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August 16: Kushner Meets Hamas as China Eyes Civilian Fleet
In the Middle East
Jared Kushner has met Hamas leaders in Egypt as part of efforts to advance President Trump’s Gaza plan. Diplomatic sources say Trump’s envoy has pressed Hamas to disarm, with the stated aim of excluding the group from any future governing role in Gaza.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also calling for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, amid disruption to oil shipments through the crucial waterway.
In China
A researcher at China’s top economic planning agency has urged Beijing to prepare civilian cargo ships for wartime military use. The proposal calls for a database of suitable vessels, mobilization plans and ship designs that account for military needs. China’s merchant fleet could add substantial transport capacity, while putting civilian crews in danger in contested waters.
In U.S. news
Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to promise that the Justice Department would always operate independently from the White House. He said President Trump has not asked, and will not ask, for prosecutions of specific people, but stopped short of a broader guarantee of independence.
In Indiana, at least six people, including a four-year-old boy, have died after days of storms and record flooding. The White River in Indianapolis reached its peak as officials expected rainfall to begin easing.
Police have arrested 19-year-old Camron Harris in connection with the shooting of five people at Virginia State University. Authorities say Harris, who is not enrolled there, was found hiding in a closet in a dormitory more than 14 hours after the shooting.
In California
California billionaires have poured nearly $40 million into opposing a proposed state wealth tax on the November ballot. The campaign has also exposed divisions among prominent tech billionaires, proving that even vast fortunes can find a common concern when the tax bill arrives.
In Britain
Nearly 350 cells were vacant last month at HMP Millsike, a £400 million prison outside York, even as the UK prison system faces severe overcrowding. Officials say the new prison is being opened in phases because of staffing, safety and security requirements, while thousands of places elsewhere remain unavailable because of maintenance and fire-safety work.
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