Headlines- After issuing warnings, Iranian forces turned back two tankers that were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the ongoing US maritime blockade as the reason.
- Iran claimed that since the war with the US and Israel started on February 28, over 3,400 people had died.
- On Saturday night, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran threatened to strike any ship that approached the Strait of Hormuz.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs called the Iranian ambassador to India to discuss the "serious incident" involving two Indian-flagged ships that were fired upon on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran said that it is examining fresh U.S. proposals that were communicated through Pakistan's mediators, but it has not yet responded.
- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem vowed on Saturday that his fighters would retaliate against Israeli attacks on Lebanon and stated that the current 10-day ceasefire with Israel cannot be one-sided.
Month: October 2020
In Los Angeles, COVID Inspires Drive-Thru...
The coronavirus pandemic has affected how people celebrate holidays, like Halloween. approaches, the notion that the traditional trick-or-treating by children will be curtailed has inspired alternatives – including various drive-through experiences in Los Angeles, California
Huge Voter Turnout Expected in US...
Muslim Americans make up only about 1% of the U.S. population. As VOA’s Faiza Bukhari reports, Muslim communities are mobilizing to cast their ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential election
Culture War Erupts in Poland After...
Women’s rights activists have called a national strike and thousands of people have joined demonstrations to protest a decision by Poland’s Constitutional Court to ban nearly all abortions
Interview: ‘Grassroots Participation in Democracy is...
On April 24, 2019, a court in Hong Kong handed down jail terms to four pro-democracy activists accused of “inciting” the 2014 Occupy Central movement, after finding them guilty of public order charges. Movement co-founders Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man were both sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment by the West Kowloon District Court for “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance,” while fellow movement leader Chu Yiu-ming, 75, and Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan were given suspended prison terms owing to poor health. The charges were based on comments made to the media, and on a 2013 press conference given by Chan Kin-man, Benny Tai and Chu Yiu-ming calling on people to occupy the Central business district in a peaceful civil disobedience
Black Films Popularity Increase
Black films and TV series are receiving critical acclaim and have become box office sensations. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with film critics who say this “New Black Renaissance” shows audiences’ appetite for thought-provoking, entertaining and diverse stories is growing
Ivorian Refugees in Ghana Fear Increased...
Ivory Coast’s 2010 election violence killed 3,000 people and sent thousands more fleeing into Ghana. Now, many of those refugees fear the Ivorian election this Saturday could spark new unrest
COVID-19: Nigeria Child Brides
Young girls in Nigeria’s north are struggling to remain in school during the COVID-19 pandemic and aid group say many face the risk of child marriage
India Pandemic Learning
India’s months long COVID-19 shutdown of schools has inspired new ways to teach students without access to online classes because they don’t have smart phones, computers or even internet connectivity
UN Security Council Hold Videoconference in...
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), briefs the open video conference
‘I Lived My Life as I’d...
During the political instability of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, Chanisheff, then a new college student, participated in the founding of the East Turkestan People’s Party—a group of Uyghur elites who sought to establish an independent Uyghur state in the Xinjiang region