South Asia
Indian Power Minister RK Singh declared that companies that manufacture green hydrogen will be provided free transmission till 2025. In light of India’s continued efforts to expand its sustainable power capacity, India is also planning to release guidelines on the use of green hydrogen and ammonia. [Reuters]
The State Bank of Pakistan warned that digital currencies carry more risks than benefits, specifically in light of their “financial and monetary stability.” However, it acknowledged that cryptocurrency could provide individuals with more control over their finances and prospectively democratise finance in Pakistan. [Dawn]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Former political prisoner and critic of Turkmenistan’s autocratic regime Geldy Kyarizov said on Wednesday that he plans to run as a candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Kyarizov made the announcement on his YouTube channel and said his intention is to fight the “dictatorship,” referring to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s regime. [RFE/RL]
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani on Wednesday condemned the Russian Duma’s appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognise the Russian occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. He said such a move would “further aggravate the already difficult situation and jeopardise international agreements.” Zalkaliani also pointed out that Georgia is a victim of Russian expansionism, referring to the 2008 invasions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
During a G20 meeting he hosted today, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that now is not the time to create geopolitical tensions, and called for international cooperation to promote global economic recovery. His comments were referring to the events in Ukraine [Channel News Asia]
A Myanmar military jet crashed in the country’s Sagaing region on Wednesday morning due to a “technical failure,” the junta said in a statement. Search and rescue operations for the pilot are underway. [The Straits Times]
Europe
Ahead of the European Union-African Union summit in Brussels, European banks and financial institutions pledged $34 billion in investment for sub-Saharan Africa. In a joint statement, the French Development Agency pledged to support infrastructure development and the private sector by extending loans and budget guarantees between 2023 and 2027. The investment is a part of Union’s Global Gateway programme, which aims to mobilise billions to support infrastructure projects worldwide. [Euronews]
As a part of its NATO operations, the United Kingdom is looking to enhance its troop presence in Estonia, which has been a NATO member since 2004. The UK already has over 900 military personnel deployed in the former Soviet state. [Reuters]
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on Wednesday officially rejected complaints made by Poland and Hungary over the European Union’s (EU) rule of law conditionality mechanisms that came into place last year. Warsaw and Budapest now risk losing billions in EU funding for failing to implement adequate legal reforms. [The Warsaw Voice]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was in office from 2014 until January of this year, was arrested at his home at the extradition request of the United States on charges of drug trafficking and weapons-related offences. In the recent past, former gang members have testified that they bribed him with millions of dollars to protect drug traffickers from extradition to the US. [Associated Press]
Landslides and flash flooding in the southeastern Brazilian city of Petrópolis, which is located in the mountainous regions to the north of Rio de Janeiro, killed at least 94 people. Houses and neighbourhoods were destroyed and the city’s mayor has declared a state of emergency. Deadly floods have become a regular occurrence in Brazil, with dozens killed in similar incidents in the Bahia state in December and the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo in separate events in January. [BBC]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Egypt on Wednesday announced that it plans to expand the two-way section of the Suez Canal by 10 kilometres, which would lengthen the stretch from 75 to 85 kilometres. Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie said that the Canal would also be widened and deepened by another 30 kilometres. The decision was made in light of the Ever Given container ship getting stuck in the Canal last year, disrupting global trade and traffic. [Reuters]
Israel’s Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that it will supply natural gas to Egypt from a new route via Jordan by the end of this month. [Reuters]
North America
On Wednesday, United States (US) President Joe Biden dismissed his predecessor Donald Trump’s executive privilege claims, ordering the National Archive to handover Trump-era documents to the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. The current set of documents includes White House visitor logs from April 2020 until Trump left the office in January 2021, which includes information on key figures linked to the insurrection, including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the leader of the right-wing extremist group Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio. [The New York Times]
Authorities at the US-Canada border on Wednesday reported the opening of the final trucker blockade at Emerson, Manitoba, which borders North Dakota. Earlier this week, authorities resolved blockades at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Ontario and Michigan and in Alberta, which borders Montana. The reopening of the final blockade brings an end to six-days of trade disruption that caused automobile manufacturers to shut down production. [The Voice of America]
Oceania
On Thursday, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Karen Andrews, said the federal government would list the entire Palestinian militant group Hamas, including its political wing and three other organisations—Sunni Islamist militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Al Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, and extreme right-wing US group National Socialist Order—as terrorist organisations. Andrews said, “It is vital that our laws target not only terrorist acts and terrorists, but also the organisations that plan, finance and carry out these acts.” Earlier, only the military wing of Hamas was listed as a terrorist organisation by Australia. [ABC News]
On Thursday, a spokesperson for New Zealand’s Prime Minister and Cabinet said a group of national security officials would convene to discuss the ongoing Parliament protests against COVID-19 mandates. The spokesperson said, “The meeting will ensure there’s a shared understanding of the situation and that all risks and potential implications have been identified.” A group of protesters have been camping outside New Zealand’s Parliament building, demanding an end to COVID-19 restrictions and mandatory vaccination. [Newshub]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mauritius placed its flag on the Chagos Islands, thereby disputing British sovereignty claims. Several Chagos islanders were forcibly displaced by the British in the 1960s and 70s. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that Britain must cede control of the islands, which was bought by the United Kingdom in 1965 and then leased to the United States as a military base. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth described the flag-raising incident as “very emotional” and “historic,” while the UK’s foreign office reiterated that it has “no doubt” about the sovereignty of the islands, which they say fall in the “British Indian Ocean Territory.” Two years ago, the UK said it would only cede sovereignty of the islands “when it is no longer required for defence purposes.” [Africa News]
Ahead of the European Union (EU)-African Union Summit, which begins today in Brussels, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan urged the EU to withdraw economic sanctions placed on Burundi six years ago, saying they are hindering the country’s “stability and development.” In fact, on Tuesday, the EU announced that it plans to lift the sanctions, which were placed in 2016 due to post-electoral violence in the aftermath of the 2015 election, when Pierre Nkurunziza secured a controversial third term. It is estimated that at least 1,000 people died in the post-electoral violence. [The East African]