World News

Sudan

A recent flareup of conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region has seen over 11,000 people displaced to the country of Chad, with another 46,000 internally displaced. This has come after a conflict in the town of Genena between Muslims and non-Muslims that has left around 20 dead and over 60 injured. The region near the Sudan-Chad border is already home to over 128,000 refugees, putting enormous strain on the region, and this has only made the situation worse. Right now, food and water are scarce with many people exposed to the elements. Currently, the government is trying to negotiate a truce with the rebels who instigated the attack to allow people to return. (ABC)

England

London is set to receive a fleet of buses next summer that can suck pollution out of the city air. Developed using military grade filtration technology, they are able to remove dirt and harmful particulates from the air. They are the first of their kind in Europe; however, the city of Delhi has a small fleet of them. While they will not solve the air pollution crises affecting major cities across the globe, they can certainly alleviate some of the damage. (CNN)

Caribbean

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the middle of the Caribbean between Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman islands. It struck about 10 km down in the ocean and had the potential to generate a devastating tsunami. The tremors were felt from Miami to Belize but there seems to have been very little structural damage and no casualties. (BBC)

West Africa 

More than 8 million school-aged children have been unable to go to school in the West Africa region around Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Terrorist attacks by local militant groups have seen a dramatic rise in the past years, to the point that over 1 million residents have been forced from their homes. It is now a serious humanitarian crisis as there are simply not enough resources to feed and house the refugees. Unfortunately, with rising populations and increasing tensions, there is no telling when the fighting will end. (CNN)

China

The city of Wuhan, where the now infamous coronavirus started, has seen hundreds of foreign nationals being evacuated. Most are from from South Korea and Japan, and all were evacuated due to rising concerns of the virus. So far, the virus has claimed the lives of 132 people and infected over 5,600. It is confirmed to be in 16 countries, although none of them have seen any deaths. Right now, Wuhan and many other cities are under strict quarantine, and Hong Kong has cut off travel with the mainland. However, the head of the team set up to control the virus, Zhong Nanshan, has said, “I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be no large-scale increases.”  (BBC)