March 18
FT World Bank lender to poorest nations seeks record funding haul
Debt and climate-change-related crises increase the need for the International Development Association to provide cheap loans and grants to 75 developing countries. Cuts to aid budgets limit the spending appetites of IDA’s biggest donor nations such as the U.S.A. and Britain. In addition China has stepped back from lending. https://www.ft.com/content/e4cb61c5-14b9-4e14-8e31-7670039c6865
FT The simple idea behind Latin America’s star economy
The Dominican Republic bucked the region’s economic funk despite sharing its island with a completely failed state, Haiti. It is now the seventh biggest economy, overtaking Ecuador and Venezuela. The recipe is simple: the country is pro-business but at the same time increases social spending. In an interview to the newspaper the president said investment in higher education, hospitals, public transport and targeted welfare programs is key to the government policy. https://www.ft.com/content/5e73b3fc-41ef-4d88-9fa3-21cbd1d1bec5
FT India fires starting gun for election campaigning in the world’s largest democracy
The ruling party is hoping to win 370 seats (400 with its allies) when voting begins on April 19. Over more than six weeks in seven phases across states and territories the election will be concluded with a final round on June 1. Votes are set to be counted on June 4. https://www.ft.com/content/9fe9f973-f190-40f0-a7d8-fbdff658e700
FT The incumbent cements his rule of Russia for another six years
The president is to hold office until 2030 as the war economy rebounds, dissent is quashed and its troops regain the initiative in Ukraine. https://www.ft.com/content/5aa91ea1-6a57-4325-a0a0-ae2959c81b04
NYT Niger orders American troops to leave its territory
The West African country’s military junta said the presence of the U.S.A. forces was “illegal.” Increasingly, West Africans are questioning the motives of Western countries operating in Africa. Niger spoke of a “violation of all constitutional and democratic rules which would require the sovereign people to be consulted on the installation of a foreign army on its territory”. An analyst considered the rhetoric “aggressive negotiation tactic”. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/17/world/africa/niger-orders-american-troops-out.html
March 19
FT Rare protests break out in Cuba amid electricity and food shortages
The president blames the unrest on “mediocre politicians and social media terrorists” in South Florida. The country relies on its allies Russia and Venezuela for fuel and food supplies. https://www.ft.com/content/dcad78e4-6b3f-4bc8-87dc-e11e6f2ae6c8
FT Threat of regional war intensifies as DR Congo rebels close in on Goma
Aid agencies warn of humanitarian catastrophe as the M23 militia fights its way through the mineral-rich region. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups operating in eastern DRC. In December, a UN report provided evidence that M23 fighters had been trained in Rwanda and that the Rwandan army had provided it with troop reinforcements and directly intervened on Congolese territory. Ethnic divisions are behind the armed groups and some other groups are claimed to be supported by the DRC government. https://www.ft.com/content/8aa1d210-f593-4558-9cd0-8048b01b64f0
FT The divisive politics of India’s movement to ‘reclaim’ temples
Hindu litigants are mounting court challenges to allow them to worship at mosques in moves Muslims see as intruding on their rights. The places concern Hindu places of worship replaced by mosques during the time the country was run by Muslim rulers. The Hindu nationalists see it as a decolonizing reclaim. https://www.ft.com/content/32a3bb3b-7183-4ec9-b102-9f7786acc6fc
FT Britain’s levelling up agenda is failing to deliver
The newspaper dedicates an editorial to the 2019 election promise that regional inequality would be addressed. Today the country remains one of the most centralized and geographically unequal economies in the OECD. The next government must close the gap between rhetoric and reality. https://www.ft.com/content/901235ed-5426-4281-ab37-87592c9092d2
NYT U.S.A. foreign secretary warns of disinformation threat to democracies
At an international forum, the secretary of state said artificial intelligence’s ability to disrupt the global flow of information could prove politically perilous during a year of elections. He promoted “digital and media literacy” programs and warned that increasingly powerful generative A.I. programs can “fool even the most sophisticated news consumers.” Also discussed was the threat of commercial spyware to monitor and intimidate journalists and political activists. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/world/asia/blinken-artificial-intelligence-threat.html
March 20
FT The era of the unfixable problem
The newspaper’s international politics commentator in an op-ed reflects on refugee flows, low birth rates and left-behind regions in countries and their persistence. According to him this is because there is no answer, not because politicians are useless. Consider his take on birth rate rise: “At some point, the childless or one-child trend has to be seen for what it is: a byproduct of affluence and secularization. Undoing these things, even if we were minded to, would require a bizarre kind of government.” https://www.ft.com/content/2095fc43-abf7-4397-827c-0520d8977954
FT Brazil police recommend criminal charges against former president
The former leader faces the first potential indictment on claims of false vaccination certificates and ‘criminal association’. He denies the accusations. Since leaving office he was repeatedly the subject of investigation. Last year he was banned from running for political office until 2030 for spreading misinformation about the electoral system during the 2022 election. https://www.ft.com/content/bbacb76f-8e5f-486a-9c24-d4bd9ed5bdd7
TT The new autocrats driving global democracy to a 20-year low
The German Bertelsmann Stiftung’s latest index reveals the rise of media censorship, unfair elections and curbs on civil protests. Four more countries — Benin, El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia — were classed as autocracies, as they outnumbered democracies by a larger margin than ever before. The Bertelsmann transformation index (BTI), released every two years since 2005, assesses 137 countries classed as developing — largely the world’s poorer nations, or transitioning — such as former communist bloc states in Europe. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/world-democracy-index-2024-two-decade-low-vc6zt7fq9
March 21
FT Zambia’s $13bn debt stand-off an ‘indictment’ of global system, says president
The president says that the ‘long overdue’ agreement with China and others has greater urgency by the devastating drought. The southern African country has become a symbol of the failures of the G20-endorsed common framework meant to expedite solutions to debt crises in poor countries. https://www.ft.com/content/c528daac-fd80-490e-aee1-29a18154f79b
FT Corruption purge and tycoon’s $12bn bank fraud trial shake Vietnam
One of the world’s biggest embezzlement cases is part of a crackdown that could upset foreign investment to the country. The alleged fraud amount is almost three times that involving Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which foreign officials have described as the world’s largest incident of kleptocracy. https://www.ft.com/content/87cc326d-541b-4941-859d-9dce37e9a6f1
FT PM of Ireland to step down
The PM will also quit as leader of his party, saying his reasons are both personal and political. The parties in Ireland’s ruling coalition do not expect the bombshell resignation to trigger a general election, for which the opposition has asked. https://www.ft.com/content/0b779688-4248-4304-840d-db8bc758985a
NYT Extreme heat wave pushes South Sudan to close schools
Climate change has already worsened floods and droughts in the young nation. Now, soaring temperatures are forecast for two weeks. The civil conflict, a worsening humanitarian crisis and a tense political environment have made it even harder to mitigate the turmoil of climate change. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/world/africa/extreme-heat-south-sudan-schools-climate.html
March 22
FT ‘New climate reality’ stretches global freshwater supply
Population growth, climate change and industrialization are compounding the problem, but there is no shortage of solutions. These lie primarily in a more targeted use of water. Often, the sensitivity for this is lacking as water is considered readily available from taps. https://www.ft.com/content/aa0c75b6-524e-4090-9dfc-0d40ef8bccbd
FT Declining fertility rates will transform global economy, report in The Lancet medical journal says
The proportion of births in low-income countries is projected to nearly double to 35 percent by 2100. “These future trends in fertility rates and live births will completely reconfigure the global economy and the international balance of power — and will necessitate reorganizing societies.” By 2100, just six countries are expected to have fertility rates higher than 2.1: Tajikistan in central Asia, the Pacific islands of Tonga and Samoa, and the African nations of Somalia, Chad and Niger. https://www.ft.com/content/318ff981-d189-4bd6-b608-a9709097eedc
FT New government in Argentina takes “chainsaw” to state companies
Its election symbol, the chainsaw, is implemented to slash costs in state companies amid resistance to privatization in parliament. The attention is now changing to within the companies and reducing government funds. The Interior minister claims these companies spend 80 percent of their budget on management costs. https://www.ft.com/content/947ec43d-9694-423f-a645-ada46c1677e6
FT Senior opposition politician in India arrested ahead of general election
The Enforcement Directorate for economic crimes detains the Delhi chief minister as part of a money laundering probe. His party managed to win the capital in state polls in 2015 and 2020 despite the ruling party’s formidable campaign machine. The main opposition party, National Congress, complained that campaigning for them is impossible as bank accounts are frozen due to a tax dispute. https://www.ft.com/content/b3a9821b-3b39-4f5d-a88b-e4abdb145857
FT Ireland’s ‘accidental politician’ plotted a path to the top
At the stepping down of the PM he is set to achieve a long-held ambition when he becomes the country’s youngest “taoiseach”, the traditional name for PM. A councilor aged just 22, a member of the Dáil, Ireland’s parliament, at 24, a junior finance minister at 27, health minister at 29, higher education minister at 33 — set to become PM at 37. Critics view him as an opportunist. https://www.ft.com/content/3da864ff-c544-44ef-8578-fbaa599ed481
FT In Portugal Centre-right politician nominated as PM
The Democratic Alliance leader is set to head a fragile minority government after he shunned a potential far-right partner that shook up the political landscape, see March 2. The DA has 80 seats of the 230 seats parliament. The Socialists lost the election due to a corruption scandal. https://www.ft.com/content/41021fe6-c9cf-4e15-a78a-214f9bcb582c
March 23
FT The pursuit of happiness
On the occasion of “World Happiness Day” the newspaper dedicates an editorial to the subject and concludes that “a valid goal for governments is to reduce the causes of discontent”. But also: “Cross-country comparisons can be nonsensical, and mood-based surveys are influenced by everything from the time of day to the weather.” The World Happiness Report shows that life evaluations can be largely explained by six factors: GDP per capita, levels of social support, health, freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption. https://www.ft.com/content/0f1fb65e-f5b2-4e9e-b5ca-9145c1af60ff
FT Young ‘super-revolutionaries’ in Iran lay claim to legacy of Islamic revolt
The radical-right newcomers accuse the older generation of corruption and nepotism. The approach of the super-revolutionaries, according to one hardline politician, is “driven by a desire to eliminate western and liberal influences in culture, economy and even foreign policy”. They operate within a complex political system characterized by opacity and where influential players operate from the shadows. https://www.ft.com/content/323a60d1-1685-49a5-ad33-6ef57b5e5983
FT Iceland to harvest more corn and less bitcoin, says PM
The PM tells the newspaper the island nation needs food security in a hostile world and also to respond to EU regulations that aim to reduce farming in the bloc. The country attempts to rein in energy-hungry bitcoin miners who have turned the island into a data-center haven. The renewable energy needs to be used in a more democratic way for the citizens. Iceland produces most of the animal products it consumes, but only 1 per cent of its cereals and 43 per cent of its vegetables. https://www.ft.com/content/6432a24b-b7c4-4c2f-85a8-79108dbe0644
NYT Democracy teetering in African countries once colonized by France
A wave of military coups and presidents clinging to power are two sides of the same anti-democratic coin plaguing Francophone Africa. These states modeled their constitutions on France’s, concentrating power in the presidents’ hands. And France maintained a web of business and political ties with its former colonies — a system known as Françafrique — often propping up corrupt governments. Support for military rule is increasing. None of the nine African countries ranked as “free” by Freedom House, a pro-democracy group, is a former French colony. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/africa/democracy-senegal-africa-france.html
NYT Uganda’s president names son to top military post, fueling talk of a succession plan
Nicknamed General Twitter, he has a reputation for provocative late-night tweets and has been working to position himself as heir apparent to his father. The president for nearly 40 years has no plan to step down and will run again in 2026. In recent months, the 49 year old son has been trying to polish his image and consolidate his support nationwide. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/africa/uganda-president-son.html
News from the World Evangelical Alliance
In the U.N. Human Rights Council the Geneva office last week promoted multi-faith dialogue to counter religious hatred, and reported on the situation of Christians in Sri Lanka and Algeria: https://un.worldea.org/reports-statements-geneva/
March 24
FT Senegal’s politicians jostle to replace incumbent in delayed vote
The previously stable west African democracy was hit by protests ahead of the Sunday election. Nineteen candidates have been campaigning to replace Sall, in office since 2012, but only a handful stand a realistic chance of winning power in the west African country of 17mn people. https://www.ft.com/content/97e790f5-b510-41e4-855f-5358936e2402
FT 137 Kidnapped children freed in northern Nigeria
The release of pupils snatched in Kaduna state is a boost for the government. Earlier 287 children were reported to be kidnapped. Analysts say the school may have been unsure of the exact number. Almost 4,000 people were seized in 2023, the highest level in five years. Kidnapping is turning into a commercial activity. The government has criminalized the paying of ransom. https://www.ft.com/content/986a6b11-a4db-41d2-8ae5-ba64c1f6e56b
March 25
FT Opposition candidate poised for triumph in Senegal’s presidential race
The ruling party rival concedes defeat as preliminary results point to a big win for the main opposition candidate. The outgoing president called the election “a victory for democracy”. The run-up to the election was marred by turmoil after the government postponed the polls, which were originally scheduled for February 25. The constitutional council intervened, see February 24. https://www.ft.com/content/6862a82b-1e38-42a5-8503-83634fa88e2c
March 26
FT Ukraine, Gaza and the rise of identity geopolitics
The global conscience moves in mysterious ways. The two conflicts mentioned in the heading get most and often also selected attention. But the Sudanese conflict has been largely ignored by the wider world. This also seemed to happen back in 2020 when “Black lives matter” consumed most attention, but not the conflict in Ethiopia about Tigray. The author, the newspapers chief foreign affairs commentator, seeks the answer in “identity politics”. He continues that international media focus on what draws the attention of the audience. This triggers a circular process. https://www.ft.com/content/c9173148-22d9-444b-8a8c-b14585a7db26
FT Letter: Don’t make African farmers bear the brunt of EU green policies
Measures like the carbon border adjustment mechanism, the likely new supply chain law and the deforestation regulation of the EU are combining to create new pressures to consolidate value chains among producers. In the process smallholder farmers in Africa are being displaced by large agribusinesses. https://www.ft.com/content/e5f601aa-fc25-4603-9641-b0139e97b9d5
FT The Trump machine: the inner circle preparing for a second term in the U.S.A.
In 2016, the election winner was the ultimate political outsider. If he wins this year’s election, he will be backed by a group of experienced former officials eager to apply his ideas. Trump is vowing a much more profound break from what used to be his party’s orthodoxy. And there is a team waiting to help him. https://www.ft.com/content/8aa2d8c1-cc3a-46fe-9145-53d05b19a50d
FT Who gains from India’s endless election?
Voting across India will take six weeks, stretching the already limited resources of opposition parties. There will be a record 968mn eligible voters. And, for reasons almost unique to India, they won’t be in a hurry and will take 6 weeks to complete it. India has some of the world’s brightest digital minds and solutions. Could this not be used to do a quicker job? The short answer, analysts and officials say, is no. https://www.ft.com/content/280e7d9a-f9a2-41e8-8796-2f4ace8a4c64
FT Government steps up interventions in Brazil’s largest companies
The government involvement in Petrobras and Vale alarms investors, especially as the president calls the market a ‘voracious dinosaur’. Several (alleged) interventions were mentioned and the president said: “Brazilian companies need to agree with the Brazilian government’s development thinking. That’s what we want.” The newspaper recalls previous mandates of the incumbent, which initially brought steady societal growth but later became statist, largely under his successor. https://www.ft.com/content/0826a3ab-a5d0-444d-84ca-48606b682876
FT The threat to the government from Israel’s ultra-orthodox army exemption
The war with Gaza has laid bare the tensions in the ruling coalition over religious students skipping military service. One of the religious parties: “All these secular people don’t understand that without [religious schools], the army would not be successful . . . The soldiers only succeed thanks to those learning Torah.” These ultra-orthodox Jews, known as Haredim, claim they would move abroad if forced to serve in the army. https://www.ft.com/content/c35044ef-8c4c-4e56-95ab-e0fe25ed2d60
FT Zambia agrees deal to restructure nearly $4bn of bonds
The bankrupt southern African nation moves closer to exiting default with a revised bondholder arrangement. The president said that China and other creditors are satisfied. The next step is a deal with commercial lenders, including Chinese banks. A deal is urgent as inflation soared. https://www.ft.com/content/b15eb6bc-de7f-4883-8b90-ffb534e23d3b
FT Opposition candidate poised for triumph in Senegal’s presidential race
The ruling party rival concedes defeat as the preliminary results point to a big win for the young opposition candidate (just turned 44). The defeated ruling party candidate congratulated his competitor: “I wish him a lot of success, for the wellbeing of the Senegalese people.” Some 7mn of the 17mn people were registered to vote. The turnout is around 70 percent. The outgoing president called the election result “a victory for democracy”. https://www.ft.com/content/6862a82b-1e38-42a5-8503-83634fa88e2c
TT Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia church in Spain ready by 2034 if new stairway approved
The vast basilica, under construction for 140 years and funded simply by the entry tickets of 3 million visitors each year, could be finished in a decade if the town council agrees to demolition of adjacent homes. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/barcelona-sagrada-familia-finished-gaudi-spain-6rtl6532t
March 27
FT The only real chance to end the chaos in Haiti
This subject is raised by the newspaper in an editorial. It is answered like this: an international security force needs to be beefed up and quickly deployed. FT: “A caretaker PM backed by the international community proved unable to govern and unwilling to hold elections.” He ceded power to a seven-member transitional council drawn from politics, civil society and business. It should appoint an interim government. The newspaper ends its comment like this: “The alternative is Somalia in the Caribbean.” https://www.ft.com/content/52c6c197-e0d7-465b-83ca-5857f27ea903
FT Incumbent in Venezuela thwarts main opposition candidates ahead of election
The Socialist government clears the way for re-election of the president in the July vote. The person most likely to mount an effective challenge complained on Monday that she had been unable to register her candidacy ahead of a midnight deadline. https://www.ft.com/content/2906403a-9644-4e7c-adc1-421c1537d15a
NYT Display of battered men was Russia’s warning to the public, analysts say
Videos showing the torture of four men, accused of the recent terror attack, have circulated widely in a sign of the Russian state’s growing willingness to show its violence to the public. One of the most disturbing videos showed one defendant having part of his ear sliced off and shoved in his mouth. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/world/europe/russia-terror-attack-torture.html
March 28
FT From a jail cell for defamation charges to Senegal’s presidency within one month: the rapid rise of a politician
He is the country’s youngest ever leader after a stunning first round victory. And he faces ‘massive expectation’ from the voters. The practicing Muslim and husband of two thanks his release to an amnesty law introduced after a rapprochement between the ruling party and the opposition coalition. The also released opposition leader and confidant (he named a son after him) could not run as he is convicted. https://www.ft.com/content/2be4b5d0-6994-4c65-b1e8-b620e44b70d1
FT Haiti has good reason not to trust the international community
In an op-ed a university rector from Haiti concludes that the political crisis has no obvious solutions. It seems that every time the world intervenes in the politics of the country, it is to its misfortune. Those who seek solutions for Haiti need humility, nuance and historical depth if they are to come up with appropriate answers. https://www.ft.com/content/fe55d71b-9cdd-4bc8-9fda-65a465889254
TT The Isis ‘emir’, 14, who rules Syria detention camp by fear
Five years after the fall of Islamic State’s caliphate, a new generation of extremists has grown up behind the wire in Roj camp, home for 2,600 detainees, 1,673 of whom are under 18. Two teenagers among them run gangs of boys to do their bidding, threaten adult women in the camp with death for perceived transgressions, make improvised weapons, and preach extremist doctrine to children in weekly khutbah sermons. 95 Percent of the women in the camp, from 55 countries, have either chosen to wear the niqab again, or been forced to. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-isis-emir-14-who-rules-syria-detention-camp-by-fear-9jsd0rxtj
March 29
TT India’s ‘ticking time bomb’ as educated youth remain unemployed
A report by the International Labor Organization, released jointly with the Institute for Human Development in Delhi, found that young Indians comprised nearly 83 percent of the unemployed. Worse still, it showed that two thirds of that group had secondary or higher education. Some 7.33 percent of India’s population overall is currently unemployed. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/india-ticking-time-bomb-educated-youth-unemployed-q0h8wjbd0
NYT A French-Malian singer is caught in an Olympic storm in France
Her music is one of France’s top cultural exports. But reports that she might perform at the Paris Olympic Games have prompted fierce debates over identity and language. It has led to a barrage of racist insults online against her. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation. The singer responded on X: “you can be racist, but not deaf.” Naturalized in 2021, the singer has dual French and Malian citizenship. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/world/europe/france-olympics-aya-nakamura.html
March 30
FT How religion became entwined with politics
The newspaper is giving a try at the subject by dedicating an editorial to it. Societies have not all become more secular as they grew richer. They may find it worth pondering a story of a spiritual leader who said his kingdom was “not of this world”, refusing the political role many supporters expected of him and his detractors feared. The newspaper warns again (see also March 26) for “the dark side of identity politics”, what it calls “identity based tribalism” and concludes that re-separating politics from identity is something religious: “insistence on the dignity of every human being”. https://www.ft.com/content/3acd44f3-ceba-41d2-add9-5e52e0f29c8e
FT Italy’s births drop to historic low
Just 379,000 babies were born in 2023, despite the PM’s efforts to reverse the demographic decline. Experts warn for quick fixes. They say it will require long-term policies that address the real economic and social reasons for not having babies. After all, the PM herself is a mother of only one. https://www.ft.com/content/ad9c108f-32a6-4cb1-8394-fbad78864f4c
FT Battle for Istanbul puts power of president in Turkey to the test
The race for mayor of the important city pits the ruling party’s candidate against Turkey’s most important opposition figure. The president, according to the newspaper “the most preeminent leader since its founding father of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Atatürk”, is giving his urbanization minister all possible support to defeat his archrival and incumbent mayor. This includes a star status in government friendly media. https://www.ft.com/content/40b8ab24-4d77-43ce-84ef-c3e7a627bd2d
News from the World Evangelical Alliance
In the UN human rights council WEA calls on Canada to repeal euthanasia for those whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable: https://un.worldea.org/wea-calls-on-canada-to-repeal-euthanasia-for-those-whose-natural-death-is-not-reasonably-foreseeable/
March 31
FT How African immigrants have revived a remote corner of Canada
Hundreds of newcomers from Africa have filled a shortage of workers in Rouyn-Noranda, creating a new community in a remote mining town. Newcomers from Africa are everywhere — in the streets, supermarkets, factories, hotels, even at the church-basement boxing club. They fill in the space offered by the widespread labor shortages. Canada’s immigration policy has traditionally focused on highly educated and skilled immigrants but now also on less skilled jobs in manufacturing, the service industry and in the rural areas. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/world/canada/rouyn-noranda-immigration-africa.html
April 1
FT Election in South Africa turns populist as parties play anti-foreigner card
Rivals to the ruling party have pitched the death penalty and mass expulsions to a restless electorate. The parties range from a new party joined by a convicted former president to an white settler party advocating the independence of the Cape province. Xenophobia is rife, also against the workers who arrived from other countries in Africa. https://www.ft.com/content/fab05c4c-27ea-49a5-8750-7649e6b08fd9
FT Singapore has lessons for countries worrying about debt
Tight fiscal rules have helped the 6 million citizen state to thrive. The constitution prevents borrowing for current spending. But the authorities intervene to prevent the currency from appreciating too much. Also there is a public-private social security system. Third, the government understands the importance of maintaining a liquid bond market. https://www.ft.com/content/0ea2bcc4-1378-4dec-81af-0fb688edda31
NYT Amid health concerns, the pope delivers a strong Easter message calling for a Gaza cease-fire
Francis did preside over the Holy Thursday ritual of washing the feet of the faithful at a women’s prison in Rome. On Easter Sunday he delivered a major annual message that touched on conflicts across the globe, with explicit appeals for peace in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. Referring to the stone that had blocked the tomb of Jesus before his resurrection, Francis said that “today, too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/31/world/europe/pope-francis-easter-speech.html
April 2
FT A construction company in South Korea offers staff $ 75,000 for each baby born
Companies and politicians try new strategies to encourage workers to start families. The fertility rate in the country is expected to fall below 0.7 percent this year. The president of the country: “Time is running short, I hope every government agency approaches the issues of low birth rates with extraordinary determination.” https://www.ft.com/content/bd481991-959b-46ba-98f0-a5d323d4d15c
FT Indonesia to accelerate nickel output despite low global prices
The deputy minister targets ‘price equilibrium’ to support sustainable demand for electric car batteries and avoid nickel-free options such as lithium iron phosphate batteries take over. In 2020 the country banned raw ore export forcing smelters and battery makers to set up value addition plants in the country. https://www.ft.com/content/ba1e9856-66aa-4082-b6cd-261b798d050f
FT In Turkey economic mis-steps are behind the electoral defeat of the ruling party
The president misjudged voter anger and the threat from opposition in local polls. The president did, according to the newspaper “almost unthinkable for him”, concede defeat. The main opposition party is said to have learned to play the “Polarization game”. It got 38 percent of the popular vote, against 36 percent for the ruling party. Turnout was 78 percent. https://www.ft.com/content/ae5ceec4-94b6-49bf-a6b0-897008a33873
FT Ultra-orthodox draft exemption sharpens threat to government in Israel
A Supreme court interim ruling freezing subsidies to yeshiva students has piled greater strain on Israel’s war cabinet. Leaders fear it is the harbinger of a full draft. The orthodox camp threatens a revolt, considering the problem a make-or-break issue. The military exemption struck with ultra-Orthodox leaders in the early days of the state allowed 400 yeshiva students to devote themselves to full-time Torah study. In exchange they agreed to support the Zionist project. https://www.ft.com/content/80283350-86fa-4dd1-a5f2-847b9b4690b0
FT Israel passes bill to shut local Al Jazeera office
The government is given powers to close down news channel’s operations and broadcast networks deemed a “security risk”. The PM called Al Jazeera “a mouthpiece” of the enemy of Israel in Gaza. The program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said the organization was “deeply concerned” by the law. https://www.ft.com/content/61672660-0e8c-4847-962e-65b84dc3e533
April 3
FT Can Africa one day help feed the world’s growing population?
The continent is a big net importer of food but optimists say better seed varieties and greater use of fertilizers are potentially transformational. Today average yields from cereals in Africa are half those of India and a fifth of those of the U.S.A. The green revolution has yet to arrive in most of the continent. The UN estimates that a global population of 10bn people by 2050 will require 60 per cent more calories. Despite climate change, analysts say Africa can be the main producer of this. https://www.ft.com/content/99958fff-8f69-42ca-b90b-5e2e2677845b
FT For all its faults, democracy is still better than autocracy
In an op-ed the newspaper’s chief economics commentator remarks that all the evidence shows that despotism cannot consistently deliver the economic goods in developing countries. He raises the issue as the appeal of tyranny is growing. The author maintains that democracy delivers accountability for governments and voice for citizens. That is far better for us than serving the whims of despots. https://www.ft.com/content/9285ed6e-fb71-4b10-bf5c-b4f83a140675
FT In India, the gap between pro-democratic rhetoric and reality is widening
This is the conclusion of an editorial. In a few weeks from now close to 1bn people are expected to vote in its 44-day-long general election. What is alarming now is a sharp step-up in state enforcement agencies apparently being used to stifle opposition parties and politicians as the election approaches. The newspaper finds it puzzling that the authorities are squeezing at all, since the ruling party is cruising to victory. https://www.ft.com/content/c0daecb8-ae56-4721-877c-35550e095f39
FT Violence in Argentina’s drug capital tests the government’s small-state vision
Gang attacks on civilians have paralyzed the port city of Rosario. The criminals responded to the authorities showing brutal treatment of prisoners. The new government had strong support in Rosario on a promise to deal with criminality. But it slashes funding at the same time, dealing with the chronic deficit. A local official: “The gunfight is what you hear. But behind that there are all kinds of social problems and infrastructure issues.” https://www.ft.com/content/0a9aa9d5-5ac7-43cd-90d8-54c13b7071c2
FT In the U.S.A. Florida voters to decide whether to protect abortion rights
The November ballot referendum on a flashpoint issue will make the state a closely watched political battleground. The state is among other states that use the overturning of the federal abortion ruling by the Supreme Court, see June 27, 2022, to introduce stricter rules. https://www.ft.com/content/7e7ff5f4-197d-4f6e-8577-9030eb8bd9c2
TT Protests erupt in Turkey after pro-Kurdish mayor is removed
The newly elected official took 55 percent of the vote but was prevented from taking his post. The government replaced him with a candidate from the national ruling party, who only got 27 percent. It revoked a ruling that had allowed the winner to run in the elections, despite him having served a prison sentence that could have barred him from holding office. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/protests-erupt-in-turkey-after-pro-kurdish-mayor-is-removed-tskc72bbq
April 4
FT The next pandemic is coming. Will we be ready?
Member states of the WHO are struggling to agree the terms of the first global treaty to deal with the threat of another Covid-19. Low and middle-income countries are pressing rich nations and pharma companies to go much further than they have previously done on sharing life-saving health resources. In the background geopolitical tensions play out. The WHO CEO: “It’s time for give and take”. https://www.ft.com/content/d40a3add-8151-4910-aabd-3f1dafabcc35
FT President of Peru threatened by Rolex watch scandal
The president of the politically struggling nation (see March 7) replaced six ministers in the face of a probe into her illicit enrichment of watches. The police authorities raided her house in search of evidence. The president considered this “arbitrary, disproportionate, and abusive”. A political science professor of the Pontifical Catholic University said that politicians respond to individual interests, sometimes criminal. https://www.ft.com/content/4938c2a4-5657-45e9-813b-09d4f2035e6a
FT Government in India offers welfare ‘freebies’ to the poor that are an election boost
The Indian PM has expanded welfare programs, many of them prominently featuring his name and picture. India saw an expansion of its welfare state under former governments led by the center-left opposition, but they were prone to corruption and waste. The current government managed to fight that by linking entitlements to biometrics such as fingerprints via its digital ID system. https://www.ft.com/content/dc053d10-5caa-4684-b5fb-01eb88c7d1eb
April 5
FT Zimbabwe to launch ‘gold-backed’ currency to replace collapsing dollar
Many in the southern African country prefer to keep their money at home. The currency value has fallen by three-quarters against the dollar benchmark in 2024. The deputy finance minister, also the president’s son, said that the plunge was worsened by “anxiety and anticipation” ahead of the new currency regime. At the same time the president called a state of disaster over the drought, saying that 2$bn was needed for a response. https://www.ft.com/content/0de75e8f-40c8-4eb7-9d40-282cfd81e3bc
FT Bringing South Africa to its knees would be self-sabotage for the U.S.A.
In an op-ed the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the country concludes: “Our bilateral relations have always been economically beneficial on both sides”. The direct reason for her essay is a bill proposed in the American House of Representatives based on the notion that her country “has a history of siding with malign actors”. The op-ed concludes that apart from failing to adhere to sovereign rights the bill would also lead to the conclusion expressed in the title. https://www.ft.com/content/291ee4aa-ccc9-4546-93dd-15d2154b027d
FT ‘Made in Australia’ drive aims to shift economy from ‘world’s quarry’ label
The government puts funds into a manufacturing revival to reduce reliance on resources and agriculture and avoid vulnerability on supply chain shocks. In the last decades reliance on China has caused a dip in manufacturing. https://www.ft.com/content/f84d2312-23ce-4af6-99aa-a30e515016d3
FT Opposition leader who joined war cabinet in Israel calls for elections in September
Normally the election would be in 2026. He wants to conduct them before the anniversary of the current war and re-establish the trust of the people, while continuing the drive for security. His party leads in the polls but his competitors say his party is disintegrating. It is not clear if he would leave the war cabinet if his plea falls on deaf ears. https://www.ft.com/content/4abdba91-1333-452c-a786-7ab5fa34c687
FT Authorities in Turkey yield to protesters over local election
An opposition politician who defeated the ruling party candidate is reinstated to the mayor’s office in Van. After his win he was disqualified, see April 3. Large protests broke out. https://www.ft.com/content/1a19275c-a877-444e-bdaa-5aa4ee88f20a
FT Germany considers revival of national service in ‘landmark’ military reforms
The restructuring aims to make armed forces better prepared to defend the country and participate in defending NATO territory. A so-called Scandinavian model in which any military service would in effect be voluntary and gender neutral, as is the case in countries such as Sweden, is seen as a likely candidate. https://www.ft.com/content/414e11a6-9fb6-406b-941e-2ea6fdd4e1e3
NYT Iran says 17-hour battle with separatists leaves 28 dead in 2 cities, 10 security officers and 18 militants
An ethnic Baluch group, designated by the U.S.A. as a terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The gunmen tried to take over military bases belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The two cities are near the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The predominantly ethnic Baluch and Sunni, have long accused the central Shiite government of systematic discrimination. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/world/middleeast/iran-terrorist-attacks.html
April 6
FT In Israel citizens turn on peace activists amid trauma of war
In a society largely united by the fight against Hamas, those seeking coexistence with Palestinians face abuse and even arrest. When a court ordered the release of an arrested Jewish pro-Palestinian activist for “behavior that may violate public peace” the security minister of the government wrote: “This is what domestic enemies look like. Shame.” https://www.ft.com/content/b9626124-168e-436f-9d53-cc17e8775140
News from the World Evangelical Alliance
WEA accepts Secretary General’s resignation for health reasons: https://worldea.org/news/25935/wea-accepts-secretary-generals-resignation-for-health-reasons/
April 7
NYT From the horror to the envy of Africa: Rwanda’s leader holds tight grip
Thirty years after a devastating genocide, Rwanda has made impressive gains. But ethnic divisions persist under an iron-fisted president who has ruled for just as long. Even a gospel singer pleading for reconciliation on both sides of the ethnic divide was convicted, jailed and blacklisted as a singer after release. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/world/africa/rwanda-genocide-anniversary.html
NYT Challenged by uprising, Myanmar junta cracks down harder
The country’s military rulers have signaled a new wave of detentions and, rights groups say, conditions for existing prisoners have deteriorated. Since the coup in February 2021, more than 1,500 people have died in the junta’s detention, according to a rights group. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/world/asia/myanmar-junta-prisoners-death.html
April 8
FT South Africa proposes ‘innovative’ medical tourism plan allowing use of rhino horn
This controversial biodiversity strategy is part of a wider strategy designed to extract more economic value from the country’s wildlife. The policy is designed to give poor people in rural areas an incentive for conservation. https://www.ft.com/content/8cc47694-e71f-40c3-b3ed-3c5e2d8766a9
FT Blackouts spark fears of grid ‘collapse’ in Brazil’s biggest city
The power outages in São Paulo reflect chronic underinvestment in the country’s infrastructure. The government declared it would increase investment but the data show a reduction, while the share of private investment increased. https://www.ft.com/content/6c1356e6-bd9e-45e0-95fd-7b083384f5da
FT Pro-Russia candidate elected Slovakia president
The winner got 53% of the votes and defeated the former foreign minister. This consolidates the grip of the ruling coalition who won the election last year, see October 6, 2023. The party of the new president came third in last year’s election but took part in the coalition on the promise he would be supported in his presidential aspiration. https://www.ft.com/content/4bd9bd86-69bb-40a1-8570-e40930208300
FT In Poland the government overhaul of public TV boosts the commercial competition
The state broadcaster got rid of the conservative narrative but also of many viewers who switched to the commercial Republika along with former state TV anchors. https://www.ft.com/content/748b55eb-431a-4817-8748-a8deb78ee37e
April 9
FT Italy’s government radical plan: rewriting the post-fascist constitution
The PM says the current system leads to unstable governments. Opponents say her plan would weaken parliament and the president. The core of the proposal is giving Italian voters the ability to directly elect PM’s for five-year terms in order to create more societal stability. The concept was tried in Israel from 1992 but abandoned after a decade. The fear is that elections for parliaments would be more frequent. https://www.ft.com/content/b6af5da4-e40f-4df3-bcc3-c8001c41503d
FT Ireland’s new PM pledges to fix housing crisis as election looms
The general election will come in less than a year and housing is the voters’ main concern and affecting their preference. Since the humiliating 2011 EU and IMF bailout the country has fared extremely well, except with housing. https://www.ft.com/content/3ac840c9-300f-4ae7-8969-cebf7ee6f477
NYT Vatican document casts gender change and fluidity as threat to human dignity
The document, five years in the making, according to the newspaper is likely to be embraced by conservatives and stir consternation among L.G.B.T.Q. advocates who fear it will be used as a cudgel against transgender people. The document states that the sex a person is assigned at birth as an “irrevocable gift” from God and “any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.” On surrogacy the document states that it makes the child “a mere means subservient to the arbitrary gain or desire of others,” irrespective of the intention of the mother. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/world/europe/vatican-sex-change-surrogacy-dignity.html
April 10
FT President of Ecuador displays strongman credentials with Mexico embassy raid
The crime-ridden nation’s youthful leader gambles that the brazen attack will pay off domestically. With crime the number one concern of citizens, his poll rating soared. The embassy attack, according to the newspaper “a move rarely attempted even by military dictatorships” and a breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention, was to capture a former vice-president inside who was released from prison early after serving a conviction for corruption. https://www.ft.com/content/74380595-de35-4da8-8ef1-ed4d0d5c3547
FT Ireland’s ‘TikTok PM’ vows new social contract
The 37-year old said: “Now is an opportune time to build a new social contract . . . To protect our hard-earned economic success. To use its benefits to deliver tangible outcomes to society.” The biggest problems are housing and health waiting lists. https://www.ft.com/content/7383b4fd-ec6e-4162-a081-6f77e9d77a6b
FT Myanmar’s junta loses key base to rebel forces
The defeat is the latest setback to the regime as it struggles to bolster the army and reassert control in the country. The most significant losses have been in territories close to the China, India and Bangladesh borders. https://www.ft.com/content/a39e2b69-6db6-4542-ab61-5f5cd4b36dec
TT President of Russia compares himself to Jesus in his battle to uphold tradition
His mission of protecting the Russian youth from the creeping influence of the West was compared to the efforts of Jesus Christ recruiting Peter and Andrew, two fishermen, to spread the word of God. At a meeting last week to start Soviet style youth groups, he insisted he did not want to share a solely Christian message and referenced the four “traditional religions” of Russia — Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/vladimir-putin-jesus-christ-comparison-russia-7720bgz7w
April 11
FT Hungarian sex abuse scandal hits close to home for PM
The cover-up of pedophilia at an orphanage near the PM’s village dents his reputation and leads to the rise of an internal challenger who started a new party. The president of the country stepped down over the scandal. The case centers around a secret pardon by the president of the orphanage deputy director convicted of influencing a witness. The orphanage director is still in prison for his misdeeds. https://www.ft.com/content/7a4c631e-3fc4-48de-a0bf-8f4ef4a852fb
April 12
FT South Africa’s bickering opposition fractures ahead of national vote
The newer parties clash with the established ones as they vie for a chance to be kingmaker in any coalition government, now that the ruling party since liberation polls below 50 percent. There is no electoral threshold in South Africa. An alliance of opposition parties is crumbling as participants do not want to exclude a coalition with the ruling party. https://www.ft.com/content/b7cb955d-df99-45af-813f-0741de1bc8a8
FT Coalition in Poland split on abortion rights
The first cracks emerge within the alliance as parliament debates abortion. Currently, a near-total ban on abortion is in force after being installed by the previous government. Its reversal was one of the current PM’s main campaign pledges last year. But the coalition partners differ on what the newspaper calls “social issues”. https://www.ft.com/content/911e5150-66ec-4a24-83cd-d336ecd26e9f
FT South Korea’s opposition achieves a clear majority in the 300 member parliament
One of the candidates in the election is a convicted former justice minister who is appealing his sentence for corruption. His prosecution was the work of the current president, who is now implicated for corruption, see January 27. The new majority alliance fell short of a 200-seat threshold that would have allowed them to circumvent a presidential veto. https://www.ft.com/content/747fa044-81e5-4bbe-8c97-eb4145a9783c
April 13
FT Haiti in crisis sets up ruling council, clearing way for an acting leader
A governing council was finalized after a month of negotiations. It is tasked with restoring law and order by appointing an acting prime minister. The council’s formation, announced in an official state-run bulletin, comes after gangs who have a brutal grip on much of the capital prevented the PM from returning to the country after a trip overseas and ultimately pushed him to announce his resignation. The council includes members of Haiti’s main political parties and coalitions as well as representatives of the private sector, civil society, the Haitian diaspora and religious leaders. The council must first be sworn in at the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, the scene of some of the heaviest clashes between gang members and the Haitian police. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/world/americas/haiti-transitional-council.html
News from the World Evangelical Alliance
In the U.N. WEA and other organizations submitted a joint written report on the right to education in Norway: https://un.worldea.org/norway-right-to-education-report-to-the-upr-47th-session/
April 15
FT Africa has a chance to leapfrog outdated farming practices
This letter to the editor responds to the article of April 3. It reminds of the negative influence of the green revolution in Asia. According to the author, Africa can avoid that and leapfrog outdated agricultural practices and embrace agroecology for sustainable development, supporting local farmers and nurturing biodiversity in the process. The nurturing of farmers’ ingenuity and resilience through environmentally sustainable, low-input agricultural practices, can forge a path towards food security and prosperity for all. https://www.ft.com/content/27adcbc8-01e9-4981-b94f-d7bd7f926dc6
TT Sudan’s people-traffickers exploit conflict in their nation
The United Nations high commissioner for refugees, warns for the gangs as the civil war is entering its second year: “We know very well that this region is full of criminals who want to take advantage of the misery of refugees and displaced”. The death toll is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, with war crimes committed by both sides. The revival of markets of female slaves are reminiscent of the 2004 genocide, aid agencies said. Taking advantage of the panic, smuggling gangs are using TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp groups. An expert on the region: “The state has collapsed and the path to rebuilding it is long and fraught.” https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sudan-people-traffickers-target-europe-war-bhjbrtslm
April 16
FT ‘Wrecking ball’ ex-president upends South Africa election
The former leader of the ruling party has been the surprise package of the campaign, drawing packed rallies and unnerving one-time allies. After his suspension from the ruling party, see January 30, he joined a party that started in September 2023. The candidacy of the 82 year old is approved by the Supreme Court, as he was previously convicted. His new party polls at 12 percent. https://www.ft.com/content/5396ae18-9d00-48fc-939b-b160ee4d1296
FT Singapore’s PM to step down after 20 years
The finance minister is to become the city-state’s fourth leader since 1965. He was named heir apparent in 2022. On social media he said: “I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty.” The current PM and son of Singapore’s founder originally intended to step down before turning 70. He is now 72. The delay is caused by the pandemic. The city state is in competition with other business centers. https://www.ft.com/content/0cef9677-3af4-41cf-92ce-02d04aa32b81
NYT Stabbing of bishop in Australia during live streamed service was act of terror, according to the police
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in the attack, in which several people were injured. An official said the episode appeared to have been motivated by religious extremism. The attack happened at Christ the Good Shepherd Church, an ultraconservative sect of the Assyrian Orthodox church. The police: “We believe there were elements satisfied in terms of religious motivated extremism.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/world/australia/stabbing-mass-wakeley-australia.html
April 17
FT Inside the formidable grassroots operation of India’s ruling party
The party has built one of the most efficient electoral machines in modern democratic politics. A party-run app called Sangathan (Organization) assigns volunteers to jobs. One volunteer said: “We can understand more or less who is not voting for us and why, so we focus on them.” The approach can involve anything from social service to personal talks. In this way a lot of organizational depth is added to the popularity of the PM. https://www.ft.com/content/d5a1dfaa-ecfb-45c5-b60d-458f89228ea3
April 18
FT Haiti names transitional council to handle crisis
A nine-member body will take over from the acting PM in an effort to end the power vacuum that has allowed gangs to thrive. It is made up of politicians, business figures and civil society leaders and has a mandate until February 2026 to appoint a new PM and hold the first election since 2016. The next step is the installation of the council at the national palace that is surrounded by the criminal gangs. https://www.ft.com/content/5eb13d5d-32db-4e42-b00c-883d8c5e9a90
FT Result of snap poll in Croatia not enough for ruling party to promote more EU centered new government
The sitting PM is unlikely to achieve an outright governing majority. The rivalling PM and president (“two alpha males”) cast their shadow not only over the upcoming presidential election in December but also over the European election in June. The PM of the 4 mn citizens nation is more EU oriented; the president is Russia-leaning. Inability to form a government in Croatia soon may harm the re-election of the current EU president. https://www.ft.com/content/a1d3e537-4e82-4fe2-b7d2-3da0cdf6b8b5
April 19
FT Western nations must engage with dictatorships in Sahel, according to thinktank former UK PM
Talking with juntas in the volatile region of the Sahel is essential to counter the growing terror threat. The region accounts for half of all terrorism deaths worldwide in 2023, according to the Global Terrorism Index. The thinktank pleads for “a new compact” of the region with the west and the middle east to stem “the influx of predatory actors”. The report builds on the notion that the anti-terrorism efforts of the west so far were in vain. https://www.ft.com/content/4ee581bf-c09c-4277-8e9a-b9f5292331be
April 20
FT Political rally in Georgia against ‘foreign influence’ law protesters say is modelled on Russia example
The protests and parliamentary scuffles raise the alarm about the government’s attempts to clamp down on civil society. The law would require NGOs and media that receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register with the justice ministry or face fines. The president, a critic of the ruling party, has sided with the protesters. https://www.ft.com/content/924bc1f0-15cf-40cb-b113-1ded0207309c
News from the World Evangelical Alliance
WEA in the Universal Periodic Review on human rights reported on three cases of abduction and detention of South Korean Christians by the authorities of North Korea: https://un.worldea.org/north-korea-abduction-of-three-south-korean-citizens-report-to-the-upr-47th-session/