South Asia
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed his support for the Taliban to form an inclusive Afghan government that includes representatives from all political groups and ethnicities. He said that this would ensure “lasting security” across the country. [Khaama Press Agency]
Sri Lankan police arrested 230 suspects in relation to the violent clashes between pro- and anti-government protestors early last week that left eight dead and near 200 injured. There were 707 such incidents reported across eight provinces. [Colombo Page]
The foreign ministers of 15 countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States) expressed concern over restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to protect girls’ right to education and reopen schools for all female students. The joint statement further condemned the Taliban’s latest decree forcing women and girls to fully cover themselves in public and leave their homes only when necessary and with a man. [Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
On Friday, the Turkish Aerospace Industries signed an MoU with Kazakhstan’s defence company for the joint production of the ANKA drone in Kazakhstan. With the deal, Kazakhstan will become the first country to manufacture ANKAs outside Turkey. [Hurriyet Daily News]
Armenian protesters on Friday blocked government buildings in Yerevan as almost two-week-long protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan continued. There was widespread outcry in Armenia after Pashinyan indicated earlier this month that he might be willing to accept Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the entire Nagorno-Karabakh. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah met his counterpart from Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG), Zin Mar Aung, in Washington, on Saturday. Saifuddin said that Malaysia “stands ready to work towards restoring peace and democracy in Myanmar.” “We took the opportunity to exchange views on latest developments in Myanmar, where Minister Zin shared insights as well as challenges faced by NUG, including humanitarian assistance, technical training and education for the Myanmar refugees,” he said. [The Straits Times]
Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk in Texas on Saturday to discuss investment opportunities in the country’s nickel industry. Nickel is a critical material in the production of batteries for electric vehicles, such as those manufactured by Musk’s Tesla. Widodo has been courting Tesla to set up operations in Indonesia for years. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged political parties in Northern Ireland to work towards political stability and reviving power-sharing institutions. This was his first visit to Belfast since the recent elections, following which the Democratic Unionist Party blocked the election of the Speaker as a “clear message” to express its resistance to the Northern Ireland protocol. [UK Government, BBC]
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that he thinks “Ukraine can win this war” with Russia, adding that the Alliance must redouble their efforts to support Ukraine. [Associated Press]
G7 foreign ministers refused to accept Russia’s attempt to redraw boundaries through military aggression. They further reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and said they would not accept a peace deal wherein Ukraine is forced to cede territory. [Politico]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Amid ongoing protests by Indigenous communities at the Chinese-owned Las Bambas copper mine, Chile's constitutional assembly rejected a proposal by the Castillo government that would have given the state exclusive mining rights over lithium, rate metals, and hydrocarbons, as well as a majority stake on copper mines. [Reuters]
Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinovac Biotech Ltd. has invested $100 million towards building a vaccine production plant in Chile. The plant, which will be completed next year, will be used to manufacture vaccines against Covid 19, Hepatitis A, and influenza. Chile has already administered 26.6 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine. [MercoPress]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
A Hezbollah-backed candidate lost a seat to an opposition figure as results continue to emerge in Lebanon’s first parliamentary election since the country plunged into an economic crisis in 2019. Hezbollah and its allies won a majority in the 2018 elections. The final results are expected to be announced on Monday. [Reuters]
Hasan Sheikh Mohamud was elected as Somalia’s new President on Sunday amid heightened political tensions and a rise in terrorist attacks. Mohamud will replace Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, whose mandate expired in February 2021 but stayed on following delays in holding elections. [Associated Press]
North America
On Sunday, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia revealed that the mass shooting at a supermarket on Saturday, during which 10 people were killed and three injured, was “an absolute racist hate crime” aimed at targeting the Black community and will be prosecuted as such. The 18-year-old gunman, who live-streamed the shooting, was charged with first-degree murder and pled not guilty. President Joe Biden is slated to visit Buffalo tomorrow to grieve with the community. [CNN]
In honour of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will begin a three-day visit to Canada tomorrow to interact with the Indigenous community as well as businesspeople to discuss sustainable development. The royal tour comes at a time when support for the monarchy in the country has been dwindling. Last month, an Angus Reid survey found that 51% of citizens do not favour Canada being a constitutional monarchy, while just 26% of citizens support it. [National Post]
Oceania
Australian opposition leader Anthony Albanese accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of breaking the “faith and trust” of the United States (US) after failing to brief the Labour Party on the AUKUS deal. Albanese said his party was briefed about the deal only a day before it was announced last September. Washington had reportedly insisted on seeking bipartisan support for the AUKUS alliance months before the deal was announced. (SBS News)
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, said the official statement. The statement noted Ardern’s absence from the Parliament for the government’s plans for emissions reduction and budget, both due this week. [Reuters]
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced the country’s first case of the Lassa Fever since 2007. The viral hemorrhagic fever was detected in a traveller returning from Nigeria who has since died; the NICD is tracing possible contacts. However, it has allayed fears of an outbreak, suggesting that the virus is not airborne and only transmits through close contact with bodily fluids. [eNCA]
Mali’s military junta on Sunday pulled its troops from the G5 Sahel force, which also includes Mali Mauritiana, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The force was established in 2017 to counter jihadists in the West African region but has faced setbacks due to paltry funding. The junta has blamed its exit on the G5’s lack of progress in fighting Islamic terror outfits. Its ouster will perhaps further isolate the country that is already reeling from sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States. [Reuters]