Headlines- The declaration of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was applauded by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which described it as "a critical and long-overdue reprieve for civilians who have endured weeks of unrelenting violence."
- The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed optimism that it will lay the groundwork for long-term stability in the Middle East.
- As part of an earlier two-week ceasefire agreement between Tehran and the United States to pause the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's Foreign Ministry praised the ceasefire reached by Israel and Lebanon.
- At midnight local time on Friday, gunfire broke out in the southern suburbs of Beirut as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect.
- The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health estimates that since March 2, Israeli forces have killed at least 2,196 civilians and injured another 7,185.
- The Lebanese government urges people not return back to their homes in southern Lebanon, despite Israel and Lebanon have reached a 10-day ceasefire.
- The United States is "very close" to a deal with Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Tag: Coronavirus Pandemic
For Israeli and Palestinian Muslims, This...
The holy month of Ramadan is set to begin later this week for the world’s two billion Muslims. It is a month of fasting, family gatherings, and prayer in mosques. But all over the Muslim world, “shelter in place” orders will keep people at home. In Israel, the government is expected to announce a nightly curfew on Arab towns and East Jerusalem to keep people inside
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
COVID-19: Stuck in Lockdown
Police in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, detained several people who gathered to demonstrate against the government’s COVID-19 lockdown measures. Some protesters were forced into police cars and fined around $1,000 after officers broke up the April 23 demonstration
Hard Hit by COVID, Spain Slowly...
Spain, with one of the highest death tolls from coronavirus, enacted strict social-distancing measures in mid-March. But with the number of infections and deaths now slowing down, the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced the kingdom is cautiously moving to relax those measures~VOA NEWS
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
Experts: Sufficient Testing, Hospital Capacity, PPE...
Several countries around the world, including Germany and South Korea, and a number of U.S. states are easing their coronavirus lockdown restrictions this week. But experts caution that a number of conditions need to be in place before people leave their homes and head back out to churches, shops, restaurants and beaches
COVID-19: US Medical Supply Volunteers
Medical students from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. have launched a volunteer organization called Med Supply Drive to help doctors get very needed medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. The students collect as many face masks, gloves, disinfectants and hand sanitizers as they can from tattoo parlors and labs to pass along to doctors who are working round the clock to save people
US Food Supply Strained Even as...
With more Americans cooking at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery stores face higher consumer demand for food and other products precisely when the nation’s supply chain is being strained. While shortages of some basic goods have raised concerns about the U.S. food supply, VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the state of Wisconsin – America’s dairy capital – that bare store shelves don’t necessarily mean the nation is running out of food
COVID-19: Afghan Girls Robotics Team...
As the coronavirus continues to threaten millions of lives across the globe, many people are trying to step up and help. A small girls robotics team in Afghanistan has shifted its focus from designing and making robots for competitions to replicating designs for ventilators.
COVID-19: Hungary Economy Jobs
As Europe counts the human and economic costs of the coronavirus lockdowns, Hungary appears to have gotten off lightly. It has nearly 2,100 reported cases and 213 deaths so far, compared to tens of thousands in the worst-hit countries. Nevertheless, economists predict the country’s GDP will shrink by close to 10 percent. As Henry Ridgwell reports, many workers are having to adapt quickly to the dramatically changing labor market in the nation of nearly 10 million people