This week in photos: Destruction continues, U.S. to leverage Russia-Ukraine bloc against China as the war wages on
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is aiming to lead the international bloc opposed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China.
Photos from overseas: Russia pounds Ukraine, targeting supply of Western arms
Russian forces pounded targets across Ukraine, taking aim at supply lines for foreign weapons in the west and intensifying an offensive in the east, as the European Union moved Wednesday to further punish Moscow for the war with a proposed ban on oil imports.
Pictures from Ukraine: A look at what’s going on overseas as the war continues
Russia’s Defense Ministry promised Friday to ramp up missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in response to Ukraine’s alleged aggression on Russian territory, an ominous warning that followed Moscow’s stinging symbolic loss of its navy’s flagship in the Black Sea.
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Local World War II hero to be honored in Lynchburg
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A local war hero will be recognized by an organization in the Lynchburg area. The life and legacy of World War II hero Desmond Doss will be honored by the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council (LAVC) on Oct. 12. Doss, a Lynchburg native, was awarded the medal of honor on Oct. 12, 1945, for his service during World War II. It’s veterans helping veterans. There will also be a special movie showing of The Conscientious Objector about Doss' life on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion post in Lynchburg.
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Kuwait's ruler, 91, undergoes surgery as prince empowered
DUBAI Kuwait's 91-year-old ruler underwent a surgery that required the oil-rich nation's crown prince to be temporarily empowered to serve in his place, according to a ministerial decree seen Sunday. Kuwait has yet to elaborate what required Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah to seek a previously unannounced medical treatment on Saturday. However, Sheikh Sabah's sudden surgery could inspire a renewed power struggle within Kuwait's ruling family. The state-run KUNA news agency had described Sheikh Sabah's hospitalization Saturday as medical checks, citing a statement from the country's royal court. Sheikh Sabah, a widely beloved ruler in this OPEC-member nation, took power in 2006 just nine days into the rule of the ailing Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah.
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AP source: Mets to host Yankees on 20th anniversary of 9/11
New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during a simulated game at a baseball workout at Citi Field, Sunday, July 5, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK The New York Mets will host the crosstown Yankees on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 next season, according to a person familiar with the decision. The clubs will play at Citi Field in a game sure to be full of emotions for the city that's also reported over 18,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths this year. I cant imagine how powerful and how emotional of an event that could be," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. It'll be a homecoming of sorts for former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was hired as Phillies manager over the offseason.
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Families of Syria detainees hope for news amid US sanctions
But activists have begun circulating more detailed photos again online after the U.S. imposed its new sanctions, named the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, after the photographer. The sanctions bar anyone around the world from doing business with Assads government or officials, and among its provisions it demands Syria release detainees and allow inspections of its prisons. Between 30 to 50 prisoners died every day at the facility where he was held, known as Branch 15, he said. Alshogres testimony about Lebanese prisoners still alive further fueled their families demands for information. Ali Aboudehn, who spent years imprisoned in Syria and now heads the Association of Lebanese Prisoners in Syrian Jails, said his group and other activists have documented 622 Lebanese prisoners held in Syria.
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French court OKs end to Rwanda genocide investigation
PARIS The Paris appeals court on Friday upheld a decision to end a years-long investigation into the plane crash that sparked Rwandas 1994 genocide, citing lack of sufficient evidence. Lawyers for the families can further appeal the ruling to Frances highest court, the Court of Cassation. The 1994 plane crash killed Rwandas then-President Juvenal Habyarimana, an ethnic Hutu. The plane had a French crew, and Rwanda has long accused France of complicity in the genocide, which France denies. Fridays ruling came as one of the most wanted fugitives in Rwandas genocide, who was arrested in May outside Paris, is awaiting a decision on extradition.