THE WORLD
From Issue #8
GLOBAL ISSUES
World News Briefs
Read, contemplate, comment, discuss
PACIFIC OCEAN
The Pacific Leatherback
Sea Turtle is in serious
danger of becoming extinct,
after being around for 150
million years. Scientists
trying to raise awareness
for the plight of the
creatures claim that only
3,000 turtles are alive
in the wild today versus
91,000 only twenty years
ago. Tourist resorts built
on many of the turtles’
important nesting beaches,
especially in Mexico are
playing a big role in the
decline. Poaching and
increased commercial
fishing along the coast
are also major factors.
The turtles can be nine
feet long and weigh
2,000 pounds.
CANADA
The city of Toronto will
host the World Youth Day
conference July 18-28,
organized by the Catholic
Church. This event will be
the largest gathering ever
held in Toronto with over
half a million Catholic
youth delegates expected
from over 150 countries.
Pope John Paul II started
the conference, which
takes place in a different
country every two years,
in 1984. The Pope himself,
despite appearing to be
struggling with especially
frail health lately, is
planning to visit and lead
a Papal Mass on July 28.
The event’s website is
www.wyd2002.org.
VENEZUELA
In a quick turn of events,
President Hugo Chavez,
was removed from power
by the army. Two days
later, however, the
replacement government
collapsed and Chavez
was put back in charge.
He originally got in trouble
for violently trying to
crush national strikes and
protest rallies opposing
many of his radical policies.
When his security forces
and supporters ended
up killing a dozen
protesters and injuring
scores more the military
took control. Forty-eight
hours later a smiling
Chavez was back promising
to rethink the policies that
caused the protests.
FRANCE
As expected, French
President Jacques Chirac
was reelected in the
presidential elections that
take place every seven
years. The big surprise was
that candidate Jean-Marie
Le Pen, known for his
racist political views,
came second out of sixteen
presidential hopefuls.
Le Pen seemed to connect
with voters concerned
with rising crime,
unemployment and a loss
of the “French identity.”
He blames most problems
on France’s large immigrant
population, mostly of
African descent. Protest
rallies were held by voters
opposed to Le Pen’s views.
ZIMBABWE
President Robert Mugabe,
78, has won another six
years as president in an
election many observers
say was unfair and flawed.
Over the years he has
encouraged removal of
land from white farmers
at gunpoint, thrown his
political opponents in
jail and banned foreign
journalists from the
country. The British
Commonwealth, which
includes African
superpowers Nigeria and
South Africa, suspended
Zimbabwe from their
“club” in punishment
for Mugabe’s policies.
Average citizens meanwhile
face AIDS, poverty and
food shortages.
ITALY
Outspoken Rome-based
cloning specialist, Severino
Antinori (featured in Issue #5 of Faze),
is claiming that he knows
of three women that are
currently pregnant with
cloned humans. Two of
the women were in Russia
and one was in an
“Islamic” country. Which
means, avoiding any
unforeseen complications,
these women will be giving
birth to the world’s first
human clones later this
fall. Other scientists doubt
the claims or caution that
these experiments are
still too dangerous for
trials on humans.
MIDDLE EAST
The occupied people of
Palestine are rebuilding
after the Israeli army
stormed through its towns
this spring. Aiming to root
out weapons and terrorist
groups, the deadly violence
and massive destruction
that resulted have enraged
the entire Arab world and
will make for a very tense
summer. At the time, Israel
rejected strong demands
to cease the invasion issued
by the United Nations and
the United States, which
supplies weapons and
billions in cash to Israel.
A peaceful end to the
fifty-year-old conflict still
seems a long way off.
EAST TIMOR
On May 20th, this small
territory officially became
a nation. A United Nations
team handed control over
to the newly elected
president and national
hero, Xanana Gusmao,
a former guerrilla leader
and political prisoner. 450
years ago Dutch and
Portuguese colonists split
the tropical island of Timor
into West and East. When
Portugal finally gave up
control in 1975 neighbour
Indonesia invaded and
claimed the territory as
their newest state despite
international outrage. After
years of revolt and U.N.
intervention the brutal
occupation ended in 2000.
