JournaBulletin- Global - Week 29

THE WORLD THIS WEEK 

Here are the top global news from last week.

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away

Queen Elizabeth II [Photo Courtesy: google/ndtv.com]

UK’s longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully on the 8th of September at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This marks the end of her 70-year reign after she came to the throne in 1952 following the death of her father King George VI. 

Her throne is succeeded by her son, King Charles III, who states: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

For the first time in history, the Death of a British Monarch was released to the public via social media, with an announcement on the Royal Family Twitter coming at 11 pm IST, a few minutes before BBC’s live broadcast. 

Her funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey within the next two weeks however, an exact date has not yet been confirmed.

 

U.N. Chief arrives in Pakistan as floods and devastation ravish the country

Mr. Antonio Guterres in Pakistan [Photo Courtesy: google/news.abplive.com]

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives in Pakistan following record-breaking floods which have affected all of the countries. Mr Guterres appealed for $160 million in emergency funding to help those affected by the flooding and monsoon rains which have left around half a million people seeking shelter in open-air tents. 

It is estimated that the monsoon rains and floods have caused over $10 billion (79,000 crore INR) in damages and 1,391 deaths as of 9th September. The US has promised $30 million in assistance, and the U.N. has sent nearly 60 planeloads of aid. The U.A.E has provided the most aid, sending over 26 planes of aid. 

American Diplomat Derek Chollet visited Islamabad to assess damages and arrange for aid, and “affirmed that the U.S. would stand by Pakistan in the wake of the floods and extend help to help people rebuild”.

The flooding in Pakistan highlights the effects of Climate Change, especially on impoverished populations who contribute far less towards pollution emissions and yet face the deadliest consequences.

 

North Korea Declares itself a ‘Nuclear Weapons State’, amid rising international concerns

Kim Jong Un addressing the world[Photo Courtesy: google/bbc ]

The North Korean Supreme People's Assembly passed, in a unanimous vote, a new law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state. Leader Kim Jong Un stated that this move is “irreversible” and enshrines Pyongyang’s right to use pre-emptive nuclear strikes to protect itself. Previously, North Korea took a defensive stance that it would only keep its weapons as a nuclear deterrent and would NOT use them pre-emptively against non-nuclear states.

Kim stated that “As long as nuclear weapons exist on Earth, and imperialism and the anti-North Korean manoeuvres of the US and its followers remain, our road to strengthening our nuclear force will never end”, and called the passing of the new law a “remarkable event” and that it is “our declaration that we legally acquired war deterrence as a means of national defence”. 

The passing of this new law coincided with “increasingly provocative threats of nuclear conflict toward the United States and its allies in Asia”, and surely heighten tensions between the western world and North Korea.

 

Rapidly melting Antarctic ‘Doomsday glacier’ could raise sea levels by 10 feet, scientists say

One of Antarctica’s largest and most important glaciers is on the verge of calving (when a large piece of ice breaks off), and holding on “by its fingernails” in the Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. The Thwaites glacier, according to scientists, is among the fastest-changing glaciers in the region, and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder predict that Thwaites will collapse fully in the coming years.

As warming temperatures threaten to destabilize the entire glacial system of western Antarctica,  Robert Larter, a British Antarctic Survey marine geophysicist, states that “Thwaites is holding on today by its fingernails, and we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future”

Already the impact of climate change is visible, as rising sea levels and an increase in natural disasters have torn through Pakistan, India’s next-door neighbour. 

 

4 dead in Memphis, US shooting; 19-year-old alleged gunman in custody

Alleged gunman Ezekiel Kelly has been taken into custody by Memphis police after a manhunt was launched on Thursday, the 8th of September. 

The suspect drove around the city of Memphis, shooting at people at random, and live streamed the act on Facebook Live. According to Memphis police, he was responsible for “multiple shootings”. In his stream, he can be seen entering a store and opening fire on the people inside.

The shooting, which took place about 4 miles away from the University of Memphis, forced the university to advise students on and off campus to “shelter in place”

 

According to Police Director Cerelyn, “CJ” Davis, there were at least 8 crime scenes including an AutoZone store, with seven shootings and a carjacking incident, which left 4 dead, and 3 others injured. 

Author

Anubhab Roy