Tuesday, April 29

Types of News: Brief

News briefs are shorter stories about current events. It’s the who-what-when-and-where. “Just the facts, ma’am.” Please see our writers guidelines.

Despite Falling Numbers, U.S. Still Locks Up More Prisoners Than Any Other Country
18Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Despite Falling Numbers, U.S. Still Locks Up More Prisoners Than Any Other Country

Photo by Hédi Benyounes August 18, 2021--The U.S. prison population fell to the lowest level in 2019 since 1995, according to recently released data from the U.S. Justice Department. In 2019, U.S. correction facilities held 6.3 million people, about 65,200 fewer than the previous year. That represented about 1 in 40 U.S. residents under correctional supervision in America. Though the figure declined by about 3 percent over a decade, it still represents the world's largest per capita imprisonment, according to the data available by the World Prison Brief. China's Numbers Aren't A Total It's significant to note, however, that the imprisonment rate in China does not include people held in pre-trial detention – a figure that might total more than 650,000, or up to one million Uyghu...
Read More
China’s Belt And Road Projects Involved With 679 Human Rights Violations, Researchers Say
12Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Foreign Aid, International Development, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

China’s Belt And Road Projects Involved With 679 Human Rights Violations, Researchers Say

Report Takes A Critical Look At China's Development Projects Abroad And Calls for Greater Transparency August 12, 2021-A report released yesterday links China's Belt and Road Initiative with 679 allegations of human rights abuse between 2013 and 2020. "China’s aspiration to become a ‘responsible great power’ is set to be undermined by high rates of human rights abuse linked to its overseas business operations," according to the report publisher, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Worst-Case Scenarios in Places With Weak Governments Counties with the highest number of abuse allegations include Myanmar, Peru, Ecuador, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia. The authors discovered that the highest rates of alleged abuse were prevalent in countries with weaker governance....
Read More
Biden Schedules ‘Summit for Democracy’ in December 2021
11Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Democracy, Types of News: Brief

Biden Schedules ‘Summit for Democracy’ in December 2021

August 11, 2021--President Joe Biden announced plans today to gather world leaders this coming December to discuss the future of Democracy. The commitment to addressing authoritarianism, promoting human rights, and combatting corruption will be the principal themes of the "Summit for Democracy," according to the White House release. Democracy Promotion Is A Priority for Biden The Biden Administration has long emphasized the benefits of democratic values in its foreign policy approach. According to the White House, the administration has understood the challenge of convincing the global population that democratic principles can rectify current issues and improve human rights. Therefore, the summit invites world leaders to demonstrate the progress of their democratic commitments. ...
Read More
US, Canada And UK Mark One-Year Anniversary Of Belarus Election With More Sanctions
10Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

US, Canada And UK Mark One-Year Anniversary Of Belarus Election With More Sanctions

Lukashenko Defiant In Face Of Sanctions On One-Year Anniversary Of Disputed Election August 10, 2021 --A year after Belarus's contested presidential election, several Western governments added more names to their sanctions program against Belarusian officials and entities. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom launched a coordinated action on Monday to demonstrate resolve against the government of Belarus President Lukashenko. "The Lukashenko regime continues to crush democracy and violate human rights in Belarus," said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. "These sanctions demonstrate that the UK will not accept Lukashenko’s actions since the fraudulent election. The products of Lukashenko’s state-owned industries will not be sold in the UK, and our aerospace companies will...
Read More
Interpol Cracks Down On Human Trafficking Worldwide
10Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

Interpol Cracks Down On Human Trafficking Worldwide

Interpol launched a five-day effort to crack down on trafficking of persons this Summer. Five-Day Operation Shows Scope of Human Trafficking Worldwide August 10, 2021--Interpol investigators rescued 430 victims of human trafficking and arrested 286 suspects in a collaborative sting operation against criminal trafficking this Summer. It was a five-day enforcement operation in July that included law enforcement officials from 47 countries. They called it "Operation Liberterra." The result was a crackdown that identified 4,000 irregular migrants from 74 countries. That's in addition to making arrests of suspected traffickers and helping victims. Five-Day Snapshot of Global Trafficking “Operation Liberterra is a five-day snapshot of the global trafficking and smuggling situation...
Read More
Earth To Warm By 1.5 Degree Celsius By 2040, UN Report Warns
9Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Videos, UN Security Council

Earth To Warm By 1.5 Degree Celsius By 2040, UN Report Warns

Consensus Now Says Human Influence on Climate Warming Is 'Established Fact' August 9, 2021--In a massive 3949-page report, a United Nations working group warns that the climate is warming and humans influence is a cause. The report covers every area of the world. It discusses both the cause and effect. Most notably, it warns that even under the best-case scenario, scientists predict the Earth will warm by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040. "It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land," the report said."Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred." It is the sixth of eight reports by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report comes in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference i...
Read More
Troika To Meet Again In Effort To Get Afghan Peace Talks Moving
9Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Diplomacy, Types of News: Brief

Troika To Meet Again In Effort To Get Afghan Peace Talks Moving

The photo is of a past Trioka meeting. August 9, 2021--Representatives from the United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan are meeting this week in an effort to breathe life into intra-Afghan peace talks. The members say there's "no military solution" to the conflict in Afghanistan. Even so, the Taliban continued to make military advances over the weekend. The Troika is scheduled for Wednesday in Doha, Qatar. This comes after a special representative briefed the UN Security Council on Friday about the mounting violence and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. What is the Troika The August 11th meeting will be the third Extended Troika gathering of the four countries this year. Similarly, the representatives of the Troika also met on March 18th and April 30 of this year. R...
Read More
Biden, Automakers, UAW Unite to Promote Electric Vehicles
7Aug By Steve BerlinNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Domestic Politics, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Videos, United States

Biden, Automakers, UAW Unite to Promote Electric Vehicles

President Biden held an event with U.S. and Dutch automakers August 5, 2021 at the White House. Executive Order Establishes New Rule-Making on Emissions Standards And Sets Goal 50 Percent Electric Vehicles by 2030 August 7, 2021--President Joe Biden signaled a new push for U.S. battery manufacturers and lower greenhouse gas emissions with an Executive Order calling for half of all new cars and trucks made in America to be electric by 2030. In addition to setting that goal, the president called for federal investment in building a national network of a half-million electric vehicle charging stations, customer incentives that will result in more manufacturing and union jobs, financing and retooling the domestic manufacturing supply chain, and developing more clean technologies. Fund...
Read More
EU Sanctions Eight More Individuals Over Nicaraguan Political Situation
6Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

EU Sanctions Eight More Individuals Over Nicaraguan Political Situation

August 6, 2021—In reaction to more political arrests in Nicaragua, the European Union sanctioned an additional eight individuals. As the GER previously reported, the Nicaraguan government has been arresting political opponents and people who have criticized the government ahead of elections scheduled for November. The EU references the continued deterioration of Nicaragua's political situation, "The political use of the judicial system, the exclusion of candidates from the elections and the arbitrary delisting of opposition parties are contrary to basic democratic principles and constitutes a serious violation to the rights of the Nicaraguan people." More Arrests Last week, the Nicaraguan police arrested José Antonio Peraza, a political science professor and the leader of the...
Read More
UN Security Council Looks At Syrian Chemical Weapons
6Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief, UN Security Council

UN Security Council Looks At Syrian Chemical Weapons

August 6, 2021--Since Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has worked to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons program. On Wednesday, UN Security Council members met to discuss that work. 'Gaps, Inconsistencies And Discrepancies' Thomas Markram, deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, addressed the council with an update. First, the COVID-19 pandemic has faced greater difficulty advancing progress. Second, the Syrian government has yet to fully disclose and destroy its chemical weapons program. "As a result of the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remained unresolved," Markram said he could not consider Syria's declaration to be "considered accurate and complete i...
Read More

Contact Us