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Haitian gangs have for a month prevented the distribution of diesel and gasoline, crippling businesses and hospitals and creating shortages of basic goods including water just as the country is struggling with a new outbreak of cholera. The State Department has created a new visa restriction policy targeting those who support the gangs and has sent a Coast Guard vessel to patrol Haitian waters. Sporadic looting and gun battles between gangs and police have become increasingly common in recent weeks as the shortages have led to mounting desperation. Another Biden administration official during the phone briefing said the travel bans were meant to hold accountable those who are linked to the gangs. "Our intent in doing so is to demonstrate that there are consequences for those who fund and foment violence in Haiti," the official said.

☆ Haiti activists rally at White House seeking end of U.S. support for Henry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A woman holds a sign at a rally outside the White House asking the Biden administration to stop supporting Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Washington, U.S. October 9, 2022 in this picture obtained by Reuters. Gordon Whitman/via REUTERSOct 9 (Reuters) - Activists on Sunday rallied at the White House to call on the Biden administration to end support for the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as the Caribbean nation faces a humanitarian crisis due to gangs blocking the distribution of fuel. A broadcast of the rally showed several hundred people gathered outside the White House, holding signs bearing Haiti's flag or with messages including "Let Haitians decide their own future." The Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to change its stance with respect to Henry. U.S. Representative Val Demings last week introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, which calls for a new federal investigation into those who support Haitian gangs.

☆ Zelenskyy will address an emergency G-7 meeting after deadly Russian missile strikes rock Ukrainian cities
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dozens of missiles, Iranian 'Shahids'," Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram official account, referencing the Iranian-made Shahid drones increasingly used by Russian forces. Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes, as Russia's attack continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. So far, the U.N. estimates that Russia's war in Ukraine has claimed more than 6,200 civilian lives and led to more than 9,300 injuries. Monday's strikes were an apparent tit-for-tat retaliation for an explosion over the weekend on the Kerch bridge, which links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. Destroy our people who are sleeping at home in Zaporizhzhia, kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv," Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app as the missile strikes across Ukraine became apparent.

☆ Egypt working to prioritize 'loss and damage' at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aboulmagd said as the incoming COP president, Egypt needs to "navigate" the disparate positions and that it has appointed two ministers to come up with a plan for how to include "loss and damage" on COP27's formal agenda. The two ministers are Germany's special envoy for international climate action, Jennifer Morgan, and Chile's environment minister, Maisa Rojas. But as different countries grapple with extreme weather this year, pressure is growing for "loss and damage" to be prioritized at COP27. After visiting Pakistan in the wake of devastating floods, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged governments to address loss and damage at COP27 "with the seriousness it deserves." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The climate crisis and the energy transition are exacerbating inequality, putting those least responsible in the worst position
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week focused on inequality. The climate crisis and the energy transition are widening disparities, leaders said. Rich countries must meet pledges to help those least responsible for the crisis, advocates say. These regions combined have contributed less than 1% of historical carbon-dioxide emissions yet are bearing the brunt of climate impacts. Meanwhile, Europe is in the midst of an energy crisis because Russian President Vladimir Putin has scaled back natural-gas supplies to retaliate against Western sanctions.

☆ Flood-hit Pakistan should suspend debt repayments, says UN paper - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSept 23 (Reuters) - Pakistan should suspend international debt repayments and restructure loans with creditors after recent floods added to the country's financial crisis, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a UN policy memo. Pakistan has earlier estimated the damage at $30 billion, and both the government and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have blamed the flooding on climate change. The memo further proposed debt restructuring or swaps, where creditors would let go of repayments in exchange for Pakistan agreeing to invest in climate change-resilient infrastructure, FT said. Floods have affected 33 million Pakistanis, inflicted billions of dollars in damage, and killed over 1,500 people - creating concern that Pakistan will not meet debts. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico foreign minister meets Russia's Lavrov to discuss Ukraine peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoMEXICO CITY, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Friday he met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss a Mexican peace plan for the Ukraine conflict that he presented to the U.N. General Assembly this week. Mexico has proposed a deal to halt the fighting but Ukraine opposes the plan which it says would be advantageous to Russia. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the committee would immediately start talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to achieve "a truce of at least five years." Mexico's proposal has drawn criticism from Ukraine, with an adviser to Zelenskiy, Mykhailo Podolyak, last week calling it a "Russian plan" that would "give Russia time to renew reserves before the next offensive." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mexico City Newsroom, Edited by Isabel Woodford and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroUNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Countries on the front lines of the climate crisis are fed up. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked world leaders why his people were paying the price of global warming. "We renew our call to the world to declare total war on this century's greatest challenge: the climate change monster. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the least responsible for climate change are suffering the most. And yet, we are the fourth most vulnerable country to climate change," he told the U.N. gathering.

☆ U.N. showdown looms between Lavrov, West over atrocities in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will face off on Thursday with his Ukrainian and Western counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when the United Nations Security Council meets over atrocities committed in Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 as the Security Council met in New York to discuss Western concerns that Moscow was planning such a move. Ukraine, the United States and others have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. The meeting on Thursday will be at least the 20th time the Security Council has met on Ukraine this year. Ukraine’s chief war crimes prosecutor told Reuters last month his office is investigating almost 26,000 suspected war crimes cases committed since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion and has charged 135 people.

☆ Ukrainian Steel plant defenders, Putin ally exchanged in prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV — Ukraine announced a high-profile prisoner swap early Thursday that culminated months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in Mariupol during a long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Volodymr Zelenskky said his government had won freedom from Russian custody for 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens. Of the total, 200 Ukrainians were exchanged for just one man — pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who is Ukrainian. According to Zelenskyy, many of those freed belonged to Ukraine’s Azov regiment, whom he called heroes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a ceremony of receiving letters of credence from newly-appointed foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 20, 2022. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 as the Security Council met in New York to discuss Western concerns that Moscow was planning such a move. read moreUkraine, the United States and others have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. The meeting on Thursday will be at least the 20th time the Security Council has met on Ukraine this year. While it was unlikely Russia's seat at the U.N. Security Council would be left empty during the meeting, it was unclear how long Lavrov might stay in the chamber.

☆ China urges Europe to take positive steps on climate change
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's chief climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua smiles as he takes part a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum 2022 (WEF) in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/FilesSHANGHAI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Europe and other developed countries must take "positive action" to implement climate change goals as geopolitical uncertainties threaten to undermine their efforts, China's top climate envoy told his German counterpart. Xie Zhenhua, who leads China's climate negotiations, told Germany's special climate envoy Jennifer Morgan via video link late on Wednesday that global climate governance was currently facing "multiple challenges and uncertainties". China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is expected to focus on the issue of financing at this year's global climate talks, known as COP27, which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt in November. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Stanway; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden aims to rally world leaders behind Ukraine in U.N. remarks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will use his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday to rally the world in support of Ukraine as part of a broader call for countries to protect the established international order. Russia’s war in Ukraine has upended global food supplies and threatens to tip Europe into a recession this winter as the continent braces for a surge in energy costs. Biden is also facing heightened tensions with China, which has shown signs of increasing aggression towards Taiwan. Biden will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to help Ukraine defend itself for as long as necessary and call on others to do the same, Sullivan said. While in New York, Biden will meet Wednesday with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss.

☆ Biden denounces Putin's 'overt' nuclear threats, urges UN allies to reject Russia's invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations' charter, no more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force." Biden's remarks come as Europe faces its biggest crisis since World War II as nations grapple with how to deter Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The country has not yet declared war on Ukraine, despite having invaded in February, an invasion it still calls "a special military operation." A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," Biden said. "The United Nations charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy and we have a duty to act," Guterres said Tuesday.

☆ U.N. secretary general says ‘polluters must pay,’ calls for extra tax on fossil fuel profits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The U.N. secretary general said Tuesday that developed economies should impose an extra tax on the profits of fossil fuel firms, with the funds diverted to countries affected by climate change and households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. But it’s high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice.”“Polluters must pay. Back in May, for example, the U.K.’s former finance minister, Rishi Sunak, announced details of what he called a “temporary, targeted energy profits levy” on oil and gas firms. And therefore, our proposal also includes the fossil fuel electricity producers, who have to give a crisis contribution.”Overall, von der Leyen said the proposal would raise over 140 billion euros, or around $140.1 billion. “And transition means transition — it means it takes some time.”“The idea that we can turn off the taps and end fossil fuels tomorrow, it’s obviously ridiculous and naive,” Winters said.

☆ The world is in ‘great peril,’ U.N. chief warns global leaders
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Guterres during the "SDG Moment" event at the United Nations headquarters on Monday. The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her funeral in London on Monday, which many world leaders attended, have created last-minute headaches for the high-level meeting. Diplomats and U.N. staff have scrambled to deal with changes in travel plans, the timing of events and the logistically intricate speaking schedule for world leaders. This year, the 193-member General Assembly returns to only in-person speeches, with a single exception — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. president, representing the host country for the United Nations, is traditionally the second speaker.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. senators gave 'positive' feedback on F-16s
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTurkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrives to address the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThat sentiment could derail the F-16 sale. "They're speaking positively," Erdogan told Reuters at the United Nations before his meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In recent days in New York, Erdogan met with U.S. senators Lindsey Graham and Chris Coons. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Polluters must pay, says UN chief, urges taxes to help climate victims
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The fossil fuel industry is feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns," he said. While Guterres again pushed developed countries to tax the fossil fuel windfall profits, this time he also used his platform to spell out where the money should be spent. He also said multilateral development banks "must step up and deliver" and that helping poor countries adapt to worsening climate shocks "must make up half of all climate finance." "Just as they did for the tobacco industry decades before, lobbyists and spin doctors have spewed harmful misinformation," Guterres said. "Fossil fuel interests need to spend less time averting a PR disaster – and more time averting a planetary one."

☆ UN secretary general says 'polluters must pay,' calls for extra tax on fossil fuel profits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, he said fossil fuel firms and their "enablers" needed to be held to account. Fossil fuel firms and their "enablers" needed to be held to account, he went on to state. It also included what he called "the massive public relations machine raking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny." But it's high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice." And today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies."

☆ 'Our world is in peril,' UN chief says in opening General Assembly address
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 20, 2022. UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave a somber assessment of global affairs Tuesday in an opening address of the annual high-level gathering in New York City. "Our world is in peril and paralyzed," Guterres told world leaders attending the 77th United Nations General Assembly, which returned in person this week for the first time in three years. "The United Nations charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy and we have a duty to act," Guterres added. The remarks come as Europe grapples with perhaps its biggest military conflict since World War II, which has uncovered fissures among major powers on how to deter Russia, support Ukraine and mitigate the consequences of war.

☆ UNGA: Tax fossil fuel companies 'feasting' on profits, UN chief urges
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Angela Dewan | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The UN chief accused energy giants of "feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns." The European Commission is proposing that EU states take a 33% share of the companies' surplus profits. US President Joe Biden's administration mulled the idea in the summer but it gained little momentum. "Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies," Guterres told the Assembly. "Those funds should be redirected in two ways: to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis, and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices."

☆ Poet Amanda Gorman, K-pop's Blackpink push global goals at U.N.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - South Korean pop band Blackpink and American poet Amanda Gorman took to the United Nations stage on Monday to urge action on climate change and other global goals that include achieving gender equality and ending hunger and poverty. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterGorman and Blackpink were taking part in an event to promote the 17 sustainable development goals created by the United Nations in 2015. Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERSSpeaking via video, the four members of Blackpink - U.N. advocates for the sustainable development goals - urged people to decrease energy consumption, choose local produce and cut food waste. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said various perils were pushing the sustainable development goals "further out of reach," describing the challenge of rescuing them as "immense." The perils we face are no match for a world united," Guterres said.

☆ Live Updates: Climate Week NYC 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | Stephanie Osmanski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

And it includes the massive public relations machine raking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny. "Fossil fuel interests need to spend less time averting a PR disaster—and more time averting a planetary one. But it is high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice." What followed was an appeal for fossil fuel companies to be taxed on windfall profits—that's a higher tax rate on sudden, unexpected spikes in earnings. "Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies.

☆ Once unthinkable, Pakistan's record rainfall could now happen once a century
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Climate change made the unprecedented monsoon rainfall that left one-third of Pakistan underwater last month far more likely, according to a team of scientists who analyzed the event. They also looked at the heaviest five-day period of monsoon rainfall in hard-hit Sindh and Balochistan. The study found that climate change had inflated the chances of heavy rainfall for both geographies and time periods. As much as one-third of the rainfall that fell during the most intense period in Sindh and Balochistan could be attributed to climate change, it found. Researchers performed an attribution analysis of the heat wave and found it was made 30 times more likely to have been due to climate change, according to Fahad Saeed, an Islamabad-based researcher at the Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

☆ Tigrayan forces say they're ready to accept an AU-led peace process with Ethiopian government
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Bethlehem Feleke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region said they are ready to observe an immediate ceasefire and accept an African Union-led peace process to end a conflict with federal forces that has stretched over nearly two years. Tigray’s negotiation team includes TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda, and General Tsadkan Gebretinsae, who are “ready to be deployed without delay,” the statement added. The Ethiopian government formed a committee in June to negotiate with forces from the Tigray region. The United Nations also welcomed the development and is ready to support the AU-led peace process, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Military hostilities between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan forces resumed last month after a months-long ceasefire.

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