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☆ Why Middle East travel is growing faster ‘than any other region’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rym Bendimerad | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Last week, travel and tourism industry representatives from more than 150 countries gathered at the annual Arabian Travel Market trade show, held this year in Dubai. There, CNN’s Eleni Giokos spoke with Julia Simpson, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), about trends in tourism in the Middle East, and the challenge of making travel more sustainable. We are here in the Middle East — this is the first time I’ve been to the Arabian Travel Market — but what’s interesting is everyone’s telling me they have never, ever seen it this busy. Simpson: Well, the GCC and Middle East is growing faster than any other region. Visitors and delegates at the Arabian Travel Market.

Persons: CNN’s Eleni Giokos, Julia Simpson, I’ve, Simpson, Saud, you’ve, We’ve, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Travel, Tourism Council, Arabian, GCC, Gulf Cooperation, United, Visitors, Oxford Economics Locations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al, Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Arabia, —, Saudi Arabia, Oman, East, UAE, Gaza, Egypt

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah invasion looms as Israel battles Hamas in the north
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty ImagesThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says that the operation in Rafah remains limited in scope, while it continues operating in two other parts of Gaza. The operation was aimed at locating tunnel shafts operated by Hamas and had recovered “ammunition of many types,” including anti-tank missiles. While a broader offensive has been long expected in Rafah, Israel is battling elsewhere in Gaza to prevent Hamas regrouping. Shoshani said operations were continuing in Jabalya, in northern Gaza, and in Zeitoun, in central Gaza. He said the deaths of five Israeli soldiers on Wednesday night in Jabalya – in Israeli tank fire - came amid fighting in a “dense, very complicated area.”

Persons: Mostafa Alkharouf, Nadav Shoshani, ” Shoshani, ”, Shoshani Organizations: Getty, Israel Defense Forces, IDF International, CNN, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Anadolu, Rafah, Israel, Jabalya, Zeitoun, Jabalya –

☆ Middle East Crisis Temporary Pier Is Anchored in Gaza to Deliver Aid, U.S. Military Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. officials had said last week that the floating pier and causeway had been completed, but that weather conditions had delayed their installation. An American ship loaded with humanitarian aid, the Sagamore, set off for Gaza from Cyprus last week, and the aid was loaded onto a smaller vessel that had been waiting for the pier to be installed. Aid groups say the devastation in Gaza after seven months of Israeli bombardment, strict Israeli inspections and restrictions on crossing points are limiting the amount of aid that can enter Gaza. The Pentagon has said that the pier could help deliver as many as two million meals a day. An aid group, World Central Kitchen, built a makeshift jetty in mid-March to deliver aid by sea to Gaza for the first time in nearly two decades.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, “ It’ll, ”, “, that’s, Nadav Shoshani, Dan Dieckhaus, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Helene Cooper Organizations: U.S, Israel, U.S . Central Command, United Nations, Central Command, U.S ., Pentagon, Joint Chiefs, Staff, NATO, Israeli Navy, Division, Food, U.S . Agency for International Development Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, An American, Cyprus, Brussels, Kerem

☆ House to vote on bill to prevent Biden from withholding weapons to Israel as GOP ramps up pressure on Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Clare Foran | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The House vote has seemingly been partly designed to put pressure on Democrats and is expected to expose divisions within the party over the issue. The bill is unlikely to be taken up in the Democratic-led Senate and the White House has said that Biden would veto the bill if Congress passed it. The Biden administration on Tuesday began the early stages of a process to move ahead with a new $1 billion arms deal for Israel, according to two congressional sources. The move comes as the Biden administration has paused the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs and 500-pound bombs to Israel, citing opposition to the weapons being used in the densely populated areas of Rafah. Biden has come under extraordinary pressure, including from some members of his own party, to limit shipments of arms amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel ”, Adam Smith, “, ” Smith, ”, Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, GOP, Congress, State Department, Defense Department, National Security Council, Democratic, White, Tuesday, House Democratic, Hamas, Israel, ” Democratic, House Armed Services Committee Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Rafah

☆ Jake Sullivan met in-person with representatives of countries whose citizens Hamas took hostage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Mj Lee | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan convened for the first time this week an in-person meeting of ambassadors and chiefs of mission representing countries whose citizens were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, CNN has learned, as a ceasefire and hostages release deal remains stalled. Those 17 countries, along with the United States, have citizens whom Hamas took captive at the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting comes at a critical moment when the efforts to secure the release of hostages and Gaza ceasefire appear to have stalled once again. Multiple US diplomats have told CNN in recent weeks that they are consistently hearing those concerns from their counterparts abroad. Still, the White House has also been clear that the US remains a steadfast supporter of Israel, including its right to defend itself.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Israel, “, ” Sullivan, Biden, ”, CNN’s Erin Burnett Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Hamas, Qatar –, United Nations, Israel, White Locations: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Qatar, Rafah

Israel said on Thursday that it would send more troops to Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, which has become the focal point in the war between Israel and Hamas. The announcement signaled that Israel intends to press deeper into Rafah despite international concerns about the threat to civilians from a full-scale invasion of the city, where more than a million displaced people had been sheltering. “Hundreds of targets have already been attacked,” Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said after meeting with commanders in the Rafah area. “This operation will continue.”For the past week Israel has described its offensive as a limited military operation, but satellite imagery and Mr. Gallant’s comments on Thursday suggested that a more significant incursion was already underway.

Persons: Israel, ” Yoav Gallant, Gallant’s Organizations: Hamas Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, “

☆ Arab League Calls for U.N. Peacekeepers in Gaza and the West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Anushka Patil | Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Arab League called on Thursday for a United Nations peacekeeping force to be deployed in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank until a two-state solution can be negotiated, in a statement that also called for the U.N. Security Council to set a time limit for that political process. The notion of deploying U.N. peacekeepers into the Israeli-Palestinian conflicthas been mentioned occasionally by diplomats. It’s unlikely that U.N. peacekeepers would be deployed to Gaza and the West Bank in the near future because sending U.N. peacekeepers into any conflict requires first the authorization of the Council. “We don’t go into active combat, and parties themselves have to agree on allowing the presence of peacekeepers. In addition to calling for an immediate cease-fire and accusing Israel of obstructing those efforts, the Arab League called for “the deployment of United Nations international protection and peacekeeping forces in the occupied Palestinian territory until the two-state solution is implemented.”

Persons: Farhan Haq, Mr, Haq, don’t, Israel, ” Organizations: United Nations, West Bank, . Security, League Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Manama, Bahrain

The no-confidence resolution was introduced by the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a professional faculty organization. The group that brought the no-confidence resolution against Dr. Shafik does not “represent many faculty and students at Columbia University,” the letter stated. On Wednesday, Dr. Shafik wrote a conciliatory note to students and published it in the school newspaper in lieu of a graduation speech. Of the 899 faculty members eligible to vote, 709 completed a ballot. There are about 4,700 full-time faculty members at Columbia, of which the Faculty of Arts and Science represents about 20 percent.

Persons: Nemat, Shafik, “, ” Ben Chang, David Ahmed Ali, ”, Robert Newton, ” Dr, Newton, Liset Cruz Organizations: of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University, American Association of University, University Senate, Hamilton Hall, Columbia College, ”, Israel, Mailman, of Public Health, New School, City University of New, CUNY, New York University, Columbia, Ivy League, of Arts and Science Locations: Israel, Hamilton, Columbia, Gaza, City University of New York

☆ Oil prices rise on moderate U.S. inflation data, strong demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices extended gains from the previous session on Thursday on signs of stronger demand in the U.S. where data showed slower inflation than markets expected, strengthening the argument for an interest rate cut which could result in even stronger demand. U.S. crude oil, gasoline and distillate inventories fell, reflecting a rise in both refining activity and fuel demand, showed data from the Energy Information Administration, or EIA. Crude inventories fell 2.5 million barrels to 457 million barrels in the week ended May 10, the EIA said, versus the 543,000 barrel consensus analyst forecast in a Reuters poll. Signs of slowing inflation and stronger demand were supporting prices, ANZ Research said in a client note, as is geopolitical risk which it said remains elevated. Gains were constrained after the IEA trimmed its forecast for 2024 oil demand growth, widening the gap between its view and that of producer group OPEC.

Persons: Brent Organizations: U.S, West Texas Intermediate, Federal Reserve, Energy Information Administration, EIA, ANZ Research, OPEC, Global, Organization for Economic Co Locations: Nolan , Texas, U.S, East, Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Egypt, Israel

☆ ‘They have crossed a line’: Australian university orders pro-Palestinian protesters to vacate building
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Pro-Palestinian protesters occupying a building at the University of Melbourne have been told to leave by university officials, who say they’ve “crossed a line” by entering the building and disrupting class for thousands of students. Martin Keep/AFP/Getty ImagesOn the video, protesters said they wouldn’t leave until the university responded to their demands, which include divesting from weapons companies and condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza. The University of Melbourne says student protesters "crossed a line" by occupying the building. Meanwhile, at least seven student protesters at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra have received letters from the university telling them to leave the site by the end of Friday. In his video message distributed by the University of Melbourne, Wesley called on protesters to “peacefully end the occupation.”“Red lines have been crossed,” he said.

Persons: ”, Michael Wesley, “, Dana Alshaer, Mahmoud Alnaouq, Pip Nicholson, Martin, hadn’t, Alshaer, they’d, Jasmine Duff, for Palestine Victoria, Nick Reich, Wesley Organizations: Australia CNN — Pro, University of Melbourne, “, Arts West, ”, of Melbourne, Victoria Police, Hamas, Getty, Protesters, Deakin University, CNN, for Palestine, Australian National University, ANU, University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Israel, UniMelb, Palestine, Gaza, Melbourne, Canberra, “

☆ The Unpunished: How Extremists Took Over Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ronen Bergman | Mark Mazzetti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first documents the unequal system of justice that grew around Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank. The second shows how extremists targeted not only Palestinians but also Israeli officials trying to make peace. IMPUNITYBy the end of October, it was clear that no one was going to help the villagers of Khirbet Zanuta. But occasional harassment and vandalism, in the days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, escalated into beatings and murder threats. So one day the villagers packed what they could, loaded their families into trucks and disappeared.

Organizations: West Bank Locations: Gaza, Khirbet Zanuta, West Bank, Hebron

Video footage shows the young man in a white hoodie, identified as Edan On, striking at the barrier around the pro-Palestinian encampment. From Social MediaOn, a local high school senior, was captured on video striking a pro-Palestinian protester with a pole. A pro-Palestinian demonstrator is beaten by counterprotesters attacking a pro-Palestinian encampment set up at UCLA's campus. Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty ImagesA counterprotester, identified by CNN as Malachi Marlan-Librett, pushes a pro-Palestinian protester in the barrier of the UCLA encampment. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesMarlan-Librett is seen throwing the bottom of a broom at a pro-Palestinian protester.

Persons: counterprotesters, UCLA –, –, “ Edan, Sharon, Edan, William Gude, “ We’re, counterprotesters calmy, “, ”, Chaim Seidler, Feller, Hillel, On’s, wasn’t, Malachi Marlan, Etienne Laurent, Wally Skalij, Librett, Dolores Quintana, Quintana, ” Dolores Quintana, Tom Bibiyan, Bibiyan, Trump, William Gude Tom Bibiyan, William Gude “, Angie Givant, she’d, Narek Palyan, Palyan, Catherine Hamilton, Hamilton, UCLA’s, Boosinger, ” Dylan Kupsh, ” Kupsh, Kupsh, Audrey Ash, Isabelle Chapman, Scott Glover, Curt Devine Organizations: CNN, UCLA, Fox, Facebook, Israel, Social, Social Media, Los Angeles Police Department, Patrol, UCLA Police Department, Bruins, LA, Key, Beverly Hills High School, Israel Defense Forces, UC Santa Cruz, Getty, Los Angeles Times, ”, Los Angeles Valley College, USC, Green Party, ucla, “, Student, ” Thistle, Thistle Locations: Gaza, Israel, California, Angeles, UCLA's, Los, Los Angeles

☆ Meta’s Facebook and Instagram probed over fears they may be too addictive for children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The European Union is worried that Meta is failing to protect children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, and has launched a formal investigation that could result in a hefty fine. The probe is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focussing on the harmful impact of Meta’s platforms — and other social media — on young users, including by encouraging addictive behavior. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will consider whether Meta (META) has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s sweeping new law for online platforms. The legislation requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children, including by preventing them from accessing inappropriate content and ensuring a high level of privacy and safety. The European Commission is concerned that Facebook’s and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Meta, Thierry Breton, ” Meta Organizations: London CNN, Facebook, European Commission, Digital Services, European, Meta, CNN, New Locations: New Mexico, Gaza

☆ These 16 House Democrats voted to force Biden to deliver withheld aid to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read preview16 House Democrats on Thursday voted for a bill designed to force President Joe Biden to provide all military aid to Israel — or risk the defunding of crucial national security-related offices. AdvertisementRepublicans in particular have sought to hit Biden for that move, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, a Republican who voted against Israel aid but has now introduced articles of impeachment against Biden for withholding that aid. AdvertisementSince October 7, the House has taken a variety of Israel-related votes that have split House Democrats, including one that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and another that was designed to crack down on campus antisemitism but faced free speech-related criticism. Last month, 37 House Democrats voted against a bill to provide the military aid to Israel that Biden is now partially withholding. Here are the 16 House Democrats who voted for the bill:

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Israel —, Thomas Massie of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Warren Davidson, Ohio —, Biden, Cory Mills, I'm, nothing's, Jared Golden of, Greg Landsman, Ohio Organizations: Service, Democrats, Business, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, Department, Pentagon, Defense, State, National Security Council, White, . Jewish Democrats Locations: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Ohio, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Cory Mills of Florida, Jared Golden of Maine

☆ The US Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, is leaving Japan after nearly a decade in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ella Sherman | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe USS Ronald Reagan, the only aircraft carrier in the US Navy forward deployed, or permanently stationed in another country, is leaving Japan after spending nearly a decade in the Pacific. Related storiesIn 2021, USS Ronald Reagan briefly left its forward-deployed position to provide air support during US withdrawal operations in Afghanistan. USS Ronald Reagan traveling through the Straits of Magellan, to San Diego, CA, in a transfer move. US Navy/Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Elizabeth ThompsonThe USS Ronald Reagan already had a history of cooperation with Japan prior to its deployment. "Whether it's aboard USS Ronald Reagan today or USS George Washington in the future, we will continue to strengthen those ties at all levels, on-shore and at-sea."

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Ronald Reagan Sailors, Daryle Cardone, Ronald Reagan's, Reagan, Photographer's, Elizabeth Thompson, USS George Washington, George Washington, Greg Newkirk, Anthony Wallace, Gerald R Organizations: Service, US Navy, Business, Nimitz, Carrier Strike, CSG, Fleet, USS, Japan, Self, Defense Force, Navy, Aircraft, Getty, Pacific . Aircraft, US, Pacific Locations: Japan, Yokosuka, China, Afghanistan, Magellan, San Diego , CA, Bremerton , Washington, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Pacific, Russia, North Korea

☆ 'Biggest barrier' to Saudi-Israeli normalization is the two-state solution, says ex-CIA director
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is "elusive" right now, according to former CIA director David Petraeus, adding that it is also the "single biggest barrier" to normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. "A solid path, a solid commitment to a two-state solution from Israel" is the biggest hurdle to Israel and Saudi's normalization plans, Petraeus, who is now chairman at KKR Global Institute, told CNBC's Dan Murphy. However, there have been discrete but growing cooperation between them in recent years, raising hopes for a normalization agreement. Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrated Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and kidnapping dozens more. More than 35,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian enclave so far, according to the health ministry there which is run by Hamas.

Persons: David Petraeus, Petraeus, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Joe Biden's Organizations: KKR Global Institute, Hamas Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, CNBC's Dan Murphy . Saudi Arabia, Palestinian

☆ What Getting Shot in the U.S. Taught Me About the Dehumanization of Palestinians - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hisham Awartani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That frigid autumn night in Burlington, Vt., was not the first time I had stared down the barrel of a gun. Half a world away, in the West Bank, it had happened before. On a hot day in May 2021, a classmate and I, both of us 17 at the time, were protesting near a checkpoint in Ramallah. But I had never expected to feel this on a quiet street in Vermont, on a stroll before Thanksgiving dinner. The shooting of three Palestinian Americans in Burlington has received more sustained coverage than any single act of violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since Oct. 7.

Organizations: West Bank, North Prospect Locations: Burlington , Vt, Ramallah, Vermont, Burlington, Gaza

☆ American medics trapped in Gaza call on US government to help bring them home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Muhammad Darwish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

FAJR Scientific, the United States-based nonprofit organization that brought Kattan and 16 other physicians to Gaza, is now calling on the US government to help coordinate the team’s safe exit from Gaza. ‘This is what clean looks like in Gaza’The FAJR Scientific team recorded video diaries of their experiences and the conditions they face inside the European Hospital exclusively for CNN. Picking up a single vial of Propofol, she describes how the medics were able bring it in with them from the US. FAJR ScientificNo way outFAJR Scientific operates under the umbrella of WHO which, according to FAJR Scientific, has been attempting to coordinate an evacuation. Of the 19 members on the PAMA medical team, 10 are US citizens.

Persons: Ahlia Kattan, ” Kattan, “, ”, Mosab Nasser, Kattan, anesthesiologists, Laura Swoboda, ” Swoboda, We’re, Sameer Khan, “ It’s, they’re, I’ve Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Gaza’s, CNN, WHO, World Health, FAJR, Hospital, “, FAJR Scientific, European Hospital, Palestine American Medical Association Locations: Jerusalem, California, Rafah, Kattan, Gaza, Egypt, FAJR, United States, Gaza ’, Wisconsin

☆ The View Within Israel Turns Bleak - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Megan K. Stack | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By Megan K. StackIt was the pictures of Palestinians swimming and sunning at a Gaza beach that rubbed Yehuda Shlezinger, an Israeli journalist, the wrong way. Stylish in round red glasses and a faint scruff of beard, Mr. Shlezinger unloaded his revulsion at the “disturbing” pictures while appearing on Israel’s Channel 12. “We should have seen a lot more revenge there,” Mr. Shlezinger unrepentantly added. “A lot more rivers of Gazans’ blood.”It would be nice to think that Mr. Shlezinger is a fringe figure, or that Israelis would be shocked by his bloody fantasies. Israel has hardened, and the signs of it are in plain view.

Persons: Megan K, Yehuda Shlezinger, Shlezinger, ”, ” Mr, Shlezinger unrepentantly, he’s, preening Organizations: Israel Hayom Locations: Gaza, Israeli, Israel

☆ After Outcry, Concertgebouw Will Allow Jerusalem Quartet to Perform
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Javier C. Hernández | More About Javier C. Hernández | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, said Thursday that it would allow the Jerusalem Quartet to perform, two days after it had canceled the ensemble’s concerts amid security concerns related to threatened protests. The Concertgebouw said in a statement that the Jerusalem Quartet would be allowed to perform on Saturday after all, with expanded security measures and a more robust police presence. The ensemble had originally been scheduled to perform on Thursday and Saturday, but the Concertgebouw canceled the engagement, saying it could not ensure the safety of audience members, musicians and employees because of the threat of protests related to the Israel-Gaza war. Simon Reinink, general manager of the Concertgebouw, said in an interview that the hall had reversed course after securing commitments from the police. We were forced to crack the dilemma of security on the one hand and freedom on the other.”

Persons: Simon Reinink, ” Organizations: Concertgebouw, Quartet Locations: Amsterdam, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza

☆ Fico assassination attempt exposes risks for politicians in a polarized Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Luke Mcgee | Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The horrific scenes in Slovakia following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico are a stark and brutal reminder of the dangers facing those who seek public office. Security personnel apprehend a suspected gunman after Slovakia's Prime Minister was shot in Handlova, Slovakia on May 15, 2024. President Zuzana Caputova appoints Robert Fico the new Slovakian prime minister at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 25 October 2023. In 2022, Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s prime minister after running on an anti-immigration, socially conservative ticket. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead in July 2022 as he gave a campaign speech.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Zuzana Čaputová, ”, George Soros, Čaputová, Fico’s, Zuzana Caputova, Jakub Gavlak, Giorgia Meloni, Covid lockdowns, Jo Cox, DANIEL LEAL, David Amess, Shinzo Abe, Fernando Villavicencio –, – Organizations: CNN, Slovakia's, Getty, Fico, Slovakian, Parliamentary, Parliament, Political, Hamas, British Labour, AFP, Conservative, ISIS, Japanese Locations: Slovakia, Russia, American, Europe, Ukraine, Gaza, Handlova, AFP, Bratislava, Netherlands, Israel, London, Britain

☆ Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into ‘The Unpunished’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ronen Bergman | Mark Mazzetti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, most Israelis have considered Palestinian terrorism the country’s biggest security concern. But there is another threat that may be even more destabilizing for Israel’s future as a democracy: Jewish terrorism and violence, and the failure to enforce the law against it. It is a blunt account, told in some cases for the first time by Israeli officials, of how the occupation came to threaten the integrity of the country’s democracy. Lawbreakers Become LawmakersOfficials told us that once fringe, sometimes criminal groups of settlers bent on pursuing a theocratic state have been allowed for decades to operate with few restraints. Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government came to power in 2022, elements of that faction have taken power — driving the country’s policies, including in the war in Gaza.

Persons: Lawbreakers, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Locations: of Israel, Gaza

☆ U.S. Military Installs Temporary Pier in Gaza for Humanitarian Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. military anchored a temporary pier on Gaza’s coast on Thursday, creating a point of entry for humanitarian aid for the enclave, where the flow of supplies through land borders has largely come to a halt since Israel began its incursion into Rafah last week. The aid will be loaded onto trucks that will begin moving ashore “in the coming days,” the U.S. Central Command said in a statement Thursday morning. U.S. officials had said last week that the floating pier and causeway had been completed, but that weather conditions had delayed their installation. An American ship loaded with humanitarian aid, the Sagamore, set off for Gaza from Cyprus last week, and the aid was loaded onto a smaller vessel that had been waiting for the pier to be installed. The United Nations will receive the aid and oversee its distribution in Gaza, according to Central Command, which said no U.S. troops would set foot in the territory.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, “ It’ll, ”, “, that’s Organizations: U.S, Israel, U.S . Central Command, United Nations, Central Command, U.S ., Pentagon, Joint Chiefs, Staff, NATO Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, An American, Cyprus, Brussels

☆ Columbia University president hit with no-confidence vote from faculty group over handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Columbia cited security concerns in canceling the large event, a school official told CNN, and instead is holding smaller ones. “Canceling the traditional commencement ceremony was one of the toughest calls in a year of many tough calls,” Shafik wrote in an op-ed in the Columbia Daily Spectator, noting her top priority has been the safety of students, faculty and staff. Fifty people were arrested, and police began the booking process onsite, university spokesperson Tom Vasich said in an email. Pro-Palestinian protesters had set up a campus encampment on April 29, when the university also called in local law enforcement. “This is not protest, this is pure hate.”The building’s takeover came a day after the UCB Divest Coalition agreed to end its campus encampment following discussions with university leadership.

Persons: Minouche Shafik, “, Shafik “, Ben Chang, Shafik, ”, ” Shafik, Tom Vasich, ” Vasich, Vasich, Anna, Dan Mogulof, Nazism ”, David, Mogulof, Santiago Mejia, ” Carol Christ, Jagdeep Singh Bachher, Ana Mari Cauce, ” Cauce, David Ryder David Ryder, ’, Russell Dorn, Robert Manuel, ” Manuel, Manuel, –, ” Benjamin Meyer, Morehouse, Joe Biden’s, David A, Thomas, CNN’s Victor Blackwell, Amanda Musa, Matt Egan, Julia Vargas Jones, Andy Rose, Chris Boyette, Melissa Alonso Organizations: CNN — Pro, Columbia University, Ivy League school’s, New York, CNN, Barnard College, American Association of University Professors, –, Columbia Daily Spectator, UC Irvine, University of California, Irvine Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Authorities, KABC, UC Berkeley, Pro, KGO, Jewish Community Relations, Nazism, UCB, UC Berkeley’s, Palestine, San Francisco, Getty, UC Regents, UC, Regents, University of Washington, Seattle, Wednesday, REUTERS, Reuters, University, ” DePaul University, Police, DePaul University in, WLS, DePaul, ” University, Coalition, ” Morehouse, Morehouse College’s, White House, White Locations: Israel, Gaza, Shafik, Columbia, Irvine, Orange, Berkeley, Merced, Seattle, DePaul University in Chicago, Atlanta

☆ US-built floating pier begins moving from Ashdod port to Gaza, defense official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The floating pier that will allow for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza from the sea is moving from the port of Ashdod toward Gaza, according to a US defense official. Cyprus is the staging point for the humanitarian aid that will be shipped to Gaza through the maritime corridor and the pier. The US was closely watching whether what it called a “limited” Israeli incursion into Rafah in southern Gaza would affect the temporary pier. “I can just tell you it’s a third-party contractor, but that’s it,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a press briefing. Once the humanitarian aid arrives in Gaza, the UN World Food Program will distribute it to the Palestinian population.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Sabrina Singh, Ryder, ” Ryder Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, UN, Food Locations: Gaza, Ashdod, Cyprus, Rafah

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