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
A senior U.S. diplomat met directly with Taliban officials last week in the first such talks since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Until now, the U.S. has insisted that Afghan officials should be present at any meeting between the two groups. Though the talks could pave way for peace, they could also undermine the Afghan government. So far, 2018 is the deadliest year for Afghan civilians since 2009.
President Trump threatened to shut down the government in September over border security. In a press conference Monday, he stated he would have “no problem doing a shutdown” unless Democrats provide the votes to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, revise the visa lottery system, and more. Meanwhile, hundreds of children remain in federal custody because their parents were deemed “not eligible” or “not available” for reunification. The Trump administration says it has fulfilled its obligation to reunify eligible families, but the ACLU is fighting for solutions for the children left in limbo.
The Catholic Church has become embroiled in the ongoing protests in Nicaragua. The church has acted as a mediator throughout the conflict, but has been critical of the government’s handling of the protests. Now, Ortega’s government is accusing Catholic bishops of encouraging protesters, who are demanding his resignation.
Cuba is drafting a more “collective” constitution. While most of the power will remain with stalwarts Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel, the new system will restructure the government to include more decision-makers.
South America
The inflation rate in Venezuela may hit one million percent by the end of the year. The country is currently stuck in one of the worst financial crises in modern history. Falling oil prices, U.S. sanctions, and the government’s decision to continue printing money are all factors in the meltdown.
Bolsonaro, a far-right Brazilian congressman, is rising in the race for the counry’s president. Amid government corruption, Bolsonaro’s challenges to the status quo are gaining popularity. Due to his bombastic personality and offensive remarks about the LGBTQ community, women, and Afro-Brazilians, many compare Bolsonaro to Trump. One key difference is Bolsonaro’s supporters are primarily young people under 34.
Europe
This September, Macedonians will decide if they would like to change the country’s name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Macedonia shares its name with a northern region in Greece, which has caused disputes between the two countries. Greece has blocked Macedonia’s entry into the EU until the country changes its name.
In the UK, the House of Lords has expressed concern that Brexit could hurt the arts. At the same time, others are worried withdrawal from the European Union could leave millions without health insurance abroad. Without the ability to attract skilled talent due to freedom of movement restrictions, the cultural sector could suffer, a committee of the House of Lords warned. Others are worried about the validity of European Health Insurance cards, which provide emergency care and cover pre-existing conditions while in the EU and four other countries. The UK has issued 27 million EHIC cards, which are now part of Brexit negotiations.
Welshman Geraint Thomas won the Tour de France in Paris over the weekend, making him the third Briton to win the race. Dutchman Tom Dumoulin came in second, 51 seconds behind Thomas. “It’s just a whirlwind. I seem to be floating around on cloud nine,” Thomas said of his win.
The Middle East
Following a war of words on Twitter between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and U.S. President Donald Trump, Trump said he would meet with Rouhani anytime. This comes just one week before U.S. sanctions are set to be reimposed on Iran. On Sunday, Iran’s currency hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. After pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump said that he would like to negotiate a better one, but some are skeptical that a better deal is possible.
Yemeni fishermen are struggling to make a living due to war near Yemeni ports. This video from Al Jazeera documents their daily threats.
A tenth round of Syrian peace talks are being held in Sochi, Russia today. The ninth round maintained cease fires in several de-escalation zones, but since then, government forces have launched offensives in two such zones. The fate of President Bashar al-Assad remains a major roadblock in the negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition forces.
Teenage Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi was released from jail this week. Upon release, Tamimi called for continued resistance against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. “The messages I am leaving the prisoners with are that the popular struggle against the occupation will continue,” she said. Tamimi was arrested eight months ago for slapping an Israeli soldier.
Central and South Asia
Cricket star turned politician Imran Khan, chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, declared victory in Pakistan’s general election last week. Millions of Pakistanis voted in the elections amid violence, including a suicide attack in Quetta that killed at least 31 people. Because of the environment leading up to the election and a politicized judiciary, some argue the military was the real winner.
Four million people in the Indian state of Assam may lose their citizenship if they cannot prove that they or their family arrived in India before March 24, 1971. Though the majority of the people in question are Bengali-speaking Muslims, it is unclear whether they would be accepted into Bangladesh. Some have lived in India for their entire lives.
East/Southeast Asia
Hundreds of people are missing after a dam collapsed in Laos last week, causing mass flooding and devastation in Attapeu Province. The country’s Minister of Energy and Mines said the dam collapsed due to “substandard construction.” Surrounding villages were drowned in more than 5 million cubic meters of water, which destroyed homes and roads and killed several people. Floodwaters also washed into northern Cambodia, where the government said it was evacuating 25,000 people. Rescue authorities are now warning of another threat–unexploded ordinance (UXO) buried underground that could have been dislodged by flooding. Rain and mud slides can dislodge or move bombs or landmines to areas that were previously declared safe. Laos, especially Attapeu Province, was heavily bombed by the United States during the Vietnam War and there are still unknown numbers of remaining UXO in the ground.
Cambodia’s ruling party won all 125 parliamentary seats in this week’s election, which many are calling a sham. In the lead-up to the election, the opposition party was dissolved and its leader was jailed. Though turnout was as high as 82%, some say they were forced to vote.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that North Korea is continuing missile production. The findings erase hope spurred by images that showed a nuclear test site being dismantled. North Korea has not agreed to a timeline for denuclearization.
Africa
On Monday, Zimbabweans voted in a general election that did not include former leader Robert Mugabe as a candidate: a first in four decades of elections. Mugabe was forced to resign in 2017. More than 70 percent of registered voters cast a ballot yesterday in what many hope were free and fair elections. Both the government of incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa claimed victory. The Electoral Commission has five days to declare an official winner.
Mali also held elections this week. On Tuesday, three candidates declared they had made it to a two-candidate run-off vote, though official results were not yet calculated. The country’s elections were marred by armed attacks and claims of irregularities and other issues that kept people from voting.
Following Eritrea’s historic peace talks with Ethiopia, the country has also opened diplomatic relations with Somalia. Somalia has agreed to lift economic sanctions that were in place because of Eritrea’s alleged support of the militant al-Shabab group. The decision marks another diplomatic step forward in the horn of Africa.
In Nairobi, Kenya, “slum tourism” is becoming popular among wealthy tourists, angering residents who say it makes them feel like objects. Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa, is home to 170,000 people. “Kibera is not a national park and we are not wildlife,” one resident told Al Jazeera. Numerous tour companies have set up day trips to Kibera to show tourists how people in the slum live. They argue their goal is to show a positive side and create jobs, but many residents disagree. “Think of the vice versa,” one woman said to Al Jazeera, “What would happen to an African like me in Europe or America, touring and taking photos of their poor citizens?”
(Note: visiting slums, whether in Kenya, India, or elsewhere, is not what we mean when we say “be a better traveler.” There are plenty of other ways you can learn about a place and help its economy. Stay tuned for an article on this topic next week).
