DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Vultures, on the verge of extinction, receive a lifeline in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Gertrude Kitongo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to four critically endangered species of vulture, and in South Africa, a non-profit conservation and rehabilitation group called VulPro is working to protect these fascinating birds. The operation involved over 50 people, logistics company DHL and WeWild Africa, an NGO specializing in animal rewilding and translocation. It was at that very moment that I actually understood how fragile and misunderstood the species were.”An African White-backed vulture (closest to camera) at the VulPro rehabilitation center near Pretoria, South Africa. Recent efforts have concentrated on the white-headed vulture, with a population of only 3,685 adults continent-wide, according to BirdLife International, and only a small percentage of that figure in South Africa. Poisoning is the most common reason for vultures to require treatment in South Africa, often from ingesting lead in discarded batteries, or bullets in animal carcasses, says Joubert.

Persons: VulPro, ”, Kerri Wolter, Gertrude Kitongo, “, Johan Joubert, Joubert, Wolter, – Organizations: CNN, Reserve, DHL, WeWild, BirdLife International, Shamari Locations: Saharan Africa, South Africa, Eastern Cape, WeWild Africa, African, Pretoria, Africa, West Africa, KwaZulu, Natal, South

☆ Israeli forces fired on food convoy in Gaza, UN documents and satellite analysis reveals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katie Polglase | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“A convoy that had food on it, heading to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip. In the wake of the strike on February 5, UNRWA decided to stop sending convoys to northern Gaza. The UN estimates that 300,000 people are still living in northern Gaza, with very little assistance. “Because of the level of desperation in Gaza, people would see an aid convoy, they would come to the aid convoy, take the stuff from the aid convoy,” Touma told CNN. “By the time we get the approval, the aid convoy is empty.”Other routes are impassable due to debris and craters, satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows.

Persons: ” Juliette Touma, CNN’s, Al Rashid, ” Touma, Thomas White, Tom White, “, ” Janina Dill, it’s, ”, Philippa Greer, COGAT, Abed Zagout, Israel “, Craig Jones, ” Jones, ” Gianluca Mezzofiore, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: UN, CNN CNN, United Nations, CNN, UNRWA, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Ministry of Health, Al, X, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, US State Department, “, Government, Planet Labs, Food, Getty, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Health Organization, International Court of Justice, Newcastle University Locations: Gaza, Israel, Wadi Gaza, Palestinian, “ Israel, Al, Gaza City, Rafah, Egypt, Anadolu, French, Palestine, United Kingdom

☆ This college professor turned out to be an economic oracle last year. Here's her outlook for 2024.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAt the start of 2023, most US economists were bracing for a recession. An economics professor at St Mary’s University, a tiny Roman Catholic college in San Antonio, Texas, bucked the trend. Last January, Belinda Román told surveyors from The Wall Street Journal that she was expecting the economy to have a strong 2023. No recession, low unemploymentIn January 2023, Román locked in her forecast for the year, telling the WSJ that she was expecting the US’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to expand by 2.8%. 2024 predictionsMany forecasters are now bullish on the US economy off the back of a stellar 2023 — and Román is no exception.

Persons: —, Belinda Román, Román, That's, Taylor Swift, “, ”, who’s, St Mary’s, we’ve, ” Román, Goldman Sachs ’ Jan Hatzius, London —, I’d, there’s Organizations: Service, St Mary’s University, Roman Catholic, Wall Street Journal, Business, Bank of America, JPMorgan, The Commerce Department, St, American Chamber of Commerce Locations: San Antonio , Texas, London

☆ Italian senate passes controversial measure to ship boat migrants to Albanian camps
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rome CNN —A controversial plan agreed upon between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart in November to send boat migrants to Italian-run centers on Albanian soil has passed the Italian Senate. The plan passed on a vote of 93 to 61. It is unlawful under EU law to immediately deport a migrant or refugee until their application for asylum is processed. The centers will be built with Italian funds and staffed with Italian civil servants to process up to 3,000 asylum applicants a month. In 2023, more than 157,000 people reached Italy by boat, according to Italian interior ministry data.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Giorgia Meloni, Atdhe Mulla, NGO’s, Meloni’s, Matteo De Bellis, “, ” Organizations: Rome CNN, Italian, Italian Senate, European Union, Bloomberg, Getty, Coast Guard, Navy, Amnesty Locations: Italian, Guantanamo, Albania, Afghan, Shengjin, Italy, United Kingdom, Rwanda

☆ From Gaza to Geneva: Swiss Doctor Evacuates Injured Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Gabrielle Tétrault-FarberGENEVA (Reuters) - When Swiss doctor Raouf Salti realised he could not go to Gaza to help injured children, he decided he would do everything he could to get them to Geneva to receive medical care. War in Israel and Gaza View All 206 ImagesSalti, who went to Egypt to pick them up, waved as he was greeted by his team at Geneva airport with Zeina, a wide-eyed 17-month-old who was rescued from under the rubble in Gaza, in his arms. The four children who arrived in Geneva on Monday are the second group that Salti has managed to evacuate to Switzerland, bringing their total number to eight. A child's life," Salti said after arriving at his office with the children and their mothers. (Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Cécile Mantovani in Geneva; Additional reporting by Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo; Editing by Alison Williams)

Persons: Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Raouf Salti, Salti, Cécile, Nafisa Eltahir, Alison Williams Organizations: Farber GENEVA, Geneva, Healthcare, Al, Shifa Locations: Gaza, Geneva, Egypt, Switzerland, Israel, Zeina, East, Africa, Cairo

☆ Rocio San Miguel: White House ‘concerned’ as Venezuela detains activist over alleged ‘White Bracelet’ plot to kill Maduro
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that the US government is “deeply concerned” by the arrest of activist and security analyst Rocio San Miguel in Caracas, Venezuela. On Tuesday, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced on X that San Miguel had been charged overnight with treason, conspiracy, terrorism and criminal association as part of an investigation into the “White Bracelet” plot. “White Bracelet” is the name of an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro that the Venezuelan government denounced in January, and for which it has presented no evidence. San Miguel’s ex-husband Alejandro Gonzales was also charged with revealing military secrets, while four other citizens were released, Saab said. They are complicit in (terrorism) and interventionist actions against Venezuela,” Gil wrote on X.

Persons: CNN —, John Kirby, “, Rocio San, …, ” Kirby, Juan Luis Gonzalez, Tarek William Saab, Miguel, Nicolas Maduro, Miguel’s, Alejandro Gonzales, Yvan Gil, Maduro, Vladimir Padrino, Freddy Bernal, ”, ” Gil Organizations: CNN, Maiquetia, Venezuela’s, Saab, UN, Commission, Human Rights, Interamerican, Amnesty International Locations: Rocio San Miguel, Caracas, Venezuela, Miguel, Venezuelan, Spanish, United States, Tachira

☆ Are You Getting Sticker Shock From Your Electric Bills? We Want to Hear About It.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ivan Penn | More About Ivan Penn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Upgrades to aging utility equipment and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have combined to drive up electricity costs across the country, with the national average increasing from one year to the next. As a New York Times business reporter, I have been looking into the impact of the rising costs of electricity on consumer bills. We are planning more stories about the rising cost of energy and how it’s affecting people around the country. What impact are electricity rates having on household budgets? What steps are people taking to lower their bills?

Persons: Madeleine Ngo Organizations: New York Times

☆ Meta removes Facebook and Instagram accounts of Iran’s Supreme Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Meta has removed the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Meta, the accounts have been disabled, which means they are permanently removed. “We have removed these accounts for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy,” a Meta spokesperson told CNN. Meta did not give a specific reason as to why Khamenei’s account fell under the Dangerous Organizations and Individuals Policy. “We expect the threat posed by Iran’s cyber and influence operations will grow as the conflict persists,” the Microsoft Threat Intelligence report said.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Biden, ”, Mahsa Alimardani, Meta, “ Organizations: CNN, Meta, Facebook, Iran’s, Organizations, US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organization, Microsoft, ” Microsoft, Intelligence Locations: Iran, Yemen, Israel, Tehran, “, Iranian, UAE, Canada

☆ More Than 8,000 Killed During 2022 Mariupol Siege - Human Rights Watch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Emma FargeGENEVA (Reuters) - At least 8,000 people were killed by fighting or war-related causes in Russia's months-long conquest of Mariupol, one of the biggest battles of the nearly two-year war between Russia and Ukraine, according to Human Rights Watch. The Human Rights Watch assessment, based on satellite and other images of grave sites, is one of the only independent estimates of the death toll so far. Human Rights Watch said the total could be significantly higher than its estimate since some graves have been known to contain multiple bodies and some sites might not have been identified. The full 224-page report 'Our City Was Gone: Russia's Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine' compiled with NGO Truth Hounds and architecture practice SITU, also draws on some 240 interviews with mostly displaced Mariupol residents. "Russian forces' devastation of Mariupol stands out as one of the worst chapters of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine," said Ida Sawyer, crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, calling for governments to investigate.

Persons: Emma Farge GENEVA, Mariupol, Ida Sawyer, Emma Farge, Thomas Balmforth, Peter Graff Organizations: Human Rights Watch, United Nations Locations: Mariupol, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Google cofounder Larry Page quietly bought a Puerto Rico island for $32 million, records show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Google cofounder purchased Cayo Norte, a large private island in Puerto Rico, in 2018, according to documents reviewed by Business Insider. Cayo Norte sits about 20 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico and just northeast of Culebra, another island that forms an archipelago. Cayo Norte is known for its white sandy beaches, surrounding coral reefs, and preserving a refuge for endangered sea turtles. Google cofounder Larry Page bought Cayo Norte, an island in Puerto Rico. Page purchased the Lollik islands, which sit 23 miles east of Cayo Norte, in 2014 for $23 million, BI previously reported.

Persons: —, Larry Page, Page, Lucinda Southworth, Cristina Rosado, Southworth, Dan Shelley, Hugh Langley, Shelley, Louis Padrón, Richard Gautier, Wayne Osborne, Great Hans Lollik, Hans Lollik, Osborne, Lucinda Southworth C, Mary Ann Lucking, Lucking, Sergey Brin, Kimberly White, Sundar Pichai, Brin, Kitty Hawk Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Virgin Island Properties, US Virgin, BI, LLC, Area, Cayo Norte, SVI Investments, Virgin Islands Locations: Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, US, Puerto Rico's Fajardo, Cayo, Culebra, SVI, Padrón, Virgin, Great, Conservation, Kimberly White Cayo

☆ What is catfishing and what can you do if you are catfished?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Sen Nguyen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

In the US, romance scams resulting from catfishing have among the highest reported financial losses of internet crimes as a whole. A 2019 study found that young LGBTQ+ men in rural America experiencing catfishing on dating apps felt angry and fearful. She also emphasized the need to recognize today’s loneliness epidemic, which “leads people to perhaps be more susceptible to catfishing scams,” she said. Catfishing is not explicitly a crime, but the actions that often accompany catfishing, such as extortion for money, gifts or sexual images are crimes in many places. In the US, romance scams resulting from catfishing have among the highest reported financial losses of internet crimes as a whole.

Persons: CNN —, Nev Schulman, “ Megan ”, Schulman, Evita, scammers, Catfishing, Snapchat, ”, Ngo Minh Hieu, Chong, Hieu, Wang, “, It’s, Fangzhou Wang, ” Wang, Maryna, WeChat Organizations: CNN, Cybersmile Foundation, Federation University, Fraud Intelligence, INTERPOL, Research, US Federal Trade Commission, SMS, University of Texas, Arlington, Getty, Facebook, UNICEF Locations: Alaska, Australia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, France, Germany, India, cryptocurrency, Vietnamese, America, catfishing, China, Cybersecurity, Australian

Wreaths of smoke hung over the UN shelter, after a huge blaze broke out at the UNRWA Khan Younis Training Center, video obtained by CNN showed. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Israeli forces have surrounded the Nasser Medical Complex, cutting off crucial medical, food, and fuel supplies. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Israeli forces are “surrounding” their headquarters and the Al-Amal Hospital and have enforced “restrictions on movement around both the building and the hospital”. Six people were killed in attacks on Khan Younis on Wednesday, PRCS added, three of which had been “targeted” at the entrance of their headquarters. “We were expecting to die at any minute.”Jamal al Rozzi, an aid worker displaced near Khan Younis, said he was forced to flee to Rafah on Wednesday after heavy bombardment in the area.

Persons: Khan Younis, ramped, ” Thomas White, White, ”, António Guterres, Fatima Shbair, Amal, Nasser, Ashraf Al, Qudra, Al, PRCS, WAFA, ” “, Hisham Sayegh, ” Sayegh, “, ” Jamal al Rozzi, ” Al Rozzi Organizations: CNN, UN, Training Center, UNRWA Affairs, World Health Organization, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, of Health, AP Hospitals, Hamas, Nasser, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Amal, Aqsa University, Rights Monitor, Med HR, National Society for Rehabilitation Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Khan, “, Palestine, Al, Geneva, Egypt

☆ Electric Vehicle Charging Tax Credits Will Be Available in Much of Country
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | More About Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Friday issued guidance that makes much of the country eligible for tax credits intended to offset the cost of installing electric vehicle chargers. The initiative aims to make it more affordable for Americans to deploy electric vehicle chargers, which will need to be widely available for the United States to meet the Biden administration’s goal of having electric vehicles make up half of new car sales by 2030. Before Friday’s guidance, it had been unclear which areas could qualify for the tax credit. The Treasury Department opted to make a broad set of locations eligible, covering much of the country outside of major cities. Qualified areas cover roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population, Ashley Schapitl, a Treasury Department spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Persons: Biden, Ashley Schapitl Organizations: Biden, Treasury, Treasury Department Locations: United States

☆ Lawmakers are trying to keep meatpacking giant JBS from trading on NYSE, citing links to deforestation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US and UK lawmakers are rallying against an IPO by the world's largest meatpacker, JBS. Brazil says two-thirds of Amazon deforestation comes from converting land into pastures for livestock. Trading on the world's largest exchange would give JBS access to more capital and enhance its credibility. "The company has made repeated claims that it will eliminate deforestation but has not taken meaningful steps to do so." Two-thirds of Amazon deforestation results from conversion to pasture for livestock, according to the Brazilian government.

Persons: JBS Organizations: Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange, New, U.S, Democrats, Republicans, SEC, NYSE, JBS S.A Locations: Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, New York

Trading on the world's largest exchange would give JBS, which applied in July, access to more capital and enhance its credibility. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe dispute highlights the connection between finance and various drivers of climate change, such as deforestation. Two-thirds of Amazon deforestation results from conversion to pasture for livestock, according to the Brazilian government. In 2020, it created the JBS Fund For the Amazon. In the three years since inception, the JBS Fund for The Amazon has provided $15 million to 20 projects, according to its website.

Persons: ”, JBS, Elon Musk, Carlos Nobre, Liège Correia, Andrea Azevedo, “, ” Azevedo, Azevedo, Glenn Hurowitz, it's Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange, U.S, Democrats, Republicans, SEC, NYSE, Associated Press, Brazil’s Agencia Publica, JBS S.A, JBS Fund, The, Forest Peoples Connection, Elon, SpaceX, Good Food Institute, United Nations, JBS, AP Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Rondonia, pirarucu, U.S, Dubai, AP.org

☆ Malaysia’s last tigers: Why this rare image is giving conservationists hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“This image is the last image of the Malayan tiger — or it’s the first image of the return of the Malayan tiger,” he says. ‘A million-dollar shot’Regular camera traps — like the hundreds already used by the park’s scientists, researchers and conservationists — are typically the size of a large smartphone and activated by broad-range motion sensors. Rondeau's high-resolution camera traps included a DSLR camera in a waterproof casing. Emmanuel Rondeau, wildlife photographerBut there’s still more work to be done. As a keystone species, tigers are essential to a healthy ecosystem – and without them, the 130-million-year-old rainforests around the Belum-Temengor complex could be threatened, too.

Persons: CNN — Emmanuel Rondeau, “, ”, Rondeau, ” Rondeau, ‘, —, I’m, ” Rondeau didn’t, ‘ I’m, Carol Debra, Azlan Mohamed, Mohamed, Debra, Emmanuel Rondeau, Stuart Chapman, Chapman, ” Stuart Chapman, Merapi Mat Razi, there’s Organizations: CNN, WWF, Peninsular Malaysia, Malayan, Malaysia, Malaysia WWF, Malaysia —, country’s, “ Tigers, US, Malayan Tiger Conservation, Tiger, WWF’s Tigers, Initiative, Tigers, WWF – Malaysia, Royal, United Nations, Conservation Task Force, Bureau Locations: Asia, Siberia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Peninsular, Southeast Asia, Belum, Asli, “, Royal Belum, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Park

☆ Norway poised to open vast ocean area to controversial deep-sea mining
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Activists take part at a "Look Down action" rally to stop deep sea mining outside the European Parliament in Brussels on March 6, 2023. In a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, lawmakers in the northern European country are expected to approve the government's proposal to open Norwegian waters for commercial-scale deep-sea mining. Critics say deep-sea mining is "extremely destructive," while scientists warn the full environmental impacts are hard to predict. Ocean Rebellions protest The Deep Sea Says No Why the deep sea? (Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Persons: Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD, KENZO TRIBOUILLARD, Kenzo Tribouillard, What's, Luciana, Charles M Organizations: Getty, Afp, Environmental Justice Foundation, European Commission, SOUTH Locations: Brussels, AFP, Norway, Svalbard, ROTTERDAM, SOUTH HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS

☆ Period poverty: How air pollution in Kenya could make periods heavier, more painful and more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Elizabeth Wells | Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Studies have linked air pollution to an increased risk of endometriosis , a condition that causes tissue like what lines the womb to grow outside of the uterus. Compared with Kenya, women can more easily access anti-inflammatory drugs and birth control commonly used to manage painful periods. She believes that the new research on air pollution should be a major concern for the millions of women struggling to manage their periods in Nairobi. Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba is calling for more research on the link between air pollution and women's reproductive health. Now, she tells CNN, targeted government intervention is needed to address the possible effects of air pollution on menstrual cycles.

Persons: Alice Shikuku, Shikuku, Mercy, Audrey Gaskins, we've, Gaskins, Oscar Lee, Lee, Emmie Erondanga, Miss Koch, Erondanga, Wanjiru Kepha, Kepha, Wanjiru, Damaris Atieno, Atieno, Sen, Gloria Orwoba, Orwoba, William Ruto's, she's, I'm Organizations: CNN, US Agency for International Development, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, China Medical University, World Health Organization, Miss, Huru International, Kenya, Kenyan, William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Korogocho, United States, Taiwan, Taichung, Shikuku's, Dandora, Miss Koch Kenya, Mukuru, Miss, Wanjiru Kepha

☆ Large Farmers Received Millions in Insurance Subsidies, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The federal government provided millions of dollars in subsidies to large farmers to pay for much of the cost of their crop insurance policies last year, according to a Government Accountability Office report set to be released on Monday. The federal crop insurance program is intended to encourage farmers to protect their crops against natural disasters, extreme weather and other destructive events by purchasing private insurance that is heavily subsidized with taxpayer dollars. Under the program, farmers can buy insurance policies to help cover financial losses from crop price declines and poor yields resulting from natural disasters. The cost of the federal crop insurance program ballooned last year, reaching $17.3 billion in 2022, according to Agriculture Department data. In 2021, the program cost the federal government roughly $9.4 billion, according to Agriculture Department data.

Organizations: Agriculture Department

☆ French police arrest yoga guru in connection with alleged rape, human trafficking and kidnapping scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Maya Szaniecki | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Paris CNN —French police this week arrested yoga guru Gregorian Bivolaru and 41 others on accusations of kidnap, rape and human trafficking. Alleged victims were drawn in with promises of a spiritual awakening, only to be indoctrinated and mentally manipulated into sexual relations with 71-year-old Bivolaru, a judicial source said. Then, the alleged victims said they would be mentally manipulated into accepting “sexual relations designed to suppress any notion of consent regarding sexual relations,” the judicial source said. The judicial source said the alleged victims were told that consent was a reflection of the ego preventing them from reaching a state of spiritual awakening. Twenty-six alleged victims were found living in cramped and unhygienic conditions, the judicial source said.

Persons: Gregorian, Bivolaru –, Bivolaru, MISA, ”, –, “, ’, ” MISA, Interpol’s ‘, Maya Szaniecki, Sophie Tanno Organizations: Paris CNN —, Interpol, for, International Federation of Yoga, CNN, Atman Federation, MISA Yoga, AFP, Rights League –, Central Office, OCRVP, Bivolaru Locations: Paris, France, Romania, French, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Finland, London

☆ From trauma to rainbows; Israel festival survivors heal in Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILIOU, Cyprus Dec 1 (Reuters) - Deep within the lush mountainous forests of Cyprus, survivors of the Oct. 7 music festival bloodbath in Israel practice yoga, paint and meditate as they try to come to grips with the trauma. Israeli businessman Yoni Kahana, who operates the retreat on the east Mediterranean island, is hosting survivors free of charge. Aided by an Israeli NGO, IsraAID, the Secret Forest retreat in the mountains above Paphos in western Cyprus has a steady rotation of festival survivors seeking solace. He said more than 1,800 Israelis had signed up to a programme which includes yoga, therapy sessions, hiking and meditation overseen by up to 20 volunteer therapists. Many trauma survivors turn to art in an attempt to externalise their feelings, painting with red, white and black, the colours of trauma, before adding rays of sun, a rainbow, or a flower, said therapist Lilach Galkin.

Persons: Matan Madar, Dor, Neta Cohen, Yoni Kahana, Rahamim, Lilach Galkin, Hope, I've, Michele Kambas, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Hamas, Thomson Locations: MILIOU, Cyprus, Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Paphos

☆ Exclusive: World's top MDBs to launch debt-for-nature swap 'task force' - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The task force creation is the most significant step so far in showing that the global club of multilateral lenders, which between them have trillions of dollars worth of firepower, will significantly ramp up their support for these deals. Four sources involved in the plans, which are expected to be announced at the COP summit's 'finance day' on Monday, say the group will formally be called the "Task Force on Sustainability-linked Sovereign Financing for Nature and Climate". It will initially be chaired by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and U.S. government's Development Finance Institution (DFC), said three of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Both lenders have been involved in all the recent swaps which have also included Barbados and Gabon. At their simplest, the swaps work by buying up a country's bonds, often at a discount, and then replacing them with cheaper eco-labelled ones that come with the special MDB guarantees.

Persons: Chico Mendes, Amanda Perobelli, MDBs, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: Chico, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, Institute for, Environment, Resources, REUTERS, Reuters, Force, Sustainability, Nature, Inter, American Development Bank, government's Development Finance, World Bank, European Investment Bank, Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, ADB, Infrastructure Development Bank, Reuters Graphics, Conservancy, Thomson Locations: Pocone, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Belize, Barbados, Gabon, Beijing, U.S, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Ecuador

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Lawyer Isabel Lazo’s jobs are being systematically canceled by Nicaragua’s increasingly repressive government. Lazo worked at a university before the government of President Daniel Ortega closed it. The couple lives in the northern city of Somoto, where Isabel Lazo now works for a European-backed NGO. Lazo said Thursday she is worried that it's only a matter of time for the group where she now works. She has wanted to emigrate for some time, but she helps her family by giving them some of what little money she earns.

Persons: Isabel Lazo’s, Nicaragua’s, Lazo, Daniel Ortega, Elizabeth Zechmeister, Guillermo Lazo, Ortega, Isabel Lazo, ”, ” Lazo, Rosemary Miranda, Miranda, ” Miranda Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Democracy, University of Northern, Roman Catholic, Nicaraguan, Cross, Jesuit, University of Central Locations: MEXICO, “, Americas, University of Northern Nicaragua, Somoto, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nicaraguan, University of Central America, Managua

As of Wednesday, Israel had released 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and Hamas had released 81 hostages. Under Israeli law, children as young as 12 can be imprisoned for up to six months. Salman was one of the prisoners released on Friday, after serving almost eight of those nine years. Israeli military police guard the entrance to Ofer Israeli military prison, as Palestinian prisoners arrive from another Israeli prison, as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, on November 24. According to a report by Save the Children earlier this year, between an estimated 500 and 1,000 children are held in Israeli military detention each year.

Persons: CNN — Fatima Shahin, Israel, Shahin, hadn’t, ” Shahin, “, It’s, ”, isn’t, Ofer, Ammar Awad, B’Tselem, Khader Adnan, ” Adnan, Malak Salman, Salman, ” Fatima Salman, Malak’s, Itamar Ben Gvir, Ben Gvir, Ilia Yefimovich Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces ’ International Law Department, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, Israel Prison Service, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Reuters, Geneva Convention, Islamic Jihad, UN, Palestinian, Israel Prison, Israeli National Security, Israel Police Locations: Bethlehem, Israel, Territories, Ramallah, Israeli, Jerusalem, Gaza

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the biggest cause of climate change. "We have a world which has more fossil fuels than ever," said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute, a climate NGO. U.S. officials and others are hopeful a recent climate deal between the U.S. and China may also set a positive tone for the talks. Another test is whether wealthy nations announce money for the fund at COP28 - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. "Speaking from previous experience, unfortunately most of the global agreements, most of the global climate related pledges went uncompleted," said Najib Ahmed, National Consultant at Somalia's Climate Ministry.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, ADNOC, Ani Dasgupta, Narendra Modi, Britain's King Charles, Joe Biden, Gayane, Najib Ahmed, Valerie Volcovici, Josie Kao Organizations: OPEC, United Nations, International Energy Agency, BBC, World Resources Institute, Indian, European Union, Reuters, U.S, FINANCE, EU, Climate Ministry, “, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, Dubai, UAE, U.S, China, India

Search resuls for: "NGO"

25 mentions found