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☆ Israeli Military Says It Can't Guarantee Journalists' Safety in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Israel's military has told international news organisations Reuters and Agence France Presse that it cannot guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, under Israeli bombardment and siege for almost three weeks. "The IDF is targeting all Hamas military activity throughout Gaza," the IDF letter said, adding that Hamas deliberately put military operations "in the vicinity of journalists and civilians". "Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee your employees' safety, and strongly urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety," the IDF letter concluded. Hamas did not immediately comment when asked about the IDF’s allegation that it put military operations near where journalists in Gaza are known to be based. Reuters and AFP said they were very concerned about the safety of journalists in Gaza.

Persons: Phil Chetwynd, Chetwynd, Mark Bendeich, Edward Tobin Organizations: Reuters, Agence France Presse, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, AFP, IDF, Israel, AFP Global, Protect Journalists Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Lebanon

☆ Israeli military says it can't guarantee journalists' safety in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Smoke is rising after an Israeli strike on Gaza seen from a viewpoint in Southern Israel October 24, 2023. "The IDF is targeting all Hamas military activity throughout Gaza," the IDF letter said, adding that Hamas deliberately put military operations "in the vicinity of journalists and civilians". "Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee your employees' safety, and strongly urge you to take all necessary measures for their safety," the IDF letter concluded. Reuters and AFP said they were very concerned about the safety of journalists in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 27 journalists have been killed since the war began, mostly in Gaza but also in Israel and southern Lebanon.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Phil Chetwynd, Chetwynd, Reuters videographer, Mark Bendeich, Edward Tobin Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Agence France Presse, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, AFP, IDF, Israel, AFP Global, Protect Journalists, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Southern Israel, Palestinian, Israel, Lebanon

[1/3] China's Premier Li Keqiang waves as he arrives for a news conference after the closing ceremony of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 15, 2017. Li was premier and head of China's cabinet under Xi for a decade until stepping down from all political positions in March. Adam Ni, an independent China political analyst, described Li as "a premier who stood powerless as China took a sharp turn away from reform and opening". A glowing 2014 state media profile of Li, praising him as "a calm and tough wall-breaker", went viral shortly after his death was announced. Li's frequent visits to disaster sites and his easy camaraderie when speaking to ordinary people were also highlighted on Chinese state media.

Persons: Li, Damir Sagolj, Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Deng Xiaoping, Alfred Wu, Lee, Zhu Rongji, Wen Jiabao, Wu, Adam Ni, Jiang Zemin, Deng, Li Yining, Hu Jintao, Cheng Hong, Laurie Chen, Tian, William Mallard Organizations: People's Congress, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Communist Party, CCTV, Weibo, Australian National University, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Peking University, Communist Party's Youth League, Youth League, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Singapore, Social, Anhui, Henan, Liaoning

[1/3] A scientist drives his snowmobile across an icefield of the arctic near Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, April 10, 2023. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the opening of the station, in Tromsoe, northern Norway, in June, as a means for the US to have a "diplomatic footprint above the Arctic Circle", he said. Tromsoe is the largest city in Arctic Norway, located about 400km (250 miles) to the west of Russia. Tromsoe is also the seat of the Arctic Council, a polar body comprising the eight Arctic states of Russia, the US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. Cooperation within the Arctic Council between Moscow and the Western Arctic states was put on hold after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Antony Blinken, Andreas Oesthagen, Washington, Tromsoe, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Reuters, Arctic Council, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Ny, Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, Rights OSLO, United States, Washington, Ukraine, Tromsoe, Oslo, Arctic Norway, Russia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Moscow

☆ What to Watch For in Thursday’s GDP Report: How High Did Consumers Push Economic Growth?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Amara Omeokwe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Tickets to movies helped drive strong consumer spending over the summer. Photo: Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesU.S. economic growth accelerated sharply during the third quarter, forecasters estimate, as Americans increased spending and shook off fears of a slowdown. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate gross domestic product grew at a seasonally- and inflation-adjusted 4.7% annual rate in the third quarter—more than double the second quarter’s 2.1% pace. The Commerce Department is set to release its initial estimate of third-quarter gross domestic product at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time Thursday. In April, economists expected the economy would contract slightly over the summer months.

Persons: Valerie Macon Organizations: Agence France, Getty, Wall, Commerce Department Locations: Ukraine

Speaking in Parliament to lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party, Mr. Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately attacking civilians in Gaza and killing large numbers of children, women and older people. Mr. Erdogan also criticized Western countries for their strong backing of Israel and for branding Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that controls Gaza, as a terrorist organization. But recently, Mr. Erdogan made steps at rapprochement with the Jewish state. On Wednesday, Mr. Erdogan said all plans to visit Israel had been scrapped. “We clearly mentioned that we never excuse any acts targeting civilians, including Israeli civilians, regardless of the perpetrator,” he said.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Israel, ”, Mr, mujahedeen, Erdogan’s, Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Ergodan’s, Lior, Russia’s, Vladimir V, Putin, ” Mr, Nadav Gavrielov Organizations: NATO, Development Party, Hamas, European Union, Ministry, Israel’s, Turkish, Turkish Presidency Press, Agence France, United Nations General Assembly, ISIS Locations: Turkey, Israel, United States, Gaza, Ankara, Israeli, New York, Turkish, Russia, Ukraine, “, Seoul

☆ Researchers discovered a hidden Antarctic landscape under a layer of ice over a mile thick that shows how different the continent looked millions of years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers recently found an "undiscovered landscape" beneath Antarctica's ice. But between 14 million and 34 million years ago, an ice sheet crept across the continent. It locked some of the lush landscape beneath over a mile of ice, per NBC News. This helped the researchers determine the height of peaks and depths of valleys that lay hidden beneath the ice. A rewarming AntarcticaIt's crucial to understand how warming temperatures will impact Antarctica's ice.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Jamieson Organizations: Service, NBC, Agence France, Live, Nature Communications, Reuters There's, Guardian Locations: Antarctica, Maryland, East Antarctica, Patagonia

At least four family members of a prominent Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza were killed, the news organization said on Wednesday. The network said the wife, son, daughter and infant grandson of Wael al-Dahdouh, the Gaza bureau chief of Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language service, were killed at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where they had been sheltering. Al Jazeera identified two of the deceased as Mr. al-Dahdouh’s teenage son, Mahmoud, and his young daughter, Sham. Photos also showed Mr. al-Dahdouh clutching what appeared to be his daughter’s small, shrouded body, looking down at her bloodied face in anguish. In a translated interview aired by Al Jazeera’s English-language channel, Mr. al-Dahdouh, his face wet with tears, said no one was safe in Gaza.

Persons: Wael, Al, “ Al Jazeera, Dahdouh, Mohamed Moawad, Jazeera, Mahmoud, Al Jazeera’s, ” Hoda Abdel, Hamid, Issam Abdallah, Shireen Abu Akleh Organizations: Al, Al Jazeera Media Network, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Protect Journalists, Hamas, —, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, Palestinian, West Bank, Israeli Army Locations: Al Jazeera, Gaza, Al Jazeera’s, Israel, “ Al, Gaza City, Al Aqsa, Deir al, Palestinian American, Jenin, Israeli

☆ Despite Israel-Hamas War, It’s (Nearly) Business as Usual at Saudi Investment Forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Eliot Brown | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Deals worth billion dollars are expected to be signed over the next three days at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: fayez nureldine/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesRIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The titans of Wall Street chatted under crystal chandeliers. With the Israel-Hamas war intensifying 900 miles away, the gathering made for an awkward split screen. The world’s business elite had come together for the Future Investment Initiative—nicknamed “Davos in the Desert”—where topics of discussion included artificial intelligence, futuristic planned cities and the growing perils of higher interest rates and rising debt loads.

Persons: fayez Organizations: Future Investment Initiative, Agence France, Getty Images, Saudi Arabia —, titans, Future Investment, “ Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Getty Images RIYADH, Israel, “ Davos

☆ A drought in the Amazon uncovered ancient, eerie face carvings that look like emojis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A drought in an Amazon river has revealed prehistoric carvings reminiscent of modern emojis. AdvertisementAdvertisementA drought in the Amazon has revealed prehistoric carvings of faces that show a variety of expressions, from smiling to scowling, just like today's emojis. A picture shows a rock uncovered by the Amazon drought in the Lajes archaeological site on October 21, 2023. Rock carvings had been spotted before at the site, notably during another drought in 2010. But archaeologists had never before spotted the mysterious faces, Oliveira told Reuters Monday.

Persons: It's, —, MICHAEL DANTAS, Jaime Oliveira, Oliveira, Jaime de Oliveira, Beatriz Carneiro, Carneiro, " Ribeiro Organizations: Service, Getty Images, Brazilian Institute of Historical Heritage, Reuters, Agence France Presse, Getty, Praia das Lajes, AFP Locations: Manaus, Brazil, AFP, Iphan, Praia das

☆ Reagan Wouldn’t Sue Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( George P. Bush | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Photo: denis charlet/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesAn epic debate is unfolding among Republicans about our vision for the nation. While I support strengthening our governing philosophy by putting it through the crucible, I’m concerned by what appears to be the jettisoning of the principles that made the GOP great. While the Democratic Party has never met a problem it doesn’t want to address with federal intervention, the GOP correctly sees government’s role as limited. It’s disconcerting then to see members of Ronald Reagan ’s party join the left’s ranks, cheering as a more muscular Washington settles scores against U.S. businesses. This is doubtless a welcome shift for competitors looking to sic regulators on their rivals, but it’s bad news for the millions of Americans who are stuck with a diminished standard of living.

Persons: denis charlet, Ronald Reagan ’ Organizations: Agence France, GOP, Democratic Party, U.S Locations: Washington

Image Palestinians wounded in Ahli Arab Hospital blast were later treated at another hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. Israel said the strike on the hospital parking lot was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket, citing intelligence intercepts and videos of the sky above Gaza at the time. Al Jazeera, a Qatari news channel, concluded that a Palestinian rocket had been intercepted by an Israeli air defense missile. Scores of public institutions in northern Gaza, including hospitals like the Ahli Arab hospital, were warned by Israel to evacuate. American intelligence agencies have assessed that the blast killed 100 to 300 people.

Persons: Israel, ”, Ghazi Hamad, ” Salama Maroof, “, Abed Khaled, Hamas’s, Daniel Hagari, Musab Al, Umit Turhan, Hagari, Biden, Al Jazeera, Jones, Hamad, “ We’ve, Motasem Mortaja, Fadi Diab, Diab, Father Diab, Associated Press Yousur, Hlou Organizations: Hamas, The New York Times, Sunday, The Times, Arab Hospital, ., Palestinian, Islamic, East . Credit, Agence France, Getty, Wall Street, Associated Press, CNN, Munitions, Armament Research Services, Press, World Health Organization, WHO Locations: Al Ahli, Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Ahli, Palestinian, Islamic, Istanbul, East, Israeli, London, Al, Qatari, Australia, Cairo

Meta Platforms has been wrestling with how to enforce its rules in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: Mohammed abed/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesAfter Hamas stormed Israel and murdered civilians on Oct. 7, hateful comments from the region surged through Instagram. Meta Platforms managers cranked up automatic filters meant to slow the flood of violent and harassing content. But still the comments kept appearing—especially from the Palestinian territories, according to a Meta manager. So Meta turned up its filters again, but only there.

Persons: Mohammed abed, Meta Organizations: Agence France, Hamas, Instagram, Meta Locations: Israel

☆ U.S. and Europe Struggle to Put Trump-Era Tariffs Behind Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among the leaders at Friday’s U.S.-EU summit in Washington. Photo: olivier douliery/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The U.S. and Europe failed to agree on a path for eliminating steel and aluminum tariffs ahead of a summit in Washington on Friday, leaving unresolved a trade dispute that risks becoming a growing irritant between the allied economies ahead of next year’s U.S. election. Officials are seeking to move beyond a spat over metal tariffs that were imposed in 2018 by President Trump on national-security grounds. President Biden paused the tariffs for most European steel and aluminum two years ago as part of a bid to reset relations between the two economies, and the U.S. and EU said they would seek a new arrangement to replace the levies and tackle concerns about an oversupply of steel on global markets.

Persons: Biden, Ursula von der, olivier douliery, Trump Organizations: EU, Friday’s, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: Washington, The U.S, Europe, U.S, EU

☆ Why Hamas Uses Crypto to Raise Money
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Paul Kiernan | Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Crypto technology helped Hamas raise millions of dollars before the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: menahem kahana/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The role of cryptocurrencies in illicit finance has come under renewed scrutiny after The Wall Street Journal’s report that Hamas and other militant groups used the technology to raise millions of dollars ahead of their recent attacks in Israel. Some lawmakers responded by calling for tougher rules to curb crypto’s utility for criminals and groups under U.S. sanctions. Crypto firms say they work to keep such users off their platforms and argue that digital tokens can help law enforcement track bad actors.

Persons: menahem kahana Organizations: Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: Israel

☆ Australia Decides Chinese Firm Can Keep Operating Strategic Port
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The port in Darwin has been used by U.S. troops during training exercises. Photo: DAVID GRAY/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesAustralia said it won’t cancel a Chinese company’s lease on a commercial port despite concerns that the firm’s operations pose a security risk at a strategic location in the north of the country. The local unit of China’s Landbridge Group has been operating the port in Darwin after getting a lease in 2015. Some former Australian defense officials and analysts say the port—which has been used by U.S. troops to unload equipment for training exercises—is important because it’s near military installations that could be crucial in any regional conflict.

Persons: DAVID GRAY, — Organizations: Agence France, Getty Locations: Darwin

☆ Israel Lays Out Plan for Three-Phase War
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An aerial view shot showed destroyed buildings in al-Zahra in the Gaza strip on Friday. (Belal Alsabbagh/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant laid out a three-phase war plan that envisions a ground invasion to end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip and an eventual move by Israel to end its responsibility under international law for the isolated Palestinian enclave. Gallant said the goal was to destroy Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which was the staging ground for the militant group's Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people in southern Israel.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Gallant Organizations: Agence France, Israeli Locations: al, Zahra, Gaza, Israel

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 18, 2023. "If the United States can effectively rally the world, it’s bad for them. SUPPORT FOR PALESTINEWhile the strategies of Russia and China in the Middle East are not fully aligned they have much in common. Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating Middle East policy with China. The United States has been trying, with limited success, to persuade the global south to rally behind Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Guneev, Israel, Wang Yi, Putin, Xi, Jon Alterman, Bashar al, Assad, Jean, Loup Samaan, Carice Witte, Alterman, Ma Xiaolin, Ma, James Pomfret, Guy Faulconbridge, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Forum, Sputnik, Rights, Initiative, Palestinian, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, PALESTINE, Middle East Institute of, National University of Singapore, United, Ukraine, Israel, Zhejiang International Studies University, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, WASHINGTON, Gaza, Russia, Moscow, United States, Israel, States, East, Africa, Latin America, Asia, Palestine, Washington, U.S, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong

☆ TSMC Thinks the Turn in the Chip Cycle Is Nigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A wafer shown on screens at the TSMC Renovation Museum. Photo: sam yeh/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe world’s largest contract chip manufacturer thinks a turnaround in the semiconductor market is finally near. Demand related to artificial intelligence will also be a long-term boost—one that is already bumping up against supply constraints. The inventory buildup in the semiconductor supply chain has weighed on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for the past few quarters. But both came out ahead of analysts’ forecasts on S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Organizations: Agence France, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, P Global Market Intelligence

☆ Brazil Must Do More to Stop Foreign Bribery, OECD Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A São Paulo skyline. Among other things, the OECD working group highlighted shortcomings in Brazil’s statute of limitations system, which has allowed some defendants to go free. Photo: nelson almeida/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesBrazil has made progress in combating foreign bribery schemes over the last nine years, but still has a way to go in successfully charging individuals, an international antibribery watchdog said. In a report published Thursday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions commended the Brazilian government for progress implementing new legislation against corporate bribery and taking enforcement actions against large-scale foreign bribery schemes since its last evaluation in 2014.

Persons: nelson almeida Organizations: OECD, Agence France, Getty, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Bribery, Business Locations: Paulo, Brazil

☆ Is Netflix’s Subscriber Jolt a One-Hit Wonder?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive, has said that the company and other streaming platforms, studios and networks were ‘super committed’ to reaching a deal with striking Hollywood actors. Photo: Chris Delmas/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe stars aligned for Netflix in its latest quarter, but making sequels to this hit will be a challenge. The streaming giant said Wednesday that it added about 8.8 million net new paid subscribers during the third quarter. That is the highest number added in a single quarter since early 2020, when interest in TV streaming exploded during the pandemic lockdowns. It was also 45% higher than what Wall Street had expected for subscriber additions.

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Chris Delmas Organizations: Netflix, Agence France

☆ Going Easy on a Tax-Return Heist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: mandel ngan/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe Justice Department has finally found the man who stole thousands of private federal tax records and leaked them to the media. But the potential deterrent effect is going to be muted by the plea deal negotiated with Internal Revenue Service contractor Charles Littlejohn. In a hearing last week in Washington federal court, Mr. Littlejohn admitted to stealing tax returns for President Trump and thousands of wealthy Americans, before leaking them to two separate media outlets. He gave Mr. Trump’s information to the New York Times , even as the President was fighting demands for his tax returns by Democrats in Congress. The leak of wealthy taxpayer information to ProPublica coincided with a progressive campaign to impose a new tax on assets.

Persons: mandel ngan, Charles Littlejohn, Littlejohn, Trump, Littlejohn’s Organizations: Agence France, The, Department, Internal Revenue Service, New York Times, Congress Locations: Washington

☆ Real-Estate Commissions Could Be the Next Fee on the Chopping Block
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Laura Kusisto | Nicole Friedman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the typical home sale, total agent commissions are 5% to 6% of the sale price. Photo: roberto schmidt/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesIn recent years, technology has made a host of consumer transactions cheaper—from booking a vacation to buying stocks—but commission rates for selling a home haven’t really budged. That could soon change. A pair of class-action lawsuits challenging real-estate industry rules—including one that went to trial beginning this week—and continued pressure from U.S. antitrust officials are threatening to disrupt a compensation model that hasn’t meaningfully changed in decades.

Persons: roberto schmidt Organizations: Agence France

[1/5] Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they attend the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. Putin and other foreign leaders sat with key Chinese officials from the 25-member Politburo on the front row, as Xi delivered his opening speech. The forum centres on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a grand plan launched by Xi in 2013, that envisioned building global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through overland and maritime routes. Western scepticism of Xi's grand plans stems from suspicions over the way it would extend China's global influence, analysts say. Xi is pushing to make the Belt and Road smaller and greener, moving away from big-ticket projects like dams to high-tech ones such as digital finance and e-commerce platforms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Edgar Su, Xi, Putin, BRI, Viktor Orban, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Antoni Slodkowski, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Forum, EU, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, Tiananmen, Asia, Africa, Europe, China, Western Europe, United States, Ukraine

[1/5] Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they attend the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against decoupling from China as he opened the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum in Beijing on Wednesday, criticizing Western efforts to reduce dependence on the Chinese economy. The trade disruptions of the pandemic years have also added urgency to the desire to limit their dependence on China. WESTERN SCEPTICISMWestern scepticism of Xi's grand plans stems from suspicions over the way it would extend China's global influence, analysts say. Xi is making the Belt and Road smaller and greener, moving away from big-ticket projects like dams to high-tech ones such as digital finance and e-commerce platforms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Edgar Su, Xi, Putin, BRI, Viktor Orban, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Azizi, Xi's, Antoni Slodkowski, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, EU, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, China, Asia, Africa, Europe, Tiananmen, Taiwan, Western Europe, Afghanistan, Northern

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