August 07, 2019



									Daily News Brief
									
								
									August 07, 2019
									
								
									Top of the Agenda
									
									
									Pakistan Vows Response Over Kashmir
									
									
									Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he will challenge India’s decision (Reuters) to revoke the special status of part of the disputed Kashmir region, including at the International Court of Justice and the UN Security Council. At the same time, Pakistan’s army chief of staff said the country will “go to any extent” (CNN) to fight the change.

									 
									Indian lawmakers approved the measure (AP), which will give the federal government control over the India-administered part of Kashmir—known as Jammu and Kashmir—and split it into two union territories. China, which claims part of the territory, denounced the move (Reuters) as “unacceptable” and said it undermines Chinese sovereignty. The United Nations, European Union, Turkey, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all urged restraint (Al Jazeera) in Kashmir as Indian troops enforced a security lockdown in the region.
									
									
									Analysis
									
									
									“Two recent developments probably pushed the [Indian] government to act now. The first was U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute. The second is a rapidly progressing Afghanistan peace process, facilitated to an extent by Islamabad, which could lead to an eventual political settlement that gives the Taliban a prominent role in government. Each of these developments strengthens Pakistan’s hand,” the Wilson Center’s Michael Kugelman writes for Foreign Policy.

									 
									“While India regards Kashmir’s status as a domestic matter, its move to put separate disputed parts of it claimed by Pakistan and China under New Delhi’s direct control has broader implications in a region where the two nuclear-armed countries have fought multiple wars against India, which also is nuclear armed,” Bill Spindle and Saeed Shah write for the Wall Street Journal.

									 
									CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker looks at the long-standing territorial dispute over Kashmir.
									
									
									Pacific Rim
									
									
									UN Reportedly Probing North Korean Cyberattacks
									
									
									The United Nations is investigating a series of cyberattacks (BBC) believed to have been carried out by North Korea that allowed the country to steal some $2 billion for its weapons program, according to a leaked Security Council report.

									 
									CFR’s Cyber Operations Tracker looks at state-sponsored attacks since 2005.

									 
									Philippines: Health officials have declared a dengue epidemic (AFP), saying the disease has killed more than 660 people this year. The government has rejected the use of a controversial vaccine to fight the epidemic.
									
									
									South and Central Asia
									
									
									Taliban Threatens to Attack Election Rallies
									
									
									The militant group has denounced a presidential election scheduled for September 28 as illegitimate and it threatened to carry out attacks (Reuters) at election rallies. The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing (Reuters) in Kabul early Wednesday that killed at least fourteen people and wounded 145 others, according to officials.
									
									
									Middle East and North Africa
									
									
									U.S. Defense Report Criticizes Syria Pullout
									
									
									The self-proclaimed Islamic State has established “resurgent cells” in Syria and sought to expand its control in Iraq, according to a new report by the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General. It said a partial withdrawal of U.S. forces has decreased support for partner forces in Syria at a time when they need assistance.

									 
									In Foreign Affairs, Brett McGurk writes that America can’t do more with less in Syria.

									 
									Yemen: Humanitarian groups have called for the reopening (AP) of Sanaa International Airport, saying the closure by the Saudi-led coalition has prevented thousands of people over the past three years from receiving urgent medical care.
									
									
									Sub-Saharan Africa
									
									
									UN: Malaria Epidemic Killing Thousands in Burundi
									
									
									The United Nations recorded 5.7 million cases of malaria (Al Jazeera) in Burundi this year, equivalent to around half of the country’s population. More than 1,800 people in the country have died from the disease this year. A draft response plan by the government emphasizes a lack of resources to address the outbreak.

									 
									Rwanda: The government is holding talks with the European Union and international humanitarian agencies on a plan to accept migrants (FT) currently detained in Libya.
									
									
									Europe
									
									
									Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in Russia Border Region
									
									
									Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone after four Ukrainian soldiers were killed (Reuters) in shelling by Russia-backed separatists in the Donbass border region. Zelensky said he called for the two countries to resume peace talks.

									 
									UK: Britain’s Food and Drink Federation, an industry group, warned that a no-deal Brexit could cause weeks or months of shortages of some foods (BBC). The group said it has asked the government to waive parts of its competition law to allow companies to coordinate in the case of no deal.

									 
									This CFR Backgrounder looks at the consequences of Britain’s exit from the European Union.
									
									
									Americas
									
									
									Thousands Protest Against Honduran President
									
									
									Demonstrators in the capital city of Tegucigalpa are calling for the ouster (Reuters) of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez after U.S. prosecutors accused Hernandez last week of accepting $1.5 million in drug trafficking profits to help his election campaign.
									
									
									United States
									
									
									Lawmakers Back ‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Laws
									
									
									Following the weekend’s two mass shootings, some Republican members of Congress have voiced increased support (NYT) for laws that would allow police to temporarily confiscate weapons from individuals deemed by a judge to be dangerous. At least a dozen states adopted so-called “red flag” laws (NYT) following the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

									 
									This CFR Backgrounder compares U.S. gun policy with that of other countries around the world.
									
									
									Global
									
									
									Report: Countries Face ‘Extremely High’ Water Stress
									
									
									Seventeen countries around the globe withdraw more than 80 percent of their water supply on average each year and could soon face shortages, according to new data from the Washington, DC–based World Resources Institute. More than 250 million people live in cities (NYT) under extremely high water stress, including Los Angeles, Mexico City, and New Delhi.
									
									
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