Welcome to the weekly world briefing, a midweek feature that helps you stay up to date on issues worldwide and how they affect travelers. Is there something you think should be added to the next briefing? Tell us on Twitter.
In Kashmir…
A suicide bomber killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel last week in one of the region’s deadliest attacks in decades. The militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) took credit for the attack on the Indian convoy. Days later, gunfire broke out between militants and Indian army personnel, killing six.
India’s foreign ministry has accused the Pakistani government of supporting the militants behind the spike in violence. “It is a well-known fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. [This] should be sufficient proof for Pakistan to take action,” the ministry said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a “strong response.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged India to “stop blaming Pakistan without any proof or evidence.” He continued, “If you think that you will launch any kind of attack on Pakistan, Pakistan will not just think about retaliation, Pakistan will retaliate.”
After the attacks, India revoked Pakistan’s Most Favoured Nations trading status and raised customs duties to 200 percent. It is unclear whether further action will be taken, though India’s congress is blaming Modi for “huge security lapses” and criticizing his previous friendly interactions with Pakistani leaders. Modi, who is up for reelection this Spring, may need to react strongly to garner support from voters. The last direct military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations was in 2016, when Indian troops crossed over the border into the Pakistani-controlled section of Kashmir.
Kashmir has been one of the most militarized regions of the world for the past 70 years. Since both Pakistan and India gained independence from the British Empire in 1947, parts of the region have been claimed by India, Pakistan, and China. India currently controls 43 percent of the land, but around 70 percent of the population, while Pakistan controls 37 percent of the land, and China rules the remaining 20 percent. Political developments in the 1940’s resulted in India controlling a large portion of the province, but militant groups such as JeM believe that the entire region should be under Pakistani control.
Our Take: Though it is safe to visit both India and Pakistan, and though we’re not always against visits to some areas of Kashmir, we recommend not traveling to Kashmir now. This recommendation will only get stronger the closer it gets to India’s elections. When Imran Khan took office in Pakistan last year, there seemed to be hope for reduced tensions. The Pakistani military showed signs of openness toward dialogue and Khan’s government reached out to India’s to resume talks in late 2018. Yet, the situation has only worsened. 2018 was the region’s deadliest year since 2009. More than 500 people, including 145 civilians, were killed. The UN accused both countries of human rights abuses in a report last year. We hope things calm down in the region, as tourism is an important part of the economy. Stay tuned for updates on the security situation throughout the year.
In the United States…
President Trump declared a national emergency last week to free up money to build his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. He announced he would implement a national emergency hours before congress voted to fund the government with only $1.6 billion for the wall. Trump had asked for $5.7 billion. By declaring a national emergency, Trump is able to pull funds from other areas, such as the budget of the Department of Defense, and use them toward wall construction. The declaration is unpopular with around 60 percent of Americans who say they oppose the national emergency.
Sixteen states are suing the federal government. To win, the states must prove they have sustained a concrete injury or that an injury is imminent due to the national emergency. For example, Colorado may claim that the diversion of funding from its military bases harms the state’s economy. The states may also argue that Trump himself has made clear that the border situation is not a national emergency. Trump recently told reporters he “didn’t need to do this,” but wanted to build the wall quickly.
The 16 states are not the only challengers to Trump’s emergency declaration. Landowners and environmentalists have filed their own lawsuits. Three South Texas landowners have filed a lawsuit claiming, “The construction of a wall pursuant to the Declaration threatens an imminent invasion of their privacy and the quiet enjoyment of their land, both during construction and after.” The Center for Biological Diversity sued as well, arguing that the wall would harm its members. “These harms would include immediate impacts, such as precluding future visitations of impacted areas, destroying wildlife habitat, and killing individual wildlife species. Border wall construction would also result in longer term harm, by blocking connectivity between wildlife populations in the U.S. and Mexico, harming the long term viability of those species, and in some cases, resulting in their extirpation from the United States.”
Our Take: Building a longer wall on the U.S.-Mexico border at a time when crossings are low is a bad idea. Diverting funds from elsewhere by declaring a national emergency is an even worse one. The majority of people attempting to enter the U.S. through Mexico in recent years are asylum seekers. Instead of demonizing people searching for a better life, the U.S. should work with asylum seekers and the governments of their home countries to improve the lives of all involved. Freedom of movement is a core belief at Curiosity. Xenophobia disguised as a wall should not be tolerated. We also believe strongly in protecting biodiversity.
In Tanzania…
A Chinese businesswoman known as the “Ivory Queen” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in trafficking 860 elephant tusks from 2000-2014. Yang Fenglan is charged with overseeing the illegal trafficking of tusks from over 400 elephants, but activists say her network slaughtered thousands more. Demand for ivory in Asia has fueled massive poaching efforts throughout Africa. Yang’s sentencing is a major win for environmental groups seeking to stop the practice of poaching elephants for their ivory. Tanzania’s elephant population shrunk to 43,000 in 2014, from 110,000 in 2009.
Our Take: Yang’s sentencing is a win for environmentalists and travelers alike. Hopefully, it will deter other businesspeople from participating in the illegal ivory trade. East Africa’s many wildlife sanctuaries are incredible travel destinations, and it would be devastating to lose the area’s elephants due to poaching. On the note of elephants, if you are visiting East Africa or parts of Asia where seeing elephants is a popular tourist attraction, be sure to seek out a sanctuary that does more to protect elephants than it does to ensure tourists get good photos. You can find a helpful guide here.
In Egypt…
After landing in Cairo, New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick was detained for hours, then sent back to London. Washington Post Cairo bureau chief Sudarsan Raghavan wrote that Kirkpatrick’s expulsion was “part of a growing crackdown on journalists by the government of President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, who is presiding over what critics describe as the most authoritarian era in Egypt’s modern history.”
Last week, Egypt’s parliament voted to amend the constitution to lift term limits, keeping Sissi in power through 2034, and give the president broad powers. The changes are headed to a review and second vote in the assembly. Pro-democracy activists say the changes would result in a dictatorship, and fear changes that would result from removing checks and balances of the president’s power from the constitution.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Egypt 161st out of 180 countries for press freedom in 2017 and called it “one of the world’s biggest prisons for journalists.” Kirkpatrick was the New York Times Cairo bureau chief from 2011 to 2015. He recently wrote ‘Into the Hands of the Soldiers,’ a book critical of the government, though it is unclear why he was detained.
Our take: We’re always angered by attempts to prohibit the work of journalists, as freedom of information and the press are core to our beliefs at Curiosity Magazine. That said, Egypt is safe to visit for most tourists and news like this shouldn’t stop you from going. We have immense respect for journalists both local and foreign who put their safety on the line to report on the government and injustices in Egypt or any country. You can help them stay safe while bringing you world news through donating to the Committee to Protect Journalists or Reporters Without Borders. Both promote press freedom worldwide, defend the rights of journalists, and provide information, safety courses, and other resources for journalists in the field.
