World roundup: April 25 2022

Stories from Iran, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and more

INTERNATIONAL

In today’s global news:

• Worldometer is tracking COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

• The New York Times is tracking global vaccine distribution.

MIDDLE EAST

SYRIA

Turkey’s new “Operation Claw Lock” offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) includes an escalation in attacks targeting Kurdish militias in northeastern Syria that has already drawn calls for moderation from Washington. The YPJ, the female-only counterpart to the YPG, reported last week that three of its fighters were killed in a Turkish drone strike on the city of Kobani and there have been reports of Turkish attacks on a number of other Kurdish-held parts of that region. The US Embassy Syria’s Twitter account broadcast a call for “deescalation” on Sunday.