Gen. Colin Powell, first Black Secretary of State, dead at 84 from COVID – National & International News – MON 18Oct2021

Colin Powell dead at 84. US missionaries kidnapped in Haiti. China market slowdown worries economists.

NATIONAL NEWS

Gen. Colin Powell, first Black Secretary of State, dead at 84 from COVID

The family of General Colin Powell has announced his death at the age of 84 due to complications from COVID. According to his family, Powell was fully vaccinated but had previously been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood.

Holding prominent positions in numerous Republican administrations, Powell was one of the most influential figures in shaping US foreign policy over the previous three decades. Powell himself had a long career as a professional soldier, serving in an active capacity from 1958 to 1993.

Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam. His first tour was cut short when his foot became infected after he stepped on a punji stick. During his second tour, Powell earned the Soldier’s Medal after surviving a helicopter crash and single-handedly rescuing three others from the crash, including Maj. Gen. Charles Gettys.

Political general

From 1987 to 1989, Powell served as President Reagan’s National Security Advisor. President George H. W. Bush later selected Powell to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he served until 1993. In the lead up to the 1992 election, both parties attempted to woo him into a presidential run without success. He declared himself a Republican in 1995 and became a party favorite to challenge President Clinton in 1996, an invitation he again declined.

In 2001, Powell became the first Secretary of State to President George W. Bush, making him the highest-ranked black public official ever at the time. Powell leveraged his considerable credibility to speak before the UN in support of the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq. Just two years later, Powell admitted that this was a “blot” on his record. He stepped down from his cabinet position at the end of Bush’s first term.

Citizen Powell

Following his exit from public office, Powell became disillusioned with the extremist turn of the Republican party. He subsequently campaigned to elect Barack Obama in 2008 and endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

Powell was a vocal critic of President Trump’s divisive politics. After the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, Powell declared himself to be no longer a Republican.

Powell leaves behind his wife of nearly 60 years, Alma Johnson, as well as their three adult children.

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U.S. missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

Seventeen members of a Mennonite missionary organization have been kidnapped in Haiti after visiting an orphanage. Among the kidnapped are 16 Americans and one Canadian, including five children. They are members of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, which supports 9,000 children in Haitian schools.

The group were travelling in a van from Port-au-Prince to Toussaint Louverture Airport to return home. An unknown number of locals travelling in the same van were also taken.

A gang called 400 Mawozo is believed to be responsible. 400 Mawozo has a reputation for brazen kidnappings and a history of targeting religious groups. There is no word yet on the gang’s ransom demands for the abducted missionaries.

Kidnappings have surged in Haiti over the last year. Haiti’s police recorded a total of 328 victims of kidnapping in the first eight months of 2021, compared to 234 in all of 2020. Many more kidnappings have likely taken place but have gone unreported.

Representatives from the FBI have landed in Haiti to help secure the release of the missionaries.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China market slowdown worries economists

Chinese real estate giant Evergrande may default on $310 billion worth of debt this Saturday. The clock has been ticking for months since China’s central government passed new regulations on the debt ratios that can be held by real estate firms.

For decades, a booming building sector and virtually unlimited borrowing has fueled China’s rampant economic growth. Evergrande created an endless debt loop by taking payment for development properties before they were completed, then using that money to finance yet more new projects.

Since the policy change, experts have been predicting that Evergrande will go under. Investors fear that such a huge default may create a ripple effect that could be felt not only in China but across the world. As a result, China’s markets have been sluggish, registering hardly any growth in the most recent quarter. A power shortage that has necessitated power rationing in China’s manufacturing sector has also contributed to market jitters.

Beijing is downplaying the risk of financial contagion should Evergrande default. China’s banks are controlled by the central governments, giving them various options to absorb the impact of the debt. What if any impact it will have on foreign markets and investors remains uncertain.

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