North Korea’s Kim is in Russia to meet Putin, as both are locked in standoffs with the West

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un rolled into Russia on an armored train Tuesday to see President Vladimir Putin, a rare meeting between isolated leaders driven together by their need for support in escalating standoffs with the West.

Kim is expected to seek economic aid and military technology for his impoverished country, and, in an unusual twist, appears to have something Putin desperately needs: munitions for Russia’s grueling war in Ukraine.

The US moves to advance a prisoner swap deal with Iran and release $6 billion in frozen funds

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States.

Cybersecurity issue prompts computer shutdowns at MGM Resorts properties across US

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A “cybersecurity issue” led to the shutdown of some casino and hotel computer systems at MGM Resorts International properties across the U.S., a company official reported Monday.

The incident began Sunday. The extent of its effect was not immediately known on reservation systems and casino floors in Las Vegas and states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio, company spokesman Brian Ahern said.

USA: Trump lawyers seek recusal of judge in DC presiding over federal election subversion case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday asked the federal judge presiding over his election subversion case in Washington to recuse herself, saying her past public statements about the former president and his connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol call into question whether she can be fair.

Russians, American cosmonauts will break record for time spent on ISS

MOSCOW, Sept 12 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin will break the record for the total time they have spent in the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) announced.

According to the space agency, Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, who has spent 355 days, three hours, 45 minutes, and 21 seconds on the ISS, a feat that he surpassed on Monday, holds the current record.

USA: Apple's iPhone 15 launch clouded by China problems

CUPERTINO, California, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Tuesday is expected to unveil a new iPhone 15 lineup as questions about market access in China and competition hang over the world's most valuable listed company.

The iPhone made up more than half of Apple's $394.3 billion in sales last year, but it faces new challenges with selling in China, the Cupertino, California firm's third-largest market.

In India and Vietnam, Biden looks past differences on Russia and embraces imperfect partners

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday wrapped up a five-day diplomatic sprint through Vietnam and India that put a spotlight on imperfect partners that he believes will be crucial for global stability in the years to come.

The whirlwind visit demonstrated that as Russia’s war on Ukraine plods on with no end in sight, Biden appears to have become more willing to look past differences with complicated allies that he badly needs to keep close for the sake of stability in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East and beyond.

Libyan city buries 700 people killed in devastating floods as 10,000 are reported missing

CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s eastern city of Derna has buried 700 people killed in devastating flooding and 10,000 were reported missing as rescue teams struggled to retrieve many more bodies from the horrific deluge, officials said Tuesday.

Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday night caused havoc and flash flooding in many towns in eastern Libya but the worst destruction was in Derna, where heavy rainfall and floods broke dams and washed away entire neighborhoods, authorities said.

Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday opened the first case to look at the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul — deepening a showdown with the far-right government that has bitterly divided the nation and put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

Ukraine could get long-range missiles armed with US cluster bombs

WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is close to approving the shipment of longer-range missiles packed with cluster bombs to Ukraine, giving Kyiv the ability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory, according to four U.S. officials.

Russia's Putin: sending Soviet tanks into Hungary and Czechoslovakia was a mistake

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the Soviet Union's decision to send tanks into Hungary and Czechoslovakia to crush mass protests during the Cold War was a mistake.

"It was a mistake," Putin said when asked about perceptions of Russia as a colonial power due to Moscow's decision to send tanks into Budapest in 1956 and into Prague in 1968.

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