NewspaperGuru – World News

Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

  • Canada applies sanctions on 9 Russians involved in torture and killing of Ukrainians

    Canada applies sanctions on 9 Russians involved in torture and killing of Ukrainians

    On Tuesday 10 December, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the application of sanctions against those complicit in Russia's human rights atrocities against Ukrainians.

    Source: Canada’s Foreign Ministry, as reported by European Pravda

    Details: The new Canadian sanctions apply to nine individuals involved in the use of torture and other cruel treatment against detained citizens of Ukraine, in particular prisoners of war and civilians.

    These are officials and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, the Federal Security Service and the National Guard of Russia, whose complicity in the torture of Ukrainians has been "well-documented."

    Quote: "We will continue to work with the international community to draw attention and expose the Putin regime's ongoing violations of human rights and pressure Russia to end its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine," Jolie said.

    Background:

    • Since 2014, Canada has sanctioned approximately 3,000 individuals and businesses for their role in violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as severe and systematic violations of human rights.
    • In June, Canada introduced sanctions against individuals and legal entities involved in disinformation and propaganda activities, as well as Russian military-industrial complex firms.
    • Previously, the Canadian authorities sentenced 13 Russians for the killing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison and the continuation of grave and systemic human rights violations in the Russian Federation.

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  • Deficit for the fifth year in a row: due to the drought in Brazil, arabica prices hit a record high

    Deficit for the fifth year in a row: due to the drought in Brazil, arabica prices hit a record high

    Deficit for the fifth year in a row: due to the drought in Brazil, arabica prices hit a record high

    Due to the prolonged drought in Brazil, production of Arabica coffee will fall to 34.4 million bags. The global coffee shortage will continue for the fifth year in a row. This has already led to a historic high in prices since 1972.

    Global coffee production may significantly lag behind demand in the 2025-2026 season: a major trader Volcafe Ltd. has lowered its forecast for coffee production in Brazil, which threatens to further hit consumers' pockets.

    Reports UNN with reference to Bloomberg.

    Volcafe Ltd. one of the world's largest coffee sellers has lowered its forecast for Brazilian Arabica production. This was influenced by the situation of a prolonged drought in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer.

    A crop tour revealed the severity of the prolonged drought. The country will produce only 34.4 million bags of Arabica beans.. This is about 11 million bags less than in September, according to the presentation,

    – says the Volcafe report.

    It is also noted that global coffee production will lag behind global consumption by 8.5 million bags in the 2025/26 season. Experts remind that this will be the 5th consecutive year with a shortage in the coffee market.

    Inventory reduction- high price prospects

    A series of poor coffee harvests in key producing countries has led to a decline in global coffee stocks over the past four years. This, in turn, will affect prices – according to Bloomberg, we are talking about achieving a new record in the price segment.

    The new car market has cooled down: sales fell by almost a third in a monthOct 1 2024, 12:03 PM • 12466 views

    Amid crop failures among key producers, Arabica futures rose by more than 80% in 2024.

    On Tuesday, they rose 5.5%, reaching the highest level in history since 1972.

    Rising coffee prices may lead to further increases in costs. Manufacturers will be forced to shift them to consumers. Faced with a squeeze, sellers have already raised prices and dropped discounts to protect their margins.

    – Bloomberg notes.

    Market situation

    When prices rise, brokers require producers and exporters to deposit more cash in the form of margin deposits to cover possible losses.

    At the same time, some traders who have sold futures are forced to buy them back to leave the market – this leads to an even greater increase in prices in a vicious circle.

    addition

    Meanwhile, according to the EFE, the world's largest coffee producer and supplier, Brazil, exported 46.4 million 60 – kilogram bags of grain between January and November 2024.

    Revenues from the sale of Brazilian coffee in the period from January to November were a record – 11.302 billion US dollars. This is 22.3% more than in the whole of last year.

    The results were also significant, given the constant problems of Port Logistics, which forced exporters to face "millions of additional costs to overcome the lack of infrastructure," according to the material.

  • Russia could swap North Korean soldiers for Su-27s and MiG-29s, US officer says

    Russia could swap North Korean soldiers for Su-27s and MiG-29s, US officer says

    Russia could swap North Korean soldiers for Su-27s and MiG-29s, US officer says

    Russia may have transferred MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets to North Korea in exchange for North Korean soldiers, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said on Dec. 8, according to Aviation Week Network.

    Paparo also noted that North Korea likely seeks additional military capabilities from Russia, including ballistic missile technology, reentry vehicles, submarine technology, and air defense systems.

    Aviation Week highlighted that the transfer of MiG-29s and Su-27s would significantly upgrade North Korea’s air force, which currently relies on aging Soviet-era aircraft.

    Defense Express says North Korea possesses 18 MiG-29s, 34 Su-25s, and a variety of older MiG models, many of which may be non-operational.

    According to the publication, the extent of Russia’s aircraft transfers will depend on its current inventory, which reportedly included 185 MiG-29 and Su-27 as of early 2024.

    North Korea’s strengthening military ties with Russia have drawn international scrutiny. During a Nov. 30 meeting with a Russian defense delegation, Kim Jong Un reaffirmed North Korea’s "invariable support" for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    This cooperation has also included the deployment of North Korean soldiers.

    The Ukrainian National Resistance Center reported that North Korean troops, numbering between 10,000 and 12,000, have been stationed at observation posts and checkpoints in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

    Chinese exports to Russia decrease for first time in 4 months, Reuters reportsThe decrease of 10.5% compared to November 2023 marks the first drop since July, Reuters writes.Russia could swap North Korean soldiers for Su-27s and MiG-29s, US officer saysThe Kyiv IndependentMartin FornusekRussia could swap North Korean soldiers for Su-27s and MiG-29s, US officer says
  • Zelensky offers partners to buy up to 12 additional Patriot systems for Russian frozen assets

    Zelensky offers partners to buy up to 12 additional Patriot systems for Russian frozen assets

    Zelensky offers partners to buy up to 12 additional Patriot systems for Russian frozen assets

    The president said that 10-12 additional Patriot systems would be able to fully protect Ukraine's skies. He proposed to purchase them at the expense of frozen Russian assets worth 30 billion.

    10-12 additional Patriot systems will ensure Ukraine's life and make the war meaningless for Putin, and they can be purchased at the expense of frozen Russian assets. This was stated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UNN reports.

    "The main security guarantees for us today, if we are not talking about strategy, but about tactics, about what will now save lives, first of all for Ukrainians – and as you can see, they are hitting everyone, not just Ukrainians – these are certainly air defense systems. Everyone understands that 10-12 Patriot systems will additionally provide us with life for Ukraine and make the war meaningless for Putin. Because if our sky is completely protected, they have no advantage in the sky. No cockpit missiles – any ballistic missiles, etc. – will be able to hit the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, nor the energy sector, nor our hospitals, schools, universities," Zelensky said.

    He noted that he does not understand why partners cannot take funds from frozen Russian assets in order to purchase such systems for Ukraine.

    "I really sometimes don't understand whether one system costs 1.5 billion rubles. Please take this money from Russian assets – 30 billion rubles. It will cost 30 billion rubles, but completely, finally, close our sky," Zelensky added.

    Recall

    Doctors were able to resuscitate one of the victims, who was found dead during the search operation as a result of the strike on Zaporozhye.

    As a result of the strike on Zaporozhye, it is now known about 16 victims, they receive medical care. At least eight more people are under the rubble of the building destroyed as a result of the impact.

  • PL winner claims it was the ‘craziest move’ after Chelsea hijacked Liverpool, Arsenal target

    PL winner claims it was the ‘craziest move’ after Chelsea hijacked Liverpool, Arsenal target

    Chelsea Remy Matic

    The life of a footballer can be very difficult at times, especially when being hurled abuse at from the stands, and more frequently today, on social media.

    Players can endure tough periods differently however, with failing a medical one of the reasons as to why a footballer could go into limbo.

    A failed medical would have a player puzzles, not knowing what was next, and that was the case for Loic Remy after failing his Liverpool medical in 2014, though he signed for Chelsea just weeks later.

    Remy tells the story of how he’d completed almost everything a player would ahead of a move, even taking the pictures where he held a Liverpool scarf.

    Remy said: “Signing for Chelsea was the craziest move of my career, that’s for sure.

    “I can remember being on holiday, back in my home country, on a small island, and my agent gave me a call to tell me that Liverpool wanted to sign me.

    “They were training in Boston for pre-season. That was fantastic news for me, so I asked him about the next steps.

    “My agent told me what I needed to do and where I needed to go, but at the time, I didn’t have my passport on me, so I couldn’t make it to Boston.

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    “At the time, my agent was the same as Patrice Evra’s – so Patrice’s brother went to Lyon, my hometown, to get my passport, I then travelled all the way to Paris, and met Patrice’s brother there, he gave me the passport and I flew straight to Boston.

    “We arrived, me and my agent, and it all felt like a dream – it was happening so quickly. I met all the guys, started doing my interviews, and had a medical, but something was wrong.

    “I didn’t know what was wrong, but they said I just needed to wait for a couple of days. At this moment, I was a Liverpool player as far as I was concerned, because I’d done the interviews, and I still have a picture of myself on my phone, holding their scarf!

    “It was a very proud moment for me, but two days later I found out that there was a problem with my medical, and the deal was off – they didn’t want to take the risk, and while I was so disappointed, I accepted it and went back to London, ready to start training with QPR again.

    “And then, Chelsea called my agent and said they wanted to sign me. They asked if I was available, which I was, and so we went to Cobham to do my medical.

    “It’s funny, because just before we signed, my agent had a call from Arsenal, who were asking whether I’d signed or not. “No, no, he’s on his way to sign now. Tell him not to sign – we want him!”

    “My agent told me this, and the market was so close to closing, and so he gave me the choice between Chelsea and Arsenal.

    “In the end, I went with Chelsea because I just thought that Arsenal should have manifested themselves long before the end of the transfer window.

    “I was already at Cobham, ready to sign with Chelsea, had passed my medical, so I decided I wasn’t going to change my mind.

    “A mistake, or not? I don’t think it was; at the end of the day, I won titles with Chelsea, but yes, it was a very complicated move behind the scenes!”

    Despite Liverpool being the ones to trigger Remy’s £8.5m release clause, it was Stamford Bridge where the Frenchman ended up, scoring 12 goals in 47 games, winning the Premier League under Jose Mourinho.

  • Telegram in Ukraine: between popularity and threat to national security

    Telegram in Ukraine: between popularity and threat to national security

    Telegram in Ukraine: between popularity and threat to national security

    Ukrainian officials are discussing possible restrictions on Telegram due to its potential threats. According to intelligence reports, the messenger is used for cyberattacks and to adjust missile strikes, although it is used by 70% of Ukrainians.

    According to intelligence reports, Telegram can be used not only as the main source of news and communication, but also for cyberattacks, espionage, and missile strike targeting. At cybersecurity meetings, Ukrainian officials have discussed imposing new restrictions on the popular messenger.

    Передаю це з рук в руки "Нью-Йорк Таймс".

    The cross-platform Telegram messenger remains extremely popular among Ukrainians: about 70% of Ukrainian citizens use it as the main source of news.

    But what makes Telegram so powerful also makes it a threat, Ukrainian officials said.

    At secret cybersecurity meetings this year, Ukrainian officials discussed setting new restrictions on Telegram, two people familiar with the discussions said.

    Help

    The commitment of Ukrainians to Telegram began in 2017. Then Ukraine banned the Russian-controlled social network Vkontakte, which was used to spread Russian disinformation and propaganda. Telegram's popularity increased during Mr. Zelensky's presidential election in 2019.

    Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of digital transformation of Ukraine, said in a 2020 interview that he regularly communicated with Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram.

    In 2022, just before the Russian invasion, Ukrainian intelligence warned President Zelensky about the risk of Russian influence.

    In recent years, Ukrainian officials have increased their criticism of Telegram. They say that Pavel Durov's Messenger has few fences, in particular, there is no algorithm that would determine what people see.

    There is also a small content moderation – on the one hand, it allows you to quickly spread a life-saving warning, but it also exposes the app to exploitation.

    Broadcast features allow users to quickly share text, videos, and files with large groups.

    Ukrainian intelligence concluded that the application posed a threat to national security and was used by Russia for disinformation, cyber attacks, hacking, distribution of malicious software, location tracking and correction of missile strikes.

    Fraudsters use AI in messengers: the State Special Communications Service explained how to protect yourselfNov 11 2024, 11:19 AM • 15787 views

    Earlier this year, Ukraine asked Apple to intervene in connection with the detection of significant amounts of misinformation in Telegram. The government has asked the tech giant to use its leverage to push Telegram to remove some fake accounts managed from Russia. By April, Telegram had deleted the accounts.

    But there was also a reverse step: Telegram briefly blocked several Ukrainian government accounts that allowed citizens to share information about the movement of Russian troops. Ukrainian officials took this step as a barely veiled warning: too much pressure on the company can cost.

    Regarding Durov's response:

    Telegram denies links to Russia. It is indicated that the platform "has always been safe for Ukrainians." Representatives of the messenger claim that cases of information leaks are the result of physical confiscation of devices or infection with malicious software.

    The company also announced the introduction of new tools to combat disinformation, in particular fact-checking functions.

    Entertainment content outstrips news in terms of popularity on the web, Telegram leads among messengers – researchNov 21 2024, 10:38 AM • 117776 views

  • Israel claims to destroy Syrian navy, strengthens positions in buffer zone near Golan Heights

    Israel claims to destroy Syrian navy, strengthens positions in buffer zone near Golan Heights

    Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that during the night of 9-10 December, Israeli Navy missile ships destroyed the Syrian navy as part of a large-scale operation to eliminate strategic threats to the country.

    Source: The Times of Israel with reference to the statement of the minister during his visit to the naval base in Haifa

    Details: According to the publication, Katz mentioned in his remark that Israeli troops are stationed in the buffer zone between Syria and the Golan Heights.

    He also emphasised the establishment of a "sterile defence zone" in southern Syria to prevent terrorist attacks while avoiding a permanent Israeli presence in the area.

    Previously: CNN stated that on 10 December in Geneva, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen urged Israel to stop attacking Syria, which is recovering from the Assad regime's rule.

    According to The Times of Israel, citing two regional security sources and one Syrian source, the Israeli military penetrated deep into Syria, with IDF tanks spotted 25 kilometres from the Syrian capital Damascus.

    Background:

    • On 8 December, US President Joe Biden announced that the United States had carried out airstrikes in Syria to prevent the Islamic State from regaining power following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
    • On the morning of 8 December, Syrian insurgents declared the liberation of Damascus. Assad fled the country.
    • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the regime change in Syria "good news", while French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fall of a "barbaric state". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated the downfall of Assad's "barbaric regime".
    • In the evening, Russian state-owned news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow and Russia has granted them asylum.

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  • Moldova prepares for an energy emergency: how the lights will be turned off

    Moldova prepares for an energy emergency: how the lights will be turned off

    Moldova prepares for an energy emergency: how the lights will be turned off

    The Government of Moldova has developed an action plan in case of an energy emergency due to the suspension of gas transit from the Russian Federation through Ukraine. The plan identifies "vital" institutions that will not be disconnected from the power supply.

    The Government of Moldova has prepared an action plan in case of the introduction of a state of emergency in the energy sector due to the future termination of the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. On December 16, the Prime Minister of the country, Dorin Reșan, plans to address the parliament with a request to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector. This is reported by UNN with reference to NewsMaker.

    Details

    The action plan in case of emergencies in the energy sector of Moldova provides that hospitals, the airport, national television, as well as the parliament, government and the administration of the president will become "vital" institutions that cannot be disconnected from electricity.

    "Critical consumers are end consumers who must be provided with electricity as a priority, depending on technical capabilities. The rest of the consumers who are not in this category are provided with electricity on equal and non-discriminatory terms, to the extent that the technical capabilities of the system operators allow. But their power grids can be disconnected in exceptional situations in the energy sector", the project states.

    According to the document, the authorities will compile lists of vital institutions. These include hospitals, the National Center for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Care, the National Blood Transfusion Center, orphanages, kindergartens, energy facilities, dispatch centers for water, gas and heat suppliers.

    The list will also include the buildings of the government, parliament, the administration of the president, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Information and Security Service, the Customs Service and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. The airport, the "Railway", national television, and urban electric power supply stations will also not be left without electricity.

    The government will consider the project at a meeting on December 11.

    Reminder

    The Prime Minister of the country, Dorin Reșan, intends to address the parliament on December 16 with a request to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector due to the termination of the transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine on December 31.

    Moldova receives gas from Russia under a contract that is valid until the end of October 2026. Since the fall of 2022, Gazprom has limited gas supplies to 5.7 million cubic meters per day, which is much less than Moldova's consumption in the winter period. As a result, since the end of last year, all Russian gas has been sent to Transnistria, where it is used for electricity generation at the Moldavskaya GRES, and the rest for domestic needs.

    At the end of November, Energy Minister Victor Parlicov met in St. Petersburg with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and discussed gas supplies to Moldova after the termination of transit through Ukraine. Afterwards, he reported that Gazprom is ready to supply gas to Transnistria via an alternative route in the event of the termination of transit through Ukraine. However, the Russian side made it clear that this issue is linked to the payment of the historical debt of Moldovagaz. Moldova recognizes the results of an international audit, which showed that the debt is $8.6 million. The Russian side does not agree with the conclusions.

    The minister stressed that the risk of a gas crisis on the Left Bank of the Dniester remains quite real.

    From January 1, the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine will stop – Ministry of energyDec 4 2024, 01:45 PM • 18016 views

  • Taurus delivery to Ukraine should be coordinated with US, European partners, German opposition leader says

    Taurus delivery to Ukraine should be coordinated with US, European partners, German opposition leader says

    Taurus delivery to Ukraine should be coordinated with US, European partners, German opposition leader says

    German Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz would closely coordinate the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine with the U.S. and European partners, he said in an interview with Bild on Dec. 9.

    According to Merz, training the Ukrainian personnel for these missiles would take at least four months and would not be completed before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

    "And that is why I advocate answering these questions together with the Americans. Not alone, not in Germany, but together with Europe and America," Merz told Bild during his visit to Kyiv.

    Trump's return to the White House is causing concern among Kyiv's partners in Europe as the president-elect signaled a decrease in military support for Ukraine.

    Merz, whose conservative CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls ahead of the February elections, arrived in Ukraine's capital for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, promising a more decisive strategy on long-range strikes against Russia.

    "We want your army to be capable of hitting military bases in Russia. Not the civilian population, not infrastructure, but the military targets from which your country is being attacked," Merz said.

    Merz previously voiced support for providing Ukraine with the Taurus missiles, a step Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to take, fearing it would draw Germany into war.

    Talking to Bild, Merz nevertheless said that the Swedish-German cruise missiles with a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles) would not be a "miraculous" game-changer in the war.

    The politician also stressed he agrees with Scholz that Germany must not become a party at war, but he pointed out that neither the U.K. nor the U.S. became belligerents when lifting restrictions on the weapons they provided.

    Ukraine fields U.S. ATACMS and the SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles from France and the U.K., with Washington and London only recently permitting strikes within Russian territory.

    German opposition leader vows Ukraine won’t fight one-handedDuring his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany’s next chancellor, condemned the German government’s hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles.Taurus delivery to Ukraine should be coordinated with US, European partners, German opposition leader saysThe Kyiv IndependentOlena GoncharovaTaurus delivery to Ukraine should be coordinated with US, European partners, German opposition leader says
  • The number of victims of the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhya increased to 14

    The number of victims of the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhya increased to 14

    The number of victims of the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhya increased to 14

    A Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia injured 14 people. Three of the dead were killed, a private clinic was hit.

    As a result of the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhya, the number of victims increased to 14, said the head of Zaporizhzhya RMA Ivan Fedorov, reports UNN.

    "… as of now, the number of victims has increased to 14 people," Fedorov said.

    In addition, the head of the RMA showed what the center of Zaporozhye looks like after the Russian strike.

    The number of wounded in Zaporizhzhia is growing due to the Russian strike: two doctors were injuredDec 10 2024, 02:20 PM • 7322 views

    Earlier it was reported that as a result of a Russian missile strike on a private clinic in Zaporozhye, three people were killed from.