Worldwide
Australia: results of the cyclone
31 Mar 2017
Australia is dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie, which caused widespread wind damage. It is now a low-pressure system, dumping hundreds of millimetres of rain and moving slowly down the eastern coast. Queensland was expecting…
Nigeria: meningitis outbreak
31 Mar 2017
An outbreak of meningitis has been reported in six Nigerian states, infecting over a thousand and killing 140. Meningitis causes acute inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The current outbreak is the worst since 2009,…
World: refugee children
24 Mar 2017
Many refugee children are abandoned, abused, or lost to trafficking because of neglect or being orphaned. They are forced to work or beg for money on the streets where refugees currently live. One child said: ‘Because…
Ecuador: politics and the Church
24 Mar 2017
Ecuadorians have suffered from poverty and the instability of political turmoil for a long time. Even now, the people are waiting anxiously to see who will win the presidential run-off on 2 April. Many have searched…
The fighting in Syria grows more complex as Turkey aims to interrupt the line of territory held by Kurdish forces along its border and the US works with the Kurds to prevent battle escalation and focus…
North Korea: US military action an option
24 Mar 2017
The USA says its ‘strategic patience’ with North Korea is over, and suggests it might decide to take preemptive military action: the option was ‘on the table’ if the threat from North Korea’s weapons programme reached…