Headlines- Kurdish troops reported that a coalition led by the United States shot down multiple drones over Erbil, the capital of the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Wednesday.
- The potential sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and related equipment to Saudi Arabia for an estimated $1.96 billion was approved by the US State Department on Wednesday.
- In protest of this week's ban on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's foreign ministry summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday, vowing that the move would "not go unanswered".
- U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Wednesday that a U.S. aircraft fired on an oil tanker that "attempted to violate the U.S. blockade" on Iranian ports.
- US President Donald Trump stated that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cannot be negotiated with and that the United States might have to eliminate it.
Category: News & Views
A “Non-Migratory” Ramadan Due to Coronavirus:...
The President’s decision aims to prevent, in a nation hosting 230 million Muslims (about 90% out of a population of 260 million inhabitants), at least thirty million Indonesians travelling across the country, in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, which has already registered over 7,400 cases and caused 630 victims in Indonesia. The government had previously issued a “travel ban” related only to employees of public bodies and state-owned enterprises, while Indonesian Muslims had been advised against (but not prohibited) from traveling. The absolute ban comes into force today Friday 24 April and penalties will be applied starting from 7 May
Widespread Information to Contain Covid-19: the...
Afghanistan officially registers 1300 infected and about 50 deaths, but tests are extremely limited and the cases are much higher. The coronavirus-related health emergency is added to political instability, institutional fragility, dependence on international donors
Tibetan Monk Dies After Living Two...
The shared document was “a recognition letter from His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding the reincarnation of [religious figure] Choedon Rinpoche from Sera Je Lhopa Khantsen,” he added
Indigenous People Reject Food Parcels for...
The health check of the people who arrive in these communities is asked, because, as the testimonies sent to Fides by the missionaries who work here point out, infected merchants or government delegates can arrive, who can transmit the virus to a community. Not having health centers to accommodate a patient of this kind, it could cause a real tragedy, exterminating the whole community
Malawi Health Workers Face Stigma, Discrimination...
Malawi so far has confirmed 33 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths. But health workers say they are presumed to carry the virus, shunned in public, refused access to public transport, and even evicted from rented homes
Nomads Urge China to Drop Plan...
A delegation of nomads said in a letter Monday to authorities that moving from Tibetan to Chinese as the main medium of instruction would have an “adverse impact on relationships between parents and their children and goes against regional ethnic laws.”
End Prosecution of Bloggers for Criticizing...
Within the region, Tunisia enjoys a relatively high degree of political freedom. However, the past two years have seen a number of criminal prosecutions related to freedom of expression – many of which have used outdated laws from the era of ousted President Ben-Ali to prosecute critics for defamation and insulting state officials and institutions
As People Stay Home, Earth Turns...
People are also noticing animals in places and at times they don’t usually. Coyotes have meandered along downtown Chicago’s Michigan Avenue and near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. A puma roamed the streets of Santiago, Chile. Goats took over a town in Wales. In India, already daring wildlife has become bolder with hungry monkeys entering homes and opening refrigerators to look for food
Northeast China Imposes Travel Restrictions Amid...
Citizen journalist and former state TV anchor Li Zehua on Tuesday made a brief post to social media for the first time since his detention two months ago in the central city of Wuhan
Week of Indigenous Peoples: the Pandemic...
The Week of Indigenous Peoples is inspired by the First Pan-American Indigenous Congress, held in Mexico on April 19, 1940. Considering the need to make this reality more visible and to encourage solidarity with these peoples, the decision to extend the celebration for a week was taken.