Year: 2024

Related media - Recent news A significant problem is now affecting humanitarian aid convoys trying to deliver essential goods to the starving population of Gaza: attacks by organized groups looking not for flour or medicine, but for cigarettes hidden in the cargo. In the tightly controlled Gaza Strip, where Israel meticulously inspects every incoming truck, cigarettes have become extremely rare, often selling for $25 to $30 apiece. Smugglers in Egypt have hidden them in sacks of flour, diapers and even watermelons donated by the United Nations, according to aid agencies and Israeli officials who shared information with The New York…

More news - Breaking news In the heavily blockaded Gaza Strip, cigarettes have become a rare commodity, often selling for $25-30 each. Both U.N. and Israeli officials have reported that coordinated attacks by groups seeking to profit from these contraband cigarettes are severely hampering the transportation of essential aid into southern Gaza. Israeli authorities carefully monitor all goods entering and leaving Gaza through checkpoints under their control. Despite these efforts, cigarettes have managed to pass for weeks inside aid trucks, mainly through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. To evade Israeli controls, traffickers in Egypt hide cigarettes in sacks…

More news - Recent news Julien Bernard’s Tour de France journey took an emotional turn on Friday, but it came at a surprising price. Riding on his home turf of Burgundy during the stage seven time trial, Bernard veered off the course for a quick embrace with his cheering wife and son. The touching moment, greeted with cheers from the crowd, earned Bernard a 200 Swiss franc ($223) fine from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for "unsporting conduct." The governing body's decision sparked a debate online, with some questioning how a show of family support could tarnish the image of…