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☆ Arab States Say Palestinians Must Stay on Their Land as War Escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

It reflects deep-rooted Arab fears that Israel's latest war with Hamas in Gaza could spark a new wave of permanent displacement from land where Palestinians want to build a future state. Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Israel contests the assertion it drove Palestinians out, pointing out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Palestinians and Arab states say a deal should include the right of those refugees and their descendants to return, something Israel has always rejected. After an emergency Arab League meeting on Wednesday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said all Arab states agreed to confront any attempt to displace Palestinians from their homeland.

Persons: Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Maya Gebeily, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Gilad Erdan, Israel, Erdan, U.N, Khan Younis, Mariam al, Ayman Safadi, Aidan Lewis, Tom Perry, Aiden Nulty, Michelle Nichols Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, Israel, Arab League, United, United Nations, Muslim, Royal United Services Institute, Jordan's Locations: Maya Gebeily AMMAN, BEIRUT, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, Jordan, British, Palestine, Gaza City, United States, Farra, Sinai, Israeli, Rafah, Cairo, Khalidi, Amman

☆ Gaza: Israel calls on 1.1 million people to evacuate south in order UN warns is 'impossible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Helen Regan Caitlin Hu Mohammed Tawfeeq Akanksha Sharma Nadeen Ebrahim | Helen Regan | Caitlin Hu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Gaza City is part of the coastal strip and is particularly crowded. A man reacts outside a burning collapsed building following Israeli bombardment in Gaza City on October 11. Atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel last weekend sparked international revulsion and escalated the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas militants breached the heavily-fortified border in a coordinated assault, indiscriminately killing men, women and children, and taking as many as 150 hostages back to Gaza. An IDF Artillery solider covers his ears as a shell is fired toward Gaza on October 11, near Netivot, Israel.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, “, Stephane Dujarric, Dujarric, Mohammed Abed, Israel, Christos Christou, Said Khatib, Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt, Israel “, ”, Biden, John Kirby, Jonathan Conricus, Israel Katz, ” Katz, Khan Yunis, paragliders, IDF Artillery solider, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Antony Blinken, Young, Blinken, unprofessionally ”, CNN Basim Naim, Al, Kfar Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, UN, United Nations, Palestinian Health Ministry, UN Relief and Works Agency, Health, World Health Organization, Getty Images, Foreign Affairs, White House National Security, Israel Defense Force, CNN, Palestinian, Getty, IDF Artillery Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza City, Wadi Gaza, Egypt, AFP, Rafah, Netivot, Israeli, Kfar Aza, Be’eri

☆ Israel warns half of Gaza's population to move south, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people," Dujarric added, or nearly half of Gaza's 2.3 million population. The areas north of Wadi Gaza include Gaza City, the enclave's largest city. Israel's military did not immediately provide comment on the warning, which came as it amassed tanks near the Gaza border and pounded the enclave with air strikes. Israel has responded so far by putting Gaza under siege and launching a bombing campaign that destroyed whole neighbourhoods. Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Dujarric, Gilad Erdan, Erdan, Salama Marouf, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Wadi Gaza, New York, Gaza City, Israel, U.N

☆ Hamas' underground tunnels mean a ground offensive is needed, says former Israeli major general
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Yaakov Amidror, the former head of Israel's National Security Council, vowed that Israeli forces will ensure the destruction of Hamas and said a ground offensive was needed due to the Palestinian militant group's intricate network of underground tunnels. "After the operation, Hamas as an organization will not exist in the Gaza Strip, we will kill as many as possible of its members, and we will destroy every facility of the organization," he said. "We have to destroy Hamas on the ground to find Hamas members within the underground tunnels, in the holes, in their headquarters," he added. The organization has also strongly condemned the horrific crimes committed by Hamas, the deliberate and widespread killing and hostage-taking of innocent civilians. On Friday, Israel told 1.1 million residents in north Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours, according to the U.N., the strongest sign yet that a ground offensive is imminent.

Persons: Yaakov Amidror, Benjamin Netanyahu, CNBC's, Israel's, Israel, Stephane Dujarric Organizations: Israel's National Security Council, United Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel has given a 24-hour deadline for everyone — more than 1.1 million people — to get out of northern Gaza, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

According to the United Nations, everyone in the area — 1.1 million people — has 24 hours to leave. Israel has told everyone in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate south in 24 hours, the United Nations said on Thursday. "The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," Dujarric added. Israel may be gearing up to mount a mass ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and has mobilized around 300,000 reservists from around the world. Separately, the Israeli Air Force said on Thursday that it had dropped 6,000 bombs in the Gaza Strip over the last six days.

Persons: —, Stéphane Dujarric, Axios, Dujarric Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, United Nations, Service, UN, CNN, The New York Times, IDF, Israeli Air Force, Palestinian Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, Israel, Wadi Gaza, Gaza City

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Jordan, Israel, Gazans, Jordan's King Abdullah, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Gilad Erdan, Erdan, U.N, Khan Younis, Mariam al, Ayman Safadi, Maya Gebeily, Suleiman Al, Aidan Lewis, Tom Perry, Aiden Nulty, Michelle Nichols Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Hamas, West Bank, Israel, Arab League, United, United Nations, Muslim, Royal United Services Institute, Jordan's, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Egypt, AMMAN, BEIRUT, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Jordan, British, Palestine, Gaza City, United States, Farra, Sinai, Israeli, Rafah, Cairo, Khalidi, Amman

☆ Palestinians Face Israeli Deadline to Leave Northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - More than 1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza faced an Israeli deadline on Saturday to flee south, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had only just begun to retaliate for last week's Hamas rampage across southern Israel. Israel has since put the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and bombarded it with unprecedented air strikes. More than one million residents of northern Gaza on Friday received 24 hours notice from Israel to flee south before an expected ground offensive. While several thousand residents headed south on Friday from northern Gaza, many others said they would stay. There have also been fears of hostilities spreading, including to Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where clashes this week have already been the deadliest since 2006.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Netanyahu, Mohammad, General Antonio Guterres, Biden, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Martin Griffiths, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Gallant, Blinken, King Abdullah, Abbas, videographer Issam Abdallah, Gilad Erdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Eric Beech, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Jonathan Landay, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, U.S, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . U.S . Defence, Friday, Israeli, Bank, West Bank, Reuters Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Philadelphia, Egypt, Jordan, Gaza . U.S, Qatar, U.S, Lebanon, Jerusalem, New York, Geneva, Washington, Amman, Los Angeles

☆ Palestinians face Israeli deadline to leave northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Israel has since put the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and bombarded it with unprecedented air strikes. More than one million residents of northern Gaza on Friday received 24 hours notice from Israel to flee south before an expected ground offensive. While several thousand residents headed south on Friday from northern Gaza, many others said they would stay. "Death is better than leaving," said Mohammad, 20, outside a building smashed by an Israeli air strike near the centre of Gaza. There have also been fears of hostilities spreading, including to Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where clashes this week have already been the deadliest since 2006.

Persons: JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Netanyahu, Mohammad, General Antonio Guterres, Biden, Ahmed Zakot, Stephane Dujarric, Martin Griffiths, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Gallant, Blinken, King Abdullah, Abbas, videographer Issam Abdallah, U.N, Gilad Erdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Eric Beech, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Jonathan Landay, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: West Bank, Hamas, U.S, United Nations, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . U.S . Defence, Friday, Israeli, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Northern Gaza, Israel, Gaza, Philadelphia, Egypt, Jordan, Gaza City, Gaza . U.S, Qatar, U.S, Lebanon, Jerusalem, New York, Geneva, Washington, Amman, Los Angeles

☆ Gaza's sole power plant shuts down due to shortage of fuel under Israeli blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ibrahim Dahman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Gaza CNN —Gaza’s only power station has stopped working after the fuel needed for generating electricity ran out on Wednesday, Gaza officials said. “Gaza is currently without power,” the head of the Gaza power authority, Galal Ismail, told CNN. People in Gaza still use power generators for electricity, but with a blockade on all sides of the border, the fuel needed for generators to work is running out, Ismail said. The Palestinian health ministry warned that hospitals are set to run out of fuel on Thursday, leading to “catastrophic” conditions. The only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was struck by Israeli warplanes Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry Eyad al-Bozom said.

Persons: Gaza CNN —, Galal Ismail, Ismail, Stephane Dujarric, Yoav Gallant, ”, Gallant, Khan Yunis, OCHA, Ravina Shamdasani, Jens Laerke, Juliette Touma, Shalom, Palestinian Interior Ministry Eyad, Bozom Organizations: Gaza CNN, CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations Office, of Humanitarian Affairs, UN’s, Works Agency, UNRWA, Israeli, Palestinian Ministry of Interior Affairs, UN, Palestinian Interior Ministry Locations: Gaza, Israel, People, Jabalia, Khan, Erez, Egypt, Rafah

CNN —At least 11 United Nations employees have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since the weekend, the UN said Wednesday, even as it called for emergency funding to continue humanitarian work in the embattled Palestinian enclave. The UN staffers who were killed paid “the ultimate price,” Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a brief statement to press on Wednesday. Air strikes have so far killed 1,100 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities. In the meantime, UN staffers are working 24 hour days as dozens of UN-operated schools provide shelter for civilians fleeing the bombardment. The UN’s powerful Security Council will meet on Friday afternoon to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Jenifer Austin, ” Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, ” Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, ”, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Herat, Afghanistan earthquake: Aid group warns devastation 'worse than we imagined'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Herat city in the western Herat province – the third largest in Afghanistan. The world must not look away now.”A badly destroyed house, one of thousands across Herat province in western Afghanistan. UNICEF teams on the ground are calling for more urgent action and aid for families devastated by the latest earthquake. UNICEF“We will make every effort to bring quick relief to those affected,” said Fran Equiza, its representative in Afghanistan. International aid groups have said their ability to respond to calls during major disasters was heavily hampered by the Taliban’s takeover and called for more urgent global aid but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support.

Persons: ”, Thamindri de Silva, de Silva, ” “, ” de Silva, Mark Calder, “, MUHAMMAD BALABULUKI, Stéphane Dujarric, ” Dujarric, António Guterres, UNICEF “, Fran Equiza, Zabihullah Mujahid Organizations: CNN — International, World, CNN, Getty Images UN, UN, UNICEF, Sunday, Bank Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, Herat province –, Kabul, ”, AFP, Washington, Khost, Pakistan, Neighboring China

By 6pm local time on Friday, nearly 98,000 people had left Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, according to Armenian state media, citing the prime minister’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan. Azerbaijan should “refrain from taking punitive actions against the current or former political representatives or military personnel of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Armenian authorities said. Mnatsakanyan, who reportedly served as defense minister from 2015 to 2018, was arrested Friday and taken to the Azebaijani capital of Baku, according to state media. Manukyan, who reportedly served as the former deputy commander of Nagorno-Karbakh’s armed forces, was detained Wednesday, Azerbaijani state media reported. A video published by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service showing Manukyan in Azerbaijani detention could not be independently verified by CNN.

Persons: Nazeli Baghdasaryan, Stéphane Dujarric, ”, David Ghahramanyan, “, Loven, Davit Manukyan, Mnatsakanyan, Ruben Vardanyan, David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, ” Babayan Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Vehicles, International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service, Karabakh, Azerbaijani State Security Service, State Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, “ Republic, Artsakh’s, Baku, “ Republic of Artsakh

Many of the formal speeches delivered before the green stone in the General Assembly could have been performed straight to camera, with few other people in the room (and in 2020, they were). The General Assembly, she said, actually “overshadows what the U.N. does well." In-person relations are as important, if not more so, for non-governmental organizations with stakes in the outcomes, attendees said. Many at the General Assembly, and those observing it closely from afar, declined to discuss the substance of negotiations that may never ultimately come to fruition. But the General Assembly week “provides a critical mass that allows you to do all the things that you would prefer to do in person,” Rathke said.

Persons: Volodomyr Zelenskyy, weren't, ’, Katie Laatikainen, that's, that’s, ”, Kathryn Mengerink, Scott Hamilton, Joe Biden, —, “ We’re, Stéphane Dujarric, António Guterres, we’re, “, ” Laatikainen, Jeff Rathke, ” Rathke, ” Hamilton, Michael Weissenstein Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General, Council, Adelphi University, Assembly, General Assembly, Waitt, State Department, United Nations Security, United Nations, “ Technology, - German Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Associated Press Locations: East, Jolla , California, midtown Manhattan, Cuba, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Europe, New York, Britain, Mexico

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The military government that seized power in Niger has accused United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of “obstructing” the West African nation's full participation at the U.N.'s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France, Niger's former colonizer, and its allies. The junta had wanted Niger’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bakary Yaou Sangare, who was made foreign minister after the coup, to speak on its behalf at the General Assembly. The deposed president appealed to a regional court this week to order his release and reinstatement as president. Bazoum took office in 2021 in the country's first transfer of power between elected leaders since the country's independence from France in 1960. ECOWAS has said it considers a military intervention an option for restoring Bazoum as president.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Mohamed Bazoum, Bakary Yaou Sangare, Bakary, ” Stéphane, Guterres, Hassoumi Massoudou, ”, France, ” Abdramane, Bazoum Organizations: United Nations, African, General Assembly, General, Nigerien, European Union, West African, ECOWAS Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Niger, France, New York, Bazoum

Human Rights Watch/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI/HARAR, Ethiopia, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, including women and children, who attempted enter the kingdom along its mountainous border with Yemen, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. In a 73-page report, the rights group said Saudi guards used explosive weapons to kill some migrants and shot at others from close range. Saudi authorities have also strongly denied allegations made by U.N. officials in 2022 that border guards systematically killed migrants last year. HRW said it based its report on witness testimony as well as 350 videos and photos of wounded and killed migrants, and satellite imagery showing the location of Saudi Arabian guard posts. A letter issued by the kingdom's U.N. mission in March 2023 rejected the allegation, saying that Saudi border security regulations "ensure humane treatment...no form of mistreatment or torture is tolerated."

Persons: U.N, Nadia Hardman, Hardman, Mustafa Sofian Mohammed, Mustafa, Sofian Mohammed Abdulla, Mustafa's, Stephane Dujarric, Andrew Mills, Emma Farge, Daphne Psaledakis, Dawit, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Human Rights, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Rights Watch, Saudi, Ethiopian, Reuters, State Department, Al, Al Thawra Hospital, International Organization for Migration, Hallelujah, HRW, Rehabilitation, Torture, UN Human Rights, Gulf Bureau, Tiksa, Milan Pavicic, Thomson Locations: Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Rights DUBAI, HARAR, Saudi Arabian, Saudi, Addis Ababa, U.S, Tigray, Horn of Africa, Aden, Ethiopian, Harar, Al Thawra, Sanaa, Addis, New York, Gulf, Tiksa Negeri, Milan, Gdansk, Geneva, Washington

The widely anticipated parade in the capital on Thursday night commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day". Kim, Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong talked, laughed and saluted as North Korean troops marched and weapons rolled below, photos released by North Korean state media showed. Kim hosted a reception and had a luncheon with Shoigu, where the North Korean leader vowed solidarity with the Russian people and its military. Shoigu praised the North Korean military as the strongest in the world, and the two discussed strategic security and defence cooperation, KCNA said. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu's, Kim, Li Hongzhong, Shoigu, KCNA, Vladimir Putin, Vedant Patel, Ankit, Panda, Kang Sun Nam, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Russian, United Nations Security Council, Communist Party, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Defence, Ewha Womans University, . Security, Security Council, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, North Korean, Soviet Union, Beijing, Moscow, Korean, United States, PYONGYANG, MOSCOW, Shoigu, Russian, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, U.S, Korea, China, Seoul

☆ Russia strikes Ukraine's Odesa port in 'hellish' attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Children's bicycles are seen among debris in an apartment building damaged during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Odesa, Ukraine July 19, 2023. The attack was "very powerful, truly massive," Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts on and off starting soon after midnight on Wednesday, with Russia striking other places, including a drone attack on Kyiv. It was a much lower success rate than Ukraine usually reports for countering Russian air attacks. Telegram channels linked to Russian security services and Ukrainian media said an ammunition depot was on fire at the base after a Ukrainian overnight air attack.

Persons: Stringer, Serhiy Bratchuk, Odesa, Serhiy Popko, Sergei Aksyonov, Bratchuk, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Russia's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Gleb Garanich, Lidia Kelly, Ron Popeski, Philippa Fletcher, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, Kyiv, United Nations, Telegram, Russia's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Odesa, Crimea, Kyiv Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, Crimean, ., Turkey, Kyiv, Kyiv's, Kirovske, Russian, Crimea's Kirovske, Africa, Asia, Ukrainian, Melbourne, Winnipeg

☆ UN says ideas 'floated' on how to get Ukraine, Russia grain to world
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Reuters) - There are a "number of ideas being floated" to help get Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertilizer to global markets after Moscow quit a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Ukraine and Russia are among the world's top grain exporters. However, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "will continue to explore all possible avenues to ensure that Ukrainian grain, Russian grain, Russian fertilizer are out on the global market," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal had to be found and "there are very active discussions now." He said the export of Ukrainian grain through Europe would not be able to "compensate for the absence of deliveries from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea."

Persons: Russia's, Antonio Guterres, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Dmytro Kuleba, Kuleba, Michelle Nichols, Tim Ahmann, William Maclean Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Moscow, United Nations, Ukraine's, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, U.N, Europe

☆ Russia carries out air strikes for second night on Ukraine's Odesa port -governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary All of eastern Ukraine under air raid alertsRussian strikes on ports follow grain export deal withdrawalJuly 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian air defence systems were engaged in the early hours of Wednesday in repelling a Russian air attack on the southern port of Odesa for a second consecutive night, the region's governor said. "Do not approach the windows, do not shoot or show the work of air defence forces," Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app. But Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said the initiative in the area had switched to Ukrainian forces. She said Ukrainian forces made new gains near Bakhmut in the east, a town that was captured by Russian forces in May after months of battles. "We have made advances through the streets," Shershen told the Espreso TV online outlet but said Ukrainian forces did not have complete control of the village.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Hanna Maliar, Valery Shershen, Shershen, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Russia's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Grant McCool, Lincoln Organizations: Kyiv, Russian Defence Ministry, Russian, Reuters, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, Ukrainian, Africa, Asia, Moscow, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Staromayorske, Turkey

☆ UN could start removing oil this week from decaying Yemen tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The Nautica, a replacement oil tanker for the decaying FSO Safer, arrives in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Adel al-KhadherUNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Reuters) - An operation to start removing some 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker moored off Yemen's coast could start by the end of the week, the United Nations said on Tuesday. U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline were at risk as the tanker Safer could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska. Another vessel is already alongside the Safer to help with the transfer of oil. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

Persons: U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Michelle Nichols Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Red, Hodeidah, Yemen, Adel, Alaska, U.N, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Tehran

☆ A landmark agricultural deal that guarantees food security for tens of millions is set to expire on Monday as Russia debates its renewal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Black Sea deal has allowed Ukraine to ship more than 30 million tons of produce from three major ports, helping to bring down global food prices down after they spiked following Russia's invasion. Last week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin outlining proposals to salvage the deal. REUTERS/Nacho Doce Nacho Doce | ReutersBefore Russian troops poured over Ukraine's borders in late February 2022, Kyiv and Moscow accounted for almost a quarter of global grain exports. Those agricultural shipments came to a halt for nearly six months until representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the U.N. and Turkey agreed to establish a humanitarian sea corridor under the Black Sea Grain Initiative. One of Moscow's top demands though is for the Russian Agricultural Bank, or Rosselkhozbank, to return to the SWIFT banking system.

Persons: Akos Stiller, Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Sean Gallup, Sergey Lavrov, Lavrov, That's, SWIFT Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty Images WASHINGTON, Kremlin, REUTERS, Reuters, Russian, Food, Sea Initiative, Russian Agricultural Bank, Society, Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication Locations: Bicske, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, UN, Turkey, Odesa, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Yuzhny, Moscow's

☆ UN raises concerns over Syria aid route from Turkey, cites 'unacceptable issues'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United Nations has not used the Bab al-Hawa crossing since the Security Council authorization expired on Monday. "The United Nations and its implementing partners must continue to engage with relevant state and non-state parties as operationally necessary." "The United Nations will need to engage to clarify any additional modalities for the delivery of humanitarian aid in north-west Syria," OCHA wrote. "Any such modalities must not infringe on the impartiality (based on needs alone), neutrality, and independence of the United Nations' humanitarian operations," it said. "We had pre-positioned a lot of material in the area (northwest Syria) before the deadline.

Persons: Bab, OCHA, Cross, Bashar al, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Assad, Michelle Nichols, Josie Kao, Diane Craft Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United, Security, Security Council, Reuters, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations, Syria Government, International Committee, ICRC, Syrian Government, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Syria, Turkey, United, Syrian, Damascus, Russia, Moscow, Washington

☆ UN waits for Russian answer as Black Sea grain deal deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Guterres wrote to Putin on Tuesday asking him to extend the Black Sea deal in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia's Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the international payment system SWIFT, sources told Reuters. The last ship traveling under the Black Sea deal is loading its cargo at Ukraine's Odesa port. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday pushed for Russia to extend and expand the Black Sea deal, accusing Russia of using the agreement "as a weapon" by threatening to end it. To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, a three-year memorandum of understanding was struck in July 2022 under which U.N. officials agreed to help Russia get its food and fertilizer exports to foreign markets. The EU is considering connecting a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT to allow for grain and fertilizer transactions, sources familiar with discussions said on Wednesday.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Guterres, Putin, SWIFT, We're, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Tayyip Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Michelle Nichols, Will Dunham Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Russia's Agricultural Bank, Reuters, Kremlin, TASS, U.S, Ukraine, EU, SWIFT, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Turkey, Jakarta, EU

☆ UN asks Putin to extend Black Sea grain deal in return for SWIFT access -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has threatened to ditch the grain deal, which expires on Monday, because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last two ships traveling under the Black Sea agreement are currently loading cargoes at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the deadline. A key demand by Moscow is the reconnection of the Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payment network. Guterres has proposed to Putin that Russia allow the Black Sea grain deal to continue for several months, giving the EU time to connect a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT, two of those sources familiar with discussions told Reuters. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Guterres, Putin, SWIFT, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, JPM.N, Michelle Nichols, Kanishka Singh, Mark Heinrich, Diane Craft Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, European Union, European Commission, EU, Russian Agricultural Bank, Russian Federation, Kremlin, United, JPMorgan Chase, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Moscow, EU, SWIFT, Rosselkhozbank, United Nations, Turkey, Ukrainian, Africa

☆ Russian veto signals end of Turkey-based UN aid operation in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia suggested that the council mandate for the aid operation could not be salvaged. Security Council votes on the issue have long been contentious - in both 2022 and 2020 the mandate expired, only to be renewed a day later. The Security Council initially authorized aid deliveries in 2014 into opposition-held areas of Syria from Iraq, Jordan and two points in Turkey. 'UTTER CRUELTY'Russia and Syria have argued that the aid operation violates Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China abstained on the vote for the nine-month compromise renewal of the aid operation authorization drafted by Switzerland and Brazil, while the remaining 13 Security Council members voted in favor.

Persons: Vassily Nebenzia, Nebenzia, we're, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Bashar al, Assad, Bassam Sabbagh, Sabbagh, Thomas, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Nations, . Security, Russia U.N, Security, United, United Nations, Reuters, Ten Security, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, Turkey, Syria, United States, Damascus, Moscow, Iraq, Jordan, China, United Nations, Switzerland, Brazil, Britain, France, Washington

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