South Asia
India has reported 17 new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, bringing the total tally to 21. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and New Delhi reported seven, nine, and one cases on Sunday. [NDTV]
The United States, the European Union, and 20 other countries condemned the Taliban for killing at least 47 former members of the Afghan security forces. The countries demanded that the group honour its pledge of not harming people affiliated with the former government. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Azerbaijan on Sunday freed ten Armenian soldiers captured during last month’s border clashes in exchange for maps detailing the location of minefields in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. [RFE/RL]
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday to discuss the strengthening of economic ties. Both leaders stressed the need for greater cooperation in the Eurasian region, especially through the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). [24.kg]
East and Southeast Asia
A Philippine court allowed journalist Maria Ressa to travel to Norway later this month so she can accept her Nobel Peace Prize in person. Ressa has been subject to travel restrictions due to the legal cases she faces in the Philippines. [Channel News Asia]
Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which closed down in the city-state back in June due to increasing pressure of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, will shut down its Taiwanese arm later this month, as it is expected to run out of funds. [The Straits Times]
A Myanmar court is set to deliver the first rulings in the trial of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi today. Suu Kyi faces several charges, including multiple corruption charges, and violations of the state secrets Act, a telecoms law, and COVID-19 regulations. The charges carry a combined maximum of more than a century in prison. [The Straits Times]
Europe
Civil society organisations, including Amnesty International and Access Now, have urged the European Union to blacklist Israel’s spyware firm, NSO, which produced the Pegasus spyware. Their letter stated, “the EU sanctions had the power to stop violations or abuses that are of serious concern as regards to the objectives of the common foreign and security policy.” The spyware has allegedly been used to snoop on journalists, world leaders, human rights activists, and dissidents. [EU Observer]
297 members of the British Army and Royal Marines were deployed to Scotland and northern England to assist in the response to Storm Arwen. They are conducting “door-to-door checks on vulnerable people” affected by the storm. [UK Ministry of Defence]
On Sunday, the Belarusian Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of intruding into its airspace. According to Belarus, Ukrainian a helicopter flew 1 kilometre into its territory on Saturday, following which Minsk filed a formal complaint. Ukrainian officials denied the claims, saying all helicopter and drone flights along its 1,084-kilometer border with Belarus are for security purposes. [ABC News]
Latin America and the Caribbean
United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) on Friday released a report that expresses concern about insufficient probing into allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and excessive use of force in Bolivia during the 2019-2020 crisis, when, against the backdrop of intense protests that saw at least 35 people die, President Evo Morales was ousted via a United States-backed right-wing coup that saw Senator Jeanine Áñez lead the country for a year. To this end, it said that the country lacks judicial independence. [MercoPress]
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered chief prosecutor Augusto Aras to investigate President Jair Bolsonaro for making falsified claims that linked COVID-19 vaccines to AIDS last month. He made the unfounded claim in a video that was later removed by both Facebook and Instagram for spreading misinformation. Bolsonaro has frequently pushed back against calls for vaccine mandates, criticised mayors and governors for imposing lockdowns, touted unproven treatments, and downplayed the severity of the pandemic. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
On Saturday, Turkish police thwarted an attempted bombing attack on a rally attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The bomb was found under the car of an officer who was assigned to work in Erdoğan security detail. [Reuters]
The phones of 11 United States (US) employees were hacked with Israeli hacker-for-hire company NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, according to reports. The staff were all located in Uganda, including several foreign service officers and local employees working at the US embassy. The revelation is the first known instance of the spyware being used against US government employees. [Associated Press]
North America
In a speech at the Reagan National Defence Forum, United States (US) Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin noted the significant progress China has made in modernising its military, expanding its global network of bases, and incorporating cyber and space technology. Austin assured, however, that the US is not a “country that fears competition” and that it will tackle the challenge with “confidence and resolve.” [US Department of Defence]
United States (US) Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (Democrat-New York) proposal to establish an independent authority to determine how the military prosecutes felony charges, is likely to be omitted from this year’s defence authorization bill. Lawmakers are instead expected to opt for an alternate proposal that focuses on sexual assault reform in the military. [The Washington Post]
Oceania
The Australia-based Lowy Institute’s annual Asia Power Index, which measures 26 countries across several economic, diplomatic, and military parameters, said Australia defies China’s trade sanctions on its exports, including wine, barley, coal, and seafood. The Index also deemed the United States to be the most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific. It argued that China is losing influence in the region due to high national debt, the energy crisis, and an ageing population. [9 News]
Despite a surge in Omicron COVID-19 cases in Australia’s New South Wales, Premier Dominic Perrottet vowed to pursue the state’s reopening plan. NSW has so far recorded 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Omicron variant. [news.com.au]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Longterm Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in office since 1986, said that China is “vigorously knocking” on the door to invest in the country as Western companies lose interest. He said the West’s growing disinterest compared to China is due to ideological differences, saying that Western governments’ focus on “lecturing” has created a disconnect. Among African countries, Uganda has received the third-highest level of Chinese investment in recent years. [Reuters]
Gambian President Adama Barrow looks set to secure re-election following the country’s presidential election on Sunday. He leads his closest challenger, Ousainou Darboe, in nearly 40 out of the 53 districts. Independent electoral authorities have noted that the election has been free and fair. Barrow has led the country since 2016, when Yahya Jammeh, who was in office for 22 years, was ousted from power. [Africa News]