News in Brief
Myanmar airstrike death toll climbs to at least 170
AFP – The death toll from Tuesday morning's airstrike on a central Myanmar village rose to an estimated 171 victims on Friday, according to a team member involved in cremating bodies and media reports.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in a February 2021 coup, with an estimated 3,200 civilians killed as part of the junta's crackdown on dissent.
Finland starts building fence on parts of NATO’s eastern flank
BLOOMBERG – Finland kicked off a project to build a barrier to better protect its border with Russia, which now marks NATO’s new eastern flank.
The Nordic country started construction of an initial 3-kilometer stretch of fence near a border crossing in the southeast, which it plans to conclude in June, the Border Guard said on Friday.
Ambulance staff in England vote for pay deal: Union
REUTERS – Ambulance staff and others health workers represented by the Unison union in England have voted to accept a 5% wage increase proposed by the government to end strike action, the union said on Friday, saying it was the best pay deal available.
Almost three quarters of health service workers in England voted to accept the offer, while Scottish workers have also accepted a deal there.