Category: World

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog has canceled his visit to the UN climate conference in Baku because Turkey refused to grant him permission to fly over. Officially, the reason for the cancellation was “security concerns.

Turkey did not allow the plane of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to fly over, which is why he canceled his visit to the UN climate conference in Baku. This was reported by Milliyet, according to UNN.

It is noted that Herzog canceled his planned visit to the UN climate conference, which was held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.

The reason for canceling the visit was “security concerns” that arose after the situation was assessed.

However, according to the Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, sources in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced that the real reason is that Turkey did not allow the Israeli presidential plane Wing of Zion to pass through its airspace.

Recall

Turkish President Erdogan called on the international community to stop Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, comparing him to Hitler. He proposed to consider coercive measures against Israel at the UN General Assembly.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Sunday's massive Russian attack on Ukraine as the answer to everyone who was attempting to achieve something through calls and efforts to appease Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: Zelenskyy's evening address

Quote: "Today marked one of the largest and most dangerous Russian attacks in the entire war. Two hundred and ten drones and missiles launched simultaneously – including hypersonic and aeroballistic ones. Fortunately, most of the targets were intercepted. Russia aimed for energy and critical infrastructure.

And this is the answer to all those who wanted to achieve something with Putin through conversations, phone calls, hugs – appeasement. Today, this ‘dove of peace’ sent us yet another barrage of Kinzhal and Kalibr missiles. That’s his diplomacy. His language is treachery."

Details: Zelenskyy highlighted that during the repulsion of the large-scale Russian attack, "Patriot systems performed brilliantly today. The F-16s also showed their worth intercepting missiles."

Quote: "Special thanks to all our partners who help us with air defence systems and missiles. This is truly a global effort. Every time such Russian strikes take place, we see how important it is that our partners do not leave Patriots and other systems in warehouses somewhere, but transfer them to exactly those people who can protect lives and need them. We still haven’t received all the systems we need from our partners. But we’re continuing to work on that. Once we have what’s needed, repelling these attacks will be even more comprehensive."

Zelenskyy added that recovery efforts are ongoing in four oblasts. Over a million people were cut off from electricity this morning, but now that number has been significantly reduced.

"We will definitely respond to the occupier. And we must withstand the pressure now. Any pressure. Any strikes. So that next year, we can achieve our goal. So that we achieve peace," the president said.

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TikTok's parent company reached a record $300 billion valuation during a share buyback. ByteDance may lose the US market if it does not sell TikTok by mid-January.

TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is currently valued at about $300 billion, one of the highest valuations for a Chinese tech company, even as it struggles to keep its popular social network alive in the United States. This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to the WSJ, UNN reports.

Details

The valuation was made during a recent share buyback offer, the newspaper said, citing anonymous sources. TikTok will be banned in the United States under federal law if ByteDance does not sell the app to an American owner by mid-January.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ByteDance's value has been growing due to several share buybacks. Thus, in October 2023, the company was valued at almost $225 billion as part of a tender offer for employees. In December 2023, the buyout raised the valuation to $268 billion, as evidenced by the company's email to investors, which was seen by journalists.

President-elect Donald Trump had previously supported the ban on TikTok, but has recently expressed the view that it is a bad idea. While it will be a difficult process to lift or mitigate the ban, Trump's election victory "greatly improves the outlook for TikTok – there's no doubt about that.

– Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel of the National Security Agency, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The founder of the company that owns TikTok has become the richest man in China – ReutersOct 29 2024, 06:59 PM • 19693 views

A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential building in Sumy on the evening of 17 November.

Source: Artem Kobzar , acting Mayor of Sumy, in a video on Telegram; Sumy City Council

Quote: "Another ballistic missile strike in the city of Sumy targeting a residential building.

We are heading to the site of the strike together with a representative of the Red Cross; more updates will follow."

Details: The Sumy City Council reported that the Russians carried out a missile strike on Sumy in the evening.

"All necessary services are working at the site of the strike. The emergency response headquarters is setting up its operations at Kindergarten No. 9," the city council stated.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi with winds of up to 230 km/h is approaching the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Authorities are evacuating more than 500,000 people due to the threat of catastrophic storm surges and devastating floods.

On Sunday, a super typhoon is approaching the largest island of the Philippines, and more than half a million people will seek shelter. UNN writes about this with reference to CNN.

Details

Super typhoon Man-i, also known as Pepito, made landfall for the first time on the coast of the island province of Catanduanes on Saturday evening and then headed offshore toward the main island of Luzon. It is expected to make landfall on Sunday evening. The storm is expected to bring several meters of potentially catastrophic storm surges, damaging winds and power outages, severe flooding and landslides across a large area of eastern Luzon.

Man-i is the fourth strong typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than two weeks. The storm is predicted to make landfall farther south than the previous three, and therefore will affect many more people. Man-i is expected to weaken considerably as it passes through Luzon, home to more than half of the country's population. But it will still create a potentially dangerous and life-threatening situation.

Tropical storm in the Philippines: death toll rises, threat of returnOct 25 2024, 03:24 PM • 13847 views

Experts say that the maximum wind speed in the center of Man-yi is 185 kilometers per hour, and gusts reach 230 kilometers per hour – the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.

On the eve of Man-i's arrival, more than 500 thousand people were evacuated in the Bicol region of Luzon. This number is expected to grow.

Earlier, at least 26 thousand people in the northern province of Samar were evacuated on Friday and Saturday. Another 18 thousand people were previously evacuated from the provinces of Eastern Samar and Samar.

Seven dead in the Philippines after storm EvignardMay 28 2024, 11:32 AM • 18363 views

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Last week, Typhoon Yinxing hit the northeast of the Philippines with winds equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane. There were no casualties, but the storm brought heavy rains, storm surges and landslides.

Experts warn that Southeast Asia is already one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions, making it more susceptible to extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, storm surges, and flooding.

This year, the Philippine capital of Manila and parts of Luzon were hit by devastating floods from Typhoon Hemi in July. In September, the country was also hit by the powerful Typhoon Yagi, which killed dozens of peopleas it swept through southern China and Southeast Asia.

Cuba was left without electricity again amid hurricaneNov 7 2024, 02:19 PM • 14210 views

Moldova's Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi has confirmed that Russian missiles and drones violated the country's airspace on the morning of 17 November.

Source: Popșoi on X (Twitter), reported by European Pravda

We strongly condemn the violation of Moldova’s airspace by Russia’s missiles and drones targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure today. Explosions near our border and sightings of low-flying drones over villages underscore the risks to our people from Russia’s brutal war. pic.twitter.com/WFa4OX46cr

— Mihai Popșoi (@MihaiPopsoi) November 17, 2024

Details: Foreign Minister also posted a video capturing the sound of missiles flying overhead.

Quote: "We strongly condemn the violation of Moldova's airspace by Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Explosions near our border and drones flying low over our villages highlight the risks posed to our citizens by Russia's brutal war."

Details: The footage, originally posted by Popșoi was shared by NordNews, which reported that it was sent by a resident of Ruseni village in Edineț District. The sender said that the missiles flew at low altitudes and the sound was recorded by surveillance cameras.

The Moldovan government’s Prima Sursă Telegram channel reported that several Russian drones may have breached Moldova's airspace. Due to their low altitude, they were not detected by radar systems. The statement also mentioned sightings of a missile on the Ukrainian side near Larga in Briceni District.

Background:

• On 10 November, Moldova identified two drones in Căușeni and Rîșcani Districts. Subsequently, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry handed a protest note to the Russian ambassador.
• Later, Moldovan authorities discovered a third drone on the outskirts of Coșernița village. Moldova has previously reported finding wreckage from drones used in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine.

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Robert Habeck became the Green Party's candidate for chancellor, receiving 96.5% of the vote at the party conference. He will campaign together with Annalena Burbock, and the party can count on 12% of the vote.

Following the party conference, the Greens nominated Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck as their candidate for the post of chancellor in the federal elections. UNN reports with reference to Spiegel.

Details

The Green Party, which according to polls could take up to 12% of the vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections, has elected Robert Habeck as its candidate for chancellor. He received 96.5% of the vote at the party conference. He is to lead the election campaign in a duo with current Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock.

I am running to make a difference for the Greens, for the people of Germany

– Habek said in his speech to about 800 delegates.

Habeck also defended the policies of the Greens in the government coalition and criticized the previous government's policies on energy and russia.

Recall

Recently, Robert Habeck announced his readiness to cooperate with all parties after the collapse of the "traffic light" coalition.

Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union will also run for chancellor . Recently, he gave a speechin which he indicated that he plans to act decisively on the russian-Ukrainian war, and by supporting Kyiv, he is ready to issue an ultimatum to the Kremlin.

German Vice Chancellor Habeck says support for Ukraine is insufficient: calls for more helpMay 13 2024, 01:47 PM • 18692 views

On the morning of 17 November, Russian forces struck a car with a drone in Dniprovskyi district of Kherson, killing three people.

Source: Roman Mrochko, Head of Kherson City Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: Authorities say a man, 58, and a woman aged 51 were killed.

Two other men, 37 and 39, received a blast injury and shrapnel wounds. They are in the hospital now.

Later, a bus was also attacked by the Russian forces in Kherson's Korabelnyi district.

The glass in the vehicle was shattered by debris, however neither the driver nor the passengers were wounded.

Later, a woman, 67, sought medical attention after being injured in a Russian attack in Kherson about 14:30.

Doctors diagnosed her with a blast injury.

Update: Mrochko later reported the third victim of Russian attack on Kherson: a 52-year-old man was killed in the Tsentralnyi district of Kherson after around 15 hours. As a result of the Russian attack, he suffered a blast injury that killed him.

Mrochko also reported another injured individual, a 70-year-old woman. At 15:30, she was injured by Russian bombardment in the city's Tsentralnyi district. The woman sustained a contusion, as well as a blast and closed head injury. The victim was inside when the attack occurred.
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A dead belted fish, considered a mythical harbinger of natural disasters, has been found on the coast of California. This is only the second case in three months and the 21st since 1901.

It is believed that the rare belted fish can bring huge natural disasters. It appeared for the second time in three months on the coasts of the US state of California.

Writes UNN with reference to NBC news.

A long, ribbon-like strapfish, rarely seen and considered a harbinger of disaster, washed up on the shores of California for the second time this year.

According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the belted fish was found dead on the rocky shore of Grandview Beach in Encinitas last week.

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The crested herring (Regalecus glesne) or belt fish is a semi-deepwater fish found in warm to moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its physical characteristics and undulating swimming style have led to speculation that this fish species may be the source of many sightings of the so-called “sea kite”.

According to the Scripps Institution, the belt fish is an incredibly rare creature.

Since 1901, only 21 belted fish have been recorded on the shores of California.

There is a popular belief that has become known over the years, especially widespread in Japan and other coastal cultures, that links the appearance of a particular fish to natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 occurred in CubaNov 10 2024, 09:54 PM • 19592 views

Airbnb paid $1.5 million to rent the Colosseum for the Gladiatorial Experience in May 2025. The project has sparked outrage among locals, who accuse the authorities of over-commercializing the historic site.

In Italy, there is public outrage over the Colosseum's state administration's permission for the American company Airbnb to rent the ancient Roman architectural monument for two days of advertising.

Transmits to UNN with a link to Wired and Spiegel.

Details

Online accommodation provider Airbnb has rented the Colosseum from the Italian state for two nights for $1.5 million (over 1.4 million euros) to

Hold a PR campaign called Gladiatorial Experience.

The event is scheduled to take place on May 7 and 8, 2025: it is expected to allow 16 participants, divided into eight pairs, to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of ancient Rome. The event is free of charge, but requires booking through the Airbnb website.

But local civic initiatives are outraged by the American company's project.

The initial indignation grew into a real uprising against the Airbnb gladiators – now the Colosseum's state administration is accused of betraying all its promises to regulate mass tourism.

The Association of Residents of the Historic Center of Rome, calls Airbnb's PR performance “shameful” because it “contributes to the destruction of history and human lives.

Others complain about the commercialization of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Airbnb claims that it wants to improve Europe's cultural heritage, a project in which the platform has already invested nearly €10 million in restoration and donations. The agreement will actually serve the Colosseum to reconstruct its museum grounds.

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The famous Colosseum in Rome is one of the most prominent cultural monuments. The Flavian Amphitheater (as it was called by the ancient Romans) was built in 80 AD. The Colosseum operated from 80 to 404, mainly as a place for gladiatorial fights, spectacular animal battles, and public executions.

In addition to gladiatorial battles, the Colosseum also hosted naval battles. It was an amazing show, for which the arena was flooded and detailed reconstructions of warships were used. Preparation required a lot of investment and scope, so sea battles were held only in the Colosseum.

Around the 8th century, the Colosseum was abandoned and was crumbling. Building materials for other buildings were taken from it. Until now, marble and some stones of the amphitheater adorn St. Peter's Cathedral, Lateran Basilica, and Palazzo Venezia.