Ebola Spreads in DRC | U.S.-Uzbek Partnership | Nicaragua National Dialogue
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. May 17, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Ebola Outbreak Spreads to DRC City The Democratic Republic of Congo's health minister said a recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease entered a new phase this week, when a case of the virus was detected in Mbandaka, an urban center of more than a million people. Cases had so far been restricted to the rural area of Bikoro (CNN), about ninety miles from Mbandaka, in the country's northwest. The World Health Organization has sent to the capital several thousand doses of an experimental vaccine that appeared to be effective in 2015 testing (BBC) in Guinea following a major West African outbreak. The current outbreak is already believed to have killed twenty-three people (Reuters) among more than forty known cases. ANALYSIS "The [DRC] has good systems for diagnosing the disease—its reference laboratory was able to test and confirm cases within 24 hours. But when it comes to surveillance and monitoring its systems are weak," Chikwe Ihekweazu said in an interview with the Conversation. "Some experts also suspect deforestation could be a factor [in Ebola outbreaks], bringing infected animals and people together in the area when they may cut down trees," Dina Fine Maron writes for Scientific American. "There is no good reason [for the Trump administration] to rescind the $252 million in funds to combat the deadly virus, at a time when there are signs of a renewed outbreak that could pose a threat to Americans," former CFR Senior Fellow Laurie Garrett writes for Foreign Policy. PACIFIC RIM Former Malaysian Leader's Houses Raided Police searched two Kuala Lumpur homes (Al Jazeera) belonging to former Prime Minister Najib Razak this week. Newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he expects Najib to face charges of theft (Star) at the state development fund. On the Asia Unbound blog, Richard Javad Heydarian discusses Malaysia's recent election. CHINA: The United States and China will begin a second round of high-level trade talks (FT) in Washington today. Beijing is expected to propose buying more U.S. liquified natural gas (Nikkei) and agricultural products in exchange for easing penalties on telecommunications company ZTE. In Foreign Affairs, Philip Levy asks if letting China into the World Trade Organization was a mistake. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA U.S. Looks to Boost Partnership With Uzbekistan The White House said Uzbekistan has made "tremendous progress" (RFE/RL) on social, economic, and political reforms since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came into office in late 2016. In a meeting with President Donald J. Trump, Mirziyoyev offered his "full support" for the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. INDIA: The minister of state for external affairs made a surprise visit to Pyongyang this week, the first such trip by a top Indian official (Hindu) since 1998. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Beirut Pride Week Canceled After Organizer's Arrest Gay pride week celebrations in Lebanon's capital were canceled after the event's organizer was detained (NYT) on Monday. Last year, Lebanon became the first Arab nation to hold a gay pride parade (BBC), though many religious organizations in the country still oppose homosexuality. IRAN: French oil company Total, which signed a multibillion-dollar contract last year to develop an Iranian oil field in the Persian Gulf, said it could not continue the project without a waiver protecting it from U.S. sanctions (FT). In Foreign Affairs, Ariane M. Tabatabai discusses how Iran could respond to the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Rights Groups Call for Probe Into Ex-Gambian Leader Nongovernmental organizations Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International called on Ghana to investigate former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh's alleged involvement in the murders of more than fifty African migrants (AP) in 2005. EUROPE U.S. Court Sentences Turkish Banker Over Iran Sanctions A New York federal court sentenced a former banker at the Turkish state-owned bank Halkbank to thirty-two months in prison for helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions (VOA). One of the U.S. prosecutors said the case is likely the "biggest sanction evasion prosecution" ever in the country. EUROPE: The European Parliament's president said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will appear before lawmakers (Guardian) as soon as next week to discuss data privacy and protection. AMERICAS Nicaragua's Ortega Addresses Protesters President Daniel Ortega is holding talks with opposition and civil society groups (Guardian) moderated by the Catholic Church following a government crackdown on demonstrators protesting proposed social security cuts in which more than sixty people died. VENEZUELA: A Utah man arrested in Venezuela in 2016 when he traveled there to marry his fiancé said in videos posted to his Facebook page that his life was threatened during a prison riot (AP) this week. This CFR Backgrounder looks at Venezuela's political and humanitarian crisis. UNITED STATES Senate Panel Backs Findings on Russian Interference As part of a probe begun more than a year ago, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee backed conclusions by U.S. intelligence agencies (WSJ) that Moscow sought to influence the 2016 presidential election through hacking and spreading misinformation. 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: May 17, 2018 at 10:05PM
