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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A major character death at the end of "The Diplomat" season two throws a wrench into the series.</li><li>Keri Russell's titular diplomat, Kate Wyler, now faces a more challenging path to the vice presidency.</li></ul>Netflix's "The Diplomat" is a blisteringly fun political drama that leans into the melodrama of international politics — and like in its first season, season two concludes with yet another cliffhanger season finale.The series follows <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-keri-russell-matthew-rhys-talk-finale-2018-5">"The Americans" star Keri Russell</a>'s Ambassador Kate Wyler, a brash career diplomat tapped to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom. When she arrives, she's thrust into managing the fallout of an attack on a British aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.Her diplomatic appointment serves a secondary purpose, however: the White House is grooming her to potentially step in as the new vice president, because the current one has a scandal hanging over her head that will force her to resign.The series, helmed by "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-you-forgot-were-on-the-west-wing-2021-8">The West Wing"</a> and "Homeland" vet Debora Cahn, plays like a familiar, soapy political drama. And it clearly resonates with viewers — according to Netflix's engagement data, it racked up over 214 million hours of viewing time in the first half of 2023. It's also a player on the awards scene, picking up <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golden-globes-2024-nominees-winners-list-details-2023-12">Golden Globe</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emmy-nominees-winners-list-2023-7">Emmy</a> nominations for its first season.Season two arrives just days before the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-kamala-harris-election-biggest-moments-photos-2024-10">United States election</a>, and digs deeper into Kate's secondary purpose in London. As she unravels the conspiracy behind the aircraft attack, she also has to contend with Vice President Grace Penn (an excellent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/allison-janney-shocked-by-mom-cancellation-has-theories-why-2021-5">Allison Janney</a>) showing up in London. By the end of the season, Kate and Grace have gotten to know each other — but a development in the series finale fundamentally changes their relationship.Warning: Major spoilers for the season two finale of "The Diplomat" ahead.<div type="image" title="keri russell and allison janney as kate and grace in the diplomat, both wearing stylish pantsuits and sitting across from each other at a breakfast table" height="1636" width="3600" msid="114827957" hostid="261" sizebytes="218932"></div><h2 id="584fa967-ca6b-4e23-a516-7caf1ab356f2">A major death in the season finale throws Grace and Kate into chaos</h2>Kate learns that the aircraft carrier attack, which was executed by a Russian mercenary, was a false flag. Right-wing figure Margaret Roylin confesses to Tory Prime Minister Nicolas Trowbridge, whom she previously advised, that she orchestrated the entire incident to help the United Kingdom rally behind Trowbridge — and specifically, to prevent Scottish succession. The attack, however, was much more severe than intended, killing British sailors in the process, and Trowbridge reacts with abject fury and attempts to choke Roylin with his own hands.Meanwhile, Kate warms to Grace Penn, the vice president, after she arrives in London. After seeing Grace interact with Trowbridge, Kate decides to stop pursuing the vice presidency, and moves to recommend that Grace stay in office. Her husband Hal stops her from doing so, and delivers a devastating bit of information: Roylin didn't mastermind the attack on the aircraft carrier — Grace Penn did.In the season finale, Kate signals to Grace that she's aware of her involvement in the incident. In turn, Grace explains that she had no other choice. Like Roylin, she wished to prevent Scottish secession, but not for the same reasons.Scotland, Grace explains, is home to the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons, and houses the only place in Europe where the United States can dock its own nuclear submarines. That base, Creegan, would be the first European targets in a nuclear war with Russia, Grace explains, and should Scotland secede the country would be quick to close it.Kate understands Grace's rationale, but makes the decision to report her actions to the State Department. She enlists her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) to tell the secretary of state on her behalf, so that her record is clean when she steps into the vice presidency. As Kate assures Grace that she won't tell anyone — and that she's stopped pursuing the VP job — Hal goes rogue and skips over the secretary of state to go straight to President William Rayburn.That backfires spectacularly, because Hal's revelation is so uniquely upsetting that it causes the elderly president to die on the spot. Hal barely manages to give Kate the heads up over the phone before secret service members rush onto the lawn to collect Grace, the new president of the United States."I got chills and I threw the script across the room and I was like, 'What the fuck?'" Janney told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/allison-janney-the-diplomat-season-2-exclusive-awards-insider">Vanity Fair</a> of the ending. "It was the best moment I've ever had reading a script."<div type="image" title="allison janney as grace penn in the diplomat. she's wearing burgendy suit and grey blouse and has a short blonde bob, and is standing outside a home with her hands resting on a railing" height="1912" width="2549" msid="114827960" hostid="261" sizebytes="149986"></div><h2 id="10a79592-26af-491b-923f-2adcd4e2bbe2">The VP job is open, but it may not be Kate's for the taking</h2>Luckily for us, "The Diplomat" has already been renewed for a third season that's already in production in New York. Russell told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/the-diplomat-review-netflix-keri-russell-the-americans-tv-political-thriller-feminism-vp-rufus-sewell-1234715683/">Rolling Stone</a> that she's already read all of season three."It's so good in the way I want things to be good, and I just can't believe that it's still getting better," she said.Now that Grace is the president, the VP job is wide open — but it may not necessarily be Kate's for the taking.According to the twenty-fifth amendment of the United States Constitution: "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress."As you can imagine, Kate and Grace aren't on the best terms. Just before learning of the president's death, Grace told Kate in no uncertain terms that she needs to back off from her job. And of course, Kate threw Grace under the bus by way of Hal. Still, that crisis led to Grace not only retaining her job, but getting promoted — so perhaps, in a roundabout way, Kate's stunt engendered some good will.Ultimately, season two ending feels a bit on the nose, given that it premiered five days before the United States presidential election. It's not hard to wonder if <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-the-view-interview-age-trump-harris-drop-out-2024-9">President Joe Biden's age</a>, itself a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-age-2020-election-voters-too-old-presidency-trump-2024-3">crucial issue</a> before he stepped out of the race, influenced the show's characterization of President Rayburn. Season two was written and shot when Biden was still the Democrats' presumptive nominee for 2024, and Kamala Harris was an inspiration for Grace's character, Vanity Fair reported.Still, the timing and circumstances were a bit uncanny."It's a little bit terrifying, because we didn't want to really be doing a 'rip from the headlines' thing," Cahn, the showrunner, told Deadline. "The idea is always to find a way into the headspace of the country and the audience, and what are we all thinking about right now, in particular the world of foreign policy.""The Diplomat" season two is streaming in full on Netflix.

'The Diplomat' season 2 finale completely shakes up Kate's bid for the vice presidency

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Brazil, India, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia declined to endorse Ukraine's sovereignty this weekend.</li><li>It came at the end of a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. </li></ul>Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rallied countries from around the world to support his call for Russia to end its invasion."Russia can start negotiations tomorrow if they pull out of our territories," Zelenskyy said at a peace conference in Switzerland, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxrr1kyp04eo">BBC</a>.The conference is one of the most high-profile attempts to date to find an agreement on routes to peace.But there are some crucial problems. Russia wasn't there, nor was its key global backer, China.Nearly 100 countries did send delegations, including many of Ukraine's most important allies and major non-Western powers.At the end of the conference, about 80 signed a document blaming the war on Russia and affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity.But it was telling who didn't sign — Saudi Arabia, Brazil (which didn't formally attend but sent a delegation), India, and South Africa."Unfortunately, there are people who are still balancing," Zelenskyy said of the abstentions.He said Russia was seeking to divide the world against Ukraine — evidently with some success.Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to drive a wedge between those countries and the West, using oil, propaganda, and diplomacy.It has been especially effective in the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sc/why-support-from-the-global-south-is-critical-for-peace-in-ukraine">Global South</a>" of non-Western powers whose wealth and influence on world affairs is growing.<h2 id="5c80b91d-831c-4174-98e8-dae7b6103ecc">Exploiting global divisions</h2>In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US assembled a coalition of countries to impose sanctions on Russia and isolate it diplomatically.But powerful non-Western countries refused to take part.Each of the countries that refused to sign the Ukraine document has strong ties with the US, particularly India and Saudi Arabia, which want American help in regional power struggles.But each has also maintained good relations with Moscow, with Putin using Russia's oil and diplomacy to cultivate relations.To offset Western sanctions, Russia sold oil at cut-price rates to India and Brazil and has worked closely with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman-power-broker-mbs-crown-prince-2023-12">Saudi Arabia</a> to control global prices.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/05/russia-using-soviet-playbook-global-south-challenge-west-and-it-working">Chatham House</a> analyst Natalie Sabanadze wrote in May that Russia had succeeded in "bringing deep-seated resentment against the West to the fore.""Many states have relished the opportunity to defy Western pressure by helping Russia evade sanctions and reaping benefits for themselves in the process," Sabanadze continued.Putin has exploited long-standing grievances about Western imperialism and has renewed alliances forged during the Soviet era.<h2 id="e6b0addd-33f6-4653-ae60-234187bebda4">Russia renews Cold War-era alliances</h2>During South Africa's period of racial apartheid, tolerated by many in the West, the USSR opposed it and supported the African National Congress party, which has ruled since apartheid ended.The Soviet Union also helped India in its Cold War-era clashes with Pakistan.Some of those allegiances appear to have held firm.Over the past year, Russia has organized conferences with African and Latin American nations. It's seeking to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-xi-meeting-china-plan-supplant-us-working-apec-summit-2023-11">expand the BRICS group</a> of major non-Western economies, viewing it as a bulwark against Western powers.Russia has also seized on claims that Western support for Israel in its war against Hamas is evidence of hypocrisy.It's to Putin's advantage when those countries see Russia vs. Ukraine and Israel vs. Hamas as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-wants-world-think-wars-gaza-ukraine-western-plot-russia-2023-10">equivalent struggles</a>, both complex enough to avoid taking a side.Some analysts have also suggested a more cynical calculus, telling Business Insider that some countries are simply hedging their bets by refusing to back either Russia or Ukraine.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-mohammed-bin-salmans-biden-threat-appears-pay-off-oil-2023-6">Saudi Arabia</a> and India have both trod this middle path.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/smita_sharma/status/1802283282693865873?s=46&amp;t=itcSHGtE0ezHJx3yL_GcHA">Pavan Kapoor</a>, a senior Indian diplomat, said from Switzerland that his country didn't endorse the statement because "only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace."For Putin, that fence-sitting is proof of success.

Key holdouts at a Ukrainian diplomatic summit are proof that Putin's diplomatic playbook is working

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hamas wants to change the terms of a US-backed ceasefire proposal, says Antony Blinken.</li><li>Israel has already accepted the deal, but Hamas is holding out.</li></ul>The US-led plan for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has hit another stumbling block — and the US says Hamas is to blame.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the militant group has made new demands, moving the goalposts on a proposed cease-fire to end the 8-month-long war.Blinken <a target="_blank" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?536356-1/secretary-blinken-qatari-prime-minister-al-thani-hold-joint-news-conference-doha">told reporters from Doha</a> on Wednesday that Hamas has not agreed to a US-backed ceasefire proposal because it wants to make "numerous changes," despite the deal being "virtually identical" to one Hamas had previously accepted.Blinken said Israel has already accepted the deal, and that while "Hamas could have answered with a single word: yes," it has not."Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions it had previously taken and accepted," Blinken continued.Blinken did not specify what aspects of the deal Hamas wanted to change, but a source familiar with the matter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/11/middleeast/hamas-responds-hostage-deal-intl-latam/index.html">told CNN</a> that Hamas's response, which was submitted to Qatari mediators, includes establishing a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and for Israel to completely withdraw its forces from Gaza."Some of the changes are workable. Some are not," Blinken said.Blinken added that because the negotiations have gone on for so long and Hamas keeps changing its demands, he is beginning "to question whether they're proceeding in good faith or not."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ceasefire-talks-ongoing-as-israel-forces-occupy-rafah-gaza-crossing-2024-5">Hamas had previously agreed to another deal</a>, proposed by mediators Egypt and Qatar, that included a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as well as a release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that deal, saying it was "very far" from Israel's central demands.Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, a mediator who spoke to reporters alongside Blinken, said that on different occasions, the behavior from both Israel and Hamas has been "counterproductive to the efforts."Blinken said the US and mediators will work with Hamas in the coming days to resolve its issues as best as possible and close the deal."The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, and it's time for the haggling to stop and the cease-fire to start," Blinken said. "It's as simple as that."Palestinian health authorities have said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-made-bombs-used-israeli-strike-gaza-school-report-2024-6">Israeli forces have killed over 37,000 people in Gaza</a> since the war began in October when Hamas launched terrorist attacks across the Israeli border, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than a hundred hostages.

Top US diplomat says Hamas is moving the goalposts on a cease-fire 

<keyword id="12159486" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="squid-game" source="Orion">Squid Game</keyword>, one of the most watched titles from <keyword id="19897536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="keywords">Netflix</keyword>, will return with its second season in 2024. The streaming service shared the news of the show's season two in a letter to its shareholders Tuesday. In 2024, Netflix has also set for release the second seasons of "<keyword id="6827445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-diplomat" source="Orion">The Diplomat</keyword>" and German show "Empress", as well as the third chapter of "<keyword id="10435244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bridgerton" source="Orion">Bridgerton</keyword>". "Looking ahead, despite last year's strikes pushing back the launch of some titles, we have a big, bold slate for 2024. Audiences will be able to choose from hit returning dramas like 'The Diplomat' S2, 'Bridgerton' S3, 'Squid Game' S2 and 'Empress' S2; unscripted series like 'Tour de France: Unchained' S2,' Love is Blind' S6, 'F1: Drive to Survive' S6 and 'Full Swing' S2," the streamer said. "Squid Game" released in September 2021 and soon became a global hit for the streamer, topping charts across the world to become the most-watched Netflix series of all time. Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the survival drama revolves around hundreds of cash-strapped contestants who accept an invitation to compete in children's games for a tempting prize, 45.6 billion won or USD 38.3 million, but the stakes are deadly. The second season will see Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun return as Seong Gi-hun and Front Man, respectively. The cast also includes Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-Neul, Park Sung-hoon and Yang Dong-geun as well as Park Gyu-young, Jo Yu-ri, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won and Won Ji-an. Netflix also has a host of brand new shows, including '3 Body Problem' from "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss; Sofia Vergara-starrer "Griselda"; Guy Ritchie's "The Gentlemen"; "Eric", led by Benedict Cumberbach; "Avatar: The Last Airbender"; "Cien Anos de Soledad" from Colombia and "Senna" from Brazil.

'Squid Game' season two coming to Netflix in 2024

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US says that Chinese students are welcome to study in the US, but in arts, not the sciences.</li><li>Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that Indian students can fill the gap in STEM fields.</li></ul>Chinese students are still welcome in the US, but less so in fields of science where sensitive tech could be involved, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/live/zj6BmmyePX8">Speaking to the Council of Foreign Relations think tank</a> on Monday, Campbell said more students were needed in STEM fields because Americans were not filling out those spots in universities.However, the ideal international students for these fields are Indians, not Chinese, Campbell said. But he added that the US does need more Chinese students, too — just not in STEM."I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics," Campbell said.He also cited security concerns about letting Chinese students access sensitive technology."There's been careful attempts now across most American universities to support continuing higher education, but to be careful about the labs, some of the activities of Chinese students," he said.He added: "I do think it is possible to curtail and to limit certain kinds of access, and we have seen that generally, particularly in technological programs across the United States."<h2 id="57d14d2c-30b3-4ece-9b47-7abf82293431">Chinese academics have already faced Trump-era restrictions</h2>Back in the Trump era, there were policies in place to restrict Chinese access to developments in the US academic space — like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2021/08/10/biden-keeps-costly-trump-visa-policy-denying-chinese-grad-students/">denying visas to Chinese graduate students</a> based on the Chinese universities they attended.Former President Donald Trump also enacted the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justice-department-china-initiative-trump-2022-2">China Initiative,</a> a program aimed at countering China's economic espionage and preventing trade secret theft. The China Initiative was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justice-department-china-initiative-trump-2022-2">scrapped by the Department of Justice</a> in 2022 after critics said it promoted an anti-Asian bias.But even now, Chinese students say that they have been facing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/14/china-united-states-university-students-border/">extra scrutiny while entering the US</a>. The Washington Post, citing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.zhihu.com/question/638299464">online discussion forums</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/14/china-united-states-university-students-border/">reported</a> in March that Chinese students were questioned for hours at US border controls, or had their visas canceled without valid reasons.Chinese students make up the largest international student body in the US, with almost 290,000 students enrolled in US institutions in the 2022-23 academic year, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://opendoorsdata.org/fast_facts/fast-facts-2023/">Institute of International Education</a>.Indian students are the second largest group, with about 270,000 enrolled in the 2022-23 academic year. And Campbell said that there is space for this group to grow."I believe that the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields," he told the think tank on Monday.<h2 id="b0a55766-8e6e-4ffd-8092-de27fd97dfcc">Worsening US-China relations</h2>Campbell's comments also come amid worsening <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/us-china-trade-war">US-China relations</a>, particularly in the tech space.In April, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-passes-tiktok-ban-2024-4">Senate passed a bill</a> that, if signed into law by President Joe Biden, will force Chinese tech company Bytedance to sell video site TikTok.The White House also announced in May that it would impose tariffs on $18 billion of Chinese goods.In particular, new measures target Chinese electric vehicles, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-joe-biden-hikes-tariffs-on-chinese-made-evs-2024-5#:~:text=The%20White%20House%20has%20announced,the%20US%20market%20are%20growing.">tariffs rising from 25% to 100%</a>. This provided relief for American EV companies nervous about the competition from cheap Chinese EVs entering the market.China, meanwhile, is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-squeezing-us-firms-apple-tesla-hard-painful-business-lesson-2024-3">squeezing the US tech companies</a> that operate within its borders. Apple is one of them, with its iPhone sales in China dropping 24% in the first six weeks of the year, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-sales-china-down-huawei-vivo-smartphone-2024-3#:~:text=Apple%20is%20no%20longer%20the,Vivo%2C%20Huawei%2C%20and%20Honor.">according to data from Counterpoint Research</a>.And homegrown Chinese companies are taking a larger share of the domestic pie, aided by the state.China <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-iphone-ban-office-workers-worry-bosses-apple-huawei-2023-9">banned its officials from using iPhones</a> in September, a move that coincided with Huawei's launch of its Mate 60 Pro, a breakthrough phone whose capabilities rivaled those of the iPhone.Sure enough, unit sales of Huawei phones <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/apples-china-iphone-sales-plunge-24-first-six-weeks-2024-report-says-2024-03-05/">climbed 64%</a> in the same period iPhone unit sales fell by almost a quarter.The Council of Foreign Relations think tank and representatives of Campbell didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

A US diplomat says US colleges need more Chinese students to enroll — but in the arts, so they can be walled off from accessing sensitive tech

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel's government has approved a hostage deal — a major diplomatic breakthrough amid the war.</li><li>The outline includes the release of 50 hostages who are in Gaza and the release of 150 Palestinians held in Israel.</li></ul>Israel's cabinet approved a hostage release deal on Wednesday morning local time, a major diplomatic breakthrough that comes more than six weeks into the devastating war between the two sides. In a statement, Israel's government said it approved the outline of the first stage of an agreement that will see the release of 50 hostages who were abducted by Hamas during its October 7 terror attacks in exchange for a four-day ceasefire. The government added that the pause in fighting would extend one day for every 10 additional hostages released.Hamas said in a Telegram post that it agreed to the deal and that 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel would be released."The Government of Israel, the IDF, and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas, and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza," the Israeli government said in a statement.Despite the tentative agreement, it remains unclear exactly when the hostage and prisoner exchange will be completed. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna126110#rcrd26266">NBC News</a> reported the families of victims of people in Israeli jails will have 24 hours to appeal to Israel's Supreme Court to object to the deal.The groundbreaking development follows weeks of intense negotiations and high-level engagement involving Israel, the US, Qatar, and Egypt, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Tuesday, adding that this first phase of the deal involves only the 50 women and children.On Wednesday morning, Qatar released a statement saying that the start time of the pause would be announced in the next 24 hours.The pause will "allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs," according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-says-four-day-humanitarian-pause-gaza-subject-extension-2023-11-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement from the Qatari foreign ministry</a>.Hamas is believed to be holding around 240 hostages — including Israelis, Americans, and other foreign nationals — who were captured during the militant group's brutal rampage, which left over 1,200 people dead. The Israeli government has been under widespread domestic pressure to secure their release, while protests and demonstrations have sprouted in major cities around the world in a show of solidarity with the hostages and their families. <div type="image" title="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with soldiers as he visits an Israeli army base in Tze'elim, Israel November 7, 2023." height="987" width="1600" msid="105399427" hostid="261"></div>The US has provided Israel with both diplomatic support and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-mq-9-reaper-drones-gaza-searching-hamas-hostages-2023-11">aerial surveillance</a> to help with its hostage recovery efforts. White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the Biden administration was working "hour by hour" and "doing everything we can" to secure their release. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1726964284260012443">said</a> that between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time he will convene the country's war cabinet, security cabinet, and government, in three separate meetings. The office said the announcement comes "in light of developments on the issue of the release of our hostages," indicating that a deal may be in reach. Four hostages have already been released from Gaza. Emi Palmor, who previously served as the director general of Israel's Ministry of Justice and has experience on a hostage negotiation team, said this could end up being the only deal that the country manages to reach with Hamas, and its also uncertain if the militant group will actually honor its agreements. "The government is trying to do its best," she told Business Insider. "The decisions are extremely difficult and it's a risk management because, I think that even without saying this, everyone understands that we are playing with the devil."<div type="image" title="An Israeli soldier rides in a tank amid the ongoing ground operation against Hamas in this handout image released November 20, 2023." height="1066" width="1600" msid="105399429" hostid="261"></div>How a pause in the ongoing fighting — which Israeli officials vow will continue until Hamas is ultimately destroyed — will play out remains unclear. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is several weeks into its ground offensive and controls large swaths of territory in northern Gaza while its warplanes continue to bombard the coastal enclave, where over 12,000 people have been killed since the war began in early October. IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told reserve soldiers on Tuesday that the ground operations in Gaza are creating "better conditions" for bringing back hostages. "It hurts Hamas, it creates pressure, and we will continue this pressure," he said. Both Israel and the US have previously <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-eu-weighs-ceasefire-call-us-rejects-any-such-push-says-it-only-benefits-hamas/">rejected</a> growing calls from the global community for a ceasefire, with the White House arguing that it benefits Hamas and gives the militant group time to regroup. The Biden administration has, however, managed to get the Israelis to agree to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/09/israel-humanitarian-pauses-gaza-00126355">short pauses</a> on a daily basis to allow for civilians to evacuate northern Gaza and facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid. The fighting, meanwhile, has not been limited to Gaza, and has drawn in other Iran-backed militants like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. US forces in Iraq and Syria have also been attacked dozens of times over the past month by groups that are supported by Tehran.Correction: November 22, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated who has 24 hours to appeal the deal to Israel's Supreme Court. NBC News reported the families of victims of people in Israeli jails will have 24 hours to object to the deal, not the families of hostages.

Israel and Hamas agree to hostage deal in a major diplomatic breakthrough

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A US diplomat accused Russia of using North Korean ballistic missiles at least 9 times in Ukraine.</li><li>Robert Wood said Russia and North Korea "must be held accountable for their actions."</li></ul>Russia has fired North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine at least nine times, according to a US diplomat.Robert Wood, the US Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs in the UN, made the accusation on Tuesday at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-russia-clash-un-over-north-korea-patriot-missiles-ukraine-2024-02-06/#:~:text=Russia%20invaded%20neighboring%20Ukraine%20nearly,Republic%20of%20Korea%20(DPRK)">per Reuters</a>."To date, Russia has launched DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles against Ukraine on at least nine occasions," he said, using the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as North Korea is officially known.Wood added that Russia and North Korea "must be held accountable for their actions, which undermine long-standing obligations under UN Security Council resolutions."A UN <a target="_blank" href="https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15580.doc.htm">press briefing</a> of the Security Council meeting does not mention the accusations.If true, it would be significant, as it would show that Russia is ramping up its use of North Korean missiles in Ukraine.Last month, the White House <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-north-korea-missiles-ukraine-white-house-2024-1">said</a> it had information showing that Russia had fired North Korean missiles on two separate attacks on Ukraine on December 30 and January 2.South Korea's ambassador to the UN, Joonkook Hwang, went further, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-using-ukraine-test-site-nuclear-missiles-south-korea-2024-1">accusing</a> Russia of using North Korean-supplied KN-23 missiles on December 30, January 2, and January 4.He said that North Korea had used Ukraine as "a test site of its nuclear-capable missiles."Ukraine's prosecutor-general, Andriy Kostin, <a target="_blank" href="https://suspilne.media/659434-rosia-vze-zapuskala-po-ukraini-raketami-z-kndr-genprokuror/?utm_source=copylink&amp;utm_medium=ps">told</a> Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne that a preliminary examination showed that a missile fired at central Kharkiv on January 2 was developed in North Korea.On Wednesday, Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the Kharkiv Oblast police, said in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0jhKB7zKnyrvYv5JkZ6ytpPQkVH19CGhvzNqc75KG9iKWyMdsGMGnkArCqXwSBxdUl&amp;id=100002276907245">a Facebook post</a> that two of five missiles launched at Kharkiv earlier that day were made in North Korea.The claim could not be independently verified.While the potential use of North Korean missiles is worrying for Ukraine, military analysts say they could actually help the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-use-north-korean-missiles-ukraine-reveal-effectiveness-2024-1">US figure out how effective the missiles are.</a>They also likely won't help Russia defeat Ukraine, as Michael Peck <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-missiles-wont-defeat-ukraine-russia?r=US&amp;IR=T">reported</a> last month.

Russia has used North Korean missiles at least 9 times against Ukraine, US diplomat says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US stocks climbed Monday amid diplomacy efforts in the Middle East.</li><li>Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel Monday, and President Joe Biden is considering a trip.</li></ul>US stocks moved higher in Monday's trading session amid US diplomacy efforts to contain the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel again on Monday after traveling there last week. President Biden, who is also weighing a trip to Israel, said on Sunday Hamas should be eliminated entirely and a path should be opened to allow for a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-us-troops-dont-need-to-be-deployed-israel-2023-10?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;_gl=1*28ndlm*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY5NzQ3Nzg5My4xMzY1LjEuMTY5NzQ4MTUxNS41NS4wLjA.">Palestinian state</a>. Separately, Israel announced Monday that at least 199 people are being held hostage in Gaza, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-news-hamas-war-10-16-23/h_c789dc15779281077e092e31f60df2a3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> reported.Meanwhile, traders are also preparing for a slate of earnings this week, including top names like Tesla, Netflix, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker suggested again on Monday that the central bank could be at the end of its tightening cycle."Holding rates steady will let monetary policy do its work. I am sure policy rates are restrictive, and as long they remain so, we will steadily press down on inflation and bring markets into a better balance," he said, per CNBC. Here's where US indexes stood as the market closed at 4:00 p.m. on Monday: <ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 4,373.63, up 1.06%</li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 33,984.54, up 0.93% (314.25 points)</li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq Composite</a>: 13,567.98, up 1.20%</li></ul>Here's what else is going on: <ul><li>Morgan Stanley's top equity strategist said <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-odds-of-year-end-equity-rally-dwindling-2023-10">the odds of a year-end rally in stocks are dwindling</a>. </li><li>The Strategic Petroleum Reserve "would be harder to use," and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-price-outlook-middle-east-production-yergin-2023-10">the only buffer for oil markets is Middle East production</a>, an expert said.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/israel-palestine-iran-war-hamas-gold-dollar-bonds-safe-havens-2023-10">Investors have moved into safe haven assets like gold</a> amid conflict in the Middle East.</li><li>Treasury bond buyers are increasingly households, and they <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/treasury-buyers-households-equities-supply-demand-yields-bond-us-debt-2023-10">could help keep a lid on yields</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freight-outlook-downturn-economy-diesel-prices-carriers-truckers-vehicles-retail-2023-10">More freight carriers are exiting the market</a> as soaring diesel prices drag on truckers. </li><li>Bitcoin briefly spiked 10% after a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-false-report-said-sec-approved-spot-bitcoin-etf-2023-10">false report</a> said the SCE approved BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF.</li><li>India's government is <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/india-russia-oil-imports-china-yuan-dirham-currency-rupee-crude-2023-10">getting less comfortable buying Russian oil</a> with Chinese yuan.</li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto: <ul><li>Oil prices dropped, with<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti"> West Texas Intermediate</a> down 1.07% to $86.75 a barrel. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, moved lower 1.19% to $89.81 a barrel.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> edged down 0.48% to $1,932.10 per ounce.</li><li>The<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/rates/u-s--rates-10-years?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets"> 10-year yield</a> rose 7 basis points to hover at 4.708%.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Bitcoin</a> climbed 5.74% to $28,577.</li></ul>

US stocks rise amid diplomatic efforts to ease the Israel-Hamas conflict

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Taylor Swift can make it in time for the Super Bowl after her Tokyo concert, diplomats said.</li><li>The Embassy of Japan assured fans that Swift can make it to support NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce.</li></ul>International diplomats are confident Taylor Swift can make it from her world tour stop in Tokyo to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in time to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.The Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC released a punny <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/JapanEmbDC/status/1753455158460133508?s=20">statement</a> on Saturday, assuring fans they can "confidently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/speak-now-taylors-version-vault-tracks-details-lyrics-breakdown-2023-7">Speak Now</a>" that Swift can make it from her concert in Tokyo on February 10 to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on February 11, when the Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers. Swift has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-relationship-timeline-photos-2023-10#july-26-2023-a-few-weeks-later-kelce-said-on-his-podcast-that-he-had-wanted-to-give-swift-his-number-at-the-show-2">dating Kelce</a>, a Chiefs tight end, since the summer."We know that many people in Japan are excited to experience Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, so we wanted to confirm that anyone concerned can be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-fearless-rerecord-release-date-unreleased-songs-2021-2">Fearless</a> in knowing that this talented performer can wow Japanese audiences and still make it to Las Vegas to support the Chiefs when they take the field for the Super Bowl wearing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-rerecording-red-taylors-version-breaks-two-spotify-records-2021-11">Red</a>," the embassy's statement said.<div type="image" title="Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour in East Rutherford, New Jersey in May 2023." height="2483" width="3726" msid="107407569" hostid="261" sizebytes="956670"></div>A spokesperson for the superstar did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on her travel plans.Tokyo is 5,500 miles away and 17 hours ahead of Las Vegas, but the Embassy said Swift can "comfortably" make the 12-hour flight in time. That's especially true since Swift will likely be flying by private jet if she does make the journey. Swift's private plane logged some 166 hours crisscrossing the United States <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-spent-160-hours-using-private-jet-eras-tour-2023-8">during her Eras Tour</a> last year, riasing concerns about emissions, a fact that was mostly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-jet-travis-kelce-carbon-emissions-2023-10">buried by the breaking news</a> of her new boyfriend.While Swift's schedule has been packed during her Eras World Tour, she's been a consistent presence at Kelce's games (to the comical dismay of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-nfl-games-attendance-reaction-travis-kelce-2023-12">"dads, Brads, and Chads"</a> everywhere).Swift will attend the 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travis-kelce-reason-why-not-attending-grammy-awards-taylor-swift-2024-2">Grammy Awards on Sunday without Kelce</a>, who will be traveling. He said he wished he could "watch her win every single award that she's nominated for." Then, Swift <a target="_blank" href="https://www.taylorswift.com/tour/">performs</a> at the Tokyo Dome from February 7 through February 10 before flying back to the States for the Super Bowl the next day.

Taylor Swift will have enough time to make it from her concert in Tokyo to the Super Bowl, Japan's diplomats assure fans

New Delhi, The latest diplomatic row between India and Canada is not going to impact the ongoing bilateral military engagement and the matter has to be resolved at the political level, Canada's Deputy Army Chief Major General Peter <keyword id="6372795" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="scott" source="Orion">Scott</keyword> said on Tuesday. Scott is leading a Canadian delegation at the <keyword id="1551039" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indo-pacific" source="Orion">Indo-Pacific</keyword> Army Chiefs' Conference (IPACC) here that is being attended by military delegations from over 30 countries. "To the best of my knowledge at this time, that is not going to have an impact on us. We leave the matter at hand to the political level to try and resolve," he told PTI. "We are happy to be here and we do not see the issue clouding matters at this point at all," Major General Scott said. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister <keyword id="1740494" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="justin-trudeau" source="Orion">Justin Trudeau</keyword>'s allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist <keyword id="7575364" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hardeep-singh-nijjar" source="Orion">Hardeep Singh Nijjar</keyword> in June. India has rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. "This is an issue between both our countries at a political level. And certainly our Prime Minister...he rose at the House of Commons and made a statement requesting India's cooperation on the independent investigation that is currently ongoing at this time," the Canadian Army official said. "Between both of our armies, this is not affecting us. I spoke to your commander of the Army (Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande) last night. We both agreed that this is a political issue and has no interference on our relationship," he said. "As two armies we look for opportunities among other 30 nations that are currently participating in this conference to find areas where we can cooperate, train together, conduct exercises and operations so that we all can contribute to ensuring peace, stability within the region," Major General Scott said. "The way we see right now is that we will continue to cooperate, discuss, and enjoy great forums like this where we can exchange ideas and find solutions to the difficulties facing a lot of the Indo-Pacific nations," he said. The Indian Army is hosting the two-day conclave of Indo-Pacific army chiefs to evolve a common strategy to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In his opening address at the conference, Chief of Army Staff Gen Pande said India's outlook for the Indo-Pacific emphasises respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.

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