South Asia
India rejected Russia's bid to make an upcoming United Nations General Assembly vote to condemn its recent annexation of four Ukrainian regions a secret ballot. 107 members opposed the resolution, while 13 countries voted in favour and 39 others abstained. [Hindustan Times]
Taliban officials entered into an agreement with Turkmenistan to resume work on the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) natural gas pipeline. The two sides agreed to identify regions to acquire land to construct the pipeline and set up a network to distribute gas and establish industrial parks in Herat. [Khaama News Press Agency]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a series of summits in Astana from 12-14 October. The duo agreed to meet during a phone call on 7 October and are expected to discuss improving bilateral ties and international cooperation. [24.kg]
United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday held separate phone calls with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, urging them to continue peace talks without escalating tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh. Blinken praised Azerbaijan’s decision to release 17 Armenian prisoners of war last week as a positive step and welcomed the establishment of a European Union civilian mission to monitor the situation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. [US State Department, State Department]
East and Southeast Asia
Hours after North Korea said it fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile from under a reservoir, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office said the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia are facing a “grave” security situation. “It is important to accurately recognize the grave security reality on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and prepare appropriately for it. Protecting the lives and safety of people is not about words, but it is a real-life problem,” a presidential notice said. [Korea Times]
Japan on Tuesday opened a system to register same-sex partnerships. While the country still does not grant citizens the legal benefits of marriage for same-sex couples, the symbolic move has been welcomed by LGBTQ rights groups as a step forward. Despite polls showing that the public is pro-marriage equality, Japan remains the only Group of Seven (G7) member to prohibit same-sex marriage or civil unions. [Japan Times]
Europe
The European Commission warned Belarus of additional sanctions over its “false accusations” against Ukraine and its support to Russian troops. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko alleged on Monday that Ukrainian troops are planning to attack Belarus. [Euronews]
The United Kingdom introduced sanctions against senior officials of Iran’s “Morality Police” for using violence and detentions to violate women’s rights and control their clothing and behaviour. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly condemned the violence against women during ongoing protests in Iran.[UK Government]
Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu on Monday summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov “to explain the launch of three cruise missiles from Russian warships located in the Black Sea and their passing through our country.” [TASS]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The European Union has declared Nicaragua’s representative to Brussels a persona non grata in retaliation to Nicaragua last month making the same declaration against the EU's representative to Managua. In a statement released by the European Council, the bloc said it remains committed to promoting "democracy, the rule of law, and human rights" in Nicaragua amid continued tensions with the Ortega government. [European Council]
Tropical storm Julia has now killed at least 25 people across Central America, with 10 in El Salvador, eight in Guatemala, five in Honduras, and two in Panama. Heavy rains and flooding have also forced 13,000 families in Nicaragua to evacuate their homes. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
United States (US) Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez demanded that the US “immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation.” He blamed Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) for “underwriting” Russia’s war on Ukraine. Menendez said OPEC+ cutting production by 2 million bpd helps Russia fund its war. “I will not green-light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough,” he stressed. [Bob Menendez]
Workers at several Iranian oil refineries joined the nationwide protests calling for the regime’s downfall. Workers of the Abadan refinery and Assalouyeh petrochemical complex began striking on Monday. Videos circulating on social media show the employees shouting slogans like “down with the dictator” and “Khamenei is done.” Moreover, the Council for Organizing Oil Contract-Workers’ Protests issued a statement urging all oil workers across the country to halt their work and prepare for nationwide strikes. “This is only the beginning of our path, and we will continue our protests every day in solidarity and in tandem with the people from all over the country,” it said. [Iran International]
North America
On Monday, the United States (US) warned Hong Kong against being a “safe haven” for Russians trying to evade sanctions, after it allowed sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexey Mordashov’s $500 million megayacht to dock in the city last week. A US State Department spokesperson asserted that Hong Kong’s status as a global financial centre could be threatened, as it “depends on its adherence to international laws and standards.” Hong Kong’s marine authorities said they do not enforce “unilateral sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions,” despite implementing United Nations Security Council sanctions. [Associated Press]
In a rare instance, the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa said on Monday that it feels at risk of violence after pressing Global Affairs Canada to increase its security following the departure of former Israeli Ambassador Nimrod Barkan in November 2019. The embassy staff revealed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has not provided round-the-clock security to incumbent Ambassador Ronen Hoffman since December 2021, with both RCMP and Global Affairs Canada denying its request for the same security measures enjoyed by Barkan. [CBC News]
Oceania
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that India’s traditionally close ties with Russia won’t undermine the Quad’s effectiveness. During a press conference with her Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar in Canberra on Monday, Wong said the Quad is “functioning extremely well” and that “the level of strategic trust and strategic consistency” amongst its members is “deep and firm.” [The Straits Times]
In a move that has angered local farmers, New Zealand Prime Minister (PM) Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday unveiled a plan to tax agricultural emissions, including methane and nitrous oxide released through livestock urine. “No other country in the world has yet developed a system for pricing and reducing agricultural emissions, so our farmers are set to benefit from being first movers. Cutting emissions will help New Zealand farmers to not only be the best in the world but the best for the world,” Ardern said during a press briefing. [The Guardian]
Sub-Saharan Africa
76 people in Nigeria’s Anambra state died on Sunday after a boat capsized in the ‘flood-swollen’ Niger River. Around 85 people were aboard the boat. Heavy rains and rising water levels have complicated rescue efforts. Over 300 people have died since the start of the rainy season in Nigeria and a further 100,000 have been rendered homeless. The heavy rains have also damaged farmland and crops. [Africanews]
Chadian junta leader Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby was officially sworn in as the country’s president on Monday after the national forum extended the transition period by two years and affirmed his right to run for president in the election after military rule is ended. The military general has ruled the country since last April, when his father, President Idriss Déby, was assassinated. [The East African]