We will simply kill those who enter our country with drugs. Trump said that the US would target cartels on land as soon as possible after attacks on alleged “narco-terrorists” do not require a declaration of war or congressional approval.
Published On 24 Oct 2025
The Trump administration has finalised plans to allow oil and gas drilling in a national wildlife refuge spanning pristine Indigenous land in Alaska, reigniting long-simmering tensions about conserving one of the United States’s environmental jewels.
The US Department of the Interior announced at an event on Thursday that it plans to open up the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which sits on traditional Inupiaq and Gwich’in Indigenous land, to resource exploration.
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In a news release, it said the move, which paves the way for lease sales within the refuge’s 1.5 million-acre (631, 309-hectare) coastal plain, was part of a “sweeping package of actions to boost energy development, modernise land and resource management across Alaska”.
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans previously pledged to reopen this portion of the refuge to possible development.
Announcing the move, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said, “from day one, President Trump directed us to unlock Alaska’s energy and resource potential while honouring commitments to the state and local communities”.
A Republican bill featuring major tax breaks and spending cuts, passed during the summer, called for at least four lease sales within the Alaska refuge over a 10-year period.
“By reopening the Coastal Plain and advancing key infrastructure, we are strengthening energy independence, creating jobs and supporting Alaska’s communities while driving economic growth across the state”, Burgum said.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain – which sits near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, and contains internationally recognised habitat for migrating waterfowl – is considered sacred land to Indigenous Gwich’in communities, who oppose the drilling.
Conservationists have also condemned the move. Meda DeWitt, Alaska senior manager with The Wilderness Society, said it places “corporate interests above the lives, cultures and spiritual responsibilities of the people whose survival depends on … the health of the Arctic Refuge”.
Supportive of the drilling, however, are the Inupiaq Indigenous community in the town of Kaktovik, which sits within the refuge. They consider responsible oil development to be key to their region’s economic wellbeing and development.
The Kaktovik Inupiat Corp, the native village corporation founded in 1973 that owns the land in and around Kaktovik, praised this week’s announcement from the Trump administration.
“It is encouraging to see decision makers in Washington advancing policies that respect our voice and support Kaktovik’s long term success”, its president, Charles “CC” Lampe, said in a statement.
In Thursday’s announcement, Burgum also said a land exchange deal had been completed aimed at building a road connecting the communities of King Cove and Cold Bay that would run through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
While King Cove residents have long called for a road to be opened, conservationists and tribal leaders have promised to launch a legal challenge.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters she had been fighting for land access for King Cove throughout her tenure, but said it was in everyone’s interest to ensure the road is built with minimal disturbance to local wildlife.
Published On 24 Oct 2025
The slow-moving and erratic storm centered on Friday about 150 miles (245 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 270 miles (430 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
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According to the United States National Hurricane Center in Miami, it was moving north at 3 mph (6 km/h) and had sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).
As it strengthens into a major hurricane by the weekend and possibly reaches Category 4 status by Tuesday, it was anticipated to drop significant rain on Jamaica and Haiti’s southern regions through the weekend.
The ground is already saturated as a result of recent heavy rains unrelated to the storm, according to forecasters in Jamaica’s eastern region, which could result in flooding and landslides.
According to the Civil Protection Agency, Melissa was credited with killing an elderly man in Marigot, southern Haiti, while five other people were hurt in the central Artibonite area by flooding.
In Haiti’s southern region, the UN announced on Thursday that it was putting together more than 100 emergency shelters. Previous storms have caused widespread erosion and little preparation in Haiti due to gang violence, poverty, and weak governance, which have devastated the country.
More than half a million customers were affected by the storm, which also affected dozens of Dominican Republic water supply systems. Additionally, it caused a number of small landslides, including one downing of trees and traffic lights.
Officials in 12 provinces on alert, according to officials, will close all public schools in the Dominican Republic on Friday, and government offices in 12 other provinces will follow.
The minister of economic growth and job creation, Matthew Samuda, in Jamaica, called the situation “serious” and cautioned people against being fooled by the storm’s current intensity and speed. He advised people to be very watchful because it could change without warning.
Melissa is the first named storm to form in the Caribbean this year and the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
13 to 18 named storms were predicted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs from June 1 through November 30.
Published On 24 Oct 2025
In Istanbul’s cultural tapestry, porters who haul large sacks of white plastic on their backs or in handcarts carry a significant but frequently unnoticed load.
This trade, known as hamallk in Turkish, dates back to the Ottoman era and is still active today.
The Egyptian Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, and Eminonu district, where traditional hans (commercial buildings) house workshops that sell jewelry, textiles, and other goods, are where the practice flourishes.
Because many centuries-old hans are buried in narrow streets where vehicles cannot pass, these porters continue to be essential. Daytime traffic restrictions in Eminonu add to their significance.
Up to 440–660 pounds of merchandise can be transported using a semer, a traditional wooden and leather harness, using a porter on the fifth floor. These specialist harnesses frequently turn out to be family items that have been passed down from one generation to the next, illustrating the hereditary nature of the profession. (Porters are still primarily men’s jobs, with female ones being incredibly uncommon.)
The porters work within managed, organized divisions that ensure a fair wage distribution. Members’ daily wages are determined by their loads’ quantity and weight.
Only those who can handle the demanding work can enter because it requires remarkable physical strength and endurance. Porters carefully select new members and take a lot of pride in their work.
Omer Okan, 60, has been a porter for 30 years, regularly bringing more than 500 kg (1, 100 pounds) on his back every day.
Little security is provided by the occupation. Okan points out that the majority of porters are uninsured and only make money when they are injured or ill. As major wholesalers leave Eminonu, where he works, for a more productive job, there are less employment opportunities.
He claimed that we occasionally return home without making any money.
Although Okan occasionally feels undervalued by the society that depends on his service, he inherited the profession from his grandfather and takes pride in his work.
Published On 24 Oct 2025