Man Dressed as Joker Attacks Tokyo Train Passengers
On Sunday October 31, a man dressed in a Joker costume stabbed passengers riding a train in Tokyo, injuring 17, reports NHK World-Japan.
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International News
G20 Leaders Commit to Global Minimum Corporate Tax Rate
At the G20 Summit in Rome on October 30, leaders of the world’s foremost economic powers agreed on a global corporate minimum tax rate of 15 percent, potentially making it more challenging for large corporations to collect tax benefits by relocating abroad, The Associated Press reports.
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Lebanese Minister Criticizes Yemen War, Sparking Diplomatic Spat with Gulf Nations
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have announced the removal of Lebanese envoys, following statements made by the Lebanese Minister about the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. The Gulf nations have also enacted a blanket ban on all imports from Lebanon, according to BBC News.
Read MoreReligious Tensions Flare in Northern India and Bangladesh
On October 26, Hindu nationalist mobs attacked Muslim-owned businesses, homes, and a mosque in the small northeast Indian state of Tripura, reports BBC News. Viral videos show Muslims being attacked and the mosque being set on fire. Videos also show members of the Hindu nationalist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad marching through Muslim neighborhoods and chanting insults against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.
Read MoreNorth Macedonia PM Zaev Resigns Following Election Losses
Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev has resigned after his party suffered a historic defeat in local elections on October 31, according to the Associated Press.
Read MoreSudan’s Military Arrests Prime Minister and Seizes Power
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and governmental officials were arrested in the capital city of Khartoum, halting the military and civilian power-sharing government that the country has utilized since late 2019 after President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown. As of Monday, October 25, 2021, Sudan is in a state of emergency, as thousands of pro-democracy protestors gather in the streets to oppose the military coup and the prime minister’s arrest, according to The New York Times.
Read More“Here, Right Matters” with Alexander Vindman at the School of Diplomacy
On October 25, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman visited the School of Diplomacy and International Relations to promote his new memoir, Here, Right Matters, and share his experience of serving during the Trump administration. The World Council of New Jersey organized the book presentation and discussion.
Read MoreTurkish President Erdogan Expels Ten Ambassadors for Backing Jailed Philanthropist
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared ten ambassadors “persona non grata” after they advocated for the release of a jailed philanthropist, reports The New York Times. Businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala has been in jail in Turkey since 2017, despite having never been convicted of a crime.
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ICJ Rules in Favor of Somalia in Maritime Dispute
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled in favor of Somalia in a maritime time dispute case instituted against Kenya over the delimitation of maritime spaces claimed by both states in the Indian Ocean. The judgement, which is binding and without appeal, was unanimous in its finding that there is no agreed maritime boundary between the two states, according to an ICJ press release.
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Czech Prime Minister Andrez Babis loses election in surprise defeat
Czech voters gave Prime Minister Andrej Babiš a narrow surprise defeat on Saturday, October 9 during the country’s general election. Babiš and his party, ANO 2011, lost after the two partner parties in his coalition, the Communist and Social Democratic parties, failed to get elected according to the proportional representation system used to elect the lower chambers.
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