Tag Archives: Russia

Previews: The Economist Magazine – Dec 2, 2023

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The Economist Magazine (November 30, 2023): The latest issue features ‘Blue-Collar Bonanza’ – Why conventional wisdom on inequality is wrong; Is Putin winning?; America’s most conservative court; Political Islam after Gaza, and more…

A new age of the worker will overturn conventional thinking

Around the rich world, wage gaps are shrinking

Few ideas are more unshakable than the notion that the rich keep getting richer while ordinary folks fall ever further behind. The belief that capitalism is rigged to benefit the wealthy and punish the workers has shaped how millions view the world, whom they vote for and whom they shake their fists at. It has been a spur to political projects on both left and right, from the interventionism of Joe Biden to the populism of Donald Trump. But is it true?

A religious revolution is under way in the Middle East

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest in support of the Palestinian people in Cairo, Egypt

Can it survive the Gaza war?

Old stereotypes are haunting the Middle East once more. The biggest butchery of Israeli civilians since the state’s creation, carried out on October 7th, has been followed by a slaughter of Palestinian civilians. America, which has funded, armed and defended Israel is again an object of ire. So are its Western allies. Together they are blamed for facilitating Gaza’s pummelling and the displacement of its people. A truce which began on November 24th, and which was set to expire as The Economist went to press, had led to the release of 81 hostages and 180 Palestinian detainees as of November 28th.

News: UN COP28 Climate Summit In Dubai; Taiwan Economic Ties With India

The Globalist Podcast (November 30, 2023) – As Cop 28 begins in Dubai, Politico’s Suzanne Lynch discusses the controversy over the UAE’s motives for hosting the summit and what is expected to come out of it.

Also, William Yang on Taiwan’s economic ties with India, a Saudi Arabian investment fund’s purchase of a stake in Heathrow, Interpol’s centenary and why France tops our Soft Power Survey.

The New York Times — Thursday, Nov 30, 2023

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Henry Kissinger Is Dead at 100; Shaped Nation’s Cold War History

A color portrait of Henry A. Kissinger in a dark suit jacket, white shirt and striped tie, his right hand pressed against his chin. A wall map of the world fills the space behind him.

The most powerful secretary of state of the postwar era, he was both celebrated and reviled. His complicated legacy still resonates in relations with China, Russia and the Middle East.

Gaza Mediators, Eye on Long Term, Press for Short Truce Extension

With a temporary cease-fire in effect, Gaza residents came out to look at the damage in Khan Younis on Wednesday.

Officials from Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. hope that a succession of pauses will pave the way toward a larger goal: bringing the war to a close.

In the West Bank, Release of Prisoners Deepens Support for Hamas

Some people in the West Bank, where frustration with the Palestinian Authority has been simmering for years, believe Hamas and other armed groups are the only ones they can trust to protect them.

Two Years With America’s Elite Firefighters

Hotshot fire crews work on the front lines of the biggest wildfires in the American West. We rode along with them.

News: Blinken Returns To Israel, Ukraine Urges NATO Ministers To Maintain Aid

The Globalist Podcast (November 29, 2023) – As US secretary of state Antony Blinken returns to Israel later this week, Gregg Carlstrom breaks down what he might be hoping to achieve.

Plus: why Ukraine is top of the agenda at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Finland temporary closure of its border with Russia, the latest business news and a trip to the World Architecture Festival in Singapore.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Nov 29, 2023

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A Gaza Truce Aids Both Sides. Until the Calculus Changes.

Palestinians on their way from the north of Gaza to the south passing through an Israeli checkpoint on Sunday.

Both Israel and Hamas are reaping benefits from the cease-fire, but as the hostage-for-prisoner exchanges continue, Israeli leaders may feel growing pressure to resume the war.

Gavin Newsom Wants Fox News Viewers to Hear Him Out

A portrait of Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

After sparring twice with Sean Hannity, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California will jump into the ring this week with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. The stakes are high for both men.

Memorial Celebrates Rosalynn Carter’s Life, a ‘Public Love Story’

Former President Jimmy Carter emerged from hospice care to join a cast of political heavyweights paying tribute to Mrs. Carter, who died at 96 last week at her home in Plains, Ga.

Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics?

The flow of students between the countries has been a mainstay of their relationship, even when ties have soured. Now these exchanges, too, are under threat.

News: Israel-Hamas Truce; Former Ireland President Mary Robinson Interview

The Globalist Podcast (November 28, 2023) – We unpack the extended truce deal between Israel and Hamas. Also, a special interview with former Ireland president Mary Robinson, a look at the Marrakech International Film Festival and the latest business news.

The New York Times — Tuesday, November 28, 2023

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Hamas and Israel Extend Cease-Fire for 2 Days, Qatar Says

Palestinians walking on Monday amid buildings hit by Israeli strikes in Gaza City.

The extension, and another exchange of hostages and prisoners, raised hopes that more people would be set free and more humanitarian aid would reach people in the Gaza Strip.

Biden Hopes to Alter the Trajectory of the War as Hostages Are Released

President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday in efforts to extend the temporary cease-fire.

At the president’s urging, the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas was extended two more days. The challenge is what comes next.

Inside U.S. Efforts to Untangle an A.I. Giant’s Ties to China

American spy agencies have warned about the Emirati firm G42 and its work with large Chinese companies that U.S. officials consider security threats.

Russian Women Protest Long Deployments for Soldiers in Ukraine

“Make way for someone else,” a new grass-roots movement demands as women challenge the official argument that the mobilized troops are needed in combat indefinitely.

News: Calls For Israel-Hamas Truce Extension; 2023 ‘Soft Power’ Survey

The Globalist Podcast (November 27, 2023) – The latest on the war between Israel and Hamas. Plus: the Philippines considers returning to the ICC, the latest climate news and Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’.

The New York Times — Monday, November 27, 2023

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As Hamas Releases More Hostages, Longer Cease-Fire Appears Possible

People waving to Aviva Adrienne Siegel, a released hostage, aboard a bus in Ofakim, Israel, on Sunday.

A third group of captives released from Gaza included a 4-year-old dual American-Israeli citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

U.S. Troops Still Train on Weapons With Known Risk of Brain Injury

Special Operations troops trained with rocket launchers in Fort Chaffee, Ark.

Pentagon researchers say weapons like shoulder-fired rockets expose troops who fire them to blast waves far above safety limits, but they remain in wide use.

Members of Congress Head for the Exits, Many Citing Dysfunction

More than three dozen incumbents have announced they will not seek re-election next year. Some are running for other offices, while others intend to leave Congress altogether.

As Groundwater Dwindles, Powerful Players Block Change

Here are some of the people fighting efforts to conserve a vital resource that’s disappearing across the United States.

The New York Times — Sunday, November 26, 2023

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Amid Hostage Releases, Israel Faces Dilemma Over Resuming the War

A group of Israeli hostages was released by Hamas on Saturday, after an hourslong delay raised fears that the deal would collapse.

The cease-fire can be extended by daily releases of hostages, making it progressively harder for Israel to restart military operations.

Gaza Civilians, Under Israeli Barrage, Are Being Killed at Historic Pace

Even a conservative assessment of the reported Gaza casualty figures shows that the rate of death during Israel’s assault has few precedents in this century, experts say.

Despite Bans, Disabled Women Are Still Being Sterilized in Europe

Governments have declared the practice a human rights violation. But they have made exceptions that are divisive among parents, doctors and social workers.

In This Atlanta Suburb, Teens Taste Freedom at 10 M.P.H.

In Peachtree City, Ga., golf carts are everywhere, giving young people in particular an early chance to take life by the wheel.