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☆ United Nations General Assembly: World leaders will debate its future in New York next week
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Richard Roth | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

United Nations CNN —It’s time for UNGA 79! Quick explanation: the United Nations General Assembly is an annual world leaders’ summit that has gone on for nearly eight decades since the international body’s founding in San Francisco. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to give a speech next Wednesday and appear at a special Security Council meeting. Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City in 2023. Climate change will be one of the biggest issues being discussed, with the General Assembly expected to hold a meeting on sea level rise on Wednesday.

Persons: United Nations CNN —, It’s, Antonio Guterres, ” Guterres, can’t, Samuel Žbogar, Sergey Bobok, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, “, ” Slovenia’s Žbogar, Volodymyr Zelensky, Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Mike Segar, Benjamin Netanyahu –, Richard Gowan, Netanyahu “, ”, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Donald, Trump, ” Gowan Organizations: United Nations CNN, United Nations General Assembly, UN, Hamas, The Security Council, West, Security Council, United Nations, Reuters Israel, Assembly, Crisis, British, General, Rapid Support Forces, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, General Assembly Locations: San Francisco, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Israel, United States, China, Russia, France, United Kingdom, UN, Lebanon, That’s, Kharkiv, AFP, Africa, York, U.N, New York City, El Fasher, Sudan’s North Darfur, New York

☆ Middle East on the precipice after Hezbollah leader vows retribution and Israel launches strikes. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a speech Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah condemned the twin attacks, calling them “massacres” that “crossed all the red lines” because the devices exploded in public areas, with civilians among those harmed. Though Hezbollah “suffered a major blow,” a “reckoning will come,” he added, and vowed the attacks would not bring the group down. The Hezbollah chief also warned Israel that fighting on the Lebanese front will not stop until hostilities end in Gaza. Hours later, Israel launched a barrage of strikes in Lebanon, saying it hit about 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and “terrorist infrastructure sites.”Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched at least 17 attacks on military sites in northern Israel. For months, the international community has been trying to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Israel’s, Hassan Nasrallah, “, Israel, Nasrallah, –, Hossein, Israel “, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Hezbollah, United Nations Security, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, UN Security Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanese, Beirut, Tehran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Argentina, India, Georgia, Thailand, United States

☆ Israel notified US ahead of Tuesday’s Lebanon operation but gave no details of what was planned, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The fact no details about the operation were given meant US officials were in the dark until reports of hundreds of exploding pagers emerged a short time later, the sources said. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was injured by the exploding pagers, according to Iranian state media. The notification from Israel was far more generic and vague, leaving US officials with questions about what the operation could be, the sources said. Since Hamas’ October 7 attack, Israel has regularly carried out strikes in Lebanon in response to the launch of Hezbollah drones and missiles. The breadth of Israeli operations in Lebanon over the past 11 months added to the questions about what Israel could be planning.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel, It’s, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Gallant, Austin, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, …, ” Jean, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, Israeli, US, White Locations: Lebanon, Washington, Cairo, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Tehran

☆ Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk released after ‘misunderstanding’ which led to detention in Poland
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was released after being detained by law enforcement at Krakow Airport in Poland, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. Speaking on social media, Usyk – the undisputed heavyweight champion – said “a misunderstanding took place” but that the incident “was quickly resolved.”“Thanks to all who got concerned. Usyk speaks to reporters after becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion earlier this year. Earlier this year, Usyk beat Tyson Fury in a razor-thin split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion. He became the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago, with the Briton winning all three belts available at that time.

Persons: Oleksandr Usyk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” “, Andrii Sybiha, Ihor, ” Zelensky, ”, Usyk, –, Usyk’s, Yekaterina, Nick Potts, Sybiha, We’ll, Tyson Fury, Lennox Lewis Organizations: CNN, Krakow Airport, Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Polish Police, Usyk Foundation, Briton Locations: Poland, Ukraine, Kraków, Ukrainian

☆ The US sent Taiwan waterlogged shipments of moldy body armor and machine guns tossed in a cardboard box, DoD watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementThat included 120 pallets containing 500 wet and moldy tactical vests and "3,000 mildewed body armor plates," the watchdog said. AdvertisementWithout facilities to store or protect the equipment and ammo, they were exposed to the bad weather, the report added. AdvertisementAdditionally, the shipments to Taiwan included six M240B machine guns from the National Guard in Clovis, New Mexico, that were dumped in a cardboard box without any wrapping. The OIG said the six machine guns were found in a cardboard box without any wrapping or packaging. AdvertisementThe Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: —, OIG, Pete Nguyen, Nguyen, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Business, The Defense Department, Travis Air Force Base, US Army, National Guard, Pentagon, Defense Department, Taipei Times, Democratic Progressive Party Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, Clovis , New Mexico, Beijing, China

☆ Russia expels six U.K. diplomats as tensions rise over Ukraine missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Russia announced the expulsions hours before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, a crucial step towards winning the go-ahead for Kyiv to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia. Neither Biden nor Starmer addressed long-range missiles in brief comments in front of reporters. Sources say the meeting is another step in talks to allow Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles against targets in Russia, something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been demanding for months. The six UK diplomats were named on Russian state TV, which also showed photographs of them. The FSB said Russia would ask other British diplomats to go home early if they were found to be engaged in similar activity.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, Starmer, Biden, ” Starmer, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, John Kirby, Kirby, Maria Zakharova, ” Zakharova Organizations: British, White, Ukraine, FSB, Soviet KGB, Russian Federation, Federal Security Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, British Embassy, British Foreign, Biden, United Nations General Assembly, House, The New York Times, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Britain, Russia, Kyiv, United States, Russian, Western, Washington, London, Iran, Soviet, British, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Europe, Vienna

☆ Putin warns NATO will be 'at war' with Russia if Ukraine gets long-range missile approval
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

President Vladimir Putin has warned Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its allies if they lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range Western weapons. “We are not talking about allowing or not allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons,” Putin said Thursday in comments to propagandist Pavel Zarubin. Stefan Rousseau / WPA Pool via Getty Images"This will mean that NATO countries, the U.S. and European countries are at war with Russia," Putin said. Putin added that the Ukrainian army does not have the ability to program long-range missiles or the satellite data necessary for their targeting, relying on NATO military personnel for those tasks. It’s been pleading for that policy to change so it can strike military assets deeper inside Russia that are used to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ”, Kyiv —, Sir Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, ” Putin, Pavel Zarubin, ” Starmer, David Lammy, Stefan Rousseau, Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, “, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Oleg Palchyk, It’s, Antony Blinken, Biden, Starmer Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, British, U.S, Duma, Kremlin, West, Getty, U.S ., Congressional Ukraine Caucus, America, NBC News Locations: Russia, United States, Washington, Ukraine, “, U.S, Ukrainian, Kursk, Ukraine's, Pokrovsk, Sudzha, Kyiv, Israel, “ Russia, Moscow

☆ Biden signals openness to using Western long-range missiles inside Russia as he meets Britain’s leader to discuss
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The president has long resisted calls from Ukrainian officials to ease restrictions on the weapons. “We’re working that out right now,” Biden said when questioned this week whether he would permit Western-provided long-range missiles to target military sites like airfields, missile launchers, fuel tanks and ammunition depots inside Russia. Still, that the conversation over long-range weapons is happening at all is an indication of how stalled battlefield dynamics are causing western leaders to rethink their approach. The revelation that Iran has been providing Russia with ballistic missiles has changed the debate over Ukraine’s capabilities, Lammy said. Earlier in the week, the bipartisan congressional Ukraine caucus called on Biden to allow Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with the long-range weapons.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, Friday’s Biden, Starmer, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Antony Blinken, “, it’s, we’ll, ” Blinken, Andrii Sybiha, David Lammy, Lammy, Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Ukraine’s, Sen, Ben Cardin, Jeanne Shaheen of, ” Shaheen, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, British, White, US, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Ukrainian, National Security, Labour Party’s, NATO, Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Defense Department, Ukraine “, Senior, Senate Foreign Relations, Biden, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, United Kingdom, Kyiv, France, Iran, Western, Kursk, Washington, Russian, United States, British, Germany, Crimea, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

☆ Biden administration expected to unveil new evidence of RT’s key role in Russian intelligence operations globally
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration is expected on Friday to announce a major effort to blunt the global influence of RT and expose what it says is the Russian state media network’s key role in the Kremlin’s global intelligence and influence operations, according to a senior administration official and three other sources familiar with the matter. A key finding from the new US intelligence is that, for more than a year, the Russian government has quietly embedded an intelligence-gathering unit within RT that is focused on influence operations globally, one of the sources familiar said. That activity has been part of US officials described as a big expansion of RT’s role as an arm and mouthpiece of the Kremlin abroad. The activity goes beyond propaganda and covert influence operations to even include military procurement, the source said. The US believes RT propaganda and disinformation has been key to generating pro-Russia reactions to the Ukraine war globally, the senior administration official said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, –, RT, Trump, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, State Department, Kremlin, of Justice, UN, Assembly, US Department of Justice, US, European Union, Saharan Africa RT, Huawei Locations: Russian, Russia, America, Ukraine

☆ Russia expels six British diplomats it accuses of spying and sabotage activity
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Russia’s FSB security service said on Friday it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow whose actions it said showed signs of spying and sabotage work. Britain’s embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. “Thus, the facts revealed give grounds to consider the activities of British diplomats sent to Moscow by the directorate as threatening the security of the Russian Federation,” the FSB said in a statement. The six diplomats were named on Russian state TV, which also showed photographs of them. The FSB said Russia would ask other British diplomats to go home early if they were found to be engaged in similar activity.

Persons: Reuters —, ”, Maria Zakharova Organizations: Reuters, FSB, Soviet KGB, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Federal Security Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, British Embassy, Russian Foreign Ministry, TASS, British Locations: Moscow, Britain’s, Soviet, British, London, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia

☆ Putin threatens war with the West and NATO, expels UK Diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Erica Star Domena | Selima Hussain | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drew a new red line as the possibility of the US supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles may become a reality. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account?

Persons: Vladimir Putin Organizations: Russian, Ukraine, Business

☆ Russia will be ‘at war’ with NATO if Ukraine long-range missile restrictions lifted, Putin warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Avery Schmitz | Michael Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia,” Putin told reporters on Thursday. US officials have expressed concerns that allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia could escalate the conflict and cause Russia to further accuse the US of being part of the war. Blinken said he discussed the restrictions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and would report back to President Biden. On Tuesday, the bipartisan congressional Ukraine caucus called on Biden to allow Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with the long-range weapons. The United States already does provide intelligence to Ukraine, and has previously assisted in the targeting, although not with the long-range systems currently being considered.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Joe Biden’s, Antony Blinken, we’ll, ” Blinken, Andrii Sybiha, David Lammy, Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Putin, Stacie Pettyjohn, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Rustem Umerov, William Courtney, ”, Michael Callahan, Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann, Lex Harvey Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Britain’s, Biden, Republicans, West, United, Center, New American Security, Belbek Airbase, Tactical Missile, Ukrainian Defense, RAND Corporation Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, United States, Russia, Kyiv, Blinken’s Ukraine, Russian, Belbek, Crimea, Ukrainian, Iran, US

WASHINGTON — Thousands of overseas American diplomats are at risk of a sharp pay cut at the beginning of October unless Congress passes a legislative fix in the coming weeks. And a 22% reduction in their pay would be a needless and demoralizing harm. “The Department of State continues to work with Congress on the urgent need for an extension,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The pay snafu, first reported by Politico, is the unintended consequence of a funding structure that requires action from Congress. With the fate of their wages tied to the funding fight, American diplomats could be left in the lurch.

Persons: Sen, Chris Coons, it’s, ” Coons, Ben Cardin, he’s, “ We’re, ” Cardin, there’s, ” AFSA, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, “, ”, Tom Yazdgerdi Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capitol, Foreign Relations, NBC News, Overseas, Washington , D.C, State Department, American Foreign Service Association, Congress, Senate Foreign, National Defense, U.S . Agency for International Development, Democratic, Republican, Senate, Department of State, Politico Locations: Washington ,, D, American, United States

Washington CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris has met more than 150 world leaders since becoming vice president. Still, Harris has not always been the first phone call for foreign leaders or officials looking to get a line into the White House. UkraineA month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Harris was dispatched to NATO’s eastern flank on a reassurance mission – one that also came with some sensitive diplomatic smoothing-over. For a foreign policy novice with aspirations for higher office, the war in Ukraine was a rigorous introduction to wartime diplomacy. She has vowed to continue to support Ukraine and impose costs on Russia,” an aide to the vice president said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, ”, Biden, Harris ’, Harris, she’s, Donald Trump, –, Dana Bash, “, Dana, haven’t, —, Israel Harris, Netanyahu, Israel –, ” Harris, Harris “, Israel ”, Xi Jinping, Phil Gordon, Rebecca Lissner, Dean Lieberman, Antony Blinken, ” Lieberman, Volodymyr Zelensky, Nancy McEldowney, ” McEldowney, don’t, Jake Sullivan, John Kerry, Emmanuel Macron, Biden –, – Harris Organizations: Washington CNN —, Israeli, Democratic, Republicans, CNN, Biden, White, Israel, White House, American, United Nations General Assembly, UN, ”, Aboard Air Force, NATO, Munich Security Conference, “, Munich Security, Ukraine, Rue Coquilliere Locations: Afghanistan, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, United States, New York, Washington , DC, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Port, Prince, Haiti, Russia, Poland, Warsaw, Washington, Romania, Munich, France, Paris, White, Rue

☆ Venezuela’s Supreme Court certifies Maduro’s claims that he won presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | 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: +3 min

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s Supreme Court has backed President Nicolás Maduro’s claims that he won last month’s presidential election and said voting tallies published online showing he lost by a landslide were forged. The high court is packed with Maduro loyalists and has almost never ruled against the government. Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice President Caryslia Rodriguez in Caracas on Aug. 22. Gabriel Boric, the leftist president of Chile and one of the main critics of Maduro’s election gambit, lambasted the high court’s certification. “Today, Venezuela’s TSJ has finally consolidated the fraud,” he said on his X account referring to the initials of the high court.

Persons: Venezuela —, Nicolás Maduro’s, Maduro, Caryslia Rodriguez, Federico Parra, Edmundo González, ” González, Maria Corina Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Cristian Hernandez, González, Gabriel Boric, Venezuela’s TSJ, ” Organizations: Venezuela — Venezuela’s, Venezuelan, Getty, United Nations, Carter Center Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, Caracas, AFP, Venezuelan, North Macedonia, Chile

☆ Peace Talks at Swiss Resort Beckoned. Sudan’s Divided Generals Wouldn’t Go.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

American-led talks to halt Sudan’s war, convened at an exclusive Swiss ski resort, ended after 10 days on Friday with agreements to deliver food and medicine to millions of starving Sudanese in the country’s most famine-stricken areas. But the mediators failed to broker a cease-fire, or even to get both sides around the table, after Sudan’s military refused to show up. Frustrated American and Arab diplomats said the breakdown exposed the disarray and internal divisions in Sudan’s weakened military, which are a major obstacle to ending Africa’s biggest war. The United States hoped the talks in Villars-sur-Ollon, a picturesque village 80 miles by road from Geneva, could break an eight-month diplomatic deadlock. Since then, war has spread, bringing a widespread humanitarian crisis that this month led to a rare declaration of famine.

Organizations: United, Rapid Support Forces Locations: Swiss, Sudan’s, United States, Villars, Geneva

☆ Ukraine’s march into Russia exposes Putin’s crisis management problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But his track record of handling recent crises in Russia reveals a different side of his presidential persona: one of paralysis and indecision. Despite a claim of responsibility from ISIS-K, he continued to insist that Ukraine, and the West had played a role. Dmytro Kholod, commander of Ukraine’s “Nightingale” battalion, currently in Kursk, told CNN by phone on Wednesday that he has noticed a shift in the behavior of Russian troops. It is just a strategy for perpetuating war and allowing Russia to wait us all out,” said Ryan. “Now we see that when he’s really presented with a crisis, he’s not a cornered rat, he’s just like an imposter.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Evgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ” Putin, Prigozhin, Yan Dobronosov, ”, Boris Bondarev, “, Mick Ryan, Ramzan Kadyrov, don’t, Andrei Belousov, Dmytro Kholod, Ukraine’s “ Nightingale, ” Ryan, he’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Efrem, Ryan, Bondarev Organizations: CNN, Crocus, Russia’s, ISIS, US, Kyiv, Getty, of Human Rights, ”, Kremlin, Naval, Black, Institute for, Russian MoD, Russia, AP, NATO, Putin Locations: Russia, Russian, Kursk, Ukraine, Crocus City, Moscow, Ukrainian, Sudzha, AFP, Beslan, Kharkiv, Crimea, Kursk Oblast, ”

☆ I studied in North Korea for a month. The isolation shocked me the most.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-19 | by ( Paige Bruton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's been over a decade since I sat in the water of a Pyongyang public bathhouse, fielding questions from several North Korean university students. Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are preserved for viewers to see inside. The show is the world's largest gymnastics display and one of the most important events in the North Korean calendar. What looked like tens of thousands of North Korean children and adults played music, gave traditional dance performances, and conducted intricate gymnastics routines. During my exchange, I spoke to young North Korean people, asking them about their ambitions.

Persons: —, Todor Merdjanov, Kim Il, Merdjanov, It's, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong, we'd, chatted Organizations: Service, University, Bulgarian, Business, North Korean, Korean Studies, North, Sun, Mass Locations: Bulgarian, Pyongyang, North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, North, Sofia, Bulgaria, Beijing, North Korean, East Asia, Kumsusan, Wonsan, Korean

☆ Taliban celebrates three years in power as Afghans suffer hunger and repression
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | 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: +3 min

Decades of conflict and instability have left millions of Afghans on the brink of hunger and starvation. The Taliban celebrates the third anniversary of its takeover of Afghanistan, at Bagram Air Base, in Bagram, Parwan province. Ahmad Sahel Arman / AFP - Getty ImagesThe Bagram parade was the Taliban’s grandest and most defiant since regaining control of the country in August 2021. The audience of some 10,000 men included senior Taliban officials like Acting Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob and Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. They say that Afghans, particularly women and girls, will suffer if there isn’t more diplomatic engagement with the Taliban.

Persons: —, ”, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, “, Ahmad Sahel Arman, Mullah Yaqoob, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Ebrahim Noroozi Organizations: Taliban, Bagram, Islamic, Bagram Air Base, Getty, Acting, NATO Locations: U.S, Afghanistan, Bagram, Parwan province, Ahmad Sahel

☆ 'Pulling a Joe Biden': Reactions to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's resignation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters following North Korea's missile launch on April 13, 2023. JIJI Press | AFP | Getty ImagesJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is stepping down in September, a move that sparked a broad range of reactions from government officials and analysts. Still, Izumi thanked Kishida for his hard work, adding "Prime Minister Kishida, you must have been under a lot of pressure." "The prime minister is a true friend of the United States and Japan has become a true global partner for America," U.S. "I pay tribute to my friend Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Japan's, Kishida, Joe Biden, he's, William Pesek, Biden, Izumi, Japan Rahm Emanuel, Kishida's, Emanuel, Anthony Albanese, Japan Shihab Alfaheem, Amir Anvarzadeh Organizations: Japan's, JIJI Press, AFP, Getty, Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, LDP, Japan, America, U.S, Alliance, Australian, Asymmetric Advisors Locations: United States, Japan, Australia

International mediators were heading to the Middle East for a high-stakes round of negotiations scheduled for Thursday as they raced to lock down an elusive cease-fire in the Gaza Strip that could defuse tensions ahead of an anticipated attack on Israel by Iran and Hezbollah. The cease-fire talks, which are set to take place in Doha, Qatar, or Cairo, were expected to include top intelligence officials from Egypt, Israel and the United States, as well as the Qatari prime minister. But as of Tuesday, Hamas representatives were not planning to take part. Ahmad Abdul-Hadi, a Hamas representative in Lebanon, said in an interview that doing so would mean going “backward to square one,” and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel of dragging out the negotiations. “Netanyahu is not interested in reaching an agreement that ends the aggression completely, but rather he is deceiving and evading and wants to prolong the war, and even expand it at the regional level,” Mr. Abdul-Hadi said.

Persons: Ahmad Abdul, Hadi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, “ Netanyahu, Mr, Abdul Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, Doha, Qatar, Cairo, Egypt, United States, Lebanon

CNN —Mediators in talks for a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel are making a last-ditch effort to revive stalled negotiations as the Middle East braces for an Iranian attack on Israel. President Joe Biden announces a proposed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza while delivering remarks in the State Dining Room at the White House on May 31 in Washington, DC. The militant group replaced Haniyeh with Yahya Sinwar, the hardline Hamas leader in Gaza who is one of Israel’s most wanted men. He is not interested in either a ceasefire or the full withdrawal of troops.”Why are Thursday’s talks so important? There have been some indications that Iran may abandon plans to attack Israel if a ceasefire deal is reached.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, ”, who’ve, Netanyahu, Chip Somodevilla, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel hasn’t, Yahya Sinwar, “ Haniyeh, “, Israel, Zahra, Omar Al, Thursday’s Organizations: CNN, Israeli, White, Thursday’s, Hamas, Getty, Israel, United Nations Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Gaza, Rome, Washington ,, Rafah, Tehran, Iran, Palestinian, Shujaiya, Gaza City, AFP

Nearly two weeks have passed and no large-scale response has materialized, leaving Israel and the wider Middle East on edge. But Mr. Haniyeh’s killing was seen as the greater blow to Tehran because it took place on Iranian soil. “Israel has checkmated Iran in this situation because Iran is left with no good options,” said Mr. Vaez. What could an Iranian response look like? U.S. and Israeli diplomats and security officials had some advanced knowledge of its scope and intensity of Iran’s attack in April, which facilitated defensive preparations.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Haniyeh’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analystsexperts, Nasser Kanaan, Sanam Vakil, Pezeshkian, Vakil, Ms, Ali Vaez, Vaez, “ Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Keir Starmer, Nasser Kanani, Jordan, Mr, Haniyeh, Lloyd J, Austin III, Biden Organizations: Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Chatham House, Crisis, Diplomats, of Islamic Cooperation, United, Hamas Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Beirut, Lebanon, Golan, East, London, Yemen, Western, Iranian, United States, Gaza, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia

☆ Opinion | The West Clearly Doesn’t Want to Defeat Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Anastasia Edel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As the West watches on, seemingly impotent, Russia grows ever bolder, like a bully who realizes the teacher isn’t coming. Despite having the resources to end this war on Ukraine’s terms, the West clearly lacks the will to win. But the West is wedded to its too-little-too-late approach, justified by the risk of provoking nuclear escalation from Russia. Nor has the West managed to cut off the sources of Russia’s economic might, despite rounds of sanctions. The economy is growing healthily, and the assets of Russian oligarchs remain safe in the West, even if frozen.

Persons: Vasily Nebenzya, isn’t, Vladimir Putin, ”, can’t Organizations: United Nations Security, United Nations, NATO, West Locations: Kyiv, Russia, New York, ”, Russian, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Israel and US brace for Iranian attack as diplomats push hard for Gaza ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Israel and the United States are preparing for a potential Iranian attack on Israel as efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza intensify, with talks set to resume this week amid intense diplomacy to avert a wider regional war. A major Iranian attack reprisal against Israel could risk derailing the ceasefire talks that US officials have said were at an advanced stage prior to the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Iran blamed on Israel. But the country’s mission to the United Nations said on Saturday that Tehran’s retaliation to Israel’s suspected killing of Haniyeh is “totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire,” adding that it has a right to self-defense. Palestinians pray next to the bodies of those killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on Saturday. Egyptian and Qatari mediators have told Israel that Sinwar wants a deal, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, –, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel hasn’t, Israel, hasn’t, Iran’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “, ”, Haniyeh, Lloyd Austin, Israel “, William Gore, Lebanon –, Fu’ad Shukr, Abed Sabah, Yahya Sinwar –, Israel –, Joe Biden, Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibi, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Qatari, Doha, United, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations, US, USS, Pentagon, Congress, UN, Spc, US Navy, Reuters, –, US National Security Council, Israel Defense Forces Locations: CNN — Israel, United States, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Cairo, Egypt, Qatar, Tehran, France, Germany, United Kingdom, USS Georgia, Manama, Bahrain, Lebanon, Beirut, Gaza City

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