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

ITTEFAQ, Afghanistan (AP) – For several minutes after the earthquake struck, he could hear their screams. Then there was silence. Mohibullah Niazi, a neighbor who helped in the rescue efforts, said Saturday that the eight people killed on the outskirts of Kabul after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan.

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.

Can Kennedy lineage help send JFK's grandson to Congress?

NEW YORK (AP) – As a Kennedy scion, Jack Schlossberg got outsized attention when he launched his congressional campaign in New York City late last year. He was already a social media star – in part through his relentless attacks on his cousin, Trump administration heath secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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.