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☆ Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing; Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion Saturday he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. Israeli media citing unnamed security sources reported that Zvi Kogan, who has been missing since noon Thursday, may have been kidnapped. Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country. Iran also kidnapped Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran where he was executed in October. However, the Mideast wars have sparked deep anger among Emiratis, Arabs and others living in the UAE.

Persons: Zvi Kogan, Kogan, ”, Abbas Yazdi, Jamshid Sharmahd, Emiratis Organizations: United Arab Emirates —, United Arab, Local, UAE, Ben Gurion International Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Israeli, Iran, Israel, Tehran, Gaza, Lebanon, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, British, Iranian, Tel Aviv, Jewish

☆ Israel announces that West Bank settlers no longer face detention without trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Israel’s new defense minister has said security forces would no longer apply administrative detention orders to Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, and thus only Palestinian suspects can be held indefinitely without trial. Israel Katz, a long-time ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was appointed defense minister earlier in November and announced the decision on Friday. In 2019, Trump abandoned the long-held U.S. position that West Bank settlements are illegal before it was restored by President Joe Biden. Settler immunity from administrative detention coincides with heightened rhetoric from Israeli ministers calling for the West Bank to be annexed. The U.N. said four Palestinian children have been killed every week in the West Bank on average since the current conflict began, a three-fold increase from the first nine months of 2023.

Persons: Donald Trump, Israel Katz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz Bebeto Matthews, B’Tselem, Yair Lapid, Israel's, Itamar Ben, Trump, Joe Biden, Israel’s, Bezalel Smotrich, Trump’s, Smotrich, “, ”, Mike Huckabee, Yossi Mekelberg, Defense Lloyd J, Austin, Katz Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Prisoner Society, National, Palestinian Authority, Arkansas Gov, Arutz, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Chatham House’s, NBC, Defense Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Bank, U.S, Washington, Arkansas, East, North Africa, South Lebanon

Were Trump to follow through on his vow to impose tariffs on imports on Europe as well as from China, they would likely deviate further. There is also uncertainty across the continent about what the new White House will mean for the war in Ukraine. In their view, China could help to pressure Russia over Ukraine as Xi loses patience with a war he did not expect would drag on for almost three years. One senior European diplomat said that while China has never explicitly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has helped in other ways to rein in Moscow. continues to say that Ukraine will negotiate when Ukraine wants to negotiate,” another European official said, “and that the E.U.

Persons: Donald Trump, don’t, Trump, Vladimir Putin, “, Olaf Scholz, Putin, Sydney Walsh, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ‘, Mike Waltz, Xi, Sergey Bobylev, ”, Keir Starmer, Xi Jinping, Starmer, Jimmy Lai, Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, David Lammy, Wang Yi, Liu Bin, Joe Biden, Wu Xinbo, ” Wu, ” Cao Lei, Kim Jong, trickier, ” Keir Simmons, Jennifer Jett Organizations: NBC, Union, NBC News, “, U.S, Economist, Chinese Communist Party, Getty Images, ”, Group, British, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Trump, Center for American Studies, Fudan University, University of Hong Kong’s, Contemporary, Foreign, South China Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Beijing, Brussels, China, Europe, Ukraine, we’ll, Kazan, Russia, Anadolu, South, Taiwan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Britain, Hong Kong, British, Shanghai, “, Contemporary China, “ China, European, North Korea, U.S, Dubai

☆ The Western tourists going to Iraq for vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Richard Collett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“It was peaceful, calm, and rather quiet,” Driskill told CNN Travel after visiting Iraq in 2024. “Every year we’re seeing more people come to Iraq than before,” he told CNN Travel. Newenham first visited in August 2021 and told CNN Travel that she never imagined Iraq becoming one of her favorite travel destinations. Anmar Khalil/AP“Visiting the [ninth-century] Great Mosque of Samarra is a must,” he told CNN Travel. For Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, tourism to the country is allowing visitors to see the real Iraq.

Persons: Tommy Driskill, ’, ” Driskill, Saddam Hussein’s, Iraq’s, Driskill, ”, “ I’m, I’ve, “ We’ve, ” Robert Kyle Molina, Molina, Ali Al Makhzomy, ” Al Makhzomy, Janet Newenham, Newenham, “, ” Newenham, they’ve, Pope Francis, Al Makhzomy, Ur, Sergio Arce, Bil, Anmar Khalil, Imam Hussain, Abbas, Hussain ibn Ali, Prophet Mohammed, Arce, I’d, Jan Bakker, James Wilcox, we’ve, Travel’s Molina, Sarah Sanbar, Iraq —, ” Sergio Arce, Sanbar, ‘, ’ Heck Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Tourism Capital, US Department of State, United, Foreign, Commonwealth, Development, Human Rights Watch, ISIS, Bil, US State Department, US, Federal Government, Baghdad International Airport, European, Kurdistan Regional Government Tourism Board, International, Federal, “, Vatican Media, Reuters, Borders, Erbil Marathon, Sergio Arce Military Locations: Hawaii, Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Babylon, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Karbala, European Union, Kurdistan Chronicle, Federal Iraq, Mosul, “, Janet Newenham Iraq, Cork, Ireland, Baghdad . “ Iraq, Islam, ” Iraq, East, Palestine, Eden, Samarra, Al, Arba’een, Sweden, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, India, Erbil, Berlin’s, Today, birdwatch

She wrote two more bills that same week supporting Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, who were behind two of the biggest US national security leaks of the 21st Century. Both men are broadly seen as enemies of the state within the intelligence community. Gabbard proposed repealing Patriot ActIf confirmed, Gabbard will be the most markedly anti-surveillance official to lead the intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. Some prominent Republicans like former Trump national security adviser John Bolton and former Trump UN ambassador and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley have come out against her. Scott Olson/Getty ImagesGabbard is in many ways a stranger to the intelligence community.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, spymaster, Tulsi Gabbard, Daniel Ellsberg, Gabbard, ”, Ellsberg, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, It’s, MAGA, Trump, Assange, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, she’s, scot, Jamil Jaffer, George W, Bush, White, George Mason University’s, Snowden, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Assange —, Sen, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Matt Gaetz, Gabbard’s Snowden, Bill Pugliano, Tulsi, Drew Angerer, Glenn Gerstell, —, Gerstell, ” Gerstell, She’s, neocons, ” “, Vladimir Putin’s, Biden, “, Hannity, Steven Ferdman, cynically, John Bolton, Nikki Haley, DNI, ” Haley, Hillary Clinton, Assad, Obama, Tom Williams, CNN Gabbard, Bashar Assad, Nancy Pelosi, Gabbard’s, we’ve, Trump’s, Qasem Soleimani, ” ‘, Donald Trump, Scott Olson, Democratic Sen, Chuck Schumer, ” Gabbard Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Pentagon, The New York Times, Washington Post, US, National Intelligence, Republican Party, WikiLeaks, National Security Institute, George, National Security Agency, — Democratic, Trump, FBI, Fox, Patriot, Foreign Intelligence, Congress, Capitol, Defense Department, Democrat, Republican, NATO, Fox News Channel Studios, Trump UN, GOP, blindsided, Hawaii National Guard, House Armed Services Committee, Syrian, ISIS, Democratic Party, Lawmakers, Gabbard Locations: Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Alexandria, —, Washington, Detroit , Michigan, Gabbard, Washington ,, China, Hawaii, American, Moscow, New York City, Kremlin, Iraq, Lebanon, Ohio, La Crosse , Wisconsin, United States

☆ After a stinging election defeat, the Democrats' next big race kicks off: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

After a stinging election defeat, the race to lead the DNC kicks offBy Natasha Korecki and Alex Seitz-WaldTwo weeks after suffering another stinging defeat to Donald Trump, Democrats are in the throes of dissecting what went wrong and figuring out their path forward. Martin O’Malley, a onetime presidential candidate and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration, kicked off the race by entering the fray. Minnesota Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin, a DNC vice chair and leader of the Association of State Democratic Committees, followed by formally announcing his candidacy Tuesday. Still looming out there: Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, who has developed a reputation as a prodigious fundraiser and field organizer. Read more → ☑️ Latest race calls: Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur defeated Republican Derek Merrin in Ohio’s competitive 9th District, NBC News projected.

Persons: Natasha Korecki, Alex Seitz, Wald, Chuck Todd, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Jaime Harrison, Martin O’Malley, Ken Martin, Martin, O’Malley, Chuck Rocha, Sen, Mallory McMorrow, Ben Wikler, “ Ben, That’s, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama, Emanuel, Adam Parkhomenko, Hillary Clinton’s, “, ” Parkhomenko, James Zogby, it’s, Howard Dean, Obama —, Chuck Todd Here’s, Trumpism, Trump, wasn’t, Harris, Biden, Read, Chuck → ➡️, Matt Gaetz, Lloyd Austin, Pete Hegseth, Linda McMahon, Matt Whitaker, 🗞️ Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Democratic National Committee, DNC, Maryland Gov, Social Security Administration, Minnesota Democratic, Association of State Democratic Committees, Democratic, Politico, Republican, Democratic National Convention, Wisconsin Democratic, Chicago, NBC News, Arab American Institute, America, GOP, Pentagon, “ DEI, Biden, Chuck → ➡️ Trump, Wrestling Entertainment, Education Department, Former, Atlantic Treaty Organization Locations: Michigan, U.S, Japan, Oklahoma

☆ TJ Maxx parent says holiday shopping is off to a 'strong start,' but its guidance tells another story
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

TJX Companies touted a "strong start" to the holiday shopping season on Wednesday, but its shares slid after the fast-growing retailer offered guidance that appeared to underwhelm Wall Street. "The fourth quarter is off to a strong start, and we are excited about our opportunities for the holiday selling season. For its holiday quarter, TJX is expecting comparable sales to grow between 2% and 3%, largely in line with the 3% uptick that StreetAccount analysts had expected. TJX is standing by its comparable sales guidance of 3% growth for the full year, just shy of the 3.2% growth that StreetAccount analysts had expected. It raised its pretax profit margin outlook from 11.2% to 11.3%, which matches StreetAccount's expectations, along with its earnings per share guidance.

Persons: TJX, Ernie Herrman, It's, LSEG, Maxx, TJ Maxx Organizations: TJX Companies, LSEG, Company, It's, HomeGoods, TJX, Brands, United Arab, Burlington, Ross, Bank of America Locations: HomeGoods, Sierra, TJX Canada, Europe, Australia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Spain

☆ Pope Francis calls for investigation into Gaza genocide allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Pope Francis has said that allegations of a genocide in Gaza should be “carefully investigated” marking some of his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s war in the territory. “According to some experts… what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Vatican News, the Holy See’s official news outlet, cited the pontiff as writing in a forthcoming book. Pope Francis rarely comments on politics, often limiting his remarks to calls for peace. He lamented that “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire” in Gaza and invoking scripture on war. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, the ministry of health there says, and has flattened large swathes of the territory, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Persons: Pope Francis, “, Hope, Yaron, ”, Omar Al, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Vatican News, United Nations ’ International Court of Justice, Getty, ICJ, Hamas, UN, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Locations: Gaza, Israel, South Africa, Pretoria, Jabaliya, AFP, Parish

ArizonaResult: Trump 52.2%; Harris 46.7%Margin: Trump +186,138Two counties in Arizona make up the lion’s share of the population. After losing Arizona’s Latino vote by 24 points to Biden, Trump slashed his deficit to just 10 points this time. In some of these counties, Harris actually did improve on Biden’s performance, significantly. About 450 miles northwest of Vegas, in the state’s other major population center, in and around Reno in Washoe County, Trump also made strides. PennsylvaniaResult: Trump 50.4%; Harris 48.6%Vote margin: Trump +125,325Overall, Pennsylvania shifted 3 points to Trump between 2020 and 2024.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s, Harris, Biden, Harry Truman, Trump, It’s, Barack Obama, Harris ’, Henry, Harris underperformed, hasn’t, Clark —, —, Clark, Hoke, Obama, Hillary Clinton, they’ve, Dane County, Dane Organizations: Democratic, Arizona, Trump, Republican, Maricopa, Biden, Fort Apache, Democrats, Trump ., Atlanta counties, GOP, Michigan, Grand Traverse, ’, Wayne, American, Clark, NBC News, Puerto Ricans, Democratic Party, Milwaukee Locations: Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix, Maricopa, Pima County, Tucson , Pima, Trump’s Arizona, Navajo, Apache County, Trump, Georgia, Atlanta, Douglas, Newton, Rockdale, Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Forsyth, Michigan, Lower, Grand, Traverse, Lake Michigan, Wayne, Black Detroit, Detroit’s, Dearborn, Israel, Hamtramck, Canton, Detroit, Oakland County, Macomb County, Nevada, Clark County, Las Vegas, Clark, Vegas, Reno, Washoe County, Washoe, . North Carolina, North Carolina, Robeson, Scotland, Swain County, Asheville, Buncombe County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Biden’s, Puerto, Allentown, Reading, Hazleton, Lackawanna County, Scranton, Bucks, Pike County, New Jersey, New York, Chester, Montgomery, Harrisburg, Wisconsin, Harris, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Winnebago, Green Bay, Appleton, Madison

BYBLOS, Lebanon — The anguish in Lebanese archaeologist Nader Siklaoui’s voice is clear as he films Israeli missiles slamming down near ancient Roman columns he has spent much of his life protecting. But the conflict is also taking a devastating toll on Lebanon’s unique and ancient heritage, with airstrikes wiping out centuries-old villages and endangering fragile, millenia-old archaeological sites, like the celebrated Roman ruins of Baalbek, a United Nations world heritage site. First responders evacuate an injured person following an Israeli airstrike near Tyre, Lebanon, on Oct. 30. What can we do?” said Siklaoui, who oversees heritage sites in southern Lebanon, speaking to NBC News at the national museum in the capital Beirut. Israel’s military says it only targets Hezbollah, but accuses the group of embedding itself in and near civilian infrastructure, including heritage sites.

Persons: Nader Siklaoui’s, ”, Kawnat Haju, Umm Kulthumm, Nina Simone, Placido Domingo, Mo Abbas, Najat Saliba, Israel ’, Carthage, King Hiram of Tyre, “, Siklaoui, Nader Siqlaoui, Troy, Achilles, Tania Zaven, it’s, Zaven Organizations: Lebanese, Hezbollah, United, NBC News, United Nations, Getty, NBC, Islamic, Islamic State Locations: BYBLOS, Lebanon, Tyre, Israel, Baalbek, United Nations, Mhaibib, Nabatiyah, Ottoman, AFP, Beirut, Cadiz, Spain, Tunisia, Temple, Jerusalem, Lebanese, Iraq, Syria, Mosul, Byblos

☆ How different a commander in chief will Trump be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

On the face of it, there are sizable differences in foreign policy between Trump and President Joe Biden. In October, the Biden administration again helped to intercept a barrage of around 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, which also caused minimal damage to targets in Israel. Bringing US troops homeIn 2020, the Trump administration signed a US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan with the Taliban. But after McMaster was pushed out of office in 2018, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban the withdrawal agreement of all US forces from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, the incoming Trump administration seems intent on resurrecting Schedule F, an executive order issued in the last months of the first Trump term.

Persons: sneezes, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Trump’s, shored, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Andrew Harnik, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel, Jared Kushner, Qasem Soleimani, Mike Huckabee, Israel — Huckabee, David Friedman, Reagan, JD Vance —, H.R, McMaster, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Haley, Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Florida, George W, Bush, Pete Hegseth —, Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Robert Gates, John Ratcliffe of, Tulsi Gabbard, Vladimir Putin, Basher al, Assad, Putin, Diego Fedele, Ukraine doesn’t, John Bolton, Mark Rutte, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, “ It’s, Maura Healey, Stephen Miller, CBS’s, Camp David, It’s, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, White, of, Biden, CIA, Liberation Army, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obama, Getty, West Bank, Abraham Accords, Arkansas Gov, US Defense Intelligence Agency, ISIS, McMaster, UN, GOP, Republican, Special, House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon, Fox News, Senate, Republicans, US Civil, Policy, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Policy Institute, Rep, House Intelligence, NATO Trump, US Congressional Research Service, Joint Assault Brigade, National Police, of Homeland, American Immigration Council, NBC News, US Bureau of Prisons, Massachusetts Gov, National Guard, Congress, Washington Post, H.R, North, America Locations: Paris, Russia, China, Beijing, South China, United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Washington, United States, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Yemen, Jerusalem, AFP, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Hawaii, Ukraine, Dnipro, Soviet, Toretsk, Crimea, Japan, NATO, “ Russia, Baltic, Western Europe, ”, Korean, North Korean

☆ Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe 2024, becoming the first Dane to ever win the competition. This year’s finale featured a performance by singer Robin Thicke and was hosted by “Saved by the Bell” star Mario Lopez and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo. Theilvig participates in the Miss Universe competition at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City on November 16, 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty ImagesDelegates for each country were selected via local pageants that license local rights from the Miss Universe Organization. This year’s contest saw Cuba, represented by Marianela Ancheta, take part in Miss Universe for the first time since 1967.

Persons: Victoria Kjær Theilvig, Dane, Sheynnis Palacios, Robin Thicke, Mario Lopez, Olivia Culpo, Theilvig, “, ”, Chidimma, Maria Fernanda Beltran, Suchata, Ileana Marquez Pedroza, Malta’s Beatrice Njoya, —, Hector Vivas, Marianela Ancheta, Adetshina, Karen Celebertti, Palacios Organizations: CNN, Victoria, Miss, Bell, Miss Universe’s, Miss Universe Organization, Arena Ciudad de, Getty, Miss Universe, United Arab Locations: Denmark, Mexico City, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, Nigeria, Mexico, Thailand, Venezuela, Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Cuba, Belarus, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Miss Universe South Africa, Miss Universe Nicaragua, Nicaraguan

☆ Pro-Palestinian activists’ anger at Democrats hasn’t been dampened by Trump’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —For Democratic pro-Palestinian activists, Donald Trump’s reelection delivered a bitter vindication. Led by the Uncommitted National Movement, they spent months pushing and pleading with the Biden administration to scale back its support for Israel’s war in Gaza. “I don’t have any regrets,” Uncommitted spokesman and strategist Waleed Shahid told CNN. After weeks of back-and-forth, on the final night of the confab, party officials inside the United Center told Uncommitted leaders it was a no-go. “The thing I’ve been saying and I will always say is that these uncommitted voters are our voters, they’re our family,” Barnes told CNN at the time.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Biden, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, James Zogby, Kamala Harris, ” Uncommitted, Lexis Zeidan, Trump “, ” Lexi Zeidan, Trump, Jill Stein, Harris, Harris ’, wasn’t, ” Zeidan, ’, Wa’el Alzayat, Emgage, Alzayat, Wa'el Alzayat, Jose Luis Magana, Mike Huckabee, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Waleed Shahid, Lavora Barnes, –, ” Barnes, Shawn Fain, Ruwa, Romman, ” Romman, Trump’s, Dalal Baydoun, Stein, Israel, ” Harris, Bill Clinton, ” Clinton, ” Clinton’s, capper, Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, ” Shahid, “ it’s, ” Zogby, Zogby, “ There’s, we’re, he’s, CNN’s Danny Freeman, Yon Pomeranz Organizations: CNN —, Democratic, Movement, Black, Arab American Institute and, Democratic National Committee, Trump, CNN, Green Party, Democrat, Democrats, Muslim, Latina, Democratic National Convention, United Center, Michigan Democrats, United Auto Workers, statehouse, West Bank, United Nations, UN Human Rights, State, Defense, Michigan State University Locations: Gaza, Michigan, Dearborn, CNN Dearborn , Michigan, American, Chase , Maryland, Israel, Chicago, Palestinian, Georgia, ”, Arab, Lebanon, East Lansing, Palestine, Iraq

Twitch has revised its “Hateful Content Policy” to include “Zionist” as a potential slur following mounting criticism over Israel-Gaza war content on the platform. “We recognize that ‘Zionist’ and ‘Zionism’ also refer to a political movement,” Twitch wrote in its blog post. “Using the term to refer to the political movement, whether in a supportive or critical way, does not violate our Hateful Conduct policy. Compared to other online platforms, Twitch had largely dodged controversies involving content over the war between Israel and Gaza — until this fall, when criticism online toward the platform began to escalate. In October, Twitch was accused of disabling sign-ups for the platform from some users in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Persons: Twitch, ”, ” Twitch, Rep, Ritchie Torres, Defamation League —, Dan Clancy, Instagram —, —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio, Tim Walz —, Palestine ”, “, …, Zack “ Asmongold ” Hoyt, ” Hoyt, ” Clancy Organizations: Defamation League, Twitch, NBC, Meta, Minnesota Gov Locations: Israel, Gaza, Alexandria, Cortez, Palestinian, Palestine, San Diego

☆ Nuclear Power Was Once Shunned at Climate Talks. Now, It’s a Rising Star.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For years at global climate summits, nuclear energy was seen by many as part of the problem, not part of the solution. Sama Bilbao y Leon has been attending the annual United Nations climate change talks since 1999, when she was a student of nuclear engineering. And for most of that time, she said, people didn’t want to discuss nuclear power at all. At last year’s climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, 22 countries pledged, for the first time, to triple the world’s use of nuclear power by midcentury to help curb global warming. At this year’s summit in Azerbaijan, six more countries signed the pledge.

Persons: “, ” Organizations: Leon, United Arab Locations: United Nations, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan

☆ Jared Kushner expected to be pivotal to Trump admin’s Middle East efforts without taking a formal job
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is seen as being pivotal to the incoming administration’s Middle East efforts, even though he is not likely to take a formal job within it, regional diplomats and Trump allies told CNN. Trump’s Middle East team has been taking shape this week after he selected a former Republican governor and a close friend and real-estate developer to take on key roles. Since Trump left office in 2021, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have moved to Miami and largely exited politics. Kushner has also maintained relationships with key players in the Middle East, including Israeli officials and leaders in the Arab Gulf. That is the key question,” explained Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator at the State Department, referring to Trump’s longtime friend and real estate developer who will serve as his special envoy to the Middle East.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Trump, Jared, ”, –, ” Kushner, Abraham, Ivanka Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump’s, bin Salman, Israel, “, Kusher, Ghaith Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, Brian Hook, ” Hook, “ Kushner, Mike Huckabee, Steve Witkoff, Kushner –, Aaron David Miller, Rubio, ” Witkoff, Witkoff Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump’s, Republican, White, Abraham Accords, United, United Arab Emirates, Affinity Partners, Washington, Saudi Crown, MBS, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Harvard, Washington Institute, Israel, State Department, CNN International, Former Arkansas Gov Locations: Israeli, Israel, Isreal, United Arab, Gaza, Lebanon, Miami, Arab, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New Jersey

☆ Urban areas are getting hotter. A startup from one of the world’s hottest cities wants to help
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The urban heat island effect means that city temperatures can be several degrees higher than nearby rural regions. But detailed information about urban temperatures is scarce. Today, his company FortyGuard is focused on leveraging data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide a detailed view of urban temperature dynamics. Ren said what’s most important about urban heat information is how it will be used. “The question is really, who will be the end user of your data, and who will put such urban heat information into their practices?” she says.

Persons: Jay Sadiq, Sadiq couldn’t, Smith, ”, James Voogt, Chao Ren, Sadiq, ” Sadiq, Brandon Bell, Zillow, Ren Organizations: CNN, University of Western, University of Hong, United Arab, Google Locations: Chicago, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Lafayette Reservoir , California, University of Western Ontario, Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, San Jose , California, Phoenix , Arizona, Masdar City, United Arab Emirates

☆ COP29: Azerbaijan’s leader takes a wrecking ball to climate talks as calls mount for a total ‘overhaul’
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —From the moment the US election results rolled in, climate leaders knew Donald Trump would be a blow to the COP29 talks in Baku. Amid the chaos, prominent global climate leaders on Friday issued an open letter calling for a “fundamental overhaul” of the entire UN climate process. COP29 marks the third year in a row that the climate talks have been held in either a petrostate, or economy that relies heavily on oil and gas. World leaders and delegates pose for a "family photo" on day two of the COP29 talks. Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesThe geopolitical chaos comes as global climate leaders scramble to find ways to Trump-proof progress so far, as the president-elect has vowed to again pull the US out of the Paris Agreement.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ilham Aliyev, Sandrine Dixson, —, ”, Alex Scott, they’re, ” Aliyev, Aliyev, Agnès, Joseph Borrell, Azerbaijan’s COP29, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen didn't, Sean Gallup, Trump, Gerardo Werthein, “, Javier Milei’s Organizations: CNN, The, of Rome, United Arab, Getty, New York Times Locations: Baku, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Italy, Paris, France, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Azerbaijan, Armenia

Thousands of police officers were deployed across Paris, seeking to avoid a repeat of last week's violence in Amsterdam involving locals and Israeli fans. Outside Stade de France, soccer fans filed into the stadium amid a heavy police presence. Theo Petit, 23, who came out to support France, said he was invited to the game by a friend. “We are a little stressed about coming here but it’s a game, a football game,” said Petit, who is studying to become a dietician. The ramped-up security presence comes after the violence surrounding the soccer match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax of Amsterdam put authorities across Europe on high alert.

Persons: Theo Petit, “, ”, Petit, Ian Langsdon, Denis, Laurent Nunez, David, Irene Karalis, there's, ” Karalis, I'm, instrumentalization, Franck Fife, Nunez, Emmanuel Macron, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Urgence, Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Dimitar Dilkoff, Omar, Lazare Organizations: Stade de France, Gaza, Getty Images Paris, NBC, RTL, Reuters, Ligue des, Human Rights League, NBC News, Zionist, Guard, Police, National Gendarmerie, Nations League, Urgence Palestine, Israel’s Maccabi Tel, Ajax, Israel, Getty, Paris ’ Saint Locations: PARIS, Israel, France, Paris, Europe, Lebanon, Amsterdam, Aubervilliers, AFP, Saint, “, Betar, Beirut, Gaza, Palestine, Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, Netherlands

☆ Syria: Fifteen killed in Israeli strikes on Damascus, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria, state media SANA said, citing a military source and marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital. The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood in the capital and the Qudsaya area in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported. Among those killed were women and children, Syrian state media added. The strikes targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of the Damascus countryside, with women and children among those killed, SANA said. On November 4, SANA reported Israeli strikes in Sayyidah Zaynab the same day the IDF said Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah intelligence infrastructure in the Damascus area.

Persons: SANA, Jihad, “, ” SANA Organizations: CNN, Israeli Air Force Locations: Damascus, Syria, Jihad, Gaza, Syrian, Israeli, Mezzah, Riyadh, Israel, Sayyidah, Lebanon, Qusayr, Homs

☆ Landry CEO Fertitta becomes Wynn Resorts' largest individual shareholder with nearly 10% stake
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Contessa Brewer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Billionaire Tilman Fertitta has increased his ownership stake in Wynn Resorts to 9.9%, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Wynn Resorts and Fertitta declined to comment on his increased stake. He is frequently outspoken about issues that affect Las Vegas, whether it is Formula One or historic union wage contracts. Wynn Las Vegas is the top-of-the-line, uber-luxurious resort on the Strip, and it owns two high-end resorts in Macao. That position gave him a 6.2% stake in the company and made him the second-largest individual shareholder in Wynn, after co-founder Elaine Wynn.

Persons: Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, Jefferies, David Katz, Wynn, Craig Billings, Ras Al Khaimah, Fertitta, Elaine Wynn, Steve Wynn Organizations: CNBC, Wynn Resorts, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Hilton, Fertitta, Houston Rockets, Golden, Las, Wynn, United, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Locations: U.S, Las Vegas, Wynn Las, Macao, United Arab, Ras Al, United Arab Emirates, Wynn

☆ Antisemitic violence rocked Amsterdam, Paris doesn’t want more of the same
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Last year’s French soccer cup final saw some 3,000 police and 1,400 staff deployed, reports CNN affiliate BFMTV. This Thursday’s UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel will take place in the Stade de France, the centerpiece of Paris’ 2024 Olympic Games. The minister set an aggressive tone in his first months in office and his response to the Amsterdam attacks was no different. Just this week, the Israeli ambassador in Paris was summoned to the French foreign ministry after two French policemen were briefly detained in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. Yet, in the light of recent events in Amsterdam, it is keen to show its commitment to protecting French Jews: Thursday’s match offers the perfect opportunity.

Persons: Laurent Nunez, ”, Bruno Retailleau, he’s, Retailleau, Emmanuel Macron, “, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Denis, Franck Fife, Germain, Marie Mesmeur, Macron, North America – Organizations: Paris CNN —, Israel, Maccabi, Tel, CNN, BFMTV, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s, Ajax, ” Maccabi, Palestinian, UEFA Nations League, Stade de France, French, Amsterdam’s Maccabi, –, Palace, Stade, UEFA Nations League football, Getty, Paris Saint, Champions League, North America Locations: Paris, France, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, French, Netherlands, Israel, Gaza, Saint, AFP, “, Europe, North, Lebanon, East Jerusalem

☆ Oil could plunge to $40 in 2025 if OPEC unwinds voluntary production cuts, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A decline to $40 a barrel would mean around a 40% erasure of current crude prices. Martoccia Francesco Energy strategist at CitiThe oil cartel has been exercising discipline in maintaining its voluntary output cuts, to the point of extending them. In September, OPEC+ postponed plans to begin gradually rolling back on the 2.2 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts by two months in an effort to stem the slide of oil prices. Oil prices have been weighed by a sluggish post-Covid recovery in demand from China, the world's second-largest economy and leading crude oil importer. In its monthly report released Tuesday, OPEC lowered its 2025 global oil demand growth forecast from 1.6 million barrels per day to 1.5 million barrels per day.

Persons: Anthony Prieto, Tom Kloza, They've, Kloza, Henning Gloystein, Saul Kavonic, Francesco Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, OPEC, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Eurasia Group, CNBC, Francesco Energy, Citi Locations: Midland , Texas, OPEC, China, U.S, Canada, Guyana, Brazil

☆ UN sounds alarm at Israel’s ‘severe violations’ at key buffer zone with Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The United Nations has accused Israel of “severe violations” of a 50-year-old agreement with Syria, saying it has engaged in “engineering groundwork activities” that encroach on a key buffer zone in the Golan Heights. The Israeli military said the strikes were part of a larger effort to target the capabilities of a Hezbollah unit responsible for weapons smuggling. Saban said that Hezbollah is unlikely to try and trigger an Israeli military offensive from the Golan, however. In July, the IDF said it struck Syrian military infrastructure in retaliation for alleged breaches. “The IDF holds the Syrian military responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the Israeli military said.

Persons: Israel, UNDOF, ”, Yasushi Kaneko, Navvar Saban, Golan, ” Saban, Majdal Shams, Saban Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Observer Force, Planet Labs, European Space Agency, Israel Defense Forces, Labs, Alpha, IDF, Israel, Yomiuri Shimbun, AP, Harmoon, for Contemporary Studies, Lebanese, Syrian Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry Locations: Syria, Golan, Israel, Jubata Al Khashab, Majdal Shams, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria Israel, Tehran, Damascus, Majdal, Qusayr, Homs

☆ Who’s Attending COP29, the International Climate Summit?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Over 50,000 people are gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations climate conference known as COP29. This is the second largest of the annual gatherings in their history, according to official estimates and recently published data. Diplomats from nearly 200 member countries will seek a deal on climate financing to support the clean energy transition in developing economies. Recent years have seen a spike in the number of guests, particularly from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Politicians started to take more interest in the climate talks in 2009, when they were held in Copenhagen.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, COP6, Keir Starmer, ”, Richard Kinley, they’ve, They’ve Organizations: Climate, United Nations, Diplomats, Paris Copenhagen, Berlin, COP3, Dubai, New York, Paris Copenhagen Official, CENTRAL, NORTH, NORTH AFRICA EAST, NORTH AFRICA Official, EAST ASIA, COP1, CENTRAL ASIA, EAST, PACIFIC, Copenhagen COP15, United, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan Russia United Arab, Swarthmore, Ivory, Ivory Coast Democratic Locations: Baku, Azerbaijan, United States, Europe, Saharan Africa, COP28, Dubai, Paris, Copenhagen, United Kingdom, China, SAHARAN AFRICA, NORTH AFRICA, NORTH AFRICA EAST ASIA, Berlin, ASIA, EUROPE, EAST ASIA, AFRICA, Russia, United Arab, Qatar, Doha, Azerbaijan Russia, Azerbaijan Russia United Arab Emirates Qatar, Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast Democratic Republic of Congo Senegal Ghana

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