News Watch

The US Department of State is warning against travel to the Republic of South Sudan because of ongoing fighting, intercommunal violence and violent crime. 

Since clashes between government and opposition forces broke out in the capital city, Juba, in July 2016, instability and acts of violence have continued. In that time, aid workers and US citizens have been the targets of shootings, ambushes, violent assaults, harassment and robberies.

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The US Department of State warns against travel to remote areas of Algeria due to the threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping. Extremists have conducted attacks in the mountainous region south and east of Algiers, farther east outside the city of Constantine and in the southern and eastern border regions.

In order to avoid extremist violence, the State Department recommends taking the following precautions: avoid travel within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of the eastern border and...

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American Otto Warmbier, held prisoner in North Korea since January 2016 when he was arrested at the Pyongyang Airport and accused of crimes against the state for stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel, was returned to the US in a coma on June 13. He died on June 20. No autopsy was performed.

North Korean officials said that Warmbier had been in a coma since soon after his trial, the coma resulting from a case of botulism and his being given a sleeping pill. However, they also...

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As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 41 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia...

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The US Department of State released a Travel Alert on May 1 warning of the continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout Europe. 

While European governments continue counterterrorism operations, the Department of State remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks. Travelers should be aware that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning. 

Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations...

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A suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, after a pop concert on May 22, killing at least 22 people and injuring 116 others, many of whom were children. Police identified the bomber as an ethnically Libyan British-born man. The Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL) claimed the bomber as one of their “soldiers.” 

As of press time, more than 16 people, including the bomber’s younger brother living in Libya, had...

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Heavy monsoon rains caused flooding and landslides in western and southern Sri Lanka in late May, killing at least 194 people. Up to 100 people were still missing as of press time. In the Kalutara district, alone, five landslides occurred, burying villages. 

More than 500,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, including those living near the banks of the Kelani River, which passes through the capital, Colombo. 

 

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In Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 31, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a large tanker truck amid heavy, rush-hour traffic in the embassy district, killing at least 90 people and injuring more than 400 others. 

The massive explosion left a deep crater outside of the German Embassy, which was damaged. The blast also damaged the French, Japanese and Turkish embassies, injuring embassy staff. A guard at the German Embassy was the only embassy staff member killed in the attack; the...

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