Weekly News Digest for November 22nd, 2024
Compiled by Lydia Wong, Nila Karunakaran, Tobyn Smith, Joey Quinn, Layla Jeeth,
Trinity De Lima, Mary Wahn
Edited by John Wilson, Lydia Wong, Grey Cohen, Ryan Simmons, Sara Anis Ali
Asia and the Pacific
A Choking Death Trap: India and Pakistan Covered Under a Blanket of Poisonous Smog
A thick, toxic smog in India’s capital, New Delhi, continues to drift across the border, intensifying pollution in the Pakistani cities of Multan, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Gujranwala. Life for more than 45 million residents has come to a halt in both New Delhi and Pakistan’s second-largest city, Lahore. Just weeks after Lahore documented pollution levels above 1,000, monitors recorded levels of 1,500 in India – 15 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) satisfactory level for breathing. Authorities in New Delhi have shut down schools, stalled construction, and banned non-essential trucks, while Lahore’s schools, offices, and public spaces have been ordered to shut down.
First labeled hazardous in the early hours of November 11, the region’s air quality rose further into the severe category according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental agency, and Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senior Minister of the Punjab province. UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, even warned that the smog was visible from space. He estimated that more than 11 million children under the age of five live in the worst impacted areas, alerting the public that air pollution would have “devastating effects” and may “lead[ing] to life-threatening respiratory diseases.”
As the world’s second and third most polluted countries, India and Pakistan have long been hotspots for severe air pollution and have struggled to combat their annual surges. Every year, pollution in Northern India, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, reaches a new record as farmers engage in the traditional burning of crop residue during winter months. The burning of leftover paddy stalks coincides with increasingly colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where excessive emissions from cars, trucks, and other vehicles amplify unprecedented levels of air pollution. India’s failure to develop a long-term solution to reduce pollutants has sparked outrage from residents and the international community. Subdodh Kuman, a rickshaw puller, vocalized a deep frustration with the government’s “stay inside” response to the crisis, saying “We don’t have [the] option to stay indoors… Our livelihood, food, and life – everything is in the open.”
The current situation in India and Pakistan has officially been classified as a state of emergency, with political deadlock only exacerbating the issue. The crisis has fostered the emergence of a political blame game between New Delhi’s local government and central authorities. In several statements this week, New Delhi’s Environment Minister accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav of being silent, saying the smog was their “moral responsibility.” The escalating tensions between parties galvanized government officials to propose cloud seeding as a last-ditch mitigation effort. Cloud seeding is an ever-evolving process involving dispersing chemicals like silver, potassium, and sodium chloride into moisture-laden clouds to artificially stimulate rainfall. While it sounds ideal in theory, scientists have expressed their skepticism, with claims that it is too experimental and does not address the root causes in constant pollution.
Central America and the Caribbean
Can the U.S. Rally the World to Help Haiti
The United States is stepping up efforts to turn Kenya’s multinational security mission in Haiti into an official UN peacekeeping force. The situation in Haiti has become increasingly dire, with gangs controlling nearly 85% of Port-au-Prince. This surge in violence has crippled essential infrastructure, forced the closure of the main airport, and deepened the country’s instability. While Kenya has committed to leading the mission, the operation faces significant challenges, particularly a lack of funding and logistical support. By bringing the UN on board, the U.S. aims to secure sustainable resources and global backing for a stronger, long-term response. However, U.S. objectives are facing opposition from Russia and China, permanent veto-holding members of the UN Security Council, amid concerns about sending peacekeepers into such a volatile conflict zone, and questioning the mission's purpose and scope.
For the U.S., this crisis isn’t just about Haiti, it has far-reaching implications closer to home. Regional instability could lead to a surge in refugees, impacting U.S. border security and immigration policy. A failed state in the Caribbean also risks becoming a hub for organized crime and illegal trafficking, directly threatening American national security. On a broader scale, leading a successful UN-backed mission would reinforce U.S. influence in international organizations and showcase a commitment to stabilizing the Western Hemisphere. This comes at a crucial time as China and Russia are making moves to expand their presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, challenging U.S. dominance in the region, but history looms large. The UN’s last peacekeeping mission in Haiti (2004-2017) left deep scars, with a cholera outbreak and allegations of misconduct damaging trust in international interventions. The U.S. must tread carefully, balancing the urgent need for action with respect for Haitian sovereignty and a clear focus on accountability. How this mission unfolds will not only test the international community’s commitment but also reveal whether the U.S. can reassert power and competitive influence in the Americas and on the global stage.
Europe
Ukraine Strikes Russia
In a bid to escalate its attacks, Ukraine launched American supplied missiles deep into Russian territory on the 1,000th day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s attack comes after President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to use their long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) largely as a consequence of the change of American leadership in January. Earlier this month, Ukraine announced a Victory Plan to end the war, mainly to arm Ukraine to defend itself independently. The US and Ukraine deemed the arrival of North Korean troops on the frontline of Russia as an attempt to further escalate war. .
Russia retaliated by making adjustments to its nuclear doctrine, enabling it to attack a non-nuclear state that is backed by a nuclear state, increasing the concerns surrounding a nuclear escalation with this conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that this strike by Ukraine is a clear and concise attempt at escalation. In retaliation, Russia has retaliated by using intercontinental ballistic missiles— the first time this missile has been used in any war — by striking Dnipro,Ukraine. This is a concern on future peace as Russia has has warned countries facilitating the conflict are involved
Middle East and North Africa
ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
On November 21st, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif. The International Criminal Court cited “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024” for Gallant and Netanyahu’s arrest warrants. The court further elaborated on the Israeli government’s treatment of the civilian population in Gaza. According to their statement, Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally deprived the population in Gaza of basic necessities like food, water, healthcare, fuel and electricity during the aforementioned timeframe. The court issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif’s involvement in the October 7th attacks.
In the United States and Israel alike, officials have widely condemned the move. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named the International Criminal Court, “the enemy of humanity”. In a statement from the White House, United States (U.S.) President Joe Biden lambasted the ICC prosecutor and called the arrest warrants “outrageous”. Members of the U.S. legislature also overwhelmingly denounced the court’s decision– some questioning the ICC’s legitimacy. U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham called for the government to sanction the ICC.
The International Criminal Court is an international organization based in The Hague, Netherlands. It is primarily charged with jurisdiction in international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. World leaders on the current list of arrest warrants include President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan, and now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. States party to the Rome Statute, which entered into effect in 2002, are obligated to arrest those individuals with an arrest warrant that pass through their territory. Neither the United States nor Israel are active Rome Statute signatories, but Palestine is. While the ICC’s decision makes travel for the three persons with an arrest warrant more difficult, their governments are under no obligation to execute the arrest warrants, so it is unlikely that Netanyahu or Gallant will appear before the court.
North America
Canada Expresses Concerns over Possible China-Mexico Trade Relations
This past week, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced that leaders in the current U.S. administration, as well as individuals close to the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, expressed concern to her over possible China-Mexico trade relations, to which she agreed on behalf of Canadian leaders. Mexico has emerged as a possible manufacturing hub for for China to recover lost profits on goods that can no longer be easily imported to North America following tariffs placed by the United States and Canada. Chinese companies that previously produced goods in China are looking to move their manufacturing to Mexico in an effort to bypass difficulties created by Canadian and U.S. tariffs.
Earlier this year, the United States increased import tariffs placed on Chinese goods. The import tariffs seek to limit Chinese imports of steel, aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, and medical products. In August, Canada followed suit by placing a 100% tariff on imports of electric vehicles made in China. The tariffs have impacted business owners in both countries, with some in the United States stocking up on inventory ahead of a possible increase on tariffs against China during the new Trump administration.
South America
Brazil Arrests Five Suspects Involved in Alleged Assassination Attempt on President Lula
On Tuesday, Brazilian police detained five individuals due to their alleged plot to murder President Lula da Silva and his vice-president, Gerardo Alckmin, two weeks before they were sworn into office in 2022. Four of the suspects are soldiers and one is a police officer. These arrests follow after a federal investigation implicated former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro’s involvement in an attempted coup against the government. . Following the attempted coup, the Brazilian military launched investigations in several states such as Rio de Janeiro, Goias, Amazonas, and the Federal District. The state caught the soldiers in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Security operations for the G20 leaders meeting occurred at the same time in Rio de Janeiro but it is confirmed that the soldiers were not involved. The reasoning for the attempted assassination is not entirely known but these soldiers were close aides to Bolsonaro and supported his claims that fraud was involved in the 2022 election. They tried to prevent Lula from rising to power again.
The soldiers possibly formed a criminal organization to carry out this task. A statement from the Brazilian military disclosed that, “this criminal organization used a high level of technical military knowledge to plan, coordinate, and execute illicit actions in the months of November and December 2022”. The assassination was not the only component of their plan because if the coup proved successful then they would also arrest and execute a member of the Supreme Court. The operation donned the nickname of “green and yellow dagger” which corresponds to the Brazilian flag.
Although these issues do not implicate Brazil’s ability to host G20 as none of the possible security threats were involved in the operations of the summit, it does result in further political unrest and polarization. Aggressive or violent actions in the name of political goals will heighten distrust and suspiscion between parties. Additionally, these groups will possibly move towards radical ideologies when extremes like this occur.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ugandan Opposition Figure Appears in Military Court After Abduction
Ugandan opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, appeared in military court on charges of seeking foreign assistance to destabilize Uganda’s military and possession of a firearm. Besigye was a former leader of the Ugandan opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and he stood alongside fellow FDC member Hajj Lutale Kamulegeya in a military court. The court based such charges on evidence of Besigye and Lutale’s holding meetings on logistical and military support in Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya with foreign agents. During the hearing, both Besigye and Lutale denied the charges brought against them and requested to be placed in a civilian court. The court’s judge rejected such requests and declared Besigye would remain in the custody of the Ugandan government until December 2.
This isn’t the first time Besigye has faced legal battles with the Ugandan court system. Last year Besigye was brought in front of a court on charges of inciting violence through his efforts to organize protests over inflation. Besigye, who has run for president four times, is a frequent and active protester of longtime President Yoweri Museveni, whose administration and party have governed Uganda since 1986. President Museveni responded to Besigye and the FDC’s dissent by arresting and charging 36 FDC supporters with terrorism-related offenses. Because of his actions against the political opposition, human rights groups and government critics often accuse Museveni and his government of faking charges to suppress the protests and opposition of Besigye and his party in Uganda.
Besigye’s court hearing was his first public appearance since his kidnapping from Kenya earlier in the week. Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, announced on social media that the Ugandan government had abducted her husband in Nairobi, Kenya after he attended a book launch event. Spokespeople of the Ugandan government deny the abduction allegations and instead claim that the arrests made were done in coordination with Kenya—something the Kenyan government refutes. Instead, the Kenyan government launched an investigation into the circumstances of Besigye’s forced removal from the country as criticism from the international community grew against its failed protection of the Ugandan opposition figure.
However, Kenya and Uganda still maintain a fairly strong relationship, despite the opposition both countries face. Despite its claim to be a safe haven, Kenya has deported multiple Ugandan opposition supporters back to Uganda for their arrest in a variety of instances, highlighting the Kenyan government’s strong relationship with Uganda during difficult times.
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