A recap of international news stories by Newsendip: Disputes over a country’s name risk destabilizing the Balkans, concerns about possible media censorship in Argentina, a DJ monk stirring controversy, and more.
- A “DJ monk” in Korea
- “Bluetoothing” in Fiji
- China’s most-feared secret police
- A mistake leads to overfishing in Sweden
- Odd jobs for Gen Z in Indonesia
- Tensions over a country’s name
- Clean cooking methods in Africa
- Eagles avoid flying over Ukraine
- “Site under reconstruction” for Argentina’s public media
A Korean “Buddhist monk DJ”
Despite not being ordained, DJ NewJeansNim performs at concerts dressed as a Buddhist monk and doesn’t hesitate to use religious mantras in his songs. In South Korea, Buddhist religious authorities see him as an opportunity to rejuvenate their image, in the context of a decreasing proportion of practicing buddhists in the country, from 22% in 2017 to 17% in 2021. However, the opposite is true in Malaysia and Singapore, where the Korean artist’s concerts have been canceled or he has to remove his monk’s robes and any religious references before performing.
Fiji’s methamphetamine crisis
At the request of the Prime Minister of Fiji, a United Nations representative visited the archipelago to address the ongoing health crisis affecting its population of just under a million. Last year, Fiji reported over 400 new HIV cases, a surge largely attributed to the “methamphetamine crisis.” Users are injecting methamphetamine with syringes, and an even more alarming practice known as “bluetoothing” has emerged, where individuals share their blood to pass on the effects of the drug. In 2019, the Drug Free Fiji association conducted a field study revealing that one in three children was involved in drug dealing.
The “darkest department of the Chinese government” exposed
“Eric,” as the Australian TV program that revealed his testimony dubbed him, is the first person to detail how China’s “most feared” secret police stifle dissenting voices abroad. His work as a spy from 2008 to 2023 involved tracking and luring high-profile critics to countries where they could be kidnapped and sent back to China. According to the FBI, more than 12,000 Chinese emigrants have been forcibly returned since 2015 as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. China accuses these individuals of crimes such as fraud or tax evasion, hiding the reality of a crackdown on opponents of the Chinese government.
The mistake that prevented attempts to stop overfishing in Sweden from succeeding
In Sweden, zones that restricted trawling to allow the renewal of fish stocks proved to be wrongly delimited for 20 years. They had been moved closer to land instead of further away, and no explanation could be given.
The casual labor of Indonesia’s Generation Z
The average age of Indonesia’s population is 30. But around one in five of Generation Z is neither in school nor in employment. The sharp decline in job creation in the country over the past 15 years is pushing many of its young people to live off odd jobs here and there. Some 74 million Indonesians subsist on the informal sector, far more than the country’s 57 million employees.
North Macedonian President reignites tensions in the region
In her inaugural speech, the new president of North Macedonia referred to her country as simply “Macedonia.” This deliberate decision angered the country’s Greek neighbor, who saw the decision as a violation of the Prespa agreement signed between the two countries in 2018, and a threat to its own territory and region of Macedonia. By stirring up nationalist and ethnic sentiments, the president has also rejected the Bulgarian minority’s demands for recognition, while simultaneously fostering an anti-Albanian sentiment, which could seriously damage the country’s chances of joining the European Union.
Resolutions for clean cooking methods for Africa: progress or smokescreen?
Around 2.3 billion people in the world have no access to clean cooking facilities and rely solely on solutions reliant on kerosene, charcoal, or animal dung, for example. As a result, around four million people worldwide die every year from inhaling noxious fumes and vapors, most of whom are women and children. More than 2 billion dollars were raised from government and private sector sources at a summit in Paris to help African countries in their transition. But groups in Africa expressed dissatisfaction that the resolutions had been drawn up mainly by “rich men from the North.”
Spotted eagle avoids conflict in Ukraine
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is affecting more than just people; it’s also taking a toll on the environment. For instance, the endangered greater spotted eagle now has to detour 85 kilometers, adding about 55 hours of extra flying time, to safely lay its eggs in Belarus, avoiding the conflict zone. Fires in Ukraine have surged since the invasion began in 2022, driven by bombardments. This has resulted in the release of over 150 million tonnes of CO2—exceeding Belgium’s annual emissions. A 2009 study revealed that two-thirds of areas at risk of biodiversity loss experienced significant conflicts between 1950 and 2000.
Reorganizing Argentina’s public media
In Argentina, the social networks and websites of the public service news media have been temporarily suspended for a “reorganization.” This move comes amidst President Javier Milei’s attempts to privatize much of the public sector and follows the recent closure of the Télam news agency. The decision has sparked concerns about government control and potential media censorship. Some critics even draw parallels to the National Reorganization Process, the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983, adding to the atmosphere of uncertainty.
