Heavy fighting as Congo tries to fend off resurgent M23 rebels
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Heavy fighting raged in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday between the army and M23 rebels, who are waging their most sustained offensive since a 2012-2013 insurrection that briefly overran the major city of Goma. The army recaptured its base in Rumangabo from the M23 but the rebels […]
Families confront horror after 11 babies die in Senegal hospital fire
Tivaouane, Senegal Reuters Three weeks ago, Ramata Gueye died after giving birth to a son, Mohamed, seven months into her pregnancy. On Thursday, her bereaved husband El Hadj Gueye learnt that Mohamed was one of 11 babies killed by a fire in a hospital neonatal ward. The couple had been trying for a baby for […]
Russian forces edge closer to encircling Ukraine troops in east; WHO condemns Russia’s aggression
Kyiv,/Svitlodarsk, Ukraine Reuters Advancing Russian forces came closer to surrounding Ukrainian troops in the east, briefly seizing positions on the last highway out of a crucial pair of Ukrainian-held cities before being beaten back, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday. Three months into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has abandoned its assault on the capital […]
Hemmed in by COVID curbs, Beijingers seek respite in urban outdoors
Beijing, ChinaReuters On a hot, sunny day, children and adults splashed in the cool run-off of the Yongding River in a park on the western outskirts of Beijing, a city under near-lockdown in China’s head-on battle with COVID-19. While gatherings are discouraged and many parks in the sprawling city of 22 million are shut, Beijingers […]
Health Insight: Pet therapy – how dogs, cats and horses help improve human wellbeing
In an article first published on The Conversation, ANN HEMINGWAY, professor of public health and wellbeing at Bournemouth University in the UK, looks at the role pets can play in human health…
Pakistani ex-PM Khan demands new elections be set in six days
Islamabad, PakistanAP Defiant former Prime Minister Imran Khan early Thursday warned Pakistan’s government to set new elections in the next six days or he will again march on the capital along with three million people. Khan spoke at a rally of thousands of demonstrators in Islamabad aiming to bring down the government and force early […]
On the Screen: Cruise in control in a high flying impossible mission in ‘Top Gun’ reboot
MARCUS CHEONG watches the return of Tom Cruise as Maverick as an Eighties classic gets a refresh…
Christian leaders press US lawmakers to extend child tax credit for poor families
Washington DC, USRNS A campaign backed by a broad coalition of Christian leaders will urge Congress to extend the child tax credit to low-income families, hoping to broaden access to the popular financial assistance program after lawmakers allowed an expanded version to expire last year. Beginning with an advertisement in Politico Magazine that will run […]
In Canada’s Quebec, Indigenous people continue to fight French law
Montreal, CanadaReuters A sweeping law adopted by Quebec on Tuesday to promote French usage is elevating already simmering tensions with indigenous groups, who see the move as an imposition and have vowed to fight it. Bill 96, passed by a majority of Quebec legislators, sets stricter rules to enforce French usage in the province, adding […]
Philippines Congress proclaims Marcos as next president
Manila, Philippines Reuters A joint session of Philippines Congress on Wednesday declared Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, the son and namesake of the notorious late dictator, the winner of this month’s election and confirmed he would become the country’s next president. The proclamation formalises the once unimaginable return to power of the country’s most famous political dynasty, […]