Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Cholera spreads in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo turns to an unlikely source to boost tourism, Mass executions held in Iraq, Gunman hijacks bus in LA

​A child, suffering from malnutrition, is treated at Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, during a visit by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the country, in Sudan, on Sept. 7, 2024.

A child, suffering from malnutrition, is treated at Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, during a visit by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the country, in Sudan, on Sept. 7, 2024.

REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
Make us preferred on Google

430: Over 430 people have died from cholera in Sudan in the past month, according to the country’s health ministry, and the devastating civil war there is making it hard to provide treatment. Doctors Without Borders recently described the health system in Sudan as “decimated” and warned that the humanitarian response amid the cholera outbreak is “regularly obstructed by both warring parties.”


3: AC Milan, one of Italy’s top soccer teams, is reportedly in talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-year sponsorship deal that would see the club promote the African country as a tourism destination. But there’s an ongoing war in the DRC. Vacationing in a war zone – what could go wrong? The Italian ambassador to the country was killed there just three years ago when the convoy he was traveling with was ambushed, making it no surprise that Italy currently advises people against visiting the country.

21: Iraq executed 21 people, including a woman, on Wednesday, with most reportedly charged with terrorism. Rights groups like Amnesty International have fiercely criticized Iraq for convicting people on “overly broad and vague terrorism charges,” and they have urged the Iraqi government to halt executions.

7: A bus was hijacked by a gunman in Los Angeles on Wednesday and traveled nearly seven miles before coming to a stop after police used spike strips and punctured one of the tires. One passenger reportedly died from gunshot wounds. The suspect has surrendered, but the motive remains unclear.

More For You

Putin's paranoia
Natalie Johnson
Putin is increasingly paranoid, according to a Financial Times report out today. Security has been tightened, more time is being spent in underground bunkers, and the vast majority of his attention is being absorbed by Russia’s war with Ukraine. One reason of his concern is said to be Ukraine’s drone capabilities, which have demonstrated an [...]
Jet-setting to Caracas
Natalie Johnson
“Caracas? I’ve not seen that destination in a while,” one TSA worker said while looking at a departures board at the Miami airport on Thursday. The remark came as the first direct commercial flight between the US and Venezuela in nearly a decade took off that same day, as the two countries restore ties following the US ouster of Nicolás Maduro in [...]
Descendants of Escobar’s hippos live to see another day
Natalie Johnson
With the cocaine trade booming in the 1980s, Escobar decided to create a zoo at his Hacienda Nápoles akin to the one at Hearst Castle in California during the first half of the 20th century. The drug kingpin imported all kinds of animals from Africa, including hippos, zebras, and even an ostrich. However, after Escobar was killed in 1993, the [...]
Hard number: Trouble in wine country
As demand for wine plummets, Chilean winemakers are betting they can boost sales by targeting young people. Think social media campaigns encouraging young wine lovers to “switch off their phones” and enjoy a glass of vino, as one ad campaign is framing it. It may be tough for these young sommeliers to turn this trend around, though. Alcohol [...]