Friday News Roundup - International

While it may seem like royal baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was the only news of note from around the globe this week, of course, that wasn’t the case.

The United States seized a North Korean cargo vessel this week. The Justice Department said the ship violated trade sanctions, and that it was the first time the United States has seized a North Korean cargo ship.

This comes after South Korea said North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles and tested other weapons last week.

The China-U.S. trade contretemps ratcheted up this week. The two countries have been in a trade war since last summer, and this week, Trump administration officials said that it would increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. In addition, they said Chinese officials had “reneged” on previous commitments.

On May 5, President Donald Trump tweeted:

For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars……..of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a devastating Ebola outbreak has become increasingly difficult to address because of attacks on treatment centers. Over 1000 people have died since August.

The U.S. and Iran also amplified tensions this week. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said his country would no longer comply with parts of the Iran nuclear deal. The White House recently directed a Navy carrier task force to the area.

New Yorker writer Robin Wright told us “Iran represents the deepest split around the world between the United States and its allies since World War II.”

And the Myanmar government granted Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo their freedom. The two men spent more than 500 days in jail after reporting on the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by Buddhist civilians and security forces in the western Myanmar town of Inn Din.

We break down all that news and more.

GUESTS

Moises Naim, Distinguished fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and chief international columnist, El Pais; author of “The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being in Charge Isn’t What It Used to Be”; @MoisesNaim

Courtney Kube, National security and military reporter, NBC News; @ckubenbc

David Rennie, Beijing bureau chief, The Economist; @DSORennie

Reid Wilson, National correspondent, The Hill; @PoliticsReid

For more, visit https://the1a.org.

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