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Asian productions or nominees with a predominantly Asian cast have been making headway at the Academy Awards in recent years. South Korean thriller “Parasite” made history in 2020 as the first non-English language movie to win best picture, alongside three further awards. "The Boy and the Heron" producer Toshio Suzuki speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles on March 11, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesFor others, the award offered Japan a boost after a rough start to the year. Kelts, the Japan-based author, said the second Oscar win showed the Academy had recognized Miyazaki’s artistic genius and that Japanese animation is far from solely entertainment.

Persons: CNN —, Hayao Miyazaki, ”, Huy Quan, Malaysia’s Michelle Yeoh, Heron ”, Ghibli’s, “, Roland Kelts, Miyazaki, Richard Harbaugh, Toshio Suzuki, ‘, ’ Suzuki, Suzuki, ” Suzuki, Richard A, Brooks, Tatsuji Nojima, “ Oscar, Takashi Yamazaki, Fumio Kishida, Yamazaki, ” Kishida, Hideaki Omura, Godzilla’s, Chris Hemsworth, Anya Taylor, Joy, Patrick T, Fallon, Kelts Organizations: CNN, Academy, Sony Pictures, Culture, Oscar Academy, Ghibli, Japan’s, NHK, Getty, Japan, Sunday, Gov, Hollywood, American, Waseda University Locations: Japan, America, Vietnam, ” Tokyo, Hollywood, Los Angeles, AFP, Aichi prefecture, Miyazaki, Japanese, Ishikawa, Tokyo

HONOLULU (AP) — Local officials in Hawaii next month plan to open an office that will speed up Maui County's notoriously slow processing of building permits to help the town of Lahaina to recover from last year's deadly wildfire. The new permitting center will help private developers building five separate projects with a combined total of more than 500 housing units. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is building 169 temporary housing units for displaced residents and is renting 1,300 units from landlords. The state of Hawaii is building about 450 temporary housing units, including 270 that will be ready by July or August. The state's temporary units are expected to be used for three to five years.

Persons: Keanu Lau Hee, Lau Hee, “, ” Organizations: —, Maui, University of Hawaii, Federal Emergency Management Agency Locations: HONOLULU, Hawaii, Lahaina, we’re, Maui County

CNN —Two police stations near Haiti’s National Palace were attacked by armed individuals Friday night, as gang violence in the Caribbean nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince continued to spiral. Armed groups have burned down police stations and released thousands of inmates from two prisons, and Cherizier has warned of “a civil war that will end in genocide” if the prime minister does not step down. A woman cries as she walks near her husband's shop that armed gang members set fire to in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, 2024. Haiti is a member state, but it is unclear if Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry will be at the meeting. CNN has reached out to the Haitian prime minister’s office for comment.

Persons: Prince, Jimmy Cherizier, Ariel Henry’s, Cherizier, Henry, Synapoha, ” Stephane Dujarric, Clarens Siffroy, Sophie Mealier, Pierre Espérance, Ariel Henry, Jim Rogers, Rafy Rivera, Michael Conte, Abel Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Kenya, Kenyan, Haitian, Port, Caribbean Port Services, UN, Getty, Haitian Human Rights Defense Network, CARICOM, Caribbean Locations: Haiti’s, Caribbean, Port, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Prince, Haiti, AFP, Region, Prince’s, Canada, Kingston

Tokyo CNN —Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the enormously popular and influential Dragon Ball series, died of a brain condition last week at the age of 68, his production studio said Friday. He made his debut as a cartoonist in 1978 by submitting a short story to manga fans’ magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. A Dragon Ball Z graphic seen at the NiceOne Barcelona Gaming & Digital Experiences Festival in 2019. Paco Freire/Sipa/APHis “Dragon Ball” series went on to be featured in the same magazine in 1984 and was front and center of a creative career that spanned more than four decades. “Dragon Ball was my textbook for life.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Akira Toriyama, Toriyama, Son Goku, Dragon, “, Paco Freire, Goku, Shen Long, Yuji Horii, he’s, ”, Eiichiro Oda, Toriyama “, ” Oda, Ball Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Bird Studio, Capsule Corporation, Barcelona, Hollywood Locations: Kiyosu City, Aichi

☆ Article 23: Hong Kong unveils its second national security law, aligning city more closely with mainland China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong’s government unveiled a new suite of powerful national security laws on Friday that critics and foreign governments warn could deepen the ongoing crackdown in the city and further undermine its reputation as an international business hub. They point to the application of national security laws in mainland China as well as in Hong Kong where a Beijing-imposed national security law has already transformed the once outspoken city since 2020, silencing almost all dissent and jailing dozens of political opponents. The new draft Hong Kong law – known locally as Article 23 – is aimed at “filling the loopholes” left by the Beijing-imposed version enacted in 2020, according to the Hong Kong government. But the atmosphere in Hong Kong this time around is very different. Many of the city’s leading pro-democracy figures are in jail either convicted or facing charges under the 2020 national security law.

Persons: ”, Hong Kong’s, –, John Lee –, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, China’s Communist Party, Chinese Communist Party, Authorities, Security, US Department of State Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hong, United States

☆ MH370 investigation: 10 years on, is the world any closer to finding Malaysia Airlines flight?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

A helicopter takes off from Chinese warship Jinggangshan during an early search for the missing Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight 370 on March 11, 2014. Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight 370 dropped off the radar shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur in the small hours of March 8, 2014. Families of passengers from China and Malaysia on board MH370 during a remembrance event commemorating the 10th anniversary of its disappearance, in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, on March 3, 2024. Hasnoor Hussain/ReutersAviation experts tell CNN that improved detection technology will likely bring families closer to the missing plane than they ever have been, if a search were to be relaunched. Phoenix Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21 is craned over the side of Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 on April 14, 2014.

Persons: MH370, Jiang Hui, ” Jiang, “, ”, Jiang Cuiyun, It’s, V.P.R Nathan, Anne Daisy, Hasnoor Hussain, Anthony Loke, Grace Subathirai Nathan, Adli Ghazali, Oliver Plunkett, it’s, ” Geoffrey Thomas, AirlineRatings.com, Leut Kelli Lunt, Richard Quest, Richard Godfrey, Godfrey, Fred Dufour, AirlineRatings’s Thomas, ” Godfrey, “ I’m, Sarah Bajc, Phil Wood, Bajc, Jiang Organizations: CNN, Malaysia Airlines, Reuters, Reuters Aviation, Malaysian, Transport, Malaysian Transport, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Boeing, Underwater, Australian Defense, Australia Department of Defence, CNN’s, Aviation, Radio, British Aerospace, MH370, British Locations: Beijing, China, Kuala Lumpur, Africa, Malaysia, Subang Jaya, United States, Madagascar, Putrajaya, Australia, Malaysian, Perth, AFP, Asia, Panama, Zhuji

☆ Michael ‘Venom’ Page: Explosive knockouts, unique fighting style and a love for dancing - meet the UFC’s newest debutant
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Twelve years on, the fighter from London will make his UFC debut against Kevin Holland on March 9 at UFC 299. “But the fighting style, I’d say that comes from, it’s part of my personality. I love to dance, love to smile, just loud, a bit more like outgoing.”Page is hoping a UFC welterweight title fight against Leon Edwards could happen in the future. While some of his family members gave up competitive fighting as the years went by, Page stuck with it. And I don’t think it’s happened before, two UK fighters fighting for a UFC title,” said Page.

Persons: Michael Page, Anderson Silva, Kevin Holland, ”, it’s, ” Page, There’s, Leon Edwards, Chris Unger, Lau, Page, London Shootfighters, Shootfighters, “, ’, Logan Storley, Zac Goodwin, Dwayne ‘, ’ Johnson, Evangelista Santos, Michael ‘ Venom, Williams Paul, –, he’s, he’ll, Holland, what’s, Briton Leon Edwards, Michael ‘ Venom ’, Vera Organizations: CNN, YouTube, UFC, CNN Sport, London, Press Association, WWE, ‘, Holland, TNT Sports, Turner Sports, Warner Bros, Discovery, Warner Bros . Locations: London, Caribbean, Miami

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, US airdrops, ceasefire talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

A growing number of children in Gaza are dying from dehydration and malnutrition amid desperate conditions due to Israel’s throttling of aid and destruction of the besieged enclave, reinforcing the urgency of this week’s ceasefire talks. In northern Gaza, children are starving to death and others fighting for their lives as critical supplies are held up from reaching those in need. A Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesperson said Sunday the number of children who have died of dehydration and malnutrition in northern Gaza has risen to 15. CNN cannot independently confirm the deaths of the children or their causes due to the lack of international media access to wartime Gaza. The death toll has been rising since last week when incubators and oxygen supplies at Kamal Adwan Hospital ceased to operate at night because of fuel shortages, the ministry said.

Persons: Kamal Adwan, Dr, Ashraf Al Organizations: Palestinian Ministry of Health, CNN, Kamal Locations: Gaza

The Hamouda siblings, Kareem, 2, Ella, 6, and Sila, 4, at a pre-school graduation celebration June 15, 2023. Mohammed HamoudaBefore the war, Mohammed Hamouda and his wife, Dina, would stroll along beaches in northern Gaza, where their three young children loved to swim, eat ice cream, and ride camels on the shoreline. “My children used to live a simple life. All day, we have to be by their side,” Hamouda reflected from Rafah, in southern Gaza, where they have fled. “They keep asking me about when we will go back home.”But the family has no home to go back to.

Persons: Kareem, Ella, Mohammed Hamouda, Dina, “, Hamouda, ” Organizations: CNN Locations: Sila, Gaza, Beit Lahia, Rafah

CNN —Heavy gunfire has forced flight cancellations at Haiti’s main airport and killed at least four at a police station, as the Caribbean nation grapples with surging gang violence and political instability. Haiti has been gripped by a wave of unrest and gang violence in recent years. A powerful Haitian gang leader said gun fights that broke out across Port-au-Prince on Thursday were aimed at overthrowing Henry’s government, multiple media outlets reported. An attack on Bon Repos Police Station, north of Port-au-Prince, on Thursday left at least four people dead and three wounded, a security source told CNN. The security mission, authorized by the UN, has been seen by the international community as key to contain a full-blow fallout in Haiti.

Persons: Toussaint, “, Laura Masvidal, Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Henry, Jimmy Cherizier, ”, William Ruto, Antony Blinken Organizations: CNN, American Airlines, Toussaint Louverture, Haitian airline Sunrise Airways, ”, Sunrise Airways, United Nations, UN, Office, CARICOM, Bon Repos Police, Haitian National Police, Multinational, United Nations Security Council, Kenyan, United, Haitian, police Locations: Caribbean, Miami, Port, Haiti, United, Haitian, Kenya, United States

☆ White lsland: Court orders millions in compensation for survivors of New Zealand’s deadly volcanic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Survivors scarred by severe burns testified against various companies – including Whakaari Management Ltd, which owned the island – accusing them of failing to warn them about the risks. On Friday, Judge Evangelos Thomas found both Whakaari Management Ltd and the tour operators had failed to conduct adequate risk assessment, breaking health and safety laws with devastating consequences. The owner of the island, meanwhile, failed to make sure the operators had examined the risks properly, the judge added. An image provided by visitor Michael Schade shows White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, 09 December 2019. American Matthew Urey is seen in the witness box at the Whakaari or White Island, eruption trial at the Auckland Environment Court, in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

Persons: WorkSafe, Judge Evangelos Thomas, Michael Schade, Shutterstock, Andrew, Peter, James Buttle, Thomas, “, ”, Annie Lu, Matthew Urey, Jason Oxenham Organizations: CNN, NZ, Whakaari Management, Shutterstock Whakaari Management, country’s, White, Tours, Safaris Ltd, Aerius, Kahu, Ltd, Auckland Environment Court Locations: Zealand, Auckland, WorkSafe ,, White, New, Plenty , New Zealand, Australia, United States, Malaysia, Auckland , New Zealand

☆ Bitcoin resumes its rally, ripping through $54,000 for the first time since December 2021
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The price of bitcoin shot above the $54,000 level on Monday after waking up from a week of tepid trading. At its session high, bitcoin hit $54,965.26 and reached its highest level since December 2021. "Today is settlement day for bitcoin futures, which is contributing to the price jump we're seeing," said Ryan Rasmussen, analyst at Bitwise Asset Management. "We're approaching the window where we typically see traders positioning themselves ahead of the bitcoin halving, which will happen in the second half of April. Bitcoin traded flat in the week leading up to Monday, when the breakout began, and put it on track for a 27% monthly gain.

Persons: cryptocurrency, bitcoin, Ryan Rasmussen, Ether, Solana, Polygon's, Microstrategy, Bitcoin, Owen Lau, Oppenheimer, JPMorgan's Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou Organizations: Metrics, Bitwise Asset Management, JPMorgan, CNBC PRO Locations: —

☆ Live updates: Russia-Ukraine war rages on second anniversary of invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Chris Lau | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture alliance/Getty ImagesAs Russia's war in Ukraine nears its second anniversary, world leaders continue to urge for support and aid in Ukraine. “We have learned, unfortunately, over the two years, this is not only a war against Ukraine, it's a war against the European peace order. United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the free world must renew its determination to stand behind Ukraine. “When Putin launched his illegal invasion two years ago, the free world was united in its response. And on this grim anniversary, we must renew our determination," Sunak said, according to a statement released late Friday.

Persons: Annalena Baerbock, Bernd von Jutrczenka, Vladimir, Putin, ” Baerbock, Baerbock, Rishi Sunak, “, Sunak, Laurent Bili, ”, Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Organizations: United Nations Security, Ukraine, United Nations, United, Prime, European Union, NATO, Canadian Locations: Ukraine, New York, Here's, Europe, United States, it's, Kyiv, Trudeau, Canada, Russia

London CNN —The many messages of support King Charles III received following his cancer diagnosis “reduced me to tears most of the time,” the British monarch has said in a new statement released by Buckingham Palace Friday. The King has received more than 7,000 letters and cards from across the world since his diagnosis earlier this month, the palace revealed. The British monarch also said the messages had “reduced me to tears most of the time.”Buckingham Palace announced on February 6 that the 75-year-old British King had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and would be stepping back from public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment. Though the King has stopped carrying out public engagements while he undergoes his cancer treatment, he is continuing with his duties as head of state. Alongside the statement of appreciation, Buckingham Palace on Friday also shared some of the images and videos the king has received.

Persons: King Charles III, “, ” Charles, ” Buckingham, Charles, Rishi Sunak, King, Buckingham, ”, King Charles, “ Chin Organizations: London CNN, CNN, British Locations: British, ”, London

☆ Spending in Shenzhen: Chinese used to escape to this former British colony. Now Hongkongers are heading in the opposite direction
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Chris Lau | Veronica Lin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Hong Kong CNN —With Hong Kong’s sky-high cost of living, residents like Andy Tsui have been looking for alternative ways to have more fun and spend less. Rather than spending his cash in his hometown of Hong Kong, he’s been crossing the border into mainland China to splurge instead. Such trips are noteworthy because, for much of Hong Kong’s modern history, the traffic has been largely — conspicuously, even — in the other direction. Hong Kong used to be the place where Chinese would escape to, not from. In 2023, just 26 million mainlanders — about half of the 2018 crowd — visited Hong Kong.

Persons: Andy Tsui, he’s, boba, ” Tsui, Justin Robertson, Noemi Cassanelli, CNN Hong Kong’s, Hong Kong —, misbehaving, —, ”, Steve Tsang, Hong, Shenzhen’s, Hongkongers, Gilles Sabrie, Hongkonger Eddy Lam, Lam, Cherrie Leung, Qilai Shen, Hugo Sin, “, Gary Ng, John Lee, Tsang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Shoppers, Yuen, Britain, Newspapers, Hong, Hong Kong Immigration Department, China Institute, SOAS University, Huawei, Tencent, Bloomberg, Getty, Sam’s Club, Costco, Sam’s, Walmart, Hong Kong, Shenzhen hasn’t, Xinhua, RTHK, SOAS University of London Locations: Hong Kong, China, splurge, Peking, Shenzhen, East, Hong, People’s Republic of China, British, Beijing, London, Bay Area, San Francisco , New York, Tokyo, Kowloon, Coco, Shanghai, “, Inner Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong’s, Britain, Canada, Australia, Bay, ”

☆ Nanjing fire: At least 15 killed in fire thought to have been started by electric bicycle in eastern China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Chris Lau | Akanksha Sharma | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —At least 15 people were killed in a fire thought to have been started by an electric bicycle parked at a high-rise residential building in eastern China early Friday morning, state media have reported. Forty-four people were also injured during the blaze that engulfed the 34-floor building in the eastern city of Nanjing, the media outlet CCTV said. Footage on Chinese social media showed a ball of fire spreading to the exterior of the building. The blaze was a trending topic on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, being viewed more than 470 million times by the afternoon. A fire breaks out at a residential building in Nanjing on February 23, 2024. liangyishengmagua/WeiboFaulty electric bicycles have been reportedly linked to several blazes in the country in recent years.

Persons: Chen Zhichang, “, ”, Hu Xijin, It’s, Hu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Investigations, Authorities, Nanjing, Nanjing government’s, Weibo, liangyishengmagua, Global Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Nanjing, Weibo

☆ Australian police officer charged with murdering missing couple
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An Australian police officer is facing two murder charges after allegedly killing his former boyfriend and his new partner and disposing of their bodies, which are yet to be found. New South Wales police officer Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, 28, appeared in court on Friday afternoon charged with the murders of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29. “This has now been ballistically matched to a New South Wales Police firearm … and that firearm belongs to the 28-year-old man who was charged today,” Doherty said. Police said in a statement that the off-duty officer charged was a senior constable attached to a specialist command. An NSW Court spokesperson confirmed Lamarre-Condon had appeared in Waverley court Friday charged with two counts of murder.

Persons: Beaumont Lamarre, Condon, Jesse Baird, Luke Davies, Daniel Doherty, ” Doherty, Baird, Davies, Lamarre, Doherty, van, “, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, Cronulla, . NSW Police, New South Wales Police, Police, Bondi Police Locations: New South Wales, Sydney, Paddington, New, NSW, Waverley

☆ Lixinsha Bridge, Guangzhou: Deadly boat crash snaps bridge in half in southern China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Hong Kong CNN —At least two people were killed and a crew member was injured on Thursday when a cargo ship rammed into a bridge in southern China, cutting the structure in half, according to Chinese authorities. Dramatic photographs of the aftermath circulating on Chinese social media showed the bridge split in two with the large stricken ship stationary under the structure. Police vessels were also seen at the scene. As of 10 a.m, two people were pulled to safety and three others remain missing, Chinese state news outlet the People’s Daily reported. A rescue operation is ongoing, it said.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police Locations: Hong Kong, China, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Nansha District

☆ Japan’s millennia-old ‘naked man festival’ ending because of population decline
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Chris Lau | Himari Semans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

They now face a ballooning elderly population and shrinking workforce, in a challenge to fund pensions and health care as demand from the aging population surges. Participants wearing only "Fundoshi" loincloths at the Somin-sai festival at Kokusekiji Temple in Iwate prefecture, Japan, on February 17, 2024. The Asahi Shimbun/Getty ImagesThe Somin-sai festival was one of three major “naked man” or Hadaka Matsuri festivals held in the country. It took place annually on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year at the Kokusekiji Temple in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate. Participants purify themselves with cold water on Yamauchigawa river during Somin-sai festival at Kokusekiji Temple in Iwate prefecture, Japan on February 17, 2024.

Persons: Japan’s, Daigo Fujinami, Priest, “, Kikuchi Toshiaki, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Asahi Shimbun, NHK Locations: Kokusekiji, Japan, Iwate prefecture, Iwate, Okayama prefecture, Kuronuma, Fukushima

On February 4, Messi’s absence from the match between Inter Miami and the Hong Kong XI team sparked significant backlash. Many on Weibo questioned how the star was able to make such a quick recovery three days after the Hong Kong game. Others lashed out against what they saw as disrespect for Hong Kong – and China. In Monday’s video, Messi denied that his absence was due to political reasons and reiterated that he was unable to make the game because of an inflamed adductor that had worsened the day before the game in Hong Kong. “I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China and I’ve done a lot of things in China,” Messi said in the video.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Weibo, “ I’ve, ” Messi, “, Hong Kong, XFEST, CNN’s Simone McCarthy, Chris Lau Organizations: CNN, Inter Miami, Hong Kong XI, Argentina’s, Vissel, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, Weibo, Vissel Kobe, Tokyo, China, China’s Sichuan, Beijing

☆ Comac C919: China’s homegrown passenger aircraft makes international debut
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

China calls the C919, which can carry just under 200 passengers, its first large homegrown passenger jet. It s certified to carry passengers only within mainland China and flies with China Eastern Airlines. The C919’s overseas debut comes at a time when Boeing is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. “There is a lot of interest to see the actual aircraft, how it performs and how it is in flight,” he said. “It will become a competitor in a small way, but it won’t be in the same league as Airbus and Boeing,” he said.

Persons: Cindy Koh, Shukor Yusof, ”, Edgar Su, Yusof, TransNusa Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Boeing, Airbus, Singapore Airshow, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, China Eastern Airlines, Singapore’s Economic, Board, Sunday, Max, Air, Endau, Singapore, Reuters, Center for Strategic, International Studies, American Locations: China, Hong Kong, Western, Air Alaska, United States, Washington, Hong, Victoria, Beijing, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central Asia, Indonesian

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Chris Lau | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza’s southernmost Rafah city are reportedly fleeing towards northern Deir al Balah as Israeli airstrikes intensify amid the prospect of ground operations, according to a UN body. “Intensified airstrikes on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population are crammed into less than 20 per cent of the Gaza Strip, and statements by Israeli officials about a ground operation in Gaza have reportedly led to the movement of people out of Gaza’s southernmost governorate toward Deir al Balah,” said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Earlier on Friday, former Israeli prime minister and current war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel “won’t stop” until all hostages are returned, even if that means continuing hostilities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He added that Israel is preparing for a military incursion into Gaza and will act “in dialogue” with its partners, including Egypt, and “direct the population to protected areas.”In a separate statement on Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters that Israel had “no intention” of sending Palestinians into Egypt as part of an evacuation of Rafah, the focus of its next military offensive. Gallant provided no details about a potential evacuation but said “we are thoroughly planning future operations in Rafah, which is a significant Hamas stronghold.”Israeli officials have said the military is working on a detailed plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned offensive there but have yet to share details.

Persons: Balah, “, Deir al Balah, ”, Benny Gantz, Israel “, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Gallant Organizations: UN, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Israeli Locations: Gaza’s, Rafah, Deir, Gaza, Israel, Egypt

☆ Wall Street cheers Coinbase after its first quarterly profit in 2 years, but skepticism lingers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Wall Street is celebrating Coinbase after the crypto exchange operator posted its first quarterly profit in two years. Late Thursday, Coinbase posted earnings of $1.04 per share on $954 million of revenue for the fourth quarter. "Happy days are here again" for Coinbase, as Raymond James put it, but it's not clear for how long. "That said, we maintain our U/P rating given crypto market unpredictability, lack of revenue diversification, valuation, and continued legal overhang." JPMorgan, neutral, PT $95 "Management calls spot bitcoin ETFs [a] net positive but, we're still unconvinced," said JPMorgan's Kenneth Worthington.

Persons: Coinbase, haven't, bitcoin, Raymond James, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Will Nance, revs, Jason Kupferberg, Benjamin Budish, EBITDA, underperform, Patrick O'Shaughnessy, we're, Kenneth Worthington, Keefe, KBW's Kyle Voigt, Oppenheimer, Owen Lau, Devin Ryan, Needham, John Todaro, Canaccord, Joseph Vafi, Michael Bloom Organizations: LSEG, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, " Bank of America, Bank of America, Barclays, JPMorgan, Management, SEC, Coinbase's, BTC Locations: U.S, Coinbase, Needham

☆ Momentum remains strong for Coinbase despite regulatory uncertainty, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMomentum remains strong for Coinbase despite regulatory uncertainty, analyst saysOwen Lau, executive director and senior analyst at Oppenheimer, discusses the cryptocurrency exchange's fourth-quarter results and its legal fight with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the "outcome is highly unpredictable, but I have confidence that Coinbase will fight with the SEC and probably can prevail."

Persons: Owen Lau, Oppenheimer Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC

☆ H3: Japan launches second flagship rocket a year after failed maiden attempt
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Junko Ogura | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s space agency says it has successfully launched its flagship H3 space rocket, a year after its maiden attempt ended in failure. The H3 left the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 9:22 a.m. local time on Saturday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement. H3’s maiden launch ended in failure last March when its second stage failed to ignite and its controllers issued a destruct command just 15 minutes after lift-off. That was just one of a string of problems for the maiden launch, which had already been postponed after ignition failures hit two of the rocket’s secondary booster engines. Experts say this could be used for drinking water or for fuel as humanity pushes the boundaries of space exploration in the future.

Persons: Japan’s Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Smart, Soviet Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China

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