WEEKLY RECAP: SEP 25 TO OCT 1

North America:

• Two Mexican migrants were killed, and three were injured, in a shooting on the Mexican side of the border with the United States, last Friday (Sept 29). Rescue services from Grupo Beta, a government migrant aid service, found the group of 14 people that were travelling through Cuchuma Hill, in Tecate, near the Mexican state of Baja California, on route to the United States. The hill, a site considered sacred by an indigenous group, is a common path taken by human smugglers. Violence and robberies have taken place on the path due to rivalry between cartels, or during confrontations between smugglers and local authorities. At least 14 migrants caught in the crossfire were killed in an incident between smugglers and Tamaulipas state police, who argued they were in pursuit of Gulf cartel vehicles, and later tried to cover up their deaths. The incident in Tecate is the latest in a growing number of migrants being killed or injured as they make the dangerous journey to the United States through Mexico’s northern and southern borders.
• A United States judge ruled in favour of two Black descendants of slaves owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation tribe last Wednesday (Sept 25). The ruling came following the two Freedmen’s lawsuit following the rejection of the tribal citizenship. Muscogee Nation Attorney General Geri Wisner stated the tribe plans to immediately appeal the ruling to the Muscogee Nation’s Supreme Court. The Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Seminole nations – the Five Tribes — assimilated some of their settlers’ cultures, including slave owning, of whose rights were later defined in separate treaties in the United States.
• The United States government averted a government shutdown last Saturday (Sept 30), as funding legislation was passed, breaking a stalemate. The stopgap bill saw 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting in its favour, with a total of 335-91. The uncommon show of unity was essential to avert the shutdown which would have stopped all non-essential work and retain paychecks for its duration. The bill would liquidate government funding for the next 45 days, necessitating further discussions to prevent a similar situation from arising in November. The shutdown would have spelled a halt in what was deemed non-essential activity such as scientific research and nutrition aid to seven million poor mothers, while border patrols and airport screenings would be uninterrupted.
• A United States federal body, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sued Elon Musk’s Tesla over “pervasive racial harassment” of its Black workers, according to reports last Friday (Sept 29). The federal charges added to discrimination claims filed by the state of California against the company, as well as lawsuits filed by individual Tesla workers. Tesla has been accused of creating a hostile work environment for its Black workers in its factory in Fremont, California, with workers being subjected to abuse such as being called racial slurs, with the “racial misconduct” being present across all shifts, departments and positions. According to legal documents filed, factory walls bore graffiti that included swastikas, nooses and threats. Workers also claimed the treatment they received at work worsened following their complaints. Tesla previously claimed it did not tolerate discrimination. The lawsuit sought “unspecified damages”, compensation, and an order that Tesla curb racism at the factory.
• Canada and the United Kingdom joined the United States in their condemnation of Myanmar coup leaders’ plans to hold tightly controlled elections, according to reports last Thursday (Sept 28). The move marked a clearer divergence with regards to Myanmar’s military rule, with Western powers on one side, and Russia and China, which have strong political and economic engagements with the current military leaders in power, on the other.

South America:

• Venezuelan authorities said last Saturday (Sept 30), that it dismantled the Tren de Aragua gang, after regaining control of a prison from the group, in the northern state of Aragua. 11,000 soldiers were sent into the prison which served as an operating centre for the criminal gang and housed various amenities for members of about 5,000 strong. The raid last Wednesday (Sept 27), The Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVV), which tracks developments in the country’s detention centres, said the head of the gang, Hector Guerrero, and other leaders were tipped off before the raid and managed to flee the prison and the country a week beforehand.Venezuelan authorities rejected the claim, saying 88 people which fled the prison during the raid were recaptured, and 1,600 inmates had been transferred to other prisons across the country.
• More than 12,000 protesters gathered last Wednesday (Sept 27), in Tercer Milenio Park, in Bogota, Colombia, in their first demonstration during the administration of left-wing President Gustavo Petro. Members of the“Minga” collective movement of Indigenous peoples demanded an end to the ongoing violence in the country that has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities. The President had previously stated he would reinstate peace in the nation, following his election last year, and had since yielded mixed results with his plan to negotiate with the criminal gangs in the country.
• At least six people were killed and 12 were missing as waters from the overflowing Naranjo River swept through the shantytown of Dios es Fiel, in the nation’s capital of Guatemala City, last Monday (Sept 25). A young girl of about five years of age was among the deceased, while eight children were among the missing. Landslides are a common threat to communities in Guatemala’s rainy season, worsened by a lack of housing for low-income residents who resort to living in shanty towns in areas that may be unsafe. At least 29 people have already died from landslides in the country this year, with about 2.1 million people affected overall.

Asia Pacific:

• The Chairman of Hong Kong’s leading journalist group was found guilty of the obstruction of a law enforcement officer last Monday (Sept 25). This sparked concerns worldwide about the declining press freedom for the city. Ronson Chan, a chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and a journalist for the online news outlet Channel C, was arrested on this way to a reporting assignment. He was also accused of refusing to show the plainclothes officer his identity card upon request.
• The Embassy for Afghanistan closed in India last Sunday (Oct 1). It cited a severe lack of diplomatic support and personnel in India and the absence of a solidified recognised government in the capital of Kabul. It restated its position in a statement that it will continue to provide emergency consular services to Afghan nationals despite the significant reduction in personnel and resources, making it much harder for them to continue operations.
• According to a government source last Saturday, Japan seeks a court order to disband the Unification Church (Sept 30). The group’s scrutiny had intensified significantly after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot during his election campaign speech last year over his perceived links to the entity. This incident highlighted the entity’s connections with many ruling party lawmakers in Asia. The church has been notorious for its “spiritual sales”, where it pressures people to purchase vases and other items for exorbitant prices through threats.
• According to a high-level meeting between the neighbouring nations, China has rejected calls to invest in the fresh ‘Belt and Road’ projects in Pakistan as of last Monday (Oct 2). This reason has been chalked up mainly to the political uncertainty as well as the deteriorating security that has been plaguing Islamabad.
• Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, informed Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, to promote cooperative relations with China and strengthen strategic and working-level cooperation in a letter. This is according to the letter that Kim sent on Thursday (Sept 28). He holds a firm stance that. the relations between the DPRK and China would only go forward to develop in conformity with the requirements of a new era and the desire of the two peoples in the future.

Europe:

• Strikes, protests, and discontent are rampant in Finland as of last Monday (Oct 2) as unhappiness mounts over the government’s austerity budget. Trade union leaders have established that the right-wing government feels like a ‘reverse Robin Hood’ administration, reducing benefits to the poor whilst rewarding the rich with multiple tax breaks. The welfare support for Finnish students has been consecutively cut, with the government worsening the already detrimental predicament by forcing students to take on more debt to study. The government also significantly increased tuition fees and tightened immigration policy for more stringent rules towards international students and housing allowances. A politician from the ruling National Coalition Party ratcheted up the rhetoric by framing the students as left-wing invaders who unreasonably demanded more grants and subsidies from the state.
• President Biden had vowed continuous support and to stand by Ukraine despite the budget fiasco as of last Sunday (Oct 1), where further military funding was excluded from a last-minute congressional budget deal. The temporary measure pushed through to avert a government shutdown was not inclusive of the $ 6 billion in military aid for Kyiv, which was the top priority for the White House. Washington had already supplied some $46 billion (£37bn) in military assistance to Ukraine ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. President Biden had requested another $24 billion (£19bn) to be supplied to the budget. The temporary budget agreement, which would have funded the US federal government for 45 days, had stripped out continued military funding for the time being. However, the United States had been adamant about pledging funds to fund the Ukraine war effort.
• A nightclub in Spain had killed 13 in Murcia. The fiery blaze had broken out in the Fonda Milagros nightclub, also known as La Fonda, early Sunday morning (Oct 1). It then spread over to neighbouring clubs as patrons rushed to escape the packed dancefloors, according to the police.
• More than 60,000 protesters gathered in the capital and demanded for climate change action, as of last Friday (Sept 30). The protestors demanded for tougher policies in order to combat climate change, less than a month ahead of the national election. Such large protests are beyond rare in Switzerland and only goes to show growing public frustration for more action to combat global warming despite ample evidence of its impact. It was known that Switzerland’s glaciers have shrunk by 10% in over 2 years, whilst September was also the hottest on record in a country warming at more than twice the global rate, only going to show the effect of global warming.
• Poland’s opposition supporters mass in Warsaw two weeks before the election. The opposition’s leader Donald Tusk had told supporters that political “change for the better is inevitable” in Poland at a massive march last Sunday (Oct 1). Tusk has been trying to boost his political coalition’s chances of unseating the nationalist government in an upcoming parliamentary election. The party had interfered with state media to ensure that it mostly promoted the government’s views and promoted populist policies like demanding that Germany pay reparations for its atrocities committed in World War Two, together with banning abortions.

Middle East:

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the forced ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh as a victory last Monday (Sept 25). The two leaders met in Nakhchivan exclave to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship, and regional and global issues; and to sign a gas pipeline deal. Thousands of ethnic Aremenians from Nargorno-Karabakh have fled to Armenia. And Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said an estimate of 120,000 civilians are expected to flee to Armenia over fears of “ethnic cleansing”. The ethnic Armenian leadership promised Karabakh Armenians it woud remain in place till all those who want to leave were able to go. The second round of talks between Azerbaijani officials and Karabakh Armenian separatist forces began last Monday (Sept 25) as well.
• Crossings points to the Gaza Strip were reopened last Thursday (Sept 28) following successful mediations by Qatar with Egypt, Israel, and Hamas. The crossing points were closed after violence broke out as a result of Palestinians being prevented from working. Qatari envoy Mohamma al-Emadi said that Qatar will spare no efforts in supporting the Palestinian people through diplomacy and developmental intitaitves until they achieve their aspirations for statehood and prosperity. About 18,000 Gazans that have permits to work in Israel were allowed them to return to their jobs following the reopening. Cogat, the Israeli Defence Ministry said that security assessments will determin whether the Gaza crossing point will remain open.
• Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accepted Saudi Ambassador Nayef al-Sudairi’s credentials last Tuesday (Sept 26), which made al-Sudairi the first Sadui ambassador to Palestine in three decades, albeit a non-resident envoy. al-Sudairi is also the current ambassador to Jordan. His credentials identified as “Ambassador Extraodinary and Plenipotentiary of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the State of Palestine, and Counsul General of the Kingdom in Jersalem”. Israel had rejected the idea of a Saudi consulate in Jersalem and prohibited any Palestinian diplomatic activity in the city. The ambassador appointment comes amidst ongoing negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise relations.
• Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on an official visit to Doha last Tuesday (Sept 26). On the agenda were various points of interests: “fraternal” relations between the two countries and how to secure them; and the regional and international issues of common concern. Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foregin Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani was also in attendance. The official visit was in part of efforts to repair diplomatic ties after a years-long blockade which began in 2017 and ended in 2021. Saudi Arabia and its allied had ended diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed all their borders, citing claims that Qatar was too friendly to Iran and causing regional instability by supporting “terrorist”.
• Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz’s travel to Saudi Arabia for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation last Tuesday (Sept 26), marked the first public trip of an Israeli cabinet minister to Saudi Arabia. The trip is “extremely unprecedented” as frozen relations between the two countries have been thawing from Washington pressure to normalise relationships. Katz said that he will work to advance cooperation, tourism and the foreign relations of Israel. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had expressed strong reservations about the budding ties between Arab nations and Israel: “Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full, legitimate national rights would be mistaken.”
• A joint news release last Thursday (Sept 28) announced that the central banks of the United Arab emirates and Egypt have agreed to a currency exchange deal. The agreement allowed the exchange up to five billion Emirati dirhams (S$1.86 billion) and 42 billion Egyptian pounds (S$1.85 billion) to save the Egyptian economy. Egypt’s economic crisis has led to the Egyptian pound to lose more than 50 per cent of its value against the dollar, shortage of foreign currency, depletion of grain imports due to the Ukraine war, and an increasing inflation rate (which currently stood at 39.7 per cent). More than US$100 billion (S$137 billion) in Gulf money had already gone to Egypt since 2013 when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Ssi’s government came into power.

Africa:

• Libyan Renegade general Khalifa Haftar met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Seregei Shoigu in Moscow last Tuesday (Sept 26) to discuss the situation in Libya and the region as a whole. Haftar has long standing relations with Moscow and depends on Russian mercenary group Wagner for military support. Haftar is a key personnel in the rival administration to Libya’s UN-backed government in Tripoli, and had failed to overthrow the UN-backed government in 2019. Hundreds of Wagner personnel still remained in Libya despite repeated United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for the withdrawal of all foreign military forces.
• Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the UN Security Council last Thursday (Sept 28) that more than 2500 people have died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe; with 186,000 arriving in Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta – about 80 per cent landed in Italy. The numbers have increased compared to last year. The land journey from sub-Saharan Africa to seas crossing departure points on the Tunisian and Libyan coasts is one of the world’s most dangerous. Menikdiwela reported that 102,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia, a 260 per cent increase from 2022.
• A team of five from the Carter Center’s International Election Observation arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, last Tuesday (Sept 26) – well ahead of the December 20th general elections. The Carter Center has monitored 115 elections in 40 different countries, carrying out election observation activities following the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and evaluating national legal frameworks, regional election commitments, and global election observation standards. Human Rights Watch has already reported numerous cases of intimidation of opposition candidates: “The Congolese authorities’ recent wave of arrests and restrictions on fundamental liberties is targeting opposition presidential candidates and their top officials”.
• Parliamentary Elections in Eswatini were held last Friday (Sept 29), despite the electoral outcomes having little impact on the politics of the country. Eswatini is an absolute monarch, ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The elections have been widely condemned as a “farce” by pro-democracy groups because of the ‘non-affiliated-to-any-political-party’ criteria. The House of Assembly parliamentary members are allowed to make suggestions to the king who can choose to ignore them. The king has control over all branches of national government and governance. Louw Net, a senior political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, said that “the election will be dominated by monarchists and other candidates sympathetic to the ruler.”
• Burkina Faso announced the detainment of four officers for their involvement in a “conspiracy against state security” with two others “on the run” last Thursday (Sept 28), after the military government announced it had thwarted a coup attempt that took place last Tuesday (Sept 26). The attempted coup comes nearly a year to the day since current junta leader Captain Ilbrahim Traore seized power on 30 September 2022. Thousands of Traore supporters took to the streets last Tuesday (Sept 26) to defend him. Traore doubled down stating that he is “determin[ed] to lead the transition [towards democracy with presidential elections] safely despite the adversity and different manoeuvres to stop our inexorable march towards assumed sovereignty.”
• The chairperson of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was reported to have told the AU’s Peace Security Council that there is a “need for comprehensive and sustainable solutions” in the Sahel region and to consolidate progress made in Somalia, Mozambique, and the Lake Chad Basin, last Thursday (Sept 28). Mahamat noted that the withdrawal of United Nations peace forces across the continent has created considerable gaps, citing the twin attacks on Malian military base and a passenger boat whilst the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali were withdrawing. Mahamat also warned that the new wave of military coups could push Africa “deeper into chaos”.
• The post-coup Nigerien regime has successfully demanded the expulsion of French ambassador to Niger – Sylvain Itte, who had left Niamey for Chad last Wednesday (Sept 27). The Nigerien military government had told Itte to leave in August, and took away his diplomatic immunity and visa, but the 48-hour ultimatum went by with him still in place. The evacuation of the Nigerien French embassy follows the announcement of French troop withdrawals, following demands from the Nigerien military government. Tens of thousands of people have joined demonstrations and gatherings and demanded the withdrawal of French troops too.