Top stories from DAWNS Digest
“Yemeni forces, reportedly backed by U.S. drone strikes, hit al-Qaida militants for a second straight day Monday in what Yemen officials said was an assault on a major base of the terror group hidden in the remote southern mountains. The government said 55 militants were killed so far. The sprawling base was a rare instance of a permanent infrastructure set up by al-Qaida’s branch in the country, Yemeni security officials said. Built over the past months, it includes a training ground, storehouses for weapons and food and vehicles used by the group to launch attacks, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to the press.” (WaPo http://wapo.st/1h8EliB)
In Cape Town, South Africa gay bars abound. In other countries nearby, homosexual acts can get you tossed into prison. (GlobalPost http://bit.ly/1k15Niu)
Some 234 girls are missing from the northeast Nigerian school attacked last week by Islamic extremists, significantly more than the 85 reported by education officials, parents told the state governor Monday. (AP http://bit.ly/1eXNtI9)
Four years ago, hundreds of children died, exposed to lead dust that was everywhere, created in a rush to process ore for gold. Nigeria is finding its own path to curb that dust — and save kids. (NPR http://bit.ly/1eXMhEL)
A new survey reveals increasing food insecurity among displaced families in Iraq’s Anbar province. (UN http://bit.ly/1eXLPq9)
Ban Ki-moon warns that Syria’s newly announced presidential election will undermine efforts to achieve a political solution to Syria’s three-year-old civil war if it goes ahead on June 3. (AFPhttp://bit.ly/1eXNLyY)