Dr. Sachs, who frequently appears on international media outlets, heavily criticizing mainstream Western news organizations and their biased, one-sided reporting, is an economist and public policy analyst, a professor at Columbia University, and the current director of the Center for Sustainable Development.

At the February summit, he warned that Africa must integrate its markets and become a singular geopolitical bloc. He stressed that Europeans and American colonial-era divisions leave the continent’s 55 countries fragmented and vulnerable, while a true union or integration of African nation-states unlocks the scale needed to compete and excel.

Integrating the trajectory of Africa’s population growth with “the most amazing acceleration of technological know-how in history,” Dr. Sachs projects that Africa’s population is so young that there is a tremendous population growth built into Africa till the end of the century. He calculates that “Africa’s population will be two and a half billion people at mid-century.”

Comparing Africa’s population growth to that of China and India, he said that by the end of the 21st century, China’s population will be under one billion, and India’s, he estimates, will stabilize at 1.7 billion. Dr. Sachs explained that according to him, “on the current extrapolation with a gradually declining fertility rate, Africa reaches about 3.7 billion people by the end of the 21st century, and that is about 35% (or one-third) of the world population.”

Everything has accelerated, he explained. “If you launch ChatGPT one month, within the next month there are 100 million users. Within six months, there are 500 million users. We’ve never had an uptake of technology at this speed in history. So, if this technological know-how is properly utilized, the ability of Africa to achieve what China achieved, double-digit growth for four decades, is absolutely realistic. This is the main point. Africa can achieve a dramatic advance,” he argued.

The entire African continent must be in learning mode, he pointed out. “This is a continent with a 19-year median age. Half the children are at school age. I mean half the population is at school age in this continent. Make sure they’re learning and then you transform your dreams into reality,” Dr. Sachs said.

Africa needs investment. “The most important (investment), every child on this continent should complete at least upper and secondary school with real learning,” he continued. Dr. Sachs explained that the continent as a unified body needs to “figure out how to do that.”

He also spoke on how electronic devices and technology can help in that effort, including having some classes online.

“It’s virtually free to do this. If you actually work out the capital costs, there should be no limits of teachers in rural areas or teachers that are under-qualified, or can’t do a math problem because we don’t need the traditional delivery as the only delivery of education right now. We’re in a digital world. You can leapfrog. Be creative. Be inventive. But take the basic idea. Don’t let the budget constraint stand in the way of universal quality education. It’s by far the number one resource of this continent and it’s growing very rapidly, and there is no demographic dividend of a young population if it is not educated. None at all. Only a burden,” he argued.

Another major investment is physical infrastructure. “That includes developing the power sector, the transport sector, the digital sector, social housing, water and sanitation, the key infrastructure. There needs to be an Africa-wide strategy that reaches down to every part of the continent,” he argued.

Dr. Sachs encouraged the energy or power sector to tap Africa’s wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal potential. “This continent has enough high-quality solar to power the entire world. As you know, we’ve all seen the ‘little box’ in the Sahara that has enough solar energy to power the entire world,” he said, referring to the Sahara Desert.

According to several published reports, the potential is limitless.

In a 2021 article in Forbes.com titled, “We Could Power The Entire World By Harnessing Solar Energy From 1% Of The Sahara,” it stated in part, “The Great Saharan Desert in Africa is 3.6 million square miles and is prime for solar power (more than 12 hours per day). That means 1.2% of the Sahara Desert is sufficient to cover all of the energy needs of the world in solar energy. There is no way coal, oil, wind, geothermal or nuclear can compete with this.”

The Sahara receives roughly enough sunlight in six hours to power on all of human civilization, for at least an entire year. Theoretically, this “box,” covering just 11.5 miles by 11.5 miles with high-efficiency solar panels, could meet the entire world’s electricity demand.

What will it take for Africa to achieve this kind of dynamism? According to Dr. Sachs, “Basically, be like China or be like India, unified, integrated structure, working on a continental scale economy with a continental scale policy and plan.”

Follow Jehron Muhammad @Africawatchfcn on X

The post With unity, cooperation, Africa has enough high-quality solar to power the entire world appeared first on Final Call News.

The MoU was signed by President Donald J. Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Palace of Versailles in France at a dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the highly anticipated G7 meeting of powerful nations.

By most accounts, Iran gets the better of the deal—if it holds—as the Muslim nation gets outcomes similar to or slightly better than those of a previous agreement signed by former President Barack Obama in 2015, which Mr. Trump tore up during his first term as president.

For example, the MoU does not stipulate inspections of Iran’s nuclear activities. There are, however, many “red lines” for both sides in the MoU and anger from both sides of Congress is palpable.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Trump supporter, said the president “got very poor advice when it comes to this deal.” Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who lost his recent re-election bid to a Trump-backed challenger, in a post on X said the deal is “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”

“This is not the art of the deal, this is the art of surrender,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in an interview on MS Now. The senator was taking a jab at Mr. Trump’s co-written 1987 book “Trump: The Art of the Deal.” He went on to describe the MoU as “one of the worst foreign policy disasters” in U.S. history.

At various moments during the G7 gathering, President Trump showed the stress of the pressure on him because of what Iran wins.

President Trump commented that it is acceptable for Iran to maintain a ballistic missile arsenal, stating it is “fair” in relative proportion to other nations. “I’m saying that if other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some,” the president told reporters on June 18.

While at the G7, he also explained the decision to unfreeze some of Iran’s assets. “The unfreezing … we have taken a lot of their money. And we have their money. We have taken their money, its not our money, it’s their money and we froze it.

At a certain point in time, I guess we’re going to have to give it back. You know, if we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again,” he said, reported several media outlets.

Among other things, the 14-point MoU stipulates:

• An immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon
• Removal of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran
• Termination of U.S. sanctions against Iran in an agreed upon schedule
• U.S. will make available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of Iran.

For its part, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway for oil, fertilizer and other materials and reaffirm its commitment not to develop or obtain nuclear weapons, something it had affirmed in the previous 2015 agreement. (See full MoU on page 23.)

At Final Call press time, the planned June 19 public signing ceremony with U.S. Vice President JD Vance was canceled due to Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon. Such attacks cross Iran’s red line established in the MoU. The document had been signed on June 17 by presidents Trump and Pezeshkian.

It had been argued that warring parties were playing a waiting game: Trump betting that Iran’s economy would collapse and create internal rebellion; Iran betting that the decline of the world economy would pressure the U.S. to back off so ships can flow through the Strait.

“Iran is moving from survival to ambition … using the MoU to gain power,” University of Chicago professor Robert Pape surmised on the Danny Haipong YouTube channel, pointing out that any oil that moves through the Strait now would not make it to market before the end of the year. By that time, oil reserves of most nations will be near empty.

If the U.S. or Israel violates the agreement, Iran shuts down the Strait again. “This is the escalation trap,” said Professor Pape, author of “The Escalation Trap” Substack site.

Charles Barron, an activist and former New York assemblyman and council member, said the MoU was President Trump’s way of “trying to find a graceful way out, and there was none.”

Mr. Barron, a radio host and host of the Speaking Truth to Power podcast, explained that many Republicans were against starting a war with Iran, especially as a midterm election approaches. He said the expertise of Iran’s negotiators now makes Iran a stronger regional power and an emerging world power.

The president was emboldened by his taking of Venezuela and arresting President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. “But Iran is no Venezuela or Cuba,” Mr. Barron explained. “This is further evidence of the declining American empire and we’re witnessing the birth pains of a new world order.”

Observers suggest that any final agreement will not differ significantly from Mr. Obama’s 2015 plan, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A major contention by opponents of the MoU is a $300 billion reconstruction plan—demanded by Iran prior to the agreement—and who will pay for it?

Under the MoU, $300 billion is separate from the U.S. commitment to issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and allowing access to frozen funds immediately after the agreement is signed. In contrast, the JCPOA provided for a more gradual lifting of sanctions, with many non-nuclear sanctions remaining in place.

Observers also quickly point out that Mr. Trump’s claim that Mr. Obama gave a planeload of cash to Iran is misleading. It was Iran’s money.

A Yahoo.com “fact check” article points out the money “represented a settlement of a decades-old legal dispute over $400 million Iran had paid the U.S., before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, for military equipment it never received, plus about $1.3 billion in interest.”

Israel: America’s friend or foe?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been vocal about his MoU opposition and his commitment to attack Lebanon, which has caused death and destruction with its actions being compared to the regime’s genocide in Gaza. Public disputes between Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu have grabbed headlines in recent weeks. Whether Israel will relinquish before the MoU totally collapses is the question.

According to reporting by NBCnews.com, on June 16 at the G7, President Trump said, “Without me, there would be no Israel,” and reportedly also called Prime Minister Netanyahu “crazy” and used an expletive to describe his poor judgment. He also criticized Israel’s continued bombing of Lebanon.

“There are many within the Israeli cabinet that would want to continue bombing Lebanon and thwart this eventual peace deal,” said Terek Khalil, attorney, activist and Education Chair with the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). This vision of creating a greater Israel needs Lebanese territory, not to mention Syrian territory, Jordanian territory and the rest of historic Palestine.

“On that basis, there will be a lot of political motivation to continue their expansionist campaign in Lebanon,” he said.

Mr. Khalil and others point out that the Strait of Hormuz was open prior to the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, and the Muslim nation never threatened to impose a tariff on ships for passage, as they now are suggesting they might do. Nor were U.S. military bases in neighboring Gulf nations being attacked. Now they are.

“The Strait will be open for 60 days, but after 60 days it’ll be subject to a decision between Iran and Oman,” Mr. Khalil noted. “They will ultimately decide what the future holds for the Strait of Hormuz. That could have an economic impact on the United States. So, the situation post Memorandum of Understanding could be worse for the United States than pre-war.”

Mr. Khalil noted that the war has taken focus off the genocide occurring in Gaza. With the assault on Iran, America is complicit in the “crime of crimes”—genocide with Israel in Gaza and the unprovoked military attack and blockade of another nation.

“This is a shameful stain on the United States of America and we’re doing it at the behest of a foreign entity, a foreign government, Israel. That is something that Americans should abhor. We must end this so-called special relationship because it is a damaging one for U.S. interests.”

Reuters reports 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since an October 2025 ceasefire agreement, with many injured victims dying due to the closing of crossings manned by Israeli soldiers and the inability to be extracted to a medical facility.

All of Gaza is occupied, Mr. Khalil explained, but the physical presence of the Israeli army has a stronghold over 70% of the Gaza Strip.

“It looks like the vision is to occupy, physically, 70% of the 365 square kilometer territory known as the Gaza Strip and further consolidate their gains and suffocate the Palestinian people. That’s something that you will not see in mainstream news anymore.”

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, has consistently warned the American Government that Israel will drag it into a war that will end its power. He has also warned Islamic nations against being divided by the enemy that threatens them all.

“America: Even though you plan well, there is another Planner over and above your plans—that is The Best of Planners. And your plans, under His Plan, is causing you to fulfill the scripture that says ‘you will lay a trap and get caught in it, and you will dig a ditch for others.

But you will fall in it yourself,’” the Minister warned the American Government in Part 34 of his 2013 yearlong series “The Time and What Must Be done” titled “America’s Errant Foreign Policy.”

In that same message, Minister Farrakhan said to the Islamic nations: “My dear brothers and sisters, leaders of the Islamic world: What you are doing under the guidance of America and Europe will cause the whole Middle East to be destroyed, and possibly lead to the bombing of our Holy City of Mecca.

Whether you know it or not, the rightful place for The Righteous will be bathed in blood as a ‘purifying agent’ for The Mahdi and The Messiah to bring The Real People of God back to their proper and rightful place in Mecca, in Medina, and the whole Muslim world!”

The post Iran finds road map to rising power Stumbling blocks and Israel trip up Trump’s peace efforts appeared first on Final Call News.

The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), slated for signing by the Iranian and U.S. presidents electronically early on June 18, lays out a comprehensive framework designed to end the imposed war and reconfigure the regional order with Iran as a principal power.

The document sets out immediate commitments on the part of the U.S. and its Zionist proxy to cease military aggression across all fronts, including Lebanon, while affirming respect for Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the country’s internal affairs.

It further establishes a timeline for comprehensive negotiations expected to culminate in a final agreement within 60 days. Beyond security provisions, the text addresses maritime stability, commercial shipping guarantees, sanctions relief, economic reconstruction assistance, and the gradual unfreezing of Iranian assets.

It also includes provisions related to nuclear assurances, verification mechanisms under the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the maintenance of a temporary status quo during negotiations. A structured implementation and monitoring framework is also outlined.

Ultimately, the agreement envisions UN Security Council endorsement, signaling an effort to institutionalize any final settlement within the international legal order.

The MoU came after the U.S.-Israeli axis faced a humiliating defeat on the battlefield and was forced to give concessions to Iran during the negotiations.

Following is the full text of the memorandum published on June 17:

1. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America and their allies in the current war, by signing this Memorandum of Understanding, declare the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and commit that from now on no war or military operation will be initiated against each other.

And they will refrain from the threat or use of force against one another, and guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement will confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the rest of this clause.

2. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America commit to respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and refraining from interference in each other’s internal affairs.

3. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America commit to conducting negotiations and reaching a final agreement within a maximum period of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent.

4. Immediately upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding, the United States will begin lifting its naval blockade and any harassment or obstruction against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days.

During this period, shipping traffic will be maintained in proportion to pre-war traffic levels as established by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States also commits to withdrawing its military forces from the surrounding region of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final agreement.

5. Upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements, to the best of its ability, for the safe passage of commercial vessels, free of charge for 60 days, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.

Commercial shipping will begin immediately and will be fully established within 30 days, subject to the removal of technical and military obstacles and demining operations carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will consult with the Sultanate of Oman regarding the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz, and will also exchange views with other Gulf coastal states.

6. The United States commits, together with its regional partners, to establish a definitive program agreed upon by both parties for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a minimum funding of 300 billion dollars.

The implementation mechanism of this program will be finalized as part of the final agreement within 60 days. All necessary approvals, waivers, and permits for the relevant financial transactions will be issued by the United States.

7. The United States commits to ending all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including United Nations Security Council resolutions, International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, both primary and secondary, according to a timetable agreed as part of the final agreement.

Both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States acknowledge the fundamental importance of ending the sanctions mentioned above and express their intention to address these issues promptly in negotiations to reach a mutual agreement.

8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not produce or acquire nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States agree to resolve the status of stored enriched materials through a mutually agreed mechanism and in accordance with the timetable set in Clause 7, at a minimum through on-site dilution under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The two sides also agree to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the nuclear needs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on a satisfactory framework to be agreed in the final agreement.

The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this clause. Both sides also acknowledge the fundamental importance of the above nuclear issues and express their intention to address them promptly in negotiations to reach a mutual agreement.

9. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States agree to maintain the status quo until the final agreement is reached; Iran will maintain the status quo in its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose any new sanctions on Iran nor deploy additional military forces in the region.

10. The United States commits to immediately, upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding and until sanctions are lifted, issuing Treasury waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products and derivatives, and all related services, including banking transactions, insurance, transportation, and others.

11. The United States commits to fully making available all restricted or frozen funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures for releasing these funds during negotiations.

These funds, whether held in primary accounts or transferred, must be fully usable for payments to any final beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States commits to issuing all necessary approvals and licenses in this regard.

12. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States agree to establish an implementation mechanism to monitor the successful execution of this Memorandum of Understanding and future compliance with the final agreement.

13. Following the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, and subject to the commencement of implementation of Clauses 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 and the continuation of these measures, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States will begin negotiations on the final agreement exclusively on the remaining clauses.

14. The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding resolution of the United Nations Security Council 

(PressTV.ir)

The post Factbox: 14-point U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding lays out terms to end imposed war, reshape regional security framework appeared first on Final Call News.

Historically, the occupier state of Israel has been on a so-called charm offensive focusing on the continent of Africa, whose 54 nation-states represent the UN’s largest voting bloc. Last year, 45% of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions addressed crises in Africa.

Africa’s views of Israel are highly fragmented and are characterized by a complex mix of historical solidarity, economic pragmatism, and religious ties. While some countries on the continent actively deepen security and agricultural partnerships, others—most notably South Africa—view Israel’s policies in Gaza as severe human rights violations and have championed the Palestinian cause.

According to reporting from Al Jazeera, “African perspectives on Israel are deeply divided, reflecting a mix of strong diplomatic partnerships, religious ties, and vocal condemnations of the war in Gaza. While no African nation has officially cut all diplomatic ties (with Israel), continental opinions span from vehement opposition to pragmatic bilateral alliances.”

A June 4 Pew Research Center survey of global negative views of Israel has limited survey findings regarding the African continent. Africa, a continent with 54 nation states, is only represented in the survey by Nigeria as the one African country that was lumped in with others, including Australia, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom, in the category of very “unfavorable views” of Israel.

In another category in the Pew survey, “confidence in Netanyahu” included responses from Kenya and the Philippines. These, according to the Pew Center, are the only surveyed countries where more than half of the country’s public has “confidence in Netanyahu,” who is a global war criminal with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the atrocities committed against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Pew survey notes, “views of Israel are among the most positive in some of the sub-Saharan African countries surveyed.”

The occupier state is still working to embed itself more deeply into the African continent under the guise of security.

To give more context, South African governance analyst Dr. Reneva Fourie explained to Al Jazeera that by embedding itself into regional security structures, Israel gains allies who are less likely to challenge its military occupation. She explained that these so-called counterterrorism partnerships are used as a public relations tool to normalize Israel’s international standing while obfuscating the violence it inflicts upon Palestinians.

“These partnerships normalize Israel as a counterterrorism ally while deflecting attention from the fact that it is the perpetrator of state terror against Palestinians,” she noted.

“By embedding itself in African security structures, Israel not only profits from instability but also gains partners less likely to challenge its brutal military occupation and its genocidal atrocities,” she told Al Jazeera.

But even as the world watches in real time, Israel’s continued massacre of Palestinians and now the Lebanese people, the regime’s right-wing government continues to attempt to make more inroads in Africa.

Israel also has its sights on Sudan and is involved in the current war in the African country, and according to published reports, it represents an external, outside influence fueling the current conflict in Sudan. A headline from an op-ed published on the Middle East Monitor website notes, “Sudan crisis not accidental: Rogue regimes UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Israel complicit in the genocide.”

What is currently unfolding “extends to reshaping the balance of power in the Horn of Africa and not surprisingly involves Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” the Nov. 4, 2025, article noted. “Haaretz noted in August 2025 that Israel was exploiting Sudan’s war to justify military expansion in the Red Sea under the banner of ‘protecting global shipping lanes from Houthi threats,’’’ continued the article, referencing the Israel-based publication.

It is also being reported that Israel has leveraged the Sudan crisis to deepen its political footprint in Ethiopia and Eritrea, “as part of its broader plan to contain Iranian influence extending from Tehran to Sana’a and Khartoum,” the Middle East Monitor article continued.

Countries in Africa should proceed with caution when dealing with Israel and be careful about engaging in relationships under the guise of counterterrorism and security, as the Israeli regime continues to try to expand its footprint and influence in the region.

Follow Jehron Muhammad @Africawatchfcn on X

The post Israel’s ongoing pursuit to embed itself in Africa’s security structures appeared first on Final Call News.

The group was on the ground in Cuba as part of an Emergency Mutual Solidarity and Engagement Fact-Finding Delegation.

Organized by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) and convened by Dr. Ron Daniels, the broad-based delegation, including journalists, business leaders, and activists, traveled to the island to bear witness to what Cuban officials call “intolerable acts” perpetuated by six decades of U.S. policy.

“The masses of Cuban people have suffered far too long from 67 years of selective, punitive blockades and sanctions imposed by the government of the United States,” Dr. Daniels told The Final Call.

“To add insult to injury, the current administration in Washington is inflicting collective punishment on the Cuban people by imposing a blockade on fuel urgently needed to provide electricity for the nation and sanctions on any nation seeking to assist Cuba to meet its essential needs. Collective punishment of a people is a violation of international law.”

The human cost of the blockade is not abstract. It is measured in closed schools, in dark nights, in empty medicine cabinets, and in impossible choices.

Yanela Gonzalez Gonzalez, a professor at Isri International University, spoke passionately about daily life under the siege. “There is genocide in Cuba, in a silent way among the people,” she said. “It’s very, very bad for the people, and especially for the Black women and our kids.”

She recalled a devastating loss: “Yesterday, my neighbor passed away because she didn’t have transportation to go to the hospital. When she previously tried to go to the hospital, she was told there wasn’t enough medicine to attend to her.”

Her plea was direct: “We need you to share our voices with the people in the United States. We need your solidarity. We need solar panels; we need medicine; we need people to respect the way that we decide to live.”

The delegation met with Carlos Fernández de Cossío, deputy minister at MINREX (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), who detailed the revolutionary gains now under threat.

He reminded the group that Cuba once guaranteed a liter of milk to every child and every pregnant woman, “regardless of who they are, who their parents are, if they’re professionals, if they’re farmers, if they’re delinquents, if they’re in jail, if they’re counterrevolutionary.”

That, he said, is social justice, along with free healthcare and free education for all. For decades, Cuba’s child mortality, maternal mortality, and life expectancy outpaced every country in the hemisphere except Canada.

But today, those gains are crumbling under U.S. economic warfare. Deputy Minister Fernández de Cossío asked plainly: “Is that a crime? Is that a criminal punishment imposed on a population that includes infants?”

The official described a nation that often endures 16 to 42 hours without electricity in the 21st century, with food spoiling, children doing homework at 2:00 a.m. when power returns, and those with respiratory illnesses unable to run medical equipment. Meanwhile, he charged, the U.S. spends $30–50 million annually on propaganda blaming Cuba’s own government for suffering caused by the blockade.

Walking through Cuban neighborhoods, delegation members heard directly from residents.

Alejandro, a man with asthma, explained that because medical supplies are restricted, he can only obtain his inhaler on the black market. “Tell the Americans that we are suffering in Cuba because we can’t get basic care,” he said. “I need my inhaler but can’t find it. If I do, should I pay for it or get food for my family? These are choices people shouldn’t have to make.”

Dr. E. Faye Williams, peace activist, senior advisor to the World Council of Mayors, and former president of the National Congress of Black Women, said the Cubans she met were willing to share their struggles openly. But she stressed solidarity is not one-way.

“I certainly hope that the women we talked with here don’t feel that we have it so good in America,” Dr. Williams told The Final Call. “We, women, have our challenges in America, too. I hope they feel that they’re not alone, and that what we promised to do as we heard what their challenges are, [we will] do what we can to resolve, and also know that we have challenges.”

Dr. Haki Ammi, IBW board member, author, and educator, said the trip clarified the need for stronger organizing. “I’m dissecting the power dynamics, in terms of what Black people actually represent, and how we have to up our ante,” he said.

“The U.S. has oppressed this nation for decades. We have to expose the contradictions in the system, and expose that if the U.S. comes for Cuba, who else are they coming for?”

The delegation met with a range of Cuban officials, including at MINREX, the National Assembly, and municipal levels. They also visited the Afro-Cuban civil society and anti-racist organizations. Their conclusion: The solidarity movement must deepen and broaden.

Dr. Daniels announced that the group will return to the U.S. committed to systematic engagement through channels established by Pastors for Peace, which regularly sends aid to Cuba. They will also urge the Congressional Black Caucus, legacy civil and human rights organizations, and progressive faith groups to demand normalization of relations with Cuba.

“The Black world owes a debt to the people of Cuba,” Dr. Daniels said. “Hopefully, the African Union will have the audacity to follow CARICOM’s lead and defy the rogue regime in the U.S. by assembling an aid package and challenging the blockade.”

The post A silent genocide Cuba’s suffering continues under U.S. blockade appeared first on Final Call News.

Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Hassan highlighted Africa’s growing demographic and economic weight.

“By 2050, one in four human beings on this planet will be African,” she said in her opening remarks. “Africa will be the only continent still adding workers to the global labor force on a large scale. Africa will host nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies.”

Hassan also pointed to the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying that once fully implemented it would become the world’s largest market by population. The agreement, signed in 2018, seeks to create a continent-wide free trade zone by easing the movement of goods, services, and investment across all 55 African Union member states.

UN projections show the global population reaching 9.66 billion by 2050, with Africa accounting for roughly 2.5 billion people.

By contrast, populations in many other regions are expected to decline due to persistently low birth rates and aging societies. Europe’s population is projected to fall from around 744 million to 703 million in the same period.

According to UN data, fertility rates across Europe averaged about 1.4 births per woman in 2023, well below the replacement level of 2.1.

The trend has also become a major concern for Russia, where the fertility rate stood at 1.4 in 2024. In response, Moscow has introduced a range of measures aimed at boosting births, including direct payments to mothers, expanded maternity benefits, and additional financial support for families.

Starting June 8, Russia will also launch new tax relief programs for families with two or more children. (RT.com)

The post Africa will be quarter of global population by 2050—Tanzanian president appeared first on Final Call News.

In a statement released on June 8, Hazem Qassem said the continued deaths place a political, moral, and legal responsibility on mediating and guarantor countries to pressure Israel and compel it to halt the systematic violations of the ceasefire agreement.

He called on the United Nations Security Council to identify the party obstructing the agreement and take action to enforce compliance.

Qassem further urged the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take meaningful steps to stop the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Hamas spokesman also called upon the leadership of the Palestinian Authority to instruct all its ambassadors worldwide to activate the role of Palestinian diplomatic missions in support of the Gaza Strip, and to place their main priority on highlighting the sufferings of Gazans and exposing the ongoing Israeli aggression and siege of the region.

Earlier, Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the head of the Hamas political office, emphasized in statements that international efforts to force the Israeli regime to stop the massacre in the Gaza Strip have failed.

“Despite the fact that the agreement stipulates the need for a ceasefire, the killing of residents of the Gaza Strip has not stopped,” Nunu said.

He added, “The so-called Board of Peace must identify the party that is preventing the implementation of the agreement.”

Nunu stated that consultations are underway to pave the way for a new round of negotiations to ensure implementation of the clause of the agreement.

Israeli military forces have persisted in their offensives in Gaza, which include air and artillery bombardments, demolitions, and limitations on the movement of goods, humanitarian assistance, and travel, as reported by Palestinian sources.

Data provided by Gaza’s Health Ministry reveals that since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, at least 977 Palestinians have been killed at the hands of Israeli forces and 3,063 sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, the death toll since October 7, 2023, has risen to 72,987 Palestinians killed and 173,171 injured, highlighting the severe human cost of the ongoing genocidal war. (PressTV.ir)

The post Hamas: Killing of 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza shows Israeli genocide still going on appeared first on Final Call News.

by Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. – RT.com

The current debate in Canada over Indigenous rights, language revitalization, and the restoration of original place names, especially in British Columbia, is deeply rooted in historical truth, constitutional reality, and the lived experience of Indigenous peoples who have survived centuries of systemic efforts to erase our presence.

Over 95% of British Columbia remains unceded territory, land that was never surrendered through treaty. When British Columbia joined Canada in 1871, the provincial government refused to recognize Aboriginal Title or negotiate treaties across most of the province. This is a historical and constitutional fact.

After devastating epidemics of smallpox and other European diseases swept through our communities, colonial governments concluded that Indigenous peoples had been so weakened that we could no longer mount effective resistance.

They believed we were a vanishing race. It was this assumption that led them to seize vast territories by force of arms, without treaties or consent. This was not a lawful process. It was an illegal occupation of sovereign Indigenous lands, enforced by police and military power.

The recent formal recognition of Haida Aboriginal Title across all of Haida Gwaii, 10,180 square kilometers, by British Columbia and Canada stands as powerful confirmation of what Indigenous peoples have always maintained: Our Indigenous titles were never lawfully extinguished, and where we made treaties, they have been broken.

Indigenous oral traditions speak of well over one million of our peoples living in what is now British Columbia before European contact. Smallpox and other introduced diseases decimated entire communities, reducing the Indigenous population from more than one million to around 40,000.

For instance, the Nuxalk Nation on British Columbia’s central coast saw its population collapse from over 30,000 to around 300. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation near Vancouver was reduced from over 10,000 to fewer than 20 people.

In the Arctic, the Canadian government slaughtered the sled dogs of the Inuit, forcibly relocated families from their traditional territories, and confined them to permanent settlements.

This deliberate destruction of their self-sufficient way of life continues to echo today. The Inuit of Nunavut suffer the second-highest suicide rates in the world, surpassed only by the Inuit of Greenland, with rates approximately ten times the Canadian national average, accompanied by devastating levels of alcohol and drug abuse.

Before colonization, our societies had no alcohol, no drugs, no locked doors, and no prisons. We lived in relative peace and harmony, especially compared to the endless wars raging across much of the rest of the world at the time.

The arrival of colonization introduced cultural genocide, a systematic attempt to destroy our languages, spiritual practices, governance systems, and ways of life.

The church-operated, Canada-funded residential school system formed a central part of this assault. For over a century, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities.

They were punished for speaking their own languages, forbidden from practicing their spiritual traditions, and subjected to widespread physical and sexual abuse. Justice and Senator Murray Sinclair, chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, estimates that 25,000, and even more, children never made it home.

The discovery of over 200 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021, followed by almost 3,000 suspected unmarked graves yet to be excavated at other former school sites across Canada, has forced Canada, as well as the Catholic, Anglican, and United Church of Christ, to confront the true horror of what took place at their hands.

The intergenerational trauma created by these continues to devastate our communities to this day. Indigenous women and girls are vastly overrepresented among Canada’s missing and murdered women. Indigenous people make up around 5% of Canada’s population, yet account for one-third of all adults incarcerated in Canadian prisons.

This is the predictable result of generations of deliberate cultural annihilation.

The return of some original sacred place names has sparked discomfort among some Canadians. Yet, it is rarely mentioned that the vast majority of place names in British Columbia were imposed by the colonial authorities to honor British royalty and colonial officials.

British Columbia itself, Vancouver Island, the former Queen Charlotte Islands, the provincial capital of Victoria, and countless cities, rivers, and mountains across the province all bear names given by colonial power.

For Indigenous peoples, restoring sacred, original Indigenous place names is not an attack on Canada. It is a modest but meaningful step toward correcting a long history of cultural erasure and genocide.

The implementation of DRIPA, British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, has created significant uncertainty and debate. Many citizens worry that it gives Indigenous peoples excessive influence over land and resource decisions.

For Indigenous peoples, however, DRIPA represents a long-overdue commitment by the province to align its laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Canada has endorsed UNDRIP, as have nearly all 193 United Nations member states.

Canada signed 70 historic treaties with Indigenous nations. Like its southern neighbor, which signed and subsequently broke over 370 treaties, Canada has repeatedly failed to honor its own treaty commitments and obligations.

Despite this painful history, Indigenous peoples across Canada and the Americas are rising. We are reclaiming our languages, revitalizing our cultures, reasserting our laws, and stepping forward once again as the rightful caretakers of these lands and waters. This resurgence is not about domination or revenge. It is about healing, justice, reconciliation, and restoring balance.

Reconciliation cannot be built on contempt, sarcasm, or denial of history. It must be grounded in truth, humility, and mutual respect. Indigenous rights are not privileges handed down by the state. Indigenous rights flow from our original, unsurrendered sovereignty and our sacred responsibilities to these lands and waters that have sustained us since time immemorial.

We can and should have honest disagreements about policy and implementation. But we cannot build a shared and truthful future by minimizing or mocking the suffering of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Americas.

Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr., is a citizen of the Chickasaw and Ihanktonwan Nations, Canada, and the U.S. A respected Elder, activist, academic, and international speaker, Chief Lane has dedicated his life to preserving Indigenous languages, traditions, and sovereignty across the Americas and beyond.

The post Canada took our land and our lives. We deserve to have at least our names back appeared first on Final Call News.

“With our British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and Norwegian partners, we are today imposing new sanctions against those responsible for intensifying colonization and violence in the West Bank,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on social media.

Barrot added that France had also barred Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, three settler leaders and 21 settlers from entering the country over violence in the West Bank.

In separate statements, the six countries warned that additional measures could follow if the Israeli regime failed to adequately address the situation on the ground.

Britain simultaneously urged its citizens and businesses to avoid economic and financial activity in Israeli settlements, illegal under international law.

“I have strengthened our business risk guidance to make it clear and unambiguous: if you are a British citizen or business, you should not conduct any economic and financial activities in illegal Israeli settlements,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Parliament.

“We believe that violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians,” Cooper added.

Cooper also said the Israeli regime had “condemned some settler violence, but that rings hollow when there is scant accountability.”

In a separate statement, the British government renewed its call on Israel to halt settlement expansion, curb settler violence, prosecute those responsible and remove restrictions hampering the Palestinian economy.

The announcement drew criticism from rights advocates, who said that the measures are not enough.

Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s crisis response manager, said that “targeting settler financing networks while the ministers who run this campaign face no consequences is not meaningful accountability.”

“The UK must sanction Benjamin Netanyahu, Orit Strock and Israel Katz as well as Yoav Gallant,” he said.

Benedict also called on Britain to ban “all trade with settlements and halt cooperation and investment relations enabling unlawful occupation and apartheid.”

Christian Aid voiced similar concerns. “It is pathetic merely to ‘advise’ British businesses against activity in illegal Israeli settlements when there are no real consequences for them,” the charity said.

“The UK Government must ban all trade and investment with Israeli settlements before Palestine is erased entirely,” said Jennifer Larbie, Christian Aid’s head of UK influencing.

A United Nations inquiry has found that Israeli authorities were directly involved in settler attacks that killed, injured and displaced Palestinians in the West Bank, while Israeli forces provided protection to settlers.

Last year, Britain joined several Western allies, including France and Canada, in recognizing a Palestinian state. (PressTV.ir)

The post Six Western countries have imposed coordinated sanctions targeting networks involved in financing, facilitating and carrying out settler violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank appeared first on Final Call News.

Tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana leave residents grappling with damage; cleanup efforts underway

Residents in tornado-ravaged areas in Illinois and Indiana were grappling with the damage to their homes and neighborhoods on June 12, after the strong line of storms barreled through communities South of Chicago and left trails of destruction. Cleanup efforts were underway, and utility companies said power restoration efforts could extend into next week.

The June 11 storms ripped roofs off of buildings, flattened homes, brought down scores of trees and power lines and caused hundreds of thousands of power outages and major air traffic disruptions. Officials said there were no reports of deaths or life-threatening injuries, though there were several people treated for minor injuries.

Tornado damage was reported in several towns including Merrillville and Hebron in Indiana and Streator, Illinois. Authorities were surveying the damage June 12 and preparing to issue emergency declarations needed to get recovery funding.

Officials in Merrillville said more than 200 buildings were damaged, including some that were destroyed. Downed trees and power lines blocked streets, and part of a high school’s roof was ripped off. Cleanup crews were out working June 12.

There were nearly 180,000 power outages in Illinois on June 12 afternoon, down from more than 200,000 earlier in the day. Nearly 115,000 homes and businesses in Indiana were in the dark, down a few thousand from earlier June 12, according to poweroutage.us.

Aftershocks complicate Philippine recovery from quake that killed 45 and displaced thousands

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines—Dozens of rescuers in hard hats scrambled out of a partially collapsed grocery in a southern Philippine city June 10 as it was rattled by an aftershock from a powerful earthquake that left at least 45 people dead and 17 others missing in the region.

The coastal city, a bustling commercial hub and the country’s tuna capital, was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit June 8 and left a trail of destruction across southern Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-most populous region.

The earthquake has been followed by more than 2,100 aftershocks including a few that ranged up to 6.4 magnitude, which is strong enough to cause more casualties and damage, according to Teresito Bacolcol, who heads the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

More than 25,000 people remain displaced, many of them staying in 45 government-run emergency shelters and still too traumatized to return home, officials said.

The quake was one of the most powerful to hit the Philippines in a half century. It injured at least 630 people and damaged more than 3,100 houses, 29 roads, 11 bridges and more than 100 government buildings.

It also damaged the international airport in General Santos, forcing it to shut down indefinitely except for government and military flights transporting aid and disaster-response personnel, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio said.

About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many who sustained injuries were young students who had gathered with excitement for morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Most of the deaths were caused by falling debris from collapsed buildings and landslides in General Santos and the nearby provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental.

At least one person died after being swept out to sea following the quake, as waves up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above tide level were measured in the southern Philippines. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan before tsunami warnings were lifted.

The earthquake was set off by movement in the Cotabato Trench and was one of the strongest to hit the country since the same undersea depression triggered an 8.1-magnitude quake that whipped up tsunami waves on Aug. 17, 1976 and killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

6.1 magnitude earthquake near Cuba shakes buildings in Havana and Florida

HAVANA—A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck near western Cuba on June 8 afternoon, shaking buildings in Havana and Florida as far North as Orlando. No injuries or damage was reported.

The quake struck at a depth of 16 miles in waters just West of the capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Shaking was reported around southwestern Florida, the National Weather Service in Miami said in a tweet.  A flood of social media posts indicated people felt shaking even north of Orlando.

Miami-Dade County officials said they were evacuating several buildings as a precaution, including the county’s main government office building, a 28-story high rise in downtown Miami.

Service for two elevated commuter trains that run through downtown was also suspended temporarily.

William Barnhart, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, described June 8 earthquake as extremely rare. It’s the largest earthquake ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico with modern instruments, which date to the 1950s. “It’s one of only five or six earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater that we’re aware of in the entire Gulf,” he said.

No tsunami was created by this earthquake. Barnhart pointed out that the destructive ocean waves created by earthquakes and other underwater disturbances are more common in the Pacific Ocean, but they can occur in the Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Boris forms off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and brings flooding threat

MIAMI—Tropical Storm Boris formed June 8 and was expected to bring heavy rain, flooding and possible mudslides to parts of southern Mexico’s Pacific Coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Boris was located about 85 miles southeast of Acapulco and 50 miles southwest of Punta Maldonado, according to the Miami-based weather center. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving northeast at 2 mph.

Boris was expected to turn to the North, bringing rainfall of 4 to 10 inches to coastal areas of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca through the night of June 8. The storm was forecast to make landfall along the coast of Guerrero by June 8 evening, the center said.

“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the center said.

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, but no cyclones have formed in that basin yet this year.

Compiled from Associated Press reports

The post Global Weather Round-Up appeared first on Final Call News.