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☆ Biden Holds Call With Key Western Allies, Pope to Discuss Israel-Hamas War
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

The White House reported Biden's separate calls with the Western leaders, Netanyahu and Pope Francis amid growing fears that the Israel-Hamas war could mushroom into a wider Middle East conflict as Israel pounded Gaza and clashes on its border with Lebanon intensified. It was not immediately clear why Biden's call with the Western leaders did not include Japan. Biden convened a virtual meeting of the G7 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Biden and the Catholic leader discussed "the need to prevent escalation in the region and to work toward a durable peace in the Middle East," the White House said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Andrea Shalal, Kanishka Singh, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Pope Francis, Biden, Nick Zieminski, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, Sunday, Hamas, White Locations: Kanishka Singh REHOBOTH BEACH , Delaware, Israel, Palestinian, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Gaza, Lebanon, Japan, Morocco, Ukraine, Washington

A strike on a house near the Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza, killed several Palestinians and wounded others, according to media reports. Israel has amassed tanks and troops near the fenced border around Gaza for a planned ground invasion aiming to annihilate Hamas. [1/5]An Israeli flag flutters from a self-propelled howitzer near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 22, 2023. Netanyahu also held a phone call with the leaders of France, Spain and the Netherlands late on Sunday, the Israeli leader's office said. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will visit Israel on Monday and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Tuesday.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Lloyd Austin, ABC's, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Pope Francis, Mark Rutte, Emmanuel Macron, Nidal al, Emily Rose, Phil Stewart, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Biden, Health, Iranian, Pentagon, . Defense, Reuters, Iran, REUTERS, Hezbollah, GAZA Palestinian, White, Israel, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Lebanon, Washington, Iran, U.S, Tehran, Islamic Republic, Syria, Israeli, Damascus, Aleppo, Rafah, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Dutch, Jerusalem

☆ US easing Venezuela oil sanctions after election deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday broadly eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to a 2024 election deal reached between the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition. Treasury is prepared to amend or revoke the authorizations at any time if representatives of President Nicolas Maduro fail to follow through on their commitments in the deal with the opposition, it added. The changes include the issuance of a six-month general license for the oil and gas sector in Venezuela and another general license authorizing dealings with Minerven – the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company. The frontrunner in an opposition primary scheduled for Sunday, Maria Corina Machado, is barred from office for 15 years as of June.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Biden, Minerven, Maria Corina Machado, Donald Trump, Maduro, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Josie Kao, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Treasury Department, U.S . State Department, Reuters, Washington, Biden, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Facebook-owner Meta Platforms (META.O) on Wednesday introduced temporary measures to limit "potentially unwelcome or unwanted comments" on posts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The social media company added it will disable the ability to see the first one or two comments on posts while scrolling the Facebook feed. Earlier this week, some users who posted in support for Palestine or Gaza citizens accused Meta of suppressing their content. Other Instagram users reported their posts and stories about Palestine were not receiving views. "This bug affected accounts equally around the globe – not only people trying to post about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza – and it had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content," Meta said.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Instagram, Katie Paul, Sheila Dang, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Meta, Wednesday, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Israel, Palestine, Gaza, New York, Austin

☆ UN Security Council to vote Wednesday on Israel-Gaza conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows houses and buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council will now vote on Wednesday on a Brazilian-drafted resolution that calls for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip. The 15-member council had initially been due to vote Monday on the Brazilian draft, but it was postponed 24 hours to allow more time to negotiate. It was unclear if the United States, a veto-power who traditionally shields its ally Israel from any Security Council action, would allow the resolution to pass. Instead of calling for a ceasefire, it calls for humanitarian pauses in the conflict to allow aid access to Gaza.

Persons: Anas, Riyad Mansour, Israel's U.N, Gilad Erdan, Joe Biden, Israel, Michelle Nichols, Kanishka Singh, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security Council, Hamas, United Arab, Islamic Jihad, Jihad, Israel, Thomson Locations: Jabalia, Gaza, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Palestinian, United States, Israel's

Actor Alec Baldwin departs his home, as he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust", in New York, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - New Mexico prosecutors on Tuesday said they intended to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Baldwin has said he is not responsible for Hutchins' death and he did not pull the trigger. We will answer any charges in court," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, lawyers for Baldwin, said in a statement. Morrissey said if new testing of the gun showed it was working, she would recharge Baldwin.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, David, Dee, Delgado, Rust, Kari Morrissey, Baldwin, Hutchins, Joel Souza, ” Morrissey, Jason Lewis, Luke Nikas, Alex Spiro, Hannah Gutierrez, Morrissey, Kanishka Singh, Andrew Hay, Donna Bryson, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, FBI, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, New Mexico, Washington, Taos , New

☆ Scientists propose sweeping new law of nature, expanding on evolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Evolution occurs, it holds, when these various configurations are subject to selection for useful functions. "We have well-documented laws that describe such everyday phenomena as forces, motions, gravity, electricity and magnetism and energy," Hazen said. The subsequent generation of stars that formed from the remnants of the prior generation then similarly forged almost 100 more elements. "Imagine a system of atoms or molecules that can exist in countless trillions of different arrangements or configurations," Hazen said. "Only a small fraction of all possible configurations will 'work' - that is, they will have some useful degree of function.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Robert Hazen, Hazen, Michael Wong, Jonathan Lunine, Will Dunham, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Carnegie Institution for Science, National Academy of Sciences, Carnegie, Cornell, Thomson Locations: British

☆ EU seeks to ease US tariff, green subsidy threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has asked Brussels to move against Chinese steel producers in particular in return for avoiding the re-imposition of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, with an end-October deadline to reach an agreement. Those subsidies, largely in the IRA, have irked EU countries because they contain local content requirements. Half of the tax break is reliant on extraction of processing of critical minerals taking place in a country with which the United States has a free trade agreement. The EU is hoping that the summit will also yield an agreement on critical minerals - cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese and nickel - that would benefit EU suppliers. EU exports to the United States of these minerals or products principally containing them totalled 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion) in 2022, Eurostat data shows.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Philip Blenkinsop, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: European Union, Trump, U.S, European Commission, European Council, Washington, WTO, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Brussels, China, United States, U.S, North America, EU

☆ Blinken, seeking aid breakthrough, in marathon talks with Israel's Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks at The Kirya, Israel's Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 16, 2023. Blinken, Israel's leading diplomat, was on the fifth consecutive day of round-the-clock diplomacy in the region, shuttling back to Israel after visiting six Arab countries in four days. Blinken, seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading, arrived in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,300 people in Israel. Speaking to reporters earlier after meeting Blinken, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "This will be a long war; the price will be high. Miller said Blinken discussed humanitarian coordination with Netanyahu at an earlier meeting.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Jacquelyn Martin, Benjamin Netanyahu's, blaring, Israel's, Blinken, Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, Miller, —, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Jasper Ward, Simon Lewis, Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Lisa Shumaker, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel's Ministry of Defense, REUTERS Acquire, Israeli, Defense Ministry, Blinken, State, Israel, Washington, U.S, Marine, UN Office, of Humanitarian Affairs, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Egypt, Rafah, Bataan, United States

☆ Auction features items from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ Jackie Kennedy, British royals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“They're very rare,” said David Lowenherz, the owner of Lion Heart Autographs, the collectors running this auction. “They are virtually unheard of in any kind of...private collection,” he said of the printed scores that were using during the production of the 1939 classic. The auction, the largest Lion Heart Autographs has held and due to run until Nov. 1, includes other memorabilia. A holiday card issued by the royal family in 1980 and signed by the Queen Mother shows her standing beside her daughters, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. Another item is a 1987 letter by Jackie Kennedy, wife of former President John F. Kennedy, on plans for Pennsylvania Avenue and signed, “affectionately, Jackie.”The auction also features a letter signed by Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who founded the modern state of Israel in 1948.

Persons: Oz, ”, Jackie Kennedy, Queen Mother, Ray Bolger, They’re, “, David Lowenherz, Lion, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, John F, Kennedy, Jackie, Israel’s, David Ben, Gurion, Giuseppe Verdi, English, Anna Bishop, Claude Monet, Napoleon Bonaparte’s, Alicia Powell, Christina Anagnostopoulos, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Pennsylvania, Neapolitan Press, Thomson Locations: Oz, Israel, Italian, Russia

☆ Albemarle pushed into corner, dumps $4.2 billion lithium play for Liontown
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S.-based miner Albemarle (ALB.N) said it had dumped a A$6.6 billion ($4.16 billion) buyout bid for Australian lithium developer Liontown Resources (LTR.AX), in part because of "growing complexities" around the transaction. Liontown went into trading halt just after making the announcement to the market, pending a finalisation of funding for its flagship Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia, which is due to start producing lithium next year. Liontown had last week granted the world's biggest lithium chemical maker an extra week to examine its books and allow Albemarle to put forward a binding offer. "Our engagement with the Liontown team has been meaningful and productive. Hancock has not yet approached Liontown which until now has been under an exclusivity deal with Albemarle, the source added.

Persons: Ernest Scheyder, Albemarle, Hancock, Gina Rinehart, Liontown, Kathleen Valley, Kent Masters, Melanie Burton, Scott Murdoch, Rishav Chatterjee, Lisa Shumaker, Sandra Maler, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Liontown Resources, Ford Motor, LG Energy, Thomson Locations: Silver, , Nevada, U.S, Albemarle, Western Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Taylor Swift concert film nabs over $95 million at domestic theaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fans pass by an image of Taylor Swift as they enter a cinema to watch Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert movie in Mexico City, Mexico October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Taylor Swift's movie of her Eras Tour concert dominated theaters over the weekend with $95 million to $97 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, according to estimates from distributor AMC Theatres (AMC.N) on Sunday. The movie, called "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour", set the record for a concert film, easily surpassing the $29.5 million collected by "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" over its first three days in 2011. If current estimates hold, Swift's film will fall short of the most bullish projections from box office analysts, who had forecast a domestic opening of $100 million to $140 million. Swift said on Wednesday that she was adding extra showtimes and early screenings on Thursday to meet demand.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor, Alexandre Meneghini, Justin Bieber, Swift, Lisa Richwine, Bill Berkrot, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, AMC, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, Hollywood

☆ US Senators to Travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia to Push Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators will travel to the Middle East to encourage Israel and Saudi Arabia to continue talks on normalizing relations, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Graham said he will go to Saudi Arabia and Israel in "coming days" with a group of senators to urge the U.S.-backed deal to move forward after the Hamas attack on Israel upended negotiations. "There's a desire by both parties to move forward," on the plan, Graham said. (Reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Lindsey Graham, Graham, Heather Timmons, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: WASHINGTON, Press Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Carolina, U.S

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. [1/5]Smoke rises in the air following Israeli bombings in Gaza, as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amir Cohen, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Nidal, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, REUTERS, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Gaza CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ Gaza Border Crossing Set to Reopen as Israeli Troops Prepare Ground Assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. U.S. government officials say they are mobilizing to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, anticipating a brutal ground offensive. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Nandita Bose, Nidal, Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Mughrabi, Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA Locations: Mughrabi CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ Box office hero: Taylor Swift concert film dominates at theaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LOS ANGELES, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Pop singer Taylor Swift ruled movie box offices over the weekend as her concert film transformed darkened theaters into dance floors and hauled in an estimated $126 million-plus around the world. Moviegoers dressed in concert T-shirts and sequins for screenings of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour." That would surpass the $73 million that Justin Bieber's 2011 release "Never Say Never," the current record holder for a concert film, collected over its entire run. "This is a superstar debut," Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co., said of Swift's film. Fans pass by an image of Taylor Swift as they enter a cinema to watch Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert movie in Mexico City, Mexico October 13, 2023.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber's, Jeff Bock, Taylor, Alexandre Meneghini, Swift, Stephanie Gaudette, CinemaScore, Beyonce, Lisa Richwine, Bill Berkrot, Lisa Shumaker, Deepa Babington Organizations: Hollywood, AMC, Relations, REUTERS, Ticketmaster, Theatre, SoFi, Rotten, National Association of Theatre Owners, Thomson Locations: Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico City, Mexico, Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ President Abbas says Hamas' actions do not represent Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsOct 15 (Reuters) - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the actions and policies of Islamist group Hamas do not represent Palestinian people, according to official news agency WAFA. In a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Abbas also called the Palestine Liberation Organization the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," WAFA said. "The president affirmed his rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners and detainees on both sides," added the news agency. Reporting by Hatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Deepa Babington and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Brendan McDermid, Nicolas Maduro, Abbas, WAFA, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Deepa Babington, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, Palestinian, WAFA, Venezuelan, Palestine Liberation Organization, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Palestine

☆ Exclusive: Upcoming US rules on AI chip exports aim to stop workarounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The new rules will block some AI chips that fall just under current technical parameters while demanding companies report shipments of others, said the official, who provided information on condition of anonymity. Last year, government restrictions kept Nvidia (NVDA.O), the world's most valuable chipmaker, from shipping two of its most advanced AI chips to Chinese customers, chips that have become the industry standard for developing chatbots and other AI systems. The U.S. now plans to introduce new guidelines for AI chips that will restrict certain advanced datacenter AI chips not currently captured, the official said. The update to the October 2022 rules is also meant to cover AI chips as technology evolves. The new restrictions may also close a loophole that gives Chinese companies access to American artificial intelligence chips through Chinese units located overseas, as Reuters reported last week.

Persons: Florence Lo, Biden, Karen Freifeld, Max A, Chris Sanders, Lisa Shumaker, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Reuters, U.S . Department of Commerce, Nvidia, The, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, The U.S, Beijing

☆ US senators to travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia to push deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) looks on during a news conference on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., September 14, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators will travel to the Middle East to encourage Israel and Saudi Arabia to continue talks on normalizing relations, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Graham said he will go to Saudi Arabia and Israel in "coming days" with a group of senators to urge the U.S.-backed deal to move forward after the Hamas attack on Israel upended negotiations. "There's a desire by both parties to move forward," on the plan, Graham said. Reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lindsey Graham, Tom Brenner, Graham, Heather Timmons, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Press, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Carolina, U.S

An Israeli Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) is obscured as it whips up dust near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023. Gaza authorities say more than 2,200 people have been killed there, a quarter of them children. Iran has spoken of "far reaching consequences" if Israel's "war crimes and genocide" are not stopped. The message came late on Saturday after Axios reported that Tehran had told Israel - in a message sent via the U.N. - that it would have to respond if Israel carries out its expected ground offensive. He also said he wanted to make sure the civilian population that remained in Gaza had access to food, water and safe shelter, telling CNN that Israeli officials recently restored access to water in parts of Gaza.

Persons: Ronen, Axios, Jake Sullivan, John Kirby, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Biden, Lindsey Graham, Abdel Fattah El, State Anthony Blinken, Nandita Bose, Katharine Jackson, Christopher Bing, Raphael Satter, Lisa Shumaker, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Carrier, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, White House, CBS, White House National Security, Fox News, White, Republican, State, Department, NBC, CNN, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Lebanese, Iran, Tehran, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Washington

☆ Hamas critique removed from Palestinians' Abbas comments on Israel attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. The comments, published by WAFA on its website, came during a phone call between Abbas and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Abbas' Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He has long been opposed to Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007 and ousted Fatah party forces loyal to Abbas. Abbas also heads the PLO, the umbrella group that represented the Palestinians in past U.S.-sponsored peace talks with Israel.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Brendan McDermid, WAFA, Abbas, Nicolas Maduro, Fatah, Rami Ayyub, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Deepa Babington, Lisa Shumaker, Sonali Paul Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, Palestinian, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Gaza, Israel

Joseph M. Czuba poses for a police booking photograph after being arrested by the Will County Sheriff's Office in Illinois, U.S., in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on October 15, 2023. Will County Sheriff/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 15 (Reuters) - An Illinois man was charged with hate crimes for stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy to death and wounding his mother in an attack that targeted them for their religion and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, officials and Muslim rights activists said on Sunday. The boy was stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife with a 7-inch (18-cm) serrated blade, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The suspect, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the sheriff's office said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) identified the boy as Wadea Al-Fayoume and said the woman, Hanaan Shahin, was his mother.

Persons: Joseph M, Joseph Czuba, Czuba, Wadea, Hanaan Shahin, Christopher Wray, we've, Wray, Daniel Trotta, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, Will County Sheriff, REUTERS Acquire, Czuba, Islamic Relations, FBI, International Association of Chiefs, Police, Thomson Locations: Will, Illinois, U.S, Will County, An Illinois, Israel, Plainfield Township, Chicago, San Diego, Carlsbad , California

Scalise, the No.2 House Republican, had secured his party's nomination to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy but was still short of the 217 votes needed to be elected on the House floor, as several of his fellow Republicans said they would not support him. "I just shared with my colleagues that I was withdrawing my name as a candidate for our speaker designee," Scalise told reporters. Jordan has encouraged his supporters to vote for Scalise, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump in an interview with Fox News Radio earlier on Thursday said he did not object to Scalise as speaker. I mean, he's got to get better for himself," he said in an interview with Fox News Radio.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy, Scalise, McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Donald Trump, Trump, Steve, he's, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Richard Cowan, Makini Brice, Andy Sullivan, Costas Pitas, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Republican, U.S . House, Representatives, House Republican Conference, Palestinian, Republicans, Scalise, Fox News, Fox News Radio, Thomson Locations: U.S, WASHINGTON

☆ Israel and Hamas at war: Latest news
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United Nations World Food Programme said crucial supplies were running dangerously low in Gaza after Israel imposed a total blockade. * When Israel called up its reservists and declared war this week, the response was swift and overwhelming. [1/6]Israeli soldiers patrol following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, in southern Israel, October 11, 2023. * What are global firms with a presence in Israel doing after the Hamas attack? * Israel has raised $200 million in diaspora bonds since the war with Hamas began, Israel Bonds said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Kan, East Jerusalem's, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Violeta Santos Moura, Donald Trump, Netanyahu, Tayyip Erdogan, Wang Yi, Mohammed Deif, upends, Kazuo Ueda, Israel Bonds, Kristalina Georgieva, Stephen Farrell, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, Food Programme, West Bank, Rights Watch, Britain, Royal Navy, REUTERS, White, Republican, Bank of Japan, * Airlines, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Washington, Israel, East, East Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Lebanon, Egypt, Sinai, Sderot, Palestinian, Paris, Israeli, Jerusalem, Saudi, Lincoln

Republicans can afford no more than four defections as they control the House by a narrow 221-212 margin. 'AT A STANDSTILL'Several Republicans said they would stick with Jordan, who lost to Scalise in a secret-ballot vote on Wednesday. Jordan has encouraged his supporters to vote for Scalise, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Democrats have backed their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, in past speaker votes and are expected to do so again. Trump in an interview with Fox News Radio on Thursday said he did not object to Scalise as speaker.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Scalise, Thomas Massie, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ”, Steve Womack, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Trump, Steve, he's, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Richard Cowan, Makini Brice, Costas Pitas, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Republican, U.S . House, Representatives, House Republican Conference, Palestinian, Scalise, Republicans, Democratic, Fox News Radio, Thomson Locations: U.S, WASHINGTON

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