Global Concerns Rise: From Human Rights to Organized Crime and Political Tensions
A new report indicates a global "democratic recession," while investigations expose organized crime within the Toronto police force, and political tensions rise between the U.S. and Poland. These events highlight growing concerns across various sectors worldwide.
Human rights are in peril due to a "democratic recession," with nearly three-quarters of the global population living under autocratic rulers, levels not seen since the 1980s, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report cites abuses led by figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump, along with growing authoritarianism in countries such as Russia and China, as threats to the global rules-based order, according to The Guardian.
In Canada, at least eight current and former Toronto police officers were arrested following an investigation that exposed the reach of organized crime into Canada's largest police service, according to The Guardian. The investigation revealed links to bribes, the drug trade, and a murder plot. The Toronto police service chief, Myron Demkiw, was joined by York regional police chief, Jim MacSween, and his deputy, Ryan Hogan, at a news conference, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, diplomatic relations between the United States and Poland have been strained after the U.S. embassy in Poland announced it was breaking off contact with the country's parliamentary speaker, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, over what it called "outrageous insults" directed at President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose stated that the decision to end all dealings with Czarzasty would take effect immediately. This action was taken in response to Czarzasty's remarks that Trump does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize and his criticism of Trump's policy of force in international affairs, according to Al Jazeera.
In other news, Pinterest recently sacked two engineers for tracking which workers lost their jobs in a recent round of layoffs, according to BBC Technology. The company recently announced job cuts, with chief executive Bill Ready stating in an email he was "doubling down on an AI-forward approach," according to an employee who posted some of the memo on LinkedIn. Pinterest told investors the move would impact about 15 of the workforce, or roughly 700 roles, without saying which teams or workers were affected. The engineers then "wrote custom scripts improperly accessing confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees," according to BBC Technology.
Additionally, warnings have been issued regarding potential long queues at European airports due to the rollout of a new biometric border system, according to BBC Business. Passengers have already reported hours-long waits at some destinations during busy times. A group representing airports said there was a risk of five-to-six-hour queues over the summer. However, the European Commission said it would be possible to suspend the new system at peak times until September, according to BBC Business. A cyber attack led to IT outages at several major European airports in September, causing disruption and long queues.
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