Africa and Middle East
Sudan and South Sudan further their diplomacy
Sudan and South Sudan leaders have moved their diplomatic relations forward by agreeing to deals on trade, oil and security. These include an amnesty zone, but do not include the disagreements over the two countries’ borders. The agreement follows a settlement over oil which began after South Sudan’s independence last year. The previous disagreements nearly brought war between the two countries and proved hugely damaging for their economies.
UN: Syria refugees in crises
The United Nations’ (UN) refugee agency has released a report suggesting that 700,000 individuals could have fled Syria before this year is out. This doesn’t take into account internally displaced persons and is significantly higher than earlier estimates. Currently, approximately a quarter of a million individuals have fled the civil war and are mostly camped across turkey, Jordon and Lebanon. The predicted increase in the coming months suggests a heightening of the civil war’s violence and damns al-Assad’s international image further after last month he said it wasn’t in his interest to create civil amnesty zones within the country’s borders.
Asia
Sri Lankan Tamils left with little state help after civil war
Two years since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war, it is reported that the last Tamils to leave displacement camps this week have been “left in the jungle” with little means to rebuild their lives. The civil war lasted 26 years and after a military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels, internally displaced people were set up in displacements camps, the last 1200 of whom left this week. However, despite the military saying most people were “very happy” with the support they received, many families have been left in areas of cleared jungle with little means to build homes or find work.
Latin America
Crucial drug lord arrested in Mexico
Mexican police officials have said that they have captured one of the most sought drug traffickers in Latin America, drug lord Ivan Velazquez Caballero. Mr Caballero, who runs one of the most dominant drug runs into the United States (U.S.), was arrested live on national television. There are no reports of a possible extradition to the U.S., yet. The significant arrest is compounded with recent arrests of drug lords Mario Guillen and Costilla. Despite these recent arrests however, the Mexican Government has come under criticism for allowing certain cartels to become too powerful. The incoming PRI administration, with the President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto, say their strategies against drug trafficking will be different
Europe
Spanish austerity budget tightens grip
The Spanish government today released an austerity budget for next year, which aims to “exit the crisis”. The programme, which includes cuts to ministerial spending, public sector pay freezes and a 20% tax on lottery wins over 2,500 Euros is to be overlooked by an independent body. These measures are aimed to close the public deficit through spending cuts rather than tax increases. Despite these measures experts still believe that Spain will seek further bailouts from its partners in the single currency. Last quarter Spain was given a financial injection into its financial sector whilst raising hard questions over the possibility of Eurobonds with Europe’s strongest economies.
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