 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch, where we bring you major news developments from around the world. Our headlines? Guatemala's Congress Suspends Budget After Mass Protests Iran Wants Israel Against Violating Syria's Sovereignty France's Parliament to Discuss Controversial Global Security Bill Tomorrow And finally, what is the future of Hyperloop Technology? In our first story, Guatemala's Congress has suspended a controversial budget that led to massive protests over the weekend, including the burning of the Congress building. The protests had been met with very heavy repression by security forces, especially on November 21. The call for the demonstration was given by various social organizations on social media to reject the controversial general budget for 2021. This budget was approved by Congress on November 18. According to the approved budget, 65% of funds would be allocated for various ministries for the operation of the government, 20% would be allocated for investment, and 15% for the payment of debt. Protestants and social activists rejected the budget as it withdraws funds from the health sector in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reduces the budget for various other social sectors in an increasingly unequal country. On November 21, over 500,000 Guatemalans took to the streets to protest against corruption and the far-right government of President Alejandro Guia Metin. At the constitutional plaza and the Capitol, while hundreds of thousands of people were demonstrating peacefully, the Congress headquarters were set on fire. During the incident, the national police unleashed violent repression against the protesters. The police officers fired tear gas directly at the people severely affecting hundreds. Additionally, the police brutally beat up protesters and arrested more than 30 students, human rights activists and journalists. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, through a series of tweets on November 22, condemned the violent police repression. The family association of the detain disappeared a Guatemala, impunity watched Guatemala, Guatemala in Attorney General Claudia Paz and human rights ombudsman Hoddan Rodas, among others, also rejected the brutality. In our next story, Iran warned Israel against the latter's repeated violation of Syrian sovereignty and vowed to give a crushing response to anyone who tries to harm Iran's presence in Syria. The warning was issued by the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Sayyed Khatibzade, in a press conference on Sunday, November 22. This was after Israeli airstrikes inside Syria on Saturday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, the Israeli airstrikes near Damascus killed at least three Syrian soldiers and injured one, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency or SANA. SANA also reported that Syrian air defense intercepted some Israeli missiles. Reports say that Saturday's airstrikes in Derazor, province near the Iraqi border, resulted in the death of 14 militiamen. Sayyed Khatibzade, however, did not confirm many deaths in Saturday's strike. Israeli defense forces acknowledged their attack on areas near Damascus on Wednesday. They claimed that Syrian forces were attempting to place explosive devices in Israeli-controlled Jollan Heights. Israel also accused the Iranian Quds forces of being involved in the attempt. Iran has denied the allegations and has maintained that its involvement in Syria is only advisory. In our next story, France's controversial global security bill will be voted on in its first reading tomorrow. The bill has led to massive protests by people across sections who believe that it will strengthen the hand of law enforcement to suppress protests. They also say it will be a threat to press freedom in the country. The controversial bill grants more autonomy to local police. It expands the use of surveillance drones and portable cameras by police patrol. It also illegalizes the dissemination of images where police officers can be personally identified. Protests began on November 17th and have continued in the following days. For instance, thousands protested at the Human Rights Square in palace on November 21st. Around 106 organizations, including organizations which advocate for journalists and human rights, have signed a joint petition opposing their bill. In the joint statement, the organizations pointed out that a massive deployment of cameras and drones already coupled with the existing surveillance system would create a generalized system of surveillance which would leave no room for anonymity, which is essential for the right to privacy. The organization said that this can only have a coercive effect on freedom of expression and demonstration. And finally, we take a look at the test of the new Hyperloop that was held in California last week. The Hyperloop is a high-tech rail system which proposes to use the principle of magnetic levitation to increase the speed of travel. Newskix-Prabhirpur Kaisda and D. Nagragundan of the Delhi Science Forum discussed the future of this technology and the politics around it. If we look at this case which has been doubted as a test run, it seems to be a very preliminary exercise and best it can be called proof of concept. But really nothing more than that. It was only roughly about 100 miles per hour. That even 100 years back, a steam engine could have done that. So that's not particularly, shall we say, exciting technology if we look at just the test parameters. So what does it really show? Yeah, I absolutely agree with you because, in fact, even as a proof of concept, I believe it is inadequate because the whole concept of the Hyperloop is that you accelerate up to very high speeds. And then you really don't put in too much energy in running the system because the momentum itself is expected to carry the pod forward. So that's where the real energy balance of the Hyperloop system and its supposed advantage over other systems would have come into play. So this time, all that we know is that, yes, you can run a pod inside a tube. Beyond that, I don't see how much more has been done and I have not seen yet the data of what the pressure was like inside that tube, how much of low pressure or etc. was created. That's all we have time for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more news from around the world. Until then, keep watching People's Dispatch.