Mali, Indonesia, Naoero
Today's three stories you should know
Mali
The Russian government-controlled Africa Corps paramilitary group killed eight civilians, including three children, in an airstrike on a village in Mali, a rights group said today. An aircraft identified as a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 struck Kyrnia twice on June 15, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. One strike hit the home of the village chief, killing his wife and three children, and another landed on a cattle market and killed four men. No fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin armed group, which is at war with Mali’s government and has controlled the village for six years, were reported among the dead. Mali has forged a close alliance with Russia since a military junta took power in a coup in 2021 and cut most ties with former colonial power France.
More from AP here.
Listen to The Proximities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Indonesia
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has said that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wants him to visit North Korea to explore talks between Pyongyang and Seoul. "During my last visit to South Korea, their president asked me if I could visit North Korea to open some kind of a dialogue. I told him, with all due respect and willingness, if you asked me to, I would go," he said. Lee’s office did not comment. Indonesia traditionally pursues a non-aligned foreign policy and Prabowo has offered himself as a mediator in several conflicts.
More from Reuters here.
Naoero
You’d be forgiven for never hearing of Naoero. That’s because the Pacific island nation of Nauru reclaimed it as its name today. The name Nauru was given to the island by European colonizers because they couldn’t pronounce Naoero. Yes, really. The country will now be called the Republic of Naoero, with the short form Naoero, and citizens will be referred to as “dei-Naoero.” The government said it had notified international organisations and that the transition process was underway. The Republic of Naoero is the world’s third-smallest nation, after Vatican City and Monaco, with a population of about 12,000 people.
More from Al Jazeera here.