NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Peru floods: The intense rains, overflowing rivers, mudslides and flooding being experienced in the country are the worst seen in in two decades, Peruvian authorities said Saturday, affecting more than half the nation as the death toll since the beginning of the year rose to 72. The rains have overwhelmed the drainage system in the cities along Peru’s Pacific coast and the health ministry has started fumigating around the pools of water that have formed in the streets to kill mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue. Lima has been without water service since the beginning of the week. The government has deployed the armed forces to help police control public order in the 811 cities that have declared an emergency.
2 U.N. workers kidnapped: Nearly a week after Congo’s government announced the kidnapping of two United Nations experts along with their translator and drivers, no trace of them has been found. Their abduction has raised alarm as political tensions spread over an election crisis. Michael Sharp of the United States and Zaida Catalan of Sweden were abducted with three Congolese colleagues while traveling by motorcycle through Central Kasai province. It was not clear when exactly the kidnapping occurred. It is the first recorded abduction of international workers in the province, a region far from the usual turmoil in eastern Congo where multiple armed groups roam. Sharp and Catalan had been looking into recent large-scale violence and alleged human rights violations by the Congolese army and local militia groups.
3 Congo massacre: Seven Congolese army officers have been arrested and charged with war crimes after a video surfaced last month that appeared to show uniformed soldiers opening fire on a group of civilians in a massacre that left at least 13 people dead, the military’s auditor general said Saturday. The video depicts a squad of soldiers gunning down a group of people, which included women and possibly children, in Central Kasai province. Most of the victims were unarmed, though a few men appeared to be holding slingshots. Congo has a history of government-led atrocities, including gang rapes and the slaughtering of civilians.
4 Gaza air strikes: The Israeli military says it carried out air strikes against two Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in response to a projectile fired from Gaza into southern Israel. No injuries were reported on either side. The military says it carried out the air strikes on Saturday in retaliation for the projectile that landed in an open field. No militant group has claimed responsibility. Gaza is ruled by the Islamist militant Hamas group. Since a 50-day war between Israel and Gaza militants in 2014, a cease-fire has largely held. But militants in Gaza occasionally fire rockets at Israel’s south, and Israel usually retaliates.
5 Papal visit: Pope Francis will visit Egypt in late April, reflecting improved VaticanMuslim dialogue after years of tension that developed during the previous papacy of Benedict XVI. The Vatican said Saturday that details of the April 28-29 trip will be announced soon. In Egypt, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said the visit to the majority Muslim nation comes in response to an invitation from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who met Francis when he visited the Vatican in late 2014.
6 Government crackdown:
Faezeh Hashemi, the outspoken daughter of Iran’s late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been sentenced to six months in prison for “spreading lies against the judiciary,” a semiofficial news agency reported Saturday as the country prepares for a May presidential election. The announcement comes as hard-liners have been cracking down on reformists in the lead-up to the vote.