ZOOM
🇪🇺 European Union • The Commission wants to launch a new intelligence service
The European Commission has begun creating a new intelligence entity under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, with the mission of better exploiting the information gathered by national agencies. Housed within the Commission's Secretariat-General, this unit aims to bring in officers from several European intelligence services to centralize and optimize information sharing for the benefit of the EU.
The move comes amid growing concern since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US warnings of a possible decline in support for Europe. The EU is accelerating its military build-up, embarking on the largest rearmament campaign since the Cold War. Many observers believe that the current fragmentation of national agencies is hampering the EU's responsiveness and relevance in terms of intelligence sharing.
However, the new service faces resistance from the EU's External Action Service, which is already in charge of the Intcen analysis center. Some fear a duplication of roles, and resistance is being felt in capitals jealous of the sovereignty of their own services. The issue of sharing with partners considered close to Russia, such as Hungary, is also raising concerns.
The Commission states that the project is still in the design phase and aims to strengthen internal expertise while cooperating with existing structures, with no defined timetable. The model is a continuation of the momentum created after September 11, 2001, which saw the major national agencies begin to collaborate, a trend that is now set to strengthen in the face of hybrid threats. Financial Times
IN SHORT
G20 • Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump will be absent from the G20 summit in Johannesburg, as will Russian President Vladimir Putin. Beijing has appointed Prime Minister Li Qiang to represent China. The simultaneous absence of the heads of state of the world's two largest economies and Russia weakens the significance of the event for South Africa, the host and first African country to host this summit.
G7 • At their meeting in Canada, G7 ministers called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine without increasing pressure on Russia, while reaffirming their support for Kiev. Ottawa announced new sanctions against Moscow as Ukraine suffers attacks on its infrastructure. On Sudan, the G7 deplored the worsening humanitarian crisis, condemning the violence and famine. Marco Rubio called for an end to arms deliveries to paramilitaries, but the issue of Venezuela was not addressed during the discussions.
🇮🇱 Israel • The UN Committee Against Torture questioned Israel in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday after receiving numerous reports of systematic acts of torture against Palestinian detainees, particularly since October 7, 2023. Rapporteur Peter Vedel Kessing cited severe beatings, electric shocks, prolonged stress positions, food deprivation, waterboarding, and widespread threats of rape. According to reports from UN bodies and NGOs, these abuses have escalated sharply, reaching unprecedented levels with complete impunity. The Israeli delegation rejected these accusations, calling the claims of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese misinformation.
🌍 Africa • In 2024, nearly a third of the attacks claimed by the Islamic State were concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, placing the continent at the heart of the group's expansion. Approximately 10,000 fighters, spread across five provinces, are active in Nigeria, around Lake Chad, in the Sahel, in the DRC, in Mozambique, and in Somalia. The West African and Sahelian branches each have around 3,000 members and are expanding their influence, with Somalia now serving as a logistical and financial platform.
🇲🇱 Mali - 🇲🇷 Mauritania • The blockade imposed since late October by JNIM jihadists in Léré, in the Timbuktu region, has caused more than 2,500 people to flee to Mauritania in less than two weeks, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Women, children, and elderly people crossed the border in difficult conditions, often with very few belongings. Since 2012, Mauritania has taken in nearly 300,000 Malian refugees, who represent nearly 40% of the population in the Hodh Chargui region.
🇫🇷 France • Emmanuel Macron has announced an additional investment of €4.2 billion to strengthen French space defense by 2030, in the face of Russian threats such as jamming, satellite espionage, and the possible presence of nuclear weapons in space. The French president also advocated the development of reusable European launchers and the modernization of the Kourou launch base (French Guiana), while welcoming the merger of European space industry giants.
🇺🇦 Ukraine • Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine's survival depended on new funding from its allies, with the European Union postponing its decision on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Kiev until December. Russian advances continue, and attacks on energy infrastructure are targeting the Ukrainian economy as winter approaches.
🇮🇱 Israel • The Israeli government announced its intention to shut down the army radio station, deemed too critical of the government and the armed forces. Defense Minister Israel Katz believes that this media outlet must stop expressing opinions hostile to the army. This decision, which has been strongly criticized by the opposition and journalists, has reignited the debate on press freedom in the country and the government's political evolution. No specific date for the implementation of the measure has been announced.
🇮🇳 India • The Indian government has adopted new royalty rates for several critical minerals in order to stimulate domestic production and reduce dependence on imports. The new royalties on graphite will be calculated as a percentage of the sale price, replacing the fixed rate per ton, while new rates have been set for cesium, zirconium, and rubidium. This reform aims to streamline bids at mining auctions and strengthen supply chain security in the battery, electronics, defense, and agriculture sectors.
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