Blinken Warns of Malicious ‘Flood’ of Disinformation at Summit for Democracy in Seoul |
Fighting disinformation is a “vital U.S. national security interest,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said (AFP) today at the opening day of the third Summit for Democracy in Seoul, South Korea. The State Department released a roadmap for how people can better resist what Blinken called (Bloomberg) a “flood” of information manipulation, while six nations including South Korea signed on to a commitment to ensure spyware technology is used in ways consistent with human rights. Blinken also warned of the risks posed by artificial intelligence, announced efforts to support the media industry, and called on democracies to do more to disrupt disinformation.
Meanwhile, North Korea test-fired (Le Monde, AFP) multiple short-range ballistic missiles during Blinken’s visit. They were thought to be the first such launches in around a month. Blinken’s visit includes meetings with both South Korea’s president and foreign minister; they were expected to discuss North Korea’s nuclear threat. Blinken is traveling on to the Philippines next.
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“The third Summit for Democracy [must] turn the tide on autocratic inroads by leveraging anti-corruption tools to strengthen resilience and take measurable steps to prevent democratic backsliding,” Brookings Institution analysts write. “We must elevate the pivotal role of young people who demand honest government and who will hopefully vote in substantial numbers to ensure their democratic futures.”
“The great powers, namely, China, the United States, and the EU, may insist publicly that they want to cooperate on regulating AI, but their actions point toward a future of fragmentation and competition. Divergent legal regimes are emerging that will frustrate any cooperation when it comes to access to semiconductors, the setting of technical standards, and the regulation of data and algorithms,” the University of Chicago’s Aziz Huq writes for Foreign Affairs.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Begins Tour of New Zealand, Australia |
Wang Yi is (AP) the most senior Chinese official to travel to New Zealand since his own prior visit in 2017. During today’s meeting, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters raised concerns (Reuters) about growing tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. The two leaders also discussed “areas of difference,” including human rights in China, Peters said.
The Center for Preventive Action’s Global Conflict Tracker watches disputes in the South China Sea.
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Afghanistan, Pakistan Exchange Border Fire |
Afghanistan’s military struck (Bloomberg) Pakistani military posts along the countries’ shared border following Pakistani air strikes that killed eight people in eastern Afghanistan today. The Afghan strikes are thought to be the first such counterattack since the Taliban took over in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly claimed that Kabul is allowing Pakistani Taliban militants to shelter in the country, which Afghanistan denies.
India: National elections will begin (Times of India) on April 19 and unfold in seven phases, with results to be declared on June 4, election authorities announced over the weekend.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Egypt, EU Reach $8 Billion Deal on Economic Aid, Migration |
The European Union (EU) will disburse (Politico) the aid to help shore up Egypt’s economy and fund its migration control efforts over four years as part of a deal signed yesterday. The deal models similar arrangements the EU has made with Mauritania, Tunisia, and Turkey. An anonymous EU official said that the bloc plans to ink one with Morocco in the near future.
For Think Global Health, CFR’s Abi McGowan details the deadly path to Europe’s shores.
Palestinian territories: Around two hundred tons of food provided by the charity World Central Kitchen reached the Gaza Strip (NYT) over the weekend, the first seaborne aid to do so in nearly two decades. It comes as Washington prepares plans for a temporary floating pier off the Gaza coast that U.S. officials hope could deliver two million meals a day.
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Niger Junta Revokes Military Cooperation Deal With United States |
Niger ordered (WaPo) more than one thousand U.S. troops to leave the country on Saturday as tensions between Niamey and Washington escalated following a visit from a U.S. delegation last week. The visit was intended to find ways to work with military governments in the region. A State Department spokesperson said Washington was aware of the announcement and is in contact with junta officials.
Senegal: The country’s top court ruled that a delayed presidential election will occur (Reuters) on March 24 after one of the main opposition parties filed a petition to further delay the vote over their candidate’s disqualification.
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Western Leaders Say Putin Reelection Violated ‘Civil and Political Rights’ |
Russian election authorities said President Vladimir Putin won the country’s presidential election with a record 87 percent of the vote, according to near-complete results. The EU was among (FT) Western bodies to condemn the electoral conditions, saying the vote occurred amid “systematic internal repression” and rising “violations of civil and political rights.”
This Expert Brief by CFR Fellow Thomas Graham unpacks what Russia’s election means for Putin.
Russia/Ukraine: Russian exile groups backed by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency staged five consecutive days of ground attacks on Russia’s southern border. They are the most sweeping such ground incursions since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, the New York Times reported.
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Colombia Suspends Cease-Fire With Insurgent Group in Three Provinces |
The Estado Mayor Central armed group’s attacks against civilians, local officials, and state security forces prompted (Reuters) Colombia’s government to suspend an ongoing cease-fire with the group beginning on Wednesday, the government said in a decree yesterday. The two sides began talks last year to quell violence and had agreed in January to extend the cease-fire until July 15.
Cuba: Rare anti-government protests broke out (Bloomberg) yesterday amid blackouts and food shortages on the island. Cuba recently hiked gasoline and diesel prices by more than 400 percent amid a severe economic slump.
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Supreme Court Hears Case Regarding Government Curbs on Online Speech |
The case weighs (CBS) to what extent the government can require social media platforms to remove posts that the government identifies as misinformation. The plaintiff said the Joe Biden administration’s pressure on sites’ content moderation decisions regarding the takedown of information related to the election and COVID-19 pandemic crossed a First Amendment line. |
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