International Aid Funding

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/crunch-time-israel-ukraine-aid-lawmakers-return-congress-recess-rcna126175

With 12 days left of the government year, the interest in international aid is at the forefront. Democrats are starting to divide in aiding Israel. Bernie Sanders says that the blank check policy should end. Republicans are divided in continuing to aid Ukraine. Tom Cotton stated that Biden does not care about "securing the US border." The Democratic party says that this shows how the Republicans are just ready for Trump to hand Ukraine back to Russia. 

 

It is important to remember that we have aided both countries since the start of these conflicts. It would be enormous if we just stopped aiding them. Ken Buck said he favors aid to Israel and Ukraine — if they’re paid for: “We have three weeks of legislative business ahead of us, if not more, and we can get those things done and they’re very important to get done."

By: Karen McClain

The prime minister of New Zealand gets sworn in

 On Monday, November 27 (GMT+13), Christopher Luxon was sworn in as New Zealand's prime minister. He is a part of the New Zealand National Party, a center-right political party.  His main concern seems to be the countries economy. So far, he has promised to cut taxes and train 500 more police officers within two years, less government bureaucracy and repeal tobacco restrictions.

By: Ayshe Ali

Source: https://apnews.com/article/christopher-luxon-new-zealand-prime-minister-f3f6c4c80b75521647b8e61e5ff71673

4-year-old Hamas hostage set free

     Abigail Mor Edan, the youngest U.S. citizen held by Hamas, was among the group of hostages released back to Israel on Sunday. President Biden and the Israeli military have both confirmed that Abigail has been released. Abigail was kidnapped and taken to the Palestinian enclave during the deadly rampage along with an estimated 240 others. Her parents were tragically killed in the October 7th attacks, and she had to celebrate her birthday alone while in captivity.  However, Abigail's story has taken a brighter turn as she was finally released as of Sunday. 

3 dead in morning shooting in Winnipeg, Canada

 Early Sunday morning around 4 am officers arrived to a scene with 5 people shot at which lead to 3 of them dying and 2 of them in critical condition. This shooting had happened in a multi suite residence with no information on what the possible motive was. The victims identity has not yet been released and will not be released until all evidence is found in this case. Winnipeg's violent crime rate has been increasing the past couple years making 2022 the most violent it had been there since 2009. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/26/world/winnipeg-shooting-canada-langside-street/index.html \

=Simon Krugliakovas 

Riots Breakout in Dublin

 Riots have recently broken out in Dublin as a result of a stabbing in the city which left a 5 year old little girl, and a teacher’s aid in critical condition. 2 other children were also stabbed, but with less severe injuries. The riots are considered to be anti-immigration from what the prime minister called “far-right hooligans.” Cars, buildings, buses, and much more have been burned and destroyed in central Dublin, and there have been 34 arrests made. The Prime Minister of Ireland sent over 400 police officers to Dublin to try and get control of the situation. The commissioner of the police force, Drew Harris said that social media is partly at blame for its radicalization of people nowadays. 

Link: https://apnews.com/article/ireland-rioting-dublin-stabbing-farright-2eaabb92b4e1623615a0860911cab91b

By Andrew Elleson

Germany Faces Financial Crisis

 Germany has always had a policy on ensuring the loans they take out as a country was never higher that 0.35%. This has been the key piece of their financial policies. This changed however when the pandemic hit. When COVID happened, the federal government took excess loans to try and balance out the impact it had on the economy. They ended up taking more than needed and now have extra moans left over that were originally allocated for COVID relief.

            The plans were to reallocate the excess money but when this was taken to court to determine its constitutionality, it was determined that it would constitutionally be illegal to reallocate the loans to anything other than the original intended purpose. This excess in funds was planned to be used to remedy climate change. Germany currently is $65 billion down and this will not only influence their financial structure but also their political structure.

            Although this would not completely dismantle the structure of government it does add pressure on officials. One immediate way to remedy this situation is to amend the constitution but that is much easier said than done. Another way is to try to include climate change as a “crisis” so that they would then use the funds. Currently no news of which path to take is made clear and federal spending has been shut down for the rest of the year excluding what has already been planned.

 

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/23/germany-slides-deeper-into-budget-crisis-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html

Israel Confirms 17 Hostages Have Been Released From Hamas Holding

During the Israel and Hamas conflict, hostages have been taken from both sides in an attempt to slow down the fighting with negotiations. With the two sides taking a 4-day military pause, there has been time for them to make negotiations regarding the hostages from both sides. With these 17 hostages being freed, one being a four-year old American girl, the total number of freed hostages is now at 41. This comes during the third day of the the military pause that Israel and Hamas has agreed to, but Israel said they are willing to extend the military pause if Hamas agrees to release additional Israeli hostages. United States President Joe Biden spoke on his gratitude and relief that Abigail Edan, the four-year old American girl, was released and back in Israel. He stated, "She's free and in Israel now. Those who are wrapping Abigail in love and care and the supportive services she needs, she's been through a terrible trauma." Biden was referring to Abigail's sudden tragedy in her life after she lost both of her parents during the October 7th attack from Hamas that killed both of her parents and made her an orphan. To add on to the struggle she felt, she became a hostage after being captured by Hamas, the people responsible for killing her parents. Abigail's great aunt and cousin spoke on her return saying they had much gratitude for Abigail's return and  said they hoped other families would be able to feel the gratitude of having their loved ones returned from being hostages. With the military pause still going on, only time will tell if more hostages will be released from both sides.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/26/white-house-growing-optimism-for-release-of-four-year-old-hostage-.html

Written by: Tyler Surin

Dutch election: Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders wins dramatic victory

 Veteran anti-Islam populist leader Geert Wilders has won a dramatic victory in the Dutch general election, with almost all votes counted.

After 25 years in parliament, his Freedom party (PVV) is set to win 37 seats, well ahead of his nearest rival, a left-wing alliance.

"The PVV can no longer be ignored," he said. "We will govern."

His win has shaken Dutch politics and it will send a shock across Europe too.

But to fulfil his pledge to be "prime minister for everyone", he will have to persuade other parties to join him in a coalition. His target is 76 seats in the 150-seat parliament.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67504272

Pepijn Hakstege

Derek Chauvin attacked in prison

 Anthony Cristiano:

The ex police man that killed George floyd was attacked over the weekend. He was in critical condition and rushed to the hospital. This was days after the Supreme Court rejected his unfair trial and he will be serving 22 years and is in isolation as there is growing tension for more attacks to happen.

China is willing to work with Argentina

 Argentina has elected a new President. President-Elect Javier Milei has been elected and has not been quiet in the past about his thoughts on working with China. Despite the criticism being received by Argentina, China says they are ready to work with Argentina. China's foreign ministry spokesperson has mentioned that Argentina pulling away from China and Brazil would be a big mistake. The Chinese spokesperson is referring to Milei stating that he does not want to interact with governments like Brazil and China but did not comment on what that would mean in terms of imports and exports.

By: Vanessa Constantino

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/21/milei-china-says-it-would-be-a-huge-mistake-for-argentina-to-cut-ties.html 

Premature babies getting evacuated out of Gaza

 Anthony Cristiano:

As Hamas was able to hold many innocent civilians hostage in the biggest hospital in the Gaza Strip. We saw many patients without any resources to survive and a lot of babies that might not make it due to there being no power to activate the incubators. Finally it is expected to see 28 babies to be evacuated to Egypt by bus and helicopter to be treated in a much safer hospital.

Even After Meeting with President Xi Jinping, Biden calls him a Dictator

Following United States President Joe Biden's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he has kept his stance about Xi Jinping regarding him as a dictator. The two presidents met in San Francisco earlier in the month for the first time in over a year to help better the relationship between the two countries. The meeting had reportedly gone well with the two leaders making progress in the situation. Although, these comments by president Biden could damage some of the progress made during the meeting. Biden was asked about his comments earlier in the year about Xi Jinping, which he backed up saying, "He's a dictator in the sense that he's a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that's based on a form of government totally different from ours." This comment has left a bad taste in Chinese officials mouths since progress between the two countries has been made and this feels like an insult of the Chinese government. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out and said that there are constant attempts to damage the relationship between the United States and China, but they will not allow this to happen. With Biden's comments coming so soon after progress happening, there is no telling how much this will hurt the relationship between the two powerful countries and if this will halt any attempts at getting rid of the tense communications between the countries and making the relationship stronger going into the future.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/16/us-china-apec-biden-stands-by-comment-that-xi-is-a-dictator.html

Written by: Tyler Surin 

President Biden and President Lopez Obrador are committed to working out issues between the two countries

 President Biden and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met on Friday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and stated they would “work together to address migration and combat fentanyl trafficking to the U.S,” The U.S and Mexico have discussed these issues that have been brought up numerous times. Biden also mentioned his conversation with Chinese President Xi, where they spoke about fentanyls flow. Although President Biden and Lopez Obrador  have found themselves “at odds.” before, both are committed to addressing these issues together.

By: Vanessa Constantino

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/17/biden-mexico-fentanyl-migration/

Active Volcano in Iceland

    Iceland is currently experiencing volcanic activity and is trying to prepare for the possibility of an eruption. Officials in Iceland recorded more than 1,700 tremors from the expected eruption location in a time span of approximately 24 hours. meteorologists in the are have reported that the magma may have reached the Earth's crust, and people will have to wait in suspense for the next couple of days to see how the situation may unfold. Scientists monitoring the situation observed changes to the volcanic dilemma on Sunday that could indicate magma is moving closer to the surface. Authorities in Iceland have declared a state of emergency, and advised many people to evacuate while the volcano is eager to erupt.  

Australia accuses China of injuring their Naval Divers with sonar pulses

 Australis accused the Chinese navy of injuring their naval divers with sonar pulses during an operation near the coast of Japan. This reignited tensions between each country just days after their leaders met to stabilize their relationship. Australian divers were attempting to remove fishing nets from their propellers when they were targeted by a Chinese naval destroyer. Australian navy told the destroyer to stay clear while they were sending divers but the destroyer moved closer after acknowledging the request. 

https://www.wsj.com/world/australia-accuses-china-of-injuring-naval-divers-with-sonar-pulses-b1927121?page=1

Russia bans LGBT movement

 Russia's Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court stating that the LGBT movement is extremist and has banned anything related to it inside its country. They allege that the movement incites the social and religious discord. People blame the West for trying to destroy their "traditional values" in more socially conservative countries. Putin has been trying to eliminate gay rights in Russia for awhile, including outlawing same-sex marriage in 2020. 

https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-moves-to-ban-international-lgbt-movement-as-extremist-4da572e9?page=1

China Considers Meeting Between Presidents a Success

China's largest state-run newspaper, People's Daily, called the meeting between Xi Jin Ping and Joe Biden a "new starting point" for China-US relations. This is the first time the two had met since November of 2022. US and China relations have been at a new low as of late, so this meeting is certainly a step in the right direction. The meeting had positives that came from it, which includes resuming military cooperation to slow the flow of fentanyl into the US. However, towards the end of the meeting, Biden called Xi a dictator, but Beijing and Chinese state media didn't let this overshadow the rest of the meeting's positives. In order to further paint the picture that this meeting emitted many positives, Chinese state media showed video and images of Biden greeting Xi at the estate they met. This was because they wanted to show that relations were "back on course."

Link: China hails Xi-Biden meeting despite 'dictator' remark - BBC News

By Andrew Elleson

Refugee children’s education in Rwanda under threat because of reduced UN funding

Refugee children’s education in Rwanda under threat because of reduced UN funding

Fernando Abans

An international organization, built by states and supposed to protect citizens all around the world from poverty, discrimination, conflicts, and threats to their lives is in risk because of lack of funding. In this case, we are talking about children, refugee ones who had to leave their countries and their homes because it was not a safe place for them anymore. All these children will be in risk and extreme poverty conditions because countries are not giving funding enough to the UN organizations. The UNHCR funding has been cut, not being able to pay for education fees of children refugees, taking away their right to an education while being taken away from their houses. But this is not the only financial cut they have suffered, as UNHCR announced that food, education, shelter and health care were about to be cut too as 35% of the funding needed had been received by October of this year.

https://apnews.com/article/rwanda-refugees-unhcr-funding-education-schools-students-e1ef1f9613a414d009667136c9f3b7f3

Nearly 7 million people displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo

A surge in attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups has newly displaced close to 1 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since January. Now nearly 7 million people have been internally displaced due to the threat of violence and atrocities, extreme poverty, and mining expansion and there has been a 17% increase since October of 2022. This displaced population is in urgent need of security support, medical aid, and other humanitarian aid. Approximately one million Congolese nationals are seeking refuge beyond the Congo’s borders. The country will hold their national elections on December 20th of this year. In the three months leading up to the election, candidates have been attacked and even put in jail by the president. As the conflict intensifies, the humanitarian situation continues to struggle, and millions are facing acute food insecurity and other critical needs. Across the country, over 26 million people need humanitarian aid.

Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Nearly 1 Million Displaced in DRC in the First Half of 2023 Amid Surge in Violence 

Iran's steady expansion of their nuclear program

 Iran is expanding their nuclear program by continuing to stockpile uranium. However, they haven't accelerated production pace of nuclear fuel amid the ongoing issue in the Middle East. An international atomic energy agency report showed that Iran has slowed their accumulation of uranium since the summer but is continuing to build sufficient amounts of material that could be used to fuel nuclear weapons. Iran insists their nuclear program is for entirely peaceful civilian programs and claims that they would never develop nuclear weapons. 

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-maintains-steady-expansion-of-nuclear-program-46df894a?page=1

Europe seeking to harden sanctions on Russia

 The European Union has proposed to tighten sanctions against Russia which restricts foreign companies doing business with Russia and a ban on Russian diamonds. Since the invasion of Ukraine, western countries have imposed financial, energy, trade, and economic sanctions on Moscow. They plan to weaken Russia's economy and undermine its ability to resupply troops. However, Russia has founds way to import dual-use goods for it's military. 

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/eu-proposes-new-sanctions-on-russia-after-moscow-dodges-prior-ones-b2c48855?page=2

Iran Says It Will Not Directly Join Hamas' War Against Israel

According to Hamas and Iranian officials, Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has rejected Hamas' request for direct involvement in their conflict with Israel. Khamenei stated that Iran would only engage if directly attacked by Israel or the US. Reportedly, Khamenei's decision stems from Hamas' failure to provide any advance warning of their attacks at the conflict's outset. However, Khamenei has still pledged to support Hamas through means other than direct military involvement. 

Khamenei's decision likely stems from his inherent and fundamental interest in self-preservation. Hamas' lack of warning left him and his "axis of resistance" allies unprepared for a large-scale military conflict against a much stronger Israel. As a result, Khamenei knows that getting directly involved in a war against Israel would likely spell the complete destruction of his regime.

Iran's refusal to become directly involved in the conflict marks one positive event this catastrophic war. It means that the conflict is less likely to spread and less civilians will suffer from the war. However, coming from a regime that has been known to be dishonest, it should not be taken as a guarantee. The international community should still monitor the conflict and take measures minimalize its damage.

Iran tells Hamas it will not enter the war with Israel (msn.com)

By: Frank Kwak

US and China Leaders Meeting at APEC After a Year

 It is no surprise that the US and China have had a rough relationship that have only gotten worse throughout the years. President Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping are set to meet in San Francisco for the APEC Meeting. Neither have met since the G20 meeting in 2022. They will be discussing several hot topics with the aim of helping to mend relations. With the way the world is a decrease in hostility would be a great change however many people are skeptical on the outcome. They claim that there are “high stakes” with “low expectations”. Some topics they will be discussing with be climate change, a crackdown on drugs, stimulation slower economies, and mainly, preventing WWIII. As the meeting comes closer the city of San Francisco has been going through a lot of prep work in trying to clean up and be ready. This is already causing stress on the locals as it is known for its homeless population and as they are being moved out to “showcase the city”.

 

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/11/15/will-xi-and-biden-mend-us-china-relations-at-the-apec-summit

Hundreds of Biden administration officials sign letter demanding cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war

 Zechariah Wease

More than 500 U.S. officials sent a letter Tuesday to President Joe Biden criticizing his policy in the Israel-Hamas war and calling for an immediate cease-fire, revealing a divide between Biden and many within his administration over his backing of Israel. The letter reflects the opposition Biden faces from many progressives - even some who work for him - for his unflinching support for Israel as it ratchets up airstrikes in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel.

Hundreds of Biden administration officials sign letter demanding cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war (msn.com)  

Businesses are pulling billions from china

 Anthony Cristiano: 

China has been faced with serious inflation and a slower economy and low interest rates. There is a big meeting happening with Biden and XI Jinping and this might find a way to close that gap after China announced that they are facing a 11.8 billion dollar deficit. This shows us that many companies are earning profit but not investing it back into the economy. A big name that is moving production is Apple as they believe that costs have been too high and moving some of their plants to India might bring them more revenue.

The U.S. shifts on international rules that will jeopardize efforts to counter China

 The Biden Administration abruptly shifted on global technology rules which have weakened an Asian trade agreement that was supposed to counter China's growing clout in the region. The U.S. recently withdrew from rules facilitating digital trade that included the transfer of data across borders of customers and supply chains. This drawback has gone against the desires of Asian allies and the common goal of governing business data. This decision has also angered U.S. based business groups who are in favor of the free flow of data to boost the digital economy. 

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Race to save 40 trapped workers

 Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand are racing to rescue around 40 workers who are trapped inside a collapsed tunnel.

The workers were building the tunnel when a part of it caved in on Sunday morning due to a landslide.

A senior official said that contact had been established with the men and they were being provided oxygen and food.

But rescuers still have to dig through several metres of debris before they can start evacuating the labourers.

The accident occurred at 05:00 local time (23:30 GMT) on Sunday - a portion of the Silkyara tunnel, around 200m away from its opening, collapsed while the workers were inside, senior police official Arpan Yaduvanshi told BBC Hindi.

Pepijn Hakstege

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-67400429

China Intimidates Taiwan by Sending 43 Planes & 7 Ships Near The Island - Ferris Arreguin

On Wednesday, Nov 1st, Taiwan stated that China sent a total of 50 military aircraft & ships near their island to pursue their agenda of harassment. They also stated that 37 of these aircrafts crossed the Taiwan Strait, an informal divider between itself & Chinese territory. Taiwan dispatched all standard military defenses in response. It is hypothesized that China’s technique is to exhaust Taiwanese military & morale. China has stated that it will not let anything try to split itself with Taiwan.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-military-pressure-taiwan-sending-43-planes-7-104531993

Trump's Game Changing Strategy for the 2024 Debates

 Debates for the 2024 race have already begun but Donald Trump has been seen skipping many of them. He already has a massive presence as a Republican candite surpassing his other competitors in nearly every poll. In a survey, republicans supported trump 62% of the time which is higher than the 52% in August. Some experts say he is acting more like an incumbent rather than a candidate trying to replace the incumbent. What makes it more interesting is the fact that he was a former President and not a current one. He seems to rely on his former tactic of pulling attention away from other topics by doing something more interesting. One way he is doing this is by bringing up the 2020 election he lost and continues to claim it was a “stolen” election. Other Republicans candidates continue to try to take jabs at trump to gain attention. This strategy is unprecedented and could potentially shake up the primaries as well set an example for the future. 

 

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/10/debate-or-no-debate-trump-still-commands-the-2024-republican-race

Somalia faces devastating floods

On Thursday, The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned of a flood event that statistically occurs only once in 100 years in Somalia. Floods have been devastating Somalia since October. 500,000 people have been displaced due to floods, and 1.6 million people could be disrupted by floods by the end of the rainy season. These floods have killed at least 31 people so far. the OCHA said that the flood that is likely to occur cannot be prevented, only mitigated. Humanitarian aid is greatly needed.

By: Ayshe Ali

Source: https://apnews.com/article/somalia-flooding-mogadishu-ocha-torrential-rain-kenya-02617ca42945f956221c10fbcc57284f

The UN Reports that over 43.2 Million People in Latin America & The Caribbean Suffer From Hunger

The new United Nations report titled, Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023, reported that about 6.5% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean suffer from hunger. While this is a slight improvement (.5%) from 2022 it is still .9% above the 2019 records prior to COVID-19. This same report stated that in 2022, 247.8 million people in the region experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. This means that they were forced to reduce the quality/quantity of food they consumed, went without food, went hungry, and, in the most extreme case, went days without eating. It is reported that food insecurity affects women more so than men. These Latin American and Caribbean countries also are facing problems with both malnutrition and obesity. It appears that the reason behind these issues is due to these countries having the highest healthy diet costs worldwide as a result of rising food inflation driven by confinements, global supply chain disruptions, and human resource shortages.

By: Yazmin Santillan

New UN report: 43.2 million people suffer from hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the region has higher levels of overweight and obesity than the global estimate

U.N. Officials are urging for attacks on Gaza hospitals to end

 Officials from UNPF, Unicef, and WHO issued a joint plea for urgent international action to stop attacks on Gaza's hospitals. They stated attacks on medical facilities and civilians are unacceptable and violate International humanitarian and human right laws. There has been more than 137 documented attacks on healthcare resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries. Israel has stated they aren't attacking hospitals and allowing safe passage from them. 

Putin Ally Threatens Nato Countries with Nuclear Weapons

Vladamir Solovyov, a noted propagandist for Russian President Vladamir Putin, recently opined that Russia will deploy nuclear weapons if conflict escalates with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, this is nothing new to NATO, as Russia has been making threats of this nature since their invasion in Ukraine. During this time, Russia would threaten Western Countries that tried to send aid to those in Ukraine. These continual patterns of threats from Russia have been happening for years, and hopefully they are nothing more than baseless threats. 

Hamburg airport hostage situation

 On November 4 a man in his car drove through security and parked his car under an airplane with his 4 year old daughter in the car. The man was surrounded by many polices and he did not resist his arrest and  his daughter was not injured at all. The suspect was armed and had an unknown bomb the police have yet to said anything about it. The police have yet to say anything about the man and or why he did this attack. The police were very quick with there response on this attack and had the passengers on the plane evacuate very quickly and calmly. Due to this threat all planes on Saturday were delayed or canceled due to the police operation. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/04/europe/hamburg-airport-family-hostage-crisis/index.html 

Simon Krugliakovas

Russia has Started to Turn Against Israel in the War with Hamas

 At the beginning of the Hamas-Israel conflict, Russia came out and called for a ceasefire and a stop of violence between the two. But with Israel's bombing continuing to hit the Gaza Strip and tally around 10,000 deaths, Russia has changed its stance in the conflict, now going against Israel despite Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israel's Premier Benjamin Netanyahu having a close relationship and vowing to deepen the connection between their countries. Russia has been put in a tough situation since Russia and Israel have good relations, but Russia also has good relations with Iran, who backs the militant group Hamas. With this situation, Russia was staying neutral in their stance between the two allies of theirs. Russia, however, started to change their stance as Israel has sent airstrikes to Russia's ally, Syria. With Israel now going against and threatening two of Russia's allies, Russia decided to shift against Israel since they feel Israel is hurting the foreign relations that Russia has made throughout the years. President Putin spoke on the Israel bombings saying there is no justification for them and that seeing innocent people lose their lives when they have no where to flee makes his fists clench and tears well in his eyes. With Israel's loss of support from Russia, there is no telling what that will mean for the future of the Hamas-Israel conflict and Russia's future relations with Israel. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/08/russia-turns-against-israel-by-taking-sides-in-the-war-with-hamas.html

Written By: Tyler Surin

Residents of Iceland being Evacuated over Volcanoes

 As a result of increased amounts of earthquakes, residents of Icelandic town Grindavík are being evacuated because of the heightened possibility of a volcanic eruption. After the evacuation, one resident per home was allowed to revisit with police and government presence to grab “essential items” and pets, but only received a 5 minute timeframe for the visit. There have been many 4-5 magnitude earthquakes on the island, which scientists say point to a potential eruption. Iceland is home to 33 different volcanic systems and it’s likely one erupts within the next days or even hours. The government of Iceland has also declared a state of emergency in wake of the possibility of volcanic activity. 

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/12/iceland-experts-predict-feared-volcanic-eruption-could-destroy-town-near-reykjavik

By Andrew Elleson

Australian port operator hit by cyber-attack says cargo may be stranded for ‘days’

 Mathis Timouk 

Australia's main ports operator, DP Wold Australia, recently faced a cyber-attack, causing the closure of its ports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle. The company detected the breach on Friday, prompting the disconnection of its internet to halt unauthorized access, leading to disruptions in key pro operations systems. DP World aims to resume operations within days, with the Australian government coordinating the response and the Australian Cyber Security Center providing technical guidance. The former head of the Australian Cyber Security Center, Alastair MacGibbon, highlighted the priority of getting containers moving again. While unauthorized access occurred, the nature of the compromised data remains undisclosed. Emergency supplies, particularly medical items can be selectively retrieved, but a substantial portion of cargo remains stuck.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/13/australian-port-operator-hit-by-cyber-attack-says-cargo-may-be-stranded-for-days

Escaped Lion in the town of Landispoli

 On Saturday a Lion had escaped from a circus in the Italian town of Landispoli near Rome. After 10pm on Saturday the lion had been captured after being on the loose for at least 5 hours. Many volunteers were used to help catch the lion including the state police, carabinieri, the fire department, the local and provincial police and the Asl (Local health authority) and volunteers.  They realized the lion had escaped when the found a broken lock and people saw three people running away from the lion cage which led authorities to believe that the escape was due to sabotage.  Upon realizing that the lion had escaped authorities advised residents to stay home and remain vigilant. They were able to catch the lion by finding, sedating it and then bringing it back to the enclosure. 

Kamryn Neer

Source-

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/12/europe/circus-lion-captured-loose-italy-intl/index.html 

President Xi is visiting the U.S

 President Biden and President Xi of China will be meeting in San Francisco to discuss topics such as “important military communications channels that have been cut off, managing competition and addressing security issues.” This will be only the second time that the two have met in person. Opening up more communication is an important goal for this visit and the president is hoping to take steps toward this.

By: Vanessa Constantino

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-xi-meeting-san-francisco-international-issues-2023-11-15/

Why the Global South is against the EU's anti-deforestation law

 Why the Global South is against the EU's anti-deforestation law

Fernando Abans

The European Union has set a goal: become as clean and green as soon as possible, with the look fixed in 2050. But this is not a simple objective, as we have seen the Green Pact passed in 2021 and already in 2023, we have had discussions within the state members as if nuclear energy could be considered “clean” or not. One of the laws included in this incredible European goal was the anti-deforestation law, which only allows products originated outside deforestation activities to enter the common market. The problem appears when the EU demand a great number of documents and licenses in order to confirm the origins of the products mentioned. This would affect mostly the southern countries, as most of the producers are small farmers or small communities, which do not have the resources to obtain all the documentation and license to export to the EU according to this law. Will this mean then that the EU law is just another advantage for big companies to have a more exclusive market?

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/09/20/why-the-global-south-is-against-the-eus-anti-deforestation-law

Daniel Ward Putin ally known as 'the Executioner' killed in Ukraine-planned car bombing: 'it was our operation D

 https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukraine-admits-involvement-car-bombing-russia-backed-official-nicknamed-executioner

A message talked about Ukraine's warning to those cooperating with Russia in occupied areas, suggesting they'll face consequences. It referred to the killing of a Luhansk official and mentioned the use of unconventional tactics in conflicts. It's a complex situation, caution is needed due to possible false information in war zones.

Russia Leaves Nuclear Treaty as Global Fears Heighten

Zechariah Wease

  

  Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order Thursday eliminating his country's agreement with Japan that aimed to reduce and contain nuclear stockpiles. The agreement, which was signed October 13, 1993, was entered between Moscow and Tokyo a day after North Korea stated that it would no longer negotiate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to a report from United Press International, the agreement stated that "the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems is an urgent task in securing the peace and security of the international community."

    Russian President Vladimir Putin also announced in February that his country was going to stop observing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which effectively blocks the U.S. and other NATO countries from being able to observe Russia's nuclear facilities. Washington has promised that it will adhere to the treaty, which established a limit on the strategic nuclear warheads either country can deploy, until it is set to expire in February 2026—if Moscow holds up its end of the deal.

Russia Exits Treaty

 On Tuesday, Russia backed out of a post Cold war treaty. The treaty was put in place in 1990, a year after the destruction of the Berlin wall. The treaty on Conventional Armed Forces prevented the US and Russia from gathering weapons for an attack on one another in Europe. Russia first suspended participation in 2007 and officially exited the treaty at midnight on Tuesday. The US and NATO fell that Russia exiting this treaty undermines Euro-Atlantic security. This has not come as a surprise as Russia has failed to abide by the treaty for many years.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/11/07/world/politics/russia-withdraw-security-treaty/

Kevin Fist

Argentina facing an economy crisis

 As Argentina prepares to elect a new president this month, they're facing an economic crisis thats drastically getting worse. Grocery store shelves lack basic needs such as toilet paper, coffee, and rice as their inflation increases. Factories can no longer import supplies because of the dollar shortage which caused them to suspend production. Gas stations are now warning people that they can only buy as little fuel as possible and doctors are saying they're running out of supplies to preform CT scans. Inflation is predicted to reach nearly 200% and interest rates at 130% by years end, becoming the world's highest. 

https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/argentinas-next-president-will-face-an-economy-in-crisis-35e2e15f?mod=Searchresults_pos18&page=2

The U.K. Government hits Russian gold and oil with sanctions

 The U.K. has sanctioned at least 29 entities and individuals that operate and support Russia's gold and oil sectors, in effort to cut off funding for the war in Ukraine. Nord Gold and Gold Mining, two of the largest producers of Russian gold, got sanctioned on Wednesday. Both companies have brought in over $300 million in gold revenue to Russia. The U.K. stated gold was a significant income stream supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, adding it was worth about $12.6 billion to Russia's economy. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-hits-russian-gold-oil-sectors-with-new-sanctions-package-0cd355ce?page=2

Sudan conflict: Thousands flee fresh ethnic killings in Darfur

 Thousands of people have been forced to flee the Sudanese region of West Dafur amid fears of ethnic cleansing, a medical charity says. 

Witnesses have accused the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of targeting and killing non-Arabs, with reports of hundreds of deaths.

This comes after the RSF captured the Sudanese army headquarters in West Darfur capital of El Geneina. 

The RSF says it is not involved in what it describes as a "tribal conflict".

It has been battling the army for control of the country since April.

Pepijn Hakstege

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67356375

Election Night in America

 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-ohio-issue-1-abortion-rights.html

Even though it was an off year, Americans were in record numbers in crucial battleground states. In Ohio, there was one significant issue on the table for voters: abortion protection. The right to protect abortion won by 56%, with nearly 2.1 million Ohioans voting for it. Another critical state was Kentucky, which re-elected its democratic governor for his second term. This is just an example of democracy still working and that Biden might win another term next year. 

By: Karen Mcclain

The war on drugs is still being waged

 

885 kilos of cocaine seized off West African coast

The French Navy's FS Mistral (L9013)(Mistral Class – Amphibious Assault Ship), the second largest French warship after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, "seized 885 kg of cocaine from a fishing boat o[1]ff the coast of West Africa ", indicates the Atlantic maritime prefecture.

 

The cocaine, seized on Saturday morning, was aboard a fishing boat coming from Latin America. the announced in a press release on Sunday. Cocaine frequently transits to Europe (Spain was cited by NPR) through African ports. On June 4th, 2023 the Guinean navy seized more than 1.5 tons of cocaine[2] from a ship flying the Sierra Leonean flag, the Guinean army said Wednesday in a statement.

 

 The Mistral is on a four-month mission in the Gulf of Guinea as part of the Corymbe mission which contributes to the maritime security of the Gulf, by ensuring the permanent presence of a French Navy vessel since 1990 on this route among the most dangerous in the world. And where France has strong economic interests, particularly linked to oil exploitation.

 

At the end of September, the maritime prefecture had already announced the seizure of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine on a fishing boat in the Gulf of Guinea.[3] In April, it was more than five tonnes “off the coast of Africa”. In December 2022, 4.6 tonnes. The United States isn't the sole destination for illicit drugs manufactured in Latin America and the war on drugs has in no way been won, nor come to an end.

 

 

 

 

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[1] Naval Technology (Ed.). (2017, February 2). Mistral Class – Amphibious Assault Ships.  Naval Technology - Projects; © Verdict Media Limited 2023. https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mistral/?cf-view&cf-closed

[2] Ochoa, D., & Rédaction Africanews  with AFP. (2023, June 4). Guinea: more than 1.5 tons of cocaine seized by the navy. Africanews; AfricaNews @ 2023 The AP. https://www.africanews.com/2023/04/06/guinea-more-than-15-tons-of-cocaine-seized-by-the-navy/

[3] Rédaction Africanews (Ed.). (2023, November 6). 885 kilos of cocaine seized off West African coast. Microsoft Start; © 2023 Microsoft. https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories/885-kilos-of-cocaine-seized-off-west-african-coast/ar-AA1jt18m