Headlines- The United Nations warns that 800,000 people in Yemen have lost access to life-saving food aid due to the conflict's escalation, and hospitals are overcrowded with injured combatants.
- Since October 1, 20 attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have been reported, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. Two of these incidents were reported on Wednesday.
- Iran was accused by a U.S. official of lying about a cargo ship that sank on Wednesday and of attacking it, most likely with a missile.
- A cargo ship struck a naval mine on Wednesday while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz via "an unauthorized and hazardous route," according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
- Protests against the government in the capital of Albania Tirana turned violent on Wednesday, leaving several official buildings severely damaged and at least one on fire.
- After the arrest of a Japanese journalist on suspicion of espionage by Russia's FSB security agency, Japan's Foreign Ministry summoned in Russia's ambassador on Wednesday.
Year: 2020
Plight of Turkey Greece Refugees
Refugees in Turkey seeking new lives by crossing the eastern Mediterranean to Greece are increasingly subject to being robbed, beaten or even abandoned at sea. Encouraged to make the trip by Turkey, refugees – many from Syria – report they are being expelled by Greek authorities after they reach Greek territory
Tanzanians Approach Election With Economic Advances,...
Tanzania is heading toward October elections after five years under President John Magufuli. Magufuli has initiated major infrastructure projects and fought against official corruption. But critics call him “The Bulldozer” for ignoring criticism of the projects and cracking down on opponents and freedom of the press
Israel Laser Defense
Amid an escalation of tensions between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas government, Palestinians have launched hundreds of incendiary devices carried by balloons over the border into Israel. Now, Israel has developed a laser defense system – the first of its kind in the world – to shoot them down
Hong Kong, Xinjiang Crackdowns Haunt China...
Germany’s top diplomat urged China to allow a UN mission to investigate the internment camps holding Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and called for the withdrawal of the national security law in Hong Kong that has led to the arrests of top pro-democracy figures, German media reported
Iranian Shopkeepers Count The Cost Of...
A Tehran city council member says more than 10,000 people have died so far in the Iranian capital from COVID-19. That amounts to about half of some 21,000 deaths officially recorded nationally. Shopkeepers in the capital have revealed the impact it is having on their personal health and their businesses
Uganda’s Poor Face Brunt of COVID-19 School...
COVID-19 has created a new normal for school children learning by video applications and broadcast channels, including in Uganda. But while many embrace the new normal, not all families are able to afford paying for data or even electricity for the television
American Artist Makes Lethal Virus Her...
With the coronavirus outbreak, people worldwide have become preoccupied with a threat so physically small that it can’t be seen. The invisible world of viruses has long fascinated multi-media artist Laura Splan, who is artist in residence at a biotech lab researching Covid-19
How China Dominates Global Battery Supply...
Cobalt has emerged as one of the hottest commodities in the new energy revolution because it is widely used in electric vehicles as well as computer and consumer electronics. But unlike graphite, which China has significant natural reserves, the country’s cobalt reserves accounts for only about 1% of the world’s total. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) produces more than 60% of the world’s mined cobalt.
Botswana Hopes Mysterious Elephant Deaths Are...
Botswana’s neighbor, Zimbabwe, recorded its first mysterious deaths last week, with the loss of at least 11 elephants. Wildlife authorities there say the cause appears to be a bacterial infection
Afghanistan: Measures in Place to Curb...
The Afghan government said it has taken the necessary measures to curb the use of drugs by its police forces amid a report published last week by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which said Afghan agencies found that half of the police forces in the southern provinces used drugs