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CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his decision to go public about delays in the supply of weapons from the United States, saying months of private discussions did not yield any results. At the beginning of a cabinet meeting Sunday, Netanyahu said that “after months of no change in this situation, I decided to give it a public expression. The US remains Israel’s most important ally and biggest supplier of arms but has voiced increasing concern over the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza. Our ties are crucial and perhaps more important than ever, at this time,” Gallant told reporters, according to a statement from the Israeli defense ministry. The Israeli defense minister has clashed with Netanyahu, who is facing an ongoing battle to keep his government together.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Biden, Antony Blinken “, Amos Hochstein, ” “, Yoav Gallant, Lloyd Austin, ” Gallant, Gallant, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Israeli, US, U.S Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, Washington

☆ US offers assurances to Israel this week in the event of full-blown war with Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

They discussed a wide range of topics including the situation on Israel’s northern border, Iran and the ceasefire and hostage negotiations, sources said. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, Hezbollah’s provocations against Israel have continued – and escalated in recent weeks. If Hezbollah were to significantly expand the scale of its attacks on Israel, resulting in the deaths of Israelis, US officials expect Israel to respond with full force. As CNN reported, US officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the north — including the much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system. In this week’s meetings, US and Israeli officials discussed possible “off-ramps” to try to lower the temperature along the so-called Blue Line that separates Lebanon and Israel, the senior administration official said.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, Tzachi Hanegbi, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Brett McGurk, Israel, Amos Hochstein Organizations: CNN — Senior, Hezbollah, Top, Strategic, Biden, White, CNN Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran, Lebanon

CNN —US officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the north — including the much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system, three US officials told CNN. Israeli officials have told the US they are planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group, US officials told CNN on Wednesday. “We assess that at least some” Iron Dome batteries “will be overwhelmed,” said a senior administration official. Earlier this month, Hezbollah released a video purporting to show a drone striking and damaging an Iron Dome battery on an army base in northern Israel. The Iron Dome is fundamental to Israel’s defense and the US government has spent over $2.9 billion on the program, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Persons: “, ”, “ We’re, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Israel, Israel ‘, Antony Blinken’s, Yoav Gallant, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Assad Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Congressional Research Service, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Biden, US, IDF, Hamas, Israeli, Command, Radwan Force, Rocket Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Lebanese, Jerusalem, Beirut, Rafah, ”, Cyprus, Syria

CNN —US envoy Amos Hochstein told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting on Tuesday in Israel that his public comments this week that the US is “withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel” were “unproductive” and “more importantly, completely untrue,” a senior US official told CNN. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Israel confirmed that Lew spoke with Netanyahu on Tuesday. The meeting reflected the administration’s mounting frustration with the Israeli leader’s comments. Hochstein’s comments to Netanyahu weren’t the first time US officials have pushed back in private against public comments made by Netanyahu, but some US officials would like the Biden administration to go further, an administration official said. “In the meantime, meetings with Israeli officials are being held throughout the week at expert and senior levels on a range of topics.

Persons: Amos Hochstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel ”, ”, Israel Jack Lew, Netanyahu, Lew, ” Axios, Hochstein, Biden, Joe Biden, Netanyahu weren’t, “, that’s, ” Netanyahu, Antony Blinken “, ” Blinken, Israel won’t Organizations: CNN, Israeli, US Embassy, Israel Strategic Consultative, White, “ Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran

Beirut CNN —Israel warned Hezbollah on Tuesday of the prospect of “all-out war” after the Lebanese militant group published a 9-minute video, purportedly taken by a drone, showing Israeli military and civilian locations in several Israeli cities. “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed, and Lebanon severely beaten,” he added. Those locations include a number of sensitive areas, including at least two military installations: a base in northern Haifa and the port of Haifa. The drone also flew over the oil tanks that sit north of Haifa, the Haifa airport and several residential areas. Hezbollah has said in the past that it will only stop firing on Israel if Israel stops the war in Gaza.

Persons: Beirut CNN — Israel, Israel Katz, ”, Rafael –, Katz, Hassan, Nasrallah, Wim Zwijnenburg, AlMayadeenNews, Yona Yahav, ” Yahav, ” Ibrahim Mousawi, Israel, Amos Hochstein Organizations: Beirut CNN, Hezbollah, Iron, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, PAX, Reshet Bet, Haifa “, Haifa ”, Northern Command, US Locations: Beirut, Lebanese, Lebanon, Haifa, Israel, Gaza, “, China, India, Iran, Haifa Port

☆ As China’s Pressure on Taiwan Rises, Departing U.S. Envoy Urges Steady Hand
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Chris Buckley | Amy Chang Chien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Near the end of three years as the United States’ chief representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk has some parting advice: Avoid panic about China’s combative language and moves, but don’t grow numb to the risks. Ms. Oudkirk has been Washington’s de facto ambassador to Taiwan over a time when the island democracy has become a crucible of tensions between Washington and Beijing. China claims that Taiwan is its territory and must accept unification, by armed force if leaders in Beijing decide that is necessary. At times, debate among Taiwanese and American politicians, officials and experts has taken on some tension as well, over which mix of tactics — what military purchases, what reassuring or unyielding words to Beijing, what steps with fellow democracies — could best reduce the risks of war. Ms. Oudkirk, who leaves her post in Taipei early next month, suggested that Taiwan and its partners needed to find a steady path, avoiding both hysteria and complacency.

Persons: Sandra Oudkirk, Oudkirk, — Organizations: United States ’ Locations: United States, Taiwan, Washington, Beijing, China, Taipei

☆ Meet the newest generation of the Kennedy family, America's most famous political dynasty
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Joe Kennedy III is one of the most prominent modern Kennedys in politics. Joe Kennedy III. Greg Nash-Pool/Getty ImagesJoe Kennedy III, 43, is the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy. Still, he'd go on to serve as a United States representative for Massachusetts from 2013 to 2021 and has held the position of United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland since 2022. The pair met in a Harvard Law School class taught by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and they now live in Newton, Massachusetts, with their two young children, CBS reported.

Persons: Joe Kennedy III, Greg Nash, Robert F, Kennedy, Ed Markey, he'd, Donald Trump's, He's, Marjory Stoneman, We're, Lauren Birchfield, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Matthew Rauch Kennedy Organizations: Stanford University, Harvard Law School, United, Massachusetts, United States, Northern Ireland, Democratic, House Energy, Commerce, Green, NBC Boston, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Harvard, Harvard Law, CBS, CNN Locations: Massachusetts, United States, Northern, Massachusetts's, Parkland , Florida, Newton , Massachusetts

Even last month, less than an hour after Biden unveiled his proposal, Netanyahu insisted Israel would not end the war until Hamas is defeated. But detailed negotiations to implement its provisions are yet to yield agreement from both Israel and Hamas. The ambassador also said the deal “rejects any geographical changes” in Gaza and reiterates the commitment for a two-state solution. Blinken arrived in Israel on Monday, following the resignation of Benny Gantz from the Israeli war cabinet on Sunday. More than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Persons: Reut Shapir Ben, Naftaly, ”, –, Joe Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, “, Riyad Mansour, West Bank –, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz Organizations: CNN, Israel, Hamas, United Nations Security, UN, UNSC, Monday’s, Russia, United, Palestinian UN, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Department, Israeli, Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Palestinian, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Greenfield, Jerusalem

☆ How Israel’s operation to rescue four hostages from Gaza unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Benjamin Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israel’s operation to rescue four hostages took weeks of preparation and involved hundreds of personnel, its military said. Israel heavily bombarded central Gaza as it carried out the operation, killing more than 200 Palestinians and wounding many others, according to Gaza hospital officials. “Israeli forces have been preparing for this rescue mission for weeks. The special operation was months in the making, and Israeli forces prepared by building models of the apartments the hostages were being held in to train in, Hagari said. But on the ground in Gaza, Palestinians described scenes of carnage following the strikes that led up to the rescue.

Persons: – Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv –, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Jehad, ”, ” Hagari, Nidal Abdo, Ori Megidish, Fernando Marman, Louis Har, Mahmoud Abbas, “, Abbas Organizations: CNN, Staff, Nova, Palestinian, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Israel, Saturday, United Nations, UN Security Council, UN Locations: Gaza, Israel, Nuseirat, Rafah, Palestinian

☆ 2 cargo ships caught fire after being hit by projectiles in suspected Houthi attacks off the coast of Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewTwo cargo ships traveling off Yemen's southern port city of Aden caught fire after being hit by projectiles suspected to have been fired by Houthi rebels, UK maritime agencies reported. Suspicion for the attack fell on Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have not claimed responsibility for the latest attack but have been targeting shipping in the area for several months with missiles and drones. AdvertisementThe British security firm Ambrey later said a cargo vessel from Antigua and Barbuda had been hit by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden. "The master reports that the vessel was hit by an unknown projectile on the aft section, which resulted in a fire. On Monday, the Houthi rebels said they had fired a new solid-fuel missile called the "Palestine" at the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Monday.

Persons: —, Houthi, Sundayit, Yemen's, Ambrey, UKMTO, we're, Stéphane Dujarric Organizations: Service, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UK's Royal Navy, Business, Reuters, Command, Reuters Houthis, Shipping, US Navy, UN, Unicef, Food, Unesco, Bloomberg Locations: Aden, UKMTO, Antigua, Barbuda, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Africa, Palestine, Eilat, Monday, New York

☆ Global powers are helping Ukraine by giving it money frozen from Russia. That spells bad news for companies still doing business there.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Western firms in Russia risk losing their assets if the US touches Russia's frozen reserves, a think tank expert wrote. Instead, Moscow could target foreign holdings that remain in Russia, making Western companies vulnerable to costly expropriation risk. That's on top of previous measures Russia introduced in retaliation to Western sanctions, such as the freezing of bank accounts owned by "unfriendly" non-residents. Taking the Kremlin at its word, $290 billion worth of Western assets are liable for seizure. "Earlier this month, Russia seized more than €700m ($757m) from three Western banks after a construction project fell apart as a result of Western sanctions.

Persons: Elisabeth Braw, —, Braw, That's, David O'Sullivan Organizations: Service, Atlantic, Center for, West, Reuters, Carlsberg, Danone, European, RBC Ukraine Locations: Russia, West, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Maldives to ban Israelis from entering country amid war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Sahar Akbarzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Maldives has announced it will ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amid its war on Hamas in Gaza. The presidential office of the Indian Ocean island nation, known for its luxurious resorts and endless white sand beaches, made the announcement in a press release Sunday. Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu resolved to impose the ban following a recommendation from the cabinet, the release said. The country’s laws will be amended, and a cabinet subcommittee will be established to oversee the efforts, the president’s office said. “Together with the government and people of Maldives, I call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to violence and unhindered humanitarian access,” the president posted on X last week.

Persons: Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Muizzu, Karim Sahib, Muizzu Organizations: CNN, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United, Getty, UNRWA Locations: Maldives, Gaza, ” Maldives, United Nations, Dubai, AFP, Palestine ”, Solidarity, Palestine, Rafah

CNN —The UK ambassador to Mexico was quietly fired earlier this year after pointing a rifle at a local embassy employee, the Financial Times reported Friday. The incident was captured in a video shared on social media. When asked for details, the UK embassy in Mexico deferred CNN’s questions to the British foreign office. The UK government website indicates that Benjamin is no longer an envoy. Mexico - which holds presidential, national and local elections Sunday - faces rampant violent crime, with sky-high crime and homicide rates.

Persons: Jon Benjamin, Benjamin, “ Jon Benjamin Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, British Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Locations: Mexico, British, Durango, Sinaloa

☆ EU's 14th sanctions package must target circumvention, energy exports, Zelenskyy advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The European Union's upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia must do more to choke off energy exports and clamp down on circumvention by third parties, an advisor to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNBC. He noted that EU states would need to work more cohesively for sanctions to stand a chance of crossing the line by the end of next month as planned. "The most critical aspect of the 14th sanctions package is its adoption by the end of June, but some member states currently pose a challenge to this," Vlasiuk said via email Thursday. The EU's special envoy for the implementation of sanctions, David O'Sullivan, was in Kyiv on Thursday to discuss the latest sanctions package amid ongoing pushback from member states such as Hungary. Among the proposed measures is a ban on Russian liquified natural gas, or LNG, exports and a crackdown on sanctions circumvention via countries including Kremlin ally Belarus.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Vlasiuk, David O'Sullivan, Nataliia, Shapoval, Dmitry Birichevsky Organizations: CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Sanctions, EU, KSE Institute, Russian Foreign Ministry, Ria Locations: Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Russia, Kyiv, Hungary, Belarus, China, India, Ria Novosti, Ports, France, Belgium, Spain, Asia

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia says it isn’t bluffing over threats to use nuclear weapons; ‘difficult night’ for Kharkiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The European Union's upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia must do more to choke off energy exports and clamp down on circumvention by third parties, an advisor to the office of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNBC. Vladyslav Vlasiuk said it was also vital to tighten export controls on critical technologies used within Moscow's military equipment. However, he noted that EU states would need to work more cohesively for sanctions to stand a chance of crossing the line by the end of next month as planned. The EU's special envoy for the implementation of sanctions, David O'Sullivan, was in Kyiv Thursday to discuss the latest sanctions package amid ongoing pushback from member states such as Hungary. Shapoval noted, however, that gas supplies were much more difficult to direct without European infrastructure than, for example, oil.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Vlasiuk, David O'Sullivan, Nataliia, Shapoval, — Karen Gilchrist Organizations: CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Sanctions, EU Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Hungary, Belarus, China, India

☆ Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport: Person dies after falling into airplane engine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Rosanne Roobeek-Coppack | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A person has died after falling into an airplane jet engine at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. “We are currently taking care of the passengers and employees who witnessed the incident at Schiphol,” KLM added on Wednesday. Schiphol Airport, which is one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, described the event as a “horrible incident” in a post on X. In December 2022, an airport worker died in an accident at the Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama after also being ingested into the engine of an aircraft. And in December 2015 an engineer at Mumbai airport died after being sucked into the engine of an Air India plane.

Persons: Michel van Bergen, ” Organizations: CNN, Schiphol, Netherlands Royal Military, KLM, ” KLM, Montgomery Regional Airport, Embraer, Envoy, National Transportation Safety, Air, Airbus, Air India Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Schiphol, Billund, Denmark, Alabama, Mumbai, Air India

☆ Alderney was once the site of Nazi atrocities. A new inquiry reveals truths of this quiet British island
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Alderney, a quiet British island in the English Channel known for its outstanding natural beauty, was once the site of the only Nazi camps on British soil – and a hell on Earth for its thousands of inmates. Stretching for three square miles, the island was occupied by the Nazis for most of World War II. According to Pickles, the lack of records has led to unsubstantiated claims being made about Alderney and the war crimes that took place there. “Prisoners were treated appallingly, and life was cheap, but Alderney did not house a ‘mini-Auschwitz’; there was no extermination centre on the island,” Pickles said. Pickles, meanwhile, said the fact that the perpetrators never faced British justice is a “stain on the reputations of successive British governments.”

Persons: Eric Pickles, ”, –, Carl Court, Pickles, ” Pickles, “, Anthony Glees, Glees Organizations: CNN, Nazi, Soviet Union, Research, United Nations, ’, USSR, Glee Locations: Alderney, Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, British, Europe, Eastern Europe, Soviet, Soviet Union, USSR

☆ Holocaust Death Toll on English Channel Island Is Raised by Hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A long-running debate about a small part of Britain’s Holocaust history has been settled. A panel of historians tasked with investigating the death toll in Alderney, a British Crown Dependency and one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel, has adjusted the island’s historical record, adding several hundred people to an official count from the 1940s. On Wednesday, he presented the findings with members of the panel in a packed room at the Imperial War Museum in London. It concluded that the likely range of deaths was between 641 and 1,027, with a maximum number of 1,134 people. Most of them were forced laborers from the Soviet Union.

Persons: Eric Pickles, Britain’s, — Organizations: British, Channel, Imperial War Museum Locations: Alderney, London, Soviet Union, France

Taipei CNN —Thousands of mostly young protesters surrounded Taiwan’s legislature late into the night on Tuesday, protesting a push by opposition parties to subject the island’s new leader and his administration to tighter scrutiny from a parliament controlled by lawmakers who favor closer ties to China. Meanwhile, the president would be required to deliver an annual address to the parliament on key policy issues. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, as the parliament resumed its meeting to discuss the bill, protesters gathered outside the Legislative Yuan – Taiwan’s unicameral parliament – from morning until midnight, braving downpours in the afternoon. Lai, 64, a former doctor and vice president, was inaugurated Monday alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Persons: Lai Ching, TPP, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Yuan –, braving, Ricky Li, “ I’m, ”, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, –, Communist Party Locations: Taipei, Taiwan’s, China, Beijing, Taiwan, AFP, United States

Lai, 64, a former doctor, was inaugurated alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lai takes up the mantle from DPP predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who bolstered the island’s international standing and recognition during her eight years in office. He is also expected to project goodwill to China with a message of pursuing peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. That deliberately nuanced stance mimics his outgoing predecessor Tsai, Taiwan’s first female president, who was unable to stand again because of term limits.

Persons: Taipei CNN — Lai Ching, te, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s, Tsai Ing, Tsai –, –, Xi Jinping, Tsai, Taiwan’s, rebuking Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Communist Party, CNN, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, ” Locations: Taipei, China, United States, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ I toured the 600-room hotel with a pool and gym that American built exclusively for its employees — see inside Skyview 6
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

American Airlines opened a $250 million employee-only hotel at its Texas headquarters in 2023. The hotel features 600 rooms and numerous amenities, like a gym, an outdoor pool, and a cafeteria. The "hospitality complex" is a central space where employees can work, meet, study, and socialize. AdvertisementAmerican Airlines spent $250 million to build an employee-only hotel at its sprawling Texas headquarters that opened in January 2023. Eligibility extends to employees at American's mainline operation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries like Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, and PSA Airlines.

Persons: — Organizations: American Airlines, Service, Envoy, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Business Locations: Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth

☆ U.S. and Iranian Officials Held Indirect Talks in Oman on Risks of a Wider War
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senior American and Iranian officials held talks through intermediaries in Oman this past week, the first such conversations since Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones last month, according to a person familiar with the recent meetings. Brett McGurk, the top White House official on Middle East policy, and Abram Paley, the deputy special envoy for Iran, attended the talks in Oman. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, several Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have stepped up attacks on American troops, raising fears of a wider war. However, U.S. intelligence officials assess that neither Hezbollah nor Iran wants to engage in a wider war. The format of the talks in Oman was similar to ones held in January: The Americans sat in one room while their Iranian counterparts sat in another, and Omani officials shuttled between the rooms.

Persons: Brett McGurk, Abram Paley, Axios Organizations: White, Hamas, United Locations: Oman, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, United States

☆ Serbia Approves Contract With Jared Kushner for Hotel Complex
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Serbian government has approved a contract with Jared Kushner on plans to build a luxury hotel on the site of the former defense ministry in Belgrade, putting him directly into business with a European state as his father-in-law, Donald J. Trump, vies to return to the White House. Mr. Kushner is pursuing the $500 million hotel project in partnership with Richard Grenell. A former Trump administration aide, Mr. Grenell first proposed that U.S. investors attempt to redevelop the long-vacant bombed-out site of the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defense while Mr. Grenell was still a diplomat, serving as a special envoy to the Balkans. The deal, which provoked protests in Belgrade on Thursday, is with an affiliate of Mr. Kushner’s Affinity Partners, the three-year-old, $3 billion investment fund backed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. “The government of Serbia has chosen a reputable American company as a partner in this venture, which will invest in the revitalization of the former Federal Secretariat for National Defense complex,” a Serbian government official said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, vies, Kushner, Richard Grenell, Grenell Organizations: Serbian, Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, Mr, Kushner’s Affinity Partners, Federal Secretariat, National Defense Locations: Belgrade, Balkans, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, American

☆ China is engaged in ‘deliberate' efforts to undermine the U.S. and Europe, says EU envoy Gitenstein
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Gitenstein, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, said China is deliberately distorting markets with a glut of cheap goods. Speaking to CNBC's Silvia Amaro on Tuesday, Gitenstein said China was "engaged in a deliberate effort to undermine economic sectors in both Europe and the United States." The Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC. It comes amid growing concerns over a raft of cheap Chinese "green" goods — such as EVs, batteries and solar panels — flooding international markets. White House officials have already warned Beijing to amend certain trade practices that it argues have weakened global supply chains.

Persons: Mark Gitenstein, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Gitenstein, Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, — CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto Organizations: Embassy, CNBC, White, European Commission, European Locations: U.S, China, Europe, United States, London, Beijing, People's Republic of China, PRC

☆ China Is Way Ahead in Green Energy. Here’s Why That’s Risky for the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The world’s two most powerful countries, the United States and China, are meeting this week in Washington to talk about climate change. In an ideal world, where the clean energy transition was the top priority, they would be on friendlier terms. Maybe affordable Chinese-made electric vehicles would be widely sold in America, instead of being viewed as an economic threat. Instead, in the not-ideal real world, the United States is balancing two competing goals. Its concern is that Chinese dominance of the global market for these essential technologies would harm the U.S. economy and national security.

Persons: Biden, John Podesta, Liu Zhenmin Locations: United States, China, Washington, America, Nevada, Beijing

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