News Watch

February 2021 issue | Appears on page 5

Croatia earthquake

An earthquake measuring 6.4 in magnitude struck central Croatia, near the city of Petrinja, on Dec. 29, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 20 others.

According to the mayor of Petrinja, half of the town was destroyed by the quake, including the town hall. In a nearby village, one resident said that nine of the 10 homes in that village had completely collapsed.

Multiple aftershocks were felt in the region following the quake.

February 2021 issue | Appears on page 5

Norway landslide

A massive landslide occurred on Dec. 30 within the city of Gjerdrum, Norway, about 25 miles north of Oslo. It swept away more than a dozen houses and other buildings, killing at least six people and injuring at least 10.

More than 700 people were evacuated from the city because the walls of the crater formed by the slide were continuing to collapse.

February 2021 issue | Appears on page 5

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). Note: A country’s regions are also ranked and may have different rankings than the country as a whole. Visit travel.state.gov and click on “Travel Advisories” at the top of the page.

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January 2021 issue | Appears on page 4

COVID-19 update

As of Dec. 7, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 191 countries and territories, with more than 67 million cases and, resulting from those, more than 1.5 million deaths. The country with the most confirmed cases was the US, with 14.8 million. It was followed by India (9.7 million), Brazil (6.6 million) and Russia (2.5 million). At least 14 countries had recorded more than 1 million cases each at press time.

Also at press time, three vaccines had been shown to be effective...

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January 2021 issue | Appears on page 4

Vienna terrorism attack

A man armed with a rifle attacked people in multiple locations in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 2, killing four and injuring 22. Police killed the gunman in a shootout.

The shooter was identified as a 20-year-old from North Macedonia who had been released from prison in December 2019 after being jailed that April on charges of attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamist militant group Daesh.

January 2021 issue | Appears on page 4

Mogadishu suicide bombing

A suicide bomber targeted an ice cream parlor in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Nov. 27, killing six people and wounding eight. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab is believed to have been involved.

January 2021 issue | Appears on page 4

Ethiopia civil war

In northern Ethiopia, a local militia took control of the Tigray region in October, leading to an ongoing violent civil war that has led to the deaths of hundreds of people, many of them civilians. Thousands of people have been displaced. Both sides accused the other of war crimes.

On Nov. 29, the Ethiopian government said that it had taken control of the city of Mekelle, capital of Tigray. Fighting around the city continued at press time.

The war began...

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January 2021 issue | Appears on page 4

Deadly storm hits Central America

Hurricane Eta made landfall on the east coast of Central America Nov. 3. It first struck Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of over 140 mph, weakening to a tropical storm before hitting Guatemala, where torrential rains caused a landslide that killed at least 50 people. Throughout the region, nearly 200 people were believed to have been killed, most in Guatemala.