Caravan at U.S. Border | Kim Heads South | Turkish Reporters Sentenced
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. April 26, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Migrant Caravan Readies to Cross U.S. Border An estimated 380 Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States are nearing the U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico, and plan to cross into California (AP) as early as Sunday. The group comprises mostly women and children. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned migrants in the activist-organized caravan that they will be liable to prosecution (Hill) if they enter the country illegally or make false immigration claims. Nielsen also said they should first seek asylum in Mexico. Caravan members have said they are fleeing drug violence and political persecution (Reuters) in their home countries. ANALYSIS "It's legal for immigrants to turn themselves in to authorities and ask for asylum. But in recent days, U.S. officials have issued a number of statements warning the approaching caravan, suggesting that even though authorities will evaluate any asylum claims once the caravan arrives, they're eyeing migrants in this group with suspicion," Leyla Santiago, Khushbu Shah, and Catherine E. Shoichet write for CNN. "It is difficult for Central Americans to receive asylum in the U.S. based solely on generalized violence in their countries, although sometimes U.S. courts have interpreted gang violence as a form of social persecution directed at children, teenagers, or women," Elizabeth Oglesby writes for the Hill. "Militarizing the border now sounds suspiciously like a ploy to energize Trump's base before the midterm elections rather than a sound response to an actual problem," Elaine Kamarck writes for the Brookings Institution. PACIFIC RIM North Korea's Kim to Enter South on Foot The Friday summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be the first time a North Korean leader has stepped on South Korean soil (Korea Times) since the 1950–53 Korean War. Separately, Chinese researchers found that a nuclear facility Kim Jong-un pledged last week to close has been unusable since a blast (WSJ) there last year. CFR's Scott A. Snyder discusses the high stakes at the inter-Korean summit. PHILIPPINES: Kuwait expelled the Philippine ambassador (Phil Star) to the Gulf nation and recalled its ambassador in Manila (KUNA) as a dispute grows over the rescue of Filipino migrant workers in Kuwait. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA World Bank Contests Watchdog Report on Afghanistan The U.S. inspector general for Afghanistan found that neither the World Bank nor the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) can account for spending from a major reconstruction trust fund (VOA) for the Afghan government. The World Bank, which administers the fund, called most of the report's findings "somewhat anecdotal." A CFR panel discussed the United States' longest war. KYRGYZSTAN: New Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev and his cabinet were sworn in after Abylgaziev's predecessor, Sapar Isakov, was fired following a no-confidence vote by lawmakers (RFE/RL). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA International Donors Pledge $4.4 Billion for Syria The pledges at a Brussels conference on Tuesday fell short of the $7 billion sought by the United Nations. The total does not yet include a commitment from the United States (VOA), which has been providing more than $1 billion annually in recent years to address the Syrian humanitarian crisis. SAUDI ARABIA: Since the start of 2018, the country has executed forty-eight people, half of whom were given the death penalty (HRW) for nonviolent drug charges. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Land Dispute With UK Over, Says Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power last year after longtime leader Robert Mugabe's ouster, said that a decades-long dispute with the United Kingdom (Herald) over land redistribution had been resolved. He added that Zimbabwe "cannot continue living in isolation." KENYA: In 2017, the East African nation's economy grew 4.9 percent (Business Daily), its lowest level in five years. The finance minister predicted a rebound to 5.8 percent (Reuters) this year. EUROPE Turkish Journalists Hit With Prison Sentences Thirteen journalists and executives from the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet received sentences of up to seven-and-a-half years for "aiding and abetting terror organizations" through their coverage of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (Hurriyet) and the Gulen movement. In Foreign Affairs, Nate Schenkkan discusses Turkey's global purge. EUROPE: The Council of Europe's parliament will hold an emergency vote (DW) on whether to sanction current and former members, including a former president of the council, for corruption. AMERICAS U.S. Oil Firm Wins in Case Against Venezuela Houston-based oil company ConocoPhillips said it was awarded $2 billion (AP) in ongoing arbitration over the Venezuelan state oil company's seizure of its investments a decade ago. The award is equal to more than 20 percent of Venezuela's foreign reserves. UNITED STATES Macron Indicates Trump Unmoved by Appeals on Iran French President Emmanuel Macron, after appealing to President Trump to remain in the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement (NPR), told reporters he would bet that the U.S. leader will abandon the deal. In an address to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, Macron warned against (WaPo) the "rampaging work of extreme nationalism." Celia Belin asks in Foreign Affairs if France could be the United States' new bridge to Europe. Facebook reported net income (FT) of nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of 2018, a 63 percent increase year on year, as ad revenue accelerated despite a private-data misuse scandal involving the social media network. 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: April 26, 2018 at 10:04PM
