Foreign news
Report: U.S. wealth division leads to serious human rights issues
The China Society for Human Rights Studies on Tuesday published an article laying bare the harsh reality of the serious division between the rich and the poor in the United States under the superficial of its overall prosperity.
The growing division between the rich and the poor in the United States has further highlighted and exacerbated the existing social and economic inequality within the U.S. society, reducing people at the bottom to a more difficult situation, read the article titled “The Growing Division Between the Rich and the Poor Leading to Increasingly Severe Human Rights Issues in the United States.”
The wealth of 0.1 percent of the richest U.S. family equals to the sum of wealth owned by the 90 percent families from the bottom combined, noted the report, citing comments from a UN Special Rapporteur who said the United States has the widest gap between the rich and the poor among all Western countries.
“The American Dream was rapidly transforming into the “American Illusion,” said the rapporteur.
American illusion
The growing division between the rich and the poor have led the American people into grave human rights disasters, the report pointed out, noting low-income groups are faced with the threat of hunger and their equal opportunities for education are also eroded due to poverty.
According to the report, around 40 million U.S. citizens live in poverty, and among them, 18.5 million live in extreme poverty. Nearly half of U.S. households are unable to maintain an adequate standard of living and more than five million U.S. citizens live in a state comparable to that of the absolutely poor in the third world.
The division also caused the “health gap” in the U.S. as those who lost their medical insurance due to poverty cannot afford medical expenses also have shorter life expectancy and are more likely to die of illness, said the report.
The report attributed the cause of the division to “the so-called U.S. democratic system” which “deprives its citizens of economic, social, and cultural rights.”
Money politics
It further revealed that the U.S. government lacks the political will to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, stating the nature of “money politics” of the U.S. political system.
“The capital interest has turned the U.S. government into a spokesman for the rich,” said the report.
It suggested that the division between the rich and the poor in the U.S. will be a stable, long-term trend as substantial reversal of this situation is unlikely in the near future.
“The severe negative impact it has brought on the enjoyment and realization of the human rights of the U.S. people will continue to worsen,” the report concluded.
(With input from Xinhua
Foreign news
Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’
Cyril Ogar
The Court of Arbitration has unanimously reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force, ruling that India cannot unilaterally place the 1960 agreement in “abeyance” or suspend its obligations under the treaty.
The decision represents a significant legal development in the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the management and use of the Indus river system.
The Court’s finding addresses a fundamental issue at the heart of the dispute: whether either party can unilaterally suspend the treaty outside the legal framework agreed by both countries.
In its unanimous determination, the Court made clear that the IWT continues to bind both India and Pakistan and that its obligations cannot be set aside through a unilateral political declaration.
The ruling means India remains subject to the treaty provisions governing the use of the Western Rivers, including requirements relating to the design and operation of hydroelectric projects, as well as the dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.
The Court has also ordered interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant, restricting specified construction activities while the broader dispute remains under consideration.
The measures are aimed at preserving the effectiveness of the arbitration process and preventing developments that could prejudice the outcome of the proceedings.
For Pakistan, the decision represents significant legal validation of its longstanding position that the IWT is a binding international agreement and contains no provision allowing either party to unilaterally place it in abeyance.
Pakistan has consistently maintained that disagreements over the treaty should be addressed through the institutional mechanisms established by the agreement, rather than through unilateral action.
The IWT provides a structured framework for resolving disputes through mechanisms including the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes.
The latest ruling therefore reinforces the principle that treaty obligations cannot simply be disregarded because of deteriorating political relations between signatories.
The significance of the decision extends beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It underscores the broader international-law principle that agreements governing shared rivers and other transboundary resources must be respected and disputes resolved through established legal and institutional channels.
The Indus river system supports agriculture, livelihoods, food security and communities across the region, making the stability of the treaty particularly important.
The ruling also highlights the distinction between seeking to amend an international agreement through mutually agreed procedures and attempting to alter its obligations unilaterally.
The IWT has endured wars, prolonged diplomatic tensions and periods of limited bilateral engagement. Its continued operation demonstrates the importance of rules-based mechanisms in managing shared resources when relations between neighbouring states become strained.
For Pakistan, the outcome provides an opportunity to frame the decision not merely as a bilateral legal victory, but as an affirmation of international law, treaty compliance and peaceful dispute resolution.
The central message from the ruling is clear: the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force, its obligations continue to bind both parties, and disputes concerning shared waters must be addressed through the legal mechanisms agreed by India and Pakistan.
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