There is no shortage of newsworthy topics here in the United States. At times it is easy to get lost in it all, but equally crucial things happen all over the world. They can shed light on political relationships, on humanitarian issues and can keep you up to date on global events.

Here is a quick look at some global events that made the news last week:

U.S. concerned by China and Russia’s hypersonic missile advancements

Officials in Washington are concerned about hypersonic missile technology and their military applications, according to an article by Reuters. 

A hypersonic missile is one that achieves speeds five-plus times the speed of sound. According to Science.org, Intercontinental ballistic missiles can travel at those speeds when coming back from outer space. 

However, Science.org states that ordinary missiles, even at those speeds, follow a predictable flight path whereas hypersonic missiles, particularly China’s waverider, are capable of dodging air defenses.

China tested a hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before descending towards its target, which it missed, according to Reuters. China denied the test, saying that it was a spacecraft. 

U.S. Disarmament Ambassador Robert Wood spoke to reporters in Geneva this past week, Reuter reports.

“Hypersonic technology is something that we have been concerned about, the potential military applications of it and we have held back from pursuing, we had held back from pursuing military applications for this technology, but we have seen China and Russia pursuing very actively the use, the militarisation of this technology so we are just having to respond in kind,” Wood said.

The U.S. has invested more than $1 billion into hypersonic research, according to Science.org. 

Haitian gang believed to be behind kidnapping of 17 missionaries

Security forces in Haiti believe a Haitian gang is behind the kidnapping of 17 U.S. and Canadian missionaries, according to CNN.

The group of missionaries were on the way to an orphanage when their bus was stopped outside of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Sixteen of the missionaries were Americans and one was Canadian, according to Reuters.

The gang is called 400 Mawozo, and security forces say kidnapping is one of its hallmarks, CNN reports.

The typical ransom the gang asks for is around $20,000, and since July, kidnapping in Haiti has risen by nearly 300% with a large portion of this believed to be attributed to 400 Mawozo, according to CNN.

U.S. Congressman Adam Kinzinger told CNN that the U.S. must get back the missionaries without paying the ransom.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said it has no information on who was responsible for the abductions, Reuters reports.

“We are seeking God’s direction for a resolution, and authorities are seeking ways to help,” the organization said in a statement.

The investigation is still ongoing as of the time of writing.

China economic growth slows

China experienced its slowest amount of economic growth this quarter as the country rebounds from the pandemic, according to Reuters.

Earlier this year, China faced power shortages that caused blackouts in the country’s southern provinces, according to an earlier CNN article.

As of this quarter, China hit its lowest percentage of economic growth of the yearr, coming in at 4.9% and missing the projected growth of 5.2%, according to Reuters. 

“In response to the ugly growth numbers we expect in coming months, we think policymakers will take more steps to shore up growth, including ensuring ample liquidity in the interbank market, accelerating infrastructure development and relaxing some aspects of overall credit and real estate policies,” Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, said.

China showed a great rebound from last year’s pandemic early in the year, but that growth has slowed aftertopping out at 18.3%  in the first quarter, Reuters reports.

These lower numbers, combined with the president’s comments on COVID-19 precautions, have caused other Asian markets and some European stock markets to dip accordingly, a different Reuters article reports.

Former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell dies, some Iraqis still harbor l anger towards his involvement in the  Iraq War

Colin Powell, the first black secretary of state who served under multiple Republican administrations, died Monday due to complications with COVID-19, according to CNN.

The Powell family announced on Facebook that Powell had passed away at 84 due to complications, but the family notes that Powell was fully vaccinated, according to CNN.

Powell helped shape many U.S. foreign policies during his career, notably through his involvement in both the Gulf and Iraq wars.

Following his death, Iraqis voiced their anger as some view Powell to be one of the key agitators for what they call a decade of violence, according to AP News. 

Powell’s testimony at the UN where he claimed Suddam Hussain possessed weapons of mass destruction is seen as a key cause of the U.S. invasion, AP states. No such weapons were ever found, which led Powell to claim the UN speech was a blot on his record to some, CNN reports. 

“I am saddened by the death of Colin Powell without being tried for his crimes in Iraq. … But I am sure that the court of God will be waiting for him,” tweeted Muntadher al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who is best known for throwing a shoe at President George W. Bush in 2008. 

https://twitter.com/muntazer_zaidi/status/1450076978627977220

The U.S. insurgency into the region has allowed the spread of  dangerous sectarian violence that eventually led to the rise of the Islamic State group, according to the AP article. 

News reporter Michael Crimmins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @michael_crimm