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☆ Goldman Sachs upgrades Philip Morris, cites expansion in U.S. with smoke-free alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An expansion into the U.S. makes tobacco company Philip Morris International a buying opportunity for investors, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Bonnie Herzog upgraded shares to buy from neutral, saying the launch of a line of smoke-free electronic cigarette products in the U.S. will drive growth for the company. The analyst pointed out the tobacco company's deal with Swedish Match, which "unlocks access to the world's largest and most lucrative nicotine market for PM." Shares of Philip Morris are little changed this year, after rising more than 12% in 2022. The tobacco stock was up more than 1% in Wednesday premarket trading.

☆ Israel's Herzog tries to prevent 'constitutional crisis' over judicial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Lightning strikes as Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court in a main square in Tel Aviv, Israel January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israel's president warned on Sunday that the country faced an "historic constitutional crisis" over a contested judicial reform plan, and said he was mediating between the relevant parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now in his sixth term, wants to rein in the Supreme Court, which members of his religious-nationalist coalition accuse of overreach and elitism. This conflict worries me deeply, as it worries many across Israel and the (Jewish) Diaspora," President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. Judicial reforms, he said, had been sought by previous governments of various political stripes "and no one then thought about talking about an end to democracy".

☆ Israelis rally in three cities against Netanyahu legal reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court in a main square in Tel Aviv, Israel January 14, 2023. Among those opposed are the Supreme Court chief justice and the country's attorney-general. Channel 13 TV last week found 53% of Israelis were opposed to changing the court appointments' structure while 35% were in support. Critics of the Supreme Court say it is overreaching and unrepresentative of the electorate. "We promised the people change, we promised governance, we promised reforms - and we will make good on that."

☆ Netanyahu set to retake power at head of far-right government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israeli designate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session at the plenum at the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem December 28, 2022. Fending off criticism, Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged to promote tolerance and pursue peace. "We will establish a stable government for a full term that will take care of all Israel's citizens," Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Israel's longest serving leader, he was prime minister for three years in the 1990s and then from 2009-2021, albeit at times heading a caretaker government ahead of elections. Violence in the West Bank has surged this year.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu returns with hard-right cabinet set to expand settlements
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's prime minister again on Thursday. Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's prime minister again on Thursday in a comeback at the head of a hard-right cabinet that promises to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and pursue other policies criticised at home and abroad. For Palestinians, Netanyahu's line-up has darkened an already bleak outlook, with violence surging and Jewish settlements set to expand in the West Bank - among territories where they hope to build a future state. This year has already seen some of the worst West Bank violence since 2015 as Israeli forces have cracked down on Palestinian unrest and militant attacks. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, warned on Sunday against causing potential harm to individuals' rights.

☆ Netanyahu government makes West Bank settlement expansion top priority
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Palestinian protesters argue with Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against Israeli settlements near Nablus in the West Bank. Nasser Ishtayeh / Sipa USA via APIsrael captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent state. Most of the international community considers Israel’s West Bank settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. Several of Netanyahu’s key allies, including most of the Religious Zionism party, are ultranationalist West Bank settlers.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu looks to vote in new government on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu called a vote in parliament on his new government for Thursday Dec. 29, the speaker of the Knesset said on Monday, after almost two months of coalition wrangling. Despite campaigning together, Netanyahu has struggled to meet the demands of his allies, who have demanded a significant slice of power in exchange for their support. Ahead of the vote in parliament and a formal swearing in of the new government, Netanyahu will have to officially present the members of his cabinet. The finance ministry is expected to be shared by Smotrich and Aryeh Deri, from the religious Shas party, with each man serving for two years. Deri's appointment will depend on parliamentary support for a legal amendment allowing him to serve despite a conviction for tax fraud.

☆ Israeli businesses decry calls to revise anti-discrimination law
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Several leading Israeli businesses pledged on Monday to strengthen their internal anti-discrimination rules following remarks by hard-right members of Israel's incoming government seen as undermining gender equality and minority rights. "Recent calls for revoking basic rights heard in the political arena in Israel are of grave concern to our society," Wiz said in a statement. His political rivals have accused the veteran conservative leader of being vulnerable to his far-right allies’ policy demands. Maoz says he is not anti-gay but is opposed to the LGBTQ movement and has called for the cancellation of the annual Jerusalem gay pride march. Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Ari Rabinovitch, Gareth Jones and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel's president urges protection of people's rights as far right eyes legal revisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Israel's president voiced concern for the well-being of all members of the public regardless of their identity or values on Sunday after far-right members of the incoming government called for revisions to anti-discrimination laws. Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing to present his religious-nationalist coalition this week, has vowed to preserve principles of tolerance. But his political rivals have accused the veteran conservative leader of being vulnerable to his far-right allies’ policy demands. Netanyahu's conservative Likud and like-minded religious-nationalist parties close to Israel's ultra-Orthodox and West Bank settler communities won a comfortable majority in a Nov. 1 election. The inclusion of hardliners Itamar Ben-Gvir of the ultranationalist Jewish Power party and Bezalel Smotrich from the far-right Religious Zionism party in the coalition has dismayed Palestinians and liberal Israelis.

☆ Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Says He Can Form a Government, Bringing Him Closer to Return to Power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Dov Lieber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israel’s incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country’s president that he will be able to form a government, bringing him closer to a return to power, though challenges remain. Mr. Netanyahu on Wednesday told President Isaac Herzog that he has enough support from lawmakers to form a governing coalition, a necessary step in Israel’s parliamentary system before he can take over as prime minister. Still, Mr. Netanyahu needs to finish coalition agreements with all his partners, which he has yet to publicly announce, and seal the deal with a confidence vote in parliament.

☆ Israel’s Netanyahu says he has formed new government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

JERUSALEM — Designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced late Wednesday that he has successfully formed a new coalition, setting the stage for him to return to power as head of the most right-wing Israeli government ever. Netanyahu made the announcement in a phone call to President Isaac Herzog moments before a midnight deadline. His Likud Party released a brief video clip of the smiling Netanyahu and a recording of the conversation. Nonetheless, Netanyahu said he intends to complete the process “as soon as possible next week” A date for its swearing-in wasn’t immediately announced. Likud lawmakers have been competing for a shrinking collection of assignments after Netanyahu gave away many plumb jobs to his governing partners.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu says he has secured deal to form new government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday he had secured a deal to form a new government after weeks of unexpectedly tough negotiations with religious and far-right coalition partners. "I have managed (to form a government)," Netanyahu said on Twitter, minutes before a midnight deadline set by President Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu's conservative Likud and like-minded religious-nationalist parties close to the ultra-Orthodox and West Bank settler communities won a comfortable majority in a Nov 1 election, promising him 64 of parliaments's 120 seats. But agreement to form a government was held up by disputes over a package of proposed legislation on issues ranging from planning authority in the West Bank to ministerial control over the police. At the same time, Aryeh Deri, head of the religious Shas party, is bidding to become finance minister, despite a conviction for tax fraud.

☆ An activewear startup backed by Michael Jordan's son hit its first fundraising goal. Here's how Äktiiv plans to take on Lululemon and Nike.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Äktiiv products are biodegradable and made from plants. The Portland, Oregon, startup Äktiiv, which rhymes with black sleeve, launched its first products on Kickstarter in November and recently hit its fundraising goal. Cash from the campaign will be used to scale the company, including its marketing. But there's a twist: Äktiiv products are biodegradable and made from plants, not materials derived from oil or plastics. Similarly, Äktiiv products are designed to be worn in the gym, not while running errands.

☆ Israel’s President Heads to Bahrain to Address Stalled Arab Relations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bahrain is one of a handful of Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel. MANAMA, Bahrain—Israeli President Isaac Herzog is making his first visit to this tiny Gulf nation Sunday amid concerns that efforts to deepen ties with one-time adversaries in the Middle East are stalling. While Israel has made significant advances with the United Arab Emirates in the past two years, relations have been slower to flourish with Bahrain and other countries that normalized ties in deals brokered by the Trump administration known as the Abraham Accords in 2020.

☆ Israel’s President Visits Bahrain to Address Stalled Arab Relations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bahrain is one of a handful of Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel. MANAMA, Bahrain—Israeli President Isaac Herzog made his first visit to this tiny Gulf nation Sunday amid concerns that efforts to deepen ties with one-time adversaries in the Middle East are stalling. While Israel has made significant advances with the United Arab Emirates in the past two years, relations have been slower to flourish with Bahrain and other countries that normalized ties in deals brokered by the Trump administration known as the Abraham Accords in 2020.

☆ Israeli far right's Ben-Gvir to be police minister in coalition deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Israeli ultranationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks at the president's residence during consultations on Israel's next government with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative Likud party signed its first coalition deal with Itamar Ben-Gvir's far-right Jewish Power party, Likud said in a statement on Friday. "We took a big step tonight toward a full coalition agreement, toward forming a fully, fully right-wing government," Ben-Gvir said in the statement. Netanyahu's Likud and its religious and far-right allies marked a clear victory in Israel's Nov. 1 election, ending nearly four years of political instability. The incoming government looks to be the most right-wing in Israel's history, forcing Netanyahu into a diplomatic balancing act between his coalition and Western allies.

☆ Erdogan tells Netanyahu relations should be maintained with mutual respect
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers his messages to the journalists in G20 Summit's news conference in Media Center, BICC, Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia, November 16, 2022. ADITYA PRADANA PUTRA/G20 Media Center/Handout via REUTERSANKARA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won an election this month, that it is important to maintain relations on a basis of respect for mutual interests, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday. In a phone call, Erdogan told Netanyahu he was saddened by "events two days ago in the West Bank". Netanyahu offered his condolences for those who died in a bomb attack in Istanbul on Sunday, the presidency said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara this year in the first visit to Turkey by an Israeli leader since 2008.

☆ Palestinian kills three in West Bank as Israeli politics veer rightward
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Members of an emergency response team and Israeli forces work at the scene of an attack, at the Ariel Industrial Zone in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 15, 2022. Much of the focus is on the West Bank, which Israel - in the face of foreign censure - has peppered with Jewish settlements, deeming the land a biblical birthright and security bulwark. The Religious Zionism party, led by hardline West Bank settlers, placed third in Israel's Nov. 1 election, making it the likely no. "Only an iron fist will cut down terrorism," Religious Zionism co-head Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted about the Ariel attack, adding that he would demand looser open-fire rules for soldiers. He was licensed to work in the industrial zone and had no known militant affiliations, according to Israeli officials.

☆ Israeli President Hands Mandate to Benjamin Netanyahu to Form Government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Dov Lieber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Benjamin Netanyahu will have up to six weeks to establish a new Israeli government. TEL AVIV—Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday handed a mandate to Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government as negotiations over a governing coalition gained momentum. Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister until he was ousted from power a year and a half ago, prevailed in this month’s election, the country’s fifth in under four years. In consultations with Mr. Herzog last week, Mr. Netanyahu secured the recommendation of 64 lawmakers from his right-wing and religious bloc, giving him a clear majority in the 120-seat Parliament, or Knesset.

☆ Tapped to head new hard-right government, Netanyahu pledges Israeli unity
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an official mandate on Sunday to form a new government and pledged that he would seek national consensus after an election in which Jewish far-rightists surged, drawing concern at home and abroad. Tasking Netanyahu with building the next coalition, President Isaac Herzog noted that Israel's longest-serving premier had received enough recommendations from like-minded parties to secure 64 of parliament's 120 seats. Dismissing what he called "fear-mongering" about the health of Israel's democracy, Netanyahu said the country would continue to be a "beacon" for the region. Herzog noted Netanyahu's trial but said it posed no legal obstacle to him serving as prime minister again. But he looks likely to finalise the talks this week, having launched them semi-formally right after the Nov. 1 election.

☆ Israel’s Netanyahu given chance to form far-right government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

He will formally present Netanyahu with the task on Sunday and give him a month to cobble together a governing coalition with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu had governed Israel for 12 successive years before being being ousted by a broad but fragile coalition in 2021. Those recommending Netanyahu included Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power party, the ultranationalist Religious Zionist party, the openly homophobic Noam faction, and other ultra-Orthodox parties. Like its previous repeated elections, Israel’s Nov. 1 vote was largely centered on Netanyahu’s fitness to rule. Critics see him as a crook who threatens Israel’s democratic institutions by placing his legal woes above the national interest.

☆ Israel’s Netanyahu Set to Get Mandate to Form His Sixth Government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Dov Lieber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TEL AVIV— Benjamin Netanyahu moved closer to becoming Israel’s prime minister for a record sixth term after President Isaac Herzog said Friday that he would hand him a mandate to form a coalition expected to be made up of right-wing, ultranationalist and religious parties. In consultations with Mr. Herzog this week, Mr. Netanyahu secured the recommendation of 64 lawmakers from his right-wing and religious bloc, giving him a clear majority in the 120-seat Parliament, or Knesset, after the country’s fifth election in under four years. The departing Prime Minister Yair Lapid received 28 recommendations from lawmakers.

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

☆ Israel's president opens talks ahead of expected Netanyahu mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Herzog began consultations with political parties on Wednesday, meeting representatives from Netanyahu's Likud party, to be followed by meetings with other party representatives over the coming days. He said he expected to complete the talks on Friday and assign the task of forming a government on Sunday. Last week's election saw Netanyahu end a stalemate after five elections in less than four years. "There is a clear mandate from most of the public to form a right-wing government," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Herzog issued a statement dismissing local reports that he was pushing for a unity government with outgoing centrist premier Yair Lapid and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz.

☆ Israel's president to meet factions, pick nominee to form government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Israel's President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday he will begin consulting all elected parties on Wednesday before tasking a candidate with forming the next government. The meetings, planned over three days, are set to begin after the president receives the official results of Israel's fifth election in less than four years. Once the president picks a candidate to assemble a new government, the nominee will have 28 days to talk to potential coalition partners, with a possible 14-day extension. He is now buoyed by far-right and religious parties that include ultranationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir. Netanyahu held an informal meeting with Ben-Gvir on Monday, where the two discussed forming "a full-on right wing government", Ben-Gvir said in tweet.

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