Burkina Faso forces killed twice as many civilians as jihadists, rights group says

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) – Government forces in Burkina Faso killed over twice as many civilians as militant jihadist groups over a two-year period, according to a study by Human Rights Watch, which accused both sides of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Wall Street closed for Good Friday, but US futures inch lower

U.S. futures were trading modestly lower early Friday following surprisingly strong jobs data from the federal government. Equities markets are closed for Good Friday, but futures markets were trading into Friday morning, albeit quietly. Futures for S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.2% and Nasdaq futures were down 0.4%.

Saharan dust storm turns Greek sky red as winds and flooding leave 1 person dead

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A powerful storm front that lashed Greece over the past 24 hours brought gale force winds and flooding that left one man dead and turned the sky over Crete a deep red. The sky’s surreal red hues were reminiscent of apocalyptic scenes over Crete where the storm that hit the island with gale-force winds combined with a Saharan dust storm.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

BANGKOK (AP) – Myanmar’s parliament on Friday elected Min Aung Hlaing, a general who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in 2021 and kept an iron grip on power for the past five years, as the country’s new president. The move marks a nominal return to an elected government but is widely considered as an effort to keep the army in power.

Machete-wielding man attacks Ugandan nursery school, killing 4 children

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) – A man killed four children in a machete attack inside a nursery school in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Thursday, police said. The man gained access to the Gaba Early Childhood Development Program in Kampala by disguising himself as a parent, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported.

US F15 Jet Shot Down Over Iran - 1 Crew Member Rescued and 1 Missing

WASHINGTON (AP) – US military says the American aircraft was ‘shot down,’ according to an email obtained by AP. One crew member has been rescued after an American aircraft was shot down in Iran, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Friday. Iranian TV had said at least one crew member ejected, and urged Iranians to deliver any "enemy pilot" to police.

New funding transforms lives by expanding electricity access across Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Before dawn in the narrow alleys of Mathare, an informal settlement in Kenya’s capital, Agnes Mbesa flicks on a single bulb hanging from her tin roof. For years, the mother of three relied on smoky kerosene lamps. Now electricity lights her home and powers the small shop she runs from her veranda.

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Sexual violence is being used as a weapon in Sudan's war

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Sexual violence against women and girls is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan ‘s fierce conflict between the military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, international aid group Doctors Without Borders said in a report Tuesday.