Rushdie joins call for freedom of expression in India
17/8/2022: International writers have called on the authorities in India to respect human rights and release those imprisoned for dissidence. Since the 2019 general election pressure has increased on the media to toe the line of the Hindu nationalist government. Salman Rushdie signed the letter before the recent attack on him.
Source: Inter Press Service
European envoys praise Kenya’s electoral commission
17/8/2022: Nine ambassadors and high commissioners from European countries and Canada have jointly lauded Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for the way it conducted the August 9 General Election. The ambassadors said the open election has set a standard for the African continent.
Source: The East African
Millions more children to benefit from malaria vaccine
16/8/2022: UNICEF has awarded a contract to GSK for 18 million doses of the first ever supply of a malaria vaccine. In 2020, nearly half a million children died from malaria in Africa alone.
Source: UNICEF
Taliban’s catastrophic year of rule in Afghanistan
11/8/2022: Since taking control of Afghanistan a year ago, Taliban authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and executed their perceived opponents. These abuses have imperiled international efforts to address the country’s dire humanitarian situation.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Ethiopia expands Renaissance Dam production
11/8/2022: Ethiopia has activated the second turbine of the Grand Renaissance Dam, even as Egypt protested that dispute resolutions relating to the dam remain pending. The dam on the Blue Nile should improve access to electricity in Ethiopia which is currently just under 45 percent.
Source: The East African
UN reports crimes against humanity in Myanmar
9/8/2022: Rape and other forms of sexual violence, and crimes against children, have been perpetrated by Myanmar security forces and armed groups, according to a new UN report. Evidence is being shared with the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.
Source: UN News
Rwanda: human rights should be priority on Blinken trip
8/8/2022: The US Secretary of State’s forthcoming visit to Rwanda offers an opportunity to raise concerns about a wide range of alleged state-sponsored violations of human rights, both within and across Rwanda’s borders.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Iran nuclear talks end as EU submits ‘final text’
8/8/2022: Diplomats involved in the negotiations in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal have returned to their capitals with a draft for a new agreement. Iran has massively expanded its nuclear activities since the pact collapsed in 2018 following Washington's decision to pull out.
Source: DW
Nuclear-free world is possible, test-ban treaty chief says
5/8/2022: A UN conference is under way to review progress towards implementing the 50-year-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Although only one country has tested weapons this millennium, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty has not been ratified due to a small number of hold-out countries.
Source: UN News
Nuclear weapons a ‘loaded gun’, UN chief warns in Hiroshima
6/8/2022: On the 77th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, UN head Antonio Guterres warned of the risk posed by nuclear weapons held in state arsenals worldwide. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, President Vladimir Putin has made thinly veiled threats to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
Source: CNA