News Watch

Since Jan. 1, 2018, more than 1,000 suspected cases of Lassa fever have occurred in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of at least 90 people. Another 10 suspected cases were reported in neighboring Benin in people who had recently visited Nigeria.

Lassa fever, which is endemic to West Africa, is a hemorrhagic viral disease spread by rodent urine and feces. It also can be spread through contact with fluids from infected humans. 

According to the World Health Organization,...

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A passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, killing 49 people. The plane veered off of the runway during landing and caught on fire. The flight was operated by US-Bangla Airlines, out of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The cause of the accident was still being investigated as of press time. Reportedly, a recording of the conversation between the pilot and ground control immediately before the crash indicates that there was a miscommunication between the two...

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A fire in a shopping mall in the Russian Siberian city of Kemerovo killed at least 64 people, 41 of them children, on March 25. As of press time, up to 67 other people were still missing.

Local authorities said that the fire began in a trampoline room on the building’s top floor and may have involved candles lit at a child’s party. However, the Russian government said that an electrical fault was the cause. At the time of the fire, the building’s fire alarms were not...

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A suspected suicide bombing on March 21 in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed at least 31 people and injured more than 60. The bombing occurred at the Sahki shrine during Nowruz, a New Year festival. The Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The shrine, one of the largest shrines in Afghanistan, is popular with Shia Muslims (Daesh is a Sunni group) and has been targeted two times in the past. In October 2016, at least 14 people were killed by a Daesh...

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Tens of thousands of Gazans gathered along the border of Israel on March 30, making semipermanent camps at five locations, to protest in favor of the “right to return,” demanding that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to their former homes in Israel. The protests were scheduled to last until May 15.

On the 30th, at least 16 Palestinians were killed and hundreds were injured by the Israeli military when protesters approached the border fence. Israel maintains a...

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On March 23, a heavily armed man hijacked a car in the French town of Carcassonne, killing a passenger and injuring the driver, before shooting and injuring an off-duty policeman. The gunman then drove to the town of Trébes, where he entered a supermarket, killed two people and took others hostage.

During negotiations, the man allowed one hostage to be exchanged with a police officer. Soon after the exchange, the gunman shot the police officer, mortally wounding him, which caused...

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A forest fire that began on March 11 in the Kurangani hills in southern India’s Tamul Nadu state resulted in the deaths of 18 trekkers, nine of them on the scene. Rescue workers managed to evacuate 21 people, many with injuries. Of those evacuated, nine succumbed to their wounds.

The Kurangani hills are a popular hiking spot for Indians and foreign visitors. The 30 hikers were members of a trekking club and were accused of entering the forest without permission. The hike leader...

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The government of Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on March 6 after days of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the suburbs of Kandy. During the state of emergency, a curfew was imposed.

The violence began after reports that a Buddhist man was beaten by a Muslim mob in late February. In response, groups of Buddhists damaged Muslim homes, shops and mosques. During the violence, one Buddhist was reportedly killed by a group of Muslims, and the body of a Muslim man was found...

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