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☆ Young Thai activist’s death in detention after 65-day hunger strike sparks calls for justice reform
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Helen Regan | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She had been in jail since January 26 and was awaiting trial, according to legal advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. While in detention, Netiporn went on a 65-day hunger strike until April to protest the jailing of political dissidents without bail, the group said. Panu Wongcha-Um/Reuters/FileThe activist faced seven criminal cases, including two lese majeste charges. Those attending included Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, a fellow activist who also faces lese majeste charges for her involvement in the 2020 protests. At least 270 people have been charged with lese majeste during that time, the group added.

Persons: Thailand’s, ”, “, Netiporn, Thalu Wang, Thais, Panu, Panusaya, lese, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Strettha, Mongkol Thirakhot, majeste, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Akarachai Organizations: CNN, ” Thailand’s Corrections Department, Thammasat University Hospital, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Thai Corrections Department, Bangkok Criminal Court, Thailand’s Ministry, Justice, Rights, United Nations Human Rights Council, European Union Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thai, lèse

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

☆ 2 brothers were just charged by the Justice Department over a $25 million crypto heist that took 12 seconds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two brothers were arrested and charged with pulling off a $25 million crypto heist in seconds. The DOJ said the Peraire-Bueno brothers tampered with the ethereum blockchain and funneled money to private accounts. AdvertisementTwo brothers were arrested and charged with a major crypto heist, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The pair stole around $25 million worth of crypto in a heist that took about 12 seconds. The Peraire-Bueno brothers were arrested on Tuesday and are set to appear in two separate courts Wednesday afternoon.

Persons: Bueno, —, Anton Peraire, James Peraire, Damian Williams, they've Organizations: DOJ, Service, Department of Justice, New, IRS, Southern, Justice Department Locations: Boston, New York

☆ Biden's move to send $1 billion in weapons to Israel could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US plans to send more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel despite growing tensions between President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Getting the weapons to Israel could be a lengthy process. AdvertisementBiden later warned he would withhold additional weaponry if Israel went ahead with a widespread ground assault on the city. Seth Binder, an expert on US weapons sales with the Middle East Democracy Center, told the Journal that Biden's apparent U-turn weakens his influence over Netanyahu. Analysts say that Biden's handling of the Gaza war is among the issues corroding his support among them.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, Nathan Howard, Netanyahu —, Seth Binder, Netanyahu, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, he's, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, Israel's, Officials, Street Journal, Business, CNN, White, Getty, Middle East Democracy Center, Washington Post, Pentagon, Israel, Gaza, US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Washington , DC, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Syria

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned on Wednesday that recent gains in getting desperately needed humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip risked being undone by the fighting in southern Gaza. The border crossing in the southern city of Rafah has been closed since Israel began what it describes as a limited military operation against Hamas fighters in the town, on the border with Egypt. The United Nations said on Wednesday that 600,000 people had fled Rafah since Israel’s ground assault started there. “At the very time when Israel was taking important and much needed steps to improve the provision of humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Blinken said to reporters in Kyiv, Ukraine, “we’ve seen a negative impact on the fact that we have this active, very active conflict in the Rafah area.”Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s top diplomat, said in a statement that Israel needed to end its Rafah operation “immediately,” warning that extending it “would inevitably put a heavy strain on the E.U.’s relationship with Israel.”

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Israel, ” Mr, “ we’ve, ” Josep Borrell Fontelles, ” Organizations: Israel, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Kyiv, Ukraine, “, Israel

☆ DOJ charges brothers with $25 million Ethereum heist that took 12 seconds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the indictment of two brothers for allegedly stealing $25 million in cryptocurrency within roughly 12 seconds. DOJ called it a "first-of-its kind" fraud, detailing the seconds-long scheme where the brothers allegedly manipulated the Ethereum blockchain to redirect pending transactions and steal $25 million. "As we allege, the defendants' scheme calls the very integrity of the blockchain into question," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York in a statement. Anton Peraire-Bueno, 24, and James Pepaire-Bueno, 28, were arrested on Tuesday for charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The Pepaire-Bueno brothers studied math and computer science "at one of the most prestigious universities in the country," according to the DOJ.

Persons: Damian Williams, Anton Peraire, James Pepaire, Bueno Organizations: Justice, Wednesday, DOJ, Southern, of Locations: cryptocurrency, of New York

☆ Chinese asylum seekers in New York City live in limbo, caught between China and the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Tara John | Yong Xiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

It was his only day off from working 12-hour shifts at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. Evelio Contreras/CNNAfter arriving in New York, Ye spent a week in a Manhattan shelter. For Chinese asylum seekers like Ye, there is a well-trodden route to residency in the US. … It’s impossible for them to be spies.”But the rhetoric around the rise of undocumented Chinese migrants highlights growing tensions between the US and Chinese governments. He received permanent US residence a year later and has gone on to help Chinese migrants in Flushing.

Persons: Ye Chengxiang, “, ”, Ye, Evelio Contreras, Amy Hsin, Jiang Zhen, Yong Xiong, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mark Green of, Wan Yanhai, …, Jiang, “ It’s, I’m, Melanie Stetson Freeman, ’ Wan, Flushing . Li Jiada, Li Jiada, Jesus, Li Organizations: NY CNN, Central America, CNN, Queens College, Customs and, Embassy, Central, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China, Republicans, Republican, House Homeland Security Committee, Communist Party, Christian Science, Customs Enforcement, of, Yorker Locations: Flushing, NY, New York City, China, Communist, Ye, States, Colombia, Darien, South, Central, New York, Manhattan, Flushing’s, Sunset, Mexico, Central America, Queens, Hunan province, Guangdong, Chinatown, , Flushing , New York, San Francisco, Mark Green of Tennessee, Beijing, Flushing ., Flushing , Queens

☆ Ancient trees unlock an alarming new insight into our warming world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And it’s an alarming signal as some scientists warn 2024 is on track to be be even hotter still. Under the Paris Agreement in 2015, countries agreed to restrict global warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Using data taken from temperature instruments during this period, the scientists found the Northern Hemisphere summer in 2023 was 2.07 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial period. To do this, they used detailed sets of tree ring records from thousands of trees across nine regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America and Scandinavia, but excluding the Tropics which lack good tree data. While the study can place the extraordinary Northern Hemisphere heat into historical context, it cannot be applied on a global scale, Esper said.

Persons: Bruna Casas, don’t, Richard A, Brooks, Jan Esper, ”, Kim Cobb, Esper, “ I’m, Laura Paddison Organizations: CNN, Northern, Central America, Getty, Johannes Gutenberg University, Brown University, Southern Hemisphere Locations: Paris, Northern, North America, Scandinavia, Europe, Central, Barcelona, Spain, Tokyo, AFP, Germany

☆ 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

☆ Venezuela expands military buildup at Guyana border in ‘dangerous game,’ says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Venezuela continues to build up military infrastructure and hardware close to the border with Guyana as President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters scale up their threats to annex an oil-rich piece of Guyanese land. Guyana had called the move a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region. Using satellite imagery and social media, CSIS found that the expansion of Anacoco Island’s military base has continued. Maduro could ‘fall victim to own rhetoric’The threats to Guyana have concerned its partners. “Thus, one of the most concerning possibilities is that Maduro will fall victim to his own rhetoric.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, “, ” Ryan Berg Organizations: CNN, Strategic, International Studies, Venezuelan, US Navy, Americas, CSIS Locations: Venezuela, Guyana, Washington, Venezuelan, Essequibo, Punta Barima, arm’s, Essequibo ”, Guyanese, Georgetown, Idaho

☆ Tiny backpacks reveal newfound species of the world’s largest hummingbird
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America — the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird — and they have been evolving separately for millions of years. A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. “We wanted to finally solve this mystery.”Designing backpacks for hummingbirdsGiant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways. A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. “The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical — for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Chris Witt, ”, Jessie Williamson, “, ” Williamson, Emil Bautista, Williamson, Christopher Witt, birders, ” Witt, chaskis, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, HMS, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Cornell, of Ornithology, Swifts, Centro, Biology, Museum of Southwestern, University of New Locations: New York City, Buenos Aires, South America, Chile, Ithaca , New York, Peru, Biodiversidad, Lima, Peruvian, Chilean, University of New Mexico, Inca

☆ Biden Administration Advances $1 Billion Arms Sale to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration has told Congress that it intends to move forward with a plan for the United States to sell more than $1 billion in new weapons to Israel, according to three congressional aides familiar with the deal. The notification of the sale, which would include new tactical vehicles and ammunition, comes as President Biden has withheld a shipment of bombs to Israel, hoping to prevent U.S.-made weapons from being used in a potential invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The potential arms transfer illustrated the narrow path the Biden administration is walking with Israel, trying to prevent an assault on Rafah and limit civilian casualties in Gaza but continuing to supply a longtime ally that the president has said has a right to defend itself. One congressional aide said Congress had been aware of the arms deal for months, and suggested that the administration had simply waited for a foreign aid package with more aid for Israel to pass before moving forward with the required congressional notification process. When asked about the package, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, the State Department referred to recent comments from Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, citing a continued commitment to supply Israel with military assistance to defend itself from threats in the region.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Wall Street Journal, State Department, White House Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, Rafah

☆ Russia is surging across the frontlines, and Ukraine seems unable to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

First, and most acutely troubling, is the northern border near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city. Russian forces have crossed the border in multiple locations and claim to have seized nine villages. The town of Lyptsi is at risk, say some military bloggers, and from there Russian forces could hit Kharkiv with artillery. Netailove and Krasnohorivka slightly further south show Russian forces making further gains to the west of Avdiivka, and threatening another key hub – Pokrovsk. An evacuee arrives by bus at an evacuation point in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, on May 12.

Persons: ” “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Chasiv Yar, evacuee, Roman Pilpey, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov Organizations: CNN, Getty, Biden, National Security Council, Washington Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s, Vovchansk, Lyptsi, Kyiv, Chasiv, Kramatorsk, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Verbove, Ukraine's Kharkiv, AFP, –, Europe

☆ 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

☆ Jury selection begins in bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jonathan Dienst | Dareh Gregorian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jury selection begins Monday in the federal criminal trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is charged with accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes — including some in gold bars — in return for official acts. It also alleges the couple received "gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value," such as jewelry and exercise equipment. The other two, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial alongside Menendez. The indictment noted a search of Menendez's home in 2022 turned up "two one-kilogram gold bars and nine one-ounce gold bars that had serial numbers indicating they had previously been possessed" by Daibes. The federal criminal trial is the second Menendez has faced since he was elected to the Senate in 2006.

Persons: . Sen, Bob Menendez, he's, Nadine Menendez, Damian Williams, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, Menendez, Daibes, Uribe, He's, Donald Trump Organizations: ., Senate Foreign Relations, Prosecutors, Southern, of New York, Government, Democratic, Senate, Democratic Party Locations: New Jersey, Qatar, Egypt, Hana, Cuba, Florida, Paris

☆ Robert Menendez’s Trial Is Set to Begin, With a Sprawling Web of Charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Tracey Tully | Benjamin Weiser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jury selection for Senator Robert Menendez’s corruption trial starts on Monday in a federal courthouse in Manhattan, a 20-mile drive from Mr. Menendez’s home in northern New Jersey, where for decades he has been a well-known Democratic political leader. His efforts to move the trial to his home turf failed. Jurors picked to decide the case will be from Manhattan, the Bronx or one of several New York counties north of the city. Mr. Menendez, 70, will be tried with two New Jersey businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. His wife, Nadine Menendez, 57, was also charged in the bribery scheme but will be tried separately, in July.

Persons: Robert Menendez’s, Menendez’s, Menendez, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, Nadine Menendez Organizations: Democratic, Prosecutors, U.S, Southern, of Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, Bronx, New York, of New York, Qatari, Jersey

☆ Indian election enters fourth phase amid heightened rhetoric over religion, inequality
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

GHAZIABAD INDIA - APRIL 06: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters at a roadshow on April 06, 2024 in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. India's 2024 general election is set to be the world's largest democratic exercise, with over 969 million registered voters, more than the combined population of the EU, US, and Russia. (Photo by Elke Scholiers/Getty Images)India voted on Monday in the fourth phase of a seven-week long general election, as campaign rhetoric became more strident over economic disparities and religious divisions. "I appeal to all to vote for a decisive government," said Amit Shah, Modi's powerful aide and the country's interior affairs minister, as voting began. The lower turnout has raised doubts over whether BJP and its allies can win the landslide predicted by opinion polls.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Elke Scholiers, Amit Shah Organizations: EU, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: GHAZIABAD INDIA, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, Russia, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

☆ Sen. Menendez bribery trial starts with judge scolding lawyers on 'gamesmanship'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Robert Menendez arrives at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, New York, United States on May 13, 2024. A judge on Monday admonished attorneys for playing legal games shortly after they convened for the start of the federal bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J."There's been too much gamesmanship here," Judge Sidney Stein told prosecutors and defense attorneys before jury selection began for the trial in federal court in Manhattan. His wife, Nadine Menendez, is also charged in the corruption case, but her trial was severed from her husband's due to what her lawyers said were medical issues. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York told Stein that they expect to lay out their case in four-and-a-half to six-and-a-half weeks. The trial itself could last around six to seven weeks, Stein told dozens of prospective jurors before giving them a rough outline the 18-count indictment against Menendez and his co-defendants.

Persons: Robert Menendez, Sen, There's, Sidney Stein, Stein, I'm, Menendez, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe, Prosecutors, Nadine Menendez, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels Organizations: New, Senate Foreign Relations, Prosecutors, Attorney's, Southern, of, of New York, Manhattan Supreme Locations: Manhattan , New York, United States, Manhattan, New Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, of New

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

☆ 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

CNN —President Joe Biden is facing backlash from lawmakers in both parties over his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah would result in a shut-off of some US weapons. “So if you’re worried about Palestinian casualties, the stated policy here actually doesn’t make a ton of sense,” Vance said. The president’s announcement amounted to a turning point in US-Israeli ties since the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October. Still, the president’s aides said the message shouldn’t have been a surprise to their intended recipients in Israel given repeated warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I think President Biden has taken forceful action – so much so there’s been a lot of blowback for his recent public statement.”CNN’s Kit Maher, Aileen Graef, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “, Republican Sen, JD Vance, CNN’s Dana, ”, Biden, ” Vance, Benjamin Netanyahu, Burnett, Israel, Lindsey Graham of, Graham, GOP Sen, Rick Scott of, Israel ”, Josh Gottheimer, Adam Smith, Erin Burnett, –, Netanyahu, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Bash, Murphy, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Chris Van Hollen, Margaret Brennan, Van Hollen, ” Van Hollen, ” Murphy, ” Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, Van Hollen’s, there’s, ” CNN’s Kit Maher, Aileen Graef, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, Union, Hamas, Fox News, Democrats, House Democrats, Rep, Congress, Democratic, Connecticut, “, CBS, Ministry, Health, State Department, ” Democratic Locations: Rafah, Ohio, “ State, Israel, Rafah —, Gaza, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, New Jersey, Washington, ”, Iraq, Afghanistan, United States, Maryland, Chris Coons of Delaware

☆ US officials continue to warn against invasion of Rafah, even as Israel presses ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Blinken and Sullivan both said Biden made the determination because he didn’t want American weapons used in what he estimates would be a bloody, ill-advised operation. At the same time, they sought to rebut claims from Republicans and pro-Israel Democrats that Biden was leaving Israel to fend for itself. Despite American warnings dating back months about the wisdom of a ground invasion into Rafah, Israel appears poised to continue advancing on the city and has issued evacuation orders for some of the 1.4 million civilians estimated to be sheltering there. That is partly why Biden determined that American weapons should not be used in a Rafah offensive. We treat Israel, one of our closest allies and partners, just as we would treat any other country,” Blinken said on NBC.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Blinken, Sullivan, Biden, didn’t, Israel, ” Blinken, “ Israel’s, ” Sullivan, ” “, doesn’t, “ We’ve, we’ve, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, that’s Organizations: CNN, Top, White House, Israel Democrats, Hamas, CBS, Ministry, Health, Press, State Department, NBC, Israeli Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war as Rafah invasion looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The Israeli military has ordered the immediate evacuation of several more neighborhoods in eastern Rafah as the Israeli military steps up its operations in the southern Gazan city. “They (Israelis) told us to leave the area in the morning,” one woman in al-Shabora, Rafah told CNN without giving her name. It comes as thousands of Gazans continue to flee Rafah after the Israeli military issued a call Monday for residents in the municipality of Al-Shawka and in the Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tiba Zaraa, and Al-Bayouk neighborhoods in the Rafah area to "evacuate immediately." Israel has ordered Palestinians to leave to Al-Mawasi, a coastal town near the city of Khan Younis, where an “expanded humanitarian area” has been created. Satellite images obtained by CNN have shown that Israel’s current attacks in Rafah havedeveloped from airstrikes to ground operations.

Persons: “, Salam, Tiba Zaraa, Israel, Khan Younis Organizations: People, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Spokesperson's, CNN Locations: Rafah, Gazan, al, Al, Khirbet Al, Shabora, Khan, ”

☆ Who Are Key Players in the Menendez Case?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Tracey Tully | Benjamin Weiser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Who Are Key Players in the Menendez Case? Mr. Menendez goes to trial on May 13 with two of the businessmen, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. Fred Daibes New Jersey Real Estate Developer Mr. Daibes is accused of giving Mr. Menendez furniture, gold and cash. Nadine Menendez Mr. Menendez’s Wife Ms. Menendez served as a go-between for Mr. Menendez, Egyptian intelligence officials and men who were seeking political favors from the senator, according to the indictment. Defense LawyersAdam Fee Lawyer for Robert Menendez He previously spent five years as a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District — the same office prosecuting Mr. Menendez.

Persons: Menendez, Robert Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Mr, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, Menendez's, Daibes, Nadine Menendez Mr, Menendez’s, Ms, Jose Uribe, Uribe, Uribe's, Sidney H, Stein, Bill Clinton, Jennifer Shah, Hassan Nemazee, Damian Williams, Williams, President Biden, Sam Bankman, Fried, Juan Orlando Hernández, Christina Clark, Clark, Charles McGonigal, Catherine Ghosh, Eli Mark, Paul Monteleoni, Robert Hadden, Lara Pomerantz, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Norman Seabrook, Daniel Richenthal, Sheldon Silver, Michael Avenatti, Adam Fee, Fee, Avi Weitzman, Lawrence Lustberg Organizations: Democrat, Robert Menendez New Jersey, Senate Foreign Relations, Jersey Real, EG, Prosecutors, United, Jose Uribe Former New, Benz, U.S, Southern, of, Democratic, Attorney, Southern District of, ex, Public, New, New York City Housing Authority, Justice Department, Southern District’s, New York State Assembly, Nike . Defense, Southern District Locations: New Jersey, Manhattan, Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, United States, Jose Uribe Former New Jersey, of New York, Southern District, Southern District of New York, Russian, New York City, Brooklyn, Columbia, New York, U.S, California

☆ A Brief History of the 2,000-Pound Bombs Central to U.S.-Israeli Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the devastating effects of one weapon were of particular concern to him. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs,” Mr. Biden said in remarks to CNN this week. He was referring to U.S.-made 2,000-pound aerial weapons, the largest in the Pentagon’s Mark 80 series of bombs. In the military’s banal lexicon, the Mark 80s are “general purpose” bombs, meaning that they can be used on almost any target the military typically expects to encounter in war. In addition to the 2,000-pound Mk-84, they also come in 250-pound, 500-pound and 1,000-pound versions — the Mk-81, Mk-82 and Mk-83.

Persons: Biden, Mr Organizations: “, CNN Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, U.S

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