South Asia
Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail resigned on Sunday as the country continues to struggle with the combined impact of the floods and protracted economic crisis. Exiled leader Ishaq Dar will return to Pakistan on Tuesday to replace Ismail. [Geo TV]
During his address at the United Nations General Assembly’s 77th Session, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry vowed to introduce political, economic, and social reforms. Sabry also highlighted the critical importance of instituting climate action policies. [Colombo Page]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The fragile ceasefire reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan following deadly clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh earlier this month ended on Friday as fighting resumed in the volatile region. The two countries accused each other of once again violating their respective borders and firing at military posts. [RFE/RL]
Kyrgyzstan on Friday rejected Tajikistan’s claim that Kyrgyz officials are persecuting ethnic Tajiks amid the ongoing border conflict. Bishkek called Dushanbe’s allegations “provocative” and “groundless.” [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, during which he called for calm over Taiwan. Blinken “stressed that preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is critical to regional and global security and prosperity,” the US Department of State said in a statement. [Taipei Times]
Thomas Andrews, the United Nations’ (UN) special rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, told reporters in Geneva that the junta government’s upcoming election “is not going to be an election,” and “is a fraud.” “It is very important that nations do not fall into the trap of appearing to support that fraud, either with technical assistance or advice of any kind. Don’t be part of this atrocity that’s going on in Myanmar,” he stressed. [Mizzima]
Europe
British Prime Minister Liz Truss lauded the United States as an “incredibly close partner,” adding that she is a “huge fan” of the country. She stressed on the need for Western allies to work together to protect Taiwan and ensure that it is able to defend itself against China. [Politico]
France and Qatar signed a $1.5 billion agreement to secure natural gas supplies for Europe in a bid to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also scheduled to visit Qatar to discuss energy security. [DW]
About 5,000 people protested in Chișinău for the second consecutive Sunday to demand the resignation of President Maia Sandu and her pro-Western administration. Though the protests are the largest since Sandu’s 2020 victory, they do not pose an immediate threat to her government. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
During her closing arguments in a corruption case on Friday, Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner linked the assassination attempt on her earlier this month to her ongoing corruption trial. “Until the first of September, I believed that this was all about stigmatising me, banning me, denigrating me, defaming me,” she remarked, adding, “It’s like the judicial sphere is giving social licence so that anyone can think or do anything.” [Al Jazeera]
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard had a “cordial conversation” with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday regarding Mexico’s peace plan to end the Ukraine war. However, Ukraine has rejected the proposal, saying it would give Russia more time to prepare for the next attack. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday signed an energy security agreement with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that will see the Gulf country supplying natural gas and diesel to Germany. The specifics of the deal were not immediately clear. Scholz visited the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia over the weekend seeking new energy supply sources as Germany seeks to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. [Al Monitor]
At least one Somali soldier was killed and six others injured in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu on Sunday. Terrorist outfit Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed to have killed 32 soldiers. The attack is part of a spate of recent suicide bombings by Al-Shabaab this year that have killed over 100 soldiers and civilians. [Reuters]
North America
Electricity could not be restored for over 415,000 people in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Foundland, and Quebec on Sundaya after Hurricane Fiona hit Canada’s Atlantic coast the previous day. “This is not a one-day situation where we can all go back to normal,” New Foundland Mayor Brian Button remarked, adding, “Unfortunately, this is going to take days, it could take weeks, it could take months in some cases.” [Associated Press]
In an interview on Sunday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia to “stop the loose talk” about using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war. “It’s very important that Moscow hear from us and know from us that the consequences would be horrific,” Blinken asserted, adding, “We’ve made that very clear.” [The Hill]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese will visit Japan on Monday to attend the state funeral of slain former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Former PMs John Howard, Tony Abbott, and Malcolm Turnbull, all of whom worked with Abe during his two terms in power, will also join Albanese. [The West Australian]
The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee on Friday ruled in favour of indigenous Torres Islanders who accused the Australian government of failing to adapt to climate change, arguing that this has negatively impacted their livelihoods. “Many Islanders are worried that their islands could quite literally disappear in their lifetimes without urgent action,” the islanders had said in their petition. The UN committee called on Canberra to “make full reparation to individuals whose Covenant rights have been violated.” [The Straits Times]
Sub-Saharan Africa
During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga condemned France for its “unilateral decision” to withdraw its military from Mali and redeploy its troops Niger, saying that Bamako felt “stabbed in the back.” He also lauded the “exemplary and fruitful cooperation between Mali and Russia.” [Associated Press]
On Sunday, Uganda’s Ministry of Health confirmed that 16 people have now been affected by Ebola, with a further 18 possible cases. The death count remains at four though another 17 deaths are suspected Ebola cases. [Reuters]