South Asia
A special evacuation flight with 55 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus onboard landed in New Delhi under the Ministry of External Affairs’ “My Family, My Responsibility” program. In a bid to prevent religious minorities from being victimised by the Taliban, the Indian government has already evacuated 543 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus since the group’s takeover last August. [Khaama News Press Agency]
Nepalese Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Devendra Paudel met with representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to express gratitude for the organisation’s support to develop nuclear science and technology. The Nepalese minister provided reassurances of the country’s commitment to “global peace and disarmament” and vowed to use nuclear facilities for “peaceful purposes.” [Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Kazakhstan said on Monday that it will not recognise the results of any of the referendums Russia condducts in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry said the decision is based on its respect for international law and the territorial integrity of countries. [RFE/RL]
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that frequent clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be a solution and urged Armenia and Azerbaijan “to resume the dialogue immediately.” Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinayan in Paris, Macron demanded that Azerbaijani troops withdraw from “occupied” regions. [Armenia PMO]
East and Southeast Asia
Malaysian Prime Minister (PM) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that he has not yet decided on when to dissolve the parliament for the country’s 15th general election and that any decision on the matter would depend on the outcome of a meeting between the top leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) this Friday. Although Malaysia’s election is not due until September 2023, there have been calls for early polls. [Channel News Asia]
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to meet with United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris later this week to discuss stability across the Taiwan Strait. Furthermore, Prime Minister Han Duk-soo will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo to discuss Seoul’s rulings on Japan’s forced labour during World War II. [The Korea Herald]
Europe
British Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to thank him for his role in facilitating the release of five British prisoners that were held captive by Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine. They also spoke of the importance of expanding the United Kingdom’s partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly in clean energy and aviation. [UK Government]
The European Union (EU) began discussions on how to deal with Russian nationals that are attempting to enter the bloc to escape Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilisation of reserves amid dwindling troops in the Ukraine war. European Council President Charles Michel said the EU should open doors to those that oppose being “instrumentalised” by Putin. [Reuters]
Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin partially mobilised 300,000 reserve troops to Ukraine, a gunman shot and injured the chief recruitment officer at a military enlistment centre in the Irkutsk region on Monday after his best friend was drafted despite having no previous military service record. “The shooter was immediately arrested, and he will definitely be punished,” said Irkutsk regional governor Igor Kobzev. [The Washington Post]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Via a referendum on Sunday, 74% of Cubans voted to legalise same-sex marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt children. The proposed new family code also increases protections for women, children, and elderly citizens. [CNN]
The chief of Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, Alejandro Astesiano, was arrested on Monday over his alleged involvement in an illegal scheme to grant hundreds of Russian citizens Uruguayan passports. The scandal involves forging Russian birth certificates that claim Uruguayan parents. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Reza Najafi on Monday called for the nuclear disarmament of Israel and said this would help keep the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction. Saying that Iran supports the goal of global nuclear disarmament, Najafi blamed the United States and Israel for “blocking efforts” to reach this goal. [IRNA]
Saudi Arabia’s mine-clearing project in Yemen has cleared 763 mines—planted by Houthi rebels—during the fourth week of September. The Masam Project has helped clear almost 360,000 mines since its inception in 2018. [Saudi Press Agency]
North America
United States (US) officials on Monday revealed that a US Coast Guard ship discovered three Chinese naval vessels, including a guided missile cruiser, and four Russian naval ships, including a destroyer, in a single formation during a routine patrol in the Bering Sea, 138 kilometres north of Alaska’s Kiska Island last week. “We will meet presence with presence to ensure there are no disruptions to US interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” said Seventeenth Coast Guard District Commander Rear Adm. Nathan Moore. [Associated Press]
Canada announced on Monday that all of its strict “extraordinary measures” related to COVID-19 border restrictions, including proof of COVID-19 vaccination, quarantine and isolation measures, and all pre- and on-arrival COVID-19 testing, will be removed from 1 October. It also said that wearing a mask on aeroplanes and trains is no longer mandatory. [CTV News]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese is expected to sign a new “green economy agreement” when Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong visits Canberra and Sydney next month. The agreement, which remains to be finalised, aims to facilitate future renewable energy and hydrogen deals between companies of both countries. [ABC News Australia]
New Zealand held a State Memorial in Wellington on Monday to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the service that the gathering had been held “to acknowledge the deep connection New Zealand has had to her late majesty the Queen for more than 70 years, a connection grounded on her first visit in 1953.” [Reuters]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Newly-elected Kenyan President William Ruto has said he is considering purchasing Russian fuel in order to bring down prices after the removal of a fuel subsidy. He noted, “All options are available to us as a country. East Africa would be a good option, but Kenya is what we are going to be focusing on.” [Africanews]
Two Liberian citizens—Moses Owen Browne, the permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, and Daniel Tarr, the director of the Department of Marine Environmental Protection—are being held in custody in South Korea on rape charges. The pair claim that they are “victims of racism.” Korean news agencies say the two alleged victims told the police they are 14 and 16 years old, though FrontPage Africa claims that they told the Liberian officials that they were 21 and 26 years old. [FrontPage Africa]