Joe Biden lands in Saudi Arabia this morning, having spent two unremarkable days in Israel and the West Bank.
As president, he has been unusually disengaged from the Middle East, and will probably return home with little to show for his peregrinations. We survey the state of sex education in Latin American schools, and explain why dinosaurs outcompeted other species.
How is China marking the 25th anniversary of Beijing ruling Hong Kong? Plus: the dissolution of parliament and calls for more elections in Israel, and a record heatwave in Japan.
A.M. Edition for June 16. The European Union signed a natural-gas deal with Israel and Egypt on Wednesday in a bid to wean itself off Russian supplies by tapping into the gas riches of the eastern Mediterranean.
WSJ correspondent Dov Lieber in Tel Aviv explains the significance of the deal for Israel and Egypt, even if the agreement doesn’t allow the EU to make up for losses of Russian gas. Luke Vargas hosts.
Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is regarded by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem. Within its Old City, the Temple Mount complex includes the Dome of the Rock shrine, the historic Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Israel’s financial hub, Tel Aviv, is known for its Bauhaus architecture and beaches.
On this journey, I’m traveling through the Holy Land, a region important to the three main monotheistic religions, and what is known today as Israel and Palestine. In this episode, I’m exploring Israel, a country that was established in 1948, but is located in a region that has been at the crossroads of religions and cultures for many centuries. From the beautiful beaches and dynamic streets of modern Tel Aviv, to the religious landmarks and atmospheric alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem. From the salty water of the Dead Sea to the surreal desert landscapes of the Negev. Along the way, I meet some of the people that live here, and taste some of the local food.
We discuss the Israeli prime minister’s visit to the UAE, and the Capitol Hill riot panel’s recommendation that Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, face criminal prosecution. Plus: urbanism news and the ghosts of Christmas past.
Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is regarded by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem. Within its Old City, the Temple Mount complex includes the Dome of the Rock shrine, the historic Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Israel’s financial hub, Tel Aviv, is known for its Bauhaus architecture and beaches.
Naftali Bennett’s first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden will look calm and co-operative. But in time, sharp differences will strain the “reset” they project today.
Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency is being defanged; it was simply too good at routing the rot President Joko Widodo once promised to eradicate. And estimating the breathtaking global cost of vaccine inequality.
Five stories to know for June 18, 2021:
1. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Republican bid to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, preserving the landmark healthcare law for the third time since its 2010 enactment.
2. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. Joe Biden signed into law a bill making June 19 a national holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.
3. China launched three astronauts up to its unfinished space station on the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft. The astronauts will live in a module called ‘Tianhe’ for three months.
4. Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza on Thursday night after incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave, for the second time this week, since a fragile ceasefire ended 11 days of deadly fighting last month.
5. Iranians voted in a presidential election likely to be won by a hardline judge subject to U.S. sanctions.
Five stories to know for June 16, 2021:
1. U.S. President Joe Biden meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva for their first face to face since he took office. Disagreements remain between the U.S. and Russia. Expectations for any breakthroughs are low.
2. Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza after Hamas launched fire balloons at Israel earlier in the day, which sparked fires. Tensions are high after an Israeli nationalist march in Jerusalem
3. The U.S. Senate voted to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
4. Taiwan reported a record incursion of Chinese aircraft after the G7 scolded Beijing and called for peace in the Taiwan Strait.
5. Fireworks lit up New York state as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. NY reported that 70% of adults have received at least one vaccine dose.
Five stories to know for June 14, 2021:
1. Following the G7 summit in England, Joe Biden attends a NATO summit in Brussels. The U.S. president will rally Western allies to support a U.S. strategy to contain China’s military rise as well as showing unity in the face of Russian aggression.
2. One of 14 people hurt in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, died according to media reports. Two men opened fire at each other in a busy entertainment district. Police arrested one suspect and are searching for another.
3. Benjamin Netanyahu’s record run in office ended on Sunday with Israel’s parliament approving, by a razor-thin majority of 60-59, a new administration led by Naftali Bennett, a nationalist whose views mirror Netanyahu’s on many issues. In Tel Aviv, thousands turned out to welcome the result, after four inconclusive elections in two years.
4. The United States is looking into reports of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after warnings of an “imminent radiological threat” by a French company that helps operate it, CNN reported on Monday.
5. Bitcoin climbed just shy of $40,000 on Monday, after yet another weekend of price swings following tweets from Tesla boss Elon Musk, who fended off criticism over his market influence and said Tesla sold bitcoin but may resume transactions using it.
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