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Russia Today
5 days ago
- Health
- Russia Today
$10mn of USAID contraceptives to be burned in France
A $10 million shipment of US-funded contraceptives will be incinerated in France, after Washington rejected offers to send the supplies to poorer nations, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The stockpile – made up of birth control pills and implants – has been stuck in Belgium since early 2025, when President Donald Trump shut down USAID and froze foreign aid programs. The supplies were originally meant for distribution in developing countries. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the destruction plan, saying the disposal will cost around $167,000 and take place at a medical waste facility in France. The contraceptives are being stored in the city of Geel and will require dozens of truckloads and at least two weeks to move, sources told Reuters. Belgian authorities have attempted to prevent the destruction of the supplies yet ultimately failed to do so, having exhausted 'all possible options to prevent the destruction, including temporary relocation.' 'Despite these efforts, and with full respect for our partners, no viable alternative could be secured. Nevertheless, Belgium continues to actively seek solutions to avoid this regrettable outcome,' the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that 'sexual and reproductive health must not be subject to ideological constraints.' Human rights groups that attempted to buy the supplies from Washington have also suggested the impending destruction is being driven by 'ideological' motives rather than a desire to cut costs. Sarah Shaw, Associate Director of Advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices, told Reuters the NGO approached Washington with an offer to pay for repackaging of the supplies without USAID branding and for shipment to their destinations, but the proposal was declined. 'MSI offered to pay for repackaging, shipping, and import duties, but they were not open to that... We were told that the US government would only sell the supplies at the full market value,' said Shaw. 'This is clearly not about saving money. It feels more like an ideological assault on reproductive rights, and one that is already harming women,' she added. The UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, also reportedly offered to buy the shipment. The talks ultimately broke down, partially due to a lack of response from the US government, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
The Latest: Israeli official says a Hamas ceasefire proposal is 'workable'
Israel said it received Hamas' latest ceasefire proposal, with an Israeli official calling it 'workable,' although no details were provided. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on record. Hamas confirmed in a statement early Thursday that it sent the proposal to mediators. The offer comes a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
Photos of funeral of Kenyan civilian shot dead by police during protest
The burial of a Kenyan civilian who was shot at close range by a police officer during an anti-government demonstration in June has taken place at his parents' farm in Kangema. Boniface Kariuki was selling face masks at an anti-police demonstration on June 17 when he was shot in the head during a confrontation with two officers. On Thursday, an officer was charged with his murder. Human rights groups have called for restraint among police officers following violence at similar protests captured by photographers on June 25 and July 7. __ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Globe and Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Leader of Tanzania's main opposition party could face death penalty
The security at the court building was extraordinary: a rooftop sniper, police with dogs and tear-gas launchers, vans with darkened windows, and a small army of black-masked guards with armoured jackets and submachine guns. But the defendant in the courtroom is not a dangerous terrorist. He is a politician, a leader of Tanzania's main opposition party who faces a highly organized operation to prevent him from running in this year's election. Tundu Lissu, chairman of the Chadema party, is on trial for treason − a charge that carries the death penalty. His prosecution, protested by human-rights groups around the world, exposes the sharp decline of democracy in a country that Western donors have long favoured with billions of dollars in aid. Mr. Lissu has endured countless arrests and attacks over the past decade. In 2017, gunmen with assault rifles sprayed dozens of bullets at his vehicle, nearly killing him. After three years in exile and a long recovery in hospital from 16 bullet wounds, he returned fearlessly to politics, contesting Tanzania's 2020 election as an opposition candidate and finishing second in official results. This year, Tanzania's authoritarian government seems determined to prevent him from running again. His party has been banned from the October election after authorities accused it of failing to accept an electoral code of conduct. Many of its top officials, along with other activists, have been arrested or harassed in recent weeks. And now, Mr. Lissu faces a potential death sentence. He was arrested in April after he called for reforms in Tanzania's electoral system. 'This is not a normal trial,' the 57-year-old politician told the judge at his latest hearing on Monday. 'I have not been sentenced, yet I am held in the death-row block. I am watched night and day. I cannot speak to my lawyers in private. Not a single private conversation has been allowed.' From 2020: Gunshots and tear gas fail to deter Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu He described how two guards keep him under constant watch, day and night. He is even barred from joining other detainees in the prison's exercise yard. Instead, he is required to walk alone in a dirty drainage-ditch area. Because his conversations with his lawyers are closely monitored, Mr. Lissu told the court that it is impossible for him to discuss strategy with them and he will be obliged to defend himself without any lawyers. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the opposition slogan – 'No reforms, no election' – he smiled and flashed a victory sign at local reporters. Outside the court, his supporters chanted his name and waved placards demanding justice, but their voices were nearly drowned out by police sirens. Most of his supporters were denied permission to enter the crowded courtroom. A senior Tanzanian official told The Globe and Mail that the government's goal is to keep Mr. Lissu in prison until after the October election, to prevent him from running. After the vote, he will be quietly released, the official said. The Globe is not identifying the official because he could face retribution from the authorities for speaking out. Tanzania has been governed by a single party since its independence in 1961. The ruling party, today known as Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, the Revolutionary Party), has dominated all aspects of Tanzanian life and rarely tolerates much dissent. Its opponents have accused it of rigging recent elections to deliver huge majorities to CCM. Freedom House, a U.S.-based democracy and rights group, recently announced that it had downgraded Tanzania's status from 'partly free' to 'not free' because of the government's repressive measures. Despite this, Tanzania has remained a Western aid darling, and one of the largest recipients of Canadian foreign aid. Canada has provided $3.4-billion in international assistance to Tanzania since its independence, including $141-million in 2023-24, according to data from Global Affairs Canada. As the election approaches, a growing number of opposition politicians and activists have been kidnapped in what amount to 'enforced disappearances,' according to a report by United Nations human-rights experts. They described it as 'a flagrant tactic to suppress dissent.' In one of the most shocking cases, two activists from Kenya and Uganda who tried to attend Mr. Lissu's treason trial were arrested and disappeared for days. They were later dumped in remote border towns. Both gave detailed accounts of how they were tortured and sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security agents. Even churches have fallen victim to the crackdown. This month, authorities ordered the shutdown of a prominent church and arrested a dozen of its worshippers after its bishop criticized the disappearance of opposition activists. The bishop, Josephat Gwajima, is an outspoken MP who has complained of 'creeping authoritarianism' in the country. Witnesses described how police raided the church, even arresting a disabled woman in a wheelchair, dragging her away and throwing her into a police vehicle. Mr. Gwajima has fled into hiding, leaving a prerecorded sermon in which he says: 'They can shut down the church, but they cannot shut down the people's spirit.' Last Sunday, hundreds of his followers held a defiant outdoor service. 'We are not criminals,' said Rehema Moses, a long-time congregant. 'We are citizens exercising our right to believe.'
Arab News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Philippines' former leader Duterte seeks interim release from ICC
MANILA: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's defense team at the International Criminal Court has filed a motion for his interim release to an unnamed country, stating the prosecution would not 80-year-old stands accused of crimes against humanity over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed a filing posted to the court's website late Thursday, defense lawyers said the involved country – the name of which was redacted – had expressed its 'principled agreement to receive onto its territory.'ICC prosecutors have agreed not to oppose the request, according to the filing, which said discussions about an interim release had been under way since Duterte's first court appearance at The Hague on March 14.'The Prosecution has confirmed its non-opposition to interim release to (REDACTED) (REDACTED) State Party' as long as certain conditions were met, the filing annex spelling out the conditions for Duterte's release was not publicly available, but the defense team's filing noted that the octogenarian posed no flight risk and cited humanitarian concerns around his representing relatives of those killed in Duterte's drug war condemned the application for release, citing threats made against victims' families, and saying they had legal avenues to oppose it.'There is still a procedure within the ICC that requires the prosecution to comment and the ICC Pre Trial Chamber (PTC) to decide on the application for provisional release,' lawyer Neri Colmenares said in a an interview with local radio, lawyer Kristina Conti said she believed it was '50-50' the former president would be released.'I hope the (drug war) victims can weigh in but that would be difficult if (the release is based on) humanitarian grounds, and he is reportedly sick,' she was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC's detention unit at Scheveningen Prison deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang is currently overseeing the case against Duterte after Karim Khan stepped aside during an investigation into alleged sexual for comment sent to the ICC prosecutor's office were not immediately returned.
