L’IMPATTO DELLA GUERRA IN UCRAINA SULLE FORNITURE ALIMENTARI MONDIALI

FOCUS – May 16, 2022. By David Uren, The Strategist. The impact of the Russia–Ukraine war on global food supplies is being magnified by nations imposing bans on food and fertiliser exports to preserve stocks for their domestic needs. Since the invasion, 15 nations have imposed restrictions on food and fertiliser exports, including new bans imposed last week by India on wheat exports and Indonesia on sales of palm oil. Food supplies squeezed by Ukraine war and trade bans

TODAY:

• AROUND THE WORLD
• DEFENSE – MILITARY – CYBER
• HORIZONS
• TECH

AROUND THE WORLD

Australia – China

• May 16, 2022. By Graeme Dobell, The Strategist. As a Chinese navy ship nosed around Australia’s northwest coast, China sailed to the centre of the formal foreign policy debate. The ship got more attention from the press than the National Press Club face-off between Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her Labor shadow, Penny Wong. The China consensus in Australia’s election

Burkina Faso

• May 16, 2022. By HRW. Armed Islamist groups and government security forces and militia in Burkina Faso are committing increased abuses against civilians as the conflict there intensifies and widens, Human Rights Watch said today. The Burkina Faso government, which took power in a January 2022 coup, should better protect civilians from attack and ensure that government forces respect human rights. Burkina Faso: Armed Islamists Kill, Rape Civilians

China

• May 16, 2022. By Global Times. China’s largest integrated refining-petrochemical project was officially put into operation on Monday, and the facility is expected to reduce the imports of chemical raw materials by up to 10 percent. China’s refining-petrochemical project to cut imports of chemical raw materials
• May 16, 2022. By Global Times. A total of 36 Chinese cities introduced policies to support the property market within the first 15 days in May, according to incomplete statistics, indicative of policy relaxation to shore up home sales. But analysts said that the downturn in real estate is significant, and it can only be solved by addressing the sector’s financial structure and curbing the pandemic. Dawn appears for real estate sector after government’s policy relaxation, but analysts says improving financial structure is key to real estate recovery
• May 16, 2022. By Global Times. Shanghai port, the world largest container port and major transportation hub, has seen its container throughput in April recovering to 80 percent of last year’s levels as the city moves toward a gradual and steady resumption of business after the epidemic situation eased with no new positive infections reported at the community level for two consecutive days as of Monday. Shanghai port sees 80% recovery in container throughput despite epidemic drag; port efficiency edges over US
• May 16, 2022. By Kalpit A. Mankikar, ORF. Nearly a century ago the notion that ideology could triumph over nature was formulated by the Soviet biologist Trofim Lysenko. Lysenko claimed that he could alter seeds to make them immune to the vagaries of nature, in effect growing fruits in the sub-zero terrain of Siberia. Eager to revolutionise agriculture in the USSR, Joseph Stalin put Lysenko at the helm. Lysenko’s radical ideas along with a policy of forcing millions into state-run farms led to disastrous harvests and famine. When Lysenko’s ideas ran counter to the principles of genetics, which was a fledgling field of research in the 1930s, he rubbished science. Despite Lysenko’s failures, Stalin backed Russia’s star scientist because the latter had promised to boost crop yields nationwide and transform the barren Russian hinterland into giant farms. The People’s Republic under Mao Zedong later adopted his methods in the late 1950s and endured even bigger famines. With the passage of time, Lysenkoism entered the lexicon symbolising calculated distortion of facts or theories to favour a political narrative. China’s economy is paying the cost of political Lysenkoism

China – Pakistan

• May 16, 2022. By Global Times. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday that China gives priority to its relations with Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy, and urged Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Karachi terrorist attack, where Chinese nationals were killed, to justice as soon as possible. Chinese premier urges bringing Karachi terrorist attackers to justice

Cuba

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Cuban lawmakers on Sunday approved a new penal code for the country that is being critiqued by some rights groups who say its clause on foreign funding may be used to unjustly stifle dissent and independent journalism in the wake of widespread anti-government protests last July. Cuban lawmakers pass new penal code critiqued by rights, media groups

Ethiopia – Tigray

• May 16, 2022. By Giulia Paravicini, Katharine Houreld, Reuters. Authorities in Ethiopia’s war-shattered Tigray region are forcing young people to join their army’s fight against the central government by threatening and jailing relatives, according to captured fighters and residents. Some Ethiopians claim forced recruitment by Tigrayan forces

Europe – USA

• May 16, 2022. By Philip Blenkinsop, Mathieu Rosemain, Reuters. The European Union and the United States agreed on Monday to closer cooperation to counter disrupted supply of commodities and food caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to combat disinformation from Moscow.  EU, U.S. step up cooperation to combat Ukraine war disruption

France

• May 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. EDF has strengthened operational safety at its Civaux nuclear power plant by addressing the findings of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review which took place in 2019, a follow-up mission has concluded. IAEA sees improved operational safety at Civaux : Regulation & Safety

France – Africa

• May 16, 2022. By Rajen Harshé, ORF. Emmanuel Macron was re-elected as the President of France on 24 April 2022, polling nearly 58.5 percent of the votes cast in the final round. After the elections, since the centrist forces led by Macron have lost more ground to the anti-immigrant far-right forces led by Le Pen, his political adversary, France appears to be more divided. In France’s multicultural society, there are roughly 6.8 million immigrants.  Macron’s Africa Policy: Situating Jihadist threat in Mali and the Sahel region

India

• May 16, 2022. By Saurabh Sharma, Reuters. A court in north India on Monday ordered authorities to limit large Muslim prayer gatherings in the historic Gyanvapi mosque after a survey team found relics of the Hindu god Shiva and other Hindu symbols there, lawyers involved in the case said. Indian court prohibits large religious gathering at mosque after Hindu idols found-lawyers

India – G20

• May 16, 2022. By Shruti Jain, ORF. As India gears up to officially assume the G20 presidency this year, it must recognise and address the core challenges it is likely to face. There are several aspects that India will need to consider while setting up its agenda—how can it take forward the work done by the past presidencies? Which issues should it prioritise? How can it pursue its own agenda in the global context? Challenges for India’s upcoming G20 presidency

Iran – UAE

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Iran’s top diplomat is expected to visit the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said, welcoming the appointment of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan as the Gulf state’s president last week. Iran’s foreign minister to visit UAE on Monday – spokesperson

Latvia

• May 16, 2022. By  Andrius Sytas, Reuters. Latvia’s interior minister resigned on Monday under pressure from the ruling coalition which criticized the police for failing to ban the country’s Russian speakers from commemorating earlier this month the Soviet Union’s victory in World War Two. Latvian minister resigns after commemoration of Soviet wartime victory

Lebanon

• May 16, 2022. By Laila Bassam, Timour Azhari, Maya Gebeily, Tom Perry, Reuters. Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies are likely to lose their majority in the Lebanese parliament after Sunday’s election, three sources allied to the group said, in a major blow to the heavily armed faction that reflects anger with ruling parties. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, allies likely to lose parliamentary majority
• May 16, 2022. By Laila Bassam, Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily, Reuters. Iran-backed Hezbollah has been dealt a blow in Lebanon’s parliamentary election with preliminary results showing losses for some of its oldest allies and the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces party saying it had gained seats. Lebanon vote brings blow for Hezbollah allies in preliminary results

• May 16, 2022. By Agence France-Press. The results of Lebanon’s first elections since multiple crises ravaged the country were expected Monday, with opposition groups hoping for modest but unprecedented gains. Lebanon awaits results of first vote since multiple crises

Libya

• May 15, 2022. By The Libya Observer.  Foreign ministers from the G7 group of industrialized nations called for the rapid identification of the legal basis for holding free, fair, and inclusive elections as soon as possible in Libya. G7 urges swift adoption of voting rules in Libya

• May 15, 2022. By The Libyan Observer. The Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanallah, has confirmed that Libya has the potential to develop hydrocarbon resources and then provide Europe with safe supplies of oil and natural gas using the existing pipelines in the sea. Sanallah: Libya is the appropriate place to invest in natural gas

• May 15, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The coastal road leading to Janzour district west of central Tripoli has been reopened for traffic after being blocked in the early hours of Sunday following clashes between two armed factions. Road to Janzour reopened after being blocked by clashes early morning

• May 15, 2022. By The Libya Observer. Libyan Crimes Watch (LCW) has condemned the kidnapping of lawyer Adnan Al-Arfi in Benghazi. LCW decries detention of lawyer in Benghazi

• May 15, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The mayor of Ghadames Municipality has renewed his call for UNESCO to remove the old city of Ghadames from the list of threatened sites. Mayor of Ghadames urges UNESCO to remove old city from list of threatened sites

• May 15, 2022. By The Libya Observer. Washington has reiterated support for the temporary freezing of oil revenues in the National Oil Corporation (NOC) account at the Libyan Foreign Bank until reaching an agreement on a revenue management mechanism. US supports temporary freezing of NOC revenues at LFB

Malaysia

• May 15, 2022. By Francis E Hutchinson, East Asia Forum. Long characterised by ‘stability’ and excessive concentration of power, Malaysia’s politics have become fluid and unpredictable. With elite compacts and agreements hammered out behind closed doors, the country now has public plot twists worthy of a Netflix series. Malaysian politics now a three-legged race

Mekong

• May 16, 2022. By Anoulak Kittikhoun, The Interpreter. Milton Osborne mischaracterises the Mekong River Commission when writing last month in The Interpreter that the regional organisation “ignores reality”. To say we were “celebrating” the health of the river at our Mekong Day event on 5 April overlooks the fact that on that day I continued to “sound the alarm” about the Mekong’s perilous condition nowadays. Diplomacy is indispensable to manage the Mekong

Nigeria

• May 16, 2022. By Anietie Ewang, HRW. A female student, Deborah Samuel, was gruesomely murdered in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state last week after she was accused of blasphemy. Efforts by the authorities to identify and arrest those involved in her murder have been met with protests, which have further stoked religious tensions across the predominantly Muslim state. Student in Nigeria Murdered Over Blasphemy Allegation

Pakistan – China

• May 16, 2022. By Syed Fazl-e-Haider, The Interpreter. In Pakistan’s southwest region of Balochistan – the country’s largest province by area but least populous and least developed despite having huge mineral and energy resources – there is a battle being waged for independence. The Baloch have grievances against the Pakistan government, which has historically exploited the province’s resources and neglected its development needs. Military handling of unrest in the region by Islamabad has deepened the sense of alienation and frustration felt in Balochistan, spawning several separatist groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF). Pakistani separatists turn their sights on China

Philippines

• May 16, 2022. By East Asia Forum. The last time a Marcos claimed victory in a Philippine presidential election, it was on the back of a victory so tainted by fraud it sparked a democratic revolution. Thirty-six years later, voters in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest democracy have delivered Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr to the presidential palace from which he fled along with his father into exile. Those who fought for democracy in the 1986 ‘people power’ revolution, and who fought to protect the achievements of the movement since then, are understandably shellshocked. Marcos victory in the Philippines reflects a new arc of old politics in Southeast Asia

Russia – Finland – Sweden – NATO

• May 16, 2022. By Yang Sheng, Zhang Changyue, Global Times. NATO expansion continues despite the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the US-led military alliance could include two more European countries, Finland and Sweden, which previously held a military neutrality stance between NATO and Russia. Chinese analysts said that this could add new uncertainty to the security of Europe, but it does not mean there will be new military conflicts in the continent as they believe Russia can solve its concerns with these two countries in political ways, otherwise they will fall into a US trap to further worsen the security situation of Europe. NATO expansion with Finland, Sweden’s bid tips balance, adds uncertainty to Europe
• May 16, 2022. By Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. Sweden’s ruling party today announced plans to apply for NATO membership, a dramatic turnaround from decades of Swedish policy — and a change tied directly into Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine. Sweden applying for NATO membership; other Nordic nations pledge security support
• May 16, 2022. By Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters. President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that Russia would respond if NATO began to bolster the military infrastructure of Sweden and Finland which have both decided to join the U.S. military alliance after the invasion of Ukraine. Putin says Russia will respond if NATO bolsters Sweden, Finland militarily

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday said Finland and Sweden should have no illusions that Moscow will simply put up with their joining the NATO military alliance, calling it a mistake that would have far-reaching consequences. Russia calls Finland, Sweden joining NATO a mistake with ‘far-reaching consequences’

Russia – Ukraine (impact, reactions, consequences)

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Russia said on Monday that it had agreed to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers from the bunkers below the besieged Azovstal steel works in Mariupol to a medical facility in the Russian-controlled town of Novoazovsk. Russia says it will evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers from Azovstal

• May 16, 2022. By Jonathan Landay, Tom Balmforth, Reuters. Ukrainian troops have pushed Russian forces back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and some have advanced as far as the border with Russia, Ukrainian officials said on Monday. Russian forces fall back in northeast Ukraine, McDonald’s retreats from Moscow

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Russia on Monday said its forces had shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets, one near Snake Island in the Black Sea and the others in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, while its missiles continued to pound targets in the east of the country. Russia says it shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets, one near Snake Island

• May 16, 2022. By Orhan Coskun, Can Sezer, Jonathan Spicer, Reuters. Turkey must maintain a delicate diplomatic balance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine so that it remains able to help facilitate an eventual negotiated end to the war, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said in an interview. Turkey must keep diplomatic balance for peace talks -Erdogan adviser

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Ukraine said on Monday troops defending the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, had repelled Russian forces and advanced as far as the border with Russia. Ukraine says troops defending Kharkiv have reached Russian border

• May 16, 2022. By Jonathan Landay, Tom Balmforth, Reuters. Ukraine counter-attacked Russian forces on the eastern front on Monday with fighting reported near its second-largest city of Kharkiv, after Western military agencies said Moscow’s offensive in the Donbas region had stalled. Ukraine counter-attacks Russian forces in the east

Sudan

• May 16, 2022. By Baher al-Kady, Al Monitor. Political deadlock has prevailed in Sudan following the actions of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Sovereign Council, on Oct. 25, 2021, to dissolve the military-civilian Sovereign Council and the government, impose a state of emergency and suspend work on some provisions of the constitutional document. Skepticism about Sudanese military’s calls for dialogue

Sweden – Turkey – NATO

• May 16, 2022. By Reuters. Sweden will send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara’s objections to its plan to join NATO, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said, with a formal decision to hand in an application expected on Monday. Sweden to try to overcome Turkish objections to its NATO bid

USA

• May 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been identified as the preferred site for the construction and operation of the sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) released by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Final environmental impact statement for US Versatile Test Reactor : New Nuclear

USA – Middle East

• May 16, 2022. By Agence France-Press. The United States will remove a Jewish extremist group linked to late rabbi Meir Kahane as well as a Palestinian militant group from a terror blacklist after years without violence, an official said Sunday. US removes Jewish extremist Kahane movement from terror blacklist

USA – ASEAN

• May 16, 2022. By Susannah Patton, The Interpreter. US President Joe Biden hosted ASEAN leaders in Washington last week for a special summit to commemorate 45 years of US-ASEAN ties. Such a meeting was long in the making, having been mooted under the Trump administration but deferred due to the Covid pandemic, and then delayed in 2022 due to scheduling difficulties. Five takeaways were evident from the meeting for US engagement with the region. Scoring Biden’s ASEAN summit

Yemen

• May 16. By Abdulkarim al-Marani and Mohammed Huwais, AFP, Al Monitor. The first commercial flight in nearly six years took off from Yemen’s rebel-held capital on Monday, a major step forward in a peace process that has provided rare relief from conflict. First commercial flight in 6 years leaves Yemen’s rebel-held capital

DEFENSE – MILITARY – CYBER

• May 16, 2022. By Liu Xuanzun, Global Times. China’s domestically developed Z-20 helicopter can transport a wide variety of vehicles including self-propelled mortars, howitzers, multiple rocket launchers and air defense missile platforms as well as land drones, giving aerial assault troops more tactical options and advantages, experts said on Monday, after the chopper recently successfully practiced sling-loading an all-terrain vehicle for the first time. China’s Z-20 chopper sling-loads all-terrain vehicle for 1st time, can transport ‘artillery, drones’
• May 16, 2022. By Naval News. Combining innovation and excellence, Serco Australia and Civmec have come together to pursue their shared vision to deliver the next-generation in assured amphibious capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under a new Joint Venture (JV) company, the Australian Maritime Alliance (AMA). Serco and Civmec team-up for Australia’s LAND 8710 program
• May 16, 2022. By Naval News. Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP) established Unmanned Surface Vessel Division (USVDIV) One during a ceremony, May 13, which also included a change of command ceremony for Surface Development Squadron (SURFDEVRON) One. U.S. Pacific Fleet establishes USV Division
• May 16, 2022. By Naval News. The Finnish Navy conducted naval exercises in the Baltic Sea region involving coastal missile batteries in addition to naval units. The naval units of the Swedish Navy participated in the exercises as well. Finnish Navy holds drills in Northern Baltic Sea
• May 16, 2022. By Naval News. Commencing today, HMAS Creswell and the waters of Jervis Bay will be the scene of a simulated, next generation naval battlespace – Exercise Autonomous Warrior 2022 (AW22). Royal Australian Navy Kicks Off Exercise Autonomous Warrior
• May 16, 2022. By Arie Egozi, Breaking Defense. Finland and Sweden’s now professed intention to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already spurred talks between those governments and Israel about purchasing advanced Israel defense systems and weapons, according to defense sources here. Finland and Sweden eye Israeli defense systems: Sources
• May 16, 2022. By Breaking Defense. It was only a few years ago that the US Air Force developed a goal of having 386 operational squadrons. But already that number feels like a relic of the past, with service leaders having clearly moved away from it. In this new op-ed, Doug Birkey of the Mitchell Institute argues that the service should respect the research that went into that number and not abandon it. The Air Force we need now can’t be sacrificed for the force we need in the future
• May 16, 2022. By Bryan McGrath, Defense One. Observers have rightly criticized the recent release of the “Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2023” (“annual” of late more honored in the breach than the observance) for its insufficiency and inconsistency with the requirements of great power competition. This essay focuses on the unfortunate decision to truncate the LPD-17 Flight II production line, a topic treated in greater analytical detail in the May 4 release from the Congressional Research Service authored by the indispensable Ronald O’Rourke.  Ending Production of This Warship Is a Mistake
• May 16, 2022. By  Stephen Losey, Defense News. The global investment firm Carlyle will pay about $4.2 billion to acquire ManTech International, a cyber and technology contractor that works for defense, intelligence and civilian agencies. Investment firm Carlyle to buy ManTech in $4.2B deal
• May 16, 2022. By  Vivek Raghuvanshi, Defense News. India has halted negotiations with Russia for the former to acquire 10 Kamov Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters for $520 million, following uncertainties in arms supplies amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. India halts Ka-31 helicopter deal with Russia
• May 16, 2022. By Jen Judson, Defense News.  Polaris has developed a kit to convert the MRZR Alpha — used by U.S. Special Operations Command as its Lightweight All-Terrain Vehicle — for the Arctic and is gearing up to be able to produce it for customers early next year. US special ops to get vehicle converter kits for the Arctic by early 2023
• May 16, 2022. By Todd South, Defense News. For ground-based observers calling in fires on a target, the observer historically worked with a radio and a pair of binoculars, or a bulky laser guidance system to get the job done. But systems have become more more precise and portable over the decades. From targeting to navigation, handheld devices are merging tech and tactics
• May 16, 2022. By Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Cyble analyzed a Tor website named named ‘Eternity Project’ that offers for sale a broad range of malware, including stealers, miners, ransomware, and DDoS Bots. Eternity Project: You can pay $260 for a stealer and $490 for a ransomware

• May 16, 2022. By Naval News. Babcock, the international defence, aerospace and security company has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide dry-dock maintenance for the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth class (QEC) aircraft carriers. Babcock Awarded 10-Year Contract for HMS Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers Dockings

• May 16, 2022. By Peter Jennings, The Strategist. Military lessons from the Ukraine war are being absorbed quickly in Asia. The message for democracies arming against the threat from authoritarian regimes is to select weapons that are simple and available rather than small numbers of expensive and complex ships, aircraft and vehicles that may not survive the first hours of conflict. Australia must learn defence lessons from Ukraine

• May 15, 2022. By Naval News. The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class (Flight-IIA) destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121), May 14 in Charleston, South Carolina. U.S. Navy Commissions Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121)

• May 15, 2022. By Lauren C. William, Defense One. The Army is in the midst of a significant shift in how it buys, builds and delivers technological capabilities to warfighters. At the crux of those plans is a cloud infrastructure called cArmy that can deliver communications, tools, and sensor data so commanders can have a clear digital picture of the battlespace and make crucial decisions more quickly. US Army Is Battle-Testing Cloud Computing

HORIZONS

Climate Finance

• May 16, 2022. By Mannat Jaspal, Terri Chapman, ORF. Over the last few decades, a global climate finance architecture has emerged to channel domestic and international funds towards climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. However, mobilising climate capital at scale has been a challenge, particularly in the Global South, since the current financial system is inept at including climate change metrics in its capital allocation and disbursement processes, and applying a climate justice prism in its investment decision-making. This brief aims to analyse and assess the global climate financial flows across a disaggregated set of parameters to lay bare the contextual rea
• lities of financial inequities that expose a climate financial system intrinsically skewed against a fair and inclusive energy transition in developing nations. Exploring the Inequities of Climate Finance

TECH

• May 16, 2022. By Nicol Turner Lee, Brookings. In this technological age, workforce demands for computer science (CS) skills have evolved and keep evolving. Demand for CS specialists have evolved across all fields, improving job and compensation prospects for those with experience in programming and data science. In turn, states schools have worked to incorporate CS into the K-12 public school curriculum to better prepare students for the workforce of the future. TechTank Podcast Episode 44: Can policymakers level the playing field in the computer sciences?