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☆ Tian Tian: Giant panda celebrates last birthday in DC zoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Piper Hudspeth Blackburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The 26-year-old bear, Tian Tian, along with two other pandas in the zoo, are slated to leave by December 7. On Sunday, Tian Tian received a special “fruitsicle” cake made with fruits and vegetables with a “frosting” of sweet potatoes, mashed carrots and honey for his birthday, the museum said. The National Zoo’s Giant Panda Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian first arrived at the zoo in the early 2000s and were originally supposed to stay for 10 years. According to the National Zoo, giant pandas have an estimated lifespan of about 15-20 years in the wild and about 30 years in human care.

Persons: Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji, Mei Organizations: Washington CNN, Conservation Biology Institute, China Wildlife and Conservation Association, Panda Program, National Zoo Locations: United States, China

☆ US Commerce Secretary Raimondo says stable relationship with China is 'profoundly important'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said stable relations between Washington and Beijing are “profoundly important” as she kicked off a Monday meeting with her counterpart, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. “The economic relationship between the United States and China is one of the most significant in the world. We share over $700 billion of trade,” Raimondo said in the Chinese capital. “It is profoundly important that we have a stable economic relationship, which is to the benefit of both of our countries. Wang agreed, saying he saw most trade between the two economies as “benign.”— This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, “, ” Raimondo, Wang, Raimondo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — US, Commerce, Biden Locations: Hong Kong, Washington, Beijing, Shanghai, United States, China, “

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy for Iran met on Friday with the family of Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd, who was sentenced to death in February in Iran after being convicted of heading a pro-monarchist group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing. loading"I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Jamshid Sharmahd’s family today. He should have never been detained in Iran, and we hope to see the day he is reunited with his loved ones," Paley wrote. Responding to the post, Gazelle Sharmahd said she had told Paley she needed "actions" and that her father must be part of whatever is agreed to free U.S. nationals. Iran's intelligence ministry at the time described him as "the ringleader of the terrorist Tondar group, who directed armed and terrorist acts in Iran from America."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jamshid Sharmahd, Abram Paley, Sharmahd's, Shayan, Gazelle, Jamshid Sharmahd’s, Paley, Gazelle Sharmahd, Sharmahd, X, Eric Beech, Jasper Ward, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Biden Administration, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iran, German, America, Los Angeles, Assembly, Jasper

☆ Jamshid Sharmahd: US envoy meets family of German-Iranian sentenced to death in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Alex Stambaugh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A US envoy for Iran met on Friday with the family of Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been imprisoned and sentenced to death in Iran. He was sentenced to death last February for “corruption on Earth”, which sparked widespread condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments. Iranian-German national and US resident Jamshid Sharmahd attends his trial at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on Feb. 6, 2022. Koosha Mahshid Falahi/Mizan News Agency/APIn a statement following the decision, the European Union said Iranian authorities denied consular access to Sharmahd, despite his German nationality. In response to Paley’s statement, Gazelle Sharmahd urged the US government to help free her father.

Persons: Jamshid Sharmahd, “, Jamshid Sharmahd’s, Abram Paley, Sharmahd’s, Shayan, Gazelle, ”, Koosha Mahshid, Vedant Patel, Gazelle Sharmahd Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Iranian, European Union, Revolutionary, Mizan News Agency, AP, US State Department, State, Biden Administration Locations: Iran, German, Shiraz, Western, United States, Tehran

☆ Worker death prompts US FAA to issue aviation ground safety alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An American Airlines worker is seen at the Los Angeles international airport in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 31, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The death of an airline employee in December and another serious injury prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a safety alert on Friday to airlines in an effort to prevent more incidents. The safety alert reiterates that "it is important for workers to remain clear of operating engines until they are shut down," the FAA said. The alert comes as questions arise about U.S. aviation safety after a series of troubling near-miss incidents. The flight was operated by Envoy Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines and the worker was employed by Piedmont Airlines, another American subsidiary.

Persons: Carlos Barria, David Shepardson, Deepa Babington, Marguerita Choy Organizations: American Airlines, Los Angeles, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Montgomery Regional Airport, Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Airlines, Safety, Health, Commission, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Alabama

☆ Worker death prompts US authorities to issue aviation ground safety alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Carlos Barria, David Shepardson, Deepa Babington Organizations: American Airlines, Los Angeles, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Montgomery Regional Airport, Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Airlines, Safety, Health, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Alabama

☆ This Dutchman moved to San Francisco a year ago to help tech giants prepare for new EU rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

De Graaf, a 30-year veteran of the European Commission, was tasked with resurrecting the EU office in the Bay Area. The generative AI boomGenerative AI was a virtually foreign concept when de Graaf arrived in San Francisco last September. In June, the European Parliament cleared a major step in passing the EU AI Act, which would represent the EU's package of AI regulations. Tech companies that have for years criticized the EU for overly aggressive regulations are now asking, "Why is it taking you so long?" The rapidly changing landscape of generative AI makes it tricky for the EU to quickly formulate regulations.

Persons: Yves Herman, Gerard de Graaf, De Graaf, de Graaf, Union hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Mandel Ngan, Thierry Breton, Elon Musk, Breton, we've, We've, who's, they've, Aneesh Chopra Organizations: EU, European Commission, Digital Services, Nasdaq, Meta, Google, Apple, DSA, EC, Valley Bank, Irish Consulate, The, Union, U.S, Facebook, Financial, Financial Services, AFP, Getty, Twitter, Digital Markets, Washington , D.C, European, Tech, Stanford, Nvidia, White Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Europe, San Francisco, Bay, U.S, Silicon Valley, Silicon, Rayburn, Washington , DC, Poland, Graaf, Washington ,, United States

☆ Niger junta expels French ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Niger's junta supporters take part in a demonstration in front of a French army base in Niamey, Niger, August 11, 2023. In a statement, the junta-appointed foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador was a response to actions taken by the French government that were "contrary to the interests of Niger." It said these included the envoy's refusal to respond to an invitation to meet Niger's new foreign minister. The French foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The deterioration in Niger-France relations echoes post-coup developments in Mali and Burkina Faso, which have booted out French forces and severed long-standing ties.

Persons: Mahamadou, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's, Boureima Balima, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Anait Miridzhanian, Chris Reese, Andrew Heavens, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, West, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, French, Burkina Faso, Mali, France

☆ A millennial quit a job he loved rather than return to the office. Now he's making more money and working for bosses that don't suffer from 'productivity paranoia.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The great remote work debateAs part of the war over remote work, employers and employees alike have debated whether or not a mandatory return-to-office policy actually works. With two kids at home, the flexibility of remote work — coupled with no commute — was a boon. The firms that are succeeding at remote work have saved money from giving up office leases and are making their employees feel happier along the way. "You're still in meetings, you're still engaged, but you're not under the thumb of somebody — not treated like a child." Have you quit over remote work, or are contemplating it?

Persons: Timothy Done, I've, you've, Sam Eitzen, Nicholas Bloom, Bloom, It's, Done, it's Organizations: Service, Workers, Stanford University, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Manufacturing Survey, Business, Survey, Microsoft, jkaplan Locations: Wall, Silicon, Egypt, Denver, Utah, It's, micromanagement

☆ China, U.S. climate envoys hold video talks on climate-change cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy on climate issues, gestures as he attends a press conference in Beijing, China, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 23 (Reuters) - China's climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and U.S. counterpart John Kerry held a video call on Wednesday, exchanging views on topics such as climate change dialogue and cooperation between the two countries, Beijing's Ministry of Ecology and Environment said. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain close communication, the ministry said. Reporting by Ella Cao in Beijing and Meg Shen in Hongkong, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Kerry, Thomas Peter Acquire, Xie Zhenhua, Ella Cao, Meg Shen, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Beijing's Ministry of Ecology, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Hongkong

In climate negotiations, "loss and damage" refers to existing costs incurred from climate-fueled weather impacts, such last year's devastating Pakistan flooding. The U.S. is part of a 24-country committee deciding how the fund will work before the COP28 climate summit in Dubai can officially adopt it this year. Both voted to approve new funding arrangements under the condition that the fund not be about liability for rich countries and compensation. Instead, both Washington and Brussels say the fund should be filled from myriad sources including industry taxes, philanthropic donations or other schemes. The world’s least developed nations want the fund to be limited to the neediest nations.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, that's, ”, Sue Biniaz, Biniaz, Christina Chan, “, “ That’s, Avinash Persaud, Mia Mottley, Persaud, Dileimy Orzoco, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . State Department, Reuters, The, State Department, EU, Nonprofit, Thomson Locations: Sehwan, Pakistan, U.S, Washington, The U.S, Dubai, Dominican Republic, Paris, Brussels, China, Barbados, Philippines

CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit China next week at a critical time for the world’s second-largest economy — and for the Biden administration’s relationship with the country and its leaders. “Secretary Raimondo looks forward to constructive discussions on issues relating to the US-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by US businesses, and areas for potential cooperation,” the Commerce Department said Tuesday in its announcement. Maintaining a dialogue while ramping up competitionIn previous visits, other Biden administration officials aimed to reopen lines of communication and ease tensions that have risen between the two countries in recent years. The Biden administration has said it wants to maintain dialogue with China to prevent competition from turning into conflict. Raimondo’s visit also comes on the heels of the revelation that Chinese-based hackers infiltrated the Commerce Secretary’s emails.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Biden, Xi, hasn’t, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, “, Raimondo, She’ll, Trump, Mintz, Raimondo’s, —, Laura Organizations: CNN, US, Biden, Commerce Department, Treasury Department, US Trade Representative, Raimondo’s Commerce, White, China, Mintz Group, Commerce Locations: China, Hong, Beijing, Shanghai, American

☆ BRICS Summit: Who stands to benefit from Russia-friendly bloc's expansion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has never been more prominent on the world stage. Russia’s leader can’t attend the summit because host country South Africa would be obliged to arrest him for alleged war crimes. But nonetheless that family is now entertaining formal bids from nearly two dozen countries to join their bloc of major emerging economies. It held its first summit in 2009 with four members and then added South Africa the following year. An expansion, instead of making the group more potent, could also make it “more unwieldy and ineffective” with more contrasting positions between members, he added.

Persons: can’t, It’s, Russia’s Vladimir Putin –, Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, BRICS, ” “, Chen Xiaodong, Bhaso, “, China’s Xi, India’s Narendra Modi, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, –, Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill, BRICS Anil Sooklal, Mihaela Papa, ”, Xi, Yun Sun, Putin –, Manoj Kewalramani, Kewalramani, Modi, Lula, Ramaphosa, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Rubens Duarte Organizations: CNN, West, Washington, Sunday, University of Johannesburg, New Development Bank, United Arab, Tufts University, Western, China Program, Stimson, NATO, Takshashila, United Nations Locations: South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Beijing, United States, New Delhi, Ukraine, African, Argentina, Mexico, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Nigeria, Bangladesh, South, Washington, BRICS, Bangalore, Johannesburg, Russian, – China, Africa, Europe

☆ China will develop core industries in digital economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Li Qiang, John Kerry, Florence Lo, Li, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Chinese Premier Li: Sino-U.S. relations, trade cooperation face difficulties
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Bilateral relations and economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States are facing difficulties, Chinese Premier Li Qiang told the chair of the U.S.-China Business Council heading a USCBC delegation on a visit to Beijing. "At present, China-U.S. relations and economic and trade cooperation are facing some difficulties, which require both sides to show sincerity, move towards each other and make joint efforts," Li told USCBC chair Marc Casper on Monday, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Li added that China is willing to work with the U.S. to jointly safeguard international trade rules and ensure the stability of global industrial chains. Reporting by Ella Cao, Liangping Gao in Beijing and Meg Shen in Hong Kong, editing by Ed Osmond and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Qiang, John Kerry, Florence Lo, Li's, Gina Raimondo's, Li, Marc Casper, Casper, Jin Zhuanglong, Ella Cao, Liangping Gao, Meg Shen, Ed Osmond, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: U.S, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., China Business Council, U.S . Commerce, Bloomberg, Xinhua, Chinese Industry, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ Pope Francis discusses Ukraine war and peace with US military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican, August 21, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. The general, who is visiting several European countries, said the pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022. Milley has sharply criticized Moscow as mounting "a campaign of terror" against civilians in Ukraine, including by targeting civilian infrastructure as part of its war strategy. A strong advocate for Ukraine's defence against Russian forces, Milley, 65, has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv.

Persons: Pope Francis, Mark A, Mark Milley, Milley, Dave Butler, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Phil Stewart, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Joint Chiefs, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Catholic, Russian, Army, cautioning, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Crimea, Beijing

After months of acrimony, administration officials have recently begun visiting Beijing in a bid to reestablish regular communication. “The most intense, the most focus that I’ve ever seen President Biden is in advance of these engagements with President Xi,” the official said. And the extent to which their personal relationship will impact US-China relations overall has yet to be determined. “This summit is formalizing and institutionalizing a major strategic shift of the region,” explained a third senior administration official. “The Biden administration has always been clear that talking is best, they will keep showing up, and communication is necessary.

Persons: David, Joe Biden, –, Xi Jinping Biden, ” Biden, “, ”, Xi, Biden, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, “ You’re, Hikariko Ono, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, “ Xi, Narendra Modi, ’ Biden, “ I’ve, “ That’s, we’re, “ Biden, Obama, Danny Russel, Camp David, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry Organizations: CNN, Korean, Democratic, Foreign Ministry, White House, Biden, State Department, Camp, Japanese, South, ” Locations: China, Utah, Beijing, Bali, US, Tokyo, Seoul, mending, Asia, Sunnylands, Palm, Taiwan, India, San Francisco, Japan, South Korea

☆ Exclusive: British police investigate exiled former Myanmar envoy for trespass
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( John Geddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his protest, praised by the British government at the time, Kyaw Zwar Minn has stayed at the northwest London ambassador's residence, a mansion surrounded by razor wire and CCTV cameras. Britain last year urged Kyaw Zwar Minn to leave the residence, citing pressure from the junta, Reuters reported. Earlier this week Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police over "an allegation that he trespassed on diplomatic premises," said Neil Swift, his London-based lawyer at Peters & Peters. Myanmar's embassy in London, Britain's Foreign Office and London's Metropolitan Police did not respond to requests for comment. Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police on Aug. 15 but charges have not yet been brought, according to Swift.

Persons: Kyaw, Toby Melville, Kyaw Zwar Minn, Aung San, Zwar Minn, Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, Swift, Chris Gunness, Suu Kyi, John Geddie, Andrew MacAskill, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, British, Reuters, Peters &, Union of Myanmar, Metropolitan Police, National Unity Government, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Britain, London, United Kingdom, Aung San Suu Kyi, British, Union, Myanmar's, Vienna

☆ UN envoy urges world court to prosecute Afghan gender discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A beauty salon with defaced pictures of women is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 6, 2023. On the second anniversary of the Taliban's return to power as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Brown said he had written to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to argue his point. Girls over the age of 12 have been mostly excluded from school classes since the Taliban returned to power. "The International Criminal Court should recognize this gender discrimination as a crime against humanity and investigate it with a view to the arraignment and prosecution of those responsible," said Brown, a former British prime minister. Khan is investigating suspected war crimes committed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.

Persons: Ali Khara, Gordon Brown, Brown, Karim Khan, Khan, We've, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Criminal Court, ICC, Girls, Taliban, Muslim, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, British, Kandahar

☆ Fact Check-John Kerry did not say US farmers should ‘go extinct’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry did not say that farms, farmers or farming should be abolished during remarks at a climate summit in May, as suggested in social media posts that recirculated a misleading article headline claiming Kerry said U.S. farmers should become extinct. On May 10, the final day of the summit, Kerry said that cutting greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture was necessary to combat climate change, Reuters reported at the time (here). However, there is no record of Kerry having made a statement suggesting farmers should be eliminated and a State Department spokesperson said the claim is false. He does not say farmers should “go extinct”. John Kerry did not say, “it’s time for U.S. farmers to go extinct” at a climate summit in May.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Joe Biden, Kerry’s, “ John Kerry, ‘, Read Organizations: Reuters, Republican, State Department, Agriculture Innovation, Climate Summit, U.S . Farmers, People’s Locations: Washington

☆ Saudi Arabia appoints first envoy to Palestinians amid talks on Israel normalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jerusalem CNN —Saudi Arabia has appointed its first ambassador to the Palestinians, in a move that comes amid talks with the United States over a possible deal to normalize relations between the Gulf kingdom and Israel. Palestinians maintain that the eastern part of the city should serve as the future capital of a Palestinian state. All members of the Arab bloc, including Saudi Arabia, recognize Palestinian statehood and the kingdom maintains a Palestinian embassy in the capital Riyadh. The move comes amid reports of a normalization deal in the works between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with the Unites States involved in the rapprochement. Miller’s comments came after a Wall Street Journal report saying that the US and Saudi Arabia had agreed on the “broad contours” of a normalization deal.

Persons: Jordan, Naif bin Bandar, ”, Mahmoud Abbas’s, Al, Eli Cohen, Israel, Saudi Arabia’s, ” Cohen, ” “, Donald Trump, Matthew Miller Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, of, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel, Saudi, United Nations, ”, State Department, CNN Locations: Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, Naif bin, Naif bin Bandar Al, of Palestine, Jordanian, Amman, Saudi, Palestinian, Riyadh

☆ Israel rules out Jerusalem base for Saudi envoy to Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Flags of Saudi Arabia and Israel stand together in a kitchen staging area at the State Department in Washington, October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/PoolJERUSALEM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Israel ruled out on Sunday a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for the new Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, whose appointment comes as Washington tries to forge formal Israeli relations with Riyadh. Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. "We will not allow the opening of any kind of diplomatic mission" in Jerusalem, Cohen added. Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Pool, Jordan Nayef Al, Sudairi, Donald Trump, Eli Cohen, Cohen, Bassam Al, Agha, Al, Trump, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Bernadette Baum Organizations: State Department, REUTERS, Saudi, Washington, Palestinian Authority, Tel, U.S, Palestine, Israel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Washington, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Saudi, Amman, East Jerusalem, United States, U.S, Tel Aviv, Palestinian

☆ Palestinians accept first Saudi ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At a ceremony in Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's diplomatic adviser Majdi al-Khalidi received a copy of the credentials of Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi as a non-resident envoy, official Palestinian news agency Wafa said. Palestinian analyst Talal Okal said the diplomatic appointment was a half-step toward an official Saudi representation office in the occupied West Bank. "It is also a message Saudi Arabia was committed to the rights of the Palestinians in a fully sovereign state," he added. PALESTINIAN CONCERNPalestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said last week that Abbas's Western-backed Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia over their concerns about the potential normalisation with Israel. Saudi Arabia has quietly accepted the so-called Abraham Accords that have normalised ties between Israel and Gulf states United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas's, Majdi al, Khalidi, Nayef Al, Wafa, al, Talal Okal, Riyad al, Maliki, Abraham, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal al, Ali Swafta, Maayan Lubell, Hatem Maher, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian, Saudi, Abraham Accords, United, NBC, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Saudi Arabian, Israel, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Saudi, Jordan, Palestinian, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Gaza, Ramallah, Maayan, Jerusalem, Cairo

☆ 80% of bosses say they regret earlier return-to-office plans: ‘A lot of executives have egg on their faces’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After three years of haphazard plans for getting workers back at their desks, the return-to-office movement has entered a phase of remorse. Envoy interviewed more than 1,000 U.S. company executives and workplace managers who work in-person at least one day per week. Kathy Kacher, a consultant who advises corporate executives on their return-to-office plans, is surprised the percentage isn't higher. "A lot of executives have egg on their faces and they're sad about that." The 'great resignation' to the 'great regret'As some business leaders accept hybrid work as a permanent reality, others are backtracking on earlier pledges to let employees work from home on a full or part-time basis.

Persons: Larry Gadea, it's, Kathy Kacher, pushback, Kacher, Who's Organizations: CNBC, Alliance Services, WFH Research, Disney, New York Times, Research, Companies Locations: U.S, BlackRock, New York City

☆ China assures Russia it remains ‘impartial’ on Ukraine war after attending Saudi peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lavrov “appreciates and welcomes the constructive role played by China” toward a political resolution of the “Ukraine crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in their readout of Monday’s call. China has continued to bolster its economic, diplomatic, and security ties with Russia, despite Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing has never condemned. It did not send a delegation to previous international talks in Denmark in June, despite attempting to position itself as a potential peace broker on the conflict in recent months. That proposal, which Beijing put forward earlier this year, calls for peace talks to end the conflict. Ukraine and Russia remain publicly committed to prerequisites for direct negotiations that the other side finds unacceptable.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Sergei Lavrov, ”, ” Wang, Lavrov “, Dmytro Kuleba, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Xi, Putin, China’s, Affairs Li Hui, “, …, Lavrov, Russia “, ” “, Qin Gang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russian, China’s Foreign Ministry, Saudi, Ukraine’s, ”, Affairs, Reuters, CNN, Tass, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Britain, Germany, India, Jeddah, ” Ukraine, American, Denmark, Europe, Washington

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