Continued….. Fighting Al-Shabaab has been a pretext for massive military expansion in the Horn of Africa. The US recently signed a military deal to build five new military bases in the country for a US-sponsored special op known as Danab, further militarising the country. We see this same pattern in the Sahel and in Haiti, where US policies have led to more violence, which then led the US to justify more intervention.

NB - The statistics in the infographic come from Airwars Research and include both declared strikes and alleged strikes.

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BOXING CHAMP KHELIF AND TRUMP TRADE BLOWS

Former US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at Algeria’s boxing champ Imane Khelif. She won gold in Paris amid a storm of online hate that wrongly accused her of being transgender. During the Olympics, Trump posted he would ‘keep men out of women’s sports’. And he doubled down on that view at a campaign rally at the weekend in Pennsylvannia, saying ‘it was so demeaning to women.’

Imane, who was born a woman and has not transgendered, has continued to fightback against the slur. During this interview with Algerian outlet El Bilad TV, she tells politicians to keep out of sport, adding: ‘I am a woman and will remain a woman’

Continued….. Imane’s launched a cyber-bullying lawsuit in France over the abuse she received at the Olympics. Trump is named in the case, along with X owner Elon Musk and author JK Rowling, who also said she was a man.

The gender row exploded when Imane’s first opponent in Paris quit after 46 seconds, claiming she’d never been hit so hard. Attention then turned to Imane’s disqualification from last year’s Women’s Boxing World Championship after she failed unspecified ‘eligibility’ tests. That tournament was run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), but Olympic chiefs cleared Imane to fight in Paris. Another female fighter,  Taiwan’s Li You-ting, was also banned by the IBA for failing ‘eligibility tests’ and went on to win Olympic gold.

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BLACK SCHOOL KIDS SOLD IN MOCK SLAVE AUCTION

This SABC report from South Africa shows school children selling their Black classmates at a mock slave auction. The shocking footage surfaced online in July, with children forced into a cage while other eighth graders of mixed race bid for them.

It happened at Pinelands High School in Cape Town, which is investigating what happened. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched a separate probe.

Similar racist incidents have rocked South African schools in recent years. Within the last few weeks, 12 pupils were suspended from a girls school in Pretoria, for sharing offensive messages about their Black classmates on a ‘Whites only’ WhatsApp group.

Continued……In 2019, a teacher in the country’s Northwest province was suspended for making Black children sit separately from their White classmates.

Two years earlier, a teacher at St Johns College, an Anglican Church-run high school in Johannesburg, was forced to resign for making racist and derogatory remarks towards Black pupils.

Credit: @sabcnewsonline

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U.S. ZI*NIST TAUNTS PALESTINE PROTESTERS

This viral clip from an unknown date shows a Zi*nist chanting during counter-protests against a pro-Palestine demonstration in Brooklyn, New York.

‘I am going to buy land in Gaza. I am going to buy beachfront property in Gaza. What happened to Rafah? No more Rafah. No more Gaza,’ he said. Rafah is a southern city in the Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million Palestinians had taken refuge in tents. After months of warning of an invasion, Israel’s tanks rolled in and attacked on 6 May. A few weeks later, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its military onslaught. However, Israel continued.

Controversial proposals about building beachfront properties along Gaza’s beautiful Mediterranean Sea coastline have floated around. Some have touted the possibility of turning Gaza into a tourist destination and a ‘Jewish Gaza.’

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IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE A BROWN ISSUE?

Being wolf-whistled by White builders is less threatening than being ‘tss-ed’ by immigrants - according to race-baiting UK commentator Alex Phillips, who often disguises herself as a journalist. Here’s our quick reaction to her outrageous recent comments on Talk TV.

African Stream’s journalist William Sakawa explains that a group of men more threatening to women than than builders and immigrants are British soldiers on duty in Kenya.

Soldiers allegedly k*lled and r*ped Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru with her body found two months later after the soldiers who had reportedly k*lled her had already gone back to Britain and showed little to no remorse. Of course, Alex Phillips won’t mention that in her little bigoted rant or the more than 650 cases, which the UK dismissed, that indicated British soldiers in Kenya r*ped Kenyan women and left Kenyan children.

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RABBI: ‘DROP MISSILE ON AL-AQSA & BLAME IRAN’

On his YouTube channel, Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi recently said he would lob a missile at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and blame Iran.

‘I would pretend that one missile came from Iran and shoot it down. You know, then all the Arabs will go against Iran, and it will be the end of the problems. You make them fight with each other.’

The 56-year-old former Israeli soldier of Moroccan and Persian descent also called Arabs ‘lunatics’ and ‘cowards.’

The al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam. It is important to both Muslims and Jews.

Continued……Continued……Since the 7 October escalation in the 76-year Israeli occupation of Palestine, Zi*nist calls to take over the mosque compound have grown. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, Israeli authorities raided and prevented entrance to thousands of Muslim worshippers. Then, on 13 August, about 3,000 Zi*nists, including Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir, recently raided the mosque compound.

Video credit: @RabbiYMizrachi (X) @haravyosefmizrachi (IG)

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DANCEHALL AND REGGAE

The two most iconic genres of Jamaican music are Reggae and Dancehall.

Reggae, born in the late 1960s, is known for its smooth, laid-back vibes - anchored in the soulful ‘one drop’ rhythm. It’s more than music: it’s a cultural movement infused with messages of social justice, spirituality and Rastafarian philosophy. Think Bob Marley’s uplifting anthems and the deep, resonant bass that defines Reggae’s rich legacy.

In contrast, Dancehall, which emerged in the 1980s, brings a more electrifying energy to the scene. This genre is all about high-tempo, infectious beats and a party atmosphere that gets everyone moving.

Continued….. With its roots in the digital revolution, Dancehall blends electronic rhythms and playful, sometimes provocative, lyrics. It’s a soundscape where artists like Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel showcase their dynamic styles.

But perhaps the key difference between the two genres - argues Jamaican singer Buju Banton in this clip - is God.

Video Credit: @Revolt (YouTube)

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WHEN CLINTON BOMBED A SUDANESE MEDICINES PLANT

On 20th August 1998, the largest military superpower in the world, the United States, bombed Sudan’s biggest pharmaceutical factory - leading to the deaths of thousands of Sudanese. African Stream’s CEO Ahmed Kaballo - who witnessed the aftermath - dissects the circumstances surrounding the attack, which was authorised by U.S President Bill Clinton, who at the time was embroiled in a politically disastrous and hugely embarrassing sex scandal: the Monika Lewinsky affair. Could there have been a link?

E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF EXPOSES DOUBLE STANDARDS

This clip of a recent address by the European Union’s foreign policy chief explains why the region’s foreign policy seems hypocritical and destructive.

Josep Borrell told an audience at St Antony’s College in Oxford, UK, that he finds it challenging to explain the EU’s actions in Iraq while the EU calls on countries to isolate Russia over its war with Ukraine. The West’s support of Israel amidst its military onslaught in the Gaza Strip doesn’t make matters easier, either.

The 77-year-old Spanish politician said the game involves managing double standards. In the process, Europe finds it difficult to rally the world around values it doesn’t uphold.

This is not the first mask-off moment, as Borrell also came under fire for comparing Europe to a ‘garden’ and the Global South to a ‘jungle,’ explaining the attitudes of colonisers from when the first ship set sail from European ports.

Video credit: @stantscollege (X) @stantonyscollege (IG)

NIGERIAN JOURNALIST EXPOSES ECONOMICS BEHIND $500 HIT JOB

A UK-based NGO recently approached Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) to commission a $500 article about the climate impacts of the Nigeria-based Dangote Refinery.

Inaugurated in May, Africa’s largest refinery reportedly has the potential to turn 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day into saleable oil to export around the world. Some say the refinery will put European plants out of business. While the continent is rich in oil, it lacks the capacity to refine crude oil, hence our reliance on outsiders.

Hundeyin argues the Global North’s language on climate change is being weaponised against Africa. For that reason, he told African Stream in this exclusive interview that the NGO, Dialogue Earth, is not really interested in a greener planet.

Listen to him make the case, and please share your thoughts.

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'ONE DAY, YOU WILL ALL BE PALESTINIANS'

In a powerful talk delivered in January at the Islamic Society of Central New Jersey, US journalist and author Chris Hedges warned that if Israel is not stopped, 'one day, [we] will all be Palestinians.'

Hedges (@chrislynnhedges on X and @the.chris.hedges.report on IG) asserted that Western-backed Israel's military onslaught on the Gaza Strip is setting a precedent for what's acceptable in the global South. So far, Israel has k*lled more than 40,000 Palestinians since 7 October and as many as 186,000 as of early July, according to the Lancet medical journal.

Hedges, a former New York Times bureau chief in West Asia among other places, also called out Western leaders and Western universities for their hypocrisy and censorship attempts amidst pro-Palestine protests in their countries.

Continued.....His talk brings to mind the words of Nelson Mandela, 'We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.'

Video credit: The Chris Hedges YouTube Channel

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KENYAN MP TO FEMALE LAWMAKERS: ‘BE A BAD GIRL LIKE ME!’

The speaker of Kenya’s parliament recently got a fiery response from a female MP - after he told her to be ‘a good example’ to the other women in the house, especially those who’d recently become lawmakers for the first time. Millie Odhiambo Mabona - who’s been an MP since 2008 - told him that ‘good girls’ get nowhere, claiming that one of the reasons behind her success as a parliamentarian (she’s been voted in four times) was precisely that she had been a ‘bad girl’:

Continued...... that is, had not let herself be held back by certain traditional African attitudes, according to which a woman should dress and act in certain ways, and stay out of positions of power. Branded ‘controversial’ and ‘outspoken’ by the media, she’s known for calling out the misogynistic behaviour of her male colleagues, has campaigned hard for women’s rights - including calling for life in jail for ‘revenge p*rn,’ where (overwhelmingly male) exes leak s*xually explicit photos and videos of their former partners online - and has been removed from the House for her protests and shows of solidarity. Her message to the latest intake of female MPs, she tells the speaker in this clip, is: ‘Be a bad girl like me!’ Wise words?

Video Credit: @CitizenTVKenya

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