Assailants kill 14 in DR Congo
Assailants in DR Congo have killed 14 civilians in revenge for army offensives against Ugandan rebel strongholds in the east of the country, an official said. The latest killings, which occurred in the night from Friday to Saturday, take the total number of those killed in revenge attacks in the past two weeks to more than 30. The attacks took place in two locations in the Beni region of the North Kivu province where the Congolese army last month announced an offensive to root out insurgents belonging to the rebel group the Allied Democratic Forces.
Oscar Wilde’s stolen ring found
A golden ring once given as a present by the famed Irish writer Oscar Wilde has been recovered by a Dutch ‘art detective’ nearly 20 years after it was stolen from Britain’s Oxford University. The friendship ring, a joint gift from Wilde to a fellow student in 1876, was taken during a burglary in 2002 at Magdalen College, where the legendary dandy studied. At the time it was valued at £35,000. Its whereabouts remained a mystery for years and there were fears that the ring had even been melted down.
Yellow vests seek show of strength
French ‘yellow vest’ protesters began a series of nationwide demonstrations in a bid to show the government they can still muster support on the first anniversary of their movement. Numbers attending the protests and levels of violence have sharply diminished from the height of the movement, which began on November 17 last year. But the yellow vests want the actions on Saturday - their traditional day for protests - and also Sunday - the anniversary day - to show President Emmanuel Macron they remain a force to be reckoned with.
Chileans to vote on new constitution
Chile said on Friday it will hold a referendum to replace the country’s dictatorshipera constitution - a key demand of protesters after nearly a month of violent civil unrest. The announcement sent the stock market soaring over eight per cent and sparked a recovery by the peso, which was up 3.2 per cent. Lawmakers in Chile’s National Congress agreed to hold the vote in April 2020 after hours of negotiations between the governing coalition and opposition parties.
Venice braces for more flooding
Venice was on red alert for more floods and fierce winds after an exceptionally high tide swamped the city of canals, where authorities have declared a state of emergency. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro ordered the iconic St Mark’s Square closed on Friday as the latest sea surge struck with strong storms and winds battering the region. The square was open on Saturday, but the city forecast a high water of 160cm for Sunday, lower than Tuesday’s high of 187cm but still dangerous.