South Asia
According to the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, Yousef al-Otaiba, the Arab power has played a critical role in diluting the tensions between India and Pakistan and bringing them back to a “healthy functional relationship.” This comes less than a month after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire along their volatile border area, the Line of Control. [NDTV]
The French embassy in Pakistan has called upon all its nationals to temporarily depart from the country. It added, however, adding that the embassy would continue to remain open. This comes following days of violent protests in the country by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan party, which has called for the expulsion of the French ambassador to Pakistan. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has widened his hold on power by appointing himself as the Speaker of the upper chamber of Parliament, also known as Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council). State media reported that Berdimuhamedov was “elected to the post by secret ballot” and appointed eight additional members to the Council. Berdimuhamedov, who is also the head of government, has been ruling Turkmenistan for more than a decade with an iron grip. Critics have accused the strongman leader of using the constitutional amendments to secure a lifetime presidency. [RFE/RL]
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said that “strengthening relations with Georgia is one of the key preconditions for security and development in the region” during a joint conference held with his Georgian counterpart, Salome Zourabichvili, in Tbilisi. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Sarkissian referred to the Azerbaijani aggression in the region supported by Turkey. Zourabichvili, for her part, stressed the importance of ties between the two neighbours and called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. [Armenpress, Agenda]
East and Southeast Asia
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrived in Washington D.C. yesterday to hold meetings with President Joe Biden regarding China’s rising military aggression. The talks, which are scheduled to be held today, will be the first time Biden meets face to face with a foreign leader since taking office in January. According to Japanese officials, Biden and Suga are expected to discuss the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the human rights situation in Hong Kong, and China’s Xinjiang region. [CNA]
To mark the birthday of the founder of the state, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid his respects at the mausoleum for his grandfather Kim Il Sung on Thursday. April 15 is the most important date in the North Korean political calendar, where it is known as the Day of the Sun. [The Straits Times]
Europe
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday accused Russia of brazenly threatening Ukraine with destruction, and warned that if Moscow crossed the red line, “it will have to suffer.” [AFP]
The European Union is set to impose a range of measures to pressure Beijing into revoking its electoral reforms in Hong Kong. These measures, which are set to be introduced by the Foreign Affairs Council later this month, are likely to include the suspension of extradition treaties with China. [SCMP]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The Brazilian Supreme Court has approved the Senate’s decision to create a Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) to investigate and evaluate President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has come under fire for months on end now due to his prioritisation of the economy, downplaying of the severity of the virus, refusal to implement strict lockdowns, and his participation in rallies outside the presidential palace without masks or social distancing. Brazil has recorded over 13.7 million cases and more than 362,000 deaths. It continues to record upwards of 70,000 new cases and over 3,000 deaths from the virus every day. [Folha de S.Paulo]
Raul Castro, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and the brother of former leader Fidel Castro, announced that he will be resigning from his post, which is the senior-most position in the country and the title of the de facto leader. He will be replaced by President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Although some have expressed hope that the end of the Castro era, which first began in 1959, could herald a new era in the country, others claim that Castro loyalists are likely to ensure that there is no significant change in course. [NBC News]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Israel is set to remove restrictions that require wearing a mask outdoors as COVID-19 numbers are expected to drop following a swift and effective vaccination campaign that has seen 5,338,273 people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with 53% of those having received two doses, according to Israel’s Health Ministry. [Haaretz]
A deadly explosion ripped through Baghdad on Thursday, killing one and injuring 12 others. According to Iraqi officials, the explosion was caused by a car carrying highly explosive materials. Iraqi President Barham Salih called the attack shameless and urged the reinforcement of more security forces to combat terrorist cells. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. [Rudaw]
North America
The US government on Thursday announced more than $95 million in humanitarian funding to South Sudan. The money will provide “critical protection, economic opportunity, shelter, essential healthcare, emergency food assistance, safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services to some of the nearly four million South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced people” in the country, as well as support to refugees and host communities in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [US Department of State]
The Biden administration on Thursday imposed new sanctions on Russia in response to the SolarWinds hack, reports of bounties on US troops in Afghanistan, and interference in US elections. The State Department also expelled 10 Russian diplomats from the US. [The White House, US Department of State]
A Canadian appeals court on Thursday upheld the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between the US and Canada, which has been under contention over its potential violations of asylum seekers’ fundamental rights under the Canadian Charter for Rights and Freedoms. The court ruled that it was not the deal itself that was causing the alleged infringements, but periodic reviews of the designation of the US as a “safe” country. [CTV News]
Oceania
On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison formally announced that Australia would withdraw its troops from NATO-led operations in Afghanistan by September, following in the footsteps of the United States, which earlier this week revealed that it would withdraw all of its troops from the country by September 11. Morrison said, “Over the last 20 years, Australia has been a steadfast contributor to the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Australia has fought alongside coalition and Afghan partners to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda,” adding, “While our military contribution will reduce, we will continue to support the stability of Afghanistan through our bilateral partnership and in concert with our other nations.” [The Canberra Times]
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne released a joint statement with Minister for Defence Peter Dutton and Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews in which they put their weight behind the United States push to hold Russia accountable for a cyberattack on American software company SolarWinds. To this end, the Cabinet ministers said, “In consultation with our partners, the Australian Government has determined that Russian state actors are actively exploiting SolarWinds and its supply chains. Over the past 12 months, Australia has witnessed Russia use malicious activity to undermine international stability, security and public safety. Australia condemns such behaviour. Russia’s campaign has affected thousands of computer systems worldwide. Australia acknowledges the high costs borne by the US private sector.” [Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Zimbabwean government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation State Atomic Energy Corporation in the first step towards developing nuclear energy as an alternative source of power in the country. The two sides discussed the establishment of a centre for nuclear science and technology in Zimbabwe. Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa assured that nuclear energy would only be used for “peaceful purposes”. [The Herald]
Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed that food inflation in the country rose to 22.95% in March, the highest rate since the country first began recording this data in 2009. Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning Zainab Ahmed has previously said that the biggest contributing cause to food inflation in the country is “transport costs”, and thus said that the government had lowered import duties on tractors and other vehicles via the 2020 Finance Act. [Pulse]
World News Monitor: 16 April, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
April 16, 2021
Outgoing de facto Cuban leader Raul Castro, who is resigning from his post of First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party SOURCE: YAMIL LAGE / AP