Multiple useful foreign affairs updates
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Foreign affairs update - 21st July
- Could COVID cancel the Olympics: Tokyo Olympics CEO Toshiro Muto did not rule out canceling the Olympic Games as new COVID-19 cases emerge among athletes. When asked whether the Games could be canceled, Muto said that he would “consider the matter” based on the spread of infections and that the issue would be discussed in upcoming talks between organizers and government officials ahead of Friday’s launch. Muto’s comments contrast with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who said last week that there was “zero” risk of athletes spreading the coronavirus to each other or to Tokyo residents.
- The green transition: The next two years are likely to see the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions ever recorded, the International Energy Agency warned, as it urged governments to set aside more coronavirus recovery funds for a green energy transition. Just 2 percent of pandemic-related fiscal support globally—roughly $380 billion—has been pledged for clean energy, the IEA said, adding that those funds must almost triple if the world is to reach net-zero emissions in 2050.
- Pipeline politics: The United States and Germany are close to resolving a dispute over the Russian natural gas pipeline Nordstream 2, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, paving the way for the project’s completion. Under the U.S.-German deal, expected to be announced soon, the Biden administration will drop its opposition to the pipeline in return for a commitment from Germany to assist Ukraine in developing its energy projects, including a $50 million green technology investment. White House officials said that, despite the change in approach, Biden still opposed the pipeline as a potential tool of Russian influence, but preferred to drop the issue in the name of cohesion between allies.
- Brexit troubles: U.K. Brexit Minister David Frost will today announce a proposal to change aspects of the Northern Ireland protocol—a part of the Brexit agreement designed to avoid constructing a border on the island of Ireland. The proposal will reportedly include a plan to allow most British-made goods into Northern Ireland free of the checks that have irked some local communities and created headaches for British businesses. Frost’s proposal is also expected to call for an end to the European Court of Justice’s role in overseeing disputes related to the protocol.
- Deadly flooding in China: Central China is facing severe flooding, leading to the evacuation of more than 100,000 people in Henan province and at least 12 dead in the city of Zhengzhou, which has seen more rainfall in the past three days than it usually does in one year. Subway passengers have been trapped, roads submerged, and flights and trains cancelled throughout cities in the region. The record rainfall, which began on July 17 and may continue until a few more days, has also sparked fears that a dam in Henan could collapse and that the Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, could be damaged.
- Pegasus spyware global crisis: French authorities vowed to investigate after it emerged that President Emmanuel Macron’s phone was recorded on a list of possible targets of government-led phone hacking using software, called Pegasus, licensed by a private Israeli spyware firm. According to an investigation by a global media consortium which includes the Washington Post, Le Monde, and the Guardian, ten prime ministers, three presidents, and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI were all potential targets. The software company responsible, NSO, has denied the investigative consortium’s allegations, calling them “so outrageous and far from reality” that the company is considering suing for defamation. The company said that it vets government clients for human rights concerns before it sells its Pegasus software and that it is intended to be used as a counterterrorism tool. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz—one of the consortium’s members—charted Netanyahu’s travels to countries that would become NSO customers, and how the software may have been used as “diplomatic currency” to further Israel’s strategic goals. In India, the investigation has caused a political scandal. The Indian National Congress—the largest opposition party—has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of spying on its leader Rahul Gandhi after his number appeared on NSO’s list. Congress has called for Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over the issue.
- South Africa's twin troubles: South Africa is coping with two crises at once—a political storm caused by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma, whose followers have caused chaos on the streets, and a deadly new wave of COVID-19 that’s hospitalizing thousands of people a day. On July 3, South Africa hit a record 26,000 cases of COVID-19, one of the highest new daily totals reported since the pandemic started over a year ago. The country has been battling a deadly third wave of the pandemic, following previous peaks during the first and second waves between April and December 2020. As of July 19, South Africa has recorded 2.3 million cases and 67,000 deaths since the pandemic started. On June 27, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would move to adjusted alert level 4 of lockdown for 14 days as the country faced a rising number of COVID-19 infections. After the end of the two-week lockdown and with a continuous spike in cases, Ramaphosa addressed the nation again on July 11 and announced an additional 14 days of restrictions. Ramaphosa was facing both the COVID-19 situation and the violence across the country by pro-Zuma supporters.. Banks and government buildings temporarily closed to avoid attacks. Pandemic-related corruption has also sparked public anger. Ramaphosa has been fighting corruption within the ranks of his African National Congress party and has repeatedly reassured the public that coronavirus-related corrupt activities would not be tolerated.
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