TOP OF THE AGENDA
France Strikes Islamic State After Paris Attacks
France conducted airstrikes (NYT) targeting the self-proclaimed Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa Sunday after 129 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Paris onFriday. Meanwhile, French authorities conducted a series of raids (WSJ) on suspected militants across France, arresting twenty-three people and seizing dozens of weapons. Two more attackers were named (FT), along with five already identified, and investigators said they were focusing on a Belgian national who is suspected to be the mastermind of the attacks (AP).
PACIFIC RIM Japan, Philippines to Strike Military Deal Japan and the Philippines will purportedly agree on a deal (Reuters) for Tokyo to supply Manila with used military equipment, Reuters reported. The agreement will mark the first time Japan has agreed to directly donate military equipment to another nation. KOREA: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is slated to visit North Korea (Yonhap)this week on a surprise trip, according to a Korean news agency. The move would mark the first visit by a UN chief to the country in more than two decades. |
|
SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Cambodia Targets Opposition Leader Cambodia's ruling party stripped opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who was on a visit to South Korea, of his lawmaker status and parliamentary immunity Monday, paving the way for his arrest (DW) upon his return to the country. The warrant was issued in connection with a defamation case that the opposition says is politically motivated. INDIA: India's ruling party downplayed remarks by the Dalai Lama that could be seen as criticizing the government for religious intolerance. The spiritual leader said that recent elections in Bihar state, which the BJP lost, showed that most Hindus believed in religious harmony (IndiaToday). |
|
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA U.S. Strike Targets Libya The Pentagon announced that a U.S. military airstrike killed the self-proclaimed Islamic State's leader in Libya over the weekend (Guardian). The strike was the first use of U.S. jets in the country since June 2014. This CFR Backgrounder sheds light on the formation and evolution of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. ISRAEL: Two Palestinians were killed in a West Bank refugee camp during clashes (Haaretz) with the Israeli Defense Force. The army was demolishing the home of a Palestinian who shot and killed an Israeli student in a June attack. |
|
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Burundi Violence Continues At least four people died in attacks (Reuters) in Burundi's capital of Bujumbura onSunday in the latest spate of violence since President Pierre Nkurunziza won a disputed third term in July. The UN adopted a resolution Thursday calling for talks and laying the groundwork for peacekeepers to be deployed amid growing concern that the violence could escalate into an ethnic conflict. It is unlikely that the conflict in Burundi will play out along ethnic lines, Claire Wilmot writes in this CFR blog post. KENYA: Security forces in Kenya and Uganda said they have stepped up patrols (BBC)in the wake of the attacks on Paris. Both countries have suffered attacks by the Somalia-based militant Islamist group al-Shabab. |
|
EUROPE G20 Leaders Pledge Action Against Islamic State World leaders vowed to step up the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State at the G20 conference (FT) in Turkey on Sunday. The meeting comes amid calls for the West to rethink its relationship with Russia in the wake of the weekend's attacks in Paris, as Moscow's military campaign in Syria has strained ties. The G20 focus will be on heading off a number of looming economic and security crises, writes CFR's Robert Kahn in this CFR blog post. |
|
AMERICAS OAS Criticizes Venezuela The head of the Organization of American States criticized Venezuela's electoral body for refusing election monitors (MercoPress) ahead of legislative elections slated for December 6. ARGENTINA: The two candidates for Argentina's presidency, Daniel Scioli and Mauricio Macri, clashed in a televised debate (Al Jazeera) ahead of a run-off electionSaturday. Scioli, who belongs to the ruling Front for Victory party, won 35 percent of votes in the first round, but now trails his opponent in the polls. |
|
