Good morning.

🇵🇸 France to Recognize Palestine; Gaza Talks Collapse

French President Macron announced France will recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, making it the largest European country to do so amid growing anger over Israel's Gaza war that has killed 59,587 Palestinians. Separately, US envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew from Gaza ceasefire talks, accusing Hamas of showing "a lack of desire" to reach agreement, while Israel also recalled its negotiating team from Qatar. Hamas expressed surprise at the US withdrawal and affirmed its commitment to continue negotiations, as at least 115 Palestinians have died from malnutrition since October with aid groups warning of "mass starvation."

More - Al Jazeera | Al Jazeera

🇹🇭 🇰🇭 There’s a Thai-Cambodia Conflict Explainer from Bloomberg here

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇯 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, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇿🇲 Zambia

Regional News Summary

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a significant tourism deal has been struck with FC Barcelona, amounting to €40 million. This partnership aims to bolster tourism revenue and create jobs, reflecting the country's efforts to enhance its economic prospects through international collaboration [SOURCE - The Sun].

However, the region faces ongoing challenges, particularly in the realm of security. The DRC and Rwanda-backed rebels have signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, a move facilitated by Qatar. This agreement seeks to end years of conflict and bring stability to a region long plagued by violence [SOURCE - ABC News].

In Zambia, the Food Reserve Agency announced plans to export 1 million tonnes of surplus maize to the DRC, although this was later contradicted by the Zambian government, which stated that no formal agreement had been reached [SOURCE - Zambia: News Diggers!].  

Meanwhile, South Africa is navigating a challenging economic landscape. The country has secured a R7 billion loan from BRICS to improve its road infrastructure, a vital step towards enhancing connectivity and economic growth [SOURCE - The South African]. However, the US Congress has advanced a bill to sanction South Africa, citing defiance of US policy, which has raised concerns among South African officials about the potential impact on bilateral relations [SOURCE - The South African].

In Kenya, a start-up is pioneering a novel approach to generating carbon credits by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, potentially transforming the carbon credit industry and contributing to sustainability efforts [SOURCE - SABC News]. However, the country is also grappling with the repercussions of funding cuts from the previous US administration, which have severely impacted healthcare and water projects, leaving many vulnerable populations at risk [SOURCE - The Conversation].

In Nigeria, the outsourcing industry faces challenges from the rise of artificial intelligence and immigration restrictions, raising concerns about economic growth and job creation [SOURCE - Rest of World]. Additionally, the US has become a net exporter of crude oil to Nigeria for the first time, a shift that could significantly affect the country's economy [SOURCE - Times Live].

As Sudan continues to face a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by funding cuts, the UN has warned that over 11 million refugees risk losing aid, highlighting the urgent need for international support [SOURCE - International Business Times]. The situation remains dire, particularly in Tawila, where humanitarian needs are spiraling out of control [SOURCE - Scoop].

Weekend Diversions

Wired has the background to the Microsoft SharePoint hack | Microsoft Put Older Versions of SharePoint on Life Support. Hackers Are Taking Advantage - Wired

The Trump White House AI Action Plan is worth a look. The plan is to ‘win’ AI and have countries adopt US AI over China’s meaning AI diplomacy is a significant theme. However, the interesting question (to me, at least) is how to reassure other nations that if they adopt US AI, it will remain accessible, rather than being subject to the whims of US leaders. My sense is that open source may be the safer choice but that doesn’t serve US frontier labs

According to this Harvard / MIT paper, world simulations may not be the best way for AIs to extrapolate general understanding. Hmmmm… 🤔

Have a great weekend!

Carpe tomorrow!