#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.

[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.

[godfreysimondavidbvute]

What Other Countries Can Learn From Zimbabwe's Economic Landscape

Zimbabwe’s economy has experienced significant fluctuations over the years. From hyperinflation to economic stabilization attempts, the country’s economic trajectory provides insights into the effects of monetary policy, trade strategies, and financial governance. This, in turn, offers valuable lessons for both developing and developed nations. While Zimbabwe has faced serious challenges, it has also demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and opportunities for reform that other nations can learn from.

One of the key lessons from Zimbabwe is the importance of sound monetary policy. For example, the country experienced one of the worst cases of hyperinflation in history, with inflation reaching an astronomical 500 million percent in 2008. Excessive money printing, weak fiscal controls, and a lack of confidence in the banking system fueled this economic crisis​. Other nations can learn from this by maintaining strong monetary policies. They should learn to avoid unchecked government borrowing and ensure central banks remain independent from political interference.

Another crucial takeaway from Zimbabwe is the impact of currency management. Over the years, Zimbabwe has experimented with multiple currency regimes. This includes the Zimbabwean dollar, the US dollar, and bond notes. Adopting a multi-currency system in 2009 helped stabilize the economy by reducing inflation and restoring confidence. However, the subsequent return to a local currency led to new economic uncertainties​. Countries considering currency reforms, therefore, should ensure economic fundamentals, foreign currency reserves, and public confidence back transitions.

Zimbabwe’s trade and investment policies also offer important lessons, as the nation has significant natural resources. This includes gold, platinum, and lithium. The mining sector alone accounts for 70.5% of the country’s total exports​. However, because of a lack of transparency, illegal financial flows, and lax regulatory frameworks, Zimbabwe has struggled with corruption, smuggling, and underutilization of these assets, which has hindered the country's ability to optimize its resource wealth. Countries with similar economic structures should prioritize transparency. They should curb corruption and implement policies that ensure resource wealth translates into national development.

One area where Zimbabwe has excelled is in agricultural resilience. Despite economic instability, the country has maintained a strong agricultural sector, particularly in tobacco production. Nations seeking to strengthen food security and agricultural exports can learn from Zimbabwe’s focus on small-scale farming, government support programs, and investment in irrigation and rural development.​

Zimbabwe’s large diaspora population contributes significantly to the economy through remittances, which grew from US$1.43 billion in 2021 to US$1.66 billion in 2022​. Countries with significant migrant populations can leverage diaspora investments by creating policies encouraging financial transfers, property investments, and more business opportunities, leading to less inflation and job loss.

In the end, Zimbabwe’s economic experience serves as both a warning and a roadmap. The country's challenges highlight the dangers of poor monetary policies, lack of financial oversight, and economic mismanagement. However, its resilience, resource wealth, and adaptability demonstrate that any economy can recover and grow with the right policies. Nations worldwide can draw from Zimbabwe’s experiences to make informed economic decisions, ensuring long-term stability and development.

For additional information and insight, please read Basic Economic Indicators: Reader's Guide with Zimbabwe Scenarios by Godfrey Simon David Bvute.

This book bridges the gap between complex economic theories and practical application, making it a valuable resource for a wide audience.  Using real-world Zimbabwean examples to illustrate their impact, Bvute explains key macroeconomic concepts, including GDP, inflation, monetary policy, and trade balances. The book equips readers with the tools to analyze economic data, understand policy implications, and ultimately make more informed business, finance, and everyday decisions. Addressing the challenges many Zimbabweans face, this book empowers readers with economic literacy, fostering confidence in navigating financial uncertainties and contributing to a more informed understanding of the nation's economic trajectory.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

U.S. Allies Are Sitting Out Trump’s Trade War With China (WSJ) America needs its allies and partners for what is shaping up as a protracted contest for geopolitical primacy now that President Trump has unleashed a trade war against China. They are in no rush to take sides. Many European and Asian partners aren’t sure to what extent they are still allied with Washington. Trump’s initial “Liberation Day” order, after all, slapped them with sky-high tariffs that made no distinction between long-term adversaries and faithful allies. The shock from this attack, partially reversed only as a result of a U.S. market rout, with additional exceptions quietly adopted on Friday, has added to months of concerns about how much Trump’s America can be relied upon in an increasingly brutal world. That is especially so now that Trump has linked trade concessions to security cooperation.

US still won’t say whether it will return mistakenly deported man, despite Supreme Court decision (AP/NYT) The Trump administration is doubling down on its decision not to tell a federal court whether it has any plans to repatriate a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported last month and remains confined in a notorious prison in El Salvador, despite a Supreme Court ruling and lower court order that the man should be returned to the United States. The U.S. district court judge handling the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia now is weighing whether to grant a request from the man’s legal team to compel the government to explain why it should not be held in contempt. Any move toward a contempt finding would represent an extraordinary turn in the Trump administration’s assertion of presidential authority, both generally and specifically over immigration policy. In a later appearance with President Trump, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said that the question of returning a Maryland man deported in error was “preposterous.”

90% (The Week) 90%: The percentage of migrants deported to El Salvador last month who had no criminal record. Of 238 migrants, only five had been charged or convicted of felony assault or firearms violations, three were charged with misdemeanors including theft, and two were charged with human smuggling, said Bloomberg. The rest had no information showing they had committed a crime.

A flight from the dollar could wreck America’s budget (Economist) In 1990s Japan the worst days of a market crisis brought about a “triple yasu” loss: a fall in stock markets, a rise in bond yields and a declining currency. It is now America that must stomach this noxious combination. Although President Donald Trump’s tariff pause provided a brief respite, the triple yasu has made an unwelcome return. In Japan the triple yasu was associated with national decline. Yet a flight from all American assets represents a far greater loss. That is because the dollar and Treasury bonds are the world’s havens, and the global financial system has been built on the assumption that they are safe. That the dollar is falling instead suggests investors are worried about America’s economic stability. Moreover, America’s budget is already in an awful state. Global demand for the dollar and Treasuries has enabled America to run a more extravagant budget than that which sparked the crisis in Britain. The federal government’s net debts are worth about 100% of GDP. In the past 12 months, America has disbursed 7% of GDP more than it borrowed, and spent more on interest payments than on national defence. Over the next year officials must roll over debt worth nearly $9trn (30% of GDP). Now that privilege is under threat.

Daniel Noboa is reelected Ecuador’s president by voters weary of crime (AP) Ecuadorian voters weary of crime reelected President Daniel Noboa, a conservative young millionaire with a divisive no-holds-barred crimefighting record, by a wide margin Sunday, but his opponent vowed to seek a recount over what she described as “grotesque” electoral fraud. Figures released by Ecuador’s National Electoral Council showed Noboa receiving 55.8% of the vote with more than 92% of ballots counted, while leftist lawyer Luisa González earned 44%.

Labour MPs push for Foreign Office to recognise Palestinian statehood (Guardian) In the U.K., Labour legislators are pushing the government to officially recognize Palestinian statehood. The pressure comes ahead of a U.N. summit on Palestine scheduled for June, during which French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to recognize Palestinian statehood as well. “We need to do it with friends. We need to do it with the French. There are a lot of other countries sitting back and waiting,” said Emily Thornberry, the chair of the U.K.’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee. She added that if Britain waits too long to recognize Palestinian statehood, there would be no Palestine left at all.

Back to Russian gas? Trump-wary EU has energy security dilemma (Reuters) More than three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy security is fragile. U.S. liquefied natural gas helped to plug the Russian supply gap in Europe during the 2022-2023 energy crisis. But now that President Donald Trump has rocked relationships with Europe established after World War Two, and turned to energy as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations, businesses are wary that reliance on the United States has become another vulnerability. Against this backdrop, executives at major EU firms have begun to say what would have been unthinkable a year ago: that importing some Russian gas, including from Russian state giant Gazprom, could be a good idea.

As tariffs put trade between China and the US in peril, Chinese businesses ponder the future (AP) When the first two rounds of 10% tariffs hit, Zou Guoqing, a Chinese exporter, groaned but didn’t find the barriers insurmountable. He gave up some of his profits and offered his client, a snow-bike factory in Nebraska, price cuts ranging from 5% to 10%. It seemed to work: The factory agreed to a new order of molds and parts. But when President Donald Trump announced an additional 34% universal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2, Zou, who has been exporting to the United States for more than a decade, was incredulous. “There’s not a thread of feasibility,” said Zou, who does business in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo. “It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the U.S.” Then came 50% more from Trump, followed by another increase that pushed the universal tariff on Chinese goods to 145%, and Zou said he now could only hope that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping can communicate. “We are pausing the shipments,” he said, “until the leaders talk.” That U.S. tariff and the retaliatory 125% tariff from China are putting businesses that trade between the U.S. and China on edge. They are fretting not only about their next orders but also their viability if there is no quick relief. Experts are worried the decades-long trade ties that have underpinned the relationship between the world’s two largest economies could be unraveling.

China Halts Critical Exports as Trade War Intensifies (NYT/Politico) China has suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets, threatening to choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. Shipments of the magnets, essential for assembling everything from cars and drones to robots and missiles, have been halted at many Chinese ports while the Chinese government drafts a new regulatory system. Once in place, the new system could permanently prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including American military contractors. The official crackdown is part of China’s retaliation for President Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs that started on April 2. Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken this moment to seek to cement Beijing’s alliances in Southeast Asia, and arrived in Vietnam this morning for trade and investment talks. Xi said in a statement that protectionism “will lead nowhere,” and that a trade war would have “no winner,” pitching China as the stable antidote to Trumpian disruption. Xi heads on to Malaysia and then Cambodia on his five-day trip.

U.S. weapons from Afghan war give Pakistani militants a deadly advantage (Washington Post) On Jan. 9, 2018, an M4A1 carbine rifle left the Colt’s Manufacturing plant in Connecticut, bound for Afghanistan. Last month, it was recovered in the aftermath of a deadly train hijacking by militants in Pakistan. The banged-up rifle, bearing serial number W1004340 and stamped with the Colt logo, was among billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment provided to Afghan forces, much of which was abandoned after the withdrawal of American troops in 2021. Many of the weapons wound up across the border in Pakistan, at arms bazaars and in the hands of insurgents, illustrating how the consequences of America’s failed war continue to reverberate years after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. After a decade of progress against militants, Pakistan is now struggling to contain multiple insurgencies—from jihadists in the north to Baloch separatists in the southwest—fueled in part by American weapons.

U.S. Nuclear Talks With Iran Move Forward, but Many Pitfalls Lie Ahead (NYT) The first meeting between the United States and Iran over its expanding nuclear program on Saturday displayed a seriousness of purpose and an effort to avoid what neither side wants, another war in the Middle East. They will talk again next Saturday, but the hard work lies ahead, as hard-liners in both countries, and Israel, are expected to balk at most any deal. If the first nuclear deal, reached in 2015, was prompted by Iran’s desire to rid itself of punishing economic sanctions, these talks have more urgency. Iran, battered by Israel and with its regional proxies diminished, still wants economic relief. But it also understands that the Islamic Republic itself is under threat and that President Trump, who pulled out of the first deal because he thought it was too weak, may not be bluffing about Iran’s facing “bombing the likes of which they’ve never seen before.”

Israeli strike damages last fully functional hospital in Gaza City (Washington Post) The Israeli military bombed the last fully functional hospital in Gaza City early Sunday, medics there said, giving patients, doctors and displaced Palestinians sheltering on the grounds only 20 minutes to evacuate before it struck and destroyed key parts of the facility. More than 200 people—88 patients and 120 staff members—were at al-Ahli Hospital when they received the call. No one was killed directly by the strike but a child who was receiving treatment for a head injury died as a result of the rushed evacuation, according to the Baptist Church in Jerusalem, which oversees the hospital.

At least 50 people killed in east Congo as government and Rwanda-backed rebels trade blame (AP) At least 50 people were killed in weekend attacks in Congo’s conflict-battered east, authorities said Saturday. The government traded blame with Rwanda-backed rebels over who was responsible for the violence that quickly escalated the conflict in the region. The renewed violence that residents reported in and around the region’s largest city of Goma—which the M23 rebels control—was the biggest threat yet to ongoing peace efforts by both the Gulf Arab state of Qatar and African nations in the conflict that has raised fears of regional warfare. Goma resident Amboma Safari recounted how his family of four spent the night under their bed as they heard gunfire and bomb blasts through Friday night. “We saw corpses of soldiers, but we don’t know which group they are from,” Safari said.

[mariacallous]

“Cocaine connections: Links Between the Western Balkans and South America”, a new report launched on Tuesday, highlights the crucial role that organised crime groups coming from Western Balkan countries now play in the trade of trafficked cocaine. 

The study, conducted by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime and based on extensive research and over 100 interviews conducted between October 2022 and November 2023, highlights the evolution of these criminal organisations and their growing influence.

The research outlines how Western Balkan criminals initially established links in South America in the late-1990s, expanded in the early 2010s, and consolidated their operations by the mid-2010s. Groups such as “Group America”, founded by migrants from the former Yugoslavia, were among the pioneers in drug trafficking. 

“By the mid-2000s, local criminal organisations, such as the Darko Saric group, had also started forming direct connections with cocaine suppliers in South America,” the report’s author, Fatjona Mejdini, said in an online presentation. 

“The real transformation occurred in the 2010s, when groups like the Montenegrin ‘Kavaci’ and ‘Skaljari’ clans, the Bosnia-based ‘Tito and Dino’ cartel, and Albanian-speaking networks, such as ‘Company Abelo’, gained significant control over the cocaine supply chain,” she added.

The report attributes this expansion to both “push” and “pull” factors. The “pull” factors include the significant rise in cocaine production in South America, which nearly doubled between 2013 and 2017, reaching some 2,000 tonnes by 2020. 

Meanwhile, the fragmentation of Colombian drug cartels created new opportunities for foreign actors, enabling Western Balkan criminals to establish direct relationships with local suppliers and bypass intermediaries. The growing demand for cocaine in Europe has also played a crucial role in strengthening their operations.

[erichold]

The Cruel Road North

Every year, Latin American smuggling networks exploit thousands of people from Africa and Asia as they try to make their way to the United States and Canada.

Their journeys are long, difficult, and dangerous.

Each migrant travels thousands of miles by plane to South America, often stopping in several countries along the way. Once in the Americas they secretly make their way north on buses or planes, on speed boats or rafts, in taxis or private cars. Many have been raped, robbed, or killed, left to die in the jungle or abandoned in the desert of the southwestern U.S.

It’s a lucrative business. Police documents, official statistics, and accounts from dozens of migrants suggest Latin America’s smuggling networks are making hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the clandestine trade, which is then moved around the world through front men, small businesses, and money transfer companies.

[darkmaga-returns]

Three cheers for President Donald Trump’s tariff threat, which concentrated the minds of Mexico’s leaders on their country’s role in undermining U.S. security, particularly when it comes to illegal immigration.  While the illicit drug trade is a more difficult nut to crack, President Claudia Sheinbaum can do much more to prevent illegal migrants going north.

Trump’s team is certainly monitoring the situation by reviewing the numbers of encounters with illegals crossing from Mexico.  This data not only includes Mexicans, it also counts third-country nationals who use our southern neighbor’s territory as a staging base to move north.  Trump also wants a decrease in narcotics trafficking, but the intelligence on ferreting out and quantifying drug smuggling is a much trickier business than tabulating illegal migrants. Trump’s first message to Sheinbaum is that he expects illegal migrant numbers from Mexico to evaporate and stay down, or he will be right back to talking tariffs. The American national interest deserves nothing less. 

Recent U.S. presidents—Bush, Obama, and Biden—always tried to make defending the national interest vis-à-vis Mexico a joint project.  That was the reason that Washington and Mexico City invested so much in the failed Merida Plan, which turned out to be another doomed nation-building exercise in Mexico, wasting a decade, countless lives, and billions of U.S. assistance dollars.  

[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

[beardedmrbean]

A House Democrat in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is breaking from the group to call for "tougher" border security measures after the ongoing migrant crisis forced U.S. officials to suspend railway operations between Texas and Mexico in two cities.

The statement by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, whose district is anchored in Laredo, stands in stark contrast with the CHC’s position on the current border negotiations between Republicans and the White House. 

Cuellar said rail operations were being stopped in Eagle Pass and El Paso on Monday morning so Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) could "redirect personnel to process migrants."

"The crisis at our border is seriously affecting legitimate trade," Cuellar wrote the evening prior. "This year alone, vehicle and rail operations have been suspended at multiple ports of entry due to an overwhelming number of migrants, worsening delays for truck drivers transporting goods and costing our economy millions."

He finished, "Our border communities desperately need more federal resources, and we need tougher measures at the border. We must secure the border now."

CBP accused smugglers of using freight trains to bring people into the U.S. illegally in a statement on Sunday night announcing the planned closures for Monday at 8 a.m. local time.

"CBP is continuing to surge all available resources to safely process migrants in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals," the statement said.

"After observing a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains, CBP is taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities."

It comes amid intense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in both the White House and Senate over President Biden’s $110 billion supplemental aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other causes. 

Republicans have made clear they would not consider Biden’s request unless it was tied to stricter border security and asylum measures.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is all-Democrat, released a statement last week urging Biden to show restraint in what he is willing to commit to in managing the border crisis.

"We are deeply concerned that the President would consider advancing Trump-era immigration policies that Democrats fought so hard against – and that he himself campaigned against – in exchange for aid to our allies that Republicans already support," they said. "Caving to demands for these permanent damaging policy changes as a ‘price to be paid’ for an unrelated one-time spending package would send a dangerous precedent."