World
U.S. military flexes on Iran in waning days of Trump administration
American geopolitical friction against the Islamic Republic of Iran worsens, even as the U.S. has come under heavy domestic strain with open insurrection at the U.S. Capitol around election disputes from outgoing President Donald J. Trump. The U.S. Capitol was breached by supporters of Mr. Trump as lawmakers were deliberating on the certification of election results to confirm President-elect Joseph...
‘Who’s a sh-thole now?’ Africa responds to Trump and violent American insurrec-tion at U.S. Capitol
Africa has faced the problem of political leaders being unwilling to step down and concede elections and suffered from President Trump’s racist tirades against the continent. So there was strong reaction to his unwillingness to accept losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden. It was reflected in headlines like “Africa to Trump: Who’s a sh**thole now?” Many Africans were “unable to...
New Venezuela parliament sworn in, U.S.-backed Guaido out
A new Venezuelan parliament has been sworn in, with President Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist Party consolidating control and U.S.-backed opposition figure Juan Guaido left without a job. A total of 256 of the National Assembly’s 277 seats are now in the hands of Maduro’s United Socialist Party and its allies following the December 6, 2020 elections, which were boycotted by the...
Joint cooperation with Cuba in coronavirus vaccine production ‘among priorities’: Iran official
An Iranian Health Ministry official says the production of coronavirus vaccine in cooperation with Cuba is one of Tehran’s priorities after such other alternatives as purchasing from a foreign country and participation in the World Health Organization’s COVAX program. Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesman of the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA), made the comment Jan. 8 as he explained the country’s...
Questions on Covid-19 vaccine mount in UK as new strain spreads
The Covid-19 pandemic has not spared countries around the world, including the United Kingdom. In the UK, people from Black and minority ethnic communities (BAME) are getting hit hard. A report released earlier this year by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre found that 35 percent of almost 2,000 patients with Covid-19 were from a BAME background, despite...
Guterres ‘shocked’ at massacre of civilians in eastern DR Congo
The United Nations Secretary-General has expressed shock at the massacre of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. At least 25 villagers are reported to have been killed in recent attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia in the villages of Tingwe, Mwenda and Nzenga,...
Zimbabwean teen teaches taekwondo to fight child marriage
HARARE, Zimbabwe—In Zimbabwe, where girls as young as 10 are forced to marry due to poverty or traditional and religious practices, a teenage taekwondo enthusiast is using the sport to give girls in an impoverished community a fighting chance at life. “Not many people do taekwondo here, so it’s fascinating for the girls, both married and single. I use it...
Israel uses Trump administration to get diplomatic ties with Morocco and Sudan
President Trump’s closing foreign policy initiatives have included a major effort to convince and coerce African and Asian nations to “normalize” relations with the state of Israel in exchange for promised U.S. financial, military and possibly diplomatic assistance. In recent past, Israel has been on a mission to strengthen and exploit its ties with Africa. Not only has Israel made...
UN rights expert urges U.S. to remove sanctions hindering rebuilding in Syria
A UN independent human rights expert, on Dec. 29, called on the United States to remove unilateral sanctions against Syria that may hamper efforts to rebuild the war-torn country’s destroyed civilian infrastructure. Alena Douhan, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, voiced concerns that sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act—also...
UN, African Union reiterate commitment to Sudan, as joint mission ends operations
The United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission have reiterated their commitment to continue to support Sudan consolidate peace as the AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping mission in the country’s Darfur region ends its operations on Dec. 31. In a joint statement on Dec. 31, Secretary-General António Guterres and Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also called on all Sudanese actors to...
