South Asia
In an address to the Lok Sabha today, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Centre is “very serious about issues of sovereignty” and is “prepared for all outcomes” with respect to the ongoing border row with China. Members of the Congress party staged a walkout after Singh’s speech, on grounds that they were unable to speak or engage in a debate about the issue. [NDTV, Times Now]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Swiss and Uzbek governments have reached an agreement whereby Geneva will return more than $130 million to Tashkent that was seized during the criminal proceedings of Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the late President Islam Karimova. [UZAMI]
The 112th session of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s executive council kicked off today in Georgia and is set to end with the departure of the delegation from Tbilisi on 18 September. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
China has successfully launched nine satellites into orbit. These satellites will provide remote sensing data for China’s land resource survey, urban planning, and disaster monitoring services. [XINHUA NET]
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the overall growth for Asia is going to contract by 0.7% this year, the first negative economic growth since 1962. This could have a huge impact on Asia’s population and push millions into extreme poverty. [SCMP]
US ambassador to China Terry Branstad is going to step down in October due to the growing tensions between the US and China. [The Hindu]
Yoshihide Suga was successfully elected as head of Japan's governing party, making him the most likely candidate to become Japan's next prime minister. Suga is an ally of Shinzo Abe and has vowed to continue Japan’s alliance with the US. [BBC]
Europe
Three people have died and 53 have been rescued after a migrant boat carrying refugees sank near the Greek island of Crete. [Al Jazeera]
Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged a $1.5 billion loan to Belarus during his meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi on Monday to assist the country during this “complicated period”. The move is being seen as an attempt by Russia to reassert control over an important neighbour. [Euronews]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Several Chileans took to the streets on the 47th anniversary of the US-assisted military coup that led to the ouster of democratically elected President Salvador Allende in favor of General Augusto Pinochet, who headed the country in a 17-year-long dictatorship. Over 100 people were arrested over the weekend as demonstrators sought to celebrate Allende. [MercoPress]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United Arab Emirates has granted approval to use the COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently in its third stage of testing, for the “first-line-of-defence” health workers in the country who are at most risk of being infected by the virus. [Arab News]
On Friday, the UK announced that it is going to invest $30 million to expand its strategic military base in Duqm, Oman to nearly triple its original size. The base is being renovated to facilitate training support and deployments of the Royal Navy to the Indian Ocean region. [Middle East Monitor]
North America
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trials have been kept on hold in the United States until the FDA completes its investigation into the side effects of the drug as seen in the UK. This delay could slow down access to the vaccine in the US. [Al Jazeera]
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden labeled President Trump a “climate arsonist” on Monday for not focusing on climate action during his presidency, and refusing to acknowledge the role of global warming in the deadly wildfires currently engulfing the western US. Trump hit back blaming poor forest management for the spread of wildfires in the country. [Reuters]
Automaker Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA will pay $1.5 billion in penalties to the US government and California state regulators to address emission cheating allegations. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that Daimler used certain software to bypass emission testing and sold vehicles in the US that did not comply with state and federal guidelines. [The Washington Post]
Oceania
Leaked documents show that 2.4 million Australians and 650,000 organizations in the country were under surveillance by a Chinese company with clear links to China’s intelligence agencies. [SkyNews]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Overflowing water from Burkina Faso’s Bagre dam has submerged thousands of hectares of land, displaced thousands, and killed multiple Ghanaian farmers and their livestock across the border. [Africa Feeds]
It is thought that at least 50 people have been killed as a result of a gold mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mine caved in under heavy rain. [Africa Feeds]
Mali’s military junta, which led a coup that led to the forced resignation of now-former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, has agreed to an 18-month transitional government before the country is restored to civilian rule. [DW]