July 21, 2021

Weekly World News Update

Europe's Floods Signal Worsening Climate Trends; Digital Dangers: International Spyware and Hacks; U.S. Blames China for Microsoft Hack; Afghanistan's Future: China and Russia; Cuban and South African Protests; Peru's New President

Quote of the Week

"Democratic institutions have to be nurtured. If these institutions are under permanent attack and put into question, democracy will not work.”   -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday while accepting her Doctor of Humane Letters from Johns Hopkins University.

Related: WACA's Wunderbar Together 2021 Series on the Future of Democracy

Europe's Floods Signal Worsening Climate Trends

"How Deadly Flooding in Germany and Belgium Exposed Europe's Climate Change Hubris" Ciara Nugent -- Time, July 19, 2021  “Angela Merkel Calls for Climate Change Action as She Surveys Deadly German Flood Damage” Claudio Lavanga; Isobel van Hagen -- NBC, July 18, 2021   "Flood Disaster Could Become a Major Issue in German Election" Anna Clauß; Lukas Eberle; Christoph Hickmann; Martin Knobbe; Timo Lehmann; Julia Merlot; Gabriel Rinaldi; Jonas Schaible -- Der Spiegel, July 16, 2021  "Deadly Flooding, Heatwaves in Europe, Highlight Urgency of Climate Action" UN News, July 16, 2021 Note: Visit Oxfam International and NOAA. for background on natural disasters and extreme events

Digital Dangers: International Spyware and Hacks

“Private Israeli Spyware Used to Hack Cellphones of Journalists, Activists Worldwide” Dana Priest; Craig Timberg; Souad Mekhennet -- The Washington Post, July 18, 2021  “European Leaders Blast Use of Israeli Spyware to Target Activists, Reporters” The Times of Israel, July 20, 2021  “Edward Snowden Calls for Spyware Trade Ban Amid Pegasus Revelations” David Pegg; Paul Lewis -- The Guardian, July 19, 2021  “The White House Blamed China for Hacking Microsoft. China is Pointing Fingers Back” Emily Feng -- NPR, July 20, 2021  “U.S. Charges 4 Chinese Nationals in Hacking Campaign” Masood Farivar -- Voice of America, July 19, 2021

Afghanistan’s Future: China and Russia

“China Criticized the Afghan War. Now It Worries About the Withdrawal” Steven Lee Myers -- The New York Times, July 17, 2021  “What Is China’s Relationship With Afghanistan, and How Will It Change Once the U.S. Is Gone?” Kinling Lo -- South China Morning Post, July 18, 2021  “China and Russia Vow Aid to Afghanistan as Extremist Threat Rises” Yohei Shikawa; Tsukasa Hadano -- Nikkei Asia, July 17, 2021  “Russia-China Advance Asian Roadmap for Afghanistan” Pepe Escobar -- Asia Times, July 15, 2021  “Russia Talks Up ‘Positive’ Role for Taliban, Sees Path to Power” Henry Meyer -- Bloomberg, July 20, 2021  "Letting Go With a Win and Moving on from Afghanistan" Michael Miklaucic -- The Hill, July 20, 2021

Cuban and South African Protests

“Cuba’s Uprising and the Social Change that Caught the Dictatorship by Surprise” Ian Vásquez -- The Cato Institute, July 16, 2021  “Biden Takes Steps to Review Cuba Policy After Protests” Rebecca Beitsch; Rafael Bernal -- The Hill, July 20, 2021  “South Africa Sees the Best of Times and the Worst of Times” John Campbell -- Council on Foreign Relations, July 15, 2021   "South Africa’s Twin Crises Are Feeding Each Other" Patrick Egwu -- Foreign Policy, July 20, 2021

Peru's New President

"In Peru, a Rural Schoolteacher Rises from Obscurity to the Presidency" Anthony Faiola; Lucien Chauvin -- The Washington Post, July 20, 2021  “Peru’s Democracy Is at a Breaking Point” Gabriela Camacho -- Foreign Policy, July 15, 2021 "Leftist Castillo Faces Divided Nation as Next President of Peru" Maria Cervantes; Jim Wyss -- Bloomberg, July 19, 2021