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

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

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

Abed Khaled/AP Bodies of Palestinians killed in the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital lie in front of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 17. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times/Redux Palestinians walk amid the rubble following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters Palestinian citizens inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 8. It was at the time… when there were reports of an explosion at the hospital in Gaza City,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Jihad –, Gaza –, Israel misfired, Ashraf Al, ” Al, Qudra, Abed Khaled, Ariel Schalit, Mohammed Abed, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Khan, Mustafa Hassona, Mahmoud Khaled, Samar Abu, Fatima Shbair, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Shir Torem, Wahaj Bani Moufleh, Antonio Macías, Macías, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Hatem Ali, Dor Kedmi, Mahmud Hams, Saher, Hatem Moussa, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Yuri Cortez, Yousef Masoud, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Abed Rahim Khatib, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Belal Khaled, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Ali Jadallah, Oren Ziv, Ronen Zvulun, Majdi, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Jalaa Marey, Oded, Khan Younis, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Tsafrir, Ahmad Gharabli, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Volker Turk, – horrifically, ” Turk, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas, ”, Ayman Safadi, Al, Stringer, Hagari, ” Hagari, UN Riyad Mansour, Antony Blinken, Israel “, Sameh Shoukry Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Al, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Palestinian Health Ministry, CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Palestinian Ministry of Health, “ Ambulance, Shifa, Getty, Palestinian, AP, New York Times, Reuters, West Bank, Aris Messinis, Haim, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Rockets, Israel's, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, UN Human, Biden, Palestinian Authority, White, West, Embassy, UN, IDF, Islamic Jihad, Islamic, Jihad, UN Security, “ Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ahli, Gaza City, Jihad, Al, Sderot, Israel, Rafah, AFP, Gan, Kfar, Khan Younis, Anadolu, North Sinai, Egypt, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Beit Kama, Haifa, Cyprus, Nablus, West, Lebanon, Kfar Saba, Israeli, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Kibbutz Be'eri, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Kiryat Shmona, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Jordan, Amman, Al Jazeera, East, North Africa, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, West Bank, Ramallah, Jordanian, Lebanese, Beirut, Pakistan, ”

Israel and the U.S. said the cause was a failed rocket launch by anti-Israeli Palestinian militants in Gaza who denied responsibility. Amid fears the conflict could spread beyond Gaza, Biden had planned to meet Arab leaders. But Jordan called off his planned summit there with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority after the hospital blast. During Biden's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel would let food, water and medicines reach southern Gaza via Egypt. En route to Washington, Biden told reporters he was blunt with Israel about the need to facilitate aid to Gaza.

Persons: Dilara, Lior Haiat, Joe Biden, Abdel Fattah El, Biden, Sisi, John Kirby, Jordan, Martin Griffiths, Rishi Sunak, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, West Bank . Mark Negev, Netanyahu, that's, Nidal, Steve Holland, Cynthia Osterman, Howard Goller Organizations: Consulate, Hamas, REUTERS, Biden, Gaza UN, TEL, U.S ., Palestinian, Israel's Foreign Ministry, Palestinian West Bank, West Bank, Wednesday, Palestinian Authority, Security, House, British, United Nations, West Bank . Mark, CNN, Aboard Air Force, Thomson Locations: Israel, Istanbul, Turkey, Egypt, Gaza, TEL AVIV, GAZA, U.S, Ahli, Arabi, Israeli, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Ukraine, Rafah, Washington, United States, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

He lost his case in October 2020 and, the following March, was issued an order to leave Belgium. With at least three EU countries involved, the case points up the challenges the EU faces tracking people across the bloc's Schengen open-travel zone that is mostly free of border checks. Proponents of the EU's new migration pact - which has been tentatively agreed by most EU countries and is now being further negotiated with the European Parliament - say it would support returns by shortening time for migration and asylum procedures. "Those who are not allowed to stay in the EU must leave Europe. "This is a wake-up call for those who are not ready to accept ... the migration pact."

Persons: Alexander de Croo, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Manfred Weber, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Angelo Amante, Gabriela Baczynska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Belgium Case, EU, Immigration, Belgian, Frontex, Eurostat, Reuters, European People's Party, Thomson Locations: Italy, Sweden, Belgium, BRUSSELS, ROME, Tunisia, Europe, Israel, Germany, Brussels, Tunis, ITALY, SWEDEN, BELGIUM, Lampedusa, Poland, Hungary, East, Africa, Rome

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

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

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

☆ Clashes at Lebanon-Israel border raise fears of wider war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Smoke rises from Israeli artillery shelling in Dahaira, in southern Lebanon, at the border with Israel on October 16. Hussein Malla/APIsraeli soldiers patrol a road near the border with Lebanon, on Monday, amid threat of a regional conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. It is an ominous sign of what may come if the situation on the Lebanon-Israel border combusts into a full-scale war. By Friday morning, three Israeli soldiers and three Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the exchanges across the border. On Sunday, the Lebanese militants fired at several Israeli locations at the border, killing one civilian and one soldier.

Persons: Southern Lebanon CNN —, Hussein Malla, Francisco Seco, Amir Abdollahian, ”, “, Gerald Ford —, Israel, Issam Abdallah, Abdallah, Israel —, Israel’s, Bashar al, Assad, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah Organizations: Southern, Southern Lebanon CNN, Hezbollah –, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s, US, CNN, Israeli Apache, Hezbollah, Palestinian, ISIS, Observers, Israel Locations: Southern Lebanon, Israel, Iran, United States, Lebanon, Syria, Golan, Tehran, Dahaira, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Gaza, Palestinian, Israeli, Hanita, Russian

☆ Egypt pushes to break impasse over Gaza aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aid from several countries has been building up in Egypt's Sinai peninsula due to a failure to reach a deal enabling its safe delivery to Gaza along with evacuations of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Israeli bombardments on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing into Egypt, the main crossing out of Gaza not controlled by Israel, have disrupted operations there. There is alarm in Egypt over the prospect that residents in Gaza could be displaced by Israel's siege and bombardment. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN on Saturday that the Rafah crossing was open but the roads leading to it in Gaza were "inoperable" due to Israeli bombardment. He said that if foreign nationals were able to cross the border Egypt would facilitate their departure to their home countries.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Waly, Omar Abdel Razek, Yusri Mohamed, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Adam Makary, Nafisa Eltahir, Aidan Lewis, Louise Heavens, Hugh Lawson, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Hamas, U.S, CNN, United, United Arab, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, ., CAIRO, Egypt, Egypt's, United States, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Tunisia, Sinai's Al Arish

☆ Lee must stay humble, says coach Klinsmann of PSG playmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 15 (Reuters) - South Korea coach Juergen Klinsmann has called on Lee Kang-in to keep his feet on the ground as the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker continues his emergence as the country's next great hope. "It's just a joy to work with him because he's always in a good mood, he's always smiling, but he's also hungry," Klinsmann said. It's not easy for Kang-in to stay hungry because here, he's getting treated like a pop star, which is not good because a pop star doesn't score goals. "Every time he will come back to Korea, there will be I don't know how many people screaming for him," Klinsmann said. "When a club like Paris Saint-Germain takes a player from Korea, it means that it's a very special player.

Persons: Juergen Klinsmann, Lee Kang, Germain, Lee, he's, Klinsmann, Kang, Paris Saint, Michael Church, Muralikumar Organizations: Paris Saint, Asian Games, La Liga, Real Mallorca, Champions League, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Paris, Tunisia, Seoul, China, Spain, Korea, South, Europe

☆ Money now, shares later: more IMF countries voice support for pragmatic IMF funding boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the extra resources were needed to ensure the IMF can respond to another large-scale crisis. But with anti-China sentiment running high in the U.S. Congress, any IMF funding increase that increases Beijing's influence would face stiff opposition. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen proposed the money now, shares later plan as a way to sidestep the China issue and speed resources to the IMF. A 50% quota increase would be equivalent to about $312 billion at current exchange rates.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Fernando Haddad, Kristalina Georgieva, Janet Yellen, Ernest Addison, David Lawder, Alex Richardson, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Monetary, IMF, U.S . Congress, Treasury, International Monetary, Financial Committee, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco, France, Britain, Ghana, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, China, Brazil, U.S, Algeria, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, Tunisia

☆ What would an Israeli ground assault in Gaza look like? Here’s what I know from the one I saw
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It was the deepest Israeli ground operation into Gaza since the withdrawal from the Strip in 2005. Then, Israeli troops largely avoided the most built up and crowded areas, particularly Gaza’s eight crammed refugee camps. During the siege that followed, Israeli warplanes and artillery pummeled West Beirut, but ground troops stayed out of Beirut proper. It was only after they left that Israeli troops took control of the western part of the city. If it comes, the ground operation will be far bloodier and more destructive.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN — “, Israel, Liberation of, Yoav Gallant, Ariel Sharon, Sabra, –, they’re Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, CNN, Islamic, Front, Liberation, Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front, Fatah, Palestine Liberation Organisation, Israeli, Defense, PLO, Hamas Locations: Jerusalem, Rafah, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, alleyways, Lebanon, Palestine, Beirut, Yemen, Tunisia, West Beirut

☆ The EU is stuck with its one-trick refugee policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Barring an influx of younger people from Africa and Asia, the EU will become increasingly old, weak and irrelevant. Instead, the EU is focussing on stopping irregular migrants crossing the Mediterranean. To be fair, each EU country has procedures for dealing with migrants who arrive through legal routes. That’s a long way short of the height of the Syrian crisis in 2015, when about 1.8 million refugees crossed EU borders. The hope is that the Mediterranean countries will then process asylum seekers when they arrive - and the EU’s internal borders will stay open.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le, Italy don’t, Martinez, Peter Thal Larsen, Katrina Hamlin, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Eurostat, EU, Reuters Graphics, Italian, Centre, European, Bank, Thomson Locations: Africa, Asia, EU, Spain, Europe, Turkey, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Lampedusa, Tunis, West Balkan, United Kingdom, That’s, Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Saharan Africa, Latin America

Italy is even going outside the EU to establish links with the United Kingdom to crack down on unwanted arrivals. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was blunt about how far Europe's leaders still are from reaching a consensus before they met in Granada, Spain. Orbán, who has pushed back against EU policy repeatedly and taken a hard-line approach against migration, said that he won't sign off on any deal at any point in the foreseeable future. He went as far as to compare the situation to being “legally raped” by Hungary's fellow EU members. “The agreement on migration, politically, it’s impossible — not today (or) generally speaking for the next years," Orbán said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Orbán, “, Mateusz Morawiecki, Ursula von der Leyen, ”, Roberta Metsola, ” Metsolas, Giorgia, Rishi Sunak, ___ Wilson, Raf Casert, Ciarán Giles, Colleen Barry, Vanessa Gera, Danica Kirka Organizations: European Union, EU, International Organization for Migration, Giorgia Meloni, della, The Times Locations: GRANADA, Spain, Brussels, Hungary, Poland, Italy, United Kingdom, Granada, Syria, Turkey, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Lampedusa, London, Africa, El Hierro, Senegal, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Warsaw

☆ Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste open the doors to their Brooklyn townhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Newly home to best-selling author, activist and motivational speaker Suleika Jaouad and Grammy-winning musician, singer-songwriter and TV personality Jon Batiste, the 1890s Italianate townhouse in Brooklyn, New York is a potent space for them to live and create. Jon Batiste pictured in the studio lounge of the Brooklyn home he shares with author Suleika Jaouad. “The vision for the house was deeply tied to who Jon and I are as humans — to our creativity and our lineage,” Jaouad wrote. Jaouad recalled Batiste exaggeratedly exclaiming, in reference to a lamp: “Now this light is healing!”“It cracked us up, and we put it on repeat,” she wrote. Fried chicken sandwiches and champagne were served to the small group of guests, while Batiste serenaded Jaouad on a grand piano he rented for the night.

Persons: CNN —, Suleika Jaouad, Jon Batiste, Jaouad, “, ”, Frank Frances, Hallie Goodman, Jon, ” Jaouad, Jaouad’s, Mokhtar Lahmar, Designway, Batiste exaggeratedly, Batiste, Goodman, — Organizations: CNN, Architectural, Brooklyn, New, Facebook Locations: Brooklyn , New York, —, “, Tunisia, New Orleans, Nabeul, French, Quittner

[1/7] Hans Ellegren (centre), Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announces the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, October 4, 2023. The more than century-old prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1 million). Earlier on Wednesday, the academy appeared to have inadvertently published the names of the three scientists before the official announcement. In 1993, Bawendi revolutionised the production of quantum dots, made up of clusters ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand atoms. The third of this year's crop of awards, the chemistry Nobel follows those for medicine and physics announced earlier this week.

Persons: Hans Ellegren, Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, Alexei Ekimov, Bawendi, Johan Aqvist, that's, Ekimov, Brus, Alfred Nobel, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Marie Curie, Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, Barry Sharpless, Niklas Pollard, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Ludwig Burger, Terje Solsvik, Anna Ringstrom, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Columbia University, Nanocrystals Technology, AT, Bell Labs, U.S, Vavilov, Optical Institute, Nanocrystals Technology Inc, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, STOCKHOLM, United States, Paris, France, Tunisia, Soviet Union, Swedish, Frankfurt, Oslo

☆ Nobel Chemistry prize awarded for discovery of quantum dots used in LED lights
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Earlier on Wednesday, the academy appeared to have inadvertently published the names of the three scientists it said had won this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry. Nanoparticles and quantum dots are used in LED-lights and TV-screens and can also be used to guide surgeons while removing cancer tissue. Scientists Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots," the award-giving body said on Wednesday. The third of this year's crop of awards, the chemistry Nobel follows those for medicine and physics announced earlier this week. While the chemistry awards are sometimes overshadowed by the physics prize and its famous winners such as Albert Einstein, chemistry laureates include many scientific greats, including radioactivity pioneer Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie, who also won the physics prize.

Persons: Moungi, Louis Brus, Alexei Ekimov, Moungi Bawendi, Bawendi, Brus, Ekimov, Alfred Nobel, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Marie Curie, Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, Barry Sharpless Organizations: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Columbia University, Nanocrystals Technology, AT, Bell Labs, U.S, Vavilov, Optical Institute, Nanocrystals Technology Inc Locations: Russian, Stockholm, Paris, France, Tunisia, Soviet Union, United States, Swedish

☆ Developing countries facing a debt crunch
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

EGYPTNorth Africa's largest economy needs to repay some $100 billion of hard-currency debt over the next five years. Egypt has a $3 billion IMF programme and has devalued the pound by roughly 50% since February 2022. Its progress in restructuring both domestic debt and $30 billion in external debt has been fairly swift and it secured a $3 billion IMF bailout in May. The next tranche of a $2.9 billion IMF bailout package could be delayed over a potential government revenue shortfall. A repair plan finally appeared imminent after Zambia clinched a $6.3 billion debt rework deal with the Paris Club creditor nations and China, its other big bilateral lender, in June.

Persons: Moody's, William Ruto's, Kais Saied, Libby George, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: World Bank, African Development Bank, IMF, UAE, SRI, SRI LANKA Sri, European Union, Zambia, Paris Club, Sri, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, EGYPT, Cairo, Egypt, ETHIOPIA, Ethiopia, China, GHANA Ghana, Accra, KENYA, Kenya, LEBANON Lebanon, PAKISTAN Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, SRI LANKA, SRI LANKA Sri Lanka, TUNISIA, Tunisia, UKRAINE Ukraine, Ukraine, United States, ZAMBIA, Zambia

“This process is not behind schedule.”The July agreement included a pledge of 105 million euros ($110 million) earmarked for migration. As arrivals increased last month, the European Commission announced it would send an initial 127 million euros ($133 million) to Tunisia. Apart from migration, the bulk of the funds are contingent on Tunisia reaching agreement with the International Monetary Fund on stalled loan negotiations. In April, he called the terms “diktats from abroad.”Supporters, including Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, have hailed Europe's agreement with Tunisia as a regional model. Since taking power in 2019, Saied has repeatedly characterized sub-Saharan African migrants as violent and a threat to Tunisia.

Persons: Kais Saied, ” Saied, Saied, Marcus Cornaro, Saied's, “ We're, ”, Giorgia, ___ Sam Metz Organizations: —, Monday, European Union, TAP, EU, UNHCR, European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Locations: TUNIS, Tunisia, — Tunisia, Europe, Rome, Tunisian, Italy, North Africa, Italian, Germany, Europe’s, Rabat, Morocco, Georgia

☆ Tunisia Rejects EU Financial Aid, Casting Doubt on an Immigration Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tarek AmaraTUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday rejected financial support announced by the European Union in September, saying the amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago. The European Commission last month said it would disburse 127 million euros ($133 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of the deal to fight illegal immigration from Africa to Europe. “Tunisia rejects what the EU announced, not because of the small amount ... but because the proposal conflicts with the memorandum of understanding signed in July," Saied said. The July deal included a pledge of 1 billion euros in aid to Tunisia to help its battered economy, rescue state finances and deal with the migration crisis. Tunisia last week postponed a visit by a delegation from the European Commission to discuss the details of the migration agreement.

Persons: Tarek Amara TUNIS, Kais Saied, Saied, Tarek Amara Organizations: European Union, European Commission, “, EU Locations: Europe, Tunisia, Africa, “ Tunisia, North Africa, Lampedusa, Germany

☆ Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into soccer, golf, and Formula 1. Its crown prince doesn't care if anyone calls it 'sportswashing.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into sports in a bid to transform its economy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made the sector a key part of his Vision 2030 plan. But the reality is that the crown prince has a grander ambition: to level up Saudi Arabia's economic growth. "But Saudi Arabia is piling into other sports too, because they want to achieve a lot in a short period of time." AdvertisementAdvertisementAs Crown Prince Mohammed made clear last week, all this forms part of a broader strategy to supercharge Saudi Arabia's economy through investment.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, bankrolled, —, Cristiano Ronaldo, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Joshua, –, Jamal Khashoggi, they've, Steve Luciano, AP Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio, PIF, LIV Golf, Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, LIV, Joshua, that's, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Frank Warren, Prince Mohammed, Mohammed bin Salman, Leon Neal, Simon Chadwick, Chadwick, megastars, Ronaldo –, Salman, bin Salman, Saudi Arabia –, St Andrews, Nick Kyrgios, who've, Elsa, he'd, they'll Organizations: Newcastle United, Service, Washington Post, Saudi, Investment Fund, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle, AP, Saudi Pro League, Georgetown University Qatar, PGA, WWE, Fox News, SKEMA Business School, Indian Premier League, FIFA Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, England, Riyadh, Brazil, Liverpool, Kingdom, Jeddah, Lille, France, Reiche, Iran, Miami, Augusta, bankroll

☆ Europe is almost out of local olive oil supplies as extreme weather takes a toll on harvests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wildfires and extreme heat have damaged olive harvests in Europe, leading to shortages of olive oil. To keep up with demand, olive oil is being imported from South America. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the past couple of years, extreme weather, wildfires and droughts have damaged olive tree harvests to the point where Europe is now almost out of local supplies of olive oil. To keep up with demand, European companies are importing olive oil from South America, a necessity that the world's top producer noted. Countries like Tunisia, Turkey and Syria have announced export bans on olive oil to protect the commodity from high international prices.

Persons: —, Kyle Holland, Walter Zanre, Filippo Berio, It's, haven't Organizations: Service, Guardian, International Olive Council, International Oil Council, Olive, US Department of Agriculture Locations: Europe, South America, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria, Olive, Córdoba

☆ Oil prices fall as Russia, Saudi Arabia expected to boost supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices fell in early trade on Friday after a recent rally, as profit-taking and expectations of supply increases by Russia and Saudi Arabia outweighed forecasts of positive demand from China during its Golden Week holiday. Oil prices had eased about 1% on Thursday, as traders took profits after prices soared to 10-month highs, and some worried that high interest rates may weigh on oil demand. "Oil prices recent rally paused overnight," National Australia Bank said in a note. Russia has not discussed a possible crude oil supply increase to compensate for Moscow's fuel exports ban with OPEC+, the Kremlin has said. "(An) increase in international travel during the Golden Week holiday is boosting Chinese oil demand," ANZ Research said in a note.

Persons: Brent Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, National Australia Bank, Aramco, Organization of, Petroleum, Russian, JPMorgan, Kremlin, ANZ Research Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, OPEC, Turkey, Brazil, Morocco, Tunisia

☆ EU talks migration as Italy, Germany worry over increased arrivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An Italian Coast Guard vessel carrying migrants rescued at sea passes near a tourist boat, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing Rightsサマリー Higher arrivals, looming elections put migration high on agendaFocus on whether Berlin backs proposed new EU 'crisis mechanism'Some propose Egypt for next migration deal after TunisiaBRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The European Union's migration ministers meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to handle migrants arriving by sea as Italy and Germany worry over increased immigration, with Berlin launching border controls inside Europe's zone of open travel. "There is a lot of unrest in (the) direct neighbourhood of Europe," said one senior EU diplomat. The EU has been pushing tougher anti-immigration policies since more than a million people reached its southern shores in 2015, catching the bloc by surprise and overwhelming security and reception capacities in countries including Italy. The 27-member governments have since struggled to modernise their shared asylum and migration rules - including the "crisis mechanism" - especially as they want to look in control for their voters ahead of a pan-EU parliamentary election in 2024.

Persons: Yara, Giorgia Meloni, Nancy Faeser, Faeser, Gabriela Baczynska, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Italian Coast Guard, REUTERS, Berlin, Italy's, EU Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia BRUSSELS, Brussels, Germany, Berlin, Tunisia, Europe, EU, Poland, Czech Republic, Bavaria, East, Africa, Asia

Baghdad, Iraq CNN —A popular Iraqi TikTok personality was shot dead on Monday in Baghdad, an Iraqi security source told CNN. Known on social media as “Noor BM,” 23-year-old Noor Alsaffar had over 370,000 followers collectively on Instagram and TikTok. While being queer is not explicitly banned under current Iraqi legislation, LGBTQ people are often targeted under vague morality clauses in its penal code. Alsaffar spoke in videos about facing threats on social media over choices of dressing. The Iraqi LGBTQ rights group, IraQueer, posted about Alsaffar’s death, adding the hashtags #Transphobia and #MuderOfTransPeople on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Iraq CNN —, Noor, Noor Alsaffar, Alsaffar, ” Khaled Almehna, Iraq’s Al, “ I’m, I’m, Samir Jermani, “, ”, Iraq “ Organizations: Iraq CNN, CNN, Twitter, Human Rights Watch Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi, Sweden, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia

☆ WTA roundup: Top seed Iga Swiatek survives in Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Swiatek rallied from 4-1 down in the first set and squandered a 5-1 lead in the second set before prevailing in just over two hours. 8 seed Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, who defeated Kayla Day 6-3, 6-3 in second-round action at the WTA 500 event. 7 seed Liudmila Samsonova fell in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-4, 6-2. 1 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia eased into the quarterfinals in Ningbo, China, with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Germany's Tamara Korpatsch. 4 Anna Blinkova of Russia 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Brendan Mcdermid, Mai Hontama, Swiatek, Veronika Kudermetova, Kayla Day, Jessica Pegula, Spain's Cristina Bucsa, Liudmila Samsonova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Germany's Tamara Korpatsch, Jabeur, Russia's Vera Zvonareva, Clara Tauson, Dane, Katerina Siniakova, Linda Fruhvirtova, Anna Blinkova, Lucia Bronzetti, Nadia Podoroska Organizations: Slovenia's Kaja Juvan REUTERS, Pan, WTA, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Poland, Tokyo, Russia, Ningbo, Jabeur, Tunisia, China, Czech, Romania, Italy, Argentina

☆ Rybakina withdraws from Pan Pacific Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Byes for the Pan Pacific Open were given to Maria Sakkari, who won the Guadalajara Open title on Saturday, and Caroline Garcia, who reached the semi-finals. Both players are ranked lower than Rybakina, who was drawn against Linda Noskova in the first round. "As a player I want to give my all on the court and at the moment my body is not ready to do that," Rybakina said on Instagram. "That's why I decided to listen to my body and withdraw from the tournament. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Hannah Mckay, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Linda Noskova, Rybakina, Japan, Aadi Nair, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon, Pan, Guadalajara, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Tokyo, Bengaluru

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