Shoyna, Russia
A fishing village in Russia on the White Sea is slowly becoming engulfed in sand. Shoyna was a thriving fishing port in the past, but overfishing has been speculated to have ruined the area’s ecosystem, with trawlers scraping the sea floor clean of silt and seaweed. Ocean waves began sweeping sand ashore and with nothing to hold it back anymore, the town is now under sand. This remains speculation of experts as no formal environmental studies have been conducted.
Original story by Sergey Ponomarev. Nov. 11, 2018. The New York Times.
Jinzhou, China
Many in China have resorted to buying illegal pharmaceutical drugs or buying the ingredients on the black market and making the drugs themselves, especially cancer drugs. Many of China’s aging population in the country’s insurance system do not have coverage for the rising prices of treatments and drugs. Drug approvals also remain incredibly backlogged and go through an extensive vetting process even after they’ve been approved in the U.S. and Europe.
Original story by Sui-Lee Wee. Nov. 11, 2018. The New York Times.
Sang-e-Masha, Afghanistan
The Taliban moved in on Jaghori, Afghanistan Sunday, Nov. 11, killing at least 30 of the Special Forces commandos trained by the United States who were defending the district. Jaghori, historically viewed as a safe district, was attacked last week after the Taliban broke a longstanding truce. Zafar Sharif, governor of Jaghori District, said no Afghan troops responded to the attack of 1,000 Taliban until the commandos arrived Wednesday, Nov. 7. As of late Sunday night, it was reported that Hotqol, a town a few miles from the district capital, Sang-e-Masha, was undefended and citizens were fleeing the district.
Original story by Rod Nordland. Nov. 12, 2018. The New York Times.