NEWS
EVENTS
5 noteworthy news stories that you might have missed this week
In the wake of Hurricaine Harvey, the Western media has been saturated by news from the United States despite equally deadly flooding in parts of Southern Asia and other big news happening on the other side of the globe.
In the time of Americentrism, we seem to find ourselves in, we at Guestlist like to remember the wealth of neglected news hidden behind Trump's big head.
Here are 5 news stories from the East that you might have missed this week.
South Asia flooded
Large parts of Southern Asia have been paralysed by the worst monsoon rains the region has seen for years. The death toll from the floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal has climbed above 1200 and thousands of villages have been cut off and deprived of food and water. Rescue workers are working to provide aid to the millions of people stranded
Kirkuk announced it will vote in the referendum on Kurdish independence on 25th September
The oil producing region is claimed by both the central government in Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government and is now set to vote on the issue of Kurdish independence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denounced the vote as "illegal and unconstitutional”.
Yemen called for an investigation into human rights violations
The poorest country in the Arab world has been consumed by violence since Houthi rebels and their allies seized territory. Saudi led intervention exacerbated the problem in 2015 and millions are now living with famine and cholera. This week, 57 human rights workers called for an independent body to look into violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian laws.
North Korea flew a nuclear missile over Japan
The missile test initiated by Pyangang triggered an immediate reaction from South Korea and Japan with citizens warned to ‘take cover’. The fact that Pyangang flew the missile over Japan is especially poignant and incendiary due to it being the only country in the world with a history of nuclear warfare attacks. While some are on tenterhooks, most (myself included) remain confused as to what’s actually going on.
Saudi women worked within the emergency services ahead of Haj pilgrimage
Women in Saudi Arabia began working in call centres in Mecca, directing calls to their relevant relief force. This may sound like small news but it was, in fact, a huge change for the notoriously conservative kingdom. The place of women in the Saudi workforce is set to continue growing as it adjusts its economic system away from its concentration on revenue from oil.
