South Asia
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded China’s emergence as the second largest economy and global power as a “source of stability” in the international order. In particular, he celebrated the Chinese government’s approach to inter-state relations, which he said prioritises “cooperation over confrontation.” [Associated Press of Pakistan]
Around 50 women from the minority Hazara community in Afghanistan took to the streets to protest Friday’s Kabul University attack that caused 35 deaths and left 82 others injured. The protestors called the incident a form of “genocide” against the community. While no organisation has taken responsibility for the attack, the Islamic State group has often orchestrated such attacks in Hazara-dominated areas. [Dawn]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Geneva for peace talks amid ongoing tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh. It was their second meeting in two weeks. [Public Radio of Armenia]
A Kazakh court on Saturday sentenced a man accused of trying to assassinate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to 17 years in prison. According to Kazakh officials, the person was arrested on 3 April for attempting to kill Tokayev on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. [Eurasianet]
East and Southeast Asia
125 people were killed and 323 were injured in a stampede at the Kanjuruhan football stadium in Indonesia after fans of Arema FC from Malang province were angered by a 2-3 loss to arch-rival Persebaya Surabaya FC. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered an investigation into safety procedures at football stadiums. [The Straits Times]
United States (US) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Washington remains “committed to helping Taiwan develop the capability to defend itself.” “The US military will make sure [Taiwan] has the right capabilities, in the right places, to ensure that we help our allies maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he stressed. However, the official emphasised that while the Biden administration continues to oppose unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, its policy on the ‘one China’ policy remains unchanged. [Taiwan News]
Europe
The United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Barbara Woodward, argued that Russia had abused its veto to block the UN Security Council resolution against the illegal annexation of occupied regions in Ukraine. Condemning Russia’s decision to annex over 90,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, Woodward warned that Russia’s move is the “largest forcible annexation since the Second World War.” [UK Government]
The United Nations Environment Programme warned that the Nord Stream leak in the Baltic Sea has likely caused the largest-ever emission of methane. On Friday, Denmark and Sweden said in a statement before the United Nations Security Council that the damage to the pipeline was a “deliberate act,” indicating that Russia had caused the explosion to disrupt natural gas supplies to Europe. [Al Jazeera]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Canadian research organisation The Citizen Lab found evidence of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration using the Pegasus spyware against journalists and human rights activists between 2019 and 2021, including those who rally against corruption. The report determined that the abuses took place even after the president told citizens that the government is no longer using the spyware. [The Citizen Lab]
The Haitian Ministry of Health’s general director, Laure Adrien, revealed on Sunday that at least seven people have died from cholera amid civil unrest, high inflation, rising living costs, spiralling crime and gang violence, and fuel and drinking water shortages. Cholera is generally spread through water that has been contaminated by the faeces infected people. Therefore, the absence of clean drinking water can result in the disease spreading. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
United Nations (UN) special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced on Sunday that Yemen’s warring parties have failed to reach a deal to extend a nationwide truce. A two-month ceasefire was reached in April between the Houthis and the Yemeni government and extended twice. The truce saw a significant reduction in casualties and increased humanitarian activities. In this respect, Grundberg said he “regrets that an agreement has not been reached” and urged the warring sides to “maintain calm and refrain from provocations or any actions that could lead to an escalation of violence.” [Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen]
According to Iran Human Rights, anti-hijab protests spread to new provinces and cities across Iran. It said on Sunday that clashes between security forces and protesters in the Sistan Baluchistan province resulted in at least 40 deaths, raising the death toll to over 130. [Iran Human Rights]
North America
At least 81 people died in Florida and another four in North Carolina after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida last week and continued to move inwards. Though it has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone now, heavy rains continue to batter the states, with over 689, 000 homes and businesses still without electricity on Sunday. [ABC News, CNN]
During a meeting in Washington on Friday, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly and her American counterpart Antony Blinken agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “so-called “annexation” of Ukraine’s territory has no legitimacy and that Ukraine’s territory will remain Ukraine’s.” [Global Affairs Canada]
Oceania
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles met with his counterparts from the United States (US) and Japan, Lloyd Austin III and Hamada Yasukazu, respectively, on Saturday for a Trilateral Defense Ministers Meeting (TDMM) in Hawaii. According to the US Department of Defense, they “exchanged views on the regional security environment, and discussed deepening trilateral defence cooperation on enhanced information sharing, exercises, and science and technology initiatives.” The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to taking “concrete, practical steps together in order to anchor stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.” [US Department of Defense]
Ukraine’s ambassador to New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has urged Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to visit Ukraine again, as Ardern has “a strong international reputation.” He said her visit would help bring back focus on the country’s plight, as “war fatigue” sets in. Ardern has previously declined the invitation due to scheduling issues and is yet to respond to the latest invitation. [Stuff]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Burkinabé military leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré ousted now-former junta chief Col. Paul-Henri Damiba via a coup on Friday, marking the country's second coup this year, after Damiba himself ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January. Damiba anointed himself as the new president and on Sunday assured that the situation outside the French embassy in Ouagadougou is now under control, after protesters attacked the embassy following his allegations that Damiba was hiding there in order to plot a “counteroffensive.” [BBC, Al Jazeera]
The Chadian junta has extended the transition period to democratic elections by two years, saying that Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno will remain in power. The junta chief came to power last April, after his father, Idriss Déby, was reportedly killed on the frontlines of a conflict with Islamist rebels. [Africanews]