Hundreds Arrested in Tunisia Anti-austerity Protests

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. January 11, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Hundreds Arrested in Tunisia Anti-austerity Protests More than three hundred people in Tunisia were arrested overnight (Guardian) as anti-austerity protests that began last week spread to at least twenty cities and towns. The arrests late Wednesday bring the total detained (BBC) in Tunisia's largest demonstrations since the 2011 Arab Spring protests to six hundred. The protests began after the government of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, aiming to reach a loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (FT), implemented new austerity measures on January 1 that included tax hikes on cars and phone and internet usage. More protests are expected ahead of the anniversary of the 2011 ouster (Al Jazeera) of former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Sunday. ANALYSIS "The economy is inching towards becoming better. Since the revolution, GDP growth has not exceeded 1 percent until this year," Safwan M. Masri said in an event by the Carnegie Middle East Center. "Far too often, Western leaders have incorrectly assumed that Tunisia, as compared to its war-torn neighbors, is faring well and does not require their support," Sarah E. Yerkes writes for Foreign Affairs. "The government's rhetoric that this is a temporary period of hardship, as well as the prime minister's assurance that 2018 would be the last hard year for Tunisia, is rarely believed," Max Gallien writes for Middle East Eye. PACIFIC RIM China Warns Oil Tanker at Risk of Exploding China's Ministry of Transportation said that a tanker carrying Iranian oil to South Korea that has been on fire since a Saturday collision is at risk of exploding and sinking (Reuters) in the East China Sea. No survivors from the thirty-two-member Iranian and Bangladeshi crew have been found (CNN). CHINA: Chinese paramilitary police have demolished a prominent mega-church (AP) in the northern city of Linfen. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Protests in Pakistan Over Child's Rape, Murder Two people died in widespread protests (AP) on Wednesday over the rape and killing last week of a six-year-old girl whose body was found in a trash dump (Dawn) in the city of Kasur. Three police officers were arrested for opening fire on demonstrators. SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka has lifted a decades-old ban on adult women buying and selling alcohol (Colombo Page). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA One Hundred Thousand Displaced From Syria's Idlib, UN Says Turkey, one of the parties responsible for monitoring de-escalation zones in Syria, has called on the Syrian government and its allies to end the siege of Idlib (BBC), the largest remaining opposition stronghold. The United Nations says an estimated one hundred thousand civilians have fled the area since November. On Wednesday, Russia said drones that attacked its Khmeimim Air Base (WaPo) over the weekend came from Idlib. Dmitri Trenin discusses Russia's plan for Syria in Foreign Affairs. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Ex-President's Son Fired From Angolan Sovereign Fund President Joao Lourenco has dismissed the entire board of Angola's sovereign wealth fund (Bloomberg), including its head, the son of longtime leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos. The move comes shortly after Lourenco removed dos Santos's daughter as head of the state oil company. SOUTH AFRICA: Coca-Cola's branch in South Africa said it will not work with consulting firm McKinsey (FT) until investigations into the firm's work with a consulting company owned by the Gupta brothers, a prominent family accused of corruption, have been completed. EUROPE Greece Seizes Ship Carrying Explosives to Libya The Greek coast guard intercepted a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship that was heading from Turkey to Libya and was carrying twenty-nine containers of explosives and detonators (Kathimerini). The ship's bill of lading said it was destined for Oman and Djibouti but the captain claims the owner ordered him to take the ship to Libya, which has been under an international arms embargo (DW) since 2011. EU: The European Commission is considering a tax on plastic packaging (BBC) to reduce trash and fill a gap in the budget expected after the United Kingdom's exit from the bloc. AMERICAS Colombian Rebel Group Resumes Attacks A day after a three-month bilateral cease-fire expired, the rebel group ELN carried out three attacks and killed one soldier (Colombia Reports). The resumption of attacks comes days before an expected visit (NYT) by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to monitor progress since a landmark peace deal between the government and Colombia's largest rebel group, FARC. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the history of Colombia's civil conflict. CANADA: Canada has filed an extensive complaint against the United States (BBC) at the World Trade Organization, charging the country broke various international trade rules. UNITED STATES NYC Sues Big Oil Over Climate Change New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a lawsuit on Tuesday against oil giants BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell for misleading the public about their role in climate change (FT). The city also said it is considering divesting close to $200 billion in pension funds from fossil fuel companies. In American Interest, CFR's Varun Sivaram discusses energy policy in President Trump's National Security Strategy. The death toll from flash floods and mudslides in southern California earlier this week rose to seventeen on Wednesday (VOA).         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: January 11, 2018 at 11:06PM