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AP finds grueling conditions in Indian shrimp industry that report calls ‘dangerous and abusive’

29 March 2024; AP: SAN FRANCISCO — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.

“I actually try to avoid shrimp from India,” said Kuwabara, an artist. “I hear some bad things about how it’s grown there.”

Israeli court halts subsidies for ultra-Orthodox, deepening turmoil over mandatory military service

29 March 2024; AP: TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered an end to government subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the armya blockbuster ruling that could have far-reaching consequences for the government and the tens of thousands of religious men who refuse to take part in mandatory military

US says UN ceasefire resolution not binding on Israel

27 March 2024; MEMO: The UN resolution passed on Monday and which calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza is not binding on Israel, the US has claimed.

All UN Security Council resolutions are binding, however White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said: “It’s a non-binding resolution, so there’s no impact at all on Israel’s ability to continue to go after Hamas.”

Americans do not want to be 'complicit in the slaughter' of Palestinian children: Senator

27 March 2024; MEMO: Americans do not want to see Palestinian children killed in the Gaza Strip, Independent Senator, Bernie Sanders, said Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The American people, in my view, no matter what your politics may be, do not want to be complicit in the slaughter of small kids who are bombed to death while they sleep.

Israel asks US to reschedule scrapped meeting on Rafah offensive plans

27 March 2024; MEMO: Israel has asked to reschedule a meeting with US officials to discuss its military plans in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, a US official said on Wednesday, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly scrapped the planned talks, Reuters reports.

China calls for solidarity, cooperation to create better future for Asia, world

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator on Thursday called for solidarity and cooperation to meet challenges and work together to create a better future for Asia and the world.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks during a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024, which drew more than 1,500 people from political and business circles and think tanks from more than 60 countries and regions.

Lebanon's Hezbollah launches dozens of rockets after Israel strikes

27 March 2024; MEMO: Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it launched dozens of rockets at Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli town over the border, today in response to deadly Israeli strikes on the village of Hebbariyeh in southern Lebanon a day earlier, Reuters reports.

Israeli emergency services said a rocket strike today killed a factory worker in Kiryat Shmona following warning signs in the area.

Sri Lankan PM Gunawardena meets Chinese President Xi Jinping

Colombo, Mar 28 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured continuous support to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena for Sri Lanka's efforts for “political and socio-economic progress” and also said Beijing will stand for safeguarding the island nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

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USA: Obama, Clinton and big-name entertainers help Biden raise a record $26 million for his reelection Maha Kamal 29/03/2024 - 07:19

29 March 2024; AP: NEW YORK — Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and some big names from the entertainment world teamed up Thursday night to deliver a rousing New York embrace of President Joe Biden that hauled in a record-setting $26 million-plus for his reelection campaign.

USA: Outpaced by Biden, Trump hopes to rake in $33 million during Florida fundraiser

29 March 2024; AP: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is seeking to outraise President Joe Biden next week, aiming to take in more than $33 million to top a new single-event fundraising record set by Biden on Thursday with $25 million, said a person familiar with the Trump event who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

USA: Maryland seeks $60M in federal help to start recovery plan for collapsed Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE (AP) — Massive barges carrying cranes streamed toward Baltimore on Thursday to begin the challenging work of removing twisted metal and concrete in an attempt to open a key shipping route blocked by the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore promised that “the best minds in the world” were working on plans to clear the debris, move the cargo ship that rammed into the bridge from the channel, recover the bodies of the four remaining workers presumed dead, and investigate what went wrong.

Russia: Putin says he won’t start a war with NATO. But Western bases hosting Ukraine F-16s would be targets

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it “sheer nonsense,” but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for the Kremlin’s forces.

“Their statements about our alleged intention to attack Europe after Ukraine is sheer nonsense,” Putin said late Wednesday, referring to warnings in the U.S. and Western Europe that Russia could turn its sights on other countries unless it’s stopped.

Israel: Netanyahu's coalition gov’t in turmoil over exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service

28 March 2024; MEMO: The Israeli Prime Minister faces a challenge within his coalition government as tensions escalate over proposed legislation exempting the ultra-Orthodox, known in Hebrew as Haredim, from military service, threatening the coalition’s rule collapse, Anadolu Agency reports.

Palestinians call US's temporary pier in Gaza ‘occupation port’

27 March 2024; MEMO: Palestinians are describing a temporary pier being constructed by the US on the shores of Gaza City as an “occupation port”, Anadolu Agency reports.

US President Joe Biden, on 7 March, announced that he had tasked the US military with building a temporary pier off Gaza for the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid, as Israel continues to let only a trickle of aid into the enclave by land.

Agricultural Bank of China sees net profit growth of 4.2 pct in 2023

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country's four big state-owned lenders, reported net profit growth of 4.2 percent in 2023.

The bank raked in 269.8 billion yuan (about 38 billion U.S. dollars) in net profit attributable to shareholders in the period, according to its annual financial report.

Its non-performing loan ratio stood at 1.33 percent at the end of 2023, down 0.04 percentage points from the end of 2022.

According to the bank, its risk offset capability remains strong, with a provision coverage rate of 303.87 percent.

No change in trade policy with India: Pakistan

Islamabad, Mar 28 (PTI) Pakistan on Thursday clarified that it has no plan to resume trade relations with India which has been "non-existent" since 2019 after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The clarification from Pakistan's Foreign Office comes days after the new Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in London that Pakistan will seriously consider restoring trade ties with India that have remained suspended since August 2019.

Articles and Interviews

US changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. It’s the first revision in 27 years

by MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.

Opinions

Young US evangelicals are refusing to be ‘useful idiots’ for Israel

by Omar Ahmed

“The Zionist establishment has realised the value of Christian Zionism, despite the essential anti-Semitism of its ideology. To Jewish Zionists, the Christian Zionists are useful idiots. For end-timer Christian Zionists, the Jews are sacrificial lambs.” — Author and lecturer Irving Wesley Hall

Will Joe Biden hear this US airman’s harrowing cry of ‘Free Palestine’?

by Yvonne Ridley

“Free Palestine” is an enduring phrase that will come to define the street chants of millions of angry citizens who’ve marched and protested in capital cities around the world against Israel’s brutal, genocidal onslaught in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s last battle promises no victory, just slaughter in Rafah

by Dr Ramzy Baroud

The Palestinian city of Rafah is not only older than Israel, it is also as old as civilisation itself. Rafah has existed for thousands of years. The Canaanites referred to it as Rafia, and Rafia has been almost always there, guarding the southern frontiers of Palestine, ancient and modern.

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