Every week, GPII Interns and Fellows scour the global news to write about what is happening in a specific issue area or region. Each post includes multiple sources and gives a brief recount of a timely event. Check back regularly to see what GPII Interns and Fellows have written.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a decision to slash U.S. aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion (Reuters). Pompeo stated that Washington was “disappointed” with the rival Afghan leaders who have failed to form a government following last year’s disputed presidential elections (NPR). In September’s election, incumbent Ashraf Ghani was declared the […]
Posted March 31, 2020
Economists warn that Britain’s economy is facing a coronavirus-induced recession that could mirror the 2008 financial crisis (FT 1). There is vast uncertainty over the depth and timeline of the forecasted recession, but with unemployment surging most economists agree it is unavoidable (FT 1). Britain faced criticism from Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health […]
Posted March 31, 2020
India has freed Kashmir’s three-time chief minister and top leader Farooq Abdullah. (Reuters). Abdullah was one of several politicians taken into detention in August of 2019 (U.S. News). His imprisonment was done in an attempt to prevent large scale protests from erupting over the loss of Kashmir’s regional autonomy (Reuters). During his time in detention, […]
Posted March 20, 2020
Coronavirus in the U.S. created volatile stock markets with analysts warning that more than half of American jobs are at risk to be lost. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 2,997 points on Monday, marking its largest single-day point drop in history (WP 1). Following the plunge, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced a […]
Posted March 20, 2020
Midwives Ellinor Grimmark from Sweden and Linda Steen from Norway have spent years fighting court battles over their refusal to perform abortions. The two originally worked as nurses before training to be midwives (Reuters). Swedish law states that midwives, who receive an extensive education, are required to carry out abortions (BBC). The women claimed that […]
Posted March 20, 2020
Following 475 reported deaths in a day in Italy, the Mediterranean country has the highest death toll from COVID-19 with 3,453 deaths (AP). Aside from holding the second oldest population in the world, the volume of cases is contributing to a potential breakdown of the health system (AP). Of the dead, 87% were over 70. […]
Posted March 20, 2020
On Wednesday, the United States and Canada agreed to close its 5,500-mile border to nonessential travel in response to the rapid spread of the coronavirus (WP). The border closure will effectively halt tourism and family visits but will remain open for trade and trucking (AP).The two countries rely heavily on each other, with nearly 200,000 […]
Posted March 20, 2020
A jury in New Zealand found Joseph Auga Matama guilty of 13 counts of human trafficking and 10 counts of slavery on Tuesday (TG). The offenses took place over a 25-year period (BBC). He faces up to 20 years in prison or a fine of $300,000 for human trafficking and modern slavery convictions (RNZ). This […]
Posted March 20, 2020
Despite not having any confirmed cases on the continent many fear Coronavirus is coming to the shores of Africa. With between 200,000-2,000,000 Chinese currently living in Africa and still many others entering the continent, global health officials feel the virus may be coming soon (Washington Post). In preparation for this, many countries have begun increasing […]
Posted February 17, 2020
This year’s World Day of Prayer, Reflection and Action against Human Trafficking saw nuns and lay people marching in the streets of Rome to St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis stated that fighting the very real plague of human trafficking requires a unified commitment (AP). According to the Pope, the issue is “a global phenomenon that […]
Posted February 17, 2020
