Page 51 - Tehelka Issue 13 - July 15, 2018

Here is a round-up of international news to update our readers on everything
important that’s happening in different parts of the world.

had portrayed Sunday’s election as their last chance to handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country,
prevent Turkey from becoming an authoritarian state. a consequence of a wave of populist anger fueled by
The victory has potentially grave consequences for rampant corruption and violence. López Obrador’s win
cooperation within NATO, security in Iraq and Syria, and puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second-
control of immigration flows into Europe. largest economy for the
first time in decades, a
prospect that has filled
millions of Mexicans
At leAst 19 people were killed and 10 others wounded with hope — and
when a suicide bomber struck a crowd of Afghan Sikhs the nation’s elites
and Hindus who had arrived to meet with Afghanistan’s with trepidation. The
President Ashraf Ghani as he visited the eastern city outcome represents
of Jalalabad. The explosion occurred well outside the a clear rejection of
compound where Ghani was holding meetings. He was the status quo in the
unharmed. The attack claimed the life of the only Sikh nation, which for the
candidate running in elections in the country this year, a last quarter century
further blow to Afghanistan’s once celebrated diversity, has been defined by a
which has been badly affected by decades of violence. centrist vision and an embrace of globalization that many
The suicide bombing was the second deadly attack in 24 Mexicans feel has not served them.
hours in the province surrounding Jalalabad, known as
Nangarhar, where
the Islamic State has
a foothold and has europeAn union leaders, after marathon talks, had
repeatedly claimed reached a compromise deal on migration, an issue that
responsibility for has created a political crisis and threatens to undermine
urban suicide the bloc. As Italy’s new populist government threatened to
bombings. Militants block progress on other, uncontroversial issues until the
had earlier targeted migration text was addressed to its satisfaction, European
a boys’ school in leaders finally reached an agreement. While details were
Khogyani district, sketchy, the leaders agreed in principle, at least, on how
beheading three to shore up their external borders and create screening
workers and setting centres for migrants, to decide more quickly whether or
fire to the school not they are legitimate
building. Although no group had claimed responsibility refugees. The
for either attack till the time of printing, the beheadings leaders agreed to
in particular bore the hallmarks of Islamic State tactics establish voluntary
and came just weeks after the group threatened to attack screening centres
schools in the area in retaliation for military operations. on European soil, to
ease the burden on
countries like Italy,
Spain and Greece
leftist leAder Andrés Manuel López Obrador where migrants
was elected president of Mexico in a landslide victory first arrive and are
that upended the nation’s political establishment and registered.
— Compilation and analysis by Ridhima Malhotra

Tehelka / 15 july 2018 51 www.Tehelka.com

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