Week 148 (04-10/04/2022)

View fullsize

Viktor Orbán has won his fourth consecutive term as Hungary’s prime minister after a landslide election win (04/04). | Picture: AP

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the World Expo 2020 has finally closed its doors (05/04). Following the closing, the Dubai and UAE authorities will turn the expo ground into a futuristic and environmental-oriented residential area. The area will be named as “District 2020”.

Demonstrations in Sudan’s capital Khartoum and the city of Wad Madani have left more than 70 people injured and one dead (07/04). The latest death brought the death toll since the demonstrations began on 25 October to 94. The protesters have been demanding “full civilian rule” from the government.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary in Ministry of Defense Eugene Wamalwa and Uganda’s Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Vincent Ssempijja have signed a defense and security agreement (07/04). The agreement aims at facilitating joint cooperation in counterterrorism, as well as to fight proliferation of small arms. Wamalwa said that the expansion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the East African Community has brought new challenges and terrorism. He later thanked Uganda for helping pacify eastern DRC. 

The economic crisis in Lebanon that started in 2019 finally gained international attention (08/04). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it had reached a draft funding agreement with the country. However, the Lebanese government needs to enact economic reforms before the IMF approved the agreement.

ASIA 

Reported in CNN (04/01), China will deploy thousands of military personnel to assist Shanghai in the mandatory screening of all 25 million inhabitants. Starting on Monday, every resident will take a nucleic acid test. The locked-down Shanghai, China’s largest financial hub, is grappling with a record number of daily COVID-19 cases.  As of Sunday, the city reported 9,000 cases—though the numbers are small by international standards, the fast-spreading outbreak has placed Shanghai on the front lines of China's uncompromising battle with the virus. 

Sixteen Malaysians have been rescued (05/04) after being allegedly duped by lucrative job offers as customer service officers in Cambodia. All of the victims were deceived through Facebook and the costs of their trips were borne by a company in Cambodia. Having their movements controlled by the company after arriving in Cambodia, they were forced to work as scammers. Currently, all the victims are safe and are in Phnom Penh, Cambodia while waiting for their flight home to Malaysia. In rescue attempt, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) joined hands with the Interpol, ASEAN Police, the Foreign Ministry and the Cambodian police. 

Reported in Bloomberg (06/04), India’s Mumbai city reported a new coronavirus variant called XE, a hybrid of two omicron strains BA.1 and BA.2. According to the World Health Organization, the virus could be the most transmissible variant yet, more transmissible than original omicron. The virus was detected in a 50-year-old woman who had traveled to Mumbai from South Africa in February. Her case is asymptomatic and had no comorbidities. 

Japan and the Philippines plan (09/04) to further expand defense cooperation, which potentially include cooperative activity and sharing supplies, during a meeting in Tokyo. Additionally, both countries have also agreed to boost security cooperation by conducting joint exercises. Previously the two countries had signed an agreement to forge closer defense ties in January 2015 and have since conducted nearly 20 join naval drills. The new plan came against a backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and regional tensions, particularly on China’s conduct in East and South China Sea and North Korea’s missile tests.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA 

Members of the AUKUS alliance, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), have agreed to add hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities to its security pact (05/04). Australia and the US already have SCIFiRE, a hypersonic weapon program. But the UK said it would only work together on research and development in the area at this point, not yet to join the program.  

Australia refused to expel Russian diplomats from Canberra on the basis that it would likely result in the closure of its embassy in Moscow, thus putting Australians in Russia at risk (06/04). It has, however, imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian officials, oligarchs, and financial institutions. New Zealand, the UK, Canada, and the US—who are also parts of the Five Eyes countries together with Australia—also refused to expel Russian diplomats.  

A security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China has raised an alarm in the Pacific (07/04). A leaked draft stated that “Chinese warships could stop in the Solomons for ‘logistical replenishment’” and that China could “send police, military personnel, and other armed forces to the Solomons ‘to assist in maintaining social order’”. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the situation as “gravely concerning”, whilst US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington would reopen its embassy in Honiara to increase the US’ influence in the Solomon Islands before China turned “strongly embedded”.  

Russell Tamata, Vanuatu’s director-general of the Ministry of Health, said that the country’s border would be reopened (08/04). From May 1 to the end of June, over 5,000 Vanuatu nationals and residents can go home after being stranded overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening is made possible with robust vaccination programs, access to rapid testing, and COVID-19 restrictions.

EUROPE 

Viktor Orbán has won his fourth consecutive term as Hungary’s prime minister after a landslide election win (04/04). In his victory speech, Orbán called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an “opponent” that he managed to overcome. Hungary is a close ally of Russia, making the European Union (EU) unable to present a united front against Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden expelled more than 200 Russian diplomats and staff (05/04). The decision was taken after dozens of bodies were discovered in Bucha, Ukraine, after the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia rejected the accusation that its troops were responsible for the killings, saying that the images depicting the bodies were fake or the deaths occurred after they withdrew.  

The UK will send a new military aid package to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion (07/04). Furthermore, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda have agreed that the West needed to accelerate their support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has approved a plan to send tens of T-72 Soviet-designed tanks to Ukraine.  

The final stage of the French presidential election on April 24 will see incumbent President Emmanuel Macron faces far-right rival Marine Le Pen. The two rivals beat 10 other candidates, including anti-immigration, far-right politician Éric Zemmour who briefly eclipsed Le Pen last year, in the first round of voting on Sunday (10/04). With more than 90% of the votes counted, Macron leads with only 5% ahead of Le Pen (28% to 23%), meaning that Le Pen is closer than ever to bring the far-right to power in France.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

 President Alberto Fernández of Argentina met his Bolivian counterpart, President Luis Arce, on Thursday (07/04). Both leaders discussed an energy supply agreement. Argentina is expected to close a deal with Bolivia to maintain their domestic energy supply.

 Deforestation in the Amazon forest, Brazil, sets a record. As reported on Friday (08/04), the deforestation increased 64% compared to last year. This deforestation is expected to have a major impact on global climate and Brazi’s agricultural production.

 The ban on Russian oil had a positive impact on Suriname and Guyana. The US Geological Survey estimates that the Suriname-Guyana Basin has one of the largest oil deposits in the continent. As of Friday (08/04), it is expected that the basin could be an economic game changer for both countries.

 A wave of protests swept through Peru due to rising fuel prices. In Peru, fuel prices increased 30% due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Castillo briefly imposed a curfew, though it was eventually canceled on Tuesday (05/03) following public opposition.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

Kartik Vasudev, a student from India, was shot dead at a subway station in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday (07/04). His family did not know why he was shot several times. Meanwhile, the local authorities have yet to make any arrests.

Canada plans to ban foreign investors from buying homes for two years. Finance Minister Chriystia Freeland on Thursday (07/04) said the policy was needed to reduce housing demand. The sharp increase in housing demands led to a 20% increase in prices.

Thunderstorms hit the East Coast of the US. On Thursday (07/04), the storms caused thousands of flight delays in airports ranging from New York to Florida. The delay is significant as the US is preparing for spring break.

US authorities have arrested a Yakuza leader. On Thursday (07/04), federal prosecutors said the Yakuza had a role in distributing drugs into the US. Furthermore, the Yakuza leader is also involved in smuggling US-made missiles into Myanmar.