Protesters in Vietnam waving flags. (Asia Times via Facebook)

 

Syria

After a terrorist attack left 25 people dead in Iran on September 22nd of this year, Tehran launched 6 missiles in Syria at Islamic State militants. Iran has accused U.S.-backed Gulf Arab states on causing the attack in Iran last month and thus decided to target “takfiri terrorists,” which are backed by Washington. The Guards of the Islamic Republic (Iran’s most powerful military) stated that “Our iron fist [missiles] is prepared to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any wickedness and mischief of the enemies,” making it clear that Iran is willing to fire back after any attack from enemies.

It is not recent news that the administration plans to keep troops in Syria until they have ‘defeated’ ISIS, but just recently, it seems there is another motive for the U.S. to stay in the war-torn country. This week, James Jeffrey, the representative for Syria at the State Department mentioned that there will be a continued military mission in Syria until Iranian forces are out of the country. It is believed that Assad’s government is backed by at least 10,000 fighters who follow orders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are believed to be the ‘backbone’ of Assad’s accomplishment in gaining back territory from rebels. Further, it is unlikely that Iran will stop aiding the Assad government any time in the near future, meaning that U.S. troops are likely to be in Syria for an extended period of time.

Although Syria’s government has claimed that it is now ready to accept refugees’ return, the United Nations have urged people to be more cautious. The United Nations resident humanitarian coordinator and various other officials, however, have explicitly stated that they will not urge refugees to return – specifically because there is still a lot to be done before the country can be considered truly safe. Additionally, the Turkish President Erdogan stated that Turkish troops will not leave Syria until general elections are held.

 

 

 

North Korea

South Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launched a joint landmine removal effort in border areas in order to work towards implementing the inter-Korea military agreement, particularly in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the DMZ. The removal will last for twenty days, after which the two sides will launch consultations alongside the UN Command as to how to operate troops in the JSA after the disarmament.

Over the weekend, the North Korean foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, told the United Nations General Assembly that North Korea will not consider denuclearizing until the United States “secures [their] sufficient trust.” Ri also characterized the regime as having taken several goodwill steps of its own, such as stopping nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and dismantling the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. It is uncertain exactly what measures the DPRK is hoping that the United States will take in order to obtain this trust.

The United States announced this week that  Mike Pompeo will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang this coming Sunday to plan a second summit between the United States and the DPRK. Pompeo also backed away from his previous timeline, which had claimed that the country would give up nuclear weapons by January 2021, instead stating that the denuclearization process will have to take place more slowly.

According to U.S. security firm FireEye, a North Korean hacking group known as APT38 is allegedly responsible for the theft of over $100 million USD, something that falls in line with past accusations of the DPRK using hacking to raise government funds. It is suspected that the DPRK is responsible for the 2017 WannaCry attacks and was certainly responsible for the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures.

 

Myanmar

Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, urged Myanmar to begin the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh as per the agreement signed last November, pledging that ASEAN stands “ready to help” – but that Myanmar must facilitate this process and take the first steps. A major focal point of discussion was also on the humanitarian impacts of the crisis, which Balakrishnan called “unacceptable.” Alongside Balakrishnan, various other foreign ministers urged that Myanmar give a full mandate to an inquiry commission to hold those responsible for violence accountable, calling the situation a “man-made humanitarian disaster.”

On Tuesday, Canada chose to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary Canadian citizenship, citing her complicity in the atrocities committed against Myanmar’s Rohingya people. She is the first person to have her honorary Canadian citizenship revoked, having repeatedly denied the atrocities that have taken place despite her position as a Nobel Peace Prize recipient for her fight for democracy in Myanmar.

On Thursday, India was criticized for deporting seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, despite allegations that doing so will put them at risk. The seven men deported have been detained for immigration violations since 2012. The UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said that India risked breaching its international legal obligation by returning these men to possible harm – specifically calling it a “flagrant denial of their right to protection.”

 

USA

This week, the United States reached a trade deal on NAFTA with both Mexico and now Canada. This is a big win for President Trump, given reaching a deal was one of his campaign promises. The new deal will be called the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The new briefed outline of the deal includes, “changes in language governing dairy imports, dispute resolution between countries, limits on online shopping that can be done tax-free, and limits on the U.S. threat of auto tariffs.”

This upcoming Sunday, Mike Pompeo is going to Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong Un in an effort to breath new life into nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea. Pompeo is accordingly slowly easing his way into getting North Korea to denuclearize. On Sunday, Pompeo will also discuss the second summit to be held between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump.

After Christine Blasey Ford held a hearing last week which included her admitting personal details about Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual assault, she is demanding that the FBI should further investigate her with an interview. Kavanaugh now has several sexual assault allegations against him, and while the FBI has investigated the matter, specifically with Ford, they have yet to interview her. By the end of the week, the Bureau will come to a final conclusion on Kavanaugh’s case. The final report will only be available to senators, not the public.

After about a year of ongoing strikes and harsh criticism from the public about unfair wages and unhealthy work conditions, Amazon has increased their minimum wage to $15 per hour. This will affect 250,000 Amazon employees along with 100,000 season Amazon employees who work during the holiday season. Bezos, the current wealthiest person in the world, has undergone a lot of public criticism, including from Senator Bernie Sanders who last month, introduced a bill called the “stop BEZOS Act” which would require Amazon along with other large companies similar to Amazon to cover costs of public housing, food stamps, along with other federal assistance received by employees. Now that Bezos has stepped forward in his efforts of making a difference in the lives of his employees, there will hopefully be a ripple effect among other large companies, such as Walmart, to follow along.

 

Cambodia

At the United Nations meetings this weekend, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned against questioning the legitimacy of his reelection after a top United Nations official doubted whether the polls could be considered democratic. Despite assertions that any accusations of undemocratic conduct are against “the will of the Cambodian people,” Hun Sen’s presence at the UN building caused massive protests outside of the General Assembly, specifically denouncing the conduct of the Cambodian leader.

On Monday, Cambodia’s Supreme Court rejected the defamation conviction of Ny Chakrya, the deputy secretary-general of the National Electoral Commission, citing a lack of evidence and ordering the Appeal Court in Cambodia to hold a retrial. This conviction was previously upheld in 2016 by the Appeal Court. Local human rights groups applauded the rejection on the part of the Supreme Court; however, the Supreme Court also ruled that state security forces were not responsible for provoking violence against activists during a controversial 2013 protest, despite claims that the police were “violently and intentionally attacked” by security forces from those such as Am Sam Ath, the head of investigations for one Cambodian human rights group.

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, the Cambodian Development Resource Institute has worked to empower women’s groups to work for climate change advocacy in four separate provinces throughout the country. The groups have been analyzing climate change risks in their communities and working to enhance their community resilience against natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and droughts. Meanwhile, on Friday, the Cambodian government jailed a seventy-year-old barber for his violation of a new law against defaming the royal family. The man has been sentenced to a year in prison; he is the first to have been sentenced under this new law, which was adopted unanimously by parliament in February.

 

Mexico

After Canada agreed to take part in the NAFTA trade deal, President Nieto of Mexico calls the deal a “win-win-win.” The deal was finalized this past Sunday after 13 months of negotiations between the three neighbors.

The new president-elect has proposed a six-year project that would entail moving some government agencies and large companies outside of the capital, Mexico City, and relocating them to smaller areas of the country. The plan includes moving up to 31 agencies in the hopes that workers and their families will follow their jobs, relocate, and thus spread out the population. Currently, 18% of Mexico’s population is in Mexico City–a startlingly large number. If the new president’s plan works, potentially 2.7 million people would leave the main city. Although, some reports say it is unlikely that everybody would just up and move from their home. Although the influx of new agencies would cause a bit of buffer and disruption due to the necessary infrastructure and allocation of resources necessary to move entire companies, most cities would, in fact, benefit from this plan in the long run. A report shows that the entire project is likely to cost up to 140 billion pesos, a demography researcher in Mexico admits that it is a necessary step to overcoming overpopulation, a shrinking water supply, and pollution, among other factors.

 

 

Zimbabwe

Despite the ruling of the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court to dismiss opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s claims of election fraud, Chamisa has continued to claim that he won the elections – and said to an audience at his party’s headquarters on Tuesday that he would not be waiting until 2023 general elections to challenge current president Mnangagwa again. However, a Zanu PF spokesperson said that the ruling party would not lose any sleep over threats to remove the current president from power, claiming that these threats are not credible and that the state has protections against such “lawlessness.” However, churches united under the Zimbabwe Council of Churches have taken the lead in attempting to facilitate talks between President Mnangagwa and Chamisa to defuse the tension and facilitate dialogue.

As part of a plan to stabilize the economy, Zimbabwe’s cabinet agreed to cut some government jobs to reduce the public-sector wage bill. This is only one feature of what Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube calls the “Transitional Stabilization Programme,” which will seek to eradicate corruption, strengthen Zimbabwe’s balance of payments, simplify the administration of taxes, and strengthen fiscal responsibility.

 

Laos

This week, Al Jazeera released an in-depth piece about the state of freedom of speech in Laos, which has been effectively strangled by the government’s policing of both journalism and social media efforts. Influential Facebook users, known in Laos pejoratively as “net idols,” have faced retribution for their posts – and two of the topics that are most dangerous for posters are democracy and human rights. The crackdown has increased since the floods last July left many dead and almost 100 missing with little information from the government, which forced Laotians to turn to Facebook in order to obtain information about their loved ones. NGO and aid workers have also been afraid to make public statements about the Laotian government since the disappearance of an aid worker 6 years ago.

 

Vietnam

Only a week after the death of former Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the former head of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Do Muoi, has died at the age of 101 after fighting serious illness. Muoi formerly was arrested by the French colonial government but escaped and fought for independence as a member of the Communist party. It is unknown when Muoi’s state funeral will take place.

The Vietnamese government has continued to crack down on pro-democracy activists and activist groups with the aim of severing connections between growing political groups and organizations that may present a challenge to the dominance of the ruling Communist Party. Members of groups such as the Brotherhood for Democracy have been given increasingly harsher sentences, especially as the activist community has been increasingly galvanized by the potential creation of special economic zones, which would give foreign powers like China an undue economic advantage.

 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

In a rally held by opposition leaders in the capital of Kinshasa, thousands of peaceful supporters showed up to hear what the leaders needed to say. Congo’s opposition warned the people of the Congo that they are fearful of a rigged vote in the upcoming election on December 23rd. The current president, Joseph Kabila is meant to step down after 17 years of power. At the rally this past weekend, opposition leaders cautioned citizens of the new electronic voting system, which they believe can be easily rigged. while authorities argue that the system will do the opposite for its ability to cut costs, reduce fraud and advance counting of votes, supporters of the opposition leaders were in full support of what the opposition had to say.

The newest statistics about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC have confirmed 150 total cases, and 150 deaths so far. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the likelihood of the outbreak spreading to neighboring countries is “very high.” Further, the WHO’s emergency response chief said that there are not any plans to remove health workers from the DRC, and that there seem to be several obstacles in the way of stopping the Ebola outbreak.

 

 

 

Malaysia

Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, has been arrested by members of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency on Thursday. She has been charged with 17 counts of money laundering and tax evasion; this is similar to her husband, who faces multiple counts of money laundering, breach of trust, corruption, and the abuse of power. Rosmah pleaded not guilty. Some of her belongings, however, have been linked back to her husband’s corruption at the very least. The United States Department of Justice discovered in its inquiry, released last year, that Rosmah’s $23 million pink diamond (set in one of her necklaces) was paid for with funds stolen from 1MDB.

A Syrian asylum seeker, who has been stuck in transit in an airport in Kuala Lumpur since March has been forcibly removed by immigration services and is reportedly in questioning. The asylum seeker, 36-year-old Hassan al-Kontar, has been moving from country to country since 2016 in hopes of seeking asylum, with no success. He has also applied for asylum in Canada, but the process can take up to two years, and the United Nations refugee agency has yet to offer “real solutions.”

A United Nations human rights expert urged Malaysia to ban child marriage immediately, weighing in on a controversy that has raged since reports of a 44-year-old Malaysian man marrying an 11-year-old Thai girl came out in July. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has promised to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 since his ascension to the presidency in May. However, he has faced quite a bit of backlash from Islamic courts and officials, as they have technical jurisdiction over marriages between Muslim individuals – and are currently able to approve marriages between those younger than 16, the current marriageable age in Malaysia.

 

Palestine

On Monday, the order for Israel to complete a demolition in an occupied Palestinian neighborhood in the West Bank came into effect. Of the people living in the Khan-Al-Ahmar region, some 180 of them are being forcibly evicted and transferred. The Palestinians and Bedouins in the area were given a warning, but are choosing to stay and confront the Israeli troops who will eventually come and knock down the infrastructure. Some from the international community strongly oppose this, including countries like the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain given this demolition will further threaten the continuation of a two-state solution. Further, the UN has called on Israel on numerous occasions to stop the plan, stating that it is a “breach of international law.”

 

Other News

Russia — This week, a top Russian diplomat warned that the United States is “on a dangerous path” by accusing Russian military intelligence of hacking Western institutions. (Radio Free Europe)

Hungary — Alongside Poland, Hungarian officials have taken the European Union to court over an EU directive that proposes tightening labor laws for workers sent abroad from less wealthy states. (Politico.eu)

Poland— A new movie involving the corruption of priests hit the theatres in Poland this week, causing outrage in conservative politicians within the country. (Reuters)

The Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that he is awaiting the results of tests for cancer, staying that he does not “know where [he is]” now physically. (Time)

Pakistan —  Weeks after the United States cut off $300 million in military aid, Pakistan is urging the country to restore relations and continue military aid. (Radio Free Europe)

Tibet — The U.S. Congress has passed a bill saying that it will deny U.S. entry to Chinese officials who prohibit American citizens from entering Tibet after lobbying from Tibetan-Americans and Tibet supporters. (Radio Free Asia)

China — Photos posted by a Canadian law student show a rapid expansion of a re-education camp in western Xinjiang, where 8 million Uighur Muslims are detained. (Business Insider)

Iran — This week, the United States has terminated the 1955 treaty with Iran. This came directly after the United Nations urged the Trump administration to calm sanctions against Iran. (Al Jazeera)

Yemen — This week, southern separatists, backed by the UAE, called for an uprising against the Yemeni government. While the separatist movement has demonstrated months of violent protest in the port city of Aden, they are continuing to uprise because of their suffering. (Al Jazeera)

 

Newly elected Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrates with a victory jump. (@abretis on Twitter)

Syria

This week, reports have come out about a British man named Anwar Miah, who has allegedly been living in Syria for the past four years. Miah is currently detained in a prison in Northern Syria and is being guarded by US special forces. Western Intelligence suspects that he is a member of Daesh. After questioning, Miah admitted that he is a doctor and has been working in general hospitals within Daesh territory and treating the public since his arrival four years ago.

On Monday, Russia made the decision to supply Syria with a modern S-300 system which is an advanced air defense missile. This measure from Putin came after last week’s accident, where the Israeli Army shot down a Russian plane. The Kremlin claim that giving the S-300 is “not directed at any third country,” but rather a safety effort. The US National Security Advisor considers this move as a major mistake and escalation.

Bolivia

On Sunday, President Morales traveled to the United States to take part in the 73rd annual UN General Assembly in New York. Morales and the foreign minister traveled together and stopped in Venezuela on the way. Morales will be involved in several bilateral meetings with countries along with multilateral organizations. At Morales’ meeting with the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro on Monday, Almagro only spoke highly of the President, claiming that Evo has “political stability and social stability.” Morales seemed to present a good image of himself.

There are a total of nine political parties which have obtained legal status to run in the 2019 general elections. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal has registered: MAS, MNR, FRI, PDC, UCS, UN, Democrats, FPV and PAN-BOL. There are eighteen other political parties which plan to run, but their legal status is still processing.

Evo Morales gave a speech before the international community this week at the UN assembly asking the United Nations for “recognition” of the ruling of the ICJ. He claimed that the dispute is centuries old and that the ruling from the ICJ helps to bring the two countries together after this ongoing dispute. Further, Morales implied that he hopes the controversy is resolved through “peaceful means.”

Nicaragua

On Sunday, there was another political march demanding the release of political prisoners. At the “We are the voice of political prisoners” march, at least 10 people were arrested. Further, one person was killed and five others were injured after Sandinista rioters disrupted the march with bullets. After hearing about the incident, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights showed great concern about the attack.

While the 73rd annual UN Assembly took place on Wednesday, September 26th, Ortega was not there. His name no longer appears on the list of advisors for the assembly. Ortega originally sought to appear at the meeting and speak to the international community, specifically Donald Trump, about the crisis in Nicaragua, but his wishes will not be granted. The US ambassador for the OAS mentioned that President Trump has nothing to talk about with Ortega, so long as he is violating human rights in Nicaragua.

The latest report from the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANPDH) concludes that 512 people have died between April 19th and September 23rd. Further, at least 4,062 people have been injured, and 1,428 people have been kidnapped by police. All of this is because of Ortega’s repression.

On Wednesday, the Bill of Human Rights, which merged Human Rights and the Anti Corruption law of Nicaragua with the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality, was approved by the Committee of Foreign Relations at the US Senate. The new law allows the punishment of officials who have been accused of human rights violations. Further, it incorporates a forceful veto of loans coming from the United States which Nicaragua could use in international financial organizations. Accordingly, the law is just one step away from becoming official.  

North Korea

At the United Nations on Monday, American President Trump expressed hopes that another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will occur in the near future. This statement comes after Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who delivered a personal message from Kim to Trump. Trump has often stated that he hopes the second summit between North Korea and Kim Jong-Un will take place on American soil – something that could create unprecedented logistical errors if it is to come to pass.

At the United Nations General Assembly this Wednesday, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said that he is open to meeting with Kim Jong Un, reportedly calling for a fresh start between the two nations. The DPRK and Japan have had incredibly rocky relations in the past, with the DPRK having abducted several Japanese nationals and, most recently, shot rockets over Hokkaido, the northernmost island. Despite this, Japan has also been known to donate aid to North Korea. Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the foreign minister of the DPRK and planned for Pompeo to visit North Korea in October with the aim of facilitating another summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Once again, China and Russia have moved to oppose the United States during a UN Security Council meeting, arguing that as a result of the positive developments with the DPRK over the past few months, sanctions on North Korea should be relaxed. Although the United Kingdom supported a more moderate stance, believing that no sanctions should be relaxed until more concrete proof of denuclearization and cooperation comes to pass. China is often considered instrumental in continuing the enforcement of sanctions against the DPRK, meaning that this stance has the potential to greatly impact sanctions – regardless of the US’s disapproval.

Myanmar

Over the weekend, Canada has unequivocally declared the crimes against Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar military to be a genocide. This declaration represents an important step, according to many human rights organizations worldwide. Myanmar continues to deny any widespread abuses, and the chief of Myanmar’s army went as far as to say that the United Nations has no right to interfere in the sovereignty of his country, including the enacting of any measures suggested in the 444-page long United Nations probe report.

On Monday, the United States followed Canada’s example and accused the Myanmar government of “well-planned and coordinated” atrocities, but stopped just short of describing the crackdown as either genocide or crimes against humanity. This report was simply posted on the State Department’s website and not well-publicized, unlike the United Nations report released earlier last month that accused Myanmar’s military of acting with “genocidal intent.” The United States also pledged on Monday to contribute an additional $185 million in humanitarian aid to both Myanmar and Bangladesh to help displaced Rohingya Muslims. Later this week, American lawmakers urged Pompeo and the American government to declare the events in Myanmar a genocide.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina claimed that Myanmar is delaying efforts to return Rohingya refugees across the border to Myanmar, suggesting that her patience with the situation is growing rather thin. Myanmar’s government refused to answer these accusations and has recently ceased answering media questions with the exception of those taking place at a biweekly press conference. The refugee crisis has become a particularly pressing issue for Bangladesh, especially as elections are coming up this December.

On Thursday, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to create a body to prepare evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar – including the genocide of Rohingya Muslims – for future prosecution. This was predicated by a joint resolution brought by the European Union and Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The only votes against the creation of this body came from China, the Philippines, and Burundi; there were 7 abstentions, and the rest of the 47-member council voted positively.

USA

As of Sunday, a second woman has come forward about her a sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. Accordingly, Kavanaugh exposed himself to a former classmate, Deborah Ramirez. Once again, Kavanaugh has denied this conviction and claims that the accusation is a “smear, plain and simple” during an interview. Republicans have agreed to delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation into the Supreme Court until the first allegation from Ford (first accuser of sexual assault) is concluded. This new case may extend the confirmation even further.

After Trump administered $200 billion worth of tariffs on China, which went into effect on Monday, China retaliated with imposing taxes on 5,207 US imports worth nearly $60 billion. Products like liquefied natural gases, coffee, and various edible oils will have a 10 percent levy. Further, we will see a 5 percent tax on frozen vegetables, cocoa powder, and chemical products. President Trump is determined to win the trade war and insists on further tariffs if China retaliates further.

At the United Nations General Assembly this week, President Trump gave a speech that reflected his ‘America first’ attitude. The president claimed that the United States’ economy is the best it ever has been and there are currently more jobs than ever before, all thanks to him. In the midst of his declamation, ambassadors and the international community at the summit reacted with laughter.

Cambodia

The case against Australian filmmaker James Ricketson for espionage in Cambodia has finally drawn to a conclusion after it has been agreed that Ricketson will be deported to Australia after being issued a royal pardon last Friday. Ricketson was previously sentenced to six years in a Cambodian prison, despite little evidence that his filmmaking in Cambodia involved actions that actually constituted espionage. Reportedly, Ricketson is going to seek to return to Cambodia in the near future.

Human Rights Watch called upon Cambodian authorities to rescind the convictions of five Cambodian human rights defenders, which it described as “politically motivated.” All five of the convicted individuals were nominated s finalists for the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights defenders and were convicted of “bribery of a witness” after a one-day trial in early September.  On Thursday, a United Nations official decried the human rights situation in Cambodia, claiming that the government has created a “climate of fear” in the run-up to the July elections with crackdowns on dissenters and the shuttering of various media outlets.

Mexico

Heavy rains from last week in the Sinaloa, Sonora, and Chihuahua areas have since moved into western Michoacán. Rivers and reservoirs within the area overflooded on Monday, causing vehicles to be swept away in the streets. Further, at least 20 homes have been completed flooded. The influx of water has caused five deaths and nine missing persons.

After suspicion that they are working with drug gangs, the Acapulco police force is under investigation. The entire police force has been detained and stripped of their firearms, bullet vests and radios. In the meantime, state police and the military will take control of the city. Reportedly, local police are ‘easy targets’ for drug cartels to infiltrate due to their low salary and lack of training. Further, there have been past reports of gangs offering police money to obey gang leaders.

This week, the president pledged to investigate a four-year-old case of 43 disappeared students. In 2014, a group of students was arrested by corrupt police officials and allegedly handed over to a local organized crime group. Since then, there have been a number of protests to bring awareness to the issue. The new president stated that his government does not fear the truth and will continue with investigations and further punish the people involved in the disappearances.

The Maldives

Over the weekend, the Maldives elections resulted in a surprise victory for the opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in elections with over 90% voter turnout, a result that has been lauded by the European Union and the United States, as well as many other foreign governments. Amnesty International stated on Tuesday that the new Maldives government must use this as an opportunity to differentiate itself from its “repressive past” and build a better future for the Maldives as a whole. Former president Abdulla Yameen, who presided over human rights abuses and widespread corruption, conceded defeat to Solih peacefully, hopefully signaling a positive trend for the future of the Maldives. It’s highly likely that the opposition victory of the Maldivian government was the result of country-wide outrage over mass allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.

Although the ruling party took pains to claim that the election suffered from “irregularities,” Maldives security forces pledged to uphold the results of the presidential election. Although Yameen conceded earlier this week, opposition politicians and organizations such as Transparency Maldives are concerned that the allegations of election “irregularities” mean that Yameen and his party plan to fight the results of the vote through Maldivian courts.

Zimbabwe

Despite recent pledges by financial officers in Zimbabwe’s new government to turn the economy around, a deepening economic crisis has been expedited by food shortages and Harare’s rapidly worsening cholera outbreak. The United Nations has said that more than a million people in Zimbabwe need food aid; prices are also rapidly increasing. Mthuli Ncube, the new finance minister, has been working to ameliorate the situation, but little improvement has yet to be seen. Although the rate of infection has gone down in recent days, the cholera outbreak’s death toll has risen to at least 45 people.

In an attempt to placate the angered opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on Tuesday that the constitution would be amended to recognize an “official opposition.” This move comes after MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who has continually claimed that he is the rightful leader of the Zimbabwe elections, lost his petition to challenge the election in the Constitutional Court.

During President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s first address to the United Nations as the president of Zimbabwe, he pledged to focus on improving Zimbabwe’s economy and focusing on Agenda 2030, through which Zimbabwe hopes to become a middle-income country by 2030. Mnangagwa reiterated his commitment to democracy, called for UN Security Council reform, and also condemned sanctions targeted against politicians in Zimbabwe – calling them “illegal.”

Laos

A statement from prominent environmental NGO Save the Mekong claimed that a significant portion of the impact assessment for the Pak Lay Dam, a controversial project, was plagiarized from the 2015 assessment for the Pak Beng dam. If this claim is true, it shows an alarming lack of government willingness to hold itself (and its projects) accountable for the potential impacts that they may have on civilian life.

Vietnam

An activist in southern Vietnam has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for posting anti-government messages on Facebook, yet another development in the recent trends of Vietnamese suppression of any kind of dissent. As of April this year, at least 97 activists were in jail under similar charges.

After the death of President Tran Dai Quang last week, Vietnam’s first female president has been appointed. The new President, Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, was previously the vice president under Quang. She will be acting president until the National Assembly chooses a permanent replacement, something that cannot occur until the one-month Parliament session opens on October 22nd.

The Vietnamese government jailed 15 people this Wednesday over their role in explosive protests this past June over a proposed investment law. The people involved were jailed for up to four and a half years for the crime of “causing public disorder.” These protests, over the proposed special economic zones that would give undue advantages to potential investor countries such as China, became violent in the southern Binh Thuan provinces, where demonstrators were accused of destroying government roads and attacking riot police.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Joseph Kabila stressed two important things to the international community. His first telling was related to the future elections to be held on December 23rd. He stated that the elections are “irreversible” and any interference from foreign governments will be denounced. While he did not specify any particular nation, Kabila made himself very clear that intrusive interference from outsiders is not welcome in the DRC’s domestic policies. Further, Kabila also called for an effective withdrawal of UN peacekeepers throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rebels from the Ugandan group, Allied Defense Forces (ADF) staged an attack in the city of Beni this past Sunday. At least 18 people have been killed, while 8 others have been injured. The people who died include mostly civilians along with a few government soldiers. Beni has been under siege by the ADF since 1995, and with the newest Ebola outbreak, foreign humanitarian aid workers are stationed in the area. Humanitarian workers in the area had to pause operations to fight the Ebola outbreak, but continued after two days of suspension because Ebola is spreading closer to the border of Uganda.

Colombia

On Sunday, President Duque called on the international community to help aid him in creating an emergency fund for the Venezuelan crisis. Since the start of the Venezuelan migration crisis, many people have fled into neighboring countries including Colombia. Duque announced that Colombia has received more than one million displaced Venezuelans in the past 18 months, but Colombia lacks the funds and resources to properly help them. Further, the president asked for a “temporary protection status” for neighboring countries who are overwhelmed by the influx of people entering their countries. At the UN General Assembly this week, the international community agreed to help Duque in his efforts to prevent a further humanitarian crisis.

On Monday, Duque called on the ELN to completely end all illegal activity, to which the ELN responded and rejected the president’s demands. The previous president spent years negotiating peace talks with the ELN, and they suggest that the agreements made with Santos are respected. Duque has continuously stated that the new government will not hold talks with the rebel group if they continue to use violence. Meanwhile, the ELN insists that Duque is violating past peace agreements. The international community fears that if negotiations between the two parties do not continue, there could be a reactivation of war and citizens in ELN territory will particularly be in grave danger.

Venezuela

On Tuesday, Trump imposed further sanctioning onto Venezuela. Several of Maduro’s top allies, including his wife, and six inner-circle members became the target. This included a block on a $20 million private jet which belongs to one of Maduro’s “top men.” Washington’s efforts are to stop Maduro as he continues to travel down the rabbit hole of economic inflation and nationwide corruption. In an interview after the sanctioning was put in place, Maduro stated, “Thank you, Donald Trump, for surrounding me with dignity.” While the US continues to sanction the Venezuelan president, they also intend to aid neighboring countries with $48 million in order to confront the growing humanitarian crisis which is destabilizing the area.

Not only are Venezuela’s top officials being sanctioned, but five South American countries along with Canada have asked the ICJ to place Venezuela under investigation. On Wednesday, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay submitted their request to investigate crimes against humanity that have taken place throughout Venezuela’s corrupt government since 2014.

In early August of this year, president Maduro was attacked by a drone. This week, the president claims that he has evidence that his neighbors Chile, Colombia, and Mexico were behind the attempted assassination. Maduro held up his evidence through a video of a man who publicly announced that he was involved with the attack and had help from the Chilean, Colombian and Mexican embassies. All three countries have strongly denied these accusations. Further, Maduro does not have evidence of the embassies’ alleged role in the event. Government critics believe that Maduro is using this baseless accusation as a way to distract from the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.

Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has returned to the United Nations for the first time since his last term of Prime Minister 15 years ago.  Mahathir will speak on Friday and is expected to continue an emphasis on ASEAN policy, as well as reviving past policies such as an emphasis on Africa.

Malaysia is currently in talks to become the first state in Asia to legalize medical marijuana, particularly as the spotlight has recently been on a man sentenced to death for possessing, processing, and distributing medical marijuana oil. The recent sentencing has brought many of the harsh drug laws in Malaysia into question, and even Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said that the verdict, as well as the law that led to it, should be reviewed. \

For the first time in history, the Malaysian opposition parties (including the formerly-in-power UMNO) have coalesced to form a “shadow cabinet,” a parallel group of opposition officials meant to provide critique and alternative solutions to that of the primary government. Past opposition members of parliament have scoffed at the idea, although many former members of the previous government under Najib Razak now hold positions in the shadow cabinet.

Cuba

The new president of Cuba made his way to the UN Assembly in New York this week. At the meeting, Miguel Díaz-Canel made no mention of the recent attacks on US Embassy members at the Havana office. Instead, President Díaz-Canel focused on arguments that Cuba’s previous presidents have spoken of; mostly denouncing the world’s superpowers, specifically the United States.

Other News:

Russia — The Pussy Riot activist, Pyotr Verzilov, publicly stated that he believes that he was poisoned by Russian secret services in retaliation for his role in investigating the deaths of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic. (Radio Free Europe)

Hungary — After yet another independent media channel was taken over by pro-Orban oligarchs, observers are growing increasingly concerned regarding the continuation of press freedom in Hungary. (Reuters)

Poland— One day after the EU moved to sue Warsaw, the United States praised Poland for its independence. (Radio Free Europe)

The Philippines — A Philippine opposition senator who is an outspoken critic of Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested on charges of rebellion. (Al Jazeera)

Pakistan —  After a well-respected journalist gave an interview showing a critical opinion of Pakistan’s powerful military, there is a warrant out for his arrest. (BBC)

Tibet: After launching protests this month against Chinese rule in Tibet, three Tibetan monks are being held in detention in China’s Sichuan province. (Radio Free Asia)

China: Amnesty International called on China this week to end its systematic repression of Uighur Muslims, many of whom have been detained in what China is calling “re-education camps,”  where prisoners are reportedly being forced to reject Islamic practices. (Al Jazeera)

Iran — Last Saturday, an attack on a military parade left 25 people dead. This week, thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of Ahvaz to mourn the victims of the attack. (Al Jazeera)

Palestine — After the United States cut humanitarian aid to the UN agency, more than 130,000 Palestinian children and refugees went on strike. (Al Jazeera)

Yemen — Since the outbreak of war in Yemen, the country seems to be hanging on its last thread due to continuous human rights abuses, malnutrition, Cholera, food insecurity, and an economic crisis. (Al Jazeera)

Presidents Moon and Kim hold hands on Mount Paektu, believed by North Koreans to be a sacred site. 

Syria

On Sunday, Syria held its first election since the war broke out in 2011. Because Sunday is a typical working day for the average Syrian, voting hours were extended for another five hours. Only people in government-controlled areas are able to vote, and further, refugees and displaced Syrians are not allowed to cast a vote. For example, a person originally from Aleppo who is now living in Damascus cannot vote as a citizen of Damascus, they must go back to Aleppo if they want to cast a vote. As if this is not challenging enough, some believe that voting will not change anything. A researcher from the London School of Economics conveyed that the Syrian government is using this election for further propaganda. This way it appears as though the country is on its way towards recovery when really the elected officials are typically appointed, not elected.

In an attempt to stop the bombardment of Israeli missile attacks in Syria, the Syrian regime unintentionally shot down a Russian aircraft. The aircraft carried 15 Russian servicemen, who all died in the attack. The Russian Ministry of Defense sees this act as irresponsible of Israel and claims the act was entirely their fault.

On Monday, Russian and Turkish Presidents, Putin and Erdogan reached an agreement to make Idlib a buffer zone. The two presidents will demilitarize the region by October 15th and plan to withdraw all heavy weaponry and “radical fighters.” The goal of the buffer zone is to prevent the impending humanitarian disaster. Further, both Turkey and Russia will carry out patrols in the demilitarized zone.

Bolivia

This week, activists who have been defending the 21F continue in their hunger strike. Their objective for the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to hold true to the law and disempower Evo Morales as a candidate for the 2019 elections. The protests are held in front of the electoral body in Abaroa square. The members of the organization are from Todos Unidos and the Civic Committee of Cochabamba. One person involved states, “I prefer to die of hunger than to live in a dictatorship, I ask you to join for the love of democracy.”

This week, the TSE denied legal status to SOL.bo. Although the political group was denied entry into the 2019 election, they stated that they will use any legal means necessary to gain access back into the election. The head of SOL.bo, Luis Revilla called on citizens to march with him in a protest.

On Thursday, José Alberto Gonzales was elected as the Ambassador of Bolivia to the OAS. In his first speech, he made no mention of the speech given earlier this week by Almagro, who is the head of the OAS and outrightly criticizes the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan regimes. Gonzales backs both of these regimes. In his speech, Gonzales proposed that there should be a working team to begin reconstruction of the OAS in order to best serve the people of the 34 member country coalition.

Nicaragua

On Sunday, protests across the nation continued to unfold. Thousands of people marched through the capital and demanded that President Ortega step down from office. During the labeled “Rescuing the Homeland” march, entire families entered the streets, waving their flags and shouting anti-Ortega slogans.

The United States is in the midst of coming up with a plan to sanction Nicaragua. The plan would bring together the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (Nica) and the Law for Human Rights and the Fight Against Corruption in Nicaragua. By combining these two laws, there will be calamitous effects on Ortega’s dictatorship for its ability to appropriate individual sanctions which include blocking capital and the revocation of visas. Further, there would be limited access to attention from multilateral financial organizations. A draft for this combined law will be announced in the following weeks.

A trip to Geneva, Switzerland was originally scheduled from September 14th but has been postponed until further notice. The Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANPDH) was supposed to meet with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to discuss the ongoing human rights violations taking place in Nicaragua. The trip was canceled due to lacking financial means.

Peaceful protesters from several cities across Nicaragua including,  Managua, Nagarote, Jalapa, Bluefields, Condega, Chichigalpa, Ocotal and Mozonte are using balloons as a form of protest. People are blowing up blue and white balloons, marking them with a variety of anti-Ortega phrases, and covering the streets with them.

North Korea

After the Pyongyang summit this Wednesday between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the DPRK’s Kim Jong Un, the two leaders have announced that they have signed an agreement. Reportedly, the discussions of the two lead to an agreement in which the North Korean leader agreed to shut down one of the North’s main missile testing and launch sites. Although some details are unclear at this point, the declaration definitely allows for independent inspectors to look at the site. According to Kim, the site will only be dismantled if the United States takes reciprocal measures that have yet to be unspecified. In addition, the two countries have announced that they are seeking to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

On the final day of the summit between Moon and Kim, the two rival leaders visited Mount Paektu, a site which is considered sacred by the North Korean regime. The two took a picture together with the volcano and its crater in the background. Moon and Kim have been making strides towards reducing military tensions on the border, such as establishing buffer zones around their borders to prevent potential clashes, withdraw 11 guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone by December, and establish a no-fly zone about the border between the two Koreas.

Myanmar

Over 80 American lawmakers have urged the current administration to step up efforts to gain the release of the two Reuters journalists who have been jailed in Myanmar over their reporting on the Rohingya crisis. The two journalists were sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for “possessing state secrets.” On Sunday, at least 100 demonstrators – including high school students – gathered in Myanmar’s largest city to demonstrate against the imprisonment of the reporters, holding signs with messages such as “revealing the truth is not a crime.”

On Tuesday, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced the beginning of its preliminary investigation into the expulsion of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar to Bangladesh. This announcement comes only a day after Monday’s accusation by United Nations investigators of committing atrocities against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities, which the UN investigators believe calls for top Myanmar generals to be charged with genocide. Also on Tuesday, the United  Nations Human Rights Council released a 400-page report detailing the findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.

In Myanmar’s Shan state, members of Myanmar’s United Wa State Army (UWSA), an ethnic armed group comprising the military wing of the ruling party of the self-declared Wa state (which has not been recognized by the government), has been targeting Christian clergy members and destroying churches in its self-proclaimed autonomous areas. The Myanmar government is attempting to come to an agreement with the UWSA and other armed groups to end seven decades of civil war.

USA

On Tuesday, the Trump administration decided to cap the already small number of refugees allowed into the United States. The new limit is at 30,000 people, which is a significant decrease from the previous 45,000 allowed into the country. The announcement came in a brief statement by Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. This is the lowest ceiling to come in decades.

Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee who has received tremendous backlash from Democrats in the past few weeks, has now been accused of sexual assault. Next Monday, September 24th, Kavanaugh and his accuser will appear before a Senate hearing to discuss the alleged assault. Although Kavanaugh has denied the sexual assault, if the hearing proves his guilt, his future as a member of the Supreme Court will be at stake.

The Trump Administration has ordered the justice department to bring transparency to Russia-related materials. In a statement, President Trump ordered the justice department to declassify and publicize materials from the supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election. Further, there is an order to publicize text messages between high-level officials in the FBI and the Justice Department. Thousands of pages of material have been handed over, although the department has made it clear that there is a line they are not willing to cross.

The US-China trade war continues as the Trump Administration imposed $200 billion more in Chinese goods. This is Trump’s biggest move yet, and retaliation is expected to unfold. Beginning September 24th, American importers will have to pay another 10 percent tariff for the affected items. This will eventually climb to 25 percent by the end of the year.

Cambodia

According to top Southeast Asia analysts, Cambodia will be unable to regain its standing in the international community unless it reverses its current policy agenda and allows for more opposition voices to be heard within Cambodia’s democratic institutions. The analysts also supported measures for Cambodia such as reducing governmental corruption but stressed the necessity of regaining electoral accountability for future elections. Specifically, scholars cited the Paris Peace Agreement, through which many parties signed on to hold Cambodia accountable in the case of democratic backslides.

Mexico

This week, local residents outside of the Guadalajara area began complaining of a foul stench in their neighborhood. After investigations, there appeared to be a refrigerated trailer containing near 150 corpses. Accordingly, the dead bodies were to be examined and investigated at a later date due to local laws in Mexico stating that a body may not be cremated until there is a full investigation on it. Because local mortuaries were full, a refrigerated trailer seemed to be the next liable option. The top forensic official was fired after the discovery for his lack of ability to be responsible for the bodies.

The Maldives

A recent investigation has uncovered new details about Maldivian government corruptions; this report was published on Tuesday and has discovered that at least 50 of the nation’s tropical island leases were obtained illegally – and at prices that were hugely discounted. It is believed that President Abdulla Yameen, who is hoping to be re-elected this coming Sunday, helped to clear at least 24 of these leases for tourism companies – and was involved personally in at least one of these deals.

According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, the Maldives health insurance scheme must be reviewed urgently.  The report on the health insurance scheme, called Aasandha, found that there was a high level of dependency on overseas medication and confirmation of medical test, despite some successes in increasing life expectancy, improving child and maternal health, and the control of communicable diseases. However, the rate of noncommunicable diseases has skyrocketed, accounting for approximately 80% of all deaths in the past year.

Zimbabwe

During the first state of the nation address of President  Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term since the elections, opposition politicians walked out, continuing to cite the claim that Mnangagwa was not legitimately elected. As a cholera outbreak continues to spread throughout Harare, President Mnangagwa has vowed to give financial assistance to the Harare City Council and advocated that the corporate world also pledge to fund to help cease the outbreak. So far, the outbreak has affected more than 3,000 people and killed 32 people over the past three weeks. A United Nations spokesperson in Zimbabwe said this Tuesday that a UN emergency response fund may be activated if the outbreak continues to spread to other parts of the country.

A week after being chosen as Zimbabwe’s new finance minister, Mthuli Ncube is working to stabilize Zimbabwe’s economy, hoping to be the driver of President Mnangagwa’s plan for Zimbabwe to become a middle-income country by 2030. According to Ncube, the plan to make Vision 2030 achievable will be revealed within the next couple of months. Zimbabwe is also hoping to make a bid to international financial institutions for additional engagement at the next IMF and World Bank meetings, which will take place in Bali, Indonesia.

According to Amnesty International, Zimbabwe authorities have to further support the Commission of Inquiry into the post-election killings in order for the families of victims to have “any hope of obtaining truth, justice, and reparations.” Amnesty International has also called upon the government to provide guarantees that witnesses testifying before the Commission are protected, especially as the political climate in Zimbabwe is known to be repressive.

Laos

Sports games that were previously scheduled to take place in northeastern Laos during November have been postponed due to concerns about corruption in the awarding of construction contracts in the lead up to the event. Laos, which ranked 135 out of 180 countries on corruption in Transparency International’s 2017 list, has faced many challenges with combating corruption in the past couple of years, with the most notable instance being that of similar corruption during the awarding of construction contracts for the 10th National Sports Games in 2014.

After the collapse of a dam built by a South Korean firm left 36 Lao citizens dead, 98 missing, and over 6,000 displaced the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has agreed to fund and attempt to develop an entirely energy self-sufficient town in central-eastern Laos. The consulting firm awarded the contract, Kumho E&G, has created a solar-powered microgrid for a village in Myanmar in the past.

Vietnam

This Tuesday, a court in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh sentenced Do Cong Duong, a land rights activist and citizen journalist, to 48 months in prison for the crime of “disturbing public order.” Duong is only the latest in a rash of rights activists to have been jailed for the regime, with Radio Free Asia counting at least 28 rights activists and bloggers who have been put on trial, convicted, and sentenced to long prison terms in the first months of 2018.

Additionally, a retired teacher who used Facebook as a venue to post writing critical of the Vietnamese government was sentenced to a 14-year prison term for “trying to overthrow the state.” Dao Quang Thuc, the teacher, called for better protections for Vietnam’s environment and against perceived Chinese encroachment into Vietnamese territories in the South China Sea. According to Thuc’s lawyer, all but two witnesses were not allowed to testify and there was “no presumption of innocence.”

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang died on Friday morning after a protracted period of illness. As Vietnam has no paramount leader and is instead ruled jointly by the president, leader of the Communist party, and Prime Minister. Tran Dai Quang was elected in 2016 and had had a reputation for being tough, no-nonsense, and preferring to stay out of the public eye.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

On Monday, politician Jean-Pierre Bemba was fined 300,000 euros and sentenced 1 year in prison. Bemba was on a trial before the International Criminal Court in the Hague. He was convicted of witness tampering and has been banned from running in the presidential election in December. Although he was sentenced to 1 year in prison, Bemba will not have to serve it given his previous time in prison.

After a riverboat capsized in the DRC, at least 27 people have been confirmed dead. The boat carried 60 people. There was a mix of students and merchants and the boat was overloaded with a variety of merchandise. The roof of the boat caved in, causing the boat to submerge.

Colombia

The ELN has made peace talks between the Colombian government and their organization worse after they kidnapped a 15-year-old girl hostage. While the kidnapping supposedly took place on September 7th, it was not confirmed until this past Saturday. The ELN believed that the girl in hostage is an “army informant.” President Duque sees the kidnapping as insulting to children in Colombia and that the act is cowardice. The UN reminded the guerrilla group that kidnapping breaks the international humanitarian law.

President Duque received backlash and criticism after appointing his close friend to the role of Superintendent of Industry and Commerce. Duque received over 80 applications for the position but decided to designate the seat to Andres Barreto. The president has previously experienced judgment for filling jobs out of friendship rather than merit, so this recent job placement has added fuel to the fire.

After the former president left the country’s commission (which monitors the peace process with FARC) without government representation, current president Duque has reactivated it. The tripartite commission previously consisted of the United Nations, FARC, and Representatives of the State, and now there will be new members including Interior Minister Nancy Patricia Gutierrez, Peace Commissioner Miguel Ceballos, and post-conflict advisor Emilio Jose Gutierrez. There are hopes to “renew momentum” to the peace process amid the ongoing violence taking place in former FARC territories.

According to a new UN statistic, Cocaine production in Colombia hit an all-time high in 2017. Accordingly, production rose 31%. The UN is concerned that this amount of production could harm peace processes.

Venezuela

In a recent press conference held in Cucuta, Colombia, the OAS Secretary General gave a speech where he denounced the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro for the recent migration crisis. The Secretary-General went as far as to say that he is not ruling out a military intervention, which is a statement that US president Donald Trump threatened just last year. Almagro spent three days in Cucuta which borders Venezuela. According to the UN, more than 2.3 million Venezuelans have left their country in the past few years, and many of them have traveled into Colombia.

After the OAS chief gave his speech claiming that military intervention is a possible option against Venezuelan dictator, President Maduro, the Lima group who established themselves in 2017 and work to apply international pressure on Venezuela, disagreed. Of the 14 governments part of the Lima group, 11 of them firmly disagreed with a military intervention. They believe that there are more peaceful means to an end of Maduro’s dictatorship.

After Maduro’s recent visit to China this past weekend to discuss oil exports, it was concluded that Venezuela will increase exports to 1 million barrels per day. China has agreed to invest another $5 billion into Venezuela. There are hopes from China’s end that this will help to boost production.

Malaysia

Fresh pressure has been put on Myanmar by the United Nations and international community regarding the scourge of child marriage this Wednesday after a 15-year-old Malaysian girl was allowed to be married to a 44-year-old man in July after being given the permission of the Islamic courts. This is only the most recent case of such incidents this year that has made headlines, with the last being the marriage of an 11-year-old Thai girl to a 41-year-old Malaysian man in June. The Malaysia representative of UNICEF urged the government to “bring legislative change to ban the practice,” although she also acknowledged that this is difficult, as Islamic courts have sole jurisdiction over marriage between Muslims.

In the latest update in the 1MDB scandal, former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with 25 additional corruption charges linked to the scandal. The new charges, which include four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, have come after Najib’s detainment by Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency this Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read out in court. This newest development brings the total number of charges against Najib to 32.

Cuba

In his first interview since taking presidency back in April, Miguel Diaz-Canel openly supports LGBTQ rights. He supports to change the constitution to include marriage between same-sex couples, stating that he’ll “defend there being no kind of discrimination.” Cuba is currently in the process of drafting a new constitution, and the president hopes that the people of Cuba will respect the change.

The Maldives

A recent investigation has uncovered new details about Maldivian government corruptions; this report was published on Tuesday and has discovered that at least 50 of the nation’s tropical island leases were obtained illegally – and at prices that were hugely discounted. It is believed that President Abdulla Yameen, who is hoping to be re-elected this coming Sunday, helped to clear at least 24 of these leases for tourism companies – and was involved personally in at least one of these deals.

According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, the Maldives health insurance scheme must be reviewed urgently.  The report on the health insurance scheme, called Aasandha, found that there was a high level of dependency on overseas medication and confirmation of medical test, despite some successes in increasing life expectancy, improving child and maternal health, and the control of communicable diseases. However, the rate of noncommunicable diseases has skyrocketed, accounting for approximately 80% of all deaths in the past year.

Other News:

Russia — A judge in Chechnya has ordered that Oyub Titiyev, a Chechen human rights activist, must have a closed-door court – something that Titiyev’s lawyer claims violates his rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (Radio Free Europe)

Hungary — A Hungarian court has upheld the terrorism conviction of a Syrian refugee who threw stones at Hungarian police, despite rights groups calling it an “abuse of terrorism laws.” (Al Jazeera)

Poland— After Polish President Andrzej Duda has made several requests for the US to have a permanent military base in Poland; reportedly, the US is finally considering the offer. (Radio Free Europe)

The Philippines — As many as 800,000 people have been negatively affected by Typhoon Mangkhut, with 74 dead and countless missing in the northeastern provinces of the country. (Asia Times

Thailand — With elections coming up next year, Thai officials have begun to relax rules against participation in political parties.  (Channel News Asia)

Pakistan — Only two months into his 10 year jail sentence, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was released from prison. (BBC)

Protesters call for political prisoners to be released. (Reuters)

Syria

On Friday, Russia and Iran declined coming to a truce about Idlib, even though there are international fears of a humanitarian disaster in the region. Further, the following Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government helicopters released 19 barrel bombs and Russian warplanes carried out 68 strikes. In just 2 strikes, four civilians were killed in Southern Idlib.  

This weekend, the Russian government accused the United States of dropping white phosphorus bombs on the Syrian region of Deir al-Zor. Further, the alleged air strikes hit a major refuge of ISIS. The United States has firmly denied these accusations, claiming that their military units in that area are not equipped with white phosphorus.

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, addressed Russia, Iran, and Turkey to avoid a full-scale battle for the sake of avoiding a potential humanitarian disaster. Guterres stated on Tuesday, “I understand that the present situation in Idlib is not sustainable and the presence of terrorist groups cannot be tolerated. But fighting terrorism does not absolve warring parties of their core obligations under international law,” making it very clear that there needs to be a different solution to targeting terrorist groups.

While Assad and the Russian Government claim to only be targeting rebel militant groups in their offenses, civilians are in fact at great risk in Idlib. Since the attacks in the region began last week, more than 30,000 civilians have fled the area with the only option of heading towards villages along the Turkish border.

Beginning Monday, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a militant group backed by the U.S launched an attack on the supposed ‘last pocket’ of ISIS fighters. US military suggests that ISIS has lost 98% of their land since their peak point of power. This last mission takes place in the Hajin area.

Bolivia

This week, opposition party leaders were informed that they may not form alliances after the internal primary elections in October 2019, only beforehand. There must be a request for alliance up to 75 days before the primaries. While this is a set back for opposition leaders, they may still have political agreements prior to the primaries which can be practiced after the elections in 2019.

This week, five candidates who were originally disqualified for running for the Attorney General position were reinstated. Those who may run again are: Juan Lanchipa, William Alave, Jorge Pérez Valenzuela, Silvano Arancibia Colque and Luciano Negrete.

As tensions continue to rise between Chile and Bolivia over their maritime dispute concerning sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, it has been confirmed that an official verdict will be given on October 1st at 9:00 AM (Bolivian time) from the ICJ. There are three potential outcomes: Chile is obligated to negotiate with Bolivia and grants them full sovereignty, Chile is not obligated to negotiate with Bolivia, or the two countries fail to negotiate and are then suggested to continue resolving their differences in a friendly manner.

Nicaragua

On Friday, opposition leaders carried out a 24-hour strike across the country. Business owners of restaurants, stores, and banks closed down after being called upon my opposition leaders in the Civic Alliance. The purpose of the strike was to demand that student activists be released after being charged with terrorism earlier last week. While most small shops and businesses were closed in the main city, the closeby city of Boaco only had 7% of their businesses open.

On Sunday, the families of activists led a march through the capital city of Managua. According to human rights groups, at least 135 people are still in prison after being wrongly convicted of terrorism and have been illegally arrested. During the march, the organizers had to quickly change their routes due to pro-government supporters gathered at their starting point. Clashes between pro-government civilians and oppositionists of Ortega’s government continue to unfold, leaving hundreds of people dead.

On Wednesday, a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake hit the western part of Nicaragua. While there is not any damage reported yet, major cities like Leon, Chinandega, and Managua felt the quake.

North Korea

This week, the DPRK celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding through a military parade this past Sunday, in addition to its infamous Mass Games – a rigorously choreographed spectacle that often brings patriotism to the forefront through its gymnastic and artistic displays.  In a break from the trends of past Mass Games and military parades, anti-Americanism and the DPRK’s nuclear capabilities were not showcased, with the parade instead focusing on the state’s goals with reference to economics, science, and inter-Korean relations.

Despite the lack of vitriolic rhetoric between the United States and DPRK currently, there is steady evidence that the DPRK is continuing to make nuclear weapons – something that has American policymakers concerned that the United States needs to take a more aggressive stance towards Pyongyang. Instead of de-escalating the North Korean nuclear program in the wake of the Singapore Summit with US president Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un has instead opted to focus government resources on better concealment of nuclear infrastructure. According to American intelligence assets, the DPRK could produce five to eight new nuclear weapons in 2018 alone, despite claims that Trump made stating that North Korea is “no longer…a threat.”

Although the United States has at least made efforts to continue undercutting the North Korean economy in order to put pressure on the Kim regime, China continues to steadily ease its restrictions on the DPRK, something that effectively cancels out measures put in place by other countries, as China is the DPRK’s closest ally and trading partner. Resultantly, gasoline prices have been steadily dropping, and the DPRK also appears to be defying UN sanctions from December 2017 that limited its fishing rights to specific waters. On Thursday morning, officials from the DPRK and South Korea met for working-level talks to discuss ways to ease military tension between the two Koreas. These talks are set to last the weekend.

Myanmar

The continued investigation into the role of Facebook posts into the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar has revealed that Facebook definitively had a “determining role” in creating anger against the Rohingya minority. The investigation, conducted by Reuters, Facebook, and other investigative bodies concluded that people who may be affiliated with the military would post content that is dehumanizing, comparing Rohingya to dogs and pigs and using racial slurs against Muslims. Facebook has admitted that it was “too slow to prevent misinformation and hate in Myanmar” and has pledged to keep an eye out in the future. This case is only one example of the way that technology can be misused to facilitate mass human rights violations.

On Tuesday, the United Nations human rights office called on Myanmar to end “a political campaign against independent journalism” after the latest in a series of cases through which the Myanmar government has routinely worked to suppress instances of independent journalism, most recently resulting in the jailing of two Reuters journalists last week for a period of seven years due to their reporting on the Rohingya genocide. In a 14 page report, the United Nations urged the Myanmar government to drop cases against reporters who were only carrying out their professional duties. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the government actions reported on made it clear that Myanmar’s future as a democratic state is in jeopardy.

In response to the above criticism, Myanmar government leader Aung San Suu Kyi stated that the jailing of the Reuters reporters had nothing to do with freedom of expression, claiming that the journalists can feel free to appeal their convictions, but that it has nothing to do with the greater human rights situation in the region.

USA

This week, a major hurricane has been brewing off of the coast of North Carolina. Hurricane Florence is supposed to have a full impact on early Friday, and officials are warning more than 1 million people to flee the region. According to CNN, the storm may last for days, unleashing life-threatening amounts of rainfall and winds. The effects of the hurricane will be felt as far away as Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky, given it is a category 4 storm.

On Monday, the Trump administration closed the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in D.C. While some U.S. officials see this as a move to force Palestine to come closer to peace negotiations with Israel, others see this step as causing extra tensions. Further, it may create greater distance in the relationship between Palestine and the U.S. A Palestinian official stated after the fact that, “We reiterate that the rights of the Palestinian people are not for sale, that we will not succumb to US threats and bullying…” which certainly echoes their distaste for the Trump administration’s move.

While there is not a set date or time, the United States invited China to further discuss trade talks this week. Before the Trump administration administers $200 billion worth of more tariffs on Chinese goods, they have decided that having proper communication will be in both parties best interest. There are hopes that this talk will conclude the ongoing dispute between the worlds two biggest economies.

Thursday, the Trump administration has done a large reversal on the well known, internationally condemned, family separation measure at the U.S-Mexico border. Accordingly, families separated from their children will, in fact, get a second chance at claiming asylum in the United States. Further, some parents who have already been deported may even get that second chance. The agreement must first be approved by federal judges. While this is a positive moment for separated families, it is only bringing circumstances back to what they would have been, had the government never separated parents and children in the first place.

Cambodia

After many critiques from foreign governments and international bodies alike, the Cambodian government has chosen to release former opposition leader Kem Sokha on bail this Monday. However, he will still be under investigation for treason – and may be convicted for up to thirty years in prison. Sokha is required to stay within a block radius of his home, cannot meet with foreigners or political leaders, and cannot host any rallies or political activities. Although it is clear that the release of Sokha in the first place was the result of international pressure, few international actors are satisfied with this development in the state of Cambodian democracy.

In order to create more administrative efficiency, the Cambodian government has announced that it will be creating two new provinces to better reflect geography and demographics of administrative management, something that the Minister of the Interior has claimed is vital to “local development.” The last time a new province was created in such a manner, it was in a province that was dominated by a then-opposition party, and some analysts believe instead that the move is to create more posts for officials who are loyal to the government.

On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch launched a new webpage called Political Prisoners Cambodia, which profiles 30 current and past political prisoners in Cambodia in an attempt to call attention to the unlawful detention of those who are considered dissidents to the ruling party. Although some political prisoners have been released at the time of the website’s creation, they are still facing other pending charges that may allow the government to imprison them for various amounts of time or pay exorbitant funds. Insulting government officials is illegal under Cambodia’s Criminal Code, and since 2017, the government has passed various new laws that have restricted the rights to freedom of expression and association.

Mexico

This week, authorities announced that they have found a mass grave site with more than 160 human skulls. This report comes after a report from last year when more than 250 human skulls were found in the city of Veracruz. This recent investigation will not release the whereabouts of the gravesite, but officials say that they also found more than 100 ID cards, meaning some of the victims will be identified.

A US $600 million construction project to install 100 wind turbines in Oaxaca has come to a halt this week. The 300-Megawatt project has been put on hold after local organizations called the federal government claiming that the wind farm is on the lands of indigenous people.

One year after the 8.2 magnitude earthquake which devastated Oaxaca, 50,000 people have yet to receive financial compensation which was originally promised to them. The mayor called on the federal government to supply more money so that families can rebuild their homes and finally receive the aid that they deserve.

As December is slowly approaching, meaning the swearing in of the newly elected president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, lawmakers from the new party presented a new bill concerning the salaries of government officials. The new bill will lower the salaries of politicians and public sector workers. The new plan would also cut remuneration by 28%. While the law will not take pesos directly from one’s base salary, it takes away medical and life insurance along with contributions to individuals savings funds. This means that all government officials will use the public social security system for all of their benefits rather than relying on private insurance benefits. After these measures, the legislation aims to produce 409 million pesos within the final 4 months of 2018.

The Maldives

With general elections coming up in a matter of weeks, the Maldives police have warned that people may be planning dangerous acts on election day to call attention to the fact that Maldivian elections are neither “free nor fair.” The police have specifically warned against arson and other, unspecified criminal activities. However, during past political events, it has been known that the police actually incited violence during protests – and the joint opposition claims that the police are simply attempting to create fear amongst voters as the general elections draw closer.

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has continued to make development a cornerstone of his campaign, despite the previously reported evidence that many of the infrastructure projects that he takes credit for cannot actually be accredited to the actions of his regime. Local governments have accused Yameen of “abusing state resources” for his own campaign and attempting to buy votes with promises of infrastructure improvements on specific islands. The executive director of Transparency Maldives, Mariyam Shiuna, stated that “the Maldives has a history of vote buying, but this time we have seen an alarming trend of these types of incentives being offered.”

The Maldives election body has also made it clear that any foreign journalists wishing to attend must apply for a visa prior to entry, which includes a lengthy background check and the necessity of a Maldivian sponsor. Despite critics calling out these “restrictive, the government denies blocking entry to foreign journalists. These measures were implemented in the wake of an Al Jazeera expose in 2016 which uncovered the widespread scandal.

Zimbabwe

This week, Zimbabwe’s opposition party (The Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC) will hold a mock inauguration for its leader Nelson Chamisa in an attempt to call attention to its claims of election fraud, which was rejected by the constitutional court last week. MDC spokesperson Nkuleleko Sibanda told the Agence France Press that Chamisa “will be recognized as the legitimate president of Zimbabwe,” and has been denied his proper victory by “cheating.”

Zimbabwean police claim that they are being left out of ongoing investigations into a bombing that took place at a majority-party rally last June, which left two people dead and several others injured. Although the police reportedly have no knowledge of who the culprit is, the president has claimed that the suspects behind the bombing incident are now known. The police spokesperson, Charity Charamba, has claimed herself that the police are being left in the dark.

Public assembly has been banned in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, as part of ongoing efforts to contain a cholera outbreak that has killed 21 people so far. The government has declared this outbreak a state of emergency in Harare, and health officials have identified more than 3,000 suspected cases of cholera, which is spread through contaminated water. Although it can kill within hours if left untreated, it is considered to be “easily treatable” by the World Health Organization. The last outbreak in Zimbabwe, nearly a decade ago, killed a total of 4,000 people.

Laos

The Laos government has decided to continue its strategy of becoming a major producer of hydropower despite the results of a deadly dam collapse last month which killed dozens and displaced innumerable Lao citizens. Although the government has claimed that the death toll from this most recent disaster was at 35, it is suspected by locals that the toll might be much higher. The government claims that all future projects will be subjected to an increased level of scrutiny. One of the Korean firms involved in the project has pledged to help with investigating the cause of the dam break and will be donating $10 million USD in relief aid.

Vietnam

On Monday, five policemen were charged with the death of a detainee in southern Vietnam last year. Human Rights Watch has stated that police brutality is systematic in Vietnam, with this case being one of many that have never come to trial – even members of the Vietnamese government have admitted that at least 226 suspects and inmates have died in government custody between October 2010 and September 2014. Five police officers were last convicted in 2014 of the murder of a criminal suspect and were given sentences ranging from one and a half to five years.

Though Hanoi is hosting the World Economic Forum this week, not all observers are welcome. Leaders from Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights were barred from entry for the meeting, with personnel from both groups being accused of threatening the national security of Vietnam. Although Vietnam is increasingly trying to boost its reputation among the international community, it has increasingly been placing restrictions on free speech over the past year.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

As of this week, the World Health Organization has confirmed 90 deaths and 130 other infections due to the most recent Ebola outbreak. For the first time in the DRC’s history, the outbreak has spread to active conflict zones, making it far more difficult for response teams to keep Ebola from spreading even further.

Colombia

NBC News came out with an article this week discussing the battles of deforestation in Colombia. Since 2016 when civil conflicts came to an end and FARC signed a peace deal with the Colombian government, their jungle bases were disarmed and demobilized. Since, 984,888 acres of forest have been lost, which is nearly 40 soccer fields worth of forest daily. Further, species which thrive in these regions are threatened of going extinct. While deforestation is growing at a rapid rate, scientists and researchers see a chance to restore the forests by 2020 in a plan to reforest just under 50 million acres of land.  

In a recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), forced displacement in Colombia has gone up by 112% in the first half of 2018. Violence between illegal groups and the military along with violence against civilians has severely diminished human movement. While the peace agreement between FARC and the Colombian government in 2016 promoted a sense of peace in the country, the upsurge of regional powers and armed illegal groups has unveiled Colombia’s weak state. Seemingly, the state has failed to take full control of previous FARC controlled territories, allowing others to take control and therefore limiting civilian mobilization and allowing violence to unfold.

On Saturday, a former FARC leader by the name of David, who formed his own dissident group named the United Pacific Guerillas (GUP), was killed. Before his death, David was wanted for a variety of crimes including homicide, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and forced displacement. He has control over a major port city and cocaine hub. While control over this region has been a struggle between former FARC groups and Colombia’s state, the port may be taken over by a separate dissident group ‘Guacho,’ which is a rival of GUP.

Venezuela

After violence unfolded in the Brazilian city of Boa Vista against fleeing Venezuelans, hundreds are returning back to Venezuela out of fear. Many migrants have been living without proper sanitation necessities or water in the city. After a fight between a migrant and a group of Brazilian men, the Venezuelan man was beaten to death by the group. Because of the recent outbreak of violence and hostility, migrants are afraid.

Reports this week have suggested that various officials within the Trump administration have met with rebellious members of the Venezuelan military. The discussions have been about a coup to remove the current president of Venezuela, Maduro. When interviewed by the Time, American officials stated that they never agreed to help overthrow Maduro, and the White House has yet to confirm or deny this report. When the Venezuelan government found out about the secret meetings, they labeled them “unacceptable” and “unjustifiable,” claiming that Venezuelan democracy is being threatened by U.S. interference.

While Venezuela is continuously struggling under a hyperinflationary economy, the country recently agreed to give over at least 7 oil fields to small, inexperienced companies. Maduro stated that the new plan is a joint service agreement with PDVSA and the small companies. While details about their agreement are currently unknown, the main point of the deal includes PDVSA putting these small companies in charge of oil fields for six years in order to promote oil production. For it to work, $430 million in investment is necessary. Further, five of the firms are in fact Venezuelan, but it appears that they have little experience operating oil fields. In Reuters report, they called this plan between PDVSA and the 7 companies ‘disguised privatization.’Between Thursday to Saturday of this week, President Maduro will make a visit to China upon invitation from their ally, President Xi Jinping. Maduro plans to exchange future plans about economic agreements and hopes that China will “disburse fresh loans.”

Malaysia

In the most recent development of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1MDB scandal, the lawyer representing Razak has been charged with money laundering and false income tax declaration in relation to the previous scandal. Allegedly, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah – the lawyer in question – received the equivalent of $2.3 million USD from Najib during the scandal. The government is more than halfway done with the investigation and is attempting to recoup at least half of the funds lost to Najib’s alleged corruption.

Cuba

Although there are not any official reports or ‘pointed fingers’ on the alleged sonic attacks of U.S. officials in the Embassy in Havana, Russia has become the most recent suspect. Investigators of the brain-damage-causing incidents have intercepted communication which apparently reveals Russian responsibility for the attacks. If this investigation is confirmed, the Trump administration would likely take actions against Cuba and Russia.

Other News:

Russia — An activist with the Russian group, Pussy Riot, has reportedly been poisoned. Staff at the Moscow hospital say that he is under intensive care. (BBC)

Hungary — European Union legislators have overwhelmingly voted to launch punitive action against the Hungarian government for ignoring democratic rules and growing authoritarianism, which has been particularly pronounced in regards to refugee policy. (Al Jazeera)

Poland — After European Parliament voted to sanction Hungary for neglecting Democracy norms, Poland stated that they will block any sanctions imposed by the EU. (Reuters)

The Philippines — 10 million people are reportedly in the path of “super typhoon” Mangkhut, set to make land in the Northeast of the Philippines on Saturday. (New York Times)

Thailand — The deadline for the first Thai elections to be held since the military takeover in 2014 has been set for May 2019 by the current government. (Al Jazeera)

Pakistan — This week, the new government of Pakistan removed one member of the countries EAC after a right-winged religious group forced the government to do so. The reason for his removal is because of his Ahmadi faith. (The Diplomat).

In Malaysia, two women cover their faces following their caning for the ‘crime’ of homosexual activity. (AFP)

Syria

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday that an airstrike near a US base killed 8 pro-regime fighters. The fighters include four Syrians, one Iranian National, and three other non-Syrian casualties. There is no confirmation on who led the attack.

Under a new decree established by the Assad Government, Syrian students must finish their degree in a time allotted by the government. This means that students must finish their bachelor’s degree within 3 years, and a student cannot stay in a university past the age of 25. Further, students who have put off their degree and who have not finished courses in the appointed amount of time must be deployed in the army. Because of the new decree, there have been protests from students who wish to retain the right to postpone their military service. By law, every Syrian male must serve in the army when he turns 18, but the service only lasted between 18 months and two years prior to the Syrian war. Once the war began, there was not an end date for service, and some men have been serving for 7 years.

On Tuesday, Israeli air strikes were carried out against Iranian forces in Syria. Over the past year and a half, the Israeli Defense Force has struck more than 200 targets with the end goal of finding Iranian weapons convoys in Syria.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Russian and Syrian warplanes struck a region right outside of the northwestern part of Idlib. The attack killed 13 civilians and no rebel fighters. This came just days before Iran, Russia, and Turkey were to hold talks about the potential humanitarian disaster to occur in Idlib if the Assad regime strikes the region. The Trump administration has strongly warned that if Assad carries out a chemical weapon attack on Idlib, Washington will interfere militarily. While there is evidence of the preparation of chemical weapons, the final outcome of the future attack lays in the fate of a meeting on Friday between Assad’s allies and the rebels’ ally.

Bolivia

This weekend, collectives in opposition of Morales 2016 re-election held an eight-hour debate in order to call for a power alternative in the upcoming elections. The debate concluded with the group calling for a nationwide march as to reject Morales in the 2019 general elections. On October 25th, they will march in unity. Further, there is a call to march on October 10th to reject the Law on Political Organizations. In mobilization, they seek to have respect for the Political Constitution of the State. This was all sparked due to the MAS persistence to nominate Evo Morales again in 2019. While Morales blames the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) for the change of elections, the TSE deny being in charge of the change from 2024 elections to 2019 elections.

In response to Evo Morales’s statement, alluding that the National Association of the Press (ANP) should justify their reasoning for rejecting the bill against lying, the ANP claims that freedom of expression, press, and opinion are human rights. They claim that their crucial and elementary rights to think and express would be restricted if the bill were to pass. In the coming weeks, the Hague will make a final decision on the maritime demands between Chile and Bolivia. This week, tensions rose between the two countries after Morales accused La Moneda of canceling a meeting with the Border Committee which was supposed to be held on the 5th and 6th of this month. La Moneda stated that he stopped the meeting because he did not see it as a productive use of time.

Nicaragua

As protests continue to unfold throughout Nicaragua, Ortega’s government claims that life has begun to normalize. While President Ortega and his Vice President are making a case of a normalized society again, interviews with locals from CNN tell a different story. Reportedly, many locals still feel fearful and avoid leaving their homes at night. Further, protesters are still being treated poorly by the police. In only four months, at least 322 people have been killed due to the violent protests. 21 of the deaths have been police officers, and 23 were teenagers or children.

This Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley seeks to impose sanctions on Nicaragua due to the recent crackdown on citizens and political opponents from Ortega’s government. Haley argued before the UN Security Council that the body should involve itself in the crisis before there is further economic, security, and humanitarian disaster. So far, the governments of Russia, Bolivia, and China have blocked the Trump administration’s move.

North Korea

This Tuesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and United States President Donald Trump confirmed their plans to discuss the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea during this month’s UN General Assembly meeting. As Moon and Trump have had vastly different reactions to the DPRK since the shift in both presidencies over 2016 and 2017, with Moon taking a more conciliatory stance and Trump taking an overwhelmingly more hostile one. It remains to be seen if the two leaders will be able to compromise strategically on their viewpoints towards North Korea.

South Korean and North Korean leadership have agreed to hold a summit on September 18th through 20th in Pyongyang, where both sides will discuss measures towards denuclearization in addition to other issues affecting the Korean peninsula. They will be reviewing the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration and discussing its practicality, as well as methods of ensuring “joint prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,” according to South Korean official Chung Eui-yong, who lead a day-trip to Pyongyang to hold discussions regarding the summit on Wednesday.

Myanmar

The wives of two Reuters journalists, previously sentenced to prison for their role in reporting on the Rohingya genocide, appealed on Wednesday for the release of their husbands.  The two men were sentenced this past Monday to seven years of hard labor for breaking the Official Secrets Act. The women appealed directly to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar head of state, a Nobel laureate who has been lauded for her role as a human rights figure in the past. The journalists’ lawyer has stated that they are planning an appeal within the next sixty days.

In a statement to Radio Free Asia, several armed groups along with government peace commission will be meeting in southwest China to discuss potential ends to the decades of civil war that have been plaguing Malaysia. Despite these attempts, there are still ongoing ethnic clashes in the Shan and Kachin states, which has led to delays in scheduling meetings for comprehensive peace talks.

USA

As midterm elections are coming up on November 6th, President Trump accused Attorney General Jeff Sessions, along with the justice department of jeopardizing the chances of two Republican representatives. The justice department accused one of inside trading and the other of campaign violations. These accusations are seen as damaging, given there is a wrestle for control over the House of Representatives between Democrats and Republicans.

This week, the Trump administration proposed a new law which would allow US authorities to keep immigrant children detained for longer than the current 20-day limit. This comes after Trump implemented a “zero-tolerance policy” when prosecuting anybody crossing the border into the United States. Since then, more than 2,900 children have been separated from their families. The new regulations would stop the Flores settlement, enacted in 1997 which limits the amount of time that minors can be detained.

Cambodia

This Wednesday, Cambodia held its first parliamentary session since its July’s virtually uncontested general elections last month. Thanks to the dissolution of the major opposition party, the major Cambodian People’s Party holds all of the 125 parliamentary seats that were up for election in July. Representatives of democratically elected states such as Australia, the European Union, and the United States refused to attend, something that the deputy president of the forcibly dissolved CNRP opposition party Mu Sochua referred to as “significant and alarming.”

The daughter of James Ricketson, an Australian filmmaker sentenced to six years in jail for espionage in a trial that was internationally decried for showing no actual evidence of his crimes, has created a petition to call upon the Australian government to advocate for his release. Roxanne Holmes, Ricketson’s adopted daughter, is reportedly concerned for her father’s health – he is almost 70 years old and is sharing a small cell with over a hundred other people. According to Holmes, the new foreign affairs minister of Australia Marise Payne has yet to make up her mind about the handling of the case. It is expected that Ricketson’s lawyer will be lodging an appeal over the next thirty days before his window is up.

Youk Chhang, the executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)  – the country’s only genocide research center – spoke with Time Magazine this week after receiving the Ramon Magsaysay award, known as Asia’s “Nobel Prize,” for his work “preserving the memory” of genocide last Friday. Chhang discussed the challenges of running DC-Cam his dreams of creating an affiliated institute to further education about genocide and his desire to seek justice, even in a country where discourse is often focused on reconciliation.

Mexico

On Tuesday, the former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, pressed Canada to join Mexico in the new NAFTA deal with the United States. In his statement, he spoke of the two countries working together in order to confront President Trump.

On the 50th anniversary of the massacre of students during a pro-democracy movement, students at Mexico’s largest university went on strike for a separate reason. On Wednesday, two students were seriously injured after marching to end violence on campus from groups of “thugs” who are often registered on campus but do not attend classes. Further, the Monday before the march, protesters from a university-affiliated high school who were campaigning for free speech were attacked.

The Maldives

On Monday, Cambodia’s main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party, released a report alleging that a company owned by a former Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) was conducting illegal fuel sales to the North Korean regime, which is currently under a series of US-led sanctions. In this dossier, the MDP also released a report that had been leaked by the MNDF, which connected the oil smuggling as high up as Maldivian President Yameen.

After the Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen claimed last month that every island making up the archipelago nation has a development project, a Maldives Independent investigation found that out of 107 island councils contacted, various projects were host to a variety of problems – including 20 projects that were discovered to be completely nonexistent. Other projects have had work stop on them entirely, and over half of the projects that did exist are currently experiencing massive delays. It was discovered that Yameen’s government is also taking responsibility for projects that were completed before he entered office, in many cases by the island’s local council.

Early on Wednesday morning, the MDP meeting hall was burnt down in a suspected arson attack barely a week after it was first built. A council member told a local media outlet that gasoline appears to have been thrown at the building from the outside, although these reports have been unconfirmed as of yet by the police investigation. This is only the latest in a series of vandalism of campaign halls and offices belonging to the opposition over the past few weeks.

Zimbabwe

This Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s new parliament was sworn in after the controversial July elections. The Zanu-PF ruling party won 145 out of 210 seats in the lower house national assembly, which is more than the two-thirds majority amount required to amend the constitution. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, took 63 seats, and just 2 seats went to independents. This comes as Zimbabwe is in the midst of a worsening economic crisis with rising unemployment and prices for basic goods.

Despite the fact that many fuel stations in Zimbabwe were found to be completely without fuel on Thursday, Zimbabwe’s reserve bank governor claimed that there is  “no fuel crisis” in Zimbabwe. The government increased fuel funds this last May to prevent another shortage, the latest of which has driven black market prices up exponentially. The increasing crisis appears to be another symptom of the current state of a faltering economy, spelling economic uncertainty for the beginning of the new presidential term. On Wednesday, it was also reported by groups such as the Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe that Zimbabwe is facing an impending grain crisis, with its stock having fallen to less than a month’s supply of the usual standard of three months’ worth of grain, which analysts fear may be a beginning sign of an incoming food crisis.

Laos

Despite flooding as a result of poor dam construction last month, many of the hydroelectric dam projects in Laos have continued, particularly as hydropower has become Laos’ major national industry. Unfortunately, the construction of the dams has left many fishing villages without a sustainable source of income, as the construction of various dam projects has been notably causing the fish stock to dwindle since 2016. Laotian NGOs, such as Mekong Watch, have also warned that the hydroelectric dams are negatively impacting the flora and fauna of Laos, citing examples such as the Irrawaddy dolphin, which is endangered.

Vietnam

Due to large demonstrations, the Vietnamese government’s plans to open one of three special economic zones have been stalled until 2019. Protests against the special economic zones (SEZs) have been widespread since early June, and over 1,000 people have been arrested in cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. The public is concerned that the SEZs represent growing Chinese influence in Vietnam; although the  SEZs do not deliberately favor Chinese investment, foreign direct investment from China has been quite widespread in recent years, and Chinese buyers have already begun to buy property and begin Chinatowns in several areas of Vietnam.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

This week, the government has a plan to end the ban on industrial logging concessions. The allowance of industrial logging would risk the safety of the world’s second largest rainforest which is the size of France.

Near the epicenter of the most recent outbreak of Ebola, two U.N. peacekeepers were wounded after being attacked in a rebel ambush. The U.N. faces challenges in containing the outbreak of Ebola, but since the disease has spread to rebel-held areas, they are finding it difficult to keep the situation under control. It is reported that 81 people have died from Ebola since July, and another 40 have been infected. 19 of these cases come from the area of Beni which is an active conflict zone and is also a border of Uganda.

Colombia

After two more social leaders were reported murdered this week, the death toll of Colombian activists and leaders has reached 158 people. The most recent victims were Oliver Herrera Camacho and Alirio Antonio Arenas Gómez, who were both presidents of their local action boards. Because murders against social leaders are continuing, the Patriotic Union Party has requested an emergency meeting with President Duque in order to confront the issue at hand.

After nearly one month of being held hostage by the National Liberation Army which follows a Marxist ideology, three soldiers have been released. The rebel group is supposedly keeping 6 other members of the security force, along with 10 civilians. Duque stated that in order to continue dialogue with the rebel group about suspending military activity in the region of Choco, as requested by ELN, they must release 19 hostages.

Venezuela

This week, President Maduro stated that he intends to increase oil prices by October. Even with the crisis in Venezuela, fuel prices are incredibly low at $1 for 400,000 gallons of fuel. This allows for an advantageous smuggling trade. Maduro says that in the meantime, he will implement a new payment system at state borders which uses state-backed identification cards when crossing into border states. This is intended to limit the smuggling. The increase in fuel prices will be the first time in 20 years that Venezuela will substantially hike prices.

ConocoPhillips, a U.S. oil producer is still waiting for Venezuela to pay the $2 billion settlement which was reached last month. CEO of Conoco, Ryan Lance suspects that Venezuela will follow through with the payment, given they have 2 further arbitration decisions with the country. This deal comes from Conoco’s deal last month to suspend legal attachments, which in turn cut Venezuela’s oil exports.

According to Business Insider, the new cryptocurrency, which President Maduro recently created has shown to be nearly worthless. The currency is supposedly backed by Venezuelan oil reserves in the Atapirire area, yet the region seems to be lacking any effort in developing said oil. There is also very little to show for a flourishing Petro trade. This evidence shows that Maduros plan to save Venezuela’s economy is failing.

Malaysia

On Monday, the two Malaysian women accused and convicted of “sexual relations between women” were caned at the Shariah High Court, despite widespread outcry from various international human rights groups – such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Within Malaysia, opinions were split – some groups claimed that under Shariah law, caning does not constitute a particularly severe punishment; the Malaysian Bar, on the other hand, claimed that caning is a “harsh and barbaric” practice. Charles Santiago, a governing-coalition lawmaker, called the punishment “outrageous,” and stated that Malaysians “need to stop targeting the LGBT community.” He would go on to call upon the Malaysian government to repeal all forms of institutional discrimination against LGBT people.

In a stark contrast to the actions of the previous regime, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has pushed back against Chinese influences and investment within Malaysia. Mahathir has been notably critical of the infrastructure projects of his predecessor, Najib Razak, who is currently awaiting trial for his involvement in the 1MDB scandal. Mahathir is reportedly considering Chinese infrastructure investments worth close to forty billion USD over the fear that these deals, conducted under Najib’s leadership, are also suspect. Mahathir is now seen as someone who is turning to the West and Japan for potential allies, something that is a stark turnabout from his first stint as Prime Minister from 1981-2003.

After a series of talks between Singapore and Malaysia, the plan to build a high-speed rail link has been delayed by two years after Prime Minister Mahathir threatened to scrap the railway completely earlier in May. It has been confirmed that Malaysia will not pay any compensation to Singapore, but instead that the two states have amicably agreed to postpone the project.

Cuba

There has been an ongoing investigation into the 26 Americans working at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. It has now been medically confirmed that each American has symptoms consistent with mild traumatic brain injury. Symptoms include cognitive difficulties such as memory loss or lack of concentration, headaches, tinnitus, and trouble sleeping. While there is not a definite answer in the cause of these symptoms, but researchers and scientists are arguing that it may be from microwave radiation. Because of the health risks, there has been a decrease in employment at the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

Other News:

Brazil — This Friday, the frontrunner for Brazil’s presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, was stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora. (BBC)

The Philippines — Families of eight of the victims of President Duterte’s war on drugs have filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing the government of crimes against humanity and murder. (Al Jazeera)

Thailand — Thai officials arrested 12 Facebook users for sharing information related to the alleged rape of a British tourist last June. (Human Rights Watch)

Pakistan — On Wednesday, U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo visited Pakistan with a goal to “reset” relations with the former ally. (Times of India)

India — This week, India’s supreme court decriminalized gay sex. The 160-year-old ban was finally lifted; a huge upturn for the LGBTQ community. (The Guardian)

Nicaraguan Refugees sleep in a San Jose church in Costa Rica. (Reuters)

Syria

This weekend, Iran and Syria signed a deal for Iran to continue military action within Syria in support of Assad’s government. Although the U.S government strongly advised Iran to withdraw last week, Iranian officials say that they do not have any future plans to disengage.

Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, it is estimated that just under 100,000 Syrians have been disappeared. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Assad’s Regime is responsible for just under 90 percent of those disappeared while the other 10 percent of people have gone missing due to rebel and Kurdish militants. This has left many families in distress as they are unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones. Although, starting this past April, families have been requesting records from register offices and rights groups in hopes of receiving news about their family.

Bolivia

Over the weekend, the applicant registrations for Attorney General closed. Among the applicants, there are a total of forty-seven men and six women including former government minister Jorge Perez Valenzuela, and ex-judge Cusi. Cusi was formally dismissed from his position as a judge at the Constitutional Court due to being guilty of crimes contrary to the constitution.

On Sunday, President Evo Morales gave a speech in Cochabamba where he suggested a plan to advocate for maritime disputes at the Hague sometime between October and December. Morales has issues with the violation of Bolivia’s sovereignty, given the ongoing dispute between Bolivia and Chile. The conflict stems from Chile’s lack of recognition that Bolivia has an outlet into the Pacific Ocean. In his speech, Morales recalled that more than one Constitution of Bolivia’s neighboring states recognizes their right to the Pacific Ocean. Rodríguez Veltzé, former Bolivian president and head of the maritime conference, hopes the decision will be heard by December in front of the International Court of Justice.

Nicaragua

Since anti-Ortega protests have erupted across the country beginning in mid-April and the government began cracking down on them, more than 23,000 people have fled the country, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. An estimated 200 Nicaraguans are trying to seek asylum daily in Costa Rica. Further, there is a camp nearly a mile outside of the Costa Rican town of La Cruz where up to 2,000 people are able to stay.

This week, the UN Human Rights office in Central America received a letter from Nicaragua’s foreign ministry asking the UN to conclude its support in Nicaragua. The expulsion of UN human rights aid came after they published a report with details on the abuses and repression towards protesters from the government and from president Ortega. The UN security council plans to discuss this situation further in early September.

North Korea

This morning, the DPRK chose to release a previously detained Japanese tourist, Tomoyuki Sugimoto, who had been detained for an unspecified crime earlier this month. The Japanese government has made it clear that this would be an issue moving forward, particularly as it brings to mind past situations in which Japanese citizens have been kidnapped by the DPRK government and have yet to resurface.

According to an expert in discussion with CNBC, the United States is in a weaker place in its negotiations with the DPRK than it had been prior to the historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore at the beginning of the summer. Resulting from the agreements set in place, joint military exercises between the American and South Korean governments have stopped, and states have begun to exude less pressure on the DPRK.

Despite high tensions continuing between the DPRK and United States, South Korea has continued to make conciliatory gestures towards its northern counterpart. Recently, the American government stated that it would condemn attempts by South Korea to send a joint train across the border to the DPRK as part of an exploratory mission, and explicitly forbade its ally from doing so.

Myanmar

United Nations officials stated last Monday that Myanmar military leaders must face investigation for the genocide against the Rohingya in the northern Rakhine state. The United Nations report released names six different officials who it claims should be prosecuted specifically, all of whom are senior military officials. The United Nations has called upon the International Criminal Court to refer to this case, claiming that the Myanmar government’s actions in no way could ever constitute military necessity, as has been claimed by government officials. This will make it considerably more difficult for the Myanmar government to ignore the international allegations of genocide, as it has been doing for the last year.

An investigation by Facebook has revealed a covert Myanmar military propaganda campaign hosted on the social media platform, aimed at spreading information that targeted the ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority. A Facebook representative confirmed that pro-military propaganda was spread alongside false and sometimes intentionally angering content regarding the Rohingya. Facebook is currently in the process of banning the accounts, which have been definitively linked to the government.

USA

On Monday, the U.S and Mexico reached a trade deal on NAFTA. While the deal does not include the Sunset clause, which president Trump was aiming for, the negotiations ended favorably for Trump with a breakthrough allowing a raise in North American content requirement from 62.5 percent to 75 percent. While the U.S and Mexico have come to an agreement, Canada has yet to reach a deal and will not sign a new NAFTA unless it is good for Canada and its middle class.

On Friday, The Trump Administration announced that it will end all funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Previously, the US has given about one-third of the annual budget, providing more than $350 million. UNRWA has allocated these fundings into a variety of resources which run schools and clinics for Palestinian refugees in occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza, and in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Cambodia

An outspoken opposition lawmaker was pardoned by royal decree over the last weekend, the first member of the now-dissolved opposition party to be freed nearly a month after premier Hun Sen won a virtually uncontested election. The opposition lawmaker, Um Sam An, is a dual Cambodian-American national, who had been charged with “inciting crime and racism” as a result of his political opinions. Despite his early release, fourteen politicians remain behind bars, and many more former opposition lawmakers have fled the country for fear of imprisonment.

This week, Cambodian officials met with the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss bilateral, multilateral, and key international issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Phnom Penh. Recently, India has been seeking to improve relations with Southeast Asian nations in an attempt to counter the rising regional influence of China.

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has been sentenced to six years in jail for espionage in Cambodia, despite the fact that the prosecution did not even identify the country for which he was allegedly spying. In a pre-election video, the Cambodian government claimed that Ricketson was part of a vast international conspiracy, backed by Americans, to overthrow the government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Human Rights Watch has condemned the sentencing, and Ricketson’s lawyer has stated that he will be appealing the decision.

Mexico

Mexico’s Congress has opened up their first session under the new president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez. The new Congress plans to make some changes, including tackling new policies against corruption and creating policies towards energy reform. The new Congress is different than its predecessors given its left-wing majority and an equal number of men and women. This is the first time in Mexico’s history where there is the same number of men and women in Congress.

This week, Mexico and the U.S came to a conclusion on their NAFTA deal. While the U.S and Canada continue to discuss bilateral agreements, Mexico will wait to participate in any necessary trilateral deals.

The Maldives

After floats seeming to depict the 9/11 attacks in New York City in a tongue-in-cheek manner were displayed during Eid festivities, an event organizer claimed that the display was predominantly “educational.” This is another concerning event given the trend of radicalization in the Maldives, which has been on an upward trend in recent years and caused concern among members of the international community. One US-based security and risk management firm claims that there are at least 200-250 radicals from the Maldives are known to be fighting in Syria and Iraq at this time.

The opposition presidential candidate in the upcoming elections has raised concerns regarding corruption and embezzlement in relation to infrastructure championed by the current government regime. Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that the government is refusing to look at the “dark” side of the projects, specifically as it appears that firms are bidding far more than the actual market value of the construction itself – and the proposals were in many cases given to the most expensive bids on the construction contracts.

Zimbabwe

This Monday, Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as the President of Zimbabwe, claiming that he hoped to act as a servant to the citizens of the state. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has been protesting the results of the election, claiming with his supporters that the results had been doctored. After the Constitutional Court threw out Chamisa’s challenge, however, protests calmed, with many Zimbabwean citizens fearing a return of violence and instead hoping to move on with their lives.

Despite having been sworn in without much incident, Mnangagwa is facing his first challenge as president as he is under pressure to select a new cabinet. Party officials are reportedly trying to gain the president’s favor in hopes of being appointed, and others are attempting to pressure the president to take on people who provide skills that the new regime desperately needs. One of the election promises made by Mnangagwa was to ax underperforming ministers, something that he has yet to follow through on.   

Laos

In the Luang Prabang province of Laos, flooding has killed at least 6 people after heavy rainfall over the past weekend. Other northern provinces have been faced with torrential rains, and many worry that residents of these provinces will soon be running out of food and potable water if the situation is to continue. Sources claim that many primary and secondary schools across the country have also been flooded, and will be unable to open for the start of the school year.

Vietnam

Amid a crackdown on political prisoners and free speech, Human Rights Watch has called upon the Australian government to press Vietnamese officials to cease the systematic abuses of the public as the 15th Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue approached. Over the past few months, Vietnamese officials have arrested and sentenced dissidents, religious activists, and protesters over perceived opposition to the government.

Despite the fact that freedom of assembly is completely legal in Vietnam, little dissent is tolerated; Vietnam has begun to prepare for the upcoming National Day by sending police and military forces to the capital, in an effort to prevent big gatherings and protests during the holiday next week. Vietnam also demanded this week that Monsanto pay compensation to victims of Agent Orange, which was used by the United States military during the Vietnam War.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

This weekend, former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba was banned from entering the presidential election. Bemba submitted his application in early August. Prior, he had spent 11 years in exile after being guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the early 2000’s. Now, Bemba has been formally banned for upcoming elections due to his conviction of bribing witnesses at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. According to Congolese law, people declared guilty of corruption are not able to run for office.

On Tuesday, a former Congolese militant leader was put on trial in the Hague. Named “the Terminator”, Bosco Ntaganda faced 18 charges of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and conscripting child soldiers, all during his time with the Union of Congolese Patriots  (UPC) in 2002-2003. Given the amount of case material, there is not yet a date set for Ntagandas final verdict.

Colombia

On Sunday, August 26th, an electoral vote campaigning for anti-corruption within the Colombian government came up just shy of one-third of all voters. In order for the seven proposals for referendums to pass, the vote cast nationwide needed 12.1 million votes, but only 11.7 million ballots were in favor of the change. Changes would include more transparency within the government and penalties committed by white-collar criminals. While the votes were not enough, it came incredibly close. This showed to be a positive step forward, showing a clear and popular message that citizens want to see laws promoting anti-corruption. In response, president Duque urged lawmakers to move forward with reforms.

This week, Colombian President Duque has followed up with a decision made by Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay in April to temporarily suspend their involvement in the pan-South American UNASUR bloc. In 2008, the 12 member group was created in order to promote political and economic union, but since Venezuela is a member of the bloc, Duque is attempting to use this diplomatic approach by exiting in order to isolate the Venezuela regime. The ballooning influx of Venezuelans in Colombia is stretching social services and creating fears of unrest. Duque states that “if the dictatorship does not end, the migration will not stop.”

Venezuela

The UN reports that the Venezuelan migration crisis is beginning to look similar to the Mediterranean crisis situation seen in 2015. Due to its neighboring countries creating stricter border regulations in an effort to stop the fleeing migration, there are fears that this situation could become further catastrophic. More than 2 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014, with thousands trying to cross borders every single day.

Malaysia

On Monday, Malaysia made the decision to disallow foreigners from buying residential units in the costly Forest City infrastructure project, which was revived after the shock victory of Mahathir Mohamad in presidential elections this past May. Under the previous corrupt regime, the building had been hugely attractive to Chinese investors; however, it has been made clear that this infrastructure project is now for Malaysians themselves.

On Wednesday, a former spy chief was taken into custody over the alleged theft of funds that had meant to be used for May’s general elections. The man in question, Hashanah Abdul Hamid, was an ally of the former president who is now under suspicion for corruption. He is under investigation for misuse of power.

Cuba

This weekend, Cuban artists held a protest against a new law that allows censorship. As seen in Decree 349 in the Official Gazette, the Culture Ministry tries to regulate art that is not sponsored by the government. This bars independent artists from displaying their work in private and public areas and stops them from being paid for their work. Further, the Decree allows artists to be fined for displaying their art if they do not have government permission. The law will come into effect in December, although the Culture Ministry has not given an explanation for their new sanction. The artists who protested this weekend were arrested, meanwhile others are signing online petitions and creating open letters in order to advocate against Decree 349.

Other News:

Poland — Polish President Duda stated this week that the countries Supreme Court needs a new president, even though her term is not yet over. President Duda is searching for someone to replace 65-year-old Gersdorf. (FoxNews)

The Philippines — Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte came under fire once again for his offensive statements about sexual assault this Thursday, stating that “As long as there are many beautiful women, there will be more rape cases.” (Independent)

Thailand — Human Rights Watch called upon Thai authorities to release recently arrested refugees and asylum speakers, many of whom have officially recognized UN refugee status. (Human Rights Watch)

Pakistan — This weekend, the US ended $300 million worth of funding towards Pakistan. Washington claims that Pakistan has failed to hold militant groups accountable for their actions. (The Guardian)

Bangladesh — On Tuesday, the leader of the UN along with diplomats from major Western countries called for action against generals in Myanmar for genocide charges. (New York Times)

Venezuelans walking along the Pan-American Highway in hopes of reaching Peru, fleeing the crisis at home. (Luis Robayo / AFP / Getty) 

Syria

This week, the northwestern region of Syria called Idlib is fearfully awaiting an offensive from Assad’s government. While Assad has won back most of Syria from previous rebel-held areas, the town of Idlib accordingly holds the “last pockets of resistance.” While the region is rebel-held, there are also upwards of 3 million people living there, most of whom reside there after fleeing their hometowns throughout the Syrian civil war. Last Friday night, a small town outside of Idlib was attacked by warplanes, killing forty people under thirty minutes time. The head of the UN task force for Syria is fearful of further attacks from Assad, labeling the future humanitarian crisis a possible “bloodbath.”

This past weekend, the US announced a plan to cut funding worth $230 million, originally intended to support humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Syria. While Washington intends to allocate those resources elsewhere, they are going to continue their fight against ISIS until ISIS is defeated in Syria. While the US is cutting financing, they are still Syria’s largest humanitarian aid supplier.  

This week, the UK decided to stop its funding to the Syrian opposition. The plan to end financial support to the free Syrian police force will take effect this September. The UK government claims that their Access to Justice and Community Service (Ajacs) operation had been too difficult to deliver due to the upcoming and forceful attacks from Bashar Al-Assad. While Britain has backed the Syrian opposition since the start of conflicts in 2012, this step to cut funding suggests that Britain has accepted defeat against the duality of the Assad government and Russian airstrikes. The Ajacs program has come to an end, but Britain still continues to deliver humanitarian support.

Bolivia

On Monday, the residents of Sica Sica and Luribay formed a blockade at the La Paz-Oruro highway. They demanded road construction and asphalting for the Luribay-Salla highway. The community members accused the Department Legislative Assembly because they did not approve an agreement allowing the construction of the highway. During the protest, about 200 police officers were deployed to gas and repress the human blockade. The group dispersed and regrouped later in the afternoon. A protester admitted that they will regroup and block the highway until it has proper construction financing.

This week, President Morales proposed a law against authorities and the media. The proposed law would forbid lying. Independent journalists, the National Association of Journalists of Bolivia and the National Association of the Press all dismiss the measure. They claim that it could be used to limit freedoms of speech and freedoms of the press, given there are already rules and regulations for the work produced by journalists and the press. Further regulations could lead to unnecessary censorships within the media given that regulations of lying is a subjective matter.

Nicaragua

In recent news, Nicaragua’s tourism industry has substantially decreased due to civil unrest and protest against their government. According to The Nicaraguan National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), nearly a third of all restaurants have closed down. Tourist operators admit that in order for trust to be regained with visitors and locals, there needs to be more harmony within the city.  

North Korea

On Monday, a select group of families that were separated by the Korean War were able to meet in the DPRK at the Mount Kumgang tourist resort. These families were chosen by a lottery in South Korea; the oldest recipient of this honor is a 101-year-old woman. This is only the latest in a series of familial reunions that have been held over the past couple of decades as tensions between the DPRK and RoK continue to lower.

The United States Department of the Treasury on Tuesday approved sanctions on individuals and entities alike over their violation of previous sanctions placed on the DPRK. These individuals and vessels were accused of violating UN Security Council sanctions on the transfer of refined petroleum products. On Wednesday, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the DPRK has made no positive steps towards nuclear disarmament, something that IAEA claims is “a cause for grave concern.”

Myanmar

Over the weekend, the United States imposed sanctions on four military and police officers, as well as two army units, for alleged crimes against Rohingya Muslims and widespread human rights violations. These allegations include ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, and extrajudicial killings, among other things. To date, this is the harshest action that the US has taken against Myanmar authorities; however, it still does not target the top echelons of those responsible, something that has been criticized by many.

On Monday, it was reported that a judge in Myanmar will issue a verdict next week in the case of two Reuters journalists, Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone. The two journalists were accused of breaking the secrecy laws of Myanmar by their role in reporting on the Rohingya crisis, although they claim to have been framed by the police. If they are convicted, they face up to 14 years in prison.

At a speech in Singapore this Wednesday, leader Aung San Suu Kyi has defended the actions of her government in the Rakhine state which led to the Rohingya crisis in the first place. Despite the United Nations’ description of the military campaign as “textbook ethnic cleansing,” Aung San Suu Kyi repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the situation and even refuses to refer to the Rohingya by name. She says that there is no timeline for the potential return, instead placing the onus on the government of Bangladesh.

Residents of towns and villages in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state, where the majority of the Rohingya crisis has taken place, have stated that they will leave the area if Rohingya refugees are returned to their villages. The two centers created to handle repatriation in the northern Rakhine state have not handled and repatriations from Bangladesh, as claimed, but have been processing Rohingya who have not yet left the area but have been arrested on accusations of being “illegal” immigrants.

USA

This past Tuesday, Trump’s previous campaign chief, Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and the failure to reveal foreign bank accounts. During the trial, Manafort’s previous colleague, Rick Gates testified against him. Gates claimed that he helped Manafort file false tax returns and report overseas earnings as loans. While Manafort is guilty of multiple charges, none of the charges involve the alleged Russian interference on Trump’s campaign in 2016.

On Tuesday, President Trump’s ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty on eight counts of federal crime. he admitted to both tax and bank fraud, along with the $130,000 pay-off of Trump’s former mistress. In court, Cohen admitted that he had been told by a “candidate for federal office” to break the laws of the federal election. Cohen now holds up to 65 years in prison, although he agreed to a compromise of only three to five years total.

This week, Microsoft admitted to finding an online hacking group who are associated with the Russian government. The group is called APT28, and according to Microsoft, they created six counterfeit websites which resembled five politically affiliated sites and one non-politically affiliated site. It is believed that APT28 was using a “spear-phishing” email tactic which does not directly attack a computer but can carry malware which automatically downloads onto users computers unexpectedly. The malware can then eventually hack onto and gain control of a computer and steal: documents, emails, and contact lists. A court order last week gave Microsoft permission to close down the sites. Microsoft did not directly blame Russian intelligence, but they explicitly named their affiliated group, APT28 in an interview.

Since Thursday, the US-China trade war continues as the US tariffs $16 billion worth on Chinese imports. China reciprocated with their own tariffs on American imports, worth the same amount. The main products that will be hit include chemicals, semiconductors, plastics, motorbikes and electric scooters. The levies that China imposed will affect fuel, steel products, medical equipment and autos. If trade wars advance further, many prices on products will increase.

Cambodia

On Monday, character witnesses presented personal stories in favor of an Australian documentarian who is accused of spying for a foreign government during his time in Cambodia from 1995 to 2017. There is no way of knowing how long the trial will last; James Ricketson, the alleged spy, has been behind bars in Cambodia for just over a year. The trial is set to continue on Thursday and Friday at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

This week, prominent land rights activist Tep Vanny was pardoned and two journalists previously in the employ of US-backed publication Radio Free Asia were released on bail ten months after they were detained on espionage charges. Additionally, three activists who were already on bail have been pardoned by the government. Though this appears to be a reversal from the crackdown on activists and state-unaffiliated news in Cambodia of the past year, it is uncertain whether the Cambodian People’s Party will continue along this trend – or is simply trying to help its reputation internationally since its devolution into a one-party state last month.

This Wednesday, the Cambodian Supreme Court denied bail to former opposition leader Kem Sokha, who has been held in solitary confinement without trial for nearly a year. This decision came despite appeals from both Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Journalists were barred from attending the hearing. Kem Sokha’s family is concerned, particularly as he is being held with no care for his health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. His daughter said on Tuesday that his health has been deteriorating.

Mexico

This week, the U.S and Mexico hope to come to a final resolution about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The disputes come from President Trump’s ongoing criticism of NAFTA’s allowance to hollow out U.S manufacturing, benefiting Mexico. Trump’s main goal is to gain back jobs in the automotive industry and reduce the U.S trade deficit. Meanwhile, both Mexico and Canada are hesitant towards Trump’s proposed “sunset” clause which could hurt their long-term investments. Canada continues to wait for Mexico and the U.S to come to a conclusion before rejoining negotiations.

The Maldives

This past weekend, the election body of the Maldives denied allegations of voter registration fraud after citizens who did not apply for registration found themselves registered in places as far away as the United Kingdom. The organization Transparency Maldives believes that the widespread complaints of voters’ expired identification cards being renewed without the knowledge of the people owning the cards can lead to widespread disenfranchisement in the Maldives.  

European lawmakers, including the Members of European Parliament, threatened on Wednesday to impose economic and various other sanctions if the upcoming elections on September 23rd do not prove to be free and fair. After a visit from several representatives of European Parliament with the opposition government, the officials expressed the concern that they had discovered both attacks on democratic principles and evidence of close ties to Islamist groups.

Zimbabwe

War veterans in Zimbabwe have resolved to march on Harare’s international airport, named after former leader Robert Mugabe, who was forced out of office last November after a nearly forty years long reign. These veterans claim that Mugabe has joined the list of traitors of Zimbabwean ideals and development, and represent a group of veterans supporting recently-elected president Emmerson Mnangagwa of the former president’s Zanu-PF party.

The opposition MDC party’s allegations of tampering have come to Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court with the goal of determining whether there has been any tampering with the outcome of last month’s elections. However, one of the major questions among observers is whether the court would be able to rule against the government, should the evidence point in the direction of fraud.

Laos

After last month’s dam collapse in southeastern Laos, 6,000 people are still relying on relief supplies according to the New Zealand Red Cross, one of the only outside organizations that has been allowed inside by the secretive Lao government. These people, living in temporary evacuation camps, in many cases have no idea as to whether their homes are still standing or alive.

The Lao government has proceeded to give the equivalent of $200 USD to the families of individuals who died in last month’s flooding. According to an anonymous retired government official (who refused to be named for fear of retribution), this funding is nowhere near enough to ameliorate the situations for the families that have lost loved ones. They further stated that they believe that companies involved in the construction of the dam should be held accountable, in addition to the government. However, the companies have yet to offer any kind of aid.

Vietnam

Vietnam is making an effort to get a handle on inflation that runs a risk of impacting its relatively high economic growth. The price of important commodities, such as crude oil, is contributing highly to inflation. Additionally, foreign direct investment has fallen, something that is potentially dangerous for one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

Vietnam began a trial of 12 people on Tuesday, including two American citizens, on charges of subversion and attempting to overthrow the government by recruiting for a US-based exile group called the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam. According to the Vietnamese government, this group is a terrorist organization. Among the alleged activities of the group is the distribution of anti-state leaflets, the planned takeover of state radio stations, and participation in anti-government protests. The Vietnamese government has previously convicted members of this group of a failed airport bombing in January.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

The most recent death toll caused by the Ebola outbreak is estimated at 59 people. while the death toll continues to rise weekly, the Congo has approved four more experimental Ebola treatments in an effort to contain the virus. The four drugs include Remdesivir, ZMapp, Favipiravir and Regn3450-3471-3479. Remdesivir was given out on Tuesday to one patient, who is accordingly doing well.

Colombia

Due to the large influx of Venezuelan migrants entering Colombia’s borders (nearly 5 thousand per day),  US Defense Secretary James Mattis has decided to send over a US Navy hospital ship to Colombia. Colombia’s President Duque asked the US for medical aid in order to alleviate the significant stress put on Colombia’s healthcare system.

Further, at the beginning of next week, officials from Colombia will host a meeting with Ecuador and Peru to discuss next steps concerning Venezuela’s migrant crisis.

On Monday, President Duque made the call to begin using drones in order to eliminate cocaine crops. The drones will be used to pinpoint coca plants from a birds-eye view and deploy plant-killing chemicals. Duques intent is to abolish Coca plants and better enforce the laws against Cocaine in Colombia.

Venezuela

On Monday, President Maduro created a bank holiday to introduce the new currency. The sovereign bolivar was introduced to the public on Tuesday, but many people were restricted to 10 sovereign bolivar via cash machines in the capital. Out of opposition, Anti-Maduro groups held a strike. This included 60 percent of private sector people. Reportedly, this was only the beginning of a series of general strikes against the new currency. Maduro plans to add other measures in his best effort to avoid a complete economic collapse. Starting Sep. 1st, the minimum wage will be increased by 34 times and even further, the new Bolivar will be associated with new cryptocurrency. The “petro” is supposedly linked the country’s oil reserves.

Due to the economic collapse and the introduction to the sovereign bolivar, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are fleeing the country. People are crossing the borders by foot into neighboring countries including Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Although, they are quickly tightening restrictions, only allowing Venezuelans with proper passports and documentation to cross.

On Tuesday, Venezuela’s northeast coast was struck by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. This has been the largest earthquake to strike the region since 1900, and thus forced residents to evacuate their homes. It also interrupted a pro-government rally that was in support of the economic reforms. There are no reports of fatalities or extreme destruction.

Malaysia

Human Rights Watch condemned Malaysian authorities for convicting two-women of same-sex relations, which in Malaysia is a crime punishable by a fine of approximately $800 USD and a public caning. The two women have been sentenced to six strokes of a cane each on August 28th, something that HRW has appealed to the government in hopes of stopping. HRW’s committee on LGBT+ people, as well as the United Nations Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, have condemned these actions and appealed to Malaysia to reconsider these discriminatory laws.

Malaysian authorities are searching for radioactive device that went missing earlier this month. The device was being carried on the back of a truck to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, and went missing somewhere between the outskirts of the city and the intended location. However, Deputy Home Minister Azis Jamman insists that “everything is under control.”

Following through on promises to reevaluate several Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad confirmed the cancellation of two major infrastructure projects. Mohamad has claimed that continuing with these cancellations has been a purely financial decision, and that it will not impact the two countries – as he reiterated that Malaysia will be unable to pay back the loans required to complete the projects.

Cuba

In an effort to change Cuba’s constitution from a once Soviet-style economy, the government has voted in favor of privatized land. Before the constitution change, the government-owned 80 percent of farmland and leased it to farmers. While the change would allow citizens to own their own farm and grow their own crops, some locals are fearful that those rights alone will not be enough to produce an agriculture boost. Given, reform does not provide the necessary fuel or soil needed to cultivate land. The end goal of the reform is to both cut dependency on foreign food imports, and to create growth.

Poland

This week, Ukrainian human rights activist Lyudmyla Kozlovska was banned from all 26 countries in Europe’s Schengen area. The Polish government used its power through the EU to ban her, claiming that she is a threat and that she is secretly working for the Russian interests. Kozlovska denies these allegations, stating that she believes the Polish government is punishing her for being openly opposed to Poland’s conservative and nationalist government which came into power from the 2015 election. Kozlovska and her Polish husband Bartosz Kramek must either live separately or be forced to live outside of the Schengen area. This act on Poland’s behalf raises ethical questions from other governments, given the misuse of their system.

Other News:

The Philippines — After a tropical storm hit the northernmost islands of the country, more than 50,000 people have been forced from their homes. (Al Jazeera)

Thailand — After more than four years of military rule, Thailand may have a general election on February 24th, according to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha. (Bloomberg)

Pakistan — After a phone call between new Prime Minister Imran Khan and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the American State Department claimed that Pompeo discussed the eradication of terrorism within Pakistan; something that the Pakistani government has denied. (Channel News Asia)

Bangladesh – Due to an increase in media focus on Bangladesh since the start of the Rohingya crisis and protests against corruption in traffic regulations, organizations such as Human Rights Watch have called attention to the recent restrictions on journalists. (Al Jazeera)

A Congolese health worker tends to patients prior to the launch of the vaccination campaign in the DRC this week. (Reuters)

Syria

This Monday, an explosion in the rebel-held town of Sarmada close to the Turkish border killed at least 36 people, including twelve children. According to the White Helmets rescue group, at least ten people were rescued from the rubble. The building was suspected to be storing weapons and ammunition, but also was home to many civilians that had fled the initial conflict of the war.

On Tuesday, the Russian military pledged its forces to help UN peacekeepers to restore patrols along the Syrian frontier with the Golan Heights, which are currently under Israeli occupation. This reflects a growing trend of Russian trying to exert influence in the region, as the Russians have fairly good relationships with both the Israelis and the Assad regime in Syria.

This week, details are beginning to emerge about the disappearance of Razan Zaitouneh, one of Syria’s most prominent human rights activists. Zaitouneh went missing at the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in December of 2013, after she was seen being abducted by unidentified gunmen at the Violation Documentation Center in Douma, a rebel-held town in the Eastern region. The most recent clue as to what happened to Zaitouneh was the appearance of graffiti in the recently reclaimed Tawbeh Prison, dated 2016 and signed by Zaitouneh.

As the conflict in Syria seems to be drawing to a close, Israeli leaders are looking to seek a truce in Gaza for the time being – particularly as the Israeli government is concerned about Iranian presence in Syria moving forward. Although Netanyahu would not comment about any potential strategic links, many analysts believe that a fear of Iranian influence in the region is leading to a more conciliatory approach to Gaza.

Bolivia

This Wednesday, former Bolivian presidents Carlos Mesa and Jorge Tuto Quiroga met with a representative from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) in Bolivia, warning him that if the results of the 21F referendum are not honored, tension will increase. Both presidents also challenged Evo Morales, current president of Bolivia, consult the commision – and respond to any “clear and transparent” legal conclusions that it may come to.

As a result of pushback from indigenous leaders, the government agreed to allow the Commission of the International Court of Nature Rights (TIDN) to the Isiboro Secure Indigenous Territory and National Park (TIPNIS) to ensure that that the indigenous land is not being misused or exploited by the government. However, leaders of the TIPNIS sub-centers have warned that they would not be allowing representatives to enter this Saturday, with no response from the government as to how it will be guaranteed on the ground.

Nicaragua

On Tuesday, the National Assembly of Nicaragua agreed to a drastic cut to the national budget in response to the anti-government unrest over the past few months, which has derailed the economy. What was adopted constituted a 9.2 percent reduction of the 2018 budget, meaning that spending will be $180 million less than it had been last year.

A representative of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy told the BBC that Nicaragua protests must remain peaceful as they evolve into what he has described as a “national revolt” by all kinds of people. On Wednesday, thousands of Nicaraguans marched through the capital, demanding those anti-government protesters that have been jailed since the beginning of the conflict be released. This demonstration was organized by the Civic Alliance, a group of unions, business groups, students, and various others.

North Korea

South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivered a speech this Monday, stating that his country hopes to make great strides in the relationship between South Korea and the DPRK at an upcoming summit in Pyongyang.  Moon claimed that building a greater trust between the two is key to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, and vowed to work towards this end – as well as facilitate peace between the DPRK and Washington. The next summit is planned to take place at the end of September.

A heat wave in North Korea has led to a widespread food shortage, something that is highly alarming given the amount of malnutrition that most North Koreans already face. Temperatures have soared to an average of 39 degrees Celsius across the country, with impacts that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies described as “potentially catastrophic.”  

Myanmar

On Tuesday, Myanmar political analysts expressed concerns regarding whether an agreement between the government and several United Nations bodies could be successful in safely repatriating Rohingya to the Rakhine state in Myanmar. Leaders of several human rights organizations, such as the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, have explicitly stated that they do not think that the current agreement will work to safely return the refugees, especially as Rohingya are still not considered citizens under Myanmar’s legal system.

Myanmar’s government also asked Bangladesh to suspend aid provided to 6,000 Rohingya people stranded on the border between the two countries. They are stuck in a ‘no man’s land,’ and are refusing to return to Myanmar for fear of their personal safety. They are continually uncertain as to whether Myanmar will actually provide any sort of assistance to them, and fear that they will have nothing to depend on if Bangladesh indeed decides to stop giving aid.

USA

After former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman decided to release secretly-taped conversations from inside the Trump campaign and Trump White House, many government officials are bracing themselves for the potential impact of future leaks. As she has been releasing these tapes slowly, there is no way to know for certain how much information she actually has on the inner workings of the Trump administration – and all scandals that accompany it.

An annual report to Congress has claimed that China is increasing its military capacity in order to be able to conduct strikes against US and allied targets in the Pacific Ocean. The document also warns that China may be preparing for a contingency under which it will attempt to unify Taiwan by force. China has also decided to grow its space program, despite the fact that it is viewed as a champion state against the militarization of space.

Cambodia

Making good on its promises to respond to last month’s elections, the United States government has decided to expand visa bans. In addition to lengthening visa restrictions already in place against an undisclosed number of Cambodian officials, the new visa restrictions will target those “both inside and outside the Cambodian government” who have contributed the most to the recent backslide in Cambodian democracy. This announcement came on the same day that the official results of the elections were announced, which showed the ruling Cambodian People’s Party winning all contested seats.

This Thursday, the trial of Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has begun in Cambodia. He was accused of spying and arrested on June 3rd, 2017 after he was photographed flying a drone about a rally for the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party. There is nothing to indicate exactly who he was accused of spying for. Ricketson has been in a Cambodian prison for over a year, having been denied bail.

Mexico

Despite the looming deadline for the Mexican government and the statements of American officials such as Robert Lighthizer, American President Donald Trump claimed that a breakthrough would not yet come in negotiations between the United States and Mexico regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement. The American Congress, itself, has already missed the window of a deadline for approving any revised deal in this section – seeing as the Congress that would vote on it will be one that has changed hands in the midterm elections.

However, the United States and Mexico have recently agreed on a joint plan to take down Mexico’s drug cartels, who estimates say can be blamed for approximately 150,000 murders since 2006. The details of this joint plan are unknown; all that has been announced is that it will financially target kingpins and their affiliates, similar to the plan that led to the capture of the Sinaloa cartel leader known as ‘El Chapo.’

The Maldives

This week, Human Rights Watch reported that governmental intimidation of the political opposition and media alike in the Maldives post a very real threat to the possibility of free and fair elections in September of 2018. The full report released by HRW, which comes to about 52 pages, details how the government of President Abdul Yameen Abdul Gayoom has used legislation and decrees to silence dissenters, arbitrarily arrest critics, and overall impinge on the rights of the citizens of the Maldives.

Zimbabwe

This week, the MDC Alliance filed a petition against the election of Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa as president, claiming that his party has evidence of “mammoth theft and fraud.” However, Zanu-PF declared on the 13th that it will be defending its electoral win. The judges of the constitutional court will have two weeks to rule on this case and determine if, indeed, any fraud has taken place.

Mnangagwa stated on Friday that he is unconcerned by the American decision to continue to sanction Zimbabwe, and stated that he would instead seek to continue “bringing development” to Zimbabwe. Amnesty International’s new leader also levied critiques against the Zanu-PF government and stated that his first act as leader of AI would be to write to Mnangagwa to ask after the whereabouts of Itai Dzamara, a high-profile activist who was abducted in 2015 by suspected state agents under former Zanu-PF President Robert Mugabe.  

Laos

Despite the order on the part of the government to halt new hydropower projects, developers have continued to do work on the various mega-dams on the Mekong River,  regardless of the dam breaches last month that killed 35 people and displaced thousands. According to developers working at one dam project in northwestern Laos, the government has not personally reached out to notify them. Certain developers are continuing building, citing a difference in the materials between the dam that was breached and their own projects. This is believed to be the result of an imbalance in power between the federal and regional governments in Laos, as regional governments ultimately have more sway over what goes on in their respective provinces.

Vietnam

Will Nguyen, an American citizen detained for 40 days in Vietnam as a result of his participation in protests against plans to establish special economic zones within the country, has returned to Houston, Texas after being deported for a conviction of “disturbing the public order.” It is believed that his deportation is partially the result of interference from American officials, including the U.S. embassy in Vietnam, which helped to ensure that he was treated well.

According to Amnesty International, Vietnamese authorities must investigate allegations that activists were beaten by police officers this Wednesday at a private gathering that celebrated pre-Communist era songs. This is yet another incident in a disturbing trend where police officers in Ho Chi Minh city have increasingly begun to use excessive force and ill-treatment against prisoners, with claims of torture coming to the forefront as well.

On Thursday, a court in northern Vietnam sentenced an activist to 20 years in prison, found guilty of attempting to overthrow the Communist government. In addition, prominent environmental activist Le Dinh Luong was also sentenced to 5 years’ house arrest for encouraging others to join a group for Vietnamese exiles in the United States, which the government brands as a terrorist organization.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for free access in responding to the DRC’s recent outbreak of Ebola, which has appeared in the more war-torn areas of the DRC. WHO has been working closely with the Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga, and helped to launch the Ebola vaccine for health workers in the hospital in Beni, close to where the outbreak began. The WHO delegation also visited the Emergency Operations Center in Beni, which was built by the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The most recent death toll given by the DRC’s government has been 41 people killed, something that has increased by a fifth in only a week. The chief of the WHO has called for all warring parties to cease hostilities, as the virus does not discriminate between groups and all will be in danger. This message, broadcast this Thursday, can hopefully incentivize armed groups to allow medical workers to intervene in at-risk populations, especially as a new vaccine has shown some promising effects in preventing the spread of Ebola.

Colombia

Representatives from FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, said that Colombian military officials are attempting to arrest three senior FARC leaders who may have violated the peace agreement with the Colombian government. If this is true, it suggests that some FARC members may continue to be involved in activities such as cocaine trafficking; if such accusations turn out to be true and an arrest is enacted, it is even possible that this may endanger the tenuous peace deal between the Colombian government and FARC, as others may decide to break the agreement in retaliation for the arrests.

Colombian officials are concerned about the rate of deforestation in Colombia, with a particular focus on the Tinigua Park, which is the only place in Colombia that connects the Orinoquia, the Andes, and the Amazon. Between February and April 2018, 3% of the ground cover in Tinigua Park was found to have been cleared for economic purposes. It is suspected that these forests are being cleared for the farming of illicit crops, migration, and pastureland for cattle – something that environmental entities are currently having trouble combatting.

Venezuela

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that he will end subsidized gas prices as previously planned to cease smuggling from Venezuela to Colombia and the Caribbean. This announcement will hopefully curb the $18 billion USD that Venezuela loses to fuel smuggling annually – something that is incredibly untenable for the Latin American state, as its economy has suffered tremendously in the past few months. Those Venezuelans who hold the “Fatherland-ID,” a government-issued identity card, will still qualify for direct subsidies for about two years.

Across South America, there has been a 900 percent increase in Venezuelan migrants from about 89,000 in 2015 to 900,000 in 2017. This mass exodus from the country is one of the largest mass-population movements in history, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ spokesman William Spindler. Globally, the number of Venezuelan migrants has risen from 700,000 to more than 1.6 million over the same period of time.

Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said this week that he would actively work towards canceling two multibillion-dollar projects in Malaysia, backed by China and his predecessor, Najib Razak.  Although some of the funding for these ventures has already been transferred to Chinese companies, Mahathir is not letting this stop him take a hard stance against the East Asian power. Mohamad also stated that China should respect the free movement of ships in the South China Sea and attacked Myanmar for its treatment of the Rohingya, both hard stances that are setting him apart from his predecessor.

On Thursday, Malaysia repealed its “fake news” law, which was introduced by previous prime minister Najib Razak; this law was widely criticized as a move to silence critics of Razak’s 1MDB scandal and characterized as an assault on free speech. Mahathir himself was previously investigated under this legislation after lodging complaints against Razak’s administration for attempting to sabotage his registration in the presidential campaign. The Committee to Protect Journalists has applauded this move as an overwhelmingly positive move and notes that it follows through on Mathahir’s campaign pledge to remove the law

Cuba

On Monday, Cuba began its public discussion to overhaul its constitution, a move that the government is calling participatory democracy – and a move that opposition thinkers are calling a fraud. This overhaul, proposed by the communist party, will be discussed in about 35,000 workplaces and community meetings across the island and will be scheduled to stretch into November – with the new draft being submitted by February.

On Wednesday, a leading Cuban dissident was freed from jail 12 days after his arrest for attempted murder. He was accused of deliberately trying to run over an official from the Cuban interior ministry. This dissident, Jose Daniel Ferrer, is still charged with attempted murder. His release was called for by Amnesty International and the United States State Department, among other organizations. Ferrer, who has previously been imprisoned in 2003, says that it is entirely possible that he won’t know his legal status for the next few years.

Other News:

The Philippines — Tensions in the South China Sea have led the United States to state explicitly that, were anything to happen on the main Filipino-occupied island in the area, would be a “good ally” and defend its ally’s territory.  (Reuters)

Poland  — Poland’s president stated this Thursday that he would veto a law that would benefit larger parties in European Parliament, claiming that this law would move the European Parliament “too far” from proportional representation. (Reuters)

Thailand — Thailand is going to ban imports of over 400 different types of scrap electronics within six months, hoping to mitigate fears that Thailand will be the next global dumping ground for electronic waste after China cracked down on high-tech trash earlier this year.  (Channel News Asia)

Pakistan — The United States military training program for Pakistani soldiers has been suspended amid rising tensions between the two allies, as confirmed by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Friday morning. (ABC)

Bangladesh – Crackdowns on student protesters have led to the arrest of nearly 100 people on Friday morning in Bangladesh for “violence and incitement in social media.” (The Straits Times)

 

Riot police in Harare use water cannons to disrupt opposition protesters on August 1st, 2018. (EPA)

 

Syria

This past Sunday, Iranian and French officials to review efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria, focusing on a political solution to the protracted war. On Monday, the Syrian government revealed the deaths of an estimated 13,000 deaths among activists who disappeared and were detained by the Syrian government early on during the civil war. Thus far, 400 death certificates have been issues, listing natural causes such as heart attacks or strokes. However, this is widely disputed by groups such as Amnesty International, which claims that those imprisoned in the Saydnaya facility were likely tortured to death by the Syrian regime.

Last Tuesday, pieces of footage were released depicting a Japanese journalist and Italian man respectively. It is believed that they have been held in Syria, one of whom was thought to have been abducted by the Al-Nusra front (a former Al-Qaeda affiliate) in 2015.

A report from Human Rights Watch released this Wednesday revealed that the movement of internally displaced persons as a result of fighting near major city centers has been greatly restricted. In addition, HRW revealed that authorities at the camps for displaced persons have been taking the documentation of residents without returning it, something that makes it impossible for individuals to so much as leave the camps.

Also on Wednesday, Russia implored the United States to back its efforts to repatriate Syrian refugees following the Trump-Putin summit, something that the United States had yet to comment on. Were the US to comment positively on this, it would put it at odds with major allies, as well as the United Nations.

 

Bolivia

Despite being labeled provocateurs by the government, various civic groups and movements have continued to plan protests and demonstrations throughout the week in order to draw attention to the government’s refusal to recognize the results of referendum 21F. This referendum, which would limit the number of terms a president is able to serve, passed with the majority of Bolivians voting in favor. The majority of these protests are planned for this week and the next, leading up to the celebration of Bolivia’s independence day on August 6th.

This past Tuesday, Bolivian officials have announced the creation of a database of missing persons, coinciding on July 20th with the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. Last year, 563 cases of trafficking and trafficking in persons were registered in Bolivia.

 

Nicaragua

As violence in Nicaragua continues, Nicaraguans have been fleeing south to states such as Costa Rica. Those on the run include journalists, activists, and doctors, many of whom fear reprisal from the government due to their activism. Although these individuals are continuing their advocacy work in Costa Rica, many of them are living in quite impoverished conditions.

On Monday, the United States chose to revoke visas of government officials in response to the recent crackdowns on protesters. This move has come with a strong statement from Washington that President Ortega and his wife, Vice President Murillo, are responsible for the current human rights situation in Nicaragua. This move comes on the heels of sanctions imposed against three top Nicaraguan officials last month for human rights abuses.

In Nicaragua’s second-largest city, Leon, doctors and medical personnel have been fired for treating protesters. These individuals, who staffed a public hospital, fear that this represents a larger government crackdown on anyone who associates themselves with the protesters.

 

North Korea

A Seoul human rights commission announced this past Monday that it would investigate the circumstances under which a dozen North Korean defectors came to South Korea.  The DPRK government has backed the statement of one of the workers that an agent from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service used coercive measures to force the North Koreans into South Korea.

Although United States President Donald Trump has thanked the DPRK for the return of American remains, many analysts are still skeptical about the potential for a detente between the United States and DPRK. The latest satellite photography has shown signs of continued work at the military factory in Sanumdong, which suggests that North Korea may be continuing work on its nuclear program. North Korea has also continued to produce nuclear fuel, and all production of missiles has remained at a consistent level with what it had been prior to the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un.

 

Myanmar

Last week’s flooding continues to impact citizens in states along the Thanlwin River as monsoon rains force dams and reservoirs to overflow. On Monday, it was revealed that the government gave warnings to citizens too late, in some cares 24 hours after the flooding had begun in the first place. 12 people have been killed since last Friday, and over 130,000 have been evacuated.

On Tuesday, Myanmar’s commission of inquiry drew criticism from both nationalist groups that deny that the human rights abuses have taken place, along with human rights watchers who claim that this panel might attempt to evade accountability for government actions taken against the Rohingya. Although the United Nations characterized government actions against the Rohingya in the Rakhine state of Myanmar as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” the government claims that it is in fact in response to acts of terror by Rohingya in the area.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi will be removed from a display at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This is a direct response to the concerns of Canadian Rohingya people. Already, there has been a plaque installed explaining the situation in Rakhine at the museum.

 

USA

This Sunday, United States President Donald Trump said that he would allow the government to shut down if Democrats continue to refuse to vote for the border wall, as well as various other immigration reforms. This could potentially backfire mere months before congressional elections this November, particularly if voters blame Republicans for the shut-down. Under Trump, there have been two previous government shutdowns – a three-day shutdown in January, and an hours-long shutdown in February.  Also on Sunday, the publisher of the New York Times asked Mr. Trump to discontinue his habit of calling reporters “enemies of the people”  for fear that it could potentially provoke violence against the media.

In northern California, a deadly wildfire is beginning to come under control – with firefighters claiming that it is now 20% contained as opposed to the 5% that it was previously. This fire, the Carr Fire, is one of eight fires currently burning in California, and one of ninety across the entire United States.

On Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the White House could not withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities, which are cities that limit their cooperation with the national government’s immigration law enforcement procedures, have openly opposed the Trump administration’s attempt to enforce stronger regulations against illegal immigrants.

The State Department also specifically called out Russia in a statement warning against foreign interference in American democracy, despite the White House’s apparent reluctance to do so.

 

Cambodia

Cambodia’s general elections on Sunday remain controversial as Cambodia continues to slide towards becoming a one-party state. Although many were threatened with the deprivation of local and federal government services if they neglected to vote, many Cambodian citizens still found ways to protest through their ballots. Such acts of resistance included blocking out the name of the leading party or drawing an X over the entire ballot. Such action has led to a total of nine percent of the overall vote being invalidated.

Despite global criticism from various international actors over the unfair elections, the Cambodian People’s Party announced on Tuesday that it would be forming a new government within two months. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the EU (who had previously withdrawn all support for these elections) have begun to reconsider their relationship with Cambodia. Most notably, the European Union is currently reviewing a previously preferential trade agreement for Cambodian exports, as well as the overall human rights situation in Cambodia.

 

Mexico

On Monday, new data released by the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography indicated that the number of homicides in Mexico was much higher than previously thought in 2017. In addition, this data shows a clear increase in Mexico’s homicide rate – a 27% difference from 2016’s homicide rate.

Mexico’s president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said on Tuesday that he expected that a deal would be agreed upon to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement in the coming days. Although the bilateral meeting held on Thursday has yet to yield any tangible results, American Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin indicated that an agreement would be coming “soon.” However, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he wants to wait until the November midterm elections are over to settle on renegotiation terms for the treaty.

On Tuesday, a plane flying out of Durango en route to Mexico City crashed, with miraculously no fatalities. Although the pilot and an eight-year-old girl are currently in critical condition, many passengers were completely unharmed; and out of those that were, most were released from the hospital by Wednesday morning.

In the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, part of a marble mine collapsed this Thursday – leaving one dead and four missing. Hildago’s local government has committed to continuing the search for the missing four, who were inside a vehicle on the mine’s roads at the time of the collapse.

 

The Maldives

On Sunday night, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen challenged the opposition candidate to answer to the alleged crimes of the previous Maldivian Democratic Party government, which was ousted in 2012. This accusation is meant to address the issues of the upcoming referendum this September, which will ask whether Maldivians have the right to determine the direction of the country, among other things.

It was discovered this Monday that the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives proposed an amendment to the Maldivan penal code that would remove bribery as a prosecutable offense. The PPM claimed that this resulted from the delay of an amendment meant to add an entire chapter on corruption to the penal code. However, it was discovered that the time of submission for the supposedly complementary bill was only submitted on Tuesday. Former deputy prosecutor general Hussain Shameem claims that “the government was obviously trying to decriminalize corruption.”

 

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s first general election since Robert Mugabe’s ousting took place this Monday, with a voter turnout of 75% country-wide. Although voting itself was a relatively peaceful process, protests and later violence erupted throughout Zimbabwean capital Harare after the reveal of the results of the presidential race were repeatedly delayed.  Police used water cannons and tear gas against MDC-affiliated protesters, who claimed that their candidate had won and the delay had only come to pass so that the total could be altered. Troops opened fire on protesters as well, with a total of six people killed in the chaos.

Zanu-PF, the incumbent party, took 144 seats in Parliament, with 64 seats going to the opposition MDC Alliance. One seat went to the National Patriotic Front. It was revealed on Thursday night that Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zanu-PF candidate, was declared the winner with 50.8% of the vote. However, on Friday morning, Nelson Chamisa’s MDC party said that they refused to accept the election results, and would launch a legal challenge.

 

Laos

After a dam collapse last week, Laos continues trying to find the more than 1,100 people that remain unaccounted for in southern Laos. The reason behind the dam’s collapse remains unclear; however, a current major point of controversy is the fact that citizens often did not receive warning of the incoming floods – or did, far too late. The collapsed dam in question, the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy dam project, was a joint venture between two South Korean companies, a Thai company, and the Lao government. Local Lao people are increasingly voicing anger and concern over the credibility of government safety standards, with many calling it a “man-made disaster,” and the government has only acknowledged this as recently as Thursday. Whether any reparations will be given to those affected remains to be seen.

 

Vietnam

On Monday, twenty protesters were put on trial and then sentenced for participating in the June 10 protests in Vietnam’s Bien Hoa city. All were convicted of “disrupting public order,” with sentencing varying from eight months to one and a half years in prison. Additionally, five needed at home to care for their children were placed under house arrest for similar amounts of time.

An American citizen of Vietnamese descent was confirmed detained by Vietnam’s government for alleged conspiracy, possibly after contacting some of his friends through social media. According to the U.S. Consulate General, he is under investigation for “activity against the People’s government.” Although there are no formal charges, Vietnamese officials have indicated that the investigation could take anywhere from three to five months. The family has appealed to the American government to intercede, with no federal response thus far.

 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Forty protesters were held overnight on Tuesday after they staged a silent march in Kinshasa, the country’s capital, against violence and sexual slavery in the conflict-torn central region of the country. Although they were unable to complete their official goal of turning in a letter to the president’s representative for fighting sexual violence to ask for more decisive action to this issue, they were released on Tuesday afternoon with no charges held against them.

After the overturning of his International Criminal Court Conviction in May, former Congolese vice president and rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba returned to the DRC on Wednesday. Accompanied by members of the political party that he initially founded as a rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, Bemba registered as a presidential candidate for the upcoming elections this December.

The health ministry of the DRC announced a new Ebola virus outbreak mere days after the previous one was declared over. Four Ebola cases were confirmed in the North Kivu province, and on Thursday, international experts set up a laboratory in a city close to where the outbreak occurred.

 

Colombia

The Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies  declared a red alert on Sunday in seven departments due to heavy rains. It is predicted that bodies of water will be rising, and already one minor has died after heavy rains caused a wall to collapse, with twenty more individuals injured.

On August 2nd, the activist group Colombia Free from Fracking along with legislators from the majority of parties presented a bill to ban fracking across the country and begin a 15-year transition to end the use of fossil fuels. Members of all parties, except the ruling Democratic Center party, supported the bill. If this bill were to be adopted, it would allow Colombia to follow in the footsteps of states including Germany, France, Ireland, and Uruguay.

On Thursday, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos granted 440,000 refugees from Venezuela two-year temporary residence permits. This move allows these Venezuelan refugees to study, work, and get medical care in Colombia. Santos, who leaves office next Tuesday, also condemned the crisis in Venezuela, and particularly Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his role in the crisis.

 

Venezuela

On Tuesday, much of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, was impacted heavily by power outages for several hours Tuesday morning, shutting down various businesses, as well as the metro system. According to Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez, the power troubles resulted from a downed power main in a remote area. Although Venezuela is in a widespread crisis, such power outages are considered relatively rare.

President Maduro stated that he would roll out a new gasoline policy to ease the economic crisis. Although this policy has no specific initiatives so far, Maduro will continue with his plan announced last week to conduct a nationwide census of vehicles, with the aim of limiting gasoline sales to potential smugglers. However, the Venezuelan currency continues to be in danger. On Thursday, the government announced that some transactions will be legalized in currency exchange houses, with the intent of stopping the freefall of Venezuela’s economy.

Malaysia

On Monday, a Malaysia-based human rights group revealed the crisis that faces those detained in Malaysian immigration detention centers. Tenaganita, the human rights group in question, cited stories of violent assault, bribery, and horrific living conditions. Additionally, immigration officials harassed and detained a transgender man who had an appointment in Kuala Lumpur with the United Nations office on refugees and detained him without reason for 36 hours. More than 100 foreigners in Malaysia’s immigration centers have died in the past two years – more than half of whom were Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.

Mike Pompeo, the American secretary of state, met with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad this Friday. The two discussed bilateral and regional issues, with American trade interests high on the agenda. This meeting comes towards the end of Pompeo’s two day stay in Malaysia, the first visit of an American official since Mahathir’s surprising political comeback last May.

 

Cuba

During the first 100 days of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, much of the changes have been purely stylistic to the Cuban presidency. Although he has been far more of an outgoing leader than his predecessors, Diaz-Canel has yet to identify his own policy agenda that differentiates himself from the Castros. In fact, his new cabinet retains 2/3rds of the ministers who served under Castro. Some analysts believe that Diaz-Canel will only be able to have a strong, independent policy direction once he succeeds Castro as chief of Cuba’s Communist Party, something which is expected to happen in 2021.

Other News:

The Philippines — The Philippine military stated on Thursday that it arrested a Muslim cleric who had knowledge about a bomb that killed 11 earlier this week.  – ChannelNews Asia

Poland  — The Polish Supreme Court has suspended parts of the law that had forced approximately two dozen members to retire early, attempting to slow a judicial overhaul by the ruling Law and Justice party. – Financial Times

Thailand — Thailand’s government appealed to the United Kingdom this week for the extradition of the country’s last democratically elected prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. – New York Times

Pakistan — This week, Justice Tahira Safdar was nominated as a chief justice of the Balochistan High Court; if she is confirmed, she will be the first Pakistani woman to ever hold this office. – Human Rights Watch