UN brings Cyprus leaders together, mulling future talks on divided island
The leaders of the divided island of Cyprus have met in the capital Nicosia, in an encounter convened by the United Nations, the Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission in Cyprus said on Nov. 3. The meeting is the first between the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, since the latter assumed his post following elections in October. Representatives...
Activists call for end to recruitment of Canadian citizens by Israeli army
Human rights activists have called for an end to the recruitment of Canadian citizens by the Israeli military, which is against the laws of Canada. These activists maintain that this measure by the Israeli army is in violation of the Foreign Enlistment Act, which prohibits the recruitment of Canadian citizens by foreigners. According to the reports by the Israeli army, hundreds of Canadian citizens have joined the Israeli military...
‘Not a friendly signal’: EU foreign affairs chief hits back at UK snubbing bloc’s request for full diplomatic status
The EU has slammed the UK government’s decision not to award full diplomatic status to the bloc’s ambassador to London, Joao Vale de Almeida, and the rest of his 25-strong mission in the wake of its exit from the bloc. “We will not accept the UK the only country in the world that doesn’t recognize the delegation of the...
Speedy variants power virus surge sweeping Europe
MILAN—The virus swept through a nursery school and an adjacent elementary school in the Milan suburb of Bollate with amazing speed. In a matter of just days, 45 children and 14 staff members had tested positive. Genetic analysis confirmed what officials already suspected: The highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in England was racing through the community, a densely packed...
UN rights chief says Myanmar’s junta committing crimes against humanity
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has accused Myanmar’s military junta of committing crimes against humanity, warning that the situation in the country seems to be heading toward a “fullblown” conflict in the wake of a February coup. Ms. Bachelet raised the alarm in a statement on April 13 and said expressing condemnations and imposing punitive measures...
Europe sees progress in latest rounds of Iran nuclear talks
VIENNA—European diplomats say the latest round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program has made progress, expressing hope that agreement can be reached for Tehran to comply with a 2015 deal aimed at curbing its atomic ambitions and also see the United States rejoin the accord. Enrique Mora, the European Union official who chaired the June 1 talks in Vienna, said...
UK food, hospitality firms hit by shortages, shoppers warned to brace for price hikes
Stock shortages have impacted over a quarter of food and hospitality businesses in the United Kingdom in recent weeks and shoppers were told to expect higher prices as the country’s supply chain crisis gets worse. Twenty-seven percent of food services and accommodation companies have experienced low stock levels and other sectors are also beginning to experience the same problems, according...
Israel settlement expansion ‘tramples’ on human rights law, experts contend
Israel’s plan to build thousands of new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has drawn strong condemnation from two independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. Settlement expansion “tramples” on human rights law, Special Rapporteurs Michael Lynk and Balakrishnan Rajagopal said in a statement on Nov. 3. Solidifying a permanent presence Nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers are now living...
‘In 2022, Let’s Tax the Rich’: 10 billionaires added $402 billion to their fortunes in 2021
by Jake Johnson, CommonDreams.org “Heading into 2022, the 10 wealthiest individuals in the world are all worth more than $100 billion,” CNBC noted, citing the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which tracks and ranks the fortunes of the planet’s richest people. “History paints a bleak picture of what happens to extremely unequal societies.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus,...
UN labor agency cites concerns about China’s Xinjiang region
GENEVA—An annual report from the United Nations labor agency highlighted the work conditions of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, noting signs of “coercive measures” that deprive workers of free choice in selecting jobs. It also called on Beijing to provide more information about how it’s respecting their rights. The report from an International Labor Organization committee of...