Town Hall News

(Reuters) – At least 389 kidnappings were registered in Haiti in the first three months of this year, rights group CARDH said on Tuesday, marking a three-fold increase from the last quarter of 2022 as gangs look to recoup losses from international sanctions. The kidnappings seen between January and March are more than triple the 127 CARDH recorded in the previous quarter, and a 72% increase from the same period […]

By Michel Rose and Laurie Chen BEIJING (Reuters) – European Union executive head Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are to land in China on Wednesday seeking to “reset” ties with an important economic partner while broaching thorny issues like Ukraine and trade risks. Macron last visited China in 2019 while it will be von der Leyen’s first trip since becoming European Commission president that year. Since […]

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected shortly in neighbouring Poland, a close ally that has played a big role in galvanising Western military and political support for Kyiv against Russia’s full-scale invasion.    The visit, which was announced this week by Poland but has not been officially confirmed by Kyiv, comes with Ukraine planning to conduct a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to recapture occupied […]

(Reuters) – Rescue teams made final checks on Wednesday for anyone still trapped in an avalanche that swept down on a road in the Indian Himalayan state of Sikkim the day before, killing seven people. Rescue teams pulled 20 survivors from the snow that engulfed the road to the Nathu La pass, between Sikkim and the Chinese region of Tibet, before calling off their search as bad weather closed in […]

By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) – An Australian government-backed service for victims of identity theft blasted a plan to toughen privacy laws amid an explosion of online data theft, saying it would spur compromised companies to pay ransom and invite more hacking. IDCare, a non-profit that helps internet crime victims, said by making it easier for regulators to fine companies for poor data security and failing to criminalise ransom payment, […]

(Reuters) – Washington state’s government said on Tuesday it had purchased a three-year supply of abortion pill mifepristone as a Texas judge mulls a nationwide ban on the medication’s sale. The state’s Democratic governor directed its Department of Corrections, which has a pharmacy license, to purchase the medication last month, a government statement said. The full shipment was delivered on March 31, it added. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in […]

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – BHP Group’s programme to support promising minerals explorers will expand beyond copper and nickel to prospective uranium and lithium projects from September, the head of its Xplor program said on Wednesday. The Xplor accelerator program chose seven projects around the world to support for six months from January in its first year this year that fit with BHP’s portfolio – copper and nickel – and are key […]

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected shortly in neighbouring Poland, a close ally that has played a big role in galvanising Western military and political support for Kyiv against Russia’s full-scale invasion.    The visit, which was announced this week by Poland but has not been officially confirmed by Kyiv, comes with Ukraine planning to conduct a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to recapture occupied […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he would accept an invitation to visit China but has yet to receive one, in a response to speculation that planning for a visit to Beijing was well advanced. South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources, that Beijing had issued an “in principle” invitation to Albanese and his trade minister Don Farrell to visit China. The visit […]