Global Beat: Juno Reaches Jupiter, Chilcot Report, and More
July 8, 2016
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Global Beat is your weekly stop for news from around the world. Join us every Friday morning for important stories you should know about.
This week, NASA’s Juno spacecraft enters Jupiter’s orbit; a new report criticizes Britain’s role in the Iraq War; protests erupt in Zimbabwe over economic hardships; and more.
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Americas
The United States had extra reason to celebrate on the 4th of July as NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered into orbit around Jupiter! The mission took five years and cost approximately $1.1 billion, an achievement the mission’s lead investigator called "the hardest thing NASA has ever done." Juno will now begin a close-up study of our solar system’s largest planet.
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- An Alaskan village where grizzlies roam and Canada rules (if anyone does) – Dan Levin, The New York Times
Central & South Asia
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that one of its soldiers was killed by Armenian sniper fire on Tuesday, a violation of the recently agreed upon ceasefire between the two countries. The territorial conflict began in 1988 over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The day before the incident the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and France announced that they may meet in Paris in August to discuss the ongoing tension.
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- In Pakistan, funding for ‘University of Jihad’ draws fire – Ayaz Gul, Voice of America
China & East Asia
Flooding from torrential rains left more than 110 people dead or missing in China’s Yangtze River basin this week. The rain also damaged railway lines and roads. Officials fear more damage in the coming days as a typhoon is expected to land in the area.
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- Chinese newspaper threatens 'military confrontation' with US in South China Sea – Neil Connor, The Telegraph
Europe & Russia
A long-awaited report on Britain’s role in the Iraq War was released this week, delivering a scathing rebuke to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Known as the Chilcot report, it spans 2.6 million words and covers nearly every aspect of the British government’s decision to join U.S. forces in Iraq, a conflict the report calls avoidable and "a very long way from success[ful]." The report confirms that Britain joined the war under flawed intelligence, and now British veterans’ families, legal experts, and members of parliament are calling for Tony Blair and former ministers in his government to be prosecuted for their role in the war.
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- Austria to re-run overturned presidential election on October 2 – Shadia Nasralla and Kirsti Knolle, Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
Mauritania arrested nine anti-slavery activists and accused them of inciting a riot. The activists are leaders of an NGO called the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), who were protesting the government’s recent decision to move members of the Haratin ethnic group, many of them former slaves, from a neighborhood they’ve occupied for decades. Slavery is officially a crime against humanity in Mauritania, but between four and 20 percent of the population are believed to be enslaved.
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- What and when is Eid Al-Fitr 2016? Key facts, greetings, and history as Muslims mark the end of Ramadan – Lydia Tomkiw, International Business Times
Southeast Asia & Oceania
Australians are still waiting to find out who won the federal election held on July 2 as vote counting continues. The Liberal-National coalition appears to be closing in on the 76 seats needed to hold a majority, but it is still too close to call with the Labor party not far behind. The coalition was expected to maintain more seats and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he accepts responsibility for the government's mediocre performance.
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- South Korea hopes to win Cambodia and Laos over in North Korea containment visit – Fanny Potkin, Forbes
Sub-Saharan Africa
A social media civic activist group in Zimbabwe named #ThisFlag has called for citizens to shut down the country due to economic hardships including food and cash shortages and the ban on importation of basic commodities. Government workers joined the strike on Wednesday following the state’s failure to pay June salaries on time. Violent protests broke out this week in Harare, the nation’s capital, sparked by taxi drivers who said the police were blocking roads leading to the city center, pushing them out of business.
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- Genocide negotiations reopen colonial wounds in Namibia – Christopher Clark, Al Jazeera
