It’s easy to get caught up in the daily news cycle here at home, but oftentimes we miss important events that occur beyond our borders. These events, no matter how small, play a role in our own lives and in the lives of those across the world.

This past week has been no exception. Let’s break down five events over the past week you might have missed.

Coup D’etat in Myanmar

Military Commander in Chief of Myanmar, General Min Aung Hlaing, led a coup against the democratically elected head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Feb. 1.

The military has taken Suu Kyi as well as the senior directors of her National League for Democracy Party into custody, according to an article done by BBC News.

This event follows a 10 year period without a militaristic government in Myanmar, according to an article done by The Washington Post.

General Min Aung Hlaing was a large proponent of the genocidal campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar in 2016 and 2017.

Aung Hlaing is now in a large position of power in Myanmar, which has led to ongoing protests from the Myanese public.

According to a CNN article on the protests, the Myanese government has put restrictions on gathering in public, as well as an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew.

According to the CNN article, It is not clear when the restrictions will be lifted, but protests are still ongoing despite them.

Failed Coup D’etat in Haiti

President Jovenel Moise of Haiti survived an attempt on his life on Feb. 7, according to an article done by France 24.

23 people were arrested for the incident, including a police official and one of the top judges in Haiti.

According to the France 24 article, Moise was elected on a ballot that was later cancelled on the basis of fraud but has remained in power since 2016.

Moise claims he will remain president until Feb. 7th, 2022, with disagreement from opposition that rejects the interpretation of the Haitian constitution that would allow that.

This is controversial due to the public opinion of Haiti that Moise leads a corrupt government who does not keep gangs accountable for their crimes, according to France 24.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Halted in South Africa

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine isn’t performing as well as expected in South Africa.

Rollout of this vaccine has been halted due to the discovery that it doesn’t provide enough protection from the newly discovered B.1.351 variant, according to an article done by STAT News.

The vaccine was 75% effective before the prevalence of the new variant, but is now only 22% effective.

The clinical advisors of South Africa are claiming that there needs to be more investigation on the vaccine before it can continue to be distributed according to the STAT article.

STAT News also reports that a more efficient vaccine should be ready by the fourth quarter of the year if it is needed.

Political Oppositionist Alexei Navalny Arrested in Russia

Russian politician and Putin critic Alexei Navalny returned to Moscow in mid January only to be arrested by authorities for a violation of parole from 2014.

Navalny now faces 2 years and 8 months in prison on a charge of defamation, a verdict that was determined on February 5th according to an article done by the Associated Press.

According to AP, his arrest has led to protests from thousands of Russian citizens, with more than 11,000 people being detained and hundreds facing jail time.

Navalny survived an assassination attempt allegedly carried out by the FSB spy agency in Russia last year, according to a podcast done by The Guardian.

Navalny is a prevalent anti-corruption investigator in Russia, and one of the main political enemies of Vladimir Putin.

Navalny spent five months in Germany recovering from a poisoning he blames the Russian government for, according to AP.

United Arab Emirates “Hope” Probe Enters Orbit of Mars

The UAE sent the Hope spacecraft from Earth seven months ago, according to an article done by BBC.

This event comes only 10 years after the UAE sent their first satellite, according to Space.com.

This development reflects the quick technological development of the UAE over the past few decades.

Hope will be observing the leaking of hydrogen and oxygen atoms into space, which are the remaining factors of the last known water on mars, according to BBC.

Hope will also be returning to Earth with full disk images of Mars in very high resolution.

Shane Stryker can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @shanestryker.