Africa's week in pictures: 9-15 July 2021
A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond:
All pictures subject to copyright.
The UK owes the European Union £3bn less than it has asked for as part of the Brexit divorce bill, the Treasury has claimed, putting the two sides on a fresh collision course. Steve Barclay, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, confirmed on Thursday that the Exchequer’s current estimate of the UK’s contribution was set at £37.3bn. This is significantly below the figure produced by the bloc last week, which stood at approximately £40.8bn. The bill covers spending commitments made during the 47 ye
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Lebanese President Michel Aoun rejected Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's proposal for a new government, prompting Hariri's resignation and deepening the country's political crisis.Why it matters: Lebanon's political stalemate is contributing to the country's economic collapse, and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab has been pleading for international help to avert an imminent “social explosion." But key international players say they'll withhold aid without a new government and economic
At least 33 people died in Germany and dozens are missing Thursday following record rainfall that caused massive flooding and erosion, authorities in Western Europe said.
The push to bring fugitive Texas Democrats back to Austin could be reaching new heights.
BANGKOK (Reuters) -AstraZeneca has asked Thailand to extend the timeline for the delivery of 61 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by five months, a deputy minister said on Thursday, a move likely to further disrupt the country's sluggish vaccine rollout. The reported request points to a slow production ramp-up at its local manufacturing partner, which had initial production and delivery issues, even as AstraZeneca reassured it would be back on track from this month to meet its supply commitments to Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations. The comments come a day after Thailand said it was considering curbing exports of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines to fight its own crisis, sparking concerns of vaccine protectionism.
EXCLUSIVE: **USE CHILD PIXELATED IMAGES IF YOUR TERRITORY REQUIRES IT** Katie Holmes is all smiles as she is spotted out with her daughter, Suri Cruise shopping at Scotch and Soda in New York City. Katie who is wearing a chambray shirt and jeans, appears to be sharing a joke with a man on the street. Suri is wearing short shorts and an oversized T-shirt while in Soho, New York, NY on July 14, 2021. Photo by Dylan Travis/ABACAPRESS.COM Pictured: Katie Holmes Ref: SPL5238998 140721 EXCLUSIVE Pictu
If there were medals for political hypocrisy — or for utter disdain for human rights — they would go to the presidents of Mexico and Argentina for their shameful response to the peaceful July 11 protests in Cuba. Instead of calling for freedom of expression to be protected, they are defending one of the world’s most repressive dictatorships.
Together with South Korean residents, they play the accordion, make ornaments and learn how to grow plants. The center, which opened last year, is South Korea’s first government-run facility to bring together North Korean defectors and local residents to get to know each other through cultural activities and fun.
Authorities in Belarus on Wednesday carried out more than 40 raids against the offices and homes of human rights activists and journalists, one day after the country’s authoritarian president said he would "deal with" non-governmental organizations he believes are fomenting unrest, AP reports.Driving the news: The prominent Viasna human rights center was one of the offices targeted, in addition to other Belarusian NGOs and homes of activists.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic i
China on Tuesday denounced an appeal by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for a U.S.-European “unified front” against Chinese “unfair economic practices” and human rights abuses.
Nearly two weeks after he was severely beaten by Palestinian security forces, Akil Awawdeh is still short of breath, still shielding his bruised chest with his hand and still haunted by the screams inside the police station. The demonstrations were sparked by the death of Nizar Banat, an outspoken critic of the PA who died shortly after being violently arrested by Palestinian security forces last month. The PA is widely seen as corrupt and increasingly authoritarian, and it has faced mounting dissent since calling off the first elections in 15 years in April.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is inviting United Nations officials to investigate systemic racism in the United States amid a dispute with China about whether international monitors can probe the atrocities against Uyghur Muslims. His move has drawn the ire of some GOP lawmakers.
Here’s some of what happened while the world was distracted by the coronavirus: Hungary banned the public depiction of homosexuality. China shut Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy newspaper. Brazil’s government extolled dictatorship.
Prosecutors say the Iranian government directed followers to kidnap the author to get her back to Iran.
The Biden administration is formally inviting United Nations racism and human rights envoys to visit the United States amid a contentious ongoing domestic debate over the treatment of minorities in America. The State Department announced late Tuesday that the administration would issue a standing invitation to all U.N. envoys, known as special rapporteurs, who compile information on race and discrimination and report back to the world body.
The announcement comes as the West hardens its stance over alleged human rights abuses in the region.
Amnesty International said on Thursday that migrants held in Libyan detention camps are subject to horrific sexual violence at the hands of guards, including being forced to barter sex for clean water, food and access to sanitation. The report, which focused on migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean and who disembarked in Libya in 2020 and 2021, suggests worsening conditions in the camps despite being recently placed under the control of the Libyan interior ministry. Pope Francis and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for their closure.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked his Southeast Asian counterparts Wednesday to press for an end to violence in Myanmar, its return to democracy and the release of all political prisoners in a video conference attended by the military-led nation’s top diplomat. In the meeting with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Blinken also underscored the U.S. rejection of China’s “unlawful” territorial claims in the South China Sea and stressed that Washington stands with nations at odds with Beijing in the sea disputes. Blinken’s meeting with the 10-nation bloc also addressed the coronavirus pandemic, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, as surging infections fill hospitals and morgues and further devastate Southeast Asian states’ once-bustling economies.
Authorities in Belarus on Wednesday raided offices and homes of dozens of human rights activists and journalists in a crackdown that comes just a day after the country's authoritarian president promised to “deal with” non-governmental organizations he accuses of fomenting unrest. Law enforcement officers raided the homes of several advocates at the prominent Viasna human rights center, as well as offices of other Belarusian NGOs and homes of activists and journalists in various regions of the ex-Soviet state. More than 40 raids took place all across the country.