South Asia
Pakistan’s national disaster management agency said that, in the past three days, the monsoon rains have led to the death of over 90 people. 31 of the casualties were reported from the Sindh province and 23 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. [The Guardian]
An official representing the Afghan government said that intra-Afghan negotiations between the Ghani-led government and the Taliban were set to commence next month. Shortly after, the Taliban’s lead negotiator, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, denied this and said that there were no talks scheduled for early September. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Public outrage has hit Georgia after a new surrogacy law was passed that requires documented proof of relationships for at least a year for heterosexual couples opting for surrogacy. Women’s rights activists believe that the changes are discriminatory towards single mothers who want babies via surrogacy, while the political opposition has called the move an “interference into private life”. Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani has responded by clarifying that the rules do not apply to in vitro fertilization. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced today that he is stepping down from office, owing to ill health. Abe suffers from an intestinal disease and has relapsed in recent months. He will not appoint an interim prime minister and will continue to serve until a successor is appointed. [Japan Times]
Seoul-based Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) sealed a multimillion-dollar partnership with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to help Pacific island nations tackle climate change. Over the next three years, New Zealand will provide $3.1 million to the GGGI to draw up climate-resilient plans. [Korea JoongAng Daily]
According to Indonesian authorities, terrorists planned to attack shop owners in areas with Chinese communities. The Indonesian police arrested 17 suspected members of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah in relation to the attacks. [SCMP]
Europe
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced new measures to restrict the spread of COVID-19 amidst the second wave of rising cases in Germany. According to the newly imposed rules, major events and gatherings will be banned until the end of 2020. Further, failing to wear a mask in public attracts a penalty of €50. [Politico]
The Russian Prosecutor General’s office said on Thursday that they had found no evidence of a crime committed against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, and therefore saw no basis to open a criminal investigation into the matter. Navalny is currently in a medically induced coma in a Berlin hospital after a suspected poisoning. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
After the coronavirus death toll in Peru crossed 28,000, the country garnered the unwanted title of having the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world, with 85.8 deaths per 100,000 people. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
An Iranian ship has reportedly left Venezuela with a shipment of alumina, marking closer ties between the two countries who have been battered by United States sanctions. [Reuters]
The United Arab Emirates is set to send fighter planes to Greece as part of a joint training exercise with the Hellenic Air Force. Abu Dhabi’s military support to Crete signals its staunch opposition to Ankara’s attempts to extend its military efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean. [Forbes]
North America
Hurricane Laura ripped through southwestern Louisiana on Thursday, destroying buildings in the city and killing at least six people. Governor John Bel Edwards said that it was the most powerful storm to make landfall in the state. [CNN]
US President Donald Trump formally accepted his renomination for President on the final night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Thursday, and used his speech to blast his rival Joe Biden, labelling him as the “destroyer of American greatness”. [Al Jazeera]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called on states to agree on a 'common definition' of what constitutes a COVID-19 hotspot, so that they can effectively coordinate cross-border travel restrictions. Morrison said that the Federal government would have to step in if the National Cabinet cannot come to a consensus. [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) re-elected Akinwumi Adesina as president for a second five-year term, with the former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development running unopposed and garnering 100% of the votes cast. Earlier this year, the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) internal Ethics Committee and an independent review panel exonerated him of any corruption. [Premium Times]
Military intelligence officials from Rwanda and Burundi discussed how to secure their shared border. Rwanda hosts over 300,000 Burundian refugees and has been facilitating their release back to Burundi. This is in light of what has been described as a “largely peaceful” election in Burundi in May that has created conditions for the return of those who were escaping violence and persecution. [The East African]
World News Monitor: 28 August, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
August 28, 2020
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stepped down from his position today due to ill-health. SOURCE: KENT NISHIMURA / GETTY IMAGES FILE