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☆ One month on, the Israel-Hamas conflict explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The conflict has led to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with more than 10,000 people killed there, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah. Unlike some other Palestinian factions, Hamas refuses to engage with Israel and does not recognize its right to exist. Palestinian Hamas members in Gaza City ride an armored vehicle seized from Fatah, a rival Palestinian political party, during a celebration rally in June 2007. The Pentagon last month ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean and sent Air Force fighter jets to the region. On Israel’s northern border, Iran-backed Hezbollah has engaged in an exchange of fire since the Gaza war began.

Persons: CNN —, Fadel Senna, Israel hasn’t, Abed Rahim Khatib, Israel, Abid Katib, Yahya Hassouna, Joe Biden, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, –, Hussein Malla, Houthis, General Hassan Nasrallah Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, Getty, Al, Najjar, European Union, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Fatah, Humanitarian Affairs, UN’s, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, World Health Organization, WHO, UN, US, Pentagon, Air Force Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Israel, Ramallah, Jerusalem, AFP, Aqsa, Gaza City, Rafah, Egypt, United States, Oslo, Palestinian, Sinai, Jordan, Iran, Washington, Qatar, Aita, Lebanese, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen’s Iran

☆ Anti-Defamation League accuses pro-Palestine student groups of siding with terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The letter, which called for universities to “investigate” individual chapters of SJP, provided no evidence to indicate that SJP had provided material or financial support for Hamas. In a response, SJP directed CNN to a letter Palestine Legal sent to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. Citing similar opposition to DeSantis’ call for state universities to “deactivate” SJP chapters because of their “material support for terrorism,” the national SJP chapter disputed the organization and its local chapters support terror groups. “Independent protests and organizing in support of Palestinian rights do not constitute ‘material support for terrorism,’” the pro-Palestine legal defense group said in its letter to DeSantis. The ADL’s letter called on campuses to update their codes of conduct to forbid students from supporting terrorism.

Persons: SJP, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ’, Columbia’s SJP, ”, “, Israel, Minouche, ” Shafik Organizations: New, New York CNN, Defamation League, Justice, Brandeis, United, ADL, Hamas, CNN, Palestinian, University of Virginia, Jewish, “, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups, Harvard, Stanford University, Columbia University, Columbia, U.S . Locations: New York, Palestine, Hamas, Israel, United States, Florida, ”

☆ Campus Radicals and Leftist Groups Have Embraced the Idea of ‘Settler Colonialism’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Adam Kirsch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

After the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis on Oct. 7, many Americans were indignant to see academic and left-wing organizations issuing statements that excused or implicitly endorsed the massacre. Such sentiments are not surprising, however, to anyone who follows the way Israel and Palestine have long been discussed in those quarters. An idea widely accepted in a small ideological community has now been exposed to the view of the general public, revealing the deep estrangement between them. The idea in this case is “settler colonialism,” a term that appears often in the pro-Hamas statements collected by the Anti-Defamation League. Mondoweiss, an anti-Israel online publication, has called the Hamas attack “part of the Palestinians’ century-long struggle for liberation” from “Zionist/Israeli settler colonialism.”

Persons: Mondoweiss, ” Organizations: Defamation, Democratic Socialists of America, “ Zionist Locations: Israel, Palestine

☆ Campus Radicals and Leftist Groups Have Embraced the Deadly Idea of ‘Settler Colonialism’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Adam Kirsch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: Mondoweiss, ” Organizations: Defamation, Democratic Socialists of America, “ Zionist Locations: Israel, Palestine

☆ China rushes to swap Western tech with domestic options as U.S. cracks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

China spent 1.4 trillion yuan ($191 billion) replacing foreign hardware and software in 2022, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2%, according to IT research firm First New Voice. Two firms awarded the Harbin tenders were subsidiaries of China Electronics Corporation and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation - both heavily targeted by U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Department of Commerce, China Electronics Corporation and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation did not return requests for comment. Despite heavy spending on domestic substitution, however, foreign firms are still dominant suppliers for banking and telecoms database management. Non-Chinese companies held 90% of market share for banking database systems at the end of 2022, according to EqualOcean, a tech consultancy.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Kendra Schaefer, Mo Jianlei, Eric Zheng, Brenda Goh, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Beijing, Reuters, New, Trivium China, Liberation Army, Tech, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BMC, U.S, Cyberspace Security, China Telecommunications Corporation, Qualcomm, U.S . Treasury, Google, Apple, China Electronics Corporation, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Microsoft, Adobe, China Tobacco, Microsoft Windows, Chinese Academy of Engineering, European Union Chamber of Commerce, of Commerce, Shanghai, U.S . Department of Commerce, HUAWEI, Huawei, IDC, Financial, Lenovo, HK, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING, Washington, State, Beijing, Gansu province, Harbin, Xiamen, U.S, American, Shanghai

Speaking in Parliament to lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party, Mr. Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately attacking civilians in Gaza and killing large numbers of children, women and older people. Mr. Erdogan also criticized Western countries for their strong backing of Israel and for branding Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that controls Gaza, as a terrorist organization. But recently, Mr. Erdogan made steps at rapprochement with the Jewish state. On Wednesday, Mr. Erdogan said all plans to visit Israel had been scrapped. “We clearly mentioned that we never excuse any acts targeting civilians, including Israeli civilians, regardless of the perpetrator,” he said.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Israel, ”, Mr, mujahedeen, Erdogan’s, Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Ergodan’s, Lior, Russia’s, Vladimir V, Putin, ” Mr, Nadav Gavrielov Organizations: NATO, Development Party, Hamas, European Union, Ministry, Israel’s, Turkish, Turkish Presidency Press, Agence France, United Nations General Assembly, ISIS Locations: Turkey, Israel, United States, Gaza, Ankara, Israeli, New York, Turkish, Russia, Ukraine, “, Seoul

JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China (AP) — China launched its youngest-ever crew for its orbiting space station on Thursday as it seeks to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months. It built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party. China’s first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources. ___Associated Press video producer Caroline Chen at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and journalist Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Persons: Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin, Tang, Caroline Chen, Kanis Leung Organizations: —, China Manned Space Agency, CCTV, U.S, International, Station, People’s Liberation Army, Communist Party, Soviet Union, SpaceX, Associated Press, Center Locations: China, — China, Beijing, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ China's youngest-ever crew of astronauts heads to space station
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreBEIJING, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The youngest-ever crew of Chinese astronauts departed for China's space station on Thursday, paving the way for a new generation of "taikonauts" to advance the country's space ambitions in the future. Leading the six-month mission was former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, 48, who was on the first crewed mission to the space station in 2021. By contrast, his fellow Shenzhou-17 crew members Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, both travelling to space for the first time, joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020. The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will replace the Shenzhou-16 crew, who arrived at Tiangong at the end of May. Shenzhou-17 marks China's 12th crewed mission since Yang Liwei's solo spaceflight in October 2003, the first Chinese national in space.

Persons: Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin, Tang, Tiangong, Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, Gui Haichao, Zhu, Gui, Yang Liwei's, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: taikonauts, People's Liberation Army, NASA, Space, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jiuquan, Gansu province, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong, Macau, Tiangong

☆ Video shows a Chinese fighter jet buzzing B-52 bomber that came as close as 10 feet, US says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video from US Indo-Pacific Command shows a Chinese fighter jet buzzing a US B-52 aircraft. INDOPACOM said the "unsafe" intercept and excessive speed put both aircraft in danger. The US has reported a spike in aggressive behavior by Chinese pilots, reporting hundreds of cases in the past two years. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US military said a Chinese fighter jet pilot threatened the safety of a B-52 bomber in a dangerously close intercept over the South China Sea, publishing video of the flyby that officials claimed got their aircraft within as close as 10 feet.

Persons: INDOPACOM, — Organizations: Pacific Command, US, Service, US Air Force, PRC, US Department of Defense, People's, Army, Pentagon, DoD Locations: Chinese, South China, US, Republic of China, South, East China, China

☆ A CEO resigned after making remarks on Israel. He's a case study in failing to read the room.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Web Summit's CEO quit after appearing to accuse Israel of "war crimes," triggering backlash online. In his first post on the subject, Cosgrave seemed to accuse Israel of war crimes. "War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are." Proceed with cautionMany of the high-profile CEOs who have commented on the conflict so far have explicitly condemned Hamas and supported Israel. "If you have no connection to Israel, what is the point in mouthing off about political issues now?"

Persons: Execs, Israel, —, Paddy Cosgrave, Cosgrave, I'm, Ireland's, Bill Kissane, Google's, Paul Argenti, Argenti Organizations: Service, Intel, Web, The London School of Economics, Political, Britain, Palestinian Liberation Organization, Web Summit, Google, Microsoft, Siemens, Israel, Tuck School of Business Locations: Israel, Lisbon, Ireland, Northern Ireland, mouthing

A general view shows the interiors of what the Israeli military say is a cross-border attack tunnel dug from Gaza to Israel, on the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip border near Kissufim January 18, 2018. After the last round of hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: "They started saying they destroyed 100kms of Hamas tunnels. Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election. Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off their scarcely concealed commercial tunnels under the Rafah border. Israeli sources said what awaits them is formidable and they faced an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous Israeli operations in 2014 and 2021.

Persons: Jack Guez, Lloyd Austin, Yehya Al, Sinwar, Lifshitz, Mahmoud Abbas, Amir Avivi, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Israel, Yasser Arafat's, Deen al, Gilad Shalit, Abu Qusay, Mohammed Deif, Deif, Joel Roskin, Ilan University, Benjamin Netanyahu, Amnon Sofrin, Daphne Richemond, Barak, Jonathan Saul, Stephen Farrell, Phil Stewart, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, U.S . Defense, Israel, United Nations Security Council, LONG, Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization, West Bank, Hamas, Brigades, Arafat's, Israel's, Ilan, Israel's Combat Engineering, Combat Intelligence Corps, Israel's Reichman University, IDF, ISIS, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Kissufim, JERUSALEM, LONDON, Hamas, Palestinian, States, Mosul, Islamic, Egypt, Israeli, Viet, Israel's, Egyptian, El Arish, Suez, Yasser Arafat's Palestine, Jordan, Rafah, Syria, Iraq, State, Jerusalem, London, Washington, Cairo

Magnus Mæland, the municipality mayor, then angrily removed the Russian wreath — only to have a woman, described by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK as being Russian, put it back. In 2019, on the 75th anniversary, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov laid wreaths at the monument and stood side-by-side with Norway’s foreign minister. On Saturday, Konygin gave a speech at the war memorial in the same Norwegian border town. Visiting locals from the Russian border town of Nikel faced the diplomat while residents from Kirkenes silently turned their back to him, according to the online outlet the Barents Observer. Locals had already placed a wreath at the monument before Konygin arrived, with the text “to our Ukrainian heroes from 1944 and 2022," according to the Barents Observer.

Persons: Magnus Mæland, ” Mæland, Marit Bjerkeng, Harald Sunde, Sergei Lavrov, Nikolai Konygin, Konygin Organizations: NRK, Russia’s, Observer, Locals, Barents Observer, Soviet Union Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Russian, Kirkenes, Norway, Soviet, Norwegian, Russia, Ukraine, Nazi Germany, Nikel

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NO ARCHIVES Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people. "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he said, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith. Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud". Many of Turkey's NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogan's comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's good intentions.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Matteo Salvini, Antonio, Tajani, Salvini, Israel, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, AK, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, Israel, Turkish, Gaza . Turkey

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the country’s next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station. The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by China's Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months. China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party. China’s first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources.

Persons: Lin Xiqiang, — Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin —, Tang Organizations: —, Manned Space Agency, CCTV, International, Station, People’s Liberation Army, Communist Party, Soviet Union, SpaceX, Xinhua News Agency Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — China, China, United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, U.S

☆ China's Youngest-Ever Crew of Astronauts Heads to Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Ryan WooBEIJING (Reuters) -The youngest-ever crew of Chinese astronauts departed for China's space station on Thursday, paving the way for a new generation of "taikonauts" to advance the country's space ambitions in the future. Leading the six-month mission was former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, 48, who was on the first crewed mission to the space station in 2021. Tang, from China's second batch of astronauts in 2010, had to wait more than a decade before he was picked for his inaugural spaceflight in 2021. By contrast, his fellow Shenzhou-17 crew members Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, both travelling to space for the first time, joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020. China has already kickstarted the selection process for the fourth batch of astronauts, seeking candidates with doctoral degrees in disciplines from biology, physics and chemistry to biomedical engineering and astronomy.

Persons: Ryan Woo BEIJING, Tang Hongbo, Tang, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: taikonauts, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Hong Kong, Macau

☆ Even Before the Israel-Hamas War, Being Palestinian Was Controversial - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Hala Alyan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

I’d had the privilege of a youth — adolescence and young adulthood — in countries where being Palestinian was fairly common. The task of the Palestinian, we’ve seen in the past two weeks, is to audition for empathy and compassion. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve watched Palestinian activists, lawyers, professors get baited and interrupted on air, if not silenced altogether. What is the word of a Palestinian against a machinery that investigates itself, that absolves itself of accused crimes? Diasporically or not, being Palestinian is the quintessential disrupter: It messes with a curated, modified tape.

Persons: I’ve, I’d, hadn’t, we’ve, they’ve, dehumanized, You’ve, I’d humanized, Al Jazeera, “ It’s, it’s, infographics, I’m Organizations: NBC Locations: United States, Kuwait, Palestine, Manhattan, Gaza, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, I’m, Palestinian

☆ DeSantis' state universities chief disbanded a pro-Palestinian campus group across Florida — and hinted at felony charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Florida's state university chief ordered a pro-Palestine group to disband. Ron DeSantis accused the National Students for Justice in Palestine group of supporting Hamas. The National SJP did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. AdvertisementAdvertisementRodrigues' memo states that there are at least two known SJP chapters at Florida state universities, but did not specifically name them. Both the University of Florida and the University of South Florida have active chapters, according to Politico.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, —, Ray Rodrigues, DeSantis, Rodrigues Organizations: Gov, National Students for Justice, Service, Students for Justice, University of Florida, University of South, Politico Locations: Palestine, Florida, Israel, University of South Florida

☆ China chases US and Russia guided-missile submarine capabilities with new vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Pentagon report, published Oct. 20, marks the first apparent confirmation that modified submarines seen in Chinese shipyards over the last 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines. The confirmation comes amid an intensifying submarine arms race as China constructs a new generation of nuclear-armed boats as part of its evolving deterrent force. Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said the SSGNs were an important new capability for the Chinese navy. Naval War College in May noted that the PLA was close to breakthroughs in making its nuclear-powered submarines far quieter and more difficult for the U.S. and its allies to track. "But we know the submarine force is a priority for Xi Jinping, and this is one more sign they are getting there."

Persons: Jason Lee, Collin Koh, Koh, Xi Jinping, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberation Army Navy, REUTERS, Pentagon, Reuters, U.S . Navy, Cruise, Libyan, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies . Research, U.S . Naval, College, U.S, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, China, HONG KONG, U.S, Huludao, Soviet Union, Florida, Singapore, Asian

☆ UPenn donors were furious about the Palestine Writes Literature Festival. What about it made them pull their funds?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Gottheimer criticized UPenn for including Waters and Hill as festival speakers in a letter posted the day after the University released its statement. “Situating those individual Palestinians and our allies in league with actual antisemites is wholly irresponsible and dangerous.”At the festival, speakers acknowledged the allegations of antisemitism and denied them. It said they were notified 48 hours before the event Waters wished to show up in person, but that would have required additional security unavailable at short notice. ‘Felt like home’Planning the Palestine Writes Literature Festival took endless hours, according to Abulhawa. Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American writer and human rights activist, speaks at a 2014 Palestine Festival of Literature event at Qasr al Qassem on June 4, 2014 in Beit Wazan, near Nablus, West Bank.

Persons: Liz Magill, Magill, Penn, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Rogers, “, Anne Frank, ”, Waters, Andreas Arnold, demagogue, ” Waters, Tala, Fahmawi, Josh Gottheimer, Marc Lamont Hill, Gottheimer, UPenn, ” Hill, Hill, Susan Abulhawa, Amer Zahr, Abulhawa, Ronald Lauder, Marc Rowan, Rowan, Scott Bok, ” Abulhawa, Dalia Al, Ahmad, Palestine — Ibrahim Nasrallah, Elias Khoury, Mahmoud Shukair, Habayeb, Salman Abu Sitta, Mahmoud Darwish, it’s, ” Dalia Al, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer, Gary Younge, Nguyen, Younge, Israel, Bernard Schwartz, 92NY, ” Nguyen, ‘, Rob Stothard, ” UPenn, David Magerman, Cliff Asness, Lauder, Dick Wolf, Jon Huntsman, Elizabeth Magill, John Jackson , Jr, ” Rowan, Ed Rendell Organizations: New, New York CNN, The University, Ivy League, CNN, Defamation League, ADL Philadelphia, Jewish Federation of Greater, Pink, US State Department, ADL, Democratic New Jersey Rep, University, Apollo Global Management, ” CNN, The Daily, UN, Assembly, Jewish Chronicle, New York, New York City Jewish, New York Times, Palestine, Palestinian, Facebook, West Bank, Student, Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn, Twitter, Venture, Law, Renaissance Technologies, University of Pennsylvania, CNBC Locations: New York, UPenn, Philadelphia, Israel, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Magill, Germany, Nazi, Frankfurt, “ Palestine, Palestine, The, Europe, Canada, British, New, New York City, Palestinian, American, Qasr, Qassem, Beit Wazan, Nablus, West

☆ Taco Bell’s battle to free the ‘Taco Tuesday’ trademark is officially over
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Taco Bell didn’t reveal if a financial settlement was involved. “The response we’ve seen over the last six months since taking action to free ‘Taco Tuesday’ is the exact reason we felt it was worth freeing it in the first place,” Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer Taylor Montgomery told CNN. However, Gregory’s owners proved harder to persuade, and they said that Taco Bell made them “look bad” during an August giveaway of free tacos. “For Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, ‘Taco Tuesday’ brought a lot of pride over the past 40 years,” said co-owner Gregory Gregory. Therefore, I am not surprised that the Gregory’s waived the white flag and surrendered its trademark registration.”Gregory’s surrender marks the final hurdle of Taco Bell’s legal battle of eliminating the trademark from its two holders.

Persons: Taco, New Jersey —, Taco Bell, Bell, Taylor Montgomery, ’, ”, Gregory Gregory, “, Josh Gerben, would’ve, ” Gerben, David Gibbs Organizations: New, New York CNN, Taco Bell, CNN, Yum Brands, ‘ Taco, ” Locations: New York, New Jersey, Somers Point , New Jersey, Bell’s, Mexican

☆ China sacked its defense minister with no explanation months after he mysteriously disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China has dismissed defense minister General Li Shangfu from office. Li hasn't been seen in public in two months and is the second Chinese minister to be ousted this year with no explanation. AdvertisementAdvertisementChina has dismissed its defense minister from office after his bizarre disappearance from public view two months ago. Since being appointed defense minister in March, Li's most notable appearance came just four months ago at a forum in Singapore. Li's departure as the defense minister follows the dismissal of foreign minister Qin Gang from office in July, again with no explanation.

Persons: General Li Shangfu, Li hasn't, Xi, —, shakeups, Li Shangfu, He'd, Li's, Qin Gang, Xi Jinping, Li Organizations: China's Rocket Force, Service, China, New York Times, Chinese Foreign Ministry, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, People's Liberation Army, Communist Party Locations: China, Singapore, Beijing

Shadi Tabatibi/Reuters Relatives mourn for a family killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 21. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Palestinians inspect a destroyed area following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on October 21. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters A woman mourns over a dead man at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City on October 18. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Ramez Mahmoud/AP A plume of smoke rises in the sky over Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9.

Persons: David Schenker, Joe Biden, Ghaith, Omari Lloyd Wolf, Washington Institute David Schenker Lloyd Wolf, Biden, —, It’s, Abdel Fattah el, Mai Yaghi, Mohammed Zaanoun, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Ariel Schalit, Jalaa Marey, Said Khatub, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Nir Oz, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Shadi Tabatibi, Ali Jadallah, Belal al Sabbagh, Mohammed Saber, Khan, Rizek Abdeljawad, Ahmad Gharabli, Janis Laizans, Abed Khaled, Mohammed Dahman, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Yasser Qudih, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Ronen Zvulun, Belal Khaled, Abed Rahim Khatib, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Mohammed Abed, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Mustafa Hassona, Mahmoud Khaled, Samar Abu, Fatima Shbair, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Shir Torem, Wahaj Bani Moufleh, Antonio Macías, Macías, Francisco Seco, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Hatem Ali, Dor Kedmi, Mahmud Hams, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Majdi, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Oded, Khan Younis, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Tsafrir, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Al, “, I’ve, Trump, Mubarak, Israel Organizations: Washington Institute for Near East, Palestine Liberation Organization, Washington Institute, Eastern Affairs, CNN, Gaza, Getty, Pictures, Tel Aviv University, AP, New York Times, Reuters, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Al, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Israeli, Ben Gurion International, Shifa, Palestinian, West Bank, Aris Messinis, Haim, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Rockets, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Human Rights Watch, Israel, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Egypt, Gaza, Cairo, Western, Rafah, —, Washington, Sinai, AFP, Kibbutz Shefayim, Israeli, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Deir al, Anadolu, Khan Younis, Europe, Zahra City, Gaza City, Xinhua, East Jerusalem, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Aqsa, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Al, Ahli, Sderot, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Beit Kama, Haifa, Cyprus, Nablus, West, Kfar Saba, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Kibbutz Be'eri, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion

☆ China roughly doubled the number of missiles it could use to go after US bases in Japan, new Pentagon report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report last week. The report says China's has increased in missile stockpiles, doubling its supply of the DF-21 missile. The increase in what an expert called "Japan Killers" gives China greater capability to threaten US bases. The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force's includes a significant increase in DF-21 medium-range ballistic missiles. The new figures were released last week in the Department of Defense's annual China Military Power Report.

Persons: China's, —, That's, GREG BAKER, Tom Shugart, who's, that's, Shugart, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Roosevelt, Mandel Ngan Organizations: US Department of Defense, China, Service, People's Liberation, Pentagon, Department, Taiwan . Military, Getty, NATO, US, Center, New, New American Security, DF, . Navy, Japan, Self, Defense Force, Reuters, US Navy, Defense, RAND, PLA, Artillery, White, American, DoD Locations: China, Japan, People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Beijing, AFP, Guam, New American, Korea, Soviet, Washington , DC

☆ China's fighter jet fleet is growing in size and appears to have made a big jump in capability, new Pentagon report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report to Congress last week. The Chinese fighter jet fleet appears to have not only grown in size but, more importantly, also in overall capability. AdvertisementAdvertisementA new report from the Pentagon details China's expanding military power, including the growth of its fighter jet fleet, which appears to have also experienced a jump in capability. The Pentagon's report notes that China's fighter jet fleet has both expanded and apparently improved. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesExamples of China's fourth-generation fighter aircraft include the Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-16, and Shenyang J-15.

Persons: —, Xi, Liu Dawei, they've, Matthew P, Funaiole Organizations: of Defense, China, Service, US Department of Defense, People's Liberation Army, PLA, PLA Air Force, PLA Navy, PLAN, PLAN Aviation, DoD, The Air Force, Air, Air Force Aviation University, CFOTO, Publishing, Getty, Shenyang J, 14th China International Aviation, Aerospace Exhibition, Pentagon, China Power Project, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: People's Republic of China, China, United States, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Chengdu, Shenyang, Chinese, Liaoning, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, Xinhua, Russian

☆ China could strike far more than just flattops with its growing arsenal of 'carrier-killer' missiles, defense expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In the update, the Pentagon assesses China bolstered its missile stockpiles, specifically its DF-26 supply. The report shows that in 2022, China increased the number of intermediate-range ballistic missiles from 300 in 2021 to 500. "Numbers like that could change the DF-26 from a 'carrier killer' to just a 'ship killer,'" he said. The Pentagon said that in 2020 China "fired anti-ship ballistic missiles against a moving target in the South China Sea, but has not acknowledged doing so." DF-26 missiles attend the military parade in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2015.

Persons: —, Theodore Roosevelt, I've, Tom Shugart, who's, Shugart Organizations: US Department of Defense, China, Pentagon, Service, China's, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, titans, U.S . Navy, Getty, US, Center, New, New American Security, US Navy, Western Pacific, PLA Locations: China, Republic, Guam, New American, South China, Ruoqiang, South, Western, Taiwan, Japan, Beijing, Xinhua

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