Drugs found hidden in humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza, COGAT says. August 24, 2026 10:34 am GAZA (VINnews) - World Central Kitchen staff discovered illegal drugs concealed inside humanitarian aid packages while preparing food in Gaza on Monday, according to Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. The aid organization reported the incident to COGAT after finding the substances hidden inside canned pepper packages. The discovery included six packs of hashish totaling 600 grams and 162 grams of unidentified illicit substances, COGAT said in a statement. COGAT said it views Hamas's ongoing use of humanitarian aid for illicit smuggling with extreme severity. "Hamas stops at nothing, even embedding dangerous narcotics directly into the humanitarian aid entering Gaza," the statement said. "Such cynical tactics jeopardize vital aid operations for their own selfish gains." The agency noted that World Central Kitchen had responsibly reported the smuggling attempt. COGAT released a photo of the seized materials along with its statement.

Gift for Life board tops 92 percent of annual fundraising goal with 4 months to go. The charitable organization has raised nearly $230,000 toward its $250,000 goal for 2026 thanks to successful spring and summer events... Board members reflect on their mid-year progress and look toward the future. Gift for Life, the gift and home industry's charitable organization, has raised nearly $230,000 toward its $250,000 fundraising goal for 2026, surpassing 92 percent of its annual target midway through the year. The milestone reflects another strong year of industry generosity and engagement. At its recent mid-year board of directors meeting, board members celebrated the organization's progress while reaffirming their commitment to supporting charitable causes through the collective efforts of the gift and home industries. Highlights from the first half of 2026 include: * Raising $49,242 in support of AIDS Walk New York, continuing Gift for Life's long-standing commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. * Raising an incredible $164,934 for World Central Kitchen during the Retailer Excellence Awards celebration honoring Peter Schauben with Gift for Life's Lifetime Humanitarian Award. * Expanding fundraising opportunities through industry events, partnerships, and donor engagement that continue to strengthen Gift for Life's impact across the gift and home community. "Reaching more than 90 percent of our annual fundraising goal by mid-year is an exciting milestone and a testament to the generosity of our industry," said Amy Loewenberg, chair of Gift for Life. "From supporting AIDS Walk New York to the incredible response to our Retailer Excellence Awards benefiting World Central Kitchen, driven by the generosity surrounding this year's honoree, our community continues to demonstrate what can be accomplished when we come together for a greater purpose. I am grateful to our board of directors, our sponsors, our volunteers, and every individual and company whose support is helping Gift for Life make a meaningful difference." During the meeting, the board also reviewed strategic priorities for the remainder of 2026, including upcoming fundraising initiatives, continued industry engagement, and opportunities to further expand Gift for Life's charitable impact. Directors expressed confidence that the organization's momentum will continue through the balance of the year. "While we're proud of what we've accomplished so far, we're equally excited about what's ahead," Loewenberg added. "With the continued support of our industry, we're well positioned to achieve our fundraising goal and continue investing in organizations that provide hope, relief, and essential services to people in need." Gift for Life will continue its fundraising efforts throughout the second half of 2026 with additional initiatives that bring together retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives, suppliers, and service providers in support of its charitable mission.

José Andrés cooks up superhero chaos with earth's mightiest heroes in Meals to Astonish: Avengers #1! Following Meals to Astonish: Spider-Man #1, Marvel Comics joins forces with José Andrés and World Central Kitchen for another action-packed culinary super hero adventure in MEALS TO ASTONISH: AVENGERS #1 by Steve Orlando, Roi Mercado and more, on sale this October. Ready for seconds? Following the success of Meals to Astonish: Spider-Man #1, world-class chef, restaurateur, humanitarian, and educator José Andrés and his fearless team at World Central Kitchen continue their inspiring journey through the Marvel Universe in MEALS TO ASTONISH: AVENGERS #1, arriving this October. The MEALS TO ASTONISH one-shots team up Chef José with Marvel's greatest heroes for adventures that celebrate World Central Kitchen's life-changing and impactful mission to provide food and nourishment to communities in crisis around the world. Following the main course by returning creative team Steve Orlando and Roi Mercado, MEALS TO ASTONISH: AVENGERS will also include a new installment of JEFF'S TABLE, stories from T.E.S.T. KITCHEN Infinity Comic by Michelin Star Chef Paul Eschbach and artist E.J. Su, and more - including the shocking debut of VENOMNOM by Jacob Chabot! World-class chef, restaurateur, humanitarian and educator José Andrés joins the Avengers! Tony Stark and José are headed to Las Vegas to debut their new disaster-relief technology when they're attacked by Ultron! It's up to José and the Avengers to save their tech - and the world! On expanding the scope of the Meals to Astonish one-shots, Orlando said "It was already an honor to work with Chef Andrés and welcome him to the Marvel Universe - but once we saw the Avengers working alongside World Central Kitchen to aid Manhattan...we knew we weren't done! Just like Tony Stark - we caught the idea and went big with it! So now, we're here to imagine how global aid could really work - side by side with Chef Andrés. The Avengers have finally met their match! A force that works just as hard to feed the world as they do to save it! Getting back in the room with the Chef and Marvel has been great - and dreaming up comic ways to feed the world is more than that, it's a dream!" "First Manhattan, now Las Vegas?! It's an honor of a lifetime to get to team up with my heroes, the Avengers, for an even bigger battle in Sin City," Andrés said of contining his collaboration with Marvel. "Together with the Marvel Universe we are taking on the greatest mission of all...to feed the world!" Whet your appetite with Leinil Francis Yu's cover and pick up MEALS TO ASTONISH: AVENGERS #1 at your local comic shop this October! * Al Mega - I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out its podcasts/vidcasts and more! Latest entries.