South Asia
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has initiated an inquiry into allegations against former Prime Minister Imran Khan for accepting a gift of a Rs. 18 crore (USD 2.3 million) necklace during his tenure. The item was sold to a jeweller instead of being deposited in the state gift repository. Pakistani law says that public gifts can be kept by office bearers, provided that they pay half the price of the item and deposit it in the national exchequer. However, Khan has been accused of illegally depositing merely a few hundred thousand rupees. [NDTV]
The United States State Department’s 2021 report on human rights practices in Sri Lanka highlighted several abuses by security forces, including the police. It also said the government has not taken the required steps to punish those accused of such violations. [ColomboPage]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Kazakh Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that 1,055 Russians have applied for permanent residence since January, almost triple the number in an average quarter. The Ministry also said that about 10,000 Russians applied for individual identification numbers (IIN) to open bank accounts during the same period, as international sanctions have blocked foreign operations in many banks in Russia. [RFE/RL]
Russia and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday agreed to unify the air defence systems as part of efforts to create a regional air shield among Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. [24.kg]
East and Southeast Asia
Marking one year since Japan’s decision to release contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, several Japanese environment protection groups voiced opposition and organised rallies against the move on Wednesday. Tokyo plans on releasing 1.25 tonnes of treated wastewater contaminated by the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. [Global Times, CGTN]
Myanmar citizens protested against the February 2021 military coup on Wednesday by boycotting the Buddhist new year Thingyan water festival. Local media images showed anti-junta protests across the country, with activists holding banners calling for a boycott of festivities. While junta-sponsored celebrations did take place, incidents of fighting between the military and its opponents were also reported across the country. [The Straits Times]
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday expressed “fervent” hope that China would use its “pivotal role” and “special relationship” with Russia to persuade it to stop the war. She added that China could not expect the global community “to respect its appeals to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the future if does not respect these principles now when it counts.” [Atlantic Council]
Europe
During an interview with France 2 on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron refused to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine. Macron acknowledged the war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine and said the perpetrators must be held accountable. But he also added, “I am very careful with some terms [genocide] these days. I’m not sure the escalation of words is helping the cause right now.” [Euronews]
British Justice Minister David Wolfson resigned after the Metropolitan Police fined Prime Minister Boris Johnson for violating COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. In a letter addressed to Johnson, Wolfson said that the breaches should not be allowed to “pass with constitutional impunity.” [Politico]
On Wednesday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe (OSCE) published a report confirming Russia’s complicity in committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The OSCE, Europe’s human rights watchdog, said it found “clear patterns” of Russian forces violating international humanitarian law. The report noted that the March 16 attack on a theatre in Mariupol that killed 300 people was a war crime. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia called on his American counterpart Antony Blinken to work with him to establish dialogue and remove coercive sanctions that violate international law and have caused “pain” for the Venezuelan people. In fact, his comments follow the visit of a White House delegation to Caracas on March 5, wherein they discussed the relaxation of sanctions as the United States looks for alternative energy suppliers in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war. [Telesur]
Honduran Security Minister Ruben Sabillon confirmed yesterday that former President Juan Orlando Hernández will be extradited to the United States (US) next week on drug trafficking and weapons-related charges. The US alleges that Hernández has been instrumental in facilitating the smuggling of around 500 tonnes of drugs into the US since 2004 and has received millions of dollars in bribes in return. In fact, his brother Tony is currently serving a life sentence in the US for drug trafficking. [Al Jazeera]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United States Navy announced on Wednesday that it will start a new multinational task force to monitor the Red Sea, a move meant to reassure Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked both countries’ assets around the region. [Associated Press]
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told Israeli reporters during a press conference in Ankara on Thursday that Turkey is looking for a “sustainable relationship” with Israel but that an improvement in ties depends on Israel’s policies towards Palestine. “Since 1949, our relations have had its ups and downs. I can tell you that those were due to the violations of Palestinian rights, and not due to the problems in our bilateral relations,” he stressed. [Times of Israel]
North America
On Wednesday, two White House officials told Politico that the United States (US) is contemplating the possibility of sending a high-ranking official to visit Kyiv after several European heads of state visited the Ukrainian capital in a display of support. The visit is likely to be made by a cabinet member such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, said the two officials. [Politico]
The state senate of Kentucky on Wednesday overturned its governor’s veto on the HB3 bill, which prohibits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Kentucky’s Democrat governor, Andy Beshear, previously vetoed the Republican-backed bill, which also punishes physicians for performing abortions after the 15-week limit. Beshear argued that the bill, which is now law, is not constitutional and does not provide exceptions for rape or incest. [ABC News]
Oceania
On Thursday, Australia announced further sanctions against Russia, targeting 14 state-owned enterprises, including transportation companies Kamaz and Russian Railways, shipping companies SEVMASH and United Shipbuilding Corporation, and electronic component company Ruselectronics. [Minister For Foreign Affairs, Australia]
During a visit to Honiara yesterday, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja urged Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign a security deal with China, saying Beijing’s presence could unsettle the region. Seselja said, “We have asked the Solomon Islands respectfully to consider not signing the agreement and to consult the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency, consistent with our region’s security frameworks.” [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The death toll from heavy flooding in Durban, South Africa has now increased to 306, with the number only rising. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the affected areas on Wednesday and declared, “This disaster is part of climate change.” He said the time for climate action can no longer be “postponed.” The disaster has also resulted in infrastructural damage to roads, homes, and power lines. [Associated Press, CNN]
During a three-day visit to Brazzaville, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso signed two memorandums of understanding and a concession agreement in the agricultural sector. As per the terms of the agreement, Congo will grant Rwanda 12,000 hectares of 'exploitable land'. Congo has between 10 and 12 million hectares of arable land but just 5% of this is used for food crops, which has left the government trying to find innovative ways to monetise these swathes of unused land. [Africanews]