19 suspects go on trial in Paris in deaths of 39 migrants who suffocated in a truck in 2019
PARIS—A trial opened in Paris on October 17 of 19 people suspected of playing critical roles in a smuggling operation that went awry and sent 39 Vietnamese migrants to their deaths four years ago when they were locked inside a stifling hot truck trailer. Courts in Britain, where the truck was found on Oct. 23, 2019, and in Belgium, where...
UN refugee chief says Rohingya who fled Myanmar must not be forgotten during other world crises
BANGKOK—The UN High Commissioner for Refugees urged the international community on October 17 not to forget the plight of ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in the midst of many other world crises. More support is needed to help the displaced Rohingya and also relieve the burden on the countries hosting them, High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said. Grandi said providing humanitarian...
African countries offer varying responses to the Israel-Hamas war
For 16 years, Palestinians in Gaza have been trapped in what is effectively an open-air prison in the most densely populated enclave in the world. During these years the Zionist State of Israel has limited Gaza’s 2.3 million population of Palestinians to less than the bare necessities. As a result of the Oct. 7 invasion of surrounding illegal settler-occupied land...
War and bloodshed in the Middle East
Death, carnage and war have enveloped Occupied Palestine in an escalation of violence that has killed more than 1,400 people and injured many more. The occupier Zionist State of Israel has declared war on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on the Zionist State in an early morning attack on Oct. 7. The move was announced...
Colombia stepping up efforts to achieve historic peace goals, UN envoy says
As Colombia prepares to mark the seventh anniversary of the peace agreement that ended the decades-long conflict there, the Government has increased its efforts to realize the accord’s goals, the UN envoy for the country said on October 11. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told ambassadors at the Security Council, that soon in southern Colombia, land purchased by...
‘A perfect storm’: Canada facing growing homeless crisis
Canada is grappling with a growing homelessness crisis, forcing an increasing number of people into life on the streets, shelters, or substandard living conditions. A recent report by Quebec’s public health institute (INSPQ), commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, reveals a 44 percent surge in homelessness in Quebec compared to 2018. In a 2016 State of Homelessness report, Canada...
Malaysia says it will be more ‘aggressive’ in ditching dollar
Malaysia says it will move away from the dollar by adopting appropriate policies to expand the use of local currency ringgit in international trade. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Oct. 10, “To entirely stop the reliance on the U.S. dollar will be difficult, but Malaysia will be more active and aggressive in the use of ringgit (in trade).” The veteran...
New Zealand immigration hits an all-time high as movement surges following pandemic lull
WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand’s immigration numbers have hit an all-time high, enabling employers to fill jobs but also putting pressure on the housing market, according to economists. The net number of immigrants was 110,000 in the year ending August, beating the previous high of 103,000 set a month earlier, according to figures released October 11 by Statistics New Zealand. The...
A Ugandan business turns banana fiber into sustainable handicrafts
MUKONO, Uganda—A decapitated banana plant is almost useless, an inconvenience to the farmer who must then uproot it and lay its dismembered parts as mulch. But can such stems somehow be returned to life? Yes, according to a Ugandan company that’s buying banana stems in a business that turns fiber into attractive handicrafts. The idea is innovative as well as sustainable...
Women represent strength and resilience of the African continent
Each year, Africa celebrates the strength and resilience of women and their contribution to society and country. This year the month-long tribute provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the generations of African women whose struggles laid the foundation for empowering women and achieving gender equality. South Africa’s recent National Women’s Day, which annually pays tribute to all African women,...