Pence in Brussels
After calling Brexit “so smart” and NATO “obsolete,” President Trump has sent his vice President Mike Pence to meet with EU officials, according to the BBC. While many European leaders are still uncertain of future actions that may be taken by the Trump administration, President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, called the meeting “truly needed” and was grateful for Pence’s statement that America would continue to support the EU. Pence also assured the EU Security Council that America would continue to pressure Russia over conflict in the Ukraine, although he remained optimistic that America and Russia would find common ground.
Jong-un’s half-brother assassinated
While many details remain unclear, Kim Jong-il’s first-born son Kim Jong-nam, died in a Malaysian airport on Feb. 13. Malaysian law enforcement believe that he was poisoned, but have yet to release the results of an autopsy, according to the BBC. The North Korean government has already said that it “cannot trust” the results of the Malaysian autopsy because no North Korean agents were present while it was carried out, and because of how long it has taken for the reports to be released. Global concern over the case comes from these recent strains on the relationship between North Korea and Malaysia, as Malaysia is one of very few countries still on diplomatic terms with North Korea.
Famine in South Sudan
Civil war and economic collapse have led parts of South Sudan to declare famine, according to the BBC. This is the first time in six years that a famine has been reported. While the famine is currently only affecting around 100,000 people, humanitarian groups believe that millions more could be affected in the near future if the underlying problems are not addressed. Aid is being provided to the region, but if unrest continues to prevent the region from producing its own food aid will continue to be insufficient to meet need. The area most affected the “Unity State” is in the northernmost part of the country on the border with Sudan. The last time that the region experienced famine was in 1998 during the civil war that split Southern Sudan from Sudan.
