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The Beast, Sudan conflict & more!

Good Morning - Hungary's decision to eliminate income tax for those with four or more children has caused a surge in birth and marriage rates. This is in contrast to countries experiencing a decline in birth rates. The policy is designed to encourage family expansion and has proven effective.

Global Insights

The Beast

In Mexico, a freight train named "La Bestia" or The Beast carries more than just industrial goods; it carries migrants on a perilous journey to the United States. Each year, hundreds of thousands, including many from Central America and mainly Venezuela, ride atop these moving trains, facing extreme weather and the constant threat of falling.

Why take this risky journey? With normal passenger tickets nearly impossible to obtain, La Bestia becomes the only viable option for those hoping to reach the US border. As the Title 42 policy, allowing the immediate return of migrants to Mexico comes to an end, reports are showing a resurgence in migrants turning to these trains for a direct route to the United States.

The journey is not just physically perilous but exposes migrants to exploitation by cartels & criminal groups, leading to reports of abuse and even deaths. Despite efforts by Mexican authorities to dissuade train travel, grassroots organizations like Las Patronas provide essential aid & assist the migrants through their journey to their new life in the United States.

Youtuber “Bald and Bankrupt” recently documented his journey across The Beast here

Sudan Conflict Update

Recently, there was a significant development in the Sudan war mediation efforts. Conflicting parties agreed to a ceasefire and political dialogue, according to a regional African body. Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), agreed to meet one-on-one in Djibouti. Hemedti also accepted the proposed ceasefire in a subsequent phone call.

Details about the meeting, including when and where it will happen, haven't been shared. The Sudanese army and RSF haven't commented. The conflict, ongoing since mid-April, has caused damage to Khartoum and ethnic killings in Darfur. Al-Burhan accused the RSF of "barbaric attacks" during the meeting but expressed openness to a peaceful solution. Hemedti, addressing the meeting remotely, blamed the war outbreak on al-Bashir loyalists within the army, advocating for army reforms and a civilian government.

The Djibouti meeting, organized by IGAD and the African Union, is part of ongoing peace efforts. Previous talks facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States stalled last week. The war began over a plan to integrate the RSF into the army, disrupting Sudan's path to democracy after al-Bashir's 2019 overthrow. Reports of explosions at Khartoum's al-Jaili oil refinery and casualties in an attack on a Red Cross convoy in the capital highlight the challenges in resolving the conflict.

Trending

Biden criticizes Israel

Israel faced its worst combat losses in over a month after an ambush in Gaza City. As more civilians die and conditions continue to worsen for citizens in Gaza, Israel isolates itself further from diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. The UN has called for a ceasefire. President Biden criticized Israel's indiscriminate bombing of civilians, saying it was hurting international support. Biden recently urged Netanyahu to soften his government's stance and stressed that eventually, Israel cannot oppose the concept of an independent Palestinian state.

FBI official caught working for Russian Oligarch

A former FBI official (Charles McGonigal) was sentenced to over four years in prison for admitting his involvement with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is under U.S. sanctions. Prosecutors have labeled Deripaska as a close associate of President Vladimir Putin. Charles McGonigal, who led the FBI's New York field office counterintelligence division from 2016 to 2018, confessed in August to working for Deripaska in 2021 to gather negative information on another Russian oligarch, Vladimir Potanin.

E.U releases frozen funds to Hungary

The European Union released billions of frozen euros to Hungary. This happened as Prime Minister Viktor Orban seemed poised to defy EU partners, contemplating a veto on starting membership talks and financial aid for Ukraine.

History & Culture - Armistice of Mudros

The Armistice of Mudros, signed on October 30, 1918, signaled the conclusion of the Ottoman Empire's involvement in World War I, serving as a pivotal moment in history. This pact, sealed between the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain (on behalf of the Allies), brought about significant territorial changes. Ottoman garrisons in Hejaz, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Tripolitania, and Cyrenaica were surrendered.

The Allies gained control over key locations such as the Dardanelles, Bosporus, Batum, and the Taurus tunnel system. They also secured the right to occupy Armenian provinces in Anatolia and strategic points in case of disorder or threats. The Ottoman army underwent demobilization, and crucial assets like ports and railways fell under Allied control.

The historic agreement was signed aboard the British battleship Agamemnon in the port of Mudros, Aegean Island. Initially neutral in World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers but faced defeats that led to economic devastation. The Treaty of Mudros not only marked the end of Ottoman participation in the war but also set the stage for post-war negotiations, ultimately contributing to the dissolution of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire and the shaping of the modern Middle East.

Fast Facts

• 2023 was Bitcoin's best year since 2020 in terms of percentage gains

• It’s a myth that you only use 10 percent of your brain. You use all of it.

• In Ancient Asia, death by Elephants was a popular form of execution.

• Around 45% of Americans regularly set a New Year's resolution

• Canada is south of Detroit

Well done is better than well said.

-Benjamin Franklin