Guyana to crack down on gold smuggled in from Venezuela at urging of US govt
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, June 29, (AP): Guyana has pledged to crack down on gold smuggled across the border from neighboring Venezuela at the urging of the US government. President Irfaan Ali said late Friday that the government of the South American country is dedicating "enormous resources' to thwart the smuggling, which has long been a problem. He said authorities have increased border patrols and improved monitoring in mining regions.
Local officials have said they suspect that Venezuelan-sanctioned gold is being mixed with gold mined in Guyana and then passed off as local production and sold to markets in the US, Canada, the Middle East and elsewhere. In 2021, the Royal Canadian Mint suspended gold purchases from a major export company in Guyana because officials suspected some shipments had been mixed with Venezuelan gold, an allegation the company denied.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Guyana has suspended the visas of several miners suspected of smuggling Venezuelan gold overseas. Gold is Guyana's second most important export after oil, generating nearly $1 billion last year. Some 434,000 ounces of gold were produced last year, up from 432,000 ounces the previous year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
It noted that up to 50% of local gold production is smuggled out of Guyana. US Ambassador Nicole Theriot on Friday praised Guyana's cooperation, noting that the countries have worked together to secure Guyana's border with Venezuela. Relations between the two South American neighbors remain tense given a bitter dispute over the Essequibo region, which Venezuela has long claimed as its own.
It represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits, with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily.
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Cannes to ban large cruise ships in overtourism crackdown
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Arab Times
13 hours ago
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Tourists slowly return to Afghanistan as Taliban opens its doors
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 29, (AP): By plane, motorbike, camper van and even on bicycles, tourists are beginning to discover Afghanistan, with solo travelers and tour groups gradually venturing into a country that until recently was wracked by war. And the country's Taliban government, which seized power more than three years ago but has yet to be formally recognized by any other nation, is more than happy to welcome them. "The Afghan people are warm and welcoming and wish to host tourists from other countries and engage with them,' Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal told The Associated Press in an early June interview. "Tourism brings many benefits to a country. We have considered those benefits and aim for our nation to take full advantage of them.' Tourism is a vital, multi-billion-dollar industry for many countries. Afghanistan's isolation on the international stage, largely because of the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls, has left much of its 41 million people mired in poverty. As it struggles to attract foreign investment, the lucrative potential of tourism is far from lost on the government. "We are currently earning a considerable amount of revenue from this industry, and we are hopeful it will grow even more in the future,' Jamal said, noting money spent by visitors can reach more layers of society than revenue from other industries. "We are optimistic this sector will evolve into a large economy, bringing significant benefits. It plays an important role in strengthening our national economy.' Tourist visas are quick and easy to obtain, and flights from major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul operate several times a week. The government has even set up a training institute for men - and it is only for men - seeking jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector. While visitor numbers are still very much a trickle rather than a flood, they are increasing. Nearly 9,000 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan last year, while nearly 3,000 people visited in the first three months of this year, Jamal said. Four decades of near-continuous conflict kept nearly all vacationers away from this landlocked country of towering mountains, deep gorges, and millennia of history. The Taliban's takeover from a U.S.-backed government in August 2021 stunned the world and sent thousands of Afghans fleeing. But with the insurgency over, the bloodshed from frequent bombings and suicide attacks all but ended too. Attacks still occur, however. An Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan remains active, and gunmen killed six people, including three Spanish tourists, in a May 2024 attack in Bamiyan, one of the country's main tourist attractions where centuries-old giant Buddhas carved into the cliffs were blown up by the Taliban in 2001. While Western countries still advise against travel to Afghanistan, a drop in violence from the two decades of U.S.-led military presence is indisputable, as the government is keen to point out. "Afghanistan has gone through many years of war and hardship. Now, we want tourists to come and see the true traditions and customs of Afghans, to understand Afghan life, creativity, and resilience,' Jamal said, noting there was "comprehensive security across Afghanistan.' Critics question the ethics of foreigners visiting Afghanistan for pleasure when its government discriminates so heavily against half the country's population. Education beyond primary school level is banned for girls and women, and few professions are open to them. Women cannot enter parks, gardens or gyms. Beauty salons are forbidden. Authorities dictate how women dress and have demanded they cover their faces in public, a decree still flouted by many, particularly in Kabul. Some visitors say they contemplated the ethics, but ultimately wanted to see the situation for themselves. French-Peruvian Illary Gomez said she and her British partner, James Liddiard, debated for about a year whether to drive through Afghanistan as part of their U.K.-to-Japan camper van journey. "Some things didn't feel morally right,' she said. But once here, they said they found a warm, hospitable, and welcoming people and beautiful landscapes. They didn't feel their presence was any form of support for the Taliban. By traveling, "you put money in the hands of the people, not the government,' Liddiard said. The treatment of women is particularly sensitive for government officials. Jamal declined to comment on the subject beyond saying male and female visitors were welcome. "Those who respect our laws and traditions have already come and can continue to come,' he said. While most restrictions are strictly enforced on Afghan women, they are far more relaxed for foreigners. Although they must still wear a headscarf in public, foreign women are more likely to gain entry into some restricted areas such as parks, and are rarely asked to cover their faces in public. Opening the country to foreign visitors was also a way of building bridges, Jamal said. "It is a great way to promote interaction between the people of different countries. It helps build international relations and is also beneficial for trade,' he told the AP. "When foreigners come here, Afghans also learn a lot from them. In addition to expanding commerce, tourism also helps foster mutual understanding, cultural exchange, and strengthens talents as people learn from one another.' A foreign traveler seeing the country with his own eyes "creates closeness, builds connections, and fosters trust among people,' Jamal said. "They will respect each other's culture, and the distance between peoples will diminish. "So this is not just economic development; it also brings spiritual and political benefits,' he said.
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13 hours ago
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Iran says at least 71 killed in Israel's attack on Tehran's notorious Evin prison
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 29, (AP): At least 71 people were killed in Israel's attack on Tehran's Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held, Iran's judiciary said on Sunday. Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir posted on the office's official Mizan news agency website that those killed on Monday included staff, soldiers, prisoners, and members of visiting families. It was not possible to independently verify the claim. The June 23 attack, the day before the ceasefire between Israel and Iran took hold, hit several prison buildings and prompted concerns from rights groups about the safety of the inmates. It remains unclear why Israel targeted the prison, but it came on a day when the Defense Ministry said it was attacking "regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran.' The news of the prison attack was quickly overshadowed by an Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Qatar later that same day, which caused no casualties, and the announcement of the ceasefire. Jahangir did not break down the casualty figures but said the attack had hit the prison's infirmary, engineering building, judicial affairs, and visitation hall, where visiting family members were killed and injured. On the day of the attack, New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran criticized Israel for striking the prison, seen as a symbol of the Iranian regime's repression of any opposition, saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets. At the same time, the group said Iran was legally obligated to protect the prisoners held in Evin, and slammed authorities in Tehran for their "failure to evacuate, provide medical assistance or inform families' following the attack. Jahangir said some of those injured were treated on site, while others were sent to hospitals. Iran had not previously announced any death figures, though on Saturday confirmed that top prosecutor Ali Ghanaatkar - whose prosecution of dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, led to widespread criticism by human rights groups - had been killed in the attack. He was one of about 60 people for whom a massive public funeral procession was held on Saturday in Tehran, and he was to be buried at a shrine in Qom on Sunday. Israel attacked Iran on June 13 in a bid to destroy the country's nuclear program. Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group. In retaliation, Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people.
