Welcome to the weekly world briefing, a Tuesday feature to help you stay up to date with major happenings around the globe. It’s part of our effort to help our readers #BeaBetterTraveler. Come across something you think should be added to next week’s briefing? Send it to us on Twitter.
North/Central America
After a week of criticism about his meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Trump switched the headlines with an all-caps tweet against Iran. The tweet, warned against “CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE,” came after a televised speech from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said if the U.S. and Iran achieved peace it would be the “mother of all peace,” but if they had a confrontation it would be the “mother of all wars.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shot back with, “COLOR US UNIMPRESSED: The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago. And Iranians have heard them–albeit more civilized ones–for 40 years. We’ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!”
Meanwhile, the deadline for the Trump administration to reunite children who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border is approaching. Per a court ruling, the administration has until Thursday, July 26th to reunite 2,551 children between the ages of 5-17. While family separations began in October 2017, they increased dramatically starting in April 2018 when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero-tolerance” policy on immigration. As of Monday afternoon, there have been 1,187 reunifications, according to the Trump administration. However, some parents may not be eligible for reunification with their children at all. On Monday, a court filing by the U.S. Justice Department stated that 463 parents may already have been deported, and they may have lost their right to reunification. The Justice Department says those parents chose to leave to allow their children to seek asylum, but the ACLU claims the parents did not know their full legal rights.
Last week, we talked about protesters in Nicaragua hoping to oust President Daniel Ortega, who is refusing to hold early elections. This week, the New York Times highlighted the town of Masaya, the heart of the resistance movement, in a video.
Over 30 metric tons of plastic waste washed up on the shores of the Dominican Republic this week. Though workers, activists, and volunteers quickly completed a massive cleanup effort, the issue of ocean plastic pollution is not going away. Bans on plastic products such as bags and straws may help, but recent reports such as this one from National Geographic suggest that the vast majority of plastic pollution (by weight) comes from fishing nets and other fishing equipment.
National monuments have been proven to boost tourism and archaeological discoveries, but in an effort to shrink these public sites, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tailored a survey to show more benefits of logging, ranching, and energy development. The Trump Administration has already significantly reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, both in Utah, and has not ruled out diminishing others.
South America
Chilean authorities are investigating 36 accusations of sexual abuse against bishops, clerics, and lay workers in the Roman Catholic Church. Previously, most accusations of sexual abuse were handled directly by the Church under canonical law, but that system has been criticized for being too lenient on abusers.
Eight ex-FARC rebels took their place in Colombia’s congress this week, fulfilling a promise made in 2017’s peace agreement. Last week, we reported on the fragility of the new peace agreement due to the looming term of conservative President, Ivan Duque. With Duque’s oath ceremony just weeks away, the fate of Colombia’s newest congressional members remains to be seen.
Europe
At least 74 people are dead and hundreds of homes destroyed in wildfires that have spread through several areas in Greece. The number surpasses a previous record of about 70 deaths from a fire in 2007. A relatively dry winter created conditions favorable to fires throughout the country. Gale-force winds moving more than 50 miles per hour ripped through seaside areas, and some people dove into the Aegean sea in a desperate attempt to swim to safety. Europe has had an unusually hot summer, with record temperatures in areas across the continent.
The president of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno, is reportedly considering evicting Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. British and Ecuadorian government officials have not confirmed this report. If released, Assange would likely be arrested and extradited to the U.S. on charges of leaking American diplomatic and military secrets. Assange is regarded as a free speech rights hero by some and a criminal with little regard for the safety of nations by others.
Ex-Trump advisor Steve Bannon is starting an organization he calls “The Movement” to aid far-right political parties throughout Europe. The new organization will help far-right groups with polling, think tank research, and messaging. Bannon has plenty of experience messaging to right-wing constituents as both Trump’s former campaign manager and the former editor-in-chief of the right-wing news site Breitbart. Right-wing populism has grown in Europe recently with wins such as Brexit and the election of Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. While making gains, far-right groups failed to take control in the most recent French, German, and Dutch elections.
The Middle East
Israel passed a controversial nation-state law this week that states, “Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it.” The move was criticized by Palestinian lawmakers, the EU foreign affairs chief, and the Arab community. The law does not include some more extreme clauses, but critics in Israel and abroad describe the law as discriminatory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “This is a defining moment in the annals of Zionism and the history of the state of Israel.”
Hundreds of Syrian rescue workers known as the “White Helmets” were evacuated through Israel into Jordan this week, escaping attacks from the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Quneitra, one of the last opposition-held cities in the country. The White Helmets rescue group works mainly in opposition-held areas to provide emergency services. “It was a night of rescuing the rescuers,” a source told NPR. The operation was Israel’s first intervention in Syria’s eight-year war, and it called it a “humanitarian” effort. The U.S., which backed the group with about $30 million in funding over the years, released a statement praising their efforts to “save thousands of lives.” The statement goes on to say, “The United States and our international partners asked the United Nations to take the central role in this critical humanitarian operation. In response, the UN organized entry into Jordan for these members of the White Helmets and their families, who are fleeing violence in southwest Syria. The White Helmets have consistently been targeted by the Assad regime. Members of the group, more than half of which are children, were allowed entry into Jordan on a transit basis, until UNHCR completes procedures for their resettlement in third countries.” The U.S. will not be taking in any of the rescue workers, and instead they will be resettled in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The White Helmets have saved more than 115,000 lives, and about 3,000 more mostly civilian members remain in Syria.
In Lebanon, ancient cedars have lived through many wars, but might not make it through climate change. The majestic cedar forests could be wiped out by the end of the century. Learn more in this interactive article.
Central and South Asia
General Abdul Rashid Dostom returned to Afghanistan after more than a year in exile. Though he remains the country’s first vice president, he also faces criminal charges of rape and kidnapping, and accusations of brutality, war crimes, human rights abuses, and killing his first wife. Just after he left the airport in Kabul, a suicide bomber detonated explosives near a traffic circle at the airport exit, killing 20 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
More than 100 million registered voters are getting ready to elect their next leader in Pakistan’s general election on Wednesday. Four major parties are in the race, though the real fight is between Imran Khan of the Tehreek Insaf (PTI) party and the incumbent Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N). The buildup to the vote has been violent. Since campaigning began, around 200 people have been killed in terrorist attacks.
East/Southeast Asia
Images from the think tank 38 North reveal that North Korea is dismantling missile test site facilities. Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of the South’s national security office, said: “It seems like they are going step by step toward denuclearization.” There is currently no timeline on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which was vaguely agreed upon in negotiations between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump earlier this year.
In his annual address, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte promised that his war on drugs was “far from over.” The president dismissed human rights groups, who have criticized his policies, and stated that he will continue his “relentless and chilling” campaign. He also spoke about the possibility of minority Muslim self-rule within the country, and his relationship with China.
A new trade deal between Japan and the European Union will account for over one-third of the world’s GDP. Both sides emphasized the importance of fending off the growing tide of protectionism around the world. The new trade deal could be a blow to Japan’s dairy and agricultural sectors, as Europe is a major exporter of dairy and agricultural goods. Japan was recently at the center of another trade deal, the TPP11, from which the U.S. withdrew following the election of President Trump.
Africa
Ghana has nominated Jean Mensah to be the next Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. In Mensah’s many years in electoral policy, she has garnered much praise and criticism. She was instrumental in crafting Ghana’s presidential debates, which some have accused of being biased toward one party.
The Nigeria-based terrorist group Boko Haram killed 18 people and kidnapped 10 more in Chad this week. Boko Haram has increased their attacks in both Chad and Niger recently. Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon have joined forces to resist the group.
Last week, we reported on the end of the “state of war” between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Now, many Eritreans are hoping for political change. Though the Eritrean constitution calls for a multi-party democracy, Eritrea remains the last one-party-rule nation in Africa. There are increasing calls for rights such as religious freedom, freedom of the press, and the abolition of compulsory indefinite military service.
In a slum west of Nairobi 30,000 homes have been demolished to pave the way for a new road. Kenyan officials argue that the settlement was illegal. But many displaced Kenyans, who were given just two weeks to leave, are struggling to find new homes.
Other
Food critic Jonathan Gold died this week of pancreatic cancer. He was 57. Gold is credited with moving food criticism away from fine-dining and into more casual establishments and even street food. He won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism for his “zestful, wide ranging restaurant reviews, expressing the delight of an erudite eater.” Aside from reviewing dishes, he gave historical and cultural context to ingredients and neighborhoods. “He wasn’t a culinary tourist who kind of stopped into the Sichuan place and said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s hot and here’s what those Sichuan peppercorns are all about,’” said Russ Parsons, a retired food editor of the Los Angeles Times. “For Jonathan, it was understanding the history of Sichuan and the geography of Sichuan and why the food was the way it was, and why the Sichuanese came to the United States and why at this particular moment Sichuan became the cuisine that was the focal point in Los Angeles.” Readers and writers alike mourned Gold on social media, many sharing this article titled “A Neighborhood Just West of Downtown.“
