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Drone Strike on Besieged Sudan Mosque Kills Dozens Amid Escalating Darfur Siege

  At least 70 worshippers were killed and dozens more injured when a drone strike hit a mosque during Friday prayers in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur region, according to medical and aid sources. The attack, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), reduced the mosque to rubble, with rescuers still pulling bodies from the debris. El Fasher — home to more than 260,000 civilians — has been under siege for over a year as the RSF battles Sudan’s army for control of the city, the military’s last stronghold in Darfur. Satellite imagery shows RSF advances into key military and humanitarian sites, including the nearby Abu Shouk displacement camp, which shelters hundreds of thousands. The United Nations condemned the strike as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, warning of the “increasing ethnicisation” of the conflict. Since fighting erupted in April 2023, Sudan’s civil war has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and pushed vast s...

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Alberta Teachers’ Strike Threat Casts Shadow Over Back-to-School Season

                 

With the first day of the 2025–26 school year just days away, Alberta’s classrooms face uncertainty as contract talks between the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the provincial government remain stalled. In June, nearly 95% of teachers voted in favour of strike action if a new deal could not be reached, citing overcrowded classrooms, insufficient resources, and wages that have not kept pace with inflation.

ATA president Jason Schilling says educators are entering the year with “trepidation and frustration,” pointing to Alberta’s position as the lowest-funded province in Canada for per-student spending. The union is pushing for smaller class sizes, better supports for students, and competitive pay to attract and retain teachers.

The provincial government maintains that its offer is fair and competitive, but has not met the ATA’s demands for improved classroom conditions and additional staffing. If no agreement is reached, the ATA could issue a 72-hour strike notice, potentially disrupting the start of the school year on September 2.

School boards, including the Calgary Board of Education and Lethbridge School Division, are preparing contingency plans to keep learning going if job action occurs. For now, parents, students, and educators are left waiting to see whether the first bell of the year will ring as scheduled — or be drowned out by picket lines.


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