Belarus says nearly 9,000 Russian troops will deploy to Ukraine border

 A build-up of around 9,000 Russian troops prompts fears of another attempt to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv by Russia. 

Belarus says nearly 9,000 Russian troops will deploy to Ukraine border (yahoo.com)

Winter’s Approach Raises Stakes in European Energy Crisis

October 16, 2022

The Energy crisis in Europe is nearing an important point: winter. Still, Europe is as prepared as it can be for a winter with less energy. Storage facilities or gas for heating and power are almost full and consumption is down even after Moscow slashed gas deliveries in retaliation for western sanctions to Russia for their actions in Ukraine. 

Even so, the article states there is 'no room for error'. Large companies producing glass and paper, in an effort to not use using gas and other needed power, have shifted to coal and oil which is detrimental to the environment. Different companies and industries have also shifted their production to avoid using any power when demand is at its peak. 

If freezing weather jacks up demands, stockpiles of energy may run dry because Europe's current plan to deal with its energy situation is to keep consumption of energy low. Even though storage is full and European countries are managing the situation well given the circumstances, president Emmanuel Macron said the real test will be next winter which may be "even more difficult". 

Alternative sources of energy will have to be  built upon if Europe does not want to be dependent in any way on Russian gas. Prices will rise in the short run because of the increased costs in shifting production however these investments will be good in the long term for the stability of Europe.

Gabriel Ham

https://www.wsj.com/articles/winters-approach-raises-stakes-in-european-energy-crisis-11665926245

No hope for the future: Economic struggles add fuel to Iran’s protests

 Anti Government protests in Iran are causing major issues. Since the death of one woman in the custody of the morality police. While women are in the streets burning Hijabs in rightful protest, there may be economic concerns to face as well. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/12/no-hope-for-the-future-economic-struggles-add-fuel-to-irans-protests-.html

Ellie Berns

French People Protest Over Inflation

 French people crowd the streets of Paris on Sunday, October 16, in anger over the rising prices. There were estimated to be over 140,000 people with few outbreaks of vandalism including garbage bins set on fire. The protest was for a wage increase and the fuel shortage. The gasoline shortage has left employees struggling to find ways to get to work. A lawmaker left-wing party insoumise, Christophe Bex, called the march, "a demonstration of strength." In addition, many believe the French president, Macron, is causing chaos in France. However, he stated that the conflict should be resolved by next week. 

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/16/1129378667/paris-france-protest-inflation-climate-

Crista Salceda 

Thousands march in Paris against rising cost of living, climate inaction

 Thousands of protesters, including France’s newly crowned Nobel literature laureate, piled into the streets of Paris on Sunday, in a show of anger against the bite of rising prices and cranking up pressure on the government of President Emmanuel Macron.

The march for wage increases and other demands was organized by left-wing opponents of Macron and lit the fuse on what promises to be an uncomfortable week for his centrist government.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9202939/paris-protest-inflation-france/

Jason Connor

Xi Jinping's cement grip on power and zero covid policy

Once again China's most powerful leader Xi Jinping grips power.  delegates of the communist party are likely to hand Mr. Xi a third term as party chief. With Xi holding a grip on power once again, we may see several interesting policy implementations in China.  One of these policy implementations is China's zero- Covid strategy. About 2300 delegates are meeting to elect party leaders and debate key policies.  The zero covid policy has saved numerous lives. However, it has also affected the Chinese economy and created frustrations over travel restrictions among its citizens. Mr. Xi is expected to initialize the congress on Sunday using a formal speech. His leadership in China possesses the three most powerful roles in China. These roles include the General Secretary of the CCP, chairman of the country's armed forces, and president. CCP in china does not set any term limits. This allows Xi to remain president for as long as he likes. This begs the question of whether China is transitioning into an authoritarian state.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63226230

-Aryan Shah

UN Report finds that China may have committed human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims

China may have committed "crimes against humanity" in Xinjiang, UN report finds

A report was released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that said that China committed human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims. China has denied committing human rights violations and made a response to it saying that the report was disinformation from anti-China forces. China has detained Uyghur Muslims and may have committed other acts such as torture, drugging, sexual abuse, restrictions of freedom of religious expression, and restrictions on reproductive rights. China claims that it is fighting terrorism and that Xinjiang is enjoying social stability. 

Natalie Nelson

After North Korea Fires Missiles, Flies Aircraft, South Imposes Sanctions

     South Korea announced its first sanctions against North Korea in five years in response to recent missile launches by the Kim Jong-un regime. The punishment of the South consisted in blacklisting 15 North Korean individuals and 16 instituitons involved in missile development. 

    Consequently, we must not forget the background of the situation: the announcement of these sanctions comes after North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile on Thursday and conducted air drills near the inter-Korean border, where it also fired hundreds of artillery rounds.

After North Korea Fires Missiles, Flies Aircraft, South Imposes Sanctions (thewire.in)

María de los Ángeles Negrillo Pérez

Young Boy is Saved After Destructive Missile Strikes in Southern Ukraine - Megan Lemley

 This morning a young boy was found underneath the rubble of a Russian attack on a Ukrainian residence building. A glimmer of light in such a gloomy atmosphere failed to bring hope to Ukrainians, but also the world. There are many questions that ring through my mind as a reader: Who is this boy? Where are his parents? Were they killed in this attack? Another thought that crosses my mind is the pure disregard that Russia has for human life - it is now said that they are using imprecise attacks with missiles that are meant for space - of which they haphazardly release on a general target. According to this article, they continue to target non-military structures like energy facilities and even a children's playground. It is still to be seen what Russia won't sacrifice in the name of war. 

Source: Rescuers Arrive at Destroyed Residential Building in Ukraine 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/us/politics/biden-china-russia-national-security.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

This article discusses the things that Biden's National Security Strategy has been focusing on since it was released last winter as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, arguing that the source of US strength will come from a reaffirmation of the nation's democratic traditions. However, it comes at a crucial stage in superpower conflict, as China rises and seeks to rewrite the rules of commerce, surveillance, and influence over other countries, while Russia seeks to redraw national borders. And with the recent developments that they have made, such as the islands when it comes to china and the Russian invasion for soverign land which are both situations that we discussed in class. It demonstrates that the United States is focused on maintaining its position as a global power. It also demonstrates how our unipolar system is beginning to devolve into a bipolar system, and we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening.

Iran’s state broadcaster hacked during nightly news program

 https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/09/middleeast/iran-state-broadcaster-hacked-intl-hnk/index.html

"An Iranian state broadcaster was allegedly hacked during its nightly news program Saturday, according to the pro-reform IranWire outlet, which shared a clip of the incident."

During the regular tv segment of their television channel, their system was hacked to show a screen with the words "join us" in an effort to get people to protest.

After learning about cyber-warfare in class today, I found this article to be relevant. 

 Jessicah Finglass

’Ghost town’: Japan reopens borders, but visitors find short-staffed hotels and closed up shops

 Japan is fully re-opening to tourists this week after two years of pandemic-related restrictions. Japan had some of the strictest border control policies in place to slow the spread of Covid in the country. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is "counting on tourism to help invigorate the economy" (Symons).  However, there is a lack of hospitality workers in the industry, and many businesses and tourist destinations were greatly effected. This is making it hard for tourism to come back to the country. So far, only about half a million tourists have visited Japan this year (Symons). Shops in Narita Airport, Japan's largest international airport, are remaining closed and will likely not open until next year at the earliest. People have described the airport as a "ghost town" (Symons). Additionally, in August almost 73% of hotels across the nation have reported they are short of regular workers. And Japan is requiring overseas travelers to wear masks while they are there which is another deterrent for tourists. Hotels can also refuse guests who do not obey with safety guidelines. It may be years before Japan's tourism scene is back up and running. 

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/10/10/ghost-town-japan-reopens-borders-but-visitors-face-shuttered-shops-and-short-staffed-hotel

By: Sarah Hein

Iran Oil Workers Strike as Antigovernment Protests Expand

 

    David S. Cloud reporter from the "Wall Street Journal" wrote an article on October 10 of this year called "Iran Oil Workers Strike as Antigovernment Protest Expand." In this article, the reporter talks about how the unrest spread to the oil industry when the workers at a petrochemical complex in southern Iran went on strike on Monday and how the UK government put more sanctions on security officials for alleged human rights violations. This week the workers joined the protest by blocking roads and protesting at a plant in Assaluyeh in the oil-rich province of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. This demonstration marked the first time the unrest had spread outside retail outlets and small businesses. Further, the government has been even more hashed to the Kurdish population after the protest began. So the UK government has responded by imposing sanctions on senior Iranian security officers for alleged human rights violations. These sanctions include banning Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Iran Basij Force, and Hassan Karami, commander of a police special forces unit from entering the UK and freezing their assets in the country. Finally, the Uk government is imposing sanctions to send a clear message to the Iranian authorities that they would be held accountable for their actions and there would be consequences for their actions.

Sergio Bracco   

https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-oil-workers-strike-as-antigovernment-protests-expand-11665416396

Five reasons why the Crimean bridge explosion is significant

 Outlined in the article is what the Crimean bridge's destruction means for the conflict in Ukraine:

1. It's personal for Putin

2. Russian logistics 'crippled'

3. Ukraine celebrated the blast

4. Heightens nuclear fears

5. Russia's deadly response

Five reasons why the Crimean bridge explosion is significant (yahoo.com)

Iran protests: Schoolgirls heckle paramilitary speaker

A girls' school in Iran brought in a member of the Basij paramilitary group, run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to speak with the students. However, the girls welcomed the speaker by taking off their hijabs and singing "Get lost Basij". The protests in Iran continue and no adequate solution seems to have been found yet.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63143504

Reyes Venegas Aparcero

Putin’s Apocalyptic End Game in Ukraine

 In the article ,Putins Apocalyptic End Game in Ukraine the author discusses how Putins initial war in Ukraine was an offensive war, an attempt to take over Ukraine and make it part of Russia. Instead what happened was Russia went on the defensive having to leave certain taken regions of Ukraine and defend Russian border. The article discussed possible ways the war can end one being Ukraine giving up regions of Ukraine to Russia, another being nuclear war, and another being Total war. only the first one would be in the whole worlds best interest in avoiding total global annihilation or all out global war. Avoiding war would be in putins interest of survival for his state clearly being shown that Russia is not capable of sustaining a ground or ariel war. This will be interesting and tense to follow in the coming time and will be interesting to see how Russia responds to the defensive shift.

Zachary Erickson 

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russian-federation/putin-apocalyptic-end-game-ukraine

 

Strong Dollar Pressures U.S. Manufacturing Rebound

10/09/2022

The dollar has been strengthening recently but this could cause some trouble for U.S. manufacturing since all products from the U.S. are more expensive to other countries. This is because the dollar is so high compared to other currencies around the world. Foreign companies are gaining a price advantage because their goods have become cheaper to people with U.S. dollars due to the stronger dollar. The stronger dollar is making imports cheaper but exports more expensive for the U.S. However, some say that the period of the strong dollar will end soon because the U.S. had a high trade deficit of 1.1 trillion in the first half of 2022 compared to 790 billion during 'the same period in 2021'. This will make the dollar unattractive to investors. As inflation slows, interest rates should fall again which will also help decrease the value of the dollar to a more normal level. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/strong-dollar-pressures-u-s-manufacturing-rebound-11665307981?mod=hp_lead_pos1 

Gabriel Ham

Putin accuses Ukraine of terrorism

 Vladimir Putin has just claimed that Ukraine has performed an act of terrorism after a bridge leading to Crimea, which Russia annexed. The explosions killed three people in a nearby car. Putin claims that this act was considered an act of terrorism due to how important Crimea is to the Russian civil infrastructure. This bridge, known as the Kerch Strait Bridge, directly connects Russia to Crimea, and the destruction of this bridge creates problems for travel between the two states. It is likely that this anger is mainly due to the fact that one of the significant uses of this bridge is the transportation of Russian military equipment, ammunition, and soldiers. Russian official Alexander Bastrykin claims that there is evidence that the attack was carried out by Russian citizens, likely with help from some other states. The truck that was blown up had reportedly been traveling through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, and Krasnodar Territory prior to the attack. Putin has been reported saying "only one terrorist state here" and that the "whole world knows who it is". These are clearly directed at Ukraine. Since the attack, the bridge has been worked on and is now partially functional.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63195504

Bradyn Almasy

 

Human rights activists in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus win the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize: Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties were announced as the 2022 winners at a ceremony in Oslo.

This year's laureates represent the civil society of their countries very proudly. Similarly, with this award they vindicate all their internal work when it comes to  documenting war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Consequently, they want to highlight the importance of peace and democracy to civil society at this current critical moment of the history of International Relations. 

Nobel Peace Prize 2022 won by human rights activists in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (nbcnews.com)

María de los Ángeles Negrillo Pérez.

Landslide Hits Central Venezuela

A town in central Venezuela, Las Tejerias, has been hit with a landslide fueled by rain and flooding. 22 people are confirmed to be dead and more than 52 are currently missing. People are still walled into the town and forces are trying to rescue them. Lots of people have lost their homes and businesses. 11 of Venezuela's states have been hit by similar torrential rains and flooding in the past week.

Ainsley Ratledge

https://globalnews.ca/news/9188115/venezuela-landslide/ 

Russian Barrage Hits Ukraine

 On Sunday, October 9, A Russian barrage hits Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, killing 17 people and dozens wounded. This city sits in a region that Moscow has already claimed. Zaporizhzhia holds one of Europe's largest nuclear power stations. In addition, Ukraine shut down the last operating reactor month prior to prevent a radiation disaster. The plant has since lost all external power and now is relying on emergency diesel generators. Since this attack happened after the explosion of the Crimea bridge, Ukrainian forces have been heightened. 

Crista Salceda

https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/10/09/russians-barrage-ukrainian-town-after-bridge-explosion 

“Hong Kong detains first teenagers under national security law”

I chose this article because it reminded me of the China documentary that we watched a little bit ago.  In this video, we saw a communist dictatorship controlling the central government in all areas of China, except for Hong Kong.  Here, people, especially young people, are rebelling and fighting for their rights as an independent state rather than part of China.  Over the weekend, five teenagers, members of “Returning Valiant” (a pro-Hong Kong independence group), were arrested and sentenced to three years of detention for advocating against the Beijing government.  These teenagers ranged from 16-19 years old, and it was the first time that national law has been used against non-adults for security law purposes.  This is definitely something to keep an eye on because, as China establishes itself as a global superpower that rivals the US, their actions towards protestors, governments, and policing will be vital in how they want to appear to the world, as well as how they want the rest of the world to work.

Libby Gardner

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63186293  

Russian draft dodgers pour into Kazakhstan to escape Putin’s war

 Vadim says he plunged into depression last month after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military draft to send hundreds of thousands of conscripts to fight in Ukraine.

“I was silent,” the 28-year-old engineer says, explaining that he simply stopped talking while at work. “I was angry and afraid.”

When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, Vadim says he took to the streets of Moscow to protest – but Putin’s September 21 order to draft at least 300,000 men to fight felt like a point of no return.

Watson, I., Wright, R., Booth, T., & Salieva, D. (2022, October 09). Russian draft Dodgers pour into Kazakhstan to escape putin's war. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/09/europe/russia-draft-dodgers-kazakhstan-intl-hnk/index.html

Jason Connor

When will the war in Ukraine end? And how?

 An expert from Rochester University does not see the end of the war in Ukraine being soon. He stated that the withdrawal of Russia from Northereastern Ukraine does not mean things are coming to an end. Winning small battles does not mean the end of the war. Read his Q&A for more information on the war in Ukraine and an update on where it may go. 

https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/when-will-the-war-in-ukraine-end-536402/

Ellie Berns

Hurricane Julia brushes Colombia island, heads for Nicaragua

Heading for Nicaragua and the rest of Central America, Hurricane Julia sweeps past Columbian Islands at a catastrophic 75mph speed. This unexpected hurricane is forcing those on the coast of Nicaragua to rush to prepare for the storm's arrival. Nicaraguan soldiers have been deployed to help evacuate inhabitants in Sandy Bay Sirpi and provide humanitarian supplies. 

What's even more threatening than the severe winds, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, is the heavy rainfall that can cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Those who will be affected the most are in the poorer departments in the East, center, and West of the country.

The increased severity of climate change will lead to the increased severity of natural disasters and disproportionately affect marginalized civilians and those stuck with poverty.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/tropical-storm-julia-strengthens-heads-nicaragua-91196998

Megan Sinnaeve

Germany Wants to Discuss Clime Change at United Nations

 At the upcoming United Nations meeting later this year Germany wants to discuss climate change and how it affects the world. According to the article the smaller countries who are more directly impacted by global emissions want this issue to be talked about and there to be solutions discussed. The bigger countries the ones who are putting most of the greenhouse gas emissions into the world don't want to discuss it as much since it doesn't affect them as directly. These issues can cause lasting effects on the world including rise in global temperature, extreme bad weather, and rising sea levels. 

Tori Robinson

Germany wants climate losses to be discussed at United Nations talks - National | Globalnews.ca 

Syria’s cholera outbreak spreads across country, hits neighboring Lebanon

Recently, a cholera outbreak has struck northern Syria.  Its citizens are struggling to get treatment due poor infrastructure. The ongoing Syrian civil war that's been raging on for over 11 years has destroyed or severely damaged most of Syria's critical infrastructure. Also, the war has also wrecked Syria's sewage systems, which has contributed to the spread of cholera across the entire nation and into neighboring Lebanon. 

Lebanon is a country that's been praised for its solid medical and healthcare infrastructure and services, but the recent outbreak of cholera and the ongoing Syrian civil war are causing most of its best doctors to flee Lebanon and seek a better life and career elsewhere. The article mentions that Syria "has a growing, severe water crisis because of the large-scale damage inflicted on its water and sanitation infrastructure over the course of an 11-year war that has ravaged much of the country. The economic crisis, persistent fighting, displacement of people and prolonged drought has left 47 percent of the population reliant on 'alternative and often unsafe water sources,' UNICEF said."

 Syria’s cholera outbreak spreads across country, hits neighboring Lebanon (msn.com)

Two Russians sail to Alaska seeking asylum in US

 Two Russian men have been detained by US officials after arriving in town in St Lawrence island Alaska. The Russo-Ukraine war caused several complications among its citizens. Many men from Russia do not want to get drafted for the war. They have thus been seen fleeing the country in numerous events. The two men serve as a common example of how the war between Russia and Ukraine can spark an increase in the number of refugees and immigrants. Most individuals from Russia have fled and landed in neighboring countries like Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Finland. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan made statements about how Russian people don't want to fight Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. The senator also states the underlying fact that Alaska requires more security posture in America's Arctic.

Aryan Shah

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63160469

Taiwan will treat Chinese military flights into its airspace as ‘first strike,’ defense minister says

 Taiwan has announced that in its efforts to increase defense against China, any Chinese military flights in to its airspace will be considered a "first strike", including drone flights. Though they did not say what their response would be, this move is in reference to past statements that they would not make the first attack in their conflict with China. This does call into question if the US would follow up Taiwan's stance with support. According to US intelligence, China wants to be prepared to control Taiwan by force within the next five years. 

Aaliyah McCormick

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/asia/taiwan-china-airspace-first-strike-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

Irishman Rory Mason killed fighting for International Legion

 Rory Mason, age 23, from Dunboyne in County Meath, was killed while fighting for Ukraine's International legion near the Russian border. Although saddened of his death, his family is still very proud of the man Rory was. Rory is described as a man of dignity and honor who's selflessness drove him to be greater than what he himself stood for. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of Rory's death but is unable to comment on any individual case.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63141448

Kenny Siwicki

Ukraine Goes In on Bid to Host 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal - Megan Lemley

 Ukraine made the news by announcing their bid to host the largest soccer tournament in the world, despite their recent conflict with Russia. This power move is not only seen as Ukraine "sticking it to Russia," it is also seen as a symbol of solidarity from Spain, Portugal, and the president of the World Cup. 

In President Volodymyr Zelensky's words on Twitter, "[t]he joint bid is more than a symbol of faith in our joint victory. Ukraine will endure, prevail and be rebuilt thanks to the solidarity of its partners." Demonstrations of support keeps this conflict relevant, and events like the World Cup are starting to use their platform to make political statements, rather than remaining nonpartisan and focusing on providing entertainment to the world. 

Source: World Cup: Ukraine Joins Spain and Portugal's Bid to Host 2030 Tournament

Avalanche in the Indian Himalayas

On Tuesday October 4th, at least 4 people were killed in an avalanche in the Indian Himalayas. 28 people are still missing and rescue missions are ongoing, assisted by the Indian Air Force as well as state and national disaster response forces. A group of 41 people in total was training on Mount Draupadi ka Danda II and returning from the 18,898 ft tall peak when the avalanche hit. 

 https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/05/asia/india-himalayas-avalanche-uttarakhand-intl-hnk/index.html 

Ainsley Ratledge

Police Say a Serial Killer Could Be Behind Shootings in Stockton, Calif.

 Since April there have been six shootings in California's Central Valley that Police now say are connected. As of Monday, the police in the area believe these shootings are the work of a serial killer. The victims are all male between the ages of 21 and 54, most of them were Hispanic, and they were all shot and killed while walking alone in dimly lit areas. However, one of the earliest shootings was a Black woman in Stockton, and she survived her injuries. They believe her shooting is connected to the other six who were all men. The police connected these incidents through video footage and ballistics. So far, their is video footage of a suspect, but the footage only show's the man's back. Right now, the police are asking people to stay vigilant, avoid walking alone at night or early hours of the morning, and to contact the tip line with any information about who the assailant is. 

Stockton is located in the "agricultural flatlands of California" and has had a long struggle with violence and poverty. However, the police do not believe these killings are gang related. These killings have created an air of unrest and anxiety in the community, and that has gotten worse since the police stated this could be a serial killer. 

North Korea fires missile over Japan, raising concern over its growing nuclear program

 North Korea tested a weapon that violated UN sanctions. The missile flew over mainland Japan before plummeting into the Pacific Ocean. 

North Korea fires missile over Japan in escalation of weapons tests (usatoday.com)

Indonesia to Investigate Soccer Tragedy After Use of Tear Gas Draws Criticism

 

    Dave Sebastian and Niharika Mandhana reporters of the "Wall Street Journal" wrote an article on October 3 of this year called " Indonesia to Investigate Soccer Tragedy After Use of Tear Gas Draws Criticism." In this article, the reporters talk about Indonesia setting an investigation team to investigate the death of 125 people in a soccer game on Saturday. This event began after the home team lost the game and the fans went to the stadium causing disorder then the police came throwing tear gas to control the crowd. Thousands of people fled to an exit door, leading to a crush in which people were trampled and died because they couldn't breathe. The police argue the crowd was anarchic, but human rights groups and Indonesians blame the police for what happened. The investigation would include government officials, experts, academics, and representatives of the country's soccer organization and the investigation would take two to three weeks. Finally, the investigation would focus on why the tear gas was used, what planning and preparation was put in place beforehand, and who order the decision to use the tear gas.  

Sergio Bracco

Indonesia to Investigate Soccer Tragedy After Use of Tear Gas Draws Criticism

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63083634

BP in oil field where ‘cancer is rife’

 Jessicah Finglass

“Communities living close to oil fields, where gas is openly burned, are at elevated risk of leukaemia, a BBC News Arabic investigation has revealed.”

“Urine samples we collected from 52 children indicated that 70% had elevated levels of 2-Naphthol, a form of the possibly cancer-causing substance naphthalene.”

Children in these areas are being tested for seriously harmful chemicals that are causing cancer in children and premature death.

Bosnians go to polls to choose between nationalists and reformists

 In a territory as ethnically diverse and with such a tragic past as Bosnia, elections always give a lot to talk about. In fact, according to some, Bosnia is currently experiencing its worst political crisis since the end of the war in the 1990s. Although the well-known Dayton Agreement (1995) made it possible to end the war, it established a non-functional system that does not allow the country to develop politically speaking. These basic errors come to the fore every time we find ourselves before an election in a country divided between Serbs, Bosnians and Croats. The different nationalisms will face each other again in the elections, whose results we will know in the next few hours.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/2/bosnia-heads-to-polls-as-ethnic-tensions-dominate-vote

Reyes Venegas

"OPEC+ to Weigh Production Cut to Bolster Oil Prices"

By: Benoit Faucon 10/02/2022

OPEC is considering reducing production to help prop up falling oil prices on Wednesday of this coming week. I thought this was interesting because we were talking about the way oil prices and democracy are correlated in oil producing countries. They are considering a cut of more than 1 million barrels a day. The article explains that this move could "play a role in making recessions worse in some countries". The U.S. has asked OPEC to pump more oil. An increase over the summer months was made especially ahead of Biden's trip in August but OPEC is now working to reverse those steps. The U.S. is responding by starting to access its stockpiles. The oil prices have been falling partly due to a slow down in production in China which is still subject to many covid restrictions. OPEC countries are meeting on Wednesday in Vienna to discuss production changes. The option to cut production is backed by Russia which is OPEC's "largest non-OPEC partner". The article explains the White House has not yet made a forecast of how the production changes might impact the overall economy. This is not the first time OPEC has recently considered cutting back production. The article states, "OPEC+ agreed last month to cut oil production for the first time in over a year, saying it would cut about 100,000 barrels a day amid fears of a global recession. The move ended an 18-month era of production increases for OPEC+. The group slowly brought crude back onto the market after a dramatic cut during the pandemic when demand plunged." Oil prices still play a major role in our global economy and energy supply. With energy 'crunches' in the EU especially and elsewhere, a cut in production does not seem to bode well. However, the article finishes saying, "In one way, an OPEC+ cut won’t make much meaningful difference in the day-to-day oil market. The group has been undershooting its targets by more than 3 million barrels a day for much of the year, with Russian production falling and big producers like Nigeria and Angola struggling to invest enough to raise output.". This could mean that day to day prices might not be affected that much. Nonetheless, these cuts to production could be the signs of a future trend. 

Gabriel Ham

10/02/2022

https://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-to-weigh-production-cut-to-bolster-oil-prices-11664734482?mod=hp_lead_pos1 

Indonesia: At least 125 dead in football stadium crush

 Disaster strikes at an Indonesian football match as 125 people die due to poor stadium structure and crowd control. The police in the area attempt to tear gas match attendees to control the overcrowded stadium. However, the exits of the stadium proved to be too small and crushed fans leaving 125 people dead and many more injured.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63105945

Kenny Siwicki

Armed Protests in Burkina Faso

 On Saturday, September 30th, armed protesters started a fire outside of the French Embassy. The violence was condemned by the Frhttps://www.npr.org/2022/10/01/1126403441/burkina-ench Foreign Ministry due to denying any involvement with the county's developing events. After the military overthrew the former president, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damilba, tensions are still high throughout the country. Damilba had promised his people to end Islamic extremist violence that forced millions to flee their homes. The military, Junta, plans to restore Burkina Faso to a peaceful country, but it is uncertain if they will fulfill their goal. The African Union plans to reinforce a  constitution by July 2023. The United States has stated that they are "deeply concerned" with the events, and France also came out with statements. 

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/01/1126403441/burkina-faso-west-africa-coup

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63081706

Crista Salceda