FBI Probes Apparent Second Assassination Attempt Against Trump |
U.S. authorities detained a man suspected of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” on former President Donald Trump yesterday, as the FBI called it. The man was taken into custody after he fled Trump’s Florida golf course, where authorities recovered a rifle in the bushes. Trump’s security detail had been heightened after another shooter separately targeted him at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally in July, grazing his ear with one shot and killing a civilian attending the event. Sunday’s incident has now spurred new warnings of the increased risk of violence around the U.S. elections. Trump praised the Secret Service and law enforcement on Sunday for keeping him safe, while President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued statements condemning political violence. Biden said he ordered the Secret Service to have “every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.” (NYT, AP) |
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“[The post-July Secret Service’s] beefed-up detail, which includes additional agents and enhanced on-the-ground intelligence, might have played a role in the outcome this weekend,” the New York Times’ Kate Kelly, Eileen Sullivan, and Glenn Thrush write. “Yet the fact that a gunman was able to get a semiautomatic rifle with a telescopic sight so close to the former president, roughly 300 to 500 yards away, underscored how many urgent problems exposed in Butler remained unresolved.” “America urgently needs a bipartisan condemnation of rising political violence, from all actors and against all targets,” CFR expert Jacob Ware wrote after the July assassination attempt against Trump. “Needless to say, this dark day in American history will provide even more ammunition to the Russian disinformation machinery, as well as adversaries in China and Iran, who would welcome the further erosion of American democracy and its influence in the world.” Check out the full suite of CFR resources related to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. |
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First Conviction Under New Hong Kong Security Law Goes to Man With ‘Seditious’ T-Shirt |
The twenty-seven-year-old pleaded guilty to sedition today after he was arrested in June for wearing a T-shirt and a mask with protest slogans including from 2019 antigovernment demonstrations. He’ll face sentencing on Thursday, which could be unforgiving under a new national security law passed in March: the penalty for such a first-time offense rose from two years to as much as a decade. (Bloomberg) China: Retail sales and industrial output in the country lagged behind analyst expectations in August, prompting speculation that the government could roll out new stimulus measures. At current growth rates, analysts expect China to miss its 2024 growth target of around 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). (Reuters) |
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Bangladesh’s Yunus Pledges Restart as U.S. Delegation Visits |
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus previewed his reform and anticorruption plans for the country during a weekend visit by senior U.S. officials, who announced some $200 million in new economic aid. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank also jointly announced a new aid package of $2.5 billion over the weekend. Yunus was called to step in as Bangladesh’s leader last month after antigovernment protests ousted previous Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (Nikkei)
India: Opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal announced yesterday he will resign as chief minister of Delhi, just days after his release on bail in a corruption case that he has denounced as politically motivated. Kejriwal called for an early election in the national capital territory in which voters would rule on whether he is honest. (Reuters, The Hindu)
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Middle East and North Africa |
Houthi Missile Strikes Central Israel |
No casualties were reported in yesterday’s rare missile attack claimed by the Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels, marking the latest incident to signal a broadening Middle East war. Israel vowed it would retaliate, while a Houthi spokesperson said the group would continue such attacks to press Israel into changing its posture in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and the Houthis have both quietly opened offices in Iraq, the New York Times reported Sunday. (NYT) This In Brief by Kali Robinson details the extent of Iran’s support of the Houthis.
Iran: Thirty-four jailed female activists including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi began a hunger strike yesterday from their Iranian prison, calling for deeper political rights in the country and honoring the two-year anniversary of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement. (AFP)
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Kenya Begins Auditing National Debt |
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the inquiry aims to make details public on the country’s debt and creditors. The move comes after mass protests this summer prompted the government to reverse plans for a tax overhaul. (The Nation) For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR expert Michelle Gavin dissects the significance of the Kenya protests. Burkina Faso/Mali/Niger: The three junta-led countries will launch new biometric passports to harmonize travel, Mali’s leader said. Their decision marks the latest step toward solidifying a deepening Sahel alliance to rival the West African bloc known as ECOWAS, from which the three pulled out in January. (Reuters) |
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Senior French EU Official Drops Surprise Resignation |
Thierry Breton has cut his time short as leader of the European Union (EU) internal market body, which helms industrial policy and investigations of tech platform content moderation in recent years. His resignation announcement today criticized EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen for “questionable governance,” notably including her request to withdraw his name as a leadership nominee. She’s set to begin her new five-year term in office this November. (Bloomberg) Russia/Ukraine/UAE: Russia and Ukraine swapped a total of 206 prisoners in an agreement brokered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Moscow said among their released prisoners were Russian fighters who had been captured in the Ukrainian operation in Kursk. (BBC)
In this YouTube Short, U.S. Marine Corps Commander Eric M. Smith explains Russia’s end goal in the war.
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Venezuela Announces Detentions of Six Foreigners, Including Three U.S. Citizens |
On Saturday, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said authorities had arrested three U.S. citizens, two Spaniards, and a Czech due to a suspected assassination plot against the president. While Cabello accused the U.S. government of “links to this operation,” the U.S. State Department said that “any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false.” (CBS/AFP) Argentina: President Javier Milei unveiled a plan to eliminate the country’s budget deficit next year, doubling down on cutting state spending despite a recession in the country. Argentina’s economy is on track to shrink 3.8 percent this year, while Milei’s plan forecasts growth of 5 percent in 2025. (FT) |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.