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By: Silas Miller
At the dawn of 2025, a militant group named M23, backed by Rwanda, captured the two-million-strong city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Along with Goma, the armed group has seized a number of smaller cities as well as critical mines. The various quarries in the region provide access to a variety of different metals, many of which are crucial for computers and batteries; it has been hypothesized that these sites are the target of the offensive.
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These underwater cables offer data transfer, internet connectivity, and international telecommunications. They are a crucial piece of European economic security and help the United Kingdom function as a country. As for the United States, the economic and military command systems depend on the transatlantic underwater cables. Both the global economy and worldwide access to information depend on this submarine cable network. Russia is actively trying to upend this connection.
Because of their crucial nature, the underwater cables pose a vulnerability to countries like Russia, which aim to weaken and disrupt the foundation of international order and compromise other nations’ economic security. The Russian ship, the Yantar, was spotted close to Britain's borders two times in three months, warranting the surveillance of the Royal Navy. Recently, Russian ships and aircraft have been cause for concern around Britain, so the presence of the Yantar in the North Sea raised considerable distress among the people. One might be skeptical and assume people are jumping to conclusions because of Russia’s history. Interestingly, evidence given from intelligence around the world supports the claim that the Yantar is a spy ship gathering intel on the underwater cables. These cables, in countries such as Norway and Finland, have been severed over the past few years, and over 50 Russian vessels have been spotted near areas with high cable density as observed by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. British officials are certain of Russia’s motives behind the Yantar’s appearance: “The revelation came during [Healey’s] statement to Parliament on the U.K. response to more recent Russian maritime activities. He stated that Yantar, now in the North Sea, passed through U.K. waters Monday… ‘Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the U.K.’s critical underwater infrastructure,’ said Healey” (USNI.org). History repeats itself, and even today there are battles over transatlantic communication thousands of feet deep in our oceans. People will continue to debate the importance of the transatlantic cables, although the importance of global communication is non negotiable. As Nelson Mandela, activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa, had once said, "Communication is the vehicle for vision, and without it, the people perish." By: Audrey Kessler One hundred and twenty years ago, a battle began. Not the type with guns and tanks, but the type with inventions and patents. Guglielmo Marconi and Nikola Tesla were in a rivalry for superiority and recognition of their brilliant findings and creations. While Tesla explored more futuristic wireless opportunities, Marconi implemented the first wireless telegraph, and, six years later, transatlantic radio communication. Since then, scientists and engineers have worked to advance global communication and it to new heights. However, instead of furthering our technology, some have recently been attempting to sever the transatlantic cables connecting North America and Europe. By: Silas Miller
On March 28, 2025, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the major city of Mandalay, in Myanmar. The earthquake has brought widespread devastation, and at the time of writing, has killed 3,500 people, with many more injured or missing. The tragedy has shocked the nation, already devastated by civil war and government brutality. By Silas Miller
On December 3rd, 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law, claiming that North Korean sympathizers had infiltrated the government, and such a drastic move was necessary to expel any threats. His troops blockaded the national assembly, and police were ordered to arrest many political dissidents. However, few in Seoul agreed with their president, as his actions that night seemed like an attempted coup. Citizens of the city flocked to the streets, surrounding the assembly and the soldiers guarding it. The troops put up roadblocks and fences to stop citizens and members of the assembly alike, but a combination of confusion, fear, and apathy caused the soldiers to disobey orders and allow government officials to enter the building. In just a matter of hours, a majority of assemblymen entered the building and voted to end the state of martial law (NY Times, AP, NBC, CNN, NPR). By Silas Miller
At first glance, the Spratly Islands appear inconspicuous; they are a collection of mostly uninhabited rocks out in the middle of the sea. However, they are actually at the center of one of the greatest territorial disputes in the world – the dispute over the South China Sea. The South China Sea lies in East Asia, surrounded by Vietnam, the archipelago nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and, most importantly, China. The sea, often shortened to SCS, is rich in natural resources, and is at a strategic military and logistical location. It is the crossroads of global trade, with an estimated $3.3 billion worth of trade passing through in 2016 alone (The United Nations Conference on Trade). By: Silas Miller
For two and a half years, Kyiv has been locked in a war with The Kremlin – the latter attempting to seize the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk to “liberate” the large Russian minority there (BBC). Both sides are attempting to break the deadlock they are in. Perhaps the most famous attempt as of late is the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian region of Kursk. This invasion made quick progress, seizing Russian villages and forcing the relocation of many Russian troops to the north. Kursk declared a state of emergency, and civilians fled the region. But like most developments in this conflict, it slowed to a standstill (BBC, The Guardian). By: Audrey Kessler
Kamala Harris. She is many things, but most notably she was the first woman of color to run for president. Her candidacy remains the subject of a number of impassioned debates, and she can often be found on the cover of several high profile news publications, such as The New York Times. After all, she was running for a position that has never been filled by someone like her. With the rise of feminist movements in recent years, one may come to the conclusion that the campaign was largely targeted towards women, in hopes of using feminist messaging to garner support from an important voting group. In other words, some may wonder if Kamala Harris’s campaign was fueled by the feminism boost. By: Silas Miller
On September 18th, 2024, a Russian warehouse full of missiles was destroyed, not by a missile, but by over 100 kamikaze drones, each individually operated by a human pilot in Ukraine, able to adjust to changing circumstances accordingly (AP). This is nothing unusual; drones are an almost constant factor in the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has been raging for the last two and a half years. Drones are the terror of the skies, some even calling the conflict “The First Drone War” (Britannica, Hoover Institute). By Gwenyth Davey
For the first time in American history, the Speaker of the House has been ousted. Kevin McCarthy was elected as a member of the California State Assembly in 2002 where he served as Republican floor leader in 2003. Following his tenure in the state assembly, McCarthy was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a representative for the 22nd district of California, where he later assumed the role of Speaker of the House, one of the most important positions in our nation’s democracy. As Speaker of the House, McCarthy’s role was to maintain order, manage proceedings, and govern the administration. On October 3rd, Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position in a motion to vacate. According to the National Constitution Center, a motion to vacate is a “seldom-used tactic” that “permits an individual representative to have the entire House vote to vacate the Speaker’s chair.” This motion has only been used once before and was not successfully used until McCarthy’s removal, making his departure from his position unprecedented in American history (National Constitution Center). By Kevin Biggiani
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that on December 15th, pending FDA approval, New York State should receive enough doses of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer Inc. to immunize 170,000 people. This first batch of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine will be distributed to residents of nursing homes and to staff in those facilities, though Governor Cuomo will not mandate it. The required second dose of the vaccine will follow approximately three weeks later to fully inoculate those recipients. Even though the total number of nursing-home residents in New York, 85,000, and the total facility staff, 130,000, combined is far greater than 170,000, the Governor is not concerned and expects some individuals will decline to take the vaccine. |
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