It seems like all anyone can talk about right now is the grainy paparazzi shot of Kylie Jenner and (ex?) best friend Jordyn Woods spotted leaving dinner together in LA on Saturday night. Apparently, the beauty mogul and her former bestie have decided to rekindle their friendship nearly four-years after the latter allegedly hooked up with the father of Jenner’s older half-sister Khloe Kardashian’s two kids, NBA player Tristan Thompson. The cheating scandal, which saw Woods cast out of the Kardashian’s inner circle, even led Khloe to famously insist that Woods is the reason her family broke up. Naturally, the news of the pair’s reconciliation has been dominating today’s headlines, so we have decided to take it upon ourselves to bring you five news stories that are actually worthy of your attention.
The brutal assault on Jenin
Earlier this month, an unarmed 16-year-old Palestinian was shot dead during Israel’s military assault in Jenin’s refugee camp. He was among the 12 Palestinians, including four teenage children, who were killed during the two-day incursion in the occupied West Bank. It was the biggest assault in the West Bank in two decades, causing massive destruction in an already-vulnerable area. The United Nations accused Israel of using excessive force, while a spokesperson for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called the operation “a new war crime against our defenseless people.” Though the incursion lasted 48-hours, the attack is part of decades-long violence against occupied Palestinians that has resulted in thousands of innocent lives lost.
EU and Tunisia finalize migrant deal
The European Union (EU) is considering providing more than one billion dollars in aid for Tunisia to deal with a migration crisis, the EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. The memorandum will aim to combat people-smuggling, human-trafficking, and the tragedies at sea. The North African country lies on a major route for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe. According to The International Organization for Migration, at least 1,895 people have died or gone missing en route from northern Africa across the central Mediterranean this year.
Conflict in Sudan hits three-month mark
The people of Sudan are currently enduring unimaginable suffering amid escalating violence, which began three-months ago. The war between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has killed at least 3,000 and displaced over 3 million people since it erupted on April 15. According to Rick Brennan, of the World Health Organization, “between two thirds and 80 percent of hospitals are not functioning”, while entire cities have been razed to the ground. In addition to the in-fighting and political unrest, people in Sudan are also facing extreme weather shocks and rising food prices, driving poverty, hunger, and displacement, as well as a rise in water-bourne diseases prompted by Sudan’s severe annual flooding.
The flooding and landslides in South Korea
At least 39 people were killed and more than 1,500 people have been forced to flee their homes after torrential rain unleashed flooding and landslides in South Korea since July 9, when heavy rainfall began pouring in the country. Heavy monsoon rains are typical in South Korea in the summer, however, the number of casualties reported so far this season is higher than usual.
Iran’s “morality police” return to enforce dress code in cities
According to the BBC, Iran’s “morality police” will return to the streets to enforce Iran’s hijab laws, 10-months after Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest in Tehran after being accused of “wearing her hijab improperly.” Her death triggered massive national protests that saw many Iranian women stop wearing hijabs altogether in solidarity.
