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☆ US awaits Netanyahu’s response after Biden’s ultimatum
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Despite repeatedly expressing its frustration with Israeli tactics, the White House has been unwilling or unable to impose any leverage on the prime minister. There was no immediate response from the prime minister, who held a cabinet meeting after the call that he used to warn that Israel will defend itself against Iran. The Israeli prime minister is a consummate Washington player and has been engaging with Biden’s Republican foes on Capitol Hill, in an alliance that could increase political complications for the president if he creates deeper fractures with the Israeli prime minister. If Biden eventually assesses his warnings are falling on deaf ears, his credibility will depend on him publicly imposing a cost on the Israeli prime minister. But Biden’s political imperatives and the increasing humanitarian price of the war in Gaza mean he’s approaching a fateful crossroads.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, –, Antony Blinken, Delaware Sen, Chris Coons, Blinken, Israel, John Kirby, Israel –, fulsomely, Biden didn’t, Leon Panetta, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ”, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Tapper, “, ” Sanders, ” Netanyahu’s, ” Netanyahu, ” Kirby, Mike Johnson Organizations: CNN, Arab, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Democrat, White, Democratic, White House, National Security Communications, Independent, Hamas, Islamic, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Washington, Republican, GOP Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Delaware, Palestinian American, Brussels, Washington, Vermont, Iran, Islamic Republic, Damascus, Rafah

☆ Malaysia Cabinet Discusses Najib Pardon Bid, but Won't Announce Outcome - Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

It will be at the discretion of the Pardons Board to announce its decision, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said at a press conference on immigration and labour issues, which was packed with media seeking news on Najib's clemency bid. Najib requested a royal pardon shortly after beginning his sentence in 2022 and after exhausting all other appeals. Najib's lawyer and representatives, as well as Malaysia's attorney-general, a member of the pardons board, did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. "Let us not jump the gun, let us wait for an official statement to be made," Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said at a separate press briefing. U.S. and Malaysian investigators estimate around $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion channeled to accounts linked to Najib.

Persons: Danial Azhar, Najib Razak, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Najib, Prime Minister's Department Zaliha Mustafa, Najib's, Fahmi Fadzil, Jho Low, Nooryana Najwa Najib, pensively, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, 1Malaysia Development, Prime Minister's Department, Communications, Saudi Locations: KUALA LUMPUR

☆ The CIA is posting videos to persuade Russians to betray their leaders — and says it's working
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe CIA released a new video appealing to disaffected Russians who might pass secrets on to the spy agency — a tactic it says is already bearing fruit. The tactic is working, a CIA spokesperson claimed. "We are seeing more outreach from Russians as a result of these videos," the unnamed spokesperson told NBC News. The CIA has a dedicated Russian-language channel to encourage informants, with 13,500 followers there — a minuscule fraction of the Russian population. AdvertisementThe CIA has argued that such tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine bring opportunity to encourage recruits.

Persons: —, Boris Nadezhdin — Organizations: Service, CIA, Business, NBC, Moscow Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Russian

☆ Salesforce markets itself as an AI company customers can trust. Customers aren't buying it yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-18 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Salesforce has moved slowly on AI, RBC Capital Markets managing director Rishi Jaluria told Insider — at least that's what the company's partners and customers told him. One said they were encouraging customers to start first with Einstein, the original AI product Salesforce launched in 2016, before adding new generative-AI services to their bills. The question was the first of many moments during the conference when a Salesforce executive brought up trust and safety when talking about generative AI. Despite that, Salesforce continues to invest in other companies via its venture arm, which includes a $500 million Generative AI fund. Jaluria said that with the exception of Microsoft, he doesn't expect software companies to see meaningful revenue gains from generative AI until at least 2025.

Persons: Salesforce, Rishi Jaluria, —, Jaluria, they've, Einstein, Matthew McConaughey, pensively, Patrick Stokes, Salesforce's, Stokes, it's, There's, John Somorjai, McKinsey's, Somorjai, Ellen Thomas Organizations: Company, Business, RBC Capital Markets, World, Salesforce Ventures, Microsoft Locations: New York, ethomas@insider.com

☆ Bruised Ireland reflect on end of an era
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Ossian Shine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"You have a group of senior players who are moving on," he added, standing barefoot, still in full Irish kit. "There’s a group of guys who won't play for Ireland again who have had an incredible impact on Irish rugby, not only in the last few years but the last decade." "It's tough," O'Mahony said. "This is the best group I've ever been part of and these lads will go on to great things," he told reporters, tears glistening in his eyes. No doubt this team will have left Irish rugby in a better place.

Persons: –, Peter O'Mahony pensively, Johnny Sexton, Winger Keith Earls, O'Mahony, I've, Johnny, fellas, Sexton, …, he'll, " O'Mahony, We've, Jasper Shine, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Rugby, New Zealand, Stade de France, Ireland, Irish, Nations, British & Irish Lions, Leinster, Thomson Locations: Ireland, Paris, New

He said he came back to Antakya, the hardest hit city in the earthquake zone, with eight of his family members. They drove by car for about four hours from another southern province to vote. They cited not only the government’s response to the earthquake, but its handling of the economy in recent years, when inflation has surged. They said it was depressing to return to the earthquake zone and see that the government had only removed rubble, but taken no other discernible actions to pave the way for residents to return. That is a substantial share of the nearly nine million eligible voters in the 11 quake-affected provinces of southern Turkey.

☆ Kanye West says Adidas sued him for $275 million and froze all his bank accounts in a video announcing his 2024 presidential campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In one clip, he claimed Adidas sued him for $275 million and froze all his bank accounts. The rapper-turned-businessman shared the video on Twitter at 6:30 p.m. PST on Thanksgiving, captioned only with his campaign hashtag "YE24." In the Thanksgiving video, footage of commentators and newsreaders talking about Ye's antisemitic comments is intercut with shots of the rapper sitting pensively in an empty Yeezy office in Los Angeles. Ye posted eight more times on Thanksgiving, including another video where he talked about meeting Donald Trump. Ye is currently promoting his 2024 presidential campaign, but is yet to file the paperwork to become a candidate.

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