South Asia
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday warned the government against making “irresponsible statements” against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. He added that these statements could result in a “never-ending war between the two neighbours. [Geo TV]
The Indian Defence Ministry on Tuesday approved a $523 million proposal to purchase military equipment for its armed and naval forces. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
UAE-state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar on Tuesday signed an agreement with Kyrgyzstan’s energy ministry to develop green energy projects with a 1 GW capacity in the Central Asian country. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2026. [Reuters]
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Tuesday held a phone conversation with US Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried to discuss the “deteriorating” humanitarian situation in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] due to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor. Baku has been blocking the corridor, the only road connecting Armenia with Artsakh, for almost a month, preventing the supply of essential commodities like food and medicine to Armenians living in the region. [Public Radio of Armenia]
East and Southeast Asia
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed concern on Tuesday that North Korea’s recent flurry of missile tests and continued nuclear ambitions posed a “serious threat” that could lead to a dangerous “miscalculation” and spark a war. [Associated Press]
China is ready to resume mutual travel at the earliest and deepen strategic cooperation with Russia, the Chinese ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui said on Wednesday. [Reuters]
Europe
On Tuesday, France’s Foreign Ministry said that the EU could declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. This statement comes as the bloc begins discussions on the fourth set of sanctions against Tehran. [Reuters]
Following talks with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dačić on Tuesday, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó asserted that Hungary is “against admitting Kosovo to the Council of Europe” until Pristina and Belgrade sort out their political problems via dialogue. Dačić, too, stated that Serbia does not support Kosovo’s admission to the Council of Europe and will not recognise Pristina as an independent state “because we have had no political talks on this problem.” [TASS]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Tuesday, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the arrest of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s Justice Minister and current public security chief for Brasilia, Anderson Torres, after over 3,000 Bolsonaro supporters stormed into the country’s Supreme Court, Congress, and the Presidential Palace on Sunday. He also called for the arrest of the capital’s head of military police, Fabio Augusto Vieira. In his ruling, Moraes declared, “In such a sensitive moment for Brazilian democracy, in which anti-democratic protests are occurring all day long, with the occupation of military buildings across the country, and in Brasilia, one cannot use the excuse of ignorance or incompetence.” [Reuters]
Haiti is no longer a functioning democracy after its last 10 senators officially finished their term on Monday midnight, leaving the island without any democratically-elected official as attempts to hold elections failed. No democratic institution in Haiti is functioning currently, with the country facing an acute malnutrition crisis, a growing cholera epidemic, and gangs controlling about two-thirds of the capital, Port-au-Prince. [The Guardian]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The US Navy on Tuesday announced that it intercepted a ship carrying over 2,100 Kalashnikov-styled assault rifles in the Gulf of Oman, saying that the vessel was on its way to Yemen. The Navy believes the rifles were part of Iran’s arms supplies to the Houthi rebels. [Associated Press]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday held a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Shia Al Sudani to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation. Stressing that he respects Iraq’s territorial integrity, Erdoğan said it is important to “end the existence” of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group. For years, Ankara has launched multiple offensives against the PKK in Iraq. [Anadolu Agency]
North America
During a meeting in Mexico City on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed “joint efforts to drive economic competitiveness and inclusive growth, meet ambitious climate commitments, strengthen cooperation on security and defense, and address regional and global challenges, including Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, instability in Haiti, and irregular migration and forced displacement throughout the region.” Trudeau told Biden that Canada will buy the US-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) for Ukraine. Biden will visit Canada in March at Trudeau’s invitation. [The White House, Prime Minister of Canada]
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on Tuesday announced sanctions against four Sri Lankan state officials “responsible for gross and systematic violations of human rights during armed conflict in Sri Lanka” between 1983 and 2009. “Canada has taken decisive action today to end international impunity against violators of international law,” Joly asserted. Additionally, Ottawa announced $3 million in humanitarian assistance to Colombo “to address immediate needs, including food security and livelihoods, shelter and non-food items, as well as nutritional assistance and primary healthcare services for vulnerable children and women.” [Global Affairs Canada]
Oceania
New Zealand declared a state of emergency in the northeast region as it braces for cyclone Hale. The measure will stay in force for seven days unless lifted earlier, the Civil Defence Emergency Management agency said. [Reuters]
Australian Cardinal George Pell, a leading Roman Catholic conservative who was acquitted of sexual abuse allegations in 2020, died on Tuesday at the age of 81. [Reuters]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Tigray forces began the demobilisation process on Tuesday by handing over heavy weaponry to the Ethiopian national army, following the group’s two-year war against the federal government. The step is part of the November ceasefire agreement drawn up by the African Union, which is leading the peace process. [Reuters]
A Finnish court of appeal began hearing an international war crime case on Tuesday against 53-year-old Sierra-leone citizen Gibril Massaquoi, who is charged with murders, rapes and other atrocities while serving in the Revolutionary United Front during the Liberian civil war between 1999 and 2003. Massaquoi has been living in Finland for years. [Reuters]