Rule by Orthrus
NEED TO KNOW
Rule by Orthrus
CROATIA
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has overseen fantastic economic growth and integrated the Balkan country more tightly within the European Union.
These moves have been welcome in a nation whose first president after independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Franjo Tudjman, fostered a personality cult and behaved like an autocrat, as Balkan Insight wrote. Since Tudjman’s death 25 years ago, the country has Westernized significantly.
Croatia’s Oscar nominee this year is a film about homosexual men in the 1950s – a sign of cultural openness that is breaking conservative, Balkan taboos. The government is offering incentives to young Croats to come back home, reversing the brain drain that has hobbled the region, added Croatia Week. Women are studying in tech boot camps to improve their businesses, according to Euronews.
To reward his efforts for fostering these kinds of developments, voters gave Plenković’s center-right Croatian Democratic Union a fourth electoral victory in April.
Even so, Croatian President Zoran Milanović of the opposition center-left Social Democratic Party is on track to defeat the Croatian Democratic Union and win a second term as head of state when Croats go to the polls in the presidential election’s first round on Dec. 29, reported Agence France-Presse.
Interestingly, Milanović and Plenković have diametrically opposed policies.
A populist who has been called the “Croatian Trump,” Milanović has for instance criticized the EU’s strident opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading Plenković to accuse the president of harboring pro-Russian views.
Inflation and a host of other economic woes stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine are undoubtedly factoring into the political situation. But the bigger issue is corruption.
Plenković recently fired Health Minister Vili Beroš after police arrested Beroš during an anti-corruption raid. Among Beroš and his affiliates’ alleged crimes, as Politico explained, was selling medical devices to hospitals at inflated prices after bribing public health officials. Beroš has denied the charges.
Plenković, understandably, has sought to distance himself from his cabinet member. “I am appalled by the idea that anyone in the health system would use their position for personal gains or for favors to anyone else,” he said at a press conference covered by the Associated Press. “The health system is a particularly sensitive department.”
Social Democrats in parliament initiated a vote of no confidence against Plenković, but he survived, Reuters noted.
After polls close, however, it might be a different story.
That’s because of his appeal to voters regarding everyday economic issues, which is also Plenković’s biggest weakness, wrote World Politics Review: “After a period of double-digit inflation, there remains a stark contrast between Croatia’s impressive topline economic figures and people’s lived experience in one of the EU’s least-affluent countries.”
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
The New Order
SYRIA
Syria’s new transitional leadership pledged this week to disband all rebel factions and that all fighters are “subject to the law,” an announcement that comes as local and international forensic teams are uncovering mass graves that have brought fresh attention to the atrocities committed by the regime of ousted President Bashar Assad, the Guardian reported.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that spearheaded the offensive that brought Assad down, announced the disbandment plan during a meeting with the Druze minority.
He called for Syria to “remain united,” adding that fighters will be “trained to join the ranks of the defense ministry.”
In a meeting with a British delegation, al-Sharaa urged the lifting of international sanctions, noting they were crippling Syria’s recovery and hindering the return of millions of refugees displaced by the civil war.
Observers noted that al-Sharaa’s comments are aimed at reassuring minorities and the international community about inclusivity in the transitional government following Assad’s removal.
The former Syrian president’s regime collapsed earlier this month after HTS-led rebel forces seized Damascus in a swift offensive, ending more than 50 years of Assad family rule.
Despite HTS’s assurances, there are still concerns because of the group’s ties to al Qaeda and its designation as a terrorist group by the United Nations and Western countries.
Following Al-Sharaa’s remarks, the opposition Syrian National Coalition – a group united opponents of Assad during Syria’s civil war – stressed the need for a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian government, Reuters added.
“Logistics should be worked out, and freedom of speech should be guaranteed,” said Hadi al-Bahra, the coalition’s leader, adding that they remain in communication with interim authorities.
But even as the new interim government grapples with state rebuilding, the recent discovery of mass graves near the capital Damascus underscored the magnitude of human rights abuses under Assad’s rule.
More than 100,000 victims were allegedly tortured and killed in what experts have described as a “machinery of death,” NBC News wrote.
Stephen Rapp, a former US war crimes ambassador, compared the scale of atrocities to those committed by the Nazis, calling it a “system of state terror.”
Images from the mass grave sites in the towns of Qutayfah and Najha near the capital showed piles of bones and skulls recovered by Syrian Civil Defense crews.
Satellite imagery and previous investigations have hinted at such sites, but the full extent of the brutality is only now emerging. The International Commission on Missing Persons has identified at least 66 mass grave locations in Syria and documented more than 28,000 missing persons.
International responses have been swift, with US officials vowing to collaborate with the UN to ensure accountability.
Even so, it remains unclear if and how Assad and his officials will be brought to justice. Following his deposing, the former Syrian leader fled to Russia, a country that is not party to the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, the European Union has begun cautiously re-engaging with Syria, signaling a willingness to aid in rebuilding basic services while expressing concerns about a resurgence of extremist groups, such as the Islamic State.
However, a number of European nations, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, have suspended Syrian asylum applications following Assad’s fall, sparking fierce debate over refugee repatriation.
Calls for deportation have grown louder among conservative and far-right politicians, while many Syrian refugees and advocates remain fearful of returning home.
Deadly Split
NIGERIA
A violent clash stemming from a religious schism within the Methodist Church left three people dead, including two children, and at least 10 others injured this week in Nigeria’s northeastern Taraba State, as tensions between the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the breakaway Global Methodist Church (GMC) escalated, the Associated Press reported.
The confrontation reportedly began Sunday when GMC members gathered at a UMC church in violation of a government-imposed closure order. During the violence, 27-year-old UMC member Elisha Masoyi was shot and killed, while two children, aged two and four, died when homes were set ablaze.
Eleven houses were destroyed, displacing hundreds of families, primarily women and children.
The division within the Methodist community began in 2022 when the GMC broke away from the UMC over disagreements on LGBTQ policies. Former UMC Bishop John Wesley Yohanna joined the GMC – allegedly taking UMC property and funds – further fueling the conflict, according to United Methodist News, the official agency of the UMC.
The UMC has since filed a lawsuit to reclaim assets, while the GMC has faced accusations of harassment and incitement of violence.
UMC leaders, including Bishop-elect Ande Emmanuel, condemned the violence, calling it a tragedy among “brothers and sisters who were once part of the same Methodist family.”
The UMC Council of Bishops echoed these sentiments, urging peace and offering condolences to the victims’ families. Meanwhile, the GMC released a statement calling for calm and emphasizing the need for sustainable peace.
Don’t Poke the Bear
IRAN
Iran this week delayed implementing a controversial “hijab and chastity law,” which proposed harsher penalties for women defying mandatory dress codes, amid intense public backlash and concerns voiced by the country’s president, Agence France-Presse reported.
The law was previously approved by parliament and the Guardian Council – the body empowered to review legislation – and set for enforcement on Friday.
However, the National Security Council paused the move following a request by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The proposed 74-article bill sought to impose strict penalties, including fines exceeding $6,000 and prison sentences of up to 15 years, for women who exposed their hair, forearms, or lower legs in public or for businesses failing to report such violations.
Critics have labeled the law a draconian measure to entrench state repression. Amnesty International warned it would exacerbate the “suffocating system of repression” in the country, the BBC noted.
Pezeshkian expressed “reservations” about the law’s text because of numerous “ambiguities.” His decision follows public condemnation from more than 300 Iranian rights activists, writers, and journalists, who labeled the law “illegitimate and unenforceable.”
Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former vice president for women’s affairs, also criticized the legislation as an affront to half the population.
Even so, supporters of the legislation – aligned with hardline factions close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – have pressured Pezeshkian to enforce the law and warned against delays.
However, analysts suggest the government fears that strict enforcement could reignite mass demonstrations, as public defiance against the dress code grows stronger, particularly among younger generations.
The hijab debate remains a flashpoint in the Islamic Republic, particularly after nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old detained for allegedly violating the dress code.
Many women have since defied the hijab mandate, symbolizing broader dissent against the regime’s authority.
Last week, tensions escalated further when singer Parastoo Ahmadi was briefly detained for performing in a virtual concert without a hijab.
DISCOVERIES
Shroombots
Robots and mushrooms might sound like an odd pairing, but an international team of researchers has found a surprising connection.
In a new study, they created “biohybrid” machines that can sense and respond to their surroundings by growing fungal mycelia – the underground threads of mushrooms – into robotic electronics,
“This paper is the first of many that will use the fungal kingdom to provide environmental sensing and command signals to robots to improve their levels of autonomy,” Rob Shepherd, senior researcher and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, said in a statement.
For their experiments, Shepherd and his colleagues used the king oyster mushroom, or Pleurotus eryngii, which is known for its resilience and adaptability.
This fungus has a knack for responding to environmental changes through neural-like electrical signals. By tapping into these signals, researchers controlled two robots: A spider-like soft robot and a wheeled vehicle.
The process wasn’t simple.
Scientists recorded the mycelia’s electrophysiological activity – or its “thoughts” – and translated it into digital commands to direct robotic movements, explained Science Alert.
They used ultraviolet light to stimulate the fungi, prompting it to adjust the robots’ gaits or shift their direction.
Living systems “respond to touch, they respond to light, they respond to heat, they respond to even some unknowns, like signals,” lead author Anand Mishra said in the release.
While its movements are a bit wonky and clumsy, these fungal robots could revolutionize fields, such as agriculture and environmental science.
“The potential for future robots could be to sense soil chemistry in row crops and decide when to add more fertilizer,” explained Shepherd.
More than just controlling a robot, this project bridges the gap between living systems and machines.
While the mushrooms’ “dreams” remain unknown, their electrical whispers are unlocking new possibilities, hinting at a future where robots and fungi work in harmony to improve our world.