Global Beat: U.S. Strikes Houthi Rebels in Yemen, and More
USS Mason
October 14, 2016
In:
Global Beat is your weekly stop for news from around the world. Join us every Friday morning for important stories you should know about.
This week, the United States retaliated against Houthi rebels in Yemen who fired missiles at a U.S. Navy destroyer; three Syrian refugees are hailed as heroes after stopping another refugee from carrying out a bomb attack in Berlin; election-related violence erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and more.
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Americas
Inflation is expected to hit 1,500 percent in Venezuela in 2017 as the country’s economic crisis deepens. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Supreme Court stripped the congress of its budgetary oversight powers this week. The congress was the last public institution with the power to oppose President Nicholás Maduro. The growing opposition to Maduro is gearing up to collect signatures of 20 percent of voters over three days starting October 26, 2016, in order to implement a recall referendum. Violent clashes broke out this week between supporters and opponents of Maduro.
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- Coffee and climate change: In Brazil, a disaster is brewing - Lulu Garcia-Navarro, NPR
Central & South Asia
Pakistan is seeking to form a larger South Asian economic alliance including China, Iran, and Central Asian states as a push to counterbalance India’s current control of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). India is unlikely to agree to a new alliance, as it benefits from the current arrangement. China has announced its willingness to play the role of mediator in the ongoing Pakistan-India conflict and work with the two countries to correct the "imbalance of power" in the region. In response to the recent attacks on a military base in the India-administered region of Kashmir, the White House has voiced its support for India’s "right to self-defense" in the face of "cross-border terrorism."
Also check out:
- Pakistani spy agency protecting terrorists, journalist Cyral Almeida claims – John Walsh, International Business Times
China & East Asia
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said Wednesday that the United States reserves the right to punish Chinese firms that violate United Nations sanctions on North Korea. Last month the U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against China-based Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Company and four of its executives for using front companies to evade sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Also check out:
- Russia may be hacking us more, but China is hacking us much less - Ken Dilanian, NBC News
Europe & Russia
German politicians are calling for the three Syrian migrants who stopped a bomb attack in Berlin to be honored as heroes with a prestigious award. The three migrants tied up a fellow Syrian migrant and called the police to prevent him from carrying out an attack on a Berlin airport. The 22-year-old man killed himself in his prison cell on Wednesday. They are being called a "model of integration" at a time when fears are being raised in Germany about security regarding the influx of migrants. In the first nine months of 2016, about 200,000 migrants sought refuge in Germany as opposed to 900,000 in all of 2015.
Also check out:
- Russia and United States to host new diplomatic meeting on Syria – Rick Gladstone, The New York Times
Middle East & North Africa
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mason was targeted twice in four days by a missile from a territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The ship was not hit but the Pentagon quickly retaliated by firing cruise missiles at coastal radar sites in the first U.S. strike against the rebels. The destroyer was conducting routine operations in international waters near the strait of Bab el-Mandeb. The Houthis denied launching the first missile at the Mason, but Navy Captain Jeff Davis said Tuesday that "the facts certainly point" to the Houthis being involved.
Also check out:
- 'Last battle' against ISIL in Iraq: forces mass for Mosul assault – Martin Chulov, The Guardian
Southeast Asia & Oceania
On Thursday, Australia and Singapore expanded their free trade agreement, which will benefit the financial services, legal, and education industries. During Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Australia, he and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also signed agreements on military training, combating transnational drug crime, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on innovation and science.
Also check out:
- What will King Bhumibol’s death mean for Thailand? – Financial Times
Sub-Saharan Africa
The United Nations Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo Maman Sambo Sidikou warned the UN Security Council that the country is at "extreme risk" of descending into widespread violence. President Joseph Kabila’s term is set to expire in December, but many fear he intends to delay elections in order to stay in power. This week at least eight civilians were killed in crossfire between the army and rebels. Sidikou called on the Security Council to urge the parties to return to dialogue, guarantee the right to peaceful opposition, and to end impunity for violence.
Also check out:
- $10 million campaign targets cervical cancer among girls in sub-Saharan Africa – Liz Ford, The Guardian
