South Asia
India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives have begun the 15th edition of their biennial trilateral exercise called “Dosti.” It will be conducted from November 20 to November 24. The exercises have been conducted regularly since they were established 10 years ago and have largely focussed on deterring maritime accidence and combatting sea pollution. [Hindustan Times]
On Monday, the International Monetary Fund announced its decision to revive a $6 billion funding programme for Pakistan. As the policy gets approved after over a year of deliberation, Pakistan will be given access to 750 million in IMF special drawing rights. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenia on Monday accused Azerbaijani armed forces of killing a 19-year-old soldier after opening fire at Armenian troops stationed in the Gegharkunik province near the border. The incident comes just days after both Baku and Yerevan agreed to a Russian-brokered ceasefire to halt the worst round of fighting since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. [RFE/RL]
A high-level European Union (EU) delegation held talks on Afghanistan with the five Central Asian countries in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Monday. The talks focussed on issues such as regional cooperation, human rights, and democracy in Afghanistan. A joint communiqué issued by the EU called for the establishment of an “inclusive and representative” Afghan government. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
During a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida on Monday, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore hopes to deepen cooperation with Japan in several areas, including the safe resumption of travel, digitalisation, and the digital economy. [Channel News Asia]
Amnesty International’s China researcher, Alkan Akad, said on Monday that the International Olympic Committee has “entered dangerous waters” by holding a video call with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. “In the past, we have seen various similar cases where people had no option but to say what they had been told to,” he said. [WION]
Europe
On Monday, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Afghanistan’s neighbours to prevent the misuse of migrants by Belarusian authorities for political gains. Borrell also presented the EU’s €1 billion ($1.12bn) plan to help Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries manage migration. Borell and the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, met the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the deputy foreign minister of Turkmenistan in Dushanbe. [Reuters]
Speaking about the ongoing tiff between the European Union and the United Kingdom on the Northern Ireland protocol, Brexit Minister David Frost said that this is “only the beginning” of the country’s divergences from the bloc’s rules. He said that thisis necessary for the UK to succeed in its departure from the EU and to protect itself and its smaller market. [Politico]
Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom warned Moldova’s government that it will cut off gas supply to the country unless payments are made under the new contract agreed to last month within two days. The new deal signed on October 29th was “practically on the terms of the Moldovan side,” said Gazprom spokesperson Sergei Kupryanov. Last month, Chișinău declared a state of emergency over gas supply after a bitter contract related stalemate with Gazprom. [The Moscow Times]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won regional and local elections on Sunday via an overwhelming majority, and now has control of 20 out of 23 governorships. Voter turnout, however, was only recorded at 41.8%, illustrating the public’s disinterest. 336 mayoral seats, 253 legislative seats, and 2,500 local councillor positions were also up for grabs. [MercoPress]
Mexican Secretary of Defence Luis Cresencio Sandoval has drawn flak for taking a political stance and praising President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, saying that it is a “mark of pride to be able to contribute to the transformation that is being carried out.” The opposition has said that it is “not appropriate” for the army to wade in on political matters. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Russia has sent Lebanon satellite images of last year’s Beirut port blast to help with the probe into the events that led to the tragic incident that killed more than 216 people and injured over 6,000. Lebanese officials have stated they have requested other countries to provide imagery of the blast as well. [Associated Press]
On Monday, Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, said it had foiled major terror attacks, including bombings and suicide attacks, planned by Gazan militant group Hamas in the West Bank and Israel. The agency also said that it had arrested more than 50 members of Hamas’ cell in the West Bank and seized large quantities of weapons. [Times of Israel]
North America
On Monday, United States Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $1.5 billion investment under the COVID-19 aid package to specifically address healthcare worker shortages in underserved communities. The funding will go towards federal programs that offer scholarship and loan repayment incentives to healthcare students and workers who pledge to work in underserved and high-risk communities. [ABC News]
The United States Department of Justice reached a settlement of around $130 million with the families of the Parkland school shooting victims over Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) negligence. In 2018, Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 people and wounding at least 17 more. The FBI was warned about Cruz in the weeks prior to the incident, yet failed to act on these warnings. [NPR]
Oceania
Australian Senator and Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Penny Wong accused the federal government of exaggerating the threat of war over Taiwan for domestic political gain. Wong added that Australia’s actions are “wildly out of step” with the United States’ (US) policy of not declaring its intent on Taiwan’s defence. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it would be inconceivable for Australia not to join the US if it committed forces to defend Taiwan. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Australia’s parliamentary committee is set to review the controversial AUKUS defence partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom. Under the pact, Australia will receive a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. The joint-standing committee will hold an inquiry into the AUKUS alliance, and the public hearing will be held on November 29. [The New Daily]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe announced that starting on December 21, people who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to access public transport or enter government buildings. Kenya has thus far vaccinated around 10% of its population but has only set a target of vaccinating 10 million people by the end of December, which amounts to just 20% of the national population. [Africa News]
South African Migration National Service (Senami) spokesperson Celestino Matsinhe revealed that the country deported 317 Mozambican nationals between November 6 and 12, of which 296 were deported for illegal immigration, 17 for theft, two for physical aggression, and the last two for drug trafficking; 309 of them were men. This represents a concerted and ongoing effort by the government to restrict immigration, considering that, in comparison, South Africa only deported 589 Mozambicans in all of 2020. [The East African]