To Be Continued....
October 27, 2023 - Only the news roundup today
Happy birthday Stephanie, Kasia, and Kim! Lots of Scorpio birthdays… 🦂 We love Scorpios.
Happy Halloween! 🎃👻
Congrats to Kali and Emma for winning a copy of Patricia Evangelista’s book, Some People Need Killing.
And a heartfelt thank you to Samantha Felman who has been part of the Interruptrr editorial team for the past year and a half. She’s transitioned out - we’re grateful to her keen eye, focused on human rights and Africa. I personally will miss her electric smile.
As mentioned last week, I’m in Denver. Rather than rushing through a column about Turkey’s centennial, I will send that around on the actual day, October 29. In the meantime, here’s our weekly roundup of what’s happening around the world. — Elmira
Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
Despite predictions that the libertarian candidate Javier Milei would win in Argentina’s elections last weekend, he came in second, after the Peronist candidate. Because there was no clear winner, the country will head to a runoff on November 19. Ariana Kohan breaks down the first round of elections. (The Road to Casa Rosada)
Israel-Palestine
The UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution on a humanitarian pause to allow for critical supplies to reach civilians in Gaza. Can the General Assembly take action? Rebecca Barber goes over what the UNGA could actually do. (Just Security)
Can China step in to be a mediator between Israel and Hamas? Saher Liaqat thinks so. (South China Morning Post)
Even before the most recent bombardment, Gaza's healthcare system was already under strain, says Yara Asi. (The Conversation)
Tens of thousands of people across the world have come out in support of Palestinian rights. Li Zhou on the uniting factor. (Vox)
Why won’t Egypt open its borders to Palestinian refugees? Kelsey Norman and Nicholas Micinski explain. (Inkstick Media)
Lisa Goldman visited Israel and Palestine earlier this year. She writes about the rising tensions between communities. “Something has to give,” she told friends. She didn’t expect the catalyst to be from Gaza. (New Lines Magazine)
Samiha Olwan brings to life the human impact of Gaza’s occupation, including her mother’s death, and the current war. (The Guardian)
US
As Israel confronts Hamas in Gaza, the US has stepped up its role in the Middle East. But does the US really know or understand the region? Paola Caridi examines. (Responsible Statecraft)
Africa
The annual World Bank-International Monetary Fund meeting in Marrakech took place last week. Angela Bain explains how increasing countries' economies by halting the flow of money laundering at its sources was a common theme. (International Policy Digest)
Following years of lobbying, the African Union (AU) was granted permanent membership at the G20 meeting in Delhi last month. Ruth Namatovu on what the AU brings to the group of powerful economies. (Wilson Center)
Watch: Fashion Week in the Kibera settlement has changed the landscape of the community and provided new opportunities for everyone involved. Mariel Muller interviews Fauzia Libuku. (DW)
Asia
China and the Philippines clashed in the South China Sea last week. And the US was quick to declare its support for its “Philippine allies” against “dangerous and unlawful actions against the Philippine vessels.” That, Ellie Cook writes, has moved the US-China confrontation a bit closer. (Newsweek)
India’s Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriages. Instead, it sent the responsibility to make the decision right back to Parliament. Krutika Pathi on what happens next. (The Diplomat)
Staying in the US or returning to China can be a hard decision for Chinese students studying abroad. There has been a decline in both Chinese students in the US and US students in China in recent years. Wendy Zhou, Zizhu Zhang, Junyi Lv, Fan Chen, Cici Yu, and Edward Huang describe their stories of studying in the US. (China File)
International isolation of the Taliban is not succeeding in pushing the group out, nor is it helping Afghans. In light of the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan, Shanthie Mariet D'Souza calls on the international community to set up a new policy for Afghanistan. (Middle East Institute)
Higher education or marriage? Gender imbalance at Japan’s universities is concerning. Momoko Nakayama and Fumiya Uchikoshi call out the lack of female representation in higher education and the resulting societal consequences the country faces. (Nikkei Asia)
The Americas
Venezuelans don’t elect a new leader until next year. But last Sunday’s ballot to elect the opposition candidate has raised eyebrows. María Corina Machada came out on top, hoping to oust current President Nicolás Maduro. Who is she? And will Maduro let her run? Inés Santaeulalia and Juan Diego Quesada discuss. (El País)
Ecuador picked an heir to a banana fortune to be its next president, in a tight race against a leftist disciple of the former president. Grace Jaramillo, Julio Carrión, Abelardo Pachano, and Santiago Mosquera explain that Ecuadorians might be looking for a new face and change to happen in their government and they seem to think that the winner, Danial Noboa, can give that to them. (The Dialogue)
Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, aka AMLO, is making a big push on social spending in his last year in office. Vanessa Rubio thinks this move could help AMLO’s leftist Morena party in the 2024 elections. (Americas Quarterly)
Many of you may not remember the US invasion of Grenada back in 1983, but it was a big deal (and part of the US Cold War strategy). Amy Li Baksh reflects on the events that occurred on the tiny Caribbean island 40 years ago. (NACLA)
Europe
Prior to the Polish elections, the ruling Law and Justice Party announced a ban on Ukrainian grain exports. Now that Poland has a new government, Melania Parzonka expects Donald Tusk to put the Polish-Ukrainian relationship back on track. (Chatham House)
The recent elections in Poland were a boost for democracy and the EU, and a setback for populism. Judy Dempsey writes how challenges lie ahead in healing polarization and rebuilding trust. (Carnegie Europe)
The West should help Ukraine grow its military industry, argue Margaryta Khvostova and Dmytro Kryvosheiev. (ECFR)
Thousands of women in Iceland, including PM Katrín Jakobsdóttir, went on strike on Tuesday. Astha Rajvanshi on the first full-day women’s strike in almost 50 years and the history of the kvennafrí, or “women’s day off.” (Time)
Middle East
Will the Gaza war be the end of Netanyahu as Israel’s leader? Ksenia Svetlova believes so. (Atlantic Council)
In Egypt, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi would love to see Israel crush Hamas. But doing so would go against popular opinion in Egypt. Lisa Anderson examines how the Israel-Hamas war impacts Egypt. (Foreign Affairs)
Iran has applauded Hamas's horrific actions in Israel. But is it ready to join them in a war? Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul, and Arshad Mohammed on Tehran’s quandary: to get involved or not get involved? (Reuters)
Science and Climate Change
Immigrants are a huge part of scientific communities everywhere, with scientists leaving their home countries — usually low and middle-income nations — for those with better opportunities. But Rana Dajani thinks that the return of these scientists to their home nations could offer a newfound spread of knowledge. (Nature)
Technology
Generative AI should not widen the digital divide, it should advance global progress and democratic aspirations. Raluca Csernatoni discusses the dilemmas that generative artificial intelligence models present to the EU. (Carnegie Europe)
Links We Loved....
Where do AI models get their data from? This podcast that we love from Scientific American explains it all!
It’s soup season! Check out these soup recipes to stay cozy this Fall.
Opportunities
If you have an event, grant, or other “opportunity” to share with our community, please send it my way.
Remote: Semafor is on the hunt for a Newsroom Fellow who can work US hours
In DC, CFR is hiring for an Associate Director, Fellowship Affairs
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Maya Scott
Emily Smith