DGI Brief - July 15, 2016
Good morning, Friday. Today's top 5 global issues news are about #France #UK #Egypt #Turkey and the #GoodStoryFriday about #UNESCO World Heritage List
- FRANCE’s President Holland extended the state of emergency, due to end July 26, after a Frenchman of Tunisian origin plowed a truck into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day at a beachfront promenade. At least 84 dead & 202 injured, many of them critically. The media reports continue to highlight the attacker’s dual citizenship & I wonder if that will shape future anti-immigration rhetoric? There are some 60+ countries (many European) that allow dual citizenship, but just as many don’t. It’s worrisome to imagine a crackdown on this in our globalized world.
- UK: Scotland, who by a small margin chose to remain part of the UK in an independence referendum in 2014, voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU in last month’s referendum. The leading Scottish party is now talking about a second referendum, for them staying in the UK was about being part of the EU. This will be interesting to watch.
- EGYPT’s clerics now have to read a sermon word-for-word during Friday prayers written by a committee of scholars contracted by the government. Today was the first such sermon, titled “Bad money is a lethal poison.” Why even have Imams? Just play a recording. Reminds me of communism where even art had to be state-committee approved. Sad. Scary.
- TURKEY’s military announced it seized full control of the country “to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights & freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once against reigns in the country, for the law & order to be reinstated.” Lofty claim. I wish this led to PM Erdogan reflecting on his despotic undemocratic rule, but that’s doubtful.
- #GoodStoryFriday While dark forces try to destroy cultural heritage of the ‘others’, UNESCO continues to work hard to preserve & protect the glory of our past. The new sites are the Antequera Dolmens megalithic monuments in Andalusia, Spain; the medieval city of Ani in Turkey; Roman ruins of the city of Philippi in Greece; the Gorham’s cave complex in the UK; Zuojiang Huashan rock art cultural landscape in China, the ancient Persian Qanat aqueducts in Iran, Nalanda Mahvihara archeological site of monastic & scholastic institutions, Stecci medieval tombstones & graveyards throughout the Baltic states, and Micronesia’s artificial islets of Nan Mdol. Have a look at the beautiful photos on UNESCO’s website http://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/
