June 12, 2019

Weekly World News Update

Hong Kong's Fight; Thai and Philippine Power Dynamics; Protests and Pushback; Ghosts of the Soviet Union; Blurred Lines on Iran; Fuel for Thought; French-American Friendship Wilts

Quote of the Week " I urge the Hong Kong government to listen to the concerns of its people and its friends in the international community and to pause and reflect on these controversial measures. It is essential that the authorities engage in meaningful dialogue and take steps to preserve Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms and high degree of autonomy, which underpin its international reputation. Upholding the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, provided for in the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration, is vital to Hong Kong’s future success." -- The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in an official statement regarding the protests in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Fight " Hong Kong Protest: Police Fire Teargas at Demonstrators - Live" Damien Gayle; Kate Lyons; Verna Yu -- The Guardian, June 12, 2019 “ Hong Kong’s Last Fight Is Lost” Peter Hartcher -- The Sydney Morning Herald, June 11, 2019 “ Hong Kong’s Government May Cave in to China. Its People Will Not.” Yi-Zheng Lian -- New York Times, June 10, 2019   “ China, Hong Kong, and Proof of America’s Better International Order” Tom Rogan -- Washington Examiner, June 10, 2019

Thai Democracy vs. Dictatorship “ Thailand’s Democratic Dictatorship” Pravit Rojanaphruk -- Deutsche Welle, June 6, 2019 “ The Military Wins Big in Thailand” Joshua Kurlantzick -- Council on Foreign Relations, June 5, 2019 “ Thailand’s Crude Mockery of Democracy Means It Doesn’t Deserve U.S. Aid” The Washington Post, June 8, 2019

Philippine Power Dynamics “ A Power Shift Is Under Way in Duterte’s Game of Thrones” Claire Jiao; Andreo Calonzo; Hannah Dormido -- Bloomberg, June 7, 2019  “ In the Philippines, a Youth Movement Stands Between Duterte and Dictatorship” Noah Flora -- The Nation, June 10, 2019 “ Rights Experts Urge UN Inquiry Into ‘Staggering’ Killings in Philippines” Nick Cumming-Bruce -- New York Times, June 7, 2019 “ In Photos: Celebrations, Protests Mark Independence Day 2019” Rappler, June 12, 2019

Protests and Pushback “ Sudanese Opposition Needs Stronger International Support” Michelle Gavin -- Council on Foreign Relations, June 11, 2019 “ Why the Sudanese People Stand Alone” Nanjala Nyabola -- Al Jazeera, June 8, 2019   “ This Is How Our Revolution in Egypt Failed. Sudan, Please Be Warned” Osama Gaweesh -- African Arguments, June 5, 2019 “ Saudi Arabia: Authorities Must Not Resort to Use of Death Penalty Against Protester Arrested Aged 13” Amnesty International, June 7, 2019 “ Kazakhstan’s Second-Ever President Can’t Tolerate Protest” Reid Standish -- Foreign Policy, June 10, 2019

Ghosts of the Soviet Union “ Nine Things to Know About Kazakhstan’s Election” Paul Stronski -- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, June 5, 2019 “ NATO’s Ukraine Challenge” Steven Pifer -- Brookings, June 6, 2019 “ In Poland, a Fixed U.S. Presence Will Warrant a Russian Response” Stratfor, June 7, 2019 “ Moldova’s Governments Go Head to Head” Amy Mackinnon -- Foreign Policy, June 10, 2019 “ Ivan Golunov’s Russian Release: Why This Case Matters” Andrei Gorianov -- BBC News, June 12, 2019

Blurred Lines on Iran “ A Reaganesque Approach to Iran? Embrace the Moderates” Marik Von Rennenkampff -- War on the Rocks, June 6, 2019  “ Trump’s Twists on Confronting Iran Confound Allies in Europe” Edward Wong and David Sanger -- New York Times, June 7, 2019 “ How to Navigate the Fog of War on Iran” Mike Giglio -- The Atlantic, June 6, 2019

Fuel for Thought “ Oil’s Power Players” Patrick Heller; David Mihalyi; Morgan Bazilian -- Foreign Policy, June 5, 2019  “ Is OPEC China’s Problem?” Amy Jaffe -- Council on Foreign Relations, June 7, 2019 “ Political Risk Analysis: Mexico’s Problematic Energy Policy” Nathaniel Parish Flannery -- Forbes, June 7, 2019

French-American Friendship Wilts “ Trump and Macron Planted a Friendship Tree. Now It’s Dead.” James McAuley -- The Washington Post, June 10, 2019