Feb. 27 Papua New Guinea: Magnitude 7.5 earthquake kills at least 20
At least 20 people were killed when a powerful earthquake hit 55 miles northwest of the capital city, triggering landslides that blocked roads and flattened houses. Aftershocks continued to strike for at least two days, hampering rescue efforts.
Feb. 27 Venezuela: Maduro challenger announces candidacy
Politician Henri Falcon has announced that he will challenge incumbent Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela’s upcoming presidential election. Opposition leaders have criticized Falcon, accusing him of undermining their strategy of boycotting an election they have decried as a fraudulent attempt to consolidate Maduro’s rule.
March 1 Germany: Cyber attack breaches foreign ministry
The German government launched an investigation into an ongoing cyber attack that breached the foreign ministry’s secure computer network. Government sources have denied reports by German media that connected the attack to Russia-based hackers.
March 2 Democratic Republic of Congo: Ethnic clashes kill at least 40
Tensions over land disputes erupted violently when ethnic clashes broke between Hema herders and Lendu farmers in the northeastern province of Ituri for the second time this month, resulting in at least 43 deaths. The longstanding conflict between the two groups reignited in recent months after lying mostly dormant since the end of the 1998–2003 Ituri conflict.
March 2 Israel: Police question Netanyahus in corruption investigation
Police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara as possible criminal suspects in a corruption case involving the telecommunications giant Beqez. The prime minister has been accused of instructing the Israeli Communications Ministry to make regulatory decisions beneficial to Beqez in exchange for favorable coverage on Walla, a Beqez-owned news website. Netanyahu denied all wrongdoing and said he is the victim of a witch-hunt.
I am a fourth-year student in the University Honors College studying political science and Arabic. I started with Vanguard in August 2017 as a reporter for the international section before becoming international editor at the beginning of this year. I have been working with the news team since spring 2018. As news editor, I am responsible for curating, editing and reporting on content relating to the goings-on of PSU and its surrounding area while working with a team of reporters to accurately and responsibly inform the campus community.
