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☆ Americans Raced to Get Their Families Out of Gaza. Then the Border Slammed Shut.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Hamed Aleaziz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ghada Redwan, a 48-year-old pharmacist in Houston, has been trying to get her parents out of Gaza for months. Their bags, packed and ready to go, have been sitting by their door in Rafah, the city where Israel is now conducting a military offensive. But Ms. Redwan has hit roadblocks at every turn. “You feel like there’s nothing you can do,” Ms. Redwan said in an interview. “You live comfortably, you have money, you’re a U.S. citizen and your parents are suffering and there’s nothing you can do for them.

Persons: Ghada, Redwan, —, Ms, “, you’re, ” Organizations: State Department Locations: Houston, Gaza, Rafah, Israel, Egypt, United States

☆ Arab and Palestinian Americans frustrated, left without commitments to policy change after meeting with Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Khalil Abdallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Arab and Palestinian American leaders requested the meeting, which included the heads of five national organizations: the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, Arab America, the Arab American Institute, and the US Palestinian Council. They went into the meeting already frustrated by the “callous neglect” they say the Arab American community has received from the Biden administration. “I think the administration has ample chances to make real change … and I have not seen change, real change in policy. Elnajjar helped organize for the Biden campaign in 2020 as part of the Arab Americans for Biden. Attendees at the meeting with Blinken made the point that it is not just Arab Americans who Biden is losing, but also allies from other ethnic backgrounds who are standing in solidarity with Arab, Palestinian and Muslim Americans.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, ” Bilal Hammoud, ”, John Dabeet, “, ” Dabeet, ” Hammoud, ” Bilal, Ghada Elnajjar, Elnajjar, she’s, Blinken Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, American Arab Chamber of Commerce, White, Muslim, US Palestinian Council, American Federation of, Arab American Institute, The State Department, Biden Locations: Israel, Gaza, Arab, Palestinian, American Federation of Ramallah Palestine, Arab America, Rafah, American, Palestinian American

☆ For Many in Rafah, Displacement Is a Recurring Nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Hiba Yazbek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Less than two weeks after bombs began raining down on the Gaza Strip, Ghada al-Kurd arrived in the southern city of Khan Younis. She had already been displaced three times, and hoped it would be her final journey to safety. Ms. al-Kurd, 37, speaking by telephone, said she, her sister, brother-in-law, and four nieces and nephews abandoned the tent they had been sharing “without taking anything with us,” and headed to Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. The order, which set off international alarm, is forcing the displaced people sheltering there, along with more than 200,000 of Rafah’s citizens, to weigh their next move. “I regret leaving Gaza City,” said Ms. al-Kurd, whose two daughters stayed behind in the north with their father.

Persons: al, Kurd, Khan Younis, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: Kurd Locations: Gaza, Khan, Rafah, Gaza’s, Gaza City, Israel, “

☆ UN Urges Measures to Stop Arms Trafficking Fueling Haiti's Gang Wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Sarah Morland(Reuters) - The head of the United Nation's drugs and crime office on Thursday warned of a "vicious cycle" of arms trafficking to increasingly powerful Haitian gangs, fueling an internal conflict and worsening violence across the Caribbean. "It's more important than ever to take every measure possible to prevent illicit flows," the UNODC's executive director, Ghada Waly, told a U.N. Security Council meeting, saying arms trafficking and gang activity were feeding off each other. A recent UNODC report found that most illegal firearms seized in Haiti came from the United States, notably Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and California. After the Dominican Republic shut its border with Haiti, smugglers were turning to more remote routes including clandestine airstrips, the report said. No date has been set for deployment, which Haiti requested in October 2022.

Persons: Sarah Morland, Ghada Waly, U.N, Robert Wood, Kenya's, Tirana Hassan, Hassan, Jose de la, Michelle Nichols, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, Security, Taurus, Glock, Beretta, Smith, Wesson, Kenyan, Rights Watch, Tirana Locations: Haiti, United States, Florida , Arizona, Georgia, Texas, California, Caribbean, U.S, Dominican Republic, Ecuador

☆ Afghanistan opium poppy supply plummets 95% after Taliban ban, U.N. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Afghan man walks through a poppy field in the Gereshk district of Helmand province, Afghanistan April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Abdul Malik/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 5 (Reuters) - Opium poppy production in Afghanistan, previously the world's top supplier, has plummeted since the Taliban administration banned the cultivation of narcotics last year, a United Nations report said on Sunday. During their previous rule, the Taliban in 2000 banned poppy cultivation as they sought international legitimacy but faced popular a backlash, according to experts. Many of the provinces where the Taliban has historically had high levels of support, such as southern Helmand, have a large concentration of opium poppy cultivation. The UNODC said many farmers had switched to growing wheat but that this earned significantly less than poppy.

Persons: Abdul Malik, UNODC, Charlotte Greenfield, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, United, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Afghan, Gereshk, Helmand province, Afghanistan, United Nations, Helmand

☆ Afghanistan meth trade surges as Taliban clamps down on heroin, UN report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taliban soldiers celebrate on the second anniversary of the fall of Kabul on a street near the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 10 (Reuters) - Methamphetamine trafficking in and around Afghanistan has surged in recent years, even as the Taliban has curbed heroin trafficking since taking power, a United Nations report said on Sunday. The Taliban, which regained power in August 2021, announced a ban the following April on the production of narcotics in Afghanistan, the world's main opium producer. While heroin trafficking has slowed, the UNODC said in a statement, meth trafficking "has intensified since the ban". Countries as far away as France and Australia have reported seizing methamphetamine that likely originated in Afghanistan it said.

Persons: Ali Khara, Ghada Waly, Charlotte Greenfield, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, United, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, United Nations, Iran, Pakistan, France, Australia

☆ 2 passengers traveling from Canada to Egypt sued Air Canada for a 56-hour flight delay and won $740 each in compensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two passengers won a lawsuit against Air Canada for a 56-hour delay in their three-leg flight. Two passengers from Kelowna, Canada, won a lawsuit against Air Canada for an international flight delay that set them back by 56 hours. The international flight consisted of three legs: Kelowna to Vancouver, Vancouver to London, England, and London to Cairo. Air Canada claimed the flight delay was due to "air traffic control restraints" and a ground delay program — a procedure used for air traffic control — operated by Nav Canada, which oversees the country's air traffic controllers. Air Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Abdallah Mohamed, Ghada Ali, Mohamed, Ali, —, Shelley Lopez, AC862, Lopez Organizations: Air Canada, Morning, Air, Vancouver . Air Canada, Nav Canada Locations: Canada, Cairo, Egypt, Kelowna, British Columbia, Air Canada, Vancouver, London, England

☆ They've been beaten, trolled, threatened with sexual violence but refuse to be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Adie Vanessa Offiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ixchíu Hernández had already been the victim of years of online threats -- attempts to humiliate and silence her. Published in April 2021, it reveals: "Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the 'shadow pandemic' of violence against women during COVID-19. "Online violence against women journalists is designed to: belittle, humiliate, and shame; induce fear, silence, and retreat; discredit them professionally, undermining accountability journalism and trust in facts; and chill their active participation...in public debate. Ricchiardi-Folwell explains that because of the often-sexualized nature of the attacks, women remain silent about their harassment, which leads them to believe they are alone. Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2021 and updated to reference the latest report by UNESCO.

TORONTO, April 9 (Reuters) - Canada's move to expand the investment tax credit for mining companies to align it with policies in the United States is accelerating funding talks for critical miners, company executives told Reuters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government proposed a 30% investment tax credit for expenses related to the exploration of critical minerals in the latest budget announced last month. This incentive also covers investors planning to buy shares in certain critical mining companies such as those in the exploration of lithium brine. Several junior mining companies in western Canada are optimistic about the fund raising prospects and are in talks with banks for financing, Doornbos added. "These measures do level the playing and put us in a stronger position," said Pierre Gratton, CEO of the Mining Association of Canada.

☆ Cocaine production is at record-high levels, UN says, but drug interceptions mean that less is actually available on the streets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cocaine production is at a record-high level, according to a new report by the United Nations. The surge in global cocaine supply should "put all of us on high alert," warned UNODC's chief. In 2020, North America represented about 30% of the world's cocaine users, but the report warned of strong potential for a large expansion of cocaine use in Africa and Asia. The UNODC said that there could be 24.5 million additional cocaine users if prevalence levels in North America extend to other regions of the world. Interceptions and seizures have actually been increasing at a higher level than production, meaning the amount of cocaine available for consumption has been somewhat curtailed, the UNODC said.

☆ Explainer: The probes into Lebanese central bank chief Salameh
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIRUT, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Lebanese authorities charged longtime central bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants on Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment after months of delay in the high-profile case. Top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat stopped Tannous from attending a Paris meeting last year with European prosecutors investigating Salameh, Reuters reported. In June 2022, Oueidat ordered a prosecutor to formally charge Salameh with crimes including money laundering, illicit enrichment, forgery and tax evasion. On Thursday, a newly appointed prosecutor, judge Raja Hamoush, charged Salameh with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. The finance minister said this month replacing him would be difficult, citing Lebanon's political complexities.

Acesta se va afla la Viena timp de 3 zile. Programul vizitei include întrevederi cu omologul austriac, Alexander Schallenberg, ministru al afacerilor externe și europene al Austriei, Martin S. Ledolter, directorul Agenției austriece pentru dezvoltare, Helga Schmid, secretarul general al OSCE, Ghada Waly, directorul general al Oficiului ONU de la Viena, ambasadorul Thomas Mayr-Harting, reprezentantul special pentru reglementare transnistreană și cu membrii grupului de prietenie parlamentară Moldova, Ucraina și Belarus. În cadrul vizitei vor fi abordate temele referitoare la relațiile de cooperare moldo-austriacă la nivel bilateral, o atenție deosebită fiind acordată componentei economice și proiectelor de cooperare pentru dezvoltare. Totodată, ministrul interimar al afacerilor externe va discuta agenda europeană și progresele înregistrate de Republica Moldova în realizarea angajamentelor europene ale țării. Pe agenda discuțiilor cu oficialii austrieci și cu reprezentanții organizațiilor internaționale cu sediul la Viena se va afla și procesul de soluționare a conflictului transnistrean, situația regională, precum și criza sanitară globală.

Persons: Alexander Schallenberg, Martin S . Ledolter, Helga Schmid, Ghada, Thomas Organizations: ONU Locations: Viena, austriac, Austriei, OSCE, Moldova, Ucraina, Belarus, austriacă, Republica Moldova

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