
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump this week escalated his threats to retake control of the Panama Canal, falsely accusing Panama of allowing Chinese soldiers to control the vital shipping route and of overcharging American ships. Trump has claimed Panama charges U.S. vessels “exorbitant prices” and warned that if they are not reduced after he takes office next month, he will demand that the United States be granted control of the canal “in full, quickly and without question.” On Wednesday, Trump went on another tear. Announcing his choice for ambassador to the Central American nation, Kevin Marino Cabrera, he accused the Panamanian government of “ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams.” In a holiday screed on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump wished a merry Christmas to “the wonderful soldiers of China” whom he inaccurately said were operating the canal, and griped that the United States “puts in Billions of Dollars” for canal maintenance “but will have absolutely nothing to say about ‘anything.’” While it is unclear what prompted Trump’s recent obsession with the Panama Canal, some Republicans have long objected to turning it over to Panamanian control. When Ronald Reagan ran for president, he said the people of the United States were the canal’s “rightful owners” and brought audiences to their feet with the line: “We bought it; we paid for it; we built it.” The United States under President Jimmy Carter’s administration entered into two treaties, culminating in formally turning over control of the canal to the Panamanians on Dec. 31, 1999. “There’s a certain wing of the Republican Party that’s always been skeptical of the handover,” said Ryan C. Berg, the director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. “Complaints tend to crop up around the anniversary, and now that seems to be coming to a head because of the China issue and the desire to compete with China in the region,” he said. Here’s three important things to know about the Panama Canal as the issue moves forward. Who owns the Panama Canal? The Panama Canal was built by the United States between 1904 and 1914, and the U.S. government managed it for several decades. That situation created significant tensions with Panama over the years, and in 1964, anti-American riots broke out in the Canal Zone. The riots led to the renegotiation of the Panama Canal treaties, and in 1977 Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Efraín Torrijos signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. The pair of agreements guaranteed the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal. After a period of joint custody, the treaties called for the United States to relinquish control over the canal by the year 2000. Panama took full control in 1999, and has since operated the canal through the Panama Canal Authority. In a statement of rebuke to Trump on Sunday, President José Raúl Mulino of Panama said “every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA.” Are U.S. vessels being overcharged? Mulino says they are not. Rates being charged to ships and naval vessels, he insisted, are “not on a whim.” Panamanian officials said all countries are subject to the same fees, though they would differ based on ship size. They are established in public meetings by the Panama Canal Authority, and take into account market conditions, international competition, operating and maintenance costs, Mulino said. Rates have gone up recently, however. That’s because starting in 2023, Panama experienced severe drought, driven by a combination of El Nino and climate change. With water levels at Gatun Lake, the principal hydrological reserve for the canal, at historically low levels, authorities reduced shipping through the canal to conserve the lake’s fresh water. Trump has called climate change a hoax. Does China control the Panama Canal? Chinese soldiers are not, as Trump has claimed, “operating” the Panama Canal. “There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal, for the love of God,” Mulino said in a speech Thursday. “The world is free to visit the canal.” A Hong Kong-based firm, CK Hutchison Holdings, does manage two ports at the canal’s entrances. And some experts have said that does raise valid competitive and security concerns for the United States because Hong Kong is now part of China. For example, Berg noted, the company would likely have data on all ships coming through the Panama Canal, giving it a data advantage. China also has been using its shipping and maritime operations to gather foreign intelligence and conduct espionage. “China exercises, or could exercise, a certain element of control even absent some military conflagration,” Berg said. “I think there is reason to be worried.” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said Tuesday that China “will as always respect Panama’s sovereignty” over the Panama Canal. China is the second-largest user of the Panama Canal after the United States. In 2017, Panama cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognized it as part of China, a major win for Beijing. Can the United States reassert control? Not easily. Mulino has made clear the Panama Canal is not for sale. He noted that the treaties established permanent neutrality of the canal and “guaranteeing its open and safe operation for all nations.” And the Senate ratified the Panama Canal treaties in 1978. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former chief of staff, suggested that the provocations were merely part of a negotiating tactic to get rates down. “You know, I don’t envision American troops going in to retake the canal, but you got to think that someone is out there scratching their head going, ‘Is Donald Trump crazy enough to do something like that?’” Mulvaney said Tuesday on “The Hill” on NewsNation. Berg said the neutrality agreement made it unlikely that Panama would even be able to grant special rates to the United States. And, he noted, Mulino is “incredibly pro-American” and likely eager to help the incoming Trump administration deal with issues like illegal immigration. “President Mulino is going to be a great ally with the United States,” Berg said. “We should not want this to devolve into some kind of political fight because we’re going to need President Mulino on a number of other issues.” This article originally appeared in The New York Times.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Attentive , the AI-powered mobile marketing platform, today announced it ranked #242 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 TM, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America, now in its 30 th year. Attentive’s rapid growth, marked by a 493% increase over the past three years, can be attributed to its native personalization solutions driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver one-on-one communications at scale. "Today's generic online shopping experience will soon be outdated," says Amit Jhawar, CEO of Attentive. "The future is about personalizing every consumer interaction with AI, and Attentive is poised to lead this transformation. The continued recognition by Deloitte is a testament of seeing more global brands reset their technical stack to take advantage of Attentive’s modern capabilities that enable smarter, more dynamic conversations that lead to measurable growth." Attentive continues to deliver significant value for brands in both revenue and business growth. According to the Total Economic Impact TM of Attentive SMS Marketing, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting , the composite Attentive customer experienced total benefits of $10.11 million (USD) over three years, with an 181% return on investment. Attentive has been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award for four consecutive years. The company achieved several additional significant milestones, including: In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America. About Attentive Attentive® is the AI-powered mobile marketing platform transforming the way brands personalize consumer engagement. Attentive enables marketers to craft tailored journeys for every subscriber, driving higher recurring revenue and maximizing campaign performance. Activating real-time data from multiple channels and advanced AI, the platform personalizes content, tone, and timing to help brands deliver 1:1 messages that truly resonate. With a top-rated customer success team recognized on G2, Attentive partners with marketers to provide strategic guidance and optimize SMS and email campaigns. Trusted by leading global brands like GUESS, Urban Outfitters, and Steve Madden, Attentive ensures enterprise-grade compliance and deliverability, supporting trillions of interactions across more than 70 industries. To learn more or request a demo, visit www.attentive.com or follow us on LinkedIn , X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram . About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future . Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 460,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122866813/en/ PR Contact: Annie Lee, Attentive,press@attentive.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS OTHER TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL MARKETING SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MOBILE/WIRELESS FINANCE SOURCE: Attentive Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 01:07 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 01:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122866813/en2024 RSM Classic scores, takeaways: Maverick McNealy, Michael Thorbjornsen take lead as Ludvig Åberg struggles
THE HAGUE (AP) — The world’s top war-crimes court issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the 13-month war in Gaza. The warrants said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. The action by the International Criminal Court came as the death toll from Israel’s campaign in Gaza passed 44,000 people, according to local health authorities, who say more than half of those killed were women and children. Their count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Experts say hunger has become widespread across Gaza and may have reached famine levels in the north of the territory, which is under siege by Israeli troops. Israel says it has been working hard to improve entry of aid, though the trickle of supplies into Gaza remains near the lowest levels of the war. Netanyahu condemned the warrant against him, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions” by the court. In a statement released by his office, he said: “There is nothing more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza.” Gallant, in a statement, said the decision "sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare and encourages murderous terrorism.” The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. TH(backslash)he decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects, putting them at risk of arrest when they travel abroad and potentially further isolating them . Israel and its top ally, the United States, are not members of the court. But others of Israel's allies, including some of its close European friends, are put in an awkward position. Several, including France, welcomed the court's decision and signaled they might arrest Netanyahu if he visited. The move “represents the most dramatic step yet in the court’s involvement in the conflict between Israel and Hamas," said Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Israeli leaders, politicians and officials across the spectrum denounced the warrants and the ICC. The new defense minister, Israel Katz, who replaced Gallant earlier this month, said Thursday’s decision is “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.” Human rights groups applauded the move. The warrants against both sides “break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement. The decision came six months after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrants. The court issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing, over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. It said it found reasonable grounds to believe Deif was involved in murder, rape, torture and the taking of hostages amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the Hamas-led attack, militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking some 250 others hostage. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third of them believed to be dead. Khan withdrew requests for warrants for two other senior Hamas figures, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh , who have both since been killed. Israel says it also killed Deif in an airstrike, but Hamas has never confirmed his death. The warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were issued by a three-judge panel in a unanimous decision. The panel said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both men bear responsibility for the war crime of starvation and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. The judges said the lack of food, water, electricity, fuel and specific medical supplies created conditions “calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza,” including the deaths of children due to malnutrition and dehydration. They also found that by preventing hospital supplies and medicine from getting into Gaza, doctors were forced to operate, including performing amputations, without anesthesia or with unsafe means of sedation that led to “great suffering.” Israeli diplomatic officials said the government is lobbying the international community to speak out against the warrants and is considering an appeal to the court. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal decision on how the government will proceed. Despite the warrants, none of the suspects is likely to face judges in The Hague anytime soon. Member countries are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted on an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, recently visited Mongolia, a member state in the court but also a Russian ally. He was not arrested. Still, the threat of arrest now complicates any travel abroad by Netanyahu and Gallant. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the warrants are binding on all 27 members countries of the European Union. France signaled it could arrest Netanyahu if he came to its territory. Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine called it a “complex legal issue” but said France supports the court’s actions. “Combating impunity is our priority,” he said. “Our response will align with these principles.” Hamas in a statement welcomed the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant but made no mention of the one against Deif. Israel’s opposition leaders fiercely criticized the ICC’s move. Benny Gantz, a retired general and political rival to Netanyahu, said it showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.” Israel’s campaign has caused heavy destruction across Gaza and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Two days after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, Gallant announced a total seal on Gaza, vowing not to let in food, fuel or other supplies. Under U.S. pressure, Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid to enter a few weeks later. Israel now says it puts no limit on the supplies permitted into Gaza, and it blames the U.N. distribution system. But Israel's official figures show the amount of aid it has let in has plunged since the beginning of October. The U.N has blamed Israeli military restrictions, along with widespread lawlessness that has led to theft of aid shipments. The case at the ICC is separate from another legal battle Israel is waging at the top U.N. court, the International Court of Justice, in which South Africa accuses Israel of genocide , an allegation Israeli leaders staunchly deny. Lawyers for Israel argued in court that the war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. Associated Press journalists Raf Casert in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.SCCI president highlights CPEC as a game-changer for Pakistan
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Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened weekCharles F. Dolan, a media and telecommunications pioneer who founded Cablevision Systems Corp., has died, a family spokesperson said Saturday. He was 98. Dolan first changed the landscape of television in the 1960s, when he laid cable in lower Manhattan and gambled that people would pay for programs superior to those broadcast for free over the air. He went on to found Home Box Office Inc., later known as HBO, American Movie Classics and launched the country’s first 24-hour cable channel for local news, News12. “He’s one of the pioneers of cable television and one of the most brilliant people there is when it comes to programming and seeing what’s ahead,” Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, told Newsday in 1990. On Saturday, the Dolan family, in a statement sent by a spokesperson, said, "It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father and patriarch, Charles Dolan, the visionary founder of HBO and Cablevision." Dolan died of natural causes and was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his death, according to the family. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . "Remembered as both a trailblazer in the television industry and a devoted family man, his legacy will live on," the family said. Cablevision purchased Newsday Media Group in 2008. Newsday is now owned by Dolan's son, Patrick Dolan. The senior Dolan, whose primary home was in Cove Neck Village in Oyster Bay Town, expanded beyond television to own a controlling stake in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. The teams and sports and entertainment venues are now owned by The Madison Square Garden Company, whose CEO is Charles Dolan's son James L. Dolan. At the center of Charles Dolan's holdings was Cablevision of Bethpage, which he founded in 1973 and built into one of the nation’s largest broadcasting companies. Dolan passed day-to-day control of Cablevision to son James in 1995. But the senior Dolan remained chairman of the board until the company was sold to Altice in 2015 for nearly $18 billion. Charles Dolan in 1979. Dolan had just announced a new cable network in Queens. Credit: Newsday/Dick Yarwood Dolan had the reputation of being soft-spoken and reserved. He rarely granted interviews. And for years he eschewed chauffeurs and drove his own car, despite being one of the richest men in America. He was married for 73 years to Helen Ann Dolan, who died last year . They have six grown children and lived on a 5-acre waterfront estate, where for decades they hosted annual July Fourth fireworks displays that attracted hundreds of onlookers who watched from boats in Long Island Sound. Despite his courtly demeanor — he spoke so softly in meetings that people sometimes couldn’t hear him — Dolan had a reputation for pursuing deals with patient yet intense fervor, sometime taking years to get what he wanted. Competitors said he waited decades for a chance to buy Madison Square Garden. When the opportunity arrived, he leapt with abandon. “I call him bulldog Dolan,” former Univision chairman Andrew Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. Charles Dolan was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, one of four boys and the grandchild of Irish immigrants. His father, David J. Dolan, was an inventor who created a steering wheel lock to deter would-be thieves from making off with Model T Fords. He died of cancer in 1943, when Charles was 16, leaving him and his brothers to be raised by their mother. By then, Charles Dolan was already pushing into the media business. He earned $2 a week writing a column on the Boy Scouts for the Cleveland Press. Dolan worked at a radio station in high school, served briefly in the Air Force in the waning days of World War II, and returned to Ohio and enrolled at John Carroll University. It was there, in logic class, that he met his future wife, Helen Burgess. Dolan quit college before graduating and started a sports newsreel business out of the couple’s apartment. Using their kitchen as a studio, Dolan and his wife pasted negatives on the cabinets and cobbled together highlight films that they would sell to stations around the nation. The operation, however, made little money. Dolan sold the business to a competitor, Telenews, in 1952, essentially trading his customers for a job with the company in New York City. Charles and Helen Dolan moved east. In 1954, Dolan took a job with Sterling Television, where he helped launch a project to wire Manhattan with coaxial cable to deliver news and tourism programs. In the mid-1960s, cable television was a media backwater, confined to rural areas too remote for airborne signals. The conventional wisdom was that no one in a city or suburb would pay for television programs when they came free with an antenna. “No one but Chuck Dolan ever thought cable would amount to anything outside poor reception areas,” said Perenchio, the former Univision executive. In 1965, Dolan persuaded the New York City Board of Estimate — which at the time governed the five boroughs — to award him the franchise to wire the southern half of Manhattan. Dolan tapped Time Inc. and others for backing, then began the massive task of installing underground cable amid the warren of buildings. Once it was in place, Dolan’s company, Sterling Manhattan Cable, needed to find a way to attract subscribers. He turned to sports. In 1967, he struck a deal with Madison Square Garden to offer Knicks and Rangers playoff games. At the time, home games were blacked out by regular television. So the only way to watch was having a seat at the Garden — or subscribe to Dolan’s system. “I remember walking down Third Avenue, and every bar was filled to overflowing,” Dolan said in Wired to Win, a 2003 book about the early days of cable. “They were all wired for cable and showing the games people couldn’t see on regular broadcast television. It was wonderful.” But profits were a long way off, and it would take more than sports to keep cable afloat. Dolan, who was deeply in debt, needed more money to develop programming with broader appeal. So in 1972, while aboard the Queen Elizabeth II for a family vacation, Dolan holed up in his cabin with an old typewriter and began to write. As the ship steamed east toward France, he banged out the blueprint for a national pay-television channel that he hoped would convince Time Inc. — which already owned 20% of Sterling Manhattan Cable — to invest more money and take the company to the next level. He called it “The Green Channel.” America would come to know it as HBO. The idea was to broadcast a mix of movies and sporting events and syndicate to other cable systems around the country. Time Inc. was impressed, and the channel launched in November 1972. Nonetheless, Dolan’s company struggled to turn a profit. His relationship with Time Inc. soured. In 1973, Time Inc. bought out the company, including HBO. In exchange for relinquishing control, Dolan walked away with Time’s fledging cable system in Nassau County, with 1,500 subscribers. “That was the beginning of Cablevision Systems Corporation,” Dolan said in the book “Wired to Win.” Over the next decades, Dolan built his subscriber base, launched subsidiaries and developed programming, including the SportsChannel, American Movie Classics, Bravo and others. He expanded into Brooklyn, the Bronx, Connecticut, New Jersey and elsewhere. He took Cablevision public in 1986 but maintained a majority stake. “I have to admire the way Chuck has built his company and retained control,” Liberty Media Corporation chairman John C. Malone told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “It’s really miraculous.” In 1998, Dolan helped found The Lustgarten Foundation in Uniondale, after Cablevision vice chairman Marc Lustgarten was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 51. The foundation is now the nation’s largest private supporter of pancreatic cancer research. Dolan also served as a trustee of Fairfield University in Connecticut, where the business school is named after him. And despite never graduating from John Carroll University, he gave the school $20 million in 2000 to build a science and technology center. Dolan is survived by sons Patrick Dolan, Thomas Dolan and James Dolan; daughters Marianne Dolan-Weber, Kathleen Dolan and Deborah Dolan-Sweeney; and 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were pending. With James T. Madore, Joe Ryan and Dandan Zou