Tag Archives: Russia

The New York Times — Tuesday, December 26, 2023

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China Quietly Rebuilds Secretive Base for Nuclear Tests

Beijing is investing heavily in the modernization of Lop Nur, a sprawling military site where it long detonated atom bombs and thermonuclear warheads.

A White Christmas in New York City (if You Squint a Little)

It has not snowed in New York in a very long time. But onstage at Lincoln Center, inside a shop display, and in a busker’s saxophone, there are flakes to be found.

In Campus Protests Over Gaza, Echoes of Outcry Over Vietnam

The war in Vietnam ignited a protest movement that helped define a generation. Is the war between Israel and Hamas doing the same thing?

Netanyahu Visits Gaza as Palestinians Mourn an Attack That Officials Say Killed Dozens

The Gazan Health Ministry blamed Israeli airstrikes for the deaths, and Israel’s military said it was reviewing the episode.

The New York Times — Monday, December 25, 2023

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Hoping for Peace With Houthis, Saudis Keep Low Profile in Red Sea Conflict

Riyadh is seeking to avoid getting dragged back into a bloody clash with the Yemeni militia, which has sowed chaos by attacking shipping and firing missiles at Israel.

America’s Truckers Face a Chronic Headache: Finding Parking

A rest area with truck parking on the eastbound side of Interstate 90 near Salem, S.D.

Parking spots for trucks are in short supply around the country, and the problem can lead to unsafe situations for long-haul truck drivers and other motorists.

Christmas Comes Early in Ukraine, but Not a Moment Too Soon

Santa handing out gifts to children on Friday at a festival in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church formally changed the date for celebrating to Dec. 25, departing from the Russian tradition of celebrating on Jan. 7, according to the Julian calendar.

What Went Wrong for Ron DeSantis in 2023

The Florida governor entered the year flush with cash and momentum. In the months since, internal chaos and Donald Trump’s indictments have sapped even his most avid supporters.

Apple’s Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging

Beeper Mini, which offers iPhone messaging on Android phones, has grown fast and its duel with the tech giant has gotten the attention of antitrust regulators.

The New York Times — Sunday, December 24, 2023

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Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia speaking at a rally in February at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory.

Ghosts on the Glacier

Decades after the unexplained deaths of two American climbers in Argentina, a camera belonging to one of them was found in the snow. The film held astonishing images, but the mystery endures.

‘God Is Under the Rubble in Gaza’: Bethlehem’s Subdued Christmas

The war in Gaza has prompted the city, traditionally seen as the birthplace of Jesus, to tone down its Christmas celebrations.

2023 in Photos: A Weary World

Photographers captured historic moments of war, grief and wonder that defined the year.

Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London

Monocle on Saturday, December 23, 2023: Join Simon Brooke and Georgina Godwin as they take a look through the news and culture this festive season.

Plus, discover the stories behind New York’s Rockefeller’s Christmas tree and Quebec City’s Christmas mascot.

The New York Times — Saturday, Dec 23, 2023

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U.N. Passes Resolution on Gaza Aid but Does Not Call for ‘Suspension of Hostilities’

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution, 13-0, on Friday that would allow for more aid to enter Gaza. The United States and Russia abstained.

After a week of heated negotiations, the U.N. Security Council approved a measure that called on Israel and Hamas to pause the fighting to allow for the delivery of more humanitarian aid.

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case on Trump’s Immunity Defense for Now

Any significant delays could plunge the trial into the heart of the 2024 campaign season or push it past the election.

The case will instead first be heard by a federal appeals court, which has put it on a fast track, scheduling arguments for Jan. 9.

Hunter Biden Text Cited in Impeachment Inquiry Is Not What G.O.P. Suggests

A 2019 message from the president’s son alluded to giving his father half his salary. The back story offers unflattering insights into the Biden family but does not support assertions of corruption.

A World Leader on Ukraine, the U.S. Is Now Isolated Over Gaza

The United States finds itself in a defensive crouch and at odds with even staunch allies like France, Canada, Australia and Japan.

The New York Times — Friday, December 22, 2023

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U.S. Says It’s Ready to Back U.N. Resolution to Allow More Aid Into Gaza

U.N. headquarters in New York. Diplomats were working on an aid deal for Gaza.

The timing for a vote on the Security Council resolution was unclear. Diplomats were focused on who would oversee the inspection of aid entering the enclave.

Key Hamas Plotters of Oct. 7 Elude Israel’s Grip on Gaza

Israel has battered Gaza in its quest to destroy Hamas, without finding the commanders it has named as its most important targets.

Live from the Jungle: Migrants Become Influencers on Social Media

TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are transforming global migration, becoming tools of migrants and smugglers alike.

Democrats Keep Hoping It’s Curtains for Trump. He’s Still Center Stage.

As Donald Trump faces a new threat to his political future, this time over the question of ballot eligibility, Democrats again find themselves looking toward American institutions to stop him.

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec 21, 2023

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Gaza Truce Talks Bog Down Over Disputes on Aid Inspections

Diplomats at the Security Council were engaged in intense, behind-the-scenes negotiations on Wednesday over a resolution calling for a pause in fighting in Gaza.

In Cairo and at the U.N., negotiators struggled to come up with plans for pausing the fighting, freeing hostages and speeding up help for Gazans.

Amid Gaza War and Red Sea Attacks, Yemen’s Houthis Refuse to Back Down

Armed men standing on the beach as the commercial ship Galaxy Leader, which was seized by the Houthis last month, was anchored off the coast of Yemen this month.

The militia, which has targeted ships it says are connected to Israel, has vowed not to stop until the siege in Gaza ends and claims that a new U.S.-led maritime task force cannot deter the attacks.

Trump Cases Crashing Into Supreme Court Could Reshape 2024 Election

The ruling that Donald Trump is not eligible for the ballot in Colorado is the latest election-related issue likely to land before the justices. The implications for 2024 could be profound.

Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Babies’ Tongues

Dentists and lactation consultants around the country are pushing “tongue-tie releases” on new mothers struggling to breastfeed.

The Economist Magazine – December 23, 2023 Preview

Holiday double issue

The Economist Magazine (December 20, 2023): The latest issue features the ‘Holiday double issue’; On safari in south Sudan – The planet’s biggest conservation project is in its least developed nation; Global warming and wine – New vineyards are popping up in surprising places; old ones are enduring; Penguins and prejudice in America – When two male penguins hatched an egg in Central Park, they set off an enduring controversy; China’s new love of the beach – China’s beach culture is a microcosm of society…

The US Navy confronts a new Suez crisis

Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping threaten global trade

For the world to prosper, ships must reach their ports. They are most vulnerable when passing through narrow passages, such as the Strait of Malacca or the Panama Canal. So a recent surge of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the only southern conduit into the Suez Canal, poses a grave threat to global trade. The Houthis, militants in Yemen backed by Iran, have fired over 100 drones and missiles at ships linked to more than 35 countries, ostensibly in support of the Palestinians. Their campaign is an affront to the principle of freedom of navigation, which is already at risk from the Black Sea to the South China Sea. America and its allies must deal firmly with it—without escalating the conflict in the Middle East.

Economists had a dreadful 2023

Mistaken recession calls were just part of it

Spare a thought for economists. Last Christmas they were an unusually pessimistic lot: the growth they expected in America over the next calendar year was the fourth-lowest in 55 years of fourth-quarter surveys. Many expected recession; The Economist added to the prognostications of doom and gloom. This year economists must swap figgy pudding for humble pie, because America has probably grown by an above-trend 3%—about the same as in boomy 2005. Adding to the impression of befuddlement, most analysts were caught out on December 13th by a doveish turn by the Federal Reserve, which sent them scrambling to rewrite their outlooks for the new year.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – December 22, 2023

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The Guardian Weekly (December 20, 2023) – The new issue features Two wars and a growing divide between the global west and south. Plus: Best culture of 2023.

World risks new age of empires where might makes right, warns Estonian foreign minister

Margus Tsahkna

International institutions seem powerless in face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, writes Margus Tsahkna, arguing they ‘cannot survive unchanged’

The international rules-based system needs urgent and fundamental change if it is not to collapse, the Estonian foreign minister has said, calling for “a new global conversation” to begin on how to reform the UN and the international criminal court.

Writing in the Guardian on Wednesday, Margus Tsahkna says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted flaws in the system that risk fatally undermining people’s faith in it.

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Elsewhere, we shouldn’t forget there are plenty of reasons for hope. Having been expected to deliver little, the Cop28 climate summit turned out to be full of surprises – but was the final deal on fossil fuels just a ruse, asks environment editor Fiona Harvey.

Writers from the Guardian’s global development team reflect on the inspirational figures they met in 2023, from leaders to dancers to dads, who proved that humanity still has much to give. And leading conservationists and scientists tell us about the mysteries of the planet they wish they better understood.

The review of 2023 continues with the Observer’s selection of those we lost, recalled with affection by their friends. There’s also a dazzling range of images courtesy of the Guardian agency photographers of the year.

Last but not least, the Guardian critics’ top 10 rundowns of the best film and music of 2023, topped off with the Guardian Weekly team’s now-legendary television selections of the year.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec 20, 2023

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Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling

Former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Durham, N.H., last week. His political opponents have sought to keep him off the 2024 presidential ballot by citing the 14th Amendment.

The decision, the first by a court to find that Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again because he engaged in insurrection, is likely to put a monumental case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Red Sea Attacks Pose Another Threat to Global Economy

Ships awaiting passage through the Suez Canal in 2021. When shipping companies avoid the canal, they often must spend millions of dollars more on fuel to transport their goods on longer routes.

Already hampered by problems at the Panama Canal, shipping companies are now steering clear of the Suez Canal to avoid being attacked in the Red Sea.

7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor Camp

A man was abducted by a Chinese gang and forced to work in a scam operation. He gathered financial information, photos and videos and shared the material with The New York Times.

In Iceland, a Fiery Show of Lava and Smoke

Icelanders had been girding for an eruption. When it happened, they wanted to see it.