France’s General Inspectorate for the National Police in the public prosecutor’s office in Nanterre on Wednesday opened an investigation into the beating of two women wearing headscarves by three officers in the town of Asnieres on April 14, according to French news outlet Le Figaro.  

An initial complaint was filed by the women’s lawyer Nabil Boudi on April 21, with a first probe opened on April 28 for “violence by public authority.”  

The women, aged 23 and 24, claimed in their complaint that the officers slapped them with no reason while they were crossing the Clichy Bridge in the town of Asnieres, which lies in the Normandy region in northern France. 

They detailed that a patrol car had flashed its lights at them as they made their way across a pedestrian crosswalk, and the car then stopped suddenly in the middle of the lane in front of them. 

The women said the officers got out of their vehicle with two of them slapping one of the women several times in the back and chest, and calling her “a dirty whore.” That woman also lost consciousness from the brutality she suffered.

One of the officers attempted to rip off the headscarf that one of the women was wearing. Videos of the event have circulated on social media. 

Boudi, the women’s attorney, said in a tweet on Wednesday that he “welcomes the speed with which the prosecution took up this complaint” but “regrets that the racist and Islamophobic character was not retained.” 

For their part, the police officers involved filed their own complaint on April 16 claiming “rebellion in a meeting” and “violence against persons holding public authority.” 

A tweet sent out from their headquarters further detailed that they had “activated the sound and light warning devices to control an offending vehicle. Despite the emergency, two women crossed the road, outraged the police and evaded control in the middle of a crowd that intervened.”/aa

US President Joe Biden said his administration is on track to cut the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion by the end of this fiscal year, the biggest decline in a single year ever in American history. 

He noted that there was a $350 billion drop in deficit last year. 

Biden was speaking at the White House on economic growth, jobs, and deficit reduction.

For the first time since 2016, the Treasury Department is planning to pay down the national debt, issued to the public, this quarter, said Biden.

Biden stated that the former President Donald Trump administration increased the deficit every year during in office, pointing out to its $2 trillion tax cut.

The president urged American corporations to pay their "fair share" in taxes.

"The tax cut had largely benefited the biggest corporations, 55 of which earned $40 billion in profit and paid not a single income tax in 2020," he said.

Biden emphasized that bringing down the deficit is one way to ease inflationary pressures in the economy, adding "We reduced federal borrowing and we helped combat inflation."

About the EU's proposal of gradual ban on Russian oil imports, Biden said he will talk to G7 members this week./aa

The US trade deficit hit a record high of $109.8 billion in March, with imports increasing 10.3% to $351.5 billion, the highest value on record, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 

The deficit increased from $89.8 billion in February as imports increased more than exports.

Exports of goods and services went up by $12.9 billion, or 5.6%, in March to $241.7 billion, also reaching a new record value.

Shipments increased mainly for crude oil, fuel oil, natural gas liquids, autos and parts, transport, and travel.

Oil import prices in March surged to $87.2 a barrel compared to $76.37 in the previous month.

The largest rises were seen in purchases of finished metal shapes, crude oil, cotton apparel, household goods, footwear, furniture, computers, passenger cars, transport, and travel.

The trade deficit with China rose to $34 billion in March from $30.7 billion in February./aa

More than 267,000 asylum-seekers received protection in the European Union last year and Syrian, Afghan, and Venezuelan nationals were the main beneficiaries, the bloc’s statistical office announced on Wednesday.

“In 2021, EU Member States granted protection status to 267,360 asylum-seeker, down by 5% compared with 2020,” the Eurostat said in a statement.

Nearly half of the successful applicants were of Syrian and Afghan nationality, representing 26% and 20% respectively of the total number of granted protection statutes.

Venezuelans became the third biggest group of beneficiaries with 5% of all successful candidates.

One-third of accepted applications were registered in Germany, followed by France and Italy which granted protection to 17% and 12% respectively of the successful asylum-seekers.

In addition, 23,255 applicants received protection as unaccompanied minors which is 72% higher than it was in 2020.

According to Eurostat, the rise is explained by a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving from Afghanistan, compared to only 5,495 in 2020.

In total, 12,270 young Afghans arrived last year, representing 53% of all unaccompanied minors founding protection in the EU.

Some 24% of the unaccompanied minors were registered in Austria, while Germany and Bulgaria hosted both 14% of the total number of young refugees./aa

At least 20 people were killed as many others injured on Wednesday after a bus overturned along in western Uganda, police said.

Uganda traffic police spokesman Faridah Nampiima told Anadolu Agency: “So far 20 people, including seven children and nine women, have been confirmed dead. The injured passengers have been shifted to the hospital.”

The police are investigating the cause of the accident that took place on the Kyenjojo-Fort Portal road in the Ssebitoli village.

The roads in the East African country are prone to accidents due to reckless driving and corrupt traffic police who prefer getting bribes from traffic offenders instead of handing them to courts for punishment.

A recent report by police indicated that 387 accidents occurred between April 24 and April 30 in which 60 people died./aa

A shortage of midwives at public hospitals continues to be reported in Uganda, and the results are too often tragic.

A lack of skilled midwifery care puts the lives of expectant mothers and their newborns at risk, warned the latest report as the world observes the International Day of the Midwife on May 5.

A report by the National Library of Medicine titled Improving Midwifery Care in Ugandan Public Hospitals: The Midwives' Perspective notes that over 80% of the nurses and midwives working in public hospitals have been found to experience job stress and only 17% are satisfied with the job.

Stress and the lack of job satisfaction affect the quality of nursing and midwifery care and put patients' lives at risk, the report notes.

This is coupled with a rampant public outcry over the deteriorating nursing and midwifery care at Ugandan public hospitals.

The chronic under-investment in midwifery highlights how the needs of women and the skills of a mostly female workforce are often neglected by policymakers and health systems.

It is believed that midwives who are educated and regulated by international standards are able to provide 87% of the essential care needed by women and their newborns.

Policy

Pediatric specialist Dr. Fatuma Nakintu told Anadolu Agency that low- and middle-income countries, where growth in the number of nurses is barely keeping pace with population growth, are suffering the most acute shortages.

“The government should support midwives through recruiting highly trained midwives into the mainstream public service system, to strengthen nurse leadership and ensure that nurses have an influential role in forming health policy and decision-making, to contribute to the effectiveness of health and social care systems,” she said.

Shukura Nebaza, a midwife, told Anadolu Agency that midwives are central to primary health care and are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital.

"Good health is the foundation of a country's human capital, and no country can afford low-quality or unsafe health care. Midwives are part of their local community and can deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients in their localities,” she said.

For all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the world will need an additional 9 million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.

The global midwifery workforce now stands at 1.9 million, about two thirds of what is needed, according to the State of the World’s Midwifery 2021 report.

Universal coverage

According to the Health Ministry, Uganda needs an estimated 1,400 midwives to ensure universal coverage of maternity care. On average, a midwife in Uganda conducts 500 deliveries annually compared to the 175 recommended by the WHO.

Nakintu added that achieving health for all will depend on there being sufficient numbers of well-trained and educated, regulated, and well supported nurses and midwives who receive pay and recognition commensurate with the services and quality of care that they provide.

“Investing in nurses and midwives is good value for money,” she said.

The State of the World’s Midwifery 2021 report concluded that investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors result in a triple return of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s health minister, said the country is moving toward achieving universal health coverage, which is the cornerstone for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 on the global development agenda.

“The country has a robust health sector development plan that seeks to, among other goals, accelerate movement towards universal health coverage with essential health and related services needed for the promotion of a healthy and productive life,” said Aceng.

“There is a political commitment, strong partnerships, a vibrant private sector, and communities that are determined to ensure they get what they want,” she added./aa