South Asia
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the government of Bangladesh has purchased $330,000 worth of “phone-hacking equipment” from an Israeli company Cellebrite. The technology will allow it to access information from a wide range of mobile phones. The deal was made even though both countries do not share diplomatic relations. [Al Jazeera]
According to Indian government sources, India has been calling upon its Quad allies—Japan, Australia, and the United States—to invest in Indian vaccine producers to help it combat China’s expanding vaccine diplomacy. While the American and the Australian side are yet to comment on this, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that the Quad allies are committed to ensuring “equal access to vaccines for developing countries” even at the February meeting. However, no further tangible commitments were made. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, several women marched demanding equal rights on International Women’s Day. Some of the placards and posters held by activists were spotted saying “An Educated Girl Will Find Her Place,” “Girls Will Win in The End,” “Real Men Aren't Scared Of Equality,” and “Safety For Women”. [RFE/RL]
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has declared that Metsamor, a nuclear power plant facility in Armenia, is dangerous and must be closed. “A major nuclear or radiation accident at Metsamor would not only affect the people of Armenia, but citizens in neighbouring Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and southern Europe,” said the Bulletin. [BNE]
East and Southeast Asia
Indonesia has received 1.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Initiative. Prior to this, Indonesia had received 38 million doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine. The country began its inoculation drive in January and aims to vaccinate almost 181 million people this year. [Channel News Asia]
In a series of raids against suspected communist insurgents on the weekend, the Philippines police killed nine people. The police claim that the suspects opened fire first. However, the claim is disputed, as some witnesses claim that the suspects were unarmed. [The New York Times]
Europe
Belarusian authorities have requested the extradition of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya from Lithuania, who was forced to leave the country due to security concerns during the government’s crackdown on dissent. However, Tikhanovskaya has said she feels safe in her host country, and that she feels confident she will not be extradited. Lithuania’s foreign minister even said on Saturday that “hell will freeze over first” before any such demand is granted. [Euronews]
The Austrian Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler wrote to the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa opposing the ratification of the European Union-Mercosur free trade agreement. The letter said that this agreement went against European Green Deal and the Paris agreement, as it will “massively contribute” to “deforestation, the globalisation of junk food, animal suffering and the disappearance of farmers in Latin America and Europe.” [Brussels Times]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Repeating what President Jair Bolsonaro has said on countless occasions during the ongoing pandemic, Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said that the country must continue to prioritise its economy to guard against increasing debt. He remarked, “To become Argentina, six months; to become Venezuela, a year and a half. If you do it wrong, you go fast. Now, do you want to become Germany, the United States? [It takes] ten, fifteen years in the other direction.” [Folha de S.Paulo.]
Following a march by thousands of women in Mexico City to mark the occasion of International Women's Day and draw attention towards the issue of femicide, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador attempted to deflect criticism of his refusal to remove Félix Salgado, who has been accused of rape, from the party’s ticket in the upcoming governor elections in the southern state of Guerrero. The President said, “Half of the cabinet are women,” adding, “That was never seen before in Mexico.” He went on to say that criticism on this front is an opposition conspiracy, claiming, “All of a sudden, the conservatives are disguising themselves as feminists, very strange. Why? Because they see it as an opportunity to attack us.” [Associated Press]
Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva has been cleared of all corruption charges by the Supreme Court. “Operation Car Wash”, the country’s biggest-ever corruption investigation, was put into action in 2014 and has led to several high-profile arrests, including that of former president Lula, who ruled from 2003 to 2010. He was released from jail in 2019 after 18 months. Lula was prevented from running in the 2018 presidential race against Jair Bolsonaro, but has now had all of his political rights reinstated, paving the way for him to run in the 2022 election. [BBC]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma, have tested positive for the coronavirus. The presidential office said that they have exhibited only mild symptoms and will remain in isolation for two to three weeks. The country as a whole has registered 15,981 cases and 1,063 deaths from the virus. However, the real numbers are thought to be much higher due to a lack of testing capability across the country. [Al Jazeera]
On Monday, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Riyadh, alongside the Saudi Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence. Later in the day, MBS met with his Bahraini counterpart Prince Salman bin Hamad, and was joined by the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister. The two meetings were centred around bilateral relations as well as issues of salience across the Middle East. [Ashraq al-Awsat, Arab News]
North America
The Biden administration on Monday announced it was granting Temporary Protected Status to all Venezuelans already in the US because of the ongoing humanitarian and economic crises in the country. An estimated 320,000 Venezuelans will now be allowed to remain in the US. [The White House]
The US has said that it has made no decision about its force posture in Afghanistan after May 1, which is the deadline for it to withdraw its remaining 2,500 troops from the country. The clarification came in the wake of a letter by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in which America’s top diplomat urged the leader “to move matters more fundamentally and quickly toward a settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.” [Al Jazeera]
Oceania
After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s damning interview with Oprah Winfrey on the weekend, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern responded to a question on the damaged credibility of the Royal family by saying, “I’ve said before that, you know, I’ve not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don’t expect that that’s likely to change quickly from New Zealanders.” Queen Elizabeth continues to remain New Zealand’s constitutional monarch and head of state, though her role is almost entirely ceremonial. [Reuters]
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins jointly announced that New Zealand had secured an additional 8.5 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which now ensures that every citizen will have access to the vaccine. [New Zealand Government]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Kenya has banned maize imports from Tanzania and Uganda, after the country's Agriculture and Food Authority determined that their products have “high levels of mycotoxins that are consistently beyond safety limits”. Consequently, they have been deemed unfit for human consumption. This measure, which was implemented with immediate effect, has left many trucks stuck at the Namanga border. [The Citizen]
Benin opposition leader Reckya Madougou has been arrested and charged with “planning to assassinate several political figures”. Her candidacy for the upcoming election on April 11 had already been rejected by the electoral commission. Her arrest has generated criticism of authoritarianism under President Patrice Talon. [Africa News]
Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been released on bail and will now await a trial, after he was charged with rape last Wednesday. His arrest prompted intense protests from his supporters that have thus far led to four deaths. [The Guardian]
World News Monitor: 09 March, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
March 9, 2021
Beninese opposition leader Reckya Madougou SOURCE: LA NOUVELLE TRIBUNE