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Maps Show Scarce Shelter and Medical Care as Rafah Operation Is UnderwayHundreds of thousands of Gazans have fled the southern region of Rafah over the past week, after Israel has expanded its evacuation orders amid continued bombardment and fierce fighting there. Satellite imagery taken after the May 6 incursion shows extensive new damage to eastern parts of Rafah. Additional damaged buildings were identified in satellite imagery collected from May 5 to May 7. As of Tuesday, new high resolution satellite imagery of the evacuation area in Rafah was not available after May 7. ISRAEL Rafah crossing N EGYPT Kerem Shalom crossing 1 mile Source: World Health Organization; International Committee of the Red Cross press releases Note: Data is as of May 14.

Persons: Younis, Copernicus, Israel, Corey Scher, Den, Abu Yousef al, EGYPT Al Helal, Helal, EGYPT Kerem Organizations: Planet Labs, The New York Times, Health, United Nations, The United Nations, New York Times, Copernicus Sentinel, CUNY, Center, Den Hoek of Oregon State University, Labs, Najjar, Maternity, Health Organization, International Committee, Red Cross Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, Rafah Egypt Israel Rafah, Kerem Shalom, Israel Egypt Rafah, Egypt, GAZA, Rafah ISRAEL EGYPT Rafah, Rafah ISRAEL EGYPT, Shalom, Den Hoek of, Kuwait, EGYPT, EGYPT Al Helal Al, ISRAEL Rafah, Helal Al, EGYPT Kerem Shalom, Jabaliya, Gaza City

☆ ‘We have to do what we have to do’: Israel’s Netanyahu stands firm on Rafah offensive despite U.S. tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged tensions with historical ally the U.S. over the military offensive in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, but stood firm that the operation is required to protect Israeli security. But we have to do what we have to do," Netanyahu said Wednesday, in an interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen. Over 1,200 people have been killed in Israel since October, according to Israel's prime minister's office. Meanwhile, more than 35,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health ministry's latest official count. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Washington could not endorse a Rafah military incursion in the absence of a "credible" plan to safeguard civilians.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Israel, Antony Blinken, Josep Borrell Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, NBC's, U.S . State Department Locations: U.S, Rafah, Gaza, Israel, United States, Washington, Hamas, Kerem Shalom

☆ US Air Force's F-22 Raptors lost to German Eurofighters in mock dogfights, but the verdict on the superior jet isn't as simple
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets fly during a media day. Piroschka van de Wouw/ReutersDespite their generational differences, the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon actually have a number of things in common. A German air force Eurofighter Typhoon taxis toward the runway at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska before departing for a combat-training mission, June 11, 2012. So what's the verdict between the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon? A composite image showing a German air force Eurofighter Typhoon jet and a US Air Force F-22 Raptor.

Persons: …, Valerie R, David Cenciotti's, Piroschka van de Wouw, it's, Randy Gordon, Sam Eckholm, doesn't, Rich Wells, Thomas Wiegold, John P, Michael Holzworth, It's, Marc Gruene, haven't, Gruene, isn't, Jens Stoltenberg, Bernd Wüstneck, Eurofighters, Chris Jung, That's, Eric Wicklund, Erich Hartmann, He's, Alex Muller, Andreas Pfeiffer, who's, Thomas Bergeson, Wade Tolliver, we're, Dirk Smith, Mike, Bertie Simmonds, Micheal Jordan, Chesty Puller Organizations: Service, EA, German Eurofighter Typhoons, Business, Eurofighter, Spangdahlem Air Base, US Air Force, Tactical Air Force, America's Raptors, BFM, Germany's Eurofighter, Farnborough, Air, Germany's, German Air Force Eurofighter, Reuters, Typhoon, MIT, RAF, Breaking Defense, AIM, Air Force, Staff, Raptors, Eielson Air Force Base, Tech, Germany's Air Force, Combat Aircraft, TVC, Raptor, NATO, Tactical Air, Getty, Typhoons, Seoul International Aerospace, Defense, Eurofighters, 4th, US Navy, KC, Red Flag, Navy SEAL, ISIS, Qaeda, Flag, FS, Eurofighter Typhoon Locations: Germany, Alaska, Red, Estonia, Vietnam, Flag Alaska, gun's, American

☆ Opinion | What a ‘Free Palestine’ Means in Practice
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Imagine that the campus protesters got their wish tomorrow: Not just “Cease-fire Now” in Gaza, but the creation of a “Free Palestine.” How free would that future Palestine be? Palestinians have had a measure of self-rule in the West Bank since Yasir Arafat entered Gaza in 1994. Israeli settlers have run riot against their Palestinian neighbors. The Israeli government imposes heavy and unequal restrictions on Palestinians, as my colleague Megan Stack has reported in painful detail. The frequent mistreatment of Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints is a long-running disgrace.

Persons: Yasir Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, they’ve, Israel, Megan Stack Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Authority Locations: Gaza, Palestine

☆ Putin to meet Xi in China as world convulses from global conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Pyongyang – which has an economy almost entirely dependent of China – is believed by Western governments to be aiding Russia with war supplies. Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a “Cold War,” suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China. They have also criticized Israel and the United States – converging with mounting global backlash, especially across the Global South against Israel’s war. The conflict has also impacted how China and Russia view their relations with countries there, he added. China “wants to use Russia” for its aims, but Russia is making China weak, he said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, It’s, China –, Xi, France –, Jens Stoltenberg, Sergei Guneyev, ”, Li Mingjiang, Manoj Kewalramani, Russia doesn’t, Stringer, Gaza —, Sergey Lavrov, presser, Wang Yi, Israel, “, Privately, Shen Dingli, China “, Alexander Dugin, Donald Trump, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, NATO, Forum, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, EU, Takshashila, Boys, Getty, United, Global, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russia, Weibo, Moscow, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Russian, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Tehran, Beijing, Europe, France, Serbia, Hungary, Bangalore, Rafah, AFP, Israel, United States, Kewalramani, South, Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Israel’s return to areas of Gaza it said were clear of Hamas raises doubts about its military strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Israeli military has renewed its fighting in northern Gaza where it previously claimed to have dismantled Hamas’ command structure. The Israeli military also began operating in the area of Zeitoun in central Gaza, as it continues its offensive in eastern Rafah and near the Rafah crossing with Egypt. “Israel’s strategy is not a good one,” said Danny Orbach, a military historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Others say the re-emergence of Hamas “pockets” is not unusual, and that the Israeli military will have to keep re-entering areas in Gaza until no more fighters emerge. “This process will happen again and again,” Amir Aviv, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel’s military, told CNN, until all “pockets of resistance” are removed.

Persons: Israel’s, Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Israel, Khan Younis, ” Blinken, Israel “, Dawoud Abo, ”, Danny Orbach, Netanyahu, Netanyahu “, ” Orbach, Phil, General Herzi Halevi, Tamir Hayman, Hayman, ” Amir Aviv, “ Organizations: CNN, CBS News, Israel, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Getty, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, Staff, Institute for National Security Studies Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Zeitoun, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, United States, Rafah –, Washington, ”, Gaza City, Anadolu, East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

Israelis gathered across the country on Monday for the first national day of mourning since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, with protesters disrupting several ceremonies as they demanded that government ministers do more to secure the release of hostages. Israel’s Memorial Day is normally one of the most somber on the country’s calendar, a date when Israelis put aside their differences to grieve fellow citizens killed in war or terrorist attacks. But the protests on Monday underscored how feelings of wartime unity have given way to deep disputes over the war in the Gaza Strip, the fate of hostages taken on Oct. 7 and domestic politics. Critics heckled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he attended a memorial at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the site of Israel’s national cemetery. One person was heard shouting, “Garbage.” Another said, “You took my children.”At a ceremony in Ashdod, on the Mediterranean coast, bystanders shouted at the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling him a “criminal,” before his supporters tried to drown them out.

Persons: Israel’s, Critics, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mount, “, ”, Itamar Ben Locations: Gaza, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Ashdod

☆ No 'credible plan': U.S.' Blinken issues harshest criticism yet of Israel's Gaza operations
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven't seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is over, and we still haven't seen that." The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities in the besieged enclave. We're seeing parts of Gaza that Israel has cleared of Hamas where Hamas is coming back, including in the north, including in Khan Younis," Blinken said. Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in eastern Rafah, Gaza on May 07, 2024.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mike Herzog, Evelyn Hockstein, Blinken, Biden, Joe Biden, Ashraf Amra, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Abed Rahim Khatib, We've Organizations: Ben, Reuters U.S, CBS, Israel, Administration, Anadolu, Getty, Hamas, State Department, NBC Locations: U.S, Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Deir, Balah, Palestinian, America, Egypt

☆ US assesses Israel has amassed enough troops to launch full-scale incursion into Rafah, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Mj Lee | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If Israel were to proceed with a major ground operation into Rafah, it would be going against months of warnings from the US to forego a full-scale offensive into the densely populated city. Going “headlong into Rafah” could have dire consequences, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Sunday. “They couldn’t launch an attack of that scale today.”“Their weapons production factories underground have been eliminated. However, the Biden administration has been ramping up the pressure on Israel to start focusing much more in earnest on post-war Gaza plans – so far, to little effect. Blinken publicly called on Israel to engage more seriously on developing a plan for post-war Gaza over the weekend.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Jake Sullivan, Kurt Campbell, ” Campbell, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Antony Blinken, “ Israel’s, ” Blinken, Israel, Matt Miller, “, Yahya Sinwar, Blinken, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Israel, White, State, NATO Youth Summit, Aspen Institute, Press, Hamas, CBS Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel

☆ Opinion: Eurovision’s slogan is ‘United by Music.’ The reality turned out very different
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Opinion Louis Staples | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Eurovision Song Contest is a glittery and eccentric spectacle that rivals the Super Bowl for its attraction to audiences. When combined with the jury vote, Israel’s impressive public vote tally saw Golan finish in fifth place overall. Despite this, the EBU has always insisted that Eurovision is an apolitical music competition between broadcasters, rather than a political competition between governments. The 2023 contest in Liverpool was a moving display of unity — so much that Liverpool’s slogan, “United By Music,” was adopted by Eurovision for all future contests. On Saturday, there was very little sense that Eurovision was “united by music.” Some fans boycotted, while others mobilized online to vote for Israel.

Persons: Louis Staples, Celine Dion, Louis Staples Louis Staples, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, Israel, —, Lasagna, Golan, Nemo, Russia —, ”, Turkey, Isaac Herzog, Bambie, Joost Klein, AVROTROS, Martin Österdahl Organizations: Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wired, CNN, Super Bowl, Hamas, European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision, EBU, “ United, Music, Israel, Ukraine, Twitter, Facebook Locations: London, Slate, Switzerland, Swedish, Malmö, Gaza, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Liverpool, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Dutch

As the Israeli military stepped up pressure on what it calls Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza, fighting elsewhere in the Palestinian enclave on Sunday led to warnings that the militants might remain a force for a long time to come. Close-quarters ground combat between Hamas fighters and Israeli troops raged in parts of northern Gaza over the weekend, both sides said on Sunday, even as the world’s attention was largely focused on the southern city of Rafah, where Israel escalated military operations last week. It has become a familiar scenario in the Gaza Strip over the course of the seven-month war: After pitched battles, Israel declares an area clear of Hamas, only to return after the militants reconstitute their forces. On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said he was concerned that Israel’s failure to lay down a template for the governance of Gaza meant that its victories might not be “sustainable” and would be followed by “chaos, by anarchy and ultimately by Hamas again.”

Persons: Hamas’s, Antony J, Blinken, ” Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Israel

☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Says About 300,000 Gazans Have Fled Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

There has been intense bombardment and fighting around Rafah since Monday, when Israel seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, largely halting the flow of aid. Dozens of people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Rafah since then, local health officials say. Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of Rafah and over a part of northern Gaza on Saturday that ordered people to flee. “Forcing civilians to evacuate Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable,” Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s top diplomat, wrote late Saturday on the social media platform X. Several countries and international aid groups have condemned the prospect of a full-scale Rafah invasion, saying it would be catastrophic for civilians.

Persons: Gazans, Israel, ” Josep Borrell Fontelles, Biden Organizations: United Nations, Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al, Israel, United

☆ College Protests Live Updates: Schools Brace for More Commencement Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

At Morehouse College in Atlanta, discontent over the Gaza war has played out relatively quietly, in classrooms and auditoriums rather than on campus lawns. “This should not be a place that cancels people regardless of if we agree with them,” David Thomas, the Morehouse president, said in an interview on Thursday. Mr. Richmond does not think Mr. Biden will face protests. “The Morehouse College graduation, at least as I remember it, is a very solemn event,” he said. Roughly 75 percent of students at H.B.C.U.s, including 50 percent of Morehouse students, are eligible for the Pell Grant, a federal aid program for low-income students.

Persons: Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden’s, Stephen K, Morehouse —, Martin Luther King Jr, ’, ” David Thomas, Christian Monterrosa, Morehouse, Cedric Richmond, Richmond, “, ”, That’s, Harris, Mekhi Perrin, ” Mr, Perrin, Mr, King, Benjamin Bayliss, Dr . King, Morehouse ”, Pell Grant, Dillard, Walter Kimbrough, Young, Donald J, Freddrell Rhea Green II, Donald Trump, ” “ Joe Biden, Samuel Livingston, Auzzy, Byrdsell, Raphael Warnock of, Warnock, ” Kitty Bennett Organizations: Morehouse College, Morehouse, White House, Black, Democratic Party, The New York Times, White, Democratic National Committee, Mr, Howard University, Gaza, George Mason University in, “ Morehouse, Dillard University, Trump, “, West Bank, Credit Locations: Atlanta, Gaza, Morehouse, George Mason University in Virginia, ”, H.B.C.U.s, Columbia, New Orleans, Palestinian, Raphael Warnock of Georgia

☆ Students Walk Out in Protest at Duke Before Seinfeld Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Maya Shwayder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

“The Morehouse College graduation, at least as I remember it, is a very solemn event,” he said. Dr. King said it was a place where he had advanced his understanding of nonviolent protest and moral leadership — which current Morehouse students say they take seriously. Roughly 75 percent of students at H.B.C.U.s, including 50 percent of Morehouse students, are eligible for the Pell Grant, a federal aid program for low-income students. More than 80 percent of Morehouse students receive some form of financial aid. Some students at Black colleges also may decide against protesting because of family pressure, which amplifies the importance of securing their degrees.

☆ Israel pushes deeper into Rafah and battles a regrouping Hamas in northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Warnings continued against the growing offensive in Rafah, considered the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million civilians as well as Hamas' last stronghold. The two towns near Gaza's northern border with Israel were heavily bombed in the opening days of the war. Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, and Hagari said dozens of militants had been killed there as "targeted operations continued." Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, forcing it to shut down. Smoke billows after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Israel, Volker Turk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hatem Khaled, Netanyahu, Abdel, Kareem Radwan, Daniel Hagari, Ben Caspit, Khan Younis, Hagari Organizations: Hamas, Afp, Getty, U.S, CBS, International Court of Justice, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Health Ministry, Palestinian Civil Defense, Al Qahera News Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, RAFAH, Egypt, South, United States, Palestinian, Gaza City, Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, Gaza's, Hamas, Israel's

☆ Young Palestinians with amputated and injured legs find care in US — but face uncertain future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Celina OdehShe is one of three Palestinians who received PCRF’s help to come to the US for leg injury treatment. At least 1,000 children in Gaza have had one or both legs amputated, UNICEF reported in December. Doctors feared that she may have needed both legs amputated, but with adequate care and treatment, she has avoided that outcome. An anxious wait to return homeEvacuating to the United States is not the obvious answer for all injured children, Hailat said. “We’re trying to limit how many people we bring to the United States.

Persons: Ahed, “ Ahed, Bseso, ”, Tareq Hailat, Celina Odeh, Joe English, —, Israel —, Ahmed Damo, PCRF, PCRF Ayham, ’, Musalm, Hailat, Amber Alayyan, Alayyan, there’s, PCRF’s Hailat, “ We’re, malnourishment, worriedly, “ Organizations: CNN, Shriners Children’s, Palestine Children’s Relief, UNICEF, ”, Children’s Locations: Gaza, Greenville , South Carolina, United States, Israel, Chicago, Greenville

☆ Israeli guards strapped wounded Palestinian detainees to their beds wearing diapers and fed them through straws, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAn Israeli detention center is subjecting Palestinians to abuse, strapping detainees down to their beds, blindfolding them, and holding them in diapers, a new CNN report alleges. It has been the site of abusive conduct against some of the 70 Palestinian detainees, three Israeli whistleblowers told CNN. One whistleblower told CNN that beatings were "not done to gather intelligence. In a field hospital, wounded detainees were strapped to beds, dressed in diapers, and fed through straws, CNN reported. In November, Business Insider's Alia Shoaib reported on graphic videos appearing to show IDF soldiers abusing Palestinian detainees in the West Bank.

Persons: —, Mohammed Al, Insider's Alia Shoaib, Adnan Al Organizations: Service, CNN, Business, Medical, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, of Health, Guards, Shifa, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Anadolu, Getty, West Bank, BBC, Military Locations: Israel, Gaza, Aqsa, Deir Al Balah, Negev, al

☆ 10 Israeli soldiers hospitalized for wasp stings after their tank ran over a swarm's nest in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A swarm of wasps in the southern Gaza Strip injured twelve IDF soldiers. Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv treated the wounded soldiers, with one requiring intensive care. AdvertisementTwelve IDF soldiers were injured after being attacked by a swarm of wasps in the southern Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reports. Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer admitted 10 of the wounded soldiers for treatment, with one requiring intensive care, said the report. In the wasp incident, the swarm was provoked by a tank rolling over its nest.

Persons: —, Efrat Katz Organizations: Gaza, Gaza Division's Southern Brigade, Sheba Medical, Service, Gaza Division's, Brigade, Sheba Medical Center, IDF, US Marine, Business Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Tel Hashomer, Kentucky, Nirim, Hamas

☆ Biden and Netanyahu's fraught relationship hits new low after U.S. pauses weapons shipment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"There's real skepticism in the administration that Rafah will bring about a deal for the hostages, like the Israelis have been saying." Pentagon confirms weapons shipment pause to IsraelThe Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that the administration paused the delivery to Israel of a shipment of 1,800 two-thousand-pound bombs and 1,700 five-hundred-pound bombs. Netanyahu remains undeterred, saying that Israel will "stand alone" and fight "with our fingernails" if U.S. weapons shipments stopped. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) visits army units on the border between Israel and Gaza Strip near Rafah, Gaza on May 07, 2024. Israeli Ministry of Defense | Anadolu | Getty ImagesItamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right wing national security minister, posted on X simply writing: "Hamas [heart emoji] Biden."

Persons: Ahmad Gharabli, Richard Haass, Joe Biden, Haass, George W, Bush, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Yunis, Ashraf Amr, Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington's, Austin, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Itamar Ben Gvir, emoji, It's, Will, Avi Melamed, Melamed, Clayton Allen, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Vermont, Sanders, Ali Jadallah Organizations: Hamas, AFP, Getty, U.S, Foreign Relations, Haaretz, Qatari, United Nations, WHO, Anadolu, CNN, Pentagon, Biden, Defense, Israel, Israeli, Ministry of Defense, Congress, Eurasia Group, Independent, CNBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Palestinian, Israeli, Khan, I'm, al, Hamas, Iran, U.S, United States

☆ Oil prices up on stronger Chinese data, Middle East conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil prices rose on Friday, continuing upwards trend on the signs of improving economy in China and as negotiations to halt hostilities in the stand-off between Israel and Hamas yielded no results. In the previous session, oil prices edged up to a one-week high on data of rising crude oil imports in China in April and as investors saw the cooling U.S. job market as an indication of possible interest rate cuts. China's exports and imports returned to growth in April after contracting in the previous month, signaling an improvement in demand. "Ongoing signs of strength in demand in China should see commodity market remain well supported," ANZ Research said in a note. Daly did not say if she felt the U.S. central bank was likely or not to cut interest rates this year.

Persons: Brent, Mary Daly, Daly, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden's Organizations: U.S, West Texas, ANZ Research, San Francisco Federal, Financial Locations: China, Israel, U.S, Rafah, Gaza, Cairo

☆ Japan aging: Women’s participation in ‘naked festival’ a sign of how aging is forcing changes to male-centric traditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Himari Semans | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —With a history spanning more than 1,200 years, “hadaka matsuri,” or the naked festival, is Japanese masculinity on full display. Some women in Japan still battle deep-rooted cultural expectations that require them to take the role of “shufu,” or housewife, experts say. But in the naked festival, women have recently found hope. Men strip naked — except for a delicate piece of crotch-covering white loincloth — to take part in the naked festival at Konomiya Shrine on February 22, 2024. Women — donning happi, a traditional festive coat — are responsible for carrying a bamboo offering during the naked festival at Konomiya Shrine on February 22, 2024.

Persons: —, Saudi Arabia —, “, Christopher Gallagher, ”, we’ve, ” Haruhiko, Atsuko Tamakoshi, Chris Gallagher, Enyukai, Ayaka Suzuki, Mitsuko Tottori, Yoko Kamikawa, Fumio, Kaori Katada, Hiyori Kon, Sumo, won’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Economic, Japan, Reuters, Mikiko, Hosei University, pre, CNN, ”, Ministry of Health, ” Eto, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Japan Airlines, Netflix, Little Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Japan, jostle, Germany, Britain, United States, India, Saudi Arabia, Konomiya Shrine, Konomiya

Just a few weeks ago, Israel, under extraordinary international pressure to respond to warnings of imminent famine in the Gaza Strip, announced new steps to increase humanitarian aid. But after an Israeli military incursion into the southern city of Rafah this week, the flow of aid has come to a near-total stop, first closed off by Israel and then further restricted, officials say, by Egypt. Aid officials warned that essentials like food and medicine were running dangerously low, threatening to worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Organizations: Aid Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt

☆ Middle East Crisis White House Aide Warns Israel Against ‘Smashing Into Rafah’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

John F. Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said President Biden is concerned that an Israeli assault on Rafah would strengthen Hamas. Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective, will not get to that sustainable, enduring defeat of Hamas. But Mr. Biden has grown increasingly wary of a major assault in the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Credit... Abir Sultan/EPA, via ShutterstockMr. Kirby also tried to assuage concerns that the United States was breaking with its closest ally in the Middle East. Mr. Biden’s decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Israel underscored brewing frustrations between Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Persons: John F, Kirby, Biden, Israel “, ” Mr, Israel —, Israel, Mr, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Abir, Biden’s, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, God’s, ” Organizations: White House, ., American, Congress Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, United States, “, I’m, Israeli, Abir Sultan, Egypt

☆ Live Updates: Former White House Aide Will Return to Stand in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The judge denied the request and Mr. Trump’s second motion this week for a mistrial. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels. Credit... Todd Heisler/The New York TimesThe defense did get Ms. Daniels to concede that she had made money from the scandal. When Ms. Daniels stepped down from the stand Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump stared at a monitor, not glancing up as she walked by. Image Madeleine Westerhout described life in the Oval Office, including Mr. Trump signing checks there.

Persons: Donald J, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Susan Necheles, Daniels’s, Necheles, ”, Daniels, Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Juan M, Todd Heisler, Mr, Necheles’s, “, Ms, Lucas Jackson, Thursday’s, Madeleine Westerhout, Bill O’Reilly —, Erin Schaff, Westerhout, Michael D, Cohen Organizations: Trump, New York Times, Trump . Credit, Trump glowered, Prosecutors, White House, The New York Times Locations: Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Trump .

☆ People Leaving Rafah Describe Fearful Flight From Israeli Assaults
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | Bilal Shbair | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Displaced from their home in Gaza City months ago, Ms. al-Wakeel and relatives began packing their bags on Monday and preparing to dismantle their tent in Rafah, at the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. Hamas had announced that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt, leaving many Gazans thinking that a truce was imminent. Instead, Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets in eastern Rafah telling people to flee and move to what Israel called a humanitarian zone to the north, as the Israeli military bombarded the area. Gazan health officials say that dozens have been killed since Israel’s incursion into parts of Rafah this week. “We thought that day a cease-fire was possible,” said Ms. al-Wakeel, 48, who helped the aid group World Central Kitchen prepare hot meals.

Persons: Manal, Israel, ”, Abu Yousef al, Marwan al Organizations: Hamas, Najjar Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Hams

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