Ethiopia
Since Proximities launched, I have written about no story more than the calamitous war in Ethiopia. But due to a government-imposed communications blackout on the regions where the fighting is centered, it has proven difficult for media organizations trying to report on the war to find the human stories behind the statistics. The Associated Press news agency, though, has now published a shattering piece in which we hear the stories of just some of those who’ve been killed.
It is a difficult read.
More from AP here.
Myanmar
An update on a story covered in the newsletter last week. US journalist Danny Fenster, sentenced to 11 years in prison in Myanmar, has been pardoned. Fenster’s release was brokered by Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations. But thousands of Myanmarese are without a Richardson to negotiate on their behalf. According to local activist groups, more than 10,000 have been detained since the military junta began cracking down on anti-coup protests after it overthrew the government in February. At least 1,200 people have been killed by the army since then, monitoring groups say, and a low-level insurgency has developed.
More from CNN here.
Qatar
Seven Australian women are suing the government of Qatar after being subjected to invasive gynaecological examinations without their consent at Doha airport. The women were taken off their flight after a newborn baby was found in a plastic bag hidden in a bin at the airport in 2020. The Qatari government apologized at the time and said that those responsible for the women’s ordeal would be prosecuted.
More from Al Jazeera here.