Today’s newsletter covers Norway and Hungary disagreements, India’s fertility rate, the crisis in Lebanon hitting children hard, a deadly State in Mexico, and more.
Why would Hungary be angry at Norway? Cancellation of a grant
The European Economic Area was not able to agree on a joint statement at the end of their Council on November 24. It was allegedly maneuvered by Hungary to annoy Norway. In July, Norway withdrew a grant of €215 million over disagreements with Hungary.
Fertility rate at its lowest in India
The national fertility rate in India indicates for the first time it is not able to renew its population. But it doesn’t mean its population size is already declining.
UNICEF Lebanon: crisis got worse for children in six months
A UNICEF Lebanon survey shows that more children skip meals for lack of food than six months ago. One in ten is sent to work instead of attending school because of the crisis in the country.
Somewhere else in the world…
Zacatecas, a state in Mexico where murders doubled in 2 years
In Mexico, 8 bodies were found hung in three different spots of Fresnillo, a city in the state of Zacatecas. The President of Mexico announced sending 460 military personnel to fight violence. 560 murders in 2019, 1,277 so far in 2021. Authorities think it’s linked to drug trafficking. Last week, 8 bodies were suspended – plus two who probably fell from the bridge — in a city 2h away from Fresnillo. During the summer, 4 men were found suspended from trees with a note that they were trying to “steal cattle.”
- In Ireland, a public consultation has been launched for modernizing alcohol licensing laws, potentially reforming the law by the end of 2022. Some of the Irish, who drink more than a pint a day on average, see it as an opportunity to have “longer drinking hours and later opening hours,” but the minister of Justice warns “it won’t be a free for all.”
- Slovenia’s justice minister survived a tight no-confidence vote in parliament on Nov 22. Marjan Dikaučič is under investigation for suspected tax evasion and document forgery during in his previous job.
- Sweden elected her first female Prime Minister. She resigned 8 hours later, before she even took office. A political party left the coalition and voted for the opposition budget. In June, Sweden’s Prime minister was ousted by the parliament. The political crisis continues.
- The president of Norway’s parliament eventually resigned after she was involved in the commuter house scandal.
- The Council of the European Union agreed on its general approach in the Digital Services Act: what is illegal offline should also be illegal online.
- Chile approves injections of Sinovac, the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine, to children between 3 and 6 years old. Chile had secured a lot of doses as they let China conducting their trial phases in the country last year.
- Argentina approves a research project for the cultivation of therapeutic cannabis.
- The new coalition government in Germany has been considering legalizing cannabis.
- Ahmed El Reisi was elected as the Interpol president for 4 years, a position without executive power. Two procedures are currently open on the United Arab Emirates citizen for torture.
