South African opposition leader gets 5 years in prison for breaking firearm lawsSOUTH AFRICAN opposition party leader Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison today, after he was convicted of breaking firearm laws by firing a rifle at a political rally in 2018. He was released pending his appeal, which will be heard at a later date. If the verdict and sentence are upheld, Mr Malema, who leads the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters party, will be disqualified as a lawmaker.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/south-african-opposition-leader-gets-5-years-prison-breaking-firearm-lawsSomalia reports hit on al-Shabab with ‘international support’The Somali army also “seized weapons and military equipment, including BKM machine guns, RPGs and AK-47 rifles, as well as landmines that the terrorists had intended to use against civilians”, the statement read. The Defence Ministry said operations are ongoing to “pursue the remaining Al-Shabaab elements, in order to ensure security, stability and the safety of civilians living in Somalia”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/14/somalia-reports-hit-on-al-shabab-with-international-supporthttps://archive.ph/T66cX Trump says Israel agrees to 10-day Lebanon ceasefire On Thursday morning, as Israeli media reported that a call between Aoun and Netanyahu was imminent, Israel bombed the Qasmiyeh bridge, severing the last link between southern Lebanon and the rest of the country. “Enemy aircraft carried out two consecutive strikes on the Qasmiyeh bridge, the last bridge between the Sour and Saida regions, completely destroying it,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/trump-says-israel-and-lebanon-agree-10-day-ceasefireSectarian fears increase as a Beirut area says no to displacement centreA number of politicians and protesters were opposed to setting up the centre, citing a number of reasons, including increased traffic to the area near Beirut’s port and health concerns. But there were also sectarian motivations with some of Karantina’s Christian population leading objections to housing the displaced, who are predominantly Shia Muslims, citing demographic concerns and using sectarian slogans reminiscent of language used during the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/16/sectarian-fears-increase-as-a-beirut-area-says-no-to-displacement-centrehttps://archive.ph/m6bRjIn violation of the 1974 agreement | Work resumes on the “Sofa 53” project inside the buffer zone in Al-QunaitrahAl-Qunaitrah province: Israeli forces have resumed work on the “Sofa 53” project inside the buffer zone between the occupied Syrian Golan and Al-Qunaitrah countryside, in a move described as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
https://www.syriahr.com/en/381102/Turkish coal miners march to Ankara for their unpaid wagesThe march began amid President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government’s escalating efforts to suppress the working class through the courts, and its US imperialist ally’s war of aggression against Iran. While over 90 percent of the Turkish public believes the war against Iran is unjust, Ankara signed the Riyadh declaration condemning Iran’s right to self-defense.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/04/15/ijgo-a15.htmlLabour facing its ‘worst local election ever’The Greens and hard-right Reform are set to be the beneficiaries in England, with nationalist parties winning in Scotland and Wales. If the results on May 7 bear out these predictions it will revive pressure on Labour MPs to act to end Sir Keir Starmer’s disastrous leadership of their party and the government. James Johnson, of JL Partners, which conducted the detailed survey for the Telegraph, said the research pointed to “a major political earthquake” across Britain.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-facing-its-worst-local-election-everEl Salvador’s Bukele signs reforms allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12The change was passed last month by the Legislative Assembly, which is controlled by Bukele’s party, and would apply to people convicted of committing or acting as an accomplice to crimes including homicide, femicide, rape and gang membership. The measure was pushed forward by Bukele’s cabinet.
https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-bukele-life-prison-youth-e14e9dfe3ae7028f3c97eb9429bf3a63Paraguayan Teachers Reject Pension ReformTeachers’ unions appealed to the highest court to request a declaration of unconstitutionality regarding the Pension System Reform Law promoted by the government of Santiago Peña. Gabriel Espínola, secretary of the workers’ organization, indicated that the legislation is regressive and detrimental to teachers, police officers, and military personnel.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/paraguayan-teachers-reject-pension-reform/Over 700 families near Carbon Market face displacement, red-tagging amid privatizationResidents of Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City fear they might be driven out of their homes after their community was included in the redevelopment area covered by the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between the Cebu City government and Megawide Construction Corporation’s Cebu2World Development Inc. (C2W).
https://www.bulatlat.com/2026/04/10/over-700-families-near-carbon-market-face-displacement-red-tagging-amid-privatization/ Myanmar revellers cautiously return to Thingyan festivities after years of boycott This year’s festivities – held from Monday to Thursday (Apr 13 to 16) and followed by the Myanmar New Year on Friday – have taken place against the backdrop of ongoing armed conflict and just over a year after a devastating earthquake killed around 3,800 people. For many, Thingyan has offered a rare chance to experience a sense of normalcy – even if only briefly – after years of crisis.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-thingyan-new-year-festival-military-junta-coup-earthquake-fuel-shortage-6060576NSW’s highest court strikes down anti-protest law introduced in wake of Bondi beach terror attackThe court of appeal handed down its findings on Thursday after three activist groups – the Blak Caucus, the Palestine Action Group and Jews Against the Occupation ’48 – filed a constitutional challenge in early January against the legislation. The law, known as the public assembly restriction declaration or Pard, was passed in the wake of the Bondi beach terror attack in which 15 people were killed. It meant protesters could not use the form 1 system – a notice of intention to the police to hold a public assembly - in areas designated by police for up to three months after a terrorist attack, effectively meaning protesters could not march without the risk of arrest.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/16/nsws-highest-court-strikes-down-anti-protest-law-introduced-in-wake-of-bondi-beach-terror-attack-ntwnfb