Sierra Leone information minister says weekend attack was a failed coup
Freetown, Sierra LeoneReuters Sierra Leone’s government said on Tuesday that attacks on several locations in the capital Freetown on Sunday were a failed attempt to overthrow the government led mostly by bodyguards of former President Ernest Bai Koroma. The West African nation’s information minister Chernor Bah, and the chief of defence staff Lt General Patrick […]
Disease could be bigger killer than bombs in Gaza – WHO
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters More people could die from disease than from bombings in the Gaza Strip if its health system is not repaired, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday, warning of a surge in infectious diseases and diarrhoea in children. In figures deemed reliable by the United Nations, Gaza health authorities say more than […]
Death toll from Kenya’s El Nino floods jumps to 120
Nairobi, KenyaReuters Severe flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon has killed 120 people in Kenya, while people in almost 90,000 households have been forced to leave their homes, the government said on Tuesday. The latest estimated death toll in Kenya has doubled as heavy seasonal rains following the worst drought in four decades […]
Haiti gang wars now “cataclysmic” in key farmlands – UN report
Reuters Haiti’s brutal gang wars have spread from the capital to key farming heartlands, displacing tens of thousands of people and having a devastating impact on access to food staples, the United Nations said in a report on Tuesday. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said long-awaited international security assistance – requested by […]
Pope forced to pull out of COP28 trip because of health issues
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis has cancelled his planned trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai because of the effects of influenza and lung inflammation, the Vatican said on Tuesday, adding to concerns about his health. The Pope, who is 86, was due to begin a three-day visit to Dubai on Friday and the Vatican […]
Hamas, Israel release more hostages, prisoners in fifth day of Gaza truce
Updated: 8:40am (AEDT)Gaza/JerusalemReuters Hamas freed 12 more hostages and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the fifth day of an extended six-day truce between the militant Palestinian group and Israel in the Gaza war. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the 12 hostages had been transferred from Gaza, and Israel’s military confirmed […]
India jubilant as all trapped workers rescued from Himalayan tunnel
Silkyara, India Reuters Rescuers on Tuesday pulled out all 41 workers trapped for 17 days inside a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas after drilling through the debris of rock, concrete and earth to reach them, triggering jubilation across India. The evacuation of the men – low-wage workers from some of India’s poorest states – began […]
Russian forces advancing on Ukrainian town from all sides
Reuters Russian forces are intensifying their drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, trying to advance on all sides after weeks of fighting, the town’s top official was quoted as saying on Monday. Russian troops have been pressing land and air-based attacks on Avdiivka, since mid-October as the focal point of their slow-moving […]
Books: ‘The Bonds of Brotherhood’, a “highly accessible, mature” mystery novel for teens
NILS VON KALM says Rev Dr Bob Mitchell’s novel is especially relevant for any teenagers starting out on a journey of faith…
Biden invokes Cold War-era measure to boost medical supplies
Washington DC, USReuters President Joe Biden on Monday invoked a Cold War-era measure to boost investment in US manufacturing of medicines and medical supplies that he has deemed important for national defence. Biden used the first meeting of his supply chain resilience council to boast about his administration efforts to improve supply chains upended by […]