The World Briefly

October 17, 2022

No Changing Horses Mid-Stream

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out his plans for China’s future during the Communist Party’s 20th congress in Beijing Sunday, where thousands of delegates are expected to extend the incumbent’s rule for another five-year term despite constitutional term limits, NPR reported. More than 2,300 party delegates...

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The World Briefly

October 17, 2022

Looking for Rainbows

Iraq

Iraqi lawmakers elected Abdul Latif Rashid, a Kurdish politician and former minister for water, as the country’s new president, the first step to ending a long-running political deadlock that has left Iraq without a government since last year’s elections, the New York Times reported. Rashid’s election...

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The World Briefly

October 17, 2022

Playing the Part

United Kingdom

A female-featured robot spoke in front of Britain’s upper house of parliament this week, marking the first time in the country’s history that an android testified in front of baronesses and lords, the Washington Post reported. Named Ai-Da, the android appeared in the House of Lords...

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The World Briefly

October 14, 2022

The Politics of Oil

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia rejected US criticism over a decision by the Saudi-led oil-producing cartel and its allies to cut production amid a global energy crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported Thursday. The kingdom’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday saying that last...

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The World Briefly

October 14, 2022

The Art of Imitation

Jamaica

Jamaica’s broadcasting regulator ordered a ban against music and TV broadcasts deemed to glorify criminal activity and behavior, a move that many artists said will do little to stop crime but could stifle artistic work, the Associated Press reported. Officials said the ban would target media...

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The World Briefly

October 14, 2022

Running Out of Gas

France

Oil workers at a refinery in northern France agreed to return to work Thursday but other oil workers around the country remained on strike, leading to continuing petrol shortages across the country, Radio France Internationale reported. The move came after the French government issued orders to...

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The World Briefly

October 13, 2022

The Right to Safety

Pakistan

Thousands of people took to the streets in Pakistan’s Swat Valley to protest against rising insecurity in the region following the murder of a bus driver by an unknown assailant this week, Al Jazeera reported. Local officials said that more than 15,000 people attended Tuesday’s demonstrations...

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The World Briefly

October 13, 2022

Symbolic Slap

Venezuela

Venezuela lost its seat on the United Nations Council of Human Rights this week, a move hailed by human rights activists and Venezuelan opposition groups as a symbolic victory against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, CNN reported. The South American country had held a seat...

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The World Briefly

October 13, 2022

New Kid on the Block

Lesotho

Political newcomer Sam Matekane will become Lesotho’s new prime minister after forming a three-party coalition following last week’s general election, the Associated Press reported. Results showed that Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity Party won 56 seats in the 120-seat parliament, just five seats shy of securing a...

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The World Briefly

October 12, 2022

Lines of Understanding

IsraelLebanon

Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement on a maritime border between the two nations Tuesday, a historic deal that will allow for the exploration of natural gas and reduce the threat of a regional war, Axios reported. The draft agreement follows years of US-mediated talks over...

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The World Briefly

October 12, 2022

Ladies’ Night

India

The Indian state of Kerala hosted a “Girls Night Out” initiative this week, a campaign aimed at allowing women to experience a safe nightlife and raise awareness about the growing issue of safety in a country that was once identified as the world’s most dangerous...

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The World Briefly

October 12, 2022

In Monotone

Bangladesh

Thousands of political activists in Bangladesh are facing charges of incitement with the opposition and human rights groups saying these are part of a widespread government crackdown against its critics, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday. Bangladeshi opposition parties have been holding a series of protests across the...

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The World Briefly

October 11, 2022

Tit-for-Tat

Ukraine

Moscow launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday, strikes that came just days after the Kremlin blamed Ukrainian forces for an explosion on a key bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014,...

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The World Briefly

October 11, 2022

Friendlier Skies

World

Countries around the globe agreed this week to significantly lower emissions from airplanes by 2050, a landmark deal aimed at curbing the effects of climate change, the New York Times reported. The agreement follows nearly a decade of climate talks among member countries in the International...

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The World Briefly

October 11, 2022

The Pawns

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thousands of people protested in northern Bosnia this week, accusing a pro-Russian Bosnian Serb leader of rigging the ballot during the Balkan country’s general elections earlier this month, Euronews reported Monday. Sunday’s demonstrations were the second in a week to take place in Bosnia and Herzegovina...

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The World Briefly

October 10, 2022

Over The Top

Indonesia

Indonesian authorities brought criminal charges against six suspects, including three police officers, for their roles in last week’s stadium stampede that killed 131 people, considered one of the deadliest crowd disasters ever recorded, the Associated Press noted. The tragedy occurred on Oct. 1 during a soccer...

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The World Briefly

October 10, 2022

Peace and Politics

World

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian human rights campaigners on Friday in a slap to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in February, NBC News reported. Ales Bialiatski, a jailed human rights advocate from Belarus, the Russian human...

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The World Briefly

October 10, 2022

What Is Your Emergency?

Haiti

Haiti is considering begging foreign police forces for help dealing with its out-of-control security situation and rising gang violence, Al Jazeera reported. On Friday, Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus made a plea for international police support during an Organization of American States (OAS) summit in...

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The World Briefly

October 07, 2022

When Havens Aren’t Safe

Canada

Canada’s Supreme Court began hearing arguments Thursday on whether the US is a safe destination for asylum seekers, in a case that could upend a bilateral agreement under which the two countries share responsibility for people in need of protection, the Washington Post reported. The case...

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The World Briefly

October 07, 2022

The Land of Tears

Thailand

A former Thai police officer killed at least 36 people, most of them children, Thursday, in what has been described as the Southeast Asian nation's deadliest rampage ever, USA Today reported. Authorities said the attacks took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan, about 330...

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