Africa and Middle East
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court only a week after being sworn in for a fifth term. He is accused of fraud, repeated acceptance of bribes such as Cuban cigars, and offering legislative ‘favours’ to media corporations in exchange for favourable news coverage of himself and a smear campaign against opponents. He denies the charges and is under no legal obligation to resign in the face of them. The trial ironically bears the name “State of Israel v. Benjamin Netanyahu”.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/israel-pm-netanyahu-unbeaten-elections-trial-200523173221408.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/24/netanyahu-in-the-dock-image-of-israeli-pm-on-trial-may-haunt-him-for-ever
• https://kbia.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/what-know-israels-netanyahu-goes-trial-corruption-charges#stream/0

 
Nile Egypt accepted an offer to renegotiate over the filling of a mega-dam in Ethiopia, which both it and Sudan object to in the strongest possible terms. The dam threatens water supplies in both Egypt and Sudan. Any new agreement will aim to take sufficient account of Egypt and Sudan’s water interests. The attempt at diplomacy comes after Egypt wrote a letter to the UN Security Council threatening to use force to defend its vital interests; Ethiopia denies any legal obligation to seek Egypt’s approval, but presumably wishes to avoid war.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/egypt-accepts-ethiopia-sudan-proposal-renegotiate-dam-dispute-200522074723307.html
• https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/guterres-encourages-three-un-member-states-to-agree-on-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-2020-05-21

 
Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pardoned over 3,000 prisoners to coincide with the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday.  Conspicuously absent from this list were political prisoners, journalists and activists, of which 60,000 are now in jail; their heinous crime of speaking out against the government is judged too severe to merit clemency and escape from brutal treatment. Conversely, those pardoned include an infamous hitman.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/political-prisoners-freed-egypt-pardons-thousands-eid-200524092210169.html
• https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/05/24/Egypt-pardons-3-157-prisoners-including-man-jailed-for-singer-Suzanne-Tamim-s-murder

 
West Africa The French Council of Miisters approved the introduction of a new currency, the ECO, in former French colonies in West Africa. The previous currency, the CFA, was controlled for 75 years by the bank of France which held half of the currency’s reserves. The new currency will be pegged to the Euro; many have argued that the increased monetary independence the move implies is nothing but a rebrand.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2020/05/france-breaking-colonial-africa-200523175458347.html
• https://www.africanews.com/2020/05/21/france-ratifies-law-officially-ending-75-years-of-west-africa-cfa/

 
Libya The internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) captured three military bases from Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army. This is a major setback for Haftar’s attempt to seize Tripoli; Haftar’s vowed to continue the fight against “Turkish colonialism”, referencing Turkish backing for the GNA.

• https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-05-23/libyas-haftar-seeks-to-rouse-forces-against-turkey
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/libya-gna-aligned-forces-retake-military-camps-tripoli-200523172107049.html

 
Namibia 10 elephants were shot this month to protect farms in the north of the country. The elephants had damaged crops and apparently threatened framers; their carcasses were given to communities to compensate them for the destruction to their harvests.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/namibia-culls-elephants-protect-farmers-crops-200523143006988.html
• https://www.namibian.com.na/91032/read/Elephant-shot-in-Kavango-East

 
Malawi The Head of the Electoral Commission resigned in the face of nationwide protests after her handling of the disputed election last year. A rerun of that election, ordered by the Constitutional Court, is due to be held next month. Opposition parties object that she is being used as a scapegoat for the entire Electoral Commission, which was complicit, while many fear the timing of her resignation may derail the election.

• https://www.nyasatimes.com/opposition-question-ansah-resignation-timing-ahead-of-malawi-fresh-election/
• https://www.maravipost.com/malawi-president-mutharika-accepts-ansah-resignation/
• https://www.nyasatimes.com/law-expert-says-ansah-resignation-may-delay-malawi-elections/

 
Egypt 21 members of an ISIS-affiliate were killed in North Sinai after security forces raided two hideouts. The groups had apparently been planning attacks during Eid al-Fitr.

• https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-says-militants-planning-eid-attacks-killed-sinai

​

Asia & Oceania
Afghanistan Following the announcement of a three-day ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, President Ghani pledge to speed up the release of Taliban prisoners. In an agreement in February, both Taliban and government pledged to released prisoners.

• https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/24/the-taliban-afghanistan-announce-cease-fire-ahead-of-a-major-holiday.html
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52785604

 
Chinese-Indian border It was reported that Chinese and Indian troops had skirmished at two points along their shared border at the beginning of May. Rather than use weapons, they opted to throw rocks at one another. The skirmishes took place in Ladakh and Sikkim, where the Line of Actual Control remains disputed. China blames Indian troops for trespassing on its territory, and conducted military exercises in Tibet as a show of willingness to use force.

• https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3940166
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/china-s-tactical-play-in-ladakh-isn-t-just-about-the-boundary-analysis/story-aJy8XQDURYzT6nN70GsxzK.html
• http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1059727.shtml (Chinese news outlet)

 
Hong Kong Beijing forced through controversial “anti-sedition law” to stop anti-government protests. The CCP, and pro-Beijing deputies, argued that such “national security” measures were necessary due to the frequency of protests in Hong Kong this year. Thousands in Hong Kong defied curfew and braved riot police this weekend to protest against the law which they see as a flagrant violation of “one country, two systems”. The US threatened sanctions in response. The two Global Times links below, attempts by China to justify its actions, make for particularly interesting, and concerning, reading.

• https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1189111.shtml
• https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1189224.shtml
• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-idUSKBN23107F

 
 
Pakistan Almost 100 people were killed when an airliner crashed into a residential district of Karachi. No one on the ground was killed, while two people onboard survived. The black box indicates an issue with the plane.

• https://www.thedailystar.net/southeast-asia/news/pakistan-plane-crash-80-bodies-recovered-more-feared-dead-1905346

Americas
USA Democratic nominee Biden provoked indignation this week suggesting that African Americans who do not immediately support his campaign “ain’t black”. He claims that the comment was meant as a reference to his record as a supporter of black rights.

• https://www.masslive.com/politics/2020/05/joe-biden-says-he-was-too-cavalier-after-saying-black-americans-who-support-president-trump-aint-black.html
• https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/donna-brazile-biden-is-a-true-friend-of-black-americans-his-you-aint-black-comment-doesnt-change-that

 
USA Mark Zuckerberg dashed hopes that his employees could move away from the eye-wateringly expensive Silicon Valley and still earn the same wage, confirming that wages will differ reflective of the local cost of living.

• https://www.businessinsider.com/zuckerberg-facebook-salary-employees-moving-out-of-silicon-valley-2020-5?r=US&IR=T

 
USA A new poll from Fox News predicted a crushing defeat for Trump in the November election. To the amusement of commentators, he called Fox News’ data “fake” – it is unclear if there are any news sources in America at all that are not, in Trump’s opinion, purveyors of “fake news”.

• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/donald-trump-fox-news-2020-election-november-a9527501.html
• https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-biden-more-trusted-on-coronavirus-trump-on-economy

 
Europe
Germany The Federal Court of Justice ordered Volkswagen to buy back car models which cheated emissions tests. The ruling is a significant financial blow to VW, though reimbursement for cars with higher mileage will be lower.

• https://www.france24.com/en/20200525-volkswagen-ordered-to-compensate-motorists-in-landmark-dieselgate-ruling
• https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/volkswagen-buy-dieselgate-cars-germany-top-court-200525061920051.html

 
Norway The country’s sovereign wealth fund took steps to try to limit its emissions by excluding oil companies and commodity traders from its investments. Norway’s is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, and many hope that it marks the start of a significant trend towards divestment. It is worth remembering that Norway’s fund is made up almost entirely of the profits of oil exports.

• https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/norways-sovereign-wealth-fund-drops-major-brazil-miner-utility-from-its-portfolio/
• https://www.businessgreen.com/news-analysis/4014747/global-briefing-norway-sovereign-wealth-fund-blacklists-coal-firms

 
Poland The Supreme Court selected five candidates for “Chief Justice”, four of which were supporters of the governing party PiS. The country’s President will appoint the new Chief Justice from these candidates; by far the most likely is Manowska, a close associate of the Justice Minister. Poland has been widely criticised for new laws which undermine the independence of the judiciary from the government.

• https://www.dw.com/en/poland-shortlists-judges-for-controversial-top-court-post/a-53547585
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/poland-picks-chief-justice-candidates-judicial-overhaul-200524075407986.html

​By Patrick Stephens

Asia:
Malaysia Following the unexpected resignation of the previous prime minister, the king appointed a nationalist politician, Muhyiddin Yassin, to the role. The former ruling coalition, forced into opposition by the move, decried the appointment as an affront to the rule of law. Equally controversially, a man was arrested under colonial-era laws for criticising the king’s appointment. Minority groups have meanwhile voiced concerns about potential rising tensions between ethnic Malays, whom Muhyiddin vocally represents, and minorities to whom is he is strongly critical.

• https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3053049/muhyiddin-yassin-sworn-malaysias-new-pm-mahathir-mohamad

Afghanistan Despite Trump’s vocal espousal of the plan, local people across the country, especially women, have expressed deep concern about American withdrawal and the potential subsequent return to power of the Taliban. Despite a vague commitment to respecting women’s rights, the plan includes the caveat that such respect is conditional on it fitting with the Taliban’s interpretation of ‘Islamic values’. Female education has become far more prevalent in Afghanistan in recent years following the weakening of the Taliban, progress some fear is now under severe threat.

• https://japantoday.com/category/world/peace-but-not-at-our-cost-afghan-women-fear-taliban-return
• http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/0301/c90000-9663539.html

Taiwan Officials in Taiwan announced that adults will be able to purchase three face masks per week beginning March 5th. The masks were rationed to two per person last month after panic buying, but their production has since been dramatically increased.

• https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3883956

Indonesia In a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus, Saudi Arabia suspended visas for Muslims wishing to celebrate the festival of umrah, which is especially popular in Indonesia. Usually, over a million Indonesian Muslims visit Mecca for the pilgrimage. The expense of the journey coupled with the limited number of visas annually issued by Riyadh mean that many people have to wait years for the chance to visit. They will be not be able to visit this year, and many remain stranded at airports.

• https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3053037/indonesians-stranded-after-saudi-arabia-suspends-umrah

​China Max Brooks, the author of the famous book ‘World War Z’, pointed out this week that his novel predicted with considerable accuracy China’s response to coronavirus. The book is banned in China, and argues that authoritarian systems are especially ripe for the spread of plague.

• https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3884056

North Korea State news focuses on the success of the official tree-planting day. Apparently, the sapling production capacity of one of the People’s Army’s tree nurseries was significantly increased, and now blazes a trail for the other regions. It is clear the North Korean state is investing hugely in greenhouses to grow more saplings which it can use for ‘scientific, industrial and intensive’ functions. Why a country with widespread poverty and food shortages is focusing its resources on the production of botanical plant saplings is unclear.

• https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1583154711-822398805/sapling-production-capacity-raised-in-dprk/

South Korea As the total number of coronavirus rises to 4,335, medical staff across the country have reported in sick with extreme fatigue. The health service simply is not equipped to deal with the crisis; nurses have quit en masse in the thousands citing mental health and acute fatigue such that they are unable to do their jobs properly.

• https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/index.asp

Americas
USA A Harvard epidemiologist predicts that up to 70 percent of the world’s population could eventually contract coronavirus. Because of its low death rate, comparable to that of flu, he predicts the disease could easily infect far more people than SARS which had a relatively high death rate.

• https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3882198

 
 
Middle East and Africa:
Israel On the final day before polls open for national elections, Netanyahu pledged to annex parts of the West Bank within weeks of being reelected. Facing allegations of corruption and embezzlement, his political platform is almost entirely focus on national defence and security. Placing annexation as the top of his priorities if re-elected, he also ranked among his top three priorities a defence treaty with the US and the ‘eradication of the Iranian threat’.

• https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3053096/israels-netanyahu-vows-immediate-west-bank-annexation-steps

Syria Following the deaths of 34 Turkish soldiers, President Erdogan requested that Russia withdraw its air support for the Assad regime. Turkey has launched a series of counterattacks to resist Assad’ assault on Idlib province, and is engaged in negotiations with Putin for a treaty. Erdogan is also trying to obtain American missiles to defend Turkish interests in the province. Erdogan’s stated reasoning for intervening is to prevent a refugee crisis in Idlib; Turkey already hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees.

• https://japantoday.com/category/world/update-6-turkey's-erdogan-asks-russia-to-step-aside-in-syria

Europe
France Following the rise in coronavirus cases in France to 73, the authorities have ordered the cancellation of all gatherings of over 5,000 people to try to limit its spread. This includes the Paris half-marathon though, bizarrely, not football matches.

• https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3053040/coronavirus-france-cancels-all-gatherings-over-5000-people-amid

​Greece Clashes took place at the Turkish-Greek border this week between Greek border forces and refugees trying to ‘illegally’ enter the EU. Greek authorities used tear gas and pepper spray against 4,000 fleeing war and persecution after Turkey allegedly opened its side of the border. Austria has said it will ‘protect’ its borders if this ‘wave’ of migrants is allowed to enter the EU.

• https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3883351

Africa and Middle East
Libya This week, for the first time, Turkish President Erdogan confirmed the existence of a Turkish force in Libya, as well as Turkish-backed Syrian factions. Turkey's government supports the internationally recognised government against Haftar's rebel faction which is attempting to seize Tripoli. It is alleged that Russian and Sudanese mercenaries have joined the fray, complicating any attempts at peace

• https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/02/21/619189/Turkey-Libya-Syrian-militants-Erdogan 
  • An Iranian news outlet closely linked to the official broadcasting company of the Islamic Republic
• https://www.arabnews.com/node/1619976/middle-east
  • A Saudi publication of doubtful independence from the government

Niger A combined force of Nigerian and French troops allegedly killed 120 terrorists in the Tillaberri region of southwest Niger. The operation follows a wave of jihadist attacks which killed over 174 soldiers from December to January.

• ​https://www.arabnews.com/node/1631501/world

Yemen Scores of civilians, including 19 children, were killed by Saudi bombing raids on al-Jawf province in northern Yemen. The UN strongly condemned the deplorable attacks which were of doubtful strategic value, and UNICEF implored both sides to work to resolve the conflict.

• https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/02/20/619144/19-children-among-fatalities-in-recent-Saudiled-airstrikes-against-Yemen-says-UN

Iran President Rouhani delivered an address to the UN General Assembly denouncing America's 'inappropriate and illegal interference' in the Middle East and promoting Iran's initiative for regional peace, the Hormuz Peace Endeavour. He stated that the EU had a duty to uphold the JCPOA and to disregard Washington's sanctions on Iran.

• https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/02/23/619358/Rouhani-Alexander-Schallenberg-Austria-JCPOA-Hormuz-peace-HOPE-sanctions

Iran Voters went to the polls in Iran for elections in which the conservative parties are expected to do well. The official turnout was 42%, which Interior Minister Fazli described as 'quite acceptable', and responded to suggestions it was quite low by citing concerns about Coronavirus and riots in recent months.

• https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/02/23/619349/Abodolreza-Rahmani-Fazli-Iran-elections-participation

Americas
Haiti In an extremely concerning escalation, police officers and the Haitian army exchanged gunfire outside the national palace following protests over police pay. Haiti's famous three-day Carnival was cancelled, official statement reported, to 'avoid a bloodbath'.

• https://www.arabnews.com/node/1632286/world

Venezuela Washington announced increased sanctions against those dealing engaged in any business with Venezuela's state oil firm. This comes a week after a Russian energy company was blacklisted to try to force Moscow to end its support for Maduro.

• https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2020/Feb-24/501691-trump-administration-to-step-up-pressure-campaign-on-venezuelan-oil.ashx
  • A Lebanese publication for which Jamal Khashoggi used to write

Asia
Australia Two people tragically died when a passenger train derailed near the town of Wallan en route between Sydney and Melbourne. Dozens more people were treated with serious injuries.

• http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/269335
  • Independent Lebanese publication

China The government ordered three reporters for the Wall Street Journal to leave Beijing due to a supposedly racist headline on a piece they had written, the first expulsion of journalists since 1998. The exact title described China as the 'sick man of Asia' which riled the CCP because it was coined by Western imperialists during China's 'century of humiliation'. Aside from expressing condemnation, some have pointed out that the WSJ's editors, and not its reporters, determine the titles of articles. Others have suggested it is far from a coincidence that the article in question criticised the response to the coronavirus epidemic.

• http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/269316

Europe
Ukraine Russia detained four Ukrainian fisherman for 'illicit' fishing in the Sea of Azov. The men were tried in a Moscow-controlled court in Crimea, which sentenced them to 10 days in prison. The Ukrainian government denounced both the implied Russian claim to the Sea of Azov and the trial of Ukrainians by what it sees as an foreign kangaroo court on Ukrainian soil.

• http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/269275

Ireland The CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, was denounced as a racist after an interview with the Times in which he said that Muslim men should be profiled at airports. He is reported to have said that terrorists are 'generally Muslims'.

• https://www.arabnews.com/node/1631481/world

​ 
Africa and Middle East
Yemen The UN announced that negotiations in Jordan between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government had produced an agreement to exchange prisoners. Sources say that as many as 1400 prisoners could be released as part of the deal. This is the first significant exchange of prisoners since the war began.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/yemen-warring-sides-agree-large-scale-prisoner-exchange-200216173319796.html
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-war-houthi-rebels-prisoner-swap-un-peace-talks-sweden-conflict-a8666751.html

 
Israel Netanyahu announced that the planned (minimal) easing of the siege of the Gaza strip would not go ahead after rockets were launched at Israel from the territory. Airstrikes were carried out on Hamas sites in retaliation for the attacks. Meanwhile, 2 million people remain under siege.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/israel-hits-hamas-sites-gaza-cancels-easing-restrictions-200216111431104.html

South Sudan The exiled rebel leader Riek Machar rejected a peace offer by the South Sudanese President. The proposed plan conceded that the country be divided into 10 states once more, but also demanded the creation of three administrative areas. The division of states is controversial because the borders determine the distribution of power in the country between different tribal groups.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/south-sudan-machar-rejects-president-kiir-peace-offer-200216090638473.html
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-51521778

Asia & Oceania
Taiwan The global death toll from Coronavirus continued to rise, with one person dying in Taiwan, and another in France. It should be noted, however, that only five people outside of mainland China have so far died of the disease; though the death toll there is over 1,660.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/china-coronavirus-500-words-200127065154334.html
• https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/02/16/Man-dies-from-coronavirus-in-Taiwan.html

India A schoolteacher and a parent who helped to put on a school play which criticised the country’s controversial citizenship law were held for over two weeks by police on charges of sedition. Human rights advocates have decried the use of a British-era law to stifle dissent.

• https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/02/16/Two-Indian-women-granted-bail-following-arrest-over-school-play.html
• https://indianexpress.com/article/india/school-sedition-arrests-9-yr-old-waits-for-mother-to-be-freed-police-seize-slippers-question-children-6249745/

 
Americas
Venezuela The civilian militia, which dwarfs the size of the country’s military, was designated as part of the latter body. Critics believe the move is to increase the size of the forces loyal to Maduro, without whom he would not be able to remain in power.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/venezuela-adds-civilian-militia-armed-forces-200211200206055.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/11/world/americas/11reuters-venezuela-military.html

Haiti At least 13 children were killed in a fire at an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, almost half of whom were babies. Emergency services, when they eventually arrived, did not have the ambulances or bottled oxygen to transport the children to hospital. The orphanage was run by a Pennsylvanian bible group who had previously been criticised for the insalubrious conditions in their orphanages.

• https://www.caribbeannews.net/news/264025878/numerous-orphaned-children-killed-in-horrific-fire-near-haiti-capital

Europe
Azerbaijan Scores of opposition leaders and members were detained by police for protesting at an election widely regarded as rigged. The ruling party won over half the seats, while other minor parties loyal to the president, who has governed since 2003, held almost all of the rest. Opposition leaders were allegedly driven by the police to remote locations over 100 miles from Baku, and then left there.

• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-azerbaijan-election-opposition-idUSKBN20A0F3
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/azeri-opposition-leaders-held-police-block-poll-result-protest-200216170418970.html

 
 
 
 

 
Africa and Middle East
Oman The Arab world’s longest-serving ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, died, aged 79. Despite the lack of a clear successor, power seems to have transferred peacefully to his cousin, a candidate chosen within three days of the Sultan’s death by the family. The new sultan faces a rapidly rising deficit and with it a rising cost to borrow money.

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51082415
• http://www.iran-daily.com/News/264431.html            

 
Syria A secret peace summit was held in Berlin to try to form a basis for peace talks. Most of the factions in the Syrian Civil War were present, including Alawites, Kurdish Yazidis, Sunnis and Christians, and demonstrated that the religious and ethnic divisions along which the Civil War has mostly been fought were not insurmountable obstacles to peace.

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51133845
• https://theworldbreakingnews.com/syria-war-society-leaders-hold-secret-peace-summit-in-berlin/

 
Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane resigned this week after Police issued an arrest warrant for the First Lady over the death of the Prime Minister’s former wife. Within two months of the death of Lipolelo, his previous wife, Thabane had remarried.

• https://www.africanews.com/2020/01/16/south-africa-mediates-crisis-in-lesotho-as-pm-quits/
• https://www.dw.com/en/lesotho-pm-thabane-to-step-down-after-alleged-link-to-wifes-murder/a-52031645

 
Iran Following the allegedly accidental downing of a passenger jet which has triggered outrage across Iran and the world, Ayatollah Ali Khomenei delivered a Friday sermon in Tehran, his first in over seven years.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/iran-ali-khamenei-deliver-friday-prayer-sermon-crisis-200117052102528.html

 
Asia & Oceania
Pakistan 86 members of the far-right TYRLA were sentenced for their roles in violent protests in 2018. The protests were in response to the acquittal of a Christian woman who faced the death penalty for blasphemy.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/pakistani-activists-sentenced-blasphemy-protests-200117092607998.html
• https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-court-hands-down-55-year-sentences-to-86-islamists-1.69068003

 
 
China One man died in Wuhan, having contracted a mysterious illness with pneumonia-like symptoms. Other cases have been recorded in Japan and Thailand, but these people have all recently visited Wuhan. Chinese officials are deeply concerned given that SARS, which killed 349 people in Mainland China in 2002 and 2003, originated from the same area and has similar symptoms.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/person-dies-mystery-wuhan-virus-china-official-200117011331704.html
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-mystery-virus-sars-symptoms-spread-cases-who-a9289536.html

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election by a landslide with 8 million votes, the highest ever received in a Taiwanese election. Her Democratic Progressive Party even managed to win right-leaning constituencies, with the election swung by young people who generally identify as Taiwanese, not Chinese. After reelection, she affirmed that China needed to respect the sovereignty of the island.

• https://abcnews.go.com/International/china-face-reality-taiwans-independence-taiwanese-president-tsai/story?id=68337284&cid=clicksource_76_null_headlines_hed
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/taiwan-election-china-result-tsai-ing-wen-latest-a9281326.html

Americas
Panama Seven members of the Ngabe Bugle indigenous group were killed by self-described Christian priests. At an improvised church, the victims were violently beaten with Bibles and stabbed so they would ‘repent their sins’. The police managed to free fourteen victims on their arrival, including two pregnant women.

• https://www.caribbeannews.net/news/263736922/panama-police-7-killed-14-tortured-in-exorcism-terror-rituals

Venezuela Civilian motorcycle groups and armed security forces loyal to President Maduro arranged themselves around the National Assembly building in Caracas to block the entry of opposition members to the building. The convoy of cars carrying the deputies was violently attacked. They were unable to enter the building, which remains the only part of the Venezuelan government out of Maduro’s control.

• https://www.caribbeannews.net/news/263724298/government-backers-block-venezuela-legislative-meeting

Europe
Ukraine With the release of audio recordings to Youtube in which he criticised the new President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk tendered his resignation to Parliament. The recordings captured Honcharuk described the President’s economic position as ‘primitive’, though he claims that the recordings were doctored and misrepresent the overall content of what he said.

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/ukraine-pm-offers-resign-alleged-slurs-president-200117091753873.html

Poland New legislation was tabled in the Senate which would give politicians the explicit powers to fire and hire judges. In response, the Speaker of the Senate Tomasz Grodski requested the urgent legal opinions of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission. These European legal experts sharply criticised the legislation; Polish Justice Minister Ziobro vehemently responded that “No one should be lecturing us”.

• https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/legal-experts-polish-law-undermines-judicial-independence-68324147?cid=clicksource_76_null_headlines_hed

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Russia Mikhail Mishustin, Putin’s preferred candidate was ratified by MPs as the new Prime Minister, which many see as further solidifying Putin’s personal control over the political system. The new appointment comes in light of the resignation of the previous cabinet after Putin proposed significant constitutional changes. RT, Russian state broadcaster, describes the changes as a positive ‘diversification of power’; other analysts (see Politico) view it as an attempt to shift power to the Duma, which Putin can move to when his Presidential term expires

• https://www.politico.eu/article/russian-government-resigns-after-putin-proposes-constitutional-shake-up-vladimir-putin/
• https://www.rt.com/russia/478340-government-resigns-russia-putin-medvedev/

 
 
 
 

Africa
Kenya More than 10 people were brutally killed in an attack on a bus, claimed by al-Shabab. The Kotulo region, where the attack took place, is predominantly ethnic Somalis; the attackers explicitly targeted non-Somalis. Among the dead were Kenyan police officers, and the Somali jihadist group stated that it was as revenge for the stationing of Kenyan troops in Somali.
The Gambia Following the tragic deaths of 60 Gambians onboard a ship bound for Europe, President Adama Barrow vowed to crack down on human trafficking, with rapid prosecution of human traffickers and increased surveillance. Recent events in Libya have made it increasingly difficult to travel through Libya, so an increasing number of migrants now attempt the crossing through the so-called western migration route to the Canary Islands. The Gambia has given aid to Mauritania where the survivors are currently staying, and plans are now laid for their repatriation. The International Organisation of Migration has recorded 158 deaths on the route so far this year, almost four times as many as the previous year.

Asia & Oceania
Australia Conditions in New South Wales’ worst ever recorded forest fire season worsened, as a ‘mega fire’ formed on the outskirts of Sydney. Since September, 688 homes have been destroyed and 2.1 million hectares scorched, with smoke clouds reaching western New Zealand. Perhaps most concerningly, forest fires are generally at their worst in mid-January, so there may be more still to come. NSW Rural Fire Service, the largest volunteer fire service in the world, is desperately trying to control the fires, particularly the ‘mega fire’ threatening Sydney.

Papua New Guineau Polls closed in a referendum on the island chain of Bougainville on independence from Papua New Guineau, which was believed to have an extremely high turnout rate. Most local politics pundits predict that voters will overwhelmingly support independence, but there are no significant polls to back up this claim. The vote was an integral part of a peace deal signed in 2001 between separatists and security services after a brutal civil war lasting ten years. However, there are concerns that the necessary ratification from Port Moresby to allow the islands to become independent would not be forthcoming, due to concerns that it might spur on other separatist movements in what is one of the world’s most diverse countries.

Americas
Mexico A group of videos showing powerful individuals mocking a new feminist anthem sparked outrage in a country where rape and femicide are commonly unpunished. The anthem, ‘A Rapist in Your Path’, originated in Chile, and was performed in Mexico City and other parts of the country over the last fortnight by women’s rights groups. Videos showed members of the U17 team of Mexico City football club America mocking the video; perhaps worse was footage of marines doing so given that security forces are often implicated in abuses such as rape. Even most explicit was an Instagram video shared by the leader of the prominent hip-hop group ‘Cartel de Santa’ which went beyond mocking the song and actually seemed to condone rape. All this follows months of feminist protests against gender violence, rape, and femicide: on average, 10 women are killed each day in Mexico.

Europe
Kosovo The Balkan country said it would boycott the upcoming Nobel Prize ceremony in Sweden to show its indignation that Peter Handke, an Austrian supporter of Serbia during the wars of the 1990s, had been awarded the literature award. Milosevic, the Serbian leader who ordered the ethnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians was a close friend of Handke, who spoke at Milosevic’s funeral. Despite a UN court ruling that genocide had been committed in Srebrenica, the author maintains that Bosniaks slaughtered themselves in Sarajevo to force the blame on Serb forces. He is also deeply critical of the Nobel Prize for Literature, referring to it as a ‘circus’.

Middle East
Iran With inflation reach 40 percent and violent riots on the streets, President Rouhani announced a $39bn stimulus package to keep the economy afloat after the imposition of crippling US sanctions. Public sector wages will rise, which the government will attempt to finance both through selling bonds and attracting Russian state investment. A prisoner exchange this week between the US and Iran has attracted speculation that the spending plans are a short-term measure while Rouhani tries to bring about a thaw in relations with the US, and with it the lifting of some sanctions.

By Patrick Stephens, World This Week Editor 

Africa

​Zimbabwe Consultant doctors castigated the ‘silent genocide’ caused by the breath-taking inadequacy of facilities and basic supplies in hospitals in Harare, which medical unions say is completely unsustainable. Such rhetoric follows the dismissal of 435 junior medical officers by the government for striking over low wages.

Asia & Oceania

China Pro-democratic factions won a resounding victory in Hong Kong’s District Council elections, with a turnout rate of 71%, far higher than expected. In the same week, President Trump signed a law threatening sanctions for human rights violations in Hong Kong, and requiring the state department to justify any favourable trading terms given to Hong Kong on the basis of the political autonomy of the territory. Beijing accused the American government of meddling in its affairs. On a related note, DC Comics withdrew an advert for its new Batman comic which was interpreted by some Chinese Weibo users as implicitly expressing support for the Hong Kong protests; the poster depicted Batwoman lobbing a Molotov cocktail under the caption ‘The future is young’, considered a reference to the students, such as Joshua Wong, leading the protests.

Americas
Chile Following weeks of demonstrations leaving over 13,000 people injured, the central bank responded to the 15% slump in the value of the Peso by selling almost half of its foreign currency reserves. The government has also promised to increase public spending to appease protestors, which may undermine Chile’s sovereign debt rating, the highest in South America and one of the highest in the world.

Bolivia After last months toppling of Evo Morales, whose alleged election fraud sparked widespread riots, Camacho, the obscure conservative Christian lawyer who was so instrumental in forcing Morales to resign, has announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election (date still unconfirmed). Camacho is an activist from Santa Cruz, a historically right-leaning region, and his stated aim is to ‘bring the Bible back to the palace of government’, something he quite literally achieved when he entered the presidential palace with a Bible and a letter of resignation for Morales to sign. He has been dubbed the ‘Bolivian Bolsonaro’ for his traditionalist views, yet his politics is at present defined more by opposition to Morales than his Catholic beliefs.

Europe

United Kingdom The capital reeled as 2 people were killed and several more injured in a terrorist attack on London Bridge, which was later claimed by IS. The attacker had previously been convicted for terrorism offences, and was still wearing an electronic tag at the time, prompting a debate about police funding and policies to promote rehabilitation. Several commentators have warned the major political parties about using this tragedy for their own political ends in the run-up to an election in under 2 weeks.

Albania An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck Tirana just before dawn, leaving 51 dead and 4,000 people homeless. The natural disaster has rapidly become politicised as lack of compliance with regulation and corruption in the building industry have been blamed for the extent of damage wreaked by the earthquake. With the aid of experts from several EU countries, the government has already begun to clear the rubble, set up a financial compensation scheme worth £7,000 per family, and drafted a law issuing harsh sentences to those in the construction industry found to have violated building regulations.

Middle East

Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced his resignation following a spike in the death toll in 2 months of protests which have left 420 people dead. Protestors both in Shi’ite and Sunni-majority cities took to the streets to mourn the dead; a police officer was this week sentenced to death for the killing of civilians. The stated aim of the protests is to overthrow the regime which is alleged to be propped up by the Iranian government, a perception leading to the torching of the Iranian consulate in Najaf by demonstrators.

By Patrick Stephens, This Week's World Editor 

Africa
Cameroon Divina Maloum was awarded the joint International Children’s Peace Prize, along with Greta Thunberg. Maloum, aged just 15, created the organisation ‘Children for Peace’ which aims to support vulnerable Cameroonian children at high-risk of being groomed as potential child soldiers by extremist groups such as Boko Haram. Maloum intends to use half her $110,000 prize to create a pan-African youth parliament.

Somalia After brutal flooding last month drove 230,000 people from their homes in Beledweyne district, the United Nations Development Programme this week announced a mobile phone alert system to warn local people of potential extreme weather. The first such nationwide project in sub-Saharan Africa, it will particularly help nomadic groups, who make up 60% of Somalia’s population, and for whom extreme weather events can lead to the destruction of their herds, which, rather than property, is where much of their wealth is stored. The growth in phone usage in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years has been extraordinary; it is now estimated that 7 in 10 Somalians own a mobile phone.

Niger 60 years after its independence from France, President Mahamadou Issoufou announced the creation of a commission to consider alternatives and changes to the lyrics of the national anthem following a social media storm over its content. The French-written words have been subject to significant criticism in Niger; the line “Let us be proud and grateful for our newfound freedom” (Soyons fiers et reconnaissants //de notre liberté nouvelle) is interpreted as implying a feudal deference to the former colonial masters.

Asia & Oceania
Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former defense secretary, was elected President, with an impressive 52.5% of the vote, though with minimal support from Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious minority groups. In recent years, candidates have sought to gain the support of Muslims as well as the majority Buddhist community, but Gotabaya’s popularity among Buddhists made this unnecessary. Several Muslim political commentators have expressed fear at evidence of rising religious tensions and violence following the Easter Sunday bombings on the island; the focus in Gotabaya’s campaign on “Muslim extremism” only serves to exacerbate this concern in a country still traumatised from a 26-year civil war. The new president has promised a fresh set of parliamentary elections as soon as is feasible.

India In excess of 2,500 indigenous groups protested outside the Supreme Court as it heard a case on whether to evict them from their lands. Numbering over a million people, the Supreme Court ordered them expelled from their lands in February after their claims of ownership were rejected, a decision which activists have this week challenged. Many critics direct blame at the BJP for turning a blind eye to the concerns of indigenous groups, accusing the government of prioritising the codification of property rights to allow corporations to exploit mineral wealth over the needs of local people who have inherited the land for centuries.

Americas
Columbia The opposition parties called for what is believed to be the country’s largest general strike in decades, primarily in response to economic reforms proposed by the government, but also after alleged killing of civilians by the army in areas where the peace deal with FARC is most fragile. The government has deployed soldiers to prevent foreign entry to the country, claiming that protestors from other countries, notably Chile, may try to stage more demonstrations in an effort to destabilise the country.

Nicaragua Demanding the release of 139 opposition protestors, groups staged a hunger strike in Managua cathedral, following which the UN called on Daniel Ortega to cease violent government repression in the Central American country. Pro-government forces tried to storm the building, injuring a priest and a nun in the process, but the government backed down and allowed the protestors to safely leave the building. Following last year’s mass unrest, the state’s repressive response has forced over 70,000 people to leave this country of 6 million; Ortega is widely regarded as a despot by western commentators, who point to his wife’s position as vice-president as evidence of the extent of corruption within the country.

Europe
Spain Preparations began for the exhumation of former soldiers from the Valley of the Fallen, bringing relief to many families whose relatives have remained buried for decades in what has become a far-right place of homage to Franco. The dictator’s exhumation last month from this basilica, which he had built as a memorial to the dead on both sides of the civil war, paved the way for others to be removed from the site and taken to places of rest.
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Middle East
Iran Allegedly due to American sanctions, the Iranian government announced significant fuel price increases, and promptly introduced measures to stifle internet usage and spreading of information for a period of five days. Protests were thus localised, though we do know they took place; Amnesty International claims that 100 people were killed in the demonstrations, a figure the Iranian government vehemently denies. The American government responded by imposing yet more sanctions, this time directed at Iran’s communications minister.