5 of the most important global news stories this week.
- TikTok
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that would require TikTok to be sold by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing. U.S. officials are increasingly concerned with China’s influence and access to the data of the 170 million Americans that use the app. If the bill becomes law, and ByteDance fails to sell, then TikTok would be banned in the United States.
- Haiti
The country’s capital remains under gang control as a humanitarian crisis grows in severity: 1 million people are on the brink of famine, according to the UN. This week, Prime Minister Henry announced that he plans to resign once a transitional presidential council is in place. A UN-approved police force will then come from Kenya, although gang leaders are prepared to face them.
- Elections 2024
This weekend, March 15 – 17, marks the presidential elections in Russia. 71 year-old incumbent Putin is listed as independent on the ballot, running against the nominees of Kremlin-friendly parties. It is very unlikely that they would pose him any threat, and observers do not have any expectation of a free or fair election. President Putin will cement his position until at least 2030.
- Gaza
The hopeful deadline to achieve a ceasefire, the Islamic holy month Ramadan, passed this week without any deal brokered. A new sea corridor opened, with an aid ship carrying 200 tons of food sailing to Gaza from Cyprus. Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to expand the offensive against Hamas into Rafah, calling for evacuations of Palestinians in the city. The UN expressed frustration at the failure of aid deliveries by land, as airdrops and the new sea route are not sufficient alone.
- LGBT Rights
This week, two Japanese courts issued new rulings against the country’s current nationwide ban on same-sex marriage. In Tokyo and Sapporo, separate cases in district courts found the ban to be ‘unconstitutional.’ The final step of legalization must come from the legislature, which has not announced any plans to do so. Japan is the only G7 country that does not fully recognize same-sex marriage.
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