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☆ US defense chief hails security partnerships in Asia in face of Russia, China threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Brad Lendon | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Singapore CNN —US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday hailed the arrival of a “new convergence” in the Indo-Pacific, as the United States fortifies strategic and security partnerships in the region amid rising threats from China and Russia. “Today, we are witnessing a new convergence around nearly all aspects of security in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore. Looming large in that regional vision is a more assertive China, which Austin alluded to without mentioning it by name. Austin’s emphasis of a “new convergence” in Asia Pacific appeared to have struck a raw nerve with the Chinese delegation in the audience. Austin also reaffirmed US commitment to the Asia Pacific region, saying peace and stability across the region are crucial for the whole world.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Austin, Lai Ching, “ We’ve, We’ve, we’ve, ”, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Cao Yanzhong, “, Mr.Putin, Dong Jun, Dong, Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr Organizations: Singapore CNN — US, Saturday, “, South China Seas, Asia Pacific, NATO, Institute of War Studies, Academy of Military Sciences of, China’s, National Defense Locations: Singapore, United States, China, Russia, Taiwan, Beijing, South China, Asia Pacific, South, Washington, Asia, Ukraine, Philippines, Philippine

☆ US and UK carry out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for first time in months
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US and UK carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday for the first time in more than three months, according to US Central Command. In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea. The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed terror group. The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and UK targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites. This week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

Persons: Lax, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Carney, Lloyd Austin, ” Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, US Navy, US, Central Command, Prosperity Guardian, Houthi Locations: Yemen, Iran, Aden, Red

☆ Fed's Williams says inflation is too high but will start coming down soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK — New York Federal Reserve President John Williams on Thursday said inflation is still too high but he is confident it will start decelerating later this year. With markets on edge over the direction of monetary policy, Williams offered no clear signs on where he is leaning as far as possible interest rate cuts go. Williams called policy "well-positioned" and "restrictive" and said it is helping the Fed achieve its goals. But higher than expected inflation readings have altered that landscape dramatically, and current pricing is pointing to just one decrease, probably in November. Williams said he expects PCE inflation to drift down to 2.5% this year on its way back to 2% in 2026.

Persons: John Williams, Williams, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Dow Jones Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, York Federal, Economic, of New, Fed, Commerce Department Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York, York, of New York

☆ Denmark Made Home Buying Easier. America Should Follow Its Lead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

When mortgage rates shoot up, as they did over the past two years, many would-be sellers decide they don't want to move after all. AdvertisementAs the Federal Reserve began pushing up borrowing rates in the spring of 2022, hoping to reel in rising inflation, mortgage rates went vertical. So far, this system of pooling together mortgage bonds and selling them to investors is pretty close to the American way of doing things. When US homeowners pay off their mortgages, they have only one option: pony up the amount left on the loan. That's not just good for buyers or sellers or mortgage loan officers — it's good for everyone.

Persons: It's, John Campbell, Danes, Freddie Mac, that's, Will Doerner, —, aren't, pesky, Campbell, Fannie Mae, Banks, Jesper Berg, there's, That's Organizations: Harvard, Federal Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Homeowners, Danish Financial Supervisory Authority Locations: America, …, Denmark, Zillow, Canada, Australia, Danish

☆ Intuit QuickBooks' new $10,000 grant program could scale your business. Here's how to apply.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This Small Business Month, Intuit QuickBooks is launching a grant program to help small business owners grow their businesses. From the end of December to the end of March, small business employment declined by 0.44%, according to the latest release from the Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Index. The Intuit QuickBooks Grant Program, designed to help small business owners across the US run and grow their businesses, will award 20 small business owners with $10,000 and three months of business coaching. AdvertisementThe Intuit QuickBooks Grant Program will launch May 28, 2024, and applications will be accepted until 11:59pm PT on June 30. Click here to learn more about the Intuit QuickBooks Grant Program and how your small business can apply.

Persons: Emma Rodgers Organizations: Intuit QuickBooks, US Small Business Administration, Intuit, Marketing, Revenue, www.QuickBooks.com, Insider Studios Locations: Intuit's, QuickBooks

☆ US lawmakers vow to bolster Taiwan’s defense with bipartisan visit days after China’s ‘punishment’ military drills
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US lawmakers vowed to bolster Taiwan’s deterrence against China on Monday during a bipartisan congressional visit to the self-governing democracy just days after Beijing surrounded the island with massive military exercises. US Representative Michael McCaul, Republican-Texas, has vowed to bolster Taiwan's deterrence against China. China’s military drills, he said, were “to express their displeasure with President Lai, a president democratically elected by the people of Taiwan.”But he added they had another objective. The delegation also met with Lai, Taiwan’s new leader, on Monday morning. China responded with a show of military force and later imposed sanctions on McCaul.

Persons: Lai Ching, Michael McCaul, ”, McCaul, Lai, ” McCaul, China’s, Xi Jinping, Xi, “, Mao Ning, Michael Brochstein, Lin Chia, ” “ It’s, ” Lin, Taiwan’s, “ Taiwan’s, ” Lai, Ronald Reagan’s, Tsai Ing, Nancy Pelosi’s Organizations: CNN, China, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Taiwan, US, Party, Republican, Ministry, Taiwan’s Locations: Beijing, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Texas, United States, America, People’s Republic of China

☆ What’s really happening in America’s economy (Trump and Biden spin aside)
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

You’d think that would mean the economy is coasting, since periods of low unemployment are generally associated with higher rates of economic prosperity. That seems to be the case with a lot of recent economic data: No piece of good news comes without other evidence that give economists pause. “I wouldn’t give the economy a clean bill of health,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. But given consumer spending is one of the biggest drivers of the economy, a pullback can have adverse effects, too. The uglyThe biggest flashing red light in the economy right now is the level of debt people are racking up.

Persons: Zers, ”, Gregory Daco, Joe Biden, there’s, Donald Trump’s, Here’s what’s, Christopher Waller, ” Waller, ” David Alcaly, Daco, ” Sung Won Sohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, EY, of Labor Statistics, Federal, Gov, Lazard, CNN, New York Fed, Loyola Marymount University, SS Locations: New York, Wisconsin

☆ China wants its nepo-baby and get-rich-quick influencers gone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's biggest social media platforms launched a synchronized crackdown on parading wealth last week, removing thousands of posts and punishing dozens of influencers for promoting "bad values." Showing luxury services or goods to exaggerate how one can earn "millions in a month," achieve financial independence or start a lucrative business from scratch. Xu claimed that the barred influencers grew their fame by "showing off their wealth" and, in turn, became rich by selling products on livestreams. AdvertisementMore recently, common prosperity has evolved into a crackdown on "excessive wealth," with the central government stepping up regulations on private industry giants and wealthy families. Beijing seems to have toned down its rhetoric of common prosperity as its economy struggled in the post-COVID era.

Persons: —, Xu Qiuying, Xu, Xi Jinping, laud Organizations: Service, Business, Twitter, Weibo, Beijing, Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, China's Locations: China, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Beijing

☆ Nikki Haley says she’s voting for Trump in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Eric Bradner | Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Nikki Haley plans to vote for Donald Trump, she said Wednesday in her first public remarks since exiting the Republican presidential primary more than two months ago. Earlier this year, Haley and Trump were engaged in what had become a bitter primary feud. Yet even in her absence, she’s been winning votes in one Republican primary after another. And I made that pitch to President Trump and also to Nikki Haley.”Norman said that while Haley has not expressed interest in joining Trump’s ticket, he believes she would be interested. As other former Republican contenders have fallen in line behind Trump, Haley has intentionally kept her distance – not hostile, but also not hungry for his adulation.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Haley, Trump “, Joe Biden “, ”, Haley’s, Walter P, Stern, “, “ Trump, ” Haley, Trump, Biden, MAGA, he’s, Haley didn’t, “ Biden, Mike Johnson, Michael, she’s, Michael Tyler, Biden’s, Ralph Norman of, ” Norman, Haley “, ” Haley’s, CNN’s Kit Maher Organizations: CNN, Former South Carolina Gov, Republican, Trump, United Nations, Hudson Institute, GOP, Committee, Institute, Hamas, South, Democratic Locations: Washington , DC, United States, Ukraine, Israel, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Indiana, ’, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Trump’s, –, America

☆ China’s 618 shopping festival begins with biggest-ever Apple price cuts and a boycott
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Apple is offering unprecedented price cuts in China as big brands and retailers launch promotions for the annual “618” shopping festival in the face of sluggish consumer demand. The JD.com Inc. headquarters during a ceremony marking company's 20th anniversary and 618 shopping event in Beijing, China, on Sunday, June 18, 2023. The 618 shopping festival, a key barometer of consumption in the country, has seen growing competition by e-commerce sites and retailing brands to offer discounts. One statement, issued by 10 publishing houses in Beijing, said the boycott was a necessary move to “maintain the stability and prosperity” of the book publishing market. Even major state-owned publishing companies voiced opposition to “chaotic” price wars.

Persons: Apple, Alibaba —, Alibaba, Rihanna, iPads, ”, Jefferies Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Apple, Huawei, Vivo, JD.com, Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi, Shanghai Century Publishing Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ Opinion | Biden’s Get-Tough-on-China Tariffs May Backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Steven Rattner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two successive presidents have come down firmly on the side of tariffs rather than trade agreements as the preferred mechanism for managing international commerce. While there are political and security reasons for tariffs, America’s new protectionist stance will raise prices, limit consumer choices and risk our future growth. Last week, after laying low on this front for most of his term, President Biden announced a raft of new tariffs on selected Chinese imports including electric cars and solar panels as well as steel and aluminum. While the tariffs cover only $18 billion of imports, they are by design meant to keep Chinese products, like electric vehicles, from entering the U.S. market. In doing so, he has in large measure aligned his trade policy with that of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Iran President Raisi: Days of funeral ceremonies begin as investigators probe helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Funeral ceremonies are set to begin on Tuesday for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, as authorities probe what caused the aircraft to smash into the side of a remote mountainside during foggy weather on Sunday morning. A helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi takes off on May 19, 2024, before the crash took place. There is no indication what might have caused the crash – and why so many senior Iranian government officials were traveling in a single, decades-old helicopter. A high-ranking delegation will go to the crash site in Eastern Azerbaijan, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Inside Iran, where many of the country’s restive youth population have grown tired of rule by conservative clerics, Raisi had a much more polarizing legacy.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohsen Mansouri, Ali Hamed Haghdoust, Mansouri, Reza, Khamenei, “, ”, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Uraloglu, Iran’s, ’, Ayatollah Khamenei —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Xi, Raisi’s, Azin, ” Xi, Putin, Russia, ” Raisi, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Wana News Agency, Reuters, Mehr, Iranian, Turkish Transportation, Infrastructure, TRT, Moj News Agency, AP, Kremlin, US Locations: Tabriz, Iran, Qom, Tehran, Mashhad, Turkey, Turkish, Eastern Azerbaijan, Israel, Korean, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Russia, Iranian

Lai, 64, a former doctor, was inaugurated alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lai takes up the mantle from DPP predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who bolstered the island’s international standing and recognition during her eight years in office. He is also expected to project goodwill to China with a message of pursuing peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. That deliberately nuanced stance mimics his outgoing predecessor Tsai, Taiwan’s first female president, who was unable to stand again because of term limits.

Persons: Taipei CNN — Lai Ching, te, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s, Tsai Ing, Tsai –, –, Xi Jinping, Tsai, Taiwan’s, rebuking Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Communist Party, CNN, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, ” Locations: Taipei, China, United States, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ Soaring debt and deficits causing worry about threats to the economy and markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The federal IOU is now at $34.5 trillion, or about $11 trillion higher than where it stood in March 2020. Concern over such eye-popping numbers had been largely confined to partisan rancor on Capitol Hill as well as from watchdogs like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Uncharted territory for debt and deficitsIndeed, the CBO numbers are ominous, as they outline the likely path of debt and deficits. Surging budget deficits have been driving the debt, and the CBO only expects that to get worse. "The huge obvious problem is that the U.S. federal debt is now on a completely unsustainable long-term trajectory," analysts at Wolfe Research said in a recent note.

Persons: Greenlee Beal, Jerome Powell, Powell, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio, hasn't, Wolfe Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Wall, CBO, Union, JPMorgan Chase, Sky News, Bridgewater Associates, Financial Times, Treasury Department, Wolfe Research, U.S ., Federal Reserve Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Amsterdam, London, America, U.S

☆ The US is worried about an invasion, but China could take control of Taiwan without firing a shot, war experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Defense experts say that an aggressive Chinese coercion campaign, short of war but still threatening, is more likely than a full-scale invasion and the US needs to prepare for such an event. Economic and diplomatic pressure is notable, and Chinese misinformation operations and the potential to slowly set up a blockade of Taiwan are also concerns. Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesThe report identifies four things key to resisting Chinese coercion. CM-11 tanks fire artillery during the 2-day live-fire drill, amid intensifying threats military from China, in Pingtung county, Taiwan, 7 September 2022.

Persons: —, Han, Annabelle Chih, MANDY CHENG, Lai Ching, Lai, Ceng Shou Yi, John Aquilano, Xi, Aquilano, Carlos Del Toro, Frank Kendall Organizations: Service, Business, American Enterprise Institute, Institute for, Liberation Army, PLA, AEI, Cobra, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan, Getty Images, US, Pacific Command, US Armed Services, Air Force, Department of Defense Locations: Taiwan, China, Pingtung, US, Pacific, Hualien, AFP, Pingtung county, Guam, Japan

The billionaire has shared videos of the Argentine president attacking “social justice” with his 182 million followers. One doctored image, which implied that watching a speech by Mr. Milei was better than having sex, is among Mr. Musk’s most viewed posts ever. Mr. Musk has helped turn the pugnacious libertarian into one of the new faces of the modern right. But offline, he has used the relationship to press for benefits to his other businesses, the electric carmaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX. “Elon Musk called me,” Mr. Milei said in a television interview weeks after taking office.

Persons: Javier Milei, Elon Musk, Musk, Milei, Musk’s, Tesla, “ Elon Musk, ” Mr Organizations: South, ”, Argentine, SpaceX Locations: Argentina

Thinking back to when Donald Trump was president, what one thing do you remember most about Donald Trump’s presidency? Like past presidents, Mr. Trump has enjoyed a higher approval rating of his time in office in retrospect. Some of them may have spoken about Mr. Trump generally because of the multitude of controversies during his time in office, Mr. Sides said. A handful of voters in the survey, mostly Trump supporters, looked back on the Trump years as a time of peace. In the battle over memories, the Biden campaign will be trying to remind voters of some older ones that reflect poorly on Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, ”, Donald J, Trump’s, Jan, “, John Sides, Donald Trump, Here’s, Biden, ” Biden, Seth Masket, Mr, Masket, don’t, Biden’s, ” “ Jan, “ Trump, Covid, North Korea ”, —, Kim Jong, ” Mr Organizations: New York Times, Siena College, Trump, Vanderbilt, Voters, Biden, University of Denver, North Korea, North Korean Locations: Siena, America, Times, Mexico, North Korea, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Korea

☆ I followed Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel's morning routine for a week. I finally understand the appeal of waking up early.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Mykenna Maniece | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

On Wednesday, I tried Kriya meditation for the first time. Given how sore I felt from working out the past two days, I decided Wednesday would be the perfect day to try Spiegel's other morning activity: Kriya meditation. Spiegel told Vogue Australia in 2022 that his wife got him "hooked on Kriya meditation." On YouTube, I found a video entitled "Isha Kriya: A Guided Meditation For Health And Wellbeing | 15-Minutes" by the channel Sadhguru. "Daily practice of Isha Kriya will bring health, dynamism, prosperity, and wellbeing.

Persons: Spiegel, Mykenna, Isha Kriya, Isha, that's Organizations: Vogue Australia, YouTube

☆ Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Youth unemployment, income inequality, regional disparities, and Russian oil remain big problems. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil. "The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. Indian demand for Russian oil has cooled in recent months as new sanctions have made it more expensive, but the buying remains controversial. Alexandr Demyanchuk/AFP/Getty ImagesIndia the IT hubUnder Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, —, Modi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan's Dimon, He's, Musk, Apple's Cook, Joe Biden, Sundar Pichai, Anna Moneymaker, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Richard Rossow, Demonetisation, Kunal Sen, Sen, Tim Graham, Rossow, tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Piramal, Rihanna, Shloka Mehta Ambani, Akash Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Anant, Radhika, Ambani, they'd, Neelima Jain, Vladimir Putin, Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sanjay Shetty, Shetty Organizations: Service, titans, Monetary Fund, Gross, World Bank, Economic, of New, Google, Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, India, Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies, United Nations, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, University of Manchester, International Labor Organization, Oxfam, Bloomberg, Reliance Industries, Adani, CSIS, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Getty, Modi, Big Tech, Randstad, Economic Times Locations: India, Britain, Japan, Germany, China, of New York, Nimaj, Rajasthan, North Korea, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Western, Samarkand, AFP, Randstad India

☆ Biden presents Medal of Freedom to key political allies, civil rights leaders, celebrities and politicians
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Michael Williams | Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden on Friday honored 19 Americans with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom - a diverse list that includes some high-profile Biden political allies, celebrities, civil rights leaders and even one of his former political rivals-turned-financial backer. The list included two of Biden’s core allies in the House of Representatives: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to Democratic Rep. James Clyburn during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on May 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2024. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields,” the White House said in the statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Pelosi, Donald Trump, “, ” Biden, “ Nancy, Paul, ” Clyburn, coalescing, Clyburn, James Clyburn, Kevin Dietsch, Jim, ”, Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Yeoh –, Barack Obama, Sen, Elizabeth Dole, Bob Dole, Al Gore –, John Kerry, George W, Bush, Gore “, Donald Trump’s, Kerry, Opal Lee, Medgar Evers, Frank Lautenberg, Jim Thorpe, Clarence B, Jones, Martin Luther King’s, Juneteenth, Judy Shepard, Matthew, Jane Rigby, Ellen Ochoa, Katie Ledecky, Phil Donahue, Greg Boyle, United Farm Workers Teresa Romero, Evelyn Hockstein, Simone Biles, John McCain, Gabby Giffords Organizations: Washington CNN, South Carolina Rep, Democratic, Representatives, Democratic Rep, White, New York, Bloomberg, Republican, Getty, Jesuit Catholic, United Farm Workers, Reuters “ Locations: South Carolina, Washington , DC, Florida, United States, North Carolina, Massachusetts, American, Delaware, Washington ,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long sought relations with Saudi Arabia, home of Islam’s holiest sites, as the move could domino across the wider Muslim world. The first component includes a package of agreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, another component has the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and a third component for a pathway to a Palestinian state. The subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza, which has left the enclave in ruins and killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, may have changed the parameters of the deal for Saudi Arabia, analysts say. However, there has been no indication that the Biden administration would opt to bypass Congress for the bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia to pass. Saudi Arabia is rich in uranium deposits and has insisted on being able to enrich it domestically, which would be a first for an Arab state.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Antony Blinken, ”, Blinken, Prince Mohamed bin Salman, Netanyahu, Biden, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Israel, Lindsey Graham, ” Graham, Firas Maksad, “, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, Crown Prince, Karen Young, Edward J, Markey Organizations: CNN, State, Saudi, State Department, Abraham Accords, Israel, MBS, Saudi Foreign, Republican, Senate, Bahrain, Biden, Strategic Outreach, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, Congress, Washington Post, Crown, Columbia University’s Center, Global Energy, Neighboring United, Democratic, Nuclear Weapons, NATO Locations: Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, Iran, Russia, China, Palestinian, Gaza, ”, Riyadh, Saudi, Washington, Turkey, “ Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Bahrain, U.S

☆ He Won by a Landslide. Why Is He Fighting for His Political Life?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The last time Ben Houchen ran to be mayor of Tees Valley, a struggling, deindustrialized region in northeastern England, he stormed to victory with almost 73 percent of the vote. Three years on, Mr. Houchen, a Conservative politician, faces a re-election contest in which even a narrow win would do. As voters in England prepare to vote in Thursday’s local and mayoral elections, the governing Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, are trailing badly in the opinion polls to the opposition Labour Party ahead of a general election expected later this year. So Mr. Houchen has campaigned on his own achievements, relying on his personal brand as the poster boy for “leveling up” — the Conservatives’ flagship policy of bringing prosperity to disadvantaged regions of England.

Persons: Ben Houchen, Houchen, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative, Conservatives, Labour Party, —, Conservatives ’ Locations: Tees Valley, England

☆ Russia may not start an all-out war with NATO, but already has plans to destroy it from within
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Late last year, Poland's national security agency estimated that Russia could attack NATO within three years. AdvertisementBut whether Putin really does intend to attack NATO and what an attack might look like remains unclear. In March, Putin denied having any plans to attack NATO members, describing such claims as "complete nonsense." "So, his ambition in growing is not going to be that he will attack NATO and NATO countries next year. A covert war is already underwayRussia, some point out, is already engaged in a war with NATO, albeit covertly.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, NATO Putin, Philip Ingram, Ingram, Ruth Deyermond, Bryden Spurling, Robert Dover, Spurling, that's, SERGEY BOBOK, Russia's Organizations: Service, Poland's, Business, Bild, NATO, Germany isn't, Ukraine, King's College London, RAND Corporation, University of Hull, European NATO, RAND, Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Washington, Russian, NATO, European, Kharkiv, Soviet Union

☆ Are High Interest Rates Here to Stay? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Do you remember the economy of the late 1990s? Or if you’re too young to remember it — I hope that’s true for at least some of my readers — what have you heard about it? You probably remember it as a time of prosperity — low unemployment and rapid economic growth combined with low inflation — marred by irrational exuberance in the stock market. What you might not realize is how closely the economy of early 2024 resembles that of the late Clinton years. Notably, unemployment is actually a bit lower now than it was at the end of the roaring ’90s:

Persons: Clinton

☆ Trump will go from the trial to the trail and back again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump will make his most concentrated effort yet to turn his criminal trial into a political asset in the next two days, heading from the courtroom to the campaign trail and back again. Not surprisingly, a majority of Democrats feel that Trump is being treated more leniently than others, while a majority of Republicans think the opposite. But there’s also a risk Trump’s loose tongue out on the trail could get him into trouble following his alleged violations of Merchan’s gag order. They were also tied in Pennsylvania, a third swing state Biden flipped from Trump four years ago. Trump is following a similar playbook as he fuses his criminal defense as a supposed victim of partisan persecution with his political offensive for a White House comeback.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, They’ve, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Joe Biden, Juan Merchan, he’s, —, “, ”, David Pecker, Matthew Colangelo, Todd Blanche, It’s, Biden, there’s, “ I’m, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Joe Biden’s, Mike Johnson Organizations: CNN, White, Trump, Conservative Political, Republicans, Biden, Republican, White House, CBS News, Sunday, GOP, Democratic, Capitol, Democratic Party, Columbia University, National Guard Locations: New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Trump, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Bedminster , New Jersey, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, “ State, Pennsylvania, Waukesha , Wisconsin, Gaza, Charlottesville , Virginia, Washington

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