New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel | Politics

New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel | Politics

Millions of Chadians voted for a controversial new draft constitution last week, despite resistance from critics of the military government which accuse it of perpetuating itself in power. According to the National Commission Charged with the Organisation of the Constitutional Referendum (CONOREC), 86 percent of voters chose “yes”. The turnout…

‘I just sit and hope’: A Sierra Leonean mother’s refugee story | Refugees

‘I just sit and hope’: A Sierra Leonean mother’s refugee story | Refugees

An Al Jazeera series: Leaving two children behind, a pregnant Sierra Leonean mother pins her hopes on crossing to Europe. Tunis, Tunisia — Standing in the drizzle outside the Tunis office of the International Organization for Migration, Saffiatu Mansaray is staring down at her swollen stomach. On the other side…

‘We cry for Palestine’: Indonesian homemakers mobilise support for ‘family’ | Israel-Palestine conflict

‘We cry for Palestine’: Indonesian homemakers mobilise support for ‘family’ | Israel-Palestine conflict

Medan, Indonesia – On a cloudy and dull Sunday morning in December, more than a thousand people gathered on the grounds of the Istana Maimoon, a 19th-century palace that is a local landmark in the city of Medan in North Sumatra. Outside the palace, a sea of people dressed predominantly…

Plane held in France over trafficking concerns lands in India | Human Trafficking

Plane held in France over trafficking concerns lands in India | Human Trafficking

Airbus A340 carrying 276 Indian passengers arrives in Mumbai early on Tuesday. A plane carrying hundreds of Indian passengers that was grounded in France for four days amid a probe into possible human trafficking has arrived in India. The Airbus A340 carrying 276 Indian passengers landed in Mumbai early on…

Niger suspends cooperation with international Francophone body | Military

Niger suspends cooperation with international Francophone body | Military

The Nigerien military government has disengaged from multiple foreign partners since the coup in July. Niger has suspended all cooperation with the International Organisation of Francophone nations (OIF), its military leaders said, as it progressively severs ties with former colonial ruler France. The 88-member body “has always been used by…

Amid uptick in kidnappings, Colombian family receives ‘biggest gift of all’ | Crime News

Amid uptick in kidnappings, Colombian family receives ‘biggest gift of all’ | Crime News

Chia, Colombia – Decnis Diaz was at home in Chia, Colombia, on November 18 when she received a call from her siblings: Her beloved younger brother, Jhon Jairo Diaz, had been kidnapped. A 34-year-old store manager, Jhon Jairo was ending his shift at a meat market in Cucuta, a border…

Photos: The staggering human toll of Israel’s war on Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict

Photos: The staggering human toll of Israel’s war on Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, including women and children, destroyed homes and livelihoods, and displaced millions of people. With Israel pledging to continue its assault, the aerial and ground offensive is already one of the most devastating military offensives in recent history. The deaths in…

Bethlehem’s bombed-out nativity sculpture sends a powerful message | Gaza

Bethlehem’s bombed-out nativity sculpture sends a powerful message | Gaza

The scene of a devastated nativity cave symbolises the plight of Christ’s family — and Palestinians now. Bethlehem, occupied West Bank — This year, Bethlehem is sombre and quiet. There is no Christmas tree and there are no holiday lights or tourists to see them. Instead, the city of Jesus’s…

‘They can kill us’: Fear and Sikh resilience in Canada city amid India spat | Features

‘They can kill us’: Fear and Sikh resilience in Canada city amid India spat | Features

Surrey, British Columbia – On a Saturday afternoon in a Sikh temple in Surrey, Canada, boys and men with determined faces wield swords and sticks at each other in an ancient martial art called gatka. “We are a rebellious community,” Gurkeerat Singh, a farmer, electrician, photographer and spokesperson for the…