5 minute read
GLOBAR DIARY
GLOBAL DIARY
Solutions
Advertisement
“As fractures deepen and trust evaporates, we need to come together around solutions. People need to see results in their everyday lives, or they will lose faith in their governments and institutions, and they will lose hope in the future” – ANTÓNIO GUTERRES,
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
QUEEN ELIZABETH II HAS DIED
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. She spent 70 years on the throne, after being crowned on 2nd June 1953, making her the longest reigning Britsh monarch in history. During her time as Queen, lots of things changed in the UK and around the world, but one thing that never changed was her strong sense of duty to the UK and the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a monarch who spent her life keeping the promise she made when she was first crowned: to serve her people and her country. With her death, her eldest son, Charles, is now the UK’s King. He will be known as King Charles III.
SERBIA CANCELS PLANNED 7-DAY EUROPRIDE IN BELGRADE
Serbian government banned a seven-day long programme of events marking EuroPride 2022 in Belgrade, citing a “risk of violence” after antiLGBT groups announced they too would march through the Serbian capital. On the morning of Saturday, 17th September, however, the Serbian government give the go-ahead for the parade march. At least two dozen European politicians attended the parade, including the EU commissioner for equality, Helena Dalli, and Member of the European Parliament Vladimir Bilcik. EuroPride president Kristine Garine announced an appeal to the ban of the sevenday Europride - “Banning Pride is unconstitutional,” Garina tweeted. “It’s been ruled on by the Serbian court several times. The ban will be appealed in court and will be overturned.”
RUSSIA: PARTIAL MOBILISATION OF 300,000 RESERVISTS
On 21st September 2022, a troop mobilisation in Russia was announced by President Vladimir Putin during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In his speech, Putin said the “partial mobilisation” was suggested to him by the Ministry of Defence and General Staff of the Armed Forces. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia has a “huge mobilisation reserve” and plans to mobilise 300,000 in reserve. It is impossible to accurately verify the data on mobilisation plans since Paragraph 7 of the Decree—which, according to press secretary Dmitry Peskov, relates to the number of people mobilised—is classified as “for official use only”. Mobilisation activities technically began immediately. President Putin signed into law a bill introducing lengthy jail terms for wartime acts including desertion and “voluntary” surrender.
Democracy
“We will work with partners to make our democracies stronger. We will reinforce democracy as the fairest way to deliver the greatest benefits to people around the world” – URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT OF
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
ITALY GETS ITS FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER
A complete tally of Italian votes showed a clear victory for a coalition that includes two conservative forces, including the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party of Giorgia Meloni, a once-marginal figure who vows to defend “traditional” social values, close off pathways to undocumented immigrants and push back against the “obscure bureaucrats” of Brussels. Meloni’s opponents warn that her rise could turn into an epochal event in European politics, pushing Italy into an illiberal bloc with Poland and Hungary, and causing tensions that cut through the heart of the continent. On the other side, far-right leaders in Europe celebrate the expected Brothers of Italy election win Marine Le Pen and members of Hungarian and Spanish parties are among those welcoming poll results.
MASS PROTESTS ROCK IRAN FOLLOWING YOUNG WOMAN’S DEATH
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by Iran’s notorious morality police because they thought she was not dressed conservatively enough, sparked one of the most intense waves of popular anger seen in Iran or years, as well as a deluge of condemnation from abroad. For a week now, protesters, most of them young women and men, have taken to the streets in dozens of Iranian cities. The scale of the demonstrations has astonished authorities, who have responded with guns, beatings and telecommunications shutdowns in a fruitless attempt to quell the unrest. State television put the death toll at 17, including two security officers.
SERBIA SUFFERS EARLY ELIMINATION FROM 2022 EUROBASKET
Serbia’s title hopes of winning the gold ended as they suffered a defeat against Italy in the Last 16 round – 94:86. Italy’s team opened the 4th period with a key 16:2 run during which they scored some big three-point shots to gain confidence in a critical moment of the match. Italy point guard Marco Spissu scored 22 points for the winning side, including 6 three-pointers, while on the other side Nikola Jokić scored 32 points for Serbia. EuroBasket 2022 shattered scoring records, with the level of the game being the highest in recent memory. There have been multiple upsets in modern EuroBasket history, most of them regarded as tragedies by local fans.
A state funeral for Japan’s longestserving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been held in Tokyo amid public anger over the cost of the ceremony and revelations over his party’s ties to a controversial religious group. More than 4,000 guests stood in silence as a member of Japan’s self-defence forces entered the Nippon Budokan hall, where a 19-gun salute sounded in honour of the assassinated former leader. Abe’s widow, Akie, dressed in a black kimono, carried her late husband’s ashes into the hall, followed by Japan’s crown prince, Akishino, and other members of the imperial family. Abe was killed in early July by a man armed with a homemade gun who has reportedly told police that he had targeted the conservative politician over his support for the Unification church.
