Headlines- Thirty people have died in a devastating fire at a pub in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, according to reports on Tuesday.
- Two UAE tankers have been struck in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- On Monday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that airstrikes on Iran have started for the third night in a row.
- On Monday, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced that two Iranian tankers had attacked two national tankers. One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured, including four critically, by cruise missiles in the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.
- Despite unleashing fresh attacks on Iran and reimposing a blockade of Iranian ports, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that an deal with Tehran to end the Middle East war was still possible.
- IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said in a statement on Monday that Iran will "continue to exercise our sovereignty and management over the Strait of Hormuz."
- A constitutional amendment was passed by the Hungarian parliament to oust Orban ally President Tamas Sulyok.
Tag: Coronavirus
In Africa, Civil Rights vs. a...
Prompted by widespread reports of police beatings of protesters, heavy-handed enforcement of safe-distancing measures and other abuses, rights groups and academics are raising the alarm over what they see as a squeeze on basic human rights in Africa’s fragile democracies
University of Oxford Study Set to...
While laboratory evidence demonstrates hope for the drug, the results are inconclusive, prompting the creation of the international, double-blind study.
Ukrainian Prisoners Pay A Price For...
Detainees at Kyiv’s notoriously overcrowded Lukyanivska prison, parts of which are 160 years old, have been offered a way out of overcrowded cells with up to a dozen inmates and poor sanitation. But there’s a catch. More spacious, refurbished cells, with fewer prisoners and modern bathrooms, come at a price
Nigeria: Free Mental Health Care for...
Thousands of Nigerians are receiving free mental health care through a program to help people cope with stress and isolation from COVID-19. The program, Mentally Aware Nigeria, or MANI, was formed by psychologists and medical experts to create an environment where people can seek mental health care without fear of stigma or discrimination. Timothy Obiezu …
COVID-19 Effects Spanish Tourism Industry
With Europe’s economies ravaged by the coronavirus, the European Union is considering a 545-billion-dollar plan to help them recover. Among the worst hit is Spain, where leaders are torn between extending the lockdown or reopening quickly as demon-strations mount demanding an end to what some see as unnecessary damage to the economy, especially for those at the bottom of the rung
COVID-19: Allegation of Police Use of...
Uganda’s security officers stand accused of using excessive force and targeting political opponents while carrying out lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic. On April 19, police stormed the home of Ugandan legislator Francis Zaake and arrested him for allegedly disobeying presidential directives against distributing food aid. He was released a week later but with scars all over his body and left partially blind
COVID-19 Update from WHO
The resolution also “captures the comprehensive whole of government and whole of society approach we have been calling for since the beginning of the outbreak. If implemented, this would ensure a more coherent, coordinated and fairer response that saves both lives and livelihoods,” said Tedros.
Giving Thanks to Pandemic Frontline Workers
Brian Stokes Mitchell is a Broadway star, film actor and Chair of the Actors Fund, which helps those in need in the entertainment community. The fund has distributed millions of dollars since the outbreak of COVID-19. Mitchell is giving his personal thanks to the pandemic’s frontline workers
COVID-19: Homemade Face Shields by Two...
After Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended contingency and crisis strategies for front line healthcare workers in late March, there was an immediate shortage of protective gears in hospitals. A family in Maryland is doing their part by making face shields at home and donating it to not only healthcare workers they know but also where it is much needed, hospitals in New York. VOA‘s Saqib Ul Islam has their story
Could Seoul be the Model for...
South Korea is one of very few countries to so far contain the coronavirus without resorting to mass lockdowns. Instead, it is taking a targeted approach: using cellphone data to locate and isolate those exposed to the virus. The digital tracing places public safety above personal privacy, but has been highly effective