Saboteurs hit French railways hours before Olympic ceremony, heightening security concerns
Paris, France Reuters Saboteurs struck France’s TGV high-speed train network in a series of pre-dawn attacks that caused chaos on the country’s busiest rail lines and heightened security concerns ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in Paris later on Friday. The coordinated sabotage took place as France mounted a massive security operation involving tens […]
Paris to kick off 2024 Games under tight security
Paris, France Reuters France aims to wow the world on Friday with an extravagant Olympics opening ceremony through the heart of Paris, officially kicking off a Games fraught with security risks at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. Some 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security staff will ensure the safety of the parade […]
Mexican families flee to Guatemala to escape violence
Guatemala City, Guatemala/Mexico City, Mexico Reuters More than 500 people in southern Mexico have fled to neighbouring Guatemala this week amid armed clashes between criminal groups fighting over drug trafficking routes and other crimes, authorities from both nations said on Thursday. The displacements began this week, according to reports from the Guatemalan Migration Institute (IGM), […]
Bangladesh says it forgot to remove UN logos from vehicles as it contained unrest
Dhaka, Bangladesh/New Delhi, India Reuters Bangladesh has said that it forgot to remove UN markings from vehicles during an army-enforced curfew to contain deadly violence that spread across the country last week and killed nearly 150 people. The United Nations said it has sought a response from authorities in the capital Dhaka after footage filmed […]
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As Paris Olympics kick off, Gazans seek refuge in soccer
Gaza Reuters Inspired by the Olympics worlds away in Paris, some Palestinian youths played soccer against each other at a school sheltering the displaced in the war-torn Gaza Strip – a rare distraction from devastating Israeli bombardment. With the world’s gaze on competitions in France, there is no glory or prize for the winning team […]
Uganda police arrest more people protesting corruption
Kampala, Uganda Reuters Ugandan police detained several people in the capital Kampala on Thursday during a second day of anti-corruption protests that are demanding the resignation of the parliament speaker, footage broadcast by local media showed. Drawing inspiration from weeks of youth-led protests in neighbouring Kenya that forced the president there to withdraw proposed tax […]
UN agency seeks urgent response to “alarming” spread in Asia-Pacific bird flu
Beijing, China Reuters The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization on Thursday called for an urgent and unified response to an “alarming” rise in avian influenza in humans and animals across the Asia-Pacific. The H5N1 virus has spread more widely than ever before, reaching as far as South America and Antarctica and infecting new species […]
South Africa’s climate action too slow to meet its bold pledges, says report
Johannesburg, South Africa Reuters South Africa, the world’s 14th biggest carbon emitter, has made strong commitments to climate action but is moving too slowly to wean itself off coal and roll out renewables to meet them, a key report said on Thursday. Africa’s most industrialised country has been lauded for making ambitious pledges to cut […]
Venezuela candidates close campaigns, opposition trusts military to back result
Caracas, Venezuela Reuters Venezuela opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez said on Thursday he trusts the country’s military will ensure respect for the result of the presidential election this Sunday, as he and his rival, incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, held final rallies. Gonzalez has attracted significant support, even from former supporters of the ruling socialist party. Venezuelan […]