© 2024 KGOU
News and Music for Oklahoma
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The News Roundup — International

A man in Uganda holds a locust from one of the worst swarms in decades, which has already decimated crops in Kenya and poses a humanitarian crisis in nearby countries like Ethiopia and Somalia.
A man in Uganda holds a locust from one of the worst swarms in decades, which has already decimated crops in Kenya and poses a humanitarian crisis in nearby countries like Ethiopia and Somalia.

On Thursday, reported cases of the novel coronavirus soared to nearly 50,000, including an estimated 1,300 deaths. The jump comes after a change in how the disease is diagnosed in the Hubei province of China, where doctors are seeing challenges in testing reliability.

Meanwhile, government officials have responded to criticism of mishandling the outbreak and suppressing information by firing two leaders in Hubei and the city of Wuhan, where the disease is thought to have originated.

Still, academics around China are pushing for a national day for free speech and for Dr. Li Wenliang to be recognized as a national hero. Dr. Li tried to issue early warnings about the disease, and local authorities reprimanded him for making false statements. He died after contracting the coronavirus.

A new resolution to limit President Trump’s war powers passed the Senate this week. The resolution, which was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia comes after the airstrike in Iran that assassinated Quds Force leader Qassim Suleimani.

While the resolution is likely to be vetoed by the president, it’s an effort that has garnered bipartisan support from senators who are reluctant to go to war with Iran. However, with opposition from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the resolution is unlikely to withstand a veto.

In East Africa, a swarm of locusts threatens the livelihood and food security of several countries as they devastate crops around the region. The size of the swarm, estimated to be in the billions, is likely to be a result of climate change. Both the United Nations and the Ethiopian government are calling for global aid to reduce the locust population and stop a humanitarian crisis.

We review the top global headlines from this week.

Copyright 2020 WAMU 88.5

More News
Support nonprofit, public service journalism you trust. Give now.