June 26, 2019

Weekly World News Update

Chaos in the Persian Gulf; Spotlight on Saudi Arabia; G20 Summit Looms; China and North Korea Meet; Turnover in Turkey; Democracy Paused; Corruption and Consequences; and Global Humanitarian Crises

Quote of the Week " His killing was the result of elaborate planning involving extensive coordination and significant human and financial resources. It was overseen, planned, and endorsed by high-levels officials. It was premeditated. The killing of Mr. Khashoggi thus constitutes an international crime over which other States should claim universal jurisdiction. I call on those States to take the necessary measures to establish their competence to exercise jurisdiction under international law over this crime of extrajudicial execution." -- UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, in her report summarizing the findings of the six-month investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, as quoted in a release by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.

Chaos in the Persian Gulf " Is Trump Really Headed to War With Iran? Here is What Two Experts Think" John Dale Grover -- The National Interest, June 25, 2019   “ Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Hard Power” Amy Jaffe -- Council on Foreign Relations, June 19, 2019 “ What the Iran Crisis Reveals About European Power” Tom McTague -- The Atlantic, June 25, 2019 “ Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Salvageable?” Judy Dempsey -- Carnegie Europe, June 20, 2019 “ There Is an Off Ramp in the U.S.-Iran Crisis” Suzanne Maloney -- Brookings, June 19, 2019

Spotlight on Saudi Arabia “ Five Things to Know About the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi” Al Jazeera, June 26, 2019 “ Saudi First: How Hyper-Nationalism Is Transforming Saudi Arabia” Eman Alhussein -- European Council on Foreign Relations, June 19, 2019 “ These New Gruesome Khashoggi Revelations Reinforce the Ugly Bargain Trump Has Struck With Saudi Arabia” Aaron Blake -- The Washington Post, June 19, 2019

G20 Summit Looms “ Hold Your Breath: Trump’s Got Three High-Stakes Meetings at One Summit” Margaret Talev -- Bloomberg, June 26, 2019   “ As G20 Approaches, Will Trump Deliver Tech Surprise to China?” Kenneth Rapoza -- Forbes, June 21, 2019   “ After Trade Feuds in Tsukuba, Japan Faces Uphill Task at G20” Reiji Yoshida -- Japan Times, June 20, 2019 “ Is The G20 Destined to Fade into Irrelevance in a Leaderless World- Courtesy of Donald Trump?” Shi Jiangtao and Jane Cai -- South China Morning Post, June 23, 2019 “ Why Hong Kong’s Protesters Are Turning to G20 Leaders for Help” Keith Bradsher; Daniel Victor; Mike Ives -- New York Times, June 26, 2019

China and North Korea Meet “ North Korea: The Pot Still Boiling” Robert Carlin -- 38 North, June 20, 2019 “ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Trip to North Korea Serves as a Reminder That Kim Jong-un Still Needs Friends on the World Stage” Ankit Panda -- South China Morning Post, June 20, 2019 “ Mr. Xi Goes to Pyongyang” Jung Pak -- Brookings, June 24, 2019

Turnover in Turkey “ Erdogan Faces a Choice - and Turkey’s Democracy Is at Stake” Asli Aydintasbas -- The Washington Post, June 20, 2019 “ Could This Man Save Turkey?” Sinan Ciddi and Steven Cook -- Politico, June 24, 2019 “ A New Dawn in Turkey After Erdogan Loses Istanbul” Selim Koru -- New York Times, June 24, 2019

Ethiopian Democracy Paused “ Ethiopia Is at a ‘Very Critical Juncture’” Jefcoate O’Donnell -- Foreign Policy, June 24, 2019 “ Ethiopia’s Coup Attempt Spells Disaster For Its Democratic Transition” Abdi Latif Dahir -- Quartz, June 24, 2019 “ Questions Surrounding Ethiopia’s Attempted Amhara Coup” Africa News, June 25, 2019

Corruption and Consequences “ Moldova Crisis: The First Battle in the War for Democracy” Vadim Pistrinciuc -- European Council on Foreign Relations, June 21, 2019   “ Georgia Caught Up in Russia’s Geopolitical Power Struggle” Christian Trippe -- DW, June 23, 2019 “ In Georgia’s Parliament, One Russian Too Many” Amy Mackinnon -- Foreign Policy, June 21, 2019 “ Mogul Czech PM Likely to Survive Mass Protests, For Now” France24, June 24, 2019

Global Humanitarian Crises “ 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report Released” Maritime Executive, June 22, 2019 “ More Than Half of the World’s Poor Are Children” Katharina Fenz and Kristofer Hamel -- Brookings, June 20, 2019 “ At Europe’s Edge, Unwanted Migrants Are Stranded in an Unrecognized Country” Chigozie Obioma -- Foreign Policy, June 23, 2019