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Reuters
13 hours ago
- Health
- Reuters
US-funded contraceptives for poor nations to be burned in France, sources say
July 23 (Reuters) - U.S.-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10 million are being sent to France from Belgium to be incinerated, after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations, two sources told Reuters. The supplies have been stuck for months in a warehouse in Geel, a city in the Belgian province of Antwerp, following President Donald Trump's decision to freeze U.S. foreign aid in January. They comprise contraceptive implants and pills as well as intrauterine devices to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, according to seven sources and a screengrab shared by an eighth source confirming the planned destruction. The U.S. government will spend $160,000 to incinerate the stocks at a facility in France that handles medical waste, according to four of the sources with knowledge of the matter, following Trump's decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the negotiations to save the contraceptives from destruction or the plans to incinerate them. U.S. lawmakers have introduced two bills this month to prevent the destruction of the supplies but aid groups say the bills are unlikely to be passed in time to stop the incineration. The Belgian foreign ministry said Brussels had held talks with U.S. authorities and "explored all possible options to prevent the destruction, including temporary relocation." "Despite these efforts, and with full respect for our partners, no viable alternative could be secured. Nevertheless, Belgium continues to actively seek solutions to avoid this regrettable outcome," it said in a statement shared with Reuters on Tuesday. "Sexual and reproductive health must not be subject to ideological constraints," it added. The supplies, worth $9.7 million, are due to expire between April 2027 and September 2031, according to an internal document listing the warehouse stocks and verified by three sources. Sarah Shaw, Associate Director of Advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices, told Reuters the non-profit organisation had volunteered to pay for the supplies to be repackaged without USAID branding and shipped to countries in need, but the offer was declined by the U.S. government. "MSI offered to pay for repackaging, shipping and import duties but they were not open to that... We were told that the U.S. government would only sell the supplies at the full market value," said Shaw. She did not elaborate on how much the NGO was prepared to pay, but said she felt the rejection was based on the Trump's administration's more restrictive stance on abortion and family planning. "This is clearly not about saving money. It feels more like an ideological assault on reproductive rights, and one that is already harming women." She added that many countries in sub-Saharan Africa had relied on USAID for access to contraception and that the aid cuts would lead to a rise in unsafe abortions. The United Nations' sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, also offered to buy the contraceptives outright, three sources told Reuters, without disclosing the financial terms of the proposal. However, negotiations broke down, a source with knowledge of the talks said, in part due to a lack of response from the U.S. government. UNFPA declined to comment. One of the sources with knowledge of the issue said that the Trump administration was acting in accordance with the Mexico City policy, an anti-abortion pact in which Trump reinstated U.S. participation in January. The pact forbids the U.S. government from contributing to or working with organisations providing funding or supplies that offer access to abortions. The source said there was no way for the U.S. government to ensure that UNFPA would not share the contraceptives with groups offering abortions, violating the Mexico City policy. The source also said the matter was complicated by the fact that the contraceptives in Belgium were embossed with the USAID trademark and Washington did not want any USAID-branded supplies to be rerouted elsewhere. UNFPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the concerns raised by the source. MSI, which says on its website that it fights for a future where everyone can access contraception and abortion, accused the State Department earlier this month of being "hellbent on destroying life-saving medical supplies, incurring additional costs for the U.S. taxpayer in the process." The State Department declined to comment. Abortion is a divisive issue in U.S. politics and was a major issue in the 2024 election won by Trump. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion, leaving abortion laws to each of the 50 states. One of the two sources who told Reuters the stocks of contraceptives were being trucked to France said it would likely take dozens of truckloads and at least two weeks to move the supplies out of the Geel warehouse, with a third source also confirming the scale of the operation. The French government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Chemonics, the contractor managing the supply chain for USAID's family planning programme, declined to comment on the plans to destroy the supplies. An internal USAID memo, sent in April, said a large quantity of contraceptives was being kept in warehouses and they should be "immediately transferred to another entity to prevent waste or additional costs".
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Major Michel-Ange Balikwisha to Celtic update as agent speaks out on potential transfer deal and reveals player's stance
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA has been a constant name in the Celtic transfer circles for much of the past year. But it looks like the Hoops might be no closer to landing the winger. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 3 Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been consistently linked with a move to Celtic Credit: AFP 3 Brendan Rodgers will want to add attacking reinforcements this summer Credit: Getty Celtic are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer, and the wide areas are likely to be a priority. Nicolas Kuhn has left Parkhead to join Como while big January signing Jota is out injured until next year. Celtic's link to Antwerp attacker Balikwisha just hasn't gone away. Fuel was added to the fire last week too when the 24-year old sat out training with the Belgian club. He has, however, gone on to feature in their pre-season matches. Earlier this month, reports out of the country suggested that the Hoops were getting close to an agreement with Antwerp for Balikwisha. However, that might not be the case after all. Balikwisha's agent has claimed the player would be interested in a move to Celtic. But he says that there are NO conversations between the clubs regarding the player. Agent Jibril Rekkab told the Daily Record: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. Inside ex-Celtic and Scotland star's £3m property empire as free agent spends almost £1m on two properties in St Andrews "No discussions are underway." Over the weekend, Antwerp boss Stefan Wils admitted Balikwisha could be sold. Celtic bid farewell to yet another winger at the beginning of this week. Luis Palma sealed a loan move to Polish champions Lech Poznan on Monday. The Honduras international was largely frozen out under Brendan Rodgers last season and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Olympiacos. But the Greek giants neglected to sign the 25-year old permanently and he'll now be playing his football in Poland instead. Palma could be thrust straight into the action tonight when Lech Poznan take on Icelandic champions Breidablik in a Champions League qualifier. 3 Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic hit the button on Michel Ange Balikwisha transfer as signing chase reaches climax
Antwerp have been holding out but now the Premiership champions are primed to push for the winger they covet most Celtic are set to up the ante to try to finally seal a move for Michel-Ange Balikwisha. The Hoops have been in talks with club officials at Royal Antwerp to land the winger over multiple weeks. Antwerp boss Stef Wils admitted publicly at the weekend that his star man wanted to make the move to the Premiership champions. The issue is that Celtic's offers so far have been below the Belgian side's valuation but the Hoops are hoping that a deal can be struck somewhere in between and are pushing for the outcome. They also know Balikwisha is in the last year of his contract and if they don't sell in this window they his value will plummet. Celtic have been keen on the 24-year-old for more than a year and were ready to move before he suffered his last injury. Celtic have already sold Nicolas Kuhn to Italian side for more than £17 million to further boost the club's coffers. Balikwisha operates primarily on the left wing and his signing would be a statement of intent days after Brendan Rodgers appealed for added firepower in the final third with Jota missing until 2026. Balikwisha's agent Jibril Rekkab – speaking exclusively to Record Sport – was keen to play it cool. However, we understand Celtic are primed to strike. Rekkab said: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. No discussions are underway." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Celtic community here.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Celtic transfer latest as agent gives Balikwisha update
The Royal Antwerp winger has been a target for some time but the player's agent has confirmed there are no discussions. The 24-year-old has been on the radar since last year and was believed to be a potential signing until he sustained an injury. The latest speculation suggested a move could be imminent, with Antwerp's manager Stef Wils indicating an exit for the player was "very possible." Balikwisha is in the final year of his contract, and the Belgian club are open to selling to generate funds. He said: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. "No discussions are underway." [[Celtic]] manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to strengthen his squad, particularly in the winger position, after selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como for £17 million. However, no approach has been made for Balikwisha yet.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Belgian police question two Israelis over war crimes accusations
Belgian authorities have said they briefly held and questioned two Israeli citizens who attended an electronic music festival last week, after pro-Palestinian groups accused them of war crimes. Prosecutors said they had received legal complaints alleging that two Israeli soldiers responsible for 'serious violations of international humanitarian law' in Gaza were spotted at the Tomorrowland festival near the northern city of Antwerp. The federal prosecutor's office said it had asked the police to locate the two people named in the complaint and to interview them. 'Following these interviews, they were released,' it said in a statement. The office said it had taken action after concluding that Belgian courts had extraterritorial jurisdiction over alleged war crimes. 'No further information will be given at this stage of the investigation,' the office said. The two Israelis have not been named. Last week, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organisation, said it had identified two Israeli soldiers 'responsible for grave international crimes' in Gaza among the crowds at Tomorrowland. It claimed that a group of young Israeli men were seen at the festival waving a flag of the Givati Brigade, an Israeli military unit involved in the fighting in the Palestinian territory. HRF said it had filed a complaint with prosecutors in association with the Global Legal Action Network, a lawyers' group specialising in human rights violations. One of the world's largest electronic music festivals, Tomorrowland draws music enthusiasts from all over the world. About 400,000 people are expected to attend the event this year over two weekends.
