The Diplomacy Cable 4/18/2016
The Diplomacy Cable
With the invention of the telegraph cables in the 19th century, international consulates and embassies began sending shorter encrypted telegrams, using Morse Code. While the messages are now sent electronically, the moniker “cable” stuck and the term is still in use today for shorter, encrypted diplomatic messages.
Japan Shaken by Two Earthquakes
Over 40 people were killed in total with thousands dispersed in evacuation shelters. It has made a negative impact on their economy as the share market fell more than 3 percent on Monday after a series of earthquakes measuring up to 7.3 magnitude struck a southern manufacturing hub, writes Reuters. Of more than 500 quakes hitting Japan since Thursday, more than 70 have been at least a four on Japan’s intensity scale, strong enough to shake buildings.
–
Ecuador Also Struck by Quake
The death toll has soared in the Ecuadorian quake to 272, with at least 2,527 people were injured. The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck coastal Ecuador, specifically Manabi Province where about 200 people died, said Ricardo Peñaherrera of Ecuador’s national emergency management office. All six coastal provinces — Guayas, Manabi, Santo Domingo, Los Rios, Esmeraldas and Galapagos — are in state of emergencies, writes CNN.
–
Hundreds of Migrants allegedly dead at sea
41 survivors have stated that over 500 people drowned when the vessel they were traveling in sunk. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has cast doubt, tweeting that the information hundreds had died appeared “inaccurate”, according to BBC. Whether this report is true or not, there have been thousands of migrants who have perished crossing the Mediterranean. The BBC article has more information about the peril that many migrants face.
–
President Obama Will Have Royal Dinner
Time is sharing a tweet from Kensington Palace that confirms that the Obamas will dine with Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry. It is rumored that Obama will lobby to keep the U.K. in the European Union on his trip, something that the Mayor of London has warned against.
–
Brazil’s President facing Impeachment
Brazil’s lower house has voted in favor of impeaching Brazil’s embattled president Dilma Rousseff. “I believe in democracy,” she told reporters. “I will fight, like I have always done in my life.” She added: “This is not the beginning of the end – it’s the beginning of the fight”, writes The Guardian. The vote passed comfortably with 367 votes, 25 more than the necessary two-thirds majority. Rousseff now suffers approval ratings of just 10% as a result of a dire economic recession, political tumult and the Lava Jato corruption investigation into kickbacks from the state-oil company, Petrobras.
Dylan Ashdown is a second year graduate student at Seton Hall, where he is a part of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations and College of Communication and the Arts. He is pursuing dual master’s degrees in Diplomacy and International Relations and Strategic Communications. He received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Central Missouri.
Follow Dylan Ashdown on Twitter at @AshdownDylan and send any requests for stories there
Follow the Journal of Diplomacy on Twitter at @JournalofDiplo
Photo credit: CNN
