Denmark deploys ‘saildrones’ in Baltic to protect undersea cables from Russia

US-made unmanned vessels will monitor maritime activity as part of trial, amid criticism over closer ties with America

Denmark is deploying floating drones on the Baltic Sea to protect undersea infrastructure and bolster maritime surveillance amid the growing threat of hybrid attacks from Russia.

The arrival of Saildrone, a California-based company, has prompted criticism in Denmark over forging tighter bonds with the US in such a sensitive area as digital security.

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Ordinary Zambians lose out twice: to global looting and local corruption | Letters

Emmanuel Mwamba and Fiona Mulaisho respond to an editorial on US aid cuts to Zambia and huge sums taken out of the country by multinationals

Your editorial (The Guardian view on Zambia’s Trumpian predicament: US aid cuts are dwarfed by a far bigger heist, 10 January) highlights research by Prof Andrew Fischer, and the exploitation of Zambia’s commodity resources via illicit financial schemes. Many Zambians have raised the issue of this looting for years, but have met coordinated resistance. Consequently, Zambia’s treasury loses billions of dollars in revenue. These losses are driven by well-known multinationals working in concert with certain insiders close to the Zambian state.

Your editorial also says: “The US decision to cut $50m a year in aid to Zambia … is dreadful, and the reason given, corruption, rings hollow.” Alas, I disagree and wish to place this in context.

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American, United Pause Middle East Flights on Rising Tension – Bloomberg.com

  1. American, United Pause Middle East Flights on Rising Tension  Bloomberg.com
  2. How airlines are scrambling as escalating conflicts punch holes in the air map of the world  CNN
  3. United Airlines, American Airlines halt flights to Dubai, Doha amid tensions  The Times of Israel
  4. Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region’s airspace  AP News
  5. American Airline Cancels Philadelphia to Doha Flights with 787  Aviation A2Z
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Israel-Iran war undermines Beijing’s Mideast diplomatic push – France 24

  1. Israel-Iran war undermines Beijing’s Mideast diplomatic push  France 24
  2. A U.S. Attack on Iran Would Show the Limits of China’s Power  The New York Times
  3. ‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War  Time Magazine
  4. Xi Shows No Sign of Rescuing Iran as Trump Ramps Up Pressure  Bloomberg.com
  5. China Reacts to Trump Khamenei Threat  Newsweek
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Iran may shut down vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, lawmakers say – The Times of Israel

  1. Iran may shut down vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, lawmakers say  The Times of Israel
  2. In Crisis With Iran, U.S. Military Officials Focus on Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
  3. Wall Street isn’t freaking out about Israel and Iran yet. This could change their minds  CNN
  4. Oil Could Spike to $90 If Strait of Hormuz Shut, Citigroup Says  Bloomberg.com
  5. Shell boss warns of ‘huge impact on trade’ if Israel-Iran conflict escalates  The Guardian
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At least 12 Palestinians killed waiting for aid in Gaza, say medics – BBC

  1. At least 12 Palestinians killed waiting for aid in Gaza, say medics  BBC
  2. As death toll rises, Gazans make life-risking journeys to seek food  Reuters
  3. Israeli attacks kill at least 81 people including aid seekers in Gaza  Al Jazeera
  4. Israel Kills Over 70, Wounds Hundreds as Tanks Open Fire on Aid Seekers in Gaza  Truthout
  5. Dozens killed by Israeli fire as they sought desperately needed aid in Gaza, Palestinian health ministry says  CNN
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In Crisis With Iran, U.S. Military Officials Focus on Strait of Hormuz – The New York Times

  1. In Crisis With Iran, U.S. Military Officials Focus on Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
  2. Global oil supply: Iran may use threat of closing Strait of Hormuz as leverage only; analysts say markets  Times of India
  3. Former Iranian minister calls for Iranian control over Strait of Hormuz  Reuters
  4. Wall Street isn’t freaking out about Israel and Iran yet. This could change their minds  CNN
  5. Shell Says Ships Cautious Around Iran Due to Signal Jamming  Bloomberg
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Heavy damage, injuries as Iranian missile hits Beersheba hospital; dozens hurt in central cities – The Times of Israel

  1. Heavy damage, injuries as Iranian missile hits Beersheba hospital; dozens hurt in central cities  The Times of Israel
  2. Live updates: Israel-Iran conflict, ballistic missile attacks, Trump weighs US involvement  CNN
  3. 'I was lying in bed... The ceiling fell in': At the scene of Israeli hospital hit by Iran strike  BBC
  4. LIVE: Israel threatens to ‘eliminate’ Khamenei after Iranian missile strike  Al Jazeera
  5. Live Updates: Israel Vows to Intensify Attacks After Iranian Missile Hits Hospital  The New York Times
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Spain wants exemption from NATO’s 5 percent defense spending target – politico.eu

  1. Spain wants exemption from NATO’s 5 percent defense spending target  politico.eu
  2. The success of a key NATO summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defense spending  AP News
  3. Norway backs Nato’s 5% defence spending target despite Spain rejecting it as ‘unreasonable’ – Europe live  The Guardian
  4. Sweden delays 3.5% GDP defense spending target, predicts 2032 deadline out of NATO summit  Breaking Defense
  5. Norway to meet 5% NATO goal on defence, security spending, prime minister says  Reuters
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Grooming gang survivors tell MPs to stop ‘tug-of-war with vulnerable women’ – UK politics live

Two survivors urged politicians and those without experience of abuse to allow women to shape the investigation

Campaigners from trade unions, voluntary organisations and the Church of Scotland have announced plans for an anti-poverty march to “demand better” from politicians in Scotland, reports the PA news agency.

The campaign, Scotland Demands Better, will culminate in a march in Edinburgh on 25 October, walking from the Scottish parliament, up the Royal Mile and along George IV Bridge to The Meadows.

Change for the better happens when people stand together and demand it. Scotland desperately needs that change.

Too many of us are being cut off from life’s essentials. Too many are frightened of what the future will bring. Too many of us are feeling tired, angry, isolated, and disillusioned.

Air pollution remains the most important environmental threat to health, with impacts throughout the life course.

It is an area of health where the UK has made substantial progress in the last three decades, with concentrations of many of the main pollutants falling rapidly, but it remains a major cause of chronic ill health as well as premature mortality.

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