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☆ 'Living death' was my dad's nickname for office work. Now I'm in my 40s — and I can see why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Ariel Sophia Bardi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. I'd spent carefree years bouncing around Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Mexico, India and Armenia. Advertisement"Living death," that's how my philosopher-slash-guitarist father had nicknamed office work. Author's view from hotel overlooking the Bay of Algiers Ariel Sophia BardiA freelance job helped me feel free againI needed to start living again. I make no comparison between their incredible courage and my own infinitely milder risks, which soon included drifting back to freelance work.

Persons: —, I'd, Trump, wasn't, Algiers Ariel Sophia Bardi, warbled, Rai, one's Organizations: Service, Business, Microsoft Locations: Algeria, Palms, Algiers, California, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Mexico, India, Armenia, Oran

☆ Ukraine wants more negotiating power as forces advance into Russia, humiliating Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian servicemen operate a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on August 12, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that it was designed "to put pressure on the aggressor Russia" and to push "the war into the aggressor's territory." Russian official Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk region, told a solemn-looking Putin via videoconference Monday that Ukraine controlled 28 settlements. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said geolocated footage suggests Ukraine controls a higher number of around 40 settlements, as of Monday. Russia caught off guardPresident Putin vowed on Monday a "worthy response" to Ukraine's border raid, just as 11,000 more civilians were evacuated in Kursk's neighboring region Belgorod, due to "enemy activity."

Persons: Roman Pilipey, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Alexei Smirnov, Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Kostiantyn Liberov, Liberov Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Institute for, Sputnik, Ukrainian, United, Reuters, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Anadolu, Employees, Russian Emergencies Ministry Locations: Soviet, Sumy, Russia, Ukraine, Roman, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Kursk, Russian, Novo, Ogaryovo, Moscow, Kherson, Kharkiv, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Kursk's, Belgorod, Kursk Oblast, Oryol

☆ Putin's Hungarian ally Orban draws EU ire over 'peace mission' to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5, 2024. Russia's closest European ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has drawn ire from the EU over his Friday trip to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Orban's trip to Moscow has also drawn the wrath of European officials, who questioned his authority to represent the bloc. Also referencing Orban's visit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that "appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Orban, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, " Orban, Josep Borrell, Ursula von der Leyen, Donald Trump Organizations: Hungary's, Kremlin, EU, NATO, Reuters, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Locations: Moscow, Russia's, Hungarian, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Europe, Brussels, EU

☆ Three presidents and one mission: Beat Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN’s MJ Lee and Jeff Zeleny reported Wednesday that Obama was in the White House for a working visit just last week. Two Democratic presidents who won second terms are uniting to try to usher a successor, who is older than both of them, into the same rarified political air. And Clinton has been out of the White House for nearly a quarter of a century. But Biden was also a valuable ally for Clinton after the president’s impeachment over an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. And after he became vice president, Biden developed a friendly and cordial relationship with Hillary Clinton, maintained by regular breakfasts at the vice president’s official residence in Washington.

Persons: –, Joe Biden’s, he’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Obama, CNN’s MJ Lee, Jeff Zeleny, Biden, Clinton, Trump, Jonathan Diller, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, it’s, Leon Panetta, “, ” Panetta, Joe Biden, ”, Biden’s, ” Clinton, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Gabriel Debenedetti, irked Obama’s, Beau, ” Biden, Robert Hur, “ I’m, Clinton’s, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Monica Lewinsky Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, Radio City Music, Democratic, ’, New York, Police, White House, African, Central, Democratic National Convention, Republican, Obama, Democratic Party, Alliance ”, Biden, Black, African American Democratic Locations: New York, Washington, America, Delaware, Illinois, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Iraq, South Carolina

☆ Oil ticks down in Asian trade despite rising Middle East tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

California produces 311,000 barrels of crude oil every day, around 2.4 percent of all US production, making it the seventh largest producing state in the union. Oil prices edged off in early Asian trading on Wednesday on continued bearish fundamentals, following gains in the previous session amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East. The March Brent crude futures , which expires today, fell 37 cents to $82.50 a barrel by 0146 GMT. But ANZ analysts said in a note that "a strong military response from the U.S." to the drone attack "could still trigger a strong reaction from the market." It appeared to be the most serious peace initiative since the war's first and only brief ceasefire which fell apart in November.

Persons: Fred Holmes, Brent, Tony Sycamore, Biden, Sycamore Organizations: . West Texas, IG, ANZ, U.S . Pentagon, U.S, China Evergrande Group, PMI Locations: Taft, Kern County , California, California, U.S, Jordan, Syria, East, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Red

☆ A slew of new conflicts could erupt in 2024, analysts say — while the world is watching Gaza and Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

- | Afp | Getty ImagesWith the eyes of the world on the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, an unprecedented number of potentially "catastrophic" conflicts are going under the radar, analysts have warned. The U.N. estimated in October that more than 114 million people were displaced by war and conflict worldwide. There is good reason for that — it is currently the most dangerous place in the world to be a civilian." The political turbulence comes amid ongoing armed conflict in eastern DRC and widespread poverty, and precedes further regional elections early next year. If you look at Myanmar, of course you've got this huge population in Bangladesh of displaced Rohingyas, and also displaced within Myanmar itself," she said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, David Miliband, Miliband, Isabelle Arradon, Rapid Support Forces —, Gen, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Khalifa Haftar —, Arradon, Félix Tshisekedi, U.N, Antonio Guterres, you've, We've, It's Organizations: Afp, Getty, Rescue, Crisis, CNBC, Rapid Support Forces, UAE, IOM, UN's, Organization for Migration, Sudanese Armed Forces, Democratic, Government Locations: Red Sea, Port Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libyan, Khartoum, Darfur, METEMA, Ethiopia, Metema, AFP, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of, Congo, DRC, Goma, North Kivu, Kigali, Kinshasa, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Shan, Sagaing, Kayah, Rakhine State, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

[1/3] Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba looks on during his meeting with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor, as they hold a joint press conference in Pretoria, South Africa, November 6, 2023. Jacoline Schoonees/DIRCO/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsPRETORIA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - South Africa is recalling diplomats from Israel to assess its relationship with the country amid a rise in civilian casualties from its war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, its foreign minister said on Monday. South Africa does not have an ambassador in Israel. The country is "extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians" in the Palestinian territory, the foreign minister said. Over 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which South Africa has condemned, while also calling for the return of hostages.

Persons: Dmytro Kuleba, Naledi, Jacoline, Naledi Pandor, Cyril Ramaphosa, Pandor, Carien du Plessis, Tannur Anders, Bhargav, Promit Mukherjee, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ukrainian Foreign, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, ., Cairo Peace, United Nations, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Pretoria, South Africa, Handout, Rights PRETORIA, Israel, Africa, Palestine, Cairo, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine

Israel has deployed overwhelming aerial firepower since the Oct. 7 attack, which saw Hamas gunmen burst out of the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 Israelis and taking 239 hostages. Israeli airstrikes hit a crowded refugee camp in the Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander. In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added. The plan offers Israel peace treaties with full diplomatic ties in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state. Muasher, the former Jordanian minister at Carnegie, said Hamas' attack had ended any possibility that Middle Eastern stability could be reached without engaging with Palestinians.

Persons: U.N, Marwan Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Danny Danon, It's, Ziadeh, they're, Ali Baraka, Baraka, Osama Hamdan, Netanyahu, Jordan, –, Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, James Mackenzie, Samia Nakhoul, Angus McDowall, Pravin Organizations: Reuters, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, HAMAS, Qatar University, Washington, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Authority, U.S, Bank, United Arab, Carnegie, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Jerusalem, Washington, Israeli, United States, Hamas, Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Palestinian, Oslo, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian

☆ Middle East still in turmoil after Biden's Israel visit with Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President Joe Biden left for home after seven hours in the Israeli war zone with an increasingly tense Middle East in worse shape than when he arrived. Still, given the huge political investment of American prestige and leverage involved in a sudden presidential trip, it’s fair to raise the question of what exactly Biden’s trip delivered. Biden’s speech to the Israeli people, however, was an eloquent statement of support to an ally traumatized by a terror attack. Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Biden’s visit had been worthwhile in demonstrating that Israel was not alone. Biden’s presence bolstered the message sent by two aircraft carrier battle groups he has deployed to the area.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, movingly, ”, Israel –, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Abdel Fattah el, Mahmoud Abbas, ’, Israel’s, Israel “, ” Biden, “, “ they’ll, Sisi, ” Mark Regev, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ivo Daalder, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Israel, Daalder, Netanyahu, ” Daalder Organizations: CNN, Air Force, Israel, Palestinian, West Bank, US State Department, United, Islamic Jihad, US Defense Department, National Security Council, Jihad, White, NATO, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Amman, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, United States, Washington, Egypt, “ Israel, America

☆ Putin meets 'dear friend' Xi in Beijing. Here are the top 3 takeaways
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Sergei Savostyanov | Afp | Getty ImagesChina President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were all smiles when they met in Beijing. "Dear friend, I am very glad to see you again," Putin said in a statement ahead of his bilateral meeting with Xi Wednesday. Xi is also looking to Putin as China seeks to reinvigorate its economic foreign policy program. watch nowPutin traveled to Beijing, knowing Xi would guarantee his safety. Here are the main takeaways from the meeting, which underline why China and Russia share strong ties.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Savostyanov, Putin, Xi, AidData, Mary, Srettha Thavisin, Viktor Orban, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Wang Yi, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Biden, it's, Peng Liyuan Organizations: Sputnik, Forum, Afp, Getty Images China, Initiative, Xi, College of William, Moscow, European Union, EU, Rosneft, Gazprom, Tass, Soviet Union, Hamas, U.S, United, of, U.S . Department of Commerce, Getty Locations: Beijing, Ukraine, China, Russia, Thailand, Hungary, Israel, Gaza, Iran, United Nations, Saudi Arabia, Europe, U.S

☆ Analysis: Biden's Middle East mission was thrown into turmoil even before he left
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

A devastating blast at a hospital in Gaza believed to have killed hundreds of people prompted Jordan to cancel the second leg of Biden’s trip. And like any major presidential intervention in a troubled world, Biden’s visit carries the possibility of failure that could damage his political standing at home. Hamas accused Israeli forces of attacking the hospital and killing between 200 to 300 people. A global outpouring of support for Israel risks overshadowing the growing human toll of its attacks against Hamas targets in Gaza. Clashes have already broken out in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank after the Gaza hospital blast.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Jordan, he’d, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, –, Biden, he’ll, David Axelrod, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Zachary Cohen, Israel, King Abdullah, Abdel Fattah el, Mahmoud Abbas, ”, Ayman Safadi, Antony Blinken, Israel Biden, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, ” Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Trump Organizations: CNN, West, –, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Zachary Cohen Tuesday, Biden, Andrews Air Force Base, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Jordan’s, White, Hamas, Israel, Fury, Trump Locations: Washington, Gaza, Israel, Amman, West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Middle East, United States, Maryland, Jordan, Al Jazeera, Egypt, Ramallah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, New York

CNN —Israel has declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on Saturday. Israel has pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price and may now be preparing a ground incursion into Gaza. There, Hamas gunmen killed hundreds of people, including civilians and soldiers, and took hostages, sometimes from their homes. While Hamas has kidnapped Israelis before, it has never before taken dozens of hostages at once, including children and the elderly. On Monday, however, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that the Islamic Republic was “not involved in Palestine’s response,” referring to the Hamas attack.

Persons: CNN — Israel, ”, Yoav Gallant, –, Fatah, Amir Cohen, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Oded, Gilad Shalit, Elhanan Tannenbaum, Richard Hecht, Saleh, Arouri, Al, Maya Alleruzzo, “ They’ve, Ebrahim Raisi, Ismail Haniyeh, “, Lloyd Austin, Najib Mikati Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, IDF, Palestinian Ministry of Health, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Rights, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, European Union, US State Department, Biden, United Nations, Hezbollah Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza’s, Hamas, Al, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Israeli, “, Egypt, Yom Kippur, Sderot, Oslo, United States, Iran, Tel Aviv, ”, Al Jazeera, Ramat Gan, Washington, Islamic Republic, Palestine, Israel’s, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Lebanese

☆ Hamas: What to know about the group and its strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The brazen attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that began on Saturday will be seen as a turning point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with far-reaching repercussions, analysts say. Israel pledged revenge, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing “mighty vengeance.” Hamas said it was prepared for all scenarios. Palestinian Hamas militants attend the funeral of their comrade in the southern Gaza Strip in August 2017. The Israeli military said Monday that Hamas had taken “dozens” of hostages and Hamas has said it has abducted more than 100 people. Hamas’ large-scale offensive shows that the group knows that the coming war may be an existential one, experts say.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Kobi Michael, “, ” Michael, Harakat, Muqawama, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Mahmoud Abbas, Yoav Gallant, Khaled Elgindy, ” Elgindy, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Elgindy, Omar Rahman, ” Rahman, can’t, Abu Mazen, …, Ismail Haniyeh, Mahmoud Hefnawy, Michael, Hamas …, Saleh al Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, Israeli, Institute for National Security Studies, Israel’s Ministry, Strategic Affairs, Islamic Resistance Movement, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, Palestinian Authority, West Bank ., European Union, US State Department, West Bank, Middle East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, “, Saudi, Middle East Council, Global Affairs, AP Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Egypt, Oslo, United States, Iran, Palestine, Saudi, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Qatar's, Doha, Lebanon

☆ What to know about the surprise Hamas attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Hadas Gold Richard Allen Greene Amir Tal Ibrahim Dahman Abeer Salman Kareem Khaddar Nadeen Ebrahim | Hadas Gold | Richard Allen Greene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In response to the attack, Israel launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” striking a number of targets in the Gaza strip. After Hamas seized control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict siege on the territory, which is ongoing. Before Saturday’s operation, the last war between Hamas and Israel was in 2021, which lasted for 11 days and killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel. A member of Israeli security forces tries to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Western states condemned the Hamas attack and pledged support for Israel while Arab states, including those that have recognized Israel, called for calm.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, –, ” Netanyahu, Muhammad Al, Deif, ”, Mohammed Abed, Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Ammar Awad, Richard Hecht, Hecht, “, Jack Guez, Fatah, Israel, Harakat, Muqawama, Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmad Gharabli, Joe Biden, Washington “, Ilan Rosenberg, Reuters “, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Isaac Herzog, Israel “ Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israeli, Palestinian, Hamas, “, Beer Sheba, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, IDF, Getty, Reuters, West Bank, Gaza, West Bank ., Getty Images, Palestinian Authority, Islamia, Islamic Resistance Movement, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, European Union, United, Saturday Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Aviv, Beer, Sderot, Al, Aqsa, Hamas, Gaza City, AFP, Ashkelon, Lebanon, Syria, Lebanese, Egypt, Yom Kippur, Oslo, United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, UAE

Al-Sudairi was appointed last month and is on his first visit to Ramallah, the seat of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. During his two-day trip, the Saudi diplomat planned to meet with Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials. Political Cartoons View All 1179 ImagesAl-Sudairi told senior Palestinian officials Tuesday that Saudi Arabia supported the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to a statement from Palestinian officials. He praised efforts to bring about peace in the region in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative. The Palestinian Authority also has not specified what it is willing to accept from the Israeli government.

Persons: Nayef al, Biden, Sudairi, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Riyad al, Maliki, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: Saudi, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Peace Initiative, U.S, Initiative, Palestinian Foreign Affairs, Palestinian, United Nations General Assembly, United Arab, Saudi Arabia —, West Locations: RAMALLAH, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Saudi, Jordan, Palestinian, Riyadh, Gaza, Israel's, Ramallah, Mahmoud Abbas ’, East Jerusalem, New York, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Persian, West Bank

☆ Netanyahu says Israel is edging 'closer' to normalization deal with Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is “likely” Israel will reach a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia, in what would mark a seismic foreign policy shift for both countries as they edge closer to reaching a deal mediated by the US. Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in an interview on Friday, Netanyahu touted the potential pact as “a quantum leap” in the region. Saudi Arabia, like many Arab states, does not currently recognize Israel; such a deal would have potential to enhance Israel’s acceptance in the Muslim world, particularly considering Saudi Arabia’s role as the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites. Netanyahu has made tightening relations with Saudi Arabia a linchpin of his premiership, although it is unclear what kind of concessions toward Palestinians would be allowed by his right-wing coalition. Israel says the raids are intended to prevent or punish Palestinian militant attacks on Israeli civilians because the Palestinian Authority is failing in its security obligations.

Persons: Kaitlan Collins, Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Netanyahu, ”, Israel, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, bin Salman, Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Collins, “, Mahmoud Abbas, ” Abbas Organizations: CNN, Israeli, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Fox News, Assembly, Reuters, UN, Palestinian, West Bank, Israel, Palestinian Authority Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Jordan, United Arab, Riyadh, New York City, New York

☆ Saudi crown prince says normalization with Israel gets 'closer' every day
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN —Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said that his country was moving “closer” each day toward reaching a normalization deal with Israel, the first time he has publicly acknowledged the process. We’re gonna see how it goes.”The Biden administration has for several months been in talks with Saudi Arabia on the matter, according to US officials. Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its ties with China as Washington’s rivalry with the Asian nation heats up. “We are the biggest buyer of American armored manufacturing,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia is “critical” to US arms exports. Saudi Arabia is in the process of changing laws to make them “more realistic” for Saudis, he said.

Persons: UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ”, Biden, don’t, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Fox News ’ Brett Baier, ” BRICS, BRICS, Jamal Khashoggi, Khashoggi Organizations: UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Fox News, Saudi, MBS, ”, West Bank, Wednesday, CNN, Fox, White, America, CIA Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, ”, Iran, Tehran, China, Beijing, Gulf, America, Arabia, West, Russia, Istanbul

☆ Saudi Arabia appoints first envoy to Palestinians amid talks on Israel normalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jerusalem CNN —Saudi Arabia has appointed its first ambassador to the Palestinians, in a move that comes amid talks with the United States over a possible deal to normalize relations between the Gulf kingdom and Israel. Palestinians maintain that the eastern part of the city should serve as the future capital of a Palestinian state. All members of the Arab bloc, including Saudi Arabia, recognize Palestinian statehood and the kingdom maintains a Palestinian embassy in the capital Riyadh. The move comes amid reports of a normalization deal in the works between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with the Unites States involved in the rapprochement. Miller’s comments came after a Wall Street Journal report saying that the US and Saudi Arabia had agreed on the “broad contours” of a normalization deal.

Persons: Jordan, Naif bin Bandar, ”, Mahmoud Abbas’s, Al, Eli Cohen, Israel, Saudi Arabia’s, ” Cohen, ” “, Donald Trump, Matthew Miller Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, of, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel, Saudi, United Nations, ”, State Department, CNN Locations: Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, Naif bin, Naif bin Bandar Al, of Palestine, Jordanian, Amman, Saudi, Palestinian, Riyadh

☆ UN security staff released in Yemen after 18 months in captivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] United Nations security staff (1st-3rd L) and (8th L), who have been released from the hands of Al Qaeda militants, stand with David Gressly, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, (4th L), and head of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarous al-Zabidi (5th L), in... Read moreUNITED NATIONS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Five United Nations security staff who were kidnapped in Yemen by al Qaeda militants 18 months ago have been released, the United Nations said on Friday. The staff - four from Yemen and one from Bangladesh - were in "very good health and good spirits, despite everything that they went through," the top U.N. official in Yemen, David Gressly, told reporters. "But they went through a very difficult period of 18 months of isolation," he added. Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has used a conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthis to enhance its influence. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthi group ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

Persons: David Gressly, Aidarous, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Al, Gressly, AQAP, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United Nations, Southern Transitional Council, UNITED NATIONS, Five United Nations, Thomson Locations: Al Qaeda, Yemen, al, Bangladesh, Yemen's, Abyan, Saudi, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Tehran

☆ Ukraine says Jeddah talks 'huge blow' to Russia, new meeting agreed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yermak said all the countries present at the talks in Jeddah fully supported Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity, and that only peace initiatives put forward by Ukraine were discussed at the meeting. Ukraine hopes the talks in Saudi Arabia will help pave the way to a peace summit that would back Zelenskiy's vision of peace. Between those two meetings, the various sides would hold separate conferences on each of the peace plan's points, he said. "We are ready to hear everyone, but it is logical that it should be the Ukrainian (peace) formula," he said. He also told the briefing that Russia had made efforts to disrupt the talks in Saudi Arabia, but provided no details of how Moscow had done that.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Read, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yermak, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Christina Fincher Organizations: International, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, KYIV, Ukrainian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India, United States, Moscow, Jeddah

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. "Beijing will not want to be absent from other credible peace initiatives that are led by non-Western countries." China did not attend the talks in Copenhagen in late June, despite being invited and having proposed its own 12-point plan for peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Li's involvement a "considerable breakthrough", according to Ukrainian media. While China's move was good for its image, Singapore-based analyst Li Mingjiang said Beijing would be looking to fine-tune its positions.

Persons: Yun Sun, Li Hui, Xi Jinping, Qin, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Shen Dingli, Shen, China's, Li Mingjiang, Li, Geng Shuang, Moritz Rudolf, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: NATO, Stimson, Qin Gang, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, U.S, Ukrainian, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, United Nations, Security, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Denmark, Russia, China, Washington, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Saudi’s MBS wants more than peace at his Ukraine summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Our goal in Saudi Arabia is to develop a unified vision of the formula and to work out the possibilities of holding the future Global Peace Summit,” they said, referring to Ukraine’s peace plan. That summit produced no major headlines, nor a discernable drift to Ukraine’s prerequisite for peace that Russian troops exit Ukraine. Like the roads that led to Rome in its day, Saudi Arabia is increasingly at the confluence of competing global interests. In spring this year, Saudi Arabia and China announced a confidence-building peace plan with Iran to repair their hostile relationship. All of this of course is way outside the scope of the Jeddah peace summit and Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ”, “, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Xi, Putin, It’s, Volodymyr Zelensky’s Organizations: CNN, Saudi, MBS, Peace, National, CNN US State Department, Danes, NATO, African Union Locations: Jeddah, stewing, Ukraine, Russia ”, India, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, ”, Kyiv, Denmark, Rome, Yemen, China, Iran, Russia, Washington, Saudi, Gulf, Israel, Europe, Africa, St Petersburg, Ukrainian

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive. Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia, officials say. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, played a mediation role in a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last September. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May this year, at which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war. A second senior EU official said Saudi Arabia reached "into parts of the world where (Ukraine's) classical allies would not get to as easily".

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, Matt Miller, there's, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Carien du Plessis, Gabriela Baczynska, Daphne Psaledakis, Laurie Chen, Martin Pollard, Jon Boyle Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, European Commission, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Russia, Arab, Saudi Crown, EU, . National, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Jeddah, China, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Moscow, Copenhagen, Riyadh, United States, U.S

☆ Putin says Russia does not reject talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sergei Bobylyov/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERSJuly 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented," he said. Putin said that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. On the question of starting peace talks, he said, "We did not reject them...

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylyov, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Alistair Bell Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Moscow

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