Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people. Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out. TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months. More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people. What happened? The first explosion took place between services at the Santa Maria Catholic Church around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Inspector General Machfud Arifin told CNN Indonesia that a motorbike was used in the attack. According to Reuters, the second bombing targeted the cark park of a Pentecostal church. Images of the scene showed a number of burnt motorcycles. Unconfirmed eyewitness reports say that the third attack was carried out by one or more veiled women who entered a church with children. Officials reportedly foiled attacks against other churches. Firefighters attended the scene at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya (GPPS) (Image copyright Antara Foto/Moch Asim / via REUTERS) Who's behind the attacks? So far there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks. But Wawan Purwanto, of Indonesia's intelligence agency, said the Islamic State-inspired group, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), was suspected to be behind them. He added that the bombings were likely to be linked to an incident earlier this month, when five members of the security forces were killed during a 36-hour standoff with militant Islamist prisoners at a high security prison on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta. Separately, police said they had killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, West Java. The attacks were carried out within minutes of each other (Image copyright EPA) How has the country reacted? Christian leaders urged calm. "We don't need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle," the head of the Indonesian Communion of Churches said in a statement on Sunday quoted by The Jakarta Post. Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and sent her condolences to the victims and their families. What is the history of militancy in Indonesia? Following the country's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups. But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS). Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group. In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria. (c) 2018 BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44097771

10th December 2023, 07:55 EST By Yemisi Adegoke BBC News, Bangui BBC A welcoming atmosphere greets congregants shuffling into the Russian Orthodox Church, tucked away on an unassuming but badly pot-holed side street in the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). At first glance there is nothing out of the ordinary about this Sunday morning scene in the mainly Christian country. But Saint-André-Apôtre, about a 20-minute drive from the centre of Bangui, has come to symbolise for some the friendly ties between Russia and the CAR. Father Serguei Voyemawa, who runs the country's only Russian Orthodox Church, is dressed in a floor-length white robe covered by an ornate gold cloak. He walks around reciting prayers and swinging an incense burner as the congregation watches his every move. The walls of the modest building, which has a concrete floor and aluminium roof supported by wooden beams, are adorned with hand-painted images of saints while half a dozen candles burn on the wooden altar. Fr Voyemawa was initially hesitant about our visit. It came a few months after the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in August, which has led to increased scrutiny and concern over the growing influence of Russia in CAR and especially the presence of the mercenary group. Nearly 200 Russian military instructors arrived in the CAR after President Faustin-Archange Touadéra asked for help to tackle rebel groups in 2018. But according to a report by investigative group The Sentry, in that time Wagner has taken advantage of weak institutions and a weak army to perfect "a blueprint for state capture". "We've seen them focus on four pillars: political, economic, information, disinformation and propaganda - and the military," Nathalia Dukhan, a senior investigator at The Sentry who has spent many years reporting on the country, tells the BBC. "They have been infiltrating and compromising these sectors to advance their financial and economic interests. In the mining sector, Wagner has been using the national army to advance and neutralise some of the armed groups that were controlling areas of interest." Ms Dukhan says the mercenaries are waging a "campaign of terror" and are responsible for widespread human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, torture and rape. Earlier this year, the UK proscribed the network as a terrorist group, while the US designated it a "significant transnational criminal organisation". However, for many Central Africans, after a decade of civil war, the situation is more complex. BBC | The service at Saint-André-Apôtre Russian Orthodox Church is well attended Fr Voyemawa is keen to point out that his relationship with Russia predates the arrival of Wagner forces. He started fundraising for the church in 2010 and building commenced in 2015. His reluctance to discuss politics is clear: "Our relationship with Moscow is a religious one." Even so, he tells me how much things have changed since the troops arrived: "We Central Africans are very happy because the Russians are here today and on the security front, well there is peace. "There is peace in the Central African Republic. It's been five years now that we live in peace, without war." This sentiment has now been immortalised in the centre of Bangui, where a statue of Russian troops shielding a woman and her children stands. At their feet fading bouquets from August remain with messages for "our best friend Yevgeny Prigozhin". BBC | Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was mourned in Bangui Pro-Russia sentiment has recently swept across West and Central Africa, where there have been eight military coups since 2020. Countries including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are rejecting former colonial power France, which they say has failed to adequately assist with security challenges. Many Central Africans echo these feelings. "We need a win-win partnership. That's why the Russians are here... so that this country can also benefit from future development," says Emery Brice Ganzaléis, a Central African businessman who recently relocated to Bangui after two decades living in France. "If Russia adopts the same policy as France in Africa, that won't work." Bambari, the capital of Ouaka region roughly 400km (250 miles) north-east of Bangui, witnessed some of the worst violence during the conflict and illustrates how security has slowly improved. The only viable way to get to the town is on a UN-operated flight that runs three days a week. Driving is inadvisable and would take days because the roads are either badly dilapidated or non-existent. It is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the country. So too is the massive presence of the UN mission, known by its acronym Minusca, with trademark blue helmets and white vehicles visible all over town. BBC | For years, this bridge in Bambari divided two warring factions and people were not able to cross it Since 2014, Minusca has played an important role in protecting civilians and working with the authorities, but they are not authorised to take sides or fight offensively. Bambari was still under rebel control two years ago, but is now vibrant and bustling - though the charred remains of burnt-out buildings still dot the town. The relative peace has allowed 15-year-old Jovanie Renemeya - and the thousands of children who were recruited into armed groups - to hope for a better future. She was captured as a young girl with her grandmother and taken to work in a rebel camp. "I was traumatised for a long time," Jovanie says softly, explaining how she endured horrific physical abuse and narrowly escaped being forced to marry one of the rebels. After a year she and her grandmother managed to escape when going to fetch water. Back with her parents, Jovanie has now started pig farming to save money and she dreams of becoming a doctor. For Victor Bissekoin, the governor of Ouaka, this return to normality would not have been possible without the intervention of Wagner troops. "When we have asked for weapons and support from the international community, they put sanctions on us," he tells the BBC. "In 2021 Russia arrived [here] and within two years helped us to control almost the whole country, apart from some tiny pockets along some borders. "When your house burns and you shout: 'Fire! Fire!' you don't care if the water you are given is sweet or salty. All you care about is that it extinguishes the flames." BBC | Jovanie Renemeya is trying to rebuild her life after being caught up in the conflict aged eight President Touadéra echoes this and defends Wagner's presence in the country. "It was said that 80% of the territory was occupied by armed groups. Today, thanks to this co-operation, these figures are completely reversed," he tells the BBC during an interview, granted after several days of negotiations, at the presidential palace in Bangui. The 66-year-old, who controversially won a referendum earlier in the year to remove presidential term limits, often surrounds himself with Wagner forces, and it is the first time we see the mercenaries up close. Dressed in military fatigues with faces covered by balaclavas, the handful of troops dart in and out of the palace. BBC | Wagner fighters provide security for the president During the interview, the president admits there are still challenges ahead: "We are training our defence forces so that they become professional forces, ready to be deployed to provide security for the population." When confronted with the allegations that Wagner mercenaries have committed serious human rights abuses, including torture, rape and extrajudicial killings, he says an investigative committee has been set up to verify the claims. Critics are unconvinced. "It's very dangerous because [the Wagner Group] are in the economic field, they are in the security field, they are in the political field, and now they are leading the country," former Prime Minister Martin Ziguele tells the BBC. He initially supported the request for Russian help, but was disappointed when they sent mercenaries from Wagner, a "criminal group". "They are totally free to do what they want, to go where they want, and to decide what they want," he says. President Touadéra refuses to give a date for the eventual withdrawal of Wagner, emphasising the need for peace first. Ms Dukhan maintains this is part of Wagner's strategy of infiltration, making the country dependent. It had been thought that Wagner's power in Africa would wane after Prigozhin's failed mutiny against Russia's President Vladimir Putin and then his death. But the group has not been disbanded and its fighters are yet to be fully absorbed into the Russian army. "They've been reorganising, redeploying their men and their equipment," says Ms Dukhan. "At first, some interpreted that as departure, but it wasn't. It was simply a reorganisation." BBC | Russian beer is proving popular in the bars of Bangui And it certainly appears to be business as usual in the CAR. One clear sign of this is a sighting at the presidential palace of two unmasked Russian men, who are hurriedly whisked in to see the president as we wait for our interview. One of them is top Wagner official Dmitry Syty, who was spotted beside Prigozhin in the last video he posted before his death and is rumoured to be the group's new frontman. Another indication are the signs all over Bangui advertising Africa Ti L'Or, a new Russian beer. At the city's Cave bar, it is apparent the aggressive marketing campaign has already won over some customers. "I wish there were more of [it] in the Central African Republic," says Max Franklin as he nurses his Africa Ti L'Or, which is regarded as more potent than local beer and better value as it is sold in bigger bottles. Additional reporting by Efrem Gebreab Copyright 2023 BBC. All rights reserved.

By Laura Gozzi and Sarah Rainsford EU leaders at a pre-summit meeting on Thursday morning. Credit: Getty Images All 27 EU leaders have agreed a €50bn (£42bn; $54bn) aid package for Ukraine, after Hungary stopped blocking the deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the new funding, saying it would strengthen the country's economic and financial stability. Ukraine's economic ministry said it expects the first tranche in March. There had been fears Hungary's PM would again block the package as he did at a European summit in December. Viktor Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the EU, had said he wanted to force a rethink of the bloc's policy towards Ukraine and questioned the idea of committing funds for Kyiv for the next four years. The new funding promise comes as aid from the US - the largest provider of military support for Kyiv - is being held up by Congress. "I think it will be an encouragement for the United States also to do their fair share," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The agreement was announced less than two hours after the summit started, surprising many observers who had expected talks to go on much longer due to the depth of disagreement between Mr Orban and the other EU leaders. On the streets of Kyiv, people welcomed the news. "It's great. All this support, money, ammunition, humanitarian help are all important for our country, and we thank all the world for supporting us," one man told the BBC. However, this EU funding package is not for the frontline - it's for life in the rear. War is an expensive endeavour, and budget revenue in Ukraine is being swallowed up funding the fighting. But the Ukrainian government still needs to pay for pensions, state salaries - down to keeping the lights on. There were warnings such payments could be delayed, had the EU not approved the aid. Keeping life for its citizens running as smoothly as possible is vital for the government to maintain domestic support for the war effort, even as Ukraine pushes for continuing backing from its allies abroad. The new deal includes a yearly discussion of the funding package and the option to review it in two years, "if needed" - and only at the Council's discretion. Mr Orban had been pushing for a yearly vote on the package, which could have left the deal exposed to an annual veto threat from Hungary. Under the agreement, one precondition for the support for Ukraine is that it upholds the "rights of persons belonging to minorities" - a possible reference to Mr Orban's longstanding concern about the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Artillery for Ukraine was also discussed at the summit. Earlier this week, the EU acknowledged that it would only be able to deliver 52% of the one million ammunition rounds it had promised to send by March. Today, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU is determined to make sure Ukraine gets the equipment it needs to defend "their country and their future". In a video address to European leaders, President Zelensky said the EU had "proven that its word matters, and its promises work for the interests of entire Europe". He referred to the fact that US aid is being blocked up by Congress, saying that today's announcement would send a "signal across the Atlantic... that the international rules-based world order will withstand all challenges." "Europe sets the tone for global affairs - with its unity," Mr Zelensky added. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who had been highly critical of what he called Mr Orban's "strange and egotistic game," posted on X: "Viktor Orban could be 'persuaded'... Let's move on." The EU had been withholding €20bn of funds for Hungary because of concerns about human rights and corruption in the country. Today's announcement of a new aid package comes after European leaders agreed to open EU membership talks with Ukraine in December - a decision hailed at the time as "a victory" for his country. © 2024 BBC.

The violence claimed at least 170 lives and displaced thousands of people I AFP Sixty people who were killed during ethnic clashes in India's north-eastern state of Manipur will be buried nearly eight months after the violence. Bodies of 64 people who died in the violence were handed over to their families on Thursday. The clashes between the majority Meitei group and the Kuki minority erupted on 3 May over sharing of government quotas. The violence claimed at least 170 lives and displaced thousands of people. The 64 bodies, including 60 from the Kuki community and four Meiteis, were kept in government mortuaries since early May. They were airlifted from the capital Imphal and Churachandpur district on Thursday, and taken to their families in other parts of the state. Committee on Tribal Unity, an organisation that works for the rights of tribal communities in Manipur, called for a 12-hour shutdown on Friday in the state's Kangpokpi district where the Kuki victims will be buried. The handing over of the bodies marked the "much-awaited homecoming of our fallen brothers and sisters after a long tumultuous eight months of despair, heartbreak and hopelessness," the committee said in a statement. The clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis have been marked by brutal killings and sexual crimes against women - and roughly two-thirds of those killed have been Kukis. In August, India's Supreme Court formed a committee comprising of three former high court judges to look into relief and rehabilitation in the state. The committee's report said that of 175 deaths reported in the state during the clashes, 169 had been identified while only 81 bodies had been claimed. In November, the court directed the state government to facilitate the burial or cremation of the bodies that had been identified and remained unclaimed in morgues by December. © 2023 BBC

A Jewish community association in northern Sweden has decided to close following a series of far-right threats, seven years since it opened. Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionSome Jewish parents in Umea were said to be too scared to send their children to school (file pic) A Jewish community association in northern Their centre in the town of Umea was targeted with swastikas and daubed with messages like "we know where you live", and a car was vandalised. Local members said the authorities had been unable to provide enough security. Community spokeswoman Carinne Sjoberg said some people no longer dared to come to the centre. Neo-Nazi group Nordfront were behind the hate campaign, she said, initially targeting her but then other members of the community too. The last straw came at the weekend when the windows of a member's car were broken. "Our kids go to ordinary school, so members started to feel they didn't want to bring the children," she told the BBC. "My mother and father are (Holocaust) survivors, so this is not OK. Enough is enough. It was like stepping into their shoes in the 1930s." Umea also hit the headlines two years ago when a march was held to mark the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the outbreak of mass violence against Jews in Nazi Germany in 1938. The town's Jewish community was not invited. Ms Sjoberg said that despite the closure of the centre, the community would fight to have a meeting place in the future that was more central in Umea and easier to protect. Community leaders say the situation for Jews in some Swedish towns is difficult. "We've had problems with neo-Nazis in Gothenburg and Umea, but in other cities like Stockholm we feel safer," said Isak Reichel, secretary general of Sweden's central council of Jewish communities. For Jews in the southern city of Malmo the threat was mostly from Islamist groups, he told the BBC. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) BBC 2017

There are more than 500,000 Sikhs in the United States [File: George Widman/AP] On Friday, as Deep Rai worked on his car in his driveway in the Seattle suburb of Kent, a man approached him and told him to "go back to your own country", according to witnesses. Described as six feet tall, of stocky build, and wearing a mask over his face, the man then shot at Rai and fled the scene. The attacker is still at large, and local police have contacted the FBI for support. Rai is recovering in hospital. The apparent hate crime comes two weeks after Adam Purinton, a white US navy veteran, killed 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas. Purinton reportedly mistook Kuchibhotla for a man of Middle Eastern origin and shouted "get out of my country" before opening fire in a crowded bar, according to witnesses. Reports of violence against minorities in the US have increased since the election of President Donald Trump, whose campaign emboldened the anti-immigrant far right. In his bid to become president, Trump promised to ban Muslims from entering the US and derided refugees and immigrants, particularly those coming from Mexico. Amid growing Islamophobia, other communities have also come under attack. Rana Singh Sodhi holds a photograph of his murdered brother, Balbir Singh Sodhi [File: Ross D. Franklin/AP] Friday's shooting has reminded many of the post 9/11 era, when Sikhs were frequently mistaken for Muslims, and attacked. On September 15, 2001, Frank Silva Roque murdered Sikh American petrol station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi in a hate crime. Roque mistook Sodhi for an Arab Muslim; 20 minutes later he shot at a Lebanese American, but missed. Al Jazeera asked Rajdeep Singh Jolly, interim director of programmes at the New York-based The Sikh Coalition civil rights group, about rising xenophobia and its effect on minorities. Al Jazeera: The dangerous attack on Rai in Seattle followed the killing of an Indian man in Kansas, and dozens of other reports of violence against minorities. What do these attacks characterise? Jolly: These attacks are part of a broader pattern of hate and violence against immigrants and religious minorities. What's particularly chilling is that in both cases - the anti-Sikh attack near Seattle and the murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla - both men were told to "go back to their country". Xenophobic political rhetoric is literally putting lives in danger. Srinivas Kuchibhotla, right, poses for photo with his wife Sunayana Dumala in Cedar Rapids, Iowa [File: Kranti Shalia/AP] Al Jazeera: The Sikh community in the US often comes under attack at the same time as rising Islamophobia. Why is this, and how can it be prevented? Jolly: Sikhs are not targeted exclusively because of Islamophobia. For example in 1907, Sikh immigrants were assaulted in Bellingham, Washington, during an organised riot fuelled by xenophobia. There is no doubt that anti-Sikh hate crimes and Islamophobia have accelerated in the post-9/11 environment, but it makes no difference to a bigot whether his victim is Muslim, Sikh or Jewish. That is why communities targeted by hate need to stand together. Al Jazeera: Do you think the Trump administration is addressing rising xenophobia as best it can? Jolly: The Trump administration needs to make hate crime prevention a top priority. So far, the administration has done nothing in this regard. For example, it can create a federal task force to prevent hate violence, address the threats posed by white supremacists, work with faith communities to promote interfaith solidarity, and work with schools to create a culture of respect and appreciation for diversity. Al Jazeera: How is the Sikh community responding to Friday's attack? How are people feeling? Jolly: The Sikh community is vigilant, but we are also resilient. We refuse to live in fear. Al Jazeera: Do you think events such as these create a divide between minorities, or bring them together? Jolly: Hate incidents bring communities together. For example, after the 2012 attack on a gurdwara [Sikh house of worship] in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, there was an outpouring of compassion from our fellow Americans. Jolly wants Trump administration to prioritise hate-crime prevention [Karaminder Singh Ghuman/The Sikh Coalition] However, we should not wait for tragedies like this to express love and solidarity. In the Sikh religion, we believe all human beings are part of the same family, and all of us need to put this principle into practice. Al Jazeera: After 9/11, Sikhs were targeted because some attackers believed them to be Muslims. What role does education play here, and are you concerned about similar violence emerging? Jolly: We need to teach our children to respect all people. Racial and religious distinctions are irrelevant. Over the years, we have consistently encouraged school officials to incorporate bias-prevention education into their curricula. Al Jazeera: Do you think hate crimes have risen following the election of Donald Trump, or are more simply being reported? Jolly: Our friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have documented an increase in the number of hate groups. Hate crime statistics are unreliable because the reporting system is voluntary, and many large cities fail to report hate crimes to the FBI. For us, even one hate crime is too much, and all of us - including the Trump administration - should do everything in our power to prevent hate from taking another life or loved one. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Al Jazeera Media Network

“My husband was killed in Myanmar, and I had to flee with my children, leaving everything behind. I didn’t know where I am going. But, after coming to this camp I am living a much better life.” Rohingya widow, Kutupalong camp, Bangladesh. In late January I visited the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar to find out how the community gets its information and the media they preferred – to inform the humanitarian programmes we’re supporting local broadcasters to make in response to the emergency. It was my first visit and I had mixed feelings – empowered at being part of this huge emergency response, yet not ready to confront the brutal reality of what so many people had faced. While designing any research we always map the ethical considerations before we go to the field. I was hesitant to ask people to relive difficult experiences, and very conscious that Rohingya people are managing extreme trauma. However, whilst people were distressed I felt the interviews acted as a catharsis for them as they talked about their past and expressed their fears about what the future held. Many aid agencies around the world are responding to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis after more than 670,000 Rohingya people fled into Bangladesh last year. However, the illiteracy rate is high, so people living in the camps are often not aware they’re entitled to relief or how to access the services available. This is where BBC Media Action comes in. Since October 2017 we’ve been supporting local partners to make humanitarian programmes in the local dialect - which is, largely, understood by Rohingya people in the camps and the host communities in Cox’s Bazar. But, we wanted to do more to reach the affected communities. So, through focus groups we explored how people are able to access information. It was fascinating. We discovered the Rohingya people in the camps get information via word of mouth from “Majhis”, selected leaders who, in turn, acquire information from aid workers. Religious leaders are also a trusted authority. The majority of Rohingya are Muslims. Women tend to leave the home only if they have something important to do – and they cover themselves up while outside. “We pray during our breaks and talk to our neighbours, that is our only entertainment,” as one woman told me. It means that many women rely on the men in their family for information – and those without male relatives (such as the large number of women who were widowed before leaving Myanmar) find it even harder to find out what is going on. Most women have no access to mobile phones and even men, who own a phone struggle to recharge them because there is little electricity in the camps. In other humanitarian emergencies, such as in Jordan and Darfur, our listener groups have helped vulnerable people – such as women and children – to get information and support each other. But here, whilst some women feel able to come to the listening group, others only attend if they are women-led, women-only groups and held inside homes or shelters. (c) 2018 BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcmediaaction/entries/3b17b94c-5563-42be-ad02-275a158e7582

The number of civilians forced from their homes by conflict in northern Mozambique has quadrupled this year - to 420,000 - according to the United Nations. It links the crisis in Cabo Delgado province not just to attacks by Islamist militants, but to a perceived failure to distribute vast mineral and off-shore gas revenues to the local population. A senior UN refugee agency official visiting Cabo Delgado described the situation there as "really dire" and urged Mozambique's neighbours and the wider international community to intervene in what she said had been, for too long, an "invisible" crisis. "The figures are growing as days go by and this is a situation that is liable to deteriorate," said Angèle Dikongué-Atangana, the UNHCR's deputy director of Southern Africa, speaking to the BBC from Cabo Delgado's provincial capital, Pemba. Ms Dikongué-Atangana warned that the "terrorist" situation in Mozambique was beginning to resemble the long-running conflict in northern Nigeria, where the Islamist Boko Haram group has caused widespread suffering. But as well as blaming militants affiliated to the Islamic State group who have carried out massacres and other atrocities in Cabo Delgado, Ms Dikongué-Atangana criticised the behaviour of "extractive firms" involved in gem mines and, more recently, in vast off-shore gas fields. 'No hope, no dreams' "If I was [born] in a place like this, which is endowed with a lot of wealth, and I see that wealth is being exploited, and I don't see… a share of that wealth, I would also be disgruntled," she said, warning that a generation of young Mozambicans with "no hope, no dreams," might join the insurgency thinking: "If I fight, maybe I will die honourably. If I don't fight, maybe I will still die". In recent months, the small port city of Pemba has been overwhelmed, its population almost doubling, as tens of thousands of people have arrived by foot or on boats, fleeing from a complex and brutal insurgency that has growing relentlessly over the past three years. "I don't have anything left, I only have this boat," fisherman Adji Wazir told the AFP news agency. His wife, Aziza Falume, gave birth to a daughter at sea during their escape. "I'm still afraid. I keep wondering when they [the jihadists] will land in Pemba and attack, or if any of them live among us," she said. The US State Department has now warned that Pemba "could be vulnerable to attack due to the proximity of violent extremist forces". Faltering negotiations Mozambique's government - which has so far relied on military assistance from private security contractors from Russia and South Africa - is now under pressure to accept larger-scale support or intervention from its neighbours, who fear the instability is already beginning to spill over their borders. But the negotiations appear to be faltering, as Mozambique worries about outside influence and the spotlight the crisis is bringing to its own governance failures. Meanwhile, foreign criticism of Mozambique's handling of the crisis is also becoming sharper. Naledi Pandor, South Africa's minister for international relations, pointedly cited "governance deficits, human rights abuses and contestation over resources". A group from the South African Bishop's Conference which visited Pemba recently issued a statement saying: "Almost everyone spoken to agrees that the war is about multinational corporations gaining control of the province's mineral and gas resources, by depopulating the coastal areas". And in Brussels, the European Union's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell Fontelles also offered a sharp assessment of the Mozambique government's failures: "We cannot say that everything that is happening in Mozambique is a simple extension of the so-called Islamic terrorist movement. "To a certain extent that is true. But the armed violence in the northern part of Mozambique was triggered by poverty and inequality and by the population of the area losing respect for a state which could not provide it with what it needed," he adds. "Mozambique has the third-largest natural gas reserve in Africa after Nigeria and Algeria. You can imagine that this leads to citizens feeling alienated. It is a rich country and they are mired in poverty." The Mozambican government has largely sought to frame the conflict as the result of foreign jihadists, rather than a home-grown rebellion. "The terrorists kill people in heinous ways, cause displacement. In the face of terrorist attacks the government has responded firmly… with the support of local people," said President Filipe Nyusi, earlier this year. UNHCR's Ms Dikongué-Atangana has acknowledged the complexity of the situation in Cabo Delgado, and said that while the issues of corruption and bad governance were crucial, the primary threat was "predominantly an issue of terrorism. "So my real call is that the international community should really start paying great attention to the situation evolving here in Mozambique." © BBC News 2020

By Sebastian Usher and Leo Sands Protesters in London campaign against Iran's use of the death penalty in 2020 [Getty Images] Iranian authorities put three women to death on Wednesday for murdering their husbands, a human rights charity says. According to the Iran Human Rights Group they were among 32 people executed in the past week alone. A former child bride, convicted of later killing the man she had married at the age of 15, was among them. Authorities are believed to have substantially stepped up their use of the death penalty, executing twice as many people so far this year than last. Rights groups report that Iran also executes more women than any other country, the majority of whom are thought to have been found guilty of killing their husbands. On Wednesday, the Iran Human Rights Group says former child bride Soheila Abadi was hanged in prison after being convicted of killing her husband after marrying him 10 years previously when she was 15 years old. The sentencing court reportedly said the motive for the murder had been "family disputes." Two other women executed on Wednesday had also been convicted of murdering their husbands, the group said. Activists say many of the cases involve accusations of domestic violence but that Iranian courts frequently do not take that into account. Precise figures on execution numbers are not available as Iranian authorities do not officially announce every case where the death penalty has been carried out. According to a research published in April by two rights groups, only 16.5% of executions believed to have been carried out in Iran last year were announced by officials. Reports this year suggest the use of the death penalty has spiked even further since. Human rights group Amnesty International this week accused Iran of having embarked upon a "horrific" execution spree in recent months, reportedly putting more than 250 people to death in the first six months of 2022 - more than double the number executed over the equivalent period in the previous year. "The state machinery is carrying out killings on a mass scale across the country in an abhorrent assault on the right to life," said Diana Eltahawy, deputy regional director at Amnesty International. Some of those convicted have been put to death in mass executions, the rights group reports, including a dozen people in one prison on 15 June and the same number in a separate prison on 6 June. Ethnic minorities are also overrepresented in the statistics. Despite making up around 5% of Iran's general population, members of the Baluchi minority made up more than one in four of those believed by Amnesty International to have been executed so far this year. © 2022 BBC.

A residential house was also destroyed in strikes on Chaplyne - Reuters A Russian rocket strike on a Ukrainian train station has killed 22 people, Ukraine says, on the day marking six months since Moscow's invasion began. It says five of the victims of the attack in the eastern town of Chaplyne burnt to death in a vehicle. An 11-year-old boy also was killed. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the strike in the middle of a UN Security Council meeting. He said about 50 people were injured. Russia has so far made no comment. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilian infrastructure. Mr Zelensky said he learned of the strike on Chaplyne, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as he was preparing to speak to the Security Council, adding: "This is how Russia prepared for the UN Security council meeting". "Four passenger carriages are on fire now... the number of fatalities could increase," he said. In April, a strike on another train station killed more than 50 people. Ukraine has spent Wednesday marking its annual independence day and Mr Zelensky had previously said Russia might do something "cruel" to disrupt the celebrations. Earlier he accused Moscow's forces of turning the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant into a "war zone" that endangered the plant and the people of Europe and put the world "on the brink of radiation catastrophe". The UN Secretary General told the same meeting that the "senseless war" could push millions of people into extreme poverty, both in Ukraine and beyond. Around the world, there were gatherings of supporters in the streets to mark Ukraine's independence today. World leaders also rallied to support the embattled nation to mark the occasion. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared in Kyiv on an unannounced trip to show his country's support, announcing £54m ($63.5m) in new military aid - a figure dwarfed by an announcement from US President Joe Biden of an extra $3bn (£2.5bn). Messages of support arrived from across the globe: from Australia, Germany, Finland, Poland, Turkey and more. In the Vatican, Pope Francis called for "concrete steps" to end the war and avert the risk of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - Europe's largest. But in the streets of Kyiv, it was relatively quiet. President Zelensky said Russia had endangered the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and the people of Europe - Reuters Ukraine had banned large gatherings and events over fears that Russia could target such civilian gatherings. It followed a warning from the US for any of its citizens to leave ahead of the anniversary. Some gathered anyway on Khreshchatyk Street to look at the array of captured Russian tanks and armoured vehicles put on display instead of the usual Ukrainian parade. Between his political speeches, President Zelensky and his wife also attended a memorial ceremony for the fallen soldiers and civilians of the war, laying yellow and blue flowers at Kyiv's Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders. Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials gave their first update on military causalities in some time - saying that nearly 9,000 soldiers had been killed in the six-month conflict, though that number cannot be independently verified. Despite the losses, the Ukrainian leader had started the day with a defiant national address, vowing to retake the whole of Ukraine, "without any concessions or compromises". "We don't know these words - they were destroyed by missiles on 24 February," he said. "The enemy thought we would greet them with flowers and champagne, but received wreaths and Molotov cocktails instead. In Russia, meanwhile, the day marking half a year since the start of the invasion passed quietly. The BBC's Will Vernon in Moscow says there has been almost no mention of the six months of Russia's "special military operation" on television or from officials - possibly a sign that authorities do not want to emphasise the drawn-out campaign. Russia had initially promised a short, decisive campaign - but Ukrainian resistance quickly pushed Russian forces away from the capital, and months later Russia redeployed its forces to concentrate on the eastern breakaway provinces where it already enjoyed support. In recent weeks, the front lines have hardly moved. One significant event in Russia Wednesday was the arrest of Yevgeny Roizman - one of the last remaining significant opposition politicians in the country. The former mayor of Yekaterinburg was arrested on charges of "discrediting the Russian army", which since the invasion of Ukraine began can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. As he was led away, he said he was being arrested for saying out loud "one phrase, 'the invasion of Ukraine'". Thousands of people have faced the courts over such charges, with a large majority found guilty, human rights lawyers say. One human rights group, OVD-Info, says more than 16,000 people have been detained for protesting against the invasion - offences which include streets protests, social media posts, or simply referring to Russia's "special military operation" as a war or an invasion. © 2022 BBC

By: BBC A man casts his ballot on Sunday in Havana Cuba has voted to legalise same-sex marriage in a national referendum. About two-thirds of the population voted to approve reforms in a new Family Code, which will also allow surrogate pregnancies and give gay couples the right to adopt children. It marks a big moment for Cuba, which saw gay people persecuted and sent to work camps in the 1960s and 70s. However, there was significant opposition to the reforms among religious groups and conservatives. The referendum on Sunday was for a new Family Code - a 100-page document which went through more than two dozen drafts and hours of debate in community-level meetings. Cuba's government had backed the law change and ran a nationwide campaign urging people to approve it. Speaking as he voted on Sunday, the country's President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said he expected most of the population would vote yes and that the new code reflected the diversity of people, families and beliefs. On Monday, preliminary results indicated an "irreversible trend", with 66% of votes counted so far in favour of the reform, electoral council president Alina Balseiro said on state television, according to AFP news agency. The law required 50% of voters' approval to be adopted. The reforms were the culmination of efforts by gay rights activists in Cuba. Official attitudes towards homosexuality on the Communist-run island have changed over the past decades, partly thanks to the efforts of former leader Raúl Castro's daughter Mariela. In the early part of communist leader Fidel Castro's rule after the 1959 revolution, homosexual men and women were sent to work camps for supposed "re-education". However, many in Cuba still oppose the step, including evangelical churches and other non-religious conservatives. Parts of the opposition also campaigned for a "no" vote, urging Cubans to seize a unique opportunity to hand the country's communist government a defeat in the polls. Some anti-government activists consider the referendum an effort by the state to improve its human rights image following a brutal crackdown on all forms of dissent in recent years. The referendum also comes during a serious energy crisis, which has led to daily power cuts affecting millions of people across the island. © 2022 BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-63035426

By Lucy Williamson & David Gritten EPA - A child inspects a small bridge that was destroyed near the southern Lebanese village of al-Qulaila The Israeli military has carried out air strikes on targets belonging to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The military said the attacks were a response to a barrage of 34 rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Thursday, which it blamed on Hamas. Militants in Gaza fired dozens more rockets after the strikes began. Tensions are high following two nights of Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem earlier this week. The raids triggered violent confrontations with Palestinians inside the mosque, which is Islam's third holiest site, and caused anger across the region. Hamas did not say that it fired the rockets from Lebanon, which was the biggest such barrage in 17 years. But its leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was visiting Beirut at the time, said Palestinians would not "sit with their arms crossed" in the face of Israeli aggression. Late on Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, while an Italian tourist was also killed when a car drove down a beachside promenade in Tel Aviv. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the police and army to mobilise their reserves to bolster counter-terrorism efforts. The strikes in Lebanon took place in the area south of the coastal city of Tyre. Early on Friday, there were two or three explosions around the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp, 5km (3 miles) from the city. Lebanese media also reported strikes on the outskirts of the village of al-Qulaila, another 4km further south. Photographs appeared to show that a small bridge was destroyed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted that its warplanes struck "terrorist infrastructures belonging to Hamas" in Lebanon. "The IDF will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization to operate from within Lebanon and hold the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory," it warned. Hamas said it strongly condemned "the blatant Zionist aggression against Lebanon in the vicinity of Tyre at dawn today [Friday]". In Gaza, more than 10 Hamas targets were hit, including a shaft for an underground site to construct weapons, three other weapons workshops and an underground "terrorist tunnel", the IDF said. During the strikes, at least 44 rockets were fired from Gaza towards southern Israel, Israeli media reported. Most were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system or fell in open areas, but at least one house in the city of Sderot was hit. There were no immediate reports of any casualties from either the strikes or the overnight rocket fire. A man was injured by shrapnel in northern Israel on Thursday afternoon as a result of the rocket fire from Lebanon, which the Lebanese army said originated from the outskirts of al-Qulaila and two other border villages near Tyre - Maaliya and Zibqine. The Israeli military said 25 of the 34 rockets were intercepted, but that five hit Israeli territory. In the north-western border town of Shlomi, the rockets left craters in the road, and damaged vehicles and a bank. A car was also damaged in the village of Fassuta. The attack came hours after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which controls much of southern Lebanon, said it would support "all measures" taken by Palestinian groups against Israel. Mr Netanyahu promised on Thursday night that Israel's response would "exact a significant price from our enemies". An Israeli military spokesman told reporters following the overnight strikes in Lebanon and Gaza that the operation was over for the moment. "Nobody wants an escalation right now," Lt Col Richard Hecht said. "Quiet will be answered with quiet, at this stage I think, at least in the coming hours." The memory of Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah is fresh in minds on both sides of the border. Back then, a cross-border operation by Hezbollah infiltrators to capture Israeli soldiers spiralled into a month-long ground war inside Lebanon between the militant group and Israeli forces. Analysts say both sides were left bruised by that conflict, and neither is seen as wanting another war now. For Israel, there is the added risk of pulling in Hezbollah's Iranian backers. Israel's response this time is seen as wanting to avoid re-igniting that conflict - targeting sites linked to Hamas, rather than punishing Hezbollah for hosting them in southern Lebanon. But the path to conflict is often paved with mistake and miscalculation; if rocket fire killed civilians inside Israel, the response would almost certainly be different. Meanwhile, the tit-for-tat exchanges with Palestinian militants in Gaza continue. The next couple of weeks are especially risky, as the Jewish Passover holiday and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan overlap, adding sensitivity to any incidents around the holy sites in Jerusalem. © 2023 BBC.