South Asia
The Sri Lankan Navy announced on Monday that it had rescued 104 Rohingya Muslims attempting to escape Bangladeshi refugee camps to Indonesia the previous day. The refugees’ boat ran into engine troubles during the journey across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims undertake the arduous journey from Bangladesh or Myanmar to flee to Malaysia or Indonesia on small boats. [The Island]
On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged the Taliban to ensure that Afghan soil does not become a safe haven for terrorist organisations to launch attacks on Pakistan. There has been an uptick in cross-border firing incidents in the past month, resulting in the repeated closure of border crossings. [Khaama Press News Agency]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenia on Monday blamed Azerbaijan for the death of a citizen who died in a clinic in Artsakh after he could not be transferred to a hospital in Yerevan for treatment due to the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Armenia to Artsakh. Four patients are reportedly in critical condition and in need of urgent treatment. Last week, Azerbaijan blockaded the Lachin Corridor, accusing Armenian and Russian soldiers of “illegally exploiting” the region’s natural resources. [Armen Press]
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will meet Uzbek President Shavkat Mirzoyoyev in Uzbekistan on Wednesday to “deepen” their strategic partnership and sign agreements to start several large investment projects. The visit takes place a year after Mirziyoyev met Tokayev in Kazakhstan and signed a historic declaration taking their level of cooperation to “allied relations.” [Fergana News]
East and Southeast Asia
Thailand’s military deployed search and rescue vessels and helicopters on Monday to find 33 marines who went missing on Sunday night after the HTMS Sukhothai warship had an engine malfunction and sank in the Gulf of Thailand. [Reuters]
North Korea criticised Japan’s new security strategy, calling it a “great concern in Korea and neighbouring Asian countries” and “a flagrant violation of the UN Charter.” Pyongyang warned that it would “take bold and decisive military measures” to safeguard its own “national sovereignty, territorial integrity and fundamental interests.” [Korean Central News Agency]
Europe
An Italian court on Monday allowed the extradition of former Member of European Parliament Pier Antonio Panzeri’s wife to Belgium to investigate her involvement in the Qatargate scandal. Authorities have accused his wife, Maria Dolores Colleoni, and his daughter, Silvia Panzeri, of corruption, money laundering, and criminal association. [Politico]
The European Union on Monday approved a price cap on natural gas to guard against future energy volatility. The cap would be triggered if prices stay above $190 per megawatt per hour for three consecutive days and would remain in place for 20 days. [Euronews]
During a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko affirmed: “Russia and Belarus are open to dialogue with other countries, including European countries. I hope that they will soon heed the voice of reason, and we will begin a constructive discussion of security for all and the future international order.” Putin, meanwhile, called Belarus “not only our good neighbour” but “also definitely our ally in the most direct sense of the word.” [The Kremlin]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on Monday met with his United States counterpart Joe Biden in Washington. In the lead-up to his visit, the US Senate passed the US-Ecuador Partnership Act to boost economic, security, and environmental cooperation. Alongside increasing trade, the deal also offers two US Coast Guard cutters to help Ecuador more effectively patrol waters around the Galapagos Islands, where Chinese vessels have frequently been spotted. [Al Jazeera]
The death toll from protests in the wake of now-former President Pedro Castillo’s impeachment and arrest two weeks ago has now reached 26. Demonstrations continue across the country despite his replacement, Dina Boluarte, declaring a nationwide state of emergency and imposing a curfew in 15 provinces. [teleSUR]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Swedish Supreme Court on Monday blocked the extradition of exiled Turkish journalist Bülent Keneş to Turkey due to a “risk of persecution.” Turkey has demanded that Sweden deport Keneş in return for approving Stockholm’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Keneş worked for the banned Zaman newspaper, which was critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and has been accused of playing a major role in orchestrating the failed 2016 military coup. Keneş fled to Sweden in 2016. [bianet]
United States deputy ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood on Monday accused UN Secretary-General António Guterres of “yielding to Russian threats” by refusing to send officials to Ukraine to investigate the Russian military’s alleged use of Iranian drones. “We regret that the UN has not moved to carry out a normal investigation of this reported violation,” he said. The US and Ukraine have accused Iran of supplying drones and missiles to Russia. [Reuters]
North America
On Monday, United States (US) Supreme Court granted a temporary stay order on the removal of the Title 42 asylum restrictions, which were set to be lifted on Wednesday. The restrictions were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 by the Trump administration. Conservative states called on the court to block the lifting of Title 42, saying it would “cause an unprecedented calamity at the southern border.” Immigration activists have called the order “deeply regrettable,” while the Department of Homeland Security said it “will continue our preparations to manage the border in a safe, orderly, and humane way when the Title 42 public health order lifts.” [Associated Press]
While speaking about Canada’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy in Montreal on Monday, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly stated that Canada’s objective is “to be as close to Korea and to Japan as we are to Germany, France, and Great Britain.” “If you take the West Coast, from British Columbia, and look west — it’s really our region. They’re our neighbours. We have to do more,” she added, without revealing any details. [Global News]
Oceania
Fiji’s general election concluded in a deadlock, with neither incumbent Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama nor his rival Sitiveni Rabuka securing a majority. Both sides will now have to court the tie-breaker Social Democratic party, which holds three seats. [Manila Times]
Australian Senator Matt Canavan said that the Anthony Albanese government’s plan to increase reliance on renewable energy will make the nation “poorer.” [Sky News Australia]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Days after lawmakers voted against impeaching him over the Phala Phala farm scandal, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on Monday re-elected President Cyril Ramaphosa as its leader. He received 2,476 votes, well more than his nearest competitor, former Health Minister Zweli Khize, who garnered 1,897 votes. As a result, Ramaphosa has been chosen as the party’s candidate for the 2024 general election. [eNCA]
AFP revealed on Monday that at least two Burkinabé soldiers and six civilians were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in the northern and eastern regions of the country on Saturday. The first attack occurred when security forces in Boroum in the northern province of Namentenga struck an improvised explosive device. The second attack took place in the eastern village of Kokodé, killing six civilians. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. [africanews]