South Asia
Clashes between Taliban fighters and members of the Afghani security forces led to the death of at least 57. This is being referred to as the “bloodiest” attack since the Taliban and the Afghani government began negotiations in Doha on September 12. [Reuters]
On Monday, India and China engaged in the sixth round of military-level negotiations focussed on de-escalating the ongoing border tensions between the two Asian powers. No statement on the outcome of the negotiations was given by either side. [Times of India]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
On Monday, Turkey’s National Defence Ministry warned Yerevan against further moves in the Nagorno-Karabakh region after an Azerbaijani soldier was gunned down in a cross-border skirmish. [Daily Sabah]
East and Southeast Asia
A World War II submarine has been found in the Strait of Malacca, about 144 kms south of Phuket, Thailand. The wreckage is believed to be the USS Grenadier, which was scuttled while under attack by Japanese aircraft in April 1943. The diving team is now waiting for its findings to be verified by the naval history command. [The New York Times]
In a letter to CNN, Chinese officials have officially rejected accusations of forced sterilizations and genocide of the Uigurs in Xinjiang, stating that huge drop in birth rates in the province was due to the “comprehensive implementation of the family planning policy”. They insisted that the “rights and interests of Uyghur and other ethnic minorities have been fully protected”. [CNN]
Europe
Following a fire in the Moria refugee camp in Greece that ravaged the shelter of over 12,000 refugees, thousands gathered in Berlin to pressurise the German government to take a more proactive stand in assisting the victims of the fires. Similar protests were seen in Cologne, Munich and Leipzig. [DW]
At a Monday meeting in Brussels, European foreign ministers failed to exit the current deadlock over sanctions against Belarus and its dictatorial President Alexander Lukashenko after Cyprus blocked the move citing the EU’s inaction against Turkey. [The Guardian]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez—who took charge after the previous president, Evo Morales, resigned last November amidst nationwide protests and military pressure—has announced that she will not be running in the upcoming presidential elections. In doing so, it is thought that she has strengthened the campaign of Evo Morales’ party, the Movement for Socialism (MAS), which has backed Luis Arce as its candidate. [Al Jazeera]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced that Washington would be slapping Iran with international sanctions on 27 entities, including the Iranian atomic energy agency and the country’s defence ministry. The UN does not recognize the validity of these sanctions. [Arab News]
Seven supporters of Mohammed Dahlan, an exiled Palestinian politician living in the United Arab Emirates, were arrested by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces on Monday. Dahlan was dispelled from the West Bank in 2011 after a falling out with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. [The Jerusalem Post]
North America
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will most likely announce his pick for the Supreme Court by the end of the week, adding that he was considering five women for the post. Trump also stated that he would like to have a Senate vote for his nominee prior to the election, despite increasing pushback from the Democrats against such an action. [NBC News]
The US Department of Labour has submitted a proposal to the White House Budget Office seeking to narrow the definition of a “specialty occupation” eligible for a skilled-worker visa under the H-1B program and raise the minimum wages for foreign professionals holding similar work permits to ensure that they do not displace American workers. [Reuters]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) threatened to revoke federal funding for New York City, Seattle and Portland on Monday, arguing that the cities were permitting anarchy and violence on their streets. The mayors of the three cities have condemned the administration’s “thoroughly political and unconstitutional” actions. [Al Jazeera]
Oceania
New Zealand’s economy has contracted 12.2% over the past three months, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics say is due to overly strict coronavirus lockdown restrictions. [Sky News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The military junta that forced the now-former President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, to resign has named the country’s former defence minister, Colonel Major Ba N’Daou as the interim leader for 18 months before a return to civilian rule. [Africa Feeds]
The United States has called on Kenya to discourage the boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) movement against Israel and to remove “politically-motivated, non-tariff barriers” on the country. This appears to be one of the preconditions the US has laid out in its FTA negotiations with Kenya. [The East African]
World News Monitor: 22 September, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
September 22, 2020
SOURCE: AFP