April 21, 2023 /Conflict and War/ –The discovery of gold in the Sahel has had a significant impact on the region, both positive and negative. On the one hand, it has brought much-needed economic development and opportunity to some of the poorest countries in the world. On the other hand, it has also led to increased conflict and instability. Continue reading
April 21, 2023 /Environment/ –Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.
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April 21, 2023 /Politics/ – Dominic Raab, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, resigned on 21 April 2023 in the wake of a report that found he had bullied civil servants. The report, which was commissioned by the government, found that Raab had created a “toxic” and “intimidating” work environment.
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April 18, 2023 /World/ — The Ukraine war has divided the world in many ways. Some countries have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and have imposed sanctions on Russia. Others have been more hesitant to take action, fearing that it could escalate the conflict.
The war has also divided the world on a ideological level. Some countries see the war as a battle between democracy and authoritarianism. Others see it as a proxy war between the United States and Russia. Continue reading
Angus Nurse, Nottingham Trent University
Louise Casey’s review of the standards of behaviour and internal culture at the Metropolitan police makes for uncomfortable reading. It was commissioned following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, who was a serving Met officer at the time.
Casey highlights the prevalence of sexism and homophobia. Crucially, in considering police culture she draws different conclusions on the existence of institutional racism than the position taken in 2021 by Boris Johnson’s government on race.
April 17, 2023 /Economy/ — The global energy transition is a complex and challenging process, with many trade-offs to consider. On the one hand, we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in order to mitigate climate change. On the other hand, we need to ensure that the transition is fair and equitable, and that it does not lead to environmental or social problems.
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April 17, 2023 /World/ — Violence erupted in Sudan on April 11, 2023, when the country’s military, known as the Transitional Military Council (TMC), dissolved the Sovereign Council, the joint civilian-military body that had been governing the country since the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The TMC also detained several civilian leaders, including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
The violence has been met with widespread international condemnation, and the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have all imposed sanctions on the TMC. The African Union has also suspended Sudan from its activities.
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April 16, 2023 /Zambia/ — The Zambia Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has finalized the consolidation of charges against Faith Musonda, a businesswoman who was arrested in June 2022 for allegedly possessing K117 million in cash without a valid source of income. The ACC has charged Musonda with 15 counts of possessing property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The charges against Musonda are as follows: Continue reading
Jose Caballero, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
After over a year of the Ukraine war, efforts at building a global consensus against Russia seem to have stalled, with many countries opting for neutrality.
The number of countries condemning Russia has declined, according to some sources. Botswana has edged towards Russia from its original pro-Ukraine stance, South Africa is moving from neutral to Russia-leaning and Colombia from condemning Russia to a neutral stance. At the same time, a large number of countries have been reluctant to support Ukraine.