The Amnesty study, titled “Deadly Delivery,” reports that deaths from pregnancy and childbirth in the United States have doubled in the past 20 years–from 6.6 per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006.
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That would mean that, of the four million women who give birth each year, two to three women die each day in the U.S. from complications related to pregnancy.
While better reporting may account for some of the increase, the study speculates that it’s more likely that the figures may actually understate the problem because there are no federal requirements to report maternal deaths.
Other findings from the study:
U.S. women are now at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than women in 40 other countries–five times greater than Greek women, for example, and four times greater than German women.
And another 1.7 million U.S. women–a third of all women who become pregnant in the United States–experience some kind of pregnancy-related complication that adversely affects their health. Severe pregnancy-related complications (known as “near misses” because the woman comes close to death) have increased 25 percent since 1998, the study reports.
“No American woman should die from childbirth in 2009, we can definitely do a lot better,” says Dr. Michael Lu, associate professor of obstetrics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Why are U.S. women more likely to die during childbirth than their peers in other developed nations?
The answer is complex and a number of factors may be at play. The study says about half of U.S. women are entering pregnancy overweight. And a spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the latest maternal mortality data suggests one in four to one in five women who die have heart disease or diseased blood vessels.
Other factors include financial and physical barriers to accessing care, including a lack of physicians in rural areas, and an overuse of risky interventions, such as inducing labor and delivering via cesarean section.
According to the CDC, about half of all maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Pregnant women and new mothers are dying because of “systemic failures” in the current health system, the Amnesty report says.
The alarming data on maternal mortality are even more shocking for Black American women. They are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than White women. And even wealthy Black women have a higher rate of mortality during childbirth than wealthy White women.
One factor may be high blood pressure; Black women tend to have higher blood pressure than the rest of the population. But poverty and racism may also be factors.
JoAnne Fischer, executive director of the Maternity Care Coalition, which works with low income women to help them stay healthy during their pregnancies, says: “We do know that there is extraordinary stress involved in racism and in being poor. And we know that sometimes this creates hypertension. Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are all linked, so we have to make sure women start their pregnancies healthy.”
The increase in maternal deaths is viewed against a history of steady decreases during the 20th century.
Mortality rates reached very high levels in maternity institutions in the 1800s, sometimes climbing to 40 percent of birth giving women. At the beginning of the 1900s, maternal death rates were around 1 in 100 for live births.
The number in 2005 in the United States was 11 in 100,000, a decline by two orders of magnitude. However, that figure has begun to rise in recent years, having nearly tripled over the past decade in California.
The decline in maternal deaths has been due largely to improved asepsis, fluid management and blood transfusion, and better prenatal care.
Recommendations for reducing maternal mortality include access to health care and emergency obstetric care, funding and intrapartum care. Moreover, political will and support play a major role and without it reforms to reduce maternal mortality cannot be made.
The risk of dying as a result of pregnancy or childbirth differs significantly by economic status from about 1 in 26 in Africa, to 1 in 7,300 in developed countries.
Even within countries there is a marked difference in access to skilled birth attendants, a key intervention to improve maternal health. The proportion of women whose family planning desires are satisfied is distinctly linked to wealth, with the poorest lagging behind the richest in each region.
Almost a decade ago, parties to the Paris treaty agreed to work toward limiting temperature rise this century to 1.5ºC—but 2024 was thehottestyear in human history, and countries around the world show no signs of reining in planet-wrecking fossil fuels anywhere near the degree that scientists warn is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate breakdown.
"Crossing 1.5ºC for a whole calendar year is a wake-up call for the world," said Olympic gold medalist and XR U.K. spokesperson Etienne Stott, highlighting another alarming record from last year. "If we want to avoid crossing further tipping points we need a complete transformation of society."
Extinction Rebellion and other climate groups held a funeral for the Paris agreement's 1.5°C temperature target in Cambridge, England on May 10, 2025. (Photo: Derek Langley)
Scientists from universities in the United Kingdom and Germany warned in a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Earth System Dynamics last month that humankind is at risk of triggering various climate tipping points absent urgent action to dramatically reduce emissions from fossil fuels.
"There are levers policymakers can pull to rapidly phase out fossil fuels, but this requires standing up to powerful interests," Stott said Saturday. "Activists need to build power, resilience, and the world we want to see in our communities; but we also need to keep seeking the spark that will cause the worldwide transformation we need to see."
In addition to the Cambridge and U.K. arms of Extinction Rebellion, Saturday's action was organized by Cambridge Greenpeace, Cambridge Stop the War, and the Organization of Radical Cambridge Activists (ORCA).
Varsity, the independent student newspaper at the University of Cambridge, reported that the marchers "rallied at Christ's Pieces, where they heard from one of the organizers, who emphasised the harm caused by exceeding 1.5ºC of warming."
"The march then proceeded up Christ's Lane and down Sidney Street, led by a group of 'Red Rebels,' dressed in red robes with faces painted white, followed by 'pall bearers' carrying coffins painted black, with the words 'Inaction Is Death' in white," according to Varsity. "The procession was completed by a samba band who drummed as they walked, followed by protesters carrying a large sign reading 'Don't silence the science,' along with many other smaller placards."
Members of the "Red Rebel Brigade" led a procession around Cambridge, England as part of a funeral for the Paris agreement's 1.5°C temperature target on May 10, 2025. (Photo: Albert Arhó)
Photos from organizers show participants displaying banners with messages such as "No Future on a Dead Planet," and additional messages painted on the black coffins: "1.5ºC Is Dead," "Act Now," "Ecocide," "RIP Earth," and "Web of Life."
"Politicians have broken their promises to keep global temperature rises to a livable 1.5ºC," declared Zoe Flint, a spokesperson for XR Cambridge. "For decades, people around the world have been resisting environmental devastation in their own communities and beyond—often facing state repression and violence as a result."
"With dozens of political protesters now in prison in this country, that repression has come to the U.K. too," Flint noted. "But when those least responsible for climate breakdown suffer the worst effects, we can't afford to give up the fight."
The Fruit of Islam (F.O.I., the men of the Nation of Islam) continue the mission of propagation and sharing the faith of Islam by bringing the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad directly to the people through The Final Call newspaper.
Every week, whether rain, snow, or intense heat, the F.O.I. strive to be like their teacher, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, by being in the highways and byways of cities large and small, striving to make our communities a decent and safe place to live.
We thank the F.O.I for their dedicated service.
Greensboro, NCMiamiOrlando, FloridaBostonSt. Louis Photo courtesy of Hashim HakimEl Dorado, Arkan
Iranian lawmakers have reiterated that the Islamic Republic will not relinquish its nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), particularly its right to uranium enrichment, rejecting US demands made during indirect talks.
In a Wednesday statement, the lawmakers referred to recent remarks by lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Iran must not have the right to uranium enrichment under any potential replacement for the 2015 nuclear deal.
“We, the members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, in response to these delusional and absurd claims, declare that the United States regime is on the path of decline and is in a weak and fragile condition,” the statement said.
“This regime is a supporter of both state and non-state terrorism. Domestically, it is facing popular protests in dozens of states, and internationally, it is entangled with more than 100 countries due to its imposition of tariffs and unilateral policies.”
The statement said weakness on the part of the United States government has led it to retreat disgracefully in its imposed war against the resilient and valiant nation of Yemen, referring to the halt in US bombings of that Arab country.
The statement said that despite issuing severe threats against Hamas and setting deadlines over several months for the release of Israeli captives, the US ultimately had no choice but to enter into negotiations with Hamas and, in exchange for the release of a dual-national prisoner, permitted the passage of humanitarian aid trucks.
The lawmakers said US President Donald Trump needs an achievement to help secure a victory for his fellow Republicans in the upcoming Congressional elections after his failures to end the Ukraine war and other conflicts, and that’s why he’s negotiating with Iran.
“A regime so deeply gripped by internal crises and repeated external failures is in no position to dictate terms to any nation, especially not to the great and independent nation of Iran. The officials of the US regime are far too insignificant to issue imperatives to the ever-triumphant and dignified Iranian nation.”
The statement further noted that Iran's nuclear activities and enrichment efforts are entirely legal, legitimate, and in full compliance with the provisions of the NPT and the statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Trump warns Iran of ‘something bad’ in renewed threat despite Tehran’s outright rejection of intimidation
“According to Article IV of the NPT, each member state possesses the inalienable right to research, develop, produce, and use nuclear energy. Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran is legally entitled to benefit from the entire nuclear fuel cycle, especially in the field of enrichment,” the lawmakers said.
The lawmakers said Iran’s confidence-building measures and repeated inspections by the IAEA have proven the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
“The Iranian nation has never sought nuclear weapons, nor does it seek them. The only regime in the world that has used nuclear weapons to massacre people in other countries is the United States, a regime that was established through land occupation and the killing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people,” it said.
The statement vowed that “the empty rhetoric of these criminals” cannot impact Iran’s policies and that the lawmakers will “by no means tolerate any form of overreach or arrogant behavior from our nation’s adversaries.”
“By employing all available capacities, we will steadfastly defend the interests of our great nation, and our government will act in line with these laws and policies.”
There is no success in the building of family without the respect and honor for the institution of marriage. However, we are beset with divorce and the problem of infidelity.
As a result of divorce and infidelity, hatred is building between mothers and fathers, which is causing children to suffer. We can talk about many things that are important in life, but nothing is more important or sacred than family and the cornerstone of family, which is marriage.
But the critical part of male/female relationships is in setting up a social context where men and women can meet each other under proper circumstances that do not degenerate into vile speech or actions. The father is the authority. The wife, of course, is the co-authority and the appeal must be made to the head of that house. If that process turns out well, courtship begins.
In this world, courtship is sampling the goods before buying it; and Sisters, that is a huge mistake on your part to let any man have his way with you and then later you decide whether you will or won’t get married. If I pressed most of you who are involved in courtship, I would discover that you have had a sexual relationship.
"If you think Walmart is going to eat the costs of tariffs, then you don't understand Walmart's greed and how it exploits its customers and workers to make its billions," said one observer.
U.S. President Donald Trump verbally thrashed Walmart on Saturday following the retailer's announcement this week that it expects to raise prices on some goods as a result of tariffs imposed by the White House.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Walmart should "STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain."
"Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, 'EAT THE TARIFFS,' and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I'll be watching, and so will your customers!!!" he wrote.
On Thursday, leaders at Walmart said that they will have to raise prices in response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration even after lowered duties on Chinese imports were announced.
The Trump administration has placed 10% universal tariff on goods entering the United States and imposed higher tariffs on goods coming from China—though on Monday the two countries said they reached a deal to temporarily lower the tariffs they had imposed on one another while they try to hash out a trade deal. Imports from China will now be subject to a 30% tariff, whereas before many goods coming to the U.S. from China previously had at least a 145% tariff.
CEO Doug McMillon said that Walmart, which is known for its low prices, will do its best to keep prices low, but that "given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren't able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins."
One observer expressed skepticism that Walmart would heed Trump's demand.
"If you think Walmart is going to eat the costs of tariffs, then you don't understand Walmart's greed and how it exploits its customers and workers to make its billions," saidMelanie D'Arrigo, the executive director of a group fighting for universal healthcare in New York State.
Economists expect the cost of tariffs, which are a form of tax applied on imports that can be used to support homegrown industries that employ American workers, to be largely passed on from businesses to American consumers.
In an analysis of the Trump administration's tariff regime as of late April, with the higher duties on Chinese goods in place, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2026 the poorest Americans would see the biggest tariff-induced tax hikes compared to other income groups.
Some observers also used Trump's social media post to highlight that in the past he has claimed that other countries would bear the brunt of tariffs.
The social media posts echoes a recent episode when, last month, after a news report that Amazon would display tariff-based price increases next to the price of products online, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called such a move "a hostile and political act." After a call between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, a company spokesperson said displays had been considered for only a section of the site but wouldn't be happening.
Delegates attend the first-ever Global AI Summit for Africa where more than 1,000 policymakers, business leaders, and interest groups have gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, April 3. Photo: AP Photo/Yuhi Irakiza
The Donald Trump Administration announced a major overhaul at the U.S. State Department that will axe 132 domestic offices, slash around 700 positions in Washington, D.C., and shut offices focused on war crimes and global conflict. A statement issued April 22 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department is “bloated,” “bureaucratic,” and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in a new era of big power competition.
Additionally, Secretary Rubio said the sprawling bureaucracy created a system more “beholden to radical political ideology.” However, days before Secretary Rubio’s statement announced the changes, news outlets reported on a draft order outlining plans to close American embassies across Africa and significantly downsize U.S.-Africa operations. For Africa observers and analysts, the policy coming from President Trump—who is on record using expletives to describe Global South nations, particularly in Africa—the moves are not surprising and could be a blessing in disguise for the continent.
“There’s no surprise that they’re going in this direction,” said Emira Woods, global ambassador for Africans Rising For Justice, Peace, and Dignity, a network of advocacy movements on the continent.
She told The Final Call that she views the reported move as an opportunity for countries in the Global South to look internally, build bridges and expand on African initiatives among themselves. “So in the case of Africa, there is the African Free Trade Agreement that is fostering greater continental unity around our economy, around movement of people and labor, around rights,” Ms. Woods stated as an example.
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It becomes an opportunity, she says, when America is moving away from those core building blocks of healthy societies, for African countries to embrace and to double down on issues around human dignity, human rights, economic justice and environmental rights.
The U.S. retreat from the continent is expected to affect aid and diplomacy. But despite scaling back, America still remains a predatory power on the continent. According to reports on the draft order about closing embassies, priorities would continue on counterterrorism, strategic extraction and trade of critical natural resources.
Although Africa watchers agree that this is Africa’s time for the continent of 1.5 billion people, it is still vulnerable to outside interests and interference.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, spoke on the modern power race for African resources.
“Right now we are witnessing a ‘scramble’ for Africa just as it happened almost 130 years ago,” said Minister Farrakhan, in Part 32 of “The Time and What Must be Done,” a yearlong lecture series he delivered in 2013.
“In 1884, when Europe organized ‘The Berlin Conference,’14 nations of Europe got together and planned how they would divide up the African continent to extract its wealth for themselves,” said Minister Farrakhan. “But just like true buzzards, true predators: They began arguing with one another, and fighting each other, which led to World War I, where all of the European nations were involved. And so, once again, there is a new scramble for Africa by Europe and America,” he said.
Like then, these countries, including the U.S., France and others, are after the huge quantity of natural resources that they want—and need—to have under their control. Almost every known natural resource needed to run the Western industrial economy, such as uranium, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan (for cell phones, video games, laptops), platinum, diamonds, bauxite, and especially oil, is under the feet of African people.
Six of the embassies that the draft proposed for closure are in Africa: the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The memo recommends transferring their functions to embassies in nearby countries, according to The New York Times. But because of the resources, America is not totally out of the Motherland.
China’s President Xi Jinping, center, and African leaders prepare to leave after a group photo during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. Photo: Adek Berry/Pool Photo via AP
The change comes while some African leaders have pushed for “trade, not aid” in a way to unyoke Africa from a handicapped relationship with the West. Some Africa advocates argue that it is simply time for self-determination, regardless of what America proposes.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad defined the benefit of independence as a nation on pages 223-224 of his pivotal book, “Message to the Blackman In America.” His divine wisdom, insight and guidance are relevant to Black people in America and the diaspora.
“Today, the international conception of honor, pride and dignity is not concerned with individuals within a country but is rather concerned with your work and value as a part of an established nation,” He wrote.
“In order to be recognized today you must represent your nation. We must understand the importance of land to our nation. The first and most important reason that the individual countries of Europe, Africa and Asia are recognized as nations is because they occupy a specific area of the earth. Second, they are recognized because of the effectiveness of their internal unity and policies and then by their enactment of international policies and agreements with other established nations,” the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad continued.
He also taught on the importance and need for land to establish independence. This is necessary for Black people in Africa and America. His servant, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, explained that his teacher sought land and territory for Black people in America for their independence and self-sufficiency as a “nation within a nation.”
“The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad did not ask for a ‘fifth’ of Black peoples’ earning—he just asked for a fifth of America; “8-10 States.” Do you have a problem with that? Don’t you think you’ve earned it?” Minister Farrakhan stated during “The Time and What Must Be Done,” part 32.
Noted scholar-activist Professor James Small said we can go back to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who said and taught to “do for ourselves” and not to beg for what we need.
“We have our own land now,” said Prof. Small. “We are trying to get those … states … here in this country,” he said. “We got a whole continent,” he added. “We need to act like it’s ours. We’ve got all of the natural resources anyone on the planet needs,” Prof. Small continued.
He reasoned that there are young Black/African people who are some of the best-trained scientists, technicians and professional people scattered across the world who need to start to help in Africa. “This is our time,” said Mr. Small.
He suggested African leaders should take notes from leaders like 37-year-old Capt. Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, Col. Assimi Goïta of Mali, 41, General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger, and President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, who made history in March by naming another woman as her vice-president.
“Africa belongs to the Africans, like (Marcus Mosiah) Garvey said, and we need to begin to act like it. We’ve got the knowledge, we’ve got the training, we’ve got the natural resources,” reasoned Prof. Small.
“We need to build the places where we live and learn how to protect them, because the enemy will come,” he said. “They (the West) don’t know how to sit down to the table and negotiate fair agreements for our natural resources,” he continued, and added, “Everybody comes to steal them.”
Prof. Small also noted that, percentage-wise, Africa has the largest number of young people below 25 years old. As of 2024, about 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25. This makes Africa the youngest continent worldwide. The youth demographic is playing a crucial role in the way of innovation, entrepreneurship, replete with an emerging startup culture in agribusiness, e-commerce, and renewable energy solutions.
“So, this is our time to unite,” Prof. Small added. “This is our time to share our technology. It’s our time to take those borders down that they put up after the Berlin Conference,” he said. Some African countries have started getting rid of tariffs and fees for crossing borders. “Now just abolish the borders,” he added.
Prof. Small said short of eradicating the colonial borders, at least end the requirement for visas to cross them. He also said that Africa can strengthen having a common identification like the African Union (AU) passport on its own terms.
Although the U.S. is the strongest economic and military power worldwide, the proposed adjustments come amid a time when White world rule is in decline, and an anti-imperialist sentiment for African self-determination is on the rise.
U.S .Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, center left, Kenya Cabinet Secretary for defence Aden Duale, center right, pose for a group photo after signing bilateral defence cooperation agreement, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Senosi
America had utilized its embassies and institutions like the USAID, which was also shuttered, as a means of “soft power” on the soil of Africa. However, in the uneven playing field controlled by foreign imperialism, “soft power” is often a smokescreen for “foreign power” in Africa.
“So, the ‘America first’ is like ‘America only,’ or like ‘America as an island,’” said Ms. Woods. America’s posture touted American exceptionalism. But “not only American exceptionalism,” she explained, “it was White male supremacy,” she said, that was “exceptional” about America.
Notwithstanding, U.S. embassies are the bases for America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in any given country. The CIA has a sordid record in Africa of orchestrating coups, destabilizing governments, and eliminating leaders.
Ms. Woods believes the world is at an intersection of history where Black, Latino and Indigenous people’s values, vision, and solutions must be prioritized. “I think this is another moment in history where we’re calling on all leaders to be bold” and “prioritize our people, our community, our needs,” she said.
It is imperative that Africa seize the opportunity to advance at a time when the U.S. is trying to turn back the clock to an era when human dignity was compromised and White supremacy reigned. “We are not going back,” she said.
As a collective, 1.5 billion people in Africa must unite with people of African descent and Indigenous people across the planet. “Our entire needs have been marginalized for far too long. It’s time for us to build the world,” said Ms. Woods.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has stated he is ready to “personally” meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Türkiye on Thursday but only if Moscow first agrees to a truce. His statement came in response to Russia’s proposal to begin peace talks without pre-conditions.
“I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X on Sunday. He still maintained that Kiev awaits “a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy.” The Ukrainian leader also stated that he expected Moscow not to look for “excuses” this time.
On Saturday, the Russian president offered Kiev the opportunity to restart direct negotiations in Istanbul, which it unilaterally walked away from in 2022. Moscow was ready to return to the negotiating table without any preconditions, the Russian leader said at the time.
Ukraine should agree to Putin’s proposal of talks ‘immediately’ – Trump
Russia has repeatedly stated that it was ready for peace talks at any time. It also maintained that it was seeking a lasting solution to the conflict rather than a temporary one. It opposed Kiev’s 30-day truce demand on the grounds that Ukraine would use it to rearm and regroup its military.
Zelensky issued a similar demand on Saturday following a meeting with a group of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. They also supported Kiev’s demand that Russia agree to a truce.
US President Donald Trump also expressed his hope that Moscow and Kiev could soon agree to a month-long truce. He also warned that “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions” if an agreement is reached but not respected.
On Sunday, the American president said that Kiev should agree to Moscow’s peace talks proposal “immediately.” According to him, Moscow did not want a mere ceasefire but wanted “to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath.”
The Kremlin has rejected what it described as external pressure surrounding the proposed truce. Putin also noted that Kiev violated the three ceasefires proposed by Moscow: the 30-day US-brokered moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, which expired last month, the unconditional Easter ceasefire, and the recently lapsed 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire.
Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Sheikh Ibrahim
Nigerian security agents are planning coordinated attacks on the homes and properties of followers of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, according to a report.
SaharaReporters reported on Sunday, quoting sources that the operation is scheduled to take place around 2:00 a.m. on Monday in Abuja and surrounding areas, including Maraba.
Security agents have advised their relatives to avoid locations associated with Shia Muslims in Abuja, Maraba, and other areas, the report said.
"There is a planned attack by security agents on residences and facilities of Al-Zakzaky's followers in Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, Airport Road, Maraba, etc. They said Monday at 2:00 a.m.," one source disclosed.
On March 28, 2025, at least 26 people were reportedly killed and many others injured in an attack on the IMN members by the Nigerian Army on an International Quds Day demonstration in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja.
Video footage of the scenes shows armed forces securing the perimeter as protestors flee for cover while bullet shots are heard.
The footage also shows soldiers dragging the lifeless body of a civilian on the street and dumping it into a pickup while beating two other protesters and forcing them to get into another truck.
While the event was conducted peacefully across Nigeria, the Abuja procession was targeted by the army.
The protesters were marching peacefully after observing Friday prayers at Banex Plaza when Army soldiers stationed near the mosque fired upon them.
In response, the IMN has vowed to take legal action if the Nigerian government and army fail to release detained members, including over 60 minors.
The group's legal representatives, Bala Dakum and Yushau Uthman, talked to journalists on Friday, condemned the March 28 attack and demanded justice for the victims.
“While peacefully carrying out their procession in the Banex area, Wuse II, Abuja, in their thousands, they were unexpectedly confronted by a group of armed soldiers who, without any provocation, began firing live ammunition at them,” they said.
“As a result of this inhumane, callous, cruel, barbaric and horrific attack, about 26 persons lost their lives, over 30 sustained various degrees of life-threatening injuries, and around 274 were arrested by the soldiers,” they added.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) had expressed concern over attacks against protesters after it was revealed that Nigerian authorities were making preparations in this regard as a pretext for an attack.
The Office of the National Security Adviser had stressed the necessity to stop the al-Quds day demonstration to “prevent a breach of the peace” by the pro-Palestinian protesters, according to a leaked internal letter seen by the IHRC.
In the leaked communiqué, Nigerian authorities had warned that though the pro-Palestinian demonstrations were peaceful, the protesters had the potential to seek justice by attacking US and Israeli interests in the country. Therefore, their demos must be stopped.
This method has been used by Nigeria’s pro-Israel officials in recent years to prompt the forces to stage a violent crackdown on the demonstrators.
At least one person was killed, and many more were injured after police opened fire on the Quds Day demo in Abuja in 2023.
In 2014, Nigerian security forces killed 34 demonstrators after opening fire on a rally in Zaria.
Sudan's acting-Justice Minister Muawia Osman (L) is sitting next to Sudanese Ambassador to the Netherlands Omaima Alsharief as they wait for the start of a hearing before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Albi)
Khartoum has taken legal action against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also known as the World Court for creating the "driving force" behind the ongoing "genocide" in Sudan.
Since 2023, a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged the country into civil war. Khartourm now accuses the UAE of supporting the RSF in its genocide of the non-Arab Masalit people in Sudan's Darfur region.
Opening the case before the ICJ in The Hague, Sudan’s acting justice minister told the court on Thursday that the UAE is the “driving force” behind the "genocide" in Darfur via its alleged support for rebels fighting the Sudanese army.
Muawia Osman told the court that the “ongoing genocide would not be possible without the complicity of the UAE, including the shipment of arms to the RSF”.
“The direct logistical and other support that the UAE has provided and continues to provide to the RSF has been and continues to be the primary driving force behind the genocide now taking place, including killing, rape, forced displacement and looting,” said Osman.
Khartoum demands that the UAE halt its support to the RSF and make “full reparations”, including compensation to the victims of the war.
The UAE, for its part, denies supporting the RSF. "There was no credible evidence presented to support (Sudan's) claims," Reem Ketait, a top official at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.
Earlier, Ketait described Sudan’s case as a “blatant misuse of a respected international institution” and “entirely without legal or factual merit."
A high-ranking Israeli diplomat has been expelled from the annual summit of the African Union in Ethiopia due to a growing conflict regarding the Tel Aviv regime’s accreditation to the continental bloc.
On April 7, Israeli ambassador to Addis Ababa Avraham Neguise had to walk out of the auditorium during the opening ceremony of the summit to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The top Israeli diplomat was expelled after several African countries refused to allow him to participate in the African Union summit being held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
A diplomatic source participating in the meeting revealed to Al Jazeera television news network that delegations from several African countries objected to the Israeli ambassador’s presence, and the meeting was suspended until his departure.
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The African Union has reportedly launched an investigation to determine who had invited Neguise to the event.
In 2002, after the establishment of the African Union, observer status was granted to 87 non-member states and entities outside the African continent.
Observer status allows the member to attend African Union meetings and participate in certain discussions, but does not confer voting rights.
The first state to be granted observer status was the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1973, and it enjoys strong support from most African states.
In recent years, Israel has sought observer membership in the African Union to counter Palestinian influence and was granted observer status in 2021.
However, Israel was later expelled by a decision of African states because its acceptance as an observer violated the terms of the African Union Charter due to its continued occupation of Palestinian territories.
New Leadership New York City Co-Chairs Perri Korine and Erez Kahan.(photo credit:
ALBERT MICKY)
The connection between global Jewry and Israel is built on generations of hope, resilience, and a shared dream of a Jewish homeland. For those who grew up in the early decades following Israel’s independence, investing in Israel was essential for its survival and growth.
For younger generations, this connection is evolving. While many first encountered Israel Bonds as gifts for their Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, today, New Leadership is redefining the meaning of investing in Israel. Through impact investing and direct ties to Israel’s needs, young professionals are transforming support for Israel into a personal and purposeful commitment.
ISRAEL BONDS New Leadership National Co-Chairs Aliza Fagen and Albert Babayev at the 2023 International Leadership Conference. (Credit: Israel Bonds)
Building Tomorrow, Together: The Impact of Israel Bonds' New Leadership
In times of crisis, leadership emerges through action. For Israel Bonds New Leadership, October 7 was a turning point. “After October 7, we knew it was up to us to make our generation’s voice heard,” explains Albert Babayev, National Co-Chair of Israel Bonds’ New Leadership. Babayev, alongside National Co-Chair Aliza Fagen, saw an opportunity and worked with Israel Bonds’ New Leadership National Director, Micah Cohen to do more than advocate for Israel—they took tangible actions.
“We launched an emergency national campaign to support the State of Israel in its time of need,” adds Fagen. “In addition to encouraging investment in Israel through Israel Bonds, we are also encouraged to do so via the Double Mitzvah program, as well as host local parlor meetings across the country.”
The national campaign not only provided direct financial support for Israel but showcased Israel Bonds’ impact in real-time.
The response was overwhelming. Events sold out quickly, with waitlists of eager participants. “Many of my friends didn’t know about Israel Bonds,” Perri Korine, New York City Co-Chair of Israel Bonds New Leadership, shares. “When I tell them, I feel like I’m making a real difference.”
As New Leadership continues to grow, its influence extends beyond financial contributions. (Credit: ALBI MICKY)
That difference materialized in bonds sales donated for United Hatzalah to purchase a new Ambucycle. Through Israel Bonds’ Double Mitzvah program, investors can direct their bonds to causes and not-for-profit organizations that are important to them.
For young professionals navigating today’s financial landscape, Israel Bonds offers both strong returns and meaning. “When I started my career, I didn’t have much disposable income and didn’t understand bonds,” says NYC Co-Chair Erez Kahan, who joined in 2018. “I started small, but the more I learned, the more I realized how critical it is for young professionals to invest, even modestly. As we grow our careers, we can expand our investments and make a bigger impact.”
Post-October 7, Kahan sees Israel Bonds as the leading avenue for young professionals to support Israel. He breaks it down into three key points: First, purchasing an Israel bond is a statement of unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist. Second, it is a smart financial investment. And third, it establishes a direct financial bond to Israel’s future.
Beyond the Bonds: Creating a Legacy
Many current New Leadership members were introduced to Bonds through their families. “I was first introduced to Israel Bonds through my grandparents. My grandfather Myer Samuels Z”L got involved with Israel Bonds at its inception. He and my grandmother Shoshana Samuels Z”L, built a whole generation of leadership hosting events, initiating campaigns, and leading missions to Israel.” Fagen notes. “It was through their leadership that I learnt the importance of supporting the State of Israel, and it’s incredible to have so many volunteers on our national council who share similar histories. It’s really an honor to continue the legacy of our parents and grandparents.”
For Kahan, the vision is clear: “When Ben-Gurion came to New York to launch Israel Bonds, Israel needed roads and infrastructure—the foundations of a thriving state. Today, our goal is to ensure the next generation doesn’t just hear about bonds from their grandparents but grows up knowing about it and already investing.”
