|
 |
 |
|
Thursday's global agenda: Senate marks up North Korea bill
Your morning global affairs speed-read
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets today to mark up S. 298, the North Korea Nonproliferation and Accountability Act of 2013. The bill, which was held up by objections from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday, calls on the Obama administration to seek more sanctions at the United Nations for Monday's nuclear test and for an international probe of North Korea's human rights violations.
Meanwhile, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) introduce a bipartisan resolution calling on the administration to seek further sanctions. The resolution is expected to come to the floor on Friday.
Focus on Mali: Royce's committee holds a hearing this morning on “The Crisis in Mali: U.S. Interests and the International Response.” Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Amanda Dory will testify. Watch it online here.
Embassy security: The House Appropriations subpanel on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is holding a closed hearing this morning on embassy security with Patrick Kennedy, the Under Secretary of State for Management.
High-level talks: A host of world leaders are in Washington today.
- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department and is expected to hold a press conference afterwards;
- Kerry will also meet with High Representative of the European Union Catherine Ashton, at the Department of State;
- Vice-President Joe Biden hosts a lunch meeting with President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy at Blair House. Napolitano, who is on his farewell tour as president, also meets with House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before meeting with President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry on Friday;
- And Acting Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin meets today with European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier.
In other news:
The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog failed to reach a deal with Iran on its alleged nuclear program during Wednesday's talks. [The New York Times]
Iran recently purchased tens of thousands of highly specialized magnets used in centrifuge machines, a sign that the country may be planning a major expansion of its nuclear program, according to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security. [The Washington Post]
Lobbying and regulations:
The United States Global Change Research Program, in cooperation with the Department of State, is requesting expert review of the Second Order Draft of the 2013 Supplement to the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands.
Global Affairs news you might have missed:
Kerry says he's weighing new options against Syria's Assad
UN chief briefs Congress on North Korea, Syria
Rubio, Risch demand information on Benghazi suspect
Do you have an event or upcoming report you'd like to share? Any comments / complaints / suggestions?
Please contact me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8527
Follow me on Twitter @JPecquetTheHill
