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☆ Black Shirts and Banned Flags: Ultras Push Politics at Euro 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Rory Smith | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Those hoping to march to the stadium with Hungary’s fans for their soccer team’s first game of the European Championship were expected to report by 10 a.m. sharp, five hours before kickoff. Some could wear black. Others were to stick with red, white and green, the colors of the country’s flag. The Carpathian Brigade has, in recent years, become perhaps Europe’s most infamous ultra group, its reputation forged by clashing with the police, showering opponents with racist abuse and displaying homophobic banners. In 2021, during the last European Championship, it had to remind members to cover up any Nazi-related tattoos so as not to contravene German law.

Organizations: team’s, European, Carpathian Brigade, Hungarian

☆ Judges Upended Biden’s Student Loan Repayment Plan. What Happens Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Tara Siegel Bernard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden’s new student loan repayment plan was hobbled on Monday after two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri issued separate rulings that temporarily blocked some of the plan’s benefits, leaving questions about its fate. That means the Biden administration cannot reduce borrowers’ monthly bills by as much as half starting July 1, as had been scheduled, and it must pause debt forgiveness to SAVE enrollees. The administration has canceled $5.5 billion in debt for more than 414,000 borrowers through the plan, which opened in August. If you’re among the eight million borrowers making payments through SAVE — the Saving on a Valuable Education plan — you probably have many questions. Here’s what we know so far, though the Education Department has yet to release its official guidance.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden Organizations: Republican, Education Department Locations: Kansas, Missouri

☆ Oil edges lower after industry group reports jump in U.S. stockpiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Wednesday after an industry group reported a surprise jump in U.S. stockpiles, fueling concerns about weaker-than-expected demand in the top oil consuming nation. Brent crude oil futures fell 19 cents, or 0.2%, to $84.82 a barrel by 0023 GMT. The American Petroleum Institute reported U.S. crude oil stocks rose by 914,000 barrels in the week ended June 21, according to market sources briefed on the data. API reported a 3.84 million barrel jump in U.S. gasoline stocks last week, the sources said, compared with analysts' expectation of a 1 million barrel decline.

Persons: Brent Organizations: . West Texas, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, U.S, Federal Reserve, ANZ Bank Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma

☆ Levi’s under fire after supplier laid off hundreds of workers in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Scott Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Ozak Tekstil told CNN it had terminated the workers “as a last resort” when they declined an invitation to return to work. If it refused, “we will be forced to take the appropriate next steps to uphold workers’ rights,” Levi’s wrote. It did not reinstate all of the fired workers. Inside the Ozak Tekstil factory in Sanliurfa, Turkey, in December 2023. The Ozak Tekstil factory in Sanliurfa, Turkey, in December 2023.

Persons: “, Levi’s, LEVI, Ozak Tekstil, Zara, Hugo Boss, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Seher Gulel, Gulel, ”, Sen, Tekstil, Levi Strauss, Justin Sullivan, ” Gulel, enshrines, Sen didn’t, unionize, ” Ozak Tekstil, ” Levi’s, Scott Nova, ” Nova, “ Ozak, Carolin Westermann, Funda Bakis, CNN Bakis, Bakis, ” Bakis, Tanem Zaman, Eyad Kourdi, Brice Laine Organizations: Istanbul CNN —, ’ Association, Worker Rights Consortium, CNN, Birtek, WRC, Ozak Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey’s Sanliurfa, San Francisco , California, Sanliurfa

☆ Biden aims to paint Trump as a man whose foreign policy makes him too dangerous to be in the Oval Office
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Mj Lee | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump’s foreign policy positions have sometimes seemed like an afterthought in an election with domestic concerns at its heart. One campaign official told CNN that if and when foreign policy issues come up Thursday night, the contrast that Biden will try to paint could not be starker. “President Biden stands up to dictators and defends freedom – Trump is a loser who is too dangerous and reckless to ever be anywhere close to the Oval Office again,” the official said. One potential difficulty for Biden and his advisers might be identifying Trump’s positions on several foreign policy areas. And on Trump, Biden is expected to deploy a broad accusation: That Trump abandoned US allies, cozied up to dictators and generally made the world less safe.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, –, Trump, Biden, Jake Sullivan, David, “, – Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin’s, Kim Jong, Donald Trump, ”, he’s, Netanyahu, Volodymyr Zelensky, ‘ Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Republican, Democratic, CNN, Oval, North, Trump, ”, NATO, Republican Party, Ukrainian, Group Locations: Atlanta, Europe, Gaza, Ukraine, China, Beijing, North Korean, ” Russia, “, Israel, Kyiv, Italy, United States

In the biggest shock (by the FIFA world rankings) of Euro 2024 so far, Georgia defeated Portugal 2-0 to secure a place in the knockout stages in what is their major tournament debut. Georgia reached Euro 2024 — their first-ever appearance at a major tournament — after beating Greece in a playoff penalty shootout at the end of March. They had actually finished fourth in their Euro qualifying group, ahead of only Cyprus, but reached the playoffs via the Nations League route topping Group C4. Frustration was understandable, but it consumed him for the rest of the game — right until he was substituted midway through the second half, still without a goal in three appearances at Euro 2024. Going into tonight’s game, he had conceded four goals at Euro 2024 — but that was from 20 shots on target.

Persons: Roberto Martinez, Kvaratskhelia, Georges Mikautadze, Cristiano Ronaldo, —, , Willy Sagnol, ”, Steve Clarke’s, tamely, Giorgi Mamardashvili —, Sagnol, “, Tom Burrows, Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos, Oliver Kay, Germain, Mikautadze, Diogo Costa, Joao Palhinha, Luis de la Fuente, De la, Antonio Silva, Silva, Pedro Neto, Martinez, Joao Felix, Felix, Francisco Conceicao, Conceicao, Neto, Jay Harris, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Diogo Dalot, Chris Brunskill Organizations: FIFA, Spain, Sunday, Georgia, Greece, Nations League, Athletic, ”, Scotland, Valencia, Ajax, Portugal, Paris Saint, Albania, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Barcelona, Europa League for Locomotive Tbilisi Locations: Georgia, Portugal, Slovenia, Frankfurt, France, Belgium, Turkey, Cologne, Cyprus, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania, Europe, Metz, Paris, Napoli

☆ Bloomberg: Supreme Court appears to side with Biden admin in abortion case, according to draft briefly posted on website
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The release was a stunning development at the Supreme Court, which usually safeguards the release of its opinions. The abortion case was considered among the most significant of the current term that is winding down ahead of the July 4 holiday. A Supreme Court spokeswoman confirmed that a “document” was “inadvertently and briefly uploaded” to the court’s website. The decision came days after the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort by anti-abortion groups to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In January, the Supreme Court agreed to decide the case and allowed the law to take effect while it did so.

Persons: Roe, Wade –, Biden, ”, “, Patricia McCabe, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, wouldn’t, Steve Vladeck, Case, Reagan, Elizabeth Prelogar, Prelogar, Amy Coney Barrett, Joshua Turner, Weeks Organizations: CNN, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, Supreme, Politico, US, Justice, University of Texas School of Law, of Justice, White, Justice Department, Idaho, Labor, Biden, Republican Locations: Idaho

☆ A SCOTUS opinion allowing emergency abortions in Idaho was posted on the court's website and then quickly removed
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg News first reported that a copy of the decision was briefly posted on the court's website and then removed. A Supreme Court spokesperson confirmed that something was inadvertently posted online but said the high court's final opinion remained unreleased. "The Court's Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Court's website. The Court's opinion in these cases will be issued in due course." Related storiesIn the copy posted online, the court said it would allow for emergency abortions to continue in Idaho, Bloomberg reported.

Persons: —, Moyle, Biden, Donald Trump's, Roe, Wade Organizations: Service, Bloomberg News, Business, Unit, Bloomberg, Biden Locations: Idaho, Moyle v, United States, Idaho's

☆ Abu Dhabi wants to be an AI leader. Aligning with the US is just the start
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The world’s first minister dedicated to developing artificial intelligence (AI) strategy is already becoming embroiled in a global power struggle for tech supremacy. The UAE is one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels, and Abu Dhabi sees its AI push as crucial for diversifying away from oil. Christopher Pike/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWashington has also limited the sale of sophisticated US chips to ensure China doesn’t use Middle Eastern nations as a back door to access the newest AI technology, according to Reuters. By opening up the technology, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as an ally to developing nations that don’t have the resources to build their own AI tools. In March, a report commissioned by the US State Department warned that the most advanced AI systems could, in a worst-case scenario, “pose an extinction-level threat to the human species.”Olama has some specific concerns.

Persons: Biden, Omar Al Olama, “, Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, ”, ” Olama, Al Olama, ’ ”, Christopher Pike, Olama, Abu Dhabi’s, ” James Lewis, Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin, Gifty Sahany, Lewis, ” He’s Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, United Arab Emirates, UAE, PwC, Commerce Department, Huawei, Etihad, United, Bloomberg, Getty, Washington, Reuters, Nvidia, Apple, Technology Innovation Institute, Google, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Washington DC, University of Artificial Intelligence, Systems, US State Department Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, China, United States, Dubai, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Beijing, Washington, University, Valley

☆ Luxury air travel is on the rise. Experts say you don't have to be rich to experience it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Travel experts told Business Insider they had noticed an uptick in clients opting for luxury air travel experiences, from private jets to first-class and premium-class plane tickets. Oliver Bell, cofounder of luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, said this trend could be partly attributed to "revenge travel," where people are "willing to spend more for incredible experiences" in the aftermath of the pandemic. AdvertisementBut you don't have to be flushed with cash to experience luxury air travel. "A lot of people assume that flying private is only for the rich and famous, the Elon Musk's of the world," Bell said. For example, Surf Air is an LA-based private jet company that offers unlimited private flying memberships for $295 per month or $3,540 annually.

Persons: —, Oliver Bell, Bell, Elon, BI's Alesandra Dubin, Dubin, David Guthrie, it's, George Rose, Martina Coogan, Coogan, Guthrie Organizations: Service, Business, Forbes, Airlines, KLM, United, United Airlines, Delta's Locations: West Coast and Texas, LA, Vegas, Delta, Ireland

☆ Joe Biden: The Old-School Politician in a New-School Era
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden was peeved. Yet there was Mr. Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, on the floor bashing Republicans for playing “a dangerous and risky partisan game.”Mr. Biden called Mr. Schumer to chide him. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, had backed down to help avoid a fiscal crisis. The Joe Biden who will defend his presidency at a nationally televised debate on Thursday night remains a practitioner of old-school politics in a new-school era. The hostility, the anger, the polarization, the “beating up” that define today’s national debate, yes, he knows all about that.

Persons: Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Mr, chide, Mitch McConnell, ”, Joe Biden, Lyndon B, Johnson Organizations: Democrats, Democratic, Republican Locations: Washington

☆ Zhang Ziyu: China’s 7-foot-3 teenage basketball star shows promise at youth tournament
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At 7-foot-3, China’s teenage basketball star Zhang Ziyu looks to have an exciting career ahead of her. On Monday, Zhang came off the bench for her international debut and scored 19 points on 9-for-9 shooting in just 13 minutes, helping China brush aside Indonesia 109-50. “Zhang Ziyu is a cheat code,” a social media user said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Zhang is officially listed on FIBA's website as being 7-foot-3. FIBA lists Zhang as 7-foot-3 on its official website, meaning she is only one inch shorter than San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Persons: Zhang Ziyu, Zhang, “ Zhang Ziyu, Fred Lee, Victor Wembanyama, Yao Ming Organizations: CNN, FIBA, Asia, International Basketball Federation, Twitter, Wednesday, Japan, San Antonio Spurs, NBA, WNBA Locations: China, Indonesia, New Zealand

☆ Tal Alexander announces he will step away from his brokerage firm amid rape allegation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementThe announcement caps a dizzying fall from the pinnacle of the residential real estate business for both Tal and his brokerage partner and brother Oren Alexander amid sordid allegations. Tal and Oren spent more than a decade at the brokerage firm Douglas Elliman, establishing themselves as big-name sellers of ultra-pricey homes. In 2022, the pair broke off from Elliman and cofounded Official Partners, a firm that focuses exclusively on the uppermost tier of the residential sales market. She also said that the decision to step aside was mutually made by Tal and Official. "Given the salacious nature of this false allegation and impact on Official, Tal and his partners have decided he will take a leave from the company," Deanna Paul, the attorney, said.

Persons: —, Tal Alexander, America's, Alexander, Deanna Paul, Tal, Paul, Oren Alexander, Oren, Douglas Elliman, Ken Griffin, Alon Alexander, Alon, Nicole Oge, Oge, Angelica Parker Organizations: Service, Business, Partners Locations: New York, Manhattan, Elliman, New York State

☆ China's premier defends national competitiveness as trade tensions simmer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

China's Premier Li Qiang speaks during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Denis Balibouse | ReutersDALIAN, China — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday defended the country's technological development while criticizing efforts to restrict global cooperation. His remarks, at the opening of the World Economic Forum's "Summer Davos" meeting in Dalian, China, came amid rising tensions with the EU over imports of Chinese electric cars. Andrzej Duda, president of Poland, and Pham Minh Chinh, prime minister of Vietnam, gave remarks after Li. The Chinese premier held state-level meetings in China with the two leaders ahead of the "Summer Davos."

Persons: Li Qiang, Denis Balibouse, Li, Andrzej Duda, Pham Minh Chinh, Duda Organizations: Economic, Reuters, EU Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Reuters DALIAN, China, Dalian, U.S, Poland, Vietnam, Beijing, Washington

☆ Toys R Us is the first brand to use OpenAI’s Sora in a promo
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Toys “R” Us is proving artificial intelligence could have a future in film. The retail toy brand premiered a short promo film at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival in France this week that was created almost entirely by using OpenAI’s new text-to-video tool. Toys “R” Us said it believes it is the first brand to debut a film using the technology. A spokesperson for the creative agency told CNN that Toys “R” Us has not yet made a decision if the promo will become a TV ad. OpenAI has not yet announced an official release date for Sora but rumors indicate it could launch later this summer.

Persons: Charles Lazarus, Geoffrey the, “ Charles Lazarus, OpenAI, – Organizations: CNN, Cannes Lions Festival Locations: France

☆ Vinnie Viola delivers on promise as Florida Panthers win first-ever Stanley Cup
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Taylor Craig | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov skated around the ice with the Stanley Cup — it marked a dramatic turning point for a long-suffering franchise and fan base. "The team had struggled with attendance, certainly a lack of winning," Florida Panthers President and CEO Matt Caldwell told CNBC's "Last Call" on Friday. Upon purchasing the last-place Panthers, Viola made his intensions clear at his first official team press conference in 2013. "My family and I are honored to take the helm of the Florida Panthers organization with the No. 1 goal of putting a winning team on the ice year after year and bringing a Stanley Cup to our incredible fans here in South Florida," Viola said.

Persons: Aleksander Barkov, Barkov, —, Vinnie Viola, Matt Caldwell, CNBC's, Vinnie …, Viola Organizations: Florida Panthers, Stanley, Virtu, Panthers Locations: South Florida

☆ For many Muslim pilgrims, a dangerous unauthorized Hajj is the only option
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Magdy Samaan | Clamping Down On Unauthorized Pilgrimage | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

He was among the more than 1,300 pilgrims who died during this year’s Hajj as temperatures in Saudi Arabia reached record levels. The tragedy, resulting in one of the highest Hajj death tolls in years, has brought attention to the shadowy industry of unauthorized pilgrimage agents. It is unclear how many unauthorized pilgrims made it to this year’s Hajj, but Saudi news outlet Al Sharq Al Awsat reported Tuesday that 141,000 such pilgrims received free medical treatment during the Hajj season. Clamping down on unauthorized pilgrimageBefore this year’s Hajj season started, Saudi authorities warned pilgrims against using agents selling unauthorized Hajj packages and had been in contact with other governments in an effort to crack down on the trend. Authorities had also arrested some illegal agents and issued warnings about penalties for those found to assist unauthorized pilgrims.

Persons: Cairo CNN —, Mahmoud, Salem, “, Abdelzaher Abdo Salem, Om Waleed, Abdelzaher, Mount Arafat, Salem’s, ” Mahmoud, –, Atef, ”, ” Aglan, Aglan, Al Sharq Al Awsat, Hania Hassan Salama, Salama, Mustafa Mohammed, Ahmad, General Muhammad bin Abdullah Al, Rafiq Maqbool Organizations: Cairo CNN, Al, Ma’aisam, Saudi, Egyptian Travel Agents Association, CNN, Hajj, Authorities, Public Security, Hajj Security Locations: Cairo, Abdo Salem, Mecca, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Salem, Abdelzaher, Mount, Mina, “, AFP, Saudi, Medina , Saudi Arabia

CNN —President Joe Biden is expected to pardon US veterans who were convicted by the military over a 60-year period under a military law that banned gay sex, three US officials told CNN. The granting of pardons won’t automatically change convicted veterans’ records but allows those impacted to apply for a certificate of pardon that will help them receive withheld benefits. A service member’s discharge status can determine what kind of Veterans Affairs benefits they are eligible for. “For decades, our LGBTQ+ service members were forced to hide or were prevented from serving altogether,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time. If a certificate of pardon is issued, the service member will then have to apply to their respective military department’s board of corrections to have their military records corrected.

Persons: Joe Biden, won’t, Don’t, ”, Lloyd Austin Organizations: CNN, Military, Veterans Affairs, Pentagon, ”, Department

☆ 'Every trench' in Ukraine needs a close-range electronic warfare shield against drones and other threats, top official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRussia and Ukraine have relied heavily on electronic warfare tactics throughout the conflict, leaning on cheap — but highly effective — technology to interfere with the targeting process of precision strike weapons like attack drones and guided munitions. With the battlefield full of such threats, especially the drones that threaten anything that moves, the need for electronic warfare systems is tremendous. "Different EW tools are needed to conduct strategic missions, but there is also a huge need for so-called 'close-range' EW," Fedorov said. Related storiesClose-range electronic-warfare systems would be particularly useful against enemy drones, specifically the small quadcopters that conduct reconnaissance and strike missions. "You can have the best drone, but what's the sense if it can't fly under electronic warfare?"

Persons: —, Mykhailo Fedorov, we've, Fedorov, Yar, Jose Colon, Doug Bush, Bush, Khrystyna Lutsyk, Nicole Petrucci, Petrucci Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Business, AP, 22nd Infantry Brigade, Anadolu, Getty, 24th Mechanized Brigade, US Space Force, Air & Space Forces Magazine Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Kyiv, China

☆ Japanese mother and child stabbed in China in front of school bus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Nectar Gan | Himari Semans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —A Japanese woman and her child were among three people stabbed by a man on Monday in front of a school bus at a bus stop in eastern China, according to Japanese authorities. In Suzhou, the attack took place Monday afternoon as the mother waited to pick up her child at a bus stop near a Japanese school, according to the Japanese official. The school bus is from the Suzhou Japanese School, located less than a mile from the bus stop in an area where many Japanese nationals live, NHK said. Opened in 2005, the Suzhou Japanese School offers six-year elementary school and three-year junior high school curriculums, according to its website. Its rules state that students must be picked up by a parent or guardian from the school bus.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, “, ”, Zhou, Mao Ning, rampages, –, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Japanese Nationals Overseas Safety Division, Japan’s Foreign Ministry, CNN, Embassy, NHK, Suzhou Japanese, Japan’s Embassy, Foreign, Suzhou Japanese School Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, China, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Shanghai, Jilin ., Jilin, Beijing, Japan

☆ China's historic moon mission is just the start of its plans to dominate space
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, its Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully returned to Earth carrying the first-ever samples from the moon's far side. They signify China's growing prowess in orbit, as well as its potential to someday leapfrog the US in the race to dominate space. The moon's far sideThe moon's far side is considered particularly challenging to explore because of its craters and the difficulty of maintaining communications with vehicles landing there. The latest mission, which launched on May 3, is China's second successful landing on the moon's far side, with the first launched in 2019. The space race heats upChina is now rivaling the US and Russia as a leading space power.

Persons: —, Astrobiotic, Simone Dell'Agnello, Xi Jinping, Bill Nelson, it's Organizations: Service, Earth, Business, NASA, Wall Street, Analysts, Pentagon Locations: China, Mongolia, Russia

☆ Julian Assange spent 5 years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated 23 hours a day before his release on bail, WikiLeaks says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewJulian Assange spent more than five years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated 23 hours a day before his release on bail, WikiLeaks said in a statement on Tuesday. Assange was arrested in the UK in 2019 for breaching bail conditions after seeking asylum in Ecuador's London Embassy to avoid extradition. AdvertisementOn Monday, the High Court of London granted Assange bail, the WikiLeaks statement said, allowing him to board a plane at 5 p.m. local time and leave the UK. AdvertisementBritain's 'Guantánamo Bay'Before his release, Assange spent half a decade detained in a prison once dubbed the UK's "Guantánamo Bay." Belmarsh Prison, where Julian Assange was held, pictured on May 20, 2024, in London.

Persons: —, Julian Assange, Assange, Chelsea Manning, Matthew McKenzie, Carl Court Organizations: Service, WikiLeaks, Business, Embassy, US Department of Justice, United States, Northern, Justice Department, BBC, European, Human Rights, Independent Locations: Ecuador's, Northern Mariana Islands, Northern Mariana, London, Belmarsh, Australia

The plea deal allows Assange to avoid prison in the US and return to his native Australia. “That never came up in our conversations,” said David Stilwell, the State Department assistant secretary for the Pacific region during the Trump administration. Sessions’ focus on national security-related leaks was “probably one of the reasons why the [Assange] case had more traction,” Hickey told CNN. Hickey said he was not involved in the Assange case when he was a senior official at DOJ’s National Security Division from 2016 to 2023. Stilwell, the former State Department official under the Trump administration, pushed back on the Assange plea deal.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Biden, Trump, ”, David Stilwell, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, General Merrick Garland, Chelsea Manning, Manning, Barack Obama, Obama, Trump’s, Jeff Sessions, Adam Hickey, ” Hickey, Hickey, “ Assange, who’s, Mayer Brown, Garland, Andrew McCabe, “, it’s, ” McCabe, Stilwell, ” Stilwell, Bradley Moss, would’ve, ” Moss, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Kevin Liptak Organizations: CNN, United, Wikileaks, State Department, Australian, Justice Department, FBI, Northern, London’s, US Justice Department, White, Pentagon, Army, Assange ., Department, Obama, Biden, DOJ’s National Security Division, Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union, Computer, Ecuadorian Locations: United States, Washington, London, Stockholm, Quito, Ecuador, Australia, Pacific, Virginia, London’s, Northern Mariana Islands, Iraq, Guantanamo, Washington ,

☆ Two-time Olympian Michelle Sechser on balancing training and office work
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTwo-time Olympian Michelle Sechser on balancing training and office workTim Gokey, Broadridge CEO, and Two-time Olympian Michelle Sechser join 'Power Lunch' to discuss hiring Olympians during the official games.

Persons: Michelle Sechser, Tim Gokey

☆ Biden administration moving towards allowing American military contractors to deploy to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is moving toward lifting a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine, four US officials familiar with the matter told CNN, to help the country’s military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems. The change would mark another significant shift in the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy, as the US looks for ways to give Ukraine’s military an upper hand against Russia. The policy is still being worked on by administration officials and has not received final sign-off yet from President Joe Biden, officials said. Allowing experienced, US government-funded American contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they will be able to help fix damaged, high-value equipment much faster, officials said. The discussions follow a series of decisions the US has made in recent months to try to help Ukraine beat back the Russians.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, “, ”, Jake Sullivan, Alex Vindman, Donald Trump’s, Vindman, ” Vindman Organizations: CNN, Biden, Russia, ”, Pentagon, State Department, Administration, Ukraine, National, European Affairs, Donald Trump’s National Security Council Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Poland, Romania, Kharkiv, Iraq, Afghanistan

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