International

UNICEF reports 70% increase in child recruitment by gangs in Haiti

Haitian gangs are recruiting children at unprecedented levels, with a 70% increase in the number of targeted minors in the past year, according to a report published on Monday by UNICEF.

Currently, between 30% and 50% of all gang members in the violence-torn country are children, according to the United Nations.

“This is a very concerning trend,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.

The rise comes as poverty deepens and violence escalates amid political instability, with gangs controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince and attacking communities that were once peaceful in an effort to take full control of the capital.

Young children are often used as informants “because they are invisible and not seen as a threat,” Narayan said in a phone interview from Haiti. Some are given weapons and forced to participate in attacks.

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Girls, on the other hand, are forced to cook, clean, and are even used as so-called “wives” of gang members.

“They don’t do it willingly,” Narayan pointed out. “Even when armed, the child here is the victim.”

Easy Targets

In a country where more than 60% of the population lives on less than $4 a day, and hundreds of thousands of Haitians are hungry or close to starvation, recruiting children is often easy.

A minor who was in a gang said he was paid $33 every Saturday, while another said he was paid thousands of dollars in his first month participating in gang operations, according to a UN Security Council report.

“Children and families are becoming increasingly desperate in some cases due to extreme poverty,” said Narayan.

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If children refuse to join a gang, armed men often threaten them or their families, or simply kidnap them.

Gangs also exploit children who are separated from their families after being deported from the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola.

“These children are increasingly becoming the target,” Narayan said.

International

Lula invites Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to BRICS Summit in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has invited Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to participate in the next BRICS summit, which will take place in Brazil this July.

“I am inviting all these countries here—Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico—to take part in BRICS in Brazil. Even if they are not official members, it is important for them to participate because this is a time for global discussion,” Lula stated.

Strengthening Multilateralism and Free Trade

While attending the presidential handover ceremony in Uruguay, Lula emphasized the importance of including these countries in the conversation, given that BRICS represents nearly half of the world’s population and global GDP.

“It is crucial that at this BRICS summit, we truly strengthen two fundamental pillars: multilateralism and free trade. Without trade freedom, there is no multilateralism, and there is no democracy,” he declared.

Lula also proposed drafting a serious document to present at the summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, reaffirming the commitment to respecting multilateralism and promoting free trade.

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International

Navy warship saves lithuanian adventurer caught in Pacific Storm

An Australian warship rescued a Lithuanian rower on Monday after he encountered a tropical cyclone while attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from California.

Aurimas Mockus was brought aboard the Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules, where he underwent a medical checkup, Vice Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement.

“Due to the highly unfavorable maritime conditions, Mr. Mockus’ vessel could not be recovered, except for two oars and some personal belongings,” stated the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which coordinated the rescue.

Three Days Adrift in the Coral Sea

The 44-year-old adventurer spent three days adrift in the Coral Sea, approximately 740 kilometers (460 miles) east of Mackay, a coastal city in Queensland. He had rowed non-stop from San Diego in a closed vessel, aiming to reach Brisbane.

Mockus began his 12,000-kilometer (7,500-mile) journey in October and was only days away from Brisbane when he encountered the storm, which is expected to make landfall in Australia soon.

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Brisbane is located 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Mackay in a straight line.

Mockus activated an emergency beacon on Friday after rowing into stormy seas and 80 km/h (50 mph) winds generated by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, according to the rescue authority.

A rescue aircraft established radio contact with Mockus on Saturday, where he reported feeling “fatigued,” the authority said.

International

UK investigates TikTok over teen data use in content recommendations

The UK’s data protection office announced on Monday that it is investigating how TikTok uses teenagers’ personal information to generate content recommendations on the social media platform.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) expressed growing concerns about how social media platforms use data generated by children’s online activity to fuel their recommendation algorithms. This raises the potential risk of exposing young users to inappropriate or harmful content.

The regulator stated that it aims to assess the strength of TikTok’s safety procedures regarding the personal data of users aged 13 to 17.

“It’s about what they are collecting and how their systems work,” said Information Commissioner John Edwards. “I expect to find that there are many benign and positive uses of children’s data in their recommendation systems.”