Weekly geopolitical events
By Keating Smith, Contributor
Africa: (Sudan) The Sudanese government is pointing the political finger at Israel for bombing a military factory in the capital city of Khartoum. Culture and Information Minister Ahmed Belal Osman said, âFour Israeli planes attacked the factory and two people were killed.â According to the BBC, Israel believes weapons are being smuggled through the region to Gaza and leaked US State Department documents are suggesting that Sudan is supplying Iranian arms to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Force has made no comment.
Americas: (Mexico) Labor workers in Mexico protested against government proposals to reform labor relations in the country. The laws have remained rather unchanged since the 1970s in a country where most people are working for less than five dollars a day. The proposed changes would allow business owners and companies to dismiss workers at will and not be eligible to pay over time. Large businesses in Mexico are praising the proposals as they say it will drive competition rates higher, which is better for the countryâs economy.
Asia- Central & South: (Pakistan) Amidst the violence and political instability currently plaguing Pakistan, some 24,000 âyoungâ people congregated in the city of Lahore’s hockey stadium to create the worldâs largest human flag. Green and white boxes were held by the crowd to create the countryâs flag. 43,000 people had also gathered to sing Pakistanâs national anthem several days before breaking the previous record, which was held by Hong Kong.
Asia- Pacific: (Japan) Shintaro Ishihara, an outspoken and patriotic governor in Japan, says he will resign from his current position to form a new political party in Japan. According to Aljazeera, Ishihara is renowned for his outbursts against China, North Korea, foreigners, immigrants, women, the French language, and has even criticized American cartoon icon Mickey Mouse for ânot having the unique sensibility that Japan has.”
Europe: (Finland) Finland’s Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen escaped unharmed after a man described in his late 20s pulled a knife on the politician while meeting with voters. The Scandinavian country is heading to the voting booths this week, with opinion polls reflecting a 20.6 per cent lead in favour of Katainenâs party.
Middle East: (Gaza/Palestine) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, visited the Gaza Strip last week to invest in a Qatari project worth $400 million dollars to rebuild infrastructure, including roads and hospitals in the impoverished and overcrowded coastal Palestinian territory. In a public speech made by the Qatar head of state, he asked political parties Hamas and Fatah to put their differences aside and work together in order to put an end to the socioeconomic crisis the area is facing.
