Today's Top Breaking News Stories with JNB Chief Correspondent Joseph Bonner

Iran Issues Warning: Attacks on Israel and US to Persist as IDF Remains in Gaza

Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, warned Israel that attacks by Iran and its allies against Israeli and American targets will continue as long as Israeli forces are waging war in Gaza. He stated that the attacks would cease if Israel withdraws its forces. Iran and its proxy terrorist groups have already carried out over 100 attacks since mid-October, which could potentially escalate the conflict between Israel and Hamas into a regional crisis. Amirabdollahian emphasized that ending the genocide in Gaza would lead to an end of military actions and crises in the region. He also highlighted the connection between the developments in Gaza and the security of the Red Sea, warning that everyone would suffer if Israel's actions in Gaza continue. Iran has recently deployed a navy vessel to the Red Sea, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been launching missile and drone attacks against international trade vessels in the region.

Evan Gershkovich's Mother Affirms His Resilience in a Russian Prison Aimed at Crushing His Spirit

The mother of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has expressed concerns about her son's well-being in a Russian prison. Ella Milman described the conditions at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow as "very hard" and compared it to a "Stalin-era" facility. Gershkovich has been detained since March 2023 on charges of espionage, which the United States considers to be wrongful. Milman stated that her son is doing his best to stay strong and keeps his "spirits up," but they are worried about him. Gershkovich's imprisonment has garnered international attention and highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in authoritarian countries. Despite the challenging circumstances, he continues to communicate with his family through letters and meets with his Russian lawyers regularly, as well as receiving monthly visits from the U.S. ambassador.

Over 400 lives claimed as Zambia faces deadliest cholera outbreak in 20 years

Zambia is currently facing a severe cholera outbreak that has resulted in over 400 deaths and more than 10,000 infections. As a result, schools in the country have been ordered to remain closed after the holiday season. A soccer stadium in the capital has been converted into a treatment center, and the government is launching a mass vaccination campaign while providing clean water to affected communities. The outbreak began in October and is strongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to clean water. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has referred to the fatality rate of around 4% as "devastatingly high," considering that treated cholera typically has a death rate of less than 1%. Similar outbreaks have occurred in neighboring countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, resulting in over 200,000 cases and 3,000 deaths in southern Africa since the beginning of 2023. Malawi experienced its worst cholera outbreak in decades in 2023..
Deadly blast in southern Nigerian city leaves 3 dead, 77 injured

Three people died and 77 were injured in an overnight explosion that rocked over 20 buildings in Nigeria. The explosion occurred in Ibadan city, causing residents to flee their homes. Authorities believe the blast was caused by explosives stored for illegal mining operations. Rescue efforts are underway to find any potential survivors trapped in the rubble.

Reporter Joseph Bonner

Tags:
Ibadan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, cholera, Wall Street Journal , Evan Gershkovich, Israel, Iran, United States, US, Gaza, Hamas, Joseph Bonner, World, News

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Breaking news update with your host JosephBonner. Let's get into it. Deadly
blasts in southern Nigerian city leaves threedead and seventy seven injured. Three people
have died and seventy seven were injuredin an overnight explosion that rocked over twenty
buildings in Nigeria. The explosion occurredin Ubadin' City, causing residents to flee

(00:22):
their home. Authorities believed the blastwas caused by explosive store for illegal mining
operations. Rescue efforts are underway tofind any potential survivors trapped in the rubble.
Over four hundred lives claimed as Zombiafaces deadly as color outbreak in twenty
years. Zombia is currently facing asevere color outbreak that has resulted in over

(00:45):
four hundred deaths and more than tenthousand infections. As a result, schools
in the country have been ordered toremain closed after the holiday season. A
soccer stadium in the capital has beenconverted into a treatment center, and the
government is launching a massive vaccine campaignwhile providing clean water to affected communities.
The outbreak began in October and astrongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to

(01:07):
clean water. The United Nations Children'sFund has referred to the fatality rate of
around four percent as devastatingly high,considering that treating cholera typically has a death
rate of less than one percent.Similar outbreaks have occurred in neighboring countries such
as Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe,resulting in over two hundred thousand cases and
three thousand deaths in Southern Africa.Since the beginning of twenty twenty three.

(01:33):
Malawi experience its worst color outbreak indecades. In twenty twenty three, Evan
Gertkovich's mother affirms his resilience in theRussian prison that she says is designed to
crush his spirit. The mother ofWall Street journalist reporter Evan Gertchkovich has expressed
concerns about her son's well being inthe Russian prison. Elle Milman, describes

(01:56):
the conditions at the prison in Moscowas very hard compared to other facilities.
Kirshkovich has been detained since March twentytwenty three on charges of espionage, which
the United States considers to be wrongful. Milman stated that her son is doing
his best to stay strong and keephis spirits up, but they are worried
about him. Kershkovich's imprisonment has gainedinternational attention and highlights the dangers faced by

(02:23):
journalists in authoritarian countries. Despite thechallenging circumstances, he continues to communicate with
his family through letters and meets withthe Russian lawyers regularly, as well as
receives monthly visits from the US ambassador. Iran issues warning attacks on Israel and
the US to persist as IDF remainsin Gaza. Iran's foreign minister has issued

(02:46):
a warning to Israel that attacks byIran and its allies against Israeli and American
targets will continue as long as Israeliforces are waging war in Gaza. He
stated that the attacks would cease ifIsrael withdraws its forces. Iran and its
proxy terrorist groups have already carried outover one hundred attacks since mid October,
which could potentially escalate the conflict betweenIsrael and Amas into a regional crisis.

(03:12):
Iran foreign minister has also emphasized thatany the genocide in Gaza would lead to
an end of military action and crisisin that region. He highlighted the connection
between the developments in Gaza and thesecurity of the Red Sea, warning that
everyone would suffer if Israel's actions inGaza continue. Iran has recently developed and
deployed a naval vessel to the RedSea, and Iran backed Huti rebels and

(03:35):
Yemen have been launching missiles and droneattacks against international trade vessels in that region.