Canary Islands
A hotel in the Spanish Canary Islands has been locked down due to the coronavirus following the visit of an Italian doctor infected with the illness. Several hundred guests have been forbidden to leave. Italy has been hit the hardest by COVID-19 in Europe with 283 cases and seven deaths. However, globally there are now over 80,000 infected with around 2,500 deaths, the vast majority of which are in China. The virus is getting to the point that the World Health Organization is telling countries to prepare for a possible pandemic. The U.S. has set aside $2.5 billion in resources for combating the disease, including vaccine research and aid to infected countries. (BBC)
Brazil
One-hundred and forty-seven people have now been murdered in the northern state of Brazil called Ceará. This comes after hundreds of police have gone on strike demanding a pay raise, leading many to take advantage of the weakened government. Despite the fact that the Brazilian army has been called in to take charge, the murders see no sign of stopping. Brazilian law states that it is illegal for police to strike and could result in prison time. Currently, the strike sees no signs of stopping; however, the Justice Minister Sergio Moro says that the situation is under control. (BBC)
Syria
The Syrian military has seized control over most of the province of Aleppo on the eve of talks between Turkey and Russia. Both nations back opposing sides of the nine-year conflict, with Turkey backing the rebels and Russia backing the current government. However, both sides have been working to establish a peace in the region for the past several years. With this recent advance, the progress for talks are now uncertain. (NBC)
Costa Rica
Another indigenous activist was killed Feb. 25, amid continuing land disputes in Costa Rica. Many indigenous activists have taken to squatting on land that is now controlled by farmers and ranchers, to the point that a farm was burned down a few weeks ago. Many of these attacks come in retaliation for these actions. There are about 100,000 indigenous peoples in Costa Rica, making up 2.4% of the population, most of whom live in reservations on the panama border. However, they are now trying to assert their ancestral claims to land that is not recognized by the government as being theirs. (ABC)
India
Violence in Delhi erupted last week in clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups in what has been the worst violence in decades, leading to the deaths of 13 people. These protests and clashes stem from the Indian government passing the Citizen Act, which creates a path to citizenship for migrants of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religious minorities, who are fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Many fear that this is highly discriminatory and threatens India’s secular status, as the act is the first time religion has been overtly used as a criterion for citizenship in India. This act has caused protests to break out all across the country, many of them turning violent. Additionally, most of the fighting is concentrated in Muslim majority neighborhoods around large cities. Many cities are calling on the federal government to restore order as many cities are unable to contain the violence with their current resources. (BBC)