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President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his administration secured agreements with China to resume military communications and combat fentanyl after his first in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a year. “Vital miscalculations on either side can cause real, real trouble with a country like China – or any other major country,” Biden said. During the press conference, Biden added that he believes the ultimate answer to the war in Gaza is a two-state solution. Biden mentioned he raised concerns about China’s human rights and tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Overall, though, Biden presented an optimistic view about future relations with China.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, ”, “ I’m, ” Xi, “, ” Biden, “ It's, Xi's, that’s Organizations: Wednesday, Economic Cooperation, U.S, Western, State Department Locations: China, United States, Asia, San Francisco, U.S, Beijing, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Taiwan, Philippines, South China

☆ An American Held in Afghanistan Tests U.S. Resolve to Negotiate With Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Brett Forrest | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ryan Corbett, standing in the back with his family, is being held in Afghanistan. Photo: Ballenger PhotographyIn the summer of 2022, nearly a year after the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan, American Ryan Corbett and a German colleague traveled to Sheberghan, a remote city 300 miles northwest of Kabul. The two men weren’t there long before a Taliban security force took them into custody. The Taliban charged Corbett, 40 years old, and his colleague with proselytizing Christianity, which Corbett’s family and colleague have denied. In September, the State Department designated Corbett wrongfully detained, which unlocks diplomatic and intelligence resources across the highest levels of government to secure the release of U.S. citizens through swaps or other means.

Persons: Ryan Corbett, Corbett Organizations: State Department Locations: Afghanistan, German, Sheberghan, Kabul

☆ Facing State Dept dissent over Gaza, Blinken tells staff: We're listening
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media after participating in the so-called "2+2 Dialogue" in New Delhi, India, November 10, 2023. "I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll," Blinken said in the letter obtained by Reuters. "The anguish that comes with seeing the daily images of babies, children, elderly people, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is wrenching. While some sources say there has been "deep frustration" among members of working level staff at the State Department, several U.S. officials say, while the Department leadership welcomes a diverse set of voices, it is unlikely to profoundly change Biden's policy. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to change our policy based on their disagreements," Miller said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, Blinken, I’ve, HuffPost, Matthew Miller, Miller, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, State Department, Biden, Israel, Hamas, Reuters, Department, Capitol, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Israel, U.S, Gaza, Vietnam, Washington, East, Asia, United States

☆ U.S. and China Agree to Displace Fossil Fuels by Ramping Up Renewables
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Lisa Friedman | More About Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and China, the world’s two largest climate polluters, have agreed to jointly tackle global warming by ramping up wind, solar and other renewable energy with the goal of displacing fossil fuels, the State Department said Tuesday. The announcement comes as President Biden prepares to meet Wednesday with President Xi Jinping of China for their first face-to-face discussion in a year. The statements of cooperation released separately by the United States and China do not include a promise by China to phase out its heavy use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, or to stop permitting and building new coal plants. That has been a sticking point for the United States in months of discussions with Beijing on climate change. That appears to be the first time China has agreed to cut emissions in any part of its economy.

Persons: Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: State Department, Hamas Locations: States, China, Taiwan, Ukraine, Israel, United States, Beijing

More than 400 political appointees and staff members representing some 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza. The letter, part of growing internal dissent over the administration’s support of the war, calls on the president to seek an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and to push Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. Two political appointees who helped organize the letter to Mr. Biden said the majority of the signatories are political appointees of various faiths who work throughout government, from the National Security Council to the F.B.I. Some of the signatories helped Mr. Biden get elected in 2020 and said in interviews they were concerned that the administration’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza clashed with Democratic voters’ stance on the issue. So far, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Israel Organizations: State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Department, U.S ., The New York Times, National Security Council, Justice Department, Democratic Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday said it imposed a third round of sanctions on a group of Hamas officials, members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who work to transfer money from Iran to Gaza, and a Lebanese money exchange service that facilitates the transfers. The Treasury Department sanctions, coordinated with the United Kingdom, come in response to the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that left roughly 1,200 people dead or kidnapped. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. This and two previous rounds of sanctions against Hamas and its affiliates are aimed at protecting the international financial system from abuse by Hamas militants and their enablers, the Treasury Department said. The State Department also is designating a Palestinian Islamic Jihad military leader for diplomatic sanctions.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, “, Joe Biden, David Cameron, Mohammed Deif, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic, Treasury Department, Hamas, The State Department, Jihad, Israel, Iranian, U.S, Health Ministry, Foreign Locations: United States, Islamic Jihad, Iran, Gaza, Lebanese, United Kingdom, Israel, U.S, Syria, Iraq, West Bank, israel

☆ Journalist's Husband Urges US State Dept to Recognise Her as Wrongfully Detained in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"I believe Alsu was detained wrongfully. I hope the United States can use every avenue available to it to secure her speedy release, including her designation as a wrongfully detained person," Butorin told a news briefing. When Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March on spying charges that he, his paper and the Biden administration all deny, the State Department declared him wrongfully detained just 12 days later. Jeffrey Gedmin, acting president of RFE/RL, said the news outlet was working with the State Department in a bid to secure the designation. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, asked about Kurmasheva's case at a daily news briefing, said no one should read anything into the amount of time taken to reach a decision.

Persons: Mark Trevelyan, ”, Alsu, Pavel Butorin, Butorin, Evan Gershkovich, Biden, Gershkovich, Kurmasheva, Jeffrey Gedmin, Matthew Miller, Simon Lewis, David Gregorio Organizations: Mark Trevelyan LONDON, U.S, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, RFE, U.S . Congress, State Department, Kremlin Locations: American, Radio Free Europe, Russia, United States, U.S, Moscow, Washington

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the closure as a “crisis” for a city already notorious for its traffic woes. This photo provided by the California Department of Transportation shows an early morning fire along Interstate 10 near downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. A Los Angeles firefighter uses a robotic hose to douse a fire under Interstate 10 that severely damaged an overpass in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. Wooden pallets, cars filled with gas and boxes of oranges have all been found under the Los Angeles bridge, officials said. Los Angeles firefighters mop up damage from a fire that severely damaged Interstate 10 near downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

Persons: Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom, “, ” Newsom, Bass, Newsom, ”, Firefighters, Richard Vogel, Kristin Crowley, Crowley Organizations: CNN, Los, Angeles Mayor, Los Angeles Fire Department, California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, Sunday, Department of Transportation, LA Unified School District, Los Angeles Locations: Los Angeles, Alameda Street, California, Los Angeles County, Philadelphia

Students from India now outnumber those from China in 24 U.S. states, including Illinois, Texas and Michigan, which rank among the top destinations for international students. For the second consecutive year, America's graduate programs were the main attraction for international students, the study finds. Taken together, those three fields account for more than half of all international students in the United States. The surge nearly brings international numbers back to their pre-pandemic highs, with a peak of almost 1.1 million students in 2018. University leaders say they're important for global exchange, and they're also important for revenue — international students are usually charged higher tuition rates, effectively subsidizing college for U.S. students.

Persons: ”, Allan E, Goodman, Marianne Craven, they're Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, U.S, State Department, Institute of International Education, State, United Nations, Engineering, University, ., National, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: India, U.S, China, United Kingdom, Canada, Asia, United, Illinois , Texas, Michigan, United States, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Italy, Nepal, Pakistan, Spain, Carnegie Corporation of New York

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls during the Monday commute as crews assess how much damage was caused by a raging fire over the weekend that closed a major elevated interstate near downtown, officials said. Commuters were urged to work from home or take public transportation into downtown Los Angeles. Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon and directed the state Department of Transportation to request assistance from the federal government. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she had also talked with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about any additional resources that may be needed. California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin said storage yards under highways are common statewide and across the country.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, Kristin Crowley, Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Transportation Pete Buttigieg, ”, Transportation Toks, Bass Organizations: ANGELES, Gov, Patrol, Flames, Department of Transportation, Los Angeles Mayor, U.S, Transportation, Sunday Locations: Los Angeles, Alameda Street, Santa Fe, California

☆ Blinken, new UK foreign minister discuss Israel, Ukraine and China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on, as he begins to board his plane to travel home to Washington from Palam Air Base in New Delhi, India, November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and newly appointed British foreign minister David Cameron discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict, relations with China and help for Ukraine during a telephone call on Monday, the State Department said. "Secretary Blinken and Lord Cameron underscored continuity in the U.S.-UK special relationship and its importance to regional and global security," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout of the conversation. Reporting by Jasper Ward; writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, David Cameron, Blinken, Lord Cameron, Matthew Miller, Jasper Ward, Costas Pitas, Leslie Adler Organizations: Palam Air Base, REUTERS, Ukraine, State Department, U.S ., Department, Thomson Locations: Washington, New Delhi, India, Israel, China, U.S

☆ Blinken acknowledges disagreements within State Department on Israel-Hamas war in email to staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged disagreements within the State Department over the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war in an email to staff Monday. His message to personnel, sent on the heels of his recent travels, comes amid growing anger and dissent not only from staff at the State Department but within the broader Biden administration. CNN reported last week that hundreds of personnel at the US Agency for International Development signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire, and there are reports of a “dissent memo” inside the State Department. “I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll,” Blinken wrote in his email Monday, which was seen by CNN. “We believe in Palestinian-led governance of Gaza, with Gaza unified with the West Bank.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, “, ” Blinken, ”, I’ve, Blinken, HuffPost, Matthew Miller, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, US Agency for International Development, West Bank Locations: Israel, Washington, East, Asia, Gaza, Palestinian

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls indefinitely as crews assess how much damage was caused by a raging fire that closed a major elevated interstate near downtown, officials said Sunday. Commuters were urged to work from home or take public transportation into downtown Los Angeles. Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon and directed the state Department of Transportation to request assistance from the federal government. California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin said storage yards under highways are common statewide and across the country. At least 16 homeless people living underneath the highway were evacuated and brought to shelters, Mayor Karen Bass said.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, Kristin M, Crowley, Newsom, ”, Transportation Toks, Karen Bass, Bass Organizations: ANGELES, Gov, Patrol, Flames, Fire, Department of Transportation, Sunday, Transportation Locations: Los Angeles, Alameda Street, Santa Fe, California

☆ In Israel and Gaza, Biden Needs to Do More to Build Peace - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

It may not be possible to end the Gaza war this year, establish a post-Hamas peace in Gaza and restart a process to give Palestinians the state they deserve. Biden may be the single most popular person in Israel today, and the United States has leverage as Israel’s most important ally and diplomatic protector. Biden’s forceful backing of Israel after the Hamas terror attack won him enormous gratitude from a people not much used to such unequivocal support. To his credit, Biden has tried to nudge Israel in this direction, as has Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Biden administration has already encouraged Israel to ratchet its assault on Gaza several notches toward the surgical end, by using smaller bombs and allowing humanitarian pauses.

Persons: Biden, Antony Blinken, They’ve, —, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, ”, General David Petraeus, Israel, Marwan Barghouti, Palestine’s Mandela Organizations: Israel, United Nations, Gaza Health Ministry, State Department, The United Nations, Israeli Army, Biden, United Nations Security Council, Jewish, West Bank Locations: Israel, Palestine, Gaza, United States, Iran, America, Iraq, Jerusalem

The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers seeking to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess." A document explaining Johnson’s proposal to House Republicans, obtained by The Associated Press, said funding for four spending bills would be extended until Jan. 19. House Republicans pointed to the national debt, now exceeding $33 trillion, for Moody's decision.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, Chip Roy, “, Pelosi, ’ ”, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republicans, “, Democratic, Treasury Department, Small Business Administration, House Republicans, The Associated Press, Veterans, State Department , Homeland Security, GOP, Moody’s Investors Service Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, Southern, Texas

Palestinians fleeing north Gaza move southward as Israeli tanks roll deeper into the enclave, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - More than 1,000 officials in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed an open letter urging the Biden administration to call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters. The letter, published on Nov. 2, had now garnered 1,029 signatures from staff of the U.S. aid agency. Signatories names are hidden but the letter shows it was signed by officials in many of the agency's bureaus in Washington as well as officials posted around the world. The State Department does not confirm the existence of dissent cables.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Biden, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Vedant Patel, Patel, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Reuters, Israel, Department, State, The State Department, Deputy State, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington, United States, U.S

☆ Explainer: Iran's expanding oil trade with top buyer China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here are key facts on Iran's oil trade with China:HOW MUCH IRANIAN OIL IS CHINA BUYING? HOW DOES IRANIAN OIL ENTER CHINA? Almost all Iranian oil entering China is branded as originating from Malaysia or other Middle Eastern countries. China regulates crude oil imports by issuing quotas. Giant state refiners Sinopec and PetroChina were once key Iranian oil clients, with investments in oilfields in the country.

Persons: Raheb, Donald Trump, refiners, China's, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan, Tony Munroe, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Imports, Reuters, Brent, Washington, State Department, Thomson Locations: Iranian, Iran, Israel, Tehran, China, CHINA, Washington, Malaysia, Oman, UAE, China's Shandong, Kpler, Shandong, Russia, Venezuela, Beijing, U.S

☆ Billionaire FBI informant Peter Thiel dished about two Kremlin invites to private Putin meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Hans-Martin Tillack | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

It was Angermayer who introduced Bisslinger to Thiel at the party, Thiel would later tell the FBI. After some small talk, Bisslinger made a pitch to Thiel: Thiel should travel to Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. If Thiel chose to attend, Bisslinger said, Bisslinger would arrange for him to meet privately with Putin. "Even if Mr. Angermayer did introduce Mr. Thiel and Mr. Bisslinger," the lawyers wrote in another letter, "Mr. Angermayer is not—and cannot be—responsible for whatever Mr. Bisslinger and Mr. Thiel may or may not have discussed." At his 40th birthday, he connected Peter Thiel with a Russian diplomat, Thiel later told the FBI.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Christian Angermayer, Thiel, Daniil Bisslinger, Bisslinger, Vladimir Putin's, Angermayer, Putin, Maksim Konstantinov, —, Frank Figliuzzi, Vladimir Putin, — Charles Johnson —, Johnathan Buma, Johnson, Welt, Dmitry Peskov, John Lamparski, Donald Trump, — Thiel, Der Spiegel, he'd, Elon Musk, Musk, Thiel —, he's, Palantir, He's, Uma Thurman, Robbie Williams, Queen Latifah, Paul Kagame, Dan McCrum, John Kerry, Richard Grenell, Kerry, Sensei Biotherapeutics, Trump, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Maureen Dowd, Alexander Schütz, Eva Schütz, Schütz, — Heinz, Christian Strache, Markus Braun, Jan Marsalek, Marsalek, Caroline Haskins, Katherine Long, Jack Newsham, Mattathias Schwartz, Hans, Martin Tillack Organizations: Kremlin, Tech, Pentagon, CIA, Facebook, SpaceX, Kremlin's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Embassy, Thiel, St ., Economic, Getty, FBI, Atlantic, Bisslinger, Germany, Elon, Russia, NSA, US Special Operations Command, National Health Service, Apeiron Investment, Munich Security, intel, Trump, State Department, Angermayer's, PayPal, Nasdaq, Sciences, The New York Times, Deutsche Bank, Welt Locations: Silicon Valley, Schloss Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Berlin, Russia, St, St . Petersburg, Petersburg, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, NATO, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Palantir, Washington, Rwanda, Baltic, Belarus, Iran, Angermayer's Malta, Munich, China, China's, Austrian, Austria, Exxpress, Wirecard, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ I.O.C. Says It Was Target of Elaborate ‘Fake News’ Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The International Olympic Committee issued an unusual statement on Thursday saying it had been targeted by “fake news posts” that it said contained “defamatory content, a fake narrative and false information.” The elaborate campaign included manufactured quotations from I.O.C. The film remains visible on other platforms, however, including the encrypted messaging and content platform Telegram. It was a separate post on Telegram that appears to have prompted the Olympic committee to issue its statement on Thursday. Text accompanying the fake news report said the I.O.C. included links to its website and all of its official social media channels in its statement on Thursday, and requested that news media members contact it to confirm the authenticity of information circulating about the organization on social media.

Persons: Tom Cruise, Israel —, Mark Adams, Thomas Bach, ” Mr, Bach, “ Organizations: Olympic, YouTube, Telegram, Olympic Committee, State Department, Palestinian Locations: Israel, Palestine, Paris, Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Iran, China, India, Munich

☆ Biden administration privately warned by American diplomats of growing fury against US in Arab world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration has received stark warnings from American diplomats in the Arab world that its strong support for Israel’s destructive and deadly military campaign in Gaza “is losing us Arab publics for a generation,” according to a diplomatic cable obtained by CNN. While it’s just one cable from a regional embassy, it provides a private snapshot of the alarm over the growing anti-US wave sweeping the Middle East. President Joe Biden has been under growing pressure domestically and abroad over US support of Israel amid images of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian crisis in the region. In recent days, US allies in the Arab world have made clear their deep anger at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Still, within the administration, concerns have grown over US support for Israel.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, it’s, Biden’s, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe, ” Organizations: CNN, US, White, National Security Council, CIA, FBI, State Department, United Arab, Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, Oman, Muscat, Cairo, Washington, Jordanian, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Northern Gaza

☆ I'm a Hawaiian Local. Here's What I Think About the Tourism Industry.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Pooja Mistry | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Keani Rawlins-Fernandez grew up in Hawaii and has seen tourism increase over the years. Now a local council member, Rawlins-Fernandez says locals can feel overrun by tourists. Many economic, social, and financial issues arise with unrestricted tourism, and I don't know how Hawaii will continue to cope with these numbers. I grew up in Molokai, the only island of Hawaii where the economy is not reliant on tourism. My island in Molokai fared better because the model is to cater to local businesses and local patrons instead.

Persons: Keani Rawlins, Fernandez, Rawlins, —, Uncle Walter Ritte, We've, aren't, I've Organizations: Service, Maui County Council, Kaho'olawe, Systems, Fernandez Tourism, Department of Transportation Locations: Hawaii, Maui County, Molokai, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaiian, Maui, Zion, Utah

☆ Violent wage protests in Bangladesh could hit top fashion brands
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On Tuesday, the country’s wage board announced an increase of $113 a month for garment workers, set to take effect December 1. Garment workers in Bangladesh currently make $95 a month producing clothes for big brands such as H&M, Zara and Levi’s. The American Apparel and Footwear Association, or AAFP, which represents brands in the US suggests a timelier minimum wage review. CNN reached out to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association which represents factory owners for comment but did not hear back. Cambodia now raises its minimum wage for garment workers once a year.

Persons: “, ”, Christina Hajagos, Clausen, Narza Akter, Imran Hossain, ” Matthew Miller, Bangladesh hasn’t, Fitch, Nate Herman, Levi Strauss, Elizabeth Cline, Jason Judd, Judd Organizations: New, New York CNN, Textile and Garment Industry, IndustriALL Global Union, Bangladesh Bureau, Statistics . Garment, Workers, US State Department, United, State Department, McKinsey, US Commerce Department, Puma, Abercrombie, American Apparel and Footwear Association, CNN, Brands, Government, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers, Policy, Columbia University, Consumer, World Bank, Consumers, Global Labor Institute, Cornell University, Workers Rights Consortium Locations: New York, Bangladesh, Zara, Levi’s, China, United States, Southeast Asia, AAFP, Swedish, ”, Patagonia, Cambodia

☆ Videos show African ethnic groups rounded up in Sudan’s Darfur region
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sarah Dean | David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Members of African ethnic groups in Sudan’s Darfur region appear to have been rounded up by members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and other Arab militias, according to videos and images verified and geolocated by CNN. The RSF on Saturday announced it had taken over the main army base in El Geneina (the 15th division headquarters), close to where these videos were filmed. Ethnic related killings have intensified since fighting broke out mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, according to witnesses and aid groups operating in the region. MSF said at its hospital in Adré, a 27-year-old man told them he fled El Geneina with 16 other people, but their group was attacked on the road to Chad. It comes after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for an “immediate cessation of attacks” in El Fasher in North Darfur.

Persons: “, Toby Harward, El Geneina, Médecins, ”, Nabila Abdel Rahman, Stephanie Hoffmann, Dominique Hyde, ” Hyde, RSF “, RSF, State Anthony Blinken, El Fasher, ” Blinken, CNN’s Sarah Dean, David McKenzie, Allegra Goodwin Organizations: CNN, Rapid Support Forces, Saturday, Reuters, Twitter, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, United Nations, MSF, UN, UNHCR, US State Department, African Union, State Department, State, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Locations: Sudan’s Darfur, El Geneina, West Darfur, fatigues, Darfur, Chad, Ardamata, Ardamata , West Darfur, Sudan, El, Arab, Ardmata, Adré, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United States, El Fasher, North Darfur, South Africa, London

A U.S. foreign development agency announced on Wednesday it would lend $553 million to establish a deepwater shipping-container terminal at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka, expanding America’s effort to finance infrastructure around strategic parts of Asia. Adani will help develop the terminal with Sri Lankan partners. The money from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation resembles the kind of big-ticket deals that China’s development banks have struck around the world over the past decade. Under its Belt and Road Initiative, central to the foreign policy of President Xi Jinping, China made loans to build up ties around Asia, including in Sri Lanka. The Development Finance Corporation was created during the Trump administration to bankroll international infrastructure projects, cooperating with the State Department to support U.S. foreign policy and curb Chinese influence.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Adani, Xi Jinping, Trump Organizations: Port, Adani, Sri, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, Initiative, Development Finance Corporation, State Department Locations: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Asia, India, China, United States

☆ Alabama sets date for first-ever US execution of death row inmate by nitrogen gas in 2024, governor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Devon M. Sayers | Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Alabama has scheduled the nation’s first execution by nitrogen hypoxia, an alternative to lethal injection, its Republican governor said. He asked the state to be put to death by nitrogen gas rather than lethal injection after what he called a botched execution. Smith’s execution now is set to take place between January 25 and 26, according to a news release from Gov. The court’s action came after the justices divided 6-3 earlier in the term to allow Smith’s execution to go forward by lethal injection. Smith’s case was tried by a jury twice, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has noted, both of which resulted in convictions.

Persons: Kenneth Eugene Smith’s, Kay Ivey, nodded, ”, Steve Marshall, Patrick Semansky, Smith, –, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Sennett’s, Smith’s, CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Ariane De Vogue, Dakin Andone Organizations: CNN, Alabama, Republican, Gov, Court Locations: Alabama, Washington

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