Keeping you up to date on global affairs. Every Sunday. In under a few minutes.
- France has become the world’s second-largest arms exporter, overtaking Russia and trailing only the United States, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). France now claims 11% of the global arms market, a significant rise from 7.2% in the previous five years, driven by expanding into markets traditionally dominated by Russia, like India. Meanwhile, Russia’s share plummeted from 21% to around 11%, a decline that began before the 2022 Ukraine invasion and was exacerbated by sanctions. The period from 2019 to 2023 saw global arms transfers decrease by 3.3%, though Europe experienced a sharp increase in sales, notably with France securing major contracts for Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter jets with countries including Qatar, Egypt, and India. The latter is the largest arms importer globally and sources 33% of its imports from France, marking a shift in its traditional reliance on Russian arms. This change reflects the strengthening defence ties between France and India, highlighted by France selling 26 jets and 3 submarines to India. European arms imports surged by 94% from 2014-2018 to 2019-2023, with Ukraine becoming the continent's largest importer. The data underscores Europe's growing dependence on the US for arms, with 55% of imports coming from America in the last five years. Despite a global increase in defence spending, France's exports to European markets remain limited, with only a few significant sales to EU members - including 18 jets to Greece.
- A decade on from the Chibok abductions, which sparked the global campaign "#BringBackOurGirls," Nigeria is grappling with a renewed wave of mass kidnappings. This week gunmen on motorcycles abducted 227 students from a school in Kuriga, northwestern Nigeria. This incident, marked the second mass kidnapping within a week, echoing the tragic 2014 event when Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. Between July 2022 and June 2023, the country counted 3,600 reported abductions. President Bola Tinubu, elected on promises of ending insecurity, faces significant challenges as his administration seeks to address the ongoing threat from both criminal gangs and extremist Islamist groups like Boko Haram. The recent kidnappings underscore the complexity of Nigeria's security issues, involving ideological militants and criminal gangs, both exploiting the nation's vulnerabilities for ransom, amidst a broader backdrop of societal unrest and conflict.
- In Portugal's recent election, under the shadow of a corruption scandal, the electorate shifted from the Socialist Party after nearly a decade under António Costa. The far-right resurgence will divide parliament. The centre-right Democratic Alliance, led by Luís Montenegro, won 76 seats, while the Socialist Party, under Pedro Nuno Santos, dropped to 77 seats from 117. The far-right Chega party, founded five years ago by lawyer and sports commentator André Ventura, emerged as a significant force, securing 48 seats. This growth signals a setback for Europe's Social Democrats and a boost for far-right groups, complicating the formation of a government. Chega, known for its hard-line policies such as a return of the death penalty, racism controversies, and proposals like chemical castration for sex offenders, has been marked by its anti-establishment and nationalist stance. Despite controversies, Chega has become Portugal's third-largest political force. The election's outcome poses challenges for President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and the future legislative agenda, with the Socialists refusing to support Montenegro and excluding a far-right alliance.
- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced his candidacy for NATO Secretary-General, challenging Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Iohannis, nearing the end of his presidential term, aims to offer a fresh perspective on NATO's mission, arguing Eastern European states need better representation in Euro-Atlantic leadership roles. He advocates for Ukraine's victory against Russia and urges NATO countries to support Kyiv's membership bid, highlighting Russia as a significant threat. If successful, Iohannis would be the first leader from a former Soviet bloc country to hold the position. However, he faces stiff competition from Rutte, who has garnered support from NATO's major powers: the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany, credited for his consensus-building skills. Rutte's candidacy has not yet secured unanimous support from all member states, with Romania, the Baltic states, Turkey, and recently joined Sweden, along with opposition from Hungary over Rutte's criticisms of its domestic policies. Iohannis criticises NATO's current defence spending and calls for meeting the 2% GDP target. He positions himself as a candidate for change, emphasising the importance of adapting to a complex world, collaborating with Indo-Pacific partners, and investing in digital transformation and innovation to keep NATO ahead in technology.
In 2022, Europe saw an influx of nearly 3.4 million regular and 300,000 irregular migrants. Delve into the unfiltered, apolitical realities behind these statistics with a compelling YouTube video that seeks to answer the pivotal question: Who are Europe's immigrants? This exploration goes beyond the numbers to provide a deep dive into the apolitical facts behind the journeys.
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11 个月??