Congo rebels seize eastern border town, army blames Rwanda
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have seized the eastern border town of Bunagana, the rebel group and local activists said on Monday, sending more than 30,000 civilians fleeing into neighbouring Uganda. The Congolese army in a statement said Rwandan troops had occupied the town. Congo has […]
UN rights chief says no to second term amid China trip backlash
Geneva, SwitzerlandAP The United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said on Monday that she would not seek a second term for personal reasons, refuting speculation that it was a decision linked to blowback over her trip to China last month. Bachelet, 70, was criticised by rights groups as well as some Western governments, including […]
Amid fierce fighting, Russian forces cut last Sievierodonetsk escape route
Kyiv/Bakhmut, Ukraine Reuters Russian forces tightened their grip on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk on Monday, a Ukrainian official said, cutting off the last routes for evacuating citizens in a scene that echoed last month’s siege of the port of Mariupol. Amid heavy bombardment, regional Governor Sergei Gaidai said on social media that all […]
Indian officials step up arrests, demolish houses to stop unrest over anti-Islam remarks
Srinagar/Kolkata, India Reuters Authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have demolished the homes of several people accused of involvement in riots last week triggered by derogatory remarks made by ruling party figures about Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, officials said on Sunday. In Indian Kashmir, police arrested a youth for posting a video threatening to behead the […]
Tasty name but no Big Mac: Russia opens rebranded McDonald’s restaurants
Reuters It might look and smell like McDonald’s but now it’s Vkusno & tochka. The golden arches are gone, the Filet-O-Fish is simply a fish burger. The Big Mac has left Russia. A new era for Russia’s fast-food and economic scene dawned on Sunday, as McDonald’s restaurants flung open their doors in Moscow under new […]
WTO chief warns of rocky road to deals amid “polycrisis”
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed cautious optimism on Sunday that more than 100 trade ministers meeting in Geneva would achieve one or two global deals this week, but warned the path there would be bumpy and rocky. The director-general from Nigeria said the world had changed since the WTO’s last ministerial […]
Congo says Rwandan forces supported latest rebel attacks as thousands flee
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Regional authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said Rwandan soldiers and artillery had supported attacks by the M23 rebel group on Sunday, accusing Rwanda of seeking to occupy the Congolese border town of Bunagana. The violence pushed over 25,000 people to flee the area, with thousands escaping to neighbouring […]
Global nuclear arsenal to grow for first time since Cold War – thinktank
Stockholm, SwedenReuters The global nuclear arsenal is expected to grow in the coming years for the first time since the Cold War while the risk of such weapons being used is the greatest in decades, a leading conflict and armaments thinktank said on Monday. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western support for Kyiv has heightened […]
Climate migration: From Dhaka to Freetown, cities on alert
KIM HARRISBERG and CAREY L BIRON, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on calls from city mayors in climate vulnerable nations for cash and a bigger say in forging policies to deal with displacement caused by drought, storms and flooding…
Renaissance synagogues being restored in Venice’s ghetto
Venice, ItalyAP Venice’s Jewish ghetto is considered the first in Europe and one of the first in the world, and a new effort is underway to preserve its 16th-century synagogues for the Jews who have remained and tourists who pass through. For nearly two years, restorers have been peeling away paint and discovering the original […]