As Ethiopia prepares to lay siege to its restive Tigray region, what was once billed as a central government policing operation is threatening to become a regional affair whose outcome will be felt across the Horn of Africa. With a new refugee crisis already brewing, the pressure is on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to swiftly […]
Honduras hurricane relief: Neighbors step up after Eta and Iota
When Hurricane Eta touched down in Honduras, Rafael Álvarez Martínez fled by foot, sloshing through the rising waters with no clear destination in mind. Now, he and 25 of his extended family members are sheltering in one room of an elementary school, where cut-out paper flowers and academic calendars still decorate the walls. “I haven’t […]
Annamie Paul: Green Party leader believes ‘this is the moment’
Annamie Paul is a lawyer who’s worked in Belgium and Barcelona. She’s the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean. And, since last month, she’s the leader of Canada’s Green Party – making her the first Black Canadian elected to lead a federal party, the only woman currently leading a major one, and the country’s second-ever Jewish […]
Soccer star Marcus Rashford fuels British action on hunger in pandemic
Child poverty, now affecting an estimated 4 million children in the United Kingdom, isn’t a new problem. But it has often been hidden from view, until pandemic-related disruptions brought the issue into stark relief. Professional soccer player Marcus Rashford brought attention to the issue, successfully lobbying the government to extend free meal provisions for children […]
Most G-20 leaders seek coordinated response to pandemic challenges
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Leaders of the world’s most powerful nations wrapped up the Group of 20 summit on Sunday, vowing to spare no effort to protect lives and ensure affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all people. The two-day summit of heads of state was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has […]
Pandemic, lower rents lure London’s tenants to countryside
Now that remote work is the norm, many young London renters are rethinking where they want to live. A growing number of people under 40 are leaving London and other major British cities for larger homes, lower rents, and a slower pace of life. And, as they relocate, they are bringing little pieces of the metropolitan […]
Afghans see US troops ‘home by Christmas’ as a gift to the Taliban
When the United States and the Taliban signed a deal in February, Americans spoke of a conditions-based withdrawal and said the Taliban privately committed to a reduction in violence. Also in the agreement: participation in intra-Afghan talks. While the U.S. stuck to its incremental pullout schedule, the Taliban has escalated violence across the country, in […]
Progress: Personal freedoms increase in UAE, and more
1. United States A record number of Native American women are joining the House of Representatives after at least 18 ran for congressional office. Historically underrepresented in politics, only two Native American women ran for office in the 2016 elections. Three won this month: Laguna Pueblo member Deb Haaland, D-N.M., and Ho-Chunk Nation member Sharice […]
US drops case against former Mexican general after pressure
New York The United States on Wednesday dropped a high-profile drug trafficking and money laundering case against a former Mexican defense secretary, an extraordinary reversal that followed an intense pressure campaign from Mexico. The full scope of Mexico’s pressure was not clear and officials were vague about what led them to drop charges in a […]
Moscow, to protect older teachers, brings trainees into classrooms
While Moscow schools have largely shut down as COVID-19 cases rise again, city officials have decreed that students in grades one to six need to have regular classes and daily face time with teachers. That has led to an unusual experiment in Moscow’s schools. Healthy young volunteers have been recruited from Moscow’s several pedagogical colleges and […]