Editor’s Note: There will be no Daily News Brief on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. |
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China, Japan, and South Korea to Hold First Trilateral Summit Since 2019 |
The three countries will discuss (Bloomberg) economic ties and sustainable development at the two-day summit beginning Sunday in Seoul, a senior South Korean official told reporters. Tensions regarding trade restrictions and concerns over North Korea’s nuclear activities and ties to Russia are also expected to come up. The first such trilateral summit was held in 2008, but the meetings have been on pause (AP) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend.
The leaders are expected to issue a joint statement after they meet. Amid rising security tensions in Asia, Japan’s cabinet secretary said that the three countries at the summit share a responsibility for regional peace. The summit will follow (Reuters) Japan and South Korea’s imposition today of new sanctions against North Korean and Russian individuals and entities. The announcement cited North Korean arms assistance to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
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Macron Says He Will Not Force Through Voting Change That Sparked New Caledonia Riots |
On a visit yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that dialogue should occur (RFI) in the French overseas territory to reach a deal regarding voting rules. Riots over a proposal to expand voting rights to more non-Indigenous residents have killed at least seven people in recent days. |
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UN Flags Attacks on Rohingya in Myanmar Amid Conflict |
Around forty-five thousand Rohingya people have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State in recent days amid battles between Myanmar’s military and rebel forces, the UN human rights office said today. It received reports of attacks on Rohingya civilians by both the military and rebels and urged an end to violence and the protection of civilians. Azerbaijan/Armenia: Azerbaijani authorities took control (Reuters) of four villages on the border with Armenia as part of a deal between the two countries that followed Azerbaijan’s takeover last year of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In this CFR webinar, experts discuss conflict resolution in Armenia and Azerbaijan. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Ahead of Expected ICJ Ruling, Israel Says It Is Carrying Out Partial Operation in Rafah |
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to rule today (NYT) in response to South Africa’s petition to demand an immediate halt to Israel’s military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel’s military said yesterday that it was operating in Rafah’s Brazil and Shaboura areas.
Algeria: Algeria signed hydrocarbon development deals (Al-Monitor) with U.S. firms ExxonMobil and Baker Hughes yesterday. Western countries have increasingly looked to Algeria, one of the world’s ten biggest natural gas producers, as an alternative to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. |
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CFR’s Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins discuss Iran’s search for new presidential candidates, Israeli leadership reacting to the ICC’s arrest warrant requests, why South Africa’s general election will be one to watch, and more. |
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Kenya, U.S. Sign $3.6 Billion Highway Development Deal |
The road will connect (Bloomberg) Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, with the port city of Mombasa. The deal between Kenya’s highway authority and U.S. firm Everstrong Capital was announced yesterday as Kenyan President William Ruto visits the United States.
UK/Rwanda: Deportation flights from the United Kingdom (UK) to Rwanda will not begin (BBC) until after the UK general election in early July, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. The deportation flights are permitted by a new law that has been criticized by migrant rights groups. |
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Another Senior Russian Military Official Is Detained on Corruption Charges |
Authorities arrested (Politico) Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, the deputy to the army’s head of general staff, as part of a probe into alleged bribes, Russian state media reported yesterday. He is the fourth high-ranking military official to be detained in the past month.
Georgia/U.S.: The United States announced visa restrictions (RFE/RL) on some government officials yesterday in response to the passage of a bill that would force foreign registration requirements on groups that receive funding from abroad, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. A similar law in Russia has been used to restrict the activity of civil society groups. Blinken also said that Washington was conducting a comprehensive review of its bilateral relationship with Tbilisi.
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Kenyan Police Deployment to Haiti Delayed |
U.S. and Kenyan officials initially expected Kenyan police to arrive in Haiti by yesterday for the start of a multinational security mission, but their deployment has been delayed, two unnamed sources told Reuters. A Kenyan advance assessment team that arrived in Haiti earlier this week found an equipment shortage, the Miami Herald reported.
Mexico/Ecuador: The ICJ declined to issue orders (AP) in a complaint brought by Mexico following an Ecuadorian raid on Mexico’s embassy in Quito last month, saying that assurances made by Ecuador in recent weeks address Mexico’s concerns. |
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SEC Moves Toward Approving ETFs With Crypto Token Ether |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved (Bloomberg) proposals yesterday to list exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to ether, the second-biggest digital asset. Funds would still require a second approval from the SEC to launch the products. In January, similar ETFs linked to another cryptocurrency, bitcoin, began trading. This Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and CFR’s Noah Berman looks at cryptocurrency and the future of money. |
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Vox does a deep dive into India’s “secret war” against its critics abroad, documenting the country’s efforts to stifle dissent and religious freedom. |
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