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☆ SEC embrace of ether ETFs highlights cryptocurrency's shifting political fortunes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The newly opened door to ether ETFs is part of a larger story that dominated cryptocurrency markets last week: the industry's political tides appear to be shifting in its favor. Expectations of an approval were low as the week began, but flipped completely and suddenly last Monday — sending ether up 20% . Many are hailing FIT 21 as a landmark victory for the industry. "I'd be surprised if FIT 21 or something like it actually becomes law this year," said Thorn. It does portend a sweeping change in [the] Democratic leadership approach to this industry, and that can only help crypto."

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Rachel Lin, Oppenheimer, Owen Lau, Lau, Alex Thorn, didn't, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cynthia Lummis, I'd Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Representatives, SAB, Innovation, Technology, Futures Trading Commission, CNBC, Galaxy Digital, Senate, Gillibrand, Democratic

☆ A key ether ETF deadline arrives, but SEC's Gensler won't tip his hand on approval or denial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Circuit ruled against the SEC's denial of spot bitcoin ETFs, the regulatory agency "pivoted" and approved those funds in January. The bill sets up a regulatory framework for crypto assets. Gensler said crypto assets — and exchanges in particular exchanges — do not meet this test: "This field is not decentralized. He said crypto exchanges are "operating in ways that are conflicted in ways that traditional exchanges [are not]. Gensler says he is not against financial innovation The SEC chairman pushed back against the claim he was against financial innovation.

Persons: Gary Gensler, Eric Pan, Gensler, Joe Biden's, Pan, We'd Organizations: SEC, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Investment Company, ICI Leadership Summit, U.S ., Appeals, Representatives, Innovation, Technology, Century, Futures

☆ Abortion politics have changed so drastically that a GOP Senate candidate is airing an ad saying he would vote to codify Roe into law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden and Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to restore nationwide abortion rights since the Supreme Court issued its landmark reversal of Roe in 2022. AdvertisementHogan's position makes him one of the few prominent Republicans to support abortion rights. When he first announced his Senate run, Hogan initially said he needed to think more about his position on abortion rights. Democrats have already placed abortion rights on the Florida ballot this November. No Republican Senate is going to make a serious effort to codify Roe, given the party's near-universal support to restrict abortion rights.

Persons: —, Larry Hogan, Roe, Hogan, Wade, he's, Joe Biden, Angela Alsbrooks, Alsobrooks, David Trone, Susan Collins of, Lisa Murkowski, codifying Roe, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Court's Dodds, hasn't, it's, Trump Organizations: Service, Maryland Gov, GOP, Democrats, Business, Prince, Wine, Republicans, Press, Senate, Biden, Republican Senate Locations: Prince George's County, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska, Maryland, Florida, Arizona

☆ Opinion: Hardened like diamonds, these Gen Z protesters fight for a European future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Opinion Will Cathcart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They snatch protesters from the crowd and drag them back into a mass of black uniforms. Will Cathcart Will CathcartHundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Georgia in recent weeks to protest the government’s adoption of a Kremlin-inspired “foreign agents” bill. As with the foreign agents law, the bill’s authors claim it promotes transparency, an absurd notion. The foreign agents bill is a symptom of a deeper issue – money. The pressures of authoritarian intimidation and systematic violence have hardened Georgia’s young protestors like diamonds.

Persons: Will Cathcart, Mikheil Saakashvili, Cathcart Will Cathcart, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Hans Gutbrod, ”, Salome Zourabichvili, aren’t, Gen Z, Europe –, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Party ” –, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Shalva Papuashvili, – “, “, James O’Brien’s, Ivanishvili, Zviad Organizations: CNN, Tbilisi CNN — Riot, Georgian, Ilia State University, European Union, Getty, Global, Party, Georgian Orthodox Church, US, State, Eurasian Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, NATO, Special Forces Exchange Locations: American, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Europe, AFP, Georgian, Soviet, Russian, United States, Brussels, Washington, Moscow, EU

☆ What Donald Trump might do if he wins a second term in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewIn January 2025, Donald Trump may be sworn into office as the 47th President of the United States. Another Trump term, on the other hand, would likely entail a radical reversal from not just the previous four years, but even from Trump's first term in office. While not exhaustive, here's just some of what to expect in a second Trump administration. Miller told The New York Times that a second Trump administration would build "vast holding facilities that would function as staging centers" on "open land in Texas near the border." According to Bloomberg, Trump wants to extend those cuts in a second term.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, Trump's, That's, mifepristone, Stephen Miller, Miller, Alex Wong, Nixon, shouldn't, he's, Israel, there's Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, The New York Times, Heritage Foundation's, Senate, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Reserve, Congress, TIME, Republican, National Guard, United, Department of Justice, Capitol Police, Atlantic Treaty Organization, State Department, Pentagon, Bloomberg, American, Security, Social Security, CNBC Locations: United States, Texas, CPAC, China, Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Europe, Washington ,

☆ Georgian president vetoes ‘foreign agents’ bill after widespread opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Michael Rios | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed a controversial “foreign agents” bill that sparked weeks of widespread protests across the country. The divisive legislation would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face a fine. Opponents say the bill was modeled after similar laws in Russia that the Kremlin has used to snuff out opposition and civil society. “This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, contradicting our constitution and all European standards,” President Zourabichvili said after vetoing the bill on Saturday. Demonstrators protest against the foreign agents bill in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 13, 2024.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Zurab Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU Locations: Russia, Tbilisi , Georgia, Georgia, Soviet, Russia . Georgia, Soviet Union, Moscow, Europe, –, Ukraine

☆ Georgia’s President Vetoes Foreign Influence Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Salome Zourabichvili of Georgia said on Saturday that she had vetoed a bill on foreign influence that has sparked protests and plunged the nation into a political crisis, threatening to derail its pro-European aspirations in favor of closer ties with Russia. Georgia’s Parliament, which passed the draft law in three readings, is widely expected to override the veto. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which introduced the proposed legislation, can turn it into law as early as May 28, when the Parliament will be in session again. Mrs. Zourabichvili called her veto “symbolic,” but it still represented another step in the political conflict between the country’s pro-Western opposition, which Mrs. Zourabichvili supports, and the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012. The crisis has highlighted the highly polarized nature of Georgia’s political life.

Persons: Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili Locations: Georgia, Russia, Georgia’s, Georgian

☆ These 16 House Democrats voted to force Biden to deliver withheld aid to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read preview16 House Democrats on Thursday voted for a bill designed to force President Joe Biden to provide all military aid to Israel — or risk the defunding of crucial national security-related offices. AdvertisementRepublicans in particular have sought to hit Biden for that move, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, a Republican who voted against Israel aid but has now introduced articles of impeachment against Biden for withholding that aid. AdvertisementSince October 7, the House has taken a variety of Israel-related votes that have split House Democrats, including one that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and another that was designed to crack down on campus antisemitism but faced free speech-related criticism. Last month, 37 House Democrats voted against a bill to provide the military aid to Israel that Biden is now partially withholding. Here are the 16 House Democrats who voted for the bill:

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Israel —, Thomas Massie of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Warren Davidson, Ohio —, Biden, Cory Mills, I'm, nothing's, Jared Golden of, Greg Landsman, Ohio Organizations: Service, Democrats, Business, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, Department, Pentagon, Defense, State, National Security Council, White, . Jewish Democrats Locations: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Ohio, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Cory Mills of Florida, Jared Golden of Maine

☆ House to vote on bill to prevent Biden from withholding weapons to Israel as GOP ramps up pressure on Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Clare Foran | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The House vote has seemingly been partly designed to put pressure on Democrats and is expected to expose divisions within the party over the issue. The bill is unlikely to be taken up in the Democratic-led Senate and the White House has said that Biden would veto the bill if Congress passed it. The Biden administration on Tuesday began the early stages of a process to move ahead with a new $1 billion arms deal for Israel, according to two congressional sources. The move comes as the Biden administration has paused the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs and 500-pound bombs to Israel, citing opposition to the weapons being used in the densely populated areas of Rafah. Biden has come under extraordinary pressure, including from some members of his own party, to limit shipments of arms amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel ”, Adam Smith, “, ” Smith, ”, Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, GOP, Congress, State Department, Defense Department, National Security Council, Democratic, White, Tuesday, House Democratic, Hamas, Israel, ” Democratic, House Armed Services Committee Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Rafah

☆ In Symbolic Vote, House Passes Bill to Force Biden to Reverse Israel Arms Pause
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The House on Thursday passed a bill that would rebuke President Biden for pausing an arms shipment to Israel and compel his administration to quickly deliver those weapons, in a largely symbolic vote engineered by the G.O.P. to spotlight the left’s divisions over Israel’s conduct of its offensive against Hamas. White House officials said the president would veto it, and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said it was “not going anywhere” in the Senate. But it had its intended effect of splintering Democrats: 16 of them joined Republicans in favor of legislation that condemned their own president’s administration. The bill effectively forced Democrats to choose between a vote that would show unequivocal backing for Israel but embarrass Mr. Biden, and one that Republicans portrayed as anti-Israel.

Persons: Biden, Chuck Schumer, “, Mr Organizations: Hamas, White Locations: Israel, New York

☆ Opinion: A Russian weapon could wipe out US space edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Clayton Swope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Here, the NanoRacks-Remove Debris satellite is deployed from the International Space Station in 2018. Before revelations about Russia’s development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon, there had been indications of global recognition that the use of certain space weapons was bad for everyone. The proposed defense budget for 2025 does not reflect the scale and urgency of the need to counter space threats and protect space systems. Learning how to operate satellites in a space environment clogged with debris or increased radiation caused by a space weapon is also important. We need a two-pronged effort to prepare for the worst: Double down on efforts to protect and maintain access to space in a hostile space environment and consider how to operate without space.

Persons: Clayton Swope, Mike Turner, Estonia’s, —, Vassily Nebenzia, Frank Herbert’s Organizations: Aerospace Security, International Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CIA, CNN, Clayton, Clayton Swope Center, Strategic, United, US, Intelligence, Ohio Republican, International Space Station, NASA, GPS, Finnair, United Nations, UN, Twitter Locations: Washington , DC, Russian, United States, Russia, Ohio, Vietnam, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Tartu, China, Moscow

Tbilisi, Georgia CNN —Georgia’s parliament has passed a controversial “foreign agents” bill despite widespread domestic opposition and warnings from the European Union that its enactment would imperil the country’s chances of joining the bloc. Many Georgians fear their foreign agents bill will be used the same way in their country. Georgia’s parliament now has 10 days to send the bill to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has already vowed to veto it. However, EU leaders have made it clear that the foreign agents bill’s passage would jeopardize Georgia’s chances of accession. Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14.

Persons: Georgia CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, they’ve, Putin, ” Zourabichvili, Shakh, Levan Khabeishvili, “, ” Khabeishvili, ” Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s, Irakli, CNN’s Christian Edwards, Anna Chernova, Vasco Cotovio Organizations: Georgia CNN, European Union, EU, United, Getty, Soviet Union, Georgian, CNN, European Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Soviet, United States, Caucasus, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, AFP, Russian, Moscow

☆ Georgia passes 'Russia-style' law on foreign influence despite U.S. warnings and mass protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Georgian demonstrators protesting the controversial "foreign influence" bill stand in front of law enforcement officers blocking an area near the parliament building in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024. Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a highly controversial "Kremlin-style" law on foreign influence, despite massive protests in the country and repeated warnings from the U.S. and European Union. Members of the Georgian Parliament physically came to blows as lawmakers held the third and final reading of the so-called "foreign agents" bill, before ultimately approving the legislation. The foreign influence bill calls for media outlets, nonprofits and other nongovernmental organizations to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has previously vowed to veto the bill.

Persons: Salome Zourabichvili Organizations: Union, Georgian Locations: Tbilisi, U.S, Georgian, Soviet Union

☆ Georgia’s Parliament Gives Final Approval to ‘Foreign Agents’ Measure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Parliament of Georgia gave final approval on Tuesday to a contentious bill that has prompted a series of tense protests in the capital, Tbilisi, spurred by fears that the legislation could push the country back into the Kremlin’s orbit. President Salome Zourabichvili has promised to veto the bill. But Georgian Dream, the governing party in Georgia since 2012, has enough votes to override her veto. Georgia’s justice ministry would be given broad powers to monitor compliance. Violations would incur fines equivalent to more than $9,300.

Persons: Salome Zourabichvili Locations: Georgia, Tbilisi, Caucasus

☆ What is Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill, and why is Europe so alarmed?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Georgia’s parliament is set to pass a highly controversial so-called “foreign agents” bill that has triggered widespread protests across the former Soviet republic nestled in the Caucasus Mountains. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed law and the uproar it has caused. The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face crippling fines. About 50,000 protesters gathered in Tbilisi to protest the proposed legislation on Sunday. The proposed law is modeled after a similar one in Russia that the Kremlin has used to increasingly snuff out opposition and civil society.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Vano Shlamov, Ivanishvili, they’ve, Georgia’s, Kobakhidze, Mirian, Jake Sullivan, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Ursula von der Leyen, Anna Chernova Organizations: CNN, Getty, European, House, Washington, Georgian, EU, “ Locations: Soviet, Caucasus, Tbilisi, Here’s, Georgian, Georgia, AFP, Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Soviet Union, European Union, Georgia’s, Didn’t Georgia, Anadolu, backsliding, George, Brussels, “ Georgia

United Nations CNN —A United Nations resolution in support of Palestinian membership passed with overwhelming support on Friday, and granted new privileges to the Palestinian Authority in its current capacity as a non-member observer state. Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour at the UN in New York City on May 10, 2024. Eduardo Munoz/ReutersIn remarks before the vote, Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour spoke passionately about the plight of Palestinians in wartorn Gaza. Only member states can vote, but the Palestinian Authority can now be seated among member states in alphabetical order; submit and introduce proposals and amendments; and co-sponsor proposals and amendments. In September 2011, the Palestinian Authority failed to win UN recognition as an independent member state.

Persons: “, ”, United Nations Riyad Mansour, Eduardo Munoz, Riyad Mansour, ” Mansour, Israel Katz, Mansour, United Nations Robert Wood, Wood, United Nations Gilad Erdan, Charly Triballeau, Gilad Erdan, ” Erdan, Farhan Haq, ” Haq Organizations: United Nations CNN, Nations, Palestinian Authority, United Arab, United Nations, Palestinian, UN, Reuters, Columbia University, Authority, Security, US, Assembly, Getty Locations: Hungary, Argentina, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Israel, United States, United Arab Emirates, The State, Palestine, United, New York City, Gaza, Rafah, AFP, New York

☆ Donald Trump spends day off from his hush-money trial attacking Biden's crypto knowledge and pushing mugshot NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump spent his day off from court at a supporters' dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported. The former president hosted fans who'd bought NFTs from his "Mugshot Edition" collection. Footage from the event showed Trump claiming that Joe Biden "has no idea" what crypto is. The mugshot NFTs cost $99 apiece. AdvertisementIn one post on X, the former president is seen saying: "Can we donate to the Trump campaign using crypto?

Persons: Donald Trump, Axios, who'd, Joe Biden, —, Daniels, Joe, Trump, Crypto, Frank Degods, Biden, Gary, Gensler, you'd Organizations: Mar, Trump, Service, Biden, Securities, Exchange, SEC, cryptocurrencies

☆ U.S. Seeks to Build World Pressure on Russia Over Space Nuclear Weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

American officials are trying to increase international pressure on Russia not to deploy an antisatellite nuclear weapon in space, and have obtained information that undermines Moscow’s explanation that the device it is developing is for peaceful scientific purposes, a senior State Department official said on Friday. Concern over the Russian development of a new generation of space nuclear weapons has been growing in Washington, especially since Moscow’s veto last month of a U.N. measure aimed at keeping space free of such weapons. Some Republicans believe that the Biden administration is not doing enough to deter Russian work on the device, and others are concerned about China’s apparent decision not to pressure Moscow to stop. On Friday, Mallory Stewart, the assistant secretary of state for arms control, said that while the United States had been aware of Russia’s pursuit of such a device for years, “only recently have we been able to make a more precise assessment of their progress.”Ms. Stewart, speaking at the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the orbit the Russian satellite would occupy is in a high-radiation region not used by other satellites, information that undercuts Russia’s defense that it is not developing a weapon.

Persons: Biden, Mallory Stewart, “, Ms, Stewart Organizations: State Department, Strategic, International Studies Locations: Russia, Washington, Moscow, United States

☆ Trump doesn’t rule out political violence if he loses, and other takeaways from his Time interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Steve Contorno | Kate Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump wouldn’t dismiss the potential for political violence from his supporters if he isn’t elected in November, suggesting it would depend on the outcome of the presidential race. “I don’t think we’re going to have that,” the presumptive GOP nominee told Time magazine. It always depends on the fairness of an election.”The remarks came in a wide-ranging interview with the magazine that published Tuesday. But pressed by the magazine in a later phone interview, Trump was less definitive about the future. Throughout his political career, Trump has regularly refused to accept the results of an election or commit to a conceding defeat.

Persons: Donald Trump wouldn’t, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Trump, they’ll, ” Trump, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, Trump baselessly, Ron DeSantis, “ Will, “, Joe Biden’s, “ Donald Trump’s, ” Biden, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Roe, didn’t, Netanyahu, – Trump, Netanyahu “, Soleimani –, Evan Gershkovich “, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, bin Salman Organizations: CNN, Time, Israel, Capitol, Texas, Florida Gov, Republican, Trump, Sunshine, Hamas, Capitol Hill, “, Wall Street, Kremlin, Saudi, CIA, United Nations Locations: Lago, Florida, Washington, Iowa, Florida , Texas, Arizona, Israel, Russia, American

☆ Tiktok ban: Chinese owner Bytedance denies it’s willing to sell as US ban looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In the statement, Bytedance attached screenshots of the Information’s report, which cited three people with knowledge of deliberations. Under what is now US law, TikTok is forced to find a new owner within months or be banned from the United States entirely, its biggest market with 170 million users. The Chinese government has previously said it strongly opposes a forced sale of TikTok, and has the legal ability to do so. In particular, they worry that TikTok could share data with the Chinese government or manipulate content displayed on its platform. But as a China-based company, ByteDance is subject to a myriad of national intelligence, data security and cybersecurity laws.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ByteDance, Joe Biden, Bytedance, TikTok, Shou Chew, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, “, ByteDance, National Intelligence Law Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Israel, Ukraine, United States, India

CNN —Russia on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations resolution that proposed a ban on the use of nuclear weapons in outer space amid US intelligence-backed concerns that Moscow is trying to develop a nuclear device capable of destroying satellites. In February, President Joe Biden confirmed the US has intelligence that Russia is developing a nuclear anti-satellite capability. It also called on UN member states not to develop nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction designed to be placed in Earth’s orbit. The White House’s comments on the prospect of a Russian nuclear space weapon have deepened those concerns. Last year, Putin deployed tactical nuclear weapons to neighboring ally Belarus, and former Russian president and deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said strategic nuclear weapons could be used to defend territories incorporated into Russia from Ukraine.

Persons: Vassily Nebenzia, Joe Biden, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Beijing “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: CNN, Wednesday, United Nations, UN, Russia’s Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Japan, Beijing, China, Ukraine, Belarus

☆ Russia vetoed a US attempt to stop countries putting nukes in space — exactly what the Kremlin is accused of trying to do
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia vetoed a UN resolution led by the US and Japan to prevent a space arms race. The resolution aimed to head off the deployment of nuclear weapons in orbit. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussia vetoed a US- and Japan-led UN resolution aimed at stopping a nuclear arms space race. Russia used its Security Council veto on Wednesday to block a resolution calling on countries to work toward the "prevention of an arms race in outer space."

Persons: — Organizations: UN, US, Service, Business Locations: Russia, Japan

☆ Live Updates: Iran State-Run Media Reports Explosions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The next year, Palestine was granted the lesser status of observer at the United Nations, a level shared by the Holy See. With the war raging in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority asked the United Nations to take up its bid a second time. The Vatican has also recognized Palestinian statehood. But as the death toll has climbed in Gaza, the push for Palestinian statehood has intensified. But some have in recent months suggested that they might recognize a Palestinian state sooner.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Timothy A, Clary, Riyad Mansour, ”, Israel —, Lynsey Addario, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Biden, David Cameron, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, “ Organizations: West Bank, . Security, Palestinian, Security, United Nations, United Nations Palestine, UNESCO, Observers, General, International Court of Justice, Organization for, Chemical Weapons, General Assembly, Agence France, Palestinian Authority, Union, The New York Times Locations: Hebron, West, United, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Palestine, United States, Russia, China, Ramallah, Canada, France, Britain, Spain, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia

☆ Georgia presses on with Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill despite huge protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Christian Edwards | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Georgia’s government is attempting to force through a controversial “foreign agent” law, despite international condemnation and huge protests from its citizens. Critics of the law say is it is a Kremlin-inspired effort to undermine democracy which will damage Georgia’s bid to join the European Union. The ruling Georgian Dream party first tried to pass the bill 13 months ago, but was forced into an embarrassing climbdown following a week of intense protests. Nearly 80% of Georgians support European integration, according to a poll conducted in December by the National Democratic Institute. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Russians – especially men of service age – have fled to Georgia to avoid conscription.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, –, Irakli Gedenidze, ” Giorgi Bekurashvili Organizations: CNN, European Union, South Caucasus, “, Kremlin, EU, National Democratic Institute Locations: Soviet, Europe, United States, Tbilisi, Georgian, Russia, South, Russian, “ Russia, Georgia, Ukraine

☆ U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Bid for Recognition as Full U.N. Member State
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Yonette Joseph | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The United States blocked the U.N. Security Council on Thursday from moving forward on a Palestinian bid to be recognized as a full member state at the United Nations, quashing an effort by Palestinian allies to get the world body to back the effort. The vote was 12 in favor of the resolution and one — the United States — opposed, with abstentions from Britain and Switzerland. The United States, along with the four other permanent members of the Council, can veto any action before it. Full Palestinian membership in the U.N. would be an important if largely symbolic victory for the Palestinian Authority, which has long sought a nation-state. In 2007, the militant group Hamas drove the Palestinian Authority, which President Mahmoud Abbas leads and which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, from power in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: United States —, Riyad Mansour, Mr, Mansour, ”, Israel Katz, Vedant Patel, ” Mr, Patel, Israel’s, U.N, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas Organizations: . Security, United Nations, Terrorism, Security, State Department, Palestinian, General Assembly, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Hamas Locations: States, United States, Britain, Switzerland, Palestine, Washington, U.S, Israel, Palestinian Authority, France, Russia, China, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Oslo Accords, Lebanon, Iran

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