WORLD - The African Mirror

Mar

11

2025

Is a united European voice possible in the age of Trump, Putin and far-right politics? Germany’s new leader intends to find out

WORLD

“WHO do I call if I want to speak to Europe?” The question was famously attributed to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and refers to the historical inability of the political entity of Europe to coordinate on a united front in the global arena. And despite decades of integration under the European Union, who speaks for Europe – or what the bloc desires to be – is perhaps less clear now than at any point in recent years. Internal cleavages over immigration, right-wing nationalism, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House all challenge…

Mar

11

2025

By IAN HORWOOD

What is the value of US security guarantees? Here’s what history shows

WORLD

UKRAINE’S president, Volodymyr Zelensky, argues that any US-organised peace agreement would have to be accompanied by “security guarantees” from the US to prevent Russia from resuming its offensive in the future. However, Donald Trump has so far said the US will not commit to sending troops to Ukraine if Russia doesn’t stand by any such deal. Another way of assuring a security guarantee would be for Ukraine to be allowed to join NATO. As a NATO member, Ukraine would be protected by Article 5 which states that if one member is attacked, others will come to its aid. But Trump…

Mar

09

2025

By The African Mirror

Breaking the final glass ceiling: A call for female leadership at the United Nations

WORLD

IN a world torn by conflict, the time has come for transformative leadership at the United Nations. After eight decades of male Secretaries-General, we stand at a critical juncture where women's voices are not merely welcome but essential for global peace and security. Russia's brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues unabated into its third year. The Elders remain unwavering in our solidarity with the courageous Ukrainian people and their democratically-elected leader, President Zelenskyy. Yet we cannot ignore the rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, particularly with the new administration in the United States. As this conflict enters a pivotal phase, Ukraine's direct…

Mar

09

2025

By NOUR JARROUJ

Forcibly displaced Syrian women’s crucial role in rebuilding a free Syria for all

WORLD

The past 14 years have been etched onto my soul. I remember vividly the day the shouts for freedom began in my city, Homs. I was just 17, and both excitement and fear were constant companions. My family and I were forcibly displaced more than six times. Our home was bombed, we lost loved ones, and we survived near-death experiences too many times to count. Sometimes, I still wonder how I'm alive. In 2018, I received a scholarship to pursue my Master's degree in the UK and left behind my home, family, community, and the life I knew. When I…

Mar

09

2025

By MOHAMED SOULAIMANE AL-ASTAL

Gaza in-depth: Israel’s new aid blockade leaves an even deeper humanitarian crisis

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Mohamed Soulaimane al-Astal A complete blockade on aid entering the Gaza Strip is threatening to collapse the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since 19 January and to pitch the already devastated territory into renewed violence and an even deeper humanitarian catastrophe. The blockade, imposed by Israel since 2 March, is aimed at changing the terms of the three-phase ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian political and militant group Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007. “The move will further starve the population and strip civilians of the basic…

Mar

08

2025

By JESSICA GENAUER

The EU will spend billions more on defence. It’s a powerful statement – but won’t do much for Ukraine

WORLD

ON March 3, US President Donald Trump paused all US military aid to Ukraine. This move was apparently triggered by a heated exchange a few days earlier between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. In response, European Union leaders have now committed to rearm Europe by mobilising €800 billion (about A$1.4 trillion) in defence spending. 26 of the EU leaders (excluding Hungary) signed an agreement that peace for Ukraine must be accompanied by “robust and credible” security guarantees. They agreed there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation. It was…

Mar

08

2025

By The African Mirror

Mexico marks a milestone: 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers find stability and rebuild their lives

WORLD

SINCE 2016, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has supported the integration into Mexican communities of 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, a notable example of solidarity by the country and its people. “Mexico has become a country where people forced to flee can find the stability they need to restart their lives with dignity,” said Giovanni Lepri, UNHCR´s Representative in Mexico. “A strong asylum system and legal framework allows an effective integration of asylum-seekers and refugees.” More than 50,000 refugees who arrived in southern Mexico have been screened and granted asylum by the Government and successfully relocated to industrial cities through UNHCR's…

Mar

08

2025

By The African Mirror

All the ways Trump wants to exclude trans people from public life

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler and Kate Sosin of The 19th. Meet Orion and Kate and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. FEDERAL agencies are carrying out executive orders from President Donald Trump that all share a common goal: removing transgender and nonbinary people from public life wherever possible. Through restricting access to accurate federal identity documents, threatening to withhold hospitals’ federal funding over gender-affirming care, and erasing trans history on federal websites and in schools, the Trump White House is using the federal government as a tool to make it harder for…

Mar

07

2025

By ORION RUMMLER, EDEN TURNER, NADRA NITTLE, MARIEL PADILLA and BARBARA RODRIGUEZ

‘It’s impacting us all’: Six Americans on how Trump’s second term is reshaping their lives

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler, Eden Turner, Nadra Nittle, Mariel Padilla and Barbara Rodriguez of The 19th. Meet Orion, Eden, Nadra, Mariel and Barbara and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. IN his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump will have a chance to talk about the sweeping, controversial efforts he has made to reshape the federal government, chip away at civil rights and formalize a new understanding of who belongs in the country. Trump returned to office six weeks ago, empowered by Republican majorities in…

Mar

07

2025

By The African Mirror

Training gives Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh camps vital skills for self-reliance

WORLD

NOT long ago, Samuda Khatum had no idea what to do if the solar-powered lights in her shelter in the Kutupalong refugee camp stopped working. Or how to fix her fan if it lost power. “When our husbands go out to work and we face issues with lights and solar, we need to wait and stay in darkness,” she said. Today, the 19-year-old is wearing a hard hat over her pink headscarf and using a screwdriver to attach a power switch to a wall. She and a group of other young Rohingya refugees, about half of them women, are learning…