By Mellyssa de Paiva
Staff Writer
North Korea – Not only has North Korea dismissed its Human Rights violation charges this week, but it also officially sentenced one of its American prisoners. Matthew Miller, one of the three Americans being held by the North Korean government, has been sentenced to six years of hard labor. Miller has reached out to President Obama, but received no response. The State Department hopes for a quick release of the prisoner nonetheless. Jeffrey Fowle, one of the other two Americans being held, is expected to go to court in the upcoming weeks.
Middle East – David Cawthorne Haines, a British citizen held captive by The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, is the latest victim of a brutal execution by the group in a video released Saturday. The video is still being heavily scrutinized by the international community and intelligence agencies. The executioner is believed to be a British-born extremist, possible the same man who executed American prisoners earlier this year. British Prime Minister David Cameron is address in the video. This is seen as a direct reaction to Britain’s support of the American campaign against the group.
Scotland – The vote for Scottish independence is scheduled for the 18th of September. As the world waits to hear about a possible sovereign Scotland, debate on the many consequences of the vote is rampant. From having to leave NATO, the European Union, and develop their own currency, the odds seem to be stacking up against the Scottish faster than ever. Furthermore, many expostulate what a free Scotland would mean to Britain, particularly the English.
United Nations, NYC – The United States has open dialogue at the United Nations for trying to coordinate an international coalition to intervene in Iraq. While there has been mention of a partnership with Iran, the Iranian representatives were not officially invited to the talk. Secretary Kerry has suppressed any talk of military coordination between the two nations. This points to improving US-Iranian relations, but establishes that there is still a long way to go before Iran is a friend and not a foe in the region. Secretary Jordan – According to “The New York Times,” Jordan’s government has reported that this year alone, 32% of all registered marriages of Syrian refugees in Jordan have involved girls under the age of 18. This has risen many concerns amongst international aid groups who view this as a growing problem. International Women’s advocacy groups regard this as a dangerous and concerning statistic. The marriage of young women is not uncommon in the Middle East, but this practice at such an early age is unusual, specially so in the Syria-Jordan region. This is one of the many on going crisis caused by the Syrian refugee influx into Jordan.
United Nations, Geneva – The W.H.O. has announced that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is set to worsen. The U.N. has spoken to the fact that the world community has been slow and sporadic and that the situation is looking forward to its reaction and support. President Obama has ordered troops to the region and China has announced that research and health support are being sent by their nation too.
