WORLD - The African Mirror

Jan

07

2025

The Elders mourn the loss of President Jimmy Carter

WORLD

THE Elders are deeply saddened at the passing of their dear friend and colleague Jimmy Carter, who was a hugely admired and respected member of the group from its founding in 2007 until he chose to step down as an active member in 2016 on health grounds. As a former President of the United States who went on to build a global reputation for his work with The Carter Center in monitoring elections and championing public health issues, he brought immense experience and expertise to the Elders’ work, combined with passionate advocacy for social justice and human rights. In 2002…

Jan

06

2025

By STEWART PREST

Canada’s fight with Trump isn’t just economic, it’s existential

WORLD

UNITED States President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his apparent desire to make Canada a 51st American state, sharing a recent social media post about Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary’s support of the idea. Trump was roundly mocked for his latest trolling of Canada, but his apparent fixation is dangerous at a time when the country’s Liberal government, long weakened, is in disarray following the shock resignation of Chrystia Freeland as finance minister and deputy prime minister. In fact, in her December resignation letter, Freeland placed the country’s response to Trump at the heart of her critique of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.…

Jan

06

2025

By OLLI HELLMANN

Land of opportunity or bicultural nation? Twin visions of national identity face off over the Treaty principles

WORLD

THE controversial Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill is being presented by its architect, ACT Party leader David Seymour, primarily as a matter of lawmaking – a clarification through legislation. The bill seeks to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – established by decades of case law and jurisprudence – and instead enshrine new principles in law. But the bill goes deeper than that and touches on delicate but fundamental questions of what it means to be a New Zealander. In the heated debate since the bill’s introduction, two ideas of national identity come head to head.…

Jan

04

2025

By YOON WALKER

South Korea: failed arrest of impeached president sets stage for more turmoil in 2025

WORLD

IT was a tumultuous end to 2024 for South Korea. On December 14, the country’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached over his short-lived declaration of martial law. Then, just two weeks later, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach his replacement, Han Duck-soo, accusing him of colluding with his predecessor. Yoon now faces the prospect of arrest – a first for a sitting president in South Korea – over insurrection charges after the Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant for his detention on December 31. However, an attempt by South Korean officials to arrest Yoon in his residence was…

Jan

04

2025

By SARA HARMOUCH

New Orleans attacker’s apparent loyalty to Islamic State group highlights persistent threat of lone wolf terrorism

WORLD

THE deadly Jan. 1, 2025, attack in New Orleans serves as a reminder of the persistent threat to the U.S. from individuals inspired by extremist Islamist groups. While the investigation is still ongoing, some details about the suspect have been released. Authorities say Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, was behind the assault in which a truck was driven into a dense crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter a few hours after midnight, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. Jabbar, who died in a shoot-out with police, had pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group in online…

Jan

04

2025

By ZHENBO WANG

From new commercial Moon landers to asteroid investigations, expect a slate of exciting space missions in 2025

WORLD

IN 2024, space exploration dazzled the world. NASA’s Europa Clipper began its journey to study Jupiter’s moon Europa. SpaceX’s Starship achieved its first successful landing, a critical milestone for future deep space missions. China made headlines with the Chang’e 6 mission, which successfully returned samples from the far side of the Moon. Meanwhile, the International Space Station continued to host international crews, including private missions like Axiom Mission 3. As an aerospace engineer, I’m excited for 2025, when space agencies worldwide are gearing up for even more ambitious goals. Here’s a look at the most exciting missions planned for the…

Jan

02

2025

By SCOTT MORGENSTERN

Faced with Trump’s tariffs − and crackdowns on migration and narcotrafficking − Mexico is weighing retaliatory options

WORLD

DONALD Trump has made clear his intent to supercharge his “America First” approach to foreign policy in his second term – and Mexico looks set to be at the tip of the spear. While many of Trump’s predecessors have also followed a “realist” strategy – that is, one where relative power is at the forefront of international relations, while diplomatic success is viewed through how it benefits one’s own nation – the incoming president has displayed an apparent unwillingness to consider the pain that his plans would inflict on targeted countries or the responses this will engender. Trump’s proposed policies…

Jan

02

2025

By THI KIM QUY HOANG

Ukraine war: how Vietnam’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ treads a fine line between the west and Russia

WORLD

SINCE Vietnam adopted its reform programme (“Doi Moi” or renovation) in 1986, its foreign policy has transitioned from one driven by ideology to a more pragmatic regime driven by independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralism. This is underpinned by four principles: not engaging in military alliances, not supporting any country against another, not allowing foreign military bases on its territory and not using force or threatening to use force. In 2019, in the context of the Ukraine conflict, a defence white paper elevated these four principles to strategic “guiding rules” in the safeguarding of the fatherland. But this was just an…

Dec

31

2024

By The African Mirror

Jimmy Carter: A world mourns the passing of a peace-making giant

WORLD

FROM the halls of power to the homes of ordinary citizens, the world has united in grief and gratitude following the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at age 100. The outpouring of tributes paints a portrait of a man who transformed the very notion of what a president could become after leaving office. "America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian," declared President Joe Biden, capturing the sentiment echoed across continents. This son of Georgia, who rose from peanut farming to the presidency, left an indelible mark not just on American history, but on the…

Dec

31

2024

By LYDIA EMMANOUILIDOU, SAMH LABUDI, STAVROS MALICHUDIS, and CORINA PETRIDI

Greece jailed “Pylos 9” despite knowing they were innocent as Egypt prosecuted the real smugglers

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Lydia Emmanouilidou, Samh Labudi, Stavros Malichudis and Corina Petridi “I screamed; I couldn’t believe it. We searched online to find pictures of those who survived and those who died." In a small village in Al-Sharqia governorate, 77 kilometres from Cairo, Sa’edia Adel recalls the moment she learned on Facebook that the boat carrying her son, Ahmed, had capsized off the coast of Pylos, Greece. Ahmed, 32 at the time, had left behind his wife and three young children to seek work in Europe. The family, already reeling from the recent loss…