WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US state of Texas on Wednesday executed a man sentenced to death for a triple murder despite claims by his lawyers that his trial was tainted by racial bias. John Balentine, a 54-year-old African American, received a lethal injection, nearly 25 years after he shot three white teenagers as they slept. Balentine was pronounced dead at 6:36 pm local time (0036 GMT Thursday) in the city of Huntsville, the […]
Tag: racism
Haitians accuse Dominicans of race-based arrests, expulsions
by Richard Pierrin with Amelie Baron in Paris Agence France-Presse PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) — His Haitian passport was in order, with up-to-date visas, so when police in the Dominican Republic detained him for hours, Josue Azor feels certain it was because of the black color of his skin. The arrest of the young photographer came amid a wave of expulsions of Haitian migrants by the Santo Domingo government, with Black people being specifically targeted, according […]
Prince William, Kate, in US for visit overshadowed by new race row
Boston, United States (AFP) by Cecilia SANCHEZ with Phil HAZLEWOOD and Jitendra JOSHI in London Prince William and wife Kate began their first visit to America in eight years Wednesday under the cloud of a fresh racism row after his godmother quit the royal household for repeatedly asking a Black British woman where she was “really” from. The Prince and Princess of Wales met Boston mayor Michelle Wu and governor-elect Maura Healey at the […]
Report slams ‘institutional racism’ in UK courts
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A report has said it found evidence of “institutional racism” in the UK justice system in England and Wales, particularly in the treatment of black and Asian defendants. There are currently no black judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal or Supreme Court. In England and Wales, nine percent of judges are non-white and just one percent are black, according to government statistics. Released late Tuesday, the report […]
Pres. Marcos Jr., asks UN Summit to work towards ending racism, Asian hate crimes
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, September 20, called for the elimination of racism and Asian hate as he pledged to accelerate the implementation of a human rights joint programme with the United Nations. “We still dream of an end to the disturbing incidents of racism, of Asian hate, of all prejudice,” Marcos said in a speech at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The Philippines-United Nations Joint […]
WHO temporarily replaces W. Pacific chief accused of bullying, racism
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) – The WHO said Tuesday it had sent its number two to step in for its Western Pacific chief, who has been accused by staff of abusive, racist and authoritarian behaviour. The World Health Organization has dispatched Deputy Director General Zsuzsanna Jakab from its Geneva global headquarters to temporarily replace Japanese doctor Takeshi Kasai at the regional office in Manila. A slew of accusations against Kasai emerged in January from staff past […]
US supermarket shooting suspect back in court
The white teenager accused of gunning down 10 Black people during a racist rampage at a supermarket in New York state was back in court Thursday. Payton Gendron, 18, wore orange prison fatigues and a white face mask as he appeared for the pre-trial felony hearing at the county court in Buffalo. He said nothing during the hearing, which lasted just a few minutes. Several of the suspect’s family members were in the courtroom, […]
Biden attacks white supremacist ‘poison’ after racist shooting
by Nicholas Kamm with Sebastian Smith in Washington © Agence France-Presse Buffalo, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday called out what he branded the “poison” of white supremacist ideology behind a deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, and said that racism is being stoked for political gain. Speaking in the city where a white teen is accused of murdering 10 African Americans in a neighborhood supermarket, Biden said, “What […]
US shooter embraced racist ‘replacement’ theory online
by Paul HANDLEY The teenager charged with shooting dead 10 African Americans at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York followed an insidious racist creed gaining ground among white Americans that minorities are taking over society. The 18-year-old suspect Payton Gendron took explicit inspiration from the white supremacist gunman who murdered 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019. The Christchurch killer had warned in a manifesto of a “Great Replacement” of white […]
Controversy as UK pushes ‘anti-woke’ schools guidance
by Jitendra JOSHI Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Britain’s government on Thursday stoked controversy by issuing new schools guidance that urges teachers to avoid “contested” areas in history, anti-racism and climate change. The guidance, which singles out the activist group Black Lives Matter, comes with Prime Minister Boris Johnson fighting for his political survival and accused of trying to distract voters’ attention by pushing an “anti-woke” agenda. Citing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the […]
130-year-old time capsule found in base of statue of Confederate general
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Workers dismantling the pedestal of a statue of a Confederate general discovered a copper box on Monday believed to have been buried 130 years ago, the second apparent time capsule unearthed at the site. “They found it!” tweeted Virginia Governor Ralph Northam along with pictures of the box. “This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for.” They found it! This is likely the time capsule everyone was […]
Biden signs hate crimes law protecting Asian Americans
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden signed a hate crimes law Thursday aimed at protecting Asian Americans who have suffered a surge in attacks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Racism, Biden told Asian American politicians and senior members of Congress in a packed room at the White House, is “an ugly poison that has long plagued our nation.” Reeling off a list of violent incidents, which took place against a backdrop of anti-Chinese […]





