Why Israeli spyware firm NSO wants ‘urgent’ meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken
For NSO, the blacklisting has been an existential threat. The push to reverse it, which included hiring multiple American public relations and law firms, has cost NSO $1.5 million in lobbying last year, more than the government of Israel itself spent.
Republican presidential field thins out as grievance-stricken Trumps looks unassailable
Nikki Haley entered the GOP field early in the race, emerging as one of the first to challenge to Donald Trump. She was once the governor of South Carolina, as well as the US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. Now, more than six months into her campaign, Haley is still trying to show voters what makes her different from others in the Republican primary field. AP’s Meg Kinnard explains more.
Trump turns witness stand into political platform as he lashes out at judge, NY attorney general
Tensions between Engoron and Trump – already on display in recent weeks, when the judge fined him a total of $15,000 for incendiary outside-of-court comments – were evident early on Monday when the ex-president was repeatedly scolded about the length and content of his answers.
WHO increasingly looks more like a scheme for extracting private profit from the public purse
It is irrational to support corrupted institutions, but rational to support improvements in health and well-being. It is rational (and decent) to help populations who, through accidents of history such as past colonial exploitation or other misfortune, lack the means to fully address their own basic healthcare.
Match-fixing: Experts say it’s linked to unsavoury criminal activities like human trafficking, drug dealing
Ben Paterson, director of data integrity and quality at IMG Arena and whose company monitors anomalies in betting markets that can’t be explained, says the “pantomime” of a fixed match harms not just sporting entertainment but also the commercial viability of a league or competition.
Middle East experts pinpoint how Hamas lured Israel into war that will suck in wider Muslim world
Hamas, which rules Gaza, has stockpiled weapons, missiles, food and medical supplies, according to the people, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation. The group is confident its thousands of fighters can survive for months in a city of tunnels carved deep beneath the Palestinian enclave and frustrate Israeli forces with urban guerrilla tactics, the people told Reuters.
Devil in details: Why Man United won’t sack Erik Ten Hag, can’t stand Red Devils’ poor run
There is no plan to dismiss Ten Hag at present, but neither is there universal confidence in his abilities among those with connections to United. Some feel that after spending the majority of the past two decades coaching in the Netherlands, he has not fully adapted to the demands of the Premier League.
Biden 2024 strategy memo shows he plans to ride on 2020 themes, draw contrast to Trump
The campaign began trying to reverse such perceptions in September, with a 16-week, $25 million advertising campaign targeting what Chavez called “voters across battleground states – including earlier-than-ever investments in Hispanic and African American media” and testing “the messaging contrast that will be core to this election.”
Without peace to keep, UN winds up its missions in Africa, experts wary of risky security vacuum
Half of the UN’s 12 peacekeeping missions are in Africa, comprises about 86,000 military, police and civilian personnel. MONUSCO and MINUSMA, two of the biggest and most expensive operations, are working to fully withdraw by the end of 2023.
US’ strong backing of Israel’s war against Hamas baffles allies who can’t predict Washington’s next move
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has governed semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank since Hamas expelled his forces from Gaza, is already deeply unpopular with the Palestinian public.
