Welcome to the weekly world briefing, a new Tuesday feature to help you stay up to date with major happenings around the globe. Come across something you think should be added to the next briefing? Send it to us on Twitter.
North/Central America
This week’s biggest U.S. news came from a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, when President Donald Trump declined to denounce Russia for meddling in the 2016 US general election. Instead, Trump stated, “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” Yet the US intelligence community – the CIA, FBI, NSA, and director of national intelligence – have concluded that Russia did in fact interfere with US elections. Richard Burr, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said “There is no doubt that Russia undertook an unprecedented effort to interfere with our 2016 election. Many Republicans criticized the president following the joint statement, including Arizona Senator, John McCain, who said, ”No prior President has ever abased himself more objectively before a tyrant.” Read reactions and statements from House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and others here.
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in South Africa attacking “strongman politics,” warning against xenophobia and denial of facts, and speaking up for equality. “I would have thought we had that figured out by now,” he said. Obama’s brand has always been hope, and he ended up a more positive note. “We’ve been through darker times. We’ve been through lower valleys,” he said, closing with “If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”
In Charleston, S.C., three years after nine people were killed in a racists attack on the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church–one of the South’s first black congregations–the city unveiled designs for a memorial to the victims and survivors. The memorial, with two meditative spaces, a garden, and two white marble pews, was designed by Michael Arad, the architect behind the National September 11 Memorial.
Also in the U.S., the International Monetary Fund said rising tensions between the United States and the rest of the world over trade could cost the global economy $430 billion, and called the U.S. “especially vulnerable.” The Washington-based organization said the trade war could lower global growth by 0.5 percent by 2020.
Across the country in Yosemite, the Ferguson Fire spread across 12,500 acres, threatening to cause serious damage to the park.
Elsewhere in the Americas, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega refused to hold early elections. Citizens and organizations such as the Alianza Cívica por la Democracia y la Justicia (Civic Alliance for Democracy and Justice) have accused Ortega of establishing a dictatorship. Ortega, a Sandanista ex-guerilla, claims that he is the rightfully elected President, and is not required to run for re-election until 2022. In a crackdown on protestors, government security forces entered an anti-government stronghold on Sunday. The offense resulted in ten deaths. Hundreds of Nicaraguans have been killed since the protests began in April, and a solution seems far off.
Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned this week amid protests over a fuel price hike. Through an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, the Haitian government attempted to remove fuel subsidies, effectively raising the price of petrol by 38 percent.
And in Mexico, archaeologists discovered a temple while scanning the Teopanzolco pyramid, which had been damaged by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last year. The temple is thought to belong to the Tlahuica culture, one of the Aztec peoples living in Mexico, and dates back to 1150.
South America
Following the election of a right wing President, many ex-leftist rebels are continuing to push for peace. Two years ago, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a peace agreement with the Colombia government, exchanging their weapons for legal status as a political party. Now Ivan Duque, the newly elected President, has vowed to revisit that agreement. Colombia’s recent spell of peace seems to be hanging by a thread. Learn how changes to the deal could affect cocoa farmers in one of our first stories.
Europe
Two prominent British cabinet members, Boris Johnson and David Davis, resigned last week as tensions over the UK’s Brexit strategy grew. Both Johnson and Davis cited Prime Minister Theresa May’s early concessions to the European Union, stating the UK had already compromised too much. The split puts May in a precarious position, with a slim majority in parliament and many more discussions to go before the March 29, 2019 deadline to leave the EU.
Speaking of the EU, congratulations to France for winning the World Cup on Sunday! Congrats to Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Portugal, and the myriad of other nations represented on the French roster as well. In fact, around two-thirds of the French players have immigrant backgrounds. In a translated statement, French star Antoine Griezmann stated, “This is the France we love. It’s beautiful to see it.” Looking ahead, Qatar’s emir said he hoped the 2022 World Cup, which will be the first to be played in the Middle East, will be a source of pride for all Arab countries and bring the region together.
Moving south, the immigration crisis in Italy continued. This week, Italy allowed a ship with 450 migrants to land in Sicily. This comes a few weeks after Italy refused a boat with 630 migrants, which was eventually allowed to dock in Spain. On July 5th, European leaders agreed to some measures to help Italy manage its influx of immigrants.
The Middle East
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was officially sworn in as President of Turkey last week, concluding the country’s move from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency. Erdogan’s position comes with new powers such as the right to appoint and remove vice-presidents, ministers, high-level officials and senior judges without parliamentary approval. Critics say the move severely limits Turkey’s system of checks and balances.
Iran has issued a complaint against the United States with the International Court of Justice following the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal and reimpose economic sanctions. Iran claims that the unilateral sanctions are illegal. President Trump maintains that the Iran Nuclear Deal was a mistake, and that sanctions will force Iran to seek a fairer deal.
Syrian government forces are continuing their push into rebel-held territories. Now, families at the Golan frontier fear that one of the last rebel strongholds is going to crumble. With little trust in the government and no way to escape into Israel or Jordan, some families feel like they are out of options.
In Basra, Iraq, protests erupted after violent demonstrations where at least seven people were killed, dozens wounded, and hundreds arrested. Protestors accuse the government of failing to provide basic services, like electricity. Basra is an oil-rich city and the oil sector accounts for 89 percent of the state budget, and 99 percent of Iraq’s export revenues. Yet, it only accounts for one percent of jobs, as most positions are filled by foreigners.
Central and South Asia
On Wednesday, India approved the principles of net neutrality, stating that “every net user must have equal access to all lawful online content at the same speed and cost.” Net neutrality has emerged as a contentious issue across the world and the United States Federal Communication Commission recently repealed net neutrality regulations. Also in India, 5.2 million stray cows roam the streets. Find out why, and how the country is handling what economists call a “crisis.”
In neighboring Pakistan, a suicide bomber hit a campaign rally in Mastung, in the southwestern province of Balochistan last week. More than 180 people were injured and 149 were killed in the second deadliest terrorist attack since the nation’s independence in 1947. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes ahead of a general election on July 25.
Meanwhile, in a significant shift in American policy in Afghanistan, the Trump administration told top diplomats to seek direct talks with the Taliban in an effort to negotiate an end to a 17-year-war. The United States toppled the Taliban regime in 2001, and since has said they will only discuss peace directly. The U.S. stance until now has been that the Afghan government must also be involved. A newer threat to the country, the Islamic State has increased attacks in Afghanistan, and civilian deaths reached a record high in the first half of 2018, according to a UN report.
East/Southeast Asia
In China, surveillance cameras are everywhere. The vast digital espionage system uses artificial intelligence and data mining and storage to create profiles for citizens. The Atlantic called it a means of “social control–with implications for democracies worldwide,” and a New York Times reporter got a chance to try new facial recognition glasses used by police. The glasses zero in on people and display their names and national identification number.
In Southern Japan a heatwave has killed eight more people following devastating floods and landslides. The death toll from the natural disasters has reached at least 210.
Africa
After two decades of conflict, Ethiopia and Eritrea made peace. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki met last week in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital, to sign a declaration ending hostility and restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries. The countries had been in a standoff over border disputes since 1998. Eritrea reopened its embassy in Ethiopia today, and the two leaders raised the flag together.
Residents of a small island off the coast of Yemen are facing a major shortage of basic needs after a storm. Reconstruction in Socotra has been delayed because of a military standoff between the country’s government and the UAE. Socotra is a Unesco-protected island home to 700 endemic species, but Yemen’s civil war and climate change are threatening the island paradise.
In Egypt, a large and intact tomb dating back to the Ptolemaic period more than 2,000 years ago, was discovered in Alexandria. The rare black granite sarcophagus is one of the biggest ever found in the city. Archaeologists believe the sarcophagus belongs to someone important, though the identity is still a mystery.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s two wealthiest economies, thanks to oil. Yet it surpassed India as home to the world’s greatest concentration of extreme poverty. A recent paper from the Brookings Institution reports that 87 million people in Nigeria live in extreme poverty, compared to 73 million in India.
Meanwhile, the South Sudan refugee crisis is the largest in Africa, and the third largest in the world. Violence has surrounded the country since its inception in 2011. Read how one young refugee is hoping to change the tide –through video games.
Travel News
Would you get in a plane that didn’t have a human pilot? It could happen in the distant future.
In London, Citymapper coined the term “floating transport” and is supporting more dockless transport options. In the U.S., dockless electric scooters are all the rage, but causing headaches for some cities.
It’s Prime Day, meaning lots of products on Amazon are deeply discounted. If you’re not already a Prime member, you can sign up here for a free 30-day trial to get access to exclusive deals. Our favorite section? Travel books, obviously.
