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☆ Group of Palestinian-Americans skip Blinken meeting over Biden admin’s support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

More than 26,000 have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and Gaza is on the brink of famine. ‘Soul-searching’One of the invitees to the roundtable, Dr. Tariq Haddad, said in an intensely personal, 12-page letter to Blinken that he initially intended to go to the meeting. “My family are subsisting on animal feed, Secretary Blinken, because of your policies,” he said. Public oppositionAnd while Blinken was quietly confronted behind closed doors about the administration’s policy toward Gaza on Thursday, members of the administration, including Blinken, have also faced public displays of opposition. “And we are working 24/7 to try to dramatically expand the flow of food, medicine, shelter – I mean, so much is needed.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe, Biden, ”, “, Tariq Haddad, ” Haddad, Haddad, –, Matt Miller, ” Miller, Samantha Power, Power, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Biden, Middle East, State Department, State, Palestinian, US Agency for International Development, USAID, Agency, USAID Missions Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States, Thursday’s, ”

☆ Israel-Hamas War U.S. to Return Yemen’s Houthi Militia to Terrorism List
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But even the lesser label of specially designated global terrorist group could jeopardize U.S. and Saudi efforts to construct a lasting peace deal to end the conflict. The conflict created a humanitarian catastrophe that Mr. Biden, as a candidate in 2020, vowed to address. Following a debate within the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group in mid-January 2021. In February 2021, less than three weeks after Mr. Biden took office, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reversed Mr. Pompeo’s designations. Asked by a reporter last week whether he considered the Houthis a terrorist group, Mr. Biden did not equivocate.

Persons: Biden, Yemen’s, Trump, Jake Sullivan, Tim Lenderking, Mike Pompeo, Antony J, Blinken, Tom Cotton, Mr, ” Mr, Cotton, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “, ” Organizations: U.S, State Department, Economic, Sana’a Center, Strategic Studies, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, U.S . Agency for International Development, United Nations, Associated Press, Republican, United Locations: Houthi, Yemen, Iran, U.S, United States, Saudi, Gaza, Israel, Davos, Switzerland, Al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Arkansas, United Arab

☆ What Happens When There Is No Food: Experts Say Severe Malnutrition Could Set in Swiftly in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Stephanie Nolen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Power referred to the work of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, a group of U.N. agencies and relief agencies which tracks acute food shortages, and which said in March that “famine is imminent” in Gaza. Even before the war between Israel and Hamas, nearly 70 percent of Gazans were dependent on humanitarian assistance for food because the territory has been under Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007. Nevertheless, malnutrition was rare, Ms. Power said in congressional testimony; that has changed swiftly with the war. “In northern Gaza, the rate of malnutrition prior to Oct. 7 was almost zero, and it is now one in three kids,” she said. She added: “In terms of actual severe acute malnutrition for under-5s, that rate was 16 percent in January and became 30 percent in February.

Persons: Samantha Power, Power, ”, We’re Organizations: United States Agency for International Development, Integrated, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ 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

Israel continues to dismiss calls for a longer-term cease-fire accompanied by political negotiations, despite growing U.S. and international concern about the humanitarian toll in Gaza. As it pummeled Gaza City in the north, the Israeli government told residents to go to southern Gaza, and many did so. But Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes across the south with large munitions: 1,000- to 2,000-pound bombs. U.S. officials say their top goals include maintaining electricity supplies to Gaza’s hospitals and providing fuel for water desalinization. It’s not that they expect the pause will turn into a cease-fire” lasting weeks or longer.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Matthew Miller, Miller, David Satterfield, Brett McGurk, Mr, McGurk, ”, —, they’re, ” Martin, Antony J Organizations: Qatari, Hamas, State Department, United Nations, U.S, U.S . Agency for International Development, National Public Radio, Wednesday Locations: Gaza, Gaza —, United States, Israel, Egypt, East, North Africa, Qatar, U.S

☆ US to Provide Over $4 Million in Aid for Those Affected by Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Daphne PsaledakisWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will provide over $4.1 million in aid for people affected by the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the United States Agency for International Development said in a statement, after Azerbaijan's recapture of the region prompted a mass exodus of Armenians. USAID said the additional aid, which has not been previously reported, will support efforts to provide assistance for almost 74,000 refugees and displaced people from the region who are sheltering in Armenia. The aid will increase food assistance and provide humanitarian protection and emergency shelter, according to the statement. The additional aid will bring the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Nagorno-Karabakh response to nearly $28 million since 2020, according to the statement. "The U.S. stands with civilians affected by Azerbaijan’s military operation and supports the Armenian government’s efforts to help those in need," the statement read.

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON, Samantha Power, Power, Daphne Psaledakis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: United States Agency for International Development, USAID Locations: United States, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, U.S, Baku, Soviet, Soviet Union, Washington

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

☆ Israel-Hamas War Israel Indicates It Will Expand Its Offensive Into Southern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Ephrat Livni | Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The letter affirms President Biden’s opposition to a cease-fire, challenging demands from hundreds of officials that Israel halt its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s government and Mr. Biden have rejected such a step as incompatible with Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas. The newer letter was delivered to Mr. Biden on Tuesday with 115 names, but its organizers continued to collect signatures until Friday. The earlier letter of dissent was delivered to Mr. Biden with a signature count but without names, although the signatories are known to that letter’s organizers. She cited an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted early this month that found that half of Democrats approved of Mr. Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Persons: Biden’s, Obama, Biden, Ron Klain, Lawrence H, Summers, Barack Obama, Colin H, Kahl, Joseph W, Westphal, Mr, Samantha Power, Power, Antony J, Blinken, Josh Paul, Soifer Organizations: Biden, Democratic, National Economic Council, Mr, U.S . Agency for International Development, United Nations, White House, State Department, Capitol, State Department’s Bureau, Political, Military Affairs, Jewish Democratic Council of America, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Reuters Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, United States

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The United States Agency for International Development will restart food aid deliveries across Ethiopia in December, five months after it halted its nationwide program over a massive corruption scheme by local officials. Political Cartoons View All 1247 ImagesUSAID officials said it could be the largest-ever theft of food aid. The suspension affects 20.1 million Ethiopians who rely on food aid because of conflict and drought. The U.S. aid agency did not say if Ethiopian officials are still involved in the delivery of food. The WFP also restarted aid to refugees in Ethiopia in October but is yet to resume food aid nationwide.

Persons: Jessica Jennings, ”, Jennings Organizations: United States Agency for International Development, USAID, Food, Associated Press, WFP Locations: ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Tigray, The U.S

More than 400 political appointees and staff members representing some 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza. The letter, part of growing internal dissent over the administration’s support of the war, calls on the president to seek an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and to push Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. Two political appointees who helped organize the letter to Mr. Biden said the majority of the signatories are political appointees of various faiths who work throughout government, from the National Security Council to the F.B.I. Some of the signatories helped Mr. Biden get elected in 2020 and said in interviews they were concerned that the administration’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza clashed with Democratic voters’ stance on the issue. So far, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Israel Organizations: State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Department, U.S ., The New York Times, National Security Council, Justice Department, Democratic Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States

☆ Blinken acknowledges disagreements within State Department on Israel-Hamas war in email to staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged disagreements within the State Department over the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war in an email to staff Monday. His message to personnel, sent on the heels of his recent travels, comes amid growing anger and dissent not only from staff at the State Department but within the broader Biden administration. CNN reported last week that hundreds of personnel at the US Agency for International Development signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire, and there are reports of a “dissent memo” inside the State Department. “I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll,” Blinken wrote in his email Monday, which was seen by CNN. “We believe in Palestinian-led governance of Gaza, with Gaza unified with the West Bank.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, “, ” Blinken, ”, I’ve, Blinken, HuffPost, Matthew Miller, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, US Agency for International Development, West Bank Locations: Israel, Washington, East, Asia, Gaza, Palestinian

Palestinians fleeing north Gaza move southward as Israeli tanks roll deeper into the enclave, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - More than 1,000 officials in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed an open letter urging the Biden administration to call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters. The letter, published on Nov. 2, had now garnered 1,029 signatures from staff of the U.S. aid agency. Signatories names are hidden but the letter shows it was signed by officials in many of the agency's bureaus in Washington as well as officials posted around the world. The State Department does not confirm the existence of dissent cables.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Biden, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Vedant Patel, Patel, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Reuters, Israel, Department, State, The State Department, Deputy State, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington, United States, U.S

“It has created great moral anxiety,” said one senior administration official. Elsewhere in the administration, officials are quietly fuming as the civilian death toll mounts. But Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have steadfastly rejected the idea of a lengthy pause in the fighting unless hostages are released. Administration officials argue they have had success in some areas as they work to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Still, steady pressure by the Biden administration on Israel to refine its war plans and define its objectives in Gaza has not yielded the level of clarity many US officials say is necessary.

Persons: Biden, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Netanyahu, Joe, John Kirby, that’s, ” Kirby, weren’t, “ They’re, We’ve, ” Blinken, Israel “, Kirby, “, Blinken, Israel, we’ve, Mark Regev, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Regev, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, State Department, US Agency for International Development, “, USAID, United States Government, State, ” National Security, Israel Defense Forces, West Bank, Israel, Democratic Party, ABC News, ABC Locations: Washington, Tokyo, Gaza, –, Israel, ”, Tel Aviv, Turkey, Egypt, States

☆ Opinion | The War Between Israel and Hamas Is Splintering the Democratic Coalition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Thomas B. Edsall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

These young voters faulted Israel’s response to the attacks, 52-32 percent. This wartime shift represents a fundamental break within a liberal coalition that has long powered the Democratic Party. Clearly, the most left-leaning young adults have the lowest rating of Israel. The Arab American Institute commissioned John Zogby Strategies to conduct a survey of 500 Arab Americans between Oct. 23 and Oct. 27. In this poll, 32 percent of Arab Americans identified as Republican as opposed to just 23 percent who identified as Democrats.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden, Donald Trump, Gallup, Jennifer Medina, Lisa Lerer, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bruce Cain, nonwhite, Cain, Siena, Hillary, ”, Norman Ornstein, ” Ornstein, Ornstein, Liz Skalka, Daniel Marans, Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “, Robbie Gramer, ” Gramer, ’ Gramer, ” Amy Mackinnon, Gramer, Antony Blinken, ” Yossi Hasson, Maya Tamir, Kea, Brahms, J, Christopher Cohrs, Eran Halperin, Niloufar Zebarjadi, Eliyahu Adler, Annika Kluge, Mikko Sams, Jonathan Levy, Zebarjadi, Jeremy Konyndyk, Harris, ” Laura Royden, Eitan Hersh, ” “, Hersh, Israel favorability, Young, John Zogby, Zogby, Farah Pandith, Pandith, —, Trump, Julie Wronski, Wronski, Stephen Ansolabehere Organizations: Quinnipiac University Poll, Biden, Democratic, West Bank, Democratic Party, Stanford, American Enterprise Institute, Democratic National Committee, State Department, U.S, USAID, United States Agency for International Development, Foreign, Liberals, Aalto University, USAID’s, U.S . Foreign, Politico, U.S ., Harvard, “, Israel, Young American Left, Tufts, Republicans, U.S.A, ”, Arab American Institute, American, Council, Foreign Relations, University of Mississippi Locations: Israel, Gaza, Medina, United States, Washington, Palestinian, ”, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Palestine, Michigan, America

☆ Where are the 12 US gov't funding bills to avert shutdown?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But first, the House and Senate would have to agree upon the overall dollar amount of spending for the 12 bills combined. The Senate passed its version as part of a three-bill package on Nov. 1 with strong bipartisan support. DEFENSEOne of the largest of the 12 bills funds the Department of Defense - the Army, Navy, Air Force and the CIA. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27.

Persons: Jon Cherry, shutdowns, Joe Biden, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Moira Warburton, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, Senate, of Veterans Affairs, Army, Navy, Air Force, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Housing, Urban, House Republicans, Amtrak, Department of Defense, CIA, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, of, of Indian Affairs, Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, The, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of State, Agency for International Development, Peace Corps, Congress, Capitol Police, of Congress, Office, Treasury, of Columbia, Federal Trade Commission, COMMERCE, of Commerce, U.S . Census, U.S . Patent, Department of Justice, Republicans, HUMAN, of Education, Department of Health, Human Services, Department of Labor, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, New York, U.S, Washington

☆ Top Biden Officials Press Congress for More Economic Aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Andrew Duehren | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

From left, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power wrote a letter asking for $11.8 billion in aid to Ukraine. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Press Pool; Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg News; Nathan Howard/AP; Alex Wong/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Biden administration officials are pressing Congress to approve more economic aid to Ukraine, trying to overcome growing Republican opposition to financial support that has stabilized the Ukrainian economy after Russia’s invasion. In a letter sent to Capitol Hill, four top Biden administration officials urged lawmakers to provide $11.8 billion in direct budget support to Kyiv to help pay its day-to-day bills. While Republicans are divided over whether to supply Ukraine with more materiel, there is broad skepticism within the GOP over offering more economic aid.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Lloyd Austin, Samantha Power, Jonathan Ernst, Nathan Howard, Alex Wong, WASHINGTON — Biden Organizations: Agency for International, Ronda Churchill, Bloomberg, Getty, WASHINGTON, Capitol, Biden, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Ronda, Kyiv

She hopes the foundation's success in providing support to communities in Haiti even while gang violence escalates in the country will convince other nonprofits to help as well. “Part of this campaign is to help other funders understand that there is an ecosystem in Haiti that is functioning,” Montgomery Tabron said. We're trying to explain to partners that we can help connect them to those places, those pockets of hope where the investments will truly matter and make a difference." In the past month, “Pockets of Hope” raised an additional $20 million collectively in commitments from the Digicel Foundation, the Dunn Family Charitable Foundation, and the Amsterdam-based Porticus foundation. Actress Garcelle Beauvais, who emigrated from Haiti to the United States as a child, told The Associated Press that she wanted to support “Pockets of Hope” to let Haitians know that they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world.

Persons: Jovenel Moïse, Montgomery Tabron, ” Montgomery Tabron, “, Hope ”, Garcelle Beauvais, ”, Beauvais, that's, ’, António Guterres, ” Beauvais, Kellogg Organizations: —, Kellogg Foundation, Digicel Foundation, Charitable Foundation, Associated Press, Housewives, Beverly, United Nations, U.S . Agency for International, Government, USAID, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Haiti, Amsterdam, United States, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, ”, Prince, U.S

They are mostly looking for secondhand clothing, sifting through underwear for pairs that seem new or trying on shoes despite getting pushed around in the crush. Despite the popularity, secondhand clothes are facing increasing pushback. And we get all documents for that.”The Green Shops are environmentally friendly because they recycle used clothes in bulk, he said. Not surprisingly, many people would rather buy used clothing, she said. Abdulrashid Ssuuna, who tries to persuade customers in the market to stop by his brother’s used clothing business, said a ban would deny him a livelihood.

Persons: —, “, Yoweri Museveni, ” Museveni, Uganda —, Kalungi, ”, ” Kalungi, Allan Zavuga, ” Zavuga, Abdulrashid Ssuuna, Ssuuna, Tadeo Walusimbi, ” Walusimbi Organizations: Downtown, U.S . Agency for International Development, East African Community Locations: KAMPALA, Uganda, East Africa, U.S, Africa, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Washington, In Uganda, China, Germany, Kampala, Ugandan

The White House has been working urgently in the past 24 hours to get a Senate confirmation process in motion for President Joe Biden's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel, according to two White House officials. But the White House officials said they hope lawmakers in both parties will agree with the president on the need to quickly confirm Lew amid the war between Israel and Hamas. "Everyone understands the importance behind it," one White House official said. Tom Nides, Biden's former ambassador to Israel, told NBC News in an interview that the Senate needs to confirm his successor "immediately" upon return. One official said Lew is "eager" to get to work, and the White House hopes he is confirmed with bipartisan support.

Persons: Jack Lew, Joe Biden's, Obama, Biden, Lew, Tom Nides, Nides, Sen, Chris Murphy, Israel, Chris Coons, Coons, hasn't, Ted Cruz, Bill Clinton Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, IMF, White, Foreign Relations, White House, West Bank, Palestinian Health Ministry, NBC News, Connecticut, U.S, State, Counterterrorism, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Republicans, Senate, Washington, Management, Israel, Organization, Economic Locations: Europe, Washington , DC, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ As Azerbaijan claims final victory in Nagorno Karabakh, arms trade with Israel comes under scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Max Saltman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Israeli ‘realpolitik’Young ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in the town of Goris during evacuations to Armenia on October 1. Hayk Baghdasaryan/Photolure/AP Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh drive to Goris on September 28. Vahan Stepanyan/PAN Photo/AP Volunteers distribute food to ethnic Armenians arriving in Goris from Nagorno-Karabakh on September 28. Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh line up to receive humanitarian aid at a temporary camp in Goris on September 26. Wezeman, the researcher at SIPRI, said Israel could come under pressure from its Western allies to reconsider arms sales to Azerbaijan.

Persons: CNN —, Marut Vanyan, “ I’m, ”, “, Vanyan, Leonid Nersisyan, Rishon Le, Jack Guez, …, Pieter Wezeman, ” Wezeman, Emmanuel Dunand, Efraim Inbar, ” Inbar, Israel ’, Inbar, LORA, ” Hikmet Ajiyev, Ilham Aliyev, realpolitik, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Sergey Astsetryan, Aziz Karimov, Hayk, Vahan Stepanyan, Vasily Krestyaninov, Alain Jocard, Anatoly Matlsev, David Harapetyan, Irakli Gedenidze, Reuters Greta, Anthony Pizzoferrato, Samantha Power, Power, Astrig Agopian, Novlet, David Ghahramanyan, Israel Organizations: CNN, Azerbaijan, Applied Policy Research Institute, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Autonomous Robotics, Getty, Haaretz, Artsakh Defense Army –, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, Israeli Ministry of Defense, Ovda Airport, Israel, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, “, APRI, Artsakh Defense Army, Reuters, AP, Erebuni, PAN, AP Volunteers, Karabakh, Technologies, US Agency for International Development, Volunteers, Vehicles, Red Cross, People, Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Stepanakert, Karabakh’s, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Rishon, Tel Aviv, AFP, Israel’s, Artsakh, Israel, Stockholm, Baku, Lachin, Iran, Iranian, Jerusalem, Ottoman, Turkey, Ottoman Empire, APRI Armenia, Syunik, Nakhchivan, Republic of Armenia, Goris, Yerevan, Kornidzor, Russia, United States

But officials have made clear recently that other forms of US aid are potentially in jeopardy if Ukraine does not do more to address corruption. The US has provided Ukraine with over $23 billion in direct budget support since the war began, according to the Congressional Research Service. In a statement to CNN, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington said that Ukraine has moved “ambitiously” to pass reforms, including on its IMF program. That money is also the “most closely scrutinized” form of aid to Ukraine, a senior Democratic Senate aide told CNN. The US intends to provide up to $3.3 billion in direct economic aid to Ukraine if Congress authorizes its $24 billion supplemental request for Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky, Matthew Miller, Miller, ”, Denys Shmyhal, Blinken, “, It’s, Megan Reed, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, The State Department, Congressional Research Service, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, World Bank, Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, IMF, National Bank of, General Prosecutors, National Security, Ukrainian, White, Ukrainska Pravda, Government of, EU, State Department, NATO, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Democratic, Republicans, Pentagon, The Defense, Ukrainian MoD Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, National Bank of Ukraine, USA, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Government of Ukraine, United States, EU

Vietnam’s opaque legal system has come under increased criticism from Western observers this year, even as the Southeast Asian country draws closer to the United States. In April during a visit to Hanoi, a delegation of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee of Human Rights expressed “great concern at the worsening human rights situation in the country” calling for the release of “political prisoners” including NGO leaders, journalists and environmental activists, according to Reuters. “Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time,” Biden said at the time, referencing climate change. The importance of her cause has been underlined by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which lists Vietnam as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. Ben Swanton, co director of The 88 Project, which advocates for human rights in Vietnam, called her trial “a total sham.”“This is yet another example of the law being weaponized for the purpose of political persecution,” he said.

Persons: Hoang, Hong, Nguyen Van Tu, Matthew Miller, “, ”, ” Miller, Joe Biden’s, ” Biden, “ I’m, Hong “, Ben Swanton Organizations: CNN, US State Department, State, European, Human, Reuters, Human Rights Watch, Obama, Columbia University, HRW, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, Amnesty Locations: Ho Chi Minh City, United States, Vietnam, Hanoi, “ Vietnam

☆ More than half of Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenians have left
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region ride in a truck upon their arrival at the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 27, 2023. Azerbaijan says it is prepared to respect ethnic Armenian rights as it reabsorbs the region, but with a history burdened by folk memories of alleged genocide, ethnic cleansing, pogroms and at least two wars, the Armenians are fleeing in fear. In Soviet times, Nagorno-Karabakh enjoyed autonomy within the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. But as the Soviet Union crumbled the First Karabakh War erupted. About 30,000 people were killed between 1988 and 1994 and more than a million people displaced, more than half of them Azeris.

Persons: Aliyev Aliyev, David, Ruben Vardanyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Samantha Power, Ilham Aliyev, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, USAID, Soviet, KARABAKH, Wednesday, Armenian, West, U.S . Agency for International Development, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Yerevan, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Soviet Union, Soviet, Russia, United States, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Moscow, Baku, Lachin

CNN —The self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist from next year after its president signed a decree dissolving state institutions following its defeat by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani victory last week triggered a a huge exodus of ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and marked the end of decades of conflict. President Samvel Shahramanyan’s decree called for all institutions and organizations of the Republic of Artsakh – which is not recognized internationally – to dissolve by the start of next year. “The Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases its existence,” read the decree, which was shared on Facebook by the Artsakh government. Shahramanyan said the decision had been made “due to the current difficult military-political situation.”Samvel Shakhramanyan signed the decree Thursday, agreeing to dissolve all state institutions from January 1, 2024.

Persons: Samvel Shahramanyan’s, ”, Shahramanyan, Samvel Shakhramanyan, Samantha Power, ” Power Organizations: CNN, Facebook, National Assembly of, United States Agency for International Development, USAID Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Republic of Artsakh, Republic, Artsakh, National Assembly of Republic of Artsakh, Russia, Lachin, Azerbaijan’s, Baku, Armenia, Kornidzor, Stepanakert

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

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

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

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