Mass trials begin in El Salvador
Over the past four years, Salvadoran authorities have used a state of emergency to arrest more than 90,000 people on suspicion of gang activity, putting many of them in maximum security prisons. Now, en masse, they are having their days in court in trials that human rights activists say are riddled with violations of due process and judicial independence, and which result in nearly automatic convictions. But popular strongman president Nayib Bukele is unfazed. His ferocious and, critics say, indiscriminate crackdown on gang violence has decimated what was once one of the highest murder rates in the world, making him a model for the resurgent right across Latin America.
Australia court ruling targets coal emissions
Australia’s High Court sided with environmental activists this week in a landmark decision requiring regulators to consider emissions generated by Australian coal overseas, also known as “scope 3 emissions.” For example, when a Chinese factory burns Australian coal, regulators must now consider those emissions when approving a mining project in Australia. The case centered on the proposed expansion of the Mount Pleasant coal mine in New South Wales, where scope 3 emissions would account for a whopping 98% of the project’s total emissions. Australia’s mining industry, which accounts for about 12% of its GDP, has warned the decision could deter investment. Australia is the world’s second-largest coal exporter, bringing in $70 billion a year, and the ruling highlights the growing tension between its economic dependence on fossil fuels and its climate commitments. Australia is working towards a goal of reducing greenhouse emissions by 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
Japan protests alleged killing by US Marine
People in Okinawa, Japan, are protesting the murder of a local woman who authorities say was killed by a US Marine on October 3. Okinawa, an island that sits roughly 400 miles south of mainland Japan and only 60 miles from Taiwan, is home to as many as 30,000 US active-duty personnel. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the crime, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke with the US ambassador to Japan to complain. While the US government has yet to respond, it has temporarily paused operations at the base, introduced a curfew, and banned alcohol for two days. Now, US officials warn the incident could undermine a relationship vital to East Asian security and to deterring Chinese aggression. It may also complicate Takaichi’s push to accelerate the island’s military buildup, which locals oppose because it already hosts 70% of the US’s military presence in Japan.
