20231010

Hamas Attack on Israel Puts Palestinian Issue in Spotlight

The deadly attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas not only marks the biggest Israeli intelligence failure in decades. It has shattered the idea that the Palestinian issue can be ignored.

While in Israel there’s suspicion of an Iranian role in the assault, Western officials have been reluctant to publicly say Tehran was directly involved. Iran has lauded the attacks while denying any part in them.

Managing longstanding tensions with the Palestinians had become “sort of a check box,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Bloomberg TV earlier this year.

Some of China’s rich are gambling on often unorthodox ways to move their cash overseas since the national borders reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic. As Lulu Yilun Chen reports, crackdowns on ideologically out-of-favor industries, uncertainty over geopolitical tensions and Xi’s push for “common prosperity” have spooked the wealthy and even the middle class.

EK: Some issues should be dealt with, eventually. Move away from uncertainty.

Amazon Dangles Prime Day Deals With Shoppers in ‘Driver’s Seat’

Consumers are grappling with stubbornly persistent inflation even as their debt obligations balloon and savings shrink. The resumption of student loan payments, which were suspended during the pandemic, also are expected to weigh on spending.

“When you have more retailers coming in [and] people are comparing prices across multiple options, it puts shoppers in the driver’s seat to try to manage costs in this inflationary environment,” he said.

EK: Another article says Americans are saving more than previously expected. They finally realize the importance of not spending, not taking loans, etc.