Irony of DR Congo turning to abusive Wazalendo militias to help national army to fight M23 rebels
Increasing Rwandan support has allowed the M23 to massively expand its footprint this year, overshadowing other insurgencies in the east and raising the risk of a major regional conflagration between Rwanda and DRC and its allies.
Taliban took my life: No respite for scientists and researchers during three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan
More than 15 million people in Afghanistan needed emergency food or cash assistance in 2023, according to the World Food Programme. Women’s rights have deteriorated and girls are banned from education once they reach 12, albeit with some recent exceptions made for medicine. Female university staff are restricted from teaching.
Israeli whistleblowers expose the horror Palestinian prisoners live in at Sde Teiman military base
Since October 7, the number of imprisoned Palestinians has nearly doubled, from 5,192 before the war to 9,623 as of early July, exacerbating a preexisting issue of overcrowding, according to human rights group HaMoked, which tracks Israel’s prison population and was among the groups who petitioned to close Sde Teiman.
Irony: US asks Israeli military to investigate itself after video evidence of rape of Palestinians in Sde Teiman prison
While rights groups inside Israel moved aggressively to protect the rights of Palestinians detained in both its military camps, as well as prisons within its official government prison system, the United States showed little urgency around the issue.
Press Freedom fears emerge as New York police charge journalist with hate crime for recording Gaza protest
No one is suggesting that graffitiing private property is legal under New York law. Seligson is not accused of spray-painting or vandalising any property. He is nonetheless facing charges for criminal mischief enhanced as a felony hate crime; one other person alleged to have driven participants to and from the executives’ homes is also facing criminal mischief hate crime charges. The police are still looking for four alleged participants.
Why Bamasaba king in eastern Uganda faces rebellion over Imbalu, generations-old tradition of circumcision of boys
The king, known as the Umukuuka, had his way ahead of the August 3 ceremonial inauguration at a park in the town of Mbale, arguing for a traditional festival that also looked attractive to visitors. The organisers of Imbalu received over $120,000 in financial support from the Ugandan government and a corporate sponsor.
Heal or kill? How Germany colluded with drug makers to dupe citizens about efficacy of Covid vaccines
And according to a February 25, 2022, document, RKI was prevented from downgrading its overall risk assessment of Covid-19 from “very high” to “high” even after the mostly mild symptoms of the Omicron wave were evident, due to intervention from Lauterbach and the German Health Ministry.
Tough choices Zimbabwean children make daily: Giving up school or risk being mauled by wild animals
In Zimbabwe, schoolchildren face threats from animals. Now they are learning how to spot the dangers On the impoverished edges of a conservancy that protects wildlife in southeastern Zimbabwe, 14-year-old Esther Bote wakes up at dawn to a practiced daily routine. She cleans the house, lights the fire, cooks, bathes...
Report: When Tigrayan conflict ended in Ethiopia it triggered a surge in rape and violence against women
Women can be double victims. An entrenched cultural idea of a woman’s “purity” often stigmatises survivors – forcing them into silence. They are left alone to bear the burden of what they have been forced to endure as communities become desensitised to the horror.
Humanitarian aid trap: Somali official calls for state control over aid funds as ‘aid community actors are only accountable to themselves’
Budget support is justified, Ainte said, because the government is responsible for what happens in Somalia, even if the conflict means it does not control all of the country’s territory. Ainte did not specify which institutions might work with the government to programme any redirected money, though he mentioned it could be done by UN agencies.
