Good morning.

Breaking - Massive Earthquake Hits Myanmar

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar earlier today, causing widespread damage. Strong tremors were felt in neighboring Vietnam and Thailand, and at least one building collapsed in Bangkok. Myanmar is closed to foreign press making reporting difficult but the BBC has a Live Feed here

🇺🇦 US Demands First Rights to Ukraine’s Reconstruction Investments

The US is seeking control over future Ukrainian infrastructure and mineral investments through a revised partnership deal demanding "right of first offer" on all projects. If accepted, Washington would gain unprecedented economic influence in Ukraine, potentially complicating Kyiv's EU membership bid and requiring Ukraine to repay all previous US military aid before receiving income from joint investments. President Zelenskiy indicated the agreement needs "detailed study" while emphasizing continued support for US cooperation. More - Bloomberg

🇷🇺 Russia Offers Arctic Cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed willingness to cooperate with Western partners on Arctic economic ventures despite intensifying geopolitical tensions in the region. During a major speech Thursday, Putin acknowledged US President Trump's "serious" intention to acquire Greenland while voicing concern about NATO's expanding northern presence through Finland and Sweden. Putin emphasized Russia's commitment to developing Arctic infrastructure and the Northern Sea Route while building military capabilities to protect Russian sovereignty in the resource-rich region. More - Al Jazeera

💥 North Korea Unveils AI-Controlled Suicide Drones

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected new suicide drones reportedly equipped with artificial intelligence, according to state media KCNA. Analysts suggest the technology likely benefited from Russian assistance, highlighting the deepening military relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow. Kim also unveiled what appears to be North Korea's first airborne early-warning aircraft, with South Korean officials noting it would take time to evaluate its effectiveness and that components may have Russian connections. More - BBC

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇧🇯 Benin, 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇹🇩 Chad, 🇰🇲 Comoros, 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic Of The Congo, 🇩🇯 Djibouti, 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, 🇪🇷 Eritrea, 🇸🇿 Eswatini, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇦 Gabon, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau, 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇸 Lesotho, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇲 Zambia, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe, 🇹🇿 Tanzania

Regional News Summary

Regional tensions in Africa are escalating, particularly in the Great Lakes region. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is experiencing renewed conflict, with a strategic mining town recently falling to rebel forces. This surge in violence comes despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive peace talks among neighboring countries SOURCE - SABC News. Meanwhile, Rwanda has severed ties with Belgium, seeking to improve relations with the DRC amidst accusations of colonialism. Burundi has raised alarms, claiming Rwanda has plans to attack, while Rwanda calls for calm SOURCE - SABC News.

In a bid to stabilize the region, the DRC's President has offered the United States control over $24 trillion in mineral resources in exchange for peace, highlighting the strategic importance of the country's mineral wealth SOURCE - The Gateway Pundit. Concurrently, the U.S. and DRC have initiated discussions on mineral production and security, although these talks are still in their infancy SOURCE - Financial Post.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains dire, with the Sudanese army regaining control of the presidential palace in Khartoum after two years of conflict. This development is seen as a potential turning point, yet analysts caution that the war is far from over SOURCE - Al-Monitor. The ongoing violence has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with recent airstrikes in Darfur reportedly killing hundreds SOURCE - Africa Daily.

In Nigeria, economic developments are underway, with significant investment projects involving Russian capital worth $1.5 billion announced for the year SOURCE - TASS. Additionally, the country is exploring the purchase of agricultural equipment from Russia, further solidifying economic ties SOURCE - TASS. The agricultural sector is also seeing innovation, as farmers adopt AI-powered technology to boost yields SOURCE - Malay Mail.

In South Africa, the political landscape is fraught with challenges, as corruption and mismanagement continue to plague various sectors. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has exposed vehicle roadworthy fraud, underscoring the need for stricter regulations SOURCE - The South African. Additionally, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters has called for a wealth tax instead of an increase in VAT, arguing that the latter disproportionately affects the poor SOURCE - SABC News.

Weekend Diversions

💻 Wired has a story on what to expect when quantum computers come online properly, aka ‘Q-Day’.

🤫 There’s also an article on how to use secure messaging app Signal securely….

🤖 I attended a talk recently on The Automated Design of Agentic Systems which is basically when the agent can design and train other agents. This is equally fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Link to paper

⚾️ Plus, baseball is back. Let’s go Mets! (We’ll forget about opening day…)

Have a great weekend.

Carpe tomorrow!