South Asia
On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed amendments to its controversial Prevention of Terrorist Act that now reduce the period of detentions and allow the Magistrate to visit detainees to investigate any possibility of torture. Several opposition leaders, including members of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, voted against the amendment, arguing for the need to repeal the law in its entirety. [Colombo Page]
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan complimented the Indian army for not being “corrupt” and for refraining from interfering in the government’s affairs. He once again accused the Pakistani army of not being “neutral” and of helping the opposition in their campaign to oust him via a trust vote. [Economic Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine. While Mirziyoyev said that he understands the position and actions of Russia, he stressed that Uzbekistan supports a peaceful and diplomatic settlement of the conflict. Last week, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov announced that Uzbekistan does not recognise the independence of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. [24.kg]
Three Chinese workers died on Tuesday after a coal mine collapsed in Kyrgyzstan’s Uzgen district. According to law enforcement agencies, the accident was caused by a large rock that fell from a height of 50 metres. [Fergana News]
East and Southeast Asia
Myanmar’s junta said in a statement on Tuesday that it “categorically rejects” a United States declaration that recognises the military’s actions against the Rohingya Muslim community as “genocide.” The junta’s foreign affairs ministry alleged that the “narrative” is “far from reality.” [Channel News Asia]
In the aftermath of the China Eastern Airlines crash on Monday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has launched a two-week sector-wide investigation to determine potential safety lapses at all regional air traffic control bureaus, airline companies, and flight training institutes. Due to extensive damage to the aircraft, the cause for Monday’s crash is yet to be determined. [The Straits Times]
Europe
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday affirmed that “Serbia won’t recognize Kosovo’s independence,” arguing that the Kosovan government is suppressing the voting rights of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija ahead of elections on April 3. Vučić accused Pristina of dragging Belgrade into war. [B92]
Bringing an end to a four-year dispute with the United States (US), the United Kingdom removed retaliatory tariffs against American motorcycles, whiskey, and other products. Apart from attempting to mitigate inflationary pressures in the US, where prices have hit a 40-year high, the agreement also seeks to counter China and allow the two countries to focus on Beijing’s “unfair trade practices.” [Reuters]
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm in Corsica amid fear of violence after pro-independence figure Yvan Colonna was attacked by a fellow prisoner earlier this month; he succumbed to his injuries on Monday. Last week, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin visited the region to discuss autonomy after protesters clashed with the police and occupied public buildings over the brutal attack on Colonna. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who the United States (US) recognises as the legitimate president, has urged Washington not to press ahead with relaxing oil sanctions on Caracas. White House officials recently travelled to Venezuela to discuss a possible relaxation of sanctions in exchange for a change in stance on Russia, which the Biden administration hopes will provide the US and indeed the West with an alternative oil supplier to Russia. [Reuters]
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador hit out at the hypocrisy of the United States by pointing to how quickly billions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine has been approved and contrasting it with how over $4 billion worth of investment in Central America and southern Mexico has been stalled for over four years. He remarked, “The relationship is very good, but there is also a lot of bureaucracy there.” [NBC News]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Four Israelis were killed and two others were wounded on Tuesday in a ramming and stabbing attack in Beersheba. Israeli police said that it was the biggest terror attack in Israel in years. The assailant was a 34-year-old Arab Israeli man, who was shot dead by a civilian; he had served four years in prison for attempting to join Syria’s Islamic State. [Times of Israel]
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that it welcomes the “positive points” made by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati to help ease tensions between the two Arab countries. Mikati said on Monday that Beirut wants to normalise ties with Riyadh and vowed to stop all activities originating in Lebanon that threaten the stability of Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries expelled Lebanon’s envoys last year after Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi criticised the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. [Reuters]
North America
On Tuesday, on the second day of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, Republican lawmakers pressed the Supreme Court nominee on issues such as ‘Critical Race Theory’ and Brown Jackson’s record on sentencing child pornography offenders. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was particularly incensed by Jackson’s confirmation and stormed out as Jackson’s work with Guantanamo Bay detainees was being discussed. [Politico]
The United States (US) Department of State has transferred more than 5,000 Afghan refugees seeking resettlement in the US to an analogous program in Canada. Under the Canadian program, refugees will be provided with temporary housing as well as a year of income assistance. Ottawa has pledged to accept 40,000 Afghan refugees, including the 5,000 that have just been transferred. [The Voice of America]
Oceania
A group of former Australian senior defence officers and security experts called climate change the greatest threat to the future and security of citizens. They wrote in a letter: “The first duty of government is the safety and protection of the people, but Australia has failed when it comes to climate change threats.” The letter published on the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group website called on the government to prioritise climate change in the upcoming national elections. [9 News]
On Wednesday, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced the country’s post-Omicron plan and removed vaccine mandates from almost all industries, noting a significant decline in cases in Auckland. Ardern said, “From 4 April, My Vaccine Pass will no longer be required by the Government, meaning Kiwis will no longer have to be vaccinated in order to enter those venues covered by the Pass.” [Sky News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum accused Mali’s military junta, led by Assimi Goïta, of assassinating former Malian Prime Minister Boubèye Maïga, who was in office from 2017 to 2019. The 67-year-old died in hospital on Monday but had been kept under detention since the August 2020 coup. Niger’s leader compared his death to that of former Malian President Modibo Keïta, who was ousted via a coup in 1968 and then died in prison in 1977. Bazoum remarked, “I thought that such assassinations belonged to another era.” [Africa Times]
On Tuesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will be removing mandatory negative PCR tests for fully-vaccinated incoming travellers. Furthermore, indoor and outdoor events can now operate at 50% capacity if attendees provide proof of vaccination or a PCR test that was taken within 72 hours of the event. Face mask mandates have been removed for all outdoor spaces but will remain in place for public indoor spaces. South Africa has thus far recorded 99,893 deaths from COVID-19. [Africanews]