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☆ OpenAI employees wanted Bret Taylor to join a new board. He's no longer expected to do so, insiders say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was ousted on Friday, igniting chaos inside the company. Amid discussions that the OpenAI board would be remade, Bret Taylor was asked to join. The former Salesforce executive and Twitter board chair is no longer poised to do so. Yet, in another affront to employees, it seems some expected changes to the board are no longer in the works. Now he is no longer set to join the OpenAI board.

Persons: Sam Altman, Bret Taylor, —, Altman, — Emmet Shear, Twitch, Mira Murati —, Elon Musk, Taylor, Greg Brockman, Adam D'Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Ilya Setskever, Setskever, Brockman, Kali Hays Organizations: Service, Twitter, Elon, Microsoft, Georgetown Center for Security, Emerging Technology Locations: khays@insider.com, @hayskali

☆ Elon Musk defends OpenAI's cofounder Ilya Sutskever: 'He would not take such drastic action unless he felt it was absolutely necessary'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk says OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever wouldn't have fired Sam Altman unless it was necessary. "Ilya has a good moral compass and does not seek power," the former OpenAI board member said. "He would not take such drastic action unless he felt it was absolutely necessary," Musk continued. OpenAI's board said in a statement that Altman "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board" but has not given further details. AdvertisementMusk was previously on OpenAI's board of directors.

Persons: Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever wouldn't, Sam Altman, Ilya, Musk, —, Ilya Sutskever's, Sam Altman's, OpenAI's, Altman, Greg Brockman, Sutskever, ChatGPT, Grok, CNBC's David Faber, OpenAI, Faber, Emmett Shear, Satya Nadella Organizations: CNBC, Service, New York Times, OpenAI, Microsoft, Musk, Business Insider Locations: OpenAI

☆ OpenAI is hiring former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to run company two days after ousting Sam Altman
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Emmett Shear, former CEO of Twitch, in a Bloomberg Television interview in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016. OpenAI is bringing in former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to run the artificial intelligence company, two days after the sudden ouster of Sam Altman, CNBC has confirmed. Unlike most Silicon Valley startups, OpenAI wasn't structured like a typical corporation with large chunks of equity controlled by the founders. Shear stepped down as CEO of Twitch, the livestreaming service now owned by Amazon , in March. — CNBC's Ari Levy contributed to this reportWATCH: Madrona's Matt McIlwain talks Sam Altman's departure as OpenAI CEO

Persons: Emmett Shear, Twitch, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Shear, Altman, Mira Murati, didn't, Murati, — CNBC's Ari Levy, Matt McIlwain, Sam Altman's Organizations: Bloomberg Television, CNBC, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Tiger, Sequoia Capital, Amazon, OpenAI Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S

☆ Twitch's CEO has been living his own version of the van life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is traveling the US in a van to meet top streamers and hear their concerns. AdvertisementAdvertisementTwitch CEO Dan Clancy is taking an unusual approach to strengthen the relationship between the company's leadership and its community of creators. Higa previously raised over $500,000 in a single online auction to fund her animal sanctuary with help from other big streamers. AdvertisementAdvertisement"He asked a lot of questions about how it works, and how we use Twitch," Higa told Bloomberg. Clancy went viral earlier this year after giving an impromptu singing performance in a Twitch livestream.

Persons: Dan Clancy, Clancy, Emmett Shear, —, He's, Twitch, Tyler, Ninja, Blevins, Higa, DJClancy, John Denver's Organizations: NASA, Service, Bloomberg

☆ Blinken Lays Out Possible Endgame in Gaza Under Palestinian Authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But increasingly, the United States and Israel are showing signs that their interests are diverging. The remarks by Mr. Blinken on Wednesday reflect a deep anxiety on the part of Mr. Biden and his aides inside the White House as the conflict enters its second month. On Wednesday, Mr. Blinken said there must be “affirmative elements to get to a sustained peace.”“These must include the Palestinian people’s voices and aspirations at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza,” he said. But restoring the Palestinian Authority — which administers parts of the West Bank — to power in Gaza would not be easy even if Israel managed to end Hamas’s rule. Mr. Biden has also come under pressure from some in the Democratic Party, which is deeply split on the conflict.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Mr, ”, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, John F, Kirby, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, National Security Council, CNN, White, Democratic Party, Democratic, Veterans Locations: Gaza, United, Israel, Tokyo, United States, Palestinian

☆ Democrats Express Deep Anxiety as Polls Show Biden Trailing Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

White House officials on Sunday shrugged off weekend polling that showed President Biden trailing former President Donald J. Trump, even as Democrats said they were increasingly worried about Mr. Biden’s chances in 2024. The new polling from The New York Times and Siena College found Mr. Biden losing in one-on-one matchups with former President Donald J. Trump in five critical swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Mr. Biden is ahead by two percentage points in Wisconsin. Although the polling is worrisome for the president, Mr. Biden still has a year to campaign, which his team emphasized on Sunday. “Gallup predicted an eight-point loss for President Obama only for him to win handily a year later,” said Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Mr. Biden’s campaign.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Biden’s, “ Gallup, Obama, ”, Kevin Munoz, “ We’ll Organizations: White, The New York Times, Siena College, Mr Locations: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

☆ Hamas put wounded fighters on departure lists, delaying efforts to evacuate foreigners, a U.S. official says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Hamas rules Gaza politically and also has an armed wing whose fighters are embedded within the enclave’s civilian population. But vetting showed that many of them, the official said, were Hamas fighters. The delays continued for some time, the official said, because Hamas kept offering lists that turned out to include its members. The prospect of Hamas fighters leaving Gaza was especially troubling for Egypt, which remains concerned about the possibility of terrorists flowing into its country. Eventually, the official said, the parties settled on a list of wounded Palestinians who were not Hamas fighters.

Persons: Biden, Israel Organizations: Gaza, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Rafah, Israel, Hamas, Gaza’s, United States, Qatar

Since taking office, President Biden has traveled a grim path through American communities desperately grieving in the wake of mass shootings: Uvalde, Texas; Monterey Park, Calif.; Buffalo; Atlanta. On Friday, he added another to the list: Lewiston, Maine. Mr. Biden huddled privately with the families of those killed or injured during last month’s rampage that claimed the lives of 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley in the city about an hour north of Portland. “Jill and I are here on behalf of the American people to grieve with you, and make sure you know that you’re not alone,” Mr. Biden said after stopping by a makeshift memorial in Lewiston with his wife, Jill Biden. For Mr. Biden, whose own life has been shaped by grief, it is a role he embraces as a necessary part of healing.

Persons: Biden, “ Jill, you’re, ” Mr, Jill Biden Locations: , Texas, Monterey Park, Calif, Buffalo, Atlanta, Lewiston , Maine, Portland, Lewiston

☆ U.S. to Press Israel for ‘Pauses’ in War Against Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The push for what American officials call “humanitarian pauses” is one of several subjects Mr. Blinken will raise with Mr. Netanyahu and other officials when he arrives in Israel on Friday for another round of diplomacy amid fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, the group that controls Gaza. White House officials said the request for pauses was far different from an overall cease-fire, which the Biden administration believes would benefit Hamas by allowing it to recover from Israel’s intense bombardment. A strike on a refugee camp in Gaza this week killed scores of civilians even as Israeli officials said they killed a top Hamas leader. At a fund-raiser in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening, a protester confronted Mr. Biden and demanded that he call for a cease-fire. Mr. Biden responded: “I think we need a pause.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Netanyahu, Mr, ” Organizations: White, Mr Locations: Gaza, Israel, White, Minneapolis

☆ Biden to Visit Maine After Lewiston Massacre
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will travel to Maine on Friday to pay his respects to the 18 people killed and more than dozen wounded during a gunman’s rampage through a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, last week, the White House announced. Shortly after the massacre, Mr. Biden declared his frustration at the taking of yet more lives in a mass shooting. The gunman, Robert R. Card II, 40, was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot on Friday, two days after the killings. “Once again, an American community and American families have been devastated by gun violence,” Mr. Biden said on Friday as the discovery of Mr. Card’s body brought an end to a vast manhunt and lockdowns in the state. “In all, at least 18 souls brutally slain, more injured, some critically, and scores of family and friends praying and experiencing trauma no one ever wants to imagine.”In a statement, the White House said the president and the first lady would “pay respects to the victims of this horrific attack and grieve with families and community members.” The president will also meet with emergency medical workers, nurses and other officials, the White House said.

Persons: Biden, Robert R, “, Mr, Card’s, ” Organizations: White House, House Locations: Maine, Lewiston , Maine, American

☆ Opinion | Acapulco Saw the Future of Hurricanes: More Sudden and Furious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Although, conventionally, hurricanes are measured by their peak intensity, how quickly they reach that intensity and how rapidly they approach land matters enormously. A tropical storm isn’t an insignificant threat, and what became Otis surely would’ve damaged Acapulco even if it hadn’t ever intensified. But a Category 5 is a threat of a different order, requiring an entirely different scale of preparatory response. You simply can’t evacuate a city of one million in just a few hours — at least, it’s never been managed before. It was the surprise of the storm’s transformation, with few of the conventional forecasting models predicting any significant intensification at all.

Persons: Otis, hadn’t, it’s, “ Otis, ”, Kerry Emanuel, you’ve, “, Emanuel Organizations: Atlantic Locations: Acapulco

Palestinians walking among the rubble in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City on Monday. As the Israeli tanks started rolling near Gaza City on Monday, the whispers began to spread — terrifying in their specificity, terrifying in their vagueness. I don’t want them to go through this.”Israel has warned for weeks that civilians in northern Gaza, including those in Gaza City, should evacuate south to avoid the violence. The New York Times has verified that the video was filmed this morning south of Gaza City on Salah Al-Din Road. “They call us directly and they warn us, telling us to leave and evacuate now, but the bombardments are relentless,” Ms. ElSayed told Al Jazeera.

Persons: Motaz, hunkered, Salah Al, Youssef Al Saifi, Hamda, Mr, Israel, ” Bilal Assabti, “, Daniel Hagari, Jamal Azzam, ”, Assabti, “ We’ve, Youmna ElSayed, ElSayed, Ms, Al Jazeera, Christoph Koettl, Neil Collier Organizations: Credit, New York Times, Times, Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Al Locations: Tel, Gaza City, Gaza, Palestinian, Turkish, “, ”, Al Jazeera

Three days after Hamas terrorists slaughtered more than 1,400 people, President Biden assured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that he supported his vow to “avenge this black day” and to turn Gaza “into a ruin” from the air and on the ground. “I told him if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive and overwhelming,” Mr. Biden recalled saying during a call between the two leaders on Oct. 10. But the president’s message, in which he emphatically joined the mourning that was sweeping through Israel, has shifted dramatically over the past three weeks. While he continues to declare unambiguous support for Israel, Mr. Biden and his top military and diplomatic officials have become more critical of Israel’s response to the terrorist attacks and the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Mr. Netanyahu has long resisted such a move.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, “, Mr, Netanyahu Organizations: Israel Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Palestine

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

The Biden administration has advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, hoping to buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed-off enclave, according to several U.S. officials. American officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on U.S. interests in the region from Iran-backed groups, which officials said are likely to intensify once Israel moves its forces fully into Gaza. Mr. Biden also spoke to the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain. When Mr. Biden met with the Israeli war cabinet during his trip to Tel Aviv last week, he avoided making requests of Mr. Netanyahu, officials said. Instead, the president offered a series of questions that should be answered before a ground invasion starts.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lloyd J, Austin III, Austin, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, ”, Antony J, Blinken, “, Mr, Netanyahu Organizations: Sunday, U.S, Defense, Pentagon, Embassy, Hamas, CBS, Biden, Press, State Department, Consulate Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, U.S, Washington, Qatar, United States, Baghdad, Erbil, Iraq, ”, Tel Aviv

PinnedTrucks appeared to be moving through the Rafah border crossing into Gaza from Egypt, according to images shown on Egyptian state television. It was not immediately clear what the trucks were carrying, and there was no immediate comment from the United Nations, which has been pushing for movement. President Biden said on Wednesday that Israel had agreed to allow food, water and medicine into the blockaded Gaza Strip. Aid trucks have been stuck waiting at the crossing for days as the powers involved haggled over the details of getting the desperately needed supplies through. As the situation in Gaza worsens, Israel is readying a ground offensive in the territory.

Persons: Trucks, Biden, Israel, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan Organizations: Diplomats, United, United Nations, Military, Hezbollah Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, United Nations, Israel, United States, Qatar, Chicago, Lebanon, Iran, U.S

President Biden on Friday delivered to Congress a $105 billion request for military aid, mostly for Israel and Ukraine, essentially daring lawmakers who oppose parts of the proposal to vote against an overall package that he said will ensure “American security for generations.”Mr. Biden is betting that Republicans who oppose more aid to Ukraine will not vote against legislation that also includes more than $14 billion to help Israel defend itself against terror attacks from Hamas. And he is hoping that progressive Democrats who do not want to support Israel’s military operations will not vote against additional aid for Ukraine. Also included in the request are billions of dollars to bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border, security aid for Taiwan and a fund for humanitarian assistance in hot spots around the world. The legislative gamble is playing out against a global split screen: wars are raging in Europe and the Middle East, while in the United States, the House has been in a state of chaos for more than two weeks as Republicans struggle to select a speaker.

Persons: Biden, Mr Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, Taiwan, Europe, United States

☆ Biden to Deliver Oval Office Address as He Seeks Aid for Israel and Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will deliver a prime-time speech on Thursday about the war in Ukraine and the terror attacks in Israel as his administration prepares to call on Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars in military aid for the two embattled nations. The address will mark the second time Mr. Biden has delivered formal remarks from the Oval Office since becoming president. In June, he spoke from behind the Resolute Desk about a bipartisan agreement to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt, an agreement that Republicans in the House later abandoned. In Thursday’s speech, Mr. Biden will address the American response to the two grave struggles that he has said threaten democratic stability across the globe: the war that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year and the one that started this month after the brutal assault by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7. A senior White House official said Mr. Biden will seek to present the American people a broadly framed explanation for why two wars half a world away are critical to the national security of the United States.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Republicans, White House Locations: Ukraine, Israel, United States

The attacks prompted Israel to launch an intensive bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip, which is governed by Hamas. “I cannot remember a time when Israel’s struggle for security was not at the forefront of my mind,” Mr. Lew said. If confirmed, I will uphold President Biden’s commitment to deny Iran a nuclear weapon.”But his declarations did little to deter Republican senators. Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, accused Mr. Lew of acting as the Iranian government’s banker by negotiating deals to release funds in exchange for American prisoners. “Preventing this from becoming a multifront war is hugely important for Israel, for the region, for the world,” he said.

Persons: Jacob J, Lew, Biden’s, Biden, Obama, Jim Risch of, Lew of, Lew’s, —, Chuck Schumer, Israel, Thomas R, Nides, Schumer, “, Mr, ” Mr, fides, Marco Rubio, John Barrasso, Barrasso, ” Organizations: Senate Foreign Relations, Israel, Hamas, Republican, Foreign Relations, Mr, Jewish, Investigations, State Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jim Risch of Idaho, Iran, United States, Florida, Oman, Tehran, Wyoming, Iranian, U.S, Saudi Arabia

In video clips verified by The New York Times, scores of Palestinian bodies were filmed strewn across the courtyard of the Ahli Arab Hospital, some bloodied, charred, mangled or in pieces. The explosion at the hospital came a day after Iran warned that “other multiple fronts will open” if Israeli attacks continued to kill civilians in Gaza. Hundreds of families had fled to the hospital in search of refuge after 11 days of Israeli strikes elsewhere in Gaza. Image Two Palestinian children injured in the explosion at Ahli Arab Hospital were taken to another hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa, for treatment. The Health Ministry in Gaza said that Ahli Arab Hospital was also struck on Sunday.

Persons: ”, Ali Jadallah, Israel, Biden’s, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Jordan, Biden, Jadallah, Mr, Ghassan Abu, Dr, Abu, Sitta, Abed Khaled, Ahmed Hijazi, “ I’ve, Hijazi, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Abu Bakr Bashir, Haley Willis, Euan Ward, Yousur, Abu Hweila Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, The New York Times, Ahli Arab Hospital, Anadolu Agency, Shifa, Lebanese, Palestinian, Islamic, Palestinian Authority, Israel, ”, West Bank, West Bank . Video, The Times, Arab Hospital, Episcopal, Health Ministry, World Health Organization, Twitter Locations: Gaza City, Palestinian, Ahli, Al, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Egypt, Zeitoun, Jerusalem, ”, Canterbury, London, Berkeley, Calif, Beirut, Cairo

Buildings erected in Israel since the 1990s have built-in safe rooms to avoid bombs and air strikes. Residents told Insider what they're like, showing spaces with sparse furnishings and barricaded entries. While safe rooms are commonplace in Israel, they're essentially non-existent in Gaza. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis photo taken on Oct. 8, 2023 shows a sparsely-furnished safe room in a building in Jerusalem. There is no place to go when Israel bombs," Diana Buttu, a lawyer and analyst, told Insider.

Persons: they're, —, Chen Junqing, Aisenberg, ACK GUEZ, Sacha Roytman Dratwa, Dratwa, Amir Levy, Gideon Harari, JALAA MAREY, Tahani Mustafa, Richard Hech, Diana Buttu Organizations: Service, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Command, Getty, Antisemitism, Jerusalem Post, People, Crisis Group, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UN Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem, Xinhua, Tel Aviv, AFP, Lebanon, Palestine

☆ Burger King still hasn't closed its Russian restaurants 18 months after its parent company said it would
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Burger King's roughly 800 Russian restaurants remain open. Its parent company said in March 2022 it had started the process to dispose of its ownership stake. AdvertisementAdvertisementBurger King still hasn't closed its Russian restaurants, more than 18 months after parent company Restaurant Brands International said it would. Burger King's franchise restaurants in Russia are run by a joint venture partnership in which RBI has a 15% stake. Shear added that RBI had "demanded" that the main operator of Russia's Burger King restaurants stop operations, but that it "refused to do so."

Persons: Burger, —, David Shear, Shear, Russia's, didn't, hadn't, Angus, Whoppers, Popeyes, Tim Hortons, McDonald's Organizations: Service, Restaurant Brands, BBC Locations: Russia, Russia's Burger, Ukraine

We are growing but nowhere near fast enough," said Ben Blackwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council. In June, Siemens Gamesa said quality problems at its two most recent onshore wind turbines would cost 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) to fix. "The ratio between risk and reward is out of line in the offshore wind market in many jurisdictions. You can see this from investors not showing up," the Global Wind Energy Council's Blackwell told Reuters. "The situation in U.S. offshore wind is severe," Orsted CEO Mads Nipper said last month.

Persons: Pascal, Jon Wallace, WindEurope, Markus Krebber, Germany's, Ben Blackwell, Rob West, Siemens Gamesa, Fraser McLachlan, McLachlan, Jochen Eickholt, Wallace, Energy Council's Blackwell, Denmark's Orsted, RWE's Krebber, Joe Biden's, Mads Nipper, Nina Chestney, Nichola Groom, Christoph Steitz, Nora Buli, Francesca Landini, Toby Sterling, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, Jupiter Asset Management, EU, Shell, Siemens, LinkedIn, Wind Energy, Thunder Said Energy, GCube Insurance, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Energy, Reuters, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Le Havre, Normandy, France, European Union, Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Ukraine, Jupiter, U.S, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Milan, Amsterdam

The prisoner swap was all arranged, or so the American negotiators thought. After years of painstaking negotiations with Iran, secretly mediated by Persian Gulf nations, top aides to President Biden had finally struck a deal on June 6 that would free four Americans held in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons. In exchange, the United States would unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and drop charges against Iranians accused of violating U.S. sanctions. The U.S. negotiators knew there could still be last-minute hiccups, but things were moving forward. that Iran had seized another American citizen, a retired woman from California who was doing aid work in Afghanistan.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S, White Locations: Iran, Persian Gulf, United States, Tehran, California, Afghanistan

To secure the deal, Israel will need to make some concessions to the Palestinians, such as ceding them more land in the West Bank. But senior members of Mr. Netanyahu’s government — the most ultranationalist in Israeli history — are strongly opposed to such gestures, making it harder to forge a deal. Mr. Biden used the meeting to press the prime minister to do more to support the normalization process, White House officials said. But administration officials have said they recognize that Mr. Netanyahu operates within the constraints of his governing coalition, which includes ultranationalist members who oppose giving more sovereignty to the Palestinians. A senior Israeli official said that Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Biden that the Palestinians should be included in the deal, but not given the right to veto it.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: West Bank, White, Biden Locations: Israel

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