Some militant arms in Niger came from West African state stockpiles – report
Lagos, NigeriaReuters Significant proportions of weapons and arms seized from Islamist insurgents in Niger came from West African state stockpiles, suggesting authorities are struggling to secure arms stores in the region, a report said on Monday. There was no suggestion that any governments were sending weapons to militants who have launched attacks in Niger as […]
Ukraine urges more world pressure, says it repels Russian attack on eastern city
Kyiv/Mariupol, Ukraine Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told global business leaders on Monday the world must increase sanctions against Russia to deter other countries from using “brute force” to achieve their aims. Zelenskiy spoke via video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos as the Ukrainian military claimed to have held off a Russian […]
Five dead, scores trapped after building collapses in Iran: state TV
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Reuters Five people were killed when a 10-storey building in Iran’s southern city of Abadan partly collapsed and rescuers were trying to help at least 80 people left trapped under the rubble, Iranian state TV reported on Monday. Iranians gather at the site of a ten-storey building collapse in Abadan, Iran, […]
Sri Lankan medicine shortage a death sentence for some, doctors say
Colombo, Sri LankaReuters A shortage of medicine caused by an economic crisis in Sri Lanka could soon cause deaths, doctors said, as hospitals are forced to postpone life-saving procedures for their patients because they do not have the necessary drugs. Sri Lanka imports more than 80 per cent of its medical supplies but with foreign […]
UN Human Rights chief due to arrive in China for historic visit
Beijing, China/Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet begins a visit to China on Monday, the first trip by a holder of the office since 2005 amid concerns that it could lead to an endorsement rather than scrutiny of China’s rights record. During the six-day trip, Bachelet will visit Xinjiang, […]
Christian leaders in Africa praying for peace in Ukraine amid growing food security concerns
Nairobi, Kenya Christian leaders in Africa are praying for peace between Ukraine and Russia, saying the conflict is impacting food security in Africa as both countries are essential grain and oil crude exporters to the continent. Women at a roadside marketplace around Kibale, Uganda. PICTURE: NeilsPhotography (licensed under CC BY 2.0) In Uganda, clerics said the war has […]
Vatican airs dirty laundry in trial over London property
Vatican CityAP The Vatican’s sprawling financial trial may not have produced any convictions yet or any new smoking guns as prosecutors work through a first round of questioning of the 10 suspects accused of fleecing the Holy See of tens of millions of euros. But testimony so far has provided plenty of insights into how […]
Governments need to take urgent action to combat inequality – Oxfam
London, UKReuters Governments need to take urgent action to tackle rising inequality which emerged over the COVID-19 crisis with a surge in energy and food prices ramping up pressures on millions of people around the world, Oxfam said on Monday. The report, released by the Nairobi-based charity as top policy makers and industry chiefs arrive […]
More than 100 million people forcibly displaced in the world – UN
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters More than 100 million people have been driven from their homes around the world, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Monday, citing new data about those escaping violence, conflict, persecution and human rights violations. The war in Ukraine has been one of the factors propelling millions of people to flee, the […]
COVID-19, shootings: Is mass death now tolerated in America?
MICHELLE R SMITH, of Associated Press, reports from the US that the sheer numbers of deaths – caused by everything from from COVID-19 to mass shootings – has some grappling with the question of whether mass death become accepted in the US…