International
UN high-level meet and proof of vaccination explained
AFP
The high-level 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly gets underway next week amid confusion about whether all delegates, including world leaders, have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend.
Here, AFP answers the key questions surrounding the snafu, which started when New York issued a vaccine directive that the assembly initially supported, before reversing course after complaints from members.
– Where are we now? –
It appears delegates will not have to show proof of vaccination to enter the UN headquarters but they should have their vaccine cards ready if they want to eat or drink in any of New York’s many bars and restaurants.
The Big Apple began enforcing a vaccine mandate on Monday, requiring proof of at least one shot for many indoor activities, including dining, entertainment venues and gyms.
But UN officials say the city’s jurisdiction does not extend to the UN headquarters itself.
The United States does not require proof of vaccination to enter the country, only negative tests from some countries, so there is no enforcement at airports.
– How did this all start? –
In a letter dated September 9, the city government told the General Assembly president that “all persons” entering the UN headquarters for the purposes of attending the debate in the main hall would have to show proof of vaccination.
The mayor’s office cited its local vaccine mandate law and said the UN debate hall was classified as a “convention center,” meaning all attendees must be vaccinated.
“They must also show proof of vaccination prior to dining, drinking or exercising indoors on the UN campus, and in order to partake in all of New York City’s wonderful entertainment, dining and fitness activities,” it said.
– What was the UN’s response? –
On September 14, assembly president Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives wrote to members saying he “strongly supported” the proof of vaccination requirement laid out by the city authorities.
That was met with a quick backlash, led by Russia’s ambassador to the UN, who disputed that New York had the authority to enforce the mandate.
Vassily Nebenzia wrote to Shahid on September 15, saying the agreement between the United States and the UN about the headquarters prohibited US actors from regulating the running of the world body.
He added that preventing delegates to access the hall was a “clear violation of the UN charter” and that the directive failed to take into account the “rights of people who have received vaccines that are not approved by the CDC.”
Russia’s Sputnik V has not received approval from the World Health Organization, meaning it is not recognized in New York.
– Then what happened? –
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he no authority to issue a vaccine mandate for entry into the high-level dialogue.
But all public-facing UN staff are subject to a vaccine mandate, his spokesman added.
“Member states will have to come to a resolution amongst themselves,” his spokesman said Thursday.
That day, Shahid wrote to member states again, this time assuring them that entry to the UN headquarters for the debate will be based on an “honor system” regarding their vaccination status.
The city will host a vaccine pop-up site outside UN HQ next week to try to tempt anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated with a single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
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