A genocidal militia called the Rapid Support Forces has been laying siege to the city of El Fasher, in Darfur, for nearly 500 days. But in recent weeks, the situation has grown far worse. Some 250,000 people are now trapped in the city and are enduring relentless bombardment from drones and artillery. Food is scarce, and an untold number of people are starving to death. To make matters worse, recent moves by the Rapid Support Forces suggest they may be preparing for an all-out assault on the city. This is a pivotal moment in Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 when two generals—once allies in toppling a civilian-led government—turned their guns on each other, unleashing what is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. After two and a half years of fighting, the Sudanese Armed Forces control most of the country’s east, including Khartoum and a key port city. The Rapid Support Forces, meanwhile, hold much of the west, including resource-rich Darfur—with one critical exception: Darfur’s historic capital, El Fasher. Joining me to discuss this precarious moment in Sudan’s war and what might finally bring an end to the conflict is Noaman Elwaleed Mousa, a PhD student in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies civil wars in Africa. We begin with the situation on the ground in El Fasher and the broader significance of this battle for Sudan’s future.
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"Women’s Rights Are Human Rights" — 30 Years On
In 1995, there was a landmark meeting on gender equality in Beijing: the Fourth World Conference on Women. The conference produced the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a highly influential blueprint for advancing women’s rights. It was at this conference that then–First Lady Hillary Clinton famously declared, “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.” Last week, at the United Nations General Assembly, there was a 30-year commemoration of this landmark conference, which has become a touchstone for advocates around the world — particularly from civil society. Today, I’m joined by two of those advocates: Bani Dugal and Liliane Nkunzimana, representatives of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. They explain why the conference 30 years ago was so significant, how it continues to influence debates on gender equality today, and how to keep advancing gender equality in a profoundly different geopolitical context three decades on. This episode is produced in partnership with the Baha’i International Community, an NGO that represents the worldwide Baha’i community at the UN and other international forums, where it emphasizes that recognizing humanity’s interconnectedness is key to a shared global future. The Baha’i International Community recently released the book "In Full Partnership: Thirty Years of Women’s Advancement at the United Nations and Beyond, " which honors 30 years since the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the creation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. You can find the book at BIC.org.
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Is America Suddenly at War With Venezuela?
Over the last two weeks, the United States has at least twice bombed boats in the Caribbean that the White House claims were smuggling drugs to the United States, killing an unknown number of people on board. This is extraordinary. Under normal circumstances, the United States Navy or Coast Guard would interdict alleged drug smugglers and turn them over to law enforcement for prosecution. But the Trump administration is apparently unleashing the full weight of the U.S. military against people it deems to be smuggling drugs. What’s more concerning, according to legal experts across the spectrum, is that these targeted killings do not seem to be operating under any apparent legal framework. The administration is using the language of the War on Terror to justify these killings, but there has been no authorization for the use of military force against drug smugglers. Nor has the administration put forward a legal rationale for these strikes. And all this comes amidst an unprecedented American naval buildup in the Caribbean — a show of force against the regime of Nicolás Maduro. “It’s truly extraordinary for the U.S. government to be conducting premeditated killing of individuals merely for suspected drug smuggling,” says my interview guest Brian Finucane, senior advisor at the International Crisis Group. We begin by discussing what is known about these two strikes, before turning to a longer conversation about the implications of using the language and tools of counterterrorism to kill alleged drug smugglers absent any clear legal constraint. https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff
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“Your countries are going to hell” -- Trump Unleashes at the UN
It was Donald Trump’s fifth speech before the United Nations General Assembly. It was also his most rambling. For 55 minutes, the President of the United States riffed: on migration, windmills, hot air, London’s mayor, offshore oil in Aberdeen, even the flooring and décor of UN headquarters. At one point, Trump told the assembled world leaders: “Your countries are going to hell!” But was there a method to this madness? What can we discern about U.S. foreign policy and Trump’s approach to the United Nations from this speech? Joining me for a timely conversation on these questions and more are Anjali Dayal and Maya Ungar—two seasoned UN watchers. Anjali Dayal, of course, is my To Save Us From Hell co-host and a professor of international relations at Fordham University. Maya Ungar is a UN analyst at the International Crisis Group. We spoke just moments after Trump’s speech concluded, beginning with our knee-jerk reactions to a very odd address before turning to a longer conversation about what Trump’s UNGA remarks reveal about American foreign policy and its approach to the UN. https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff
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Immunizations Are One of Africa's Greatest Public Health Success Stories | Future of Africa, Episode 7
Immunization has transformed the health trajectory of millions in Africa — but the job is far from done. This discussion moves beyond vaccines as a medical intervention, framing them instead as a trust-building exercise between communities and health systems. You’ll come away with a clear sense of what it will take to protect Africa’s health gains and prepare for future threats. Helen Clark offers high-level insights on vaccine diplomacy, while Dr. Jamal Ahmed unpacks the operational and political hurdles to reaching every child. Dr. Esias Bedingar adds a front-line perspective on combating misinformation and delivering care in fragile settings. Vaccines have saved millions of lives across the continent — but more work remains. This episode explores both the progress made and the gaps that still need to be closed. Guests Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, former Director of UN Development Program and member of the Elders Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication Dr. Esias Bedingar, Program Manager at Big Win Philanthropy and former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Chad. Background Materials Vaccination Progress in Africa – Millions of Lives Saved, WHO Africa
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