World roundup: March 14 2022

Stories from China, Ukraine, Peru, 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

Al-Monitor’s Essam Sabry Hafez reports on the precarious situation faced by Syrian truffle hunters, who out of economic necessity are heading out to do their work in a Syrian desert that’s dotted with landmines. This is admittedly a niche topic but it speaks to Syria’s broader landmine challenge after 11 years of war. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that 241 Syrians were killed by landmines in 2021, while the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines identified 2729 land mine casualties (killed and wounded) in Syria in 2020, almost 40 percent of the total global land mine casualty figure for that year. Most of these mines have been planted courtesy of Islamic State fighters.