A Moroccan town protests water management plans
RABAT, Morocco—Regional and local leaders in eastern Morocco recently met with residents and civil society groups after months of protests over a water management plan set to take effect later this year. Thousands in the town of Figuig stopped paying water bills and have taken to the streets since November to protest a municipal decision transitioning drinking water management from...
Is Iran next target for war?
(FinalCall.com) - Recent news that Shahram Amiri, an award-winning Iranian nuclear scientist, defected to the United States and worked with the CIA in spying on Iran's nuclear program has many analysts asking if the intensified focus on the Islamic Republic of Iran is, again, a pretext for war. Standing side by side with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on March...
Child malnutrition costs global economy billions yearly: report
JIM.LOBE WASHINGTON (IPS) - In addition to the serious health problems it causes, child malnutrition is costing the global economy tens of billions of dollars a year by depriving its victims of the ability to learn basic skills, according to a new report released by Save the Children. Based on a multi-year study in four countries, the 23-page report found...
Challenging cultural norms and removing stigma is key to confronting Lesotho’s rape culture
Commentary THABA-TSEKA, Lesotho—The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and given rise to a new, deeply concerning wave of rape culture in Lesotho. Although the true extent is not known yet, we have noticed concerning reports that the onset of the pandemic has worsened sexual violence with more women and girls being confined to small living places whilst social tensions are exacerbated. According...
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...
African peace conference draws from Holy Qur’an
Highlights from the keynote address of Ambassador-at-Large Rashad Hussain at the Africa Peace Conference on January 17. Photo: mr.usembassy.gov “O you who believe, enter into complete peace. …” —Holy Qu’ran, Surah 2, Verse 108 The 3rd annual African Peace Conference 2023 at the Al-Mourabitoune Congress Palace in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and hosted by President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani...
U.S. military flexes on Iran in waning days of Trump administration
American geopolitical friction against the Islamic Republic of Iran worsens, even as the U.S. has come under heavy domestic strain with open insurrection at the U.S. Capitol around election disputes from outgoing President Donald J. Trump. The U.S. Capitol was breached by supporters of Mr. Trump as lawmakers were deliberating on the certification of election results to confirm President-elect Joseph...
‘20 Years of U.S. Torture and Counting’: Report Details Post-9/11 Abuse at Gitmo and Beyond
by Jessica Corbett A report released nearly 20 years after the first prisoners arrived at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, details “systematic abuses carried out by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and U.S. military” since the 2001 terrorist attacks. “Thus far, Biden administration actions raise sobering questions about its commitment to ending the so-called War on Terror.” Entitled Legacy of the...
France under fire at UN for racism, police violence against protesters
France has come under fire by several states at the United Nations over racism and police violence, including against demonstrators during mass rallies over a controversial pension reform bill that finally became law. On May 1, the French government was accused of conducting attacks on migrants, racial profiling and religious intolerance during the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR),...
Ghana foresees end to neocolonial trading relationships starting with cocoa
(GIN)—At a state visit to Switzerland last year, Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo put his cards on the table. The second largest cocoa producer would no longer ship the raw material to Switzerland if by doing so, it would trap the country in poverty for the next century. Ghana and the Ivory Coast supply 70 percent of the cocoa beans, but...