Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen removed from US Senate after Gaza protest
Ben Cohen was escorted out of a Senate hearing after protesting US funding for Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
28 minutes ago
- The National
IMF concludes first mission to Syria since 2009
The International Monetary Fund concluded its first staff mission to Syria since 2009, as the country's new government seeks to rebuild its economy following the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in December. Syria will need 'substantial international assistance' to assist in recuperating its economy, meet humanitarian demands and rebuild infrastructure, the fund said on Tuesday, following the staff's June 1 to 5 visit. Estimates to rebuild Syria's economy – shattered from years of civil war – range from $250 billion to $500 billion. 'Syria faces enormous challenges following years of conflict that caused immense human suffering and reduced its economy to a fraction of its former size,' Ron van Rooden, the IMF's mission chief to Syria, said. The World Bank previously estimated Syria's economy had contracted by 60 per cent since 2011, and the UN reporting more than six million Syrian refugees live in neighbouring countries since then. 'There is great urgency to address these challenges and achieve a sustainable economic recovery, including to absorb the increasing number of returning refugees,' Mr van Rooden said. The IMF said its discussions with Syrian officials were centred on near-term policy priorities including adopting a budget for the remainder of this year and ensuring assistance is provided to the most vulnerable members of the population. They also discussed the need for improving the tax and customs regime, strengthen public financial management, ensure price stability and rehabilitate the payment and banking systems. Additional near-term goals include improving investment climate and enhancing data collection. 'The authorities will need strong international support for their efforts,' Mr van Rooden said. 'This includes financial support at highly concessional terms … and extensive capacity development assistance to strengthen economic institutions and upgrade outdated technologies and systems.' Syria has been gradually reintegrated into the global economy since its interim government took hold in December, with Gulf nations and other international partners moving to support its recovery. US President Donald Trump's administration began taking steps to ease US sanctions on Syria last month following his May 13 to 16 visit to the Gulf. Those efforts include authorising transactions involving Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara's government, the central bank and state-owned enterprises. The EU also announced it would lift all economic sanctions on Syria to support its economic recovery. Saudi Arabia and Qatar also paid off Syria's arrears to the World Bank, clearing another crucial hurdle to receive economic assistance. Meanwhile, it has received major financial investments from the Gulf including a $7 billion energy infrastructure deal supported by Qatar's UCC Holding, a $6.5 billion aid pledge from international partners and an $800 million port agreement with the UAE's DP World. Syria is also expected to be fully reconnected to the SWIFT international payment system 'in a matter of weeks', Central Bank of Syria's Governor Abdulkader Husrieh, told the Financial Times on Monday. Syrian officials had attended a high-level round-table hosted by the IMF, World Bank and Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan on the sidelines of the spring meetings in April to discuss the challenges of the country's new government. IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters during a press briefing at the time the fund was focused on rebuilding credible data capability, as well as the country's central bank and its capacity to create revenue.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Scarcity of currency adds to misery of war and hunger in Gaza
A shortage of currency in Gaza is pushing thousands of families deeper into poverty, as traders increasingly demand payment in cash and residents are forced to pay high fees to black market operators to convert funds in online accounts into banknotes. Bank branches in the territory are no longer functioning after more than 20 months of war between Hamas and Israel military that has devastated the Palestinian territory and displaced most of its population. Essential goods such as food and medicine are scarce after nearly two months of an Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid, pushing prices beyond the reach of most residents even when they are available. 'For the past two months, cash has all but disappeared,' Mohammed Al Haddad, 39, a resident of Gaza city, told The National. 'If I want to get 1,000 shekels ($287) in cash, I have to transfer 1,800 shekels. That's nearly half my money gone before I even buy food.' Mr Al Haddad, as a government employee, still receives a salary from the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, even though Hamas has run Gaza since it seized control of the territory in 2007. Mr Al Haddad is paid through online bank transfer, but cannot pay for goods digitally because banks in Gaza suspended a widely used payment app after several hacking attempts. In any case, most shops no longer accept such payments. He believes the aid blockade and shortage of currency – the Israeli shekel is used in both Gaza and West Bank – is part of Israel's war strategy. 'It's as if the occupation wants to create a new crisis, an economic collapse driven by cash shortages and rising hunger,' he said. Murid Al Mabhouh, 30, who was displaced from his home in Jabalia Camp to Gaza city, said the situation was 'suffocating'. 'We're under siege, under bombardment, living through famine, and we have to pay 40 per cent just to withdraw the little money we have.' Mr Al Mabhouh said people had no choice but to pay the high commissions charged by black market currency traders. 'There are no functioning banks, no official oversight, and the authorities are silent. It's not just exploitation, it's injustice on top of injustice,' he said. 'The money we're trying to access is for food, medicine, and paying off debts. Now we lose nearly half of it to commission traders getting rich off our suffering.' Mr Al Haddad said videos posted on social media showed that traders were able to import some goods in recent days, but 'it's all non-essential – instant noodles, snacks, breadcrumbs'. 'And everything is cash only, at outrageous prices,' he said. Amid the outcry, Gaza's Chamber of Commerce has accused some traders in Gaza of working with suspicious actors to obtain Israeli permits to import non-essential goods. 'These permits are being sold for hundreds of thousands of shekels for a single truckload of items that people don't even need,' said Aed Abu Ramadan, director of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture in Gaza, told The National. 'This is unacceptable. It violates both commercial and national ethics.' He said that such practices are draining the last of the population's cash, pushing families to the brink while enriching a handful of traders. 'We've urged merchants not to engage in these deals. They drive prices up, increase suffering, destabilise the market, and destroy any hope for fair competition.' Mr Abu Ramadan called for immediate oversight by Gaza's authorities and co-operation with official agencies to prevent further economic manipulation. 'People are already crushed. We must not let profiteering deepen this humanitarian catastrophe.' With inflation spiralling, cash inaccessible, and markets flooded with overpriced, non-essential items, Gaza's families are left with shrinking options. As financial lifelines disappear, aid dependency increases, and with it, fears of long-term economic and political manipulation. 'This isn't just about money,' Mr Al Haddad said. 'It's about dignity. About whether we'll ever live normal lives again, or just survive, one overpriced bag of rice at a time.'
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
California governor slams Trump Marine deployment as 'deranged'
California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the "deranged" decision Monday by "dictatorial" US President Donald Trump to deploy hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles after days of unruly protests against immigration raids. "US Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defence of democracy," Newsom posted on X. "They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfil the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American."
