South Asia
After at least 14 unexplained cooking gas explosions were reported on a single day, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa set up an eight-member committee to investigate the issue and present a report in the coming two weeks. It is believed that the reason for the surge in such incidents is due to the change in the proportions of the propane and butane mix used in the LPG cylinders. This claim has been denied by State-run Litro gas, which has attributed the explosions to “faulty regulators and dilapidated stoves.” [Al Jazeera]
The United Nations Development Programme released a statement highlighting the need for a relief program for Afghan families, children, and disabled individuals. It recommended a program that released $300 million each year to avert the “alarming” socio-economic crisis. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Omurbek Tekebaev, leader of Kyrgyz opposition party Ata-Meken (Homeland), was attacked on Wednesday by unknown assailants over his refusal to recognise the results of the parliamentary election held earlier this week. Opposition parties have rejected the results and said that the vote was rigged in favour of president Sadyr Japarov’s allies. [RFE/RL]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow is working to ensure that the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan is put to rest. He said that Russia’s immediate focus would be on “ending the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh and finding lasting solutions to the disputed issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
Jimmy Lai, the founder of Hong Kong’s now-shuttered Apple Daily, and the pro-democracy newspaper’s staff have been awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom, the World Association of News Publishers’ annual press freedom award. [The Globe and Mail]
United States (US) Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and other top military officials met with their South Korean counterparts in Seoul on Wednesday. The meetings are the first official Security Consultative Meeting between the two since Joe Biden took office in January. The representatives discussed the future of their military alliance and preparations to counter threats from North Korea. [The Straits Times]
Europe
On Wednesday, Russian Defence Minister General Sergei Shoigu and his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang announced a military and military-technical partnership. Shoigu welcomed the decision saying, “Vietnam is one of the key states in the Asia-Pacific region with modern and well-equipped armed forces.” [Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation]
On Wednesday, a British immigration minister said that the government will not amend the bill that allows border officials to push back against small dinghies carrying migrants attempting to cross the English Channel. This comes amidst criticism that the government is endangering the lives of highly vulnerable migrants. [Politico]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador held a large rally in Mexico City on Wednesday to mark the halfway point in his six-year term. The president has drawn criticism for his failure to curb COVID-19 infections, given that Mexico has recorded nearly 450,000 deaths from the virus and has vaccinated only about half of the population. In fact, given his insistence on not imposing mass testing or travel bans, it was not surprising to see that the rally had no masking requirements. Simultaneously, inflation has hit 7% and citizens are also concerned about continued gang violence. Nevertheless, López Obrador holds an approval rating of around 66%. [Associated Press]
Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri, who was in office from 2015 to 2019, was indicted over his involvement in the Federal Intelligence Agency illegally spying on the relatives of the 44 victims and crew members of the sunken navy submarine San Juan in November 2017. As a result, he has been barred from leaving his house for more than 10 days without providing notice and will not be permitted to leave the country once he returns from Chile. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Clashes erupted between Iranian soldiers and Taliban fighters near the border on Wednesday over confusion regarding the exact location of the border demarcation. Iranian media accused the Taliban of inflaming tensions by opening fire at Iranian troops. Later, however, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the incident was triggered by a “misunderstanding at the local level” and said that the “situation is now under control with the understanding of both sides.” [Voice of America]
Iran has denied reports by Saudi media that it maintains a military presence in Yemen and that the Saudi-led coalition had bombed an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) position in Sana’a. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called the reports “unfounded” and “groundless.” He also stressed “that Iran has no military links with Yemen whatsoever.” [Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
North America
On Wednesday, Meta, the parent company of United States-based social media giants Facebook and Instagram, announced the removal of a Chinese network with more than 600 accounts, pages, and groups for spreading Covid-19 misinformation. Meta also removed five other networks that abused its platforms, including an anti-vaccination network in Europe and two about the Poland-Belarus border crisis. [NPR]
On Wednesday, Public Services and Procurement Canada announced the final two bidders for its $19 billion contract to acquire 88 advanced fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Sweden’s Saab and America’s Lockheed Martin made the cut leaving out another American aerospace giant, Boeing. According to The Hill, Boeing expressed disappointment in Canada’s decision. Canada is expected to announce the contract next year with a 2025 delivery deadline. [The Hill]
Oceania
A new report titled “The Migrant Workers Centre’s Lives in Limbo” found that 65% of temporary visa holders in Australia have experienced wage theft. It argues that the spike in temporary migration visas since the 1990s has turned Australia into a “guest worker state” that has created “an underclass of young, vulnerable and often exploited employees.” [The Guardian]
With about 90% of all adults now fully vaccinated, Fiji on Wednesday reopened its international borders to travellers for the first time in nearly two years, as it seeks to revive its tourism industry. [Reuters]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta hailed his country’s economic performance this year, saying that it recorded a “phenomenal” GDP growth rate of 10.1% in the second quarter of 2021, which is the highest-ever growth Kenya has recorded in a single quarter. Kenyatta thus celebrated that “the impact of Covid on our economy was 14 times less than that of the global economy.” Critics, however, said that the president conveniently overlooked certain statistics, such as the spiralling debt in the country. [Africa News]
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hit out at a recent report by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office which said that Zimbabwe remains a country of concern due to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Mnangagwa said the “Human Rights Priority Countries” report constitutes an “unwarranted and blatant interference in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs.” Mnangagwa’s government is seen as an extension of the leadership of rule of the late Robert Mugabe, who served as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as President from 1987 to 2017. Under Mnangagwa, there have been several reports of corruption, and suppression of political and civic opposition. [The East African]