The world has not stopped turning because of COVID-19, but the news cycle seems to only be talking about it. It is at the forefront of our realities here in the United States, but here are 5 stories from around the world that you missed due to the COVID-19 coverage.

“Lean On Me singer Bill Withers dies at 81”

Soulful singer, Bill Withers dies at 81 due to heart complications, says his family. The singer was known for his iconic hits “Lean on Me”, “Just the Two of US”, and “Ain’t No Sunshine”. Many celebrities, such as Chance the Rapper and Lenny Kravtiz, have been taking to social media to mourn the loss of Withers.

“Rwandan soldiers accused of raping women during lockdown” 

5 Rwandan soldiers have been accused of raping women in Kigali, the capital, during the lockdown. This is not the only accusation that the soldiers are facing as men have come forward saying they have been beat up by the soldiers during the lockdown as well. Last week, Rwandan soldiers shot two men who were walking late after the curfew. The officers claim that the men were trying to attack the officers. 

“US sends warships to Caribbean to stop illegal drugs”

The United States has said they are sending warships to the Caribbeans to stop illegal drugs coming from Latin America, specifically Venezuela. Trump said this: “Today, the United States is launching enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the deadly scourge of illegal narcotics.” Venezuela is accusing the United States of diverting attention of COVID-19 to Venezuela to keep the attention off the handling of the pandemic.

“North Korea claims to be ‘totally free’ of virus”

North Korea is claiming that “not a single person” in the country has contracted COVID-19. The country’s officials are crediting this by saying that is because of  shutting down their borders and their containment measures. United States officials say that this is untrue. They share that there is no way that it can be true, but the U.S. official did not reveal how they knew this or what their source was. 

India doctors ‘spat at and attacked’

This is not a new news story if you have been paying attention but the way doctors in India are being treated is hitting an all time high of disrespect. It is being reported that doctors are being spat on and chased away from homes where they are visiting patients. Nurses are catching the brunt of some of the attacks with vulgar behavior from patients. A viral video has shown men throwing rocks at two female doctors who were paying a visit to a patient who was possibly suffering from COVID-19. 

Caroline C.
FFL Cabinet Member
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