South Asia
Deborah Lyons, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Secretary-General António Guterres’ Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with Afghanistan’s new interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Thursday. For many years, Haqqani was one of the world’s most wanted Islamist militants. “(Haqqani) stressed that UN personnel can conduct their work without any hurdle and deliver vital aid to the Afghan people,” a Taliban spokesperson said. [The Indian Express]
To mark the 71st birthday of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is launching a mega 20-day public outreach programme that aims to create a world record number of inoculations against COVID-19. The drive will begin on Friday and will continue till October 7. [Hindustan Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
On Thursday, a Kyrgyz court sentenced two Tajiks to life in prison for their role in the deadly border clashes in April that killed 36 Kyrgyz nationals. The court found them guilty of looting and crimes against peace. [24.kg]
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday underscored the need to start delimitation and demarcation between the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Zakharova’s comments follow the inspection of Iranian trucks headed to Armenia by Azerbaijani forces along the border and the charging of money from the drivers. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday contested an independent investigation which reported that she pressed staff to alter a report to avoid angering China in her previous job at the World Bank. The investigation also found irregularities in the 2018 and 2020 editions. Following this, the World Bank announced that it was immediately discontinuing its Doing Business report. [Channel News Asia]
China on Thursday condemned a new Indo-Pacific security alliance between the United States (UK), Britain and Australia, saying such partnerships should not target third countries. Beijing also warned of an intensified arms race in the region. [Reuters]
Europe
The United Arab Emirates will invest up to $14 billion in the United Kingdom over the next five years, Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala stated on Thursday. The fund is expected to invest in sectors like energy transition, technology, and life sciences. The announcement was made as Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Thursday. [Reuters]
On Thursday, the Italian government approved a new measure mandating COVID-19 health passes and digital vaccine certificates for all workers in the public and private sectors. With this, Italy has become the first European country to make the COVID-19 health passes compulsory. [Euronews]
Latin America and the Caribbean
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken once again spoke out against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega for suppressing political opposition ahead of the country’s election in November. He said that Ortega has “led the country down the bleak path of authoritarianism, relying on a subsequent Judiciary, the usurpation of political parties, and the imprisonment of journalists, opposition leaders, and others who defend free and fair elections.” [MercoPress]
Thousands of took to the streets of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, to protest against President Nayib Bukele for eroding judicial independence, making Bitcoin legal tender, and for his general authoritarian tendencies. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Iran has approved the use of American firm Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as the country faces a fifth wave of infections. The move comes despite Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banning the government from importing COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain, calling them “untrustworthy.” [Reuters]
The United Kingdom (UK) will provide £3.5 million to help reorganise training centres of Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. The UK is a member of the ‘Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS’ and has been assisting the Peshmerga in eliminating Islamic State terrorists from Iraq. The announcement comes as Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in London on Wednesday to discuss security cooperation. [Rudaw]
North America
On Thursday, the United States (US) levelled sanctions against supporters of Al Qaeda based in Turkey, who the State Department says “provided financial and logistical support.” A statement said that the US will work closely with other regional allies to “identify, expose, and disrupt” the group’s financial support networks. [US Department of State]
After the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia signed a new intelligence-sharing agreement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the continued relevance of the Five Eyes alliance with the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Trudeau stressed that the Five Eyes alliance remains strong, noting: “This is a deal for nuclear submarines, which Canada is not currently or any time soon in the market for; Australia is.” [The Canadian Press]
Oceania
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton announced a significant increase in the United States’ (US) military presence in Australia. The Minister also said that China’s outbursts over a new trilateral partnership and development of nuclear-powered submarines by Australia won’t deter the island nation from deepening military ties with the US. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
New Zealand on Friday confirmed the suspension of the trans-Tasman bubble for another eight weeks. The suspension was due to end next week but has been extended until mid-November due to increased COVID-19 cases of the Delta variant. [Otago Daily Times]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zambia’s ruling United Party for National Development, led by newly-elected President Hakainde Hichilema, has summoned a number of high-ranking officials from the previous government who are members of the Patriotic Front, which is led by now-former President Edgar Lungu. Authorities are looking into allegations of money laundering and other forms of corruption. [Africa Feeds]
A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit has revealed that South Africa is the only G20 country that is not projected to hit pre-COVID-19 levels of economic growth before 2022. [News24]
World News Monitor: 17 September, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
September 17, 2021
SOURCE: ELFARO