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☆ Julian Assange’s mission was to change the world - but at what cost?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Persons: London CNN — Julian Assange, ”, He’s, Chelsea Manning, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Anthony Albanese, Assange, “, ” –, Julian Assange, Ian Kenins, Sarah Palin’s, Atika Shubert, Shubert, ” Shubert, célèbre, Fidel Narvaez, “ Assange, ” Narvaez, James Ball, Joe Raedle, ” Ball, Ball, …, Narvaez, Hans Crescent, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Stella Assange, Daniel Leal, Stella, “ I’m, Nick Vamos, It’s, Alice Jill Edwards, Agnès Callamard, El País, Der Spiegel, Jameel Jaffer, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, WikiLeaks, Court, Ecuadorian, Army, Australian, Pentagon, NASA, University of Melbourne, Fairfax Media, of Scientology, Republican, CNN, Chelsea, Apache, Reuters, Guardian, Ellingham, Hans, London’s Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, of Justice, Britain's, Getty, Peters & Peters, Prosecution Service, Human Rights, UN, Amnesty, The New York Times, Columbia University Locations: United States, Australian, London’s, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, cybercrime, Melbourne, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, London, Afghanistan, ”, Sweden, Ecuador, UK’s, Belmarsh

☆ Jordan walks a tightrope after downing Iranian drones and missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1994. The kingdom was portrayed as shielding Israel at a time when Palestinians were being bombed by Israel in Gaza. One meme shared by users apparently outside Jordan showed a manipulated image of Jordan’s King Abdullah in an Israeli military uniform. “We are in the range of fire and any missiles or projectile that could fall in Jordan would cause harm to Jordan. Our priority is to protect Jordan and to protect Jordanian citizens.”And Jordan’s leadership seems intent on sending that message to its people.

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Jordan, Israel, King Abdullah, Bisher, “, Ayman Safadi, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ”, Safadi, “ Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyaahu, Iran ”, Abdullah, Queen Rania Organizations: CNN, Israel, West Bank, Scud, United, Sunday, ”, Jordan, Zionist, Jordanian Royal Court Locations: Amman, Israel, Damascus, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordanian, United States, Jordan, Gaza, Tehran, Fars, Iranian, Mafraq

☆ 'Mary & George': the Scandalous True Story Behind the Starz Series
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Mary & George" takes viewers inside the raucous 17th century court of Britain's King James I. AdvertisementNicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in "Mary & George." Tony Curran as King James and Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in "Mary & George." Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in "Mary & George." "Mary & George" is released weekly on Fridays at midnight on the Starz app and the Starz linear channel at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Persons: Mary, George, Britain's King James I, —, Long, Kris Kardashian, Mary Villiers, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine, Tony Curran, Countess, Duke of Buckingham, Benjamin Woolley's, James I, England's James I, Scotland's James VI, George Villiers, Mary Villiers's, Sir George Villiers, Moore, what's, James, Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, Laurie Davidson, King James, Carr, Alan Stewart, King James I, Marquess of Buckingham, George Villiers's, George reminisced, King James Until James, Katherine Manners, Earl of Rutland, Katherine, Starz Mary, Woolley, poultices, King Charles I, Charles Organizations: Service, Starz, Royal, Farnham, BBC, Smithsonian Magazine Locations: France, England, Scottish, London, Surrey, Britain

☆ Author Maryse Conde, winner of ‘alternative’ Nobel Literature Prize, dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Paris (Reuters) — Guadeloupe-born author Maryse Conde, who wrote about colonialism, slavery and the French-Caribbean diaspora, died in southern France on Monday at the age of 90. Often cited as a potential winner of the Nobel prize for literature, Conde was awarded the New Academy Prize in Literature in 2018, created after the Swedish Academy postponed that year’s literary Nobel in the aftermath of a rape scandal. “A literary giant, Maryse Conde paints a picture of sorrow and hope, from Guadaloupe to Africa, from the Caribbean to Provence. “Segu” won Conde several awards, including a Fulbright scholarship, and she went on to teach literature at Columbia University in New York, several other US universities and at the Sorbonne in Paris. French Foreign Trade and Language minister Franck Riester said Conde was a leading light of French literature and theatre.

Persons: Maryse Conde, Conde, Emmanuel Macron, “, ” Conde, “ Segu ”, Salem, Mamadou Conde, Richard Philcox, Philcox, Franck Riester Organizations: Paris, —, New, Swedish Academy, New Academy, Columbia University, Sorbonne, Agence France, Presse, Foreign Trade Locations: — Guadeloupe, French, Caribbean, France, Guadaloupe, Africa, Provence, Mali, Brazil, New York, Paris, Pointe, Guinean, Apt

☆ Hollywood’s New Fantasy: A Magical, Colorblind Past
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Kabir Chibber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Across the arts, we now see so many worlds that never existed. The hit Netflix series “Bridgerton” depicts a version of Regency England ruled by a Black queen and an anachronistically multiracial royal court. When you see these examples gathered, they’re often followed by some complaint of a world gone mad with inclusion. In Britain, for instance, there was some outrage when the protagonist of an otherwise faithful Agatha Christie adaptation was revised to be a Nigerian immigrant. But the problem, for viewers, isn’t wokeness run amok; it’s the incoherence of the world we are watching.

Persons: David Copperfield, Dev Patel, they’re, Agatha Christie, isn’t Organizations: Netflix Locations: England, Britain, Nigerian

LONDON (AP) — A British financial trader, who has been described as the ringleader in the manipulation of a key interest rate before and after the global financial crisis, lost his appeal Wednesday to have his conviction quashed. At a three-day hearing in London earlier this month, the men’s lawyers argued that their convictions were “unsafe” and should be quashed. An appeal to the Supreme Court has to be made within 14 days. The scandal emerged in 2012 when some banks were accused of submitting fake numbers on purpose to have the LIBOR set at a rate that better suited them. LIBOR has been phased out in recent years, partly because it was seen by many as worsening the 2008 financial crisis.

Persons: —, Tom Hayes, Hayes, Carlo Palombo, Palombo, dishonestly, “, LIBOR Organizations: Citigroup, Switzerland's UBS, London Inter, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, of Justice, Supreme, U.S Locations: British, U.S, London, France, Germany

☆ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not be immediately extradited to the U.S., British court rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday was granted permission by a U.K. court to appeal his extradition to the U.S., where he is wanted on spying charges. Assange will therefore not be extradited immediately, the court said. A further hearing on May 20 will determine whether the assurances provided are satisfactory, the court said. Assange is wanted in the U.S. on 18 charges, including 17 under the Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. He faces up to 175 years in prison after WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of leaked confidential military files and diplomatic documents related to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange Organizations: Royal, of Justice, Constitution, Computer, WikiLeaks Locations: U.S, London, Ecuadorian, Belmarsh, Afghanistan, Iraq

☆ A $20m mansion home was built on top of a 400ft skyscraper. The tycoon owner may never get to live in it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $20-million sky mansion sits on top of a 33-story luxury apartment complex in India. The spectacular home was designed for businessman Vijay Mallya. AdvertisementVijay Mallya might never get to live in the mansionThere's a real possibility that Mallya won't ever get to live in the sky mansion. Indian businessman Vijay Mallya arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, February 2020. On the list were defense dealer Sanjay Bhandari, diamond trader Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya.

Persons: Vijay Mallya, Mallya, —, Vijay, instagram Irfan Razac, superrich, Ambani, Ashwin, Tom Tugendhat, Sanjay Bhandari, Nirav Modi Organizations: Service, Prestige Estates, Business, Kingfisher, Financial Times, Royal, of Justice, Reuters, of State Security, Press Trust of, The, India's Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency Locations: India, Bengaluru, Mumbai, London, Reuters India, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, British, Press Trust of India, The Times

☆ Edward Bond, Playwright Who Clashed With Royal Censors, Dies at 89
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Benedict Nightingale | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

No modern British dramatist polarized his countrymen as much as Edward Bond, who died on Sunday at age 89. To some, he was an unholy terror, relentless in his doctrinaire socialism and disconcertingly fond of violent theatrical effects. But both parties would agree that his first important play, “Saved,” precipitated the end of theatrical censorship in Britain. In 1965, the Royal Court Theater submitted “Saved,” a graphic portrait of mostly young and sometimes violent no-hopers adrift in London’s lower depths, to the Lord Chamberlain, who had held absolute power over British drama since 1737. The response by a functionary was widely thought of as absurdly anachronistic: A scene in which hooligans stone to death a baby in a pram could not be publicly staged.

Persons: Edward Bond, ”, Lord Chamberlain Organizations: Royal Court Locations: British, Britain

☆ Activists bombard British Museum’s social media with calls for return of Easter Island statue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The British Museum is facing renewed calls to return a huge moai statue to Easter Island, sparked by a social media campaign by Chilean activists. “Comments were only deactivated on one social media post,” a museum spokesperson told CNN in a statement Monday. The social media campaign is the latest stage in efforts to get it back to Easter Island. A museum spokesperson told CNN that other initiatives involving representatives from Easter Island had taken place at the British Museum in 2022 and 2023. The British Museum, like other cultural institutions across the Western world, is facing calls to return many artifacts to their place of origin.

Persons: Mike Milfort, “, ”, Neil Hall, el, Gabriel Boric, Adrian Dennis, ” Boric, Queen Victoria, Rapu, London’s Victoria Organizations: London CNN, British, Islanders, British Museum, CNN, Radio Chiloé, Getty, London’s, Albert Museum, Asante Locations: Easter, Chilean, Rapa, Pascua, Eastern, AFP, Chile, London, Rapa Nui, Ghana, Manhyia, Kumasi

☆ UK museums to loan looted gold artifacts to Ghana
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United Kingdom will send back gold and silver artifacts looted from Ghana in the 19th century after a long-term loan agreement was struck. Both the British Museum and the V&A will send items related to the Asante royal court to Ghana, where they will be displayed at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, according to a press release from the UK museums Thursday. “Asante kings grew powerful on local gold deposits and the palace in Kumasi became the focal point for a lucrative international gold trade,” it adds. The items will be displayed in Ghana on a long-term loan. Lissant Bolton, keeper of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at the British Museum, hailed the partnership with the Manhyia Palace Museum.

Persons: Asante, ”, Osei Tutu, Albert Museum “, “ Asante, Albert Museum Tristram Hunt, he’s, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s, Hunt, Lissant Bolton, Emmanuel Macron, Lord Elgin Organizations: CNN, British Museum, Asante, Albert, Victoria, Albert Museum, “, French Locations: United Kingdom, Ghana, Manhyia, Kumasi, Asante, Victoria, London, Asantehene, Africa, Oceania, Americas, Bolton, Greece

☆ Ancient human DNA suggests Columbus may not have brought syphilis to Europe after all
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThe idea that Christopher Colombus brought back syphilis from the New World might be completely wrong. Interim Archives/Getty ImagesThe timing of the arrival of syphilis in Europe is suspiciousLooking at historical literature, you would think syphilis definitely arrived with the conquistadors. There was a big outbreak of syphilis in Europe in the late 1400s, mostly in harbor towns, seemingly out of the blue. AdvertisementThis suggests that the bones lesions alone don't guarantee that syphilis was present in South America before Columbus, poking holes in the evidence used to support the hypothesis. AdvertisementWith this ancient genome, Schünemann and colleagues were able to discover that the whole Treponema family is much older than had ever been expected.

Persons: —, Christopher Colombus, didn't, Verena Schünemann, Christopher Columbus, Columbus, Brenda Baker, Schünemann Organizations: Service, Business, University of Basel, Arizona State University, Getty Locations: Europe, South America, Barcelona, Spain, Brazil, Asia, Japan, Columbus, India, Americas

☆ Saudi Arabia opens its first-ever alcohol store — but it's only accessible to a select group
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to a list of store rules seen by CNBC, the venue is only accessible to non-Muslim diplomats, and authorization must be validated through an app called Diplo. Saudi Arabia has opened its first alcohol store in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh, two sources told CNBC. "It's a baby step to opening up alcohol sales to non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia eventually, to hotels and other venues," said the consultant, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. Foreign embassy staff, who are able to import alcohol to be kept on embassy premises, are known in Saudi Arabia to often import booze in large quantities and then sell it on the black market. Saudi Arabia has undergone seismic change both socially and economically in the years since the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now the kingdom's de-facto ruler, came to power.

Persons: we've, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: CNBC, Foreign, Saudi, Crown Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Western

☆ Fujitsu role in Britain's Post Office scandal could have severe reputational consequences, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

(Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) Tolga Akmen | Afp | Getty ImagesLONDON — Fujitsu 's role in the U.K. Post Office scandal, dubbed the "most widespread miscarriage of justice" in British history, has analysts wary of what the fallout could look like for the Japanese IT giant. Between 1999 and 2015, a fault with the company's Horizon computer software used by the Post Office, a state-owned private company employing thousands of people across the country, resulted in more than 700 sub-postmasters being subjected to false prosecutions. watch nowIn a statement Thursday, Fujitsu said it regards the matter with the "utmost seriousness and offers its deepest apologies to the sub-postmasters and their families." "Based on the findings of the Inquiry, we will also be working with the UK government on the appropriate actions, including contribution to compensation." A spokesperson for Fujitsu wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Persons: Tolga Akmen, TOLGA AKMEN, Akmen, postmasters, Paul Patterson, Patterson, Fujitsu Tim Morse, —, CNBC's, Mio Kato Organizations: subpostmasters, of Justice, Appeal, Getty, Afp, Fujitsu, Post Office, Post, Business, Trade, Asymmetric Advisors, CNBC, Fujitsu wasn't, Treasury, Fujitsu —, ICL, Tokyo Stock Exchange, LightStream Locations: London, AFP, U.K, Japan

☆ UK postal scandal: How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined peoples lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The government — which owns the Post Office — has described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. The software regularly showed that money — often many thousands of pounds — had gone missing from Post Office accounts. The Post Office has so far paid more than £138 million ($176 million) in compensation, a company spokesperson told CNN. “The Horizon system was a piece of machinery and software that wasn’t working correctly,” she said. “If the Post Office can do this to you, then God knows what any other brand is capable of,” she said.

Persons: —, Jo Hamilton, Hamilton, ”, Mr Bates, ’, Alan Bates, Rishi Sunak, ‘, Jonathan Wells, Wendy Buffrey’s Horizon, “, I’d, Buffrey, “ I’ve, Neil Hudgell, Martin Griffith, they’ve, Leon Neal, James Hartley, Siema Kamran, Kamran Ashraf, Ashraf, Kamran, ” Siema Kamran Organizations: London CNN, UK Post, Fujitsu, CNN, Post, ITV, Horizon, of Justice, Office, Cheltenham, Metropolitan Police, Getty, Post Office Locations: Britain, England, Hamilton, British, London, Buffrey, Bracknell , England, Freeths, Cheltenham

☆ A UNESCO World Heritage site with thousands of people living inside it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Shalbha Sarda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's life as usual in Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that thousands of people call home. Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Rajasthan, India. But today, the fort attracts other types of outsiders – hundreds of thousands of travelers who come to the location, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, along with five other forts in Rajasthan. But unlike the others, Jaisalmer Fort boasts a royal palace as well as public temples, shops, hotels, cafes and homes. Struggles of a 'living fort'But Jaisalmer Fort's status as a "living fort" isn't without consequence, said heritage specialist Kavita Jain.

Persons: Chaitanya Raj Singh, Sanjay Vasu, Didier Marti, Vasu, King Rawal Jaisal, Kavita Jain, Asheesh Srivastava, Shri Girdhar Smarak, Srivastava Organizations: UNESCO, Heritage, Indian National Trust for Art, Cultural Heritage Locations: Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India, Jaisalmer, Pakistan

☆ Qatar's emir holds talks in Egypt on ending Gaza violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mohamed Wali | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attends the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. Qatar said "joint efforts to stop the aggression against Gaza, reduce escalation and bring in urgent humanitarian aid" were discussed. Since then Israel has launched an unrelenting bombardment and an armoured invasion of Hamas-ruled Gaza, where more than 10,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Evacuations through Rafah restarted on Thursday following a pause after the Red Cross said one of its convoys escorting evacuees was targeted inside Gaza. The United Nations said 65 aid trucks entered Gaza from Egypt on Thursday, well below the number needed to address a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Persons: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Thani, Abdel Fattah al, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Cross, Israel, Mohamed Wali, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Aidan Lewis, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Arab League Summit, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Hamas, United Nations, United, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Rights CAIRO, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Gaza, Qatari, Doha, Israel, Hamas, Rafah, United States

☆ Saudi crown prince calls for end of war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Arab League summit, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsRIYADH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince called on Friday for an end to the war in Gaza. "We condemn what the Gaza Strip is facing from military assault, targeting of civilians, the violations of international law by the Israeli occupation authorities," Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said during an African-Saudi summit held in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh"We stress on the need to stop this war and the forced displacement of Palestinians." Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Writing by Nayera Abdallahl; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed Bin Salman, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Nayera Abdallahl, Alison Williams Organizations: Saudi, Crown, League, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Rights RIYADH, Saudi, Gaza, African, Riyadh

☆ Blinken to hear call for Gaza ceasefire from regional ministers in Jordan on Saturday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks at the airport after arriving from Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Amman, Jordan November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hear demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Middle East foreign ministers in Jordan on Saturday, Jordan's foreign ministry said. The Arab ministers will hold a meeting ahead of their discussions with Blinken, the statement said. King Abdullah told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a phone call on Friday the international community urgently needed to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians, the royal court said. The monarch said Israel's military campaign would not succeed and the only path to permanent peace was revived negotiations on an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, Jonathan Ernst, Antony Blinken, Israel, Blinken, King Abdullah, Olaf Scholz, Jordan, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Bill Berkrot, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi, Israel, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Amman, Jordan, Rights AMMAN, Gaza, Jordanian, U.S, Washington

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman on Tuesday discussed efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from widening, the White House said. Biden and the Saudi crown prince welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that "much more is needed for civilians" to have sustained access to food, water and medical assistance, according to the White House. They both welcomed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for their immediate release, the White House added. Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have said they thought Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel that left over 1,400 people dead was in part motivated to disrupt a potential normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Mohamed bin Salman, Biden, Antony Blinken, Donald Trump, John Kirby, Kanishka Singh, Ismail Shakil, Chris Reese, Chizu Nomiyama, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi Arabian, White, Hamas, U.S, United, White House, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Israel, Egypt, Gaza, United States, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Riyadh, Gulf

Since then, Omar Abou Nabout has sought accountability over his father’s killing while forging a new life in France. Legal cases have been filed against the Syrian regime before. The Syrian regime used them extensively, and indiscriminately, in densely populated areas at the height of the civil war, which was considered a form of prohibited indiscriminate attack under international humanitarian law. It may deny targeting civilians, but Abou Nabout says the new indictments are a victory for him and others fighting impunity. I was part of it … I watched people die including friends,” Abou Nabout said.

Persons: Paris CNN — Omar Abou Nabout, Bashar al, Assad, Salah Abou Nabout, Omar Abou Nabout, Abou Nabout’s, ”, Mohamad Abazeed, Abou Nabout, Salah, Muhammed Yusuf, ” Abou Nabout, “, Mazen Darwish, Mark Esplin, CNN Abou Nabout, Darwish, Anwar Raslan, –, SANA, Fahed, ” Darwish, there’s Ali Abdullah Ayoub –, Ahmad Balloul, Ali al, Safatli, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he’s, ” Assad, … Organizations: Paris CNN, CNN, Getty, Anadolu Agency, Syrian Network for Human, Sorbonne University, French Foreign Ministry, Syrian Center for Media, Syrian Defense, Syrian, Air Force, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Arab League Summit, Saudi Royal Court, Reuters, International Criminal Court, ICC, UN Security Council Locations: Paris, France, Daraa, Syrian, AFP, Syria, Russian, Tareek, France –, Europe, Germany, Fraij, Damascus, ”, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar Algaloud, Netherlands, Russia

☆ Biden to Meet With Egyptian, Palestinian Leaders at Summit in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden will meet with Egyptian and Palestinian leaders at a summit in the Jordanian capital on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Gaza, Jordan's royal court said. The leaders will discuss the war's "dangerous" repercussions for the region and how to find a political resolution to the crisis, Jordan said. Biden will "reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination, and he'll discuss again the humanitarian needs of all civilians in Gaza," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters late Monday.

Persons: Biden, Jordan, he'll, John Kirby Organizations: Security Locations: Jordanian, Gaza

☆ The Israel-Hamas war is exposing the new limits and challenges to US power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia and China are seeking to exploit the Israel-Hamas war. The US is embarking on a mission to prevent the war from escalating into a wider conflict. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmid the brutal war between Israel and Hamas, US President Joe Biden has sought to project strength. But the new conflict threatens to starkly expose the limits of the US' influence in the region, where for decades it was the unchallenged international power. AdvertisementAdvertisementInto the perceived power vacuum, Russia and China have stepped, seeking to project their influence and undermine the US.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Sergei Lavrov, Khaled Mechaal, NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Israel, Biden, Antony Blinken, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohamed bin Salman, Gordon Flake Organizations: Service, Hamas, Saudi Arabia —, Getty Images, US, Crown, U.S, Royal, Anadolu, Getty, The Washington Post, USAsia, University of Western, Wall Street Locations: Russia, China, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russian, Moscow, AFP, Getty Images Russia, Syria, Beijing, Ukraine, Europe, Taiwan, Gaza, The Tehran, Riyadh, Saudi, Qatar, Gulf, University of Western Australia

☆ An astonished family discovered that a painting that decorated their living room for decades was a Van Dyck that could be worth millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A family discovered that a painting hanging on the wall of their home could be worth millions. The painting was a genuine Anthony van Dyck and had been on their wall for decades. A Madrid art company authenticated it as a van Dyck last year, per the report. AdvertisementAdvertisementA previous van Dyck paintings to go to auction at Sotheby's sold for £8.3 million, which is about $10 million, according to the auction house's website. Born in Antwerp, in what is now Belgium, van Dyck went on to become a royal court painter for the English monarch Charles I.

Persons: Anthony van Dyck, Jesus, Saint Barbara, —, van Dyck, El País, Consuelo Durán, El, Van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Charles I . Organizations: Service, El Locations: Jaén, Spain, Flemish, Andalucía, Madrid, Seville, El, Antwerp, Belgium

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took his first phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as Riyadh tries to prevent a broader surge in violence across the region. "Normalisation was already considered taboo (in the Arab world) ... this war only amplifies that," Saudi analyst Aziz Alghashian said. Asked about Raisi's call with the crown prince, a senior U.S. State Department official said Washington was in "constant contact with Saudi leaders". "The Saudis are still convinced the region, and Saudi Arabia itself, needs to shift toward regional cooperation and economic development.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel, Normalisation, Aziz Alghashian, Abraham, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Antony Blinken, Alex Vatanka, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Tom Perry, Michael Georgy, Edmund Blair Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, U.S, Hamas, normalisation, Saudi, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, U.S . National Security, White, Saudi Foreign, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Middle East Institute, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Iran RIYADH, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, Riyadh, U.S, East, Gaza, Gulf, Iranian, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanese, Tehran, Washington

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