News Watch

The United Nations released a report, compiled from interviews of more than 200 ethnic Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, accusing Myanmar armed forces of committing human rights abuses against the Rohingya. 

Rohingya refugees reported that Myanmar forces had regularly committed murder, rape and arson, including actions that specifically targeted children. Nearly half of those interviewed said a member of their own family had been killed.

The Rohingya are a predominantly...

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The collapse of a wall of trash at the Koshe Landfill in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killed at least 113 people on March 11. The massive landfill is home to many people and provides a source of income for scavengers. Many of the dead were killed in their makeshift homes. 

Africa’s first trash-fueled power plant is being built at the landfill. The plant will help reduce the size of the landfill and provide power to the city of four million. 

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At least 38 people were killed and 180 more were injured when Cyclone Enawo made landfall in northern Madagascar on March 7. The cyclone, which had winds of up to 185 miles per hour and dropped 12 inches of rain, displaced more than 50,000 people. After making landfall, the cyclone was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression.  

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The World Health Organization warns that, due to dropping vaccination rates, Europe is experiencing a measles outbreak. 

The largest numbers of cases have been reported in Italy and Romania. From January to late March, there were 3,400 cases of measles identified in Romania, with 17 deaths resulting. Since January 2017, 200 cases have been identified in Italy.

Other countries with confirmed cases of measles are France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United...

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Syrian rebels launched a surprise attack on the capital city of Syria, Damascus, on March 19, using artillery and car bombs to target government forces in​ the Jobar district, near the city center. The Syrian military pushed back the rebels, and more than 30 other rebel positions in the city were targeted by air strikes. 

Separately, on March 2, Syrian forces backed by Russian air strikes retook, for the second time, the ancient city of Palmyra from forces of the Islamist...

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Iraqi forces have continued to make gains against Daesh in Mosul, the largest city in Iraq ever to be under Daesh control. Daesh has held Mosul since June 2014. 

In January 2017 Iraqi forces took complete control of the section of the city east of the Tigris. In February, Iraqi forces began operations in the western part of the city, recapturing the Mosul airport, a military base and the city’s power station. 

On March 1, Iraqi forces took the road leading from...

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The US Department of State warns travelers that El Salvador has one of the highest homicide levels in the world, and crimes such as extortion, assault and robbery are common. Gang activity is widespread. Muggings following ATM withdrawals are common, as are armed robberies at scenic-view stops. 

Due to armed robberies in national parks, hikers in back-country areas are strongly recommended to engage local guides certified by the national or a local tourist authority.

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Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) announced that it would fully disarm by April 8, 2017. The ETA is considered a terrorist group by the US, UK and EU. 

The group was founded in 1959 to fight for an independent Basque nation in northern Spain and southwestern France. During its existence, the group has been responsible for the deaths of more than 800 people. ETA declared a unilateral cease-fire in 2011 but maintained its holdings of weapons.

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