Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia PDF

**Death Penalty in Saudi** Saudi Arabia has executed at least 200 individuals in the first nine months of 2024, more than any whole year in the past three decades. This demonstrates the Saudi authorities\' disregard for the right to life and contradicts their pledges to limit the use of the death p...

**Death Penalty in Saudi** Saudi Arabia has executed at least 200 individuals in the first nine months of 2024, more than any whole year in the past three decades. This demonstrates the Saudi authorities\' disregard for the right to life and contradicts their pledges to limit the use of the death penalty. During their Universal Periodic Review, the authorities accepted only one of the 22 recommendations relating to the use of the death penalty, showcasing their lack of commitment to meaningful reform. Of the 214 individuals publicly reported as having been executed so far in 2024, 59 were executed for drug-related crimes, 46 of whom were foreign nationals. This regressive trend raises serious concerns for the lives of hundreds of prisoners sentenced to death for drug-related charges, including 33 Egyptians. Saudi Arabia has continued to use the death penalty for non-lethal offenses, accounting for 41% of executions so far, including 29 individuals who were executed for non-lethal terrorism-related offenses. The implausible claim that Abdulmajeed Al Nimr had joined a terrorist cell affiliated to Al-Qaeda represents a flagrant example of the Saudi authorities\' determination to label legitimate dissent and protest as a form of terrorism. Saudi Arabia has been among the countries carrying out the highest number of executions in the world, but the rate of executions has continued to soar, with at least 9 young men at risk of execution for offenses committed while they were below the age of 18. Saudi authorities have weaponized the death penalty to suppress online dissent, as seen in the case of retired teacher Mohammed al-Ghamdi, who was sentenced to death for peaceful social media activity. Meanwhile, Islamic scholars Salman al-Odah and Hassan Farhan al-Maliki continue to face delays in their trials, highlighting the country\'s repression of freedom of expression. **Israel and Gaza genocide** Genocide, a term reserved for mass atrocities, is often associated with Israel, a country home to Holocaust survivors. However, Israel has been accused of committing genocide in Gaza, a situation that has become more widespread since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. The debate on whether to call the war in Gaza a genocide has evolved, with the Palestinian death toll now exceeding 40,000. A Refugees International report found evidence of a severe hunger crisis in Gaza and famine-like conditions in northern areas during the first half of 2024, partly due to Israel\'s obstruction of aid deliveries. South Africa has brought its case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has issued preliminary rulings ordering Israel to improve access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and halt its operation in Rafah. Israel has also tightened its grip on occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank. The fighting continues, with long-feared regional war in Lebanon and stalled ceasefire negotiations. **Starlink** SpaceX launched Starlink satellites in 2019, consisting of over 7,000 small satellites in low Earth orbit. As of September 2024, the constellation consists of nearly 12,000 planned deployments, with plans to extend to 34,400. Starlink has reached over 1 million subscribers in December 2022 and 4 million subscribers in September 2024. The total cost of designing, building, and deploying the constellation was estimated to be at least \$10 billion. Revenues from Starlink in 2022 were \$1.4 billion, with a net loss, and revenue is expected to reach \$6.6 billion in 2024. Starlink has been extensively used in the Russo-Ukrainian War, with a military version called Starshield designed for government use. Astronomers have raised concerns about the constellation\'s impact on ground-based astronomy and the satellites\' brightness during operation. **Microchip** Elon Musk has implanted his brain-computer interface, Neuralink, into a human for the first time. The device contains a chip and electrode arrays of over 1,000 superthin, flexible conductors that a surgical robot threads into the cerebral cortex. The electrodes are designed to register thoughts related to motion, and in Musk\'s vision, an app will eventually translate these signals to move a cursor or produce text, enabling computer control by thinking. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved human clinical trials for Neuralink in May 2023, and last September, the company announced enrollment in its first study to people with quadriplegia. Neuralink\'s original ambitions included meshing human brains with artificial intelligence, but its more immediate aims seem in line with neural keyboards and other devices that people with paralysis already use to operate computers. However, the methods and speed with which Neuralink pursued those goals have resulted in federal investigations into dead study animals and the transportation of hazardous material. **Elon Musk buying Twitter (X)** Elon Musk, a tech entrepreneur, acquired Twitter, Inc. on April 14, 2022, and completed the deal on October 27, 2022. Musk initially declined to join Twitter\'s board of directors but later made an unsolicited offer to purchase the company, which was accepted unanimously. Musk aimed to introduce new features, make algorithms open-source, combat spambot accounts, and promote free speech. In July, Musk announced his intention to terminate the agreement, accusing Twitter of breaching their agreement. The company filed a lawsuit against Musk, but Musk reversed course and became Twitter\'s new owner and CEO. Twitter was taken private and merged into a new parent company, X Corp. Musk fired several top executives and laid off half of the workforce. Linda Yaccarino was appointed CEO of X Corp. In July 2023, the Twitter service was rebranded as X. Reactions to the buyout were mixed, with praise for Musk\'s reforms and vision but criticism over fears of misinformation, disinformation, harassment, and hate speech. Musk aimed to make Twitter a platform for free speech worldwide, citing free speech as a societal imperative for democracy. In May, Elon Musk placed Twitter\'s acquisition on hold due to reports of 5% of daily active users being spam accounts, causing a 10% drop in Twitter shares. Musk remained committed to the acquisition and urged the SEC to investigate Twitter\'s daily user numbers. Twitter filed new documents with the SEC, including a detailed timeline of Musk\'s purchase, and affirmed they would enforce the merger agreement regardless of Musk\'s actions. Musk abandoned plans to partially fund the deal through margin loans against Tesla stock, opting to pledge an additional \$6.25 billion in equity financing. Twitter investor William Heresniak filed a class-action lawsuit against Musk, alleging he had violated corporate laws in California by manipulating the market. The acquisition was cleared by U.S. antitrust review on June 3. Musk threatened to terminate his agreement with Twitter due to the company\'s refusal to provide him with user data. Twitter agreed to provide Musk with a \"firehose\" data stream of tweets. The SEC asked Agrawal to provide information on how Twitter estimated its number of spam accounts, and the SEC concluded its inquiry on July 27. In a July 7 conference call, Twitter revealed that over one million spam accounts were removed daily and reiterated that it was impossible to externally determine the exact number of these accounts as it would involve private user data. Elon Musk announced his proposed acquisition of Twitter on October 3, with the condition that Twitter drop its lawsuit. Musk\'s purchase was part of his ambition to create an \"everything app\" called X, offering various services. Twitter shares surged by 23 percent as a result of Musk\'s announcement. Musk postponed the trial to October 28 to finalize debt financing for the acquisition, depositing a \$1 billion loan from SpaceX and paying back the loan with interest. Court filings revealed that Musk was being investigated by the U.S. government for his conduct in the proposed buyout. Musk later stated that Twitter\'s long-term value would exceed the price of \$54.20 per share, which he considered an overpayment. On October 27, Musk and Twitter closed the deal, and Musk became Twitter\'s new owner. He fired Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett, who were set to receive \"golden parachute\" sums of \$38.7 million, \$25.4 million, and \$12.5 million, respectively. Dorsey retained his \$1 billion ownership stake, and several other executives departed Twitter. Musk assumed the position of CEO, merging the company with X Holdings and dissolving Twitter\'s board of directors. Musk appointed Linda Yaccarino as CEO of X Corp., the successor to Twitter. Since then, Musk has implemented several reforms, including overhauling Twitter\'s verification system, extending working hours, and laying off half of the workforce. Elon Musk\'s appointment to Twitter\'s board of directors was met with mixed reactions, with some employees and media outlets expressing concerns about his views on free speech and potential disinformation. Jim Cramer of CNBC argued that the Twitter board would have no choice but to reject Musk\'s offer due to potential personal liability. The National Urban League urged Twitter to turn down Musk\'s takeover bid, warning of potential negative consequences on users\' civil rights. Conservative and Republican commentators and politicians in the U.S. expressed enthusiasm for Musk\'s proposed changes, setting the stage for a potential congressional probe following the 2022 midterms. Jimmy Patronis, the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, praised Musk\'s offer and criticized Twitter\'s \"poison pill\" strategy. The purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk was met with mixed reactions from various stakeholders. Some employees, including Agrawal, Dorsey, and Musk, praised the deal as a restoration of free speech, while others, including Trump, Lopez Obrador, and the FCC, criticized it for misled authorities and promoting online harassment and hate speech. The decentralized network of servers running open-source Mastodon software saw 30,000 new users join by April 27. Trump praised the purchase of Twitter, stating it was in \"sane hands\" and not \"radical left lunatics.\" Other Republican politicians, including Dan Crenshaw, Darrell Issa, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Marsha Blackburn, Anthony Sabatini, Amy Kremer, Lauren Boebert, Dick Black, Cruz, and Jordan, also applauded the purchase. Democrat Amy Klobuchar voiced her distrust of Musk and called for tighter government regulation. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, hoped Twitter would eliminate political bias and ideological dictatorship. Twitter was bound by the EU\'s laws, alluding to the Digital Services Act. Employees expressed concern that Musk would lay off employees before they receive their compensation payments. Online reception to Musk\'s purchase was mixed, with far-right figures experiencing a significant increase in followers, while progressives experienced a decrease. **EJK investigation** Former President Rodrigo Duterte, relatives of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) victims, and 30 others have been invited to attend the Senate\'s investigation into the controversial anti-narcotics campaign during the previous administration. The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, presided over by Sen. Koko Pimentel, is set to hold its first hearing on October 28. Other invited individuals include former Sen. Leila de Lima, retired Police Col. Royina Garma, former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog, and the families of EJK victims. Sen. Joel Villanueva, who will serve as the vice chair of the subcommittee, said Duterte\'s presence would be a new element that the Senate probe can introduce, and that he will be treated with respect. Villanueva also echoed Pimentel\'s position against dragging the hearings on, as they will focus on a few resource persons only. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will begin with a clean slate, with the first hearing scheduled on October 28. Villanueva cited his record of criticizing the drug war as a reason for being asked to be the vice-chair. He added that he doesn\'t need to be a member to attend and participate, but he has to be elected by the plenary if he will serve as vice chair. **Japan** The Noto earthquake occurred on January 1, 2024, in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, causing a maximum seismic activity of 7. The quake led to hundreds of aftershocks and cascading hazards such as landslides, fires, geological uplift, tsunamis, and liquefication. The coastline was extended by up to 820 feet, causing 16- to 47-inch tsunamis in towns along the coast. At least 296 acres of land were flooded. In the first month, nearly 1,000 landslides related to the quake affected fewer than 100 buildings, blocking roads and rivers, isolated villages, delayed recovery, and increased the risk of future landslides. Multiple quakes (M4.8 to M6.0 in intensity) also hit the Noto region on June 3, six months after the Noto earthquake. The Noto Peninsula has been experiencing an ongoing \"seismic swarm\" since late 2020, generating earthquakes at 10 times the average regional rate. Wajima, a city in Ishikawa Prefecture, was most affected, with many residents fleeing. Building stability plays a critical role during earthquakes, and Japan\'s disaster preparedness has saved lives during past earthquakes. Lessons learned from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami off Honshu, Japan\'s main island, were evident during the Noto earthquake. **(August) Hyuganada Earthquake** The recent magnitude 7.1 shock in Japan\'s Nankai subduction zone occurred in a zone of repeating magnitude \~7 shocks every \~30 years, likely without producing megaquakes. The recent event occurred on 8 August 2024, near the shores of Miyazaki on Japan\'s southern island, Kyushu. The population of this region is accustomed to large shocks, as seen in 2016 when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto. The recent event likely struck on the Nankai Trough subduction zone interface, which is closer to coastal communities than the Japan Trench, where the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tōhoku megathrust struck. This proximity means that tsunami warnings will be briefer, possibly 5 minutes, rather than the 17 minutes for the Tōhoku quake. Japan\'s government increased the potential maximum size of a Nankai event from magnitude 8.6 to magnitude 9.1 in 2011, resulting in a policy that any shock greater than or equal to magnitude 7.0 falling inside the hypothesized magnitude 9.1 rupture zone would trigger a \"mega earthquake caution.\" The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a \"Megaquake Advisory\" after the August 2024 event, warning authorities and residents to take measures to prepare for a possible quake. **Two plane collision** On 2 January 2024, a runway collision occurred at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, involving an Airbus A350-900, operated by Japan Airlines Flight 516, and a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q300, operated by the Japan Coast Guard. The aircraft was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from New Chitose Airport to Haneda Airport. The Coast Guard plane was scheduled to deliver relief supplies a day after the 2024 Noto earthquake. As Japan Airlines Flight 516 was landing, it collided with the Coast Guard plane, igniting fires that destroyed both aircraft. Five of the six crew members on the Dash 8 died in the collision, with only the captain surviving. Investigations have determined that Japan Airlines Flight 516 was given landing clearance, while the Coast Guard aircraft did not have permission to be on the runway. This accident marked the first major accident and hull loss for Japan Airlines since Flight 123 in 1985 and the first major accident and hull loss of an Airbus A350. Japan Airlines Flight 516 crashed at Haneda Airport after a sudden shock and fire. The aircraft, a Boeing A350, collided with a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 while landing on runway 34R. CCTV footage showed a fireball erupting from the aircraft, leaving a fiery trail. Firefighters arrived at the scene in about three minutes, with 70 fire trucks responding. The fire was largely extinguished shortly after midnight, and the plane\'s structure collapsed due to the intensity of the flames. The three pilots felt a sudden shock after landing and lost control of the aircraft while trying to maintain its course along the runway. They were unaware that a fire had broken out on board until they were informed by a cabin attendant that the left engine was on fire. The three pilots denied visually confirming the presence of the Coast Guard aircraft. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board JAL516 evacuated through three of the plane\'s eight evacuation slides. JAL said the plane\'s in-flight announcement system had failed, leading the crew to give instructions through megaphones or shouting. Forty-three foreign nationals and eight children were on board, and two pets died. Seventeen people on board suffered injuries. The aircraft, one of the first commercial models made of composite carbon fiber materials, appeared to have withstood the initial impact of the collision and fire relatively well. **Forest Fire** Rescue efforts in Japan continue after a powerful earthquake hit the country on New Year\'s Day, killing at least 64 people. The earthquake hit the Noto peninsula in central Japan, causing homes to collapse, buildings to catch fire, and roads to be extensively damaged. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said emergency services were in a \"race against time\" to rescue survivors. Helicopter surveys showed widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The city of Wajima, on the northern tip of Noto, has been cut off from land routes. In the coastal city of Suzu in Ishikawa prefecture, 90% of homes had been \"completely or nearly destroyed.\" The Japanese military has been handing out supplies, food, water, and blankets to those who have had to evacuate. The government has said that 57,360 people had to be evacuated. Tens of thousands of meals are being delivered across the affected region. Aftershocks continued into Wednesday, and the chief cabinet secretary warned people to be alert for more earthquakes of an intensity of up to 7 in the coming week. **Strawberry Moon** This month it\'s the turn of the Strawberry Moon, which is named after the fruit that can be harvested this time of year. It happens on 21 June, but it\'ll be most visible on 22 June. The Strawberry Moon is also known as the Rose Moon or the Honey Moon. In many cultures, including Native American tribes, people named the full moons throughout the year as a way to keep track of time. **June 29** The alignment of Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. **July 28-29** Delta Aqaurids Meteor Shower **August 12-13** Perseid Meteor Shower **Won the Lottery** Someone in Texas won the \$800 million [Mega Millions](https://www.nbcmiami.com/tag/mega-millions/) jackpot after matching all six numbers drawn Tuesday night. The winning numbers drawn were: 1, 2, 16, 24, 66, 6 and a Megaplier of 4x. Lottery officials said the winning ticket was sold at Murphy USA 8848 in Sugar Land, Texas. This jackpot ranked as the seventh-largest in the game\'s history, the winner takes an estimated prize of \$800 million, \$404.2 million cash. In addition to the jackpot-winning ticket, four tickets matched the five white balls to win the game's \$1 million second-tier prize, sold in California, Florida, New York and Washington, [according to the game\'s website](https://www.megamillions.com/). The last time someone won the game's top prize was on June 4 when a winning ticket worth \$552 million was sold in Illinois. The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, [worth \$\$1.58 billion](https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national-international/winning-ticket-for-1-58-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-sold-to-lucky-player-in-florida/), was sold on Aug. 8, 2023, in [Florida](https://www.nbcboston.com/tag/florida).  **Paris Agreement** The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2015. Its goal is to limit global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and limit it to 1.5°C. However, world leaders have emphasized the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century due to the risk of severe climate impacts. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and decline 43% by 2030. The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process, requiring economic and social transformation based on the best available science. It works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action, with each successive National Determination Contribution reflecting a higher degree of ambition. **Heatwaves** Heatwaves began in April 2023 across the northern hemisphere, breaking records and causing severe damage in areas like the western US, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. Scientists attribute these heatwaves to man-made climate change and El Niño phenomena, but recent findings show that climate change is exacerbating El Niño\'s strength. The heatwaves also led to an extreme likelihood of wildfires and heavy flooding. In response, some leaders called for greater action to stop climate change, and President Joe Biden has taken measures to protect the population from extreme heat. 2023 was the hottest year on record, 1.48°C warmer than the pre-industrial level, and the world breached the Paris Agreement 1.5°C warming mark for a record number of days. **COP26** The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) in 2021 brought together 120 world leaders and over 40,000 registered participants to discuss climate change. The outcome of COP26, the Glasgow Climate Pact, is the result of intense negotiations among almost 200 countries. The approved texts reflect the interests, conditions, contradictions, and state of political will in the world today. Despite the agreement, cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are still far from where they need to be to preserve a livable climate. Countries reaffirmed the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. They expressed alarm and utmost concern that human activities have caused around 1.1°C of warming to date, and that carbon budgets consistent with achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal are now small and being rapidly depleted. The Glasgow Climate Pact calls for stronger national action plans next year and calls for an annual NDC Synthesis Report to gauge the present level of ambition. **VP Phil Confidential funds** Vice President Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss three petitions questioning the propriety of PHP125 million in confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the 2022 budget. Duterte, through her counsel, former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, sought the dismissal of the petitions separately filed by Christian Monsod, Howard Calleja, and the ACT Teachers Party-list. Mendoza argued that the Court\'s power is not unbridled to review just any claim of constitutional violation or grave abuse of discretion. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Duterte-Carpio spent P125 million in confidential funds in 11 days last year, faster than originally claimed by minority lawmakers. The funds came from the P221.42-million contingent fund that the Office of the President had approved and released on Dec. 13. Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin had said the P125-million confidential funds were used to build satellite offices, a flagship program of Ms. Carpio. The Office of the Attorney General (CoA) has sent preliminary observations to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and committed to finish audits of the OVP by November 15. The Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, tasked with monitoring agencies\' use of confidential and intelligence funds, is short on staff with only nine officers. Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman urged the reduction of confidential and intelligence funds to fully arm this unit. The CoA is seeking to amend the 2015 Budget circular by specifying which supporting documents on confidential and intelligence funds agencies should submit. Quimbo also urged Congress to create a special oversight committee to access reports on confidential and intelligence funds. The budgets of the President and Vice President\'s offices, which have been allotted P4.56 billion and P500 million in confidential and intelligence funds for next year, have bypassed the House appropriations committee.