Compass World: Protesters Besieged by Hong Kong Police at PolyU
Writing contributed by Adam Hilelly, Ben Richmond, and Benjamin Barth.
LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN
Brazil Experiences Worst Deforestation Rate Since 2008
A new report found that Brazil is experiencing its fastest annual rate of deforestation since 2008. The study, which was done by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, discovered that between August 2018 and July 2019, Brazil’s deforestation area reached 3,769 square miles, a 30-percent increase over the prior year. The area is about the same size as Rhode Island and Delaware combined. About 40 percent of deforestation occurred in the Brazilian state of Para, where illegal logging increased sharply over the past year. Concerns among environmental groups heightened after Brazilan President Jair Bolsonaro took office. Bolsonaro has sought to weaken protections for natural preserves and indigenous lands as a means to spur economic growth.
INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC
Protesters Besieged by Hong Kong Police at PolyU
At Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University, several protesters have been arrested while trying to run from the campus, which is surrounded by police. According to BBC, police are still besieging the university where several hundred protesters are thought to be trapped. Officers have ordered those inside to drop their weapons and surrender. In the past week, the campus has turned into a battleground as long-running anti-government protests have become more violent. Hong Kong's Hospital Authority says 116 people have been injured and taken to local hospitals. According to Radio Television Hong Kong, Hong Kong's government said the weekend's events had "reduced the chance" of district elections being held on November 24 as planned.
MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA
Saudi Aramco Expected to Set Record IPO
Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil company, Aramco, is planning to sell a 1.5 percent stake and could raise as much as $25.6 billion in the process. Such an outcome would make Aramco the most valuable IPO in history. Aramco has set a price range of 30 to 32 Saudi riyals per share ($8 to $8.50) for investors, who are expected to mostly come from China, Russia, and the United States. However, a recent valuation placed the company at $1.6 trillion, several billion short of the two trillion Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had sought. The money raised from the IPO is part of the country’s diversification plan and bin Salman’s Vision 2030. However, continued international outrage over the murder of journalist and American permanent resident Jamal Khashoggi and recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities could undermine expected results from the offering.
EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA
Iohannis, Dancila Set for Runoff in Romanian Election
Incumbent President Klaus Iohannis will face a runoff with Social Democrat Party (PSD) leader Viorica Dancila, with the second round of the Romanian presidential election set to take place on November 24. Neither Iohannis nor Dancila secured an outright majority in the first round of voting. Dancila was prime minister until last month when her PSD was ousted in a no-confidence vote over corruption allegations. Iohannis, the leader of the National Liberal Party, has been in office since 2014, and observers believe a victory for him could bolster the National Liberal Party's chance of forming a stronger coalition after next year's parliamentary election. According to DW, Romania's presidency is more than a ceremonial role, as the position includes being the commander in chief of the armed forces, nominating a prime minister, and being able to veto laws adopted by Parliament.
AFRICA
Kenya to Publicly Name Student Loan Defaulters
Kenya’s higher education loan board announced a plan to begin publicly naming people who have defaulted on their student loans as a way of shaming them. The names will be published along with photos as a method for the board to track down as many of the defaulters as possible. After a 30-day period in which those who want to avoid being named may explain how they will pay off their loans, the policy will take effect. The board says they need the cash to help others in need of education loans. The board reports they have currently not tracked down about 17,000 defaulters.
WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA
Canadian Hockey Broadcaster Fired for Racist Comments
Canadian hockey television commentator Don Cherry was fired by the cable channel Sportsnet after making on-air comments that were widely viewed as a racist attack on the patriotism of immigrants. During a broadcast on November 9, Cherry criticized what he believed to be the insufficient patriotism of Canadians who weren’t wearing small plastic poppies in honor of military personnel who died on behalf of their country. The poppy is a prominent symbol of Remembrance Day, observed on November 11 in countries with historic ties to the United Kingdom. He then began to address Canadian immigrants, saying “you people love… our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that.” Cherry, who has worked as a hockey commentator for 38 years, is well-known among Canadians for making divisive comments during broadcasts. In the past, Cherry has criticized the Canadian government for not fully supporting the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and denied the science of climate change.
