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FAA prohibits US airlines from flying to Haiti; UN suspends flights

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that it will prohibit U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after gangs shot a Spirit Airlines flight. The United Nations also said it will suspend flights, "obviously limiting the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country."  The bullets hit the plane when it was about to land Monday in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, injuring a flight attendant. It was part of a wave of violence that erupted in Haiti as the country swore in its new prime minister after a politically tumultuous process.  Life in much of Haiti's capital was frozen after the wave of violence, which came to a head when gangs shot the Spirit Airlines airplane Monday, forcing the airport to shut down. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane. A number of airlines suspended flights to Haiti through Thursday, but it was unclear how long closures could drag on.  Neither the former interim prime minister, Garry Conille, nor the newly inaugurated Alix Didier Fils-Aime commented on the violence.  But Luis Abinader, who as president of the neighboring Dominican Republic has cracked down on Haitian migration, called firing on the airplane terrorism.  "This was a terrorist act; the countries that are following and helping Haiti should declare these armed gangs as terrorist groups," Abinader said in a news conference.  On Tuesday, heavily armed police in armored cars outside the airport checked trucks used for public transportation passing by.  Schools were closed, as were banks and government offices. The streets, where just a day before gangs and police were locked in a fierce firefight, were eerily empty.  The sound of heavy gunfire was heard in the streets in the afternoon — a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti's elites and a strong push by the international community to restore peace, the country's toxic slate of gangs kept its firm hold on much of the Caribbean nation.  The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital. A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a U.N. peacekeeping mission.




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US 'looks forward to working with' Haiti’s new president

The United States recognized businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime as the newly appointed prime minister of Haiti, a State Department spokesman said in a statement Tuesday.   Matthew Miller said the U.S. “looks forward to working with” Fils-Aime and the Transitional Presidential Council “to advance progress against urgent priorities in the coming months.”  Fils-Aime, the former chairman of the board of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was sworn in Monday, replacing Garry Conille, who served as the country’s prime minister for only six months.    Conille is a doctor who previously ran UNICEF’s Latin American regional office. The TPC and Conille had been at odds. Several organizations recently tried to mediate the disagreements, according to the Miami Herald.  The transitional council was created in April to choose the Caribbean country’s prime minister and Cabinet, paving the way to the restoration of the democratic process to the gang violence-plagued country.   Democratic elections have not been held in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.    “The United States welcomes the commitment of the TPC and the new prime minister to release a joint action plan that outlines their vision to improve security and governance, and to set a path toward free and fair elections,” Miller’s statement said.  “The United States views it as vital that they clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the TPC vis-à-vis the prime minister and include measures to hold one another accountable as appropriate while preventing further gridlock,” the spokesman said.  As Fils-Aime was being sworn in, gangs shot at a Spirit Airlines airplane as it was attempting to land at Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. The flight was diverted to the Dominican Republic, where it landed.    The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in an alert Monday that it was “aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports and airports.”    The alert also said the U.S. Embassy was “aware of a temporary pause in operations at the Toussaint L'Ouverture airport.”    In addition to the gang violence that has clung to Haiti, the country has never fully recovered from a devastating earthquake in 2010.   Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press. 




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Teen in critical condition with Canada's first presumptive human case of bird flu

TORONTO, canada — A teenager is in critical condition in a British Columbia children's hospital, sick with Canada's first presumptive human case of avian influenza. "This was a healthy teenager prior to this, so no underlying conditions," said provincial health officer Bonnie Henry in a news conference on Tuesday. "It just reminds us that in young people this is a virus that can progress and cause quite severe illness, and the deterioration that I mentioned was quite rapid." British Columbia health officials said on Saturday the province had detected Canada's first human case of H5 bird flu in a teenager. Henry said the province is still identifying the exact strain but assumes the case is H5N1. The World Health Organization says H5N1's risk to humans is low because there is no evidence of human transmission, but the virus has been found in an increasing number of animals, including cattle in the United States. Henry would not disclose the teen's gender or age but said the patient had first developed symptoms on November 2 and was tested on November 8, when admitted to a hospital. Symptoms included conjunctivitis, fever and coughing. As of Tuesday, the teen was hospitalized with acute respiratory distress syndrome, she said. The teen had no farm exposure but had been exposed to dogs, cats and reptiles, Henry said. No infection source had been identified. "That is absolutely an ongoing investigation." More severe illness takes place when the virus binds to receptors deep in the lungs, she said. Public health officials had identified and tested about three dozen contacts and had not found anyone infected with the virus. There has been no evidence that the disease is easily spread between people. But if that were to happen, a pandemic could unfold, scientists have said. Earlier in November, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked that farm workers exposed to animals with bird flu be tested for the virus even if they did not have symptoms. Bird flu has infected nearly 450 dairy farms in 15 U.S. states since March, and the CDC has identified 46 human cases of bird flu since April. In Canada, British Columbia has identified at least 26 affected premises across the province, Henry said Tuesday, and numerous wild birds have tested positive. Canada has had no cases reported in dairy cattle and no evidence of bird flu in samples of milk.




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Climate finance: What you need to know ahead of COP29

Developing countries will need trillions of dollars in the years ahead to deal with climate change -- but exactly how much is needed, and who is going to pay for it?




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RECAP: Hong Kong solidifies global ties, strategic role in 9th Belt and Road Summit

The recent summit underscored Hong Kong's position as a "super-connector" and "super value adder," solidifying its status as a premier regional business hub and a vital link to the global market, that could support the eight major steps announced by President Xi Jinping last year to enhance the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).




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US warns Israel not to repeat Gaza destruction in Lebanon

The United States on Wednesday said Israel must avoid any Gaza-like military action in Lebanon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned it risked "destruction" like that in the Palestinian territory.




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Taiwan says on 'alert' as China aircraft carrier detected to its south

Taiwan was on "alert" as it detected a Chinese aircraft carrier to its south on Sunday, the self-ruled island's defense ministry said.




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TV channels in Afghan province stop showing living things

At least two TV channels in a northern Afghan province stopped showing images of living beings during their broadcasts, journalists told AFP on Tuesday, in line with orders from morality police.




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EU Green Diplomacy Weeks in ASEAN 2024 kicks off with a fun run and green events

Around 500 participants took part, including representatives from ASEAN, the EU and its Member States, youth and individuals with special needs. The event took place along Jalan Sudirman, leading to Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta.




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Biden vows peaceful White House handover, Trump eyes Putin talks

Joe Biden pledged a peaceful transfer of power Thursday after Donald Trump's decisive US election win, while the Republican showed his intent to ditch the outgoing president's policies by suggesting he would talk to Vladimir Putin.




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Paris agreement climate goals 'in great peril' —  UN

The Paris climate agreement's goals "are in great peril" and 2024 is on track to break new temperature records, the United Nations warned Monday as COP29 talks opened in Baku.




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Asia Studies Visiting Fellowship Application

Asia Studies Visiting Fellowship Application

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The US-Philippines Alliance Fellowship

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Women in Buddhism NEH Eligibility Criteria

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Women in Buddhism Principles of Civility

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POSCO Visiting Fellowship Program

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2024 Changing Faces Women's Leadership Seminar

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Summer Institute 2023: Modern China in Three Keys Application

Summer Institute 2023: Modern China in Three Keys Application

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Summer Institute 2024: Infusing Korean Studies in American Undergraduate Higher Education

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Women in Buddhism How to Apply

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East-West Center in Washington Young Professionals Program

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Unkept promise: Fossil fuel financing persists despite global pledge for energy transition

The promised global shift from fossil fuels remains unmet as fossil fuel continues to expand in Southeast Asia with the backing of international financiers, environmental groups said.




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LIVE: 11th House Quad Committee hearing on illegal drug trade crimes

The Quad Committee of the House of Representatives, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts continued its joint inquiry into the extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration's drug war on Wednesday, November 13. 




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US defense chief Austin to visit the Philippines in November

United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Manila this week to "advance security objectives" and meet Filipino and American troops, the US State Department said on Wednesday, November 13.




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Evacuations, call for aid as Typhoon Ofel approaches Philippines

The Philippines ordered evacuations ahead of Typhoon Ofel (international name: Usagi) on Wednesday, as the UN disaster office sought $32.9 million in aid for the country after storms that killed more than 150 people.




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Relieved PAOCC spox slapped with slander for slapping BPO worker

A former employee of a Bataan-based business process outsourcing firm has filed a "slander by deed" case against Winston Casio, the relieved spokesperson of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.




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15-year-old aspiring actress is the first South African to attend the Universal Actors sessions in LA




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The House of Truth - How the Wetiko Mindset is wiping out the Baboons of the Western Cape




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Gauteng MPLs reveal Orania links, ‘side hustles’, vast property portfolios




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Public Protector declines to investigate Ramaphosa over Simelane loan scandal




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Calls for investigation following Gwamanda’s dismissal as MMC for Community Development




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Embrace self-love this Singles Day: a guide to celebrating you




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Police crack down on taxi-related murders in East London




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Financial mismanagement: Gauteng Health Department’s R743 million debt to suppliers