WORLD - The African Mirror

Apr

26

2025

Pope Francis: ‘ethical helmsman’ whose feel for international relations steered church in turbulent times

WORLD

I met Pope Francis in 2016. It was part of a symposium of the former Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People (now recast by Francis as the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development). I presented some of my work on migration – as attention to migrants and refugees was a central theme of his pontificate, more prominently than for his predecessor, whom I had also met a few years earlier. After the conference proceedings, we had an official audience, next to the Sistine Chapel: Francis made a speech, and we greeted him one by one. I had my 21-month-old…

Apr

26

2025

By The African Mirror

UNHCR responds to the latest wave of deadly attacks in Ukraine

WORLD

ON 24 April, Kyiv residents woke up to another deadly Russian attack. Since the start of the year, these have intensified alarmingly in Ukraine, where UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to respond to the pressing humanitarian situation. In Kyiv, 12 people died and 87 were injured, and more than 1,000 people are directly affected as their homes were damaged or destroyed. Civilians and infrastructure were also hit in several other regions, including in Kharkiv. Apartment buildings, a clinic and a school were among the locations hit. With my UNHCR Ukraine colleagues, I visited one of the affected areas and…

Apr

26

2025

By PAUL WHITELEY

Do Americans support Trump’s attitudes to Ukraine and Russia? Here’s what recent data shows

WORLD

DONALD Trump has threatened to walk away from the Ukraine peace talks if there is no progress soon. The implicit threat here is that the US will no longer get involved, perhaps withdrawing arms shipments and even humanitarian aid to Ukraine. It is understood that the proposed plan the Trump team has been working on has involved Ukraine giving up territory including Crimea and giving up any possibility of joining Nato. The plan favours Russia’s recent demands and Trump has recently said he has found Russia much easier to deal with than Ukraine. But which country do US voters feel…

Apr

25

2025

By NADRA NITTLE

Women could be most affected by Trump’s penalties for overdue student loans

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Nadra Nittle of The 19th. Meet Nadra and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. FOR the first time in five years, student loan borrowers whose payments are long overdue could face stiff consequences, and that puts a disproportionate number of women at further financial risk. The Department of Education announced Monday that, starting on May 5, its Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will start collecting student debt in default. Delinquent borrowers could have their wages garnished as early as the summer. The COVID-19 lockdowns that started in 2020 led…

Apr

25

2025

By The African Mirror

Home-visiting nurses help families stay healthy

WORLD

KHRYSTYNA, a mother of two, lives in Zakarpattia, Ukraine. Her youngest daughter, Mariana, recently turned one. At her local primary healthcare centre, she received an important free gift – the combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, serious infectious diseases that can be prevented through timely immunisation. “I had no doubt that Mariana needed to be vaccinated,” s“We followed the immunization schedule with my older child as well. But back then, I was very anxious about how my child’s body would react, and I didn’t have anyone around who could answer all my questions.” This time, family nurse Lesia Tytychko…

Apr

24

2025

By The African Mirror

In Gaza, returning families confront incalculable costs of chaos

WORLD

“All through the war, I kept thinking about when we would return home. I missed it so much,” 10-year-old Qusay says. “And I kept thinking about my bicycle.” Qusay and his family were displaced twice – first to the city of Rafah, where they sheltered in a tent, before relocating to Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Long queues for water were a daily reality. So was a constant fear of shelling. When a ceasefire was announced in January 2025, the family headed straight back to their home in northern Gaza. But there was almost nothing left when they arrived. “Our…

Apr

24

2025

By CANDICE NORWOOD

‘We have to feel safe’: Women judges advocate for their safety as threats against them rise

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Candice Norwood of The 19th. Meet Candice and read more of her reporting on gender, politics and policy. PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s new administration has reignited conversations about the safety of judges, as threats and instances of violence against them increase annually. In the first three months of his second term, the president and his associates have singled out multiple federal judges by name, questioning both their credentials and calling for them to be impeached. Women judges, including those who have experienced violent attacks first-hand, are working to sound the alarm on solutions to better…

Apr

24

2025

By HEIN SAN

In Myanmar, a disaster in a war zone means a slow and difficult aid response

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Hein San MORE than three weeks after Myanmar suffered its worst earthquake disaster in over a century, the ongoing civil war is continuing to frustrate response efforts, leaving essential needs like food, shelter, and medical assistance unmet for many survivors. The toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake and strong aftershocks that struck on 28 March has risen to 3,700 dead, 4,800 injured, and 129 missing, according to the AHA Centre, which is coordinating the humanitarian response on behalf of ASEAN, the Southeast Asian regional bloc. “The real toll is likely much higher,…

Apr

23

2025

By MATHEW SCHMALZ

How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave

WORLD

WITH the death of Pope Francis, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be locked up,” or, more simply, “a closed room.” Members of the College of Cardinals will cast their votes behind the closed and locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, famous for its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo. Distinguished by their scarlet robes, cardinals are chosen by each pope to elect future popes. A cardinal must be under the age of 80 to be eligible…

Apr

23

2025

By JAMIE LEVIN and YOUNGWON CHO

80 years after atomic bombs devastated Japan, Donald Trump’s actions risk nuclear proliferation

WORLD

THE policy of every American president since Harry S. Truman has been to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons. They have not always been successful. The world’s most powerful weapons spread, with nine countries now possessing them. But no United States president has actively sought their further proliferation, as the belligerent policies of Donald Trump are now set to do. In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump tore up the Iran nuclear deal, which had successfully placed limits on the enrichment of weapons-grade materials in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has since accelerated its nuclear weapons program. Estimates…