Americas

Good morning, Nepal Protests Kill 19, Parliament Stormed At least 19 people died and dozens were injured as police fired live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets at young protesters demonstrating against Nepal’s social media ban and government corruption, with some forcing their way into Parliament in Kathmandu. Seven victims died at the National Trauma Centre with many shot in the head and chest, while thousands of students in school uniforms held signs reading “Shut down corruption and not social media” as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called an emergency cabinet meeting. The UN called for accountability following the bloodshed as analysts said Gen Z frustration with unstable governments, rampant corruption and limited job prospects had reached a “tipping point” after the government blocked Facebook, YouTube and X for failing to register with authorities, prompting what organizers dubbed “demonstrations by Gen Z” demanding change from a generation that “grew up with the optimism and dream of an inclusive new Nepal.” ...

Good morning, Maduro Threatens ‘Republic in Arms’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated he would “declare a republic in arms” if attacked by US forces, asserting Washington’s Caribbean naval deployment targets regime change rather than drug trafficking as officially claimed. Maduro alleged the US deployed “eight military ships with 1,200 missiles and a submarine targeting Venezuela,” describing it as “the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” He mobilized troops along borders and activated citizen militias in response. ...

Good morning, As a reminder, it’s just the ratings and regional news summaries this week while I’m on leave. Americas Stability Ratings and News Summary More Unstable Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Saint Lucia, Suriname, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, United States Of America, Venezuela More Stable No countries were more stable over this period ...

US Revokes 6,000 Student Visas, Hamas Accepts Gaza Truce Proposal, US-Europe Summit Yields Ukraine Security Plan Good morning, 🇺🇸 US Revokes 6,000 Student Visas The State Department revoked over 6,000 international student visas for violations including assault, DUI, burglary and “support for terrorism,” with about 4,000 revoked for breaking US law and 200-300 for terrorism-related activities. The crackdown comes as the Trump administration targets international students, requiring social media account disclosure for enhanced screening to identify “hostility toward US citizens, culture, or institutions” and those supporting “designated foreign terrorists.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “thousands” of visas have been rescinded since January with more planned, while Democrats criticized the effort as attacking due process, affecting a population of over 1.1 million international students from 210+ countries enrolled in US colleges. More - BBC ...

Zelenskyy: Putin Planning ‘New Offensive’, Nigerian Troops Kill 100+ ‘Bandits’ Good morning, Apologies for the formatting issue with some versions of yesterday’s SITREP. 🇺🇦 Zelenskyy: Putin Planning ‘New Offensive’ Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned that Putin is preparing for “new offensive operations” rather than a ceasefire, despite Friday’s scheduled Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, saying intelligence reports show Russia redeploying troops for further assaults. Zelenskyy rejected Trump’s suggestion of “land swapping,” stating “concessions do not persuade a killer” as 26 European leaders stressed Ukraine’s right to “choose its own destiny” and that borders “must not be changed by force.” The warnings come as Trump said he would know “in the first two minutes” whether progress with Putin was possible, while the Institute for the Study of War noted Moscow isn’t preparing its public for anything short of “full victory in Ukraine.” More - Al Jazeera ...

Trump Threatens India Tariff Hike, Brazil Orders Bolsonaro House Arrest, DRC-Rwanda Economic Framework Agreed Good morning, 🇮🇳 Trump Threatens India Tariff Hike President Trump vowed to “substantially raise” tariffs on Indian exports beyond the current 25% rate over India’s purchases of Russian oil, saying New Delhi profits from reselling discounted Russian crude on global markets. India’s foreign ministry slammed the targeting as “unjustified and unreasonable,” noting it began buying Russian oil after traditional supplies were diverted to Europe and the US “encouraged such imports.” The escalation comes ahead of Trump’s August 8 deadline for Russia to reach a Ukraine truce, with secondary sanctions threatened against countries buying Russian energy as India has become a major buyer at 1.7 million barrels daily. More - Bloomberg ...

Thailand Accuses Cambodia of Ceasefire Breach, “Worst Case” Famine in Gaza: UN Andrew Sheves Good morning, 🇹🇭 🇰🇭** Thailand Accuses Cambodia of Ceasefire Breach** Thailand accused Cambodia of violating a hours-old ceasefire just after it took effect at midnight Tuesday, though Cambodia said there were “no armed clashes” since the truce began following intense fighting up to the deadline. The ceasefire followed escalating border conflict that began in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed, intensifying last week after five Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine and Cambodia fired rockets into Thailand killing civilians. The truce was brokered by Malaysia after Trump threatened to halt tariff negotiations until the Southeast Asian neighbors stopped fighting, with both sides agreeing to pull back armies and accept independent monitoring. ...

Microsoft SharePoint Cyberattack, WHO Condemns Israeli Attacks on Gaza Facilities, Pakistan Monsoon Deaths, Damage Increase Andrew Sheves Good morning, 🪲** Microsoft SharePoint Cyberattack** Hackers exploited a security flaw in Microsoft SharePoint software to breach governments, businesses and organizations globally, stealing sensitive information including sign-in credentials and usernames. Multiple government systems were compromised including the US Department of Education, Florida’s Department of Revenue, Rhode Island General Assembly, and national governments in Europe and the Middle East. Over 10,000 companies with on-premise SharePoint servers are at risk, with researchers identifying at least 50 successful breaches across North America, South America, EU, South Africa and Australia, making it “a dream for ransomware operators” due to SharePoint’s deep integration with Microsoft’s platform. More - Bloomberg ...

China’s Economy Beats Expectations, Trump Threatens Russia Tariffs, Druze-Bedouin Clashes Kill 99 in Syria Andrew Sheves Good morning, 🇨🇳 China’s Economy Beats Expectations China’s economy grew 5.2% in the second quarter, beating forecasts as strong factory output and exports to non-US markets offset weak domestic consumption. Industrial production surged 6.8% in June while retail sales disappointed at 4.8%, highlighting the persistent imbalance between strong supply and weak domestic demand. Despite a 24% slump in US shipments, overall exports rose as government subsidies and fiscal stimulus supported growth, providing Beijing breathing room ahead of potential tariff escalation when the current US trade truce ends in mid-August. More - Bloomberg ...

Oil Steadies Despite Tariff, Red Sea Attacks, 11 Killed in Kenya Protests, Trump Extends Tariff Deadline Andrew Sheves Good morning, 🛢️ Oil Steadies Despite Tariff, Red Sea Attacks Oil steadied near $69 per barrel as traders focused on potential fallout from Trump’s new tariffs and escalating Red Sea attacks, with Brent holding gains after Monday’s 1.9% advance despite OPEC+ announcing larger-than-expected supply increases for August. A second vessel was targeted near Yemen hours after Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for an earlier ship attack, raising Middle East tensions despite the fragile Israel-Iran truce. Trump announced tariffs starting August 1 on Japan, South Korea and other partners but suggested negotiations remain possible, while diesel markets show tightness with US stockpiles at lowest seasonal levels since 1996. More - Bloomberg ...