Global Beat: Russian Envoy to Turkey Assassinated, and More
December 23, 2016
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, an off-duty Turkish police officer assassinated Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, in Ankara; the Obama administration plans to transfer more Guantánamo Bay prisoners; Uganda invests in a solar future; and more.
____________________
Americas
The Obama administration intends to transfer 17 or 18 of the 59 remaining detainees at the Guantánamo Bay prison to Italy, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. President-elect Trump has vowed to keep the prison open and “load it up with some bad dudes,” including potentially U.S. citizens. The administration notified Congress of their intention—as required by law—on Monday.
Also check out:
- President Obama ‘permanently’ bans oil drilling in large areas of Atlantic and Arctic oceans – Roger Harrabin, BBC
Central & South Asia
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and other officials in Dhaka on Tuesday to discuss potential solutions for the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar. Bangladesh shares a border with Myanmar and Indonesia is nearby in the Andaman Sea. Human rights groups have accused the Myanmar military of perpetrating mass murder and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya.
Also check out:
- India predicts it will exceed Paris renewable energy target by half – Michael Safi, The Guardian
China & East Asia
The Chinese government has issued red-alert smog warnings across parts of the country that have been covered under a thick blanket of toxic fumes since last Friday. Millions of people must wear masks or stay indoors because the pollution is so unhealthy. Tens of thousands of “smog refugees” have reportedly fled the worst hit areas. Lauri Myllyvirta, a Beijing-based Greenpeace activist, said they started noticing in July that the government was pumping economic stimulus into heavily-polluting industries such as cement and steel. “A big part of what happened is that the steel price went up when the government started a huge wave of construction projects to stimulate the economy,” he said.
Also check out:
- U.S. returns largest tract of Okinawa land to Japan in 44 years, but locals aren’t happy – Isabel Reynolds and Emi Nobuhiro, Bloomberg
Europe & Russia
On Monday, a 22-year-old off-duty Turkish police officer assassinated Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov in front of cameras while he delivered remarks in an art gallery in Ankara. Before being killed by fellow Turkish police, the gunman said the killing was revenge for Russia’s involvement in the Syrian conflict. In response, Russia doubled down on its ties with Turkey, claiming that the assassination was a “provocation” meant to derail talks between Russia, Turkey, and Iran about Syria.
Also check out:
- ISIL claims responsibility for truck that ploughed into a Christmas market in Berlin Monday killing 12 people and the Tunisian suspect is still at large – Anthony Faiola, Stephanie Kirchner, and Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post
Middle East & North Africa
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week that Israel will explore ways to bring wounded civilians from Aleppo to Israeli hospitals for treatment. Syria and Israel are still formally in a state of war. An evacuation of the last civilians and rebels from eastern Aleppo came to a close this week as the government took full control of the city. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday that 37,500 people had been evacuated so far.
Also check out:
- Russia, Iran, and Turkey meet in Moscow for Syria talks, excluding the United States – Ben Hubbard and David E. Sanger, The New York Times
Southeast Asia & Oceania
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called for the judicial authorities of the Philippines to conduct a murder investigation after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted to killing “about three” people when he was mayor of Davao. Meanwhile, the first journalist has been killed in Duterte’s war on drugs. Catanduanes News Now publisher Larry Que was shot after writing a column alleging official negligence over a recently discovered meth lab. The U.S. State Department also issued a travel warning for the Philippines, citing terrorism and kidnapping concerns in the southern part of the 7,000-island nation.
Also check out:
- Thailand seeks to develop military production facilities with China – Thanarith Satrusayang, Reuters
Sub-Saharan Africa
Uganda has commissioned a $19 million, 33-acre solar power plant, the largest in East Africa. Built by Dubai’s Access Power, France’s Eren RE, and Italy’s Building Energy, the plant will be located in Soroti and will provide clean electricity to 40,000 residents. Uganda is looking to raise its power generation capacity from 850MW to 1,500MW by 2020. The plant is funded by a consortium of international investors including the European Union. Senegal, Mauritania, Rwanda, and Kenya are also investing in large-scale solar projects.
Also check out:
