WORLD - The African Mirror

Oct

22

2024

Teeing off to assist refugees around the world

WORLD

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today announced its first-ever golf partnership in a three-year agreement with LIV Golf to deliver innovative sport-for-protection programmes for refugees and internally displaced people and their host communities. Through this partnership, LIV Golf has committed $10 million to increase access to sport and education for up to 1 million forcibly displaced people in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, as well as introduce golf and play-based activities focused on improving the quality of life for those who are most at risk. “UNHCR believes strongly in the power of sport. We have seen first-hand that it…

Oct

22

2024

By The African Mirror

Harris outraises and outspends Trump in September

WORLD

VICE President Kamala Harris’ campaign outraised and outspent former President Donald Trump in September, new campaign finance filings show. The Harris campaign raised $221.8 million, spent $269.8 million, and ended with $187.5 million on hand, according to the report it filed Sunday evening. Trump’s campaign raised $62.7 million, spent $77.6 million, and ended with $119.7 million cash on hand. Both candidates have juiced their fundraising hauls with joint fundraising committees, which enable individual high-dollar donors to cut large checks to support both the presidential campaigns and their affiliated committees, beyond the $3,300 maximum an individual can give to a federal candidate per cycle. The Harris Victory Fund, which divides donations…

Oct

21

2024

By CHRISTOPHER ISIKE and SAMUEL OYEWOLE

Joe Biden in Africa: US President has ignored the continent for his entire term – why he’s visiting Angola

WORLD

US President Joe Biden chose to visit Africa in the final weeks of his presidency. It would be his first trip to the continent since taking office in January 2021. The trip was postponed at the last minute because of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Milton in the US. It has been rescheduled for the first week in December. Angola is located in the western region of southern Africa. With 37.2 million people, it is the 11th most populous country in Africa. Its economy relies heavily on oil and gas, accounting for over 90% of exports and 43% of GDP.…

Oct

21

2024

By FEDERICO DONELL

Somalia and Turkey are becoming firm allies – what’s behind this strategy

WORLD

TURKEY has ramped up its partnership with Somalia in recent months. It is helping Somalia defend its waters and has signed a deal to explore for oil and gas off the East African nation’s coast. There have also been reports of advanced discussions to have Turkey set up a missile and rocket testing site in Somalia. These agreements underscore Turkey’s strategic and economic aspirations in the broader Horn of Africa region. Over the past four years, there has been a steady increase in Turkish partnerships and agreements for the export of defence-related products to the region. This has included the…

Oct

21

2024

By The African Mirror

He’s been flying people to access reproductive care. Here’s how he’s preparing for the election

WORLD

JUST two months before the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal right to an abortion, Mike Bonanza launched Elevated Access. The nonprofit dedicated to helping patients receive reproductive health care would soon find its services more crucial than ever. Since its beginnings in April 2022, Republican-run legislatures have passed near-total abortion bans in 13 states. Conservatives also began pushing bans on gender-affirming care for minors alongside other anti-transgender laws, culminating in 26 states that now prohibit this widely-supported medical treatment, according to the Movement Advancement Project. As the need has grown, so has Elevated Access. The organization has continued…

Oct

19

2024

By The African Mirror

UN peacekeepers determined to stay in south Lebanon, while humanitarians report more civilian suffering in Gaza and West Bank

WORLD

UN peacekeepers are keeping their positions in South Lebanon despite heavy shelling and targeted attacks; their commitment to bringing back stability to the region is unwavering, the UN said on Friday. Speaking from Beirut, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that the role of UNIFIL at the moment is “more important than ever”. “We need to be here, we need to try to bring back stability and peace to this region,” he told journalists in Geneva. Although in recent days, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called on UNIFIL to…

Oct

19

2024

By AMANDA BECKER

Are women over 50 the critical voter group no one is talking about?

WORLD

ON a recent autumn evening, the AARP convened a small group of journalists in a hotel dining room a stone’s throw from the White House to discuss a group of overlooked but dedicated voters that could determine the outcome of the presidential race: Women over 50. At each place setting was a 25-page briefing packet titled, “She’s the Difference: Women voters 50+.” It was prepared by AARP and pollsters Kristen Soltis Anderson of Echelon Insights, a Republican, and Margie Omero of GBAO, a Democrat. They were present at the dinner to present their findings, making a compelling case for why…

Oct

18

2024

By ALI AL IBRAHIM, MOHAMMED BASSIKI, and JACOB GOLDBERG

The risk of return: As Israel bombs Lebanon, Syrian deportees face detention, conscription, or worse

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Ali Al Ibrahim, Mohammed Bassiki and Jacob Goldberg SYRIAN refugees deported from Lebanon say they suffered abuses by security forces on both sides of the border, including beatings by Lebanese authorities and forced conscription into the Syrian army. Some have died in detention or disappeared. Their experiences raise concerns about the fate awaiting the 276,000 people who have fled Lebanon to Syria since the intensification of Israel’s airstrikes on the country last month, 70% of whom are Syrians, according to UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency. Israel’s attacks have killed more than 2,300 people, according…

Oct

18

2024

By The African Mirror

How organizers are harnessing the power of young Latino voters

WORLD

CRISTINA Tzintzún Ramirez has spent much of her career mobilizing young people — especially Latinos — to make their voices heard at the ballot box and beyond. In 2016, Tzintzún Ramirez founded Jolt, an organization that uses culture, art, storytelling, voter registration and border organizing to engage young Latino voters in her home state of Texas. Their online reach extends to 50-60 million people, she said. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Merdie Nzanga: What are some misconceptions that you believe people have about Latino communities? Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez: There’s a widespread misconception that the Latino population in the United States…

Oct

18

2024

By The African Mirror

Coldplay, next band to feature on front of Barça jersey in association with Spotify

WORLD

A new men’s football Clásico is coming up very soon on 26 October, and as has become tradition of late with partner Spotify, it will also involve a change to the logo on the Barça jersey, once again set to shake up the world of sports partnerships. This time, the chosen band in association with Spotify is none other than one of the biggest and most renowned pop-rock groups on the planet, Coldplay. The limited edition jersey will also be worn by the women’s team in their match against Eibar on 2 November. The emblem that will appear on the…