COVID-19 Cases Surge in Europe
On October 15, the head of the World Health Organization in Europe called for restrictive measures after a major increase of coronavirus cases throughout the continent, reports The Associated Press.
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October 2020
Outrage from Human Rights Activists after Russia and China Elected on UN Human Rights Council
Russia and China won seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 13, causing outrage among human rights activists, while Saudi Arabia failed to secure a seat. While Russia and Cuba ran unopposed, Saudi Arabia and China were in a five-way race, with Pakistan receiving 169 votes, Uzbekistan 164, Nepal 150, China 139, and Saudi Arabia just 90 votes.
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Robert Daly Discusses Deteriorating U.S.-China Relations
On October 19, Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States virtually spoke to a group of students and faculty on the current nature of relations between the two superpowers.
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Amnesty International Halts Work in India, Citing Government Pushbacks
International human rights group Amnesty International recently announced that they are halting operations in India and laying off all staff due to the Government of India freezing the organization’s bank accounts and forcing all ongoing campaigns and research work to be paused. In their statement, the organization condemned this action, calling it the latest action in a continued “witch-hunt” of human rights organizations by the Government of India.
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#EndSARS Protests Continue in Nigeria
Nigeria has found it impossible to create a sense of national cohesion due to systemic abuses of power which have afflicted its citizens. Protests have erupted across the entire country recently, calling for the disbandment of the infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, which many have accused of brutality against the people. The call to #EndSars is underway, and protesters are insistent on holding SARS and the Nigerian government accountable.
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Gruesome Beheading of French Teacher
A total of nine people in France were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the brutal beheading of a teacher on Friday, October 16. The victim was 47-year-old Samuel Paty, a geography and history teacher at a school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburb of Paris. According to the Washington Post, the assailant was shot dead by French police and later identified as Abdoulakh A., an 18-year-old Moscow-born immigrant of Chechen descent.
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Chinese Threats to Taiwan and U.S. Suggest Future Conflict
In recent months, China has threatened Taiwan, increasing tensions and the risk of war. American involvement in the conflict raises serious concerns about the role the United States will play if tensions continue to escalate.
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Pandemic Stalls China Belt and Road Initiative
China’s trans-national Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has hit a roadblock as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to flare. Al Jazeera reports that most construction has been halted to stop the spread of the virus, with 20 percent of projects being seriously impacted. Now, many countries fear they may not be able to pay back their loans to China or meet their deadline obligations.
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Airbus Takes Action Against Climate Change
Airbus recently introduced their new program ZEROe, which allows for zero-emission commercial planes. The concept outlines that the planes will be fueled with hydrogen to eliminate their carbon footprint. CNN explains that hydrogen can be used in different ways to power airplanes: it can be combusted directly through modified gas turbines, converted into electric energy, using fuel cells, and even combined with CO2 can be used to produce synthetic kerosene.
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Women, Peace, and Security with Kelley E. Currie, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues
On October 15, Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations welcomed Kelley E. Currie, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, as a guest speaker for the Diplomacy Virtual Event Series. Moderated by Alumna Maggie Dougherty, this event piqued particular interests among students since 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda.
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