Syria Media Report Ceasefire
Syria’s media reported a ceasefire for the last rebel bastion in Syria on Thursday. The northwest of Syria has become progressively bloodier, after a rebel offensive lost ground to Russian-backed Syrian troops. Over the past two days, Syria’s army seized multiple villages and land in the Hama countryside. However, this increase in violence has killed more than 400 and displaced more than 440,000.
Both Russia and the Syrian government accused the rebels of failing to comply with de-escalation agreements. In order for the ceasefire to occur, the rebels must comply with them. Currently, the rebels have not given a response.
Ebola: Rwanda Reopens Border With DR Congo
Rwanda reopened their borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo after a third confirmed death from Ebola closed them. Ebola has rocked DR Congo, with nearly 2,7000 reported cases. In addition, around 12 new cases occur every day. Overall, the outbreak has killed almost 1,800 people. Because of this, it is the worst the country has seen.
Last week, the WHO designated the outbreak as a “global health emergency”. They warned against trying to contain the virus by closing borders and restricting trade. However, they say that they have insufficient funds to properly handle the issue, needing almost $54M to tackle the problem.
Four Dead In Renewed Sudan Protests
At least four protesters died and many more injured by gunfire in Sudan during a protest. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets on Thursday to increase pressure on the countries military rulers. However, the killings on Thursday come as progress between the military rulers and the country had happened. Negotiations are set to occur later Thursday.
Trump Imposes More Tariffs On China
President Trump announced plans to place more tariffs on Chinese goods. Starting on September 1st, another $300Bn of Chinese goods will receive a 10% tariff. Trump said the move came as China failed to honor promises to buy more US agriculture products. The new tax will affect multiple items, including smartphones and clothes.
Zimbabwe Power Crisis
At around 9 PM Wednesday night, Zimbabwe finally had their power turned on. Recently, the country has been rocked by increasing power shortages, effectively turning day into night for many businesses and families. But, after a day-long outage, power was finally restored for the country. Right now, Zimbabwe’s only hope for constant power is to import it from their neighbors.