Trump expected to decertify Iran nuclear deal

IRAN: President Donald Trump is expected today to decertify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, a move that will put pressure on America’s European allies, along with the U.S. Congress, to reinstate sanctions. Some helpful reads: Republicans are divided into two camps: those who want to fix the deal, and those ready to walk away from it. Critics contend Iran’s goal remains to become a regional nuclear power, and the regime’s strategy is “to make the West believe it isn’t happening.”

NORTH KOREA: Polls only take you so far, but an Associated Press survey finds two-thirds of Americans think President Donald Trump’s war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making the world more dangerous. A longtime expert on North Korea I spoke to this week said the escalation under Trump actually has been successful in pushing China to cooperate on sanctions against Pyongyang, but the push now should be on human rights, pressing China to allow North Korean defectors safe passage: “China is key to combating this threat.”

UNITED NATIONS: Israel announced plans to follow the United States in withdrawing from UNESCO, the UN’s culture agency primarily known for designating World Heritage sites. The move is mostly over funding and the agency’s bias against Israel.

SPAIN: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has given Catalonia until Oct. 16 to give up its bid for independence, threatening to suspend the region’s autonomy and rule it directly.

IRAQ: Kurdish and coalition officials voiced alarm over Baghdad’s deployment of troops near Kirkuk, a city under Kurdish control since ISIS invaded the area in 2014. The government’s move comes amid tension over Kurdistan’s recently approved independence referendum. The military maneuvers include tanks, heavy artillery, humvees, and mortars, as well as contingents from the Iranian-backed Hashid Shaabi militias.

HUNGARY is hosting this week an international conference on Christian persecution, highlighting its 2 million euro contribution to aid displaced churches in Iraq (something the United States hasn’t done). Follow on Twitter at #HungaryHelps.

SUDAN: President Omar al-Bashir has never strayed far from the types of activities that earned him an indictment for war crimes in the International Criminal Court—the only head of state ever indicted. But that didn’t stop the Trump administration from permanently lifting sanctions against the regime last week—raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and management at the State Department.

UGANDA: Witch doctors appear to be sacrificing children in Uganda, but please don’t blame it on climate change.

NEW ZEALAND: This week the church bells of Christchurch rang to welcome the bar-tailed godwits, whose return signals the arrival of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Godwits make the longest known nonstop flight of any bird—about 7,000 miles—migrating between New Zealand and Alaska. Here’s the story of one female godwit researchers tracked: At about 15 years old, she’s flown enough miles to take her to the moon.

NOTE: I’m in Europe, leading next week several workshops at the MTI Crisis Publishing Initiative in Sopron, Hungary. … Back in the States, I’ll be speaking at Montreat College in Montreat, N.C., during chapel at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23. I always look forward to connecting with Globe Trotters on the road.

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