CHINA REBUFFS TRUMP’S TARIFF THREAT, VOWS TO ‘FIGHT TILL END’

Tue 08 April 2025: On Tuesday, China dismissed US President Donald Trump’s latest proposal to slap an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, with state-run Xinhua reporting that the nation “will fight to the end.” Beijing’s Commerce Ministry declared its strong opposition to Washington’s tariff hikes and promised retaliatory actions to protect its interests. “China […]

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ELON MUSK MADE ‘DIRECT APPEALS’ TO TRUMP TO REVERSE TARIFFS: REPORT

Tue 08 April 2025: Tech billionaire Elon Musk made personal appeals to US President Donald Trump to reverse tariffs over the past weekend, according to a report by The Washington Post. Trump has announced a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports to the US and even higher “reciprocal” tariffs on other trading partners, including […]

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SECTARIAN LIES, SOCIAL MEDIA WARS, AND THE BATTLE FOR SYRIA’S TRUTH

Tue 08 April 2025: A systematic disinformation campaign backed by influential people like Elon Musk is stoking a new fire in Syria as the country strives to emerge from the shadows of Assad’s notorious regime. Last month, colleagues and I gathered in Istanbul for a workshop titled ‘Syria: Religion in Revolution, War, and Displacement’.  As […]

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FIREARMS AMENDMENT BILL SPARKS DEBATE OVER SELF-DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Mon 07 April 2025: The proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill has ignited widespread public opposition and political backlash across South Africa. At the centre of the controversy is the Bill’s attempt to overhaul the Firearms Control Act of 2000 — with critics warning that it could disempower law-abiding citizens while failing to address the core issues fuelling […]

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BRITISH CITIZENS FIGHTING FOR ISRAELI ARMY FACE GAZA WAR CRIMES CLAIMS: REPORT

Mon 07 April 2025: A team of lawyers in the UK plans to file a war crimes complaint today against 10 British citizens who took part in Israel’s war in Gaza, reports The Guardian. The complaint accuses the Britons of involvement in “indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas” and “coordinated attacks on protected sites including historic […]

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ALLIANCE OF SAHEL STATES RECALLS ENVOYS FROM ALGERIA OVER DRONE DOWNING

Mon 07 April 2025: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger’s relations with Algeria have deteriorated amid a series of coups and strengthened Russian ties. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have recalled their ambassadors from Algeria in response to the downing of a Malian drone. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation of the three African […]

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UK CONSIDER ABOLISHING HUNDREDS OF QUANGOS AMID GLOBAL INSTABILITY

Mon 07 April 2025: Britain said it would consider closing dozens of arms-length government agencies, as it looks to reform the state to make cost savings and improve productivity in what it called “a new era of global instability”. Britain has over 300 so-called quangos, or agencies and public bodies which are funded by taxpayers […]

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ADDRESSING HATE SPEECH AND INCITEMENT: HOLDING META ACCOUNTABLE IN AFRICA

Mon 07 April 2025: It was yet another unwelcome development for Mark Zuckerberg’s technology titan Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The High Court of Kenya has found that the US-based entity can be sued over its alleged role in disseminating content that incited violence in neighbouring Ethiopia. While the case can be heard in Kenya, the […]

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IRAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN IRAQ READY TO DISARM TO AVERT TRUMP WRATH

Mon 07 April 2025: Several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm for the first time to avert the threat of an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration, ten senior commanders and Iraqi officials have told Reuters. The move to defuse tensions follows repeated warnings issued privately by US officials to the […]

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