Iraq, Singapore, Angola.

Today's three stories you should know.

Aug 20, 2022

Iraq

At least four people were killed when a landslide engulfed a shrine in the Shia holy city of Karbala in Iraq today. Rescue teams are now working frantically through the night to free survivors from underneath the rubble. Three children were reported to have been pulled to safety and emergency responders were able to get oxygen, food and water to several trapped people, according to the official Iraqi news agency INA.

Singapore

Singapore has decriminalized gay sex by repealing a colonial-era law. Section 377A of the penal code was introduced under British rule and carried a two-year sentence for sex between two men. “Private sexual behavior between consenting adults does not raise any law and order issue. There is no justification to prosecute people for it nor to make it a crime,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. “This will bring the law into line with current social mores and I hope provide some relief to gay Singaporeans.” Lee said the move would not impact Singapore’s traditional family values.

Angola

A weird saga has come to an end in Angola as the body of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos was repatriated a month after he died in Spain. A tug-of-war had developed with dos Santos’s widow and the government on one side, and one of his daughters on the other. The daughter, Tchizé, wanted her father to be buried in Barcelona, arguing that the ruling party was bringing the body back to help it win an upcoming election. She also argued that some of his children - including herself - wouldn’t be able to visit the grave because they risk arrest on corruption charges if they return to Angola. Dos Santos was in power for nearly 40 years until 2017.