South Sudan grapples with land mines as returning refugees are kept off their homes
As South Sudanese trickle back into the country after a peace deal was signed in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions, many are returning to areas riddled with mines left from decades of conflict. More than 5,000 South Sudanese have been killed or injured by land mines and unexploded ordnance since 2004, according to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
Russian defence vulnerabilities exposed after Ukraine rained drones on Moscow
Last week, the Russian border region of Belgorod was the target of one of the most serious cross-border raids since the war began, with two far-right pro-Ukrainian paramilitary groups claiming responsibility. Officials in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar near annexed Crimea said two drones struck there Friday, damaging residential buildings. The attacks also drew calls for bolstering Russia’s borders.
China’s teetering economic recovery unleashes hordes of hawkers on streets as low wages bite
For decades, street stalls and hawkers – common elsewhere in Asia – have been banned or tightly regulated in many Chinese cities, with authorities seeing them as unsightly. There are signs, however, that local governments are giving hawkers more leeway, a trend expected to continue.
Chelsea’s caretaker manager Lampard warns boss Mauricio Pochettino to brace for indiscipline
“There’s a lot of work to be done. That’s my synopsis after six weeks, the basics that I keep talking about – standards are so relevant to this club at the minute. Standards collectively have dropped – I can be honest about that as it’s my last game and I might not see some of them that much anyway!
South Africa’s alleged shipment of weapons to Russia is consistent with its strong ties with Moscow
Similarly, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Lindiwe Zulu, South Africa’s minister of social development and chairperson of the ANC’s subcommittee on international relations, said “Russia is our friend through and through … We are not about to denounce that relationship that we have always had.”
American business community hails debt ceiling deal between Biden and McCarthy, Republicans jeer it
With the nation roughly a week away from the risk of a default that could roil the global economy, major business groups have been urging Washington to act quickly on a debt-ceiling increase. The Business Roundtable, a group of more than 200 chief executive officers, called on Congress to pass the bill as soon as possible.
Gay rights defenders fear East Africa will copy Uganda’s harsh LGBTQ law, plus death penalty
Uganda receives billions of dollars in foreign aid each year and could now face further sanctions. The bill’s sponsor, Asuman Basalirwa, told reporters that parliament speaker Anita Among’s U.S. visa was cancelled after the law was signed. The US embassy in Uganda did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Historic acquittal in Louisiana fuels fight to review ‘Jim Crow’ verdicts as non-unanimous jury convictions are vacated
Louisiana advocates also have turned to the Legislature in recent years. But the latest potential remedy stalled in the House and appears dead after representatives voted 50-38 against the measure on Thursday. It is unlikely supporters can revive the bill with two weeks left in the legislative session.
How President Biden and Speaker McCarthy avoided putting US in recession mode with debt ceiling deal
When Kevin McCarthy was struggling early this year to get enough votes from his own Republicans to become speaker of the House of Representatives, Democratic President Joe Biden called the prolonged saga a national embarrassment, then had a little fun. “I’ve got good news for you,” Biden said, pointing playfully...
Mexican President Lopez Obrador spending on social programmes is irking US – intelligence leaks
López Obrador’s 2023 federal budget, presented to the Mexican Congress last fall, does increase funding for social programmes, including a significant raise for the pension provided to older Mexicans. It also prioritises large infrastructure projects, which are mostly concentrated in southern states of the country.
