#migrant smuggling trade

[persephoneggsy]

so i did this a while back, finally remembered it, and now i'm posting it

Mass Effect x Dragon Age AU

I did one of these already, sort of, for ME: Andromeda, but this one is set in the Milky Way.

Elaborations below:

Merrill is a quarian who was exiled from the Migrant Fleet. She's looking for a way not to destroy the geth, but to bring them back under quarian control, thinking they're too valuable a resource to just get rid of. Unfortunately, this made many quarians view her as dangerous, and she was exiled for the crime of experimental geth research. Making Merrill a quarian was the first choice I did for this AU, I think it fits really well.

Aveline is an asari. I'd considered krogan or turian, or simply keeping her human, but in the end I went with asari mostly because Aveline always struck me as condescending in the same way many asari are, lol. She's a commando who later moved to the Citadel to join C-SEC.

Isabela is a turian. She's a barefaced turian, meaning she has no association to a colony. Instead of following the typical turian tradition of proudly serving in the Hierarchy's military, Isabela instead ran off to become a space pirate, specializing in smuggling. She frequents the bars around Omega and has earned herself a fearsome reputation among the mercenaries.

Bethany remains a human; she grew up on a colony world with her siblings, and had a relatively peaceful childhood, despite the Alliance constantly badgering her parents to send her and her older sister to their biotic training program.

Marian, also a human, eventually ran away from home to become a mercenary. She resented her father for forbidding her and her siblings from joining the Alliance - not because she was particularly patriotic, but she felt like her father's grudge against the Alliance prevented her and her siblings from receiving the best training possible. Her powerful biotics made her both an asset and a target, and she soon caught the eye of a certain Council Spectre...

Fenris is a drell. He was raised under the Compact, an agreement between the drell and the hanar, and his purpose was to become a bodyguard... And then his training group was attacked by batarian slavers and he was taken captive. For many years, Fenris suffered under the batarians' rule, until he finally managed to escape. Unwilling to return home, he instead roams the galaxy, taking out as many batarian slaving operations as he can.

Anders is a human who escaped from a biotic testing facility run by Cerberus. Though this left him with a grudge against Cerberus, he also hates the Alliance, whom he sees as no better and will also use biotic children as weapons. He dreams of establishing a safe haven for biotics, and is willing to go to increasingly drastic measures to see that dream become a reality.

Varric is a volus. Unlike his business-minded brother, Varric does not spend his days negotiating trade agreements or doing finance consultations. Spending his days at the Afterlife bar on Omega, he's an information broker, and a pretty damn good one at that. With his specially crafted weapon Bianca, he's not too bad in a fight, either.

Carver, much like his older sister, left home to seek out his own path, and ended up joining the Alliance against his parents' wishes. He thrived in the military, quickly climbing the ranks due to his strength and competency. He's being primed for N7 training under the wathcful eye of Spectre Sebastian Vael.

Sebastian is a human, and a Council Spectre (I'm imagining this AU as a sort of nebulous period where humanity isn't as looked down upon as they were at the start of ME1, and there are a fair number of human Spectres running around). A wild child in his youth, his parents sent him to the Alliance to straighten him out, and to their relief, it worked like a charm. He specializes in covert missions and favors sniper rifles and tech powers.

[head-post]

Potential invasion of Panama by US Armed Forces would result in its occupation

A possible seizure of the Panama Canal by the US military would be contrary to international laws and would lead to US occupation of Panama, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing retired US Army General Barry McCaffrey.

McCaffrey said calls by US President-elect Donald Trump to regain control of the Panama Canal look like a return to the mid-19th century. The military officer questioned how a foreign state illegally controlling Panama could run the canal without Panamanians.

In early January, Trump said giving control of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999 “was foolishness.”

The Republican said the country had allegedly violated “every clause of the agreement” after handing over the canal to it. He said Panamanian authorities charge the US too much for warships to pass through. Trump said:

“They laugh at us because they think we are stupid, but we are no longer stupid. The Panama Canal is being discussed with them right now.”

However, Panama’s foreign ministry responded by saying that its sovereignty over the canal is not being discussed.

Earlier, Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC News that Mexico and Canada could have joined the US instead of receiving subsidies. Trump has already threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from Mexico and Canada because of the flow of illegal migrants and drug smuggling.

Trump also said that for the US “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” announcing the appointment of an ambassador to Denmark. He had previously expressed interest in buying Greenland from Denmark in 2019, but was turned down. In the coming year, Trump was also indicated that the island is not and will not be for sale, but Denmark could co-operate more with the US.

On January 15, Greenland’s Minister of Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equality Naaja Nathanielsen said the country’s reluctance to become part of the US. Nathanielsen noted that Greenland observes high environmental standards, has rich geological resources, and is open to close business cooperation with the US.

Earlier media reported that Trump published a map of the United States with “annexed” Canada and Greenland. At the same time on the image marked only two capitals – Washington and the Greenlandic city of Nuuk.

The inauguration of the President of the US will take place on January 20, 2025 in front of the Capitol building in Washington.

Read more HERE

[darkmaga-returns]

By Earick Ward

I do not have an economics degree from Boston University, like AOC, and I’m not a professional economist by trade.  I only play one.  Nevertheless, here are five cases for Trump’s tariffs.

1. As we saw last week with his new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, Trump’s plan is to use tariffs punitively, to alter behavior.

The president-elect said that he would impose the across-the-board tariffs on Day 1 and that they would stay in place until Canada, Mexico and China halted the flow of drugs and migrants.

All three countries have wittingly produced fentanyl (China) or aided in the smuggling and distribution of the drug into the United States.  Trump has committed to the American people that he is going to shut down the border and stop the flow of illegal invaders, and while he, Tom Homan, ICE, and the Border Patrol are going to do our part to affect this outcome, he needs Mexico and Canada to do their part as well.  These tariffs don’t need to go into effect if China, Mexico, and Canada get on board.

2. For at least 30 years, as far as I can recall, our industrial base has been decimated by the offshoring of good paying, low- and medium-skilled, middle-class jobs to China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, and elsewhere.  The auto industry, steel, textiles, appliances, electronics, and more have moved offshore.  This may have enabled cheaper imports, but it also eliminated many of the middle-class incomes that Americans once relied upon to provide for their families.

We now have a two-tier economic system, where tech moguls, money managers, and athletes and entertainers make really good money, and much of the rest of society is relegated to low-wage service-sector jobs, that offer little to no advancement and barely provide for an individual, let alone a family.

J.D. Vance has seen this play out firsthand — first in his own family and second in his representing the great state of Ohio.

[sab-cat]

January 20, 2025 As cartels have gained a firm grip on control of the lucrative migrant smuggling trade in recent years, it’s virtually impossible for migrants and asylum seekers to pass through Mexico and other Latin American countries without paying some sort of fee to cartels. The moment they do, she said, it could disqualify them from seeking asylum. “Trump can essentially prevent the vast majority of undocumented migrants trying to cross the U.S. border from getting asylum,” she said. Mike Vigil, a former head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s foreign operations, said he expected any terrorism designation to have very little impact on day-to-day operations against cartels because many of the same anti-terrorism powers American authorities would be granted, they already employ in counter-narcotics efforts. “It’s already been done. This is nothing new,” Vigil said. “It’s all political theater and tossing a piece of stale salami to his base.” He said logistically the order would likely allow the U.S. to seize assets of groups in the U.S., sanction U.S. citizens that do business with terrorist organizations and block members of those groups from entering the U.S. “It’s not going to allow the U.S. to send troops into Mexico like so many people think simply because people forget that Mexico is a sovereign country and it would be an act of war,” he said.

[fishrpg]

2024-12-28: South Texas (Hex 28)

The road travels through chaparral and scrubland, alternating between long straight stretches and snarls of turns that seem to serve no purpose.

Notable Feature: The Smuggler's Ranch (Dungeon)

Medium dungeon, 18 areas

There is a palatial ranch house out here that belongs to Tristan Harper, who is known to the public as a wealthy rancher, farmer, and world-class poker gambler. However, Tristan's wealth comes primarily from the importing and distributing of cocaine from South America. Large quantities of the drugs are hidden at the house through a combination of false walls, secret doors/tunnels, and magical obfuscation. There's also a tiny airstrip for "crop dusters" that are mostly just smuggling vessels.

Many people are on Tristan's list of blackmail and kidnapping targets. One such person, Mayor Josephine Rotondo of the town of Corpus Arañas (located outside the outside The Routes), currently has both her son and husband kidnapped. The husband and son were out for a horseback riding session nearby, and Tristan's goons ambushed the pair because didn't want to pass up the opportunity for leverage. Now they are being used as collateral to make sure that a huge shipment of drugs doesn't encounter any police presence on the way out of the county. Mayor Rotondo needs someone discreet and not ideally not affiliated with the local police to infiltrate the ranch house, locate the hostages, and get them out safely. For those who are successful, Mayor Rotondo will pay a small anonymous reward for their safe recovery, but the more important reward is that the quick thinking father was able to memorize the path to a place they were held that had both a lot of drugs and a briefcase full of money.

Secret: The Dealer's Sanctum

Carefully hidden in a cow pasture is a cistern with a false wall that leads to a maze of tunnels and secret passages. Those who know the way can reach a chamber that holds drugs ready for distribution and a briefcase full of cash to pay for the transportation and bribes associated with the drug trade.

Service Station: El Burro Gasolina y Comida

The parking lot is packed dirt and the business is a blocky concrete structure with a garage for repairs. Strings of lights run from the building to the pumps and to a series of benches surrounding a seemingly empty patch of dirt. The shop serves meals of traditional Mexican cuisine for migrant workers in the morning and in the evening. After sunset, there's a good chance that there is an event or social gathering with live music in the area with the benches (2-in-6 chance on weeknights, 5-in-6 on weekends).

Items From Other Hexes

The stone that was stolen from Pit Stop's archway (Hex 8) is in the possession of Annie Thompson. She took the stone because she was drunk and wanted a souvenir and thought it could be used for self defense if someone tried to get handsy with a woman who was traveling alone. She's not terribly attached to the stone and will give it away in exchange for any mundane souvenir from Michigan. Anyone who handles the stone can sense that it has some sort of power inside it. If used in combat, it functions as a +2 improvised club.

[beardedmrbean]

NEW YORK CITY - The NYPD’s Detective Bureau is tracking the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, made up of young migrants – some just 11 years old – who are believed to have arrived as NYC experienced an influx of asylum seekers.

Jason Savino, assistant chief at the NYPD Detective Bureau, said on Good Day New York that this is the first time "we've seen structure with Tren de Aragua."

"Now, we're seeing that structure. There's actually kick-ups where people are recruiting these younger members as young as 11, and they've been described as some of these robbery incidents as young as 8 years old," Savino said.

According to police, the gang’s crimes have become more brazen, with members even posting their weapons on social media.

"Right now, what we have, I like to call a perfect storm of sorts … tremendously brazen, absolutely ruthless individuals that have created a multitude of crimes with basically no repercussions," Savino said.

"[Times Square] is their threshold, that's where they feel comfortable, that's where they post to social media." Jason Savino, assistant chief at the NYPD Detective Bureau

Savino continued: "What started out as a robbery crew, upwards of 50 robberies – 20 individuals – arrested for upwards of 50 robberies," Savino said. "And out of those 20 individuals, every single one of them is on the streets today."

‘Little Devils’

Meanwhile, "Los Diablos de la 42" -- Spanish for "Little Devils of 42nd Street"-- have proven to be a big problem for Times Square and the NYPD.

"[Times Square is] their threshold, that's where they feel comfortable, that's where they post to social media," Savino said.

Police officials say they're working to nab members of the Los Diablos – a subset of the Tren de Aragua. Sources tell the New York Post about 20 young migrants are targeting locals and tourists in numerous robberies and other crimes at the "Crossroads of the World."

"There is no deterrence," the source added. "You have a 15-year-old who continues to treat our city like his personal video game."

What is Tren de Aragua?

Tren de Aragua, which translates to Aragua Train, began in 2012 among trade union members in the Aragua province of Venezuela who used the country's rail system for crime, according to the New York Post.

The gang is involved in robberies, drug dealing and human trafficking throughout South America, and authorities warn that the group is looking to expand its international empire, according to the Post.

Earlier this year, Deputy Inspector Nicholas Fiore said the NYPD recorded a "tremendous" surge in moped robberies that they believe are orchestrated by Tren de Aragua recruits.

"There are orders coming from Columbia and from Venezuela, [they move] to Miami and then to New York," Fiore said.

Bernardo Raul Castro-Mata, the Venezuelan migrant accused of shooting two NYPD officers earlier this year during a traffic stop, reportedly confessed to police that gang members were instructed to shoot police officers.

In court, Queens Assistant District Attorney Lauren Reilly said that Mata had told investigators that members of Tren de Aragua were smuggling firearms into city shelters inside food packages that do not have to go through metal detectors.

Savino told Good Day he's concerned about gang warfare.

"We do believe there's a spillover from Venezuela, where a homicide did occur," he said. "So this could be the continued beef from Venezuela, tremendously concerning, but that would ignite the fire. We're on top of it, and we'll certainly prevent it."

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kallie Cox at KCUR:

After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021, the governors of Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska answered his call to tackle crime and illegal immigration along the state’s border with Mexico. Their efforts are failing, critics say.

Hundreds of National Guardsmen have spent the past three years rotating through a deployment in Texas. They’ve traded Midwestern green grass, highways and sprawling crop fields for dusty roads, a dry riverbed and close-ups of concertina wire thousands of miles away from their families. Baking for hours in the withering heat, the troops from Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska share a mission under the banner of Operation Lone Star: Intercept immigrants arriving illegally and drugs crossing the U.S. border from Mexico. “Political theater” is how immigration and border relations researcher Tony Payan describes the operation. He regularly travels both sides of the border interviewing activists, migrants and experts about immigration.

Unlawful migration has become a political flashpoint since Donald Trump began campaigning on the issue and arguing for a border wall in 2015. It continues to be a key element of GOP campaigns. According to a July poll from Gallup, about 55% of Americans support a decrease in immigration to the U.S. Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said the troops tasked with maintaining these border patrols have become increasingly stressed as long stretches of inactivity and heat take their toll. The Republican governors of Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, along with Republican governors from other states, said the troops would be intercepting human smugglers and massive shipments of fentanyl. There were predictions of mass arrests, drug busts and the apprehension of suspects on the terrorist watchlist.

[...]

‘Every state is a border state’

In March 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star by sending the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to patrol sections of the border between legal entry points. Since then, 14 additional states — many of which sit thousands of miles from the Mexico border – have sent resources to support the Texas operation. Abbott called on other states across the country to participate because, as the governors of Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska have all argued in separate press releases: “Every state is a border state.” Since 2021, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska have together sent 519 National Guard service members and 143 state troopers and other law enforcement personnel to the border, according to information published by the states. The combined cost is approximately $7.1 million.

“As Governor, I have a responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of Iowans and protecting them at home starts with protecting the border,” Reynolds said in a 2023 statement. Pillen echoed her sentiments after a visit to the border in 2024. “Our federal government continues to ignore our border crisis,” he said. “The highest calling of government is public safety. We, as governors, must stand together to stop the constant influx of illegal drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.” While Operation Lone Star targets the areas at the border between legal ports of entry, the Department of Homeland Security notes: “More than 90% of interdicted fentanyl is stopped at ports of entry where cartels attempt to smuggle it primarily in vehicles driven by U.S. citizens.”

Midwestern states that do not touch a single mile of Mexico have spent millions propping up Operation Lone Star as part of Texas’s war on undocumented immigrants.

[hera-the-shoggoth]

The Town of Innsmouth is a small fishing port in east-central Massachusetts with a troubled history.

Founded during the Jacobean Era at the mouth of the Manuxet River, it grew gradually through the 18th century into a mercantile hub, at its height sending ships to ports throughout China, India, and the South Pacific Islands and developing a diverse local culture.

This resulted in occasionally violent social conflict with its neighbors in a very protestant and racist region of rural New England. In the 1840s a wave of hysteria swept through the surrounding towns due to a minor outbreak of fever, and the epidemic was blamed on Pacific immigrants which had married into local families during the previous decade. The economy was devastated by the destruction and rioting which followed, though the event is largely forgotten.

As the Asia-Pacific trade routes began to wane in the mid-19th century, the town contracted and returned to its traditional fishing, which itself faded into obsolescence due to the much larger industrial-scale operations out of the major cities.

The local land-owning elites which had grown rich during the age of mercantile sailing tried to reorient the town to light industry, finding some success in precious metals refinery due to their connections with the Malay gold trade from the late 18th century. At the same time, there was a resurgence of the Innsmouth fishing industry due to uncommonly rich yields throughout the late 19th century and into the 20th.

Around this time, the city embraced a peculiar local religious denomination centered around a pagan veneration of the sea and fishing, which emerged during the age of the Pacific trade out of the local masonic lodge and the maritime methodist and baptist churches. Its existence contributed to decades of animosity between Innsmouth and the surrounding region.

A small boom of new commercial development followed, and a branch railroad was built connecting Innsmouth to its inland neighbors formerly cut off due to the thick wetlands surrounding the Manuxet River. The streets were paved during this time and electric lighting was installed. The population began to grow as migrants from the south settled there to find work in the emerging industries surrounding the refineries and Innsmouth was nearly incorporated as a city.

A series of murders and bombings during the 1920s hit the community hard and many people were left homeless or fled, resulting in a persistent decline which continues to this day. Furthermore, Innsmouth was a center of rum smuggling and speakeasy culture during the Prohibition Era, and the town was dealt a harsh blow by a major FBI raid in 1927 which shut down the Marsh Gold Refinery due to extensive connections with the illegal liquor trade.

Innsmouth was left with very little commerce. All that remained were the unprofitable fishing industry and a tiny service economy centered on a grocery store, a few restaurants, bars which reopened following the repeal of prohibition, and a hotel. There are no colleges or high schools, and much of its youth has migrated elsewhere since the 1940s. The town's aging population currently stands at 1,173.

The Civic Flag of Innsmouth was designed in 1953 by 58 year old local resident Eber Gilman to celebrate the town's tricentennial that year, and was adopted officially in 1960. It reflects the area's mercantile history as well as its ubiquitous fishing culture and gradual revival.

On a blue field in the center of thirteen white stars it features a brigantine sailing ship with yellow banners, representing wealth and good fortune. Beneath the ship are three white cod emblematic of the fishing industry. Checkered against the three cod are three droplets of red blood, which represent the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War in which the town sent sailors to privateer and soldiers to enlist in the federal army.

Over the mast of the ship is a bright yellow droplet, which represents the historical gold refining industry, as well as the the bright yellow moonlight which shines over the harbor. The flag is 1:2 in aspect ratio, and the fly ends in a swallowtail which begins at the center-point. The upper tip of the swallowtail is colored yellow, representing gold and wealth, while the lower tip is in red, representing toil and struggle. Together they represent the dual nature of the town's heart.

Hopefully in the future more awareness will be directed at the plight of rural towns across the United States which have been in a slow process of death for the last two centuries due to the concentration of industry in the larger cities, leaving traditional sources of revenue obsolete and unprofitable. Innsmouth's story reflects a history of poverty, racism, loss, and perseverance which has shaped the American working class.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] The United States and Mexico have reached a temporary agreement that halts planned tariffs and strengthens border security efforts, following high-level discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The agreement, which includes the deployment of Mexican troops to curb drug trafficking and illegal migration, marks a critical moment in the two countries’ ongoing negotiations. President Trump announced that Mexico has agreed to immediately station 10,000 soldiers along the U.S.-Mexico border to crack down on the smuggling of fentanyl and unauthorized border crossings. The decision follows a direct conversation between Trump and Sheinbaum, during which both leaders expressed a willingness to collaborate on security and economic policies. “I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. In return, the United States will pause its proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican goods for one month, allowing time for further negotiations. The negotiation talks will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, alongside top Mexican officials. Trump voiced confidence in the upcoming discussions, stating, “I look forward to participating in these negotiations with President Sheinbaum as we work toward a mutually beneficial deal.” President Sheinbaum characterized the conversation with Trump as respectful and constructive, emphasizing that Mexico remains committed to its sovereignty while addressing shared concerns with the U.S. In a statement, she outlined three key points of the agreement: A stronger security presence at the northern border, with a focus on stopping drug trafficking, especially fentanyl. A pledge from the U.S. to take action against the smuggling of high-powered firearms into Mexico. Immediate collaboration on security and trade policy, with working groups launching discussions right away. Sheinbaum also confirmed that Mexico proposed the tariff freeze, which Trump accepted. “They are pausing tariffs for one month from now,” she stated. Sostuvimos una buena conversación con el presidente Trump con mucho respeto a nuestra relación y la soberanía; llegamos a una serie de acuerdos: 1.México reforzará la frontera norte con 10 mil elementos de la Guardia Nacional de forma inmediata, para evitar el tráfico de drogas… — Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 3, 2025 Click here for Latest Fact Checked News On NewsMobile WhatsApp Channel For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] The United States and Mexico have reached a temporary agreement that halts planned tariffs and strengthens border security efforts, following high-level discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The agreement, which includes the deployment of Mexican troops to curb drug trafficking and illegal migration, marks a critical moment in the two countries’ ongoing negotiations. President Trump announced that Mexico has agreed to immediately station 10,000 soldiers along the U.S.-Mexico border to crack down on the smuggling of fentanyl and unauthorized border crossings. The decision follows a direct conversation between Trump and Sheinbaum, during which both leaders expressed a willingness to collaborate on security and economic policies. “I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. In return, the United States will pause its proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican goods for one month, allowing time for further negotiations. The negotiation talks will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, alongside top Mexican officials. Trump voiced confidence in the upcoming discussions, stating, “I look forward to participating in these negotiations with President Sheinbaum as we work toward a mutually beneficial deal.” President Sheinbaum characterized the conversation with Trump as respectful and constructive, emphasizing that Mexico remains committed to its sovereignty while addressing shared concerns with the U.S. In a statement, she outlined three key points of the agreement: A stronger security presence at the northern border, with a focus on stopping drug trafficking, especially fentanyl. A pledge from the U.S. to take action against the smuggling of high-powered firearms into Mexico. Immediate collaboration on security and trade policy, with working groups launching discussions right away. Sheinbaum also confirmed that Mexico proposed the tariff freeze, which Trump accepted. “They are pausing tariffs for one month from now,” she stated. Sostuvimos una buena conversación con el presidente Trump con mucho respeto a nuestra relación y la soberanía; llegamos a una serie de acuerdos: 1.México reforzará la frontera norte con 10 mil elementos de la Guardia Nacional de forma inmediata, para evitar el tráfico de drogas… — Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 3, 2025 Click here for Latest Fact Checked News On NewsMobile WhatsApp Channel For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram [ad_2] Source link

[adamirimmigrationsolicitors]

UK and Iraq Forge Stronger Ties to Tackle Trade, Growth, and Illegal Migration

UK and Iraq Forge Stronger Ties to Tackle Trade, Growth, and Illegal Migration

In a landmark meeting held at Downing Street today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani unveiled a series of initiatives designed to bolster bilateral trade, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen border security. The discussions marked a pivotal moment in UK-Iraq relations, showcasing a shared commitment to mutual prosperity and regional stability.

Transformative £12.3 Billion Trade Package

The highlight of the meeting was the announcement of a £12.3 billion export package, a deal worth ten times the volume of last year’s trade between the two nations. The agreement, supported by UK Export Finance, is expected to unlock substantial opportunities for British businesses across critical sectors such as water, energy, telecoms, and defence infrastructure.

Prime Minister Starmer described the deal as a "step-change in the trade and investment relationship between our two countries," emphasizing the potential for shared economic benefits and stronger private sector collaboration.

“This package is a testament to our shared ambition of driving growth and delivering for our citizens,” Starmer said.

Tackling Illegal Migration

In parallel, the leaders initiated discussions on a bespoke migrant returns agreement aimed at addressing illegal migration. This agreement will streamline the process of returning individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK, while disrupting the operations of people-smuggling gangs.

The UK has already taken significant steps to secure its borders, including exporting £66.5 million worth of equipment to Iraq to enhance border security and combat smuggling. This initiative aligns with the government’s broader “Plan for Change,” which prioritizes secure borders and economic growth.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the importance of the partnership, stating, “By strengthening border security, enhancing intelligence-sharing, and dismantling criminal networks, we are safeguarding vulnerable individuals and delivering justice.”

Strengthening Security and Defence

The leaders also reinforced their commitment to regional stability and defence cooperation. A decade after the UK’s role in the territorial defeat of Daesh, a new joint statement was signed to deepen defence ties and strengthen Iraq’s security infrastructure. This move builds on agreements reached during the Home Secretary’s visit to Iraq in November, which included enhanced law enforcement and border security initiatives.

A Foundation for Long-Term Growth

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds lauded the agreements as a “vote of confidence in Britain’s role as a proud trading nation.” He emphasized that the export package and related agreements would provide greater certainty for businesses while fostering genuine shared benefits.

In addition, the UK’s newly launched sanctions regime targeting people smugglers is expected to deliver a severe blow to illicit financing networks. These measures underscore the UK’s commitment to combating illegal migration and supporting international law enforcement efforts.

A Renewed Partnership

Today’s discussions symbolize a new chapter in UK-Iraq relations, characterized by deeper economic, security, and defence collaboration. As Prime Minister Al Sudani concluded his visit, both leaders expressed optimism about the potential for continued progress and enduring cooperation between their nations.

“Our partnership is rooted in shared priorities and mutual respect,” Starmer stated. “Today, we lay the groundwork for a future of shared prosperity and security.”

Adamir Immigration Solicitors London

Address: Unit-1, 5 Norman Rd, London N15 4ND

Phone: 020 3302 0074

[head-post]

Canada vows to strengthen border and immigration restrictions to appease Trump

The Canadian government on Tuesday announced a new plan to strengthen border security and the immigration system. Such a plan comes in response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports unless Canada stops the flow of illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling into the US.

As part of a new C$1.3 billion (US$908 million) plan to address US President-elect Donald Trump’s concerns about migrants and fentanyl coming across the northern border, Canada is deploying what it calls an “aerial reconnaissance task force.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will operate the task force, which consists of helicopters, drones and mobile observation towers. It’s one of many measures unveiled by the Canadian government on Tuesday in an attempt to stave off Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from the country unless it strengthens border security.

The announcement came a day after the country’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned, accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of failing to seriously prepare for a Trump presidency. She was replaced by Dominic LeBlanc, the minister of public safety, who unveiled a border management plan on Tuesday.

The funding was first announced in the government’s budget update on Monday. Trudeau has promised to strengthen measures at the border after Trump threatened Mexico and Canada with tariffs if they don’t – though problems at the northern crossing pale in comparison to those at the southern crossing.

The plan would also expand the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the RCMP and the Communications Security Establishment’s cybersecurity agency. The Government plans to increase fines and criminal penalties for money-laundering and to establish a task force on the issue involving law enforcement and the financial sector.

In addition, the government intends to increase information sharing between Canadian and US officials, as well as between the federal government and the provinces. The Trudeau government said it will propose that the US create a new “North American Joint Strike Force” to combat transnational organised crime.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem explained that the “strike team” would work with the US to train officers and law enforcement partners who specialise in fentanyl. They will work both domestically and in source countries of the deadly drug to disrupt its illegal trade, he said.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced changes to end a practice known as “flagging,” where a temporary resident leaves Canada and immediately returns to the point of entry to receive immigration services. He also said the government plans to expand its ability to cancel, amend or suspend immigration documents and stop accepting new applications.

In addition, the government will use artificial intelligence and visualisation tools and train new canine teams to help detect illegal drugs before they enter Canada. In addition, the government plans to create a new unit within the country’s health department to crack down on the importation of precursor chemicals, and will speed up the process of banning these materials to six months from three years.

Read more HERE

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Around the world, the cost of a transplant on the black market ranges from $20,000 to $200,000 – the higher price generally reflecting better treatment and care. The “donor” typically receives a fraction of this cost. The amount that they receive varies from country to country. In the Philippines and Columbia impoverished farmhands and bonded labourers have been documented as receiving less than $2,000 for a kidney. In contrast, kidneys have been sold for between $10,000 and $20,000 in Israel and Turkey.

In Egypt a kidney can sell for anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000. Patients, or “transplant tourists”, pay between $50,000 and $100,000 for a kidney transplant, including travel and accommodation. The price generally depends on market demand. For a kidney, the price paid to the seller can be anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000. Part of the broker’s job is to find out just how wealthy the buyer is, and to establish the absolute minimum the seller is prepared to accept. An impoverished, unemployed seller with no legal status is in no position to negotiate. For this reason, illegal migrants make valuable targets.

A series of drawn-out conflicts in the region have supplied a steady flow of people whose desperation can be commodified in different ways: bodies to be smuggled, sold or harvested. Hakim said that he referred between 20 and 30 sellers a week, who are themselves referred to him by his contacts in Khartoum. “They agree the deal [organ sale] in advance, and I call my uncle to receive them. After the operation, they continue to the coast to try and make the crossing,” he said. Most, he said, don’t make it across the Mediterranean.

I asked whether he felt any remorse for the people he was exploiting. “Yes, I feel bad for them. But I always give them their money. There are other brokers who would agree with you on a price, then disappear after the surgery without paying you,” Hakim said. “This happens at least 40% of the time.”

Most people are not paid what they are promised, but because it is illegal to sell a kidney there is little they can do. Brokers and the medical professionals they work with are aware of this, using the threat of criminal prosecution to silence their victims.

I met Hiba, a young single mother from Sudan, in Cairo in March 2020. She sold her kidney to help support her young daughter. She had been promised $10,000, but was paid $4,000. After she recovered from the surgery, she went back to the hospital to get her money. But prior to the surgery, she had signed documents that stated she was donating her kidney for free. This was enough to give those involved with the surgery legal cover. And now, if Hiba chose to report them to the police, she could be arrested for the criminal offence of selling a kidney. She was powerless to get the full fee she’d been promised.

One reason that worldwide convictions for illicit organ removal are so rare is that victims are reluctant to come forward. Another is systemic corruption. Hakim suggested that doctors pay bribes to protect themselves from police investigations. But he added, a little vaguely: “The doctors are not controlling the business. The people who control this business take a commission from the doctors. You don’t know them or what they do. You just know that those people take a commission from doctors, they control the business [the organ trade] – otherwise, no doctor would be able to work [performing transplants].”

When I asked Hakim if he meant government officials, he simply replied, “They are people higher up.” The threat of arrest, Hakim claimed, acts as a form of official extortion. Corrupt medical professionals, performing illegal transplants, who pay for protection will not be investigated, while those who refuse to pay could be arrested.

  —  ‘For me, there was no other choice’: inside the global illegal organ trade

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Report: Over 100 'Unaccompanied' Children Found At U.S.-Mexico Border In Past Week

A migrant child sits in the back of a border patrol vehicle after being apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border protection officers on June 24, 2024 in Ruby, Arizona.

Over 100 children, hailing from foreign nations and traveling without their parents or any guardian concerned for their safety, have been found crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since November 24th, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“I want the American people to see the impacts of this current border situation that we’ve been in for the last three plus years, and how it impacts unaccompanied children [that] are coming across that border,” stated Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez.

Oliver noted that border agents have encountered many unaccompanied children, ranging from two-years-old to 17 years old, who they believe were likely smuggled and brought to the border by criminal organizations.

“It really shows the inner workings of how these criminals are operating, also how some of these family members, if they are family members in fact, how they even allow their child to make this long, precarious journey to the United States at the hands of criminals,” he added. “There is no protocols in place to protect unaccompanied children.”

“Because of our broken border policies, many parents make the impossible decision to send their children to the US for safety because they know they will face removal if they enter as a family united,” stated Amy Fischer, the Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA.

“It is because of broken border and immigration policies that separate families, make it nearly impossible for families to reunite in the U.S., and block families from exercising their human right to seek safety together,” she continued.

The report follows after a 10-year-old boy was found unaccompanied on Thanksgiving Day, as well as another 4-year-old girl, who authorities originally believed was two-years-old.

The young girl traveling alone was found by border agents with only a name and phone number to contact her parents. She traveled from El Salvador into the United States, claiming that her mother paid a smuggler to get her into the country.

“I found a coyote [smuggler], and I paid for them to bring her to me,” stated “Patty,” the girl’s mother, who is currently residing in South Carolina.

“She came alone. It was just the coyote. The last time I talked to my daughter was Saturday, and I haven’t heard anything since they told me the coyote had already handed her over to another coyote, but I don’t know anything else about her,” she continued.

The mother added that she believes her daughter is still in the custody of U.S. immigration.

The Biden administration has reportedly lost track of 32,000 unaccompanied migrant minors who failed to show up to court dates from 2019 through 2023. Meanwhile, Democrats and left-wing political pundits claim that it’s a paperwork issue and not a “missing” kids issue, seemingly gaslighting the public into thinking this topic should not raise concerns.

“This is not a ‘missing kids’ problem; it’s a ‘missing paperwork’ problem,” stated Jonathan Beier, associate director of research and evaluation for the Acacia Center for Justice’s Unaccompanied Children Program, reported by AP News. “All of these factors can explain some of the deficiencies and a conclusion that the children are missing could be very, very premature,” stated Raul Pinto, the deputy legal director for transparency at the American Immigration Council.

Additionally, after Trump’s election win, many conservatives are now ecstatic to see law and order being brought back to the operations and processes surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border, with the help of Tom Homan, Trump’s newly appointed border czar.

“Shame on them,” stated Homan. “Many are going to be in forced labor. Many forced sex trade,” Homan continued, referencing the children. “We need to save these children.”

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Thursday, November 14, 2024

As Trump prepares for mass deportations, Mexico is not ready (Washington Post) This week, Donald Trump appointed Tom Homan as “border czar” and Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff, signaling a strong commitment to a hardline anti-immigration agenda. Few countries stand to be more affected than Mexico by what Trump has described as “the largest deportation in the history of our country.” Nearly half of the estimated 11 million people living illegally in the United States are Mexican, according to analysts. Deporting them is cheaper and easier than sending migrants back to more distant countries that are at odds with Washington, such as Venezuela. In Mexico, migrant advocates are alarmed at what’s coming. Sending millions of jobless Mexicans back to towns they left years ago could create chaos in areas already suffering from poverty and organized crime, they say. “Neither the shelters nor the border area nor Mexico are ready for this,” said Héctor Silva, a Protestant pastor who runs the Senda de Vida migrant shelter in Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.

Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands (AP) Dozens of soldiers and police fanned out across a neighborhood on a recent night in the Turks & Caicos Islands just days after the archipelago reported a record 40 killings this year. They were on the hunt for criminals and illegal weapons fueling a surge of violence across the Caribbean as authorities struggle to control a stream of firearms smuggled in from the U.S. Illegal firearms are blamed for an increase or a record number of killings in a growing number of Caribbean islands this year, including Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas. In a letter sent to U.S. legislators in late September, New York’s attorney general and 13 other colleagues across the U.S. demanded new measures to stop the flow of guns, noting that 90% of weapons used in the Caribbean were bought in the U.S. and smuggled into the region.

In South America, the U.S. is already losing a trade battle with China (Reuters) In South American copper giant Peru, the incoming Donald Trump White House, opens new tab will find itself already on the losing side in a trade battle with China, part of a bigger power realignment around the resource-rich region in Washington’s backyard. Peru, the world’s no. 2 copper exporter, is set to host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders this week, with China’s President Xi Jinping expected to attend and inaugurate a major new Chinese-built port in the country. Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden is also on the guest list. Peru reflects a wider challenge for the White House around South America, where China’s presence has grown rapidly given its huge appetite for the region’s main exports: corn, copper, soy, beef and battery-metal lithium. That’s made Beijing the go-to trade partner from Brazil to Chile and Argentina, eroding Washington’s regional political clout, a trend that widened under Trump’s ‘America First’ inward turn during his first administration and again under Biden. Peru demonstrates the dramatic shift. China’s trade lead there over the United States widened to $16.3 billion last year, UN Comtrade data show, a stark reversal of just a decade ago when Washington was the dominant player.

Russia launches first missile attack on Kyiv in months as North Korean troops fight Ukraine in Kursk (AP) Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with a sophisticated combination of missiles and drones for the first time in 73 days on Wednesday, authorities reported, as the Pentagon said most of the North Korean troops sent to help Moscow’s war effort are fighting to drive Ukraine’s army off Russian soil in the Kursk border region. Air raid warnings blared for hours as Russia targeted eight regions of Ukraine, firing six ballistic and cruise missiles and 90 drones, the Ukrainian air force said. The air assault came as most of the more than 10,000 North Korean troops sent by Pyongyang to help Moscow in the war are engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk border region, according to the Pentagon. A Ukrainian army incursion into Kursk three months ago has succeeded in holding a broad area of land and has embarrassed the Kremlin.

India's top court bans 'bulldozer justice' as punishment (BBC) In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, India’s Supreme Court reinforced the principle of separation of powers by banning extrajudicial demolitions, commonly referred to as “bulldozer justice.” The ruling came after a series of demolitions targeting homes of individuals accused or convicted of crimes, primarily affecting minority Muslim communities. In a statement, the court emphasized that such practices violate the rule of law and issued strict guidelines requiring 15-day notice for demolitions and threatened contempt of court for non-compliance. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, praised the decision, calling it a vital step in upholding citizens’ rights in India’s constitutional democracy.

China’s underground raves (AP) Crouch through the small metal door and walk down the dark tunnel, and even before you step into the abandoned air raid shelter, the air reverberates with pounding techno beats. Young Chinese holding booze and cigarettes shake and sway in a red-lit passageway, below a big screen rolling through quotations from Chairman Mao. This is an underground rave in China, part of a subculture growing in hidden corners of the nation’s cities, even as its political and cultural mainstream grow increasingly controlled, staid and predictable. For Chinese ravers, these gatherings—often called “ye di,” or “wild dances”—not only offer a rare space for unfettered fun, but signal resistance to the narrowly prescribed future a rigid society expects for them. Chinese young people face intense pressure and high expectations from the society around them. In recent years, facing bleak economic prospects, Chinese youth culture has been swept by a series of viral slang terms to describe frustration and hopelessness: “ 996 “—the brutal 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week work schedule many companies ask of employees. “Involution”—an endless treadmill of pointless competition that fresh graduates face. “ Lying flat “—the growing trend among young people of giving up all ambition and aiming to do as little as possible. Techno dance parties are an escape from all that.

Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali (AP) Several international airlines canceled flights to and from Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali on Wednesday as an ongoing volcanic eruption left travelers stranded at airports. Tourists told The Associated Press that they have been stuck at Bali’s airport since Tuesday after their flights were suddenly canceled. Media reports said that thousands of people were stranded at airports in Indonesia and Australia. Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province spewed towering columns of hot ash high into the air since its initial huge eruption on Nov. 4 killed nine people and injured dozens of others.

Attack, Withdraw, Return: Israel’s Bloody Cycle of War in North Gaza (NYT) When Israeli forces first swarmed into Gaza last year, they targeted North Gaza, an area stretching across densely packed urban centers and small strawberry farms near the border with Israel. The military said that hardened Hamas fighters were hiding among the civilians there, so it struck residential neighborhoods, hospitals and schools turned shelters. It was one of the deadliest moments of the war. Now, almost exactly a year later, it is all happening again. In an effort to stamp out what the military has called a Hamas resurgence, troops, tanks and armed drones have hammered the area almost daily, displacing 100,000 residents and killing likely more than 1,000 others, according to the United Nations. There are so many corpses, multiple residents and a local doctor said, that stray dogs have begun to pick at them in the streets. “Life over the past four weeks, if I can sum it up, is a people being exterminated,” said Islam Ahmad, 34, a freelance journalist from North Gaza who described helping bury neighbors in a mass grave.

Health care workers in Gaza ask why the international community ignores their suffering (Salon) Just over a year ago, after a massive explosion in the parking area of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza killed 471 people and wounded hundreds more, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who was performing surgery at Al-Ahli when the roof fell in, gave an extraordinary press conference. Flanked by fellow health care workers in their scrubs and surrounded by white-shrouded dead bodies in the hospital courtyard, Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian volunteer in Gaza with Doctors Without Borders, described how people came to the hospital in search of safety. “This is a war crime that the world has seen coming,” he declared. “Israel has been warning the entire world that it was going to attack Palestinian hospitals, and it did exactly that.” While Israel has denied responsibility for that specific attack, whose origin is still debated, since then, Israeli forces have directly attacked hospitals and other health care facilities dozens and dozens of times. In a recently-released investigation that was presented to the United Nations General Assembly on Oct. 30, the U.N.-mandated independent Commission of Inquiry found that Israel has implemented a concerted policy to destroy the health care system in Gaza, and that it has committed the crime against humanity of “extermination.” While the evidence of Israel’s repeated and deliberate attacks on health care infrastructure has been presented to the world, many health care professionals and their patients have asked the international community why their calls for intervention are being ignored—and wonder where the solidarity is with health care workers in Gaza.

In Africa, meager expectations for a second Trump presidency (AP) African leaders may have been quick to congratulate Donald Trump on his election, professing a desire for mutually beneficial partnerships, but there are meager expectations that his presidency will change things for this continent of over 1.4 billion people. In the wake of Trump’s win, Kenya’s William Ruto said his country “stands ready” to deepen its ties with Washington. Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu spoke of a second Trump administration ushering in an era of “earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal” cooperation. Still, observers say African countries—once described by Trump as “shithole countries”—are definitely not going to be high on his to-do list. U.S. foreign policy has not made Africa a priority for a long while—beyond seeing the continent through the lens of countering rivals such as Russia and China, said Charles Ray, chair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Africa Program. Africa “will be at the very bottom of (Trump’s) list of priorities,” Ray said.

Self-Pubbed (Publishers Weekly) A new analysis of ISBNs found that the number of self-published books increased by 7.2 percent from 2022 to 2023, reaching 2,637,367 titles that year. The number of traditionally published titles slipped by 3.6 percent, to 563,019 titles in 2023. Amazon reports that over the past 10 years, Kindle Direct Publishing authors have made $3.5 billion in royalties, of which $650 million came in the past 12 months.

The Leonid Meteor Shower (Lifehacker) The annual Leonid meteor shower peak is coming this weekend, and while it may not be the brightest and most spectacular meteor event of the year, it’s still worth seeking out. The 2024 Leonid shower has been active since Nov. 3 and is predicted to peak early on Nov. 18, with the best viewing late on Nov. 17 into the early hours of November 18 (and possibly the morning of Nov. 17 as well). While the meteors radiate from a point near the constellation Leo, they’ll likely appear in all parts of the night sky. In ideal conditions, the Leonids produce 10–15 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the shower won’t be as visible this year thanks to a waning gibbous moon. If you’re headed out to find the Leonids, bring everything you need to get comfy and stay cozy for a while—you could be rewarded for your effort.