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☆ Netanyahu aide leaked classified document to influence public opinion on hostage negotiations, court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | Mike Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have leaked classified information to foreign press in the hopes of influencing public opinion on hostage negotiations, according to a court release published Sunday. Eliezer Feldstein was arrested earlier this month for allegedly leaking “classified and sensitive intelligence information,” according to court documents. Sunday’s court release outlines more of the details surrounding this alleged leak. This came shortly after the Israeli military announced on September 1 that six Israeli hostages were killed in Gaza. Both cited Israeli intelligence sources and supported a narrative being pushed by Netanyahu at the time.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Eliezer Feldstein, Feldstein, Feldstein “, Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz –, –, Gantz Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, United, Jewish, Minister’s Locations: Rishon Lezion, “, Gaza, Israeli, Germany’s

☆ 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

☆ Long-time CEO of NEOM goes as Saudi Arabia scales back mega-projects
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Nadhmi al-Nasr, the long-time chief executive of the $500 billion NEOM mega-project at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s drive to diversify away from oil, has departed, NEOM said on Tuesday without giving a reason. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s PIF sovereign wealth fund. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is still heavily reliant on hydrocarbon revenues, and low oil prices and production have hit state coffers. He has been the head of the PIF’s Local Real Estate Division since 2018 and has a deep understanding of NEOM and its projects, NEOM said. In his role at PIF, Al-Mudaifer oversees all local real estate investments and infrastructure projects, and he is a board member of several prominent companies in the kingdom.

Persons: Nadhmi, Nasr, NEOM, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Aiman, Mudaifer Organizations: Reuters, Al, Real, Division Locations: Saudi, Belgium, NEOM, Saudi Arabia, PIF, Al

☆ Soldier with Yemen’s exiled government opens fire, killing 2 Saudi troops and wounding another
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

A soldier for Yemen’s exiled government opened fire on Saudi troops as they exercised in eastern Yemen, killing two of them and wounding another in a rare insider attack during the kingdom’s nearly decadelong war there, officials said Saturday. The assault in eastern Hadramawt province comes as a yearslong cease-fire between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels largely has held despite the militants’ ongoing attacks against shipping in the Red Sea corridor. The attack on the Saudi troops took place Friday night in Seiyun, a city some 310 miles east of Sanaa. As troops worked out at a Saudi-led base there, the soldier opened fire, killing an officer and a noncommissioned officer, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said, citing a military statement. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government in 2015.

Persons: Yemen’s, Wolf, Saudi solider, Aidarous, Hamid Rizq, ” Rizq, Mohammad Bagheri, Fayyad bin Hamid Al, Ruwaili Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Press Agency, Joint Forces Command, Yemeni Ministry of Defense, Yemen’s successionist Southern Transitional Council, First, Seiyun . Police, Authorities, United, Associated Press, Saudi Arabian Locations: Saudi, Yemen, Hadramawt, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Seiyun, Sanaa, Yemen’s successionist Southern, United Nations, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Amran, Houthi, Tehran

☆ Kate returns to official royal duties with commemoration of war dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Charles was joined by Prince William and Princess Kate, who has slowly returned to public duties this year following treatment for cancer. The wreaths were adorned by poppies, a symbol of remembrance also worn on lapels by many across the U.K. in the lead-up to Remembrance Day. Poppies were a common sight on the battle-scarred lands of Europe during World War I. Princess Kate was also in attendance at Saturday evening’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, her first major public appearance since finishing chemotherapy. Both events form part of the United Kingdom’s Remembrance Day commemorations as the nation pays tribute to those whose lives were affected by World War I and remembers those who died.

Persons: Charles III, Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Charles, Prince William, Princess Kate, Catherine , Princess of, Camilla, King Charles, Toby Melville, John McCrae, Kate, Royal Albert Hall, Max Mumby, William, Tom Jones, Royal Albert Hall . Prince William, “ It’s, It’s, ” William Organizations: Commonwealth, ”, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Royal Albert, Royal Air Force, Services, Royal Albert Hall, NBC News ’, Sky News Locations: London, United Kingdom, British, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Europe, Belgium, France, Canadian, Flanders, NBC News ’ British, Cape Town , South Africa

☆ Qatar threatens Hamas with expulsion, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Keir Simmons | Gabe Gutierrez | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose." Qatar agreed and told Hamas’ political leaders about the decision about 10 days ago, the U.S. official said. A Hamas official contacted for comment did not respond. “Its recent behavior dealing with Hamas is telling.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have also criticized Qatar for not forcing Hamas into an agreement. Hamas’ leadership is divided between a military wing, based in Gaza, and the political bureau, whose top officials have been based in Qatar.

Persons: ”, Biden, Israel, Yahya Sinwar, “, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Karim Jaafar, Trump, Hersh Goldberg, Khaled Meshal, —, ’, Abdel Kareem Hana, Sen, Rick Scott, Qatar’s, ” Scott, Benjamin Netanyahu, NATO Ally, Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud Pezeshkian Organizations: NBC, Hamas, Qatar, U.S, Qatari, Qatar's, Getty, U.S ., NBC News, Biden Administration, NATO, Foreign Relations, President Locations: Israel, U.S, Qatar, Gaza, Egypt, Thani, AFP, Doha, Cairo, Deir al, Turkey, United States, Washington, New York, Tehran, Iran, Lebanon

☆ Queen Camilla to miss Remembrance events with chest infection, as Kate makes comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — Princess Kate will attend Remembrance Day events in London over the weekend, Buckingham Palace has said, but Queen Camilla will miss the occasion after falling ill with a chest infection. Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, depart Buckingham Palace in a horse drawn carriage in 2023. Will WarrKing Charles, who is still receiving cancer treatment, has also returned to public duties since his diagnosis in February. Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince William and Princess Kate at Buckingham Palace in London in 2023. Buckingham Palace said the king did not have prostate cancer.

Persons: Kate, Queen Camilla, Catherine , Princess of, Max Mumby, Wales, Will Warr King Charles, Camilla ., King Charles III , Prince William, Princess Kate, Chris Jackson, Camilla, Buckingham, ” Camilla's, Prince William, It’s, ” William, Charles Organizations: Royal Albert Hall, NBC News ’, Sky News Locations: London, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Buckingham, Scotland, Cape Town , South Africa

The Summary A patch of snow in Scotland known for lingering year-round has melted for the fourth consecutive year. Such snow patches can act as harbingers of the broader consequences of climate change. A patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands dubbed the Sphinx typically lingers year-round, staying frozen through the summer. “It’s always been about trying to get that the right balance, to make sure that nature and people can thrive in the national park,” Moir said. We are now looking at an epoch where patches of snow are possibly going to be only occasional survivors.”

Persons: It's, ”, Grant Moir, Moir, ” Moir, “ We’ve, we’ve, “ It’s, Iain Cameron, Scottish Snow Hunter, Cameron, “ Organizations: Scottish Highlands, Park Authority, ” Records, Climate, Scottish, Royal Meteorological Locations: Scotland, Scottish, Braeriach, Great Britain, Scotland’s

Transactional, personality-based and erratic, the Trump doctrine made for a chaotic four years that left both foreign leaders and seasoned American national security aides exhausted and jittery. World leaders are open to all options, including making trips to New York or Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, sources said. Foreign leaders are relying on their experience with Trump during his first presidency, when flattery and personal attention paid dividends, as they approach him following his win. And that, in the end, could sum up Trump’s foreign policy doctrine in a sentence. The first clues about Trump’s policy will be the appointments he makes to senior national security positions.”CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed reporting.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, he’s, Joe Biden, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, “, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Mark Rutte, he’d, Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin —, —, Dmitry Peskov, “ Let’s, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin, It’s, Mike Pompeo, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence, Richard Grenell, Brian Hook, John Herbst, United States — Putin, ” Herbst, Alayna Treene Organizations: CNN, Trump, American, NATO, Israeli, Saudi, CIA, Biden, State Department, Republican Party, Council’s Eurasia Center Locations: Paris, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Washington, Florida, —, Ukraine, North Korea, Iran, China, masse, Russia, New York, Lago, Trump, Taiwan, Beijing, Trump’s, Germany, “, United States, Europe

☆ China is building new villages on its remote Himalayan border. Some appear to have crossed the line
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

“Knowing India has a strong presence in Bhutan, China naturally becomes vulnerable in the bordering region,” said Rishi Gupta, assistant director at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi. “None of the roads connect into Bhutan, they start from the Chinese border and end in forest areas. ‘No intrusion’Bhutan has repeatedly denied that Chinese construction has taken place in its territory. Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Beijing in October 2023. They picked up formal talks last October for the first time since the Doklam standoff, with Bhutan’s foreign minister making a rare visit to Beijing.

Persons: ”, that’s, Xi Jinping, Robert Barnett, Lotay Tshering “, SOAS ’ Barnett, Barnett, Bhutan’s, ” Barnett, Doklam, Bhutan –, Rishi Gupta, Jieluobu, Jieluobu –, Yun Sun, “, SOAS’s Barnett, –, Damien Symon, Symon, relocatees, Lotay Tshering, it’s, Karma Phuntsho, Manoj Joshi, Tandi Dorji, Wang Yi, Xi Organizations: CNN, East China Seas, Planet Labs, SOAS University of London, Tibet Autonomous, Labs, Bhutan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SOAS, Gurinder, India’s Ministry, Affairs, Asia Society Policy, Beijing, Jieluobu, Stimson, Demalong ., Demalong . Tibet Federation of Industry, Commerce, Intel Lab, Chatham House, La, National, ” Observers, Observer Research, Trade, Foreign, Ministry Locations: Bhutan, China, Tibet, South, East, India, Tibet Autonomous Region, Demalong, Lhuntse, “ China, Indian, Chinese, Nathu La, Sikkim, Gurinder Osan, Delhi, Beijing, Siliguri, New Delhi, Doklam, Washington, Semalong, Luozha, WeChat, Demalong . Tibet, London, Jieluobu, Belgian, ”, Thimphu, Kula, Bhutanese

☆ Sugar in the first 1,000 days after conception linked to health issues later in life, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Sam Tupper | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The researchers found that reducing sugar consumption in this window decreased the type 2 diabetes risk by about 35% and the risk of high blood pressure by roughly 20%. The research team looked at data from before and after the end of the United Kingdom’s World War II-era sugar rationing in September 1953. When the rationing of sugar and sweets ended in September 1953, the average adult’s daily sugar consumption in the UK nearly doubled almost immediately, from about 40 grams to 80 grams. Corkins says one way for parents to reduce sugar consumption in young children is to change their own habits. The key is practicing moderation when consuming sugary foods.

Persons: ”, Tadeja Gracner, Mark Corkins, ” Corkins, “ We’re, Gracner, ” Gracner, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Corkins, “ Organizations: CNN, Science, United, Center for Economics, Social Research, University of Southern, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN Health Locations: University of Southern California

☆ La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eat your way around Italy in style
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. La Dolce Vita Orient ExpressNew details have been teased about the hotly anticipated La Dolce Vita Orient Express train and the upcoming Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice, the first for the relaunched brand. The brand’s first Orient Express hotel will be the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, followed by Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. That follows the international gang-bust in France and Italy last month over counterfeit French wine being sold for $16,000 per bottle. In Japan, the alcoholic drink doburoku was once illegal “moonshine,” but this once controversial drink is now making a comeback.

Persons: Heinz Beck, Nizza, Giovannelli, Fraudsters, doburoku, poitín, There’s Organizations: CNN, Vita Orient, Vita Orient Express, Orient Express, Montalcino, Orient, Carolina, Fuji, Delta Air Lines Locations: Antarctica, Rome, Venice, Italy, Da Nang, Hue, France, Japan, Ireland, Germany, Turkey, Antalya, Western, North Carolina, Hurricane, French

☆ Southport attack: Teen charged with girls’ murder at UK dance class facing terrorism charge, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Lauren Kent | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The teenager charged with the murder of three young girls in a July stabbing attack at a dance class in northwest England will face a terrorism charge, British prosecutors announced Tuesday. The new charges he faces in relation to the attack in the town of Southport, England, are in addition to three charges of murder, 10 charges of attempted murder and one charge of possession of a knife. “Searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home address resulted in an unknown substance being found – testing confirmed the substance was ricin,” Kennedy told reporters at a news conference. The attack on July 29 has not been declared a terrorist incident, the police chief said. The matter for which Axel Rudakubana has been charged with under the Terrorism Act does not require motive to be established.

Persons: Axel Rudakubana, – Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar –, Taylor Swift, Constable Serena Kennedy, “, Axel Rudakubana’s, ” Kennedy, ” Dr, Renu, ” Bindra, CNN’s Helen Regan, Maija Ehlinger Organizations: London CNN, United, Service, UK Health Security Agency Locations: England, Westminster, videolink, Southport, Merseyside

☆ Two US service members injured in raid that killed ISIS operatives In Iraq, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Michael Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two US service members were injured in Iraq in a joint US-Iraqi raid overnight that killed “multiple ISIS operatives,” according to a Defense Department spokesperson. A defense official said Wednesday that both service members had been transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and were still in stable condition. “Overnight, CENTCOM [US Central Command] and Iraqi security forces conducted a partner raid in Iraq targeting several senior ISIS leaders,” said Ryder. Iraq’s Higher Military Commission had aimed to propose an end date for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military operation combatting ISIS. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”Earlier this month, the head of the United Kingdom’s domestic security service MI5 said that ISIS, along with al Qaeda, are presenting a “resurgent” threat.

Persons: Patrick Ryder, Ryder, ”, “, Wali, Mazrouei Abu Abdul Qader, CENTCOM, Erik Kurilla, they’ve, ’, Ken McCallum, CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Defense Department, Pentagon, Regional Medical Center, Command, Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Iraq, Iraq’s, Commission, Hezbollah, Israel, United Locations: Iraq, Germany, Iraqi, CENTCOM, Wali Iraq, “, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, East, Africa, al Qaeda, London

☆ 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

☆ Job interviews: How young people can ace them
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Megan Rathmell thought she’d bombed her job interview earlier this year, assuming her nervousness and lack of preparation had cost her the opportunity. SDI Productions/E+/Getty ImagesWhat Rathmell learned from her boss mirrors what hiring managers say: Some Gen Z college graduates are unprepared for job interviews or behave unprofessionally during job interviews. Some people think they can just wing a job interview, said Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder. How to handle the actual job interviewDressing professionally for both in-person and virtual interviews is important regardless of whether it’s for a fast-food restaurant, retail store or office job, experts said. When you’re given the chance to ask questions, ask what you’ve prepared.

Persons: Megan Rathmell, she’d, “, ”, Rathmell, unprofessionally, Nathan Mondragon, Mondragon, Stacie Haller, Haller, you’ve, it’s, Nicolas Roulin, you’ll, Roulin, they’re, don’t, —, you’re, they’ll Organizations: CNN, SDI, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Saint Mary’s University, United, Services Locations: Virginia, ResumeBuilder, Canada, Colorado, New York

☆ Israel’s economy is paying a high price for its widening war
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —In late September, as Israel’s nearly year-long war widened and its credit rating was downgraded yet again, the country’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said that, while Israel’s economy was under strain, it was resilient. Israel’s economy could shrink even more than that, based on a worst-case estimate by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. Before the October 7 attack and ensuing Israel-Hamas war, the International Monetary Fund forecast that Israel’s economy would grow by an enviable 3.4% this year. Smotrich, the finance minister, is confident that Israel’s economy will bounce back once the war ends, but economists are concerned the damage will far outlast the conflict. Florion Goga/ReutersOther sectors of Israel’s economy, while less important than tech, have been hit much harder.

Persons: London CNN —, Bezalel Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Hassan Nasrallah, ratcheting, Karnit, ‘, Menahem Kahana, ”, “ Israel, “, Smotrich —, Flug, Ahmad Gharabli, Fitch, —, Coface, Avi Hasson, Hasson, Florion Goga, Yaron Liberman, ” Liberman Organizations: London CNN, CNN, West Bank, United Nations, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Institute for National Security, Tel Aviv University, International Monetary Fund, of Israel, Getty, Bank of Israel, Israel Democracy Institute, Institute for National Security Studies, Moody’s, Startup Nation Locations: Lebanon’s, Beirut, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel’s, Iran, AFP, Egypt, Syria, Golan, Jerusalem's Old City, United States, Tel Aviv, housebuilding . Tourism

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Putin orders Russia to boost size of army
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Christian Edwards | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The increase would take the overall number of Russian military personnel to nearly 2.4 million, including 1.5 million troops, according to the decree published by the Kremlin Monday. Last week, Russia stepped up its efforts to expel Ukrainian troops from Kursk and is inching forward toward the crucial Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region. In August 2022, Putin ordered an increase of 137,000 troops by the start of the new year, which put the military’s staffing at just over 2 million personnel, including 1.15 million troops. Then in December, Putin ordered another official expansion of 170,000 troops, bringing the total to 1.32 million. In an update published this month, the General Staff of Ukraine’s military said Russia has lost 616,300 troops.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin’s, Putin, Sergei Shoigu Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Staff, United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Russia’s, Kursk, Russia, Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, Georgia, Robotyne, ”

☆ Britain’s local governments at risk of ‘financial collapse’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Local governments across England, Scotland and Wales face a £4.3 billion ($5.6 billion) hole in their finances in the coming year, according to a new report. Many of Britain’s local governments have faced chronic funding shortfalls over the past decade, partly as a result of deep cuts to funds from the central government in the 2010s. “Councils are teetering on the brink of financial disaster,” Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said in a statement. The number of public toilets dropped by 1,629 over the same period, and the number of council-run libraries fell by 1,376, according to Unison. Giving examples of further cuts to come, Unison said Shropshire Council in the West Midlands region of England plans to slashup to 540 jobs.

Persons: Keir Starmer, “ We’re, ”, —, Christina McAnea, David Phillips Organizations: London CNN — Local, Wales, United, Labour, Unison, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Britain …, Shropshire Council, Derbyshire County Council, Council Locations: England, Scotland, Birmingham, London, Britain, Shropshire, West Midlands, slashup, Derbyshire, East Midlands, Hampshire

☆ Video and Airplane Sketch Raise New Questions About Saudi Ties to 9/11
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former U.S. intelligence officials say the new evidence could change the story of the 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, and of the possible involvement in the plot of Omar al-Bayoumi, the Saudi national. Michael J. Morell, a former deputy director of the C.I.A., said that Congress or the Justice Department should investigate the apparent lapse in processing the evidence. “What happened to this stuff after it was turned over to the F.B.I. at the time of the attacks, said that the new evidence was significant enough to require further evaluation, according to a spokesman. “The 9/11 families deserve no less,” Mr. Tenet said through the spokesman.

Persons: Al, Omar al, Michael J, Morell, ”, George Tenet, Mr, Tenet Organizations: Saudi, Former, Justice Department Locations: Former U.S

Across nine generations, Archie Kalepa’s family has seen the waterfront in Lahaina, a town on the island of Maui, undergo repeated transformation. Once the home of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s royalty, Lahaina’s shores over the centuries became a stop for whalers plundering the seas, for missionaries spreading the Christian gospel, for plantation owners who opened canneries to prepare their bounty of pineapples for export. More recently, tourists packed high-end galleries and shoreline restaurants that offered sunset meals of ahi tuna and taro. Relics of each of those layers of history were turned to ash a year ago, when an Aug. 8 inferno roared through Lahaina, killing at least 102 people. That would mean doing what for many has seemed unthinkable until now: transforming the famous waterfront by peeling back history, removing some of the gift shops, restaurants and beachwear boutiques that, before the fire, perched above the shoreline.

Persons: Archie Kalepa’s, Kalepa Locations: Lahaina, Maui

☆ Keir Starmer must fix Britain’s economic mess after UK election win
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —British voters have handed the Labour Party its first election victory in almost two decades, hoping that a new center-left government will revive Britain’s ailing economy and fix collapsing public services. The win is a triumph for Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor who only entered parliament in 2015 and will become prime minister later Friday. “It feels good, I have to be honest.”But Labour’s jubilation may soon give way to trepidation given the economic challenges ahead. Making these problems even harder to solve: stubbornly low economic growth. To some extent, the government is likely hoping economic growth will be stronger than forecast and help with both goals.

Persons: Conservative Party —, Keir Starmer, ”, ” Gregory Thwaites, ” ‘, “, Paul Johnson, —, Dominic Lipinski, Johnson, Louise Hellem, Rachel Reeves, Stefan Rousseau, ” Brexit Organizations: London CNN — British, Labour Party, Conservative Party, National Health Service, Universal Credit, CNN, Labour, for Fiscal Studies, Bloomberg, Getty, Wealth Fund, Great, Great British Energy, “, Confederation of Business Industry, Conservative, Shadow, AP, European Union, Trade Locations: England, Scotland, Wales, Selby, UK, Great British, Britain, Southampton, United States

People celebrate exit poll results at a "Stop The Tories" election afterparty in London, on July 4. Last month’s European elections saw a historic number of lawmakers from hard-right and far-right parties elected to the European Parliament. Farage’s political success to date has all come without him holding a parliamentary seat. It is possible that Farage’s splitting of the right has actually helped Starmer increase his majority in parliament. An odd quirk of British politics is that the percentage of votes a party gets doesn’t necessarily translate to seats.

Persons: Suzanne Plunkett, Emmanuel Macron, Benito Mussolini, Euroskepticism, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, Starmer’s, Farage, Starmer Organizations: United, Labour Party, Parliament, European, Conservative Party, Reform, Conservatives, Labour Locations: London, Europe, Netherlands, Italy, Britain, British

People celebrate exit poll results at a "Stop The Tories" election afterparty in London, on July 4. Suzanne Plunkett/ReutersThe United Kingdom’s decision to hand the center-left Labour Party a parliamentary majority, according to the exit poll, comes at the same time Europe is broadly in the grip of what some call a right-wing populist surge. Last month’s European elections saw a historic number of lawmakers from hard-right and far-right parties elected to the European Parliament. Farage’s political success to date has all come without him holding a parliamentary seat. An odd quirk of British politics is that the percentage of votes a party gets doesn’t necessarily translate to seats.

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