South Asia
Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn will invest $19.4 billion in India to produce semiconductors in collaboration with Indian company Vedanta. The agreement boosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign for a ‘self-reliant’ India amid a global chip shortage. [AFP]
Russia suspended operations at its Kabul embassy after two employees were killed in a bomb blast on 5 September. The announcement said that visa and other consular services will remain suspended “until further notice.” [Khaama News Press Agency]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Georgi Kobakhidze, the chairman of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday that his party plans to hold a referendum on whether Georgians want war with Russia. He vowed that the party would decide according to the results of such a vote. Georgia has debated the possibility of getting involved in the war in Ukraine and action to liberate the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) from Russia. [The Odessa Journal]
About 1,500 troops from a Russian base in Dushanbe, Tajikistan have been deployed to Ukraine as the Russian military continues to suffer high casualties. Russia also plans on sending 600 more soldiers from the base. Tajikistan hosts around 7,000 Russian troops. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Military-ruled Myanmar, which is a former British colony, as well as North Korea, have not been invited to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Abbey next week. [Mizzima]
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Uzbekistan on Wednesday night to attend the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). the leader will also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event. The trip marks Xi’s first international visit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson stepped down on Wednesday after losing the election to a coalition of right-wing parties. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party now holds the highest percentage of votes in the coalition after securing 20.6% of votes. [Euronews]
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that German weapons were “decisive” in helping Ukraine regain territory from Russia in its counterattack. However, he reiterated that Germany would not provide heavy vehicles to Ukraine before its other allies, as it does not want to take“unilateral action.” [Politico]
During a phone call on Wednesday, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres assured Russian President Vladimir Putin of his efforts “to remove all obstacles to the supply of Russian agricultural produce and fertilisers to world markets,” emphasising that he is “fully committed to achieving a resolution.” The pair also discussed the security situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Furthermore, Guterres said a team of UN experts would conduct an “independent and unbiased investigation” into a missile strike at an Olenivka detention centre in July where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held. [The Kremlin]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Ten government officials from the United States (US) and Mexico told Reuters on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden’s administration is pushing Mexico to host more migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela expelled under the Trump-era Title 42 policy, which it has promised to terminate. The Mexican side has so far not made any such commitments and instead urged the US to end the economic blockade against the three nations to curb the migrant exodus. The US has previously sent expelled Venezuelans to Panama and the Dominican Republic. [Reuters]
British authorities have excluded Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro from the guest list for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in London. Britain does not recognise Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, and has instead backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó, while Ortega has been excluded for his government’s poor human rights record. Afghanistan, Syria, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Myanmar have also not been invited to attend the event. [Merco Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Ethiopian military launched several airstrikes in the Tigrayan capital of Mekelle, killing ten people and injuring 13 others. The military has conducted strikes for the second straight day despite the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) agreeing to start negotiations and accept an African Union-led peace process. [Reuters]
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday to discuss expanding bilateral ties. El-Sisi urged Qatar to “capitalise on the investment opportunities” on offer in Egypt. The duo also talked about regional and international issues and vowed to take steps to ensure a “sustainable political settlement to crises in the region.” [Egyptian Presidency]
North America
In his first meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada, United States (US) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday reaffirmed Washington’s “unshakeable” commitment to Tokyo’s defence and vowed to strengthen the two countries’ alliance “amid challenges to the rules-based international order.” The pair also confirmed “bolstering integrated deterrence and further cooperate with like-minded partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” as per a readout. [US Department of Defense]
On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated newly-appointed Kenyan President William Ruto on his election victory and “commended the peaceful nature of the elections and the strength of the Kenyan democratic institutions.” He also appreciated Kenya’s role in promoting regional peace and security amid “ongoing instability” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa at large. [Prime Minister of Canada]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that his government’s top priority is not to hold a referendum to become a republic, but instead to hold a referendum on giving the continent’s Indigenous people the right to be consulted by lawmakers on matters that affect them, a so-called “Voice to Parliament.” “I want Australians to concentrate on the Voice to Parliament. We should be proud of the fact that we share this continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth, at least 65,000 years,” he noted. “That should be something that needs to be fixed before other matters are debated,” Albanese added. [The Straits Times]
Six official representatives from New Zealand, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Governor General Cindy Kiro, acting High Commissioner Shannon Austin, and their respective spouses, have been invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral next week. The government was also invited to send ten community representatives. Cabinet Secretary Rachel Hayward said those chosen included “both Māori in recognition of the relationship with the Crown and others from different walks of life.” The minister added that the selection was made based on “indications received from London,” which “were that the preference was for these to be community representatives recognising the Queen’s commitment to service.” [NZ Herald]
Sub-Saharan Africa
On Wednesday, South African President Cyril Ramapahosa began his official visit to Washington DC to meet President Joe Biden. The pair will discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest including trade and investment, climate change, food security, energy, peace and security, and post-pandemic economic recovery. [South African Presidency]
On Tuesday, Namibian opposition leader McHenry Venaani called on German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to renegotiate the terms of the genocide agreement finalised in May 2021, stating that it wrongfully describes “reparations” as “voluntary” payments. Under the deal, Germany accepted responsibility for the genocide that resulted in the death of over 60,000 Hereros and about 10,000 Nama peoples between 1884 and 1915 and agreed to pay $1.1 billion in development aid over 30 years. [Africanews]