Patrick PiersonBy Patrick Pierson.
Canada plans to speed up procedures for processing asylum claims. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is optimistic about ongoing NAFTA talks. Honduras will continue efforts to reduce gang violence, with or without financial support from the US. In Nicaragua, protests continue against the Ortega regime. Costa Rican authorities arrested members of a Mexican cartel that were operating in the country. An American man has been released from a Venezuelan prison after being detained for more than two years without trial. The US initiated new sanctions against the Maduro regime this week. Is Ecuador about to boot Julian Assange from its UK embassy? Colombia will officially join NATO next week, making it the only Latin American country in the alliance. Thousands of Argentines took to the streets this week to protest the government’s ongoing talks with the IMF. Paraguay has officially moved its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem. A nationwide strike by truck drivers in Brazil is causing some serious tension.
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy is facing a potential no-confidence vote amidst ongoing corruption scandals in his government. In neighboring France, far-left parties are protesting against President Macron’s government. Italy finally has a PM – but he has no government experience. Some are less than excited about the new pick…Moody’s may be cutting the country’s credit rating over concerns about the new government. The Netherlands has formally accused Russia of bearing responsibility for the downing of a Malaysian airline in 2014. The German military identified dozens of extremists within its ranks over the last eight years.
Authorities in Turkey detained more than 50 ISIS militants in recent raids in Istanbul. Hezbollah is calling on the Lebanese government to stand up for citizens being hit with US sanctions. Authorities in Saudi Arabia disrupted a potential drone attack in the south of the country. Have US soldiers been involved in the torture of prisoners in Yemen? The rift between Qatar and regional neighbors continues. A pair of homemade bombs were detonated outside the headquarters of the Iraqi Communist Party this week. Indian troops have killed a number of militants in Kashmir.
Authorities in Bangladesh detained more than 100 individuals in an anti-drug crackdown. Specially trained rats are helping to clear Cambodia of landmines. In the wake of recent bombings, the Indonesian parliament has passed controversial anti-terrorism measures that allow the military to address internal security. Myanmar’s finance minister has resigned. Burkina Faso is the second country in the last month to switch its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. Leaders of North and South Korea met this week, shortly after President Trump canceled a summit with Kim Jong Un.
A car bomb in Benghazi killed seven and wounded dozens of Libyans. Algeria and Mauritania announced plans to open their first official border crossing. Ethiopia announced plans to release a British national detained since 2014. Are US sanctions on South Sudan hurting government negotiations with rebels? A number of Anglophone activists have been detained by a military court in Cameroon. Liberian President George Weah is accused of using government funds to purchase a private jet. Rwandan President Paul Kagame visited Paris this week. The Rwandan government has signed an official sponsorship deal with the English soccer club Arsenal. The government in Burundi has been accused of widespread human rights abuses surrounding a recent referendum. The political crisis in Madagascar continues. Nearly a dozen people were killed in ‘taxi wars’ in South Africa this week. Authorities in South Africa are dealing with an $80 million cryptocurrency scam.
