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: 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