Weekly Recap: Aug 14 to Aug 20

North America:

• Approximately 15,000 households were under evacuation orders due to intense wildfires last Saturday (Aug 19) that ignited numerous homes in the Canadian province of British Columbia. West Kelowna, a city of 36,000, saw a significant number of its structures catch fire, which subsequently ledto the evacuation of over 2,400 residences. Up north, a massive blaze approached Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, where 20,000 residents were also evacuated. Climate change-driven heat and drought had also led to an extraordinary wildfire season last year, triggering a provincial state of emergency for swift assistance to impacted communities.
• Hurricane Hilary reached Category 1 status last Sunday (Aug 20), with winds of up to 100mph (175km/h). It was expected to make landfall in the US state of California after impacting Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and the southwestern US. Forecasted to weaken into a tropical storm before hitting the United States — a rarity after over 80 years — , Hurricane Hilary prompted concerns of flooding due to substantial rainfall, as indicated by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The most recent update positioned the storm about 285 miles southeast of Punta Eugenia, displaying evident signs of rapid weakening.Still, USPresident Joe Biden urged preparedness, while Mexico deployed 18,000 soldiers to carry out potential rescue efforts.
• The number of migrant families apprehended at the U.S. southern border in June nearly doubled from June, with 60,161 parents and children being taken into custody after crossing illegally, as opposed to 31,266 the previous month, according to reports last Friday (Aug 18). Families made up almost half of the total 132,652 apprehensions in July, marking a significant increase from the less than one-third seen in June. The Biden administration had expressed concern about this trend extending into August, attributing it to smugglers misleading migrants that crossing with children would result in easier entry. Despite this surge, officials had stressed that July’s apprehension figures were lower than those of the previous year. The rise had been driven by families, in contrast to the dominance of single adults in the previous months.
• The United States gave a green light last Saturday (Aug 19), for Danish and Dutch F-16 fighter jets to be transferred to Ukraine, pending pilot training completion. The move aimed to enhance Ukraine’s defence capabilities against Russia’s air superiority. While Ukraine expressed appreciation for the decision, it will take months for the F-16s to counter Russia’s air advantage. The F-16 transfer marks a significant step up for Ukraine’s defence, with pilot training set to start later this month. The F-16’s advanced features are crucial for Ukraine’s air defence strategy and counter-offensive efforts.
• Pascale Ferrier, a Canadian woman, was sentenced to 22 years in a US prison for mailing ricin-laced letters, including one to ex-President Donald Trump, last Friday (Aug 18). Ferrier, 56, had pleaded guilty to biological weapons charges and had expressed regret for her failed attempt to harm Trump. She was arrested at the US-Canada border in September 2020, and her fingerprints were found on the letter intended for Trump. District Judge Dabney Friedrich highlighted the potential deadly nature of her actions. Alongside the letter to Trump, she had also sent tainted letters to Texas law enforcement officials. Following her sentence, Ferrier will be deported and subject to lifelong supervision if she ever returns to the US.

South America:

• Anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo scored a landslide victory in Guatemala’s presidential election and was voted in last Sunday (Aug 20), after voters expressed anger towards the successive leaders’ failure to tackle widespread corruption. Bernardo Arevalo, who promised decisive action for change, had won 58% of votes, with 98% of the ballots counted. His rival Sandra Torres had trailed behind at 36%, according to a count by the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) national election body.
• Dozens were killed in an explosion in the small town of San Cristóbal in the Dominican Republic, last Monday (Aug 14). The cause of the explosion remained unknown, however, the death toll had risen from 11 to 25 last Wednesday (Aug 16), as the search for survivors continued. Among the buildings destroyed was a hardware shop, a veterinary clinic, as well as a plastics factory.
• The Mexican Immigration Officials reported they found two migrants dead in the desert near the Texas border last Thursday (Aug 17). Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) said it had received a report from US officials that 12 migrants had been detained at the border, with four deaths among the group of 16, with their causes of death being unclear. Officials remained searching to recover the remaining two bodies, and were told by survivors they had been stranded in the desert by migrant smugglers.
• Mexican investigators discovered decapitated and burned bodies that were possibly linked to a prior widely-circulated video, last Friday (Aug 18). It was allegedly linked to the case of five kidnapped youths, one of whom was allegedly forced to kill the others. The bodies were badly burned and had not yet been identified, but were found inside a building near the location where the young men were kidnapped.
• A 5-year-old girl was buried in Rio De Janeiro last Monday (Aug 14), after being fatally shot during a protest against alleged police violence. Eloah Passos had died when she was hit by a gunshot in her home in the favela of Morro do Dende, one of Rio’s most violent areas.

Asia Pacific:

• North Korea has been increasing its human rights repression, according to reports of starvation in parts of the country, U.N rights chief (Volker Turk) said last Thursday (Aug 17). According to intelligence, desperation among the nation’s people had increased amongst severe economic difficulties and repression, while surveillance, fear, arrests, interrogation and detention have increased significantly. With borders closed in order to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, guards had been authorised to shoot any unauthorised person approaching the border, whilst almost all foreigners, including U.N. staff, remain barred from the country.
• China announced military patrols around Taiwan last Saturday (Aug 19), as a stern warning to Taiwan following a visit by Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai to the United States. China has viewed trips to the United States by Taiwan’s leaders as undermining its claims to sovereignty over the island, and mentioned that the exercises would test the Chinese military’s “ability to fight in real combat conditions”. Taiwan responded that the drills had highlighted Beijijng’s “militaristic mentality” and that combat aircraft, naval ships as well as land-based missile systems have been tasked with monitoring Chinese forces.
• 10 people were killed in a plane crash that occurred in Selangor state, in Malaysia, last Thursday (Aug 17) The flight had initially departed from Langkawi, the nation’s northern resort island, and was en route to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in westKuala Lumpur. The National Civil Aviation authority confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 6 passengers and 2 crew members when the crash had happened. The two other fatalities were of two motorists on the ground at the time of the crash.
• China was urged to tackle online racism that was targeting black people. The human rights watch have said that racist tropes were ‘common’ across Chinese social media and often portrayed Black people through “offensive stereotypes”. Senior China Researcher at Human Rights Watch mentioned in a statement, that though the Chinese government enjoys touting China-Africa anti colonial solidarity and unity, it simultaneously ignores pervasive hate speech against Black people on the Chinese internet as well.
• A roadside bomb in northern Pakistan killed 11 labourers close to the border with Afghanistan last Saturday Night (Aug 19). Police officer Ibrar Khan reported that the explosion had destroyed the vehicle that was carrying 16 labourers, killing 11 of them at the scene, , while two were taken to a hospital. No trace of the other three could be found, prompting the police to believe they may have fled into the mountains in order to save themselves from further attack.

Europe:

• Thousands were evacuated from Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands last Saturday (Aug 19), following four days of continuous wildfires in the region. More than 26,000 people were evacuated, up from just 4,500 last Friday (Aug 18). The fire burned some 50 square kilometres on the island, with a perimeter of over 50 kilometres. Tenerife Council President Rosa Davila said the scale of the fire was never seen before in the Canary Islands, and that the priority was to “protect people’s lives”. The Islands, like much of mainland Spain, had been experiencing drought in the past few years, as weather patterns altered due to climate change.
• A Russian missile attack killed seven and wounded 144 in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv last Saturday (Aug 19). Ukrainian President Vlodimir Zelenskyy said the dead included a six-year-old girl while 15 other children were among the wounded, and that Ukraine would “respond to Russia for this terrorist attack”. The drone strike hit a theatre during a gathering of drone manufacturers and aerial reconnaissance training schools in the city. Ukraine also reported downing a total of 17 drone attacks overnight. Russian officiaals said it had also “eliminated” 150 Ukrainian troops trying to cross into Russian-occupied territory, and reported Ukrainian drone attacks in certain Russian regions.
• Swedish police detained a woman after she sprayed an anti-Islam demonstrator with a fire extinguisher last Friday (Aug 18). In the latest in a series of demonstrations, Iranian refugee Salwan Momika continued to burn the Qur’an outside the Iranian embassy in Sweden, following the incident. Momika’s demonstrations have been authorised by the police due to Sweden’s policies on “freedom of speech”. The growing anti-Islam sentiment in similar demonstrations have sparked protests against them in return, such as the ‘Extinguish the Hate’ movement in Sweden. The desecration of the Qur’an also sparked protests in certain Muslim-majority nations. Sweden raised its terrorism alert last Thursday (Aug 19) in response to the unrest, saying the nation has become a ‘priority target’ for armed groups. Amid calls from Muslim leaders in the nation, the Swedish government also announced last Friday (Aug 20) that it would look into legal possibilities to reject permits for demonstrations over national security concerns.
• Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed at an emergency UN security council meeting last Wednesday (Aug 16), over the plight of ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karbakh region of Azerbaijan. Armenian officials called the meeting, stating that Azerbaijan had blocked off the Lachin Corridor, the only road leading into the mountainous region from Armenia, which has subsequently led to dwindling food, medicine and electricity. UN official Edem Wasornu told the council that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the only group with access to the area, had not been able to transport food supplies since the day before the blockade on July 15th, and medical supplies since July 7th. Despite “strong statements” made by the council to relieve the blockage, Azerbaijan’s UN ambassador Yashar Aliyev responded by rejecting these “unfounded and groundless accusations” of a humanitarian crisis, stating the blockade was only to prevent Armenian military activities.
• The United Kingdom’s annual inflation rate dropped to a 15-month low in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last Wednesday (Aug 16). The lower Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 6.8 per cent, was down from 7.9 per cent in June, and was in line with the government’s move to reduce energy prices. While the Bank of England had stated inflation may still rise in the month after due to public sector pay rises, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted that the figures were an indication that the government’s “plan was working”. The government has been facing challenges alleviating the UK’S ‘cost of living crisis’, as the UK’s inflation levels had remained the highest among the Group of Seven (G7) nations for months.

Middle East:

• The deadliest armed clashes in a year have resulted in the deaths of 55 individuals in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, according to authorities’ reports last Thursday (Aug 17). This toll, along with 146 injuries, was the result of fighting between the influential 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, both significant militias in Tripoli, despite a truce between the main eastern and western factions since 2020. The ongoing power struggle among numerous militias, even after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, remains a challenge to a lasting solution.
• The United Nations suspended services at the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, Ein el-Hilweh, last Friday (Aug 18), due to  the presence of armed fighters near its schools and facilities. The move followed deadly clashes which erupted after an assassination attempt by the Junud al-Sham armed group on a Palestinian political faction leader, leading to hundreds fleeing the camp. The UN agency, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), urged armed actors to vacate the premises for unimpeded assistance delivery.
• Syria raised public sector wages by 100% while cutting fuel subsidies, according to reports last Friday (Aug 18), despite its current dire economic situation. This was in response to the plummeting value of the Syrian pound against the US dollar on the parallel market. Hyperinflation resulting from the currency’s collapse has driven 90% of the population into poverty and sparked unusual protests. The increase in wages, along with subsidy reductions, aims to alleviate economic struggles, but economists warn it could exacerbate inflation and the pound’s depreciation, potentially nullifying its benefits. The Syrian government attributes the crisis to strict US sanctions imposed in 2019, while the US maintains these sanctions do nothinder humanitarian aid.
• Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese lent his support to Iranian director Saeed Roustaeen last Friday (Aug 18), following his imprisonment for his film screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Roustaeen received a six-month jail termfor presenting his film, “Leila’s Brothers”, at the Cannes Film Festival, without government approval. Roustaee, alongside the film’s producer Javad Noruzbegi, were found guilty of “contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system.” The film, which centred  around the economic struggles of a Tehran-based family, had already faced a ban in Iran for its unauthorised international festival entries. Scorsese shared a petition advocating for justice for Roustaee and Noruzbegi, while festival organisers condemned the incarceration as a significant violation of free speech.
• Two Israelis were killed in an apparent Palestinian shooting attack in the occupied West Bank near the village of Huwara last Saturday (Aug 19). The assailant reportedly approached a carwash on foot and used a handgun to open fire. The victims, aged around 30 and 60, were pronounced dead at the scene, and identified as a father and son. The area, previously a site of both deadly attacks on Israelis and acts of retribution by Jewish settlers, has seen a surge in violence this year. The Israeli military has established blockades and launched a hunt for the gunman, while Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have lauded the attack.

Africa:

• At least six children were killed and four adults were injured in a fire that broke out in a camp for displaced people in Kalehe, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, last Saturday (Aug 19). The camp is home to about 420 families from Bushushu, a village near the eastern border which saw 400 people killed due to landslides and flooding in May. According to the administrator of the Kalehe region, Thomas Bakenga, the blaze started in a hut while a child was cooking. 360 huts were also destroyed in the fire. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCCHA) estimated that approximately 3,000 families had been left homeless after the flooding and mudslides in the country’s east, amid conflict between armed groups and the government.
• At least 63 people were believed to be dead after a capsized boat was found off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic ocean, last Monday (Aug 14). At least 38 people had been rescued from the shipwreck, including four children that were travelling in the vessel since it left Senegal in July, in hopes of reaching Spain. The incident is the latest in the country’s territory amid the large numbers of migrants fleeing to Europe. Around 90 people were saved by Cape Verde rescue teams in January, while two had died on board the canoe.
• Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) chiefs agreed last Friday (Aug 18), on a ‘D-day’ to activate standby forces to resolve Niger’s coup and restore its democracy, should diplomatic efforts fail. In a series of meeting. ECOWAS officials emphasised they intended to negotiate peacefully with Niger’s military leaders, and were “readying [a] mediation mission”, however were also prepared to physically intervene should negotiations prove unsuccessful. The meetings, held over last Friday (Aug 18) and Saturday (Aug 19), saw the separate gatherings of ECOWAS officials and ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, as well as with military coup leader Abdourahmane Tchiani, and were said to have “opened” discussions in order to resolve the ongoing crisis.
• Niger coup leader Abdourahmane Tchiani proposed a three year transition back to civilian rule last Saturday (Aug 19), while warning any physical attacks on the nation would “not be a walk in the park” for those involved. Tchiani’s televised statements followed the agreement between Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) chiefs to ready a physical intervention, should diplomatic negotiations between themselves and Niger’s military government fail. In his address, Tchiani claimed ECOWAS “getting ready to attack Niger” in “collaboration with a foreign army”, and condemned the union’s tough sanctions on the country following the coup. Tchiania stated the military government’s ambition was “not to confiscate power”, and would be ready to engage in dialogue provided it took into account the considerations of the people of Niger. The political turmoil in Niger has also seen a continuation of armed violence waged by terror groups in the nation, who are said to be taking advantage of the situation.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to attend this month’s summit of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders in Johannesburg, according to reports last Friday (Aug 18). 69 countries were invited to the summit, with the group’s expansion expected to be high on the agenda. The summit comes as China seeks to expand its geopolitical influence amid its ongoing competition with the United States.