Nearly 8,500 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean were rescued over the Easter weekend. The Italian Coastguard reported that 73 separate rescue operations were undertaken and that 13 bodies, including that of an 8-year-old boy, were recovered. Among those rescued were a woman in active labour and a two-week-old baby
Protesters took to the streets in Paraguay after the Senate approved a bill to amend the country’s constitution. President Horacio Cartes is seeking to alter the 1992 constitution to allow presidents to run for a second term. Currently, presidents in Paraguay are limited to one 5-year term. Members of the
The United Nations Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International are among a group of international actors currently raising concerns over the number of civilian deaths, resulting from the fight to retake Mosul from ISIS. Amnesty officials have accused Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces of not taking adequate precautions to prevent
In a shift from previous years, a recent statement released by the Finance Ministers of the G20 has dropped a pledge to oppose protectionist trade measures. Having earlier vowed to resist all forms of protectionism, the G20 ministers reworded their commitment on trade saying only that they will work to
Leaders and officials representing a number of Caribbean nations recently met in Havana, Cuba in an effort to reinforce and strengthen regional ties. Facing challenges both regionally and internationally, Caribbean countries are choosing diplomacy and cooperation as a strategy for the future. The Cuban capital was the site of multiple
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, recently met with his Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, and Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, during a surprise visit to Baghdad. This is the first visit to Iraq by a Saudi Foreign Minister since 1990, and the first visit by a senior Saudi minister since the
An increasing number of people are looking to leave the United States and seek asylum in Canada, as conditions worsen for immigrants and refugees. The policies of President Donald Trump, including the executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, the suspension of the refugee program, and round-ups of illegal
In a report released on February 3, 2017, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reveals atrocities committed against the Muslim Rohingya population by Myanmar’s armed forces. The report suggests that crimes against humanity have occurred since October 9, 2016, when the armed forces implemented
On Saturday, January 21, 2017, a car bomb exploded near a market in the Rakban refugee camp, located near the Syria-Jordan border. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as many as 11 were killed and several others wounded. Among the dead were a husband, a wife, and their
