WORLD - The African Mirror

Jul

12

2025

Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed – UN humanitarians

WORLD

FOLLOWING the deaths of several children in an Israeli strike on Palestinians waiting in line for nutritional supplements in central Gaza, UN humanitarians have once again condemned the killings of people at aid distribution sites in the enclave. UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, “We've raised concerns about atrocity crimes having been committed and the risk of further atrocity crimes being committed, where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine and where they are being attacked, where again… they have a choice between being shot or being fed”. “This…

Jul

12

2025

By JONATHAN ESTE

Israel’s relocation plan for Palestinians and fading hopes for a ceasefire

WORLD

IT was revealing this week to read reports of Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Donald Trump (his third White House visit since Trump’s inauguration in January). There was no sense that the US president upped the pressure on the Israeli prime minister to soften Israel’s conditions in order to secure a ceasefire. Instead, the pair appears to have discussed the prospect of moving large numbers of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip to countries that would, as Netanyahu put it, “give Palestinians a better future”. This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up…

Jul

11

2025

By JAMES SWEENEY

Plans to relocate Gazans to a ‘humanitarian city’ look like a crime against humanity – international law expert

WORLD

THE Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are refusing to implement a government plan to move hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into what it calls a “humanitarian city” in Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of the IDF general staff, said the plan was not part of the military’s operational plan for destroying Hamas and freeing the remaining hostages. Army reservists have reportedly also complained that the plan amounts to a war crime. In my view, as an expert in international law, they are correct. Forcibly relocating a population is prohibited, even in war. It is…

Jul

11

2025

By DORIT NAAMAN

Cancellations at Canadian film festivals raise questions about accountability

WORLD

FILM festivals are unique cultural institutions, spaces to see diverse films by local and global filmmakers and an important market for distributors. These films are often difficult to see, or even know about, outside of festival circuits. Festivals are also answerable to funders and to different stakeholders’ interests. Cancellations of planned films raise questions about festivals’ roles and accountability to community groups who find certain films objectionable, the wider public, politicians, festival sponsors, audiences, filmmakers and the films themselves. In September 2024, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) faced a backlash from pro-Ukrainian groups — and former deputy prime minister…

Jul

11

2025

By NADRA NITTLE

She was a rising senior on the honor roll. ICE just upended her life

WORLD

This story was originally reported by Nadra Nittle of The 19th. Meet Nadra and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. ON July 4, Nory Sontay Ramos stepped off a flight from San Antonio into a country she hardly recognised: Guatemala. The summer wasn’t supposed to start this way. The 17-year-old had plans. In early June, she wrapped up 11th grade on a high note, having made the honour roll and represented her Los Angeles high school in the city finals for track. With track season over, she turned her attention to cross-country, showing up to campus…

Jul

10

2025

By The African Mirror

U.S. Tariff extension deepens global trade crisis as developing nations face economic devastation

WORLD

THE United States has extended its devastating tariff pause until August 1, trapping dozens of developing nations in a stranglehold of economic uncertainty that threatens to destroy entire industries and trigger mass unemployment across the global South. The 90-day extension of "reciprocal" tariffs — which can reach a crushing 50% on critical exports like apparel and agricultural products — has created what trade officials describe as economic warfare against the world's most vulnerable economies. A punitive 10% levy remains in place, continuing to strangle export revenues for countries already battling poverty and underdevelopment. "If a business is not clear on…

Jul

10

2025

By The African Mirror

Over one million Afghans forced to return home as crisis deepens

WORLD

BUSLOADS of exhausted Afghan families arrive daily at the Islam Qala border crossing, thrust into a country many barely remember after years of building lives in Iran. The scene is heartbreaking: children crying in 40-degree heat, parents clutching meagre possessions, unsure where they will sleep tonight. More than one million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan since January, with another million expected before year's end. The mass deportations are creating a humanitarian catastrophe in a nation already teetering on the edge of collapse. "These were families who, a few days before, were sitting in their homes…

Jul

10

2025

By SHANNON BOSCH

Israel’s Rafah camp – ‘humanitarian city’ or crime against humanity?

WORLD

ISRAEL’S Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has announced a controversial plan to move up to 600,000 Palestinians in Gaza into a designated “humanitarian area” on the ruins of the southern city of Rafah. Access to the camp would be through strict security screening to ensure entrants were not Hamas operatives. Once inside, the perimeter would be sealed off by the Israeli military. Palestinians would not be allowed to leave. Eventually, the camp would house the entire 2.1 million population of Gaza. Camp construction would begin during the proposed 60-day ceasefire being negotiated by Israel and Hamas ‘Illegal and inhumane’ The plan…

Jul

09

2025

By The African Mirror

Trump’s BRICS tariff ultimatum fractures global economic order

WORLD, BRICS NEWS

THE world's economic architecture shuddered this week as President Donald Trump delivered an ultimatum that could reshape international trade for decades: any nation aligning with BRICS policies will face an immediate 10% tariff penalty, with no exceptions. The declaration, delivered through Trump's characteristic social media bluntness, targets the coalition of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - along with their expanding circle of partners - representing nearly half of humanity and 40% of global economic output. The move comes as Washington races against a self-imposed July 9 deadline to finalise trade agreements with nearly 100 countries. "Any country aligning…

Jul

09

2025

By The African Mirror

Global coalition unveils $4 trillion development finance plan as aid funding drops

WORLD

A coalition of governments and international organisations have announced a comprehensive Action Plan to dramatically increase private sector investment in developing countries, addressing a $4 trillion annual financing gap that has widened since the pandemic. The initiative, unveiled at the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4), brings together the UN Capital Development Fund, UN Economic Commission for Africa, African Union Commission, OECD, and governments from Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, among others. The plan specifically targets mobilising private capital for the world's 44 Least Developed Countries, home to 880 million people. The announcement comes as official development assistance declined by over…