Category: World

Brussels sends a technical mission to assess the situation in Georgia. The country's president and opposition do not recognize the results due to massive violations and falsifications.

Brussels is sending a "technical mission" of the European External Action Service and the European Commission to Georgia to assess the situation. This was reported by Radio Liberty journalist Rikard Jozwiak, UNN reports.

According to him, the decision was made today at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

In addition, according to him, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus may receive a broader mandate.

Georgian CEC head doused with black paint while approving election resultsNov 16 2024, 10:59 AM • 19670 views

Addendum

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and opposition parties have not recognized the results of the country's parliamentary elections amid hundreds of violations and questions about the secrecy of the vote identified by observers. The Central Election Commission of Georgia and the ruling Georgian Dream party deny any fraud.

Analysts who have analyzed data from polling stations point to anomalies in the distribution of votes that may indicate fraud: ballot stuffing, driving away or bribing voters in rural areas. Similar violations in the Georgian elections were noted by observers.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in its report on the recent elections in Georgia recorded "cases of vote buying, widespread pressure and party-organized intimidation before and during the elections, especially in rural areas.

The non-profit observation organization "Honest Elections" (ISFED) recorded cases of ferrying, bribery and "carousels" among other violations.

The Council of the European Union adopted a decision on 18 November to extend sanctions against Iran for its military support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda, citing the press service for the EU Council

Details: The decision targets the use of ships and ports for the transfer of Iranian-made UAVs, missiles and related technologies and components.

The new measure bans the export, transfer, supply, or sale of components used in the development and production of missiles and UAVs from the EU to Iran.

The EU also imposes a ban on transactions and any operations with ports and locks owned, managed, or controlled by individuals and entities on the sanctions list. This includes access to port and lock infrastructure, such as Amirabad and Anzali, and the provision of any service to ships.

In addition, the EU Council adopted restrictive measures against one individual and four legal entities.

The list contains the shipping company Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its director, Mohammad Reza Khiabani. IRISL is Iran's national maritime carrier, and for many years, its vessels have been involved in transporting drones for the EU-listed Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The EU Council also added three Russian shipping companies – MG Flot, VTS Broker, and Arapax – to the sanctions list. Their vessels are involved in transporting Iranian-made weapons and ammunition across the Caspian Sea, including UAV components, to supply Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

Background:

• In October, the EU announced sanctions against three Iranian airlines, four companies and seven individuals over the supply of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones to Russia.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that his country had not provided ballistic missiles to Russia.

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The soft cheese from Quinta do Pomar was recognized as the best among 4786 cheeses from 47 countries. British cheesemakers were unable to participate due to customs restrictions after Brexit.

Portugal won the World Cheese Awards, while the UK was left without an award due to customs restrictions.

Transmitted by UNN with reference to Euronews.

Details

A soft, buttery sheep's milk cheese from Portugal, made by Spaniard Sonia Marroio for Quinta do Pomar in Serra da Gardunha, has been recognized as the best in the world. The cheese topped the charts at this year's World Cheese Awards ceremony held in Viseu, northern Portugal, beating two Swiss cheeses (Tea Fondada and Alpenhorn Mifroma, which took second and third place), as well as Spanish and American cheeses (La Cava Barus) García-Baquero and Bayley Hazen Blue.

At least 4,786 cheeses from 47 countries were presented at this year's competition, which is considered the largest in the world, and were judged by 240 judges of 40 nationalities.

The judges for this award were experts in the cheese industry: cheese technologists, cheese classifiers, retailers, buyers, chefs and journalists. For about three hours, the cheeses stood on different tables, where the judges evaluated them for appearance, aroma, texture, taste and mouthfeel, and then awarded them with gold, silver, bronze or no medals.

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A curious fact: British cheesemakers were left out of the running after their applications for participation in the competition were subjected to customs inspections after Brexit. As a result of problems with customs, up to 252 cheeses from 67 British producers were affected.

John Farrand, director of the Guild of Fine Foods, said there would be “no delay” until after the UK leaves the EU.

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China is canceling a 13% tax rebate on aluminum and copper exports starting December 1. This led to a drop in the shares of Chinese companies, while their international competitors showed growth.

China's abolition of export tax incentives has forced the aluminum industry to assess the impact on supply flows, with Chinese companies experiencing a sharp drop in shares while their international competitors showed growth, Bloomberg reports, UNN writes.

Details

Beijing unveiled a major overhaul of its export rebate regime late Friday night, announcing plans to eliminate a 13% tax rebate on overseas sales of aluminum, copper, and cut exemptions for batteries and solar panels.

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. and China Hongqiao Group Ltd., the country's two largest aluminum smelters, posted 5% drops in Shanghai and Hong Kong before losses were reversed, while Yunnan Aluminum Co. hit a 10% drop for the day in Shenzhen. Aluminum fell on the London Metal Exchange, losing 5.3% of the growth seen on Friday.

This move by Beijing, which some analysts see as an attempt to reduce China's industrial overcapacity, has had the biggest impact on aluminum among the affected commodities due to the importance of Chinese exports to both the country's producers and global buyers. The tax changes will come into effect on December 1.

The tax adjustment precedes the return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House with a promise to raise tariffs to protect American industry. It was also introduced as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden in Peru, emphasizing China's desire for cooperation between the world's two leading economies.

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“This could be a strategic move that demonstrates China's crucial role in global markets and its ability to influence prices and demand,” ING commodities strategists Ava Manti and Warren Patterson wrote in an email. – “In the short term, the removal of the discounts will make Chinese aluminum more expensive on the international market and could lead to a reduction in exports.

Aluminum on the LME fell 1.6% to $2608.50 per tonne as of 10:03 a.m. local time.

The reaction of the copper market has been less pronounced so far, as China's copper products are not as important to the rest of the world as aluminum supplies. However, there has been a surge in overseas sales of copper products this year.

Zhejiang Hailiang Co., a major producer of copper pipes and rods, said the impact would be limited and the company would respond by accelerating overseas investment in countries such as Vietnam, Germany, the United States, and Morocco.

For solar producers, the long-term impact of the reduction in rebates is likely to be negligible. China dominates global production, so exporters should be able to pass on costs to foreign buyers. This increase will be more than offset by a 30% drop in panel prices over the past year, the publication writes.

Foreign ministers of European Union countries will discuss the latest Russian large-scale missile strike on Ukraine, which largely targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Source: Josep Borrell, European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, ahead of the European Union Council meeting in Brussels

Details: Borrell said that Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Sunday attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in particular will be one of the topics discussed during the meeting.

"Putin answers to any attempt to talk, to negotiate, by launching the heaviest attack against civilian infrastructure, in particular electricity infrastructure. It has been the heaviest attack in months […] It doesn’t look like he’s willing to negotiate, quite the contrary," Borrell said.

Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia launched a total of 210 missiles and drones on Ukraine on the morning of 17 November, with Ukrainian forces intercepting and destroying 144 of them. Air defence systems were responding in most Ukrainian oblasts.

Two people were killed in Odesa Oblast and two – both railway workers – in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Also, a woman was killed in Lviv Oblast.

Eleven people were killed and nearly 90 were injured in a Russian ballistic missile strike on the evening of Sunday, 17 November.

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Germany starts supplying Ukraine with 4000 Mini-Taurus UAVs with artificial intelligence. The drones are able to withstand Russian GPS jamming and can attack important military targets.

Germany starts supplying Ukraine with 4,000 Mini-Taurus UAVs with artificial intelligence, reports Die Bild, UNN reports.

Details

According to Bild, Germany will provide Ukraine with 4,000 so-called “attack drones.” The drones are much more sophisticated than classic kamikaze drones and have a much longer range. According to Bild, they are called “Mini-Taurus” in the industry.

It is noted that Helsing's artificial intelligence-controlled attack drones counter Russian GPS jamming and electronic warfare.

Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he was “very pleased that the delivery of these artificial intelligence attack drones is starting right now. The Ukrainian armed forces can use them to strike at Russian high-value military targets, such as Russian command posts or logistics facilities.

Pistorius had already announced the delivery in June, but without specifying a date.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has admitted that he may have a telephone conversation with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: French newspaper Le Figaro, citing Macron before his departure from Buenos Aires, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The French president stressed that he had "never ruled out" resuming talks with the Kremlin leader.

At the same time, Macron emphasised that he would do so "when the context and conditions are right".

In light of the latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine, Macron said Putin "does not want peace" and "is not ready for negotiations".

"After this attack, one of the most intense since the beginning of the war, I believe it's clear that Putin's intention is to intensify the fighting," he said.

In this context, Macron added, "we must fulfil our obligations to the Ukrainians; in other words, allow them to fight this war by supplying weapons and equipment".

Commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call to Putin, Macron said, "I think that every leader is absolutely free to take their own initiatives".

Background:

• On the afternoon of 15 November, it was reported that Scholz had spoken to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years. At the time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labelled the call a "Pandora's box".
• In his turn, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that the latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine proved the ineffectiveness of telephone diplomacy.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated that he had no plans to speak to Putin himself.

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Angelina Jolie and her 16-year-old son Knox attended the Governors Awards in Los Angeles. The actress shone in a gold and silver dress, while her son, who looks very much like his father, appeared in a tuxedo.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie and her son Knox Jolie-Pitt, who is rarely seen at public events with his mother and “looks like a young Brad Pitt,” attended the Governors Awards on Sunday, UNN reports citing the Daily Mail.

Details

The 48-year-old actress and her 16-year-old son, whom she has with ex-husband Brad Pitt, effortlessly attracted attention on the Ray Dolby Ballroom red carpet with their impressive style.

Jolie dazzled in a shimmering gold and silver sleeveless gown, exuding Hollywood glamor, while large diamond earrings and a matching necklace added the perfect touch of sparkle.

Her newly bleached curls were pulled back into a chic bun, and she laughed easily with Knox, who looked impressive in a tuxedo.

As the duo posed for photos, Knox, towering over his mother with a striking resemblance to his idol father Brad Pitt, made a grand impression.

Notable was the absence of his siblings, making this mother-son moment a rare one at this star-studded event.

The couple has socialized with Hollywood celebrities including Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, and Elizabeth Olsen, among many others.

The event, organized by the Academy's Board of Governors, honors the late Quincy Jones, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, director Richard Curtis and casting director Juliet Taylor.

Angelina Jolie's release comes as the actress continues to promote her latest film, Maria, a biopic about opera legend Maria Callas that has already sparked Oscar talk. The long-awaited film will be released in theaters in November and will be available on Netflix in December.

The death toll in Sumy following the Russian attack on 17 November has risen to 11.

Source: Suspilne with reference to Acting Sumy Mayor Artem Kobzar

Details: A 9-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl are among the deceased.

The number of casualties has increased to 68, including 10 children.

Background:

• A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential building in Sumy on the evening of 17 November. Ten people are reported to have been killed, including two children, and more than 50 injured.

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