Spain Beats England to Win FIFA Women's World Cup
On Sunday, Spain defeated the reigning European champions and pre-match favorite, England, 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Spanish captain and left-back Olga Carmona scored the winning goal in the 29th minute, ensuring La Roja could lift the team's maiden Women's World Cup trophy. It was Spain's women's third appearance and made them the fifth country ever to win the tournament.
Spain had the edge in possession (47%-37%), more attempts on goal (14-7) and shots on target (5-3). In the second half, England's goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a penalty shot by Spain's Jennifer Hermoso.
Narrative A
It's a shame for the UK that the lionesses' valiant efforts ended in defeat, but the dedication from all teams and hosts involved in the tournament has delivered a remarkable contest, jettisoning women's football to its highest peak yet. There is still much more to achieve, as funding from FIFA for the contest remains a comparative slither of the money put into the men's game. However, the potential for new markets in this sport is now evident and there is much to look forward to for the future of women's football.
Narrative B
This is certainly a high for the women's game, but it's one that has unfortunately been overshadowed by the controversy concerning Spanish coach Jorge Vilda. The muggy atmosphere around the figure — whose tenure has seen worrying allegations over players' treatment and welfare, even resulting in key players missing out on Sunday's glory — has contaminated this competition. It is not enough to shine the spotlight only on FIFA when toxicity and problematic cultures may already be at the top of women's football.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that England will next win a FIFA men's or women's world cup by 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russia's Lunar Mission Fails After Luna-25 Crash
Russia's first moon mission in 47 years has failed after the Luna-25 automatic lunar station collided with the lunar surface and crashed, the country's space agency Roscosmos said on Sunday.
The crash came after the crewless spacecraft attempted to enter pre-landing orbit ahead of a planned soft landing on Monday on the moon's south pole. Instead, it entered an undesignated orbit and lost contact, the agency stated.
According to Roscosmos, communication with Luna-25 was lost at 14:57 Moscow time (11:57 GMT) on Saturday, and efforts to locate the spacecraft and restore contact were unsuccessful. It added that an investigation would be established into the causes of the crash.
Anti-Russia narrative
This failure underscores Russia's decline as a former space power since the 1960s, when the country became the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth and a Russian citizen became the first man to travel into space. Moscow has tried to harken back to its Soviet days, but has failed to become an aerospace superpower in the modern age — primarily due to deep-rooted corruption, a decline in its scientific education system, and the Kremlin's insistence on making the moon mission a PR activity rather than a scientific expedition.
Pro-Russia narrative
With the launch of the Luna-25 spacecraft, Russia attempted to return to the space race and show western countries it could successfully operate the world's most ambitious lunar operation despite the massive cost of military operations in Ukraine. Luna-25's crash-landing is a blow to Russia's space ambitions. However, while the US and its allies can mock Russia's failed lunar mission, Moscow will continue to use its scientific capabilities and resources to explore the moon's water and rare earth deposits.
Nerd narrative
There's a 68% chance that India's Chandrayaan-3 mission will successfully land a rover on the moon, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ecuador: Presidential Race Heads to González-Noboa Runoff
Ecuador's National Electoral Council announced on Sunday that the Movimiento Revolución Ciudadana party's Luisa González would compete in a second-round runoff against entrepreneur Daniel Noboa on Oct.15, after neither candidate won over 50% of the vote in the presidential election.
With 85% of the ballot counted, González was leading with 33% of the vote and Noboa was in second place with nearly 24%.
While González is reportedly considered a pupil of former Pres. Rafael Correa, Noboa is a banana industry scion and son of Alvaro Noboa, who ran for the presidency a record six times and made the runoff three times without securing victory.
Pro-establishment narrative
Democracy is on the ballot in the upcoming Ecuadorian runoff election, as the country desperately needs to tackle organized crime. If the nation refrains from electing the candidate picked by Rafael Correa — a corrupt politician and authoritarian who has been criminally convicted — Washington should ramp up cooperation with Quito to show that lawful methods are effective at fighting violent drug gangs.
Establishment-critical narrative
Neoliberal policies have plunged Ecuador into security and economic crises — it's time for Ecuadorians to let the progressive Citizen Revolution return to power, as the country can't risk losing more time trialing inexperienced politicians. In the late 2000s, Correa managed to move a devastated, hopeless country forward. Today, he will assist González in getting the country back on track.
Nerd narrative
There's a 75% chance that the next president of Ecuador will remain in office through the end of their term, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Niger: ECOWAS Rejects Coup Leader's Transition Plan
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has rejected a power transition plan proposed by Niger's military junta following a meeting between the new Nigerien leaders and representatives of the regional bloc.
Commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah told BBC on Sunday that ECOWAS will not accept "any prolonged transition again in the region" and called on the junta to hand over power within the shortest possible time while warning that the "military aspect is very much on."
This comes after Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani suggested a three-year transition of power at Saturday's talks in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, warning that any intervention by foreign forces would not be "a walk in the park."
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that ECOWAS has rejected this long "transition period" is a sign of strength, as the junta is merely trying to buy time to consolidate its power at the expense of freedom and democracy. ECOWAS and the international community must not let themselves be misled by the coup plotters and maintain pressure on the illegitimate regime. A peaceful solution to restore constitutional order in Niger would be desirable, and it's up to the junta to prevent military intervention.
Establishment-critical narrative
ECOWAS shouldn't allow itself to be used as a tool of US and French interests in Niger under the guise of supposedly restoring "democracy." Any military action by the regional bloc and the inhumane sanctions don't serve the interests of the Nigerien people or those of Africa, but only those of the Western powers. ECOWAS must move away from this NATO interventionist mentality and find a truly autonomous African solution to the crisis in Niger, and that solution can only be diplomatic.
Nerd narrative
There's a 45% chance that ECOWAS will intervene militarily in Niger before Oct. 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Trump Confirms He'll Skip GOP Presidential Debates
On Sunday, former US Pres. Donald Trump confirmed that he won't participate in the upcoming Republican debates about the party's 2024 presidential nomination.
Posting on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump argued that "the public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had," also pointing to what he described as his current "legendary" polling statistics.
The former president referred to a CBS poll released Sunday showing he has 62% of support among Republican voters, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holding 16% and all other candidates combined with less than 10% respectively.
Pro-Trump narrative
There's little that Trump needs to do to cement his position within an extremely uncompetitive race for the Republican nomination. Wednesday's debate shouldn't be about those with paltry poll numbers dominating the conversation. Trump's polls continue to skyrocket and there are better forums for communicating his agenda to the American people.
Anti-Trump narrative
While the importance of the Milwaukee debate is damaged by Trump's lack of appearance, the stage will be an opportunity to separate those who are willing to attack Trump for his lack of fitness to serve office and those who choose not to. While Trump's shadow is destined to loom over the debate, candidates must take a stand against the threat he poses to American democracy.
Nerd narrative
There is a 78% chance that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Presidential Election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russia Warns F-16s to Ukraine Will 'Escalate' Conflict
On Monday, Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, described the latter's decision to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets as "an escalation of the conflict," adding, "Such a position pushes Ukraine into the abyss and condemns its people to new victims."
The warning comes after the Netherlands and Denmark on Sunday pledged to provide Kyiv with F-16s once the training of Ukrainian pilots had been satisfactorily completed.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country would provide 19 jets — "hopefully" six around New Year, eight in 2024, and the remaining five in 2025 — "as a token of Denmark's unwavering support" for Ukraine's fight for freedom.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Ukraine acquiring these long-sought-after jets is a significant step toward countering Russia's air superiority. The F-16s will allow the country to defend its skies from Russian attacks as they can be used in air-to-air and ground-attack missions.
Pro-Russia narrative
The West's transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine demonstrates that the US and its allies aim to prolong the conflict further and have no intention of reaching a peace settlement. Russia considers the F-16s a nuclear threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons.
Nerd narrative
There's a 4% chance that there will be a deadly clash between the US and Russian armed forces before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
London Mayor Accused of Stifling Dissent Over Emissions Zones
Newly-released emails show the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan pressuring a scientist to downplay a study released which showed that London's Ultra-Low Emissions Zones program has a negligible effect on pollution, leading some to question the Mayor's office's relationship with the scientists it funds.
The emails show Khan's environment and energy deputy, Shirley Rodrigues, telling Imperial College London researcher Frank Kelly that the mayor's office was "really disappointed" the college decided to release a study questioning the effectiveness of the zones.
One of several email exchanges between Rodrigues and Kelly details the researcher vowing to "fight back" against the study challenging the effects of the plan to improve air quality in London by levying a per-day charge on vehicles that don't meet emissions standards.
Right narrative
These findings give proof to what people have known all along Ultra-Low Emissions Zones are nothing but a cash grab and are not supported by science. Cash-strapped Londoners could see an added expense of thousands of pounds a year imposed on them amid a cost-of-living crisis. This policy needs to be reversed, as Sadiq Khan's Labour Party will seemingly stop at nothing to fleece citizens with this faux-green guise.
Left narrative
What Khan's office has done is not improper — it was merely providing feedback on the next steps in the process. Air pollution is a killer, and the government needs to take action to keep Londoners healthy. This program is a step in the right direction and will help tackle the scourges of climate change, pollution, and a looming health crisis over dirty air.
HRW Report: Saudi Border Guards Have Killed Hundreds of Migrants
According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday, Saudi Arabia's border guard has killed hundreds of Ethiopians with machine gun and mortar fire as they tried to cross into the kingdom from Yemen based on evidence collected between March 2022 and June 2023.
The report cites interviews with 42 Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers and over 350 videos and photographs showing dead bodies and burial sites posted to social media, as well as satellite imagery.
HRW refugee and migrant rights researcher Nadia Hardman claimed the killings were conducted in a “remote border area out of view of the rest of the world.”
Narrative A
Yet again, it has become clear that Saudi Arabia is committing grave human rights abuses against some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. The Houthis, of course, are also committing crimes, but the Saudi border guard is committing regular massacres against migrants, and the international community must hold it accountable for these brutal discretions.
Narrative B
Given that there is no reliable evidence that the Saudi border guard abused any migrants, such allegations against the kingdom are completely baseless.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Mohammed bin Salman will become the king of Saudi Arabia by September 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Japanese Military Covered Up Sexual and Other Harassment
Japan's military has been accused of covering up sexual and other harassment cases within the self-defense forces (SDF). There were a total of 1,325 cases involving both men and women, with over 60% of victims not reporting their experiences.
The survey, conducted between Sept. and Nov. 2022 after former Ground SDF member Rina Gonoi claimed she'd been sexually harassed by colleagues, found that power harassment accounted for 77% of cases and sexual harassment for 12%.
For those who did report their alleged harassment, many claimed they had not received proper help, some felt pressured to drop their complaints, and others didn't know whom to approach or were afraid of being targeted by "whistleblower hunters."
Narrative A
Harassment in Japan, particularly of a sexual nature, is part of a broader problem in Japan's justice system. Though the government has recently taken steps to provide more legal protection to victims, there's an underlying cultural issue enabling this. Not only must Japan codify laws to clearly state which conduct is allowed, but it also must restructure its culture so new generations don't accept such despicable behavior as normal.
Narrative B
While Japanese women were historically confined to household or administrative tasks, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "womenomics" policy in 2013 began to elevate their roles in the military. There's been a noticeable progression in the SDF, with women entering roles previously reserved for men. These advancements underscore a shift towards empowering women and a broader shift towards more equitable values and institutions to hold violators of these values accountable.
Calif. Shopkeeper Shot and Killed in Pride Flag Confrontation
Laura Ann Carleton, the 66-year-old owner of the Mag.Pi clothing store in Cedar Glen, California, was shot and killed on Friday after a dispute over the rainbow Pride flag outside her store, according to authorities.
The suspect, who has not been identified, fled the scene on foot and was found by police in possession of a handgun. After a "lethal force encounter" with police, the man was pronounced dead, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The police say that the suspect made "several disparaging remarks" about the Pride flag before allegedly killing Carleton. Deputies responded to the shooting at around 5 p.m. local time where Carleton was pronounced dead on the scene.
Left narrative
An innocent woman has been killed as a result of inflammatory right-wing scaremongering over sexual and gender "culture war" issues. The right's attacks on the LGBTQ+ community have created intense fear, where threats of violence against them loom larger than ever before. The repercussions of this rhetoric go beyond trying to get votes — it gets people killed.
Right narrative
This is a tragic case, the circumstances of which we do not fully know, especially with regard to the mental state of the accused. The LGBTQ+ community has unfortunately been hijacked by a radical fringe that is out-of-step with the public's views, risking adding fuel to the fire and causing more harm to the LGBTQ+ community. Carleton should be mourned without being used to fuel divisive, woke rhetoric.
Biden Admin to Urge Americans to Get Fall COVID Booster
Biden administration officials have told various news outlets that the White House is planning to urge Americans to get a COVID booster shot this fall in response to a spike in infections.
An anonymous official told Reuters: "We will be encouraging all Americans to get those boosters in addition to flu shots and RSV [Respiratory Syncytial Virus] shots.”
Last week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) announced they have discovered another COVID variant. The BA.2.86 is one of dozens of variants being monitored as it carries a “large number of mutations.”
Pro-establishment narrative
As summer turns into fall, COVID cases along with flu and RSV infections are expected to rise, and responsible adults should get their booster shots to look out for their health and the health of others. Respiratory viruses continue to mutate at a rapid rate, and new vaccines are required to keep up with these mutations. The COVID vaccines have saved countless lives, and taking boosters this fall will help protect Americans from new variants.
Establishment-critical narrative
Here we go again. The Biden admin. is back pushing big pharma’s latest shot to “protect” against new variants of COVID. It was understandable for people to “do their part” and take the first vaccine in 2021 after the dystopian lockdowns of 2020, but the developments of the last three years show that these vaccines are enriching big pharma and the political machine behind them. Don't be surprised if there aren't many people lining up for this latest booster this fall.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance the WHO will announce the COVID-19 pandemic has ended by August 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.