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☆ Biden hails initial hostage release, says ‘we will not stop’ until all are brought home
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Betsy Klein | Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden welcomed the initial release of hostages held in Gaza, calling Friday’s release of 13 Israelis a positive start toward the goal in the coming days of securing at least 50 women and children hostages, including three Americans. “It’s only a start, but so far, it’s gone well,” Biden told reporters in Nantucket Friday afternoon. He also noted the release of several Thai nationals who had also been kidnapped by Hamas. “We also will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts,” he said. Hamas unleashed this terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, it’s, ” Biden, Abigail Edan, Biden, ”, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdel Fattah El, David Satterfield, Satterfield Organizations: CNN, Israel Locations: Gaza, Nantucket, Qatar

☆ What to expect from OPEC meeting as traders digest recent price 'carnage'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"The oil suite remains rather stunned after the cancellation of Saudi Sunday," wrote John Evans of PVM Oil Associates in a note Friday. U.S. crude recovered most of Wednesday's intraday losses and trading has been relatively muted amid the Thanksgiving holiday with investors trying to digest the recent volatility. Europe demand headache for OPEC With the meeting delayed, investors are left with more bearish news on the demand side. "The likelihood of new demand coming from the continent is tantamount to zero giving more reason to be wary for oil investors and another layer of headache for OPEC," Evans wrote. "It's undermining the Saudi efforts to get the price really back to $100 a barrel plus," Kilduff told CNBC's " Power Lunch " on Wednesday.

Persons: John Evans, Brent, Evans, John Kilduff, PVM's Evans, Kilduff, CNBC's, PVM, Goldman Sachs, Michael Hsueh, Russia's Organizations: Organization of Petroleum, —, PVM Oil Associates, West Texas Intermediate, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Locations: China, Europe, Angola, Nigeria, Saudi, Riyadh, U.S, Russia, Moscow, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi Arabia may make surprise oil cuts, sending prices soaring and the futures market into backwardation, says a 30-year energy expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices fell on Thursday after OPEC delayed its meeting from November 26 to November 30. AdvertisementAs the US Thanksgiving holiday puts the stock market at a standstill, oil prices are still on the move. There are three levels at which production can be pulled back: through OPEC+, an extension of the existing voluntary cuts, and new voluntary cuts. But, what he anticipates could happen is an announcement about additional voluntary cuts from Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia does implement additional cuts, then this will flip the futures curve into backwardation, he noted.

Persons: It's, Anas Alhajji, —, Alhajji Organizations: Service, West Texas, Outlook Advisors Locations: OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Angola, Dubai, backwardation, contango

☆ Oil extends gains on expectations of further OPEC+ supply cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummaryCompanies Brent, WTI prices rise nearly 1%OPEC+ set to consider whether to make more supply cuts -sourcesUS adds oil, gas rigs, first time in three weeks -Baker HughesSINGAPORE, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Oil futures edged higher on Monday, extending gains on expectations of OPEC+ deepening supply cuts to shore up prices, which have fallen for four weeks on easing concern of Middle East supply disruption amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Both contracts settled 4% higher on Friday after three OPEC+ sources told Reuters that the producer group, made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies including Russia, is set to consider whether to make additional oil supply cuts when it meets on Nov. 26. Oil prices have dropped by almost 20% since late September while prompt inter-month spreads for Brent and WTI slipped into contango last week. In a contango market, prompt prices are lower than those in future months, signalling sufficient supply. Investors are also eyeing disruption in Russian crude oil trade after Washington imposed sanctions on three ships that have sent Sokol crude to India.

Persons: Brent, Baker Hughes, WTI, OPEC's, Jorge Leon, Leon, Tony Sycamore, Biden, Sycamore, Sokol, Florence Tan, Emily Chow, Christopher Cushing Organizations: West Texas, Reuters, Organization of, Petroleum, Rystad Energy, Monetary, . Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Thomson Locations: Baker Hughes SINGAPORE, East, Israel, Russia, Brent, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, OPEC, Washington, India, Moscow, U.S, Gaza

There's a lot of military people here, I just don't understand how this objective can be realised," Ayman Safadi said at the annual IISS Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain. Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas since its deadly Oct. 7 cross-border rampage into nearby Israeli communities. And we need to end that today, not tomorrow," said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. "Hamas cannot be in control of Gaza any longer," Borrell told the Manama Dialogue, an annual conference on foreign and security policy. The PA is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, perceived largely as a corrupt security subcontractor for Israel, and Israel is now under a hardline religious-nationalist government.

Persons: Ayman Safadi, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Brett McGurk, Joe Biden's, Prince Turki al, Faisal, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Fatah, Anwar Gargash, Enas Alashray, Michael Georgy, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: UAE, Hamas, Saudi Foreign, Israel, WHO, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, European Union, West Bank ., United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza Gaza, Bahrain, Gaza, MANAMA, Palestinian, Manama, Gaza City, Regional, Saudi Arabia, GAZA, Saudi, U.S, UAE, Cairo

☆ U.S. crude oil fell into a bear market this week and could head lower as China 'haunts the market'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. crude oil prices entered a bear market this week, down 22% from September highs as traders wrangle over whether the spiral is driven by market fundamentals or just speculation. Phil Flynn, an oil market analyst with the Price Futures Group, said hedge funds have piled into short positions. There is still some "grind lower" in prices in store unless more positive data comes out of China, he said. If prices keep falling, the U.S. will slip from record production because shale producers will have trouble making money and stop investing, he said. The group has blamed speculators for the recent selloff and insisted market fundamentals are strong with China demand healthy.

Persons: Leo Mariani, Roth MKM, Phil Flynn, John Kilduff, Flynn, Kilduff, Matt Maley, Miller, Daniel Yergin, Yergin, Brent, — CNBC's Pippa Stevens Organizations: West Texas, Brent, Price Futures, Energy Information Agency, Again, Traders, P Global, Organization of, Petroleum, UBS, OPEC Locations: China, U.S, Canada, Brazil, Guyana, East, Israel, Persian, Hormuz

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ Where are they now: The many fascinating Bridgewater employees from the book on Ray Dalio 'The Fund'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

The new book, "The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend" — which Dalio and his lawyers have pushed back against — describes everything from Bridgewater's investment process to internal grudges and backstabbing to allegations of sexual harassment. Here are the places where the dozens of Bridgewater employees and consultants named in the book ended up. Dalio, the book said, wrote into the firm's bylaws that he could never hold that title again. Before that, she was the head of investment research and a co-chief investment officer for sustainability. He's worked at different funds since leaving in 2006, including Larch Lane Advisors and Bonaccord Capital as an investor and business-development professional.

Persons: Rob Copeland's, Ray Dalio, Dalio, —, Bridgewater, Greg Jensen, YouTube Dalio, nixed, Copeland, He's, Jensen, Eileen Murray, Morgan Stanley, David McCormick, Dina Powell, McCormick, Dave McCormick, Michael M, Nir Bar Dea, Stefanova, Dalio's, Paul McDowell, Bob Eichinger, McDowell, Eichinger, Jen Healy, Osman Nalbantoglu, Matthew Granade, Steve Cohen, Steve Cohen's Point72, Bob Prince, politicking, Karen Karniol, Bridgewater Associates Karen Karniol, Vladimir Putin, Bob Elliott, Elliott, James Comey, Winn McNamee, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Hillary, Britt Harris, Bridgewater's, Julian Mack, L, Michael Partington, Spencer Stuart, Niko Canner, Jon Rubinstein, Beck Diefenbach Jon Rubinstein, Steve Jobs, Tom Adams, Rosetta Stone, J, Michael Cline, Cline, Kevin Campbell, Campbell, Craig Mundie, Bill Gates, Gates, Mundie, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, David Ferrucci, IBM's Watson, Ferrucci, Keith Alexander, Alexander, Larry Culp, Culp, Jamie Gorelick, conscientiously, Clinton, Jared Kushner, Jesse Horwitz, Comey, Horwitz, Samantha Holland, Perry Poulos, Murray, Joe Sweet, Tara Arnold, Arnold —, Leah Guggenheimer, She's, Charles Korchinski, Harris, Kent Kuran Organizations: New York Times, Bridgewater Associates, Business, Bridgewater, YouTube, HSBC, Broadridge, Life Insurance, Wells, Treasury Department, Republican, Getty, GOP, Israel Defense Forces, Marto, Princeton University, McKinsey, Point72, Bridgewater didn't, Domino Data, CircleUp, FBI, Trump, of, University of Texas Investment Management Co, Apple, Dalio, Health, Cognition, Mundie, National Security Agency, Amazon, General Electric, Boston Globe, Electric, Trump White House, Harvard Law School, —, Hubble, Stefanova's Marto, HBR Consulting, MIO Partners, Burford, Larch Lane Advisors, Bonaccord, Eaton Partners, Stanford, NextEra Energy Resources Locations: Bridgewater, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, China, San Francisco, of Texas, Atlanta, WilmerHale, Asia, India, Shanghai, Singapore, Israel, Africa

☆ Inside Man: How FIFA Guided the World Cup to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Italian reaction to Mr. Infantino’s suggestion was at first “prudent and within a few hours negative,” said Pietro Benassi, who was the prime minister’s most senior diplomatic adviser. Three years later, Saudi Arabia would get its prize anyway. On Oct. 31, after an expedited process that caught its own members by surprise, FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup. To many in soccer, Mr. Infantino’s advocacy for Saudi Arabia was nothing new. In the years since his visit to Rome, he had also pitched the Saudis’ co-hosting idea to Greece; championed multimillion-dollar Saudi investments in soccer; and helped shepherd rules changes that all but assured the kingdom would wind up with the World Cup.

Persons: Conte, Jamal Khashoggi, Infantino’s, ”, Pietro Benassi, Infantino, ’ Organizations: Saudi, The Washington Post, FIFA Locations: Italy, Egypt, Italian, Cairo, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Rome, Greece, Saudi

Rory McIlroy resigned from the PGA Tour board on Tuesday, an abrupt move that comes as the tour is trying to finalize an agreement to create a new commercial enterprise involving Saudi Arabia's national wealth fund. Asked if he liked having a seat the table, McIlroy said, “Not particularly, no. No player has been more outspoken than McIlroy about the PIF's financial backing of rival league LIV Golf, which attracted a number of major champions with enormous signing fees. LIV Golf recently completed its second year, and it remains unclear how the PIF's deal with the tour affects it. The remaining five player-directors on the 12-member board will elect a successor to serve McIlroy's term, which ends after next year.

Persons: Rory McIlroy, McIlroy, “, Jay Monahan, Ed Herlihy, ”, Rory —, —, Monahan, LIV, LIV Golf, Greg Norman, I’ve, ” McIlroy, Tiger Woods, ___ Organizations: PGA, Saudi, New York Times, Public Investment Fund, Tour Enterprises, PAC, Tiger Locations: Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

It also slightly raised its 2023 forecast for growth in global oil demand and stuck to its relatively high 2024 prediction. Last week, oil prices slid to their lowest level since July, hurt by concerns that demand could wane in in top oil consumers U.S. and China. A U.S. crackdown on Russian oil exports could potentially disrupt supply, supporting prices further. Iraq's oil minister expects to reach an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and foreign oil companies to resume oil production from the Kurdish region's oilfields and resume northern oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Focal points for the market include the International Energy Agency's latest monthly oil market report later in the day.

Persons: Dun Jiao, Tatiana Meel, Leon Li, Emily Chow, Edwina Gibbs, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, ING, Organization of, Petroleum, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Treasury Department, Kurdistan Regional Government, of Commerce, International Energy, APEC, Markets, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, China, Washington, Moscow, Iraq, Kurdish, Turkey, Shanghai

The PGA Tour said Tuesday it will begin to offer professional players direct equity ownership in the new company that will be formed after it reaches a deal with investors, according to an internal memo obtained by CNBC. The talks with PIF and the DP World Tour remain the tour's "top priority," PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in Tuesday's memo. The new program outlined in Tuesday's memo is the latest move to align the interests of PGA Tour players with the business itself. Monahan also wrote that the Tour's agreement with PIF and DP World Tour has generated interest from other investors. Last week, Fenway Sports Group Chairman Tom Werner acknowledged that the company has held talks with the PGA Tour, but declined to comment with any further details.

Persons: Woods, Rory McIlroy, LIV, Jay Monahan, Monahan, Tom Werner, There's Organizations: Northern, Augusta National Golf Club, CNBC, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PIF, PGA, Fenway Sports Locations: United States, Augusta , Georgia, Saudi, U.S

☆ Israel's pavilion at the Dubai Airshow sits empty against backdrop of Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Amid the bustle and footfall of thousands of visitors and exhibitors at the 2023 Dubai Airshow, one pavilion is notably empty: that of Israel. Two years later, and one month into Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the scene is unrecognizable. On the show's first day, the IAI pavilion was surrounded by a red cordon, which was removed by the second day. IAI and Elbit Systems did not reply to an emailed CNBC request for comment. CNBC contacted two representatives of Israeli defense firms that attended the airshow in 2021; they said they did not attend this year's show because they had been drafted into the country's military.

Persons: Abraham, Emiratis, Rafael, SIBAT Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Abraham Accords, United Arab, Hamas, Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, IAI, CNBC, Israel's International Defense Cooperation Directorate, Defense Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Gulf, Gaza

☆ Saudi Arabia's stake in Lucid dropped in value more than $50 billion as the EV startup struggles, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund has a 60% stake in Lucid Motors, an EV startup. Months after the company went public, the stake was valued at more than $55B, per Bloomberg. That value dropped about 90% to $5.4 billion as Lucid reports millions in net loss. The steep drop in the value of Saudi's stake coincides with Lucid's latest quarterly earnings. In 2018, PIF invested $1.3 billion in Lucid, and it seems the Saudis have more considerable expectations for the EV company.

Persons: —, Chris Bryant, Nora Naughton, Sherry House, PIF, Lucid Organizations: Lucid Motors, Bloomberg, Service, Public Investment Fund, EV Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ A millennial who moved from London to Bahrain says she loves her cheaper, sunnier, and safer new home
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kate Phillipson moved from the UK to Bahrain in 2020 with her navy-sailor boyfriend at the time. She says Bahrain is safe and sunny and she has a better work-life balance than she did in London. Phillipson describes life in Bahrain as idyll — as it is for many educated, mostly Western professionals who have arrived in Bahrain like her. There's also a much-stronger work-life balance, she said, with less expectation to be on call outside office hours compared with her London life. "I'd not even heard of it before I moved here, but I don't have any plans on leaving anytime soon."

Persons: Kate Phillipson, —, Phillipson, Briton, expats who've, idyll, Bahrain —, There's, Kate Phillipson Phillipson, I've, I'd, It's, she's Organizations: Service, Human Rights Watch, Bahraini, Las Locations: Bahrain, London, Saudi Arabia, South Asia, Solymar, St, Tropez, France, Italy, England, Europe, Saudi, Las Vegas, Ethiopian

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up on Monday as top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia said they would stick to extra voluntary oil output cuts until the end of the year, keeping supply tight, while investors watched out for tougher U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil. Russia also announced it would continue its additional voluntary supply cut of 300,000 bpd from its crude oil and petroleum product exports until the end of December. Sydney-based IG analyst Tony Sycamore expects oil prices to be driven by headlines from the Middle East and technical charts this week. Such sanctions often come with national security waivers, and China could still continue to import Iranian oil.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, Suvro Sarkar, Tony Sycamore, Sarkar, Baker Hughes, Florence Tan, Colleen Howe, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, West Texas, Saudi, ING, DBS, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Rights BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Singapore, China, Sydney, Iran, United States

☆ Fenway chairman confirms talks with PGA Tour as doubts grow about LIV Golf deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Fenway Sports Group Chairman Tom Werner on Monday acknowledged that the company has held talks with the PGA Tour as the golf organization's framework agreement with Saudi-backed LIV Golf faces new doubts. Werner, who spoke alongside PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy, said that the players "will decide the direction the tour goes." McIlroy had been outspoken in his disdain for LIV Golf, saying in July that if LIV Golf was "the last place to play golf on earth, I would retire." LIV lured PGA Tour players, like Phil Mickelson, to with deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. McIlroy sounded a friendlier note Monday, when asked about the potential for a renewed rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Persons: Tom Werner, LIV Golf, we've, Werner, CNBC's Scott Wapner, Rory McIlroy, LIV, Alan Shipnuck, McIlroy, Critics, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Tiger Woods, LIV Golf's, Phil Mickelson, McIlroy's Organizations: Fenway Sports, PGA Tour, PGA, Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Veteran, Endeavour Group Holdings, WWE, UFC, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Tiger, Tour, ESPN, TGL, Fenway, Boston, CNBC Locations: Saudi, U.S

☆ Yemen's Houthi rebels are using the Israel-Hamas war to show off their growing arsenal, and US warships are in the crossfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US Defense Department later confirmed that the Houthi missiles had a range of no less than 2,000 kilometers, or about 1,240 miles. AdvertisementAdvertisementUSS Carney fires on Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea on October 19. A third incident, on October 31, saw Israel's advanced Arrow air-defense system intercept a Houthi ballistic missile and an Israeli F-35 stealth fighter shoot down a cruise missile. Houthi ballistic missiles "have long proven" inaccurate, and the group likely doesn't have a very large stockpile of advanced long-range missiles and drones, Bey added. Sailors in USS Carney's Combat Information Center during an operation to defeat Houthi missiles and drones on October 19.

Persons: Yemen's Houthi, —, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Houthis, Khaled Abdullah The, Matthew Bey, RANE, Khaled Abdullah, Bey, wasn't, Mason, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Bryan Clark, Clark, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Navy, Service, Hamas, US Defense Department, REUTERS, Saudi, Ballistic, Houthi, Tomahawk, Patriot, Getty, Hudson Institute Locations: Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Taba, Nuweiba, Israeli, Gaza, Sanaa, Iran, Tehran, Riyadh, Yemeni, Mandeb

GENEVA (AP) — The near certainty that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men's World Cup unites two of the most influential men in world sports: the leader of soccer's governing body and the kingdom's crown prince. In the case of Saudi Arabia, U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was slain inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The men’s World Cup should earn Switzerland-based FIFA more than $10 billion in almost entirely tax-free revenue. “Mohammed bin Salman wants Saudi Arabia to be a hub of anything and everything,” Middle East expert James Dorsey said. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and FIFA canceled the planned June 2021 relaunch in China of its Club World Cup event.

Persons: Gianni Infantino, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Infantino, King Salman, Prince Mohammed's, “ Abraham, ”, Donald Trump, ” Infantino, Mohammed's, Cristiano Ronaldo, “ Mohammed bin Salman, James Dorsey, Greece —, —, Australia –, they’ve, James Johnson, “, Yasser Al Misehal –, – Organizations: GENEVA, FIFA, Australia, Qatar, White House, “ Abraham Accords, United Arab, Soccer, Newcastle, Russia, Saudi, ” Football Australia, ” FIFA, FIFA Council, Fox News Locations: Saudi Arabia, Persian, Saudi, U.S, Istanbul, Riyadh, Switzerland, Gulf, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Europe, Swiss, China, Qatar, United States, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, Africa, South America, Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabian, Australia

☆ Too daunting to take on Saudis in 2034 World Cup bid, says Football Australia CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Christian Radnedge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Australia would have found it difficult to compete with Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 men's World Cup, Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said on Tuesday after his country opted not to enter the race to stage the tournament. Johnson said Australia, who recently co-hosted the Women's World Cup with New Zealand, would instead focus on bids for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup. The president of the Asian Football Confederation, the sport's continental governing body to which Australia belongs, said "the entire Asian football family" would stand united in support of the Saudi bid. The 2026 men's World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA awarded the 2030 World Cup earlier this month to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, also adding centenary games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Persons: James Johnson, Johnson, we've, they've, Christian Radnedge, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Saudi, Football Australia, Australia, FIFA, Doha, Australian, New, Asian Football Confederation, Thomson Locations: Australia, Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, New Zealand, Brisbane, United States, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay

☆ Saudi Arabia Is Set to Be Sole Bidder for 2034 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

FIFA’s move to speed up the bidding for 2034 surprised many, coming 11 years before the scheduled start of the tournament and a full three years before the 2034 host was supposed to be decided. FIFA also said only bidders from Asia and Oceania, two of soccer’s six regional confederations, could be considered for selection. Saudi Arabia, which had for years been public about its desire to host the World Cup, moved fast to secure the tournament after FIFA set the rules this month. In the face of that support, Australian officials concluded they would have been overmatched if they challenged Saudi Arabia to secure the votes of the majority of FIFA’s 211 federations. Saudi Arabia has signed agreements in the past year with scores of FIFA’s member nations, committing millions of dollars to projects across Asia and lavishing attention on Africa, where it signed an agreement with the regional governing body and sponsored a new tournament.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa Organizations: FIFA, Saudi Locations: Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Australia, Africa, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabian

☆ Saudi Arabia is serious about its Jan. 1 deadline for companies to move regional headquarters to Riyadh — or lose out on government contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Saudi National Bank headquarters and other buildings in Riyadh. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRIYADH — Saudi Arabia is holding on to its ultimatum that foreign companies will need to base their regional headquarters in the kingdom or be barred from lucrative government contracts. In a bold surprise move back in February 2021, the Saudi government announced that it would, by 2024, cease doing business with any international companies whose regional headquarters were not based within the country. The news stunned investors and expat workers, many of whom saw the move as a shot at Dubai, the United Arab Emirates commercial capital that is home to the highest concentration of Middle East regional headquarters. Faisal Al Ibrahim, Saudi minister of economy and planning, told CNBC that the plan is still going ahead and discussed how the kingdom aims to support foreign companies with the change.

Persons: Faisal Al Ibrahim, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Al Ibrahim, that's, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia — Organizations: Saudi National Bank, Riyadh . Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Getty, United Arab Emirates, East, CNBC, Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh ., RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Dubai, Riyadh

But a couple of the world’s largest oil companies beg to differ – or at least for the future that extends out about three decades. This month, Exxon Mobil and Chevron have together bet heavily on a future their CEOs think will still need a lot of black gold. Hess also has considerable oil and gas assets in the U.S., including the Bakken area of western North Dakota, eastern Montana and southern Saskatchewan in Canada. But equally critical, the moves are important statements that the age of oil remains, despite the release on Tuesday of the annual world energy outlook from the International Energy Agency that forecasts global demand for fossil fuels will peak in 2030. Although he has championed many green energy policies, President Joe Biden also has done little to block the advancement of domestic oil and gas production.

Persons: Hess, ” Chevron, “ Hess, ”, Dan Pickering, we’re, it’s, ’ –, Fatih Birol, Mike Wirth, “, Pickering, Joe Biden Organizations: White, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Natural Resources, Republican Party, “ Investors, Pickering Energy Partners, Hamas, International Energy Agency, Financial Times, French, U.S . Energy, Administration, Republicans Locations: Brussels, Chevron, U.S, Guyana, North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan, Canada, Texas, New Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Iran, Europe

☆ Tiger Woods: How the battle for golf’s soul gave the US golfer new-found purpose – and human connection
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Don Riddell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

CBS Archive/Getty Images Woods, 6, sizes up a putt in Los Alamitos, California, in 1982. Getty Images/Getty Images Woods hits a tee shot during the 1995 Walker Cup, an international team event. Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images Woods plays a shot from the ninth fairway during the 2000 US Open in Pebble Beach, California. David Cannon/Getty Images Woods falls to the ground in pain after hitting a shot at The Barclays in August 2013. Jamie Squire/Getty Images Woods and his son, Charlie, warm up before the final round of the PNC Championship in December 2020.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the Israel-Hamas war spreads into a broad regional conflict. “And certainly evacuations are one of those things.”The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the 18-day-old Israel-Hamas war could further escalate. “The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding,” the White House added. But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns. “This is a happy occasion," Biden said at the start of the White House ceremony.

Persons: John Kirby, ”, ” Kirby, Israel, Joe Biden, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden, ” Biden, Israel ”, Sheldon Weinbaum, “ Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, National Security, U.S, The Washington Post, Saudi Arabian Crown, Hamas, Biden, Pentagon, Gaza, City College of New, West Bank Locations: Israel, U.S, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Washington, United States, City College of New York, israel

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