Children of African descent ‘not considered children at all’, rights experts charge
In a report issued on November 8, UN human rights experts outline how discrimination affects Black boys and girls worldwide to the extent that they are not considered children, even in the eyes of the law. They said unresolved legacies of trade and trafficking in enslaved Africans, as well as colonialism, post-colonial apartheid and segregation, continue to harm these children...
U.S. accusation of South Africa selling weapons to Russia could be a ploy directed at upcoming BRICS summits
During a recent press briefing from South Africa, the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, leveled accusations that weapons were being loaded onto a Russian vessel which is under U.S. sanctions. However, Redge Nkosi, a former member of the administration of Nelson Mandela, made the distinction that the vessel was “not sanctioned by the United Nations.” Nkosi was very...
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...
Zimbabwe launches ‘gold’ currency to replace dollar
Zimbabwe has introduced a new national currency aimed at stabilizing the economy and countering the devaluation of the local dollar in the southern African nation. Harare has also appealed to the United Nations for $2 billion in aid to help with food insecurity. The “structured currency”—Zimb Gold (ZiG)—will be anchored mainly on gold and foreign currency reserves, Zimbabwe’s Reserve Bank...
Covid-19’s global disruption takes center stage at UN General Assembly
The United Nations reached its 75th year of existence amidst confusion, strife between nations and a global pandemic that has adversely impacted life on every continent except Antarctica. “The U.N. is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts,” said the UN...
Cellular phone explosion link modern technology and traditional African culture
JOHANNESBURG (IPS)–The sudden growth of cell phones has outpaced any other new technology in Africa. But a unique cell phone culture has evolved that combines necessity with traditional community values. "Most cell phone owners in West Africa, for example, tend to serve as points of presence or communication nodes for their community. Other people pay them or simply borrow...
Nervous Pakistanis asking ‘Are we next?’
ISLAMABAD (IPS)–Worries are growing here about the long-term implications of the war on Iraq for Pakistan, its ties with the United States as well as with rival neighbor India. At worst, many fear that what they call the policy of U.S. expansionism may soon be knocking at Pakistan’s doors. "What does war in Iraq mean for Pakistan?...
Diplomats warn Israeli attack could lead to wider conflict
Bush response to attack on Syria; "Israel must not feel constrained" (Al Bawaba)Middle East Tension Could Ignite World Chaos (FinalCall.com)Inspecting the Obvious: Israel’s WMD’s and the West’s Double Standard (Palestine Chronicle) UNITED NATIONS (FinalCall.com) - The war of words continues in response to the October 5 Israeli raid into Syrian territory. Israeli officials claim that the air strike in a refugee...
S. Africa struggles with immigration and brain drain
JOHANNESBURG (IPS)–After years of consultation with labor unions, business organizations and academicians, a new Immigration Act was unveiled late in 2002 and immediately stirred a controversy. This replacement for the notorious Aliens Control Act, which for years was used to block Black African immigration, had the support of South Africa's largest labor federation, the Congress of South African...
U.S.-backed armed forces sinking into sectarian chaos
JIM.LOBE Iraq Under Occupation (Al Jazeera) WASHINGTON (IPS/GIN) - While the Bush administration tries to persuade the public that an accelerated buildup of Iraqi security forces will permit substantial numbers of U.S. troops to begin returning home next year, recent reports from Iraq suggest that the security forces and their sectarian make-up are themselves contributing to the country's destabilization. A spate...