Friday, July 2 2021

*) Canada Day muted as country reckons with treatment of indigenous, other minorities Multiple cities have scrapped Canada Day celebrations after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former indigenous schools. Since May, more than 1,000 unmarked graves have been found at former residential Catholic church-run schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The findings sparked a reckoning with the country's colonial past. *) Biden consoles Surfside families as search operation resumes US President Joe Biden and the first lady offered comfort to the families of those killed and missing in the condo collapse as they visited South Florida. Rescue-and-recovery efforts to the search for victims believed to be buried in the rubble resumed after a brief suspension over safety concerns. The 18 confirmed dead so far include two children, aged four and 10 as more than 140 others remain unaccounted for. *) Ethiopia calls on Tigray forces to adhere to ceasefire as famine looms Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry says the government-declared ceasefire with rebel Tigrayan forces is a work in progress and needs both sides' commitment to work. The statement comes after Ethiopian troops left Tigray's regional capital Mekelle on Wednesday after months of fighting. The former rulers of Ethiopia's Tigray region, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), said on Monday they were back in control of the regional capital. *) Trump Organisation, CFO indicted on tax fraud charges Donald Trump’s company and its longtime finance chief were charged in what prosecutors called a “sweeping and audacious” tax fraud scheme. Trump himself was not charged with any wrongdoing, but prosecutors noted he signed some of the checks at the centre of the case. It is the first criminal case to come out of New York authorities' two-year investigation into the former president's business dealings. And finally ... *) Britney Spears' father remains in guardian role as case continues A Los Angeles court has confirmed a months-old decision denyi