UN condemns death sentences in Ukraine

UN condemns death sentences in Ukraine

The UN human rights office has expressed concern at the sentencing to death of a Moroccan man and two Britons by a Russian proxy court in eastern Ukraine, saying such trials against prisoners of war amounted to a war crime. The UN says the three were part of Ukraine's armed forces, and therefore could not be described as mercenaries. The AFP news agency reports that Brahim Saadoun was a student […]

March 5, 2024 15

Africa

Ghana’s finance ministry asks President not to sign anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Ghana's finance ministry has advised against the President's approval of a recent anti-LGBT bill passed by parliament, cautioning potential repercussions including the loss of $3.8bn in World Bank funding over five to six years. The bill, if signed, imposes jail terms for identifying as or promoting LGBT+ activities, sparking opposition from rights activist Linda Baumann. In a highly unusual move, the warning from the finance ministry was leaked to several […]

March 5, 2024 26

Africa

ICC awards $56 million reparations in Ongwen case

The International Criminal Court has awarded reparations worth over 56 million dollars to victims in the case involving a former Ugandan rebel commander. Dominic Ongwen was a top commander in the Lord's Resistance Army; a militia rebel group that conducted a two-decades-long rebellion in Northern Uganda. Leon Ssenyange reports.

February 29, 2024 30

Africa

Local activist opposes Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

Ghana's parliament has approved a bill criminalising LGBTQ+ identity and the formation or funding of LGBTQ+ groups, punishable by up to three to five years in prison, respectively. The bill will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law. Linda Baumann an activist for the rights of women, and the LGBTQI community says the bill should not be enacted into law.

February 29, 2024 32

Africa

Oromia makes up a third of Ethiopia’s landmass and is key to its fortunes: expert unpacks its significance

By Bizuneh Yimenu, University of Birmingham Ethiopia’s largest and most populous region, Oromia, has been in the news following reports of a rise in kidnappings for ransom. The region is no stranger to war and strife. Its people have long fought against political marginalisation. But the region is more than just the site of conflict. We asked Bizuneh Yimenu, who’s researched the region for over a decade […]

February 19, 2024 32

World

Israeli siege has placed Gazans at risk of starvation − prewar policies made them vulnerable in the first place

Displaced Gazan children wait in line to receive food. Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida The stories of hunger emerging from war-ravaged Gaza are stark: People resorting to grinding barely edible cattle feed to make flour; desperate residents eating grass; reports of cats being hunted for food. The numbers involved are just as despairing. The world’s major authority on food insecurity, the IPC Famine […]

February 16, 2024 14

World

Cute grandpa or authoritarian in waiting: who is Prabowo Subianto, the favourite to win Indonesia’s presidential election?

By Tim Lindsey, The University of Melbourne Ambitious and mercurial, with a dark past, former army general Prabowo Subianto has spent a lifetime vying for the ultimate prize in Indonesian politics. Now, with a large lead in the latest polls ahead of this week’s election, it looks as though the presidency is finally within his grasp. So, who is Prabowo and how will he change Indonesia if […]

February 15, 2024 10

Environment

HEATED: Challenging objectivity in climate journalism

By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald Objectivity has been a main tenet of journalism since early in the 20th century, but its application is loosely defined and humanly impossible to achieve, some media experts argue. Presenting an issue like climate change as a debate with two sides, as is still somewhat common, is often justified under the banner of objectivity, but it’s only one of many dissonant standards that environmental reporters are […]

February 14, 2024 16

Namibia

President Geingob supported freedom of speech and journalist safety: Aochamub

By Andreas Thomas Former President Hage Geingob was a staunch believer in the rule of law, particularly in freedom of speech, media freedom, and the safety of journalists. This is how the late president’s former press secretary, Albertus Aochamub, who is currently the Namibian Ambassador to France, remembered his former principal. “What was important was his belief in the rule of law. And press freedom for him […]

February 14, 2024 9