South Asia
India, Australia, and Japan launched the Supply Chain Resilience initiative to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains in the three countries. To this end, the trade ministers of the three countries agreed to convene discussions every year to achieve “strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive grown in the region.” [Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry]
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh participated in a meeting hosted by China to discuss their economic and public health challenges during the ongoing pandemic. During the discussion, the leaders spoke about China’s efforts in helping India meet its pandemic-related demands, despite India being absent from the meeting. [The Print]
With the Indian double-mutant coronavirus making its way through the Nepalese population, the country witnessed a sharp surge in COVID-19 cases, reporting 3,032 new cases on Sunday. This is the highest number of cases reported by Nepal this year. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
A vehicle transporting Russian peacekeepers was caught in a mine explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Artsakh’s Interior Ministry, the two servicemen were injured after the car they were travelling in exploded on an anti-tank mine. [Public Radio of Armenia]
The Indian embassy in Armenia used the word “genocide” to describe the mass murder of Armenians between 1915 and 1923 by Ottoman Turks, representing the first time India has recognised the massacre of Armenians as genocide. Ambassador Kishan Dan Dewal also paid a visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on April 24 on the 106th anniversary of the genocide. [Armen Press]
East and Southeast Asia
Singapore has replaced New Zealand for the first time and topped Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking this month. The index measures the best and worst places to be in during the pandemic. Singapore’s success has been attributed to the combination of being able to control the virus and rolling out vaccines at one of the fastest rates in Asia. [The Straits Times]
Beijing released official data on the city’s population figures, revealing that the number of births in the capital hit a new low in a decade in 2020, decreasing by 32,000 to 100,368 compared to the previous year. Chinese demographers believe that the city’s population may start a natural negative growth from 2022. [Global Times]
Europe
Russia started a series of naval drills in the Black Sea on Tuesday. This closely mirrors and follows the US’ decision to dispatch a coast guard vessel to the region amid rising tensions between Moscow and Kyiv. Local reports suggest that Russia’s Moskva cruiser will hold live ammunition exercises with other ships and military helicopters. [Reuters]
The Hungarian parliament has voted to transfer the control of 11 state universities and related assets worth billions of dollars to foundations with close ties to the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Opposition leaders have decried the move as theft of public funds, and a takeover of Hungary’s higher education system by Orbán and his allies. [Associated Press]
Members of the European Parliament discussed the details of a post-Brexit trade agreement with the United Kingdom. This is predicted to be the last step, following which a trade and cooperation deal will be ratified by the bloc. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
The Biden administration is reportedly considering engaging in dialogue with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, given that his administration appears to be making efforts to reconcile ties with Washington. In recent times, Maduro has allowed the World Food Programme to set up a base in the country and has even pledged to work with opposition leaders to secure vaccines for citizens. The Biden administration, however, remains wary of angering its Venezuelan voter base in Florida, many of whom left the country due to chronic mismanagement by Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez. [NBC News]
Brazilian health regulator Anvisa rejected requests by several states to import roughly 30 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Anvisa President Antônio Barra Torres said, “We will never permit, without the existence of due proof required, millions of Brazilians to be exposed to products without the due proof of their quality, safety and efficacy or, at minimum, in the face of the grave situation that we’re living through, a favourable cost-benefit relationship.” As expected, Moscow has slammed what it considers to be a “political” decision that has nothing to do with science. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Syrian Response Coordination Group said that the Syrian regime, along with Russian forces, carried out at least 200 bombings in northwest Syria during the month of Ramadan, violating the ceasefire that is in place. According to the Group’s report, Russian and Syrian forces launched a total of 323 airstrikes during the first quarter of 2021. [Middle East Monitor]
United Nations Humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said that rape and violence are being used as means to pursue political ends in Ethiopia’s Tigray. “They are deliberately and systematically organised, targeted, ethically based, and they are intended to terrorise, humiliate and brutalise,” Lowcock said. In November last year, Ethiopia’s government led by Abiy Ahmed launched a massive military operation against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that has resulted in gross human rights violations. [Anadolu Agency]
North America
The US Navy on Tuesday said that it had fired warning shots at three Iranian IRGC Navy armed speed boats on Monday night after they came within 70 yards of US vessels operating in international waters of the north Arabian Gulf. This is the second encounter between the two countries’ naval forces in Gulf waters this month. [US Navy]
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced $310 million in increased assistance for Central America to “address the root causes of irregular migration and strengthen collaborative migration management” across the region. $104 million will come through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, $125 million through USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, $26 million through the Department of Defence, and $55 million through the US Department of Agriculture. [US Department of State]
The Canadian government on Tuesday announced $10 million in humanitarian assistance for India. The funds, which will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross, will support the Indian Red Cross Society’s response to the unfolding COVID-19 situation in the country and will be used for the procurement of essential supplies and medicines, including oxygen cylinders for clinics and ambulances. [Global Affairs Canada]
Oceania
There are reports that Australia is set to commit $747 million towards upgrading the training facilities of its Defence Force, which could ostensibly allow for greater interoperability with the forces of the US and other allies. At the same time, Defence Minister Peter Dutton has said that the Morrison administration cannot “discount” the possibility of war with China over Taiwan, while Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo has said that the “drums of war” are beating louder. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called Australia “sick”, denounced its “interference into China’s internal affairs”, and reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to the “One China” principle. [news.com.au]
Australians residing in China are concerned that although they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the fact that they received the Chinese Sinovac vaccine could mean that Australia continues to regard them as unvaccinated. This is because Australia does not currently recognise the Sinovac vaccine, and still requires those who have been administered the shot to quarantine upon arrival to Australia. [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Two civilians were killed in two separate cities in Chad while protesting against the military’s decision to take over the government and establish an 18-month transitional council following the now-former President Idriss Déby’s death last week. Critics have denounced the move by the military as unconstitutional and called for a return to civilian rule. [Africa Feeds]
The European Investment Bank has committed roughly $362 million in loans for the construction of water and renewable energy infrastructure in Mali, Chad, Guinea, Malawi, and Comoros. The project for electricity interconnectivity between Guinea and Mali is being co-financed by the African Development Bank. [Afrik 21]
World News Monitor: 28 April, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
April 28, 2021
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro SOURCE: MATIAS DELACROIX / AP