Ethiopia
The UN Human Rights Council has ordered an international investigation into abuses committed during Ethiopia’s year-long war, despite fierce protests from Ethiopia’s government. The UN’s deputy rights chief, Nada al-Nashif, said the UN was continuing to receive “credible reports” that all sides in the conflict have been committing severe human rights abuses. Ethiopia’s war has killed tens of thousands, made millions homeless and pushed hundreds of thousands into famine conditions. The Ethiopian government said it would not cooperate with the probe.
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Japan
A horrible story out of Japan. Police suspect arson was the cause of a fire that broke out at a mental health clinic in the city of Osaka, killing at least 24 people. In addition to the clinic, the building houses other businesses, but officials believe the fire spread in the clinic and that is where the deaths occured, possibly from smoke inhalation.
More from AP here.
Brazil
A new film, ‘Executive Order’, is the subject of a row in Brazil over allegations it is being censored by the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The movie’s plot centers around an order made by an authoritarian government that all Black Brazilians be sent to Africa, after which a resistance movement rises up. Film critics who have seen ‘Executive Order’ say it is filled with references to structural racism in the Brazil of today, and that several characters bear a strong resemblance to real-life government figures. It is drawing acclaim at film festivals around the world.
More from France 24 here.