OSINTSUM: Thursday 18 April 2024

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OSINTSUM
Global Situation Update
Thursday 18 April 2024

Africa

Africa: Two new types of mosquito nets have been found to reduce malaria cases by up to 50% in trials across 17 African nations between 2019 and 2022, raising hopes of combatting the disease which is becoming increasingly resistant to treatments and prevention efforts.
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Burkina Faso: Three French diplomats have been declared “persona non grata” and ordered to leave the country for “subversive activities” according to Burkinabe authorities.
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Libya: The United Nations special envoy for Libya, Abdoulye Bathily, has resigned after 18 months at the head of the UN Mission in Libya, citing the lack of political will and good faith by Libyan leaders to end violence in the country and accusing them of perpetuating divisions to serve their own interests.
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Sudan: Saudi Arabia is to host peace talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary force in Jeddah in the next three weeks in an effort to end the country’s year-old civil war.
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Asia/Oceania

Azerbaijan: France has been accused of threatening behaviour and damaging bilateral ties between Baku and Armenia by Azerbaijan after French President Emmanuel Macron recalled the French ambassador to Azerbaijan, Anne Boillon, to Paris to discuss ties with the South Caucasus nation.
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India: One billion voters will head to the polls tomorrow as the world’s largest general elections, which will pan out in seven phases over the next six weeks, begin in India.
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Philippines: The Philippine foreign ministry said a recent decision to strengthen ties with the US and Japan at a recent summit was a “sovereign choice” in a statement made in response to Chinese comments criticising the trilateral meeting.
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Solomon Islands: Counting is underway the day after the country’s national elections. The winner - either pro-China incumbent Prime Minister Mannaseh Sogvare or a China-critical opponent - should be announced by Monday morning at the latest.
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China

China: The head of US space agency NASA has warned China is bolstering its space capabilities by using civilian programs to conceal military objectives, adding that Washington must remain vigilant and that the two superpowers are effectively in a military space race.
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Papua New Guinea: China’s foreign minister is expected to sign an economic cooperation deal in a visit to Papua New Guinea, days before Australia’s defence minister arrives to mark bilateral defence ties in two visits which underscore the competition for influence between China and the US in the  region.
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Europe: The head of European business lobby group the European Chamber in China, Jens Eskelund, has warned China and Europe face a “slow motion train accident” as rising protectionism threatens to become a full trade war.
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Europe

Europe: A survey has found poverty and social exclusion (33%) and public health (32%) are the main issues for voters ahead of the upcoming European Union Parliament elections in June, closely followed by defence and security (31%).
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Georgia: Politicians have agreed an early draft of the controversial “foreign influence” bill, leading to fresh street protests against the legislation which is seen a threat to democracy and undermining the country’s bid for EU membership.
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Germany: Two men have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and collecting information on potential targets for attack, including US military facilities. It is thought they were working with a Russian secret service agent in an attempt to undermine international military support for Ukraine.
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Spain: Spain is leading a push for European nations to recognise Palestine as a state, and wants to do so by July. Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia are also expected to make the move in the near future.
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Latin America

Brazil: Brazil's finance minister, Fernando Haddad, urged the G20 group of nations, which account for 80% of the world’s economy, to push for fairer and more transparent international taxation at an International Monetary Fund event in Washington, US. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire renewed his calls for a global minimum tax at the same event.
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Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the closure of his country’s embassy in Ecuador in protest at a raid by Ecuadorian authorities on the Mexican embassy in Quito.
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Venezuela: The US is to reimpose oil sanctions on Venezuela in response to President Nicolas Maduro’s continued repression of political opponents, with oil companies having until 31 May to wind down operations in compliance.
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Middle East

Iran: Leaders from the European Union have agreed to impose sanctions on Iranian drone and missile manufacturers in response to Iran’s recent attack on Israel. Separately, the US has signalled it may target Iranian oil exports in any further sanctions it imposes on the Islamic Republic.
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Israel: The Israel Defence Forces have deployed extra artillery and armoured personnel carriers to the periphery of the Gaza Strip, suggesting it is preparing for a long-threatened ground offensive into the city of Rafah, which is currently hosting at least 1.4 million Palestinian refugees.
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Qatar: Qatar is re-evaluating its role as mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, citing concerns politicians are undermining its efforts in an attempt to “score points”, after US congressman Steny Hoyer called on the Gulf nation to threaten Hamas with “repercussions” if it continued to “block progress towards releasing hostages and establishing a ceasefire”.
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Palestine: The United Nations has stated there is a need for significant changes in operating conditions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem to meet the humanitarian needs of their 3.3 million residents, including more entry and supply routes into Gaza and increased utilisation of the Ashdod Port.
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United Arab Emirates: Some roads and highways are still underwater after flooding following the heaviest-ever rainfall to hit the desert nation, while Dubai International, the country’s main airport, is working to restore normal operations.
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Russia/Ukraine

Belarus: The Belarusian parliament has voted to suspend the country’s participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty - which places limits on the number of military vehicles and arms that can be deployed in Europe - in a move which could signal a potential expansion of the Russian ally’s military.
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EU: The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has told member states they must send anti-missile systems to Ukraine to bolster its air defences, adding that the US alone cannot be relied upon for military support to Kyiv.
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G7: Finance leaders from the G7 group of nations pledged to work on “all possible avenues” to harness frozen Russian sovereign assets to pay for Ukrainian aid on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.
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Russia: A report by UK media outlet the BBC found at least 50,000 Russian soldiers have died in its invasion of Ukraine, with the fatality count 25% higher in invasion’s second year than its first. The true figure is likely to be significantly higher.
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Ukraine: Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has expressed “careful optimism” that US lawmakers will pass the long-stalled foreign aid bill that would see $61bn in funds released to Kyiv, but warned Russia would succeed in its invasion of Ukraine if they don’t, causing, in his words, “World War Three”.
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US/Canada

US: Finance leaders from the G7 group of nations condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and pledged to work on “all possible avenues” to harness frozen Russian sovereign assets to pay for Ukrainian aid on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.

US: A group thought to be backed by the Kremlin infiltrated the computer network of a Texas water-treatment plant in January, causing a system malfunction which forced a water tank to overflow, increasing existing concerns over the network security of similar facilities in the US.
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US: House Republicans have tied their proposal to ban or force the sale of social media platform TikTok to the sweeping package of aid for Ukraine and Israel, potentially putting it on a fast-track to becoming law.
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