Weekly News Digest for October 18th, 2024
Compiled by Grey Cohen, Ryan Simmons, Tobyn Smith, Lydia Wong, Nila Karunakaran, Trinity De Lima, Joey Quinn, Layla Jeeth Mary Wahn
Edited by John Wilson, Trinity De Lima, Sara Anis Ali, Grey Cohen, Ryan Simmons
Asia and the Pacific
North Korea Destroys Cross-Border Roads with South Korea Amid Drone Invasion
On October 11th, North Korea accused South Korea of flying propaganda-filled drones and dropping anti-government leaflets over its capital, Pyongyang. North Korea described the attack as a provocation that could lead to “armed conflict and even war”, warning that their military is prepared to fire upon the declaration of war. South Korea, in turn, alerted North Korea that any threat to the safety of its citizens would signal the “end of the North Korean regime.” South Korean military spokesman Lee Sungjun told reporters in Seoul on Monday that they are at “full-readiness” if Pyongyang orders artillery units along the border.
Airspace violation is a conceivably small tussle in the grand scheme of long-simmering tensions on the Korean Peninsula. It comes on the heels of the Korean peninsula’s recent re-engagement in balloon warfare. Since May, North Korea has claimed responsibility for launching more than 5,500 balloons carrying trash and excrement across the southern border. South Korean activists and North Korean defectors answered by sending balloons loaded with South Korean entertainment and messages to the North Korean elite, hoping to spark discord between North Koreans and Kim Jong Un’s regime. The ongoing “balloon war” has intensified the continuing “chicken game” that both Koreas cannot escape, as neither side is willing to blink first.
North Korea’s state news agency, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim set the “direction of immediate military action” after meeting with the head of the army, military chiefs, and the ministers of state security and defense on Monday. Following this, North Korea blew up the Gyeongui and Donghae roads connecting South Korea along the highly-militarized dividing-line in a symbolic display of anger. South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with North Korea, condemned the explosions and said its military fired warning shots as South Korea bolsters its readiness and surveillance posture. The government in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province pleaded with South Koreans to stop sending balloons across the border as “inter-Korean relations are rapidly deteriorating.”
Although analysts doubt the Koreas will engage in a full-scale war, the situation has extensive implications in the international community. Amid the growing tensions with the South, North Korea claims more than 1.4 million young people have signed up to join or rejoin their army this week. Pyongyang is now looking to arm its newest soldiers with battlefield experience to better prepare them for a potential war against South Korea. On Wednesday, Kyiv said North Korea sent weapons and troops to aid Russia’s war against Ukraine, indicating the strength of the North’s international ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. South Korea’s allies, particularly the United States, are “alarmed” by North Korea’s nuclear threats and its alleged increasing military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Central America and the Caribbean
Cuba’s Pro-Palestinian March Reflects Growing International Solidarity
Thousands of Cubans, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, marched in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday to show solidarity with Gaza. The march included 250 Palestinian medical students living in Cuba after being postponed from its original date due to Hurricane Milton. Participants carried banners reading, “Long live free Palestine,” while others, including Diaz-Canel, wore keffiyeh scarves as a show of support. The march marked the one-year anniversary of Israel’s military response to Hamas’s deadly attack on an Israeli music festival.
For many Cubans, the march is a natural progression in Cuba’s advocacy in global justice issues. Cuba also took part in a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this year. This moment of solidarity transcends international borders by bringing attention to human rights and emphasizes the need for diplomatic solutions to global conflict.
The march in Havana also reflects a larger shift in international relations. As conflict in Gaza continues, countries are increasingly joining the conversation. The growing movement for Palestinian solidarity could influence diplomatic relations, challenging the balance of power in global politics and highlighting the importance of upholding human rights. For many, this march is not only a political stance but also a moral one that calls for a fair and just resolution to the decades-old conflict.
Europe
Volodymyr Zelensky Presents Victory Plan to Ukraine Parliament
This week, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his “Victory Plan” to the Ukrainian Parliament after missing out on additional funding from his European counterparts. The plan can be summarised in five overarching points: invitation to join NATO, increasing Ukrainian defense operations, deterrence of Russian, non-nuclear, aggression, economic growth, and cooperation and post-war security architecture that is not EU-US reliant. He has further insisted that this plan is “time-based” and must be implemented no later than the end of next year, mounting pressure on the US, the EU and NATO. He will deliver a similar speech to the European Council later this week. This push is in light of North Korea stating that they may send 10,000 troops to join forces with Russia in the fight against Ukraine.
The discussion surrounding the end of the Russian-Ukraine war has mounted in recent months and Kyiv residents have responded with skepticism to this plan, citing that “it is not realistic” nor “inspiring”. Ukrainian politicians, such as Oleksiy Goncharenko, have also voiced their concerns, stating, “we have shifted almost all responsibility onto our partners” and “are demanding a lot from our partners”, suggesting that the reception to the Victory Plan has been negative In the last few months, Zelensky has visited various Western countries to gain support for his plan, particularly focusing on the United States as the most powerful United Nations member. It appears as if NATO is waiting until after the US presidential election to move forward with policy.
Middle East and North Africa
U.S. B-2 Stealth Bombers Attack Houthi Weapons Depots in Yemen
On October 17th, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck five underground Houthi weapons depots during an unprecedented operation in Saada, Yemen. Two brigades inside the Houthi stronghold were carrying SCUD missiles, which the Houthis have used as leverage to threaten Red Sea shipping lanes. These bunker-busting missiles demonstrate U.S. capacity to accurately eliminate underground targets that both Israel and Saudi Arabia have failed to reach in the past. The operation signifies a major escalation in U.S. involvement in the Gaza-Israel conflict, and according to news experts, could serve as an indirect warning to Iran. The Iranian government directly supports the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of their ‘Axis of Resistance’ and has historically responded to threats against these two entities.
This U.S. strike comes after weeks of intense fighting in Lebanon and a series of Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Since the war in Gaza began on October 7th, 2023, the Houthis have attacked more than 80 ships traveling through the Red Sea. The U.S. operation coincides with recent events in the Israel-Lebanon conflict which has resulted in thousands of casualties. Since September 23rd, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out several successful airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s leadership. On October 1st, a week after Israel began its air campaign, the IDF began a ground invasion of Lebanon. In retaliation, Iran fired over 180 ballistic missiles into Israel the same day, which Israel has yet to directly respond to. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the IDF would avoid attacking non-military sites in Iran, including nuclear facilities.
The United States has criticized the scope of Israeli airstrikes and set a 30-day deadline for the Israeli government to reduce the humanitarian impact of the conflict. Despite U.S. calls for a ceasefire in late September, the U.S has increased its delivery of ordnance and soldiers to the Middle East. On October 14th, U.S. President Joe Biden directed American soldiers into Israel for the first time since the onset of the war. Coupled with the October 17th stealth bomber strikes on Houthi weapons caches, there appear to be clear signs of escalation.
On October 11th, the MED9, including Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Portugal and Croatia, met to discuss de-escalation and voice their support for the Lebanese people. In spite of the MED9, the UN, and last month’s U.S.-led calls for a ceasefire, the war in Gaza continues to escalate. While the world awaits an upcoming Israeli attack on Iran, it appears that both the war and number of casualties will continue expanding.
North America
Canada Expels Indian Diplomats over Sikh Activist Assassination Investigation
The Canadian government announced on Monday that it would remove several Indian diplomats from the country following an investigation into the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, confirmed that the Canadian government had identified six individuals who were “agents of the Government of India” implicated in Nijjar’s murder. In a statement, Joly wrote “We continue to ask that the Indian government support the ongoing investigation in the Nijjar case, as it remains in both our countries’ interest to get to the bottom of this.” India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded, writing “The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that has centered around vote bank politics.” In response to the expulsion of Indian diplomats from Canada, the Indian government announced that it would be expelling six Canadian diplomats from India.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a supporter and prominent figure of the Khalistan movement, which seeks to create an independent Sikh state. On June 18th, 2023, Nijjar was killed after three masked gunmen shot at him in a parking lot in Surrey, British Columbia. The New York Times reported that the U.S. worked with Canadian officials to provide information and context for Nijjar’s death. Ultimately, the Canadian government discovered that Indian diplomats in Canada were in communication with Indian officials leading up to Nijjar’s murder. As a result, tension has grown between both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
South America
Brazilian Federal Police Request the Extradition of Presidential Election Day Rioters
The issue of polarization in Brazil is substantial between the two main political parties namely the “Workers Party” (PT) and the “Brazilian Democratic Movement” (MDB). This began primarily after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s first election in 2002 and continued with the numerous corruption scandals Lula and his mentee President Dilma Rouseff endured. The corruption scandals raised disapproval against the Workers Party and drove the wedge further between the two. The climax of the polarization issue in Brazil was the rioting and storming of government buildings in the capital, Brasilia after the loss of President Bolsonaro to President Lula in 2022.
After the election of President Javier Milei in December of 2023, the rioters at the capital that were charged with insurrection and vandalism fled to Argentina to escape. Brazil’s federal police requested Supreme Court’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes for the order of extradition of the 63 Brazilian nationals on Wednesday which he remitted to the Justice Ministry of Brazil. De Moraes is currently overseeing the investigation of the capital rampage which also targets President Bolsonaro and his top aides. Their homes and offices were searched earlier this year. However, Argentina is not the only country that fugitives decided to flee to. Uruguay has a large number of fugitives as well because Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil are all members of a trade bloc called Mercosur in which only an ID card is required to enter, no passport.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Fuel Tanker Accident in Nigeria Leaves Over 100 Dead
A fuel tanker explosion killed nearly 150 people and injured more than 100 in Nigeria’s northwestern Jigawa region. Civilians rushed to the scene of the tanker crash in an attempt to collect the leaking fuel when the vehicle suddenly caught fire. Local authorities tried to warn civilians and prevent people from approaching the crash site, but the growing crowd overwhelmed them. Officials took the tanker driver into custody after he lost control of the vehicle while driving west into Yobe state. This disaster highlights an ongoing issue in Nigeria another deadly crash between a fuel tanker and truck killed nearly 50 people last month.
In a statement on the incident, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a nationwide review of fuel transportation safety protocols and stricter regulations, especially for nighttime transportation. Although fuel tanker explosions make up only a small portion of Nigeria’s road accidents, many incidents stem from loosely enforced safety rules and poorly maintained roads.
The crash comes as citizens struggle with the surge in oil prices as a result of the government’s decision to end the oil subsidy in June. President Tinubu defended this choice, emphasizing that reduced foreign investment and theft drained oil revenues. The subsidies are also economically impractical, considering the government typically budgets 4.4 trillion naira ($9.5 billion) for them. President Tinubu promised to put the money saved by this decision toward the national fight against poverty. The end of the subsidy, however, triggered a sharp rise in fuel prices and caused the naira to lose about 70% of its value against the dollar. Last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation raised fuel prices by 15%, marking the second rise in less than a month.
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