October 14, 2020
Chaos Grips Post-Soviet Republics; Protests Around the World; Insecure Asia; The Pandemic's Second Surge; International Trade Rows; and More Nobel Prize Winners
Quote of the Week
"Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily. I am really sorry for that.” 

-- Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea, as he shed tears over his failings in a rare apology to the North Korean people.  
Chaos Grips Post-Soviet Republics
“Belarus Threatens to Use Lethal Weapons on Protesters” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Belarus Service, October 12, 2020 
 
“Little War in the Caucasus Has Big Lessons for U.S. and Russia” Hal Brands -- Japan Times, October 11, 2020 

“Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict Raises Spectre of 'Pan-Turkism' in Iran” Rohollah Faghihi -- Middle East Eye, October 13, 2020  
 
“Kyrgyzstan Gripped by Political Chaos Again: What Comes Next?” Eurasia Center -- New Atlanticist, October 8, 2020 
 
“Is This the Beginning of Kyrgyzstan’s Next Revolution?” Colleen Wood -- Foreign Policy, October 7, 2020 
Protests Around the World
 
"Nigerians Demand End to Police Squad Known for Brutalizing the Young” Shola Lawal; Adenike Olanrewaju -- New York Times, October 12, 2020 

 
“Protests Spread Across Indonesia Over Jobs Law” Dera Sijabat and Richard Paddock -- New York Times, October 8, 2020 

“National Security Law and Hong Kong’s Exiled Dissidents: The World’s Listening Now – But for How Long?” Jeffie Lam and Chris Lau -- South China Morning Post, October 10, 2020 
Insecure Asia
"China’s Foreign Minister Says U.S. Using Quad to Build ‘Indo-Pacific NATO'” Ananth Krishnan -- The Hindu, October 13, 2020
 
“India Announced Nearly $10 Billion to Prop Up Growth. Economists Are Not Impressed” Saheli Roy Chaudhary -- CNBC, October 13, 2020 

“As India-China Border Stand-Off Endures, A Fear: Ladakh Is the New Kashmir” Kunal Purohit -- South China Morning Post, October 12, 2020 

“Bangladesh Approves Death Penalty for Rape, but Activists Call It a Cop-Out" Arshad Zargar -- CBS News, October 12, 2020 

“Trump Wants the Troops Home from Afghanistan by Christmas” Michael O’Hanlon -- Brookings, October 9, 2020 
The Second Surge and Finding Solutions
“Second Wave of COVID-19 in Europe Leads to New Restrictions But No National Lockdowns” Karla Adam -- Washington Post, October 12, 2020 
 
“How Does the UK’s Second Wave of Covid-19 Compare to Those in Other Countries?” Michael Goodier -- New Statesman, October 13, 2020 
 
“How to Keep a Fall Surge from Becoming a Winter Catastrophe” Derek Thompson -- The Atlantic, October 12, 2020 
 
 
“Global Partnerships for an African Recovery” Landry Signé; Ameenah Gurib-Fakim -- Project Syndicate, October 8, 2020 
International Trade
 
“EU to Reject UK Plea for Brexit Electric Car Deal” Faisal Islam -- BBC, October 14, 2020 
 
“New Sanctions on Iran’s Banks: Crippling or More Window Dressing?” Brian O’Toole -- Atlantic Council, October 13, 2020 
 

“Tough Times for Africa’s Upstream Oil and Gas” Ian Lewis -- African Business, October 14, 2020 
The Nobel Prize: New Winners
“The World Food Program Won the Nobel Peace Prize. Does Food Aid Boost Peace?” Ida Rudolfsen; Halvard Buhaug -- Washington Post, October 13, 2020 
 
“Two Stanford Economists Win Nobel Prize for Improving Auctions” David Keyton; Frank Jordans; Paul Wiseman -- Associated Press, October 12, 2020 
 
“American Louise Gluck Wins Nobel Prize for Literature” Daniel Trotta; Anna Ringstrom -- Reuters, October 8, 2020