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☆ As Europe turns right, why is a center-left party projected to win by a landslide in the UK?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Last month’s European elections saw a historic number of lawmakers from hard-right and far-right parties elected to the European Parliament. Italy is led by the most right-wing leader since the rule of fascist wartime leader Benito Mussolini. Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the crowd of supporters on July 3 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Farage’s political success to date has all come without him holding a parliamentary seat. It is possible that Farage’s splitting of the right has actually helped Starmer increase his majority in parliament.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Benito Mussolini, Euroskepticism, Nigel Farage, Dan Kitwood, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, Starmer’s, Farage, Starmer Organizations: CNN, Labour Party, Parliament, European, Conservative Party, Reform, Conservatives, Labour Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Italy, Britain, British, Clacton, England

☆ Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban — a key Putin ally — makes first wartime visit to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) in the Europa building prior the start of the meeting on June 27, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for his first wartime visit to the battle-torn country. Orban, meanwhile, communicated Hungary's intentions to improve ties with Ukraine and sign a broad bilateral cooperation agreement, while urging Zelenskyy to consider a quick cease-fire to accelerate peace talks, Reuters reported. Orban absented from last month's Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland, where Hungary was instead represented by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The Hungarian prime minister has also been one of the few Western leaders to meet the increasingly isolated Kremlin leader Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Orban, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Orban's, " Orban, Orban absented, Peter Szijjarto, Putin, Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: European Union, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Reuters, nonmember Kyiv, Ukraine Peace Summit, Foreign, Associated Press, NATO Locations: Europa, Brussels, Belgium, Hungarian, Ukraine, Hungary, Moldova, Switzerland

☆ ‘We will not enlist:’ Ultra-Orthodox in Israel vow to defy orders to serve in the military
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Jo Shelley | Mike Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

An arrangement made during Israel’s founding exempted several hundred Haredi men from conscription. However, the community has since grown exponentially, allowing tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men to now avoid the draft. We will die rather than be enlisted.”Israeli security forces deploy in Jerusalem's Mea Sharim neighborhood on Saturday ahead of a protest by ultra-Orthodox men. Some lawmakers in Netanyahu’s own coalition have joined the opposition in pushing for the Haredi community to enlist. “So it could be that we see that sort of process for a large number of ultra-Orthodox men.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Yosef, …, “, Ahmad Gharabli, Yitzhak Goldknopf, Yanki Farber, —, they’re, Farber, ’, IDF “, ” Amichai, “ I’d Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Beitar, West Bank, “, Court, Getty, CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Forum, IDF, Likud, Ministry of Defense, dodgers Locations: Jerusalem, Beitar Illit, Israel, AFP, Gaza, ”

☆ US stockpiles of the rare earth minerals it would need to fight a war against an adversary like China are a mystery, and experts warn it's a problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Kelsey Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Part of the military's mission at home is to keep stockpiles of goods like critical minerals on hand for emergency wartime use. In the dark on the stockpileAlthough the name suggests otherwise, rare earth minerals are not exactly rare — in fact, they're relatively plentiful. The Biden administration began cutting American imports of Chinese rare earth minerals a few years ago in an effort to decrease US reliance on China for critical minerals. Submarines, fighter aircraft, magnets used in missiles, radar systems, and drones all require critical earth minerals for manufacturing. AdvertisementA past report for Congress on rare earth minerals for national defense, for instance, noted that a single Virginia-class submarine requires 9,200 pounds of rare earth minerals, while an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer requires 5,200 pounds.

Persons: —, Biden, Lockheed Martin, Gregory Wischer, Wischer, Arleigh Burke, Halsey, Sampson, Chris Williamson Fabian Villalobos, Locke Organizations: Service, Business, Pentagon, Lockheed, Getty, Gratia, Defense Logistics Agency, of, Department of Defense, Defense Industrial Strategy, . US, Pacific, DoD, Materials, Lynas, Joint Base, Hickam . US Navy, RAND Corporation, National Defense, NDS, Industrial Base Locations: China, Fort Worth, Virginia, Arabian, Japan, South Korea, United States, California, Lynas USA, Texas, Vermont, Hickam

☆ South Sudan is home to ‘world’s largest land mammal migration.’ War means no one knows about it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Antelopes, hundreds of thousands of them, are crossing the savannas of South Sudan. But a report published today estimates that South Sudan is home to the largest known migration of land mammals on Earth. South Sudan, a country in central Africa, has a varied landscape, from rainforests to lush savannas and swamplands fed by the Nile River (pictured). Marcus Westberg He suspects that the migration’s survival and growth is likely to be linked to the decades of war South Sudan has suffered. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war.

Persons: Marcus Westberg, Mike Fay, ”, Steve Boyes, South Sudan Fay, He’s, “ It’s, Jigar, Fay, ” Fay, “, you’ve, We’ve, “ We’ve, Boyes, Salva Kiir Mayardit Organizations: CNN, Initiative, African Parks, African Parks Network, Parks Network, United Nations, Parks, Rolex, Ministry of Wildlife Locations: South Sudan, Sudan, Africa, African, Ethiopia, South Sudan’s, Juba, “, Tanzania

☆ Russia’s shifting tactics put unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s already hobbled power system
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Clare Sebastian | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We are doing our best,” Deputy Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk told CNN. “I installed them so that my family would not feel uncomfortable when there is no electricity,” he told CNN. The company told CNN it’s also halted the use of air conditioning in administrative buildings, and turned off outdoor lighting. The G7, having already spent $3bn to date to support Ukraine’s energy sector, just announced another $1bn in funding in early June. Ukraine’s energy ministry says it has been building concrete shelters to protect some energy equipment from attacks.

Persons: CNN — Kateryna Serzhan, “, Keen, Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, …, Dmytro Sakharuk, DTEK, Thomas Peter, Yan Dobronosov, Svitlana Grynchuk, Denis Shmyhal, Serzhan, CNN it’s, Stepanov, Valentyn Ogirenko, Marta Trush, Igor Piddubnyi, Piddubnyi, ” CNN’s Clare Sebastian, Olga Voitovych, Svitlana Vlasova, Daria Tarasova, Markina Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Getty, Energy, Kyiv region’s, Ukraine’s, Companies, Railways, Kyiv School of Economics, “, National Bank of, Patriot, White House Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, –, Moscow, Russia, Berlin, Russian, Europe, AFP, National Bank of Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Romania, London

☆ Putin and Kim Jong Un's wartime pact sees the two autocrats one step closer to creating a world 'safe for authoritarians,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a partnership agreement on Wednesday. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement this week, capitalizing on the two autocratic leaders' overlapping interests — chief among them the desire for a more authoritarian world.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, —, Putin, Kim Organizations: Service, North, Business Locations: Russia, North, North Korea

☆ Qaeda Commander at Guantánamo Bay Is Sentenced for War Crimes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. military jury on Thursday ordered a former Qaeda commander to a serve a 30-year prison sentence for war crimes carried out by his insurgent forces in wartime Afghanistan in the early 2000s. The military judge excused the panel from the chamber and then announced that, under a plea agreement, the prisoner’s sentence would end in eight years. The outcome was part of the arcane system called military commissions, which allows prisoners to reach plea deals with a senior official at the Pentagon who oversees the war court but requires the formality of a jury sentencing hearing anyway. Mr. Hadi, 63, was aware of the deal that reduced his sentence to 10 years, starting with his guilty plea in June 2022. It was unclear whether victims of attacks by Mr. Hadi’s forces and their family members had been told.

Persons: Abd al, Hadi al, Hadi Organizations: U.S, Pentagon Locations: Afghanistan, C.I.A

A Ukrainian reporter who revealed that a state news agency tried to bar interviews with opposition politicians said he received a draft notification the next day. Ukraine’s domestic spy agency spied on staff members of an investigative news outlet through peepholes in their hotel rooms. Journalists and groups monitoring press freedoms are raising alarms over what they say are increasing restrictions and pressures on the media in Ukraine under the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky that go well beyond the country’s wartime needs. “It’s really disturbing,” said Oksana Romanyuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information, a nonprofit that monitors media freedoms. That is particularly true, she said, in a war where Ukraine is “fighting for democracy against the values of dictatorship embodied by Russia.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ”, Oksana Romanyuk Organizations: of Mass Locations: Ukrainian, peepholes, Ukraine, Russia

Boris Epshteyn, who is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on election interference charges in Arizona, has played many roles for former President Donald J. Trump. A college friend of Mr. Trump’s son Eric at Georgetown University, he would become a swaggering TV surrogate for the 2016 Trump campaign before eventually serving as Mr. Trump’s unofficial chief fixer and legal strategist. When Mr. Trump was convicted in New York last month on 34 felony counts, Mr. Epshteyn (pronounced EP-stine) was at his side, huddling with the former president and other aides after the verdict. His indictment there stems from work he did behind the scenes to try to keep Mr. Trump in power after his 2020 election loss. Shepherding a small group of advisers, he helped oversee a plan to deploy fake electors in seven battleground states lost by Mr. Trump, documents show.

Persons: Boris Epshteyn, Donald J, Trump, Mr, Trump’s, Eric, Epshteyn, stine Organizations: Georgetown University, Trump, Mr, ” Locations: Arizona, New York, Trump, Georgia, Wisconsin

☆ Opinion: Putin’s North Korea visit comes at a crucial moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and senior columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, it will kick up yet another gust in the recent swirl of diplomatic activity surrounding Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The allies have good reason to believe Putin aims to outlast Western support. South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has delivered as many as 5 million artillery rounds, along with ballistic missiles and other ammunition. Putin, meanwhile, will visit one-party ruled Vietnam later this week, not exactly a military powerhouse, but at least one country that is not backing Ukraine.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Read, Vladimir Putin, Moscow –, Ukraine’s, –, Putin, Donald Trump, Putin’s, Putin –, Trump, wouldn’t, he’d, Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Mark Rutte, ”, Volodomyr Zelensky, Hitler, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Ukraine, Frida Ghitis CNN, North, Kyiv, White, European, Dutch, Peace, Biden, Trump acolytes, Republican, Zelensky, NATO Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine, Putin’s Russia, Iran, Russia, China, Europe, Cuba, Russian, Normandy, Western, Italy’s Puglia, Switzerland, Korea, Germany, Ukrainian, Puglia, “, Washington, Vietnam

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli Military Says Hezbollah’s Strikes Risk ‘Wider Escalation’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Mike Ives | Randy Pennell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The change did not mean a cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, that statement said, adding that the campaign in the southernmost city of Rafah was continuing. The whipsaw statements appeared to reflect the competing pressures facing Mr. Netanyahu, as he juggles demands from the Biden administration and elsewhere around the globe with those of his own hawkish government. But Mr. Netanyahu insinuated that he did not learn of the plans until Sunday morning. Image Children waiting for food in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. Credit... Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock“It’s classic Bibi,” said Amos Harel, the military affairs analyst for the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, referring to Mr. Netanyahu by his nickname.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, —, Khan Younis, Haitham Imad, Bibi, ”, Amos Harel, ” Mr, Harel, Shani Sasson, Ms, Sasson, “, Eid, Omar Al, Yoav Gallant, Gadi, Benny Gantz, Mr, Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Ben, Waseem Mahmoud, Amir Levy, Bezalel Smotrich, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: Military, ., “, Mr, Cogat, United Nations Security Council, Agence France, International Criminal, Israel’s, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Khan, Israel, Gaza City, The Hague, Egypt, Beit Jann

☆ Israeli Daytime Pause in Combat Appears to Take Hold in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Shashank Bengali | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The change did not mean a cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, that statement said, adding that the campaign in the southernmost city of Rafah was continuing. The whipsaw statements appeared to reflect the competing pressures facing Mr. Netanyahu, as he juggles demands from the Biden administration and elsewhere around the globe with those of his own hawkish government. But Mr. Netanyahu insinuated that he did not learn of the plans until Sunday morning. Image Children waiting for food in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. At least 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat this weekend and an 11th died of wounds sustained days earlier.

Representatives from the warring nations held peace talks in the early weeks of the Russian invasion. It was the only time that Ukrainian and Russian officials are known to have engaged in direct peace talks. This includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Mr. Putin annexed in 2014 in a swift operation that he considers central to his legacy. At another point, Russia’s lead negotiator, Mr. Medinsky, interrupted a video conference by claiming that Mr. Putin was phoning him directly. There were signs that Mr. Putin was micromanaging not only the Russian invasion but also the peace talks.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, —, Putin’s, … ”, “, Oleksandr Chalyi, Mr, Vladimir Medinsky, Oleksii Reznikov, Vladimir Putin, Leonid Slutsky, Medinsky, ”, Aleksandr Fomin, Reznikov, Ukraine’s, … “, Sergey Ponomarev, Ukraine —, Andrzej Duda, Duda, Putin “, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetin Muhurdar, Russia’s, Zelensky, …, ‘, ’, Daniel Berehulak, Davyd Arakhamia, ” “, Roman Abramovich, ” Mr, Arakhamia, Abramovich, micromanaging, Nanna Heitmann, France —, Laetitia Vancon, Kamala Harris, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Putin, Marc Weller, Russia “, Weller Organizations: The New York Times, Ukraine, Kremlin, NATO, “, Russian Federation, ”, European Union, West, Ministry, Times, Europe’s, Russian, Moscow, Donetsk People's, Nazi, U.S, Ukrainian, Turkish Presidential Press Service, Agence France, The Times, Russia, New York Times, stoke, Cambridge Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Crimean, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Crimea, “ Ukraine, Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, ”, … ” Russia, Russian, ” Russia, Istanbul, Geneva, Belarus, Western, Russia’s, Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Simferopol, Poland, Germany, France, European, Brussels, Turkish, Zelensky, “, Great Britain, China, United States, Turkey, Canada, Italy, Israel, Bucha, Washington, Swiss, Russians

☆ Oil prices on pace for best week in more than two months as forecasts point to tighter market
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil prices are up more than 4.5% for the week, the strongest gains since early April, when futures rose on boiling geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Crude oil futures rose for a fifth day Friday, on pace for the best week in more than two months as analysts see a tighter market heading into the third quarter. Deutsche sees the oil supply deficit expanding to nearly 1 million barrels per day in the third quarter, which should support Brent prices rising to the mid-to-upper $80s per barrel range. "It would only take a minor overshoot to bring Brent to around USD 90/bbl at some point during the second half," Hsueh told clients. Citigroup also sees a tighter market in the third quarter, though the market will likely enter a surplus in 2025 on solid production growth and slowing demand, according to the bank.

Persons: Benny Gantz's, Helima Croft, Michael Hsueh, Brent, Hsueh Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, RBC, OPEC, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, bbl, Citigroup Locations: Israel, Lebanon

☆ Four Seasons Gresham Palace: Secrets of the grandest Budapest hotel of them all
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Nathan Kay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Budapest CNN —For most of the last century, the story of the Gresham Palace closely mirrored that of the city in which it was built. This summer, the building – one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau design in Budapest – is celebrating two decades in its most recent incarnation, as the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, a luxury hotel with panoramic views of the mighty Danube river. Four Seasons Gresham Palace“Gresham Palace and its coffee house were famous among artists and collectors,” says Laszlovszky. “The Gresham Palace has been born again in wonderful unity, serving as a crown jewel of outstanding beauty that complements our magnificent Chain Bridge.”‘Extraordinary history’The palace was once a hangout for Budapest's intellectuals. Four Seasons Gresham PalaceSince its reopening in 2004, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace has provided visitors with a well-appointed sanctuary, offering 179 rooms and suites with panoramic views of the Danube or the cityscape.

Persons: Gresham, “, József Laszlovszky, – it’s, Zsigmond, Countess Irma Széchenyi, Thomas Gresham, József Vágó, Miksa Róth, ”, Pál, Béni, József, István Szőnyi, Gabor Kruppa, Miklós Szenkirályi, ” Szenkirályi, ” Thibaut Drege, what’s, Chef Árpád Győrffy, that’s Organizations: Budapest CNN, Gresham, Budapest –, Central European University, CNN, “, Gresham Life Assurance Company, Nouveau, Venezia Café, Four, CNN Travel, Europeans, d’Or, Hollywood Locations: Budapest, Hungarian, Buda, Pest, Óbuda, “ Buda, Gresham, Vienna, Paris, d’Or Hungary

☆ Euro 2024: Ukraine hopes to show the ‘spirit of our nation’ at tournament
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Don Riddell | Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“We all understand that football is not the most important thing now in Ukraine,” Ukraine head coach Sergiy Rebrov tells CNN Sport. “But I think our successful performance in Europe gives our people in Ukraine positive emotions. “Before [the war], when you’re fighting on the pitch, you are thinking only about the result. The team hopes to provide Ukraine with some respite from the war during the tournament. “Everybody from Ukraine […] is trying to help each other, trying to help our defenders, trying to help the volunteers,” Rebrov says.

Persons: It’s, Sergiy Rebrov, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Rebrov, Rafal Oleksiewicz, Mykhailo Mudryk, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Rebrov, “, ”, Strangmann, UEFA’s, Sergei Gapon, Zelensky, Oleksandr Usyk, Elina Svitolina Organizations: CNN, Romania, Ukraine, ”, CNN Sport, “, Chelsea, European, Getty, UN, Rights Locations: Ukraine, ” Ukraine, Europe, England, Italy, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Iceland, Belgium, Slovakia, Ukraine –, AFP, Ukrainian, Russia, Germany, Kharkiv

☆ Putin could struggle to end the war in Ukraine because it's making some poor Russians richer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's war against Ukraine has improved conditions for some poor Russians. War-related activities drive economic resilience, with 3.6% GDP growth last year. High interest rates and military focus pose risks to Russia's economic stability. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussia's war against Ukraine has made some poor Russians better off, complicating any calculus over how to end it.

Persons: — Organizations: Service Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ New Historical Fiction: Witch Hunts, Wartime and Mysterious Murders
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Alida Becker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Opinion: Literary protest against the war in Gaza has gone off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Opinion Ilene Prusher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Ilene Prusher Jordana MillerBut something about this year’s Jerusalem International Writers Festival, which was held late last month, was off. The festival’s artistic director, Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler, thought about whether the beloved book festival should happen this year at all. A shadow over the literary worldExamples abound of how fallout from the ongoing war is casting a shadow over the literary world. To be sure, these are not the only cancelations the literary world has experienced related to the war; nor are Jewish writers the only ones who have faced controversy. From the start of this war, it seems I’m much more therapist than writer,” she read in a lilting Hebrew.

Persons: Prusher Jordana Miller, Julia Fermentto, —, ”, Baillie Gifford, Suzanne Nossel, “, Nicholas Kristof, Miriam Libicki, they’re, Sir Simon Schama —, Benjamin Netanyahu, ’, John Irving, Covid, Tzaisler, Harry Potter, Noya Dan, Eshkol Nevo, I’m Organizations: Florida Atlantic University, CNN, Jerusalem CNN, Writers, PEN America, PEN, AP, New York Times, Jerusalem Writers, soccer, European Championship, Columbia University, Hay Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, Hay, Wye, Wales, Vancouver, Scotland, Europe, British, Iraq, Iraqi

☆ The US expands sanctions against Russia-friendly institutions as Treasury chief Janet Yellen says the Kremlin is 'desperate' for outside help
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewForeign financial institutions engaged in Russia's wartime economy are now at greater risk of secondary sanctions, as the Treasury Department's ability to blacklist institutions just got a boost. The update, announced Wednesday, also unveiled fresh sanctions against 300 individuals and entities accused of fueling Moscow's war in Ukraine and helping it circumvent sanctions. "Russia's war economy is deeply isolated from the international financial system, leaving the Kremlin's military desperate for access to the outside world," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, quoted in the report. The new announcement comes as Russia's wartime activity has kept its economy afloat while its partnership with China has only grown. AdvertisementA handful of stock exchanges in Moscow are also restricted, meant to prevent investors from profiting from Russia's war through defense firms and other corporations.

Persons: —, Janet Yellen, that's Organizations: Service, Treasury, Business, United Arab, Financial Times, West Locations: Ukraine, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Russia, China, Russian, Moscow

☆ Israel thrust between far-right support and Gaza cease-fire, as Netanyahu rival quits war cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Amir Levy | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIsrael's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz resigned from the emergency government, dealing a decisive blow which is expected to entrench Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deeper into a far-right support base that opposes a cease-fire in Gaza. A former chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, centrist Gantz co-founded and led the National Unity party that joined Netanyahu's emergency government after the outbreak of the Gaza war. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cabinet minister Benny Gantz during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. And the prime minister himself. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel, Israeli official figures say, since the start of the Gaza conflict.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Amir Levy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz, Netanyahu, Regrettably, Yoav, Gallant, entreat Gantz, Yair Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Lapid, Eran Etzion, Etzion, Jack Guez, Nimrod Goren, Goren, Itamar Ben Organizations: Getty, entrench, Israeli Defense Forces, National Unity, Gaza, Palestinian, Hamas, Reuters, Defense, Criminal, Gaza's Ministry of Health, Israel's National Security Council, CNBC, Ultra, Sheba Tel, HaShomer Medical Centre, Afp, Middle East Institute, U.S, Jewish Power Party Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Rafah, Sheba, Ramat Gan, of Israel

☆ As His Political Alliance Breaks Up, Netanyahu Faces a Battle at Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still fighting Israel’s outside enemies on multiple fronts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu woke up on Monday to a new political battlefield at home. The departure this weekend of Benny Gantz and his centrist National Unity party from Israel’s emergency wartime government is unlikely to immediately sever Mr. Netanyahu’s grip on power. Mr. Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, another powerful member of National Unity, also left Mr. Netanyahu’s small war cabinet. Mr. Gantz accused Mr. Netanyahu of “political procrastination,” suggesting that he had been putting off critical strategic decisions to ensure his political survival. His decision to quit the wartime government ushers in a new period of political instability and left many Israelis wondering where the country goes from here.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gantz’s, Netanyahu, Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, Israel, Mr Organizations: National Unity Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, Israel’s, Lebanon

CNN —Three hostages rescued by the Israeli military during a deadly raid in Gaza were held captive by a journalist, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged Sunday, without providing evidence to support their claim. More than 200 people were killed in the Israeli raid, according to Gazan authorities. The four rescued hostages are in “good medical condition” and are receiving medical attention, according to the IDF. More than 70 hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’ deadly surprise attack on October 7 are believed to be alive. More than 100 hostages were freed under a temporary truce last year, while Israel has rescued seven hostages by military means.

Persons: Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv, Abdallah Aljamal, Noa Argamani, Aljamal, Ramy Abdu, Israel, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera’s, ” Aljamal, Aljamal’s, “, Argamani Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Nova, IDF, Human Rights, Al, Palestine, Foreign Ministry, Palestinian Ministry of Labor, Residents, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Locations: Gaza, Al Jazeera, Qatar, Al, Aqsa, Israel

☆ Here’s what we learned from the European elections as a far-right surge upends national politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Far-right parties across the continent had strong showings, but their momentum did not cause the center ground of European politics to cave in – as many had predicted. Those gains did materialize; far-right groups were expected to secure a record number of seats in the European Parliament, dealing a major blow to the continent’s establishment leaders. Most of the far-right gains were concentrated in countries that elect large numbers of seats: France, Italy and Germany. Several other far-right parties are among the non-aligned (NI) group, predicted to secure 45 seats. The center holdsDespite a far-right surge, the centrist European People’s Party (EPP) was the biggest single winner on Sunday night.

Persons: –, Maximilian Krah, Ursula von der Leyen, ”, Von der Leyen, ” Von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le, ” Macron, Marion Maréchal, Jordan Bardella, Alexander De Croo, ” De Croo, Meloni, Tusk, Giorgia Meloni, Brothers, Benito Mussolini, von der Leyen, Donald Tusk’s, Viktor Orbán, Bas Organizations: CNN, Green, Nazi, European People’s Party, EPP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists, Commission, Ukraine, Marine, Assembly, French, Ministry, Italy’s, Italy, Law and Justice, PiS, European, Fidesz, Greens, Bas Eickhout, EFA, European Green Party, European Commission Locations: –, France, Europe, Italy, Germany, Brussels, France’s, “, Ukraine, Poland

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