Category: World

John Thune has become the new leader of the Republican Party in the US Senate, defeating a candidate from Trump's supporters. Senators demonstrated their independence from the future president by electing an experienced politician.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota has been elected leader of the Republican Party in the US Senate. He received the most votes during a secret ballot, which also included Florida representative Rick Scott, a politician supported by Donald Trump's inner circle, UNN reports with reference to the BBC.

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Previously, Mitch McConnell was the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, a position he held for the past 17 years.

According to media reports, Scott's candidacy was supported by the world's richest man, the owner of Tesla and Space X, Elon Musk, who works closely with Trump and will be appointed to a position in his administration. Scott is considered to be a less traditional politician and a brighter representative of the Trumpian wing of the Republican Party.

Trump will soon choose a special envoy to lead negotiations to end the war in Ukraine – mediaNov 13 2024, 04:40 PM • 14604 views

However, the senators preferred the familiar Senator Thune, who had been the second most influential Republican in the Senate (after McConnell) for the previous four years.

The publication adds that Trump does not formally interfere in the election of the Republican leader in the Senate, but members of his entourage tried to influence it. Therefore, the election of Thune can be seen as a demonstration of some independence of senators from the future owner of the White House.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, nearly 10,000 km of railway tracks and 43 station buildings in Ukraine have been damaged, destroyed or lost.

Source: Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), as reported by Ukrinform

Details: It is stated that since 24 February 2022, nearly 10,000 km of tracks and 43 station buildings have been damaged, destroyed or lost, along with other infrastructure facilities.

A report by Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), covering February 2022 to January 2024, estimates that up to 507 km of railway tracks have been damaged, and 126 railway stations and terminals have been either damaged or destroyed. Over 55 of these are in Ukraine-controlled areas, while the remainder are in territories currently outside Ukrainian control.

More than 700 km of railway lines are located in temporarily occupied territories. Overall, 5,500 buildings and around 4,000 structures belonging to Ukrzaliznytsia have been damaged, destroyed or lost.

KSE analysts estimate the total direct damage to railway infrastructure at USD 4.3 billion.

Ukrzaliznytsia has been restoring tracks damaged by Russian forces, with more than 3,600 km of tracks, 41 station buildings and other infrastructure facilities partially or fully restored since the invasion began to ensure trains continue to operate.

In seasonal repair works over the first eight months of 2024, railway workers managed to repair 737.6 km of tracks, reaching 62% of the year’s target.

Background: In September, Russian forces attacked a station and train in Zaporizhzhia.

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President-elect Donald Trump arrived at the White House to discuss the transition of power with incumbent President Joe Biden. The meeting took place in the Oval Office after Trump's victory in the last election.

US President Joe Biden receives President-elect Donald Trump at the White House, reports UNN citing Reuters.

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President-elect Donald Trump returned to the White House on Wednesday for the first time since winning last week's election and sat down for talks on the looming transition of power with longtime political rival President Joe Biden.

Trump's motorcade drove through the heavily guarded gates of the White House, and the former and future Republican president was met in the Oval Office by Biden, the Democrat who defeated him in the 2020 election.

Outside in the driveway to the White House, a huge crowd of reporters had gathered in anticipation of the big event.

Trump celebrated his victory earlier in the day with House Republicans, who stand a good chance of retaining control of the chamber as the results of the Nov. 5 election are in.

“Doesn't it feel good to win? It feels good to win. It's always nice to win,” Trump said. “The House did very well.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister held talks with the US Secretary of State in Brussels. They discussed further military assistance, post-election coordination, and strengthening Ukraine's air shield.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga held bilateral talks in Brussels with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the parties coordinated further steps after the US presidential election and discussed further US military assistance, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, UNN reports.

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"Diplomats focused on negotiations on Ukraine's defense capabilities, strengthening the air shield ahead of winter, the need for long-range weapons for the Defense Forces, Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration, and efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," the Foreign Ministry said.

Sibiga briefed Blinken on the consequences of Russia's massive night attack. "We must stop the aggressor with weapons, sanctions and diplomacy," he said.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that the defense of Ukraine cannot be suspended or postponed, as Russia is bombing Ukraine's critical infrastructure, energy system, ports, hospitals and schools every day. The minister added that Ukraine needs to strengthen its defense to protect people right now, so the partners should speed up the adoption of all important decisions.

Zelensky reacts to Russia's night attack: recalls partnersNov 13 2024, 08:28 AM • 20764 views

In this context, Sibiga said that a critical moment has come not only for Ukraine but also for other regions of the world. "Russia is using Iranian drones, North Korean ballistic missiles and troops to attack Ukraine. In response, the Kremlin is providing aid to these regimes. This is how this war is undermining security in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It's all connected," he said.

Sibiga emphasized that in order to ensure long-term peace and stability in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the allies must force Russia to stop its aggression. He added that the partners can achieve a just peace only through unity and strength.

"Appeasement will not work. Only force will work," the minister emphasized.

"The parties also coordinated further steps after the US presidential election. Andriy Sybiga emphasized that Ukraine has always appreciated Washington's strong bipartisan support and maintains contact with both parties. According to the Minister, the Ukrainian side cooperates with both the newly elected President and his team, as well as with the current administration, which is preparing to resign," the Foreign Ministry said.

Sibiga "emphasized the importance of US plans to release all previously approved military assistance funds in the coming weeks and stressed the crucial importance of America's leadership in restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine." The minister "expressed confidence in further U.S. support and joint decisive steps".

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Blinken met with Sibiga one-on-one in Brussels: what statements the US Secretary of State has already madeNov 13 2024, 12:35 PM • 11477 views

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has approved new rules for compensation for wounded soldiers who took part in the war against Ukraine. Under the new conditions, a significant number of wounded Russian soldiers will receive reduced payments.

Source: RIA Novosti and TASS, Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlets

Details: The payments will be three million roubles (about US$30,000) for serious injuries, one million roubles (about US$10,000) for light injuries and 100,000 roubles (about US$1,000) for "other minor injuries".

Putin’s decree. Photo: TASS

As Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian news outlet, reported, the new rules actually reduced payments for injuries. Although the maximum compensation amount remains at three million roubles, it was previously paid without regard to the severity of the injury.

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Negotiations between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have begun in the Belgian capital. The meeting was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met in Brussels for one-on-one talks. The meeting was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, UNN writes.

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"Negotiations between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have begun in Brussels," the statement reads.

Prior to his visit to Brussels, the US State Department reportedthat US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was traveling there to hold talks with his NATO and European Union counterparts on support for Ukraine.

Already in Brussels, at a briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Blinken assured of strengthening support for Ukraine.

"President Biden fully intends (…) to use every day to continue to do what we've been doing for the last four years, which is to strengthen this Alliance that is so important to the security of the United States and the security of countries across Europe. And we will do that, and we will also continue to strengthen everything that we do for Ukraine to make sure that it can effectively defend itself against this Russian aggression," Blinken said.

"Today we had a very productive discussion about our continued support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, as well as this additional element of now DPRK, North Korean forces that have been brought into the fray and are now literally in a state of combat that requires and will receive a firm response," Blinken said after meeting with Rutte.

Blinken travels to Brussels to discuss NATO and EU support for UkraineNov 12 2024, 05:25 PM • 28232 views

The Foreign Ministry reported that Sibiga would hold a series of bilateral talks in Brussels with high-ranking EU and NATO officials, candidates for European Commissioners, MEPs, and key allies of Ukraine.

The key topics of the talks were reportedly to be strengthening military support for Ukraine, our country's progress toward EU and NATO membership, and ways to ensure long-term Euro-Atlantic security following the US presidential election. The Minister was to pay special attention to the decisions of the allies within the framework of the Victory Plan and the importance of achieving a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace based on the Peace Formula.

The asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass at a distance of 32,000 km from Earth in 2029. Gravitational interaction can cause seismic events on the asteroid and change its rotation.

The giant asteroid "God of Chaos", or 99942 Apophis, named after the ancient Egyptian god of darkness and disorder, may not pose a threat to the Earth, but this does not mean that the Earth is not a danger to it, ScienceAlert reports, according to UNN.

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"When the asteroid 99942 Apophis flies close to Earth in 2029, the gravitational interaction between the two bodies is likely to dramatically change the asteroid's surface," concluded a study conducted by planetary scientist Ronald Ballouz of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

The scientist believes that their findings may explain why some asteroids have a surface younger than would be expected from the time they rotate in space.

"99942 Apophis is a defiant asteroid. After its discovery in 2004, scientists estimated that the 335-meter-long piece of rock's trajectory could potentially lead it to collide with Earth when it approaches in April 2029. It gave us a great scare! Fortunately, it was only fear. Scientists counted and recalculated the numbers and then counted them again for good measure. 99942 Apophis will fly less than 32,000 kilometers from Earth in 2029, but there is no chance that it will collide with our world in the next century," the publication says.

But what about 99942 Apophis? Will it remain intact? As Ballouz and his team observed, near-Earth asteroids like 99942 Apophis tend to share two properties. Their surfaces are loose and gravelly; and they seem to show less weathering in space than asteroids that don't have near-planet flybys.

Ballouz and his team wondered if there might be a connection between the younger appearance of near-Earth asteroids and their near-Earth antics.

To find out, scientists have simulated the passage of 99942 Apophis by the Earth in 2029. And they found that the Earth's gravity could indeed have a noticeable effect on 99942 Apophis.

Especially when the asteroid gets as close to Earth as possible. As it flies by, 99942 Apophis will shudder with a series of short-lived seismic events. These seismic events could be felt and cause magnitude accelerations on the surface, similar to the asteroid's gravity, the publication writes.

The second effect will be more long-term. As the asteroid approaches the Earth, gravitational interaction can change the asteroid's rotation. Over time, as the asteroid continues to orbit the Sun, the surface may slide, renewing itself over tens of thousands of years.

It is reported that the asteroid will be visible to the naked eye when it flies past the Earth.

The study, accepted by The Planetary Science Journal, is available on arXiv.

The Russians have hit the Saltivskyi district of Kharkiv, shattering windows in a shopping centre and damaging cars.

Source: Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram

Quote from Terekhov: "There was a strike of an enemy UAV in the Saltivskyi district. The attack took place near one of the shopping centres. The cars parked next to it and the building's windows were damaged."

Details: Terekhov added that the relevant services had arrived at the scene of the strike.

A few minutes later, the mayor said that more than 20 parked cars and the trolleybus's overhead wiring were damaged.

"As of now, there are no casualties," he stated.

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Yale University is launching a new course dedicated to Beyoncé's work over the past 11 years. The program will explore the singer's influence on culture, politics, and the social environment through the lens of black intellectuals.

Yale University will be offering a course on the pop star Beyoncé. It will focus on the last 11 years of Beyoncé's career, exploring her influence on culture, politics and the social environment.

Writes UNN with reference to Associated Press.

Yale University is launching a new course next year dedicated to pop superstar Beyoncé, who has a record 99 Grammy nominations and is recognized as one of the most influential artists in music history.

The course, titled “Beyoncé Making History: Black Radical Tradition, Culture, Theory, and Politics Through Music” will focus on the singer's work from the release of her 2013 self-titled album to this year's Cowboy Carter.

The program will analyze how Beyoncé has contributed to raising awareness of social and political ideologies.

Professor Daphne Brooks plans to use recordings of Beyoncé's live performances as a means of introducing students to the work of black intellectuals such as Frederick Douglass and Toni Morrison.

We will be taking seriously how the critical work, the intellectual work of some of our greatest thinkers in American culture resonates with Beyoncé's music and thinking about how we can apply their philosophy to her work,” and how it sometimes contradicts ”the black radical intellectual tradition

– Brooks said.

The course, which will provide 1 ECTS credit (equivalent to 30 hours of study), will focus on the last 11 years of Beyoncé's career, exploring her influence on culture, politics and the social environment.

Recall

Beyoncé overtook Jay-Z in the number of Grammy nominations for her album Cowboy Carter. The singer received 11 new nominations, including Best Album and Song of the Year.