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☆ Ecuador election: political violence and insecurity loom large as Ecuadorians get ready to vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Rafael Romo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has also brought international attention to the powerful criminal organizations driving the violence that has plagued Ecuador. “By the very fact that we’re not controlling our borders, we’re getting an influx of money that is literally corrupting the country,” Topic added. Topic told CNN that while he admires Bukele, he would be more careful when it comes to respecting human rights. Andrea González Náder – who was Villavicencio’s running mate – told CNN that the fight against criminal gangs and corruption was Villavicencio’s main objective when he was alive. Those aims have not changed, she told CNN from a secret location in Ecuador, which police asked CNN not to reveal for her protection.

Persons: Ecuador CNN — Gissella Cecibel Molina doesn’t, Fernando Villavicencio, Fernando, ” Molina, ‘ Fernando Villavicencio, ’, ”, Molina, “, Villavicencio, Juan Zapata, Fernando Villavicencio's assasination, Karen Toro, Pedro Briones, Agustin Intriago, Walker Vera, Pity Guzman, Rodrigo Buendia, Bukele, doesn’t, Andrea González Náder –, –, Martin Bernetti, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, “ I’ve, Gustavo Petro Organizations: Ecuador CNN, National Assembly, CNN, “, Reuters, Manta, Ecuadorian National Police, United Nations Office, Drug, Getty, French Foreign Legion, Electoral Council, Citizen Revolution Movement, European, Colombian, Zetas Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Ecuador’s, “, Esmeraldas province, Muisne, South America, United States, Europe, Colombia, Mexico, Balkans, AFP, Ecuadorian, European Union

☆ Opinion | Is Portland’s Decriminalization of Drug Use the Right Approach?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “A Drug User’s ‘Paradise’” (Science Times, Aug. 1):Portland, Ore., is not a drug user’s paradise. The citizens of Portland who voted in favor of Measure 110 understood this to be an approach that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs and direct revenue from marijuana sales to fund drug treatment and recovery services. Drug treatment is not a “soft” option. It is a rigorous, structured process that addresses the underlying issues of a person’s addiction, including trauma, mental illness and medical concerns. When operated by trained staff, with the provision of medication-assisted treatment, primary health care services, and connections to jobs and housing, treatment is the most effective solution.

Organizations: Science Times Locations: Portland, America

☆ Florida's attorney general says DeSantis suspending an elected state attorney is 'democracy in action'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis suspended Democratic State Attorney Monique Worrell. It was the second time in just over a year DeSantis has suspended an elected, Democrat-identifying state attorney. Florida's Attorney General, Ashley Moody, called Worrell's suspension, "democracy in action." Ron DeSantis on Thursday after he suspended an elected state attorney, calling it "democracy in action." While appearing on "Fox & Friends First," Moody was asked if it was controversial that DeSantis singlehandedly removed an elected official from office.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Monique Worrell, Ashley Moody, Andrew Bain, Moody, DeSantis, —, Worrell, Donald Trump, Generra Peck, James Uthmeier, didn't Organizations: Florida Gov, Democratic, Service, Republican, Orange, Orange County Court, Fox & Friends Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Orange County

The 12 shots fired on Wednesday evening, killing an Ecuadorean presidential candidate as he exited a campaign event, marked a dramatic turning point for a nation that a few years ago seemed an island of security in a violent region. A video of the moments just before the killing of the candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, began circulating online even before his death had been confirmed. And for many Ecuadoreans, those shots echoed with a bleak message: Their nation was forever changed. “I feel that it represents a total loss of control for the government,” said Ingrid Ríos, a political scientist in the city of Guayaquil, “and for the citizens, as well.”Ecuador, a country of 18 million on South America’s western coast, has survived authoritarian governments, financial crises, mass protests and at least one presidential kidnapping. It has never, however, been shaken by the kind of drug-related warfare that has plagued neighboring Colombia, unleashing violence that has killed thousands, corroded democracy and turned citizens against one another.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, ”, Ingrid Ríos Locations: Guayaquil, “, Ecuador, South, Colombia

☆ Opinion | New York City Needs Big Ideas and Leaders Willing to Try Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

People like to write off New York City, and time and again, this city proves them wrong. It’s never been magic, however — the resurrection of the greatest city in the world has always required grit and ingenuity, backed by its political, business and civic leadership exerting a will to match the moment’s greatest problems. The labor market is strong, and by this spring, New York’s economy had recovered more than 99 percent of the jobs it lost during the pandemic. Tourism is booming, and the city expects to receive more than 63 million visitors this year. Much of that flight appears to be among the city’s wealthiest residents, further weakening its coffers.

Persons: It’s, — aren't Organizations: Times, Citizens Budget Commission, Midtown, Broadway Locations: New York City, Tourism, Midtown Manhattan

Yeah, you’re going to need one of those fancy pizza ovens to replicate this in your home. I think right now, every media company in the world is trying to figure out what replaces Twitter. And they say, you’re going to about to make the easiest money you’ve ever made in your entire life. You’re going to have more people beating a path down your door than you thought was possible. We now have Ubers that are so — I don’t know if you’ve looked at your Uber receipts recently.

Persons: kevin roose I’m, casey newton, kevin roose, casey newton They’re, kevin roose Gang, casey newton Oh, let’s, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, —, Casey, casey newton Mhmm, it’s, kevin roose I’d, you’re, you’ve, — casey newton, Sam Altman, casey newton Isn’t, that’s, Silly Putty, I’m, casey newton Well, Kevin, what’s, kevin roose Totally, casey newton I’ll, Unobtainium, James Cameron, You’ve, Meissner, we’re, There’s, they’re, casey newton Here’s, Twitch, kevin roose There’s, Iris_IGB, she’s, there’s, casey newton There’s, Russia she’s, I’ve, They’ve, hasn’t, ChatGPT, Claude, They’re, hydroxychloroquine, Joe Rogan, Bravo, “ Fortnite, casey newton That’s, we’ve, casey newton Kevin, India Venom, Lydia Tár, we’ll, don’t, casey newton Sure, ”, Joe Biden, casey newton I’m, casey newton Mike Masnick, he’s, Mike, — casey newton Look, who’d, It’s, HatGPT, kevin roose —, casey newton We’re, Rupert Murdaugh, Beast, James Donaldson, Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a, Beast — casey newton James, Uber, Beast Burger, Burger, We’re, Meta, Abraham Lincoln, Facebook — Abraham Lincoln, casey newton It’s, kevin roose Oh, Abraham —, roose, casey newton Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski’s, Greg, You’re, casey newton Wow, Elon Musk, San Francisco NIMBYs, Don’t, kevin roose It’s, you’re Uber Organizations: Mmm, casey newton Mmm, The New York Times, Quantum Energy Research Center, collider, Twitter, Capitol, Federal Trade Commission, Netflix, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Democrats, Republicans, California, Tax, Facebook, YouTube, HatGPT, BBC, WordPress, Health Department, Financial Times, Ford Theater, ” Workers, San, Wall Street Locations: Seoul, Russian, Russia, India, KOSA, SESTA, The, Kashmir, tooting, Washington, San Francisco, Ha, Canada

☆ Invasive hammerhead worms are longtime New Yorkers, and they may be here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Invasive hammerhead flatworms have distinctive curved heads, striped bodies ranging in color from light yellow to dark brown, and they can secrete tetrodotoxin — a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and blue-ringed octopuses. Five species of invasive hammerhead worms — four in the genus Bipalium and one in Diversibipalium — are established in North America, said Bruce Snyder, an associate professor of biology at Georgia College and State University. Today, most hammerhead worms (also known as broadhead planarians) are concentrated in the Southeast, where they favor warm, damp habitats. Bazzano Photography/Alamy Stock PhotoTo date, more than 3,000 sightings in southeastern states of just one invasive hammerhead species — Bipalium kewense — have been shared to the citizen scientist database iNaturalist. Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, which disrupts neurons’ signaling to muscles, can sicken pets if they eat the worms, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Persons: CNN —, they’ve, Peter Ducey, ” Ducey, “, Bruce Snyder, they’re, ” Snyder, ”, Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, Ducey, adventitium, Libbie Hyman, Hyman, Snyder, it’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, State University of New, Georgia College, State University, US Department of, Species Information, “, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, ”, hammerheads, Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Locations: Washington , DC, Yorkers, New York, State University of New York, Cortland, “, North America, Southeast Asia, California, Oregon, Maine, New Jersey, Long, Westchester County, New York City, Europe, Asia, Pennsylvania

☆ Trump loses bid to boot Georgia DA, grand jury report on 2020 election probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump on Monday lost his latest effort to quash a special Georgia grand jury report and disqualify the Atlanta district attorney who is considering whether to criminally charge him with interfering in the state's 2020 election. The ruling by a Superior Court judge marked the second time this month that Trump has lost an effort to have Fulton County DA Fani Willis disqualified. Speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania that same day, Trump said he expected Willis to indict him. Willis is investigating attempts by Trump and his allies to get Georgia officials to reverse his election loss to President Joe Biden in the state in 2020. Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his ruling Monday that neither Trump nor Cathleen Latham, who was an "alternate" elector for Trump in 2020, had legal standing to challenge the grand jury report and the role of Willis.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Fani Willis, Willis, I've, I'm, Joe Biden, Robert McBurney, Cathleen Latham, McBurney, Trump's, Latham Organizations: Monday, Fulton, Atlanta CNN, Georgia, Trump Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, Fulton

☆ South Africa’s stance on Russia puzzles many. Could a mine in the desert hold answers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —To many observers, South Africa’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine is puzzling. This week, while many African leaders stay away, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg along with key ministers. So, why is South Africa putting this important relationship at risk? The US had long treated South Africa with kid gloves, he said, mindful of not risking an important relationship. Officials have denied that anything was loaded up, but the claim is now subject to a sealed South African government inquiry.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Viktor Vekselberg, Vladimir Putin, Byron Blunt, Chancellor House, Mogopodi Mokoena, Mokoena, UMK, ”, Karam Singh, Steven Gruzd, Reuben Brigety II, Brigety, Mikhail Metzel, Chancellor House’s, Putin, Yuri Trutnev, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Vekselberg, “, “ Mr Organizations: South Africa CNN, Russia, United Nations, Russian Navy, National Congress, Soviet Union, AmaBhungane, Investigative Journalism, CNN, Chancellor House Holdings, ANC, Mail & Guardian, Chancellor House, Corruption Watch, Chancellor, South African Institute of International Affairs, US, South, AP Mokoena, International Criminal Court, ICC, Getty, Treasury, FBI, Renova Group Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Ukraine, Africa, United States, Russian, Russia, St . Petersburg, States, St, Petersburg, Cape Town, African, Cape Town , South Africa, Mallorca, UMK, Cyprus, South

"What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers. It was unclear who was in charge of Niger after soldiers on Wednesday evening declared a military coup and held President Mohamed Bazoum in the presidential palace. Prigozhin, in his voice message, boasted of Wagner's alleged efficiency in helping African nations stabilise and develop in what sounded like a sales pitch. "...Thousands of Wagner fighters are capable of bringing order and of destroying terrorists and of not allowing them to harm the local populations of these states," he said. Reporting by Andrew Osborn Additional reporting by Milan Pavicic Editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, colonisers, Mohamed Bazoum, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, it's, Andrew Osborn, Milan, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Reuters, Wednesday, Central African Republic, Kremlin, Analysts, PMC, U.S, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Niger, St Petersburg, MOSCOW, Russian, Western, Africa, France, Central African, Belarus, Russia, Moscow

Mugabe’s successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, had promised sweeping political, economic and social reforms. Several opposition activists, journalists and human rights activists have been arrested over the last year, including Job Sikhala, a Parliament member and senior official with the CCC. Obey Shava, a prominent Zimbabwean human rights lawyer who has represented various opposition party supporters facing questionable charges, was violently attacked earlier this month. Human rights group Amnesty International called it a “brutal assault on civic space.”At the same time, government corruption remains a problem in Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa has blamed Western sanctions for the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe, where the annual inflation rate reached 175% in June.

Persons: Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s, Mugabe’s, Emmerson Mnangagwa, “, ”, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Nelson Chamisa, Job Sikhala, Obey, Bill –, Bill, Al Jazee, Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mnangagwa, Macky Sall, Felix Tshisekedi, Stephen Chan, ” Chan, Ruben Mbofana, –, Mbofana, Leonard Koni, Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei, Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr, ” Koni Organizations: U.S . Congress, “, ZANU, Citizens Coalition, Amnesty, Movement, Democratic, Mugabe, U.S, Congress, Zimbabwe Democracy, ., U.S . Treasury, Union, Reuters, SOAS University of London Locations: MUTARE, Zimbabwe, Mutare, Rhodesia, U.S, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Senegal

☆ A passenger was tasered and removed from a flight after his 'disorderly' behavior caused a plane to divert to a Portuguese island
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Jet2 passenger was reportedly tasered by police and removed from the plane for "unruly" behavior. He prompted the plane to land unscheduled on a Portuguese island 330 miles from its destination. A passenger on a flight to a Spanish holiday destination has been arrested and detained by Portuguese police for "disobedience" after being accused of "disorderly" behavior on a flight, The Scottish Daily Express reported. A Jet2 spokesperson told the MailOnline that the plane was diverted to "offload a disruptive passenger," which "subsequently delayed" a later flight from Tenerife to Edinburgh. Earlier this month, a "drunk" British Jet2 passenger had to be restrained by plane staff after threatening to open the aircraft door, the MailOnline reported, causing an emergency landing in Bulgaria.

Persons: Diário de Organizations: Morning, Scottish Daily Express, Porto, Madeira Regional Command, Public Security Police Locations: Spanish, Edinburgh, Scotland, Porto Santo, Madeira, Tenerife, Bulgaria

☆ Foreigners, some trained by the US, are fighting on both sides in Ukraine, seeking cash and adventure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The war in Ukraine has drawn foreign fighters to the armies on both sides. While Russia is recruiting mercenaries, Ukraine has become a magnet for volunteers who want to fight Russian aggression or find adventure. By mid-2022, after Ukraine formed its International Legion of Defense, 20,000 volunteers from 52 nations had joined, according to the Ukrainian government. A new study by Italian researcher Matteo Pugliese found a bewildering array of backgrounds and motivations among the members of Ukraine's International Legion, a battalion-sized force. Ukraine's International Legion of Defense has drawn volunteers from all over the world.

Persons: —, Nepalis, Vladimir Putin, Rahmatullah Alizadah, Matteo Pugliese, Pugliese, Abraham Lincoln, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Gurkha, Russian, Nepal Express, Nepalese Army, Getty, Moscow —, Legion of Defense, Spanish Civil War's, Brigades, Nazi, Ukraine's International, NATO, ISIS, Ukraine's, Legion, Defense, Ukraine, Facebook, Kyiv, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Nepal, Dubai, Russia, Britain, Europe, Kabul, Xinhua, Afghanistan, Spanish, Canada, Syria, Australia, Poland, North America, Latin America, American, Syrian, Forbes

At least 300 people were arrested, including several senior opposition leaders, and several people were reported shot, some possibly fatally, in clashes with police on Wednesday. The demonstrations, planned for Wednesday to Friday, are the third round of protests that the opposition has called this month. Protests this year have cost the economy more than $20 million per day, according to a private sector lobby group. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga did not make a public appearance on Wednesday or Thursday as he did during previous protests. A Kenyan court froze the tax hikes late last month, pending a ruling by senior judges.

Persons: Raila Odinga, Ruto, Odinga, William Ruto, Paul Ongili, Aaron Ross, George Obulutsa, Humphrey Malalo, Monicah Mwangi, Anne Mawathe, Joseph Akwiri, Alexander Winning, Emelia, Bernadette Baum, Mike Harrison, Conor Humphries Organizations: Kenya Alliance, REUTERS, NAIROBI, La, NTV Kenya, Kenyan, Civic, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Kibera, Mombasa, Kisumu, Isiolo, Ruto's

☆ Kenya's Ruto says further tax-hike protests will not be allowed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, July 14 (Reuters) - Kenyan President William Ruto vowed on Friday that protests planned next week would not be allowed following two rounds of demonstrations that have left at least 15 people dead. Opposition leader Raila Odinga's party called earlier in the day for three more days of protests from next Wednesday against tax hikes that Ruto signed into law last month. You cannot look for the leadership of this country using the blood of the citizens, the death of the citizens and the destruction of property," Ruto said at the opening of a road in the town of Naivasha. Kenya's President William Ruto attends a joint press conference with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, July 12, 2023. The most recent demonstrations took place despite bans by the police, and Ruto did not say how he planned to stop the upcoming protests.

Persons: William Ruto, Raila, Ruto, Odinga, Ebrahim Raisi, Jeremy Laurence, Humphrey Malalo, Thomas Mukoya, Hereward Holland, Aaron Ross, Alex Richardson Organizations: Kenyan, Iran's, State, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Naivasha, Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Boxing legend Mayweather attends political rally in Zimbabwe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Former World Boxing Champion (WBC) Floyd Mayweather gestures to fans upon his arrival at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 13, 2023. One of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's closest allies, gold magnate Scott Sakupwanya, who is looking to reclaim a parliamentary seat from the opposition, said he had invited Mayweather. "I am happy to see Mayweather here in Zimbabwe, it is his first time to come here. I am registered to vote, and I am going to vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa," 34-year-old White Marurame told Reuters. The youth vote is expected to be a crucial battlefield for the two main political parties, ZANU PF and the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

Persons: Floyd Mayweather, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa's, Mayweather, Scott Sakupwanya, I, Sakupwanya, Emmerson Mnangagwa, White Marurame, Nyasha, Nellie Peyton, Frances Kerry Organizations: Boxing, Robert Gabriel Mugabe International, ZANU, ZANU PF, Reuters, Citizens Coalition, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo HARARE, Mabvuku, American

☆ Italy's Meloni draws fire over food aid aimed at families with children
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Federica Urso | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The government is there and is ready to do its part to help Italians in the best possible way", Meloni said in a message that presented the 500,000-euro scheme as relief against high inflation. However, the card is reserved for households with at least three members, preferably with children, in a move seen as favouring traditional families. Noting that the allowance amounts to about one euro per day for a year, she described it as a "zero impact" policy. "Being in need is no longer enough, now you need to be in need and also be a certain type of person considered deserving of help," he said. ($1 = 0.8946 euros)Reporting by Federica Urso Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini and Gavin Jones Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgia, Meloni, Elly Schlein, Confcommercio, Marco Impagliazzo, Filippo Barbera, Federica Urso, Alvise Armellini, Gavin Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Democratic Party, Catholic, Turin University, Thomson Locations: Italian, Rome

☆ OAS urges Guatemalan authorities to move forward with election process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to preliminary results, anti-graft candidate Bernando Arevalo bucked forecasts to earn 11.8% of the vote, enough to secure a spot on the upcoming ballot. He trailed only behind former first lady Sandra Torres, with 15.8% of the vote. "The Mission verified that no serious irregularities were revealed and that no significant changes were registered with respect to the preliminary results of Sunday, June 25," the OAS said in a statement. However, on Friday night, the CSJ resolved to extend the suspension of the results for 10 more days. The electoral process in the Central American country has been strongly criticized by international and national organizations due to this unprecedented suspension of the official results.

Persons: Bernando Arevalo, Sandra Torres, CSJ, Torres, Arévalo, Sofia Menchu, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Guatemalan Constitutional, Central American, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan

☆ Cambodia bars Meta oversight board over PM's Facebook account suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Cambodia said on Tuesday Meta Platforms Inc's (META.O) 22-member oversight board was unwelcome in the country, days after the panel recommended suspending Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook account over content violations. The board's recommendation was "political in nature", Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry said. Hun Sen's Facebook account went offline last week after the Oversight Board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, said the platform had been wrong not to remove a video he published in January that breached rules against violent threats. Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders with nearly four decades in power, last week declared ahead of his account suspension that he would switch to communicating with his people via Telegram. One Oversight Board member, veteran Indonesian journalist Endy Bayuni, said he was not aware if any colleagues were in Cambodia or had to leave.

Persons: Hun, Meta, Hun Sen, Endy Bayuni, Kanupriya Kapoor, Fanny Potkin, Devika Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Cambodian People's Party, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cambodia, Indonesian

CNN —Israeli forces launched a large military operation in Jenin in the northern West Bank overnight Sunday, killing at least three people and injuring 13 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Footage shared with journalists appeared to show operations ongoing in parts of the Jenin refugee camp and Israeli military vehicles on the streets of Jenin on Monday morning. The IDF said it struck a joint operational command center for the Jenin Camp and operatives of the Jenin Brigade, a Palestinian militant group associated with Islamic Jihad. “The aggression on Jenin will not achieve its targets, Jenin will not surrender. The raid comes less than two weeks after an Israeli military raid on Jenin erupted into a massive firefight, leaving at least five Palestinians dead and dozens wounded.

Persons: Mahmoud al, Saadi, ”, Yoav Gallant, “ Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli Defense Forces, Jenin Government Hospital, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Palestinian, Jenin Brigade, Islamic, IDF, Israel Securities Authority, Israeli Locations: Jenin, Crescent, Palestinian, Israel, Jihad

Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer and former lawmaker, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face socialist President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been expanded because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. The ban does not affect Machado's ability to run in the primary because the opposition is holding it without state support. The opposition has said for years that bans are used by the ruling party to prevent political change. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Venezuelan, American States, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, Washington

☆ A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections. It just cleared a key hurdle, but it’s faced pushback
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Letting businesses vote in municipal elections dilutes the voice of the citizenry and “puts the idea that corporations are people on steroids,” said its executive director, Claire Snyder-Hall. Seaford proposal meets resistanceThe latest Delaware municipality to propose letting businesses vote in its local elections is the city of Seaford, with roughly 8,500 residents. Grenshaw said he never expected that to be a problem, since four other municipalities had no trouble getting approval for their decision to let businesses vote in the past. How influential could that be in future Seaford elections? The city clerk’s office would conduct a series of annual cross-checks to ensure that a business currently owns property in the city.

Persons: “, ”, Claire Snyder, Seaford Mayor David Grenshaw, ” Grenshaw, Grenshaw, Snyder, Hal Weitzman, Weitzman Organizations: CNN, Hall, DuPont, Seaford Mayor, Verizon, Delaware General Assembly, The News, Rich, University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, Fortune Locations: United States, Delaware, Seaford, it’s, America

CARACAS, June 30 (Reuters) - Ex-lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, a favorite to win the Venezuelan opposition's nomination for president in an October primary, is barred from holding public office for 15 years, the controller general said in a letter to a lawmaker. Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been extended because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017. Reporting by Mayela Armas and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Venezuelan, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, American

☆ Australia urged to ban online gambling ads to curb growing addiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The committee made 31 recommendations on how online gambling, which it said was changing the culture of sport, should be regulated and how Australians struggling with addiction should be supported. Australians outspend the citizens of every other country on online gambling, Peta Murphy, chair of the committee said in the report titled "You win some, you lose more". Murphy said online gambling companies advertise deliberately and strategically alongside sport, which has normalised it as fun and harmless and socialble activity. A phased, comprehensive ban on all gambling advertising on all media, broadcast and online, that left no room for circumvention, was needed, the panel said. The gambling problem shifted online to a much greater extent when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of public venues.

Persons: Peta Murphy, Murphy, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Praveen Menon, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Entain PLC, Tabcorp Holdings, ABC Gold Coast, Thomson Locations: Australia, London

☆ Over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed in blasts, violence since August 2021 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Over a thousand Afghan civilians were killed in bombings and other violence since foreign forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021, according to a report by the U.N.'s mission to Afghanistan released on Tuesday. Between Aug. 15 2021 and May this year 1,095 civilians were killed and 2,679 wounded, according to the U.N. Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), underscoring the security challenges even after the end of decades of war. Though armed fighting has fallen dramatically since the Taliban took over in August 2021 as the NATO-backed military collapsed, security challenges remain, particularly from the Islamic State. The militant group was responsible for the majority of attacks, according to the UNAMA, which also noted that the deadliness of attacks had escalated despite fewer violent incidents. Just over 1,700 casualties, including injuries, were attributed to explosive attacks claimed by Islamic State, according to UNAMA.

Persons: Charlotte Greenfield, Stephen Coates Organizations: Taliban, NATO, Islamic, Security, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Mission, Islamic State, Emirate

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