South Asia
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office released a statement announcing the allocation of funds from the PM Cares Fund to purchase 100,000 portable oxygen concentrators. The PM Cares Fund was established in March 2020 in order to gather donations for the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and is reported to have collected over Rs. 9,000 crore. [Indian Prime Minister’s Office]
According to the Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), a group that comprises the top industrialists in the Kashmir Valley, India has released the “New Industrial Policy 2021-2030”, which effectively allows foreign investors into Jammu and Kashmir. The statement released by the FCIK President Shahid Kamili said that this policy is welcomed by Kashmiri businessmen and has “infused hope among entrepreneurs”. [ANI]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
65 US House members have joined the Congressional Armenian Caucus’ request for over $100 million in aid to Armenia and Artsakh, popularly known as Nagorno-Karabakh, following Armenia’s loss to Azerbaijan in last year’s war. The members have called for US assistance to Armenia in the field of reconstruction, housing, infrastructure, refugee assistance, and other basic services. They are also calling for the suspension of all American security assistance to Azerbaijan until it stops all attacks on Armenia. [Public Radio of Armenia]
Kyrgyz and Indian special forces completed the Kanzhar-2021 military exercises on Wednesday. The two sides jointly conducted tactical and mountain warfare drills as well as medical and fire training. [24.kg]
East and Southeast Asia
In an effort to enhance the ease of doing business in the country as it struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday announced the second cabinet reshuffle in the past four months. As part of this move, a new Investment Ministry has been launched and the merger of two other ministries has been announced. The new ministry is expected to attract investments into the country and create jobs. [The Straits Times]
Hong Kong on Wednesday passed a new immigration law that includes powers to stop people from entering or leaving the city. The similarity of the law to Chinese mainland style “exit bans” has raised fears in the city and the Bar Association (HKBA) has warned that the Bill’s wording gives “apparently unfettered power” to the immigration director. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
The European Parliament is expected to vote today on a resolution condemning Russia for its actions in Ukraine, its treatment of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and its aggression against the Czech Republic. The nonbinding resolution says that Moscow “poses not only an external threat to European security but is also waging an internal war on its own people in the form of the systematic oppression of the opposition and arrests on the streets.” [RFE/RL]
Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Wednesday announced her plans to dissolve the country’s parliament and called for early elections on July 11. The decision could help break the political impasse that has gripped the country for months after the Socialist-led parliamentary majority twice failed to approve the prime ministers proposed by Sandu. [Euronews]
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin presented a bill to address terrorism by using algorithms to identify and target jihadist and other extremist websites. Speaking to the France Inter Radio, he said that it was time to question the “intelligence methods” used by French authorities, as the past nine attacks in France were conducted by individuals who were not on their “watchlist”. [US News]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Tuesday, at a meeting of the Supplementary Health Council, Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes was unknowingly recorded as saying that “The Chinese invented the virus and its vaccine is less effective than the American vaccine.” Interestingly, just last month, the now-former Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo was forced to resign for endangering friendly ties with China. [Folha de S.Paulo]
Last week, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera enacted the Migration Law, which stipulates that foreign citizens must secure a visa before entering the country to prevent tourists from changing their immigration status upon entry into the country. Amnesty International has this week denounced the move as a pretext to arrest and deport migrants, saying that it demonstrates “contempt for human and constitutional rights that protect these people and that the State must respect.” Roughly 1,500 migrants are now set to be deported. [Merco Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that they took down a Hezbollah drone that had crossed into Israel from Lebanon. The IDF also mentioned that it had located another drone belonging to the Lebanese militant outfit that was downed several weeks ago. [Reuters]
On Wednesday, Israeli non-profit IsraAID announced that it was dispatching critical medical aid to India, which is facing a shortage of important medical equipment in its fight against COVID-19, including oxygen machines. The supplies are expected to depart from Tel Aviv in a few days. [Times of Israel]
North America
The White House on Wednesday said that it was considering a variety of options to maximise global vaccine production and supply, including backing an IP waiver. However, the administration noted that no final decision on the matter had been made just yet. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that while there were “a lot of different ways” to speed up global production of COVID-19 vaccines, the administration was assessing “what makes the most sense.” [The White House]
The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Samantha Power, the former US UN Ambassador, to lead the US Agency of International Development (USAID). Power is a long-time human rights advocate and was confirmed in a bipartisan vote of 68-26. [Reuters]
The US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the indictment of three Georgia men on federal hate crime and attempted kidnapping charges in connection with the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was a 25-year-old Black man who was shot to death last year while jogging through a suburban neighbourhood. [The New York Times]
Oceania
New Zealand’s ruling Labour party is set to consider a motion proposed by the right-wing ACT Party on whether or not to label China’s actions against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang as genocide. Keeping this in mind, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta is reportedly “asking for advice” on the “processes and considerations” involved in making such a designation. Earlier this year, Canada and the United Kingdom’s parliaments both voted to term Chinese actions in Xinjiang as genocide. [Newshub]
Amid a mammoth second wave of COVID-19 cases in India, Australia announced that it will be sending personal protective equipment (PPE) and oxygen “concentrators, tanks, and consumables.” Likewise, New Zealand has pledged NZ $1 million to the International Federation of the Red Cross in order to assist in the Indian Red Cross Society’s efforts to “provide oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, and other crucial medical supplies.” [Prime Minister of Australia, New Zealand Government]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The member-states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will meet today for an Extraordinary Troika Summit of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation in Mozambique. This follows a meeting earlier this month when SADC leaders agreed to deploy a “technical mission” to contain the Islamist insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province that has already led to the death of over 2,600 people and the displacement of more than 700,000. [South African Government]
Rwandan Minister of State Manasseh Nshuti and Danish Minister of International Development Flemming Moller met in Kigali on Tuesday to sign agreements that bolster the two countries’ cooperation in “addressing the international refugee crisis.” They further talked about boosting cross-country investment and trade and collaborating on climate change efforts. [The New Times]
World News Monitor: 29 April, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
April 29, 2021
Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes SOURCE: REUTERS