South Asia
Along with the Black and White fungus deepening the woes of COVID-19 patients in India, the more dangerous Yellow Fungus has been detected in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. However, unlike the former two, which begin with external symptoms, the Yellow Fungus attacks the internal organs of the body. [Times of India]
Amidst rising tensions between Twitter and India, the Indian police visited the Twitter office in New Delhi to deliver a notice to the tech giant’s Managing Director. This comes after a tweet by Sambit Patra, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s spokesperson, was flagged as “manipulated media.” [BBC]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Two Armenian citizens are set to stand trial at a military court in Baku on June 2 for their involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 90s, in which they allegedly tortured Azeri captives. They were arrested on separate charges in October while conducting intelligence operations in Azerbaijan. [Azer News]
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov in Sochi on Monday, said that Russia “will do everything” needed to resolve the Kyrgyz-Tajik border conflict. Putin also mentioned that Moscow will engage with both sides “to find a long-term solution to the problem that would meet the interests” of Bishkek and Dushanbe. [Kremlin]
East and Southeast Asia
Hong Kong government-owned broadcaster RTHK, which is said to be “editorially independent,” decided against running a feature on the annual Tiananmen Square Massacre anniversary. RTHK clarified that the decision was taken because the “production team did not seek approval from the editorial committee beforehand.” However, the network has recently made efforts to change its tone after coming under pressure from pro-Beijing officials for being ‘biased’. In fact, it has even deleted “several years of its archives” to avoid any further backlash. [Hong Kong Free Press]
In a phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Beijing supports Tehran’s “reasonable demands concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).” The two leaders then discussed boosting cooperation through China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative. Rouhani also expressed his ‘appreciation’ of China’s “just positions” on the JCPOA and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Lastly, the pair made a thinly veiled dig at the US by expressing their opposition to “unilateralism and hegemonism.” [Xinhua]
Europe
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday urged Turkey to carefully review its cooperation with Ukraine and refrain from “feeding Kyiv’s militaristic sentiment,” warning that any support for Ukraine’s “aggression” in Crimea “is tantamount to an encroachment on Russia’s territorial integrity.” The top diplomat further said that he hoped Ankara would “adjust its approach to accommodate our legitimate concerns.” [MFA Russia]
The European Union’s negotiators have commenced discussions on bringing in major amendments to the bloc’s farm laws. The aim is to make the subsidies more environmentally friendly and fair. However, environmental activists have criticised the laws for failing to set clear and enforceable targets and for continuing to permit pollution during industrial farming. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Guillermo Lasso was sworn in as Ecuador’s 47th president on Monday in a ceremony that was attended by Spanish King Felipe VI, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Dominican Republican President Luis Abinader, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Lasso replaces Lenín Moreno, who did not run for a second term in the run-off election in April, when conservative banker Lasso unexpectedly defeated overwhelming favourite Andrés Arauz. [Telesur]
The Colombian Government’s High Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, who has led negotiations with the National Strike Committee (CNP) to bring an end to the ongoing protests in the country, has resigned from his post. Nationwide protests first erupted on April 28, when citizens demanded the repeal of a controversial new tax reform. Although the reform has since been cancelled, the protests have not died down and have also invited criticism about excessive and arbitrary force by the police. Protesters continue to demand a structural overhaul of the government, with many calling for the resignation of President Iván Duque. [Merco Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that Iran has agreed to extend a monitoring deal allowing the IAEA to access surveillance cameras in Iranian nuclear facilities by a month. The decision comes at a time when world powers are continuing to hold talks with Iran in Vienna, Austria to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by former United States President Donald Trump in 2018. [BBC]
An Israeli soldier and civilian were injured in a stabbing attempt in Jerusalem by a 17-year-old Palestinian, who was then shot dead by Israeli security forces. [Haaretz]
North America
In an effort to limit the tech industry’s attempts “to censor conservative political views,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a law prohibiting the permanent deplatforming of people running for public office. The new legislation is the first of its kind in the US and states that platforms can only suspend accounts for 14 days. If companies are found to have broken the rules, they could be fined as much as $250,000 per day. [NBC News]
US President Joe Biden spoke with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on Monday and thanked the leader for Egypt’s “successful diplomacy” in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza. The leaders discussed the “urgent need to deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need in Gaza and to support rebuilding efforts in a manner that benefits the people there and not Hamas.” They also spoke about the GERD issue, the situations in Libya and Iraq, and the state of human rights in Egypt. [The White House]
Oceania
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the appointment of Cindy Kiro as the country’s new Governor General. Though Kiro’s appointment was approved by Queen Elizabeth II, this is considered to be a formality, as the Queen approves whoever’s name is put forward by the Commonwealth nation. In fact, the position itself is largely ceremonial, as the Governor General merely serves at the behest of the PM and rarely goes against his or her recommendations or instructions, and has little to no autonomy. [New Zealand Government]
Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly remarked that citizens may require “as many incentives” as possible to “become vaccinated” against COVID-19, with some experts suggesting the use of “lottery tickets, discounts, and cash bonuses.” Kelly said that these options are especially being considered for the 50-69 age group, which is particularly at risk of contracting the virus and hospitalisation. [Brisbane Times]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Protesters in Nigeria blocked a highway in the capital city, Abuja, amid a spate of kidnappings. It has been reported that over 20 people have been kidnapped in the Niger state over the last few days, and citizens are growing increasingly angry over the government’s inability to curb violence and instability in the country. [Africa News]
Zimbabwe has halted maize imports, as its own harvest is roughly 200% higher than last year and 130% above average. This follows years of food shortages and droughts. In fact, Zimbabwe spent $300 million on maize imports last year. This year, however, Zimbabwe is set to produce 2.7 million tonnes of its own maize, its highest yield in 20 years. [The East African]
World News Monitor: 25 May, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
May 25, 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping SOURCE: XU PENG / XINHUA