Around the World in 5 – 18
“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognise the voice of their own conscience usually recognise also the voice of justice.”
Tuesday 17 June saw Brazilian federal police uncover an illegal spy network within the intelligence service of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration, prompting calls for his criminal indictment. Bolsonaro is alleged to have profited from the systematic surveillance of political opponents, including judges, MPs, and journalists. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and former São Paulo Governor João Doria are among the named victims of the scheme. The spy agency, Agência Brasileira de Inteligência (ABIN), reportedly used surveillance software called FirstMile, supplied by an Israeli firm. Bolsonaro appeared before the Supreme Court last week over his alleged complicity in a plot to overturn the 2022 election after losing to President Lula da Silva, having already been indicted with charges of embezzlement.
Across the Atlantic, the European Union has refused to hold its flagship economic meeting with Chinese officials at the upcoming summit next month, citing a lack of progress on several unresolved trade disputes. The EU-China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue has stalled due to disagreements over retaliatory tariff measures and apparent disengagement from Beijing. Most recently, the EU barred Chinese medical devices from public contracts, to which China responded with restrictions on key rare earth exports in April. An unnamed EU official stated the bloc would only proceed with the meeting “if there were agreements to implement at the summit”.
Protests have also gripped the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, following the death of a Kenyan teacher and activist while in police custody. Unrest broke out last Monday after the Kenyan National Police Service announced that Albert Ojwang died from “head injuries”. The protests, led predominantly by young people, have expressed wider discontent with the government, particularly its alleged involvement in the disappearance and silencing of anti-government critics. Mr Ojwang was initially arrested on charges of “false publication” related to government affairs.
As tensions between Iran and Israel continue to escalate, the Pentagon has chosen to deploy warplanes and an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East after open-source flight tracking revealed the arrival of multiple government aircraft in the region. US officials have described the move as a defensive measure to protect American troops stationed nearby. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, “[we] are postured defensively in the region to be strong, in pursuit of a peace deal.” Washington has also warned Tehran that any strikes against US personnel will prompt severe retaliation. G7 leaders, following yesterday’s meeting, urged all parties to pursue immediate de-escalation.
Former Japanese military chief Kiyofumi Iwata has warned that China’s growing military activity around the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea may signal the early stages of Chinese expansionism. His statement follows criticism from Japanese officials regarding the presence of Chinese J-15 warplanes operating in the Pacific last week, which reportedly led to a near-miss incident involving Japanese patrol aircraft.
Preparation for the Crucifixion, unknown, c.1600’s.
