India and China pledge to maintain ‘peace and tranquility’ along disputed border despite tensions
BEIJING—Chinese and Indian military commanders pledged to “maintain the peace and tranquility” along their disputed border, China’s Defense Ministry said, in an apparent effort by the sides to stabilize the situation after a rise in tensions. China’s Defense Ministry issued a joint statement on social media late August 15 saying the 19th round of commander-level talks between the sides held recently had...
UN rights experts slam ‘systemic racism’ in U.S. police and courts
Police and criminal justice systems in the United States require urgent reform to eradicate “systemic racism” against people of African descent, UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Sept. 28. A new report by UN International experts advancing racial justice and equality in policing, published after an official visit to the country, shows that Black people in the U.S. are three times more likely to be...
Rwanda announces visa-free travel for all Africans as continent opens up to free movement of people
NAIROBI, Kenya—Rwanda announced in early November that it will allow Africans to travel visa-free to the country, becoming the latest nation on the continent to announce such a measure aimed at boosting free movement of people and trade to rival Europe’s Schengen zone. President Paul Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as “a unified...
Indonesia urged to protect refugees following mob attack
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has appealed for action in the wake of a mob attack against refugees in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on December 27. Hundreds of young people stormed a building basement where scores of Rohingya refugees were sheltered, according to media reports. The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim community who have fled waves of persecution in Myanmar, a predominantly...
Thousands rally against rising hunger in Argentina amid austerity measures
Protests erupted throughout Argentina for food assistance for the underprivileged, in response to the adverse effects of skyrocketing inflation and the implementation of President Javier Milei’s stringent austerity measures. Angry demonstrators took to the streets across the country on Feb. 23 and condemned the strict economic conditions created by Milei and his administration, voicing support for the economically backward. Since the...
United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The United Arab Emirates tried to wring itself out April 18 after the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, with its main airport allowing more flights even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and communities. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, allowed global carriers on the morning of April 18 to...