Editor's Note: In this week's global news dispatches, political and social unrest takes center stage as governments grapple with growing challenges. From escalating political tensions in Honduras, continued military actions in the West Bank, and labor strikes in Tennessee, to Pakistan's controversial expulsion of Afghan refugees, these reports highlight mounting discontent and humanitarian concerns worldwide.
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| Afghan nationals walk along a fenced corridor after crossing into Pakistan through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 28, 2021 following the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. [Photo: AFP] |
Attacks on Xiomara Castro’s Government Escalate After Termination of Extradition Agreement With the U.S.
Following the termination of the extradition agreement between Honduras and the United States requested by President Xiomara Castro, the Central American country has experienced a political earthquake. President Castro’s decision was taken after the U.S. ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu made statements to the Honduran media questioning the meeting of several officials with Venezuelan officials.
The right-wing opposition in the Central American country has accused the executive branch of making the decision due to alleged relations between some government officials and criminal groups. Such rumors increased after Congressperson Carlos Zelaya—brother of former President Manuel Zelaya (the husband of Castro who was ousted in a coup d’état in 2009)—said that, in 2013, he was in a meeting where a drug trafficker was present. Carlos Zelaya clarified that this meeting was not a meeting known or ordered by his brother or by President Castro, but rather it was a personal meeting. The congressperson announced that he would resign from his political post to be investigated so that he could clarify that there is no connection between criminal groups linked to drug trafficking and Castro’s left-wing political party Liberty and Refoundation (Libre).
“I am going to present my resignation to the National Congress as congressman and as secretary of the Congress to strip myself of any kind of shielding I may have and to be investigated,” said Congressperson Zelaya. He stated that he would have no objection to appearing before the U.S. justice system to prove his innocence if the U.S. government so requires.
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Israel’s Siege on the West Bank Continues: Al-Qassam Commander Wissam Khazem Assassinated in Jenin
At least three Palestinian resistance fighters were killed in the early morning of Friday, August 30, by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the town of Zababdeh, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. One of the slain fighters was later identified as Wissam Ayman Khazem (30 years old), who was a commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Khazem was reportedly shot dead as his vehicle was targeted by Israeli gunfire.
The other two fighters were identified as Maysara Suleiman Masharqa (33 years old), and Arafat Jaser Amer (27 years old), who were targeted by a drone after they had escaped the shooting attack. Amer was a member of the Jenin Brigade, affiliated with Saraya al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Masharqa was a field commander with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a network of military groups associated with Fatah.
The bodies of the three fighters were reportedly confiscated by the Israeli Occupation Forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Confiscating the corpses of Palestinian freedom fighters has been a long-standing practice by the IOF, using them as bargaining chips for future negotiations.
On the evening of August 30, the IOF forced Palestinian families to evacuate the eastern neighborhood of Jenin as part of its large-scale military operation in the West Bank.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese slammed Israel for justifying launching a large-scale offensive in the West Bank using “self-defense” as a pretext.
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Hundreds of Rideshare Drivers Form Tennessee Drivers Union and Launch Labor Day Weekend Strike
On August 20, hundreds of rideshare drivers voted to form the Tennessee Drivers Union and to strike on August 30 to address worsening working conditions at the Nashville International Airport. Workers struck strategically on Labor Day weekend, as they recognized that it was one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Rideshare drivers are demanding that the Nashville International Airport expand the rideshare lot and expand access to clean bathrooms. The drivers are also demanding a limit on the use of scooters after 9 p.m. for driver and pedestrian safety, enforcement of the ban on fake taxis, and a living wage. Nashville rideshare drivers have long been urging the city to crack down on those impersonating taxi or rideshare drivers, leaving passengers feeling unsafe.
“Drivers should be paid by the minute and mile!” reads a statement by the Tennessee Drivers Union. “Uber has increased its take rates significantly over the past three years,” the statement reads. “Many drivers fear being unhoused, and drive for hours at a time to be able to make it week to week.”
The statement further reads, “The drivers refuse to continue to let huge companies like Uber and Lyft profit off of [their] labor. They want Nashville to hear their struggle… Unless and until their demands are met, Tennessee and its tourists can expect further disruptions.”
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Pakistan Set to Illegally Expel More Afghan Refugees
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi declared on August 28 that his government is going ahead with a fresh round of expulsions of “undocumented Afghan refugees” from the country, despite the concerns of numerous human rights advocates and organizations.
Naqvi made the announcement in a meeting with the UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan Indrika Ratwatte, who was visiting Pakistan. According to the statement issued by the ministry after the meeting, Naqvi affirmed that no one will be allowed to stay in Pakistan without a visa or other legal documents.
The first round of mass deportations of some of the 1.7 million “undocumented” Afghani refugees from Pakistan in November 2023 was met with widespread criticism. The government of Pakistan has claimed it has been preparing for the second round of expulsions in 2024.
The current Pakistani government has launched numerous attacks on refugees, accusing them of participating in terror activities, smuggling, and other crimes in the country. It also has labeled them a burden on the country’s ailing economy.
During last year’s expulsion drive, several accusations were lodged against the Pakistani authorities of abuse, extortion, and harassment of refugees. Rights groups, including the UN, have pointed out that the expulsion of refugees is illegal under international law and a violation of humanitarian law.
There are close to 3 million Afghans living as refugees in Pakistan. Some have been there for decades and went to the neighboring country to escape war, chaos, and human rights violations in their country.
The Pakistani government has labeled all refugees who do not have documents such as proof of registration or Afghan citizenship cards as “undocumented aliens,” to be expelled.
Around 44,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Western countries since 2021 have been living in Pakistan. Most worked with U.S.-led international forces during the two-decades-long occupation of the country. They were promised repatriation by Western powers during the chaotic withdrawal after two decades of occupation.
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