Afghanistan Suffers 4,300 Civilian Casualties
A record 4,313 civilians died in the Afghanistan war against the Islamic Taliban since July. This is 43% higher than the death toll from last year, making it the bloodiest period in the world’s longest-running war. In 2019, total civilian casualties rose to about 9,000.
“Civilian casualties at record-high levels clearly show the need for all parties concerned to pay much more attention to protecting the civilian population, including through a review of conduct during combat operations,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, one of the U.N.’s top officials in Afghanistan.
Turkey’s President Threw Trumps Letter Away
Turkey’s President Erdogan threw the letter that President Trump sent him. After removing US troops from Syria, Trump asked Erdogan to not launch a military offensive. However, Erdogan ignored the request, instead saying that he “threw the letter in the bin”. He then launched the Syrian offensive the same day.
Currently, Vice President Mike Pence is in Ankara, trying to push for a ceasefire. In addition, the US has been criticized for pulling troops, which gave Turkey the green light to launch an attack. However, Trump says that the US won’t intervene because Syria is not “our border”.
Britain Secures Brexit Deal
After three years since Britain voted to leave the EU, a Brexit deal has finally been secured. However, Prime Minister Johnson still needs to win over Parliament to secure the deal. “Now is the moment for us to get Brexit done and then together to work on building our future partnership, which I think can be incredibly positive both for the UK and for the EU,” Johnson said.
Elijah Cummings Dies At 68
US Democratic senator Elijah Cummings died at the age of 68. His office said that he died due to “longstanding health challenges”. Cummings, the Maryland senator, became heavily involved in Trump’s impeachment inquiry. “The city of Baltimore, our country and people throughout the world have lost a powerful voice and one of the strongest and most gifted crusaders for social justice,” said Baltimore Mayor Bernard Young.
Gunmen Raids Cafe In Libya Capital
A group of gunmen raided two cafes in Libya’s capital of Tripoli this month. They wanted to banish unmarried couples and impose strict religious codes, alarming many civil liberties defenders. Currently, the identity of the men is unknown, but the attacks reflect the rise of Islamist radicals.
