Two thirds of South Sudan population risk severe hunger in 2023 – UN
Juba, South SudanReuters Up to 7.8 million people in South Sudan, two thirds of the population, may face severe food shortages during next year’s April-to-July lean season due to floods, drought and conflict, United Nations agencies said on Thursday. An aerial view from a from a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Mi-8MTV-1 helicopter shows […]
Postcards: In meat-loving South Africa, climate concerns whet appetite for veggie burgers
TIM COCKS, of Reuters, reports on the surprising inroads plant-based substitutes are making in South Africa despite a deep cultural love of meat and regulatory hostility…
Christian monastery possibly pre-dating Islam found in UAE
Siniyah Island, United Arab Emirates AP An ancient Christian monastery possibly dating as far back as the years before Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced Thursday. The monastery on Siniyah Island, part of the sand-dune sheikhdom of Umm al-Quwain, […]
IAEA says no sign of ‘dirty bomb’ work at Ukrainian sites; Kyiv hails report
Vienna, Austria Reuters The UN nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it had found no sign of undeclared nuclear activity at three sites in Ukraine that it inspected at Kyiv’s request in response to Russian allegations that work was being done on a “dirty bomb”. Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of planning to use such a […]
Kyiv wary as Russian official signals new retreat in southern Ukraine
Kyiv, UkraineReuters A Russian-installed occupation official in southern Ukraine said on Thursday Moscow was likely to pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River, signalling a huge retreat that, if confirmed, would be a major turning point in the war. Still, Ukrainian officials and Western analysts remained cautious about signs that Russia […]
In Bahrain, Pope speaks out against death penalty and discrimination
Sakhir, Bahrain Reuters Pope Francis spoke against the death penalty on Thursday at the start of a trip to Bahrain where the Shi’ite Muslim opposition accuse the Sunni monarchy of overseeing human rights abuses and families of death row inmates had sought help from the pontiff. The visit, only the second by a Pope to […]
Ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan shot in shin in what aides call assassination attempt
Lahore, PakistanReuters Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the shin on Thursday when his anti-government protest convoy came under attack in the east of the country in what his aides said was a clear assassination attempt by his rivals. Khan, ousted as Prime Minister in a parliamentary confidence vote in April, was […]
In Bahrain, Pope’s message may get caught in Shi’ite-Sunni Muslim divide
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis leaves on Thursday for Bahrain, a trip aimed at improving ties with the Islamic world but which could thrust him into a human rights conflict between the Sunni-led monarchy and its Shi’ite Muslim opposition. It is only the second visit by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula, following his 2019 visit […]
Brazil’s Bolsonaro urges protesters to lift road blockades
São Paulo, BrazilReuters Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for the first time on Wednesday asked protesters blocking roads nationwide to lift blockades as demonstrations are restricting people’s right to come and go and bringing losses to the economy. Protests erupted on Sunday after Bolsonaro’s narrow loss to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an 30th […]
Ukraine vows to repair shattered rail network to reconnect retaken towns
Upiansk, Ukraine Reuters The head of Ukraine’s railway vowed to keep trains running and to repair the damage done to the network by Russian troops, highlighting how rail is the lifeblood of the country and how the system is vital to restoring towns devastated during the invasion. Oleksandr Kamyshin, chief executive of Ukrainian Railways, spoke […]