Latest News
-
The INDIA RUPEE is on the decline as trade concerns keep Asia FX at a defensive position
The Indian rupee, along with other regional currencies, weakened on Wednesday as the dollar strengthened on the backs of new tariff threats by the United States. These included a 50% tax on copper imports, and a 10% tax on BRICS countries. As of 12 noon IST the rupee was trading at 85.8375 per dollar, a drop of about 0.2% for the day. Asian currencies fell between 0.1% to 0.3%, with the offshore Chinese Yuan hovering around a two-week high. In Asia, the dollar index was quoted at 97.6. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced overnight that he would impose a tariff of 50% on imported copper and levy levies against semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. He also said a tariff of 10% on BRICS imports was coming "pretty quickly". Threats come as countries try to reach deals with the White House before August 1, when country-specific levies will be implemented. The market has become less receptive to tariff threats despite the uncertainty that persists. This is because traders have accepted the notion that the threats are a tactic for negotiation. In a recent note, Michael Brown, Senior Research Strategist at FX brokerage Pepperstone, said that the markets have become immune to Trump's tariff talk. Participants are also willing to believe Trump is bluffing. The regional equity markets traded mixed, with India's benchmark indices BSE Sensex (Sensex) and Nifty 50 (Nifty 50) being little changed. Minutes of the Federal Reserve’s June policy meeting are expected to be released later today. This will provide clues about the future direction of U.S. interest rates, amid the uncertainty caused by tariff policies and inflation. (Reporting and editing by Jaspreet K. Kalra)
-
InPost purchases Spain's Sending in order to expand its delivery network throughout Iberia
InPost, a parcel locker company, has announced that it has acquired Spanish delivery firm Sending in order to expand its presence on the Iberian Peninsula. It will also integrate the 24-hour delivery service provided by Sending. Why it's important InPost has gained traction in other countries after establishing a stronghold on its native market, Poland. Sending is the latest in a strategy of pan-European growth, which began with the acquisition of Yodel earlier this year. By the Numbers InPost, at the end of its second quarter, had 3,000 automated package machines (APMs) and 9,000 pickup and drop-off locations in Spain and Portugal. By the end of the year 2025, InPost plans to expand its network by adding 1,000 more lockers in the region. KEY QUOTE In a statement to the press, InPost CEO Rafal Bzoska stated that this move would not only increase our reach, but also help accelerate our growth in our innovative outside-the-home delivery services. (Reporting and editing by Milla Nissi - Prussak).
-
Marseille Airport closed as firefighters continue their battle against wildfire
The intensity of a wildfire which had spread to the northern outskirts (or périphéries) of France's second largest city, Marseille, decreased overnight on Wednesday. However the airport remained closed while firefighters continued their battle against the flames. Residents who were told to remain in their homes out of safety have been allowed back out. In a social media post, Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan announced that the 16th arrondissement was no longer in lockdown. He added: "I urge all Marseille residents, to be extremely cautious in this area as the emergency services are working hard." Officials in the area said the airport will close to commercial flights, prioritising air resources. However, some roads may reopen to allow emergency services access. Officials said it was too early for hundreds of residents to return who fled the wildfire. The flames were fanned up to 70 km/h (43mph) by the winds, which sent plumes of smoke over this southern coastal city. Georges-Francois Leclerc, the regional prefect of Leclerc's region, said that the fire had burned through 700 hectares (2.75 square miles), but there had been no reported fatalities and hundreds had been saved. The Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said to reporters late Tuesday night that the fire was moving quickly. Recent climate change has caused wildfires to be more destructive in Mediterranean countries. Fires have raged this week and last in Athens, Crete, and northeastern Spain.
-
Wall Street Journal, July 9,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these stories. After advisers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, told him that he could achieve trade agreements with more time. After vowing to reinforce Kyiv's defenses against Russian attacks in recent days, U.S. president Donald Trump may send an additional Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine. Kevin Hassett, the White House's economic adviser, is a serious candidate to become the next chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Apple named Sabih Khan, an insider, as its Chief Operating Officer on Tuesday, replacing Jeff Williams as part of the long-planned succession. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security at the Department of Homeland Security, announced Tuesday that the Transportation Security Administration would no longer require travelers removing their shoes for security checks in U.S. Airports. U.S. agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday that the administration would work with state legislators to prohibit sales of U.S. agricultural land to buyers from China or other countries of concern. She cited national-security concerns.
-
Maguire: Turkey's clean energy growth is bad for the gas market bulls
Turkey is among the fastest-growing markets for power in the world. Natural gas and LNG exporters have targeted the country as an important potential growth market. They may be disappointed by the rapid expansion of Turkey's clean energy supplies. Solar capacity has increased dramatically in Turkey, and last month solar electricity production surpassed gas-fired electricity for the first time. The country's very first nuclear plant will be starting up production within the next few months. Turkey has also deployed utility-scale battery systems to store excess power from wind farms and solar farms, which can be dispatched at times of peak demand. It aims to achieve 80 gigawatts hours (GWh), or storage capacity for batteries by 2030. The combination of increasing clean energy supplies and expanding storage capacity is likely to limit Turkey's usage of gas and fossil fuels for power production. Gas market bulls may need to look elsewhere to find growth potential. GROWTH PATH The World Bank's data shows that the Turkish economy has grown by 4.7% per year on average since 2019. This is four times faster than the Eurozone and almost twice as fast as the global economy during the same period. Data from Ember show that the country's demand for electricity grew by 14% between 2019 and 2024. This is in stark contrast with the roughly 5% decline in demand in the European Union during the same period. According to Ember, the Turkish electricity demand is primarily driven by government spending on infrastructure, heavy industry, and manufacturing. The total will reach 340 Terawatt Hours (TWh), in 2024. Re-shoring certain heavy industries, such as steel and cement production in Germany, has also contributed to the increase of energy consumption in Turkey over the past few years. GAS CUTS Gas-fired power generation in Turkey has been declining for the last three years despite this steady increase in power usage. According to Ember, coal-fired power plants are the largest source of electricity in Turkey. They accounted for 36 percent of the country's electricity supply last year. The key to the coal industry's survival has been cheap shipments coming from Russia. Since 2022, when it was sanctioned for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has had difficulty finding willing buyers. In order to ensure that Turkey's electricity suppliers continue to purchase coal, Russian coal exporters discounted their prices in comparison with other coal vendors. As a result, they have gained a majority share of Turkey’s coal purchases starting 2022. Data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler show that Russia has provided roughly 88% (or more) of Turkey's imports of coal so far in 2025. This compares to a share of approximately 24% between 2018 and 2021. The steady supply of coal has led to a reduced demand in Turkey for natural gas, which is more expensive. Gas-fired power plants supplied only 19% the electricity in Turkey last year. Solar farms (7%) followed by wind farms (11%) as the next biggest electricity sources in Turkey. On the Rebound? The Turkish gas-fired electricity generation has risen by 52% in the first half 2025 compared to the opening half 2024. This has given gas market bulls reason for optimism. The recent gas-fired electricity generation peaks are still below the previous production spikes. This suggests that Turkey's energy firms are hesitant to rely too heavily on gas. Solar power continues to grow, with the output of solar and wind farms reaching a record 30 percent share in electricity last month. The first of four reactors planned for Turkey's first Nuclear Power Plant is expected to begin production in the next few months. Once the Akkuyu power plant is operational, it will supply utilities with clean energy that can be used on demand instead of coal or gas power to balance system needs. Global Energy Monitor (GEM) reports that nearly 90% of 13,000 megawatts of new capacity is coming from clean sources. Nuclear plants are the single largest source of new capacity being developed in the near future, with 4,800 MW. GEM data indicates that solar farms, with 1,336MW, and wind farms, with 2,460 MW, represent the second largest share of capacity. Clean energy sources will make up more than half the total capacity of Turkey's electricity firm once completed, with only 890 MW new gas and 700 MW new coal capacity. This leaves very little room for natural gas to make a sustained contribution to the Turkish energy mix even if Turkey's growth in power demand continues to exceed that of regional and international peers. These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for. You like this column? Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X.
-
Qantas confirms that personal data of more than a million passengers was leaked during a breach
Qantas Airways in Australia said that in one of Australia's largest cyber breaches, more than a half-million customers' phone numbers, birth dates or addresses were accessed. According to the airline operator, four million other customers' names and email addresses were also stolen during the hack. Qantas, which disclosed a cyberattack to the public last week, said that after removing duplicate records, the database breached contained the unique personal data of 5.7 millions customers. Qantas stated in a press release that there is no evidence to suggest any data about customers was released. The company is monitoring the situation closely. Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group, said that "since the incident we have implemented a number additional cyber security procedures to further protect our customer's data and continue to review what occurred." The breach is Australia's highest-profile cyberattack since 2022 when telecommunications giant Optus was attacked, and the health insurer Medibank. These incidents led to mandatory cyber resilience legislation.
-
How US buyers of critical mineral bypass China's Export Ban
According to records from customs and shipping, at least one Chinese company is involved in this trade. China is the largest supplier of antimony, gallium, and germanium used in semiconductors, telecommunications, and military technology. Beijing banned the export of these minerals to America on December 3, following Washington's crackdown against China's chip industry. The shift in trade flows highlights the struggle for vital minerals, and China's struggle for enforcement of its curbs. It is competing with the U.S. to achieve economic, military, and technological dominance. Trade data shows that U.S. shipments are being rerouted via third countries, a problem which Chinese officials have admitted. Three industry experts, including two executives from two U.S. firms who claimed to have obtained restricted minerals in China recently, confirmed this assessment. Customs data shows that the U.S. imported 3,834 tons of antimony oxides between December and April from Thailand and Mexico. This was almost three times more than the previous years combined. Thailand and Mexico, on the other hand, jumped into the top three markets for Chinese antimony exports this year. This is according to Chinese data up until May. In 2023, which was the last year of exports before Beijing began to restrict them, neither country made it into the top 10. According to RFC Ambrian consultancy, Thailand and Mexico both have one antimony smelter. The latter was only reopened last April. According to RFC Ambrian, neither country has significant quantities of antimony. The U.S. is on track to import antimony, germanium, and gallium at the same or higher levels than before the ban. However, prices will be higher. Ram Ben Tzion is the co-founder and CEO at Publican's digital platform for vetting shipments. He said that although there were clear signs of transshipment in trade data, it was not possible to identify companies involved. He said, "It is a pattern we are seeing and it is consistent." He added that Chinese companies were "super-creative" in their efforts to bypass regulations. In May, China's Commerce Ministry stated that "unspecified" overseas entities had "colluded" with domestic lawbreakers to circumvent its export restrictions and that stopping this activity was vital to national security. It did not respond to any questions regarding the change in trade flows that occurred since December. Similar questions were not answered by the U.S. Commerce Department or Thailand's Commerce Ministry, nor Mexico's Economy Ministry. The U.S. does not prohibit American buyers from buying antimony, germanium or gallium of Chinese origin. Chinese companies can export the minerals to other countries than the U.S. with a valid license. Levi Parker, founder and CEO of U.S. based Gallant Metals told us how he gets about 200 kg gallium per month from China. He did not name the parties because of the possible repercussions. Firstly, agents who buy in China purchase material from the producers. He said that a shipping firm then routes the packages via another Asian nation, with re-labeling as art supplies, iron, or zinc. Parker stated that the workarounds were neither perfect nor inexpensive. Parker said that he would import 500 kg of rice regularly, but large shipments could attract scrutiny. Chinese logistics companies are "very cautious" about the possible repercussions. BRISK TRADE Thai Unipet Industries is a Thailand-based branch of Chinese antimony manufacturer Youngsun Chemicals. According to previously unreported records, the company has done brisk business with the U.S. over recent months. According to 36 bills recorded by ImportYeti, Export Genius and ImportYeti, Unipet shipped 3,366 tonnes of antimony-based products from Thailand to America between December and may. This was about 27 times more than the volume Unipet transported in the same time period last year. They do not always indicate the origin of raw materials. The records do not provide specific proof of transshipment. Thai Unipet could not be reached for a comment. A person answered when I called the number for the company listed on the shipping record. She said that the number did not belong to Unipet. No response was received when I mailed my questions to Unipet’s registered address. Youngsun Chemicals - Unipet's parent company - did not respond to any questions regarding the U.S. shipment. Unipet's U.S. shipments were purchased by Texas-based Youngsun & Essen. Before Beijing's antimony trioxide ban, Youngsun Chemicals imported the majority of its antimony from Youngsun Chemicals. Jimmy Song, the president of Youngsun & Essen, did not respond to questions regarding imports. China launched a major campaign against the smuggling and transshipment of minerals that are critical in May. Offenders may be fined and banned from exporting in the future. James Hsiao of the Hong Kong-based law firm White & Case said that serious cases could also be classified as smuggling and lead to jail sentences exceeding five years. He said that Chinese laws are applicable to Chinese companies even when transactions take place overseas. Hsiao said that in cases of transshipment the Chinese authorities could prosecute sellers who failed to do enough due diligence to identify the end-user. For those willing to risk it, there are big profits to be made overseas where the shortages of gallium, antimony, and germanium have sent prices to record highs. China's antimony and Germanium exports are still lower than before the restrictions. Ben Tzion, a Beijing-based economist, says that Beijing must now ensure that its export control regime is effective. "While all of these policies are in place, the enforcement is a totally different scenario," said he.
-
Sources say that the preliminary report on the Air India crash is expected to be released Friday.
Three sources told us on Tuesday that a preliminary report about the crash of the Air India jetliner in June, which killed 260 passengers, is likely to be released this Friday. This could give early insights into the worst aviation accident in the past decade. The report of Indian investigators is expected to be released on Friday. However, sources familiar with the matter have warned that plans may change. It's also unclear how much information will be included in the document. This comes approximately 30 days after June 12th tragedy. Sources spoke under condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak with media. The London bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad. It started losing height when it reached an altitude of about 650 feet. 241 people were killed on board, and the remainder on the ground. Air Current, an aviation publication, reported Tuesday that the investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash focuses on the movement and position of the switches for the fuel controls on the Boeing 787. This is after analyzing the flight data recorders and voice data records. Air Current reported that the people claimed the information available on the black boxes couldn't rule out or confirm improper, inadvertent, or intentional actions which preceded or were followed by the apparent loss in thrust before the crash. The majority of air crashes are the result of multiple factors. Last month, it was reported that the investigation is focused at least in part on engine thrust. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India, which is the lead investigator under international standards, did not immediately respond to a comment request outside normal business hours. Earlier, ANI News in India reported, citing reliable sources, that the AAIB investigators had submitted the preliminary report about the crash to civil aviation ministry. Could not confirm immediately the report. After the crash, it took investigators about two weeks to download data from flight recorders. The Indian government only held one press conference and took no questions. Two senior sources confirmed that India has reversed its earlier decision, reported by, to prevent an U.N. aviation inspector from joining the investigation. After a request from the agency, a specialist of the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization was granted the status of an observer. ICAO refused to comment and added in a press release that any discussion about "cooperative arrangements" would require the authorisation of the state. The crash has put in doubt the ambitious campaign of the Tata Group to rebuild Air India's fleet and restore its reputation after it takes over the carrier from the government by 2022. India's development plans are based on the growth of aviation. New Delhi says it wants India to become a global aviation hub that creates jobs, similar to Dubai, where much of India's international travel is currently handled. The recent plane crash will be discussed by a panel of Indian legislators. They have invited industry and government officials from India to answer their questions. Reporting by Kanjyik in Bengaluru; Allison Lampert and David Shepardson, in Montreal and Washington; and Mrigank and Jamie Freeda.
SPECIAL REPORT-A new $72,000 migrant smuggling path to the US begins with a charter flight
When a Legend Airlines Jet A340 landed at San Salvador airport on July 15 after an 18hour flight from the United Arab Emirates, its team quickly understood something was incorrect.
Salvadoran officials declined to connect the jet bridge to enable the roughly 300 travelers, all Indian nationals, to disembark, according to 3 previous team members on the flight who talked to on condition of anonymity.
Several travelers informed the cabin team they planned to travel onward to Mexico and cross the border there unlawfully into the U.S., one crew member stated. Others stated they were going on vacation to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, another crew member said.
Salvadoran authorities were currently on high alert when the flight landed. A number of months previously, U.S. and Salvadoran authorities had observed an uncommon pattern of charter airplane landing in El Salvador bring primarily Indian nationals.
The aircrafts were arriving complete and leaving empty, a U.S. official stated. And some travelers claiming to be tourists brought just a backpack for weeks-long trips. U.S. authorities later found that almost all of the charter passengers disembarking in San Salvador had crossed the border into the U.S., the authorities stated.
Such charter flights represent a new stage of illegal migration to the U.S., 5 U.S. officials said in interviews with . Increasingly, they stated, migrants from outdoors Latin America are paying smuggling networks hefty costs for travel bundles that can consist of airline tickets-- on charter and airlines-- to fly to Central America and then bus rides and hotel stays en path to the U.S.-Mexico border.
You have particular charter transport business charging extortion-level prices to take advantage of and profit from vulnerable migrants and assisting in irregular migration to the United States, Eric Jacobstein, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere, told .
Jacobstein declined to talk about Legend or recognize specific companies.
Liliana Bakayoko, a Paris-based lawyer representing Legend considering that December, said the Romanian charter airline company has not been accused of misdeed by any authorities. She added that she was unaware of the July flight and said the airline company was essentially like a cab driver.
The record number of migrant arrests at the southwest U.S. border, which topped more than 2 million last , has emerged as a significant vulnerability for Democratic President Joe Biden in November's governmental elections, with viewpoint polls revealing more Americans trust Republican former President Donald Trump's hardline approach to migration.
On June 4, Biden-- routing in the polls in crucial battleground states-- revealed executive actions to reject access to asylum and rapidly deport migrants or turn them back to Mexico if crossings surpass a specific threshold. It stays unclear how the policy will operate in practice for migrants from faraway nations, which account for a growing share of unlawful migration.
About 9% of irregular crossings at the U.S. border in the 2023 involved migrants from outdoors Latin America, or about 188,000 individuals, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security information. A years back, people from outside the Americas represented hardly 1% of irregular arrivals.
The Biden administration associates the historic levels of migration to international financial and political instability. Trump has actually blamed the high border crossings on Biden's policies.
Indian nationals were the largest single group from outside the Americas came across at the border in 2015, making up about 42,000 arrivals. Migrants from 15 West African nations represented another 39,700, with the majority of from Senegal and Mauritania.
The Biden administration has actually been working with some regional federal governments along with travel business to suppress the circulation of migrants.
In March, it began revoking U.S. visas for owners and executives of charter airline companies and other companies thought to be helping with smuggling. The State Department's Jacobstein decreased to call people or companies affected or the number of had faced limitations. was unable to individually establish which companies had been targeted.
In May, the administration cautioned commercial airlines to be on the lookout for passengers who may be planning to migrate illegally to the U.S. Apprehensions on the border in April fell 48% from December, U.S. federal government data show, which U.S. authorities attribute in part to tougher enforcement by Mexico.
El Salvador's Vice President Felix Ulloa stated in an interview that his government has long-term, consistent, and reliable partnership with the U.S. to fight irregular migration. The intro of visa requirements and $1,000. transit fees on people of India and numerous African countries last. October has significantly lowered the variety of migrants. transiting through San Salvador, he stated.
However as some routes for unlawful migration get squeezed,. others open up.
CHARTER FLIGHTS AND TRAVEL PLANS
and Columbia Journalism Investigations, the. university's postgraduate reporting program, traced two brand-new. intercontinental migrant smuggling paths. The reporting for. this story draws from previously unreported aviation data,. border figures acquired through Flexibility of Details Act. demands, and near to 100 interviews with federal government officials,. authorities, airline company employees, smugglers, travel agents and migrants. in nine nations.
One route begins in West Africa, with migrants paying up to. $ 10,000 for multi-stop commercial flights to Nicaragua, in the past. continuing by land to the U.S.
. The second, serving migrants from India, offers charter. flights to Central America and overland transfers to the U.S. border for in between 6 million ($ 72,000) and 8 million rupees. ($ 96,000) per individual-- in many circumstances with full payment due. after arrival in the U.S, according to Indian court files. and K.T. Kamariya, a deputy superintendent of cops in the. western Indian state of Gujarat investigating unlawful migration.
The new paths by means of Central America avoid the visa. requirements for migrants flying straight into Mexico. They also. avoid the harmful northward travel across the jungle region. in between Colombia and Panama, known as the Darien Gap, that. migrants deal with after showing up in some nations in South America. with lax visa regimes.
Blas Nuñez-Neto, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's. assistant secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, singled. out Nicaragua as the new entry point for many migrants. President Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla and Cold War. foe of the United States, has actually been called out by. Washington for authoritarianism following crackdowns on internal. demonstrations and opposition groups.
Nicaragua has actually, I believe, sadly been. weaponizing these circulations, Nuñez-Neto stated in an interview. It's. tough when you have a government in the area that has. essentially tossed its doors open and enables anybody from. anywhere in the world to fly directly in exchange for a cash. payment.
Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo, who manages. interactions for the federal government, did not respond to requests. for remark.
' TON OF CONCERNS'
The abortive Legend Airlines flight to El Salvador-- which. has actually not been formerly reported-- originated in Fujairah in the. UAE, with a stopover in Paris, according to aviation data from. global tracking service Flightradar24 examined .
As the Plane stayed parked at the gate in San Salvador,. crew members popped open a cockpit window to ferry in food and. water. But no cleaners were enabled on board and a passenger. experiencing kidney stones was not given access to medical. care, according to air travel data and the 3 team members.
When the aircraft removed to go back to the UAE about 8. hours later on, the pilot and attendants, who had actually joined the flight. on a quick stopover in Paris some 19 hours earlier, were still. on responsibility.
The passengers, consisting of kids, were on board for around. 2 full days, the team members stated. Video footage shown. shows flight personnel dropping trash bags from the open. cabin door onto the tarmac before they prepared for take-off.
The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority stated it was. notified of the event and about U.S. concerns that some. Indian passengers taking a trip to Central America on such charter. flights had strategies to irregularly move to the United States.
But it stated: Romanian CAA has no legal responsibility as. regards the migration laws relevant in the United States of. America.
There are a great deal of Indian people traveling all over,. Legend's legal representative Bakayoko said. So really, it was not. suspicious at all.
She would not reveal who employed Legend to fly the charters.
The turned-around flight was the 3rd Legend flight to San. Salvador taped in aviation data over a two-week period. starting June 29.
Travelers aboard the first flight in June had been enabled. to deplane however Salvadoran airport officials were suspicious,. according to one cabin team member on board.
They were asking us a ton of concerns like, where were we. from? Where is the business from? Where, when was the business. established? the team member said.
Legend registered in Romania in 2020, according to the. Romanian government's official database of business. Legend's. owners-- Ramin Youresh, a former executive of Afghanistan's Kam. Air, and Timor Shah Shahab-- did not respond to ask for. comment. was unable to discover passengers who were on the. flight.
Bakayoko would not comment on the business's ownership. structure.
After the July flight was reversed from El Salvador,. aviation data reveal no more flights to Central America up until. December 9, when a Legend Airplane landed in Managua. The information. show 4 additional Legend flights heading to Managua over the. next 2 weeks.
By this point, the U.S. considered Nicaragua a major hub of. extra-continental irregular migration, Jacobstein said.
Some 879,000 travelers landed at Managua's airport last. year, according to information from Nicaragua's Central Bank, a 56%. increase from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic ground flights. to a halt. Only 573,000 individuals flew out of the airport.
A senior U.S. Custom-mades and Border Protection official said. that on some airline routes into the region, more. than 10% of seats were filled by people meaning to move to. the U.S. The authorities declined to name specific companies. running these flights.
Nicaragua's finance ministry taped income of 1.9 billion. Nicaraguan cordobas ($ 52 million) from landing and transit visa. fees in 2015, less than 2% of the federal government's total. profits, but more than 5 times the earnings from those exact same. costs in 2019.
The Biden administration in May took actions to impose visa. limitations on 250 Nicaraguan officials and sanctions on. government-affiliated companies over irregular migration and. repressive policies. On the day sanctions were revealed, Vice. President Murillo did not address them straight, but knocked. traitors, cowards and offer outs who serve the Yankee. imperialists on regional television.
MAMA AFRICA
Late on the evening of Aug 28, Ismaila Diop, 30, a. small-business owner from Senegal, landed at Managua aboard. Avianca flight TA315. On arrival, Diop said he paid $160 for a. tourist visa and got a taxi from the airport to the Honduran. border, 5 hours away. His Nicaraguan chauffeur confirmed the. trip and the $50 fare.
Diop flew from Dakar to Rabat to Madrid, where he boarded an. Avianca flight to Managua with stopovers in Bogota and San. Salvador, ticket stubs and photos reveal.
Taking part in gay sex is criminalized in Senegal. Diop, who. recognizes as bisexual, said he left after an extreme beating left. him unable to work for near to a month. His account was. verified by medical records, photos and asylum files. evaluated and CJI.
In Senegal, there are some individuals who do not believe in. that, he stated, describing same-sex relationships. Either you. go to jail or you get eliminated.
Diop stated a gay friend in the U.S. passed on the contact of. a ticket broker in Morocco named Lisa Sow. Diop wired more than. 2 million CFA francs ($ 3,200) to Sow, who told and CJI. she utilized the cash to buy Diop a plane ticket to Nicaragua.
In addition to Diop, and CJI talked to 11 other. migrants from West African nations who said they flew Avianca. to Nicaragua before heading to the U.S. border.
Colombian airline company Avianca has for a number of years been the top. provider into Managua, the flight information showed.
Asked about the migrants' accounts and the data, Avianca stated. that it can not discriminate against travelers who fulfill the. requirements to travel. It added that it has taken measures. versus irregular migratory traffic such as limiting and. canceling connections between Europe and different locations,. particularly Managua.
Avianca said in the emailed statement that it is likewise. monitoring ticket sales, enhancing document confirmation. treatments and delivering timely data to the authorities.
Along the way to the U.S. border, Diop-- taking a trip in a. group of about a lots Senegalese migrants-- was passed off to. organized groups of smugglers who went by their given names just. or called themselves Mother Africa.
Honduran law permits migrants to transit the country lawfully. within 5 days if they sign up with officials on arrival,. Allan Alvarenga, the director of Honduras' National Migration. Institute, which supervises the nation's migration matters,. informed and CJI.
When they reached Guatemala, Diop and the other migrants satisfied. up with a smuggler who took them to a hotel, provided a meal of. fried chicken, rice and vegetables, and outfitted them with. plastic yellow wristbands.
The police, if they stop you, you show your bracelet, Diop. said of his journey through Guatemala, They let you pass.
Rolando Mazariegos, an authorities at Guatemala's Migration. Institute, which manages migratory flows through the country,. stated illegal border crossers are returned to Honduras and that. the government has actually prosecuted authorities suspected of conspiring. with migrant smugglers. He said crackdowns by the U.S. and other. countries were making smuggling more expensive.
The more controls that are put in location by security forces. or migration authorities, the more the traffickers charge,. Mazariegos said.
In Sonoyta, Mexico, a town throughout the border from U.S. nationwide parkland in Arizona, a Mexican smuggler who likewise called. himself Mama Africa showed Diop where to cross through gaps in. the border fence. Diop stated the guy told him to wait on U.S. agents so he could ask for asylum.
The guided journey cost Diop an additional $1,400, he said,. adding that he paid with cost savings.
A Nicaraguan migrant smuggler said they began working with. African migrants in November 2022. This smuggler stated lots of. migrants usually pay up to $7,000 for flight and as much. as an extra $3,000 to make it to the U.S. border.
The smuggler, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they. were connected to migrants by representatives in Senegal. It's all by. recommendation. Over the last few months, their network has. arranged about eight trips a week of some 20 people each-- now. mostly Mauritanians, the smuggler stated.
The smuggler stated the variety of migrants arriving in. Nicaragua had actually dropped because late last year, an account two. extra migrant traffickers backed up in interviews.
Given that his arrival in New york city last year, Diop has been. staying in migrant shelters and is now in a tented migrant. facility on the city's Randall's Island.
' UNLUCKY EACH TIME'
On December 21, French authorities apprehended a charter. aircraft on a stopover at the small Paris-Vatry airport after. receiving an anonymous pointer, according to the Paris district attorney's. workplace.
The aircraft, en path to Managua from Fujairah, was operated. by Legend Airlines, the very same operator that got turned back from. San Salvador in July.
Of the 303 Indian nationals on board, 276 returned to. India, according to Indian cops records.
Tiphaine Watier, a public protector based at Vatry airport,. said some passengers were so desperate to get to Nicaragua they. went on an appetite strike in the airport: There were people who. had actually offered whatever, their home, their vehicle.
Bakayoko said that Legend was not charged with any offense. by French authorities. The Paris prosecutor's workplace said an. examination into migrant smuggling is ongoing and no one has. been charged.
After the Paris occurrence, Legend executed very. strict new policies, focusing on avoid any sort of. possible prohibited migration, Bakayoko said. The company has. refused dozens of potentially suspicious flights, she added.
Flight information show no Legend paths to Central America after. December.
Among the passengers sent back to India was Gurpreet Singh,. 22, the unemployed son of a farmer from Naurangabad, Punjab. He. stated he was charged 6 million rupees ($ 72,000) for the trip.
The deportation from France marked his 3rd of 5 stopped working. efforts to immigrate unlawfully to the U.S.
So many of my good friends went through these routes and they. all discovered jobs, however I just got unlucky each time, Gurpreet. stated in a phone interview. I took a loan to pay the representative and I. did not have a job awaiting me in the U.S., but I understand that. once you land there then many options open up.
Gurpreet paid the representative, Sultan Singh, a 1 million rupee. ($ 12,000) deposit, with the 5 million rupee ($ 60,000) balance. due on arrival in the U.S., according to a Delhi airport police. press release. Gurpreet did not comment on the expense of the. trips.
Sultan, 32, owner of M/S Worldwide Visa Option, a travel. representative in Amritsar, Punjab, has been charged with forgery,. according to Usha Rangnani, deputy commissioner of Delhi's. airport cops.
Sultan, talked to at his home, said he is innocent of the. forgery charge and had absolutely nothing to do with unlawful immigration.
Gurpreet's first attempt to move remained in September 2023. by means of a flight to Vietnam, but he returned voluntarily, Rangnani. said. In November, he was deported from Qatar after authorities. found a fake Brazilian visa.
Days after the Legend flight, he was deported from Dubai. when authorities found the French deportation stamp. In his. 5th stopped working effort, Gurpreet was deported from Almaty on. March 8, after Kazakh authorities found torn pages in his. passport.
Indian authorities charged him with forgery and he is out on. bail, stated his attorney, Abhay Kumar Mishra.
Gurpreet's dad, Kartar Singh, wants to set him up with a. farm supply shop in the town.
I have had lots of sleepless nights wondering which part of. the world he is stuck in, his mother Dalbir Kaur said. He said. he will make enough cash in one year in America that someone. earns in six or 7 years in India, so I kept agreeing to his. exit plans. And now I think he should sit tight and discover some work. here.
(source: Reuters)