Sudan, Syria, Japan.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jul 08, 2023

Sudan

At least 22 people have been killed in a Sudanese army air raid on the city of Omdurman, which is just across the Nile river from the capital Khartoum. The health ministry said the bombs landed on a residential neighbourhood in what is one of the worst single incidents of urban warfare since fighting flared between the government and a paramilitary force in April. Despite several attempts at brokering peace, the conflict is showing no signs of ending imminently after several broken truces.

Syria

Reuters has an interesting exclusive out of Syria. As the Wagner mutiny unfolded in Russia, the Syrian government moved swiftly to contain Wagner troops there, apparently worried the rebellion would spread. The news agency reports that a group of Russian military officers were quickly dispatched to Syria and that Syrian military intelligence cut landlines and internet connections in areas where the Wagner group was based. After more than 10 years of war, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is back in control of most of the country in large part due to Russian military support.

Japan

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida led political and business leaders today as they marked one year since the murder of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was shot dead last year while making a speech at an election rally, sending shock and revulsion through a country where violent crime, particularly gun crime, is rare. No date has yet been set for the trial of suspect Tetsuya Yamagami who was arrested at the scene.