Scathing Human Rights Watch report says Israel guilty of Apartheid
by Andrea Germanos, CommonDreams.org Human Rights Watch said April 28 that the policies and actions of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people amount to systematic “apartheid” and unlawful persecution that must be stopped. The accusations related to Israel’s actions in the occupied territories (OPT) and within Israel are laid out in a report entitled “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and...
Coup crisis in Myanmar exacerbates old problems
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has demanded a halt to the violence and killings gripping Myanmar stemming from a military coup staged in early February. The leaders of South East Asian countries met in a special summit with the coup leader to address turmoil ravaging the troubled country once known as Burma. The regional bloc of 10...
Somalia: UN condemns violence, warns against escalation of fighting
The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) recently issued a statement, alongside international partners, strongly condemning an outbreak of violence in the capital Mogadishu and urging all sides to “exercise maximum restraint, resume dialogue, and avoid unilateral actions that may lead to a further escalation.” According to media reports, fighting started April 25 between pro-government forces and opposition military units...
Settlement reached in Jamaican nationals suit against ultra-rich United States club
BILLINGS, Mont.—Dozens of Jamaican citizens recruited to work as cooks, servers and housekeepers at a Montana ski resort for the ultra-rich have reached a $1 million class action settlement over allegations they were discriminated against and paid less than other employees to do the same work. About 90 Jamaicans workers will receive checks ranging from less than $1,000 to more...
Deadly shipwreck off Venezuela underscores need for safe migration pathways, protection
The latest shipwreck in the Caribbean has highlighted the need for safe migration pathways, particularly in the Covid-19 era when many borders remain closed, two UN agencies said on April 26. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, expressed deep sadness over the deaths of two people after a boat capsized off the coast of...
Lessons from Philly’s growing African, Caribbean community and how it has developed, carved out its place over the years
The City of Philadelphia, long a home to successive generations of people of African origin, in recent years has witnessed a new population arriving from the Caribbean and the continent of Africa. As sociologist W.E.B. Dubois chronicled in his landmark 1899 sociological study “The Philadelphia Negro,” Philadelphia has been home to different Black groups from immigrants and migrants to African...
U.S. Navy fires warning shots in new tense encounter with Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—An American warship fired warning shots when vessels of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came too close to a patrol in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy said April 28. It was the first such shooting in nearly four years. The Navy released black-and-white footage of the encounter in international waters of the northern reaches of the Persian...
Rights experts condemn UK racism report attempting to ‘normalize White supremacy’
UN independent human rights experts on April 19 denounced a government-backed report into racism in the United Kingdom, saying that it further distorted and falsified historical facts, and could even fuel racism and racial discrimination. “In 2021, it is stunning to read a report on race and ethnicity that repackages racist tropes and stereotypes into fact, twisting data and misapplying...
AFRICA WATCH Death of President Idriss Deby signals uncertain future for the Sahel, Chad
What are the chances in 2021 of a world leader dying on the battlefield? asked France24 news commentator Francois Picard. Chad’s longtime president and military leader for 31 years recently died from wounds sustained after going to a military front. President Idriss Deby, who received military training as a pilot in France and last year took on the title of...
Seoul court rejects sexual slavery claim against Tokyo
SEOUL, South Korea—A South Korean court on April 21 rejected a claim by victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery and their relatives who sought compensation from Japan’s government. The Seoul Central District Court based its decision on diplomatic considerations and principles of international law that grant countries immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign courts. This appeared to align with the...