The most important foreign affairs events of the week

April 10, 2023

“On Monday, the United Nations Security Council discussed the risks posed by the illicit and unregulated export of weapons and military equipment during an open debate convened by Russia on that theme, as some members traded barbs on the supply of weapons to States in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs outlined the risks posed by illicit and unregulated arms transfers, and enumerated the international, regional and bilateral arms control treaties, agreements and frameworks put forth by States to tackle such threats, regulate the international arms trade and promote transparency in weapons transfers. Those include the Arms Trade Treaty — which marked its tenth anniversary on April 2nd — as well as the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.”

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The intransitive verb convene means “to gather usually for an official or public purpose; assemble formally; to gather, call together, or summon, especially for a formal meeting.”

The phrasal verb put forth means “to offer for consideration.” Close synonym is “put forward.”

April 11, 2023

“On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its World Economic Outlook, which predicts a painful slowdown that could include a global recession, amid worries about the global banking system and concerns that rising interest rates could force banks to curtail lending. The IMF made a slight reduction to its growth forecast for 2023, lowering it to 2.8 percent, from 2.9 percent in January. Growth for the year is expected to be much slower than the IMF predicted a year ago, when it projected output of 3.4 percent. Moreover, the IMF expects growth to hover around 3 percent for the next five years, which is its weakest medium-term growth forecast since 1990.”

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The preposition amid means “Surrounded by; in the middle of.” Close synonyms are “amidst”, “among”, “amongst”, and “in the midst of.”

The intransitive verb hover means “to remain or linger in or near a place; to remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air.”

April 12, 2023

“On Wednesday, Israel President, Isaac Herzog, said that he was optimistic about a breakthrough solution to the crisis provoked by a divisive government plan to revamp the courts. Since the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced its plans in January to overhaul the judiciary, the country has been gripped by growing turmoil in the streets, disquiet in the military, and warnings from its president, Isaac Herzog, of societal collapse and even civil war. Now, Mr. Herzog hopes for a compromise that could resolve not only the debate over the judiciary, but also other constitutional ambiguities that have gone unsolved since 1948, when Israel’s founders established the state without writing a formal constitution.”

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The noun disquiet means “absence of peace or rest; anxiety; or unease.” Close synonyms are “unease”, “distress”, “foreboding”, and “nervousness.”

The noun compromise means “a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions.”

April 13, 2023

“On Thursday, Germany announced the shut down of its last three nuclear reactors. For the country's Green Party, it's a long-held dream come true. Meanwhile in Asia, nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance, despite Fukushima. Although the last nuclear power plants were to close at the end of 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed everything, because Russian gas supplies to Germany stopped and the government feared an energy shortage. Altogether, 19 nuclear power plants supplied up to a third of Germany’s electricity, even though the last time this happened was about 20 years ago. By contrast, with 57 reactors, France has always been Europe's leading nuclear power country. All in all, 13 of 27 EU countries intend to use nuclear power in the coming years, with a number expanding their capacities.”

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The noun shortage means “a deficiency in amount; an insufficiency; a deficiency or lack in the amount needed, expected, or due; deficit.”

The adverb altogether means “entirely; completely; utterly; on the whole; with everything considered.” It is not to be confused with all together, which means “in a group.”

April 14, 2023

“On Friday, President Lula said he wants to work with Beijing to “balance world geopolitics”. The Brazilian President wrapped up a three-day visit to China aimed at deepening relations between the two nations. In particular, the 77-year-old has championed creating a more multipolar world and reviving multilateral organizations — themes close to the heart of Beijing’s international diplomacy. Brazil and China are both members of the BRICS association, a group of developing nations also including India, Russia and South Africa, which Lula has sought to reinvigorate since returning to office.”

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The phrasal verb wrap up means “to bring to a conclusion; settle finally or successfully; To summarize; recapitulate.”

In this context, the noun office means “a position of authority, duty, or trust given to a person, as in a government or corporation; public position.”