South Asia
The United States has sent a special envoy to Afghanistan to negotiate two issues, namely prisoner releases and reducing violence in Afghanistan, both of which are obstructing the conclusion of the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghani government. [The Hindu]
The Indian government said that India and China have agreed to expedite their de-escalation efforts along the Line of Actual Control by pulling back troops. [Reuters]
Bangladesh opened up a facility in the Cox Bazar district to house “climate refugees.” The complex will provide refuge to over 650 families that have been displaced due to the floods. [WION]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Over the weekend, over 30 people were arrested in Moscow and more than a dozen detained in St. Petersburg as violent clashes erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijani diaspora. The fighting comes in the backdrop of the ongoing bilateral territorial dispute and cross-border tensions between the two countries. [RFERL]
East and Southeast Asia
In a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Bill Gates said that SK Bioscience, a Seoul-based pharmaceutical company, may be capable of producing 200 million coronavirus vaccine kits by next June. The US billionaire’s foundation gave $3.6 million (S$4.9 million) to SK Bioscience in May to accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccines. [The Straits Times]
Europe
The United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said that the government is working towards expanding Britain’s ability to counter Russian and Chinese threats in space. This comes days after reports emerged that Russia conducted a “provocative test of a weapon-like projectile from a satellite”, which the UK viewed as a threat to the “peaceful use of space”. [Al Jazeera]
Poland’s Justice Minister Zbigniew Zioboro said that the country’s newly elected right-wing government will be preparing to formally withdraw itself from the Istanbul Convention on Monday. The Convention is the international community’s landmark treaty aimed at preventing and combating all forms of violence against women. The Council of Europe said that it is “alarmed” at Warsaw’s decision. [France24]
Latin America and the Caribbean
A study conducted across 55 Brazilian hospitals concluded that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective in treating the coronavirus. Meanwhile, President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been one of the foremost proponents of the anti-malarial drug, tested negative for the virus, two weeks after testing positive, and attributed his recovery to the unproven drug. [MercoPress]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
On Saturday, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied designated Hichem Mechichi, the country’s interior minister, as the new prime minister to replace Elyes Fakhfakh who suddenly resigned earlier this month. Mechichi now has a month to assemble a new government that is capable of winning a simple majority confidence vote in parliament. [Reuters]
US special envoy Brian Hook, on a recent trip to Doha, said that the Gulf blockade to Qatar has “gone on for too long” and continues to “harm shared regional interests.” The US has failed to mediate the dispute so far, which it considers as a strategic threat to containing Iran. [Al Jazeera]
North America
The United States officially closed its consulate in Chengdu, China on Monday morning, as hundreds of local residents gathered outside, waving Chinese flags and taking pictures. “Today, we bid farewell to the US Consulate General in Chengdu. We will miss you forever,” the mission’s official post said on Twitter. [CNN]
Hurricane Douglas bore down on Hawaii on Sunday and could become only the third hurricane in modern history to make landfall in Hawaii. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Maui, Oahu, and Kauai County, and tropical storm warnings are in effect for Hawaii County. [CNN]
Moderna Inc said on Sunday that it has received an additional $472 million in US government aid to support the development of its COVID-19 vaccine. The US-based drugmaker previously received $483 million in federal funding in April. [Fox Business]
Oceania
A Newshub-Reid Research Poll reveals that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour party is polling at 60.9%, its highest ever rating. Meanwhile, the principal opposition, The National Party, which is led by Judith Collins, has slipped to 25%. Elections are due to be held on September 19. [Newshub]
The Australian state of Victoria recorded its highest one-day increase of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 532 new patients. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced that six more people had died on a day when the country as a whole recorded 549 new COVID-19 cases. [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Somalian parliament cast a no-confidence vote to remove Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire—who has held the post since 2017, when he was appointed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed—from power on Saturday, with the votes tallied at 170-8. Khaire was the former country director of the British company Soma Oil and Gas, which has been accused of bribing the government’s oil ministry to keep hold of lucrative exploration contracts. [Africa Feeds]
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to hold a summit on the political crisis in Mali after five West African leaders failed to mediate and negotiate and end to hostilities last week. Mali’s opposition has rejected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta’s concessions, saying that they would settle for nothing less than his resignation. [Africa News]
World News Monitor: 27 July, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
July 28, 2020
