South Asia
The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 13 more Indian fishermen on Monday, taking the total number over the last three days to 69. The arrests instigated protests by Tamil fishermen, who have refused to return to sea unless the arrested fishermen are released. It has also prompted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to call for the Central government’s intervention. [The Hindu]
An expert panel of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has rejected calls by the Serum Institute of India and Biological E to allow the administration of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The panel said that the request could not be approved due to insufficient trial data on the efficacy of booster jabs. [Times of India]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Tajik forces opened fire on a truck and attempted to abduct its driver near a section of the border with Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, the Kyrgyz border service said in a statement. The incident has once again raised tensions between the two neighbours over their disputed border, which has not been demarcated since they gained independence in 1991. [RFE/RL]
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday that the Russian military is a “guarantor of peace” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. He noted that Russia’s role has been crucial for the “establishment of a peaceful life” in the region and the restoration of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
In a presidential preference survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator, led by a wide margin. Marcos was chosen by 53% of the 2,400 respondents as their preferred successor to President Rodrigo Duterte. [The Straits Times]
Under the duress of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, the University of Hong Kong on Wednesday took down a statue honouring pro-democracy protesters killed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China. The statue had been present on the campus for more than two decades. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
Russian billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich on Wednesday reached a settlement with British publishing house HarperCollins over claims made in journalist Catherine Belton’s book “Putin’s People.” In a statement, HarperCollins agreed that the book contained “some inaccurate information” and that the new version of the book will amend the mistakes, with around 1,700 words added or deleted. The most contentious claim in the book was that Abramovich bought the London-based football club Chelsea under Kremlin orders. [The Moscow Times]
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) agreed on dividing the fish stocks they jointly manage after two months of negotiations. The European Commission said, “the agreement creates certainty for fishing communities in both the EU and the UK, cements the sustainable use of marine living resources and establishes a strong basis for continued EU-UK cooperation in the area of fisheries.” [Politico]
The United Kingdom (UK) and Japan have agreed to collaborate to develop a joint engine demonstrator. According to British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, this will enhance their partnership in the Indo-Pacific, which he said is a “strategic priority” for the UK. [UK Government]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Cuba will be expediting its rollout of COVID-19 booster shots of its indigenously produced Abdala and Soberana vaccines to combat the Omicron variant. At this stage, only 99% of citizens have received at least one dose, and 84% have received two. [Telesur]
In an interview with local news channel RT, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov once again hit out at American interference, saying that, unlike the United States, Russia has “never” developed ties with Latin American countries “on the basis of which government is in power,” adding that it “does not see Latin America as a field for someone’s geopolitical games.” He noted that Russia had also shared the technology to produce Russian COVID-19 vaccines with Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Nicaragua. [Prensa Latina]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
A senior American official told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States (US) is concerned about Turkey’s drone sales to Ethiopia. The official said that Washington has “profound humanitarian concerns” about the sales, noting that it could potentially breach US restrictions on providing arms to Ethiopia. [Reuters]
Sudanese Prime Minister (PM) Abdalla Hamdok has told associates that he intends to resign within the coming hours, a source close to the PM told Reuters on Tuesday. Hamdok has previously stated that he would remain in office only if he had broad political support and the deal reached with the military was enforced. The deal, which was reached between Hamdok and the military last month following the October coup, calls on the military to release all political detainees and allows the PM to independently appoint a cabinet. [Reuters]
North America
On Wednesday, New-Orleans based oil company Taylor Oil Co. reached a settlement of $475 million for abandoning 16 wells off the coast of Louisiana that have been leaking since 2004. A press release from the United States (US) Department of Justice said, “This settlement represents an important down payment to address impacts from the longest-running oil spill in US history.” Since 2019, the US Coast guard has captured and removed three million litres of oil from the spill. [ABC News]
A member of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the felony charges of conspiracy and of obstructing Congress’ certification of the electoral college votes during the January 6 Capitol Riots. Matthew Greene, 34, from New York became the first self-admitted member of the extremist group to plead guilty and will be sentenced on 10th March. He faces up to four years in prison. [The Washington Post]
Oceania
As Australia prepares to reopen its borders, Home Minister Karen Andrews warned of the rising threat of extremism due to the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Andrews made the remarks during counterterrorism discussions with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Mahfud MD. [The Age]
The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand accused the members of Five Eyes of interfering with legislative elections in Hong Kong, after pro-Beijing candidates swept the ‘patriots only’ election. The embassy urged the Alliance to “respect China’s sovereignty, abide by international law and basic norms for international relations, be discreet with their words and deeds.” In addition, the statement said the legislative elections in Hong Kong were politically inclusive and had ensured balanced participation and fair competition. [Newshub]
Sub-Saharan Africa
A court in Port Louis found the captain and first mate of MW Wakashio, the Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on the coast of Mauritius in July 2020, guilty of “endangering the safety of navigation” and will be sentenced on December 27. The ship leaked over 1,000 tonnes of oil into the water and was recorded as the “worst marine pollution” incident in the country’s history. The Indian captain, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, admitted that he had been drinking, while his Sri Lankan first mate, Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra, was also found guilty. [Africa News]
Kenya has agreed to remove its ban on Ugandan poultry imports, thereby averting the threat of Kampala following through with its threat of imposing a retaliatory ban on Kenya’s agricultural exports. The announcement followed a meeting between the agriculture ministers of the two countries, wherein they discussed removing a host of trade barriers, particularly ones that violate the East African Community's Customs Union Protocol. [The East African]