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☆ American fighter pilots explain how they fought an overwhelming Iranian drone swarm in total darkness
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“You feel the terrain rush, you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the ground,” Coffey told CNN. Obtained by CNNThe fighter pilots had not had much time before then to practice, said F-15 pilot Lt. Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey. Air defense systems at an undisclosed US military base in the Middle East intercept Iranian drones and missiles. “Missiles and drones are flying over base, and they’re being intercepted over base, so the alarm red goes off,” Causey said. CNNMany of the F-15 pilots, air and ground crews who took part in the operation that night received awards this week for bravery.

Persons: Benjamin “, ” Coffey, Coffey, Lacie, ” Hester, Hester, ”, Timothy “ Diesel ”, ” Causey, hadn’t, ’ ” Coffey, “, Curtis “, ” Culver, Hester’s, Timothy “ Diesel ” Causey, Clayton “, ” Wicks, Wicks, Culver, Robin Olds Organizations: CNN, Israel, US Air Force’s, Air Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Air, Royal Air Force, Patriot, Missiles, ” Troops, Silver Star, Culver, “, MiG Locations: Iran, Iranian, Syria, Suffolk, England, Vietnam

☆ US returns looted antiquities worth $10 million to India
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Karina Tsui | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United States has returned more than 1,400 looted artifacts worth $10 million to India as part of an ongoing initiative to repatriate stolen art from countries across South and Southeast Asia, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday. The trafficked goods recovered include items that, until recently, were on view at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The DA’s office obtained an arrest warrant for him in 2012though he remains in custody in India, pending his extradition to the US. Since its creation over a decade ago, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit –– a task force of lawyers, investigators and art experts –– has recovered 5,800 antiquities valued at almost $460 million. In July, the US and India signed an agreement to protect cultural property by preventing illegal trades and streamlining the process of returning stolen antiquities back to India.

Persons: Nancy Wiener, Subhash Kapoor, Alamy Kapoor, ” William Walker, – – Organizations: CNN, Manhattan District, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manhattan, Attorney’s, Metropolitan Museum of Art, federal Homeland Security Locations: United States, India, South, Southeast Asia, New, London, American, New York, Rajasthan, Tamil, Germany, 2012though, York

Federal law enforcement officials said Thursday that they stopped a Texas man from carrying out a possible terrorist attack in Houston. "Any day we can publicly say that is a good day," the FBI's Houston field office said on social media. Anas Said, 28, was charged last month with attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS, according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Texas. "He tried several times to travel to join ISIS and stated he would readily move back to Lebanon if he were released," the documents say. "If they said yes, those are the persons he would kill," the documents say.

Persons: Anas Said, Said, Israel, Abu Muhammad al, Beata Zawrzel, he'd, they'd, Baldemar Zuniga Organizations: ISIS, FBI, U.S ., Consulate, Federal Locations: Texas, Houston, U.S, Lebanon, Washington, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq

☆ FBI arrests Houston man who allegedly wanted to commit a ‘9/11’ style attack in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The FBI announced on Thursday the arrest of a Texas man who allegedly created and disseminated ISIS propaganda and wanted to commit a “9/11-style” attack in the United States. According to Houston’s FBI field office, he admitted to offering his home as a “safe sanctuary” to ISIS operators. “He also discussed his efforts to commit violence in the United States, including considering purchasing a gun, researching military recruitment facilities, and scouting one specific location” in Houston, according to the memo. According to court documents, the FBI has been aware of Said’s support of ISIS since 2017, when he ordered stickers related to ISIS. In follow-up interviews, Said told the FBI he no longer consumed ISIS media and propaganda.

Persons: Anas Said, Said, “, ”, Said’s, Israel Organizations: CNN, FBI, ISIS, Prosecutors, Israel Consulate Locations: Texas, United States, Houston , Texas, Lebanon, Houston, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, ”

Ties have been at their lowest point in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. “We respect the choice of the American people,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier. A second Trump presidency “could mark a new beginning in China-U.S. relations if the chance that has been offered is not wasted,” state-run newspaper China Daily said in an editorial on Wednesday. But Chinese officials laser-focused on stabilizing their faltering economy are also mindful of the tariffs of 60% or more that Trump has vowed to impose on all Chinese imports. One person it may turn to for help is tech billionaire Elon Musk, a devoted Trump supporter with extensive business interests in China who is wildly popular there.

Persons: “, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Biden, Xi, Trump, China “, ”, Susan Walsh, Rick Waters, Kamala Harris, Waters, Trump’s, ” Waters, Harris, Mao Ning, Elon Musk, Ian Bremmer Organizations: Trump, ” Xinhua, Foreign Ministry, Eurasia Group, Democratic, ., China Daily, CNBC Locations: HONG KONG, Taiwan, South China, Beijing, China, Asia, Pacific, South Korea, Japan, Australia, U.S, China’s, New York, Houston, Chengdu

☆ Israel-France tensions deepen as Paris says consulate staff briefly detained by police in Jerusalem
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Alex Stambaugh | Eugenia Yosef | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was due to visit the French-owned Eleona church compound, which houses a sanctuary, on Thursday when the incident occurred. The employees were later released following the intervention of the minister, France’s Foreign Ministry statement said. France’s Foreign Ministry said it would summon Israel’s ambassador in the coming days. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, left, speaks to journalists from the Mount of Olives during his visit to Jerusalem on November 7, 2024. In recent years, there have been several incidents between French officials and Israeli security officers at French-administered sites in Jerusalem.

Persons: CNN —, Jean, Noel Barrot, “, Barrot, ” Barrot, Emmanuel Macron, Noël Barrot, Olives, Maya Alleruzzo, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, of Saint Anne, ”, Edward Szekeres, Saskya Vandoorne Organizations: CNN, France’s, Ministry, French, AP Relations, United Nations, Reuters, of Saint Locations: CNN — France, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, French, France, Iran, European, UNIFIL, Paris

☆ A pro-Trump influencer says a Russian agent paid him $100 to post a fake voter fraud video. It wasn’t the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Isabel Rosales | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —An American social media influencer said he was paid $100 by a pro-Kremlin propagandist to post a fake video of Haitian immigrants claiming to vote in the US presidential election. After speaking with CNN, AlphaFox deleted the post, which at the time had generated more than 2.6 million views. Deleted video’s message lives onAlphaFox said he was remorseful for sharing Russian disinformation, and adamant that he was the one who was tricked. “I never wanted to misinform anyone.”AlphaFox believes himself to be just “the guy who shared” a disinformation video. “Real people have become important vehicles of Russian disinformation.

Persons: influencer, Trump, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, ”, Simeon Boikov, podcaster, Boikov, Darren Linvill, ” Linvill, ” Boikov, AlphaFox, ” AlphaFox, “, X AlphaFox, Harris, Doug Emhoff, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Brad Raffensperger, ” Raffensperger Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, State, Russian, Media, Clemson University, FBI, Australian Foreign Ministries, Homeland Security, AlphaFox Locations: American, Russian, Massachusetts, Georgia, Boikov, Russia, Australia, Sydney, AlphaFox, AlphaFox78

☆ Eric Adams To Stand Trial On Corruption Charges in April, Judge Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Jan Ransom | More About Jan Ransom | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for Mr. Adams had argued that the prosecution’s case fell short of meeting the federal definition of bribery. They pointed to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that raised the bar for prosecutors to bring corruption cases. Legal experts who reviewed the indictment against Mr. Adams have said that the ruling could present a challenge for prosecutors. He discounted the defense’s argument that because Mr. Adams was Brooklyn borough president when he reached out to the fire commissioner about the consulate building that the act could not be described as bribery. Mr. Scotten noted that the outreach occurred in late summer of 2021, after Mr. Adams had won the Democratic mayoral primary and was all but certain to be New York City’s next mayor.

Persons: Adams, Hagan Cordell Scotten, Ho, Scotten, New York City’s Organizations: Mr, Supreme, Fire Department, Turkish, Democratic Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York

☆ What a trip to Georgia's 'Seoul of the South' says about the Asian American vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

In 2020, Asian American turnout in Georgia surged by 84% compared with the previous presidential election, playing a larger role than ever in an election that Joe Biden won by a very narrow margin. And much has been made of the local Asian community since then. Many are also newer immigrants, so specific ethnicity — Korean or Vietnamese, for example — is more of an identity than simply being Asian American. “National identity matters a lot more than their pan ethnic or racial identity,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of AAPI Data, a research group. Many Asian Americans are small-business owners or work in health care or the service industry or for international companies.

Persons: Joe Biden, Chris Suh, ”, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Johnie Tran, Simona Li, Elijah Nouvelage, Phi Nguyen, “, Donald Trump, whittle, Kamala Harris ’, carmaker Kia Organizations: Emory University, AAPI, NBC News, Democratic, Gwinnett, Buford Locations: Georgia, Gwinnett, Atlanta, Duluth, Atlanta’s, “ Seoul, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Korean

CNN has reached out to Terada for comment on the R-FBI’s role in Russian disinformation efforts, and ties to the state. Storm-1516 and R-FBI network members have spread at least 54 different disinformation narratives online since August 2023, according to Clemson and CNN’s analysis. “Does anyone believe that an American would be the spearhead of what some call the biggest Russian Disinformation operation since the cold war? TelegramAnother prominent figure in propagating Russian disinformation is American Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who in 2020 accused then-presidential candidate Joe Biden of sexual harassment. The links between Terada’s group and other Russian disinformation efforts are at best opaque, which is likely no accident.

Persons: –, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Mira Terada, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Harris, Walz, Morgan Finkelstein, “ Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Win McNamee, ” Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren, “, Biden, Warren, Kamala, Influencers, John Mark Dougan, Dougan, he’s, Andrew Harnik, MAGA, IMbaMm8YVF, Darren Linvill, Linvill, ” Clemson, Maxim Shugaley, Terada, Vladimir Putin’s “, ” Prigozhin, Konstantin Pridybaylo, Ruslan Ostashko, Colin Gerard, Gerard, Alexander Dugin, picturing, Tara Reade, Joe Biden, Reade, ” Chay Bowes, Simeon Boikov, podcaster, Bowes, ” Warren, Sean Lyngaas, influencers Organizations: CNN, Clemson University’s, Russian Foundation, FBI, Storm, Democratic, Minnesota Gov, Clemson, Getty, NBC, Wired, Prigozhin’s, Internet Research Agency, Miami Chronicle, Boston Times, DC, IRA, Russian, Gov, National Intelligence, US State Department, Minnesota, Apple, Trump, Infrastructure Security Agency, ’, Federal Bureau, Investigation, Kremlin, Wagner Group, US Justice Department, ANO Dialog, BRICS Journalists Association, Washington Post, Center, Forensics Locations: Russian, Ukraine, West, San Francisco, Zambia, Savannah , Georgia, ”, “, American, Zambian, St . Petersburg, Florida, Moscow, Russia, Kazakhstan, Minnesota, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Bucks County , Pennsylvania, Bucks County ,, French, Irish, Sydney, European

☆ Israel launched strikes on Iran in a retaliatory attack. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitors the attack on Iran from an undisclosed location. By about 6 a.m. local time, the Israeli military said it has concluded its operation, saying the “mission was fulfilled” and Israeli jets “have safely returned home.”How did we get here? That missile barrage came about 24 hours after Israel launched a ground war in Lebanon, opening a new front in its war against Iranian-backed militants. Israel and Iran have been fighting a shadow war through proxies and covert actions for decades. Following the October 7 attacks, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched military operations in Gaza that have killed more than 42,000 people.

Persons: CNN — Israel, “, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ilam ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Netanyahu, Biden, ” Netanyahu, ”, Daniel Hagari Organizations: CNN, Iranian, Israel Defense Forces, GPO, Reuters, Israel, Hamas, United Arab Locations: Iran, United States, Tehran, Ilam, Khuzestan, Israel, Yemen, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Beirut, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Arab, “ Iran

☆ BRICS' new declaration shows Russia's war still can't get the international backing that Moscow wants
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

BRICS' Kazan Declaration on Wednesday contained 134 points — and only one discussed the Ukraine war. It shows that Russia still has trouble getting friendly countries on board with the war, per the ISW. AdvertisementOver two dozen world leaders at this year's BRICS summit ended Wednesday's talks with the Kazan Declaration, a 134-point summary of their agreements. "The Kazan Declaration notably only mentioned Russia's war in Ukraine once," the Washington-based think tank wrote. The declaration "demonstrated that Russia has not yet secured the international support nor created the alternative security structure that the Kremlin desires," ISW added.

Persons: BRICS, —, Vladimir Putin, ISW, Huileng Tan, Putin Organizations: UN, Service, United Nations, Kyiv, South Sudanese, Mastercard Locations: Kazan, Ukraine, Russia, China, Washington, Nazi, Moscow, Brazil, India, Syria, Tel, Lebanon, Gaza, Republic, Tatarstan

☆ ‘Nothing less than a miracle’: How one California woman snagged Italy’s new digital nomad visa
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

But although the Italian government’s digital nomad visa launched in April 2024, so far there have been few accounts of people securing one. Italy’s digital nomad visa scheme was first announced in 2022 and launched in April 2024. Apart from anything else, she had a full-time job in San Francisco at the time. Although the website warned of a minimum four-month wait time, she saw an available slot at the San Francisco consulate for 10 days later. Despite her travails to get the visa, Waite says it was worth it.

Persons: we’ll, Stanley Tucci, It’s, Chelsea Waite, —, Tuscany Chelsea Waite Waite, Waite, Bel, “, I’d, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Giuliano Benzin, ”, it’d, ” Waite, Lisa Mei, she’d, ‘ We’ll, Waite – —, ” Chelsea Waite, Milan –, Milan, I’ve, She’s, she’s “, Simona Sirio, — Waite, don’t Organizations: CNN, intel, Getty, San, Milan Cathedral, Duomo, London, Milan, –, Dante Locations: Italy, Italian, lunchbreak, California, San Francisco, Milan, Tuscany, Florence, United States, Galleria Vittorio, Lake Como, London, Como, Greece, Lombardy

☆ Saudi Arabia’s coveted Masters 1000 tennis tournament has stalled as Six Kings arrives in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

After years of pushing, everything looks ready for Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar move to become a major force in tennis to take off — with one major hitch. The Ministry of Sport of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) and the WTA Tour then announced a three-year deal to host the tour finals. These moves raised Saudi Arabia’s tennis profile, but its potential new tournament at the start of the season was seen as the most important of its tennis investments — and its most divisive. It would cement Saudi Arabia’s place at the center of the sport, bringing with it an extensively criticized human rights record. Saudi Arabia’s moves into tennis have roiled the organisations behind the Grand Slam tournaments.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, —, Novak Djokovic, Turki Alalshikh, Rome —, ”, Nadal, Sinclair, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, “, Jamal Khashoggi, Henry Nicholls, Iga Swiatek, Adam Pretty Organizations: St, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, WTA, Saudi, ATP, Public Investment Fund, SURJ Sports Investment, U.S ., ”, Sport, Saudi Tennis Federation, WTA Tour, Sinclair, Tennis, Rights Watch, Athletic, Wimbledon, Getty, Australia, Tennis Australia, Laver Locations: Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, provisionality, PIF, Istanbul, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bracing itself for a retaliatory strike for last week’s ballistic missile attack, Iran has been urging its Arab neighbors not to allow Israel to use their airspace as part of any potential attack, two diplomats from Gulf nations told NBC News Friday. Israel has vowed to respond to the strikes and while the nature and timing of the attack remain unclear, Iran warned countries that do help Israel in any way could potentially become part of a war, one of the diplomats said. His death came days after several Hezbollah leaders were killed by exploding pagers and walkie-talkies, an attack which Israel was widely believed to have been behind. Both militant groups are backed by Tehran and Pezeshkian has portrayed Iran as “exercising restraint” because it waited for two months after Haniyeh's death before launching the attack on Israel. NBC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment but has not received a response.

Persons: Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Abbas Araghchi, Araghchi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pezeshkian, Vladimir Putin, Sameh Khadr Hassan Al, Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Biden, Rasoul, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ” Biden, Abu al, Askari, Matthew Savill, wouldn’t, ”, Israel “ Organizations: NBC, Gulf Cooperation Council, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S, European Union, West Bank, Israel, AFP, Getty, Israeli, Iran’s, Hezbollah, Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News, Israel Defense Forces Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Israel, Jordan, United Arab, Washington, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ashgabat, Russian, United States, Tehran, Syria's, Damascus, Brig, Gen, Fars, Iraq, U.S, London, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, Deir el

Trump’s re-election campaign has excoriated the project, calling it “pure malicious defamation” and “garbage,” and sent the producers a cease-and-desist letter. Vanity Fair journalist Gabriel Sherman, who wrote the screenplay, draws a direct line between Cohn’s bare-knuckle tactics and Trump’s modern-day political persona. In one graphic scene, the dramatized Trump character sexually assaults his first wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova), after a bitter argument. In another notable sequence, Trump’s character goes under the knife for scalp reduction surgery and a liposuction procedure. “You might find some of these character questions you have about Trump answered,” Abbasi said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump’s, Ali Abbasi, Abbasi, “, ”, McCarthy, Roy Cohn, Trump, Gabriel Sherman, Cohn, Jeremy Strong, Sebastian Stan, ” Abbasi, Sherman, Fred, Ivana Trump, Maria Bakalova, ” Pief, Steven Cheung, doesn’t, ” Cheung, Tom Ortenberg, ’, ” Ortenberg, Kevin Smith’s, Bill Maher’s “, Oliver Stone’s “, George W, Bush, Briarcliff, Jamal Khashoggi, Ortenberg, It’s Organizations: Cannes Film, Republican, New York, Manhattan, Vanity, NBC, Trump, Hollywood, Briarcliff Entertainment, Catholic League, Washington Post, Saudi, Variety Locations: Hollywood, American, Tehran, Copenhagen, “, New York City, Saudi Arabian, Istanbul

A major part of the fears is that the US’ influence with Israel has appeared to be steadily waning over the last year. Israel’s security cabinet has not yet reached a decision on how to proceed, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday. As of last week, Israel had not given any assurances that it would not target Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reported. Israel has for decades been planning attacks on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and just two years ago simulated striking them in a military exercise. ‘Our strike will be powerful’Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a strong warning to Iran about his country’s response on Wednesday.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Hassan Nasrallah, ”, “, Israel —, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Jordan, Abbas Araghchi, Al, Netanyahu “, Araghchi, it’s, Ben Gurion, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Dania Karni, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, Israel, Wednesday, United Arab, US, Israel’s, Iran’s, Zionist Locations: Tehran, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Arab, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, France, cyberattacks, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian, backchannels, Washington, Yom, Tel Aviv

☆ Two Chinese nationals killed in ‘terrorist attack’ near Karachi airport
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD — Two Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion near the international airport of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Sunday night, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan said, in what it described as a "terrorist attack." The Chinese embassy said a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked near the airport. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a Chinese national was also injured and that an investigation was underway. It has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi. In March, a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project in northern Pakistan.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Hassan, Imran Khan ., —, Xi Organizations: Baloch Liberation, Port Qasim Electric Power Company, Embassy, General, Pakistan's, Getty Images, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Geo News, Beijing, Beijing’s, Authorities Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistani, Karachi, Pakistan, Port, Pakistan's, AFP, Getty Images Pakistan, Islamabad, Balochistan, Pakistan’s, Afghanistan, Iran, Gwadar, China

The terror attack has helped push the Middle East to the brink of a wider regional war. One year after the massacre, the Middle East has only plunged deeper into violence and is on the brink of a broader war. Globally, the immediate concern is that oil supplies will diminish significantly should conflict spill over to the rest of the Middle East. Everyone but Biden can see this," wrote Andrew Exum, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, in The Atlantic last week. The global economy on edgeWhen the conflict began a year ago, there were fears that wider conflict in the Middle East could impact the global economy.

Persons: —, Israel, Chuck Frielich, Frielich, Yemen's Houthi, Mohammed Hamoud, barraged, Ammar Safarjalani, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, Hasan Nasrallah, Qasem Soleimani, JOSEPH EID, JALAA MAREY, Nasrallah, bode, Benjamin Netanyahu, Carmel Gat, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrew Exum, Brent, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, The Washington Institute for Near East, Getty Images Iran, Getty, Israel's, United Nations General Assembly, Citigroup, Iranian, US, Middle, Business, Bank of Israel, Reuters, IMF Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza, Suez, Aden, Red, Palestine, Syria, Damascus, Xinhua, Tehran, Beirut, Haniyeh, Shukr, Lebanon, AFP, Hezbollah's, United States, Ukraine

☆ Regional war is effectively here. What Israel does next will be pivotal
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —In the days after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, fears ran high of a regional war. The conflict would not be contained in Gaza, the thinking went – Hezbollah would attack Israel from the north, the Houthis from Yemen, and Iranian proxies from Iraq. Israel would be forced to respond, it would come into direct conflict with Iran, and the wider war would be upon us. A day after Iran launched its largest ever ballistic missile attack on Israel – and as Israeli troops battle Hezbollah fighters on the ground in Lebanon – regional war is effectively here. Now is the time that we can attack, because Iran is fully vulnerable.”Smoke rises following Israel's bombardment in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.

Persons: Israel, Israel –, West Bank –, ”, Fatemeh Mohajerani, Ismail Haniyeh, Maya Alleruzzo, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nasrallah, ” Netanyahu, Hassan Nasrallah, Naftali Bennett, you’ve, ” Bennett, Baz Ratner, “, United States –, Jake Sullivan Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israeli, Israel, Hamas, “, National Locations: Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Iranian, Palestinian, Tehran, Rosh Haayin, Beirut, “, Hezbollah, Syria, Hodeidah, United States

Lawyers for New York Mayor Eric Adams asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss the bribery charge included in his federal indictment, saying the government’s allegations are “extraordinarily vague” and failed to prove Adams broke the law. Adams was charged last week with five criminal counts, including bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. He is the first sitting mayor of New York City to face criminal charges in the modern era. “The zealous prosecutors who secured the indictment would have alleged that kind of specific agreement if they had any evidence to support it,” Spiro added. Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, declined to comment on the defense’s motion to dismiss the bribery charge.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, Alex Spiro, ”, Spiro, ” Spiro, “ It’s, Damian Williams, Williams Organizations: New York, New York Fire Department, Southern, of Locations: New York City, Turkish, U.S, of New York

☆ Eric Adams says his lavish, Turkey-funded travels were legal 'gifts,' not bribes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In a court filing Monday, Eric Adams argues his bribery charge should be dismissed. The NYC mayor says it was legal for him to accept lavish travel accommodations from Turkey. AdvertisementIn a court filing Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked a federal judge in Manhattan to dismiss the bribery charge against him, arguing that the lavish travel accommodations he accepted from Turkish officials were gifts, not bribes. "The indictment does not allege that Mayor Adams agreed to perform any official act at the time that he received a benefit," Adams' motion argues. The other charges in Adams' indictment allege he knowingly sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions from corporations and foreign nationals.

Persons: Eric Adams, —, Adams, Alex Spiro, Spiro Organizations: Service, New York City, New York, Brooklyn Borough, Turkish Consulate, Turkish Locations: Turkey, New York, Manhattan, New York City, Brooklyn, Turkish

☆ Eric Adams has the SCOTUS supermajority to thank as he challenges his bribery charge
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In a court filing on Monday, Adams attorney Alex Spiro cites a groundbreaking June SCOTUS decision as reason enough to toss the bribery count. AdvertisementFederal prosecutors say Adams enjoyed nearly a decade of globe-circling Turkish Airlines trips. "I know," the feds say Adams responded when told by the staffer that Turkey saw this as "his turn" to reciprocate. (In addition to Spiro, Adams is represented by Avi Perry and William Burck. Adams has pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which also charges him with illegally accepting campaign contributions from Turkish officials and others via straw donors.

Persons: SCOTUS, Adams, —, Eric Adams, It's, Alex Spiro, Snyder, Spiro, Michel Paradis, Paradis, Brett Kavanaugh, Avi Perry, William Burck, Anthony Kennedy, Kavanaugh, Spiro didn't Organizations: New York City, Service, US, Indiana, Columbia Law School, Prosecutors, Turkish Airlines, Fox Corp, New York Times, Turkish, Justice Department Locations: New York, United States, Turkey, Turkish, Spiro, Burck

☆ Chinese adoptees say they feel conflicted after China announces end to international adoptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

It comes after China greenlit international adoption in 1992, leading to roughly 160,000 Chinese children being adopted to other countries, with half going to the U.S. The slowed international adoption coincides with a 2016 reversal of China’s one-child policy, which limited each Chinese family to one child in order to control population growth. With the door closed on international adoption, Newton emphasized that in order for those currently in Chinese social welfare institutes to thrive in their birth country, they also need more support. “The situation truly is a little bit more complicated for these kids with intense disabilities, especially with the rising costs of living in China,” Newton said. Newton said adoptees are often seen as “perpetual children” whose points of view don’t need to be considered.

Persons: Maze Felix, ” Felix, they’re, Grace Newton, ” Newton, Newton, “, ’ ”, Mao Ning, ”, it’s, Monaco, adoptees, ” Monaco, didn’t, Katelyn Monaco, Felix, there’s, There’s Organizations: China, NBC News, Foreign, U.S, Research, Katelyn, Monaco, “ Locations: China, Cleveland, Beijing, Katelyn Monaco, Quincy , Massachusetts, Monaco, Los Angeles, Yangzhou, ’

☆ De-escalation in the Middle East is now up to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementIsrael's assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah for over 30 years, is a major escalation in the Middle East conflict. A senior Iranian commander working with Nasrallah was also killed in the attack, Iranian state media confirmed on Saturday. AdvertisementIn the days after that attack, Iran telegraphed its response before launching hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel in an unprecedented retaliation. AdvertisementIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a statement released on Saturday, said Iran stands with Hezbollah but did not threaten any military response. Still, Israel, anticipating a response from Hezbollah and other proxies in the region, and possibly Iran as well, ordered its citizens to avoid large gatherings.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, —, Israel, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Slim, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Jonathan Panikoff Organizations: Service, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Force, Middle East Institute, Saturday, Israel Defense Forces, Atlantic Council Locations: Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Brig, Lebanon, Hamas, Gaza, Washington ,, Islamic Republic, Yemen, Tehran

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