26 February 2023

Weekly Newsletter

Military & Armed Conflict

North Korea reportedly tested two short-range ballistic missilesand claimed to have fired four long-range cruise missiles,Iran denied claims that it has enriched uranium above 60% purity,at least 53 civilians were killed in an attack in Syria,Israeli strikes on a building in central Damascus left at least five dead,and 11 Palestinians were killed and over 100 injured in an Israeli raid in Nablus,after which militants in Gaza fired rockets into Israel.

Russia-Ukraine

As Friday marked the first anniversary since the invasion, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy commemorated the nation's soldiers who have died and pledged a Ukrainian victory.To coincide with the anniversary, the EU approved a 10th package of sanctions against Russia.Meanwhile, US Pres. Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday, where he met with Zelenskyy before arriving in Poland on Tuesday.This came as Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin gave his annual State of the Nation address, which saw him criticize the West for its alleged role in the conflict and announce plans to withdraw from New START - the last remaining nuclear treaty with the US.On the ground, renewed missile attacks were reported across Ukraine on Wednesdayas tensions over the breakaway region of Transnistria rose, with Russia's defense ministry claiming on Thursday that Ukraine is preparing an "armed false-flag operation" in the area as a pretext for an invasion, while Moscow has been accused of planning a coup in the country.

World Politics

Ahead of Nigeria's parliamentary and presidential elections, which were held on Saturday,a senatorial candidate from the country's opposition Labor Party was killed,suspected rebels killed at least eight police officers,and a lawmaker from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party was arrested for allegedly carrying nearly $500K in cash along with a distribution list.Elsewhere, UK's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued five missions to give Britain "its future back,"China and Japan held their first security talks in four years,a Chinese delegation visited Taiwanas a US official confirmed that the US is sending more troops to the island nation,and amid North Korea's food shortage, a state newspaper warned against consuming external food aid.Meanwhile, Israel's Knesset passed the first reading to turn plans of judicial reform into law,a report claimed that Israelis and Palestinians have held secret talks for weeks,the UN Security Council issued a formal statement denouncing Israel's settlements,Pakistan and Afghanistan fully reopened a key trade route,the government of Bangladesh shut down a newspaper run by the main opposition party,and detained Philippines Senator Leila De Lima filed a petition requesting her immediate release.

US Politics

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating the Jan. 6 riots,a former judge said that former VP Mike Pence "doesn’t have a chance" of avoiding his subpoena,the foreperson of the Georgia grand jury investigating the riots confirmed that the panel recommends indictments for several people,and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to Jan. 6 footage.In other news, Sen. Jennifer McClellan was elected as Virginia's first Black congresswoman,a Texas bill to ban certain foreign purchases of real estate sparked criticism,Biden proposed new asylum restrictions at the southwest border,Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green was criticized over a tweet suggesting a "national divorce,"and CNN confirmed that journalist Don Lemon would undergo "formal training" following controversial comments about presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Crime & Justice

A teacher in France was stabbed to death by a pupil,three men were arrested in connection with a shooting in Northern Ireland,and an app designed to prevent the distribution of online child abuse received £1.8M from the EU.Meanwhile, prosecutors downgraded actor Alec Baldwin’s charges in a case involving the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins,former Hollywood film tycoon Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 16 more years in prison,Mexico's ex-security minister was convicted of drug trafficking,and a report found that extortion payments for ransomware fell in 2022 due to improved cybersecurity.

Civil Liberties

Shamima Begum - who joined the Islamic State in 2015 - lost her appeal challenging the decision to revoke her British citizenship,three Turkish broadcasters were fined for criticizing the government's response to the recent deadly earthquake,two Pakistani citizens were released from the Guantanamo Bay military prison after 20 years,and new editions of children's author Roald Dahl's books were edited to make the language more "inclusive".

Money & Economy

The International Monetary Fund unveiled a new crypto asset action plan,Biden nominated former MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank,data showed that US labor strikes increased almost 50% between 2021 and 2022,and US mortgage rates jumped to their highest level since November 2022.Meanwhile, during a G20 financial meeting, India's PM Narendra Modi asked delegates to focus on the world's "most vulnerable" nations,Russia's economy performed better than anticipated last year,South Korea's fertility rate dropped to a record low,and Australia announced plans to limit early access to retirement funds and cut some tax breaks.

Business & Lawsuits

Google blocked news content for some Canadian users to test their response to the country's Online News Act,a four-day workweek trial showed promising results in the UK,and Spain's secretary of state for transport quit amid backlash from a train design error.Meanwhile, the daughter of African American civil rights leader Malcolm X sued multiple US government agencies for their alleged role in his murder,a judge heard the final arguments in a lawsuit over Elon Musk's $56B Tesla pay package,and SCOTUS heard arguments in a lawsuit challenging the scope of tech companies' liability for harmful content promoted by their algorithms.

Weather & Environment

Another deadly earthquake rattled southern Turkey and northern Syria,Southern California was placed under its first blizzard warning since 1989,a report found that the Horn of Africa is experiencing a historic drought,and amid warnings of another drought in Europe,the water levels in Italy's Venice canals ran unusually low.

Health

The World Health Organization reported that one woman worldwide dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth,researchers announced that a man has been cured of HIV - the fifth case in history -preliminary results from a US study on a nasal vaccine showed promise,and Idaho state lawmakers proposed a ban on mRNA vaccines.

Space & Science

Russia launched a rescue ship to the International Space Station,and a study predicted that robots may do 39% of domestic chores by 2033.

Accidents

A US government agency found that the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio was "100% preventable,"and Biden sent several government agencies door-to-door to check on residents affected by the spill..

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