Current Events

• Former Kosovo leader Hashim Thaçi received a twenty-five year prison sentence for war crimes committed while leading the Kosovo Liberation Army. • Turkish authorities arrested hundreds of people during a crackdown on LGBTQ expression and the protests that followed. • A ferry sank in the Java Sea, resulting in casualties.

• Heavy fighting between the Houthis and the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen has left hundreds of people dead. • American journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem died at the age of 92. • Oljas Bektenov was reappointed Prime Minister following the Kazakh legislative election.

• A new UN report warns that the rapid development of AI technology is currently outpacing the ability of experts to fully understand its associated risks and benefits. • The report specifically highlights critical concerns regarding child safety and the proliferation of disinformation resulting from these advancements. • Major U.S.-based corporations, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, are spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually to develop AI, often prioritizing growth over societal policy concerns.