A ‘lost decade’ for developing countries?
by Daniela Leyva Fernánde, Granma An unsustainable debt erodes the capacity of developing countries to progress towards sustainability and poverty reduction. The high increase in fuel and food prices, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the current conflict in Ukraine have undeniably worsened the economic scenario and, with it, the generalized risk that indebtedness implies for the most vulnerable countries. The recent “United...
Malaysia’s forced return of Myanmar’s most vulnerable must stop: UNHCR
Malaysia’s forced return of asylum-seekers to Myanmar has meant that hundreds of Myanmar nationals have been “sent back against their will” to the troubled country in the last two months, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Nov. 1. There have been “multiple reports” of deportations since April which run contrary to international humanitarian law, UNHCR spokesperson, Shabia Mantoo, told journalists in Geneva. “According to information received by UNHCR, an asylum-seeker from Myanmar...
Brotherhood has a home in the Caribbean
The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez invoked more solidarity, more understanding, more cooperation and more unity among the Caribbean nations while speaking at the Eighth Caricom-Cuba Summit, held in mid-December on the island of Barbados. The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between...
Australia is removing British monarchy from its bank notes
CANBERRA, Australia—Australia is removing the British monarchy from its bank notes. The nation’s central bank said Feb. 2 that its new $5 bill would feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The $5 bill was...
Syria, Tunisia to reopen embassies, resume diplomatic ties after a decade
Syria and Tunisia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after a decade, with the Syrian government planning to reopen its embassy in Tunis after the North African country announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Damascus. The announcement was made in a joint statement by Syria and Tunisia on April 12, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported. Damascus government, the statement...
CARICOM holds fast against foreign intervention in Haiti
In the face of acute turmoil in troubled Haiti, Haitian stakeholders, including its acting prime minister Ariel Henry, met in Kingston, Jamaica, at the invitation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to address the ongoing problems in the country. The dialogue was facilitated by the Eminent Persons Group, recently established by CARICOM as a focus group for Haiti. The June 11-13...
Aboriginal leader says Australia’s voice referendum should be called off
An Australian senator of Aboriginal origin has said the country’s planned referendum on an Indigenous “voice” to parliament is just “window dressing” and should be called off. Lidia Thorpe, who is an independent Australian senator and one of the most prominent Aboriginal politicians, voiced her opposition to the proposal at the National Press Club in Sydney on August 16. “The voice is the...
More than 2,500 refugees dead, missing crossing the Mediterranean in 2023
More than 2,500 people have died or gone missing this year making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe in 2023, according to the UN refugee agency. “By September 24, over 2,500 people were accounted as dead or missing in 2023 alone,” Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the UN...
Myanmar military orders civil servants, veterans to prepare for emergencies
Myanmar’s military rulers have ordered all government staff and those with military experience to prepare to serve in case of emergency after the junta reported “heavy assaults” in several places. On Nov. 16, Tin Maung Swe, administrative council secretary in Naypyitaw said, “If necessary, such a unit might be required to go out and serve for natural disasters, and security. “This is...
Rescuers race against time in search for survivors after powerful earthquake in Japan
SUZU, Japan—Japanese rescuers searched urgently through rubble for survivors on Jan. 3 ahead of predicted bitter cold and heavy rain in what the prime minister called a race against time after powerful earthquakes killed at least 73 people in western Japan. Fifteen people were listed as officially missing and possibly trapped under collapsed buildings. Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were shaken by more...