Eswatini
A nurses’ union in the southern African kingdom of Eswatini today said its members would refuse to treat police officers after nurses were shot at a pro-democracy demonstration on Wednesday. The government said it had no reports of nurses being shot. Protests have rocked the country, an absolute monarchy formerly known as Swaziland, since June as students, transport workers and now health workers demand constitutional reforms that will allow them to elect their own leaders. There is also widespread anger at the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by King Mswati III and the royal family in a country where most live in poverty. A delegation from the regional body, the Southern African Development Community, is currently in Eswatini in an effort to mediate between the king and those organizing the demonstrations.
More from BBC here.
Ethiopia
The UN has suspended flights to Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region, after an aid flight carrying 11 passengers was forced to abort its landing in the midst of government air raids. The flight safely returned to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the UN now says it is “carefully reviewing the circumstances” of what happened. Tensions between authorities and humanitarian agencies have been high with the UN accusing the government of imposing a de facto blockade on the Tigray region, even as hundreds of thousands of people live in famine-like conditions.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Israel-Palestine
Israel today designated six well-known Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organizations. International rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch slammed the move in a rare joint statement. “This appalling and unjust decision is an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement,” the groups said, adding that it “effectively outlaws” the six organizations.
More from the New Arab here.