Russian Strikes Ukraine, Causing Over 50 Deaths

Tuesday, Sept. 3 marked one of the deadliest attacks in the war between Russia and Ukraine, with more than 50 killed and over 300 wounded in the city of Poltava in eastern Ukraine. The attack was followed by three days of mourning and a funeral service on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that citizens are “under constant threat of Russian missile and drone strikes,” as air-raid sirens sounded even during the funeral services on Saturday. After Iran gave 200 short-range missiles to Russia on Sept. 4, Zelenskyy has renewed his plea for weapons from Western countries. 

American Protestor Killed in Israel’s War on Gaza

American–Turkish dual citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was killed on Friday by the Israel Defense Forces. She was shot in the head while protesting settlement in the West Bank as part of the International Solidarity Movement. This is only the most recent American to die amidst the Israel–Palestine conflict, in which over 40,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis have also been killed. While President Joe Biden has called her death “totally unacceptable,” he has not supported the family’s request for a formal inquiry and legal proceedings. Previous killings of American civilians killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, such as protestor Rachel Corrie in 2003 and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022, have also gone unprosecuted. 

Typhoon Yagi Ravages Vietnam

Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed over 179 people since reaching land on Saturday, and swept through the Philippines, Hainan, and Vietnam. Wind speeds of up to 145 mph have left more than 800,000 people without power in Hainan, and over 50,000 people have been evacuated from Vietnamese coastal cities. Yagi is both the second-strongest tropical cyclone of 2024, it is also Vietnam’s most powerful storm in decades. The storm is losing momentum, but effects of the damage are lasting. 

Mpox Vaccination Campaign Prepares to Launch

Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that a vaccine drive for Mpox is set to begin Oct. 2, one week earlier than previously planned. This comes after receiving 265,000 donated doses of the vaccines from the United States and the European Union. With a population of 99 million, the country needs more vaccines to curb what was declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization in August. Japan has pledged to donate another 3.5 million doses to be used primarily on children to address the epidemic. 

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Done with Chemotherapy

After months of battling an undisclosed type of cancer, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced that she has finished her chemotherapy treatments. After nearly three months of confusion following a surgery in January, Kate announced that she was undergoing cancer treatments in a video released March 22. She has only made two public appearances since that announcement. While she has yet to be officially declared cancer-free, this is positive progress. In a personal statement, Kate said that the journey has reminded her “to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”