News Watch

Thailand’s army suspended the nation’s constitution and took over the government on May 22, two days after declaring martial law. The move comes after weeks of unrest following a ruling by the Constitutional Court that forced former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down. It is the 11th military coup in Thailand since 1932.

Anti- and pro-government protests have been ongoing since November 2013, occasionally turning violent, leaving at least 27 people dead and hundreds...

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In Kenya, two explosions struck Nairobi’s Gikomba market on May 16, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70. Authorities believe the militant group al-Shabaab was responsible. 

On May 3 in the Mombasa area, an explosive device was detonated at the central stop of a local bus company, killing four people, and another went off at a resort frequented by Westerners, injuring one person. 

The attacks came after the US, UK and France warned of recently heightened threats of...

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The US Department of State continues to strongly recommend deferring travel to Eritrea.

Avoid travel near the Eritrea-Ethiopia border and southern Red Sea region. Current tensions between the two countries have led to a buildup of military presence along their borders. 

All visitors and residents who wish to travel outside Asmara’s city limits must apply with the Eritrean government 10 days in advance for permission. Permission is usually granted to areas such as Massawa and...

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In mid-May, after China began drilling in ocean waters claimed by Vietnam, protests began in the town of Thuâ·n An, in Vietnam’s southern province of Bình Du'o'ng, soon spreading to surrounding industrial parks. 

More than 20,000 Vietnamese demonstrated, many attacking Chinese nationals and torching China-owned factories. Korean, Japanese, Singaporean and Taiwanese factories also were targeted. Two Chinese nationals were killed and dozens were injured at a Taiwanese steel mill.

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Garbage and raw sewage spilling onto beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have resulted in 12 beaches being declared unsafe for swimming by the government’s environmental agency.

In Rio, which has an urban population of more than 11 million, only 40% of the sewage is treated. The remaining 60% flows into the nearby rivers, lagoons and ocean. Swimming in untreated sewage can lead to infections and diarrhea. 

The city’s Guanabara Bay, the proposed venue for the 2016 Olympic sailing...

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As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 34 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen. 

For details, call the...

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A ferry traveling from Incheon in northwest South Korea to the resort island of Jeju in the south capsized on April 16. Of the 476 on board the MV Sewol, 174 passengers and crew were rescued as the ship tilted and sank. At press time, more than 244 bodies had been removed from the wreck, with about 58 passengers still missing. 

Most of the passengers were high school students and teachers on a school trip. It was the worst maritime disaster in South Korea in 21 years. 

Just...

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The Department of State warns against all travel to several regions of Ukraine. After the government of former president Viktor Yanukovytch failed in February, a referendum held in the Ukrainian-administered autonomous republic of Crimea on March 16 resulted in Crimea’s splitting from Ukraine and joining Russia. Though many claimed the vote was illegal, Crimea was effectively annexed by Russia, which has had a heavy military presence there.

In April, government buildings in Ukraine’s...

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