Nakba Day Protests | An Ebola Vaccine in the DRC | NAFTA Deadline Nears

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. May 15, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Gaza Protests to Resume Following Monday Bloodshed Protests by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza that swelled on Monday are expected to continue today, Nakba Day, marking the Palestinian exodus that accompanied Israeli independence. The demonstrations, in which at least sixty people were killed by Israeli forces, erupted as thirty-five thousand protesters gathered near the Israel-Gaza border (CNN) ahead of the U.S. embassy opening in Jerusalem. The UN Security Council will meet today at Kuwait's request (KUNA) to discuss the escalated violence. At least three Palestinians were reported injured in West Bank demonstrations early Tuesday, while new protests are expected in Gaza (Haaretz) following funerals for those killed on Monday. ANALYSIS "Even if you completely dismiss the Palestinian right of return—which I find harder to do now that Israel's leadership has all but abandoned the possibility of a Palestinian state—it hardly excuses the Israeli military's disproportionate violence," Michelle Goldberg writes for the New York Times. "[There was] no discernible upside and considerable downside [to moving the embassy]: the United States played a big card for nothing, weakened its claim to be honest broker, [and] helped to fuel violence," says CFR President Richard N. Haass. "Both Jewish nationalism and Palestinian nationalism came to be defined by the idea of return," Nathan Thrall writes for Time. PACIFIC RIM North Korea Appears to Begin Dismantling Nuclear Site Satellite imagery shows several buildings at the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri have been razed (Korea Times), according to 38 North, a U.S. website that monitors North Korean affairs. Pyongyang is expected to show the dismantled nuclear site to journalists. This CFR Backgrounder looks at North Korea's military capabilities. MALAYSIA: Newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 92, said he plans to stay in office (WSJ) for two to three years before passing the premiership to a successor. In World Politics Review, CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the surprise defeat of Malaysia's ruling party in last week's election. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA India's Ruling Party Leads in Bellwether State Election The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was on track on Tuesday to win the highest number of seats while falling short of an outright majority (Hindustan Times) in the state of Karnataka. The vote, which came a year ahead of general elections, is being viewed as a blow to the rival Indian National Congress (BBC), which now controls just three of twenty-nine states. PAKISTAN: A U.S. defense attaché involved in a traffic accident (Dawn) in Islamabad last month that killed a motorist and seriously injured another has left Pakistan, according to the U.S. embassy. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Populist Cleric on Path to Win Iraqi Election Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his party is ready to "cooperate in forming the strongest government for Iraq" as preliminary results showed a coalition backed by influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr leading in Sunday's general election (Reuters). Results have not been announced in two provinces. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA WHO to Use Experimental Ebola Vaccine in DRC The Congolese government approved the use of an experimental vaccine for the Ebola virus disease that was developed in Canada and first tested in Guinea. It will first be offered to health workers (AP) treating Ebola patients. SOUTH AFRICA: The country withdrew its ambassador to Israel (SABC) on Monday after Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinian protesters in Gaza. EUROPE Turkey's Erdogan Vows Tighter Economic Control President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in London to meet international investors and political leaders this week as the Turkish lira reached a record low against the U.S. dollar, said he expects the central bank to heed his calls for lower interest rates (Bloomberg) if he is reelected president in a snap election next month. SPAIN: Catalan lawmakers chose Quim Torra, handpicked by exiled Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, to lead the region. Torra vowed to continue the push for Catalan independence (El Pais). AMERICAS Venezuelan Oil Sales Drop 40 Percent in One Year The price of crude oil is expected to spike as Venezuela's production has dropped to historic lows (FT), reaching 1.1 million barrels per day last month, according to energy market intelligence firm Kpler. LATIN AMERICA: Economies in the region are expected to grow an average of 2.2 percent (Miami Herald) this year, according to the Inter-American Development Bank. The bank's chief economist called the pace "too slow to satisfy the desires of the region's middle class." UNITED STATES Trump Urges Trudeau Ahead of NAFTA Deadline U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about quickly concluding talks (VOA) to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as Trump faces a May 17 deadline from Congress to present a revised trade deal. Matthew J. Slaughter argues in Foreign Affairs that President Trump's trade rhetoric is already hurting the United States. Gina Haspel, President Trump's nominee to lead the CIA, is expected to win backing (Politico) from the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door vote tomorrow.         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: May 15, 2018 at 10:04PM