International news

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.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated a landmark antitrust trial against Meta, alleging the company unlawfully eliminated competition by purchasing Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. FTC lawyer Daniel Matheson argued Meta "decided that competition was too hard" and cited a 2012 memo from CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussing "neutralising" Instagram as a "smoking gun." Meta's defense counters that the acquisitions were made to "improve and grow" the platforms, and that the company faces substantial competition from other apps like TikTok, X, YouTube, and iMessage. If the FTC wins, Meta could be forced to break up its company by spinning off Instagram and WhatsApp.

US consumers are responding to the threat of tariff-induced price increases following President Trump's announcement of sweeping import taxes, including a 10% tax on most imports and a 145% duty on Chinese goods. Some Americans like Richard Medina are rushing to make purchases before prices rise, while others feel uncertain about how to respond, especially as Trump has already modified his plans several times, scaling back duties on EU imports and exempting smartphones from tariffs. Economists predict significant price increases in the coming months, with Yale's Budget Lab estimating that the typical US family faces approximately $4,700 in additional costs due to the new taxes, potentially leading to retail shortages of certain Chinese-dominated products and ultimately reduced consumer spending that could harm the US economy.

Ghana, which became the first sub-Saharan colony to gain independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957, continues to celebrate Independence Day as a reminder of resilience and unity across the African diaspora 68 years later in 2025. Led by Kwame Nkrumah, who fought relentlessly from 1949 until 1957 for Ghana's freedom from Great Britain, the country's liberation served as inspiration for civil rights movements globally, including influencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his struggle for civil rights in the United States. Today, Ghanaians both at home and abroad commemorate the historic achievement through parades, sharing oral histories, preparing traditional dishes, and embracing pan-African ideals that connect diverse Black communities around the world.