South Asia
Pakistan’s Supreme Court initiated an investigation into political influence in the prosecutions of criminals. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that such acts “undermine the functioning” of the justice system. [Geo TV]
The Indian Supreme Court ordered the release of AG Perarivalan, who was serving a life sentence after being convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Perarivalan was a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist group in Sri Lanka that criticised Rajiv Gandhi for sending peacekeeping troops to the island nation in 1987. Gandhi’s Congress Party has criticised the incumbent government for pursuing “petty and cheap politics. [NDTV, BBC]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Tajik Internal Ministry said on Wednesday that nine people, including a police officer, were killed and 24 others were wounded during an anti-terrorist operation in the volatile Gorno-Badakhshan region, which borders China and Afghanistan. It added that 70 active members of a terrorist group were detained. The Ministry blamed “organised criminal groups” for attacking security forces in the region and accused them of receiving arms and support from international terrorist groups and foreign mercenaries. [AFP]
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and European Union (EU) Commissioner Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi met in Tbilisi on Wednesday to discuss the progress made in Georgia’s bid to join the bloc. Garibashvili told Varhelyi that it was important that Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine join the EU as soon as possible and receive the “unwavering support” of Brussels against Russian aggression. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
During a virtual meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi noted that Japan’s “negative moves on Taiwan and other issues involving China’s core interests” have become “prominent.” He added that “some political forces… discredited and attacked China for no reason, seriously damaging mutual trust and shaking the foundation of bilateral relations.” Wang then called on Tokyo to “abide by the basic faithfulness between the two countries, prevent the forces attempting to undermine China-Japan relations from gaining ground and work with China to safeguard the valuable achievements made in the past 50 years since the normalisation of diplomatic relations.” [Foreign Ministry of China]
Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association chairman Gulat Manurung said on Wednesday that palm oil smallholders will organise a street protest in Jakarta once again in an attempt to pressure the government to lift its palm oil export ban. On Tuesday, the group organised a large protest demanding the government end a palm oil export ban that has impacted their income as prices continue to plummet amid a domestic supply surplus. [The Jakarta Post]
Europe
Northern Ireland’s Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the United Kingdom’s (UK) decision to change post-Brexit trade rules is strengthening support for the nationalist parties’ calls for a unified Ireland. She said that the UK’s decision was “astonishing” and reflected the country’s “bad faith” in its post-Brexit negotiations. [Reuters]
Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko is reported to have told his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin that the western sanctions have blocked about $16 billion to $18 billion worth of exports to the United States and the European Union. Last year, Belarus’ exports amounted to about $39.9 billion and imports $41.8 billion, leading to a trade deficit of about $1.9bn. Escalating sanctions are blocking 40-45% of Belarus’ total exports, which could result in high inflation rates. The West sanctioned Belarus for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. [Intellinews]
On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a $314 billion plan to reduce the European Union’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels before 2030. The proposal seeks to look for alternative sources of fossil fuels and promote green energy. The Commission also said the Union must plan for energy disruptions following the “unprovoked war in Ukraine.” [Politico]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Uruguay and Brazil were battered by subtropical cyclone “Yakecan,” which made landfall on Wednesday. An orange alert was issued in Montevideo as strong waves and wind speeds of up to 98 km/h uprooted trees and blew away roofs. At least one death has been confirmed. Cyclone Yakecan next moved to southern Brazil, where 220,000 homes were left without power and one man died. [BBC]
On Wednesday the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) stated that COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the Americas, after recording a 27.7% surge last week. More than half of the total 918,000 infections came from North America, with the United States alone observing a case spike of 35%. PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne has highlighted that abandoning safety measures like masking and social distancing, as well the reopening of borders, may have lowered protection against the virus. She reiterated the severe risks, as only 14 of the 51 American countries have attained the World Health Organization’s goal of 70% vaccination, cautioning that “this virus is not going away anytime soon.” [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Eritrea has accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels of plotting to launch a war to reclaim lost territory. The claims came days after the TPLF and Eritrean soldiers clashed multiple times near the Ethiopian border. “Their main target is to re-occupy our land,” the Eritrean Information Ministry said, adding that the “TPLF’s plot has the blessing and support of western powers.” [The East African]
Libyan Prime Minister Fathi Bashaga said on Wednesday that he will base his rival government in the Central city of Sirte, a day after clashes forced him to flee Tripoli as he attempted to bring his government to the capital. In February, Bashaga was appointed PM by the east-based government in Tobruk after incumbent PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s government failed to hold presidential elections. Dbeibah, however, has refused to step down, saying that he will only cede power to an elected government. [Asharq Al-Awsat]
North America
United States (US) First Lady Jill Biden left for a six-day trip to visit Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica ahead of the Summit of the Americas scheduled between June 6 and June 10 in Los Angeles. During the tour, Biden will underline the American support for initiatives that help women, children, and young people. The June summit is part of President Joe Biden’s plan to reach out to regions where China and Russia are expanding their footprints. [The Washington Post]
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly met with her Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in New York after Turkey stated its objection to Sweden and Finland’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership bids over their inaction against militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organisation. “Canada is committed to working with #Turkey and addressing the repercussions of President Putin’s senseless war,” Joly tweeted. [Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Twitter]
Oceania
Australia’s Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said he would share a “very warm and cordial relationship” with New Zealand’s “outstanding” Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, if elected in the upcoming federal election on May 21. [Sky News]
On Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics noted a significant drop in the unemployment rate to 3.9%—the lowest in almost 50 years—ahead of the May 21 federal election. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said, “1.9 million more Australians are in work today under the Coalition. Unemployment was 5.7% under Labor.” Frydenberg further praised the Morrison government’s economic plan and said the “economy is strong.” [SkyNews]
Sub-Saharan Africa
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there are around a million Ghanaians living abroad and Ghana also hosts 476,400 migrants; making it “a country of origin, transit and destination for migration,” said IOM chief Abibatou Wane. The IOM’s Strategy for Ghana for the years 2022-2025 will focus on six priority areas: immigration and border management; counter-trafficking; assisted voluntary return and reintegration; migration and development; migration, health, and emergency preparedness and response; and stabilisation. Factors such as terrorism, rising unemployment, and globalisation have acted as push factors for the continued outward migration of Ghanaian youth. [Ghanian Times]
On Wednesday the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF) launched a language training program for the Rwandan Defence Forces that will be deployed in peacekeeping missions in French-speaking countries. 50 military officers who will be stationed in the Central African Republic in October 2022. OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo highlighted the need to reduce language barriers for soldiers in communicating with residents in the peacekeeping nations. Rwanda is the world’s fourth-largest contributor to peacekeeping operations. [The New Times]