Daily News Brief

August 5, 2024

Top of the Agenda

Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country today following nationwide antigovernment demonstrations, ending fifteen years in power. The country’s army chief said that an interim government would be formed soon and it would seek justice for deaths that occurred during the last several weeks of protest. Marches that began in opposition to a hiring system for government jobs escalated to include broad grievances against Hasina.

Though Hasina was reelected for a fourth term in January, critics said she turned Bangladesh into a one-party state, and the opposition had boycotted her election. Demonstrators spoke out against the government’s deployment of security forces and use of internet shutdowns to contain dissent. Clashes on Sunday alone between protesters and security forces led to almost one hundred reported deaths, the deadliest day since the protests began. (Reuters, Dhaka Tribune, NYT)

Analysis

“The recent demonstrations and subsequent lethal crackdown have shocked many Bangladeshis,” CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick writes for the Asia Unbound blog. “Bangladeshis are unhappy with the increasingly stultifying environment for political and civil liberties, the weak economy, and the Awami League government’s seeming inability to address critical issues, like the job crunch and the looming impact of climate change on such a low-lying and densely populated country.”

“It can be said unhesitatingly that over the past few weeks Bangladesh’s politics has entered a new chapter. The authors of this chapter are the youth,” the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies’ Ali Riaz writes for Prothom Alo.

Pacific Rim

The Japanese and Taiwanese markets experienced record plunges in stocks, while South Korea’s main market also saw a drop of nearly 9 percent today. The sell-offs left investors wary the volatility could continue in Western markets as the day progresses; some U.S. futures were down in early trading. Analysts referenced a Japanese rate hike, Mideast geopolitical tensions, and a worse-than-expected U.S. jobs report as context for the sales. (VOA, Bloomberg)

Germany/Philippines: The two countries aim to sign a new defense pact this year, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on a visit to Manila today. The agreement under discussion would allow joint military training and potential Philippine purchases of German weapons. (Philippine Star, AP)

South and Central Asia

A rebel alliance took the city of Laukkai in January, but government forces carried out air strikes there late last week. Local media reported ten civilian deaths and a rebel spokesperson said a strike hit a hospital; the ruling military junta did not immediately comment. (AFP)

Middle East and North Africa

Efforts to control growing tensions between Israel and Iran continued over the weekend, with Jordan’s foreign minister making a rare visit to Tehran yesterday. Several countries including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom (UK) have encouraged their citizens to depart Lebanon amid fears of an expanded conflict. Tensions are high in the region after Hamas and Hezbollah leaders were both assassinated in separate strikes last week. Iran has accused Israel of being behind the Hamas leader’s death and vowed revenge; many see Hezbollah possibly joining forces in such a retaliation. (CNN)

In this Expert Brief, CFR Senior Fellow Steven A. Cook unpacks the potential for an all out Israel-Iran war. 

U.S./Pakistan/Saudi Arabia/Yemen: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a memo on Friday canceling a plea deal that had been announced two days earlier between the U.S. government and accused plotters of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Austin wrote that the responsibility for the decision “should rest with me.” The three defendants are citizens of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen who had been jailed at Guantánamo Bay. (WSJ, Vox) 

This timeline looks at how 9/11 reshaped foreign policy. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Dmytro Kuleba is seeking support for Ukraine’s stance on how its war with Russia should end, his office said. He began a trip to Malawi, Mauritius, and Zambia yesterday and will be on the road through Thursday. Ukraine’s foreign ministry also said Kuleba would discuss the supply of Ukrainian grain to African countries and African companies’ potential role in Ukraine’s reconstruction. (Reuters)

In this article, CFR’s Sabine Baumgartner, Noah Berman, and Mariel Ferragamo show how Ukraine overcame Russia’s grain blockade. 

Nigeria: President Bola Tinubu addressed the public yesterday for the first time in the wake of dayslong protests against a cost of living crisis that have left a dozen people dead. He said he heard Nigerians, especially youth, “loud and clear,” but defended his decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange rates. Demonstrations continued today in multiple cities. (FT, The Sun)

Europe

The fighter jets mark “a new chapter” for Ukraine’s air force capabilities and are already flying in Ukrainian skies, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday. Washington committed to approving the transfer of the planes last August. (CNN)

This Expert Brief by Kristen D. Thompson explains what it takes to fly the F-16. 

UK: Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency meeting for today after a weekend of violent protests in which more than one hundred and fifty people were arrested. Starmer described some of the violence as “far-right thuggery.” It is some of the worst rioting the UK has seen in years; a hotel housing asylum seekers was attacked yesterday. (BBC)

Americas

President Nicolás Maduro announced the arrest tally on Saturday as demonstrations calling for a fair and transparent vote count continued. Election authorities say Maduro won without providing detailed voting data, while the opposition has produced detailed vote receipts that suggest they had a sweeping victory. The leaders of European countries including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain joined calls for the publication of detailed voting data and condemnations of violence. (AP, Politico)

U.S./Canada: The two countries reached a cooperation deal on Friday on commercial space technology that will allow Canada to use U.S. technology and expertise for launches. It still must be independently reviewed and approved before coming into force. (CBC)

U.S. Campaign 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris obtained enough votes from Democratic convention delegates to secure the nomination during a virtual roll call, the Democratic National Committee chair said Friday. Harris spent the weekend vetting vice-presidential candidates and is expected to announce her choice by tomorrow. (CBS, Reuters)

CFR’s 2024 election tracker details Harris’s positions on the biggest foreign policy issues. 

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