10/27/2020
Hi everyone!
This week, we're excited to announce an event with the creators and co-hosts of The Burn Bag Podcast, a national security-focused podcast featuring conversations about pressing foreign policy challenges with leading policymakers. They'll discuss specific content from their episodes, navigating the world of podcasts, and also grad school (one of the hosts, A'ndre Gonawela, is a current MPP student at Harris!). The event will be this Thursday, October 29, at 6pm CST. The Zoom link can be found here: https://uchicago.zoom.us/j/92131179807?pwd=K3lKTllpMEFtSHRacXZwWURGb0NVdz09 (Password: 941743).
We also had some issues with the listserve over the weekend, so below is our weekly news blast from our Research Directors!
_
Sudan and Israel to Normalize Ties in a US-Brokered Deal
The White House has confirmed the normalization of ties between Sudan and Israel. In ending decades of hostility, one of Africa’s largest countries has joined a broader diplomatic realignment in the Middle East, following Bahrain and the UAE. Along with this, there has been an agreement between Sudan and the US in which Washington will remove Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, thus unblocking economic aid and investment.
Lebanon Chooses New Prime Minister
Former PM Saad Hariri, selected by parliament this week, is settling back into his old job after resigning last year due to popular protests. He inherits a country in the violent throes of a financial and political crisis, exacerbated by a massive explosion in Beirut this August. Mustapha Adib, the man originally nominated after the blast forced the government to resign, quit last month after failing to form a cabinet.
Top Court in Poland Bans Almost All Cases of Abortion
Poland’s abortion laws are already among the strictest in Europe; however, following a ruling by Poland’s top court, terminations will only be constitutional in cases of r**e and in**st, or if the mother’s health is at risk. The Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatović, said it was “a sad day for women’s rights” and that “removing the basis for almost all legal abortions in Poland amounts to a ban and violates human rights.”
South African Environmental Activist Shot Dead in Her Home
A South African environmental activist, Fikile Ntshangase, was shot dead after opposing the extension of a coal mine near her home. The coal mine had long been a source of dispute between the company Tendele Coal; conservationists; and locals, who are in favour of the coal mine extension for economic reasons. Ntshangase was well known as a fierce critic of mining and as an advocate for land rights.
Ethiopia Rejects Trump’s Claim that Egypt Could “Blow Up” Its Grand Dam.
On a phone call with Israeli and Sudanese heads of state, President Trump suggested that Egypt might retaliate militarily against the completion of Ethiopia’s “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam” (GERD), which has been under construction on the Nile River since 2011. The Egyptian government fears that the GERD could wreak havoc on its water supply, and that foreign control of the Nile’s flow threatens its sovereignty. If a conflict does break out, it would be the first war for water. Additional international concern stems from Ethiopia being one of the largest clients of the Belt and Road initiative, with a large portion of the GERD’s financing coming from China.
Nearly Half of Netflix’s New Subscriber Growth Comes from Asia-Pacific
For the first time, Netflix Asia subscribers are the largest contributors to the streaming giant’s new membership growth. Although the pandemic has forced Netflix to delay the release of new shows, it has also allowed the company to capitalize on users who are watching more content because they have been forced to stay at home. With international expansion a key focus, Netflix has recently tailored shows to appeal more to local audiences in India and Japan, among many other Asian countries.
Typhoons Lash Southeast Asia
The Pacific typhoon season has been quieter than usual, at least until last week. Typhoon Molave caused thousands to evacuate in the Philippines on Sunday, less than a week after Typhoon Saudel did the same. Molave will be the nineteenth storm to hit the Philippines this year, with Saudel expected to hit Vietnam this week. While typhoons might be less frequent than usual, flooding in the region is the worst it has been in decades. At one point in July, around a quarter of Bangladesh (the eighth most populous country in the world) was underwater.
COVID-19 Updates:
The US hit an all-time high in daily coronavirus cases on Friday, surpassing the 80,000 mark.
Russia reached its all-time high on Friday as well, with over 17,000 cases as the country grapples with a second wave.
As cases soar in Europe, tens of millions across the continent brace for tough new restrictions, including curfews and significant restrictions on gatherings.
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...
