Global Developments and Analysis: Weekly Monitor (15-21 April 2024)

Economic

Migration Looms Large Over Year of Elections

Migration is as old as humankind and the movement of homo sapiens out of Africa. Today, it’s an incendiary political topic that divides electorates like few others. Look at the US, where immigration at the southern border has become a totemic issue for both main presidential candidates. But Washington is far from alone: migration is dominating politics and economies worldwide. As our reporting from five continents shows, it’s influencing the debate in some surprising locations and in unpredictable ways. Take Ireland, a nation marked by emigration, which is now unable to house the numbers of people seeking asylum on its shores. That’s creating tensions with locals over issues like housing, fanning the kind of right-wing populism that has until now been largely absent. Or South Africa, the original Rainbow Nation, where 30 years after the African National Congress assumed power following the defeat of apartheid, the government is turning against immigrants to bolster its flagging electoral fortunes. With officials grasping for answers — see the UK’s legal trouble over attempts to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda — populists everywhere are pushing a narrative that migration is out of control. The real change of recent years, it says, is that the core drivers of migration — geopolitics, technology and climate change — are intensifying, with a notable rise in irregular channels as safe routes are closed off. Click here to read... [2]

Wall Street channeled billions to blacklisted China firms: U.S. probe

Major U.S. financial institutions helped steer billions of dollars into Chinese companies blacklisted for their association with China's military or alleged human rights abuses, a congressional committee investigation has found. A report released April 18, compiled by a House committee in charge of crafting strategies to counter China, found that $6.5 billion was funneled last year through index funds to 63 Chinese companies blacklisted or red-flagged by the U.S. government. "Through the products of our own financial industry, Americans' hard-earned savings and retirement money are supporting the military modernization of a foreign adversary and the development of tools used by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to violate human rights," the report said. Chinese companies receiving investor cash included Aviation Industry Corp. of China, a defense conglomerate that produces aircraft for the People's Liberation Army, and Daqo New Energy Corp., a company associated with Uyghur forced labor. The investigation looked into the broader financial industry but took particular aim at BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, and MSCI, the major index provider. The report comes eight months after the committee notified BlackRock and MSCI of the congressional probe. Asset managers like BlackRock use indexes from providers like MSCI to create investment portfolios for retirement funds and other institutional endowments. Click here to read... [3]

Pressure Mounts at IMF Against Blueprint for EM Debt Reworks

World financial leaders are pushing to overhaul a system for sovereign debt restructurings that has left poor countries locked out of capital markets as China’s emergence as a key player upends traditional negotiations. How to fix the so-called common framework initiative, hatched during the pandemic to help poor countries rework their debt, was among the top issues debated during International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings, which just wrapped in Washington DC. Leaders from the IMF and G-20 countries — which started and oversee the process — have made some fixes aimed at speeding up debt restructurings, which have left countries stranded in default for years amid protracted negotiations. Zambia, considered a “guinea pig” for the new model, only recently struck a deal with creditors, three and a half years after it defaulted. Ghana and Ethiopia, which stopped paying bondholders in late 2022 and 2023, respectively, are still negotiating. “The last four years have been nothing short of a debt disaster,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He railed against the system’s perceived ineffectiveness, citing the example of Zambia. “This is more than counter-productive. This is immoral. This is wrong. This must change.” While defaults are expected to subside and risk premium for high yield countries has plunged, emerging-market governments — excluding China — face an estimated $421 billion in debt payments this year. Click here to read... [4]

US House passes bills to aid Ukraine, bolster Taiwan, threaten TikTok ban

Legislation that could ban TikTok in the US unless it cuts ties with its Chinese parent company cleared the House of Representatives 360-58 on April 20 and is on a path to be quickly signed into law. The proposal, which was included in a package of four bills voted on during a rare weekend session, would ban the popular short-video app nationwide if its Beijing-based owner ByteDance does not divest it within a year. The catch-all foreign policy bill containing the TikTok proposal also tackles China’s role in fentanyl and sanctions evasion and restricts data brokers from sending sensitive American data to foreign adversaries. Three other bills, which include US$60 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, US$26 billion for Israel and US$8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, also passed with similar margins. While the House took separate votes on the four bills, they are expected to be bundled together as one package to send to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on April 20 that the chamber will take up the package next week, with the first vote on April 23. The Senate was initially scheduled to be in recess next week. US President Joe Biden has said he would sign the package, a move that would end months of stalemate over whether the US would fund Ukraine and Israel. Click here to read... [5]

The desert nation of UAE records its most rain ever, flooding highways and Dubai’s airport

The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out April 17 from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded — a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. The state-run WAM news agency called the rain April 16 “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.” That’s before crude oil was discovered in this energy-rich nation then part of a British protectorate known as the Trucial States. Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but was acute across the UAE. The flooding sparked speculation that cloud seeding — flying small planes through clouds dispersing chemicals aimed at getting rain to fall — may have contributed to the deluge. But experts said the storm systems that produced the rain were forecast well in advance and that cloud seeding alone would not have caused such flooding. Several reports quoted meteorologists at the National Center for Meteorology as saying they flew six or seven cloud-seeding flights before the rains. Flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed one aircraft affiliated with the UAE’s cloud-seeding efforts flew around the country April 15. The National, an English-language, state-linked newspaper in Abu Dhabi, quoted an anonymous official at the center on April 17 as saying no cloud seeding took place on April 15, without acknowledging any earlier flights. Click here to read... [6]

Taiwan says new Chinese air routes threaten Taiwanese islands' flight safety

Taiwan said on April 19 China’s decision to open new air routes that run perilously close to two Taiwanese-controlled islands was a flight safety risk taken without consultation, adding it will demand any aircraft using them be asked to turn around. Taiwan’s government expressed anger in January after China “unilaterally” changed a flight path called M503 close to the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait. China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory. The new Chinese routes to China’s Xiamen and Fuzhou cities, called W123 and W122 respectively, connect to the M503 flight route, and run right alongside existing routes to the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, which have regular flights to and from Taiwan. China had said in January it was opening routes from west to east - in other words, in the direction of Taiwan - on the two flight paths from Xiamen and Fuzhou but had not until now announced when they would go into operation. China’s civil aviation regulator said in its brief statement on April 19 that those routes were now in operation, adding that from May 16 it would “further optimize” airspace around Fuzhou airport. It did not elaborate, but that is four days before Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te is inaugurated, a man Beijing believes is a dangerous separatist. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. Click here to read... [7]

Pakistan sets cannabis rules, eyes sales to help balance books

Pakistan is establishing a legal framework for cannabis trade after the government approved the herb for industrial uses nearly four years ago, hoping to capitalize on the booming market to increase its foreign exchange reserves. A presidential order passed in February delineated rules for the formation of Pakistan's first Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority. The government approved cannabis for industrial use in September 2020 but had not established a regulatory framework due to internal conflict. "We are very serious about this initiative, and things are moving at a very fast pace," a senior official of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which is spearheading government efforts to draw investments and overhaul the economy, told Nikkei Asia. The new coalition government -- formed of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) -- is setting up the regulatory body to formulate policies, such as issuing licenses to growers and sellers, and earmarking regions for cultivation, the official added. Pakistan hopes to take advantage of its conducive growing conditions to enter the global cannabis market, that according to Indian research company MarketsandMarkets, will grow to $82.3 billion by 2027 from $27.2 billion in 2022. The country is seeking ways to increase exports and raise taxes to break its dependency on foreign loans and bailouts from the International Monetary Fund. Click here to read... [8]

Japan takes page from EU playbook with app store antitrust bill

Japan's proposed legislation to rein in tech giants' control over mobile app marketplaces aims to establish a regulatory regime on par with Europe, with bans on specific behavior backed up by fines equivalent to 20% of sales or higher for noncompliance. The bill drafted by the Japan Fair Trade Commission would be Japan's first ex-ante competition regulation -- legislation intended to prevent anticompetitive practices, rather than address them after the fact as the current Antimonopoly Law does -- based on the full text seen by Nikkei. The goal is to both deter problematic behavior and to allow regulators to respond more quickly in a fast-moving field where the current enforcement system often cannot keep up. The agency plans to submit the legislation to parliament as soon as this month, and if passed, it would likely take effect by the end of 2025. The legislation would prevent big platform operators -- Apple and Google, for example -- from blocking third-party app stores and payment systems, among other provisions targeting gatekeeping practices. The hope is that this will promote competition among marketplaces, letting consumers access a variety of apps at a lower price. Offenders would pay fines worth 20% of their Japanese sales in the relevant business -- more than triple the typical of 6% that the Fair-Trade Commission has imposed in the past -- and repeat violators would face fines up to 30%. Click here to read... [9]

China relaxes German farm product controls in drive to win friends

China relaxed controls on German agricultural products April 16 as Chancellor Olaf Scholz ends his three-day visit, a move by Beijing to improve ties with Europe as it comes under increasing pressure from the U.S. to curb exports. Beijing has been on a diplomatic drive to restore multilateral ties, and April 16's announcement of the relaxation of import controls on German pork, apples and some beef products follows similar moves for Spain, Belgium and Austria earlier in the year. China also promised to import more high-quality products and services from Germany, following a similar announcement for France in early April, which came after Beijing dropped import tariffs on Australian wine. "We must view and develop bilateral relations in an all-round way from a long-term and strategic perspective," President Xi Jinping was quoted by Reuters as saying after meeting with Scholz in Beijing. "This charm offensive doesn't cost China anything, and if it helps China continue to export its huge surpluses, it creates a win-win situation, which China is always after," said Reinhard Biedermann, a German professor in international relations at Tamkang University in Taipei. Click here to read... [10]

Japan records trade deficit for 3rd consecutive fiscal year

Japan recorded a trade deficit for the third straight fiscal year as the costs of energy and other imports rose and the yen remained weak. The deficit was 5.89 trillion yen ($38 billion) for the fiscal year that ended in March, according to Finance Ministry data released April 17. The biggest trade deficits were in the Middle East, mainly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Australia and Indonesia. Japan had a trade surplus with the U.S. and some European countries. Annual exports to China slipped slightly, declining for the first time in four years, although the latest monthly data show exports to China recovering, growing 12% from the previous year. Robert Carnell, regional head of research Asia-Pacific at ING Economics, said strong technology-related exports were behind the jump in exports to China, while noting exports were also growing to other regions. “We think exports will be the main engine for growth in the coming months,” he said in a report. The recent decline in the value of the Japanese yen affected the trade balance, as it cost more in yen to import and boosted the value of exports when converted to yen. The U.S. dollar is trading at above 150 yen recently, up from 130-yen mark a year ago. Click here to read... [11]

Global smartphone shipments climb nearly 8% in 1st quarter as Samsung retakes the lead

Global smartphone shipments rose nearly 8% in the first quarter, according to preliminary data from International Data Corp. It’s the third straight quarter of shipment growth and marks the return of Samsung to No. 1. There were 289.4 million units shipped in the period, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. Claiming the top spot was Samsung, with 60.1 million units shipped in the quarter, down about 0.7% from last year. Apple came in second, with 50.1 million units shipped, down 9.6% from last year. Apple was at the top spot in the last quarter of 2023. The third and fourth smartphone makers, Xiaomi and Transsion, saw their market share leap 34% and 85% respectively year over year. Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team, said in a statement that average selling prices continue to improve, with consumers buying more expensive devices because they know they’re going to hold onto them longer. Click here to read... [12]

Insurers claim ‘government’ could have sabotaged Nord Stream – Kommersant

Insurance policies for the Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotaged in 2022 do not cover destruction or damage caused during military hostilities, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on April 18, citing a claim filed at the High Court in London by two major Western companies. The reported claim by Lloyd’s of London and Arch Insurance comes in response to a court filing in March by Nord Stream AG, the pipeline’s operator. The enterprise, which is 51% owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, alleged at the time that insurers had failed to pay about €400 million ($438 million) for damage caused by the explosions at the pipelines, according to the Financial Times. Nord Stream AG reportedly estimates it would cost over €1.2 billion to fully repair the infrastructure and replace the lost gas inventory. In response, the two insurers are said to have claimed that “loss or damage directly or indirectly occasioned by, happening through, or in consequence of war” cannot be covered by the policies. They added that Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022, “satisfies the terms war, invasion hostilities or military power.” The insurers also argue the damage could have been caused “by or under the order of any government,” according to Kommersant. Commenting on the report, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said major concerns have been raised over the credibility of Western insurance giants. Click here to read... [13]

UK could deport asylum seekers to ex-Soviet republic – The Times

Britain has entered talks with Armenia to launch a migrant deportation scheme similar to London’s controversial deal with Rwanda, The Times reported on April 15. According to the newspaper, leaked documents have revealed that the British government has launched an “extensive search” for another third party, after plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing faced opposition at home and abroad. Besides Armenia, London has also started talks with Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), Costa Rica, and Botswana, The Times reported. Civil servants are said to be testing countries against feasibility criteria, such as the size of the territory and its population. The UK reached a five-year agreement with Rwanda in April 2022 for illegal immigrants to be sent to the African nation to have their asylum claims processed. Ministers have argued the plan will deter people from making boat crossings to the UK via the English Channel. In June of the same year, however, the first flight was canceled following intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The plan has also been ruled illegal by the UK’s highest court, which has deemed Rwanda unsafe for deportees. The British Parliament is set to debate a new draft law, the Safety of Rwanda Bill, on April 15. Click here to read... [14]

Hong Kong approves first bitcoin, ethereum spot ETFs

Hong Kong's securities regulator approved the first spot bitcoin and ethereum exchange traded funds (ETFs) on April 15, a milestone on the way to becoming Asia's first city to accept the popular cryptocurrencies as a mainstream investment tool. In separate statements, the Hong Kong unit of Bosera Asset Management and China Asset Management said they had received regulatory approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to launch the ETFs. The step comes just three months after the U.S. launched the first U.S.-listed ETFs to track spot bitcoin. The U.S. launch set an example for other regions as it has already drawn roughly $12 billion in net inflows. Click here to read... [15]

Tesla's Elon Musk postpones India trip, aims to visit later this year

Elon Musk postponed a planned trip to India where he was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing obligations at his Tesla automaker and saying he aimed to reschedule the visit for later this year. "Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year," Musk posted on his X social media platform. Reuters reported the postponement April 20, citing four people familiar with the matter. The trip was to have included the announcement of plans for the electric vehicle (EV) maker to enter the South Asian market, Reuters has reported. The CEO and the prime minister are both at critical junctures. Tesla could have used the India announcement to try to reassure investors after months of share-price declines and the news, April 15, that it would lay off more than 10% of its global workforce. Musk is expected to face tough questions from analysts when Tesla announces quarterly results April 23 about falling sales, rising competition from Chinese EV makers and the fate of key future Tesla products. Reuters reported April 5 that Tesla had halted development of its long-awaited affordable EV, often called the Model 2. Rohan Patel, a Tesla public policy executive who, according to sources, was one of those leading the company's India entry plans, also resigned this week. Click here to read... [16]

Strategic

China has no ‘fundamental’ conflict of interest with Germany, Xi Jinping tells Olaf Scholz

China and Germany have “no fundamental conflict of interests” and can work out their differences, President Xi Jinping told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on April 16. Xi also denounced the EU’s “de-risking” strategy, saying there should be “independent cooperation” to address global challenges, and called for an equal role for “all parties” in Ukraine peace efforts. “The industrial and supply chains of China and Germany are deeply embedded, and the markets of the two countries are highly interdependent. Mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Germany is not a ‘risk’, but a guarantee of the stability of bilateral relations and an opportunity to create a future,” Xi said, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry. He also said both sides should be “wary of the rise of protectionism and insist on looking at production capacity issues objectively and dialectically proceeding from economic laws and from a market and global perspective”. It is Scholz’s second visit to the country in less than 18 months. It follows the launch of a European Union “de-risking” strategy to reduce the bloc’s economic dependence on China and anti-subsidy probes into products such as electric vehicles and solar panels amid claims they are flooding the market with cheap goods. Click here to read... [17]

Israeli strike targeted Iranian airbase – NYT

Explosions near the Iranian city of Isfahan on April 19 morning were Israeli strikes on a military airfield, the New York Times claimed on April 19, citing anonymous sources. Neither Israel nor Iran has officially commented on the incident. Israel vowed to “respond” to April 13’s drone and missile strike by Iran, itself reprisal for the April 1 bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed several senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. Residents of the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Tabriz reported a series of blasts early on April 19. According to the NYT, three Iranian officials said the military airbase near Isfahan was hit. The Fars News agency reported that the explosions were heard near the city’s civilian airport. “The sound was related to Isfahan’s air defense systems firing at suspicious objects,” Brigadier Siavash Mihandoust, senior army commander in Isfahan province, said on April 19. “We have not had any damage,” he added. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gave a speech later in the day praising April 13’s strike on Israel but did not mention the explosions in Isfahan or Tabriz. According to Bloomberg, Israel had warned the US in advance that it would strike Iran in the next 24-48 hours. This was a change from the April 1 attack on Syria, when the White House was informed after the airstrike was already underway, the NYT reported. Click here to read... [18]

U.S. vetoes widely supported resolution backing full U.N. membership for Palestine

The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions, from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution. The strong support the Palestinians received reflects not only the growing number of countries recognizing their statehood but almost certainly the global support for Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month. The resolution would have recommended that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations. Some 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, so its admission would have been approved, likely by a much higher number of countries. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that the veto “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.” The United States has “been very clear consistently that premature actions in New York — even with the best intentions — will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people,” deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. Click here to read... [19]

China military's biggest shakeup in 9 years adds info, cyber, space units

China has created new independent People's Liberation Army units for information, space and cyber operations in its most sweeping military reorganization in nearly a decade. The old Strategic Support Force was broken up and replaced with the three new arms, one of which, the Information Support Force, is responsible for gathering and analyzing information, building communication networks and protecting vital systems. It "bears a great responsibility for advancing the military's high level of development and winning a modern war," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at an event April 19 marking the creation of the Information Support Force. The force's top commander is Lt. Gen. Bi Yi, whose military career includes serving as deputy commander of the PLA Ground Force. The military's official newspaper, the People's Liberation Army Daily, wrote in commentary published April 20 that "modern warfare is a confrontation between systems" and "those who seize the information advantage take the initiative." The PLA now consists of four branches -- ground, navy, air and rocket -- as well as four arms -- information, aerospace, cyber and joint logistics support. Announcing the reorganization on April 19, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the cyberspace force was needed for reinforcing national cyber border defenses, detecting and countering network intrusions and maintaining information security. The aerospace force will improve China's access to and ability to use outer space, Wu said. Click here to read... [20]

U.S. navy flies aircraft through the Taiwan Strait a day after U.S.-China defense chiefs hold rare talks

The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on April 17, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since Nov. 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the release said. Although the critical 160 kilometer- (100 mile-) wide strait that divides China from the self-governing island democracy is international waters, China considers the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it a challenge to its sovereignty. China claims the island of Taiwan, threatening to defend by force if necessary despite U.S. military support for the island. China had no immediate response to the report but has in past issued stern protests and activated defenses in response to the passage of ships and military planes through the straight, particularly those from the U.S. China also regularly sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island to wear down Taiwan’s defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de-facto independence. Click here to read... [21]

Japan reboots 'mutually beneficial' China ties in new Diplomatic Bluebook

Japan seeks to build a "mutually beneficial" strategic relationship with China, according to its annual foreign policy report, a change of wording that suggests Tokyo is trying to reduce economic and security risks in bilateral ties. The Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Bluebook, the 2024 edition of which was released April 16, reflects Japan's view of and approach to dealing with other countries. The return of the phrase "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" in reference to China for the first time since 2019 comes as Japan tries to maintain a stable relationship with a neighbor whose economic and military power is growing. The term was coined in 2006 by then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who used it to describe his goal of Japan and China pursuing shared political and economic interests. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the concept at last November's summit. "'Strategic' indicates that [Japan and China] are in a competitive relationship, but they cooperate where they can," said Naoko Eto, a professor of Chinese politics at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. The report acknowledged many "challenges and concerns" in the relationship. It called China's military buildup "a matter of serious concern to Japan and the international community," adding that it is "unprecedented and represents the greatest strategic challenge to ensuring the peace and security." Click here to read... [22]

Chinese warships at Cambodian base for months, CSIS analysis shows

Two Chinese warships have been present at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base for much of the past five months, satellite images show, raising questions about the permanency of China's military presence at the facility. China has backed a major expansion at the site on the Gulf of Thailand and was the first to send warships late last year to a new pier. Former Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh visited the vessels on Dec. 3 along with China's ambassador to Phnom Penh. Radio Free Asia reported in mid-January that the ships had departed after being docked for several weeks. Nikkei Asia obtained a photo that showed the two vessels, one of which was identified as the People's Liberation Army Navy corvette Wenshan, back at the deep-draft pier on March 20. But an analysis of satellite imagery by the Center for Strategic and International Studies showed that, except for some brief absences, the PLAN corvettes had enjoyed "extended and exclusive" access to Ream over the past four and a half months. "The PLAN ships are visible docked at Ream's new pier in 93 percent (85 of 91) of dates with clear imagery available since the ships initially docked there on December 3," CSIS, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an analysis released on April 18. "The pier was only seen empty for two brief periods from January 15-18 and March 29-30." Click here to read... [23]

Pakistan opposition forms six-way alliance to challenge government

Pakistan's six opposition parties, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have allied with the explicit goal of toppling the incumbent government. The alliance, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan) on April 13 held its inaugural political gathering in the Pishin city of Balochistan, a southwestern province, with a show of power. In addition to the PTI, the alliance includes two ethnic nationalist parties from Balochistan -- the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) -- and three nationwide Islamist parties: Jamaat e Islami, the Sunni Ittehad Council, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen. "The purpose of this movement is not confined to removing the incumbent government, but to ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution of Pakistan," Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the alliance's president, told the gathering. Achakzai was also the PTI-supported candidate in last month's presidential elections in Pakistan, where he lost to Asif Zardari from the Pakistan People's Party. Immediately after the general elections of Feb. 8 -- which generated controversy and wide-ranging allegations of result tampering -- PTI started holding regular protests. It claims to have won more than 170 seats out of 265 but was limited to 92 in the official results. The Election Commission of Pakistan denies PTI's claims. Click here to read... [24]

Russia responds to new US missile deployment in Asia

US deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines is another step by Washington towards escalating military confrontation in the Asia-Pacific, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has said. Last week, in what the US Army Pacific said was a “landmark” deployment that showcased “the extensive reach and logistical precision” of the American military, a Typhoon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system was flown to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, 250 km from Taiwan. Typhoon systems, which were first introduced in 2023, can fire both the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk missiles, with the latter having a range of up to 2,500km. “The Pentagon’s public demonstration of its capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region for the rapid deployment of missile weapons previously banned under the INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) Treaty raises deep concern,” Antonov wrote in a post on Telegram. By delivering a Typhoon system to the Philippines, “the US side is bringing an entire class of destabilizing weapons out of the shadows to ensure its military superiority over opponents,” he stressed. Such actions by the US signify “another powerful blow to strategic stability,” the ambassador said, adding that “Asia has already accumulated a lot of ‘hot’ material, and the region is rapidly militarizing.” Click here to read... [25]

US Nuclear-Missile Sub Delayed Up to 16 Months Over Bow, Generators

A delay of as much as 16 months in delivering the first of the US’s first Columbia-class nuclear-missile submarines — the Navy’s top weapons priority — stems from contractor delays in delivering the vessel’s bow section and power generators, according to an internal assessment by the service. The lead vessel, the USS District of Columbia, was scheduled to be delivered in October 2027 so that it could go on its first deployment in 2031. The House Armed Service’s seapower subcommittee is holding a hearing April 17 to review the Navy’s fiscal 2025 shipbuilding request as well as this month’s review by the service of its ship programs, which disclosed the Columbia delay of as much as 16 months but not the reasons in detail. Contractors General Dynamics Corp. and HII are designing and constructing the 12-boat class, a roughly $130 billion program, with each sub assembled from six large hull segments. During construction, these “super modules” are outfitted with systems and connections before final assembly by General Dynamics. The Navy calls the bow section that’s under contract with HII “Super Module No. 1,” reflecting its significance. HII was to ship the bow in May 2025 from its Newport News, Virginia, yard to the General Dynamics facility in Groton, Connecticut. That’s now estimated for June 2026, or 13 months late, according to internal service figures. The service declined to discuss the reasons. Click here to read... [26]

Maldives’ Pro-China President Secures Majority in Parliament

Maldives’ ruling People’s National Congress party won an absolute majority in parliament in elections held April 21, giving President Mohamed Muizzu’s pro-China policies a boost. President Muizzu’s party won 71 seats seats in 93-member parliament or Majlis, reported The Edition a local news platform, April 22. The main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party, won 12 seats. Muizzu won the presidential vote last year on a campaign to reduce India’s influence in the island. The president moved soon after taking office to demand the removal of Indian troops stationed on one of the country’s islets. New Delhi has agreed to withdraw its troops, who operate radars and aircraft, from the island nation by May 10. Beijing, in the meantime, upgraded its diplomatic ties with the Maldives to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” during Muizzu’s five-day visit to China in January. China agreed to provide free military assistance to the Maldives and President Xi Jinping said China will seek to boost direct flights to the island nation. The two countries also agreed to increase cooperation in areas of trade, investment, agriculture and others. Click here to read... [27]

Philippines Disowns Alleged Deal With China on Disputed Sea

Any behind-the-scenes deal between China and the previous Philippine administration over the disputed South China Sea would be against the national interest and is no longer valid, a senior official of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government said. “This administration is not aware of any secret or gentleman agreement and if there was such done under a previous administration, the same has been rescinded,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement. The Philippines, under Marcos, has asserted its claims in the South China Sea, boosting efforts to maintain a World War II-era ship that was deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as Manila’s outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal. Marcos’s predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, has said he struck a verbal agreement with China not to send construction materials for the ship’s repair and upkeep, according to ABS-CBN. “We should not fall into a trap which clearly seeks to sow division in our country and weaken our resolve in asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” Ano said, using Manila’s term for parts of the South China Sea that are within it exclusive economic zone. Click here to read... [28]

Armenia to Cede Border Territory in Major Deal With Azerbaijan

Armenia agreed to withdraw from several Azerbaijani border villages it has controlled since the early 1990s, a major step toward averting renewed hostilities between the two neighbors and reaching a long-elusive peace agreement. Deputy prime ministers from the two countries, Shahin Mustafayev of Azerbaijan and Mher Grigoryan of Armenia, reached the agreement April 19 during a meeting at the border, according to statements from both governments. Armenia will give back “two and a half” villages in the northeastern section of its border border with Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s office was quoted as saying by the pro-government Telegram channel Bagramyan 26. This will help “reduce risks connected with border demarcation and security,” the statement read. Azerbaijan’s state news agency Azartac, citing the government, said Armenia will give back four villages in the same section of the border. The sides agreed to mark out the entire Azerbaijani-Armenian border based on the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, which committed newly independent former Soviet republics to recognizing their administrative borders that existed as of the end of 1991, according to the report. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought several wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside Azerbaijan that was once Armenian-majority and broke free of Baku’s control after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Click here to read... [29]

Why is Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visiting Pakistan?

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in Pakistan on a three-day trip to discuss regional and bilateral relations days after Iran and Israel carried out attacks against each other, risking the Gaza war to expand into a regional conflict. Raisi is scheduled to hold talks with top Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as the two neighbours seek to mend ties after tit-for-tat missile attacks in January. Local media reported that Raisi will also meet General Asim Munir, the head of Pakistan’s military, which wields huge political and economic influence in the South Asian nation. What’s the agenda of the trip? Raisi arrived in the capital, Islamabad, on April 22 as the two neighbours aim to boost economic, border and energy ties. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with the neighbourhood policy … is interested in promoting relations with Pakistan and during this trip, various issues including economic and commercial issues, energy and border issues will be discussed with the government of Pakistan,” a statement by the Iranian presidential office said on April 22. In a statement issued on April 21, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for improving bilateral ties. Foreign policy analysts in Pakistan have backed re-engagement with Iran despite the border tensions. Click here to read... [30]

Israel Moves Closer to Rafah Invasion as Iran Crisis Wanes

As tensions with Iran ease, Israel’s military is gearing up to complete what it says is unfinished business: Uprooting Hamas from its last stronghold in the Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are taking shelter. Israeli leaders say they intend to go ahead despite vocal opposition from the country’s most important ally, the U.S., which has warned that a full-scale move on the enclave could cause widespread civilian casualties and disrupt humanitarian-aid efforts aimed at preventing famine. “In the coming days, we will increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas because it’s the only way to release our hostages and achieve our victory,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said April 21 in a message to mark Judaism’s Passover holiday, which begins April 22 evening. Israel’s air force has been hitting targets in Rafah in recent days. Strikes on Sunday killed at least 16 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, according to Wafa, the official news and information agency of the Palestinian Authority. Israel’s military said in mid-April that it had called up two reserve brigades “for operational activities on the Gazan front.” Netanyahu has said that Israel plans to evacuate civilians ahead of operations. The military has said it plans to move Gazans to humanitarian enclaves to be constructed within the Gaza Strip, which would include food, water, shelter and medical services. Click here to read... [31]

Health

South Korea set to adjust medical reforms in bid to end walkout, say media reports

South Korea’s government is expected to announce on April 19 it is willing to adjust plans to raise medical school admissions in a bid to end a walkout by junior doctors and in the wake of the ruling party’s crushing election defeat, media reports said. The country’s healthcare system is under pressure due to a prolonged stalemate between the government and doctors over plans to boost medical school admissions by 2,000 from 3,000 starting in 2025. On April 18, some medical school deans suggested scaling back the increase by up to half and allowing universities flexibility to determine their quotas, as a potential way to reach a compromise. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will convene an intra-agency meeting and is likely to accept that request and hold a briefing to unveil the decision at around 3 p.m. (0600 GMT), the Yonhap news agency said, citing his office. Han’s office was not immediately available for comment. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office did not immediately provide comment and the health ministry also did not comment but confirmed Han’s planned briefing. President Yoon has been pushing to add more doctors as an integral element of his medical reforms, an idea that has strong public support amid a shortage of physicians outside the greater Seoul area and in essential medical disciplines including emergency care and pediatrics. Click here to read... [32]