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: March 2020
Broad Sectoral Sanctions Should Urgently ...
In Iran, where at least 1,800 people have died from COVID-19, human rights reports have repeatedly emphasized the impact of sectoral sanctions on access to essential medicines and medical equipment – including respirators and protective equipment for health-care workers
China Raises COVID-19 Concerns As It...
Azi Lhundup (Azhen Nengzhou) was found dead March 15 in a waiting room at the Sichuan provice Hongyan No.1 Police Station, where he was an official, according to Chinese state media
COVID-19: From Kyrgyzstan and Serbia
Kyrgyzstan declared a state of emergency in its cities and some regions, aiming to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures, which take effect on March 25..The Serbian Army began preparing 3000 beds for people diagnosed with coronavirus
Pakistani Village Shaken By Country’s First...
A village in northwestern Pakistan is under lockdown after a 50-year-old man became the first recorded coronavirus-related fatality in the country. Saadat Khan, who had an underlying heart condition, returned ill from a pilgrimage to Mecca. Coronavirus cases in Pakistan have soared to over 900 and there have now been seven recorded deaths
Civil Society Organisations Call on Niger...
Several civil society organisations have today expressed concern over the arrest of at least 15 of their members and the detention and prosecution of seven of them. These events are taking place in the context of an increasingly deteriorating climate for civil society in Niger where several serious violations of fundamental freedoms have been recorded in recent weeks
Covid-19: Fears of a Catastrophe in...
Particularly worrying is the situation of the overcrowded Congolese prisons, defined as “real places of daily death due to famine and lack of medical treatment. Prisoners survive only thanks to volunteers and food supplies from their families; given that, due to Covid-19, visits are no longer allowed in prisons, the NDSCI fears a massacre of prisoners in the very near future”
Nigeria Tuberculosis Day
Health experts say Nigeria isn’t likely to meet the United Nations’ 2030 tuberculosis eradication target, as the nation still accounts for the highest fatality rate from the disease in Africa. Officials say they’re trying to address major factors like inadequate awareness and funding by offering free screening and treatment
Zimbabwe’s Sports Betters Feeling Coronavirus Pinch
Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate is at around 85 percent, say independent economists. Thirty-five year old Farai Chitengwa told VOA via WhatsApp that for the past last 10 years on a good month he gets between $700 and $800 from soccer betting. It is his only source of income
COVID-19 Effect: US Public Schools Closed
This week, thousands of U.S. schools closed as officials sought to contain the new coronavirus. But the move presents new challenges for families who rely on the schools’ free meals and who don’t have the technology needed for their children to study at home
UN Chief Appeals for Immediate Global...
Responding to questions, Guterres said it was true that the COVID-19 crisis is diverting attention from many other issues. He said the world needed to be able to respond to the crisis while also addressing other major concerns