As Uganda presses ahead with its crackdown on illegal migration, authorities have arrested dozens of foreigners since Monday. The latest operation targeted a group of people living in the north of the country, and another group living in a closed compound.

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The harm to health and the environment caused by mercury used in illegal gold mining in the Amazon was reported to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) with the presentation of a study by Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF). The autonomous international body is affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS).

The document, presented last week, complements the report the Prosecutor’s Office submitted in March to the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (REDESCA), which is linked to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Ecosystem contamination

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The liquid substance is frequently used in illegal gold mining operations because it readily binds with gold particles, forming what is known as “amalgam.”

After this metallic alloy forms, it is heated with a blowtorch. As the temperature rises, the mercury evaporates, leaving only the gold behind.

The vaporized mercury spreads through the air and settles on soil and water, contaminating rivers, waterways, and fish - the staple food of indigenous and riverine communities - and can cause neurological problems.

In addition to mercury contamination, illegal mining causes ecosystem degradation through deforestation, intensive soil removal, and alterations to riverbeds.

The problem of illegal mining in the Amazon in Brazil and other countries is well known to the IACHR’s special rapporteur. Just over a month ago, REDESCA called for the guarantee of the “human right to water in the Americas,” particularly in the so-called “Guiana Shield,” comprising areas of Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Defense

In a statement to Agência Brasil, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) said it “has been directly involved in restricting the use of mercury in illegal mining operations.”

The institute noted that it established stricter criteria for access to legally imported mercury through a regulation created in 2024, in addition to “conducting ongoing environmental enforcement actions to curb the use of smuggled mercury in gold mining operations.”

The regulation requires “the licensing of individuals and legal entities that handle metallic mercury, as well as that they carry the Metallic Mercury Operations Document, which ensures that the import, sale, resale, and transfer of mercury occur only between previously licensed parties.”

The regulation, however, does not have the force of law, unlike the 1989 presidential decrees, which “remain in effect and prohibit, respectively, the use of mercury in gold mining, except in activities licensed by the environmental agency,” as noted by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.

Sharon, who was an English teacher at a middle school, committed the offenses over a period of about two years, when the student was between the ages of 12 and 14, according to the prosecution.

On Tuesday, police received reports of a nun being attacked at King David's Tomb in Jerusalem. A 36-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case and is being questioned for racist assault.

France has called on its nationals in Mali to leave the country “as soon as possible,” warning of an “extremely volatile” security situation after coordinated attacks struck several cities, including the capital Bamako.

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Almost two‑thirds of South Sudan’s population — around 7.9 million people —are now facing severe hunger, according to new figures released Tuesday, as renewed fighting between government and opposition forces accelerates the country’s slide toward catastrophe.

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A man was arrested after he raced along the Golders Green road attempting to stab Jewish residents. Police reportedly stopped him with a taser.

According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), Jamal Obeid, a member of the Supreme Leadership Body of Fatah in Gaza, accused Israel of introducing rats into previously uninfested areas of Gaza.

A State Department spokesman rejected the notion of policy disagreements being the root cause for the acting ambassador’s departure.

Yossi and Moshe fought together, fell together, and now, rest together side by side on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl.

No one could deny that face-to-face Israel-Lebanon negotiations are long overdue – most would say by many decades.

Pix of the Day, 29 April 2026

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Tens of thousands of people have returned to Khartoum since the army recaptured it from the Rapid Support Forces in March last year.

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The United States on Tuesday denied funding paramilitary units charged with securing mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a day after Kinshasa announced the creation of a mining guard.

Almost two‑thirds of South Sudan’s population—around 7.9 million people—are now facing severe hunger, according to new figures released Tuesday, as renewed fighting between government and opposition forces accelerates the country’s slide toward catastrophe.

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A plurality of Israelis view Israel as stronger than before the war, though almost a third of respondents believe the country has been weakened as a result of the roughly five-week-long conflict.

Former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus says Israel faces unresolved fronts in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, warning that degraded enemies can still recover if not decisively defeated.

The request centers on a segment presented as a parody of the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner, during which host Jimmy Kimmel referenced First Lady Melania Trump.

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Shifra Jacobs—the top stories, clear and concise.