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☆ US, Arab Leaders to Meet Over Gaza as Palestinian Deaths Mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Civilians in the area are repeatedly called upon to evacuate southwards for their own safety," the military said. Israel has accused Hamas of concealing command centres and tunnel entrances in al-Shifa, something Hamas and the hospital denies. Food is scarce, residents have resorted to drinking salty water, medical services are collapsing and Gaza health officials say more than 9,250 Palestinians have been killed. "Whoever wants to prevent a regional war, and I am talking to the Americans, must quickly halt the aggression on Gaza." Hezbollah and other state and non-state actors should not try to take advantage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the spokesperson said.

Persons: Nidal, Simon Lewis, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Ashraf al, Qidra, Izzat El Reshiq, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, Blinken, Washington, Jordan, Lebanon's, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Nidal al, Daphne Psaledakis, Rami Ayyub, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Israeli, Saudi, Israel, State Department, West Bank, Washington, White House National Security Council, Hamas Locations: Khalidi GAZA, AMMAN, Gaza, Jordan, Gaza's, Israel, al, Gaza City, U.S, Amman, Jordanian, Washington, Lebanon's Iran, United States, Iran, Lebanon, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, In Washington, Khalidi

Arctic-2 LNG has been expecting to start exporting soon and it is uncertain how much Russian LNG would be blocked by the new measures. The largest Russian LNG producer Novatek (NVTK.MM) said in September it would start shipments from Arctic-2 LNG early next year. The State Department said Zakharov is the creator and designer of the drones. "And every sanctions decision must work in full, so that there is no chance for Russia to bypass them." The State Department also imposed sanctions on multiple defense-related entities and procurement companies in the UAE.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Aleksandr Zakharov, Zakharov, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Daphne Psaledakis, Timothy Gardner, Alexandra Alper Mike Stone, Karen Freifeld, Yuliia Dysa, Ron Popeski, Nick Zieminski, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S, White, Rights, Moscow, State Department, Commerce Department, United Arab, Treasury Department, Systems, Treasury, Russian LNG, European, ZALA Aero, Russian Ministry of Defense, The State Department, Russian Federation, Washington, Turkish, UAE . Construction, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Ukraine, Siberia, Washington, Russian, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Europe, European Union, Ukrainian, ZALA, UAE, New York, Gdansk, Beijing

☆ Blinken to Reassert in Israel Its Right to Act but Need to Minimize Civilian Casualties
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Humeyra PamukWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel on Friday to voice solidarity with its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza but also to reassert the need to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, his spokesperson said on Wednesday. Blinken's trip, which includes a stop in Jordan, is his second to the Middle East in less than a month. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials and receive an update on Israel's military objectives and its plans to achieve those goals. He will pursue talks led by Egypt and Qatar on securing the release of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas, Miller said. Turkish diplomatic sources said Blinken would also visit Turkey but Miller did not confirm the additional stop.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Miller, Israel, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Jasper Ward, Daphne Psaledakis, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel, State Department, Hamas, White House, Washington Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, Gaza, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, Qatar, Turkish, Turkey, Washington

☆ How the Nigerian military fatally shot a young captive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

The Nigerian government and military – including the presidency, Ministry of Defence, defence headquarters and army leaders – did not respond to detailed questions for this story. Various entities have accused Nigerian security forces of other abuses in connection with killings of civilians and captives. Two security force members told Reuters they saw multiple prisoners brought out of the barracks and shot after the fighting ceased. Tweets from Nigerian defence headquarters in Abuja show the military declared the hostilities over shortly after 11 a.m. Nine shots fired A uniformed security force member shot nine rounds at the young captive, pulling the trigger at least seven times, according to forensic audio experts who listened to the recording at Reuters’ request.

Persons: Melanie O’Brien, –, Ocampo, Christopher Musa, Musa, ” Musa, “, extrajudicially, Michael Oluoha Agi, ’ ”, ”, Boko, ‘ Allahu akbar ’, Yahaya, Haram, Biu, Bellingcat, Belllingcat, Chris Olukolade, Emmanuel Emeka, Emeka, Reade Levinson, David Lewis, Tim Cocks, Carlos Gonzales, Paul Carsten, Daphne Psaledakis, Stephanie van den Berg, Youri van, Adolfo Arranz, Sam Hart, Feilding, Julie Marquis, Alexandra Zavis Organizations: Reuters, International Association of, Nigerian, Ministry of Defence, ICC, Islamic, Human Rights Commission, United Nations, Twitter, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, U.S . State Department, U.S, Boko, Civilian, Task Force, Defence, Facebook, 231, Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment Locations: Geneva, Nigeria, Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, Nigerian, United States, Britain, U.S, Biu, Boko Haram, Abuja, Largema

We continue to encourage all countries to take tangible measures to halt the flow of arms, aviation fuel, and revenue to the military regime," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement. Canada imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities for supporting Myanmar's military regime. The U.N. human rights expert for Myanmar in September called on the United States to further tighten sanctions on the country's military rulers to include the state oil and gas enterprise. Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for sanctions on MOGE, but Washington had so far held back. Myanmar military officials have played down the impact of sanctions.

Persons: Stringer, Washington, Antony Blinken, Brian Nelson, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Tim Gardner, Sarah Young, Ismail Shakil, Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel Organizations: Army, Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Myanma, Gas Enterprise, U.S . Treasury Department, Reuters, Treasury, Financial, United Nations, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Chevron Corp, Chevron, Washington, Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, Myanma Investment, Commercial Bank, Sky Royal Hero Company, General Staff, Myanmar's Army, Navy, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Yangon, Myanmar, United States, Washington, U.S, United Kingdom, Canada, Britain

Palestinians conduct search and rescue operations at the site of Israeli strikes on a residential building, in the central Gaza Strip October 31, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States has made "real progress" in the last few hours in negotiations to secure a safe passage for Americans and other foreigners who wish to depart the Gaza Strip, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday. So far, traffic at Rafah has reopened one way allowing aid trucks to go slowly into Gaza. "We would hope that any agreement to get any individuals out would also unlock the possibility of American citizens or their families and other foreign nationals coming out," Miller said. "We're working with various parties to try to facilitate their departure from Gaza.

Persons: Ahmed Zakot, Matthew Miller, Miller, Qataris, Israel, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis, Jasper Ward, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Gaza, United States, U.S, Rafah, Egypt, Jasper

☆ Blinken says Israeli government shared images of Hamas atrocities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 12, 2023. It almost defies comprehension," Blinken told a news briefing in Tel Aviv, where he traveled after hundreds of Hamas gunmen poured across the barrier fence and rampaged through Israeli towns on Saturday. He carefully described the disturbing contents of the images he was shown in meetings with Israeli officials earlier on Thursday. The atrocities depicted in the images he had seen "harkens back to ISIS," Blinken said. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Tel Aviv; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Blinken, Humeyra Pamuk, Doina Chiacu, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, ISIS, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Washington

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 12, 2023. The question of Iranian access to the funds has been in the spotlight since Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on Saturday, killing more than 1,300 people and taking scores of hostages back to the Palestinian Gaza Strip. "Iran will not be able to access the funds for the foreseeable future," a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Several U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday that the United States and Qatar had agreed to stop Iran from accessing the money. It did not respond to a request for comment on whether Iran had yet tried to access the funds.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's U.N, Donald Trump, John Kirby, Kirby, Parisa Hafezi, Andrew Mills, Michelle Nichols, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, TEL, United, Washington, Reuters, U.S, U.S . Treasury, U.S ., Government, United Nations, Qatar's, Media, White House, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, WASHINGTON, United States, Iran, Qatar, Palestinian, U.S, Tehran, South Korea, Seoul after Washington, Islamic Republic of Iran, New York, Qatari

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, killing hundreds of people in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. U.S. officials say they do not have evidence Iran orchestrated the attacks, but point to Iran's longterm support for Hamas. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. Israeli soldiers went from house to house to take away the dead.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Biden, Joe Biden, Israel's, Yoav Gallant, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Khan Younis, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Elad Hakim, Aza, Itai Veruv, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Rockets, Hamas, U.S, Israel, Israeli, White, United, Department, Defence, The United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ashkelon, Lebanon, Syria, U.S, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, United States, Iran, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Be'eri, stretchers, Europe, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said on Tuesday the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. They were the first senior Hamas members killed since Israel began pounding the enclave. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who denounced the Hamas attacks, said: "International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks."

Persons: Kan, Joe Biden, —, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Biden, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ammar Awad, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Khan Younis, Sabra, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Israel, Public, Israeli, White, United, Department, REUTERS, Defence, United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Sabra, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, Lebanon, United States, Iran, U.S, Ashkelon, Israeli, Daraj Tuffah, Gaza City, Khan, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza, Lincoln

A man living on the streets displays what he says is the synthetic drug fentanyl at the Tenderloin section of San Francisco, California, U.S., February 27, 2020. "We are here today to deliver a message on behalf of the United States government. "We know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China." The Treasury accused the China-based network of being responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine and MDMA precursors. It said the network is capable of synthesizing multi-thousand-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDMA precursors and other illicit chemicals.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Joe Biden's, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Andrew Goudsward, Daphne Psaledakis, Michael Martina, Rami Ayyub, Costas Pitas, Susan Heavey, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United, U.S, U.S . Treasury Department, Justice Department, Treasury, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, United States, China, Washington, China's, Mexico, Sinaloa, Canada

☆ How would a government shutdown affect US foreign policy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some foreign aid programs could also run out of money or have trouble performing their missions. "It would make it harder to do everything that we do to try to advance national security." Contracts awarded before the shutdown would continue, and the Pentagon could place new orders for supplies or services needed to protect national security. SPY AGENCIESThe Central Intelligence Agencies and other intelligence agencies have not publicly shared their plans for a shutdown. But in the past, staff involved in operations, analysis and cyber activities have been deemed critical to national security and ordered to keep working, possibly without pay.

Persons: Joshua Roberts, Biden, Antony Blinken, Lockheed Martin, Patricia Zengerle, Daphne Psaledakis, Mike Stone, Don Durfee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, STATE DEPARTMENT U.S, Department of State, State Department, Pentagon, Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, National Nuclear Security Administration, Central Intelligence Agencies, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Russia, Ukraine, States, China, U.S

☆ US to announce disaster response team for South Caucasus amid Karabakh crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday will announce it has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team in the South Caucasus region to coordinate the U.S. humanitarian response to the crisis after Azerbaijan took back control of Nagorno-Karabakh last week. "The United States is deeply concerned about the safety of vulnerable populations in Nagorno-Karabakh and the more than 50,000 people who have fled to Armenia," Power said in the statement. Power traveled to Armenia and Azerbaijan this week following Azerbaijan's defeat of the breakaway region's fighters in a conflict dating from the Soviet era. The Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated. "Azerbaijan must protect civilians, uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals in its country, and ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law," Power said.

Persons: Samantha Power, Irakli, Power, Ilham Aliyev, Daphne Psaledakis, Peter Graff Organizations: Agency for International Development, USAID, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Agency for International Development, Karabakh, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, United States, South Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Soviet, Washington, Soviet Union

☆ USAID Chief to Raise Karabakh Humanitarian Situation in Azerbaijan Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Daphne PsaledakisWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Biden administration officials arrived in Azerbaijan on Wednesday amid a humanitarian crisis and an exodus of tens of thousands of people after Azerbaijan took back control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive last week. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power, joined by U.S. State Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim, will raise the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the importance of Azerbaijan following through with its commitments in a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev. Power "will also address the prospects for a durable and dignified peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, based on mutual respect for each others’ territorial integrity and sovereignty," USAID said in a statement. The Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated. The Nagorno-Karabakh leadership told Reuters the region's 120,000 Armenians did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan for fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing.

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON, Samantha Power, Yuri Kim, Ilham Aliyev, Aliyev, Daphne Psaledakis, David Holmes Organizations: Biden, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, U.S . State, Power, Karabakh, Reuters Locations: Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Europe, Armenia, Washington, Soviet Union

☆ Azerbaijan arrests former top Karabakh minister as exodus tops 50,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mostly by ethnic Armenians who broke away in the 1990s in the first of two wars there since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Karabakh authorities said more than 50,000 had left so far, out of an estimated ethnic Armenian population of 120,000. Azerbaijan rejects Armenian accusations of ethnic cleansing, but images of tens of thousands of desperate people on the move have provoked widespread international alarm. Germany added its voice to U.S. calls for Azerbaijan to allow international observers into Karabakh. Karabakh authorities said they lost at least 200 people in Azerbaijan's offensive last week.

Persons: Ruben Vardanyan, Veronika Zonabend, Morris Tidball, Binz, Annalena Baerbock, Matthew Miller, Washington, Irakli, Ilham Aliyev, Zonabend, Miller, Vera Petrosyan, Daphne Psaledakis, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Alison Williams Organizations: Twitter, U.S . State Department, REUTERS, Reuters, Local, Russian, Russia, State, Washington, Thomson Locations: Azerbaijan Karabakh, Germany, GORIS, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Baku, Soviet Union, Kornidzor, Russia, Ukraine, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, United States, Washington

WASHINGTON/SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody and heading home after being expelled by North Korea into China, the United States said on Wednesday. For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was disillusioned about unequal U.S. Last month, it said that he wanted refuge in North Korea or elsewhere because of maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army. KING IN 'GOOD HEALTH'The Swedish government, which represents U.S. interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China.

Persons: Travis King, King, KCNA, Matthew Miller, Nicholas Burns, Miller, Kim Hong, Jonathan Franks, Claudine Gates, Gates, Myron Gates, Fort Sam Houston, Brittney Griner, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Phil Stewart, Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt, Doina, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis Michael Martina, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Brendan O'Brien, Johan Ahlander, Philippa Fletcher, Sharon Singleton, Bill Berkrot, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: North, The State Department, ., China . State Department, U.S, Osan Air Force Base, King, REUTERS, United States Army, ABC News, South Korean, Brooke Army Medical Center, Base San, Fort, Russia, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, SEOUL, U.S, North Korea, China, United States, Washington, Pyongyang, Swedish, Beijing, Dandong, Shenyang, South Korea, Sweden, Gijungdong, Panmunjom, Texas, Base San Antonio, Seoul, Chicago, Stockholm

☆ Actor Viola Davis to join US African diaspora council
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FiILE PHOTO: Viola Davis attends the world premiere of "AIR" at Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Lauren Justice/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the first members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, including actor Viola Davis, who will advise Washington on deepening ties with African communities. Washington has sought to stress the region's importance and counter challenges posed by China and Russia to the United States' interests in the increasingly important region. In addition to Viola Davis, members include: Patrick Gaspard, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress think tank; C.D. Glin, president of the PepsiCo Foundation and global head of social impact for PepsiCo; and Almaz Negash, founder of the African Diaspora Network, among others.

Persons: Viola Davis, Lauren Justice, Joe Biden, Judd Devermont, Silvester Beaman, Patrick Gaspard, Glin, Davis, Tony, Wagner, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Regency Village Theatre, REUTERS, Rights, Tuesday, Africa, Summit, National Security, African Affairs, African Methodist Episcopal, Center for American Progress, PepsiCo Foundation, PepsiCo, African Diaspora Network, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, President’s, Washington, China, Russia, United States, States, Africa, Ukraine

☆ Exclusive: Senior US officials traveling to Armenia as Karabakh's Armenians start to leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region arrive at a temporary accommodation centre in the town of Goris, Armenia, September 25, 2023. Power will meet with senior government officials and will "affirm U.S. support for Armenia’s democracy, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and commitment to address humanitarian needs stemming from Nagorno-Karabakh," the official said. Thousands of Karabakh Armenians have been left without food. In 2020, after decades of skirmishes, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, won a 44-day Second Karabakh War, recapturing territory in and around Karabakh. That war ended with a Russian-brokered peace deal that Armenians accuse Moscow of failing to guarantee.

Persons: Irakli, Samantha Power, Yuri Kim, Nikol Pashinyan, Daphne Psaledakis, Donna Bryson, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Biden, U.S, Reuters, U.S . Agency for International Development, . State, USAID, Karabakh, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Goris, Armenia, Soviet, Europe, United States, Azerbaijan, Russia, Soviet Union, Turkey, Russian, Moscow

☆ Sudan's Army Chief Says He Favours Negotiated Settlement to War
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

War between the army and the RSF broke out in mid-April over plans for a political transition and the integration of the RSF into the army, four years after long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a popular uprising. Burhan has made a series of foreign visits in recent weeks after remaining in Sudan for the first months of the war. The RSF has denied it is behind the violence in Darfur, and will hold its men accountable for abuses. Burhan said that army deployment in El Geneina, which suffered the worst mass killings in Darfur, has been limited, hindering their ability to respond. Burhan said he told the governor to seek protection at a military camp, but the governor had rejected that.

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis, Khalid Abdelaziz NEW, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Omar al, Bashir, RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Khalid Abdelaziz, Aidan Lewis, Grant McCool Organizations: Khalid Abdelaziz NEW YORK, Reuters, Rapid Support Forces, United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly Locations: CAIRO, New York, Saudi Arabia, United States, Jeddah, Sudan, Darfur, El Geneina, West Darfur, Cairoa

War between the army and the RSF broke out in mid-April over plans for a political transition and the integration of the RSF into the army, four years after long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a popular uprising. Burhan has made a series of foreign visits in recent weeks after remaining in Sudan for the first months of the war. The purpose was to seek solutions, not military support, though he had asked other states to block external backing that he asserts the RSF is receiving, he said. The RSF has denied it is behind the violence in Darfur, and will hold its men accountable for abuses. Burhan said he told the governor to seek protection at a military camp, but the governor had rejected that.

Persons: Abdel, Fattah Al, Burhan Abdelrahman Al, Burhan, Eduardo Munoz, Abdel Fattah al, Omar al, Bashir, RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Daphne Psaledakis, Khalid Abdelaziz, Aidan Lewis, Grant McCool Organizations: Transitional Sovereign, General Assembly, REUTERS, NEW YORK, Reuters, Rapid Support Forces, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, West Darfur, CAIRO, New York, Saudi Arabia, United States, Jeddah, Sudan, Darfur, El Geneina, Cairoa

JPMorgan had handled some Russian grain export payments for a few months with reassurances from Washington. However, that cooperation stopped in early August, said Russia's Foreign Ministry, after Moscow quit the Black Sea grain deal in July. UNDERMINING U.N. EFFORTSU.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday that Russia's bombardment was undermining U.N. efforts to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, U.N. officials agreed to help Russian exports reach global markets. "It has led many of those whose goodwill is needed, notably in the private sector, to question whether there is any real interest in re-joining the Black Sea Initiative."

Persons: Morgan, Sarah Meyssonnier, Moscow, James O'Brien, ”, O'Brien, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Sergei Lavrov, Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Michelle Nichols, Michael Perry Organizations: JPMorgan, REUTERS, Washington, State Department, Reuters, Wednesday, Foreign Ministry, State Department's Office, United Nations, Security, Black Sea Initiative, United, Russia's, Russian Foreign Ministry, Guterres, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Moscow, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, New York, United Nations, Turkey, United

"There's a trip next week to India, a number of countries are going to sort of verify certain elements of implementation. Belgium, which is not in the G7 but is a member of the European Union, has been blocking any sanctions on Russian diamonds sought by hawks in the EU. A leading Russia critic, Poland this week launched a fresh call for EU sanctions on Russian diamonds, the sales of which brought Moscow more than $4.5 billion in 2022. The EU bought some $1.5 billion worth of Russian diamonds last year. Following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Washington imposed sanctions on Alrosa and barred the import of non-industrial diamonds of Russian origin into the United States.

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Gabriela Baczynska, Howard Goller Organizations: Biden, Reuters, U.S, United Nations, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: India, United States, Belgium, Mumbai, Surat, Russia, New York, Antwerp, Ukraine, Moscow, Poland, Washington

☆ US, Norway to launch Africa agriculture fund, commit $70 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The United States and Norway will pledge a total of $70 million on Monday to launch a fund, reported here for the first time, to help farmers and agricultural businesses in Africa, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spokesperson said. BY THE NUMBERSThe fund aims to reach a total of $200 million through additional contributions from donors and has the potential to benefit nearly 7.5 million people, the spokesperson said. USAID and Norway will each commit an initial $35 million. The fund has the potential to support 500 small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses, 1.5 million smallholder farmers and nearly 60,000 private sector jobs. The fund aims to spur hundreds of millions more dollars in commercial financing by reducing the risk of investing.

Persons: Mor Kabe, Zohra, Samantha Power, Power, Daphne Psaledakis, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, of International, General Assembly, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Notto, Diama, Thies, Senegal, United States, Norway, Africa, Norwegian, Russia, China, Europe, West Africa

The second senior EU official confirmed that. A third source, also an EU official, said the Commission was "cooperating actively with WFP to resolve systemic defects" but said no aid was suspended at this stage. Last year, it contributed more than half of the $2.2 billion of funding that went to the humanitarian response there. The U.N. report did not attempt to quantify the amount of aid that was diverted but said its findings "suggest that post-delivery aid diversion in Somalia is widespread and systemic". In all, investigators collected data from 55 IDP sites in Somalia and found aid diversion in all of them, the report said.

Persons: Ayenat, Balazs Ujvari, Antonio Guterres, Devex, Jessica Jennings, gatekeepers, Gabriela Baczynska, Michelle Nichols, Aaron Ross, Emma Farge, Daphne Psaledakis, Joe Bavier, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, European Union, Food Programme, Reuters, European Commission, EU, WFP, U.N, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, European, Somali Disaster Management Office, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Dollow, Somalia, NAIROBI, GENEVA, Ethiopia, United States, Nairobi, Geneva

☆ US, UK issue Iran sanctions ahead of anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Demonstrators at a Freedom Rally for Iran, protesting in support of Iranian women and against the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, outside City Hall in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 1, 2022. Amini, 22, died on Sept. 16 last year after being arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code. Her death sparked months of anti-government protests that marked the biggest show of opposition to Iranian authorities in years. The U.S. States and Britain, along with the European Union, have announced multiple rounds of sanctions against Iran, citing the widespread and often violent crackdown on protests after the death of Amini. The sanctions target LEF spokesperson Saeed Montazerolmehdi, multiple LEF and IRGC commanders, and Iran’s Prisons Organization chief Gholamali Mohammadi.

Persons: Bing Guan, Mahsa Amini, Antony Blinken, Saeed Montazerolmehdi, Gholamali Mohammadi, Alireza Abedinejad, Brian Nelson, Rami Ayyub, Susan Heavey, Daphne Psaledakis, Chizu Nomiyama, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Hall, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Iran, Police, U.S . Treasury Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Enforcement Forces, Iran's Prisons, Iran’s Prisons Organization, Douran Software, Press, Tasnim News Agency, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Iran, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Britain, States, Iran’s, Canada, Australia, Fars, United States, Tehran

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