The most important foreign affairs events of the week

* Erratum - In last Friday's grammar exercise, there was a missing comma after "However". The correct sentence is the following:

March 20, 2023

“On Monday the United Nations issued the IPCC Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report, which will integrate the findings of six reports released by IPCC during the cycle that began in 2015. The report says that global average temperatures are estimated to rise 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre industrial levels sometime around “the first half of the 2030s,” as humans continue to burn coal, oil and natural gas. Despite collective efforts under the Paris Agreement to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Earth has already warmed an average of 1.1 degrees, with global fossil-fuel emissions setting records last year. There is still one last chance to shift course, the new report avers. But it would require industrialized nations to join together immediately to slash greenhouse gas emissions roughly in half by 2030 and then stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere altogether by the early 2050s.”

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The phrasal verb hold to means “to expect or encourage one to uphold something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between ‘hold’ and ‘to’.”

The adverb altogether means “entirely; completely; utterly; with all included or counted.”

March 21, 2023

“China’s leader, Xi Jinping, flew into Moscow to demonstrate that his priority remains shoring up ties with Moscow to gird against what he sees as a long campaign by the United States to hobble China’s ascent. Talks on Ukraine were overshadowed by Mr. Xi’s vow of ironclad solidarity with Russia as a political, diplomatic, economic and military partner: two superpowers aligned in countering American dominance and a Western-led world order. Vladimir Putin was pleased to announce the cementing of Russia and China ‘no limits’ partnership. Moreover, they laid out their vision for the world in a nine-point joint statement that covered everything from Taiwan to climate change and relations with Mongolia, often depicting the United States as the obstacle to a better, fairer world.”

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The transitive verb gird means “to prepare (oneself) for action; to equip or invest, as with power or strength.”

The transitive verb hobble means “to hamper the action or progress of; impede.” Close synonyms are “restrict”, “impede”, “fetter”, and “shackle”.

March 22, 2023

“Lawmakers in Uganda have passed a sweeping anti-gay law that can bring punishments as severe as the death penalty — the culmination of a long-running campaign to criminalize homosexuality and target L.G.B.T.Q. people in the conservative nation in East Africa. The law calls for a life sentence for anyone engaging in gay sex. Even trying to have same-sex relations would be met with a seven-year prison term. Homosexuality is illegal in at least three dozen African countries, with sentences ranging from fines to life in prison. Around the world, a death penalty sentence for same-sex relations is imposed in only a handful of countries, including Iran and Mauritania, according to a survey by Human Rights Watch.”

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The adjective sweeping means “having wide-ranging influence or effect.” Close synonyms are “overwhelming”, “overarching”, and “extensive”.

The noun handful means “a small, undefined number or quantity.”

March 23, 2023

“On Thursday, Americas Quarterly released an interview with Brazil’s foreign minister Mauro Vieira. The Brazilian top diplomat talked about a ‘Lula doctrine’, a concept of foreign policy through which the country will restore its image and relationship with important peers, under the slogan ‘Brazil is back’. Mr Vieira also said that Brazil will respect its diplomatic tradition and will not adopt an automatic alignment neither with the US, nor with China. By contrast, Brazil’s position will be of an “active non-alignment” for dealing with the growing competition between the two great powers. Regarding South America and Latin America, Mr Vieira asserted that integration is a serious goal, highlighting the role of CELAC, Unasur and Mercosur.” 

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The noun peer means “a person who (something that) has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age.”

The noun non-alignment means “a position of neutrality.” Close synonyms are “neutral”, “uninvolved”, and “impartial”.

March 24, 2023

“The United States and Canada have struck a deal on changes to a decades-old asylum agreement that would restrict certain migrants from seeking protections in Canada, marking a significant change in how Canada accepts asylum seekers. Migrants caught crossing anywhere along the 3,145 mile (5,060km) border can now be sent back. The new accord closes a loophole that allows migrants to claim asylum at unofficial ports of entry. The deal is part of efforts to limit an influx of migrants at Roxham Road, an unofficial crossing between New York state and the province of Quebec. Mr Biden's administration has also proposed to crack down on asylum seekers at the US southern border with Mexico by making it harder for migrants to claim asylum once Covid border controls were lifted in May.”

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In this context, the transitive verb strike means “to reach by agreement.”

The noun loophole means “a way of avoiding or escaping a cost or legal burden that would otherwise apply by means of an omission or ambiguity in the wording of a contract or law.”