April 12, 2023

*) Myanmar confirms deadly air strike that is feared to have killed 100 Myanmar's ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which some 100 people were reported to have been killed. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the strike that hit the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region. Initial reports put the death toll at around 50, but later tallies reported by independent media raised it to about 100. Turk said it included schoolchildren. The junta claimed that some of the dead were anti-coup fighters. *) US seeks to reassure allies after Ukraine-related documents leak Top US diplomat Antony Blinken and defence chief Lloyd Austin have spoken with their Ukrainian counterparts to reassure them after secret documents leaked online. The breach includes classified information about Ukraine's battle against Russian forces, as well as secret assessments of US allies. One document reviewed by the AFP news agency highlighted US concerns about Ukraine's capacity to keep defending against Russian strikes. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that another document expressed doubts about the success of an upcoming offensive by Kiev's forces. *) Pakistan slams India's decision to hold G20 meet in disputed Kashmir Pakistan has condemned India's decision to hold Group of 20 meetings in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir next month. Its Foreign Ministry accused India of acting in "disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law." India's Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the statement from Pakistan. *) Türkiye's Erdogan unveils AK Party's election manifesto Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his governing Justice and Development Party’s manifesto ahead of the May 14 elections. Speaking in the capital Ankara, Erdogan unveiled a 23-point election manifesto, which firstly focuses on support for earthquake victims in southern Türkiye