Russia admits to downing a civilian airliner, grim end of year conflict statistics and RIP Jimmy Carter
Andrew Sheves Good morning, and welcome to the last Monday of 2024.
Some weekend headlines and stories that might have slipped by over the last week.
Russia admitted that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on December 25th was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire. The Azeri President has accepted that this was an accident, but it highlights the danger for airlines operating near conflict zones, even where there is no official airspace warning in place. [SOURCE - Bloomberg]
Despite threats from incoming US president Trump, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected proposed talks concerning the future of the Panama Canal. “…there’s nothing to talk about….The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There’s no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality”. [SOURCE - Al Jazeera]
America’s Republican Party is embroiled in an internal fight over skilled worker visas (H1B) with respect to immigration and entrepreneurship. The program allows skilled workers to enter the US outside of normal quotas and channels and is cited as a big reason for the success of many major American firms, particularly in the tech sector. However, this apparent exemption is anathema to immigration hard-liners like Steve Bannon, who wants all immigration stopped. While a seemingly obscure issue, the H1B visa arguments highlight that for some in the GOP, the immigration fight isn’t just about closing the border and stopping illegal immigration but clamping down on all immigration to the US, including currently legal routes. This would significantly hinder US business and tourism, making this a much more larger fight than it appears. [More in Axios]
Some grim statistics from some end-of-the-year reporting.
UNICEF published its ‘State of the Child’ report, which estimated that one in six children — about 470 million — live in a conflict zone. This statistic illustrates how many modern conflicts ignore the traditional distinction of combatant / non-combatant and how force is applied indiscriminately in civilian areas by both state actors and militias. [Full UNICEF report]
An Oxfam report from October estimated that 21,000 die daily due to conflict-induced hunger, either due to lack of access to food due to conflict or deliberate withholding of food in conflict areas. [Oxfam report summary].
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Carpe tomorrow!