WORLD NEWS FLASH
MIDDLE EAST
As war continues in the Middle East, leaders are asking both sides to think of those who are not marching toward battle lines.
On one side, more funding is urgently needed for lifesaving aid in Gaza while concern is deepening over high numbers of civilians killed since the beginning of the crisis and human rights violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Briefing reporters in Geneva on Friday UN health agency (WHO) spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that in Israel, where 1,400 people have been killed so far, and in Gaza, where over 9,000 have been killed according to Hamas run authorities, 70 percent of the victims are women and children.
“It’s the innocent civilians that are losing here. Let’s think about the victims,” he insisted.
UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssell highlighted concerns over Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia and Al Bureij refugee camps in recent days with dozens of residential buildings destroyed, as well as the high number of casualties reported in the enclave and the “reported use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in some of the most densely populated areas in Gaza.”
“We have serious concerns that the principles of distinction and proportionality are not being respected by both sides,” she said.
OHCHR already said on Nov. 1 that given the high number of civilian deaths and injuries in Gaza and the scale of the destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, these could be “disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes.”
On the other side, Ms. Throssell reiterated calls on Palestinian armed groups to “immediately stop launching inherently indiscriminate rockets into Israel” and “immediately and unconditionally release all the hostages they hold, in serious breach of international humanitarian law.”
According to Israeli authorities, 242 people are held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals. Media reports indicate that about 30 of the hostages are children.
The OHCHR spokesperson also recalled “the obligations of the de facto authorities to respect and protect the human rights of the people of Gaza.”
She highlighted that “the intentional co-location of military objectives and civilians or persons hors de combat with the specific intent of trying to prevent the targeting of military objectives is a serious breach of international humanitarian law.”
Israel has been alleging that Hamas uses civilians as human shields and hospitals and other civilian infrastructure for military purposes.
UNITED STATES
KING OF CRYPTO FOUND GUILTY
On Nov. 2, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, 31, of Stanford, California, was convicted of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He was also convicted of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
“Sam Bankman-Fried perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history – a multibillion-dollar scheme designed to make him the King of Crypto – but while the cryptocurrency industry might be new and the players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new, this kind of corruption is as old as time. This case has always been about lying, cheating, and stealing, and we have no patience for it,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who prosecuted the case for the Southern District of New York.
“When I became U.S. Attorney, I promised we would be relentless in rooting out corruption in our financial markets. This is what relentless looks like. This case moved at lightning speed – that was not a coincidence, that was a choice. This case is also a warning to every fraudster who thinks they’re untouchable, that their crimes are too complex for us to catch, that they are too powerful to prosecute, or that they are clever enough to talk their way out of it if caught. Those folks should think again, and cut it out. And if they don’t, I promise we’ll have enough handcuffs for all of them.
“This verdict would not have been possible without the amazing work by the career prosecutors from my Office and the FBI agents who have given their all for this case. We have pushed them hard, and they have delivered every step of the way. They are the best of the best, and I am grateful for them.
“This case has received a tremendous amount of attention, and I understand why that is, but the women and men of the Southern District of New York consistently deliver outstanding public service on behalf of the American people – without fear or favor and often without any public recognition. They do it because they believe in the rule of law, because they love this country, and because they are patriots. I am proud to serve with them.”
“Sam Bankman-Fried thought that he was above the law. Today’s verdict proves he was wrong. This case should send a clear message to anyone who tries to hide their crimes behind a shiny new thing they claim no one else is smart enough to understand: the Justice Department will hold you accountable. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their outstanding work in bringing Mr. Bankman-Fried to justice,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Bankman-Fried founded cryptocurrency exchange company FTX in 2019 and achieved acclaim for its maverick maneuvering through the market. However, when investors discovered links that FTX had to other suspicious companies linking back to Bankman-Fried, they began to question FTX’s financial health. Over time, it was discovered that customers’ funds were lost, and the company and other linked entities filed for bankruptcy.
On December 12, 2022 Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas and extradited to the U.S. to face multiple charges. He was initially released on bail, but it was revoked due to Bankman-Fried being accused of witness tampering.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 11-7-2023 at 12 p.m.
2023 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2023)
Total Mass Shootings: 677
Total Dead: 805
Total Wounded: 2725
Shootings Per Day: 2.18
Days Reached in Year 2023 as of Nov. 7: 311
EUROPE
FEARS ABOUND OVER WORK SCHEDULE
A formal notice has been issued to South Cambridgeshire District Council to ensure taxpayers’ money is well spent after concerns were raised over its four-day working week trial.
A Best Value Notice, issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, formally sets out government concerns around the council and whether the trial offers value for money, including the removal of up to a fifth of the authority’s capacity.
It requests evidence on the trial to consider whether the council is meeting its Best Value Duty, including on: staffing; costs; service delivery; resident feedback; overall performance since the start of the trial; should a four-day working week continue.
The Notice follows repeated requests from the Local Government Minister, Lee Rowley to end the trial, as well as the publication of guidance to the sector setting out why this practice should not be adopted.
Local Government Minister Lee Rowley said: “We are extremely concerned South Cambridgeshire District Council continues to experiment with taxpayers’ money by offering full time pay for part time work.
“We have been clear that the Government does not support the so-called four-day working week and, despite issuing clear guidance, this council has chosen to ignore it. The Government is making clear this needs to end and, although we hope not to have to, we will take further action should that prove to be necessary.”
The Best Value Notice is a formal notification of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s compliance with its Best Value Duty under the Local Government Act 1999, and will remain in place for six months to cover the remainder of the trial and allow for further analysis.
The Department will review the Notice and determine whether further action is needed. It may be ended early or escalated at any point based on the available evidence. This could include the use of additional powers that the Secretary of State has to request information, or to inspect or intervene in the council.
Guidance issued to the sector last week set out the Government’s position that removing 20% of a local authority’s potential capacity does not offer value for money for residents. It makes clear that value for money for taxpayers is paramount and no further focus should be given by councils on this issue.
The Government continues to support an individual’s right to request flexible working, which allows individual employees to apply for changes to the hours, timing, or location of work, which is clearly different to a blanket four-day working week on a full salary, across the whole organization.
AFGHANISTAN
OPIUM CONTROL PAYING OFF
Opium poppy production in Afghanistan has plummeted since the de facto authorities imposed a drug ban last year, new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data reveals.
According to the Afghanistan Opium Survey 2023, released by the agency on Nov. 5, the supply of opium declined by an estimated 95 percent, falling from 6,200 tons in 2022 to 333 tons in 2023, corresponding to a fall in the area under cultivation, from 233,000 hectares to just 10,800 hectares over the same period.
The near-total contraction of the opiate economy is expected to have far-reaching consequences, UNODC said, highlighting the urgent need for alternative development support for rural communities to build an opium-free future for the Afghan people.
“This presents a real opportunity to build towards long-term results against the illicit opium market and the damage it causes both locally and globally,” said Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director.
“At the same time, there are important consequences and risks that need to be addressed for an outcome that is ultimately positive and sustainable, especially for the people of Afghanistan,” she added.
The survey noted the sharp reduction has had immediate humanitarian consequences for many vulnerable rural communities who relied on income from cultivating opium.
Farmers’ income from selling the opium harvested in 2023 to traders fell by more than 92 per cent from an estimated $1,360 million for the 2022 harvest to $110 million in 2023, the survey added.
“Today, Afghanistan’s people need urgent humanitarian assistance to meet their most immediate needs, to absorb the shock of lost income and to save lives,” Ms. Waly said, noting that over the coming months, the country will require strong investment in sustainable livelihoods, to provide farmers with opportunities away from opium.
UNODC also emphasized that though there are high levels of opiate use within Afghanistan, evidence-based treatment options remain limited.
It called for evidence-based treatment to be integrated in public health measures and assistance, including to prevent people with opiate use disorders turning to potentially even more harmful substances.
Beyond Afghanistan, less heroin may lead to reduced trafficking and use, or it could spur the emergence of harmful alternatives, such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, UNODC warned.
Data on seizures indicate that traders are selling off their opium inventories from past record harvests to weather the shortfall in 2023, while heroin processing has decreased.
However, trafficking in other drugs, namely methamphetamine, has surged in the region.
