Global infections have topped eighteen million as the coronavirus continues to spread, including in countries that made early gains containing it. Vietnam is struggling to contain (Business Insider) a new outbreak, and Australian officials have imposed stiff measures (SMH) to contain the virus. Meanwhile, as children worldwide prepare to return to school, the United Nations has warned the pandemic’s toll on education could be a “generational catastrophe.”
Analysis
“While [Brazil’s] lagging response to the global public health crisis has damaged its international reputation in the health-care field, Brazil remains home to strong local leaders who have arrested the slide,” Catherine Osborn writes in Foreign Affairs.
“We must be frank and restore the public’s trust. Working together is the only way we’ll be able to make progress against the virus. There’s still only one enemy: the virus. And the more we’re divided, the more it will exploit those divisions to conquer us,” CFR’s Tom Frieden writes for Think Global Health.
The French foreign ministry announced that the country will suspend ratification (Politico) of an extradition agreement with Hong Kong following China’s imposition of a controversial security law on the city and the Hong Kong government’s postponement of legislative elections. Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom have also suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong.
North Korea: Several unnamed countries believe North Korea has engineered miniaturized nuclear devices (Reuters) for the warheads of its ballistic missiles, according to a report submitted to the UN Security Council.
Indian authorities imposed new restrictions (DW) on the Kashmir Valley over concerns about the coronavirus and the possibility of protests ahead of the one-year anniversary tomorrow of India revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy.
On The President’s Inbox podcast, CFR’s Alyssa Ayres explains the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy last year.
Afghanistan: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar about intra-Afghan peace talks, and the two agreed the Afghan government should release the remaining Taliban fighters (TOLO) in its custody, according to a Taliban spokesperson. The Afghan government is convening a meeting to decide whether to release four hundred Taliban prisoners accused of serious crimes.
Lebanon: Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned (National), citing politicians with competing interests who lack the will to institute necessary reforms. He also warned that Lebanon, facing a financial crisis and social discontent, “is slipping into a failed state.”
Report: Zimbabwe Arrests Activists, Opposition Members
In the wake of a foiled anti-government protest, Zimbabwean officials have arrested more than sixty activists (AP) and opposition party members, according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. The government said it arrested people for encouraging a revolt, but a human rights expert called the crackdown “worrying.”
Tanzania: The country’s primary opposition party nominated (Standard) former parliamentarian Tundu Lissu to run against President John Magufuli in the October 28 general election. Lissu returned to Tanzania for the first time last week following a 2017 assassination attempt.
Europe
Former King of Spain Flees Amid Scandal
Spain’s royal palace announced that former King Juan Carlos would leave the country (Reuters), reportedly for the Dominican Republic, after Spanish and Swiss authorities began investigating him for bribery and offshore accounts.
Northern Ireland: Influential politician John Hume, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping orchestrate peace in Northern Ireland, died at eighty-three (BBC) after a sustained illness.
Americas
Ecuador Reaches Agreement With Bondholders
The country forged a deal (FT) with its bondholders to restructure $17.4 billion in sovereign debt, allowing it to hold off on payments and certain obligations. President Lenin Moreno said the agreement would allow Ecuador, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus, to focus on “social protection and economic recovery.”
United States
Trump: U.S. Should Profit From TikTok Sale
President Donald J. Trump said the U.S. treasury should receive (WaPo) “a very large percentage” of the proceeds if Chinese-owned social media application TikTok sells its U.S. branch to a U.S. company. He also vowed to ban the video-sharing platform, which many believe could share user data with China, unless a deal is finalized by around September 15.
