France's ruling party promises change in controversial proposed security law

        Following protests across the country, French President Emmanuel Macron and his ruling party promised to change the proposed security law. The law as originally proposed would restrict the filming of police officers, this caused an uproar among French citizens on infringing upon their free speech and their desire for police accountability. Article 24, also called the "global security law", includes controversial language that could allow the French government to monitor its citizens. 

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/europe/france-security-law-change-intl/index.html

 Matthew J. Nealon

Moderna to Ask Health regulators to Authorize Its Covid-19 Vaccine

 Moderna Inc. said that it is going to ask on Monday if the United States and European health regulators will authorize the use of the company's covid-19 vaccine. If approved, this would be the second possible vaccine to become available in the United States by the end of the year. The vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech SE is already under regulatory review. In a 30,000 person trial, 196 subjects developed covid-19 symptoms after receiving either the vaccine or placebo. Of those 196, 185 had taken a placebo, while only 11 had actually got the vaccine, which shows it protects against the disease. 

Logan Schaefer

https://www.wsj.com/articles/moderna-to-ask-health-regulators-to-authorize-its-covid-19-vaccine-11606737602

Guatemala protesters set congress on fire during budget protests

 This week thousands of people took to the streets of Guatemala to protest; not only that but they set the congress building on fire. Earlier that day President Alejandro Giammattei and the legislature made a budget that could cut off funding for education and healthcare. However, many believe this is due to the long term corruption in their government. Poverty and inequality rates are very high in Latin American countries and Guatemala is ranked in the top five currently. The vice president Guillermo Castillo has offered to step down for the better of the country and vetoed the bill. President Alejandro has not made any comments yet regarding the budget cuts or incidents regarding protests. Thousands of civilians are angry.

Kimberly Nunez 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/22/guatemala-protesters-set-congress-on-fire-during-budget-protests

Iran Releases British-Australian Academic Imprisoned on Espionage Charges

An Australian Academic has recently been released from Iran after two years. She was initially arrested and sentenced to ten years on espionage charges after going to Iran to attend a conference. She engaged in multiple hunger strikes during her time in detention. The US and Australia warn their citizens against going to Iran because of the risk of arbitrary detention. Kylie Moore-Gilbert had written multiple academic papers about the Arab Spring Movement, most likely a motivating factor in her arrest. I'm personally surprised that the detention of expats by the Iranian government wasn't met with military action by Australia or any other country that has detained individuals there.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-releases-british-australian-academic-imprisoned-on-espionage-charges-11606380164 

The second Cold War: The China strategy America needs

President-elect Joe Biden should aim to strike a grand bargain with America's democratic allies. 

The achievement of the Trump administration was to recognize the authoritarian threat from China. The task of the Biden administration will be to work out what to do about it. Donald Trump's instinct was for America to run his fight single-handed. Old allies were henchmen, not partners. As Joe Biden prepares his China strategy, the economist concludes that he should choose a different path. 

This beginning of a second Cold War differs from the first one: The rivalry with the Soviet Union was focused on ideology and nuclear weapons, whereas the new battlefield today is information technology. The protagonists in the second are interconnected. The Chinese Communist Party has understood that tech is the path to power. 

Trump's abusive solo response has had some success, as he has browbeaten some allies to stop buying gear for 5G networks from Huawei; but in the long run this approach favors China. It has already accelerated China's efforts to create is own world-class chip industry and Europe is increasingly unwilling to leave itself open to American pressure. 

A grand bargaining would turn that conflict with Europe into collaboration: Rather than be consumed by squabbles, the allies could share an approach to issues like taxation, takeover rules and supply chains. Instead of leaving America isolated, a grand bargain would help it keep ahead in the race for tech dominance by bringing in the gains of closer co-operation with like-minded countries. 

Even though such an agreement requires all parties to make major concessions, a grand bargaining would help focus competition with China on tech, potentially enabling detente in areas where collaboration is essential, such as curbing global warming, health, and arms control. A grand bargain could make the world safer by making it more predictable. 

Article: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/19/the-china-strategy-america-needs

Jan Mueller

Push to Keep Schools Open in Canada

 In Toronto there are many stores, business and public places that were closed. All except for schools were closed which is surprising considering the city is currently in it's second lockdown due to a rise in COVID cases. They claim that education and in-class learning are to important to remove but most parents are still unsure how they feel about sending their children to school in the world's current situation with the pandemic. Over 90% of students and staff have never had COVID but who knows how long that will last shall they continue to value in-class learning so highly.

NewYorkTimes Post

By Cristian Madrigal

Oxford University vaccine is “highly effective” in protection against COVID-19

A large trial conducted by Oxford University has released results showing that their vaccine is up to 90% effective in protecting people against COVID-19 depending on the dosage. While the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine is 95% effective, the Oxford vaccine is cheaper and easier to store, making it more widely available to other parts of the world. The vaccine was produced in roughly 10 months, and the trial was conducted on over 20,000 individuals in the UK and Brazil. When injected with two doses of the vaccine, only 30 cases of COVID-19 were detected while only 101 cases were found in those receiving lesser dosages. Additionally, there was 90% protection in an analysis of around 3,000 people on the trial who were given a half-sized first dose and a full-sized second dose. In all trial volunteers, none of them developed severe-COVID-19 or required hospitalization. The Oxford vaccine works differently than Moderna and Pfizer since it injects a genetically modified common cold virus that contains the blueprint for the spike protein seen in the coronavirus. Once the spike protein blueprint is in the body, the immune system recognizes it and attacks it. As of now, there are over four million doses ready to be distributed in the UK, yet it first needs to be approved by regulators that assess the vaccine’s safety, effectiveness and manufacturing process. If the vaccine is approved, it will be first distributed to nursing home residents and staff, followed by over-80 year olds, and then a distribution through the lower age groups. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the announcement “incredibly exciting news” and added that the majority of UK residents needing a vaccination may get one by Easter 2021. 

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55040635

Good morning. The next few months could be rough for the U.S. economy — but better times might not be far off.

 Coronavirus cases are spreading again which is leading to more lockdowns, so there may be another hardship in the American economy with less business and layoffs of jobs. Another risk is with the virus rescue programs expiring soon, it is unsure whether they will be renewed or not along with the lack of a new stimulus package. Short term, this will affect peoples lives negatively and largely, but long term there is hope. There will be a vaccine soon and household balances are more stable, which means the economy will start to bounce back with travel, eating out, shopping, and events. The virus and economy play hand in hand so based off how the virus is doing, it is easier to interpret how the economy is.

By: Tanya Czosek

Link: https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20201123&instance_id=24380&nl=the-morning&productCode=NN&regi_id=91312786&segment_id=45216&te=1&uri=nyt%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter%2F59e7cb97-79a0-5153-b596-0379aa26ced1&user_id=49e79658c253febd8b5d434cf9fb5532

THE SNIPER RIFLES FLOWING TO MEXICAN CARTELS SHOW A DECADE OF U.S. FAILURE

Caliber .50 rifles are being trafficked across the Mexican border where drug cartels are getting access to these and using them against the police. Criminals outgun the police with weapons, training, cars, and people. There is only one legal shop all throughout Mexico that legally sells guns, however, most people do not get their guns from that shop. Mexican authorities are now venting their indignation at what they say is the U.S. inability to curb the influx of the caliber rifles. Fabian Medina, who is chief of staff to Mexico’s foreign minister, said it's irresponsible that the United States sells this type of weapon which meets minimum requirements. The number of assault rifles and .50-calibers in Mexico has more than doubled in the past decade causing the homicide rate to rise by 67%. In 2018 and 2019, murders in Mexico hit unprecedented highs; 2020 is on track to set a milestone. U.S. authorities state that they are doing more than ever to curb the influx of guns and ammunition today. The United States is accused of inadequate effort against arms trafficking in Mexico, but Mexican law enforcement is also poor. In the wider drug war relationship between the two countries, the weapon has come to symbolize a dangerous misalignment.

Kimberly Nunez

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/mexico-losing-control/mexico-drug-cartels-sniper-rifles-us-gun-policy/

Iran Accelerates Nuclear Program, but Offers Path Back From Confrontation

 Iran has recently added Uranium to their nuclear centrifuges to make fuel much quicker and more efficiently. While this could be viewed as a provocation, Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, states that this tactic was meant to show the United States they have the ability to create a nuclear weapon. He also explained Iran's intent to reverse their actions if the United States, specifically a Biden administration, abided by the resolutions the United Nations passed regarding nuclear weapons. It seems how Trump within the next 2 months, or Biden in the next administration, handles this situation could be critical. 

Joey Droll

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear.html

Trump Withdraws from the Open Skies Treaty

It was announced today that the Trump Administration withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty that had been established 1992. It had been determined by the administration that Russia had been in violation of the treaty which allowed severance fights over Russia. The Kremlin has not been allowing flights over strategic cities like Moskow or over Kaliningrad which is where Russia keeps its fleet. This comes after the Trump Administration withdrew from another Russian treaty the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty that had been established in 1987. There isn't much information about what the reproductions from leaving this treaty could be or if will have any effects on U.S. Russia relations. 

Faith Brouwer

https://nypost.com/2020/11/22/us-withdraws-from-open-skies-treaty-with-russia-pompeo/

The world's now scrambling for dry ice. It's just one headache in getting coronavirus vaccines where they need to go

 Another obstacle for the delivery of corona virus vaccines will be to keep them at the proper temperature.  The vaccines have to be kept at a super cold temperature, Pfizer's has to be at almost -100 F. This will pose a great stress on countries that do not have super cold refrigeration since it takes special refrigerators to reach these low temperatures. Some countries have no such type of refrigeration. Even for countries that do have the technology it will be difficult to manage the transportation. Rural communities will be the most impacted because it will be much harder to get cold cargo all the way into small villages or towns. A complex line of transportation has to be created in order to efficiently deliver the vaccine. Cargo shipments, to truck shipments, to delivering to local pharmacies has to be considered. Throughout the whole process, dry ice is needed in order to transport the vials. Dry ice poses yet another obstacle since it's production has been lowered since it relies on other chemicals that have been used less since the pandemic started. In some places there are shortages of the product. The handling of dry ice can also be dangerous. A vaccine seemed like all good news, but new transportation roadblocks pose yet even more problems. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/21/world/coronavirus-vaccine-dry-ice-intl/index.html

Jimmy Oropeza

Israeli Panel to Look Into Submarine Scandal

 After a multi-billion dollar purchase of submarines and missile boats under prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz announced a government commissioned inquiry into the scandal.

The commissioned inquiry does not have legal authority, as that would require approval from Netanyahu, although it may summon witnesses to testify. The main goal of this move by Gantz, however, is thought to be putting pressure on Netanyahu to fulfill their coalition agreements. Some have said though, that this may just further destabilize the already shaken government. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/22/world/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-submarine-scandal.html

Mason Semmler

Somalia's Strongest Tropical Cyclone Ever Recorded Could Drop 2 Years' Rain In 2 Days

          Tropical Cyclone Gati made landfall in Eastern Africa on Sunday. The strongest tropical storm ever seen in the North Indian Ocean is poised to drop two years worth of rain in a matter of days over Somalia. In a matter of hours Gat increased its wind speeds from 40mph to 115mph. Due to climate change we are now seeing stronger category 3 storms further and further south in this region. Impacted regions include Socotra, Somalia, Yemen, and western Oman.

Link: https://www.npr.org/2020/11/22/937790467/somalias-strongest-tropical-cyclone-ever-recorded-could-drop-2-years-rain-in-2-d

Matthew J. Nealon

Nigerian army admits to having live rounds at Lekki Toll Gate protests, despite previous denials

 On Saturday, the Nigerian army admitted that soldiers were given live and blank ammunition when deployed to protests at Lekki toll gate October 20th. This was admitted by Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo to the Lagos judicial panel. This admission contradicts previous statements that soldiers only fired blanks in the air. The army previously denied any involvement in the shooting. CNN previously reported evidence including witnesses, photos, and videos that soldiers were shooting towards the crowds, after which the withdrew and the police then shot at the crowd. The police did not comment but denied on twitter ever shooting at protesters.

Michael Sorensen

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/21/africa/nigeria-shooting-lekki-toll-gate-intl/index.html

U.S Could get Covid-19 Vaccine in Early December

As the number of U.S covid cases continues to rise, an American pharmaceutical company applied for emergency authorization of the vaccine. The company, Pfizer along with BioNTech hope to produce upwards of 50 million doses of the vaccine in 2020 and 1.3 billion doses in 2021. The FDA will meet on Dec. 10 to decide whether or not to authorize the emergency release. If approved, the vaccine could be distributed as early as Dec. 11 or 12. If released, the vaccine will be distributed to states based on their population size, and it will then be up to the state to decide who gets it first. Likely, those at the highest risk of infection and workers on the front line will be given priority.

Julia Babinec 

These refugees fled a massacre in Ethiopia's Tigray region. They join tens of thousands making the journey to Sudan

 As the conflict in Ethiopia continues to escalate, thousands of Tigray people have fled the region and moved into Sudan. Massacres in the Tigray region have led to people needing to escape death and what the UN is calling a humanitarian crisis. The government has denied the mass murder of its citizens but the eyewitness reports speak of gunshots and stabbings in the streets. Communication in Tigray continues to be shut down, proving to people around the world that there is more than meets the eye in the streets. People that do not flee to Sudan or other regions of Ethiopia have flooded the hospitals, leaving the country and regions short on resources to help the sick and dying. 

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: Ethiopia's Tigray: These refugees fled a town littered with corpses. They join tens of thousands making the journey to Sudan - CNN

Despite threats of violence, Burkina Faso proceeds with Election

Burkina Faso held its parliamentary and presidential election on Sunday despite multiple threats of Islamist violence which prevented voting in hundreds of villages. President Roch Kabore seeks a second five-year term backed by his initiatives of providing free healthcare to children under 5 years old and providing infrastructure to villages in the desert areas of the country. However, there has been a surge in attacks linked to al Qaeda and ISIS in recent months, costing over 2,000 lives just this year. The president chose to proceed with the election, citing the importance of democracy and the need for all citizens to exercise their right to vote in spite of the violence which seeks to silence their voices. While voting proceeded without conflict in the capital and other larger cities, Eastern villages had to close polling locations due to the several threats directed at them. In total, the country estimates that, as of now, over 400,000 people (around 7% of the entire electorate) could not cast a ballot in fear of retaliation and attacks from Islamist extremist groups. President Kabore has received stiff opposition in the election from former finance minister and 2015-runner up, Zephirin Diabre, as well as Eddie Komboigo, the head of Blaise Campore, who was the president of Burkina Faso up until a revolution in 2014. Both opposition candidates have already called the election fraudulent, and seek to challenge the results by filing a formal complaint on Monday. There has been no evidence of fraud, and both candidates have not provided any evidence of their own. The election could head to a runoff if no candidate receives 50% of the vote required to win the presidency. All in, the country expects around 500,000 voters were disenfranchised and could not vote due to the threats of violence. 

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burkina-election/burkina-faso-holds-election-under-looming-threat-of-violence-idUSKBN282014

 

Trump rails against Paris climate accord in virtual G20 event

             The Group of 20 summit was held this past weekend virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a prerecorded speech taped from the White House, President Donald Trump doubled down on his position of the Paris Climate Accord. The president pulled out of the agreement in his first year in office, though the withdrawal was not finalized until November 2020. This is a decision that Biden has already promised to reverse. As discussed in class, the Paris Climate Accord allows each nation in it to make a voluntary “intended nationally determined contribution (INDC). In other words, states get to choose how much they want to cut back on emissions. Nonetheless, Trump has continued to make claims that “The Paris accord was not designed to save the environment, it was designed to kill the American economy.” His message stood in stark contrast to that of the other nations involved in the summit. While leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel focused on working together to solve climate change, Trump instead talked about his “conservation record in the United States.” However, he later seemed to contradict himself by touting the fact that America is supposedly number one in oil and natural gas production, even though both play a significant role in worsening climate change. This appearance will most likely be his last one at an international summit for this term. 

By Rola Goke-Pariola

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/22/politics/trump-paris-climate-accord-g20/index.html

Afghan Capital Hit by Barrage of Rockets as Pompeo Meets Taliban Leaders in Qatar

 At least eight people red and 30 others wounded when a barrage of rockets hit central Kabul on Saturday morning, only hours before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was scheduled to meet Taliban and Afghan government negotiators. According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, the rockets hit residential neighborhoods and business districts. The Afghan government accused the Taliban for the attack but the Taliban denied any involvement. Hours after the attack the Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan claimed to be behind the attack. This attack, and others like it recently, show the Afghan government's slipping control as the United States tries to quickly withdraw troops. 

Logan Schaefer

https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-capital-hit-by-barrage-of-rockets-as-pompeo-meets-taliban-leaders-in-qatar-11605964482

Australian special forces executed 39 prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan

 A group known as SAS which is an Australian special force team executed 39 prisoners during the Afghanistan war, but not under normal circumstances. These killings happened where new soldiers were pressured to kill and it took place outside of battle, which is toxic. There became a small group within SAS that took on a selfish role, which made other soldiers quiet so commanders never found out. This started to leak as soldiers told journalists of these events, which has led to compensation and apologies. They also have abolished SAS and the name is retired.

By: Tanya Czosek

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-war-crimes-australia-civilians/2020/11/18/b4fadbe2-24da-11eb-9c4a-0dc6242c4814_story.html?wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_world__alert-world&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.8IW6Lu3QBaFgaJooVyO0vPUHSe3rbnDCey7bLsco9AY

Pompeo Warns Easing of Iran Sanctions Would be 'Dangerous Choice'

President-elect Biden said he will rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal scuttled by the Trump administration, releasing Iran's economy from a crushing blacklist. Current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that unwinding on the sanctions placed on Iran would be a dangerous choice, obviously referring to President-elect Biden's plan to rejoin the nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes the Trump administration's policies on Iran have been effective, so much in fact that he promised more sanctions in the final weeks of Trump's administration. The decision to leave the deal by the Trump administration was opposed by many key European allies. Mr. Pompeo says the focus on the policy was to deprive the Iran regime of funds that it would have used for its "malign activities". 

Logan Schaefer

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-warns-easing-of-iran-sanctions-would-be-dangerous-choice-11605732951

Former UK Opposition Party Leader Reinstated

    Jeremy Corbyn has been reinstated to UK's Labour Party after a three-week suspension. Corbyn is the former leader of the party who stepped down after a failed election by the party earlier this year. Corbyn had been suspended after the U.K. equalities watchdog found significant evidence that anti-Semitism has been allowed within the Labour Party due to lack of leadership. Corbyn initially called the findings "exaggerated' and "overstated" resulting in his suspension. However, since then he has stated the opposite and said that the party "must never tolerate anti-Semitism or belittle concerns about it." The decision of reinstatement was met by outrage among the Jewish Labour Movement. They believe the case was "expedited" and that "this is a broken outcome from a broken system." The Jewish Labour Movement is calling for Corbyn to no longer be a Labour MP after his original anti-Semitism comments. 

https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-anti-semitism-jeremy-corbyn-0246977ca86804fc095495a333ca4c9f

Lucas Burris

‘A coup for China’: Analysts react to the world’s largest trade deal that excludes the U.S.

China and 14 other Asia-Pacific countries signed the world's largest trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Analysts said economic benefits from the mega trade pact are modest and would take years to materialize. But the diplomatic messaging of the RCEP may be just as important as the economic - it is a coup for China. 

Analysts around the world agree that the world's largest trade agreement will further elevate China's political and economic influence in the region. The RCEP covers a market of 2.2 billion people and $26.2 trillion of global output which accounts for about 30% of the population worldwide, as well as the global economy. The deal is a geopolitical victory for China at a time when the U.S. appears tp be retreating from Asia-Pacific given President Trump's "America First" foreign policy. It is also not clear whether the U.S. will negotiate any mega trade deals with economies in the region under President-elect Joe Biden. 

Analysts argue that the mega deal achieves several things against the backdrop of rising U.S.-China tensions and worries about de-globalization: 

• It shows that East Asia is very much open for business and recognizes the economic benefit of deeper trade integration. 
• It reduces the perception that China is turning more inward with its dual circulation strategy, which emphasizes its domestic market.
• It signals that when it comes to economic policy, Asia-Pacific economies don't want to choose between the U.S. and China. 

The RCEP was launched in 2012 at a time when talks for the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) led by the Obama administration were underway. Given China's absence in the TPP, many observers considered the RCEP as Beijing's counter to American influence in Asia-Pacific. But Trump pulled the U.S. out of the TPP in 2017 and proceeded to slap tariffs on several American trading partners for what he said were unfair trade practices. The remaining 11 countries went on to renegotiate and now signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership with China, excluding and leaving the United States as the temporary loser in the region. 

Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/16/rcep-15-asia-pacific-countries-including-china-sign-worlds-largest-trade-deal.html

Jan Mueller

CIA-Backed Paramilitary Group Targets Civilians Allegedly

 In late 2001, the CIA established the Khost Protection Force (KPF). The KPF is a paramilitary organization consisting of local Pashtun tribe members and backed by the CIA. The CIA trains and arms the KPF in the highly volatile Khost province in Afghanistan. In the past month, the KPF has been alleged to have killed 14 civilians including a man they dragged and shot in the street for some unknown reason. This development appears to be correlated to the United States' plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The KPF is thought to be attempting to compensate for the decrease in US military presence with increased attacks on civilians to keep the population in line. Note, this is a CIA-backed organization so presumably it will still operate in the interests of the US regardless if military forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan. 

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/11/16/afghanistan-khost-protection-forces-cia-us-pullout-taliban/

Luke Joiner 

Taiwan Stopped Covid-19’s Spread, but Can’t Talk About It at WHO Meeting

It seems China has successfully exerted pressure on the WHO to exclude Taiwan from an upcoming COVID-19 Global Summit.  China did this both to continue to uphold its stance that Taiwan is a breakaway province and rightfully belongs to China and to perpetuate the myth that only authoritarian countries can handle the pandemic effectively. Taiwan's recent success with handling COVID and their status as a democratic country that respects its citizens personal liberties flys in the face of China's assertions, hence why they are attempting to prevent them from getting publicity by barring them from the summit. The US, as well as numerous other countries, has called for their inclusion at the summit, but this has fallen on the WHOs deaf ears. The WHO has once again revealed itself to be a Chinese puppet. This comes after their initial downplaying of COVID and regurgitation of Chinese propaganda at the start of the  pandemic.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/taiwan-stopped-covid-19s-spread-but-cant-talk-about-it-at-who-meeting-11605182401

Coronavirus: South Australia goes on high alert after first outbreak in months

    Australia’s Coronavirus threat has been relatively low since April. The continent was largely able to control its last outbreak as a result of a strictly enforced lockdown for the last four months. The outbreak is said to have originated from a hotel used to quarantine people. A worker tested positive, then infected a “a large local family.” So far, there are 17 reported coronavirus cases as a result. The last outbreak, centered in Victoria, was also said to be traced back to a hotel used for quarantining people. The main tactic that Australia has been using to keep the virus under control is banning international travelers since March with the exception of citizens and permanent residents. Even they face the condition that they must quarantine in a hotel, like the one in question as the source of the recent outbreak. According to the BBC article, “Australia is widely seen to have handled the virus successfully through strict travel restriction and an aggressive testing and tracing regime.” Melbourne, once a virus hotspot in the country has even gone 15 days in a row without COVID cases. However, the most recent outbreak reenforces the fact that this virus is persistent, and that even some of the most effective COVID action plans are not air tight. 

Rola Goke-Pariola

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54954923

Navajo Nation Orders Three-Week Lockdown

 

    The Navajo Nation will reinstate its stay at home order on Monday (11/16). The reservation will be on lockdown and there will be new closures for businesses. A majority of the reservation has been on lockdown since March/August in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribe officials have reported that there were 13,249 cases have been reported with 598 deaths. Tribal leader Jonathan Nez said, "With nearly 900 new cases of COVID-19 reported on the Navajo Nation in the last week and with surging cases across the country, we have to implement these public health measures to protect our Navajo people and reduce the spread of this virus".  No one will be able to leave the reservation and in-person gatherings are not allowed. 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/navajo-nation-orders-week-stay-home-lockdown-74214642

Faith Brouwer

Peru’s President Steps Down After Just 6 Days, Leaving Country Adrift

 Peru, who was already facing an economic tailspin and the devastating effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, is now faced with a constitutional crisis. Legislators in the country's Congress voted to remove the popular incumbent Martín Vizcarra, and appointed the head of Congress Manuel Merino the interim President. The citizens of Peru were outraged by this and let their frustrations be known as protests started to mount by the thousands. Due to these protests and heavy opposition, Merino announced that he would step down, just six days after being appointed. This has left Peru without a president, and a country already struggling is now in for a longer, more difficult fight ahead. 

Joey Droll

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/world/americas/peru-president-resigns.html

Ethiopian Rebels Fire Rockets Into Eritrea, Threatening Wider Conflict

Ethiopia's conflict is spreading into other regional areas around it. There is a civil war brewing in Ethiopia between the central government and the defiant and heavily armed Tigray, a largely autonomous state in the northern part of the country that wants a bigger voice in national rule. Regional diplomats said some of these rockets hit Asmara airport, however it is unknown if they killed anyone. The tension and violence in the area has already killed several thousands of people and there is no end in sight. 

Logan Schaefer

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ethiopian-rebels-fire-rockets-into-eritrea-threatening-wider-conflict-11605457041

SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to space station, beginning new era for NASA

NASA and SpaceX launched their first crew in space headed for the international space station using "Crew Dragon". This is the first mission launched from U.S Soil since 2011. This marks a big change for NASA and the U.S since they relied on Russian missiles in order to launch space missions. Every time the U.S used Russian missiles they would be charged almost 100 million dollars. The partnership marks a new age of American space exploration, a return to it and a shift away from joint missions with other countries into space. NASA will still have to pay for seats on space missions but this will be paid to SpaceX, an American company. For SpaceX and Elon Musk, this means a dream come true after almost 20 years since he founded the company. Almost two decades of research, investing, trials, failures, and ultimately triumph  has lead to what seems to be a revival of American space exploration.  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-crew-dragon-launch-today-four-astronauts-international-space-station-2020-11-15/

Jimmy Oropeza

Azerbaijan extends Armenian pullout deadline from Kalbajar

Armenia is beginning to hand over disputed territory to Azerbaijan as part of the peace accord that ended the six weeks of fierce fighting over the disputed Naorno-Karabakh region. Residents of the Kalbajar district, one of the seven districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been controlled by ethnic Armenians for decades, began a mass exodus from the mountainous area in the days leading up to the official withdrawal date of November 15, however, Azerbaijan agreed to extend the deadline and allow Armenians 10 more days to vacate. Residents were seen piling their belonging into vehicles before leaving for Armenia. Some of the ethnic-Armenians said they had exhumed graves they feared would be desecrated by Azerbaijanis. They even set their homes on fire before they left, preferring to leave devastation in their wake and uninhabitable homes. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/15/armenia-cedes-disputed-land-to-azerbaijan-after-peace-deal

Serena Merhebi

Peru's Interim President Resigns After A Tumultuous Week Of Protests

        One week after taking office, Manuel Merino, the interim president of Peru, stepped down. Peru's previous president was removed by legislators last Monday. Merino who was head of the congress took his place and faced opposition from Peruvians that did not have faith in him. Merino promised that the voters would have their way in April's presidential election but following violent protests that led to 2 deaths Merino and most of his cabinet have since resigned. The Peruvian Congress will select the next president who will be the country's fifth in five years. According to NPR, half of the lawmakers in Congress are under investigation or indictment for crimes including money laundering and homicide.

Link: https://www.npr.org/2020/11/15/935215282/perus-interim-president-resigns-after-a-tumultuous-week-of-protests

Matthew J. Nealon

As Ethiopia's conflict rages, ethnic targeting turns deadly

The conflict in Ethiopia is escalating into what could become a genocide. Tensions continue to rise between the ethnic divisions in the country, and that was reflected in a massacre on Thursday. Hundreds of mostly ethnic Amharas were among those killed. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed believes that the attack was carried out by forces that were connected to the Tigray region government. That government is seen as illegitimate by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, who has called for the leaders to be arrested and replaced. 

The conflict goes beyond this single massacre and extends into the different regions of Ethiopia, where people are being targeted for doing their jobs or simply just living in the region. There are widespread fears among Ethiopians because of the ethnic divisions causing more conflicts to arise.

By: Rachel Maida 

Article Link: https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-11-13/ethiopias-conflict-rages-ethnic-targeting-turns-deadly

Typhoon Vamco heads for Vietnam after 67 are killed in the Philippines

 On Sunday, typhoon Vamco made landfall in Vietnam after killing 67 people in the Philippines. The typhoon hit Vietnam 62 miles Northwest of Da Nang. While the storm is weakening as it moves inland, there is still a threat of flooding and landslides. The provinces in the storm's projected path planned to evacuate 468,000 people by Saturday according to state media. Vamco is the 13th storm to hit Vietnam this year. More than 160people have been killed by natural disasters triggered by storms since October. On Saturday, coast guard and disaster agencies scrambled to rescue thousands in the Philippines after the 21st cyclone to hit the country tore through the main island on Wednesday.

Michael Sorensen

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/14/asia/typhoon-vamco-vietnam-intl-hnk/index.html

Pentagon Chief Wants to End War in the Middle East

Pentagon chief Chris Miller said that it was time to end the U.S’s conflicts in the Middle East, in his first letter to U.S military forces. Chief Miller recently took the position of Secretary of Defense after the former was fired by Donald Trump. Miller stated that he believed it was time to transition from leading the conflicts in the Middle East to taking a supporting role. He continues to say that it’s time for all wars to end and that we did all we could, and it’s time for troops to come home. The war in Afghanistan has been the United States’ longest lasting war and has cost U.S citizens 193 billion dollars in taxes.

Julia Babinec

RCEP: Asia-Pacific countries form world's largest trading bloc

Fifteen countries in Asia and the Pacific have formed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). It is now the world's largest trading bloc and covers nearly a third of the global economy, making it a larger bloc than even the European Union or the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. The pact includes countries like China, South Korea, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand and it is seen as China expanding its influence in the region. The deal took 8 years of negotiating, but found new momentum after President Trump pulled the United States out of a rival deal, the Trans Pacific Partnership. Within 20 years, the agreement is expected to eliminate tariffs on a variety of imports.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54949260

Anthony Grammich

Northern India Chokes on Toxic Smog Day After Diwali Festival

Today, millions of Indians in north India awoke to toxic air following the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.  India's capital, New Delhi, was covered in a thick haze, with a pollution level of over 9 times the "safe" amount of pollution put forth by the World Health Organization.  It's been suggested that the use of firecrackers for Diwali is a part of the cause, only being accented by the time of year, where farmers burn agricultural waste, coal-fired power plants are in full swing, traffic is heightened, and there's not much wind.

Stuart Elliot

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/15/india/toxic-smog-diwali-intl/index.html

Iran Denies having any terrorists in their country

 The United States claims that Israeli officers shot and killed al-Qaeda's second highest in command, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah. Abdullah is believed to be responsible for attacks on US Embassies in Africa that killed over 200 people, and he was also involved in the terrorists organization when they carried out the September 11th attacks. They claim that Abdullah was killed in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. However, Iran officials claim that they never had any al-Qaeda terrorist in their country. Abdullah and his daughter were both gunned down by the Israeli assassins. The foreign ministry of Iran, denies any type of truth in the story saying that the United States and Israel like to make up stories and leak false news to tie Iran to these types of groups (terrorists) in attempt to shine negativity on Iran. This shows an interesting relationship between Ira, Israel, and the United States. We will see if anything more comes from the situation. 

BY: Cooper Hoffmann

ARTICLE LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54942839

Moscow Wants to Work With The Next U.S. President to Improve Relations

 The head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund has made a statement saying that U.S. - Russia relations are at a low point, but they are willing to work with the next U.S. president to improve the relationship between the two nations.

While Russia has not officially recognized Joe Biden as president yet, the head of the Russian Direct Investment fund has said they are waiting until the votes are finally counted, and the presidency is official. 

Despite the current tensions between the U.S. and Russia, there may be hope for a successful future between the two states. Russia has made it clear that they are looking for improvements, and that they will work with whoever is interested in achieving that goal. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/12/us-election-and-russia-moscow-will-work-with-winner-of-us-elections.html

Mason Semmler

Mexico Prohibits Holdings Migrant Children in Detention Centers

    Mexico will no longer hold migrant children in immigration detention centers. Mexico reformed its immigration policy to allow this change and will also allow children to have their legal status recognized to stop immediate deportation before opportunities for protection are explored. Mexico's family development agency will now be responsible for housing child migrants. Mexico has been pressured for years by international and domestic groups to stop holding these children in detention centers with their parents, and the United Nations is praising Mexico for these changes. These changes come a year after Mexico detained more child migrants than ever before, due to the United States increased pressure for Mexico to be more aggressive to stop the flow of migrants north. The new law went into effect on Wednesday in Mexico. 

Lucas Burris

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-immigration-central-america-united-nations-united-states-c5030b0e08b2120ee70a5ba22fe55a5a

Hong Kong Opposition Resigns From Legislature Over Latest Beijing Crackdown

 The majority of the pro-democracy opposition block of the Hong Kong legislature has resigned after four of their members were ousted using a new law passed by the Mainland Chinese legislature allowing local politicians to unseat dissenters without going through the courts. This means that the now almost entirely pro-Beijing Hong Kong legislature will act as rubber stamp for any policies proposed by the mainland. The opposition members resigned together to make a political statement louder than slowly losing their seats one by one. This means the very popular pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong will be without any sort of government representation and will lose out on the legitimacy of being able to associate with actual members of government, who had in the past spoke on behalf of protesters in the legislature, marched beside them to act as a shield from the police and were even arrested alongside them. This means that Beijing will now be able to paint the movement as nothing but "radicals disturbing the peace." It seems that no matter who they are or what they stand for, from the Uijger Muslims to Tibetan Buddhists to  the practitioners of Falun Gong to democracy seekers in Hong Kong, no one can withstand the full weight of the CCP.

Article URL: https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-ousts-four-opposition-lawmakers-in-hong-kong-11605080352?mod=hp_lead_pos6

Amazon Charged With Antitrust Violations by European Regulators

European Union regulators filed against Amazon for unfairly using their size of their company to gain information and data which would be used to harm smaller companies. This has become a bigger, more looked at issue throughout companies like Apple and Google as well, and people are anticipating to see how Biden responds to these issues versus Trump. Their worry is that these companies will only get stronger without better laws on antitrust enforcement among other things. This has become a large battle and Amazon claims to be in the clear, but many skeptics are excited by Europe’s decision against Amazon.

By: Tanya Czosek

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/business/amazon-eu-antitrust.html

U.S. Quits Paris Climate Agreement: Questions and Answers

 The United States is now officially out of the Paris climate agreement, this agreement focuses on eliminating and balancing greenhouse gas emissions to help prevent climate change. Trump has been talking about leaving this agreement since 2017 but the process is lengthy. In 2019 United Nations ruled that the US could begin the withdrawal process and his administration was given that a year later. Trump has voiced his opinions on this treaty naming it "job-killing" and "punish the American people while enriching foreign polluter". Almost every country has signed this agreement but Angola, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen have not formally adopted the agreement. Now, the European parliament vowed to cut emissions by 60% and become carbon neutrality by 2050. Other countries like China, South Korea, and Japan vowed to cut net emissions by 2050. Leaving the Paris Climate agreement does not necessarily mean emissions will spike. Joe Biden has prosped to rejoin this agreement his first day into office if he is elected. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/climate/paris-climate-agreement-trump.html

Kimberly Nunez

High-Level U.S. Mission to Syria Sought Release of American Prisoners

 As many know Syria and the United States do now have the best relations and have not spoken in recent years. However, this weekend Syrian intelligence chief and American officials have met to discuss two American citizens currently held in Syria. Majid Kamalmaz and Austin Tice are currently still being prisoned but the Syrian government denies holding these hostages. In August, the U.S had a special mission to try finding these individuals but the attempt was too early and they did not have enough information. Tice went in missing in 2012 and is diabetic; US officials do not know if he is still alive because there has not been any recent proof and his illness requires medical attention. The tensions between both of these countries have gotten in the way since the Syrian government bombed rebel areas and the US hit them with missile strikes. The family has voiced their opinions on this ongoing issue but they just want their sons back.

Kimberly Nunez

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/world/middleeast/syria-prisoners-austin-tice.html

An end to the Armenia-Azerbaijan war creates a new geopolitical landscape

The most recent Armenia-Azerbaijan war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has ended--leaving Russia and Turkey more powerful in the region than ever before. Turkey's interest in the war has been clear from the start--they contracted rebel fighters in Azerbaijan and sold them extremely advantageous drone technology. Additionally, Azerbaijan's capture of Shusha (otherwise known as Shushi) and other territory has given Turkey a direct land route to mainland Azerbaijan, which is good for Turkish trade among other things. 

However, Russia has also become a major power player in the region. Before, France, the US, and Russia were all in a group called OSCE Minsk Group that negotiated the first ceasefire in 1994. However, since this war has not been a priority for the US government lately, Russia was the only major power to broker peace. As a result, Russia has gained immense power in the region, as they are deploying 2,000 peacekeeping forces in the area for the next five years. Now, Armenia and Azerbaijan are part of a larger political contest between Turkey and Russia, affecting the region as a whole.

By, Claire Mikulcik

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/10/nagorno-karabakh-peace-deal-turkey-russia-reshapes-regional-geopolitics

Pfizer Vaccine’s Funding Came From Berlin, Not Washington

The German company BioNtech and the U.S. firm Pfizer said their jointly-produced vaccine was 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine will need to be administered in two injections, meaning that large numbers of doses will need to be produced. 

Vice President Mike Pence was among Trump administration officials saying support from the government's Operation Warp Speed program helped accelerate the development of the vaccine, which was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections in an interim analysis. The truth is that Pfizer didn't receive any funding from Operation Warp Speed for the development, clinical trial and manufacturing of the vaccine. Rather, its partner, BioNtech SE, has received money - from the German government. BioNtech is credited for contributing the messenger RNA technology, which prompts the body to make a key protein from the virus, creating an immune response. The biotechnology company already had a history of working with Pfizer on influenza vaccines. Berlin gave the company $445 million in an agreement in September to help accelerate the vaccine by building out manufacturing and development capacity in its home market. What the U.S. did, meanwhile, was commit to buying hundreds of millions of vaccines in advance to secure Americans were among the first in line if it clinches an emergency-use authorization or approval from the FDA. The European Union also reached an agreement with the two companies that secured it 200 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine that is set to be approved soon. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the vaccine is likely to be ready in the first quarter of 2021 and hopes to secure 100 million doses for Germany. Spahn, who contracted COVID-19 himself in late October, said it's important that Germany and the rest of the EU don't fall behind in the vaccine rollout. 

Articles: 

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-09/pfizer-vaccine-s-funding-came-from-berlin-not-washington
• https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-vaccine-eu-reaches-deal-with-pfizer-biontech/a-55551329

Jan Mueller

 

UAE Imposes Penalties for "Honor Killings"

 The United Arab Emirates have began to get rid of some Islamic laws within their state, one of which allowed family members to kill women that belong to that family. These killings were committed when a woman brought dishonor upon her family. The main reasoning was sex outside of marriage, but it did not have to be proven, just accused. Now there are stricter sentences for those who commit these murders as a way for the UAE to show that they care to protect women's rights and human rights in general. This new law is being put into place after a deal between the UAE and Israel was brokered by the US. 

Caitlin Hamilton

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54854978

Peru President Impeached

 On November 9, Peru President Martin Vizcarra was impeached by a vote of 105-19 due to allegations of corruption. He is alleged to have taken 2.3 million soles (equivalent to $642,000) from companies in the Moquegua region where he served as governor from 2011-2014. This vote leaves the Head of Congress, Manuel Merino, as interim president until the next Peruvian election five months from now. Merino takes the position as Peru is in a period of tremendous political and economic turmoil. Of all major nations, Peru has suffered the biggest economic decline of 30.2% and has been especially hard hit by Covid-19 fatalities. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-10/peru-president-ousted-after-losing-impeachment-vote-in-congress

Luke Joiner 

Guatemala Rescuers Search for Scores of People Buried in Mudslide Caused by Eta

There are projected to be more than 100 lives lost to Hurricane ETA that caused a massive mudslide in Antigua, Guatemala. Rescue teams have been searching non-stop for bodies since Saturday morning. Three bodies have been found in the village of Queja; there are 125 estimated dead lives. Luckily, around 3,000 survivors were able to travel to a nearby village and take shelter. However, there are hundreds of homes destroyed and completely gone. This hurricane is labeled as a category four; Honduras and Nicaragua have been experiencing high winds and are expected to take shelter these next few days. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/world/americas/guatemala-mudslide-storm-eta.html

Kimberly Nunez

Chinese State Media Reacts to Biden Victory With Cautious Optimism

 The Chinese state news media expressed some optimism when announcing Joe Biden had won the Presidency, stating they believed that a Biden white house could help ease the tensions between the two countries. However, these news sites still suggest that American democracy was in decline and there could still be future tensions between the two superpowers. While the US-China relations, specifically trust and cooperation, were at the lowest levels in recent history under President Trump, but the reaction that came from China was a look to a better future where the relations could be better. This bump in cooperation could lead to the two countries working together to combat world wide issues like the corona virus pandemic and climate change, two of the greatest threats to the entire world at this moment in time. 

Joey Droll

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/world/asia/china-biden-media-reaction.html

Biden plans executive actions that would undo Trump's policies

    President-elect Joe Biden has begun his transition from campaign mode to policy enacting mode. As the results of America’s election week become clear, Biden has made known some of his concrete plans to make good on his campaign promises. A tweet from the Biden-Harris Twitter account listed “protecting and preserving our nation’s health, renewing our opportunity to succeed, advancing racial equity, and fighting the climate crisis” as top priorities once they assume office. More specifically, Biden is supposed to unveil his COVID-19 taskforce comprised of 12 people to address the current pandemic. Additionally, Biden has announced that he will rejoin the Paris climate accord, one step of many in returning U.S. foreign policy to a method reminiscent of the Obama administration. Biden will also reinstate the DACA program, as well as restore rights for transgender students, both of which had been threatened under the Trump administration. 

Rola Goke-Pariola

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/politics/biden-first-day-executive-actions/index.html

1,600 Migrants Arrive in the Canary Islands

 Their have been a large increase in migrants fleeing from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands this weekend. This migration crisis has cause somewhat of an issue. Many migrants traveled on boats that were barely sea worthy and more than 11,000 have arrived only this and roughly 500 have died along the route which includes the 140 who have died in a shipwreck this weekend. This is more than double of the ones recorded in 2019. This migration issue have yet to be solved and the numbers are only rising.

Written by Cristian Madrigal

Source: BBC NEWS- www.bbc.com

New leftist leader takes office in Bolivia

 A new leader is stepping up in a deeply polarized Bolivia. The country is currently dealing with a struggling economy and the Coronavirus pandemic. The conservative leader that was previously in power was characterized as "brutal" and the population was not thriving under his rule. President Luis Arce ran with the Movement Towards Socialism Party and won with 55% of the vote, showing a shift to a more left and progressive government. There are anti-Arce groups and conservative groups protesting the election and calling for a recount to ensure the votes were counted properly and the election was legitimate.

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/leftist-leader-takes-office-boliva-74095108

Immune Cells are Responding to Covid Virus Six Months After Infection

A new study finds that immunity against the covid-19 virus is most likely to start appearing in individuals six months after the original infection. Research done by the U.K Coronavirus Immunology Consortium found that T-Cells begin responding to the virus after this half year period. The study looked at the immune responses in 100 patients who had tested positive for the virus. Samples were collected from each patient monthly to test antibody levels, and it was discovered that every patient had T-cell responses after six months. The study did discover that the sizes of these cells did vary depending on the individual and whether or not they had symptoms of the virus. These findings are important as they will help us understand the pathway for immunity and the search for a vaccine.

Julia Babinec

Bolivia's Luis Arce sworn in as president as socialists return to power

 Luis Arce was inaugurated as Bolivia's president on Sunday, returning the socialist back into power. This comes after the previous long-term leader Evo Morales was ousted from power last year. Arce was sworn in by David Choquehuanca, the president of Bolivia's Legislative Assembly. The ceremony was attended by several leaders of the region including the King of Spain and the presidents of Paraguay, Argentina, and Colombia. Morales did not attend the ceremony but is expected to return to Bolivia Monday. Tensions have remained high over changes made by the Bolivian Congress to lower the majority needed to pass new laws. As economy minister, Arce promoted nationalizing strategic sectors such as hydrocarbons and energy, and pushed domestic production with public investments and subsidies.

Michael Sorensen

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/americas/bolivia-luis-arce-inauguration-intl/index.html

Myanmar Election: Aung San Suu Kyi in position for re-election

The State Counselor of Myanmar, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, looks set to win another term based on the results of Sunday’s general election. The 75-year-old came into power in 2015, where she won a landslide victory in the country’s first general election since ending military rule in 2011. She was seen as widely popular upon her first election and was even the recipient of the Nobel Prize. However, her response to the Rohingya crisis was a dramatic fall from grace for the head of state, as hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingyas fled Myanmar in 2017 during an army crackdown. The UN described this crackdown as ethnic cleansing even while Suu Kyi described the event as targeting militants. Suu Kyi is part of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and faced tense opposition from the Union Solidarity and Development party, one backed by the military rule that Myanmar broke away from in 2011. Along with 23 other opposition parties, the USD called for a postponement of the election for fear of coronavirus concerns, but Suu Kyi brushed this aside in October saying the election was “more important than Covid.” The UN also weighed in on the election, citing that it would not be free and fair due to the disenfranchisement of the minority Muslin Rohingyas. The UN’s claims come on the heels of 6 Rohingya candidates being denied the ability to run in the general election. A total of 1,171 seats are being voted on in the upper and lower houses of the national, state and regional governments, but several regions of the country have been barred from voting due to conflict and their inability to hold what the government deems a free and fair election. In total, over 2 million out of the 37 million registered voters will not be able to cast a ballot in the country’s 2nd ever general election.  

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54820946

'God Bless America': how the world's newspapers reported Biden's win

The world's media reacted to President-elect Biden's victory in last Tuesday's election. Observers took an optimistic tone, seeing Biden's victory as a welcome change to the state of American politics. Words like "liberation" and "relief" were used to describe the outcome. Specifically in Brazil, newspapers painted the defeat of Trump as a warning for their right-wing populist President Bolsonaro. In Sweden, a conservative paper voiced concern over Trump's attacks on the integrity of the election. Throughout the world, people and news organizations recognize the challenges that face America at this time, but they voice a sense of relief and happiness over the election of Biden and, perhaps more importantly, the defeat of Trump.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/08/god-bless-america-how-the-worlds-newspapers-reported-bidens-win

Anthony Grammich

Club Wielding Police Arrest 500 in Belarus

        Following 90 days of protests in Belarus, police there are beginning to crackdown on protesters. Thousands of demonstrators descended on Minsk, the capital, but were met with opposition from riot officers and armored vehicles. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists at least 9 journalists were arrested while the human rights organizations VIasna said over 500 people were detained. Lukashenko the current president is serving his 6th term after allegations of election tampering which led to the protests. The president's main opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was forced to flee to Lithuania where she expressed hope that a Biden administration would put pressure on Lukashenko.

Link: https://apnews.com/article/alexander-lukashenko-belarus-arrests-minsk-europe-3a4e7386b68cda3890cf208ba4d23d69

Matthew J. Nealon

China Extends Reach in the Caribbean, Unsettling the U.S.

 China has been offering loans to Caribbean countries in order to build new infrastructure. This is something that the United States isn't pleased with. As China appears to be challenging our status as the sole hegemon, having a Chinese ally so close could be dangerous. The countries that have recieved the aid from China has welcomed it with open arms, which the United States views a deliberate attempt to establish allies so close to it's land, and possibly a military presence. It makes sense that the United States would view it this way, given the Cuban Missile Crisis. I believe I speak for everyone when I say another scenario similar to that would be horrifying. 

Jack Redmond

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/world/americas/china-caribbean.html

Israel razes most of Palestinian Bedouin village in West Bank on U.S. election day

 Israel demolished most of a Bedouin villages in the occupied West Bank, and displaced 73 Palestinians - including 41 children - in the largest such demolition in years. The Israeli military claimed these were "illegal structures" and often uses that as an excuse to demolish Palestinian properties in the West Bank. Yvonne Helle, a humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations in Palestine said relief agencies visited the area and recorded 76 demolished structures which is more than any other single demolition in the past decade. B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, said the structures included 18 tents and sheds. 

The Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, accused Israel of timing the demolition on the US election day, when the world was distracted. He wrote on twitter “As the attention is focused on #USElection2020, Israel chose this evening to commit another crime/ cover it up: to demolish 70 Palestinian structures, incl. homes" 

So far this year, 689 Palestinian structures have been demolished by the Israeli military in the West Bank and East Jerusalem leaving over 860 Palestinians homeless. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-bedouin-demolitio/israel-razes-most-of-palestinian-bedouin-village-in-west-bank-on-u-s-election-day-idUSKBN27L19Z

Serena Merhebi

Mexico, Brazil leaders silent as world congratulates Biden

 As Biden becomes the president elect, the two most notable exceptions to congratulating him are president of Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro and president of Mexico: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Both leaders from the two biggest countries of Latin America are yet to recognize Biden as America's next president. One of America's closest allies and neighbor is unwilling to recognize Biden at this point in time. Obrador's administration wants to wait after the legal disputes over voting are resolved before congratulating Biden or Trump. Obrador and Trump held a pretty good relationship and cooperated well in matters of immigration and trade. Bolsonaro has been described as being being the Trump of Brazil. Both leaders have populist attributes that make them very similar. Obrador on the other hand is more left leaning but has had a strong relationship with Trump, often coming to his defense against criticism. Other world leaders have expressed their recognition from Macron to Trudeau. The countries that had the best relationships with Trump and his administration are hesitant to congratulate Biden or haven't done so at all. Saudi Arabian and Israeli leaders are also yet to recognize Biden. The divide between countries wanting to get get past the Trump era and those that benefited are clearly evident and will continue to be as long as legal disputes over voting are underway. 

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-brazil-7a01d7338f850e5df861aac75d45af99

Jimmy Oropeza

World Leaders React to Biden's (likely) win.

 With the 2020 Presidential Election seemingly being the most crucial election of all time in the United States, this is also a big deal in other countries. The President Elect is Joe Biden, and with him replacing President Trump, things have a good chance of changing internationally. This article is essentially, a list of world leaders and their response to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Most leaders are excited for the chance to work with Joe and Kamala, or at least they said they are. A head of state in Russia, said that hopefully Russian election interference will no longer come up in world policy, and the two nations will be able to work more heavily on arms deals, saying "we are waiting". It will be interesting to see how IR changes under Biden's presidency. 

BY: Cooper Hoffmann

ARTICLE LINK: https://abcnews.go.com/International/back-america-world-leaders-react-bidens-apparent-win/story?id=73974095

“Israel rebuked for ‘biggest demolition of Palestinian homes in years’ "

The Israeli government allowed their military to destroy what they felt were “illegally built” structures by some Palestinians. Around 73 people total were displayed within the Jordan Valley. Palestine sites it as a breach of the Fourth Genva Conventions, as the Palestinians were allowed self-rule of the West bank in 1967. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict in very complex. It started after the world wars when European powers designated parts of Palestine to Jewish immigrants but neglected to protect the rights of the people already living there. I feel like a lot of people feel strongly about the conflict because of all the things that have happened in the past. I feel like it was not necessary for a creation of a Jewish homeland in a place where the indigenous people are displaced and disenfranchised. I think it speaks a lot to postcolonialism and postcolonialism within Judaism and Christianity itself. I feel that the conflict replicates what happened in the Bible when the Jews came up from Egypt and laid waste the Canaanites, I did a paper over colonialism in the Bible and how it also allows for colonialism in the present day and how it has allowed it in the past. Jena Livesay https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54823660

Azerbaijan Claims Capture of Key Town in Nagorno-Karabakh

 Azerbaijan claimed to capture a key town in Nagorno-Karabakh in their conflict with Armenia.  The town is considered an key location in holding military control over the region.  Armenian officials dispute the claims and insist that fighting is still happening.  The conflict between the two broke out September 27th, and has killed at least 1,000 people.  Turkey's president has congratulated Azerbaijan for capturing the city.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/world/europe/nagorno-karabakh-azerbaijan-shusha.html

Stuart Elliot

President Joe Biden Addresses the Nation

 

Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. This came after Biden won Pennslyvania and was announced to have won Nevada and Arizona. In his first speech addressing the nation after his victory, he urged the nation to come together after they have been divided for so long. He promised to be a president for all even those who voted for Trump. One powerful quote from his speech was, “To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans. The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season — a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America". He also promised to get a better COVID plan going by January of 2021. It is unknown at this point how Donald Trump will react to his loss and if he will have a peaceful transition of power from his administration to Biden's. 

-Faith Brouwer 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/07/joe-biden-speech-us-election-win-kamala-harris

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/07/joe-biden-speech-us-election-win-kamala-harris

U.S. Hits Record Daily Case Rise

Throughout the election, COVID-19 was a topic of great discussion. However, as votes were being counted, tensions were high and many have been on the edge of their seats. 

It seems as though the pandemic has been forgotten throughout all of the election chaos: and with that comes a record daily case rise in the U.S. which is three days running. 

More than 127,000 cases and 1,149 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours. In total, the United States has more than 9.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, and more than 230,000 deaths; making the United States the worst affected nation in the world.

OPINION:

Blatant irresponsibility, along with lackluster public health measures in the United States is the main reason as to why the nation is at the top of the list right now. Nations which followed rules and took precautions such as China and Croatia have now seen very low numbers in regard to daily cases of COVID-19. The United States government has continued to blame China for this virus, however it is clear that the only reason we are struggling is due to a lackluster public health response and disregard for science. 

Mason Semmler

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54851759

Ethiopia on Verge of Civil War

    Ethiopia, one of Africa's most powerful and populous countries, is on the brink of civil war. The crisis has been building for months. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his work within the country, but that all seems to be coming to an end. On Wednesday morning communications were cut in the heavily armed northern Tigray region and Ahmed ordered troops to respond to an attack by Tigray's forces on a military base in the region. On Thursday Ethiopia's army deployed troops to Tigray and Tigray's leader announced "we are ready to be martyrs". Then on Friday, Ahmed carried out airstrikes against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and cut off the Tigray region from the rest of the nation. All of this comes after the TPLF withdrew from the countries ruling coalition that appointed Ahmed prime minister last year. 

Lucas Burris

https://apnews.com/article/why-ethiopia-on-brink-of-civil-war-ap-011a4fe56971e4871467d363e6c55551

China's 6G Satellite

 China sent the world's first 6G satellite to space on Saturday morning. The 6G satellite was sent into orbit with 12 more satellites. China says that this technology will be used to for monitoring crops and forest fires as well as the 6G service. The goal is for the technology in charge of monitoring the forests will help prevent wildfires from occurring. The 6G satellite is set to test how communication works with the help of a faster network; it is expected that the speed will be 100 times faster than 5G networks. The launch was successful, so China now waits to see if their new technology produces the effects they hope for. 

Caitlin Hamilton

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-54852131

Parts Of Northern Denmark On Lockdown Over Coronavirus Variant Outbreak In Minks

 In Denmark there is an outbreak of a mutated coronavirus, which they have linked back to bred minks. This had led them to kill up to 17 million minks, because there have also been 200 coronavirus cases that have linked back to the mink exposure. Much of Denmark and effected areas have shut back down and limited outings due to this issue. Denmark leads in the supplier of mink fur, which makes sense to why this outbreak is occurring. Their greatest fear is that this could become a new pandemic, so they are taking all precautions possible as soon as possible. 

By: Tanya Czosek

Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/06/932113383/northern-denmark-in-lockdown-over-coronavirus-variant-outbreak-in-minks

Western Economies Embrace State Intervention, Emulating Asia

This article essentially states that many western economies are looking to renationalize some corporations and have more government control over some industries to mimic the success of China, both in its response to COVID and general economic performance in the past several years.They were calling for greater stimulus spending also. This article screams Chinese Soft Power. Either the CCP paid the WSJ to include this article or influenced them by other means. Either way, with the exception of strange circumstance like COVID, more government intervention in business via nationalization is not necessary unless it is required to maintain national interests. The article is pointing to Chinese economic growth as its reasoning, not realizing that the most populous country in the world overtaking a country less than a quarter its size. only recently doesn't imply great economic policy. Also, much of China's recent growth is due to its expanding private sector and rampant IP theft.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/western-economies-embrace-state-intervention-emulating-asia-11604574001

Poland Delays Abortion Ban

 Jake Mersch

Poland was set to officially implement its strictest ban on women having the right to have an abortion, however, nationwide protests intensified causing the government to temporarily halt the date on which the ban would take effect. Poland is a rather conservative country and has been moving farther to the political right in the past decade with the passage of this anti-abortion law as the pinnacle of their political beliefs. The passage was followed up by a high court ruling stating that fetuses with congenital defects would not be able to be aborted because this was in direct violation of the Polish constitution. The uproar has ensued and Poland is facing mounting pressure to allow women the right to choose to abort a pregnancy. Most demonstrators are demanding that the Polish government, at the least, decriminalize abortions in cases of rape without having to prove the rape case first. Overall, this reality shows that abortion is a worldwide debate and not only hotly contested in the United States.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poland-abortion-law-delay-amid-huge-protests/ 

As America Waits Out An Uncertain Election, Much Of The World Sees Chaos

While the United States is locked in limbo for the outcome of an election that President Trump has already labeled fraudulent and has threatened to challenge in court, the rest of the world is looking on with a mixture of uncertainty, concern and outright alarm. 

Germany's defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, called the uncertainty surrounding the outcome a very explosive situation: "This is a situation that can lead to a constitutional crisis in the US". 

Meanwhile, in neighboring France, the Le Monde daily led it website with a quote from French journalist Sylvie Kauffmann, who blamed the election impasse on "flaws in the electoral system". 

In the United Kingdom, an analysis in the Times of London was brutally succinct; "It is hard to look at our closest ally without concluding that it is a nation in trouble". 

The director of Italy's Institute of International Affairs said if a contested US election ends up in the courts and leads to violence, it would further damage America's standing and undermine democracy in Europe. 

In Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu has enjoyed close ties with Trump, the incoming ambassador to the US stressed that Israel will work with whoever occupies the White House. 

An editorial in Canada's Globe and Mail called the US election a referendum on America's soul and said that the stalled results left open two possibilities, neither of them ideal. 

In Russia, the leader of the nationalist opposition Liberal Democratic Party of Russia predicted that Trump will still emerge the winner because he's done more for Americans than any president before him. 

In China, officials are taking a wait-and-see approach, and news outlets are being told not to write about the impasse. 

In India, the world's largest democracy, election outcomes frequently take days or weeks to determine because of the huge number of ballots and the country's vast geography; they view Americans as impatient for results. 

An analysis in Australia's Sydney Morning Herald said that the US President's push to stop the vote count has sought to undermine the democracy he leads and disenfranchise millions of his fellow citizens. 

Article: https://www.npr.org/2020/11/04/931260425/as-america-waits-out-an-uncertain-election-much-of-the-world-sees-chaos

Jan Mueller

New Lockdown in Greece

On Thursday, November 5, Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a second nationwide lockdown citing concern for the spike in Covid-19 cases. Although a nationwide lockdown was seen as a last option, Mitsotakis ultimately decided that a nationwide lockdown was necessary out of fear the healthcare system would be overrun. The lockdown will take effect this Saturday and remain for three weeks. Supermarkets, pharmacies, and elementary schools will remain open, but retail stores and high schools will be closed. Greece is the latest European country to institute a nationwide lockdown following drastic increases in Covid-19 cases. 

 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece/greece-orders-nationwide-lockdown-to-curb-covid-surge-idUSKBN27L185 

Luke Joiner 

Ivory Coast’s election is already chaotic. Many fear it could spark another conflict.

 The Ivory Coast was in the midst of its election cycle, with the election occurring Saturday, however they are seeing protests and clashes in the streets over the process. The current President, Alassane Ouattara, was expected to commit to a peaceful transfer of power because it was clear that he would be voted out of office, a democratic success to the citizens of the Ivory Coast. However, during the past couple of weeks there have been multiple attempts to suppress votes as well as other disruptions that were not allowing people to cast their ballots. The opposition, who were poised for victory, have been telling people to not vote, but rather to boycott the election due to the fact that it is not a fair election. This has caused more conflict between the two sides, and some are worried that it could result in a similar event that happened in 2010 with an election dispute that led to 3,000 deaths. 

Joey Droll

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ivory-coast-election-ouattara/2020/10/30/334f96fc-1a1f-11eb-8bda-814ca56e138b_story.html

Vaccine Verdict December

    Dr. Anthony Fauci recently stated that we will be able to find out if an effective COVID vaccine will be able to be made. He has also stated that distributing this vaccine widespread will most likely not occur until 2021. There will need to be a lot of vaccines made in order to have them distributed to everyone around the country. I will personally follow this story and hopefully post a future blog post about it. 

-Faith Brouwer

 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-fauci-idUSKBN27A0B7

Protests in Georgia after Election

 

There have been protests occurring in Georgia after the current ruling party won the parliamentary election. The results showed that the Georgian Dream Party 48.1% of the votes and the opposition party announced that they will not accept the results because they claim the votes were manipulated. The Georgian Dream party announced that they now have enough seats in parliament to create a government. Supporters of the opposition government that believe the election was fraudulent protested outside of the parliament building in the capital of Tbilisi on Sunday calling for a recount. These protests have spread through almost all of the opposition groups in Georgia. The current leader of the Dream Party Bidzina Ivanishvili who has been in power for eight years is starting to lose popularity after Georgia's economy tanked because of COVID-19. 

-Faith Brouwer

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/georgias-ruling-party-wins-vote-opposition-urges-protests-73956631

Trump lashes out after FBI announces investigation of Biden bus incident

 Joe Biden's campaign had to cancel a rally last week as Trump supporters surrounded a Biden campaign bus. The caravan that surrounded the bus tried to run it off the road. The FBI has decided to investigate the situation, much to the president's dismay. The president has taken to media claiming that the "patriots" did nothing wrong. Again, Trump turned to ANTIFA and other terror organizations to be investigated, as the Democrats are the enemy in his eyes. Biden has come forward and said that the American people are "better than this," calling on people to be better.

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-lashes-out-after-fbi-announces-investigation-biden-bus-incident-n1245728

Powerful Typhoon Goni Slams The Philippines, Leaving At Least 10 Dead And 3 Missing

 Early Sunday morning, Super Typhoon Goni produced flooding, mudslides, and strong winds to the largest island of the Philippines.  Recovery efforts have already begun.

345,000 people are being housed in evacuation centers, and an additional 50,000 people are staying with relatives.

Stuart Elliot

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/01/930117656/powerful-typhoon-goni-slams-the-philippines-leaving-at-least-10-dead-and-3-missi

Boris Johnson accused of 'giving in to scientific advisers' as England heads for lockdown

 England is joining other European countries in reinstating lock downs. This is after England's number of cases has surpassed 1 million and it's death toll has reached over 46,000. Like the rest of the world, England has seen a spike in cases. It is estimated that 1 in 100 people in England have covid while at the start of October it was 1 in 200. Boris Johnson had been under pressure for weeks by experts to start another lock down. Some experts believe that a lock down should have came a while ago to prevent the spike that we see today. Others say that Johnson gave into the experts suggestions, and that their suggestions are nothing but that, not mandates. The lock down will come Thursday after a vote by parliament on Wednesday. It will be in effect till November 2nd, or longer if the rate of cases don't come down. All pubs and restaurants will be closed along with non essential businesses like salons and gyms. Schools will remain open and residents will be allowed to leave home only for work, going to school, medical issues, and buying food and other essentials.         

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/01/uk/uk-lockdown-coronavirus-reaction-gbr-intl/index.html

Jimmy Oropeza

Argentina's Debt Crisis

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, has recently asked the IMF to defer repayments on a $44 billion loan for the next three years. This type of request has been asked around 20 times in the past so it is not surprising that it would come up again, especially since COVID has had it negative reach all around the world. The root of their problem is the lack of competitive nature surrounding their currency which is the peso. The peso isn't exactly the currency that people are necessarily chasing in Argentina especially since a US dollar is worth more. Argentina started negotiating with private creditors in March of 2020 but stopped in late August. Trump actually helped with an IMF program that provided frontload financial support in exchange for promises of reforms. With 40% of the population under the poverty line, Argentina is now is an economic crisis that may cross-over into political territories and they must secure a new solution sooner rather than later since the US presidency may have an effect as well.

Written by: Cristian Madrigal

SOURCE: Foreign Policy Article

National Mourning for Mexican Doctors during Day of the Dead

With the Day of the Dead celebrations underway in Mexico, they will undoubtedly look different this year. The Day of the Dead is an important celebration that originated with the Aztecs and usually lasts several days in which families honor their deceased loved ones with offerings and other traditions. However, this year, the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has made celebrating increasingly difficult and even more emotional. Over 140,000 deaths have been confirmed or listed as “probable” due to the coronavirus, with 1,700 of them being Mexican health workers. Mexico has lost more medical professionals than any other country due to the coronavirus, and the Day of the Dead celebrations this year seek to honor those lives taken too soon. As marigolds and paper cutouts decorate the altars dedicated to family members, the signature skeleton used during the celebrations are being dressed up as doctors and other medical professionals and are shown doing consultations or surgeries. With cemeteries closed, families are unable to visit their loved ones but can continue the celebrations from home. And as Mexico approaches 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections, the overcrowded hospitals and medical centers will continue to be staffed by medical workers and other officials as they try to control the spread and await a vaccine. While honoring them all is not feasible, this year’s Day of the Dead celebrations seek to remember those who were selfless and put themselves in harm's way in order to provide for the health and safety of their communities. 

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-mexico-health-day-of-the-dead-mexico-city-18abbb0c4a75c3809cbaa5d62110bbef