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
In a dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Friday, Republican Senator Jeff Flake voted to advance the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on the condition that the FBI investigates claims of sexual assault against the judge. On Monday, the FBI was given permission to expand their investigation and interview anyone the agency deems necessary. While the FBI has until Friday to complete the investigation, a frustrated Mitch McConnell told the Senate on Monday the body would be voting on Kavanaugh’s confirmation this week regardless. Three Republican Senators – Flake, along with Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski – have not yet committed to voting ‘yes.’ Republicans can only afford to lose one of the three, assuming all Democrats vote no.
North America is on its way to implementing a new trade agreement. NAFTA, which has been in place for twenty-five years, is being replaced by the USMCA, a new trade pact between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. While much of NAFTA will remain in place, the USMCA includes some key differences. For example, the U.S. will be allowed to export more dairy products, there will be stricter rules on car exports, and the new agreement must be reviewed every six years. This article outlines the major changes.
A Harvard University study released this week found that where an American grows up is a key factor in determining future wealth. The study is meant to help communities find local solutions to ease upward mobility. Read how Charlotte, N.C. is using the data to do just that.
South America
Brazil holds federal and state elections this Sunday, and the deep divisions between the top presidential candidates were evident during the latest debate. Notably absent was far-right frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, who is recovering from an assassination attempt. Many of the candidates aimed to paint both Bolsonaro and leftist Fernando Haddad as too extreme. However, none of the trailing candidates are polling at over 11 percent. The election is expected to head to an October 28th runoff, as neither Bolsonaro nor Haddad is polling at above 50 percent.
The United Nations declined to force Chile to negotiate to grant landlocked Bolivia access to the Pacific Ocean. During an 1879-1883 war, Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile. The court voted 12-3 to dismiss Bolivia’s legal arguments, saying the memorandums, statements, and other documents were not enough to legally obligate Chile to enter negotiations.
As Argentina struggles under steep interest rates and a currency that has lost around 50 percent of value against the dollar this year, the International Monetary Fund increased a bailout package to $57.4 billion. The deal is pending IMF Executive Board approval. Meanwhile, Luis Caputo, the governor of Argentina’s central bank, resigned Tuesday for personal reasons, further lowering the value of the peso.
Europe
Thousands took to the streets in Catalonia, clashing with police as they marked the first anniversary of the referendum on independence from Spain. More than 180,000 protestors marched in Barcelona and occupied rail tracks as police broke up demonstrations with batons. Catalonia declared independence on October 27, 2017, in a highly contested referendum that Spain did not accept.
Macedonians voted to support a name change–to North Macedonia–in an effort to join the European Union and NATO, and end a long-standing tension with Greece. When Macedonia declared independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece said it was stealing the name of one of its northern provinces. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said now, “NATO’s door is open.” However, though 91.3 percent of votes favored the name change, only one-third of the electorate voted, causing some to call the vote unsuccessful.
Middle East
Tara Faris, an Iraqi model and social media star, was killed in Baghdad last week by an unidentified gunman. She was Iraq’s Beauty Queen in 2015, then moved to Europe after receiving death threats, then lived for a few years in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, before moving back to Baghdad. It is the fourth murder in Iraq of a powerful woman in the beauty industry within a month. On social media, many expressed anger at the situation in Iraq. One said, “Women are not safe in Iraq, actually no one is safe in Iraq. She shouldn’t have left Kurdistan, where she previously lived a normal life.”
While visiting the United Nations last week, President Trump expressed favor for a two-state solution, where Israel would recognize a Palestinian state, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel should remain in complete control of security. “My view of a potential agreement is that the Palestinians have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us,” Netanyahu told NPR.
Palestinians in the West Bank are bracing for an Israeli court-ordered demolition of their homes. Many slept in a school courtyard, waiting out the midnight deadline to evacuate or face demolition, while activists worked to help them resist. Israel says the houses were illegally built and are in an unsafe area, and that it would like to resettle residents a few miles away where there are improved conditions. However, Palestinians say they are unable to get building permits for that area, and the demolition is part of a plan to expand Israeli settlements.
Central & South Asia
Rock carvings discovered in India’s Maharashtra state could hold clues to a previously unknown civilization. The petroglyphs were discovered in the Konkan region, hidden beneath layers of mud. They are of birds, animals, humans, and other figures, and the way they were drawn has led researchers to believe they are among the oldest discovered from prehistoric times.
East & Southeast Asia
The death toll in Indonesia has risen to 1,200 after an earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi last week. It is expected to rise as workers continue to clear debris. Most of the dead are from the city of Palu. Residents are currently desperate for food and water, and the international community is struggling with how to deliver aid.
On Monday, thousands took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest China’s increasing hold on the semi-autonomous city. Last week, a pro-independence party was banned on the grounds of national security. While people in Hong Kong enjoy more freedoms than their counterparts in mainland China, such as freedom of speech, many fear that those freedoms are being eroded.
Bali is rethinking how it allows tourists to visit its temples, after a photo circulated of a Danish tourist sitting on a shrine reserved for the highest Hindu deity. Authorities have vowed to stop visitors in bikinis taking photos in front of temples, and are considering imposing rules where tourists would need to be accompanied for temple visits. “The temples need to be preserved since they are the spirits of Bali’s cultures and customs,” said Bali’s deputy governor. Bali drew more than five million visitors in 2017.
Africa
More than 380,000 people have died in the South Sudanese Civil War, according to a new report funded by the State Department. The new estimate far surpasses the UN’s estimate of 50,000. Accurately counting the dead in war zones can be very difficult. If accurate, the new estimate puts the conflict in South Sudan on par with the war in Syria. The Civil War has been raging since 2013. A peace agreement was signed last month, but there have been clashes since then, and many observers think there is little chance for change.
Opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo are uniting against new electronic voting machines, which they claim are not secure. While there are significant policy divides between several of the candidates, all believe that the December elections cannot be valid if the machines are used. Watch how the opposition is mobilizing against the change.
In Senegal, there is one doctor per 1,500 citizens. Without adequate medical care, many turn to witchcraft to heal their ailments. Now, the Senegalese government is considering legalizing the practice. Watch this video on the role witchcraft plays in this western African nation.
