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☆ 'Iran is in for the long haul' with oil tanker hijacks, expert says, as U.S. considers more sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Before this weekend's tanker seizure, the last vessel Iran hijacked was the St. Nikolas on January 1. A Planet Labs satellite image of the location of the MSC Aries and other tankers recently hijacked by Iran. Planet Labs PBCAs the U.S. considers more sanctions against Iran in response to its recent attack on Israel, Iran has been using the hijacked ships as a means of sanctions retaliation. Iran chose to do this as a way to compensate for sanctions," Madani said. In a note to clients, ClearView highlighted that the House of Representatives added several Iran sanctions bills to its calendar for consideration this week, under suspension rules, including new sanctions on Iranian oil exports to China.

Persons: Nikolas, Houthis, Samir Madani, Eyal Ofer's, Madani, Janet Yellen, Helima Croft, Andy Lipow, Brent, Lipow, Kevin Book, Book Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, MSC Aries, U.S . Naval Forces Central Command, Galaxy Leader, MSC, Planet Labs, U.S . Energy Information Agency, United Arab, JPMorgan, CNBC, Lipow Oil Associates, ClearView Energy Partners, US, UN Locations: Gulf of Oman, Hormuz, Anadolu, Iran, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Iranian, Khuran, China, Russia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Strait, Tehran, East, North Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, France, Germany

☆ Camels evolved from a cold-weather ancestor. We could learn from their remarkable transformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Gentoo penguins are big climate change winners in the Antarctic,” Heather Lynch told me. Conversely, the more flexible gentoo penguins keep moving farther and farther south, chasing new prey, and even abandoning nests to increase the odds of long-term survival. Julian Quinones/CNNThe gentoo population has exploded by as much as 30,000% in just a few years. Bill Weir/CNNHere lieth the lesson of the camel and the gentoo: Heat will move us, one way or another. I just know River won’t be satisfied without a magic plot twist that somehow saves all creatures great and small.

Persons: Bill Weir, —, “, ”, Bill, CNN's, Julian Quinones, Camels, CNN Bill, I’d, ” Heather Lynch, penguins, we’ve, it’s, Xiulin Ruan, CNN Julian Quinones, “ Don’t, Energy's Organizations: CNN, Brooklyn, Central Park Zoo, CNN Penguins, Stony Brook University, gentoo, Purdue, International Energy Agency, Global Locations: Canada, North America, dromedaries, Sudanese, Egypt, Southern Ocean, Antarctica, Manhattan, British Columbia, Yorkshire, England, Phoenix, Japan, Seville, Spain, Miami, Los Angeles, Angeles, Olivia, Colombia, CNN Seville, China, India, Maine

☆ Restraint or retribution? Israel faces dilemma in its response to Iran’s attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Israel must balance international pressure to show restraint on the one hand, while searching for an appropriate response to an unprecedented attack. Western and Arab allies of Israel have been discouraging it from responding to Iran’s attack. Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, has pushed for a swifter response to Iran’s attack, two Israeli officials told CNN. He believes that the longer Israel delays its response to Iran’s attack, the harder it will be to garner international support for it, the sources said. Risking Arab tiesArab states, including those that are friendly with Israel, have expressed concern about a potential escalation from Iran’s attack, but haven’t outright condemned it.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Raz Zimmt, Israel …, Amir Cohen, ” Zimmt, Alon Pinkas, Tamir Hayman, Israel’s, Jordan, ” Hayman, Joe Biden, Biden, Adam Schultz, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, it’s, ” Pinkas, Pinkas, Louai Beshara, Israel, ” Yaakov Amidror, Iran’s, Benny Gantz, haven’t, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Ayman Safadi, ” Safadi Organizations: CNN, Islamic, Analysts, Hamas, Institute for National Security Studies, Sunday, Reuters, National Security, White, Domestic, Getty Locations: CNN — Israel, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Tehran, Ashkelon, Israeli, France, Pinkas, Iranian, Syria, AFP, Rafah, United States, Jerusalem, Jordanian, “, Persian, Hormuz

☆ Oil Markets Shrug Off Iran’s Attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Oil markets shrugged off the growing tensions in the Middle East, after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Israel over the weekend. On Monday morning, prices for Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, fell by about 1 percent, to $89.49 a barrel. So far, there has been relief that the much-anticipated attack did little damage and had no effect on supplies. Oil prices had already increased substantially in the days before the assault, rising above the symbolic $90 a barrel level last week. Rystad Energy, a consulting firm, calculates that on fundamentals, Brent should be selling for $84 a barrel.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Brent, ”, Helima Croft Organizations: Brent, Rystad Energy, RBC Capital Markets Locations: Iran, Israel, Persian

☆ Coral bleaching: Ocean heat is driving a mass bleaching event, and it could be the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rebecca Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies announced Monday — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago. In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming. Bex Wright/CNNIn mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas.

Persons: ” Derek Manzello, Ove Hoegh, “, Guldberg, ”, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Niña, El, Manzello, ” Manzello, Lady Elliot, Bex Wright, Selina Stead, ” Stead, David Ritter Organizations: CNN, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef, Reef Watch, Pacific, University of Queensland, NOAA, Getty, Niña, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Park Authority, AIMS, UN, Greenpeace Locations: Pacific, Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Africa, Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, El, Lady, Greenpeace Australia

☆ Oil prices could see 'super spike well above $100' if conflict escalates after Iran's attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Any disruption in its capacity to supply global markets could send oil prices higher, analysts told CNBC. Insufficient investment makes supply more fragile and increases the chance of a super spike well above $100 if supply is disrupted. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Oil prices since the start of the year. "I think oil prices will go to all time highs this cycle, due to a decade of under-investment in exploration and development," Young added. Oil prices have climbed in recent months on trade disruptions and delays caused by Red Sea maritime attacks from the Houthis, who claim solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Persons: Saeid Arabzadeh, Israel reigniting, Andy Lipow, Daniel Hagari, Josh Young, Brent, Young, Morgan Stanley's Organizations: Afp, Getty, OPEC, CNBC, Brent, Lipow Oil Associates, Israel Defense Forces, Bison, Iran's United Nations, underinvestment, U.S, West Texas Locations: Persian, Iran, Hormuz, Oman, Israel, Damascus, Syria, Asia

☆ 'We have woken up to a new paradigm in the Middle East' following Iran-Israel escalation, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Iran on April 14 urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)Iran's weekend attack on Israel marks a "new paradigm" in the Middle East conflict, which risks escalating into a wider regional war, Chatham House's Middle East director said Monday. "The Israeli leadership will have a hard time not responding. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets inside Israel on Saturday in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria. The attack, though well telegraphed in advance, has presented some opportunity for Israel to rehabilitate its image following its months-long onslaught in Gaza, which many perceive as disproportionate to Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Persons: ATTA KENARE, Sanam Vakil, thinktank, it's, Vakil, CNBC's Organizations: Getty, Chatham House's Locations: Persian, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Damascus, AFP, London, Syria, Gaza

☆ Live Updates: Israel Says Confrontation With Iran ‘Is Not Over’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mike Ives | Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Iranian armed forces are among the biggest in the Middle East, with 580,000 soldiers and officers and also 200,000 reservists. The start of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Instead, Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long shadow war via air, sea, land and cyberattacks, and Israel has covertly targeted military and nuclear facilities inside Iran and killed commanders and scientists. It’s that they realize any war against Iran is a very serious war.”What sort of military threat does Iran pose? The commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all major decisions.

Persons: ”, Afshon Ostovar, “ It’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fabian Hinz, “, Atta Kenare, Ostovar, Ayatollah Khamenei, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Will Israel’s Organizations: Naval Postgraduate School, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Guards, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Quds Force, Agence France, Phantoms, Iranian Army, Associated Press Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States, Washington, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jihad, Gaza, Berlin, speedboats, Persian, Hormuz, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, North Korea

☆ Roberto Cavalli, a Life Out Loud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | Jacob Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

His animal prints did not always originate from nature but from his own imagination, chimeras of exotic skins that telegraphed excess, sex and aspiration. If Gianni Versace was the id of Italian fashion, Mr. Cavalli made it roar, hitting mass saturation in the late nineties as an antidote to the minimalism of Jil Sander and Helmut Lang. He stepped into the vacuum created by the murder of Mr. Versace in 1997, was further buoyed by the frothy stock market, and soon, Paris Hilton was wearing him. So was Candace Bushnell, creator of “Sex and the City.” Victoria Beckham was a fan during her Posh Spice era. Little wonder he was the main sponsor of the 2004 show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute: “Wild: Fashion Untamed” — or that Ben Stiller wore Mr. Cavalli’s designs for “Zoolander,” Mr. Stiller’s fashion satire.

Persons: Roberto Cavalli, Tropez, Gianni Versace, Cavalli, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Versace, Paris Hilton, Candace Bushnell, Victoria Beckham, Ben Stiller, “, Mr Organizations: City, Metropolitan Museum, Art’s Costume Locations: Italian, Paris

☆ Oil prices could spike to $100 if Iran directly attacks Israel, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The price of global benchmark Brent crude oil could spike to $100 a barrel if Iran directly attacks Israel, a former senior White House energy official said. @LCO.1 YTD mountain Brent crude oil, YTD Oil rallied last week after a missile attack destroyed Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing seven Iranian military officials. "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the social media platform X , tagging Ayatollah Khamenei. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear that the Biden administration is worried about rising energy prices during congressional testimony Tuesday. "Certainly, those attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation," Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Persons: Bob McNally, McNally, George W, Brent, YTD Oil, Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Biden, terrify, Daniel Yergin, Yergin, CNBC's, Natasha Kaneva, Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Brent, White House, Rapidan, Bloomberg News, YTD, Israel, Iran, Rapidan Energy, Biden, P Global, JPMorgan, Defense, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Iran, Israel, U.S, Washington, Damascus, Syria, OPEC, Tehran, Islamic Republic, Strait, Hormuz, Persian, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Miss Universe organization disputes reports of Saudi Arabia’s participation in 2024 pageant
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Alex Rees | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Miss Universe Organization is disputing a flurry of what it calls “false and misleading” reports of Saudi Arabia’s participation in its 2024 pageant — news that, were it true, would have marked the Middle Eastern country’s debut. The post featured images of her wearing a sequined evening gown, glamorous tiara and sash embroidered with “Miss Universe Saudi Arabia.”Al-Qahtani’s announcement was widely-shared on social media and in news reports; it remains on her social media profiles despite the Miss Universe pageant now challenging its veracity. The pageant’s statement noted that over 100 other countries will be represented at the 2024 Miss Universe competition, which will be held in Mexico in September. This year also mark the debut of a new “cultural heritage pageant” within the Miss Universe system, with the ratification of the Miss Universe Persia national director and board in recent weeks. The Miss Universe Persia pageant will be open to women “of Persian descent” and across the Persian diaspora; its winner “will join all other delegates from all over the world in the Miss Universe competition to be held in Mexico later this year,” the Miss Universe spokesperson confirmed.

Persons: Rumy, Qahtani, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Miss Universe Organization, Saudi, Facebook, Miss Universe, Miss, Miss Universe Persia Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Mexico, Persia

☆ Power by Proxy: How Iran Shapes the Mideast
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | Lazaro Gamio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Power by Proxy: How Iran Shapes the MideastTURKEY Militias in Syria and Iraq SYRIA LEBANON Iran Hezbollah ISRAEL IRAQ Hamas Egypt Saudi Arabia OMAN The Houthis Sudan YEMEN 500 miles TURKEY Militias in Syria and Iraq LEBANON SYRIA Iran Hezbollah IRAQ ISRAEL Hamas Egypt Saudi Arabia The Houthis Sudan YEMEN 500 miles The New York TimesFor years, Iran has been the outsider. Yet Iran has succeeded in projecting its military power across a large swath of the Middle East. Its reach equals — if not eclipses — that of traditional power centers like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Altogether, Iran now supports more than 20 groups in the Middle East, directly or indirectly, with a combination of arms, training and financial aid. Here is a look at the most prominent of the armed groups backed by Iran.

Persons: Israel Organizations: TURKEY, New York Times, United Locations: Iran, Syria, Iraq SYRIA LEBANON Iran Hezbollah ISRAEL IRAQ Hamas Egypt Saudi Arabia OMAN, Sudan YEMEN, TURKEY, Iraq LEBANON SYRIA Iran, IRAQ ISRAEL Hamas Egypt Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, United States, Israel, Iranian Embassy, Tehran

☆ Pouria Zeraati: ‘Brutal stabbing’ of exiled Iranian journalist prompts counterterrorism investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A prominent exiled Iranian journalist was stabbed outside his home in London on Friday, prompting British police to launch a counterterrorism investigation. Pouria Zeraati, a television anchor at the UK-based channel Iran International, was reportedly attacked by a group of men outside his home in south-western Wimbledon. Iran has designated the television station a “terrorist entity.” Iranian state media has repeatedly accused the channel of fomenting unrest. Zeraati’s stabbing comes after an investigation by Britain’s ITV last year revealed that Iranian spies had attempted to pay a people smuggler $200,000 to assassinate two Iran International journalists. Kearns noted on Twitter that Iran International had only recently returned to the air from London after having to shut down in the UK.

Persons: Pouria, Dominic Murphy, Britain’s, Alicia Kearns, Michelle Stanistreet, ” Stanistreet, Kearns, ”, CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Atay Alam Organizations: CNN, British, Iran, London Metropolitan Police, Britain’s ITV, Iran International, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Foreign Affairs Committee, British National Union of Journalists, BBC Persian Service, UN, Twitter Locations: Iranian, London, Wimbledon, Tehran, Iran

The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern. Counterterrorism officials in Europe say that in recent months they have snuffed out several nascent ISIS-K plots to attack targets there. And now the group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.”

Persons: Biden, Michael E, “, Qassim Suleimani, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, ” Organizations: Taliban, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, military’s, Command, Counterterrorism, Soufan, Kremlin Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Moscow, State Khorasan Province, U.S, United States, Persian, Europe, Kerman, Iran, Gen, Iranian, Russia, New York, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Red Sea crisis could lead to global tanker shortage, Kuwait Petroleum CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Felix | Afp | Getty ImagesHOUSTON — The crisis in the Red Sea could lead to a shortage in the global tanker fleet if disruptions persist for another six months, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation told CNBC. Houthi militants have been striking commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November in support of Palestinians as Israel wages war in Gaza. The company is continuing to ship through the Red Sea and is making decisions on which route ships should take on a daily basis, he said. "We maintain a strategic tanker tanker fleet for these types of reasons," al-Sabah said. Wirth told CNBC that Chevron is "not moving ships to the Red Sea."

Persons: Shaikh Nawaf Al, Mark Felix, Shaikh Nawaf, KPC, Saddam Hussein's, Michael Wirth, Wirth, CNBC's Brian Sullivan Organizations: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Afp, Getty, HOUSTON, CNBC, Houthi, Global, Chevron Locations: Sabah, Houston , Texas, Red, Israel, Gaza, Africa, al, Al, Persian, Kuwait, Iraq, China

☆ Spring equinox: First day of spring arrives
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The spring equinox will arrive exactly at 3:06 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) on Wednesday, March 20, according to EarthSky. Click here to look up the exact moment of the spring equinox where you’re located. Spring equinox has another nameIf you ever hear anyone say “vernal equinox,” it means the same thing. Zhang Xiaoyu/Xinhua News Agency/Getty ImagesIn Japan, Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday (on Wednesday, March 20, this year). In China, trying to stand an egg upright is a popular game during the spring equinox, according to VisitBeijing.com.

Persons: Tuesday •, •, • Chiang Mai, David Silverman, Alex Pena, It’s, you’ve, it’s, Hugo Borges, Itzá, El Castillo, Zhang Xiaoyu, ” Organizations: CNN, Tuesday, United, Southern, Anadolu Agency, Getty, NASA, Northern Hemisphere, Northern, Southern Hemisphere, National Weather Service, Heritage, Xinhua News Agency Locations: • Anchorage, Alaska, Vegas ( Nevada, Tuesday • Guadalajara, Mexico, Chicago, Illinois, Toronto, Canada, Jacksonville, Florida, Halifax, • Dublin, Ireland, Accra, Ghana, • Berlin, Germany, • Alexandria, Egypt, • Ankara, Turkey, • Dubai, United Arab Emirates, • Mumbai, India, Thailand, • Hong Kong, • Tokyo, Japan, Stellenbosch , South Africa, Northern, South, Quito, Ecuador, Singapore, San Andrés, Zapotitán, El Salvador, Pole, Scandinavia, Itzá, Yucatan State, AFP, England, Malta, Yoyogi, Tokyo, Vernal, Persian, China

☆ Jared Kushner's $500 million investment deal in Serbia mirrors plans Donald Trump had a decade ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jared Kushner is partnering with Serbian officials to build a luxury hotel in Belgrade, per the NYT. The $500 million contract mirrors plans Donald Trump had made nearly a decade ago, per the outlet. AdvertisementA tentative deal has been struck between Jared Kushner, his investment firm Affinity Partners, and Serbian officials to build a luxury hotel in Belgrade. Bloomberg reported Kushner recently ruled out re-joining the Trump administration if his father-in-law wins his reelection bid. Even after distancing himself from the Trump administration, Kushner has made big money through his investment and development firms.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Donald Trump, Kushner, —, Kushner's, Trump, Trump's, Ivanka Organizations: Serbian, Service, Affinity Partners, New York Times, Times, Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, Trump Organization, Trump, Business, Trump White House, Bloomberg, White Locations: Belgrade, Serbia's, Serbian, Saudi, Persian

From 1985 to 2002, he worked at Goldman Sachs, one of the most storied — and criticized — investment banks on Wall Street. He famously swooped in to turn around the struggling IndyMac bank after its failure in the financial crisis of 2008. Earlier this month, Mnuchin jumped back into the headlines when his PE firm led a roughly $1 billion investment in embattled New York Community Bancorp. In 2009, OneWest Bank Group, where Mnuchin was chairman and CEO, bought the troubled IndyMac after federal regulators took over the bank. Mnuchin was Treasury secretary in 2020, when the Trump administration brokered a deal where Oracle and Walmart would take a large stake in TikTok.

Persons: Steven Mnuchin, Donald Trump’s, Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin, Max, Mnuchin's dealmaking, Robert Weissman, ” Weissman, Robert Rubin, Clinton, Weissman, couldn’t, NYCB, George Soros, John Paulson, OneWest, Kevin Kaiser, “, ” Kaiser, Maxine Waters, ”, Trump, doesn't, Chris Caulfield, ” Caulfield, ” ___ Rugaber Organizations: Trump, Public Citizen, Treasury, Treasury Department, Liberty Strategic Capital, Citizens, New York Community Bancorp, OneWest Bank Group, Federal, of Insurance Corp, FDIC, Wharton School, Oracle, Walmart, CNBC Locations: Wall, TikTok, Saudi Arabia, East, Washington, Congress, U.S, China, West Monroe, “

☆ Russia's grand railway plan to get around Western sanctions is about to get even bigger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

And it's now also linking south toward India and countries in the Persian Gulf, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. AdvertisementIn addition, Russia is also restoring another railway line that would allow it to access Turkey, the Times reported on Wednesday. Russia's push for rail freight follows two years of Western sanctions against the country over its war in Ukraine. The restrictions hit Russia's trade with Europe, traditionally its single largest market. AdvertisementAs Ram Ben Tzion, the CEO of freight vetting platform Publican, told the Times, Russia is creating "a trade route for the pariahs."

Persons: —, it's, Ram Ben Tzion, David Szakonyi, Szakonyi Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, New York Times, Times, Business, Reuters, West, George Washington University, Profit Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, India, Persian, Iran, Mumbai, Suez, Turkey, Ukraine, Europe, Policymaking, Russian, Crimea

☆ From Moscow to Mumbai: Russia Pivots South for Trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | Sergey Ponomarev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For centuries, trade with Europe was the main pillar of Russia’s economy. The war in Ukraine ended that, with Western sanctions and other restrictions increasingly cutting Russia off from European markets. That southern route has now become a focus of Russian policymakers as they try to build infrastructure for their plans to pivot away from the West for good. The effort faces challenges, including questions over financing, doubts over the reliability of Russia’s new partners, and threats of Western sanctions targeting countries that trade with Russia. “As Russia’s traditional trade routes were largely blocked, it had to look at other options,” said Rauf Agamirzayev, a transport and logistics expert based in Baku, Azerbaijan, referring to the southern route.

Persons: ”, Rauf Agamirzayev Organizations: Iran Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, China, India, Persian, Mumbai, Baku, Azerbaijan

☆ Air defense for $13 a shot? How lasers could revolutionize the way militaries counter enemy missiles and drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And it is claimed it also take out its targets for a tiny fraction of what current air defense missiles cost. In contrast, the Standard Missile-2 used by the United States Navy for air defense costs more than $2 million per shot. The DragonFire laser weapon is tested in January on a British firing range. UK Defense Ministry“It has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out,” a January statement from the UK Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile expensive air defense systems from Western allies have been crucial to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself from attacks by Russian missiles and drones.

Persons: “, ”, Houthi, Leon Neal, ” James Black, DragonFire, Black, Grant Shapp, Iain Boyd, Boyd, Fred Pyle, ” Shimon Fhima Organizations: CNN, United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry, Defense Ministry, UK Defense Ministry, The Defense Ministry, United States Navy, ExCel, Getty, RAND, ”, Center for National Security, University of Colorado, Navy, Warfare, Breaking Defense, US Navy, Office, DOD Locations: Britain, Scotland, Ukraine, Gulf of Aden, Russian, London, England, RAND Europe, Ponce, Persian, USS Portland

☆ Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asia-Pacific countries like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. The Palestinian territories will begin Ramadan on Monday as well.

Persons: Jordan, Saudi King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ramadan, Robabeh, it's, Prophet Muhammad, Israel, Jerusalem's Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Islamic Locations: Musyari'in, Jakarta, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Islam, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Mecca, Iran, Tehran, Persian, Nowruz, U.S, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Sudan

☆ Jon Stewart says the Israel-Gaza solution could be a DMZ governed by an Arab NATO. Some experts say it's a pipe dream.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The DMZ would be enforced by an alliance of Arab countries, much like the North American Treaty Organization, Stewart said. While tongue-in-cheek, Stewart's solution isn't a new concept, experts on the Middle East told Business Insider. Advertisement"But really, Jon is conflating a Middle East 'NATO' with something else. Ironically, the very concept of the two-state solution could extend his political life, said Lord. "But only as part of a credible political process working toward a two-state solution, but unfortunately, this is something that the Israeli government rejects. "

Persons: Jon Stewart, Stewart, —, That's, let's, Jonathan Lord, Jon, Anna Jacobs, Jacobs, William Wechsler, Wechsler, It's, it's, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mohamed Chtatou, Chtatou, Israel, Weeks, Benjamin Netanyahu, Spencer Platt, Bibi, Mahmoud Abbas, Seth Wenig, Abbas, Lord Organizations: NATO, Service, American Treaty Organization, Treaty Organization, East, Business, Trump, East Strategic Alliance, Middle East Security, Center, New, New American Security, Getty, United, Rafik Hariri Center and Middle, Atlantic Council, United Nations, League, AFP, Mohammed V University, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, BI Locations: Israel, Gaza, Arab, Palestine, NATO, New American, Washington, DC, East, Iran, Gulf, Qatar, Belgium, Anadolu, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Rafik, United States, Cairo, Rabat, Europe, Korea, Palestinian

☆ Pankaj Udhas, Bollywood Singer and Maestro of the Ghazal, Dies at 72
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Suhasini Raj | John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Pankaj Udhas, a singer from India whose soulful renditions of ghazals, or lyric love songs, were a cornerstone of many Bollywood films over his decades-long career, died in Mumbai on Monday. His death was announced on social media by his daughter Nayaab Udhas. Mr. Udhas moved generations of people in India and the Indian diaspora by singing ghazals, the lyric poems that have been written for centuries in Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish and other languages. He also worked as a playback singer, the term for a vocalist who recorded tracks offscreen for actors to lip-sync over. Mr. Udhas became a stalwart in the Indian music industry through both his discography of more than 50 albums and the enormous success of the movies in which he sang.

Persons: Pankaj Udhas, Nayaab Udhas, Udhas Locations: India, Mumbai

☆ Exxon Raises Questions About Chevron’s $53 Billion Deal for Hess
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

America’s two largest energy companies, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, are jousting over a prized new source of oil in the waters off Guyana, in Latin America. The conflict is creating doubts over Chevron’s bid to acquire Hess Corp. for $53 billion, announced in October. With just 800,000 people, Guyana, long one of Latin America’s poorest countries, is now being compared to Qatar, the natural gas-rich Persian Gulf emirate. Exxon has raised concerns over Chevron’s effort to gain entry to this petroleum bonanza through a proposed purchase of Hess’s 30 percent stake in Stabroek. Exxon owns 45 percent of Stabroek and is the operator or manager of the area.

Organizations: Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Hess Corp, Exxon Locations: Guyana, Latin America, Qatar, Stabroek

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