L’INDIA AL CENTRO DEL FUTURO GLOBALE DELL’ENERGIA

FOCUS – May 19, 2022. By ORF. The global future of energy will be decided by India which is central to any global climate response and transition to green and clean energy, said Dr Andrew Light, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Department of Energy (DOE), United States (US). He was speaking at a multistakeholder roundtable organised jointly by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the DOE in Mumbai on Thursday. He also said that the Clean Energy Ministerial to be hosted by India in 2023 could establish India’s pivotal position in shaping global green transitions. India will decide the global future of energy: Dr Andrew Light, US DOE Assistant Secretary for International Affairs

TODAY:

• AROUND THE WORLD
• DEFENSE – MILITARY – CYBER
• TECH & DIGITAL

AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan 

• May 18, 2022. By Muhammad Athar Javed, Valdai Discussion Club. By all accounts, the global security setting has been shifted from South Asia to Europe, and even the most devastating crises in the Middle East and Asia have been deprioritised in the Western list of major conflicts. Despite changes in the strategic objectives of the US and NATO, the current situation in Afghanistan is once again aggravating: ISIS is increasing the frequency of its attacks on both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Afghanistan and the Crisis in Europe: Kabul’s Prospects for Peace

Algeria – Libya

• May 19, 2022. By The Libya Observer. Algeria has urged political actors in Libya to avoid escalation and work to create conditions for holding fair elections as a way forward to resolving the country’s crisis. Algeria urges restraint and more efforts toward elections

Australia

• May 19, 2022. By Greg Earl, The Interpreter. As one of the world’s oldest stable democracies, Australia can do better in its election foreign policy discussion. Looking for a little sizzle from the 2022 election campaign
• May 19, 2022. By Hayley Channer, The Interpreter. Depending who wins the election this Saturday, either Scott Morrison or Anthony Albanese will attend the Quad Summit in Tokyo on 24 May as Australia’s Prime Minister. Prior to last year, Quad Leaders’ meetings weren’t on the calendar – now they’re happening virtually or in-person twice annually, the last being in March. In addition to Quad Summits, 2021 saw the emergence of two other strategic engagements for Australia: AUKUS and the inaugural annual ASEAN-Australia Summit. In fact, Australia’s Prime Minister will need to attend around 10 regional meetings in his first full year of office. The Foreign Minister will go around double that. Getting the most from Australia’s regional engagements
• May 19, 2022. By Diane Liang, The Strategist. Right-wing violent extremist ideas burst to the forefront of public attention in flashes of violence. Shootings and vehicular attacks perpetrated by individuals motivated by hateful views stun the public. They have also sharpened government attention to and galvanised action on addressing such violence. For example, the Christchurch Mosque attack in 2019 prompted the New Zealand government to launch an inquiry as well as the international community’s Christchurch Call, ‘a commitment by governments and tech companies to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online’. The transnational element of right-wing extremism in Australia

Belarus

• May 19, 2022. By Iryna Pavlenko, Kyiv Post. The famous dystopian novel “1984” by British author George Orwell is being withdrawn from sale in Belarus. Orwell’s Sci-Fi Novel “1984” Banned in Belarus

Central Asia

• May 19, 2022. By Valdai Discussion Club. On Wednesday, May 18, the Second Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club ended in Nizhny Novgorod. That day, an open discussion took place on the urgent problems facing the region. In the framework of a free exchange of views, the participants assessed the most important new areas of interaction between Russia and the countries of Central Asia, identifying those issues and problems that have not yet fully manifested themselves. Central Asia and the Era of New Bipolarity

China

• May 19, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Construction of unit 4 at the Xudapu nuclear power plant in China’s Liaoning province has officially got under way with the pouring of first concrete for the reactor’s nuclear island. The unit is the second of two VVER-1200 reactors at the site to be supplied by Russia. Construction of Xudapu 4 under way : New Nuclear

China – Solomon Islands – Australia

• May 19, 2022. By Blake Johnson, The Strategist. The leaked Solomon Islands – China security deal has sent shockwaves across the Pacific. Australia, the US, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia have already expressed their concerns about the risk of a future Chinese military presence in Solomon Islands. Regional leaders will have further opportunities to discuss the potential implications at next month’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting. Chinese state media working to undermine Australia in Solomon Islands

Europe

• May 16, 2022. By Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Carole Mathieu, Ignacio URBASOS, IFRI. Only eight years are left to expand by almost three times the current total installed wind and solar energy capacity in the European Union (EU) in adding around 600 gigawatts (GW), and so reach the highly-ambitious 2030 targets. This requires a mobilization whose scale is immense – amidst times of unprecedented crises and uncertainties. The EU’s Renewables Expansion Challenge Towards 2030: Mobilizing for a Mission Almost Impossible

France – India

• May 19, 2022. By Rajeswari (Raji) Pillai Rajagopalan, ORF. India and France, amid intensifying geopolitical trends in the Indo-Pacific region, are likely to build an even closer partnership. Strengthening the France-India Partnership

Libya

• May 19, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The Municipality of Tajoura hosted on Monday the Libyan-Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists Forum, with broad participation of officials and enterprises from both sides. Tajoura hosts investment forum with 50 Turkish stakeholders taking part
• May 19, 2022. By The Libya Observer. The development work at the West Tripoli emergency power station has been suspended as a result of the armed clashes that rocked the area during the past few days, the head of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL), Wiam Al-Abdali, has confirmed. GECOL: Development work at power station in Tripoli was hampered by recent clashes
• May 18, 2022. By Tim Eaton, Chatham House. The failure to hold scheduled elections in December 2021 derailed Libya’s political roadmap, heightening animosity between the Government of National Unity (GNU) – the country’s first unified government since 2014 – and the House of Representatives, its chronically divided parliament. The House of Representatives appointed a new government in February, the Government of National Stability (GNS), and says that the GNU must go. The GNU, however, says it will only leave following elections. A deal on state spending can kickstart Libya’s political process

QUAD

• May 19, 2022. By HRW. Leaders of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia should reach agreements on new measures to address human rights crises and democratic backsliding in Asia, Human Rights Watch said today. The Quad, a security alliance of the leaders of the four countries, is meeting in Tokyo on May 22, 2022. Quad Leaders: Spotlight Rights, Democracy in Asia

Russia – China

• May 19, 2022. By Jayadeva Ranade, VIF. A brief background of world events will help set the context for assessing this relationship. Without delving into why Russia did what it did in Ukraine, over the past few years we have witnessed major powers attempting to consolidate or expand their territory – as in the case of China – or their areas of influence. Russia-China: The Unequal Relationship and its Implications

Russia – Ukraine (on the ground, impact, reactions, consequences)

• May 19, 2022. By Kyiv Post. Peter Shmigs in The Spectator Australia online magazine has analyzed arguments used by the majority of Russians to justify their views on Russia’s war in Ukraine. They range from the fatalistic “There’s nothing I can do” and “I’m not political,” to so-called “zombie views” produced by the Kremlin’s narrative. Russians Voice Range of Arguments to Justify War on Ukraine
• May 19, 2022. By Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post. Russian Federation (RF) recruiters ordered to find men or else are employing strong-arm tactics to fill army ranks, but Russian public enthusiasm to fight in Ukraine is low and draft evasion is rampant, according to Ukrainian telephone conversation intercepts, independent media, and intelligence intercepts by both the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the Pentagon. RF army recruiters scrambling to find manpower, draft-dodgers
• May 19, 2022. By Reuben Johnson, Breaking Defense. Two and a half months after’s Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a clear theme has emerged: the technology Russia brought to the fight was largely outdated or poorly maintained. With thousands of vehicles, helicopters and jets now having been destroyed by Ukrainian forces, one of the greatest questions facing Moscow’s military planners are how to produce or procure new equipment, at a time when sanctions are limiting their ability to procure key parts. Russian attempts to restock its military may be doomed to failure
• May 19, 2022. By William Leben, The Strategist. Russian forces commenced their invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. As plenty of analysts have pointed out, this is more fruitfully seen as an escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine since 2014, rather than understood in isolation. Nonetheless, from the beginning of this major escalation by way of a ‘conventional’ invasion until the time of writing, 84 days have elapsed. Let’s hold our horses on drawing lessons from war in Ukraine
• May 19, 2022. By Svitlana Sydorenko, Kyiv Post. On 2 March 2022, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and labeling it an act of aggression. Since then, the Russian army has reportedly subjected Ukrainian citizens under Russian occupation to filtration camps designed to weed out politically dangerous or ideologically unreliable elements of Ukrainian society. Russian Filtration Camps Are a War Crime (1)
• May 19, 2022. By Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post. A group of wounded soldiers arrives in the hospital following a massive explosion. It’s not clear whether it was a Smerch rocket or an aircraft bomb, but either way, whatever it was, it was big. The men are in the casualty processing center. They are disoriented and suffering from loss of hearing. Meet Ukraine’s Defenders: (2) Ambulance Driver Oleksandr Saienko, 25th Airborne Brigade
• May 19, 2022. By Simon Hardy Butler, Kyiv Post. Following the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers from Azovstal, Twitter began to brim with speculation over the resulting cinematic possibilities. This may not be such a far-fetched idea. International filmmakers are already developing concepts and pictures focused on President Volodymyr Zelensky and wartime Ukraine, so the Azov Battalion’s heroic story looks well-suited to Hollywood treatment. Hollywood and Ukraine: A Blueprint for Economic Revitalization
• May 19, 2022. By Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post. Hundreds of defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in southern Mariupol have surrendered to Kremlin forces, including a senior commander of the Azov Regiment, news reports said on Thursday. Hundreds of Mariupol defenders, commander, surrender in Mariupol
• May 19, 2022. By Kyiv Post. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees on the extension of the period of martial law in Ukraine and on the extension of the period of general mobilization and sent bills on their approval to the Verkhovna Rada. Zelensky proposes to Rada to extend martial law, period of general mobilization in Ukraine for 90 days
• May 18, 2022. By Wesley Wark, CIGI. Other instruments of Russian power may be faltering under the weight of Vladimir Putin’s war. But for now, the engine of propaganda remains strong. With Propaganda, Kremlin Seeks to Weaponize Its Version of History

Russia – West

• May 19, 2022. By Valdai Discussion Club. It is obvious that the current divide between Russia and the West is much wider, deeper and more resilient than it has ever been in the past – whether during the Cold War era or at any point in history before February 24, 2022. If earlier, its foundation determined the geopolitical confrontation and the ever-increasing value gap, now all this has been transformed into concrete actions. A direct military-political challenge to the West from Russia and the hard line of the West, openly and brazenly aimed at the military defeat of Russia, are backed up by almost total sanctions pressure, as well as a pronounced strategy to demonise the enemy. Remembering the old Marxist terms, one can ascertain that there has been a transition from quantitative changes to qualitative ones. From the Demonization of the Enemy to the Demonization of Society: Collective Responsibility and Modern Warfare

Sri Lanka

• May 19, 2022. By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, ORF. Analysing the Rajapaksa rule during the emergency in Sri Lanka as the country enters a state of complete chaos. Economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka
• May 19, 2022. By Soumya Bhowmick, ORF. The sudden transition to organic farming was the final blow that contributed to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Farming ‘wokeness’ and Sri Lanka’s downfall

Syria

• May 19, 2022. By HRW. The US military’s review of a 2019 airstrike in Syria highlights fundamental and ongoing flaws in US handling of accountability for civilian harm, Human Rights Watch said today. US: Flawed Military Review of Civilian Casualties in Syria

Timor – Leste

• May 19, 2022. By Parker Novak, The Interpreter. This week, Timor-Leste will celebrate its 20th anniversary as an independent nation and inaugurate Jose Ramos-Horta as its new president. Since re-gaining independence in 2002, the world’s third-youngest nation has built a functioning state and vibrant democracy from near-scratch amid trials and tribulations that would challenge any nation. Timor-Leste: Building towards the next 20 years

USA – South Korea

• May 19, 2022. By HRW. US President Joseph Biden and newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol should pledge to include human rights benchmarks in future negotiations with North Korea, Human Rights Watch said today. Biden is visiting South Korea on May 20-21, 2022, and will meet with Yoon to discuss economic and security issues, including North Korea’s growing nuclear weapon capacities. US/South Korea: Promote Rights in North Korea

DEFENSE – MILITARY – CYBER

• May 19, 2022. By Naval News. NATO is conducting vigilance activity NEPTUNE SHIELD 2022 (NESH22), which integrates high-end maritime expeditionary strike capabilities of Sea, Air and Land assets. The activities will take place in the Baltic, Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, from 17-31 May. NATO Begins Vigilance Activity NEPTUNE SHIELD 2022
• May 19, 2022. By Xavier Vavasseur, Naval News. The first of six H160 Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter was delivered by Airbus Helicopters to Babcock. The H160 is intended for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and is part of the interim fleet which will replace the Alouette III until the H160M Guepard enters service. First H160 SAR Helicopter Delivered to Babcock for the French Navy
• May 19, 2022. By Naval News. The Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate (Project 11356) Admiral Makarov is likely to become the new flagship of the Black Sea Fleet after the loss of the cruiser Moskva. Admiral Makarov to assume the new flagship of Russian Black Sea fleet
• May 19, 2022. By Naval News. Saab Australia (Saab), Leidos Australia (Leidos), SeeByte and Sonartech Atlas have today announced their partnership, bidding for the delivery of the SEA 1905 Tranche 1 – Maritime Mine Countermeasures and Military Survey program. Saab, Leidos, SeeByte and Sonartech Atlas to bid for Australia’s SEA 1905 MCM project
• May 19, 2022. By Colin Clark, Breaking Defense. In a stark critique of the 420,000-strong South Korean army, the former deputy commander of South Korea’s First Army described the “conditions for training are very, very bad,” driven by high turnover of troops every year and the lack of live fire training. South Korean army training ‘very, very bad’: former senior ROK commander
• May 18, 2022. By Eric S. Edelman, FDD. Despite the fulminations of the Kremlin’s television propagandists and Russian bureaucrats seeking to anticipate the dictator’s views, it appears that Vladimir Putin has “no problem” with Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The Strongman Cometh
• May 18, 2022. By Clifford D. May, FDD. Credit where credit is due: Vladimir Putin is revitalizing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance that has never been obsolete but had become obsolescent. Putin supports NATO
• May 16, 2022. By Eytan Tepper, CIGI. Many dubbed the Gulf War of 1991 the “first space war” due to the US Armed Forces’ extensive use of satellites. The cyberwar in Ukraine, although it is mostly playing out in the shadows, may be remembered as the first space-cyber war. The First Space-Cyber War and the Need for New Regimes and Policies

TECH & DIGITAL

• May 17, 2022. By Becca Trate, Center for Data Innovation. Online grocery shopping is increasingly popular in the United States—approximately 70 percent of U.S. households placed one or more online grocery order last year—but unfortunately, this option is mostly out of reach for the 46 million Americans who rely on government programs to pay for groceries. However, there are several steps that the federal government can take to make it easier for individuals facing food insecurity to buy groceries online. Expanding Online Shopping Options for Nutrition Assistance Programs Will Increase Access
• May 16, 2022. By Julia Keseru, CIGI. A couple of weeks ago the European Union came to an agreement about the Digital Services Act, a landmark piece of new legislation that would impose stricter regulation on digital platforms. The scope of the act is impressive, covering a wide range of policy areas from content moderation, to online advertising and algorithmic transparency, to disinformation. The EU’s Digital Services Act Doesn’t Go Far Enough