Red Cross workers found 115 bodies in Central African Republic’s diamond-mining town of Bangassou after several days of militia attacks, the president of the aid group’s local branch said. The battle for control of the town marks a new escalation in a conflict that began in 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters ousted then-President Francois Bozize, prompting reprisal killings from Christian militias. Recent clashes have centred on diamond-rich central and southern areas of the country, with rival militias battling among themselves to control them, aid workers say, (Reuters http://bit.ly/2qtr8MJ)
Stat of the day: A study by the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF shows that one in four children in the Middle East and North Africa lives in poverty and deprivation, lacking even the most basic necessities, such as proper housing and safe water. The study, released this week, covered 11 Arab countries and found that 29 million children live in poverty, deprived of two or more life necessities, including basic education, nutritious food, safe water, sanitation and access to information. (VOA http://bit.ly/2pUOaJ7)
First solar-powered refugee camp…Syrian refugees in Jordan’s remote desert were connected to solar power on Wednesday, making their community the world’s first refugee camp to be powered by renewable energy. The $4.5 million plant was funded by a foundation established by Ikea, the global home furnishings retailer. In the first phase, will serve 20,000 of 35,000 people in Azraq camp. (VOA http://bit.ly/2rge4v3)
Top Stories
A 10-year-old girl who was raped will be allowed to have an abortion even though she has crossed the 20-week limit for terminations in India, police in the country said. (Guardian http://bit.ly/2rrQF7d)
It’s an unlikely but very real crisis for a country with a teetering economy: a tiny red devil is invading Tunisia and it could cost hundreds of thousands of people their livelihoods. (Guardian http://bit.ly/2pUu2XB)
The death toll in Venezuela’s six-week wave of anti-government unrest has risen to at least 42, according to the state prosecutor’s office, which announced three deaths on Tuesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2rrvGAG)
Sexual violence is increasingly used as a tactic of terrorism and thus must be addressed as a peace and security issue, officials said at a United Nations Security Council meeting. (IPS http://bit.ly/2rr7L4e)
Hundreds of Africans living in the northern U.S. state of Minnesota are about to lose their temporary immigrant status. (VOA http://bit.ly/2pUSSql)
United States Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley is calling on the international organization to address what she called a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. (VOA http://bit.ly/2qsbxga)
Low-till farming – part of a suite of farming techniques known as “conservation agriculture” – is now gaining popularity in Kenya among small-scale farmers trying to beat worsening drought. (TRF http://bit.ly/2pXjEgZ)
After more than a year of wreaking havoc across western and southern Africa, fall armyworms have now been reported in most countries in eastern Africa. (VOA http://bit.ly/2rrKrDd)
The number of refugees in Turkey receiving monthly cash assistance through a debit card program has now reached 500,000 and continues to rise. (ECHO http://bit.ly/2pXjMgN)
Opinion/Blogs
To ‘Protect Life’, State Department Rolls Out Women’s Health Policy Critics Call a ‘Death Warrant’ (Foreign Policy http://atfp.co/2qwIDd2)
Can China Afford Its Belt and Road? (Bloomberg View https://bloom.bg/2pLfptY)
Why Are Kids Sitting At Their Desks In The Middle Of The Road? (NPR Goats and Soda http://n.pr/2qt6pZj)
Trumpeting ‘One Belt, One Road,’ China bids to lead ‘Globalization 2.0’ (CSM http://bit.ly/2pLBdFJ)
Côte d’Ivoire: The mutiny may be over, but the army’s problems are not (African Arguments http://bit.ly/2qsf91q)
The Chibok girls are still in custody, and their parents are still desperate (PRI http://bit.ly/2qssd7j)
Ethics Of Aid: Should Donated Health Dollars Go To ‘Children First’? (NPR Goats and Soda http://n.pr/2qsCQH5)
A Tale Of Four Famines (1A http://bit.ly/2rg9zjX)
