Headlines- After an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the weekend that set it on fire and left a crew member missing, the United States launched several waves of strikes on Iran on Sunday.
- Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, voiced his "deep concern" over the escalating attacks in Iran and warned "catastrophic consequences" on a global scale if parties resume "full-scale hostilities."
- Iran has denounced the latest wave of American attacks on its territory, claiming that they have "rendered futile" all of the past few months' diplomatic efforts..
- In order "to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships" in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday that its forces had carried out more strikes against Iran.
- A bar fire in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, claimed at least 27 lives and injured over 60 more.
Month: December 2019
Film ‘Dark Waters’ Rings Alarm on...
The legal thriller “Dark Waters” by filmmaker Todd Haynes follows corporate defense attorney Rob Billot as he investigates over a 20-year period the causes of widespread illness and death of people and cattle in a farm community of West Virginia. In the movie, health problems emerge after the chemical company DuPont dumps toxic chemicals in local waters. Based on a true story, the film aims to entertain but also to increase awareness about how hazardous chemicals pose a threat to public health in America and the world over
Myanmar Immigration Officials Nab Growing Number...
The 241 Chinese nationals arrested during the first six months of 2019 in townships along Myanmar’s border with China represent a huge increase over the 177 who illegally entered Myanmar in all of 2018
Fierce Boxing Form Gains Popularity in...
A brutal one-handed form of boxing in Nigeria, known as ‘dambe’, is gaining popularity even though it has left some fighters with multiple injuries and in some cases led to their deaths. Despite the dangers, Nigeria’s sport ministry says it is considering promoting Dambe as a national sport
UN Making Progress on South Sudan’s...
In South Sudan, since 2004, the United Nations has destroyed over a million explosive devices, including landmines and cluster munitions, scattered across the country from decades of conflict. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) says the unexploded ordnance poses a threat to farmers and villagers, but they expect to clear the remaining explosives within six years
Venezuela Newspaper Under Threat
Venezuela’s well-known newspaper, “El Nacional”, known for its critical line against the Maduro government, is facing new threats. The newspaper halted its print version after a top government official filed a lawsuit against it in 2018 and now says he plans to take control of it
Uyghur Boy Dies in Ditch in...
A five-year-old Uyghur boy who was left in the care of grandparents because his parents are incarcerated for religious and political reasons was found frozen to death in a ditch in Hotan (Hetian, in Chinese) prefecture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), residents told RFA’s Uyghur Service. RFA confirmed that both parents of Nesrulla Yusuptohti, …
Continue reading “Uyghur Boy Dies in Ditch in Hotan While Parents in Jail, Internment Camp”
Backlash to India’s New Citizenship Law...
In India, demands to scrap a controversial new citizenship law present the most serious challenge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced since his Hindu nationalist government came to power power six years ago. The legislation has fanned fears that it will marginalize the country’s 200 million Muslims and erode its secular constitution by introducing religion as a criterion for citizenship
Analyst: Boeing Suspension of 737-Max Production...
Boeing confirms it will suspend production of its 737 Max jetliner next month as regulators made it clear that they will not approve the jet’s return to service by the end of the year
Three Tibetans Detained in China’s Gansu...
Citing exile Tibetan sources with contacts in the region, the Washington, D.C.-based International Campaign for Tibet identified two of those detained as Tsegan, in his mid-30s, and thangka painter Lubum Dorjee. The name of the third man held is still unknown, ICT said
Islamic State Prisoners Shown To Media...
Afghans have been returning to their ruined homes in Nangarhar Province after officials claimed they had cleared it of remaining Islamic State fighters and showed captured militants to the media. RFE/RL met one family who returned to find their house destroyed, their crops stolen, and the land around them mined