- The Guardian
- Issue #2145
NORWAY: Norwegian unions voted for an economic boycott of Israel, and the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund has sold all of its shares in Israel’s Paz Retail and Energy because the company is “contributing to the violation of international law” by helping to supply fuel to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
AFGHANISTAN: The Afghan government has banned chess indefinitely due to “religious considerations” and restrictions set by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The Afghan Chess Federation is closed, and all chess tournaments have been cancelled. Chess has been gaining popularity in Afghanistan in recent years, and a few days before the ban a group of chess enthusiasts asked the government for funding to develop chess in the country.
USA: “I will be signing one of the most consequential executive orders in our country’s history. Prescription drugs and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced, almost immediately, by 30% to 80%,” President Trump has announced. Trump claimed that he has been concerned for years about the high cost of drugs in the US. He also said that prices “will rise throughout the world in order to equalise, for the first time in many years, bring fairness to America.”
LIBYA: United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli where intense fighting with heavy weaponry is taking place in densely populated areas. The Mission calls on all parties to cease fighting and restore calm. It also reminded all parties of their obligation to protect civilians at all times. UNSMIL fully supports the efforts of elders and community leaders to de-escalate the situation. The Ministry of Internal Affairs urged residents to stay home. The Ministry of Education suspended classes across Tripoli, citing the deteriorating security situation.
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh’s interim government has banned the former ruling party of Sheik Hasina, the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism act. The ban will remain in force until the trial of the party and its leadership is completed, the government statement said. The Awami League, formed in 1949, dismissed the decision as illegitimate – “All decisions of the illegal government are illegal,” it stated.
JAPAN: The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) is pressing for an overhaul of the government’s Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA with the US, following revelations of sexual assaults by US Marines in the Japanese island of Okinawa. The JCP points out that the cases cited are “just the tip of the iceberg,” since many victims fail to report assaults to police out of fear and/or shame. The SOFA gives special privileges to the US military. US bases, cover 40% of the island.
BURKINA FASO: Following a failed coup attempt in Burkina Faso at the end of April, mass protests erupted across Burkina Faso, Ghana and Liberia. Demonstrators denounced imperialist destabilisation and reaffirmed their support for Captain Ibrahim Traore, the country’s leader. Protesters marched under the banner “Hands off the AES (the Alliance of Sahel States). The AES was formed by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to push back against neo-colonial influence. Despite sanctions and external pressure, Burkina Faso continues to reclaim control over the country’s resources and re-direct wealth toward public services. The AES has emerged as a symbol of African resistance, advocating regional autonomy and economic independence. With tensions rising across the Sahel, the bloc’s future remains critical in shaping West Africa’s fight for sovereignty.
