One of the largest shipping vessels continues to block the Suez Canal
On March 23, The Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world, became wedged across the Suez Canal in Egypt while en route to the Netherlands, believed to be caused by a dust storm. The Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean in a 120-mile stretch, now faces a 150+ ship traffic jam with at least eight boats carrying live animals as well as others shipping crude oil, cement and other consumer goods which may cause major delays. According to The Washington Post, experts believe that it might take days or weeks for the eight tug boats to free the 1,312-foot vessel that weighs over 220,000 tons, matching the maximum length permitted in the canal.
North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the ocean
On March 25, South Korean officials announced that two short-range missiles were fired from the South Hamgyong province into North Korea’s eastern shore. These two ground missiles flew roughly 280 miles and were believed to be ballistic missiles, according to CNN. These missiles mark a secondary weapons test since January. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga denounced this launch as a threat to the security of Japan and against the United Nations resolutions.
Britain honors legacy of Alan Turing with 50-pound banknote
On Thursday, the Bank of England announced that Alan Turing, the mathematician who cracked German codes during World War II, will be honored on the 50-pound banknote. This is part of England’s efforts to, posthumously, right wrongs that were inflicted on Turing during his life, which involved persecution for his sexuality and chemical castration among other transgressions. According to The New York Times, Turing is credited with providing the blueprint to modern computer science and understanding of artificial intelligence as well as historians who claim that his machines that decoded German ciphers shortened the war.
China boycotts western clothing brands for not using Xinjiang cotton
H&M, Nike, New Balance and other brands are being boycotted in China over western clothing brands’ decision to distance themselves from cotton sourced from the Xinjiang region. As of last week, Chinese authorities and major Chinese retailers online and on the mainland (over 500 locations) closed their doors and removed items from these brands from Chinese markets. According to NPR, the retailers made these decisions due to supposed forced labor violations and alleged human rights abuses with Xinjiang authorities detaining Muslim ethnic minorities such as the Uyghurs and giving them state-assigned jobs that work with cotton production.
African Elephants classified as endangered by the IUCN
According to the Associated Press, last week, African forest elephants and the African savanna elephant were labeled endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Populations of African forest elephants have dropped 86% over the past 30 years and savanna elephant populations have dropped over 60% over the past 50 years. Currently, Africa is home to 415,000 elephants, with the largest remaining populations found in Gabon and the Republic of Congo. In Gabon, elephant poaching is common, where 80-90% of poached elephant’s ivory is illegally traded and used to fund organized crime and potential terrorism in the area.
