Month: January 2021

Here’s a look at Pakistan. It borders Iran, Afghanistan and India in Southeast Asia. In 1947, Pakistan gained its independence from Great Britain. About Pakistan (from the CIA World Factbook)Area: 796,095 sq km (slightly less than twice the size of California) Population: 238,181,034 (July 2021 est.) Median age: 22 years Capital: Islamabad Ethnic Groups: Punjabi

Here’s a look at South Sudan, a landlocked country in east-central Africa. In 2011, South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan. About South Sudan (from the CIA World Factbook)Area: 644,329 sq km, slightly smaller than Texas Population: 10,984,074 (July 2021 est.) Median age: 18.6 years Capital: Juba Ethnic Groups: Dinka (Jieng) 35.8%, Nuer (Naath) 15.6%,

Keeping vigil outside the hospital ward in Karachi, Daniyal Ameen watched his father breathing through a ventilator via a live video link from the intensive care unit (ICU). He came every day to see his father, 73-year-old Muhammad Ameen, as he spent weeks on oxygen battling Covid-19. The video link was set up at the

Police swooped Sunday on supporters of detained opposition leader Alexey Navalny, as demonstrators defied authorities to rally in his name for a second successive weekend. According to OVD-Info, an independent site that monitors arrests, 1,009 people have been detained so far across the country over the unsanctioned protests. This number is expected to increase. Navalny’s

When a South Carolina drive-thru coronavirus vaccine clinic got backed up, leaving people waiting for hours, the town mayor decided to call in a professional for help: a Chick-fil-A manager. Local hospitals in Mount Pleasant opened the clinic on January 22 for residents eligible to receive the first shots of Covid-19 vaccine. But shortly after

Philadelphia’s acting deputy health commissioner has resigned, days after the city’s failed partnership with the organization Philly Fighting COVID (PFC) came to light. The city cut ties with PFC Tuesday amid reports the non-profit shifted to a for-profit entity. There were also concerns over PFC’s patient data collection and protection practices. Dr. Caroline Johnson, the

An investment group of Swedish retail giant Ikea has acquired forestland in southeast Georgia to protect the land and its diverse ecosystems from development. The Ingka Group, which owns and operates most Ikea stores, purchased 10,840 acres of land near the Altamaha River Basin, the company announced on January 14. “We truly believe responsible forest