DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ ‘The Sympathizer’ star on how he ‘never felt rooted’ to his Vietnamese heritage until landing lead role
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rochelle Beighton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Set in the 1970s as the Vietnam War draws to a close, Xuande embodies The Captain, an unnamed double agent for the Viet Cong operating within the American-backed South Vietnamese army. ‘It’s my life’Chinh, known for her role in “The Joy Luck Club,” portrays a refugee mother to a South Vietnamese Major (Phanxine) who is forced to flee to the US. Drawing parallels with her own life, she was born during the Vietnam War and was forced to evacuate at the age of 15. A unique casting challengeCasting the role of The Captain was a critical and challenging task for casting director Jennifer Venditti and her team. Xuande’s response to an international casting call immediately caught their attention with an impressive audition tape.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen, “, Park Chan, ” Xuande, Xuande, ”, Robert Downey Jr, “ Oppenheimer, Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, Alan Trong, ‘, Chinh, Joy, Sofia Mori –, –, It’s, ” Oh, Jennifer Venditti, Don McKellar, Xuande familiarized, Chan, we’d Organizations: CNN, HBO, Warner Bros ., Viet, Opportunity, Hollywood, Joy Luck, South Locations: Vietnam, United States, Saigon, Sydney, Australia, South Vietnamese, Los Angeles, South Korea, Hollywood, Viet

☆ ‘The Sympathizer’ review: Robert Downey Jr. heads down the rabbit hole of the Vietnam War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The fortuitous timing of having a series produced by and featuring newly minted Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr. tumbles down a very strange rabbit hole in “The Sympathizer,” a darkly satirical look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Each episode begins with dated-looking credits that evoke the 1970s, a promising Quentin Tarantino-ish conceit that, given what follows, sets expectations too high. As constructed, it’s a rather heavy-handed approximation of the fate Vietnam experienced in the pull of the war, which doesn’t make the Captain’s increasingly surreal arc any more compelling. Strangelove,” assuming that was the intent, than a means of maximizing the star’s presence without really heightening its impact. “The Sympathizer” is hardly the first project to funnel the contradictions of the Vietnam War through an exaggerated lens (“Apocalypse Now” being a prime example), but except for a few bracing sequences the execution only clouds that vision.

Persons: Robert Downey Jr, Downey, can’t, Park Chan, ”, Don McKellar, Quentin Tarantino, Duy Nguyen, Fred Nguyen Khan, Peter Sellers, “ Dr, Strangelove, Sandra Oh, David Duchovny, “ Organizations: CNN, Viet Thanh, CIA, HBO, coy, Credit Downey, Warner Bros . Locations: Vietnam, Viet, Saigon, what’s, “

We've put together everything you need to know about the show, including a trailer, details on when it airs, and how to watch The Sympathizer without cable. ET / 12 a.m. PT on HBOHow to watch The Sympathizer in the USThe Sympathizer airs Sunday at 9 p.m. Max with ads (Monthly Plan) Formerly HBO Max, now just Max, this streaming service is the US home of premium content from HBO and Warner Bros. Shop at MaxHow to watch The Sympathizer in the UKThe Sympathizer will eventually air through Sky in the UK, but the series won't be available until next month. This is where you'll be able to find lots of HBO content since HBO Max/Max is not available in the UK.

Persons: Robert Downey Jr, We've, Viet Thanh, Sandra Oh, Susan Downey, Park Chan, Don McKellar, we've, Max, HBO Max, it's, you'll Organizations: Business, HBO, Hoa, Warner Bros, Sky, Sky Atlantic, Max Locations: Viet, Vietnam, Vietnamese, Los Angeles, ExpressVPN

☆ Opinion: ‘Civil War’ is more than a reflection on America’s divisions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Noah Berlatsky Noah BerlatskyAlex Garland’s “Civil War” has mostly been discussed as a reflection of, and a warning about, America’s current partisan divisions. Unlike the actual US Civil War, this one doesn’t seem to have any particular racial or racist connotations. But it’s the same kind of cop out that powers most of Hollywood’s most iconic Vietnam war movies. Hollywood Vietnam war movies generally aren’t about whether America did the right thing, nor are they about how America’s choices affected people in Vietnam. Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), starring Matthew Modine as Joker, is based on the events of the Vietnam war.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, CNN —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky Alex Garland’s “, ”, he’s, Garland, Nick Offerman, Lee, Kirsten Dunst, Joel, Wagner Moura, Jessie, Cailee, Sammy, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lee Wagner, Trump, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Jesse Plemons, that’s, Francis Ford Coppola’s, Stanley Kubrick’s, don’t, —, Dawn ”, Stanley Kubrick's, Matthew Modine, It’s, transfixed Organizations: CNN, Union, Hollywood, America, Central, Warner Bros Locations: Chicago, Vietnam, Viet, American, Washington, California, Texas, Hollywood Vietnam, American Vietnam, Hollywood

☆ Robert Downey Jr.'s 'showboating' performances in 'The Sympathizer' are polarizing critics. Here's what reviews are saying about HBO's new series.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The series follows an agent referred to only as the Captain (Hoa Xuande), who's half-Vietnamese and half-French. Aligned with North Vietnam, he's embedded within the South Vietnam army. Critics have generally praised the series, particularly Xuande's performance and Park's direction (in addition to showrunning duties, he directs the first three episodes). Here's a breakdown of where some reviewers stand ahead of the series premiere on HBO Sunday evening. AdvertisementVariety's Alison Herman says that splitting Downey into parts both "deploys and diffuses" the impact of his celebrity on the series.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer, Hoa, Critics, —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Chan, Don McKellar, he's, Robert Downey Jr, Xuande, Hopper Stone, Alan Sepinwall, IndieWire's Ben Travers, Tran Bui, Beth Dubber, weren't, Robert Downey's, Laura Sirikul, Sirikul, Variety's Alison Herman, Herman, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Nick Schager, Downey, Sandra Oh, Park Chan, Nguyen's, Judy Berman, Rory Doherty, lauds, Doherty, Inverse's, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyen, Sepinwall, IndieWire's Travers, Richard Lawson, Schager, Thanh, Fair's Lawson, Marina Fang Organizations: HBO, Viet Thanh, Service, Downey, Stone, Daily Locations: Viet, North Vietnam, Vietnam, United States, Korean

☆ Trump's lawyers are hunting for the identities of secret consultants who approved Russiagate Pulitzer Prizes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

AdvertisementIn an overlooked lawsuit, Donald Trump's lawyers are exhibiting a habit from his White House days: Hunting for anonymous sources. At each turn, a lawyer for the Pulitzer Board members stopped their clients from answering. The journalists whom Trump's lawyers deposed did, however, offer some characterization of the "consultants" who conducted the reviews. The Pulitzer Prize Board is hosted by Columbia University, in Manhattan, which manages the small organization's payroll and offers institutional support. Chad Bowman, a Ballard Spahr attorney representing the Pulitzer board members, directed Business Insider to court filings.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Pulitzer, Robert Mueller, Quincy Bird, Katherine Boo, Boo, Chad R, Bowman, Ballard Spahr, don't, Marjorie Miller, Miller, Weber, Crabb, Wein, Neil Brown, David Remnick, Nicole Carroll, Lee Bollinger, Kevin Merida, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Lee C, Bollinger, David Ake Trump's, Gail Collins, John Daniszewski, Bird, Daniszewski, Dana Canady, doesn't, Bebeto Matthews, Collins, we've, John Durham, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Brown, Chad Bowman, Ballard, Evan Vucci Trump, Christopher Steele, Jeff Gerth's, Gerth, You've Organizations: Service, Business, The New York Times, Washington Post, American, The Washington Post, Pulitzer, Times, Post, PAC Trump, Columbia University, Mar, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Tampa Bay Times, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Global Enterprise, New, AP, Katherine Boo , New York Times, Trump, Republican, Columbia Locations: Russia, Chad, Manhattan, Florida, USA, New York City, Mar, Katherine Boo ,, New York, Palm Beach , Florida, United States, Washington, DC

☆ Opinion: ‘Dune: Part Two’ falls into a familiar – and telling – trap
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

His hero, Paul Atreides, is filled with doubts about his role as a Messianic leader and director of colonial conquest. (The distributor of “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” shares a parent company, Warner Bros. So in the movie, it’s not just Paul who sees problems with his colonial power. Timothée Chalamet in "Dune: Part Two" Warner Bros. PicturesIn the book, Chani is mostly supportive of Paul, with few reservations. Paul feels bad for being the destined one; Herbert and Villeneuve, to varying degrees, seem to regret making Paul the destined one.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, CNN — Frank Herbert’s, revel, Whitey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, James Fenimore Cooper, Rider Haggard, Herbert, Paul Atreides, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky Denis Villeneuve’s, ”, Villeneuve, he’s, Paul, Timothée, Atreides, Paul’s, Leto Atreides, Oscar Isaac, Arrakis, Emperor, Christopher Walken, Baron Harkonnen, Stellan, Leto, Jessica, Rebecca Ferguson, Natty Bumppo, it’s, Chani, Tasha Suri’s “, Ambha, Sriduangkaew’s, Thompson’s, Suri, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Paul doesn’t, “ Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Pictures Locations: Chicago, swash, Vietnam

☆ Vietnam War Historian Breaks Down 7 More Vietnam War Scenes in Movies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Margaret Guzman | Benjamin Nigh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Military history professor Bill Allison rates more Vietnam War movies, such as "Forrest Gump," for realism. Allison breaks down additional battlefield tactics used by the Viet Cong, or VC, and People's Army of Vietnam, or PAVN, during the Vietnam War, such as the ambush scene in "Forrest Gump" (1994), starring Tom Hanks, and the nighttime attacks of the Tet Offensive in "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). He covers the public perception of the Vietnam War in the United States, such as the war of attrition portrayed in "Hamburger Hill" (1987); the maltreatment of civilians in "Casualties of War" (1989), with Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox; and the overlap of the civil-rights movement with anti-war and anti-draft protests in "Da 5 Bloods" (2020), starring Chadwick Boseman. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Bill Allison, Forrest Gump, Allison, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Michael J, Chadwick Boseman, Hunter, Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep Organizations: People's Army, Fox, Business Locations: Vietnam, Viet, United States, Russian, South Vietnam

☆ Everything you need to know about the 'Squid Game: The Challenge finalists Sam, Mai, and Phill
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Amanda Paule | Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Finalists Sam Lantz, Mai Whelan, and Phill Cain are competing for the $4.56 million grand prize. The finalist dinner in "Squid Game: The Challenge" episode ten. Mai Whelan (Player 287)Mai Whelan attends the "Squid Game: The Challenge" Celebration at the Trials Live Experience Space on November 30, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. Mai Whelan speaking to Ashley Tolbert in episode nine of "Squid Game: The Challenge." AdvertisementPlayer 337 Bradford and Phill during the marbles game in episode six of "Squid Game: The Challenge."

Persons: Sam Lantz, Mai Whelan, Phill Cain, —, Joe Scarnici, Netflix Sam Lantz, Sam, Lantz, Doug Lantz, pitbull, Moo, Netflix Mai Whelan, Mai, Ashley Tolbert, Phill Cain's Instagram, Netflix Phill Cain, Phill Organizations: Netflix, Service, ABC, People's Army, US Navy, Bradford, Major League Quadball's New York Titans, US Quadball's, Games, Brazilian national Locations: Los Angeles , California, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Kuna , Idaho, Fairfax County , Virginia, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, New Jersey, Brazil, United States, York

☆ Henry Kissinger, the towering American diplomat, dies at age 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marty Steinberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

President Gerald Ford (left) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talk together in the Oval Office, February 19, 1975. In his 2001 book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," social critic Christopher Hitchens called him a war criminal. North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho (left) and US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger at the Paris peace talks, January 1973. Chairman Zedong of the People's Republic of China meets U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Nov. 12, 1973. On a helicopter during the period of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger talks to his wife, Nancy.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, —, Richard Nixon's, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Richard Corkery, Duc Tho, Gerald Ford, Benjamin E, Ford, Warren Burger, Kissinger's, Paula, Gene, Forte, Seymour M, Hersh bashed Kissinger, Walter Isaacson's, Christopher Hitchens, Greg Grandin, Niall Ferguson, Kant, Clausewitz, Bismarck, Barry Gewen, Gewen, Elizabeth Holmes, Nixon, George Shultz, Holmes, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Louis, Walter, Hitler, Kissingers, Fritz Kraemer, William Yandell Elliott, Spengler, Toynbee, Metternich, Castlereagh, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Mike Wallace, Wallace, Kennedy, Johnson, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Sen, George McGovern, McGovern, Nguyen Van Thieu, Reg Lancaster, Tho, Thieu, Mao, Gen, Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Nicolae Ceausescu, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Dirck, Sen, Henry Jackson, Charles Vanik, Brezhnev, Spiro Agnew, Archibald Cox, Cox, Robert Bork, White, Alexander Haig, Anwar Sadat, David Hume Kennerly, Marxist Salvador Allende Gossens, Fidel Castro's, Martin Bernetti, Allende, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Pinochet, Ann Fleischer, Elizabeth, David, Nancy Maginnes, Rockefeller, Jill St, John, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Liv Ullman, Diane Sawyer, , Napoleon, Nancy, David Rubinger, Maginnes, Moshe Dayan, Robert Dallek, Nixon's, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Paula Kissinger, Brooks Kraft Organizations: Gould, Kissinger Associates, National Security, Waldorf, Astoria, Richard Corkery | New York Daily, Forte, Soviets, State, Chief, New York, Theranos Inc, Economic, Nuremberg, George Washington High School, City College of New, Army, 84th Infantry Division, U.S ., Hesse . Harvard, Harvard, Confluence, Foreign, Eisenhower, Republican, Republican National Convention, Rockefeller and Michigan Gov, Democratic, District of Columbia, US National Security, Getty, Paris Peace, North, Nationalist, China, Bettmann, East Pakistan, of, U.S, Soviet Union ., Ballistic, Soviet, Washington, Egyptian Third Army, Department, West, Marxist, Museum, AFP, CIA, Israeli, Southern California Quaker, White, Partners, Power Locations: New York City, U.S, Connecticut, Richard Corkery | New, United States, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, Soviet Union, Communist China, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Chile, Pakistan, Theranos, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Fuerth, Germany, Bavarian, American, Nazi Germany, London, New York, City College of New York, Ahlem, Hanover, German, Krefeld, Hesse, Cambodia, Massachusetts, Haiphong, Paris, North, China, Washington, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Moscow, India, East, Bangladesh, Shanghai, USSR, Soviet, Kremlin, Dirck Halstead, Ohio, Saudi, Japan, Sinai, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, Americas, Santiago, Cuba, Chilean, America, Europe, Virginia, Southern California

☆ UN shares its world’s ‘best tourism villages’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For travelers who want to visit a smaller, more authentic local destination, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released this year’s list of the best tourism villages. For 2023, 55 villages were recognized by the international organization, which focuses on sustainable tourism, up from 32 last year. The list includes small towns and villages from places as diverse as Mexico, China, Ethiopia, and Italy. There’s no ranking of the villages, and they are all listed in alphabetical order in English. Highlights in EuropeEurope’s selections to the UNWTO list represent a mix of cultural and environmental differences.

Persons: Dhordo, Les Falles, Sant, Al Sela, Jordan • Barrancas, Spain •, Peru •, Egypt •, India •, Korea •, Portugal •, Colombia •, Japan •, Italy • Manteigas, Ecuador •, Pisco, Austria •, Uzbekistan •, • Siwa, Portugal • Anton, Arlberg, Tân, Viet Nam, Hungary •, Moldova • Vila, China • Organizations: CNN, United Nations World Tourism Organization, Asia Dongbaek, UNWTO, UNESCO, Reserve, Spain • Ordino, Andorra • Oyacachi, Schladming, Moldova • Locations: Tokyo, London, Mexico, China, Ethiopia, Italy, Asia, South, Jeju, Shirakawa, Japan, Gifu prefecture, Nagoya, Zhejiang, Dhordo, Rann, Kutch, India, Europe, Spain, Sigüenza, Madrid, Slunj, Croatia, Andorra, Ordino, Sant Pere, Peru, Machu Picchu, Lima, Peruvian, Chacas, Chile, La Carolina, Argentina, Biei, Tortel, Cantavieja, Spain • Chacas, Huantar, Peru • Dahshour, Egypt, Egypt • Dhordo, Republic, Korea, Korea • Douma, Lebanon, Ericeira, Portugal, Portugal • Filandia, Colombia, Huangling, Cánovas, Kandovan, Iran, Lerici, Switzerland, Mosan, Juárez, Oñati, Ecuador, Ecuador • Paucartambo, Peru • Penglipuran, Indonesia, Pisco Elqui, Pozuzo, Saint, Saty, Kazakhstan, Austria, Austria • Sehwa, Korea • Sentob, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan • Shirakawa, Egypt • Slunj, Sortelha, Viet, Peru • Tokaj, Hungary, Hungary • Văleni, Moldova, Madalena, Portugal • Xiajiang, China • Zapatoca, Colombia • Zhagana

The revamped Congressional District 2, which was designed to boost the voting power of Black residents, has a voting-age population that is 48.7% Black, giving the district a decidedly Democratic tilt. State Republicans, however, say they are not ceding the seat without a fight. A federal judge ordered Georgia to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district, although the state plans to appeal. The Alabama district is an open seat in the 2024 election after the current representative, Republican Rep. Barry Moore, was drawn out of the district. Moore has decided to challenge Republican Rep. Jerry Carl in Congressional District 1.

Persons: —, Zac McCrary, Viet Shelton, Shelton, John Wahl, Wahl, ” Wahl, Barry Moore, Moore, Jerry Carl, Marine James Averhart, Napoleon Bracy, Jr, Sen, Merika Coleman, Anthony Daniels, Vivian, Brian Gary, Juandalynn, Jeremy Gray, Phyllis Harvey, Willie J, Lenard, Vimal Patel, Larry Darnell Simpson, Darryl Sinkfield, Greg Albritton, Dick Brewbaker, Caroleene Dobson, Karla M, Wallace Gilberry, Hampton Harris, Stacey T, Belinda Thomas Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Representatives, Republicans, Alabama, U.S . House, Congressional, Democratic Congressional, Committee, Democrats, Associated Press, State Republicans, Alabama Republican, Democratic Party, Republican Rep, Marine, Hall, Alabama Education Association, NFL, University of Alabama, Newton City Locations: Ala, Alabama, Georgia , Louisiana, Viet, ”, Florida, Georgia, Prichard, Pleasant Grove, Huntsville, Birmingham, Opelika, Newton

☆ Opinion: ‘Dark, terrifying, claustrophobic.’ What it’s like inside Hamas’ tunnels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jennifer Smith | Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the decade since, she has done extensive research into Hamas’ tunnel system as well as the underground network built by Hezbollah. Peter Bergen: What’s it like inside a Hamas tunnel? A Hamas fighter appears inside an underground tunnel in Gaza in 2014. Israeli soldiers went into Hamas’ tunnels during Operation Protective Edge, and they were not trained and not equipped, and there was combat in the tunnels. Bergen: Is a dog force used by Israel inside tunnels?

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Daphné Richemond Barak, Richemond Barak, they’re, Mohammed Salem, Israel, it’s, Rina Castelnuovo, Gilad Shalit, Shalit, Israel — Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Peter Bergen CNN, Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy, Reichman University, Subterranean Warfare, British, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Bloomberg, Getty, Hamas, ISIS, Northern Locations: New America, Gaza, Israel, Herzliya, Vietnam, Viet, Messines, Belgium, Iran, Lebanon, Hamas, Bergen, Petah Tikva, —, Mosul, Iraq, Syria

☆ 100 Israeli warplanes bomb 150 'underground targets' in the hunt for Hamas tunnels in Gaza dubbed the 'metro'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets hit some 150 "underground targets" in Gaza. The IDF hit Hamas targets with the heaviest bombardment of the conflict so far. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne hundred Israeli fighter jets hit 150 "underground" Hamas targets in Gaza as part of the heaviest bombing raid of the conflict so far on Saturday. The airstrikes targeted Hamas tunnel networks and underground combat areas, the Israel Defense Forces said in an announcement reported by outlets including The Guardian. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Hamas tunnel system, known has been dubbed the "metro" by Israeli military planners, per The Guardian.

Persons: —, Jonathan Conricus, Khan, Conricus Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Service, Guardian, Hamas, Reuters Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Israel

☆ Listen Now: What Israel faces in Hamas' tunnels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

This special episode is an extended interview with correspondent Jonathan Saul and host Kim Vinnell. Together, they explore Hamas' tunnel network under Gaza. Hundreds of miles long and up to 80 yards deep, it's described as the "Viet Cong times 10" by one Israeli security source. Jonathan reports on what we know so far about Israel's strategy to combat Hamas in the network one freed hostage has described as a spiderweb. Listen to our ongoing seriesThe hostages and the grassroots diplomacy to free themHamas' calculus and the fracturing of Middle East politicsThe tactics of a Gaza ground assaultFurther ReadingThe Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for IsraelFreed Israeli hostage says 'I've been through hell'Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jonathan Saul, Kim Vinnell, Jonathan, Israel Freed, I've Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza ., East, Gaza

☆ Opinion | A Plan to Defeat Hamas and Avoid a Bloodbath
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Hamas’s master plan, as Bennett sees it, is roughly as follows: Provoke, via its gruesome massacres on Oct. 7, a massive Israeli ground invasion. Already, nearly 800,000 Gazans have fled from north to south, despite efforts by Hamas to keep them in place. “They’re asking for fuel not for their citizens but for their tunnels,” which are used exclusively by Hamas fighters and their allies. “I don’t want to get into a Viet Cong-type war of tunnels,” Bennett says. But the question isn’t whether Bennett’s plan is perfect or if there are gaps to fill.

Persons: Bennett, Khan Younis, They’re, ” Bennett, “, ”, Yasir Arafat, Biden, There’s, David Petraeus Organizations: Force, Israel, Hamas, West Bank, ISIS, Palestinian Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Viet, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Qatar, Beirut, Lebanon, Tunisia, Kosovo

A general view shows the interiors of what the Israeli military say is a cross-border attack tunnel dug from Gaza to Israel, on the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip border near Kissufim January 18, 2018. After the last round of hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: "They started saying they destroyed 100kms of Hamas tunnels. Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election. Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off their scarcely concealed commercial tunnels under the Rafah border. Israeli sources said what awaits them is formidable and they faced an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous Israeli operations in 2014 and 2021.

Persons: Jack Guez, Lloyd Austin, Yehya Al, Sinwar, Lifshitz, Mahmoud Abbas, Amir Avivi, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Israel, Yasser Arafat's, Deen al, Gilad Shalit, Abu Qusay, Mohammed Deif, Deif, Joel Roskin, Ilan University, Benjamin Netanyahu, Amnon Sofrin, Daphne Richemond, Barak, Jonathan Saul, Stephen Farrell, Phil Stewart, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, U.S . Defense, Israel, United Nations Security Council, LONG, Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization, West Bank, Hamas, Brigades, Arafat's, Israel's, Ilan, Israel's Combat Engineering, Combat Intelligence Corps, Israel's Reichman University, IDF, ISIS, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Kissufim, JERUSALEM, LONDON, Hamas, Palestinian, States, Mosul, Islamic, Egypt, Israeli, Viet, Israel's, Egyptian, El Arish, Suez, Yasser Arafat's Palestine, Jordan, Rafah, Syria, Iraq, State, Jerusalem, London, Washington, Cairo

☆ Who Decides Penn’s Future: Donors or the University?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Stephanie Saul | More About Stephanie Saul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

“The conference became a vehicle.”It is not unusual for donors, unhappy with student activism, to pull back giving. “It’s essential that the university remains independent from donor pressure or influence on the content of work that’s done in the university,” said Ms. Lieberwitz, who is also general counsel for the American Association of University Professors. “Very broadly, I am deeply committed to academic freedom,” Ms. Magill had told The Daily Pennsylvanian, the campus newspaper. Alumni Donors Push BackOne day after the Indigenous Peoples’ Day post, Ms. Magill issued her first statement condemning the Hamas assault. Some Wharton alumni had been unhappy with the university’s direction for a long time.

Persons: —, Lauder, Jon Huntsman, Dick Wolf —, Rowan, ”, Robert Vitalis, “, George W, Bush, Penn, Risa L, Lieberwitz, Magill, Ms, Amy Wax, Penn Hillel, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Israel, Roger Waters, Susan Albuhawa, Critics, ” Mr, Wharton, Jonathan S, Jacobson, Lia Thomas, Erika James, Ross Stevens, University of Chicago’s Booth, Stevens, Booth Organizations: “, East Center, University of Texas, Austin, University of Denver, Palestinian, U.N, Cornell, American Association of University, Edge, University of Virginia, Daily, university’s College of Arts and Sciences, Penn, Pink Floyd, Indigenous Peoples, Wharton, HighSage Ventures, Management, University of Chicago’s Locations: Utah, Penn, Israel, Yom Kippur, Nazi, Berlin

☆ UPenn donors were furious about the Palestine Writes Literature Festival. What about it made them pull their funds?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Gottheimer criticized UPenn for including Waters and Hill as festival speakers in a letter posted the day after the University released its statement. “Situating those individual Palestinians and our allies in league with actual antisemites is wholly irresponsible and dangerous.”At the festival, speakers acknowledged the allegations of antisemitism and denied them. It said they were notified 48 hours before the event Waters wished to show up in person, but that would have required additional security unavailable at short notice. ‘Felt like home’Planning the Palestine Writes Literature Festival took endless hours, according to Abulhawa. Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American writer and human rights activist, speaks at a 2014 Palestine Festival of Literature event at Qasr al Qassem on June 4, 2014 in Beit Wazan, near Nablus, West Bank.

Persons: Liz Magill, Magill, Penn, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Rogers, “, Anne Frank, ”, Waters, Andreas Arnold, demagogue, ” Waters, Tala, Fahmawi, Josh Gottheimer, Marc Lamont Hill, Gottheimer, UPenn, ” Hill, Hill, Susan Abulhawa, Amer Zahr, Abulhawa, Ronald Lauder, Marc Rowan, Rowan, Scott Bok, ” Abulhawa, Dalia Al, Ahmad, Palestine — Ibrahim Nasrallah, Elias Khoury, Mahmoud Shukair, Habayeb, Salman Abu Sitta, Mahmoud Darwish, it’s, ” Dalia Al, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer, Gary Younge, Nguyen, Younge, Israel, Bernard Schwartz, 92NY, ” Nguyen, ‘, Rob Stothard, ” UPenn, David Magerman, Cliff Asness, Lauder, Dick Wolf, Jon Huntsman, Elizabeth Magill, John Jackson , Jr, ” Rowan, Ed Rendell Organizations: New, New York CNN, The University, Ivy League, CNN, Defamation League, ADL Philadelphia, Jewish Federation of Greater, Pink, US State Department, ADL, Democratic New Jersey Rep, University, Apollo Global Management, ” CNN, The Daily, UN, Assembly, Jewish Chronicle, New York, New York City Jewish, New York Times, Palestine, Palestinian, Facebook, West Bank, Student, Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn, Twitter, Venture, Law, Renaissance Technologies, University of Pennsylvania, CNBC Locations: New York, UPenn, Philadelphia, Israel, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Magill, Germany, Nazi, Frankfurt, “ Palestine, Palestine, The, Europe, Canada, British, New, New York City, Palestinian, American, Qasr, Qassem, Beit Wazan, Nablus, West

☆ Opinion | With War in Israel, the Cancel Culture Debate Comes Full Circle
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Today, with people still struggling to understand the contours of this deeply complicated conflict, the book seems essential. “Because that was absolutely the ambition of the book, to depict real people” rather than villains and saints. Because I admire “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama” so much, I agreed to moderate a talk with Thrall this Thursday in Brooklyn. And in a time of war, particularly a war shrouded in fiercely competing narratives, free speech is more important than ever. And supporters of Israel are hardly alone in creating a censorious atmosphere; particularly on college campuses, it is Zionists who feel silenced and intimidated.

Persons: Nathan Thrall’s, Abed Salama, ”, Thrall, Salama, Beber Vanunu, Dany Tirza, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Thrall, “, Abed Salama ”, I’ve, it’s, ” Andrea Grossman, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Nguyen, gestured, ” Nguyen, didn’t Organizations: New York, West Bank, Crisis, The Guardian . American Public Media, Israel, Boston Palestine Film, Hilton, U.S . Campaign, Palestinian, University of California Locations: Israel, Saudi, Brooklyn, United States, Britain, Angeles, The, 92NY, Manhattan, Palestine, ”, Houston, Gaza, Davis

☆ 92NY Halts Literary Series After Pulling Author Critical of Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | More About Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The reading, organized by 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center, instead moved to a bookstore in downtown Manhattan, without any sponsorship from the Y. 92NY confirmed afterward that the decision not to go ahead with the event stemmed from Nguyen’s public statements about Israel. On Saturday, as news of the cancellation of Nguyen’s event spread, writers began announcing they would withdraw from upcoming appearances. The poet Paisley Rekdal and the critic Andrea Long Chu also wrote on X that they were pulling out of their events. The turmoil at the Y is part of continuing cultural repercussions over the war between Israel and Hamas.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen, 92NY’s, 92NY, ”, Israel, “, Dylan Thomas, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison, Richard Ford, John Edgar Wideman, Roxane Gay, Christina Sharpe, Saidiya Hartman, Dionne Brand, Paisley Rekdal, Andrea Long Chu, ” Rekdal, ” Chu, Chu, Sarah Chihaya, Sophie Herron, Nguyen, Min Jin Lee, Bernard Schwartz, Schwartz Organizations: Young, Hebrew, Jewish, Yorkers, Academy of American, London, divesting, McNally Jackson Locations: Israel, Manhattan, States, Gaza, Lower Manhattan

☆ Russian soldiers are digging tunnels to sneak up on Ukrainian positions without being seen by their lethal drones, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A spokesperson said Ukrainian troops have witnessed Russia digging tunnels for "camouflage." AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian soldiers are digging tunnels to sneak up Ukrainian positions without being seen by their lethal drones, a military spokesperson said. They are digging tunnels closer to our positions," Kotsukon said, according to a translation by the Ukrainian nongovernmental organization Euromaidan Press. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said the tunnels are there for "camouflage" from Ukraine's surveillance drones and so that the Russians can "suddenly emerge closer to our positions." Its soldiers are attempting to flank Andriivka but are suffering serious losses due to Ukrainian artillery and drones.

Persons: —, Anton Kotsukon, Kotsukon Organizations: Service, Euromaidan Press, 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Ukrainian, Staff, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Andriivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian, Viet, Vietnam

☆ 92nd Street Y cancels talk by Pulitzer-winning author who backs Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Writing on Instagram, Nguyen said he learned at 3 p.m. that the event had been canceled by the 92NY. "Their language was 'postponement,' but no reason was given, no other date was offered, and I was never asked," Nguyen wrote. "I spoke about my book, yes, but also about how art is silenced in times of war and division because some people only want to see the world as us vs them," Nguyen wrote on Saturday. And writing is the only way I know how to grieve." Reporting by Lucia Mutikani, David Ljunggren and Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Christopher Lightfoot Walker, Nguyen, I've, 92NY, Lucia Mutikani, David Ljunggren, Joseph Ax, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, New York City, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Palestine, Israel, Palestinian, Mineola , New York, U.S, New York, Gaza, Nguyen, American, Manhattan

☆ Opinion: Why student protests against Israel are so painful, polarizing and complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Opinion Nicole Hemmer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Student radicals have been targets of condemnation since at least the early 1960s, when they experimented with new forms of protest against anti-Black racism, the Vietnam War, poverty and censorship. “I think they oughta shoot ‘em if they’re carrying the Vietcong flag,” actor John Wayne said of the protests. In the 1960s, student radicals occasionally waved the Viet Cong flag to show solidarity with the people of Vietnam. But students did have the power to disrupt, to grab camera time and to create the iconic imagery of an era. You may hate these student activists’ words and actions, but they’re not the ones with the power here.

Persons: Nicole Hemmer, Carolyn T, Robert M, “, Who, Stanford ”, ” Nicole Hemmer, Bill Ackman, —, Victoria’s, Leslie Wexner, Abigail, Jon Huntsman, Huntsman, John Wayne, it’s, Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Israel, Christopher Rufo, they’re Organizations: Rogers Center, Vanderbilt University, “ Partisans, Conservative, CNN, “, Harvard, Hamas, University of Pennsylvania, Huntsman Foundation, Utah Gov, Penn, Democratic Party, Capitol, United, Getty, Viet, Universities, Police, National Students for Justice, Israel, Democratic Socialists of America Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vietnam, Iraq, Washington, United States, AFP, firefights, Viet, Viet Cong, California, Palestine

☆ Fox’s top lawyer blasts judge in Dominion case, says trial would’ve been ‘months of utter pain’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Viet Dinh, former Chief Legal and Policy Officer for Fox Corporation. Dinh said Davis issued “really illogical” rulings in the pretrial phase, which “hamstrung” Fox’s defense strategy. This artist sketch depicts Judge Eric Davis of Delaware Superior Court on the bench Monday, April 17, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware. Elizabeth Williams/APThe judge ruled that none of Fox’s on-air statements about Dominion were true and rejected Fox’s attempts to throw the case out. Dominion made many of these messages public through court filings, and they painted an incredibly damning picture of Fox News.

Persons: CNN —, Viet Dinh, Eric Davis, ” Dinh, –, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Fox, Dinh, Davis, ”, Eric Davis of, Elizabeth Williams, Fox’s, Tucker Carlson, “ Organizations: CNN, Fox, Dominion Voting Systems, Fox Corporation, Delaware, Harvard Law, ” Dominion, Fox News, Eric Davis of Delaware Superior Court, Dominion, Harvard Locations: Viet, Delaware, Wilmington , Delaware, Smartmatic

Search resuls for: "Viet"

25 mentions found