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☆ Deportation drive sparks 'sense of panic' among Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Pakistan says documented refugees are exempt, but the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said even those with the right documents were being targeted. She reiterated that the return of Afghans should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection. Pakistan says harassment of documented refugees is rare and it is taking action against perpetrators. "With over six million people already internally displaced throughout the country, Afghans returning from Pakistan face a precarious, uncertain future," IOM said.

Persons: Philippa Candler, Philippa Candler's, Gibran Peshimam, Akhtar Soomro, Nick Macfie Organizations: National Database, Commission, Refugees, Organization for Migration, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, KARACHI, Islamabad, Kabul, Geneva, Afghanistan, U.S

☆ Red Cross President Meets With Hamas Leader in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - The International Red Cross president travelled to Qatar on Monday to meet with the leader of Palestinian group Hamas to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the group's conflict with Israel, the Geneva-based body said in a statement. President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Ismail Haniyeh, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, and also met separately with Qatari authorities which are acting as mediators in the conflict. The ICRC, a neutral intermediary which is providing aid to Gaza and has helped escort hostages and patients from the enclave, said that the meeting was part of discussions with all sides to the conflict to improve respect for international humanitarian law. It added that it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas during their deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Mirjana Spoljaric, Ismail Haniyeh, Cross, Emma Farge, Sandra Maler Organizations: Red Cross, Hamas, International Committee, ICRC Locations: GENEVA, Qatar, Israel, Geneva, Gaza

☆ Red Cross president meets with Hamas leader in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The International Red Cross president travelled to Qatar on Monday to meet with the leader of Palestinian group Hamas to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the group's conflict with Israel, the Geneva-based body said in a statement. President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Ismail Haniyeh, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, and also met separately with Qatari authorities which are acting as mediators in the conflict. The ICRC, a neutral intermediary which is providing aid to Gaza and has helped escort hostages and patients from the enclave, said that the meeting was part of discussions with all sides to the conflict to improve respect for international humanitarian law. It added that it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas during their deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7. Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mirjana Spoljaric, Ismail Haniyeh, Cross, Emma Farge, Sandra Maler Organizations: Red Cross, Hamas, International Committee, ICRC, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Qatar, Israel, Geneva, Gaza

MADRID (AP) — The latest international break is proving costly for several European clubs, including Spanish powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid. Both teams will be depleted by the injury absences of important players affected by the “FIFA virus” while on duty with their national teams. Media in Spain and other countries refer to injuries sustained on international duty as the “FIFA virus.” And the injury to Gavi is another example. Camavinga started all four of Madrid’s Champions League games and appeared in all 13 of its Spanish league matches this season. FIFA approved its insurance program for clubs when Bayern Munich official Karl-Heinz Rummenigge complained after Arjen Robben got injured with the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Persons: Vinícius Júnior, Eduardo Camavinga, Gavi, Erling Haaland's, Germain wasn't, Warren Zaïre, Emery, André Onana, Alessandro Bastoni, ”, Ferran Torres, Luis de la Fuente, De la Fuente, “, la Fuente, Xavi, Vinícius, Carlo Ancelotti, Camavinga, Mikel Oyarzabal —, Victor Osimhen hasn’t, Karl, Heinz Rummenigge, Arjen Robben, Graham Dunbar, ___ Organizations: MADRID, Spanish, Barcelona, Real Madrid, FIFA, European, Georgia, Premier League, Manchester City, Paris Saint, . Manchester United, Inter Milan, Media, Marca, Cyprus, Champions League, Madrid, French national, Madrid’s Champions League, Real Sociedad, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Club Protection, AP Sports Locations: Madrid, Brazil, France, Barcelona, Spain, Norway, Paris, Gibraltar, Italy, Gavi, Spanish, Colombia, Nigeria, Howden, Qatar, Netherlands, South Africa, Geneva

☆ Russia hasn't done a single prisoner-of-war exchange in months: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia hasn't done a single prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine in months, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said. AdvertisementRussia has not done a single prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine since early August, Petro Yatsenko, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said. Yatsenko said in the November 17 interview that Ukrainian prisoners held captive by Russia are facing "significantly worse" conditions under detention than Russian prisoners face in Ukrainian captivity. AdvertisementHe also suggested that Russia's treatment of captured Ukrainian soldiers falls short of the conditions outlined in the Geneva Conventions. Yatsenko went on to say that Russia is "not interested in the fate of their own prisoners of war.

Persons: Russia hasn't, Yatsenko, —, Petro Yatsenko Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, Times, Institute for Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Geneva

Some current and former officials and staffers said it’s the public nature of some of the challenges from federal employees that is unusual. The State Department has an honored tradition of allowing formal, structured statements of dissent to U.S. policy. It was done,'' said Thomas Shannon, a retired career foreign service officer who served in senior positions at the State Department. State Department officials say several expressions of dissent have made their way through the formal channels to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. One State Department official, 11-year veteran Josh Paul, quit late last month to protest the administration's rush to provide arms to Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “, ”, we’ve, Richard Nixon’s, George W, Bush, Obama, Thomas Shannon, Shannon, Trump, Sean Spicer, Donald Trump’s, I’m, ” Shannon, Antony Blinken, Josh Paul, Blinken, Matthew Miller, shirk, there's, Jamey Keaten, Matthew Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, State Department, NASA, Hamas, Congressional, Capitol, Gaza, Israeli, Biden’s Democratic Party, The Associated Press, NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Census, U.S . Agency for International Development, Department of Defense, Palestinian Health Ministry, The State Department, U.S ., Trump, Biden, Department, White, State, USAID, Washington Post, Foreign, Muslim, Associated Press, AP Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, U.S, Cambodia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Geneva

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani attends a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (not pictured) at the Amiri Diwan, in Doha, Qatar November 5, 2023. It followed a report in the Washington Post published on Saturday that said a deal for the release of 50 hostages had been agreed. "The challenges facing the agreement are just practical and logistical," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at a joint press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Doha. "The deal is going through ups and downs from time to time throughout the last few weeks. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said no deal had been reached yet.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Catherine Colonna, Amiri, Imad Creidi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Josep Borrell, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohammed, Andrew Gray, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Emelia Sithole, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Qatar's, French, REUTERS, Rights DOHA, Hamas, Washington Post, White House, Reuters, Qatari, European Union, Washington, Thomson Locations: Doha, Qatar, Palestinian, Israel, United States, Gaza

☆ Five countries ask International Criminal Court to investigate the situation in Palestinian territories
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor Karim Khan says his office has received a referral from five countries to investigate whether crimes have been committed in the Palestinian territories as part of Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. He noted that his office was already conducting an investigation on the situation in the Palestinian territories over possible crimes committed since June 2014 in Gaza and the West Bank. A UN report said last month said it was collecting evidence of war crimes in the wake of the Hamas attack. Earlier this month, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the October 7 attacks “atrocities”, saying they – and the holding of hostages – were war crimes. That has not stopped the court from investigating its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Persons: Karim Khan, Khan, ” Khan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Volker Türk, –, Israel, “ We’re, ”, Bensouda, … Organizations: CNN, Criminal, West Bank, State Party, Palestinian Ministry of Health, United Nations, UN, Israeli, Human Rights, South Africa’s Department of International Relations, Cooperation, Humanitarian, Geneva Conventions, NBC, ICC Locations: South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, Rome, Palestinian, Gaza, States, Israel, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, Geneva

☆ Economics and nature square off in Dubai Airshow jet engine rift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The head of the world's largest international carrier was speaking in the midst of negotiations to buy dozens of Airbus A350-1000 jets powered by Rolls-Royce's XWB-97 engine, which have foundered for now over maintenance and pricing issues. I happen to be a service," Emirates President Tim Clark told reporters this week. INSURANCE-TYPE DEALSWhile the visible face of engine makers is technology, the way they generate much of their income resembles insurance. Rather than charge for repairs as they arise, engine makers increasingly strike long-term deals priced by the flight hour, agreeing to swallow the cost of planned and unexpected outages. To engine makers it means generating cash as soon as the engine enters service rather than waiting for shop visits.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Tim Clark, Royce's, Larry Culp, Tufan Erginbilgic, Royce, Clark, Rolls, Nick Cunningham, Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell, Pesha Magid, Sarah Young, Rajesh Kumar Singh, David Evans Organizations: Boeing, Emirates, Cointrin Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Airlines, Royce, Airbus, GE Aerospace, Reuters, GE, Agency Partners, Thomson Locations: Cointrin, Geneva, Switzerland, Rights DUBAI, Dubai, India, Gulf

☆ WHO voices concern over spread of disease in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are extremely concerned about the spread of disease when the winter season arrives," said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. WHO has previously warned of "worrying trends" in the spread of disease in Gaza, where bombardments and a ground offensive have disrupted the health system, access to clean water and caused people to crowd into shelters. The start of the rainy season and the possibility of flooding has also increased fears that the densely populated enclave's sewage system will be overwhelmed and disease will spread. The absence of fuel already has forced the shutdown of sewage pumping stations and desalination plants, increasing the risk of water contamination and the outbreak of disease. "Overcrowding is leading to the spread of disease, including acute respiratory illness and diarrhea, raising environmental and health concerns," OCHA warned.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Richard Peeperkorn, OCHA, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Madeline Chambers, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, World Health Organization, WHO, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian

☆ Have war crimes been committed in Israel and Gaza and what laws govern the conflict?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

But since these provisions are considered a norm of customary international law, they are nonetheless binding on all states. Is there evidence of war crimes in the fighting between Hamas and Israel? The report said Israel may be committing the war crime of collective punishment, after officials ordered the “complete siege” of Gaza. However, ethnic cleansing still lacks a precise legal definition, and it is not recognized as an independent crime under international law. The ICC is an international court established to investigate individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes, such as war crimes.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, ”, –, Volker Türk, …, ” Michael Schmitt, Ghazi Hamad, ” Adil Haque, Schmitt, Mohammed Abed, Aurel Sari, “, Sari, Brian Cox, Ali Jadallah, Cordula Droege, ” Schmitt, Ibrahim Biari, Russia –, Bensouda, Karim Khan Organizations: CNN, Hamas, UN, Criminal Court, ICC, Human Rights, Nova, Aris Messinis, University of Reading, Rutgers University, IHL, US Air Force, Getty, University of Exeter, Ministry, Cornell University, Civilian, International Committee, West Bank Locations: Geneva, Israel, Palestine, State, Rome, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israeli, AFP, United Kingdom, Lebanese, United States, ” Israel, Anadolu, Gaza City, NATO, The Hague, China, Russia, Palestinian, East Jerusalem

☆ France calls West Bank Israeli settler violence 'policy of terror'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Israeli army vehicle operates during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - France on Thursday condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, calling it a "policy of terror" aimed at displacing Palestinians and urging Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians from the violence. Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, Turk said he was deeply concerned about the intensification of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. But just in the three weeks since the Oct 7 attack, more than 120 West Bank Palestinians have been killed. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and it has been under military occupation since, while Israeli settlements have consistently expanded.

Persons: Raneen, Anne, Claire Legendre, Volker Turk, Turk, Israel, France's Legendre, France, John Irish, Bernadette Baum, Angus MacSwan Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Bank, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Jenin, France, Israel, Gaza, Geneva, East Jerusalem, Palestinian

LONDON (AP) — One year after Qatar hosted the men’s World Cup, the gas-rich emirate and soccer governing body FIFA were urged Thursday by human rights group Amnesty International to do more for migrant workers who were essential to prepare the tournament and still face labor abuses. FIFA, under a different leadership, is now embarked on a similar journey toward Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034. “Qatar’s continued failure to properly enforce or strengthen its pre-World Cup labor reforms puts any potential legacy for workers in serious peril,” Amnesty said. A key point for activists and some FIFA member federations has been compensating the families of workers in Qatar who were injured or died. Weeks before the World Cup started, FIFA’s top lawyer had said it was open to helping create a compensation fund.

Persons: ”, Steve Cockburn, “ Qatar’s, “, Weeks, Michael Llamas Organizations: —, Qatar, FIFA, Amnesty, Progress, “ Qatar, United Nations, International Labor Organization, Labor, ” Amnesty, InBev, Budweiser, ” FIFA, “, ILO, Ministry of Labor Locations: Qatar, United States, Saudi Arabia, Gibraltar, “, Geneva

The conflict falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two, much of it aimed at protecting civilians. Even if states say they are acting in self-defence, international rules regarding armed conflict apply to all participants in a war. Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged from the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all United Nations member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals. Treaties govern the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the "Law of Armed Conflict" or "International Humanitarian Law". Under the laws of armed conflict, combatants include members of state armed forces, military and volunteer forces and non-state armed groups.

Persons: Gaza's, Al, Carolyn Edgerton, Edgerton, Israel, Karim Khan, Khan, Crispian Balmer, Emma Farge, Janet Lawrence Organizations: HAGUE, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, CAN, World Health Organization, Geneva Convention, GENEVA, Criminal, Criminal Court, ICC, Thomson Locations: Israel, Geneva, Gaza, Al Shifa, Gaza City, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Canadian, Yugoslavia, The Hague, Palestinian Territories, Rome, Jerusalem

☆ Opinion | Hostages Must Be at the Center of Every Conversation About This War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Moshe Emilio Lavi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But for my family, there will be no end to this pain and no peace until the 240 hostages that Hamas kidnapped are rescued. Omri, Lishay, Roni and Alma are not political pawns; they are human beings who deserve to be reunited as a family. But amid the chaos and complexity of this conflict, the hostages must not be forgotten. Taking hostages — civilians, including babies, children, the disabled and the elderly — is a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions. Addressing the plight of hostages is not a diversion from the broader political and military issues at the heart of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Persons: Omri Miran, Roni, Alma, Oz, Omri, Lishay, ”, Lishay Lavi, Israel, pidyon shvuyim, “, Omri — Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Washington , D.C, Hamas, Sapir College Locations: Kibbutz, Gaza, London, Paris, Berlin, United States, Washington ,, Israel, Nahal Oz, Alma, Negev, Geneva, Qatar

Israel said its troops uncovered unspecified weapons and "terror infrastructure" inside the hospital compound after killing fighters in a clash outside. Once inside, they said there had been no fighting and no friction with civilians, patients or staff. Other photos showed Israeli troops in tactical formation walking past makeshift tents and mattresses. "We can confirm that incubators, baby food and medical supplies brought by IDF tanks from Israel have successfully reached the Shifa hospital. The Israeli troops dismounted and spread out in the yard, and began searching the basement and entering buildings.

Persons: Al Shifa, Israel, Dr Ahmed El Mohallalati, Martin Griffiths, Peter Lerner, Joe Biden, Thomas White, Nidal al, Maayan Lubell, James Mackenzie, Crispian Balmer, Abir Al Ahmar, Claudia Tanos, Peter Graff, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Al, Palestinian, Hamas, Military, UN, Reuters, Troops, Israel Defence Forces, United, Medical, Fourth Geneva Convention, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Israel, GAZA, Gaza's, Al, Gaza, United States, Rafah, Jerusalem, Dubai

[1/2] Evgenia Kara-Murza, wife of jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, addresses the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in Geneva, Switzerland May 17, 2023. Kara-Murza, 42, has a condition called polyneuropathy that takes away the sensation in his limbs unless controlled by medicines and exercise. His wife Evgenia Kara-Murza said exercise was now impossible for him in a cell measuring just 3 x 1.5 metres (9.8 x 4.9 feet), furnished with only a bed and a backless stool, where he has been held since September in a maximum-security penal colony in the city of Omsk. The fact that they've isolated him to the maximum of course makes me very concerned for his life," Evgenia Kara-Murza said. "The politically motivated conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza is deplorable.

Persons: Evgenia Kara, Murza, Vladimir Kara, Denis Balibouse, Kara, Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir, Mr Kara, wryly, Mark Trevelyan, Mark Heinrich, Gareth Jones Organizations: Geneva, Human Rights, Democracy, REUTERS, Britain's, Reuters, Russian, Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, Development, Liberal International, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, Moscow, Omsk, Ukraine, Russia, Britain

Two and a half weeks after sending tanks and ground troops into northern Gaza, Israeli forces entered a hospital early Wednesday that they claim Hamas operates out of. The Israeli army claims the militant group uses hospitals as cover for its fighters, and has set up its main command center in and beneath Shifa Hospital, the largest in the besieged territory. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. ISRAEL SAYS IT'S CARRYING OUT A ‘PRECISE AND TARGETED OPERATION’ INSIDE GAZA'S SHIFA HOSPITALJERUSALEM — The Israeli military says its forces have entered Gaza’s Shifa hospital, the site of a lengthy standoff.

Persons: Mohammed Zaqout, — Israel, ‘, ’, Ahmed Mhanna, ”, Jabaliya, Mhanna, NETANYAHU, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “, Fahrettin Koca, Koca, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Martin Griffiths, Meirav Eilon Shahar, “ Israel, ” Philippe Lazzarini, CAIRO —, Munir al, Boursh, ” Israel, Hamas ”, Paltel, Israel, ” Griffiths, Shifa, that’s, Jonas Gahr Støre, Espen Barth Eide, ” Barth Eide, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, ” Erdogan, Israel —, Daniel Hagari, Hamas’s, ” Hagari, KHAN YOUNIS, Mohammad al, Abdallah, National Security Itamar Ben, Gvir, Nasser, Khan Younis, Catherine Russell, Russell, ” Russell, ISRAEL Organizations: Hamas, Shifa, Shifa Hospital, Health Ministry, . Security, ASEAN, AS, Awda Hospital, Awda, PEACEMAKING GROUP GENEVA, Centre, Associated Press, Iran's, Iranian, ” UN, UNRWA, United Nations, OFFICIAL, International Committee, COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, UN OFFICIAL, Health Organization, ” FIRST, NTB, ISRAEL, TEL, Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, MINISTRY, Ministry of National Security, National Security, UNICEF, JERUSALEM Locations: Gaza, Israel, Shifa, Myanmar, Washington, israel, GAZA, CAIRO, Jabaliya, GAZA ZIKIM, Israeli, Gaza City, TURKEY ANKARA, Turkey, Egypt, Rafah, Geneva, Basque, Spain, Iranian, Iran, Palestine, ”, Territories, United States, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, GENEVA, what’s, GAZA COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Norwegian, Norway, ISRAEL ANKARA, Turkish, TEL AVIV, West Bank, Ben, Khan, SHIFA

The total of $26,000 that WHO has provided to the victims equals about 1% of the $2 million, WHO-created “survivor assistance fund” for victims of sexual misconduct, primarily in Congo. “There is nothing we can do to make up for (sexual abuse and exploitation)," Gamhewage told the AP in an interview. The WHO has also helped defray medical costs for 17 children born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse, she said. Gamhewage received $231 a day during her three-day trip to the Congolese capital Kinshasa, according to an internal travel claim. The U.N. health agency continues to struggle with holding perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation to account in Congo.

Persons: Gamhewage, didn't, Paula Donovan, “, ”, Donovan, ” Gamhewage, Alphonsine, ” Alphonsine, Melinda Gates, Denise, Krista Larson, Jamey Keaten Organizations: Health, WHO, The Associated Press, AP, Melinda Gates Foundation Locations: Congo, Gaya, Congolese, —, Beni, Kinshasa, Dakar, Senegal, Geneva

☆ Israel's foreign minister says UN chief not fit to lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister said on Tuesday that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was not fit to head the global body, saying he had not done enough to condemn militant group Hamas and was too close to Iran. "Guterres does not deserve to be the head of the United Nations," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said at a press conference in Geneva where he is meeting with the World Health Organization and International Red Cross leaders alongside the relatives of Israeli hostages. "I think that Guterres like all the free nations should say clearly and loudly: free Gaza from Hamas. Everyone said Hamas is worst than ISIS. Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Eli Cohen, Everyone, Emma Farge, Matthias Williams Organizations: United Nations, Hamas, World Health Organization, Red Cross, ISIS, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Iran, Geneva, Gaza, Hamas

☆ Hit by floods and drought, quarter of Somali people at risk of 'crisis-level' hunger - WFP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A quarter of Somalia's population is forecast to face "crisis-level hunger or worse" this year due to drought and floods caused by climate change, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. "Livelihoods and lives are at risk, 4.3 million people – a quarter of the population – are forecast to face crisis-level hunger or worse by the end of this year," said Petroc Wilton, WFP spokesperson for Somalia. "This bombardment of climate shocks, from drought to floods, will prolong the hunger crisis in Somalia. In Somalia's Dolow district, homes are abandoned and roads have turned into rivers. Farxhan Ali Abdulle, a shop owner in the town of Dolow on the border with Ethiopia, said no supplies were coming in.

Persons: Petroc Wilton, Farxhan Ali Abdulle, Feisal Omar, Timaade Hussein Abdi, Wilton, Muhidin Abdullahi, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Bhargav, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Food Programme, United Nations, REUTERS, Humanitarian Affairs, Reuters, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Somalia, East Africa, Dolow, Ethiopia, Juba, Gedo, Jubaland State, Luuq

The start of the rainy season and the possibility of flooding increased fears that the densely populated enclave's sewage system will be overwhelmed and disease will spread. At a U.N. shelter in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the rain brought dismay for displaced people who woke to find the clothes they put out to dry the night had been drenched by rain. It voiced concern on Tuesday about the prospect of rain causing flooding and overwhelming already meagre and damaged sewage facilities. Ahmed Bayram, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the start of the rainy season could mark "the most difficult week in Gaza since the (military) escalation began." Touma said just a small amount of rain could cause the streets of Gaza to flood, given the sewage system's inability to absorb water.

Persons: Khan Younis, Fayeza Srour, Karim Mreish, We've, Margaret Harris, Ahmed Bayram, Israel, Juliette Touma, We're, Touma, Cross, William Schomburg, Emma Farge, Mai Shams El, Timothy Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Norwegian Refugee Council, Communications, International Committee, ICRC, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, GENEVA, Israel, Geneva, Palestinian, Gazans

☆ U.N. observes minute's silence for 101 staff killed in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The United Nations flag flies at half-mast at the European headquarters, honouring the more than 100 employees killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began last month in Geneva, Switzerland, November 13, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - United Nations workers observed a minute's silence on Monday to honour the more than 100 employees killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began last month as U.N. flags flew at half mast. "This is the highest number of aid workers killed in the history of our organisation in such a short time," said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva. "We are gathered here today, united in this very symbolic location, to pay respect to our brave colleagues who sacrificed their lives while serving under the United Nations flag." "But the United Nations is more relevant than ever."

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Tatiana Valovaya, Israel, Valovaya, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Cécile, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie Organizations: United Nations, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.N, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Geneva, Switzerland, U.N, Palestinian, Nigeria, Abuja, United

☆ Sergio Ermotti, UBS CEO, is leading the biggest banking deal in history. Failure is not an option
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The caller was UBS (UBS) chairman Colm Kelleher. “I was definitely not expecting the phone call,” Ermotti told CNN on the sidelines of a conference in Geneva last month. UBS paid 60% less than the beaten-down value of Credit Suisse shares just before its last-ditch rescue over a weekend. Even if Credit Suisse had none of that painful baggage, the sheer size of the two banks makes the merger an enormous undertaking. “The fact that UBS was asked to be part of the solution (to Credit Suisse), that was the ultimate success,” Ermotti told CNN.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Colm Kelleher, Ermotti, ” Ermotti, Anke Reingen, Roger Federer, “, ”, Morgan Stanley, ” Kelleher, Michael Buholzer, it’s, Katrin Koch, Tom Naratil, —, Merrill Lynch, Stefan Wermuth, Oswald Gruebel, ” Christopher Wheeler, Fabrice Coffrini, … Organizations: Switzerland CNN, UBS, Credit Suisse, CNN, Bank of America, JPMorgan, HSBC, RBC Capital Markets, RBC, Ermotti’s, Banca, Citi, UBS —, Bloomberg, New York Times, Getty Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, Swiss, Zurich, Lugano, Singapore, Europe, Middle East, Africa, New York, AFP

☆ UNRWA says its Gaza fuel depot is now empty, warns of further shutdowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli military vehicles manoeuvre during the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as seen in an image released on November 13. The agency chief, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, told donors on Monday that it had been slowly emptying a fuel depot on the Israeli border containing strategic reserves. A request to the Israeli military to replenish it had gone unanswered, he said. Israel's military has so far refused imports of fuel into Gaza, saying they could be diverted to Hamas for military purposes. "So the situation is very dire now and it's about to get much worse," Lazzarini told donors.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Emma Farge, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Gazans, Israel, al

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