Week 154 (16-22/05/2022)

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A sandstorm devastated the Arabian Peninsula and the surrounding region (17/05). | Picture: Reuters

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

A sandstorm devastated the Arabian Peninsula and the surrounding region (17/05). In Iraq, at least 4,000 people have been hospitalized due to respiratory infections. Airports, schools, and other public facilities have also been closed. In Saudi Arabia, the capital Riyadh has been covered by sands. Meanwhile in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the authorities warned people of the impacts of sandstorm to health.

Israel have arrested Amro Abu Khudeir, one of the pallbearers of the killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (20/05). According to Khudeir’s lawyer, his client has been questioned about his role in the funeral. The Israeli forces raided Akleh’s funeral and beat several of her pallbearers as they carried her coffin out of a hospital in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, sparking international condemnation. Israel also accused Khudeir of having a membership in a terrorist organization.

In Mali, the junta government blocked the United Nations (UN) troops patrol (20/05). The incident occured in Djenne, the country’s historical city as well as the hotbed of violence and jihadist activities in the Sahel. The UN troops were in their regular schedule to secure the city. However, a Malian military official said the patrol was only being delayed, not stopped entirely.

Djibouti, the small country in the Horn of Africa, has become a new member of the Digital Cooperation Organization (20/05). The organization is an initiative of Saudi Arabia to engage digital cooperation among countries in the region. Djiboutian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia signed the pact in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

ASIA 

Thailand will allow (16/05) its people to grow medicinal cannabis at home—should the extracted content contain even a notch more than 0.2 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in cannabis that gives a “high”, it will become illegal. The new rule will take effect on June 9, aimed to bring in more than USD 300 million of revenue and revive medical tourism in the country. To promote the program, the government plans to distribute one million cannabis plants to households across the country in June.

Vietnam has agreed to support Laos in the construction of a new public park that will be located in the capital Vientiane. The intention was conveyed during the celebration of Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022, amid the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Laos and Vietnam. A ceremony for the public park construction agreement was held on Friday (20/05).

South Korea and the United States (US) plan to expand the scope and scale of its joint military drills. The plan was conveyed (21/05) during US President Joe Biden’s visit to South Korea, against the backdrop of North Korea developing its nuclear

program and building ever-more-powerful missiles. In addition, both countries also reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, building more resilient supply chains separate from China, and cooperation on advanced technologies.

Reported in Aljazeera (22/05), millions of people stranded and at least 57 died in days of widespread flooding in parts of Bangladesh and India. Many parts of the countries are prone to flooding, and experts have said that climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events around the world. In Assam, India, nearly 90,000 people have been moved to state-run relief shelters as water levels in rivers run high and large swathes of land remain submerged in most districts.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

It is predicted that joint military exercises between Australia, the United States (US), and Japan could increase in the wake of the Solomon Island and China’s controversial security agreement (18/05). Currently, the ninth annual Southern Jackaroo exercise—which involves more than 600 troops from the three countries—is being held at Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland. Although the exercise is deemed important, the director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, Sam Roggeveen, also emphasized on the importance of developing defense relationships with Australia’s closest neighbors, particularly Indonesia.

Pacific countries are urged to sign the 1945 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (19/05). Once signed, the provisions need to be implemented in each Pacific country’s domestic laws. The conventions ensure the citizens of Pacific nations do not end up stateless should their countries lost to climate change.

Anthony Albanese, one of Australia’s longest-serving politicians, is set to become the nation’s next prime minister (22/05). The 59-year-old has led the Labor Party to its first election victory in over 10 years. Coming from a humble beginning, Albanese is a defender of Australian free healthcare system and an advocate for the LGBT community. 

Still from Australia, following the victory of the Labor Party, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that he would quit Liberal leadership (22/05). Morrison said he had accepted “the verdict of Australian voters” and congratulated Anthony Albanese and his Labor Party. Despite quitting his party leadership, Morrison plans to stay in the parliament and wait for the re-election of a Liberal Government in 2025.  

EUROPE 

Turkey blocked an early move to fast-track Finland and Sweden’s requests to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (18/05). The objection is based on the allegation that Finland and Sweden have been protecting members of Kurdish militant group, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization. Moreover, Turkey objected the two Nordic countries’ decision back in 2019 to ban arms exports to Ankara in the wake of Turkish military operations in Syria.

Moscow announced that 959 Ukrainian soldiers from Mariupol have been sent to a former prison colony in Russian-controlled Donetsk region (18/05). It is not clear what fate awaits the soldiers, but there has been talks among a number of Russian officials that they should be tried. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy has yet to comment on Russia’s announcement, but stating that an “evacuation mission” was still ongoing with the help of “the most influential international mediators”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted the European Union (EU) to find alternatives for its energy supplies (19/05). Forty percent of the bloc’s gas, as well as 27% of its imported oil, have been supplied by Russia, making it hard for some EU countries to agree on sanctions on Russian energies. However, the European Commission has just announced a plan worth of EUR 210 billion for Europe to end its dependency on Russian fuels by 2027. The plan includes switching to import more non-Russian gas, implementing a faster rollout of renewable energy, and advocating more effort to save energy.  

African scientists are baffled by the rapid spread of monkeypox cases in Europe, Australia, and North America (20/05). Previously, the disease had never been detected among people with no connections to Central and West Africa. But in the past week, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK), the US, Canada, and Australia have been confirming their first monkeypox cases. Most of the cases were found in young men with no history of travel to Africa and were gay, bisexual, or had sex with men. One theory coming from the British health officials is that the disease is being spread through sexual activities.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 

The US delegation and ambassador held talks with the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on Wednesday (18/05). Both countries discuss the Summit of the Americas after Mexican criticism of the US. At the moment, the US still hasn’t invited several countries, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba for next month’s Summit.

Cyclone Yakecan hit Uruguay and Southern Brazil on Thursday (19/05). The Cyclone killed a Uruguayan in the capital, Montevideo. The worst affected area was the state of Rio Grande do Sul in North Uruguay. Meanwhile, it also caused widespread power cuts across Brazil.

CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, met President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil on Friday (20/05). Brazil hoped that Musk can contribute to bringing the internet to rural areas and combat illegal deforestation through technology. Deforestation in the Amazon has reached a 15-year high under Bolsonaro.

President Irfaan Ali of Guyana and Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for economic cooperation in eight strategic areas on Sunday (22/05). The two countries were close partners since the inception of the Caribbean Free Trade Agreement in 1965. Both leaders will establish a Working Group next month to implement the areas of cooperation.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 

The Government of Canada announced the banning of Huawei equipment in domestic wireless carriers on Thursday (19/05). Canada’s ban also includes China’s state-owned tech company, ZTE Corp. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said that the ban was to protect Canadians from Chinese political manipulations in the technology sector.

A historic heatwave hit dozens of US states this weekend. The temperature in Washington DC is expected to hit 96F on Saturday (21/05). US authorities predicted that more than 120 million Americans across the mainland are expected to be affected by hot and dry heat.

Several thunderstorms hit Canada this weekend. Areas impacted by the storms include Toronto Hamilton, Brampton, Stratford, and several other cities. Environment Canada reported that as of Saturday (21/05), the wind speed in several cities could reach 100 km/hour with no Tornados yet to be involved.

Another mass shooting occurred in the US. On Saturday (21/05), two people started shooting after being involved in an argument in Southern California. The Police confirmed that one man was pronounced dead and eight other people were wounded.