Lusaka demands probe of Zambian student killed on battlefield in the Ukraine
(GIN)—Zambian officials are seeking an explanation of the death of Lemekhani Nathan Nyirenda, a former student of nuclear engineering in Moscow, who died in September fighting on the side of the Russian army. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian paramilitary Wagner group, acknowledged in early December that they recruited the Zambian student from a Russian prison but claimed he volunteered for the...
Extreme Israeli group takes root in U.S. with fundraising bid
JERUSALEM—An Israeli group raising funds for Jewish extremists convicted in some of the country’s most notorious hate crimes is collecting tax-exempt donations from Americans, according to findings by The Associated Press and the Israeli investigative platform Shomrim. The records in the case suggest that Israel’s far-right is gaining a new foothold in the United States. The amount of money raised through...
Hague-based ICJ says U.S. violated intl. law by freezing Iran’s assets, orders compensation
Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague have ruled that the United States had violated international law by allowing American courts to confiscate nearly two billion dollars in assets from Iranian companies, and ordered Washington to pay compensation, the amount of which will be determined later. On March 30, the ICJ said Washington’s freezing of funds belonging to several...
Australia takes step toward holding a referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament
CANBERRA, Australia—Australia’s House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on May 31 for a referendum to be held this year on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, an advocate aiming to give the nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority more say on government policy. While the Voice would advocate for Indigenous interests, it would not have a vote on laws, and debate for...
Safety standards weren’t met at French vacation home housing disabled adults where a fire killed 11
PARIS—Required safety standards weren’t met at a vacation home housing adults with disabilities at which a fire killed 11 people in eastern France, a deputy prosecutor said August 10. A day earlier, the fire killed 10 adults with slight intellectual disabilities and one person accompanying them. Nathalie Kielwasser, the deputy prosecutor of Colmar, said the first phase of the investigation showed that...
IMF austerity measures are ‘undermining rights’ around the world
by Olivia Rosane The International Monetary Fund continues to impose austerity measures that threaten human rights. That’s the conclusion of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published September 25 that looks at 39 loans approved in 38 countries between the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdowns in March 2020 and March 2023. While, at the start of the pandemic, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva...
Bridging an ocean, Angolan king visits Brazilian community descended from slaves
RIO DE JANEIRO—Residents danced and chanted on Nov. 8 in a community descended from runaway slaves in Rio de Janeiro as they welcomed the visiting monarch of the Bailundo kingdom in Angola where many of the residents trace their ancestry. King Tchongolola Tchongonga Ekuikui VI, visited the community of Camorim as part of a trip to Brazil that began three...
Cuba and Angola strengthen inter-party relations
by Leticia Martínez, Granma The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, called to continue strengthening inter-party relations, “which are the main support for political, diplomatic and economic-commercial relations,” when he received, at the Palace of the Revolution, the Secretary of the Political Bureau for International Relations...
UK falls into recession in huge blow to PM Sunak
The United Kingdom has slipped into recession just months ahead of the country’s general election, reversing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to generate economic growth. As per the official figures released on Feb. 15 by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the gross domestic product fell 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2023, following a 0.1 percent contraction in the...
Testimony begins in lawsuit accusing Japanese police of racial profiling
TOKYO—A civil lawsuit accusing Japanese police of racial profiling opened with emotional testimony from plaintiffs who said they were constantly stopped and questioned without good reason. The case, filed in January by three residents of Japan with overseas ancestry, including an American, claims their treatment constitutes discrimination and violates their human rights. Japan does not have any anti-discrimination law, nor any...