South Asia
On “Pakistan Day”, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, highlighting India’s desire for “cordial relations with the people of Pakistan.” However, he said that to achieve this, the two sides need to establish an environment of trust”, which should be “devoid of terror and hostility.” [NDTV]
On Tuesday, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted in favour of adopting a resolution that granted the Council’s chief, Michelle Bachelet, with the mandate to investigate the crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war. The resolution saw 22 countries voting in favour, with 11, including China and Pakistan, voting against. India, along with 13 other countries, abstained from voting. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
On Tuesday, Tajikistan started its COVID-19 vaccination drive, starting with the phased immunisation of vulnerable groups, including “medical workers” and citizens above 60 years.” Tajikistan received 192,000 doses of the Indian Covishield vaccine as part of India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative. The country also intends to register for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine as well as China’s CoronaVac vaccine. [AKIPress]
Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Kakhaber Sabanadze resigned from his post after media reports claimed that he used illegal surveillance to track several opposition politicians in 2019. Sabanadze has called for an “unbiased and comprehensive” investigation of the allegations. The ruling Georgian Dream party has led a crackdown against opposition party members since February that has resulted in a political crisis in the country. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
Oil and fuel demand in Southeast Asia has hit a lull since recovery to pre-COVID levels will take till the end of this year or even later. Tourist spots in Thailand remain closed while movement restrictions remain in place in Malaysia and Indonesia. Although gasoline demand from Indonesia and Malaysia has recovered “tremendously” since last April, renewed lockdowns have dampened the overall demand. [The Straits Times]
Vietnam has handed a new parliament building, Lao National Assembly House, worth $111 million to Laos. The building was funded and also built by Vietnam, the construction for which began in 2017. The building will serve as an office for Laos’ rubber-stamp parliament, and will also be “a cultural research centre.” [The Diplomat]
Europe
Members of the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee voted against approving the budget for Frontex, the bloc’s border and coast guard agency. They agreed to postpone the approval “until additional clarifications are brought on a series of issues”, including alleged rights violations by the Frontex staff. [Al Jazeera]
Russia and China on Tuesday called for a meeting of UN Security Council (UNSC) permanent members, saying that they were concerned about heightened “political turbulence” and the US’ role in perpetuating it. “At a time of increasing global political turbulence, a summit of the permanent members of the UN Security Council is particularly necessary to establish direct dialogue about ways to resolve humankind’s common problems in the interests of maintaining global stability,” the countries’ foreign ministers said in a statement following their meeting in Guilin, China. Though the leaders did not mention the US by name, they told reporters that they were both unhappy with the US’ “destructive behaviour.” [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Venezuelan NGO Control Ciudadano published a ranking of the 30 most influential individuals within the country’s military and placed President Nicolás Maduro at number 28, Attorney General Tarek William Saab at 29, and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez last. In fact, even parliamentarian and active military captain Diosdado Cabello ranks above Maduro in terms of power within the military. The study has shed light on the tense relationship between the government and the military and suggests that Maduro’s power isn’t as secure as some have made it out to be. [Latin American Herald Tribune]
After describing governors and mayors who institute lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus as “tyrants”, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro then threatened to deploy the military to protect the country’s “democracy and freedom”. These comments, however, have made army generals uneasy, as they do not want want to be seen as operating at the behest of the President or as “defend[ing] his interests”. [Folha de São Paulo]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Leader of the Islamic State in Sinai, Salim Salma Said Mahmoud Al-Hamadin, was killed by Egyptian forces in Rafah, close to the border with Israel, in a joint operation with the Sinai Tribal Union. Hamadin was responsible for the murder of several Egyptian civilians and soldiers. [Jerusalem Post]
An election poll released by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that neither Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party nor Hamas would be able to gain a majority if elections are held in May. The poll found that Fatah would win 43% of the vote and Hamas would win 30%, with 18% of voters undecided. The election, which is slated for May 22, will mark the first election in Palestine since 2006. [Times of Israel]
North America
Canada on Tuesday welcomed the adoption of a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on alleged human rights violations by Sri Lanka during the Tamil Eelam war. Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said that the resolution was an important step towards “securing a safe, peaceful and inclusive future” for the country, and whose mandate would be “critical” for future accountability processes. [Global Affairs Canada]
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his administration will have sent out 100 million relief checks to Americans by Wednesday as part of its $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package. [Reuters]
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Congress to swiftly pass legislation on gun reform in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Colorado that killed 10 people. “I don’t need to wait another minute—let alone an hour—to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future, and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act,” he said. The leader called on lawmakers to broaden and strengthen background checks on gun buyers, as well as ban assault-style weapons. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also said that the president was considering multiple executive actions to stop gun violence. [The White House]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pushing for gender quotas within the Australian parliament. The Labor party, which Morrison is a member of, introduced quotas for women running in “winnable” seats in the 1990s, leading to almost 50% of the party’s federal caucus being staffed by women. In contrast, just 25% of the opposition coalition, made up of the Liberal and the National parties, is staffed by women. [Sydney Morning Herald]
Although Australia has delivered 8,000 vaccines to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and despite the country expecting to launch its vaccination programme this weekend, it is feared that health authorities in the country may not be able to contain a rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak. Australia and New Zealand have both delivered multiple packages of personal protective equipment (PPE), while Australia has also deployed a team of medical experts. Recently, 500 people in PNG were tested for COVID-19, and over 250 of them testing positive, suggesting that the country is in the throes of a massive public health crisis. [The Age]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said that international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have failed to tackle poverty in Africa. Following Tanzanian President John Magufuli’s state funeral this week, Chakwera said that the “failed prescriptions of foreign financial institutions that have left Africa more impoverished and in debt”. [Nyasa Times]
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said that Nigerian scientists have produced two local COVID-19 vaccine candidates that will soon enter clinical trials. Given that the government’s plan to vaccinate the entire population of 109 million people spans across two years, the development of a local vaccine could accelerate the vaccination programme greatly. [Pulse]
World News Monitor: 24 March, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
March 24, 2021
Indian PM Narendra Modi (R) and Pakistani PM Imran Khan SOURCE: INDIA TODAY