WORLD - The African Mirror

Feb

05

2025

By SANA HAMDAN IN AMMAN, JORDAN, and HAMEED MAAROUF

Returning Syrians filled with hope despite the challenges ahead

WORLD

IN the 13 years since Hassan Mohammad Alhassan fled the conflict in Syria with his family to seek safety in neighbouring Jordan, there were times when the 80-year-old patriarch must have wondered if he would ever set foot in his homeland again. But shortly after dawn on 30 January, as he boarded a bus in the Jordanian capital, Amman, bound for Homs, the years of uncertainty fell away, and he looked forward to his long-awaited return with a broad smile. “We have lived in Jordan as if it were our own country. Thirteen years have passed, and we have never…

Feb

05

2025

By JENNIFER MATHERS

North Korea: Kim Jong-un is sending a second wave of soldiers to Ukraine – here’s why

WORLD

NORTH Korea is believed to be preparing to send another group of soldiers to come to Vladimir Putin’s aid in the war in Ukraine, despite heavy combat losses already suffered by troops from the East Asian country. When Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Kursk region of Russia in August 2024, Ukraine’s military commanders hoped that their surprise move would force Moscow to withdraw troops from eastern Ukraine to defend Russia’s own territory. Kyiv did not expect its troops to end up fighting North Koreans. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have officially confirmed that North Korean troops are fighting side…

Feb

04

2025

By The African Mirror

Louisiana mother, New York doctor indicted for allegedly giving minor abortion pills

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Lorena O'Neil, Louisiana Illuminator of The 19th. Meet Lorena and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. A West Baton Rouge grand jury indicted a New York doctor and a Louisiana mother Friday, on felony charges for allegedly providing an illegal abortion with drugs obtained through the mail. It is the first criminal case of its kind in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, which triggered Louisiana’s strict abortion ban. Dr. Margaret Carpenter; her company Nightingale Medical; and the mother of the minor in question were all indicted…

Feb

04

2025

By PAUL EDWARD FISHER

How Vladimir Putin was able to change Russia’s constitution and become ‘president for life’

WORLD

AT some point during a political leader’s final term, they start to become prey to what is commonly known as “lame duck syndrome”. Donald Trump may have only just been inaugurated, but political commentators are already saying this is likely to happen in a couple of years, once the mid-term elections have been contested in 2026. If that happens, he could, at least in part, be guided by the way Vladimir Putin dealt with his own looming term-limit problem following his election for a fourth term as Russian president in 2018. Of course, the US is not Russia – and,…

Feb

04

2025

By JUL PARKE

From chatbot to sexbot: What lawmakers can learn from South Korea’s AI hate-speech disaster

WORLD

AS artificial intelligence technologies develop at accelerated rates, the methods of governing companies and platforms continue to raise ethical and legal concerns. In Canada, many view proposed laws to regulate AI offerings as attacks on free speech and as overreaching government control on tech companies. This backlash has come from free speech advocates, right-wing figures and libertarian thought leaders. However, these critics should pay attention to a harrowing case from South Korea that offers important lessons about the risks of public-facing AI technologies and the critical need for user data protection. In late 2020, Iruda (or “Lee Luda”), an AI…

Feb

03

2025

By MARKUS WAGNER

Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war

WORLD

IT'S official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%. During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened tariffs against all three countries, claiming they weren’t doing enough to prevent an influx of “drugs, in particular fentanyl” into the US, while also accusing Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to stop “illegal aliens”. There will be some nuance. On Friday, Trump said tariffs on oil and gas would come into effect later, on February 18, and that Canadian oil…

Feb

03

2025

By Manfred Zwecker

Rohingya civilians recall alleged Arakan Army abuses

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Tanbirul Miraj Ripon Mohammad Ayas came to live in Bangladesh just weeks after the August 2024 killing of his family by armed men he says were members of the Arakan Army, the largest ethno-nationalist armed group taking on Myanmar’s ruling junta. Like other Rohingya in Rakhine state, the 35-year-old refers to the Arakan Army’s forces with the pejorative Mogh Bagi, meaning robbers, and he never imagined they would kill his relatives in front of his eyes. “They killed my family. I don’t feel like I’m alive anymore. I can't see my…

Feb

03

2025

By LEONIE FLEISCHMANN

The growing influence of Israel’s ultranationalist settler movement

WORLD

DAYS after taking office, as he issued executive order after executive order to change the political face of America, Donald Trump also turned his attention to the war in Gaza. His proposal that Gaza should be cleared out and Palestinians should be relocated to other countries such as Egypt and Jordan has been met with outraged disbelief in many quarters. The Arab League has accused him of advocating ethnic cleansing. But Trump’s statement has met with approval from far-right leaders in Israel. Influential politicians have been advocating for this “solution” for years. These include finance minister and leader of the…

Feb

01

2025

By SAM PHELPS

How Trump’s suggestion to ‘clean out’ Gaza sent shockwaves through the Middle East

WORLD

THIS article was first published as World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK. Click here to receive this newsletter every Thursday, direct to your inbox. Hundreds of thousands of civilians returned to the northern Gaza Strip this week after checkpoints were reopened in line with the ceasefire agreement. Many will have found their homes destroyed after months of heavy fighting and bombardment – something the new US president, Donald Trump, has pointed out. In an exchange with reporters last weekend, Trump said: “I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.” He…

Feb

01

2025

By DANIELA MOHOR

Aid in the crosshairs: Why access is growing harder in Haiti

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Daniela Mohor AID groups trying to tackle soaring humanitarian needs in Haiti are increasingly seen as protecting the gangs, leading them to become targeted by the police and self-defence groups, according to the head of mission in the country for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). “In our case, there is certainly this perception, but that's the result of the fact that we adhere to the principle of impartiality,” Diana Manilla Arroyo told The New Humanitarian during a wide-ranging interview. “We will always give medical care to anyone who needs it, and we…