ISRAEL: Major media companies from around the world called on the government today to end its ban on foreign journalists independently reporting from Gaza.

“Being on the ground is essential. It allows journalists to question official accounts on all sides, to speak directly with civilians and report back what they witness first hand,” said a statement by top executives at the BBC, CNN, Reuters, dpa, the Washington Post and many more.

The Israeli government did not immediately respond.

NEW ZEALAND: The fascist who shot and killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 lost a bid to undo his guilty pleas at the Court of Appeal today.

A panel of three judges dismissed Brenton Tarrant’s claim that harsh prison conditions prompted him to make an involuntarily confession to terrorism, murder and attempted murder.

His application to withdraw his guilty pleas and seek a trial was “utterly devoid of merit,” the judges wrote.

MYANMAR: The military junta shortened the jail sentence of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi today as part of a prisoner pardon tied to a Buddhist religious holiday.

The amnesty is the second in two weeks, following an earlier one on April 17 when more than 4,500 prisoners were granted amnesty. It was not immediately clear how many people were included in today’s amnesty.

Based on previous reductions, the 80-year-old is expected to have more than 13 years left to serve.

VENEZUELA: The first direct commercial flight between the US and Venezuela left for Caracas today, seven years after the US ordered an indefinite suspension.

The resumption of a non-stop commercial services between the two countries comes a month after the US formally reopened its embassy in Venezuela following the US kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro in early January.