Four Charged Over Moscow Attack, Israel Occupies Two Gaza Hospitals, Holi Celebrations

💡 SPOTLIGHT

Moscow attack: The Kremlin's Ukraine narrative won't make ISIS go away

After Friday's terrorist attack in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to lay blame on Ukraine, even while all signs point to Islamic State terrorists, can't undo the reality that jihadism remains a major challenge that the Kremlin wishes would just go away.

In front of any event of the magnitude of Friday's terrorist attack in Moscow, which left at least 137 people dead, there are facts, grey areas and manipulations of every kind.

Undisputed fact: gunmen burst into a large concert hall in the Russian capital and opened fire. It was reminiscent of the Bataclan attack in 2015, but unlike Paris, the police arrived after the killers had left. Four individuals from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, were arrested later, far from Moscow. Their quick confessions were posted on social media.

Second fact: the Crocus City Hall attack has been claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS), and more specifically its so-called Khorasan branch, that mostly operates in Afghanistan. Experts have authenticated the claim, pointing out that ISIS does not usually take responsibility for attacks it has not carried out. Yesterday, ISIS released new videos that support that scenario.

But now we leave the realm of facts, and enter the grey areas and all the possible manipulations.

Take Vladimir Putin, who, after a long silence, took the floor on Saturday to accuse... Ukraine. Or, more precisely, that the terrorists were fleeing in the direction of Ukraine, where they were expected. The Russian president never mentioned ISIS by name, even though it had already claimed responsibility for the massacre.

Putin's accusation against Ukraine came as no surprise: it was obvious that the Kremlin's communications would try to blame its adversary in a conflict that is escalating once again. Moreover, the word "war" is starting to be used officially in Moscow, not a good sign.

But Putin has provided no proof of his accusations of collusion between terrorists and Ukraine, so we need to be careful about the Russian "narrative," which would serve primarily to justify war against Ukraine, rather than shed light on Friday's attack.

The first lesson of this tragic attack is that there are good reasons to be wary of Russian accusations. Firstly, because Putin needs to justify the March 22 security breach to his people, especially after the American warning three weeks ago, which he dismissed out of hand. By placing it within the well-established framework of his war with Ukraine and the West, the Russian president offers a simple explanation — too simple.

The second lesson is that Russia has put all its military, industrial and human resources into Ukraine, to the point of neglecting the fight against terrorism. It's one of the great weaknesses of states that they can only manage one crisis at a time, and Russia is once again demonstrating this.

Russia has a long history of confrontation with jihadist terrorism, dating back to the Soviet war in Afghanistan, and then, under Putin, in Chechnya, Syria and the Sahel.

We're moving away from Ukraine, which doesn't sit well with Vladimir Putin right after his big re-election — and he now must face a challenge he hadn't anticipated.

— Pierre Haski / France Inter

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Four men charged over Moscow concert hall attack: Four men that Russia charged with committing an act of terrorism at Friday’s concert hall attack, which killed 137, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday. The attack, for which the terrorist group ISIS took responsibility, was the deadliest in the country in two decades. Three of four of the suspects, all residents of Tajikistan, admitted guilt in court, with possible maximum sentences of life in prison. Russia observed a national day of mourning, following dubious claims by President Vladimir Putin that the attackers attempted to escape to Ukraine.

• Dozens killed in new Gaza attacks, UN to vote on ceasefire resolution for Ramadan: According to Palestinian medics, new Israeli-led attacks killed dozens in Rafah and across Gaza, with IDF troops also besieging the Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in Khan Younis. The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Monday on a new draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month, Ramadan. The vote comes after Russia and China vetoed an earlier draft proposed by the U.S. Friday, outlining a sustained ceasefire.

• Tech giants to face EU investigation: The European Union announced Monday that it is investigating Apple, Meta and Alphabet, Google’s owner, in a non-compliance probe under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The tech giants are suspected of uncompetitive practices and violating “anti-steering” laws, following a string of legal accusations for Apple in particular. Three weeks ago, the EU served Apple with a €1.8 billion antitrust fine concerning music streaming. Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney General has launched a lawsuit accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market.

• Vote count continues in Senegal's presidential election: The first round of voting for Senegal’s presidential election ended on Sunday with opposition figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye leading the polls. Faye, a former tax inspector, is considered a breakaway candidate — estimated to have over 50% of the vote by Senegalese media in early results. Unrest had been sparked earlier this year when President Macky Sall had delayed the election, but the Supreme Court overruled that decision and forced the ballot to take place. 

• New Irish prime minister to be elected: Simon Harris, the new leader of Ireland’s governing, “progressive center” party, Fine Gael, is set to be voted into office by Parliament next month as the country’s youngest prime minister. Harris was picked as party leader Sunday after former prime minister Leo Varadkar (himself the country's youngest-ever leader when elected, at age 38) had resigned unexpectedly Wednesday. Harris is currently the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and has previously served in justice and health minister positions, most known for crafting Ireland’s COVID-19 plan.

• Boeing CEO to step down after multiple safety crises: Boeing announced Monday that its CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of 2024 in a management overhaul, following safety concerns sparked by a Jan. 5 door plug failure on a 737 MAX plane during an Alaska Airlines flight. Since the incident, Boeing and Calhoun have faced backlash, including a U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigation and whistleblower reports of manufacturer negligence. 

• First Dragon Ball theme park to be built in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia announced the construction of a theme park near the capital city of Riyadh, the first to be based on the Japanese manga and animated series Dragon Ball (whose creator Akira Toriyama died on March 1, at age 68). Part of a partnership between the show’s producer, Toei Animation, and a government-owned public investment fund. The project, which will feature 30 rides and a 230-foot dragon statue, has been met with controversy, with critics citing Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record.

🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Argentinian daily Clarín dedicates its front page to Javier Milei’s government’s video denying the widely accepted figure of 30,000 victims of forced disappearance during the country's last military dictatorship (1976-1983). In the video, a former guerrilla member claimed to have "invented" the figure while in exile, stating that it was a means to secure funding. This figure, however, became a social consensus after the return of democracy and was supported by various political sectors and human rights organizations. 

📰 STORY OF THE DAY

In Morocco, the dream of an African Silicon Valley rises from the earth

Located between Marrakech and Casablanca, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University is trying to replicate the recipes that have made the United States’ Silicon Valley successful, fusing research and business — with special attention given to green energies and food sovereignty, reports Antoine Boudet in French daily Les Echos.

🇲🇦🎓 The university, which the Kingdom declared of “public interest,” aims to be the spearhead of an even greater ambition: making Ben Guerir the African Silicon Valley. “One of the ingredients of Silicon Valley’s success in California is the proximity between academics and industries. It was built over the course of about thirty years. We are trying to shorten this time,” Khalid Baddou says. To do this, “the UM6P is a partner of one of Silicon Valley's investment funds, Plug and Play, which incubated Google in its early days and with whom we set up Plug and Play Africa.”

🖥️ The Ben Guerir site includes the African Supercomputing Center, the largest data center in Morocco, which was inaugurated in 2021, and its Toubkal supercomputer — the most powerful in Africa — which is operating with 30% of green energy and 100% recycled water. The site also includes a six-hectare experimental farm, a Green Energy Park (GEP) and, very close by, a Green and Smart Building Park where new construction materials and energy-saving solutions are tested in about 30 small houses — all across 12 hectares.

🌱 Food sovereignty is another major challenge for the African continent. The UM6P School of Agriculture, Fertilization and Environmental Sciences was created nine months ago by gathering together 12 research entities in the field of agriculture and environmental sciences which used to work independently. “In addition to research, we want to work in a more integrated way to develop solutions via numerous partnerships in Africa and internationally,” says the school’s dean, Belgian professor Bruno Gérard. "Innovation and entrepreneurship are our two pillars."

➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com

📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO

➡️ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED

💬 LEXICON

产科冬天

Hospitals in China are shutting down obstetric departments as the country faces a declining birthrate. Dubbed as 产科冬天 (pronounced chǎnkē dōngtiān, an "obstetric winter”) by industry experts and media outlets, this phenomenon has raised public concern, leading authorities to censor related discussions on social media. The decline in births, which marks China's first experience of a diminishing birth rate in decades, is attributed to factors such as economic costs associated with having children and changing societal attitudes towards marriage and family. Medical experts warn against the rapid closure of obstetric departments, citing potential negative impacts on healthcare provision and societal well-being. For more, read this recent international roundup by Worldcrunch on attempts by governments to incentivize citizens to have more babies.

📣 VERBATIM

“No city, no country can be completely immune from the threat of terrorism.”

—  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded Monday to questions about the responsibility of the government in failing to prevent the deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow that killed 137 people. Peskov said greater international cooperation was needed in combating terrorism, noting a lack of such cooperation during times of heightened tension. President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish all responsible parties, with 11 individuals already detained.

📸 PHOTO DU JOUR

A woman smeared with colored powder during the celebration to mark Holi, the spring festival of colors, in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura. Occurring on the last full-moon day of the lunar month, the festival symbolizes the onset of spring and the triumph of good over evil. — Photo: Javed Dar/Xinhua/ZUMA

👉  MORE FROM WORLDCRUNCH  

• The Doctrine Of Armed Struggle — A Fatal Flaw For The Palestinian Cause — DARAJ

• With Russia's Backing, Serbia Eyes The "Right Time" For A New War With Kosovo — DIE WELT

• Meltdowns And Memories: Traveling With Young Children, Circa 2024— RECALCULATING

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