the school district. A photo of Alexzandria Bell sits among flowers and candles left as a memorial to the victims of a school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School on Oct. 25, 2022, in St. Louis. Robert Cohen / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via APShooter's mother wanted gun 'out of the house'The shooter's family was “aware” that he had obtained the gun, though it's not clear exactly when he got the weapon, Sack said. He said he believes the firearm the family contacted police about may have been the same AR-15-style rifle he used in the school shooting.

Gun violence happens so often that if it hasn’t affected you directly, it can be easy to become jaded by the horrific details that emerge after a mass shooting. I’m fighting to ban assault weapons because no ordinary citizen needs a weapon that is powerful enough to liquify a person’s organs. Because we did it before with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. And the unfortunate reality is the network of mass shooting survivors is growing. You can help pass a federal assault weapons ban now by doing two things: calling your senators at 202-224-3121 to ask them to support a federal assault weapons ban and voting for gun-sense candidates who will vote yes to pass a federal assault weapons ban.

☆ Juventus crashes out of Champions League to compound season’s woeful start
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Another Champions League defeat, this time a 4-3 loss away to Benfica, ensured Juventus’ exit from the competition at the group stage for the first time in nine years. Juventus faces the prospect of missing out on next season's Champions League. There is no denying the current side is considerably weaker than the Juve teams of recent years, but eighth in Serie A and Champions League misery are still well below this season’s expectations. Samuel Iling-Junior was a bright spark in Juventus' defeat. Juventus’ season is by no means over, but three huge games in the next week against Lecce, PSG and Inter Milan could go a long way to defining its outcome.

☆ St. Louis school shooter may have used gun that police confiscated months ago
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It could have possibly been this gun," Sack said, referring to the AR-15 style rifle used in Monday's shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Sack deflected questions about how Harris entered the school, which was locked at the time, saying only that he had used a "forced entry." After the St. Louis shooting, the suspect's mother told investigators that the family was aware of his mental health issues and had "done everything they possibly could" to get him help, Sack said. That process can be more difficult when a gun is transferred between individuals instead of sold by a licensed dealer. Investigators believe Harris targeted individuals at the school, Sack said, but declined to say if the gunman targeted the 61-year-old teacher or 16-year-old girl who were slain in the attack.

☆ St. Louis school gunman was armed with AR-15-style rifle and over 600 rounds of ammunition, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Mirna Alsharif Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The 19-year-old gunman who killed two people at a St. Louis high school Monday was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and over 600 rounds of ammunition, and left behind a note referencing mass shootings, police said. St. Louis Police on Tuesday showed an image of the rifle used by Orlando Harris, who died after exchanging fire with authorities. People gather outside after a shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts high school in St. Louis on Monday. Jordan Opp / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via APA vigil for the victims of a school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis on Monday. After a gunfight with authorities minutes later, the gunman was taken into custody and later pronounced dead, a St. Louis police official told reporters.

☆ St. Louis school gunman's note describes 'perfect storm' for mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - The teenage gunman who killed a student and a teacher at a St. Louis high school left a note in his car saying his feelings of loneliness were "a perfect storm for a mass shooting," the city's police commissioner said on Tuesday. Describing the handwritten note as a "manifesto," Police Commissioner Michael Sack read a portion of the document to the media at a press conference on Tuesday. "I don't have any friends," Sack quoted the note as saying "I don't have any family. Sack said Harris may have suffered from mental illness and the note shed some light on his state of mind. The shooting is one of many school shootings that have left dozens dead and wounded across the United States this year alone.

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