WORLD - The African Mirror

Feb

01

2025

‘We saw this coming’: State attorneys general are ready for Trump 2.0

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. LESS than 24 hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to significantly restrict birthright citizenship last week, nearly two dozen state attorneys general filed lawsuits seeking to block the order. Two days after that, a federal judge in Seattle issued a two-week pause on the measure as the court considers a more extensive hold on the policy. This week, another federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s attempt to freeze federal assistance and loans. This…

Jan

31

2025

By The African Mirror

More than 60 feared dead in US plane crash tragedy

WORLD

TRAGEDY struck the heart of America's capital when darkness descended on the Potomac River, claiming more than 60 souls in a devastating collision that shattered the winter sky. On that fateful January evening, the paths of two aircraft – an American Airlines regional jet carrying dreams and aspirations, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on its routine mission – intersected in a moment that would forever change countless lives. Among the passengers were bearers of grace and beauty: figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, accompanied by their young protégés, their hopes for future glory tragically cut short in…

Jan

31

2025

By GABRIEL HULAND

BRICS: growth of China-led bloc raises questions about a rapidly shifting world order

WORLD, BRICS NEWS

BRICS has emerged as a significant international force since 2009 when it was established at a summit in Russia. What began as a five-member group encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is now expanding with the integration of five new members and eight new partner countries. Even more countries may be joining in the next few years. This growth raises essential questions about whether Brics will challenge the leadership of traditional powers such as the US, UK and the European Union. But analysts are also questioning how united the bloc really is and whether a perceived lack of…

Jan

31

2025

By ALAN HIRSCH

Anti-immigration policies: why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last

WORLD

DONALD Trump, America’s new president, has cut back massively on US commitments to asylum seekers, blocked all asylum processes and started to remove irregular immigrants. Trump’s new measures are far-reaching. They include the suspension of the US refugee admissions programme. Flights booked for refugees to the US have been cancelled. Arrests and deportations have begun. Strongly anti-immigrant policies were also pursued under the Biden administration, though Trump’s dramatic steps take them much further. Other countries in the global north have also introduced tougher policies. The 2024 EU Pact on Migration and Asylum sets out tougher border controls, quicker assessment of…

Jan

30

2025

By STEFAN WOLFF

Trump’s vision of a peace deal for Ukraine is limited to a ceasefire – and it’s not even clear if Kyiv or Moscow are going to play ball

WORLD

WE are now well beyond the 24 hours that Donald Trump had promised it would take him to secure an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. But Trump’s first week since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, has nonetheless been a busy one regarding Ukraine. In his inauguration address, Trump only made a passing and indirect reference to Ukraine, criticising his predecessor Joe Biden running “a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders”. Trump’s first more substantive statement on Ukraine was a post on his TruthSocial…

Jan

30

2025

By BARBARA RODRIGUEZ

Why RFK Jr. has captured the attention of moms

WORLD

Originally published by The 19th AS attention turns this week to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings to lead Health and Human Services (HHS) — a position that will make enormous health policy decisions impacting millions of families — his history of vaccine scepticism and peddling health-related conspiracy theories is expected to take centre stage. Among those most closely watching the hearings? Moms. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, one of those mothers, is the executive director and co-founder of MomsRising, an organization that advocates for policies like paid family and medical leave and affordable child care. The group has been rallying its million-plus…

Jan

29

2025

By BARBARA RODRIGUEZ

Moms to Trump: We want relief on child care costs

WORLD

Originally published by The 19th AN organization that advocates for child care and other family policies is launching a national campaign to encourage President Donald Trump to keep — and expand — the only tax credit that specifically helps parents pay for their increasing childcare costs. The advocacy effort comes as some House Republicans openly consider gutting that financial support in upcoming budget talks over Trump’s tax policy. Moms First announced an ad campaign Monday that will advocate for Trump and the new Republican-controlled Congress to maintain and improve a tax credit for families known as the Child and Dependent…

Jan

29

2025

By KARIN AGGESTAM

Donald Trump’s suggestion of ‘clearing out’ Gaza adds another risk to an already fragile ceasefire

WORLD

DONALD Trump’s recent statement describing Gaza as a “demolition site” – and his suggestion to “evacuate” Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt and Jordan to “clean out that whole thing” – has sent shockwaves across the region. Trump reportedly told journalists travelling with him on Air Force One at the weekend that he had spoken with King Abdullah of Jordan and planned to talk with Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” he said. He added that relocating Palestinian civilians to “some of the Arab…

Jan

29

2025

By The African Mirror

UNHCR’s Grandi calls for global action to support Syrians returning home

WORLD

Wrapping up a visit to Syria on Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appealed to the international community for bold and decisive action to help Syrians rebuild their war-torn country and support displaced Syrians in returning home. Since September, more than 500,000 refugees have returned to Syria, including 200,000 after the fall of the Assad regime. Additionally, nearly 600,000 people who were displaced inside Syria have since returned to their homes. However, 7.4 million Syrians are still uprooted inside the country and there are more than 6 million Syrian refugees worldwide. Despite the major political shifts in…

Jan

28

2025

By ROBERT KUBINEC

As Syria ponders a democratic future: 5 lessons from the Arab Spring

WORLD

THE fall of c’s dictatorship in December 2024 has ushered in a nerve-wracking time of hope and fear for Syrians concerning future governance in the long war-torn country. While it’s unclear what exact political path Syria will take, the dilemmas the country faces are similar to the experiences of other Arab countries more than a decade ago. In the winter of 2010, an outbreak of protests in Tunisia spread across the region, toppling several regimes in what became known as the Arab Uprising. While some countries – Egypt and Tunisia – became democracies, albeit briefly, others, like Yemen, Libya and…