Author: Elizabeth Brewer

Former I.M.F. Regional Director Racks Up Support In Bid For Lebanon’s Year-Long Vacant Presidency

On June 4th, Lebanese lawmakers nominated former finance minister and International Monetary Fund regional director Jihad Azour for President, according to Middle East Eye. Last October, former president Michel Aoun’s term expired without the appointment of a replacement, leaving the position vacant. Lebanon has a complex power-sharing government, where the

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Planned Release Of Fukushima Wastewater Stokes Controversy

On July 3rd, after a two-year review, Japan received approval from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) to release treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was wrecked during the 2011 tsunami, into the Pacific Ocean, according to Reuters. “We have to recognize that such a

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Friction Between U.S., Colombia On Extradition And Venezuela

On October 3, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, while on a week-long trip to Colombia, Chile, and Peru, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, leader of Colombia’s new leftist government, discussed taking steps to improve intelligence sharing and related drug trafficking matters between the two states, though no agreements were

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Nicaragua: Ortega Continues Catholic Church Crackdown

On August 15th, the Nicaraguan Catholic Church reported that Óscar Benavidez, a priest from the northern Siuna diocese, had been detained after conducting Mass, Reuters reported. Relations between the Church and President Daniel Ortega’s government have been increasingly strained in recent months. The government has shut down Catholic radio stations,

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The Andean Community: A South American Union?

The Andean Community, a free trade area comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, stated on August 29th, 2022 that they would like states such as Venezuela, Chile, and Argentina to join the bloc, according to Reuters. The presidents of the member states were in Lima in order to formally pass

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France Opens 100 Vaccination Centers Amidst Rising Cases Of Monkeypox

It was reported on Monday that France has recorded about 1,700 infections of monkeypox. According to Reuters, the French government has vaccinated over 6,000 people and has opened around 100 vaccination centers focused on combating monkeypox. Minister of Health, Francois Braun, told BFM TV on Monday that the government would

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NATO Summit Escalates Rhetoric Between China And NATO

During the lead-up to the NATO summit in Madrid from June 29-30, NATO diplomats disclosed that NATO’s new Strategic Concept would directly reference China as a “systemic challenge” for the first time, according to Reuters. However, member states were also said to be in dispute over how to describe the

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Amid Deadly Fire Season, The EU Prepares For A Hotter Future

On 18 July 2022, the European Union (EU) announced that they will buy more firefighting planes to bolster its existing fleet. Prior to the announcement, the EU had a fleet consisting of 12 planes and a helicopter, according to Reuters. Speaking to Reuters, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič

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Government Mismanagement Compounds Water Crisis In Mexico

The Mexican city of Monterrey, capital of the state of Nuevo León, has been in the grip of a water crisis for weeks. For 6 years now, Monterrey, which is home to 5 million inhabitants, has suffered from below average rainfall and drought conditions. While the area has always been

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