- On a rare visit to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s convoy was the target of a bomb attack near a border post with Israel. The roadside bombing triggered a new round of hostility between the Palestinian Authority and the Islamist Hamas movement, which has been in control of Gaza since 2007. (“Attack on Palestinian Prime Minister calls reconciliation into question,” The Associated Press, March 13, 2018; “Palestinians reject U.S. invitation to Gaza ‘stakeholder’ summit,” Al-Jazeera, March 10, 1018; “U.N. Palestinian refugee agency get new cash pledges, needs much more to survive,” Reuters, March 15, 2018)
- Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is pulling his southeast Asian nation out of the International Criminal Court, which investigates human rights violations and war crimes. In early February, the ICC initiated a preliminary inquiry into Duterte’s war on drug dealers, which has led to the deaths of 12,000 Filipinos, many who were killed during police raids or targeted by paramilitary groups. (“Duterte to withdraw Philippines from ICC after outrageous attacks,'” March 14, 2018; “Philippines’ Duterte tried to run from justice,” Human Rights Watch, March 14, 2018)
- Former NAACP president Ben Jealous is bringing a progressive agenda to the election for Maryland governor this November. A lifelong civil rights activist and ally of Bernie Sanders, Jealous is calling for free tuition at public universities, Medicare for All and moving to a $15 an hour minimum wage. (“A candidate both Bernie and Hillary could love,” In These Times, forthcoming in April 2018)
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