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☆ US awaits Netanyahu’s response after Biden’s ultimatum
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Despite repeatedly expressing its frustration with Israeli tactics, the White House has been unwilling or unable to impose any leverage on the prime minister. There was no immediate response from the prime minister, who held a cabinet meeting after the call that he used to warn that Israel will defend itself against Iran. The Israeli prime minister is a consummate Washington player and has been engaging with Biden’s Republican foes on Capitol Hill, in an alliance that could increase political complications for the president if he creates deeper fractures with the Israeli prime minister. If Biden eventually assesses his warnings are falling on deaf ears, his credibility will depend on him publicly imposing a cost on the Israeli prime minister. But Biden’s political imperatives and the increasing humanitarian price of the war in Gaza mean he’s approaching a fateful crossroads.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, –, Antony Blinken, Delaware Sen, Chris Coons, Blinken, Israel, John Kirby, Israel –, fulsomely, Biden didn’t, Leon Panetta, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ”, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Tapper, “, ” Sanders, ” Netanyahu’s, ” Netanyahu, ” Kirby, Mike Johnson Organizations: CNN, Arab, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Democrat, White, Democratic, White House, National Security Communications, Independent, Hamas, Islamic, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Washington, Republican, GOP Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Delaware, Palestinian American, Brussels, Washington, Vermont, Iran, Islamic Republic, Damascus, Rafah

New Delhi CNN —India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned a US State Department official after the department called for a fair legal process for opposition leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal following his arrest last week. “We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India,” the Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned Gloria Berbena, the State Department Minister-Counselor for Public Diplomacy, according to a diplomatic officer with knowledge of the matter. At a briefing later on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to discuss “private diplomatic conversations” when asked about Berbena’s summoning, but stood by the department’s previous comments. India’s main opposition, the Indian National Congress, has also accused the BJP of using the tax department to “cripple” their finances.

Persons: Arvind Kejriwal, Gloria Berbena, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Kejriwal, Modi, Narendra Modi’s, Kejriwal’s, ” Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN — India’s, External Affairs, US State Department, Affairs, State Department, Public Diplomacy, State, Aam Aadmi Party, Indian National Congress, Human Rights, Amnesty, India Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, India

In the 1960s, immigration laws were reformed again, ushering in waves of immigration from Asia because the U.S. needed people to work at unfilled jobs. So, how do other countries, including Canada and Germany, respond to migrants crossing their borders without a visa or proper documentation? Germany, for example, has been wrestling with increases in undocumented immigration. Italy, which is also battling a huge influx of undocumented migrants from North Africa, recently doubled the amount of time that it can detain undocumented migrants, rising from three months to at least six months. They also direct the European Union to give money to countries that allow more asylum seekers to stay in those countries.

Persons: Tara Sonenshine, Olaf Scholz, Sebastien St, Jean, Eric Adams, Adams, Edward R, Murrow Organizations: Underwood, Underwood Archives Immigrants, Union, European Union, Getty, New, Diplomacy, Tufts University Locations: United States, Mexico, U.S, Ellis, Europe, Asia, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, North Africa, Albania, Greece, Syria, Pakistan, Quebec, New York, Chicago

☆ After a rough run, North Korea could at last find itself 'sitting pretty' in the new year with both Russia and China courting it, Korea watcher says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The result could be a very fortunate 2024 for North Korea, one in which Russia and China are both chasing after its attention. In that case, North Korea could be "sitting pretty," a top Korea watcher said last week. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un observes artillery fire competition in North Korea. North Korean military cadets hold a North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's flag during a perform of the Arirang festival which is a part of commemorations marking the 60th anniversary of the Workers' Party of North Korea on October 6, 2005, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea, on the other hand, has criticized, sometimes openly, China's disapproval of its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Victor Cha, Cha, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, North, Kim Jong, SAUL LOEB, Chung Sung, there's, Xi Jinping, Xi, Donald Trump's, Trump, Putin, MIKHAIL METZEL Organizations: Service, Business, Democratic People's, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, The Capital, North, Trump, Asian Affairs, White, National Security Council, REUTERS, Metropole, Getty, White House, Putin, Korean, Workers ' Party of North, Vostochny Locations: Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, China, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, COVID, Asia, Hanoi, North, Korean, Workers ' Party of North Korea, Pyongyang, Beijing, Amur

☆ Human Rights Watch says rocket misfire likely cause of deadly Gaza hospital blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows Al-Ahli hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza November 7, 2023. The explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch. The Al-Ahli hospital blast was one of the most fiercely disputed incidents in a war marked by accusations from both sides of disinformation and war crimes. Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas uses ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military positions in civilian buildings.

Persons: Israel, Basem Naim, Emmanuel Nahshon, Naim, Ida Sawyer, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood, Alexander Smith Organizations: Hamas, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS, Rights, Rights Watch, Al, Ahli Arab Hospital, HRW, Israel's Foreign Ministry, Authorities, Hospitals, Thomson Locations: Ahli, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Al

☆ Israel Accuses Freelance Photographers of Advance Knowledge of Oct. 7 Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

“It is reckless to make those allegations, putting our journalists on the ground in Israel and Gaza at risk,” the statement said. The furor over the Gaza photographers is part of a broader information war that has raged alongside the actual war. But it said in a statement that it was no longer working with Mr. Eslaiah, who filed the earliest and most extensive photos of the attack. There were other red flags about Mr. Eslaiah. He said he had no advance knowledge of the attack and had no links to Hamas, despite the photo with Mr. Sinwar.

Persons: ”, “, Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Masoud, Masoud’s, photojournalists, Khan Younis, Eslaiah, Yahya Sinwar, Amit Segal, Sinwar, Israel, Soliman, Adolf Hitler, Hijjy, Iyad Abuheweila Organizations: The New York Times, Israel, The Associated Press, Reuters, Times, The Times, The, Associated Press, Ahli Arab Hospital, BBC, CNN, New York Times, Israel Defense Forces, Facebook Locations: Israel, Gaza, Kibbutz Kfar Azza, Ahli, Gaza City, Egypt, Israeli, Al, Cairo

☆ The Full Guest List for Biden’s State Dinner With Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Chris Cameron | More About Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The White House invited more than 300 guests to the state dinner hosted by President Biden for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia on Wednesday night, including business leaders, musicians, athletes and prominent Australian Americans. Here is the full list of those invited as provided by the White House. THE PRESIDENT AND DR. BIDENTHE HONORABLE ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA, AND MS. JODIE HAYDONJoyce Aboussie and Greg KellerRepresentative Pete Aguilar, Democrat of California, and Alisha AguilarElizabeth Allen, under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, and Edward Price, senior adviser to the secretary of state

Persons: Biden, Anthony Albanese of, BIDEN, ANTHONY ALBANESE, JODIE HAYDON Joyce Aboussie, Greg Keller, Pete Aguilar, Alisha Aguilar Elizabeth Allen, Edward Price Organizations: White House, Anthony Albanese of Australia, White, DR, OF AUSTRALIA Locations: California

☆ Russia Pushes Long-Term Influence Operations Aimed at the U.S. and Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | More About Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Russian influence operations may have been dealt something of a blow in the aftermath of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin’s mutiny against the Russian military leadership and subsequent apparent assassination. Mr. Prigozhin, in addition to running the Wagner group, a private military force, founded and funded the Internet Research Agency. But the information released by the United States on Friday is designed to show how much deeper Russian influence operations are than those efforts to sow dissent on the internet. These operations include programs designed to build support for Russia among Americans and Europeans along with blunter efforts like fake grass-roots protests. The Treasury Department said Mr. Popov oversaw Ms. Burlinova’s work and provided her a list of U.S. citizens to approach.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin’s, Donald J, Hillary Clinton, Natalia Burlinova, Burlinova, Yegor Sergeyevich Popov, Popov, Burlinova’s Organizations: Internet Research Agency, Trump, U.S, Department, Creative Diplomacy, Treasury Department Locations: United States, Russia

☆ Newly declassified US intel claims Russia is laundering propaganda through unwitting Westerners
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Russian intelligence is operating a systematic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and western targets, according to newly declassified US intelligence. “At the end of the day, this unwitting target is disseminating Russian influence operation, Russian propaganda to their target public,” the US official said. In fact, the FSB directed his efforts and “almost certainly financed the project,” according to the declassified intelligence. The FSB does use similar tactics to influence political opinion within Russia, according to the intelligence. “The purpose of those protests really was … designed to sell it to the Russian people,” the US official said.

Persons: “, Maxim Grigoriev, Syria –, Bashar al, Assad, optees ”, Andrey Stepanenko, Natalia Burlinova, Anton Tsvetkov Organizations: Washington CNN, Russian, Russian Federal Security Service, CNN, UN, “, US, Embassy — Locations: Russian, Syria, Russia, United States, Ukraine, New York, Boston, Washington, Moscow —, Ukrainian

In the video, a Central African Republic rebel fighter says "the French want to drive Wagner out of Africa". Russia and Wagner have a track record of media manipulation and disinformation, which Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to. The European Union sanctioned Wagner in February for alleged rights abuses and spreading disinformation, including in Africa. The foreign ministry unit doesn’t promote or generate fake news, the two diplomats said. However, the foreign ministry unit, and the broader strategy, will face an uphill battle to convince people in Africa that France has changed, seven analysts and diplomats said.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Wagner, Catherine Colonna, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Maria Zakharova, Meta, Anne, Sophie Ave, Lakhta, Prigozhin, Viginum, Faustin, Archange Touadera, “, Michael Shurkin, I'm, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Michel Rose, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, Central, Facebook, Kremlin, Reuters, Quai D'Orsay, Vigilance, Protection, European Union, West, Central African, Twitter, Democratic, Internet Research Agency, Meta, Global, National Union, Gabonese, Thomson Locations: Burkina, French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Russia, PARIS, DAKAR, Central African Republic, France, Russian, Africa, Paris, France's, Ukraine, Moscow, Central, West Africa, Quai, Kinshasa, Mali, Sahel, Europe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, U.S, Togo, Libreville, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar

Concluding his visit on Thursday, Secretary of State Blinken told reporters he raised human rights issues with Saudi officials and "made clear that progress on human rights strengthens our relationship." "Human rights are always on the agenda of the United States - that’s who we are," he said during a news conference. But some rights advocates argue the golf deal shows the administration has chosen geopolitics over human rights. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) says scores of human rights activists and dissidents are in prison or on trial in Saudi Arabia and that the repression "spiked" following Biden's visit last year. The list included prominent cleric Salman al-Odah, children of former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani and aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan.

Persons: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, LIV, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Biden, Seth Binder, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Sarah Yager, Salman al, Saad al, Mohammed al, Abdulrahman, Saad Ibrahim Almadi, Tess McEnery, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Arshad Mohammed, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Saudi Crown, Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, North, MbS, PGA, East Democracy, Biden, Rights Watch, Saudi Foreign, U.S, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, REUTERS RIYADH, WASHINGTON, U.S, Riyadh, Washington, United States, Yemen, New York, China, Israel, OPEC, Russia, Florida

☆ US in 'extensive effort' with partners to counter China influence operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - A day after authorities arrested two people on charges of links to a Chinese "secret police station" in New York, a U.S. official said the United States is engaged in an "extensive effort" with international partners to counter Chinese influence operations. Federal prosecutors said the arrests on Monday were part of a crackdown on China's targeting of dissidents, which Beijing denies. Human rights groups have also complained of threats to academic freedom and monitoring of Chinese students on international university campuses. Waters said the U.S. was working through public diplomacy and "private diplomatic channels" with partners who had found the same issue in their countries. Reporting by Michael Martina and Steve Holland; Editing by Don Durfee and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Netanyahu fires defense minister for urging halt to overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen during the the 2016 Genesis Prize award-ceremony in Jerusalem, June 23, 2016. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister on Sunday, a day after he called on the Israeli leader to halt a planned judicial overhaul that has fiercely divided the country and prompted growing discontent within the ranks of the military. "The prime minister of Israel is a threat to the security of the state of Israel," Lapid wrote on Twitter. "The prime minister will be forced to bow his head before the law and comply with the provisions of the law." The prime minister responded saying the appeal should be dismissed and said that the Supreme Court didn't have grounds to intervene.

☆ Top Israeli diplomat ejected from African Union summit as row escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A senior Israeli diplomat was on Saturday removed from the African Union's annual summit in Ethiopia, as a dispute over Israel's accreditation to the bloc escalated. Images posted online showed AU security personnel confronting the diplomat during the opening ceremony of the summit, before she left the auditorium. But Israel blamed the incident on South Africa and Algeria, two key nations in the 55-nation bloc, saying they were holding the AU hostage, and were driven by "hate". South Africa rejected the claim, saying Israel's application for observer status at the AU has not been decided upon by the bloc. "So, it's not about South Africa or Algeria, it's an issue of principle."

☆ Iran's atomic energy organization says e-mail was hacked, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Iran's atomic energy organization said that an e-mail server of one of its subsidiaries was hacked from a foreign country, leading to some information being published online, state media reported on Sunday. "This move was made with the aim of attracting public attention," the atomic energy organization's general department of public diplomacy and information said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iran's atomic energy organization says e-mail was hacked
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Iran's atomic energy organization said that an e-mail server belonging to one of its subsidiaries had been hacked from a foreign country and information published online, state media reported on Sunday. An Iranian hacking group, Black Reward, said in a statement published on Twitter that it had released hacked information relating to Iranian nuclear activities, declaring the action an act of support for protesters in Iran. Their statement, published on Saturday, ended with the words "In the name of Mahsa Amini and for women, life, freedom" - a show of support for protests ignited by her death in the custody of morality police last month. The atomic energy organization's general department of public diplomacy and information played down the significance of the released information, saying "this move was made with the aim of attracting public attention". Black Reward, in a statement published on Oct. 21, had threatened to release hacked information in 24 hours unless the authorities released political prisoners and people arrested during the unrest.

☆ Mexico tells fans not to bring iconic 'Lucha Libre' masks to World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Angelica Medina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Mexico fans have been advised by their government not to wear their colourful 'Lucha Libre' wrestling masks at World Cup matches in Qatar to comply with local rules. The masks of classic fighters, such as 'El Santo' and 'Blue Demon', are popular among Mexico fans, who routinely wear them at international competitions such as the World Cup and the Olympics. However, Qatar's World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), told Reuters there was no policy prohibiting masks at the World Cup. "Full face masks, such as the famous Mexican wrestling masks, would obviously have to be removed for security reasons heading into a stadium," the SC wrote in an emailed statement. According to world soccer's governing body FIFA, Mexico will have one of the biggest fan contingents at the World Cup.

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