VIF News Digest: International Developments (18-24 June, 2018)

US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council, 20 June 2018

The US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, dealing a blow to human rights campaigners and efforts by US allies to keep Washington as a member. The US made the decision after repeatedly failing to push through reforms. Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, said the body was guilty of “shameless hypocrisy” that “enables human rights abuses by absolving wrongdoers through silence”. Announcing the withdrawal, Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, said the move was “not a retreat from human rights commitments”. The US would “continue to lead” on human rights, citing her work at the UN Security Council on Syria, Iran and Venezuela. click here to read... [2]

US, S. Korea agree to suspend joint military exercises, 19 June 2018

The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Monday agreed to suspend the joint military exercises scheduled to take place in August after President Donald Trump pledged to end the "war games" following his summit with Kim Jong Un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) last week, Reuters reported citing a US official.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" exercises would be suspended in line with Trump's comments and an official announcement was expected in the coming days.

"The ROK and the United States have agreed to suspend all planning activities regarding the Freedom Guardian military drill scheduled for August," according to a ROK defense ministry statement. click here to read... [3]

House GOP Unveils Budget to Fast-Track Tax Cuts, End Obamacare, 19 June 2018

House Republicans unveiled a 2019 budget proposal Tuesday to send a message to their core supporters that repealing Obamacare, cutting taxes and partially privatizing Medicare remain high on their agenda.

The budget, which claims to balance by 2027 through $8 trillion in spending cuts, seeks to revive the deficit-cutting mantle for Republicans after a two-year deal that increased spending by $300 billion. A massive tax cut approved last year is expected to add $2 trillion in deficits over 10 years.

The budget proposal lays out a platform for the Republicans to run on in November. Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats to win the House and the party has reason to be optimistic about achieving that goal in November’s election. click here to read... [4]

Trump calls for establishment of U.S. “space force”, 18 June 2018
Catching observers off guard, President Trump, in remarks before a National Space Council Meeting at the White House Monday, officially directed to Pentagon to establish a sixth branch of the military, a “space force,” to ensure American dominance on the high frontier.

Trump also signed his administration’s third Space Policy Directive, calling for establishment of new protocols and procedures to manage and monitor the increasing numbers of satellites in low-Earth orbit and the tens of thousands of pieces of space junk and debris that pose an increasing threat to costly spacecraft.

The directive follows on the heels of two other major space policy initiatives being implemented by the National Space Council, one calling for returning humans to the moon before eventual missions to Mars and another aimed at streamlining the federal space bureaucracy to reduce red tape and streamline licensing and oversight of commercial space activity. click here to read... [5]

US Senate passes $716-billion Defence Authorisation Bill, 19 June 2018

The US Senate has passed with an overwhelming majority a $716-billion Defence Bill which among other things seeks to strengthen ties with America’s ‘Major Defence Partner’ India.

The US recognised India as a “Major Defence Partner” in 2016, a designation that allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America at par with that of its closest allies and partners, and ensures enduring cooperation into the future.

The National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2019, passed by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 85-10, is named in the honour of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, who is battling cancer for the past several months. click here to read... [6]

Trade row: India, US officials to hold meet on June 26, 19 June 2018

Senior trade officials from India and the US will hold a crucial meeting on June 26 to hammer out solutions to contentious trade issues, including the additional duty slapped by the Trump administration on Indian steel and aluminium that have threatened to escalate into a broader trade war, sources told FE. The US delegation will be led by assistant US trade representative (south and central Asian affairs) Mark Linscott. Both the sides will first try to “address low hanging fruits”, including greater market access for each other’s products, in the meeting and see how to resolve all the crucial issues without further flaring up the situation, said one of the sources. click here to read... [7]

India To Hike Import Duty On US-Made Motorcycles, 18 June 2018

India has proposed to raise import duty on several products, in what is seen as a response to the trade stand-off between India and the US. India considers America's policies 'protectionist' that range from tighter visa norms for Indians and higher import duties, particularly on certain steel and aluminium products. Now, India is proposing an additional 50 per cent on products such as imported motorcycles over 800 cc, and this will likely affect prices of certain motorcycle models from Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle, which are imported as completely built units (CBUs) into India. click here to read... [8]

US Ambassador Nikki Haley in India next week for bilateral visit, 20 June 2018

The US permanent representative to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who is one of US President Donald Trump’s trusted aides, is coming to India on a bilateral visit next week. She is likely to meet officials in the Ministry of External Affairs, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, apart from at least one public engagement at a think-tank on June 27. She may also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Haley’s visit comes amid differences between India and the US on two issues – US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and impending sanctions on defence deals with Russia.

Sources said the “bilateral visit is taking place” as was scheduled, ahead of the 2+2 talks between foreign and defence ministers from India and their American counterparts on July 6 in Washington DC. “Haley’s visit will tackle global issues, and the Trump administration’s pullout from the JCPOA is expected to figure during her discussions with Indian officials,” sources said. click here to read... [9]

COMCASA: India wants reliability assurance, 22 June 2018

India has asked the United States for a binding assurance in the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (Comcasa) to ensure that the secured communication equipment covered by the pact are available to India and kept operational at all times. ET has gathered that broadly, both sides have made healthy progress, including on end user monitoring issues, in their first formal round of negotiations on this key foundational agreement. The US also handed over the template for Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (Beca), the other foundation agreement. click here to read... [10]

India, U.S. 2+2 Dialogue on July 6, 22 June 2018

The inaugural U.S.-India 2+2 Dialogue will take place on July 6, both countries announced on Thursday.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis will host External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Washington, D.C., for the dialogue that “will focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defense cooperation as the United States and India jointly confront global challenges,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

The new dialogue format was agreed to between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington D.C. in June, 2017. “The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. click here to read... [11]

RUSSIA

Hackers set their sights on personal data, 18 June 2018

The number of cyber incidents in Russia grew 32% in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year, according to a report by Positive Technologies obtained by Kommersant. Cyber attackers are seeking to obtain individuals’ personal data increasingly more, with the share of such attacks reaching 36% in the aforementioned period (compared to 23% in 2017).

One may indeed get the impression that hackers are interested in personal data more and more often, but all that is ultimately done for the sake of financial enrichment, Anton Fishman of Group-IB stressed. With the development of dark web markets, it has become much easier to sell information. That includes industrial espionage, various organizations’ financial documents and users’ personal data, he explained.
Individuals were most affected by cyber-attacks (28% of attacks in the first quarter of 2018), As a rule, in those cases attackers used malicious software, that is, spyware (34%), cryptocurrency miners (27%) and ads distribution software (18%).click here to read... [12]

Russia and India ditching US dollar in defense deals to bypass US sanctions, 19 June 2018

Russia and India are reportedly making plans to start using the rupee and the ruble to process military deals. The two countries currently transact in US dollars but sanctions from the US is slowing down transactions, the recent worth $2 billion is yet to complete because payment are getting stuck.

India is one of the top buyers of defense equipment from Russia. Both nations have signed military contracts valued at $65 billion in the past 6 decades. But the US is against India buying Russia's S400 air-defense system which could be in excess of $5 billion.
To escape the restrictions imposed by US sanctions, both countries are considering ditching the US dollar and make payment in domestic currencies. "Talks are being conducted between Vijaya Bank and Indian Bank on the Indian side and Russia’s top creditor Sberbank," RT reports. click here to read... [13]

Russia sends assault ships to counter US aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, 18 June 2018

Russian small missile ships - the Grad Sviyazhsk and the Great Ustyug - set off for a mission to the Mediterranean Sea. The warships are said to join the permanent group of the Russian Navy in the far sea zone in the near future, representatives of the media department of the Black Sea Fleet said.

In turn, the United States sent an assault group of vessels under the leadership of the Harry Truman aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean Sea. The group of US warships will take part in an operation against terrorists in Syria, although Russian MPs believe that the US is working on another attack on Bashar Assad's forces. The head of the Defense Committee at the State Duma, Vladimir Shamanov, stressed that such an escalation would not lead to anything good. click here to read... [14]

Over half of all Russians want Vladimir Putin to remain president after 2024, poll shows, 19 June 2018

Over half of respondents in a Russian poll said that they would prefer Vladimir Putin to remain in power after his current term expires in 2024, regardless of the direct constitutional ban on such move.

According to the research, conducted by the independent public opinion think tank Levada, the share of Russians who say that they would prefer to see Putin as president after his current term expires in 2024 is 51 percent. 27 percent of respondents described such scenario as 'undesirable'.
The Russian Constitution does not allow the same person to assume the presidential post for more than two terms in a row and Putin has repeatedly told the press that he had no intention to violate or change this rule. click here to read... [15]

Russia's Advanced Weapons' Production Up Fourfold Over Last 5 Years – Shoigu, 20 June 2018

The draft plan for shifting weapons and military equipment to domestic software is designed to further ensure the stable development and information security of the Russian defense industry, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

"In conditions of sanctions pressure and tough competition on the global arms market, our leading defense enterprises are successfully implementing import substitution programs. Over the last five years, the share of models of advanced weapons and equipment increased fourfold [in production]," Shoigu said at a meeting of the Defense Ministry board in Crimea.

According to Shoigu, these results were achieved thanks to out-of-the-box solutions and the use of advanced technology. click here to read... [16]

Trump trade war a ‘symptom of paranoid delusions’ – Chinese media, 22 June 2018

The China Daily has accused the Trump administration of “manipulative maneuvers,” which have led to a trade war and the lowest level of Chinese investment in the US economy in seven years.

“The woes the administration is inflicting on Chinese companies do not simply translate into boons for US enterprises and the US economy,” the state newspaper said in an editorial headlined “Protectionism symptom of paranoid delusions.”

The paper refers to research by Rhodium Group, which found that Chinese investment in the United States declined by 92 percent to $1.8 billion in the first five months of this year – its lowest level in seven years. “The fast-shrinking Chinese investment in the US reflects the damage being done to China-US-trade relations... by the trade crusade of Trump and his trade hawks,” it said. click here to read... [17]

AFRICA
Attacks in Northern Mozambique Kill 39 since May: Reuters, 19 June 2018

Attacks by armed groups in northern Mozambique, where huge gas reserves are being developed, have killed at least 39 people and displaced more than 1,000 since May, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Violence first broke out in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado in October last year, with local residents reporting gangs armed with machetes attacking police stations, torching villages and executing religious leaders.

The United States embassy last week advised its citizens to leave the province after attacks increased in a region where Anadarko Petroleum is beginning to develop a $15 billion liquefied natural gas project. click here to read... [18]

Eritrea to Send Delegation to Ethiopia for Talks: Aljazeera, 20 June 2018

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki said the East African country will dispatch a delegation to Addis Ababa to "gauge current developments" in the region following peace overtures from Ethiopia's new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

"We will send a delegation to [Addis Ababa] to gauge current developments directly and in depth as well as to chart out a plan for continuous future action," Isaias said on Wednesday during a speech in Eritrea. click here to read... [19]

Chinese President, Indian PM Modi to Visit Rwanda: The New Times, 22 June 2018

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the country on a two-day visit from July 22 to 23rd, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe has confirmed. Nduhungirehe who was addressing members of the press on Friday said that the state visit by the Chinese leader is set to further strengthen ties between the two nations.

He said that during the visit, the two countries will sign new agreements outlining further areas of cooperation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique are also expected to in the country in the coming days, according to the minister. click here to read... [20]

Mauritius Ranked Africa's Most Peaceful Country, and the Gambia Records Largest Improvement: allAfrica, 22 June 2018

Mauritius has been ranked in the top 20 of the world's most peaceful countries in the 2018 Global Peace Index (GPI). In the 12th edition of the Index, Mauritius was ranked number 20 out of 163 countries. On the continent Botswana came second, and ranked 29 globally. Sierra Leone was ranked (35), Madagascar (38), Ghana (41), Namibia (43), Malawi (44) and Zambia (48) respectively on the Global Index. click here to read... [21]

Seychelles President Arrives for Six-day Visit, Unlikely to Discuss Naval Base: The Indian Express, 23 June 2018

President of Seychelles Danny Faure landed in Ahmedabad on Friday as part a six-day visit, during which he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the wide-ranging areas of cooperation between the two countries, including defence and security. The visit holds special importance as it comes days after the Seychelles Parliament blocked a joint project between the two countries to develop a naval base at the African nation’s Assumption Island.

At a press conference on June 4, Faure had said Seychelles will develop military facilities at Assumption Island on its own and that the project with India “will not move forward”. He also said the issue would not be discussed with the Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi. click here to read... [22]

Zimbabwe's President Calls for Peace after Stadium Blast Attack: The Guardian, 23 June 2018
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president of Zimbabwe, has called for peace, love and unity hours after escaping an apparent assassination attempt during an election campaign rally in the southern city of Bulawayo. At least eight people were injured in the explosion, the state-run Herald newspaper reported.

Footage posted online showed Mnangagwa, 75, waving to the crowd in the White City stadium at about 2pm on Saturday afternoon, turning to step off the podium and walking into the open-sided VIP tent, where seconds later the explosion occurred. People ducked and screamed and smoke billowed. State television immediately cut its broadcast. click here to read... [23]

Egypt Extends State of Emergency for Three Months: Xinhua News, 24 June 2018

The Egyptian parliament approved on Sunday a three-month extension of the state of emergency due to security challenges facing the Arab country, official MENA news agency reported. The parliament approved a presidential decree to extend the emergency state, starting from July 14, according to MENA.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi first imposed a three-month nationwide state of emergency in April last year, following a twin bombings at two churches in northern provinces of Gharbeya and Alexandria that killed at least 47 and wounded over 120. click here to read... [24]

Ethiopia: Grenade Attack Caused Blast at Rally for PM Abiy Ahmed – Aljazeera, 24 June 2018

An explosion has struck a large rally by supporters of Ethiopia's new, reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, killing at least one person and wounding scores, including 10 who are in critical condition.

Abiy had just wrapped up his speech at the capital's Meskel Square before tens of thousands of people on Saturday when the explosion went off, sending droves of supporters towards the stage as the prime minister left hurriedly. Six suspects are under investigation for involvement in the attack, according to police. click here to read... [25]

US Deports 34 Nigerians over Immigration, Other Offences: allAfrica, 21 June 2018

The United States, yesterday, deported 34 Nigerians over alleged immigration and related offences. The deportees arrived at the cargo session of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos, aboard a chartered Omni Air International aircraft with Registration Number W342AX. click here to read... [26]