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☆ 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

☆ 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

“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

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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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

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

Since the war began, Saudi officials have returned to specific calls for a substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace process and for the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Despite the escalating violence, it appears that American and Saudi officials are holding on to hopes of a normalization deal with Israel. Senators said they left Riyadh with the impression that Saudi leaders would still like to recognize Israel when the right moment arrives. Prince Mohammed launched a disastrous Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen in 2015 aiming to oust the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who nonetheless remain firmly in power there. It merely said that, although tensions persisted between Israel and the Palestinians, the Biden administration had “de-escalated crises in Gaza.”

Persons: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Jordan —, Prince Mohammed, Houthi, Blumenthal, Israel “, Mr, Biden “, Jake Sullivan, “, Sullivan, Biden, ” Organizations: Saudi, Israel, Senators, State Department, U.S ., U.S, Foreign Affairs Locations: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian, Jerusalem, Saudi, Riyadh, Yemen, East, Washington, U.S, United States, Gaza

For the international bankers, executives and officials who had gathered in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to make deals, the war raging in Gaza and Israel felt like a distant backdrop. Instead, when speakers took the stage, they praised Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to remake Saudi Arabia and focused on the future: artificial intelligence, longevity science, renewable energy. Israel has laid siege to the Gaza Strip and unleashed a fierce bombardment. That has prompted protests across the region, reinvigorating vocal Arab support for the Palestinian cause — including among many Saudi citizens. Yet Saudi officials have made it clear that they are determined to prevent all of that from casting a pall over Prince Mohammed’s plans for the kingdom, which include reshaping the economy to reduce dependence on oil and turning the country into a global hub for business and tourism.

Persons: —, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s, ”, Yasir al, Prince Mohammed’s Organizations: Future Investment, Hamas, Gaza, Saudi Locations: Saudi, Riyadh, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, East

☆ Lab models of human embryos raise hopes and concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

From the moment sperm fuses with an egg, human embryo development involves a string of complex and little understood processes. What happens during human embryo development, particularly in the crucial first month, remains largely unknown. However, 14 days is an important milestone because it is when permitted lab research on cultured human embryos routinely ends. He said, in the future, it might be possible to go as far as 40 days with human embryo models. Some in the field envision a “tipping point” wherein human embryo models might be afforded some protection like those surrounding human embryos, as scientific advances diminish the differences between the embryo models and their real-life counterparts.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Jacob Hanna, demystify, they’ve, Hanna, “ It’s, ” Hanna, “, Peter Rugg, Gunn, it’s, …, Robin Lovell, Francis Crick, Naomi Moris, Francis Crick Institute’s, Moris, we’ve, ” Moris, It’s, Bobbie Farsides, ” Farsides Organizations: CNN, Weizmann Institute of Science, Weizmann Institute, Israel, Weizmann, Babraham Institute, International Society for Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell, Francis, Francis Crick Institute, Genetics, Development, ”, Sussex Medical School Locations: Israel, London, Brighton

☆ Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the 18th consultative meeting of the leaders of the GCC & the Gulf summit with the central Asian countries C5, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 19, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance its budget. Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though. For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Biden, Netanyahu, International Energy Agency reckons, Jamal Khashoggi, nix, Larry Fink, JPMorgan’s, Jamie Dimon, Israel, Antony Blinken, Jordan, ” Blinken, ”, “, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Al Jazeera, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: GCC, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Hamas, Israel . U.S, MbS, United, Gaza, International Energy Agency, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, U.S, PGA, Foreign Investment, Telefonica, STC, BlackRock’s, Future Investment, United States, Diplomats, don’t, Palestinian, Israeli, United Arab, Iran’s, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Israel ., United States, Gaza, OPEC, Russia, Saudi Aramco, Riyadh, Palestine, United, Amman, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, America

☆ Mario Can’t Be Super Without Psychedelic Power-Ups
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Zachary Small | More About Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Oct. 17, 2023Early into his newest adventure, Mario transforms into a large elephant. It’s not a costume like those in previous Super Mario video games, where acrobatics are imbued in the cat suits, penguin wings and frog legs worn by the Mushroom Kingdom’s savior. Zowie!”That peculiar power-up, which lets Mario use his trunk to swat enemies and water benevolent flowers, is just one spectacle in the eccentric Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which arrives Friday for the Nintendo Switch. But by turning its star into an elephant, Nintendo is also acknowledging a simple fact of its Goomba-stomping, Koopa-kicking empire: Mario himself is a little boring. The smorgasbord of power-ups is what keeps players excited.

Persons: Mario Organizations: Nintendo

Some executives are worried about the optics, pointing to an initial statement from Riyadh about the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that appeared to blame Israel. The diplomatic normalization talks with Israel appear to be on hold, and the crown prince has reportedly begun talks with the Iranian government about preventing the conflict from metastasizing. Meanwhile, Riyadh has been cool to U.S. efforts to restore calm and preserve progress made in the Saudi-Israeli talks. Prince Mohammed reportedly made Secretary of State Antony Blinken wait hours before meeting, and then called for a halt in the “current escalation” of the conflict. Some have suggested that attending would help encourage Saudi Arabia in its modernization push.

Persons: Israel, Prince Mohammed, Antony Blinken, ” Ayham Kamel, DealBook, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed’s Organizations: Reuters Locations: Riyadh, U.S, Saudi, Eurasia, East, North Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel-Hamas war risks further deglobalization and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington, DC CNN —The global economy is facing tremendous uncertainty from the war between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East, on top of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. They say Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas could be yet another catalyst for deglobalization, though the extent of that is still up in the air. If deglobalization does get exacerbated, what would that mean for inflation and monetary policy, globally? With deglobalization, you get a global economic environment that’s less competitive, and when there’s less competition, that is ultimately inflationary, causing prices to rise. Over the Covid era, China shut down production, disrupting the global supply chain, so deglobalization would bring some production back within US borders.

Persons: Wells, Bell, Brendan McKenna, that’s, Trump, there’s, Hanna Ziady, we’ve, ”, Avi Hasson, Patrick Harker, John Williams, Tom Barkin, Michelle Bowman, Tesla, Christopher Waller, Lisa Cook, Jerome Powell, Austan Goolsbee, Michael Barr, Raphael Bostic, Loretta Mester Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Trump, Hamas, Nation Central, Philadelphia Fed, US Commerce Department, Federal Reserve, National Association of Home Builders, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Procter & Gamble, United Kingdom’s, National Statistics, American Airlines, US Labor Department, Federal, Fed Locations: Washington, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, China, Wells Fargo, Gaza, deglobalization, United States, Mexico, US, Tel Aviv, New York

The surprise Hamas attack has dealt a blow to U.S. efforts to broker a landmark normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia and complicated Washington's approach toward Iran, Hamas' longtime benefactor. “Quite simply, all efforts at normalization are on hold for the foreseeable future,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, contradicting the official U.S. government line. Khaled Elgindy, a former Palestinian negotiations adviser, accused the Biden administration of leading an Israeli-Saudi normalization process that mostly bypassed the Palestinians and their hopes of ending Israeli occupation. “That sort of neglect is part of why we're seeing what we're seeing,” said Elgindy, now at the Middle East Institute. The immediate challenge is preventing the war from spiraling into a broader conflict, administration officials say, especially preventing the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah from opening a second front on Israel's northern border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, ”, Jon Alterman, John Kirby, “, ” Jonathan Panikoff, government’s, Khaled Elgindy, Elgindy, Panikoff, –, Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom, Steve Holland, Alexander Cornwell, Parisa, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Center for Strategic, International, White House National Security Council, Middle East Institute, Saudi, The Atlantic, Hezbollah, West Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Israel, Washington , U.S, Saudi, Gaza, Ukraine, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Tehran, Israeli, Riyadh, Washington, Lebanese, IRAN, Dubai

☆ Israel flashes geopolitical warning at shaky time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Kingdom’s rulers have historically supported Palestinian rights and opposed Israel, while waging proxy wars against Iran. Indeed, one motivation of the Hamas attacks may have been to provoke an Israeli response that derails those negotiations. At a time when the global economy needs inflationary geopolitical risks to simmer down, more are flashing red. In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, Reuters reported. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Israel had the right to defend itself and issued a warning to Iran and other countries hostile to Israel not to exploit the attacks.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden, toughening, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Brent, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hamas, Iran, Saudi Crown, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States, China, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Jerusalem, Tehran, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Saudi, Germany, Italy, Britain

The Hamas attack left at least 250 dead and 1,500 wounded in Israel. The attack only adds new complications as the Biden administration and Iran are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program. Biden administration officials have also been working on brokering a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state. Biden administration officials pushed back against the argument. Administration officials roundly rejected this, saying their efforts to help Palestinian civilians in Gaza and elsewhere do not involve money that Hamas can use or divert.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ unconscionable ”, ”, ” Biden, Obama, —, won’t, ” Netanyahu, Israel, Jonathan Schanzer, “, Netanyahu, Schanzer, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Matthew Miller, State Victoria Nuland, Barbara Leaf, Seung Min Kim, Jill Colvin, Thomas Beaumont Organizations: WASHINGTON, GOP, Hamas, Hezbollah, Biden, European, Middle East, White, Trump White, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Israel ., Israel . Florida Gov, Department, Foreign Relations, Islamic, State Victoria, Republicans, Administration, Associated Press Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Egypt, Syria, Washington, Israel . Florida, Carolina, U.S, Islamic Republic, Lebanon, New York, Waterloo , Iowa

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