KENYA: Government gives girls free sanitary pads to boost school attendance

On Wednesday, a law was enacted guaranteeing all schoolgirls free sanitary pads and a safe place to dispose of them. Government spokesman, Eric Kiraithe, said they are treating access to sanitary pads as a basic human right. The policy will cost USD 4.8 million a year. The government has expressed a commitment to increasing investment in healthcare and free education. Comment: The new policy comes as President Uhuru Kenyatta prepares for a second term. Many question the positive effects of the policies in healthcare and education pointing out the lack of resources, such as medical equipment, learning materials, and teachers. According to UNICEF data, up to 40 percent of girls in Kenya miss school during their menstrual cycle because they cannot afford hygiene products. Some girls even drop out of school entirely. According to Reuters, a 10 percent increase in girls’ school attendance can lead to a 3 percent increase in GDP, as well as increase a girl’s potential income. (NehandaRadio, Reuters 1, 2, HuffingtonPost)

NIGERIA: Students build trenches to repel Boko Haram militants

TANZANIA: Advocates for gay rights to face punitive measures

On Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba declared a crackdown on LGBT advocates. He said that citizens advocating for LGBT rights will be arrested and foreigners will be expelled. Non-governmental organizations that campaign for LGBT rights will be deregistered. These statements echo recent rhetoric condemning homosexuality from President John Magufuli. Comment: The law in Tanzania states that anyone found guilty of committing homosexual acts can face up to 30 years in prison. Earlier this year, the Tanzanian government ordered the shut down of several health centers providing HIV/AIDS treatment claiming these centers promote homosexuality. (Reuters, JeuneAfrique, Vox, PinkNews)

Researched/Written by Angelica Aimé Silfa

BRAZIL: President Temer formally accused of corruption

COLOMBIA: Third disarmament deadline reached

On Tuesday, UN monitors announced that they successfully collected more than 7,000 weapons from the FARC. This action meets the last deadline on the disarmament calendar established by November’s Peace Agreement. More than 800 arms caches remain hidden throughout the country, however, and UN monitors warn that emptying these could take months due to remaining opposition to the peace deal, lack of trust, and a lack of infrastructure. Despite these constraints, the UN Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs said that the UN Security Council is optimistic regarding the progress of the process.  Both President Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño – known as Timochenko – welcomed the announcement. Many are concerned that if the disarmament process delays, these arms could fall into the hands of other violent non-state groups. Comment: The FARC’s disarmament is a key condition for the implementation of the Peace Agreement between the rebel group and the Santos government, seeking to end more than five decades of conflict. Criticism from FARC leaders regarding the lack of amnesty for FARC prisoners, recent attacks by other violent non-state groups, and the killing of protestors by police forces demonstrate the fragility of the Peace Agreement’s successful implementation.(La Nacion, El Espectador, El Tiempo 1, 2, El Nuevo Herald 1, 2, BBC News, The Guardian)

VENEZUELA: Tensions rise throughout the country

Tensions escalated in Venezuela this past week. On Monday night, the coastal city of Maracay experienced particularly severe looting. Police used tear gas on protesters and detained 200 people. On Tuesday, President Maduro gave a speech warning that he and his supporters are willing to take up arms if his government is overthrown. Violence broke out Tuesday evening in the opposition-controlled National Assembly when the National Guard and pro-government crowds stormed into the building and clashed with lawmakers, injuring two members of parliament. Shortly afterwards, a rogue police officer named Oscar Pérez piloted a helicopter towards the Supreme Court and the Interior Ministry in Caracas, dropping grenades and firing shots. Reports claim that nobody was hurt. Pérez later released a video calling Venezuelans to rise up against the Maduro government. While Maduro described it as a “terrorist attack”, opposition members accuse the president of staging the attempted coup as an excuse to use force. Comment:  The political and economic crisis in Venezuela has led to almost daily protests. Tensions have been growing with the approach of the June 30 vote for a new National Constitution. According to the chief prosecutor’s office, more than 70 people have been killed in protest-related violence since April 1. (El Universal, El Deber, El Comercio, El Nuevo Herald, Reuters, BBC News, 1, 2,  The Guardian)

Researched/Written by Nastasia Stipo

CHINA: Government releases activist Liu Xiaobo for medical parole

MONGOLIA: General Election Committee declares run-off election

On Tuesday, Mongolia’s General Election Committee announced that a second run-off election will be held on July 9th after none of the three presidential candidates running secured a majority of votes during the first election on Monday. More than 1.3 million Mongolian citizens cast votes in the first round. Khaltmaa Battulga of the Democratic Party won the first round, with 38.1 percent of the ballot. Miyegombyn Enkhbold of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party secured 30.1 percent of total votes. Comment: Major issues in Mongolia’s seventh presidential election include the country’s looming budget deficit and the growing influence of Chinese investment. The candidate that obtains the absolute majority in the run-off election will become the fifth president of Mongolia. (Nikkei Asian Review, Reuters, South China Morning Post)

MYANMAR: Military arrests three reporters for “unlawful association” with rebel group

On Monday, three Myanmar reporters were arrested and charged under a colonial-era law for “unlawful association” with the ethnic armed group Ta’ang National Liberation Army while covering the groups’ activities in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan State. Reporters were from the bilingual media outlets Democratic Voice of Burma and the Irrawaddy. Under the Unlawful Association Act, the journalists will face up to three years in jail if convicted. Comment: The Unlawful Association Act, according to Amnesty International, dates back to British colonial rule in Myanmar before 1948 and has been used arbitrarily by authorities to arrest and detain citizens, particularly those of certain religious and ethnic backgrounds. Even though Myanmar began its transition from military rule to a democratic government in 2011, Myanmar media has grown increasingly concerned with the prosecution of free speech ever since the State Counsellor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, came to power in April 2016. (Channel News Asia, Frontier Myanmar, The Irrawaddy, Amnesty International)

Researched/Written by Laura Bisbee

CYPRUS: Peace talks reopen in Switzerland

On Wednesday in Switzerland, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades met with diplomatic delegations from guarantor states Turkey, Greece, and Britain, to begin negotiations to settle the longstanding island territorial dispute. The top issue during the discussions is security, and the UN has announced that if these peace talks fail, the island’s 50-year long UN peacekeeping operation (UNFICYP) will come to an end. Comment: Akinci and Anastasiades have been involved in reunification talks since May 2015. Many Turkish and Greek Cypriots, such as the group “Unite Cyprus Now,” see these talks as a last chance for peaceful unification of the island. On Thursday, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said the Turks were refusing to negotiate their positions, while Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the discussions were productive and will continue. (The Cyprus Weekly, Daily Sabah, The Guardian, ABC, Reuters, UN Cyprus Talks)

SPAIN: Anti-terror operation shuts down suspected IS cell in Mallorca

On Wednesday, a two-year long multinational operation ended with six individuals being arrested and detained in Spain, Germany, and the UK for allegedly fundraising and recruiting fighters for the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). The Spanish National Police have disclosed that the detained individuals include a UK-based imam already known to British and European security services, and a man in Germany who has taken part in the production of IS propaganda videos. Comment: An investigation by Spanish authorities found that the group’s supporters were growing as a result of secret weekly meetings and an increase of extremist ideology spread on social media. Spain’s national threat levels have been at the second highest level (4 out of 5) since 2015. (The Local, El Pais, CNN, BBC, NZ Embassy)

UKRAINE: Massive cyber attack hits Ukraine, spreads across globe

On Tuesday, ransomware dubbed “Petya” or “GoldenEye” crippled ports, Kyiv’s main airport, the national power grid, and banks in Ukraine, before spreading to multiple other countries around the world. The malware began infecting computers in Ukraine after users downloaded a popular program or visited a local news site, locking the machines and demanding a ransom in bitcoin in exchange for the stolen data. The virus also disrupted businesses in Russia, Poland, Italy, Denmark, France, Australia, the UK, the United States, and others. Comment: The source of the attacks, their purpose, and the extent of the damage, is still unclear. Interpol, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other cyber security experts are working together to closely monitoring the attack. Ukraine has blamed Russia for past cyber attacks, which Russia has denied. Companies in Russia were the second largest targets of this attack. (Ukraine Today, DW, NPR, Reuters RFE/RL)

Researched/Written by Natalie A. Landau

LIBYA: UN convoy released following hours of detention by gunmen in Al-Zawiya

On Wednesday, a convoy including six members from the United Nations Special Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) was freed after hours of detention by gunmen in Al-Zawiya. The gunmen abducted the UN personnel to trade them for fighters arrested by the Government of National Accord in Tripoli, but notables from Al-Zawiya city intervened and persuaded the gunmen to release the UNSMIL members unharmed, despite not answering their demands. Comment: Libya experienced extensive turmoil after the 2011 civil war and is now ruled by rival governments and armed groups. (The Libya Observer, Libya Al-Mostakbal, El-Watan News, The Washington Post, Daily Mail)

QATAR: US Secretary of State meets his Qatari counterpart over Qatar crisis

SYRIA: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges protection of 100,000 civilians trapped in Raqqa

On Wednesday, in a statement released by the OHCHR in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, expressed grave concerns and urged all world powers involved in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) to spare the lives of 100,000 civilians trapped in the city. Prince Zeid called on all parties involved in combating IS to enact measures allowing civilians who wish to flee Raqqa to do so safely. Comment: According to the UN, more than 173 civilians have been killed in operations against IS in Raqqa since the beginning of this month. (Asharq Al-Awsat, Reuters, UN News Centre)

Researched/Written by Atika Alkhallouf

INDIA: Protests against recent anti-Muslim attacks

On Wednesday, demonstrations were held across India protesting attacks on Muslims accused of killing cows or consuming beef. The movement gained traction on social media through #NotinMyName and urged the cessation of violence in the name of religion. Protests branched out of India into London, Toronto, and Boston on Thursday. The protests follow two recent incidents: the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Junaid Khan on a Mathura-bound train and the beating as well as house-burning of a man in Jharkhand state. Both individuals were accused of possessing beef or slaughtering a cow. Khan’s village of Khandwali mourned his loss and wore black armbands in silent protest during Eid celebrations on Monday. Comment: Many religious Hindus consider cows to be sacred and some Hindu nationalists promote prohibitions against slaughtering cows, even for non-Hindu citizens. According to Reuters, Hindu nationalists have injured 124 Indians in beef-related incidents since 2010. Of the 28 Indians killed in such incidents, 24 were Muslim. (India Today 1, 2, The New Indian Express, Reuters)

NEPAL: Millions vote in second phase of local elections

On Wednesday, Nepal held its second round of local elections with a 70.5 percent voter turn-out. Last month, three provinces held their elections with a 70 percent voter turn-out. Three provinces are currently holding elections with another province holding an election in September. More than 162,000 security forces have been deployed to voting areas, but no major problems have been reported. The final province is facing discontent from the ethnic Madhesis, encouraging a boycott of the elections until their demand for more territory is met. Comment: This is the first set of local elections in two decades and a landmark event in Nepal’s transition from a monarchy to democracy. The last local representatives were elected in 1997; upon expiration of their term, the Maoist insurgency took root. These elections will lead to provincial and national elections to be held in January 2018. After the new constitution was ratified, protests led by Madhesis resulted in over 50 deaths. (India, DailyMail, Al Jazeera, ABC, Reuters)