Google's $5 Billion Fine | Electric Cars in China | Ebola Outbreak Over?
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 18, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA EU Hits Google With Record Fine The European Commission fined Google a record $5.1 billion for violating competition rules, another signal of the bloc’s hardening stance against U.S. tech firms on issues ranging from data privacy to taxes. Google has vowed to appeal the massive penalty. The commission charged the tech giant with forcing Android phone manufacturers to pre-install some of its apps to gain access to other Google services and said the company’s dominance in search engine traffic “denied rivals the chance to innovate and compete.” Google claims its Android operating system (Guardian) has “created more choice for everyone, not less.” The Android probe is one of three antitrust investigations led by the EU competition commissioner against the U.S. firm, including one over its dominance in online shopping (FT), which led to a $2.7 billion fine last year. ANALYSIS “More than half of worldwide internet traffic is now on mobile devices, 80 percent of which run on Android, providing a showcase for Google services and mobile apps,” Rochelle Toplensky writes for the Financial Times. “Google’s free Android software, combined with its app-bundling business model, was poised to help it win a third of all global mobile ads in 2018, according to research firm eMarketer, which would give it about $40 billion in sales outside the U.S. All of this contrasts with the method used by Apple Inc., whose operating system only runs on its own gadgets and devices,” Natalia Drozdiak writes for Bloomberg. “Despite the fine, the bigger issue for Google could come with how it may have to change the Android operating system,” Matt Burgess writes for Wired. PACIFIC RIM Hong Kong Independence Party Faces Ban Hong Kong’s security secretary said the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party could be banned in the coming weeks (CNN) in the interest of national security. Separatist candidates were already barred from running for office in 2016 legislative elections. CHINA: The country is expected to account for 60 percent of global demand for electric cars by 2035, according to Japanese market researcher Fuji Keizai, driven by quotas (Nikkei) for new energy vehicles set to take effect next year. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Pakistani Party Considers Campaign for Sharif’s Grandson The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party could back Junaid Safdar, the grandson of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in upcoming elections, according to a top party official. Sharif and Safdar’s mother were arrested on corruption charges (Dawn) last week. AFGHANISTAN: Agricultural output in the country has dropped sharply (Reuters) this year due to a severe drought, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The drought has also intensified a dispute with Iran over plans to construct new dams and reservoirs. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Iran Sues U.S. Over Sanctions Iran filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice charging that the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions on the country violates a 1955 treaty (Middle East Eye). It filed a different lawsuit based on the same treaty in 2016. ISRAEL: Dozens of Syrians, including women and children, approached the Israeli border yesterday in an apparent attempt to seek refuge (Reuters) from an ongoing bombing campaign in the country’s south. They returned toward a refugee encampment after an Israeli officer told the group to leave. In Foreign Affairs, Maha Yahya discusses the obstacles for Syrian refugees to return home. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Obama, in South Africa, Warns of ‘Strongman Politics’ Former U.S. President Barack Obama, in Johannesburg yesterday, warned that countries can maintain “some pretense of democracy” even as strongman politics rise globally (CNN). He addressed a youth town hall (CBS) in the same city today. DRC: The World Health Organization is expected to declare an outbreak (Reuters) of the Ebola virus over next Tuesday, six weeks after the last infected patient was released from care. The current outbreak began in April. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the Ebola virus in Central and West Africa. EUROPE Turkey to End Two-Year State of Emergency A state of emergency that was imposed after a 2016 coup attempt and was extended seven times is expected to be lifted tomorrow (AFP), though many critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say new antiterrorism legislation by his government could enshrine in law many of the emergency measures. AMERICAS Mexico’s AMLO Ready to Talk Drug Decriminalization A former supreme court judge expected to join President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s cabinet said that Lopez Obrador told her he is ready for a debate on drug legalization (DW) and that he will consider “whatever is necessary to restore peace in this country.” COLOMBIA: Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, addressing both President Juan Manuel Santos and President-elect Ivan Duque in Bogota, urged Duque (LAHT) to continue peace efforts with Marxist rebels initiated by his predecessor. UNITED STATES Trump Walks Back Helsinki Summit Remarks Facing pressure from allies in his party and conservative media, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he misspoke (NYT) at a Monday press conference following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he meant the opposite when he said “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia” who interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In Axios, CFR President Richard N. Haass writes that Trump deferred to Putin at the expense of U.S. security. 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: July 18, 2018 at 10:04PM
Helsinki Fallout | EU-Japan Trade Deal | Mobile Internet in Cuba
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 17, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump Faces Backlash Over Helsinki Summit Remarks President Donald J. Trump faced harsh reactions from politicians on both the left and right after he appeared to question U.S. intelligence assessments (Politico) on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and backed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial of involvement by Moscow. At a joint press conference following his summit with the Russian leader, President Trump said he did not “see any reason” why Moscow would have interfered in the election. Trump’s remarks drew censure (Hill) from Republican Senator John McCain, who called the conference “disgraceful,” as well as Richard Burr, Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who said that there was no reason to doubt U.S. intelligence reports. Following their meeting, Putin said he wanted Trump to win the 2016 election but denied interference allegations. ANALYSIS “Helsinki should not be viewed in a vacuum. It was a worrisome and in many ways objectionable finale to a week that did much to undermine the foundations of U.S. foreign policy—especially NATO and the U.S.–U.K. special relationship—that have contributed so much to U.S. security, prosperity and influence for the better part of a century,” CFR President Richard N. Haass writes for Axios. “[Putin] took advantage of the short meeting and likely lack of deliverables to present a forceful image of himself as a man in charge—the statesmanlike leader of an engaged Russia, a country trying to work with the United States, if only the latter could get its diplomatic act together,” Emily Tamkin writes for Buzzfeed. “While Republican voters have tended to follow the president’s line, Trump’s administration has done no work in winning elected Republicans over to a revised approach to Russia, and his party feels free to scold him for his dismal performance today,” Michael Brendan Dougherty writes for the National Review. PACIFIC RIM EU, Japan Sign Wide-Reaching Trade Pact The agreement between the European Union, the world’s largest economy when measured as a whole, and Japan, the fourth-largest economy, covers 30 percent (Nikkei) of the global economy. The deal, in the works since 2011, was signed in Tokyo (AP) today after national weather disasters caused Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to cancel a planned trip to Brussels. NORTH KOREA: Pyongyang will implement a general prisoner amnesty (Yonhap) on an upcoming holiday celebrating the anniversary of the country’s founding, state media reported yesterday. It has carried out at least two other similar amnesties in recent years. Victor Cha discusses the aftermath of the U.S.-North Korea summit on this episode of the President’s Inbox podcast. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA U.S. Denies Reports About Taliban Talks The NATO mission to Afghanistan refuted media reports that U.S. Commander General John Nicholson said the United States is ready for direct dialogue with Taliban militants, writing in a statement (Tolo) that the United States is “not a substitute for the Afghan people or the Afghan government.” INDIA: The central government directed state authorities to investigate all children’s homes run by the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order founded by Mother Teresa (AFP), after a nun and an employee at one of the homes were arrested on charges of selling an infant (PTI). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Egypt Lawmakers Back Bill on Coup Prosecutions The parliament passed a controversial bill that would allow President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to grant immunity to military officers for crimes committed from July 2013 to June 2014, when Sisi came to power (VOA) following a coup that overthrew the government of President Mohamed Morsi. CFR’s Steven A. Cook writes in Foreign Policy that Egypt’s political elites will go to great lengths to defend the country’s authoritarian system. ISRAEL: Israel said it will further restrict the Kerem Shalom crossing (Ynet) into Gaza to allow only basic food items and medicines, cutting off the strip’s access to fuel, after a rocket was fired into southern Israel. Egypt announced it would temporarily close its Rafah crossing into Gaza. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Obama, in South Africa, Delivers Mandela Lecture Former U.S. President Barack Obama is expected today to give one of his most high-profile speeches (AP) since leaving office. The lecture, marking the hundredth anniversary of the birth of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, will stress the importance of human rights and respect for diversity, according to an aide. DRC: Several advocacy groups are urging the Congolese government to reconsider a plan to allow oil drilling in national parks (Reuters). The groups say the move would emperil the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people who live on the lands. EUROPE ICC Law on Prosecuting Leaders Takes Effect Some three dozen countries have ratified so-called aggression amendments (Guardian) to allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute their leaders for starting wars that violate the “sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence” of another state. AMERICAS U.S. Offers New Aid for Venezuelan Migrants The chief of the U.S. Agency for International Development announced $6 million more in aid for Colombia to support health programs for the estimated seventy thousand Venezuelans crossing over its border daily (Miami Herald). The United States has provided $56 million to the region since 2017 to address the Venezuelan crisis. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. CUBA: Cuba introduced internet service on mobile phones (Reuters) for some users, including journalists at state news outlets, and said it plans to reach nearly half of Cuba’s population by the end of the year. UNITED STATES U.S. Charges Russian Woman as Foreign Agent The FBI accused twenty-nine-year-old Mariia Butina of networking with conservative political groups, including the National Rifle Association, to establish a back channel (NYT) with American politicians at the behest of a senior Kremlin official. 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: July 17, 2018 at 10:05PM
Trump-Putin Summit | Turkey's Syrian Refugees | Obama in Kenya
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 16, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump, Putin Meet in Helsinki President Donald J. Trump plans to discuss trade, military and arms control issues, and China with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. leader said ahead of their summit (CNN) in the Finnish capital today. The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting with interpreters at the presidential palace (Guardian) in Helsinki. President Trump did not say if the two would address Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election during the summit, which comes days after the United States indicted twelve Russian intelligence agents (NYT) for election-related hacking. The meeting also comes on the heels of a week of turbulence over trade and the NATO alliance as Trump visited Brussels and London. ANALYSIS “Mr. Trump manages the spectacle—the feel-good, ego-boosting, backslapping engagement—while Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Bolton manage the policy. They let the president glory in the main event as they try to control both the run-up and the substantive aftermath,” CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich writes for the New York Times. “Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russians have felt palpable insecurity about the country’s status as a global power. Putin’s support at home hinges on his ability to project power abroad,” Anna Arutunyan writes for Time. “President Trump can use the Helsinki summit to begin to carve out a Russia policy that reduces the unnecessary nuclear dangers we are currently running, while maintaining our values and protecting our allies and interests,” Ernest Moniz and Sam Nunn write for the Hill. PACIFIC RIM China’s Mid-2018 Growth Edges Down China reported economic growth of 6.7 percent (SCMP) for the second quarter of 2018, just slightly down from the year’s first quarter. It has posted rates from 6.7 to 6.9 percent since June 2015. An ongoing U.S. trade war with China is expected to have a greater impact (Nikkei) on the country’s gross domestic product in the third and fourth quarters. CFR’s Brad W. Setser looks into what’s behind the U.S. trade war with China. JAPAN: At least eight people died (Kyodo) in a weekend heat wave across southern Japan. The extreme heat struck the same areas hit by severe flooding (CNN) last week. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Record Number of Afghan Civilians Killed, Reports UN Nearly 1,700 civilians were killed during the first half of 2018, the highest death toll in ten years of record-keeping, according to a new UN report. More than half of the deaths were attributed to attacks (Tolo) by the self-proclaimed Islamic State. PAKISTAN: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, who were arrested in Pakistan upon their return to the country on Friday, filed appeals against their corruption convictions (Dawn) in an Islamabad court today. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Gaza Cease-Fire Appears to Halt Weekend Fighting Israel carried out dozens of air strikes in Gaza (Reuters) while militants fired rockets across the border on Saturday, killing at least two people. The two sides announced a cease-fire later that day that appeared to largely hold through the rest of the weekend. TURKEY: Authorities in the capital and nine southern provinces have stopped registering almost all new Syrian refugees, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The group accused the government of coerced returns. In Foreign Affairs, Maha Yahya discusses the obstacles for Syrian refugees to return home. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Obama to Inaugurate Youth Program in Kenya Former U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Kenya yesterday (East African) for a two-day visit that includes a trip to a youth development foundation run by his half sister Auma Obama in the country’s west. He met with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday. SOUTH SUDAN: The UN Security Council backed a U.S.-drafted arms embargo (VOA) on South Sudan that would last through 2019 and includes asset freezes and travel restrictions for two top military officials. EUROPE U.S. Rebuffs European Bid Over Iran Sanctions Relief U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rejected a bid by European ministers (FT) to exempt European firms in certain Iranian sectors, including finance, energy, and health care, from U.S. sanctions that are set to be reimposed, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the U.S. secretaries’ letter. ITALY: The Italian government allowed a migrant boat (EUobserver) with some 450 people on it to dock in Sicily after France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Malta agreed to take in fifty migrants each. The Czech prime minister refused the deal, calling it a “road to hell.” AMERICAS Death Toll From Nicaragua Protests Mounts At least 273 people have died in anti-government protests (CNN) since April, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported. The death toll includes at least two people killed during a fifteen-hour siege (WaPo) by pro-government militias of a Catholic church at a university in Managua on Friday. HAITI: Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned on Saturday (Miami Herald), a week after rising fuel prices prompted widespread protests. The price hike, which was suspended hours after it was imposed, was part of a series of economic reforms pushed for by the International Monetary Fund for Haiti to receive $96 million in loans. UNITED STATES Russia Not Targeting Midterms at 2016 Level, Says Nielsen Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Saturday that her department has seen “persistent Russian efforts using social media” and other channels to sow discord (AP) among U.S. voters ahead of midterm elections but that it is not of the same scale or scope as in 2016. CFR’s Robert D. Blackwill and Philip H. Gordon discuss the response to Russia’s intervention in U.S. elections. 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: July 16, 2018 at 10:05PM
Trump in UK | Pakistan PM Arrest | Iconic Syrian City Surrenders
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 13, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump in Interview Assails May's Brexit Policy U.S. President Donald J. Trump met UK Prime Minister Theresa May for a working lunch hours after publication of an interview in which he criticized May’s handling of Brexit (Sun) talks and praised her political rival (Bloomberg). Trump also said May’s Brexit policy could "kill" a potential trade deal with the United States (FT). He said London Mayor Sadiq Khan has done a “terrible job” with regard to terrorism and crime. At a press conference following their meeting, both Trump and May expressed their interest in a bilateral free trade agreement following the UK’s exit from the European Union. Trump also disputed that he had criticized May’s leadership. Trump’s comments follow a turbulent week in UK politics, which saw resignations of several members of May’s cabinet, including former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis. ANALYSIS “Both Brexiters and Trump channeled dissatisfaction with the status quo and capitalized on the emotional draw of a clean break with an established order. But both movements lacked a workable vision of a new order,” Therese Raphael writes for Bloomberg. “There is no gain in treating Trump as ally; his instinct is to keep friends and enemies alike at a similar distance,” Thomas Carothers writes for Carnegie Europe. “Many Brexiteers greeted the referendum by insisting that a competitive Britain — freed from Brussels’s regulatory shackles — would strike deals all over an eager world; there was nothing to fear from the cold, fresh breeze of competition. Instead, Britain faces a protectionist president in the United States and a growing world trade war that looks a rather less enticing prospect,” Robin Oakley writes for Foreign Policy. PACIFIC RIM China Hits Record Trade Surplus With United States Chinese customs data showed that China's exports to the United States rose 12.6 percent year-on-year in June to reach $42.6 billion (SCMP), even as trade tensions rose. The amount represented a monthly trade surplus of $28.9 billion, a record since data became available in 1999. CFR's Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca write that the Trump administration's tariffs hurt U.S. competitiveness by restricting U.S. companies' access to foreign parts. NORTH KOREA: The U.S. State Department said that North Korea has offered to meet U.S. officials July 15 (Yonhap). The two sides were expected to discuss repatriating the remains of U.S. soldiers (NYT) killed during the Korean War on Thursday, but North Korean officials did not show up to meet their U.S. counterparts. Victor Cha discusses the uncertain aftermath of the Trump-Kim summit in this episode of the President's Inbox podcast. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Pakistan’s Former PM, Daughter Face Arrest Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are expected to be taken by helicopter to an Islamabad jail (Dawn) as soon as they arrive in Lahore from travel abroad. They were sentenced to ten and seven years in prison, respectively, in a corruption case. INDIA: India's top court criticized the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's move to set up a hub for monitoring social media data as akin to "creating a surveillance state" (Hindustan Times). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Syria Government Retakes City Where Revolt Began Syrian state television broadcast images of government forces raising the country's flag over the city of Daraa after rebels there agreed to surrender. The city was the first to revolt against President Bashar al-Assad (AP) in 2011. In Foreign Affairs, Jennifer Cafarella writes that the United States has options to constrain Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad if it is willing to use them. YEMEN: Rights group Amnesty International accused forces from the United Arab Emirates and Yemen of "egregious violations" in running a network of secret prisons in Yemen (Amnesty), where scores of men have faced torture and forced disappearances. In Foreign Affairs, Peter Salisbury discusses what's at stake in the United Arab Emirates' assault on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Eritrean President to Reciprocate Historic Visit by Ethiopian PM President Isaias Afwerki is expected to arrive in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Sunday, his first such visit in two decades (Africa News). It comes after he and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced an end to hostilities between their two countries and an agreement on their disputed border. SOUTH SUDAN: Lawmakers voted to extend the term of President Salva Kiir (Sudan Tribune) by an additional three years. EUROPE U.S. Allows Extradition of Lithuanian Judge A U.S. judge declined to block the extradition of a former Lithuanian judge and lawmaker (DW), Neringa Venckiene. She says she faces death in her home country for her role in exposing an official cover-up of an alleged pedophile ring. AMERICAS Pompeo, Kushner to Meet Mexico’s President-elect U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and White House advisor Jared Kushner will meet Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City Friday for talks on trade, migration, and cross-border crime (VOA). CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil discusses Mexico’s efforts to restrict migrant crossings at its southern border. ARGENTINA: Argentina requested that Russia and China arrest and extradite former Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati (RFE/RL), now a top aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his visits to the countries. Argentina cited his alleged role in a 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed eighty-five people. UNITED STATES Child Immigrant Detention Spending Reaches $1 Billion Spending by the Department of Health and Human Services welfare services for migrant children who arrive in the United States unaccompanied or those who are separated from their parents by authorities grew threefold over a decade, reaching $958 million in 2017 (AP). 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: July 13, 2018 at 10:31PM
Trump Backs NATO | ZTE Talks | Africa's Free Trade Pact
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 12, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Tense NATO Summit Ends With Pledges of Support U.S. President Donald J. Trump and other NATO leaders reaffirmed their commitment (RFE/RL) to the alliance as they concluded a Brussels summit on Thursday, appearing to bring an end to unusually public tensions over member countries’ defense spending levels. Trump, who began the summit with criticisms that NATO allies did not contribute enough to their defense budgets, said countries have agreed to up their spending and that he now believes the United States is being treated “fairly” (NYT). French President Emmanuel Macron said that members had not agreed (AP) to increase their commitments beyond current spending targets. The flurry of discussion over spending came after the alliance said it will continue to provide support (Tolo) for the fight against insurgents in Afghanistan through at least 2024. ANALYSIS “While European defense spending has fallen in recent decades, the U.S. has also drastically reduced its own military commitment to NATO since the Cold War. Europe was largely de-militarized in the 1990s, and every NATO member, including the U.S., took advantage of it,” CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich writes for Axios. “The 2 percent goal relays almost no useful information about what countries spend money on and the value of their purchases in contributing to collective defense. For instance, Greece makes the threshold, but most of its spending is on salaries and pensions,” Seamus Daniels and Kathleen Hicks write for War on the Rocks. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the challenges facing the seventy-year alliance. PACIFIC RIM U.S., ZTE in Talks to Resume Business Representatives from the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE, which the United States accused of violating sanctions on North Korea and Iran, met with U.S. Commerce Department officials this week to hash out a compliance deal (SCMP) to lift a ban barring the company from buying U.S. parts. MYANMAR: China is helping to mediate peace talks (Nikkei) between the Myanmar government and rebel groups along its Chinese border. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA India Shifts Away From Iranian, Venezuelan Oil India has nearly doubled (Reuters) its purchases of U.S. crude oil so far this year compared with the same period in 2017. The shift comes as the United States has put greater pressure on its allies to curb purchases of Iranian oil. CFR’s Amy Myers Jaffe discusses last month’s meeting of OPEC members and Iran’s response. PAKISTAN: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is running for parliament (BBC) in elections later this month, campaigning on a pledge to move toward a “peaceful, progressive” Pakistan. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Syrian Pro-regime Forces Attack Islamic State Affiliate Warplanes believed to belong to either the Syrian government or Russia attacked territory (Syria Direct) held by an offshoot of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in the southern province of Daraa. The strikes are believed to be the first against the affiliate since it was founded in 2016. In Foreign Affairs, Jennifer Cafarella writes that the United States has options to constrain Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad if it is willing to use them. LIBYA: The price for brent crude oil fell 6 percent yesterday after Libya announced it will resume production (oilprice.com) of hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Armed factions in the east returned control (Reuters) of four oil terminals to the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation after a weeks-long takeover. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Uganda to Review Social Media Tax The Ugandan government will seek to amend legislation that introduced a daily tax for using social media platforms (CNN), Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday. The move prompted nationwide outcry, with many Ugandans saying it hinders freedom of speech and innovation. NIGERIA: President Muhammadu Buhari, meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Abuja, said he will soon sign (Vanguard) a landmark African free trade agreement. South Africa signed onto (Bloomberg) the continent-wide deal last week, leaving Nigeria as the last major African economy outside the pact. In Foreign Affairs, Landry Signe writes that Africa is bucking global isolationist trends. EUROPE German Minister Assailed After Migrant Suicide Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is facing calls to resign (DW) by some members of his party’s center-left coalition partner as news emerged that one Afghan migrant in a group recently deported from Germany committed suicide in Kabul. Seehofer had appeared to welcome the group’s removal. AMERICAS Top Ecuadorian Court Upholds Ruling Against Chevron The country’s highest court backed a $9.5 billion judgement (AP) against oil giant Chevron for environmental damage and harm to indigenous populations. The ruling was viewed as largely symbolic since the company no longer operates in Ecuador. BRAZIL: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai launched the expansion (Reuters) of her educational charity to Latin America with a visit to Rio de Janeiro yesterday. She criticized the Trump administration’s separation of migrant families in the United States as “cruel.” UNITED STATES Border Agency Accuses NYC Mayor of Illegal Crossing Customs and Border Protection accused New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of ignoring a border patrol agent’s instructions and crossing the southern border illegally (NYT). De Blasio, along with several other mayors, walked across the U.S.-Mexico border from the Mexico side last month. He denied ignoring any instructions from authorities. 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: July 12, 2018 at 10:16PM
Trump Berates NATO Allies | Trade Threats | Afghan Returnees
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 11, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump Calls Out NATO Allies in Brussels U.S. President Donald J. Trump began a two-day summit for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members on an adversarial note by calling allies “delinquent” on their military spending commitments. Other leaders at the conference swiftly rejected (NYT) President Trump’s remarks. Trump also said Germany is “totally controlled by Russia” due to its energy dealings with the country. He will meet later today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has defended a 2015 pipeline deal (NPR) with Russian gas giant Gazprom. After the Brussels summit, Trump will travel to the United Kingdom to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and then to Finland (WaPo) for a highly anticipated summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. ANALYSIS “The issue of burden sharing has been a long-standing concern for many different U.S. administrations. Yet following the austerity measures that had to be implemented in many European countries in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, defense budgets are now on the rise,” Sinan Ulgen said in an interview with Carnegie Europe. “[Trump] could easily be going over there and proclaiming victory and talking about how he himself, he alone, had transformed the alliance. But instead he seems intent on being the disrupter,” says CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich. “Traditionally, an American president gains when he meets a Kremlin boss with the wind of allied unity at his back. If he uses the NATO meeting to coordinate his message to Moscow, he multiplies the impact by speaking for dozens of free countries, not just America,” Victoria Nuland writes for the New York Times. PACIFIC RIM New U.S. Tariff Threat ‘Bullying,’ Says China The Trump administration said it may impose 10 percent tariffs (WSJ) on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on top of duties levied on $34 billion worth of Chinese exports last week. The new tariff total would exceed the value of U.S. imports to China, raising expectations that Beijing may respond with an alternative countermeasure (Reuters), such as limiting Chinese tourism to in the United States or shedding some of its U.S. Treasury holdings. CFR’s Brad W. Setser examines what’s behind the U.S. trade war with China. LAOS/MYANMAR: The United States imposed visa restrictions (VOA) on some travelers from the two countries for denying or delaying receiving deportees from the United States. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA IOM Highlights Surge in Afghan Returnees Some 13,700 Afghans returned voluntarily or were deported from Iran in the first week of July, bringing the total number of returnees from the country so far this year to more than 370,500, according to the International Organization for Migration, which cited “deteriorating protection space” in Iran and Pakistan as push factors. On CFR’s Asia Unbound blog, C. Christine Fair discussed how the U.S. exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement could impact U.S. operations in Afghanistan. INDIA: India surpassed France (AFP) to become the world’s sixth-largest economy, according to the World Bank, which put the country’s gross domestic product at $2.6 trillion in 2017. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA UN Warns Israel Over Ban on Goods Into Gaza Israel halted the flow of all commercial goods except humanitarian supplies, such as food and medicine, into the Gaza Strip via its Kerem Shalom crossing. A top UN envoy for the Middle East urged Israeli officials on Tuesday to reverse the decision (Jerusalem Post). IRAN: The country opened a secondary currency exchange market that allows the rial’s exchange rate to fluctuate freely (Reuters), catering to small importers and exporters. Tehran had tried to control the rate as the rial plunged following the U.S. decision to leave the 2015 nuclear deal. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Flights Between Ethiopia, Eritrea to Resume Ethiopian Airlines said it will begin daily flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara on July 17 days after Eritrea and Ethiopia announced a historic agreement (Bloomberg) to mend ties after two decades. They will be the first regular passenger flights between the two countries since the start of hostilities. SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudanese government troops and allied forces killed at least 232 civilians and carried out mass rapes of women and girls in attacks on opposition-held villages (France 24) in the country’s north in April and May, according to a UN investigation. EUROPE Chinese Dissident Writer Freed Liu Xia, a dissident writer and the widow of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, arrived in Berlin (SCMP) after more than a decade under de facto house arrest in China. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is believed to have advocated for her release (DW) during a May trip to Beijing. AMERICAS U.S. Officials in Haiti Request Additional Security Amid deadly protests in Haiti over fuel prices, the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince requested additional U.S. Marines and State Department security personnel. The State Department is now advising U.S. citizens (CNN) not to travel to the country. NICARAGUA: At least thirty-eight people, including demonstrators and police, died in Sunday clashes (BBC) amid a wave of anti-government protests, according to a Managua-based NGO. UNITED STATES U.S., Mexico Reportedly in Talks on Asylum Seeker Deal U.S. and Mexican officials are reportedly discussing a “safe third country” agreement that would require asylum seekers transiting through Mexico to first apply for asylum there (WaPo) and allow U.S. border authorities to deport migrants seeking refuge to Mexico. CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil discusses Mexico’s efforts to restrict migrant crossings at its southern border. Britain fined Facebook $660,000 (NYT), the maximum penalty allowed by the UK office in charge of data protection laws, for sharing user data with political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 11, 2018 at 10:04PM
UK Cabinet Resignations | Thai Cave Rescue | India Gay Rights Case
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 10, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Resignations Rock May’s Cabinet UK Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight any attempts to oust her (FT) after two prominent pro-Brexit ministers and three junior members of her government resigned over disputes about May’s plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who resigned on Monday, said Britain would be “headed for the status of colony” (Vox) under May’s Brexit plan. Johnson’s exit came just hours after the resignation of Brexit Secretary David Davis, who accused the prime minister (BBC) of “giving away too much, too easily” in negotiations with Europe. Johnson and others in the “leave” camp fear that May’s negotiating strategy could limit Britain’s ability to strike trade deals (Guardian) with non-EU countries. ANALYSIS “The resignations of the foreign and Brexit secretaries are causing a short-term crisis, but a large majority of Conservative MPs do not support them. They are what the Chinese would call ‘paper tigers’,” Malcolm Rifkind writes for the Guardian. “As much as the hardcore Brexiteers huff and puff about May going soft and betraying the legacy of Henry VIII—who started the English Reformation rather than bowing to the will of a European authority, the Pope—they have presented no convincing answers to the challenges with which the Prime Minister and her advisers have been wrestling,” John Cassidy writes for the New Yorker. “[The UK does] not want to recognize the necessity of the freedom of movement of people, which is a key principle of the single market. They do not want to pay. They do not want to recognize the regulatory framework of the EU. The don't want to be part of our trade policy. Those are the red lines of the UK—not our red lines, their red lines,” EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said at a CFR event. PACIFIC RIM Entire Soccer Team Rescued From Thai Cave Divers on Tuesday rescued the remaining four young soccer players, as well as their coach, trapped in a cave (CNN) in northern Thailand. The head of the international rescue operation, which sought to guide the team of twelve boys and the coach out amid rising water levels, called it a “race against time.” JAPAN: Rescuers in the country’s west continued to look for dozens of people still missing after heavy rains and mudslides that began last week. At least 155 people have died (Kyodo), the highest death toll due to heavy rains in Japan since 1982. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA India’s Top Court Hears Landmark Gay Rights Case The Supreme Court of India will hear a series of petitions seeking to overturn a colonial-era law that criminalizes same-sex intercourse (Guardian). A New Delhi court ruling had effectively struck down the ban in 2009, but the supreme court reinstated it in 2013 following an appeal by religious groups (Hindustan Times). AFGHANISTAN: Some two hundred religious scholars from fifty-seven countries are in Saudi Arabia today to discuss how to end the conflict in Afghanistan (Tolo). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA China Announces $20 Billion in Middle East Loans President Xi Jinping told a gathering of envoys from twenty-one Arab countries in Beijing that the roughly $20 billion in loans will fund an “industrial revival” (Reuters) in the oil, gas, nuclear, and clean energy sectors in the region. Xi also pledged $106 million in aid to Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen. IRAQ: Electoral authorities began a manual recount (AP) of ballots from six provinces where some groups alleged fraud during May parliamentary elections. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Regional Blocs Welcome Eritrea-Ethiopia Peace Deal The African Union called plans between Ethiopia and Eritrea to renew diplomatic relations (Africa News) after two decades of hostility a “milestone,” while the European Union said the move “raises unprecedented prospects for reconciliation.” The neighboring countries declared an end (NYT) to their state of war on Monday. CFR’s Michelle D. Gavin looks at Ethiopia’s long political transition. NIGERIA: Nearly forty political parties announced an opposition alliance that has resolved to back a single candidate (Vanguard) in next year’s presidential election in a bid to oust President Muhammadu Buhari. EUROPE Turkish Lira Tumbles With Erdogan’s Cabinet Picks President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his new cabinet yesterday, naming his son-in-law (Bloomberg) the next finance minister. Following the announcement, the lira dropped the most since a 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan. CFR’s Henri J. Barkey discusses what Erdogan’s reelection means for Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. AMERICAS Major Armed Group to Demobilize, Says Colombia’s Santos President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the country’s largest paramilitary group, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or the Gulf Clan, will begin its surrender (Colombia Reports) in the coming days. The group did not confirm a demobilization plan. HAITI: A transportation strike over recently increased fuel prices brought Port-au-Prince (LAHT) effectively to a standstill yesterday. UNITED STATES Judge Rejects Move to Change Migrant Detention Rules A Los Angeles judge rejected the Trump administration’s bid to amend a decree prohibiting the long-term detention of migrant families (LA Times), calling it a “cynical attempt” to shift responsibility for immigration policy to the courts. The judge said nothing is preventing the government from reconsidering what she called a policy of “blanket detention.” This CFR Backgrounder looks at the U.S. immigration debate. More than twenty thousand businesses and residences in Puerto Rico were without power (Miami Herald), including 1,500 that never regained power after Hurricane Maria last year, as storms caused by what was Hurricane Beryl swept over the island. 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: July 10, 2018 at 10:01PM
