News Watch
Current advisories
The US Department of State posts up-to-date travel advisories on every country and many territories, ranking each 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel).
COVID-19 update
At press time, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 188 countries and territories, with more than 18 million cases and, resulting from those, more than 690,000 deaths. The country with the most confirmed cases was the US, with 4.4 million.
Caucasus border dispute
Military clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia began on July 11 along a disputed border region, Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in the deaths of 11 Azeri troops and at least two Armenian troops. Both sides have accused the other of shelling towns near the border, with at least one Azeri civilian killed.
N. Korea threatens South
Angry over defectors in South Korea floating balloons carrying literature over the border, North Korea destroyed most avenues of communication with South Korea, severing hotlines on June 8 and then, on June 16, blowing up a joint liaison office in the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea.
An ebola outbreak declared over
An ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that began in August 2018 was declared, on June 25, to be over after no new cases had been discovered since April 27. However, a newer outbreak of ebola, which began on June 1, 2020, is still ongoing in the country’s northwest.
Terrorist stabbings in UK
A man in Reading, England, stabbed six people in Forbury Gardens park on June 20, killing three, including an American expatriate. The attacker was arrested within five minutes of the attack’s unfolding.
Pakistan suspends pilots
More than 150 Pakistan International Airlines pilots were grounded on June 25 after it was discovered that their pilot’s licenses were either fraudulent or had been gained through cheating on the license test.
India/China border unrest
Indian and Chinese soldiers skirmished along a disputed border in the Ladakh region of Kashmir on June 15. At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed and 45 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured (China has not released official numbers of casualties).
Arctic heat wave
Temperatures in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk, 57 miles north of the Arctic Circle, reached 100° Fahrenheit on June 22, the first time a triple-digit temperature has ever been recorded within the Arctic Circle. The average summer high in Verkhoyansk is 64°F.
Militant attacks in Nigeria
Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state suffered from three militant attacks in June, each claimed by the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), a faction of the Islamist group Boko Haram.
Libyan capital united
The UN-recognized government of Libya, the Government of National Accord (GNA), regained complete control of the capital city, Tripoli, on June 4, 14 months after a rebel force, the Libyan National Army (LNA), had taken over the eastern portion of the city.
Current advisories
The US Department of State posts up-to-date travel advisories on every country and many territories, ranking each 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel).
Ethiopian ethnic unrest
At press time, at least 166 people had been killed during protests in Ethiopia that began after a popular Oromo-ethnic singer was killed on June 29. Most of the deaths occurred in the Oromia region, which is majority Oromo, but 10 people were killed in protests in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Quake in Oaxaca
An earthquake measuring 7.4 in magnitude occurred along the coast of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, on June 23, killing at least six people, all found in one house that collapsed in the city of Oaxaca. It was felt 435 miles away in Mexico City.
COVID-19 update
At press time, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 188 countries and territories, with more than 11.5 million cases and more than 535,000 deaths resulting.
Indian Ocean cyclone
Cyclone Amphan, classed as a super cyclone, made landfall in India and Bangladesh on May 20 with wind gusts of up to 115 miles per hour. At least 84 people were killed, 72 of whom were in India. The city of Kolkata was badly damaged, leaving all of the city’s 14 million citizens without power.
COVID-19 update
At press time, COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 213 countries and territories, with more than 6.2 million cases and, of those, more than 373,000 deaths.
Rangers attacked in DRC park
An armed group, believed to be a Rwandan separatist militia, killed 12 rangers and injured six people in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on April 24. According to a government official, the militia ambushed a group of Congolese being escorted through the park by the rangers.
Current advisories
The US Department of State posts up-to-date travel advisories on every country and many territories, ranking each 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel).
Pakistan airplane crash
A Pakistan International Airlines flight flying from Lahore with 99 people on board crashed into a residential neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan, as it was landing at Jinnah International Airport on May 22. At least 97 people were killed, while eight people on the ground were injured. Two passengers were found alive.