Significant tension filled the air as students, faculty and staff arrived at Hooker Auditorium to attend “Middle East Crisis: Implications for Israel, Palestine, and U.S. Policy in the Region,” a panel discussion on Oct. 24. A campus Public Safety and Service officer stood at the door, and as attendees entered they were greeted by large signs stating that no recording of any kind was allowed.
One of the world’s most popular sports is having a big moment.
Since Oct. 5, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has been in full swing. Held every four years, this year, the Cricket World Cup is being hosted by India. Spread throughout 10 cities, the World Cup is set to give a boost to the Indian economy, according to CNBC.
Paris has been facing a bed bug infestation since just before Fashion Week 2023, Condé Nast Traveler reported — and pest sightings have not been limited to homes. Bed bugs have been reported in movie theaters, hospitals and trains. While there isn’t a specific known source for the outbreak, it may have something to do with Paris being one of the most visited cities in the world — the last few years have seen record-breaking numbers of travelers.
A surprise military attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas has prompted a declaration of war by Israel. On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at 6:30 a.m. local time, Hamas fired rockets into central and southern Israel, although, as ABC News reported, the exact number is disputed — Israel claims 2,200 while Hamas has said 5,000. At the same time, bulldozers driven by Hamas militants tore down a section of the fence surrounding Gaza, allowing Hamas militants into southern Israel.
Over 100,000 Nagorno-Karabakh refugees had crossed the Armenia-Azerbaijan border into Armenia as of Sept. 24, 2023, Armenpress reported. Only 34,607 of those refugees had been accepted by the government for accommodation. As of Sept. 24, Armenia had space to accommodate only 40,000 people from the Nagorno-Karab region of Azerbaijan, according to Reuters.
Tensions ran high at a recent United Nations meeting in New York City, where discussions about climate disasters, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the absence of several prominent world leaders divided delegates. During the week of Sept. 18, world leaders gathered for the U.N.’s 78th General Assembly Session. According to The New York Times, only one of the world leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council, President Joe Biden of the United States, attended.
The murder of a prominent Sikh-Canadian activist has sparked worldwide protest, as many believe the Indian government may be responsible for the attack. On June 18, 2023, Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijar was murdered while outside a Sikh temple in a city in British Columbia, Canada, according to Al Jazeera. BBC News reported that Nijar was fatally shot by two masked gunmen while in his truck. The following month, protests began in Toronto and around the world in opposition to what is believed to be the Indian government’s involvement in Nijar’s murder.
From Sept. 9-10, the 18th annual Group of 20 Summit — an intergovernmental platform that includes 20 of the world’s largest economies — took place in New Delhi, India. Its members include 19 sovereign states alongside the European Union and the African Union. This group accounts for nearly two-thirds of the global population, as well as over 75 percent of worldwide trade and 85 percent of global GDP, according to the G20 Secretariat. It was founded in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis as a call to facilitate global economic cooperation.
On Sept. 8, 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco, killing thousands in the Al Haouz, Ouarzazate and Marrakech provinces, NBC News reported. Marrakech is the country’s most visited tourist attraction and home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. Video footage shared by NBC News showed people evacuating city establishments and attempting to find safety from crumbling buildings.
On June 14, 2023, José Zamora, a prominent Guatemalan journalist, was sentenced to six years in prison on money laundering charges according to BBC World News. Reuters reported that Zamora was issued a fine of 300,000 quetzal, equivalent to $38,339 USD. The charges have been condemned by human rights organizations and described by Zamora himself as “political persecution.” Reuters also reported that the trial and verdict have led human rights groups to call the trial, happening under President Alejandro Giammattei’s administration, an attack on free speech, along with other actions against Zamora’s newspaper and journalists reporting on the corruption of the Guatemalan government.
On June 27, 2023, Nahel M, a 17-year-old French boy, was fatally shot by police in the suburbs of France. According to BBC, he was shot at the wheel for driving away during a police traffic check. According to CNN, the prosecutor of the case, Pascal Prache, said that the officer claims he fired the gun in fear that Nahel would run someone over. The officer that shot him is now under formal investigation for voluntary homicide and is being contained in preliminary custody.
A recent conflict in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, has raised concerns over the prospect of a civil war. On April 15, 2023, fighting erupted in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, Al Jazeera reported. Not only could the conflict cause damage to Sudan’s transition to democracy, but experts warn it also has implications for the already unstable region.
The United States, Panama and Colombia have issued a new plan to end migration through the Darién Gap, a jungle passage between Colombia and Panama. According to Al Jazeera, this 60-day campaign was created to “end the illicit movement of people and goods through the Darién by both land and maritime corridors,” and will implement “new lawful and flexible pathways for tens of thousands of migrants and refugees,” per a U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement. The Associated Press described the third part of this new plan as an investment to lessen poverty and build more jobs in the communities that are on the border of Colombia and Panama to discourage trade from smuggling migrants.
On Tuesday, April 11, criminal charges were brought against Mexico’s top immigration official, Francisco Garduño, for the fire that killed 40 people in March 2023, NPR reported. Five other lower-ranking officials have also been charged, as well as a Venezuelan migrant. The fire occurred on March 27 in a facility housing 68 men, CNN explained.
