New hotspot opens up in North Africa despite UN bid to defuse tensions
(GIN)—War is breaking out all over. Fighting shows no signs of ending in Ethiopia as the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, attempts to put down a rebellion by the sovereign-seeking state of Tigray. Eritrea now appears to have been drawn into the fighting. A massacre was reported by Amnesty International. In the Amhara region, political unrest and communal violence continue to...
UN holds dialogues to examine racism in its ranks
In a recent address during an event for UN staff, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the need to confront racism within the world body, initiating a series of discussions on the subject. “Racism challenges every government, every society, and every organization—including our own,” he stated. “Let me be very clear: racism has no place in the United Nations.” The UN, which turned...
Armenia PM agreed to Karabakh truce to avoid ‘full collapse’
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he agreed to a Russian-brokered peace deal with Azerbaijan to avoid further losses in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, adding that the continuation of fighting would have resulted in “full collapse.” “The document secured what we could lose, according to military estimates and other assessments,” Mr. Pashinyan said on Nov. 10. “In a situation when...
Peru’s Congress appoints third president in one week
Peru’s Congress has named centrist legislator Francisco Sagasti as caretaker president, amid a political crisis that has gripped the Andean country since its leader, who maintained an anti-corruption stance, was impeached recently. On Nov. 16, the 76-year-old Mr. Sagasti received 97 votes in favor and 26 against to head Congress, which means he would constitutionally assume the interim presidency. Mr. Sagasti,...
‘Trouble’ ahead if there’s no Brexit deal in next 10 days, Irish FM warns
With the December 31 deadline fast approaching, Ireland’s foreign minister has warned that there is a risk of “trouble” in the absence of a “major breakthrough” in Brexit negotiations over the next 10 days. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said his country is preparing for the focus to “shift to preparing for a no trade deal and all the disruption that...
Thai police use water cannon against protest outside parliament
Riot police in Thailand have used water cannons to disperse protesters trying to cut their way through razor wire hurdles outside the parliament in Bangkok as legislators debated a possible revision of the constitution. Police forces set up barricades outside the parliament building on Nov. 17 after hundreds of royalists earlier staged demonstrations to call on lawmakers not to amend...
Rape, abuses in palm oil fields linked to top beauty brands
SUMATRA, Indonesia—With his hand clamped tightly over her mouth, she could not scream, the 16-year-old girl recalls— and no one was around to hear her anyway. She describes how her boss raped her amid the tall trees on an Indonesian palm oil plantation that feeds into some of the world’s best-known cosmetic brands. He then put an ax to...
Spain opens 2nd migrant camp on overrun Gran Canaria island
BARCELONA, Spain—Spain’s government is scrambling to manage the steady stream of migrants to its Canary Islands from West Africa by opening a second holding camp, officials said Nov. 18, as political tensions rise in the Atlantic archipelago. The establishment of a second temporary migrant processing center on the island of Gran Canaria comes amid increasing criticism from local authorities and...
Cash-strapped African countries face pain from foreign interest obligations
(GIN)—Foreign investors who plied African countries with huge loans despite obvious difficulties for repayment got some bad news recently. The government of Zambia announced it missed a Nov. 13 deadline to repay $42.5 million in interest to Eurobond holders after the investors rejected a six-month delay sought by Zambia to pay up. This could set a precedent, lenders fear. Zambia has...
UN releases $100 million to guard against famine
The United Nations released $100 million of emergency funding on Nov. 17 to stave off the risk of famine in seven countries most at risk from a hunger epidemic fueled by conflict, economic decline, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Mark Lowcock, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said $80 million would be split between Afghanistan, Burkina...