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☆ Russia Warns Japan of 'Serious Consequences' if Patriot Missiles Made There End up in Ukraine - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's newly appointed ambassador to Japan has warned Tokyo of serious consequences and retaliatory steps if Patriot missile systems manufactured under U.S. licence in Japan end up in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported on Friday. RIA cited the new envoy, Nikolai Nozdrev, as saying that Moscow would be watching closely to see where Japanese arms exports ended up after Tokyo softened its export rules at the end of last year. In particular, he said, Russia would be watching to see if and when any Patriot missile complexes and missiles made in Japan under U.S. licence are exported to the United States and then to Ukraine. "Accordingly, we will be watching carefully to make sure that the Patriots delivered do not end up in Ukraine, because if that happens, there will be the most severe consequences for bilateral (Russia-Japan) relations, including our retaliatory steps," RIA cited him as saying. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 96 Images(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)Photos You Should See View All 60 Images

Persons: RIA, Nikolai Nozdrev, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Patriot, U.S, Patriots, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Japan, Tokyo, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, United States

☆ Chinese envoy meets Hamas chief Haniyeh after first visit to Israel since Gaza war began
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian met Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, China’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, the first meeting between a Chinese and Hamas official publicly acknowledged by Beijing since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Wang and Haniyeh “exchanged views on the Gaza conflict and other issues” during their meeting Sunday, according to a brief readout from China’s Foreign Ministry Tuesday. Wang’s visit comes as Beijing aims to step up its profile as a peace broker and has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to the Gaza war. Fighting began on October 7 when Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages, according to Israel. During his visit to the West Bank, Wang met with the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, where the Chinese envoy said Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the conflict in Gaza.

Persons: Wang Kejian, Ismail Haniyeh, Wang, Haniyeh “, Haniyeh, Qatar Cao Xiaolin, ”, Cao, Wang’s, Riyad al, “, Zhai Jun, Wang Yi, ” Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s, Hamas, West Bank –, Foreign, “, Security Council, United Nations, International Court of Justice, China’s Foreign Ministry, West Bank, Ministry of Health, Palestinian, Foreign Ministry, Beijing, Palestinian National Authority, Global South, UN, UN Security Council, Washington, Palestine Locations: Hong Kong, Qatar, Beijing, Gaza, Wang, Israel, China, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Indonesia, Global South Beijing, United States, Xinjiang

In 2013, two years before he began running for president, Mr. Trump — Mr. Kushner’s father-in-law — told a top Serbian government official that he wanted to build a luxury hotel on the site. Associates of the Trump Organization traveled to Belgrade to inspect the location. The project did not come together before Mr. Trump’s election in 2016, and after being sworn in he vowed to not do any new foreign deals. But developing the site would again draw interest from Mr. Trump’s circle. Richard Grenell, whom Mr. Trump had appointed as a special envoy in the Balkans, pushed a related plan during the Trump administration that Serbia and the United States jointly work to rebuild the Defense Ministry site.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, Kushner, Kushner’s, —, Richard Grenell Organizations: Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, NATO, The New York Times, Serbian, Associates, Trump Organization, United, Defense Ministry Locations: Belgrade, Serbian, Balkans, Serbia, United States, American

☆ Six more years of Putin will worry many countries. But not China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A stable relationship with Moscow, too, allows Beijing to focus on other areas of concern such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. “Xi sees Putin as a genuine strategic partner,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, ahead of the Russian election results, adding that anything less than a landslide win for Putin would be “a disappointment” for Beijing. The Russian leader has weathered an apparent miscalculation that what his government still calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine would be a swift success. Jose Colon/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWatchful BeijingBut that doesn’t mean countries tied to Moscow aren’t also watching the conflict in Ukraine carefully. That may be especially true for China, Russia’s most powerful strategic partner.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, Steve Tsang, Mao Zedong, won’t, Putin’s, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he’s, Alexey Navalny, –, BRICS, Jose Colon, Moscow aren’t, “, Eurasia Li Hui, Wang Yiwei, Putin –, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ukraine grinds, Kremlin, NATO, Washington, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Putin, Russia's, KCNA, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Russian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Moscow, Renmin University, Beijing, CNN Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Taiwan, Beijing, Moscow, South China, North Korea, Russia’s Far, Washington, Pyongyang, South Korea, Iran, India, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Russian, United States, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Ethiopia, Egypt, Russia’s Kazan, Crimea, Sochi, West, Israel, Gaza, Ukrainian, Eurasia, Europe, Beijing –

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger's junta said Saturday the U.S. military presence in the country is no longer justified, making the announcement on state television after holding high-level talks with U.S. diplomatic and military officials this week. He said Niger was suspending military cooperation with Washington and added that U.S. flights over the country’s territory in recent weeks were illegal. The U.S. has also invested years and hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger's military. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe Niger junta spokesman said the U.S. tone was condescending and threatened Niger's sovereignty. The U.S. military had some 650 personnel working in Niger in December, according to a White House report to Congress.

Persons: — Niger's, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Niger's, Mohammed Bazoum, Molly Phee, Michael Langley, Phee, Jessica Donati Organizations: U.S, Washington, European Union, military's, Command, Niger, Associated Press Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, U.S, Africa's Sahel, Agadez, Niamey, Washington, Africa, France, Dakar, Senegal

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald J. Trump, confirmed on Friday that he was closing in on major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia, the latest example of the former president’s family doing business abroad even as Mr. Trump seeks to return to the White House. Mr. Kushner’s plans in the Balkans appear to have come about in part through relationships built while Mr. Trump was in office. Mr. Kushner, who was a senior White House official, said he had been working on the deals with Richard Grenell, who served briefly as acting director of national intelligence under Mr. Trump and also as ambassador to Germany and special envoy to the Balkans. One of the proposed projects would be the development of an island off the coast of Albania into a luxury tourist destination. A second — with a planned luxury hotel and 1,500 residential units and a museum — is in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, at the site of the long-vacant former headquarters of the Yugoslav Army destroyed in 1999 by the NATO bombings, according to a member of Parliament in Serbia and Mr. Kushner’s company.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, Kushner’s, Kushner, Richard Grenell Organizations: Mr, White House, Yugoslav, NATO Locations: Albania, Serbia, Germany, Balkans, Belgrade

☆ Pro-Israel Lobby Faces Challenges Amid Gaza War and Shifting Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Kate Kelly | Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

AIPAC, the pro-Israel group that has long been among Washington’s most powerful lobbying forces, is facing intense challenges as it seeks to maintain bipartisan support for Israel amid the war in Gaza — even as it alienates some Democrats with its increasingly aggressive political tactics. The tension has been exacerbated by divisions in the Democratic Party over Israel against the backdrop of a rising civilian death toll in Gaza and the barriers placed on humanitarian aid by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AIPAC has also had to confront the tangled politics of foreign aid on Capitol Hill, where money for Israel is caught up in the dispute over providing assistance to Ukraine. It is a standoff that the group has so far been unable to help resolve. “It gets disguised by their formidable ability to raise money, but their life has become very complicated.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald J, Trump, ” Martin, Indyk, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama Organizations: Israel, AIPAC, Democratic Party, Capitol Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, U.S

“Continuation of hostilities can, in no way, protect them,” she said. She told the council that the 134 hostages still in captivity and the more than 2 million civilians in Gaza “share a common fate. For their common sake, there must be a humanitarian cease-fire now.” Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas has killed over 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he came to the council “to protest as loud as I can against the crimes against humanity” committed by Hamas in order to deter and scare Israeli society. Patten told the council that when she visited the West Bank she didn’t receive any reports of rape, but instances of sexual violence during the detention of both Palestinian men and women were raised.

Persons: ”, ” Pramila Patten, ” Patten, Israel Katz, Katz, Ramadan Kareem, ” Katz, ” Riyad Mansour, Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t, Mansour, “, Patten’s, Israel “, Patten Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, . Security, Hamas, Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s, Security Council, Palestinian, Independent International Commission of, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, United Kingdom, France

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel Says It Struck Area Used by High-Ranking Hamas Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The session follows a 23-page U.N. report, released on March 4, written by a team led by Pramila Patten, a special envoy on sexual violence and conflict. The report said it was reasonable to believe sexual violence against hostages could be ongoing. Diplomats from the 15-member council uniformly condemned sexual violence against Israeli women. Ms. Patten and her team also visited the West Bank to hear reports of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli security forces and settlers. The full report addressed the accusations, but did not focus on them because other U.N. bodies were working on that.

Persons: Pramila Patten, —, France —, Patten, Ms, ”, Timothy A, Clary, Israel Katz, ” Mr, Katz, Riyad Mansour Organizations: Sexual, United Nations Security Council, ., Agence France, Diplomats, West Bank, Palestinian, Council Locations: United States, Britain, France, Israel, Gaza, U.S

☆ Rupert Murdoch's new Russian fiancée ties him to a sprawling web of money — with some surprising connections
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His fiancée, Elena Zhukova, was once married to Alexander Radkin Zhukov, a Russian oligarch. Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, was married to Roman Abramovich from 2008 to 2017. Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty ImagesZhukova shares a daughter with Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova. Dasha Zhukova is now married to Stavros Niarchos, the grandson of a Greek shipping tycoon. AdvertisementDasha Zhukova married Stavros Niarchos in January 2020.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Elena Zhukova, Alexander Radkin Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich, —, Murdoch, Vladimir Putin, Zhukova, Wendi Deng, Zhukov, hasn't, Daniele Venturelli, Dasha, Abramovich, Putin, backchannel, Vladimir Putin's backchannel, Mikhail Svetlov, Stavros Niarchos, Lexie Moreland, Murdoch didn't Organizations: Service, The Daily Mail, Guardian, Times, Getty, Premier League soccer, Chelsea Football Club, European Union, Penske Media, News Corp, Business Insider Locations: Russian, Italy, London, Russia, Ukraine, New York, Switzerland

☆ Kamala Harris urges Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire, pushes Israel on aid to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza in her remarks on March 3, 2024, but reiterated that Israel has "a right to defend itself." "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire," Harris said at an event in Selma, Alabama. Washington has insisted the ceasefire deal is close and has been pushing to put in place a truce by the start of Ramadan, a week away. A view of new humanitarian aid after arriving to the northern Gaza Strip from sky with parachutes in Northern Gaza, Gaza on March 02, 2024. The Egyptian army had announced Saturday airdropping a new aid batch to areas in the northern Gaza Strip.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Israel, Elijah Nouvelage, Harris, Let's, Abed Zagout, Benny Gantz, Antony Blinken, Amos Hochstein, Daniel Hagari, Muatasem Salah, Biden, Omar Qattaa Organizations: Getty, Palestinian, Anadolu, U.S, Hamas, Reuters, White, . U.S, Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel, Selma , Alabama, Rafah, Cairo, Washington, ., Beirut, Lebanese, Northern Gaza

☆ UN team finds ‘convincing’ information that hostages in Gaza were raped
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Richard Roth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

United Nations CNN —A United Nations team has found “clear and convincing” information that hostages in Gaza were sexually abused, Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict told reporters on Monday. There are “reasonable grounds” to believe the sexual violence is ongoing, she added. The UN team, which was led by Patten, visited Israel between January 29 to February 14 for a mission “aimed at gathering, analyzing, and verifying information on conflict-related sexual violence” during October 7 and its aftermath, according to a 24-page report. The mission was not able to meet with any victims of sexual violence on October 7 “despite our efforts,” Patten said. But we received information that a handful of them were receiving very specialized trauma treatment and were not prepared to come forward,” she said.

Persons: Pramila Patten, Patten, “, ” Patten, ” Organizations: United Nations CNN, United Nations, UN, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, Al, Aqsa

☆ Death toll rises from Russian drone strike on Ukrainian port city, as China's envoy tours Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Drone view shows rescue crews working at the site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike that killed several residents, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa on March 2, 2024, in this still image from handout video. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Western allies to boost Ukraine's air defenses in the wake of the deadly attack. Four more people may be trapped in the rubble in Odesa, the local branch of Ukraine's main emergency service said in a Facebook update Sunday. Elsewhere in Ukraine, regional authorities reported that a 58-year-old man died under rubble after Russian forces shelled his village in the southern Kherson province. Another civilian man, aged 38, was also killed in a Russian artillery strike on the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, local Gov.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Read, Tymofiy, Mark, Zelenskyy, Oleh Kiper, Ivan Fedorov Organizations: Twitter, Gov Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, Iranian, Kherson province

☆ Concern rising among Biden officials that Israel is planning incursion into Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior Biden administration official said. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe. “Some Israeli officials suggest that it is more of an effort at creating a threat that they can utilize. A second senior Biden administration official said there are elements inside the Israeli government and military in favor of an incursion. Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar/USA Today“Once the war is over, his expiration date arrives,” the first senior administration official said.

Persons: Biden, ”, “, let’s, Let’s, ’, Israel, Herzi, Amos Hochstein, Amos Hochstein Michael Brochstein, Amos, Hochstein, Yoav Gallant, It’s, ” Gallant, Ziv, Jalaa Marey, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar Organizations: CNN, Biden, “, Israel, US, Getty, Lebanese Armed Forces, United Nations, UNIFIL, Bibi Locations: Israel, Lebanon, Israeli, Gaza, “, Washington, The State, Beirut, Baalbek, Israel's, Safed, AFP, ” Israel, Golan

☆ China's Premier Li urges stronger economic, trade ties with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's Premier Li Qiang attends a meeting with US Climate Envoy John Kerry at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 18, 2023. China and the United States should strengthen economic and trade ties and Washington should avoid decoupling from China, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday, during a meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation, Chinese state radio reported. "Strengthening economic and trade cooperation is a win-win situation for both countries," Li told the delegation led by Chamber of Commerce chief Suzanne Clark. Li said U.S. companies were welcome to continue investing in China and that barriers were not in the fundamental interests of both sides. Ties are still recovering after the United States downed an alleged Chinese spy balloon a year ago.

Persons: Li Qiang, John Kerry, Li, Suzanne Clark, Clark Organizations: US, of, People, Chamber of Commerce, United Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Washington, U.S, loggerheads, Taiwan, South

☆ Russia was ridiculed at the start of the war. Two years on, it has reasons to be confident
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Internal political frictions and the replacement of popular military chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi has also fueled concerns over military strategy going forward. "I think for Ukraine, there's really quite minimal difference between a president who can't deliver lethal aid and a president who won't deliver lethal aid. Russia's President Vladimir Putin listens while then-U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, in 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles while visiting an aviation plant on February 21, 2024, in Kazan, Russia. "The dispute over mobilization is happening at a time when most authorized U.S. military aid is close to exhausted and Congress has yet to pass a new aid package."

Persons: Moscow —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, there's, James Nixey, that's, Putin, Donald, Trump, Nixey, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Brendan Smialowski, Alexei Navalny, Kurt Volker, he'd, Avdiivka, Volker, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, David Kirichenko, Kirichenko Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Kyiv —, U.S, Russian, AFP, NATO, CNBC, Analysts, Institute for, Russia, Manpower, Kremlin, Center for, Armed Forces of, Bloomberg Locations: Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Avdiivka, Eurasia, Helsinki, Finland, West, U.S, Russian, Kazan, Donetsk, Armed Forces of Ukraine

According to Israeli officials, about 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Qatar and Egypt have been acting as intermediaries between Israel and Hamas, which do not negotiate directly. The talks had appeared to stall last week, after discussions held in Cairo failed to reach a breakthrough. Mr. Kirby said Mr. McGurk intended to press the Israeli war cabinet for its plans for its military operation in Rafah. Israeli and U.S. officials have argued that an immediate cease-fire would allow Hamas to regroup and fortify in Gaza, and reduce the pressure for making a deal to release hostages held in the territory.

Persons: Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, David Barnea, William Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Abbas Kamel, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel’s, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Brett McGurk, Yoav Gallant, “, Brett, ”, John Kirby, McGurk, Mr, ” Mr, Kirby, Gallant, Adam Sella, Cassandra Vinograd Organizations: Qatari, White, Mr, National Security Council, United, Security Locations: U.S, Paris, Gaza, Israel, Thani, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Gaza’s, Rafah, Tel Aviv, United States

☆ Oil prices lower as senior Israeli official sees signs of progress on hostage deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Crude oil futures were slightly lower Thursday as a senior Israeli official sees initial signs of progress toward a deal to release hostages held in Gaza and as the market awaits for U.S. inventory data. The West Texas Texas Intermediate contract fell 47 cents, or 0.6%, to $77.44 a barrel. White House Middle East envoy Brett McGurk will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday to discuss efforts to free hostages held by Hamas. A temporary ceasefire in exchange for releasing hostages in Gaza would potentially reduce the risk of the conflict engulfing the Middle East and disrupting crude supplies. Futures are down less than 1% week to date, after crude rallied last week on escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Persons: Brent, Benny Gantz, Brett McGurk, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: West Texas Texas Intermediate, Hamas, U.S . Energy Information Agency Locations: Gaza, East

☆ Israel’s Druze Arabs, fiercely loyal to the state, feel let down after ‘paying with their blood’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

About a million-strong, the global Druze community is largely spread across Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Some 130,000 Israeli Druze live in the Carmel and Galilee in the country’s north. There have been rumblings of discontent since 2018, when tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to protest Israel’s controversial “nation-state” law. “The (nation-state) law didn’t affect our identity – it affected our sense of belonging,” he said in a video call with CNN. “The Druze community has no dream to have a country – we don’t want it, we don’t believe in it.

Persons: Alim Abdallah, Abdallah, we’d, ” Abdallah’s, Mona, Mona Abdallah Saad, “, ” Mona, ”, Alim Abdallah Saad, Adam, Maya, ” Abdallah, CNN hasn’t, Col, Salman Habaka, Be’eri, Habaka, Gadeer Kamal, Kamal, ‘ I’m, I’m, ’, Corinna Kern, Anwar Saab, It’s, Omri Eilat, Ariel Schalit, Benny Gantz, Bejamin Netanyahu, Bibi –, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, 300th Baram Regional Brigade, Washington DC, Jewish Agency for, Reuters ‘, Saab, University of Haifa, Druze Heritage Center, National Unity, Israeli Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Yanuh, Lebanese, Syria, Carmel, Galilee, Golan, Egypt, Israel’s, Hala, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Druze, Washington, Jewish Agency for Israel, Iran, Isfiya, Yanuh Jat

☆ Oil prices slipped as traders wait for more insight on when Fed might cut rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Crude oil futures fell slightly Wednesday as the market waits for further indication of when the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates. The minutes could provide further insight on when the central bank plans to cut interest rates. Lower interest rates typically stimulate economic growth which fuels crude oil demand. White House Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is heading to Cairo Wednesday to continue talks on a temporary Gaza ceasefire in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages.

Persons: Brent, John Evans, PVM, Brett McGurk, Biden, Israel, Benny Gantz, Ramadan Organizations: West Texas Intermediate, Federal Reserve, Federal, White Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, East, U.S, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Islamic Republic, Cairo, Gaza, Rafah

☆ Israel strikes across Gaza as the U.S. says it will block another cease-fire resolution at the UN
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Celal Gunes | Anadolu | Getty ImagesIsraeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 18 people overnight and into Sunday, according to medics and witnesses, as the United States said it would veto another draft U.N. cease-fire resolution. The U.S., Israel's top ally, instead hopes to broker a cease-fire agreement and hostage release between Israel and Hamas, and envisions a wider resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said there are still about 200 patients in the hospital, including 20 who need urgent referrals to other hospitals. Israel says it has arrested over 100 suspected militants, including 20 who it says participated in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, without providing evidence. He also said Israel has not presented specific evidence for its claims that Hamas is diverting U.N. aid.

Persons: Celal, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Sayed, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ashraf al, David Satterfield Organizations: Cannon, Washington DC, Anadolu, Getty, Hamas, World Health Organization, Nasser Hospital, Associated Press, UN, WHO, Nasser, Gaza Health Ministry, Health Ministry, U.S . Middle Locations: Union, Gaza, Washington, United States, U.S, Israel, Israeli, Palestinian, Rafah, Gaza City

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has not presented specific evidence that Hamas is diverting U.N. aid and its recent targeted killings of Gaza police commanders safeguarding truck convoys have made it “virtually impossible” to distribute the goods safely, a top U.S. envoy said in rare public criticism of Israel. “We are working with the Israeli government, the Israeli military in seeing what solutions can be found here because everyone wants to see the assistance continue,” Satterfield told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Friday. On Friday, police opened fire after a crowd charged toward an aid truck that had emerged from the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Israel has alleged repeatedly that Hamas is diverting aid, including fuel, after it enters Gaza, a claim denied by U.N. aid agencies. Last week, an Israeli airstrike on a car killed three senior police commanders in Rafah, the first entry point for aid deliveries.

Persons: — Israel, Israel, David Satterfield, Biden, ” Satterfield, Wael Abu Omar, Satterfield, Joe Biden, Diaa Rashwan, Khan Younis, Gaza’s, city's Nasser, ___ Magdy Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International, Authority, U.N, Hamas, Ministry, Islamic, Authorities, State Information Service, Gaza Health Ministry, Health Ministry Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, U.S, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, EGYPT, Khan, Cairo, ___, israel

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan women feel scared or unsafe leaving their home alone because of Taliban decrees and enforcement campaigns on clothing and male guardians, according to a report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. The U.N. mission’s report, published Friday, said the decrees are being enforced through arrest, harassment and intimidation. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesOver half of the women interviewed for the report felt unsafe leaving the house without a male guardian, or mahram. Some women said that male relatives were also afraid and reluctant to leave the home with female relatives, as this would expose them to Taliban harassment. It seemed to be a specific goal of the Taliban to frighten women and girls out of leaving their homes, Barr said.

Persons: Heather Barr, Barr Organizations: Qatari, Doha, Virtue Ministry, Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Afghanistan, Doha

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China on Wednesday accused the United States and Britain of illegally attacking military sites used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to launch missiles at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global shipping. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood and UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward countered that the Houthi attacks are illegal, and their “proportionate and legal action” against the Yemen rebels are being taken in self-defense. “An immediate cease-fire in Gaza will help to stabilize the situation in the Red Sea, and the de-escalation in those waters will in turn unblock the efforts of the special envoy, Mr. Grundberg,” Polyansky said. The war has devastated Yemen, already the Arab region’s poorest country, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. This year, the Yemen appeal is more targeted and seeks $2.7 billion to reach 11.2 million people across Yemen.

Persons: Yemen’s Houthi, Robert Wood, Barbara Woodward, Woodward, U.N, Dmitry Polyansky, Zhang Jun, Yemen Hans Grundberg, Wood, Bab, ” Wood, “, ”, Moscow “, Grundberg, ” Russia’s Polyansky, ” Polyansky, Wosornu Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, —, . Security, U.S Locations: — Russia, China, United States, Britain, Red, Yemen, Gaza, Israel, Asia, Europe, United Kingdom, U.S, Mandeb, Aden, ”, Iran, Moscow, Russia, Sanaa, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, israel

☆ US Special Envoy on North Korea to Visit Tokyo, Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, Julie Turner, will travel to Tokyo and Seoul from Monday, the State Department said. On the visit through Feb. 22, Turner will meet with government officials, activists and North Korean defectors, the department said in a news release on its website on Friday. "Special Envoy Turner's trip will underscore the U.S. commitment to promoting human rights in North Korea, increasing access to uncensored information within the closed country, and empowering survivor voices advocating for concrete change," the release said. President Joe Biden, however, had vowed on taking office that human rights would be at the centre of his foreign policy. (Reporting by Kevin Buckland in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard and Tom Hogue)

Persons: Julie Turner, Turner, Joe Biden, Kevin Buckland, William Mallard, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S, State Department, North Korean, State Department's Office, East, of Democracy, Human Rights, Labor Locations: TOKYO, North, Tokyo, Seoul, North Korea, United States, Pyongyang, East Asia

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