IEP: Future Trends April 26, 2022

 

About Us  Maps + Data  Resources April 26, 2022 ◯ Conflict ◯ Development ◯ Social ◯ Economics ◯ Politics IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION What you need to know: Ukraine wants more weapons, Turkey has launched a new offensive in Northern Iraq, scientists are creating new techniques to grow seaweed, World Bank: India's extreme poverty down by 12.3% in last decade, Myanmar's ruling military offers new peace talks for minorities, Kim Jong Un’s Hollywood makeover highlights new propaganda push. SPECIAL EDITION: UKRAINE Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now. Ukraine wants more weapons, Eastern Orthodox patriarch call for humanitarian corridor, Russian deploys ballistic missiles and more. US rapidly developed 'Ghost' drones for Ukraine. The drones that are part of a new $800 million US arms package for Ukraine were rapidly developed by the Air Force, and have similar capabilities as armed "Switchblade" drones. Germany commits to paying for arms deliveries to Ukraine. The country has exhausted its own stocks, and the Bundestag has yet to approve legislation allowing for increased military production. Chancellor Scholz is facing pressure to increase the country's commitment to Ukraine. CONFLICT Turkey has launched a new offensive in Northern Iraq. The government launched a new military campaign, targeting the armed rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). This comes after PKK fighters downed two Turkish helicopters and killed more than two dozen Turkish soldiers. Colombia court says 5,733 people killed or disappeared. 4,616 of the victims were murdered, while 1,117 were forcibly disappeared over the three-decade period in a campaign against the left-wing Patriotic Union (UP) party between 1984 and 2016. India is diversifying its arms imports’ sources, reducing its dependency on Russia. For several years, India has been one of the main buyers of Russian weapons, however the percentage of arms imports from Russia to the country has been shrinking since 2018. Cameroon signs military agreement with Russia. Wagner Group mercenaries are boosting Russia’s influence in West Africa as they have signed a military cooperation agreement with Cameroon.  Niger authorizes deployment of European Special Forces to fight terror. Niger lawmakers have authorized a bill paving way for the deployment of more European special forces on its territory to help fight jihadist insurgency. DEVELOPMENT Scientists are creating new techniques to grow seaweed. Several European countries are focusing on innovating seaweed plantations. Researchers say that seaweed could be a key product to substitute meat, as it contains protein and its environmental impact is less as other similar products such as soy.  Researchers develop electric chopsticks to reduce salt intake in Japan. The chopsticks generate a current that attracts sodium particles inside food to make it taste saltier by 1.5 times. The average adult consumes double the recommended amount of salt in Japan. Facebook pivots to fiber optics in Africa as it meets resistance in the West. The company has increasingly focused on less regulated markets such as Nigeria as its data harvesting practices come under question elsewhere. While Facebook loses money on the cables, it is betting on massive amounts of monetisable user data down the road. Peru's Castillo hardens stance on mining protests as economy stumbles. Peru's President has signaled a tougher stance on protests against mining companies in Peru, the world's second largest copper producer, mobilising the army in a sharp tactical shift from a previous conciliatory approach. Portuguese-Danish-Dutch consortium plans $1.1bn hydrogen plant in Sines. The companies said the plant would include a 500-megawatt electrolyser to produce 50,000 tonnes of green hydrogen and 500,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year.  Bacteria relating to prostate cancer could bring breakthroughs for prevention and treatment. Scientists have discovered five species of bacteria linked to rapid progression of the disease. With this information, scientists could develop tests to identify men most at risk and potentially find medicines that prevent the cancer from killing thousands every year. ECONOMICS  World Bank: India's extreme poverty down by 12.3% in last decade. Extreme poverty in India declined by 12.3% from 2011 to 2019. Research by the bank indicates that extreme poverty in rural areas declined from 26.3% of the population, to 11.6%. Extreme poverty in urban areas decreased from 14.2% to 6.3%. Low-producing US oil wells account for half of US methane emissions. Low-producing oil and gas wells that account for just 6% of total US production provide only half of the total methane emissions from all US oil and gas wells. World Bank estimates Ukraine physical damage at $60 billion. Physical damage to Ukraine's buildings and infrastructure from Russia's invasion has reached $60 billion so far. This is the equivalent to 40% of the country’s GDP. Start-ups in Africa record $5.2 billion in VC funding. A report by the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) says that African start-ups secured $5.2 billion in venture capital in 2021, nearly five times more than in 2020. Almost 50% of Canadians within $200 of declaring bankruptcy. 31% of Canadians polled claimed that their income was not sufficient to cover monthly expenses, while 49% of respondents said they were within $200 of needing to declare bankruptcy. Libya suspends production at largest oilfield. Libya's National Oil Company has suspended operations at two major oil sites: the Zouetina terminal and the al-Charara field, after shutting down several other facilities in connection with protests and political rivalries. POLITICS Myanmar's ruling military offers new peace talks for minorities. The leader of Myanmar’s military-installed government has offered to participate personally in proposed peace talks with ethnic minority groups that have long sought greater autonomy through an armed struggle. US ready to respond accordingly if China sets up military base in the Solomon Islands. The White House has issued a stern warning to the Solomon Islands to not allow China to establish a military presence in the region. Beijing has dismissed speculation it intends to build a military base. Nicaragua sparks backlash in quitting OAS over Ortega re-election criticism. The government said it had completed its withdrawal from the Organization of American States, a move the OAS said was violating international norms and unable to go into effect for another year. Mexican opposition votes against the government's radical electricity reform. The legislation would have guaranteed the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) with 54% of the market to the detriment of the private sector. Israel’s 'fortress state' is the model for the UK’s new asylum policy. In sending migrants to Rwanda, Boris Johnson’s government has adopted a programme first established by Israel back in 2014.  US stops asking Saudi Arabia to pump more oil. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the US turned to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to boost oil production with the goal of driving down prices. Saudi Arabia repeatedly rebuffed the request. SOCIAL Kim Jong Un’s Hollywood makeover highlights new propaganda push. From drones to cameras rigged on rockets, North Korea is upgrading TV techniques to boost its image. As inflation surges, Biden's approval rating drops among young voters to 41%. This could undermine the Democratic Party's hopes of retaining control of Congress in November's elections. Vietnam prepares a policy to remove "illegal content" on social networks within 24 hours. The country has one of the strictest regulatory frameworks, as the ruling Communist Party clamps down on "anti-state" activities. Vietnam is among Facebook's top 10 markets by number of users. Scientists use sound to destroy liver tumors. Non-invasive sound technology developed at the University of Michigan broke down liver tumors in rats, killed cancer cells, and spurred the immune system to prevent further spread—an advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans. ‘Radical’ solar breakthrough allows energy to now be stored for up to 18 years. A pair of Swedish scientists designed a microchip that stores solar energy in liquid, and shipped it to China where three months later it was converted into electricity. The world’s food system is too dependent on wheat. The Ukraine war highlights how reliance on a few big staple crops threatens food security and global nutrition. Enjoying Future Trends? Share it! Institute for Economics & Peace 205 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards, Sydney 2065, Australia