Category Archives: News

March 2, 2022 · 4:56 am

Global Tech Stories (March 1, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world of technology for this Tuesday.

Nanobots will one day remove heavy metal pollutants from the water ways and oceans. Scientists in Prague developed nanobots that can attract and retain pollutants and be fabricated at large scale with environmentally sustainable components.

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NASA has new ideas for the future of space exploration. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program selected 12 Phase I projects and 5 Phase II projects for further funding, including a project on extended radiation shielding for astronauts, 3-D printed microbots and the development of artificial gravity through rotating structures.

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Researchers at MIT are tackling bias in machine-learning models by teaching machines to different similarity attributes besides a sensitive one. This method is Partial Attribute Decorrelation, and could make technologies like facial recognition fairer.

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For manufacturers, downtime from broken or stalled equipment can be a drain on resources and time, often without the help of experienced employees to help fix the problem. A recently created self-learning assistance system could change that.

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A newly developed wrap blocks both bacteria and viruses.

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The future of bullet resistant armor looks a lot thinner and could one day be warn in hot and cold climates. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a nano-fibrous material that performs better at resisting impact than steel plates and Kevlar fabric.

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Imagine harvesting electricity from radio waves. Researchers in the University of South Florida have developed a metasurface-based antenna that could harvest 100 microwatts- enough to power a simple device.

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Earthworms play a more active role in the health of soil and the nitrogen cycle by secreting nitrogen in their mucus when active, enriching the soil and contributing to crop health.

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Scientists developed a way to turn on dormant genes using a combination of AI and CRISPR technologies. This could help doctors activate genes for fighting illnesses through personalized medicine and general medical treatments.

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Stonehenge may have been a solar calendar.

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February 28, 2022 · 7:04 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of February 27, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Feb. 27, 2022.

Also, while the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominates the news, we should keep in mind that governments are not the people in any country. The actions of Russian president Vladimir Putin are not representative of all Russian people.

Global News

The Russian government has said it will limit access to Facebook after the company refused to stop independently fact checking and labeling content and claims from four state-owned media sites. This comes as the Russian invasion and war in Ukraine sparks anti-war protests and views in country. Facebook has been criticized in the past for allowing Far Right and conspiratorial claims to go without fact checking, an image both the company and parent company Meta are trying to shake.

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The carbon footprint of Bitcoin has increased after restrictions in China over energy use forced Bitcoin mining to other countries such as Kazakhstan and the United States. In these countries, fossil fuels like coal or more likely to be used to fuel mining operations for the crypto currency.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is willing to work with the G7 Build Back Better World initiative and open to Washington joining the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.  

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Americas

Nicaraguan courts have sentenced seven to prison for likely eight to 15 years each. The convicted are mostly presidential candidates and political opponents or critics of the Ortega government, as the president has weaponized the courts and legal system to go after political opposition in the country.

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Argentina, the third largest economy in Latin America, has reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund for 40 billion USD.

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Several Latin American countries have called on Russia to leave Ukraine, while others have criticized Moscow’s invasion of the country.

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Africa

Russian engagement and resumption of ties on the continent has produced a muted response from several nations in Africa to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The history of Russia’s more recent involvement in Africa is a mix of formal and informal with trade and security ties.

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Burkina Faso may take 30 months to transition back to democracy. A panel ordered by the military coup leaders has recommended the time table but has not released many other details other than a proposed transitional government made up of 20 ministers and 51 parliament members.

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The Gambia is asking the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court, to throw out Myanmar’s legal bid to end the case of genocide against the Rohingya. Citing both the legal conventions such as the 1948 Genocide Convention and evidence gathered by international NGOs and fact-finding missions to the country, the Gambia is pushing with the case against Myanmar for the country’s actions targeting the Rohingya minority.

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Europe

Ukraine and Russia to hold talks Monday. In the meantime, Belarus might be sending troops to support Russian forces invading the country, despite many in Belarus and Russia being opposed to the war in Ukraine.

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Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has created a solidarity in much of Europe against him, and may enhance NATO in the future as his actions create a precedent.

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Anti-war protestors in Russia face restrictions and suppression by the government.

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Middle East

Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara will be implementing the 1936 Montreux Convention, which would limit the use of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits during a war. He also referred to the Russian attacks in Ukraine as a war. The Montreux Convention does not prevent Russian warships from going to registered bases to refuel, however, Turkish authorities will be wary of attempts to abuse this caveat.

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Saudi-owned Aramco has sold a stake of it’s natural gas pipelines worth 15.5 billion USD to an investor group led by BlackRock Inc. The move is part of the kingdom’s plans to diversify into artificial intelligence and electric vehicles and other emerging industries.

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Iran limiting criticism of Russian aggression in Ukraine is part of a pattern echoed in previous military actions by Russia against other nations such as Georgia.

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Asia

The Taliban is instituting new restrictions on traveling abroad for Afghans after claims of mistreatment and poor living conditions for Afghan refugees in Qatar and Turkey. Since the Taliban took over the country, thousands have fled to other nations as the economy collapsed. Despite promises to change from their prior 1990s style of rule, the Taliban has been reintroducing old laws and ways of governance, causing many to seek asylum abroad, including those associated with the US occupation and anti-Taliban government forces.

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North Korea launched its eighth missile this year as the leadership in Pyongyang is restarting ballistic missile testing.

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China may help Russia economically, but has a complex political and business environment to navigate.

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India also released statements for Russia and NATO to return to dialogue and diplomacy, but stopped short of joining the US and other nations from launching sanctions. Like China, India has a complex relationship with Russia, only the two nations have had strong ties for decades.

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February 16, 2022 · 5:37 am

Global Tech Stories (February 15, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world of technology for this Tuesday.

Explainer: What is the Ethereum Swarm?

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The BlackByte group launched attacks that penetrated at least three critical infrastructure sectors and several US and foreign businesses last year.

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In 2021, 74% of all revenue from ransomware attacks went to Russian-affiliated hacker groups.

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The James Webb Space Telescope has taken its first pictures in space. The object was of the star HD 84406 in the constellation of Ursa Major.

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After testing bionic implants to improve eyesight for sheep, Researchers in Australia came one step closer to bionic eyes for humans.

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Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan developed a way to produce hydrogen using cobalt and manganese.

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February 9, 2022 · 3:42 am

Global Tech Stories (February 8, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world of technology for this Tuesday.

MIT scientists created a new material that is as light as plastic and with a yield strength twice that of steel. This new material can be produced in large quantities and impermeable to gases.

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The University of Delaware has developed a hydrogen powered carbon filtration and capture device that captures 99% of carbon dioxide from the air. The device could scale for different applications such as cars, spacecraft, submarines and other machines.

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A new form of targeted medicine has been developed in a collaborative between Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at Monash University and TU Graz (Austria). The metal-organic framework antibody-drug delivery system is a crystal that latches onto a targeted cell and dissolves, exposing only the targeted cell to the drug or chemical.

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A new AI coding program, AlphaCode, could perform almost as well as a human in writing code. However, AI is still not ready to replace human coders.

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Patients with spinal cord injuries may walk again in the next few years with personalized implants. Researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology developed 3-D spinal cord tissue that can be implanted and restore walking ability to lab models with long-term chronic paralysis with an 80% success. For lab models with acute paralysis, the implants were successful in restoring walking abilities 100% of the time.

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January 31, 2022 · 5:19 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of January 30, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Jan. 30, 2022.

Global News

Where we are with the hyped Metaverse, and what challenges companies and governments will need to surmount to actually make the Metaverse work.

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A subvariant of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been detected. While better at evading the body’s defenses, its unknown how severe or infectious the new subvariant actually is. The subvariant was found mostly in cases Denmark and has spread to the UK and parts of Asia.

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The Asteroid-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), funded by NASA, can now scan the entire night sky every 24 hours. This system can now give up to a full days’ warning for a 20-meter-wide asteroid and up to three weeks’ warning with 100-meter-wide asteroids.

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Americas

The International Monetary Fund is requesting the government of El Salvador remove Bitcoin as legal tender for the country’s bonds and currency due to the high risks and volatility of the currency.

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Taiwan’s vice president, William Lai, is traveling to Honduras to shore up ties with the government following the election of Xiomara Castro. Castro had floated the idea of reestablishing ties with China but recently walked those ideas back.

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 Anti-vaccine protestors marched in Ottawa on Saturday, desecrating the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the process. The Canadian Trucking Alliance believes many of the protestors have no connection to trucking as the majority of the Alliance’s members are already vaccinated.

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Africa

South Africa is building out an indigenous vaccine production site that will produce both foreign and domestically created vaccines for COVID and other pathogens and distribute them throughout the continent within the next few years. Other countries on the continent are in various stages of developing sites for local vaccine production.

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Almost 40% of the population of Tigray is suffering extreme hunger according to the World Food Programme. The Amhara and Afar regions are also suffering from severe hunger.

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Burkina Faso has been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after a recent coup in the country removed democratically elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, citing his failure to stem ongoing violence in the country. Delegations will meet with the military coup leaders later next week.

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Europe

Explainer: Ukraine Crisis and NATO.

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U.S. president Joe Biden is sending some troops to Eastern Europe to bolster NATO forces in the region in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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The EU is bringing a case against China to the World Trade Organization. Beijing retaliated economically against Lithuania for the country allowing Taiwan to open a diplomatic outpost in Vilnius.

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Middle East

Thailand and Saudi Arabia reestablished diplomatic ties.

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Iraq could lose 1/3 or arable land and 20% of the nation’s water resources by 2050 due to climate change.

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Lebanon will not disarm Hezbollah but has pledged not to allow the country to be used as a safe haven for groups to launch attacks or activities that harm other Arab states in the region. Neighbors have called on Lebanon to help fight the regional drug trade.

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Asia

Indian company BrahMos Aerospace inks deal with the Philippines government for the sale of BrahMos shore-based anti-ship supersonic missiles. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand are also in various stages of engagement with the company regarding missile deals.

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Almost a year since the military of Myanmar overthrew the democratically elected government.

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According to an investigation by the New York Times, the Modi Administration purchased Pegasus spyware from the Israeli NSO group in 2017 to spy on civilians.

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January 24, 2022 · 6:07 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of January 23, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Jan. 23, 2022.

Global News

A tax on pollution aimed at companies might incentivize companies to actually invest in cleaner energy and green production methods according to new research.

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The Catholic Church will now formally recognize women for lay roles of catechist and lector. These roles had long been performed by women informally despite being officially reserved for men, but Pope Francis recently announced they would be formally recognized by the Church.

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How much electricity is produced by renewable energy sources will vary, but this infographic gives some of the latest estimates and helps clarify the challenges the world faces in transitioning to clean electricity.

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Americas

Fish exports from Brazil is making major gains in China, but a lack of regulation in Brazil threatens local communities and risks overfishing. The parts of the fish being exported are normally thrown away, but in China they’re valued for medical uses.

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The Canadian Trucking Alliance, an organization representing truckers across Canada, spoke out against planned protests scheduled for Jan. 29 at the nation’s capital. The protests target the cross-border vaccine travel mandate by Canada and the United States, which requires truckers to be fully vaccinated.

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The Biden Administration introduced new rules to help attract talent from foreign students by introducing rules to help international students spend up to 36 months in academic training. The Department of Homeland Security also introduced 22 new fields to a program that provides three years of training with employers and another initiative aimed at connecting domestic employers with trained international students.

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Africa

An explainer on why the military is in mutiny in Burkina Faso.

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Enset, a traditional staple in the diets of communities in South and Southwest Ethiopia, could provide millions with food security as climate change changes rain patterns and threatens crops.

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COVID vaccines will need a shelf-life of three to six months to be effectively distributed by recipient countries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of the received vaccines have expired due to logistical challenges and storage requirements.

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Europe

Protestors in Istanbul protest against the hosting of the Olympics in China, citing human rights abuses and allegations of genocide against the Uighur population.

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Ukrainian government officials are treating the claims about Moscow attempting a coup to install a sympathetic government in Kyiv as credible. The claims were made by the U.K. foreign office, allegedly based on US intelligence but have not provided evidence yet.

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A Taliban delegation headed to Norway on Sunday probably to convince The US and Western nations to unfreeze financial assets to the tune of $10 billion. The delegation will meet for three days with delegations from the US, Western government officials, human rights and women’s rights advocates, and members of the Afghan community in Norway.

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Middle East

An Israeli company developed a drone capable of firing sniper rifles or standard rifles while flying. The drone is in advanced stages of development and not yet ready for deployment, but the system is based on existing technology used against Hamas.

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Iran may be voting in the United Nations General Assembly soon after South Korea paid off the country’s outstanding dues. The funds were obtained from frozen Iranian assets in South Korea, and in active coordination with the United Nations Secretariat, US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control and other agencies.

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Due to COVID-19, the League of Arab States will be rescheduling their annual meeting. While no agenda has been set, there are many issues for the group to focus on.

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Asia

Chinese investment causes trouble in Serbia.

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Afghan women graduates of Code to Inspire are turning to crypto currencies to receive aid and money from abroad as Taliban rule has left the economy in ruins. The organization, based in Herat, taught women how to code before the Taliban took over, and these women had taught others how to set up wallets to receive and transact in crypto currencies as a way to get around the frozen financial system and limits on cash withdrawals at local banks.

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Eighty-four percent of the population of Tonga has been affected by ashfall and a tsunami as a result of the recent volcanic eruption. Limited communications and Internet have been restored and aid is coming from New Zealand and Australia, while aid has been promised from Japan, China, The Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

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January 17, 2022 · 7:16 pm

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of January 16, 2022)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Jan. 16, 2022.

Global News

Scientists discovered a new metal where the electrical charge is carried by Cooper pairs rather than electrons. The Cooper pair belong to a class of particles called Bosons and looks more like a wave.

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Changes in the Antarctic are unique compared to prior periods. A new model on ice sheet changes in the southern most continent show how the last decade differs from the last century.

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The condition Space Anemia, where an astronaut’s red blood cell count drops dramatically while in micro-gravity, has been shown to continue for months while in space. The loss of red blood cells can be as great as 54% and it takes months for red blood cell levels to return to normal.

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Americas

Argentine towns are experiencing the hottest days ever recorded as many South American countries are experiencing a heatwave. The year 2021 has been one of the hottest on record due to climate change.

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According to the Pan American Health Organization, nearly every country in the Americas have cases of Omicron variant COVID-19. Most of the rising cases are in the East and Mid-Western United States, but cases in much of the Americas are rising and the rise will likely make the Omicron variant the dominant strain of the virus in months.

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One America News, a major right-wing news outlet and promoter of election conspiracy claims in the 2020 United States presidential race, has been dropped from DirecTV programming and will not be renewed by the company after their contract, with DirecTV owner AT&T, expires in April 2022. This is a massive financial hit to the outlet as allegedly 90% of their revenue comes from the contract.

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Africa

Tesla signed a deal to source graphite from mines in Balama, Mozambique. The move is part of the company’s efforts to diversify their supply chain.

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India is sending an infantry battalion to the Abyei region, between Sudan and South Sudan, as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the region.

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Ghanaian startup Float wants to solve financial access issues for small and medium sized businesses in Africa. The Ghanaian company is one step closer to that goal after raising 17 million USD seed capital, though they are not the only company to focus on small and medium sized businesses.

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Europe

Sweden sent additional military personnel to Gotland in response to increased Russian naval activity in the Baltic.

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Ukraine was hit by malware attacks that disrupted more than a dozen government websites.

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Serbia held a referendum to change how judges and prosecutors as part of judicial reforms. Supporters say the referendum will increase judicial independence, as part of Serbia’s goal to eventually join the European Union.

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Middle East

Kuwait is at risk of being unlivable due to growing excessive heat. Political inaction and lack of will by the government are hobbling climate action.

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A funerary route lined with tombs have been discovered in Saudi Arabia, many of which are more than 4,500 years old.

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The United Arab Emirates and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding on a deal for the Gulf kingdom to purchase a missile defense system worth an estimated 3.5 billion USD. The two nations are also working on renewable energy projects and deepening economic and cultural ties.

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Asia

The future of the CCP is looking younger and more likely to have a college degree. They’re also more likely to be nationalistic.

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Some in China’s Gen Z view the West as “evil” and growing levels of overconfidence according to the director of International Studies Institute program at Tsinghua University.

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New Zealand and Australia are working on sending aid and support to Tonga after an underwater volcano eruption damaged the nation’s Internet and phone lines.

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December 20, 2021 · 5:50 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of December 19, 2021)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Dec. 19, 2021.

Global News

The “hacker-for-hire” industry is taking on new and threatening potential with competing spyware companies targeting political dissidents for authoritarian countries.

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The United Nations has failed to open new negotiations governing the use of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) after push back by weapon system creators such as Russia and the United States.

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United Nations special rapporteur for the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called upon the international community to work with Bangladesh to help with Rohingya refugees in the country while cutting off resources and support to the Myanmar military.

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Americas

Anvisa, the national health regulator of Brazil, has requested additional law enforcement support after growing threats from anti-vaccine proponents stemming from the organization’s approval of COVID-19 vaccines for young children. Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil and major source of anti-vaccine sentiments, has threatened to release identities of those working at Anvisa and has spread misinformation throughout the country.

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Chile elected the youngest president in the country’s history, Gabriel Boric, with 56% of the vote. Boric plans on introducing European style social democracy to the country to tackle economic and social inequalities, but faces a divided congress and a rewriting of the nation’s constitution. However, this may also be a bell weather for the rest of Latin America.

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Africa

Morocco is starting to implement recycling via composting waste with the help of Swiss company Elephant Vert (translated as Green Elephant). However, the kingdom still lacks a comprehensive sorting and collection.

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The United Nations voted to set up a three-person team to investigate human rights abuses in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, much to the objections of the government. While a report on abuses in the region already exists, it may be under reporting abuses.

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A national public consultation is scheduled to be held between January and March 2022, according to Tunisian president Kais Saied, as part of plans to create a national referendum on political reforms scheduled for July 25, 2022. The Parliament is still frozen and will be until December 17, 2022, though they will be impacted by the referendum.

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Europe

Thousands are protesting proposed legislation that would force the sale of TVN, a US-owned channel that has been critical of the government. This follows other attempts by the Polish government to target critics in the media, according to opposition parties and protestors.

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Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated Moscow is ready to increase provocative actions along the border with Ukraine and other former Soviet countries if their demands are not taken seriously by NATO and the West. Among those demands are keeping Ukraine and other former Soviet countries from joining NATO and rolling back military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. These demands may be viewed as provocative to the West, but they might be considered defensive by Moscow, which views their regional security as under threat by an expanding NATO encircling Russia’s Western border.

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German environment minister, Steffi Lemke, warns of the next crisis is a biodiversity crisis. While fighting against climate change is needed, lawmakers and society also need to combat the loss of species, and there can be overlap of efforts such as restoration of natural habitats to fight both.

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Middle East

Artifacts ravaged by Daesh (Islamic State) are being restored in the Museum of Mosul in Iraq, with the help of French and American and local experts. In addition, the Iraqi government is making repatriation of stolen artifacts a priority and plans restoring the museum to its pre Daesh state.

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The first confirmed case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been announced in Iran by the health ministry. There are two more potential cases under review, and the alleged source was a middle-aged man coming back from travel in the United Arab Emirates.

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Idlib, Syria still needs aid and humanitarian assistance, but the deliveries into rebel-held territory by the United Nations requires authorization that is set to expire Jan. 10, 2022.

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Asia

Laos and China opened a scenic railway connecting the capital of Laos, Vientiane, with Kunming in Southern China. Laos is heavily indebted to China already and faces potential risks from the rail project such as being unable to pay off the investment and being on the hook for some or all of the debt if the project fails to generate a profit.

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The Organization for Islamic Cooperation concluded a summit in Islamabad, Pakistan to create ways to provide financing and support to the people of Afghanistan without directly dealing with the Taliban. The country is on the brink of economic collapse as the Taliban have taken little effort to actually fulfil the promises they made on women’s rights and protecting minorities, forcing nations with assets from Afghanistan to find ways to help the people without rewarding the Taliban for ignoring their own promises.

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21,000 people have been displaced by major flooding in Malaysia after the equivalent of one month’s rainfall fell within 48 hours between Friday and Saturday.

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December 6, 2021 · 6:01 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of Dec. 5, 2021)

Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of December 5th.

Global News

World Health Organization claims the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus has been found in 38 countries, but there have been no reported deaths.

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American scientists created robots, created from stem cells gathered from African clawed frogs, that can self-heal reproduce. This has led to the discovery of a new form of biological reproduction.

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Cyber security experts have identified 14 new types of web browser attacks called cross-site leaks (XS-leaks).

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Americas

Xiomara Castro became the first woman President of Honduras. While her party is the first liberal party to rule the country in 12 years, President elect Castro would still need a solid 2/3 majority in National Congress to rewrite the country’s Constitution.  

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Twitter shut down 3,456 accounts connected to state-backed information operations linked to China, Russia, Mexico, Venezuela, Tanzania and Uganda. The majority of the accounts, 2,048, were from CCP supporting accounts amplifying Beijing’s narrative about Xinjiang and the Uighurs.

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Paraguay faces an epidemic of child pregnancies due to the country’s restrictive abortion laws and sexual violence.

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Africa

President Adama Barrow was declared the winner of the presidential race in the Gambia, Saturday, by the electoral commission, setting him up for reelection of the country. However, his election might be challenged as the other contestants in the race are calling for investigations and rejecting the results.

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Locals, conservationists are protesting Shell’s plans to use seismic blasting along 6,000 kms of pristine coastline that is both a tourist area and considered an ecologically sensitive sanctuary. This involves blasting the seafloor with powerful airguns at intervals to measure echoes, can take weeks or even months to complete and causes sound that travels for hundreds of kilometers, potentially disrupting local marine life.

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Google is planning on developing digital infrastructure in the continent after investing a billion USD.

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Europe

Pope Francis met with refugees in Lesbos, Greece on Sunday as part of his five-day tour of Greece and Cyprus to call attention to the plight of refugees and migrants in the region. During his trip, Francis has been critical of the response from Europe towards refugees and asylum seekers.

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Germany is placing new restrictions and mulling a mandatory vaccine requirement to combat a rise in Covid-19 cases. Other European nations are considering mandatory vaccine mandates as well.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hopes to have WHO approval for the Sputnik V vaccine soon. If approved, it could be added to the COVAX stockpile and boast domestic vaccination rates.

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Middle East

Daesh (Islamic State) is launching hit and run attacks in Northern Iraq, in Kurdish territory. The violence comes as more Iraqis are growing disappointed with the government.

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The Tunisian General Labor Union (UTGG) has called for early elections because of concerns over democratic gains being threatened by the current president. After consolidating power and dismissing the government to rule by decree, president Kais Saeed has not yet announced a plan to end the state of emergency imposed on the country or returning the country to a parliamentary democracy.

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France has joined Saudi Arabia to try and find a solution to the diplomatic dispute between Riyadh and Beirut. Last month, both nations recalled their ambassadors over a row when the information minister of Lebanon criticized the Saudi-led war in Yeman.

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Asia

Mount Semeru erupted on Saturday in the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 14, injuring 56, and destroying villages near the volcano. Authorities are searching for seven people and coordinating disaster assistance for the affected communities.

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Myanmar security forces drove a car into a protest in the capital city of Yangon Sunday, killing five protestors and arresting 15 more. The car, according to video and photographic evidence, drove into the protestors and started chasing individual demonstrators, with security forces getting out of the car to attack and arrest people they caught.

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Over 100 former security forces personnel had been killed or forcibly disappeared after surrendering to the Taliban, according to Human Rights Watch. According to interviews and reports, the Taliban used information gathered in the amnesty program to target individuals and their families s part of reprisals and killings carried out by senior leadership of the Taliban.

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November 8, 2021 · 4:38 am

Global Affairs Weekly Stories (Week of Nov. 7, 2021)

Here’s what’s happening in the world for the week of Nov. 7th, 2021.

Global News

Explainer on COP26 and why it is important.

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World reactions to COP26

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Many nations are working with flawed or incomplete data when reporting their progress on fighting climate change, according to the Washington Post.

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Americas

Covid-19 deaths have declined for 8 weeks across the Americas.

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Brazil, The United States, and Canada are the countries most affected by rising temperatures in the Americas.

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The Florida-based GEO Group, which runs for-profit immigration detention centers in the USA, has suspended their Voluntary Work Program after a Washington court found that detainees were owed the minimum wage in Washington State, and the company owed $23 million to detainees in unjust profits and back pay.

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Restoring Mexico’s mangroves will combat climate change in Mexico and beyond.

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Anti-vaccine disinformation on social media is part of the reason why only 25% of Peru’s indigenous population have been vaccinated, despite over 55% of the country being vaccinated. Other factors are the remoteness of communities and mistrust of the government due to past abuses.

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Fast fashion from the rest of the world is responsible for creating a major environmental threat for Chile, a dumping ground for discarded clothing.

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American researchers are working on growing coral reefs to fight rising sea levels and environmental threats.

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Africa

The Tunisian government has issued an international arrest warrant for Moncef Marzouki, the former president, on charges of undermining the nation’s security. The ex-president is currently in France. Critics claim the current president, Kais Saied, is attempting to discredit rivals and consolidate power.

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South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) Party gained less than 50% of the vote, with voter turnout nationally at 47%.

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Burundi Human Rights Initiative, an independent organization that monitors human rights abuses in the country, reported a “clear pattern” of human rights abuses such as torture and enforced disappearances. The trend started in Mid-2021, and members of the police and intelligence community have been accused of perpetrating the violence.

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Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is imposing sanctions on Mali after the interim government informed the organization that they would not be holding elections in February.

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King Mohamed IV said in a national speech that the Western Sahal’s status is not up for debate, effectively continuing Morocco’s policy stance on the region.

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Europe

Russian diplomat found dead outside of the Russian Embassy in Berlin. The cause of death is not known and the body had been sent back to Russia. Some reports claim the diplomat had been an agent of the FSG, but these reports have not been confirmed yet.

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Stage is set for the biggest trail against the Mafia in Italian history. Currently, 70 members of the criminal network have been sent to prison and another 355 will face trial.

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Protestors outside of a prison in Rustavi, Georgia, are demanding former President Mikheil Saakashvili be transferred to a private clinic. Supporters claim he is weakening due to a hunger strike, but authorities claim he is normal, and even eating.

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The Serbian president Milorad Dodik announced he intends to form a Bosnian Serb army. This comes as President Dodik has threatening to withdraw from national institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and declare separation for Republika Srpska, which is part of Bosnia Herzegovina based on the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended the conflict of the 1990s.

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Environmentalists and conservationists are investigating the use of peat bogs to fight climate change. The peat bogs make up 3% of the Earth’s surface, but soak up 30% of land-based carbon, and could be highly effective at cutting CO2 levels.

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Middle East

Iraqis under greater water stress due to climate change, ongoing damming projects in Turkey, and the result of years of conflict with Daesh (ISIS).

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The Israeli government is upset over US promise to reopen the US Consulate in Jerusalem, the de facto embassy for Palestinians.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi avoided an assassination attempt by drone. The explosive-laden drone injured six people at his home, but nobody has claimed responsibility yet.

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Asia

The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan maintains it’s majority despite losing 15 seats. The party still maintains an absolute majority and control of all parliamentary committees.

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A seven-member European Union delegation visited Taiwan.

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The UN announces preliminary evidence of crimes against humanity based on over 1.5 million pieces of evidence and 200,000 communications since the military seized power, indicating a pattern of abuses and crimes against civilians in Myanmar.

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Tokyo is considering a 300 trillion yen stimulus package to help curb the economic impact of Covid-19. This would require issuing new government debt.

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