Author: Arturo Stewart

The experts were alarmed that hundreds of escapees – the vast majority of whom are women – have been sent back, despite repeated appeals by multiple international human rights bodies. Hundreds more reportedly are in detention awaiting the same fate. There are long-standing and credible reports that people returned to the DPRK, more commonly known as North Korea, would face serious human rights violations such as torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment, they said in a statement on Tuesday. ‘Criminals’ and ‘traitors’ The DPRK authorities label citizens “criminals” if they commit “illegal border-crossing”, and “traitors” if any link is…

KYIV — Ukraine on Friday said it has liberated Andriivka, a village near the decimated eastern city of Bakhmut, and made progress against Russian forces elsewhere in the Donetsk region. “It was difficult and the situation changed very dynamically several times yesterday. But now it is confirmed that our troops captured Andriivka yesterday,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement Friday morning. Andriivka is about 13 kilometers south of Bakhmut, which was destroyed earlier this year after months of brutal combat and which remains one of the hottest areas of fighting on the eastern front. “As a result of a lightning operation, the…

Paris, Dublin, London (24/9 – 32) Undefeated in 17 games in the last 15 months, Ireland has beaten every rugby union world champion, three of them twice – just for humiliation. Historically, the Irish never got past the last eight of a Rugby World Cup. In this year’s tournament they are on fire: fans have faith that Ireland will finally seize The Webb Ellis Cup on 28 October, final day of the struggle. Low-scoring but epic: a 13-8 win over the defending champion South Africa in Pool B of the 2023 Rugby World Cup on Saturday – a brutal statement…

CHICAGO (Aug. 30, 2023) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has selected the 24-player BioSteel USMNT training camp roster that will prepare for the September international window matches against Uzbekistan and Oman [TICKETS]. Players will begin reporting to St. Louis on Sept. 3 for training camp. Both Asian Football Confederation opponents are preparing to compete in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Qatar next January The U.S. first faces Uzbekistan on Sept. 9 in St. Louis, with kickoff at CITYPARK set for 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock). Three days later, the USA…

The USS Connecticut, a premier submarine that struck an underwater mountain in the South China Sea 19 months ago, won’t be back in service until early 2026 at the soonest, according to the US Navy, adding to a backlog of maintenance overhauls as the US faces a growing Chinese fleet. The Connecticut, one of three advanced Seawolf submarines, hit the uncharted seamount on Oct. 2, 2021. The repairs to the bow and lower rudder will cost an estimated $80 million, according to the Navy. That’s a modest sum by Pentagon standards, but the long wait for the vessel’s return to…

The mid-2010′s saw an uptick in U.S. college closures, particularly among private nonprofit schools. This trend has affected tens of thousands of college students across the country. Since 2016, 91 U.S. private colleges have closed, merged with another school, or announced plans to close, according to a CNBC analysis of data from Higher Ed Dive. Almost half of those schools closed after the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020. For many struggling schools the pandemic was the final straw — but two major themes showed up consistently throughout the closures: finances and enrollment. “There are two significant issues affecting higher…

The last-minute cancellation of the latest Quad meeting, scheduled in Australia, could not have come at a worse time. The unavailability of the United States President was the reason for the cancellation. The imperious reason for this was cutting a deal with Congressional leaders to avert an impending US debt default. However, in all, the Biden administration’s focus on security priorities in Asia is seemingly taking a backseat, given Washington’s attention and focus on the war of attrition in Ukraine. Washington’s strategy of bleeding Russia in Ukraine seeks to weaken Moscow. But it is bound to have a recoil effect on the United States too. All through the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is China that…

Speaking 125 years after the US supreme court settled the issue of birthright citizenship, former president Donald Trump pledged once again to end it. If elected back to the White House next year, Trump said in a video posted to social media on Tuesday, he will on day one sign an executive order to ensure the children of undocumented migrants “will not receive automatic US citizenship”. Recycling ugly, anti-migrant claims, Trump also said his order would “choke off a major incentive for continued illegal immigration, deter more migrants from coming and encourage many of the aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully let into our country…

BUSAN, Republic of Korea – Naval leaders from Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States convened for an exchange of ideas on operational topics aboard the helicopter training ship ROKS Hansando (ATH-81), April 20-21. The meeting provided a forum to engage in professional dialogues on regional security challenges and maritime operations. Fleet Commanders’ Roundtable (FCRT) 2023 included: Royal Australian Navy Commander, Australian Fleet Rear Adm. Chris Smith; Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Commander In Chief, Self-Defense Fleet Vice Adm. SAITO Akira; Republic of Korea Navy, Commander, Republic of Korea Fleet Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo; and U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice…

Brussels, 26 April 2023. Today, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Department of Defense of the United States of America (DoD) have formalised a framework for cooperation through the signing of an Administrative Arrangement (AA). The EDA-DoD AA provides for stronger transatlantic cooperation in defence in specific areas, including in the exchange of information. The conclusion of this AA is a strong political signal, delivering on the tasking of EU and U.S. leaders in the June 2021 EU-US Summit Statement. The arrangement confirms the value of a transatlantic partnership in security and defense to confront shared security challenges, and the…