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This week, Colombia declares an end to its Zika virus epidemic; Russian athletes will be heading to the Rio Olympic Games despite mass doping charges; sub-Saharan Africa is named one of the fastest growing regions for foreign direct investment; and more.
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Americas

Colombia declared this week that its Zika virus epidemic has come to an end. Officials cited the drastic reduction of new cases per week, from 6,000 in February to about 600 today, as proof of the achievement. Over 100,000 Colombians became infected with the virus since it began spreading in September 2015. It is expected that cases of microcephaly, a birth defect stemming from the virus, will increase as infected pregnant women give birth in the coming months. The Centers for Disease Control reports that Zika continues to be prevalent in other South American countries, and has begun to spread to Europe and North America.

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• Giant 1.2 meter-wide dinosaur footprint discovered in Bolivia – BBC

Central & South Asia

On Saturday the terrorist organization known as ISIL conducted an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least 80 people of a Shiite minority. Fears of increased sectarian violence between Afghanistan’s majority Sunni and minority Shiite groups have been heightened as a result. Al Jazeera reports that there is also a fierce struggle in the country between "civic nationalism" and "tribal nationalism," and between Pashtuns and other non-Pashtun ethnic groups. Ethnic polarization in Afghanistan continues to color the country’s politics and culture.

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• Mangroves and incomes flourish as Sri Lanka’s women promote conservation – in pictures – Thilanka Ranathunga, The Guardian

China & East Asia

On Tuesday morning a Japanese man perpetrated a deadly knife attack at a care center for the disabled near Tokyo, Japan. The incident, which claimed the lives of 19 people and injured 26 more, is at odds with Japan’s low national crime rate: the country's National Policy Agency reported in 2015 that documented criminal activity was at its lowest point since the end of World War II. 

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• U.S. Navy chief says he’ll keep sailing in South China Sea – Paul McLeary, Foreign Policy

Europe & Russia

Some Russian athletes will be heading to the Rio Olympic Games after all, despite a proposed blanket ban on the country by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The International Olympic Committee announced on Sunday that individual members of the Russian team would have to be evaluated by their specific sport federations in order to attend the Games. WADA accused the Russian government of doping their athletes during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

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• French army asks citizens to enlist – but no Muslim headscarves, please – Daniel Estrin, NPR

Middle East & North Africa

During Monday's 27th Annual Summit of the Arab League, Libya urged other members to help reduce the flow of weapons into the country the hands of ISIL. Libya’s internal political divisions, under newly-elected prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj, have impaired the country’s fight against the terrorist group. Prime Minister al-Sarraj also called on the Arab League to refrain from foreign intervention to assist in the fight.

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• Women ‘arrested for riding bicycles’ in Iran and made to sign pledge never to cycle in public again – Lizzie Dearden, The Independent

Southeast Asia & Oceania

Thailand, formerly a safe haven for Chinese political dissidents, has recently been sending back asylum seekers to China. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has condemned Thailand’s deportation of refugees, highlighting in particular the 2015 deportation of 100 Uighur Muslims back to China, from where they had escaped oppression. Ties between the China and Thailand have deepened of late, primarily through increased trade relations.

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• Philippines’ Duterte calls for ceasefire in 48-year battle with communist insurgents – Kathy Quiano, CNN

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has been named one of the fastest growing parts of the world in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI). East Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in general saw the largest share of FDI-related projects at 26.3 percent. These projects have increasingly focused on the technology and retail areas of the African economy (44.7 percent of projects in 2015), rather than the extraction of natural resources. The IMF reported in July that the region would face economic slowdown in the coming years due to lowering oil and mineral prices. Even so, the region’s impressive rate of FDI is expected to remain strong.

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• Prominent Zimbabweans eye ‘National Transitional Authority’ to run country until ‘fair’ elections – Peta Thornycroft, The Telegraph

Stay informed. We’ll see you here again next week.