One hope united many of the people streaming to see Pope Francis perform mass in DR Congo's capital on Wednesday -- that his presence could at last bring peace to the war-wracked east of the African country.. The hope for peace was echoed by many worshippers in a country where conflict has raged in the mineral-rich east for nearly 30 years.
Up to a million people are tipped to celebrate a papal mass in DR Congo's capital on Wednesday, on the second day of Pope Francis' visit to the conflict-torn country.. - Meeting conflict victims - Francis is also due to meet victims of the conflict in eastern Congo in Kinshasa on Wednesday afternoon after the mega-mass.
Myanmar democracy activists called for businesses to close nationwide on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government, with the junta hinting it may extend a state of emergency and delay new elections.. Junta opponents, including the anti-coup "People's Defence Forces" (PDF) and a shadow government dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) had tried to seize "state power by means of unrest and violence", the council said.
Planting more trees in urban areas to lower summertime temperatures could decrease deaths directly linked to hot weather and heatwaves by a third, researchers said Wednesday.. "Urban tree planting -– on the right scale, in the right places, and under certain other conditions -– likely leads to a modest-yet-real reduction in heat-related deaths in many urban areas."
Nathan Anderson sees himself as a scourge of corporate manipulation, but some investors and business leaders see short-sellers like him as engaging in tactics more akin to Wall Street gunslinging for profit. . Anderson heads the New York-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, which profits as its attacks on Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani gain steam.
Ukraine's prime minister announced that a summit with the European Union summit will take place in Kyiv on Friday that would send a "powerful signal" to Moscow and the world, almost a year after Russia launched its invasion.. "The fact that this summit will be held in Kyiv is a powerful signal to both partners and enemies."
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday rebuffed a Russian demand that its athletes be treated the same as those of other countries, in a growing row over Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2024 Paris Games.. - 'Russian propaganda efforts' - Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Tuesday his country opposed any participation of Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics, saying it would be "immoral and wrong".
Protesters who have brought parts of Peru to a standstill for weeks closed in on Lima's international airport Tuesday as lawmakers mulled bringing elections forward in a bid to end the deadly mobilization.. As Congress prepared for a second consecutive day of debate on a bill to bring the election forward, protesters gathered near the airport in the capital.
Forty-nine children died when their overloaded boat capsized in northwest Pakistan, police said Tuesday after divers spent three days dragging bodies from freezing waters. . Pakistan's army shared images showing divers traversing the lake in rubber dinghies, entering the green waters to pull out the bodies of children.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Brexit as a "huge opportunity" on Tuesday, as the UK marked three years since leaving the EU amid economic crisis and a growing public sense of "Bregret".. "In the three years since leaving the EU, we've made huge strides in harnessing the freedoms unlocked by Brexit to tackle generational challenges," Sunak said in a statement released for the anniversary.
