Headlines- The US's ongoing blockade of Iranian ports, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, has caused control of the Strait of Hormuz to "return to its previous state."
- US President Donald Trump stated that a peace agreement was "very close," even though Tehran denied his assertion that it was prepared to turn over nuclear weapons.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry denied claims made by US President Donald Trump regarding the nation's enriched uranium stockpile, stating that it would not be moved "anywhere."
- After Iran's declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, oil prices fell by about 10% on Friday.
- The six-week conflict in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 people and the displacement of one in five.
Month: June 2020
When Home is Not an Option:...
Roughly 280,000 refugees from Africa live in Yemen, and they are among the poorest, most vulnerable people in the world. Aid organizations say during this pandemic, international resources to support them have dwindled to almost nothing. And families say they are barely surviving, choosing to potentially expose themselves to the virus rather than to starve
COVID-19: Russia Reopens
Russia has held its long awaited celebrations to mark the end of World War Two, with the Kremlin dismissing concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to hold a grand military parade on Red Square
Nigeria’s Fast-Growing Wedding Industry Struggles During...
Despite churches in Nigeria emerging from lockdown to once again hold weddings, they’re trying to cut down on the number of guests. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led many couples to get married online through video conferencing platforms bug Nigeria’s large wedding industry, which is geared towards entertaining large numbers of guests, is struggling to adjust to the new reality
Americans Search for Common Ground on...
Gun owner Angela Stroud says many people have simplistic views about the subject but in fact, it’s a complicated issue. She talks to VOA Connect about regulation and her own conflicting views and what can be done to address the misconceptions
COVID-19 LockDowns in Europe Expose Racial...
According to a press release issued by the Amnesty International on 24 June, policing the Pendemic covers 12 European countries and exposes a disturbing pattern of racial bias which is linked to concerns about institutional racism within police forces, and echoes wider concerns raised in the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests
COVID-19: Uganda Olympic Runner
The coronavirus pandemic has some world athletes struggling to stay sharp for next year’s Tokyo Olympics after training facilities were shut down and competitions cancelled. Ugandan runner Halima Nakaayi, the gold medalist in the 800 meters at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, is doing her best to prepare under the restrictions imposed by COVID-19
Chinese Police Formally Arrest Dissident Who...
Liu Jiacai, a rights activist from the Yangtze river city of Yichang who is often targeted by state security police, said he is currently safe at home after being taken out of town for the sensitive June 4 anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre
COVID-19: Malaysia Businesses Struggle
As in other countries, the economic fallout in Malaysia from the coronavirus pandemic has hit small businesses such as restaurants especially hard. There are estimates that up to ten percent of these businesses have had to shut. Dave Grunebaum reports from Kuala Lumpur-VOA NEWS
Israel Settlement Annexation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he intends to impose Israeli sovereignty on more than 130 Jewish settlements, as laid out in President Trump’s Deal of the Century, the U.S. administration’s peace plan. Palestinians strongly oppose the plan, and while most Jewish settlers support it, some settlers worry it could lead to a Palestinian state in the part of the West Bank that is not annexed
As Lebanon Spirals, Its Foreign Workers...
Lebanon in recent months has been hit by a series of crises. First, mass protests, then an economic meltdown, and finally the coronavirus lockdown. All of this has left hundreds of thousands of migrant workers – many of them women – from across the world vulnerable, and in a growing number of cases, out on the streets