L’IMPORTANZA DELLO EU-US TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

FOCUS – May 18, 2022. By Mercedes Page, The Interpreter. The second EU-US Trade and Technology Council meeting took place in Paris at the weekend. An outcome of the EU-US Summit in June 2021, the TTC was established to strengthen and coordinate transatlantic cooperation and develop values-based approaches to global trade, economic and technology issues against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism. It amounts to an effort to smooth out differences across the Atlantic over how to respond to China’s increasing global influence – and in that, the outcomes are important to Australia. A required update for the EU-US Trade and Tech Council

TODAY:

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

AROUND THE WORLD

Arctic – UK 

• May 18, 2022. By Neil Melvin, RUSI. This episode examines the evolving approach of the UK to security and defence in the Arctic, as the region undergoes significant shifts due to climate change, Russia’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy and military modernisation, and non-Arctic states – notably China – taking an increasing interest in the region’s security. Episode 26: Arctic Security and the UK

Australia

• May 18, 2022. By Hugh Piper, The Strategist. Recency bias should caution us against attributing too much weight to current events relative to historic ones. But even accounting for this cognitive distortion, it’s a fair assessment that the past five years constitute a remarkable period of change to the world Australian foreign policy navigates. Recalibrating Australia’s foreign policy for a more dangerous world
• May 18, 2022. By Miah Hammond-Errey, The Strategist. Right before Australia’s election campaign kicked off, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese delivered speeches at the Lowy Institute outlining their views on national security. Now more than ever, diversity in national security thinking matters

Burundi

• May 18, 2022. By HRW. Burundi’s national intelligence services, police, and ruling party youth members have killed, arbitrarily detained, tortured and harassed people suspected of belonging to opposition parties or of working with armed opposition groups, Human Rights Watch said today. Burundi: Suspected Opponents Killed, Detained, Tortured

China – Solomon Islands

• May 18, 2022. By Anastasia Kapetas, The Strategist. A reading of some of the headlines on China’s new security deal with Solomon Islands might give the impression that a Chinese naval base with assets pointed straight at Australia is a fait accompli and that other Pacific dominos are just waiting to fall. Public anxiety on the issue has risen sharply—unsurprising given that the deal has been caught up in the dynamics of the federal election campaign—with a recent Sydney Morning Herald survey finding that 70% of voters are concerned about it. China’s maritime deal with Solomon Islands hints at dual-use facilities

Egypt

• May 18, 2022. By Baher al-Kady, Al-Monitor. In a step to restore the situation to pre-pandemic conditions, Egypt’s Ministry of Endowments issued a decision to reopen mosques at full capacity, from dawn prayer until evening, starting May 6. Egypt removes all mosque restrictions amid Brotherhood criticism

Europe – Indo Pacific

• May 17, 2022. By Liselotte Odgaard, East Asia Forum. Russia’s willingness to use force in Europe creates incentives for a division of labour between Europe and the United States. This allows Europe to focus on deterring challenges on NATO’s eastern and northern flank, while the United States focuses on preventing Beijing from turning the Indo-Pacific into a Chinese sphere of influence. Will Europe’s emerging Indo-Pacific presence last?

Finland

• May 18, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has started reviewing Posiva Oy’s operating licence application for the world’s first used fuel disposal facility after concluding the company has provided sufficient material. Review of Finnish used fuel disposal facility licence begins : Waste & Recycling

India

• May 18, 2022. By Christian Kurzydlowski, East Asia Forum. Global strategic considerations are fluid and ever changing. India’s geography and location position it at the nexus of global supply chains and powerful state and non-state actors. It needs every advantage at its disposal to compete, defend, grow and trade. Leveraging India’s start-up ecosystem as a defence strategy

Iran – Saudi Arabia

• May 18, 2022. By Dler S. Mohammed, Kurdistan 24. Iran and Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministers are set to meet in Baghdad shortly to continue discussions on normalizing relations, a member of Iran’s parliament told his country’s media on Tuesday. Iranian and Saudi FMs to meet in Baghdad soon

Iraq

• May 18, 2022.  By Kurdistan 24. The Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius arrived in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil on Wednesday on an official visit. Dutch justice minister visits Kurdistan Region
• May 18, 2022. By Dler S. Mohammed, Kurdistan 24. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), briefed the United Nations Security Council on political, economic, environmental, and security developments in Iraq on Tuesday. ‘Neglect of Iraqi population’s most basic needs has gone on far too long’: UNAMI Head

Lebanon

• May 18, 2022. By  Jean-Marc Mojon, Al-Monitor. Hezbollah’s opponents might rejoice at their loss of majority in parliament but Lebanon’s packed political calendar now sets the stage for protracted deadlocks at best or violence at worst. Tense times ahead for Lebanon after elections

Libya

• May 18, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the attempt to overthrow the Government of National Unity by force, saying the events on Tuesday were an explicit threat to the national security and stability of the country and clearly indicates the other party’s rejection of dialogue and political solutions. Foreign Ministry says Bashagha’s move is a crime punishable by law
• May 18, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The Fatwa House has denounced Bashagha’s move to overturn the administration based in Tripoli, considering it an armed coup to gain power. Fatwa House calls Bashagha’s move ‘a coup’ says elections are the right way forward
• May 18, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The Arab Parliament has expressed concern over the rising tension in Libya, saying that the state should not be left a “prey to waves of violence between the conflicting parties.”. Arab Parliament: Libya should not be left prey to the wave of violence
• May 18, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The state-run electricity company (GECOL) signed a preliminary agreement on Tuesday with TotalEnergies for constructing a 500-megawatt solar power plant in the Siddadah district, southeast of Misrata. TotalEnergies to install solar power plant for GECOL

Maldives

• May 18, 2022. By N. Sathiya Moorthy, ORF. In an election with most campaign trappings of a presidential poll, including island rallies and allegations about the misuse of government power, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has elected Economic Development Minister Fayyaz Ismail as the Party Chairman. Identified with President Ibrahim Solih, Ismail polled 27,000 votes (58 percent) against Imthiaz Fahmy aka Inthi, an MP who polled 20,000 votes (42 percent), for the rival group of party chief and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Nasheed. Maldives: Should the MDP be worried over poor turn-out in party poll?

Netherlands – Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

• May 18, 2022. By Kurdistan 24. The Netherlands intends to end impunity for criminals and perpetrators of ISIS crimes through judicial cooperation with the Kurdistan Region, and international organizations, the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius told reporters on Wednesday. Netherlands eyes judicial cooperation with Kurdistan Region on ISIS crimes: Justice Minister

New Caledonia

• May 18, 2022. By Daryl Morini, The Interpreter. Is China about to plant a red-and-yellow flag in Nouméa, its latest Pacific trophy? Not really. But that’s the impression local politicians are increasingly adept at conveying, both to garner votes and jangle nerves in France and Australia about New Caledonia’s 44-year political struggle over independence. New Caledonia: Not either/or when it comes to France and China

Pakistan – China

• May 18, 2022. By Uzair Younus, Suleman Ahmed, New Lines Institute. After a yearslong decline in terrorist attacks, Pakistan is facing a growing threat from both Baloch nationalist and radical Islamist groups emboldened by the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. Moreover, the number of attacks targeting Chinese workers, particularly in the western province of Balochistan, is on the rise. Attacks on Chinese Nationals in Pakistan Risk Creating Rifts

Philippines

• May 18, 2022. By Priya Pillai, The Interpreter. The Philippine election verdict is in. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr – the son of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos who was deposed in the peaceful 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution – is the next President of the Philippines. Sara Duterte, the daughter of the current President Rodrigo Duterte, is the next Vice President of the country. Philippines: justice and accountability, post elections

Russia – Ukraine

• May 18, 2022. By Kyiv Post. Earlier, on Feb. 27 this year, immediately after Russia unleashed a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Alliance’s Council decided to immediately suspend TASS’ membership in EANA until the General Assembly considers the issue and makes its final decision. Thus, an extraordinary session of the General Assembly was set to take place on the sidelines of the Alliance’s annual spring conference. European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) approves a suspension of TASS
• May 18, 2022. By Kyiv Post.  A military analyst departed dramatically from the Kremlin’s talking points and said, on a top-rated Russian state television “news” show on May 16, that Russia is performing poorly in its war with Ukraine and that without serious military reforms Moscow might well be defeated. Russian colonel get the truth out on a prime Russian propaganda show (VIDEO)
• May 18, 2022. By Kyiv Post. Ukrainians in the capital brimmed Wednesday with pride over how outgunned fighters at a southern Ukraine steel plant had held out against Russian troops for weeks but voiced fear for them now that they were captives. Fighters at Ukraine steel plant hailed as ‘supermen’
• May 18, 2022. By  Iryna Pavlenko, Kyiv Post. Amendments to legislation envisaging the death penalty for resistance fighters in Belarus will come into force on May 29. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko intends to provide the death penalty for “attempted terrorism.” The move is connected with the rise in the so-called “rail partisans’ movement” in Belarus, as a result of Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine. Belarus Broadens Death Penalty to Apply to Resistance Fighters
• May 18, 2022. By  Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post. The Russian Federation (RF) occupied city of Melitopol saw a new round of partisan attacks on Wednesday including a pair of assassinations of collaborating officials, several news feeds associated with the Ukrainian resistance said. There was no corroboration from occupation authorities. Assassinations, explosions, gunfire reported in occupied Melitopol
• May 18, 2022. By Kyiv Post. Russia says that a total of 959 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol, including 80 wounded. Russia’s war against Ukraine: Day 84, May 18 – Update No. 2
• May 18, 2022. By Seema Sirohi, ORF. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is prepared for a “prolonged conflict” in Ukraine and he is “probably counting” on the resolve of western allies to soften in the face of inflation, food shortages, and rising energy prices. Are West’s war aims expanding?
• May 18, 2022. By H I Sutton, Naval News. The Ukrainian Navy’s investment in the Bayraktar TB2 drone is paying off. Russia enjoys a complete technological and numerical advantage. Yet its navy is proving easy prey to the small, slow and lightly armed UAV. Incredible Success Of Ukraine’s Bayraktar TB2: The Ghost Of Snake Island
• May 18, 2022. By Jeffrey Michaels, RUSI. While Defence Intelligence’s daily briefings have garnered praise, the emphasis has been on publicity over analytical quality. Ukraine: The Daily Intelligence Event
• May 18, 2022. By Shlomo Ben-Ami, Project-Syndicate, The Strategist. The world knows an unjust war when it sees one. That is why Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has attracted such widespread condemnation. But negotiating a peace settlement—the key to ending most wars—will require attention not only to justice, but also to stability and balance between competing national interests and ambitions. The question, then, is: What would a stable peace in Ukraine look like? Ukraine’s path towards an inadequate peace
• May 17, 2022. By Edward Hunter Christie, RUSI. Since 2014, the story of Western military assistance to Ukraine has been one of halting progress and self-imposed thresholds, transcended by acts of resolve. This is a story about courage. Military Assistance to Ukraine: Rediscovering the Virtue of Courage
• May 17, 2022. By Ivana Stradner, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Subcommittee on Security and Defence; Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation. Russian Disinformation and Propaganda in Relation to the War Against Ukraine

South Korea

• May 18, 2022. By Rajaram Panda, VIF. Yoon Suk-yeol assumed the office of South Korea’s new President on 10 May and had barely settled into his new role when he found himself at the centre of an ongoing tug of war between the US and China. In a smart move, China sent Vice-President Wang Qishan to Yoon’s inauguration. But Biden was smarter as he travels to South Korea and Japan from 20-24 May 2022, two allies in Asia, to solidify US alliances and keep Chinese influence at bay. What makes the visit significant is that it came at a time when much of the world’s focus is on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. When Washington hosted the US-ASEAN Special Summit and floated the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework idea, China slammed the concept. China would be closely watching what Biden discusses with leaders of Japan and South Korea. Challenges that Confront South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol

Syria

• May 18, 2022. By Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kuridstan 24. Turkish-backed forces have continued towns and villages in the western Kobani countryside, the Syria-based Rojava Media Center (RMC) tweeted on Wednesday. Turkey continues shelling areas near Kobani and Ain Issa
• May 18, 2022. By Jared Szuba, Al-Monitor. An internal Pentagon investigation into a March 2019 airstrike that killed several civilians during the final battle against the Islamic State in Syria found no violation of the military’s rules of engagement. Pentagon inquiry finds no fault in 2019 Syria strike that killed civilians
• May 18, 2022. By Sultan al-Kanj, AL-Monitor. The Levant Front (al-Jabha al-Shamiya) is considered one of the most organized groups affiliated with the Syrian National Army (SNA) of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). It includes all the official bodies of the opposition-affiliated Syrian Interim Government. Also, the headquarters of the Syrian opposition’s National Coalition has been built in the city of Azaz, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which is under the control of the Levant Front, and is seen as the most secure area held by the FSA. Will HTS close ranks with Turkish-backed factions in north Syria?
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The forensic medical department of the regime reported that 38 abandoned children were registered since the beginning of this year, according to Shaam Network. More and More Children Abandonned in Damascus
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Diseases such as leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, and measles have returned to northern Syria, causing panic in camps, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed. Panic in Northern Syria as Leishmaniasis, TB and Measles Return
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Daraa recorded two assassination attempts in one day, according to al-Modon. Daraa: Two Killed, Including Regime Defector, in Assassination Attempts
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. President Bashar al-Assad met Tuesday a Mauritanian parliamentary delegation to discuss Arabism, according to SANA. Assad: Intellectual War on our Region More Dangerous than Military One
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Several residents of the Suweida governorate in southern Syria condemned the entry of a Russian military police forces patrol, according to SY-24. Widely Condemned: Russian Delegation Enters Town in Suweida under Pretext of Aid
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Khaled Moussa, head of the Damascus Countryside Doctors Syndicate, revealed that there are medical specialties that are at risk of disappearing in Syria, according to Snack Syrian. Doctors’ Syndicate: Medical Specialties at Risk of Disappearing in Syria
• May 18, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Zaman al-Wasl obtained information proving the arrival of Shawkat Saleh al-Ali to Europe, despite being accused of war crimes. Senior Officer in Assad’s Navy and “Blind Bombs” Godfather Turned Refugee in Europe

DEFENSE – MILITARY – CYBER – SPACE

• May 18, 2022. By Debra Werner, SpaceNews. With Arctic aviation and maritime activity on the rise, Europe and Canada are taking the lead in developing weather satellites to gather global data and improve observation of the Earth’s northernmost latitudes. Proposed constellations would enhance Arctic weather observations
• May 18, 2022. By Jeff Foust, SpaceNews. NASA’s InSight Mars lander mission will likely conclude by the end of the year as power levels for the spacecraft continue to decline, project officials confirmed May 17. NASA confirms impending end for InSight
• May 18, 2022. By Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs. Last month, the Conti ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack on Costa Rica government infrastructure after that the government refused to pay a ransom. Conti Ransomware gang threatens to overthrow government of Costa Rica
• May 18, 2022. By Naval News. India test-fired a new helicopter-launched anti-ship missile today. The missile is known as “Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Short Range” or NASM-SR. DRDO and Indian Navy Test-Fire New NASM-SR Missile
• May 18, 2022. By Benjamin Felton, Naval News. Australia is looking at outfitting its in-service Collins-class submarines with Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles as part of their forthcoming Life of Type Extension (LOTE). Australia to Upgrade Collins Submarines with Tomahawk Missiles
• May 18, 2022. By Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. After decades of balancing between NATO and Russia, the two nations have formally submitted their paperwork to join the alliance. Finland, Sweden officially submit for NATO membership
• May 18, 2022. By Tim Marler, Defense News. The allure of training technology can often overshadow its value. Today, virtual reality, or VR, is a hot topic in the military training community, but training tools must be developed and selected according to their anticipated use. Context matters, and sometimes the best and most cost-effective training tool may just be a book. Beware the allure of training technology
• May 17, 2022. By Mats Engström, ECFR. NATO membership would be a historic step for Sweden. But it would also create new challenges in areas such as nuclear planning and missile defence. Adapting ally: Sweden’s bid for NATO membership

TECH

• May 18, 2022. By Antara Vats, Anushka Saxena, Renita D’Souza, ORF. India’s youth have a strong interest in safeguarding their individual privacy. More than eight of every 10 respondents (88 percent) believe that they should be able to determine how their data is shared and used by the government and social media intermediaries. Swiping Right on Tech Policy: An Assessment of Young India’s Aspirations
• May 17, 2022. By Julian Ringhof, José Ignacio Torreblanca, ECFR. Battles in the digital space have taken centre stage in today’s global power struggles. The EU cannot stay aside. The geopolitics of technology: How the EU can become a global player