Iran Sanctions | California Wildfires | Saudi Row With Canada

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. August 7, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA EU Looks to Thwart U.S. Sanctions on Iran The United States reimposed a first set of sanctions on Iran yesterday, a move President Hassan Rouhani called “psychological warfare” (Al Jazeera). Meanwhile, the European Union’s top diplomat vowed to shield European companies from any effects of the sanctions and to encourage more business with Iran. The executive order signed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, which restricts Iran’s purchases of U.S. banknotes (Bloomberg) and targets trade in gold, carpets, pistachios, and automobiles, comes three months after the U.S. decision to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal that included sanctions relief for Iran. The European Union, which says Iran (BBC) has lived up to its conditions under the nuclear deal, announced a blocking statute to protect European firms from reinstated sanctions. ANALYSIS “At some point demands for policy change become regime change. U.S. policy toward Iran is at this point. This is a 21st century siege. What will matter most is the degree to which China, India and others are willing to buy Iranian oil and risk U.S. wrath and sanctions,” tweets CFR President Richard N. Haass. “[Iran’s] economic situation is expected to deteriorate further when the US imposes sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, the government’s vital source of income, and transactions with the central bank in November,” Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Monavar Khalaj write for the Financial Times. CFR.org editors lay out what to know about the return of U.S. sanctions on Iran. UNITED STATES California Wildfire Now Largest in State’s History The Mendocino Complex wildfire, which has been burning for eleven days (Sacramento Bee) in northern California, grew to cover more than 280,000 acres on Monday. The fire is one of eighteen (LA Times) burning across the state. In Foreign Affairs, scientists discuss the immediate risks climate change poses to public health. PACIFIC RIM Thousands Homeless in Wake of Indonesia Quake Thousands of local residents on the tourist island of Lombok slept in tents Monday night after two earthquakes struck the area (AP) in one week. At least 114 people died in the quakes. PHILIPPINES: Inflation in the Philippines reached 5.7 percent last month, the country’s highest in more than five years, putting pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates (Nikkei). SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA EU Urges Calm Amid Dhaka Protests EU envoys in Bangladesh have expressed concern over the involvement of school children and young people (Dhaka Tribune) in protests and violent clashes over road safety in Dhaka. The demonstrations were sparked by the deaths of two students hit by a speeding bus (CNN) last week. PAKISTAN: The man accused of raping and killing six-year-old Zainab Amin in January was handed a death sentence (Dawn) for the murder of two other girls. Zainab’s death sparked widespread outcry. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Saudi Arabia Escalates Row With Canada Some fifteen thousand Saudi students studying in Canada on government scholarships will be withdrawn from their programs (Globe & Mail) and sent to other countries, a senior Saudi official said. Additionally, Saudi Arabian Airlines announced it will cancel all flights to Toronto as of next week. The moves come after Canada’s foreign ministry criticized the arrests of Saudi women activists. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Zimbabwean Police Arrest Opposition Leaders Police charged nine leaders from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change with inciting supporters to carry out an unlawful demonstration (Herald) last week as Zimbabweans awaited the results of a general election. Six people died in clashes with police (BBC) during the demonstration. CFR’s John Campbell discusses the likely way out of Zimbabwe’s election crisis. KENYA/TANZANIA: Top officials in the East African countries, alongside victims’ families, commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the al-Qaeda bombings of their U.S. embassies. The attacks killed 224 people (AFP), mostly Africans. EUROPE African Workers Killed in Italy Truck Crush The deaths of twelve African migrant workers in southern Italy yesterday followed another crash (DW) over the weekend in which four farm workers were killed. After the first incident, a local union leader said farm laborers would strike on Wednesday to demand better working conditions. UK: Britain’s main prosecuting agency is expected to file an extradition request (Guardian) to Moscow for two Russian suspects accused of a nerve agent attack in England that killed one person and injured three others. AMERICAS Nicaraguan Human Rights Group Closes Amid Threats The nongovernmental Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights, which has reported on a crackdown by security forces in recent months of anti-government protests, said it is closing its offices (AFP) over safety concerns. The group said staff would still work remotely. BRAZIL: A federal judge ordered Roraima State’s border closed to Venezuelan refugees until the state can provide “humanitarian” conditions, though government lawyers are appealing the order. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have entered Brazil through Roraima (Reuters) in recent years. This CFR Backgrounder examines Venezuela’s humanitarian and political crisis.         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: August 07, 2018 at 10:05PM