Off the Radar: What’s going on in the world

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Here are five news stories from around the world you should be paying attention to.

Black History Month reminds us that to improve our society, it is necessary to pay attention to what is going on beyond our bubbles. The world is vast, and plural, and complex, and it requires constant examination and analysis. We must remember that beyond North America, there is a whole universe of cultural and political manifestations, and to remain open to it is essential if we want to build a fair and better world for the future.

Here are five news stories from around the world you should be paying attention to:

Chinese New Year

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Feb. 1 marked the Chinese New Year 2022. Also known as the Lunar New Year, the rise of the second new moon after the winter establishes its beginning, which can be on any date between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. For the most important date of the Chinese calendar, celebrations last for two weeks, ending on Feb. 15 with the lantern festival. According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Tiger, and its element is water. A Water Tiger year occurs every 60 years, and it symbolizes strength, exorcising evils and braveness.

Honduras’ first female president

Xiomara Castro has become the first female president of the South American country of Honduras. Her husband, Manual Zelaya, was the president between 2006 and 2009, when he was ousted by a coup. This is the third time Castro ran for office. In her first year, the leftist leader will have to deal with a political crisis and said, “my government will not continue the maelstrom of looting that has condemned generations of young people to pay the debt they incurred behind their back.” Her election puts an end to the 12-year reign of the right-wing National Party, that was marked by corruption and scandals.

North Korea missile tests

The Asian country has conducted its biggest test launch since 2017. This is the seventh test this month, and it was condemned by Japan, South Korea and the US. The missile reached an altitude of 2,000km and it came down in the Sea of Japan. Although North Korea has been prohibited from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests by the United Nations (and has faced strict sanctions by it) the country regularly defies the ban. The test was viewed as a political sign of strength, considering the timing, which is right before the Winter Olympics in China, and ahead of the South Korean presidential election in March.

Cuba charging antigovernment protestors

The protest in Cuba last July was the largest in decades. Thousands of protestors went to the streets to protest the government handling of the pandemic, price increases and medicine shortages. The Cuban government blames US sanctions for the problems that started the protests and suggested that those demonstrations were financed by US-based groups. Cuban officials said 172 people have been tried and convicted, but 710 people are being held in detentions as they await trials. The protests were largely peaceful, and activists have criticized the trials as unfair and disproportionate.

Guatemala convicts ex-officials for violating Indigenous women

The highest court in Guatemala has sentenced five ex-soldiers to 30 years in prison for raping dozens of Indigenous women during the 1980s. The former paramilitaries were members of the so-called Civil Self-Defence Patrols, armed guerrillas formed and supported by the military. The 36 Maya women victims were aged 12-52 at the time. The three-week trial included testimony from survivors and relatives of the victims. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala said “this sentence is a landmark advance in the access to the rights to truth, justice and reparation for female victims of sexual violence during the war” that happened between 1960-1996.