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☆ Terry Anderson, Reporter Held Hostage for Six Years, Dies at 76
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Terry Anderson, the American journalist who had been the longest-held Western hostage in Lebanon when he was finally released in 1991 by Islamic militants after more than six years in captivity, died Saturday at his home in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., in the Hudson Valley. The cause was apparently complications of recent heart surgery, said his daughter, Sulome Anderson. Mr. Anderson, the Beirut bureau chief for The Associated Press, had just dropped his tennis partner, an A.P. The same car had tried to cut him off the day before as he returned to work from lunch at his seaside apartment. The militants, supported by Iran, were retaliating against Israel’s use of American weapons in earlier strikes against Muslim and Druze targets in Lebanon.

Persons: Terry Anderson, Sulome Anderson, Anderson, Reagan Organizations: Islamic, Associated Press, Benz, Islamic Jihad Organization Locations: American, Lebanon, Greenwood Lake, N.Y, Hudson, Beirut, South Lebanon, Iran, Nicaragua

☆ Fears Over Iran Buoy Netanyahu at Home. For Now.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But a confrontation between Israel and Iran this week — including on Friday when Israel retaliated against last weekend’s missile barrage by Iran — may have helped change the dynamic, at least for the time being. Now, Mr. Netanyahu is in his strongest domestic position since the October attack, even as his global standing ebbs amid anger at the conduct of Israel’s war in Gaza. “This was his best week since October,” said Mazal Mualem, a biographer of Mr. Netanyahu. And that’s the reason that, this week, we can see Bibi recovering,” Ms. Mualem said, calling Mr. Netanyahu by his nickname. Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is still trailing the main opposition bloc in the polls, and he would still likely lose an election if it was called tomorrow.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Israel, Iran —, Netanyahu, ”, Mazal Mualem, Mr, “ We’re, Bibi, ” Ms, Mualem, Netanyahu’s, Benny Gantz — Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza

☆ Israel’s Strike Was Smaller Than Expected, and So Was Iran’s Reaction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The relatively limited scope of Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran, and a subdued response from Iranian officials, may have lowered the chances of an immediate escalation in fighting between the two countries, analysts said Friday. For days, there have been fears that a forceful Israeli response to Iran’s attack on southern Israel last weekend could prompt an even more aggressive riposte from Iran, potentially turning a tit-for-tat confrontation into a wider war. But when it finally came early on Friday, Israel’s strike appeared less damaging than expected, allowing Iranian officials and state-run news outlets to downplay its significance, at least at first. By sunrise, Iranian state-run news outlets were projecting a swift return to normality, broadcasting footage of calm street scenes, while officials publicly dismissed the impact of the attack. But the initial Iranian reaction suggested that Iran’s leaders would not rush to respond, despite warning in recent days that they would react forcefully and swiftly to any Israeli strike.

Persons: Israel, Israel’s, Iran — Organizations: Iran’s Locations: Iran, Israel, Isfahan

☆ Israel seems to have stuck to small drones when it hit Iran — suggesting it only wanted a minor retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An Israeli strike hit Isfahan in Iran, multiple outlets said, citing unnamed senior US officials. It came after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe relatively restrained nature of an apparent Israeli attack on Iran suggests that both sides are seeking to step back from the brink of a regional war, according to experts. Several explosions caused by an Israeli attack were heard in the central province of Isfahan on Friday, unnamed senior US officials told multiple outlets .

Persons: — Organizations: Service, International Atomic Energy Agency, Business Locations: Israeli, Isfahan, Iran, Israel

☆ Opinion: 5 critical takeaways from Iran’s attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Miraculously, by a feat of military technology bolstered by coordination with friends and allies, Israel was able to repel the massive attack. The Quds Force commanders have been working with Iran-allied Hezbollah, which has been shelling Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack from Gaza. What if Iran’s missiles and drones had carried nuclear material? In addition, the US was able to work out of its bases in Qatar and northern Iraq to counter Iran’s attack. The Iranian attack has revealed that Israel does have friends, including some in very important places: across the Middle East.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Israel, Frida Ghitis Tanya Malott, Jerusalem —, Jesus, Israel unlivable, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, —, General Antonio Guterres “, ”, Jordan, ” Saudi Arabia — Iran’s, Benny Gantz, ” Biden, “, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Quds Force, Hamas, Ukraine, Street Journal, United Arab, Finance, National Security Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, al, Aqsa, Iran, Arab Israeli, Damascus, Gaza, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Jordan, Iraq, North Korea, Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Russia, Argentina, Japan, United States, France, ” Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Republic

☆ Live updates: Israel intercepts Iran drone attacks and weighs response, Gaza crisis continues
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Airports in the Iranian capital of Tehran have resumed flights at 6:00 a.m. local time on Monday, according to Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news agency. On Sunday both of Tehran's airports, Imam Khomeini Airport and Mehrabad Airport, suspended flights after Iran's attack on Israel stoked regional tensions. Travel disrupted: On Saturday, at least three United Airlines flights headed to or departing from the Middle East were canceled as the conflict unfolded. Dutch carrier KLM has said it would stop flying over Iran and Israel "as a precaution" but continue to fly to and from Tel Aviv. Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa — currently the only two Western carriers that operate international flights to Iran — have announced a suspension of flights to and from Tehran through April 18.

Persons: Khomeini, Iran — Organizations: Mehrabad, United Airlines, Dutch, KLM, Tel Aviv . Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa — Locations: Tehran, Israel, Iran, Tel Aviv

☆ With Iran’s Strikes, Arab Countries Fear an Expanding Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Arab countries, from the United Arab Emirates and Oman to Jordan and Egypt, have tried for months to tamp down the conflict between Israel and Hamas, especially after it widened to include armed groups backed by Iran and embedded deep within the Arab world. Some of them, like the Houthis, threaten Arab governments as well. But the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend, which put the entire region on alert, made the new reality unavoidable: Unlike past Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, and even those involving Israel and Lebanon or Syria, this one keeps expanding. “Part of why these wars were contained was that they were not a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran,” said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute. “But now we are entering this era where a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran — that could drag the region into the conflict and that could drag the U.S. in — now that prospect of a regional war is going to be on the table all the time.”For the moment, the only countervailing force is the desire of both the United States and its longtime foe Iran to avoid a widening of the conflict, said Joost Hiltermann, the International Crisis Group's program director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Persons: ”, Randa Slim, Joost Hiltermann Organizations: United Arab, East Institute Locations: United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Washington, —, United States, East, North Africa

☆ 'We have woken up to a new paradigm in the Middle East' following Iran-Israel escalation, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Iran on April 14 urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)Iran's weekend attack on Israel marks a "new paradigm" in the Middle East conflict, which risks escalating into a wider regional war, Chatham House's Middle East director said Monday. "The Israeli leadership will have a hard time not responding. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets inside Israel on Saturday in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria. The attack, though well telegraphed in advance, has presented some opportunity for Israel to rehabilitate its image following its months-long onslaught in Gaza, which many perceive as disproportionate to Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Persons: ATTA KENARE, Sanam Vakil, thinktank, it's, Vakil, CNBC's Organizations: Getty, Chatham House's Locations: Persian, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Damascus, AFP, London, Syria, Gaza

☆ Opinion | Iran Just Made a Big Mistake. Israel Shouldn’t Follow.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That would be a dangerous misreading of what just happened and a huge geopolitical mistake by the West and the world at large. There must be a consequence for Iran: When the regime fired all those drones and missiles, it did not know that virtually all of them would be intercepted. A missile could have hit al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest shrines. (You can see pictures online of Iranian rockets being intercepted in the skies right over the mosque.) Another could have hit the Israeli Parliament or a high-rise apartment house, causing massive casualties.

Persons: Syria — Organizations: Israel, West Locations: Iran, Israel, Syria, Jerusalem, Aqsa

☆ Opinion | For Israel, Revenge Should Be a Dish Served Cold
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More than 300 drones and missiles launched from Iranian soil took aim at Israel on Saturday. The weekend attack is notable for two reasons: its directness and its ineffectuality. Iranian military commanders undoubtedly understood that most of their slow-moving drones, about 170 in all, would be shot down before reaching their targets. As a matter of self-defense, Israel has every moral and legal right to respond in kind — and then some. It is not enough for Israel to demonstrate its capacity for defense, as it did over the weekend.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Israel Organizations: Israel Locations: Damascus, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, United States

☆ Russia's grand railway plan to get around Western sanctions is about to get even bigger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

And it's now also linking south toward India and countries in the Persian Gulf, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. AdvertisementIn addition, Russia is also restoring another railway line that would allow it to access Turkey, the Times reported on Wednesday. Russia's push for rail freight follows two years of Western sanctions against the country over its war in Ukraine. The restrictions hit Russia's trade with Europe, traditionally its single largest market. AdvertisementAs Ram Ben Tzion, the CEO of freight vetting platform Publican, told the Times, Russia is creating "a trade route for the pariahs."

Persons: —, it's, Ram Ben Tzion, David Szakonyi, Szakonyi Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, New York Times, Times, Business, Reuters, West, George Washington University, Profit Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, India, Persian, Iran, Mumbai, Suez, Turkey, Ukraine, Europe, Policymaking, Russian, Crimea

Israel carried out covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines inside Iran this week, disrupting the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people, according to two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps. The strikes represent a notable shift in the shadow war that Israel and Iran have been waging by air, land, sea and cyberattack for years. Israel has long targeted military and nuclear sites inside Iran — and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and commanders — both inside and outside of the country. Israel has also waged cyberattacks to disable servers belonging to the oil ministry, causing turmoil at gas stations nationwide. But blowing up part of the country’s energy infrastructure, relied on by industries, factories and millions of civilians, marked an escalation in the covert war and appeared to open a new frontier, officials and analysts said.

Persons: Israel, Iran —, — Organizations: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Iran, Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

☆ Nobel Peace Prize winner: The time has come to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Opinion Narges Mohammadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The time has come to declare gender apartheid a crime. That is why I have written a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, urging him to declare gender apartheid a crime against humanity. Inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one gender group over another are termed gender apartheid. This is why it is imperative that gender apartheid is recognized as a crime against humanity. In recent months there has been positive momentum at the United Nations towards recognizing and codifying gender apartheid.

Persons: Read, António Guterres, —, Mahsa Amini, Amini, Iran —, Shirin Ebadi, Malala Yousafzai, Nadia Murad – Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations, Assembly, Apartheid, UN Women’s, UN Locations: Iranian, Iran, Tehran’s, Islamic Republic, Afghanistan, South Africa, States

America’s weak.”Neither Casey nor McCormick are likely to face serious opposition in Pennsylvania's April 23 primary before facing off against each other in November's general election. The Biden administration's support for Israel has been complicated politically in other states the president is counting on in his reelection bid. “Israel needs America's firm and unequivocal support,” McCormick wrote. Jewish voters typically vote overwhelmingly Democratic, and Democrats right now are trying to balance their interest in protecting Israel with that of younger voters, who have been sympathetic to Palestinians, he said. “Jewish voters have been one of their most loyal supporter groups.

Persons: —, Biden, hasn't, David McCormick, Joe Biden, Democratic Sen, Bob Casey, McCormick, Casey, Donald Trump, West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, persuadable, Hillel, “, ” McCormick, Barack Obama, Israel's, ’ ” Casey, Israel, Israel ”, George W, Bush, Christopher Borick, ” Borick, it’s, Marc Levy Organizations: U.S . Senate, Democratic, Israel, Biden, Trump, Senate, West, Republicans, Hamas, CBS, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Foreign, Jewish Community Center, Army, Pennsylvania, Jewish, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, Israel, Gaza, Iran, U.S, Afghanistan, Pennsylvania's, Michigan, Wisconsin, Rust, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Allentown

☆ Iranian and Hezbollah commanders help direct Houthi attacks in Yemen, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Luke Dray | Getty ImagesCommanders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah group are on the ground in Yemen helping to direct and oversee Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, four regional and two Iranian sources told Reuters. In his weekly news conferences, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has repeatedly denied Tehran is involved in the Red Sea attacks by the Houthis. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam denied any Iranian or Hezbollah involvement in helping to direct the Red Sea attacks. The person said Iranian commanders had travelled to Yemen as well and set up a command centre in the capital Sanaa for the Red Sea attacks which is being run by the senior IRGC commander responsible for Yemen. Mohammed Hamoud | Getty ImagesAccording to two former Yemeni army sources, there is a clear presence of IRGC and Hezbollah members in Yemen.

Persons: Luke Dray, Washington, Nasser Kanaani, Houthi, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Saleh al, Samad, Mohammed Hamoud, Abdulaziz al, Sager, Adrienne Watson, Abdulghani, Abdulsalam, Bashar al, Assad, Ali Khamenei Organizations: Getty, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hezbollah, Reuters, Hamas, Foreign, Guards, Gulf Research, White House, U.S, Sana'a Center, Strategic Studies, Iranian Guards Locations: Djibouti, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Tehran, Sana'a, Saudi, Asia, Europe, Gaza ., Lebanese, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Bab, Sanaa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Washington, Gulf, Islam

☆ U.S. Troops Are Injured in Attack on Air Base in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eric Schmitt | Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Israel and Iran have been locked in a shadow war for years, long before the latest war in Gaza began. They have traded covert attacks by land, sea and air, as well as online. Israel has conducted targeted killings of key Iranian figures and strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. Syria is a close ally of Iran and a conduit for Iranian weapons shipments to its proxies, especially Hezbollah. Iran and Pakistan Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza Clashes along Israel-Lebanon border Qatar Iranian strike targeting militants Saudi Arabia U.A.E.

Persons: Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, SANA, Hojatallah Omidvar, Haj Sadegh Omidzade, General Omidvar, Sayyed Razi Mousavi, Ronen Bergman, Victoria Kim Organizations: Guards, Quds Force, Islamic, Hamas, Revolutionary Guards, Human Rights, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran Clashes, West Bank, Qatar, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Red Sea, TURKEY U.S, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia U.A.E, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel Clashes, West Bank KUWAIT PAK, Qatar Iranian, Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Quds Forces, Brig, Senior Locations: Iran, Damascus, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza . Israel, Syrian, Britain, East TURKMENISTAN Syria, Iraq TURKEY Iran, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran, West, Gaza PAKISTAN KUWAIT Iran, Pakistan EGYPT, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia, OMAN Red, YEMEN Sudan, Red, Red Sea U.S, Iraq TURKMENISTAN Iran, TURKEY, Gaza Iran, Pakistan KUWAIT PAKISTAN, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia, Sudan YEMEN U.S, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, OMAN, YEMEN, Iranian, Gen, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq, Israeli, United States

☆ The 'Prince of Persia' will speak Persian for the first time in 34 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview"Prince of Persia" released its first major installment in nearly 14 years and its first title since it was first unveiled in 1989 in which the characters will actually speak Farsi. Ubisoft released "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" on Thursday for the Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and PC. Related storiesThe game's designer, Mounir Radi, told the outlet that the developers wanted to "depict and to respect Persia and Iran" in the gameplay. Another Reddit user said under the same post that the option to use Persian dialogue in the game made him "finally feel seen" by others in the gaming community.

Persons: —, of, Prince of Persia, Mounir Radi, Radi, Abdelhak Elguess, Elguess, Reddit Organizations: Service, Business, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft Montpellier, BBC Locations: of Persia, Persia, Iran, USA

☆ 'Unprovoked violation': Iran strikes Syria, Iraq and Pakistan as Middle East tensions spike
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian defended his country's actions. watch nowTehran also hit what it said were Islamic State targets in northern Syria in tandem with its strikes on Iraq. In response to the Red Sea attacks, the U.S. and U.K. governments last week began launching missile strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. While the U.S. has hit Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq since the Gaza war began, the missile strikes marked the first U.S. attack on the Yemeni group. Iran's foreign minister told CNBC on Tuesday that the Houthis "are not receiving any orders or instructions from us."

Persons: Pakistan —, Masrour Barzani, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, Umar Karim, Iran — Organizations: United Arab Emirates, . Security, CNBC, Economic, Iranian, Islamic, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, Getty, King Faisal Center for Research, Islamic Studies, Middle, Iran Yemen's Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Israel, Gaza, Baghdad, Kurdistan, Tehran, Israeli, U.S, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdish, Davos, Islamic State, Balochistan, Israel — Tehran, Lebanon, Hamas, Yemen, Red

☆ Opinion: A perfectly reasonable, highly unrealistic path to peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Is there any way to bring an end to this war and open a path to lasting peace? There is a perfectly reasonable, though extremely difficult and perhaps unrealistic solution. It might have expected Arab countries having diplomatic relations with Israel to sever them. And yet, this could be a moment for Arab leaders to step in with an act of heroism. Allowing Hamas leaders to survive in exile, bringing the PA and perhaps the UAE to Gaza is hardly risk-free.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, it’s, don’t, Israel’s, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Iran —, Joe Biden’s, Abraham, ”, Israel — Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Hamas, West Bank, Peacemakers, Abraham Accords, Trump, The New York Times, Israeli, Getty, US Navy, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, Palestinian Authority Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, AFP, Druze, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Tehran, Kippur, Egypt, Oslo

☆ Meta thwarts Chinese propaganda threat to US democracy before 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meta did not attribute the network of fake Facebook accounts to a particular entity in China. It’s the latest in a series of warnings from tech firms documenting how Chinese propaganda and influence operations have more aggressively targeted American audiences in the last year. It wasn’t clear, Meta said in a report on foreign online threats published Thursday, what the Chinese network of fake accounts was trying to accomplish. While Meta and other tech firms tout their work to protect elections, recent moves by the company also show trends in the other direction. And Meta this month said it would allow political ads on its platforms to question the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Persons: Meta, Ron DeSantis, Nancy Pelosi, Iran —, haven’t, Nathaniel Gleicher, ” Ben Nimmo, ”, Liu Pengyu Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Meta, Republicans, US, of Liberty, Microsoft, Embassy Locations: China, Russia, Iran, Washington

☆ Goldman Sachs thinks that only an unforeseen shock is likely to cause a recession in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Goldman Sachs thinks the only notable chance of a recession in 2024 is if something really unusual happens. Goldman is more sanguine than much of Wall Street on recession chances, though few see a sharp downturn ahead. Along with his outlook on the economy, Hatzius sees the Federal Reserve waiting until the fourth quarter of 2024 before cutting rates . That would put the U.S. central bank near the back of the pack, with Goldman expecting others to start cutting earlier. However, Hatzius noted that "risks are tilted to earlier cuts," particularly if inflation should fall faster than expected — or if the economy weakens.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, We've, Jan Hatzius, Hatzius, Goldman Organizations: Reserve Locations: Israel, Iran, U.S, Europe, Wall

☆ Israel Says It Has Isolated Gaza City After ‘Large’ Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Many of those groups want to see the war in Gaza widen and say they are ready to take on the United States because of its support for Israel. “The attacks, the threats coming from militia that are aligned with Iran are totally unacceptable,” Mr. Blinken said in brief remarks to reporters at the Baghdad airport before his departure. Mr. al-Sudani is “in a tough position,” said Inna Rudolf, a senior research fellow at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College London. Mr. al-Sudani assumed office after being chosen by a coalition of Shia parties in Iraq, some of which have close with ties to Iran, and he has augmented their power since. But he has also tried to keep up Iraq’s ties with Europe, the Arab world and the United States.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Hashd, “ Antony Blinken, ” Ali, ” —, —, Mr, “, Sudani, ”, Inna Rudolf, ’, Hakan Fidan Organizations: Israel, Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, United, U.S, Publicly, U.S . State Department, International Center, King’s College London, Hamas Locations: Baghdad, Turkey, Iran, Gaza, United States, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Hasakah, Europe, Israel, ”, Ankara, Japan

Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people, health officials said. The strikes came as the U.S. keeps urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its relentless bombardment of Gaza and rising civilian deaths. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Ramallah in the West Bank for a previously unannounced meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Political Cartoons View All 1234 ImagesCurrently:— Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel’s military announces it has surrounded Gaza City. — A U.N. official says the average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of bread a day.

Persons: Israel, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, evacuee Sara El, Masry, –, JORDAN, Jordan, King Abdullah II, ”, Michael Hertzog, ” Hertzog, OBAMA, Barack Obama, “, he’s, ” Obama, I’ve, Alp Toker, Juliette Touma, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, IRNA, Khamenei, Haniyeh, JERUSALEM —, Jacob Lew, Biden, ” Lew, Isaac Herzog, Lew, Antony Blinken’s Organizations: West Bank, Iraqi, Hamas, Ministry, WHO, GAZA, SYDNEY AIRPORT SYDNEY, Nine, Sydney Airport, Australian, United Arab Emirates, Mideast, Central Command, FIRE, NATIONS, Inter, Agency, UNRWA, United Nations, Jordanian, Twitter, ISRAEL, CBS, JERUSALEM, Paltel, Associated Press, Hezbollah, U.S, Israel, Embassy, . Riot Locations: Gaza, Ramallah, Baghdad, Jordan, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Gaza City, —, U.S, Berlin, israel, Sydney, Rafah, DUBAI, United Arab, Suez, ., Ohio, America's, Iran, UN, Palestinian Territory, GAZA AMMAN, Jordanian, GAZA, Palestinian, IRAN, TEHRAN, Lebanon, GAZA JERUSALEM, Beit Hanoun, TURKEY, ISTANBUL –, Ankara, Turkish

☆ Iran is stepping up its shadow war with Israel to boost its clout — but it could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But it appears wary of provoking a wider, regional war. As part of this covert war, Iran has funded and trained a network of militias stretching across the Middle East. Iran has threatened Israel with the prospect of a wider regional war if it invades Gaza, reported Al Jazeera. But Iran faces a dilemmaIranian officials have told Reuters that Iran faces a dilemma in its response to the Israel-Hamas war. "Iranian behavior is a key factor in whether this remains contained or spreads into a wider regional war.

Persons: —, Gaza Ilia Yefimovich, Israel, Trump, Trump administration's Abraham, Iran —, Tobias Borck, Al, Alex Vatanka, Abraham, Mahmud Abbas, Xi Jinping, Jade Gao, it's, Jonathan Fulton Organizations: Service, Hamas, CNN, dpa Israel, St, The New York Times, Trump administration's, Trump administration's Abraham Accords, Royal United Services Institute, Israel, Hezbollah, Reuters, US, West Bank, East Institute, Abraham Accords, of, People, The Atlantic Council Locations: Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian, Tehran, Saudi, Al Jazeera, China, Beijing

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