what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

A torture site and mass graves have been found near Khartoum, Sudan – this is the evidence

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Survivors say they were packed into tiny, filthy rooms, so crowded they couldn’t even stretch their legs. A corner of the room was used as a toilet. The walls were covered in graffiti begging for help. One message simply said: "Here you will die." Guards used wooden sticks to hit people, and in some cases, they were shot at close range. The ceilings still have bullet holes. Prisoners were given just a small cup of lentil soup per day, nowhere near enough to keep them healthy. Locked in for so long with no space to move and no idea if they’d make it out, many just stopped talking altogether. Survivors also say they were racially insulted and harassed by guards. Some were called part of the "56 state", referring to the year Sudan became independent—basically suggesting they belonged to an old Sudan that the RSF wants to get rid of.

Why were they there?
Many were ordinary civilians, taken for reasons that made no sense. Some tried to stop RSF soldiers from looting their homes. Others were arrested for refusing to hand over their phones. Many were likely targeted because of their ethnicity or suspected loyalty to the other side. Although all the detainees found at the site were civilians, reporters also found Sudanese military ID cards scattered on the floor. Were soldiers secretly held and executed here too? Did RSF take these IDs from captured troops? No one knows for sure yet.

How do we know the RSF was behind the torture and mass grave site?
Here's what the evidence points to:

• Survivor testimonies – People who escaped from the site have described RSF fighters as their captors. They recounted being tortured, starved, and executed under RSF command.
   
• The Sudanese army found it – The site was discovered and inspected by Sudanese army forces, who took control of the area after pushing RSF fighters out. They found RSF gear, weapons, and records that tied them to the place.
   
• Written records – Inside the torture chambers, detainees left messages on the walls pleading for mercy. The Guardian also found an A3 notebook listing detainee names in Arabic, some of which were crossed out. (It's unclear what this meant.)
   
• RSF has done this before – This isn’t a one-time thing. The RSF has a history of torturing, executing, and terrorizing people in other parts of Sudan. Another RSF torture center was found in southern Khartoum, where Egyptians were reportedly among those tortured—some to death.
   
• They were running a Captagon lab nearby – Just a few miles from the torture site, Sudanese military intelligence found a massive Captagon drug lab, believed to be run by the RSF. This lines up with their usual tactics of using drugs to keep their fighters going and funding their war.

The former president of the Philippines has been arrested. Thousands are really happy

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The ICC accuses Duterte of creating and funding "death squads"—first as mayor of Davao, then as president—specifically ordering police and hired hitmen to kill suspected drug users and dealers. His own speeches, government documents, and witness testimony are part of the case against him. He thought he was safe by pulling the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019, but prosecutors argue they still have jurisdiction since the alleged crimes happened before that. The arrest warrant landed in Manila at 3 a.m. and by the afternoon, Duterte was on a plane to face trial in Europe.

Definition of "death squad": Secret groups that kill people without a trial, usually with the support of the government or police. Instead of arresting suspects and letting the courts decide, these squads act as judge, jury, and executioner, targeting people the government sees as criminals or threats. "Death squads" aren't particular to the Philippines; they have existed in many countries, especially under dictatorships. These groups are often linked to human rights abuses, political violence, and crimes against humanity.

What are victims saying?
"For us victims, this is the first step to attaining justice," said a lawyer representing families of people killed in Duterte’s drug war. Across the Philippines, victims’ families gathered to watch the trial, some holding up photos of their loved ones. One mother, whose son was killed in 2016, pumped her fist in the air when she heard about Duterte’s arrest. Another waited until nighttime to tell her husband because she knew he’d break down in tears. Human rights groups called this a landmark case and warned that other leaders (cough Putin, Netanyahu) should take note.

How is Duterte handling it?
Surprisingly, he didn’t fight the arrest. No dramatic escape, no last-minute legal battles. He even recorded a video message on the plane, taking responsibility for his "drug war" policies. But his legal team? They’re calling it a kidnapping and claiming he’s too ill to stand trial. The ICC judge immediately shut that down, saying their doctors declared him fit to appear in court.

Good to know: Duterte and Marcos Jr., the current president, were once allies—Duterte’s daughter and former vice president, Sara, helped Marcos get elected in 2022. But that alliance collapsed fast. Marcos impeached Sara, her father got arrested, and now the Dutertes are fighting for political survival. His daughter is currently leading in the polls for the 2028 election. Duterte’s daughter showed up at court and said her father is "in good spirits" but mainly just misses Filipino food. Meanwhile, his other daughter was complaining on Instagram that he only got a sandwich on the plane.

What now?
The ICC moves slowly, so don’t expect a trial anytime soon—his next hearing isn’t until September. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Meanwhile, President Marcos is playing a risky game—betting he can take down the Dutertes without backlash. He greenlit the arrest—and it’s widely seen as a move to destroy the Duterte dynasty. So far? It’s working. Polls show most Filipinos support the ICC case, and in the upcoming elections, Duterte’s allies—including the guy who ran his "drug war"—could lose big.

"This was justice, regardless of how we got here," said Maria Ressa, the Nobel Prize-winning journalist who has long been a target of Duterte because her news website, Rappler, has investigated the "drug war". "Now, is there politics involved? There is always politics involved," she added. "But it’s a reminder to the rest of the world that accountability comes for you sooner or later and that impunity doesn’t last forever."

The deeper question, in my opinion, also is: Will this actually change anything? The systems that enabled Duterte’s rule—the police force that carried out his orders, the politicians who protected him—are still in place. Plus, President Marcos has also continued the "drug war", says Human Rights Watch. If the structures of violence remain, is arresting one man enough?

what else happened

Bad

Chad: Chad just won the worst prize possible—most polluted country in the world. A new report says the air is 18 times filthier than what the WHO considers safe. Meanwhile, only seven countries worldwide are breathing clean air (think Australia, Iceland, and New Zealand). But here’s the kicker—Africa has less than 1% of the world’s air monitoring stations. Case in point? Lagos, one of the biggest cities in Nigeria, didn’t even make the report. Why? No reliable data. (IQAir report in PDF)

Cuba: Cuba’s entire power grid collapsed Friday night, leaving 10 million people in the dark. One faulty power line in Havana triggered a domino effect, shutting everything down—for the fourth time since October. Some parts of Havana got power back, but most of the country is still stuck with no electricity and spoiled food. The government blames U.S. sanctions and old power plants. Their solution? Work with China to build solar farms. (Reuters)

U.S. / Yemen: The U.S. is not letting up on Yemen’s Houthis. Latest U.S. airstrikes just killed 31 people—the biggest attack since Trump came back. The Houthis? Still firing at commercial ships and now threatening U.S. vessels directly. Meanwhile, Iran is side-eyeing America, warning them not to escalate, and Russia is out here saying, "Guys, can we just talk?" (Reuters)

Mexico: A mass grave in Jalisco, Mexico, was just found, full of skeletal remains, bullet casings, and clothing. Authorities think it was a cartel site used to burn and bury bodies. Over 600 personal items—backpacks, clothing, etc.—are now online, so families of missing persons can try to identify their loved ones. Mexico has 124,000+ missing people, and Amnesty International is calling for action. The government? Dragging its feet. Local community groups are doing the real work. (Reuters)

Interesting...

South Africa: The government still hasn’t figured out its budget. They’ve been arguing for weeks—some want higher taxes, others say no. Now, everything’s stuck. The ruling coalition is already struggling, and they’ve only been in power for nine months. Experts think they’ll figure it out by the end of March, but raising taxes could slow the economy even more. (Daily Maverick) Oh, and fun fact—the European Union just handed South Africa US$5 billion for clean energy, vaccines, and tech. Some folks are whispering that it’s because South Africa and the U.S. aren’t exactly besties right now. (RFI)

Syria: Syria’s new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, just signed a five-year temporary constitution after his Islamist group overthrew Assad. The doc claims to protect free speech and women’s rights while keeping Islamic law at the center. But, surprise! Not everyone’s buying it. The Kurdish-led government in northeast Syria says this whole thing ignores Syria’s diversity and hands way too much power to the president. Meanwhile, the UN is pushing for an investigation into last week’s sectarian violence that killed 1,500 civilians. (BBC News)

Brazil: A new four-lane highway is tearing through protected rainforest in Pará, Brazil, and officials swear it has nothing to do with the upcoming COP30 climate summit. They claim this project started in 2020, long before Belem was picked to host world leaders. Locals? Not convinced. A BBC report even found a state official listing the road as part of COP30 prep. The government denies this. (Reuters)

Japan: Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is in hot water for giving lawmakers gift certificates worth US$673 each. He swears they were just a "personal gesture," but critics are calling it bribery. Now, the opposition wants him out, and even some of his allies aren’t thrilled. With an election coming up in July and Japan’s economy struggling, this scandal is not helping his approval rating—already tanked at 36%. (Reuters)

Good

Nigeria: Finally, some good news: Nigeria is launching a US$40 million fund to help early-stage tech startups. Until now, local entrepreneurs mostly relied on private investors, but the government is stepping in. This move is part of Nigeria’s Startup Act, passed in 2022 to boost the country’s already massive tech scene—raising over $2 billion since 2015, more than any other African country. (Semafor)

DRC: Congo’s government has agreed to peace talks with the M23 group after months of saying "Nope." The meeting is set for March 18 in Angola. After losing battles and support, President Tshisekedi decided it was time. But M23 isn’t rushing to RSVP—they want Congo to publicly promise to negotiate first. The war has already killed 7,000 people and displaced 600,000 since January. Angola is calling for a ceasefire, but fighting is still happening. (Reuters)

Peru: A fisherman survived 94 days lost at sea. Maximo Napa, 61, drifted after bad weather pushed his boat off course. With no radio beacon, he survived on cockroaches, birds, and a turtle until an Ecuadorian vessel found him. His secret? Thinking about his mom and newborn granddaughter. (The Guardian)

France / Mozambique: TotalEnergies is in trouble. French prosecutors are investigating the energy giant for manslaughter over a 2021 jihadist attack near its gas project in Mozambique. Survivors say the company didn’t do enough to protect subcontractors. TotalEnergies denies wrongdoing, claiming they evacuated 2,500 people. If this case moves forward, they could face trial. Meanwhile, the U.S. just approved a US$5 billion loan to restart the Mozambique gas project—paused since the attack. (Reuters)

recommendations

Listen to... "Birthright Citizenship", a podcast episode by NPR's Throughline. Wong Kim Ark was born in the U.S., lived his whole life in the U.S., but one day in 1895, he came back from a trip to China and—boom—immigration officials were like, Nope, you’re not a citizen. They refused to let him off the ship, citing the Chinese Exclusion Act, which basically said, "If your parents were Chinese immigrants, you don’t count." Wong then took the fight all the way to the Supreme Court, and in 1898, he won. The justices ruled that if you’re born in the U.S., you’re a citizen—period. His case set a massive legal precedent, it was also the the reason birthright citizenship exists in the U.S. today, but it also exposed the deep hypocrisy of the time (and, let’s be honest, today too). A country built by immigrants was busy deciding which ones counted. Also, here’s a side note that always gets me: Every time people tell this story, they call Wong an "American". And by that, they mean "from the United States". That’s not actually what it should mean. America is a continent, not a country. Yet we rarely hear people from, say, Argentina or Canada called "American." Language shapes how we see the world, and maybe it’s time to reconsider how we use this term. Listen to the podcast episode here.

Read... "Overcoming the Deep Roots of Byzantine Orientalism" by Luka Ivan Jukić for New Lines Magazine. For centuries, Western intellectuals hated the Byzantine Empire. Like, really hated it. Voltaire, Gibbon, Hegel—these guys called it weak, corrupt, and downright embarrassing. And if you’re wondering, why the beef?—it’s because Byzantium didn’t fit into their neat little narrative of “Western progress.” See, Byzantium was Greek-speaking, Orthodox Christian, and heavily influenced by the East—basically, Rome’s long-lost cousin who didn’t get the memo about Latin and the Pope. It survived a whole millennium after Rome crumbled, but instead of being impressed, Western scholars saw it as stagnant rather than successful. Why should you care? Because this Byzantine slander still affects how we see Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and even Greece today—as somehow “less European” or stuck in the past. Moral of the story? History is written by the haters. Read the article here.

video of the week

on a funny note