International news

Togolese rapper Aamron (Tchala Essowè Narcisse) was arrested on May 26, 2025, after criticizing the government of President Faure Gnassingbé through social media videos and his music. The artist had been vocal about poor governance, social injustice, and abuse of power in Togo, particularly through his Facebook and TikTok platforms where he called for youth mobilization. His arrest has sparked widespread condemnation from political parties, civil society organizations, religious leaders, and activists who demand his release and view this as part of a broader pattern of suppressing freedom of expression in Togo, despite constitutional guarantees protecting such rights.

Pemuda Sosialis, the youth wing of the Malaysian Socialist Party, was forced to postpone its LGBTQ+ sexual health workshop "PRIDECARE" after Religious Affairs Minister Na'im Mokhtar publicly condemned it for allegedly promoting "deviant cultures" and urged police investigation. Following the minister's statement, organizers received numerous online threats, and two members were summoned by police for questioning related to blasphemy and improper use of network facilities, with their phones confiscated. Human rights organizations including the Centre for Independent Journalism, ARTICLE 19, and Lawyers For Liberty criticized authorities for harassing the organizers and inflaming discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. The incident highlights tensions between Malaysia's constitutional protection of religious harmony and increasing pressure from some hardliners to enforce stricter Islamic teachings in governance.

President Donald Trump has issued a controversial travel ban that completely restricts entry to the United States from 12 countries and partially limits entry from seven additional countries, effective June 9. The proclamation targets nationals from predominantly African and Middle Eastern countries, with the administration citing high visa overstay rates as a primary justification for the restrictions. International organizations, including the International Refugee Assistance Project and the African Union Commission, have condemned the ban as discriminatory, racist, and potentially damaging to diplomatic relations. The policy includes specific exceptions for certain groups, including permanent U.S. residents, dual nationals traveling with non-restricted passports, and holders of special immigrant visas.

Myanmar garment workers at the Tsang Yih Shoe Factory in Yangon, which produces Adidas footwear, organized a sit-in strike demanding their daily wages be increased from 6,700 kyats ($2) to 12,000 kyats ($5). After a week of protests, the factory agreed to the 12,000 kyats total, though only 600 kyats was added to their basic pay while the rest came as allowances. This modest wage increase represents a desperate bid for survival in Myanmar's collapsed economy, where inflation has skyrocketed and a single kilogram of pork costs 35,000 kyats ($16). The wage structure at factories like Tsang Yih is deliberately complicated to minimize labor costs, with employers preferring to increase temporary allowances rather than basic pay that would affect overtime rates and termination compensation. # Who is affected * Garment workers at Tsang Yih Shoe Factory in Yangon * Young women factory workers who produce Adidas footwear * Workers in similar low-wage positions across Myanmar, including retail workers from rural areas * Factory owners and management who determine wage structures * Myanmar's most economically vulnerable citizens trying to survive on minimal wages # What action is being taken * Workers at Tsang Yih Shoe Factory organized a sit-in strike beginning May 14 * Workers are demanding wage increases from 6,700 kyats to 12,000 kyats per day * Employers are structuring wage increases through allowances rather than basic pay increases * Workers are attempting to survive by minimizing expenses, such as sharing meager meals * Rural workers are sending portions of their wages back to families in their home villages # Why it matters * The daily wage of 12,000 kyats ($5) is barely enough for workers to survive amid rampant inflation * Myanmar's currency has plummeted to 4,380 kyats per dollar, making basic necessities unaffordable * The wage structure deliberately minimizes companies' long-term labor costs and financial obligations to workers * The stark disparity is evident in the fact that workers earn approximately 0.016% of the retail price of products they make * Workers producing 150 pairs of shoes worth €15,000 daily are paid only €2.40 for their labor # What's next No explicit next steps stated in the article.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva has reaffirmed his characterization of Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide," rejecting accusations of antisemitism from the Israeli Embassy. His criticism aligns with Chilean President Gabriel Boric's stance, while contrasting sharply with Argentina's pro-Israel President Javier Milei and Paraguay's supportive position. The article outlines how Southern Cone countries have taken divergent diplomatic positions on the Israel-Gaza conflict, with Brazil and Chile openly condemning Israel's military actions, Uruguay maintaining a more measured criticism, and Argentina and Paraguay demonstrating strong support for Israel. These positions reflect deeper historical relationships and current political alignments in the region.

Africa Day, celebrated globally during the last week of May, commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its successor the African Union (AU), marking 62 years since its establishment in 2025. This year's theme, "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations," highlighted strategies for addressing historical injustices while supporting the AU's Agenda 2063 development plan. The AU Representational Mission to the United States hosted a celebration on May 30, featuring speeches, cultural displays, and performances that emphasized Pan-African unity. Attendees and embassy officials stressed the importance of diaspora connections and collaborative efforts to realize Africa's potential as a global influence.

Samuel Nartey George's appointment as Ghana's minister of communication, digital technology, and innovation grants him significant control over the country's media landscape through his oversight of the National Communications Authority (NCA). His position is particularly controversial due to his sponsorship of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, 2024, which criminalizes LGBTQ+ activities and advocacy with prison sentences of five to ten years. The legislation's broad language potentially allows for prosecution of media outlets that share content supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, creating a chilling effect on free expression. This concentration of regulatory power, combined with Ghana's history of using surveillance technology, raises serious concerns about the future of media freedom and democratic engagement in the country.

United Airlines has launched a new direct flight route from Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia to Dakar, Senegal, marking the airline's fourth African destination. The inaugural flight was celebrated with a festive atmosphere as passengers, including Alexandria resident Shontel Mason, gathered at the international terminal dressed in African attire. United will operate this route three times weekly using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, providing the only nonstop connection between the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and Dakar. This new service addresses the needs of the significant Senegalese community in the D.C. area while also supporting tourism and business travel to Senegal, which is noted for its political stability and economic growth.

Venezuela held regional and parliamentary elections on May 25, 2025, amid a contested political landscape following President Nicolás Maduro's disputed 2024 reelection. The government launched a severe crackdown on opposition before the elections, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announcing arrests of 70 politicians, activists, journalists, and lawyers, including opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa. Simultaneously, the Maduro administration attempted to improve its image by orchestrating the return of two-year-old Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal, who had been separated from her deported parents by U.S. authorities. This occurred against the backdrop of approximately 8 million Venezuelans having fled the country due to economic collapse, violence, and human rights abuses.

The Apouh à Ngog Indigenous community in Cameroon's Littoral region is engaged in an escalating land dispute with SOCAPALM, a subsidiary of European holding company Socfin, which has taken over 90 percent of their land (about 3,700 hectares) since 2010. Villagers claim they were forcefully displaced without compensation, leaving the growing community of approximately 3,000 people with insufficient space for living and farming. Recent protests over disputed land led to police intervention with tear gas and violence against community members, highlighting tensions between local communities and agro-industrial companies in Cameroon. The conflict centers around community claims that SOCAPALM has appropriated more land than permitted in their lease, while the company maintains they inherited valid land titles and cannot transfer land to third parties without state approval.

Brazilian federal deputies Erika Hilton and Duda Salabert, the first transgender women in Brazil's National Congress, reported that when applying for US visas, they were classified as "male" despite having all Brazilian documents recognizing them as women. Both politicians view this as state-sponsored transphobia and a diplomatic incident, with Hilton planning to summon President Trump at the United Nations for human rights violations. The situation aligns with the Trump administration's anti-gender policies, which recognize only two immutable genders based on birth sex, reflecting broader rollbacks of LGBTQ+ protections in the US. After meeting with Brazil's foreign relations minister, Hilton hopes the Brazilian government will demand explanations from the US Embassy, with President Lula already committing to do so.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to the United States to repair diplomatic relations that have deteriorated under Donald Trump's administration. Tensions escalated following the expulsion of South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who was declared "persona non grata" after his comments during a webinar were misrepresented by right-wing media. The situation worsened when Trump cut U.S. aid to South Africa, making false claims about white farmers being targeted, while tech billionaire Elon Musk amplified similar misinformation regarding South Africa's governance. These narratives ignore verified historical injustices against Black Americans while promoting debunked claims about white victimhood in South Africa.

Mauritania is enforcing a 2024 agreement with the European Union to combat irregular migration, resulting in mass arrests and expulsions of Sub-Saharan African migrants. The EU provided EUR 210 million (over USD 230 million) in funding to Mauritania as part of its strategy to reduce migration flows from West Africa to Europe. While Mauritanian officials report expelling 10,753 migrants in recent operations (a 14% increase from 2023), human rights organizations and lawmakers have raised concerns about potential human rights violations during these enforcement actions. The situation has created diplomatic tensions with neighboring countries like Mali and Senegal, whose citizens are among those being expelled.

Africa is experiencing a rapid implementation of digital ID systems as part of the African Union's Digital Transformation Strategy, which aims to provide unique digital identities to all Africans by 2030. These systems promise improved service delivery, economic inclusion, and enhanced governance efficiency, with UNECA projecting potential GDP growth of 3-13% by 2030 through effective implementation. Despite these benefits, significant concerns exist regarding privacy, data security, and exclusion, with advocacy groups warning about surveillance risks and the approximately 500 million Africans still lacking legal identification. The success of these initiatives will depend on balancing innovation with robust data protection frameworks, as less than half of African countries currently have comprehensive legal frameworks aligned with global standards.

Hong Kong students are affected by what officials describe as "soft resistance," with Secretary for Education Christine Choi warning that young people may develop "extreme, biased" values due to online rumors and messaging. The Education Bureau is actively implementing teacher training programs to help educators identify "soft resistance" while schools are being directed to incorporate national education into daily teaching to strengthen students' "cultural confidence, national identity, and awareness of national security." This initiative matters because officials view schools as the "frontline" in preventing "hostile forces from infiltrating" educational institutions, with Choi specifically citing the case of children's books published by a disbanded speech therapists' union that were ruled seditious in 2022. No explicit next steps stated in the article.

In February 2025, Odisha-based non-profit Landstack and the Foundation for Ecological Security hosted the Garo Stewardship Toolkit Orientation Workshop in Meghalaya to equip participants with skills for documenting Indigenous resource stewardship. The workshop explored how the Garo tribe manages their landscapes through traditional ecological knowledge, sustainable harvesting practices, and a three-tiered management system that balances conservation with livelihoods. The Garo community enforces strict regulations through traditional governance structures led by the Nokma and Dorbar, including seasonal grazing limitations, mandatory forest patrols, and prohibitions on wildlife hunting and fishing in protected streams. Their effective resource management creates multifunctional cultural landscapes where biodiversity thrives through soft-touch forestry practices like coppicing, resulting in forests with rich species diversity and natural regeneration.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University philosophy student with permanent US residency, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) when he arrived for a citizenship interview that he had previously worried might be a trap. His lawyer, Luna Droubi, claims the arrest was retaliatory for his Palestinian advocacy and unconstitutional. Two other campus activists, Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, have also been detained, with a federal judge ordering that Mahdawi not be removed from Vermont while the others are held in Louisiana. Mahdawi, who co-founded Columbia's Palestinian Student Union with Khalil, had been active in campus protests following the October 2023 Hamas attack and Israeli response, though his lawyers stated he stepped back from the protest movement in March 2024.

The documentary "Why I Swam Against the Current" about Igor Kon, the first Soviet sexologist who pioneered public discourse on sexuality in the USSR, was released by Russian opposition media outlet Meduza on YouTube. Kon, born in 1928 in Saint Petersburg, became widely known in the mid-1980s for openly discussing sexuality, a taboo subject in Soviet society, and for being the scientific voice of reason in popular media during a time of significant societal change. Despite facing discrimination as a Jewish academic, he conducted groundbreaking research on sexuality, homosexuality, and gender roles, while also fighting AIDS stigma. In his later years during Putin's era of "traditional values," Kon endured harassment and threats from conservative groups until his death in 2011, with his ashes buried secretly to prevent vandalism.

The article details workplace safety issues at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), one of the world's largest nickel processing centers, which is primarily backed by Chinese metal conglomerate Tsingshan Holding Group. Multiple fatal accidents have occurred at IMIP, including a major explosion in December 2023 that killed 21 workers and a more recent incident in October 2024 that claimed another life. Labor unions and human rights organizations have documented systematic safety violations, language barriers between Chinese and Indonesian workers, excessive working hours, and inadequate protective equipment at the industrial park that employs over 84,000 workers. Despite Indonesia's rise to become the world's largest nickel producer, accounting for 51 percent of global output, the rapid development has led to significant environmental damage and recurring workplace accidents, with little improvement in working conditions despite protests.

The article explores a growing trend among the African Diaspora, particularly Nigerian-Americans and other individuals with African heritage, who are increasingly investing in real estate across Africa while maintaining lives in Western countries. Lanre Famodu exemplifies this movement as a 45-year-old civil engineer who owns four properties in Nigeria despite living in Maryland. Beyond those with direct family ties, the "Blaxit" movement has sparked interest among African Americans seeking connection with ancestral roots, with Ghana's "Year of Return" in 2019 attracting 1.5 million visitors and generating nearly $1.9 billion in revenue. Despite significant opportunities offering returns of 15-20%, investors face challenges including fraud and unclear land titles, which companies like Seso Global are addressing through blockchain technology to verify property ownership and facilitate secure investments.

Following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption and terrorism charges on March 19, Turkey has experienced widespread protests with university students at the forefront. The protests have expanded to include high school students who are demonstrating in solidarity with teachers affected by controversial reassignment policies announced by the Ministry of Education on April 8. Despite constitutional protections for protest rights, nearly 2,000 citizens have been detained, including 301 students, with at least 43 students still behind bars at the time of writing. Critics claim the teacher reassignments, which affected over 30 schools, specifically targeted "dissident teachers" who had participated in boycotts or criticized the mayor's arrest, with the Education and Science Workers' Union reporting approximately 20,000 teachers reassigned and 5,000 dismissed.

On March 19, 2025, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained along with approximately 105 other municipal officials and politicians on allegations of corruption and aiding a terrorist organization, just days before his expected primary election win to challenge President Erdoğan in 2028. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc denied political motivations behind the arrests, claiming they represented the rule of law. In response, massive protests erupted across Turkey, with demonstrators voicing opposition to the arrests and concerns about eroding rights and freedoms, which were met with teargas and detentions by security forces. Many view this as a significant escalation of President Erdoğan's autocratic practices, potentially emboldened by Donald Trump's return to power in the United States and the European Union's pragmatic cooperation with Turkey on issues like migration, grain trade, and regional security.