South Asia
The Pakistani Taliban killed six police officers during a gun battle in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday morning. The group claimed responsibility for the attack and celebrated the safe return of its fighters. [Al Jazeera]
India participated in the Moscow Consultations on Afghanistan alongside Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Moscow on Wednesday. A joint statement released following the meeting said that the Western forces who were in the country for 20 years should undertake the financial burden of post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan. [Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Kyrgyz parliament on Wednesday revoked the accreditation of seven RFE/RL journalists, making them ineligible to report from or enter the parliament. The decision was taken in retaliation to the outlet’s coverage of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes last month. In October, the government blocked RFE/RL’s website and froze its bank account. [RFE/RL]
Azerbaijani forces opened fire at Armenian military positions and civilians living in the Sarushen village in Artsakh, Armenia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. Armenian security officials have informed Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region about Baku’s ceasefire violation. No casualties were reported. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
During his meeting with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres in Bali yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the “legitimate security concerns” of all countries must be “taken seriously.” In response, Guterres said that the UN “firmly supports the one-China principle, and recognises it as a red line for China that must be respected and not crossed.” [Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China]
In a fresh round of provocation, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on Thursday. It came just hours after North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui warned of a “fiercer” response to the United States’ “extended deterrence” policy. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said following the launch’s detection that the country’s military is “strengthening” its “monitoring and vigilance” activities and “maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States.” [Yonhap News Agency]
Europe
The United Kingdom and the Netherlands on Wednesday signed a bilateral deal to ensure each other’s energy security and prevent power blackouts in the winter. The two sides agreed to mutually facilitate the transition to green energy and reduce reliance on Russia. [Politico]
The United Kingdom’s inflation hit 11.1%, the highest in 41 years. Chancellor of Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said that the combined impact of the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic have thwarted “any change of long-term economic growth.” However, he reassured that the government is taking the necessary measures to “help balance the books.” [The Independent]
On Wednesday, European Union (EU) Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said that the EU is planning to propose a price cap on Russian natural gas “to calm the market.” The bloc remains divided on the issue, so Simson would need at least 15 members to support the decision to enforce it. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Resident Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti Ulrika Richardson revealed on Wednesday that there were 195 murders and 102 kidnappings in the country last month, saying armed gangs, which control roughly 60% of the territory in the capital region, are using “sexual violence, including rape … to instill fear and to punish and to terrorise the local populations.” [Al Jazeera]
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel touched down in Algiers on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Aïmene Benabderrahmane, during which they celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations. It forms part of a multi-nation tour, during which the Cuban president will also visit Russia, Turkey, and China. [teleSUR]
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Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Kuwait on Wednesday put to death seven people accused of several charges, including murder, making it the country’s first execution since 2017. The hanged prisoners comprised four Kuwaitis, an Ethiopian, a Pakistani, and a Syrian [Al Jazeera]
Tribal clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region have killed at least 48 people since last week, the United Nations said on Wednesday. Fighting erupted between the local Misseriya and Rezeigat tribes in the Jugura village following an armed robbery, with gunmen opening fire on people. Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have fled to the neighbouring Tuktuka village. Fighting in the Darfur, Blue Nile, and Kordofan regions since the start of the year has killed over 350 people and internally displaced more than 211,000. [Associated Press, UN Human Rights]
North America
The United States (US) on Wednesday sanctioned six individuals from Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) agency. Four were accused of taking steps to make IRIB “more propagandist.” “IRIB acts not as an objective media outlet but rather as a key tool in the Iranian government’s mass suppression and censorship campaign against its own people,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted, adding, “IRIB has broadcasted forced confessions of Iranian, dual national, and foreign national detainees in Iran in attempts to distort facts and spread disinformation about the ongoing protests in Iran.” [US Department of State]
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping was caught on camera accusing Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau of “leaking” details of their talks to the media, calling it “inappropriate.” While addressing the incident, Trudeau told reporters, “I won’t shy away from being open with Canadians, even as we discuss important and sometimes delicate subjects.” According to a readout on Tuesday, the pair conducted informal talks at the G20 summit in Bali, wherein Trudeau raised concern about China reportedly secretly funding 11 federal candidates during Canada’s 2019 federal election. [CBC News]
Oceania
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to hold a formal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok later this week. Ardern said their discussion will focus not only on trade, the economy, and climate change, “but also areas of differerence.” [NZ Herald]
European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed their “strong commitment to their shared values,” including “democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and a rules-based multilateral order” during a meeting yesterday. They also agreed to “work closely together to address the climate and biodiversity crises” and “promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. ” [Prime Minister of Australia]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni claimed that efforts to curb the spread of Ebola across the country are working, with the Bunyangabo and Kagadi districts now having reported zero cases for 42 days. He noted, however, that not all efforts have been successful as people are still escaping from the quarantine imposed on the Mubende and Kasanda districts. Since 20 September, Uganda has recorded just over 140 cases and 55 deaths. [Reuters]
Kenya has sent a second contingent of troops to join the East African Community's regional military force for counterterrorism operations in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In total, Kenya will send more than 900 troops to the country. They have been joined by troops from Uganda and Burundi as well. [Africanews]