Unrest, Conflicts and War
The rising death toll prompts UN concern that the country is sliding into a “human rights abyss”.
Hundreds of Sri Lankan Catholics gathered to pray at St. Anthony's shrine which was attacked in the Easter Sunday bombings, the worst attack since the civil war in the country. A mass was held for the first time since the church was restored & reopened. Hundreds of worshippers, survivors and relatives of victims to pay tribute to their loved ones. More than 250 people were killed in the attacks on April 21.
Police in Hong Kong have used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters as demonstrations against an extradition law turned violent. Despite the Legislative Council announcing that it would delay the second debate on the bill until further notice, protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until the bill is completely scrapped. The law would see suspected criminals in Hong Kong be sent to mainland China for trial.
Eight people were killed and 48 others injured in the 2017 attack.
Activists claim they were pelted as they put up messages of support outside Anderton Park primary school gates on Sunday.
One man has died and Muslim-owned shops and houses burned and raided as a wave of anti-Muslim violence spread across Sri Lanka. It’s believed the attacks are in retaliation for the Easter church attacks in April which left over 250 people dead. The government dispersed a mob in the north-west of the country after they walked through a town attack Muslim homes and shops. A curfew has been put in place and the government temporarily shut down social media.
Former journalist Mina Mangal was shot in Afghanistan in broad daylight. She was on her way to her job as an advisor to the Afghan parliament's cultural affairs commission. She had posted on Facebook days before that she had received death threats. Activists are raising the alarm in Afghanistan as the US holds peace talks with the Taliban, as they prepare to move out of the country. Under the Taliban, women’s rights were severely restricted. Reporters Without Borders also listed Afghanistan as the deadliest place for journalists in 2018.
Separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.
"You can trust the BBC – or can you?"
Demonstrators in Paris clashed with riot police, while in Istanbul over 80 protesters were arrested. In Manila, activists burned a large effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte. Originally celebrated in the UK as a recognition of changing seasons, May Day has come to be linked with International Workers’ Day and global, large-scale protests for workers' rights.