Political prisoners among 2,000 pardoned by Myanmar junta
Reuters Myanmar’s military government on Wednesday pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners, state media reported, among them a journalist and what activists and media said were numerous political detainees. State television MRTV said 2,153 prisoners convicted of incitement were pardoned to mark a Buddhist holiday and warned they would be arrested and given additional sentences if […]
Pope meets Moscow Church official after puzzling peace “mission” comment
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke to a top member of the Russian Orthodox Church days after the pontiff made an intriguing but puzzling comment about the Vatican being involved in a mission to try to end the war in Ukraine. Metropolitan Anthony, effectively the ROC’s number two, was given pride of place at […]
Heavy rain, floods kill at least 136 in Rwanda and Uganda
Kigali, RwandaReuters Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 129 people in Rwanda and six in Uganda, authorities said on Wednesday, as rescuers hunted survivors trapped in homes. In chaotic scenes after weeks of rain in the region, one video clip posted by the state-owned Rwanda Broadcasting Agency showed muddy water […]
UN pressures Sudan’s warring generals after aid looted
Khartoum, Sudan Reuters The United Nations pressed Sudan’s warring factions on Wednesday to guarantee safe passage of humanitarian aid after six trucks were looted and air strikes in the capital Khartoum undermined a supposed truce. “We will need to have agreement at the highest level and very publicly…to allow for movement of staff and supplies,” […]
Updated: Russia says Ukraine tried to kill Putin with drone attack on Kremlin
Updated: 7:50am, 4th May (AEST)Moscow, Russia/Kyiv, UkraineReuters Russia accused Ukraine on Wednesday of a failed attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in Moscow, and threatened to retaliate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv had nothing to do with the reported overnight incident. “We don’t attack Putin, or […]
Updated: Nine killed in planned attack at Serbian school by 13-year-old boy
Updated: 8am, 4th May, 2023 (AEST)Belgrade, SerbiaReuters A 13-year-old boy gunned down eight fellow pupils and a security guard in a Belgrade school on Wednesday in a planned attack, prompting Serbia’s president to announce tougher curbs on gun ownership. Using two handguns that belonged to his father, the boy fired first at the guard and […]
US parole program to continue post-Title 42, Mexico to accept returnees
Mexico City, Mexico Reuters The United States will continue to accept migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela under a humanitarian program after 11th May, when the COVID-19 health policy known as Title 42 is set to end, the US and Mexican Governments said on Tuesday. Mexico, for its part, will continue accepting back migrants […]
StrangeSights: Fighting addictions (in a glass box); Uber’s left behind; and, a baby’s (royal) bag snatch…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Western countries pile pressure on Mali over Wagner Group role
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Western countries on Tuesday raised concerns over Russian private military contractor Wagner Group’s activities in Mali, including allegations of its role in the killings of civilians, at a UN human rights meeting in Geneva. The United States, Canada, Great Britain and Ukraine were among countries that raised the alleged role of Wagner contractors […]
Syrians in Sudan flee war for second time
Cairo, Egypt/Qamishli, Syria Reuters Radwan Hisham Wahba fled Syria in 2012 for Sudan, hoping to build a new life after being shot when his country collapsed into civil war. Now, as violence engulfs his adopted home, he and many other Syrians living there are on the move once more. Days after escaping the bloodshed in […]