Sunak: UK to Invest in Climate-Resilient Crops
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking at the Global Food Security Summit in London on Monday, announced that the UK will set up a new science initiative to produce climate-resilient crops.
Insisting that "action" must be taken to "address the underlying, and often unseen, causes of global food insecurity," Sunak said that CGIAR — a global research partnership — will lead the new virtual science hub.
Narrative A
The UK has consistently shown itself as a leading advocate for resolving global food insecurity and is attempting again to rally the international community through London's summit. While current affairs are swamped with controversy and division of opinion, we must continue to come together in the face of global hunger, uncontrolled migration, war, and climate change to drive international development.
Narrative B
2023 is the fourth straight year of reduced UK development aid, spearheaded by Sunak's decision as chancellor to reduce the government's key 0.7% national income budget. Sunak and the Conservatives continue to move funds previously intended for international aid towards unethical domestic immigration policies. Using empty promises and rhetoric, the UK continues to take a step back from its humanitarian duties across the world.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 1.30% of people will be concerned about climate change in 2025, as reported by Google Trends, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Italy: Over 200 Sentenced for Mafia Ties
An Italian court on Monday convicted more than 200 people, including a former lawmaker and a senior police commander, to a total of 2.2K years in prison at the end of the country's biggest organized crime trial in decades.
A panel of three judges took an hour and 40 minutes to read out the sentences against over 330 defendants accused of murder, arms trafficking, extortion, loan sharking, drug trafficking, and money laundering, among other crimes. Around 130 defendants were acquitted.
Narrative A
The verdicts in Italy's mafia trial mark a crucial moment in the pursuit of the 'Ndrangheta, which is largely made up of decentralized families with deep loyalties and no obvious leading clan. Prosecutors have jailed key members of the Sicilian mafia since the 1990s but haven't had much luck infiltrating the 'Ndrangheta till recently.
Narrative B
The 'Ndrangheta convictions are unlikely to kill the criminal network, given its deep roots in over 50 countries. Its elimination will require the reduction of a culture of fear throughout the region. It's a phenomenon that can only be changed with better schools and lower unemployment, which, in turn, will lead to the restoration of faith in the state. Prosecutions alone can't solve this issue.
Musk Sues Media Matters Over Hate-Adjacent Ads on X
Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) sued Media Matters for America (MMFA) on Monday, after the liberal advocacy group claimed that X had displayed ads for major corporations next to neo-Nazi and white nationalist content.
MMFA's report, published last Friday, alleged that companies including Apple, Amazon, IBM, and Oracle had their adverts displayed next to hashtags and search results that promoted far-right ideologies. The report added: "Musk has opened the floodgates to hateful content by reversing bans on anti-Muslim bigots, white nationalists, and antisemites."
Narrative A
Not only has Elon Musk himself promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories in recent days, but it's unquestionable that the number of hateful posts has risen on X — particularly as Musk reversed numerous bans on firms and users that typically produce provocative content. Advertisers are within their rights to pull their money from X.
Narrative B
This report was produced by manipulating the typical experience of users on X, creating a false impression that adverts are routinely placed next to hateful content. The platform has been working extremely hard on its content moderation policies, and the data that X will provide at the lawsuit will prove MMFA's claims wrong.
Nerd narrative
There's a 99% chance that Elon Musk will remain the owner of X on Jan. 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ukraine Sacks Two Cyber Defense Officials in Corruption Probe
Amid a probe into corruption and embezzlement, two senior cyber defense officials were sacked from their posts, a Ukrainian government official confirmed on Monday.
Yurii Shchyhol, head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, and his deputy, Viktor Zhora, were both fired, Taras Melnychuk, a senior cabinet official, said on Telegram.
Pro-establishment narrative
All purchases by the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection were carried out in full compliance with the law. This is merely an investigation at this stage and conclusions should not be reached until the probe has been completed.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is yet another worrying example of corruption allegations in Ukraine. Kyiv will have to do a better job of cleaning up these kinds of acts if it wants to eventually be granted entry to the EU.
Nerd narrative
There's a 30% chance that Ukraine will join the EU before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
BRICS: PRC Supports Expansion; Argentina Likely to Withdraw Application
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry reiterated Beijing's support for the expansion of the BRICS ("Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa") grouping of developing nations on Monday, stating a news briefing that any country interested in becoming a member will be welcomed.
This comes as Argentina's proposed foreign minister under President-elect Javier Milei, Diana Mondino, told at the victory rally on Sunday that the country would likely decline membership on claims that there is no clear benefit for Argentina to enter the BRICS.
Anti-China narrative
BRICS is merely a notoriety-seeking PRC-dominated group that comprises countries that have nothing in common, except the ambition to attain relevance in geopolitical affairs. Each nation certainly has its own reasons for applying to join the group, but, ultimately, doing so can only deepen its dependence on China.
Pro-China narrative
The more that BRICS expands, the closer the world will be to a new, multipolar international order — with a robust, peacebuilding China —based on win-win cooperation and mutual respect that will replace the centuries-old exploitive Western dominance system. It's outrageous that the US and its allies keep judging the bloc and its members by their own standards.
Nerd narrative
There's a 70% chance that China will operate at least one military base in a BRICS country before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Philippines, US Launch Joint Patrols
The Philippines and the US launched joint military patrols near Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a three-day exercise that analysts say is likely to increase tensions with China.
Describing the maritime and air patrols as a "significant initiative," Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated the exercise would "bolster the interoperability of our military forces." Marcos had described relations with Beijing in the South China Sea as more "dire than it was before" a day prior.
Anti-China narrative
As China continues its aggressive claims upon territories ruled by international law to not reside within their sovereign rights, the US has continued to take responsibility for securing peace in the region while standing by its ally as agreed upon in the 1951 US-Philippines Defense Treaty. The more China pushes, the more likely there are to be dangerous consequences.
Pro-China narrative
The Philippines and the US continue to collude as Manila continues to serve as Washington's proxy in its efforts against China. The Philippines has seemingly made a bet against Beijing, thinking it has a strategic advantage, but that decision will prove to be unwise, as Manila shows it cannot be trusted by its East Asian neighbors.
Nerd narrative
There's a 17% chance of a US-China war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US Senate Subpoenas X, Snap, Discord CEOs to Testify on Child Safety
The US Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas on Monday to the CEOs of Discord, Snap, and X, requiring them to testify at a Dec. 6 hearing on online child sexual exploitation.
The subpoenas — issued to Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino — accuse the three companies of “repeated refusals to appear” during negotiations, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expected to testify at the hearing voluntarily.
Pro-establishment narrative
Big tech has failed to keep children safe online, and these company's silence on the issue can no longer continue. It's high time these companies testify and inform Congress on how they will protect children from sexual exploitation on their platforms. The digital world needs the same kind of protection for children as already exists in the offline world.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the committee's concerns are legitimate, it's using Big Tech as a scapegoat. Social media safety measures are undoubtedly one part of the equation, but they're not enough on their own to ensure children's safety in this increasingly digital era. Other efforts — such as education on the dangers of social media — and other stakeholders must work in tandem with Big Tech.
Israel Set to Approve Hostage Release Deal With Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 38-minister cabinet gathered on Tuesday for a detailed debate and vote on a deal that would see the release of around 50 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Despite opposition from the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties, the government has a majority to approve the deal.
According to CBS News, the agreement brokered by the US and Qatar would include a limited six-hour cease-fire for four days as well as the release of three Palestinian prisoners — women and children — held in Israeli detention centers for each hostage freed.
Pro-establishment narrative
While freeing hostages is of the utmost important, Israel must not succumb to international pressure. Hamas has a history of forcing unfair deals, and if entered into carelessly, it could use the ceasefire to regroup and rearm itself and perpetuate its dominance in Gaza. Any negotiation with the terrorists could be destructive to Israel's future, which is why it must proceed cautiously.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though the Israel Defense Forces are getting closer to the hostages, a tactical assault on Hamas to free the captives could lead to the deaths of many more. Israel must do whatever it takes to bring its citizens home immediately, including a prisoner exchange or a temporary ceasefire, which will also see much-needed aid reach Gaza, where a humanitarian cataclysm is currently unfolding.
Nerd narrative
There's a 40% chance that Hamas will lose control of Gaza before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: US House Could Vote on Biden Impeachment Inquiry by January
Politico reported Tuesday that US House Republicans could vote on whether to impeach President Joe Biden as early as January. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told the outlet that his party could finish interviewing at least 15 witnesses, including Biden's son Hunter, by the end of the year.
The House GOP faces multiple obstacles, however, including their thin majority in the lower chamber and many in their party still hesitant over whether they've obtained enough impeachment evidence. If it did go through, they would likely accuse Biden of improperly using his political office to further his family’s business dealings.
Democratic narrative
There are many reasons this inquiry won't work, the least of which is the lack of any evidence to support these corruption accusations. First of all, only the extreme MAGA Republicans are enthusiastic about this impeachment, with the rest quietly hoping for it to die on the floor or be dropped entirely — especially the 18 GOP reps from states Biden won in 2020. And finally, if this sham inquiry eventually passes the House, it will be dead on arrival in the Democrat-led Senate.
Republican narrative
While government representatives in Biden's party may not allow impeachment to succeed in the end, that doesn't mean the President is innocent or free from independent investigations into his nefarious dealings. As more and more burner email accounts emerge exposing how he used private servers to conduct White House business, for example, those interested in the truth will hopefully find more incriminating evidence of Biden using his office to reap financial rewards for himself and his family.
Nerd narrative
There's a 25% chance that Joe Biden will be impeached by the House of Representatives, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Papua New Guinea Orders Evacuations After Volcano Eruption
On Monday, Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Mount Ulawun volcano began spewing smoke and debris into the air — prompting residential evacuations and the cancellation of air travel.
New Britain Island, where Mount Ulawun is located, is a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of heavy volcanic and tectonic activity that lines the rim of the Pacific Ocean.
Narrative A
Papua New Guinea is one of the most disaster-prone and vulnerable countries in the world. Residents live under the constant threat of geologic and meteorological hazards. Even with the long-standing risks, the structures and infrastructure throughout PNG are inadequate and at risk. A burgeoning bilateral partnership between Australia and Papua New Guinea's governments focusing on disaster risk reduction could help greatly, but the threat remains.
Narrative B
The news cycle and social media are lighting up about the many volcanic eruptions that are imminent or already occurring. Yet, the truth is that we live on a very active geologic planet with somewhere between 50 eruptions occurring every day. Much to the chagrin of doomsayers, there is nothing abnormal going on here. PNG has faced and adopted to the threat of volcanoes throughout the tapestry of its history.
Nerd narrative
There's a 90% chance that the human condition will change fundamentally before 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.