WORLD - The African Mirror

Jan

28

2025

Future of Russian gas looking bleak as Ukraine turns off taps and Europe eyes ending all imports

WORLD

RUSSIA’S contract for the transit of its gas across Ukraine expired on December 31 last year and Kyiv refused to consider a new deal. Ukraine’s decision was supported by the European Commission, even though the lost imports are equivalent to 5% of European demand. It may have come as a surprise to many that, in the middle of a war between the two countries, gas had continued to flow. And although most pipeline gas from Russia to Europe had ceased, in 2024 Europe imported a record 21.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia – 19%…

Jan

28

2025

By JOSHUA SHANES

Harvard expands its definition of antisemitism – when does criticism of Israel cross a line?

WORLD

AS part of Harvard University’s agreement in response to two federal lawsuits filed by Jewish students alleging antisemitic discrimination, it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, “working definition” of antisemitism. This is a definition favoured by many Jewish community leaders and politicians because its broad language can be applied to most anti-Israel rhetoric. This includes Kenneth Marcus, who served as assistant secretary of education during the first Trump administration and represented the students as chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. In contrast, many scholars prefer either the competing Jerusalem Declaration on…

Jan

27

2025

By The African Mirror

Education helps former refugee build a stronger connection with home

WORLD

SINCE she was a child, Suhaila has always found comfort in numbers. “I don’t like vague things,” said the 24-year-old Afghan former refugee who now works in financial administration. “Numbers are always certain, stable.” For someone who was forced to flee her home at the age of four, this desire for stability is understandable. In the year 2000, amid rising insecurity and violence in Afghanistan, Suhaila’s parents decided that it was no longer a safe place to raise their children, and the family fled to the Kyrgyz Republic. “At first, it was difficult,” Suhaila recalled, adding that it was only after…

Jan

27

2025

By The African Mirror

UN condemns Israel’s West Bank operations: Systematic violence and potential war crimes exposed

WORLD

IN a powerful indictment of Israeli security forces' actions, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan delivered a scathing assessment of recent operations in the occupied West Bank. "The deadly Israeli operations in recent days raise serious concerns about unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including methods and means developed for warfighting, in violation of international human rights law norms and standards applicable to law enforcement operations," Al-Kheetan stated. He highlighted the devastating human cost: "Our Office has verified that at least 12 Palestinians have been killed and 40 injured by Israeli security forces since Tuesday, most of them reportedly…

Jan

27

2025

By SONNER KEHRT, THE WAR HORSE

‘I’m just trying to be good at my job’: Transgender troops brace for decision on military ban

WORLD

This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. TWELVE years ago, Army 1st Lt. Alivia Stehlik walked the parade route for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, making sure everything would go smoothly. Stehlik spent weeks planning for the Army’s role in the inaugural parade, training troops, and instructing a group of high-ranking generals and admirals on marching in step. Six-foot-two, with a West Point pedigree, a Ranger tab, ramrod straight posture, and an infectious smile, Stehlik was an ideal instructor. As a ceremonies officer stationed…

Jan

25

2025

By SAMUEL AGBAMU

Elon Musk and the history of the ‘Roman salute’

WORLD

HOW often do you think about the Roman Empire? Elon Musk claims to think about it every day. Given his frequent references to Roman antiquity, I think we can take him at his word. From airing his views on the fall of the Roman empire (demographic decline) to expressing his desire to see a “modern-day Sulla”, Musk’s views on ancient Rome demand our attention. Sulla, by the way, was the notorious first-century BC dictator who had hundreds of his political opponents murdered. On January 20 at a rally to mark the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as…

Jan

25

2025

By MONTI DATTA

I study modern-day slavery − and here’s what I’ve learned about how enslavers try to justify their actions

WORLD

SEVERAL high-profile celebrities were slapped with human-trafficking charges in late 2024, from music mogul Sean Combs, known as P. Diddy, to former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries. Neither has been tried yet, but in 2022 the R&B superstar R. Kelly was convicted of sex-trafficking crimes that dated back decades. He was sentenced to 30 years. Sex trafficking, like forced labour, is a contemporary form of slavery. I am an academic who studies the mindset of slaveholders to understand more fully their rationale for what they do, in hopes of finding better ways to eradicate modern-day enslavement. Early thinking on…

Jan

25

2025

By MAHA NASSAR

As Gaza ceasefire takes hold, Israeli forces turn to Jenin – a regular target seen as a center of Palestinian resistance

WORLD

JUST two days after a shaky ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel on Jan. 21, 2025, launched a large-scale incursion of the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Soldiers raided hundreds of homes in the West Bank city in what the Israeli military called a “counterterrorism” operation, aiming to reassert control there. Many analysts have suggested the raid is an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appease far-right members of his coalition who oppose the ceasefire deal. Whatever the motive, the offensive has been devastating for many of the camp’s residents. The Israeli military has…

Jan

24

2025

By MEL LEONOR BARCLAY

‘My child will be stateless’: Pregnant women sue Trump administration over the end of birthright citizenship

WORLD

SOMETIME around the end of July or the beginning of August, a Venezuelan immigrant who asked to be identified only as Monica expects to give birth to a son or daughter in South Carolina. That child, she said, “will be a citizen of nothing.” The Venezuelan immigrant and her partner arrived in the United States in 2019 under the Temporary Protected Status program for Venezuelans as the country faced economic and political crisis and quickly applied for permanent asylum to make the United States their new home. While waiting for an interview with immigration officials for the heavily backlogged program,…

Jan

24

2025

By The African Mirror

Gaza: seven big issues affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid

WORLD

IF the new Israel-Hamas deal holds and their ceasefire begins on Sunday, the first stage includes a commitment to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Announcing the deal to the US public, the outgoing president Joe Biden said the deal would “surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians”. And not before time – the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now catastrophic. Since late 2024, humanitarian organisations have warned of an imminent famine due to the severely restricted commercial and humanitarian food supply flows. There is little healthcare provision. Hospitals are destroyed, medical supplies depleted and healthcare workers overwhelmed.…