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☆ Pat Williams: Orlando Magic co-founder dies at 84
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Jacob Lev | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams has died at the age of 84, the NBA team announced in a news release on Wednesday. He helped the city of Orlando land an NBA team which became official in 1987 and the team began their inaugural season two years later. He served as the general manager of the Magic until 1996 when he was promoted to team senior vice president. Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” team chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. Armed with his ever-present optimism and unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways.”General Manager Pat Williams of the Orlando Magic smiles after receiving the No.

Persons: Pat Williams, Williams, “, ” Williams, Jennifer Pottheiser, Dan DeVos, Alex Martins, DeVos, Martins, Orlando Magic, Shaquille O'Neal, Bruce Bennett, Ruth Organizations: CNN, Orlando Magic, NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, 76ers, ”, Wake Forest University, Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, Demon Deacons baseball, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, Florida State League, Miami, Spartanburg, Phillies, Minor League Executive, The Sporting Locations: Orlando, Secaucus , New Jersey, S.C

☆ CIA Director Bill Burns says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is facing growing pressure from his own commanders to end Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The CIA has assessed that the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is coming under increased pressure from his own military commanders to accept a ceasefire deal and end the war with Israel, CIA Director Bill Burns told a closed-door conference on Saturday, according to a source who attended. The increased pressure on Sinwar comes as Hamas and Israel have agreed to a framework deal that that President Joe Biden laid out at the end of May. That’s what US officials have said is being used as the basis to an agreement to end the fighting. Of the three most senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, Israel is believed to have found and killed just one: Marwan Issa, the second in command of the military wing. There are still “tough issues to resolve,” a source familiar with the talks told CNN after Burns’ meetings in Doha.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Bill Burns, Burns, Khan Younis, Burns –, Biden, –, Joe Biden, Saturday Burns, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Biden, ”, Marwan Issa, Mohammed Deif, Deif, Israel, Netanyahu, there’s “ Organizations: CNN, CIA, Sinwar, Hamas, Allen & Company, titans, Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel, Associated Press Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sun Valley , Idaho, That’s, Qatar, Egypt, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Sinwar, Doha

☆ Before Biden can save Ukraine, he must use the NATO summit to save himself
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —The NATO summit was long planned to celebrate the alliance’s 75th anniversary, to lock in longterm military support for Ukraine and even to future-proof the West against a possible second term for Donald Trump. But his achievements, including Sweden and Finland’s entry into the group, will be eclipsed at the summit by his battle to save his political future. She added: “At this critical time for our country, President Biden must seriously consider the best way to preserve his incredible legacy and secure it for the future.”Biden will also have an important audience overseas. “Is it going to be President Biden? On the eve of the summit, Biden’s campaign distributed a memo lauding his leadership in keeping Kyiv standing more than two years after the Russian invasion.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, George H.W, Biden, Sen, Patty Murray, ” Biden, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kurt Volker, ” Volker, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Volker, ”, Joe Biden, John Kirby, “, They’ve, Adam Smith, “ We’ve, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Joe ”, Putin, “ Donald Trump, Republican nominee’s, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Justin Trudeau, Giorgia Meloni, Trudeau, Keir Starmer, CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, NATO, Trump, Biden, United, Kyiv, Democratic, Senate, House Armed Services Committee, MSNBC, ABC News, Nordic, Republican, NATO Alliance, Canadian, Liberal Party, British Locations: Ukraine, Washington, George H.W . Bush, Sweden, Atlanta, Moscow, United States, Europe, Asia, European, Kyiv, Russian, Soviet Union, NATO, Toronto

☆ She Wants to Save the Arts in Britain (if She Can Get Elected)
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For the past 14 years, Conservative-led governments in Britain said they wanted to maintain the country’s status as a cultural powerhouse, to foster new talent and to keep the home of the Beatles and Harry Potter in the global spotlight. Successive governments slashed subsidies for theaters, museums and opera houses. New border rules after Brexit meant musicians struggled to tour abroad. These days, nobody is talking about “Cool Britannia”; instead, there has been chatter of an arts scene in crisis. Yet for many artists and cultural administrators, there are hopes that change is coming, tempered by fears that it won’t go far enough.

Persons: Harry Potter Organizations: Conservative, Beatles Locations: Britain

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

The eventual language issued by the alliance about Ukraine during July’s summit in Washington is critical. Vague commitment in 2008It was back in 2008 at a NATO summit in Budapest that Ukraine was first offered a vague commitment of an invitation to join in the future. “Of course we’d be for ‘irreversible,’” a third Eastern European official said. Generally, throughout the conflict, British officials, the closest US allies in NATO, have consistently hoped the White House would take a more aggressive stance. “When the text is on the table and the countries start to negotiate we can see the full picture,” the Eastern European official said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, we’ll, Antony Blinken, Biden, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, ” Stoltenberg, ”, doesn’t, It’s “, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, NATO, Central, “, US, Biden, European, ”, US State Department, NATO Alliance, Eastern, Eastern European Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Washington, Russia’s, Ukraine, July’s, Russia, Prague, Hungary, Central European, Kyiv, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Budapest, Russian, ”, Kharkiv, London

☆ From $40 billion fraud to $4.5 billion settlement: Inside the latest crypto firm paying big bucks to end legal trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

This week, a judge signed off on Do Kwon and his bankrupt Terraform Labs settling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for $4.5 billion. This comes after a jury unanimously found Kwon and his company liable for securities fraud following less than two hours of deliberation. But investors piled in anyway, giving luna and UST a combined market value of almost $40 billion at one point. Terraform and Kwon fought our efforts to investigate – taking a fight over investigative subpoenas all the way to the Supreme Court. They are Caroline Ellison, the Alameda Research CEO who at one time dated Bankman-Fried; FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh; and Gary Wang, the co-founder and chief technology officer of FTX.

Persons: Kwon, Woohae Cho, Sam Bankman, Changpeng Zhao, Luna, atoning, Alex Mashinsky, Wall, Stevo Vasiljevic, Reuters Kwon, He's, Satoshi Nakamoto, Elon Musk, Mike Novogratz, Gary Gensler, –, Fried, Fatih Aktas, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Bankman, convicting, Prosecutors, Ryan Salame, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, FTX, Jason Redmond, Zhao, Richard Jones, …, Binance, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Terraform Labs, Bloomberg, Getty, U.S, Forbes, Arrows Capital, Voyager, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Labs, U.S . Justice Department, Futures Trading Commission, Treasury Department, bitcoin, BlackRock, Fidelity, Reuters, terraUSD, UST, Traders, Twitter, SEC, Supreme, Anadolu Agency, Alameda Research, ., Republicans, Bankman, AFP, of Prisons, District, Bank, DOJ, CFTC, Treasury, Binance, New, Commercial Bank Locations: U.S, Balkans, Podgorica, Montenegro, Singapore, Dubai, Serbia, Balkan, South Korea, United States, lockstep, New York, Manhattan, Seattle, Lompoc , California, Binance

☆ Museum Calls Off Kehinde Wiley Show, Citing Assault Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Alex Marshall | Robin Pogrebin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Minneapolis Institute of Art announced Thursday that it had decided not to move forward with a planned Kehinde Wiley exhibition, citing recent allegations of sexual misconduct against the artist, which he has denied. The exhibition, called “An Archaeology of Silence,” originated at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and has been traveling around the country. The Minneapolis museum put plans to stage the exhibition on hold after several men made accusations against Mr. Wiley, all of which he has denied. The first was in May, when an artist accused him of sexual assault in a post on Instagram. Mr. Wiley denied the allegations at the time, saying that “these claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse.”The Minneapolis Institute of Art said in an email that it “was considering taking the Kehinde Wiley exhibition, but as a result of these unfortunate allegations we will not be proceeding with this presentation.”

Persons: ”, Wiley, “ Organizations: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Wiley, Fine Arts Locations: San Francisco, Minneapolis

☆ Maintenance and repair costs can be an unwelcomed surprise for first-time homeowners. Here are some ways to avoid bill shock
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Experts say the "hidden costs" of owning a home, especially repairs and maintenance, can come as a shock for homeowners. Based on that calculation, Bankrate estimated, annual maintenance costs in some of the states with the highest home prices — like California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — can go over $26,000 annually. Keep your 'critical eye' as a homeownerOnce you become a homeowner, it will be important to keep up with routine maintenance in your house. To avoid surprises, try to regularly inspect your home and look for spots or corners that may need to be fixed. While homeowners are "the most critical" of a house when they're buying, they often don't keep the "critical eye" after moving in, said Hicks.

Persons: Alex Marrero, " Marrero, expats, Marrero, Angi.com, they're, Angie Hicks, Bankrate.com, Massachusetts —, you've, Jeff Ostrowski, Hicks, Dan Bawden, That's, Bawden, Tom Grill Organizations: Finance, Bankrate.com, CNBC, National Association of Realtors, Legal Eagle Contractors, Co Locations: Coral Springs , Florida, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Bellaire , Texas

“Hamas could have answered with a single word – yes,” he said. “It’s time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start. Hamas submitted its reply to the multi-phased ceasefire and hostage release proposal to mediators on Tuesday. According to a senior State Department official, Blinken, who was in Amman at the time, dispatched two of the senior staff traveling with him to retrieve Hamas’ response from Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel, who was also in the Jordanian capital. Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, described their response as “responsible, serious and positive.”CNN’s Becky Anderson, Hamdi Alkhshali and Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.

Persons: Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, ”, “ Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jake Sullivan, ’, Israel, Blinken, Abbas Kamel, ” CNN’s Becky Anderson, Hamdi Alkhshali, Benjamin Brown Organizations: CNN, US National, UN, State Department, Egyptian Locations: Gaza, Doha, Israel, ”, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Amman, Jordanian, Izzat

☆ US intelligence suggests Sinwar believes Hamas has upper hand in negotiations with Israel, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The goal for Hamas is to survive, these sources say — that would be victory for the group. Sinwar likely believes Hamas can hold out while Israel’s global standing deteriorates as the war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians, continues. For US negotiators pursuing a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, it’s a discouraging assessment. Both Sinwar and Hamas’ top military official, Mohammed Deif, are still alive. He was elected to Hamas’ main decision-making body, the Politburo, in 2017 as the political leader of Hamas in Gaza.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, he’s, it’s, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Sinwar, ” Blinken, ” Sinwar, ”, John Kirby, Mohammed Deif, —, “ Organizations: CNN, Biden, Street, National Security, ’, Hamas, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Gulf, Qatar

Eyewitnesses also said that they saw Israeli forces in disguise – dressed as Hamas fighters or civilians. The Israeli military denied using civilian vehicles, but declined to say whether the officers conducting the rescue were disguised as militants or dressed as Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military had previously used civilian clothing as a tactic in its operations. But soon after the mission got underway, Israeli soldiers and militants began to exchange fire, according to eyewitness accounts and statements from the Israeli military. A senior Biden administration official tells CNN that Israeli forces did not use an aid truck in the operation.

Persons: Mercedes, –, “, ” Khalil Al Tirawi, Mercedes van, — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv, Noa Argamani’s, Adm, Daniel Hagari, ”, Argamani, Arnon Zamora, Al Tirawi, Abdullah Jouda, ” Jouda, ” Hagari, Fadi Thabet, Trevor Ball, Richard Weir, ” Al Tirawi, Nidal Abdo, Zamora, Yaron Finkelman, that’s, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, ” Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Hagari, Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Nova, Israeli Security Agency, IDF, ” CNN, National Police, Hamas ’, Al, CNN CNN, Mercedes, Human Rights Watch, Biden, Southern Command, Union, Sheba Medical, Ichilov Locations: Nuseirat, Gaza, Israeli, Jabalia, Al Jazeera, Argamani, United States, Israel, U.S, “ State, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv

☆ Andy Sieg is quickly shaking up Citi's wealth business. At least 21 senior execs have left since his arrival.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But the leadership of its ailing wealth unit is continuing to undergo major changes under its new boss Andy Sieg. Citi's wealth unit has seen at least 21 senior executives exit since Merrill Lynch veteran Sieg joined in September. The latest is Julia Carreon, global head of wealth platform and experiences. Sieg also plans to expand Citi's already successful wealth business in Asia. Here is our running list of senior departures from Citi Wealth.

Persons: —, Andy Sieg, Merrill Lynch, Sieg, Julia Carreon, Naz Vahid, Carreon, David Bailin, Fraser, Andy, Mark Mason, Shyam Sambamurthy, Merrill, Don Plaus, Hale Behzadi, Dawn Nordberg, Morgan Stanley, Citi David, Francesco Bertoni, Alfonso Camacho Bustillo, Hoyt, Paul Hodes, Robert Hoffman, Keith Lee Hong, Li, Liu, Fernando Lopez Munoz, Alex Marshall, Eduardo Martinez Campos, Luigi Pigorini, Fernando Senso, Jeff Sutton, Naz, Vahid, Eduardo, Seamus Yin, Hayley Cuccinello Organizations: Service, Citi, Citi Wealth, Business, Bankers, Citi Global Wealth, North America, Francesco Bertoni EMEA, Hoyt Gier Global, South, Asia, Fernando Lopez Munoz Head, Tate, Eduardo Martinez Campos Head, Mark Mills Regional, Fernando Senso Castilla Global, Jeff Sutton Global, Eduardo Ventura, West Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paul Hodes Asia, South Asia, Keith Lee Hong Kong, Asia Pacific, Shyam Sambamurthy South Asia, Fernando Senso Castilla, America, West China, hcuccinello@businessinsider.com

☆ US military’s Gaza pier has been repaired and reattached to beach
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US military’s temporary pier off the coast of Gaza was repaired and reattached to the beach on Friday morning, after breaking apart and sustaining damage in heavy seas last week, the deputy commander of US Central Command said on Friday. “I’m very pleased to announce that earlier this morning, in Gaza, US forces successfully attached the temporary pier to the Gaza beach. Israeli Defense Force engineers provided all the necessary support to ensure the safe emplacement of the pier to the beach,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters on Friday. The damage last week came after significant obstacles on distribution routes including Hamas drones and looting that delayed the deliveries. The pier’s construction came as the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates and the death toll from Israel’s bombardment climbs.

Persons: “ I’m, Brad Cooper, “, ” Cooper, Cooper, ”, Chris Mewett, ” Mewett, Shania Shelton, Jennifer Hansler, Oren Liebermann, Alex Marquardt, Haley Britzky, Kylie Atwood, Michael Conte, Helen Regan Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, US, Israeli Defense Force, USAID, Royal Jordanian Air Force Locations: Gaza, Rafah

☆ The Ukraine war is a huge opportunity for US intel to recruit Russian spies
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Analysis Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: The CNN Original Series “Secrets & Spies: A Nuclear Game” examines the tenuous global geopolitics during the Cold War through the lens of two notorious double agents: Oleg Gordievsky and Aldrich Ames. CNN —Russia’s brutal ongoing invasion of Ukraine has provided US intelligence services with a rare opening to recruit Kremlin insiders furious with the handling of the war. “Disaffection creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us,” said CIA Director Bill Burns last year during a speech in the United Kingdom. Russian Foreign Ministry building is seen behind a billboard showing Z, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, on October 13, 2022. As the documentary underscores, the espionage lessons of the Cold War could very well determine future global stability.

Persons: Oleg Gordievsky, Aldrich Ames, CNN —, ”, Bill Burns, “, David McCloskey, Alexander Nemenov, James Schlesinger, Douglas London, Edgar Hoover, Stefani Reynolds, Jim Sciutto, Tim Naftali, –, Sarah Moon, Alex Marquardt, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, CIA, Russian Foreign Ministry, Getty, FBI, BBC, Edgar Hoover FBI Locations: Ukraine, United Kingdom, Moscow, AFP, Virginia, Russia’s, Washington, Washington ,, Soviet Union, Europe

☆ How Joe Biden’s red line on Israel went from a ‘parlor game’ to a murky milestone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Many Democrats, along with foreign leaders who the US counts as allies, say Israel’s actions clearly cross a red line – if not Biden’s, then their own and those of international law. Would that be a red line?” MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart asked during an interview. His answer, with its incomplete sentences, did not state what might constitute a violation of the red line or what his response would be. “I went over the red line issue, which I know is the obsession of this group, last week. Whether Biden drew a red line or not, his counterpart in Israel found reason to dismiss the president’s comments.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Sara Jacobs, Antony Blinken, “ I’m, ” Sullivan, Israel, Netanyahu, –, Jonathan Capehart, I’m, ”, … ” Biden, didn’t, I’ve, it’s, we’ve, ” Netanyahu, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “ We’re, Blinken, Kamala Harris, John Kirby, Kirby, CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: Philadelphia CNN, CNN, Democrats, Foreign, White, Biden, Press, Gaza Health Ministry, White House Locations: Rafah, Israel, United States, California, American, Gaza, “, I’m, That’s

☆ Biden gives Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes within Russia using US weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The loosening of the restrictions marks a break from long-standing policy and comes amid growing international pressure from close US allies. But it is limited to the area around Kharkiv, and Ukraine has not requested permission beyond that, the official said, adding that they do not anticipate the US widening the area allowed. Russian forces, ammunitions depots and logistical hubs can now be targeted with US-provided artillery and rockets across the border from Kharkiv in western Russia. But the prohibition has blocked Ukraine from targeting Russian aircraft that are on the ground inside Russia. “Ukrainian soil is being attacked from bases in Russia,” Macron said during a visit to Schloss Meseberg in Brandenburg, Germany.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, ” Macron, Germany’s Scholz, Macron’s Organizations: CNN, Politico, Kyiv, US Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Russian, Washington, Moldova, “, Meseberg, Brandenburg, Germany, United States

☆ Jenny Erpenbeck’s ‘Kairos’ Wins the International Booker Prize
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jenny Erpenbeck’s “Kairos,” a novel about a torrid love affair in the final years of East Germany, won on Tuesday the International Booker Prize, the renowned award for fiction translated into English. Erpenbeck shares the award of 50,000 British pounds, about $63,500, with Michael Hofmann, who translated the book into English. The pair received the prize during a ceremony at the Tate Modern art museum in London. After receiving the award, the pair seemed lost for words. Erpenbeck thanked her family, and Hofmann thanked Erpenbeck: “I want to thank Jenny for her trust in me,” he said.

Persons: Jenny Erpenbeck’s “, ”, International Booker, Erpenbeck, Michael Hofmann, Hofmann, Jenny, “, ” Eleanor Wachtel, ” —, — Organizations: International, International Booker Prize, Tate Locations: East Germany, London

☆ Sources say they were ‘duped’ by Egypt changing ceasefire terms for Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ceasefire agreement that Hamas ended up announcing on May 6 was not what the Qataris or the Americans believed had been submitted to Hamas for a potential final review, the sources said. “We were all duped,” one of those sources told CNN. More of Hamas’ demands were inserted into the original framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to in order to secure Hamas’ approval, the source said. After discovering the Egyptian freelancing, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani informed Israel’s intelligence service Mossad that Egypt had acted alone, two of the sources told CNN. The day before Hamas made their May 6 public announcement agreeing to the proposal, an Egyptian source told CNN that Egypt had received Hamas’ response and relayed it to the Israeli side.

Persons: Israel, Bill Burns, Burns, ”, Ahmed Abdel Khalek, Abdel Khalek, Abbas Kamel, ’, Abdel Kareem Hana, Antony Blinken, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Bill Burns Bill Clark, Biden, Yahya Sinwar doesn’t, Critics of Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, US, Biden, Military Locations: Gaza, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Al Thani, Cairo, Washington, Rafah

☆ Kehinde Wiley Denies Accusation of Sexual Assault by Artist
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After an artist accused the painter Kehinde Wiley of sexual assault in an Instagram post on Sunday, Mr. Wiley denied the allegations, saying on his own Instagram account that “someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together.”“These claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse,” Mr. Wiley added. Mr. Wiley, who was born in Los Angeles, is one of the best known painters in the United States, and is famous for his 2018 portrait of President Barack Obama. On Sunday, Joseph Awuah-Darko, a British-born Ghanaian artist and the founder of the Noldor Artist Residency in Ghana, said in a lengthy Instagram post that on June 9, 2021, Mr. Wiley assaulted him twice during and after a dinner in Ghana that was held in the famed artist’s honor. In the first incident, Mr. Awuah-Darko said that he had been directing Mr. Wiley to a washroom when the star suddenly grabbed his buttocks. Later that evening, Mr. Awuah-Darko said, a second assault occurred that was “much more severe and violent.” Mr. Awuah-Darko did not give further details of that incident on Instagram, but in a telephone interview, he said that a sexual encounter began consensually, but that it then moved to a bedroom, where he says that Mr. Wiley forced himself on him after Mr. Awuah-Darko had said he did not want to go further.

Persons: Kehinde Wiley, Wiley, ”, Mr, Barack Obama, Joseph Awuah, Darko, Awuah Locations: Los Angeles, United States, British, Ghana

☆ US intelligence sees Russia step up disinformation campaign against Ukraine’s Zelensky
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Russia has stepped up its disinformation efforts to discredit Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and raise questions about his legitimacy in recent months, US intelligence agencies have observed. Russia has spread disinformation about Zelensky since before the war started but recent intelligence shows “it’s definitely increasing,” the official said. The administration has also imposed sanctions against individuals and entities connected with Russian disinformation. Both Ukraine and Russia have been involved in disinformation efforts against each other for years. “Not only have we seen these disinformation efforts increasing but we also expect them to continue to increase.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “ it’s, “, ”, Zelensky, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, ’ ”, Gavin Wilde, ” Wilde, isn’t Organizations: CNN, Biden, ’ ” Biden, National Security Council, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s, Russian, Zelensky

☆ Eurovision Final Eurovision 2024 Live Updates: Competition Set to Start Amid Protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

PinnedTo its millions of devoted fans, the Eurovision Song Contest is a cultural juggernaut, an exciting competition in which singers and rappers represent their countries and perform for votes. To more casual observers, it’s simply a fun, camp — and often bewildering — night of TV, with extravagant songs and outrageous outfits. This year, as always, the contest features songs that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Eden Golan, a 20-year-old pop star, will represent Israel with “Hurricane,” a ballad that obliquely references Israeli grief over the Oct. 7 attacks last year. Will Golan win over the audience and the tens of millions watching live on TV and YouTube?

Persons: it’s, Angelina Mango, Tagi, Eden Golan, Will Golan Organizations: “, Eurovision, Palestinian, Malmo Arena, Israel Locations: France, Malmo, Sweden, Gaza, Israel, U.S, Peacock

☆ Eurovision Disqualifies Dutch Entrant Hours Before Final
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just hours before this year’s Eurovision Song Contest final was scheduled to begin in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday, the glitzy singing competition was thrown into crisis after organizers banned the Netherlands’ entry from taking part. On Friday, the Dutch musician, Joost Klein, whose songs mix pop with hyperfast beats, did not appear for a scheduled rehearsal to perform his song “Europapa,” which was then among the favorites to win. Shortly afterward, the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, said in a statement that it was “investigating an incident” involving the Dutch artist. On Saturday morning, a Swedish police spokeswoman said in an email that officers were investigating a man “suspected of unlawful threats” toward a Eurovision employee and had passed a file to prosecutors to consider charges. Eurovision organizers said in a new statement that it was Klein under investigation, and that “it would not be appropriate” for the musician to compete in Saturday’s final while a legal process was underway.

Persons: Joost Klein, Klein Organizations: European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Netherlands, Dutch, Swedish

☆ Switzerland Wins Eurovision, as Protests Give Way to Spectacle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The run-up to this Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest final in Malmo, Sweden, was unusually tense and anguished, with months of protests over Israel’s involvement in the competition, a contestant suspended just hours before the show began and confrontations between the police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the arena on the night. But when the final began, the uproar swiftly disappeared. Instead of protests and outrage, there was the usual high-camp spectacle, featuring singers emoting about lost loves, near-naked dancers and, at one point, a performer climbing out of a giant egg. At the end of the four-hour show, Nemo, representing Switzerland, won with “The Code,” a catchy track in which the nonbinary performer rapped and sang operatically about their journey to realizing their identity. “I went to hell and back / To get myself on track,” Nemo sang in the chorus: “Now, I found paradise / I broke the code.”

Persons: emoting, “, ” Nemo Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Switzerland

☆ Who Are the Favorites to Win Eurovision?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Follow live updates on the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest final. On Saturday, acts representing 25 countries will compete at the Eurovision Song Contest, the high-camp competition that is also world’s most watched cultural event. The winner is chosen by a combination of votes from music industry juries in participating countries and viewers watching at home. A few hours later, Eurovision organizers said in a statement that it was Klein under investigation, and that “it would not be appropriate” for him to compete while a legal process was underway. Here are the five acts who may have the best chance at winning, based on European bookmakers’ odds and online chatter.

Persons: Joost Klein, Klein Organizations: Eurovision Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Netherlands

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