Populist Party Surges in Italy Vote

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. March 5, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Populist Party Surges in Italy Vote A majority of Italian voters backed Euroskeptic and anti-immigrant parties in a general election, with early vote tallies pointing to a hung parliament (Guardian) that could lead to weeks of coalition talks. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement appeared to make the largest gain (BBC) on Sunday, winning 32 percent of votes, while right-wing parties the Northern League and Forza Italia, led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, claimed nearly 18 and 14 percent, respectively. The ruling center-left Democratic Party suffered a major blow, taking just 19 percent of votes (FT), as reports emerged that former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned as party head. ANALYSIS "Five Star has softened its euroskeptic stance; it now says a referendum on abandoning the euro would be a 'last resort' after attempts to overhaul EU treaties," John Follain and Chiara Albanese write for Bloomberg. "More than 600,000 mostly African migrants have reached Italy by sea since the country last voted in national elections. Most people view 'out of control migration' as the biggest problem in the nation," Barbie Latza Nadeau writes for the Daily Beast. "The weekend's events capped a year of elections in which the EU's broadly centrist governing establishment faced its strongest-ever challenges from insurgent movements, ranging from far-right nationalists to far-left anticapitalists," Marcus Walker writes for the Wall Street Journal. PACIFIC RIM South Korean Envoys Meet Kim Jong-Un Government envoys held a dinner meeting (Korea Times) with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang, the first time Kim Jong-un has met officials from the South since taking office in 2011. The group seeks to persuade Kim to agree to direct talks with the United States on denuclearization. CFR's Scott A. Snyder asks if Seoul's Olympic diplomacy will last after the games. VIETNAM: The USS Carl Vinson docked at Danang Port on Monday (Channel News Asia), marking the first visit by a U.S. naval aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War.  SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Pakistan Elects First Woman Dalit Senator Krishna Kumari Kohli, running for the Pakistan Peoples Party, became the first-ever Hindu woman from the Dalit caste to be elected to Pakistan's senate (Asian Age). UZBEKISTAN: Human rights activists hailed the release of journalist Yusuf Ruzimuradov, jailed for nineteen years (Independent), and called on Tashkent to drop charges against two other journalists due in court this week.  MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Syrian Government Confiscates Aid to Ghouta A World Health Organization (WHO) official said the Syrian government removed most medical supplies (Reuters), including surgical kits, insulin, and dialysis equipment, from the first WHO convoy entering the besieged opposition-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta this week. CFR's Jamille Bigio and Rachel Vogelstein write for CNN that Syrian women have been underrepresented in peace negotiations. IRAN: Ahead of a visit to Iran, the French foreign minister said Tehran possesses missiles (France24) that "exceed the needs of defending Iran's borders" and put the country at risk of new sanctions. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Tillerson Readies for Africa Tour U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first trip to the continent (State Dept) since taking office, stopping in Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The State Department said the tour, which begins Tuesday, will focus on counterterrorism and security issues (VOA). SIERRA LEONE: Sierra Leoneans will vote for one of sixteen candidates (DW) in a Wednesday presidential election, potentially upsetting the political dominance held by two parties since the country gained independence in 1961. EUROPE U.S. Embassy in Ankara Closed Over Security Threat The embassy urged U.S. citizens in the city (Hurriyet) to "keep a low profile" and avoid large crowds on Sunday after Turkish police said they foiled a plot by the self-proclaimed Islamic State to attack the building. AMERICAS Guatemala Announces Jerusalem Embassy Move Speaking to a pro-Israel U.S. lobbying group, President Jimmy Morales said Guatemala will return its embassy to Jerusalem (DW) two days after the United States is scheduled to do so in May. MEXICO: Four police in the western state of Jalisco were arrested and charged with detaining three Italian men and handing them over to a local criminal gang (BBC). UNITED STATES New U.S. Tariffs to Apply to All Countries Peter Navarro, the president's top trade advisor, said there will be no country exclusions for steel and aluminum tariffs (CNN) announced last week by the Trump administration, but that exemptions will be available in some cases "so that business can move forward." CFR's Edward Alden says the new tariffs are the most significant U.S. import restrictions in nearly half a century. Hundreds of thousands of people remained without power on Sunday (NYT) following a Friday snow and rain storm across the northeast and mid-Atlantic that left eight people dead.         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: March 05, 2018 at 11:08PM