WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The State of the World: Amnesty, Drills, and Witch Hunts

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

The State of the World breaks down top headlines in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere. Key topics include French politics, Southeast Asian earthquakes, and the Sudanese civil war.

Hello, my name is Aaron Osborne, and this is the State of the World on WRFH 101.7 FM, where we discuss international relations and news from the previous week around the globe. Starting off this week with France, longtime national rally party leader, Marine Le Pen, has been convicted of embezzling EU funds and barred from running for political office for half a decade. Le Pen was considered a key contender in the 27 presidential election. Marines Le Pen says she will appeal the verdict and that the charge was politically motivated. Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, called the verdict a declaration of war from Brussels, the home of the European Union. Western European countries continue to increase military spending programs as American President Donald Trump pushes NATO members to raise their defense spending to 5%. Changing long-term policies in the region. In the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, there is now a state of emergency after more than 2,700 people in Myanmar and Thailand have died since the devastating earthquake that struck the countries last week.

There is still an ongoing search for survivors. Shifting to Hong Kong, the United States released a report to Congress condemning Chinese violations of rule of law and human rights in Hong Kong on March 31st. government also imposed sanctions on several Hong Kong and Chinese nationals. For its part, China launched a series of military drills on April 1st around Taiwan. According to the Wall Street Journal, the exercises involve army, navy, and rocket forces around Taiwan, which are blockading Taiwanese sea lanes. The move comes after the Taiwanese president decried Beijing's influence in the region last week in what is already a tense diplomatic situation. In the Middle East, the Trump administration

received a victory as the Taliban regime released the fourth American captive this year. Faye Hall has been released with assistance from the Qataris, according to the Washington Post. Hall was arrested in February while working with British human rights activists who have yet to be released. In Gaza, the Israeli defense forces once again ordered the evacuation of the city of Rafa after the deaths of several paramedics earlier in the week and in conjunction with continuing military campaigns. In addition, the Israeli defense forces launched another series of airstrikes on the neighboring country of Lebanon, killing a leader of Hezbollah. In Qatar, Qatari officials recently opened an investigation and arrested some of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's aides, a move that Netanyahu denounced as a witch hunt, according to the BBC. In Africa, after a six-month-long offensive, the Sudanese army recaptured the city of Cartoon.

from the paramilitary rapid support forces. The two-year civil war has been estimated to have killed over 150,000 Sudanese citizens, according to the BBC, in an ongoing situation that the United Nations calls a human rights tragedy. In Burkina Faso, the military junta granted amnesty to 21 soldiers who were convicted of involvement in a failed coup in 2015. This follows waves of amnesty granted by Captain Choirre since his assumption of power in 2022. These particular soldiers were indicted in 2019 in Oagadougou. Last but not least, in Zimbabwe, police have arrested 95 citizens for protesting in the capital and demanding that the current president resign. The BBC said that while political officials don't seek civil war,

the military and police have a history of violent protest crackdowns. In the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. United Nations mission in Haiti continues to face difficulties. Reuters reported that at least three Kenyan officers are believed to be dead, and on March 31st, Haitian gangs stormed a prison 30 miles from the capital and released 500 inmates. There are presently a number of United Nations representatives on the scene trying to quell gang violence has been escalating for the past several years, according to the BBC. And in Mexico, President Claudeau,

Luria Shine bomb has announced an additional initiative to extradite drug traffickers to the United States, according to Reuters. In February, Mexico deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the U.S. Mexico border and transferred 29 people to the United States for trial, including the leader of MS-13 Francisco Javier Roman Bredales. Thank you for listening. My name is Aaron Osborne, and this is the State of the World on WRFH Radio Free Hillsdale 101.1.7 FM.