The beat
Hate crime in the US
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program released the 2016 hate crime statistics, which show an increase for the second year in a row. A total of 6,121 crimes ‘motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, or gender identity’ were reported. Around 58% of single-bias incidents were motivated by the victim’s race, ethnicity or ancestry. The program involves more than 15,000 law enforcement bodies across the US, out of which only 1,776 reported hate crimes.
UAE–Qatar quarrels continue
Leaked documents revealed that the UAE aims to further weaken Qatar. According to The Intercept, the UAE planned to wage an economic and financial war targeting the value of Qatari bonds, which would eventually lead to devaluation of the nation’s currency. A PR campaign was supposed to then highlight the financial weakness to sow doubts about Qatar’s ability to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar is investigating the claims.
Another cocaine confiscation in the books
Colombian police have seized 12 tons of cocaine that had been hidden on banana plantations. It’s the largest single drug seizure in the country’s history. The market value of the drugs was estimated at around US$360 million. This map shows the locations of some of the biggest cocaine busts from 2016 and 2017.
CT scan
Turnbull and Duterte talk about terrorism
Counterterrorism was high on the agenda when Malcolm Turnbull and Rodrigo Duterte had their first bilateral meeting in Manila this week. The two leaders vowed to increase intelligence-sharing and cooperation in combatting terrorism financing. In the Philippines for the East Asia Summit, Turnbull was also present for a joint counterterrorism capability demonstration by Philippine and Australian troops. During the visit, Turnbull emphasised that Australia and the Philippines are engaged in ‘the same fight’ against terrorism and highlighted Australia’s role in ending the Marawi insurgency.
UN to assist ASEAN counterterrorism fight
In a speech on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered assistance to ASEAN in its fight against terrorism. Saying he was ‘heartened’ by the conclusion of the crisis in Marawi, Guterres promised ‘technical support to ASEAN and its member countries’ and the establishment of a UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. In a draft statement, ASEAN’s member countries have said the UN global counterterrorism strategy and the UN plan of action to prevent violent extremism will be taken into account in the bloc’s counterterrorism efforts.
Queensland counterterror team
Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised to create a new elite counterterrorism unit for Queensland if she’s re-elected as the state’s premier when Queenslanders go to the polls on 25 November. The new Queensland Police unit, dubbed the Security Counter-Terrorism Command, would include ‘85 new officers and specialists’.
Checkpoint
EU countries improve defence coordination
The European Union announced on Friday a new joint communication that outlines steps for strengthening the mobility of military employees and equipment. A convincing 23 of 28 member states have signed on to the deal, with an action plan to be published in March 2018. While the new deal has been hailed as a landmark agreement, Portugal’s Communist Party has called it a ‘warlike escalation with Russia’.
Earthquake strikes near Iran–Iraq border
At least 450 people have died after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s western province of Kermanshah. The county of Sarpol-e Zahab was the hardest hit, just 15 kilometres from the Iraq border. In Iraq, there have been seven confirmed deaths and over 500 injuries from the quake, which shook the northern Kurdish region. The search for survivors is ongoing.
The river that divides
The New York Times has described the cultural differences between two neighbouring European towns separated by a thin river. The town of Ivangorod in Russia is only 3 kilometres from Narva in Estonia, but the latter has much nicer facilities. In the 1990s there was serious talk of establishing a Narva Republic—a conversation that still hangs in the air today.
First responder
Our home, our people
The Fijian government, in partnership with the World Bank and a few other international organisations, released a storytelling project that focuses on Fiji’s climate vulnerability and how climate resilience could be increased. The project approaches storytelling creatively, and includes a 360-degree video titled ‘Our home, our people’ featuring Fijian people talking about ‘vei lomani’ (‘love in action’) in their daily lives, as well as a PDF report.
Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month
Following a series of recent hurricane and fire disasters, US President Donald Trump proclaimed this November Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month. That’s a wise decision, as every dollar spent on disaster prevention and resilience saves an average of $4 in the future.
Small islands, development and resilience
Energy resilience has become an urgent priority for international development organisations such as the World Bank. Small island developing states make up over 60% of countries with the highest losses from disaster events. Renewables contribute relatively low amounts of energy for these nations, representing an opportunity for growth.