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“The border has never been a money issue,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas. It also suggests $1.4 billion to add 375 immigration judges and their teams in addition to money for 1,300 new border patrol agents. “But it’s got to be designed to secure the border, not to facilitate travel through the border,” he said. “No more money should be spent simply to facilitate current border policy.”It's unclear if compromise is possible on the issue. The border is not about money; there’s some money that needs to be spent on certain things, but it is way more about policy.

Persons: Joe Biden, It's, ”, Dan Crenshaw, Biden, “, Colleen Putzel, there's, Eric Adams, Alex Gough, J.B . Pritzker, Maura Healey, Kevin McCarthy, Sen, Kevin Cramer, he’d, it’s, Texas Republican Sen, John Cornyn, Chris Murphy, ” Murphy, ” Crenshaw, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Claire Savage, Mike Casey, Patrick Whittle, Lisa Rathke, Holly Ramer Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, White, Democratic, Homeland Security, Migration Policy Institute, Central America, New York, ”, O’Hare, Illinois Gov, GOP, Texas Republican, Connecticut Democrat, Department of Homeland Security, Associated Press Locations: Ukraine, Mexico, Israel, Texas, U.S, South, Central, York City, New, implore, New York City, Chicago, ” Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, Boston, Portland , Maine, Montpelier , Vt, Concord, N.H

☆ Wall St ends sharply lower, posts weekly losses; Mideast fears increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

All of the S&P 500 index's 11 sectors ended lower in broad-based selling, with technology (.SPLRCT) and financials (.SPYS) among the biggest drags. The S&P 500 financial index (.SPSY) was down 1.6% while the KBW regional banking index (.KRX) fell 3.5%. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFor the week, the Dow was down 1.6%, the S&P 500 fell 2.4% and the Nasdaq slid 3.2%. The third-quarter U.S. earnings season is well under way, with 86 companies in the S&P 500 having reported. The S&P 500 posted no new 52-week highs and 38 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded nine new highs and 420 new lows.

Persons: Alan Lancz, Alan B, Lancz, Jerome Powell, Brendan McDermid, Dow, advancers, Caroline Valetkavitch, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Arun Koyyur, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: Treasury, Dow, Nasdaq, Lancz, Associates Inc, Regions, Federal, Dow Jones, Wall, REUTERS, American Express, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Toledo , Ohio, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St ends sharply lower with tech, financials; Mideast fears increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. All of the S&P 500 index's 11 sectors fell in broad-based selling. The KBW regional banking index (.KRX) was down sharply, while shares of Regions Financial (RF.N) slid to their lowest since March 2020. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell on Friday, a day after crossing 5% for the first time since July 2007 in the wake of comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The third-quarter U.S. earnings season is well under way, with 86 companies in the S&P 500 having reported.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Alan Lancz, Alan B, Jerome Powell, Lancz, Caroline Valetkavitch, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Arun Koyyur, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Treasury, Major U.S, Regions, Lancz, Associates Inc, Federal, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Major, Israel, Toledo , Ohio, Gaza, Bengaluru

Michel suggested no deal was imminent when he told reporters the two sides needed to find "mutually beneficial" solutions. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday, a third source told Reuters. Michel told reporters it was a critical time for the United States and the EU to "stick together" on their shared values and commitment to democracy given the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is still to be seen if this will end the U.S. tariffs threat or just see an extended suspension. Given the EU needs such materials itself for its green transition, the positive impact for the bloc may be limited.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden, Charles Michel, Michel, von der Leyen, Katherine Tai, Valdis Dombrovskis, Donald Trump, Bernd Lange, Philip Blenkinsop, Alexandra Hudson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, Trump, Commission, U.S, European, . Trade, EU, Washington, World Trade Organization, United, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Europe, North America, China, Brussels, U.S, Washington, Friday's

On Oct. 7, Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people. In response, Israel has retaliated with air strikes, putting the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under siege. President Joe Biden said he would seek extra funding, estimated to be in the billions, to help Israel fight Hamas. QATARIn Qatar, Zhai said China was ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia in an effort to calm the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Zhai Jun, Mikhail Bogdanov, Zhai, Bogdanov, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Israel, U.N, Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Mideast, Moscow, Gaza, Security, United, Global Times, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Rights BEIJING, Israel, Qatar, Middle, Moscow, China, Russia, Doha, Beijing, Palestinian, United States, Iran, Brazil, Washington, Russian, U.S, QATAR, Lincoln

☆ Oil climbs on Mideast contagion fears from Israel-Gaza conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices extended gains on Friday, rising about 1% on fears that the Israel-Gaza conflict may spread in the Middle East and disrupt supplies from one of the world's top-producing regions. Brent crude futures climbed 77 cents, or 0.8%, to $93.15 a barrel by 0042 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $90.36 a barrel, up 99 cents, or 1.1%. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops gathered at the Gaza border on Thursday that they would soon see the Palestinian enclave "from inside," suggesting an expected ground invasion could be nearing. Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA has begun contacting customers with crude supply contracts, two people familiar to the matter said on Thursday, moving to resume cash sales to global refiners.

Persons: CLc2, Tony Sycamore, Yoav Gallant, Sycamore, PDVSA Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Israel Defence Forces, Israeli, U.S, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters Locations: Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, Venezuela, OPEC, Venezuelan

Worries are growing about how much the turmoil could cost the global economy. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, hit a three-week high this on Fridayfears that a military escalation could disrupt already tight supplies. In a speech largely focused on inflation, interest rates and economic growth, Jay Powell, the central bank’s chair, warned on Thursday that “geopolitical tensions are highly elevated and pose important risks to global economic activity.”The Middle East is becoming a wild card for the global economy. That would probably sap growth but might also slow the economy enough to negate the need for an additional interest-rate increase. The measures were announced days after the U.S. imposed tighter restrictions on sales of more advanced semiconductors to China.

Persons: Biden, —, Brent, Jay Powell, Powell, ” Powell, Kamala Harris, Jay Monahan, David Zaslav, Jim Jordan, Patrick McHenry, Jordan, there’s, Fran Drescher, George Clooney, ” Drescher, Sidney Powell, Donald Trump’s Organizations: Gaza, Israel, U.S . Navy, Intel, Siemens, European Commission, Digital Services, PGA, Warner Bros, Hollywood, SAG, Trump Locations: Mideast, Israel, Ukraine, Lebanon, U.S, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lisbon, Ohio, Trump . China, Beijing, China

☆ Israel-Hamas War Live News Updates: Biden Says American Leadership Holds the World Together
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden said in a broadcast speech that "American leadership is what holds the world together." The Israeli military continued its airstrike campaign on Gaza and said it was preparing for the next phases of the war. Biden speech: President Biden said in his Oval Office address that supporting the security of Ukraine and Israel was critical to buttressing the U.S.-led global order, characterizing the current moment as an "inflection point in history." Hostages: Israel's military said 203 people were taken hostage by Hamas, an increase on its previous number. Attacks on U.S. forces: A Pentagon spokesman said U.S. forces in the Middle East came under attack several times this week.

Persons: Biden, Yoav Gallant Organizations: Israeli, House Republicans, U.S, Hamas, Pentagon Locations: Gaza, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, Yemen, Palestinian

☆ SLB profit beats on strength in global drilling activity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Courtesy of SLB/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Schlumberger NV FollowOct 20 (Reuters) - SLB (SLB.N) edged past estimates for quarterly profit on Friday as strength in the overseas drilling market to meet the insatiable global appetite for oil drove demand for its oilfield equipment, offsetting weakness in North America. Oilfield services firms have been kept busy as oil and gas companies reinvest their windfall profit, reaped when Russia invaded Ukraine, to secure more offshore and international sources. International revenue rose 12% to $6.6 billion in the third quarter, compared with a year earlier. North America revenue climbed 6%, but declined sequentially due to reduced drilling activity in the onshore U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Olivier Le Peuch, Arunima Kumar, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Schlumberger, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, Handout, North America, Russia, Ukraine, America, Gulf of Mexico, MidEast, Asia, Bengaluru

☆ Protests across Mideast as US’ Arab allies warn against pushing Palestinians out
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Protests erupted around the Arab world on Friday as the Gaza war raged and an Israeli ground operation with the potential to displace millions of Palestinians loomed. In a sign of the growing anger over the Israeli operation in Gaza, Egypt sanctioned its first major nationwide protest in a decade. Amman and Cairo have sounded alarms over what they perceive as a plan to transfer Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank to Egypt and Jordan. The West Bank, however, remains occupied and the previous right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would advance plans to extend its jurisdiction to the West Bank. The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Persons: Annie Sakkab, Antony Blinken, Azhar, Omar Zoheiry, Amal, Young, Joe Biden, ”, Israel, Abdel Fattah el, Ayman Mohsab, Sisi, ” Sisi, Ayman Safadi, Al Jazeera, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Jordan, Olaf Scholz Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Bloomberg, Getty, Louk, AP, United, Reuters, Israel, Arab Affairs Committee, Al, Israeli, National Unity Party, Palestinian Authority, Cairo Peace, United Arab, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Israeli, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Amman , Jordan, Rafah, Cairo’s, Cairo, Bab el, Tahrir, al, Old Cairo, Beirut, Lebanese, Iran, Iraq’s, Baghdad, United States, Amman, ‘, Jordanian, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Italy, Greece

☆ Demand destruction will outweigh a wider Mideast conflict in oil markets, JPMorgan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Even if the fighting spreads beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories, it is unlikely to result in a prolonged oil price spike" they predicted. "There are tangible signs that high oil prices amplified by surging borrowing costs and depreciating EM currencies began to erode fuel consumption." In addition, oil prices rarely experienced long-term turmoil during most of Israel's past conflicts, JPMorgan said. "Eventually, oil prices tended to gradually stabilize and decline, resulting in Brent actually trading at a discount to its fundamentally-derived fair value. Only the 1973 Yom Kippur war saw longer lasting impacts, given that it led to a Saudi oil embargo against the US.

Persons: —, Brent, JPMorgan doesn't, haven't Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, UAE haven't Locations: Israel, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 4Q23, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Saudi, Northern Iraq

☆ Biden’s Response to Israeli War Meets Centrist Praise and Liberal Anger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | More About Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

He pleaded with the Israelis not to overreact, as he said the United States did after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Biden’s speech comes as his political coalition has begun to fray over the Israeli conflict. “I am grateful to have @POTUS thoughtful leadership in this moment,” Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri wrote on social media. “Joe Biden flew into a war zone to stand with Israel,” Mr. Auchincloss said late Wednesday. “Trump wouldn’t even visit a cemetery of American war dead.” (Mr. Trump, in 2018, canceled a planned trip to a French cemetery, and his aides cited the rainy weather.)

Persons: Biden, Israel —, “, Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri, Steny Hoyer, Biden “, Richard Haass, Jake Auchincloss, Donald J, Trump, “ Joe Biden, ” Mr, Auchincloss, “ Trump, ”, Cori Bush, André Carson, Pope Francis, Rashida Tlaib, Jerry Nadler, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ilhan Omar, Omar, Dilawar Syed, Wadea, ’, Josh Paul, Biden administration’s Organizations: Democratic, Progressives, Democrats, Maryland, Foreign Relations, Biden, Liberal Democrats, Gaza, Capitol, Florida, Small Business Administration, Department Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Tel Aviv, United States, Gaza, America, Massachusetts, Missouri, André Carson of Indiana, Michigan, York, Minnesota, Chicago

☆ Protesters in Mideast vent fury at Gaza blast as Europe ups security
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, which denied blame. In Tunis, protesters burned Israeli and American flags and demanded the expulsion of the U.S. and French ambassadors for what they termed their unconditional support for Israel. In Amman, deployed riot police pushed back thousands of Jordanian protesters planning to march on the heavily fortified Israeli embassy. 'REVENGE, REVENGE'The protesters voiced slogans backing Hamas, including "Revenge ... revenge ... O Hamas, bomb Tel Aviv." In Lebanon, security forces fired tear gas and water canon at protesters who were throwing projectiles as a protest near the U.S. embassy north of Beirut turned violent, footage broadcast by footage broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed.

Persons: Jihed, Israel, “, ”, Ines Laswed, Nadia Sweilam, It's, Hesham Safieddine, Matteo Piantedosi, Tarek Amara, Suleiman al, Tom Perry, Benoit Van Overstraeten, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Islamic Jihad, Israel, West Bank, Hamas, Hezbollah, French Foreign, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza, Tunis, Tunisia, Israel France, Lebanon, Europe, France, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, Amman, Rabia, Jordanian, Tel Aviv, U.S, Beirut, Lebanese, Palestinian, America, Hamas's, Versailles, Italy, Italian, Milan, Khalidi, Paris

The vote follows the council’s rejection Monday evening of a Russian-drafted resolution that condemned violence and terrorism against civilians and called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” but made no mention of Hamas. One calls for a “humanitarian cease-fire.” The other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and assaults on “civilian objects” in Gaza like hospitals and schools that deprive people of the means to survive. To be adopted, a resolution needs at least nine of the 15 council members to vote “yes” and no veto by a permanent member. The council vote was taking place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.

Persons: “, ”, Rosemary DiCarlo, Tor Wennesland, Islamic Jihad, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Abdel Fattah el, King Abdullah II of Jordan, U.N, Osama Mahmoud, Antonio Guterres, Mahmoud Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, . Security, Hamas, United Arab, Islamic, Arab, United Nations, Security Council Locations: Israel, Gaza, Brazil, Russian, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China, U.N, Palestinian, Ukraine, United States, Britain, France, U.S, Cairo

☆ Across Mideast, Protests Erupt Over ‘Horrific Scenes’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Vivian Yee | More About Vivian Yee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In Morocco and Bahrain, they demanded a reversal of their government’s normalization with Israel, the country they consider responsible for oppressing their Palestinian brethren. In Lebanon, they pushed toward the United States Embassy, denouncing the superpower for enabling Israel’s brutality toward civilians in the Gaza Strip. In Istanbul, 80,000 people massed outside the Israeli consulate, including some who attempted to storm the building with stones, sticks, torches and fireworks. Thousands of protesters marched in grief, fury and solidarity across the Middle East on Tuesday night and Wednesday, after hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Some Arabs have berated their governments for failing to stand up to Israel in the past, but now those governments have nearly uniformly condemned Israel for the attack.

Persons: Israel, —, ”, Khaled Mhamdi, Biden, Israel’s Organizations: United States Embassy, Islamic, Al Ahli Hospital Locations: Tunis, Cairo, Oman, Muscat ., Morocco, Bahrain, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Istanbul, United States, Islamic Jihad, Palestinian, Al Ahli, Jordan, Egypt

☆ Morning Bid: China data beat overshadowed by Mideast foreboding
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsA look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. The latest batch of economic data from China surprised by beating forecasts, but was unfortunately overshadowed by fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East following the Gaza hospital blast. Perhaps more importantly retail sales and industrial output for September topped estimates, which might mean Beijing's stimulus steps were finally bearing fruit after months of disappointment. The implications for inflation were another headache for bonds, which were still smarting from Tuesday's red-hot U.S. retail sales report. JPMorgan responded by ramping up its forecast for U.S. third quarter GDP growth to an annualised 4.3%, implying nominal growth of more than 7%.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Wayne Cole, Joe Biden's, Brent, ramping, Fed's Waller, Williams, Bowman, Harker, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, JPMorgan, U.S, Bank of Japan, Netflix, Norges Bank, EU, Fed, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Lebanon, Israel, Wayne, China, Gaza, millstone, Iran, Hormuz, Asia, Cook

☆ Asia stocks rise on earnings hopes; keep wary eye on Mideast tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man looks at an electric board displaying the Nikkei stock average outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan June 14, 2023. Overnight the S&P 500 (.SPX) had climbed 1%, while oil prices and the U.S. dollar had fallen. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields are about 15 basis points off 16-year highs, though they crept higher in Asia trade Tuesday to 4.7331%. The euro traded at $1.0549 and the yen hovered just short of the 150-per-dollar mark at 149.53. If investors don't receive the coupon payment, all of Country Garden's offshore debts will be deemed in default.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Kerry Craig, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Johnson, Craig, Joe Biden, Israel, Israel's shekel, Bitcoin, Selena Li, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Tokyo's Nikkei, U.S ., Morgan Asset Management, Bank of America, Johnson, Netflix, Federal Reserve, Israel, Hamas, Iran's, HK, Brent, BlackRock, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, HONG KONG, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Gaza, Iran, Zealand, Brent

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — A massive blast rocked a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter Tuesday, killing hundreds of people, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said. Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military said the hospital was hit by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants. Hamas' Oct. 7, attack in southern Israel killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took some 200 captive into Gaza. In Gaza City, Israeli airstrikes also hit the house of Hamas’ top political official, Ismail Haniyeh, killing at least 14 people. Haniyeh is based in Doha, Qatar, but his family lives in Gaza City.

Persons: KHAN YOUNIS, Joe Biden, Mohammed Abu Selmia, ” Abu Selmia, “, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Abbas, Richard Hecht, haven’t, Khan Younis, Deir al Balah, Witnesses, Ayman Nofal, Netanyahu, ”, Ismail Haniyeh, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tzahi Hanegbi, —, Israel's Karam, Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel's, ” Khamenei, ___ Kullab, Nessman, Lee, Amy Teibel, Abby Sewell, Samy Magdy, Jack Jeffrey, Ashraf Sweilam Organizations: Ministry, Palestinian, Associated Press, Israel, “ Intelligence, Alhi, Gaza, Gaza Health Ministry, Abbas ’ Palestinian, West, Bank, Palestinian Authority, Embassy, Nasser Hospital, United Nations Palestinian, Israeli, Israel’s National Security Council, Food Program, Hamas, Iran’s, Amman . Associated Press Locations: Gaza, U.S, Israel, al, Ahli, Gaza City, Hamas, Amman, Jordan, Abbas ’, West Bank, Ramallah, Beirut, Khan, Deir al, Doha, Qatar, Rafah, Egypt, Lebanon, Iranian, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Amman ., Cairo, el, Arish

☆ EU Responds to Hospital Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

European Union leaders were discussing the Mideast crisis in a videoconference Tuesday when Palestinian officials reported the deaths of more than 500 people in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital. The strike shows “the dramatic situation on the ground of the people” of Gaza, senior EU official Charles Michel said, adding that “an attack against a civilian infrastructure is not in line with international law.”

Persons: Charles Michel, ” Organizations: Union, EU Locations: Gaza

☆ Biden calls off Jordan leg of Mideast trip after leader summit canceled
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) hold a joint press conference in Bethlehem, West Bank on July 15, 2022. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will no longer visit Jordan as part of his Middle East trip this week, after a leaders summit on humanitarian aid for Palestinians was abruptly canceled Tuesday. The decision was made as unrest across the region swelled, in response to the deadly bombing of a hospital in Gaza. Biden had been scheduled to meet in with Jordan's King Abdullah, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority president Mahmound Abbas after first visiting Israel. In deciding not to travel to Jordan, the White House also considered "the days of mourning announced by President Abbas," for victims of the hospital attack, the official said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, King Abdullah, Abdel Fattah El, Mahmound Abbas, Ayman Safadi, Abbas Organizations: West Bank, WASHINGTON, Palestinian Authority, Israel, Hamas, White, CNBC, IDF, Israeli Defense, NBC News Locations: Bethlehem, West, Jordan, Gaza, Jordanian, Ahli, Gaza City, Israel

With two wars, a rising price of oil and a shaky bond market, there is plenty of worry for the markets and economists this week, including a slew of corporate earnings reports and data on the state of the housing market and retail spending. Meanwhile, Russia has been pressing its invasion of Ukraine that is now a year and a half old. Last week ended with a surprise increase in consumer’s expectations of inflation in the University of Michigan’s sentiment survey. Where new home construction a few months ago was holding up the housing market, now it has slumped amid mortgage rates that have brushed 8%. The firm published its monthly economic outlook last week and did not include any more Fed rate hikes in the current cycle.

Persons: “, Jerome Powell, Powell, ” Sam Bullard Organizations: Hamas, University of, “, BCA Research, ”, National Association of Home Builders, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, National Association of Realtors, Economic, of New, Wells Locations: East, Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, U.S, Iran, Lebanon, Russia, of New York

☆ Blinken: Mideast Allies Don’t Want Israel-Hamas Conflict Spillover
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New AI Tools Offer Path to Early Alzheimer's DiagnosisIs the eye the window to Alzheimer’s? WSJ reporter Vipal Monga joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss some of the AI tools that are in the works to help detect signs of the disease and why they are giving researchers new hope for early detection. Photo: Getty Images

Persons: Vipal Monga, Zoe Thomas

BEIJING (AP) — China's Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns. Called “One Belt, One Road” in Chinese, the Belt and Road Initiative started as a program for Chinese companies to build transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas funded by Chinese development bank loans. China became a major financer of development projects under BRI, on par with the World Bank. Chinese development banks provided money for the BRI projects as loans, and some governments have been unable to pay them back. Now, having learned the hard way through defaults, China development banks are pulling back.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, Xi, “, Alessia Amighini, Kevin Gallagher, Sri Lanka, Christoph Nedopil, Nedopil, Colleen Barry Organizations: BEIJING, Initiative, Silk, Italy, World Bank, Boston University Global Development Policy Center, U.S, Export, Import Bank of, Asia Institute, Griffith University, Associated Press Locations: Beijing, Africa, Asia, Latin America, China, Europe, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Italy, “ Italy, Sri Lankan, Zambia, Sri, Import Bank of China, Australia, BRI, Hungary, Milan

☆ Morning Bid: MidEast tension keeps markets on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAlthough price moves remain contained in the absence of a dramatic weekend escalation, world markets are still on edge as Middle East tension builds without obvious resolution. Disputed reports of a temporary ceasefire in southern Gaza partly stabilised jittery macro prices first thing on Monday. Yet the extent to which the backup in oil prices over recent months can impact wider economic sentiment was clear from the University of Michigan's household survey on Friday. That appeared to be the case last week as oil prices, gold, the dollar and Treasuries gained into the close while stocks fell back.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Israel, Treasuries, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Jerome Powell, Poland's, Patrick Harker, Christine Lagarde, Fabio Panetta, Mike Dolan, Ed Osmond Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, University of Michigan's, U.S, Treasury, Wall, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Netflix, Federal Reserve, European Union ., York Fed, Bank of Canada, Philadelphia Federal, European Central Bank, ECB, Global, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York City, U.S, Gaza, Wells Fargo, Luxembourg, LSEG, CHINA

Then came the Hamas attack against Israel, which has made Netanyahu’s late October trip uncertain and put Beijing's Middle East approach to the test. China’s stated neutrality on the war has upset Israel, but Beijing may gain in the long run by forging closer ties with Arab countries, experts said. “For a while at least, Beijing’s Middle East policy is paralyzed by the war,” said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing-based Renmin University of China. “China’s engagement in the Middle East is set to increase during this conflict. Because we need to be the bridge.”But China's proposals to end the war have been seen as benefiting Russia.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu, China’s, Israel, ”, Shi Yinhong, hasn't, Zhai Jun, Zhai, ” Wang Yi, ” Wang, Antony Blinken, Wang, Maria Papageorgiou, Mohammad Eslami, “, Tuvia, ” Gering, Wang Yiwei, Dale Aluf, China's, Aluf, Yaqiu Wang, Ken Moritsugu, Wanqing Chen, Matthew Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Renmin University of China, State Department, Hezbollah, University of Exeter, University Minho, Israel, China Policy Center, Institute for National Security, Kremlin, Renmin University, Israel Global Network, Freedom, Associated Press, AP Locations: Beijing, China, Israel, U.S, Iran, Tel Aviv, Palestine, Ukraine, Xinjiang, Xi, Saudi Arabia, United States, Russia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Communist, Riyadh

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