The most important foreign affairs events of the week

July 10, 2023

“On Monday, a study published in the journal Nature Medicine showed that more than 61,000 people died because of brutal summer heat waves across Europe in 2022. Mediterranean countries, where temperatures were highest at the time, suffered most: Italy, Spain and Portugal had the highest heat-related mortality rates. In every week of summer 2022, the study found, average temperatures in Europe “uninterruptedly” exceeded the baseline values of the previous three decades. The findings suggest that two decades of efforts in Europe to adapt to a hotter world have failed to keep up with the pace of global warming. This summer is likely to be even worse: on top of climate change, the Earth has entered a natural El Niño weather pattern during summer for the first time in four years, bringing about conditions that will turn up the heat in many parts of the world. 

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The noun baseline means “a line serving as a basis, as for measurement, calculation, or location; something, such as a set of data, used as a basis for comparison; a starting point.”

The phrasal verb bring about means “To cause (something) to happen.”

July 11, 2023

“On Tuesday, tens of thousands of Israeli demonstrators stormed the country and caused widespread disruption after the governing coalition pushed forward with plans to limit the power of the Supreme Court. Since the earlier wave of protests in late March, the government has suspended, although not completely scrapped, legislative moves to give itself more control over the selection of judges. But to assuage far-right allies, Mr. Netanyahu is still pressing ahead with a more obscure part of the plan that would impose limits on when the Supreme Court could overrule Parliament. And it is that proposal which set off the protests on Tuesday. The dispute is part of a wider social rift between the government and its supporters, who want to create a more religious and nationalist state, and their opponents, who hold a more secular and pluralist vision.”

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The transitive verb scrap means “to discard or abandon as useless; cancel.”

The transitive verb assuage means "to satisfy, as in an appetite of desire." Close synonyms include: "satisfy, gratify, appease".

The noun rift means “a fissure, crack, or opening, as in rock; a break in friendly relations.”

July 12, 2023

“On Wednesday, the two-day NATO Summit ended in Vilnius, Lithuania, with some significant successes. Turkey lifted its objections to Sweden’s membership. The alliance approved new spending goals and its most ambitious military plans for Europe’s defense since the Cold War. There were also new commitments for long-term support for Kyiv. And all 31 member states agreed that Ukraine belongs in NATO. Even so, the summit’s final communiqué, with its ambiguous diplomatic language, does not disguise some serious strains among alliance members in the bitter fight over how to describe Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership. Ukraine was promised an invitation ‘when allies agree and conditions are met,’ leaving both the timing and the conditions safely unsaid.” 

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The transitive verb disguise means, in this context, “to make indistinct or difficult to perceive; to conceal or obscure by dissemblance or false show; misrepresent.”

The noun strain means “the state of being strained; extreme or laborious effort, exertion, or work.”

July 13, 2023

“On Thursday, Syria announced that it would give state approval for the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid into rebel-held northern areas through a contentious border crossing with Turkey, effectively giving President Bashar al-Assad’s government control over all aid deliveries to the northern areas of the country. Until two days ago, the U.N. and other international aid agencies had access to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing based on a 2014 mandate from the Security Council. Syria’s government abided by the resolution and was not involved in the aid deliveries, but attempts by the Council this week to extend the authorization failed. In essence, the announcement gives Assad and Putin a stranglehold on Syrian civilians who have suffered from 12 years of war and displacement.”

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The adjective contentious means "causing or likely to cause an argument or controversy."

The idiomatic expression abide by means “to conform to; comply with.”

The noun stranglehold means “a force, influence, or action that restricts or suppresses freedom or progress. Also called throttlehold.”

July 14, 2023

“The Biden administration is trying to prevent China from getting access to cutting-edge semiconductors, which are vital to many digital technologies. By doing so, the US hopes to slow China’s efforts to build advanced weapons, develop artificial intelligence and surveil its own citizens and people in other countries. Washington believes it can succeed because the semiconductor industry is a network of mutual interdependence, spread throughout the planet in highly specialized regions and companies, its feats made possible by supply chains of exceptional length and complexity. The most advanced operations tend to be located in either the US or its allies, such as Japan, the Netherlands and Taiwan — three governments that have all signed on to the restrictions approved by the Biden administration. In essence, the entire industry can only function with US inputs. So far, the semiconductor restrictions seem to be having an effect. China is struggling to get as many advanced semiconductors as it needs and is instead trying to build up its domestic industry. Ultimately, it will probably succeed in doing so. By then, however, the US and its allies hope to have raced further ahead.”

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The noun feat means “an act or accomplishment of great courage, skill, or imagination; an achievement.”

The phrasal verb sign on means “To be in agreement with something; accept or support something.”