South Asia
During a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu yesterday, Indian Defence Minister Rajanth Singh stressed on the importance of diplomacy and an “early resolution to the war,” and also underscored that the “nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side.” Meanwhile, Shoigu told singh about Russia's concerns about Ukraine using ‘dirty bombs.’ [Indian Ministry of Defence]
Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Nairobi on Sunday in what Kenyan police have described as a case of "mistaken identity." The vehicle Sharif was travelling in was fired at after it failed to stop at a checkpoint, with the police allegedly pursuing another vehicle. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a judicial commission to look into the incident. [The Express Tribune]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday that his country would sign a peace deal with Azerbaijan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the end of the year. “The government and I will do everything to make it realistic,” Pashinyan stressed. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since their independence in 1991 from the erstwhile Soviet Union. [Anadolu Agency]
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has approved a new military doctrine to modernise Kazakhstan’s armed forces. The Kazakh Defence Ministry said the doctrine “provides for the development of special operations forces to increase the combat potential of the armed forces.” [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday accused China of attempting to “speed up” its forceful invasion of the self-governing island of Taiwan. He added that Beijing had made decisions regarding the reunification process, “including exerting more pressure on Taiwan, coercion – making life difficult in a variety of ways on Taiwan in the hopes that that would speed reunification.” [South China Morning Post]
The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN Chair Cambodia said that the meeting aimed to discuss ways to restart the country’s stalled peace plan. The meeting was held in the absence of a representative from Myanmar. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
On Wednesday, the Polish Senate declared Russia as a “terrorist regime” that had “unleashed a beastly war on Ukraine” with the intent of “wiping a sovereign country off the map.” “The Russian invaders are terrorising the residents of Ukrainian towns, bombarding civilian targets: kindergartens, schools, theatres and housing estates. Bandits in Russian uniforms are torturing and murdering prisoners of war and civilians in the occupied territories,” the resolution noted. It also urged the international community to push for an investigation into Russian war crimes in the International Criminal Court. [The First News]
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his satisfaction at the “quality of dialogue” achieved between Ukraine and Israel over the last few days, after tensions emerged over Israel’s refusal to provide weapons and anti-missile systems. “We need Israel’s help and political leadership. And, as I said, it has started in recent days,” Zelensky remarked. [President of Ukraine]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Brazilian citizens are gearing up to choose between incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the run-off election this Sunday, with Bolsonaro having clawed back much of the lead Lula had in earlier polls. Bolsonaro has invited a great deal of criticism over his constant threats to refuse to concede defeat as well as his response to the COVID-19 pandemic (which killed at least 688,000 Brazilians), affinity for military intervention, and disregard for judicial institutions. However, he has also received praise for expanding the country's welfare system and forgiving the debts of around four million people. [Associated Press]
Dominican President Luis Abinader on Wednesday revealed plans to establish a justice ministry. Abinader said this would unburden the Public Prosecutor's Office, which should be focused on overseeing criminal investigations and “exercising public action on behalf of society.” [teleSUR]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The South African government said on Tuesday that Ethiopian authorities and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels have started peace talks to resolve the deadly two-year-long war in Tigray. The government noted that the African Union (AU)-led talks would continue till Sunday. [Associated Press]
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday warned that Iran is “moving towards nuclear weapons and supplying [Russia] lethal weapons that are killing innocent citizens in Ukraine.” During a meeting with United States (US) President Joe Biden at the White House, Herzog said Iran’s actions “will be a major challenge” for the two countries. A day earlier, the Israeli president said he would present evidence to US officials showing Russia using Iranian drones. [Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Times of Israel]
North America
After 40 days of protests in Iran, the United States (US) Department of State and Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday announced additional sanctions against 14 Iranian officials, including officials at the Evin prison, responsible for “overseeing organisations involved in violent crackdowns and killings, including of children, as part of our commitment to hold all levels of the Iranian government accountable for its repression.” “We will continue to find ways to support the people of Iran as they peacefully protest in defence of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. [US Department of State, US Department of Treasury]
During a meeting with the African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed shared priorities such as democracy, gender equality, economic growth, trade and investment, the fight against climate change, and peace and security. Trudeau also reiterated Ottawa’s readiness to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and economic recovery efforts for African countries post the COVID-19 pandemic. [Prime Minister of Canada]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned Iran for its violent crackdown on women’s attire. “I condemn the actions of the Iranian regime in cracking down on democratic protests, which were occurring in Iran. It’s important to assert the human rights of women in Iran,” he said. He added that Australia will continue supporting “women who are exercising their human right to dress as they see fit.” [SBS News]
New Zealand Prime Minister (PM) Jacinda Ardern landed in Antarctica to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Scott Base. The visit marks the completion of the first full season of Antarctic research after two years of COVID-19-induced disruptions. The PM will observe the environmental protection and conservation operations undertaken by New Zealand nationals on the continent. [1News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The European Union lifted sanctions on Burundian Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca, who came into power last month, and two other high-level officials—senior presidential adviser Godefroid Bizimana and former senior military official Leonard Ngendakumana. The sanctions were first imposed in 2015 following then-PM Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial re-election for a third term due to concerns over the legitimacy of the election as well as post-electoral violence that led to the death of at least 1,000 people. [Reuters]
Burkina Faso has launched an initiative to recruit 50,000 civilian volunteers to fight alongside defence and security personnel in the battle against jihadist groups. These voluntary fighters receive just 14 days of civic and military training. The mass recruitment drive comes nine months after the military seized power in a coup to oust democratically-elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. [Africanews]