FOCUS on Data Privacy: European Union
The European Parliament, the European Union’s legislative body, recently announced that it is banning TikTok, a video sharing app, from its staffers’ phones, according to Al Jazeera.
Read MoreAuthor: Sophie Ulm
FOCUS on NATO: Giving Aid
The U.S. and Germany are not the only NATO members looking to give aid to Ukraine. Newsweek reports that Poland and Finland, which are not a part of NATO but have requested to join the alliance, have both publicly voiced willingness to send tanks to Ukraine.
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Macron’s Plans to Increase Retirement Age Triggers Protests
Workers across a wide variety of fields joined protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years old, according to Al Jazeera.
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FOCUS on Global Summits: ASEAN
From November 10 through 13, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit took place in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the two topics that loomed largest were the U.S.-China rivalry and Myanmar’s ongoing political crisis.
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FOCUS on Growing Protests: Iran
The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman in Iran, has sparked massive, ongoing protests in Iran. Mahsa was killed in Iranian custody on September 16 after being detained by the Iranian morality police for “inappropriate attire,” according to Reuters.
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Flooding in Pakistan Leaves Over 1000 Dead
Throughout Pakistan, millions of people are reeling from the losses caused by historic floods which, according to Al Jazeera, have led to over 1,300 deaths. Additionally, over 33 million people have been left homeless due to the damages, and many are bracing for a lack of food as floods have swept across farmlands and destroyed crops.
Read MoreUK Ends COVID-19 Restrictions in “Living With COVID” Plan
For the first time in two years, England has lifted all government-sponsored COVID-19 restrictions in what has been dubbed the “living with COVID” plan. According to ABC News, England will no longer require mask wearing, mandatory isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19, or financial aid for people who have lost part of their income due to isolation. Beginning on April 1, free testing will also be scaled back. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are all following suit in reopening, however with slightly more cautious policies.
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80-Year-Old Italian President Elected to Second Term
Leading up to Italy’s presidential election, President Sergio Mattarella had plans that did not involve serving a second term. The 80-year-old president made this known, posting images of a packed-up presidential palace and making sure to be spotted on house hunting excursions. But after a week of struggles in Parliament to elect his replacement, Mattarella was asked to stay and accepted.
Read MoreTonga Suffers Nationwide Communications Blackout Amid Volcanic Eruption
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano on January 15 created continuous challenges in aiding Tonga, the nation of Pacific islands caught in the disaster. One of the main challenges resulting from the eruption, according to PBS News, was the severing of Tonga’s fiber-optic cable, cutting off communication with the rest of the world.
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“Commemorating 9/11”: A Discussion on Counterterrorism and Diplomacy
20 years after the events of September 11, 2001 shook the nation, the School of Diplomacy and International Relations welcomed three experts to speak on the tragedy’s impact on diplomacy, the United States military, and counterterrorism. The three panelists invited were Ambassador Joseph Westphal, former acting Secretary of the Army in 2001 and ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Rear Admiral Douglas Fears, a former presidential advisor on counterterrorism, and Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Price, former director of West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center.
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