Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, condemned the arrest and imprisonment of journalists, bloggers and civil society activists in Tajikistan, and questioned the credibility of the evidence presented in court against them.
-
Russia’s Foreign Miniser to visit North Korea
Russia’s foreign minister will visit North Korea this week, days after the United States claimed Pyongyang had delivered munitions and military equipment to Russia for use in the fighting in Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov will be in North Korea on Wednesday and Thursday.
-
Tropical Cyclone Freddy killed hundreds of people in Malawi
At least 190 people have died after Tropical Cyclone Freddy ripped through southern Malawi. At least 584 have been injured and 37 people have been reported missing in the country. A commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs agency, Charles Kalemba said that the situation had worsened in southern Malawi. Chilobwe, a township near the southern city of Blantyre, is one of the hardest hit areas. Authorities say over 30 people from the area have died and dozens remain missing as search and rescue efforts continue. In Mozambique, at least 10 people were killed and 13 injured in the Zambezia province.
-
Ukrainian top military commanders continue to defend Bakhmut
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his top military commanders have pledged to continue defending the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut in the face of intense Russian pressure. Moscow has targeted the embattled Donbas city with heavy shelling in a three-sided assault, but its forces have been unable to deliver a knockout blow which would enable them to seize it and finish off the resistance.
