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☆ Family concerned about whereabouts of Whelan, American jailed in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The brother of Paul Whelan, an American jailed in Russia, said on Tuesday his family is concerned about his whereabouts after not hearing from him for days and unclear messages from the prison staff that he was moved to the prison hospital. David Whelan, the brother of Paul, said that the family does not definitely know where Paul is. David Whelan added that when transferred to the prison's hospital in the past, Paul had always mentioned the move in his phone calls. David Whelan said in an emailed statement, adding that Paul appeared healthy and well to the diplomats. David Whelan said that the family has not been in contact with the White House, just with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and the State Department.

☆ U.S. deeply concerned about Whelan, American jailed in Russia -White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States is "deeply concerned" about detained American Paul Whelan in Russia, and has not been able to get information from Moscow on his whereabouts or condition, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. U.S. diplomats in Moscow were working to get details on what was going on with Whelan, Kirby said. "But yes, we are deeply concerned about the lack of information and the lack of contact from Paul," he added. It's highly unusual," David Whelan said. When transferred to the prison's hospital in the past, his brother had always mentioned the move in his phone calls, David Whelan said.

☆ With balloons and contact cards, first Israel-Qatar flight heads to World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Amir Cohen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Football fans queue before boarding the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Qatar for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel November 20, 2022. "There were a few concerns, I cannot deny that," said Sagi Ashkevitz, who was flying out with three friends to his second World Cup. Those boarding the TUS Airways plane at Ben Gurion Airport had originally been told they would have a brief stopover in Cyprus. Six more Tel Aviv-Doha flights for the World Cup have been approved so far, Mizrahi said. Riad Ziadna, a member of Israel's Arab minority who held a soccer ball as he stood in the check-in line, said he believed the World Cup would be "the starter's pistol for coexistence all over the Middle East".

☆ U.S. Vows to Tackle Visa Delays as Frustrations Mount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The State Department is trying to hire more consular staff and expects to fill all open posts by next fall, an official said. WASHINGTON—A top State Department official pledged Thursday that wait times for tourist, student and work visas would shorten significantly in the next year as the department ramps up processing to meet crushing demand for entry to the U.S. The State Department has been struggling to keep up with visas since 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closing of U.S. consulates around the world, bringing the application process for entry into the country temporarily to a halt. Two and a half years later, some consulates are still offering only emergency appointments.

☆ Israel cautions citizens at Qatar World Cup, sends low-key consuls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Israel has asked its citizens attending the World Cup to exercise caution while in Qatar, the Arab host country which does not formally recognise it but admitted a team of its diplomats to Doha to provide assistance. read moreIn another measure of new normalcy between the countries, the Israelis coming for the World Cup have been given temporary visas, an Israeli diplomat said on Thursday. Qatar says official normalisation of ties in not in the works, however. Though alcohol is being permitted in select World Cup venues, a public service announcement issued by Israel's Foreign Ministry counselled avoiding drink altogether. "In court, the judge doesn't have VAR," the narrator says, in a play on the "video assistant referee" that facilitates soccer calls.

☆ Tuvalu turns to the metaverse as rising seas threaten existence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Tuvalu said on Tuesday it plans to build a digital version of itself, replicating islands and landmarks and preserving its history and culture as rising sea levels threaten to submerge the tiny Pacific island nation. Kofe grabbed global attention at last year’s COP26 when he addressed the conference standing knee-deep in the sea to illustrate how Tuvalu is on the front line of climate change. Tuvalu was having to act because countries globally were not doing enough to prevent climate change, he said. Tuvalu, a group of nine islands and 12,000 people halfway between Australia and Hawaii, has long been a cause celebre for the risks of climate change and rising sea levels. Kofe said he hoped the creation of a digital nation would allow Tuvalu to continue to function as a state even if it becomes completely submerged.

The meeting takes place as both countries work to improve relations overshadowed by disputes over trade, Taiwan, human rights and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. China is Australia’s biggest trading partner, accounting for up to a third of its roughly A$475 billion ($303 billion) of annual exports. Australia's relations with China began to sour in 2017 when Australia introduced laws to deal with what it said was Chinese interference in Australian politics. Two Australian journalists, Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, are in jail in China awaiting sentences after closed-door national security trials. Albanese said China acknowledged that Australia had raised the issue of the imprisoned journalists but he gave no further details.

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he discussed trade, consular and human rights issues in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit on Tuesday, the first meeting between leaders of the two countries since 2016. The meeting takes place as both countries work to improve relations overshadowed by disputes over trade, Taiwan, human rights and the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. "Australia seeks a stable relationship with China. Two Australian journalists, Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, are also in jail in China awaiting sentences after closed-door national security trials. Albanese said China acknowledged that Australia had raised the issue of the imprisoned journalists, but he gave no further details.

☆ Egyptian-British hunger striker's family say they received 'proof of life' letter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The sister of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah said on Monday the family had received a letter from prison that served as "proof of life" from the hunger striker. Since then his family and his lawyer had made repeated trips to the prison where he is detained northwest of Cairo, but had received no news on his condition. Since he obtained British citizenship in December, British officials have sought unsuccessfully to secure consular access to Abd el-Fattah. Abd el-Fattah's lawyer Khaled Ali said he was at the prison along with his mother Laila Soueif, and was waiting for prison authorities to allow him to visit. Egypt's public prosecutor said on Thursday Abd el-Fattah was in good health, after the family said they were informed that medical intervention had been carried out to maintain his health.

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

CNN —FIFA announced on Thursday that shared flights have been organized to permit Israeli and Palestinian fans into Qatar to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The temporary direct charter flights between Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, represent the only official direct flights between the two nations. READ: Qatar World Cup ‘is a mistake,’ says former FIFA President Sepp BlatterThe Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Ushpiz, said: “Today’s announcement will allow Israeli citizens to freely travel to Qatar and attend matches at the World Cup. We have always said that anyone with a World Cup match ticket will be allowed to enter Qatar. Because of this agreement, Palestinians will now be able to enjoy the first World Cup in the Arab and Muslim world.”The 2022 FIFA World Cup runs from November 20 through December 18.

☆ Egyptian authorities intervene in prisoner's hunger strike, family says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Abd el-Fattah's sister Mona Seif said Ali was negotiating access at the prison. Abd el-Fattah's hunger strike has loomed over the U.N. talks, with another sister, Sanaa Seif, flying in to campaign for his release, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raising the issue with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Without water, Abd el-Fattah's health could rapidly deteriorate and the United Nation's rights agency has expressed concern for his life. They said previously that Abd el-Fattah was being given meals. He is on hunger strike against his detention and prison conditions.

Abd El-Fattah was found guilty of spreading false information for sharing a Facebook post, a charge frequently used against activists and those of suspected of dissent. Abd El-Fattah has been on a hunger strike for more than 200 days and on Sunday stopped drinking water. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday said that he had raised the case of Abd El-Fattah while attending COP27. In January, Egyptian-Palestinian activist Ramy Shaath was freed following more than 900 days in detention after he renounced his Egyptian nationality. The only explanation his supporters have, Bahgat said, is that Abd El-Fattah was “one of the most prominent and influential voices” of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Three Americans were found dead at an Airbnb they rented out in Mexico City for a trip to celebrate the Day of the Dead, authorities and family said Wednesday. When authorities arrived, they found all three of the Airbnb guests dead, WAVY reported. The State Department confirmed the deaths of three Americans in Mexico in a statement sent to NBC News on Wednesday morning. Ceola Hall, Courtez Hall's mother, told NBC affiliate WDSU of New Orleans that her son was a teacher at the city's KIPP Morial School. Describing her son as a "joyous child," she said: "He loved me, he loved his family.

An American aid worker, Stephen Edward Troell, has been shot dead in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the U.S. government announced Tuesday. Fatal attacks on foreign nationals have become relatively rare in Baghdad since the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq in 2017. According to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Troell had lived in Baghdad for two years and taught English. “Whoever wants to test the government on the issue of security is a failed test, security is a red line,” he said in a press conference. The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sympathy to the “family of the American citizen in the incident,” and pledged that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

☆ Levi Davis: Rugby player missing in Spain for over a week, former team says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Former rugby player Levi Davis has been reported missing for over a week, his former club said in an appeal for any information pertaining to his whereabouts. Bath Rugby Club issued an appeal Sunday for information about Davis, who they say was last seen in a pub in Barcelona, Spain, on October 29, 2022, on its Twitter account. The appeal described Davis as 5-foot-9 (176cm) and said that anyone with information could email findlevidavis@gmail.com. “If anyone has seen or heard from Levi Davis in the last two weeks could you please drop me a message asap. In a statement sent to CNN, the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “providing consular support to the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain.”

☆ Jailed British-Egyptian activist escalates hunger strike by refusing water as COP27 gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — Jailed British-Egyptian citizen Alaa Abdel-Fattah stepped up his hunger strike by refusing water, ratcheting up fears for the life of one of the country's leading rights activists just as world leaders arrive in Egypt for the start of the COP27 climate summit. Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard said Sunday that authorities had less than three days to save Abdel-Fattah's life, warning that failure to intervene would overshadow the U.N.'s flagship climate conference. The 40-year-old has stopped drinking water in a desperate attempt to pressure Egyptian authorities to allow him U.K. consular access. The escalation of Abdel-Fattah's hunger strike has prompted grave concerns for the prominent human rights activist and writer, who had consumed just 100 calories a day for more than 200 days. Egypt is hosting the COP27 climate summit in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh through to Nov. 18.

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☆ Fact Check-The Earth is not covered by a dome or ‘firmament’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Users on social media are saying people on Earth are living under a dome, also called a “firmament,” without providing evidence to support the claim. But the video’s examples offer no proof of humans living under a dome or firmament, while there is ample evidence that no dome exists. “Rocket hitting the flat earth dome”, reads the title of one of the YouTube clips. SIXTY YEARS OF SPACEFLIGHTExperts pointed out that if there were a dome that covered the Earth, astronauts would have encountered it by now. A video provides no evidence that the Earth is under a dome or “firmament”.

☆ University of Kentucky student among at least 153 dead in Seoul crowd crush
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A University of Kentucky student is among at least 153 people, and one of two Americans, who died in a crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea this weekend, the school announced Sunday afternoon. Anne Gieske, a third-year nursing student from northern Kentucky, was among the victims who perished in the crowd crush, the university's President, Eli Capilouto, announced to the school on Sunday. Gieske was from northern Kentucky, and was studying abroad in South Korea this semester, Capilouto said. Two other University of Kentucky students and a faculty member who are also abroad in South Korea are safe, the president wrote. Capilouto said school officials "have been in contact with Anne’s family and will provide whatever support we can — now and in the days ahead — as they cope with this indescribable loss."

SEOUL, South Korea — As morning arrived in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood, quiet prevailed at the scene of the tragedy where at least 153 people died on what should have been a night of Halloween revelry. What we know about the deadly incident in Seoul At least 153 people were killed and 103 injured, officials said. While Halloween is not a traditional holiday in South Korea, Itaewon is known for its costume parties at bars and clubs, which have soared in popularity in recent years. The last major tragedy in South Korea also hit young people. Stella Kim and Thomas Maresca reported from South Korea.

☆ Spanish soccer fan walking to Qatar World Cup missing in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Spanish man, Santiago Sanchez, walks in Iraq's Kurdistan region towards Qatar, where he aims to attend the 2022 World Cup, near Zakho, Iraq August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauMADRID, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A 41-year-old Spanish soccer fan who set out to walk to Qatar to attend the World Cup in November has gone missing in Iran, where unrest has erupted in the past few weeks, Spain's foreign ministry has confirmed. Spain's Foreign Ministry confirmed Sanchez was in Iran and its embassy in Tehran was urgently seeking information on his whereabouts to provide him with consular assistance. He has already been to Iran, it's a hospitable country... but this time it was a delicate moment." He told Reuters in Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan last month that he hoped he might meet the Spanish team and inspire them to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

☆ Pair gets life in prison for killing U.S. consulate worker, 2 others after mistaking them for members of rival gang
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

EL PASO, Texas — Two gunmen with the Barrio Azteca gang were sentenced to life imprisonment Monday for killing a U.S. consulate worker, her husband and the husband of another consulate worker in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, officials said. The pair had been found guilty by a federal jury in February of the fatal March 2010 shootings of consulate worker Lesley Enriquez, her husband Arthur Redelfs, an El Paso County jailer, and Jorge Salcido Ceniceros. Both were sentenced Monday in El Paso, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement. Jesus Alcazar / AFP via Getty Images fileThe victims were returning home from a children’s birthday party when they were mistakenly targeted and killed. The drug routes through Juarez, which is situated across the border from El Paso, are important to drug trafficking organizations because it is a principal illicit drug trafficking route into the United States, federal officials said.

REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/File PhotoMOSCOW, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner "does not expect miracles" at her appeal hearing on Tuesday against a nine-year Russian jail term for having cannabis oil in her luggage, her lawyers said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"She is very nervous waiting for the appeal hearing. Brittney does not expect any miracles to happen but hopes that the appeal court will hear the arguments of the defense and reduce the term," they said. Griner pleaded guilty at her trial but said she had made an "honest mistake" and not meant to break the law. Washington says Griner was wrongfully detained and has offered to exchange her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

☆ Protester says he was ‘kicked and punched’ at Chinese consulate in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

It is the latest diplomatic spat between Britain and China, whose relationship has soured in recent years. Bob Chan, who is aged in his 30s and originally from Hong Kong, said the attack started when masked men came out of the consulate to take away banners from peaceful protesters. I held on to the gate where I was kicked and punched,” he told reporters. He said that a protester had grabbed a member of staff during a scuffle and refused to let go. Points of contention include a British program allowing almost three million people in Hong Kong to apply for visas.

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