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CNN —The Iranian government now has access to $6 billion of their funds to be used for humanitarian purposes as a part of a wider deal that allowed five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran to go free. Sources told CNN the funds came from oil sales that were allowed and placed into accounts set up under the Trump administration. The money is now available to the Iranian government for purchase of non-sanctionable items such as food and medicine. Kirby said that statement was “flat out wrong.”“This is not a payment of any kind, it’s not ransom, these aren’t US taxpayer dollars, and we haven’t lifted a single one of our sanctions on Iran – Iran will be getting no sanctions relief,” Kirby said. “The money will then go to qualified vendors to purchase and deliver the food, the medical supplies, into Iran.

Persons: Biden, John Kirby, Trump, Antony Blinken, Ebrahim Raisi, Kirby, ” Kirby, “, ”, Trita, Republican Sen, Tom Cotton of, Mike Pence –, Pence, Sen, Tim Scott, Blinken, Janet Yellen Organizations: CNN, Qatar, Republicans, State Department, Ukraine, Biden, US Treasury Department, Qatari National Bank, Quincy Institute, Republican, House, Tehran – Locations: Iran, South Korea, Qatar, Europe, White, Doha, Washington ,, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Tehran, China, United States

He also warned that escalating fighting is increasing the danger of a nuclear accident at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine. Grossi said he is seeking to re-establish a dialogue with North Korea, which expelled U.N. nuclear weapons inspectors in 2009. Stop it!”Iran has denied impeding the work of IAEA inspectors though it has also been years since its experts have been able to examine surveillance footage. So he has been urging the Ukrainians and Russians not to attack any nuclear plant. There are also some Russian experts and IAEA inspectors who from time to time have acted as “a buffer” and defused some tense situations, Grossi said.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Ebrahim Raisi, ” “, “, ”, hasn’t, ” Grossi, Wang Yi, Wang, Said, “ I'm, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General Assembly, International Atomic Energy Agency, Associated Press, Fukushima, IAEA, Foreign Locations: Ukraine, North Korea, China, Beijing, IRAN, Iran, Tehran, Vienna, United States, Ukraine's, Ukrainian, Russian, Pyongyang, “, Korea, South Korea, Fukushima, New York

☆ The US-Iran prisoner deal is a diplomatic breakthrough, but the bad blood persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The carefully choreographed agreement was years in the making and is being seen as a major diplomatic breakthrough for the two foes. The Biden administration is unlikely to engage in “meaningful revival” of the 2015 nuclear deal, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London. Production is the highest it’s been since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. The Islamic Republic’s oil exports have also increased, averaging 1.9 million bpd in August, Reuters reported, citing shipping firm TankerTrackers.com. “Those claiming that Biden is ignoring Iran’s exports are assuming that Biden can just shut down Iran’s exports through sanctions,” he said.

Persons: “, ”, Biden, Trump, Sanam Vakil, Ali Vaez, That’s, Ali Ahmadi, there’s, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Nasser Kanaani, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, ” Raisi, Trita Organizations: CNN, Five, Biden, Chatham House, Group, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Petroleum, Trump, Reuters, US Energy, Geneva Centre, Security, Islamic, Sunday, US Republican Party, US Treasury Department, NBC, Quincy Institute Locations: Iran, Qatar, United States, Washington, Tehran, East, North Africa, London, China, Islamic Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Washington ,

Known as a hard-liner, Raisi seemingly sought to strike a diplomatic tone. Raisi acknowledged that Iran and Russia have long had strong ties, including defense cooperation. But he denied sending weapons to Moscow since the war began. “If they have a document that Iran gave weapons or drones to the Russians after the war," he said, then they should produce it. Raisi has sought, without evidence, to portray the popular nationwide demonstrations as a Western plot.

Persons: —, Ebrahim Raisi, Joe Biden, Raisi, “, ” Raisi, Bashar Assad, Israel, Mahsa, ” Organizations: Monday, General Assembly, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Iran, Qatar, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Persian, Tehran, Yemen

☆ Iranian Official Says Prisoner Exchange With U.S. Is Expected Today
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A prisoner swap between the United States and Iran was expected to take place on Monday, according to a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, after two years of high-stakes negotiations. As part of the deal, the United States had agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and dismiss federal charges against several Iranians accused of violating U.S. sanctions. The spokesman’s remarks were published on the website of the Iranian news agency ISNA. Mr. Kanaani said five Iranians, several of whom are permanent residents of the United States, were expected to be released. It was not immediately clear exactly how many of the Iranians would return to Iran, although Mr. Kanaani said it would be two.

Persons: Nasser Kanaani, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Kanaani Organizations: Iranian Foreign Ministry, United Nations Locations: United States, Iran, Tehran

☆ Biden: Today 'five innocent Americans' imprisoned in Iran are coming home
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US citizens Siamak Namazi (R-back), Emad Sharqi (L) and Morad Tahbaz (C) disembark from a Qatari jet upon their arrival at the Doha International Airport in Doha on September 18, 2023. President Joe Biden celebrated the release of five American prisoners from Iran on Monday. "Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home," Biden said in a statement. South Korea owed Iran, but had not paid, the money for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions. "For almost eight years I have been dreaming of this day," Namazi, who was imprisoned in 2015, said in a statement following his release.

Persons: Siamak, Morad, Joe Biden, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Emad Sharghi, Namazi Organizations: Doha International Airport, United Nations General Assembly Locations: Emad Sharqi, Doha, Iran, New York, South Korea, Qatar, United States, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Biden administration heralds the forthcoming release of five U.S. citizens detained by Iran, President Joe Biden is also confronting questions about the price being paid to bring them — and other detainees — home. But each time, officials have said bringing home Americans held by foreign adversaries is a core administration priority that necessarily comes at a heavy cost. Increasingly, the Biden White House has appeared willing to pay it. The Biden administration is, of course, hardly unique in prisoner swaps. The Obama administration in a 2016 deal that drew consternation granted clemency to seven Iranians charged in the U.S. in exchange for the release by Iran of four Americans.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Matthew Miller, “, Michael Waltz, they’ll, Trump, Donald Trump, who'd, Obama, there's, Siamak Namazi, James W, Danielle Gilbert, ”, It's, There's, Mark Frerichs, Bashir Noorzai, Nicolás Maduro’s, Antony Blinken, Iran wouldn’t, Ebrahim Raisi, Gilbert Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, WNBA, Biden White, Mideast, ”, Republican National Convention, Foley Foundation, Northwestern University, Justice Department, U.S ., U.S . U.S, NBC Locations: Iran, America, Russia, ”, U.S, Florida, Iranian, Washington, Venezuela, South Korea, Qatar, Northwestern

The eastern Libyan city of Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy. A ferocious stormThe extreme rainfall that hit Libya on Sunday was brought by a system called Storm Daniel. The medicane strengthened as it crossed the unusually warm waters of the Mediterranean before dumping torrential rain on Libya on Sunday. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a “high potential for flood risk” and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid “catastrophic” flooding.

Persons: Cross, Storm Daniel, it’s, ”, Hannah Cloke, Ahmed Madroud, Al Jazeera, Liz Stephens, “, ” Stephens, ” Derna, Khalifa Haftar, Petteri Taalas, ” Taalas, Talaas, ” Cloke, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, International Committee, Storm, University of Reading, Libya’s Sebha University, University, Science Media Center, ISIS, Libyan National Army, United Nations, Meteorological Organization Locations: Derna, Libyan, Libya, Africa, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslav, Mansour, Wadi, ”, United Kingdom

Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Here’s what we know so far:Where did the flood hit? Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday. Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesn’t affect their operations.

Persons: “, Areej’s, Emad Milad, ” Milad, Osama Aly, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Esam Omran, Reuters Derna, Ahmed Al, Mismari, ” Al, Al, Tamer Ramadan, ”, Jamal Alkomaty, Daniel, ” Karsten Haustein Organizations: CNN —, Authorities, United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, CNN, Emergency, Ambulance Service, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Reuters, Arabiya, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Leipzig University, Science Media Center Locations: Derna, Libya, Tobruk, Benghazi, NATO, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Italy, Algeria, Libya’s, Greece, Germany

☆ ‘We knew ahead of time’: A decade of turmoil left Libya unprepared for natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Split between two rival administrations since 2014 and having failed to hold presidential elections, Libya faces an uphill battle when it comes to severe natural disasters. Planet Labs PBC/AP Planet Labs PBC/AP Satellite images show Derna, Libya on September 2, before the flooding, left, and after the dams collapsed, right. Responding to criticism regarding lack of preparedness by the LNA, Al-Mismari said that in such situations, 50% of the responsibility falls on authorities (LNA) and 50% falls on citizens. Turkey, which backs the Tripoli government, also said it is mobilizing personnel and supplies to assist authorities in eastern Libya. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya does not affect their operation.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Khalifa Haftar –, ”, Anas El Gomati, Moammar Gadhafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Haftar, Jalel Harchaoui, ‘, ’, Harchaoui, Gomati, Osama Hamad, Osama Aly, ” Aly, “, Al Hurra, Jamal Alkomaty, ” Harchaoui, Ahmed al, Mismari, Al, ” Gomati, there’s, Ramadan, ” Ramadan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP Planet Labs PBC, AP, ISIS, Libya –, Sadeq Institute, NATO, Libyan National Army, Royal United Services Institute, Emergency, Ambulance Service, Twitter, Analysts, United Nations, United, United Arab Emirates, Civil Protection Department, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies Locations: Libya, Split, Libyan, Derna, Greece, Morocco, “, Tripoli, Benghazi, “ Libya, London, Cyrenaica, tatters, Derna’s, Al, Italy, Egypt, Russia, United Arab, Algeria, Turkey

However, Iran faces a new challenge from within as the one-year anniversary of the nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody approaches this Saturday. Today, Iran faces Western sanctions after the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal. These are Iranian money.”From the Iranian side, claiming victory has been as important as freeing the cash. “This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran," Raisi said through a government translator about the swap. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian suggested resuming negotiations over a roadmap that could see Tehran return to aspects of the nuclear deal, which the Islamic Republic walked away from last year.

Persons: Carter, ”, Walter Mondale, Matthew Miller, Behzad Nabavi, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, —, Ronald Reagan, Hossein Amirabdollahian, “, Matthew Lee, Jon Gambrell Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Embassy, . State Department, ”, NBC News, United Nations, U.S, Pentagon, Iranian, Islamic, Associated Press, The Associated Press, Gulf Cooperation, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Washington, Tehran, Iran, United States, Islamic Republic, South Korea, Qatar, U.S, Algier Accords, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Today, U.S ., Strait, Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Russia, Ukraine, Gulf

☆ Iran's Raisi: five US citizens detained in Iran 'in full health'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi meets with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (not pictured) during his official visit at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 13, 2023. Iran's Presidency/Mohammad Javad Ostad/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Five U.S. citizens detained in Iran, who are expected to be swapped for five Iranians imprisoned in the United States as early as next week, are "in full health," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in a television interview on Tuesday. One source familiar with the talks has previously said the Swiss embassy, which represents U.S. interests in Iran, had visited the five Americans and said they were in good health. While Raisi appeared to acknowledge the $6 billion may only be used for humanitarian purposes, he said Iran would decide how the money would be spent. "This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money," Raisi said in the interview, speaking through an Iranian government translator.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mohammad Javad Ostad, Raisi, Lester Holt, Morad Tahbaz, Arshad Mohammed, Samia Nakhoul, Timothy Gardner Organizations: State House, Iran's, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, NBC Nightly, U.S ., British, NBC, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Iran, United States, Tehran, U.S, Emad Sharqi, South Korean, Washington, Qatar, Swiss, Islamic Republic of Iran, South Korea, Dubai

Iran's Presidency/Mohammad Javad Ostad/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Five U.S. citizens detained in Iran who are expected to be swapped for five Iranians imprisoned in the United States as early as next week are "in full health," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday. The United States said it will have "oversight" on how and when the funds will be spent. IRNA, citing Iran's mission to the United Nations, said "some of the freed Iranians will remain in the United States while others will return ... "The arrangements have been done and the final action of swapping the prisoners should be finalized in the due time," Raisi told NBC, according to excerpts released by the network. "This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money," Raisi said in the interview, speaking through an Iranian government translator.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mohammad Javad Ostad, Matthew Miller, Raisi, Lester Holt, Siamak, Morad Tahbaz, Mehrdad Moin, Ansari, Kambiz Attar, Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour, Amin Hassanzadeh, Kaveh, IRNA, John Kirby, Arshad Mohammed, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Parisa Hafezi, Timothy Gardner, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: State House, Iran's, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, United, Department, NBC Nightly, U.S ., British, U.S . State Department, United Nations, White House, MSNBC, NBC, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Iran, United States, South Korean, Washington, Tehran, U.S, Emad Sharqi, Qatar, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dubai

☆ Abu Dhabi's Mubadala commits $1 billion to Blue Owl Capital's credit platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company has committed $1 billion to U.S.-based Blue Owl Capital's credit platform under a strategic partnership announced by the two companies on Monday. The investment will initially focus on providing financing for technology companies, Mubadala and Blue Owl said in a statement. Blue Owl is an alternative investment manager with $150 billion in assets under management. Private credit funds are increasingly competing with banks, including for financing large company buyouts. I would advise that for the next maybe one year, the credit space would be an interesting space to deploy some investment," al-Mahmoud said at the time.

Persons: Fabrizio Bocciardi, QIA, Mansoor Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, al, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Susan Fenton Organizations: Mubadala Investment Company, Asia Pacific, Qatar Investment Authority, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, North America, Europe, Asia

☆ Events in Iran since Mahsa Amini's death in custody
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

People light a fire during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. Security forces and demonstrators clash in some cities in Kurdistan province. Oct. 3 - Khamenei backs the security forces. March 7 - Iran says at least 53 members of security forces were killed during the protests. July 16 - Iran's morality police resume hijab street patrolsCompiled by Tom Perry and Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mahsa, Mahsa Amini, Amini, Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Amini's, Khamenei, Emmanuel Macron, Raisi, Tom Perry, Parisa, William Maclean Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Security, Authorities, Revolutionary Guards, Amnesty International, TV, Guards, Bushehr Petrochemical Project, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, WANA, Rights DUBAI, Iranian Kurdish, Iran's Kurdistan, Saqez, Kurdistan province, Kurdish, Iraq, Zahedan, Abadan, Bushehr

☆ New US-backed India-Middle East trade route to challenge China’s ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is comprised of two separate routes – an east corridor linking India to the Gulf Arab states and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf states to Europe. “I don’t think we would be here without you.”Goods and services would transit through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe. “The heart of the matter is that it is an alternative (to China’s BRI),” she said. Baharoon added that the project, if perceived as a “replacement” or “competitor” to China’s BRI, would fail to realize its potential. Despite pressure to choose sides, Gulf states have insisted that they maintain a balanced position that involves political and economic cooperation across the board, something that analysts say makes Gulf states strategically vital.

Persons: Joe Biden, ” Biden, Mohammed Bin Zayed, Narendra Modi, MBZ, Biden, ”, “, Xi Jinping, Cinzia Bianco, Bianco, China’s BRI, Beijing’s, China’s, Giorgia Meloni, Rome, Italy’s, Meloni, ‘, ” Mohammed Baharoon, Baharoon, Abu, ” Bianco Organizations: UAE CNN —, United Arab, Initiative, Group, European Union, UAE, Indian, US, European Council, Foreign Relations, Dubai Public Policy Research Center, CNN Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, East, Europe, Beijing, China, France, Italy, Germany, Gulf, Jordan, Israel, Salt Lake City , Utah, Vietnam, Berlin, Middle, Dubai, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, BRICS

☆ Azerbaijan says Armenian forces fired on its troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Azerbaijan reports exchange of fire, no word of casualtiesArmenian PM calls Blinken, Macron, Scholz and RaisiAzerbaijan condemns vote in Karabakh, calls it puppet regimeSept 9 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Saturday that Armenian forces had fired on its troops overnight, and that Azerbaijan army units took "retaliatory measures". It said Armenian units opened small arms fire on Azerbaijani soldiers in Sadarak in the north of Nakhchivan, an exclave of Azerbaijan that borders Armenia, Turkey and Iran. Reuters could not independently verify the reported incident, which came against the background of rising tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent days. The government said Pashinyan told Blinken and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that tensions were rising on the border and Azerbaijan was concentrating troops around the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry called the ethnic Armenian leadership of Karabakh a "puppet separatist regime" and said the vote was illegal.

Persons: Blinken, Macron, Scholz, Nikol Pashinyan, Antony Blinken, Pashinyan, Ebrahim Raisi, Ilham Aliyev, Armenpress, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Nailia Bagirova, Mark Trevelyan, Felix, Peter Graff Organizations: Raisi, Armenian, U.S, Karabakh, Thomson Locations: Azerbaijan, Raisi Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Sadarak, Nakhchivan, Armenia, Turkey, Iran, France, Germany, Nagorno, Baku, State, Soviet Union, Republic of Azerbaijan

In remarks ahead of their talks, Putin told Erdogan that Russia is “open to negotiations” on the grain deal. Shifting power balanceErdogan and Putin last met face-to-face in October on the sidelines of an Asia summit in the Kazakh capital Astana. Ahead of his re-election, Erdogan hailed his “special” relationship with Putin as Western states pressured Ankara to join sanctions against Moscow. “(Erdogan) has not really gotten in the direction of trying to please Putin,” Ulgen told CNN. The reconfigured power balance between the two leaders could yet yield positive results with the efforts to revive the Black Sea grain deal, experts say.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Erdogan, Monday’s, ” Putin, ”, Sinan Ulgen, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, “, ” Erdogan, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Asli Aydintasbas, ” Aydintasbas, ” Ulgen, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ulgen, Turkey’s, “ Putin, ” “ Erdogan Organizations: CNN, TASS, Astana, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Brookings Institution, “ Locations: Russia’s, Sochi, Moscow, Black, Russia, Turkey, Qatar, Russian, Turkish, Asia, Kazakh, Ukraine, Ankara, Istanbul, Washington , DC, United States, ”, Finland, Sweden, East

☆ ‘It brought back memories of Syria.’ For refugees in Sudan, war is a reminder of the terror they left behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Nadeen Ebrahim Celine Alkhaldi | Sana Noor Haq | Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

It brought back memories of Syria,” Abad reflected. After settling in Khartoum, Shadi fled to Port Sudan in April when the conflict started – almost exactly six years after he first stepped foot in Sudan in search of stability. We have not received any confirmed report of casualties among Syrian refugees due to the conflict,” the spokesperson said in a statement. The agency has received reports of many Syrian refugees who self-relocated to safe areas, including over 2,000 in Port Sudan, the spokesperson added. But when I sit still, I start getting thoughts about (the war) in Khartoum and Syria,” Shadi, who works as a barista in Port Sudan, said.

Persons: CNN — Abad, ”, Abad, Bashar al, Assad, ” Abad, ‘, George Ourfalian, “, Uzair, ’, Stringer, they’re, Shadi, SANA, it’s, ” Shadi Organizations: CNN, UNHCR, Sudanese, Eritrean, Rapid Support Forces, Getty, “, ”, United, United Arab Emirates, Crescent, International Committee, UN, Port Sudan, Saudi Locations: Aleppo, Syria, Sudan, Sukkari, AFP, UNHCR, Khartoum, Port Sudan, Damascus, United Arab, UAE, Russia, Homs, Port, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt

☆ Rare protests flare in regime-held Syria as Assad seeks international rehabilitation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The protests, which are taking place in areas governed by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, have so far shown no signs of abating. The Druze are Syria’s third largest religious minority making up 3% to 4% of the country’s population, according to Minority Rights Group International. While the largest protests are clustered around al-Sir Square in Suwayda city, other, smaller ones are scattered across the governorate, Marouf said. “If protests spread deeper into regime territories, those chances (of violent crackdown) will surge.”All eyes are on Assad’s next moves. If Assad attends, it would be his first appearance on the world stage since the start of the civil war in 2011.

Persons: Bashar al, disgruntlement, Assad, haven’t, ”, Charles Lister, ” Lister, “ Long, ” Rayan Marouf, Marouf, “, ” Marouf, Hafez, Syria’s, Geir Pedersen, Pedersen Organizations: CNN, Group, Middle East Institute, UN, Arab League, Sir, UN Security Council, Sky News, ISIS, Security, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Syria’s, Syria, Washington , DC, Russia, Iran, Suwayda governorate, Suwayda, Jaramana, Damascus, “, Idlib, Aleppo, United Arab, Dubai

☆ Iran's Raisi urges Japan to release frozen funds, then wavers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attends a joint press conference with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (not pictured) at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 13, 2023. "Japan should act independently from the U.S. by releasing our blocked funds," Raisi said when asked by a Japanese reporter about $1.5 billion of blocked funds in Japan. "I must clarify that our Central Bank earlier said we only had unjustly frozen funds in South Korea. All other assets abroad are at the disposal of Iran's Central Bank," Raisi said. Tehran and Washington have reached an agreement in which five U.S. citizens held in Iran will be freed in exchange for $6 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mohammad Javad Ostad, Raisi, Tehran's, Andrew Cawthorne, Nick Macfie Organizations: Zimbabwean, State House, Iran's, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Central Bank, Iran's Central Bank, U.S, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Japan, Washington, South Korea, U.S, Tehran, Iran, Qatar

☆ Russia's military ties with Iran will withstand geopolitical pressure -RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS \File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 26 (Reuters) - Russia's military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, following reports that Washington has asked Teheran to stop selling drones to Moscow. "There are no changes, and cooperation with Iran will continue," Ryabkov said, according to a report on Saturday from Russian state news agency RIA. Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said in the past they were sent before Russia's February 2022 invasion in Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. A White House official said in June that Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since August 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Sergei Ryabkov, Washington, Ryabkov, Lidia Kelly, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Sputnik, Financial Times, Iranian, White, Thomson Locations: Astana, Tehran, Iran, Russian, Teheran, Moscow, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Warsaw

☆ Stocks like Meta are ‘best positioned’ for a market correction
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"In addition to gaining lending market share, management [is] laser focused on boosting credit card offerings, turning around the wealth management business and growing investment banking revenues," he said. "We think Meta is best positioned vs peers to capitalize on new spend in the industry given ramping Reels and Messaging monetization, easy comps, and increasing Advantage+ adoption," he said. Blackrock "Best positioned for rebalancings. ... We think Meta is best positioned vs peers to capitalize on new spend in the industry given ramping Reels and Messaging monetization, easy comps, and increasing Advantage+ adoption." We view TJX as a market share gainer that is well positioned to benefit from trade-down and reiterate our Buy rating.

Persons: Ebrahim Poonawala, Wells, Poonawala, BofA, Lorraine Hutchinson, TJ Maxx, Hutchinson, TJX, Justin Post, BLK Organizations: Bank of America, CNBC, Meta, TJX Companies, Investor, Facebook Locations: Bank, Blackrock, Wells Fargo, Basel

☆ Women and doctors challenge taboos on dangers of HPV in Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The woman spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, fearing ostracization from her community where the subject of sexually transmitted infections remains taboo. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women globally, says WHO, and in 2020 it killed some 342,000 women globally. The ministry has also advised women to take the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine costs between 800 EGP ($25.9) to 1,000 EGP ($32) per dose. Other Middle Eastern countries have added the HPV vaccine to their national immunization programs, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Libya.

Persons: CNN —, ”, ostracization, Lobna Darwish, Egypt’s, they’ve, “, Ola Arafa, Rafik Barakat, Arafa, ” Arafa, Barakat, ” Darwish, Nisreen Salah Omar Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, WHO, World Bank, Egyptian, Personal Rights, Manchester, University of Mansoura, United Arab, Representatives, Mansoura University Locations: Egypt, Cairo, Mansoura, ”, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Libya

CNN —Oil powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become members of the BRICS group of developing nations in its first expansion in over a decade. Total bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and BRICS nations exceeded $160 billion in 2022, the Saudi foreign minister said. It also means Russia and Saudi Arabia — both members of OPEC+, a group of major oil producers — will join each other in a new economic bloc. The BRICS countries have also been talking about a common currency, an idea analysts have described as unworkable and “unlikely” in the near future. Existing BRICS members have “had enough difficulty trying to agree just between the five of them,” he added.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, ” Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Jinping, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia —, —, Putin, Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill, ” O’Neill, “, ”, I’m, ” BRICS, Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, — Manveena Suri, Mostafa Salem, Lizzy Yee, Mengchen Zhang, Nadeen Ebrahim Organizations: CNN, Oil, United Arab, Saudi Foreign, Indian, OPEC, West, Western, Bloomberg, New Development Bank, United Arab Emirates, BRICS Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, South, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Russian, BRICS, Saudi, United States, UAE

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