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This week, Swiss voters rejected a guaranteed income from the government; Saudi Arabia attempts to move beyond its oil dependence; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington; and more.
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Americas

In Peru’s presidential election, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a liberal economist, narrowly defeated Keiko Fujimori by just 39,000 out of almost 18 million votes, a margin of 0.2 percent. Fujimori conceded on Friday. The election was seen as a referendum on the presidency of Fujimori’s father, who ruled as an autocrat from 1990 to 2000 and is serving a long prison sentence for human rights abuses and corruption.

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• Undeniable atrocities: Confronting crimes against humanity in Mexico – Open Society Justice Initiative

Central & South Asia

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the White House and spoke to Congress this week and said that India would ratify the Paris climate change pact this year. The pledge puts the pact over the necessary threshold for ratification and implementation. The visit also led to an agreement on building new nuclear power plants in India and opening the country up to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

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• Singapore Red Cross helps Sri Lanka cyclone victims – Vivienne Lim, The New Paper

China & East Asia

China and the United States are participating in talks this week at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Many in the U.S. business community, however, say the annual dialogue is "delivering diminishing returns in resolving commercial disputes." U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew called on Beijing to treat foreign companies with the same openness that Chinese firms often receive around the world. China agreed to cut its steel production in response to markets around the world being hurt by the material’s overproduction by Chinese manufacturers.

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• South Korea courts isolated North’s old friends (Cuba, Iran, Uganda) in push for change – Jack Kim, Reuters

Europe & Russia

On Sunday Swiss voters rejected an initiative to provide its citizens with a guaranteed basic income. Had it been approved, the Swiss government would have automatically provided adult residents with 2,500 francs (about $2,560) and children with 625 francs (about $650) each a month in order to combat issues of income disparity and provide a more equal economic playing field for citizens. Other countries, such as Finland, are also toying with the idea. The Swiss proposition lost with 77 percent of voters against it, citing, among other things, that it was too costly.

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• Bracing for terrorism: How France is preparing for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament –  Alissa Rubin and Benoît Morenne, The New York Times

Middle East & North Africa

Saudi Arabia seeks to implement a plan called "Saudi Vision 2030," which was ratified earlier this week, in light of the country’s major oil woes. The country is attempting to move beyond its oil dependence and bolster economies in other categories of production. To initiate this overhaul, the Saudis are planning on cutting public sector wages and putting taxes on sodas and tobacco. As CNN reports, "The kingdom relies on oil for around 80 percent of its government revenues." That might soon change. Saudi Arabia also recently cut oil prices in Europe to foster competition with Iran, who has arrived back on the oil scene after sanctions were lifted against the nation earlier this year. 

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• European researchers used 3D-modeling and Instagram to recreate a museum destroyed by the Islamic State – Abigail Cain, Quartz

Southeast Asia & Oceania

Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani announced that Japan will support Southeast Asian nations in strenghtening security capabilities to monitor and counter coercive Chinese actions in the South China Sea. Their involvement includes "large-scale and rapid land reclamation, building outposts and utiliz[ing] them for military purposes in the South China Sea." .

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• Singapore tells foreign companies to stop backing gay pride event – Jeevan Vasagar, Financial Times

Sub-Saharan Africa

Albinos are being victimized in many African nations as superstitions abound that using albino body parts can cure disease and provide other benefits. It is becoming a serious issue: a representative from the UN Human Right’s Council stated that "Malawi’s 10,000 albinos face ‘total extinction’ if nothing is done." There has been a rise in violence against albinos, including abductions and kidnappings. Malawi is beginning to implement a system where albinos are registered with the government in order to better protect their mistreatment and handle cases of abduction.

Also check out:

• Tensions rise in Kenya as opposition rejects ban on protests – Felix Njini, Bloomberg

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