Date: 2024-07-17 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00026436
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GZERO NEWS for March 22nd 2024
Is Biden leaning on Bibi? It’s World Water Day today, so stay hydrated and keep cool.
GZERO NEWS for March 22nd 2024
Is Biden leaning on Bibi? It’s World Water Day today, so stay hydrated and keep cool.
Original article:
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
GZERO Daily
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Dear Peter,
Happy Friday!
It’s World Water Day today, so stay hydrated and keep cool. Unfortunately, access to fresh water is increasingly a driver of conflict and violence around the globe — hence this year’s theme of “Leveraging water for peace.”
Here’s a swig of what we’ve got today:
- Biden ramps up pressure on Bibi
- Is the iPhone a monopoly?
- Missiles rain on Kyiv
- Senegal finally votes
- Plus: Your weekly quiz
What We’re Watching: Cease-fire showdown, Kyiv faces fire and frustration, Uncle Sam vs. Apple, Senegalese stability vs. shift
US ramps up pressure for a cease-fire in Gaza
The US submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza “tied to the release of hostages,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday during a visit to the Middle East.
This marks a significant shift in Washington’s stance on the war, as the US has wielded its veto against Gaza cease-fire resolutions several times. Just last month, the US blocked an Algeria-drafted resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The Biden administration’s embrace of such language is indicative of the pressure the White House is under with growing criticism from voters over the government’s support for the Jewish State — and an election looming.
The resolution signals that the US is serious about pursuing a cease-fire without abandoning Israel in the process. Though UNSC resolutions are legally binding, they are often ignored, and there are few consequences, if any. Still, Blinken said the resolution would send a “strong message.” The UNSC is expected to vote on the resolution on Friday.
Meanwhile, Blinken says “gaps are narrowing” in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas for a new truce and hostage release.
Under fire and underfunded: Russian missiles rain on Kyiv, US aid trapped in Congress
On Thursday, Kyiv experienced its largest missile attack in weeks. The Ukrainian Air Force successfully shot down all 31 missiles, but falling debris still injured 17 individuals and damaged schools, homes, and infrastructure.
The attack comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the Russian presidential election and warned that he would retaliate.
It is also at a time when Russia is taking the military and financial upper hand as US aid to Ukraine is delayed by political gridlock in Washington. The White House promised Ukraine a meager $300 million in military assistance last week. Meanwhile, Thursday’s attack cost Russia $390 million — less than 1% of the taxes paid by international companies to the Russian budget since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Kyiv on Thursday to reassure Ukrainian officials that the full $60 billion aid package would soon be passed by the US House of Representatives. But he did not give any specific timelines. The bill, which also includes aid to Israel and Taiwan, has already passed in the Senate but has been stalled by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and is not expected to come up for a vote until mid-April.
Ukraine is facing critical shortages, and there is growing concern that without increased military and financial aid from allies, Russia could potentially gain an advantage by summer.
US sues Apple over alleged smartphone monopoly
In an antitrust lawsuit filed Thursday, the Department of Justice alleged Apple’s dominance of the smartphone market amounts to a monopoly. The DOJ says Apple resorts to “delaying, degrading, or outright blocking technologies that would increase competition in the smartphone markets” to keep users reliant on its iPhone.
The iPhone’s success is the stuff of business school legend, capturing some 70% of the US smartphone market despite steep prices. In short, the DoJ’s contention is that unfair practices helped Apple get there.
Apple is denying the claims and says it will fight the lawsuit in court, but this isn’t the first time the company has faced similar legal challenges. This is its third antitrust suit in the US since 2009, and It was fined nearly $2 billion by the European Union last month for breaking fair competition laws.
Expect a tough legal fight, but if the government proves its case, there could be major changes coming to the iPhone. The complaint says Apple could shape up by ensuring full compatibility with phones, smartwatches, and digital wallets from other manufacturers, relinquishing some control over the apps that can run on iPhones, and imposing less onerous terms on users and developers.
Election delay fuels close contest in Senegal
Voters in Senegal face a choice between continuity or a new direction for West Africa’s most stable democracy as they head to the polls Sunday.
The country’s reputation for fair and peaceful transitions of power looked like it was at risk last month when President Macky Sall called for a 10-month delay of elections scheduled for Feb. 25. The move was an attempt to buy time to bolster support for his party and its candidate, Amadou Ba, but it backfired, according to Eurasia Group analyst Tochi Eni-Kalu.
'The Constitutional Council pushed back against proposals to delay the election beyond the end of Sally's mandate on 2 April, leaving him with no choice but to accept their rulings in the face of opposition and public pressure' he says.
Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is now riding a wave of momentum thanks to anger over the delay, but it likely won’t be enough to get him over the 50% mark he needs to win outright. If Ba also falls short, they go to a runoff, and that’s where it gets interesting. Unlike other close elections in Senegal, in 2000 and 2012, the opposition isn’t necessarily unified against the incumbent.
“The key thing to watch is how the other big fish align,” says Eni-Kalu.
If Ba and his BBY party remain in power, Eni-Kalu expects broad continuity with Sall’s administration. A Faye victory could see Senegal take on a more nationalist tack, though it’s not clear how far he can push the most radical proposals, like leaving the CFA Franc currency union.
You vs. the News: GZERO's Weekly News Quiz
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
Graphic Truth
Happy World Water Day! This year’s theme, “Leveraging Water for Peace,” is a reminder that this precious shared resource can either spark conflict or foster peace. Nowhere is this more evident than in places where freshwater is shared between countries, known as transboundary aquifers, and 60% of the world’s flow traverses political boundaries, hydrating over 150 countries.
Much of the world’s freshwater comes from precipitation, which is increasingly impacted by climate change-induced droughts, heightening the risk of water-fueled conflict.
As water quantity drops, especially in places experiencing rising demand from rapid population growth, the competition intensifies. Nowhere is this more destabilizing than in countries sharing transboundary aquifers. Transboundary water cooperation is crucial for regional stability and conflict prevention. Yet only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for their shared water.
For World Water Day today, we take a look at some of the places that share H2O.
Hard Numbers: Curveball drama, Development & the deep blue sea, Turkey hikes rates, Somali pirates plot comeback
4.5 million: At least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from the bank account of American baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has reportedly ended up with a California bookmaker now under federal investigation. Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter, says the ballplayer was generously paying off Mizuhara’s gambling debt. A day later, Ohtani’s lawyer claimed Mizuhara had robbed his client. Stay tuned.
2: In competition with China, Russia, and others to reach large deposits of cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese buried beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, India has applied to the UN-affiliated International Seabed Authority for two new deep-sea exploration licenses. (India already has two others. China has five total, and Russia has four.) These minerals are essential for the development of solar and wind power, electric vehicles, and battery technology.
5: Turkey’s Central Bank surprised just about everyone on Thursday by raising its main interest rate by 5 percentage points to 50%. The move comes ahead of important local elections on March 31, signaling that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is allowing central banker Mehmet Simsek to set rates without political interference.
20: As Yemen’s Houthis make headlines by firing on shipping hundreds of miles to the north to protest Israel’s operations in Gaza, Somali pirates are using the distraction to stage a comeback. They’ve launched at least 20 attempted ship hijackings since November, once again driving up shipping costs.
This edition of GZERO Daily was written by Riley Callanan, John Haltiwanger, Matthew Kendrick, and Willis Sparks. Edited by Tracy Moran.