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☆ Dream of the Desert: Saudi Arabia is launching its own luxury train
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

State-owned railway company Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) recently struck a 200 million Saudi riyals ($53.33 million) deal with Italian hospitality company Arsenale Group to launch the first luxury train in the Middle Eastern kingdom. The destination has made a number of high-profile tourism investments in recent years – a $500 billion model city in the desert of northwest Saudi Arabia among them. Now Saudi Arabia is getting on board with the slow travel movement in a big way by moving into the luxury train market. Arsenale S.P.A./Saudi Arabia RailwaysSaudi Arabia’s decision to enter the luxury train market comes as demand for high-speed trains and luxury “rail cruises” continues to increase around the world. Infrastructure investmentA rendering of Dream of the Desert, which will be the first luxury train in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

Persons: Paolo Barletta, ” Barletta, S.P.A, Joe Biden, Dolce, ”, Luigi Corradi, King, Khalid al, Falih, Arsenale S.P.A, Bashar bin Khaled Al Malik, Al Malik, CNN’s Lilit Marcus, Ben Jones Organizations: CNN, State, Saudi Arabia Railways, Saudi, Arsenale Group, SAR, Saudi Arabia Railways Saudi, Reuters, “ Orient, Accor, Ferrovie dello Stato, Speed Railway, King Abdulaziz International, Saudi Arabia’s Investment, Projects, Saudi Railway Company, Orient Express, Orient Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Arabia’s, Riyadh, Qurayyat, Jordan, Hail, Italy, France, Italy’s, Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Venice, London, Kyushu

☆ Pita Limjaroenrat: Thai court dismisses media shares case against popular progressive politician
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed a case against Pita Limjaroenrat, 43, that alleged he violated election rules by running for office while holding shares in a media company – the long-defunct broadcaster iTV. Thai law bans members of parliament from owning or holding shares in media companies. Ahead of Wednesday’s verdict, Pita expressed confidence outside the court in Bangkok. Move Forward won the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote in the May election. And most recently, Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party, won the third most seats in the 2019 election.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, ”, “, Thais, turfing, Srettha Thavisin, Samak Sundaravej, Thaksin Shinawatra, – Organizations: Thailand CNN, Constitutional, iTV, Party, Thai Stock Exchange, CNN, National Institute of Development Administration, Reuters, Lawmakers, Forward Party Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, “

☆ Royal Mail is on the brink. Cutting letter deliveries to 3 days a week could save it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Royal Mail could ditch its near-daily deliveries of letters as the centuries-old British institution attempts to modernize its service and plug a growing hole in its finances. Ofcom, the UK regulator overseeing the postal service, published proposals to rescue the beleaguered company Wednesday. It said Royal Mail could save as much as £650 million ($828 million) a year if it cut letter deliveries to three days a week from the current six. The number of letters sent via the Royal Mail network had halved since 2011, and financial losses have ballooned. Among its other proposals, Ofcom suggested that Royal Mail could save up to £200 million ($255 million) a year by cutting its letter deliveries down to five days a week, or by extending the time it takes to get mail to customers.

Persons: “ Something’s, ” Melanie Dawes, Kevin Hollinrake, Martin Seidenberg Organizations: London CNN — Royal, Ofcom, Royal Mail, BBC, United, Services, CNN, Royal, International Distribution Services Locations: ”

☆ Medibank attack: Australia publicly names and sanctions Russian hacker Aleksandr Ermakov over data leak
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Australia has publicly named and imposed cyber sanctions on a Russian hacker for his alleged role in a 2022 ransomware attack, in the country’s first use of the penalty. At the time, the Australian Federal Police said investigators knew the identity of the attackers but declined to name them. On Tuesday, the Australian government revealed the name of the individual sanctioned — Russian national Aleksandr Ermakov, 33, an alleged member of the Russian ransomware gang REvil. When the Medibank attack took place later that year, experts said it could have been perpetrated by a REvil member — which Australian authorities confirmed on Tuesday. An initial ransom demand was made for $10 million (15 million Australian dollars).

Persons: Aleksandr Ermakov, “, ” Richard Marles, GCHQ —, Marles, “ REvil, ” Abigail Bradshaw, Medibank, — Organizations: Australia CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Medibank, Australian Signals Directorate, FBI, National Security Agency, NSA, United Kingdom’s, Microsoft, JBS Foods, Russia’s Federal Security Service, REvil, Australian Cyber Security, ” Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australia CNN — Australia, Russian, United States

☆ Megalodons were skinnier than we previously thought, new study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Megalodons, the huge prehistoric sharks depicted in movies such as “The Meg,” had more slender bodies than was previously thought, according to a new study. Many mysteries remain about the biology of megalodons, but until now, great white sharks had been used to model their appearance. The dark grey silhouette depicts the previously reconstructed body form, based on the great white shark. Kenshu Shimada/DePaul UniversityThis new research is based on the reappraisal of an incomplete set of fossil vertebrae found in Belgium. The research suggests that “the modern great white shark may not necessarily serve as a good modern analog for assessing at least certain aspects” of megalodon biology, said Shimada.

Persons: CNN — Megalodons, Meg, ”, Kenshu Shimada, Phillip Sternes, megalodons, megalodon, Shimada, ” Shimada, “ Organizations: CNN, DePaul University in, University of California, DePaul University Locations: DePaul University in Chicago, Riverside, Belgium

☆ Thailand sentences man to record 50 years in prison for insulting the monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Sentences for those convicted under Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, or lese majeste law, can be decades long and hundreds of people have been prosecuted in recent years. A criminal court found him guilty of 14 violations of lese majeste and sentenced him in January 2023 to 28 years. At least 262 people have been charged with lese majeste during that time, the group added. Thailand’s lese majeste prosecutions continue despite a civilian government now being in power, following almost a decade of military-backed rule. The verdicts include a decision by the Constitutional Court on whether Pita sought to overthrow the monarchy through his election campaign to amend the lese majeste law.

Persons: Mongkol Thirakhot, Chiang Rai, ”, majeste, TLHR, Mongkol, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Akarachai, Anchan Preelert, lese, Arnon Nampa, Arnon, ” TLRH, Thailand’s lese, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita Organizations: CNN, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Facebook, Supreme, UN Human Rights, YouTube, Forward, Constitutional Locations: Chiang Rai, Thailand, TLHR, Thai

London CNN —Catherine, Princess of Wales, will spend up to two weeks recovering in hospital after successfully undergoing abdominal surgery. “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery,” Kensington Palace said in a statement Wednesday. It is unclear what the surgery was for, but a royal source told CNN that the 42-year-old’s condition was non-cancerous. Once discharged, the Princess of Wales is expected to recover at home in Windsor, the royal source said. The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, at Buckingham Palace in London, June 2022.

Persons: London CNN — Catherine, Princess of Wales, “, Wales, Catherine –, Kate –, Princess, Prince, Prince Louis , Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Chris Jackson, William , Prince of Wales, Kate, King Charles Organizations: London CNN, London Clinic, CNN, Getty, CNN’s Royal, United Locations: Kensington, Wales, Windsor, Buckingham, London, Regent’s

☆ Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +70 min

Fatima Shbair/AP Mourners collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 24. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/picture-alliance/AP Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 16. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images Israeli soldiers form an honor guard at the funeral of Israeli reserve soldier Master Sgt. Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Children use candles for lighting in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Friday, October 20. Maya Alleruzzo/AP A boy carries salvaged belongings from the wreckage of his family's home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

Persons: UAE CNN —, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, ”, “, “ There’s, ” Prince Khalid bin Bandar, ” Ali Shihabi, Shihabi, Israel, Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Abraham, Biden, Yousef Al Otaiba, Israel “, ” Otaiba, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Firas Maksad, Abir, Prince Khalid, Maksad, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, ” Prince Khalid, Isaac Herzog, Oded, Abed Rahim Khatib, Noam Galai, Majdi, Sufian Dagash, Ohad, Abed Zagout, Harel Ittah, Ariel Schalit, Khan Yunis, Stringer, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, Mount Herzl, Maja Hitij, Fatima Shbair, Ahmad Hasaballah, Mohammed Salem, Yaacov Elian, Boris Dunavetski, Amir Levy, Mohammed Abed, Mahmud Hams, Alon Lulu Shamriz, Ilia Yefimovich, Abu Daqqa, Khan, Khan Younis, Ben Shelly, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Eviatar Cohen, Mostafa Alkharouf, Mohammed Dahman, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Atef Safadi, Gal Meir Eisenkot, Eisenkot, Gadi Eisenkot, Leo Correa, Alexi Rosenfeld, Alleruzzo, Amir Cohen, Gil Cohen, Menahem Kahana, Sergeant Aschalwu Sama, Tsafrir, John MacDougall, Ahed Tamimi, Nasser Nasser, Viktor, Helena Brodski, Kiril Brodski, Ammar Awad, Jack Guez, Jabel Mukaber, Mahmoud Illean, Alexander Ermochenko, Younis, Mustafa Hassona, Asher, Raz, Doron, Schneider, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Majed Al, Ansari, Mohammed Hajjar, Said Khatib, Jalaa Marey, Victor R, Liron Snir, James Oatway, Ashraf Amra, Ahmad Gharabli, Rizek Abdeljawad, Major Jamal Abbas, Shir Torem, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Christopher Furlong, Hatem Ali, Avraham Fetena, Sgt, Raz Abulafia, Fadel Senna, Nasser, Matan Meir, Haitham Imad, Roni Eshel, Eshel, Kenzo Tribouillard, Sadi Berek, Salah al, Varda Goldstein, Nir Oz, Bernat, Tomer Appelbaum, Mohammad Abu Elsebah, Khaled Ibn Al, Walid, Ya'akov Ozeri, Ronen Zvulun, Mohammed Alaloul, Neil Hall, Saeed Jaras, Mohammad Abu Hattab, Mohammed Talatene, Ditza Heiman, Salman Habaka, Yuval Zilber, Jalaa Merey, Ahmad Salem, Ali Jadallah, Anas al, Yosef Vahav, Kiryat Shmona, Albert Miles, Ilan Rosenberg, Manna, Tamar Chaya Torpiashvili, Abed Khaled, Tamir Kalifa, Yoav Gallant, Jehad Al, Kafarnah, Teddy, Dan Kitwood, Dima Vazinovich, Sagiv Ben Zvi, Omar El, Yasser Qudih, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Ali Mohmoud, Mai Yaghi, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Khaled Joudeh, Samar Abu, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Belal al Sabbagh, Janis Laizans, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Belal Khaled, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Mahmoud Khaled, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Sergey Ponomarev, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Agha, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Tali Touito, Ahmad Hasballah, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Lana Nusseibeh, “ That’s, Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash, ” Gargash Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, BBC, CNN, Palestinian, West Bank, Reuters, United Arab, Abraham Accords, Israel, UAE, Arab League, Saudi, Fox News, Washington Institute for Near East, Middle East Institute, Israeli, Getty, of Health, Congressional, Republicans, United Nations Security, AP, European Hospital, Mount, Rockets, UN, Anadolu, Museum of Art, Security, Nova, Magen, Getty Images, Kiryat, Islamic Jihad, Red, Tel, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical, Young, AP People, Schneider Children's Medical, Sisters, Schneider Children's, Ofer, Cross, Foreign, Artillery, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al, Unicef, AP Journalists, Israel Defense Forces, Modern, Nasser Hospital, Nasser Medical, Najjar, Israel Defence Forces handout, Shutterstock, Reuters United Nations, Shifa, Palestine, Pictures, Bloomberg, Israeli Apache, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, IDF, EyePress, New York Times, Nasser Medical Hospital, Deir Al, Tel Aviv University, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Ben Gurion International, Aris Messinis, Haim, Puma, Mount Herzl Military, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Wall, Shihabi Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi, United Kingdom, Gaza, United States, ”, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Al Ula, Reuters Israeli, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Washington , DC, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, AFP, Turkey, Gulf, Tel Aviv, Israeli, Rafah, Maghar, Anadolu, Netanya, Khan, Khan Younis, Shaul, Shefayim, Jazeera, Kidron, Kfar Saba, Nahal Oz, Herzliya, Ashkelon, Petah Tikva, Ramallah, Egypt, Ofakim, Jabel, Khezaa, Gazan, Sisters Aviv, Beitunia, Gaza City, Galilee, Lebanon, Al, Aqsa, Al Bureij, Deir Al Balah, Xinhua, Pekiin, Mavki'im, Haifa, Sderot, Beit Hashmonai, Europe, Rishpon, Odem, Gaza's Al, Deir Al, Balah, Bureij, Kfar Aza, Meron, Jerusalem's, City, Jerusalem's Old City, Deir Balah, Mahmud, Southern Israel, Yanuh Jat, Netaim, Golan Heights, Shareef, Beit Guvrin, Kiryat, Al Aqsa, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ashdod, Holon, Najjar, Ichilov, Kibbutz Shefayim, Deir, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Deir al, Kibbutz Kissufim, Zahra City, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Ahli, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Beit Kama, Cyprus, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Modiin Maccabim, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Dhabi, Dubai, Al Arabiya

☆ UK postal scandal: How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined peoples lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The government — which owns the Post Office — has described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. The software regularly showed that money — often many thousands of pounds — had gone missing from Post Office accounts. The Post Office has so far paid more than £138 million ($176 million) in compensation, a company spokesperson told CNN. “The Horizon system was a piece of machinery and software that wasn’t working correctly,” she said. “If the Post Office can do this to you, then God knows what any other brand is capable of,” she said.

Persons: —, Jo Hamilton, Hamilton, ”, Mr Bates, ’, Alan Bates, Rishi Sunak, ‘, Jonathan Wells, Wendy Buffrey’s Horizon, “, I’d, Buffrey, “ I’ve, Neil Hudgell, Martin Griffith, they’ve, Leon Neal, James Hartley, Siema Kamran, Kamran Ashraf, Ashraf, Kamran, ” Siema Kamran Organizations: London CNN, UK Post, Fujitsu, CNN, Post, ITV, Horizon, of Justice, Office, Cheltenham, Metropolitan Police, Getty, Post Office Locations: Britain, England, Hamilton, British, London, Buffrey, Bracknell , England, Freeths, Cheltenham

☆ Rwanda: UK home secretary James Cleverly to sign new asylum treaty
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —British Home Secretary James Cleverly arrived in Rwanda on Tuesday to sign a new treaty to send asylum seekers to the African nation after the UK’s top court declared the deportation scheme unlawful. But the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court last month ruled that such a move would violate international human rights laws enshrined in domestic legislation. Since that ruling, Britain has been seeking to renegotiate its agreement with Rwanda to include a binding treaty that it would not expel asylum seekers sent there by Britain - one of the court’s major concerns. The court said the plan breached international undertakings - including the European Convention on Human Rights, the United Nations’ Refugee Convention and Convention against Torture. The Rwanda policy was originally announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year, but no asylum seekers have been sent to the country yet.

Persons: James, Vincent Biruta, ”, Rishi Sunak, Robert Jenrick, Sunak, Boris Johnson Organizations: Reuters, British, Pressure, Sky News, European, Human, United Nations ’ Refugee Convention, Torture, Conservative Party, of Human Rights, United Nations Locations: Rwanda, Britain, Rwanda’s, Kigali, Europe

☆ Maker of Wegovy, Ozempic showers money on U.S. obesity doctors
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Novo spent at least $25.8 million over the past decade on U.S. medical professionals to promote its two obesity drugs, Wegovy and Saxenda, the analysis found. Jastreboff has also worked on clinical trials of obesity drugs for Eli Lilly, which markets a Wegovy competitor. Some doctors said Novo’s payments exemplify how the flood of industry money can dominate decision-making about care and coverage. Government pharmacy officer Solaru said her agency concluded that the new obesity drugs could be cost-effective by preventing other weight-related diseases and boosting workplace productivity. In January, the personnel office told its health plans they must cover at least one GLP-1 obesity drug for 8 million workers, retirees and family members.

Persons: Lee Kaplan, Kaplan, ”, gastroenterologist, He’s, Novo, Donna Ryan, Ryan, “, ” Kaplan, ” Novo, Robert Lustig, “ I’m, Lustig, They’re, Ania, ” Jastreboff, Jastreboff, Eli Lilly, Lilly’s Zepbound, Lilly, ” Lilly, Novo’s, Ayana, Sanders, Arthur Kellermann, ” Kellermann, mouthpieces, ’ ”, “ I'm, Jamy Ard, Ard, Dele, ” Solaru, ” Ryan, Scott Kahan, Kahan, Solaru, Christine Gallagher, Wegovy, Rebekah Carl, Carl, Jen Wexler, gaunt, Wexler Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Dartmouth, Nutrition Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Reuters, Cambridge, Obesity Society, U.S ., Management, Reuters . Pharmaceutical, ”, U.S, United, National Health Service, University of California, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Doctors, Wegovy’s, BMI, Yale University’s Center, Weight Management, Wall Street, American Medical Association, Rutgers University’s School of Public Health, Affordable, . Pharmaceutical, Companies, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, Wake Forest Baptist Health Weight Management, Obesity, Pennington Biomedical Research, U.S . National Institutes of Health, Personnel Management, Coalition, STOP, George Washington University, Novo Locations: CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Boston, U.S, Novo, Danish, United States, Louisiana, San Francisco, Wegovy, Pennington, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Government, New Columbia , Pennsylvania, Florida

☆ Analysis: The 2023 stock rally is back on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The US stock market has rebounded from its months-long rut. Stocks finished out their best month of the year on Thursday, breaking a three-month streak of declines for all the major indexes. “The only way I see a rally continuing is if the bond market behaves itself,” said Richard Steinberg, chief market strategist at The Colony Group. While those stocks have remained at the top of Wall Street’s scoreboard, the recent rally has encompassed a wider range of stocks. Long-neglected pockets of the stock market, from beaten-down financials to small-caps to cyclical stocks, have climbed higher in recent weeks.

Persons: Stocks, ”, Richard Steinberg, “, Santa Claus, Ned Davis, Anna Cooban, Elisabeth Buchwald, Nelson Peltz, Nelson Peltz’s, Bob Iger, ” Trian, Trian, Trian’s, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Sky Jeremy Darroch, ” Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Treasury, The Colony, Wall Street, Ned Davis Research, Organization of, Petroleum, Saudi Press Agency, Ministry of Energy, Saudi, United Emirates, Reuters, Disney, Management, Peltz, Sky Locations: New York, Santa, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Vienna, Russia, Iraq, United, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Oman, Brazil, Brazil’s

“Despite the challenges, we still expect OPEC+ to reach an agreement to reduce production," he said in an analyst note. Lower oil prices have allowed U.S. gas prices to fall or stay steady since Sept. 19, AAA said. White House national security spokesman John Kirby declined to address the possibility of OPEC+ reducing oil production. U.S. oil production has hit records as OPEC+ has cut back, with producers outside the group expected to keep leading global growth in oil supply next year, the International Energy Agency said in its November oil report. Now, the risk is growing that Saudi Arabia’s production cuts could reduce OPEC’s influence over oil supplies as other countries boost their output.

Persons: That's, Jorge Leon, Brent, Joe Biden, Biden, John Kirby, “, ” Kirby, ” Leon, ” ___ Boak Organizations: OPEC, United Arab, Rystad Energy, International Monetary Fund, Brent, New York Mercantile Exchange, AAA, Gas, White House, International Energy Agency, U.S, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Vienna, Ukraine, United States, U.S, Washington

☆ US and India’s strengthening bond is weak on trust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trust between the United States and India is eroding. It says it will investigate security concerns aired by the United States. Trying that on the United States would be more consequential: Apple (AAPL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) are looking to build supply chains in the country, and the U.S. is the largest market for India’s people-heavy IT services companies. The United States and India may draw a quick line under the murder-for-hire episode, but it will sow a lasting seed of doubt in the relationship. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, soberly, ”, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Nikhil Gupta, “, Arindam Bagchi, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: White, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Companies, Micron, General Electric Aerospace, Ottawa, Global, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, “ Security Management, Thomson Locations: India, Washington , U.S, Rights MUMBAI, United States, Delhi, American, China, Asia, Canada, U.S, Vietnam, Saudi, Istanbul, Manhattan, New York

Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the World Expo 2030 in a landslide on Tuesday, delivering a triumph to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, as he seeks to reshape the authoritarian country’s international image — and his own. Saudi Arabia won 119 of the 165 votes, easily defeating South Korea and Italy. The win gives Saudi Arabia the chance to bask in the global spotlight in the year that the crown prince’s plan to diversify the kingdom’s oil-dependent economy, “Vision 2030,” is meant to conclude. The victory also demonstrates how, once again, he has been able to wield the kingdom’s power, money and influence to overcome attempts to isolate Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns and efforts to stereotype it as a desert backwater with little to offer the world. He has sought to position himself as an indispensable global leader and the kingdom as a major destination for business and tourism.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ” Organizations: South, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Paris, South Korea, Italy

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France (AP) — In a high-profile showdown, Rome, Busan and Riyadh are the top contenders to become the host city of the 2030 World Expo, with the organizing body choosing the winner on Tuesday. The meeting started with the candidates' final presentation to be followed by the vote, which will be held behind closed doors. Political Cartoons View All 1267 ImagesThe Rome campaign also hosted BIE delegates at Paris’ luxurious Plaza Athenee hotel. The World Expo has a storied history of bringing together nations to showcase technological innovations and cultural achievements. With the world’s attention turned to Paris, the upcoming vote will set the stage for the next chapter in the rich legacy of the World Expos.

Persons: Russell Crowe, Giampiero Massolo, ” Rome’s, Psy, Emmanuel Macron, Ferris, ___ Thomas Adamson, John Leicester, Frances D’Emilio, Colleen Barry Organizations: Expo, BIE, Paris, Michelin, Eiffel, Saudi, Expos, World Expos Locations: ISSY, France, Rome, Busan, Riyadh, Paris, BIE, Issy, Italy, ”, Roman, Saudi Arabian, Elysee, Osaka, Japan, Milan

☆ She led the National School Walkout after the Parkland mass shooting. Then she left America
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

These include at least 69 school shootings this year, as of October 28. CNNMurdock was a high school sophomore in Ridgefield, Connecticut, on Valentine’s Day in 2018 when a young man opened fire at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three teachers. She came up with a plan for students to walk out of school in protest on April 20, 2018, the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Lane Murdock, then 16, discussed logistics with classmates a week before the April, 20, 2018, National School Walkout. There have been two mass shootings in the country since the laws were tightened.

Persons: CNN — Lane Murdock, Marjory Stoneman, ” Murdock, “, I’ve, “ We’ve, it’s, Lane Murdock, CNN Murdock, Stoneman, Murdock’s, Sandy Hook, Ray Sanchez, Murdock, ”, Dunblane, people’s Organizations: CNN, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Gun Safety, Firearms, Edinburgh, Ridgefield High School, Stoneman Douglas High School, Columbine, Oxford, Cambridge, National School, –, Republican, Democratic, Giffords Law, Robb Elementary School, Edinburgh Napier University, America Locations: Connecticut, America, Ridgefield , Connecticut, Parkland , Florida, Ridgefield, New England, Hawaii, England, Guam, Parkland, Washington, DC, Uvalde , Texas, Scotland, ”, Scottish, Scotland –, Dunblane, “, England’s Hungerford, Cumbria, Plymouth, United States

☆ Why Are Oil Prices Falling While War Rages in the Middle East?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Yet, after a few days of anxiety following the bloody Oct. 7 raids by Hamas militants in Israel, energy markets have been slumping. Mr. Alkadiri said that traders are unlikely to bid up prices unless they see “actual barrels removed” from the market. Saudi Arabia and other producers have been trying to support prices by reducing their oil output. Forecasters are warning that 2024 could be a difficult year in the oil markets. Haves and Have-notsAs the fighting continues, traders have figured out that when it comes to oil there are haves and have-nots in the Middle East.

Persons: Brent, hasn’t, ”, Richard Bronze, Raad Alkadiri, Alkadiri, Helima Croft, Croft, “, Biden, “ It’s Organizations: Eurasia Group, U.S . Energy Information Administration, ”, Group, American, RBC Capital Markets, Central Intelligence Agency Locations: Israel, London, China, Saudi Arabia, United States, East, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Saudi, Hormuz, Ukraine, ”, Persian

Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people, health officials said. The strikes came as the U.S. keeps urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its relentless bombardment of Gaza and rising civilian deaths. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Ramallah in the West Bank for a previously unannounced meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Political Cartoons View All 1234 ImagesCurrently:— Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel’s military announces it has surrounded Gaza City. — A U.N. official says the average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of bread a day.

Persons: Israel, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, evacuee Sara El, Masry, –, JORDAN, Jordan, King Abdullah II, ”, Michael Hertzog, ” Hertzog, OBAMA, Barack Obama, “, he’s, ” Obama, I’ve, Alp Toker, Juliette Touma, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, IRNA, Khamenei, Haniyeh, JERUSALEM —, Jacob Lew, Biden, ” Lew, Isaac Herzog, Lew, Antony Blinken’s Organizations: West Bank, Iraqi, Hamas, Ministry, WHO, GAZA, SYDNEY AIRPORT SYDNEY, Nine, Sydney Airport, Australian, United Arab Emirates, Mideast, Central Command, FIRE, NATIONS, Inter, Agency, UNRWA, United Nations, Jordanian, Twitter, ISRAEL, CBS, JERUSALEM, Paltel, Associated Press, Hezbollah, U.S, Israel, Embassy, . Riot Locations: Gaza, Ramallah, Baghdad, Jordan, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Gaza City, —, U.S, Berlin, israel, Sydney, Rafah, DUBAI, United Arab, Suez, ., Ohio, America's, Iran, UN, Palestinian Territory, GAZA AMMAN, Jordanian, GAZA, Palestinian, IRAN, TEHRAN, Lebanon, GAZA JERUSALEM, Beit Hanoun, TURKEY, ISTANBUL –, Ankara, Turkish

☆ Saudi Arabia’s oil production cuts have tipped its economy into reverse
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Aimee Look | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Saudi Arabia’s economy has jolted into reverse, after the world’s largest crude oil exporter slashed output to prop up prices. Saudi oil production to nine million barrels per day in July as the biggest player in the OPEC+ alliance joined forces with Russia to restrict supply amid signs of weakening demand because of a slowing global economy. “We expect [oil] production to remain low until the end of this year, with a slow unwind in early 2024,” Oxford Economics analysts wrote in a note published Friday. Saudi Arabia’s oil cuts were aimed at stabilizing global oil markets, according to Raif Weigert, Economics Director for the Middle East and North Africa at S&P Global Market Intelligence. While other Gulf states have also come under economic pressure from cuts to oil production, the United Arab Emirates economy has continued to grow.

Persons: Raif, Weigert, “ Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN — Saudi, Oxford, Monetary Fund, P Global Market Intelligence, “, Saudi, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Saudi, OPEC, Russia, East, North Africa, United Arab Emirates, UAE

☆ UK officials close antitrust probes into Amazon’s and Meta’s retail platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The United Kingdom’s competition watchdog has wrapped up its antitrust investigations into Amazon’s and Meta’s retail platforms, saying it has secured commitments from the US tech giants that will ultimately benefit consumers. In theory, the more businesses are able to fairly compete for consumers’ cash, the more choice consumers ultimately have. Meta’s competitors will have the option to “opt out” of the tech firm using some of their data to improve Facebook Marketplace, the CMA said. That commitment, along with others, means Meta “cannot exploit advertising customers’ data to give itself an unfair advantage — and as such distort competition,” Pope said. A spokesperson for Meta told CNN it welcomed the CMA’s decision to close its investigation into Facebook Marketplace.

Persons: Ann Pope, ” Pope, Meta Organizations: London CNN, Markets Authority, CMA, Amazon, Facebook, CNN, Meta, Global, Big Tech, US Federal Trade Commission, European Union

☆ Saudi Arabia’s Lavish Sports Push Earns It the 2034 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Less than a decade after Saudi Arabia decided to make a push into global sports, the Kingdom is set to claim the prize it covets most: the soccer World Cup. The country learned on Tuesday that it was the only bidder left standing to host the 2034 edition of the tournament, after Australia formally withdrew from the process earlier in the day. Once the decision is formally ratified, likely without a vote or debate next fall at a meeting of the FIFA Congress, Saudi Arabia will reach the pinnacle of a multibillion-dollar process that is reshaping the world’s most popular sport and using it to remake the Kingdom’s image.

Organizations: Australia, FIFA Congress Locations: Saudi Arabia, Kingdom

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels for the first time Tuesday claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer into the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and further raising the risks of a regional conflict erupting. There also has been at least one attack that the Houthis claimed where suspicion later fell fully on Iran. In 2019, cruise missiles and drones successfully penetrated Saudi Arabia and struck the heart of its oil industry in Abqaiq. While the Houthis claimed the Abqaiq attack, the U.S., Saudi Arabia and analysts blamed Iran. Iran's mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthi attacks.

Persons: Yemen's, Israel, Tuesday's salvos, Yahya Saree, “, ” Saree, Jack Jeffrey, Sam Magdy Organizations: United Arab Emirates, U.S . Navy, Arrow, Yemeni Armed Forces, Israel, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, Navy's, Pentagon, Bloomberg, Hezbollah, United Nations, Associated Press Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Eilat, The, Sanaa, U.S, Taba, Palestine, Washington, Iranian, Bataan, Saudi Arabia, Jazan, Tehran, Abqaiq, Cairo

☆ Saudi Arabia Is Set to Be Sole Bidder for 2034 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

FIFA’s move to speed up the bidding for 2034 surprised many, coming 11 years before the scheduled start of the tournament and a full three years before the 2034 host was supposed to be decided. FIFA also said only bidders from Asia and Oceania, two of soccer’s six regional confederations, could be considered for selection. Saudi Arabia, which had for years been public about its desire to host the World Cup, moved fast to secure the tournament after FIFA set the rules this month. In the face of that support, Australian officials concluded they would have been overmatched if they challenged Saudi Arabia to secure the votes of the majority of FIFA’s 211 federations. Saudi Arabia has signed agreements in the past year with scores of FIFA’s member nations, committing millions of dollars to projects across Asia and lavishing attention on Africa, where it signed an agreement with the regional governing body and sponsored a new tournament.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa Organizations: FIFA, Saudi Locations: Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Australia, Africa, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabian

As Israel’s assault on Gaza unfolds, global pressure is mounting for a pause in the fighting, including Monday at the United Nations. Instead, they describe occasionally difficult behind-the-scenes conversations about the importance of humanitarian aid and protecting civilian lives. “We have conversations, like friends do, on the hard questions … on issues associated with humanitarian aid,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday on CBS. Saudi Arabia has cautioned against a broad-scale Israeli invasion of Gaza, in part due to the potential of a spiraling regional war. The blackout – which left civilians, aid groups and journalists without any means of communicating with the outside world – came amid heavy Israeli bombardment of the enclave.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Joe Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Khalid bin Salman, Israel, United States Michael Herzog, ” Herzog, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Herzog, John Kirby, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Harlow, Kirby, ”, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, –, ” Sullivan, Biden, ” Kirby, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, United Nations, Israel, CBS, Saudi Arabia’s Defense, White, National Security, Reuters CNN, US, Service, MSNBC, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, ”, United States, Iran, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Rafah, Ukraine

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