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☆ Grace Wales Bonner Summons the Spirit Movers in Her MoMA Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Holland Cotter | More About Holland Cotter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Every few years the Museum of Modern Art asks an artist to sift through its vast holdings and assemble a chamber-music-scale exhibition. Past guest curators have included Ellsworth Kelly, Elizabeth Murray and Amy Sillman. This year the invitation went to the London-based designer Grace Wales Bonner and what a fantastic work of poetic research she’s orchestrated in the show she calls “Spirit Movers.”The idea of sound embodied in material is her foundational theme. In 36 objects she covers a wide modern-contemporary cultural field, which includes figures well-known and overlooked, several with links to the Afro-Atlantic world. The resulting harmonic convergence of these various objects unfurls with a welcoming anthem in the form of Terry Adkins’s monumental wind instrument ensemble, “Last Trumpet,” and with a glowing fanfare in Agnes Martin’s 1963 gold-leaf painting “Friendship.”

Persons: Ellsworth Kelly, Elizabeth Murray, Amy Sillman, Grace Wales Bonner, Terry, Agnes Martin’s, ” Organizations: of Modern Art Locations: London

☆ Biden praised Kissinger in life, offers measured reaction on his death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Heather Timmons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks In the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2023. Fifteen years later, Biden's White House took a more distant approach, waiting about 24 hours to issue a statement after Kissinger died at age 100 on Wednesday. Biden said he first met Kissinger when he was a young Democratic senator from Delaware and he was secretary of state. Biden said after Kissinger retired from government "he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations." “It’s a huge loss,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, noting Kissinger’s military service during World War Two and years of public service afterward.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Evelyn Hockstein, Henry Kissinger, Biden, Kissinger, Biden's, " Biden, Jill, Nancy, Elizabeth, David, “, John Kirby, Kirby, Heather Timmons, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Paris Peace, White, Biden, ” National Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Iraq, Delaware, China, U.S, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Henry Kissinger, the most powerful U.S. diplomat of the Cold War era, who helped Washington open up to China, forge arms control deals with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War, but who was reviled by critics over human rights, has died aged 100. While many hailed Kissinger for his brilliance and statesmanship, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. Kissinger won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, but it was one of the most controversial ever. When Nixon's pledge to end the Vietnam War helped him win the 1968 presidential election, he brought in Kissinger as national security adviser. And in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, Nixon and Kissinger drew heavy criticism for tilting toward Pakistan.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Nixon's, Gerald Ford, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Biden, Le Duc Tho, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdul Momen, Kissinger's, Momen, Ford, Henry, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Egon Bahr, Fabrizio Bensch, Lyndon, Nixon, Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, China Winston Lord, Leonid Brezhnev, Salvador Allende, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush, Xi Jinping, Ann Fleischer, Nancy Maginnes, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Steve Holland, Arshad Mohammed, Dan Whitcomb, Don Durfee, Kanishka Singh, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Bill Trott, Diane Craft, Rosalba O'Brien, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Jewish, Kissinger Associates, Arlington National, Republican, Paris Peace, Democratic, U.S, HARVARD, Nazi, Social Democratic, Mary's, REUTERS, Army, Harvard University, State Department, Paris Peace Accords, Communist, Premier, Former U.S, Ford, CIA, Democrat, House, New York Governor, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, German, Connecticut, New York, Arlington, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America, Cambodia, North Vietnamese, Beijing, Russian, statesmanship, West, East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Fuerth, Germany, United States, St, Berlin, Europe, Jerusalem, Damascus, Syria, Golan, Vladivostok, Egypt, Sinai, India, Pakistan, Saint Paul , Minnesota, Long Beach , California

☆ US asks Israel to narrow zone of combat in any southern Gaza attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. U.S. officials from President Joe Biden on down, including in the State Department and Pentagon, are pleading with Israel to take a more cautious approach if and when the Israeli military extends its offensive to southern Gaza. Two-thirds of the enclave's population of 2.3 million have fled south to avoid the war zone in the north. Israel's operation in the north drew strong international criticism and Biden has taken fire at home for his sweeping support for Israel. Many of the lead architects of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people were killed, are in the south, one official noted.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Joe Biden, Israel, Biden, Washington, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Sonali Paul Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, State Department, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Khan, Gaza, United States, U.S

An Israeli Merkava tank manoeuvres near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, as seen from southern Israel, November 28, 2023. "You cannot have the sort of scale of displacement that took place in the north, replicated in the south. The official said the campaign needed to be "deconflicted" from power, water, humanitarian sites and hospitals in south and central Gaza, meaning avoid attacks on those types of infrastructure sites. A second U.S. official said Washington would like to see the humanitarian pause extended as long as possible. The officials said aid deliveries to Gaza were currently running at about 240 truckloads a day but this was nowhere near enough to meet needs.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Israel, Joe Biden, Antonio Guterres, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, United Nations, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Washington, Sinai, Egypt

[1/9] People react after the release of Palestinian prisoners amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 28, 2023. Those have been mostly Israeli women and children along with foreign citizens. Israel has said the truce could be prolonged further, provided Hamas continues to free at least 10 Israeli hostages per day. Separately, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday called in a joint statement for an extension of the ceasefire and more humanitarian aid. It had been due to expire overnight into Tuesday, but both sides agreed to extend the pause to allow for the release of more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Cross, Tuesday's, John Kirby, Kirby, Antonio Guterres, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Israel, Nidal al, Mohammed Salem, Henriette Chacar, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Steve Holland, Cynthia Osterman, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Qatar, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, International Committee, Ofer, Palestinian Prisoner's, CIA, U.S, World Health Organization, United Nations, Air Force One, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ramallah, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Jerusalem, Qatar, United States, U.S, Egypt, Amman, Rafah, Geneva, Cairo

Nov 27 (Reuters) - The man accused of shooting and wounding three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont, over the weekend pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Monday and was ordered by a judge to remain held without bond. All three men are undergraduate students at colleges in other cities but were staying with Awartani and his relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday. [1/8]Jason J. Eaton, 48, a suspect who was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent, poses for a police booking photograph in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. November 27, 2023. Police said the suspect had legally acquired the gun used in the shooting a few months ago. Police said all three are of Palestinian descent - two of them U.S. citizens and the third a legal U.S. resident.

Persons: Jason J, Eaton, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen, Kinnan, Awartani, Easton, Investigators, I'VE, I've, Sarah Fair George, Jon Murad, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Aliahmad, Rich McKay, Susan Heavey, Luc Cohen, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson, Steve Gorman, Frank McGurty, Bill Berkrot, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Police, University of Vermont, FBI, U.S . Bureau, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Burlington Police Department, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Palestinian, Hamas, Burlington Police, U.S . Department of Justice, of, Brown University, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Ramallah Friends School, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Burlington , Vermont, Chittenden County, Burlington, Vermont's, U.S, United States, Israel, of New York, America, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Atlanta, Los Angeles

☆ Uganda to borrow $150 mln from China's Exim after World Bank halts funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A worker is seen near a sign of the Export-Import Bank of China at the venue for the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, China October 31, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKAMPALA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Uganda is preparing to borrow $150 million from China's Export Import Bank (Exim) to help expand its internet infrastructure, the finance ministry on Monday. A junior finance minister and the minister for information asked lawmakers on Monday to authorise the debt, the finance ministry wrote on X, the social media platform. Uganda is in negotiations with Chinese export credit agency SINOSURE and Exim Bank for a loan to finance the construction of a pipeline to help Uganda export its crude oil to international markets. The World Bank, traditionally Uganda's biggest development lender, halted loans to Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act which hands out tough sentences including death for a range homosexual activities.

Persons: Stringer, SINOSURE, Yoweri Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Hereward Holland, William Maclean Organizations: Export, Import Bank of China, China, REUTERS, Rights, China's Export Import Bank, World Bank, Exim Bank, Bank, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights KAMPALA, Uganda

☆ Suspect in shooting of Palestinian American students pleads not guilty in Vermont
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - The suspect in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont over the weekend pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder on Monday and was ordered by a judge to be held without bond. Police say Eaton used a pistol to shoot them on the street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening and then ran away. Police said the suspect had legally acquired the gun used in the shooting a few months ago. [1/5]Jason J. Eaton, 48, a suspect who was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent, poses for a police booking photograph in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. November 27, 2023. Two of the students were visiting the home of the third student's family in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Persons: Jason J, Eaton, Sarah Fair George, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, Tahseen Ahmed, Rich McKay, Susan Heavy, Luc Cohen, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson, Frank McGurty, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Police, University of Vermont, Palestinian, Hamas, Burlington Police Department, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Institute for Middle, U.S . Department of Justice, of, Brown University, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Ramallah Friends School, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Vermont, Chittenden, Burlington, East, Chittenden County, United States, Israel, Burlington , Vermont, U.S, of New York, America, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Atlanta

☆ NFL: Jevon Holland scores astonishing 99-yard interception touchdown as Miami Dolphins defeat New York Jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | Homero De La Fuente | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“When he threw it in the air, I just thought it’s kind of like a long field goal, like drop. So, I’m a punt returner, and people don’t know that, but I am a punt returner,” Holland told Amazon Prime afterwards, according to the NFL. They had just intercepted Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa twice and had trimmed the Dolphins’ lead to 10-6 after an interception touchdown by Brandin Echols. In the end, Boyle finished with 179 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Fins up.”Per ESPN, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said afterwards that the injury “doesn’t look great, but we’ll find out more tomorrow (Saturday).”

Persons: Jevon Holland, Tim Boyle’s, Mary, Holland, ” Holland, “ Shoutout, Hail Mary, Tua Tagovailoa, Brandin Echols, Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Tim Boyle, Zach Wilson, Boyle, Aaron Rodgers, Achilles, Jaelen Phillips, Jaelan Phillips, Rich Schultz, ”, “ I’ll, Mike McDaniel Organizations: CNN, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Amazon’s, Amazon, NFL, Hail, ESPN, Jets, Dolphins, Tyreek, AFC East, ”

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 30 for 243 yards with the TD to Hill and the two INTs. Hill's touchdown catch was his 10th of the season, making him the first Dolphins player since Mike Wallace in 2014 to have double-digit TD receptions. Reed intercepted Tagovailoa on the Dolphins' next possession, giving the Jets the ball at their 49 with 2 seconds left. Mostert's 13-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Dolphins a 27-6 lead — and tempers flared after that. STATSHill finished with nine catches for 102 yards and the TD, while Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 114 yards.

Persons: Jevon Holland, Mary, Raheem Mostert, Tua Tagovailoa, Brandin Echols, Tagovailoa, Tim Boyle, Zach Wilson, Garrett Wilson, Hill, Jordan Whitehead, zipped, Keeta Vaccaro, Mike Wallace, Braxton Berrios, Echols, Greg Zuerlein, Reed, Mary —, Boyle —, Mosley, Micheal Clemons, Clemons, Clemons wasejected, Austin Jackson, Mostert, Jaylen Waddle, Julio Jones ’, . Boyle, Holland, LB Jaelan Phillips, Achilles, LT Terron Armstead, ___ Organizations: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Black, Dolphins, AFC East, Jets, MetLife, AFL, NFL, Detroit, NEXT Dolphins, Washington, Atlanta Locations: RUTHERFORD, N.J, Miami, Hill, New York, Holland

☆ Somalia joins east Africa trade bloc as it eyes new opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Abdi Sheikh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOGADISHU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The East African Community trade bloc admitted Somalia as its eighth member on Friday, a move Somali authorities and businesses hope will boost the country's war-ravaged economy. "Somalia officially joins the East African Community, reinforcing ties and opening new doors for progress and partnership," Daud Aweis, Somalia's minister for information, culture and tourism said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. In turn the bloc's large population and existing customs union and common market are a draw for investors that Somalia can now tap into. Somali businesses said the country's vibrant private sector, which has overcome long odds to stay afloat, would bring a fresh injection of risk-tolerant entrepreneurs into the trade bloc and boost exchanges across the large Somali Diaspora. "It will be simpler for the large Somali Diaspora living across East Africa to access financial services and products," said Shuayb Haji Nur Mohamed, managing director of Salaam Somali Bank, one of Somalia's major banks.

Persons: Daud Aweis, al, Shuayb Haji Nur Mohamed, Hereward Holland, Elias Biryabarema, William Maclean Organizations: East African Community, EAC, Democratic, East African, Salaam Somali Bank, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Al Qaeda, Shabaab, Mogadishu, al Shabaab, Somali, East Africa

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Miami safety Jevon Holland called the MetLife Stadium turf “trash” after teammate Jaelan Phillips injured his right Achilles tendon in the Dolphins' 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Friday. Phillips was carted from the field late in the fourth quarter, a non-contact injury that reignited the turf-vs.-grass debate among players. MetLife Stadium changed its surface — which had been widely criticized because of injuries — before this season. Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert was a member of the San Francisco 49ers when he was injured in 2020 and teammates Solomon Thomas, now with the Jets, and Nick Bosa both suffered season-ending injuries on the previous MetLife Stadium turf. We've got to do something about this turf and this playing surface.

Persons: Jevon Holland, Jaelan Phillips, Achilles, Phillips, I’ve, ”, Holland, Aaron Rodgers, Raheem Mostert, Solomon Thomas, Nick Bosa, Mostert, Rodgers, We've, ” Mostert, Mike McDaniel didn't, who'll, “, ” Phillips, I’ll Organizations: MetLife, Dolphins, New York Jets, ” Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Jets, Twitter Locations: RUTHERFORD, N.J, Miami, New York

☆ Stocks maintain November reign, oil hit by OPEC doubts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Bull statues are placed in font of screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, August 18, 2023. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) is nearing a fresh high for 2023, with the S&P 500 and MSCI's all-country world index (.MIWD00000PUS) both up more than 8% this month alone. For MSCI world that is the best showing since November 2020 when markets got a major shot in the arm from COVID vaccine hopes. Germany's 10-year bund , the benchmark for the Europe, was fractionally higher on the day at 2.57% having touched 3% last month. Bitcoin fell by 0.77% on Thursday to $37,337 after it rose nearly 5% on Wednesday.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Geert Wilders, Robert Alster, Viktor Orban, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, ECB, Oil, Traders, Asset Management, European Union, Freedom Party, Labour, Green, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, European, HK, Reuters, Treasury, UK Finance, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, Europe, U.S, EU, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, Turkey, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Brent, Bitcoin

☆ Stocks maintain November reign, oil nagged by OPEC doubts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, November 22, 2023. Traders were getting their moves in despite the annual U.S. Thanksgiving holiday scything volumes but there was plenty to keep them busy while they did it. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) is nearing a fresh high for 2023 and both it and MSCI's all-country world index (.MIWD00000PUS) are both up more than 8% this month alone. For the MSCI world index, that is the best showing since November 2020 when COVID-19 vaccine hopes were driving markets wild. Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Christina Fincher and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Robert Alster, Viktor Orban, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Tayyip Erdogan, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, PMI, ECB, Oil, OPEC, Traders, Asset Management, Freedom Party, Labour, Green, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, European, U.S, HK, Reuters, Europe, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe, U.S, European, France, Holland, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Japan, COVID, Brent, Bitcoin

☆ The Strange $55 Million Saga of a Netflix Series You’ll Never See
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( John Carreyrou | More About John Carreyrou | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He had directed only one movie, “47 Ronin.” It was a commercial and critical dud, and Mr. Rinsch’s tussles with its producers had raised eyebrows, even in an industry where such conflicts are the norm. Amid the feeding frenzy, the project that Mr. Rinsch was pitching — a science-fiction series about artificial humans — became a hot property. After a competitive auction, Mr. Rinsch and his representatives reached an informal eight-figure agreement with Amazon. The project with Mr. Rinsch has turned into a costly fiasco, a microcosm of the era of profligate spending that Hollywood studios now are scrambling to end. Netflix burned more than $55 million on Mr. Rinsch’s show and gave him near-total budgetary and creative latitude but never received a single finished episode.

Persons: Carl Erik Rinsch, Rinsch’s, Rinsch, Cindy Holland Organizations: Disney, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood

☆ The secret negotiations that led to the Gaza hostages deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Pictures of hostages held in Gaza, who were seized from southern Israel on October 7 by Hamas gunmen during a deadly attack, are displayed in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 15, 2023. Demands were made that Hamas produce the lists of hostages it was holding, their identifying information, and guarantees of release. Biden held a previously undisclosed phone call with the Qatari prime minister when the phasing of releases began to take shape, the official said. Shortly after Biden's call, Hamas produced details for the 50 hostages it said would be released in the first phase of any deal. Biden in a Nov. 14 call urged Netanyahu to take the deal - Netanyahu agreed.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Bill Burns, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk, Sullivan, McGurk, Josh Geltzer, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Burns, David Barnea, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ”, Abbas Kamil, Word, Steve Holland, Don Durfee Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, White, U.S, Israeli, CIA, U.S . Middle East, National Security Council, Hamas, Qatari, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Qatar, Egypt, United States, U.S, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sullivan’s, Doha, Cairo, San Francisco, Asia, Lincoln

☆ Mali signs agreement with Russia to build gold refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Tiemoko Diallo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Mali's military government said it has signed an agreement with Russia to build a gold refinery in the capital Bamako, one of a slew of deals between the two countries as Russia seeks to extend its regional influence. The deal is the latest sign of Russia's deepening interests in Mali, one of Africa's largest gold producers, just as Western influence there wanes. Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom signed an deal with Mali in October to explore for minerals and produce nuclear energy. Sanou said he had also signed a deal with a Russian firm to build a 200- to 300-megawatt solar power plant by mid-2025. Industrial gold production in Mali totalled 66.2 tonnes last year, mostly from mines owned by Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), B2Gold (BTO.TO), Resolute Mining (RSG.AX), Allied Gold (AAUC.TO) and Endeavour Mining .

Persons: Alousséni Sanou, Sanou, Rosatom, Wagner, Tiemoko Diallo, Hereward Holland, Edward McAllister, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, Barrick Gold, Resolute Mining, Allied, Endeavour Mining, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Russia, Bamako, Mali, Russian, France, Africa, al Qaeda, Islamic State

☆ Three Americans expected to be included in Gaza hostage release-US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli bombardments since have flattened large swaths of Hamas-led Gaza and killed 13,300 civilians, according to authorities in Gaza. Under terms of the deal, Hamas is to release 50 hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners during a four- to five-day pause in the fighting. The hostage group will include two American women and an American girl named Abigail who will turn four on Friday, the official said. The deal will also include more deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Gaza, the official said. A rigorous inspection regime will ensure Hamas does not use the pause to rearm the group's fighters in Gaza with weaponry, the official said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Abigail, Steve Holland, Costas Pitas, Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, U.S, Qatar, American

☆ The sperm whale attack that inspired the novel 'Moby-Dick' may have also involved some aggressive killer whales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Maiya Focht | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This story is said to have inspired the novel "Moby-Dick," and was adapted into a 2015 film. In fact, killer whales may have been key characters in the infamous incident that inspired Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick." "Moby-Dick" is inspired by a sperm whale, not a killer whale, sinking the whaling boat "Essex" in 1820. From there, the sailors had to fight off the conditions of the open ocean and follow up attacks by possible orca whales. The novel that resurfaced the story of the EssexPhilbrick's book is a historical recount of what happened to the real sailors that inspired Melville's tale.

Persons: Moby, Dick, —, Herman Melville's, Nathaniel Philbrick's, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, Cillian Murphy, Moby Dick, Essex, Hanne Strager, Philbrick, Melville, Owen Chase's, George Pollard Jr, Pollard Organizations: Service, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Smithsonian, Cruising Association, Business, New York Times Locations: Strait, Gibraltar, Essex, Nantucket, Polish, Moroccan, Danish

☆ Netanyahu asks Israeli government to back Hamas hostage deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A U.S. official had said the deal will include a four- or five-day ceasefire, the first pause in six weeks of an Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Hamas took about 240 hostages, including children and elderly people, during its rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel's tally. Relatives of the Israeli hostages and supporters had marched by the thousands along the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to pressure the government to secure the captives' release. An Israel Prison Service spokesperson said they were not aware of a deal to release Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has to date released only four captives: U.S. citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, on Oct. 20, citing "humanitarian reasons," and Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, on Oct. 23.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Ishay, Reuma, Tarshansky, Zvika, Omer Wenkert, Itzhaki, Qadura, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Maayan Lubell, Rami Amichay, Eli Berlzon, Henriette Chacar, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Steven Scheer, Howard Goller Organizations: Rights, U.S, Hamas, Qatar, Defence Ministry, Prisoners ' Affairs, Palestinian Authority, Reuters, Israel Prison Service, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza, Jerusalem, Gali, Kibbutz Beeri, Ramallah

A Houthi fighter holds up a pistol in the cargo area of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Kirby's comment was significant because one of the Biden administration's first acts after taking office in January 2021 was revoking terrorist designations of the Houthis over fears the sanctions they carried could worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis. Kirby called the Houthis' seizure of the vessel a "flagrant violation of international law" in which "Iran is complicit." "In light of this, we have begun a review of potential terrorist designations and we will be considering other options as well with our allies and partners as well," Kirby said at a White House press briefing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 12, 2021, revoked the designations in "recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."

Persons: John Kirby, Biden, Houthis, Kirby, Trump, Antony Blinken, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Grant McCool Organizations: Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military, REUTERS, Rights, White House, Japan's Nippon, Car Carriers, Ray Shipping, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Red, United States, Iran, Israel, Bahamas, Isle of, Tel Aviv, Yemen, Hodeidah, Islam, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, U.S

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday. Before gathering with his full government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal. Israeli media including Channel 12 news said that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages was expected on Thursday. Implementing the deal must wait for 24 hours to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the Supreme Court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, reports said. HOSPITAL ORDERED TO EVACUATEAs attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Majed Al, Ansari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Al Quds, Mounir, Al Shifa, Israel, WAFA, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Cynthia Osterman, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Netanyahu, Media, Officials, Hamas, Qatar Foreign Ministry, U.S, Islamic, Al Quds Brigades, Al, Indonesian, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Qatar, GAZA, JERUSALEM, U.S, State, Israeli, Gaza ., Al Jazeera, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jabalia, Hamas, Khan, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

☆ The Secret Negotiations That Led to the Gaza Hostages Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Five days later, on Oct. 23, the White House team's work helped yield the release of two American hostages, Natalie and Judith Raanan. Demands were made that Hamas produce the lists of hostages it was holding, their identifying information, and guarantees of release. Biden held a previously undisclosed phone call with the Qatari prime minister when the phasing of releases began to take shape, the official said. Shortly after Biden's call, Hamas produced details for the 50 hostages it said would be released in the first phase of any deal. Biden in a Nov. 14 call urged Netanyahu to take the deal - Netanyahu agreed.

Persons: Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Bill Burns, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk, Sullivan, McGurk, Josh Geltzer, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Burns, David Barnea, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ”, Abbas Kamil, Word, Steve Holland, Don Durfee Organizations: White, U.S, Israeli, CIA, U.S . Middle East, National Security Council, Hamas, Qatari Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, U.S, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Tel Aviv, Sullivan’s, Gaza, Doha, Cairo, San Francisco, Asia

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Four-day truce agreed, 50 hostages to go free
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hamas and allied groups captured around 240 hostages when Islamist gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7. Beyond that, the truce could be extended day by day as long as an additional 10 hostages were freed per day. Hamas said the initial 50 hostages would be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel. The truce deal is a first small step towards peace in the most violent ruction of the 75-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel," Netanyahu said in a recorded message.

Persons: Guterres, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al, Alexander Ermochenko, Mona, Joe Biden, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu, James Mackenzie, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates, Simon Cameron, Moore, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, Israeli, State, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israel’s Defence Ministry, Saudi Foreign, Thomson Locations: GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Israel ., Jabalia, U.S, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

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