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
Over 7000 migrants are continuing their trek toward the United States in a caravan that is growing by the day. The migrants are fleeing a variety of problems – joblessness in Honduras, political unrest in Nicaragua, economic hardship in Guatemala – but all are seeking a better life in the U.S. Over the weekend, the caravan broke through the Mexico-Guatemala border. Since then, Mexican authorities have done little to stop its movement. Traveling in such large numbers makes the journey safer for migrants, who sometimes fall prey to predatory gangs in Mexico. President Donald Trump is adamant about keeping the caravan out of the U.S. and has campaigned on the issue in recent days. Contrary to Trump’s claims, there is no evidence of terrorist members joining the migrants.
The U.S. will withdraw from a treaty with Russia that eliminates certain ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, said U.S. President Trump over the weekend. The agreement, signed in 1987, has been a key component of denuclearization efforts for decades. However, the U.S. has accused Russia of violating the treaty several times. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have criticized President Trump’s statement. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who signed the initial agreement, has also criticized Trump. For its part, Russia announced that it would be forced to balance any nuclear armament the U.S. pursues as a result of the treaty’s demise.
Agribusiness giant Monsanto will be forced to pay Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a former groundskeeper, at least $39 million after a judge confirmed the weedkiller Roundup can cause cancer. Monsanto is accused of “negligent failure” and acting “with malice or oppression.” Though studies have shown a link between glyphosate and blood cancer, Monsanto denies that the Roundup ingredient is dangerous. Johnson, who may have just months to live, hopes Monsanto “gets the message that people in America and across the world are not ignorant.”
South America
In a video address from his home, Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro promised to banish or jail his left-wing opponents if he wins the presidency. “These red outlaws will be banished from our homeland,” he said. Bolsonaro, who will likely be the next president of the world’s fourth-largest democracy, is famous for making inflammatory statements. His opponent Fernando Haddad replied with the tweet, “Bolsonaro has threatened the survival of his opponents … We must defend the democratic rule-of-law. How can people feel safe if he threatens those who think differently to him?”
Last year, Colombia produced a record 422,550 acres of coca, enough to make around 1,500 tons of cocaine. The U.S. is the primary consumer. Despite international efforts to slow production, farmers continue to grow coca because it is much more profitable than other crops. Colombia’s new president, Iván Duque, is considering several policy measures aimed at limiting coca production. One of Curiosity Magazine’s first articles was about an alternative for farmers.
Europe
For the first time in its history, the European Commission has rejected a member country’s draft budget. On Tuesday morning, the Brussels-based institution announced that Italy would be forced to redraft its 2019 budget. The original budget proposed a deficit equal to 2.4 percent of the country’s annual output. Italy’s debt is the second highest in the European Union, and the country has been pressured by Europe to reduce spending dramatically. The ruling populist coalition is eager to make good on campaign promises, which require spending, but Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ruled out leaving the EU over the dispute.
Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won a majority of seats in local elections over the weekend, but failed to garner as much support as in 2015. The right-wing, anti-immigration party proved its strength in rural areas, but was unable to make inroads in liberal cities. In Warsaw, PiS was trounced by the liberal Civic Platform party. Here, the Atlantic makes the argument that if far-right parties cannot win in cities like Warsaw, they will have a hard time making a real impact long term.
Middle East
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey called Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death a “premeditated murder” on Tuesday. He demanded the Saudi government hand over suspects and provide more details on the killing, which Saudi Arabia says was a mistake. The rest of the world, including the United States (though President Trump has wavered) is skeptical of Saudi Arabia’s account. Saudi Arabia says 18 suspects are under investigation, but President Erdogan wants the case adjudicated in Istanbul, not Riyadh. In this and other ways, Khashoggi’s death highlights the tensions and differences between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both Sunni-majority countries of major importance to the United States. Meanwhile, the New York Times published a speech today given by Khashoggi in April on the need for democracy in the Arab world.
The Saudi-led war in Yemen is in its third year. Since the death of Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia is under fresh scrutiny for its role. This New York Times spotlight takes a comprehensive look at the ongoing crisis.
Jordan will end a decades-old land lease deal with Israel next year, according to Jordanian King Abdullah. In a tweet, Abdullah called the areas currently leased to Israel a “top priority.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to continue negotiations. King Abdullah has been under pressure from Jordanian lawmakers to end the lease.
Central & South Asia
Four million people voted in Afghanistan’s elections over the weekend, though two of the country’s 34 provinces were unable to vote due to violence. In the lead up to the election, explosions targeted polling places across the country. At least 10 candidates were killed and two were abducted. In Kandahar, Afghanistan’s most powerful police chief was killed in an attack claimed by the Taliban last week. Voting in that province has been delayed one week, and voting did not take place in Ghazni due to the security situation. In Kabul, a suicide bomber struck a voting center on Saturday, killing 18 people. Total, at least 28 people were killed and 100 wounded on election day. More than 2.500 candidates, including 417 women, are running for office in Afghanistan’s 250-member parliament. The election had been delayed three years and Afghans showed determination and excitement to vote, despite the situation. The four million voters make up about half of the country’s eligible voters and the results are still being tallied.
East & Southeast Asia
North and South Korea have agreed to remove armed guards from the “truce town” between the two nations. Troops have been removing landmines from the area as well. The removal of guards is the latest move in a year that has seen reduced tensions between the two nations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting the entrepreneurial Guangdong province for the first time in six years in an effort to show China’s commitment to economic liberalism. In 2011, the neighborhood of Qianhai was established as a pilot economic zone. Since then, the area has thrived as a manufacturing hub. With Chinese economic growth at its slowest pace since 2009, Jinping may be eager to show that he is open to the new economic ideas coming out of Qianhai.
Africa
A curfew is in place in Kadura City in Nigeria after violent clashes last week left 55 people dead. A dispute about wheelbarrow porters led to fighting between young Hausa Muslims and Adara Christians. Kadura sits near the center of Nigeria with a predominantly Muslim population to the north and a mostly Christian population to the south.
Paul Biya cruised to victory in Cameroon’s presidential elections, securing a seventh term. As we noted earlier, the election was marred by violence, especially in the English-speaking regions of the country, where turnout was as low as 5 percent. Biya will be 92 years old when his seventh term ends.
Angola is under criticism from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for forcibly removing over 200,000 Congolese migrants. Angola denies the claim and instead maintains that the Congolese migrants are returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo voluntarily due to Angola’s crackdown on illegal mining. Angola recently closed 67 illegal diamond mines. While Angola has accepted many Congolese refugees, the country has been struggling economically since 2014. Just two weeks ago, Angola accepted a $2 million loan from China, bringing their total Chinese debt to $23 million.
