World roundup: August 14 2023

Stories from North Korea, Niger, Argentina, and elsewhere

TODAY IN HISTORY

August 14, 1480: The Martyrs of Otranto

August 14, 1947: At midnight, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 goes into effect, ending the British Raj and creating the independent states of India and Pakistan. This territory included the future state of Bangladesh, though at this time it was part of Pakistan. This date is commemorated as Pakistani Independence Day while August 15 is commemorated as Independence Day in India. Initially both countries commemorated August 15, but the Pakistanis later shifted to August 14, ostensibly because British Viceroy Louis Mountbatten held Pakistan’s independence ceremony on that date so that he could attend a similar ceremony in India the following day.

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

JORDAN

Jordanian security forces shot down another drug mule drone from Syria on Sunday. Authorities later identified the cargo as crystal meth, which is a bit of a change from the usual export of Captagon (another stimulant) from Syria. The origin of the drugs is unclear and there are numerous actors in Syria that manufacture and sell synthetic drugs (often exporting them through Jordan or Lebanon to the Persian Gulf) so it’s not easy to narrow down the list of candidates.