Chileans losing faith in religious institutions, and other under–the–radar stories
Welcome to Under the Radar, Diplomatic Courier’s monthly geographic intelligence newsletter that brings you stories from around the world that we think are particularly impactful or interesting, but which you may not have seen. This month’s highlights include: Chile’s crisis of faith, uncertainty over China’s polar ambitions, and Hollywood’s growing fascination with MENA.?
This month’s newsletter compiled by Diplomatic Courier staff writer Stephanie Gull , thanks Steph!
We hope you find these insights useful! As always, we welcome your comments or suggestions.
This newsletter is approximately a 7-min read.?
Editor–in–Chief
Is Chile turning away from the Catholic Church?
Chileans are increasingly disenchanted with the Catholic Church in the wake of repeated sexual abuse scandals—from the abuse of nuns to children—and the church’s failure to hold its leadership accountable. One side effect of this has been an exploration of alternative expressions of spirituality.?
Haiti becomes more isolated from the world as violence increases
Gang violence continued to worsen in Haiti in November, to the extent that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned flights to the country on 12 November. The ban further isolates Haiti even as Doctors Without Borders announced on 19 November they will suspend some operations in the capital.
Will Santa still receive letters amid the Canada Post strike?
Young people hoping to have their letters read by Santa Claus may have their hopes dashed this year, if they’re writing from Canada. Canada Post workers went on strike on 15 November to protest unfair working conditions. Negotiations are underway, but the strike continues three weeks later.?
Dive deeper here.
After months of delays, robot completes Fukushima mission?
A robot successfully returned from the Fukushima disaster site with a small piece of melted fuel debris. This first mission is only the first of many intended to identify the best way to decommission the nuclear plant, as scientists will begin testing the melted fuel for disposal. ?
South Korean women’s universities eye co–ed shift in face of student opposition?
Two South Korean Women’s universities proposed co–ed shifts as declining birthrates impact enrollment numbers. These proposals were met with intense resistance from the students—Dongduk Women’s University suspended its plan due to the student protests. Students are concerned about losing their safe spaces amid growing anti–feminist culture.
Ethnic Koreans returning to South Korea, find scant welcome?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spurred more Ethnic Koreans living in the Russian Far East and Central Asia to return to South Korea. However, after generations away many find adapting to life in South Korea challenging, calling on the government to improve resources like Korean language learning programs.
Dive deeper here.
Could Cyprus solve Europe’s natural gas insecurity?
Energy majors are in talks with Cyprus’ government for rights to search for natural gas offshore. Previously, five natural gas deposits were discovered off Cyprus’s coast. There are hopes Cyprus could hold enough natural gas reserves to help supply a Europe whose supplies are precarious given tensions with Russia.?
Italy is attempting to curb overtourism?
Overtourism at the historic site of Pompeii has led officials to enforce limits on the number of visitors at the park each day. Overtourism is increasingly an issue in Italy, with new measures to protect historic sites also being emplaced or considered in Venice and Rome.??
Slovakia’s proposed language law could worsen relations with Hungary
A proposed amendment to Slovakia’s existing language law would make Slovak the prominent language on public signs and forbid other minority languages in certain public locations. Critics say this law discriminates against the large population of Hungarians living in Slovakia—around 8% of the population.?
Dive deeper here.
Hollywood’s growing interest in the Middle East, North Africa
Hollywood has a long history of using certain parts of the Middle East and North Africa for big movie productions. But now more countries in the region are trying to draw Hollywood’s attention with incentives from pre–scouted locations to growing talent pools. However, human rights concerns could limit their success.?
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Morocco a rising hacker haven—and cybersecurity target
Moroccan hackers are a notorious and growing global threat, while the country as a whole ranks high as a relatively easy target for cyberattacks. Morocco is strengthening its ability to combat these hackers and attacks through its National Cybersecurity Strategy, including new laws that define cybercrime.
Saudi Arabia sets a grim execution milestone??
Saudi Arabia has executed 100 foreigners so far in 2024—a record number of executions for the nation. This record is in large part due to new counterterrorism laws that include criminalizing criticism of Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince and introducing the death penalty for new offenses.?
Dive deeper here.
Australia’s new social media ban faces strong criticism
Australia recently passed a first–of–its–kind social media law banning children under 16 from using social media. While most agree with the protective intention of the ban, some politicians argue that the outright prohibition won’t solve anything. Meta also criticized the ban, arguing good regulation would protect minors.?
Nearly extinct crocodile species back from brink
Siamese crocodiles are on the edge of extinction, but diligent efforts from conservationists are a source of hope. Conservationists identified the purebred species in crocodile farms—primarily responsible for wiping out the species to make luxury goods—and began a breeding program. Recently, 60 wild Siamese crocodile hatchlings were discovered in Cambodia.
New Indonesian president triggers human rights abuse fears
Residents of the Indonesian province of Papua protested new Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto’s visit to the region in November. Indigenous Papuans have been the target of extrajudicial murder, kidnapping, torture, and forced displacement. Critics fear that Subianto, who has been implicated in human rights violations, will make the situation worse.?
Dive deeper here.
Seaweed bolsters Kenya’s faltering marine economy
The global seaweed market is booming, according to a recent UN report. Perhaps no country is better placed to benefit from this market growth than Kenya, which has been researching seaweed farming since 2001. Seaweed farming has bolstered the economies of coastal villages following slumps in fishing and agriculture regionally.?
Mali’s losing fight against deforestation
Deforestation continues unabated in Mali’s Zamblara forest, which is bad news for plans to bolster Africa’s climate change resilience by cultivating an 8,000 kilometer wall of trees—a project called the Great Green Wall Initiative. Nonprofit Energia was launched in Mali in November, backed by the initiative, to protect the Zamblara.?
Nigeria suffers tenth grid blackout in a year
Nigeria’s electric grid woes continue, with the country suffering its tenth major blackout of the year in November. The grid’s troubles are numerous. It is outdated and lacks infrastructure, but there’s a lack of investment to improve the grid. Those problems are made worse by armed sabotage.
Dive deeper here.
China’s increasing focus on Antarctica makes geopolitical waves
China launched its 41st Antarctic Expedition on 01 November to support construction of a research station in Antarctica. But recent moves by China—such as blocking Antarctic marine life conservation proposals and embarking on joint exercises with Russian vessels—has Western observers questioning China’s intentions.??
‘Friend–Shoring:’ Finland, Canada, and the U.S. plan for more icebreakers
Finland, Canada, and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November to increase production of necessary icebreaker ships at competitive costs. This agreement could significantly reducethe gap in fleet size with competitors while also strengthening the countries’ shipbuilding industries and geopolitical presence in the Arctic and Antarctic.
The bipartisan effort to expose Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena?
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Accountability met in November to discuss government oversight around Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), agreeing that UAPs present a security threat. They also discussed a whistleblower’s report on a government program without Congressional oversight analyzing aerospace threats of foreign origin.?
Dive deeper here.
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